Crouching behind Ren, Seble sprang from her hiding place. “Ten.” She counted. “Just ten.”
An avalanche of Mesh stampeded past Seble and Ren as a handful stayed put, hands on spears, bows, and swords.
“Ren, we together?”
Ren blinked. Nodded as the crowd cleared. Seble was right, ten Kirabo stood in the clearing. Exhausted of arrows, they held spears and serrated iron blades. Ugly masks concealed their faces, but their bare chests made it clear that all were male except one.
The female pointed. Shrieked in island-speak.
The Shamaness rushed behind her people, keeping up the rear with a barrage of spear-like rocks. Kato hammered his heels into the dirt, taking point before five of the Mesh who stayed back. By now, the Dreamers were gone. The Nilns running wild on the outskirts of the jungle as children bled and screamed in their wagons. They’d be safer in there, Ren assumed.
“Do you have a plan?” Ren asked. Though as the Kirabo charged, it became clear they’d have no time for that. They’d have to improvise.
Seble let out a throat-splitting war cry, charging with her spear brandished. Ren sprinted after her, passing by Kato who seemed taken aback. Shock bled through the Kirabo as Seble took a stab at their leader. The masked woman sidestepped Seble’s blow and rammed the flat end of her sword into Seble’s hyper-extended elbow. Pulling her spear back, Seble screamed as Ren lit them up. Calling a wall of fire with two outstretched hands soaring. The crystal at her neck hummed.
“Go back.” Kato huffed. “To the village. We can take them out. There are enough of us.”
Ren sneered as her wall died. Kato’s gust of wind cutting through it like a scythe through wheat. “I can handle myself.”
“You only know the basics!”
Seble pulled back, her right arm hanging limp as the other brandished the spear. The five Mesh able to fight roared through the field, connecting with the waiting Kirabo in a thunder of clashing steel and wood. On the Wilds outskirts, a wagon full of Dreamers toppled over. The translucent blue body of the Niln attached to it was stained scarlet, blood charging through its see-through body like wet ink across a canvas. Still drunk on Moira’s Elixir, the children didn’t run. They simply pulled themselves from the wagon and collapsed to the ground or wobbled toward the fighting. Kato cursed under his breath as Mesh started to fall. The Kirabo losing numbers as well, as their leader stabbed a finger to the toppled wagon and screamed. Four Kirabo broke off from the fight, sprinting toward the children.
Ren stretched out her hand, ready to send an arrow of fire their way. But Kato stopped her, “You’ll burn the Dreamers.”
Ren gritted her teeth, “I can control it!”
“You’re barely a Scion, Ren—you will hurt them—”
At that, Ren shoved him away and threw herself into the fray. Barely a Scion? She’d show them. She’d show the Shamaness and Kato and all the damn Mesh. Snapping her hands around the gangly neck of one Kirabo, Ren forced fire from her palms. Burning the man’s skin. Singing his hair. The smell stunk like burning pig fat, but all Ren could hear and smell and taste was the heat. The glorious fucking heat.
The guy went down. Blackened beyond recognition.
Ren turned on another. Spikes of flame soared through her fingertips and she raked them across another Kirabo’s torso. Ducking beneath a Mesh’s haphazardly thrown spear, she ripped her fire across his mask. His face. The Kirabo man staggered back, jumping on one leg. Beneath the group, the ground quaked as the Shamaness’s primal scream seared through the air.
“Protect Nyx!”
The village? Ren bit her tongue. What about the children?
“Fall back!”
The Kirabo were the first to pull away from the fight. With children slung onto their shoulders and wedged between their arms, the Kirabo leader screamed her commands and doubled back into the Wilds. Sprinting for all she was worth.
No way. Ren did a double take. Did the Shamaness really mean to leave these kids to their fate? If they followed the Kirabo they’d find out where they were hiding. Ren could finally get Mia. Ren could go home.
“Fall back!” the Shamaness screeched again. Switching to island-speak as the three surviving Mesh pivoted on their heels and sprinted to her. Seble left Ren with a lingering glance before bringing her eyes to Kato. She shook her head slowly from side to side before turning and jogging back.
