Crave ✔

Chapter 1

       I shrugged my shoulders and nodded. Her hazel eyes only widened even more. I turned away from her and began scooting back down the passage. "I haven't really thought ahead this far. I was almost positive we would have been caught by now."

       "I'm going back, Emrie. This was a horrible idea-"

       "Sh!" I hissed as loud voices suddenly broke through the silence surrounding us. I grabbed ahold of her hand and crouched down low as shadows passed the end of the passage just four feet away from us. She squished against my back in terror. At least one of us had something to lean on.

       "The King is running late. Something about some stragglers near the border." A gruff voice that suggested the owner was twice the size of a normal man reached our ears- I gulped. The quiet gasp of terror that passed from Mae's lips let me know she was thinking the same thing as me. Was he talking about us?

       "You think they would learn by now." Another voice chuckled as I pushed Mae and I back a foot when the shadows drew closer to the passage's opening. I didn't even want to think about what would happen if we were caught now. In their village, right under their noses. Fear raced down my spine.

       God, we should have turned back- we should still turn back. But I can't.

       Just one look.

       "They were handled by the Southern Patrol. Just some family passing through."

       Relief slammed into my chest and I tried to hold back my heavy sigh as Mae slumped heavily against me. Luck must have been on our side that day.

       "The ceremony is about to start, are you headed that way-"

       Their voices trailed off as their shadows faded away- and I nearly fell on my hands and knees in relief. We weren't caught, and that hadn't been us they were talking about. That was close. "We should really go now." Mae whispered and tugged on my hand as I climbed back onto my feet.

       "Are you crazy? Did you hear what they were saying? There's a ceremony going on, and we get to find out what!" Excitement over took my fear and I was holding onto her hand with new vigor as I checked the small street outside the passage.

       The King of the North and his people were not only highly feared, but highly secretive. No one knew what they did all the way up in their tight-knit little village, and we were going to find out. Not only did I finally get to see him, but I got to see a little glimpse into their culture as well.

       That was more than any shifter at the base of the mountain ever saw.

        I pulled Mae across the vacant, snow covered, cobblestone street and into an alley that held a bright light at the end. I edged us as close as I dared. On the other side of the two wooden planked stores we were crouching behind was a flat area filled to the brim with people.

       Most of them were huge male figures with small children and women woven in between them. Whoa- There were stories about the size of the Northern soldiers, and despite a few confirmations from those in the Lower Kingdom- many thought they were overexaggerated.

       They weren't.

       In the middle of the throng of people there was a raised platform with six, large, wooden chairs sitting in a row- and a throne sitting proudly between them.

       "I can't see anything." I groaned as someone walked onto the stage and the villagers cheered. The loud, booming, voices of the men sent vibrations through my entire body. These people made me feel like a four-foot sized munchkin.