Possession

by Samantha Britt

  I lifted my shoe and placed it in his cupped palms. I grabbed the saddle before he boosted me up. I settled one leg on either side of the horse. Already, I felt more balanced than my previous ride. Perhaps I would get used to the act quickly.

  “Thank you.”

  “Of course, Lissa.” Agent Min squeezed my hand reassuringly before strolling away.

  “Listen up.” Prince Brion demanded the group’s attention. “Stay close and stay alert. Our objective is to reach Sipal’s borders by dawn. Then we will stop and rest while continuing to scout the area. Any questions?”

  No one made a sound.

  “Good. You three.” He pointed to Qwell and two unfamiliar draekon soldiers. “Keep pace with Commander Niles on the wagon. I will take lead with Min and Amelissa. Everyone else will spread out between the two groups. Move out.”

  I grabbed my reigns and tapped Kailini’s sides with my heels. To my delight, she began walking. I tugged on the straps and shifted my weight to maneuver her towards the prince. It wasn’t pretty, but I eventually got my horse where I wanted her to go.

  “Remind me to give you some riding lessons when we have the chance,” Min teased, trotting up to me from my left.

  I stuck my tongue out. His draekon eyes saw it despite the darkness surrounding us and he laughed.

  “Our objective is to not be discovered,” Brion reminded us, chastising our loud exchange, though a hint of amusement seeped into his tone. “Min, take point. I’ll stay back with Lissa.”

  Min prodded his horse and positioned himself at the front. Brion and I flanked him, riding in silence.

  Eventually, I stopped hearing the hooves of the animals behind us as they dropped back.

  “Should we wait for the others to catch up?” I sensed there was a large distance between our groups.

  I felt, rather than saw, the prince’s gaze swing to me. My eyes had adjusted to the dark, and I could see the area immediately around me, but anything beyond a few feet was blurry at best.

  “They know our position,” he replied. “Don’t worry.”

  “I’m not worried,” I surprised myself by saying. I might have felt nervous riding through the darkness, but I wasn’t worried. I trusted Min and Brion to keep me safe.

  Seeing a chance to get some answers, I asked, “So… am I allowed to know why we needed to leave the castle in the cover of darkness?”

  I’d admitted to trusting the prince, now it was time to see if he trusted me.

  His silence was deafening.

  I resigned myself to disappointment when he finally said, “My father is planning something.”

  I waited for him to elaborate. He and Min were close, and I knew the agent’s presence wouldn’t be a reason to remain silent.

  Brion sighed, and I heard his cloak brush against his horse’s flank as he adjusted his seat. “Since his return, the king’s behavior has caused concern. My father has increased the number of meetings with the elven ambassador while also commanding me to oversee the expansion of his forces. My gut tells me he is preparing for a war with Avelin.”

  I choked back my fear. “Perhaps King Roderick is taking the rebel forces seriously?” That would explain the army’s expansion.

  “No.” Brion jerked his head. “I know my father. It’s took me countless conversations to finally convince him to send soldiers to search the forest these past few years. He thinks the rebels are nothing more than a band of impoverished humans and half-draekon who will be easily defeated on a battlefield.”

  “Didn’t he hear the details about their surprise attacks?” I asked. The fact that rouge elves were assisting the rebels should’ve given the king good reason to fear the adversaries. They weren’t a band of weak nobodies.

  I barely noticed Agent Min had picked up his horse’s pace to put more distance in between him and us.

  “He has,” Brion replied, “and I fear he does not believe Lord Erwin was not involved.”

  “King Roderick believes Erwin is a rebel?”

  That’s ridiculous.

  “No, I fear he believes the rebels are an elaborate distraction orchestrated by the king of Avelin. My father suspects King Aquin sent Lord Erwin to oversee the strategic attacks to weaken the kingdom. Then he believes the elves will invade.”

  I blinked, trying to digest the onslaught of information. If what King Roderick believed was true, then I would be slightly more worried at roaming near an abandoned road so close to rumored rebel hideouts.

  “What do you think?” I asked the prince. “Do you believe the elven king plans to invade Draekon?”

