by Rue Volley
Noble’s eyes wandered to Johnathan, and then to me. “It is also fortunate that you have brought me his mate.”
I looked at him and to Elin, who was silent.
“I am afraid that I cannot allow you to do that,” Theodore said, no nervousness in his voice...in fact I had never seen him more focused than right at this moment. “Don't tell me that you have come alone,” he added.
Elin laughed and Noble put his hand up, she moved around behind him silent, but still wore a wicked grin on her face.
“Is that your pet?” Sam called out.
“We do not use that term, she is a ‘partner’ to me,” Noble said as he walked to the right.
Theodore shifted his weight to block his view of me. “I don't believe that, you have such a low regard for human life Noble, just as low as your regard for your own people.”
Elin growled and tried to move forward, Noble grabbed her arm and jerked her back to his side.
“Always so passionate, why do you bother with this trash Theodore? You had a very nice rapport in Valon, the ear of the council, a nice home and forgiveness for your family's disloyalty. Not to mention the blind eye to your banned little brother. Why would you trade all of that for two beasts that you do not understand?”
Theodore laughed, but stood his ground. “Beasts...? I would look inward and at your own side Clark.”
Elin grabbed at Noble’s side. “Let me kill him and his little friend,” she said.
“Stop,” Noble said to her. “You will know your place.” Elin frowned and gripped her blade.
“Better listen to your Master Elin, he is much wiser than you,” Theodore said.
I started to feel a vibration in my hands. It started at the tip of my fingers and crept up my arms. As it crept up the back of my neck, I started to feel light headed. Theodore looked around and I noticed that Josh and Sam stepped out to make the circle larger, leaving Johnathan and I in the middle. I leaned down and felt a vibration coming in the ground. I looked up at Josh and he grinned. Theodore's blades started to glow brighter.
“What is happening?” I asked.
Theodore didn't turn to me but only said, “Stay in the circle Rue... both of you stay right where you are.”
Noble looked out toward the field behind us. “Looks as if you will answer to Valon now, all of you.”
I stood up and looked out across the field and saw a glow coming, the vibration in the ground was stronger now. I sucked in my breath as I felt a wave of energy run over us, it felt like an adrenaline rush, but heavy in my chest. I grabbed Johnathan's hand and squeezed it hard.
“Oh shit,” Josh said as he crouched towards the ground.
Sam dug her heels in and pushed Kai towards us in the middle. He didn't say a word, which was new.
“I would suggest that all of you let me speak,” Theodore said, as he put his blades away. Sam and Josh kept theirs out. “Would you please not look as if you about to go to battle?” Theodore said to both of them.
“You’re kidding, right?” Josh said.
“No, I am not. If it comes to battle it will be because we have no choice,” Theodore said.
Noble and Elin flashed away from us, across the field and disappeared into the woods.
“Of course,” Josh yelled out.
“Be mindful of your feelings Joshua,” Theodore said to him. “Let the cowards hide.”
“I swear to God, I will kill them both,” Josh muttered.
Theodore, Sam, and Josh all moved to place themselves in front of us. We watched as a group of twenty people moved towards us. They were all dressed in white, with white trees embossed on the front of their leather outfits that looked very similar to our own, minus the tree. Behind them, a glowing white orb engulfed a large horse drawn carriage. The horses were twice as big as any I had ever seen before, they were ghostly white and their eyes were white also. The hair of their manes was braided in multiple braids with silver metal woven in. I had to stare.
The entire party stopped about thirty feet from us and I felt heaviness in my chest. I tried to calm my breathing, but it was hard to do. I could feel Johnathan's heartbeat in the palm of my hand and I looked to him, as he stared at what sat before us.
Theodore stepped forward and placed his hand to his chest and then knelt to the ground, placing it flat to the earth, while he kept an eye on all the guards standing in a line in front of us. I felt a vibration as he pressed his hand against the earth. I wondered if anyone else could feel it too.
A girl, with long black hair pulled into a braid over her shoulder, moved to the carriage and waved a hand over the side of the door. It waved like water and a girl stepped out and started to walk towards us. Theodore stayed on his knee with his hand pressed to the ground. She stopped about twenty feet from us and knelt down, as she held her hand to her chest, then she pressed it to the ground.
I felt another vibration and both she and Theodore rose up.
The girl stood there with no expression on her face. Then she spoke.
“Theodore Barrington,” she said.
“Sophia Graph,” Theodore replied.
I gripped Johnathan's hand harder. I stood there motionless, waiting for something awful to happen.
Then she took one step forward. “Seems we have a situation that needs to be settled,” she said.
Theodore held his hands out at his sides. “As you can see... I am not wielding a blade Sophia, I have no intention of battle.”
She grinned and looked at the rest of us. “I would expect not,” she said.
“I am willing to forgive the loss of our brothers and sisters in that ugly business with Grace and William.” She said, “I only ask that you give me my grandson.”
I shifted my weight as I moved to lean against Johnathan. She turned her gaze to me. I felt another wave of heaviness in my chest. I drew in my breath to relive it.
