by J. G. Maltos
Zee looks up at me. “Hi, Althea.” Her eyes narrow on my face. “Is that dry drool on the corner of your mouth?” she asks.
I gasp as I try to wipe my face. My teeth grind as I catch Nathaniel hunched over and red face from laughter. He is soooo DEAD! I quickly grab Koura’s supply bag that looks extremely heavy and grip it with both hands as I swing it with full force toward Nathaniel's back.
A big gust of air escapes his lips as he stumbles forward into the dirt. “What the hell!”
I bat my eyes innocently. “The bag was too heavy. Sorry,” I say sweetly and place it next to Koura again. I take a seat next to Zee as she is covering her mouth from laughter.
Bash looks proudly at me while Koura shakes his head.
Take that, beef boy! My smile widens.
“Fun’s over. Let’s go over our plan, guys.” Koura grabs the map from his supply bag. "We'll sneak through the Southeast side of the city. It's guarded, but we'll keep an eye on their rotations," Koura tells us again. "We'll have to lie low while we're there. Bring as little attention to us as possible."
"I may know where we can stay while we're there," Zee whispers. "The boy I was seeing lived near the outer parts of the city. We may be able to ask for help if—" She pauses. Her eyes become downcast for a moment and I'm reminded again that I'm not the only one who suffered. She recovers herself quickly and forces a blank look on her face. "If his family still lives there."
Koura places a hand on her shoulder and offers a smile. "It'll be a good shot. If all else fails, we'll find an abandoned home to hideout. Hopefully, luck is on our side either way."
From a distance, Rowan makes his way toward us. He has his long hair pulled away from his face and tied at the base of his neck. His eyes focus on us.
Nathaniel quickly intertwines his fingers with mine and subtly pushes me behind him just as he had last night.
Zee scoots closer to Koura's side, feigning innocence.
"I had hoped you'd stay longer given the late hour," Rowan greets when he finally reaches us. "Was everything not to your liking?"
Koura forces another smile. "The hospitality is greatly appreciated. However, I'm afraid we cannot push our schedule any further. The Elite only granted my wife and me a few days to see her family."
Rowan nods and turns his questioning gaze to Nathaniel and me. "Will you be staying?"
"I'm afraid not." He juts a sharp chin toward Koura. "My girl and I will be traveling with them. So is my brother." Bash, always the silent one apparently, steps up next to Nathaniel.
"I see." Rowan looks between the lot of us. "That is unfortunate. I have someone who has been wanting to speak with you?"
“Why?" Koura asks immediately.
Rowan rubs the back of his neck. "He's someone important within the camp. I can't divulge much besides that. It would be better for him to explain."
"When was he hoping to speak with us?" Bash finally speaks up.
"Tonight. At dinner."
"Tonight?" I don't try to hide the irritation behind my voice. He wants to push us back a whole day! My eyes narrow in accusation."If we refuse? Would we still be allowed to leave?"
Rowan raises a defensive hand, "Let's not jump to conclusions. My leader just wants to talk."
"Leader?" I cover my panic with a scoff. "I believe we were quite transparent to you and our coming here. Although, now it seems that you were not." My hands feel warm, and a tear-away from Nathaniel's hold, afraid he won’t be able to feel it.
Rowan's eyes fix on me. They glaze over for a moment, as if in a daze, before settling back on me. A look of realization washes over him. "My intentions were not ill-formed. My leader will come to you instead. Now," he says shortly and walks away.
I turn to Koura. Something twists in my stomach as I recognize the look of worry on his face.
"I don't have a good feeling about this," Bash sighs.
"Nor do I." Koura slings his bag over his shoulder. "Everyone, get your things. We are leaving now."
I turn to Nathaniel, "I'll get the horses. You carry the heavy stuff."
He nods and disappears into the tent. I don't wait for anyone else before sprinting to the back of the camp, toward the tables. With quick fingers, I untie the straps from my horse but freeze as I sense someone near.
