Page 72 of A Tale of Treachery

“Is that all?”

“No.” Aiden’s eyes slid down my frame. He stood and slowly prowled around the desk until he was standing a hairsbreadth away from my seated position. His hands slid down my shoulders, and he bent to rest his head on my shoulder. “Kiss me goodbye. Please.” His voice was quiet and low, a hint of sadness shining through.

I swallowed, feeling a little guilty for what I’d put him through, but still unable to kiss him, not when I had feelings for Ryken.

“Aiden…” I started, but gasped when the two front legs of my chair lifted and sent me backward.

His hands were braced on the back of my chair, my body falling back while my face tilted up to meet his gaze. His eager eyes locked on mine while my hands clutched the arms of the chair for purchase, fearing that I would topple over if he let go.

Aiden briefly pressed his lips to mine, softly, then released his hold on the chair. It thumped to the floor, and I looked at him, horrified.

“Don’t give me that look,” Aiden whispered, his eyes downcast. “You’ve done much worse than that in the past twenty-four hours.”

Ouch.

Aiden went back behind his desk and resumed the paperwork he’d been tending to before I’d entered, abruptly ending the conversation. He glanced up from the papers and raised a brow. “What are you still doing here? You’re dismissed until tonight. Go on.”

He didn’t have to tell me twice.

I was out of there before he could say another word.

CHAPTER27

The frigid air seeped through my cloak as I hiked into the Scourged Forest by Redmond’s side, detailing the events of last night and the reason why Ryken would not be attending the expedition with us. I didn’t bother mentioning our invitation to Faerie, though, as I had a feeling it had been withdrawn.

I spoke in a low volume, cautious of George following closely behind us, trailed by a party of soldiers that the king assigned to guard us on our journey.

King Drake and Aiden both insisted that traveling the forest alone was dangerous. I didn’t see it that way but held my tongue as we prepared for the expedition along with the large party of men. The forest wasn’t dangerous—not to Redmond or me, considering how often we ventured out here by ourselves. The excuse was a flimsy one at best. We weren’t being guarded; we were being watched. I was sick of prying ears and eyes. I needed Redmond’s guidance, and privacy seemed to be a growing rarity of late.

We paced side by side, hastening our steps through the large, stone-like trees so we could stay ahead of the pack. It would be winter soon. I sensed it in the vapor that crested the air we breathed, the chill that slowly sunk into my bones, and the frosted moss on the forest floor that crunched beneath our feet.

“Do you think he will come back?” Redmond questioned once we were far enough away from the others. He seemed upset to have lost his friendship with Ryken.

“I doubt it. Ryken was angry with me. Extremely angry.”

Redmond rubbed his chin. “He’ll get over it and see why you did what you did. Just give him a while before you go chasing him down.”

“What makes you think I’ll chase him down?” Every fiber in my being told me to search him out and explain that night, but I would need an opportunity to escape in order to do that.

“Because I know you, little one. Have a little patience. Everything will work out how it is supposed to.”

“And what about Aiden? What do I do about him?”

Redmond sighed and placed his arm around my shoulder as we exited the forest, stopping and staring at the vast red canyons where the portal would be found. “Now, that is the true problem, isn’t it? I’ve tried petitioning the king multiple times to get you out of your situation, but he ignores my letters.”

I nudged him with my elbow. “Thank you. I was hoping you would figure it out for me. I’m trying my hardest to make Aiden see reason, but he won’t even give me a chance to speak.”

“He is becoming more like his father. I suppose it should have been expected, but I am utterly disappointed.” Redmond spoke in a low voice that was soon cut off by the appearance of George behind us. “Where’s the rest of the crew?” he asked the betrayer.

George responded breathlessly, overexerted from chasing after us. “They’re catching up. These woods are treacherous, and the two of you ran through them without a care in the world. You need to be more cautious.”

We both snorted, and Redmond handed over his canteen. I took a big swig and sat down, waiting for the soldiers to appear. My eyes roamed the Barren Lands, the wide expanse of desert on the other side of the canyon. I’d heard that the Barren Lands had once been the land of plenty, flush with greenery and vegetation, but after the first rift formed, it was blighted by magic and ravaged with in-fighting. It was now a dying land filled with nothing more than dust and rocks. Nobody dared to venture there anymore, seeing as all its inhabitants had died slowly and painfully from the toxicity of shadow blight, the same disease that cursed the scourged forest.

Hopefully, Cambriel wouldn’t face the same fate now that the rift was open.

Once the men arrived, I sucked in a deep breath and mentally prepared for the long trek through the canyons. The dangerous cliffs and falling rocks weren’t what gave me pause, though. It was what lay at the end of our journey that had my body filled with apprehension: the portal to the otherworld, the place where Malachi was locked away, the place I’d vowed to never enter. A vow I would soon be breaking since Redmond wanted me to enter the cursed world.

He sensed the direction of my thoughts and leaned in, smiling softly. “I only need you to enter the portal for a moment. I need to know what it’s like inside, what is keeping the shades locked up, and since you’re technically a native of the otherworld, I think it will let you in where I’ve failed. Plus, the portal gel really seems to like you.”

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