Hunted: Alba's Story (Destined Book 5) Read online

  I smiled despite the tightness in my throat. She knew me well. “No. That’s probably not an option.”

  “Didn’t think so.” My mom rubbed my upper back, then she shoved me gently toward the front door. “Go say goodbye. He’s ready to leave now.”

  The front hallway was the coldest part of the house. The hall luminous was off, but a small window beside the front door let in weak, gray light from outside.

  I straightened my spine and fixed a happy smile on my face as I approached my father, who stood by the front door, his pack at his feet and his enormous crossbow resting against the wall. “How long will this one be?” My voice wavered slightly, so I widened my smile and stood a little taller. Everything is fine. I’m not worried. He won’t get hurt.

  “Ten days.” My dad’s beard twitched, like he was forcing a smile too. “You know what that means.”

  “Ten kisses.” I flung my arms around his waist and squeezed him. “Don’t shirk.”

  He kissed the top of my head with exaggerated smacking sounds. After ten kisses, he tried to pull away, but I held on and released a generous dose of healing magic for good luck.

  “C’mon, Alba. You know you don’t have to do that.”

  “No headaches on my watch, Dad.” I finally let him push me away. The gap between us sent a stabbing ache into my chest, but I kept my hands down at my sides, like the pain was nothing. “And I sent a little extra blood flow to your bad shoulder. Should help keep things loose.”

  He rubbed his shoulder, his forehead wrinkling. “Wow. Thanks, kid.”

  “For the last time, Dad, I’m not a—”

  “I know, I know. All grown up. How could I forget?” He raised an eyebrow. “Stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”

  “Me?” For a moment, my smile felt genuine. “Always.”

  “Hmph.” He made a shooing motion with his hands. “Tell your mom to come kiss me.”

  “Gross!” I skipped away when he tried to ruffle my hair. “Fine, fine. Just a moment.”

  I sent my mom to the front door and lurked in the kitchen. There was no trace of Bri. She’d probably left without saying goodbye, the icicle.

  What if something happened to our father? Sure, they hadn’t encountered the Masters’ curses in four years. That didn’t mean going out to the Badlands was safe. I shook my head and padded into the drawing room, which had a second door that opened into the front hallway.

  The door was cracked just wide enough to give me a perfect view of my parents’ profiles as my mom approached. This was the other part of my ritual on departure days—watching them say goodbye.

  They’d been through events that should have made it impossible to love. Mom had grown up locked in a tower in Draicia, forced by the power of her True Name to use her magic for evil. Dad had rescued her but lost her almost immediately, when she was pregnant with me and Bri. He’d spent years in prison before we’d finally been reunited as a family. But instead of resenting the time they’d lost, they seemed more determined than ever to love each other.

  There was something about their love that made me feel like maybe everything would be fine, eventually. Like they could survive anything. And if they could, so could I.

  This time, instead of smiling and kissing Mom like usual, Dad pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. It was a long time before he spoke. “It’s been five years since we were reunited. Five years. And still, Alba acts like I’m going to disappear any moment, and Bri will barely speak to me. Am I going to be paying for that failure forever?”

  I bit my lip. Did I really act that way? I didn’t think he would disappear at any moment. Sure, it was my greatest fear, and I had regular nightmares about losing him on a mission to the Badlands, but—

  “I don’t know.” She rested her cheek on his shoulder. “I’m paying for my mistakes too. We’re all paying. But we have each other. We’ll get through this together, and … and … somehow, the girls will heal.”

  Dad ran a hand over her hair and bent his head against hers. “I’m so sorry. I swore I’d never leave you once I finally found you, but then—”

  “I know. I know!” She leaned back and scowled. “Dar, please stop agonizing over that. We didn’t know there was a contingent of super-mages lurking in the Badlands and plotting to destroy us when you made that promise, did we?”

  He let out a dry chuckle. “No. That was a surprise.”

  “You know I’d go with you if I could, but we can’t …”

  “No. You’re right. We swore we’d never leave the girls alone again. Not after what happened with Bri.”

