Feral Mage Book 2: Chapter 22

He’s here!

Callie smiled as she saw Bryce sitting at the table. She kept her eyes on him, even as the two catkins stood and made their way over.

“So you’re Bellamy,” the catkin with the witch hat said, her tone venomous.

Darren quickly put himself in front of them.

“Nicole, we’re not here for trouble!” Darren said. “We just want to warn Bryce.”

So these must be the twins…

“Then you can tell him, Darren,” Nicole said, then pointed at Bellamy. “She’s not welcome here.”

Bellamy frowned as the catkin sisters bared their fangs. The one in plate had her hand already gripping her maul, while the witch looked as if a spell was on the tip of her tongue.

Callie wondered if the two would be a match for the Feral Mage.

“Nicole, Olivia! It’s alright,” Bryce called out.

Nicole glared at Bellamy, then looked at Bryce.

“You sure?”

He nodded.

“I’m sure,” he said, casting a quick glance at the bar. “Let’s head outside where we can talk.”

As he stood, the annoying mutt clung to him and glared at Bellamy.

“My Bryce!” Vex declared.

Callie watched as Bellamy’s facade crumbled. Those words were probably far more devastating than anything the twins could have done to the woman.

She saw Bellamy’s face before she turned and rushed for the door.

“This was a mistake…” Bellamy said, stepping through the door.

Bryce took a single step before Callie blocked him.

“You can chase after her once you tell me where Alice is!”

Darren whirled toward her as the twins stared at her. Bryce, though, let panic slip into his eyes for just a moment before being replaced with a confident smile.

“Callie, I think you’re confused. Let’s step outside.”

Darren growled.

“Callie, he doesn’t know what happened to Alice!”

Nicole looked toward the dwarf.

“Wait, something happened to Alice?”

Bryce glanced toward a forest elf walking toward them with a rag in her hand. He grimaced and looked back at Callie.

“Darren, Callie! Let’s talk about this outside,” Bryce said.

Callie saw the wolfkin and kitsune stand up and hurried toward the forest elf, cutting her off before she got closer. The elf looked toward them, and Callie saw her blue eyes for a second before she looked away.

Is she half snow elf?

Then Callie saw the necklace around her neck. She recognized it instantly and looked back at Bryce.

“Fuck…” he said.

Callie gritted her teeth.

“You kidnapped her and made her a barmaid!” she yelled as she threw a punch at the bastard’s head.

Bryce caught her fist in his hand.

“Callie, calm down!” he yelled.

She tried to grab him with her free arm, but he grappled with her.

“You’re out of arms, Callie. Let’s sit down and talk.”

She glared at him as she heard shouts of surprise and confusion from Darren and the twins. Callie just grinned at Bryce as she pulled her head back before slamming it forward. She heard a crunch as the world started to fade. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Bryce’s surprised look right before she slammed her head into his face.

Worth it.

***

Callie’s head throbbed as an awful scent hit her nose. Her eyes fluttered open to see an old man in armor with a missing eye standing before her. She tried to move only to realize her hands were bound to her chair.

“Don't try your bloodline. I made sure the bonds could withstand it,” the old man said, sealing the cap on a vial that Callie guessed contained smelling salts.

She looked around herself, seeing what looked like a simple office with a desk in front of her. Then she saw who was sitting in the chair beside her.

“You bastard!” she growled at Bryce, though she was happy to see the dried blood on his face and shirt.

Bryce sighed.

“It’s good to see you, too, Callie.”

The armored man with one eye walked around the desk and sat down. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a single glass and filled them.

“Lady Queenshield, can you please tell me why you’re causing a ruckus in my guildhall?”

Callie glared at Bryce again.

“I already know about Alice Winter. Bryce told me his side of the story when he brought her here. I’d like to hear yours,” the old man said, looking at Bryce. “And see how it compares to his.”

Callie huffed but started telling everything, starting with the mission from Duchess Frozenveil to her holding the burned corpse she thought was Alice on the boat.

The old man listened intently as he sipped his whiskey. By the time Callie was done, his glass was empty.

“So,” the old man said, lifting the bottle to fill his glass again. “You’re both idiots.”

Callie and Bryce both scoffed.

“She is.”

“He is.”

She narrowed her eyes at the bastard for that, who did the same.

The old man lifted his whiskey and pointed at her.

“Do you really think you could rally support for Alice? A girl who weeks earlier was a barmaid, and the only supporters were you and an iron rank mercenary?”

Callie went to respond, but he cut her off.

“No. Alice would have probably been dead within a week. Most likely, a noble would sell her out, or someone else hoping to earn the Duchess's favor. On the off chance you did find someone crazy enough to go against that frozen bitch, Alice would be little more than a puppet. One that would probably be killed once she had a kid by whatever prick they forced her to marry.”

Callie’s mouth hung open. She wanted to respond with the oaths the houses of the Winter Kingdom had sworn to the Ice Queen’s family, but she knew the cold truth.

The old man’s glass shifted toward Bryce.

“And you, dumbass. Did you think for one second about trying to talk some sense into her? Or did you concoct a plan to try and convince her that the last purpose of her entire family’s existence was dead and her fault?”

Bryce grimaced.

“Honestly, I’m tempted to untie her and let her hit you again.”

