by Taylor Leigh
She slowed her approach as she neared the fire and tried to keep her rasping breath under control. She decided that stumbling into their campsite in crazed relief would not be the wisest course of action. Then again, getting caught spying on the owners of the fire would not go over particularly well either.
She peered through the ferns. She thought she could make out two people, talking quietly, sitting close. They definitely weren’t Blaiden. That encouraged her. With a deep breath Victoria steeled her courage and stepped into the light.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
She was greeted by a loaded bow and a rather large knife both pointed her direction. Victoria’s hands flew into the air and she tried to adopt the most innocent look she possibly could muster. ‘Please,’ she said weakly, squinting in the light. ‘Please, I’m unarmed. I need help!’
It took her eyes a moment to adjust, but when they did, her heart leapt. It was Flynn and Story. Already Flynn was sheathing his knife.
Story lowered her bow. ‘You’re still alive? I thought you would have been eaten by now once you split up with the Traveller.’
‘I thought I told you to go home,’ Flynn said, crossing his arms.
Victoria took a deep breath. ‘I was going to but I got lost. Ran into a rather large beastie. It was either get eaten or run for it; I chose the latter and lost the trail. I’ve been stumbling round for hours!’
‘Were you on the Blaiden’s land?’ Flynn’s tan face went dark. ‘I told you to stay away from there!’
‘Like I said,’ Victoria said, ‘I got lost.’
Flynn huffed. ‘Like hell you did.’
‘But what luck! Running into you two! Out of everyone I could have stumbled across I run into the two people I know I can trust.’
The looks they both cast her direction were not very reassuring, but Victoria decided to go on anyway. ‘After all, Story, you’re friends with Tollin, and so am I. I’m with him; he gave me this necklace, see? You can trust me. He wouldn’t have let me go with him if he didn’t trust me.’
‘We don’t know if we can trust the Traveller,’ Story said. ‘He is a strange one. Not of this world. Not of our blood. His fate is dark. That much I know.’
‘Well, I don’t know about that, not really. All I know is that he wants to help, and I think you know that as well, or you wouldn’t talk to him.’
Story stiffened. ‘He has done nothing yet to impress me. Only talk.’
Victoria felt a tad defensive, and wasn’t sure why. ‘Just give him time. He won’t let us down.’
Flynn walked towards her. ‘Why do you sound as if you are scheming? Will I regret ever allowing you to live, strange girl?’
Victoria eyed him. ‘If I’m scheming at all it’s only for the betterment of us. I don’t want trouble. I want to help! I’m no threat to you. Look at me. I’m helpless, lost.’
Flynn huffed. ‘Could be a clever ruse. That man, Andrew, has pulled these tricks before. We’ve lost many over the years to his heartless tricks. Caring gets you killed. He knows that. Uses it for his own gain.’
Victoria studied Flynn’s face. His words sent a chill down her spine. ‘You’re wrong about that. And you’re wrong about me. Please, I just want to get back to them. I’m no threat, I swear. I’m not on anyone’s side in this mix-up. I just want to get back. Please.’
‘It’s dark,’ Flynn grumbled.
‘You know the way. I know you do. You have to know this forest like the back of your hand.’
‘The lake is too far of a walk tonight. You couldn’t make it.’
She suddenly remembered. ‘We’re not at the lake! We’re in the forest at Watcher’s Keep. Everyone was supposed to gather there today…after the funeral.’
Flynn’s expression turned thoughtful. ‘Everyone?’
Story gripped his arm. ‘You are not actually thinking of taking her there, are you?’ she hissed.
Flynn scowled. ‘I won’t be gone long, an hour at the most. We’re close.’
Story eyed Victoria disdainfully. ‘I don’t like this. I should come as well.’
Flynn cocked his head. ‘No. Stay here. If I get caught walking her back then it will be on my head, not both of ours. You are safe here. It is my decision.’
Story looked as if she wanted to say more. She swallowed rather hard and nodded her head, uneasy. ‘Please be quick.’