  The one time my parents went on a mission together, Bri disappeared when they returned. She came home days later, refusing to speak to them, and she’d never been the same since.

  My mother nodded and raised a hand to his cheek. “You’re giving us hope for the future, Dar. One day, thanks to your work, we’ll find those monsters and take the fight to them.” Her confident tone didn’t waver. “And when this nightmare is over, everything will get better. For us, and for the girls. I know it.” She pulled him into another kiss, this one so passionate, I had to look away. “You’re doing the right thing. I’m proud of you.”

  I chanced a look back at the front door. He kissed her without answering, and somehow, she must have known it was the last one.

  She was braver than me. She stepped back quickly after their final kiss, all on her own, without needing him to push her away like he’d had to do with me.

  He picked up his pack and shoved his arms through it, then hefted his crossbow and slung it over his shoulder. “See you soon.” His voice was rough. “Love you.”

  I shut my eyes, so I didn’t have to see him step out the door and leave us.

  Chapter 2

  I took so long to decide what to wear to the Galanos family compound, I had to hire a Draician-style demicoach to get to the Procus Quarter on time.

  “It’ll be ten marks to the Galanos family compound.” The mustachioed driver finished fixing his gloves and glanced up, meeting my eyes for the first time. His mouth dropped open, and his gaze darted over me. He straightened in the demicoach seat. “I could give you a discount, though, miss. If you want.”

  I smiled warmly. “No need, sir. Just get me there before the second afternoon bell.”

  He glanced at the clocktower across the street. “Ah …”

  “I don’t care how fast we have to go.” Why had I wasted half an hour searching through the clean laundry for my lucky slip? I placed a hand on his arm and squeezed, softening my words with another smile. “We need to be on time.”

  The driver nodded like he’d been given a life-or-death mission. “I can do that. Hop on, miss. And hold tight.”

  I climbed on the back of the demicoach and hunkered down behind his torso as he took off down the street with impressive speed. Hopefully, his wide girth would protect my hair from being blown into chaos during the ride.

  The Mage Academy had released me from classes the previous week. I’d passed my healer’s entry test and would soon be placed in a hospital. Until then, my days were free—free to be spent listening to fabulator crystals, flirting with Alaric via messenger bird, and worrying about the various members of my family. But today, I’d somehow squandered six hours doing nothing but bathing, changing in and out of perfectly good dresses, and braiding my hair.

  I squeezed the driver around the waist as we wove through a group of colorful fomecoaches, veering a bit too close to their wheels for my comfort.

  He really was trying to get me there on time, wasn’t he? Sweet, kind man. I released a subtle wave of healing magic to ease the swelling in his bad knee.

  We crossed the border into the Procus Quarter. The vibration of the demicoach amplified my vibrating nerves. I dug a small, compact mirror out of the pocket of my sapphire-blue, mage-craft dress and flicked the mirror open, more for the familiar, comforting view of my face than to fix my appearance. “You’re worth falling in love with, Al
ba Mattas,” I whispered to my reflection. My glossy, red lips moved along with the words. “He’s going to be yours. You can do this.”

  The driver shifted. “What was that, miss?”

  I snapped the mirror shut and slid it back in my pocket. “Nothing. I was just saying you’re handling this drive excellently.”

  He took the next turn fast, with a flashy lean to one side. “Just doing my job, miss.” I could practically feel his chest puffing out.

  The flurry of nerves in my belly grew worse at the memory of my father’s words that morning. I’m going to do my job, Alba.

  Where was he now? How deep into the Badlands could they travel in six hours? I shivered as a new gust of wind whipped my skirt up past my knees. What if something had happened to him? And if something had already happened, how long would it be before I knew?

  The embers of anxiety spread from my stomach to my chest. I worried about what Lord and Lady Galanos would think of me, but I was far more terrified of what the Badlands could do to my father. I released more healing magic, this time to soothe my own nerves. I’d need every advantage to make a good impression this afternoon.

