The Agrista (Between the Lines Book 1)

by Shannon Lamb

  She reflexively clenched her fists. A sharp pain dug into her right palm and lanced up her arm. She was still holding the emerald. It wasn’t just a dream.

  “You’ve been unconscious for a long time. We were quite worried. Especially when you grew hot to the touch. Your fever seems to have diminished completely upon your awakening, though,” Cayden placed his cool palm over her clammy flesh, surprisingly soft for the calloused hands of a skilled warrior. “It’s odd, really.”

  “I find it stranger that she woke up screaming in tongues,” Raeph flinched.

  “She wasn’t speaking in tongues,” Cayden half-smiled. “She was speaking the language of the Rebels. Révéyé means wake,” he explained. “Speaking of which, how did you come to know that word?” There was an impatient edge to his voice that put Marie ill at ease.

  “How do you know that word, Cayden? Soldiers aren’t known to fraternize with extremists,” Raeph countered accusingly before Marie had a chance to answer. He knew better than to talk to his superior that way. His unexplained protectiveness over that damn woman was causing him to act rashly.

  “I am well-versed in the languages of all potential allies,” Cayden shrugged.

  “Allies?”

  “Drop it, Raeph.” Alex’s sole concern was Marie, and she was whiter than a sheet. He didn’t have time to referee a political debate.

  “I heard it in my dream,” Marie’s meek admission made the room fall silent.

  Marie held the emerald flush against her chest, mindlessly exploring the smooth facets with her fingertips as she recalled the young woman’s haunting smile. She was happy to die. Knowing that didn’t assuage the guilt gnawing at Marie. It devoured her from the inside out and leaked into her expression, despite her best efforts to mask it.

  “People with royal blood,” Marie began. Cerin cut her off without a second thought.

  “It’d be simpler if you refer to us as royals,” he corrected. One of Cerin’s biggest faults was his tendency to talk over and down to people, never directly to them.

  “It’d be simpler if you didn’t interrupt me.” Great. Another Amelia. “Anyway,” she rolled her eyes. “Do royals have special talents pertaining to dreams?” Marie had several questions, but she figured she’d start there.

  “Why do you ask?” Cayden shifted uncomfortably.

  Marie gingerly sat up and took a deep breath, relaying the events of her dream in excruciating detail without drawing another. She recalled every detail with startling clarity, and reliving the nightmare left her breathless. Everyone’s attention seemed to fade in and out. It was only a dream, after all. Cayden, however, was the exception. He hung onto her every word.

  “That’s an intense dream, but I’m not sure what sets it apart from any other.” Marie crinkled her face in offense. Alex could be so cold sometimes.

  “The stone from my dream, I still have it,” Marie unfurled her fingers to reveal the emerald. That caught everyone’s attention.

  “May I see it?” Cayden asked innocently.

  If someone else could help Marie make sense of this mess, she was more than happy to oblige. Cayden seemed to be the only one who thought her story had any merit from the start. He handled the small stone as delicately as he would a wee infant.

  Cayden seemed to handle everything that way; with gentle patience, always showing the utmost respect for whatever was fortunate enough to fall into his care. Everyone watched in utter confusion as he suddenly stalked to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him, taking the emerald with him.

  “That was peculiar,” Cerin remarked.

  “Better lighting?” Marie reasoned.

  “He probably wants some damn privacy. There’s no other place to get it on this godforsaken ship,” Cerin grumbled, not even acknowledging Marie’s suggestion. His list of enemies was growing quickly.

  “Speak ill of Isabel again and I’ll double back to Anthros!” Raeph barked.

  A blood-curdling scream rang out from the bathroom, tearing through their playful jaunts. It settled into their bones and ignited a fire in their blood, bringing all of them to their feet in a startled melee.

  Fallon was the first on her feet, forcing the door open with a powerful roundhouse kick. The door practically flew off the hinges, bouncing off the opposite wall with a crash of sound that was a tour de force of its own. Marie only caught a glimpse of Cayden before Fallon slammed the door, but it was enough to take her breath away.

