Sweet Innocence and Gentle Sin || 𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐑

Chapter 37: Really Damn Lucky

Always surprised by what I do for love, Some things I never expect

~)(~

It was Cassian who first brought up the subject, which occupied every moment for the next four days. It was the first time I'd seen him focused on one topic for so long. Over five years of stories somehow fit perfectly in those four days—and thank the Mother I was there to correct the Illyrian's dodgy memory.

He was trying to distract himself from the uncomfortable tension of my eagerness to get this over with and the shadowsinger's sudden chattiness that made me question if he should be left alive. Realistically, of course, it was wrong to kill. But a girl could dream.

The first lodging was fine—a simple inn off the main road owned by an old couple uninterested in the world around them. I had my own room, which thankfully had a fireplace where I could hang my clothes soaked from snow. The food was mediocre and possibly burnt, but I was willing to eat grass after a day of winnowing. Even on a mattress of straw and feathers, I slept wonderfully and woke with a stretch that popped every bone in my back.

Winnowing from the Winter Court to the Day Court was more challenging than I expected, probably because we had to pass the Middle. I should've studied the map better because we somehow landed in the dense forest that reeked of dark magic. Wonderful.

The moment we landed, I leaned against the closest tree and gagged. That's never a good sign. My head ached, hot and pulsing behind my tight eyes. The forest felt alive, watching and listening, its anger at our intrusion tangible. It echoed with false sounds, a cacophony of howls and screams, rustling bushes, and snapping twigs that sharpened my senses.

The shadows danced as the wind whistled, and the air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. Every step felt like a violation, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something other was watching us, waiting like a predator for the perfect moment to strike.

I couldn't winnow, not when I could barely stand on my own. Thankfully, two perfectly capable Illyrians could get us out of here... right? Wrong. The trees were so dense that they created a ceiling of twisting branches above us, barely letting any light through. It was like the forest's magic was locking us in, pushing down to flatten us into the earth. It wanted us to suffer, to go mad from paranoia and rot under its brambles and poisoned leaves like the bones scattered around.

"We have to get to higher ground," Cassian said as he walked.

I nearly fell flat on my face. "There's no way I'm going deeper into that." I pointed to where he was going. The overhang blanketed the forest in complete darkness, partnered with a low layer of fog that moved like the sea. It looked straight out of a horror story.

"It's either this or the monsters living here," Cassian said, his eyes unable to focus on one spot.

Surprisingly, he had a point. So, with a sigh, I turned on a heel and followed his lead. I shouldn't have followed someone as insane as Cassian into a forest known for killing anyone who enters. And I was probably right in assuming he was only doing it to brag about it later.

We barely managed a few feet deeper into the forest before a glass-shattering scream rang out through the trees, loud enough to make leaves and branches collapse. My ears were on high alert at that moment, and the sharp pain that filled them was enough to make me fall to my knees. They rang, pounding behind my eyes and filling my ears like water. I covered my ears and shut my eyes, counting the seconds until it disappeared. The ringing stung like ice through my skull, making it impossible to think or move.

I felt hands on my shoulders, pulling and shaking to get me to stand. No matter how much effort I put into standing, the ground turned to quicksand or evaporated into clouds, causing me to fall again. There was noise around me, but it seemed so distant, muffled by water trapped in my head.