Chapter Two

The forest closed upon her like a pair of jaws.

"Sleep 'ere," Rafi grunted, pointing to a slender bed with a straw mattress and a heavy quilt. I drew my cloak tighter around my body as I watched him stomp over to the basin in the corner of his room. He stooped slightly to glower at himself in the cracked mirror, pulling at the skin of his jaw to inspect the shadow of a beard. I caught his eye in the reflection. "Is there a problem?" he asked.

"I want to leave now," I insisted.

Rafi laughed before he bent down to splash water over his face with a tense curse. He straightened, water rolling down his rough skin. "Look, hen, I had a lot of ale t'night," he muttered, kicking off his heavy boots before he settled down on an overstuffed armchair. "I'm no going anywhere until I sleep."

I narrowed my eyes. "It's safer to travel at night."

Rafi laughed again. I was starting to hate the sound. "Oh, sure," he mocked, "if ya want ta get killed."

"It's easier to hide in the dark," I insisted.

Rafi waved me off before he reached for the back of his shirt and pulled it off, revealing a thick, raised scar spanning the entire length of his abdomen just underneath his belly button. I couldn't help but stare.

"I don' want ta fight with ya," Rafi slurred, his thick lashes dropping heavily over pale eyes. He was falling into a drunken stupor as I watched. "We'll get on in the mornin'"

A moment later he was snoring.

I paced for about an hour, watching Rafi and waiting for him to wake up. He didn't. I rummaged through the room but it was devoid of any personal belongings aside from his clothes. I wasn't sure if he was renting this room in the back of the pub or if he lived here. I only knew that his Aunt watched him constantly, anxiously.

His Aunt was watching when we shook hands, glaring when he'd brought me behind the bar and into his room.

Without much option, I laid down on the straw cot, drawing off my light blue cloak and draping it over me like a blanket. The candle was burning low across the room, about to flicker and die at any moment. I used the last of the light to look around the room.

There was no window and only one tiny door, too small for Rafi to get through without sloping and turning on his side. The floor was stone, glistening under the basin where Rafi had been careless with the water, letting it spill to the ground.

Besides the bed I was lying in, the chair Rafi was slumped in, and the armoire that held his clothes—there was nothing else in the room. I eyed the former soldier suspiciously, staring again at the scar that spanned his belly. He was rugged and burly—a man born and bred in the North.

He was the sort of man my mother had warned me about. The kind of man she described as dangerous. With an attraction to alcohol, the Devil's temper, and physical strength to back up his big mouth—Rafi was the epitome of what my mother wanted me to avoid.

"You're not here anymore," I told her, whispering so I didn't wake Rafi.

I watched the candle flicker, hearing her voice in the shadows that danced across the walls.

"He's dangerous," she scolded.

"I don't have a choice," I argued, my neck heating at the idea of her disappointment.

"Find Yanna," she instructed.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm trying."

She never replied.

I curled around the hollowness that suddenly eroded my stomach, twisting my body to protect the deep ache that resonated deep inside. A coldness swept over me and I pulled my cloak tighter to my body, burrowing my face into the crook of my elbow.

Find Yanna.

That had been my mother's last words before Damatha sliced her throat open.

I didn't sleep. I heard Rafi's Aunt and cousin wake up, heard them make breakfast and set about the task of setting up the tavern for another day of business. I stood and tightened the laces of my boots before pulling my cloak back over my shoulders.

I walked over to the basin and plunged my hands into the frigid water. I dried them on my cloak, my fingers skimming over my tattooed fingers. I was given those tattoos when I turned ten, a gift from my mother who had the moon cycle tattooed across her fingers as well.

My reflection was thrown back at me from the cracked mirror. I leaned closer, catching sight of my face for the first time in some time. My hair nearly reached the bottom of my breast as it fell in thick, dark blue waves. My skin was pale, courtesy of a cold climate and a long Winter season.

"Fuck," Rafi grunted as he sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. He blinked a few times, eyes bleary and jaw slack. He jumped when he saw me. "What in the name of the Goddess—"

I held up my hands and he flinched, jumping up and reaching to his belt. I watched his eyes drop to the floor by the door where he had dropped his weapon's belt. "I'm Lee, remember?"

