The Stableboy's shadow (BL)

Chapter 20

Luckily enough, Riley's ruse had worked.

As soon as Riley figured their pursuers were far enough, he finally let go of the breath he had kept in. The tension in his shoulders eased, and he let himself sink from his crouch to sitting on the damp ground. His shadows still cloaked them from the rest of the forest, and, for a moment, it was as though the world had stilled. But he knew better than to trust the quiet.

The moment he let released her, the siren curled in on herself, hugging her chest and tucking her knees close. She was trembling, her magenta hair clung to her skull in damp clumps, and her strange yellow eyes were shut tight.

He waited. He was used to keeping to dark corners, so he felt quite at ease under the slope. The cold had come fast though, and the forest floor was cover by mist that the moon painted silver. The light breeze brought scents of pine and mud, and the melody of branches swaying.

More than once, Riley felt the siren's gaze flicker toward him, as she was wondering what her savior was doing, and why they weren't moving, but the thief didn't move He wanted to make sure they wouldn't come back this way. Though he hadn't heard anyone around them in a while, he kept his senses sharp. Better safe than sorry.

Nearly half an hour passed before he was satisfied with the quiet. He lowered his shadows, then allowed himself to look at the siren.

Moonlight caught her skin, making it glow with a ghostly sheen. The large metal collar around her neck looked even heavier against her pallor and delicate frame. He needed to remove it—just in case the lock carried some sort of tracking spell. Riley tried to examine it, but he couldn't see the lock from this angle. Her breathing had slowed, but when he reached toward it, trying to adjust the silencer, she flinched back in terror. Her unsettling gaze snapped open and locked on him. She bared her sharp teeth with a hiss.

He lifted both hands in surrender, palms open. "Whoa, hey," he whispered. "Don't worry. I'm just trying to figure out how to get you out of this."

Her eyes narrowed, wary, but she gradually sank back into her initial position. When he reached again, she allowed him to gently tilt her head from side to side. The device was strangely made—a thick ring encircling her neck with a larger plate welded across the front. The keyhole was hidden along the side of the reinforced section. He drew his lockpicks out of his pockets and began to work, but her trembling made it nearly impossible.

"Try not to move, okay?"

She went rigid, her eyes squeezed shut in fear. Riley's chest tightened at the sight. He paused, giving her a moment to settle.

"I was sent to help you," he said quietly, nudging a pick around in the lock to feel the mechanism. "By a friend. Their name is Aneimis. Do you remember them?"

Her eyes snapped open. Something shifted in her expression. Suspicion lingered, but her posture relaxed, her gaze drifting to the bracelet on her wrist. She turned it slowly, thoughtfully, as if unsure what to make of it all.

Riley resumed working on the lock.

"Almost there," he murmured. "Please promise you won't use your voice on me...?"

She hesitated, her gaze dropping to the ground. Then, barely perceptible, her chin lowered in an almost nod.

Relief washed over him when the lock gave with a soft click. She gasped as though she hadn't taken a proper breath in years, and tears welled up in her yellow eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice the softness of waves.

"Of course," Riley said gently. "What's your name?"