Page 35 of Wicked Prince of Mirrors
12
ESMIRA
Idropped to my knees. A hand flattened against my back pressing me down. I turned my head, surprised to see Methrin beside me. His arm shielded me as I lay flat.
“Pull your hood up,” he whispered. “Stay still.”
Grass tickled my chin as I buried my head in my arms. My entire body tensed as I squeezed my eyes shut. My book of beasts flashed in front of my mind. Were we going to be ripped from limb to limb, burned alive or pecked to death?
Every impossible death rose to the forefront of my mind, each one slower and more painful than the last. I wanted to run, not lie hidden in the grass, waiting for death to overtake me.
A shriek split the air and a great wind flattened the grass against my skin. The scent of decaying flesh filled my nose and bile clawed up my throat. Tears leaked out of my eyes.We never should have come here.
Minutes passed and nothing happened. The smell faded and silence stretched.
Finally, Rydlin called, “Clear, let’s go.”
Relief swept through me.
Instead of rising I brushed at my face, hoping no one would see my weakness. When I sat up, I was face to face with Methrin. He removed the weight of his arm but his gaze lingered on my face. “Are you . . .” He paused, searching for the right word.
I stood, dusting the grass off my cloak. “I’m fine, this place is—” I glanced at the horrid Boundary flickering in the distance. “I don’t like this place,” I finished quickly.
“We won’t be here long.”
I turned around and bit back a scream.
Two people ran toward us, dressed in animal skins. White paint marked their bodies and they carried weapons. Knives in their belts, a quiver of arrows on their backs, and a bow in hand. As they neared their features became clear, a man and a woman. They waved, shouting, “Rydlin? Lyra? What are you doing here?”
They must be outcasts from the kingdom with magic. I wanted to step forward and meet them, ask questions, hear their stories, but when they discovered who I was, would they hate me? It was clear in my mind that I was not my father, but I was royalty and I’d done nothing. Wasn’t doing nothing blameworthy?
Methrin placed a hand on my shoulder and stepped forward, his stance protective.
“Haldra.” Lyra bolted forward, hugging the woman.
Rydlin also walked up to the pair, clasping the man’s arm. “Oldir. Haldra.” He nodded at them. “We have urgent business on this side of the Boundary and must be on our way with haste, is all well with you?”
“It is,” the man, Oldir, confirmed. “We’ve been watching the hillside for newcomers then saw a beast chase you down. Where are you headed?”
“Toward the wood,” Rydlin said. “There’s much to tell you, the day of reckoning has come, the time of prophecy is at hand.”
Curious eyes turned toward Methrin and me, wide-eyed and full of hope. A pressure built in my chest.
The woman, Haldra, stepped forward but Lyra shook her head. “There’s no time.”
“Beware the wood,” Haldra advised. “A creature lurks there, bringing death to all. We’ve left it alone since it does not hunt outside the wood, we assume it’s protecting its young and after the summer will move on to other hunting grounds.”
“We appreciate the warning,” Lyra said.
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Oldir asked. “Anything at all?”
“Keep doing as you are doing,” Rydlin instructed. “Survive, watch the hillside, one day we may call on you for help.”
“And we will be glad to give it,” Oldir returned.
Rydlin and Lyra spoke a few more words, then embraced the couple before turning back to us. Rydlin walked just a little taller as he led us deeper into the meadow.
Nightfall brought us to the edge of the field, where a grove of trees rose above us. Rydlin held up a hand. “We will wait for sunrise to enter. There are a series of caves within the wood, we’ll reach the mirror before midday.”
