Unbound, page 13
As the sun rose higher and higher, the morning chill disappeared. Alannah wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Whether minutes or hours, it felt like time didn’t exist in the vast space. However, Senna kept looking up at the sun’s position. Based on what she saw, she either sped up or slowed down. Alannah kept pace surprisingly well when she wasn’t so sure she would be able to. Perhaps pain was waiting for the opportunity to strike.
The sun still hung low when Alannah saw shapes in the distance. At first, she thought it might be city sitting towards the north. But Senna didn’t veer in that direction and as they moved closer, Alannah realized it was another forest. But this one looked…sick.
Unease settled in her gut. The closer they got to the forest, the queasier she became. Gnarled trees with blackened trunks grew close together. Large knots in the trunks revealed darkness that no animal would dare live in. Branches didn’t grow up to the sky and form a canopy like the forest she was used to. These branches bore no leaves or fruit—not that she would eat anything from them—and the branches grew together, forming a wall to keep people out.
Or keep something in.
“What’s in there?” Alannah asked as they walked past it. She was thankful they weren’t walking in.
Senna shrugged. “I’ve heard rumors. But I don’t know for sure.”
“What rumors?” Elliot asked.
“That it’s where Reluvethel sleeps.”
A name Alannah had never heard of, and yet her heartbeat spiked and the sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach grew worse. “Who is that?”
Senna looked at Mr. Pinkus. “You really didn’t tell her anything.”
“I’ve only been speaking for a week. Give me a break.”
Senna turned her gaze to Alannah. “Reluvethel was one of the leaders of the Fae. A king of his court. I don’t know which one. I believe it was struck from the record—”
“That’s the Fae for you. Pretend it doesn’t exist,” Mr. Pinkus muttered.
“From what I’ve heard, he didn’t take kindly to the witches being allowed into Underhill. While many agreed with him, only a few vocally supported him. No one stopped him when he went after the witches,” Senna continued.
“Why was he angry? Who let the witches in?” Elliot asked.
“No one really. There’s no one person or even a group of people in charge of letting people in. Underhill…this place lives and breathes. It thinks for itself. The witches were normal humans once. But they lived near thin spots in the veil and after a few generations, began to show magical abilities. The magic just sort of…” Senna trailed off, a frown twisting her lips as she tried to find the right word.
“Seeped in,” Mr. Pinkus said. “It began to change them. Some more than others.”
“Humans are different in many ways, but collectively they share a fear of the unknown and the uncontrollable. The witches needed safety and Underhill provides for its people,” Senna continued.
“So, he was angry because…?” Elliot asked.
“Reluvethel, and others like him, believe that the resources of Underhill will be depleted and the magic will disappear if more people partake of it. They believe it’s a resource they can control and deprive others of,” Mr. Pinkus answered. “But that’s not how magic works. I believe it’s because their society is crumbling and they scramble to maintain whatever control they can. They refuse to change.”
“They will destroy themselves in the process,” Senna muttered.
“Is that why there are strict rules about the Fae and the witches having relationships?” Alannah asked.
“Ridiculous rules,” Senna spat.
“Yes,” Mr. Pinkus answered. “Another way they believe they can keep their magic to themselves.”
“I remember the first time you told me of these rules. I thought you were joking,” Senna said.
Elliot gripped the straps of his backpack. “You never heard of them before?”
“There are no such rules where I’m from. Anyone that enters Underhill is treated with respect. After all, they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t wanted.” Senna paused to stretch her arms over her head. “Not that there are no problems where I’m from, but this is definitely not one of them.” She began walking again.
“Too bad I didn’t get lost there,” Elliot mumbled.
Alannah threw him a sideways glance. While she understood where he was coming from, the statement still stung. Why? She was supposedly fine with the way things were before he showed up. Him getting lost in a different part shouldn’t hurt her feelings at all. But it did. “What happened to him?” she asked, bringing the conversation back to Reluvethel.
“It was hard for the witches to fight back on their own. They were still scattered, entering Underhill in small groups, and trying to find each other. It was only a matter of time before they realized they would be slaughtered if they didn’t do something,” –Mr. Pinkus yawned—”so they chose one of their own and elevated her.”
“Elevated her?” Alannah asked.
“Yes. I don’t know what her name was before, but she became the Morrigan—”
Alannah gasped. “The goddess?”
Mr. Pinkus chuckled. “Yes. She wasn’t always a goddess. She was a leader of her people. And they gave her strength and power. Enough to keep Reluvethel at bay. It worked for a while. And it even seemed as though he would leave them alone. The Morrigan had her daughters and split the power between them because she didn’t feel it was fair for one person to rule.”
“What happened when Reluvethel backed off?” Elliot asked, as invested in the story as Alannah.
“He didn’t like to lose. He took his time and coordinated a better attack. This time against the Morrigan herself. And the witches…they were losing again. She was afraid he would finish what he set out to do and so she did the only thing she could. She cursed them both. Locked them together in time and space to stop Reluvethel from succeeding,” Mr. Pinkus finished.
Elliot looked back at the forest. “And they’re supposedly in there?”
“For now.”
Elliot made a choking sound. “For now?!”
