SWNOVELS Chapter 29: Arrival
Heloix assures me that we are almost there but he has been saying that for hours now, leading me to believe that his sense of direction is untrustworthy. At one point I inquired if he was lost, but he answered my question with nothing more than a laugh.
Needing to adjust, I press my hands into the seat and push myself up to take the pressure off my lower back. An uncomfortable stiffness has settled into my bones in the past hour, making this journey almost unbearable.
We have stopped only a couple of times, once to change my dress and the others to use the restroom, but Heloix is adamant that we must hurry to stay on schedule. He loudly complains each time I ask to rest, his hands pressing against my stomach and forcing me back against his chest. I can't lie and say that it doesn't help, but I feel guilty knowing that all it does is soothe me while bringing him more discomfort.
"We are almost there." Heloix speaks out, voice loud against the quiet atmosphere.
Knowing he can't see me, I roll my eyes in response. "You've said that already."
"Yes, but now I mean it. When we arrive, keep your head down and do not speak." He orders, tone leaving no room for argument.
Heloix pulls on the reins abruptly, bringing the horse to a stop before hopping down onto the ground. Confused, I turn to watch his actions, unsure if I should follow his lead and dismount as well. He moves to the back of the animal and begins untying our bags, deft fingers expertly undoing the tiny knots.
"What're you doing?" I ask.
Heloix spares me a glance before giving a hard tug on the bags and disconnecting them from the animal.
"Come, let me help you down." He murmurs, ignoring my question as he drops the bags onto the ground. Stepping forward, he grabs me by the hips and pulling me off the horse and into his chest.
I push off of him once my feet are on the ground, alarmed and confused by what he's doing. He ignores my stare and turns his attention back on the horse, giving it a hard slap on the ass that causes it to take off running.
"Now look what you've done!" I shout, gesturing to the quickly disappearing animal.
Heloix turns to look at me as I scold him, a hardness in his eye that I'm unaccustomed to seeing directed at me.
"What did I just say? You are not to speak unless spoken to. If anybody asks, say that I shifted and ran here while you rode on my back." He snaps, voice low and threatening.
Ignoring his words, I spin around quickly and taking in the miles of woods that surround us in every direction. "Then why did we take a horse? You've gotten us stranded."
Heloix lets out a loud sigh, raising his hand and pinching my lips closed between his thumb and pointer finger. Shocked, I move to pull away but he grips on harder, keeping me in place.
"Hush."
I expect him to remove his fingers after his command, but instead he holds them in place, regarding me carefully for a moment before slowly letting go.
Stepping away from me, I watch through narrowed eyes as he bends down and picks up our bags, his muscular arms flexing under the weight. He doesn't even spare me a glance as he turns and begins walking in the opposite direction the horse ran.
I remain still for a moment, watching his large frame walk away before letting out a quiet sigh and scurrying after him, my uncoordinated feet stumbling over the rough terrain.
Heloix footsteps are firm and confident as he maneuvers us through the forest, his grace reminding me of our biological differences. Humans are loud and uncoordinated, often bumping into objects and injuring our bodies. The Beasts, Heloix especially, are lithe and graceful, their movements smooth and silent.
I'm willing to bet that Heloix can count on one hand the number of times in his entire life he has tripped or stumbled. I couldn't even count the amount of times this month.
As we continue forward, I begin to notice large shadows moving through the trees, darting back and forth before weaving between the foliage. I ignore them at first, not wanting to freak myself out over some silly shadows, but slowly I begin to doubt myself, wondering if these are real animals I am looking at.
Glancing around, I try to spot them but they weave in between the trees at an impressive speed, their large bodies remaining hidden beyond an occasional flash.
Heloix doesn't seem alarmed by the predators, but I still rush up to him in fear, not wanting to loll too far behind and become dinner. He slows as I approach, coming to a complete stop as I stumble over a tree root. Our bags fall from his hands, moving instead to wrap around my hips and lift me into his arms.
Shocked, I bring my arms around his neck, holding on tightly as he adjusts his forearm to sit below my butt. His actions are unusual, but I remain silent as he commanded, choosing to trust his judgment just this once.
Heloix bends down once more and grabs the bags with his free hand, holding them both as he continues his walking. This time his pace is fast, moving at least twice the speed he was before. With a pout, I realize just how much he was slowing himself down so I could keep up.
I lean back slightly to look him in the eye, trying to find an answer in his expression, but he gives me nothing. His face remains blank, and my attention is quickly drawn away by a giant shadow running up directly behind Heloix.
I gasp as it comes only a few feet behind us, my heart racing as I realize that these creatures are Beasts. Its thick fur is so close that if I were to reach out my hand I would graze against it, and I gulp as I take in its wolflike features and black eyes that stare at me like I'm about to be a delicious snack.
