The Cabin
1457 Words
We reached Maris's cabin by midnight.
Kael could barely stand. Silas half-carried him inside. Lena and Maris were waiting by the fire.
"You brought him here," Maris said. Her voice was cold.
"He was dying."
"He's still dying."
"But slower now."
Maris looked at Kael. At the black veins on his chest. At the silver burns on his wrists.
"Sit him down. By the fire."
Silas lowered Kael onto a wooden chair. Kael's head dropped forward. His breathing was shallow.
Lena knelt beside him. Pressed her hand to his chest.
"The curse is retreating," she said. "But it's not gone."
"What does he need?" I asked.
"Time. Rest. And you."
"Me?"
"The bond is the only thing keeping him alive. If you leave, he dies."
I looked at Kael. At the man who rejected me. At the man who chained me to a curse.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Lena stood up. "Then neither is he."
Maris made Kael drink something bitter. Herbal. Medicinal.
He coughed. Gagged. But he swallowed.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Wolf's bane. Silver root. And a few things you don't want to know about."
"Poison?"
"Medicine. There's a difference."
"Not in my experience."
Maris smiled. It was the first time I'd seen her smile.
"You have your father's mouth."
"I have nothing of his."
"You have his eyes. His stubbornness. His arrogance."
Kael looked at her. "I'm not him."
"Then prove it."
I sat on the floor across from Kael.
The fire crackled between us. Silas and Lena had gone to the other room. Maris was making more tea.
"Why did you come for me?" Kael asked.
"Because you're useful."
"That's not true."
"You have information about the Court. About your father's bribes."
"You could have gotten that from the files."
"The files don't tell me everything. You do."
Kael leaned forward. His silver eyes caught the firelight.
"You came because the bond wouldn't let you stay away."
"The bond doesn't control me."
"It controls both of us. That's the point."
I looked at my palm. The black mark was smaller now. Fading.
"The curse is healing," I said.
"Because you're close to me."
"Because I chose to come."
Kael reached out. His fingers touched my knee.
I didn't pull away.
"Thank you," he said.
"For what?"
"For not letting me die."
"I wasn't sure I wouldn't."
"But you didn't."
"No. I didn't."
He left his hand there. Warm. Heavy.
The bond hummed.
Maris brought tea. I drank it. Kael drank his.
"You should sleep," Maris said.
"I'm not tired," I said.
"You're exhausted. Both of you. Sleep. We'll talk in the morning."
She pointed to a small room. One bed.
"There's only one," I said.
"You're mates. You'll figure it out."
I looked at Kael.
He looked at me.
"I'll sleep on the floor," he said.
"You can barely stand."
"I can lie down on the floor. That's not standing."
I walked to the room. He followed.
The bed was small.
Kael sat on the edge. I sat across from him.
"We don't have to," he said.
"Have to what?"
"Share. I can sleep outside."
"It's freezing outside."
"I've survived worse."
I lay down on one side of the bed. Turned my back to him.
"Stay," I said. "But don't touch me."
"Okay."
The bed creaked as he lay down on the other side.
We lay there in silence. The fire crackled in the other room. The wind howled outside.
"Rhea?"
"What?"
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
"I should have said it before. The night of the rejection. I should have said I was sorry."
"You weren't sorry then."
"No. I was scared."
"Scared of what?"
"Of loving someone my father could destroy."
I turned over. Faced him.
"He still can."
"I know. That's why I'm going to stop him."
"How?"
Kael reached out. His hand hovered between us.
"With you. If you'll let me."
I looked at his hand. At the black veins still visible on his wrist.
"One step at a time," I said.
"Okay."
I didn't take his hand. But I didn't turn away.
I woke to the sound of voices.
Kael was still asleep beside me. His chest rose and fell. The black veins had faded more.
I slipped out of bed. Walked to the main room.
Silas and Lena were talking in low voices.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Theron knows Kael is gone," Silas said. "He's sending search parties."
"How long until they find us?"
"A day. Maybe two."
