“You are to keep this wrapped all night. In the morning, remove the bandages and wipe away any residual blood without disturbing the wound.” He wrapped my leg several times with another piece of the white cloth, then tugged my trousers over it and back down to my ankle. “You are not to breathe a word of this, or you and your father will no longer have the protection instilled from this rune.”
The silver bar slipped from his hands and landed on the ground beside me. It dinged like a quiet bell. I leapt to my feet, ignoring the throbbing in my calf. At least the pain had subsided. He tossed me a flat look, then scooped up the object and shoved it into his pack.
“What does it mean? This protection rune?”
“Your marking was a gift from Goddess during your birth, but it is also a curse for those who do not want our planet to shift. It is too much power for three women, and someone close to you does not want you pulled into the binding chaos. The rune I have invoked banishes an energy you do not need. Just know you will be protected but only if this is kept secret.” He squinted at the darkening sky. “And, lass?”
I took a step back, my pulse pounding against my skull. “What now?”
“Do not pick a mate tomorrow. The reason why will be explained afterward, but it is imperative you decline all offers, no matter how tempting they may be. Make an excuse. Do whatever it takes to walk away from that ceremony a single woman.” He stepped closer and pressed more of the white cloth into my hand. “Just in case. Return home now, and do not speak of me or the wound.”
He raced off into the trees and was gone before I could reorient myself. The spring equinox supper celebration would be starting soon, and Papa was probably awake now. I limped toward the well, scooped up my belongings, and dumped the water into one of the pails before hurrying home.
CHAPTER FOUR
Banished
ZOE DAWN
“You irresponsible child!” Mum screamed, throwing her rag to the ground.
“Traitor.” I glared at Rafael just as Mum grabbed my arm and dragged me from our home. “Mum, I am no longer a child. Please let go of my arm. This hysteria is unnecessary.”
Rafael’s betrayal would not be forgotten, and he knew it. If he had mentioned Kia Lynn, I would have ripped his lips from his mouth.
“You do not understand how your actions hurt us all,” Mum hissed in my ear. “I did not want it to come to this, but you can no longer avoid punishment, my dear girl.”
I rolled my eyes. “You are overreacting.”
Mum remained quiet the remainder of the way to the Doyen’s temple, but her ears were bright red against her bronze skin. A chill rushed down my spine. Maybe I had overstepped this time.
We stopped outside the wooden doors, carved with the symbol of wisdom. Some called it ansuz as it was identical to all the other villager’s heart-center tattoos, while most others referred to is as Divine Power and the breath of the planet. To me, it was my personal connection to Goddess. I stopped accepting the Doyen’s lectures on it years before now, as they no longer resonated with my thoughts.
Mum kissed her hand and placed it on the rune, then looked at me. I sighed. It was just a door. She nudged me with her fingers. I turned back toward the door and repeated her gesture, not caring to argue any more than needed. After she was satisfied, we pushed it open and entered the great hall.
“Miss Zoe Dawn. Back so soon?” Sister Nikita asked, strolling toward us.
I nodded and bowed my head slightly. “Not by choice, sister.”
“We always have a choice.” Sister Nikita took my hand within hers, her skin a similar shade as mine. Her honey irises searched my eyes as if she would find something of value within them. “We have always loved your wild spirit, dear one, but the last time you left the village boundaries, you were warned by your mum to not do it again.”
“She has always told me not to leave the village,” I blurted, frustrated with her response. From the beginning of my adventures, the Doyen had been lenient on me, despite Mum’s warnings.
Sister Nikita nodded, dropping my hand. “Come with me, child. We will meet with all your Brothers and Sisters.”
Mum pushed me forward, and I cringed at the strangeness of the situation. I thought I would have escaped this place before anyone would really lay down the law with me.
We entered the main hall, where Brothers Rafe and Caprio, along with Sisters Lesa and Olir were mingling around the long table. They all looked up when we walked in.