Flynn put his hand on her shoulder. ‘Keep your eyes open. You will be fine.’
Story jerked back stiffly as if he’d shocked her. ‘Of course I will be fine! I am your best warrior. I am not afraid of anything. You alone is what worries me! You are too important to lose.’
Flynn straightened. ‘I will be back. Be angry at me then.’ He reached forward and Victoria watched as he squeezed Story’s hand. Then he turned back to her. ‘Let’s go, girl. Do not make me regret this. I would let you die in the forest, but something keeps telling me you must live. You are as alien to this world as the Traveller is, and if you are anything like I have heard he is, then you must live as well. If that turns out otherwise, I’ll kill you myself.’
Victoria stared into his grey eyes. ‘Well, thank you. I swear I will do my very best to not let you down. And if I do, I won’t blame you one bit for killing me.’
Flynn disappeared into the underbrush. ‘Come. I move fast and I expect you to keep up. We will be there shortly.’
Victoria charged in after him. ‘Yes, sir,’ she murmured.
Chapter Forty
Reginald glanced up from his rather unappetising meal of mushrooms and swamp-clams in surprise. Arkron swaggered into the room looking pleased with herself and wearing a rather tight and revealing black leather outfit. He shared a glance with Crammell, and then glowered at Arkron.
‘Where have you been?’ he demanded, dropping down from the large rusted gear he was sitting on. ‘You’ve been gone for three days!’
‘I’ve been busy!’ Arkron scowled. ‘My goodness, you worry a lot.’
‘Been gone where? Things have been going crazy here!’ Reginald cried.
‘Just gone,’ Arkron waved him off and waltzed over to examine herself in front of a polished metal surface. ‘Stars, you think this is the only Realm I frequent? Oh, I look good! I should start wearing this more often!’
Reginald stared. ‘You’ve been gone to another Realm? Now? With everything happening you just decided to swan off to another Realm on a holiday?’
Arkron cast him a look over her shoulder. ‘There was something I had to do, someone I had to meet. I have rather a big operation I have to look after. This isn’t the only mission I’m involved with at the moment! Long, complicated story; you wouldn’t understand. But I’m back now! And I promise I’ll stay put. Does that make you feel better?’
Reginald glowered. ‘Not really. Other things to do,’ he grumbled. ‘Yeah, what could be more important than fighting this battle here?’ He marched back to his mushy meal. ‘We’ve got problems, you know that? Crammell here tells me that the stars are aligning in two days, and then the stones are going to connect to the other Realm. Not to mention the Denizens have gone nuts and I hear they’re planning on mass executions two days from now. Starting with the gladiators! If they kill them off, then a major part of our plan is gone!’
‘Quit your worrying. You’re too young for that. You’re making me feel old, and I’m twenty-thousand!’
‘There you go, talking nonsense again,’ Reginald muttered. ‘Well, someone’s got to worry! Savasa and the rest of Red Scorpion are getting anxious and I don’t blame them. We’ve been training and plotting and talking for months and now that everything is finally starting to move, I don’t know what to do.’
‘That’s why I’m here,’ Arkron said, still admiring her reflection. She grabbed her rather impressive chest and frowned thoughtfully, then flipped her black hair off her shoulder. ‘The warriors are ready, the gatekeeper will let us in, the gladiators have agreed to help and the loyal subjects of Layers are willing to rise up. Sound
s like we’ve got this all sewn up. All we have to do is make sure those stones don’t connect or else all hell will break loose. Not to worry! You’re acting like I’ve never done this before!’
‘Wish I had your confidence,’ Reginald sighed. ‘There’s something else.’
Arkron didn’t pay him any mind. ‘Oh? And what else is bothering you?’
Reginald glanced to Crammell. The Denizen stood to his feet. ‘We Denizens have hive-minds. We can hear each other’s distant thoughts, echoes of concentrated messages.’
Arkron nodded. ‘I know.’
‘My people be very excited lately.’
‘Oh? And why is that?’
Reginald stared down at the sand under his boots. He didn’t like what he’d heard Crammell state earlier. It sent his stomach into knots.
