by C J Singh
A twig snapped. My ears twitched, like actually twitched.
I pulled in a ragged breath, then another. I could hear a heartbeat, fast and steady. Someone was near. No, not just one, but two? Three? My blood pulsed through me, and my senses grew like the petals of a flower opening to greet the sun.
The tingling in my body dulled, and my breaths steadied out. They became sighs of relief.
My pursuers were closing in. I pushed myself to move, pounding the walls of my mind. My body was not yet fully mine, and the frustration built within me. The smell of birch and berries grew, filling my nose with every breath I took. I heard slow, shallow breaths. The heat from their bodies was so close I could feel it.
I pushed, screamed, and thrashed in my head until finally the walls cracked then crumbled. Relief engulfed me as I took my body back. The tingling evaporated and the heaviness lifted. I opened my eyes. After locking gazes with one of my hunters, without a second thought, I attacked.
Chapter 25
Eden
I paced in my tent for as long as I could, but the thought of Jace in the woods, defenseless, was too much. I had to go to him.
Everyone was preoccupied from the excitement earlier that no one noticed me slip out of the gates, but I left Ash there just in case he needed to distract anyone.
Making my way into the woods, I used my nose to guide me. I spotted Jace. He lay on the cot, eyes closed and still, but his chest moved with a slow steadiness. I let out a small sigh; he was still alive.
Passing the others who crouched behind a large group of bushes, I went straight to him.
“Eden!” Tate hissed after me, but I ignored him. I ignored all their eyes burning into my back.
Eden! What do you think you’re doing?
I ignored Brian’s voice and reached out my hand to Jace. I was about to touch his cheek when his eyes shot open.
“Jace!”
He sat up so fast I fell back onto my ass, and he jumped over my shoulder onto the scourge behind me.
How did I miss that?
Shocked, I crouched, brushing off the dirt and turning toward the others. I was only met with wide, stunned eyes.
“We will do our best to protect him, Eden. We promise.”
I scoffed. “Yeah right.”
Ash snarled behind me as he bounded toward us.
Jace’s grunts and the snarls from the scourge had me turning to him. He wasn’t sick. Not one bit. He was on top of the scourge, pinning it to the ground by the throat. The scourge screamed, lashing out its hands trying to shove Jace off, but Jace was too strong.
“A little help here, Eden?” he rumbled.
I giggled. “It worked!”
“Seriously? Not now, Eden! Help me!”
Blinking, I shook my head, bringing me back to the gravity of the situation. I pulled out the small knife from my boot and moved toward Jace and the scourge. I bent down to stab it when Old Bob came running.
“No! Eden! Don’t kill it!”
I looked up at the others coming out from their hiding spot. Jace grunted; he was tired. Turning the knife over, I used the handle and smacked the creature over the head, knocking it out. Jace slumped in relief.
“Jeepers. Took you long enough,” he panted, falling back off the scourge.
I looked at him with a huge grin. He was alive.
His skin glowed, his body firm and muscular, and his hair long and shiny black. Jumping at him, I threw my arms around his neck, and he chuckled, slowly wrapping his arms around me. I giggled into his shoulder then moved back to look at him again when I noticed his eyes. One was gold, like mine; the other blue, his regular eye color. My smile faded. He looked like me, like the scourge.
“What did you do?” Derek growled, coming from the woods behind us.
We sat, embracing each other. I was slightly on Jace’s lap, so I awkwardly slid off. My cheeks warmed at the weight of eyes on us, but I looked directly at Derek.
“I did what no one else would do.”
“And what is that? What exactly did you do?” he repeated through clenched teeth. His eyes glowed with anger, and his dominance hit me so hard I almost dropped my head just from the sheer force.
“You know what I did. Don’t ask silly questions. The big question is, if you knew about this, why didn’t you try and save him earlier?”
Derek took a step forward, pointing a finger at me. “You have no idea what you’re playing with, little girl.”
