It was a half mile walk before I came to a main road just as a passing caravan of wagons came through. I spotted a transport, a carriage driver whose sole job was to travel between the kingdoms. His carriage was empty, and he didn’t have any of the kingdom’s banners on display, which meant he wasn’t currently hired for transport. I waved him down, and the driver pulled out of the caravan to the side of the road.
His team of horses were not normal horses but part fae. The size of their hooves and the excess undercoat that covered their bodies bespoke their heritage. They were a hardy breed able to travel long distances without water or stops. As I passed the horses, I could see the slight shimmer along their coat. The driver tied my trunk to the back and asked where I was going.
“To the capital city of Thressia,” I answered, grinning as I stepped into the carriage.
The driver closed the door and looked up at my tower in the distance. His carefree smile dropped, and his brows creased with worry. “You didn’t see anyone from that old tower, did you?”
I was shocked and a bit appalled. I leaned forward, placing my elbow on the window ledge. Lying easily, I said, “No, I didn’t. Why?”
“I hear that they’re witches,” he whispered, as if telling me a secret. “They’ll cast a spell on you and steal your children in the night.” He unwrapped the banner for Thressia and hung it on my door, signaling other travelers that he was available for more fares.
“Really,” I breathed out, pretending to be interested but holding back my finger from spinning a spell in anger.
“I heard they ensnare men and eat their hearts so that they stay young.” He had finished and wiped his hands on his pants as he leaned close to the open window.
“Who? Who said they eat hearts?” I cried in outrage at the lies.
“To cross paths with one of them evil sisters is to cross paths with the devil himself.” He made a cross motion over his heart, and I couldn’t take another insult, and there was no way I was going to be stuck in this carriage the whole ride listening to his libels.
I touched my finger to his mouth, shushing him before drawing a sigil over his top lip. His mouth gaped open in surprise, and he tried to speak, but nothing came forth. His face turned red, and he started to yell but, again, nothing.
“No, you’re wrong. A spurned woman is far worse than the devil. Maybe less talking for the rest of our ride? What say you? Then I’ll gladly reverse the spell once I’ve reached my destination.”
The driver nodded and quickly clambered into the upper seat, grabbing the reins. I knocked the sideboard for his attention, and he swung back, fear in his eyes. Secretly, I drank in that fear. Fear meant power, and I loved power.
“By the way, we’re not evil. We’re Eville.” My smile was slow and cruel, and it made him shiver in his boots. He bobbed his head and snapped his whip. We were off.
Leaning back against the soft cushioned bench, I watched our tower fade into the distance. I opened up the wrapped package from my sister. It was a compact mirror—silver, circular, and small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. Perfect for keeping in touch in case of an emergency. I put it into my drawstring purse for safekeeping.
I had been to many of the outlying towns in Candor, but never the capital city of Thressia. I had heard about the progressive and colorful kingdom and seen it through the mirror, but this was the first time I’d gotten to go there. After traveling to Florin and stopping a war, I was not as eager to head into the unknown. Maeve could not be contained and frequently went farther beyond the confines of our town, even though it was against our mother’s wishes.
In the middle of the night, I’d hear her tapping on the window to get in. I’d open it, and she’d fly into the room in a whirl of feathers as she transformed back into her nightdress. Her eyes glassy and cheeks flushed from excitement. She never shared with us where she went or what she did during the night. After all, what was one more secret in the house of Eville?
Chapter Four
The carriage rocked, slowing as we entered the city of Thressia. I stared out the window in awe. It was different than my small town. Where Nihill was like an old babbling brook with few newcomers coming and going, Thressia was a raging river. People of all ethnicities and races moved among the streets, some on horses and others on tamed fae creatures, a few on wagons that moved with steam-powered contraptions. When the loud churning of a steam wagon passed me, I tried to study the copper mechanism and looked for the hint of magic that must power the cart. My mouth fell open when I saw a young man balancing on a two-wheeled thing that was propelled by his scrawny legs.
Fascinating. My word, how odd and different this kingdom was from Florin and Baist.
We had been traveling almost nonstop for the last two days. Every waystation we came to, the driver would feed his fae horses, pat them down, and take only short breaks where he would sleep for a few marks, and then we would be back on the road. He never stopped to pick up any passengers, even though he had the opportunity to increase his fare. I believe he was working on fear and very little sleep.
I, on the other hand, spent most of my time worrying, and sleeping—trying to figure out how I was going to exact revenge, and praying that I wouldn’t screw it up and dishonor my family.
I wanted to ask the driver if we had reached Thressia, but then I remembered the curse I placed on him. Drat. He couldn’t tell me, unless I removed the curse, and I wasn’t sure if I could duplicate it with as much success a second time. The driver came to a stop as he waited for traffic to clear.
“Excuse me,” I called out the window at a young boy walking the street, carrying a load of wood far too large for his diminutive shoulders. The boy turned, his face hollow and dark circles hanging under his hungry eyes. His hair was matted, and his pants covered in dirt. “Yes, milady?” His face turned up in the hopes of earning a coin or an odd job. He put down his load.
“What city is this?” I jabbed my finger out and made a circle to encompass everything.
“You are in the Thressia,” he answered, reaching to pull up his pants that had begun to sink low on his boney hips.
“Oh, how wonderful,” I said, relieved that we had arrived, but now unsure of what my next step would be. I bit my lip and debated my options.
He tilted his head and studied me. “You here for the big to-do up at the palace?”
“Why, yes, I am.”
“Do you have lodging?”
“No, not yet.”
“All of the inns have been booked out for days. You ain’t gonna find any here.”
Double drat! I hadn’t thought that far in advance.
He shifted his feet, and his eyes looked to the ground. “If you haven’t found a place to stay, I’d suggest Madam Pantalonne’s Broken Heart tavern. She has a few rooms to let. Just make sure you lock your door at night.”
At this point, I would have taken any lodging at all, even a stable, if it meant that I could stay within the city limits. He reached down to pick up his load and hefted it back onto his shoulders. His face winced under the pressure, and I could imagine his bones cracking under the weight like brittle twigs.
“Where are your parents?” I asked, now utterly confused as to why he looked like a breeze could knock him over. His spindly legs were shoved into boots that were too big for him.