by Boone Brux
Luc stood and tossed a coin to the serving wench. Jade tensed and slid from her chair. Her heart beat in her throat as if she’d been running for her life. She gripped the solid hilt of the dagger through her rough tunic, her thumb caressing a chink in the metal at the butt of the hilt. The repetitive action helped to calm her nerves and center her focus.
She wove a path through the crowd and moved in behind him. He was so tall. His head nearly reached the low beams of the tavern. She swallowed hard, praying she could bring him down with one strike.
The smell of warmed leather encircled her. His braid grazed his lower back and her fingers itched to run the golden rope across her palm. Instead, she steeled her resolve and snaked her hand under her tunic to pull the knife from the waist of her pants. No weakness. No second-guessing herself.
A group of drunken men began to sing and sway, staggering into her. She stumbled, nearly dropping the dagger, but righted herself.
Luc was almost at the door. He mounted the two stone stairs and stepped onto the muddy road. The sun hung low, half hidden by the horizon. Her attack had to be timed well. The darkening sky would be an advantage. She shoved the few stray strands of hair that had escaped back under her kerchief and pulled the hood of her tunic more tightly around her head.
She followed as close as she dared, clutching the knife in a death grip, ready for her chance. He stopped and vigorously rubbed his arms as if set upon by a chill. His gaze wrenched upward, searching the sky.
Luc began to turn. Jade froze, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn’t let him see her, didn’t want to witness the recognition in his eyes when she took his life.
Without thought, she drew back her arm and thrust the knife deep into Luc’s side. The blade pierced the leather of his vest and sank into hard flesh. She stood, unable to move, horrified by the sickness rolling through her body and the blood pouring over her hand. He stumbled, jolting her from her shock. Jade twisted her wrist and pushed him forward, pulling the knife free. The strike had landed fatally true to its mark. Luc fell against the stone wall of the tavern and clutched at his side.
Warm, sticky blood coated her hand. The realization of what she’d just done made it impossible to catch her breath. Luc dropped to his knees but didn’t collapse completely. Her hand holding the knife trembled and tears burned at the back of her eyes. It hadn’t been as she imagined. Where she thought she’d feel satisfaction and relief, she only felt repulsion. There was no honor in stabbing a man from behind.
He slowly turned his head. She took a step backward. Why wasn’t he dying? Luc struggled to stand and she stumbled several more steps. When he gained his feet, survival instincts took over. She spun and fled.
“Stop.”
His command drove her to run faster, as did the footsteps pounding from behind. Panic welled. She ducked down a narrow alley and without looking back, wove a confusing route through the dark labyrinth of streets.
The concealment of her hood fell away and her boots slapped through puddles of muck. She dodged people and piles of garbage. Fetid air filled her lungs. Her breath thundered in her ears and she struggled to silence the cries of panic welling in her chest. A dog chased her, nipping at the back of her legs. With a solid kick, she sent the yelping mutt tumbling, ending its pursuit.
She ran through the narrow passages for what felt like miles. Rounding a corner, she slammed her back against the rough stone wall to listen. Heavy footsteps followed in obvious pursuit. How was he chasing her? How was he not dead?
Instinct spurred her forward. She turned corner after corner, trying unsuccessfully to weave an evasive path. The streets closed around her with barely enough room for one person to pass. Luc’s footsteps echoed off the tight walls, making it hard to tell how far behind he trailed. She stopped and turned sideways, slipping into an opening between two buildings. Rough stones pulled at the rag covering her head and tunic. She slid along the damp stone until coming to a carved section in the wall, where she ducked in. He’d never fit into such a tight space.
Her breath came in gasps. She looked down and stared at the knife still clutched in her hand. Unable to stomach the feel of the weapon, she opened her bloodied fingers and let the dagger silently slide to the ground. Her attack and escape had been well planned—she’d thought—but events hadn’t happened as she’d imagined.
