by Nikki Hunter
Camila knew it was better if she hung back. This stranger might not take it so well if she walked up as if she belonged when she so clearly did not.
She blinked a few times, looking around. Where in the actual heck did they run off to? Before her were a few overgrown bushes, ones she had never seen before. The leaves sprouted off of them in fluffy clouds of what looked and felt like feathers. But they were indeed plants, her magic agreed.
She cocked her head to the side as she glanced curiously around. Everything here was… brighter… smelled stronger… held a little bit of magic in it.
We aren’t in Kansas anymore.
Camila reached down, digging her fingers into the black earth under her boots. There it was again. Power. Pure unbridled power thrummed against her fingertips. It was almost as if she could soak it in. A grin played at her lips.
Above her, not one, but four suns arched across the sky. Radiant light poured from them onto the black soil she crouched on.
With a glance up, she found that they were no longer in the company of a stranger. With a large intake of breath, she stood, prowling to their group. None of them paying attention as she approached.
From behind Yehven, she decided to speak up, “So what are we doing?”
Yehven jumped with a yelp, turning in a flash to face her. Kade, Lance, and Zayn didn’t hide their looks of surprise as they, too, seemed to shudder away from her words.
“What in the actual fucking fuck? How did you even get here?” Yehven’s voice was tight, his face turning a dark red as he shrieked.
“You released me. We are bonded now, I go where you go.” She shrugged. Camila patted Yehven’s shoulder, only smiling more when he pulled away from her touch. With a few long steps she stood so that she could complete the circle they had started to form.
“So... what are we doing?” She rocked on her heels.
Lance gaped at his friends, the dark hair on his head swayed as he shook his head at her. “I literally don’t know how you could have even gotten here. You can’t enter this land unless you have been officially invited. There is strong magic to keep intruders out.”
“Okay, listen to me.” Camila rubbed at her temples trying to fight back the annoyance that crept up now. She should be used to this, breaking in a new bond was always difficult. No one ever understood.
“We...” She gestured to the group. “Are connected. We now share a bond.”
Camila slowly locked eyes with each one of them before speaking again, slowly. “I go… where you go. End of story.”
Zayn blew out a heavy breath running his fingers through his hair, sending it up in messy waves. “Well, what do we do now? If she comes with, she could get hurt.”
“Who cares if she gets hurt? That is not our problem, she seems to be the problem. Why is she even here?” Yehven said, pointing his finger in Camila’s face.
“I’m here because you need me.” She glared back, slapping his finger away from her.
“You say that, but how are we supposed to believe you?” Lance asked, his arms crossed over his chest, only showcasing more of his impressive biceps.
Kade swayed, his magic reeling around him from the upheaval of emotion, his eyebrows creasing. “Guys, really, she is being honest. Though, I’m not enjoying her presence...she is telling the truth.”
“Thank you, Kade,” Camila deadpanned.
“Ok, despite what he said, why do you have to be here?” Yehven continued.
She shrugged. “Because, I want to be.”
Yehven threw his hands up in the air, turning away from the group.
“Well, princess,” Zayn drawled, “better make sure those fighting boots are laced up tight. We have a job to get done and time is ticking.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Oh, and also,” he added, “stay out of our way, will ya?”
Camila rolled her eyes, but nodded, gesturing for the group to the lead the way before her. One by one they turned away from her marching along. Some with a bit more flare and attitude than the others. Camila smiled to herself as she watched as Yehven puttered away in anger.
They had only marched for about ten minutes in full silence before they had stopped, unsheathing their weapons or adjusting the belts that hugged their waists.
Zayn and Lance exchanged a smirk as they glanced at Camila who had frozen five feet behind them. The strands of her straight red hair whipping from her ponytail to play before her face in the wind. The fullness of her lips, still coated crimson, parted as she stared.
Camila was certain now that she had lost her mind. Her body tingled with the recognition of the magic. So much of it.
As the breeze pushed past her and the group, she watched as the horizon before her opened like a curtain. Green blades of grass and the curling brush that breathed with movement of wildlife folded and all but blew away with each gust. She blinked and blinked again, not sure what she was really seeing.
Where the world here was pulled away, Camila could see what appeared to be a dark alleyway. At the end of the drive where the black rock met real pavement, cars passed by, seemingly unaware of the world she stood in now.
They didn’t turn to see if she would follow as they pushed away the fabric of this world and returned to the one she was familiar with. As they walked through the opening, their images blurred, solidifying once both feet landed on the scrabbled stones of the alley.
Camila grit her teeth, now alone in this strange place. She straightened herself. Her hands pushing down on the fabric of the outfit as if they could press out the imaginary wrinkles. The unblemished rubber of her boots hit the ground with determination as she pushed forward, following in the footsteps of the men.
As she passed through the opening, the cells of the human form she resided in vibrated in pain. Her teeth raked over her bottom lip to hold back the yelp that threatened to escape her.
When both feet were planted safely, she wrapped her arms around herself. Maybe she could hold herself together as her body shivered from the travel.
