When All is Lost

27.

You would think that knowing there were soldiers nearby, a renegade King would want to escape. But, no.

Nate plants himself firmly on the perfectly manicured lawn and stands his ground.

"We can't just leave a house of unarmed Fae without any protection." He says.

"I agree, but the house doesn't want us here, and maybe we should trust that," I argue, wincing before he retorts because I know how stupid that sounds.

"You want to trust a house." His words hold so much sarcasm he might fall over with the weight of it.

"Look, Bronson said we weren't safe there. The house kicked us out minutes before soldiers appear at the gate. I vote for letting magic do it's thing, and living to fight another day." I pull my cloak around me, glad I'd been using it as a blanket before I was unceremoniously evicted.

Around us the shadows are swirling, Inkspot clearly isn't happy either. His wolf shape keeps dissolving into the three-legged cat, and then back. Never a good sign.

"Nate, please, let's just move." I grab hold of him again, but he backs away.

The soldiers are at the gates now, splitting into groups and surrounding the house, they're so close we can hear voices.

"Who's there?" The commander of the troop bellows and Nate freezes.

"It's just some shadow." Another joins a moment later.

"No one's lived here for years." The group that had slipped around the back yelled returning. "The roof has caved in, this whole valley seems abandoned."

I see Nate move closer to them. He must be visible to them now, but still, they don't respond. I will him not to speak, my fingernails cutting into my palms I'm so tense.

"Alright, set up camp and we'll move on to the next one tomorrow. Good work lads." The commander says as the men split apart moving to the soft bit of land on the lake's frozen edge.

I slowly moved over to where Nate was standing. He was clearly in view, anyone might see him if they just turned and yet. They hadn't.

"Am I your prisoner?" Nate asks quietly as we stand side by side watching the soldiers. In the distance the village burns still, the odd crack breaking the night air as a roof collapses.

"That's such a weird question," I respond, hardly taking it seriously.

"I'm curious because you just hid me from view without my permission. Stopping me going back home." Nate's breathing is heavy as though it's an effort to stay calm.

"No, you're not my prisoner. Also, I didn't do anything just then."

"Of course you did, he said it. All he could see was a shadow, well Shadow Mage, who else did it?" His voice is louder now but still, no one notices, no one even glances our way.

"I don't know, but, as I said, maybe it's the house." I don't bother whispering either. What was the point?

"It's a house!" Nate yells, and I stare at the soldiers who are mere feet from the gate as they carry on regardless to the couple fighting on the lawn.

Something else is happening now though. As if Nate's insult is the final straw the path rears up around us, tossing us into the air. We fly higher than the gates, trying to grab at one another for some form of support and then, with a sickening jolt, the path disappears from under us and we hang momentarily in mid-air. Nate's eyes go wide for one whole second before we plummet back down to earth. I don't have time to think let alone draw on the sprites.