It was suddenly quiet. Bodies littered the ground around the three of them, all either dead, unconscious, or injured and moaning.
Relief bubbled inside him, but he knew not to give in to it – there would be more coming, and soon.
Nigel staggered as he stepped around the bodies of the enemy. “Mocking an old man, eh? I see you still haven’t learned proper manners.” Nigel bent to retrieve a knife from the ground, then straightened with a groan and slid it into his belt. A shaggy white beard hung past Nigel’s knobby knees, which protruded from the bottom of a brown cloth tunic. A tan rope-sash held the baggy tunic to the old man’s bony body. Nigel moved slowly as though frail, with one hand on the small of his hunched back. Thin hair stuck out in all directions from his head like white, wiry antennae, and his face was wrinkled and red, as if chapped by the wind or sunburned. Makeshift sandals of leather and rope covered the old man’s feet, which were caked with mud…and blood. Frail or not, Nigel looked slightly unhinged.
He felt a shiver of caution as Nigel’s hawkish eyes focused on him. The old man was definitely more than he seemed.
A teenage girl darted up, and he felt his heart squeeze as her ice-blue eyes fixed on him. Blood matted her blonde hair. “They’re coming,” she said.
“Good,” Nigel said, shaking a dying man’s hand off his sandalled foot. “Let’s end this.”
Lex blinked back into the present, panting. The smell of blood from the vision still filled his nostrils. He looked around, trying to get his bearings, and gasped. The smell wasn’t from the vision. It was from the ground. Two dozen bodies splayed out, the soil swallowing their blood. Every one of them was dead.
Lex turned to find Acarius watching him.
“What happened?” Lex asked. “I blacked out, and…” His gaze caught on the teenage boy from earlier, his expression terrified even in death. Lex squeezed his eyes shut as bile rose up in his throat. He took a shaky breath, then forced his eyes back open. “Sometimes I have these visions, like I’m somewhere else. I know it was a terrible time for me to have one. I’m sorry.” He glanced around again, his throat tightening. “How did you take them all by yourself?
“I didn’t,” Acarius said, stepping toward him. He moved slowly, as though trying not to spook a wild animal. “You did.”
Lex blinked. “What? No.”
Acarius looked around, his attention suddenly captured by something in the distance Lex could neither see nor hear. “We’ll talk about it later,” Acarius said. “More might be coming; we need to get out of here.” He turned, then stumbled and crumpled to the ground with his hands pressed to his head.
Lex dropped his sword and rushed to Acarius.
“My head,” Acarius groaned.
“What can I do?” Lex asked. “Tell me how to help.”
“The bag,” Acarius said. “There’s medicine.”
Lex stood, looking around. Amelia took the bag. There was no sign of her or Mare, and all the horses from the field were gone as well. As Lex knelt back down, his eyes caught on the sword he had dropped. It was covered in blood. Did I really kill all those people? He shook his head, forcing back another wave of nausea. “The bag’s gone,” he said to Acarius. “Mare–”
Before he had finished her name she appeared, galloping over the top of a hill on the far side of the field. As she neared, Lex could see her more clearly – Amelia was not with her.
Mare trotted to a stop, prancing. The sack wasn’t on her; Amelia probably had it. Lex looked at Mare. Would she be willing to let him ride? Maybe she could take Lex and Acarius to Amelia, or at least carry them somewhere they could get help.
“Acarius,” Lex said, “come on, let’s get you onto Mare.” He looked down. Acarius was unconscious.
Mare whinnied and nosed Acarius.
“He’s hurt,” Lex said, realizing only after he said it that he was talking to a horse. It almost felt normal.
Mare bent her front legs and knelt.
She’s trying to help me get him on her back, Lex realized. He tucked his arms under Acarius’ armpits. It took him a few moments, but Lex managed to lift Acarius over his shoulder and then hoist him somewhat-carefully onto Mare. She straightened and Lex adjusted Acarius, straddling Acarius’ legs over Mare’s body and leaning his torso onto her neck. If Acarius wasn’t so slumped, it would almost look like he was taking a casual ride. But Lex knew Acarius would start to slide off if Mare moved too quickly, and Lex had nothing with which to secure him.