“We have company,” Sister Nikita announced. She waved us forward and the five Doyens strolled to their seats at the end of the room.
Mum followed after with me in tow.
“Zoe Dawn,” Brother Caprio said with raised brows. “We were confident it would not come to this, but alas, here we are.” His gaze wandered toward Mum. “How many times has your daughter crossed over the boundaries since the Winter Solstice?”
Mum bowed her head before speaking. “This would be her seventh infraction, Brother.”
Actually, thirteen. I kept my mouth shut. No one needed to know about the other six times.
“What did you tell her the last time she was caught committing this crime?” Sister Olir asked. Her hazel eyes shone with amusement, giving me hope this would just be a slap on the wrist. She was always the most lenient and carefree out of all the Doyen.
“I warned her of the dangers, how the new faction of anamans will track us down and destroy our village. I reminded her of the ancient years, when the flying ships nearly wiped out any humans who did not hide below ground and now that they have returned, it is imperative to keep a low profile.” Mum glanced in my direction with pity swelling in her eyes.
I hated that look.
Sister Lesa leaned forward in her chair and stared at me with the intensity of an arrow slicing through flesh. “Zoe Dawn, you were warned, and we take your bad choices very seriously. It was different when our nearest neighbors were a day’s walk from us, but now we have enemies breathing down our backs.” Her eyes narrowed, and it felt like her gaze was searing through my soul. “You will go to the mating ceremony tomorrow, and despite your wishes to not be paired, you will do it anyway and move from our village, never to return.”
My heart dropped into my gut. They were banishing me.
“Please, no.” I cried, but quieted when Sister Nikita stood.
“The man whom you will choose will be wearing a bright-green smock.” Sister Nikita pressed her lips together as if she were thinking through something, then she shook her head and continued. “It is imperative you pick him. Do not choose another, no matter how tempting someone else may be. He has been instructed to care for you but to be firm in how far you are allowed to wander. This is the best for you and your future family.”
I swallowed back a rising sob, determined to not let them see how heartbreaking this punishment was to me. They were not only banishing me, they were sentencing me to live with a man I did not want. More than that, they had planned for this as if they knew I would disobey them. I may never see my family and friends again. Kia Lynn. I closed my eyes, thinking of my best friend. She was my lifeline, the only person who loved me for all my quirks.
Sister Lesa cut into my thoughts. “Do you understand what is required of you?”
I opened my eyes and stared at the five members of the Doyen and then glanced at Mum. “Yes, I do.” I could not fight them on this. If I did, they might never allow me to return. There had to be a way to fall back in their good graces.
A tear tumbled from Mum’s eyelid, which only angered me further. After several seconds of silence, I turned on my heel and hurried toward the doors.
“Zoe Dawn?” Brother Rafe snapped. “Pay your respects at the doorway.”
I stopped in my tracks and twisted around, rage clouding my mind. “Someday, your ridiculous beliefs will come to an end.” Too late to stop my big fat mouth. I could not help it, so now I was positive I had just sealed the deal. Might as well finish what I started. “The faces
on the mountains are nothing but men from ancient times. Your gods do not exist.”
Mum’s eyes widened in horror as I spoke, but the Doyen’s expressions did not change, except Sister Nikita’s. A smirk rose on her lips, and I swear she was quietly laughing. I spun back around and raced outside, ignoring the usual ceremonial tradition of kissing the symbols on the door. I would do as they ask at the mating ceremony and leave this life behind for good.
RAFAEL AND MUM WALKED ahead of me toward the town supper. The celebration of the spring equinox was about to start, and we would be honoring all those venturing to the mating ceremony. Every year, we gather in the evening and prepare the women and men who have come of age for their passage into partnership. Then we say our good-byes, and unless the women picked a man from our own village, we would move to our new homes.
I hated this tradition and I had been determined to not pick anyone tomorrow. Now I was being forced into leaving.
