Threatened [W&W Book 2]

Chapter 29

Anya slept poorly through the rest of the night and by the time that the sun broke the horizon Anya could not stay in bed any longer. Every time she shut her eyes she could see her little sister's face looking afraid. She had to get them away from Thorne as soon as she could.

Anya got dressed and took fastened her three vials to her upper arm. She would be ready whenever her moment came. She needed to find out how Lord Wildwood was. Until he was out from under the black cloud of his depression, he would remain well guarded. Afterwards, she would find a way to get him alone. But for now, she needed information.

Anya made her way back down to the kitchen. The chef was already there, baking bread. Ildri was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, good morning, Anya," said Missus Allendale cheerfully.

"Good morning."

"Hungry? Help yourself to those loaves over on the side," she offered as she moved around.

"Thank you," Anya agreed. "I'm up rather early. Maybe I'll take a walk and think." She could find Sabin and share with him.

"That's nice," said Missus Allendale distractedly. Anya broke off a couple slices of bread and slipped out the door. She walked straight into the forest and wandered around. "Sabin!" she called occasionally at intervals. She heard no answering noises and Sabin did not appear.

Anya continued to look for her crow but found no sign of him. She worried that something had happened to him while he was playing courier. He could be hurt, or dead and that would be Thorne's fault as well. And Anya's, for asking her dear friend to help her. She left the bread out on and tree and hoped that against all odds he might find it.

Anya made her way back to the castle with a terribly feeling of tension in the pit of her stomach. She tried not to imagine all the terrible things that could have happened. There were eagles and hawks in the air, and wild cats and wolves on the ground. People were also a concern, if Sabin had unwittingly ventured into a farmer's field to eat. And there was Thorne, and Anya had no way to predict what he might or might not do.

The jaws of Thorne's trap were closing ever tighter on Anya and she still had nowhere to run.

* * * * *

Lord Wildwood's condition was improving, or so Ildri said while she rushed about making the morning meal. Anya could barely spare a thought for him, even though she knew that she needed to focus.

Yet no matter how many times she scolded herself, her thoughts continually moved back to the twins and to Sabin.

She tried to tell herself that she was overreacting. Sabin did sometimes go off for days at a time in the past and he had always been fine. He was a wild creature and knew how to take care of himself.

Yet she could not help but imagine him laying somewhere with a broken wing, unable to escape from all the predators on the forest floor. Even a raccoon or fox that happened upon him would subdue him in that state.

But Sabin was just fine. There was no reason to assume any differently. He might even have been flying to see if there were any more messages from Thorne. Or perhaps he had decided to leave her. He was free to, although she did not think he would. She half hoped that Sabin had decided to escape Thorne's control without her, and was safe somewhere, perhaps finding some lovely crow and roosting down to make some chicks. If he had, he would be unlikely to return.

It was very unlikely. Sabin was a faithful animal and although she could not directly speak with him in words, she had a connection that was deeper than that. It was the connection of a witch to her familiar and it was a very strong bond. A few stressful weeks apart would hardly touch it.