“Someone, please tell me what is happening or is about to happen,” Addi demanded, unhooking and prepping her crossbow.
Wyatt turned and flashed a grin at her. “Apparently, life has decided we needed a little more excitement today,” he jested, trying to ease the building tension.
A scream suddenly pierced through the air. It was a voice Addi recognized, and it was filled with panic and drawing closer to them. “Nellis!” Addi shouted, her voice bursting with alarm.
A man abruptly erupted out of the woods and ran straight past Nev. He was a little older than any of them and had short, dark black hair that was matted to his face from sweat. In his hand was an impressive looking metal pike, with a dark green sash tied to one end. Other than his pike, he had nothing that made him look like he was ready for the battle that seemed to be pursuing him. His clothing was plain and simple, and he wore no armor of any kind.
Screaming for help, the man literally crashed right into Wyatt. He had been far too focused on what he was fleeing from to see what he was running towards. “Hey, Nellis. Rough day?” Wyatt asked, chuckling.
“W-Wyatt?” Nellis stuttered in the brogue common of folk from the Isle of Shalemore. “What? How? It doesn’t matter. Enforcers… four of them. They are right behind me,” Nellis said, shooting panicked looks at Wyatt, Nev, and Addi. His gaze locked on Addi for a moment. “Addi? I haven’t seen you since… since,” his voice trailed off.
“Hi, Nellis,” Addi greeted, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.
Nev cleared her mind and let the discussion happening around her fall to the background. She drew her dagger and sword and waited. The sounds of the enforcers were becoming quickly louder, but she mostly ignored them. Another distinct sound had caught her attention. It was the one she was waiting for and the one she would need to deal with. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her increasingly racing mind.
Wyatt let out a heavy sigh as he felt the focus of Nev’s attention. “A prowler,” he sighed, moving to put a hand on Nev’s right shoulder.
“A prowler!” Nellis and Addi exclaimed in unison.
“It’s not him, but it is definitely a prowler. Nev, maybe we should… I don’t know. Maybe it isn’t too late to run. We could lose them in the woods maybe,” Wyatt suggested, his voice quiet and full of worry.
“No,” Nev said firmly, as she turned to face Wyatt. “I can do this.”
Wyatt sighed and agreed softly, “Yes. I know you can. Still, just be careful.” As the sounds grew closer, his anxiety built. Wyatt decided to see if he could dissuade Nev one final time. “Last chance. You sure we can’t just go find a cozy cave somewhere?” Wyatt offered, looking hopeful.
Nev smiled at Wyatt and shook her head against his suggestion. Then she moved to stand a few feet in front of their group of now four. She could sense Addi with her crossbow and Nellis with his pike standing on either side of her. Wyatt was positioned behind all of them, his familiar presence helping to calm Nev’s nerves. She felt her hands becoming encircled by warmth and then gently compressed. I love you, she thought just before the prowler lunged out of the woods at her.
Nev was more than ready for him. She met his blows and kept his attention where she wanted it. On her.
Addi and Nellis were in awe. They had honestly expected Nev to be cut down in an instant. Instead, she was holding her ground against the prowler. She seemed to glide and dance around him with deadly precision. Their astonishment was suddenly interrupted as four enforcers stormed out of the woods. Addi dropped one with a well-placed bolt before he’d ever seen her. Her bolt still protruding from his eye and blood oozing out around it.
The enforcers, it seemed, were just as stunned to witness someone successfully countering a prowler’s attacks as Addi and Nellis had been. Nellis took advantage of their distraction. He shoved his pike deep into the closest enforcer’s neck. Red blood spewing from where his neck was pierced before he collapsed.
Wyatt kept his attention focused on Nev. She seemed to be matching the prowler’s attacks for now, but she’d done that the last she faced one. At first.
When Wyatt heard Addi let out a yelp, he let Nev drop from his sight for a moment. He focused on the armor of the attacker looming over Addi. Wyatt watched her trying desperately to not be smashed by the massive enforcer. Wyatt concentrated his energy and thoughts to a single focus. Burn!
Addi blocked a blow of the enforcer’s war hammer with her crossbow. Its thick, metal-reinforced wood bearing the brunt of the impact successfully. She saw him bring his weapon up for another strike and tried to scooch out of his reach. Swinging the hammer back towards her for another attempt, he suddenly stopped. His armor had begun to glow bright red, and he screamed in agony as he dropped his weapon and fell to his knees. “Wyatt?!” Addi yelled in astonishment.