‘The Creator is coming. It is coming to Scrabia, twisting through the void, hungry and angry.’
Arkron finally spun round. ‘Creator? Creator of what? The Denizens?’
Crammell shook his head. ‘Nay, creator of the devils that inhabit them.’
Arkron lowered her brows. ‘Creator of the Daemons? That’s impossible, there’s no such thing.’
Crammell shrugged his thin leathery shoulders. ‘Do not know. That is simply the message. The priests are instructed to get as many humans addicted to the spores as possible, as quickly as possible. That is what the Creator wants.’
Arkron was frowning in a way Reginald didn’t much like. Almost as if she was worried. ‘The Denizens have been mining the cavern shrooms like mad, the Daemons are coming in two days, and there’s nothing we can do about stopping them I don’t see how you’re planning on fighting creatures you can’t see. You haven’t given me much of an idea what we’re up against and now we’ve got this creator to worry about! We’re up against evil spirits that feed off of negative human emotion and in case you haven’t noticed, human emotions are pretty dark right now. How can we stop something so powerful? And what good will all this do anyway? People will still be addicted to the spores. Everyone is affected and we can’t break them off. If this creator thing wants everyone drugged then we’re too late!’
‘Hold on,’ Arkron said slowly. ‘I’ve got a friend working on the spore problem. So don’t worry about that. He’ll figure it out and come to the rescue.’ She smiled. ‘He always does. He just might…be a little late to the party.’
He puffed his breath. ‘Well, we’ve still got to worry about closing that gateway. Otherwise this battle we’ll be fighting will be pointless. If that happens your friend better just stay where he is.’
Arkron nodded. ‘That is the bigger problem. It’s going to be well guarded, not to mention difficult to close. If I had a bigger team with me, people who were experienced with this sort of thing, it would be a lot easier. All I have is Marus, and I’m not entirely sure if he’s going to help me or not. I’m intrigued to see how this all works itself out.’
Reginald gazed at her. ‘But, you have done this before, right?’
Arkron’s look suddenly became uncomfortable. ‘Yes,’ she said hesitantly, ‘it’s just been a while. And I’ve never done it alone before.’
Reginald swallowed. ‘Ah. Well, I’ll leave it at that, then. Without you we’d all be screwed anyway. You’re the best hope we all have, and I believe in you.’
Arkron gave him an appreciative smile.
He held out the bowl of mushroom-mush, trying to ignore the slight tremor in his hand. ‘Want something to eat?’
* * * * *
Flynn stopped and Victoria stumbled to catch up. ‘There’s your keep, girl.’ He pointed.
‘I don’t see anything, it’s all dark!’ Victoria hissed back in a whisper.
‘It’s there, see its shape?’
Victoria saw it then, dark and foreboding. ‘Why is it all dark? If they were there, wouldn’t it be lit up?’
Flynn eyed her, irritated. ‘That is not my problem if they are there or not. I was simply to bring you here. I’ve done my part. Either way you can spend the night here safely. Now get going!’
Victoria reached out and squeezed his hand. ‘Thank you, Flynn.’
Flynn rolled his eyes. ‘Just go! And do not come back, understand?’
Victoria nodded. ‘I won’t. Promise. Thank you!’
Flynn turned and was gone.
Victoria stared back to the dark keep and felt slightly worried. What if no-one was there? Either way, it was a safe place to spend the night. She took a deep breath and dashed for the darkened building. Alone inside was better than nothing. It took her a moment to find the door in the dark and when she gripped it in her freezing hands she found it locked. Victoria cursed and then pounded on the wood. She didn’t want to shout in the still night but she didn’t know what else to do. Everything seemed so quiet, tense, as if waiting for something to happen.
‘Hello?’ she cried. ‘Anyone there? Please let me in! I’m all right!’
Nothing but stillness.
‘Hello?’
There was a creak above her and she tilted her head back to watch a window flash open on the second storey. ‘Victoria!’ Tollin’s familiar voice cried down loudly.
