King's Gate 2: A High Fantasy Harem, page 6
"Seriously, Alex. It was just a few bugs,” Sabrina protested.
“I'm less concerned about the bugs than I am you trying to steal from us.”
“I didn't get anything. And like I told you, I was just after your sword and a couple of days’ worth of food,” Sabrina said.
“You see, the sword is my hang up in this situation. I could probably deal with you trying to snag some rations considering you're out here on your own. But nobody messes with our weapons.”
Her eyes flickered down to the front of my pants and then back up to me, her lips twitching with a smile she was barely capable of holding back. “That's too bad.”
I looked at Mathus. “What do you think?” I asked.
The giant lifted his hands up, dismissing himself from the situation.
“Don't ask me. I'm not involved in this decision making.”
"She does have good information, Alex,” Nia said. “She knows a lot about the shapeshifters and their history with The Covenant. And I'd venture to say what she told you about the portals is true. Besides, none of us are familiar with Creyfell. I've heard rumors that the city has changed so much it is unrecognizable from even just a short time ago. She's not exaggerating when she talks about how dangerous it can be. Even just showing up with unfamiliar faces could be enough to get us detained, and that's not something we can deal with right now."
Nia was obviously struggling to keep her voice under control. The way her eyes flickered back and forth between me and Sabrina, though, told me this woman's presence was throwing her off. Sabrina was beautiful, but rather than charming her the way it seemed to be the others, it was chipping away at Nia's newfound confidence. I didn't know what that meant exactly, but I couldn't dwell on it. A decision needed to be made and we needed to move on.
"Look, I'm sorry I tried to steal from you. I shouldn't have done it. But like you said, I'm out here by myself. I have to do what I have to do to survive, and sometimes that means taking advantage of"—the smile crept onto her lips again—"let's call it my natural resources. Now that I know who you are and what you're doing, I wouldn't do it again."
My eyes narrowed at her. Things felt like they were falling into place in my head, but only because I trusted my instincts.
"For now," I said. "For now, you can join us. But don't get too comfortable. Going into Creyfell and getting through it will be a trial run. Then we'll talk about what will come after."
Sabrina smiled at me, but I wasn't about to let her off that easy. My hand wrapped around her wrist and I pulled her to her feet. Heat flared where my skin touched hers and when her eyes met mine it was obvious she felt it too. Ignoring the tension building through me, I stalked to the edge of camp and out of earshot of the others, dragging her with me. My hand fell away from her arm as soon as we were far enough away and I stared into her face, forcing her to focus directly on me.
“Were you the deer?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Don't try that. You already said that you're a shape-shifter. So, tell me straight up. Were you at the deer who came into the camp last night?”
Sabrina suddenly seemed shy as all the charismatic confidence disappeared. She was no longer the same outgoing, flirty woman she was just seconds ago when we were with the others.
“Yes,” she admitted reluctantly. “That's the form I take most often.”
"Why?"
"Deer are fast and can get through the woods quickly, and they are hard to detect unless you are right on them. And people trust them."
She sounded nervous, but I wasn't letting her off that easy.
“Why me? Why did you come after us?"
"I told you, I am alone and—"
"No," I cut her off. "Enough of the bullshit. There are tons of people you could have stolen from if you needed supplies. It's not like we're the only people traveling in this area. You could have chosen any one of them to go after. I'm sure there are plenty of travelers who don't have as many in their group, and especially don't have a giant in their number. We aren't exactly the most appealing of targets. So why?"
"You," she answered simply.
There was a hard tug in my belly, wanting to pull me closer to her. The tension between us was growing, the attraction palpable, but I couldn't let that be what was on my mind. I was intrigued by her and needed to understand what brought her to the camp.
"Why me? What is your interest in me? Why bother helping me?"
Sabrina stammered for a few seconds. The stuttering reminded me of Nia, but with an edge that said this was more than just nerves. The situation itself was her stumbling block. Her eyes squeezed closed as her face reddened, and I relented.
“I expect the full story by the end of the tour tonight. No excuses. I don’t like partial explanations, not in the place. Understood?” I asked.
“Is that a part of the deal of me going along with you?”
“Yes. It's not negotiable, not when everyone else who's traveling with me has bared their soul. It's the way we work so we can be stronger.”
“Being stronger is exactly what I need,” Sabrina said cryptically. “I'll tell you. By the end of the day. I promise.”
The comment stuck in my mind, but I decided to accept the reluctant agreement and move on.
“Good,” I told her. "Then let's get ready to go."
We walked back to the rest of the group where Emely and Celeste were putting together a quick breakfast, while Mathus, Nia, and Riley packed up the camp. They turned to us expectantly.
“We're about four miles away from the gates of Creyfell," Sabrina said. "It won't take long to get there. But be wary. Things have changed and this will be unlike any other town you've been in before."
"Let's have breakfast, but we can't take too long. Time is already getting past us. We need to get going as soon as we can."
