Bisecter

by Stephanie Fazio

  Even though we’ve only been together for a short time, I assumed Dayne and Wokee would be with me when I reached Tanguro. They’re the first friends I’ve had since I lost Destinel.

  Even thinking about her makes sadness crash over me like a wave. What if the same thing happens to Dayne or Wokee?

  I swallow. “Is it dangerous where you’re going?”

  “A bit, but not to worry, I’ll get through.” Dayne pats my hand.

  “I’m afraid I’ll never see you again.” My voice is a whisper.

  “I promise when my errand is complete, I’ll come find you.” He meets my black eyes with a steady gaze.

  There is something about that look I’ve seen before. It’s like waking up from a dream and almost—but not quite—remembering what it was about.

  “And one more thing.” Dayne’s voice startles me out of my thoughts. He motions toward the outline of Wokee’s body curled around Vlaz. “We both know Wokee wouldn’t survive the journey. That boy adores you and will do as you ask. You must tell him to stay here. If I could make you stay, too, I would.”

  I watch the peaceful rise and fall of Wokee’s chest. Dayne is right. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

  Dayne rests his hand on my shoulder. “Keep yourself safe until I return. And don’t let anyone find out about you.” He looks into my eyes. “Many fear what they don’t understand. Keep your hood drawn up, and with any luck, no one ever needs to know.”

  I nod.

  “Good. Now get some rest.”

  I climb into my bed, thinking of nothing except the delicious coolness of the sheets. Dayne’s face is illuminated by the single candle as he sits on the edge of his bed, deep in thought. I close my eyes.

  CHAPTER 22

  Time to get started, Hemera,” Wade chirps.

  I lift my head from the pillow. At some point during the high day, Vlaz left Wokee’s bed and is now sprawled out across my feet, his tiny wings rising and falling with each breath. Dayne and Wokee are asleep.

  I groan as I rouse myself from bed. Remembering Dayne’s warning, I pull on my cloak and draw up the hood. I throw an envious look at my sleeping companions before following Wade up the thousand steps I’ve come to loathe. We go through the waterfalls and stone tunnels, and finally reach the dense trees outside the fortress. Wade keeps up a mostly one-sided discussion about Sal and the other Solguards the entire way.

  I’m not really listening; my conversation with Dayne rests heavy on my shoulders. I need to tell Wade that Dayne isn’t coming, but not yet. Maybe when he sees I can fight, he’ll convince the others to let me join the company anyway. I need the help of Sal’s army if I’m going to rescue Brice.

  Ever since Wade mentioned the rumors of a Dusker at Tanguro, an unsettled feeling has been growing inside me. If the Duskers have found a way to control the Halves, is it possible they sent the beasts to look for me? Is it because they know what I am? Could that be the reason one of them was carrying Brice’s drawing of me…because it was searching for me?

  After more than an hour of steady walking, we duck under a wall of overgrown tree branches into a large clearing. Wade scoops away the dirt piled up at the base of a tree to produce swords, knives, and a bow and arrows from a hole in the ground.

  He shakes off the dirt before handing me a set of padded armor, gesturing to me to put them on. “We don’t want any injuries,” Wade explains.

  I notice he doesn’t take any of the padding for himself.

  Wade picks up one of the swords and nods for me to take the other. I grasp the hilt and anchor my stance. Between the padding and my cloak, I feel about as mobile as a tree trunk.

  With a flick of his arm, Wade moves to knock the sword from my hand. I twist my body to the side to block him.

  Being the Captain’s daughter was not without its perks. Even though I was never gifted with any weapon except for the sling—my feet were too clumsy to truly master hand-to-hand combat, and I could never make my arrows fly true—my father made sure I was at least competent with all of the weapons in the smithy.

  The blades clank against each other as I block another strike. Wade moves back, circling me. Inwardly, I groan. As long as my feet stay planted on the ground, I’m as good a fighter as any. But as soon as my stupid feet need to move….

  I hop to the side, but Wade knocks me off balance. My legs get in their own way. I feel myself beginning to fall.

  “Widen your stance,” Wade says.

