It was time. When Juliska and Garner fought, they would attack.
Juliska’s body rose into the air, meeting Garner’s height. With nothing but hate, she gazed down at the Svoda.
Her head flew up and she threw her arm up in front of her, opening her hand as if grabbing something. Garner started to struggle. His wings thrashed around him. Juliska was pulling him closer to her. He tried to fight it, but there was no winning.
Flames burst forth from her hands, moving up her arms and then covering her body.
“How dare you?” she spewed through the flames. “I control you!” Garner froze mid air, his wings suddenly not working and he fell to the ground. His body began to contort and shift again, leaving him in his human form.
His body lifted into the air once again. Juliska reached out her fiery arm and clasped it around his neck.
“Now they shall all see,” he mumbled through the pain of her touch.
“Yes! You all shall see!” she shouted to the Svoda below. “You shall see what happens to traitors!” The fire engulfing her body dissolved. Juliska closed her eyes and upon opening them they had changed, turned a fiery red. She leaned in closer to Garner, opening her mouth, exposing her teeth. She inhaled, needing no break for air.
Billie shook off this stunning display and shouted, “Now!”
Her small army rushed forward, palms outward, facing Juliska.
A luminous glow started to emanate from Garner’s body, funneling into Juliska’s mouth.
“She’s a... Vampyre,” someone exclaimed, upon seeing the horrific sight. “She’s Vetala.”
“Vetala, they became the Grosvenor,” someone else said.
The understanding of this truth came quickly to some, and some were so stunned they just collapsed under the shock of it all.
Juliska Blackwell was not their savior or their protector. She was their enemy!
A few saw Billie and her small army rushing Juliska and fell in behind her, realizing they were fighting back. Billie ignored the flailing limbs of her dying brother, dangling overhead.
She was first to shoot off a spell, but it bounced off Juliska. It didn’t even faze her.
“We’ll need to do it together,” shouted Billie. They formed a line, raised their palms upwards towards Juliska. Billie opened her mouth to shout the order to release the spell when she froze. From behind Juliska, up over the side of the cliff they came.
A great host of Scratchers.
Juliska’s army had grown.
Billie was shaken back into the moment when the body of her dead brother, Garner, plummeted to the ground, landing next to her. His skin was sunken and sallow.
Their brief moment had passed. This was now a battle they could not win. “Retreat,” she exclaimed to anyone that could hear her. She wasn’t sure who else followed but she ran, Maura at her side.
Many in the crowd were too stunned to do anything, reality still sinking in. Regardless, it was too late for them. They would all be Juliska’s prisoners.
Us too, Billie thought. They might escape for now, but they would not be able to hide for long. Not with the army Juliska had at her disposal. She heard footsteps behind her as she and Maura ran, but did not dare look to see who had followed.
Behind them, back at the cliff’s edge, chaos was breaking out. Svoda were running and screaming from the Scratchers flying overhead. Juliska ordered her army to round everyone up. It wasn’t hard to do. No one wanted to get in the way of their deadly wings.
Billie and Maura did not stop running until they were deep in the island’s thick forest. With the sky now black as a starless night, they could not see well at all. But to their advantage, the trees were so thick the Scratchers could not attack.
Billie slowed, allowing everyone to catch up and gather themselves. The Flummer family had made it. Noah’s wife carried their daughter while he carried one of the Jackal sisters. Kalila. Kalida was nowhere in sight.
“Put me down you brute,” she scolded him. He did so, but her foot was injured and she could barely stand. The elderly woman nearly collapsed.
“Your sister?” questioned Billie.
Kalila just shook her disheveled head.
“Scratcher,” explained Noah. “This one was trying to fight it off!”
“Wouldn’t you?” she shouted back.
“There is too much at stake and she was already gone,” he spoke with harsh kindness. “We need you with us.”
She just shook her head and slid to the ground. “I don’t know how to live without her.”
