Feral Mage Book 2: Chapter 34

The serpent leviathan’s body was a swirling mass of muscle and scales within the swamp, turning the water and mud as it pursued her. Bellamy could see the monster’s true size from the air with her Griffin Aspect. The beast’s body was longer than the ship she sailed on with her father from the Selkie Isles to the continent all those years ago.

She also saw Bryce following along on the ground, striking the serpent with his poisonous claws when the opportunity presented itself. He must have poisoned the serpent a dozen times since the start of their battle, but it would take a lot to affect the massive monster.

She turned to make another pass over the swamp, leading it in a large circle while Bryce’s poison built up and slowly killed the beast. That was their plan anyway, and it had been working. She could tell it was becoming more sluggish, its movements more erratic, more desperate. A few more passes like this one, and it would die, then Bryce would have his second Aspect.

Bellamy watched as Bryce jumped over a section of the snake, raking his claws along its back before backing away. He had changed so much from the skinny farm boy she had met a year ago; his body was muscular now, and he carried himself with confidence. She no longer saw him as a boy, but a man.

The serpent began to turn from her, and Bellamy worried it was about to attempt to flee. Her wings shifted to make a sharp turn to pursue it, only for her to see what it was doing too late. Its tail whipped the mud and water, sending a jet of it at her. She was already mid-turn and unable to react as the earth and water collided with her, knocking her from the air.

“Bellamy!” Bryce yelled.

She fell into the swamp below, sinking into the water and sediment. Her wings were submerged with her, and she knew they’d be useless for flight until they dried. Her hands dug into the decayed vegetation on the bottom, trying to pull herself up. She could feel the water rippling around her and heard the roar it made as the serpent charged. She needed to get out and away, or she would die!

Bellamy broke the water’s surface, standing in the mud and prepared to try to run. She froze as she saw the serpent, thrashing around madly, its interest in her forgotten. Instead, it was focused on trying to dislodge Bryce, who was desperately clinging to his sword, which was plunged into the top of the serpent's head.

Its head whipped to the right, finally breaking Bryce’s grip and sending him flying at a mangrove tree. He struck the trunk and fell into the water. Bellamy raced toward him when he didn’t stand back up, only casting a weary glance at the serpent to see it coiling around itself, trying to remove the sword.

She pulled Bryce’s unconscious body from the sediment, her Griffin Aspect giving her more than enough strength to carry him despite him being bigger than her. She moved toward dry land, silently praying to every god and goddess that he made it.

“What the hell were you thinking?” she growled.

She knew. He did it to save her.

Bellamy’s head throbbed as she awoke from the dream. She moved to sit up in her bed, only to hear the empty wine bottle fall and shatter on the floor of her room at the inn. She barely spared it a glance before she rolled out of the bed, stepping over the broken glass as she staggered to the wash basin in the corner of her room. She splashed the water from the basin onto her face. The act helped to wake her up, but did nothing for her hangover. She stared at the ripples that formed in the basin from the act, recalling her dream.

That was the day we stopped being master and pupil.

Bryce had been unconscious for two days, and one of his legs had broken from the fight with the serpent leviathan. His act to save her had been what finally killed the monster, and Bellamy took it as an Aspect since he was unable to. Those two days, she thought about what Bryce meant to her. When he awoke, she embraced him, thanking the divine that he was still alive. A week later, they had sex together for the first time.

“A year of bliss together as a couple before I cast him away,” Bellamy said, shaking her head.

She looked back at the shattered bottle, debating if she should get another. Then she swore, recalling what she was doing today, the contract at the guildhall.

“Thea,” she said, splashing more water on her face. “I promise I’m going to help you.”

***

Bellamy knocked on the door to the mercenary guildhall. She did her best to compose herself and hide the fact that she was hungover. She frowned as a familiar catkin opened the door.

“Well, look what the wind blew in,” Nicole said, leaning against the frame of the door.

Her feline tail flicked back and forth as her eyes narrowed under the witch hat she wore. Bellamy gritted her teeth, wondering if she was about to get into a fight.

“I’m here to put in a contract,” she stated, trying to maintain her composure.

