Kitra
Holy hellfire, praise the Goddess. I was free.
The door to my cage had popped open. I pocketed the small knife I’d used to work it loose and darted out between the bars.
“What’s going on?” One of the other prisoner’s called out. I jerked in surprise and threw up my hands to create a shield to protect me, only to stumble when the pain of an empty core stole my breath.
The pain of losing all but the most basic forms of magic burned through my blood as I once again reached for that part of me that was as intrinsic as an organ. Imprisoned was one thing. Bound another. I was going to do whatever it took to fix that situation.
And then I was going to find a way to strike back at my stepfather, the king of this realm, for everything he'd done.
But first I had to escape.
I picked myself up and ran. Not blindly either. Because this castle was my home too and I knew it inside and out and better than any person here. Not even my stepfather or his pet dragon, Magnus could find all of the nooks and crannies.
After weeks of being trapped in my stepfather's dungeon I was finally loose, and I planned to stay that way. The bastard was going to be livid when he found me gone, and I'd likely be hunted by his dragon. I stiffened my shoulders. That was a small price to pay, and a risk I was willing to take, for the chance at freedom.
Sliding feet first into the closest tunnel to the dungeon that would lead me out, I disappeared into the bowels of the castle. I moved as quickly as I could, clamping my lips tight so as not to squeal over every little sound behind me.
By the time I reached the kitchen and the drain that led directly outside, I could feel the weight of my world pressing down on me. I had nothing but sheer will to keep me going. And the memory of my mother. I could almost hear her voice in my head telling me to keep going. I couldn’t give up now.
I emerged through the foul mud and forced myself to breathe through my mouth, not my nose. I should have been used to gross smells by now after my time in the King’s dungeon, but just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, it did.
There were other, more pleasant ways out of the castle, but I couldn’t risk the time they would take or the chance that I’d be seen.
Plus, this tunnel led directly into the wooded area of the estate that made it easier for me to disappear in a hurry.
As I ran through the dark forest, I used what little magic I could conjure to light my way. Which meant nothing more than simple spells even a child could do. He thought he was teaching me to toe the line by locking me away, but all I knew for sure was that I hated him for this.
My mother's body had barely turned to ash when he'd arrived in my room to inform me that I would take her place by his side and in his bed.
My stomach revolted, and I choked on my own spit. If there had been anything in my stomach it would be on the ground at my feet by now. No amount of time in a locked, dank cell could ever make me want that man's hands on my body.
I leaned against a tree and heaved for breath. I'd been running for what felt like hours and my lungs burned because of it. But no matter how far I'd gone, it wouldn't be far enough.
Not with my stepfather determined to claim my virgin body and my magic. My stomach churned again as I remembered those words coming out of his mouth.
That bastard could go straight to hell. Right after I wiped the smug grin off his face. For that, though, I would need my power restored and I didn't have the first clue how to go about doing that. Well, I kind of had a clue. Or at least the name of a woman who might be able to help me. I just had to get to her before Magnus found me.
Only then did I stand a chance of surviving any of this.
I looked skyward and prayed to the Goddess that my mother couldn't see me now. It would break her heart to see what her death had led to. Or if she had to see me, then I hoped she could offer me a guiding light. Because I sure as hell needed all the help I could get.
I braced my hands on my knees and took long, deep breaths until I got my breathing under control. Magnus may be big, fast and an asshole, but I probably knew this forest better than he did. And he wouldn't risk flying at night and getting attacked by the imps and their poisonous arrows. So if he was already in pursuit, it would be on foot and I would not allow him to find me like that.
I looked around, my eyes adjusting easily to the darkness the farther ahead I looked. Some powers the king could bind, and some he could not. Short of damaging my eyes, he couldn't take my sight. And since it was a queen he wanted, I doubted he would deform me to get it. Same with my hearing.
Now that I could breathe normally again, I sucked in enough air to fill my lungs and held it.