"I know who the fuck ya are," he growled, reaching up to rub his temple. "I remember meetin' ya last night in the bar, no?"

I nodded.

He sat back down. "Aleena Ashwood," he mumbled to himself in disbelief.

I tugged my gloves back on. "We need to leave."

Rafi sent me a dry look. "Goddess, yer..."

"Persistent," I suggested. A look of confusion crossed his face. "Determined," I supplemented, "resolute."

"Persistent," he repeated, as if absorbing the word. He shrugged. "I was just goin' say yer were a pest." He laughed to himself and thundered over to his armoire, pulling out a thick white long-sleeve with leather ties at the neck. He dropped his pants a second later and I turned around, cheeks buzzing as he swapped out his pants for clean ones.

I didn't turn back around until I heard him tie up his boots and shrug on his woolen jacket. "Is this where you live?" I asked, looking around at the squat room again.

Rafi's face become defensive. "Do ya got a problem with it?"

I made a motion for him to hurry up. He grunted as he pulled on his weapon's belt, adjusting the sword at his hip and straightening his hatchet. The flame tattoo on his neck stretched as he looked down, his black hair obscuring those pale eyes.

He grabbed a small satchel from underneath the cot and threw it around his shoulders before opening the door for me and ushering me through. I narrowed my eyes as we headed back out into the bar, his Aunt and cousin pausing their chores to watch us enter the room.

"And where do ya think yer goin'?" Rafi's Aunt questioned, setting her broom aside as she placed a hand on her son's shoulder.

Rafi raided through the basket of fruit on the bar top, tossing me a green apple before pocketing two for himself. "I'm goin' ta be gone for a while," he said briskly, disappearing into the kitchen and coming back with a loaf of bread wrapped in a white cloth and a hunk of cheese. I thought I spotted a few pieces of dried deer too.

"Gone?" his Aunt repeated, voice rising as she glared at me.

Rafi nodded. "Aye," he grunted.

"Rafi," she scolded, scurrying forward to place a hand on his chest. Her light eyes flitted to me. "Is that who I think it is?" she asked.

"Aye," Rafi deadpanned.

His Aunt scowled at me. "Why don't ya..." She raised both eyebrows.

Rafi threw his head back as he laughed. "She wants me ta capture ye," Rafi explained to me, making his Aunt's face light up with embarrassment. Rafi hugged his Aunt swiftly. "She's a witch," he said, wriggling his fingers. "If she wanted ta, she'd kill us all." His eyes met mine. "Witches don't care much for human lives, Aunt Bee."

Bee dropped her eyes and grabbed her son again, pulling the young boy close to her chest. "I just thought—" She shook her head and mumbled apologies.

"Trust me," Rafi grunted, throwing a wry smile my way. "I considered capturing her and dragging her to Damatha to plead for ma freedom already," he admitted. "But I saw her scowl and tattoos and thought better."

I stiffened. "We need to leave."

Rafi nodded, drawing his Aunt close again to plant a kiss on her forehead before he rifled his cousin's hair. "Next time ya see me, I'll be a free man—I promise ye that."

Bee clutched Rafi's jacket. "Be careful, Rafi," she pleaded, "come back to us in one piece."

Rafi nodded and then nudged his head towards me. I passed by his Aunt without a word, breaking into the early morning light with watery eyes. Rafi let the door fall shut behind us and stood at the threshold of the tavern for a long moment, looking out into the woods.

His hair appeared even darker against the white landscape, his eyes damn near translucent under a winter morning's bleary sky. I watched as he sucked in a long breath, his body almost trembling. Then he let out a quick laugh and pressed on.

"So we're heading to Nordika?" Rafi presumed.

I shook my head. "No, I can't go there yet." Nordika was the small, Northern city where the Northern Witches lived. It was where Damatha currently resided. It had been my home until I was thirteen.

Rafi's footsteps faltered, the tavern still in sight. "What do ya mean?" he pressed.

I turned in frustration. "I can't go to Nordika yet. I have to go to Edensaw."

Rafi was silent for a moment before he burst out into laughter.

