“Yeah, except we have no idea what that marker could be,” Turk pointed out.
“It will be something that stands out,” Jameson replied, “something that doesn’t quite fit with the surroundings.”
Aiden listened intently as Turk started breaking people into groups. The fact that they were actually moving and getting things accomplished had him nearly jumping out of his skin. Lily was near. That’s all that mattered. He just needed to get to her. His pulse raced at the thought. All he wanted to do was make sure she was okay.
“Hey,” Wolf called out, snapping him out of his thoughts, “you’re with us.”
Aiden nodded, moving to join his friends. Wolf, Moose, Logan, Stefan, and Elisa stood off to the side waiting.
“Alright guys,” Logan said, rubbing his hands together. “Oh, and lady,” he smiled at Elisa, who rolled her eyes. “There are a lot of groups going out to find this entrance, but our team is going to be the one to find it.”
“Oh Gods,” Wolf groaned. “It’s not a competition you twit.”
Logan stood up straighter. “Everything is a competition,” he replied in a determined tone. “And we’re going to win this one.”
Moose grinned widely. “Let’s show these guys who are the best.”
Wolf smacked his forehead. “Great! He’s encouraging him.”
“Now you know how I always felt with the two of you,” Elisa said.
“I never supported his stupidity,” Wolf defended, aghast.
“No, you were just the one to think up the stupidity,” Elisa replied sweetly.
Wolf scoffed. “I was never as bad as him.”
Elisa patted him lightly on the shoulder. “You keep telling yourself that, sweetie.”
They moved out, making their way closer to the mountain that was Aziz’s fortress. Aiden led the way, while the rest followed in single file behind him. The sun was already sinking, and soon it would be almost impossible to see in the covering darkness. He held up his hand for the rest to stop. “Gather in,” he called out softly. They grouped together in a tight circle. “Something tells me we’re going to find the entrance in this area,” he confessed. He’d been arguing with himself for the past twenty minutes on whether or not he should say anything. It really was impossible to explain. For some reason Aiden had felt a pull in this direction. His gut was telling him they were close, and he had learned to listen to his gut.
“What makes you think that?” Moose asked.
Aiden shrugged. “I don’t know, I just feel it.” He watched as they all looked at each other doubtfully, except Elisa. Aiden met her stare as she kept her eyes on him, searchingly. After a moment she gave him a slight nod before speaking.
“What do you suggest we do?” she asked.
Aiden smiled slightly at her trust in him. “I think we need to break up further. The smaller the group, the better in this case. There are six of us, so let’s break up into twos.”
“Do you think that’s a smart idea?” Stefan questioned.
“At least if we get caught, it’s not all of us,” Wolf pointed out. “It might be smarter.”
“And we’ll cover more ground,” Logan agreed.
“I’ll go with Aiden,” Elisa offered. He nodded at her in thanks.
“Whoa there woman,” Wolf said holding up a hand. “Stefan can go with Aiden, you’re sticking with me.”
Elisa turned to him slowly.
“You’re in so much trouble,” Logan whispered – not so quietly.
“I said I’m going with Aiden,” Elisa repeated. “I didn’t ask, I told.”
Wolf ground his teeth, his hands fisted at his side. Aiden shared a quick look with Stefan, who seemed genuinely concerned. Aiden fought back a laugh. Unlike the northerner, the rest of them were quite used to Wolf and Elisa. They had been better since they became a couple, but this wasn’t anything new to them.
“What’s the big deal if you stick with me instead of Aiden?” Wolf argued.
“There isn’t, so why are you even bringing it up? I’ll go with Aiden, you can go with Logan.”
“And why do you get to make these decisions?” he asked, eyes narrowed. Elisa stepped closer to him so that their chests brushed.
“Because I said so,” she said softly. “And if you have a problem with that, too bad.”
Aiden smothered his laughter behind his hand. He saw Logan turn away, the shaking of his shoulders giving him away.
“She’s worse than mom,” Moose piped in.
“Alright guys, break it up,” Aiden said, getting the situation under control. “Elisa’s with me. Wolf and Logan you’ll go east, Stefan and Moose west. We’ll head further north. Meet back here in an hour. If it’s still light enough to keep looking we will, but no matter what we meet back here an hour from now. Understood?” They all nodded.
“I still think Elisa should be with me,” Wolf muttered.
“Get over it,” she told him.
“Fine, just walk away with some other man,” he teased.
“Just watch me!” she said, heading off north.
“Woman, I always watch you when you walk away!” he called out. Her laughter floated back to them. Aiden clasped each of their shoulders before following behind her.
“Here, let me help you,” Aiden offered, reaching down a hand. He pulled Elisa up onto the small cliff they’d found, bringing them to higher ground.
“You sure we’re going the right way?” she asked, panting. She trusted Aiden’s instincts, but the further they went, the rougher the land was getting and visibility was thinning. She could no longer see the sun over the tops of the tree. Their hour was running down.
“Doubting me?” he asked, raising both eyebrows teasingly.
“Never,” she smiled. “My legs might be though.”
Aiden laughed, gesturing to a small area where they could rest behind a bush. “Come sit down for a sec while I try to figure out where to go from here.”