Lex glanced at Mare and wondered again if she would let him ride her. Her dislike for him seemed to have abated, or at least she’d set it aside for the moment, since she wasn’t trying to bite him. Whether she could sense the urgency of the situation or she’d simply warmed up to him, he was glad for the change. He heaved himself onto Mare’s back and reached around Acarius, grasping her mane. He kicked at her sides, but she didn’t move. Was there a command or something?
Inside him, something whispered Ride. Lex paused. Surely it wasn’t that simple. “Ride, Mare,” he said aloud, and Mare shot forward like an arrow. Lex was nearly thrown backward as Acarius slid against him, but Lex’s grip on Mare’s mane held them both in place. He shifted forward, tightening his hold, and rode.
Amelia came into sight as soon as they crested the hill, all traces of her previous disorientation gone. She jumped up from the grass and ran toward them. “What’s wrong?” she asked, seeing Acarius slumped on Mare’s neck.
“His head,” Lex said, sliding to the ground. “He grabbed it like he was in pain and then just passed out.”
Amelia helped Lex lower Acarius to the grass.
“Do you have the bag?” Lex asked. “Acarius said there was some kind of medicine in there he needed.”
“No,” Amelia answered. “I mean, yes, I have the bag, but… I looked in it while I was waiting. There’s nothing in there but food, bandages, and a bunch of weird herbal liquids. Nothing that would fix this.” She knelt beside Acarius and pushed his hair back from his forehead, then gently lifted one of his eyelids. “He’s out. I mean, really out.” She looked at Lex. “I don’t know what to do.”
Lex turned to her. “You seemed to know about concussions before. Isn’t there something we can try?”
Amelia slid the bag from her back and began rummaging through it. “I’ve heard a few things about concussions, what to watch out for. I know some first aid. But like I said, I’m not a medic.” She pulled out a few bottles from the bag and set them on the ground. “I don’t even know what any of these are beyond that they’re herbs of some kind. One of them might be something that could help him, I guess, but I have no idea what they do.”
Lex grabbed one of the amber bottles, turning it over. A dark liquid sloshed inside. “Can’t we try one?”
“Without knowing what it is, we could make things worse,” she said. “But I’ve heard people aren’t supposed to sleep if they have a concussion, so if that’s what’s wrong, then we need to wake him up.”
Lex unstoppered another small bottle and raised it to his nose… and gagged. “What about this one?” he said, handing the bottle to Amelia. “This smell would wake the dead.”
Amelia sniffed it, then closed it carefully. “Maybe,” she said, “or it could be poison.”
Lex wiped his hands on his tunic. “Seriously?”
“I mean, maybe… I just don’t know.” Amelia sank to the ground, dropping her head in her hands. “I don’t know what to do.”
Lex paced, his hands gesturing wildly. “There has to be something we can do or someone who could help. What about your family? You said they live in Alta, right? Would they know how to help him?”
Amelia looked up, her face miserable. “No,” she said softly. “I never said that.”
Lex stopped pacing and turned. “Yes, you did,” he said. “In the woods, when I first met you.”
“No, I didn’t,” she said again. “I never said I have family there. I said I was from
there.”
Lex paused. “So… you’re from Alta but your family isn’t?”
Amelia sighed. “I’m not exactly from Alta, either.”
“What?” Lex said. “Then why did you say you were?”
“It’s complicated,” Amelia said.
Lex felt anger stirring in his stomach. “Why would you lie to me about where you’re from?”
“I didn’t think it mattered,” she said.
Lex blinked. How could it not matter that she lied to him? And how many other things had she lied about?
“Listen,” Amelia said, “it’s not like–”
A groan interrupted her as Acarius pushed himself up to sitting. “Ugh,” he said. “My head feels terrible.”
Lex dropped to the ground beside him. “Are you okay?”
