Chapter 146
Deckard
Leonard and I stagger through the streets and somehow end up quite a busy market.
“Wait here. Let me ask around,” Leonard says, seating me down on a log before disappearing into the crowd.
I stay alert, scanning my surroundings for anyone who might be able to help.
“Hey, sick man!” a little girl calls out as she walks up to me.
She looks no older than eight or nine.
“You can’t sit here. That’s the beggars‘ spot,” she announces.
“What?” I ask, confused.
“You’re sick, not a beggar, right? Then get a healer! This is Todo’s spot, and he won’t take kindly to seeing someone else here. He can be quite hostile, I tell you.”
Do you know a healer? A powerful one…” I ask.
She giggles. “There are plenty of healers in Red Valley. It just depends on what kind of healing you’re looking for…”
She pauses, staring at me with an unsettling gaze.
“Sexual healing, spiritual healing, emotional healing…” she trails off.
I frown, wondering why a little girl is speaking this way, but I don’t have the strength to question it.
“I can tell you need spiritual healing… I can take you to my ma. She’s gonna heal you,” the little girl says, her voice light but oddly confident.
“What’s it gonna cost?” I ask, shifting uncomfortably under my hoodie as sweat clings to my skin.
She shrugs. “I guess you’ll have to find out once you get to my ma.”
Every instinct in me screams that this is a setup. I don’t care how young she is–Red Valley is not a place where innocence is guaranteed. People assurne children can’t be part of the schemes that run through this town like a sickness, but they’re wrong. Sometimes, they’re the best at it.
“Look… what’s your name?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at her.
“Freya,” she says without hesitation.
“Freya, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can go with you,” I reply, trying to keep my voice firm but polite.
She sighs dramatically. “Oh well, I tried. When Todo gets here, though… it’s gonna be nasty.” Her lips curl into a mischievous smirk as she steps
back.
Before I can respond, I hear Leonard voice
“Alpha! I got a healer!” Leonard calls out, his voice triumphant.
“Alpha?” Freya repeats, her gaze snapping to me, curiosity flashing across her face.
“No, that’s not me. I’m Ralph,” I say quickly, remembering that Martha and Gaius said we need to hide our identity here.
She doesn’t look convinced, but before she can press further, Leonard steps forward, leading an older man with him. The man’s face is lined with age, he might be legit…i think
“Bernard!” Freya calls out as she recognizes the old man.
The moment their eyes meet, his expression shifts–his face, lined with age, now heavy with Guilt. Maybe even fear.
“Oh, Freya, please…” His voice is barely above a whisper, a quiet plea.
Her stance changes instantly. Gone is the playful, teasing child. Now, her voice is sharp, cold. “Should I tell them? Or do you walk away?”
Leonard tenses beside me. “Tell us what?” he demands.
Bernard doesn’t hesitate. “Alright… I’ll go.” He turns on his heel, retreating into the crowd like a man who has just escaped judgment.
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Chapter 146
Leonard curses under his breath. “Whobisvthid little girl and Why did you chase our healer off? A few people swore he’s powerful!”
Freya scoffs. “Yeah, a few other swindlers.”
Leonard frowns, frustration clear on his face, but Freya doesn’t wait for him to argue. She turns to me instead. “Look, the longer you stay here, the more likely you are to get swindled–or worse. People are noticing you now, you smell new. If I were you, I’d leave. Now.”
With that, she spins on her heel and starts walking away.
I stare after her, my mind spinning. Do I trust this little girl or not? Everything about this town is twisted, and I don’t know if she’s genuinely trying to help or if she’s playing an even deeper game.
Before I can decide, an angry voice cuts through the air.
“Hey! That is my spot! Who the hell are you, tainting this place with your sweat and heat? You don’t belong here!”
I turn to see a dusty–looking man storming toward me, rage twisting his features.
My gut clenches.
Todo.
Freya wasn’t lying.
And now, our cover is about to be blown.
“Shit. Let’s follow her, Leonard,” I grunt, struggling to push myself up.
“Follow who? The little girl? What about Martha and giaus?” Leonard asks, his voice filled with doubt.
“Yes–her name is Freya, Martha and Giaus will findbus” I say, barely managing to stay upright.
Leonard quickly grabs my arm, steadying me. “Freya!” I call out, but my voice is weak, barely a whisper against the noise of the market.
“Freya!” Leonard shouts, his voice carrying farther.
