Unwilling (Book One of the Compelled Trilogy 1)

by Kristen Pike

  When Carter sensed Elias it was mostly menacing and murky, clouded with rage and regret, with tiny flares of the luminous person that lay beneath all the darkness. It was those moments of pure light that Carter had fallen for.

  However, when he sensed Rowan, it was as if he was flying. She was able to view the world in a beautiful, innocent way. Their connection was like the sun cresting the horizon in the morning, effortless and pure. Without the connection to Rowan, Carter felt drained, as if the world was duller and farther away and he was looking at it through dirty distorted glass. Carter had not even known the world had been so gray before he met Rowan, and he would be damned if he could go back to that now that he knew something better was out there. After all, he did deserve the absolute best.

  But now as she laid here, he could not sense her at all. It was as if Rowan did not exist inside herself, she was but a shell of who she had formally been, a hollow lump of clay with arms and legs and dead eyes. Carter had never been more scared for another person in his life. “Rowan please.” Carter begged for what, he thought, must have been the first time in his life. Carter felt a spark in her, but it quickly died again and he smacked the ground beside him in frustration.

  Carter scooped Rowan into his arms, staggering slightly with her added weight. Her head flopped back, her eyes staring vacantly at the dark gray sky. Carter kicked open the door to the nearest house still intact, the wood splintering on its hinges.

  It was little more than a wood shack but the walls were sturdy and held under the weather. Inside was all one room, with a small table and wood stove on one side and a moderate sized bed on the other. Carter gently placed Rowan on the bed, her body and clothes saturating the blankets with water within seconds.

  Carter pushed back her black hair from her face and searched under the bed for more blankets. He smiled triumphantly, but it quickly faded, as he found some. He pulled them all out and laid them over Rowan, tucking her into them tightly. Chev and Pickard stood stoically behind him, wearing similar expression of concern.

  They were still a few days from Daria and if Carter had any hope in bringing Rowan back, he had entrusted it to Varin. Please Varin. Please hurry. Carter urged to himself, and frowned, hoping it wasn’t a new habit to begin begging. Really, he was above it.

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  Varin burst through the double doors, startling Elias, who had been staring intently into the fire. Varin was gasping for air, his hair was tousled and his cheeks were one big rosy splotch.

  “Well.” Elias said with an eyebrow arched, taking in the large man.

  “I’m sorry my Moval, I tried to stop him.” A soldier blustered, skittering to a stop behind the panting Varin.

  “It’s fine, he’s one of mine.” Elias said bored, waving the soldier away with a slight flick of the wrist. The soldier bowed with a look of relief and disappeared quickly. “I sent you with Carter yes?” Elias asked, standing unhurried from the elaborate red chair he had been sitting in.

  “It’s- its Rowan Moval. She needs you.” Varin wheezed out, his chest heaving up and down. Elias paused, his brow creased.

  “Rowan?” Elias asked cautiously, as if the name didn’t sound familiar to him.

  “Yes Moval, she needs you.” Varin panted again, clutching his shirt over his heart as if the organ threatened to pound right out of his chest.

  “Rowan.” Elias repeated, trying to focus clearly on Varin through the haze that clouded his mind, it was like trying to scoop up water with a holey leaf.

  “We must hurry Moval.” Varin said then winced as though Elias would strike him.

  “Yes of course, of course.” Elias said, nodding his head. “We will go right away.” Elias walked briskly from the room, winding his way through the mansion toward the stables, Varin close behind.

  When he reached the stables, he hopped atop Atma, a beautiful dark brown horse with kind eyes. Atma was always saddled these days, ready to flee the mansion on a moment’s notice. “Where is she?” Elias demanded, his power raging inside him, as it always was.

  “Tarakan, my Moval. It will be a day and a half’s ride south west.” Varin shouted at Elias’s back as he spurred Atma forward. The horse vaulted from the stables into the clouded rain, Elias urging her as fast as he could.

