Secret of Words

by Allyson Huber

  “Enough,” Lyte said fiercely, standing up from where the body was and turning around. “Let’s not talk ill of the dead. She already had enough of that while she was living.” Lyte looked at James, scorn filling her gaze, and I could tell in that moment that she didn’t think too highly of James right now either.

  I wondered why Laurel had killed herself. To protect Lucia’s secrets? To free herself from Lucia’s constraints? Laurel seemed happy in her new self, but it had to be something. I walked over to the glowing runes upon the ground. Emilie joined me, standing beside me, no longer sobbing, but her eyes were red, and hands shook at her sides.

  “It’s written in Jakost,” Emilie said quietly, her voice raw.

  “The blood upon my hands lays over my grave. Every breath I take is a second of life from my body. Upon our minutes, we tend to forget the shadow overhanging. The destiny we are fulfilling. She lies beside her blood, words of death from her hand. Let the river flow between your fingers. Let it flow into our minds and eat at our instincts. When death is upon your hands, feel the desperation threatening to burn at the mind.” Shay finished recited the words, her face downcast.

  “A riddle,” James announced. “Lyte, copy this upon paper. Gather our other senior warriors and tell them to go to the meeting room. Today is a dark day for Sybra.”

  The words the Emilie recited sent chills down my back. Lucia planned the whole speech the girl had to place upon the ground with the glowing stick, writing in her own death. Lucia controlled her the whole time, giving her special instructions to carry out. It had been planned, the death, everything that had occurred tonight. Had the girl known she would be dead in a few minutes? Several Ones of Within members appeared at James’s calling, and they began picking up Laurel’s dead body.

  “What were you two thinking of coming here to find this girl? You should have left immediately!” James said angrily, but it was fueled by his worry for his people. I decided that I should keep quiet, even though I had an answer on the tip of my tongue.

  “We are members of the Ones of Within, James, and we should be treated like we are.” Emilie glanced at me, but I looked away at the girl slumped in the arms of the men.

  Laurel’s head was hanging over one of their arms, her silver hair hanging towards the ground, a tangled mass. Her hand, also hung over his arm, was covered in blood, and the arrow still protruded from her chest. It was the first dead person I had ever seen. Somehow, I knew that I would never forget the moment. I felt sick, staring at the wasted life lying helplessly in their hands. She would never see the beauty of the world again, and she would never feel love or the light of friendship or peace again.

  “Let’s go, Natalie.” Emilie murmured.

  I nodded to show I understood even though everything was numb. We walked together in the direction of the Kartica, leaving the horrors of the clearing behind. I knew that I would never look at that clearing the same way ever again. Becoming scars to all naked eyes. I think I finally understood the meaning of the words. As we headed further and further away, I found my mind whirling at the events of the evening. The lies of James. The betrayal of Shay. The monstrosity that was once Laurel. As I thought, a dark realization hit me right in the chest. Despite how much I wanted to believe in the Ones of Within, I had never felt less safe in my life. How could I support an organization that I was starting to lose faith in?