  The Galanos compound was farther inside the Procus Quarter than I’d ever been. It had stopped raining earlier in the day, but the streets and buildings were still wet. The immaculate Galanos compound glittered in the modest afternoon light.

  Goldblossom trees lined both the inside and outside of the tall, white-washed stone wall around the compound. Ethereal, golden petals drifted lazily to the footpath as I paid the driver and said goodbye. I couldn’t help eyeing the petals on the ground as I passed. How much was a single goldblossom petal worth? Ten marks? Twenty?

  As one of the wealthiest, most powerful families in Asylia, the Galanos clan could probably throw thousands of marks onto a footpath outside their wall without blinking.

  But, knowing the Procus set, they’d probably take offense if an enterprising mage girl in need of a new dress decided to collect their poor petals for herself.

  I stuck my hands in my dress pockets to keep them out of trouble.

  Beyond the rows of expensive, fragrant trees, the Galanos villas sprawled throughout the compound. They were made of the same white-washed stones as the compound wall, with tall, gleaming windows spaced at perfect, symmetrical intervals.

  “Name?” The gate guard peered down at me from his platform, his expression a touch skeptical. “You have to be on the list. We don’t allow gawkers.”

  “Alba Mattas.” I gave him the same smile I’d given to the demicoach driver, but the guard only narrowed his eyes.

  “Yes. You’re on the list. But you were expected at the bell.”

  The final clangs of the third afternoon bell hovered in the distance. I cocked my head, smiled again, and winked conspiratorially. “And there it is. Glad I made it.”

  He didn’t return my smile. “Go on in, but don’t get too comfortable. I doubt you’ll be staying long.”

  My spine stiffened of its own accord. I nodded and stepped past him through the gate. Another guard inside jerked his head toward the large villa in the center of the compound. “Lady Galanos doesn’t like tardiness,” he muttered under his breath as I passed. “Among other things.”

  I walked past as though I hadn’t heard him. A delicate, well-dressed woman introduced herself as Lady Galanos’s assistant and let me into the main villa. Then she led me through the polished halls to the west side of the building. “Wait here for Master Alaric,” she said sourly. “Lord Galanos is away on business, and I don’t recommend approaching Lady Galanos on your own. Late.”

  She left me in the hallway, but farther down, golden light poured from an open door that must have been the villa’s afternoon parlor. I stepped toward the room then paused, torn. What was a worse infraction in Procus society—to wait for Alaric and be even later or to approach the lady without an introduction?

  “—so beautiful,” a man murmured inside the room. “More beautiful than any lady in Asylia.” The words were flattering. So why did it sound like he was holding back laughter?

  “Only in Asylia?” The woman’s voice held a pouty, playful tone.

  If this was Lady Galanos, and Lord Galanos was away on business, who was she talking to? Perhaps Lady Galanos would be angry if I walked in on a conversation she wasn’t supposed to be having.

  “In all of Theros, of course.” His voice had an odd depth to it, a faint echo, while the lady’s did not.

  “Of course.” She gave a tinkling laugh. “It’s not easy, you know, keeping up with my appearance when you’re running us ragged with your quotas.”

  “And where are we on the newest quota, O Beautiful Lady?” I bit my lip at the snarky edge to his voice. It didn’t sound like he was flirting anymore. More like he was getting close to losing patience with her.

  “That’s all you ever want to know.” She sighed deeply. “We’re close. Very close. We’ve nearly got it all. They’re not being very cooperative, but—”

  “I’ve given you everything you need to ensure their cooperation. Why have you delayed?”

  “My husband— It’s just that some of the recent … methods … were more extreme than he would have liked.” Lady Galanos, if it was truly her, sounded uneasy for the first time in the conversation. “The local flora and fauna, for example. We didn’t know the repercussions of such a—”

  “The repercussions?” The man’s sharp, angry hiss silenced her immediately. “Think nothing of the repercussions. You will have much greater concerns than flora and fauna if you fail to meet the new quota.”

  “Of course, of course,” she murmured. “My apologies. I will send word to my husband about the new measures immediately.”