"What's funny?" I growled.

"Edensaw doesn't exist," Rafi chortled, clutching his stomach where his scar lay. "I didne know why ya want ta waste yer time, hen."

"You're wasting my time," I shot back.

Rafi sighed. "I think this is where we part ways, lass," he informed me, turning his broad back to me as he began to stalk back towards the tavern. My heart leapt at the idea of being alone again. "I can't help ya if ya think Edensaw exists."

"Wait!" I yelped.

He kept walking.

I ran over to him lifting my boots to fight the snow. I grabbed onto his arm and he paused, peering down at me through thick lashes. His cheeks were already red from the cold. "I can't go to Nordika without going to Edensaw first."

"Why?" he asked.

I sucked in a breath. "You won't understand."

He pulled away. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're human," I said, thinking it obvious.

Rafi settled at this response. "I can understand," he insisted.

"What do you know about Witches?"

"They did teach us some things in Damatha's Army," Rafi snipped, "I know all about you, Aleena Ashwood." I recoiled at the emotion in his voice, at the rage.

"You don't know anything about me," I insisted, fearing that I was wrong.

Rafi laughed bitterly and I longed for his annoying yet kind chuckle. "Oh I know about your mum—Ava Ashwood. I know she was killed right before yer eyes when ya were thirteen. I know ya only escaped because five other witches gave their lives ta save ya. I know ya wept in yer mum's blood, I know you shed tears that turned to ice before they hit the ground, and I know ya ran like a coward."

I was a frozen tundra inside.

"I know things about you too," I snapped, my fingers turning blue beneath my leather gloves. "I know you're a dumb inbred. I know you didn't get to go to school and I know you probably can't read. I know you drink and fight and fuck your life away. I know you're a bully and a coward yourself because you defected from the army you signed up for. I also know you have no principles because if you did, you'd hand me to your Queen but instead you're capitalizing on the opportunity to save your own skin."

"Guess all ya want," Rafi answered coldly, "but know that is all ya can do. I know who gave you the tattoos on yer hands. I know who taught ya all the fancy words that come out of yer mouth. I've seen the room ya were born in and I saw the room where yer mother was slaughtered. I tracked ya for years, witch, I've known ya since ya were thirteen."

I bristled at that, unsettled by the idea that Rafi had spent years of his life hunting me down.

His smile was twisted. "I know yer a fucking lost pup, I know ya don't know what yer doin' and I know ya need ma help. So, let me give you some free advice—Edensaw doesn't exist. Even a dumb inbred knows that."

I stood stock still as he turned and started walking away again.

"Wait," I yelled, "please—I'm sorry."

He stopped.

I bit my lip. "You're right. I do need your help." He turned and I took a step forward. "But you are wrong about Edensaw, I know it exists. My mother died before I could unbind my powers, the witches at Edensaw are my only hope to get my powers unbound. My only hope of killing Damatha."

Rafi rubbed his jaw as he approached, towering over me as he glared. "I don't have the time for yer legends and myths," he spat, "I travelled North to where Damatha thought Edensaw was. We found nothin' there."

"Please," I begged.

Rafi was silent for a long moment as he looked over my head into the forest beyond. "I have ta come back 'ere," he mumbled, "I have ta come back for ma Aunt, do ya understand that?"

I nodded.

He met my eyes. "If it comes down to me or you, I will choose me."

I swallowed. "Okay—fine."

Rafi swore and we started to walk.

We made it about five hundred yards before we started to bicker. Rafi wanted to plan where we were going to stop for the night and I wanted to push on until the next morning, preferring to travel at night.

He was also hogging the food.

"Yer a right fancy hunter," Rafi insisted as he stuffed his face with cheese and bread. "We used ta find yer traps all o'er the place." He raised his eyebrows. "So go hunt."

I crossed my arms across my chest. "Do you really need an entire loaf of bread?"

"Have ya seen the size of me?" Rafi asked, gesturing towards his broad frame. He stood at maybe six foot three or four and was stacked with rolling muscle. He continued walking, discarding the crust of the bread as he went.

I scowled. "Bastard."