I mirrored him, also taking a step forward. “I may not, but I do know that I’m not coward enough to let innocent people die when there is a cure!”
Jace put his hand on my shoulder. “Eden.”
Glancing at the shocked crowd behind Derek, I took a step back. People from the camp had come out after hearing the commotion. Everyone stared in silent shock at the man who was almost dead not an hour ago and was now perfectly healthy.
“What did you do?” Old Bob whispered, examining Jace.
Derek didn’t take his eyes off me. “She did something very dangerous that could have gone very wrong. We took her in, helped her, trained her, and she went behind our backs and did this.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I guess I’m a little confused myself because all I know is that I saved Jace’s life. I didn’t hurt anyone, so why is it this huge deal?”
“You may not have hurt anyone, but like Derek said, you were lucky. This could have gone very bad. We don’t have enough information on this kind of procedure. You took a very risky chance, risking us all,” Brian said.
“How did you expect to learn anything new about it if you didn’t try it? Just talking about it won’t give you answers!”
“It’s unethical!” Brian yelled. I could see Sarah look down behind him. Those were her same thoughts.
“I understood the risk, but I also understood if nothing was done, he would die anyway.”
The air circulated aggression, and the growing crowd from the camp began to murmur. I took a step back at my sudden vulnerability. Jace’s calming energy flowed behind me, uncoiling my shoulders, and I sighed.
“I would have told her it’s all right,” Jace said.
“But you didn’t. She didn’t ask you. She just acted. That’s not OK,” Derek snapped.
“You can’t let them get away with this, Derek,” Jon yelled from the crowd. “If she did this, think about what else she will do!” People yelled and nodded in agreement.
Derek’s eyes were tight and fixed on me. He set his jaw. “Take them,” he snapped, motioning to a few gunned men.
“What?” I shrieked. “This is crazy!” The crowd rumbled louder.
“You can’t be trusted. We don’t know what kind of side effects may happen to him, so we can’t take a chance.”
“Wait! Wait! There has to be another way,” Tate pleaded to Derek, but he just pushed past him.
Men tied our hands with thick rope and guided us back into the camp. One man on each side, holding our arms. The murmuring crowd moved to the side to let us through.
I panted as the rage built within me. Rolling my neck, I cracked it, and when the man grabbed my arm, I bared my teeth and growled. “Don’t. Touch. Me.” He didn’t hesitate before letting me go, taking a small step back.
“Relax, Eden,” Jace whispered.
Grinding my teeth together, I focused on breathing through my anger. In through my nose, out through my mouth, just like Ellie taught me. Ellie. Thinking of her kind eyes and feeling the necklace around my neck soothed me. I opened my eyes, and through the crowd, I caught a glimpse of a worried pretty face, framed by long brown hair. Sarah. She stood to the side, quiet, watching us. The men grabbed my arm again, tugging me forward, so I lost sight of her. We were dragged to a large tent in the dead center of the camp that was surrounded by men with weapons. Their version of a prison.
I sighed. “Any ideas on how to get us out of this one?”
Jace smirked. “You tell me. You’re the smart one.”
I rolled my neck and shifted my shoulders to get into a better position before sliding down to sit. We sat quietly and awaited the news of what would happen to us.
Chapter 26
Tristan
I paced inside the tent, anger threatening to erupt from within me. My body ached from my taut muscles. She willingly helped him. She helped him. Every time I squeezed my eyes shut, all I saw was her throwing herself in his arms. Clenching my fists, I pushed my fingers into my hair and pulled. I needed to focus, to calm myself.
“You OK, Tristan?” Tate watched me with wary eyes. He sat on his cot, petting Ash. Since Eden was taken, Ash has been uneasy. Derek and Brian won’t let him near her, or even let him sit outside her current prison, so he stayed in our tent.
I nodded. “Yeah. Just upset about... the situation.”
Derek, Brian, and Old Bob entered the tent with Old Bob pleading on Eden’s behalf.
