by Jaymin Eve
I forced myself to concentrate on my task at hand. It took me mere moments to strip the helpless warriors. And by the time the Angelica had recovered I stood right before them, a pile of their weapons at my feet. The expressions on their faces, as awareness hit them, ranged from anger and disbelief right up to fear.
“Lucy and I are warriors,” I told them, “but we’ll only battle if you threaten us again. Keep in mind I could have killed you all right then.”
Never hurts to put some fear into them.
And then just like that those still holding weapons sheathed them and turned from us to continue their battling on the wide expanse of clear white cloud. Only a handful stayed to face us.
“Welcome to Neol, the tournament land. I am Galern.” A black-wing stepped forward. He had charcoal-colored skin, just lighter than his wings, and then this mass of contrasting white hair. “Follow me. I’ll take you to our area. Our council will give you the rules.”
None of the other Angelica argued with his statement, although I noticed two purples exchange glances. Their too perfect, genderless faces did not give much away, but at a guess, the black-wings’ status as leaders didn’t have everyone bathing in ecstatic joy. Just like in Walker society, the princeps were often respected but not necessarily liked.
Brace and Colton stayed close to either side of us as we followed Galern around the edge of the field.
“That was really … really freaking hot how you whipped that angel’s ass.” Lucy was walking, so she had to glance up at Colton when she spoke. “I never even saw you and Brace move.”
“Plenty more where that came from, pretty girl.” Colton leaned down to kiss her on the nose.
I looked away, only to find Brace staring at me. It was just like the old days, before we were bonded. When we hadn’t realized that we were true mates, but knew there was something between us. Except now I was nursing a broken heart and Brace, unable to remember our love, probably thought he was going crazy. But as backwards as it sounds, I was calmer when I was with him. It hurt not being bonded, but his presence gave me some relief. It was not the torture I’d anticipated.
“It was pretty hot,” I admitted to Brace.
Wait, what?
He was still staring at me. I had to say something.
His answering grin as he turned his head away sent shivers up and down my spine.
“We all know which one of us kicked the most ass,” I heard him say into the swirling winds.
The mist grew thicker as we moved away from the white angels and their wing-flap-athon. Galern did not so much walk as march us along, never pausing or looking around. Not that there was much to see here. Besides the majesty of the angel creatures, the land itself was the most unchanging we’d been to. Clouds and mist. There had to be something more to it.
Finally the black-winged Angelica came to a halt. We stopped right behind him and I tried to figure out what the holdup was. It took me a few moments to realize he stood before a building. Kind of. The walls seemed to be made of clouds or a misty substance that had been erected into thin panes of glass. A frosted glass, though; I couldn’t see inside. From my position the dwelling looked to be single level, probably around fifty square feet.
Colton followed Galern through the open doorway first. Brace brought up the rear of our group. The men were being very protective. They had zero trust for these Angelicas. Inside the residence was a large open space. There were five black-wings scattered around, and three more standing over a large table. Yes, you guessed it, a cloud table.
“Can they just manipulate this cloud and mist and create any structure they want?” Lucy asked out loud.
Even though we were near the entrance and Galern had moved across the room, he still heard. “Our energy allows us to manipulate our land. We take sustenance from the clouds and we use them for our comforts.”
The eight others stepped forward, their faces much more welcoming than back at the field.
“This is the high council of Gaa,” Galern said.
I raised my brows, wondering what the heck Gaa was.
He noticed my expression. “Gaa is the name of the black-winged flock,” he explained. “Gaa is the word for black in Angelican, our language.”
I was guessing the rest of the flocks were named for their colors also.
A woman stepped away from the group. She looked older, a little more wizened than her other council members, but still tall and graceful. “I am Steva. Welcome to Nephilius, and the official tournament for this cloud year. We need to go over the rules so that your stay with us is …” She paused. “Well, not fraught with peril.”
Ominous beginnings, but hey, not our worst welcome to a world.
“You have only entered one competitor. The other three of you will have a designated area. You must not leave there. And you cannot assist your fighter, no matter what.”
Yeah, that wasn’t happening but continue.
“There are ten cloud lands on Nephilius. There are no dangers within this tournament land, but others are not so safe. Separating the lands are large abysses. If you fall into these, you will never return.”
Okay, no exploring, check. But how did they know I’d never return? What was down these holes?
“And at some point we need to take you to the Isle of Souls.”
The four of us exchanged confused glances.
“Why?” Brace asked bluntly.
“While it’s not the first time outsiders have competed in the tournament, the deal struck this year was that between rounds you would attempt to assist us with our little problem.”
Her voice rose slightly, she seemed surprised that we didn’t already know this.
Thank you, Grantham, a little heads-up would have been appreciated.
“What’s the Isle of Souls?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t something too creepy. And no zombies, please. I was still recovering from my last encounter.
“Since the beginning of our time, when an Angelica died, their soul would return to the mother cloud.” Steva pointed skyward. “But for the last thousand or so cycles, every soul has been trapped on the Isle of Souls.”