“He does not want to go with you Sophia, he wants to remain with us,” Theodore said.
“Well, do you speak for him? Or does he have voice of his own Theodore?” Sophia asked.
Johnathan cleared his throat. “I want to back with them, I do not want to go to Valon,” Johnathan said with no weakness in his voice.
“What of your human family?” Sophia asked.
“I would like for them to return also, but I do not speak for them,” Johnathan said.
“No you do not,” Sophia said. “It is a shame that you do not even consider returning with me Johnathan. I am your only true family now. Valon is your home.”
Johnathan squeezed my hand. “This is my family now,” he said.
Sophia held her hands out and a light began to glow faintly in her palms.
“No, they are not. I wanted to be kind, but I am not asking you to return Johnathan. I am telling you that you will take your place among us. You belong nowhere else but Valon. It would be unwise of me to allow you to wander.”
I watched as Josh started to slowly pull his blades from behind him. He kept them gripped in his hands. Sam also started to pull her blades. Theodore still stood there, without reaching for his. Maybe he thought there was still time for diplomacy.
“Sophia, please… there is no need for this. We have no intention of a battle with you. We will be no trouble to Valon, you have my word.”
Sophia laughed and looked at her guard. “You claim peace Theodore...? Was it not you who ran at the gates of Valon with Grace and William, with hatred in your heart?”
“I had no hatred I assure you of that. I simply made a choice to leave; all Protectors do not have to live within her gates Sophia.”
“Oh, I see...! And what of Mikah?” She asked. “Who of you... drove your blade into her heart?”
Josh pulled his blades to his sides. “That would be me,” he said.
Theodore grunted.
“Ah... Joshua Barrington! You could have been a shining example of a new age for our people, but instead you raise your hand in battle against your own. You are a waste.”
Sophia waved her hand. The guards surrounded us in a flash. I looked around to see that they had formed a large circle.
“Oh god,” I whispered.
“I am not wasting any more time,” Sophia said. “Bring Johnathan and Rue to Valon,” she said as she returned to her carriage. “Bring the rest, if they survive.” The horses pulled her carriage away from us with no driver. I could only guess that they knew their own way home. I let Johnathan's hand go in mine.
“Well, good job on the talk Theodore,” Josh said, as he started to crouch down towards the ground.
“Be quiet,” Theodore said to him.
“Well you heard her, she didn't say to bring any of us, so I guess we fight,” Josh yelled out, as he flashed forward.
“Joshua!” Theodore yelled after him.
“Damn it!” Sam cried out as she flashed forward.
Theodore looked to the three of us behind him. “We will make a hole, when you see it, run... as fast as you can!” he muttered, as his blades glowed bright as the sun in his hands.
Kai pulled out his blades and I did too. I didn't want to run.
Suddenly I felt a flash up behind me and I swung around with my blades up. I felt metal came in contact with my blade in my right hand and the strike almost staggered me. I pushed forward and knocked the girl away from me. Another protector guard flashed up to us and knocked Kai away. I screamed as I lunged forward slicing my blade through the air.
I felt someone grab me around the waist and jerk me back. “Settle down!” Josh yelled at me.
“Let me go Josh!” I yelled as I struggled to get free. He pushed me to the ground as he hunched over me. He brought his blade up, just in time to stop a boy from bringing his blade down on him overhead. Josh quickly brought his other blade up and the boy yelled out as Josh's blade sliced across his chest. Blood welled up over the white leather on his chest. Josh slammed his palm into his chest and the boy flew away from us screaming. I watched him hit the ground and lay still.
I pushed myself up as I saw Kai with his hands up, a protector was standing over him with a blade ready to strike. I flashed toward the boy and ran my blade down his back. He hunched down and I felt a glow well up in my hands. I looked down and slammed my palm against the cut on his back, he cried out and rolled to the side. He came back up almost immediately, and came at me. Sam flashed in between us and quickly brought her blade across his chest. He spun in place and dropped to the ground. She flipped on top of him and I saw a bright flash at his chest and he laid still.
I heard Johnathan cry out, I turned my head just in time to see a girl binding him with light. I pushed myself up and ran at her. She turned to me with her blade glowing in her hand. Johnathan fell to his knees with a glowing light binding his hands together. I sliced my blades at her and she countered me. She had no intention of letting me get to him. I cried out and I felt my feet sink into the ground. She was chanting something at me, I could not understand her, but with each word I felt myself sink another inch.
I cried out. “Josh!” Josh was fighting off a girl who looked as if she had every intention of killing him. Maybe he dated her too.
The girl kept chanting and I kept sinking. I was almost to my waist. I dug my fingers into the ground and felt a vibration start to well up in me, stronger than anything I had ever felt. She turned and grabbed Johnathan and started to drag him with her.
I became furious. I don't think I have ever felt so much anger. I cried out and I started to rise out of the ground. My head felt like it had a current of electricity going through it.
I looked at Johnathan as he struggled to get free of her.
I saw Kai lying motionless on the ground.
Josh was fighting off two protectors and I could see cuts on his arms and one gash across his back.
