by Anna Hill
Slowly, he began stalking toward the nearest stone, positioning himself so that the rock could be used as a cover if he was attacked.
“Strange isn’t it?”
Upon hearing the unexpected voice, he leapt upwards, spinning in midair to face the man standing casually behind him.
“To build something so big, and yet so utterly pointless,” the peculiar man mused as he stared down at the flat stone in the center of the small depression. He was short, for an Aillil at least, but judging from the common clothes the man wore, the soldier couldn’t quite tell if the strange man actually was one. Beneath the baggy clothing, the man appeared gaunt, almost emaciated. Deep purple circles hung under his dull, brown eyes, and heavy lines were carved into a face that appeared too young to have them. Shaggy, lifeless hair hung limply around his oddly bulbous head, swaying slightly as he began creeping around the circle, still avoiding eye contact with the soldier.
“In the end, these odd monuments did nothing to save the Feiceann. Now, these forgotten rocks stand like gravestones, a bleak reminder of the demise of their disillusioned creators.”
“Who are you?” The soldier demanded, finally composing himself enough to speak.
He received only a soft chuckle from the intruder.
“You’re not allowed here! This is a restricted area.” The soldier took a menacing step forward, blocking the man’s path.
Without even glancing at the soldier, the strange man swiftly stepped aside, out of arm’s reach, and continued walking. “Killed by the King: an honorable way to die for a species that had none.”
“If you do not vacate the premises immediately, I will have no choice but to remove you by force.” The intruder made him feel uneasy. Something about this bizarre man was clearly off. The soldier lifted his arms up defensively, preparing to attack.
The strange man cackled again, still staring down at the flat, engraved stone as he slinked around the large circle a second time. Their team had returned the stone to its original position, adjusting the surrounding earth so that it appeared as though it had never been flipped. Another unexplained task ordered by the Commander.
“She really is a clever woman--careless, but clever. I bet she didn’t even tell you why she was dragging your team along on her inane mission. Hmm? Did she even tell you why she left you here?”
“This has gone on long enough,” the soldier barked, striding forward to grab hold of the small, peculiar man. He was no more than a foot from the intruder, however, when the man lunged forward, seizing the soldier’s jacket and wrenching him upwards, before slamming his body to the ground.
The air knocked viciously from his lungs, the soldier lie sprawled on the hard ground, struggling to breathe. The strength the intruder had possessed, to lift and slam him the way he had; it was impossible for someone so small to have done that.
The slight man leisurely stepped over the soldier’s torso, a soft smile parting his thin lips as he stared down at the astonished soldier. “So naïve; brainwashed to blindly follow. She commands, and her minions obey. But she’s not blind; she’s not trusting. That’s why you and the three others like you were left behind”
“What did you do to them?” the soldier demanded, still fighting to draw a full breath into his aching lungs.
“She knows I’m closing in,” the intruder continued, ignoring the soldier’s question. “She knows I’m coming for her.” Bending forward slowly, the man placed a slender hand around the soldier’s neck, his delicate fingers pressing down with a strength they should not have possessed.
The soldier began thrashing desperately, wrenching his head and flailing his limbs, but he could not break the man’s vice-like grip.
“And when I find her,” with one swift flick, the man snapped the soldier’s neck, a vicious joy burning his eyes, “I will end her.”
Releasing his hold and allowing the soldier’s head to fall limply to the side, the strange man rose, wiping his hand clean on his trousers. Then, stepping over the body, he turned toward the far side of the circle and began making his way out. “The King thanks you for your loyal service,” he mockingly proclaimed as he disappeared into the darkening forest.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rebecca stood over the soldier’s lifeless body, staring down remorselessly at his dull, dead eyes, still wide with fear. A distant voice at the edge of her mind had cried out in anguish when she’d killed the Aillil, but she’d silenced it immediately. He’d deserved to die. All of his wretched kind deserved to die.
