Chapter 8

I jolted awake as the carriage hit a bump in the road. Vale had taken over the reins once it was sundown, urging me to rest as well.

Now it was early morning, and I realized my legs were tied to the front seat of the carriage. "What the hell?"

"So you wouldn't fall," Vale said. Despite resting, she still looked tired, and her hair was a bit of a mess. "Pendleton is awake," she added.

I looked behind me and saw Baynard sitting at the farthest end of the carriage. "How'd you know his last name?" I asked her. Was he sulking?

"Simple. I asked." Vale answered. It was a stupid question, but I just couldn't see how she would make small talk with him.

Deciding to ignore it, I asked a more important question. "Any idea where Jace might be?"

"Nope."

Still as dry as ever. I didn't have any other questions for her, nor would I bother making small talk considering how badly the last one went.

I watched the streets of Berene. We were definitely far from the police station by now, and you could tell how much smaller the place became and how less wealthy the people looked. It wasn't the city anymore.

We passed by a bakery, and with perfect timing, my stomach grumbled.

Vale took notice and pulled over. She tied the reins of the horse to a pole, and we both went inside.

The smell of freshly baked pastries made my mouth water, yet I thought about how my mother's bakery would smell better than this.

"Do you have any money? Or are you planning to steal these?" I asked, half-joking but also serious.

"Yes, Jace gave me some money." Vale informed me, digging out a small pouch filled with coins from her crossbody bag.

By the time we exited the bakery, my arms were laden with bags of food while Vale counted her change.

I didn't know why it took her so long; there were only six silvers left, but she kept picking one, frowning, and then starting over.

"Six," I informed her. "That's six silvers."

"...Right," Vale stared at the coins as if memorizing them. "We should get back to the carriage," she suggested.

We walked back, but I made a beeline to the back to give Baynard a few pastries before returning to the front to sit with Vale.

She was eating her share slowly, like something was on her mind.

And my damn tongue couldn't help but ask, "Forgive me, but do you know how to count?" I blurted out. I immediately prepared to cover myself in case she would kill me for asking, but surprisingly she didn't.

"No," she muttered.

"Why not?" I asked her, surprised. Surely, she must have had some sort of basic education. "The orphanage never taught me, nor did the army," she explained. "Berene isn't focused on education, you know..."

Her tone was softer, less guarded than before.

"Army?" Vale finally looked at me. Her usual piercing gaze seemed to be crumbling bit by bit. "That's where I met Commander Lorian. I was his best soldier."

I was confused. If she was the best, why did they seem to hate each other? "What happened between you two?" I asked.

Just when I thought she might finally open up, she glared at me and turned her face back to the road, gripping the reins tightly. "None of your business," she replied coldly.

As Vale was about to pull the reins to signal the horse to start moving, a lavender hue of purple light materialized in front of us.

The sudden light caught the attention of passersby, causing some to run away in fear. Vale instinctively drew her dagger, ready for a fight.

The light faded, revealing Helena crouched down and panting heavily. She looked exhausted but tried to compose herself.

""Helena!" I exclaimed in surprise, hastily climbing down from the carriage to meet her.

She seemed just as startled as I was. "It worked!" Helena exclaimed excitedly, her exhaustion replaced by pure joy.

"Where's Jace?" Vale asked, her tone aggressive, masking the concern she had for him. But it didn't fool me.

"No idea," Helena answered, still too happy to care. "I escaped him!" she yelled to the world.

People were gawking at us, and though I was embarrassed, I couldn't help but feel happy to see her.

"You left him?" Vale snapped, her voice rising with fury. "You left him alone, knowing full well how worried he would be? Do you have any idea how angry he'll be? How reckless could you be?"

"It's not a big deal, Vale—" Helena began to brush her off, but Vale interrupted her sharply.

"Not a big deal?" Vale cut in, her eyes blazing. "Do you understand how furious he'll be? You abandoned him without a word, Helena! This isn't a game!"

"You're supposed to be smart, Helena. Have you not thought of the consequences?" Vale continued to scold her, her voice sharp and unyielding. "Or did Jace perhaps misinform me about you?"

Helena's face flushed with a mix of anger and shame. "I don't need a lecture from you, Vale," she snapped. "I know what I did. But I can't just sit around and wait for things to happen."

Vale's eyes narrowed, her frustration evident. "No, you don't! And you clearly don't feel any sense of remorse."

Helena clenched her fists, struggling to maintain her composure. "What do you know about remorse?"

I stepped in, hoping to ease the tension. "That's enough, you two. Let's focus on finding Jace, alright?"

Helena's defiance softened, and she nodded reluctantly. "You're right. Let's find him and get out of here."

Vale agreed, shooting Helena a final warning look before getting back into the driver's seat of the carriage. "Next time you run off, I'm putting you in the cage with him," she said sternly, pointing towards Baynard, who was asleep again.

We drove off after settling in and I heard Vale mutter to herself, "You are going to be the death of me."

I didn't like how that sounded but at least they weren't arguing anymore.

The silence between us grew thick with tension, each attempt I made to lighten the mood met with icy responses from both Vale and Helena.

Feeling out of place, I sought solace in the rhythmic sounds of the horse's steps, the steady creak of the carriage wheels, and the occasional click of a lock being picked.

Wait, what?

I quickly looked behind me and saw Baynard's hands free and picking the lock of the cage. I wondered how I caught that so late and how Helena and Vale didn't seem to notice.

The tension from their earlier argument must have exhausted them. Helena had fallen asleep, and Vale was on the verge of dozing off, the reins slipping from her hands.

Hastily, I grabbed the reins, jolting Vale awake as I brought the carriage to a halt. Helena yelped in surprise and fell off the carriage.

"What's going on?" Vale mumbled, her eyes widening in alarm as she fought off sleep. The familiar sound of the cage opening snapped us both to attention, panic rising swiftly.

Vale immediately understood the gravity of the situation and rushed to secure Baynard back into his cage. I jumped off the carriage, my heart pounding with worry. Helena was standing up after her fall, looking disoriented.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice filled with concern. I wanted to help her, but my eyes kept darting to Vale, who was struggling with Baynard.

"I'm fine," Helena muttered, brushing off the dirt.

"Good," I said, trying to steady my voice. "Stay here, I need to help Vale." Without waiting for a response, I ran to assist Vale.

By the time I got there she was frozen solid, glaring intensely at Baynard. She looked at me for a moment as if to warn me about him.

His hands were free which meant he could cast magic against us and that meant Vale and I were at a disadvantage. We were only human, we didn't have an ounce of magic to protect ourselves and counter magic users.

"Stay back!" He yelled at us, "No one has to get hurt here."

"What do you want from us?" Vale negotiated with him.

"You let me go and you won't ever try to find me again." He stated his conditions, "And I'm taking the blonde with me."

Blonde? Was he referring to Helena?

Vale made it clear that only she was to speak with him and I cooperated, "You'll have to go through me first." She told him sternly.

"Very well then." Baynard sighed, "Just because you took me down the first time, doesn't mean you can do it again."

And with those words, he casted a black flame from his hands and aimed at Vale.

What exactly was she planning to counter him?