The Exodus

by Ali Winters

  “I’d reap you before you got anywhere near her,” she snarled, jumping down from her perch. He stopped walking but didn’t face her. Camira stomped over to him and grabbed his shoulder roughly, forcing him to turn. “Don’t think you’ll get away with failing to give me what you promised.”

  The smirk on his face told her that she’d played right into his hands. She wanted to slap it off his face for thinking he could try to manipulate her. Little did he know that she was formulating her own plan.

  “Follow me,” he said, then turned and walked away.

  Camira growled in frustration. If this Hunter didn’t deliver to her expectations then he would find his life force severed from his body before he could take his next breath.

  She followed reluctantly, staying a few steps behind him. It was better she be at his back then to have him at hers. Hunters were the least trustworthy things.

  After several minutes of walking, Camira began to get anxious. Walking was for lame mortals. “Why don’t you tell me where we are going and then I can transport there and wait for you?”

  “You would do well to learn patience,” he spoke sharply.

  A slow death. She promised. Quick and painless deaths were for those who had earned it, and he was begging for her ire, insuring a lot of pain to come.

  Eventually, they reached a park and rather than sticking to the paths, they crossed the grass and entered into a thick copse of trees.

  “Seriously, Hunter. Where are we going? I don’t have forever to waste on you.”

  “Welcome,” a sweet, sugary voice responded.

  Camira whipped her head around but didn’t see the source of their new visitor. “Who’s there?” she demanded.

  Jack kept walking until the light of the full moon couldn’t penetrate the new leaves of the trees and he was hidden in shadow.

  Taking a step back, Camira’s eyes narrowed and scanned the area, her hand reaching back for her scythe.

  “There is no need for that,” the honeyed voice assured her from behind.

  Camira jumped and spun to face the tall auburn haired woman. It was the head of the Hunters, their creator, Yeva. She backed up trying to put distance between her and the ancient. “What is this? A trap?”

  Fear and rage warred for her full attention. She’d followed that stupid Hunter into a trap. If she ever got out alive, she would make him suffer. Break his legs, his arms, and cause him so much pain that he would beg for her to end his life. But she would prolong it until she bored of him.

  She wrapped her hand around the handle of her scythe and brought it forward. To her annoyance Yeva only smirked as she smoothed the billowing, pale green skirt down on the sides, completely unconcerned. The dress seemed to be moving in a wind that didn’t exist even three feet in front of her.

  Mind tricks. Camira racked her brain to remember any detail she had heard or read about Yeva. Was she capable of making Reapers see things?

  “Do not fret my little Reaper. I will not harm you.” Yeva spoke slowly; the lilt of her voice was melodic and calming. Camira tried to fight the effects this being was trying to force onto her.

  “Then why am I here?” she asked through gritted teeth.

  “You are here because I need your help.”

  Camira dropped her scythe and covered her ears, squeezing her eyes closed as she attempted to shut out the siren who would destroy her. “Stop it! Stop trying to use your tricks on me!” she yelled. Her eyes snapped open, afraid to leave herself defenseless while the only threats she’d ever known surrounded her.

  Yeva stood silent and unmoving. Still reluctant to trust, Camira lowered her hands.

  “I apologize, my sweet girl. I did not mean to cause you alarm.” Yeva tilted her head to the side. “Is this better?”

  “No more of your tricks from here on out.”

  “You have my word.” While her words still came slowly, the strange power that had driven Camira mad seconds ago were stunted to a bearable level.

  Yeva walked toward her. “Let’s walk. I do so miss the feeling of the earth under my feet.”

  Camira followed stiffly, making sure to keep an arm’s distance away, blade in hand.

  “Now I believe we were talking about why I have sought you out.”

  Camira nodded. Her interest was piqued in spite of her distrust of the two Hunters. Narrowing her eyes, she glanced around without turning. Where did that worm go? She wondered when there was so sign of Jack’s presence anymore.

  “The answer is simple; it is because I need your help.”