“I hear what you’re saying, but what she did was reckless. People could have been killed. I can’t let something like this slide.” Derek sat at the head of the table.
“So, what, you going to execute her?” I narrowed my eyes at Derek.
Derek met my eyes a moment, hollow and serious. Shit. They were going to execute her!
He let out a low growl. “What would you have me do?” He sat back, lacing his hands over his stomach, waiting for my reply.
My gaze never left his. His eyes, just like Eden’s and now Jace’s. He had to know something about this that he wasn’t saying. “What did she do? Why does he now look like her, like...”
“Like?” Brian raised a bushy eyebrow.
“Like you. Both of you.”
Brian stood taller but waited for Derek to take the lead. It was obvious who was in charge. Derek scratched his head. “We aren’t talking about us right now. We are talking about what to do with Eden. Now, I could just do what I think is right, but I am discussing it with you, her family first. Out of respect.”
He dodged the bullet, conveniently. I opened my mouth to push the topic, but Ash whined at me. Help Eden now, ask questions later. I gave him a pat on the head. He wouldn’t let her get hurt. He would fight to the death for her. I should do the same. I can prove to her, to everyone that I’m worthy of her.
“Send them to hunt the scourge.” Old Bob sat up straight, glancing between Derek and Brian. “You said before that you don’t have the people to spare. So, use them. This way if they do perish”—he took a deep breath—“you won’t be missing anyone vital to your camp.”
Derek and Brian shared a look, their eyes locking a few moments too long. The look they shared was unnerving and almost intimate. Watching them felt like I was intruding on a private conversation.
Derek sat forward, running his fingers on the rough wood of the table. “How do we keep them from running? If we just let them loose with some orders, that doesn’t mean they will follow through.”
“I will go,” I blurted out.
All eyes turned to me and Brian barked with laughter. “You would kill Jace yourself and run off with the girl, or try to at least. You don’t fool any of us.”
I looked down, avoiding everyone’s eyes. I could feel my cheeks heating. Old Bob spoke, sparing me more embarrassment.
“Wait, he may be right. He can go and Tate and I will stay back, as collateral.” Old Bob inched forward in his chair. “This way Tristan will be more inclined to keep them on track and bring them back... if they survive that is.”
“Yes, and Eden won’t risk losing me,” Tate added.
“What?” My head snapped up. “I’m not letting you and Tate be insurance. That’s crazy!”
“Why?” Derek smirked. “You planning something?”
“No. But...” I couldn’t think of a good excuse that wouldn’t be insulting.
“Fine. Tristan, you’ll go with them to scout out where these creatures are. Brian”—he looked to his friend—“will go to keep everyone in line, making sure whatever information is found is delivered in full.” He stood, heading for the flap of the tent.
“What about the scourge we captured?” Old Bob asked.
Derek looked at him. “We have it in custody. We’ll see if we can question it.” He studied Old Bob a moment before adding. “You may be present during the interrogation if you like.”
“Thank you. I would.”
“We will start in an hour. My tent.” Without waiting for a response, both Derek and Brian left.
***
“So, you want to talk about it?” Tate asked quietly.
My stomach tightened. “Talk about what?” I gave Ash a good rub, avoiding his stare.
He chuckled. “Come on, Tristan. You don’t think I haven’t noticed how you look at her? Everyone has, for the past year.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you talking about?” Tate stood from his cot, facing me. “It’s only natural, Tristan. I may be her brother, but I can still see she’s a pretty girl. I would be nothing happier if she ended up with you.” Resting his hand on my shoulder, he said, “You may have some competition though.”
My brow furrowed at the reference to Jace. “He’s not good for her,” I growled.
Tate lowered his arm, sitting back onto his cot. “I can’t just be against him when I don’t know him. He didn’t let anything happen to her when they were in the woods.”
My jaw dropped. “Please tell me you are joking.”
