Feral Mage Book 3: Chapter 6

Nicole watched through the tavern window as the strange ship docked at the port. She sipped her tea while the other patrons of the establishment also watched, including her sister and the woman sitting across from her. The novelty of the sight soon wore off, and she returned her attention to the meeting with this woman. After all, she was curious why Bryce’s old mentor had asked them to meet her at this tavern on the port side of town.

“That’s the flag of the Saltland Kingdom,” Olivia stated, still focused on the ship. “I wonder what they’re doing in Witchbrook?”

Nicole shrugged in response as her cat tail curved slightly, her eyes locked on Bellamy.

“I’m more interested in why she asked to meet with us here,” Nicole said.

Olivia broke her gaze from the window, looking at Bellamy with her own curious glance.

“To offer you a job,” Bellamy answered.

Nicole’s eyes narrowed.

“We usually only take those through the guild. Also, that doesn’t answer my question about why here and not the guildhall,” she said.

Since Bryce brought back the Princess, Bellamy had visited the guild less and less often over the months. Nicole had wondered why Bryce was stuck guarding the Princess and not the woman who was her teacher.

“I’ve been staying at this tavern for a while now. I thought I would offer you the job while I enjoyed my morning coffee,” she answered.

Nicole arched an eyebrow and, eventually, Bellamy sighed.

“Fine. Lady Thea has no interest in pursuing her training as an Aspect Mage, and… being around Bryce is difficult for me… given our history. I still want to help them in stopping Harold Volson, which is why I contacted both of you,” she admitted. “I want to cross the Winter River and try to gather information in the Kingdom of Deathridge.”

Nicole hummed as she tilted her head.

Is this guilt for what happened last night? Are you thinking it should be you in the jail cell instead of Bryce?

She didn’t say her thoughts aloud, but with the timing of Bellamy’s request, she figured there was a grain of truth in it.

“That would be an expensive job considering the hostilities going on,” she said, her tail flicking back and forth, betraying some of her agitation at what had happened with Bryce. “Especially after the attack last night on the Duke’s ship.”

Olivia turned and scowled at her.

“It’s to help Bryce,” she said in beastkin.

Nicole met her scowl with a glare.

“It’s not to help Bryce, it’s to help the human Princess. Bryce would be better off without her dragging him into those noble circles. He hates it,” Nicole hissed in beastkin. “Besides, you’ve smelled her as well. You know she’s interested in him. Nothing good can come of that.”

Even a rumor of a relationship between Bryce and this Princess could end with his head on a spike. There was a hard line between commoners and nobility. Nicole trusted Bryce to have enough sense not to try to cross that line, but she didn’t trust the Princess.

“Thirty gold,” Bellamy offered. “Just for a few days of scouting across the river.”

Nicole’s ears perked at the offer, and she gave a side glance to Olivia, who seemed equally interested. Gold was always useful after all, hell, maybe she could use some of it to hire Bryce as her own bodyguard for a few weeks and get him away from the Princess.

“Deal,” she said, still smiling at the thought. “When do we leave?”

Bellamy relaxed.

“Tonight?” she asked.

Nicole checked with Olivia before nodding to the Bellamy woman.

“Are we keeping this from Bryce?” Olivia asked.

Both Bellamy and Nicole responded at the same time.

“Yes.”

The two shared a look before Nicole spoke.

“It’s a contract between us and Bellamy. It doesn’t concern him,” she answered. “Besides, we don’t even know if he’s out of the jail cell yet.”

Bellamy nodded.

“It would just worry Bryce, and he has enough on his mind with the recent attack,” she said.

Olivia’s brows furrowed as she stared out the window.

“Who’s that?” she asked.

A group of soldiers from the sea elf ship was escorting a young woman wearing an elegant dress. The crowds along the pier parted for the soldiers as the group made their way into Witchbrook.

“Someone important,” Nicole said, stating the obvious.

Bryce

Bryce knocked on the door to Thea’s room. Much like Alice, Mark had given the Princess one of the staff rooms, which were larger than those loaned to mercenaries during their stay. He only waited a moment before Alice opened the door.

“Bryce! You’re out!” Alice greeted, wrapping him in a hug.

He looked through the door and into the room, spotting Thea sitting on her bed with Omelet lying across her lap as she petted him.

Their eyes locked for just a moment before Thea turned her gaze to the floor with a dejected look.

“Alice, do you care if I speak with Lady Thea for a moment?” Bryce asked.

Alice looked between him and Thea before giving a reluctant nod and stepping out of the room. Bryce closed the door after she left and pulled up a chair, taking a seat.

He sighed and rubbed his neck.

“Lady Thea, I’m not the best with words. I’m just a farm boy who learned some magic and how to swing a sword. So, forgive me if this is blunt,” he started. “But what happened back on the ship?”