  Cayden held his knees close to his chest and smashed his face into his forearm. He shook rhythmically with each hoarse intake of air. Rivulets of blood wove a stream of sanguine ribbons down the back of his arm, splashing on the floor with daunting resonance. He looked…broken.

  A deafening silence stretched over the room as swiftly and powerfully as nightfall overtaking a winter sky. It shattered as quickly as it had come when Fallon burst through the door, rage evident in her labored breathing and wild eyes.

  “WHO KNEW?” her lips peeled back to reveal chattering teeth. A fat vein branched out across her forehead and throbbed beneath her crimson flesh, beating hot and hard.

  “Fallon, what’s wrong?” Raeph’s voice was softer than Marie had ever heard it before.

  “YOU!” she narrowed her eyes and set her sights on Marie. “You dreamt it. Did you know?” She made a beeline for Marie, shaking her fists as she vibrated with nervous energy.

  In a sinuous blur of lithe movement, Alex tucked Marie behind him and steeled his body to the floor, bracing for impact as he shielded her from Fallon’s wrath.

  “I bet you knew!” she shoved Alex, but she couldn’t penetrate his mask of calm. His silence only seemed to infuriate her more.

  Fallon screamed expletives as she pummeled his hard stomach with a whirlwind of fists, slapping his hands away when he tried to stop her. He attempted to soothe her with a solid stance and gentle voice, speaking to her as one would a feral animal. She sharply turned away from him and repeatedly threw herself against the wall until she was cracked and bleeding.

  Fallon abruptly stilled. It was as if she’d stopped breathing. She slowly turned to face the others, looking more hurt than angry. Her face sagged and her jaw slackened to flapping jowls, making her suddenly appear haggard and ancient.

  She dragged her feet to the front of the ship and slumped over the back of Raeph’s chair.

  “Move,” she grunted.

  “I don’t think you should be operating heavy machinery right now,” Raeph eyed her warily.

  “Do you think I give a damn what you think?” she snapped. “I gave you an order, and I shouldn’t have to repeat myself. MOVE!” Raeph was out of his seat and slapping his feet on the hollow metal floor before she’d finished screaming.

  “What in Lucidus’ name is going on?” Raeph angrily raked a hand through his hair.

  “I’m as confused as you are,” Marie whispered.

  Alex peeked his head out the bathroom door and flattened Marie with his dark gaze, summoning her. When did he go in there? She shot him an apprehensive look and slowly got to her feet.

  Marie squeezed through the narrow opening and stuffed herself into a corner of the overcrowded bathroom. She winced when the door pulled itself shut behind her with an explosion of noise that amplified the tension. Unsure where to direct her gaze, she stared intensely at her feet, occasionally sneaking terse glances at Cayden.

  Cayden wept softly. He was splayed awkwardly across the floor as shivers racked his body, reverberating off the cold metal with disturbing clarity. Blood pooled near his wrist as he fisted the emerald tightly in his hand, the sharp edges digging into the soft flesh of his palm.

  Marie had never seen such a strong man look so utterly defeated. She recoiled into herself, tucking her arms and legs in to make herself appear as small as possible in hopes that she would eventually disappear. It didn’t work.

  “The ability you inquired about and seem to exhibit is known as Sopor. I believe people from Earth refer to it as sleepwalking, t
hough something is lost in translation. The only creatures known to possess the ability to enter Sopor are the Umbra,” Alex’s words were followed by a pregnant pause that kick-started Marie’s palpitations. “And their offspring.”

  “The girl you saw in your dream was my daughter, Tajana,” Cayden finally spoke. His voice was but a gravelly whisper.

  How could he possibly know that? She hoped to god he was wrong, for both their sakes.

