by Lucy Smoke
His tongue slips past my lips and all of the pent-up tension and worry just slides away as he kisses me back like we’re on fire, on a tiny boat set aflame, drifting in the middle of the ocean and all we have left is the person next to us. That’s not what I think, but it’s how his kiss makes me feel. Does he feel that alone? That doomed?
I’ve felt so many intense emotions since I came into my spirit guide, since I met these guys. The world is not what it used to be. It’s not glamorous or heroic like the stories the holy women told children at bedtime, it’s terrifying and I feel alone. Even when Coen was with me, I felt like there was no way he could understand everything happening inside of my head. But, with the rest of the boys, it’s turned into something new. Coen is learning with me. As are Titus and Holden and Booker and Luca. They drive me crazy, but I’m not adrift anymore and neither is Titus. Maybe that’s why Obidian pulled us all together, because we all felt alone and we needed people who understood that.
Titus bites down on my lower lip, lightly pressing his teeth into it until the feeling is indented and he draws it away before releasing it. I gasp as he swoops in once more, crashing down into my mouth, pressing into me with the uncontained violence of a sea storm. It’s hot, it’s heady, it’s addicting. I wrap my arms around his neck, clinging to his front, forgetting all of the worries that plague me. His chest is just a little wider than my own. It’s the strength within his arms that make me feel consumed. We kiss until I don’t remember how to inhale and exhale. Do I have to relearn that skill? Isn’t that supposed to be instinctual?
“Nerys.” My name on his lips is even hotter, scorching over my ears.
“Yes,” I whisper, trailing down his neck when he pulls himself away.
“No, Nerys.” His voice is choked and I’m no longer listening. I pull away from him.
“No?”
Before he can respond there’s a creaking noise and I half shriek, half scream as the wall behind me collapses and we fall. Titus pulls me closer and in an attempt to take the brunt of the impact, we both end up on each other’s sides in a long darkened concrete hallway. A hissing buzzing noise shakes the silence and one long tube of light at the top of the tunnel begins to glow. The glow is muted and dull like it has been years since the lights have even been turned on.
“I think we found the exit,” Titus says.
⚜⚜⚜
We make it out of the city without being stopped or spotted, crawling through the tunnels that are just large enough for two people to go through single file and out to the other side. We end up tumbling out of a small crater-shaped hole on the side of the city wall.
Titus and I meet up with Booker, Luca, Coen, and Holden not far from our tunnel exit, trudging through dirt hills and into another forest. The guys stand around in a half circle, muted conversation drifting back to us as he climbs up yet another muddy dune and finally onto solid forest floor.
When Coen sees me, he takes off from the group, yanking me up into one of the best bear hugs I’ve ever gotten. His massive chest squishes the air from my lungs when he bends backwards, lifting me off my feet.
I wiggle, trying to slap his chest as he slowly lets me down. “Yea, Yeah, put me down.”
“Come on, princess,” he teases. “Didn’t you miss me?”
I sigh. “How could I miss you, I just saw you a few hours ago. There wasn’t even time to miss you.”
He chuckles, sounding more like Holden now that they’ve gotten to be somewhat more than acquaintances in the past few days. “You couldn’t live without me,” he says. I smile and nod, but the kiss with Titus is still fresh in my mind and the thoughts that I had of him when we kissed.
“Dear God, you guys were only separated for a few hours,” Holden scoffs with a snicker.
“Princess?” I raise an eyebrow.
Coen shrugs. “Holden gave you a nickname, can’t I call you that too? I’ve known you longer.”
“I’m more of a goddess,” I reply, flipping a strand of hair off my shoulder. Even as I say it, teasing as we’ve always done, I don’t look at him. The guilt from being intimate with Titus—even if it was just a kiss and even though I’m not romantically with Coen and never have been—still fresh.
“I’m not denying that,” Coen says. “I’m just saying—”
“So, what’s the plan?” Holden interrupts. “Are we walking to Cephei? All we’ve talked about is how to get out and well, we’re out. So, what’s next?
Booker scratches his jaw before answering. “Walking might be safest for now, but we won’t have to walk the whole way.” I slide one hand into Coen’s and another into Titus’s. They both glance down at me, but I keep my gaze forward. It just feels right to hold onto them, so I don’t let go.
“It’s too long of a trip for that. I think we should head towards another coastal city further down. From there, Luca and I can make arrangements to get to Cephei either by train or boat—”
“Boat?” Titus interrupts. “I thought Cephei was inland.”
“It is,” Luca answers, stepping forward. “But there are channels that run from the ocean inward towards a smaller town just outside of Cephei. They wouldn’t build the City of the Phoenix is near water per se, but a city is hard to maintain without a source nearby.”
“Why wouldn’t they build the city near water?” I ask. Even Coen chokes out a laugh, pulling his hand from mind and covering his mouth to stifle the sound. “What?” I demand again.
“Nerys, we studied Phoenix shifters in school,” Coen says gently. I can tell amusement wars with exasperation in his eyes and I huff, glaring at him.
“The most famous race of Phoenix are the Fire Phoenix. That’s who built the city and Fire Phoenix are notoriously known for their fear of water… well, of large quantities of water. They, like humans, still have to drink it to survive. But water literally drains their powers.”
