Page 101 of Crown of Briars
Unless I’d gone in the wrong direction. It had been years since I’d taken this route.
Behind me, Sybelle let out a harsh retching noise. I turned and found her on all fours, coughing up blood.
“Sybelle!”
If she didn’t cover her ears, the enchanted tone would melt her brain.
She wheezed, and more blood splattered on the ground.
“Shit.” I rushed to her side, dropping my hands so I could scoop her against my chest. The ringing blared against my skull, drilling harder and faster. The pulse hammered ruthlessly like an axe burrowing deeper and deeper into my flesh. I bit down hard enough to taste blood. The warm liquid trickling from my ears told me I was bleeding there, too.
Almost there,I told myself.It has to be close.
Sybelle’s head slumped against my chest. She had lost consciousness. I shouted at her, but I couldn’t hear my own voice against the ringing. My steps quickened, but my vision blurred. Blood trickled from my nose.
The thick oak tree ahead looked familiar. That had to be it.
I stumbled, nearly falling. My ankle rolled, and I groaned, leaning against the nearest tree for support. I took a breath and moved forward, edging around the oak until I saw what I’d been searching for.
A door.
I shifted my weight, lifting Sybelle with one arm so I could use my fingers to tug on the handle. The door flew open, and I lunged, not caring where it took us, just knowing we needed to escape.
I groaned as my body met the hard stone floor of my chambers. With my boot, I shoved the door closed, then let my head fall backward. My eyes shut tight against the agony quivering through me. The ringing had stopped, but it still echoed in my brain, blaring on and on. It would never stop.
I cradled Sybelle against my body. Blood coated her jawline from where her ears had bled. Her eyelids fluttered open as she gazed blearily at me.
“Varius,” she mumbled, her voice sleepy.
“I’m here. You’re safe.” My voice was gravelly. Just speaking made my skull ache.
Both of us had blood dripping down our faces. Thankfully, we were close enough to my writing desk for me to grab a handkerchief and use it to mop up the blood on her face. When I finished, I folded it over and used the clean side to dab at my own wounds.
“What… happened?” Sybelle lifted a hand to rub her forehead and winced. “How did we get here?”
I crumpled up the bloodied handkerchief and set it on the floor. “When we discovered the dangerous magic lurking in the Noxen Forest, I had a doorframe built into the thickest oak tree. I hoped that using the same materials as the doors in this castle would allow its magic to extend to the woods.” I offered a half smile. “It looks like I was right.”
Sybelle’s brows furrowed as clarity slowly crept into her gaze. “That horrible ringing sound… What was that?”
My gaze fixed on her, only just now realizing what this meant. “It’s a protection spell that’s meant to defend the magic of the wood.”
“Defend against what? Intruders?”
“Defend against fae creatures.” My voice was slow as I let the implication sink in.
She shook her head, frowning. “I don’t—” She froze, then looked at me in horror. For a long, tense moment, we only stared at each other. My mouth set into a thin line at the guilt and fear that struck her expression.
“The sound only affects fae,” I said. She had not been the only human bride foolish enough to enter those woods.
But shehadbeen the only one struck down by the enchantment.
“Sybelle.” My voice was low and dangerous. Every inch of me held perfectly still. I was aware of her body still sprawled on mine, but in this moment, I felt like a hunter who had caught his prey. “Are you fae?”
I waited.Inside, my confusion and outrage roiled, but I remained frozen, staring at Sybelle while I waited for her to speak.
“Are. You. Fae?” I asked again, grounding out each word.
She inhaled a sharp and jagged breath, her face turning ashen. The fear emanating from her body was potent enough to taste. My hands tightened around her waist, keeping her pinned to my chest.
