Shadow Lands

by K. F. Breene

  “I’ll go get some root vegetables.” As he left, she flashed him a thankful smile.

  He wandered into the wood, listening while searching for the vegetables she’d been pointing out on their walk. This part of the forest was a dead-spot for their Gifts, so they’d have to listen for sounds of any stalkers creeping up on them. So far, they’d seen no one all day. Cayan figured they were probably letting Shanti heal—making a sport out of her—but time was always on his mind. The Graygual were getting ready to strike.

  He bent to dig a carrot-like root out of the ground, hearing the soft rustle of an animal in the near distance. The rustle sounded again, and then a third time. An animal foraging for food, he’d bet his life on it.

  And, in truth, he was.

  He finished yanking the root out of the ground and moved on to another. When he had enough, he landed back at the camp, marveling at the welcoming fire Shanti had started.

  “I don’t know how you get them started so easily with all this wet.” He sat down next to her, feeling the hum of her body so close. Their power gave a small surge at the proximity.

  “Practice,” she said, coaxing the flame higher. “It didn’t rain nearly as much where I grew up, but we were close to the ocean. Everything had a dampness to it.”

  They sat in silence for a moment as the crackling of the fire grew louder and flame reached higher. Cayan said, “When do you think the next trial will come?”

  She sighed and looked out at the trees. “Any time. I think they must let the candidates move at their own pace, but we were walking today. That probably says to them I am ready to keep going.”

  “What do you think is next?” Cayan watched the flame dance as she braced her elbows on her knees.

  “They know we have a lot of power, and they didn’t push when you warned them of it, so they probably know hitting us with that will take planning. They’ve tried to sneak up on me already, and they’d sent a strange monster-type animal after me. What’s left but fighting?”

  “Archery? Knife fighting?”

  Shanti laughed. “Well, I don’t have anything but knives, so knife-fighting is a definite. I’ll just have to dodge the arrows.”

  “How do I factor into this?” Cayan shifted away from a rock. His knee touched and then stayed connected to hers for a brief moment. Electricity surged between them, tingling his base. She shifted, cutting off the contact. Running, as per usual.

  It was as maddening as it was exciting.

  “They bring more fighters, that’s how. They’ve seen how you move. Not fight, no, but a good fighter can tell a lot by how people move. They’ll prepare for it.”

  The light in the sky dwindled as Shanti started peeling the vegetables with her knife. The crackling of the fire and the slow slide of her knife competed with the soft dripping of water onto the tarp above them.

  “Without you, I’d be cold and miserable this whole trip. And hungry. I could get by in here, but not easily.” Cayan picked up the other vegetable and took out his knife.

  “Without me, you’d be warm in your house tucked away in your city.”

  “Waiting for death.”

  “We are all waiting for death, Cayan,” Shanti said in a soft tone. “It is how long we have before the inevitable that makes the difference.”

  “And how long is that?”

  She shrugged. “The Elders only know.”

  * * *

  After eating and spending a few moments quietly listening to the soft sounds of the forest, they moved further into the shelter. Shanti set out Cayan’s unused garments, providing a small amount of comfort, and lay down facing the fire. Cayan moved in behind her, pushing up against her back and closing his eyes as he breathed in her scent, feminine and floral.

  “How are your wounds?” he asked as electricity jumped from her body to his. His body stirred at the contact. He ran his hand up her thigh and over her hip before dipping it into her coat and resting on the warm skin of her waist.

  “Healing. They don’t hurt as much, and they’ve scabbed over now, so not as prone to infection, but they’ll break open with the first battle.” She removed his hand.

  “Are we going to pretend we didn’t make love?” Cayan asked as he trailed his lips across her neck. She shivered at the contact. A small sigh escaped her lips. He slid his hand over her hip again, unable to stop himself from touching her.

  “No. In the heat of the moment, it felt right, but I don’t want to get involved, Cayan. I can’t afford to love again. I can’t afford to let people get that close, because I can’t stand losing any more loved ones.”

