Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1)

It must have been near midnight when we finished our meal. I yawned and stared at the fire, exhaustion flooding me. But I wouldn’t be able to sleep. The forest was too dark and the ground too uncomfortable.

Something else bothered me, causing a deep, unfamiliar ache in my chest. Not even the sound of running water nearby could soothe my nerves.

“Your Grace, I must say, this is way better than Danilo’s cooking.” Nickeltinker’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I smiled. He chewed on the boar happily.

“Uh-huh.” Torvald murmured with his mouth full.

Rixen kept quiet. He’s been quiet ever since we talked about the mage.

“That’s because Danilo doesn’t know how to season meat.” I murmured, not even in the mood to jab Danilo.

Danilo sighed, “Maybe you can teach me.”

“It’s no problem, really. I love to cook.” I shrugged. “My mother taught me.”

Silence ensued as men ate the food. I looked at my purple dress; it was already dirty around the hem. My dresses weren’t made for the woods, or dirty roads. My silver shoes were muddy around the edges and my feet began to hurt. Apparently, they were not even made for walking.

“I am going to go wash up.” I got up.

Danilo got up almost faster than me, “Do you need help, your Grace?”

I giggled and eyed him, “Sir Danilo, I do not think that’s proper.”

“I mean-” The knight stuttered. “If you need help, I’m here.”

I shook my head, “That’s alright. It’s too cold to swim anyway.”

Without saying good night, I left the clearing and followed the sound of the creek nearby. I could still see the light of the fire, which was comforting, but I also felt as alone as I wanted to be. Travelling across the world with four people proved to be quite crowded.

And there were no walls between us, ever.

The creek appeared in front of me. A fast, busy thing. Water ran across the rocks, sparkling in the moonlight. Burbling sound shushed my mind for a moment. I sat on the large, moss-covered stone and stared at the water.

Cooking reminded me of my mother. I only ever used to cook with her. After she passed away, maids never let me near the kitchen. The last time I cooked anything, it was with my mother by my side.

And now she was gone and I was in the middle of Bastian woods. Nostalgia hit hard. Homesickness, too. I wished I had thought twice about this endeavour.

“Aren’t you afraid something might eat you out here?”

My head snapped behind and I grunted when I saw Rixen, “It would rid me of your company, so I’m not complaining.”

The shadowman came closer and sat on the moss-covered rock next to me. His black tunic and hair blended in the darkness, but his eyes remained a potent, golden colour.

“You’ve been quiet over dinner.” He said. “And you usually talk a lot.”

“Why are your eyes yellow?” I asked, completely ignoring his observation.

“It’s a shadowman thing.” Rixen shrugged. “It confuses our enemies.”

A question that’s been bugging me finally rolled off my tongue, “Why do you know so much about me and I do not know anything about you?”

Rixen smiled, “Your mind isn’t guarded, at all. Once you encounter real danger, you realise that simply protecting your body isn’t enough. But you’ve never encountered danger, have you?”

“I don’t know, Rixen,” I chuckled, “I once had a pregnancy scare, that shit is frightening.”

To my surprise, the shadowman let out a short laugh, “Fair enough, I suppose.”

There lay real danger, in that small laugh. No one has ever laughed at the casual mention of my promiscuity, or my cursing. The unidentified worry I’ve felt during the entire dinner finally received a proper name. Rixen did not mind.

He did not mind that I had magic in my veins, or that I wasn’t truly the way a princess should be. And that shit was frightening.

Heavy, dense silence settled between us. I kept my eyes on the running water and the way it hugged the rocks as it slid over them.

“Why did you send the book about magic to my room?” I asked, not daring to look at him.

“I wanted to see what you would do with it.” Rixen answered.

I glanced up, “I’m going to throw it away.”

Rixen’s pale skin contrasted the dark trees. His gaze remained focused and observing. The colour was most certainly there to confuse the enemy, because it made me wonder what hid behind the eyes, what roamed through the mysterious mind.

