The Obsidian Throne

by Michelle Soper

  Nev hesitantly traced the outlines of the “mark’s” branding with her finger. It could have been beautiful if its creation was not born of such malevolence. The lines had been seared into the flesh by an unknown means. They left shimmering trails that swirled into the shape of a raven. Nev shuddered as she sensed the evil brimming within it and its connection to her blood. Her hand shaking, she pulled her fingers back and tucked her hand close to her chest. “I am so sorry,” Nev stammered, struggling to catch her breath.

  “Yeah,” Addi sighed, her voice strained and quiet.

  “Addi,” Nev started to say softly.

  “Don’t. You don’t have to. Look, I know I said some mean things to you back in Birclan, but Wyatt was right. It isn’t your fault, and I’m sorry. This whole world is just really messed up right now, and I just… well, I just wanted someone to pay for it. But that person isn’t you. Anyway, now you know a little more than you did,” Addi stated, looking at Nev and giving her a half-smile.

  Nodding and smiling back, Nev replied, “Thank you. And I am truly sorry. For all of it. I’m really, really going to try and make it right.”

  Addi replied, “I know. And that is part of what worries me.”

  Nev looked at her, feeling perplexed.

  “My brother is wonderful. But surely you can see how sensitive he is. He is so similar to our mother. Anyway, you must know how much he wants to take care of you. I thought he might just be infatuated. It made sense seeing how you are the first… well, first everything. In Birclan, I was annoyed with him for putting himself in so much danger for a crush,” Addi explained.

  “I understand,” Nev tried to offer.

  “No. I’m not certain you do. After our parents died, Wyatt was supposed to be my responsibility. But as much as I always tried to protect him, it was him that took care of me. It is what he does for someone… someone he loves,” Addi described before sighing. “It is obvious that he is madly in love with you. And you, in all fairness, seem to feel the same way. Now, I think it is crazy to fall for someone so fast. But Wyatt has always done things in his own time. Which with you is apparently very quickly,” Addi continued.

  “I do love him. More than anything,” Nev stated sincerely.

  “Yeah. And that is where my worry comes from. Look, I don’t know or even need to know everything you have been through. It is clear enough that your life has been far harder than most. I just… I worry what those scars you carry, and this path you seem to be on are going to mean for my brother. So, I need you to make me a promise,” Addi whispered, her voice hushed and serious.

  Nev could feel her eyes swelling with tears. She shared Addi’s worry for Wyatt and her deep desire to keep him safe. “Alright, ask,” Nev replied, quiet and tearful.

  “I know he made you a promise to stay and help you. So, I need you to promise that when the time comes, you will release him from it. He may still follow you, but at least I’ll know he isn’t doing it because of some fool sense of obligation to an oath he made. Do this, and I will promise to stay and help you. I’ll also not hate you when he, quite likely, follows you to danger anyway,” Addi requested. She didn’t know if Nev’s promise would keep Wyatt safe in the end. Even so, Addi needed to know that she had tried to fulfill the last promise she’d ever made to her parents.

  Tearful, Nev nodded. “I promise,” she vowed.

  “Alright. You and I are now good. I will do my best to help you with whatever comes,” Addi promised, with a smile.

  “Thank you for your help. And for letting me be part of you and your brother’s life,” Nev replied with a small smile.

  Addi got back to work, rebandaging Nev’s shoulder. “That is why I am here. To be a helper. Well, that and to try and keep you both out of trouble,” Addi said, laughing softly.

  Nev grinned for a moment. She hadn’t ever spent much time around girls or women. As a child, she’d wondered what it would’ve been like to have her mom around. Or a sister. Nev liked to think she and Addi might get to a point where Addi actually wanted her around instead of just learning to tolerate her presence.

  “Oh, and speaking of trouble. I know you said your father raised you. Now, I really… really don’t need to know any details. However, I’m not blind. So, I need to know that you’re smart about things. You do know how not to…” Addi began to ask before pausing briefly. Staring at Nev, she whispered, “How not to get pregnant? I mean, besides the obvious.”