Limping footsteps stopped at the end of the building. She pressed her body deeper into the hole, listening to the person who panted no more than three yards away.
“I can feel you, you little bastard. You won’t escape.”
She flinched but stayed her impulse to run. Feel her? That was something she hadn’t planned on, had never thought of. Luc was a Bringer, she knew this from Rell, but never had he shown any signs of power. Did he sense her because of her contact with a Bane? She’d never considered herself tainted, but of course she was. If Luc could feel Rell’s influence, what about Ravyn and the others? They’d never expressed any concern.
Stupid, stupid. Nothing was ever as it seemed. She had an uncanny ability to rationalize her actions only to have them turn around and bite her later. Anger stirred. Her blind loyalty to Rell constantly put her in dangerous situations, but rarely cost her sister anything.
Jade pulled her tunic over her mouth to dampen her heavy breathing. Grunts and swearing filtered between the buildings. She closed her eyes and prayed for Luc to leave.
The minutes ticked by. His muffled inquiries to her whereabouts eddied around her, but either nobody had seen her slip between the walls or they weren’t turning over one of their own to a privileged prig.
After several agonizing minutes, she heard his uneven gait move away and his footsteps fade. In what direction, she didn’t know. Tremors shook her body and she released the neck of her tunic. Blood covered her hand. She pried her fingers apart, flexing them against the hardening layer.
The coppery smell filled her nostrils. All she wanted was to wash away the congealing crust, but she dared not leave her hiding spot. The feel of Luc’s flesh giving way under her knife lingered like feathery spider webs she couldn’t brush away. She rubbed her palms against her pants, trying to erase her deed, but the crime wouldn’t be so easily expunged.
The narrow walls trapped the smell of blood and rotting waste, nearly choking her, pushing her patience and sanity to the limits. She kicked at a rat that wandered too close to her boot. The rodent skittered away, but didn’t leave, continuing to paw through the moldy remnants of bread and what looked like a turnip.
She needed to get clean. Never had she felt so dirty. Not just from the filth coating her, but the sins soiling her soul. Despite her near-paralyzing fear, she crept from the alcove and pressed her back against the wall, inching her way down the gap. People passed by but she heard no limping steps, nor the deep timbre of Luc’s voice. She poked her head out into the main alley and glanced in the direction she’d come.
The dimming light outlined the shapes of women lounging outside a tavern. Laughter and the gruff voices of men wafted from the surrounding buildings. A child’s cry floated from an upstairs window directly across from where she hid, but was quickly silenced by a soft melodic song from a woman. Jade glanced in the opposite direction. No Luc.
A cluster of women passed, giving Jade the perfect cover. She stepped from the gap and blended. The group moved along the narrow street, laughing and talking loudly. At an open doorway, they stopped to speak to another woman. She eased around them and continued down the road, far away from The Iron Crown and Luc.
Her pace increased. If she could get to the small, abandoned chapel within the Shrouded Forest she could hide, safe from Luc, and for a while, safe from Rell.
Wooden huts replaced the crush of the city as she darted along the rutted road toward the woods. A border of trees lay dark against the horizon and she began to run. She glanced over her shoulder, the feel of somebody watching her goading her faster. Like a welcoming friend, the tangled arms of the Shrouded Forest enve
loped her.
She wove the same kind of path she did when Rell practiced hunting her, never in a straight line. After a few minutes, she stopped and turned in the direction she’d just come. Light from beyond the forest was no longer visible. The trees sealed her away and allowed some of her tension to ease, but in its place, the reality of what she’d attempted took hold.
She stared, unseeing, into the gloom. Emptiness consumed her. For so long she’d been driven to avenge her family, the deed all she and Rell talked about and everything she’d trained for. Now that she’d tried to kill Luc, doubts plagued her. She’d never stopped to consider what it meant to take another person’s life, never thought about the cost to her own soul. It had always been: It had to be done. Luc had to pay for his betrayal.
