Morning arrived quietly.
Milena preferred mornings.
The village felt calmer before everyone woke up.
Before the Ghastlies started stealing things.
Before Lucas began arguing with someone.
Before Raisa discovered a new reason to panic.
She carried a basket beneath one arm while walking toward the orchard.
That orchard was especially prepared by Jemina and the mudwolves. There are plenty of owl snakes guarding the trees, and a lot of them refused to be tamed, which is why she had to use the help of the mudwolves to transfer some of the trees near their home.
The Royal Velvet Apples had begun ripening beautifully.
Jemina had been absurdly excited about it. The truth was that her excitement and enthusiasm increased threefold after her husband left. Raisa pointed it out and tried to stop her, but she just kept ignoring her until she decided to give up.
"Oh, Milena. You are doing so well with these apples. I thought they would die after me and the mudwolves scrambled to steal it away with a hundred angry owl snakes on our backs."
"That must have been terrifying."
"Those bastards really disliked me. RAISA! Are you sure you are not related to them?"
Raisa, who was busy discussing the next batch of produce to be transported with Ayine, just raised her middle finger at Jemina without even glancing at her. Ayine panicked and tried to stop Raisa, but she kept her middle finger up.
Jemina laughed.
"See that. I think she is really related to those snobby owl snakes." She whispered.
A soft smile tugged at Milena's lips.
Life had become strangely peaceful.
Strange enough that she occasionally forgot to be afraid.
The realization always surprised her.
For years, fear had accompanied everything.
Fear of disappointing someone.
Fear of making mistakes.
Fear of saying the wrong thing.
Fear of becoming trapped.
Now,
sometimes,
she simply existed.
The orchard appeared ahead.
Several rabbits immediately noticed her.
One hopped forward.
Milena crouched.
The rabbit sniffed her hand.
Then accepted a piece of carrot.
"Good morning."
The rabbit looked unconvinced.
Then stole the entire carrot.
Milena sighed.
"Please share with the others."
A branch snapped.
Her smile vanished.
Slowly.
The forest became quiet.
Too quiet.
Milena straightened.
Her eyes scanned the trees.
Nothing.
No movement.
No sound.
Only silence.
The sensation lingered.
A familiar sensation.
The feeling of being watched.
Her stomach tightened.
No.
No.
She was imagining things.
The village was safe.
The surrounding forest was safe.
A hand suddenly clamped over her mouth.
Milena's scream never escaped.
The basket crashed to the ground.
An arm locked around her waist.
Another figure emerged from behind the trees.
Then another.
Then another.
Masked.
Silent.
Professionals.
Milena struggled immediately.
A mistake.
One of them tightened their grip.
Pain shot through her arm.
"Don't damage her."
A voice.
Male.
Calm.
Professional.
"Madam wants her alive."
Terror flooded her chest.
Madam.
Not Ysilvern.
Someone else.
The kidnappers began moving.
Fast.
Efficient.
One carried her.
Another erased footprints.
A third watched their surroundings.
This wasn't an impulsive attack.
It was planned.
Carefully.
Thoroughly.
Milena's heartbeat thundered.
The village.
She needed to get back.
Needed,
A distant howl echoed through the forest.
Everything stopped.
The kidnappers froze.
The sound came again.
Closer.
Much closer.
The leader swore.
Another howl answered.
Then another.
Then another.
Dozens.
The ground moved.
One kidnapper stumbled.
"What was that?"
Nobody answered.
Because yellow eyes had appeared beneath the roots.
One pair.
Then five.
Then twenty.
The mudwolves emerged.
A kidnapper disappeared underground.
A scream followed.
Another man fired a crossbow.
The bolt struck nothing.
The mudwolf had already vanished.
Chaos erupted instantly.
The kidnappers broke formation.
A fatal mistake.
The pack descended.
Milena found herself dropped unceremoniously onto the ground.
A mudwolf immediately shoved its head beneath her arm.
As though checking whether she remained intact.
The absurdity nearly made her cry.
"Thank you."
The mudwolf sneezed.
Then bit one of the kidnappers.
Priorities.
Several minutes later, the surviving attackers were gone. The forest grew quiet again. Milena sat on the ground, shaking.
The pack surrounded her.
Protective.
Watchful.
Waiting.
The largest mudwolf approached.
The elder.
She recognized him immediately. His yellow eyes studied her. Then he lowered his head. Milena laughed weakly. Then burst into tears. The elder tolerated this patiently, which probably meant Jemina had trained him for situations involving emotional women. A possibility that somehow felt realistic.
Lucas, Raisa, and Rosaline arrived shortly, riding together on an owl snake.
Rosaline immediately went to her and checked her injuries. Raisa knelt down.
"Are you hurt?"
Milena shook her head.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Eventually, Lucas crouched beside one of the bodies.
His expression darkened.
"These aren't ordinary mercenaries."
Silence followed.
Everyone understood the implication.
Someone had sent them.
Someone powerful.
Someone organized.
Someone determined.
"Is it Ysilvern?" Raisa asked.
Milena lowered her gaze.
A terrible feeling settled inside her chest.
"No. It wasn't him. They said, "Madam."
"A madam... A woman who despises you. A woman who wants Ysilvern?"
Milena became quiet.
"There are plenty of women like that."
"That woman must be so brave to think she can hurt you and not suffer the consequences from your husband."
"There is only one woman that I know who is strong enough to do that."
"Who?"
Far away, beyond the borders of the Null Forest, an older woman sat calmly inside a luxurious carriage.
Silver streaked through her hair, which is the color of red roses.
Elegant gloves covered her hands.
Her expression remained perfectly composed.
An attendant knelt before her.
"The first retrieval team failed."
Silence.
The attendant swallowed.
"Madam?"
Sigrid Valen-Hyde slowly put down the ivory shotgun she had been tuning up.
The movement alone felt dangerous.
"They failed?"
"Yes."
"I sent those men because they are competent. Now that I know they have failed, we can proceed to my other plan."
Sigrid smiled.
The attendant immediately took a step away from the carriage door and opened it.
She stood gracefully with the shotgun in her hand. It is disproportionately big for her arm to hold but she held it as if years have not passed by. She got out of the carriage and the men outside straightened up in front of her.
The former queen of the underworld looked toward the distant horizon.
Toward the forest.
Toward the place that had somehow convinced both her son and his wife to become idiots.
"Have the second team prepare. By nightfall, that tiny village shall ignite."