  I do what he says and manage to keep from tumbling into a heap of useless limbs.

  “Better.” He jabs at my padded chest. “Now, anticipate my next move.”

  I narrow my focus and sense the moment his weight shifts. I flick the edge of my sword, which sends his weapon flying from his hands.

  “You didn’t tell me how fast you were,” Wade gasps.

  “Beginner’s luck?” I shrug, turning away so he won’t try to look me in the eye.

  Wade shakes his head. “I’ve never seen anyone move so fast, and I’ve trained with the best Solguards in the fortress.”

  I laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Did Dayne train you how to fight like that?”

  “Yes,” I lie, relieved to have an excuse.

  A branch snaps somewhere in the brush. We both stand still.

  When the squinty man steps underneath the branches into the clearing, Wade’s posture relaxes.

  “I heard you a mile back,” the man growls.

  “Sorry, Gorgoran,” Wade shrugs. “Gotta train.”

  Gorgoran glares at me. There is an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach as I draw the hood of my cloak tighter around my face.

  “So, you’re going to make a soldier out of this one.”

  Before either Wade or I can reply, Gorgoran produces a long, curved dagger from a sheath on his back. He runs his pink tongue over his fleshy lips.

  “Let’s see what you’ve learned today.” He gestures at me with his blade.

  “Gorgoran—” Wade starts.

  But before he can say anything more, Gorgoran lunges at me. I roll to the ground to avoid his blade. Wade shouts something, but all of my attention is focused on my attacker. When he comes at me again, I grab one of the swords on the ground to knock his dagger from his hand.

  Gorgoran snarls. He throws his entire body at me, fingers grasping for my throat like claws.

  I don’t have time to move out of the way before he’s on me. Dropping the sword, I shove him away from me.

  Gorgoran sails backward through the clearing at least ten paces until he slams into a tree’s midsection. His body crumples to the ground.

  Wade gapes at me.

  “How did you—”

  “I didn’t mean to push him so hard.” My head throbs as I hurry forward.

  I didn’t kill him, did I?

  Wade shakes his head. “You didn’t push him. You flew him.” Wade waves his hands through the air to demonstrate.

  We both approach the body.

  Wade kneels in front of Gorgoran. “Just knocked out,” he reports.

  I sag with relief. The man’s body is twisted in a way that will cause him pain when he wakes, but Wade does nothing to untangle him.

  “I had no idea he was going to try to hurt you. Are you alright? I mean, of course you’re alright. Look at what you did to him!”

  “What should we do with him?” My voice hitches.

  “Leave him. He’ll wake up eventually. But Hemera, how did you do that? He’s twice your size.”

  I occupy myself with collecting the weapons so I don’t have to respond.

  “You know something? I bet even Dayne Clarion couldn’t have done that.”

  I snort in reply, but Wade’s face is serious. “I mean it. You’re…more than you seem.” He cocks his head, giving me a quizzical look.

  I keep my face angled downward so he can’t see my eyes.

  “Come on.” I go back to piling the weapons back in the hole. “Don’t we need to be heading
back?”

  CHAPTER 23

  Is that the best you’ve got?” Wade pants. “I thought yesterday you might stand a chance against me.”

  Wade keeps up a constant stream of chatter as we fight, telling me where to put my feet and how to move without landing in a heap. With the memory of what I did to Gorgoran fresh in my mind, I let Wade pin me to the ground with his sword pointed at my chest.

  He whoops. “And that, my dear Hemera, is how it’s done.”

  Maybe I don’t need to be too easy on him.

  I twist around and grab his ankle. Yanking him to the ground, we roll over the hard stones as we wrestle for the sword. I hold back my strength, but even so, Wade can barely keep up with me. His face shines with sweat.

  “I’ve never lost a practice fight,” Wade grunts between labored breaths, “and you’re crazy if you think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re Jadem’s niece.”

  I let Wade pry the sword from my grasp as he uses his body to keep me on the ground. He gives me an insufferable, victorious grin. I let him keep me pinned. I let him think he’s stronger.

  “Dayne says he won’t come,” I blurt out.

