Evergreen [Book 1 of the Hierarchy Series]-Revising

Chapter 6

 Cassia collected herself in her chambers, uncertain of the journey ahead. Her familiars scattered around. Both watched her, eyes bursting with wonder.

"You two are coming with me." She rubbed their heads affectionately.

She dressed in leather armor and plebeian attire, attaching a leather shoulder pad. Her hawk gently settled onto it as Taluntain climbed beneath her shirt.

She slipped out the door and to the entrance of the castle. For the second time in a week, she was about to leave the grounds, uncertainty filled her, rattling her to the core.

Her father stood upright and grand, but the stress carved grey lines beneath his eyes. He shifted to the side, nodding to Cassia as she stepped into the yard and towards the obsidian carriage awaiting her. Olivia watched her with a pink flush of jealousy, standing composedly alongside him.

"I wish you could stay, sister," her brows furrowed. Olivia's expression depressed, eyes pale and soft. Cassia traced her pollex across her sister's cheekbone and smiled.

"Next time I won't leave without you." Cassia enveloped Olivia in a warm embrace ere entering the carriage.

"Ready Cassia," the king stood rigid, his emotions hidden in a hard gaze. She gave him a half-hearted smile. Daniel closed the latch as the king stepped back, the horses starting. Within minutes, they left through the gates, and the castle disappeared within the woods.

Hooves crashed against the ground, the jingle of reins echoing as they traveled at a swift pace down the mountain and towards the city. She grumbled, remembering they would need to pass through the city first.

They would not stop. The carriage shook vigorously over the rugged ground. Cassia's fingers stroked the pendant's surface, diamonds sparkling in the sunrays creeping through the window. Her heart clenched, fearing what came next. She didn't even say goodbye to Radu.

She felt the exhaustion hit her, but consciousness only lasted another moment as darkness swallowed her.

. . .

Soft fuzz tickled the nerves in her fingers. The brown fur layered with deeper colors. The wolf exhaled softly with the touch, relaxing into her. Inhaling, scents musk and fresh wildflowers overwhelmed her. She recognized the aroma of the thick, impenetrable forests of Kusanar. The dark green grass blanketed around them, sprinkled with purple and pink wildflowers. The field of Dorai. The cursed field, where love was doomed, and could not be mended.

She pressed her face into his fur, inhaling the evergreen and warmth of its body heat. The scent of raspberry, maple, and tea mint misted off him. His smell. Opening her eyes, the space clouded with fog, a mist so thick everything turned white. She blinked away the moisture and curled into the wolf.

His rich clay brown fur shimmered in the light. His radiant green eyes glistened, dilating as he thoughtfully observed Cassia. Something itched at him. He whimpered, unable to express his discomfort.

. . .

"I don't care," a voice echoed from outside the carriage. They spoke in a language uncommon in Cassia's country. Eilikran.

"She needs to be able to trust us, but all of it is a lie," the other shouted. She shifted upright, gluing her ear to the window. Her heart raced, unsure of their intent.

"Shut up! She can probably hear us," the other growled, followed by their muffled tones. She could make out a few distinct words.

"Be quiet," one of them hushed the other, both falling silent.