by H. D. Gordon
“I’ve only ever heard stories,” Jackson said. “But don’t worry, darling, I’ll protect you.”
I laughed; I really was in a better mood. “Oh, good, now we have nothing to fear.”
In hindsight, we may have been better off facing the Lamia.
Chapter 17
We reached a point where we had to turn off of the main roads and follow a dirt path deep into the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. We had left Olivia’s at about nine am and it was now six in the evening. We followed the road for what seemed like forever and then, it just ended.
I grabbed the GPS off of the dashboard. “I guess we go on foot from here,” I said.
“By the way the sun is looking, I would say we have about an hour before nightfall.” My companions looked uneasy at this thought, but no one argued. We each filled a backpack with our essentials and headed into the trees. I kept my sword clutched in my hand, just in case.
Walking through the forest was not as simple as it sounded. More like we stumbled through the forest; the trees were dense and the ground uneven. I found out just how sharp my sword was and used it as a make-shift machete.
The terrain wasn’t the part that presented the issue, though. The greenhead flies were the problem. The little bastards seemed to swarm us like an angry family of bees. I’ve never seen so many flies in my life. They were relentless; just biting, and biting, and biting. If someone had told me yesterday that the most painful thing I would counter today would be fly bites, I would have laughed. Today it was not funny. Today it sucked.
I kept getting the feeling that something was watching us, but I never spotted the source of it. These woods were completely foreign to me, and I couldn’t help but think that they hid more than just forest creatures. Something told me that this was a not great place to get lost.
By the time the trees finally thinned out, we were all bleeding in various spots on our limbs from the fly bites. I would not be making that trip again without bug spray. We stopped to catch our breath, then the air in front of us shimmered, and something completely unexpected appeared in front of us.
We stood staring at a high stone wall that seemed to stretch on forever in both directions. That wasn’t the problem, however, the problem was that the wall was flanked by a large river.
We stood on the bank of the river and I blew out a heavy breath. “Seriously, a moat? Is there a trapped princess and a dragon on the other side?” I checked the GPS. “Well, it says we’re right here. How are we going to get across the river?” Jack and Nelly had no time to answer me, because seemingly out of nowhere, ten men had suddenly surrounded us. They were big men too, and all of them were dressed in black. I was tempted to make a ninja joke, but thought better of it. Instead, I kicked into fighting mode, shoving Nelly behind me.
“What is your business here?” One of the men asked. He was a little shorter than the others but just as well built. His hair was shaved close to his head and I noticed that he had a long scar running from his left eyebrow down to his chin. He wasn’t ugly, but he certainly wasn’t handsome, and he scared the crap out of me. Not that I would admit it.
“We were attacked by the Accursed ones,” Nelly answered, her voice calm and authoritative. I was proud of her. “We lost our Mother to them. We have nowhere else to go.” Scar Face seemed to be considering this. “How exactly did you escape?” he asked. “Three teenagers are hardly any match for the Accursed.” I snorted before I could stop myself and he whipped his head toward me. He didn’t look happy. “You don’t agree, little girl? You think you could take down a Lamia?” Little girl? Was this guy serious? He was lucky he had his buddies surrounding us; otherwise, I might have punched him in the face. Then again, maybe I was the lucky one.
I could feel Nelly’s eyes on me, probably begging me not to do something stupid.
I knew she was right, I was good, but we were seriously outnumbered. Also, these guys just screamed dangerous; I had a feeling they could kick some serious ass.
So, I did what I always do when I get into bad situations, I laughed. I know it sounds stupid, but when I get nervous or uncomfortable, I laugh. Not always the most helpful impulse, let me tell you.
Scar guy didn’t seem the think anything was funny. “You think this is funny, little girl?” His face was bright red now.
I laughed again, I couldn’t help it. I knew that was what he was going to say and it just sounded funny hearing him actually say it. Watching his face turn beet-red didn’t help either.
