Cursed by Darkness (Once Upon A Curse)

23. Bodin

TWENTY-THREE

Bodin

Ronna and Eryx fought for their lives against Theran and his light dwellers. But Ronna didn’t have magic like they did, that could be used in a war. Eryx used his shadows to block and push; it gave him and his people extraordinary strength. But Theran’s army could heal over and over, and their light could shield against the darkness. No one could defeat those who didn’t die.

At least, that was what the gods thought. For they too were thought to be immortal. Fighting in the battle wasn’t a concern when they believed themselves invincible. But nothing is truly untouchable.

Not even a god.

S omeone was pounding a nail into Bodin’s skull. That was the only possible explanation for the amount of pain in his head. He blinked his eyes open and groaned.

“Welcome back,” Laurent said from his spot next to the cot they must have dragged Bodin onto.

Then, he realized his cot was moving. Bodin tried to sit, but the piercing agony was too much, forcing him to recline once more.

“Whoa, there. Take it easy.” His friend offered a waterskin. “Drink this. It should help.”

“How long have I been unconscious?” Bodin asked as he took the water. He sipped on it and grimaced at the bitter taste. Not just water, then. “What is in this?”

“Willow bark, and it’s been five days.”

Cursing, Bodin pushed himself up again, clenching his teeth through the pain, and glanced around. They were in a carriage; trees blurred through the windows as they passed. “What happened in the attack?”

“It wasn’t their whole army who invaded, just a small portion. We were able to take them down fairly quickly.” Laurent raked a hand through his hair.

That didn’t make sense. Then, he remembered. “First Kehlir, and now the camp. Why do you think they are sending these small numbers when there’s no chance of them surviving?”

It was a rhetorical question, and judging by the way Laurent’s eyes widened, he knew it. “You think Umbra was behind this?”

“I think they’re responsible for a lot we aren’t aware of,” Bodin said, glancing out the window once more. “And where the fuck are we, Laurent?”

Bodin drank the rest of the horrible water before handing Laurent the waterskin and sitting upright fully and turning to face him. When he started to pitch forward, his friend grabbed him.

“You need to lie down, Bo.” Laurent tried to guide him back, but Bodin refused. “We’re on our way home.”

“What? Why in the burning hells?—”

“You were unconscious,” Laurent interrupted in a rare angry tone. “The healers did what they could, but you wouldn’t wake up. We didn’t know if you ever would, let alone when. So, after a day of no changes, I made the executive decision to get you out of there.”

“Laurent, that wasn’t?—”

“It was too dangerous. Not just for you but the entire camp. Can you imagine what the Gilarnians— or the Umbra —would have done if word reached them that you were incapacitated so close?”

Bodin shook his head and immediately regretted it. He gently rubbed his temple. “We’re in the middle of a war—nearing the end if the reports are correct. We don’t have time to waste; we need to go back.”

“We’re almost to Tusan, where we’ll stop for the night. We’re less than a day’s ride from Kehlir,” Laurent said. “Besides, I already sent word to Juni. She knows we’re coming.”

Bodin groaned, leaning his head back on the seat. “What did you tell her?”

“The truth—that you were unconscious but alive.”

“Shit. Now, she’s going to be worried.” That was one of the reasons why he hadn’t wanted to get attached, why he hadn’t let anyone get too close after losing two wives, a child, his parents, and his brother within a nine-year span. He knew better than most that their time together was limited. There were too many factors in play that could rip them apart. He didn’t want Juniper to know that kind of agony, and he couldn’t live through it again himself. Especially not with her.

“I hate to break it to you, but she was already worried before we even left.” Laurent bumped his foot into Bodin’s.

“ More worried, I mean.” He knew she’d been scared. She’d visited the meadow again when he was traveling to the valley; he’d felt her presence there, as well as faint traces of her melancholy.

“She didn’t want you to go.”

“I didn’t want to leave her,” he confessed in a hushed tone. “She’s…” How did he even begin to express how much she meant to him? It sounded absurd to feel so deeply for a woman he hadn’t known for very long. To miss her so fiercely. But this was Laurent, the person who’d known him since they were children.

The man who was currently chuckling, clearly far more aware than Bodin gave him credit for. “You love her.”

Was he that obvious? He didn’t respond right away, which was answer enough. At last, he said, “I didn’t think I could feel this way again. After Camille, I swore to myself that I wouldn’t. Even with Bea, that wasn’t love. I cared for her, but this…

“I thought I’d found and lost my one great love,” he said, looking out the window as the edges of the small village came into view and the carriage slowed. “But Juniper makes me think that maybe we’re granted more than one chance in this life. I loved Camille—I always will—but June…”

He glanced over, and Laurent gave him a genuine smile as he waited for the end of Bodin’s revelation.

“It’s just so much… more. I think June is my soulmate.” Like this entire time, they were meant to find one another.

“Have you told her this?”

Bodin shook his head. “How can I? We barely know each other, and?—”

“Whose fault is that?”

Ignoring him, Bodin lowered his voice. “We didn’t even consummate the marriage until the night before you and I left. It’s far too soon.”

Laurent rolled his eyes as they pulled to a stop, presumably close to an inn. “I might not be an expert, but I do know that there is no time limit on when people can fall in love—I imagine that to be even more true with soulmates. Also, did you forget who you’re talking to? I know you don’t give your heart lightly, Bodin. You wouldn’t say you love her if you didn’t mean it.”