Rell thirsted for vengeance. With each cruel deed she seemed bent on performing, Jade volunteered in her place, hoping to slow her sister’s descent into the world of the Bane. For so long she’d fought to keep Rell rooted to humanity, but never once noticed her own slipping away.
A twig snapped, jolting Jade from her thoughts. She crouched and searched the forest. Nothing moved in the murky grayness. A shiver ran across her skin, the woods’ coolness suddenly feeling a lot less welcoming. Maybe the follower was Rell, or a deer. Jade didn’t dare call out in case someone or something else stalked her. Other creatures lurked in the forest, none of which she wished to encounter. She cursed herself for not keeping the knife. Now her inability to stomach its feel seemed idiotic.
Another twig snapped. She spun and ran in the opposite direction. Footsteps thundered after her, closing fast. Her muffled breathing blended with the crushing of leaves and the blood pounding in her ears. She hurtled a fallen tree and dodged a tangle of spiny bushes. Leaves and branches thrashed behind her. With a quick cut to the right, she raced toward an opening in the trees. Beyond the clearing the woods thickened to an almost impassable mass. If she could evade her pursuers long enough to lose herself in the tangled undergrowth, she might be able to wait them out.
She broke through the trees and was halfway across the clearing when someone hit her full force, taking her to the ground. The breath burst from her body from the weight of the person landing on top of her. It took only a second to realize who the attacker was.
Luc.
She squirmed out from under him and tried to crawl away, but he grabbed her ankle and yanked, pulling her through the wet leaves. She flipped onto her back and kicked him in the face. He grunted and fell sideways. She clawed at the ground and tried to stand, her panicked whimpers mingling with her gasp. Sharp thorns dug into her hands, but hysteria dulled everything except the need to escape. Before she could gain her feet, Luc tackled her again, smashing her against the wet earth. She smacked at him but he caught her wrists and pinned them to the ground.
“Thought you could get away?” She bucked but he straddled her, rendering her completely helpless. “Not so brave now tha…” His words trailed off as his eyes settled on her face. “You.”
Jade twisted under him with no success. “Get off.”
“So you can stab me again?”
She stopped fighting. “I didn’t stab you,” she lied.
Luc sneered and wrenched her hands up, holding them in front of her face. There was no hiding the blood. He released one of her wrists and grabbed the neck of her tunic, pulling it away from her chest. She looked down. A dark handprint stained the neck where she’d pulled the tunic over her mouth.
“Tell me again how you didn’t stab me.”
“I warned you on the ship that I was there to kill you.”
A shadow ghosted across the sky. She fixed her eyes on Luc’s face, trying not to follow the figure’s descent. Luc hissed, inhaling deeply.
“Cursed minion.” He lowered his face toward hers. “It burns to even touch your tainted skin.”
Saying nothing, she willed herself not to react, knowing help was almost there.
“Why?” he growled.
She pinched her lips together.
He shook her. “Why?” Anger rolled off him in waves. “Who paid you to kill me?”
Before she could answer, Luc was lifted from her body and tossed across the clearing. Jade jumped to her feet just as Rell landed and crouched in front of her. Luc hit the ground hard and immediately rolled to a stand, taking a fighting stance.
The scene before Jade shifted to something surreal. For years, Rell had raged against him. Now, here he was, squaring off with her demon sister. Before now she had never questioned her role in his death. Sacrificing for Rell was something she did without thought or question, but with her sister bent on engaging Luc, Jade felt helpless to prevent Rell from taking his life and sinking farther into the hold of the Bane. Helpless to stop a chain of events that no longer felt right and would cost her sister more than the satisfaction of revenge would provide.
“Not just a minion,” Luc ground out. “A servant.”
The disgust in his voice was like a slap in the face. Rell straightened, but the tension in her body let Jade know she was ready for an attack. She folded her wings and stepped back to stand beside Jade.
“Servant?” Rell’s voice rang with contempt. She slid her arm around Jade’s shoulder. “Sister.”