Then I stopped laughing because he lunged for me. I can’t say I was completely caught off-guard and I managed to step out of his reach as he grabbed for my arm. He did manage to snag the sleeve of my jacket and I spun out of it, thankful that I had left it unzipped.
I heard a collective gasp but didn’t take the time to consider it as I tightened my grip on my sword, sending the blade shooting out. Then, I waited for his second attack. Only, he didn’t attack again.
I stood there waiting and was finally able to take in the scene around me. Every single one of the men was staring at me like I’d just pulled an elephant from my rear end. Some even had their mouths hanging open, and I had to suppress the urge to laugh again. Looking at their faces, I realized that they weren’t staring at me, exactly; they were staring at my arm.
Glancing down, I saw that in removing my jacket, my right arm was completely exposed. I was wearing a black wife-beater and the silver in my tattoo was shimmering brightly in the sun.
One of the men uttered “impossible” and I rubbed my arm self-consciously.
Turning back to Scar Face guy- he was one of the ones with his mouth hanging open-, I gave a weak smile and said the first thing that came to mind. “Umm… we come in peace?”
Chapter 18
My words seemed to snap Scar Face out of whatever trance the sight of my tattoo had put him in. He didn’t look angry so much anymore as he did skeptical and confused.
He took his eyes off my arm long enough to ask, “Who are you?” I gave the obvious answer. “I’m Alexa, and this is my sister, Nelly, and my friend, Jackson.”
I figured this wasn’t the answer he was looking for and he confirmed this. “I’m not interested in your names,” he spat. “Who are you?” I considered what to say, but everything that ran through my head seemed like a stupid answer. Luckily, Nelly spoke for me.
“I’m a Searcher,” she said. “Jackson is wolf-born, and Alexa…” Everyone’s eyes swung back to me and I cringed as she spoke her next words. “Alexa is a Sun Warrior.” Everyone remained silent for what seemed like forever. Finally, Scar said, “That’s impossible, there are no more Warriors left.” He didn’t sound like he was certain.
“She’s the last one left,” Nelly replied simply.
He seemed to be considering this, though doubt still clouded his features like hot breath on cold glass. After a moments debate, he made his decision. “Take them back to the city,” he told his men. “We don’t have time to entertain the delusions of children.” I opened my mouth to protest but the deep voice of one of the men stopped me.
“Gavin,” he said.
Scar turned to his left, drawing my eyes along with him. The man who had spoken stepped forward, and I was amazed that I hadn’t noticed him before. He was magnificent. I figured that he must be about six feet tall and even through his long-sleeved, black shirt, I could tell that he was all muscle. His hair was a dirty blond and he looked like he could use a haircut because he pushed it out of his face as he spoke, revealing eyes as golden as daylight. He had a little more than a five-o-clock shadow on his face and spoke with a slight Scottish accent. I reached up and wiped the drool off my chin.
Much to my dismay, he didn’t even glance at me as he spoke. “Perhaps we should take them to the Council and let them decide what to do with them.” He gestured to where the sun had just sunk below the horizon. “We can’t leave them out here now that the sun has gone down. They’re just kids.”
Ouch. There went any romant
ic fantasies I might have had. I pushed aside those thoughts as we all waited for Gavin to make a decision.
After a moment, Gavin said, “Alright, take them to the guest houses and I’ll schedule them for an audience in the morning. Let’s get back over the river so that we’re not sitting ducks.” He switched his gaze to me and his expression hardened. “And don’t try anything foolish. I’m not sure if you are what you say you are, but I can assure you that you that you will not like our methods for punishing traitors.”
I was two seconds away from giving a snippy remark when someone took my arm and gently pushed me forward. I looked up… and up to see Scottish-accent-guy was leading me toward where a bridge was being lowered over the river. The bridge seemed to be part of the huge wall and fit perfectly from bank to bank. That wasn’t what I was paying attention to, however.