“But she?—”

“She lights up when she sees you.”

He almost laughed but managed a cough to mask it. His friend didn’t know how true that statement was. Laurent raised a brow, but commotion caught their attention before he could ask anything. Shouts rang out.

“Not again,” Bodin said with a sigh. He didn’t have the strength to fight more rebels or soldiers if it was another attack.

Laurent pushed open the door and jumped out, giving Bodin a look to stay inside. Of course, he ignored it. Holding on to the carriage door frame to keep his balance, he used everything he had left to stand and get out. As he searched for the source of the noise, flashes of a similar night six years ago bombarded him. He clenched his jaw, trying to hold on to his control and stay in the present, reminding himself that Juniper wasn’t here. She wasn’t in danger like Beatrice had been that day in the forest. Still, his shadows came to the surface, whirling around his hands as he realized his sword was gone.

His guards climbed down from the carriage and their horses to stand around him. The thundering grew closer, like hundreds of hooves and feet. Bodin stumbled along the street, with Laurent grabbing him and giving him support to make it toward the southern end. Villagers scrambled into the closest homes and slammed doors.

He could not let these people perish.

Reaching the end of the street with his handful of men, he stilled at the sight before him. At the thousands of men marching and riding their way.

Bodin’s heart pounded in his chest. They were going to be slaughtered. He glanced at Laurent who nodded in silent agreement. They would face this together, just like they always did. Taking a deep breath, Bodin turned to one of the guards. “Evacuate the villagers. Their homes won’t protect them. Get them into the woods. Hide. Something . Just get them away from here.”

Two men took off, running toward the small houses and huts.

They could not fight this many soldiers and hope to make it long. Especially when he could barely stay on his feet.

“There’s no chance of convincing you to leave?” Laurent asked.

“You know there’s not.” Bodin lifted his chin. “It’s too late for that anyway. We’re the only things standing between that army and these innocent people.”

Laurent relented, but one of the guards started talking about him needing to leave and find safety because he was the king, yet Bodin barely heard any of it. His focus was on the approaching army. On the red flags sailing in the wind, sprinkled throughout the ranks.

“No one is going home today,” he said, the corner of his mouth curling up. “Call our men back. The villagers are safe.”

“What?” someone asked, clearly confused.

The tension left his shoulders, and he walked out to meet the front rider as he said over his shoulder, “My wife sent reinforcements.”

Dismounting his black destrier, Prince Rafe inclined his head. “I heard you could use a little help.”

“I’ll admit,” Bodin crossed his arms, fighting to stay upright, “when June wrote to your father a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t think he would send any more men.”

Behind him, he heard Laurent telling the others to stand down. Rafe came to a stop in front of the king. “He didn’t.”

“Then, how are you here?”

“Hugo and I gathered the troops ourselves and brought them against our father’s orders.”

Bodin’s eyebrows shot up. “Why would you do that?”

“You’re family now, Bodin.” Rafe stepped closer to put a hand on his shoulder. “My father might not see it, but we do. Did you know my sister has been writing to me, well before she sent her request for aid? She sounds happier than ever, and I know that’s because of you.”

His throat tightened. “I am happy with her as well.”

That was putting it lightly. Judging by Rafe’s smirk, he knew it too. Another man dismounted while the rest of their soldiers continued to the field just west of the town.

“You remember my brother Delroy?” Rafe said, pointing to the man who looked eerily similar to him. The only difference was Delroy’s hair, which was a darker chestnut color. “He’s a captain and our best swordsman. He volunteered to help as well.”

Bodin dipped his head in greeting and appreciation—not to mention surprise—before glancing around for the younger prince. “Where is Hugo?”

“He took a slight detour with a hundred men to Kehlir,” Delroy said.

Bodin nodded and regretted it. His head still throbbed, and now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the dizziness had returned. “You sent him to June?”

“He insisted he go, actually.” Rafe moved closer, holding a hand toward the inn close to where Bodin’s carriage sat. “Why don’t we find a place to sit, and I’ll tell you about their complicated relationship. You look as if you’re going to pass out. Delroy, get our men settled in. We’ll continue north first thing in the morning.”

Agreeing, Bodin led his brother-in-law toward the inn. Laurent joined them, and they found a table inside near a blazing hearth. For the first time in too long, a spark of hope flared to life. With this many soldiers, they might actually stand a chance.

They could end this once and for all, and he could live out the rest of his days with Juniper. The thought alone made his chest feel lighter. Taking a seat, he sought out that connection he had to his portal lands and felt her in one that had wide plains that spanned the base of a cliffside. Closing his eyes, he could almost picture her standing high above, watching the wild horses running past, her long blond hair flying in the wind around her. She seemed lighter than before, and he was glad that Hugo had gone to her. Hugo wasn’t with her in the portal though. And after years of secrecy, Bodin found that he wanted her to share these places with her brothers. If she trusted them, that was enough for him.

He was happy Laurent had sent a letter, and that he would be home with her soon. Even if he couldn’t stay long. He would need to head back to the valley as soon as possible.

But in less than a day, he could hold Juniper in his arms and tell her just how much he loved her.