by Shannon Lamb
“Now, now, children.” That was Cayden’s signal. If he was with anyone other than Raeph or Fallon, they wouldn’t have noticed the subtle lilt in his words.
Raeph casually propped his elbow on the control board and speedily entered a string of numbers, initiating the Mahömasén shield. Alex and Cayden stiffened as a silent countdown began. The dramatic shift of atmosphere was only evident to the Umbra.
Mahömasén pulled every muscle in their bodies painfully tight, coiled like tensed springs and beating hot against their skin. Their primitive nature was trapped like a caged animal, throwing its body against the bars as it cried out for freedom. It was more excruciating than humans could even begin to fathom, but the Umbra were a proud species and would never admit to such a weakness.
Cayden slowly swept his eyes over the room. Nothing looked out of place. Even without magic, the intruder was doing a fine job of staying hidden. In one fluid motion, he closed the distance between he and Fallon and drew his lips back in a primal reflex, placing them near her ear.
“We have approximately forty-five seconds left. You search here while I search the back,” the corner of Fallon’s mouth twisted up into a devilish smirk as Cayden whispered the command. “Be subtle.”
Cayden moseyed past her and made a beeline for the engine room. As much as Fallon loved to defy orders – especially from Cayden, who had no right to give them to her – she took her duties seriously and had no intention of failing another mission today. She skirted the perimeter with the slow aplomb of a soldier, trying not to appear too conspicuous while her pupils frantically darted around the room like bees trapped in a jar.
Alex knew something was wrong. He’d have to be a fool not to. He gathered Marie in his arms and pulled her close to his chest. The heat of her skin burned him through the fine cloth of her shirt, inciting a visceral need to protect her, even if it meant laying down his own life and subjecting himself to an eternity of purgatory.
Only fifteen seconds left! A protruding vein pulsed in Fallon’s forehead as she visually stripped the room down to its bones. Alex noticed the slightest discrepancy in the outline of her shadow when she turned away, but gave no indication of any change in his thoughts.
“Fallon.” She whipped around, regarding him with roiling irritation. “Nice ass,” he spit the words out as if they left a bad taste in his mouth. Such foul talk was disrespectful in the presence of women.
Alex’s saccharine words were nothing more than a double entendre. The clever bastard was telling her that their uninvited guest was right behind her, mocking her all the while. Rejection dripped from his tone like honey and burned like acid. She was never genuinely interested in Alex. She only wanted to get under Marie’s skin. That’s what sisters do, after all. Still, she hated losing.
Fallon suddenly shot down to the ground. Crouching low, she brought the stranger to his knees in a backward sweep kick that caught him behind the ankles. He awkwardly parried, slamming his palms down onto her shoulders as he attempted to put her in a sleeper hold, but he was too weak to pull it off.
She jerked her head back and butted him in the face. His wails accompanied an audible crack as torrents of blood poured down his face. Fallon seized his sudden vulnerability and twisted her body around, pinning him to the wall with her knee pressed against his chest. The boy never stood a chance.
“It’s you!” Fallon snarled. “Traitor!” She jumped to her feet and dragged him up the wall by his collar.
“He’s just a kid! Let him go!” Marie awoke to see Fallon throttling a little boy.
“Mariella!” Marie had to practically peel Alex off of her to get a clear shot of Fallon.
Cayden emerged from the hall, unsure what to expect. He expelled a breath of relief as he watched their shouting match escalate with dark amusement. The intruder was none other than Cerin, Marie’s eldest brother who’d initiated this witch hunt. There had been talk amongst the slaves of a royal hiding out on Anthros, and they’d just assumed it was Laylia. He was glad to see they hadn’t nearly died for nothing, after all. Better yet, Cerin’s presence meant that they didn’t have to set foot on Anthros again anytime soon.
“Fallon,” Cayden sighed. “Let him go.” He knew full well she wasn’t going to comply. Fallon was as stubborn as a Dooble, and she was a thousand times worse when she was angry.
“You betrayed Aruzhan!” Fallon practically foamed at the mouth as she dug her knee into his chest, cutting out his voice.
“Let him go! He’s just a kid!” Marie screamed in protest.