  “No. The ambassador may be an elf, but I don’t detect deceit from him. I believe King Aquin truly seeks peace between our kingdoms.”

  “So your father is distracting Erwin while gathering his army. Do you think he plans to attack Avelin soon?”

  “I don’t know when, but I don’t doubt my father will eventually try to take out his anti-Avelin agenda on the ambassador. I wanted to get you out before any of that happened.”

  “Me?” I didn’t understand. “But I’m not from Avelin.”

  “No, but your family must be. My father is just cruel enough to make you suffer for something that isn’t even your fault… if he hasn’t already.”

  Chills traveled through my body. I touched the bottom of my left rib, remembering the sharp kicks. “The king wasn’t behind my attack.”

  Brion straightened. “Are you finally going to tell me what happened?” I heard the promise of violence in the question. He wanted my attackers to pay, and he wanted to be the one to deliver justice.

  “No.” I didn’t want to explain how his brother’s kiss had been behind my attack. Just the thought made my chest constrict. “But I will say your father had nothing to do with it.”

  To my relief, Brion didn’t question me further. Though, I could feel the rage rolling off of him.

  At last, he broke the silence. “I’m glad you decided to join me on my mission. The castle wasn’t a safe place for you to be.”

  “Me too,” I told him. It wasn’t like there was anything left for me in Draek. With Lorie gone and my seclusion from the other recruits, traveling through the kingdom was appealing. Besides, I trusted Brion. If he was concerned his father might try to hurt me, I had to acknowledge it was a very real possibility. The prince didn’t strike me as someone who worried needlessly.

  “Thank you.”

  He angled his torso toward me. I imagined his eyes filled with curiosity. “For what?”

  I swallowed. “For caring enough to want to help me. I appreciate it.”

  I could have sworn I saw his eyes flash with emotion. Before I could decipher the feeling, it was gone. “Of course, Lissa. I’m happy to help.”

  18

  The air grew warmer as we traveled away from the mountainous capital, but the frigid wind continued to swirl around us, making me shiver. The night’s temperature gradually dropped as we rode, and my body struggled to adjust.

  I’d returned the prince’s cloak prior to leaving the silo, but he wouldn’t hear my objections when he finally had enough of my shaking and threw his cloak onto my lap. Muttering my thanks, I wrapped myself in the thick material and inhaled the scent of leather and wood.

  The group made it through our first night of travel without issue. When we finally stopped at a glen next to a flowing river, I nearly jumped off my horse. I was eager to be on my own two feet and give my legs a break. I’d grown accustomed to riding Kailini, but my thighs were sore from squeezing tight to hold myself steady.

  I swung my leg over the saddle and was about to jump down when Brion appeared and helped me to the ground. I tried to take a step but winced, my legs resisting. I gasped as Brion bent down and swept me into his arms. Without saying a word, he took me to rest on top of a fallen tree, bordering the glen.

  The prince ordered me to stay put before walking away to help Min set up camp while we waited for the rest of our team to arrive.

  I wanted to
protest, but my body had other ideas. Within seconds, my eyes shuttered closed. I fell back against the tree trunk and promptly fell into an exhausted sleep. I didn’t wake until the sun had begun to descend in the horizon, and it was time to begin our second night of travel.

  Stiff and sore, I gritted my teeth as Kailini carried me through the dark. I didn’t want any of the soldiers to know I was in pain. I didn’t want them to think I was weak.

  I was so focused on not moaning from the pain in my muscles, I didn’t notice when Prince Brion held up a fist, signaling Agent Min and me to stop. Min pulled on his horse’s reigns and clucked his tongue. Kailini responded to the command and stilled.

  “What is it?” I whispered, but Min still shook his head violently and put a finger to his lips.

  I bit the inside of my cheek and scanned our surroundings. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but that meant very little. Draekon vision and hearing could detect more than my human senses.

  The chirping insects had grown silent. They’d been continuously filling the forest with noise since we’d started walking along the path bordering the wooded area. Now, there wasn’t a sound aside from the horses’ breathing and my pounding heart.