“Don’t do this Ren.”
Ren knew there would be consequences. Ren knew the Shamaness’s power. Knew she could put her through more pain for disobeying her a second time. But following them would lead her right to Mia. And with her power now—hell, she could take on the entire camp herself. She could even take on the Mafioso. Kill him for what he did to Itzel. Kill him.
Ren met Kato’s eyes. “Don’t follow me.”
35
Kato ignored her request.
Together, they tracked the Kirabo through the Wilds. Following the cries and moans of the kidnapped children.
All the while, he hissed at her: “You must have a death wish!”
Ren simply rolled her eyes. Pawing through the brush, her eyes caught the flicker of a crouched shadow. There was the moan of a young boy as he helplessly kicked his legs, pumping them like he was running. Only problem was, he was airborne. Slung over the shoulder of a Kirabo man.
“I want my friend back.”
“Well, this isn’t the way to do it!” Kato said, pursuing her as she crept from underneath a massive frond leaf. Bamboo towered high overhead, glittering in the twilight. “The Mafioso is powerful, Ren. Don’t you wonder how he moved an entire camp? There are only supposed to be four. Four Scions!”
Ren couldn’t let this get in the way of her tracking. But still, “Aren’t there three?” the Shamaness, her, and Kato…
Kato shook his head. “Four. Our fourth was sent to investigate the Wilds some…months ago.”
Whispers dove over their heads. Terse island-speak burned through Ren’s ears. “What are they saying?”
Bringing his face to the sky, Kato listened. Cocked his head and scrunched up his brows. “It’s a different dialect.”
“Like they’re speaking in code?”
Kato shrugged. “I guess?”
Ren killed the sigh that threatened to bubble from her throat. “Listen harder!”
He narrowed his eyes at her.
The speaking stopped. Silence fell like a heavy blanket. Parrots screamed in the distance as monkeys chattered ceaselessly. A bout of wind slithered through the towering bamboo and teakwood trees, battering the sweat from Rens face.
“Something about two nights in a row.” Kato said, standing from his crouch. “Then, nothing. If you plan to keep tracking, we’d better get moving.”
With a curt nod, Ren sprang to standing. She listened for footsteps, for branches breaking or leaves crunching underfoot. Her ears perked at the smooth sound of silver gnawing into a nearby tree. Crooking her hand at Kato, she took off. Careful not to crash through the jungle’s underbrush. Though, she was pretty sure the group already knew they were being tracked. If not by other people—then by something. They had to be ready for a fight. An ambush.
Ren caught three retreating bodies diving deeper into the jungle before they stopped. Of the Kirabo that survived, Ren only counted five. Where were the rest? Were they hiding? Had they doubled around to check and see who had been tailing them? Ren flattened her belly against the foliage underfoot. Kato did the same, flopping to the ground like a dead fish.
Red-rimmed and dry, Rens eyes stared unblinkingly at the Kirabo up ahead as they gathered into a semi-circle. The children were dropped into a pile of bodies, some sleeping, others too dazed to understand what was going on or frozen in fear. Terrified panic.
What are they doing?
Ren was so close—so damned close—to finding the camp. To finding Mia. Her heart drummed in her ears as the leader of the group pulled the men apart and stood centered. With her foot, she drew a circle aro
und the children. Her toes kicking aside dead leaves and wet earth. Completing the circle, she stood in its center. Slipping her mask from her face, the leader cradled it in her arm like a child. Her green eyes were adamant, staring solely at Ren. Almost as if she could see her.
Then she dropped. Like a rock into a pit.
36
Awesome. More magic.
An abyss replaced the heap of children and the Kirabo leader. It was a hole in the ground that opened wider, swallowing up the remaining Kirabo before dirt piled into it. Sand and leaves and broken branches. Ren popped up and sprinted. They were disappearing through a fucking hole in the ground. This couldn’t be possible—this wasn’t fair. Not when she was so damned close to finding out where they were stationed. To finding Mia and her memories—to going home. Ren stood over the circle, now painted with fresh earth and foliage. She pressed a toe into it. A whole foot. But nothing happened. Whatever the Kirabo leader had done to the ground, it wouldn’t open for her. Not now, not ever.
