Vowed (50 page)

‘What will you do?’ Dante asks him curiously. ‘He’ll know that you’ve been here too, that you’ve been talking to Brixi. It’s obvious that you’ve
been here before and Brixi isn’t much of a liar, I’ll be honest.’

Thorn grins at his cousin and claps him on the shoulder. ‘My father does well when confronted with truth, Dante. He ignores it and makes up a version of events that suits him
better.’

I’m surprised by Thorn’s cynical tone; it’s very different to his deferential behaviour towards his father in the past.

‘You need to be leaving,’ Brixi says.’ I’ve not scried for them but I know more are coming.’

Thorn nods brusquely and stands up to go and speak to Brixi. They seem to be talking about the captives.

‘I don’t want to leave the kids,’ I say to Aiden and Dante. ‘We promised we’d bring them home.’

‘Kit, you heard what both Brixi and Dante said. If we move the kids, the Veil tears. This is bigger than us rescuing some kids. Far bigger. This is crazy business.’ Aiden’s
face is serious as he looks over the sleeping children and the immobile goddess. ‘Besides, I’m sure you thought about this yourself, but what if your parents died because of what they
found out about her?’ His voice dropped even lower. ‘You have to admit it makes sense, Kit. We’ve seen how screwed up things get when the Fae are involved.’

I curse and nod at him, missing Thorn to lean against. ‘I know. This is an even bigger mess than I’d first thought. I’d like to resign from this job now. I’m tired.
I’m tired of the mess, the fuss, the blood, the fighting, the getting hurt.’ I’m whining and I just don’t care. ‘All of it, really.’

Aiden gives me a quick hug. ‘Sorry, matey. This isn’t just a job. It’s family.’

I rest my forehead briefly against his shoulder before nodding.

I push away from him and find the bloody shirt I’d discarded. Using my knife, I cut the right arm off at the elbow, so the fabric won’t touch my wound. Next I shrug into my jacket,
wincing as it scratches against the cut. But as it’s the only warm thing I have, it will have to do.

Brixi looks stoic as we leave him standing in the doorway to the goddess’s chamber. I keep checking over my shoulder until he’s completely out of sight. Thorn rests
a comforting hand on my shoulder as we move as silently as possible back through the tunnels. There are echoes of voices from somewhere and dogs barking but Thorn moves swiftly and surely, leading
us further into the fortress.

‘This doesn’t feel right,’ I say for the umpteenth time. ‘We can’t just leave the goddess and those kids behind.’

Thorn catches hold of my hand and pushes me ahead of him. ‘Come on, this is bad enough, don’t make it worse.’

‘How are you going to keep this hidden from your father?’ This comes from Dante. He’s less pale now we’ve left the cave. I think the fact that we’re all armed
probably helps too. I know I feel better for it. Holding onto a sword, even if you can’t really use it, goes a long way to giving you courage.

‘I’m not going to bother keeping it from him, I’ve decided.’ Thorn’s expression is dark. ‘It’s time my father admitted some of his secrets.’ He
takes out a gold coin that’s maybe the size of a fifty-pence piece. ‘The Fae who attacked us all had these coins in their possession. They’re from my father’s personal
treasury.’

I roll my eyes because of course Aelfric of Alba would have his own personal treasury
and
coins – why not?

‘Will the coins be proof enough to confront him about the goddess and the children?’ Aiden asks. ‘He can always say they were taken without his say-so.’

‘I doubt it.’ Thorn flips the coin in the air, catches it and hides it away on his person. ‘Even the king is not above being questioned by his ministers if they find out that
one of the Faceless has been breaking covenants to supply an Elder God with children. An Elder God everyone thinks was banished . . .’ He grimaces. ‘Imagine the outcry. And if
it’s revealed that my father was guarding the fortress in which the goddess was housed . . . there would be a lot of questions.’

‘What would it mean for your family, though?’ Aiden asks him. ‘Won’t there be problems?’

Thorn shrugs. ‘Yes. My father would rage and he’d be forced to deal with the repercussions of lying to allies. It would be a good look on him. The outrage levelled against him would
be considerable.’

‘You sound dangerously like you’re looking forward to this,’ Dante points out. ‘It could all go very badly wrong for you.’

