Page 26 of Curse of Thorns
“No.”
There’s a pause, and I notice Tyadin’s lip twitch. Holding back a smile. “Don’t tell me... You two shared a stag?" Tyadin asks, his eyebrows rising.
"Hush," Caelynn says, and we both ignore his snort.
The trees thin, the pathway becomes uneven and covered in weeds. There's very little reason for any fae to travel this direction. We all give the Schorchedlands a wide berth whenever possible. Who wants to travel near hell? No one. At least not anyone with good intentions. Of course, there are three times each year that the spirits inside can be beseeched. Living fae can make bargains with wraiths to do their bidding in exchange for temporary freedom from their hellish cage. But those kinds of deals aren't common.
Our party pauses, standing side by side at the edge of the forest. In front of us lies a plain of scraggly yellowed grass for a full mile before the huge wall of thorn shoots into the sky, shadowing everything around it for miles. No wonder the forest felt so bleak. The wall might be a lively bright green, but it's so imposing it pulls life from everything nearby until there is nothing left.
"All right, let’s get this over with,” I say, and I press my uncomfortable mount forward.
I hop off of Killian once he won’t walk any closer to the thorn wall. This is our fourth trip here, you’d think he would be used to it by now. As useful as a mount like him would be, I’d never expect an animal to follow me through the walls because it would mean certain death.
Without looking back at my companions, I walk to the small opening beneath the red thorn arch. I step into the little cove. Thorns over my head send anxiety shooting through me, but I keep my chin high, determined.
I slit my forearm, wincing at the pain, and I press my hand over the red X. “I come to complete my mission.” I tell the gates.
There’s a long hiss as if a spirit within the wall is angry with me. Annoyed, is more likely, I suppose. How many times must it say no before I’ll get the point?
You may not pass.
“Why!” I yell at it. “Just let me through!”
You have completed your quest.
I swallow. That’s new. What does that mean?
Suddenly, my body is thrown from the vine cove and onto my butt in the middle of the field of deadened grass.
Tyadin holds out a hand to help me up. “Well that’s rude,” he says.
“It’s annoyed with me.”
“What did it say? The same message?” Caelynn asks.
“No. This time is said ‘You may not pass. You’ve completed your quest.’ Which obviously, I haven’t.”
Caelynn narrows her eyes and purses her lips. “Didn’t I hear the scourge had stopped spreading?”
I nod. “It hasn’t spread in two weeks.”
“Maybe it knows you don’t need to enter because the curse has already ended? Maybe it’s finished, and everyone will just assume you did your job.”
“Sure, until it hits again and I look like a fool.”
She pulls in a long breath through her nose. Then, she taps her fingertips on her knee and begins to pace.
“I’m going to do a quick pass down the line of the wall,” Tyadin says, and then guides his pony away from us.
“You really think it’s over? Just like that? That easy?”
Caelynn laughs. “Life is never that easy, huh?”
“Never.”
“We’ll keep thinking, okay?”
“I know. I didn’t actually expect the gate to just suddenly let me in. It’s just frustrating. I feel... stupid. Like I have to be missing something so obvious.” I shrug, trying to keep the bitterness from reaching my chest. I don’t need to feel those things, not now. I don’t need to let the tears fall. Not again. Not in front of her.
