The Girl with the Scar (Dark Connection Saga Book 1)

by Stadler, William

  “The rays of the sun make no sounds.”

  “Ahh, you have spoken correctly and falsely. Watch.”

  He raised his hand to smack her across the face.

  She jumped back, startled, but too weak to scream.

  “What did you hear?”

  “Nothing. I moved because you almost slapped me!”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because your hand was….” She stopped herself before she finished. Now it made sense. She understood. Eva dropped her guard again, taking on the previous face of remorse. “I have to interpret these things, just like I knew that you were about to hit me.”

  “Precisely!” he said, dinging his finger towards her as if he were ringing the side of a bell. “Everything speaks, if you listen.”

  “But why do you only refer to the stars?”

  Jahn chuckled, shaking his head. The sun tilted down behind the horizon. “What would you think if I said, ‘The dirt has shifted’? Or how about, ‘The bees are buzzing’? I’d certainly be deemed as touched by the moon. People tend to like the stars, so I give them the message in form that they will accept it.”

  “It would be better if you would just tell people the message instead of speaking in riddles.”

  “Then people would follow the message, or worse, the messenger. And the gods know how much I would appreciate that,” he said slyly, rolling his eyes. “Genevieve, the art to becoming a Kibitzer is to hear the message and translate it to the ears who are listening. It’s not an easy task.”

  “How long before I start hearing things?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “As soon as you start listening,” he said, smiling.

  “Couldn’t you have told me this back in town?”

  He laughed again, this time more heartily. “In town you were ready to lop off my noggin. You felt safe, so you didn’t need me. Out here, amongst the willows, it’s different. If some harm befalls me, then you will be left to fend for yourself.”

  Eva looked away, not wanting to show Jahn more of her heart than he already knew. What about this man had changed as suddenly a morning glory? Eva could feel her hatred for this man fading, but she kept up her guard, careful not to be lured in by his trickery. She dried her face.

  The sun had gone away, leaving behind the strands of light that glided through the trees from the half moon A few more questions bubbled up inside, though Jahn had only given her permission for one. Still, she felt that at this moment, she could ask him anything. “Why are you being so kind?” she asked.

  “We should head back to town now,” Jahn warned. “The nights in Willow Falls can be deadly.” He paused and turned to her, soft-faced. “People are leeches, Madam Genie. If there is something that you have, they will suck you dry. But a stern face and harsh word turns them away. So is the life of a Kibitzer.”

  Returning back to the inn, Eva did not see Wolf and Stasis, so she found her bedroom and sat on the bed. Thoughts of the day streaked through her mind, from the Kibitzer to the Beast to Precision Empyrean to her mother and to Edward.

  She kicked off her boots and rested her head on the pillow, curly auburn hair draping over the side of her face. Eva had been traveling for months, even through the winter. Spring was near and she had not heard anything about her brother. What if he’s dead? The thought lay on the side of her head as heavily as anvil.

  After a few hours of tossing, she dosed off.

  BANG! The sound of a door rammed against the wall. Eva’s eyes snapped open.

  “Eva, get up!” Stasis yelled, bursting through the bedroom door.

  Eva jerked out of bed. Tingles of sleep trickled through veins, giving way to the jolting alert. She shot hurried glances across the room. The fire had fizzled out. Only streams of moonlight cut through the windows.

  “What’s wrong?” Eva asked. She jammed her boots onto her feet, heart moving as swiftly as she was.

  Sweat dripped down Stasis’s face, pasting her hair to her forehead. “The Raiders,” Stasis panted through uncontrolled breaths. “They’re two towns away. We have to hurry.”

  “I can’t go with you,” Eva said, mimicking Stasis’s panicked voice. “They’re looking for me!” The distrust invaded Eva’s mind. Was this the moment that Stasis was waiting for, the moment when she could turn Eva over to the Raiders and be done with her? Was this what she and Wolf had hoped for?

  Stasis yanked Eva’s arm, pulling her out of the bedroom. “You have to!”

  Eva ripped her arm away. “This is not my fight.”