Rafi stopped walking and grabbed my cloak, pulling me into his side as he forced us both to our knees in the snow. My heart stilled when I saw what he had spotted. We had walked back to the place where I had shoved ice through the hearts of the men who hunted me.

Rafi tucked his food back into his satchel and stalked forward, his eyes darting all around as he watched the swaying pines and sturdy oaks for any predators that were lurking. The morning's sun had melted the ice away from the men's wounds, leaving only a gaping hole in their chests.

"Goddess," Rafi choked, picking up a handful of blood soaked snow before he turned his hand and let the wind carry it off. "Someone picked through their bodies," he informed me, his eyes catching the missing pieces of their uniforms.

I was staring at Grizzly's blue face and frosted eyes.

Rafi kneeled in front of the oily man, brushing aside his lank hair from his face. "I used to run drills with him," he murmured, his brows knitting together. "He was also the first one to turn on me when I defected."

He stood.

"Let's move on," Rafi called, waiting for me to cross the clearing. I did so without stopping to look at the gore I had created. It was only as I headed towards Rafi that I remembered the golden-haired foreigner who had scavenged through the dead bodies. "There will be more of Damatha's Dogs coming soon," he warned, "they'll be lookin' for that platoon."

This news set my teeth on edge as I remembered all of the close encounters I had had with Damatha's human army. Motivated by money, her men were willing to spill any blood in order to fill their pockets.

Of all the monsters that existed, humans were the most heinous.

We walked on in silence for the majority of the day, Rafi taking lead. To his credit, he remained alert as we travelled, his eyes constantly surveying the tree line as he cocked his head from side to side to listen for approaching footsteps or horses.

I kicked up little snow storms as we walked, making sure the air was still whenever Rafi chanced a look backwards at me. I amused myself by launching tiny snowballs at his broad back, trying to get the snow to stick to his jacket before he turned around to glare at me.

The temperature plummeted an hour before we lost the sun, plunging us into the infamously long night of the Northern Winter. Rafi's shoulder's tensed when we lost the sun, his steps slowing so that we walked closer together.

"Why did you join Damatha's Army?" I asked him lightly, watching the tattoo on his neck as he walked. I caught a glare from his pale eyes.

"Why do ya ask so many questions?" he fired back.

I took a moment to ponder that. "I've been alone for a long time," I answered, "there was no one to ask questions to."

"So ya saved 'em all for me?" he rumbled. I waited for an answer. Rafi heaved a heavy side, grabbing my cloak as he pulled me onto a shoveled path. He stopped walking and squared my shoulders to his, tucking my hair back as he pulled up my hood. "Damn blue hair is a beacon," he mumbled.

"How old were you when you joined?" I inquired.

Rafi sighed. "Thirteen," he grunted. I kept my face even as he stepped back to inspect me, tucking more hair away and pulling my hood down lower. When he was satisfied, he turned and started walking.

I hurried after him, hovering just at his elbow. "Where are you from?"

"Why do ya care?" he retorted.

I fixed him with a glare of my own. "Well you seem to know so much about me," I said, recalling his words from earlier. I know ya wept in yer mum's blood. "So I want to know things about you, to be fair."

"Fair," he scoffed, shaking his head. "Since when did yer kind want ta make anythin' fair?" Rafi's footsteps slowed as we approached a few glowing lights in the distance. We were at the edge of a village. "We're coming up ta Dorth," he informed me, "it's a sleepy town but with the dead Dogs in the forest, there's a chance there might be more around."

We kept our heads down as we entered the village. People spilled out of their homes, lurking in doorways as their shapes became dark shadows illuminated by the glow of candlelight. Rafi pulled me close to his side, one hand clutching my cloak as he inclined his head to various men as we passed.

I realized with a jolt that he was wanted as much as I was.

"Don't look too scared," he whispered to me, "or else they'll know."

We approached a small inn and entered, passing by a man with a burly grey beard and tiny narrowed eyes. Rafi threw his arm around me as we approached the bar, his smile broad and friendly as he flagged the bartender.

"An ale for me," he ordered, "and a glass of milk for 'er."

I glared.

