Page 49 of The Dark Prince
“Milady? Lady Isadora!”
Rose’s voice was faint in the air—and far, far away. Much further than it should have been. Wasn’t the edge of the woods only a few feet behind me? I craned my neck behind me, but there was no tree line. The woods were dark and intimidating before me, and they were utterly silent. I had no idea which way was which.
Swallowing heavily, I reached out with my gloved hands and pushed away two thorny branches, slipping between them into the heavy thickets. It wasdarkin these woods. Or was night falling? I suddenly wasn’t sure how much time had passed. The trees were so thick that it was impossible to find the sun overhead.
Thick fog made it harder to see, not that I could anyway. There was no path to speak of, just thistles and trees and thorn branches everywhere.
I was no stranger to difficult tasks.
Meticulously, carefully, I worked my way through the thicket. Thorns cut into my legs and arms, which weren’t as protected as my shoulders. I ducked down, but branches tore at the flesh on my cheeks and neck. My hands stung inside my gloves as the forest found its way past the soft wool and cotton.
The forest was attacking me. It wanted to keep Tyr’s secrets.
I wouldn’t let it.
My body stung all over, and the cuts throbbed. I was exhausted, but I’d only been working my way through this forest for twenty minutes … or had it been twenty hours? I didn’t care. I would fight for a week if it meant being able to help Tyr. I’d die if it meant I could wipe the fear from his face and bring him happiness. He’d done so much for me and yet he suffered.
I cried out as I burst through the thorn bush, landing on a dirt road. Shocked and suspicious, I took a moment to breathe and make sure it was real.
The silence was oppressive. Dark trees lined a path pointing directly to a dilapidated cottage that shone with an eerie green light.
“Oh, come on. That’s heavy-handed, don’t you think?” I accused the forest, but it didn’t answer. I may not be entirely worldly, but I wasn’t stupid. This smelled like a trap. The limbs of the trees seemed to press in closer, almost as though they were reaching for me.
“Ok, fine.”
I took a deep breath and stepped toward the cottage.
Twenty Four
TYR
The forest had been quiet last night and today. Maddeus and I had suspected that my father could hide forces deep within the woods, but so far this appeared to be false. The witch hated outsiders in her territory, so it was unlikely that they would be there for long, even if they had wandered in. Though I was under no illusions the witch would love nothing more than to have a regiment of men to play with.
My head throbbed. I couldn’t take care of everyone.
“That makes four today.”
Maddeus came up beside me, wiping the blood off the arrow in his hand. I closed my eyes from the pain.
“It’s only accelerated since I’ve returned. Something must be done immediately,” I vowed.
Maddeus sighed. “You’ve bedded her yet?”
He flinched as I whipped around to glare at him, holding the arrow up in defeat. “Sorry. Sorry! But you know that’s the only way.”
Back toward the edge of the forest, snapping twigs caught my attention. It wasn’t the normal snap of a deer or a small animal, but a careless, meandering noise that told of a larger creature that wasn’t used to traveling in the forest.
A person.
“Do you hear that?” I asked Maddeus, my ears straining.
He chuckled. “I don’t know why you insist on asking that. You know I can’t hear a fraction of what you do. One of the better aspects of your curse.”
I dismissed his words, moody. I was proud of my skills as a hunter and tracker. Linking them to my curse made me feel dirty and tainted. It was as if the curse dictated every aspect of my life.
Which it did.
I dismounted, annoyed that someone was disobeying my orders. The villagers knew not to enter the forest. I left my horse to Maddeus, creeping forward on silent feet. My knives were at my wrists and thighs, and my ax rested on my back. I made it about a hundred meters before the scent hit me.