Kato peeled himself away from the foliage. Stood near her and simply stared down.
“Are they underground?” Ren asked, head slowly shaking. “Are they under-fucking-ground?!”
“No.” He said, running a hand through his sweat-slicked hair. “It’s…impossible.”
“You’ve said that about a lot of things, Kato. I’m starting to think you’re about as clueless as I am!” she stomped forward. “They aren’t underground, are they? It’s just some new freaky magic and they’ve just fucking disappeared. That sound about right?”
“It smelled like earth. Like the Shamaness’s magic. Moira’s Passion.”
“Well, how in the hell is that possible?” Ren spat back, charging forward without a purpose now. “You said it yourself—that’s impossible. There are only four Scions and blah, blah, blah…”
“Don’t make light of this, Ren.” Kato warned, growling as he caught up with her. “We need to report this to the Shamaness.”
“We?” Ren said, whirling on him. “Didn’t she say—fall back! Protect Nyx? Fuck her. Fuck those people. They didn’t give a flying fuck about those kids when I did. She’s going to fuck me because I disobeyed her.” Again, she meant to add.
Kato snorted. “You don’t care about those kids.” He loomed over her, arms crossed against his muscled chest. “You care about your friend. About going home and forgetting all of this ever happened. The truth is, Ren, that you don’t even care about your friend. It’s all a means to an end, isn’t it? Get your friend, and you find a way home. You don’t care about us.”
“Us?” Ren barked back. “Us?” her laughter was bitter, taut. “What have your people done to welcome me? No matter what I am to your people, I will always be an Outsider. I’ll never fucking belong. So, yeah. Maybe I do care more about going home. Maybe I couldn’t give a fuck about you Mesh, but that’s only because you all don’t fucking care about me!” she paced. “Remember what you said back there? You aren’t a true Scion. You’re right. I’m not. I’m not a fucking Mesh. I’m not a fucking islander. I’m from civilization. A place where magic and fuck-all doesn’t exist—but you know what does? My life. My life exists back there. And I don’t care how much you all guilt trip me—but I’m going home. I’m not going back to Nyx, you got it? Fuck you and fuck the Shamaness.”
Wow. Even she was taken aback by her words. But, from Kato, all she got was a look. Guarded, cold and dark, he nodded his head once. Let a bit of hurt spill from his eyes before they went cold. Marble-like. “Okay.” Was all he said before clamming up.
Ren was too pissed to even grieve. “Fine.” She spat back. “Take me toward the Northern Shore and I promise you’ll never see my face again.”
His curt nod told her he understood. She followed him, walking behind, as a chilling mist wafted off of his skin. It wasn’t something she could see, only something she could feel. Before long, it grew veins and began sinking through the rest of the jungle. As night fell and stars winked above, the chilling sensation stopped misting off of his back and began crawling from the forest. It gave her goosebumps.
Kato stopped. Froze in place, eyes to the ground. Ren almost bumped into him. “What?”
He was still giving her the silent treatment. She almost wanted to apologize. Almost.
“What?” she spat again, taking a step away from him. Ren peered into the brush, scanning the darkening jungle. Branches broke all around them. A wheezing surrounded them like the circular walls of a hurricane. Ren took another step back, her shoulders rising up to her ears.
It was too dark to see the eyes.
37
Ren counted four. Four of those creepy sunken eye creatures sporting bleached animal skulls, wearing them like over-sized helmets. Among them was the bull-skull creature who had assaulted her once, stabbed her shoulder with its creepy curved claws.
Standing back to back with Kato, fire exploded from Ren’s palms. Lighting up the night. She smirked as Bull Skull stalked closer, the other three creatures lurching forward from different directions. This time Ren would be able to hold her own. She didn’t need a spear or some talking-tree to come to her rescue. Heat welled up inside her as her fire was reflected back in the sunken pits of Bull Skull’s eyes. Ren flicked jazz hands at it. Baiting it.
This time, it wouldn’t talk. It charged at her, the other four throwing themselves into lurching sprints.