  Stasis beamed at Eva. “Then your brother will be killed.”

  Eva’s indignation wasted away from her. The thoughts of betrayal vanished. “Edward is there?” she asked, half-hoping that he was not.

  “I don’t know,” Stasis said. “But Wolf thinks so. The Raiders have been hunting this band of Strikers for months.”

  Eva gasped. Reason escaped her. “We have to go,” Eva said, darting past Stasis.

  CHAPTER 13

  THE WHISPERS

  It took a few days short of a fortnight to arrive at Central Haven. The moon was already out and darkness was descending. Six roads converged on the bustling town. Elegant carriages, seating nobles, made their way to the various merchants.

  Oily-haired beggars jingled their cups in the stone-laid streets. Water Walkers gathered in the center with their heavy carts full of water. This town, that was now full of life, would soon be dead.

  Jahn and Eva followed Wolf and Stasis across the square where Eva’s eyes found the soldiers. They were dressed in burgundy leather jerkins that buckled in three places across the chest. The jerkins rested underneath a steel-laced hauberk that draped to their knees. Thin, long spadroons with silver hilts hung from their sides. These were the Strikers.

  Edward must be here! Eva came alive inside, and her footsteps hastened as she pushed stationary soldiers aside who were doing nothing more than flirting with the young dames or telling stories of their travels.

  “Edward,” she said, butting through the crowds. “Edward. Have you seen Edward?” she asked, tugging on the soldiers’ arms, not waiting for a reply. “Edward. Edward Solace. Have you seen him?”

  Eva swung by a frail young man, probably a dozen years older than she. “Edward Solace, you say?” the man asked.

  Eva halted, heel planting in the ground. “You know him?” She turned to face the man.

  “Of course I know him.” There was no expression on his red bearded cheeks, though his dark blue eyes seemed to tell Eva a tale that her stomach was not ready to hear. “What do you need with Ed?” he asked.

  “He’s my brother,” Eva replied, swallowing hard, peering at the man innocently, hoping that he would not break her already too fragile heart.

  “Genevieve?” the man asked, still showing no expression. “Ed speaks of you often.”

  Eva hesitated, lingering on the fear that Edward may already be dead. “Have you seen him?”

  The man put his hand on his hip, shaking his head as he looked at the ground. “Not since we got cut in half by the Raiders,” he said.

  The pain of loss crept upon her. She could feel it clawing at the scab on her soul, the one that had still not healed since the death of her mother. She cleared her throat, needing to be strong, for what reason she was unsure. “When was the last that you were with him?”

  The man held up his gloved hand, putting up one finger at a time as he counted. Was he counting days or weeks or months? Every moment that he took seemed to increase the distance between her and Edward.

  “Three weeks,” he said. “Wait. Is that right?”

  How can he be so apathetic about this?

  “No. It was four weeks since he and I were separated. I’ve still got the scar to prove it,” he said, showing Eva the deep gash in his collar that had turned a bruised green from infection.

  “Is Edward…?” She didn’t want to say the word.

  “Dead?” the man blurted out, rudely. “No
t old Ed. Nothing can kill that sweet-talking savage of a man.” A smile finally found its way to his lips, bending the beard up to the sides of his nose.

  Eva released the breath that she had been holding, spurting out the air between light-hearted chuckles. This man was right. Edward was a fighter. If he were dead, he would have taken enough Raiders with him to make it notable.

  “Which way did he go?” she asked.

  “The Raiders cut us in half and split our ranks. Some chased us here, and the others stalked Edward's squadron to the northeast.”

  “How can I find him?” Eva asked.

  The gentle expression dripped away from the man’s face. “Follow the dead bodies. Edward’s rank got the worst of the beating. We had the Raiders under control until the legend showed up.”

  “What’s the legend?”

  “The Haunt. I had only heard stories about how this spirit worked for the king, aiding him in defeating the other kingdoms and enslaving the people. But I didn’t believe it. No one did. Not until that banshee tore through dozens of our men like burlap on the edge of the sharpest blade.”

