The purple and blue smoke clears from our vision, leaving us in the middle of the main thoroughfare. Vendors and people alike begin shrieking. People suddenly appearing in the middle of the market is not a usual occurrence.
A few people step closer, as if to help, once they see two of us are injured. But they quickly retreat into the small crowd that gathers. No one steps forward to offer healing or aid.
I hide my face from onlookers. If word gets back to Father, he'll send Lyall's knights after us. The whole point of using the crystal to escape was to be untraceable. 'Lyall, hide your face,'
Behind me, Heath groans. His face leans into my good shoulder. I nearly tell him to get off. Then, a warm substance leaks onto my back, and I understand why Heath is groaning. He was hit as we travelled via the crystal. Oh shit, he won't be able to heal us like that.
"Heath. Breathe," I mutter to my friend. His response is to press his nose into my shoulder and groan.
"The arrow has magic-blocking properties," Heath grunts, trying to push off of me while trying not to push me to the ground. It's a work in process. And it's safe to say he felt that arrow.
"We know," Ashton groans, his feet slipping on the cobbled street. His brother and Levi manage to keep him from ending up on the ground.
"We need to move," Aleksander mutters, moving to support both Heath and me while avoiding the arrows sticking out of us.
Ashton sends a warning glare to his friend. So much for not going territorial. At least Aleksander will have an advantage in fending off Ashton. If it comes to that.
One of the long-range crystals, the one Aleksander used to get me out of Raeviel two years ago, would really be useful right about now. So I ask Aleksander if he has any of those laying about.
"No,"
"Fuck," Several of us swear.
"I know,"
"We are too exposed," Rose says. I don't need to see her face to know she's concerned. I can hear it in her voice.
"Where? Where do you expect us to go?" Arin asks, genuine worry edging into her voice.
"The Twin Glades," From Arin's tone, Rose must have given her a knowing look.
"I fucking knew it," I groan as a wave of pain washes over me. I knew Levi went to the Twin Glades two nights ago. Then I mutter, "Lord Buron, here we come,"
"Why him?"
"He's the leader of the Twin Glades, and I was the one who gave him access to that power,"
"He hired you to clean out the Twin Glades,"
He did. It was a smart move, and I was so desperate to prove I was not a spoiled princess. So desperate to find my own way in the world. So desperate I did not read the fine print, nor did I expect the consequences.
"He saved the members he thought were worthy, and is why I hide from Alcottion," It's why I'm still hiding. Some day it will come back to bite us in the arse. I may not make it out alive, and I'm certain the others know it, too.
As my words fade, Aleksander hands me to Lyall, and he takes Heath. Together, they march ahead, with Rose leading the charge. Arin falls behind to watch everyone's backs.
My brother tries to take me ahead of Ashton, but I protest, stating that as his wife, I have a right to watch his back.
Lyall doesn't protest.
As we make our way to the Twin Glades people give us a wide berth. It takes us a while with three injured. Arin and Rose do their best to aid in taking away our pains, but it's almost too much to handle. For Ashton, it is. He passes out in Levi and Bennet's arms halfway to the guild.
When we arrive, we are ushered in with one too many glares. So they do recognize me. They remember the fate that befell their former guild members. Oh, what was the time it took? Ten minutes? Fifteen? Somewhere around that.
The moment we step inside, three males take Ashton and Heath from Levi, Bennet and Aleksander. The injured pair are unceremoniously dropped onto tables. Their wounds beginning to be tended to.
Not wanting to leave his brother, Bennet follows the males to Ashton's table. Aleksander does the same with Heath, softly telling him he'll be alright. This must be hard for Aleksander, seeing Heath hurt and nearly dead twice in the span of two weeks.
Another male comes up to me and Lyall. He looks me up and down before grabbing the base of the arrow and yanking it out. I scream with the searing pain. It calms to a dull throbbing after a while.
"LYRA!" Ashton yells, pushing himself up only for two males to push him back onto the table. Ashton struggles but gives in to their strength.
"I'm okay, Ashton," I groan, trying to keep the edge of pain from leaking into my voice. Did my pain wake him? He was out cold.
The male, standing with me and Lyall, looks at the arrow's shaft and tosses it to the ground. He grabs my shoulder and mutters a few words. The throbbing eases, and the blood leaking out lessens to the point where it stops.
A male clears his throat. His noise draws our attention to a male sitting on the chair Asa sat in two years ago when I delivered him the head of Paric Crowe. The male hasn't changed; the same toothy grin I hate seeing and the same countenance he wore two years ago.
"Bree DeMarion," Lord Buron smiles, crossing a leg over the other.
"Lord Novak Buron," I nod to the lord.