Raising her maddened gaze, she scanned the dense forest that surrounded her. This deep within the untouched wilderness, only fleeting, dim sunbeams penetrated the thick, evergreen boughs that obscured the sky above. Long, wispy tendrils of creeping, yellow-green moss hung from every branch, dripping down the tall tree trunks like gossamer ghosts, while thick layers of emerald-hued moss blanketed the roots and earth below. Heavy moisture hung in the stagnant air and rivulets from this afternoon’s sudden rainstorm still rolled down the tree bark.
For four hours, Rebecca had sped madly along the highway, following an instinct she could not explain. Every turn she made, every exit she took, was driven by an inner desire, an impulse that propelled her forward, that beckoned her toward the mysterious stone circle from her dream. Finally reaching the point where she could drive no further, she’d abandoned the truck at the end of a gravel logging road and struck out on foot through the wild, untouched forest. For the past two hours, she’d hiked across the rolling landscape. With every rushed step, the dark evil within her grew stronger, its pulsating power reverberating beneath her skin. The closer she came to the stone circle, the more intense her instincts became. The Feiceann were calling to her, bringing her to this place to complete her transformation, to solidify their hold upon her. Every ounce of her craved for it to be so. The Rebecca the world had known no longer existed and, by the time the sun set this evening, would never exist again.
Just as Rebecca thought she was about to reach the stone circle, she’d heard the Aillil soldier trekking toward her through the woods. His ambling pace betrayed his obliviousness to her presence, so she slid behind the closest tree and waited for him to approach. As the repulsive solider crossed into her view, she calmly stepped into his path, her penetrating stare trained upon him. In his shock, the Aillil had cried out in fear and stumbled backward. With no more effort than flicking a light switch, she’d pushed into his mind and shut off his brain, his terrified scream stopping short in his throat as he collapsed limply to the forest floor.
Now, inspecting the woods around her, she sought out any other shifting shape, any faint sound of movement. If there was one Aillil soldier in the area, others were likely to be nearby. And if there were more, she wanted to know why.
Rebecca cautiously stalked through the trees, steering her progress toward the direction of the stone circle. Drawing upon her power, she opened her mind, stretching her consciousness to search for any hidden presence that might be lurking. She felt it immediately. The soldier was about ten paces behind her and closing in swiftly. Rebecca stood up straight, feigning ignorance, all the while allowing the soldier to come closer.
Finally, with the soldier nearly upon her, Rebecca turned and simultaneously pushed into the soldier’s mind, viciously extracting control over the Aillil’s brain. She stared gleefully into the terrified eyes of the soldier who now trembled in front of her like a frightened mouse.
“Don’t make a sound unless I tell you to,” Rebecca commanded, keeping her voice low. She hadn’t felt any other presence in the woods during her search, but that didn’t mean they were alone.
The petrified Aillil felt her head nod against her volition. Her rigid body was possessed; neither her thoughts nor her movements were her own. Upon realizing what had happened, she stared wide-eyed and utterly stunned at the leering Unworthy. Only one thing could do this to an Aillil. Only one race held the power to execute such an abhorrent act. This Trauillithe was a Feicean
n.
“Why are you here? Were you sent to find me?” Rebecca demanded.
The Aillil soldier felt her head shake and her mouth open before she could stop herself. “No. I’m searching the forest for any sign of tracks.”
“Tracks? Who else would be out here?” Rebecca furrowed her brow in confusion.
“The Unworthy,” the soldier blurted out.
“You mean me?”
“No.”
“What other Truaillithe would come all the way out here?”
“Maverick.”
Rebecca staggered back in shock, not sure how to process what she’d just heard. Maverick had come here. He’d known about the stone circle. As her mind raced wildly, an image suddenly came to the forefront: an old map sitting on his desk with X’s written next to several circular markers. He’d hidden the map from her when he’d noticed her looking at it. He was hiding the fact that there were more circles, all over the Northwest. Had Maverick known what would happen to her if she found one? Was he trying to protect her, or did he have an ulterior motive? Was there something more he was keeping hidden from her?
