The thought hit her just as the woman opened her mouth to speak. “Hello, Jak. My name is Elva.” She brought her hand to her chest in greeting.
Jak marked the Sleeplessness brand there. Still in a bit of shock, she returned the greeting.
“We’ve been looking for you.” Elva continued.
“Why?” Jak asked. Though she dreaded the answer, she thought was coming.
“Seph instructed us that if we ever lost him, that we were to seek you out, and follow you.”
Jak closed her eyes. Not this. She didn’t need this on top of everything else. “Why me?”
“He didn’t say.”
Jak let out a breath. Well, that was something at least. Seph hadn’t told them that she was the prophesied Oren spoken about in his book. But still, now these people looked to her for help. How was she to know if she could provide it?
“But…” Elva went on. “We have suspicions...”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” She said to the audience at large. “Seph and I were friends, but I’m no preacher. I don’t know the Book of Illadar like he does, or like many of you do.”
“You’re not the One?” Elva looked into Jak’s eyes, and she saw hope there. Desperate hope. The dangerous kind.
“Why do you ask?” Jak said. This was not a question she wanted to answer. But with every eye on her, she had to say something.
“Because of the position you hold. You are friends with Fae, you have Seph’s trust, but most of all, you have the Gift to give multiple brands.”
Jak froze. “Why would you think that?” No one knew about her ability, no one except Amelia and Naem.
She looked at Naem, and everyone’s eyes followed. He responded by tossing his spear at Jak. She caught it gingerly. It was only then that she realized it wasn’t Naem’s spear. It was hers. The two brands of Toughness and Healing stood out plainly in the morning light.
“I managed to smuggle it away from the Watchers after they raided the college,” he said.
“That spear is yours, correct?” said Elva.
Jak sighed. “Yes, it’s mine.”
“And you branded it?”
Jak let her head bow. There was nothing she could say now that would convince them that she wasn’t their hero. “Yes, I branded it.”
A chorus of excited murmurs ran through the crowd. Even some of the Shadow Fae seemed taken aback.
“Well then, that is why Seph wanted you to be our leader. You can brand us, make us into warriors like nothing this Earth has seen. We can lead the Fae, and everyone who will listen to a new and better home.”
“Now wait a minute.” Jak felt her frustration boil. “I’m not the hero you’re looking for. I don’t even know if I can brand people like that. I might kill you, or worse, turn you into a demon.”
“Jak.” It was Naem, and he looked troubled. His arms hung at his sides, and he looked like he was having a hard time deciding. “Before you turn them away. There’s something you should know.”
A few of the others dropped their heads as well.
“What?” Jak asked, fearing the worst. “What is it?”
Elva and Naem exchanged glances before Naem continued. “Your friends, Seph, Gabriel, Amelia, and several of the other Water Fae. They’re all scheduled to be executed tomorrow.”
“No.” It was all Jak could say.
They couldn’t execute her friends. Not after everything. But that was foolish, of course, they could. The Royal Priest would love nothing better than to make a public example of the Fae and their supporters. Besides, there was likely another reason they picked now to have an execution.
“They’re setting a trap for me.”
Naem nodded. “Probably. But Elva is right, Jak. They may be setting a trap, but they don’t know what to expect. They don’t know about the Shadow Fae here in the city. They don’t know about what you can do.” He rolled up his sleeve. Jak eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do.
Almost triumphantly, Naem raised an arm high into the air. Gasps erupted from all around them as everyone saw the marks on his left arm. There were three brands there. Grace, Toughness, and Healing.
“You gave me these gifts,” Naem said. “You can do it again.”
Jak closed her eyes. This was all out of hand. Silence settled in as everyone waited to see what she would say.
Jak didn’t want this. She didn’t want to be a hero. But her friends were in danger, and that took precedence right now. Whether she was a hero or not, she would get them out if it killed her.
“Okay,” she said, finally. She held out a hand to cut off the excited murmuring. “But I’m not branding anyone. I’ve never tested it on a human, and I don’t know if I can replicate what I did to Naem. I was... kind of unaware of what I was doing when I gave those to him.”
There were a few slumped shoulders and disappointed frowns, but Elva nodded her head as if she understood.
“So, Jak.” Elva took a step forward and put her hands on her hips. “What do you want us to do?”
20
They spent the next day immersed in planning. Karlona returned, and Jak filled her in as fast as she could. Just like Jak hoped, her mother agreed to lend a hand, and the hand of the Shadow Fae. Of the three forms of Fae, Jak had encountered, the Shadow Fae was by far the best warriors, with their ability to move around unseen. They would be invaluable.
The first step was to assemble some weapons. Karlona immediately sent some of her spies to fetch some, though they already had a small stockpile that they had pulled from the caravans from the south-east mountains. When Jak examined them, she was surprised to see the quality of the craftsmanship. They were some of the best spears, swords, and armor plating that she had ever seen, though she admittedly didn’t have a trained eye for that sort of thing.
Regardless, she set to work branding what came in. She had refused to brand people, but the least she could do was to brand the weapons with multiple brands, giving them that much of an advantage.
