C4 Thorne

The next day, when Daniel came to my room with fresh linens, I cornered him about his vast knowledge of the city of Thorne—a town miles away that was known for its dark dabblings and shadowy trade. It was a home to people far more powerful than myself, most of which would be imprisoned or killed for their abilities. If there was a way to rid myself of Cato take my father’s throne on my own, the answers would be in Thorne.

The problem with getting to Thorne was the forest that wrapped the city all the way around—a thick, predatory forest that ate most men up and spat them out where they’d first come in. Despite its wicked dealings, Thorne had yet to be demolished by the Southern King, because…well, it was nearly impossible to find.

Daniel had grown up just east of Thorne and knew more about the city than anyone.

He confessed, “I know of a way through, but I’ve never dared. Kori, this is not a game. Even when someone manages to get inside, the forest doesn’t always let them back out again.”

But I had no other option. I would not put my life or my territory in the hands of a monster who killed men for fun—as much as my father seemed to prefer that kind of character. If only I could escape the castle without his guards reeling me back inside.

“Daniel,” I asked, “do the chamber maids happen to have any dirty uniforms laying about?”

Daniel gave me a concerned look and bowed out of the room, returning with a rumpled uniform that smelled of dust and dampness. I cringed as I put it on, then tied my hair up into the cap. We left through the exit of the maids’ chamber, and made our way to the castle gates. I had dropped my head into my hands and pretended to cry, and all the while Daniel comforted me with gentle pats on the backs. When the guards asked our reason for leaving the castle gates, Daniel said, “Her mother is sick. We’re off to see her. We’ll return before our shifts begin.”

The giant iron gates yawned open and for the first time in years, I stepped foot freely outside the castle walls.

It would take hours to get there by foot, so we stopped at the stables and stole away with a horse when no one was looking. Daniel drove it all the way East and I hung on by the threads of his shirt.

We stopped our horse on a hill, overlooking the wicked Thorne forest. A wall of trees stretched on toward the heavens, miles long and with no end in sight. The growth was so thick, not a crack of moonlight could be seen through the brambles and bushes. It had to have been pitch black in that forest.

“This way,” said Daniel, leading me by the hand. “Quickly, we must be back before your father finds you gone.”

We followed the wall of trees to a field of tall grass, where the light from a campfire flickered. Wolves laid about the flames, gnawing on the remains of fresh game. A handful of men sat on stones, cooking meat atop the fire. They heard us approach from several yards away, their heads snapping to us in an eerie unison.

“Mind yourself,” whispered Daniel. “They are rogues.”

The word made my spine stiffen. Rogues were trouble—father had always said so. Anarchist with a distaste for civilization. Men who had abandoned their packs and run off to steal and wreck everything in their path.

The youngest of the men rose from his seat—his hair was a rebellious wreck of wild brown locks, stuck up this way and that like he’d just crawled out of bed. He wore black, like all the rogues—black with a series of three red lines marked down his bicep in ink. The insignia of his circle. He wandered closer, eyeing us.

“I’ve seen that insignia,” he said, his eyes narrowed on Daniel’s uniform. “You work for the supreme alpha, huh? The duke? The fat ape who sits comfortably in his tower while his men die?”

Daniel stepped forward to hide me in his shadow. I bit my tongue, though the insults slewed at my father burned in my ears.

“We do not come on behalf of Lord Rosenthal. We’re here for ourselves,” Daniel said. He withdrew something from his pocket, and I gawked at the sheening pocket watch that dangled from his fingertips. There was no denying it—my father was a collector of fine watches and Daniel had taken one. Snatched it right from under his nose. He’d be killed if he were ever found out.

The rogue reached out for the object and Daniel yanked it away. “You’ll get it once we reach Thorne. There’s more if you get us out safely.”

The rogue flexed a brow. “How do I know—”

“It’s real gold. Now tell me how you’ll take us there.”

The rogue grinned. “It’s all in the nose, sunshine.” He seemed to spot me for the first time, cowering in Daniels shadow. He gave a brief and theatric bow. “The name’s Viktor Bromley. They call me the hound.”

“And why do they call you that?” I dared.

“Well for one, I can smell the dinner you ate. The dry paint on your hands. That luxurious soap you use.” His eyes narrowed, keen and knowing. “You aren’t a maid for the duke at all, are you?”

“Just take us,” Daniel snapped.

The sly looking rogue withdrew his shirt from his head, rows of muscles revealed to the moonlight. “It would be wise of you to travel as wolves.” He had begun loosening the belt from his pants. “It isn’t wise to stay in the forest long.”

“We’ll make due,” said Daniel, looking shyly to the ground.

I—on the other hand—stared shamelessly at Viktor’s body. A tight, disciplined shape in the moonlight as he bundled his clothing in his arms and walked to me. “Carry this for me, will you, sweet?” I took the bundle with pink in my cheeks and watched as Viktor stepped back. He raised his head to the moon—the orb not quite full in the sky, but more than a crescent—and then he took form, imploding in a brief sheen of blood. The wolf that bloomed from the mist was the color of rust—blackish red, with amber eyes that cut through the darkness and peered into the depths of me.

“I don’t know why you hope to venture into Thorne, but heed my warning.” His voice echoed through the back of my skull. There was something about the way a wolf spoke when he wasn’t man that felt ghostly. A presence whispering in your ear, but still somehow unspoken. “This is a city of intermingling kinds. Man, wolf, witch—things you didn’t know existed before. Thorne is mutual earth between them all. They meet there with one common goal in mind: taboo magics and black markets. They are not kind people, don’t trust them.” He turned his orange gaze to the dark forest. “Or do,” he said. “What do I care?”

Then he sauntered off toward the tree lining.

Daniel and I followed, passing one another unsure glances as the wolf slipped down into a small pit that had been dug from the earth. “This is our only way in,” he told us. “You’ll have to crawl.”

So we crawled behind him, mud and bugs dirtying my filthy dress. And when we arose within the belly of the forest, it was a different world than I’d ever known before. A world so dark and chilling, I began to question my plan and everything that had led up to it.

Goddess. What was I getting myself into?