Free Web NovelChapter 50: Episode 050: Don’t Cross Your Boundaries.
Rue looked at Caius.
He was standing by the wooden table, his back turned to her. He was currently busy inspecting a small stack of bowls, but his entire posture was rigid. His long, black tail was curled tight around his waist.
It was a clear sign that he was annoyed. He knew exactly who was tapping on the window, and he wanted absolutely no part of it.
Rue let out a long, slow breath. She looked at the door, then back at the snake-man. "You guys act like children," she muttered, but Caius didn’t even twitch.
She rolled her eyes. She walked across the room, and slid the iron bolt back. She pulled the door open.
Knox was standing on the porch. He looked like a man who had been expecting the door to remain shut forever. He wore a simple tunic that showed off his strong, lean shoulders. His dark hair was windblown, and his gold eyes were wide, looking past Rue into the cabin. He looked like a panther who had accidentally wandered into a trap he wasn’t sure he could escape.
"Rue," Knox said. He held up his hands, palms open. "I apologize for the window. I am aware that knocking on glass is not a standard social practice. My social skills are currently... lacking."
Rue stepped back to let him in. "That is putting it lightly."
Knox stepped over the threshold. He moved with a quiet, careful grace, his boots barely making a sound on the floor. He stopped a few feet from the table. The room instantly felt smaller. The air grew thick and heavy, like the atmosphere before a massive thunderstorm.
Caius turned around.
The movement was too fast to track. One moment he was standing by the table, the next he was facing the entrance. His golden eyes were already shifting, the color bleeding away into a sharp, dangerous red. His tail uncoiled and began to whip the air, making a sharp, snapping sound that made the hair on Rue’s arms stand up.
Knox didn’t retreat, but he did stop walking. He held his ground. He didn’t look at Caius. He kept his gaze fixed on Rue, which seemed to annoy Caius even more.
"I have brought gifts," Knox said. He reached into a large leather bag hanging at his side. He pulled out a bundle wrapped in soft, green leaves. He walked forward, moving past Caius as if the snake-general were just a piece of furniture, and laid the bundle on the table.
Rue stepped up to the table. She unwrapped the leaves. Inside were three small toys carved from ironwood. One was a tiny, perfectly detailed snake. Another was a small, jumping rabbit. The third was a little dragon, no bigger than her thumb. They were smooth, polished, and smelled faintly of forest oil.
"For the boy," Knox said, gesturing to the crib. "Ironwood is strong. He will not be able to break them."
Rue touched the little wooden rabbit. She thought about Theron. She thought about how he would eventually gnaw on these instead of her fingers. "These are very nice, Knox. Thank you."
Caius made a low, vibrating sound in his chest. It was a rumble that meant he really wanted to throw the Panther out of the cabin. He looked at the wooden toys as if they were offensive weapons.
"You could have sent a messenger," Caius said. His voice was a flat, cold blade.
"I wanted to deliver them personally," Knox replied. He didn’t look at Caius. He kept looking at Rue. He seemed entirely unaware of how to handle the situation, or perhaps he just didn’t care. "It is the custom."
Rue watched them both. This was a very strange dance. Knox was trying to be polite, but he was holding his body in a way that made it clear he was ready to fight if the need arose. Caius was vibrating with the need to remove the intruder.
"Sit, Knox," Rue said. She pointed to a chair. "The world isn’t going to end if you drink a cup of tea."
Knox sat. He sat on the very edge of the wooden chair, looking like a jungle predator trying to fit into a tea room. He kept his hands on his knees, his muscles bunched, ready to launch. Caius remained standing, his tail lashing behind him like a whip.
"The tea is hot," Rue said, pouring a cup from the pot. She slid it toward the Panther.
Knox stared at the cup. He didn’t touch it. He looked around the cabin. He looked at the stone hearth, the books, the ironwood crib in the corner. He seemed to be trying to figure out how Rue lived in such a small space with a snake-man who clearly wanted to kill him.
"You have been away from the palace for a long time," Knox observed.
"It’s not been long, Knox, I have also been busy," Rue replied. She sipped her own tea.
"I heard," Knox said. He finally looked at Caius. His Gold eyes were sharp. "I heard you have been quite the general for the neighborhood fences."
Caius’s tail went completely still. It curled around the leg of his own chair. "That is none of your business."
"And the boy?" Knox asked, glancing at the crib.
Rue felt a surge of protectiveness. "He is fine. He is sleeping."
Knox nodded. He seemed to want to say more, but he couldn’t find the words. He wasn’t good at this. He was a King, a fighter, a predator. He was not a man who knew how to sit in a cabin and make small talk. He looked at Rue, then at the tea, and then at his own large hands. He was trying his best to show he could be domestic, but it was like watching a shark try to knit a sweater.
Rue felt a small smile touch her lips. It was almost funny. Here were two of the deadliest creatures in the forest, and they were stuck in her kitchen, acting like two schoolboys who didn’t know how to act in front of a girl.
"I am going to get more bread," Caius announced. He didn’t look at Rue. He looked at Knox. It was a challenge. I am leaving the room, do not try anything.
Caius walked into the kitchen. The door clicked shut behind him.
The silence returned. But it felt different now. It was lighter.
Knox let out a breath he had been holding. He reached out and traced the edge of the table. "You look healthy, Rue. Being away from the palace... it suits you." freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"I am alive," Rue said. "That is the main thing."
"Yes," Knox agreed. "That is the main thing."
He hesitated. He looked toward the door where Caius had disappeared. Then he looked back at Rue.
"The festival is coming," Knox said. His voice was suddenly very serious. "The whole Convergence will be there. Every tribe. Every King. It will be loud and dangerous, but it is the tradition. I am going. You should be there, too."
Rue shook her head. "I am a mother now, Knox. I don’t do crowds. Especially crowds of beasts."
"This is not just a party," Knox argued. "It is where the future of the clans is decided. You should have a say in it. You are the one who knows how to fix things."
Rue looked at him. She really thought about it. The festival sounded like a nightmare. Loud drums. Raw meat. Fighting. Beasts showing off. It sounded like an absolute headache. But then she thought about the trade agreements. She thought about how the tribes needed to talk to each other to keep the peace. Maybe she could help.
Knox stood up. He walked around the table until he was standing right in front of Rue.
"Come with me," Knox said. His voice was low and formal. He bowed slightly. "Allow me the honor of escorting you to the festival. I will keep you safe. I will ensure no one bothers you. You will be my guest."
He held out his hand. It was a strong hand, meant for hunting, but he held it out with a surprising amount of gentle care.
Caius stepped out of the kitchen.
He had been listening the whole time. He didn’t look like he was cutting bread anymore. He looked like a man whose boundaries had just been violently stepped over. His tail was no longer still. It was snapping the air behind him, a sound like cracking whips.
His golden eyes were completely gone, replaced by a deep, dark, and terrifying red.
He didn’t scream. He didn’t growl. He just stepped forward, the floorboards groaning under his weight, his fangs extending until they pressed against his lower lip.
"Don’t cross your boundaries," Caius hissed.
