Hunted [Wild Hunt Series: 1]

34: All's Fair

We're getting to the end so I want to give you guys two of my playlist songs for Hunted. Without further ado:

All the King's Horses -- Karmina

Dakota's mouth had dropped open in an airy gasp, probably in mirror of my own. Chiro wore a blank expression, but he was fighting a different battle at the moment. There wasn't any visible injury to him, but he walked just a little stiffer than usual, and barely said much since we'd arrived. He was hurting something fierce, I decided.

Then a little hand grabbed mine and tugged.

Led by the child, I trudged wearily into a courtyard absent of life except for one hulking, squat-nosed gargoyle.

Not master! it greeted me in the afternoon sunshine, stone tails scraping the grass.

"Nope," I said, throwing my hands into the air. "I know for a fact that bastard's got stairs."

Cairn-was that the gargoyle's name?- arched flimsy wings and snarled.

"I mean: your handsome, wonderful Master let me use stairs last time."

Am to brings you up! came the gritty, determined voice in my head. The first of six paws took a grass-sinking step forward.

"Not today," I said, shaking my head, inching back, back, back for the entryway. "I'm a Lady now. I have to be proper and take the stairs. You understand?"

He-she? it?-did not. The creature's thick hide tensed, its haunches coiled up. I turned and sprinted inside the entry we'd emerged from, rounding the hall corner to a screeching grumble as the beast lodged itself in the doorway.

"Next time!" I promised the gargoyle then kept jogging, afraid that it might force its way inside. I was certain it wouldn't try; the palace did belong to its master after all. Nevertheless, I wasn't about to take any chances and learn whether it could jam those mossy shoulders through. It took me a few turns to figure out where exactly the stairs were that lead to the King's residence. My memory of it seemed so distant and blurry, like a century had passed since last I'd come here. I felt different, walking up there in my weather-worn clothes, the stink of sweat and blood heavy on my skin.

A small candle flickered just inside the shadow of the winding staircase, held by another small child. His eyes, blue like the depths of the sea, where all the wild things lurked, fixed on me as I approached. He did not smile, did not stand to greet me. Just sat on the stair with the candle out before his knobby knees.

"Well isn't this creepy?" I mumbled to myself. When I neared him, the boy stood and offered the candle. "Did the King have you standing here all night in case I happened to go this way?"

A feeling I didn't like swam through those piercing blue eyes. The flame wavered in his grip.

"What if I took the gargoyle up? You were just gonna sit there all night?"

Nothing.

I snatched the stupid light from his hands with brief thanks and began the taxing climb. Wax dribbled over the tapered edge as I climbed, my shadow alone flickering across grey stone. At the top, where my breath threatened to extinguish the soft flame, I found the door open. The light itself, however small, could not burn away that waiting depth. With aching calves I crossed the threshold more comfortably than last time, yet less comfortable over all. Maybe, I thought, maybe I felt worse now knowing what it contained. The flame highlighted my shaking hand, then, in a puff of air and a flash of twisted beak and teeth, light became a smoky flash and faded. The only light left came from the curtained window Cairn would have made me scramble through, and that didn't reach so far inside.