She can’t go back without my help, something I suspect she has figured out. The mortal realm is connected to this one through a portal that only the strongest of the Fae can summon. But we don’t often attend the human world. They die so quickly, and their conflicts are so petty, the Fae tire of them easily.
Verity is one of the first humans to step foot into this world. There was a legend that a man once wandered into this realm. He wandered throughout the Fae lands for a time before discovering the Bloodbane witch clans. No one saw him again.
I spy a shadow against one of the windows in Verity’s room and turn away from it. I dive towards the ground. I streak past the castle walls and then the face of the cliff, towards the buildings below. At the last minute, I stretch my wings and catch myself. The air billows me upwards, back to soaring height.
I remember when I first became this beast. I felt like an infant learning to walk and speak all over again. It took years to master flying. But I’ve grown to enjoy it, even if it means I appear like a gruesome cat-bird creature.
A foul wind blows from the west. I glance towards the mountain range. Deep within it, Maaz and her covens camp, living off of the wild beasts the goods they raid from the Fae. I narrow my eyes and fly towards the high peaks. A wind like that is often an omen, an accompanying sign to the approach of the witches.
I have my men patrolling our border with the Bloodbane witches constantly, they report to Navi daily. But with the end of the thousand years approaching, I suspect Maaz and her cohorts will grow more brazen. Sometimes I join my soldiers in their patrol. I’m useless during the day otherwise. Stuck in this beastly form, I can’t attend to matters of state. And the knowledge of my curse has only made neighboring kingdoms distance themselves from me. I sneer. No one wants to associate with an enemy of Maaz. Cowards.
Finally, once I’ve flown past the last of the villages, I spy smoke from a firepit curling into the sky. I circle, peering down through the sparse trees to the rocky ground below. Suddenly, an arrow streaks past me, nearly impaling one of my wings.
I snarl and dive to the ground. Bloodbane witches coat the tips of their red-fletched arrows in poison. I land heavily, my claws scraping against the stony ground. Three Bloodbane witches stand before me, bows drawn back. They release their arrows in unison, I dodge to the left, using my tail to move more nimbly.
Eyes bright and deadly, I lunge for them. My paw slams into one of the witches, sending her flying into a nearby tree. She crumples at the base of the trunk, whimpering. I turn my attention to the other two, snarling with delight.
Fighting was always one of my greatest strengths. But there’s really nothing that can compare to slicing an enemy open with your bare hands. Something so raw and primal, I wonder if Maaz merely drew this beast out of me as if it were always there. Blood coats my claws as I drag them through one of the witch’s chest. Her body spasms and she pales with fear. Or perhaps that’s the blood loss. When the last of my claws slips from her torso, she keels over and lands with a hollow thud. The witch I tossed against the tree is waking, groaning softly. I circle the third witch, my eyes on the blade in her hand.
I’m surprised none of them have used any spells against me yet. Perhaps they’re young and inexperienced. Weak. I snap my teeth at her, enjoying the way she flinches back. But her lips are set into a furious grimace.
“What are you doing so far into my lands?” I hiss.
She grips the blade tighter. “Soon to be ours,” she retorts. Her voice is husky and rough, like gravel. It’s at odds with her youthful face. Perhaps she isn’t as young as I thought.
“You Bloodbane witches are getting ahead of yourselves.” Rage coils in my chest. “These lands are mine until the curse claims me.”
She laughs mirthlessly. “You’re weak, King. You’ll never break Maaz’s curse, even with that pretty little mortal holed up in your castle.”
My blood runs cold at her words. Navi and I have instructed the servants and soldiers at the palace to keep Verity’s existence a secret. If Maaz were to know how close we are to breaking the curse, I have no doubt she would kill Verity.
“I suppose your people aren’t as loyal as you thought,” the witch cackles.
I narrow my eyes at her. So, one of my own is a spy for the Bloodbane witches. Navi and I will find them quickly, and I’ll kill them myself. Before the witch can speak another word, I pounce on her and close my jaws over her throat. Her bones snap easily, like a dry branch. I drop her limp body unceremoniously and pad towards the remaining witch.
She struggles to her feet, a dark bruise forming on her temple. “You,” I purr. “I have a job for you.”
“Go to Hell,” she spits.
I chuckle. “With the rest of your kind?” With a flick of my tail, I drive the witch to the ground. Before she can scramble away, I pin her down with a paw. “You’ll take a message to Maaz for me,” I hiss.
She pales as I lengthen my claws, letting them prick her chest. Blood wells and she winces. “What is it?”
“Very good, I knew you were smarter than you look,” I quip. “Tell Maaz to stay the fuck out of my lands. Tell her I won’t tolerate any