“I think so,” Acarius answered. Mare nosed him, shifting from the spot where she’d planted herself when they’d arrived. Acarius braced against Mare’s body and pulled himself to his feet. “A bit dizzy, and my head feels like someone left a knife in it, but I’ll live.” He turned to Lex. “Wait… there’s not really a knife sticking out of my head, is there?”
Lex shook his head. Acarius looked strangely pale. “No, but you don’t look well.” He grabbed the bag from the ground, avoiding looking at Amelia – he would have to process that conversation later. For now, Acarius needed him. He held the bag out. “We didn’t know which medicine to give you.”
Acarius shook his head. “It’s the brown one that smells terrible,” he said. “But it’s only a pain-killer. It will help, but it won’t heal me.” He paused, leaning against Mare. “I think I really just need food and rest. I lost blood and overexerted myself. When those men charged us, I really thought we–”
“The men charged you?” Amelia interrupted. “What happened?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Acarius said. “After all, we’re all still alive. Isn’t that what you said after the forest collapsed?”
Amelia fell silent.
Lex did too, but for a different reason. Acarius had told him he’d killed all those men. Was that even possible? Lex barely even knew how to hold a sword.
Acarius continued, and Lex noticed his breathing sounded a bit strained. “I have friends in Merik’esh,” he said. “We can find a safe place to eat and rest. And there is also a healer there. She might be able to help speed my recovery a bit.” The way he said it felt odd to Lex, as though Acarius was avoiding saying something, but Lex shrugged it off, thinking the strangeness in Acarius’ tone could just be from not feeling well.
Lex wanted to ask more about what happened while he was in his apparently-murderous trance, but he was a little afraid to bring it up, afraid of what he might learn about himself. Lex’s blood turned cold as he realized something – if he’d gone into a murderous trance this time, how did he know he hadn’t done it before? Or that he wouldn’t do it again? What if next time, it was his friends he killed? He felt frozen to the ground.
“Lex?” Acarius was looking at him, concerned.
“I– just–” Lex couldn’t quite form words. He took a breath. “All those men. Was it really…”
“You? Yes,” Acarius answered. “And I’m thankful for it. If you hadn’t jumped in when you did, we’d be dead for sure. With my head the way it is, I was barely holding my own against the farmer who charged me, much less the more-than-twenty others.”
Lex didn’t know whether to feel proud or sick; at the moment he felt a little of both. “I really don’t remember,” he said. “I don’t even know how I–”
“What are you talking about?” Amelia interrupted again. “What happened after I left?”
Acarius talked over her questions. “Lex, you fought like a warrior. If you feel unpracticed with a sword, it’s your mind holding you back, not your skill.”
Lex tried to process this. “When you tossed me the sword at first,” he said, “I said I couldn’t fight, and you said, ‘You can and you will.’” He paused, meeting Acarius’ eyes. “How did you know?”
“I can’t pretend to know everything about you or your past, but you’re more than you think, that much I do know,” Acarius answered.
Lex still didn’t understand. “But how did you know I could fight?”
“I could see it in the way you moved,” Acarius said. “You’ve been trained; it’s obvious.”
To everyone but me, apparently, Lex thought. It was frustrating to constantly find new reasons to feel like an outsider to his own life.
Acarius squeezed his eyes shut and grunted. When he opened his eyes again a moment later, a fog of pain lingered in them. “I need to get to Merik’esh before my head gets so bad I can’t hold myself up on the horse, plus there could be more men coming,” he said. “We need to get riding.”
Lex had to agree that Acarius needed medical attention and he wasn’t eager to encounter any more rampaging farmers. He paused, looking around. “But how? We only have one horse.”
Acarius put his fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp, brief whistle.
“What–” Lex stopped as the sound of hooves approached from beyond the hill. Within moments, two horses were galloping toward them, one chestnut with a reddish-brown mane, and one a solid, sleek black. “How…” he began to ask.
“They’re trained to run out toward the woods if there’s ever an attack,” he said, “and to come back in pairs when I call.” The horses slowed to a stop beside Mare, and Acarius walked toward them.