“Some people believe he will find a way again. But that is speculation,” Mr. Pinkus chuckled, clearly enjoying Elliot’s reaction.
“How much of this story is actually true?” Senna asked.
“It’s hard to say. Maybe all of it. Maybe none of it. Well, except for the Morrigan. It is true that she wasn’t always a goddess, and she did have daughters, and she did oppose Reluvethel. But as to whether or not she was the reason for his disappearance, I don’t know. The witches might,” Mr. Pinkus said.
Elliot rolled his eyes. “You were pulling my leg?”
“Maybe a little,” Mr. Pinkus admitted. “Although, it could all be true. You never know.”
Alannah wondered how much of it was true herself. Her mother and grandmother had told her of the Morrigan. Their goddess. But from what they told her, the Morrigan had led the witches to Underhill, and she was already a goddess by then. Could they have been wrong?
“We’re close,” Senna said, pointing to a cluster of buildings in the distance. She turned and faced them, walking backwards. “Remember, this is a quick visit. Stick together and nobody wanders off. And take nothing from anyone. Got it?”
They nodded. But as they got closer and Alannah could see the sheer size of the city, she wanted nothing more than to walk around and get lost in it. The gate itself was huge. Beyond it she could see market stalls and smoke that would probably smell amazing. She could see buildings that got larger and larger until they were just towers made of crystal and an opalescent metal that shined in the sunlight. She could spend weeks exploring it and there would still be so much more to know.
Senna gestured to the gate. “Welcome to Morthilas.”
Chapter 17
Alannah breathed deep, thrilled that she had been right about the heavily scented smoke that lingered in the market. Her stomach growled as the scents curled around her nose, enticing her to partake in the number of foods. Some she recognized instantly. Sausages wrapped in pastry and served with warm syrup. Tiny chocolate cakes with caramels shards and chocolate shavings covering the top. Then there were foods she had never seen before. Clear cakes in the shape of rain drops that produced a small rain cloud when eaten. A confectionary that produced fire and smoke when a person placed it on their tongue. Alannah wanted to try them. She wanted to know how they were made. Questions filled her with such ferocity she just might burst at the seams if someone were to pull a thread.
She wasn’t the only one. Elliot looked around with wide-eyed wonder. If it weren’t for the stern looks Senna kept throwing over her shoulder at them, they might have forgotten they weren’t supposed to wander off. And if Alannah didn’t have a clock ticking down the time to her demise, she might’ve defied Senna anyway.
Alannah wasn’t used to seeing so many people in one place and everyone was so different. Short. Tall. Fat. Thin. Fae with extra fingers and sharp teeth. Skin like porcelain. Skin like the sun. Skin like the bark of a tree. Eyes as black as night. Eyes that looked like glittering jewels. No eyes at all. Too many eyes. Hairstyles that defied reality and gravity. Hair that bloomed flowers. It was so strange and wonderful and so much. And not one looked at her or lamented at her purple eye as if it was strange and out of place. In fact, she felt plain and boring in their midst. Just another person walking in a crowded marketplace, not the scary witch of the woods that no one survived.
Alannah’s eyes darted everywhere but right in front of her and didn’t notice how close she had gotten to someone until she bumped into them. She was met with a baring of teeth and a growl. “I’m s-s-sorry,” she stammered out her apology and darted away from them as fast as she could.
She was alone.
Senna, Elliot, Mr. Pinkus had vanished in the crowd. She didn’t even know which way they were going. Alannah turned in a circle, careful not to bump into anyone else until she caught a glimpse of braids and gold. With her heart racing, she tried not to lose sight of Senna.
I hope that’s her.
Alannah gulped. On her own, the city seemed less friendly and more like a place that would swallow her alive.
A gnarled hand gripped her wrist and tugged her in a different direction. “Oh!”
The hand shoved a jewel into her face. It filled the palm of the persons hand—although their hand wasn’t very large—and was a brilliant purple with green and black veins running through it. “Would the young witch like a gem? It matches her eye,” a voice cooed.
Alannah looked down into the face of an older woman with milky white eyes. She grinned at Alannah, having far too many teeth for her mouth.
“It’s beautiful, but I couldn’t,” Alannah said, trying to get her hand back.
“But it is perfect for the young witch. She should take it. It is a gift,” the woman said, her voice climbing an octave.
“Oh no, thank you. I really have to go—”
The grip on her wrist tightened and the woman jerked Alannah closer. “Are my gifts not good enough for the half-witch?” she hissed.
“Please let me go—”
“Does the half-witch think she is better than everyone else? Does she—”
A silver blade pressed against the woman’s throat, cutting her off midsentence. She and Alannah both looked at the person on the other end. Alannah expected Senna, but it was Odhran’s sister who wielded the sword and glared at the old woman. “Let her go.”
“Daughter of the Ruby Court, the witch insulted—”
“Let her go or you lose the arm,” Selanna cut her off again.
The woman did so, albeit begrudgingly. Alannah pulled her hand back and cradled her wrist. Despite the woman’s appearance, she was strong.
“I was trying to give a gift,” the woman said.
