Cloak, Torn: Book 2 [ON HOLD]

Chapter 19

I awoke the next morning disturbed and sickened. My dreams had been of Andrew coming after me, screaming that I'd broken my promise until I hurled my ax into his forehead and he dissolved into a pile of bones and vines. And then my cloak was soaked in blood and when I screamed and tried to rip it off, the blood had gotten on my hands. I couldn't get the blood off them and when I tried to wipe it away the stains only grew larger until blood was all I could see. Then Jayla was there, hissing that I had better not turn my back on her as I had Mother and Father. We were family after all. She morphed into Warren who howled as he split into two beings, a wolf and a sobbing little boy with black hair and green eyes. And when I tried to comfort him he grew fangs and black fur, lunged at me and cut my scream short as I woke up in a cold sweat, still screaming.

Just a dream, Scarlet. Just a dream. Just a nasty nightmare.

I yanked my cloak around me and tried to imagine it as an embrace, as protection. It was made of the fabric of the old cloak Father had worn as the Beast, and somehow I had always clung to that fact in the hopes it would lend me his strength, his power, everything about him that I aspired to be. But it had never quite carried over to me. I might have inherited his love of the forest, but the strength that made him a ruler still eluded me. I had to prove I could beat enemies just as he always had.

Or was this old cloak not protection, but a curse, just as bloody as my dream?

I shuddered and shook myself out of the vein of thought.

Don't think about it. Just focus on the quest. Get out of here, get the harp fixed and break the curse. That's all you've got to do.

I pushed myself out of bed and almost stepped on the ax, still covered in battle gore. I picked it up and found the wash basin and rinsed it off, scrubbing it long after it was clean before I slipped the sheath back over its blade and tucked it back into my belt next to my dagger.

I got myself decent and then slipped down the stairs for an early breakfast, as my nightmare had awoken me before the sun. As I ate the food served to me by a groggy maid, I remembered the fights I'd had with Jack. He was pretty well off here. He used to live here after all. People knew his name, they loved him. He'd probably be glad to stay.

I could just grab Warren and the harp and ditch him.

No! Scarlet, stop that. Heroes don't slip away from their problems like cowards.

But that's just it. He is a problem.

Then face him the right way.

"Whatever," I muttered to myself. "I just want to get out of here as fast as possible."

"Glad to hear it, Princess," said Jack's voice. I jumped and dropped my fork, scanning the room quickly for anyone who might have overheard his mocking nickname for me. Luckily we were the only ones up so early who had any level of cognition going for them.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Jack said, letting out a sigh as he sat down on a stool next to me and leaning one elbow against the counter, "I'm loving the glory and all, but really I've always had a sore spot for Balcaroy. Not many happy memories here, ya know?"

"Ah."

Dang it. Think. How do we get rid of him now?

"You know, it's been fun so far, despite, you know, your anger management skills."

Oh my anger management skills he says?

Easy girl.

"I'm thinking I like the action that follows you, so I figure I'll help you break this little curse." Jack continued. "It's been fun. I've got the goose now and I figure this can only get better, so what do you say we stick together for a while longer?"