I kicked at the small pebbles along the path, dragging my feet and falling more and more behind my family. Neither of them even cared if they would see me again. It hurt, but I would not give them the pleasure of knowing how I felt.
“Zoe Dawn, are you excited for the mating ceremony tomorrow?” Mum’s friend Aly asked, coming up from behind me.
I rolled my eyes and then turned my attention toward her. “Sure. I get to leave this maddening village behind, so why wouldn’t I be excited?”
Aly’s left brow raised. “What happened?” Her voice lowered to a whisper.
She knew me almost as well as Mum and Kia Lynn did, sometimes even more so, because she actually asked questions.
“The Doyen have picked my mate for me,” I replied, eyeing Mum as I spoke. I did not need her to hear me tell someone about the arrangement that had been made. It was against the rules to arrange mates. “They want me to leave the village and be controlled by the man they have chosen for me.”
A heavy sigh swept across Aly’s lips, and the beads in her hair clicked against one another when her shoulders sagged forward. “Did you leave the village boundaries again?”
I groaned. “You are all on her side. Forget it. I will be gone tomorrow, so I will no longer be your problem.” I hurried ahead of Aly, but her hand wrapped around my shoulder and yanked me back.
“Knock it off, Zoe Dawn,” she hissed in my ear. “Feeling sorry for yourself will not get you out of this mess.”
My chin fell, and I gritted my teeth to hold back the flood of emotions teetering on my mental edge. “Nothing will fix this mess,” I whispered.
She brushed my face with her hand, then lifted it with a tug on my chin. “That is not how we have raised you, sister. If you do not want to be paired tomorrow, then choose another path.” Her gaze met mine, and she nodded as if we already had an understanding. “Nothing is set in stone. Either way, you have to leave the village. Do it on your terms.”
“Aly. Zoe Dawn,” Mum called from the village center.
I shot Aly a tight-lipped smile, then rushed toward Mum. Aly was right. If the Doyen wanted me gone, then I would leave in my own way.
Mum pulled me against her side and gave me a quick hug. “Go join the rest of your group. Being the guest of honor means showing up on time.” She pushed me forward, and I didn’t bother throwing her the dirty look that had scrunched up on my face.
I could see Kia Lynn sitting at the center table with the other fourteen. We had all lived nineteen springs, and now the village was ready to give us away. Because tradition. I cursed under my breath but skipped toward Kia Lynn and collapsed on the chair next to her, forcing a gigantic smile across my face.
“Ready to party?” I asked her as she twisted around to look at me. There were tears in her eyes and her upper lip was swollen. My smile melted into a frown. “What has happened, baby girl?” I leaned forward and grabbed her arms, my eyes sharply concentrating on her lips.
“Just this whole day.” She shook her head and pressed her lips together, trying to hide the swelling. “I do not want to talk about it. Let’s get this over with.”
I leaned back, my gaze never leaving her face. She ignored my stare and turned toward the Doyen who had taken their places across from us.
“Welcome, our stars of this year’s spring equinox.” Sister Nikita stood on their risen platform with her cup in her hand, then raised it in a toast.
The crowd around us stood as well, raising their cups as a collective. I sighed and straightened in my chair.
“Tonight we celebrate the reawakening of our Mother Gaia and the cycle of a new generation preparing to leave the nest. It is time for each one of you to find your lifetime partner and either bring a new mate to join our village family or move forward to a new home, where you can continue the sacred traditions of the Mountain Gods and our blessed Goddess.” A knowing smile spread across Sister Nikita’s face as she stared directly at me. “We celebrate you, your future, and the divine that connects us all.” She raised her cup higher. “Joyful rebirth to us all.”
“Joyful rebirth to us all,” the crowd echoed.
I lifted my cup and drank the wine when everyone else did, but my heart was not in it. Kia Lynn was angry, hurt, or both. Mum only cared about her status with the Doyen and was gladly pushing her only daughter from her life. And the rest of the villagers were just plain boring with their brainwashed beliefs. My life was supposed to be so much more than this.
