‘The Captain had you chained to this post, you obviously don’t agree with him on something,’ Dean continued.
Rowe swallowed and nodded. ‘This is punishment for leaving the camp without telling him,’ she said, with another shrug. ‘It’s nothing more.’
Dean’s eyes narrowed, and she could feel his probing gaze like laser beams against her face. ‘I know you’re hiding something, Rowe,’ he said.
‘I’m not hiding anything,’ she replied. ‘And I think you should leave.’ She wished her voice held more resolve to it. She sounded like a meek kitten, and there was a tremble to her words that she couldn’t seem to get rid of.
Dean didn’t move, and his eyes stayed locked onto hers as he studied her. ‘You know you can trust me...’
‘I told you I’m not hiding anything. Just leave me alone,’ Rowe replied, more forcefully this time. If her voice hadn’t given her words enough authority, she also turned and moved to the other side of the pole. She walked as far as she could away from him before her footsteps jerked to a stop by the manacle that chained her there.
She closed her eyes and prayed that Dean wouldn’t question her further. She was already struggling to lie to him. If he kept pressing her, she wasn’t sure if she could keep it up.
Dean let out a sigh and slowly began to walk away. His footsteps became softer as he moved further from her, but Rowe didn’t relax until she could no longer hear them at all. She let out a deep breath once he was gone and allowed her head to drop into her hands.
A pair of arms came around her back, and she jumped at the sudden touch. But when she looked up and found Jack standing there, she collapsed further into his warm embrace.
‘It’s okay,’ he said, rubbing her back in soothing circles.
She shook her head and leant into his chest. Everything was not okay, and every moment that passed made Rowe more confident that things were only going to get worse.
‘I knew I had to lie to him, but I never thought it would be so hard,’ she mumbled. ‘I don’t know how I’m going to do this. I’m not deceitful.’
‘Which is precisely why this will work,’ he said softly. ‘You did the right thing, keeping him in the dark.’
She slowly nodded. ‘We can’t trust anyone.’
As she spoke, Rowe’s heart told her that wasn’t entirely accurate. They had people they could trust, but they were a world away from them. And they were counting on Rowe and Jack to help protect both the innocent Unfaih and the humans on Aeris who didn’t know the danger they faced.
When she finally pulled back from Jack’s embrace, Rowe decided that she wasn’t going to second-guess her actions anymore and she wasn’t going to crumble every time she faced an obstacle. There were too many people counting on them, and she wasn’t going to let them down no matter how many enemies stood in their way—even if those enemies were people she’d once called family or friend.
Chapter Nine
Rowe hadn’t realised how truly alone she felt until she’d been sitting by the wooden post for several hours under the hot suns, with no sign of Jack. He was her only ally in the settlement, and she hated that she couldn’t be out there with him helping to gather information.
She stared at the manacle around her ankle dismally and thoughts of her talk with Dean the night before replayed over and over in her mind. She had no idea if he would relay their conversation to her father, and she wasn’t sure what more she could do to regain the Captain’s trust. It was a long shot hoping that Dean would say something, but she knew she’d done the right thing by lying to him. She was playing the part of the dutiful daughter now, and she couldn’t allow anyone to believe otherwise.
Rowe tried not to look up from the ground during the day. She could already feel so many people’s eyes watching her. She didn’t want to see the pity in their stares, and she much preferred to pretend they weren’t there at all.
‘Hey,’ she heard Jack murmur, as he came to sit beside her.
She glanced up at him and smiled brightly, wanting to hug him for coming back. It wasn’t that she had doubted he would return, but the hours had been dragging, and she’d been incredibly uncomfortable sitting out in the heat of the day. It was late morning, and most of the square had emptied since breakfast, though she suspected it would grow busy again around midday.
‘How’s it going?’ she asked, glancing around to make sure no one could overhear their conversation. ‘Did you get any information that could help?’
‘Not yet,’ he said. ‘But hold out your hand.’
She laid her hand out flat in front of him, and he placed a tiny black object in her palm. It was the size of a small spider, perhaps a little larger, so she brought her hand in close to her face to look at it. Jack quickly took her hand and curled her fingers in around the object though, before she could get a proper look.
‘Don’t be too obvious,’ he said, barely louder than a murmur.
‘What is it?’ she asked, keeping her voice equally as low.
‘A microphone. I thought we could bug the Captain’s tent.’
Rowe’s eyes grew bright, and she grinned at him. ‘That’s brilliant, Jack!’
He smiled equally as wide in response. ‘I’m glad you think so,’ he said. ‘I figured this would be a good way to get information. Even if your father begins to trust you again, it’s unlikely he’ll tell you all of his plans. With this, all you need to do is get close to him, and we should be able to get the information we need to help Sloane and Rhyn.’
She nodded in agreement. As much as Rowe hated to admit it, even before she’d left with Sloane her father rarely told her anything important. But that didn’t matter thanks to Jack’s microphone. All she needed to do now was get out of her shackle and away from the post she was chained to. There had been more men standing guard over her father’s tent than ever when she went there the day before. There was little chance Jack would be able to get in there unseen, so it would have to be her that planted the bug.