“Look. All I am saying is I can’t hate him when I have no reason to. Listen, just go, protect her, be understanding, let it happen. You can’t force it. She’s stubborn, you know this. If you try and control her, she’ll rebel, and it won’t be in your favor.”
Tate has always been kind and reasonable. Always the voice of reason, Ellie would say. I had a bad feeling he won’t last long in this new world we were encountering.
“I get it. May the best man win, I guess.”
***
I walked through the lanes of tents monitoring the ways of the camp. Families each had a tent. If you were single, you were paired with others. Everyone worked, everyone got along, everyone followed the rules. It seemed too good to be true. The walk I took to calm my nerves did the opposite.
“Please. I just want to check her hand and check on him,” a woman’s voice came from a few tents ahead.
“I’m sorry, Sarah. It’s too dangerous,” a guard replied, blocking her way into the tent.
As I approached them, I noticed it was the tent they were holding Eden and Jace. “Excuse me, I can go in with her. I’ll make sure nothing happens.”
Sarah turned to look at me. She had a fresh pretty face. “You’re one of her group, right?” I nodded, giving her a smile.
“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible either. I can’t just let you”—the guard nodded toward me—“go in when I don’t know who you are.” He adjusted his feet, proving he was not going to move.
I chuckled. “Trust me, I won’t free them. Derek, Brian, and my father are planning their punishment right now. I’ll be helping with it. Just let the lady in; she wants to do her job.” I took a few steps toward the guard. I had about two inches and thirty pounds on him. He held a gun, but I was sure he rarely used it and never on an actual person. I could see what Derek meant by them not having the right people to capture the scourges.
The man looked uneasily between the woman and me. “Fine. Five minutes, no longer.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said, giving me a big grin of gratitude.
I nodded a
t her, holding my hand out for her to enter first. If I remember one thing Ellie taught me, it was to always be a gentleman.
Inside, Eden and Jace still had their hands tied, only they were tied around large nine-foot-tall tree stumps. They had managed to sit down, but the way their hands were tied made the position awkward. My shoulders tightened, and I pursed my lips at the sight of her so vulnerable. I dug my feet into the dirt to keep from running to her.
“Sarah.” Eden was surprised, but when she saw me, her eyebrows shot up. “Tristan? What are you doing here?”
Jace quietly watched our interaction. I inspected him from side glances. He had a similar build to me, same height. He squinted up at me with a quick smile and nod, catching my eyes on him. I turned away without reciprocating his politeness. I could take him if I had to.
“Just helping Sarah.”
“I wanted to check your hand,” Sarah spoke quietly, dropping a shoulder bag down next to Eden. “And him.” She nodded her head toward Jace.
“I want to thank you,” Jace said to her from his post. “You made me as comfortable as I could have been.” I wanted to gag at his politeness. No one was that polite.
Sarah smiled at him as she checked Eden’s hand. “It’s pretty well healed. I just wanted to make sure.” She stood, walking over to Jace. “So, you did what we had discussed?” She spoke over her shoulder to Eden.
“Yes.”
“And what was that?” I asked, looking between them. Sarah was in on her little plan?
“Nothing important,” Eden replied. I opened my mouth to ask something else, but the look Eden gave me stopped me. Not now.
Sarah examined Jace, listened to his heart, felt his pulse, looked at his eyes. “Wow,” she whispered.
“That pretty, huh?” Jace mused. I didn’t keep from rolling my eyes.
“No. One is gold. Like the others.”
I looked over Sarah’s shoulder. When I looked back to Eden, she quickly lowered her eyes, almost ashamed. She had never been ashamed of them before. I stepped toward her and reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but stopped midway, fisting it, then pulled it back to me. The last thing she probably wanted was my comfort. My need to make her safe and happy simmered within me. The thought of her here, tied up, Jace near, her new affection toward him, and now this new commonality between them was too much. I needed air or I would erupt. Without saying a word to her, I stormed from the tent.