  “Why aren’t you out looking for him?” Eva asked, looking him up and down, fearfully annoyed. “Isn’t that what Strikers do? You don’t abandon your own.”

  “Genevieve, we didn’t abandon them, but there’s no way we can go back. Not while that fiend’s on the loose. We broke countless bags of Essence just to ward it off, but nothing worked.”

  “We have to find him. You have find him,” Eva demanded, becoming impatient. “The Haunt will not stop hunting them.”

  “Not going to happen. We are fighters, not fools.”

  Eva felt her mother’s indignation rising within her. “How fitting it must be to use Striker jargon to hide your cowardice.” From where had this confidence emerged? Only a few weeks before, the cowardice that she accused this man of was her own.

  A soft hand grabbed Eva’s arm. “There you are, Eva. Jahn needs to speak with us,” Stasis said, pulling her along.

  “No. This man knows where Edward is, but he’s too afraid to go and find him.”

  “If my fear helps me to live but for a day more, then so be it,” the man replied.

  Stasis managed to pry Eva out of the crowd. Jahn stood not far from the Water Walkers, fidgeting inside of the pocket of his cloak.

  “Madam Genie,” he said, hiding his compassion behind his Kibitzer. “We may need your assistance.”

  “My assistance? For what? My brother is being hunted as we speak. He needs me more than anyone.”

  “There are more pressing matters at hand,” Wolf replied.

  “Edward could be killed!” she said, emphasizing each word with flat hands that she shook at the three of them. “What’s more pressing than that?”

  Stasis cut her eyes to Wolf and then back to Eva. “The Raiders are headed here.”

  “What business of mine is that?” Eva asked.

  “Do you want the blood of hundreds on your hands?” Stasis asked.

  “It is not in my power whether these men and women live or die! But if my brother is killed, a thousand washings could never bathe the blood from my fingertips.”

  “Will you sacrifice hundreds for the life of one?” Wolf asked.

  “Will you sacrifice one for the life of hundreds?” she retorted. “Edward doesn’t mean anything to either of you. The Raiders didn’t kill your mother as they did mine.”

  Eva whipped around and stomped away from the others. Small whispers spoke against her neck, much like the ones that she heard when Wolf was vaporized. She snapped her head back and forth, looking for the speaker.

  “Winds. Shift. Halt. Blow,” the whispers said. Eva swirled around and saw no one, only the crowds through the darkness. “Move. Go. Sword. Steel. Stalk. Stop. Move.”

  She tilted her head, squinting. Where were these whispers coming from?

  “Blade…Sheath…Rip…Slice…DEATH!”

  Suddenly, a manly scream shot out across the square. The crowds broke into a flurried panic, racing away. The Strikers drew their swords and formed ranks. Fear-stricken citizens darted past Eva, bumping against her shoulders.

  She arrowed her way through the mayhem back to Wolf. His heavy hand grabbed the handles of his tomahawk, raising it up to his chest, waiting to strike. His eyes were blazing bright green.

  “Sharp. Close. Near.”

  Eva cut her glance to the left. Violet vapors seeped into the sky, revealing a man armored like a Raider. His bent metal helmet draped to his shoulders. His hand covered the hilt of his unsheathed falchion.

  “Jevar!” she yelled.

  “What do you see, Genevieve?” he asked.

  “A Raider.” She backed against Wolf, clenching her pendant.

  The Raider eased towards her, unaware that he had been spotted. He pulled his sword from his hip.

  “Rip,” the whispered voice said. “Stalking. Near.”

  “Jahn!” Wolf called. “Over here.”

  Jahn stepped to the side and held his aged hands up to his ears, listening. He reached in his pocket and tossed up a small bag of Essence. Fiery particles sifted from the bag, slowly finding their way to the invisible Raider.

  “Screams,” said the whispers to Eva.

  From the fire, the Raider surfaced into plain sight, screaming. His armor smoldered as more specks from the Fire Essence landed on him.

  “Eva, where are they?” Jahn demanded.

  “Near. Far. Close.”

  Vapors appeared all throughout the panicked town center. “All over the square,” she said, backing against Wolf.