  ҉ ҉ ҉

  “Really? I thought in her vegetative state she could survive on hope and wishful thinking!” Carter snapped back. He felt desperate, another feeling that was new to him. Rowan brings out the best and worst in me. He had been pacing… and muttering… and cursing everything, including himself. He was not acting like himself and he rubbed his face wondering where the witty, self-assured Carter had gone. Get it together Carter, your of no use to her like this, he thought to himself.

  “I’m, sorry?” Pickard said slowly, as not to upset Carter again with another suggestion.

  Carter did not acknowledge him though, and continued his fevered pace of the small cabin. How was it possible that this small, infuriating woman could send him completely mad like this? She’s Elias’s sister, if she dies, he will never forgive me. Carter balked at the thought.

  “Ghhmmm.” Carter grumbled, but knew he didn’t need to keep Rowan alive just for Elias’s sake. A world without Rowan Chase in it would be dark and bleak. He had known Rowan was extraordinary since the moment he had seen her, her hair trailing behind her like mid-night as she walked boldly through the battle in the caves, not even phased by the carnage around her.

  He’d recognized they look she had had on her face instantly, he had seen Elias wear it many times, but where it made Elias look like an uncaged animal; feral and dangerous, it made Rowan look like a true God; defiant and valiant.

  Rowan looked nothing but sickly now. Her normally tanned skin was white washed, her eyes a watery blue color; like murky mud puddles. She barely blinked, which kind of creeped Carter out.

  “A rider approaches!” Pickard exclaimed from the front porch, where he had fled after Carter’s outburst, looking forlorn. Carter removed himself from Rowans side and used his sense to reach out to Elias. He frowned when he didn’t connect.

  Carter went and stood at the small houses door and could see water splashing as the rider approached. Carters frown grew deeper and deeper as the rider drew closer. “Can’t get rid of this fool.” Carter cursed as the horse drew to a stop outside the house.

  Jace swung off the small horse, tying the reins to a post nearby. The horse neighed and shook its mane. “Where is Rowan?” Jace demanded.

  “I’ve got Rowan taken care of, you just run along and play with your toys now.” Carter answered. Though he was only two years older than Jace by his count, he had a hard time taking Jace seriously; after all, he was only a baker.

  Jace grumbled at him, which normally Carter would have thought of as funny, but found little joy in anything given the state of current events, and tried pushing past him into the shack. Carter let him pass with a shrug, some battles you win, some you lose. Carter paused, wondering what it was about Jace that just made him want to hit something.

  “Rowan?” Carter heard Jace gasp, and, what Carter assumed, was the thump of Jace falling miserably to his knees beside her.

  Carter came back into the house, standing beside Chev and Pickard. Chev stood silent and tall and Carter mused he could almost be a statue, blinking only slightly more than Rowan. Pickard mumbled under his breath and Carter wondered if he had lost his mind.

  Jace brushed back Rowans hair, whispering to her. Carter used his sense but even with the Jace’s presence, she still lay dormant.

  Hours passed with Jace kneeling beside Rowan, whispering to her, to no avail.

  “It’s not you she needs.” Carter informed him, his heart rate picking up as another presence stepped into the room.

  “Then who?” Jace demanded, not turning to look away from Rowan.

  “Me.” A voice said from the doorway, causing the occupants of the house- Besides Chev, who had been the only one to notice Elias entering th
e room, and only stood with a somber expression- to jump and Carter had to restrain himself from laughing at them all. Like frightened children. Though, he supposed, they all did not have the connection he did to Elias and would not have felt him entering the room.

  “My Tal, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” Carter said sincerely, nodding his head at Elias, who made the room feel ten times smaller as he stepped into it, dominating it with his presence and making the air harder for Carter to breathe as Elias’s gift washed over him.

  “You two, don’t move.” Elias compelled Chev and Pickard, hardly sparing them a glance. Chev’s face was blank but Pickard looked as if he had seen a ghost, his mouth frozen in an ‘O’. Elias turned from them, taking in Jace coolly.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  “Move.” Elias commanded to Jace who stood protectively next to Rowan.

  “No.” Jace responded. Carter snorted. If the kid went and got himself killed, that would be fine by him.

  “You dare defy me?” Elias asked, his head cocked slightly to the side. Carter knew his tone of voice; Elias used that voice before he lopped off someone’s head. Carter was quiet looking forward to it.

