by H. D. Gordon
Nelly swallowed once, but her voice carried across the silence that had settled. “I am Searcher…and Accursed.”
I expected more shouts, but only a soft murmur ran through the crowd. When the green woman turned away from Nelly, she faced the crowd with squared shoulders. “Let her stay,” she said.
Now people shouted again. Mostly, they seemed to be disagreeing with the green woman, but the ones who had gone silent seemed to be considering the idea very strongly. When Soraya stepped forward and spoke, everyone fell silent once more, prey to that sweet little voice of hers.
“She saved my life,” she said, and rolled the sleeves of her little dress up to reveal the black and blue bruises in the crooks of her arms where her blood had been stolen so many times. Tears welled in her big brown eyes as she spoke. “That mean man kept me and my mother in a village where they stole our blood from us. Every day.” Soraya pointed to her harelip, and now sympathy was strong on most of the faces in the crowds. It was hard not to love this brave little girl.
She continued on. “Because I’m not perfect, see? No one is perfect. I am half Searcher and half Brocken, something I can no more help than Nellianna can help what she is.” Her eyes swept the crowd, accusing. “How many of you knew that this was happening? That your beautiful cities were being paid for with the blood of your people? How many of you have stood by and known? All of you. And now you stand here and throw stones at the two people who have sacrificed everything to right the wrongs in our world. You should be ashamed of yourselves. If you force them to leave,” now she held her poor, bruised arms up for all to see, “you force this fate on all the Vampires and Wolves. And there will be no one to blame but yourselves. And if the rest of you think King William will stop there, then you really are fools.”
The green woman, a Fae, if the black tattooed wings on her arms and back were any indication, nodded. “This is a decision for the Vampires and Wolves among us, but know that you have my consent,” she said, and then she turned away and headed off to other matters.
I held my breath, almost unable to believe that this bullet could be dodged; almost afraid to hope. Slowly, the other races started to depart, leaving me and my group with the Vampires and Wolves. Of course, it was the burly Brocken who felt the need to speak for all. “She should be watched,” he half-growled, half-grumbled.
Again, my temper flared. I didn’t know who this Vampire was, but he had just earned himself a prime spot on my shit-list. Luckily for him, Arrol stepped up once more. “She will be,” he said. “Allow me the honor of doing so, Darvin. I will watch the girl closely, so that you can sleep soundly in your bed tonight.”
The Brocken, Darvin, I guess his name was, shot back that he was “not afraid”, but then to my utter astonishment, he too turned and left.
Slowly, painfully slowly, the others followed his lead. After what seemed like an eternity, I was left with just Kayden, Tommy, Nelly and Arrol. By the grace of God, the worst had been avoided. For now.
“Thank you,” I told Arrol, as he led us back to Silvia’s cottage, where I had a feeling another whole mess of trouble was waiting for us.
The Fae smiled at me, his silver eyes glittering, but watching. Watching. “My pleasure, young Warrior,” he said. Then he leaned close and whispered. “You just keep that sword handy, understand?”
I nodded. Yes, I understood.
Alexa
They will never accept you.
The Lamia’s words to my sister played over and over in my head. I sat in the chair by the window in my room back in Silvia’s cottage, staring out at the dark night and running through the events of the past hour. The clock had ticked onward into a new day, but the memories of the past one haunted me, hung over me. I wondered how much longer I would be made to go on like this.
Nelly was sleeping on the large bed in the middle of the room, and I felt a pang of envy that was so familiar from my past life. This was how the song went, seemed that this would always be how it went, as long as I remained in this world. Waiting to be attacked. Waiting to attack. Running. Fighting. Hurting. In that moment it seemed to me to be such a pitiful existence; an existence in vain. In that moment, death seemed more like a warm invitation than a dark tunnel before me. I was so damned tired, tired of it all.
When a knock sounded on the door, I expected Kayden, but instead it was Arrol standing there, shirtless, as always. I leaned against the doorframe and offered him a smile that probably looked more like a grimace. “Hey,” I said.