I perched on one of my bags rather than sitting directly on the ground and Sabrina settled down beside me. She was staying close, and I didn't know if that was because of the draw between us or whatever it was that fascinated her so much about me. Either way, being back around the rest of the group seemed to ease her tension, and we all fell into conversation as we ate. As soon as we finished, we packed the last of our supplies and headed out of our camp and toward the unknown of the city beyond.
“You’re lucky I don’t call you Bambi,” I murmured to myself.
“Why?” Sabrina answered. She had excellent hearing.
I grinned. “Not sure how you would look in stripper heels.”
11
We moved quickly enough that it was only half an hour later that we started noticing indications of getting close to the city. Suddenly, Sabrina stopped.
“Oh, no,” she said. “I can't believe I didn't think about that.”
“What?” I asked, coming back to her. “What didn't you think about?”
Her soft brown eyes were wide, a faint veil of tears expressing some unknown emotion.
“Getting into the city,” she said. “There's no way we're going to be able to get in. Especially not any of you. I might be able to pull it off, but not you.”
She was rambling, and I stepped up close to her to bring her focus in on me. “What are you talking about?”
“I told you things have changed in Creyfell. It isn't just a free city people can go in and out of anymore. There haven't been casual visitors in as long as I can remember. Anyone who comes into the city has to have permission and verifiable identification. They can't just come because they want to visit or because they're passing through. The Covenant has guards outside the gates, and they have a very strict procedure for gaining permission into the city. We have to have papers, and none of us have them.”
“You said you might be able to pull off getting inside. How would you be able to but none of us?” Riley asked.
“Remember, I used to live there full-time. I still have papers. They are old, and I've used them before, but the guards tend to be accepting of those who have origins in the city.”
“I thought you couldn’t let anybody know you were a shape-shifter,” I said. “Wouldn't your papers have that on there?”
“Just because I have papers doesn't mean they're accurate,” she said.
“What she means is they aren't real,” Mathus said.
“They're real,” Sabrina said. “They just aren't mine. I got them off someone who fled the city a long time ago. They belong to her sister who went missing.”
“And no one realizes that?”
“The Covenant isn't exactly known for their compassion. They very rarely care who it is they kill or force into hiding as long as they get what they want out of it. Of course, that isn't always the case.”
Her eyes slid between me and Celeste, finishing her thought without her having to put it into words.
“Can you show it to me?” Nia asked.
Sabrina nodded and opened the small bag tied to a loop at her hip. Dipping her narrow fingers inside, she withdrew a piece of paper and unfolded it so we could see. The intricate document was elaborately decorated around the edges like the birth certificates I'd seen before, while traveling through the portal. In the center of the page was a list of vital information including a name that wasn't hers, birthdate, species, and a declaration of her lifelong residence in Creyfell.
After looking at the paper for a few seconds, Nia crouched down, putting her bag on the ground in front of her and opening it. She dug through it, pulling out one of the books and several pieces of parchment.
“What are you doing?” Emely asked.
“Sabrina said we have to have papers to get into the city. So, we're going to have papers.”
I watched as she flipped through the book, consulted a page, then snapped it closed. She rested her hand into the center of one of the pieces of parchment and murmured a few words. At first, nothing happened, but she wasn't deterred. Her hand didn't move and finally I noticed something seeping out from under it. What looked like ink pooled beneath her hand and spread out in narrow rivulets across the surface of the paper. The streaks of ink coiled around themselves and moved into the corners, etching into the paper and settling into place as decorative details and words. When she finally lifted her hand away, it revealed a document almost identical to the ones Sabrina had shown us. The details were different, attaching new information to Nia's name.
“What do you think?” Nia asked.
Sabrina examined the document. “It looks great. But there's no reason for you to be traveling. There has to be some sort of documentation of your permission to go through the city.”
“There's only no reason there because you're not looking for it,” Nia told her. “When the guards look at it, they will see a reason that is acceptable to them.”
“That's brilliant,” I said. “What about the rest of us?”
“Each document has to be created for you individually. Alex, put your hand on this parchment.”
I did as she asked, and Nia pressed her hand down over mine. She repeated the incantation she used when her own hand was on the piece of parchment, and soon the ink began to spread out from beneath my palm. When it was finished, I examined the document, taking in my new name and details. It was strange looking at it, but at the same time felt almost natural to have papers that didn't, in any way, align with the identity I'd had before I showed up in this world.
One by one the other members of the group pressed their hands to pieces of parchment and created their documents. When each of us had our own, we tucked them away and continued toward the gates of the city. My palms tingled and my senses heightened the closer we got, and I felt on edge when my eyes finally fell on the guards. Sabrina walked up to one of them confidently and flashed him a smile.
“Papers,” he growled without pretense.
Sabrina pulled out the document and handed it to him.
He scanned it and handed it back. “And the rest of you.”
