It took every ounce of will to separate his lips from hers. When he finally managed to create minimal space between them, he could feel Neomi fighting against him, insistent, making it harder for Edric to resist. “Neomi,” he gasped. “We cannot…there is no time.”
“I know.” Her voice was barely audible. Through the corner of her eye she glanced toward the path where Edric had been standing before she abducted him to their hiding place. Edric watched her, curious by her strange behavior. She wasn’t acting like herself. There was something in her eyes that stood out, a hint of what appeared to be almost sadness in their roiling blue depths. Her right eye struggled to remain open under the swollen lid, the pressure of her arms around his waist tightening with every passing second.
Fear gripped at Edric’s heart to see the unease she suffered. It wasn’t normal for her to look so distraught. Whatever she’d come to tell him held great significance though she continued the inner conflict which had prevented her from speaking before. “Neomi, what is it?” he urged, resting his hands on her arms in hopes it might offer some consolation to make the words come easier.
Shaking her head she closed her eyes, stiffening under Edric’s touch. “No,” she whispered. “You wished to tell me something. It might be best if you start.”
This was his chance. He only had a few minutes to make her see the importance of what he intended to ask. If only his heart would stop pounding for a second…“Callum and I have reason to believe Ewei is being untruthful with you about your brother’s orders,” he exhaled, the words tumbling from his lips before he had a chance to think them through. “Come with us to Nahedu. We intend to verify your brother’s intentions before risking countless lives that might otherwise be saved.”
“Untruthful?” Neomi stared at him, pulling away slightly from his hold. “What would he stand to gain? It is not the Ovatai custom to fabricate anything, most specifically orders said to be from the Chief or his family.”
“It isn’t the custom, but that doesn’t mean your people aren’t capable of it. Look how many lies you have been forced to tell since our departure to this place. What is to say Ewei does not have an underlying purpose for his deception? Cowardice would be enough to make many men sway from honesty.”
“No. Ewei may be many things, but a coward is not one of them,” she shook her head defensively. “My treachery in regards to us should not be used to judge the rest of my people. I have shown weakness but Ewei is one of the best warriors among my kin. Death is the punishment for one who gives false claims the way you accuse him of doing. He would not be foolish enough to tread that ground.”
Words flew rampant in Edric’s mind, searching desperately for the right things to say which would break through her tenacity. There had to be something! He was willing to do anything, even if it meant falling on his knees to beg out of pure unabashed emotion. “Neomi, please –”
“Edric, I cannot disregard the orders.”
“But what if they are not your orders?”
“I have no way to prove the command false and our time is limited. Ewei would not have been sent here without a purpose. I must trust that the reason was to summon the Avaern and see that a track be conducted, as he stated.”
“Neomi, don’t let him make you do this. You know you don’t want to.”
“Of course I do not want to,” she breathed, a pained grimace contorting her gentle features. It was hurting her to fight him. He could see it in every line of her pale face. Why could he not use that to his advantage? There had to be something he could say which would tug her strings. He couldn’t believe that she was beyond the pull of her own emotions.
He was becoming more desperate by the second. Time was running short. It wouldn’t be long before Callum started preparations for their stealthy departure and Edric was determined to have Neomi by his side when they left the village. Giving in to the rush of emotions coursing through him, Edric let his arms slide around Neomi, drawing her to him, their lips meeting once again in a breathless moment of ardor. She made no attempt to stop him, returning the pressure of his kiss though he could feel a distance start to build between them despite the closeness of their bodies. He was losing her. Some invisible force had begun to work against him and he had no way of knowing how to combat it. “Please, come with us back to Nahedu,” he whispered. “If the orders are found to be accurate, I will take the blame for your actions. Your brother never needs to know that you abandoned them of your own accord.”
The grimace on Neomi’s face deepened. Was it working? He couldn’t be sure. Her feelings were so hard to read. For a moment he thought she might give in, her muscles relaxing against him, sinking into his embrace before quickly stiffening again, shaking her head vehemently. “They would see you punished for the slight. Some things can be overlooked but to directly admit a lack of trust in our ability to handle our warriors as well as an accusation of treachery toward one of our most renowned men would not be forgiven.”
“Then let them punish me,” he urged. “You speak as if there is no chance that Callum and I are right. Callum is a practiced soldier. The absolute best in his ability to read people in situations like this. He would not make an accusation of distrust without some evidence to back the claim.”
“There is no evidence other than his instinct…”
“He has an impeccable instinct, Neomi. You have to trust me on this.”
“I must trust your blind faith in a man who has presented no argument beyond suspicion at the risk of your life and my honor?”
Damn her stubbornness! For the first time he found himself wishing Neomi was more like the girls in Tanispa. They would have taken his word without hesitation. How was it that the trait he most admired in her would be their downfall? “Can you not do this for me?” His heart ached to find himself in this position. He had been so confident that she would follow him! Now he was left with a rapidly growing pit in his stomach at the realization that he underestimated her strength of will and loyalty to her people.