"You couldn't have chosen a worse time to appear, Aries." I bite out without turning. The familiar smokey scent surrounds me, the only thing I need to confirm my suspicions.
"You must control your emotions," he warns urgently. "Your powers have begun seeping through twice already."
"I know," I sigh and make my way towards Nathaniel's horse. "It's not exactly something I want to show off right now, thank you."
Aries steps in front of me, blocking my path. "You must go into the kingdom unnoticed—"
”I know!" I run a stressed hand through my tangled hair. "I don't know what came over me. It's all just unfamiliar.”
Aries glances around the field and spares me one last look before disappearing. I spin around, anxious to see what made him revert into the shadows. My eyes fix on a group of riders heading my way. I freeze, hoping against hope that they go a different direction but their speed picks up. As they near, I see something glisten on the side of their horses. One of the riders reaches toward it.
"Protect me, my ass," I hiss at the wind, hoping it'll carry my message to Aries.
Adrenaline pumps through me and I kick off the ground and jump onto my horse. I don’t have time to be proud of successfully mounting the horse before I set off in the opposite direction, away from the riders. My hands burn as I grip the reins, but I pay no mind to the pain. The wind whips my hair around when I turn to look at the riders.
They're keeping up with me and I'm about to reach a dead end. I pull back the reins, forcing the horse to turn and head straight to the incoming fight. They freeze as I blaze through them. After a second, they pull the reins of their horses and follow me again.
I finally see the tip of our tent and I kick the horse to go as fast as his legs can take us. I can only imagine how horrific I look when the others see me. It must have been a wild sight for them to reach for their weapons as quickly as they do.
Koura kicks off the ground and in seconds he is sitting behind me, locking me in place with one arm and wielding his ice sword with the other. Bash and Zee stand firmly with Nathaniel in front of us, stances ready for a fight. Much to my surprise, I notice Zee's belt vibrating with their metal shards, anticipating an attack. She looked almost menacing with Bash by her side.
"What is the meaning of this?" Koura's voice shoots out as the riders circle around us.
“Frost? And Earth?” The rider gapes in surprise. He is oblivious that we had any powers at all.
Koura lifts his weapon higher, “Do not make me ask you again.”
One of the riders lifts his palms. "Our leader just wants to speak to the girl."
I feel Koura's chest rise with his scoff, "So many riders for just one girl."
"We did not mean to frighten her."
"Bring your leader out here if he wants to talk," Bash's voice booms. In a second, he has his ice sword out in his grasp. "If not, we will be leaving." The rider looks doubtful as he orders his followers to call for their leader.
"Are you okay, Al?" Koura whispers to me. I could only nod as the adrenaline still pumps through my veins.
Minutes pass when the rider comes back accompanied by two more. One of them is older, much older than what I have anticipated, but by the way, he carries himself, back straight and head low, I can see he has had training in the past. Davina is riding next to him. Her silver hair blows across the wind, making her seem almost unreal.
Zee sizes the man up, still in her protective stance. I notice her hands waver slightly as she tries to get a better look.
Koura lowers his sword, but only slightly. "Say what you have to say. We will be leaving.” The leader stops right in front of Nathaniel and raises his gaze to mine. My heart drops for
a moment. He should be dead. Last I heard, his name was on the list of the Fallen.
My body lights up as if it's on fire. Every bone in my body feels like they are being ripped from each other. I break contact with his gaze and stare down at my palms that glow a sickening green as the weed-like branches expand up my arm. Something is wrong.
An unbearable pain shoots up my neck. My heart rings in my ear as my blood rushes in chaotic burns within my body. I feel my body slipping from Koura's grasp, sliding off the horse. No one moves an inch to stop me. It's almost as if they're frozen from the shock.
My world tilts as my head slams against the dirt and the last thing I hear is the sound of my name before I lose consciousness.
Chapter 12
My eyes flutter open. I stare at an old ceiling that seems as though it could cave in at any moment. Fragments of paint chips from the windowless walls as light peeks from behind the curtain that hung at the entrance. My weapons and clothes lay neatly on a chair next to the bed. I look down at myself and realize with an awkward pang that I am wearing the same clothes the camp provided. I try to sit up but something pulls my arms down.