Like this, I could focus on the sounds around me instead of in me. The leaves rustling in the wind. The branches of the trees swaying, and— Was that—?
Oh my Goddess, yes it was. I could just hear the falls and the faint tinkling of the water as it splashed into the depths below. The falls separated this kingdom from the others, and judging by the sound, they were probably less than ten miles away. I released the air in my lungs and smiled wide. That bastard had thought to put me in a cage and keep me there until I changed my mind. Ha!
Not in this lifetime.
I wanted nothing more than my freedom, and he had no idea how far I would go to get it. Just then a crack sounded behind me. I pulled the knife at my belt, swiveled around, and drew my arms in for an attack. I didn't see anything, but I had not mistaken that sound. Something or someone had stepped on a branch and broke it in half.
I surveyed the area in every direction possible, but could find nothing out of place. Still, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end and I knew never to ignore my instincts. If I was being followed, then it was on me to keep moving and do everything I could to lose them.
Keeping the knife at the ready I ran in the direction of the falls. Soon I would have to take a real rest and try to find some food in order to keep up this pace. But until then, I wove back and forth in different directions without ever losing sight of my intended path. And by the time my body gave out and I stumbled to the forest floor, I was pretty sure whoever followed me had to be lost.
I needed food and shelter. And more importantly, water. I was going on twenty-four hours since I'd escaped my prison cell and there'd been no time to grab supplies before bolting from the castle. The forest itself could offer shelter. I would find a tree worth climbing and take rest amongst sturdy branches. Food I could likely find as well, although without my power, it would be difficult to know what was safe to ingest other than a few berries.
I sighed as the frustration of my situation settled coldly into my bones. I wasn't even close to giving up, but what I wouldn't give for my comfortable bed, a meal provided for me, and the warm embrace of my mother's arms...
Wearier than I could ever recall, I pushed back to my feet and quickly found a tree to climb. A tree wouldn't protect me one hundred percent, but it would make it difficult for all but the most cunning predators to find me. Which meant I first needed to do something to hide my scent.
I wandered away from the tree in the opposite direction I intended to travel in the morning. At every quarter of a mile, I scooped up dirt and fallen leaves and rubbed them on my clothes and skin. It wasn't foolproof, but it was better than nothing. I eventually wove my way back to my chosen tree and began to climb.
After making my way about halfway up, I found the perfect spot. Where the big old branches met the trunk, nature had worn them down leaving a natural curve that would not only give me a comfortable place to rest but allow me to remain almost completely hidden. I grabbed a few of the smaller, leaf-heavy branches and broke them free. I then curled against the trunk and used the smaller branches and leaves to cover me and provide warmth.
I'd done this many times before. The nights I’d spent in the forest alone felt like an entirely different lifetime. And, well, technically they were. When the king took my mother as his bride, she had to put more of her focus on him than me, and I learned to entertain myself. I didn't mind, mostly. I preferred my company over others most days.
And the woods that surrounded the castle became my playground, my babysitter, and eventually my best friend. It was there I was free to imagine what my life could be like when I grew up. There were no rules or limits beyond what nature required to keep the balance of life and magic, and I spent every waking, and often the sleeping moments as well, under an open sky.
Although never this deep into the dark forest.
Out here on the border of the realm, the wilder creatures lived. Danger lurked around every corner, and if I wasn't careful I could fall victim. However, given the choice of the unknown versus my stepfather and his dungeon, I'd choose the chaos of the forest every time.
As my eyes drooped shut, my worries began to fade. I believed in the power of fae and even without mine, magic still thrived around me. It was all I had, and it had to be enough.
"Boo!"
I screamed, bolting upright and losing my balance. My body rolled and my hands slipped. Automatically, I reached for my magic only for the binding spell to tighten and squeeze the air from my lungs. As the pain of the spell tore through me again, I scrambled for something—anything to stop me, but it was too late. I was falling through the air when a hard, thin hand caught my wrist.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you fall."