“Don’t they bathe?” Holden and Coen give up all pretense of fighting their amusement and begin to laugh. I grit my teeth and resist the urge to stomp my foot. “It’s a reasonable question!” I shout.
“They prefer showers,” Booker answers with a small smile on his face. “They are very human like in their hygiene.”
“If they’re so much like humans, what makes them Phoenixes?” Even Titus flashes a surprised look my way and I have to temper myself so I won’t growl.
“Phoenixes are shapeshifters like me,” Luca says without batting an eye. “Unlike me, however, they can only transform from human to Phoenix. They take on no other forms. In their human form, they still retain their memories from their Phoenix form and some powers.”
“Are other shapeshifters unable to remember what they were like in their previous forms?” I ask.
He smiles at me, but shakes his head. “That’s another lesson for another time. Right now, we really need to start heading to the nearest coastal city.”
“We’re back on the partner system,” Booker announces, glancing around the group. My eyes flick to Titus, remembering our partner system and I quickly look away when he glances down at me. “No one goes anywhere alone. No exceptions.”
“I call Nerys this time!” Holden raises his hand and waves it around in the air before quickly turning to a pouting Luca.
“I told you I wanted her this time,” Luca whines. My eyebrows shoot up as his tone changes. He sounds like a petulant child who has had his toys taken away.
“I think it would be more prudent for Nerys to be my partner this time,” Booker intrudes and my head snaps to him.
“We’ve known each other forever, she would feel more comfortable with me,” Coen argues.
I feel like I’m getting whiplash as Titus speaks up as well, albeit quietly.
“I think we worked well together,” he says, looking down at me with a quiet smile. I swallow around a sudden lump in my throat.
All eyes turn in my direction expectantly. “What?” I say, raising my hands up. “You don’t expect me to choose do you?”
“You’re the tie breaker, Nerys,” Booker replies. “Who do you want to be your partner?”
I look around. “Uh…” My eyes are wide as I glance around. Coen would have been my usual choice, he always was when we were children. I worry he’ll be hurt if I don’t choose him. But, after what happened under the tavern with Titus…my gaze cuts over to him. He might be hurt if I don’t choose him too.
Booker is smart and he’ll easily be able to answer any and all questions I have along the way and I have a few. Luca is the same and he’ll even be playful with me. I should feel at the most comfortable with Coen. But, I’m actually pretty relaxed with all of them. Holden is a sweet guy, teasing and I’m curious to know more about him now that Titus and I have had a chance to bond… in a way I never expected. My eyes slip over to Titus and a blush creeps up my neck, before I mentally shake myself and turn back to the rest of them.
“Why can’t we just draw straws or something?” I offer lamely. Each of them seems to consider it for a moment before Booker nods.
“That sounds reasonable.” With his permission we gather up a few sticks at our feet and break them off, three sets of partners with sticks the same length for each one. Two long sticks for the first pair, two short for the second, and two medium sized sticks for the third pair. We each gather around Booker’s hand as he holds the sticks so that no one can determine which is which.
“You first,” Booker says, holding his hand out. I pluck a stick from his hand and come up with the shortest one.
“Ha,” Holden chuckles. “The shortest stick for the shortest member of the gang.”
I glare at him, but it is kind of funny and fitting, so I can’t hold it for too long.
Coen goes next, drawing one of the longer sticks. He doesn’t even have to hold it up to mine to know it’s not the same length. He frowns and sighs, but pats my shoulder as though to reassure me. “I’ll get you next time, princess,” he assures me with a warm smile. I’m relieved enough to know that he’s not upset.
I laugh as Luca goes next drawing a medium sized stick. Then Titus who draws another medium sized and Holden who draws the second short stick and Booker is left holding the long one.
“Yes!” Holden shouts, jumping up and down. “I got princess!” He leaps on me, arms banding around me, squishing my arms to my sides as he raises me off the ground and swings me side to side in his exuberance.
“Hey, hey, don’t break her.” Titus frowns.
Holden drops me back to the ground before pressing a light kiss to my head, and this action makes my head spin even more so than the spinning. “I wouldn’t break her,” he says. “You should be more worried that she would try to break me!”
A round of chuckles travels through the group, but both Booker and Luca look confused.
“I’ve never seen her fight,” Luca says.
“Let’s hope you don’t have to.” Booker’s tone is quiet and serious. “Nerys?”
“Yeah?”
“Is your guide okay? You haven’t been talking to him.” My eyes widen. He’s right. I hadn’t even noticed. I take a second, closing my eyes to search him out.
Obidian? There’s a quiet shuffling, but it’s barely there. Are you okay? We he doesn’t answer me the second time and the shuffling stops, I dive deeper, hunting, looking. Obidian, what’s wrong? Nausea forms in my stomach the more I look for him. But, I can’t stop.
“Nerys?” Booker’s voice is only one among the rest.
“What’s she doing?”
“Princess?”
“Is she okay?”
“You have to talk to us, Nerys. Tell us what’s happening.”
Obidian! Answer me! My temples pound, my eyes water they they are shut.