  Nodding, Nev could feel her cheeks grow red. “I stayed with a family very briefly once that had teenage daughters. I know about moon petals and their various uses,” she stated, her voice barely audible. Nev’s fingers began to ache and protest her involuntary hand wringing. “And I have enough. I promise,” she added quickly.

  “Good. Also, relax. That conversation should be much more awkward for me than you. He is my brother, after all. Still, we don’t need to talk about it again,” Addi suggested. She watched Nev’s tense reaction ease slightly and shook her head. “You aren’t planning on running off again, are you? I’m not sure I could handle my brother’s unbearable moping if you were not around,” Addi stated with a warm smile.

  “Unbearable moping?” Wyatt interjected, sounding pathetic and holding his hands to his heart in feigned pain.

  “You mope when I am not around?” Nev asked, smiling at Wyatt, thankful for his interruption.

  Feeling satisfied with Nev’s promise and her knowledge of how to be smart, Addi encouraged her brother’s effort to lighten the mood. “Oh, you have no idea! You know… we should really have another chat about my dear old brother and his flair for the dramatics,” Addi joked. Still grinning, she quickly finished wrapping Nev’s shoulder.

  “What?!? No. No. No. You two chatting about me is bad... very bad. And what did you mean ‘another chat?’” Wyatt inquired, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

  Nev and Addi both chuckled at Wyatt and then grinned at each other.

  “You know, I thought I wanted you two to get along better… but now I’m seriously starting to rethink that,” Wyatt admitted, laughing.

  “Too late. Now, is dinner ready?” Addi asked, ignoring Wyatt’s look of protests and glancing towards the fire.

  “Oh, it should be almost ready. Ladies, if you would follow me please,” he stated as he gestured toward the main room of the cabin.

  Nev and Addi both nodded and followed Wyatt into the other room.

  Wyatt had managed to cook a stew of sorts. It was not the best thing Nev had ever tasted, but it was edible and warm. Despite the dark memories that lurked in her mind and within the cabin, she found herself feeling much more at ease than she had earlier in the day. She smiled as Wyatt and Addi traded playful barbs, mostly centering around his cooking abilities.

  With dinner finished, Addi took a bedroll and headed towards a spot opposite the bedroom. “You two take the bed. Nev should take a break from sleeping on the floor, and goodness knows you can’t sleep more than two inches from each other,” she noted, shaking her head. She swiftly laid her bedroll out. Now that her mind was more at ease with her brother’s relationship with Nev, she promptly fell asleep.

  Wyatt watched quietly as Nev removed her cloak, weapons, and boots. He couldn’t help but notice that the burden she always carried seemed a little lighter tonight. “You and my sister had a good chat, didn’t you?” he asked softly as he watched Nev slide into the bed.

  “We did. Addi says we are good now,” Nev replied, smiling at Wyatt.

  “Wow. Well, that was easier than I thought it would be. Here I thought I would have to owe my sister big for that. So, what did she get you on the hook for?” he inquired curiously. While waiting for her response, Wyatt quickly removed his own boots and joined Nev in the bed.

  “Nothing I wasn’t already going to do,” Nev answered, kissing him lightly. Her promise to Addi was one of the easiest she’d ever made. She gazed into Wyatt’s eyes and knew she would do anything to keep him safe.

  “Hey, you okay?” Wy
att asked gently, sensing a faint seriousness stir in Nev.

  Nev labored to push the encroaching dire thoughts back for another day and gave him a small smile. “Mostly,” she replied.

  “Mostly? Hmm… how about now?” he asked, as he wrapped his arms around her and snuggled her close.

  She rested her head against his chest and savored the feeling of his embrace. “Much better. I love you,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

  “I love you too. Goodnight,” Wyatt reassured, kissing the top of her head and sighing contently.

  Chapter 31

  Nev had woken while it was still night and was sitting quietly in front of the hearth’s fire, studying the flames as they danced across the logs. She sensed Addi sleeping soundly, even as Wyatt began to stir. Keeping her focus on the fire, she tried to push through her memories. There was something about the heat and light before her that was familiar beyond the obvious. Some hidden and deeper connection was just on the edge of her mind. She’d seen Wyatt create light and heat with his abilities. Yet, she felt strangely blocked whenever she tried.