‘I just hope he unchains me soon,’ she said, as she looked down at the manacle that kept her there.
‘I’m sure he will. If not, I’ll figure something out,’ Jack replied. His attention wasn’t fully on her though. Instead, he seemed focused on the men and women who were darting in and out of the tents around the camp.
Rowe placed the tiny listening device in her pocket and followed Jack’s gaze, trying to understand why he looked so concerned. It was then that she noticed it. All the people seemed to be leaving and moving off in the same direction.
Rowe reached out and grasped Jack’s sleeve. ‘Where do you think they’re going?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know,’ he said, frowning. ‘I hadn’t heard there was a meeting called today.’
‘No, me neither, but I’ve been tied up, and you’ve been busy building the listening device.’
‘True,’ he replied. He suddenly started looking between Rowe and the people who were disappearing behind the tents. She didn’t need to be a genius to know that he wanted to go after them, but at the same time, he didn’t seem to want to leave her behind.
‘Go,’ she said, nodding towards the last man who was just disappearing from view. Jack stalled, still unsure about leaving her there alone again.
She gave him an encouraging push in the right direction. ‘Go,’ she repeated. ‘It could be important. I’ll be fine here.’
He slowly nodded, but his eyes were still clouded as though he couldn’t bear to walk away from her. ‘Seriously,’ she said. ‘You can come back straight afterwards and tell me what I missed.’
Jack huffed out a breath. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘You sure you’ll be all right here?’
‘Go!’ she repeated, with a small laugh. He was almost too concerned to the point where he was babying her.
He gave her a warm smile in return and started jogging after the others. She let out a long breath as she stared after him, watching until he disappeared from sight.
The Captain frequent
ly called meetings with everyone in the camp; there was always so much going on that he seemed to think it was good for the people there to have contact with the man in charge. Who knew what lies he would be telling the camp when he addressed them today though. Especially considering he hadn’t even told Dean about the Brakys.
As Rowe stared into the distance, she tried to guess what the meeting could be about. Her gut told her it wasn’t something as normal as attempts to plant new crops or a progress report on the structures completed that week. She knew it was going to have something to do with Ash’s return, and it was frustrating that she couldn’t be there to hear for herself.
She was just glad that Jack had been able to go. He’d tell her everything that happened, and unlike a lot of other people in her life he would never leave out vital information because he was worried about upsetting her. There was nothing she hated more than that, and it seemed to happen too frequently.
She sometimes wondered if she was as weak as everyone assumed. She knew that physically she couldn’t keep up with someone as fit as Jack. And she could never even contemplate fighting the way Sloane could. But she worried that her spirit was so broken by what had happened in her past that she could never be capable of achieving the inner strength that those around her all innately seemed to have.
She turned her attention to the manacle around her ankle and chewed on her lower lip as she stared at the beaten-up metal that was so tarnished it didn’t even slightly reflect the suns’ light. She hated the ugly thing with a passion, and she gave it an irritated yank, not caring that the metal bit into her skin and rubbed against the angry marks that had begun to form.
‘You’re only going to hurt yourself if you continue to do that,’ a voice came from behind her.
She paused for a moment, hope warming her insides before she whipped around to face her brother. He was standing only a few meters away from her, but she felt an insurmountable distance stretching between them.
Rowe wrapped her arms around her waist and took a small step back as she considered him. Ash looked completely different compared to the last time she’d seen him. He had washed and shaved off the shaggy scruff that had been covering his jaw when they’d rescued him from the Brakys. His hair was neatly slicked back into place, and there wasn’t a wrinkle in the dark grey uniform he wore. He looked smart and strong; so much like the brother who had always cared for her. But she knew it was a lie; he had changed. She could see by the look in his eyes and the tight set of his jaw that their relationship would never be the same.
He had once looked at her with warmth and compassion, but there was now a hint of detached coldness in the way he stared at her. She pushed down a shudder, as she suddenly felt uncomfortable in his presence.
‘What do you want, Ash?’ she asked, shifting nervously from one foot to the other and looking at his chest. Her brother felt like a stranger to her, and she didn’t know how to act around him. She felt like she didn’t know him at all, and she couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes.
‘Rowe,’ he said, his tone becoming softer as his voice returned to the caring one he reserved only for her. ‘Please don’t let it be this way between us.’
She shot a hesitant glance up to his face and noticed that the coldness in his eyes seemed to have shifted. He was looking at her with the same warmth he always had, and it broke her heart to know that he didn’t really mean it.
‘You betrayed us,’ she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Rowe knew that she needed to stay calm if she wanted any chance at getting out of her chains, but she was struggling to keep her anger towards Ash from bubbling up inside her.
He took a step towards her. ‘I didn’t betray you,’ he replied. ‘I would never betray my family. I did what I thought was best.’
She shook her head, unable to understand how the lies flowed so easily from his mouth. ‘No, you lied to Father. Did you even tell him about the Brakys?’
‘Of course, I told him. We both agreed they’re not an adequate threat to justify any action,’ he replied. His voice slipped back into a stern official tone as if he were rehearsing a script.