She got through a dozen or so weapons and several suits of armor before fatigue set in. That much branding could drain a Gifter of energy. It would have to do.
Next, she gathered Karlona, Vander, Elva, and Naem to discuss their next steps. It was already late in the night, which meant they had approximately twenty-four hours before the execution.
“What kind of execution is it?” she asked Naem once they were all gathered. She had seen more than one form of execution since she had arrived.
“Burning at stake,” Naem said.
Made sense. That kind of execution was reserved for heretics and rogue Gifters. The Royal Priest would clearly classify it that way.
“Okay, well those typically get a lot of attention, and we can expect it to happen at sundown like most executions. We need to act quickly if we want to be prepared by this time tomorrow.”
Everyone nodded at that, but they all continued to stare at her as if waiting for Jak to continue. Jak couldn’t help but feel a bit foolish, standing there talking like she was in charge. And it was probably foolish of them to listen. But even her mother waited on her next words.
“Okay then.” She went on after a short silence. “Here’s what I was thinking, and please speak up if you think of something better.”
Everyone nodded, so she began.
“Our worst threat is the Watchers,” Jak said. “We need to distract them or find a way to get rid of most of them before any rescue begins. Naem and I can infiltrate their camp and perhaps set their command building and barracks on fire. That should distract them for a while.”
Naem nodded, one hand to his chin. “That should work.”
“Our second threat is the Royal Priest. He will most likely be at the execution. Now, while I don’t have definitive proof, I’m more than certain that he is a demon like Kuldain.”
Karlona nodded. “That would make sense. Demons are hiding around the city, but they remain immobilized. We suspected a demon like Kuldain was hidin
g in the city, controlling them.”
That brought up another problem. “We’d have to keep him from sending the demons into the city,” Jak said.
“And we couldn’t kill him, as that would likely have the same effect.”
“Then we stall him, keep him occupied. But if he lets the demons loose, we’ll have to be prepared for that. How many are there?” she asked her mother.
Karlona shrugged. “It’s hard to say. Less than at Foothold, but at least a thousand. Maybe more.
“Okay, well with these weapons, and your Shadow Fae, that shouldn’t be a huge problem. Besides, the city has its own defenses that are much stronger than at Foothold. Better they fight demons then us.”
Jak turned to Elva and continued. “Your people will be responsible for getting Seph and the others out. We’ll need plenty of people to help carry the Water Fae. Once Naem and I return from distracting the Watchers, I’ll lead you into the town square, and we’ll extract everyone from the pires.” She turned to her mother. “The Shadow Fae will need to keep enemy soldiers from interfering, clearing a path for us. But try not to kill anybody,” she added with a grimace. She didn’t like even the idea of attacking good people.
Karlona nodded. “We’ll do what we must.”
They spent the rest of the hour hammering out the details before it was time to rest for the night. Everyone, they agreed, needed plenty of rest, especially Jak.
Not like she was going to be able to sleep on a night like this. It felt odd like when they were preparing for the demon attack in Foothold. She hadn’t slept much then, and of course, she wouldn’t be able to sleep now. If only there were some kind of sleep Relic. Oh well.
Nearing the tent, she heard someone call to her from behind.
“Hey, Jak!” It was Naem.
A smile formed on Jak’s lips. “Yes? Did I miss something?”
“No, I just wanted to talk to you in private for a bit. Do you have a minute?”
“Oh, yeah sure.” When Naem didn’t immediately say anything, she broke the awkward silence. “Thanks for what you said earlier. I mean, I don’t think it was very wise showing off your brands like that, but—”
“Oh, ah, those people eat that sort of thing up. If I’m not mistaken, they’re some of the few who don’t view the Fae, and your powers, as heretical. That’s why I thought you should keep them close. They could help you.”
“They do seem to follow my lead without question.”
“Your friend Seph really rounded up the perfect followers for you, even if he didn’t know it at the time.”
The mention of Seph brought a tension with it. Was he still angry about that? She didn’t think of Seph that way, or at least she didn’t think she did. Though he could be very charismatic at times, could really pull you in.
“Look,” Naem glanced at the ground, and there was something like worry in his eyes. No, resolve maybe? “Your plan is great, but if something goes wrong. I just wanted to talk about, you know, about what we had.”
So, he did want to talk about that. To her surprise, Jak found she didn’t mind as much as before. She had found other things to preoccupy her mind. That almost made her feel guilty. After all, her friend Marek had died, and she’d all but forgotten about him with everything that happened to her in Skyecliff. But Naem had been there the whole time, never questioning her. Well, except once, but never after she made her feelings clear.
When she didn’t speak, Naem went on in a rushed tone. “I mean, I know you lost your friend, and that’s...I should never have expected anything when... I mean you were dealing with a lot and... I know you just didn’t want me to get hurt because you’ve lost a lot, and you were right, you know, your friends that we lost in the palace. People can get hurt, and I guess I’m just trying to say I’m sorry if... if more people get hurt and…”
“It’s okay,” she interrupted.
