A Betrayal of Storms by Ben Alderson

Chapter 5

"He will be cooperative." Then Erix leaned into my ear and whispered; I stiffened as he gently pressed a hand on my lower back. "Just keep your touch gentle and he will not be forced to throw you off. And if he does... I will be here to catch you."

"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better." I pulled away from him, reaching ahead of the saddle and hoisting myself up. With one large sweep I had swung my leg over its side and gripped tight as the world beneath me rocked slightly. "But I think I will be just fine."

Erix did not say another word to me. Instead he looked back to a huddle of similarly dressed warriors and tipped his head in a nod. It was clearly some unspoken signal for they each moved forward, shouting commands towards the still, quiet crowd.

Out the corner of my eye, I caught Kayia and Lia. They were being directed into a group, the bustling crowd around them alive with relief. I wanted to ask after them, but knew they were safe now, surrounded by armed and highly dangerous fey; Hunters wouldn't stand a chance.

"Something concerns you..." Erix said from the ground, his undershirt flexing beneath his armour as he hoisted himself upon the stag. I expected his added weight would have been noticeable, but the stag showed no struggle, or sign that anything but air dusted across his back. "If you are worried about them, do not be. We have dealt with many camps like this, and will certainly deal with many more. We will be long gone before the human scum return."

I winced at his comment. If Erix noticed, he did not care. Instead, he rested his arms on my waist, reaching for the stag's reins.

"How did you find... us?" I asked, trying to relax myself as my body hardened between his arms.

"Althea, she was leading this mission and went missing two days ago. We have been following her scent, waiting for her signal to intervene. But then you came along and ruined all those plans."

I glanced down at my hands, palms turned skyward. There was nothing amiss with them. No sign that powerful waves of frozen mist had spread beyond them. I raised one of my hands and pressed the back of it to my cheek. Sure, it felt cold. But nothing out of the ordinary. As cold as I would expect for such a late day in autumn. I could have passed it off as a nightmare. But looking behind me, I could still see the damage left across the ground. A blanket of ice that had reached further than I believed possible. And still, two legs encased in ice, with no body attached from the waist upward.

"Is she alright, Althea?" I asked, not remembering if I had seen her poppy-red hair in the crowd. The last I remembered seeing was her seemingly broken body left discarded on the ground.

"Althea is resilient and has been through far worse. She is stronger than any other I know - but if your distraction did not come when it had then perhaps I would be answering differently. Lady Cedarfall will be fine."

"She is from the Cedarfall Court. You all are?"

"She is the daughter of the Cedarfall Court. The only member of the ruling family who is willing to risk her life saving those less fortunate from the human scu-"

"Please," I snapped, interrupting him before he could finish. "Do not finish what you are going to say."

Erix was silent for a moment as the stag began to trot forward. "I fear I am making a habit of apologising to you, Robin. Ask me a question, any question, and I will answer it in my attempts to make it up to you."

So many speared through my mind. Questions filled my mouth, making it impossible to latch onto just one. I closed my eyes, inhaling through my nose as I took in a scent of fresh cinnamon and handfuls of dried leaves. It was Erix. His scent familiar and calming.

"I did that... to the executioner? It came from me, didn't it?"

"You get one question to ask, and you provide me with that one. Of course it was you, you seem surprised?"

Surprised was an understatement. A royally large and undeniable understatement.

"It has never happened before," I explained, thinking back to something the Hunters had said when I arrived at camp. "They even said they tested me and mentioned I was... useless. Powerless like the fey I was put with."

"I cannot sit here and explain to you why humans are highly stupid beings. You were presented before them and they told you that you were useless. That is far, far from the truth."

"Then what am I?"

The question was for Erix, for myself, for anyone who could answer it honestly.

"A miracle." My blood chilled as he replied. "A possibility those within Wychwood would never have believed possible. Some might even call you a saviour. I suppose that would depend on whom you asked. But what you are, Robin, is unique. Literally, one of a kind in all senses of the phrase. It has been years since the courts have looked for any surviving heir to the Icethorn bloodline, yet you have been hiding among the humans all this time. Believe me when I say your return is going to shock many."

"Icethorn?" I asked, eyes wide as a rushed drawing of a kingdom covered in snow appeared in my mind. An image I had looked over numerous times during our lessons on the fey. "What have I got to do with the winter court?"

"Everything."

"You sound confident?" I almost laughed. The idea was a ridiculous notion to grasp. Almost hysterical to suggest.

"I suppose I am, little bird." His voice was flat when he replied. "You have strayed far from your nest and it will be my honour to return you."

It became clear that my version of home was very different to what Erix had promised. Although I did not know where the Hunters had taken me, I was never more confident that the looming boundary of Wychwood was not the right direction.

And that was exactly where Erix guided his mount.

Panicked, I reached for the reins myself, trying to tug them free from Erix when the stag began to pick up pace. Wind whistled past my ears, joining in with the song of sudden entrapment I felt in his hold.

"Let me down," I warned, eyes streaming with tears beneath the sting of cold air.

"I cannot do that, so I must apologise again."

I attempted to take control again, digging my nails into the gloved hands that snapped the reins, urging the stag to ride faster.

Something Father had said years ago sprung to mind. I remembered it clearly as it was the last time we had spoken freely of Mother. Father had broken beneath the barrage of questions I threw at him regarding her. It was the first time I remembered him truly losing his temper with me. He had said something sharp, with eyes rimmed red and heavy with shadows, his voice steady yet coated with thick, painful heartbreak.

"If you ever have the displeasure of meeting the fey-folk, do yourself a favour and turn the other way. They are never to be trusted, not ever. The only language they speak is lies."