"Then we move faster."
"Faster how?"
I looked at the papers on the table. The files. The proof.
"We take the evidence to the judges. Today."
"Today?" Lena's eyes widened.
"Today. Before Theron burns this cabin to the ground."
"Which judges first?"
"Whitmore. He's the weakest. If we turn him, Cross will follow."
Silas nodded. "I'll go."
"No. I'll go."
"He won't see you. You're a hybrid. He'll have you killed on sight."
"Then I won't tell him I'm a hybrid."
"He'll smell it."
"Then I'll wear something to cover the smell."
Lena stood up. "I have something. In my bag. Silver salts. They mask hybrid scent."
"Will they work?"
"They worked for your mother."
I changed into fresh clothes. Lena rubbed silver salts on my neck and wrists.
"How do I smell?" I asked.
"Like a pureblood."
"Good."
Kael appeared in the doorway. His face was pale. His eyes were clear.
"You're leaving," he said.
"I'm going to see Judge Whitmore."
"Alone?"
"Silas is coming with me."
"That's not what I asked."
I walked to him. Stopped a foot away.
"I'll be back."
"You don't know that."
"I know that I didn't come all this way to let you die in a cabin in the mountains."
He grabbed my hand. The bond flared.
"Come back," he said.
"Ordering me around?"
"Begging."
I pulled my hand free.
"Stay here. Rest. Don't do anything stupid."
"That's asking a lot."
"I know."
I walked out the door.
The ride to Judge Whitmore's estate took four hours.
Silas rode beside me. Silent. Watchful.
"What do you know about Whitmore?" I asked.
"He's old. Rich. Scared of his own shadow."
"Scared of what?"
"Scared of dying. Scared of losing everything. That's why he took bribes. Not for the money. For the protection."
"So he's a coward."
"The worst kind. He knows what he did was wrong. He just doesn't have the courage to fix it."
"Then we give him courage."
"How?"
"By showing him that the alternative is worse."
Whitmore's estate was a mansion on a hill.
Guards at the gate. Wolves in human form. Armed.
"State your business," one of them said.
"I'm here to see the judge."
"He's not seeing anyone."
"Tell him Rhea Vennier is here. With evidence of Moon Court corruption."
The guard's eyes widened.
"Wait here."
He disappeared inside.
Twenty minutes later, we were led inside.
Whitmore was old. Grey hair. Grey eyes. His hands shook.
"You have five minutes," he said.
I sat across from him. Silas stood behind me.
"I have files. Names. Dates. Bribes. Your name is on every page."
"Those files are lies."
"They're not. You know they're not. I know they're not. The only question is what you're going to do about it."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Testify. Against Theron. Against the Court. Tell the truth for once in your life."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then these files go to the public. Every pack. Every hybrid. Every wolf who's ever been hurt by the Court. Your name will be destroyed. Your family will be shamed. You'll die alone and hated."
Whitmore's face went pale.
"You're threatening me."
"I'm offering you a choice. Redemption or ruin."
He looked at the files. At my face. At Silas behind me.
"If I testify, they'll kill me."
"If you don't testify, we'll kill you. Not today. Not tomorrow. But eventually. The truth always comes out."
Whitmore was quiet for a long moment.
"Cross," he said. "You need Cross too."
"We're seeing him next."
"Without me, he won't talk. He trusts no one."
"Then come with us."
"Now?"
"Now."
Whitmore stood up. His hands were still shaking.
"Give me five minutes to pack."
"You have three."
He left the room.
Silas leaned down. "You're good at this."
"I learned from the best."
"My mother?"
"No. You."
We left Whitmore's estate with him riding between us.
He was quiet. Scared. But he came.
"Judge Cross lives two hours north," he said.
"Will he see us?"
"He'll see me. Whether he'll listen is another matter."
"What will convince him?"
"The same thing that convinced me. Fear."
I kicked my horse forward.
The bond pulled. Kael was awake. Waiting.
I'm coming back, I thought.
I'm bringing an army.
- Writer