A few stragglers sauntered in, exhausted and confused. Faces they did not recognize but welcomed anyway. They waited. No one else came. In all, only eleven people had followed and made it safely into the woods.
“We cannot stay here for long, they will be searching for us,” said Maura.
“Yes, you’re right,” agreed Billie. “We need to keep moving. I know a place we can hide.”
A snap of a branch not far away sent them into instant silence. There was someone else approaching. Friend or foe, they did not know.
A young woman stepped out from behind a tree, gasping when she saw numerous palms pointed and ready to cast a spell.
“Maria!” shouted Billie, running forward. “Is there anyone else with you?”
“No,” she whimpered. “No one. I saw you all run and I got caught up in the chaos. My father...” she stopped. “My father grabbed hold of me and magicked me away. I’m sure it took every ounce of magic he had.” She leaned her head on Billie’s shoulder.
“I’m sure he’s okay,” said Billie. But her voice held no tone of confidence in what she said. She glanced back to the others, the same questions seeping out of their gazes; just how many new orphans would there be today? Would Juliska leave anyone alive?
Maria wiped her face and joined the rest of the group. Billie took the lead and during the arduous walk explained all that she knew to the newcomers. She told them how a small number in her group had discovered Juliska’s secret a few years back. They had devised a plan show everyone the truth, as well as take her out of power.
“Unfortunately,” interjected Noah, “It seems that she was recruiting followers at a much higher rate than we knew, or had been able to for ourselves.”
“We needed more time, just a little more time,” said Billie.
A voice called out, “How could they do it? How could so many join her? Become hunters of their own people?”
Billie and Noah looked at each other, speechless. They could not answer this question.
Noah stepped toward Billie. “I’m sorry about Garner,” he said. “We will make sure he didn’t die in vain.”
“Today, it seems like he did,” she spoke in a raspy voice. “Yes, the people know the truth. But we failed in our part.”
“Only for today,” said Maura softly.
Billie nodded in half-hearted agreement.
“For those of you that didn’t know my brother, he was Garner Sadorus, a good and brave man. It was he that learned Juliska’s terrible secret and passed it along to me. He joined her. Allowed himself to be recruited by her. Became the monster you all saw today, carrying out her diabolical orders, all the while learning as much as he could and passing along that information. Every day putting his life on the line, to learn Juliska’s true intentions.”
“Which are?” a nameless voice spoke.
Billie stopped and faced them.
“He never found out. He was close. We needed more time.” She mindlessly turned and continued walking, in silence, the only sound the crunching of leaves under their feet and the occasional rustling of thick pine branches.
Finally, they reached their destination. A tall granite wall. Just over and behind that wall, they could hear the sloshing of the ocean waves crashing onto the shore.
Billie turned left and stopped in front of a small cavern. It wasn’t too deep, but deep enough that they could fit comfortably and take cover.
They used every ounce
of magic they could muster to cast protections around the cavern. They were all too tired to address the question of why they were having trouble collecting enough magical energy to produce much magic. Perhaps Juliska could suck that out of the island just as she could suck the life force out of a person.
They used the remaining magic they could gather to magick themselves enough food and water to last a week; none of them believed for a moment they would last that long. They would be tracked down. They would be found.
They huddled around a small fire for warmth. The air was cold and bitter, yet stale, like it had no life in it.
“I didn’t see Ivan Crane,” Noah whispered to Billie, unexpectedly.
She turned to look at him, teary eyed. “Nor Meghan. Let us hope they found a way off this cursed island before all hell broke loose. If not...” she didn’t need to finish.
He knew she meant that all their hopes now depended on two people that might not even be aware of what was taking place.
##
Jae Mochrie awakened to a strange sight; a roof over his head. It took him a moment to remember that he had been falling (to his death) and then had been sucked into a vortex of some kind. He sat up, pushing his dangly hair out of his face and saw that he was still dressed in his clothes, which were a bit torn up after his fight with Darcy.