“Kia Lynn, why the long face?” Rafael asked from a few seats down and across the table.
My attention jumped over to him, and my eyes narrowed when they met his. “She has to look at your ugly face tonight. I think we all are upset about that.”
The twinkle in his eyes disappeared. “It’s a good thing neither of you are allowed back here after tomorrow.”
Everyone within earshot looked over at me and Kia Lynn. It was tradition and not an abnormal occurrence for the women to leave, starting lives in a different village, but it was never said that they were banished.
Kia Lynn slowly turned to look at me. “What does he mean?”
I held my hand up at Rafael, wiggling my fingers in disgust. “He is just jealous,” I said to her, taking her hand in mine. “If any of those women have their head screwed on right, he will not be picked by any of them, and he knows it.”
Rafael was suddenly towering over both of us. “You did not inform your best friend, did you?” His mocking tone nearly threw me over the edge of madness. His gaze met mine with a smirk dancing on his lips, then he looked back at Kia Lynn. “Zoe Dawn has been instructed to not return to our village. Ever. And with you two being dearest friends and sharing in your forbidden adventures together, I am sure you will be told the same.” He snickered as he walked away.
I bit down on my bottom lip as hot tears welled in my eyes. Leaping from my chair, I bolted after my arrogant cousin and tackled him to the ground. “You pitiful barbarian. You are the reason for all the drama in this village.” I punched him in the back of the head over and over again. “I hate you,” I screamed, as several of the men yanked me off Rafael.
“There you go again, Zoe Dawn,” Rafael said as he rose from the ground and brushed himself off. A scratch on his forehead was sprinkled with clumps of dirt and speckles of blood. “You are the problem around here, and it will be calm once again when we no longer have to see your face amongst us.”
I was horrified by his words, but the other villagers nodded in agreement. He had them all wrapped around his little pinky. My gaze drifted toward Kia Lynn, who was standing with her arms wrapped around her torso. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She turned on her heel and sprinted away, but not before I saw her ripped trousers and a piece of bright white cloth wrapped around her calf.
That had not been there earlier.
“Kia Lynn!” I screamed after her, trying to shake off the arms that held me back.
She ignored me and left the village center without a look back. The Doyen stood at their table, staring with a look of surprise
and irritation at the crowd that had gathered around me and Rafael. There was no going back. This was really the end for me.
CHAPTER FIVE
Dax
ALEX
My fingers pressed into the metal counter as I stared with disbelief at the monitors.
Dad’s eyes widened. He then stumbled to the side and turned just as the anaman kicked him in the knee. He hit the ground hard. Andy stepped back, and Dad stared at him in surprise. The other human man yanked both weapons from Dad’s grasp, along with everything he had tucked into the sheaths and holsters.
Dad whispered something to Andy I could not hear, then turned to face the anaman. “She did not tell me,” he stuttered, his tone abnormally high.
The anaman grunted a reply that I could not understand. I leaned in closer. Dad was clearly flustered and upset, and not just because there was a weapon pointed at his head.
“We thought you were dead,” Dad said, shaking his head in response to whatever the other anaman was muttering.
My heart jumped in my throat. Dad really did know the anaman, but how was that possible? Is that why Andy was willing to sell us out? I shook my head at the thought. Dad had taught Andy everything he knew about battle and strategy. Dad must feel betrayed... unless there was more to their story.
The markings on my arms and legs tingled as I rose just a few inches off the ground. Hovering was easy, but it never took me anywhere, especially when I needed it the most. When I glanced down, one marking on my chest caught my eye, glistening a bright blue and swirling down the lines like a cascading waterfall. It was the one I had told everyone looked like a wide open mouth. An expanded sideways V.
My feet found the floor again, and I tore my shirt off to see the marking better. That had never happened before. It sparkled for a moment longer, then faded like the others. I ran into the other room and yanked on a tank top I had left on my bed, then returned to the security room as I was smoothing it down my abdomen.
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