His grip on my arm was light but firm, sending heat up my skin where we touched. It was strange; I felt like I wanted to hug him, to throw myself into his arms. I didn’t even know this guy but I felt drawn to him, and I figured it had something to do with his glorious appearance. Either that, or I really was losing my mind. At the same time, it pissed me off. I didn’t like being treated like a kid, especially by the person who had just called me one.
I jerked my arm, but he didn’t let go, instead he looked down at me and raised an eyebrow. “I know how to walk,” I said.
“I can see that,” he replied, his voice deep and rich. “I’m also sure that you know how to talk, which is why I am getting you away from Gavin before you say something stupid and make him change his mind.” He said this low enough so that only I could hear him.
That pretty much shut me up, because as much as I didn’t like being led away like some kind of fugitive, I knew he was right. I looked back up at him to see that he was staring straight ahead with an unreadable expression on his gorgeous face.
“Thank you,” I said, feeling oddly grateful.
He looked at me through the corner of his eye and raised his eyebrows in surprise, like he hadn’t thought me capable of being civil. After my stupid comments a few minutes ago, I couldn’t say I blamed him.
He was silent for a moment, then, he gave a small nod and said, “Your welcome.” Just before we were led through the gates, he pulled me to a stop and looked me up and down. I felt heat flood my cheeks.
“If you take a picture, it’ll last longer,” I whispered.
He jerked his eyes away and held out my jacket. “You should put this back on,” he said, without looking at me.
I did as he said, then continued walking through the entrance, and if it weren’t for him urging me forward, I would have come to an abrupt stop at what I saw. There were houses and buildings everywhere; some looked like regular structures you could find in any suburb of America, others looked like pieces of art. They were tall and short, colorful and well kempt. Every lawn had flowers and large trees and some of the houses were mosaic-like. All of the buildings had statues of unknown people and large fountains in front of them, and paved roads with street names led off in every direction. Even the lampposts were elaborate; they were short and green and looked like something you’d find in an upper-class neighborhood of San Francisco. Medians split the streets and held cherry blossom trees and what seemed like thousands of multi-colored tulips. A light dusting of glitter wouldn’t have been at all out of place here. It felt oddly futuristic and ancient at the same time. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen.
I gasped as I took it all in, I couldn’t help it. “Wow.” I glanced back up at my escort to see that he had a small smile on his face, but when he noticed me looking at him, it was quickly replaced by that inscrutable look of his.
A few people stopped and stared as we walked by, but I kept my face forward and pushed my chin up. It made me uncomfortable to be paraded around like a circus freak, but it’s not like I had much choice. I was also grateful that I had put on my jacket; I didn’t need to be stared at any more than I already was.
We took a side street and followed it to an area with more of the same beautiful buildings. We came to one that I assumed was guest housing; it resembled an upscale apartment building. Sure enough, we climbed the stone steps to the building and entered into a foyer.
To say it was opulent would be an understatement. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceilings and more golden trim lined the walkway that led to two golden elevators. The floor was marble and plush blood-red carpets sat on top of it. My escort released his hold on me and walked up to where a young woman was sitting behind a counter. When she saw him, a smile lit up her face, and I was surprised when I felt pang of jealousy. What was wrong with me?
I didn’t even know this man.
He was courteous but very business-like, and I noticed her shooting me and my companions looks as he signed us in. Then he walked back over to where I was standing and led us over to the elevators. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t take hold of my arm again.
We rode the elevators up to the sixth floor and I glanced around and counted our escorts. There were three; one for each of us. I had a feeling they would be guarding us until the morning. Again, this pissed me off. It’s not like we could escape over the wall or anything. And I didn’t think my flippant behavior earlier was enough to be rendered dangerous. Maybe I was wrong.
I was surprised when each of our escorts led us to separate rooms. Nelly shot me a look of alarm and I turned to face Scottish-accent-guy. I waved my hand toward Nelly. “We’re not staying together?”
