by Lenore, Lani
The twin swords he used… The blackness of his heart… That snide, vicious grin…
Once he felt confident that he knew all there was to know, Rifter closed the door on those memories and turned away with a smile. He was beginning to feel drained again, his body weak after the fight and blood loss, but he would press on. There was more to do.
Just a bit more, he reassured himself. Just a bit more, and I will be with them.
He could hardly wait to show them what he had planned.
Chapter Twelve
1
Calico was surefooted as she led them on. Nix had forced her into the front and had taken the rear to keep careful watch on both girls at once. Between them, Wren felt like a captive. These two, though they seemed to have different intentions, had taken her prisoner.
But I must stay with them. To flee would be worse.
Wren did not like the intensity of the conflict between Calico and Nix, but they were all silent as they walked along. She was thankful for the civility, even if it was forced, and hoped that it would endure. It would be a much more pleasant journey without them fighting, though any advice on how she might keep steady on the terrain would be welcome.
Wren had been watching Calico’s feet, wondering how they moved so easily over the ground, just when her own foot snagged a root. Nix was near enough that he caught her arm, and she was able to steady herself on him, looking up with an apologetic smile.
“Sorry,” she muttered. She wondered if he would scowl at her and shove her along, but saw only a look of mild disapproval.
“Have you always been so clumsy?” he asked. “I forget.”
Wren was forced to think back on so many times that she’d suffered misfortune – seemingly with no effort on her own part. There were many. Had it been because she was clumsy?
I’m unlucky.
“I’m certainly prone to accidents,” she said with a nervous laugh.
It was a sad truth, but for some reason it made her laugh pitifully. Nix seemed to share in her amusement. His smirk became more like a smile for just a moment, but quickly faded away. A voice had interrupted.
“Perhaps I would be a better guide if you would tell me where it is I should lead you.”
Calico was looking toward them disapprovingly, arms crossed and chin up. Wren felt her face flush beneath that scrutiny, but smiling had felt good, even if it was inappropriate. She hesitated on Calico’s words, but she had not quite decided on a proper answer before Nix spoke up in her stead.
“How about this: you tell us about the world beyond this forest, and we’ll tell you which way we want to go.”
“No,” Calico said firmly. She was denying them the information that she had, and Wren felt she knew why. It was leverage – her only reason to stay close and be sure that they wouldn’t go far without her. “Seems we’re at an impasse.”
“No,” Nix corrected smartly. “I already told you how it will go.”
They stared at each other fiercely, and Wren shifted uncomfortably, only wishing it would end.
“We’ll let Wren decide,” Nix said finally. “The information has been privileged to her, after all.”
Wren looked up at him, worried that she wasn’t fit to make the decision on her own, but after only a moment, she realized that he was right. She looked toward Calico, who was observing her with a haughty look that was all too familiar. Wren was not sure whether Nix had earned her trust over this girl – no doubt the past had some bearing on that – but for now, Wren considered this to be business between Rifter and his Pack. Calico was not included.
“We’re looking for the other boys,” she said. “If you have any information on where they might be, it would be appreciated.”
That was all she would say. Calico, likewise, was a stolid as ever.
“I’m afraid I don’t,” she said after a moment’s pause, leaving Wren to wonder if she was telling the truth, “but I will oblige you about the land – for now. From this point, there are a couple of choices for which way to go, since you are simply meandering across the world.
“The swamp lies in that direction,” she said, pointing to the east. “It is impassable. Too many monsters and not enough solid ground. I highly doubt any could make a home there. Otherwise, it is to go toward the coast, which is always treacherous–”
“We won’t be doing that,” Nix said quickly. “Too much of a risk.”
“Then there is only to carry on the way we’re headed and into the Silent Woods.”
Silent Woods? Wren had to ask.
“What is so different from the woods we are in now?”
“It is so quiet in there that you can hear the silence,” Calico explained. “It’s been said that there is no life there, even though it is green and lush. I say it’s because no one has lived through it to say otherwise.”
Wren was not anxious to walk into more danger, but this ominous location seemed to be the only choice they had. She’d already been denied two others.
“Very well then,” she agreed. “It seems like the only way.”
Calico nodded, eyeing Nix one last time before she turned.
“After you,” Nix said, and Wren fell into step, between them once again. She was quietly wondering what they would find in the Silent Woods, if anything, and consoled herself with a thought: if they were approached by danger, at least they would hear it coming.
2
The island had once been a continuous web of landscapes, much like a patchwork quilt where one square would end and another – with a very different design – would begin. Wren guessed that this was because each part of the world was an individual dream that Rifter had decided to make a place for. Perhaps there had never been a pattern to it.
Though everything seemed to be in disarray, and dead, Wren was still able to notice that the land was similar to the way it was before. Where one territory ended, another began.
Wren saw the edge of the Silent Woods before they reached it – a stretch of trees that was thick and green and covered in moss. Considering this, it should have been full of life, but as soon as she stepped foot there, Wren would have sworn she’d gone deaf. There was not a sound – not a bird or even a whisper of wind – but only the soft tromp of the footfalls they brought with them.
