Page 7 of Death Will Follow

“In my defense,” Nox chimed in, “it never occurred to me to shield against shifters. After all, there’s a shifter within a few paces of me most hours of the day.”

Nova placed her hands on Bryn’s shoulder and called upon what little healing ability she had, a golden glow gathering in her palms. When she removed her hands moments later, only a shallow wound remained. Nova breezed into the bathing chamber and ran a hand towel under the tap. When she returned, Nox sat at the edge of the bed, and Lucan leaned against the wardrobe, his sword back in its sheath but his hand still resting on the hilt.

Bryn sat with her head tilted back, her face lifted toward the ceiling. Nova pressed the warm cloth to her forehead, and Bryn’s eyes shot open, blinking rapidly as she took in her surroundings. After a moment, the tension in her body eased, if only a little. Her hazel eyes sat over high cheekbones, her nose and chin pointy and pixielike. Nova wiped away the remnants of blood Nox had been unable to remove from Bryn’s face, then cleaned her shoulder.

Having tended Bryn as best she could while the female remained tied to a chair, Nova sat beside Nox on the edge of the bed. She tried to speak, but her words caught in her throat. Her hand went to her neck, tender after Bryn’s attack.

“What can you tell us about yourself?” Nox cut in, placing a reassuring hand on Nova’s knee. “Where are you from?”

“I come from Maedwen,” Bryn replied after a moment of thought. “I was a huntress. Before Omen captured me along with my entire clan.”

“What do you mean captured?” Lucan interjected from his spot behind her.

“When Omen attacks,” Bryn began, brow creased as if in deep concentration, “those who aren’t killed outright by his dark beasts are taken prisoner. He enchants them, and they become part of his army.”

“What sort of enchantment?” Nova asked.

“It muddles your mind and dulls your senses,” Bryn murmured. “You forget who you are. Where you come from. You’re no longer concerned with eating or sleeping. You barely exist.” Bryn’s voice grew hoarse, and she swallowed hard. Nova imagined she’d not eaten or slept properly in quite some time.

Nova sent Lucan to fetch a cup of water from the bathing chamber. The commander chuckled ruefully under his breath but did as she bid him. Nova took the cup from his hands and held it to Bryn’s lips, gently tipping it so she could drink before continuing.

“I was treated better than most,” Bryn went on. “Omen took a liking to me. My shifted form is a raven, and he has a fondness for such birds.”

Nova recalled the rustling of wings that had awoken her. “I thought you were a messenger owl,” she said.

“Sometimes he’d give me bread or a scrap of meat. Otherwise, the Enchanted survive on what they can catch. Insects. Mice.”

The reason for Bryn’s slender frame and filthy feet grew clearer. Who knew how many years—perhaps decades—she’d been trapped under Omen’s enchantment.

“Excuse us for a moment.” Nova gestured toward the entry, and Nox and Lucan joined her by the door. “I’d like to release her and see that she’s cared for,” she whispered.

“You must be joking,” Lucan scoffed. “She’s an assassin. She admitted as much. We saw her trying to kill you.”

“Perhaps she was an assassin, but she was also a prisoner. She’s weak and hungry. I’d like to care for her, and then we can see what information she might have for us.”

“I don’t trust her,” Lucan stated, stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest.

“You didn’t trust me when I first arrived here. I could have been an assassin for all you knew.”

Lucan’s amber eyes glinted, and he opened his mouth to speak.

Nova held up a finger to silence him. “Don’t.”

Nox stifled a laugh, attempting to disguise it as a cough, and Nova turned to her uncle.

“What do you say?” she asked, eyes pleading. “You can shield her room, post guards at the door—whatever you think is necessary. But I wish to help her.”

Nox looked at Lucan and back to Nova, considering both arguments for a beat. Finally, he looked at Bryn, slumped on the stool and struggling to keep her head up, her hands bound tightly behind her back.

“Let’s get her washed and fed,” he sighed, holding his hands out in front of him, already prepared for Lucan’s objections. “Stand outside her door yourself if you want, Lucan. We’ll put her in a chamber without a terrace.”

Nova wrapped her uncle in a quick embrace, then hurried back to Bryn, gingerly untying the knots in the silk sash securing her wrists.

“We’re going to take care of you. You’ll be safe here.”

Bryn nodded sleepily as Nova slowly stood, bearing Bryn’s weight. Lucan blocked their way as they approached the door.

“I’ll be watching you,” he cautioned Bryn. “Don’t even think of trying to escape.”