The Unknown Alchemist

Chapter 7 - Bedtime stories

Avery jerked suddenly and cried out. Roedin looked around for an intruder, but the room was quiet save for the crackling of the fire. Then Avery screamed and bolted upright, immediately clutching her side in pain. She keeled over, panting heavily, her forehead resting on the wooden floor. Her hair was long again, having grown out overnight. It fell down off her shoulder forming a tent around her head.

"Avery? Avery, it's alright," Roedin reassured from across the room.

He wished he could get up and comfort her. He had no idea what he would do, but it had to be better than just sitting there and calling to her.

"Avery, look at me," he ordered.

After a few breaths she lifted her head and looked at him with an incredible sadness. She couldn't slow her breathing as she could only take small breaths with her broken ribs.

"It was a dream, nothing more," Roedin explained. "It's alright, you're safe."

Too late he realised his mistake. Her eyes darkened and she looked around with a cold hate. She slowly sat up and crawled into the rocking chair with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

"I used to think that, too," she said, resting her head back in the chair. "I was never hungry, never cold. When I wanted to go out the sun would shine, and when I needed to wash my clothes the rain would fill my basin. But when he showed up, everything was shattered."

Roedin watched her, waiting for her to go on. "It's not your fault," he offered.

She kept her eyes on the fire.

"Is it not? You don't know that. Maybe I'm an evil queen, doomed to live forever and be punished for my crimes."

"Avery--"

"Maybe I'm a prophet whose visions are too dark for this world, so I'm hidden away."

"Then why would—"

"Maybe it's a case of mistaken identity. I have a twin out in the world who killed his family and he's here to take vengeance."

"I don't think—"

"Maybe I'm no one, and he just got lucky. Maybe he just stumbled upon a human, all alone with no defense and no escape, not even death."

Roedin realised she didn't really believe these wild theories but her mind was trying desperately to understand why this had happened to her. He didn't know her story but it didn't seem fair that someone this generous and innocent was trapped here. This was the kind of human his friend had believed in. Tao knew she was out here somewhere.

"Then he's not the only one," he interrupted. "I got lucky too. I found a human, all alone, who didn't hate me for being a different species and saved my life. I crashed into a remote forest where lives someone who would blindly help a half-breed, seeking nothing in return."

She eyed him warily and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"If he's able to come and go, then there's a way we can too. We just need to figure out how. When I'm stronger, we'll do it. We'll leave here, and I'll show you Corinth."

Avery gave him a sad smile, like she wanted to believe it was possible, but didn't have the energy to pretend anymore.

"You'll meet my family. My family...has a lot of influence. We'll find out where your preserve is and what happened to you."

Though he was trying to make her feel better, she looked doubtful.

"Your family. You have more than a brother?"

Roedin hesitated only briefly before sharing this private information. This girl wasn't a spy. She had been viciously tortured and never broken. She protected him and he wanted to give her some hope.

"I have another brother, Arctos. He is captain of the city guard. He's actually a half-breed as well. Ursid, so he has the strength and agility of a bear. Not to mention the appetite. Arctos grew up on the streets and still has his ear to the ground and connections with some of the herds and colonies in the territory too. Clearly, we're not actually brothers but family packs are often made up of relatives and close friends. We've been friends for nearly two hundred years, he's like a brother to me."

Avery's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How can two half-breeds have so much influence in a sapien city?"

Roedin exhaled sharply and resolved to tell her the rest. "My brother and sister...well, really my cousins...they're twins...and they are the alpha primes of Corinth."

Avery's eyes went wide.

"Our mothers were sisters and they died--" he swallowed hard. "They died a long time ago, and when Hayden and Addy inherited, they decided to share the rule."

"How can that work? Who out-rules the other?"

Roedin shrugged. "It's unconventional, but effective. They have divided responsibilities up, but usually they confer with each other and agree. Other alpha primes find it disconcerting, and I think the Adelyn and Hayden like that. Plus, they balance. Hayden is cool and calm, some might say hard, and Adelyn is boisterous and quick-tempered. They even each other out."

"But as a brother you don't rule?" Avery asked pointedly.

"Cousin, technically, and I wouldn't want it. It's bad enough dealing with prejudices and speciesism. Many primes have trouble with any faunid in such a high position. I prefer to help them in others ways."

Avery pursed her lips, looking back to the fire. Roedin was on a roll. She was forgetting about her pain for a moment and he wanted to keep her distracted.

"Hayden's mate is Sari, she's a dreamwalker. It's a rare magic that allows her to visit your subconscious. Maybe she can unlock some of your memories."

"She can see into my mind?"

"She's very powerful, but it's a heavy magic. It's difficult to control and often leads to madness. When Hayden felt the mating bond connect with her, he worked for decades with the sorcerers to help her control it so she could live a normal life. He has corporeal magic, he can influence the body, so he's able to support her when she needs it."

Avery didn't say anything but was watching him intently, perhaps not believing, but certainly absorbing everything he said.

"Their daughter is Niamh. Tao was Niamh's mate. They had been bonded for more than a hundred years when he was killed. She—" He broke off abruptly, deciding to leave the last bit out.

"Is she super strong too? Going to teach me to swing a sword?" Avery teased.

She didn't know that Niamh's grief at losing her mate was disastrous, and her anger to the humans hadn't faded over the last century. Roedin didn't doubt his brothers and sister would be willing to help Avery, but Niamh would be harder to win over. When Roedin didn't acknowledge Avery's teasing her smile faded and she turned back to the fire.

"Sounds like that book of bedtime stories has you believing in miracles. The only miracle around here is that I haven't gone completely mad, and even that's up for debate. Maybe you're not even real?"