Lex raised an eyebrow. “Do you get attacked often, then?”
“Not usually by people,” Acarius answered, adjusting the saddles the horses already wore.
Lex blinked. “What does that mean?”
“We’ve had problems with large animals bothering the horses,” Acarius answered, his fingers deftly adjusting the straps along one horse’s side. “Being attacked by a mob of farmers today was a first.”
“Large animals,” Lex repeated. “You mean like panthers?”
Acarius froze, his fingers falling from the saddle. He turned. “Did you see a panther?”
“A huge one,” Amelia interjected. “It was about to kill him when I found him in the woods.”
Acarius looked confused. “She attacked you?” he asked Lex.
Lex thought for a moment. “No, it didn’t, but I’m sure it was about to.” He paused. “Wait…she?”
Acarius waved his hand, dismissing the question. “It’s usually the females who hunt.” He stepped forward, eager. “When did you see this panther?”
“Not long ago,” Lex said. “The night before the forest erupted and we met you.”
The sun was beginning to set now, but it had only been that same morning that he and Amelia had tumbled out of the collapsing forest and into Acarius’ ranch. It was strange to think it hadn’t even been a full two days. Waking up in the shed felt like a lifetime ago.
Acarius shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“What does, around here?” Amelia laughed.
“What about it doesn’t make sense?” Lex asked, ignoring Amelia’s joke.
“We just don’t really get panthers around here,” Acarius said. He turned, beginning to adjust the saddle on the chestnut horse. “Something must have brought one out this way; it’s not their normal territory.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Lex said.
Acarius turned. “It’s not,” he said. “And so, what, the panther just came after you and you fought it off?”
“No,” Lex said. “Actually, when Amelia showed up, the panther turned and ran away.” He was realizing anew how strange that sounded, and it stirred uncomfortable feelings toward Amelia. What was she hiding? So many things about her didn’t make sense.
Acarius glanced at Amelia. “I see,” he said. “Probably felt spooked by there being more than one of you. Panthers can be finicky hunters.”
There was something strange behind his eyes, s
omething which hinted he wasn’t telling the full story.
Amelia fidgeted, and Lex felt a surge of suspicion rise. Later, he’d have to sit down and demand some real answers from Amelia. So much of her story just didn’t match up. But Lex would save his questions for Amelia for later. Right now, Acarius was distracted by adjusting the saddles and was finally opening up to him, and Lex wanted to get answers while he could. “What about your sisters?” he asked. “We were attacked so quickly, but somehow they got out. How?” And why didn’t we just go with them? he wanted to add, but he refrained.
Acarius shrugged. “We had an escape plan,” he said. “The girls slipped out just before the explosion. We’d prepared supplies and a plan for how they would get out, and a safe place for them to go. Ideally, the rest of us would have been just behind them, but the explosion upset that part of the plan. Still, they know to wait there until I meet up with them.”
“You sure seem to be a family of planners,” Amelia deadpanned.
Acarius looked at her. “Yeah,” he said simply.
“But how did you know we would be attacked?” Lex asked. He was still struggling to make sense of all of it.
“We didn’t,” Acarius said. “But we knew it was a possibility.”
“Because of being so close to Dalton?” Lex was beginning to wonder if Dalton was just a town of murderous, psychotic farmers. After all, they’d accused him of killing a large number of their townspeople and of being a demon, both of which he was sure weren’t true. At least, mostly sure.
“No,” Acarius said. “Because of you.”
“What?” Lex asked. He hadn’t expected that answer, but something in him had known that it wasn’t arbitrary the farmers had come after him. He couldn’t remember his past, but others certainly seemed to, and from all signs it was an unpleasant one. He swallowed. “Why? We just met this morning. How could you know I would be a threat to you? Did we meet before? Why is everyone after me? What did I do?” Once he got started, the questions just poured out. And there was one more he didn’t ask, that he was afraid to ask: Who am I?
The Edge of Nothing_The Lex Chronicles_Book 1 Page 9