  “I’m estranged from my daughters, Tajana and Johanna. Not by choice,” he bit out harshly. Sudden understanding dawned on her when she heard the name Johanna. If the offspring of Umbra have special abilities, it would explain why the young serving girl could see Alex and her at the castle. “They mean the world to me, but if anyone found out I was their father…” He buried his face in his weathered hands, and his once youthful exuberance melted away before her very eyes. “There would be serious repercussions. It is strictly forbidden for an Umbra to fall in love. Our first and only priority is to protect the bloodline from which we are created. It is the sole purpose of our existence. Falling in love means allowing another to take the place of our creator. It is unacceptable!” he gnashed his teeth and sharply looked away, too ashamed to meet Marie’s gaze. “I stayed away from their mother, Iloria, for as long as I could. It was unbearable. I tried to fight my feelings for her, but I am a man who always follows my heart, and it always led me to her,” he held himself against the fond memories. They only sharpened the pain of his loss. “It’s Quinque’s fault for making me this way! Why would they place a path before me, only to cut me off at the knees?” His sorrow quickly morphed to rage.

  Alex looked on Cayden with disapproval, making no attempt to mask it. To him, being in the throes of grief was no excuse for blasphemy. Alex himself had never truly lost someone he loved, and could scarcely understand the hollowness it leaves.

  “I think it’s cruel,” Cayden’s face softened at the understanding in Marie’s gentle voice. “A child is born from their parents, but that doesn’t give them ownership over the child and their decisions for the rest of their lives. Just because you were born from our blood doesn’t mean you can’t have a life of your own.” The thought boiled her blood.

  Cayden was touching on a sensitive subject. Marie had grown up with an extremely controlling father who’d treated her as nothing more than a slave. She had been allowed to have friends, but she wasn’t allowed to talk to them on the phone or invite them over to the house. She wasn’t allowed to use any appliance that required electricity for fear of sporadic malfunctions.

  Once her chores were finished – and they never were – she could do as she pleased so long as she stayed within the confines of her room. However, if she made enough noise to be even remotely audible beyond the walls of her prison, she incurred her father’s wrath.

  He proffered no explanation when she’d had qualms about the fairness of such strict rules – including the double standard applied to her brother, Junior – but instead boasted his apathy over her objections. He’d made growing up a miserable experience, and she had no say in the matter, because – according to her father – she’d come from his blood, and that made her his.

  “Your compassion, while extremely rare and greatly appreciated, is wholly undeserved, dear child,” Cayden expelled a shaky breath. “It’s bad enough that I allowed myself to succumb to my emotions, but I mated with a rebel. I created life with her! Twice, for Lucidus’ sake!” Cayden spit the words out as if they were dirty. “It’s a slap in the face to Fallon, and an affront on our very foundation. I planned on keeping it secret until I drew my last breath, to protect Fallon and Iloria, but...” Cayden hugged his knees close to his chest and hung his head, burying his face in shadow. “I cannot simply swallow my grief,” he whispered, weeping into his shoulder. Marie felt as if her mere presence was infringing on an extremely private moment. She didn’t want to be here.

  Marie watched fresh blood spill through the cracks of his fingers as he squeezed his wound, pulsing his fingertips over the diagonal gash that carved up the underside of his arm. The sharp, throbbing sensation brought him comfort in its distraction. Had he tried to take his life?

  Marie had told him how his daughter had died in vivid detail. If he’d succeeded, that would’ve been two deaths at her hand. This strange world was turning her into someone she didn’t recognize, and she felt helpless to stop it.

  “Did he try to take his own life?” she whispered. She had to know.

  “That’s how Cayden identified his daughter. From your description, he feared the worst. Tajana and Johanna were taken by Cailene in a raid years ago and forced into slavery. He poured his blood over her lifestone and her name appeared. It will only work with familial blood,” Alex explained. “We must speak of this to no one,” he whispered softly as he ushered her out the door, swiftly closing it behind them.

  Marie didn’t know how to proceed from here. She wanted to be back in Quaker Springs with her cranky roommate and Lunaroo, drinking herself into a stupor until she cried herself into a dreamless sleep.

  She was so far from everything she knew and loved; so far removed from the girl she understood and had begrudgingly accepted for the last twenty-four years. She needed a moment to herself before she combusted, but there was nowhere to hide on Isa-hell.

  “What in Lucidus’ name is going on?” Raeph flared his nostrils and impatiently bit into his cheek.

  “None of your business,” Alex said firmly.

  “Fallon flew into a rage and commandeered my ship! Cayden’s locked himself in the bathroom and is wailing like a feline in heat. Damn straight it’s my business!”