  “I will not leave Rowan’s side.” Jace told him. Foolish, Carter thought. Elias is a God, does Jace really think he has a chance against him?

  “I don’t have time for your games, boy.” Elias’s voice dropped an octave, deadly.

  “I’m not playing games, but I refuse to leave her.” Jace held his ground. Carter noted that he looked tiny under Elias’s dominating frame.

  Elias studied Jace a moment with his sapphire blue eyes so strikingly identical to Rowans. They could have been twins if Elias hadn’t been born two years prior to his sister. Even the shade of their ebony black hair was the same.

  “Quiet contemptuous isn’t he?” Elias spoke in Carter’s head, his eyes narrowing into slits.

  “I agree, impossible child. We should kill him now and be done with it.” Carter supplied into the silence, replying to Elias. Carter smirked at Jace, who glowered back.

  “I can see in your head how Rowan feels for this impotent-“ Elias looked down and up Jace with a sneer. “No, he must remain alive. But that doesn’t mean he can’t enter my servitude.” Elias said softly, his eyes gleaming impishly.

  Elias took a step closer to Jace who -Carter had to admit he was impressed by- stood unflinchingly.

  Carter felt a spark in Rowan and looked at her with a frown. She looked as still as ever, but, had her head been turned toward Jace before?

  “Jace,” Elias purred, his power stretching in his chest. Carter could feel it, like an inferno in a stormy sea, scorching hot and torturously cold at the same time. “It is admirable, how much you love my sister. But your nothing more than a bakers son, oh yes I remember you.” Elias jeered at Jace’s taken aback expression.

  Elias continued to jab at Jace, to humiliate him before he compelled him into servitude, but Carter wasn’t listening. He was watching Rowan. She was coming back, he knew, but she felt different. Rowan’s essence felt, more, for lack of a better word. It was stronger, her power was rousing in her chest and even in her comatose state, her gift was so intensely strong Carter felt himself taking a step back because of the sheer force of it. Elias did not seem to notice the life springing to life in Rowan, to focused on breaking Jace’s spirit.

  Elias and Jace’s words echoed in Rowan’s head and Carter felt a trickle of trepidation as anger began to rise in Rowan behind her gift, though she still lay motionless.

  “Will you bow to me Jace?” Elias was asking, so innocently. Jace trembled as he dropped to his knees, hatred and anger etched into his face. How does he not feel her? Carter thought astounded, almost brought to his knees as Rowan’s gift continued to grow.

  “N-n-no.” Jace stammered, his body shaking as he tried to resist.

  “Elias,” Carter warned, taking his eyes from Rowan. Elias ignored him.

  “I said BOW!” Elias roared, causing the tiny house to quake and Jace to bend at the waist jerkily, his forehead smacking the floor.

  “Elias.” All eyes snapped to Rowan, who had risen from the bed without a sound while all attention had been on Jace.

  “Rowan!” Elias exclaimed with a bright smile and stepping toward her. He threw his arms around her but she only stood stiffly, her arms clenched to her sides, balling and unballing her fists.

  Rowan felt off to Carter, not bad, just, different. Her power wasn’t as overwhelming as it had been moments before but something had shifted in her, though Carter couldn’t say what exactly. Carter looked at Jace, but he still bowed with his face smashed against the wood floor. When Elias released his sister, she took a step back from him, shooting him a disgusted look.

  “Jace?” Rowan said softly, kneeling to the floor beside him, her head turning slightly to take in Pickard and Chev who stood stock-still. “Release them.” Rowan demanded of Elias, who only stood looking at her as though he couldn’t recall who she was. “NOW!” Rowan yelled and Elias made a displeased look; he wasn’t used to being ordered around, Carter knew.

  Elias sighed, his eyes on his sister questioningly, his confidence wavering. He did not even say anything but out of the corner of his eye Carter saw Pickard rub his wrists as though he had been tied up and Chev clench his fists as though he wanted to start a fight with Elias.

