Page 69 of Sharpen Your Claws

“I could leave now, if you would like,” said Arden, though he dared not step back because he wasn’t that foolish. Evera had Charmaine on her back, the latter of which twitched, as if she dared to consider attacking. Laurent no doubt noticed, too. He would kill her before she lit a spark.

For a moment, he rejoiced at the thought of her being gone, at knowing how distraught William would be, so much so that he would cling to Nicholas for support. Then his teeth tore into his cheek. He tasted blood and guilt to have ever imagined such a thing. He envied their relationship, yes, that they were so close that William risked everything for her and considered her in all things. However, he reminded himself what William had done for him too, that he gave up his life to save Nicholas and walked around with a reminder of that attached to his person.

Laurent’s attention strayed to William. Nicholas took a protective step in front of him.

“Why are they here?” Laurent’s relaxed body language would fool most into believing they were safe. “The Heign Magical Society did not ask for permission to work on Faerie land,” Laurent added with a glance at Henry.

“I am not here on society business, Lord Darkmoon,” Henry replied. His calm demeanor was impressive, though nothing truly hid the worry from his eyes.

“And we are not on Darkmoon soil,” Nicholas added.

“Answer the question,” Laurent demanded.

They may not have been on Laurent’s grounds, but that didn’t mean they were safe from retaliation. Laurent would attack if he wished. Power surged within Nicholas, that potent energy that had been inside him since birth, amplified to a burning sensation. There was a charge, almost a need to fight scratching along the corners of his mind. He was stronger than Laurent in the physical sense. He understood that, however, a childish fear remained. Like a struck dog, he cowered before a master that understood the world in ways he couldn’t. He didn’t want to fight, to risk everything against one who was always ten steps ahead.

“There have been disappearances from Terra. They’re being taken to Faerie,” Nicholas explained carefully.

“Is that a problem? The Collision Treaty ended with the war. Fae are welcome to make their deals,” Laurent said.

“These are not deals.”

Laurent waited for further explanation that never came. None dared utter a word about shadowed disciples. Laurent would be displeased to hear of them, and a displeased Laurent spelled disaster. Although arguably they were upon the precipice of disaster, dangling off a ledge leading into darkness, with nowhere to go but down.

“So be it.” Laurent chortled, then waved a hand. “Come along. Hill Castle has been waiting for you, Nicholas.”

All looked at Nicholas expecting an explanation, but he, too, was confused. Laurent rarely invited mortals to Hill Castle now that the treaty ended, unless they were a toy to be discarded.

“We have places to be,” he countered poorly.

The look of contempt Laurent gave could freeze the sea. “You will join me at Hill Castle.”

That was not a request and he needn’t imagine what the consequences would be if they attempted to leave.

William brushed their hands in encouragement, a reminder that they would do this together. The group followed Laurent in deafening silence, save the one comment from Arden: “I joined at the wrong time.”

Ahead of them, the world bowed in Laurent’s presence. Limbs parted for him and fields shuddered in his presence. A green walkway unfurled before them, a path leading directly to Darkmoon. Laurent needn’t lift a finger. Even outside his lands the soil revered him and he honored it. Flicking his wrist or muttering under his breath, trees grew taller, flowers bloomed, and rot withered. If Nicholas could say a positive phrase about his father, it would be that Laurent loved the earth as much as he loved himself. Unfortunately, that was as far as his love went. The rest of fae and mortals alike were treated like fleas atop the back of titans. He’d squash them all if he could.

William leaned against his arm. “Why is he here? What does he want?”

“I do not know, but we must stick together. If we’re separated, try to keep into groups of two, understand?” he replied.

“How did he know we were here?” Charmaine muttered. She had a wakefulness in her eyes that hadn’t been there previously.

“Unfortunately, my father knows when I return. It’s a sense of his,” he replied. Just like he had a sense of when something was wrong.

That interaction spoke of wrong. Laurent rarely sought him out. He waited for his son to wander home because he always did. When Laurent showed up, he didn’t attack. Nicholas didn’t need to hear his father admit to hating William for having Nicholas wrapped around his finger because that meant he was harder to control. Something was off.

Every move Laurent took felt calculated, like a predator around prey who hadn’t realized what they traveled with. They walked for hours where the sun never moved, causing William to question it. Nicholas replied,“It is a long day today.”

Faerie was unlike Terra in more than he could ever explain. Day and night bled together because the sun rose when it wished, sometimes battling for dominance with the moon, and at times night would last so long that the Faerie became but ice and snow. The unpredictability of Faerie made the fae’s love for it stronger. He couldn’t imagine a world where the season came and went periodically, never offering so much as a hint of mystery.

They passed rivers where the water bubbled into shapes of animals and people to chase one another across the frothing rapids before plunging into the depths. Along the shore where the mud was thick, tiny hands poked free, followed by the faces of children, their eyes too big and noses hooked. One smiled at Nicholas with two rows of jagged teeth before sinking below the mud.

Trees towered high, their limbs hung low and stretched wide. Their leaves brushed against Nicholas’ cheeks, where they whispered of pain for daring to cross their roots. Those roots slithered below the earth as if they yearned to drag them all under, but none ever did. From time to time, their shadows moved, but the trees would never be caught moving until they had their prey, which the group would have been if Laurent hadn’t led the pack. None dared lift a finger against him, especially in Darkmoon.

When the forest parted, Hill Castle sat as ragged thorns and thick vines twisting together to form the warped shape of a castle. The four towers leaned too far to the right, but the windows all leaned left. High grass circled the keep and dared to travel up the vines, coating the foundation in brilliant green.

He clicked his tongue. “Hill Castle is in a foul mood.”

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