“I killed her.” The memory of it came crashing down on him. He leaned forward, thinking he might be sick.
He glanced around, unfamiliar with his surroundings. He was in some kind of room with thick, carved wooden walls. There was a window and a door. He wondered if he could leave, or if he was a prisoner in this room.
“It’s no more than I deserve,” he asserted.
Jae quietly got up, taking a peek through the window. There was someone outside, not far away. He turned the doorknob and to his surprise, it opened. He glanced upward but all he could see were the tops of very tall pines, with tiny slices of cloudy sky sneaking through. He had no idea what time of day it was.
A voice startled him.
“Oh, you’re awake.”
There was a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard sitting on a tree stump, drinking something hot. Steam lifted from the cup. Jae realized at that moment how chilly the air was and rubbed his arms.
“Look just inside the door, you’ll see a jacket,” the man said. “Grab it. I’ll pour ya a coffee.”
For a reason he could not explain, a cup of hot coffee sounded great. He grabbed the jacket and threw it on; it was a little large for him but instantly made him warm. The man handed him a steaming mug with a muddy brew inside. Jae slid to the ground, sitting close to a fire pit. He wasn’t sure who this man was, but he didn’t get the impression that he meant him any harm.
“So, um...” started Jae, unsure where to begin.
“Expect you’re wanting to know where ya are?”
“Definitely,” said Jae. “I-I don’t know how I got here or where here is. Am I dead?” he blurted out.
“Dead? No, definitely not that. You might wish you were though,” the man spoke frankly.
“I was afraid of that,” mumbled Jae in return, surprised by the ease of the conversation.
“So you were trying to end it all were ya?” the kindly man asked. “Oh, name’s Curtis Bevins by the way.”
“Jae. Jae Mochrie.”
“Mochrie... I remember that family.”
“You do?”
“Yup. You’re not as far away from home as you might have thought, young man.”
“Yeah, I was afraid of that, too.”
“So back to my original question...”
“Well, um, I guess I was trying to end it all. I had to.”
Curtis’ eyes looked saddened. “This life is too hard. Too hard especially for the young folk. Don’t know why it took me so long to see it.”
Jae shrugged, unsure what he meant.
“It’s no matter. My own regrets.”
“I didn’t regret what I did... when I did it,” said Jae.
“I expect you thought it was the only way to make your point,” spoke Curtis wisely.
“It was!” said Jae. “I had to show everyone. They needed to know. And I couldn’t live, not after what I did...” Curtis stopped him.
“Best to keep the details to yourself. I reckon that’s why she brought ya here, to see what all you know.”
“Juliska Blackwell?” said Jae fearfully.
“Hm, no. No. I speak of Amelia Cobb.”
“The leader of the banished Svoda?” questioned Jae.
Curtis confirmed with a nod that warned Jae he was in danger. He trembled, spilling a bit of coffee.
“I- I thought Juliska had captured me, because... well, never mind that but you’re telling me I’m with the banished Svoda?”
“Sure enough.”
“That’s why you remember the Mochrie’s? You remember them from before, when we all lived together on the island?”
“Correct. Something I thought... well... you’ll find out soon enough. Here, have some more coffee.” Curtis seemed reluctant to continue explaining.
“What would your leader want with me? Is this some kind of prison? Are you a prisoner?” Jae asked.
“Not going anywhere anytime soon. I think it’s best to let Amelia tell you what she wants, as I’m not particularly sure... if I had to wager a guess, she probably wants information.” When Curtis saw Jae’s horrified face he added more quietly, “Be cautious, boy! She’s tricky. Cunning.” More loudly, he added, “Didn’t used to be like that. I always considered her a dear friend. Even went on a date once.”
“Great! This is how she treats old friends,” he waved his free hand around wildly. “I’ve run away from one evil whacked out leader for another. She won’t get anything from me,” he added, less confidently.
