Page 46 of Wings of Lies
“Where’d the cloak come from?” she asked. Her heartbeat jumped a little at the question like she feared the answer.
“I found it on my way back,” I lied. She was frantic enough. I didn’t want her to know about the stranger. Not yet. Although, noone had ventured through these parts, so I might not be able to get out of this argument.
Surprisingly, my mom wrapped the blanket around my body and let it go. Her hands rubbed my shoulders, warming me with her heat and layers. “Well, let’s start you a warm bath, and I’ll make some hot chocolate.”
I pulled back, “We aren’t leaving?”
“I figured you’d want to relax before we do.” At my wide eyes, my mother smiled. “We can take the night and leave in the morning. If we’re lucky, we can return if there’s no activity.” The fact that my mother even considered coming back meant she loved this place. We’d been here for four years with no issues. We had both grown attached, so I never mentioned the wolf that showed up six months ago.
“And maybe we can practice your powers and emotions,” she conceded.
I smiled and let her lead me into our quaint little home, glancing back, hoping to see the stranger. Instead, I saw what I did daily—the vast forest that surrounded our house. Alone, just the two of us for miles.
And it used to be okay. She was my best friend and my rock. She was always there for me, keeping me calm and safe. The scars on her back proved how much I meant to her. But now, there was a lot I needed to figure out.
Chapter
Fourteen
“Look how tiny the female is,” hissed a voice.
“Why would she want someone like her?” hissed another. Each letter ‘S’ was a drop of water hitting a hot stove.
“We should eat her.”
“Eat what? Look at her skinny arms and legs.”
The raspy voices slowly pierced through the jumbled dream-walk of the stranger and dull throbbing in my skull.What did they just say? Something about eating?
“Idiot! Remember the last time we ate a prisoner?”
“What about just a nibble?”
“No.”
Were they talking about eating me?Awareness shot through my drowsiness. It took every ounce of willpower not to open my eyes or scramble away from the voices. Maybe if I continued to act asleep, they’d leave me alone.
“But I’m hungry, Cacus,” he whined closer to my ear. Hot, pungent breath hit the side of my face. I tensed, fighting the urge to lean away, and heard a soft chinking. Warm metal slid against my wrists, forcing my arms behind my back—the cuffs.
The throbbing in my head screamed at me through my rising panic.
Breathe. Don’t let them know you’re awake.
“Oh! Bael, we’re almost to Chatoyant Forest!”
“Yant Foxes. My favorite.” His spoiled egg breath shifted away.
My neck hovered at an awkward angle, nearly touching my shoulder. Despite my muscles screaming at me to shift, I figured it best to stay this way until I understood what was happening.
My bruised head bounced painfully against a wooden wall. After the fourth bounce, I stiffened my lolling muscles—a small change. One I hoped wasn’t too noticeable. But it was worth it as it saved my head from the constant bruising. Unlike my bottom, which absorbed every bump from every nook and cranny we dipped into.Did they know how to drive?
A soft clip clop interrupted the hissing voices of Cacus and Bael. They were arguing over how many Yant Foxes they’d eat.Better than eating me. But what was that clip-clop noise?
Horses?
I ached to open my eyes and squeezed them tighter as the jostling reached a standstill.Keep them shut. Don’t move. Pretend, Lucy.Pretend.But the tightness in my neck cramped, shooting a biting pain into my muscles. I jerked my hands, wanting to massage it. Metal clanked against metal. I stiffened, hoping they didn’t hear.Stay still, Lucy. Stay—shit!Unable to withstand it, I straightened my neck,waiting for the pungent scent and hisses to descend. When they didn’t, I risked a peek.
I was in acarriage.