Thea trembled as she drew a sharp breath.

“I’m sorry…” she said, barely audible.

Bryce shook his head.

“You don’t need to apologize. I just want to know why you froze up like that,” he said.

Thea shook her head as tears fell onto her hand, which was still petting Omelet.

“I can’t use my Aspect Magic,” she sniffled. “I can’t become a monster again.”

“The monsters are already inside you, Lady Thea. That’s our magic and the risk if we use two Aspects at once,” he said.

Thea shook her head, her mouth opened to say something, but she paused. Bryce waited as Thea refused to meet his gaze.

“I still remember it… I still remember the taste,” Thea said. “The taste of human and elven flesh.”

She trembled as her arms wrapped around Omelet and cuddled him like a stuffed animal for comfort. The griffin chick didn’t try to wiggle free or protest at the embrace.

“That wasn’t you. That was the monsters,” he stated.

Thea looked up at him, her eyes bright red.

“Is there a difference?” she asked softly.

He met her gaze with his own.

“There is, and never think otherwise. I’ve been by your side these past few months, I know you’re a good person, Lady Thea,” Bryce answered.

Thea smiled faintly as she wiped away the tears. She drew a deep breath, and he watched as she composed herself.

“Thank you, Bryce,” she said. “I’m sorry you saw that side of me.”

He shrugged.

“You have no bad side, Lady Thea,” he said.

She smiled.

“Also, thank you for what you did on the ship. I didn’t understand what you were doing at first by staying away from us, but Baroness Julia explained it to me once we were back at the guildhall. You did it to keep any suspicion away from me,” she said before giving him a worried look. “I hope your stay last night wasn’t too rough.”

Bryce smiled.

“I’ve slept at worse inns,” he replied truthfully before pulling the envelope out of his pocket. “The Duke did ask me to pass this along to you, said it was an invitation to his estate in three days.”

Thea’s eyes widened as she took the paper from his hand. She broke the wax seal on the back and read through it before she gently patted Omelet on the back. He moved off her and Thea stood from the bed.

“This is the break we’ve been waiting for!” Thea said excitedly.

She immediately went to her closet, flipping through the several outfits in it that cost more than some of the jobs Bryce had done.

“I’ll need to find an outfit that will match the purple of House Brook,” Thea said before looking to him. “Do you have any purple garments to wear?”

“I’m not really the best person to meet with a Duke,” Bryce said. “I know the Twins once guarded a Duchess on a trip, and Callie is a noble, even if her House is fallen.”

Thea was looking again in her closet.

“I’m fine if you wish to bring the Twins or Callie with us,” she answered.

Bryce scratched his head at Thea missing his point.

“I meant instead of me,” he said.

She froze and looked over to him.

“No, you must be there with me!” she said. “I need you in case…”

Her lips thinned as fear filled her eyes. Bryce grimaced before he looked at Omelet and reminded himself that they had been in Witchbrook for too long.

“I’ll go with you to the Duke’s estate, but after that, the girls and I need to take a job outside of Witchbrook. We’ve been cooped up here too long,” he answered.

Thea bit her lip.

“I can pay you more,” she offered.

Bryce shook his head.

“It’s not about the money, and it’s not you, so don’t you dare think that. We’re getting rusty just staying around Witchbrook,” he said. “We need to take a contract to keep our skills sharp.”

Thea had visibly paled at his words.

“Can we discuss this after the meeting with the Duke?” she asked.

Bryce knew his answer wasn’t going to change, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell that to Thea right now.

“We can talk once we return from the Duke’s estate,” he relented as he stood. “I’m going to join the girls in the tavern.”

Omelet hopped down from Thea’s bed, following Bryce as he moved toward the door. He caught Thea watching him from the corner of his eye before she returned to looking through her wardrobe.

As Bryce stepped out of her room, he spotted Alice waiting in the hallway.

“Is she going to be okay?” Alice asked once the door closed.

She walked with him down the hallway to the guild’s tavern as Omelet raced past them, no doubt hoping for scraps from the diners.

“She’s been through a lot, and last night dredged up some bad memories,” Bryce answered. “But I got her to smile at least.”

He knew the girls had become fast friends when Thea started staying at the guildhall. They were close in age, and Bryce figured Alice saw Thea as what her life could have been. He had already warned the snow elf not to reveal her identity as a bastard of nobility to the Princess, and the way Alice responded had told him she had been considering it.

He saw Alice still had a worried look as she glanced back toward Thea’s room.

“You want to join me and the girls for a game of bones?” Bryce asked.

Alice looked up at him and smiled.

“Regular dominoes or Vex’s version?” she asked.

Bryce chuckled.

“Regular. Vex will drag us into playing her version once she’s bored.”