“Agreed.”
Iris walks past me and loops her arm through Millicent’s. “We’re heading out to get some fresh air. Meet us when you’re done in here. And it’s dinner time…I’m starving.”
Iris is the same as Millicent. I am not shocked that they have slowly grown toward one another. Still, I can’t silence the small voice in the back of my mind that warns Millicent’s nature is far more sinister. A nature that could just doom us. Once they’re gone, I melt the cell lock with a quick pulse of magic, then turn to the cuffs.
“Magic’s handy,” Kalix mutters. “I’d be down here attempting to pick a lock for centuries.”
“That’s because you’re aterriblelockpicker,” I say, smirking as my magic slices through the last of the cuffs.
He rises slowly, stretching out sore limbs.
“What made you get into a fight?”
His eyes flick toward the far wall. “Someone touched something that doesn’t belong to them.”
He doesn’t elaborate, and I don’t push. He’s not his usual self so I decide not to pry.
I know the look.
This is about Iris.
We walk out of the cellblock together, stepping into the cool open night air where the others wait. Finally, a sense of tranquility flows over me. Only our boots crunching as we walk to the horses, some insects chittering, and the birds calling out in deep baritone coos reach my ears now.
Chapter 37
Millicent
I SILENTLY THANK THE NIGHTMOTHER for my ribs finally healing. Riding horseback demands every muscle, and the terrain hasn’t been kind. The thought of enduring this with broken ribs makes my body want to eviscerate.
I welcome the chill wind as it sweeps over us, coating the fields in a thin layer of frost. The moonlight catches on the icy grass, casting an eerie sheen across the open landscape. Fog rolls in from the woods, adding another layer of unease.
We keep to the main road to avoid the trees. I don’t mind because open fields offer better visibility. Less cover for anything lurking out here in the dark. It is night after all, creatures are always more active after dusk.
I glance toward the forest, wondering what lingers in these woods. From here, I can’t see if magic wraps the trees or if they remain green and soft, only exposed to small portions of magic.
My senses remain sharp. I scan the auras around us, alert for anything unfamiliar. Kalix’s stands out. He usually gives off nothing—just the quiet, dull stillness of a mortal. Tonight, something crackles around him. Chaotic. It flares like jagged pulses of forest green, sharp and scratchy at the edges.
He hasn’t spoken once during our ride. More than anything, that tells me something’s wrong. The man never shuts up, especially when Iris is around.
Iris rides just ahead of him, silent. Not a glance nor a word.
Lovers’ quarrel.I chuckle quietly to myself.
Movement in the field to our left catches my attention. A herd of deer bounds through the tall grass, their glowing eyes reflecting the moonlight as they pass.
Hooves drum across the dirt path mere feet ahead of us.
“How cute,” Iris says in awe, her gaze lingering on the three fawns scrambling to keep up with their mothers.
The large buck trailing behind them stumbles. His steps ungraceful. When his front hooves hit the ground again, one buckles. He crashes forward, collapsing onto the road.
“He’s hurt.”
Iris wastes no time. She halts her horse and dismounts. I’ve never even see Kalix move, but somehow he’s already behind her like an imposing shadow at her back.
“Iris, animals are always getting hurt. If you are going to play savior, at least be quick about it? I’m bloody hungry,” Cage grumbles, stopping his horse with a sigh.
I slow mine just enough to keep a clear view. I’ve never witnessed a necromancer at work before. I find the prospect thrilling.