Luc’s eyes narrowed, his gaze darting from the demon to her.
“What’s the matter, Luc? Don’t you recognize me?”
“I don’t consort with the Bane, demon.”
Rell laughed. The sound pierced Jade’s ears and she wanted to turn and run from the scene before her—from this violent, lonely life.
“No,” Rell said, lowering her arm and freeing Jade. “You merely leave innocent girls to Bane cruelty.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Luc stared for several seconds but didn’t relax his bearing. The large green eyes and heart-shaped face were familiar, but the small spiraled horns and glimmering green skin contradicted everything he thought he recognized. Round, firm breasts clad in a leather harness and sculpted muscles could not be attributed to anyone he’d ever known.
His gaze slid to Jade. No longer argumentative and defiant, she now looked scared.
“You speak in riddles, Bane.”
“Really?” The demon laughed, the sound empty of humor. “Do you so easily forget the girl you once loved?” She took a step toward him, the iridescent blue-green drape of material hugging her hips and thighs. He crouched, sinking deeper into his stance, ready for her attack. “The girl you promised to marry one day?” She took another step, but he didn’t move. “The family you betrayed to the Bane?”
“W–what?” Her words undid him and he straightened, ignoring the sting burning along his arms. His mind rebelled against the very idea that his haunted past stood before him. “What did you say?”
“How much did they give you to betray my father, Luc?” The demon tilted her head to the side, her voice caressing him with false easiness. “A thousand gold liats?” She prowled toward him. “The promise of power?”
He stumbled back a step. “Esmeralda?”
A smile curled the corners of her mouth, exposing her fangs. She stopped and held out her arms. “In the flesh.”
“No.” The weight of his past pressed around him. Unable to believe the demon standing before him had once been the woman he’d loved, he shook his head. “You’re dead.”
“Wishful thinking on your part, but as you can see, I’m very much alive.” She turned and pointed at Jade. “You remember my little sister, don’t you?”
His gaze cut to Jade and for the first time he recognized the seven-year-old he used to tease, the little girl who had followed him around like a puppy, always poxing him and Esmeralda at the most inopportune times.
Luc gripped his head, digging his fingers into his skull in an effort to bring this new reality to focus. This was not possible.
“I never betrayed you, Esmeralda.” His answer sounded unconvincing even to him. He lowered his arms. “I wouldn’t have done that.”
“Tell my father that.” The demon’s eyes grew wide. “Oh wait, you can’t. He’s dead.”
He lowered his head, unable to meet her accusing glare, and blinked back the stinging regret. That night would be forever burned into his mind. “I was coming to see you—to ask for your hand.” The words lodged in his throat. “But my friends convinced me to first have a drink in celebration.” His gaze cut to her face. “I lost track of time.”
“Ah, your friends.” Her head nodded slowly, as if contemplating his explanation. “Still blaming others for your actions, I see.”
“No, I don’t blame anybody for my mistakes.” He took a step toward her, holding out his hands pleadingly, needing her to understand how deep his regret cut. “I was so happy, Esmeralda.”
Her lip twitched in a sneer. “Pretty words spoken so easily.”
“My father had given his approval to our marriage and entrusted me with documents to deliver to your father. A wedding agreement, I think.” He had never discovered what the papers were for, only that the information within them had directly led to the murder of Esmeralda’s father. “I drank too much, gambled too much, and lost the very coat off my back, including the documents I was to give your father.”
The demon shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, Luc.”
“I searched for you, Esmeralda.” He lowered his arms and took a step toward the demon. She tensed as if to attack. “I never stopped.”
“Where, Luc? Where did you search? In the taverns? Or perhaps you looked for me under the skirts of all those whores you slated your lust with.” Esmeralda bared her fangs in a feral snarl. “You never looked, because you were the one who led the Bane to my father.”
He exhaled heavily, the fight going out of him. “I never stopped hoping.” No excuse could erase his failure. “I’m sorry, Esmeralda.”