Curse Of The Dark Wind (Book 6) (8 page)

The halfling grimaces as he pulls his hand away, the pin resembling a bleeding mole in his palm. He is about to say something when Stephen snaps his fingers and a burst of darkness envelopes the soldier. The next thing Vile knows, he is standing behind a thicket on the side of a dirt road. It is an eerie night with only the blue light of Tavon, the winter moon, shining on the leafless forest. He sighs and slips his hands into his pockets, grabbing a pair of enchanted buttons that warm his fingers.

“Times like this I wish I had a favored god to pray to,” he whispers, watching his misty breath drift through the night. Checking the sky to get his bearings, General Vile takes another swig of the gin that Stephen was nice enough to let him keep. “Maybe one of you will see fit to guide my way and see me to the end of my mission. Then again, you know who I serve, so it might be best that we ignore each other.”

*****

Sari is admiring the magic dresses Nyx has made for her when a gentle knock at the door makes her smile. She lays the blue top and yellow skirt on the bed, fighting the temptation to put half of it on to greet her beloved guest. Instead, she settles for answering the door in her underwear and knee high boots of velvet and leather.

“Hello, my-” she begins, freezing when she sees that it is not Luke in the hallway.

“I’m sorry,” Delvin says, covering his eyes and turning away. “I wanted to talk to you about something and didn’t think you’d be changing.”

“I was going to wear one of my new dresses,” Sari answers, leading him into the room by his elbow. She pulls his hands down, causing the warrior to blush. “Don’t be so bashful. I’m only in my underwear. I thought you were Luke coming to have a little fun before we lose our privacy.”

Delvin clears his throat and adjusts his chainmail, shifting uncomfortably as the gypsy stares at him. “Luke is busy arguing with Nyx about the horses. She wants to ride his griffin form and he’s not agreeing. Timoran and Fizzle are trying to keep the debate civil, but I’ve already heard a few spells go off. I can wait outside while you get dressed and retain your shame.”

“Does it look like I have anything to be ashamed of?” Sari asks, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. “Honestly, look at me. My body is gorgeous and I’ve no problem wearing clothes that show it off. You city folk need to loosen up when it comes to this kind of thing. I should walk around in my underwear to teach everyone a lesson.”

“There’s a winter breeze in here and you’re shivering. I thought naiads were able to withstand the cold.”

The gypsy rubs her arms and breathes on her hands to make them warm. “Apparently, I can only hold out for so long. Guess I need the cold weather dress. Nyx said she made one for each season and bought a few normal ones. I was really looking forward to wearing the blue dress that showed off my belly and enhanced my bust.”

“I don’t think you really need that,” the warrior interjects. He blushes when she smirks and leans closer to him, his eyes quickly paying more attention to the ceiling. “You said you were proud of your body, so why enhance it? I shouldn’t be getting so worked up here. It isn’t like I haven’t seen a scantily clad woman before. Seen a lot more than that.”

Sari reaches out to pat Delvin on the cheek before spinning on her toes and returning to the bed. She digs through the pile of clothes, stuffing the warm weather outfits into her belt pouch with very little tenderness. Frowning, the gypsy holds up a dark green dress with white trimming and a simple, one-layer skirt. The garment is heavy enough to keep her warm, but it is not very flashy like the colorful clothes she prefers.

“You know why you’re flustered, right?” Sari asks as she pulls the dress over her head and looks at herself in a full-length mirror. With a groan, she takes the outfit off and tosses it into a nearby wardrobe. “I’m a close friend of the woman you love, so you see me as off-limits. If you had no interest in Nyx, you’d be admiring my beauty without fear. Should I assume your visit is about her?”

“I only wanted to know if she’s talked to you about me.”

“Not much, but only because I haven’t been around lately,” the gypsy replies. She puts on a dark red dress, smiling at how it looks with her blue hair. “She mentions you as another champion and how you saved her from Stephen. Nothing that would lead me to believe she’s interested in you, but we haven’t had many personal conversations lately. Once we’re on the road and sharing a tent, Nyx and I will have some girl talk. Though if Luke asks what we do, tell him I let it slip that we give each other massages. He’s so adorably gullible.”