How strange…
Wren wanted to voice her feeling, but was afraid to disturb the silence. What if the sound of her voice brought evil down on them? Nix and Calico remained quiet and so Wren kept her peace as well until, while hacking through a tangle of vines, Calico finally opened her mouth.
“You spoke to the Rifter, didn’t you?” Her voice resonated here, seeming far too loud, even though it was at a normal tone.
Wren found herself looking to Nix for approval, but she could tell by the way he glanced back at her that he would not tell her what she should do.
It’s my choice. I have to decide.
“I…” Wren started, testing the sound of her own voice. “I spoke to him, yes.”
“And he told you he was ready to act?”
Rifter hadn’t revealed the details of his plan, but he had promised change.
“Yes,” she answered, and she saw Calico nod.
“Then it is good enough,” the huntress said. Her words gave Wren a bit more confidence. Despite their differences, at least she knew there was one other who believed, unlike Nix’s negative view.
After that, the three of them were in silence again, just as the woods was. They carried on as the day began to fade, and nothing at all happened, except that the silence was almost maddening. It reminded Wren of solitary conditions in the asylum, and it would not do to transport herself back there. After a while, she had taken to humming, and neither of her companions protested until finally it was decided that they would stop for the night.
After a bit of work finding dry wood amidst the moss, Wren’s face was lit by the flickering light of a controlled, comfortable campfire. After the ever-burning woods, she hadn’t thought she’d
want to see fire again so soon, but she had to admit it was particularly satisfying in the damp air of the living forest.
She had not been sure if it was a good idea to have an open fire, considering what creatures might have been lurking, but Nix had not seemed overly concerned and Calico had welcomed a few moments of warmth, so Wren had given in.
She had to admit, the effect of the flames – no matter how many she had seen recently – was pleasant. It felt like old times. It gave her a feeling of safety.
Calico had curled herself upon Nix’s coat, sleeping soundly now after her ordeal. Meanwhile, Nix had wandered off. Wren could hear his footsteps, however, knowing he had not gone far. The savage maiden had previously found Nix to be a threat, though clearly not enough that she couldn’t sleep in his presence, and Wren was not sure what she thought about him herself. She had stopped trying for now. Sighing, she leaned gently back against a tree.
After a moment, she heard the sound of Nix coming forth from the woods, leaves crunching and crisp twigs snapping. He entered the area and stopped beside the fire, holding a skin of water. His features were lit up before her in the firelight, his pipe stuck in his mouth.
“Are you done with this?” he asked of the fire, his speech muffled.
She nodded, agreeing that she’d had her fill of the heat. He proceeded to spill the water over the flames, drenching the ashes and making the smoke rise. The blaze extinguished with a hiss.
“She was more exhausted than you, apparently,” he noted, looking over at Calico, who at least appeared to be sleeping soundly. Then again, Wren supposed if the girl had wanted to run off with her again, she would have done it while Nix was away.
Wren smiled nervously as she wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing them against her chest. She shivered and tiny bumps rose on the flesh of her arms. Nix looked at her in amusement.
“Now you’re cold?” he asked through the foggy darkness.
“Right after you put the fire out. Very sorry,” she laughed.
He sat down beside her on the ground, letting his long legs extend before him, leaning back against the tree.
“Once you fall asleep, you won’t notice,” he told her, inhaling from the pipe.
“Oh, I won’t sleep,” she muttered lowly. She felt her face flush when he looked over at her, embarrassed that this had come out of her mouth. “I mean, this wood is kind of... Perhaps the silence is some sort of ruse.”
“Possible,” Nix agreed. Wren had been hoping he’d disagree with her. “This world is infested with creatures of the dark.”
Smoke rolled from his mouth. Wren caught the smell in her nose. It smelled heady and sweet – like her father’s house. That memory seemed worlds away now.
“You sound ominous, but not too worried,” she said with a questioning look.
“I like a challenge,” he replied with a smirk. “Not many can best me, you know.”
That was quite a statement. A little smile came to her own mouth.
“What’s that about?” he wanted to know.
Wren bit her lip. Not too much escaped him.
“I’m sorry. You just reminded me of Rifter then,” she said.
He was silent a moment, and Wren realized she had not considered whether or not he would appreciate the comment.
“Is that so?” he asked finally, turning his face from her and looking over the trees.
“I’m sorry for comparing you to him,” she backtracked suddenly. “Truly, I…”
“It’s alright,” he interjected, halting her. “Maybe that was always our problem. We were too much alike.” He paused. “I suppose as far as you’re concerned, it’s a compliment.”
Wren was astonished at his words. Nix had never been the kind to admit when he was wrong. In that also, he was like Rifter – or perhaps just like any other member of the male sex. Had he changed that much?
“No, you and Rifter are on bad terms,” she apologized. “I shouldn't have said it.”
“But you think a lot of him. Therefore a comparison by you is not a bad thing.”