  Nev was aware that not all children inherited their Tink parent’s abilities. Addi was a prime example of a Tinkerer’s skills, not being inevitably passed along. Still, Nev was confident she shared the trait with her father. If that was the case, however, then why did she struggle to have her powers manifest?

  With her amulet, it was easy to sense things beyond her typical range. The result was the same, whether she purposefully focused on her necklace or not. Even with the amulet’s aid, however, she could only feel things at greater distances. Without it, she felt limited to only communicating with Wyatt through their shared connection and sensing Sagrine. Nev sighed in frustration as she failed to manipulate the flames playing before her.

  Wyatt was now awake and staring at Nev intently. He moved to sit close to her and took her hand in his. “You know… you’re awfully cute when you are perplexed by something,” he whispered playfully before nudging her right shoulder gently with his.

  “If that is the case, then I should be extraordinarily so at the moment,” she replied, sounding a little defeated.

  Chuckling softly, Wyatt inquired, “True enough. So, why are we up in the middle of the night? Care to tell me what is on your mind?”

  Nev glanced at him before taking a deep breath. “Your Tink abilities have saved us from Sagrine, lit our path, and helped mend my wounds. I know how beneficial they are… how helpful and important you are. I also truly believe my father was a Tink, and I understand the kind of danger we are still facing. And yet… I can’t make my abilities manifest. Even though they would be incredibly helpful to us. I mean… I can feel the energy within me, but it is like it slides through my fingers whenever I try to grasp it,” she described with a heavy sigh before leaning into him.

  Wyatt squeezed her hand within his before he wrapped an arm around her. “My mother is who I inherited my abilities from. She almost always kept them hidden, and she often told me my gifts were far beyond hers. Either way, I was seven when I first starting noticing I could do ‘tricks.’ My mom’s guidance was incredibly helpful, as my skills developed over time. I remember her telling me about how I couldn’t force my skills to appear any more than I could force them to disappear. All I could do was encourage them one way or the other. Over the years, I’ve tested that premise and found my mom was right. Before my parents died, I would use them carefully at home. After Addi and I were left alone, I tried to hide them because I knew I put Addi at risk. When she was taken for testing, I swore to myself that I would never let myself use them again. Of course, then I met you.

  “Suddenly, I was hiding a woman from a prowler and healing her wounds. I wasn’t kidding when I said I had never hidden someone before. And I may have patched people up in the past, but there is a reason I hadn’t considered myself to be a healer. Your shoulder injury was by far the gravest amount of damage I have ever tackled, successfully or otherwise.

  “You are amazing and talented. I also have no doubt that you’ll only become more so as time goes on. But you can’t push your abilities to show themselves before you—and they—are ready. I mean… you have already located an underwater cave, evaded Sagrine for weeks, and managed to stand toe-to-toe with him for longer than anyone should be able to. Those are all Tink abilities. Sure they may not be like mine, but they won’t be.

  “You are unique, and my mom always said a Tinkerer’s ability reflects the person’s heart. Not their desires. This is why my skills helped me take care of you and heal you, and yours helped you defend and protect us. And your father’s helped him to hide you,” Wyatt explained thoughtfully. He watched her face closely for signs of understanding.

  “But I know I’ll face Sagrine again, and I could defend and protect us so much better if my Tink side would simply show itself more,” she countered before leaning her head on his shoulder.

  “I think you are doing quite a good job keeping us safe as is,” assured Wyatt.

  Nev sat up and cupped Wyatt’s cheek in her hand, turning his gaze to meet hers. “I will keep you safe. Even if my Tink abilities stubbornly remain limited. I just wish I could do more than encourage them and wait to see if they ever really reveal themselves,” she promised before sighing heavily.

  Laughing softly, Wyatt smiled at her warmly. “I wouldn’t worry about them appearing. I have no doubt you are going to surpass me before too long. Not that it is an easy feat to accomplish. I am pretty fantastic after all,” he stated before grinning. “And as for the other part—we will keep each other safe. Remember, you don’t have to do anything on your own anymore,” he reminded her before leaning close and kissing her tenderly.

