by AJ Eversley
“And whose fault is that?”
I twisted to glare at Max, but his face was only inches from mine. I hesitated. I was stone-cold sober at the look in his eyes and the fire behind them. I felt his breath on my cheek as I glanced down to his mouth. The butterflies in my stomach awoke. We were so close. My body hovered over his, but he didn’t move away, nor did he flinch at the sight of me. I couldn’t move away from the warmth of his hand over mine, clasping the wine bottle. His thumb grazed the soft part of my hand with such tenderness that I almost didn’t feel it if it hadn’t been for my heightened senses.
Neither of us looked away. I felt a small pull, a small magnetic energy, moving me closer to him.
He broke first, looking to where his hand lay on top of mine as he carefully pulled it away. I leaned back and released the wine. My breath attempted to steady my racing heart. I hadn’t even realized it was pounding so hard.
I sighed. “I think we’ve both had enough wine,” I suggested, and Max nodded.
He stood up, grabbing the near-empty wine bottle as he offered a hand. I accepted his help, and silently, we walked back into the castle. We parted ways with a cautious goodnight, and I couldn’t help noticing his lingering stare before I disappeared out of view.
My mind was spinning, and I wasn’t sure if it was just from the wine. A part of me hadn’t wanted to leave. It had wanted more.
It’d been a long time since someone had made me smile the way he had, or sent my heart racing faster than I cared to admit. There was something in the way he looked at me that sent heat to my cheeks.
Despite the heat, I ran a bath for myself, not ready to sleep just yet. I attempted to wipe away the memory of what had happened, but I couldn’t get the warmth from my hand to subside. And by the time I regained some semblance of self, the water had long since gone cold.
Chapter 17
Lena had started to watch our training sessions. She didn’t say much, but I saw the silent conversations she had with Anthony. Max was also at every training session and had even begun to help. Neither of us spoke about what happened the other night, but I caught his occasional glances when he thought I wasn’t looking. I didn’t mind as I found myself doing the same despite the small ting of guilt I felt every time.
In the few weeks that passed, I was finally able to sense both Anthony and Max as they attacked simultaneously, although I still needed to work on my speed and reaction time.
While Anthony and Max had a sparring session of their own, Lena and I sat under the tree for some shade while I took a break. The sweltering heat was already at its peak.
“So, are you ever going to tell me more about yourself?” I asked.
“What would you like to know?”
“Everything. How did you break the connection to Coleman? How did you even get here? What are your abilities? And why do they call you ‘princess’?” I sounded like a child begging its parents for a bedtime story. Despite my excitement, I caught Lena flinching again when I said his name—Coleman. She tried to hide it, and I wanted to know why.
“Most things can’t be answered in one simple statement. Just like learning how to use your Carbon abilities, there is no right or wrong way to come about them, nor is there one way to break the connection with…him.” She cast her attention to the bright green grass, rustling her hand over the thin blades. “I will help you to learn it all in any way I can.”
I sighed and leaned against the tree. “All in due time,” I grumbled.
We sat in silence before Lena said, “I have been a Carbon my whole life. It is the only reason I am even alive. As a human, I would not have survived more than a few days.”
“You mean you were never in your human body? You’ve only ever been a Carbon?” I sat up straight, angling my shoulders toward her.
“Correct,” she nodded solemnly. “When I was sixteen, I couldn’t take any more of it and decided I’d had enough. I found my human host body and killed it, hoping to end it and myself once and for all, assuming that my Carbon body would die too…but as you can see, that didn’t happen.” She glanced over to Anthony, who had stopped sparring with Max for a moment and was looking at Lena with concern. With a subtle nod, he turned back to Max, and they continued. “Anthony’s father helped me escape Cytos, just as the war in the city began. He brought us to Kuros where he secured us a boat that took us out to sea where we met up with Captain Lankey, who took us to this place, which he had heard still existed. Anthony’s father saved our lives, and Anthony has stayed and protected me ever since.”
“Wow.” I exhaled. “So that means you’re actually, what, twenty-six?”
“Yes. My Carbon body does not age now that my human body is gone, but I would be twenty-six if I still aged.” Lena nodded.
“And why do they call you princess?” I asked.
Lena looked over the city below us, to the people walking through the streets all the way down to the bay where boats floated on the water. From up here, they looked like little ants scurrying around.
“When I arrived here, these people needed a leader—a protector. They had grown up in a world where rule and order were necessary, where there was need for someone to keep them safe,” Lena said. “I became that person when I arrived here. It has been my only job, the most important one, to keep this island safe. And the people respect me for it.”
“You keep them safe?” I asked. It was clear her people respected her, but it wasn’t yet clear why.
“I do, in my own way. And because of the place these people came from, because of the culture they lived in over many centuries and passed down through generations, they gave me the title of ‘princess,’ even when I did not ask for it.” A small smile spread across Lena’s face, “I am honored for it and will always do my best to keep my people safe.”
