Page 15 of Through the Wicked Wood

“You personally know Lord Thaddeus of the Jade Guild?” I ask, truly puzzled why a thief from a fabled village would know such a man of power. Though, with the recent rumors of the lord’s solitude, I’m not sure how much power he truly holds anymore.

Sorin shrugs behind me. “We’ve been acquainted,” he says. “My father was a well known man.”

Was.

“If there was someone to know in the Trinity Forest,” Sorin continues, “he knew them, and he made sure his children knew them as well. Family responsibilities to uphold and all that.”

“And the other Guilds?” I ask, my mind wandering to a distant memory, a meeting of my own. “Do you know any of them? Do they also believe Mother Gaia is responsible for the famines?” It would make sense, I suppose. I knew the Jade Guild had been locked up, but being so far removed from the rest of the kingdom I haven’t thought of the others.

“Can’t say that I do,” Sorin says. “Though, with their lack of response to Roman’s new rules in Valebridge, I’m not sure I want to know them anyway.”

Warmth blooms in my chest for our shared disdain for the corrupt king.

“What about you?” he asks, his arm sliding around my middle. Ignoring the feeling it sends to my stomach, I focus on the trees as we pass them by. “Did you meet any of the Guild members when you lived in Valebridge?”

The only time I’ve ever met a member of the Guilds, it was the start of the rainy season and the annual meeting of the Guilds for the first full moon of Autumn had just begun. My mother had been dressed in her finest dress of blue silk, various gems and stones adorning her waist and sleeves. Being the curious child that I was, I snuck out of my chamber to seek her out but before I could make it very far, I was stopped by a man I didn’t recognize.

He was tall, much taller than the late King Silas if I remember correctly, donning black from head down to his polished boots. I recall his voice vividly as he bent down where I crouched low near the spiral marble staircase. Deep. Dark.

“Hello little one,” he’d whispered, his voice rough around the edges. As if he’d spent his whole life screaming. “What do you seek from hiding in the shadows?”

“No,” I lie, coming back to the present, my mind shutting down the memory completely. “They were always so secretive with their meetings. I wasn’t allowed out of my chamber when they visited Valebridge.”

Sorin grunts behind me. “Sounds about right,” he grumbles. “None of the four Guilds have voiced their concerns for the blight. I imagine the other three have locked up their keeps just as Lord Thaddeus has. Protecting only those closest to them. Cowards.” Sorin snarls at the last word.

If Sorin is right, that means the Guilds have also not been attending and celebrating the Autumn moon within Valebridge. Their apparent distaste for the new king could work in our favor when we take back the Stones.

While the Jade Guild is nestled within the heart of the Trinity Forest, the Cerulean Guild resides off the coast of the Holden Sea. The Bloodstone Guild, the southernmost Guild located within the Montrock caves, is rarely visited and I’m not quite sure how we’d even get a message to them. But the Onyx Guild, which is deep within the Kirsgard Mountain range, is the closest to Valebridge. And potentially our best bet at an ally if the need for it arises.

* * *

We ride in silence for the next several miles, the only sound aside from the caw of the crows is Amis’ occasional huff of air through her nose.

“Tell me something about yourself, Enchantress,” Sorin blurts out, making me flinch in the saddle. “Anything,” he says again, sounding desperate. Taken aback by the sudden request I turn my head and peer at him over my shoulder. “I hate silence, if you couldn’t tell,” he says through a smile.

“It’s certainly not a surprise,” I say flatly. “What do you want to know?”

“Well,” he says, “what brought you to the Trinity Forest?” Steering Amis to the left, we pass a small green pond filled to the brim with toadstools. The deep croaks of the toads ring in my ears, and I squint my eyes against the radiant reflection of the sun, hoping to steal a glimpse of the animals. I’m unsuccessful as Amis breezes past it.

“Couldn’t pick an easier question?” I ask, gritting my teeth. Amis picks up her pace again leading us over another steep hill. Sorin chuckles, wrapping his arm tighter around me to compensate for the incline.

“You’ve just piqued my curiosity, love. An Enchantress alone in the densest part of the Trinity Forest, curious is all.” His voice is light, all the tension from this morning’s conversation about the Guilds has melted away.

“All right.” I let out a deep sigh and readjust in the saddle again, shifting my weight to try and get more comfortable. “The short story is that when Roman took the throne, a few of us escaped Valebridge. We fled to the Kirsgard Mountains. For whatever reason, my mother knew we’d be safe there. We managed to stay hidden until—” I cut myself short. Bracing my chest with my free hand and slamming my eyes shut, I focus on steadying my breathing. The panic that tightens across my chest spreads like wildfire.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

I’m not sure if it’s intentional or because we’re cresting over the steepest part of the hill, but Sorin’s grip tightens around me even further, his palm grasping over the back of my hand. His hands are calloused yet warm. Strong yet gentle. His sudden touch snaps my eyes open, and I briefly look down at where our hands connect. That sting of heat leaves an invisible mark against my skin. Shrugging his hand off, I continue, “We managed to stay hidden until we didn’t.” Not giving any more indication as to what happened that night. He doesn’t need to know everything.

Not yet.

“We lived there for a couple of years, a handful of Enchantresses and a few others. We thought we’d found peace in the mountains. Far enough from Valebridge, warded enough from Roman.” My instinct is to stop. To not divulge any more secrets, because after all, I don’t even know this man. But once I begin, I can’t stop. The words on my tongue fall out quicker than my mind can decide this is a bad idea. “We made a mistake,” I admit.

You made a mistake, the voices hiss.

My cheek begins to sore from chewing the last few days, but I press on anyway. “I’m the only one who made it off the mountain.” My voice cracks at the admission. I risk a quick glance back at Sorin, but his face is neutral, eyes locked on the path ahead.

“I made my way to Copenspire.” I decide to keep going, despite the gnawing feeling in my stomach to silence myself. “Gathered supplies and kept to the woods. Being alone has always been something I crave, anyway.” His eyes snap to mine, and for a moment, his features soften, like he can relate to the sentiment. Though, nothing about Sorin strikes me as the kind of person who prefers solitude.

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