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Chapter Twenty-One
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The Villain's Hero Chapter Twenty-Two
Derien Verstarjen’s stronghold was nestled in the one pass through the mountains. It had originally been built as a human military point when they had been forcing the Fae from the lands. The Fae had, however, not lingered on the other side of the mountain range but followed its curve toward the coast. The land on the other side of the mountains had become little more than a wilderness as a result, with a few small villages clinging on, isolated between the Fae forests no wise human would traverse and this intimidating mountain stronghold with its temperamental and murderous owner.The road up to the stronghold revealed its lack of use in the overgrowth of weeds and deep potholes. It would not have been an easy journey, even if the road had been well maintained, as it was steep and winding, picking its way through the ramble of the rocky terrain. We were forced to dismount the wagons to ease the load on the horses and make our way on foot, the stones slipping beneath our feet and dust
The Villain's Hero Chapter Twenty-Three
The open doors shed light into the chamber hopefully before fading away into shadow as if unable to combat the darkness of the mage who lived within, and our footsteps echoed hollowly. There were more statues in the entry hall. Servants I assumed, who had been turned to stone due to the displeasure of their master.A large, grand fireplace stood cold, and the torches on the wall had long burned out. The chill of the mage’s magic, I realized. A chill that probably prevented the grand fireplace from being lit. I had heard of such things occurring, where the magic was steeped with profound sorrow and grief, usually accompanied by the presence of shades.Drifts of dust scattered under the movement of air through the door, and along the wall, I saw several rodents pause in their scurry to sniff at us, evaluating our threat to their missions, before dismissing us and continuing along their paths.Derien stood on the first landing of the staircase and for the first time swept back the hood
The Villain's Hero Chapter Twenty-Four
“It is a shame that there is no lady’s maid,” Tarragon observed. “A dragon’s braid is hardly the height of Fae fashion.” “You are doing very well,” I told her. In the polished metal of the looking-glass, I could see that she had started the braids over my ears, in several thicknesses, and was winding them back into each other. “Father would be proud.” She flashed me a grin in the reflection. “It is a pity you will not let me use any of the pins,” she returned her eyes to her work. “I understand why, but they would look fair in your hair.” I had explored the various dainty little boxes on the dresser and the drawers, finding pins and other trinkets that a lady would use to do her hair and decorate it, as well as the remains of cosmetics and perfumed water. In one drawer were miniatures of the family – a little folding frame. On one side was a very pretty woman with Aien’s eyes. To the other, a little boy whose face was lit with rosy-cheeked happiness. Aien - before the loss of his mo
The Villain's Hero Chapter Twenty-Five
Tarragon did not give me the option to argue, catching me by the elbow and propelling me down the stairs at a pace that took all of my concentration not to fall. Before I knew it, we were entering the grand hall of the keep. There were swags of sweet-scented greenery, flowers woven into long chains, and tables heavy with tablecloths, candles, and platters of food.Considering the state of the household when we arrived, Derien had used some magic to transform the chamber, making it what it had been before tragedy had struck the household despite his earlier cautions that the household would not wait upon us.I wondered at his change of attitude.Not all those gathered were from the campaign. Many were from the villages at the base of the mountains from their clothing and as I had not seen their faces before. They looked terrified. Had Derien abducted the poor villages from their homes and forced them to attend? Why?The mage sat in the head chair upon the raised dais, a table that held
The Villain's Hero Chapter Twenty-Six
I hurried to the room and removed the dress with a sense of relief, inspecting it carefully to ensure that no wine or blood soiled its fabric, before folding it and wrapping it again, as I had received it. I placed the package in a chest at the base of the bed, finding other clothing stored within. I packed up Tarragon and my possessions, anticipating that we would no longer be welcome at the stronghold. I hoped that Derien Verstarjen would not prevent us from continuing and braced myself for my sister’s ire when she returned to the room. Through the window, I could see the slow retreat of torches toward the village as the villagers made their way home. It took longer than I had thought before the door handle turned. “Dae,” Tarra said as she entered. “Put only what you can hold into this bag,” she held out a satchel of the type that our family used when riding dragon-back. “Tarra…?” I asked uncertainly as I took the bag from her. “Cara will take you to the village on the other sid
The Villain's Hero Chapter Twenty-Seven
Our entry to the tavern ended the revelry. They might not have known what we were, but they knew enough that our presence amongst them caused them to be cautious. Caraway pretended not to notice, weaving his way unfaltering through to the bar and leaning against the wood.“A room, please,” he declared confidently.“We… are… full,” the man behind the counter declared uncertainly.“Come now,” Caraway slid his eyes towards him, letting the human take in Caraway’s slitted pupils and irises that were, definitely, not human. “I am certain you can work something out. My sister and I require a room for a few nights until our company catches up to us.”There was a whispering through the crowd, the sort of ear cupping that was less discreet than it was intended to be, as the occupants exchanged opinions and information.“We are full,” the man repeated firmly.“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Caraway said. “Are you sure there is nowhere that my sister and I might find to rest tonight?” He set a gol
The Villain's Hero Chapter Twenty-Eight
My stomach woke me, and I broke out into a cold sweat as I pressed a hand to my mouth fighting for control as I slipped from the bed. Caraway wasn’t there, his side of the covers rumpled, and his shoes gone from the floor.I located the chamber pot under the bed just in time to wretch miserably over it, my stomach too empty to produce more than bile. The effort collapsed me to my knees, however, and I sat sobbing and miserable, thinking over all that had occurred the night before and what it meant that Aien had not sent me the dress – that brief period of hopefulness painful in its dying. “Here,” Perditha had let herself into the chamber and held out an earthenware mug. “It is ginger and honey,” she told me. “It will help ease your stomach.”“Thank you,” my voice was hoarse, and my hand shook as I reached for the cup.“Some flatbread on your bedside, consumed before rising, should help,” she added. “You can purchase some at the market.”“I’ll do that,” I sipped the tea. It would be
The Villain's Hero Chapter Twenty-Nine
The house emptied of menfolk whilst Perditha and I frantically tended to the man’s injuries, managing to stop the bleeding from his arm only for him to undergo some reaction to a toxin absorbed through his wounds. I thought of Daerton’s precious anti-venoms and wished that I had possessed the foresight to bring them, and Rapunzel’s hair. I still wore the witch’s potion in a vial around my neck and my hand went to it several times as I contemplated its use. However, if the potion was not what I had been told, using it on the man could result in his death, and if it were… Then I would have used on a stranger something that might save Tarra or one of my brother’s lives. It was not lost on me that the man’s injuries were caused by the very same creatures that my siblings had come to hunt and kill, and that Tarra intended to do it in human form with a sword, and not as a dragon and by flame as Caraway was no doubt doing. It was frightening enough to think of him out there fighting against
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