Bound by Darkness (Bound By Series)

30. Death Calls

Chapter 30

Death Calls

THALIA

Immense pain throbbed through my skull as I shifted against the hard ground, a groan flowing from my lips. My hands cradled my forehead as I rubbed the soreness lingering there.

A sudden jolt caused me to lose my balance, my arm banging into something solid as I positioned myself to view my surroundings. We’d been traveling for weeks with no answer in sight as to where Ivan was taking us. In his words, we were making a short stop to see an acquaintance and stock up on supplies before we searched for the Book of Spells. The one item that would save Cethales… and save me.

My hands spread across the wooden flooring as I kept myself stable against the moving cart. Soreness laced through my head, deep and throbbing.

“Ow,” I muttered, my eyes shutting as the pain intensified.

“You’re awake,” Fin said, his voice floating above the crunching leaves and twigs.

My body slid against wood as the carriage turned with Beau and Onyx’s help.

“I wish I wasn’t,” I muttered. “Everything hurts and I’m tired of not knowing where we are going.”

“Join the club,” Fin replied as he stretched. “I’m beginning to think Ivan got us lost in the thick of the forest.”

“I did not get us lost. It’s through here.” A pointed finger rose to where a line of trees rested.

“Through a line of trees?” I asked. “There’s no way the horses will fit through there.”

Beau neighed her agreement, a high-pitched whine rising above the wind.

“See? You’re scaring the horses.”

“It’ll be fine!” Ivan yelled back as he edged the horses closer into the thick of the forest. We were going to crash into the giant line of oak trees towering in great sweeps?—

The trees warbled against the immovable scenery.

I blinked, rubbing at my eyes as I willed the headache to subside. Maybe I was imagining the trees as they bent and snapped. Maybe?—

The scenery around us broke into brilliant prisms of color. Light danced around me, tickling the hair on my body. A low hum rumbled through the land, ringing my ears as the world grew vibrant. The hair on my arms raised as a current ran through me, caressing my heart and bones in a drumming beat. It intensified, tickling my brain as the trees snapped in half—as the world cleaved in two.

Twisting my head to look back, the trees and dirt path we had traveled on were gone. Instead, a picture of a field mirrored back as the barrier snapped back into place.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words faded as hundreds of tents at the end of the hill came into view.

Fin stood, his arms outstretched for balance as he surveyed the area. “What is this?”

“Welcome to the Hideaway,” Ivan said, stopping the cart a few stones from the nearest tent as he hopped down.

Jumping off the back of the cart, I surveyed the land, the tents, and the children running up the hill toward us.

Children. So many children raced up the hill, their smiles bright and genuine as they scrambled up the grassy expanse. A girl, no older than twelve, waved furiously, her hands cupping over her mouth as she screamed, “You’re back!”

Ivan grinned, waving back to the young girl before meeting her below the hill, his hand rubbing the golden locks atop her head. “It’s good to see you too, Kyla.”

“What about me?” a young boy pouted, his hands resting on his hips. Seven at most.

“You too, Seth.”

The boy, Seth, grinned wildly as he tackled Ivan. The other children joined in, their laughter mingling with his.

Fin shared the same expression on my face as I walked closer to the children and him.

Kyla glanced at me, her eyes widening.

“It’s alright, Kyla. They’re with me,” Ivan said as he gave her a reassuring pat. “I need to talk to Iyanna to pick up a few things. Is she here?”

Kyla nodded, her finger pointing at the farthest tent resting below two elm trees, the branches threatening to touch the top of the red tent. “She’s been working from there the past couple of days. At least what father says.”

“Thanks,” Ivan said as he peeled himself from the group of children. “I’ll come find you all later.”

The kids whined, but they dispersed a few minutes later with much coaxing from the once apathetic Fae. “Follow me,” he stated once Kyla bounded down the hillside. “We’ll have to see Iyanna first before I can get any supplies for our trip.”

“I’m sorry. Do you mean the seer Iyanna? As in Iyanna of Krones?” Fin probed .

Ivan huffed. “Yes. We aren’t on the best terms right now, so stay silent until I work it through. Both of you.”

“The Queen of Krones. We’re meeting the Queen of Krones.”

“Yes, now be quiet. Do not talk unless I tell either of you. She is a dangerous woman and should not be messed with,” he said as he waved us forward through the muddied streets.

