The witch glowers but nods stiffly. I pull away, letting her rise to her feet. The witch’s greasy hair hangs in matted locks over her face, almost hiding the bruise. She tugs her dress tighter over her blood-stained chest.
“Think you can remember all that?” I ask.
She nods.
“Then go,” I hiss, swatting at her.
She turns and disappears into thin air. Probably magicking herself to Maaz, or as close as she can get. Teleportation magic isn’t easy, and it takes a lot of energy. Maybe that’s why none of the witches used any spells during our short skirmish—they were conserving energy for their retreat.
I stare emotionless down at the bodies. The witches won’t return for them, they never do. So, the animals will eat them. I take off, my wings spraying dust and leaves over the witch’s corpses. I head directly back to the castle, the witch’s words about the spy echoing through my mind.
I can’t let anything or anyone risk exposing Verity and destroying my one chance at breaking free from Maaz. I find Navi in the practice yard beside the soldier’s barracks, training. I drop to the ground in a clear space free of Fae and equipment and wait for her to approach. I learned a long time ago not to disturb Navi during her training.
I wait, basking in the sunshine. With a final blow to her opponent, she drives him to the ground, her glaive poised over him. Breathing heavily, she pulls back and swings the glaive in an arc overhead before bringing to rest at her side. Her auburn hair shimmers in the sunlight as she bows sharply to her opponent. He slinks away, defeated.
“What is it, Your Majesty?” Navi asks, striding towards me.
“In private,” I say.
She nods, leaving the barracks as I propel myself into the sky. I skim over the roofs of the stables towards a clearing where Navi and I won’t be overheard. She arrives a moment later, glaive gone. I pace, tail swishing agitatedly.
“There is a spy in the palace,” I say, keeping my voice low.
Her brows raise in surprise. “A spy?”
“I was patrolling the borders when I found a small group of Bloodbane witches. One of them knew about Verity,” I explain.
“Are you sure it wasn’t simply to goad information from you?” Navi asks.
“She said ‘mortal’.” I shake my head. “They know.”
“I’ll have my best men on this, Altair,” Navi says, reaching a hand out to comfort me. I let her rest her palm on my neck for a moment before pulling away. “We’ll find the spy.”
“Bring them to me once you’ve found them.” I turn my glittering eyes to her. “So, they know what they’ve done.”
Navi dips her head in a bow before marching out of the clearing. I trust her to find the betrayer. Navi has been a loyal companion to me for many years, and her skills are unparalleled. I watch as her figure recedes and then sigh heavily.
“What’s this about spies?” I hear a melodic voice behind me.
I pivot, eyes narrowed at Verity. She leans casually against the stone wall surrounding the palace, eyeing me. Dressed in trousers and a loose-fitting shirt, she looks more at ease than she did in her wedding gown. If I find where she keeps it, I may tear it to shreds so I never have to look at it again. She tosses her light brown hair behind her shoulder and glares.
“What did you hear?” I ask, suspicion lacing my voice. I pace towards her and she tries to take a step back but stumbles.
She catches herself before she falls. “Don’t come at me looking like you’re going to eat me,” she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Don’t eavesdrop on my conversations,” I retort, stopping a few feet away from her.
“It wasn’t intentional.” Verity rolls her eyes. “So, why are there spies in the palace?”
“It’s none of your concern,” I say.
Verity shrugs. “Well, as far as I know, I am the only ‘mortal’ here.” She gestures with four of her fingers when she says the word ‘mortal’. “So, it’s about me, isn’t it?”
I yawn, my jaw stretching widely. “What are you doing out of your room?”
“What, are you going to drag me back there so I can wait for Altair to harass me again?” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Navi said I could get some fresh air.”
“Harass?” I plop down on the grass to rest.
Fatigue settles into my bones as I relax. These past few days I haven’t managed to find much time to sleep. And when I have, I never seem to get any rest. My thoughts are always on the curse, and more recently, on Verity. But the sun is warm on my back and the grass is soft. It’s comfortable here. Even with Verity glowering at me.
“He’s infuriating. He won’t even tell me why I’m here,” she complains.
Her blue eyes turn on me, sparkling. I can see the cogs turning in her head as her brows furrow. My little mortal thinks she can pull the wool over my eyes. I grin under her gaze. This is going to be fun.
Chapter 6
Verity
I throw open the doors of the wardrobe in my room in search of something to wear. Inside, I find a myriad of simple dresses and intricate gowns, but no pants. I wrinkle my nose at the selection. Long skirts don’t seem like the best choice for a woman who’s been kidnapped by strangers. Even if those strangers might just be elves.
I turn away, closing the doors softly. The cool air tickles my bare legs and I curl my toes into the soft rug. Anything will do. That is, anything that won’t slow me down if I need to run. Sighing, I open the dresser I found this shirt in and rummage through it. In the bottom drawer, I find several pairs of carefully folded linen trousers. I unfold a pair and hold it up,