Kato lunged forward, breaking contact. Chugging his fists forward, an explosion of air shot through a female creature. A lion-like skull attached to her head, the heavy thing teetering backward as she lost balance.
Fire engulfed Ren’s fist as she held her ground, digging her heels into the dirt. Bull Skull roared. Ren’s eyes widened at the noise as her fist clenched harder, nails breaking through skin. When Bull Skull was close enough, her knuckles connected with bone. Fire licked over bleached bone as she sidestepped, her hip connecting with another bleached skull-head. This one another female with a massive bird’s skull clattering over her head. When skull and hip connected, Ren was slammed into the dirt.
She wreathed, hip crying out. Her entire body was on fire and not in a good way. Bird Skull cocked its head at her, peering like a confused pigeon. Ren screamed, used her right arm to send a wash of fire roaring toward it. Bird Skull threw herself to the side, beads, and feathers clattering as she jerked her limbs haphazardly.
A hand fell to Rens right and she took it. Kato swirled her up. Pressing her body against his, she stared up into his eyes before he dropped her hands. Her body. Pivoting on his heel, he dropped into a crouch, hands flat against the earth. The creatures looked on, arms and hands splayed. Prowling undulating circles that crossed. Kato howled as a whirling wall of air rose slowly, his hands rising with it. The air surrounding them in the howling tumult of a tornado. The funnel stretching toward the sky.
“Give it fire.” Kato hissed.
Ren bucked. If she added fire to this thing it would become uncontrollable. Hair smacked at her face. Foliage ripped at her legs and torso as the gale roared around her. “You’ll burn everything down!”
He shot her a piercing glare. “I can control it.”
Ren pursed her lips. She had to trust him—that, or die. There were too many of those…things. No wonder Kato was desperate, pulling things out of his ass. When he turned away from her, Ren shot flame through her fists. She watched the gale pull at it, slurping the fire up like trails of burning thread. Before long, the funnel was a sweltering tumult of angry orange heat threatening to spin off and burn the entire jungle to the ground. An abrasive hum bit at Ren’s ears and she turned. Kato’s crystal hovered at his chest, tendrils of white light exploding from it as his face went beet red. With a shout, he whipped the funnel off the ground and around him. Using it like a whip. The creatures prowled like cornered animals, sunken eyes burning holes through the funnel of fire careening right for them. Ren kept her eyes on Bull Skull, sneering as the funnel of flame cut through its three other companions.
Goosebumps rippled over Ren’s skin. They didn’t even scream.
The creatures were on fire. Sprinting around like human-sized fireflies, they crashed through the foliage, patting themselves. Rolling around in the leaves if they tripped. Bull Skull was the last of them to be lit aflame. Black eyes scoured through the fire before it too succumbed to the pain—but silently. It threw its head from side to side. Sprinted back and forth.
Blackened creatures dropped to the ground once Kato stole the fire from them, using scythes of air to wipe it away. They withered there like dead ravens, twitching. Steam rolling from their scorched skin.
Kato had beaten them. He was a true Scion, unlike her. Able to control air but also fire. Her fire.
But he was spent. The blue crystal at his neck extinguished. The thing clear as it thumped against his breastbone. His knees buckled and Ren raced to catch him. Stretching his arm across her shoulders, she supported him with a grimace. The guy felt like a sack of potatoes. Hundreds of sacks of huge fucking potatoes.
He couldn’t go far like this.
Dragging him through the brush, she chose a spot near a thick group of bamboo shoots. Lowering him with a grunt, she leaned him against the bamboo and plopped down beside him.
Ren wanted to mutter, sorry, but he was already snoring. Out like a blown light. Laying down in the foliage, she passed out. Uncaring if some freaky creature assaulted them in their sleep. They’d survive, she assured herself. She could protect him just like he protected her.
Ren wanted to apologize so bad.
Bugs crept beneath the leaves, nipping at her fingertips. Opening her eyes, she rolled onto her back and stared at the stars. Counted them until they winked out of existence.
That made her sit up.
Fire flicked to life in her free hand as two bleached skulls appeared in the darkness, standing beside Kato. A cold hand wrapped around her shoulder. Nails digging into the skin.
Wild Magic (The Island Book 1) Page 11