The makeshift hideout was larger than Laias, and the streets were lined with vendors and carts. A whole makeshift town lived in the valley, full of light and merriment as children wandered the streets aimlessly.

“Why are there so many kids?” I whispered to Fin, his eyes roaming over a nearby cart filled with fresh fruits and vegetables.

“Probably misplaced by the war.”

A woman bowed her head in greeting as she gripped a wooden basket filled with eggs. “May the Mother guide you,” she said softly, her fingers crossing over her lips.

“And you as well.” Ivan’s fingers crossed over his lips in blessing.

The woman carried on, her belly swollen as two kids held onto the hem of her dirtied apron. Fresh baked bread and sage filled my nostrils as we passed cart after cart. A woman with long, red hair stirred a pot to my right, the scent floating through the streets as people lined next to her for food.

“Meal hall,” Ivan said next to the bright yellow tent. “Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served promptly for those who need it. Most do since there are no places to cook besides the meal hall. The tents are cramped, about two families sharing one.”

He pointed toward the lowest part of the valley where more of the pointed tents rested against the hillside, oil lamps hanging from metal stakes outside them. Every tent was burgundy, starkly contrasting the dying grass on the hill.

For such a bustling center, no sound floated through the streets except for the occasional transaction between merchant and buyer. The man handed over a piece of yellowed parchment as he scribbled something down. He handed the parchment back to a young woman, along with clothing and linens.

“Rations,” Ivan answered, noticing my gaze on the paper. “Each family is provided a weekly parchment paper with items they can buy or trade for. It’s how the Hideaway keeps running.”

“How long has this been here?” Fin asked.

“Iyanna created it a few years ago. She set up the wards to hide this place from prying eyes, specifically the rebels and Hywell. No one can enter unless she permits them to.” He jerked his thumb toward the tent resting under the elm trees.

Iyanna’s tent. The Queen of Krones.

Red and orange beads draped from the opening, cascading to the ground in flames. They rattled against each other as Ivan raised them, shielding them from my head as I stepped underneath, Fin hot on my trail.

“Stop.” The sound floated from the woman as she stood from the velvet-crushed chair, her hands spread atop the wooden table.

“Iyanna,” Ivan greeted, his body dipping low.

She scoffed loudly, her long red nails drumming against the wood. Her lips were tinted purple as they pressed against each other, a thin line forming. “You.” She flicked a hand to Fin. “Out.”

“So you’re not inviting us here for pleasure?” Fin mused.

Iyanna’s lips tugged lower as she glared at Fin. A gasp left my lips as she turned. Her eyes were bone white as they glimmered under the twinkling lights. They narrowed at the sound, a fingernail pointing at Fin. “This does not concern you.”

“Like hells it doesn’t.”

Iyanna’s eyes blazed white. “Ivan.” A command.

Ivan’s brows furrowed. “I told you not to speak.”

Fin grabbed my hand as he hauled me to the glowing beads. “Fine. We can go speak somewhere else.”

“She stays here,” Iyanna called out, her voice commanding and slightly alluring as it twisted around my ears. “My business is with the two of them. You, on the other hand, are more than welcome to wait outside my tent.”

Ivan sent Fin a nod, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Fin blew out a breath. “I’ll be outside.” Turning to leave, he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Call out if you need me. Ivan seems worried too.”

I gave his hand a gentle squeeze before he left. Swallowing, I turned to the Queen as Ivan took place beside me.

Her nails set a steady pace against the desk as she leaned forward, locks of hair falling over her shoulders. Dressed in elegant robes of fine silk and satin, the hems of her sleeves brushed over the books littering her desk.

“Thalia Carr, it’s a pleasure to finally put a name to a voice.”

“Your business is with me. I came here?—”

Iyanna held up a hand, silencing him immediately.

“This does not concern you. The woman can speak for herself.” A long nail pointed toward me. “So, Thalia, you’ve entered my camp with one of my assassins. What can I do for you?”

Clearing my throat, I stared at the woman before me. “I need supplies to search for the Book of Spells.”

A sly grin crossed her face. “Is this why you have arrived on my doorstep, Ivan?” she purred. “You wish to exhaust my resources once again?”

“Yes, but?—”

“Thalia, what of you? What can you offer me in exchange for these supplies you need?”

“What do you want?”

Iyanna grinned, and I knew I’d asked the wrong question, her canines gleaming as she said, “Your death.”