Curtis tossed him a sympathetic smile.
“So what are you in here for? Are there others or is it just us?” asked Jae, changing the subject.
“Right now, just the two of us. I fear there may be others that join soon. As to why, that is a more complicated a story. Let’s just say I stopped agreeing with my leader’s ideas about where our future is heading and this, this is my punishment... banished from the banished.”
“Nice,” said Jae. He took a deep swig of coffee, thinking about his family. He wondered what was going on, back on the island. Had they understood him? Had his attempt at death made any difference? Was everyone safe? Was his family safe? His friends? And what of this Curtis guy? Could he trust him? Seemed odd that there would be just two prisoners. Jae eyed him questioningly.
“So Mr. Mochrie, if I may ask, do you know how you got here? You were brought in, unconscious, a few hours ago. I was told you belonged with Juliska’s band and that you’d tried to off yourself, but that is all.”
“Magic brought me here I guess.” Jae didn’t know how much he wanted to explain and he was not yet ready to relive his experience of jumping off the cliff. “Let’s just say I’m here because I also stopped agreeing with our leader... only I caused a lot of trouble and hurt a lot of people while I was at it.”
“I need no specific details,” Curtis reminded. “As I said, best to keep it to yourself, but it seems we have a little in common, my young friend.” Curtis tipped his coffee mug in Jae’s direction. They went silent, each taking sips of the steamy mud Curtis called coffee, when they heard someone approaching. Jae looked toward a tall wooden fence, which appeared from the inside to have no entrance or exit. It was one solid piece of wood.
“Hold fast,” Curtis warned him in a low voice. “Don’t say anything you can’t take back.”
Jae swallowed but with great difficulty. He acknowledged that he had heard and understood Curtis. Trust him or not, it was sound advice that Jae intended on following. No matter what, he would not do anything else to put his family or friends in more danger than they might already be in.
He stood up, ready to face whatever was coming through the door to drag him away for
questioning. However, he was caught off guard when the fence suddenly broke in two, a clear seam opening, and the silhouette of a small frame standing in the opening. The silhouette stepped forward out of the shadow.
It was a woman, he assumed Amelia Cobb. She was medium height, not too short and not too tall. Not thin and not heavy. Her hair was short and choppy. If he had not seen her face, he would not have found this woman dangerous at all. In fact, her demeanor was friendly until he glanced into her eyes; the one thing she could not hide. They were dark brown, and sharp, screaming out her true desire: power.
She came in alone, first aiming her attention at Curtis.
“Good morning,” she said to him as if they were old friends.
He tipped his coffee mug towards her in reply.
“I don’t suppose you’ve changed your mind and would like to rejoin us?” she asked him.
“Sorry,” he replied.
Jae noted that he actually sounded sorry.
“Very well.” Her eyes landed on Jae. “Hello. I hope you’re feeling better... I’m sure you must be quite confused. My name is Amelia Cobb, I believe you know me as the leader of the banished Svoda.”
Jae just nodded.
“May we speak?” she asked him politely. “I think I can answer many of your questions.” She motioned for him to follow inside to a nearby room. It was sparsely furnished, just a table and a few chairs, with a small fireplace and cooking utensils.
“Please, sit,” she told Jae.
He did so, still not speaking. She took the seat across from him.
“I hope you feel rested,” she said.
“Um, I guess,” he replied.
“Jae, I’m not going to make any more small talk. You’re an intelligent young man... made a terrible mistake, a mistake of youth, but you’re not an idiot. Which is why I brought you here. You see, I think we can help each other.”
“I don’t see how I can help you,” Jae responded. “What I am is... wrong.”
“With that, I agree. But it was not you that made you wrong... this was done to you, Jae. Juliska used you as her puppet. Yes, I can see in your face that you feel responsible but I think your actions prove that you feel true remorse for your choice.”
Taken (Book Six) (Fated Saga Fantasy Series) Page 4