Crimson Lace

Chapter 34

WARNING: This chapter contains subjects that may be triggering for some individuals. Such subjects include but are not limited to: violence and substance abuse.

JOSEPHINE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

It's been ages since I've felt this nervous. It's been ages since I've rode a horse as well. Large creature. A bit more bumpy of a tread than Besnick, but also a bit more roomy of a seat than my Ostrich friend's back.

The journey is taking longer than I anticipated. But with the storm overhead, I had to camp the night in a cave. It's dangerous to ride in the rain. Everyone knows that.

The sound of drops pelting down into already soaked mud, has eased. From where I sit huddled up against a cave rock, with my horse's reins clutched in my hand, it appears that the sun might actually grace me with its presence this morning.

I gather my things. Elle and Alec insisted that I overpack, despite my protest against the extra pillow. However, I appreciated having something for my rump other than the filth and sludge that makes up the cave floor.

Fenway has broken into my pack and is munching on the remainder of the horse feed I have stowed away.

"Gods curse you, Fenway!" I exclaim, jumping up and yanking the bag from his teeth. The stallion just glares at me, his nostrils flaring, with his large brown eyes and innocent mischief. "You're going to starve, you big thief."

The beast nudges the bag, trying to snag it back. My eyes go wide as I back away and the creature gallops after me, out of the cave and into the sun.

He rams his head into my back and I go flying, the grains spilling out all over the forest ground. I groan, pulling myself to my feet and glancing at the mud that now cakes my . . . everything.

"I'll admit, horse. I like your commitment," I grumble, attempting to wipe the sludge from my cheeks with an even dirtier leather sleeve as Fenway rampages through the spilled contents of his remaining meal. "Is this going to be a sort of enemies to friends relationship?"

I pad over to him and swipe my pack that is now drenched in mud. Pulling myself onto his saddle, I tug at his reins until he steers away from the food.

The fog is clearing, slowly but surely. I can now make out Temple Mountain in the distance.

The altitude is so great that even in the heat of Rivara's summer, the snow on the peaks never seems to thaw. The sight gives me chills as the memories of my childhood come scrambling back to me.

**********

An army. An army of birds. They ram into the windows, breaking their beaks to try to get to me. Some of them die upon impact. I feel each of their pain and have fallen to my knees from the utter torture of it.

Carder is no longer in the room. But when he returns with his long shotgun, my whole body shudders.

Thud after thud. The birds continuously pelt the windows, hurting themselves just to draw Carder outside. He takes the bait, busting through the door with his gun locked and loaded. The door is left open, swaying loudly on its hinges.

I grip the edge of a nearby table and use it to hoist myself to my feet just as the first gunshot rings out.

A beautiful owl drops dead.

White hot, blistering agony shocks my abdomen. I double over, screaming. The shooting pain moves up my body, traveling through my nerves until I am too weak to move toward the exit anymore.

I make direct eye contact with the owl as the life sputters out from his eyes. The pain subsides as he can no longer feel it, or anything. He's dead. A shiver possesses my spine, and my muscles contract as I take a heaving breath like it's my last one. A thick, spirit-like substance passes through me, and I am forced to say goodbye to this creature I didn't know, but a creature that still risked his life for me.