Can’t… The voice is so quiet, I can hardly make out the word. But, it’s there and relief has me sagging into a pair of arms at my side.
I open my eyes and Titus looks down at me, concern etched into his features. The emotion is on all of their faces as they crowd around me.
“What’s wrong?” Booker asks.
“He’s sick. I think it’s the binding. I-I don’t know how to help him, but when I try to get close, I start to feel…” I drift off, pressing a hand to my stomach until the nausea rolls away and dissipates.
“Let’s get going.” He rounds up the guys and me and we start our journey. Holden comes up to my side and grabs my free hand.
“It’ll be okay,” he whispers as Booker and Luca talk to Coen about making plans and travel arrangements. “We won’t let it be anything but okay.”
I appreciate his conviction even if I don’t feel it myself. I just nod my head and hope like hell we can find what we need in Cephei and soon. I have the sinking suspicion that Obidian doesn’t have much longer and there’s so much he needs to tell me. So much I don’t know. So much I need to.
Chapter 7: Soldiers and New Friends
My muscles scream at me to stop, to just take a break and sit down. We’ve been walking for hours. I’m running on absolutely zero energy. My fumes ran out miles back on the off beaten track through the woods that we’re on. I seem to be the only one struggling. According to Booker, this road is supposed to lead directly to the next coastal city down the waterway is old and instead of stone or rock for the smooth ride, we’ve been trekking on dirty and pebbles. Matric’s soldiers shouldn’t be traversing here. They weren’t even sure that we were in Ragnarok.
Holden skips along just fine, humming a tune and the fact that his voice is magical and stunning when he lets a few lyrics slip out has long since escaped my mind. I’m too tired to comment on it. Titus walks on my other side while Coen keeps shooting glances at me over his shoulder.
“You doing okay, Ner?” he asks when I stumble for the fifth time in the span of twenty minutes.
“What happened to princess?” I reply, deflecting. I’m not doing okay, but I feel bad enough that they are all out here, on the run because of me so I’m not going to tell him that.
He shrugs. “I need something else. Holden keeps calling you that. We can’t have the same nickname for you.”
“Why not just Nerys, you’ve always called me that.” It makes no sense for him to change now. Then again, he has been more relaxed now that we’re outside of the Kingdom. For the first time since we were children, he’s actually teasing and joking with other people rather than when he’s simply alone with me. Maybe he’s changing, spreading his wings.
“I call you sweetheart sometimes too. I can’t call you Ner?” he asks, stopping to turn around.
“I didn’t say that.” I stop as well and the soles of my feet cry out in relief.
“We really shouldn’t—” Booker begins to say when a roaring noise cuts him off, and our heads turn back the way we came.
The road is small, just small enough for the five of us to spread out in one line though we’ve been traveling in two. It’s not a path made for anything more than farmer’s carts.
“Bad idea,” Holden mutters under his breath.
“Go!” Booker shoves Coen towards me and with Holden still gripping my hand the six of us dash to the side of the path and into the woods surrounding us. Even though I want to ask questions, it’s not the right time. So, I push my already worn out legs to power through the prickling and numbing pain.
We run through the trees and the noise of the vehicle at our back ceases only to be followed by quick shouts from who I assume was driving the motor vehicle. Holden’s grip on my hand tightens to the point of pain, but I merely squeeze him back, hoping he doesn’t notice how sweaty my palm is. The full moon that has lit our way since the sun set disappears under the cover of the trees, light becoming practically nonexistent. I can’t see a damn thing and I’m struggling to keep up.
“Come on, princess,” Holden whispers. “You can do it.” His faith is astounding considering the situation and how slow we’re going and I know it’s because of me; I’m the one slowing them down because it’s hard to keep up with their long legs and thei
r lengthy strides. The group of us breaks through a line of trees and I look around as moonlight illuminates the dirt floor of the road we just left.
“What the hell?” I exclaim.
“We just took a shortcut around a bend,” Booker says. “They’ll be right behind us.”
“We can’t outrun them,” Luca says. “Not if they have a car.”
“They got out of the car,” Titus reminds him.
“Only because we ran through the trees,” Coen says. “If we hadn’t they wouldn’t have left the safety of the vehicle. Luca’s right, we can’t outrun them.”
My knees shake, threatening to send me tumbling to the ground. I clutch Holden to keep me standing upright. “What do we do? Fight them off? There’s only a few of them, right?”
Coen looks around, “What do we have?”
“I’ve got a couple of daggers,” Holden says with a frown.
“Same,” Titus replies. “You?”
Coen curses. “I had to leave the sword behind,” he admits.
“Here,” I say, pulling my bag around and yanking out the sling shot Titus made for me. I take out the dragon blood too, slipping it into my pocket. I want to keep it close just in case. Titus takes the sling shot with a confused look.
“You’re better at long range that I am,” I explain. “I’ve used the thing maybe once or twice–just playing around–there is no way I’ll be able to use it in a fight.” The sound of twigs breaking behind us puts everyone on alert.
“That’s more than a few...” Holden trails off as they spill from the tree line. They’re all dressed alike in the same dark uniform. Their faces range from almost adult to middle aged as they converge.