But then we’re too high for them to strike us. I watch as the two Bloodbane witches retreat into the cave, trailing blood behind them. Acubens is silent, the only sound is the constant beating of his wings and the drum of his heart. I tangle my fingers in his fur, nausea welling within me as I realize just how high off the ground we really are.
“Acubens,” I mumble. “It’s too high.”
“Shut up,” he snaps. But he descends low enough that we’re skimming the tree line.
I breathe a sigh of relief and lean over him. His fur is soft and his body is warm. It helps against the wind chill. “Thank you,” I say, clutching him tighter.
He doesn’t respond. We ride in silence together as I consider what the witches told me. I don’t know what it means to be a Bloodbane witch, but I can’t deny that I felt something inside me. Some power that I don’t know how to tap into yet. I don’t know if I want to though. Not if it makes me like them. Hard and cruel and wicked.
The steady beating of Acubens’ wings falters and we drop sharply before he catches us again. “Acubens?” My brows twitch together with concern and fear.
“Almost there,” he murmurs, his voice laced with pain.
I can see the castle rearing up before us, details slowly coming into view. I feel a sense of relief at the sight of it. The sun is setting, casting an orange glow over the facade. When I’m in the castle grounds, the stones look dark and the structure is menacing. But here, soaring towards it, I can see the delicate turrets and the detailed spires. It’s right out of a fairy tale.
Acubens lurches as we pass over the wall. I can hear worried shouting below us, I see Navi and some of her soldiers waiting along the road. We drift over them unsteadily, descending lower and lower. I resist the urge to clench my eyes shut as the ground soars closer. Acubens’ paws stumble as we land, running to a stop. His wings sag against the ground and he pants heavily.
When we’ve stopped, I slip off of him, trying to maneuver with my long skirts. Acubens slumps to the ground, groaning in pain. And then I see the blood coating his belly and his ribs, matting his fur. My eyes widen at the sight of it. His hazel eyes are on me, his mouth slack. I bite my lip, brows furrowed as I meet his gaze.
Suddenly, Navi pushes past me, shoving me roughly aside. I catch myself and watch as she calls for healers. Soldiers and servants crowd around Acubens, a few run off in search of healers. Navi rests a hand on Acubens side and whispers to him so softly I can’t catch her words. But they seem to bring Acubens some comfort. He closes his eyes and his breath steadies.
The healer pushes through the crowd just as the last rays of the sun disappear behind the mountains in the distance. Caught in the dusky light of the evening, I watch in shock as Acubens’ wings curl back into his body and as his frame shrinks to the size of a man’s. His fur disappears, replaced with riding leathers and boots and normal skin. His face morphs slowly, the ears slimming and lengthening to Fae ears.
The servant’s light torches for the healers to work by. My jaw is slack, eyes wide, as I stare down at Altair. Blood seeps from the wounds in his belly and side. The only remaining indication that Acubens and Altair are one and the same.
Chapter 9
Altair
The first thing I notice is the pain. A sharp sting in my side and in my belly, like a burn. Then I notice the light against my eyelids. But it’s not daylight, it’s candlelight. I open my eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the light.
I see the green embroidered fabric of my canopy above me. So, I’m in my room. The last thing I remember is landing in the courtyard with Verity. Verity. I sit up, eyes wild. Pain lances through my body, and I hiss, clenching my eyes shut. The Fae heal faster than mortals, and even witches, but the wound is still fresh.
I ease back down, wincing as my abdomen straightens again. “That’s not a very kingly look,” Verity says. I turn, a little startled to see her seated at my bedside. She studies my face, her blue eyes dancing over my features. “But I suppose it’s more kingly than a jaguar.”
“What are you talking about?” I rasp, narrowing my eyes at her. By the codes of the curse, I can’t affirm anything she has to say about the curse until she says it directly.
She cocks her head at me. “I know you turn into a beast during the day. I know you’re Acubens. And I know it’s a curse.”
Relief floods through me. She knows. I’ve wanted to tell her since I first spoke to her the morning she regained consciousness. I only wish I could tell her more. But if I speak anymore of the curse, we’ll have no hope of changing it. I can only believe that Verity is clever enough to realize why I’ve brought her here.
I start in surprise as her cool hand slips into mine. She laces her fingers through mine, holding me loosely. I look at her curiously, but she’s staring down at our entwined hands. “You must think you’re so clever,” she murmurs.
“What?” I ask.
She turns her fierce eyes on me. “You must think you’re so clever for tricking me into believing that you and Acubens are different. And that I might have an ally in him.”
I give her a crooked grin. “Only because I knew you intended to