The bartender returned with our drinks and we took our seats. Rafi clinked my glass with his pitcher before he took a deep swig. "Best ta keep those gloves on," he advised, "the hood too probably." I watched his eyes track a sleek blonde across the room.

"Insufferable," I muttered.

"What's that?" he asked, bringing his face close to mine.

"What's what?" I snipped, reluctantly sipping the milk.

He frowned. "Insufferable?"

"It means you're unbearable," I taught him, taking pity. Rafi leaned back in his seat, mumbling the word to himself before he sipped his ale. It was almost as though he were writing it in a mental dictionary. "Was I right about you not going to school?" I asked.

Rafi set his ale down, shrugging off his jacket and throwing it on the stool beside him. I watched him smile at the tall blonde. "I worked on the ships with ma dad when I was a young lad," he mumbled, his eyes sparkling as the blonde laughed. "I was supposed ta take over his business so my parents never bothered sendin' me ta school."

"What happened to your dad?"

Rafi lifted his hand in a wave to the blonde. "He died," he told me plainly, seemingly unfazed as he focused solely on the woman across the bar. I turned and watched her too, my eyes grazing over her tight bodice and ample cleavage. She curled red lips into a smile.

"How did he—"

Rafi clapped me on the shoulder and grabbed his ale. "Go ahead and grab a room for yerself," he instructed, throwing a few silver coins onto the bar top before he grabbed his jacket. "Don't wait for me."

I watched as he crossed the bar and approached the blonde woman. She slid down the booth, encouraging him with a smile and crossed legs. I watched him slip his arm around the back of her chair, watched him lean towards her ear.

"Do ya want another glass?" the bartender asked me, glassy eyes fixed on my mug. I shook my head and pushed the glass towards him before slumping down on my elbows. I could just see Rafi in the reflection of the mirrored bar, catching snippets of his face between bottles of liquor.

My stomach tightened when the woman's hand slunk to his thigh.

"She's so lucky," I heard a woman hiss beside me. I turned to see another striking woman, one with luminous blue eyes and a tumble of dark hair pinned to the crown of her head. She was sitting with another beauty, forged with thick red curls and long legs.

"Dellare always gets the best," the redhead said with a pout. "I'm starving," she complained, licking her lips as she watched Dellare plant a kiss to Rafi's neck. When she pulled back Rafi's eyes were glazed over with pleasure. I felt the milk start to crawl back up my throat.

The brunette inspected her nails. "I saw that one first," she insisted, "but Dellare somehow ends up with him."

The redhead leaned forward with gossip on her tongue. "You know Dellare tried with the golden boy," she relayed, "but he refused her. Dellare needed an easy meal tonight."

My ears twitched at that. The Golden Boy. Meal.

I reached into my cloak and withdrew a dirk blade, short but sharp. The women were watching Dellare and Rafi intently, they're stares ravenous. The redhead didn't even feel me press the blade into his skin until I drew a prick of blood.

Her eyes flashed to mine. "Who are you?" she hissed.

I held tight to the dirk. "Who are you?"

She hissed through clenched teeth and her friend reacted. I shook my head, pressing the knife far enough to make the redhead yelp. Across the bar I watched Dellare's eyes flash to her sisters, her hands still on Rafi's thighs.

My companion had his head tipped back, his eyes fuzzy as his mouth hung open.

"Call off your sister," I whispered into the redhead's ear.

"Wretched bitch," she hissed back, "what do you care?"

"He's mine," I snapped, "hands off, Succubus."

Dellare pressed a kiss to the side of Rafi's mouth before she stood, unfolding her long legs before she crossed the bar, flipping her luxurious blonde hair over her shoulder. Her eyes flashed to the bartender who scampered away without a word.

"Witch," she greeted, sniffing me out. I could feel her power, the tension that wound her curved limbs. She was annoyed that I had stopped her at the beginning of her feed.

"Succubus," I addressed snidely. "I need him back."

"He came to me," Dellare said with a light shrug, her eyes falling to the blade I still had pressed against her sister's ribcage. "You'll have to find another one."

Slowly, I withdrew the blade from the redhead's side and without hesitation she and her brunette sister disappeared into the inn. Dellare sat beside me, her fingers drifting down the side of my face before she pushed my hood off of my hair.