“You’re enjoying it, aren’t you?”

I frowned, “What?”

“Conspiring with the bastard.” Rixen smirked.

A thud reverberated through my chest, “Did you eavesdrop on my conversation with Nickeltinker?”

“Hey, I’m always sneaking in the shadows.” He smiled, letting me know he did not find the intrusion at all improper. “But even if I hadn’t been eavesdropping, I’d still know. You’ve got the scheming eyes.”

“I do not.” I crossed my hands on my chest, unable to stop the sudden warmth that coursed through my body.

Because in my messed up mind, this was a compliment.

“Oh, you do.” Rixen leaned closer to me.

An involuntary sigh left my lips, “I do not want to be like that. And after I get what I want, I will stop being that way.”

“You mean, after you get rid of your magic, marry Danilo and kick me out of your head?” Rixen grinned, almost like he was challenging me to confirm or fight.

“Exactly.”

Rixen looked away and I got the chance to observe his expression more carefully. Even though he was King Bernard’s son, there wasn’t a trace of him in his features. It bothered me. If he reminded me of King Bernard, I wouldn’t find him so handsome.

I glanced at the creek again, trying to shush that promiscuous part of me that hadn’t had any action in more than fifteen days. No, I was not doing this.

But the idea was already in my head and the thoughts kept appearing no matter how hard I fought them. Oh, he was probably a beast in the sack. Just like that, I imagined his hands roaming up and down my body, leaving hot and cold trails. I imagined his eyes glowing in the darkness-

And all the plots and schemes we might do together.

Oh, for Goddess’ sake, didn’t I hate him a minute ago?

I cleared my throat and pushed the dirty thoughts out of my head, “How come you’ve already been to Orathia?”

Rixen looked at me, his eyebrows rising, “My mother wanted her ashes scattered there. It was her home.”

“Oh.” Not the answer I was expecting. “I’m sorry. When... uh, when was this?”

“She died a year ago.” Rixen said, his jaw slightly clenching before he added, “I wanted to stay in Orathia.”

I frowned, “In the ruins of an abandoned kingdom?”

“No,” Rixen squinted, “I wanted to go west. There was nothing for me here. A throne that isn’t mine and a father who hates me.”

“Why did you come back?”

“I began intruding a certain princess’s mind.” His eyes landed on me, making my breath hitch.

I kept my cool, though, “You expect me to believe that was the reason?”

“Curses like that do not just happen.” Rixen said.

“Curses?” The word he used surprised me. “You believe this is a curse?”

“Of course.” Rixen nodded. “It was weak at first. Once I came back to Bastia and after your parents died, it all-”

“Got stronger.” I swallowed my heartbeat. “That’s when my magic awakened, right after my parents died.”

“And that’s when you finally began intruding my mind in return.” Rixen continued. “It didn’t take a genius to figure it out. I have both Bastian and Orathian royal blood in my veins and you are an Irenwell princess who happens to have magic.”

My eyes widened, “You knew the debts would soon have to be collected.”

Rixen shrugged, “That’s what it takes to unlock the tome in Orathia - royal blood from all three kingdoms and a mage to read the spell. I believe our little inconvenience is a side effect from the spell As of Naz created five hundred years ago.”

“Goddess, he’s old.” I mumbled.

“There’s a chance he might be able to take the curse off.” Rixen’s voice changed, it became more strained, tense.

“Good.” I nodded, feeling strangely ambivalent. “That’s good.”

Even if I managed to get rid of Rixen, I still had the magic to deal with. Which meant I would still have to visit the Vanishing Well.

Rixen broke the moment of tension-filled silence, “What happens when you get everything you’ve ever wanted?”

The question was apparent in my gaze, “What do you mean?”

“When you get rid of your magic, when you get rid of me and marry Danilo? What happens then?”

I smiled smugly, certain I had the retort on my tongue. But the smile disappeared, replaced by a question. What would happen then?

“Whatever I want.” I answered, knowing my silence only proved my confusion.