The warrior takes a seat in the corner and fidgets with the tassel of a nearby curtain. “Is that why he has a fiancée and a girlfriend? Sorry, that’s the best way for me to explain it. There’s some child-like appeal to him that draws people in. Maybe I should loosen up and go with the flow like he does.”

“Don’t let Luke fool you, Delvin. He’s nervous about the day he has to choose either me or Kira. For now, he’s putting on a brave face,” Sari explains, shoving the rest of her clothes into her magic pouch. She goes to a long dresser that is covered in daggers of various sizes, which she casually checks and slips into the hidden pockets of her skirt. “I couldn’t tell you what attracts Kira to him, but I like how he’s fun and honest. You get what you see with Luke, which is sweet and rare. Even though he’s striving to be a great hero, he’s retained this country boy mentality. I think. Luke is simply Luke and you shouldn’t try to be him. Besides, if what he had was appealing to all women then Nyx would be in the running for his heart too.”

“You don’t think they ever considered a romance?”

The tower shakes as a spell goes off outside, causing Delvin to rush to the window and prepare for an attack. Far below, he sees fire on the side of the building with Luke, Fizzle and Timoran watching it die out. A pile of what the warrior at first assumes is snow shifts and collapses, revealing Nyx as she drags herself out of the mess. Dripping with foam, the half-elf is glaring at the tower, but whoever she is angry at is standing out of sight. Her rage turns to Luke, who leaps away from her tackle and continues dancing away from her wild punches.

“I don’t think it ever crossed their minds,” Sari says, joining Delvin at the window. She smiles at the skirmish that has turned into the half-elves hurling snowballs at each other while using Timoran and Fizzle as shields. “I admit to being worried at first, but I realized that the two of them have something special. If Nyx had to pick one person in the world to call family, she’d pick Luke without hesitation. Even over me, who has known her the longest, and those who raised her. Those two really are inseparable.”

“I’ve heard about their first adventure together,” the warrior admits, turning to casually examine the simple room. He finds himself wondering how long it will be before he gets to stay in a real bedroom, a thought that seems to always appear before he returns to the road. “None of us can truly understand the betrayal and suffering that they felt. I hate to call it a natural progression, but they went with the emotions of shared events and developed a powerful bond. Maybe that’s the key. Stop the flirting and let things run their course.”

“That’s a terrible idea,” the gypsy declares, grabbing the last of her gear and heading for the hallway. She holds the door open for her companion, playfully snapping her fingers to hurry him along. “With Nyx, you need to stay out there. She’ll mistake your silence and distance for losing interest. Flirting keeps your intentions known and forces her to consider her own feelings. You didn’t hear this from me, but you’re dealing with a virgin who has never had a boyfriend. She’s admitted to this, so you need to play the game carefully.”

“Nyx is a virgin?”

“Pure as the spring rains.”

Delvin startles Sari when he punches the wall, his gloved hand coming away with scuff marks on the knuckles. The gypsy prepares a calming spell on his lips, but lets it vanish when the warrior takes a deep, cleansing breath. Leaning against the stone, he shakes his sore hand and flexes his fingers. A few spots of blood have seeped through the glove, forcing him to remove it and examine his skinned flesh.

“Guess you realized why Nyx is still focused on Stephen. She’s hiding her fear with her temper, but you can sense that she isn’t right when she talks about him,” Sari says. She draws a long dagger from her boot and spins it in her hand, a cold look in her emerald eyes. “I think all of us want a piece of him. Luke and I spent a few nights discussing what we would do. I’m sure you’ve had dark thoughts along the same lines. Probably smarter to only talk about it now and not go out of our way to find the bastard.”

“As much as I hate Stephen, he’s too powerful for us to defeat,” Delvin agrees, sighing and continuing down the hallway. “Still, I refuse to run if he shows up. He’ll have to kill me to get to Nyx.”

“That’s the mentality I want to see in my friend’s suitors,” Sari declares as she skips ahead and walks backwards, gracefully taking the stairs. “Just keep that emotion out there, Delvin. If Nyx has even a glimmer of interest then I promise she’ll return your advances one day. Either that or you’ll wear her down and get a real date out of her simply to shut you up. That’s when you come to me and I’ll help you pull off the most romantic dinner in the history of Windemere. I know you can cook, but I’ve got a few culinary tricks up my sleeves that will make it a truly magical night.”

