Chapter 14 - Darkwood Street: The Arrival
On the balcony of a restaurant near the entrance that connected the city street to the town, a man and his three companions stood watching.
People flowed through below, seeking to settle in the city, their footsteps echoing in the night. The man gazed out, eyes scanning the crowd, his companions quiet beside him, the air thick with anticipation. The balcony offered a prime view of the bustling entrance - the perfect spot to observe without being noticed.
One of his companions leaned in, voice low. "Expecting someone, Lord Damon?"
Damon's gaze didn't waver, but a hint of a smile played on his lips as he patiently waited for the newcomers.
Minutes ticked by, and people started rushing from one place to another, trying to settle in spots where they could get a clear view of the majestic convoy approaching. Even those indoors stepped out onto their balconies, eager to catch a glimpse. The street, once calm, suddenly erupted into a cacophony of chatter. Everyone was abuzz, amazed by the grandeur of the procession.
"The person in the middle carriage must be filthy rich!" someone exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder. "Look at the embellishments, the decorations! And all the stuff they're bringing... wow!"
A woman in the crowd muttered, "Didn't they announce this morning that witches were coming? These people don't look bad to me, though." She turned to her friend, grinning. "I was scared when they said to close up early, but if not for you saying let's stay and see... I'm glad we did! I haven't seen anything like this in ages!"
Her friend, a grizzled man, cautioned her in a low voice, "Don't let appearances deceive you, witches are cunning creatures. They appear as beautiful flowers until it's too late."
The woman chuckled, dismissing his words. "If the flowers are poisonous, I want to get 'stung' by one!" she joked.
Damon sighed, his expression unamused. "Humans are so easy to fool. They're always curious - that's why they don't live long."
One of his companions, Arin, chuckled, "They're not the only ones curious about these newcomers. Even the wolf kind are here too."
Damon shot him a look, annoyed. "Rubbish," he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the crowd.
A mix of whispers and gasps rippled through the onlookers as the convoy drew closer, the witches' procession a vision of splendor and mystery.
Meanwhile...
On another balcony, not too far and not too close from Damon's own, stood Kiel and Ash, looking down at the same convoy.
Ash turned, facing Kiel. Kiel's face had changed. Worry was written all over it. His brows were tight, his jaw was clenched, his hands were shaking slightly on the railing.
Ash did not speak out loud. He used the mind-link, the wolf link only the pack could hear.
'Kiel... what are we doing here?' Ash's voice echoed in Kiel's head. 'You said we should not come. You said you don't care about witches. So why are we here watching?'
Kiel did not look at him. His eyes were still on the convoy.
'I don't know,' Kiel replied through the mind-link, his voice low and confused. 'My legs just brought me here. My wolf... my wolf refused to stay in the palace. It dragged me here.'
Ash frowned. 'Your wolf? Since when does your wolf drag you anywhere?'
Kiel's jaw tightened even more. His voice came out like a growl in the mind-link.
'This is why I hate this foolish mate bond.'
Kiel had no other answer. Because he himself did not understand.
Inside the Beautiful Carriage...
Inside the beautiful carriage in the middle, the air was soft, sweet with incense and moonflowers.
Cormac sat straight, eyes closed, calm, not caring what was happening outside.
But suddenly, something called his attention and made him focus.
He perceived Kiel's scent.
Everything inside him had scattered.
Because among all the crowd smells - sweat, dust, food, horses - one scent cut through everything like a knife.
His other half.
The scent of wood. Like Kiel.
Cormac's eyes snapped open. His heart was beating like a drum.
If not for the fact that he had known this long ago - that whenever Kiel was with him or around him, it always brought his heart to life - he would have been exposed. So he had cast a spell on his heart, so only he would know. If not, Ember and Morgan would have heard how crazy his heart was beating.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice low as he spoke to his familiar who sat beside him.
"Raise it," he whispered.
His familiar blinked. "My lord?"
"The curtain. Raise the carriage curtain open."
"But my lord, there are so many people. What if they want us and it results in violence? Even Ember and Morgan agreed to it."
But Kiel's scent had clouded Cormac's mind. He could no longer hear reason.
"Raise it. NOW."
Her hand shook as she reached for the curtain cord. Slowly, she began to pull it up.
Outside, on the balcony, Kiel's wolf suddenly growled loud in his chest.
As the curtain began to open...