  As soon as the words have left me, I’m filled with dread. I turn my face away before he notices my black eyes.

  Wade sits up and studies me.

  “Given the way you fight,” he says, “we’d be lucky to have you, but some of them—” he shrugs his shoulders.

  “Don’t trust me,” I finish.

  Wade nods.

  “I have something I could give the company in exchange for bringing me with you.” Reaching inside my cloak, I take out Brice’s map.

  “It has all the travel caves marked.” I point to the black spots dotted along the scroll. “It will save you time trying to find a cave every high day.”

  Wade’s face brightens as he takes the map from me. I hold onto it for a second longer than I should. Sharing Brice’s map feels like sharing a part of him.

  Wade doesn’t seem to notice my reluctance. “This is brilliant! We still hadn’t worked out where we would sleep during high day. Now they’ll have to let you come.”

  I sink to the ground as though a tremendous weight has been lifted from me.

  “You really want to be part of the company, don’t you?” Wade raises his eyebrows at me.

  “Well I won’t be able to get past thousands of Halves on my own,” I reply.

  “And then what?” Wade asks. “What’s your plan for after you rescue what’s-his-face?”

  Wade’s question makes me pause. Before I came to Jadem’s fortress, all I wanted was to rescue Brice and get revenge for my parents’ deaths. But meeting Jadem and Wade and hearing their stories…learning that so much of what the Duskers made me believe is a lie….

  My eyes find the place on Wade’s gloved hand where I know the sun marking to be. I think about the mission Sal is leading, to free the prisoners at Tanguro and gain an army. What would it be like if the Subterranes were freed from the Duskers?

  “You know,” Wade moves closer to me. I can almost feel the warmth of his skin as his hand brushes against my cloak. “You could take your hood off every once in a while.”

  He reaches down to pull back my hood.

  “Don’t!” I jump to my feet.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—” Wade looks away from me, but not before I see the hurt in his golden eyes.

  “No, it’s fine. I just...can’t let anyone see.”

  Wade turns back to me. “There are lots of people here with Dusker scars, if that’s what you’re worried about. Your aunt, for one….”

  “It’s not that.” I pull on my hood, drawing it more tightly about my face.

  “Listen, we’re all here because we’ve lost something. Some of us have lost everything….” He trails off.

  “What have you lost?”

  Wade pauses for so long I think he isn’t going to answer at all.

  Finally, he says, “I lost my entire family because I killed my father.”

  He must take my silence for shock, because he adds, “It was an accident.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say, not knowing what the appropriate response is in this situation. “What happened?” And then, realizing that was probably the wrong question, add, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

  “It’s not like it’s a big secret around here.” There’s a scratchiness in his voice that wasn’t there before. Wade clears his throat. “The Duskers found out my brother was a Solguard. They were going to take him to Malarusk and torture him for information about Solis’ location, but our mother found him a place to hide.”

  Wade rubs his eyes. I look away until he continues.

  “My father was one of the Captain’s guards. When the Duskers came and no one could find my brother, my father went looking for him.” Wade’s carefully-schooled features melt away, leaving behind a mountain of pain and regret I understand too well.

  “He found my brother and was going to tell the Duskers.” Wade stares hard at the ground. “I tried to convince him not to. Begged him. But my father believed in the Duskers’ lies. We fought. I didn’t mean to hit him that hard.” Wade pauses to clear his throat again. “When he fell, his head hit a rock. I never wanted to kill him—”

  My throat is so tight I can’t breathe.

  When Wade speaks again, his voice is steadier.

  “The Duskers found my brother and arrested him. When my mother tried to stop them, they took her, too. It all happened while I was fighting with my father.” Wade swallows hard. “I didn’t even know they’d been taken until it was too late.”

  “What happened to them?” I ask in a whisper.

  Wade picks at a plant, not looking at me. “They were both executed.”

  He works his fingers around the roots and snaps them away from the ground. The look in Wade’s eyes makes my chest ache.

  “Am I talking too much?” Wade asks. “I have a tendency to do that.” He gives me a weak smile.

