Descendants of the Kings (Book 2)

Ch 45: Eldritch horrors

The trip to the Barren Forest was not like the first time they'd gone looking for the Witch's house.

The four of them had set out at dawn, just as the last time, religiously sticking to a marked path. Zella's rules burned into their minds, a constant reminder of the importance of respecting the forest.

They'd stepped carefully, keeping to themselves, and for the most part, it had been uneventful.

Maybe too uneventful.

Now, it wasn't that Ella was chomping at the bit to go through what had happened the first time, when they'd been attacked by that forest spirit. If she never had to see a Sylph again, it'd be too soon.

But she knew running into trouble in the Barren Forest was almost expected. There was a reason travellers preferred to border the land and waste several more days of travel, rather than crossing through the middle.

This was a lawless land where the only rule was the survival of the hungriest.

It was winter, food was low, and frankly, a party of four was a ripe temptation. Any creature would have tried to have a go at them, be it for their horses and provisions, or simply for their own flesh.

Yet, eight hours later, they stood in front of the witch's home, unscathed.

Ella tried to push back the sensation of unease as they arrived at the witch's land, but it only piqued when she saw the wards set around the land.

"Did you tell him we were coming?" Blaise asked warily as they came to a stop near the witch's property.

Dandelion had certainly been busy since the last time they'd been here.

There was no fence nor any brick walls around the property, but there was no need, the magic spoke for itself. Around the edges, marking a perimeter, the trees had strange trinkets hanging from the branches, swaying in the breeze, emitting a rough, aggressive energy that signalled it was a protected land.

An archaic sort of magic that scraped against the skin like a blaring red warning signal—stand back or pay the consequences it said, loud and clear to any creature with common sense.

"No, but I suppose having an infamous spy on one's side has to be good for something," Ella said, pulling her horse to a stop and jumping down. "Frankly, I'd be disappointed if he didn't know we were coming."

Ella had no doubt the Bird—and in consequence, the witch boy—knew everything worth knowing.

"How are we going to call upon him?" Val asked, helping Blaise down from their shared horse. "You know, so his house pops up. I don't suppose we can go up and knock on the trunk, no?"

"I wouldn't touch that thing with a ten-mile pole," Aedion grimaced. "I have no doubt this entire area is cursed to the very last leaf."

Aedion still held a grudge against the witch. He was of the idea that they should limit their contact with him exclusively by using the Bird as a messenger.

Ella observed the massive tree, shooting up into the cloudy sky, with a shiver. She didn't like being here either. She couldn't remember exactly what had happened when she'd made that deal with the witch for the first time, but she still felt the wrongness of it. She knew—deep in her bones—that she had given something vital.

Sometimes, late at night, when she lay awake feeling an abject emptiness inside of her, she went a little mad trying to remember what it was that she'd forgotten. It made her desperate, wondering what on earth she'd given in exchange for his help. She wondered if she'd ever stop feeling like she was missing a chunk of her soul.