Elisa followed him, sitting down with her back against the trunk of a tree.
“Why do you suppose you’re able to find the entrance like this?” she asked, curious. Aiden shrugged.
“Maybe it is Lily’s doing,” he guessed. “Who knows? Maybe I’m completely wrong.”
“Better not be,” she groaned. “Or I’ll personally kick your arse when I can feel my legs again.”
“Aw come on,” he laughed. “You climb trees better than anyone I know. Well, maybe not that Zachary guy, but everyone else I know.”
“Gee thanks!” He chuckled as she glared at him. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’ve been hiking up pretty damn high. Anyone would be tired by now.” Except him, she thought. She looked over at him, the same pang of guilt shooting her in the gut. She knew why he wasn’t tired, but he didn’t. Elisa looked across the tops of the trees they now sat above, and wondered what Wolf would say when she finally got around to telling him. There hadn’t been another opportunity, but she knew there was no way he was letting it go. Diana had told her the day before that she hadn’t been able to tell Jameson either. That gave Elisa some small relief. For whatever reason, she was afraid for anyone else to know.
The truth was, she felt protective of Aiden, and she worried that when the truth got out people would treat him differently. No one would look at him the same, and she didn’t want that for him.
“You ready to keep going?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts. “I think we’re close, and we’ll have to head back soon if we’re going to make it within the hour.”
Elisa nodded, getting up and brushing off the grass and dirt from her pants. They set off again at a steady pace with Aiden leading the way.
“If we find it,” Elisa started, speaking through her heavy breathing. “Are you going to be able to turn back around and tell the others?”
Aiden glanced over his shoulder at her. “What? You think I’ll just charge in there, guns blazing?” She looked at him, confused. “Never mind,” he chuckled. “Yes, I’ll be able
to turn back around. You don’t have to worry.”
“Okay,” she said, nodding her head. “I just know how much you want Lily, and I’m sure being so close is killing you.”
“We’ll get her,” he said firmly. “And we’ll do it the right way so Aziz is brought down when we do.”
“What about your friends? You must be worried.”
“I am,” he admitted. “But they’re from my world, so I know there’s not really anything he can do to hurt them. That’s the joy of being from another realm.”
Elisa stopped dead in her tracks. She could practically feel the blood drain from her face as she stared, horrified at Aiden. It took him a few steps before he realized she was no longer following. Aiden turned and walked back to where she was frozen. No matter what she told herself, she couldn’t move.
“Elisa?” he asked, concern etched on his face. A sob was working its way up her throat and there was no stopping it. Tears spilled from her eyes as she started to cry inconsolably.
“Hey,” Aiden said gently, wrapping his arms around her. “What’s the matter?” He stroked her back soothingly, holding her tight. “Elisa, tell me what’s wrong.”
Elisa shook her head, unable to speak. He continued to comfort her, whispering encouraging words. Finally her sobs turned to painful hiccups as she tried to regain control.
“You need to tell me what’s going on,” Aiden said seriously, pulling away so he could look at her. “I’ve noticed something’s been bothering you for a while, but I didn’t want to pry. I think it’s time I do, though. Come on, Elisa. You can tell me anything.”
“Oh Aiden,” she cried, burying her face in her hands as new tears welled. She took a deep breath before looking at him. His eyes searched hers closely. She wished he could just read it all there so she wouldn’t have to say it out loud. “Your friends won’t heal from their wounds like you do,” she told him, her voice hoarse.
“Sure they will,” he argued. “They’re from my world, that’s how it works.”
Elisa shook her head. “They lied, Aiden. Most of them unknowingly, but either way it was all a lie.”
“What are you talking about, Elisa?”
She took another deep breath. This was it. She had to tell him, there was just no way around it. “Alistair knew. He’s the only one that knew the truth until I discovered it the night he died. As far as anyone else knew, we all believed what Alistair told us.”
“Which is what?” he asked.
“That you were some prophesized warrior from another world. That you were faster and couldn’t be hurt or killed because of where you came from. That you were just another boy who happened to be destined for greater things,” she answered around the lump in her throat. She wiped away the tears still falling down her cheeks.
Aiden’s face had paled as he watched her. “And what is the truth?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
“I don’t even know how to say it,” she replied.
“Say it, Elisa,” he said, his voice hard. “You need to tell me what’s going on here. I have a right to know!”
“Alistair wrote a letter,” she began. “He hid it behind a painting in the chapel.” Understanding washed over Aiden’s face at the mention of the painting. Elisa explained to him which one it was, and how she knew it was the one Alistair had been referring to the night he died.
“What did the letter say?”
“You’re not from your world, Aiden.” Her breath froze in her lungs as the words hung between them.
Aiden’s face was a stone mask, but she could see the confusion and anger burning in his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“In the letter, he recounted the actual prophecy. I’d never seen it until then, to be honest. The prophecy spoke of two souls being made from one, a dark soul and a light soul. Both made from the darkest of hearts,” she whispered. Her hair blew around her face as the wind picked up. She looked around at the sudden change in weather.
“I don’t understand,” Aiden said, grabbing her attention again.
