Enchantingly Different

Chapter 15

I turn to look back at the men who are still standing a fair distance away, seemingly afraid to move forward. I don’t blame them; I would have acted the same way before meeting Shae.

“Can you ride?” I turn my attention back to her and stroke her hair back, tucking it behind her ear tenderly.

“Yes, I am fine now. It just took a lot out of me. I’m not used to doing things like that,” she responds, a blush rising in her cheeks. I brush at her skin with the back of my fingers.

“Of course you’re not. Stay by me and let me know if you need a rest or need help.”

I can feel her body shaking as I lift her up into her saddle. She feels like she’s lost weight just over the past few days. We need to find some proper food; the rations from the inn are all but gone. Once I’m sure she’s steady in her saddle, I jump up onto Taric and ride back to the men.

“Hector, let’s go! We don’t know how long the wall will be open for.”

“Yes your highness!” He motions to the men to move forward and they oblige slower than usual, their reluctance obvious. He swings his spear and hits one of the men on the back of his armor, making him fall loudly to the ground. A couple other men stoop to help him up. “Move faster you imbeciles.”

They increase their pace and the clatter of their movements synchronizes into a steady pace toward the wall. I ride back to Shae and see that her cheeks are gaining a little more color.

“Are you ready, my love?”

She nods and gives me a shy smile before we head through the hole in the wall together. As we pass through, I see the grass is a significantly darker shade of green, almost grey in color. The trees that creak in the slow wind are nearly dead, if they aren’t already, and even the expected sounds of birds and animals are missing, leaving the space void and lifeless.

I can see a small town ahead of us and I can tell from this distance that the houses are in a sad state of disrepair. Behind the crooked roofs, a large tower extends into the sky in the distance. Lightning flashes around it ominously and a loud boom of thunder shakes me to my core. I turn to Shae and see her face calm, which gives me the strength I need to push forward.

“That’s where we need to go, I guarantee it,” she says solemnly.

“Have you been there before?” I survey the tower once more and feel a deep pit forming in my stomach with the nerves that are expanding inside of me.

“No, but I’ve heard plenty about it,” she responds with sad eyes. “I just hope we’re not too late,” she says, her voice a whisper now. That thought sends a shiver through my spine and I say a silent prayer for my half-sister, hoping the same. She has always been there for me when I’ve needed her. Not once has she been judgmental of my choices in life, especially when everyone has been quick to. I just wish for the chance to be the bigger brother that I’m supposed to be.

We are looming closer to the town and I can’t help but notice that Shae moves closer to me. She pulls up her hood and dips her head low, even though there seem to be few people around. The houses are falling apart as I suspected and I see a lone old woman crossing across the path ahead, dragging some kind of cart behind her. She slips a little in the deep, wet mud and I hear her grunt in pain as the cart hits against her leg. I feel almost sorry for her and feel as if I should go help her, but then she lifts her head to look at us and I see her for what she really is.

Her eyes glow a deep red and her lips part to show pointed teeth that look like fangs. Her skin is pale and her limp hair hangs around her face in grey, matted strands. The sight makes me recoil in the saddle and Taric backs up, feeling my unease with this woman.