“This is throwing off the balance,” Galern said. “And we believe if the negative there gets too strong it will suck in all of our souls and trap us in the land.”
“Yes, thank you, Galern,” Steva said, putting him in his place. “Delane – one of Gaa’s best fighters and a true champion – just visited the isle and believes that some type of foreign energy, originating from the abyss, draws the souls and holds them. We hope you might offer more insight or assistance.”
I exchanged a glance with Lucy. It sounded a little like the energy-sucking thing Que had had set up in the dark mountains on First World. Maybe this was a Walker problem.
“We’ll fulfill Grantham’s bargain. But if the energy originates within the abyss, and we can’t enter this area, I see a large problem,” Colton said.
Steva nodded but did not comment further.
Colton moved closer to Lucy, who looked extra tiny amongst the giants in the room. He was very protective of her. Not that Brace had been any less of me, but Lucy was the sort of person who inspired protective instincts. Me not so much. But I was okay with that. I liked to be my own savior. Brace was the exception to my rule, and that’s just because I loved him.
“The tournament will start soon. You need to be fitted with armor and a weapon.” Steva was still speaking. “The first round is saidon.”
“What’s a saidon?” I murmured to Brace. We’d used a variety of basic weapons in the compound. But I didn’t know that one.
“One of my favorite weapons,” he said with a grin. “I think on Earth they call it sai.”
Oh, right, I was pretty sure I knew what that was. Just like the one on that animated show with the –
“Turtles,” Lucy trilled, catching my eye.
Colton snorted. “What do Earth reptiles have to do with weapons?”
“Teenage mutant ninja turtle
s,” Lucy and I said together.
“Raphael used the sai.” I’d love the three-prong weapon of the red turtle.
“Heroes in a half-shell –” Lucy started to sing.
“Turtle power.” We finished together on a shout, thrusting our clenched fists into the air, before dissolving into laughter. Television shows from the 80s and 90s had been the best.
Brace and Colton exchanged grins, but it was clear that they had no idea what we were talking about.
“Earth’s a little wacked out,” Colton said. And he wasn’t wrong.
“Cute though,” Brace said.
Oh, my. He was staring at me like he wanted to eat me and I mean that in the non-cannibalistic way. On the other hand the Angelica were also staring at us. But their looks, if I had to guess, were a combination of disbelief and disgust.
“So is it a fight to the death, surrender or a timed-points win?” Brace managed to devour me with his eyes and still stay focused.
“All events are three rounds, and it’s either points-based or surrender. We do not fight to the death unless that is agreed on beforehand. The council from all five flocks form a panel of judges,” Galern said.
How the hell was that fair for Brace? We needed a representative on that panel.
“We are trained to remain unbiased, but the reality is we are probably harder on our own flock members.” Galern seemed to read my mind.
Which was impossible, my shield was solid.
“What are the strengths of the different flocks?” I asked.
They all froze, but eventually Steva answered me. “Why do you think we would give you insights? You must earn your advantage.”
“And yet, I assume, every single Angelica fighting will already know the strengths and weaknesses of each flock. So how are you giving us an advantage?” I was over the bullshit of politics.
“You are correct.” Steva inclined her head slightly. “And here are the stats. Black flock – Gaa – are the strongest intellectually and physically; we are the leaders. Purple flock – Baa – are the most cunning. You must keep an eye on them. They’ll do anything to win and can’t be trusted.” She paused. “Green flock – Saa – are our gentle giants. They’re the largest physically, but generally non-threatening. They create living plants from the clouds.”
She spoke methodically, but I sensed more beneath. She took pride in leading the Angelica.
“Blue flock – Maa – are the kings in the air. They can fly harder and stronger than any and can use the blue-and-white camouflage colors to their advantage.”
“How are they to compete when they have no wings and cannot fly?” Galern shook his head, as if he’d only just realized.
“They must utilize the advantages they have,” Steva said, before continuing her explanations. “And the last flock is white – Jaa – they have control over the mists. They can bring an iciness that will freeze you to your core.”
“I thought that this battle was solely hand-to-hand, no powers,” Lucy said, her tone quiet as her eyes flicked around the room, staring them down.
“The abilities of the Angelica are not considered powers. These are just our natural abilities.”
Walker powers were their natural abilities also, but it seemed as if there were two different rules here.
Steva continued. “There are some rounds which are only weapon or hand-to-hand, and there are some with no requirements. Free-for-all.”
I caught Brace’s eyes. They were still chocolate colored; no stressing from him. I took confidence from his confidence.
“If we are done with questions, it’s time to head to the tournament zone,” Steva said, waving us toward the doors. “I will lead you to your designated area.”
The other black-flock members followed us, their wings folded down against their backs.
“How are you going to find the half-Walker if we can’t explore?” Lucy muttered to me, loud enough for the boys to hear, but not the Angelica, unless they had super-super hearing.
I worried at my lips. My plan had been to wait until Brace was fighting and cruise around with my locket open. I knew the half-Walker would be a fighter and most probably a black-wing. Our mothers were always from the strongest members of these worlds.