Nicole looked her up and down, and Bellamy thought she was going to deny her entrance when the catkin stepped away.

“Well, come in then,” she said.

Bellamy followed the catkin inside, her eyes scanning the tavern for Bryce as she entered.

“He’s out with his girls,” Nicole said. “Doing a little celebration shopping, I imagine."

Bellamy’s gaze went to the catkin.

“Celebrating what?”

Nicole just smirked as she looked back at her. She didn’t answer. Instead, she moved to take a seat at the table where her sister was already sitting. While Nicole smirked, the other sister glared at Bellamy, who ignored them, moving toward the elf behind the bar.

“Welcome to Witchbrook’s Mercenary Guildhall, how might I help you?” the elf asked.

Black hair, but blue eyes.

The combination was a little strange, and Bellamy wondered if the girl’s parents were a forest elf and a snow elf.

“I wish to put in a contract. One for a mercenary named Bryce.”

Those blue eyes widened at her words.

“You’re Bellamy,” she said as she grabbed some papers. “Bryce’s old master.”

She nodded.

“You know Bryce well?” Bellamy asked.

The elf slid a stack of papers in front of her with a quill and an inkwell.

“I do. He’s someone very important to me,” she said, her gaze firming as if there were a hidden warning in her words. “Please fill out this form for the contract. Bryce is a steel rank mercenary, and his rates will reflect that.”

Is every woman I meet today going to be salt in this wound?

She took the paper to a table and began filling it out. The sound of a chair being pulled out drew her attention, and she saw Callie sitting down beside her.

“That’s the contract for Bryce?” she asked.

She could see the snow elf reading over what she wrote.

“It is. I will be traveling with him and his team,” Bellamy answered.

The sound of writing on parchment filled the silence between them until Callie sighed.

“Why?” Callie asked. “I’ll never admit it to his face, but Bryce is competent. If you give him the contract, I’m sure he’ll complete it.”

The ink ran out on the quill, and Bellamy dipped it in the well.

“Thea was my pupil. I need to be there, if he can’t help her, then I need to be the one too…”

Callie leaned closer to her.

“I’m a stubborn bitch myself, I get it, but Thea’s not the reason for the wine on your breath.”

The quill froze on the parchment, the black ink soaking into it.

“When I saw you kill those hunters back at the tavern, I nearly shit myself. You were terrifying, strong, and someone whom I could respect. Since coming to Witchbrook,” Callie shook her head in disappointment. “You’ve been a mess since seeing Bryce. If you’re planning on going with him after this chimera you need to get your shit together. Otherwise, someone will die, and it will be your fault.”

Bellamy glared at the snow elf, whose blue eyes glared back, matching her intensity. Before either of them could say anything, the guildhall door opened.

Bellamy turned toward it, and her heart sank as she watched Bryce walk in, his arms intertwined with the kitsune and wolfkin.

They walked into the guildhall laughing and smiling at one another. They looked happy, he looked happy, and Bellamy wished she were anywhere else right now. They made it several steps into the tavern before noticing her.

“Bellamy, you’re here,” Bryce said when he saw her. “Is that the contract?”

She watched as the girls tightened their hold on him. Both glaring at her with warnings that he was their man now.

Bryce, though, moved to the table, taking a seat across from her.

“Care if I take a look?”

She slid the parchment toward him, still watching his girls. He picked it up and started reading over it.

“When do you want the four of us to head out?” he asked as he read.

Callie cleared her throat.

“Five of us. I’m going as well.”

Bryce looked away from the paper to glare at Callie. The snow elf swordswoman just shrugged.

“I need to start doing contracts, and it’s your fault I’m now a merc. I’m holding you responsible for showing me the ropes,” she said with a stern glare.

Bryce huffed, but didn’t respond.

His brows furrowed as he returned to reading.

“The chimera… Thea… would her scent smell like death? Not decay, but like a staleness?”

Bellamy frowned.

“A human or elf wouldn’t be able to pick up on it, but yes, she could have that scent. It’s a sign that one’s soul is damaged.”

Bryce swore, setting down the contract.

“I think I know where she’s at,” he said.