Thorn’s expression is resolute. ‘I’m prepared to take the chance. There has to be another way to keep the Otherwhere safe and the Veil protected. We can’t rely on a
goddess that’s been trapped against her will and whose magic might fail anyway.’

We fall silent for a while, Aiden and Dante leading the way while Thorn and I hang back a little.

‘What do we do when we leave here?’ I ask Thorn, feeling a bit forlorn.

‘We stay in touch,’ he replies without a moment’s hesitation. His voice is low, keeping our conversation private. ‘I can’t not talk to you. Or hear what
you’re doing. Sometimes, when I scry, I sense you and wonder if you’re sad. I want nothing more than to make you smile.’

He’s so honest about this it makes my heart ache.

‘Thorn, we can’t do this,’ I say, lagging behind so the others pull ahead of us even more. ‘Things are going to get bad in the next few weeks when we try and figure out
where to go next with these secrets. We can’t have this, this
thing
we have.’
What the hell am I doing?
‘You know it’s not allowed, us being together.
It’s your law.’

His expression is haunted but he nods, slowly, reluctantly. ‘I know. I’m sorry.’

‘We have to abide by the rules, right?’ I watch his handsome face. ‘Sometimes.’

‘I don’t want to. They are laws made by old and frightened lords keen to protect the purity of ancient bloodlines.’ He looks pained but forces a smile. ‘If only
we’d been dealt different fates.’

‘I’m human and you’re a Sidhe prince fulfilling some grand prophecy. Nothing about us would ever not be complicated.’
Why am I saying these things? Why am I pointing
out to him all the nos?

He pulls me to a standstill and I turn to face him. ‘I need you to know something. Those rules made years ago are not my rules. Never mine.’ He moves closer until it’s up to me
to take half a step forward but I hesitate, fear making me a coward. He reaches up and tucks a curl behind my ear. ‘But I know what you’re saying. I hear it here.’ He touches his
head. ‘And I hear it here.’ He touches his heart. ‘But here’s the thing: something tells me that you and I have something very special, Kit. It makes me reject these
out-of-date values and rules. I don’t care about them or what my father would say. Or for that matter the objections from any of the Courts in Alba, or the other noble families across the
Otherwhere. I grew to know you over a few days when the world was upside down, Kit. You showed me that you are someone very special indeed, someone who is smart, kind and loyal. Strangely, I
can’t get enough of your smile and, since I said goodbye to you, you are all I think about, and every night I pray to the gods to keep you safe.’ His smile is embarrassed and cute.
‘I sound ridiculous. I’m sorry, I’m not good with words.’

I bite my lip. ‘You’re fine with words,’ I say. ‘But we have to figure this out, Thorn. Sooner, rather than later, because you are a distraction and danger to my mental
health.’ I try to joke but it sounds horribly as if I’m about to cry.

His hand cups my cheek and he leans breathlessly close.

‘Can I kiss you, Kit Blackhart? Before we figure things out and it turns out not the way I want it to be?’

In answer, I sway towards him but don’t close the distance between us. His lips are warm and soft on mine and I sigh, feeling my eyes flutter shut. I shiver at the sensations drowning me,
as I suddenly feel warm all over. Then his arm tugs me towards him and I let him pull me against him.

The kiss is even more devastating than the first time we kissed. My traitorous hands creep up, across his shoulders and tangle in the mess of hair at the back of his neck. I feel him rather than
hear him murmur something against my mouth.

His one hand curls around my hip in a gesture of pure ownership and the other wraps itself in my own hair. I give in to my utterly female need to be held and kissed by this gloriously beautiful
boy and open my mouth against his.

I lose track of time and I’m sure we stand there kissing for an eternity, but even so, when he lifts his head from mine and his eyes open to look down at me, it feels too soon.

‘You are a drug, Kit Blackhart. The more I’m around you, the more I want to hold you.’

I mean, come on. Any girl in her right mind would want to hear something like this, from someone as incredible as him. I’m certainly not immune to his words or the heat in his gaze. I wrap
my hand around his, duck my head as if I’m twelve and smile a secret smile that must tell him everything I can’t quite say out loud.

‘Are you guys done?’ Aiden calls back towards us. His voice is impatient but his expression holds too much devilry. ‘We’re almost out.’

We turn and walk the rest of the way in silence, Thorn and I walk along the passage, our fingers linked.