The light from the moon above them cast shadows over the buildings that towered next to them. Lance turned to see her behind them, his dark eyes soft. His lips pursed as he watched her shaking.
Yehven stalked towards the road, “He hasn’t made it far. He is hurt, bleeding.”
How could he know this?
Camila’s eyes questioned his statement but she never broke Lance’s gaze.
Lance opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly closed it again. He turned back to the group with a large serrated dagger poised in his hand.
She followed as they began to run, weaving through the small crowd of people that walked the streets still. Careful not to run into them, Camila followed in silence. She wasn’t sure when the last time she actually ran was, when she picked up her pace to match theirs.
“Can they see us?” she hissed at Lance since he was the closest.
His eyebrows scrunched as he frowned down at her. “No. Yehven shielded us, he threw it over you, too, so you don’t attract attention running through town with a huge sword.”
When she opened her mouth to speak again, Lance had sheathed his weapon and began wrapping his hand over her lips pulling her against him inside the doorway of a closed shop.
On instinct, Camila bit down on one of Lance’s fingers that covered her face. He made no sound, but in a flash her back was pressed against the door. His chest rising and falling against hers as he leaned into her.
Bringing himself down from his towering height, he placed his forehead against hers. The touch, there in one fleeting moment creating goosebumps all over her body before he pulled away. He pressed his finger to his lips, the one she had bitten, to tell her to be quiet.
His body felt hot where it aligned with hers, oh so perfectly. Lance’s arms planted firmly around her, against the wall, as if to cage her in. She marveled at his profile as he turned his face toward the road, listening. Camila assumed it was for whoever they seemed to be hunting now. Slowly,
she lifted her hand from where he had tucked them away at her side, reaching for a brown strand that had fallen into his face.
He wasn’t completely ignoring her. His eyes darted to the side to watch her movement. He was untrusting, just like the rest. Camila sighed as she gingerly pushed back the strand, her fingertips burning from the minimal touch. Lance went rigid from the small act.
When will they start to understand? I’m here for their good, not their demise. Camila frowned.
The time spent in Lance’s arms came to a quick end. His large palms roughly pushed her to the side. Pissed off from the rough handling, she growled.
To her surprise, when she looked up away from Lance, she saw what she guessed to be the person they were stalking.
Under the streetlight, smack dab in the middle of the road stood a large figure. Muscles on top of muscles, bulging from his clothing.
“Oh, shit,” she whispered.
Chapter Six
Poison
Everything froze. The cars, people on the street, even the air they breathed seemed to stall before hitting their lungs. Lance stepped out from the shadowed doorway, pulling his dagger back out.
However, instead of the warlike charge Camila was expecting, she watched as Lance looked up towards the night sky. The man on the street lifted his gaze as he followed Lance’s eyes.
From the stars began to fall a large metal cage. Camila stood motionless as she locked eyes with the iron that fell around the man. He looked startled as it crashed down, the noise exploding around them. His eyes widened with rage. But when he reached to rattle the bars, his fingers went right through them. It was fake.
But the illusion was enough to distract him. Yehven jumped from the shadows, his silver sword swinging for the heart of their victim. The bars of the steel trap whispered away in a mist as the weapon sliced through it.
A flash of the man's hand and a large blast of white struck the sword before it could strike him. Yehven went reeling back from the power, his blonde hair falling in disarray over his forehead. His lips snarled with the vibrations of his growl that rattled from his broad chest.
As the stranger moved away from Yehven, he was met by Zayn and Kade. Zayn stood beside him in the street, his weapon still tucked into his belt. He raised both palms to the sky, balls of white hot electricity rolled and crackled before he launched them forward.
The orbs exploded into loose sparks as they collided with the wild arc of a shield that was thrown up. Lance left Camila’s side, charging up to the man whose back was now turned as he faced Zayn and Kade.
Camila shrunk into the shadows of the shop’s doorway. Never had she been bonded with more than one person, much less anyone who had taken her into battle on the first day. She would at least enjoy the show from where she stood.
She wasn’t sure if she had ever been so attracted to any man before and now it was four. Four who were currently acting beyond manly as they thrust out these unnerving powers and swung their weapons.
Camila’s day dream was cut short as a shout ripped from Lance’s throat. He gripped his side, the black armor torn to shreds revealing bronze splattered with blood. One hand pushed down at his side as if he could mend it back together himself, while the other waved the dagger at the man.
Running out into the street toward the chaos, Camila’s boots skidded against the gravel. She wasn’t going to let one of her bonded die on her watch.
Her appearance in this street war distracted the man. His gaze fell onto her, his eyes wide. Was it terror she saw in the depths of them?
The human heart of the body she lived in pounded in her ears as the stranger lunged for her. His fingers gripped her shoulders as his mouth fell open in shock. Between her and him was the end of a silver sword, the tip caressing her sternum.
Shivers raced up and down her spine. The pulse of fear and adrenaline made the rest of the world fuzzy. The man, his green eyes, so much like hers twisted in painful sorrow before there was nothing there. His hands dropped from her as he slumped against the sword, his last breath falling between them.
