Bloodguard

chapter 54

Leith

The following evening, I ride Star back to the manor alongside Caelen and Giselle. Pega wanted to join us, but the guards ordered her back to the barracks, where we’re no longer permitted.

We cross the front lawn, my heartbeat pounding in dull, angry thuds when I catch my first sight of the manor’s charred remains. Wretched anger bordering on rage awakens within me. I haven’t slept, too focused on what could be happening to Maeve. Seeing what remains of her home doesn’t damn well help.

Death came for Jakeb and almost every member of his family.

Maeve, though—that’s a different story. She’s going to live. I don’t know how, but until my last breath I will fight for her freedom. This, I swear.

Jakeb’s final resting place is the first we reach. He and Neela disappeared, as some ancient beings do. The impression of their bodies is pressed deep into the soil, including every wrinkle of Jakeb’s long, elegant robe and the outline of Neela’s small body tucked tightly against his side.

So help me, if any peace exists in the Afterlife, I pray these friends found it together. Their grave… It’s quite a spectacle. Something I’ve never seen before and something I never want to see again.

I bow my head in gratitude. He gave me food, shelter, clothes, and kindness. It’s through him that I connected with Maeve.

How do you thank someone like him? I suppose you can’t, especially now.

Giselle, already weeping after finding her beloved father and governess, covers her mouth when she finds the first of the estrellas.

“Bethina,” she breathes. I know this one. She was so small, harmless. She even liked me. These guards are nothing but cowards.

Giselle holds her in her palm as Caelen digs a small grave, his motions stiff and harsh. Then she carefully places her down, crossing her tiny hands over her heart.

“I was always too afraid to touch them,” she says. “It’s why they preferred everyone else to me.” She sniffs. “That doesn’t mean I didn’t love them.”

“I should have been here,” is all I manage.

Giselle smooths soil over Bethina’s grave. “We all should have.”

Caelen is shaking hard with rage. I’ve never seen him quite so emotional. He looks at Giselle, then across the scorched lawn. “This shouldn’t have happened,” he says.

As twilight makes its first appearance, we take a moment to grieve.

“The numbers they sent were damn near an invading army,” Caelen says. He motions to the multitude of bloody spots. “They never stood a chance.”

Giselle can’t seem to move. Caelen places an arm around her shoulders, but she flinches out of his reach.

“Come on,” he sighs. “There are more graves to dig and more dead to mourn.”

We don’t find all the Iamonds’ estrellas—hopefully that means some escaped—and almost miss Toso entirely. I kneel in front of him, remembering how he adored Maeve and how I couldn’t blame him.

My shoulders hurt, the weight upon them unbearable. I place my hand over his soft, furry head. “Goodbye, my friend.”

It’s then that “my friend” stirs and tries to bite my finger off.

I leap backward. Caelen jolts. Giselle curses. Toso continues to move his head, hissing and snapping his small fangs.

“Toso,” I say. “It’s me, Leith.”

He stops snapping, and his ears perk up. But then his head tips and falls back to the ground, his strength waning.

“I’m going to touch you,” I tell him.

His head pops up, and he hisses, showing his fangs.

“Do not bite me,” I warn.

Toso makes a pathetic sound. He’s so close to death. I take my chances and stroke between his ears. He whimpers, his wide, blank eyes blinking several times.

There’s no hint of the trademark yellow irises of a healthy estrella. His blinking increases. He’s crying but too dehydrated to form tears.

“Do you think he’s blind?” I ask.

“Partially but not yet completely,” Caelen says. “If we restore his strength and tend to his wounds, maybe his vision will clear.” If he lives, that is.

I change positions and lift him toward me. Stab marks cover his chest. Toso wasn’t beaten. He was brutalized.

“Those damn monsters,” I growl. “Look at what they did to him.”

Caelen whips around. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Giselle asks. He closes his eyes, his ears twitch, and he drops down, his hands clutching his knees as he breathes deep. Then he sighs as something in the brush catches his attention. “Leith, you better show the estrellas. They’re worried sick for him.”

I carry Toso to the edge of the lawn and hop down to the brush near the start of the path to the now-obliterated stables.

Little feet bounce away like a herd of frantic newborn lemurs. “Don’t go, little ones. It’s Leith,” I say. “Maeve’s Leith.”

The steps halt. I kneel and hold Toso out. “We’re going to help him,” I say. “And we’ve come to help you, too.”

One by one, sets of glowing yellow eyes press through the darkness.

“That’s right,” I say. “I’ll watch over you until Maeve returns.”

It’s Maeve’s name that allows me to gain their trust, and probably my scent, too—that of her healing herbs. One of the smallest in the group, not much bigger than Bethina, ventures out first, a prominent limp slowing her pace. Her sad, frightened eyes remind me of Gunther. I wish they didn’t. I’m no longer certain I can help him.

The little one inches closer. She holds up her tiny hands and presents a giant bejeweled ring.

Giselle gasps. “That belonged to the queen,” she says. “It was her wedding ring. She gave it to Papa after the king died.”

More estrellas follow the first, their hands carrying gold and jewels. Like many magical creatures, they’re known to pilfer shiny things, which in this case is extremely useful.