"Do not look at them. They will take it as a threat." Heloix murmurs, voice quiet.
I snap my gaze back to him, trying not to let my fear show as I realize that shifted Beasts surround us. This must be why Heloix removed us from the horse, to prevent being seen and preserve his story of having run us here.
More shadows appear in my peripheral vision as we continue walking, tears welling in my eyes as loud growls and snapping jaws are heard from every direction. We must be deep within the other King's territory, probably interrupting his people out on a late-night run.
A frightened gasp falls from my mouth as one particular Beast gets awfully close, his large black muzzle and razor-sharp teeth visible for a moment before disappearing behind a tree. Unwrapping my arm from around Heloix's neck, I quickly bring it to my face and wipe away the wetness on my cheeks, not wanting him or the others to see my weakness.
Heloix lets out a quiet sigh as he turns to look at me, but I refuse to meet his eye.
"Don't worry, Addie." He coos, voice low. "I'm a King for a reason. I can take down all these Beasts easily should I need to."
Loud, angry growls reverberate out from the trees at his words and Heloix returns the favor, eyes turning black as his Beast makes itself known. The forest goes silent at his threat, and I find myself comforted as they back down.
Quickly wiping away another stray tear, I bring my arm back around his head and bury my head in his neck, hiding from the sight of the prowling Beasts. Heloix tightens his grip on me, his pulse quickening.
Slowly the snapping of branches and murmurs of the Beasts fade, and I tentatively look up to take in my surroundings. The forest has thinned considerably, and I crane my neck to look forward, gasping as I take in the large castle that sits in front of us.
It's not nearly as large as Heloix's but is still quite grand. There are a couple of guards milling about ahead, and they bow to Heloix as we approach.
Heloix's grip on me loosens as we come upon them, his knees bending to set me gently onto the ground as he comes to a halt. Immediately I reach down and smooth out my dress, glad that I chose to change into one of the more simple ones that John packed.
It's a deep forest green, a color I am pretty comfortable with, and falls to my mid-calf. Unfortunately, there's a slit that goes up a bit higher than I would like, but beggars can't be choosers. Heloix insisted I wear something nicer for my arrival, but I do not want to draw too much attention to myself.
"Let's go." Heloix commands, his deep voice loud against the quiet night.
He grabs only my bag and begins walking, and I watch in confusion as a guard scrambles to grab the King's luggage. Why not leave mine for the guards as well?
Nonetheless, I do as I was told and keep my head low, silently following the King. Unlike before, he doesn't slow his pace, and I have to move in a light jog just to keep up. The castle entrance is a couple of hundred yards away and by the time we arrive I am panting, hunching over as I struggle to catch my breath.
"Heloix!" A loud shout is heard from the castle doorway. I look up just in time to see a large man making his way down the front steps, his body adorned in jewels.
"Stephen." Heloix greets him, voice flat. "Thank you for allowing me to come visit on such short notice."
The King waves away the thanks, his sleeve jingling at the movement. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at such gaudiness. This man is clearly trying to show off, eager to impress Heloix, and it makes him appear desperate. While Heloix rules one of the largest kingdoms on our planet, he does not live in such exaggeration.
The King's eyes sweep over Heloix's guards before settling on me, immediate distaste visible on his face. He looks me up and down in disgust before looking at Heloix once more.
"I was unaware you would be bringing your," He pauses for a moment, looking me over once more. "human."
Heloix doesn't respond but I notice his back tense, and seconds later the King visibly gulps. If I had to guess, Heloix is flashing his Beast, unhappy with the questioning of his actions.
"Anyways, it is late. My slave will show you to your rooms." The King states, shooting Heloix a large, fake smile before turning swiftly on his heel and heading back inside.
A small human woman emerges from the shadows and gestures for us to follow her. Heloix is the first to move, his guards following immediately after while making crude jokes about the slave. I am the last to follow and walk closely behind the large group with a racing heart.
The guards are shown to their chambers first, the women pausing and waiting for them to all enter their rooms before we continue our journey. She remains silent as she leads us further down the hallway, her footsteps quiet as she pauses outside the last door in the corridor.
"Your chambers, Sir." She murmurs, gesturing to the door.
Heloix nods, not sparing me a glance as he heads into the room. I hesitate to follow, unsure if I am expected to share a room with him, but as the door shuts behind him I realize the answer.
"Come on. I'll show you to the servant's quarters." The woman says, finally looking up from her feet and offering me a kind smile.
Her warmth fills me with comfort, and I find myself smiling back in relief. We both turn to walk away but stop as the door opens and Heloix pops his head out, looking at me in confusion.
"What are you doing? Come to bed."