Swiftly, Yehven yanked the sword free, wiping the blood off on the leg of his pants. The man between them fell against the ground, the thud of his bones carelessly falling left a sick feeling in Camila’s stomach.
“Um, guys,” Kade yelled.
They turned to find Lance, fallen on his knees. The dark tint of his skin gone and replaced with a sickly yellow color.
“Poison,” he gasped before falling forward onto the street.
Camila lunged for him only to be a abruptly stopped by Yehven. His palm shoved her back, the pain of his powerful touch residing on her chest.
“Zayn, grab the girl,” he grunted as he reached for Lance.
Zayn calmly walked to her side as Yehven and Lance’s images flickered and faded away. Kade nodded at Zayn and disappeared.
Camila frowned at the space where the body of the man should have been but wasn’t. The worry of losing a bond ate away at her gut. She wrung her hands together feeling smaller than she ever had as Zayn grasped her arm. The bustle of the night resumed as if they had never been there at all.
Chapter Seven
Healing Touch
Returning to their home, Camila jumped away from Zayn. Yehven already had Lance’s limp body sprawled across the leather couch. His blood dripped off of the cushions in large lakes of red. His skin was torn as if it was fabric with the thread being pulled apart.
“How bad is it?” Kade questioned. His body tense, his muscular arms folded over his chest. He looked as if he wished he could fold into himself and disappear.
“It’s fucking bad. Where did he get hedchia from? I thought he was a fucking prisoner.” His fingers raked through his hair again and again before he spoke. “I think he is going to need a medic, I don’t think he can make it through the night with this deep a wound.”
“Let me help,” Camila said nearing Lance.
“Don’t you touch him. Don’t you even dare,” Yehven hissed through gritted teeth.
“I can heal him, I won’t let him die.”
“Back the hell up and get the hell out of our lives!”
“Yehven, let the girl help,” Kade whispered.
Outrage and surprise mixed in Yehven’s eyes. “What?” He gasped.
“Let her. Let her help him,” Kade repeated more sternly.
A heavy breath shuddered from Yehven’s lips but he stepped aside.
“Woman,” Camila said stepping up to Lance’s side.
“Woman?” Kade questioned raising his eyebrow.
“I’m not a girl. I’m a woman,” she replied.
“Um, I’m just saying, maybe this isn’t the time.” Zayn shrugged from behind her.
She breathed, her chest tight. The sight of his blood was terrifying. It shook away her confidence.
“Don't just look at him. Get on with it!” Yehven bit out.
Without acknowledging him, Camila placed her hands against the wound. His blood enveloped her fingers as she did so. Blinding light shot out from her palms.
Lance's body arched against her fingertips, the strong muscles that had been torn slowly binding back together. His lips parted as he let out a deep shout of pain.
She pursed her lips at the power it took to work on his body. The warmth of her hands against his mending wound reassured her.
Suddenly, she was torn away, her feet struggling to hold her upright before gravity pulled her down. Pain sliced through the back of her scalp as she lifted her head from where it had fallen back against the coffee table in the center of the room. She screamed, pulling herself up to face Yehven where he heaved in front of Lance.
“You’re hurting him!” he boomed.
His words echoed in the room, no one else willing to break the silence. Kade shifted on his feet thinking he should step up and calm Yehven as he always did when he got out of hand. However, the unsettling feeling of his friend’s life in danger had him glued to the floor.
&n
bsp; “You asshole,” Camila yelled back.
No one ever really yelled back at Yehven. They all just let him say what he needed to say and moved on.
“Look at him!” She exclaimed, pointing at Lance. “Open your eyes, see for yourself.”
The color of his skin had begun to return, a healthy glow appearing along his pointed cheekbones. The hole in his side was tender and pink, but no longer open and bleeding. Blood was still smeared across his body. The lines of crimson matted between the creases of his abs.
“Let him sleep,” she whispered through the tension that pressed against the room.
Without another glance at Camila, Yehven bent down to examine Lance. When he was satisfied that he wasn’t dying, he frowned and stalked away.
Kade and Zayn exchanged glances before Zayn spoke. “Okay, okay,” he held up his hands in surrender. “I’ll talk to him.”
He turned, his dark locks swaying as he mumbled to himself and followed in Yehven’s steps. Camila rubbed at the back of her head where it was sore. Calmly, she inched back towards Lance.
His beautiful full lips had parted slightly, his breaths coming and going in a regular pattern. He looked so peaceful. Camila’s fingers twitched at her side eager to touch him as she thought about how close they had been less than a few hours ago.
Her hands floated up, one resting against his chest, while the other stroked at his chestnut hair. “He is gonna be fine,“ she said aloud, mostly for her own good than for Kade’s.
Kade cleared his throat. “It’s late. We... uh, we have a spare bedroom you could sleep in.”
“Thanks,” she frowned, not looking up.
Kade stepped next to where she had knelt beside Lance, though he seemed to lean away from her. “If it helps, I trust you.”
His words were almost so soft even Camila with her advanced hearing had a hard time picking up on what he said.