  “Please.” Raeph nearly melted when Marie touched him. She was always so cold, and her icy fingertips imbued him with an endless need to warm her. “He just needs some time alone,” her big blue eyes bore into him and diffused his core. The vulnerability present in their soft gleam doused the flames of his anger until it was nothing more than a dying ember.

  “Fine!” he shriveled away from her touch and brusquely turned away. What he felt for her was something deeper than attraction. It was something he couldn’t quite explain. Infatuation? He shivered at the thought. Whatever he felt scared him far more than any battle he’d ever faced, and he wanted nothing to do with it.

  “Is he going to be in there long? I need to take a piss,” Cerin’s insensitivity was astounding.

  “Charming,” Marie rolled her eyes.

  “We’ll be on Ovis soon. You can hold it until then,” Fallon sniffed.

  “How soon?” Cerin whined.

  “Don’t worry, Cerin. We’ll be there in no time with the way she’s driving!” Raeph teased.

  Raeph’s jibes were followed by a sharp turn that flipped the ship on its side. Everyone poured out of their bunks screaming as they smashed into each other. Marie breathed a sigh of relief when they were right-side-up again, and she was no longer sandwiched between Raeph and Alex. Being trapped between their heated stares stripped her of her defenses and left her squirming.

  “I don’t need to use the bathroom anymore,” Cerin muttered, prompting Raeph to rock with laughter.

  “Gross!” Marie grimaced.

  “Do you ever grow tired of being a joke?” Alex sneered.

  “Do you ever lighten up?” Cerin challenged.

  “We can’t all be so prim and proper.” Raeph curtsied.

  “Don’t get me started on you. The way you look at Mariella…” Alex practically convulsed with anger. He’d made sure to use her full name, so as to subtly remind Raeph of her title.

  “Ha! She’s got nothing I want,” Raeph scoffed, looking her over with mock disgust. In truth, he was more disgusted with himself for saying such a thing. Such blatant denial was sure to draw attention to the truth, which was the last thing he wanted.

  Raeph’s sharp tongue and disparaging glare cut Marie open and pulled all of her messy emotions to the surface. The hurt look she gave him when they briefly locked eyes pierced
his heart; the shimmering tears that collected at the corners ripped it from his chest and worked like a detonator for Alex’s temper. Neither of them could stand to see Marie hurt, in any capacity, and Raeph’s words were the driving force that plunged the knife deeper.

  Alex bared his elongated canines in a flicker of warning. His body trembled as he resisted his Umbraic transformation. He knew once he scented Raeph’s fear, it would be over. He had a visceral need to protect Marie from pain of any kind. A need that surpassed his loyalty to others and to himself.

  “ENOUGH!” Cayden’s booming voice pulled Alex back to reality before he’d sprinted past the Rubicon. He steeled himself behind Marie and took in her fragrant aroma. Her sweet scent and subtle elegance was enough to keep him grounded for the time being. It always was. Years of watching her from the shadows, her presence had always kept him sane. “We’re all exhausted, and emotions are running high. We’re sick of each other and sick of being trapped on this damn ship.” While that was true, what had happened between Alex and Raeph seemed like more of an escalation of testosterone than a bout of cabin fever. “When we arrive on Ovis, we’ll split into pairs and take a day to recuperate. I’ve no doubt every last one of us could use the break. That is, providing it’s alright with our leader.” Cayden was speaking to Fallon, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at her directly. He took her silence as acceptance. “Alex, you’ll go with Cerin. Raeph, you’re with Marie.”

  “Absolutely not!” Alex protested.

  “Alex, I’ve much to discuss with Fallon,” they exchanged a knowing look. Alex knew he couldn’t deny Cayden the private moment he and Fallon so desperately needed.

  “I will not be apart from Marie,” Alex said weakly, having already accepted defeat.

  “If we put Cerin and Raeph together, they’ll only get into trouble. We need to keep a low profile,” Cayden warned. Alex knew he was right.

  “Who says I won’t get into trouble with your princess?” Raeph winked at Marie and flashed his dimples. The simple gesture incensed Alex and forced him to turn a lovely shade of crimson.