  Jace rose to his feet, his eyes dark with unease as he looked at the girl he loved. “What happened, Rowan?” He asked and Carter knew Jace could sense the change in Rowan too, even if it was only on the surface. Carter knew Jace would not be able to sense Rowan the way he could, but maybe loving someone as deeply as Jace loved Rowan allowed that person to know when something had changed within them.

  Rowan cocked her head as if listening to something in the distance, a terrified expression crossing her face.

  “What’s wrong Rowan?” Carter asked, stepping forward and then taking a step back as Rowan’s fear hit him like a punch to the stomach.

  “Their coming.” She looked at all those in the room, her eyes wide and concerned.

  “Who?” Elias asked, trying to perk his ears to hear but only the sound of breathing and hearts pounding emitted from the shack.

  “The soldiers, I can hear them. I can hear all of them.” Rowan told them, her voice panicked and coming out breathlessly. “They followed Elias here.”

  Well damn, that is just impeccable timing, Carter thought as he turned to leave the house, touching the hilt of his sword at his waist to assure himself he still had it.

  “Rowan?” Jace grabbed her wrist, holding her back from going outside with the others. She looked at him shakily, fretting her bottom lip between her teeth. “Rowan?” Jace asked again, his voice laced with, she didn’t know, regret?

  Rowan looked at him, her heart pounding inside her. She felt the cadence if it’s beat slamming into her chest, scared. Rowan’s blue eyes looked between his vivid green ones. The air around them was still, as if holding its breath.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.” Jace said finally. He sounded remorseful to Rowan and Rowan imagined she could hear the air exhale, as if it had been waiting for Jace to say those words. Shouldn’t have left, I should have been here for her, but Callie... Rowan heard in Jace’s head, his eyes looking at her earnestly.

  Rowan frowned. Who was Callie? And how was it she could hear him? She had only ever been able to hear Carter before. She couldn’t sense Jace the way she could with Carter, only his disembodied thoughts floated out at her. “I love you Jace, always.” Rowan tried to reassure him. Rowan turned her head to the side suddenly, her brow creased.

  “What is it?” Jace asked concerned.

  “There’s something-“ Rowan tried, but she couldn’t explain it. “There’s something out there.” Rowan told him, her voice heavy with unease. She could feel the, whatever it was, moving about, but she couldn’t say for sure what it was. It was blocking her mind from entering it’s, no matter how hard she concentrated, she couldn�
��t break the impenetrable shell.

  Rowan looked at Jace, perturbed, and prayed to all the Gods that this unidentifiable thing was not an enemy.

  Rowan felt more alarmed than she ever had in her entire life as she stepped from the shack, Jace following quickly behind her. Rowan could no longer sense the New Thing. It had blocked her attempts completely and now moved around them invisible. It could be anywhere.

  Carter turned as he felt Rowan approaching. His face was clouded and his eyes searched the horizon in search of the oncoming battlement.

  Rowan staggered backward into Jace as a series of petrified thoughts began to assault her, one after another sending sharp pinpricks of pain through her skull.

  Kings going to get us all killed…

  Told my wife I would come home…

  Just had my babe born last week…

  Dear Gods, let me live this day, I promise I’ll stay the straight and narrow, just don’t let me die…

  Should have eaten something before starting out…

  Looks like rain again…

  Idon’twanttodieIdon’twanttodieIdon’twanttodie…

  The blue-eyed devil will kill us all. We should run! WE SHOULD RUN!

  Rowan heard the snippets of thoughts as the soldiers dawned closer. Their tone fearful, their anxiety multiplying with each marching step they took.

  Carter sensed Rowan becoming overwhelmed, on the brink of shutting down again and he turned to her, catching her eye. “Breathe Rowan, breathe.” He told her, her chest heaved frantically and her eyes darted around unable to focus on any one thing. She was on the verge of having a panic attack, he knew. Carter grabbed her hand, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Breathe slowly; focus on your thoughts, not theirs.” Carter told her. Rowan squeezed her eyes shut tightly, she dragged in one long slow breath and released it, behind her Jace placed a hand on her lower back. She drew in another slow breath and released it. “Good,” Carter said softly, his attention pulled away by Pickard and Chev running up to them.