A Throne of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales #2)(16)

Nodding, I headed to my room. He was a hundred percent correct. Nyfain’s actions in the beginning were strange and fucked up (in retrospect, I had to wonder how much of that had been fueled by his dragon), but at the moment, I was incredibly thankful for him. One thing I knew for certain: if there was a problem I couldn’t handle, Nyfain would absolutely take care of it, and he’d do so viciously.





Five





“I don’t like this.” Hannon stood in the living room in the wee hours of the morning with his arms crossed. A night bird called outside somewhere. The rest of the house lay quietly sleeping and had been for some time. “You shouldn’t be wandering around on your own with what’s going on with Jedrek.”

I slipped the books I’d finished into my knapsack. “He’s too much of a coward to go into that wood.” I set the knapsack down and buckled my belt, the dagger’s sheath resting against my thigh. “I’ll be stealthy in the village and jog all the way there. Nyfain said he’d be bringing me weapons. Now more than ever, I need those weapons.”

“At least let me go with you.”

“There is no fucking way you are going with me, Hannon. Are you out of your mind? You’re keeping this family together, and you’re too much of a planner to react quickly to danger. No offense, but the Forbidden Wood is no place for you.”

He followed me to the door, his eyes tight. “I have a bad feeling, Finley. Can’t you get the weapons tomorrow?”

“When it comes to Jedrek, daylight is ten times more dangerous than three in the morning.”

His jaw tightened. He couldn’t argue with that.

I put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll be careful. I promise. That’s why I’m leaving through the back. Jedrek is the best tracker out of all his bros, but he’s not excellent. I’m a helluva lot more cunning than a deer.”

Hannon yanked me into a tight hug. “Damn it, Finley. When will life be easy for us? Is normal too much to ask?”

I laughed softly. “Normal is boring anyway.”

He watched me jog into the backyard and scale the fence. As soon as the night enveloped me, my animal pushed harder to the surface. I let her have plenty of room, needing her more than ever right now. Scents drifted on the breeze and tickled our nose. Coriander, thyme, a sweet floral scent, and the fading remnants of a decaying critter.

I could’ve done without that last one.

No people. No demons. Good news.

Still cautious, I darted between fences, tiptoed across yards, and broke for the tree line. In mere minutes, I was on my way to the birch, jogging fast. The wood lay quiet around us. My breathing and the rhythmic thud of my footfalls were the only sounds I could discern. Nyfain must have been through here and swept away all the riffraff, and none of the normal life had returned. It felt like a dead zone.

All I wanted was to see him again. The notes were no longer enough.

The birch shook and danced as I ducked around it and headed to the bush. The familiar yellow package lay in wait, tied with string to indicate Nyfain had been there. This time it wasn’t a book shape, though, but a long rectangle. Hurrying, my animal keeping tabs on the sounds and smells around us, I untied the string and pushed back the material.

I couldn’t help sucking in a breath.

A sword glittered in the starlight and the glow of the pale moon. A swirl like dragon scales had been etched into the double-edged blade, an accent to obviously fine craftsmanship. The hilt was leather-bound, the design punctuated by diamond cutouts and a curved hand guard with more dragon scale etching. I couldn’t make out the colors in the dark, but the fluctuations of light and dark suggested there were many of them. It was beautiful. I bet he’d chosen the best one he could find. Actually, even the worst would likely be a work of art. Phyl had a ways to go before he could put together something like this.

I grabbed the note and unfolded the parchment, my heart speeding up for many reasons, only some of them concerning Jedrek and demons.



Dear Finley,

I had Hadriel ask around about the demons. I’m just back from checking in, and no one has heard anything. It seems the castle demons, which are their king’s proxies within our kingdom, are not part of these schemes. At least, they are not advertising it. Hopefully Jedrek is blowing smoke and silencing him forever (which I’ll gladly do) will be an end to it.

However, in the event that Jedrek has piqued the interest of your village demons, which are among the weakest in the kingdom, you will need to be on your guard. They enjoy drama and feed off the emotion of it. Don’t give them what they crave. Give them pale emotion if you must, but feigning uninterest is best. They should lose interest.

In the event Jedrek is trying to make some sort of deal (that they like the sound of), things will get a little dicier. They will need to request permission from the castle demons. Given the village in question, if the deal isn’t interesting enough, the castle demons will likely grant the request without further inquiry. If the deal is interesting, or if the castle demons are bored or curious, they will command an audience with either you or Jedrek or both, depending on the nature of the trade.

Obviously you cannot, under any circumstances, be brought in. Your face is known here, your absence has been noted, and their games with me have intensified. If they gain access to you without my protection…