  “See that you—”

  “Alba! There you are!” Alaric strode toward me, his tan, handsome face bright with excitement and not a hint of censure. He must not have realized I’d been eavesdropping.

  I waved and faked a grin. “Hello, Alaric.” Had his mother guessed at my trespassing when she heard his greeting? I suddenly hoped he would whisk me away from the coffee room and keep my beauty to himself after all.

  He mopped his shiny brow with an embroidered towel and flung it blindly over his shoulder, where a hovering servant caught it. “I’m so sorry to be late, darling. My tennis match with Lord Roderic went long.” He flexed his smooth, corded arms. “I won four rounds out of ten, you know.”

  My heart was pounding so hard, it was a moment before I could answer. “Wow, four! That’s … wonderful. You’re so talented.”

  “I know.” He held out his arm. “Shall we? I know my mother will be so delighted to meet you.”

  Yes, her and the mysterious man inside, who are probably listening to every word we speak. I placed my hand on his sleeve, hoping he didn’t notice how my fingers trembled. “I’m looking forward to meeting her, as well.”

  Alaric tugged me into the elegant, spacious parlor. It smelled of goldblossom perfume and sparkled with the light of at least a dozen luminous lamps. “Mama!” He released me and went to kiss the dark-haired woman who sat on a couch in the center of the room. I bit my lip and clasped my hands in front of me. Where was the man she’d been speaking to? There was no one else in the room.

  Lady Althea Galanos offered Alaric an indulgent smile as he straightened and stepped back. She was the perfect image of a Fenra lady—bronze skin, finely-sculpted features, and coal-black hair. Even better, her build was fragile and petite, the height of fashion, and her fitted, silver dress glittered like it was covered in diamonds. It was so tight and structured, it probably wouldn’t have fit around my left thigh. “Hello, Son.” She wagged her finger. “You know I don’t like tardiness.”

  I fought the urge to adjust my cheap outfit as light glimmered on her gorgeous dress. Those really were diamonds, weren’t they? Oh, my.

  “So sorry, Mama.” He glanced over his shoulder and winked at me. “Forgive me?”

  She grasped his hand and squeezed it. �
��Always.”

  Behind his back, Alaric gestured to me with the other hand. I dragged my feet forward and approached them. Where was the mocking, threatening man she’d been speaking to? Perhaps I’d misheard. Perhaps it had been some other woman, in some other room, speaking to some other man—

  “So … this is the mage.” She appraised me slowly, her beautiful lips curling before settling into a flat line.

  I curtsied, offering her my sweetest smile. “Hello, Lady Galanos.” My voice was barely audible.

  “This is Alba,” Alaric said, his hand on my lower back. “She’s more than a mage, Mama. She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever known, and I-I—”

  Lady Galanos shot to her feet. Alaric stuttered to a halt. The glacial hardness in his mother’s eyes sent a wave of fear through me. What had I been thinking, coming here?

  “You’re my baby, sweet Alaric. I understand you want to have nice things. I’ve indulged your whims, showered you with your every desire.” Her tone grew venomous. “But bringing a pale-skinned, chubby mage into my home is the absolute last straw!”

  Alaric’s hand dropped from my back. “Sorry, Mama.”

  That stupid smile was frozen on my face. Surely, they weren’t so— He wouldn’t—

  Wait. How dare he?

  “That’s it? You’re just—”

  “Get out.” Lady Galanos’s nostrils flared. “Now.”

  I stared at Alaric, afraid that if I blinked, I’d start crying. Say something. Defend me. Your heart belongs to me, remember?

  But Alaric dodged my gaze and stepped away from me. “You’d better go,” he muttered.

  Heat engulfed my face. My cheeks ached from holding my fatuous grin in place. This couldn’t be it. It couldn’t be over. “But you’ll wing me later, won’t you?”

  Lady Galanos scowled.

  “Ah … Goodbye, Alba.” Alaric jerked his chin toward the door. “Thank you for coming.” He wouldn’t meet my eyes.

  My gaze caught on a small, circular, silver object tucked into the couch where Alaric’s mother had been sitting.