But that plan had a big kink in it if I was stuck in one area and couldn’t roam.
Chapter 9
Lucy and I spent the next few hours learning all about the Angelica. It was always an eye-opener to see the way these planets functioned. Thankfully, we weren’t really isolated. The zone for non-fighters was pretty large, and different flocks wandered in and out constantly. The Angelica were regimented, like soldiers, but with a certain level of arrogance that prevented complete subjugation. They took pride in their battle abilities, and the flock hierarchy was based solely on their skills and championship wins.
As soon as Brace left to get ready for the tournament, assisted by Colton, a chatty blue-wing called Jered, with ivory-colored hair and large eyes in a shade of caramel, sidled up to us. Lucy and I took full advantage. He answered most of our questions without pause. We learned that only the true fighters came to this tournament. At least half of each flock stayed back on their home lands. Damn, I hoped my half-Walker was a fighter and not a housewife or something.
“What do you do all day?” I asked Jered.
“We spend at least half the time in meditation. This allows our bodies to rest and absorb nutrition from the clouds. And other than that we play games, have fight training and teach our young.” He smiled, and I was surprised to see that his teeth were much larger and broader than ours. I hadn’t noticed that on the others. “Sometimes it feels like a long wait between tournaments.”
“Jered, you are needed in Maa zone,” another blue-wing muttered as he marched past.
“For what?” Jered demanded.
But there was no further reply, and with a loud exhalation of breath our source of information left us.
“Are you going to open the locket now?” Lucy asked. I hadn’t seen any females close enough yet to bother.
“Might as well.”
I was sure the Angelica would wonder what the yellow moonstale light was, but I’d just pretend it was some weird Walker thing. Which technically was the truth.
Lucy and I chatted as we casually walked around, trying to get as close to each group as possible.
“So the reason we can’t enter your mind is just pixie strength?” I was curious to hear what she’d learned yesterday.
“Malisna said it’s the combination of pixie and faerie. My mind is virtually impenetrable, unless I want you to see my thoughts. And on top of that she thinks whatever planted those prophecies also added strength and protection to my thoughts.”
“Did you find any clue as to who it is?”
Lucy shook her head, her face scrunching a little and a few flutters of glitter emerging. “Nope, just that they’re powerful, and that they would have had to touch me to plant the prophecies.”
I ground to a halt. “So you’ve actually been close to them?”
Lucy met my eyes. “More than once. Refis thinks they could only gift me one vision at a time, so as not to confuse my mind.”
My mouth was opening and closing. Faces flashed across my thoughts, everyone we had met since arriving on First World. Too many people to really narrow it down.
“Well, eff me,” I finally said, shaking my head.
“Word. Word. Double word,” Lucy muttered.
The worst part was that anyone close enough to us to have done something like this was someone I trusted. Except maybe Lucas and some of the Doreen Walker guards that had been in and out of our lives. We needed to pay closer attention. I knew that sooner or later the rest of the Seventine would be released and we would have to fight them. And if we had a traitor in our house, then the cards, which were already more than stacked against us, would crumble to the ground.
Our random wanderings were revealing no hidden half-Walkers, and although a few eyes were
locked on us, watching our movements, most of the Angelica paid no attention to us. Suddenly Colton and Brace appeared across the way.
“He’s trying to kill me.” I sighed.
Brace was now outfitted with a chest piece, arm armor and leg guards across his shins. He held the sai. They looked a little different to the ones we had seen on Earth. The tri-spikes were longer and seemed to be made of something very reflective, shimmering as it moved in his large hands. My gaze was locked on Brace, and even though he was chatting with Colton, I could tell by the way his dark eyes caressed my features that he’d noticed my interest. And liked it.
Lucy was laughing, although she wasn’t much better drooling over Colton.
I just couldn’t get over how strong Brace looked; like a warrior from long ago. It’s mostly true that after meeting someone for the first time, I pretty much stopped noticing what they looked like. Unless of course they had food on their face. Josian was the perfect example. My father was a scary-ass man, but I barely noticed that now. But my awareness of Brace never went anywhere and I wondered if it ever would.
His armor emphasized his broad shoulders and heavily muscled arms. Brace was a huge man, and had never looked more so than right then. My eyes darted to the left as Abernath marks appeared on Colton – who was a little in front of Brace – when he entered my sphere of moonstale. The black tribal design contrasted with his white-blond hair. The yellow light wouldn’t affect Brace’s marks; they were permanent like my own. So his black tribal design was always there.
Shit, what the hell was I thinking?
With a gasp I slammed shut my necklace, just before Brace would have stepped into the light. Holy hell in a handbasket, that was close. It didn’t matter if our marks were permanent. I couldn’t let both of us be in the moonstale. Who knew what would happen? Lucy didn’t notice my near blunder. Her eyes were still pinned to her mate.
My heart was thundering as to the true implications of what I’d almost just done. Working to calm my pulse, breathing deeply in and out, I found my gaze drawn back to Brace.