The Fae gave a slow grin. “May I come in?”
I nodded and stepped aside so that he could enter.
“You look like you need a hug,” he said.
I laughed at this, surprised that my vocal cords still remembered how to make the sound. “I’m good, thanks.”
Arrol inclined his head. “Ah, yes. Many a lady has been afraid to step into my arms for fear that they may never want to leave them.”
I resumed my seat by the window, my mouth turned up a fraction. “Yes, that’s it,” I said. “I am no match for your undeniable charm.”
Arrol winked at me and went to stand at the foot of the bed where Nelly was sleeping. He spoke staring down at her. “I’m glad to see that you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”
I snorted and leaned back in the chair. “Me? I laugh in the face of danger. Ha. Ha. Ha.”
The Fae’s silver eyes flicked to me, and he tipped his head. “I do wish that you weren’t so…attached to that Libra of yours. I think you and I would get on quite well.” His eyes went back to my sister. “You are an exquisite creature, Sun Warrior, and your sister…”
When he didn’t continue, I said, “Is pretty damn cool, too?”
Arrol laughed silkily, his long silver hair rippling down his bare back. “Yes, pretty damn cool, as you say.”
I sat up straight now. “And you’re here to watch her? Because you think she may be dangerous, as well as pretty damn cool?”
He sighed and met my eyes. “This is a dangerous world we live in, Warrior.”
“No shit? I hadn’t noticed.”
A level stare. “No shit…You sure you don’t need a hug?”
The door opened then, and Kayden entered. “I’m sure Alexa is just fine,” he said, not as unkindly as I would have expected. Arrol had a way about him that made it difficult to be rude to him.
“Ah, the Libra has arrived. I don’t believe we’ve met properly. I am Arrol.” He extended a hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Kayden’s golden eyes studied the Fae for a moment before reaching out and shaking his hand. “Kayden.”
“Tell me Kayden, how does one win the heart of a Sun Warrior?” Arrol’s silver eyes flashed me a smile. “They are such difficult creatures to hang on to.”
I held up a hand. “Uh, I’m right here. Don’t talk about me like I’m not in the room. Is there something I can help you with Arrol? It’s been a long night, and I’m grateful for all your help, but…”
Arrol waved a pale hand. “But get on with it, right? I’m sure you two have some…frustrations to work out, so I will. I’m here to offer you a plan B, in case this plan A should fall through, and the people here should decide that they will not have an Accursed living among them.”
I stood from my chair without thinking. “What plan B?”
“The Seer has offered your sister a reprieve in the White World for the time being, until you all can…sort this mess out.”
Kayden spoke before I had the chance to even digest this. “Absolutely not.”
I looked over at him to see that Kayden’s jaw was set. “Wait a minute,” I said. “Why would the Seer offer that?”
Arrol shrugged. “I am but a messenger, Warrior. It is my expense for a deal I made long ago. The Seer has given his word that your sister will be safe in White World.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And why should I believe that? I’m already in this Seer’s debt, and I don’t even know exactly what I owe him yet. What’s in it for him?
”
Arrol’s smile seemed a little forced now. “An investment, I suppose. And that’s not even the best part.”
I sighed heavily, not sure I wanted to hear this. “What’s the best part?”
“The Seer swears that if anything should happen to your sister while she is in the White World, he will give both of you back the ownerships of your souls.”
Beside me, I saw Kayden’s shoulders tense. My brow furrowed. “What do you mean ‘both of you?’ I’m the only one—”
A terrible thought struck me then. I sucked in air and turned on Kayden. “Oh God, Kayden. What did you do?”
I knew the answer to this question just by the look in his golden eyes, and suddenly I wished that I hadn’t asked. I didn’t want to hear him say the words. What Kayden said was, “The same thing you did. Where you go, Warrior, I go. In this world and beyond.”