We all walked up to him and held out our forged documents. The two guards took them from our hands and examined them closely. They'd only looked at Sabrina's papers for a few seconds, but more and more time slipped past as they looks at ours. They didn't question what they were seeing, but it was obvious they were feeling reluctant about accepting so many unfamiliar people into the city. Riley stepped forward and I recognized the look on her face as she conjured her magic.
“Our documents are in order,” she said to them. “We appreciate your warm welcome as we return home, and would love for you join us. . .I mean, me. . . for drinks. At a quiet tavern, of course.”
The guards grumbled their agreements and shoved the documents back into our hands, ushering us through the gates. Emely sidled up close to Riley as we hurried away from the guards as quickly as possible without looking suspicious.
“Did you seriously just ask those guards out for a drink?”
“No, I convinced them to bring us out for a drink,” Riley answered with a grin. “I thought it would be a fun way to get some information out of them. If I have learned anything from my travels, it's that if you want to know something about a place, you go to locals. These guards might not be from here originally, but from what Sabrina's been saying, they're about as local as we're going to get and not be dealing with mind control.”
“I still think you went too far,” Emely said. “We're trying to avoid detection, not put ourselves right in front of the exact people who could detain us for breathing wrong.”
Mathus and Nia walked up close behind them.
The giant shrugged dismissively. “I don't see a problem with it.” He nudged me out with one strong elbow. “How do you feel about it?”
Nia glanced up at him and then back in front of her. “I don't think I'm going to have anything to do with it. I'll probably be sitting in a booth far away. I like being under the radar. It's habit for me, but it's also important for staying safe.”
He smiled down at her fondly. “I'll keep you company and make sure no harm comes to you.”
Color splashed across the demon’s face and it was obvious she was flustered by his attention.
“That's okay,” she said. “I'll be fine. I always am. I mean, I'm alone all the time. By myself. I do everything by myself. You don't need to help me. I don't need help being alone. I mean, I don't need help staying safe alone.”
Her rambling became faster and higher pitched as she went, but Mathus just continued to smile at her.
We were nearly into the center of the city when Sabrina stepped up beside me and nodded her head toward Mathus and Nia in front of us.
“What's going on between the two of them?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” I said.
“You have to have noticed the flirtation between them.”
“I have.”
“And?”
“And I think it's good, so long as it doesn't cause drama later,” I concluded.
Her eyes met mine. “Have you ever had any drama with any of the other three women in your group?”
I knew exactly what she was asking of me, and there was no reason to be anything but upfront with her. Without feeling the need to go into too much detail, I gave her a brief rundown of my relationship status, then turned to her for her reaction. She gave a hint of a nod and made an affirmative sound but didn't say anything. I assumed that meant the growing attraction between us would stay at a mild simmer. I was fine with that, considering I still wasn't sure if I could trust Sabrina. Even just walking through the city with her as our guide was risky. It might not be the best idea to stick my neck out even further by a being naked with the woman.
I trusted naked women. I didn’t trust naked women with beetles that could bite. I’m funny like that.
12
The atmosphere of the city became heavier and stranger the further we went into it. Sabrina guided us through the streets, pointing out various businesses and destinations. Occasionally, she lowered her voice, whispering quickly about a point of historic interest or a place where a battle against The Covenant had been fought. She spoke these things so quietly it was almost impossible to hear them, but I understood why she was doing it. The sense of unease and discomfort was so prevalent it felt like the walls themselves were listening to us. Creyfell had been reduced to a strict, mindless district where no one had their own thoughts, and anyone who might even for a moment entertain a question, denied it and ran from it as fast as they could. Around us, people scurried from place to place, their eyes either locked ahead of them without moving or focused on their feet. No one looked at each other or spoke. The only words we heard were the people standing on the street corners, waving thick sheets of paper over their heads as they rambled and preached about The Covenant’s teachings.
All of them seemed to be saying the exact same things, a practiced and metered spiel on a continuous loop so the words rose up and blended, never venturing far from the prescribed pattern. I tried not to listen to it. Everything in me pushed against the words to force them to stay out of my mind. I didn't want them to take hold in my thoughts and start manipulating me.
“What is this?” I asked Sabrina. “What happened to these people?”
She leaned close. “It can be hard to tell,” she muttered. “Some of them are as wrapped up and zealous as they seem. They're completely in line with Dark Fae magic belief systems and are so enraptured by it they have no thoughts or feelings beyond it. All they want to do is talk and give praise to what has become a cult. Other ones are just trying to stay out of sight by being as obvious as possible.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
She gestured with her eyes across the street and I watched a line of Covenant guards walk down the sidewalk. With each footstep, the voices of the people on the street corners got louder. It was as much an approved greeting as it was a chant of obedience.
“They pay close attention to everybody here. They love discipline and cooperation. It doesn't matter how unhinged those people on the corners sound. The louder and more vehement they seem when repeating the tenets, the less the goons look at them. It's the quiet ones who draw the attention.”
