Torn: Bound Trilogy Book Two (14 page)

“Pardon me,” I said.

“Well that’s unusual,” said a man whose thick mustache trailed down past his chin. One of his companions shushed him.

“Good afternoon, my love,” said the woman, and the familiar phrase and accent of my home country warmed me to her immediately. “Are you all right?”

“Fine, thank you,” I said. “I came alone. My friends and I didn’t want to frighten you. I do need help, though. Would you be interested in selling the pack carrier off of one of your horses?”

The mustached man raised his heavy eyebrows. “Why? Have you found some treasure you need to carry down from the mountains? Because I’m sure we could help with that, for a share.”

I chose my words carefully. They were Darmish, but that didn’t make them friends. Not to me. Not anymore.

I pasted a bashful smile on my face. “No treasure. Not unless you count wood and tree bark.” I patted the tree I’d been resting in earlier. “We can’t find heartleaf near my home anymore, and my mother needs the inner bark to help with her pain.” I lowered my gaze to the ground. “I know it’s illegal now, but...” I thought of my brother, and when I looked up at the riders again my eyes had filled with genuine tears. “It’s the only thing that helps.”

“Oh, my dear,” said another man, this one sporting a black beard peppered with gray, with a face underneath that looked like he’d been smacked with a broad board. “We’d be happy to help you carry it ourselves. Are you going to Archer’s Point? We’re passing through there.”

“No,” I lied. “We thought we’d look around here a bit more, and then we’re going south. You can’t spare anything?”

The three who had spoken glanced at each other. The other two, a man and another woman, waited in silence behind them.

“I suppose that depends on what you can offer,” said the mustached man.

“Davis,” said the woman, a soft admonishment in her voice. She looked tired and ready to be in a warm bed, but she didn’t act as if she was in a hurry to be away. I liked her for that.

“What?” he said. “It’ll cost us to get another made. If she can pay us that much, we can talk. How much do you have, girl?”

“I—I don’t know exactly,” I stammered. I had no idea what that might cost. “I don’t have the money on me. I can go ask, if you tell me how much we need.”

Davis narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you hiding something, dear?”

The woman smacked his arm. “She’s being careful, you idiot. Doesn’t want us to rob her.”

“Hmm. Eighty, then, if it’s a frame and baskets you want and not a saddle. That’ll get us fixed up when we get back to Ardare. We’ll just have to hope we don’t come across a good opportunity along the way that we might’ve needed that pack for.”

“His generosity never ceases to humble me,” the bearded man said, and winked at me. “We’ll wait.”

I went back into the woods, careful to make sure that no one followed. I estimated how much Tyrean coin would equal seventy Darmish goldens. They likely expected to barter, and I couldn’t afford to spend more than was absolutely necessary. As it stood, this would leave me with few coins, and hungry if Callum didn’t pay for my meals on the road. But it would disguise Florizel if I couldn’t convince her to hide herself or leave me.

Davis hemmed, hawed, and groaned about taking a loss for a stranger. I protested in return that I had nothing more to offer and agreed to take their oldest rig. In the end we made a deal for a rickety set-up and a few baskets. He counted the foreign currency carefully and without question, and motioned for the woman who hadn’t spoken to remove a pack horse’s things.

The lightweight, wooden frame had ribs to strap the baskets to, and had been made for a horse significantly larger than Florizel. I accepted it with thanks and hauled it back to the woods, politely refusing their offers of help. I stopped out of sight and listened to them leaving, speaking a little more loudly now, pleased with the deal they’d made.

I didn’t make the straps tight, but we tried the frame and my bag on Florizel before we lost the sunlight. It wasn’t perfect or comfortable for her, but the large size meant that there was room for her folded wings underneath. I arranged the blankets under the frame to cover her wings and her rump, where feathers protruded. It would have to do, and I would have to walk while she wore it.

We moved farther from the road, and I removed the frame. Florizel stretched and flexed her wings. “I can’t say I like it. Makes me think of being tied up, unable to fly. Do we have to tighten the straps?”

“Not if you can balance it, I guess. We’re in trouble if it falls off, though.”

“It won’t.”