  A shout traveled from the path behind us. Another shout joined the other, elevated in volume, “We’re being attacked!”

  The distant sound of a fight clanged against my eardrums.

  “Get her under cover,” Brion commanded, pulling his reigns to turn the stallion around. “Now!” He prodded his horse and galloped down the path.

  “Lissa. This way.” Min waved me towards him. His horse stepped forward and back, agitated by the tension.

  I dug my heels into Kailini’s sides, but she didn’t react.

  “Come on,” I urged. “Let’s go, girl.”

  Still, she didn’t move.

  My fear got the best of me. I kicked her sides much harder than I’d previously had. Surprised, Kailini reared back on her hind legs. I fell back out of my saddle.

  The air was knocked out of my lungs as I landed flat on my back. I laid there, staring at the stars, and tried to catch my breath. My throat felt paralyzed.

  I rolled onto my shoulder and continued to struggle for air, convinced I had lost the ability to fill my lungs with the life-sustaining substance.

  Min knelt beside me. “Lissa? Are you okay?”

  I could only wheeze.

  Min wrapped my arm around his neck and pulled me to my feet. He shifted my weight so most of it fell on him, and he led me to the tree line. By the time he set me on the ground, I was gasping for breath.

  “W-what’s… h-happen-n-ing?”

  “Keep your arms up,” he instructed me, pulling my wrists up and crossing them over one another on top of my head. “Inhale. Good. Now, exhale.”

  I listened to his instructions, feeling the burning in my lungs fade as I did.

  An earth-shaking roar reverberated through the forest. It traveled up my legs and into my torso, rattling my bones. I recognized Brion’s draekon battle cry, and fear seized me as I wondered at the enemy attacking us in the middle of the night.

  Running steps followed the terrifying bellow. Jasper and Qwell ran past our hiding spot. Min whistled to get their attention. The men pivoted and stumbled into the tree line. I tried to squash my disappointment. I’d hoped it would be Brion.

  Jasper looked me over before turning to Min. “The prince sent us to watch Lissa. They need your help.”

  Min’s eyes flicked toward me.

  “I’ll be fine,” I reassured him. “Go.”

  Min nodded and moved from our covered position. Rolling his neck to the side, he shifted into his beast form. I watched the long, lean creature jump into the air and fly towards his prince and fellow soldiers. His uniform fell to the ground in tatters.

  I waited until the sound of his flapping wings was masked by other noises before asking, “What’s happening? Who is attacking us?”

  “No idea,” Qwell answered. “We need to move deeper into the forest. There are a lot of enemies, and they could easily spot us if they come this way.”

  I frowned. Traveling farther into the ominous woods wasn’t appealing. I wanted to point out that neither he nor Jasper had seen us before Min whistled to them, but I pushed myself off the ground and followed Qwell as he crept through the forest.

  I inhaled the scents of nature around me. The soil smelled of damp moss and the decay of fallen leaves. I cringed every time the leaves crunched beneath my shoes, but there was little I could do. It was impossible to avoid stepping on them in the dark.

  Qwell led us so far that I no longer heard sounds of fighting. “Where are we going?” I whispered.

  “Not far.” Qwell didn’t bother to whisper. He’d also stopped creeping and now walked upright through the branches and brambles.

  Suddenly, the situation alarmed me. Something wasn’t right. I could feel it.

  I stopped. Jasper came up behind me, pulling up short before running me over.

  “Lissa?” he murmured. “What’s wrong?”

  “Where are we going?” I repeated my question.

  “I don’t know, but Qwell scouts this forest all the time. Keep following him. He’ll take us somewhere safe.”

  Instead, I took a step back and bumped into Jasper’s chest. “No.”

  “No? Lissa, we don’t have time for this.”

  I looked left, then right. “Something’s not right.”

  Ahead of us, Qwell finally noticed we weren’t behind him. I watched him turn around. “Come on, you two. We’re almost there.” He waved his hand, and his eyes flicked around us, but he didn’t seem scared.

  He almost looked… calm.