Lord Buron's smile turns into a smirk. "It's Asa Erickson now, darling,"
"You're welcome,"
"I suppose I do owe you for taking out Erza Lyle," Lord Buron shrugs, a slight frown dazzling his face. It's swiftly replaced with a toothy grin. "He was a disgrace to the Erickson name,"
"You owe me everything you have within this guild," I practically spit. It's true. Lord Buron owes me a great deal as Bree DeMarion. "I'll take payment in the form of transport out of Laencaster,"
"Bold as ever, darling,"
"I've had to be in order to survive,"
"Jesper Erickson has a pretty price on your head,"
"I am aware. What is it now? Six hundred gold? One thousand?"
"Two thousand,"
Oh, look at me go. I'm worth more than the ruined wedding dress I'm wearing. Fantastic. Too bad no one will be able to cash that bounty in.
"You've had two years to turn yourself in,"
"I don't intend to quit living now,"
"I don't expect you to fall to your knees in front of me,"
"What do you expect?" Aleksander asks before I can. I would have told him off if not for the magic returning to my veins slowly.
"I expect you will in time, but not today," Lord Buron grins. He waves his left hand in an off-handed manner. "Admund, grab nine horses. Bretan, prepare food for ten,"
Two males standing by the door leave the room, one going further into the guild and the other leaving through the front door. Horses and food. It's more than I asked for. More than I hoped for.
It's good to know I have a tentative ally in Lord Buron or, rather, Asa Erickson. If anyone outside Uriel was to be a tentative ally, it was going to be Lord Buron. And for that, I am thankful.
"Have you other clothes in your possession?" Lord Buron asks, glancing at our ruined formal wear.
My blood-soaked wedding dress is not good for trekking through Amrynn's forest, hills and glades. Nor will Rose's or Arin's dresses. Even the guy's formal clothing would be better than what we wear.
"Give me a moment," Rose states. She places her hands on an empty table and mutters to herself. A moment passes. Then another. Then, a bright light engulfs the room. Our gear, jackets, weapons and packs appear on the formerly empty table.
Oh, sweet spirits. Trousers. Glorious trousers. Oh, how I've missed you.
"Rose, I could kiss you," I declare, taking several steps toward our redhead friend.
"No way, you've yet to kiss me," Ashton mutters. Oh, Spirits, he sounds delirious. What did his healers do to him?
"You've yet to kiss your husband?" Lord Buron amusingly smiles. He glances between me, standing with Rose and Ashton, lying on the table. I don't know why he finds it amusing that Ashton, Heath and I nearly died.
I would have kissed him at some point. I think.
"We've only just married," I grunt, stepping up to Rose and pecking her on the cheek. I adore how she argued to sew crystals onto our packs. It's become so handy.
Arin thanks Rose and picks up her pack from the table. She tosses Aleksander's and then Heath's to the emissary from Oakland. Aleksander manages to catch them before they hit him in the face.
I would have paid good money to see him hit in the face with packs.
Lord Buron grins wider. What does he have up his sleeve? Why do I feel like this is going to be painful but not in the traditional sense of pain? "I'll tell you what. You kiss your new husband, and I'll keep your appearance from Alcottian,"
"Pardon?"
"Kiss your husband, and Jesper won't know you've seen me now or in the future,"
"That doesn't seem like a fair deal," Ashton moans. This male I'm bound to is going to be the death of me, or I'll be the death of him. Only the spirit Queen knows.
"Ashton, keep your mouth shut," I snap at my delirious husband.
"Why? Afraid to kiss me?" He taunts, making a kissing motion with his lips. Oh, how attractive.
"No,"
Arin leans close and tells me it sounds like I am afraid to kiss him. Levi chimes in, saying, "Do it, I dare you,"
"You know what. Fuck you and your dares,"
"Come now, Lyra, we all know you're going to do it. Whether or not I dared you is irrelevant," Levi smirks, waving his hand from me to Ashton. As if he cleared a path for me to take.
Fuck, he knows me so well. Too well.
I glance over at Ashton. He looks half asleep and quite out of it. I suppose I could kiss him quickly and get it over with. He likely won't realize what's happening. Lord Buron's deal, to not let Alcottion know he's seen me, is too good to pass up.
Giving Levi a glare with fire that could rival Ashton's, I stride over to my husband. Ashton looks up at me and smiles. Shit, that's a cute smile. Who knew cute smiles had such an effect on me?
I lean down and plant my lips on Ashton's. For a second, nothing happens. Then he starts to move. He's kissing me back. Oh shit. So I pull back and try to keep my blush from spreading.
Levi has the gall to tell me he told me so.
"Yes, fuck you,"
Beside Ashton, Bennet begins snickering. It becomes full-blown laughter when he sees my glare.