The old plastic used for the window area made everyone look fuzzy, but I was fairly certain it was Rafael. Of all people to come by, he was the last one I would expect. He must be wanting to taunt me in the early morning hours before everyone else woke.
I threw back the fabric and stood with my arms on my hips. “What do you want?” I asked in my most snarky tone.
He leaned right against the plastic and it flexed against his weight. “I know they are lying about Zoe Dawn,” he whispered through the plastic. “You need to go find her.”
I was taken back by his remarks. Rafael had never cared about Zoe Dawn before. “Why do you spare a thought for her after all these seasons?” I pressed my hands against the sides of the window and leaned in closer. “I would think this turn of events would be the highlight of your life.”
“Not a chance,” he said, pressing his face against the plastic so he could see me better. “Let me in, Kia Lynn. I will help you escape before the sun wakes the others.”
He had my attention. I shuffled to the door and opened it for him. His gaze shot over his shoulder before he slipped inside. I bolted the door behind us and followed him back into the main room.
“How do you intend for me to escape?” I asked, pushing past him and sinking to my bed.
“Right now,” he said, waving at my pack. “You are already packed to go. Pull your boots on, and I will lead you out of the village. The others have all retired to their beds, and I made sure they were all sleeping before I came here.”
My eyes narrowed. “Was it you watching us from the trees?”
He nodded. “I had to hear for myself. They claim to know your mama and that she is behind all of this, but I do not believe them.” His brows bumped together in a scowl as he pointed again at my pack. “We do not have time to waste. This is our chance to get you out of this place. They disbanded all the other Doyen members and banished them from our village. It is as if they are taking over our home, and I cannot imagine what it will be like in a few days’ time.”
The Doyen were the cornerstones of our village. My chest tightened with worry. He was right. For once. I tugged on my boots and was ready only moments later, while Rafael tapped his foot impatiently. As I rose from the bed, he handed me a silver object.
“I found this in the anaman’s room,” he whispered, glancing around the room as if worried someone could hear him. “I have seen them use these before.” His gaze fell. “When they attacked our village and slaughtered my parents and uncle.”
I had been hidden during that attack, but Rafael witnessed most of it from the branches of one of our tallest trees. His dad had helped him up, and as his father ran to save his mate, an anaman had murdered him, then turned their firearms on Rafael’s mother. He had been a thorn in our side before that time, but afterward, he became ruthless. I was convinced he was determined to make everyone as miserable as him.
I nibbled on my bottom lip and turned the weapon around in my hand. “How do I use it?”
“This button arms it.” He pointed at the bottom.
Sure enough there was a recessed silver button. You would not even know it was there.
“Then what?” I looked up at his sullen expression. It was a face he rarely wore and I realized we were bringing back memories from the day of his parents’ deaths. “Come with me, Rafael. You have no reason to stay behind.”
He shook his head and swallowed hard. “I have to protect my aunt and your father, along with the children. I do not want what happened to me to happen to them.”
I bowed my head. “Thank you, Rafael.” The weapon was fairly light, but now it felt heavy in my hand. “Is this green button how I make this work?”
“Yes.” He stepped in closer to me and adjusted it in my hand. “Hold it like this, point it, and use this finger to press the green trigger.”
His gaze met mine, and for the first time in my life I wanted to wrap my arms around him and hug the sorrow from his face.
Instead I nodded and pointed the weapon at the wall. “I can do this, Rafael. I will find Zoe Dawn.”
“And whatever connection they broke between you and her”—he pointed at my leg—“you need to undo. There is a way once we are away from their ears. I have a feeling it will draw you two together.”
“I did not think you believed in magic,” I said, trying to lighten the mood as I grinned at him.
His lips quirked up for a moment and then fell back into a frown. “I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is the mating ceremony ended with four people dead and Zoe Dawn abducted, and in the middle of it all, a wind whipped only around you like thrashing waves of water. Then your leg lit up like fire. Zoe Dawn was gone, you passed out, they hauled you away like a prisoner, and then the chaos subsided.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “I thought the wind was a bad dream,” I whispered. My attention dropped to my leg and I tugged my trousers up over my calf.
The rune that the stranger had dug into me was bright red as if it had been healing for weeks, instead of a few days. And my birthmark above it was glowing silver again.
“I need to go,” I said, fixing my trousers and shoving the weapon inside the front pocket of my sweater.
I stepped around Rafael, but he pulled me back into an embrace.
“Be safe, Kia Lynn,” he whispered in my ear. His voice shook with emotion. “I believe in whatever connection you and Zoe Dawn possess because I have witnessed it my entire life. You are meant to do great things. Protect my cousin, please.”
I nodded against his chest. “I will do everything I can.” Zoe Dawn had always been the protector, not me. But that is why this mattered more than ever now. I pulled back and looked up into his tear streaked face. What a shift we had made, and despite the circumstances, I really liked this new Rafael.
His arms fell to his sides. “I will lead you out.”