“The darkest of hearts – Aziz,” she explained. “Aziz made two people, not creatures. Children that he made by using the blood of the Elite. The dark one was said to take to the sky, while it said the light soul needed to be raised away from poisoned minds, so that he could be our saviour.”
“Raised from…” Aiden took a step back, his hand snapping out to hold himself up against a tree. His eyes looked to the sky, before looking back at her. She could see he understood, and it was killing her.
“The Goddess took you from Aziz and brought you to Alistair,” she continued in a hurry, raising her voice against the high winds so she could be heard. “She told him to send you to another realm where Aziz wouldn’t be able to find you. When the time was right you would be brought back to face Aziz and save us.”
“So the winged man…”
Elisa nodded slowly, her heart breaking. “He is your brother, I suppose. But the prophecy says that without one there can be no other. You can’t kill him, Aiden,” she said firmly. “If he dies, you die. It’s why Aziz has kept him so well hidden. All he’s ever wanted is you back. If he has the two of you together, there will be no stopping him.”
“So my mother…” his voice trailed off.
“I’m so sorry, Aiden,” she cried, stepping close to him. She reached out to touch his arm, but he flinched away.
“What am I?” he gasped. “I’m not even human! I’m some experiment!” He turned, his hands gripping his hair. Elisa watched as he walked over to another tree and slammed his fist into it. The tree groaned against his power. Twigs and leaves swirled through the air, almost hitting her in the face. Elisa looked up at the dark clouds above them, a rumbling in the distance warning of a storm.
“Aiden!” she yelled. “We should head back!”
“Head back?” he laughed humourlessly. “To what? To my friends who will know what kind of freak I am? Or to my mother who isn’t really my mother? Where am I heading back to, Elisa? You tell me! Where do I go from here?”
Her tears burned her cheeks against the cool air whipping around her. “Aiden, you can’t let this ruin you. No one will think differently of you. Everything inside of you is good. Don’t let him win!”
“Is it good, Elisa? How do you even know that? Look at who made me!”
Lightning cracked loudly above her head, hitting the top of the tree beside them. Elisa screamed, jumping back from the large branch that fell right where she had been standing. She looked up in horror as the top of the tree burst into flames. Her eyes flew to Aiden. He stood there, his face distorted in a look of rage. Her eyes glanced back at the flames then to him again. He was doing this, she realized. He was more powerful than any of them knew or understood.
Aziz’s greatest creation.
The fire was spreading from tree to tree now. She coughed against the smoke billowing around them. “Aiden!” she yelled, trying to see through the smoke and tears in her eyes. “Aiden we have to go!” She looked around but could no longer see him “Aiden!” Where was he? More trees were burning now. She realized if she didn’t move she wasn’t going to be able to get out alive.
Elisa turned, heading back the way they had come, fighting against the burn in her throat and lungs. Her head felt light and dizzy, her limbs weak, but she pushed forward. She needed help. Not for her, but for Aiden. She could guess where he had gone, and it wasn’t good.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Night was falling on Capital City as Rose made her way back to the palace. The two guards assigned to her kept a respectful distance behind, as always. Their presence didn’t bother her, unlike the men and women who had watched her like a hawk in the north. Here she could tell that they were keeping her safe, not watching her suspiciously. They were both nice men, as were the servants who helped her.
People smiled at her as she walked, their eyes going to her belly with warmth and excitement. She carried their future king or queen. Sometimes it was hard for Rose t
o comprehend that. To her, she just carried her and Callum’s child. It was their future, their family – a symbol of the love they had for each other. But to others this baby was so much more, and Rose wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Mind you, she thought, at least she knew that no matter what happened while Callum was away, this child would always be safe. She knew the people of the Capital would do anything to protect their future leader.
Spring had slowly sprung in central Eden. Each day the air grew a little warmer, smelling of fresh grass and new beginnings. It was Rose’s favourite time of the year. In her home village in the north, spring would take longer to reach them than down here, but she could still remember the feeling of the warm sun and mild breeze on her face after the snow had melted. She would take her favourite horse from their stable and ride for hours. Her mother would always yell at her when she returned for whatever chores had been neglected in her absence. But her father, he would just smile knowingly, giving her a hidden wink behind her mother’s back. He understood her better than anyone. Rose always thought her father knew she was destined for greater things than their village life.
The truth was, Rose had never fit in with the other girls her age back home. At school she was friendly with a few, but for the most part she couldn’t really consider any of them friends. Outside of school she was always on her own, and she had liked it that way. For the past two nights she kept reminding herself of that independent girl from back home. She missed Callum so much, but the sensible part of her urged her to find her own place here without him. What if he doesn’t return? Rose pushed that thought away for the millionth time.
“My lady?” one of the soldiers called out, approaching.
“Yes, Samuel?”
He held out a caramel apple, somewhat sheepishly. Rose noticed his cheeks colour pink as she smiled at him. The sweet had become one of her favourites since their arrival. She was a bit embarrassed by the realization others had noticed, while at the same time humbled that he would think of her like this. “I thought perhaps you’d be hungry,” he said, clearing his throat. “You’ve been walking for a while now.”
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