  Camira turned to give the ancient her full attention. “So you’ve said. But what could I possibly do for you that you don’t have the power to do yourself?”

  “There is something I need that Nivian has stolen from me allowing Silas to trap me on that forsaken mountain. He keeps it locked up out of my reach and I regret that I cannot cross over into Mophar. You see, the second I cross into that realm I am in great pain and too weak to move.”

  “Why should I care if it kills you to get it back? As far as I’m concerned, a dead Hunter is the only good kind of Hunter.”

  “I suppose I cannot blame you for feeling like that.” Yeva sighed wistfully. “But you see, the fight between us is all his doing. They have only been doing what they needed in order to retrieve the object.”

  “I’ve never had issue with Silas, why would I betray him?”

  “You would not be betraying him. You would be doing him a great favor by returning what he stole from me. You would end the fight and Hunters would never go after another Reaper for as long as this world exists.”

  If Camira stopped the threat, perhaps Silas would reward her with more power. It could be the first step in getting what she wanted. But she wasn’t about to do the bidding of the mother of all Hunters just because she spouted a few pretty words.

  “What’s in it for me?” Camira asked.

  Yeva stopped walking and faced her. “I was told that Nivian has betrayed your kind. Is this true?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” Camira bit out. Why was it that her name was always brought up? She was here to gain power so she could make Nivian pay, not talk about her endlessly. “You’re not making a good case for yourself. I’ve yet to hear a single reason why I should do your bidding.”

  “Because, I will grant you the power you most desire. You will be the most powerful Reaper, even beyond Silas. They would all bow down at your feet, and worship the ground you walk on. What more could anyone ask?”

  “I don’t need them to worship me. I just want to make Nivian pay for her betrayal.”

  Yeva’s sickeningly sweet smile grew devious. The first genuine feeling she’d expressed since she stepped out from the shadows. “Then we have something in common and that is exactly what I shall do for you if that is what you desire.”

  “What do you have against her?” She eyed Yeva suspiciously. Nivian was a nobody, yet this ancient had what seemed to be a personal vendetta against her, almost as strong as her own.

  “Everything,” Yeva snarled. “She not only seems to have betrayed your kind, but long ago, before she was a Reaper, she was one of my most trusted Hunters and she betrayed me.”

  “Nivian was never a Hunter!” It was impossible. Hunters didn’t become Reapers. Reapers didn’t become Hunters. That’s not how it worked. “You’ve been asleep too long if you’re getting our kinds mixed up like that.”

  Yeva feigned surprise. “You mean, she never told you her dirty little secret?”

  Camira opened her mouth to laugh off the crazy woman in front of her, then stopped. “What secret?”

  “The one where she used to be a Hunter but betrayed me by giving my sacred chalice to Silas then begged him to let her become one of you.”

  Nivian had betrayed the Hunters and now she was betraying the Reapers. She had been both. It was no wonder she found it impossible to be loyal to anyone.

  “Can I count on you to fix this mess that she created, on
ce and for all?”

  Narrowing her eyes, Camira considered the offer. “What do you need?”

  “I need you to get me the chalice that holds the Waters of Salay from Silas’s throne room.”

  Camira blinked and waited for Yeva to continue speaking. “That’s it? You want a cup?” she said in disbelief.

  “It is so much more than a simple cup.”

  “That will be easy. Is there anything else?” The promise of making a traitor pay was worth so much more than a five-minute deal to fetch a fancy cup and bring it back.

  “Bring Nivian to my island. I don’t care how you get her here. I will give you exactly what you want.”

  While her words were nice, it wasn’t the deal she wanted, not yet. “No.”

  “Excuse me?” Yeva growled, the power returning to her voice.

  “I will bring her, but I want to be the one to teach her what happens to a traitor.”

  Yeva’s lips curled up at the corners. “But of course, my dear, of course. I wouldn’t dream of taking that away from you.”

  “Good.” Camira smiled. This ancient might be powerful, but she was no match for a Reaper.