Marie clasped Alex’s shoulders and attempted to pull herself up, immediately going limp in his arms. Her vision squiggled around the edges, sending out droves of floaters and disorienting her. All the chaos made her weak, and Fallon was often at the root of it.
“How is he supposed to answer you if he can’t breathe?” Cayden quirked a thick, gray brow.
Relief flooded Cerin as Fallon withdrew her knee and the pressure on his chest abated. He could breathe again. He suddenly lunged forward, attempting to duck out in the small space allotted by her wide stance. Fallon clamped her legs shut and kneed him in the face, pinioning him to the wall with sheer intimidation alone.
“You know better than to try that with Fallon, Cerin,” said Alex.
“Cerin? He’s the one we’re looking for?” Marie had expected him to be a lot older.
“The one and only. I didn’t know you cared so much, sis.” Cerin flashed Fallon a toothy, artificial grin.
“You smug little bastard!” Cayden caught Fallon mid-lunge.
“Let the man explain himself!” Cayden tightened his grip upon seeing Fallon tense, readying herself to spring. Cerin flew past them and ducked behind Raeph.
“You’re only making this harder on yourself,” Raeph flashed a humorless smile, ignoring the desperation in Cerin’s eyes.
“You’re against me too? We’re practically brothers! How many nights have we dominated at Dolus while throwing back a few?”
“Gambling and booze does not make us brothers,” Raeph sharply looked away. In truth, he had considered Cerin a friend, and it made his betrayal sting that much more. He felt the same as Fallon: guilty until proven innocent.
“Gambling? Booze? He’s just a child!” Marie said, appalled.
“Actually, he’s the oldest one here,” Raeph smirked upon seeing Cerin’s scowl, knowing he was touching on a sensitive subject.
“Right, like I’m going to fall for that,” Marie rolled her eyes.
“It’s true, unfortunately,” Cerin sighed, sinking into a nearby chair.
The serious look on Alex’s face relinquished any doubt she had. Fallon and Raeph might mess with her, but he wouldn’t lie. She didn’t understand it, but she could accept it, for it was far from the strangest thing she’d seen since she’d come here.
Cerin stood proudly at 4’8”. With a wide stance and puffed out chest, he exuberated a big attitude, despite the fact that he weighed less than a hundred pounds. Black and red tattoo sleeves of mysterious hieroglyphics stretched the entire length of his willowy arms, in stark contrast to his nearly translucent pale skin.
A thick, silver hoop accentuated his full lips, curled up into a charismatic smile to reveal utterly flawless teeth. The golden stubble of his close-cropped hair complimented his uniquely pale green eyes, as deep and treacherous as a raging emerald sea.
“You look confused. Why don’t I explain?” Raeph turned to Marie and grinned wickedly. “Cerin spent his entire life whoring himself out to whoever put food in his stomach and a roof over his head. Drinking, smoking, and experimenting with whatever and whoever stood before him,” he tousled the top of Cerin’s head, taunting him further.
“You’re one to talk, Raeph.” Cerin grumbled, slapping his hand away.
“Hey, I’m no stranger to a good time, but moderation is key. Needless to say, Cerin here didn’t age well. By the time he hit his fifties, his looks had faded and his charm just wasn’t enough anymore.”
“Bah! It’s not me. It’s the younger generations. They’ve no class! No damn appreciation for the finer things in life,” Cerin sulked.
“Now, now. Even the elderly have their place in society,” Raeph slapped Cerin on the back in mock comfort.
“Just not in young maidens’ beds,” Fallon smirked.
“You’re not so far off from my age yourself, Fallon.”
“Watch it, runt,” she warned as all the amusement drained from her face. Apparently, Fallon wasn’t totally immune to the insecurities of women.
“Despite his startling lack of work ethic, Cerin’s actually a brilliant chemist. Unfortunately, he’s always thought with the wrong head,” Alex added sourly.
“Ah yes, back to the story,” Raeph flashed his dimples in a menacing grin.
“Enough! You’re having way too much fun telling it,” Cerin scowled. “Basically, I created a concoction that made people look significantly younger. I played with it, went a little overboard, used myself as the initial test subject, and now I’m permanently ten years old. End of story. Now, who is this stranger I’m explaining myself to?” he asked grouchily.