What is going on?
My heart picks up at the sight of chains wrapped around my wrists.
"What is this?" I yank at the restraints, feeling the firmness of the chains scrape against my skin. I try not to panic, knowing how my body will react to those emotions, and try to feel my powers within me, but there is nothing. I wish for the heat in my heart to spark, to give me any indication that my powers are still there.
My teeth grind as my powers continue to hide from me, and I slump back into the bed. Moments later, the curtain begins to move swiftly."H-hello, anyone there?" my voice breaks.
Koura walks in slowly. He is still wearing the same gear from when we were leaving. His face remains guarded, but a softness overtakes them as his gaze lands on me. I tug at the chains again, surrounding the room with its urgent clatter. I look up at him and try to hide the wave of betrayal that is building inside of me. This situation feels all too familiar and I bite down on my lower lip, trying to contain my emotions.
"Please—untie me, "My voice comes out in a whimper.
"Al, I'm sure that’s—“ But the hesitation in his voice snapped something within me.
"Get these chains off of me right now!" I roar, feeling my face redden with pure anger and fear. I thrash around, yanking frantically at the chains holding me in place. The sound of the chains clashing together brings back a strong urge of nausea. My mind travels back to the cells.
The burning sensation causes me to wince in pain, but it doesn't stop me from trying even harder. The bed grunts at the pressure but doesn't budge.
"Al, stop! You are hurting yourself!" Koura rushes toward me.
I flinch from his touch, freezing me in place. My glaring eyes land on him, and I met his startled stare. I hiccup a cry. I never thought it would be him to tie me up. My eyes look around, trying to find anything that could help me get untied.
It's just Koura. He won't hurt me. My hands burn and sweat collects at the base of my neck. My lip trembles as I try to hold in my tears.
Koura rushes to me, ignoring my struggle to get away from him. He clasps my head between his hands and whispers hushed noises in an effort to soothe me. His thumb grazes my cheek, catching a treacherous tear.
My face is hot now with tears. I look at Koura through blurry eyes. His face mirrors my pained expression. "I-I can't be tied up again," I force out, my voice sounding raspy. "Let me go." The burning in my throat causes me to wince, the sense of deja vu fresh on my mind.
"Can you calm down for me, please?" he says with pain in his voice.
I nod and force my eyes closed. I try to even my breathing as I force the images of chains from my mind. My hands stop shaking as I gain more control of my breathing. I open my eyes and nod at Koura. He takes in my relaxed demeanor and takes a step toward me. I jump slightly as I feel his cold hand on my wrist.
Immediately, I rub my wrist, feeling relieved as I hear the chains fall to the floor. "What happened?" The tremble doesn’t leave my voice, and I kick myself for sounding so weak. “Why did you tie me up?”
Koura's tired eyes linger at my wrist. "So much has happened since you fell off the horse, Al." Koura starts but hesitates as he looks at me.
Something in me wants to soothe him, but another part of me wants to leave him like this for restraining me. I simply stare at him, silently urging him to continue and get straight to the point. He better have a good reason.
"But first, I'll explain why we tied you up." His voice tightens. "You had everyone, us included, frozen in place." He runs a hand through his hair, deep in thought.
My hand drops from his shoulder. "What do you mean? How?"
"We all tried to move," he recalls. "We even noticed when you were sliding off the horse. But I couldn't do anything." He stares at me as if I could give him an answer, but I am even more confused than he was.
I had done that? I thought my body was just in shock? There is so much I don't know about my powers now. How could I have frozen someone? The shadow kingdom can have full control of someone's life by possession, but I don't have shadow powers. I mean, I would have known, right?
"I don't know how I could do something like that," I say frantically.
Koura lets out a large breath. "I know. I believe you. But, it is not normal, Al." His worried expression analyzes me.