Sam had flashed a few feet in front of me and gave me a quick look and then another protector, a boy with golden blonde hair came up behind her and she fell on her knees before me, the boy raised his blade and I saw that Sam's blood dripped from the tip of it.
I looked down and saw the watch that Kai had given to me on my birthday. I wore it every day, but I never even noticed it. I gripped it in my hand and felt a shock of electricity leave my body and surge into it. The Sun and Moon started to glow within it and I broke it from my neck and threw it into the air. A bright white flash came from it and I watched it hover, I looked around and everyone was suspended in motion. I walked forward and took the blade from the boy’s hand before he could strike at Sam. I looked around and flashed to Josh, pushing him out from in between the two protectors who were attacking him. Then I looked to Johnathan. He was being dragged away. He had a strained look on his face and the girl who had him in her grip, was emotionless. I pulled my blade and stabbed her in the heart.
Everything went back into motion and she dropped on her knees in front of me. I slammed my hand to her chest and she cried out. I felt a surge of energy run up my arm and when it reached my heart it caused it to flutter in my chest.
My head fell back and I held my arms out. I felt like I was lifted off the ground and my toes were the only thing touching the earth. I fell down onto my knees and Johnathan looked at me, not with fear, but a new look I had never seen from him, maybe one of not knowing who I am.
I spun around and cried out at the top of my lungs. The sound that came out of me caused everyone to hold their ears to shield them from the volume of it. I held my blades above my head and I felt white light release from it. It shot up over me in the form of a large tree and returned, shooting through my body and into the ground. The light raced out in a circle around me and turned the earth black. All guards still standing cried out as the light ran under them. They fell, one by one and a bright flash came from each of their bodies. All the light raced back to me. I screamed as it all hit me in a wave and I dropped to my knees.
Everything was silent. I sat on my knees trying to clear my vision. I felt like I had been hit by lightning, or what I would guess it would feel like. I finally pushed my blade into the ground and pushed myself up. Josh stood before me. I looked at him and he grinned.
“What the hell did you do?” he said to me.
I looked at the blades in my hand and back to him. “I just protected what meant the most to me,” I said.
Theodore flashed up to us. “We need to get back to the house, more will come.”
Josh and I looked at each other. Johnathan, Kai, and Sam flashed to us, and we all headed away from the charred circle, I had just created.
Chapter 14
Want and Need
I guess when I was a little girl, the one thing I did remember was the fact that I always knew, when a storm was coming. I thought maybe it was just something that everyone knew. The sky would blacken and the trees would turn their leaves over. You could stand outside and just feel it on the wind. My parents never let me stay outside, even on the porch. I know my mother must have warned me a thousand times about the danger of lightning. I never knew why, but every time it cracked through the sky I never jumped, I just watched it lace the air. I would sit in my room and run my finger along the glass on the window, following its pattern.
At the age of eight, we had taken in a stray cat, and I would sit in my room at night, petting it. One night, during a pretty nasty storm, I sat there petting that cat and I happened to look down, small blue sparks were coming from my fingers every time I lifted my hand from its fur. It didn't meow, didn't leave my lap, it just sat there letting me pet it. When I woke up the next morning the cat was gone. I ran down stairs looking for him, after searching everywhere I could think of, I asked my parents to help me. My dad told me that the cat never belonged to us and that it had simply passed through our lives. I missed that cat, but over time it faded from my memory. Now I guess I understand what he said to me that day. At the time, I was upset about that cat leaving me. I thought it bel
onged to me, but come to find out, we don't own anything, and no one owns us. We choose to share ourselves with whomever we want and I guess when the time is right, you leave, or they leave you.
***
I felt a squeeze on my hand and I looked over. Johnathan was smiling at me. I looked back out the window and watched as the clouds were slowly turning gray.
We drove the rest of the way home, although I did ask why we didn't just run. I came to find out our energy is not endless, we have to eat... or for some feed. Once we reached the house, Theodore jumped out and ran inside. He had every intention of strengthening all spells he had placed on this town and over us. I don't think I've ever seen him shaken, but the combination of Noble and Sophia had him spun into a sense of urgency that I had not seen from him before. I stepped out and looked at the sky.
“I think it is going to storm really bad tonight,” I said out loud.
No one responded to me. I watched as everyone, except Johnathan, went into the house.
“You need to eat Rue,” Johnathan said, as I continued to watch the sky.
“I miss my cat,” I said, half to myself, not really to him.
“What cat?” he asked.
I looked at him and smiled, as I headed for the door.
We entered the house right in the middle of a conversation. “You are an idiot Josh,” Sam was saying to him.
“Listen... if you want to just sit here and wait that's fine, but I am not a coward,” Josh said as he was jamming stuff into a bag. I looked around the room, not knowing what was going on.
“Josh?” I said. “What are you doing?” Josh didn't even look up at first, but when he did, he did not look at me, he looked at Johnathan.
“I am going to end this once and for all,” he said.
I walked to his side and placed my hand on the bag, temporarily stopping him from shoving things into it. He didn't look at me at first, but then his eyes lifted to mine.
“What are you doing Josh?” I asked in a whisper.