I threw my pack over my shoulder and checked my bed one last time to make sure I did not forget anything, then followed Rafael out the door. We snuck to the pathway, and Rafael disappeared into the trees. I stopped short of the darkness, but his hand shot out and pulled me in with him.
“I have a secret trail that leads out of the valley,” he whispered as he grabbed my hand.
I nodded and pressed my lips together. He tugged me along behind him through the maze of trees and vegetation and stopped when we reached the mountain cliff. My gaze traveled up and to both sides.
“I am not climbing up this.” I kicked him in the shin.
He glared back at me, and I almost laughed at his scrunched-up face. For a moment it felt like we were kids again.
“Just give me a second,” he hissed quietly.
He felt around the rocks and overgrown foliage before finally pulling on a section of leaves and letting it drop to the side of us. A small entrance to a cave came into view.
My jaw dropped. “What in the world?” I glanced at Rafael, then back at the cave. “How long have you known about this?”
“Ever since my parents were killed.” He ducked and stepped inside, waving for me to follow him.
I looked over my shoulder, quivering at the thought of being in an enclosed space but more afraid of what I was leaving behind. After gingerly picking my way over the bushes and into the cave, I held still when Rafael secured the section of leaves and branches behind me, encasing us in nearly complete darkness. I held my breath. My hands shot out behind me, searching for something to give me a sense of security.
Rafael wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in closer to him. “I have a torch, but I can’t light it until we are farther in. Hold on to me. I have this cave memorized by heart.”
I released the breath I was holding in one big huff, then took hold of Rafael’s upper arm with both hands. We walked slowly, obviously compensating for me. I rested my head on the back of his arm, afraid I would hit it on the rock ceiling if I did not hide it behind him.
We walked for what seemed forever before Rafael sto
pped. He reached over and patted my hands. “I need my arm to light the fire. Hold onto my shirt instead.”
My hands slid down his muscled back, and for a moment I wanted to wrap my arms around his waist. Fantasies of his lips on mine invaded my thoughts.
What was wrong with me?
I clutched a handful of his shirt and moved it away from his skin so we no longer had that contact.
A moment later, the cave flooded with a flickering light. I sighed heavily and realized I had been holding my breath again.
I let go of his shirt, readjusted my pack, and looked around. The cave was more open than I had imagined. To my right was a large space that looked like it was used on a regular basis. Old books and other parchments from the ancient buildings were piled in an organized manner, and a cushion was spread out in the middle with a few blankets dropped on top of it.
“You visit here often, I can see,” I said, walking toward a pile of books. “Who knew you were such a rebel?” My fingers brushed over the top book before opening the cover and flipping through the brittle and yellowed pages.
Rafael reached around me, and my heart skipped a beat when his arm brushed my shoulder.
“Be careful with those.” He shut the cover and steered me away from them. “We cannot stay here. It takes some time to make it to the other side, and we need to go up first.”
I followed him as he continued up the pathway and into another closed-in space.
“How did you find this cave?” I asked, staying close so I would not lose the light.
“After the anamans left, I slid from the tree and raced to the cliff, wanting to make it to the exit of our village. I did not want to stay here if my parents were dead.” He paused at a fork in the trail, then moved to the left and up a gradual incline. “I tripped over the rock that is in front of the cave and fell into the mouth of it. From there, everything was history. I explored as often as I could, eventually finding the way to the other side of the mountain.”
We were quiet for a long time as we made our way up, over, and through another sparkling cave. He let me look for just a moment before tugging me back onto another path that sloped slightly downward for a little while. Eventually, we came to a much steeper incline.
“There are rocks and indentations to help, and it is not as bad as it looks,” he said, waving for me to go in front of him. Then he handed me the torch. “I already know every groove and rock, so you will need this more than me.”
I looked up and realized he was right. It was steep but not a cliff by any means. “Where does it lead?”
“Another cave,” he replied. “We are close to the end and this is really the worst of it. The rest of the way is a breeze.”
A breeze. That reminded me of the wind from the mating ceremony again. Nikita and Tatum had not elaborated on this gift of mine.
I reached out and began the climb, using one hand to hold the torch and the other to pull me up. It was almost like crawling, but I needed a little extra help to not slip back. When we reached the other end, I stepped into the cave and was almost instantly awestruck. This was by far the most stunning of all the caves.
Stalagmites and stalactites nearly kissed one another in every direction, and they sparkled like the stars in the skies. I twirled around in a circle, taking in every inch that I could see.
“I cannot believe you kept this to yourself all these years.” My gaze landed on Rafael, who was watching me from a few feet away with a grin smeared across his face.
He shrugged. “I knew if I told everyone, this place would be overrun by our people, and I would never have a place to hide away. And I wanted to protect this.” He waved his arm around, and I could see the sweat dripping down his face. “Who knows what keefie would ruin this stunning sight.”
“Very true.” I handed him the torch. “Now where?”
“Before we continue on, we need to remove the block Nikita and her goons marked you with,” he replied, tugging at his shirt and blotting his forehead with it. His abdominal muscles flexed as he moved, revealing how well defined they had become over the years.
He cleared his throat as his shirt dropped back down.