“Thanks.”

Sari bends backwards and cartwheels over the last two steps, pushing off the ground and landing on her toes. She bows and gestures for Delvin to walk ahead, the warrior gently applauding as he passes.

“I think I’ll help you right now,” the gypsy states as they reach the front door. She bounds into the garden, whipping up a curtain of snow to get everyone’s attention. “Hey, Nyxie! Delvin saw me in my underwear and said I have nothing to be ashamed of!”

“How is that helping!?” the brown-haired warrior exclaims. A blast of force knocks him back into the tower where he lands with a loud crash.

Sari skips back to the front door and grins at the young man. “She noticed you and proved that she’s a little jealous. Besides I wanted to have some fun at your expense. Need to put you through your paces, new guy.”

“Then I should return the favor,” he growls while standing and securing his shield to his forearm. Sticking his head out the door, he meets Nyx’s furious gaze with a smirk. “Sari told me about your . . . lack of experience. I won’t say anything more than that.”

“Like she’s going to understand that,” the gypsy mutters with a derisive laugh. Sari is flipped upside down by a gust of wind, her skirts used to hang her from a flagpole that grows out of the tower. “Well played, Mr. Cunningham, well played.”

3

“I thought you said this would take a week and a half,” Sari whispers, lazily laying along the bare back of her horse. The dark red beast whinnies, calming down when she strokes its ivory mane. “It’s been that long and we’re not there yet. I’m bored.”

“We can only go as fast as our slowest rider,” Luke loudly answers.

“I heard that, little brother!” Nyx shouts from far behind the group.

“Just making sure you’re still there, big sis!”

The caster fights the temptation to hurl a fireball at Luke, her mount already tensing at her palpable rage. She urges the black steed to move faster, but pulls back when it feels like the beast is about to gallop into the wintery forest. Her luck with horses being repeatedly terrible, Nyx has been struggling to remain calm and patient with the animal. The result has been a slow trot that keeps her several yards behind her friends, who have given up trying to coax her into moving faster.

“We can’t blame Nyx alone,” Delvin says, glancing back at the distant half-elf. He turns his attention to the sky as if to examine the clouds. “The blizzard a few days back hasn’t helped. The path is covered and the horses need to rest more often. At this rate, we should be there in another two or three days. Hope Fizzle doesn’t get bored waiting for us.”

“I told you guys to leave me behind and I’d catch up!” Nyx yells. Her horse rears back and she clings to its neck while singing a soothing song to calm the beast.

“Somebody needs to teach her how to ride a horse,” Sari whispers, sitting up on her relaxed steed. “This is ridiculous.”

“I do not believe that will help,” Timoran claims, straddling a large horse that dwarfs the others. The barbarian and his muscular mount plow ahead, creating an easier path for the others. “They do not appear to like her. I wonder if they fear her magic or sense her temper. One needs to have a calm heart and mind to deal with animals. Otherwise progress is slow and we get trapped in a blizzard.”

Nyx glares at the burly warrior, her senses enhanced with a spell in order to eavesdrop on her allies. “Thought you were used to this type of weather, big man. Don’t start getting touchy with me. I’m trying my best here.”

“I never said you were not trying!” Timoran calls back, his keen ears picking up her voice with ease. “As for the weather, I am worried about the rest of you and your exposure to the cold. This reminds me of home, but more trees and less stone.”

“During the winter, my clan would move to the warmer areas or settle near the hot spring regions of the north,” Sari says wistfully. She reaches up to scoop snow off a branch and rolls it into a ball, making everyone a little cautious. “Traveling in these conditions was ridiculous because you could easily become stuck. There was one year that another clan was caught in a storm and they froze to death. In other words, it’s too dangerous to travel in the winter, so we should move quickly while our luck holds out.”

“Let’s stop complaining and focus on moving forward,” Luke requests, pulling his cloak and jacket tighter around him. “Am I the only one who can get cold here?”

“I’m part naiad.”

“Barbarians are used to this weather.”

“I’ve been using warmth spells, little brother!”

Delvin shivers slightly as the blonde half-elf watches him. “I feel a chill.”

“I hate you all,” the forest tracker whimpers.