Burying the infuriating thought, Rebecca refocused her cruel glare on the soldier. “How many of you are here?
“Only two from our troop are left. They are on patrol in the woods. And then there’s the Commander.”
Once again, Rebecca’s mouth fell wide in surprise, her breath catching in her throat. The Commander--the head of the entire Aillil army, the person who was to blame for all her pain and suffering--was here.
The pulsating power beneath Rebecca’s skin spiked ferociously, fueled by the fury that was flooding over her. The intoxicating strength intensified inside her muscles, inundating her mind with dark thoughts and evil urges she could no longer hold at bay. Death. The Commander’s death. The thought crystalized within her deranged mind. It was time the vile Aillil paid for the destruction they’d wrought. But first, she would make sure the Commander felt pain, agonizing pain--the kind that had been forced upon every Truaillithe child for centuries. This was why her dream, her Feiceann instinct, had brought her here.
A choking gasp ripped Rebecca back to reality. The Aillil’s face had turned a deep purple, the veins on her forehead and neck bulging out from beneath her skin. Her wide, terrified eyes pleaded for air as her hands clawed uselessly at her neck. Rebecca had pushed into the Aillil’s brain and taken control without even realizing it.
“Your Commander is waiting in the stone circle?” Rebecca asked, paying no heed to the soldier’s suffering.
Nodding franticly, the soldier yanked at the collar of her trim, green jacket, grasping desperately for any means to get air into her aching lungs.
“Good.” Rebecca turned away from the pitiful soldier, adjusting her path to intersect with the stone circle she sensed was nearby. As she moved forward, she heard the thump of the Aillil’s dead body hitting the ground, her life snuffed out as quickly and effortlessly as the soldier before her. The Commander would not receive such mercy.
* * *
“That’s my truck!” Maverick shouted as he hastily pulled the SUV over to the side of the gravel logging road. “She’s here!”
All three of them leapt from their vehicle and rushed over to the truck, searching for any sign of Rebecca. But the engine was cold, and the truck empty.
“She’s gone,” Liam groaned and collapsed against the driver’s side door, his shoulders slumping forward as his face fell with despair. “She could already be at the circle. We’re too late.”
“You shut your mouth,” Emily snapped irritably and forcefully pulled him back into a standing position. “I didn’t leave my whole life behind, spend five hours enduring the most awkward and tension filled road trip imaginable, and come all the way out to the literal middle of nowhere just to start pouting. Now buck up, because we’re heading into those freaky dark woods and, unlike both of you, I don’t have magical powers to protect me.”
“For the last time,” Maverick sighed exasperatedly as he walked over to where Emily was standing, “We don’t have magical powers. They’re abilities. Things we can do because of evolution.”
“Abilities, magic--it’s the same damn thing.” Emily zipped up her jacket and began trudging determinedly toward the tree line. “It’s strange and I’m not going to pretend I understand it; I just can’t believe that Rebecca has powers.”
Liam shook his head as he caught up to Emily and slipped in front of her just before she started down the barely discernable deer path that cut through the thick forest undergrowth. “If you don’t mind, I’ll lead us through the woods. Maverick, you should take up the rear. If we run into anyone we aren’t hoping to find, our powers might just come in handy.”
Maverick fell in behind them and the three pushed their way deep into the untamed woods. The slivers of light from the descending sun, which escaped through the branches above, were barely enough to light their path. Clawing bramble vines tore at their clothing and skin, while fresh spiderwebs draped across the trail caught on their faces and hair. Stepping carefully over the slippery roots that rose from the soil and around the moss-covered rocks that littered the earth, their progress was slow and arduous. Meanwhile, the frightening realization that each passing second moved them closer to losing Rebecca was ever-present in their minds.
Finally, after a half hour of tense silence, Emily snapped. “What if I’m not what she needs?” she blurted out as she came to a halt, causing Maverick to nearly run her over. “What if she kills all of us and it’s because I can’t do what you’re asking me to? What if…what if I can’t save her?” She fixed her petrified eyes on Maverick, who stepped forward and pulled her into a reassuring embrace.