“I cannot.” The words struck Edric like a knife to the heart, twisting deeper as she pulled away from his embrace. “You should not be so quick to risk your reputation – or your life – for mine. I will track the Avaern and you must follow Ewei back to Nahedu the way Onuric has commanded. Do what he says and you will find your stay in Ethrysta far more amicable with my brother and his men.”
“You expect me to just let you go and be killed by the Avaern when I have a chance now to protect you? I will accept whatever repercussions might befall me if it means saving you.”
“Why would you do such a foolish thing?”
“Because I love you.” There. He said it. He didn’t care if it was premature. His feelings for her were the last weapon he had to try and bring her back to him.
“You love me?” she stared at him in disbelief. “How can you possibly be so sure?”
“I think I do. Is that not enough?”
“You think? Do you love me or do you only think you love me?”
“My heart tells me I do. But I cannot prove it right if you are not alive for me to try.”
Neomi’s head lowered, the bright flash of her eyes downcast to the snow covering her boots. He had to be careful. His hold on her was tenuous. If he said or did anything too soon he might lose her again. Slowly he reached for her hand, a thrill of hope passing over him to feel her fingers against his palm, squeezing them tightly in fear that she might try to pull away.
The internal struggle he’d seen in her eyes returned, more noticeable than before. It was working. She took a step forward, meeting his gaze steadily. Edric’s heart felt as if it skipped a beat to see her coming closer, wanting so much to take her in his arms again, knowing he couldn’t. Not yet. It was too soon. There was a chance she might still change her mind. “Come with me,” he whispered. “I need you.”
Before she had a chance to respond, a strong wind whipped through the narrow alley, picking up snow from the ground to toss it haphazard
ly through the air, quickly building intensity. Tearing his eyes from Neomi, Edric turned his gaze heavenward, uneasy. Something about the wind wasn’t natural. There was a power hidden within it, a familiar tug causing him to shudder at the sensation of his internal energy being manipulated, unbalanced, leaving him dizzy and uncoordinated. He couldn’t tell if Neomi felt it. Her head lifted to stare at the sky, a sharp inhale of breath the only sound he could hear from her over the roar of the wind.
The squall continued to grow until Edric couldn’t see anything through the thick of snow stirred up from the ground, twirling and shifting in every direction. He could feel Neomi’s arm wrap around his waist, prompting him to move, the pressure of her touch revealing an urgency to the motion without requiring anything to be said. Trusting her, he fell into step at her side, guided through the alley toward the path leading into the central expanse of the village. Blinded by the white wall of snow surrounding them, a loud screech filled the air to drown out the roar of the wind. At the sound Neomi came to a sudden halt, pulling Edric in tighter, as if by reflex. “No,” she breathed, fear radiating from her tensed form. “This cannot be. They have not begun the summoning…”
“What is it?” Edric squinted through the haze, unable to make out even the faintest outline of the village. With each step they took he found himself growing more uneasy, aware of the gaping chasm which covered most the area. If they weren’t careful, they would walk right over the edge.
Gradually the screech began to ease though the wind remained persistent. Holding out her arm Neomi seemed to push the snow away, creating a field around them, protecting them from the barrage of white, allowing enough space to regain their bearings. “We need to take cover,” she shouted over the wind, her hold on him desperate, nearly dragging him along the ground behind her. “Anything on the surface is too vulnerable. We have to go underground.”
“Underground?” Edric’s heart pounded at the thought. What was going on? He’d never seen anything like this before. His body felt drained, requiring all of his strength to stay on his feet as they maneuvered over the debris in their path. They were heading toward the chasm. Exactly where he had no desire to be. “Neomi, we cannot see well enough to make our way down there. Tell me what this is so I can help think of a way to stop it.”
“You cannot stop it!” she exclaimed, another hard pull on his arm dragging him closer to the gaping hole. “The Avaern is coming. If we do not find shelter quickly, it will see us all dead!”
The Avaern? Edric’s blood ran cold in his veins. The name of the beast had been spoken often since their arrival to Nahedu, but never had he expected to see it so soon, a part of him disbelieving he would ever witness it. Based on the rough sketch Neomi showed them of the creature, he found it hard to accept it was anything more than a figment of some delusional chief ’s nightmares. To think of actually coming under siege from the creature sent his head into a reel. There was so much he needed to do. He had to get Neomi to safety and then find Callum. They couldn’t leave him behind. Aiva was counting on Edric to bring her husband home safe. “Callum,” he exhaled, turning to try and make his way back toward Sahra’s hut. “I have to find him.”
“There is no time, Edric. He will have to find his own way.”
“I can’t leave him there!”
“If you go back for him, you will only get yourself killed. Come. We have to take cover. It will be on us any moment.”
A sudden burst of wind sent them both sprawling to the ground, carried along the snow by sheer force, tearing Neomi’s hand from Edric’s. He had to think. This was no time to panic. If only the snow wasn’t so thick! Reaching blindly into the white he grasped for Neomi, meeting nothing but empty air. “Neomi!” It seemed futile to call for her. No one could hear him over the rush of the unnatural blizzard sweeping the village. He felt utterly helpless without the use of his internal energy. There was nothing he could do to clear his vision without risking harm to himself.