Arrol cleared his throat and spoke before I had time to respond to this revelation. “And how romantic that was, Libra, but I must urge you both to consider this offer carefully. There may come a time soon that you have no other choice.” He went to the door and opened it, but turned around once more before he left. “Don’t be too hard on him, Sun Warrior. His actions were out of love.” Then he shut the door behind him.
I grabbed Kayden by his shirtfront as soon as Arrol was gone. “Tell me you didn’t sell your soul to the Seer, Kayden. Please tell me this is your idea of a really nasty, sick, not funny at all joke.”
Kayden said nothing, only stared down at me with those sunrise eyes. I released my hold on him for fear that I might punch him in the face for his foolishness. I paced back and forth, unsure what to do, how to react to this information. That was when Nelly sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
I went to sit beside her, jumping on a task that I could handle. “Yes,” I said. “Everything is just fine. Go back to sleep, Nell.”
Nelly looked from me to Kayden and back again. Then she swung her feet over the side of the bed and stood. “I think I’ll just give you two a minute,” she said.
My hand struck out like a snake and seized her wrist. I loosened my hold when Nelly winced. “Sorry,” I said. “But you can’t go, Nell. It’s not safe out there for you.”
Nelly surprised me by gently removing my hold on her. Her chin tilted up a fraction as she looked at me. “I’m not helpless, Lex. Can’t you see that?... Don’t you know that?”
For some reason, though her voice was as gentle as a feather on skin, these words hurt me. If I no longer had to protect Nelly, what purpose did I have in this world? I had always defined my life with that one simple thing. Somehow, losing that was worse than losing my mother, worse than losing Jackson. Worse than anything.
Sensing this, Nelly came forward and pulled me into a hug. I hugged her back, but my throat felt like a log had lodged in it. “I’ll be fine, Alexa. If anything, you should worry about anyone who tries to come after me.”
Nelly released me then and headed over to the door. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to think of anything to say to stop her. “I’ll just go visit Tommy for a little while,” she said. “You come and get me after you two…talk things out.” And then she left.
Kayden came to me then, wrapped his strong arms around me, and I rested my head against his chest, listening to the heart that beat there; the heart that beat there for me. The scent of him filled my lungs and I squeezed my eyes shut. His soft Scottish accent spoke so close to my ear. “Are you going to be okay, my Warrior?” he asked.
I pulled back and looked up at him, wondering how it was that both Jackson and Kayden could be so willing to give their souls for me, wondering how it was that a person could ever come to deserve such devotion. I wanted so badly to tell him that I was not okay, that I would never be okay, and that a piece of me had died when I’d had to burn the body of the best friend I’d ever had. But I did not.
Instead, I led him to the bed pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his solid, golden body with all its scars and beauty. Then I took off my own clothes, which hid my own scars, and let Kayden pull the pain from me in the way that only his touch ever could.
For that moment in time, it was only Kayden and I and our love for each other, our bodies coming together to wash out the world and all of its troubles. And for that moment in time I could remember what it was that I was fighting for. I could remember what made all the pain and suffering worth enduring.
How is one broken thing supposed to fix another?
With love.
Yes, love. That was what I was fighting for. That was what I was living for. And maybe, not so tragically, that was what I would die for.
If you asked me, there are worse ways to go.
A Royal Summons
At midnight, while the people in the city of the Outlands were holding the funeral for his son, King William sent his messengers out to deliver news to his people in all five of his cities. The Royal messengers hung fliers on lampposts and store windows, and also on the doors of all the houses. The fliers were stamped with the King’s seal, gleaming in red ink that glared angry against the white paper.
The fliers read:
Every citizen of the Five Cities must report to their local Council Buildings on the dates and times listed below. Every member of every family must be accounted for. Men, women and children. Brockens, Searchers, and Wolves. This Royal Summons applies to all. You are to show up and pledge your allegiance to King William, Protector of the Five Cities and Father of the Free Age. If you fail to show for your scheduled time you will be considered a traitor to the King and will be hunted down and executed.