We take off after her, weaving through the crowded streets. My body protests with every step, but I force myself forward. Freya moves fast, slipping through gaps between villagers, avoiding watchful eyes. Eventually, she leads us away from the thick of the crowd, down a quieter road where only a few people linger.
The air feels heavier here, quieter, like the town’s chaos doesn’t quite reach this place.
Freya glances back at us, then at me. “The distance is a bit lengthy, and I don’t think Ralph can last walking that far. Where’s your horse?”
Leonard exhales sharply. “Our horse is far from here….”
She clicks her tongue. “I have one, but it’s not built for three. Still, we can try.”
She strides over to a large tree and unfastens the reins of a black horse. The animal snorts softly, shifting its hooves in the dirt.
Leonard helps me onto the horse first, struggling under my weight. Once I’m on, he swings up behind me, and Freya takes the front. The horse protests for a second before steadying under the added burden.
Without another word, she kicks the horse into motion.
The ride is rough. Every jolt sends fresh pain through my body, but I grit my teeth and hold on. The farther we travel, the more the town’s noise fades behind us. The streets grow narrower, the houses sparser.
After what feels like forever, Freya pulls the reins and the horse slows to a stop in front of a small, weathered house. Its wooden walls are worn, and a single dim lantern glows faintly from inside.
“We’re here,” she announces, slipping off the horse with ease.
Leonard and I dismount, though 1 nearly collapse the moment my feet touch the ground. Freya doesn’t wait for us to recover. She pushes open the wooden door and gestures for us to follow.
Inside, the house is dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of herbs and something else–something unfamiliar, yet strangely comforting. Shadows dance along the walls from the flickering light of a single candle.
I don’t know if we’ve just found safety or walked straight into another trap.
I’ll get my ma now. Please wait, Freya says before slipping into the shadows, leaving us alone in the room.
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Chapter 146
The air is thick with the scent of incense and herbs–earthy, almost calming. Under different circumstances, I might have found it soothing. But right now, I can’t. My body is shutting down, my vision flickering between darkness and light. Still, I force my eyes to stay open.
Minutes pass.
Then, finally, footsteps.
A young woman steps into the room. Her ginger hair catches the candlelight, and she carries the scent of herbs–tea tree, lavender, something else I can’t quite place. She looks young for someone who has a daughter like Freya‘, but I guess magic does wonder.
there’s an air of authority about her, something both knowing and unshaken.
“Hello,” she greets, her voice smooth but unreadable.
Leonard jumps in immediately. “Hello! You’re Freya’s ma? Please, help us,” he pleads, desperation clear in his tone.
She doesn’t waste time on introductions or pleasantries.
“Take off his clothes,” she orders.
Leonard hesitates, caught off guard by the abruptness of it. “Oh. Okay,” he says, already reaching to help me.
stop him with a weak hand. “I got it,” I mutter, voice hoarse.
Slowly, painfully, I peel away my clothes, feeling the weight of the woman’s gaze as she studies me. It’s sharp, dissecting–like she’s reading something beneath my skin, something beyond just flesh and wounds.
“What is your name, master?” she asks, her tone holding something… deliberate.
“Ralph,” I manage to say before my body betrays me, forcing me back into the chair.
A small, knowing smile tugs at the corner of her lips.
“I prefer to call you the Alpha,” she says simply.
Leonard and I exchange glances, tension crackling between us.
How the hell does she know?
“Did Freya tell you this?” Leonard asks, his voice edged with suspicion.
The woman tilts her head slightly, her expression unreadable. “Yes. I am Freya.”
Leonard frowns. “No, I’m talking about your daughter.”
She blinks, unfazed. “I don’t have a daughter.”
Leonard exhales sharply, frustration creeping into his voice. “Okay, I’m talking about the little girl who brought us here. The one who called you
her ma
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir,” she says smoothly. “But I am Freya.”
A tense silence stretches between them.
“You know what? It’s fine, Leonard finally mutters, rubbing a hand down his face. He exhales sharply, shaking his head. “Just–please heal him.”
“Well, that comes at a price,” she says, watching him carefully.
“We were told,” I manage to say, though my voice is barely more than a whisper.
Leonard straightens. “So what’s the price?”
She smiles, “It depends. But let’s get to the healing first. Once he’s better, you must pay me my price.”
Leonard clenches his jaw. “Fine. We’ll pay. If it means leaving him here while I go get your payment, then that’s what I’ll do.”
As I watch them go back and forth, my gut twists. This deal is going to be a shady one–I can feel it. But at this point, what choice do I have?
Their voices start to fade, their words blurring together. My body feels heavier, the room warping, shifting.