She shook her head, not sure if he even believed the words himself. ‘You know how dangerous they are. They’re going to come here, and they’re going to destroy this place along with everyone in it.’
He reached out a hand towards her face, but she turned it away from him, refusing to allow him close enough to console her.
‘Rowe, we can handle those creatures. They aren’t the threat you think they are.’
Her eyes hardened as she looked back at him. ‘You saw the Brakys yourself. They’ll kill every single one of us if they find our settlement. Although, they won’t need to find us if you and Father get a hold of the Liftsal first…’
He frowned as he stared at her. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘The Liftsal turns humans into Brakys,’ she replied. ‘Humans came to this world a thousand years ago, took the Liftsal, and they became those evil creatures.’
He laughed at her comment. ‘I suppose Rhyn told you that?’
She nodded.
‘You saw with your own eyes how the Liftsal fixed the scars that were all over me,’ he said. ‘It didn’t turn me into a Braky. It cured me.’
She swallowed uncomfortably, trying not to listen to what he was saying. It was true that she had seen the Liftsal heal his wounds.
‘Do you think Rhyn would have let me near the stuff if he thought it could turn me into a monster?’ he asked.
‘He said it was only if you drink it that you become a Braky.’
‘Obviously, he’s going to say that,’ Ash replied. ‘His people have water that can heal any wound; of course they would spread stories to keep others away from it. It’s probably just some ancient myth. Rhyn must have lied to Sloane, and she's repeated those lies to you.’
She could tell from his tone of voice that he honestly believed what he was saying, and the scary part was that it made a lot of sense. Sloane wasn’t an idiot though, and if her sister accepted Rhyn's explanation that the Liftsal had created the Brakys, then Rowe believed him too. Nothing Ash said was going to change that, especially after everything he had done.
Even if Ash was right, and Rhyn’s story was just a myth, going after the Liftsal was still a mistake. If the Brakys caught the humans in Rhyn’s world or found their way to the camp, they would turn them all into monsters just like they had done to the rest of Ash’s team. If their numbers grew, they would become too powerful for even the Unfaih to defeat. Rhyn’s people would be wiped out. Ash must not realise that. Or he didn’t care.
‘Even if it were true, we could avoid becoming Brakys if we just don’t drink it,’ Ash continued. ‘If we use it the right way, our people would never have to be sick or injured again.’
‘You’re making a mistake, Ash,’ Rowe replied, her eyes wide as she looked into his. ‘And it’s going to cost a lot of people their lives. Is some stupid healing water worth it?’
Ash nodded, pushing his shoulders back. ‘It could take away those scars on your face. Wouldn’t that be worth it?’
Rowe slowly lifted one hand and touched the three large scars across her cheek. She had spent her life covering them up and cowering away from people because they made her feel like a hideous beast. But they were also a part of who she was now, and even if she did want them gone, it wasn’t worth the price they’d have to pay.
‘You think I need to get rid of my scars?’ she asked.
‘Are you telling me you wouldn’t get rid of them if you could?’ he scoffed, shaking his head at her. ‘I know you would, and I just wish you could see the potential of the Liftsal as I do. I don’t want this to put us at odds; you’re my sister, and I care about you.’
Rowe looked down at her feet, finding it hard to hear him tell her that he cared about her. Disagreeing with Ash was the last thing she wanted, but she knew he was making a mistake. And for once in her life, she wasn’t going to back d
own simply because it was the path of least resistance.
‘And I know you care about me too,’ he continued. ‘Or you would have told Lieutenant Dean I was lying and not to believe a word I said.’
Rowe froze at his words; her gaze still narrowed on her feet as she tried not to react. She had grown suspicious during her conversation with Dean the previous night and lied to him in the hope that her father would hear how she was playing along with their story. It had worked, but a part of her was disappointed that Dean had run to tell them everything she said. There was truly no one in the camp who she could trust.
It took a moment for Rowe to gather her thoughts, and she didn’t get a chance to react before Ash continued speaking.
‘Look, I didn’t come here to fight with you,’ he said, causing her to look up at him again. He knelt down, pulled a key from his pocket and started to unlock the manacle around her ankle.
‘You’re letting me go?’ she choked out.
Ash nodded as he worked, only looking up again once he finally had her free of the chain that restrained her. She stumbled away from him, wanting to put as much distance as possible between herself and the post she’d been shackled to. She crouched down and rubbed the raw skin where the manacle had bitten into it. It was painful, but she was so glad to be free of her chains that the discomfort no longer bothered her.
‘Why did you let me go?’ she asked, standing tall again as Ash approached her.
She was wary of him as he neared. She almost felt more exposed now that she was free than she had when she was chained to the pole. She couldn’t help but distrust his motives for letting her loose. Once upon a time she wouldn’t have given it a second thought and would have known beyond doubt that her brother had helped her because he cared. But uncertainty plagued her mind, and she knew deep inside that he had only helped her because he wanted something; that she couldn’t trust the brother she had looked up to her whole life.
The Oblivion Stone (The Liftsal Guardians Book 3) Page 10