  “Not at all.” I bite my lip, trying to reach a decision. After a brief pause, I say, “I know how it feels to have a terrible secret.”

  We’re standing in the shade of an overgrown tree. Not even a sliver of sunlight peeks through the canopy of leaves. Before I can think better of it, I pull back my hood so my eyes are no longer covered in shadow.

  Wade looks at me. His mouth forms into a perfect O of surprise.

  “They’re like the Halves,” he says, leaning away from me.

  What was I thinking? I yank my hood back up. How could I do something so stupid?

  “No, I didn’t mean it like that.” Wade reaches up with a tentative hand to pull my hood back. The look on his face keeps me from pushing his arm away. “I mean they are like the Halves, but not really.”

  Wade moves closer. With a finger, he raises my chin so my black eyes meet his golden ones. Where I expect to see disgust and fear there is only curiosity.

  “How’d it happen?” he asks.

  I force myself to hold Wade’s gaze as I tell him.

  Wade doesn’t say anything until I’ve finished. I hold my breath as I wait for his response.

  “That’s why you’re such a good fighter,” Wade says. “You have their speed and strength.”

  I nod.

  “Except even the Halves couldn’t do the things I’ve seen you do. It’s like you’re stronger, faster somehow, for being both Halve and human.”

  I don’t know what to say.

  “You shouldn’t be ashamed.” Wade smiles at me. “It’s actually kind of awesome.”

  “You mean you’re not terrified of me?”

  Wade scoffs. “I don’t scare easily.”

  “You can’t tell anyone,” I warn.

  “I can keep a secret.” He winks at me, and I can’t help but return his smile.

  “Hey,” he says, like he’s just realized something. “You weren’t holding back when we were fighting just now, were you?”

  Wh
en I don’t respond right away, Wade continues, “You didn’t let me win, did you?”

  The devilish grin I give him is all the reply he needs.

  CHAPTER 24

  I rub my eyes, groggy with sleep. “What time is it?”

  “An hour into low day.”

  I push myself up against the headboard. Dayne and Wokee are gone, their beds a mess of pillows and crumpled blankets. Wade is standing over me.

  “What’s going on?” I yawn as I stretch out my arms.

  “Get up. One of the scouts reported there’s a band of Halves headed this way.”

  “Halves?”

  I throw myself out of bed, falling in my haste.

  The entrance to the cave fortress is crowded by the time we join the other Solguards. Some I recognize from the secret meeting by the old well. Voices shout orders from every direction. There’s a constant ringing as swords are drawn from scabbards. My pulse quickens.

  A guard hands me a sword from a pile at the top of the stairs. The sword is lighter than the one I’ve been practicing with and fits snugly in my palm.

  I draw the hood of my cloak farther over my face and follow the others toward the stone archway separating the fortress from the Outside. As I take my sling from my belt and place a stone in the leather pouch, a hand closes around my arm.

  My aunt stands behind me. Her eye is narrowed on the sword in my hand.

  “Come with me, Hemera.” She turns around, her boots clipping against the stone floor.

  I follow her, glancing back at the activity in the tunnel, until she veers off onto an empty path. She turns to look at me. Her balled fists rest on her wide hips.

  “Hemera, I appreciate that you want to help defend the fortress, but I can’t allow it. You’re too precious to me.”

  My eyes dart to where soldiers are filing out to meet the Halves.

  “They killed her.” I’m shaking with rage. “The Halves killed my mother, your sister! I have as much right as any to kill them.”

  “Let me tell you something, Hemera.” Jadem rubs a hand over her one good eye, her exhaustion plain. “It was around the time your parents married that I turned all of my attention on the Solguard cause. I believed in it. I was willing to give up the possibility of love, a family, life as a Dweller….” She trails off, lost in her own thoughts. When she sees me staring at her, she continues, “I underestimated the Duskers’ power, and in doing so, paid too great a price.” The sorrow of whatever happened in Malarusk lurks behind the scars across her face. “I learned then that we lack the strength and numbers to take on the Duskers and the Halves. The most we can hope for is to stay hidden.”