“This stranger is none other than your youngest sister, Mariella.” Alex said acerbically.
“Mariella?” Cerin’s eyes widened in surprise and recognition.
“You got no right to ask questions until you answer some yourself,” Raeph snarled.
“Besides, that isn’t the end of the story, is it, brother?” Fallon focused her large, honey eyes solely on Cerin, with the look of a cat stalking its prey.
“I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, Cerin, but you need to tell us exactly what happened with Aruzhan,” Cayden said firmly.
“Start from the beginning,” Alex instructed.
Cerin melted into the nearest chair as he let out a deep sigh. He hadn’t stopped thinking of Aruzhan since they’d been separated. He felt like he’d been holding his breath since the moment her face disappeared. Like a thorn lodged in his side, her memory haunted him, never giving him a moment’s reprieve from the pain. He knew she would live so long as he did, and that’s what really scared him; the hell she could live through without the sweet release of death to look forward to.
“I was out drinkin’ and hustlin’, same as every other night, when Marcel walked into the pub.”
“Marcel? This better be the beginning of a bad joke.” Raeph didn’t know much of Marcel other than what Fallon had told him, but none of it was good.
“Let him finish,” Fallon said through clenched teeth.
“He’d come there looking for me, said he needed my help. He told me Cailene had threatened him with Arécia’s safety in exchange for his loyalty. When she didn’t follow through on her promise to leave Arécia unharmed, he had no reason to show her fealty. He said he needed my help to save her.”
“I had no idea you were so selfless,” Cayden said dryly.
“Why would you align yourself with that snake?” Alex hissed.
“Believe me, he knew better. I’ve played enough Dolus with Cerin to know he’s not gullible,” Raeph turned to Cerin. “The stakes must’ve been pretty high for you to risk so much. Marcel offered you something you wanted desperately, didn’t he?”
“Bastard offered me something I couldn’t resist,” Cerin hung his head and buried his face in his hands.
“What did he offer you that was worth ignoring the counsel of your closest friend?” Cayden asked, his patience wearing thin.
“My life back,” Cerin heaved an exasperated sigh. “There’s a chemist that works at the castle, Aemilius. Supposedly, his intelligence rivals even mine. I had my reservations about such a claim, but Marcel promised me full access to his theories if I conceded. I couldn’t resist. I just want to get back to myself!”
“You risked my sister’s life so you could return to your petty existence?” Alex’s voice was forcibly calm, but his clipped words hinted at something hidden beneath the depths. “It’s your own fault you’re in this mess, and she’s the one paying the price! She’s in excruciating pain, trapped under Canticum Dormientum.” Cerin blanched at that. He’d ran a million terrible scenarios through his mind, but the truth was even worse than he’d imagined. “Was it worth it? Now you’re left with nothing!”
“I begged her not to accompany me, but she followed me in secret!”
“Of course she did. She’s your Umbra! We’re born from your blood. We exist solely to protect you! By having such little regard for your own life, you’ve shown little for hers,” Alex fought the urge to spit, though he was doing enough of that on his own by angrily enunciating each word. As far as he was concerned, Cerin didn’t deserve Aruzhan. Unfortunately, she had no choice in the matter. “The only person we can’t protect you from is yourselves, which seems to be a problem time and time again.” Marie eyed Alex speculatively, wondering if he was talking about her now.
“What happened at the castle?” Cayden pressed.
“The castle.” Cerin sighed in bitter reflection. “We were ambushed the second we crossed the threshold. They threw us in the dungeon without a formal audience. Once they had us contained, they ignored us. Cailene and Marcel were content to let us simply waste away. We nearly starved to death, but Aruzhan used the last of her strength to save me. I’ve always known she was amazing, but I had no idea she was capable of such powerful magic,” Cerin had a faraway look in his eyes as he listlessly spoke of his beloved Umbra.
“How did she save you?” asked Alex. Each Umbra had their own unique abilities, and they weren’t always well-known among their kind.