Callie smirked.

“I rather like this old man,” she said, looking at Bryce.

The old man glared at her.

“I’m Mark and I’m in my forties.”

Bryce clicked his tongue.

“Late forties.”

Mark glared at Bryce.

“Why don’t you go outside and send in Alice?”

Bryce stood and moved to the door. Callie’s heart raced, and she tugged against her bound wrists.

“You’re going to let me see my Queen like this?”

Mark nodded.

“I’d prefer to keep you tied up, at least until I’m sure you won’t try to run off with my barmaid.”

The door opened, and Callie tried to turn in her chair.

“My Queen,” Callie said with a smile.

Alice frowned as she took a seat where Bryce had been.

“I’m not your Queen.”

Callie was about to counter when Mark raised her hand.

“Let the girl finish.”

Alice took a deep breath.

“I thank you for letting me know who my mother was, but I’m not your Queen or anyone’s Queen. I have no clue about noble etiquette, let alone how to rule a Kingdom. Hell, I spent most of my life as a debt slave in a frontier town! Most of what I know about elvish society is from the few forest elves who lived there. I’m sorry, I’m not Alice Winter, the lost Queen of the Winter Kingdom. I’m just Alice, a barmaid at this guildhall.”

Mark raised his hand and gestured to Alice.

“There you have it. Alice wants to stay here.”

Callie looked between the two of them.

“Your responsibilities to the Winter Kingdom!” She exclaimed.

Mark shook his head.

“They’re not hers,” he said.

Alice smiled at the old guildmaster.

Callie’s thoughts ran wild. What was she going to do? The last member of the family she was raised and trained to protect was rejecting her title to be a barmaid! She had sacrificed all she had for Alice in the Red Pine Kingdom. Callie felt her mouth go dry as reality settled in around her.

“If you understand, Lady Queenshield, I’ll remove your bindings and you can be on your way.”

Callie sighed, her mind settling on a decision.

“Remove them, but I would like to make a request.”

A few minutes later Callie followed Alice from the office into the guildhall’s tavern. She spotted Bryce with his women, the twins, and Darren at a table.

“Be nice to Bryce,” Alice said sternly.

Callie’s lips thinned, but she nodded.

How far House Queenshield has fallen.

She made her way toward the bastard’s table, the copper dog tag hanging from her neck.

Bryce

Bryce watched as Darren lifted the mug of ale to his lips and took a deep swig before setting it back down.

“I can’t believe you actually pulled that off!” Darren said, then glared at Bryce. “And you’re an asshole for it! I grieved for the poor lass!”

This was the third time Darren had called him an asshole since he returned from Mark’s office. Bryce let the dwarf berate him. Partly because it was true and partly because he wanted to try to get where Bellamy might have gone from him. Vex sat beside him, happily munching on her candy. Janna sat across from him nervously watching everyone as if expecting a fight to break out. The twins kept their eyes locked on the guild door, as if waiting for Bellamy to return.

I’m responsible for that…

He met the twins only a month after he and Bellamy parted ways, and he was in a pretty rough state at the time.

He remembered the sisters finding him under a tree, his head pounding from a nasty hangover, surrounded by a dozen dead men. They had been bronze rank then, while he was still copper rank.

“The grumpy elf is back,” Vex said.

Bryce turned to where she was looking, only to see Callie pull out a chair and sit down beside him.

He leaned back, trying to put himself out of head-butting range as she faced him.

“I’ve been told to be nice to you, you bastard,” Callie growled.

Bryce saw the dog tag hanging from her neck.

Oh no…

“You joined the guild?” Janna exclaimed.

Callie looked at her and nodded.

“If my… if Alice has decided to stay here, then so shall I.”

She sighed and looked at Darren.

“Well, did you warn him?”

The dwarf stared at her, his mug of ale halfway to his lips. Then his eyes widened.

“That’s right! I forgot during all the excitement about Alice! Bryce, assassins are hunting us all!” Darren said.

Bryce nodded his head.

“A… friend… warned me the organization had sent people after me,” Bryce stated.

“Stupid crazy elf…” Vex growled from beside him.

Callie raised an eyebrow at Vex’s remark.

“I’m guessing they’re not happy we killed Erika. So they’re after you and Callie as well?” Bryce asked, then thought. “Wait, are they also after Bellamy? Is that why she was here?”

Callie shook her head.

“They’ve spent the last month chasing Darren and me around the Red Pine Kingdom. I ran into Bellamy when hunters tried to ambush me, and she was worried about you.”

Bryce frowned.

“Do you know where she went? I want to talk to her.”

Callie sighed and stood from the table.

“I have a guess, but I think it’s better if I talk to her first. If she wants to talk to you after, I’ll come find you.”

Bryce watched the swordswoman walk to the guild door. Then she looked back, glaring at him.

“And Alice better be here when I return.”

The door swung shut with a thud. Bryce sighed and looked over to Alice.

“You doing okay?”

Alice nodded.

“It’s been a busy day,” Alice said with a tired smile.

Bryce chuckled.

“And still plenty of day left,” he stated.

Alice bit her lip.

“Can we play a game of dominoes? At least for a bit?” she asked.

Bryce smiled.

“You going to let me win again?”

She smiled as she shook her head.

“Good,” Bryce laughed.