Chapter Six: Enemies

Chapter Six

River Black

Her mysterious savior led her by the hand through the dense woods. Sometimes, he would look over his shoulder at her, his gaze intense. His expression remained neutral and friendly so she tried not to read too much into it. She was still shaky, still unable to process not only what she’d seen, but what had happened.

Tamsin, didn’t speak as he helped her along. It seemed the whole forest held its breath as that -thing-, the Dain, hunted the woods. It had been hunting for her. She was chosen, Tamsin had said. She was a tithe. River didn’t know what all that meant, but it filled her with fear and dread. Still, this all felt like some unreal nightmare. She was half sure she’d wake up any minute, safe in her tent with her parents.

It seemed like they walked forever. She wanted to fire out a thousand questions in quick succession, but didn’t know where to start. She’d open her mouth to ask one and it would fall apart before she spoke. Who was he? What in the hell was going on? Where was she?

Finally, they broke into a clearing on a stone-paved road. There, sitting in the road, was a beautiful, black carriage. She’d only seen those in movies. It was drawn by two big, black stallions. The carriage was polished and set with two lanterns. A driver, a man in a top hat and tail coat, sat on the seat, whip in hand. He tipped his hat at Tamsin. “My, lord,” he said. “Shall I open the door for you?” He was an older man, graying tufts of hair poking put from under his tall, black hat.

Tamsin waved a hand, dismissing the offer. In the gleam of the lantern light, River could see him a little better. He looked like a Prince. His costume convincing. Tall and broad shouldered, build slim and athletic, he was easy on the eyes, but she told herself she didn’t need to extend him trust because he was handsome, and she was lost and definitely confused.

He smoothly opened the carriage door for her. For a giddy moment, River felt almost like a fairy tale princess. Like Cinderella. With one last look over her shoulder into the forboding woods behind her, River got into the carriage, sinking into its red, plush velvet seats, feeling, at least for now, safe.

Tamsin climbed in behind her and sat across from her. Maybe to put her at least. She didn’t know. He offered her a light smile, but kept his gaze averted, as though he didn’t want her to look at him. Strange.

“I’m sure you must be very confused,” he said as the carriage lurched forward. “Perhaps frightened.”

That was an understatement, she thought. Instead, she just nodded, trying to soak it all in. Wherever she was, be it a game or...something else...they spoke differently, dressed differently.

He kept his gaze down on his knees. She felt oddly drawn to him. Drawn to comfort him, sit close. River mashed this down. She didn’t know him!

“It’s a lot to explain. You may not even believe all of it. Most of the time, humans...they don’t last very long here. Not usually through the night. The Dain kills them before the sun rises.”

“Where is here?” River thought she sounded a little rude, but truth be told, her patience was wearing thin, and she was exhausted. She just wanted to go home.

“The other side of the Veil. The land of the Fae. It’s not usually reachable. Some holidays. The equinoxes and the solstices. When the moon is full. You have to know where and when to cross over. There are...Fae that can bring humans here. Like you. You were tricked, drawn into the woods and pulled through to be offered to the Dain.” Tamsin explained all this slowly, still not looking at her, his hands trembling a little.

He continued on after a short pause. Maybe to let her soak in the information. Maybe to see if she had questions. River certainly did, but she couldn’t quite think of how to ask them.

“And I am the Prince of this Wood, along with my older brother Aelnith. We must watch the tithe, the hunt, once a month on the new moon. It’s part of a treaty with the Witch Queen. Usually, I don’t intervene. You may judge me harshly for that and I understand.” He finally flicked his gaze to her face. His sea green eyes looked different somehow. Sliced in half by silver. She frowned, but before she could get a closer look, he dropped his gaze again.

“I will be punished for this. My brother too. He’ll...be very cross.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean--”

He held up a hand, interrupting her. “No. No need for you to apologize. There’s nothing you did wrong. My brother should have never signed this treaty. We should have just gone to war with Queen Carmun. Anything would be better than watching the hunt.”

River let the silence hang between them for a moment, fidgeting in her seat. She knew they were going to his ‘manor’, but she really wanted to go home. She didn’t quite understand why she couldn’t.

“Can’t I...go home?” she asked.

He snapped his gaze to her face, his expression dire. His eyes, she really got a good look at them. Silver crescents obscured half of his sea green irises in each eye. Strange, but beautiful, she thought.

“No. At least, not now. The door is closed. I don’t have the magic to open it. Only Cinder does. And he’s the one who brought you here. He’s the consort of the Witch Queen. You met him, briefly.”

“The red head?” River asked, remembering him clearly.

Tamsin nodded. “The very same. Not a pleasant fellow.”

“And...I can’t go home?” She didn’t mean for her voice to break or for tears to fill her eyes.

She watched his jaw clench, his eyes go flinty. Cold. “No. I’m afraid not.”

River looked out the window of the carriage, the landscape a dark smear as they traveled. She tried not to cry.

#

Aelnith Eventide

Such a waste, he thought, watching the beginning of the hunt. Such a beautiful girl who would serve his dark appetites far better and would last far longer with him than at the hands of the Dain.

That he was forced to watch it was also...regrettable. All that blood. All wasted.

He didn’t dress in his finery for the occassion as his brother Tamsin had. In fact, Tamsin wasn’t aware he was there at all. He intended on keeping that way. Aelnith didn’t want his brother to even see him. Though Tamsin thought he’d kept his cursed condition from Aelnith, he knew. He had his own curse to contend with.

It had been nearly two years since the two of them had been in the same room. Two years since their father had died in the war against the Witch Queen. Two years since that Carmun had cursed him and his brother, keeping them apart for the rest of all time.

Now, hiding in the dark, his senses keen, Aelnith heard every beat of the girl’s heart. River, she said her name was. He wished to drink from her. Hunt her. He indulged, knowing that he could, at the last moment, turn away. It felt good to do it anyway.

Silently, he moved through the trees with the girl unaware of his dark company, but before the game could begin in earnest, Tamsin intervened. Saving her and breaking the treaty all at once.

Tamsin had written his fate in stone. In one, single foolish act he’d made an enemy of the Witch Queen and of his own brother. Aelnith would have to exact vengence. He would have to steal the girl away and deliver her to Carmun himself if he wished his House to remain under the rule of the Eventide name. He must do this to honor his dead father.

Aelnith disappeared into the shadows, determined to right this wrong. As soon as the girl was in the manor, he would steal her in the night and Tamsin would never know what had happened to her.