“It’s OK to be scared, Emily. We’re all scared.” He gave her a soft squeeze and then pulled back, meeting her panicked gaze. “Even though her Feiceann side is controlling her, the Rebecca we know still exists somewhere inside; I’m sure of it. You just have to remind her of who she truly is.”
“But why me?” Emily stepped back, dejectedly shaking her head as she stared at the forest floor. “I haven’t seen her, or even heard from her, in months. She’s moved on to this new life and forgotten all about me.”
“She never forgot about you. You’re more her family than even her mother.”
“Her mother?” Emily’s eyes instantly shot up to meet Liam’s. “She met her mother?”
Liam nodded affirmatively. “Her mother was an Aillil soldier before Rebecca was born. She found us a few months ago and has been working with us to protect Rebecca.”
“Great deal of help that was,” Emily scoffed, rolling her eyes.
“We all failed her,” Liam admitted. “Rebecca was counting on us to save her and none of us were able to do it.”
“Then how the hell am I supposed to?” Emily demanded, exasperatedly throwing her hands in the air. “I don’t have any magical powers and I don’t know anything about the Allye…Allye…those weird people you keep talking about. I don’t even really understand what’s happened to Rebecca--” Emily quickly raised her hand, cutting off Liam as he opened his mouth to speak. “You’ve tried to explain it to me at least fifteen times already. Please don’t try again.”
Turning back to face Maverick, Emily inhaled a long, deep breath, then exhaled slowly, centering herself and attempting to calm her raging nerves. “I know you think I’m going to be able to save her, and I really want to believe you. But you have to understand that I have no idea what I’m supposed to do when we find her. If Rebecca is as dangerous as you’ve said, then there’s a good chance we’re all hiking toward our deaths.”
“Rebecca has lost her connection with reality,” Maverick argued. “She needs someone who loves her, sincerely loves her. Someone who can remind her who she was before all this madness.”
Emily sighed, forlornly shaking her head, “I do love her. I love her like a sister.” Her face grew grave and her intense eyes locked with Maverick’s. “I would do anything f
or her, including throwing myself at a mentally unstable, magically evolved, killer version of Becs.”
A soft chuckle behind Emily caused her to pivot. “Rebecca is very lucky to have you.” A broad grin lit Liam’s face as he stared down fondly at her.
“You think!” Emily answered sarcastically, though a small smile pulled at the corners of her lips. “I’m lucky to have her too. Well, maybe not today, but most days.”
Liam nodded, then stood tall, adopting his militaristic demeanor. “We should get moving. We’re still a ways off from the stone circle and we don’t know how far ahead Rebecca is.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and began pushing forward through the dense undergrowth.
Just as Emily was about to follow, she felt Maverick’s hand grasp her arm, causing her to turn back around. “When we find Rebecca, you need to remember that what she’s become is not who she is,” Maverick whispered earnestly.
“I know--” Emily began, but Maverick cut her off.
“No matter what happens, no matter what she does to any of us, you can’t give up on her. Promise me.”
Emily stared into his penetrating eyes, the panic and fear within them almost tangible. Her own dread and anxiety instantly rushed back, tightening her chest and raising goosebumps on her flesh. What had she gotten herself into? How could she possibly think she could help Rebecca? She wasn’t special. She didn’t have powers, or abilities; she was just a human, just a normal human.
“Seriously, we don’t have time to waste.” Her terrifying train of thought now derailed, Emily spun to find Liam standing in front of her again. “We need to get going.”
Emily shook her head, pushing away the chilling feeling that had come over her. “Sorry,” she mumbled, then moved forward, following behind Liam as he rapidly made his way along the small game trail. She could hear Maverick trudging behind her, but she refused to look back or acknowledge him. She knew she hadn’t answered him, and that he was probably expecting her to, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t promise him something she wasn’t sure she could do.