He brought his deep, golden eyes down to mine, and I felt my heart do a little flip. Then, he shook his head. I blew out a frustrated breath. “Look, I know that you don’t owe me anything… In fact, I guess I kind of owe you, but,” I lowered my voice and glanced at Nelly,
“will she be safe in there by herself? I mean, someone will be watching over her right?” He seemed a little shocked at my question and for a moment I thought he wasn’t going to answer me. Then, he slowly nodded his head, as if coming to some sort of realization.
“I assure you she will be fine. I’ve been instructed to keep watch over you all tonight and I don’t take my duty lightly.” It was both a reassurance and a warning.
I looked him up and down, as if I was sizing him up, and a slightly amused expression crossed his handsome face. I gave a slight nod and he reached around me, slipping a key card into the room door and pushing it open. I stepped inside and caught the door before he closed it.
Before he could protest, I held up my hand. “I just… um… what’s your name?” He hesitated, as if deciding whether or not to tell me. Then, he said, “Kayden,” and shut the door.
I walked into the room and found that it was like a small apartment. It had a small kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom with a connecting bathroom. The furniture was tasteful and comfortable; unsurprisingly, it was all decorated in gold and red. Much to my delight, it also held a large, flat-screen T.V. I didn’t feel like I needed any more entertainment for the night though, so I moved into the bedroom and threw myself across the bed, muttering
“What have I gotten myself into?”
Chapter 19
I woke up early the next morning and helped myself to a shower. Then, I went to my backpack and pulled out a clean pair of jeans and a black, V-neck, long-sleeved shirt. It was probably a little warm for the long sleeves, but I figured it was important to cover up my tattoo considering the reaction it got last night. I found a blow dryer in the bathroom and set it to my hair. After I was reasonably presentable, I went to the small kitchen in search of food. I found pop-tarts and an apple and devoured them in record time. As I was throwing out my apple core, a knock sounded at the door.
I glanced toward the bedroom, where my sword was resting on the nightstand.
When I didn’t feel an overwhelming urge to pick it up, I walked over to the door and threw it open.
Kayden stood outside the door, looking just as wonderful as he had the night before. And jus
t like before, I got that strange yet wonderful feeling that his presence seemed to invoke. He must have left to change and shower at some point, because he had on a gray tshirt and jeans. And it looked good on him. He seemed a little tired but alert. He was also looking at me. I was glad I decided to do my hair this morning.
I propped a hand on my hip and feigned a sigh. “You know, I’ve got a camera if you want to-“
“Just come with me,” he interrupted, shaking his head.
“Where are we go-“
“Alexa!” Jackson and Nelly appeared down the hallway and I stepped outside my room, shutting the door.
Nelly ran to me with a look of relief. Jackson stepped beside me and lifted me off my feet in a hug, then kissed my forehead. “Morning, beautiful,” he said.
I glanced over to see that Kayden was watching us.
“Morning, Jack.”
Jackson grabbed a lock of my hair and ran his fingers through it, then stepped back so he could look at me. “Wow, you look gorgeous this morning.” I was still looking at Kayden, who was looking at Jack. I couldn’t distinguish his expression, but for a second I thought I saw a little animosity behind his eyes. I decided I must have imagined it because a split second later, it was gone.
“Umm… thanks,” I said, pulling my eyes away from Kayden. I gave Jack a smile, then turned to Nelly. “You okay?”
She nodded, no need to ask me what I meant, she knew I was just worried about her.
“We’re going to see the Council this morning,” Nelly said. She looked nervous, and I couldn’t say that I blamed her.
I spun around and looked at Kayden, who was staring straight ahead. “Hey, buddy, this Council, they’re not going to, like, sentence us to death or anything like that, are they?”
He raised an eyebrow and one side of his mouth pulled up ever so slightly. “No, why would you think that?” I shrugged and he continued, “They will bring in a Searcher to distinguish your races, and then, seeing as how you are minors, they will probably place you in one of the schools. We haven’t seen a Warrior in ages, though, I’m not sure what they’ll do about you.”