My mouth hung open, ready to ask her more, but I was cut off by a deafening sound that filled the air. Lena jumped to her feet, and I was close behind. My pulse quickened as I reached for the gun at my side and clicked the safety off. Racing through the castle and out the back, I saw something in the sky above us. A large red circle, almost like a hole had been burned into the sky.
“Stay back,” Lena ordered. She raised her hands to the sky. An invisible current emanated from her, an energy like I’d never felt before, so powerful and strong.
My feet stumbled back a step where I met Max’s strong chest against my back. I didn’t move away from the warmth. His hand gripped my arm, keeping me steady against the solid flow of energy that woke up my senses.
The current moved from within her to where her hands pointed, and when I followed it up to the sky, I saw the hole beginning to shrink until it disappeared and was gone.
Lena collapsed to her knees, and Anthony was right there to catch her. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her inside the castle, setting her down in a chair by the foyer. A servant was there with a glass of water and a cold towel.
“What was that?” Max asked from behind me, his hand still wrapped around my arm. When I looked down to it, he slowly released his grip, letting his fingers trailed over my skin all the way down.
“Someone is trying to break through my protection.” Lena’s voice was hoarse. Anthony gave her more water.
“What protection? How did you do that?” I asked.
“My ability is like a shield. I have placed a barrier around all the United Isles as protection. But someone has found a way to break through.” She gazed wearily to Anthony. “I won’t be able to defend us for much longer.”
“You have done well, my princess. You need rest.”
Lena nodded reluctantly. Anthony scooped her up and carried her to her room.
Max caught my eye, and I saw the same questions running through his mind as mine. I paced and looked outside where the gaping hole had once been, a hole in her shield.
Anthony returned with a strained look on his face. “It takes a lot out of her to project her abilities over such a large space,” he explained.
“Who is trying to break through? Could it be Coleman?” I asked.
Anthony shuddered at the name. “In the ten years we have been here, no one has tried to penetrate that shield. I fear Coleman would be the only one capable of doing that, which means he has found us.”
My heart dropped. Did we lead Coleman right to them? Could we be to blame? We should’ve known Coleman would try to find us. And now, we just might have brought the enemy to the only safe place anyone had left.
Anthony seemed to read my thoughts. “It isn’t your fault. He was bound to find us. This is as much our fight as it is yours. We are one people who need to stand together.” He took a step closer as his eyes narrowed. “All you can do now is work harder on gaining your abilities and honing them in. That will be the only way you can help save our people.”
He was right. It was too late to keep Coleman from finding us, but I could at least be prepared for when he arrived. This time, I’d be ready.
Chapter 18
The following morning, we gathered outside the castle where Anthony and Captain Lankey were readying themselves to leave. “I will be back soon,” Anthony said to Lena before he stepped into the carriage and sat next to Captain Lankey. The two were leaving to check the boundaries to ensure there weren’t any other breakthroughs in Lena’s shield.
She was still weak and quite pale. I helped her slowly into the castle and sat her down in the chair beside the window where her gaze followed the carriage out the open gate and down the street until it wound through the village and out of view.
“Does this always happen?” I asked. “The draining, I mean. Is that normal?”
“Not always, no. This time was different. This time someone was pushing back against me.” She scrunched up her brow.
“Another Carbon,” Max stated across the room from where he leaned against the wall with hands tucked into the pockets of his navy khakis.
“Yes, I believe so,” Lena answered.
Coleman was training them to use their abilities. And it seemed some were stronger than I’d first thought. The urgency to learn how to use mine left a sting in my chest.
Lost in my thoughts, I left Lena to hers as she stared out the window to the empty road. My feet took me to the courtyard, sensing Max’s steps behind me.
Once I reached the center, I turned to Max, and without having to ask, he gave me a solemn nod and tossed me a staff. He grabbed a staff of his own and took up his place across from me, ready to let me work off the energy building inside of me. I didn’t have to say anything, Max knew what I needed was a distraction, and he was happy to oblige with a sparring match.
Rolling out my shoulders, I twirled the staff in my hands before I swung it toward his head. He deflected it with ease. My second swing was quicker as the staff twisted in my hands smoothly and sliced through the air to his side. Again, he stopped it before the staff connected with his body, but he was knocked back a step. My muscles screamed at me, wanting more. The energy inside me kept building rather than releasing. My breath hissed through my clenched teeth as I stormed forward. The thick wood of our staffs connected with a thunderous crash. Max’s eyes widened as he took another step away from the blow, but I didn’t ease up, nor did he ask me to stop.
My staff danced through the air, twirling in my hands. I elevated it overhead and brought it down on Max. He braced himself as my staff connected with his, breaking it into two, one piece in each of his hands. He grunted with effort, but still he didn’t stop me.
My vision went red with anger nearly boiling over. We’d led Coleman straight to them. We’d brought my enemy into their land.
I aimed the staff at Max’s head, and he ducked before it connected. He was up against the tree in the middle of the courtyard, and my body was screaming at me. Finish it! Finish it already. This is what you do. This is who you are. Murder, traitor, enemy.