  “We need to go back,” I whispered over my shoulder. I trusted Jasper. I could feel the tension in his chest as I leaned against him. He wasn’t displaying to same ease as Qwell. He still thought we might be in danger, but Qwell knew better.

  “What?” Jasper’s voice rose. “Why?”

  “Qwell is taking us away from the rest of the team,” I tried to explain as quickly as possible. “He’s isolating us.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  Jasper got his answer when a trio of armed men stepped out from behind a wide tree. The rugged attire was the opposite of the well-tailored uniforms worn by the king’s army.

  Rebels.

  It couldn’t be anyone else.

  Fear coursed through my veins, and I was close to panicking. I told myself to remain calm. I needed to have my wits if I wanted to escape the situation.

  The men spread out behind Qwell and stared at us expectantly. Their dark green tunics and pants had blended in perfectly with the dark forest around us.

  Jasper touched my wrist, ready to pull me away from the newcomers. “What’s going on, Qwell?” he shouted, abandoning the attempt to be quiet.

  “These are my friends.” Qwell took a step towards us. “They are going to take us somewhere safe.”

  Jasper took a step back, guiding me with him.

  Qwell noticed. “Jasper come on. You know me. Don’t you trust me?”

  We inched back another step. “I’m not sure I do know you, Qwell. You’ve never mentioned working with the rebellion before.”

  Qwell shrugged. “You never asked.”

  “Wasn’t something I thought I needed to ask.” Another step back. “I could have sworn you were a loyal soldier.”

  I realized Jasper was trying to distract Qwell. We currently stood in an open space, but if we continued to back away, we’d be able to use the cover of bushes and trees to try to avoid capture.

  “I am loyal. Loyal to the rebellion.” Qwell waved a hand towards the men behind him. “We were all recruits, and we grew tired of having our lives dictated by the controlling creatures who stole this continent away from us. It’s time to fight back.”

  I guessed that solved the mystery of King Roderick’s belief that King Aquin had organized the rebellion. Based on Qwell’s words, i
t sounded like human recruits began the whole thing. But how did elven outcasts get involved? Not to mention, my parents?

  Branches scratched my arm. We’d reached the edge of the open space.

  Without wasting another moment, Jasper leapt in front of me and yelled, “Run!”

  All four men bounded towards us, and I spun around and took off into the dense forest. I heard Jasper grunt. I feared for my friend, but I didn’t dare turn around. The rebellion had found us, and Qwell had planned to take me to them. I needed to escape and find the prince. He’d protect me.

  If the men were with the rebellion, they wouldn’t harm me. They would take me to their leaders—to my parents. I should have wanted to leave with the rebels… but I didn’t.

  My instincts screamed at me to escape them, and I was done fighting my instinct.

  Pumping my arms, I weaved through the forest. The trees flew by me. I moved faster than I ever had in my life. Stems and twigs snagged my cloak. I shrugged the item off and continued sprinting away from my potential kidnappers.

  Adrenaline coursed through my veins. My eyesight sharpened, and I could see the obstacles in my path. I hopped over vines that would have otherwise tripped me, and I ducked under branches long before I would have normally seen them in front of my face. I thanked the gods for the advantage as I put distance between me and the rebels.

  Moonlight shined through tree trunks up ahead. I tumbled out onto the open path, stopping for a second to figure out which way I should go.

  “Lissa!” Brion’s voice sounded more creature than man. I turned right and raced in his direction.

  “Over here!”

  My enhanced vision let me see his human form running towards me. He was barefoot, wearing only a pair of loose pants. I rushed forward and didn’t stop until I crashed into his body, holding onto his naked biceps like my life depended on it.

  “Jasper.” I squeezed his arms. “In in the forest... Rebels... Help him.” I was too frazzled to say any more, but it didn’t matter. Brion understood.

  He looked over his shoulder. “Min. Otis. Forest. Find Jasper.”

  Relief filled me as I saw the two draekon fly into the air and begin scouring the forest for my friend. I prayed Qwell’s friendship with Jasper was enough to keep the rebels from hurting him.