Aiden and Dante are waiting for us at the top of the stairs and Thorn takes point, easily leading us out of the ruined palace. It looks to be late morning and I wonder how long we’ve been
down in the caves. He guides us back through the village and across the clearing towards the forest.

I draw back in fright when I see the pale hounds sitting just within the treeline. They look
other
with their pink-red eyes and Anubis-like postures. They’re all sitting at
Nura’s feet, so can’t be a threat, but they’re so motionless that it’s freaky. Nura acknowledges us with a wave and gives Thorn a nod.

‘My prince.’ Her smile is brief and a bit stiff. ‘I thought the hounds belonged to Odalis so I was surprised to see them roaming the forest. Then I remembered you were her
guest.’

‘Nura.’ Thorn inclines his head respectfully. ‘They are hers and she allows them to accompany me on my rambles. I stumbled across your charges while exploring the ruins of the
old palace.’ He turns to look at us and his gaze lingers on my face before he turns back to her. ‘I think you should make sure they journey back to the Frontier from here. The forest
isn’t safe. Not even for the likes of us.’

‘Crow is nearby. I think it’s best if we start immediately.’

Thorn turns to shake hands with Aiden but Aiden pulls him into a hug instead. ‘Stay in touch, Thorn. Don’t leave it so long next time. We miss you, dude.’

‘It was good meeting you,’ Dante says to Thorn, gripping his hand firmly. ‘I look forward to talking to you. Soon.’

Thorn keeps hold of his hand but looks at me. ‘Get him to the Free Fae. They will look after him and introduce him to his kami family when he’s ready.’ Then he’s speaking
to Dante and there’s urgency in his voice. ‘You’re not your father’s son. Don’t ever think that, no matter what others may try to make you believe.’ He hesitates
and I see the formality of his upbringing war within for just a second before he draws Dante into a hug. ‘We have fought together and I am proud to call you friend and family.’

‘Thank you. For everything.’ Dante’s voice is sincere, but I see his pain at the mention of his family. Aiden drapes an arm around Dante’s shoulder and my heart is heavy
for him. The poor guy’s been through so much in such a short period of time, it makes me feel so bad. For both of them.

Thorn fiddles with something around his neck before he pulls me towards him and presses it into my hand.

‘I’ve been carrying this around for a little while now. I made it for you.’

I take the object from him. For a second the pendant makes no sense but then I realize what it is. It’s a small scrying mirror, made of black obsidian set in a circle of silver, suspended
from a silver chain.

‘Do you remember my lullaby? I worked on this for months, so it should find me wherever I am. Give us a chance, Kit. We deserve it.’

He closes my hand over the little mirror and kisses my forehead.

A roar from somewhere in the forest dumps me straight back into reality and I jerk with fright. There’s the sound of something big crashing through the forest and loud voices and dogs
barking.

‘Odalis’s guards have found me,’ Thorn says quickly. ‘I didn’t even think we’d get the chance to say goodbye. At least we got that. Now, go quickly and
don’t look back.’

Aiden’s by my side before I can even react to Thorn’s words. He grabs my hand and we start running, with Nura guiding us, just as the treeline explodes to the left and three ogres,
the size of trucks, charge towards Thorn. There’s the tell-tale feel of Thorn tapping into his magic, the familiar buzz and hum of it against my skin. We reach the far side of the glade and
Nura and Dante are sprinting ahead, but I pull back against Aiden’s guiding arm and look back. As I do, I see Thorn throw one last look at me over his shoulder before he shifts shape and
lights up the clearing in a blaze of fire.

Even in daylight, the light from the exploding fire is so bright I have to throw my hand up to cover my eyes, but I still catch most of Thorn’s transformation into a burning golden
dragon.

It’s something that will be forever imprinted in my mind as Thorn’s bloodline reveals its other true form. Aiden yells something, but I can’t make it out as he locks his arm
around my waist and drags me with him. We retreat further into the coolness of the forest, while behind us there’s just the incredible noise of roaring and flames.

Praise for
Banished

‘de Jager’s fantasy world is enthralling and immersive, many fathoms deep . . . wonderful’

Mike Carey

‘One action-packed story! Full of battles, weapons, mythical creatures and, of course, magic – it’s guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat from start
to finish’

Guardian