A deal
Chapter 7 – A Deal
“Kael?” she called softly.
No answer.
Aria spun slowly, scanning the trees. The mist hung thick, distorting shapes and shadows. “Kael!” she called again, louder this time.
Still nothing.
She took a cautious step back, her heart racing. The fog seemed to press closer, swallowing the sound of her own breathing. Then she heard it, a growl. Low, close, behind her.
She paused.
Turning slowly, her gaze immediately locking in, on the creature crouching between the trees. A wolf. Smaller than most, its fur black as coal, eyes burning an unnatural shade of blue. It bared its teeth.
“Stay back,” she said, her voice trembling.
It took a step closer, baring its teeth, a low rumble vibrating from its chest.
Aria stumbled backward, her boot catching on a root. “I said stay back!” she shouted, her hand instinctively reaching for the dagger at her belt.
The wolf lunged.
Aria screamed, throwing her arm up in defense. The Rune on her back flared to life, heat rushing through her veins.
Fire burst from her skin, white and blinding. It hit the creature mid-leap, slamming it backward into a tree with a force that shook the ground. The smell of burnt fur filled the air. When the light faded, the wolf lay motionless, its body smoking.
The forest went silent.
Aria stood frozen, her chest heaving, her hands still faintly glowing. She stared at them, trembling. “What… what did I just do?” she whispered, horrified.
“Aria!”
Footsteps pounded through the trees. Kael burst through the trees, his sword drawn. He scanned the clearing, until his eyes landed on her—and the dead creature at her feet.
He froze. “You…what happened?”
She turned to him, still trembling. “It attacked me. I didn’t….I just…”
“You killed it?”
“I think so,” she said, still shaking. “I didn’t mean to though.”
He said nothing for a long moment. Then, he sheathed his blade and knelt beside the fallen creature.
Without a word, Kael began to dig.
Aria watched in silence, clutching her arms to her chest. The only sound was the scrape of his dagger against the soil and the quiet, steady rhythm of his breath. When the hole was deep enough, he lifted the wolf gently, lowering it into the earth as if it were something fragile.
She swallowed. “You’re… burying it?”
Kael nodded once. “It wasn’t its fault. The rogues…they lose themselves. They don’t know what they are anymore.”
“I didn’t mean to…” she began.
“I know,” he cut in, his voice calm but edged. “But next time, don’t hesitate. Hesitation gets you killed.”
She fell quiet, watching as he covered the grave. His movements were careful, deliberate, as though the act meant something to him.
When he finished, he rose and brushed the dirt from his hands. “Let’s go.”
Aria hesitated. “Shouldn’t we rest?”
He shook his head. “Not here. The scent of blood will draw others.”
He started walking. She followed, still shaken, glancing back once at the mound of fresh earth before the trees swallowed it whole.
They moved in silence for a while. The forest grew darker as they went, the path narrowing between thick roots and brambles. Kael’s pace slowed slightly, his eyes scanning ahead like he was looking for something specifically.
After some time, he stopped in front of a large tree. Its leaves shimmered oddly, tinged with an odd pink and green color.
Aria frowned. “That’s not… normal.”
“It’s not meant to be,” Kael said simply.
Before she could ask more, he stepped forward and kicked the side of the tree. Once. Twice. On the third hit, a dull echo sounded, and the bark began to split down the middle, revealing a narrow passage. A soft, lavender-scented breeze drifted out from the hollow darkness inside.
Aria’s eyes widened. “What… is this?”
Kael glanced back at her. “Sanctuary.”
He stepped into the opening without hesitation. Aria lingered at the threshold, staring into the strange, dimly lit passage.
“Aren’t you coming?” he asked Aria, confused that she wasn’t moving. Aria shook her head, snapping herself out of her thoughts as she followed behind him.
She hesitated only a second before following. The air changed the moment she crossed the threshold. It was cooler, heavier, smelling faintly of pine and lavender. Her head spun.
“Kael?” she whispered.
No answer.
She turned to look behind her, and froze. The entrance was gone. The tunnel was sealed.
“Kael!”
“Keep walking,” his voice coming from ahead. “We’re safe here.”
But his voice was tense, alert.
They walked for what felt like minutes before faint light appeared ahead. When they reached it, Aria blinked against the sudden glow. The tunnel opened into a vast underground chamber.
Beautiful green vines adorned the walls of the cave, or whatever place they were in, glowing softly in the light. Water dripped from the ceiling, catching the glow like drops of glass.
The beauty of it stole her breath, but then the air shifted.
The thud of boots scraping against stone. Four figures stepped out from the shadows, forming a tight circle around them. All women. All cloaked in pale silver and white, their eyes sharp, their blades drawn. Kael moved swiftly, pushing Aria away from where she stood so she could move behind him.
“Identify yourselves,” the woman in front commanded, her dark green eyes locked on Kael.
Kael raised his hands slightly, not in surrender, but in acknowledgment. “You already know me, Penelope.”
“I won’t ask you again. Identify yourself,” a woman demanded, staring at Kael. Her dark green eyes never left his. She was dressed in a white robe with her black hair pulled into a ponytail.
Kael’s eyes narrowed, “Kael Varyn, at your service.” He bowed, mockingly.
The woman’s gaze hardened. “You have some nerve showing your face here again.”
Aria’s breath caught. Again?
Before she could speak, another woman, with soft brown curls and kind eyes, stepped closer and tilted her head, looking at Aria. “And this one?”
“I’m Aria,” she said quickly, trying not to sound terrified.
The woman smiled faintly, reaching to brush a stray lock from Aria’s face. “You’re shaking.”
“I…We were attacked,” Aria said.
Penelope’s eyes narrowed. “Turn around.”
Aria blinked. “What?”