  “We’re already that close. The Honor Guard, Sanders—all of us are already that close to you. We’re your family now. The thing between you and me— we both feel it. Why not express it?”

  “Because that makes it real,” she said with a tremor in her voice. She flung his hand away, resorting to violence to drown out her pain and uncertainty. She closed down her shields, trying to shut him out, but their connection was deeper than that now. Whatever they’d done, they’d combined their Gifts and merged parts of themselves. Closing down the mind didn’t stop the feeling from leaking from one to the other. It also didn’t stop the aching desire.

  He could let her run again, as she always seemed to do, or he could match her violence, and force her to submit. Neither would be permanent, but each would make a statement; both of his intent and her resolve.

  It took a split second to make the decision.

  He backed up and then pulled her shoulder toward him with a heavy hand, forcing her to roll his way. She winced, rolling on her wounds, but her eyes showed fire before they were lost to shadow. She jabbed him with an uppercut, forcing the breath from his lungs. He caught that hand. The next punch was hindered by her position, but when it hit the base of his neck, he choked. Wheezing, he rolled onto her, as much to stop her hurting him as anything.

  Pinning her upper body, and holding her hands with his own, he said, “No more running.”

  He expected a head-butt. Instead, her thighs slid up the outside of his as a slow burn sparkled her fire-lit eyes. He kissed her, a hard, bruising kiss. She matched it angrily. When she opened her mouth, he filled it, tasting her, but not slowing down. Not letting her fear catch up with her desire.

  He let go of her wrists and pulled open her jacket. He slid his hands underneath her shirt and felt that smooth, hot skin. Her legs tightened around him. The kiss became harder, more needy.

  He stripped her as she ripped clothes from him, movement difficult in such a small space, but actions firm and rough. When he entered her, she didn’t hide her moan of pleasure. He took to her hard, giving her what she needed, matching her fight to overcome the memories of her past and those she lost. And also to claim her, because she was his. This was it. With their power, and their actions—he was done chasing.

  His explosion matched hers. Then, his kisses softened. His movements slowed. His mood shifted.

  What had started fierce and wild became slow and deep, but just as intense. Her hands shook as they snaked around his middle, palms splayed on his back. A tear flowed down her cheek in the firelight as she looked up at him.

  “What does mesasha mean, Cayan?” she asked in a quiet tone as she accepted this new slow, deep movement.

  “It is a term my grandmother used for my grandfather in her home language. It means heavenly beloved. In essence, it means there is only one. For me, you are that one.”

  He barely saw her nod as her arms moved from around his middle to around his shoulders. “I hate that you’ve forced me into this,” she whispered.

  “I know. But it was inevitable.”

  “I’ll torture you for it,” Shanti said as another tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m a hard woman to love, Cayan. People close to me seem to end up dead. I chew people up and then my duty spits them out.”

  “Shhh,” he silenced her with his lips. Her whole body shook as she clung to him. “I’m as much in this as you are. I�
��d still be by your side if I hated you—and that place would be infinitely more perilous.”

  Her lips curled into a smile. “This will take time for me. I feel like I’m betraying another. But… Heaven’s Gates, Cayan, you feel good.”

  “The Elders are in heaven?” Cayan asked, moving faster, feeling the build.

  “No. We believe the Elders exist within the blanket of stars, looking down on their children and helping point the way. But I heard Rachie say Heaven’s Gates, once. It stuck.”

  “Hmm,” Cayan said, losing the ability for words. Shanti did too, straining into him in the way she had recently strained to get away. When their explosion came again they entwined in each other’s limbs, sharing heat and completely open. Their Gifts surged and flowed, despite the forest’s limitations. It blossomed out from them, the foundation solid and unbreakable, the power as beautiful as it was terrifying.

  In the aftermath they lay together, him curled around her with their clothes draped on top, sharing warmth. Come the morning, she’d probably try to run again, but they would both know it’d be in vain.