I blinked up at the imp standing in my tree, her arm outstretched to an unnatural length as she held me firmly in her grasp.
"Please don't drop me," I begged as fear still gripped my heart. Imps weren't known to have kind hearts. They were troublemakers filled with malice.
But I was entirely too high up to survive if I fell from here. I don't know what I'd been thinking when I'd chosen that spot to sleep. I'd been so tired and I'd climbed on instinct not even considering that without my magic I could get into serious trouble.
"Can't you just—" She drew her brows together and looked at me with a myriad of questions in her dark, beady eyes. "Who would do such a thing?"
I had no idea what exactly she was talking about, but I really needed her to focus on keeping her grip on my wrist tight. "Pull me up," I pleaded.
This time she seemed to understand and she pulled me all the way into the tree until I could steady myself back into my chosen spot. "Thank you," I gasped as my heart beat out of control.
"Are you crazy then?" she asked. "What are you doing up so high if you can't fly down?"
"Habit. And I wanted to make sure no one found me, although that obviously didn't work."
She smirked. "Oh please. I've been following you for a while now as you ran through the forest like a panicked deer. Everyone out this way will have heard you by now."
I winced at her assessment. She wasn't wrong. "I did what I had to in order to make it this far. But I have to rest before I can keep going."
"And where is it you're trying to go? Isn't your kingdom back the other way?"
I looked in the direction of the castle as the grief and sadness once again washed over me. "Nay. There is nothing back there for me anymore. It's time to find a new life."
The imp looked at me like I was insane. "Out here? Are you daft? Your kind belongs in one of the fancy kingdom villages with all the baubles and pretty things. Especially someone as pretty as you."
I doubted I resembled anything remotely pretty at the moment. I was covered in dirt and sweat and certainly didn't smell pretty. "Not everything is as it seems. That fancy kingdom has its fair share of darkness too."
"And that's what you're running from? The darkness?"
I bristled against her too close assessment once again. How had we gotten into this conversation in the first place? “I never said I was running. I just need to get away.”
Her brow furrowed. “That sounds like the same thing. Are you trying to trick me?”
I shook my head. "No. You're the one who scared the life out of me, remember? I'm just not into telling strangers my life story. Why were you following me anyways? What do you want?" From my meager experience and knowledge of imps, they always wanted something and it usually came with a price you didn't want to pay.
She shrugged. "It gave me something to do."
That sounded like she needed to get a life and a total load of bullshit. I only hoped she wasn't going to try and take mine.
"I'm hardly worthy of such a game. Maybe you should head back home for the night before you are missed."
The imp laughed, a throaty, gravelly sound dark and almost threatening. "What's your name, young one?"
I blinked at her. I was the young one? She was tiny and petite—almost childlike. Since I'd never seen an imp who looked more than a child, maybe this was how they all looked no matter their age.
"How old are you?" I didn't want to give her my name. I knew how much power a name contained among the fae, and I was already feeling vulnerable enough.
"A might bit more than you," she laughed. "If that's what you're thinking."
"I'm thinking I'm grateful you helped me back into the tree, but now I need to get some sleep. I have a long journey ahead of me, and I really need some rest to get through it." I probably wouldn’t sleep a wink after this incident, but I’d say anything to get rid of her.
"That's not all you need," she mumbled. "But aye, I can see you're done talking for now. Rest. I will stay close by in case you need me."
I thought that was an odd sentiment from a stranger. And an imp at that. I'd never heard of them being particularly friendly. Most fae did their best to steer clear of them. However, I was on the verge of collapse and thus far she'd done nothing to warrant my mistrust.
I settled back into my nest, wishing it had more to keep me safe while I fought to stay alert. But my eyes drooped, and as hard as I tried to keep them open to watch her leave, I couldn't do it. Like it or not, I had to trust her intentions...