Then leaning forward, she grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him hard. After a moment of shock, he leaned into the kiss, returning her affection with his own hungry, forceful lips.
When they broke, Jak was glad it was dark, so no one could see the color in her cheeks. “When all this is over. We can talk I think,” she said with a smile. “Right now, I hope you’ll understand. It’s... it’s all a bit much right now.”
“Of course, I get it,” he said. “We’ll get through this. I know it.”
“You’re not just saying that?”
“No, I mean it. And I meant what I said earlier. You may not know it yet, but you’re a hero, and I’m sure you can handle whatever they throw at you, even if things don’t go according to plan. You’ll make it work because that’s what you do.”
Her face reddened further. “I’m sure you say that to every girl you’ve kissed.”
He tilted her chin and kissed her again. “The other girls I’ve kissed never gave me extra brands.”
She pushed him away playfully. “So, you’re saying you’re only interested in me for my abilities.”
“What? No. I’m just saying you’re special. I know that, and soon everyone in Skyecliff will know it too.”
Jak took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I hope you’re right.”
He winked at her. “Of course, I am! But anyway, I’ll let you get to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.
He kissed her one final time, and she found herself not ready to let him go, but he left anyway. Retreating to her tent, she readied herself for bed.
She didn’t even have the presence of mind to be surprised when sleep came more easily than expected.
In the morning, she arose early and started to make preparations for the battle ahead. That mostly meant branding more weapons, which they distributed to Seph’s followers and a few to the Shadow Fae. The effort of branding so many items left her more tired than she would have liked, but after a large meal, she felt ready to get back on her feet.
That didn’t stop the worries from running through her mind, though. If anything, her conversation with Naem the night before only increased her concern. She didn’t want to lose him too. They hadn’t spoken yet today, but she’d seen him giving general fighting advice to Seph’s followers, in case they needed it. He’d winked at her then and continued his instructions.
After branding a few sets of armor, she rose to take a small break and found herself looking over the hill at the city that lay just ahead. She stood there for a long while.
There were a lot of people in there, innocent as well as guilty. Queens and priests, but also merchants, beggars, and fishermen. How would this affect all of them?
“It’s a new feeling isn’t it, holding the fate of others in your hand.” It was her mother, stepping silently alongside Jak.
Jak didn’t have a reply at first, allowing silence to close in on them as they watched the sun pear through the giant pillars of the city.
“I don’t know if I can bear it,” she said finally. “Everyone is counting on me. And I... I’m not…”
Her eyes burned. She would not cry in front of her mother and who-knows-what-else might be listening. She would not! A hand on her shoulder soothed everything, and the tears disappeared. Her mother wrapped both arms around her. For a moment Jak worried that others might see and guess that she had some relation to Karlona. But honestly, she didn’t care about that at this point. She hugged her mother back.
“The burden is not yours alone to bear,” Karlona said. “Let us take some of it from you. That is why we are all here.”
“But Elva and Seph’s people. They came to me.”
“They didn’t come just so you could help them. They came to help you too.”
Jak swallowed. “I don’t want to get anyone else killed or...or turned into…” she broke off, realizing too late who she was talking to.
“Turned into a Fae, you mean?” Her mother broke the hug.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“It’s okay, we didn’t ask for this either. But it’s something
most of us grew to embrace eventually.”
“That’s what Cerai said.”
“Who?”
“Oh, Cerai. She was one of the first Water Fae I met. We lost my friends in the palace trying to rescue her.”
“And you’re worried you’ll lose more friends trying to rescue these friends?”
Jak nodded, feeling her face growing hot with...was it anger, or shame?
“Jak,” her mother grabbed her shoulders and turned her so that they were facing. “This may be hard for you to hear, but if anyone dies, it’s not your fault. We’re choosing to follow you and your plans. No one is forced to do so.”
Jak frowned, “I know, but—”
“No buts, Jak.” Her mother cut her off. “If we die, we choose to die.”
“But I don’t want anyone to die.”
“Well, we live in a world of tough choices. But between you and me, I think we may have this one covered.” She nudged Jak in the arm. “I’m very proud of you. Your plan, it’s not bad. And we Fae have a knack for survival. I think everything will be fine.”
Inexplicably, Jak found herself feeling much better. Perhaps it was her mother’s approval.
Taking a deep breath, she turned away from the city, towards the small army of men, women, and Fae beginning to gather around them. Karlona was right. They weren’t forcing any of these people to fight for her. They were doing it because they believed in something. Whether that was her, or Seph, or something else, she did not know.
But whatever it was, they were going to make something out of it.
21
That afternoon, everyone gathered together. The sun was setting, and it was time to enter the city. Jak ran through everyone’s roles one last time, explaining it as plainly as she could for the group. A few asked questions, but most held their peace, only nodding when their role was mentioned. But as Jak finished explaining the details, she noticed everyone still waited, as if expecting more from her.
Growing Ripples: An Epic YA Fantasy Adventure (Roots of Creation Book 2) Page 18