I tore my eyes away, then slowly lifted my gaze to meet his. “How will you do that?” I asked, turning away from him to hide my burning cheeks.
“It will not be pleasant,” he warned me.
I could hear him rustling around in his pack.
“Why does that not surprise me?” I sank to the ground and yanked up the bottoms of my trousers, revealing the handiwork of the elusive stranger. “By the way, how did you know this needs to be done?”
“I overheard them speaking about the rune they had forced upon you. Then I spoke to my aunt, and she explained the power of these runes when they are carved into our skin. The only way to undo their hold on you is to burn them away.”
I cringed but only nodded in reply, afraid if I spoke I would cry.
Settling down next to me, he held the piece of metal in the flame of the torch, watching me as I pretended to not be concerned. I twisted my leg, giving him the best possible access to my calf. And this way, he would not be able to see my face when he burned my flesh.
“Are you ready?”
I shook my head, tears already gathering in my eyes. “Just do it anyway,” I somehow squeaked out.
I took a section of my pack into my mouth and bit down as his fingers curled around my ankle.
“I know I don’t need to say this, but do your best to hold still,” he whispered.
This time I nodded and hung my head between my arms that were now pressed into the ground. When the metal touched my skin, I screamed against the fabric in my mouth, unable to hold any of it back. I managed to hold my leg in place, with the help of Rafael’s firm grip. Then it was over.
“You want to let that breathe,” he said, rolling that leg of my trousers above my knee.
Wiping away the tears on my face with the back of my hand, I swore a flash of light flew by me, but when I blinked again, there was nothing there. But I felt different—lighter, and the burn was not hurting as badly as I thought it would. I pulled myself to my knees, and Rafael helped me up the rest of the way.
“You are the strongest woman I know,” Rafael whispered, his lips only inches from my face. He brushed my hair back and, with his thumb, wiped a lone tear away. “I wish I had not had to do that. Do you need more time?”
“No,” I said, locking eyes with him. “Thank you, Rafael. We should be going?”
He drew in a deep breath and stared at me for a moment longer before pivoting on his heel. “Follow me then.”
The entrance came into view not too much longer after we left. Rafael moved away tree branches and helped me out to the other side. It was still dark outside, but I had a feeling we had little time before the sunrays began to kiss the horizon. I needed to move fast.
Rafael led me down a rocky path, then through the thick part of the vegetation and brought us to the trail Zoe Dawn and I had used only a few days before. I knew my way from here.
“Kia Lynn?” Rafael was suddenly too close again. “There is only two clues I can give you. Hopefully, you can find more. Whoever took Zoe Dawn used an anaman ship, and they flew south after they left. And it is possible Aly is with them.”
I shot him a surprised look.
He nodded in response. “I know. Absurd. But I swear I saw her board the ship behind the large man who snatched up Zoe Dawn.”
“After Sister Nikita’s betrayal, I do not know why I am surprised.” I could not trust anyone at this point.
“Be safe, Kia Lynn. I give you blessings from our sacred Goddess and ask that the Mountain Gods protect you on your journey.” He leaned in closer, and I swore he was going to kiss me. Instead, he wrapped me in a bear hug and planted a kiss on the top of my head.
“I bless your path as well, Rafael,” I whispered as he walked away.
With no light to lead the way, I set out on the trail, following it the best I
could from the sliver of moonlight that was disappearing behind a patch of clouds. As I made my way toward the new anaman village, I thought of a way to speak to them without losing my head in the process. Not watching the path, I stepped on a stick, and it snapped. I jumped, then froze when I heard rustling just a few feet within the foliage.
My fingers trembled as I yanked out the anaman weapon and held it out in front of me. I was not alone.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Object
ZOE DAWN
The protective shield glimmered just slightly from inside the barrier. They had reassured me it would appear as an empty space of trees, rocks, and flowers to anyone who came near on the other side.
I had woken early, wanting to spend my morning creating fire and finding out what I could do with it, which was the ironic part. I really couldn’t do anything but ignite fire, either by my hands or fingertips, or engulf my entire body. There were no fun tricks—no breathing fire, shooting fireballs, or nifty little dancing fire ruses that would ensure my safety if those pesky enemies invaded these lands.
As Malcolm and Aly had explained to me several times yesterday, I was simply the element of fire, with no fancy fighting powers to accompany it. Disappointment had settled heavily over my high expectations. I was determined to prove them wrong.
The sun was high in the sky, meaning it was nearing meal-time and I was already starving.
Something caught my eye so I twisted just as a strange winged creature flew past me, followed by two others. I stared in amazement at their beauty. Their blue wings were adorned with swirls of white and black, making them appear like little fairies.
I took a quick step back and glanced around at the otherwise empty space. Were fairies real as well?
“No way!” I exclaimed, chasing after the winged little people.
They fluttered around a patch of various flowers, some I had never seen before. I squinted over at one of the fairies who had landed on a blossom.
I leaned in close. “Can you understand me, little friend?” I asked, my smile so wide I thought I would burst with happiness.
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