The staff rose high in the air. Ragged pants escaped me. My eyes met Max’s, finding concern in them. Suddenly, a softness within him calmed every part of me. My arms loosened. I dropped the staff, and my body nearly collapsed.
Max was there. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in as I sobbed. Every part of me loosened as I let the weight of the world pull me down. He didn’t say anything as one hand circled my back and the other stroked my hair, and he left me lean into him as my body became too heavy to hold up. He pulled away from me, and his eyes searched for mine. My tears lingered, but I swallowed them. His body was warm, and the heat was a comfort. My head rested on his shoulder, allowing him to take the weight of me.
“This is all my fault. I brought Coleman right to them,” I whispered.
“Maybe, but pouting about it isn’t going to stop him or protect these people.”
My eyes flashed, and I turned on him, only to find his sheepish grin staring back at me. “Not funny,” I said.
His chuckle reverberated in his chest, against which I was still pressed against.
“Look, the best thing you can do right now is stay focused. Work on the skills you know you have and perfect them. The rest will come with time. I don’t think this is something you can force.” Max shrugged.
I pulled away, and he reluctantly let me go. My body was too exhausted to stand on its own, so I slouched down to the grass, leaning against the tree. Max watched me with caution before he sat by my side, close enough that I could lean against his warmth and smell the forest emanating from him.
Chevy cautiously stalked over and rested his head on my lap. My two protectors seated on either side of me even when I didn’t know I needed them.
I rested against the tree and closed my eyes. “Thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome.”
After a moment, I felt Max watching me, my every movement.
“Why are you being so nice? Why are you helping me?” I eyed him with suspicion.
“It’s simple.” He shrugged again. “You’re my best chance for survival at this point, seeing as you’ve pissed off the one guy capable of destroying an entire city. And since I’m stuck in the line of fire, I figure it’s in my best interests to help you.”
I punched him in the arm.
“Ow!” Max rubbed his arm but still smiled. “Come on. Let’s try this again. Only maybe don’t try to kill me this time.” He winked as he pushed off from the tree and offered his hand.
I took it, but not before a pang of guilt swept through. “I’m…sorry,” I said as I stood. I could’ve hurt Max. My rage got the best of me.
“Don’t be.” He smirked. “I was letting you win.”
“Yeah, right.” I gave him a shove. “Let’s just get on with it.” And the smile he gave me told me he didn’t think I wouldn’t have hurt him. Despite the monster that stirred within me, I would’ve stopped.
All his teasing and pestering was such a distraction that I didn’t spend too much time thinking about everything that had happened. I found myself so preoccupied when he was around that there was little time to worry about all the things I couldn’t control. His pestering worked, even if I disagreed with the tactic. He had kept me from dwelling so much on the pain and guilt. He’d pulled me out of the quicksand that had threatened to consume me. And even though everything wasn’t right and it was still there, the weight on my shoulders didn’t pull me down. Max had fixed that.
Max tossed me a long sword. He stood before me, ready to take the blows again. But this time, it was different. This time, I used the anger and energy building up inside of me as a tool and didn’t let it consume me.
Chapter 19
After I had gotten out all the energy inside of me, Max and I sat in the grass, munching on fruit and cheese. Chevy waited for scraps between us. Max looked over to me and smiled, a genuinely happy and content smile. I wanted nothing more than to keep that smile intact, to make sure nothing erased the spark in his eye. But my heart sank, and I stared down at the food in my hands.
“We should contact your dad and get Lankey to bring you back
to him,” I said without looking up at Max.
“What?” His tone was so sharp I glanced up at him. Hurt was written across his face.
“It’s not safe here. If I talk to him, he may understand.”
“I don’t want to leave. I want to help you,” Max argued.
“Death follows me everywhere. You aren’t safe. It’s only a matter of time before you get hurt, or worse—”
“I don’t care!” Max picked at the grass like an angry child, refusing to look at me. “I’m not going back. I’m not leaving you here to fight this on your own.”
“You could die,” I countered.
“This is war, Sawyer! People are going to die. You can’t stop that. There is no safe place in this world that we live in, not anymore.”
My nostrils flared. “I know that. Don’t you think I know that? But with your dad, there’d be more help, and it’d be safer, even if only for a brief moment.” I couldn’t stand the thought of Max getting hurt, even if I knew it was foolish to think that’d never happen. It would happen. There was no stopping the inevitable.
“Don’t you get it? This is the first time in my life that I’ve felt alive. The first time I felt useful. I’m staying, and there’s nothing you can do about it to change my mind.” Max stood up with a huff, startling Chevy before he tossed him the rest of his apple. “Enough! I’m sick and tired of you thinking you’re the only one capable of beating Coleman.”
“You said it yourself before—I’m your best shot at defeating him,” I argued.
“Yes, you’re our best shot but not our only shot.” He threw his hands up in the air as he started walking toward the castle.
Not willing to let this end, I chased after him. “Can’t you just understand my point of view for one second? Can’t you see why I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt?”
He spun so fast I almost ran into his chest. “No, I don’t understand. Why don’t you enlighten me Sawyer?” His heat pressed against me.