She smiled and looked over the remaining embers of the campfire. Perhaps she was even blushing. “I suppose that’s a good way to take it.”
At that, her mind began to wander. Where was Rifter now? What was he doing? She missed him, despite how his face had changed. Perhaps that was why she had placed Nix in his shoes for that short moment.
“So, what is so great about him in your eyes?” Nix asked, breaking the silence. “I've always wondered what you saw in him, damaged as he was. You must know that while he was the best, he was also the worst of us.”
“I–” Wren began, thinking it would be a simple thing to explain, but she found herself without words. Perhaps Rifter was damaged in ways, but she had seen many good qualities in him. He was brave, honorable, and protective. He was compassionate, and though he did not flinch at killing, he knew how to show mercy. He had proven that he cared about her more than himself, and that was enough to erase the bad things.
The first time that he had kissed her, she had known that she loved him. She had wanted to be with him forever – but she wouldn't bore Nix with those details.
“I don't know that I can explain it,” she said finally. “I just know that I care about him, even still.”
“If only all women were so easy to tame,” Nix mused. He looked at the sky, but Wren had the notion that he was speaking of Calico. On top of that, the comment managed to insult her. She was not an animal.
“I don’t know that I would say it like that,” she said sullenly.
“Do tell me then: what prompts that sort of love?”
Wren felt her face grow hot once again. She might have gone on babbling had she not felt the need to defend herself in this.
“Well, he did save my life, you know. On several occasions.”
“So he swoops in – in that heroic fashion – and sweeps you off your feet? That’s all he was ever good at, you know.”
His voice trailed off into nothing. Wren detected the disgust in his voice. She didn’t want to demand harshly, but she couldn’t sit unknowing any longer. She couldn’t bear his judgment.
“What makes you hate him?” she asked finally, accusingly. “Did it happen as Calico said?”
Nix took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he rested his head against the tree.
“He changed. Was it the demon? Perhaps. I left because of his strangeness, but I didn’t leave with the intention of never coming back. I guess I figured this game would end. But it was not a game.
“I heard that only a short while after I left, Rifter came looking for me,” he went on. “He stayed away from the other boys and looked for me for months, or so I was told. He never found me. After that, he returned to them. They say he had changed even more – the demon had taken him completely. The boys realized that I was right, and one by one, they left. After that, Rifter withdrew himself, and most of us thought he was dead.”
“Where did you hear those things if you never spoke to the other boys again?”
Nix lifted his pipe and indicated the sleeping Tribal girl. It was as Wren had suspected. They had known one another well.
“Was there something between the two of you?” Wren asked, perhaps speaking more boldly than she should have.
“She and I… We did carry on a bit. After I left Rifter, that was over,” he said without much feeling. “Later on, a small group of her broken tribe lived in the woods for a short while. She found me again, but I didn’t want anything to do with her or anyone else. I wanted to be alone. Still, she advanced, telling me what I should do and that I should go back to make things right with Rifter. If I did, the other boys would follow; we were Nevermor’s only hope – or something of that sort. Of course, I didn’t take heed.”
“Why?”
“Anger? Hatred? Confusion? Who knows? I’ll open it up for suggestions if you'd like.”
The tone of his voice hushed her. His patience with this was fading. Wren tried t
o think of something less offensive to say, but Nix was not done.
“Do you know Rifter as well as you think you do?” he asked instead.
Wren hesitated. What was he getting at? Of course she knew Rifter. She had seen the darkest part of him. She had viewed his memories and she had forgiven him of so many things. Why not this?
“Yes,” she said with belief.
“And the fact that he has a demon inside him does not bother you?”
She had to admit to herself that it did bother her. She was still uncertain about it, but she hoped that the demon had nothing to do with this corruption. Rifter said it had not, and she believed him – and she would believe him up until the moment that it was disproved without a shadow of doubt.
“He says he is in control of it and I believe him.”
I saw him drink that mermaid’s blood. He was not himself, then. She tried to push that image away.
Nix didn’t respond, looking out through the trees and dark, but she knew that his mind was still working.
“Has he really changed that much?” she asked, a defensive edge to her voice.
“If I didn’t think he had, I wouldn’t be talking about it,” he said sternly.
Wren still hadn’t caught his drift. Was he trying to prove to her that she couldn’t trust Rifter? Even after he saw how insistent she was on helping him? But Nix was willing to help her find the other boys. If he’d thought that it was a bad idea, he wouldn’t have agreed to it.
Perhaps.
“I didn’t get the chance to talk to him very much,” she defended. “It was so sudden when he brought me here. I guess I didn’t pay much attention. It was just… After everything I’ve been through…”
Wren stopped, knowing he didn’t want to hear about her troubles in the other world. He glanced at her, but didn’t ask her to go on. She didn’t.
“Sounds too much like the old Rifter. I’d say he was gaining your sympathy for reminding you of what he was instead of what he is.”
He was silent a moment, releasing a sigh and a cloud of smoke. Wren looked toward him with a wounded expression on her face.