Selanna looked at the jewel. “That is no gift. It’s a parasite.” She looked at Alannah while sheathing her sword. “It would’ve broken its shell as you slept and crawled in. Usually through the ear or nose, whichever is closest. And it would’ve—”
Alannah held up her hand. “I don’t need to know anymore.”
The woman sneered at her. “Children don’t have manners anymore. Don’t know their place.”
Selanna rolled her eyes. “Piss off.” She gently cupped Alannah’s elbow and began to steer her away from the woman. “I know where the others are. I’ll make sure you get there.”
“Thank you,” Alannah said, taking in a deep breath. “That was scary.”
“I can imagine it is for you. You don’t really know anything about this place.” Selanna kept people from getting too close. Mostly because they gave her a wide berth. Alannah couldn’t tell if it was fear or respect.
“Why are you helping me?” Alannah asked.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“I mean, you don’t know me. And you’re Valeria’s daughter.”
“I don’t have to know everyone to help them. As for being Valeria’s daughter,” –Selanna frowned— “I don’t exactly get along with my mother.”
“Oh.”
“None of us really like her. She is a mother more in name than anything. But she didn’t have children because she wanted them.”
“There’s another reason to have children?”
Selanna laughed. “That should be the only reason. But my mother doesn’t do anything unless it benefits her. We are pawns to her. Pieces she can move into place to get what she wants. She only likes us when we’re useful.”
“That’s terrible.”
“That’s Valeria.”
Alannah kept close to Selanna. They were moving past the markets and onto a street lined with shops. “That’s explains Odhran then,” she muttered.
Selanna sighed. “My brother is…lost. And he keeps trying to win something from my mother that she won’t give.”
“What’s that?”
“Acceptance. Respect. Love.” Selanna rested her hand on her pommel. “He thinks if he acts like her, or the asses that come to her court, that she will magically turn into the mother he wants. It’s not going to happen.”
“He does act like an asshole,” Alannah agreed.
“I wish I had been there to see his face the first time you insulted him. I would’ve paid a hefty price to see it.”
“He deserved it. He destroyed my mother’s flowers, all of them. Thought it was funny to destroy the last thing I had left of her that she truly loved,” Alannah said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I could plant new ones, but they wouldn’t be hers.”
“I’m sorry he did that.”
“Thank you. He didn’t even give me the courtesy of an apology or some measure of guilt for what he had done. Every time I see him, I want to smack him.” Alannah tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear. “I’ve never felt that way about someone before.”
“It seems you are learning many new things lately.”
Alannah snorted. “Yeah, you could say that.”
Selanna pointed at a shop at the end of the street with a plaque over the door with a bow and a sword seared into the wood. “They’re in there. I know Senna needed arrows.”
“Did you hire Senna?” Alannah asked.
“No.”
“Do you know who did?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“No.”
Alannah huffed. “I don’t understand why it’s a secret.”
“I doubt it will remain one for very long. I have a feeling you’ll figure it out soon enough.” She pushed open the door.
Relief made her uncross her arms when she saw her companions inside. And with that relief came a realization. Mr. Pinkus had been a constant in her life and she was growing used to Elliot’s presence. What if she started to rely on them? What if she did and they left? What if she got used to this feeling and then she ended up alone? Fear held her heart in a vise.
Elliot strode across the room—and before she could stop him—pulled her into a hug. “Are you okay?” he asked. “I looked and you were gone. Senna said I couldn’t go looking for you because she didn’t want to look for two missing people.”
Alannah remained stiff. Her mother didn’t even hug her. The most Alannah had ever gotten from her was a gentle touch to the forehead or a smack to the elbows. And now she was enveloped in warmth and a feeling she couldn’t quite identify and she didn’t know what to do. Thankfully, Elliot stepped back after a few seconds.
“I would’ve been right,” Senna said, fastening a quiver of arrows to her back. “I knew Selanna was coming, and she’s almost as good of a hunter as me. Alannah wouldn’t have been lost for long.”
Selanna rolled her eyes but grinned at the teasing remark. “You’re so humble.”
“You’re friends?” Elliot asked.
“Longtime friends,” Mr. Pinkus said.
Selanna frowned. “It’s nice to see you too, Lysanthvir. I would’ve greeted you yesterday had I known you had been turned into a cat.”
“Life’s full of surprises.”
“We’re done here,” Senna said before Selanna could respond. “I want to get out of the city quickly.”
“That’s for the best. Someone already tried to get to Alannah,” Selanna agreed.
“What happened?” Elliot asked.
Alannah shook her head. “I’ll tell you later. Let’s go first.”
“Make sure you stick close to us this time,” Senna said.
“I’ll go with you to the gates in case anyone feels like trying anything else.” Selanna tapped her pommel.
The way back was less fraught. Alannah made sure to stick close and pay attention. Elliot had the same mindset, if the way he kept bumping into her every few steps was any indication. She was surprised he didn’t grab her hand again. But after the hug, she was a little thankful. She didn’t know what to make of it all.
They exited the gates and Selanna stopped there. “How many days to the witches?”
“I’m hoping for no more than four,” Senna said. “Maybe three if we can push.”
“You’re not coming with us?” Alannah asked.