  * * *

  Shanti startled awake. Cayan’s warmth coated her back, his breath rising and falling in sleep. She listened. The soft patter of drops splashed on the tarp above. The fire, having died to a soft glow, only made a couple of light crackles. Leaves rustled in the falling rain, but otherwise all was quiet.

  Shanti knew better than to close her eyes again. She’d been hunted for more than a year, and before that, trained in the harsh conditions her people conjured up. When her body awoke with a start like this, there was always a reason.

  She sat up, wincing as pain lanced her leg and side. She moved out of the shelter so she could stand straight, shivering immediately with the cold.

  “What is it?” Cayan asked quietly.

  A light fog sifted between the trees, glowing white where the moonlight hit it. The deep black of the shadows contrasted, making depth perception and visibility nearly impossible. Her eyes were no good to her.

  Her eyelids drifted closed and she centered her mind, letting the world around her soak into her awareness. A light breeze brushed against her skin, bringing with it the damp cold. The sound of raindrops fell away, ignored so she could focus on the small sounds lingering behind and between the definable.

  She heard it. A soft crunch, then silence. A tiny slide came next, barely noticeable. Her small hairs stood on end, feeling something moving out there. Feeling an awareness creeping closer. Animal or human, they were both dangerous—especially with the animals in these woods.

  She spun to her clothing, pulling them on hastily but making sure she made no sound. Cayan stood quickly, doing the same. She armed herself with what she had, then picked up the coil of vines. Loose rocks went into each pocket padded with wet leaves so they wouldn’t make a sound. She loaded Cayan’s pockets the same way. The extra weight was unfortunate, but they might be useful.

  With a hand to his large shoulder, she applied just enough pressure to get him to bend toward her. He prepared for a kiss. She rolled her eyes and nudged his chin away so she could get her lips near his ear and whisper, “There’s something out there. If it’s an animal, we’ll probably do enough to scare it away with loud noises. We’ll need to stay upwind of it though, in case running would be best. If human, they are experts at stalking. I doubt Rohnan could be quieter. We’ll distract them with the rocks before bursting down on them, either killing them, or…” She bit her lip and backed away. She had no idea what to do in that situation. Bonk them on the head? Say, “Gotcha!” and expect everyone to put their weapons down? Her shrug was probably lost to the dark, as was the nod she could feel him make.

  Their merged Gifts were proving beneficial in these trials.

  She started off to the right as fast as possible, still making no sound. Cayan stayed right behind her, trusting her judgment, and equally silent. They circled around until their scent was behind the faint sounds coming from fifteen paces away.

  Suddenly, the sounds stopped.

  Shanti and Cayan stopped, too.

  The rain faded into the background again. Nothingness filled in the space in its wake. No movement. No sound.

  It couldn’t be an animal. She would hear snuffing if it had caught wind of something. Usually only a deer would stay still this long, and the sounds she’d heard were not from hooves.

  It was human.

  The question became, was it Inkna or Shadow? Either way might be death.

  She let a thrill of fear alert Cayan to what she suspected. She felt a soft hand on her shoulder, and then he pulled away, walking ahead of her. She watched him for a moment, his large form somehow graceful in its stealth, not moving like a man with that much bulk should. He would get behind as she came in from the side. Smart.

  She wished she had her sword.

  Another faint footfall came from their prey. She didn’t hear Cayan at all.

  Keeping her breath even and deep, to keep her brain rich in oxygen, she waited until she felt a thrill of anticipation—Cayan was in position.

  Balanced and patient, she stepped forward. With the fog and darkness, visibility was down to about four paces in any direction. Trunks loomed and then edged into sight. Branches made strange shapes in the fog until she could identify them. Jagged rocks, unseen, pressed against the soles of her shoes. Slowly, methodically, she closed in until those tiny movements, careful but vague, sounded just beyond her.

  Movement assaulted her perception, raising goosebumps along her body and trying to amp up her heart’s rhythm. A few people, not just one, moved in the night. Creeping. Stalking. Intending to catch their prey unaware.