  Pulling back from his kiss slightly, Nev smiled. “You know… waiting for my skills to show up would be a lot easier if I was distracted,” she suggested flirtatiously.

  “In that case, one distraction coming right up,” Wyatt replied. He stood swiftly, pulling her back into the bedroom and onto the bed with him. In a moment, they were snuggled close. Laying on their sides facing each other, they shared several long minutes of kissing and nuzzling before eventually falling back asleep.

  Chapter 32

  Addi woke early and well-rested. A storm had raged throughout the entire night, but a sense of tranquility had encompassed everyone within the cabin. She saw Wyatt and Nev, surprisingly, already awake and mostly ready to head out. Addi proceeded to pack up their belongings while she heard Wyatt make sure Nev’s shoulder was still on the mend.

  After a quick breakfast, Addi took point and pushed them to keep a decent pace to Nellis’ house. By her estimation, they would reach his house sometime tomorrow afternoon. She wasn’t sure how he would feel about seeing her, and she honestly wanted to just get it over with. She really hoped he wasn’t still mad at her or that he at least was willing to help them.

  Regardless of the welcome they received, Nellis’ house would be a welcomed stop. Even though they had not traveled very far, the trio could really use a respite. Wyatt was skilled at healing, but it would do Nev’s shoulder good to sleep under a roof for another night. Not to mention Nellis’ house was fairly large, and she could make sure Wyatt and Nev had a room at the opposite end of the house from her.

  Over the past several hours, the sun’s rays had struggled to peak through the steady drizzle that had started not long after they departed the cabin. For almost the entire day, Nev and Wyatt had been walking side by side. Despite their proximity, Nev felt increasingly distant. She hadn’t mentioned anything concerning. Yet, even with her shoulder healing and things better between her and Addi, something was nagging at her. That much was obvious to Wyatt.

  He had tried several times to encourage her to be silly or playful with him during their walk. She hadn’t so much shut his efforts down, as she simply hadn’t noticed. There was a heaviness weighing on her. Each step closer to Nellis’ seemingly making her burden more cumbersome. Wyatt knew it wasn’t Nellis she was worried about. It w
as something else.

  “Hey love, you alright?” Wyatt asked Nev quietly.

  “Hmm?” she replied, being pulled back to the moment.

  “Where were you just now?” he gently questioned.

  Nev took his hand in hers and sighed before saying, “I have just been thinking about things.”

  “I see. You know you can talk to me, right?” Wyatt asked, pulling her hand up and kissing it lightly.

  Nodding, Nev replied, “I know. I will. Just… not yet.”

  Wyatt desperately wanted to press the issue. He would like to help her. Yet, as much as he disliked it, helping, for now, meant being patient. “Okay. Just don’t make me wait too long. I’m worried about you,” he pleaded. His expression and tone were full of concerned affection.

  “I know you are. Look… I know I’m not always as strong as I should be and that I’ve leaned on you a lot. But trust me, I’m alright. Thank you for being understanding,” Nev stated, giving him a warm smile and nudging him playfully.

  Wyatt rubbed his shoulder in feigned pain. “I think you are plenty strong. And you are welcome,” he stated. His tone growing a little lighter.

  Nev kissed his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his before sighing contentedly.

  They walked in relative silence for the rest of the day. As the sun eventually surrendered its struggle against the dark clouds, a heavy, steady rain started to fall. Despite it barely being evening and early for them to stop, Addi found the remnants of an old barn for them to make camp in. “It may take us a little longer to reach Nellis if this rain doesn’t ease off by morning,” she conceded.

  “Thanks for finding us a roof for tonight, sis. You need any help?” Wyatt asked Addi. While waiting for her answer, he watched as Nev walked off to the far corner of the barn and sat down.

  “I am fine. How is Nev doing, though? You two were awfully quiet today. Not nearly as annoying as usual. To be honest, you two kind of have me worried,” Addi replied quietly. She looked closely at her brother’s face and could tell he wanted nothing more than to go check on Nev. “Wyatt, just go. Check on her. I’ll be fine,” she directed, not waiting for Wyatt to answer her earlier question.