Rixen smiled, “Sounds fun.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. Every time I looked at him, it felt like he was staring straight into my soul and I had to get away, afraid I’d spill all of my dirty secrets.

“It’s late.” I said. “We should get some sleep.”

I pulled myself off the rock when Rixen spoke again, “You know, when I first realised I was seeing through the eyes of the Princess of Irenwell, I thought... oh, well, I might get an easy fuck out of it.”

My eyes widened and I scoffed, but I couldn’t quite stop the smile at the aptness of his thought process.

“But there’s more to you than meets the eye.”

My smile disappeared, “And when did you realise that? When I conspired with you against all odds?”

Rixen got up and stared at me with those yellow, protruding eyes, “When you sent the warm Irenwell air my way because I was hurt. Despite hating your magic, despite wanting to get rid of it.”

Our eyes met in the quiet forest and this unknown force between us, the curse, made me feel what he was feeling. Uncertainty and dread and premonition.

Secrets are a dangerous thing to share.

Mine or his thoughts, I didn’t know, but the conclusion was clear. And just because I couldn’t quite walk away from playing the game, I spoke, despite myself.

“I am enjoying it.” I batted my scheming eyes. “Conspiring with the bastard.”

Rixen put his hands in his pockets and offered a knowing, smug smile, “I know what you’re doing, Maiden of Irenwell. Despite thinking so highly of yourself, you become quite predictable once one spends a certain amount of time in your head.”

“Oh, really?” I let out a laugh. “And you think you’re highly mysterious? I know the only reason you’re talking to me is because you want to piss off Danilo.”

“Great.” Rixen said. “Glad to be on the same page.”

Shouting interrupted the moment. My head snapped towards the dimmed fire, hidden behind the thick layer of trees. Rixen was already halfway there, apparently moving at a far faster pace than I could ever dream of.

Minding my shoes and my dress, I hurried through the trees and found myself once again in front of the fire. Danilo and Nickeltinker faced each other, one with a steel, royal sword and the other with a sharp, rugged knife. Torvald stood between them, confusion colouring his large face and his dark, empty eyes. Tension gathered around the fire.

“What the hell is going on here?” Rixen came closer, no weapons in sight.

Nickeltinker shouted immediately, “He said the mage wouldn’t talk to me because I’m not worthy of talking to!”

“I did not!” Danilo’s eyes widened. “All I said is that someone of a higher status should talk to a mage-”

“Why?” Nick cut in. “Because us low-life florans aren’t good enough?”

“Well, I’m not saying you aren’t good enough.” Danilo defended himself. “But the mage might think so!”

“Oh, you think you’re so fucking special, don’t you?” Nickeltinker surged forward, his sharp knife pointing towards Danilo.

Rixen appeared in front of Nickeltinker so quickly I barely saw him move. His body changed, darkened, blended into the surroundings. Firelight stopped reflecting off him. He became the shadow. Deep and full of nothing, absorbing all light around him. The knife went straight through his abdomen, devoured by darkness.

Nickeltinker’s eyes widened, slight shock gripping his features as he realised what happened. I stared with my mouth agape. Nobody moved.

The knife clanked on the ground and Rixen slowly regained colour and physical features.

“You cannot kill him.” Rixen said. “We still need his royal ass.”

Danilo finally came to his senses, his eyes bulged, “You tried to kill me!”

Nick scoffed, “Emphasis on tried. I’m going to bed.”

The green-skinned boy picked up his knife and walked away, his footsteps soundless.

Danilo turned to me, “Your Grace, you should stay away from the sour greenman. He obviously hates royalty.”

“Oh, be quiet.” Rixen cut him off. “Next time, I won’t stop him.”

Danilo smirked, “I wouldn’t expect it from someone like you. Come on, Irina.”

Dutifully, I listened, not sure what to make of the entire situation. It was too late to contemplate anyway. Still, I turned around and glanced at the shadowman before he disappeared for the night.

Premonition gnawed at my bones.