  A twig snapped. Sound halted.

  Cayan’s presence loomed off to Shanti’s right. Stationary.

  Anticipation started to rise in both her and Cayan.

  She heard the sound of skin grazing fabric, she was sure of it. Which meant someone was lifting an arm or turning a neck.

  A warning blast came from Cayan as she felt it herself. Suddenly, the night was action.

  Someone rushed directly at her through the wall of black. A sword caught the moonlight, high in the air. She ducked around a tree as it fell, barely getting out of the way. She ran around the tree, sensing someone else coming her way. A sword clashed near Cayan.

  She stepped in with quick hands, catching someone running by. Blonde hair streaked by, barely visible, but black camouflaged the body. Shanti swung her arm toward the chest, squishing against breast—had to be Shadow. Don’t kill!

  With her knife, she lightly jabbed the person in the neck, only enough to break skin. With an intake of breath, the person dropped. Shanti’s heart beat wildly in her chest, fearing she’d jabbed too hard, until she saw the woman kneeling. Out of the fight.

  Her inner sirens went off. She ducked and moved as a blade swung past her head. She turned and struck out with the handle of her knife. The body moved to the side easily and countered. Her fingers locked around his wrist as she turned, yanking him with her. She pummeled him in the stomach with the hilts of her knives before bending and jabbing the inside of his thigh. As he dropped down to one knee she spun away and met Cayan.

  “Oh. You didn’t knock them out?” He glanced down at the woman on her knee. “That won’t make me popular.”

  “How many did you have?” she asked, stepping away from the two she’d taken down with an imaginary kill.

  “Just the one. I saw you with the man but figured you had it.”

  “We expected to amuse you.” The woman stood and wiped at her neck.

  “Amuse us?” Shanti asked in confusion.

  “Ambush, she means.” The man stood too, coming forward until he stood in a patch of glowing moonlight. He glanced up at the sky and then in the direction Cayan came from. A foot was sticking out of a shadow, toe pointed at the sky.

  “Shall we go back to your fire? We can see each other better and Patross can wake up. I don’t want to have to carry him bac
k.” The man gestured Shanti toward her shelter.

  “I guess.” She stepped to the side, wary that her attackers now wanted to have a chat and pretend they were friends. Cayan stepped between her and the man, obviously thinking the same thing. It was impossible to say when the trials began and ended. They could easily be getting her to let down her guard so they could try something else.

  When they got back to the shelter, Shanti stoked the fire with Cayan standing over her. His body was relaxed, but his readiness for an attack was evident with the way his hand stayed on his sword and his weight on the balls of his feet.

  “The fight is done,” the man said, sitting down on the wet ground before the fire. The woman joined him, sitting cross-legged and staring across at Shanti.

  As the flame leapt, eating the new fuel, light began to dance across the features of those sitting in front of her. The man was slight of frame, lending to his quickness and agility, with light brown hair and sharp cheekbones. The woman had dirty blonde hair and calculating eyes. Neither seemed to mind that their butt was wet and would soon be cold.

  “You are violet-eyed girl?” the woman asked, her gaze spearing Shanti’s.

  “Yes. A large release of power at five years old burned my irises.” Shanti sat on her tarp. Cayan sat beside her.

  The woman’s sharp gaze drifted to Cayan. “And you are mate?”

  “No,” Shanti said, a little too quickly. “He’s the Captain and leader of the Westwood Lands. His men are currently housed in your city.”

  “Power mate, I mean,” the woman clarified.

  Thankfully the darkness hid Shanti’s blush. “Yes. He’s my power’s mate, yes.”

  That gaze moved back to Shanti, watching in silence for a moment as the man said, “Excuse us—where are our manners? I am Baos, and this is Jessta. We often lead trainings for stalking others unseen. Tell me: how were you able to spot us?”

  “She has run from Graygual from west to east, Baos. Use your head,” Jessta said, eyes back on Cayan. “How you find this man? Why he pledge to you?”