Another window opened. ‘Is that her?’ Thedric asked from somewhere. ‘Really? Blimey! Victoria, I’ll be right down!’
Tollin leaned out of the window on his elbows, the clouded red glow from Scrabia lit up his face enough for Victoria to see the pleased smugness. ‘You made it back. Brilliant! Can’t wait to hear about it.’
Victoria crossed her arms. ‘You left me!’
Tollin’s face dropped a notch. ‘Right, sorry about that, Victoria. Really, I am. But I’m so proud of you, making it back! I knew you were clever; just took a while to coax it out of you! Well, better pop downstairs!’ He disappeared from the window and Victoria was left alone again. His head bobbed back into view out of the window. ‘Really, you were brilliant!’
Then he was gone.
Two ticks later Thedric had thrown open the wooden door and hauled her inside. ‘You must be freezing!’ he said, guiding her towards a small fire burning in the fireplace. ‘What were you thinking, dressed like that?’
Victoria looked around. The place was deserted. No candles were lit and several weapons were lying strewn about. Her eyes darted to the foot of the stairs and she saw them there. Andrew and Tollin. Victoria broke away from Thedric and weakly walked towards them. She ached for Andrew but knew any comfort from him wasn’t an option. Her eyes left his and darted to the other man standing beside him. Tollin was the one who’d saved her and she wanted to do was thank him over and over for the light he sent.
It was Andrew, surprisingly, who moved. He threw his arms round her and pressed his mouth to hers forcefully, deeply. Thedric exclaimed something Victoria didn’t quite catch. Her mind was a little preoccupied by Andrew. She breathed in heavily, the scent of him pulling fully into her lungs. He pulled away, seeming almost to the point of tears. ‘Oh, thank goodness you’re safe! I’ve been so worried!’ He sucked in a hard, wracking breath, shooting a quick look to his brother. ‘I was just about to go look for you!’ He stepped back to look at her. ‘Are you all right?’
Victoria was caught off-guard and out of breath. What the hell was the matter with him? She studied his face. It was so genuine—jarringly so—the concern there. His pale eyes searched hers. Her mouth was still remembering the pressure of his lips. It was the last thing she would have expected of him. She would have been less surprised if he’d not looked her way at all.
‘Yes, I’m fine,’ Victoria said, frowning in dizzy confusion. ‘I’m glad you didn’t come, not in your condition. Can’t have you having a fit out there in the forest.’ She narrowed her eyes as she watched him. Something wasn’t right. Her mind went back to Tollin’s words. She tried to work out what his goal was for his little display.
Andrew smiled charmingly, wrinkles forming round his eyes. ‘For you, I would risk it. But, you’re safe now! Perfect. We’re all toget
her again.’ He turned with Victoria and faced Tollin and Thedric. ‘Everything is back where it should be.’ He squeezed her shoulder a little too tightly.
Tollin’s eyes were dark as he surveyed both of them. Victoria could plainly see the disapproving look on his face and he wasn’t trying to conceal it.
Her eyes shifted and she saw Andrew and her blurry reflection on the polished surface on the table next to her. Andrew’s expression was not the grinning, relieved one she’d just been greeted with. It was expressionless and cold as always, as if it had been nothing more than an act for his own amusement.
She swallowed, her stomach turning over. Maybe Tollin knew better than she’d like to admit.
* * * * *
Flynn trotted through the wood. His trip back to Story’s campsite was much shorter now that he didn’t have the alien girl slowing him down. He felt strange, light even, despite all the problems looming over him. Returning to Story, being alone with her, a crackling fire and the undisturbed wood was such a mood-lifter he almost ran the entire way back.
Ridiculous, of course; he knew that. As the clan leader he knew he shouldn’t be so caught up about her. It wasn’t proper, and certainly wouldn’t go over well with the rest of the clan if they knew how fond he was of the woman. Desiring to be in the company of any woman, simply for the conversation and companionship of it, was not a particularly strong leadership quality. At the moment, however, moving through the dark wood with the cool smell of winter in his lungs, he didn’t care.