They surround me now, some hopping onto my shoulders as though they can’t wait to see the view from their new home. Even if that home is atop a dangerous gladiator like me.

Giselle gasps again. “Caelen, look,” she tells him.

We both turn to see where she’s pointing. The little ones managed to save a pile of jewels and riches under the cover of the bushes.

Caelen nods, appearing relieved. We need gold and jewels with everything else destroyed. “It’s plenty to hold us for a time.”

A chuff comes from off to the left. Knight. My eyes widen. It’s Maeve’s horse and Hilltop, Jakeb’s steed. They’re both still saddled, their heads drooped as if injured and hungry. With only grass to eat, these massive horses are likely starving.

“Star!” I call.

My mare is their daughter. With a series of snorts, she races from the front lawn, bypassing me when she catches sight of her family.

If horses can cry, that’s what Star and Hilltop do through their whinnies and bodily strokes.

I carefully hand Toso to Caelen. “Take Toso and the estrellas back to the city. Star can carry them. Leave Hilltop and Knight. Both need to eat before they go any farther.”

Giselle claps as loudly as she can with those thick gloves. “All right. You heard him, little ones. You need to come with us.”

“We’ll place Toso and the other injured in the tub,” Caelen says. “Giselle left it filled with healing herbs.” The medicine that remains should help the estrellas. Star allows them on her back, on her head, and even permits them to cling to her tail and mane.

Hilltop stands before Knight, attempting to protect him from me. It takes me saying, “Maeve sent me,” for her to hop aside. I edge closer and reach out to stroke Knight’s head. I barely smooth the first few hairs between his eyes before it occurs to me why Hilltop is so worked up. A contusion the size of my fist protrudes from the side of his head. I’ve never heard of anyone knocking out a moon horse. Somehow these fuckers did, and poor Knight must have the mother of all headaches.

“It’s okay, old boy,” I say. “Maeve sent me here to take care of you.” It’s not explicitly true, but she would have if she could.

Knight flicks his ears. Maeve’s name has power over everything and everyone, including me. Even in her absence, the love behind her name holds strong. And fuck me if Old Erth doesn’t need more of that.

Slowly, I lead the horses past where the cottage used to stand, my heart feeling as scorched as the land. With Knight’s injuries, it takes some time to reach the falls. I listen for any indication we’re not alone as the horses follow me down the path and past the adoni wisteria, stopping before the small waves can wet their hooves. I remove their saddles, keeping only their bridles and reins to guide them.

In the moonlight, I get a clear view of what they endured. Soro’s soldiers spared neither people nor animals. To them, it’s hunting season all year round.

Hilltop bears gashes and scratches in need of attention, and Knight has been burned all along his hide. If the hair in those spots grows back, it will likely never have the same luxurious sheen.

Moonlight streams across the small waves batting at the shore where the horses wait. The smell of the minerals mixed in with the water bothers them. They snort and paw the ground, clearly uneasy. They may not be keen on drinking it, but giving them a drink isn’t why I brought them here. I may not be able to fit them in a tub of Maeve’s healing herbs, but I can do this.

I remove the boomerang blade from my belt and toss it up into the trees. It easily slices through the curtain of branches hanging above us, causing leafy limbs with large bundles of berry nuts to fall to the ground. Hilltop and Knight devour everything I offer. I forage through the perimeter of the trees, using everything Maeve taught me, and return with a stack of edible wildflowers. Knight munches steadily on the greens and Hilltop finishes off the nuts while I fill my empty flask with water from the falls.

Hilltop jerks as I pour water over her injuries, hitting me with what could only be described as a horse’s dirty look. But her brown eyes soften as her pain eases.

“You want more?” I ask. Her chuffing is enough of a response. “Then get in the water, old girl.”

She doesn’t move, choosing to eye me while Knight chews on the last of the flowers. Again, I collect more water. She lifts her nose away from the scent, the mineral-heavy aroma making her suspicious. Yet the sense of relief she feels when I pour more from my flask is all the incentive she needs to step in.

She wades into the lake, creating ripples as she wanders deeper in to thoroughly soak her injuries. Knight lifts his head to watch Hilltop.

Trust is important. Tonight, it’s everything.

As he chews on the last bits of wildflower, he eases his way into the water, pausing when he’s about chest deep to flap his gums with relief. Yes, that’s it. The cool and medicinal water soothes all those scrapes and superficial burns. It’s the perfect cure for all those sore muscles. He has ways to go before that lump on his skull clears up, but he should be good enough to return to the city soon. Back in New Arrow, I’ll get him everything he needs.

The water’s reprieve tempts him deeper.

It doesn’t take long for them to relish the waves. If anything, they can’t get enough of the lake.

I stand with my arms crossed, alert to anything that may harm them. Regardless of my vigilance, they spot something I don’t initially see.

A new wave of energy hits them, powering them across to the opposite side of the lake. And damn if I didn’t realize moon horses could swim.

I don’t really see the woman in gray. She’s one with the moon, melding into her surroundings, her veil of silken mahogany hair blending into the darkness.

She wraps her arms around Knight’s neck and turns in my direction as he stumbles to shore.

Maeve is here… with me .