Page 39 of Sky of Thorns

“My creature?” I scoff with annoyance. I glance down at Lemon who looks up at me from my overskirt pocket. Lemon nods his head in agreement, chittering his fears at me. He nuzzles his head into my palm and rests under my hand. “He’s not a thing. He’s a ferret.” I frown down at his innocent face, whiskers twitching. A very long lived, too smart, for his own good ferret. Wait. Did he just—

“How did yo–” I narrow my eyes at Nero, studying him carefully.

“How did I ken ye stowed away a pet the whole journey to Shadowvale?” Nero laughs openly at me. “Ye weren’t stowing meat strips away in yer pockets for yerself. Plus, that little beast snores terribly at night. I’m surprised ye sleep at all with him around.” He lifts an eyebrow at me, like the thought of a drowsy ferret companion isn’t a problem.

Heat creeps along my face. I push past him towards the doorway. “Let’s get out of here. Whose tomb is this anyways?” I shiver, the linger of the magic tingling along my skin.

“This is where Aramis’s mother, Queen Rosalind, goddess bless her soul, was laid to rest.” His head dips toward the crypt before returning to meet my gaze. “We’ve come here to pay our respects for almost a hundred years, yet I’ve never seen a flicker of her magic here before.”

“Rosalind.” Rose. The name echoes in my head. “What do you mean, her power?” I turn around and face him in the doorway.

“Queen Rosalind was a wind elemental, but that wasn’t her true power. Known for two great things, she possessed a loving nature and a magical art. Through her paintings, she captured the essence of both the past and the future, depicting prophecies of the time that was and the time that will be.”

I stare at the stagnant coffin that had just given me so much warmth and life.

What in all of Craeweth is going on?

Sybil

Starsglitterlikediamondsin a velvet sky, greeting me as Nero shoves open the heavy iron door at the top of the stairs. He turns around and gives me a hand, pulling me out of the crypt and closing the door with a resounding thud behind me. We stand on a crest outside of the castle walls. The bitter winter air burns my lungs, the sensation imprinted on me as the taste of freedom. . From our distance, I can hardly discern the twinkling lights through the castle windows. Have we really come this far underground in such a short time?

“This is where I must leave ye.” Nero unclasps the cloak from around his neck, then removes my healing satchel from his back. “Head north and then east. The rebels have a safe house about fifteen miles into the woods. I sent them word that I’d be freeing ye and sending ye their way. I need to return before I rouse suspicion on myself, but I will be in touch.”

I stand still as I look out into the depths of the trees, searching for secrets and answers hidden within the foliage. After all the pain and sorrow I have endured, it is difficult to let the doubts stop clawing at my determination to let go and jump into the action. Am I truly free or will this last act lead me to my ultimate death? A gentle breeze caresses my cheek like the touch of a lover. Closing my eyes, I send a silent prayer to the Goddess, begging her to give me the strength to survive this.

“I know our first encounter wasn’t on the best of terms, but I am yer ally, Sybil. Ye can do this. Together, we can stop this madness,” Nero murmurs quietly, as if he understands my doubt and turmoil.

I watch his face, his short, dark hair blown back by the wind, but it remains solemn; honest as an open book. “Northwest? That’s not very specific,” I say. My lips pull down into a frown.

“Just look for the thorns.” He hands me the empty flask. Just as I take it, the male is already moving away as his silhouette fades into the blackness of night. Without so much as a farewell, he heads back towards the looming castle.

Taking that first step, all alone in the woods, feels like the beginning of a new life.

The faces of the children locked in their cell, fighting over gruel, resurface in my mind. The icy winter chill can’t cool the fire that is building inside me. I can’t let Tricella take any more of my people.

With renewed determination, I glance up at the night sky. Noting Nordfeu, the northern star, I tuck the flask into my satchel and ensure I safely tuck Lemon into my overskirt pocket as I quicken my pace ready to join the rebels.

***

Leaning wearily against the rough bark of a pine tree, I inhale deeply. Cicada chirps fill the air with a melodic hum contrasting the stillness of the night. Hours have passed since I left Nero at the edge of the forest. My stomach lets out an audible rumble. It has been even longer since my last meal.

I stare up at the night sky, trying to orient my direction by the stars. The tips of my fingers and toes have long gone numb from the frosty air but I have to keep going and put as much distance between me and the castle as I can. Teeth chattering, I blow air on my fingers before rubbing my palms together. How much longer until I reach the rebel’s camp?

“Hopefully they’ll have hot food available,” I say, and the thought of food makes my stomach twist into painful knots. I lick my lips, dry and cracking from the icy wind.

Why did that fool waste the entire flask of water to wake me? Clearly, he didn’t think about the possibility of me dying without food or water.

“I’d even be happy with a loaf of soft bread and cheese,” I mutter to Lemon. Exhaling, my breath materializes in misty puffs; a visible reminder of the winter’s grasp. I yearn for a hot cup of tea to warm my hands. Oh, how happy I would be with just these simple pleasures.

Lemon shivers in my pocket, despite his thick fur coat. He licks the tip of my fingers as I stroke the top of his head, letting out a mixture of content noises. I pull him out and gently kiss the tip of his nose. Cocking his head to the side, he wriggles in my grasp, swinging his head from side to side as he stares at the trees around us.

“Oh, how I wish you could talk some days. I could use–”

A great splinting rents the air as I step onto a large fallen log. The wood disintegrates below me and I lose my balance, stumbling through the snow and crashing hard into a giant tree. As my body collides into the hard, frozen bark, I step on something uneven, my ankle rolling with acrackas my knee gives out to take the weight off. Landing ungracefully, I collapse into an awkward heap on the ground.

“Fuck!” Black dots swarm in my vision, making it difficult to see. Every inch of my body aches and throbs with pain. I push myself into a sitting position, wincing as the gravel and ice bite into the bare palms of my hand.

“Lemon!” I cry out. My heart races with adrenaline and pain, holding my leg up as a sigh of relief leaves me when I see him poke his sweet head out of the snow pile he landed in. He scampers over to my side and I scoop him up, my hands shaking. “You’re okay,” I mumble as tears sting my eyes. My jaw trembles from the agony as I bury my face into his fur.

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