  “Oh, and one more thing,” Yeva added.

  Camira glared, wondering if she was going to try to change the terms of their agreement.

  “I’ll need you to bring me the Reaper’s chalice as well.”

  “Why?”

  “I cannot give you more powers with the Waters of Salay; you must drink of the Waters of Soyala. That is, unless you wish to become a Hunter? There would be no more noble cause I can think of.”

  “No thanks, I will never be anything but a Reaper. I will bring you the cups.”

  Yeva clapped her hands, exuding her pleasure at their deal. Camira should have felt happy, but there was a cloud hanging over the whole thing. Silas should have been the one to offer her more power, not this creator of Hunters.

  “Now go, fetch me the chalices, it should take but a moment. And return to me as soon as possible.”

  Camira swirled her cloak around her and transported outside the doors of Silas’s chambers. The door was closed as it had been since she returned from the desert.

  She raised her hand and knocked on the door. The sound echoed throughout the inner chamber and around her.

  “Silas is not in at the moment,” Caspian’s voice stated from behind her, causing her to jump.

  “Cas—Caspian, you startled me.” Camira pressed her back against the door.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “I wanted to speak with Silas.”

  “Whatever you have to say to him, you are free to tell me. I can relay the message for you if I am unable to assist.”

  “Oh, uh. It was nothing, really. Just wanted to check something. It’s not important. I will come back later.” Forcing herself to push away from the door, she started to walk away, not missing the way his eyes narrowed in suspicion as she passed.

  He stood still waiting for her to go until she rounded the corner and she could no longer see him. She wasn’t sure if he stayed longer or not, but she would wait for him to be out of her way. Transporting herself, Camira appeared outside of Caspian’s office, her body hidden by one of the many wide pillars and their shadows.

  Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long before he appeared at the top of the steps. Without waiting for him to catch her a second time, she quietly pulled her cloak close and headed back to the bottom layer of the Headquarters.

  Looking around once to be sure no one else was there, Camira carefully opened the door just wide enough for her to slip past and shut it behind her. The door clanged so loud she was sure someone would come running to check. But no one did. Either way, she moved fast, not wanting to take the chance that she would be found out.

  She ran deeper into the room toward the shadows, slowing as she passed the large throne in the center. Reaching out, her fingers grazed the surface, sliding across the smooth, black glass. It was tempting to sit, just to see what it would feel like. Though, she supposed she would know soon enough.

  The Reapers needed a leader who was strong and steadfast, not one with rules all too easy to bend, not one who was soft and forgiving. They needed her.

  Moving to the shelf in a cove hidden by shadow, Camira scanned the contents. Vials with liquids sat scattered in an order she couldn’t discern, small pieces of yellowed parchment were stacked in the corner—it was a mess. But nothing that resembled a chalice, let alone two of them. Camira quickly moved on. Her eyes raking over the walls for some place he could have hidden them.

  Camira cursed, wishing that Yeva had given her some hint as to what they looked like. What if they looked like cheap junk, something she would think worthless on first glance and pass by?

  Then a dark shape caught her eye, darker than the shadows hiding it. A black curtain was hanging against the wall. The placement was odd. There were no windows in the room so deep below the surface of the ground. She inched closer, reaching her hand out as she approached, and moved the curtain aside.

  Pale blue light radiated from the rounded inlet. Camira stepped upon the dais, her eyes wide as saucers as she approached a black stone basin holding milky blue water. Upon the edge sat a chalice. Without hesitation, she reached out and snatched it up, taking only a moment to examine it. The black obsidian sparkled in the pale light.

  “Now to find the other one…” she muttered, scanning the nook.

  Nothing.

  The sound of the door’s lock disengaging stopped her in her tracks. Quickly, she reached up and closed the curtain, trying to hide behind the thick material. The door shut with a clang and footsteps quickly approached. Her heart raced as she held her breath and listened.

