The King's Cursed Bride

Unfinished Business: Part 3

Carissa heard metal clashing, and someone else shouted from inside the room she'd just left. Then all fell silent.

Should she call out? Or would that reveal their position to the enemies within?

Before she could decide, Elon poked his head out the window and waved. Carissa released a shaky sigh. At least he was alright. But how was he going to get down?

Elon disappeared back inside the room, and the rope jiggled, but didn't rise back up to the window. Then Elon reappeared and began sliding down the rope. There was no harness around his waist; only his grip on the rope kept him from falling.

When his feet touched the ground, Carissa flung her arms around his waist and suppressed her relief long enough to scold him. "You didn't use a harness."

He laughed and nudged her nose with his. "I didn't have the luxury of someone lowering me down, so the harness wasn't an option."

"How did you get down?"

"I told you—the Reapers helped me. After I fought them, I tied the end of the rope to them to counterbalance my weight as I climbed down."

Lila sighed behind them. "You know, Aleck told me you two were lovey-dovey when you were together, and I didn't believe him. I guess I'll have to tell him he was right."

Carissa released Elon and glanced at Lila. "One day, Lila, you might find someone to be lovey-dovey with."

She snorted. "Yeah. Like someone would want to marry a monster."

Carissa felt a pang at Lila's words, but before she could contradict her, Elon said, "We'll discuss this later. For now let's escape the city before the Yare wolves come out."

***

They approached the gate, its great wooden doors yawning wide open. There were two guards, but their feet and wrists were bound, a gag tied over their mouths. The guards glared at them as they strode through the gate. Algernon must have been here recently.

As their group left the city behind them, Carissa heard the snicker of horses and glanced to her left. Algernon, Kybelle, and Lyron stood behind a copse of bare, twisted trees.

Algernon approached them, mounted on his horse, and dirt from the bare earth puffed around the horse's hooves. He reigned to a stop in front of them, his expression tense.

Carissa frowned. "What's wrong?"

Before he could speak, Elon said, "Let's mount the horses and begin putting some distance between ourselves and Zonah. Then Algernon can inform us of what has happened."

Carissa suppressed a flare of alarm. Elon already knew what Algernon would say. Whatever it was, if Elon wanted to delay her hearing it, it was likely bad news.

Algernon nodded slowly and wheeled his horse around to head back to Lyron and Kybelle.

They followed, and Carissa approached a riderless horse. Elon clasped her waist, making her body stiffen in fear, before he set her atop the horse.

He glanced up at her. "I know you're curious, Carissa. I just wanted to ensure we wouldn't be delayed in reaching our destination before nightfall. Or before they decide to come for us."

"Surely Algernon talking to me wouldn't have delayed us for that long."

"But an emotional reaction on your part would have."

Emotional reaction? What news could Algernon bring that would arouse an emotional reaction?

Elon squeezed her hand. "Don't worry overly much about it."

As if she could stop worrying now.

Elon mounted and, after a quick glance at the group, urged his horse forward. After a few moments, Carissa guided her horse closer to Algernon's. Now that they were headed to their destination, surely it'd be acceptable if Algernon told her what had happened.

Algernon glanced towards her, his lips tightly seamed beneath his beard. "You won't like this."

Carissa huffed. "I know that by now. I wish you and Elon would stop dropping me ominously vague hints and say what has happened."

Algernon nodded. "As we were escaping the city, I sent Kybelle and Lyron ahead of me. As I was going through the street, I heard something. I glanced behind me and saw a group of people emerge from a house—mostly women, to my surprise. And they were armed—with blunted Esmerian steel, pitchforks, and hairpins."

"Hairpins?" His words startled a laugh from her. "And you're concerned about this mob?" If that was all, perhaps she didn't actually have anything she needed to be worried about. Why had Elon thought she'd have an emotional reaction to this news? ...unless this wasn't the end of his story.

He huffed. "Indeed I was. They began chasing me initially. Likely they thought I was with the Reapers, given how freely I wandered the streets. I managed to outrun them, and after they passed me, I was about to resume heading towards the gate when I heard the mob roar furiously. Fearing they'd found me, I turned, but the all of their backs were to me. They'd found a new target."

Algernon glanced at the dirt path before them, framed by the wiry black trees. "I knew they'd either found a hapless man to prey upon or a Reaper. They were shouting obscene things like, 'Use the blunted steel to hack off his limbs!' I grew concerned, afraid their victim was an innocent, and so I approached them cautiously from behind. As I neared, I realized it was indeed a man, but before I could demand that the mob stop, I recognized him."

Algernon's gaze returned to hers. "Carissa... Akar lives."

***

Author's Note: WHOAAAA. Another cliff hanger? Bet you didn't see that coming! ;) If you want to find out what happens next, check out the sneak peek (for readers who have just caught up, it's a link in my profile).