A Power of Old(18)

“You’ve never been down here before, have you?” I drawled.

“No. Can’t say I have.”

Right.

Of course not.



We had been traveling for miles. We passed through the forest, sticking to the open path, and then out into the meadows and grain crops where the borders of Hellswan stood.

“I remember this place,” Ruby noted dryly, trotting alongside me on her bull-horse.

“Thought you might, Shortie.”

A few miles ahead was where I’d dropped Ruby and her friends off, only to have them bouncing back a few moments later as the borders sprang them back into Hellswan. She winked at me, and I was glad that not all the memories of that day were bad ones for her. In my opinion, the first day I’d laid eyes on Ruby was one of the best of my life.

“Where are we going?” I called out to Tejus, who was riding upfront alongside Hazel.

“The forests that line the border, a little over to the left.”

He pointed to a gloomy island of forestry in the distance, sprawling out from the smaller lines of trees that marked the end of the kingdom. Even in the afternoon sun, the place was surrounded by swirls of mist, making even the trees look gray.

“I wanted him further out, but we couldn’t do it with the borders closed. Fortunate for us, I suppose.” Tejus hit his heel against the flanks of the bull-horse and we all increased our pace, heading straight for the forest.

“Doesn’t look very welcoming,” Ruby noted with a shiver.

“Good,” I retorted. “I hope the miserable bastard has hated every moment of it.”

We slowed down as we reached the entrance. When I peered through the trees, the forest almost looked black—as dark and depressing a place as I’d ever seen. Even the earth seemed to smell dank and moldy, like there was nothing alive contained within it.

“We should dismount,” Tejus informed us. “Guide the bullhorses in—the branches hang too low.”

We all did as he asked, and a few moments later we were crossing the dead bracken and entering the oppressive gloom of the forest. I couldn’t even hear the call of birds.

“What made you think of this place?” I asked Tejus, keeping my voice barely above a whisper.

“It has particular sentimental value to my brother,” he replied.

“You put him somewhere he would like?” I asked, astonished.

Tejus grimaced.

“I didn’t say he liked it.”

Oh.

I marveled at more evidence of the Hellswan brotherly love. If I couldn’t be responsible for the downfall of Queen Trina, I really hoped that it would be Tejus in charge of her punishment.

We carried on a bit further, Tejus leading with me bringing up the rear, until I could see the outline of a cave up ahead, a gaping black mouth and the curvature of the rock wild and overgrown with moss.

“Who goes there?” cried a voice barely recognizable as belonging to Jenus. He had always sounded reedy in comparison with his brothers, but now his tone was suffused with a cold, hollow fear.

“Your salvation, brother!” Tejus called back merrily. “At the hands of those you harmed the most.”

We stopped in front of the cave, but I couldn’t hear anything other than the slow drip of water landing on stone, echoing from its depths. A second later, I heard the distinct sound of chains running across the earth, each link clanking as they unraveled. The sound was followed by heavy footsteps, moving slowly across stone, and the wheezing of an old man’s breath.

Jenus stepped into the pool of light, standing just a little way back from the entrance to the cave. At first glance, I didn’t recognize him. When I peered closer, I had the unmistakable feeling that whatever Jenus was on the inside was finally being shown on the outside. Gone was the slicked-back hair and icily aloof demeanor of Jenus the sentry prince. This creature was more beast than man. He was unshaven, with a filthy-looking beard that made the emaciation of his face all the more pronounced—the dark circles under his eyes made him look almost skeletal, and the shock of black hair that surrounded his skull made him look wild, deadly. His hands and feet were cuffed with iron bars, tied to a chain that led back into the cave.

“Have you come to mock?” Jenus spat. He eyed his brother as if none of the rest of us existed. “Handsome, honorable Tejus! The great, glorious Tejus! The monster with the concealed face! The swine, the bastard—the miserable child of a father who despised you and a mother who would sooner die than look at you! Have you, brother, come to offer me salvation?” The words ran like acid from his mouth—spittle flying, his face contorted with malevolence.

“Wow. Are we sure this is the best idea?” Ruby hissed at me. “He looks like a certifiable nutjob.”