I slid off both gloves.

Dellare inhaled sharply. "My," she cooed, "what a sight."

"I heard you're ambitious," I murmured, folding my gloves across my lap.

Dellare's mouth curled into a smile that showed off her straight teeth. "I'm also hungry."

"I think your hunger for power is stronger than the physical sort," I presumed. The Succubus watched me closely. "What if I told you I'll soon be in a position to offer you power?"

Dellare threw her head back in laughter, exposing the milky skin of her neck. She had dusted her chest with glitter. "I don't trust the words of baby witches," she retorted, "so often they cannot fulfill the roles of their mothers."

"And I don't often bargain with hell-whores who devour the men they ride," I snapped coldly, letting a layer of frost crawl towards her arm on the bar top. "I'm sure there are plenty of men you can seduce for dinner." I leaned closer. "In fact, I hear there is a pack of Damatha's Dogs approaching."

Dellare's eyes flashed coyly to Rafi who was still indisposed. "I already have a dog."

"There must be something you don't have," I hedged.

I watched the Succubus reach over the bar and grab a bottle of vodka. She poured herself a shot and sipped it slowly, her face unchanging. "I'll give you back your pup so long as you agree to owe me a favour."

I agreed instantly.

Dellare downed the rest of her vodka then inclined her head to me. I watched her hips sway as she drew another man to her room in the inn. I drew my gloves back on and hurried across the bar, ignoring any curious looks as I grabbed Rafi by the arm and yanked him to his feet.

He stumbled after me, his eyes still glazed and his mouth fixed into a dopey smile. I kicked open the door to the inn, prompting it open with my shoulder as I heaved Rafi outside. Fighting his weight, I tugged him around the side of the building and then threw him into the snow.

"Gah!" he cried out as snow went down the back of his shirt. I threw his jacket on top of him, catching him across the face. He swore and stood, his leg sinking deeper into the snowbank. "What the hell—"

"You're welcome," I yelled, flipping my hood up and stalking towards the footpath in the woods. I kept walking as he scrambled after me, hissing as his boots filled with snow and ice.

"Where do ya think yer goin'?" he grunted.

"We're continuing on," I announced tightly. "Seeing as I just saved your soul from being devoured by a Succubus I now get to call the shots."

Rafi blinked dumbly.

"Onwards," I snapped, continuing to walk. Snow had fallen while we were in the inn, obscuring the floor of the forest in a sea of white. I headed off trail quickly, not knowing for sure where I was going but knowing that I was heading North.

"Just wait," Rafi called, hurrying to match his step with mine. "It's not safe ta travel at night," he informed me. "There are all sorts of animals and—"

"I'll protect you from the wolves," I cooed patronizingly.

Rafi glared. "It's also tough to see and maneuver in the cold and—"

I set him with a blank stare.

Rafi rolled his eyes. "Sorry, forgot who I was talkin' to. It's tough for me ta maneuver in the cold and the snow."

The woods at night didn't bother me. They were still and quiet, as if all of the trees held their breath while the moon shone. It was easier to hear approaching threats, easier to hide in the shadows. I took comfort in the night.

"Maybe I should have let that Succubus eat you after all," I mused to myself. Rafi grabbed my arm and jerked me to a halt, his pale eyes almost reflective with only the moon's light.

"I didne want ta travel at night in the woods," he grunted, voice almost strained sounding. "Can we please go back to Dorth and get a room? I promise no ale and no hell-whores."

I curled my lip, annoyed. "I need to get to Edensaw and if you're not willing to put in the hours it takes to get there then go back to Dorth and then go back to your Aunt. I don't have time to waste on you if your going to bitch and complain every time the sun darts behind the clouds."

I waited for Rafi to call my bluff but he didn't, his pale eyes just flitted around the dark woods, his brows knotting together. After a moment, I exhaled sharply and pulled my arm out of his grasp, taking another step away.

We both stilled as a sharp snap echoed off of the trees.

"Wait!" Rafi yelled, reaching out to grab me just as I stepped backwards. A loud snap sounded as I fell, Rafi tumbling with me as we plummeted into the dark.