Guilt rises in my chest, knowing I haven’t been truthful with him. “I— ” I struggle to get the words out. It was so easy to tell Aries but the feeling of being judged by someone I truly care about is something I fear. I do not want to be seen differently by the one person who has seen me.
Koura grips my sweaty hands, “You can tell me. Do not start hiding things from me now. Trust me when I say, whatever is going on I will be by your side.”
“I have more than one ability,” I whisper through tight lips.
His hands still, “How many?” I try to pull my hands away but Koura pulls them closer to him. “How many, Al?”
“Earth and Fire.” I force out, "My hands were glowing and I felt as if my body was burning from the inside out. It has to do with whatever they were injecting me with." I throw out, trying to find out a plausible reason for this. “I need my Earth Stone now more than ever.”
"I will help you. You are gaining more abilities and they are fueled by your emotions. We will figure this out, together.” Koura's tired eyes latch on my own. Guilt sits in my stomach as I know I have included Koura in this crazy adventure to my kingdom. I still haven’t told him about Aries but I am not sure how he would react. He deserves better than this. "And with what happened after. Well, I think it's better for you to speak with him."
Him. I am not ready to face the man who is supposed to be dead. Forcing myself out of my mind, my eyes land on Koura once more. "Could I have some time alone?"
He nods and heads over to the curtain. He pulls the curtain to the side but hesitates. “We are in the next room over. Meet us when you are ready?"
I nod and look at my hands. He steps through and I'm alone once again, so I thought.
Aries' light smoke materializes next to me, revealing himself. "Are you all right?" His deep voice brings me out of my thoughts once more.
I cut off the small talk and went straight to it. "What is happening to me?" I glare at him, wondering if he has the answers.
He rubs his chin, deep in thought. "I have never seen anything like this. The glow coming from your palms-" he trails off.
"Couldn't you have helped me?"
"I wanted to. Believe me." His golden eyes locked on my own. "But the only way I could have blocked your power was to overshadow you."
I stiffen, knowing what that would mean. He would have control of my body and my mind. He would be able to unlock everything that is hidden. He would know my deepest secrets, my life. He notices my discomfort and walks swiftly over to me.
"I told
you that is never an option. Not with you. Unless you instruct to do so," he declares. His eyes search mine. His closeness causes my heart to quicken. The sincerity in his stare catching me off guard.
"I know,” I say after a moment. “I trust you." And it was true, I do trust him. He’s helped me countless times before.
Aries' eyes widened slightly at my confession as if that is the last thing he expects me to say.
"You have revealed to me a lot of your past. It's hard not to trust someone who is so transparent." I smile. "Pun intended."
Aries' lips pull to a smile and chuckle, exposing his perfect white teeth. He always has a stern face whenever he appears to me. Seeing him genuinely smile is a pleasant surprise. I am aware of being in this physical form, to let someone see him, and interacting with someone else is something he is not used to.
Aries stands up his stoned face back. "I'll try to gather more information. But I would suggest you go to the next room in the meantime." My eyes shoot up at the realization of who will be waiting for me next door. My eyes water. I curse at myself for wanting to cry again. But these tears are different, they are tears of happiness. Aries's eyes soften and he leans forward, laying a warm comforting hand on my shoulder. "Enjoy this moment, Princess." His perfect lips turn to a smile once more, "Moments like these are precious and fleeting," he finishes as he dissolves, leaving behind a slight puff of smoke.
I take a deep breath and lift myself from the bed, and walk slowly toward the curtains. I hesitate at the entryway but force myself through. My breath picks up once more as I meet the eyes of the man who I would have considered part of my family once upon a time. My father's best friend, the Grand General of the War fleet, and also Zees' father.
Aesir.
He notices me first as I walk in. Zee is sitting next to him, eyes red and puffy from tears but a small smile still lit up her face. That must have been why she hesitated when he first approached. There was some familiarity about him and she recognized it first. He quickly stands up and rushes toward me in two quick strides, crushing me into an air-tight hug.