Signed,
King William, Protector of the Five Cities, Father of the Free Age
Nelly
The door opened. Tommy stood there, pale hair ruffled, hands rubbing his eyes. Until he saw me. His hands dropped to his sides, and then the sleep that was still on his face was gone, and he smiled for me. A slow, sad smile. A ghost of the smirk that he usually wore. And I gave him one back.
“Hey, Tommy.”
He stepped to the side and swept a hand for me to enter. “Hey, Nell,” he said.
I scooted around him and into his room, looking around, unsure what to do now that I was here. “I’m sorry I woke you,” I said.
Tommy shook his head and took a seat on the bed. “I’m glad you did.” He regarded me for a moment. “You want to sit down?”
I released a slow breath and sat down in the chair next to the nightstand. “Bad dreams?” I asked.
Tommy’s bare shoulders lifted a fraction and fell. “Not good ones. You?”
I looked down at my hands, suddenly aware that I had been staring at Tommy’s bare chest. “I wanted to give Alexa and Kayden some time to themselves,” I said.
Tommy nodded. “How’s she doing?”
A small laugh bubbled up my throat, dry and humorless. “She’s…still going, I guess.”
Another nod. “And you?”
I looked up and met Tommy’s crystal blue eyes. “Well, I guess I’m still going, too.”
He stood from the bed now. “Here, lay down,” he said.
I raised a brow, and now he smirked. “You look exhausted. You should rest.”
I shook my head, but Tommy came forward and gently pulled me to my feet. My breath caught unexpectedly. Then he pulled me over to the bed and sat me down. “I insist,” he said.
Laying back, I tucked my feet under the covers, suddenly feeling too exhausted to resist. Tommy pulled the blanket up to my chin and smiled down at me. “What about you?” I asked.
He went over to a dresser that was by the far wall and took out a t-shirt and pulled it over his head. I sighed before I could stop myself. Then he sat down in the chair I had vacated. “I’ll watch you,” he said.
Now I smirked. “That’s not creepy.”
I bit my lip to stifle a giggle when Tommy’s cheeks grew a little red. “Not watch you,” he amended. “Watch over you, I mean.
Like a dream catcher. I’ll keep the bad dreams away. Swat them out of the air like flies if they try to get you.”
I stared at him for a moment, and saw that his face grew redder still. Tommy had always been so cool and witty. I had never heard him ramble before. It was oddly endearing. Something popped in my head then, and I let it out of my mouth before I could lose the nerve to say it. I scooted over in the bed and drew down the covers. “Come sleep with me?” I asked, my voice small.
Tommy studied me, his blue eyes searching my face for what seemed like an eternity. Now it was my face that I could feel going pink. Then, without a word, Tommy stood and slid into the bed beside me, all too careful not to touch my skin. He pulled the cover up over us and rested his head facing me. “Okay?” he asked.
I breathed out slowly. “Okay.”
We seemed to lie like that for a lifetime, just looking into each other’s eyes, before I spoke again. “Thank you, Tommy,” I said. “For everything.”
His hand came up and brushed a lock of hair from my forehead, cupping my cheek in his warm palm. “You’re welcome.”
I couldn’t have stopped what happened next even if I had known it was coming, which I didn’t. It just seemed to pour over me like a bucket of cold rain. I brought my hands up to cover my face before Tommy could see the tears that were rapidly forming in my eyes. But there was nothing I could do to keep my breath from hitching as I sobbed behind my fingers.
Faintly, I heard Tommy sigh. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said. “Shh, Nell, it’s okay.”
I wanted to tell him that it was not okay, and that just because everyone kept saying that it was did not make it so. But I didn’t. It was embarrassing enough that the first time—which I registered with some horror, that this was the first time—I been in the same bed with a man that I was crying like a two-year-old denied a second piece of cake. What I said was, “The only way for this to end is withdeath.” And this brought on more sobs and more hitches, what seemed like a whole bottled lifetime of them.