  Whoever it was kept walking directly toward her! It was a risk, but she would have to chance transporting out before she was caught. Though she hadn’t accomplished everything she’d come for, there wasn’t time to find the other. Not yet.

  Carefully, as to not rustle the curtain, she lifted her hood and pulled the cloak tight around her, the transported just as the heavy, black drape started to shift.

  YEVA

  The second the Reaper disappeared, her calm had vanished.

  “She played right into your plan, just as you said she would. I never realized Reapers were so stupid.” Jack stepped alongside her and snickered.

  “Yes, she did. They were created to serve one purpose, not to be intelligent. She’s nothing more than another one of Silas’s mindless puppets.”

  Though this one had the gall to make demands of her, as if she wielded some power that could even begin to make her an equal. Being a Reaper automatically made Camira lower than dirt. It was astounding that Camira thought the petty squabble between her and Nivian could even begin to surpass the right she had over the betrayal all those years ago.

  “I’d hate to be one of them.”

  “Yes, well, who would not feel that way?”

  “Clearly, Nivian.”

  Yeva glanced at him with one perfectly shaped eyebrow raised. “No, Silas took her by force.”

  “But you said—”

  “It was nothing more than a lie, woven to make the imp feel as though she had even more reason to follow me and bring her here. I will make Nivian a Hunter again or I will destroy her trying. She is mine.” Yeva was practically snarling by the time she finished her sentence, but quickly recovered as she remembered whom she was talking to. “You must hide from sight before Camira returns, you make her skittish. I will be back for you when I am done with her.”

  “Yes, your Grace.” Jack bowed and took his leave.

  Minutes passed. Longer than it should have taken. Yeva clenched her fists wondering if Camira changed her mind. But no, she was too weak, too open to suggestion to make a change in thought like that.

  Finally, the Reaper appeared before her, grasping an obsidian cup in one hand and… nothing in the other. Yeva felt her smile slip.

  Why that self-serving little—
/>
  “I’m back,” Camira announced as though it hadn’t been obvious.

  “Yes, so I have noticed.” She took a few steps closer, still pleased when Camira took half a step back. At least her fear was still intact. “I see you have brought the Reaper’s chalice, might I inquire as to the Hunter’s?”

  “It wasn’t there.”

  The girl spoke with impudence, as though it weren’t important, only serving to sour Yeva’s mood more than before.

  “Did you look?” She made sure to lace her words with honey to hide the feelings of wanting to destroy the abomination who didn’t even bother to show her the respect she deserved.

  “Of course I looked. It’s not exactly an abandoned place and we are forbidden to go in without Silas present. Someone was about to catch me, okay? I can go back later. Just be happy I brought you this one for now.”

  Yeva knew that on the outside, she was the perfect picture of innocence and serenity, but on the inside, she was livid. She would destroy the girl now if she didn’t need her still. “That is all right, we can start with giving you powers as a show of faith on my part. You have time to return and get the other one.”

  “So how does this work?”

  “We must go to the Isola Di Vita. There I can anoint you with greater powers. Come, Camira, take my hand.”

  It would have impressed her when the Reaper took her outstretched hand without even pausing to think about the damage that she could do to her… if Camira had a modicum of intelligence within her.

  Yeva locked her eyes on Camira holding tightly to her hand. The ground under their feet shook; the world around them vibrated. Slowly at first, but it sped up, blurring the world. Pressure built up around them. Then silence and darkness took over, slowly changing to blinding light. When the world righted itself once more, they were in the middle of the clearing, minutes from the cave that served as the entrance to her city.

  “Ugh, why didn’t you just tell me where to go? I could have transported myself here. That was awful,” Camira whined.

  “Do not complain. You will need every ounce of energy you can get for what is to happen next,” Yeva snipped. The ungrateful girl was wearing her patience thin. Soon, her plan would be in full effect and she’d no longer need the nuisance. She hated traveling in such a way, it drained her powers dangerously low, and to do so with Camira only forced her to reach deep into her reserves and use more than she had planned.