Digging his fingers into the snow he tried to stop the motion of his body still hurtling toward the mouth of the chasm. The sound of his own screams filled the air around him as he felt his legs slide over the edge, scraping along his stomach. This was it. This was how it ended. No valiant battle the way he imagined when first leaving Tanispa. Death would come to him without granting a chance to defend. In that moment he whispered a silent prayer to the gods, pleading with them to watch over Callum. He had a promise to keep to Aiva. If he couldn’t be there for his friend, his only hope was for a miracle.
Jarred against the side of the snowy crevasse he made one final attempt to stop himself, the tips of his fingers failing to find a hold as he slipped over the edge. Prepared for the weightlessness of the fall, he felt the wind rush out of his lungs at the sudden halt of his drop, landing on the hard surface of a small ledge extended from the chasm wall. A loud crack echoed through the air upon impact, the ground shifting unsteadily under his weight. Hands were on him instantly, guiding him to his feet and up against the uneven wall, shielding him from the burst of snow which followed Edric into the chasm from above.
The world around him spun at a dizzying speed, disorientation leaving him unsure of where he was or who had saved his life. Arms held him tightly against the body of his savior, their warmth transferred to him despite the bite in the air which surrounded them, filled with the sound of loud shouts echoing from somewhere in the village. Callum. He couldn’t piece together many coherent thoughts, but the name came to him immediately, fear gripping his heart at the realization that he’d left his friend behind. The one person he’d sworn to protect on their journey and he had done nothing to save him. What could you have done? The question burned through his mind. He knew the answer to it. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing which could have been done differently to protect Callum. The wind was too strong, the snow too thick; he couldn’t have found his friend even if Neomi had allowed him to try.
Overhead the sky finally began to lighten, snow settling around Edric where he remained pressed against the frozen wall of the crevasse. Silken strands of long white hair whipped across his face in the breeze, Neomi’s brilliant blue eyes coming into view through the haze of lingering flakes still falling from the surface. He could hear what sounded like thunder, beating steadily like a drum, each thud coming in perfect time, closer and closer to the chasm where they were hidden. “We have to go deeper,” Neomi whispered, moving swiftly out from the wall.
Something about the plan struck him as wrong. Deeper? If the Avaern was the powerful creature the Ovatai believed it to be, it seemed foolish to place themselves in a hole where the beast could easily bury them under the rubble. They were making the task easy on the Avaern by walking right into its trap. “No,” he shook his head vehemently, grabbing Neomi’s arm to pull her back against the wall. “We make ourselves more vulnerable by going much further.”
“We cannot stay here. This close to the surface it can sense us. It draws your energy from you even as we speak. I see it in your eyes. They dim from the strain your body exerts to fight back.”
“The Avaern feeds off the energy of those around it?”
“Based on the legends, that is the myth.”
“That would have been good to know about ten minutes ago,” he exhaled, glancing around the area, frantic to find a means of shelter from the beast. There was nowhere to go but down. If they were going to avoid notice by the Avaern, they had no choice than to do as Neomi said.
He spoke nothing in concession, relaxing his muscles to give in to Neomi’s insistent tug on his arm, dragging him to the edge of the icy outcropping which had broken his fall. The shape was similar to the formations Neomi had created to use as stairs when they first descended into the depths of the chasm. There wasn’t time for her to utilize the same process now. The thunderous noise was nearly overhead, chunks of ice and snow tumbling from the surface, scattering debris from the ruined village along the wall and down onto the earthen floor below.
Neomi
showed no sign of hesitation in her maneuvers. With his lack of familiarity of the area he was forced to trust her instincts. She knew her strengths and what she was capable of; and right now that was more than Edric had. Palm extended toward the ground, she leapt over the side of the ledge, ignoring Edric’s sharp outcry of surprise, their bodies plummeting through the air with incredible speed. He couldn’t focus on anything but the realization that the ground was rushing upward as if to meet them. Reflexively he tried to use his arms to reach for something, anything which might break his fall before they both were splattered against the rocks below. Neomi fought against him to keep him still, legs straight, directing their angle of descent with remarkable calm and control. It was then he realized how close they were to the wall, the steep sides seeming to bend under Neomi’s direction, slowly sloping outward to create an icy ramp, their bodies striking it hard before continuing the plunge deeper into the ground until they reached a plateau near the center. Abruptly the slick surface of the icy slide ended, a sharp cry from Neomi revealing the effort she struggled to maintain at drawing the rocky ground outward to break their fall.
At the speed with which they struck the ground, Edric’s entire body went numb, rattling every bone with a sickening crunch. Desperate for air he tried to intake a breath, unable to gain control over his lungs long enough to ease the burning in his chest, a painful sensation of suffocation choking him. From where he lay the sky was visible overhead, the clear blue almost pretty in his dazed state. Neomi lay at his side, the sound of her ragged breathing filling Edric’s mind. She was in pain. He could hear it in the wheeze of every breath she took, struggling to draw just a single breath. Deep down he knew her pain was somehow his fault. Had it not been for his presence, she was more than capable of seeking shelter, but for some reason she stayed by his side, tolerating the inconvenience of an extra body to look after. He would have to remember to thank her if they lived through this.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Three: Crown of Ice Page 51