  “Empyrean,” Wolf growled.

  Eva stumbled backwards. Wolf had vanished. She looked for him, but he was gone. “Jevar!” she screamed.

  There was no answer in the chaos.

  The Strikers pushed through the throngs. A Raider appeared close in front of one of the Strikers and slit the soldier’s throat and vanished back into the nether.

  “They’re in the shadows!” the Strikers called. They formed squads of four, pressing their backs against one another, slicing their spadroons skillfully at any movements.

  Several invisible Raiders were struck down by the Strikers’ cadence.

  “Eva, where are they!” Jahn yelled again.

  Eva dropped to the ground, squeezing her hair in her hands, exposing the back of her neck, screaming. “What’s happening!”

  Frantic people rushed by her.

  “Searching. Found. Scar.”

  Eva’s heart beat against her chest. Her scar was exposed, and the Raiders could see it. She picked herself up and rushed along with the hoards. Vapors spawned in front of her.

  From the violet vapor, a Raider materialized to the physical realm. The silver falcon on his breastplate formed last. He lifted his boot, the same weighted metal that Dreyshore, the man who killed her mother, had worn. In a solid thrust, he rammed his foot into Eva’s stomach, slinging her down to the ground.

  The side of her head banged against the jagged stones of the street, and a slither of blood leaked down her forehead and tangled itself into her hair.

  The night-armored Raider peered down at Eva through the charcoal helm. His voice rattled inside of the mouth guard. “The Girl with Scar. So you do you exist, if only for a moment more.”

  He raised his falchion across his face, blade high as if hacking weeds.

  “Jevar!” Eva yelled.

  Before the words left her cheeks, a white wolf, the size of a man, barreled out of the nether, materializing the pieces of its body as it leapt from the invisible world. The wolf pounced on the Raider, clawing through his armor.

  The Raider yelped as he scrambled across the ground towards Eva, pounding the wolf with the butt of his blade. In one snap, the wolf clamped the Raider's arm in its jaws, wringing it back and forth as it whipped its head from side to side, growling.

  Splatters of black blood spilled from the Raider’s arm and sprinkled onto Eva’s face. The Raider begged for his li
fe, but his request was not granted. The wolf mauled him.

  The blood from Eva’s scrape slipped down her cheek, leaving its remnant as a trail. The trickle of blood touched the splatter on her cheek from the mangled Raider. The side of her face heated, nearly to the point of burning. She wiped her cheek and flicked the intersection of blood to the ground, frantically dabbing the rest on the leg of her sleek.

  The shrieks of the townspeople seemed to fade. A faint grumble drifted in with the wind. Eva could feel the vibrations in her chest. The same golden light that she had seen before, coiled from her lips and seeped into the blood splatter.

  The streak of light burst into the clouds, and the heat from the light stream warmed the area. The growling climbed up the stream into the sky, then it disappeared.

  Eva cut her eyes to the left and right. It’s happening again. She sprang to her feet, fleeing to the edge of the town.

  “Follow. Escape. Never,” the whispers said.

  She stopped mid-stride. The crowds had dwindled, leaving only the Strikers to fight, though the blades of the invisible Raiders had run many of them through. Vapors surround Eva.

  Six ill-intentioned Raiders emerged. Eva turned to run back to the center. A Raider wrapped his forearm underneath her neck. The cold of his armor chilled the space under her chin.

  Eva could hear the wolf tearing through the Raiders near the square, much too far away to save her.

  Tears spilled from her eyes. “Please don’t kill me. Please.” She could feel the effects of a seizure numbing their way to her cheeks. If she could be unconscious, death would not have been so unbearable. The seizure faded.

  The Raiders stomped towards her, falchions aimed at her heart. The Raider who was holding her jerked Eva until she was off-balance. “Run her through,” he said.

  “No. Please. Help!” she pleaded through sobs. “Please don’t kill me.”

  Without warning, the golden streak lined through the air, ripping down to the ground. A hollering screech, sharper than a hundred eagles, tore through the sky. An enormous crash pounded against the stone, leaving behind a massive crater.