Page 17 of Heart of the Raven
The man with the knife lowered his hand, but his eyes narrowed. “Why? We made it clear that your presence is unwelcome here.”
Raven waved his fingers, and it took a moment before I realized he beckoned me forward. With trepidation beating in my heart, I stepped out from behind the tree. The hunters glanced at me and their expressions grew tighter, if possible.
Kian pushed past Raven to approach me, leaving Harli with an arrow trained on Raven’s chest. I knew how quickly things could go wrong.
“I am Kian,” said the hunter. “We mean you no harm. Is it true, are you a companion of the Raven? Has he wronged you in any way?”
I wanted to laugh, although I doubted he would deem it appropriate. Why was everyone so concerned that I traveled with the Raven? I crossed my arms and took a stance. “I am Lady Sasha and Raven is guiding me to Capern. I hear the path lies through your land. With your blessing, we will continue. And Raven has done nothing wrong, especially not to me. He has treated me as the lady that I am and has conducted himself with the chivalry and grace that bequeaths a knight. Unless you have a problem with the company I keep, I suggest you mind your own business.”
A snort came from Raven’s lips while Kian’s eyes went wide. “Of course, my lady, it is just. . .” he trailed off.
Enjoying my sensation of power, I moved closer. “Just that what? In the past, Raven served the Dark Queen. And you were afraid of him? Afraid of Her? The past is in the past. You would be wise to leave it there.”
A thrill of pleasure went through me at the shocked expression on Kian and Harli’s faces. With grim satisfaction at rising to my station and honoring my family name, if for nothing more than a stroll through the forest, I joined Raven. Taking one of his hands, still held high in the air, I faced Kian again. “Now? What shall it be? Shall we pass or will you send us back?”
Kian cleared his throat and lowered his knife. “We will guide you through, if we are with you, no one will question it.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Raven squeezed my hand and leaned closer to whisper. “Where did that come from?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know why you’re surprised. In the halls of my father, everyone obeyed my commands.”
He studied me, then bowed. “After you, Lady Sasha.”
The hunter named Kian led the way while Harli brought up the rear, his arrow still trained on us. It was disconcerting to walk with a weapon pointed at my back, or rather, knowing it was pointed at Raven’s back. We continued through hidden paths of the forest, uphill and downhill, until I was thoroughly lost. Every now and then Kian would pause and ask if I needed a rest. I merely shook my head, grateful for his kindness, yet still feeling a dreaded haste to get out of the wildwood and on with my life. Every extra minute I spent there, the fates tempted me and voices whispered in my mind.Stay. Sasha. Stay. Make the wildwood your home.But I couldn’t stay.
When evening fell, Kian came to a halt. “This is where we leave you,” he pointed.
I followed his finger and saw a drop off stretched across the wildwood like a yawning mouth. I shivered. We weren’t going down there, were we?
“We are grateful for your kindness,” I told him.
A smile came to his lips, although his eyes remained serious. “I wish you well wherever your road takes you. If you should ever need the services of my tribe, please call upon us.”
Raven placed his hand on my waist, as though he had more of a claim to me then Kian. But I wasn’t stirred by Kian’s kind words. I nodded, there was no need to tell him I was leaving the forest, and there would never be a need for his help. As the thought crossed my mind, something else flashed before me. A rainstorm, a knife with blood on it and bottled lightning. I peered at Kian again, studying his face. “Beware,” the words flowed from my mouth. “A storm is coming.”
He blinked, unsure how to respond, but I did not give him a chance. I moved down the path toward the cliff, with Raven beside me.
When I looked back, the hunters had faded back into the wildwood.
“What was that about?” Raven asked, letting go of me.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “A thought came to me and so I said those words.”
“Do you think it has something to do with your magic?”
“Perhaps. I’ve considered whether meeting with the Queen of the Wildwood awakened something within me.”
“It is likely, she is sensitive to magic, to power like her own.”
I frowned, I didn’t want to talk about the queen. Or why Raven wanted to serve her. “Do we cross tonight?” I pointed to the canyon.
“If you dare to walk across the swinging bridge at nightfall,” the wicked glint in Raven’s eyes challenged me.
“You are my guide.” I threw the choice back at him. “I will follow your decision.”
“And what if I told you there is a safe house on the other side? A tiny hut, hidden among the trees, where you can rest?”