“I’m not exactly sure. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Before she sent me away, she enclosed a ring in my hand and whispered a melody,” Cerin nervously spun a black iron ring, encrusted with a single ruby teardrop, around his middle finger. “I’ll never forget the words, because they saved me twice. She sang:
‘Hidden in plain sight
My weary traveler
Whose wanderlust’s worn
When you see yourself
In the eyes of your enemy
Remember these words
And all shall be forgotten’
She has a beautiful voice, you know,” Cerin fondly recalled the lull of her gentle timbre. “I simply blinked, and I was on Anthros. With my life force waning, I reeked of death. My stench attracted the Anthro Pophagos like maggots to a rotting corpse,” Cerin shuddered at the memory.
“Lovely image,” Marie grimaced.
“Great Lucidus! How did you survive?” asked Cayden.
“I honestly thought I was going to die. Had my death not meant Aruzhan’s, it would’ve seemed like karmic justice. At the last moment, I kept her glowing face in my mind and sang her parting words. Before I could grasp the meaning behind them, something happened, and I was neither here nor there. A simple spectator, basking in the cannibals’ confusion,” he smiled in remembrance. “It was as if I were a ghost trapped between worlds. The creatures couldn’t see me or smell me. Unfortunately, my curiosity got the better of me…”
“It always does,” Raeph grunted.
“I quickly discovered that they could feel me. I barely escaped.”
“How did you manage to sustain yourself?” Marie finally asked. They’d traveled the entire southern region of Anthros, and the cannibals were the only sign of life she’d seen.
“Haven’t you heard? I’m a genius.” Marie had heard a lot of things about Cerin over their journey, but that wasn’t one of them. “And I’m always prepared.” Cerin emptied his multiple pockets to reveal dozens of half-empty vials of mysterious fluids and powders.
“Always prepared?” Fallon scoffed. “You weren’t prepared for what happened to Aruzhan.”
“There’s some things you simply can’t prepare for,” Cerin’s words were barely a whisper. The reminder stung.
“I don’t understand why the ring she gave you worked. That’s magic. It shouldn’t have worked,” Cayden sta
mmered. “Even if Aruzhan’s magic was strong enough to nullify the shield on Anthros, we found you by activating a much weaker version of Mahömasén on the ship. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I don’t understand it myself. I understand science. I only dabble in magic enough to make good use of it. Its true meaning often eludes me. You’d really have to ask Aruz-” Cerin bit his tongue before saying her name again. The dark memories associated with the once glorious compilation of syllables quickly became taboo.
“How did you get onto the ship, anyway?” Raeph asked, puzzled. Locator bracelets were set to a pair of predetermined coordinates, and Cerin didn’t have one.
“My lovely sister, of course.” Fallon flared her nostrils at that. “I said my lovely sister, Fallon. Not you. Mariella,” his honeyed words paired with his saccharine smile were sickeningly sweet. “If she hadn’t forgotten to activate her locator bracelet and stayed behind, I don’t know what I would’ve done. I was able to latch onto her at the last second, which transported me back here.”
“I prefer Marie to Mariella,” she gingerly held her side in remembrance as a shooting pain raced up her ribs, shortening her breaths.
“Stand up,” Raeph suddenly commanded as he edged closer to her.
Marie regarded Raeph with the utmost confusion as she slowly rose to her feet. He gently gathered her wrists in his large hand and guided her forward. Without warning or introduction, he began to hike up her shirt as he mindlessly played with the frayed edges. She instantly jerked away and shot him an incredulous look. Her cold eyes sent shivers up his spine, but the passion behind her harsh movements heated him up at the same time.
Everyone slowly backed away as Raeph approached Marie again, positioning her like a scarecrow and carefully grasping the taut skin over her ribs. He glided his strong hands down her sides. His skillful fingers caressed her skin as softly as flower petals. The simple intimacy brought a rose to her cheeks as Raeph’s mouth hooked up into a knowing smile. Alex watched him like a hawk, poised to defend his nest.
“I’m a medic on Milités,” Raeph finally explained with a laugh. “Not to be confused with a doctor. Still, I can fix people up in a pinch. Does this hurt?” He pressed two fingers down over the tender spot on her ribs.