I placed the frame back on her. “Show me what happens if you rear up.”

She did, and the contraption slid to the ground. She hung her head. “Is that bad? We can do the straps.”

“No. Please listen.” I stepped closer, and her ears pricked forward. “I think things will be fine, but there could be danger.” I swallowed back the trepidation that filled my throat. “If something should happen to me, I need you to do exactly what you just did. Free yourself, and fly.”

“Griselda said—”

“Stay with me, I remember. But you’ve done enough, and you getting caught won’t help. If something bad happens tomorrow, fly away. Go back to Belleisle and let them know what happened. And stay safe. Please.”

She let out a long, shuddering breath. “I will. I only wish I were braver.”

I put my arms around her strong neck. “I couldn’t have come this far without you.”

We followed the evening routine we’d established over the past week. My dreams that night were filled with the people I knew, people I hoped to see, those who I missed, those who I worried about. It was a lot to dream on.

I woke exhausted, but excited to be moving again. I dressed in the only skirt I’d brought with me. It was ankle-length, loose enough that I could still run if I needed to. Much as I wanted to look presentable, my safety was a greater concern. I made Florizel’s disguise as perfect as I could. She plodded convincingly behind me as we made our way up the road to Archer’s Point, and none of the few people we passed gave us more than a quick glance.

The tavern was a dark little place at the edge of town. Florizel went into the woods to wait. She’d made me agree that if all went well, if Callum played fair and seemed open to accepting magic, she could accompany me to Lowdell. The idea still troubled me.

I tied my scarf tightly around my hair before I entered the building, and kept my hood up until I found my way to a booth in a back corner. The place was busy, and I barely made it into the seat before someone else had a chance to take it.

A young barmaid approached and nodded over her shoulder at the crowded room. “You could sit at the bar if you’re alone, miss.”

“I’m waiting for someone, thank you. A young man. He’ll find me.”

She chewed on her lower lip and tapped her shoe on the dirty floor. “Not a handsome fellow with long hair and a mean look to 'im, is it?”

“No, why?” And then I realized why Archer’s Point sounded familiar to me. Ashe had mentioned it when he told me about the dangers of magic, about Aren’s involvement in a magic hunter’s death.

He’d been here, back when he was the Aren I feared. I shivered.

“No reason.” She gave her head a hard shake and smiled thinly. “Soup?”

I couldn’t refuse, and decided to spend a coin on a meal. I’d nearly finished the thick squash and potato stew with fresh bread when Callum entered.

He didn’t see me at first, sitting as I was in the back of the room. He looked good. Obviously losing me hadn’t been as hard on him as I’d worried, and I was glad of that. His sandy-brown hair had grown out a little longer than it was when I last saw him, though it was still well within the limits of what the Darmish considered fashionably acceptable. Everything else was the same—Prince Charming good looks, broad shoulders, confident stride when he entered the room. He spoke to the barmaid, who nodded toward me. I stood and he hurried over, a slight smile touching his lips.

“Rowan.” His smile widened as he clasped my hands in his own. He looked me over, taking in everything, and I was glad I’d covered my unnatural hair. Better not to let him see a visible reminder of how I’d changed. “You’re really alive.”

“I seem to be,” I said, and grinned back with relief. Perhaps I’d worried for nothing. “You’re looking well.”

His blue eyes searched mine as we sat. “I’m so sorry.”

“Callum, none of this was your fault.”

He leaned back and waved to the barmaid. “I didn’t keep you safe as I promised I would,” he said after he ordered his drink. “I should have accompanied you. Maybe I could have done better. Maybe...” He studied the foam at the top of his glass. “Did they...I hope no one hurt you. I tried to get you back, you have to believe that. I rode out as soon as I could, but you had vanished.”

“We were hiding from Severn. Aren helped me escape less than a day after the attack, before their ship sailed from whatever port we were in. We traveled through the mountains to Tyrea, and on to Belleisle.”

Callum nodded. “I got that from your letter, and it frightened me. That must have been horrible for you, being abducted by someone like that.”

“It was fine,” I told him, beginning to realize how awkward this situation was. When I wrote to Callum I’d left out most of the details of my relationship with Aren, not wanting to hurt him more than I already had. “It was my choice to go with him. He didn’t hurt me. He helped me. Saved my life.” I lowered my voice. “About the rest of that letter...”

“Yes.” His brow furrowed, but his expression opened again before he continued speaking. “The magic?”

I looked around to make sure no one was listening. Even this close to the Tyrean border, people were funny about magic, especially in humans.

“I didn’t know what to think about that,” he admitted. “I was angry. I thought you must have known, that you’d lied to me, but I talked to your mother about it.”

My heart leapt. “What did she say?” I still didn’t know anything about my early childhood, how and when my magic had been bound.

“She had it done not long after you were born, and she acted alone. You had some accidents when you were younger, before it really took, and they sent you to live with your aunt and uncle to keep anyone from noticing.”

“Thank you for not arresting her over it,” I said.

“I couldn’t fault her for trying to protect you from magic. And if she went about it by illegal means…” he shrugged. “Sometimes you have to fight an enemy with his own weapons. I haven’t reported any of it, officially.”

Not yet,
I thought. But the threat would always be there.

“She said that she’d never told you about it,” he added. “She thought it best that no one know. She thought you’d be angry and demand that she somehow undo it, even if it meant risking your own life. I suppose she was right, in the end.”

I started to reach across the table to take his hand in a gesture of comfort, but stopped myself. I didn’t want to send the wrong message, and something about him seemed wrong. His words were kind, as was his voice, but I sensed tension in him.
Careful, Rowan.

“The binding was causing my headaches,” I said. “It was killing me. My life was in danger either way, and I wanted answers. It’s not like everyone thinks, you know. Our people are wrong about magic being evil. It’s a tool, not a curse, and can be used for so much good. It doesn’t happen the way we thought. All of the people who—” I hesitated, but decided to push on. There was still a chance he would listen. “All of the people your father and the king and the other hunters have killed over the years were born with magic. They didn’t choose it.”

He studied my face, then smiled sadly. “You look different. I can’t place what it is, but it suits you.”

“Thank you.” My unease grew. I ran a finger over one of my eyebrows, and stopped myself before I could pull a lock of far brighter red hair out from under my scarf to twist in my fingers. Instead, I folded my hands on the table.

“We’ll get rooms in Renton tonight,” he said, “half-way between here and Lowdell. I’ve sent word for your parents to meet us there tomorrow morning. You came alone?” He had surely scouted the building and asked around outside before he came in, but his eyes still darted to the windows.

“I did,” I said slowly. “I have a horse, but otherwise, it’s just me. Callum, can we talk about the magic?”

“He’s gone, then?”

I crossed my arms. “He’s not with me right now.”

Callum nodded. “I see.”

“I’m sorry, Callum, but I think we have more important things to discuss. You said you wanted to talk about my experiences with magic.”

His jaw tightened. “Yeah. I’m sorry, too. It might be easier for me to take if you hadn’t left me for someone we’ve been watching for years, who is a danger to us, who hates our people. But what does that matter, right? Magic, and all of that. Who wouldn’t wander off with a known enemy, a killer, for a chance at that?”

I felt my magic moving within me, and I pushed it back. I had no idea what it might do if I set it free. Letting it out could kill everyone in the place if I wasn’t careful. “Aren’s not like that. He was, but he’s changed.”

Callum raised an eyebrow. “What? He changed for you?” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe it. But you’re here now, and that’s good. Maybe it’s not too late for you.”

“I’m fine,” I said again, my voice harder.

“Obviously.” He drummed one thumb against the edge of the table, deep in thought. “This is hard for me, Rowan. I thought things were settled between us, thought we were going to be happy.”

My magic settled, as did my anger. Perhaps he’d been hurt more than I realized.

“And then you left,” he continued, “and I was so angry with myself for failing you. When your first letter came, I was relieved to hear you were safe. Part of me didn’t believe it. I recognized your handwriting, but I thought he might have forced you to write it, to make sure I wasn’t looking for you. Then your second letter came, delivered from Belleisle. By a bird, no less. I believed it then. After I got past the anger, I wanted you to come back.”

“Callum, I—”