“You can owe me!” Wyatt quickly responded before returning his focus to Nev.
Addi scrambled to regain her footing as she reeled from watching her brother immolate the enforcer. Pulling a bolt from her quiver, she quickly loaded, cocked, and aimed her crossbow. Finding her target, she fired one bolt into the enforcer’s head. Feeling her fury grow, Addi stared down at the enforcer’s limp body. She reloaded, cocked, and aimed it directly at his head. Standing directly over him, she fired once more. A satisfying crunch was heard as the bolt drove through his skull and entered the ground beneath him. Blood spurting from around the shaft of Addi’s bolt.
Nev was focused on evading the prowler’s flurry of swipes with his short sword. He was fast and aggressive. Her father had taught her ways to anticipate an attacker’s movements, but the prowler was so fluid. He was almost impossible to predict. As a result, Nev found herself almost constantly reacting to his attacks. She needed that to change.
Nellis had been successfully parrying the sword swings of the last enforcer, but he was growing weary. The enforcer swung his broadsword over his head and slammed it against Nellis’ pike. The vibrating clang of metal reverberating through the air and Nellis’ body. “Umm…a little help here, please?” he yelled after seeing the assailant attacking Addi glow red hot and then fall.
Addi, with her crossbow ready once again, fired a bolt at the enforcer. This time her target pivoted at the last moment. Allowing the bolt to skim over the surface of his armor.
Struggling, Nellis tried to find an opening to deliver a killing blow, but it continued to elude him.
Hearing his sister and Nellis’ difficulty defeating their shared target, Wyatt dared a glance at Addi. The fear and exhaustion were apparent on her face. Sensing Nev was alright for now, he worked to center his thoughts on the enforcer. He needed to stop him, just like he had his compatriot. Abruptly, he felt an intense pain in his shoulder, and his focus was thrown. His mind shuddered as he came to the horrid realization that he hadn’t been the one struck. “Nev!” he yelled.
Wyatt heard Nev scream and then howl in pain. He tried to sense how badly she had been hurt while refocusing his mind and pressing through his building headache.
“Aww…. That hurts, doesn’t it?” the prowler said, grinning as he twisted his dagger into Nev’s shoulder.
The chainmail prevented the prowler’s attack from piercing through Nev’s shoulder, but it didn’t stop the pain. Nev shrieked in agony, and her eyes flashed with fear and anger. She dug her sword deep into the prowler’s stomach, but he continued to twist the dagger deeper. He seemed blind to everything save Nev, even ignoring his own severe wound to his abdomen.
Nev started to become convinced that the force of his attack might slice right through her armor and into her flesh. Collapsing under his assault and with her left arm now burning in pain, she dropped her sword from her hand. Worse than the pain was the force of the prowler’s invasion into her thoughts. She could feel him tearing through her memories. His icy cold fingers digging through her very mind, finding and exploiting her weaknesses—including her wounded shoulder.
“What are you?” the prowler asked, staring at Nev with a
hungry intensity. “You are ‘her,’ aren’t you? I must have you,” he growled while perched over her and pressing his face close to hers. He inhaled deeply, smelling her skin. The scent of her sweat and blood hung heavy in the air. It was intoxicating. He stood up and stared down at his prize, grinning. “I can sense your fear and your fate. I will help you realize both,” he snarled. Momentarily distracted by the realization that the prize he had sought was lying just before him, he let his senses savor her terror.
With Nellis getting in a fortunate swipe, the final enforcer was thrown off balance. Addi and Nellis scrambled to eradicate him. Addi seized on the window of opportunity Nellis had provided. She fired a bolt into the Enforcer’s knee. As their assailant wailed in pain and stumbled, Nellis drove his pike up under their attacker’s chin. In an instant, he was dead. Addi and Nellis, having seen their attacker fall, turned just in time to see Wyatt manipulating the very air around him. Leaves and twigs caught in the torrent he commanded.
Wyatt pushed past the growing pain in his head and stood. “You will not have her!” he yelled, as the wind swirled with intensity around him. He pushed the particles of air around him with incredible fury and lunged them at the prowler.
The force of the gale struck the prowler and violently threw him back into a tree. He groaned and remained where he landed. Addi and Nellis quickly ran and surrounded the injured and stunned prowler. They drew their weapons and kept them squarely pointed at him. “Check on Nev. We will keep an eye on this piece of shit,” Addi directed, glaring down at the semi-unconscious prowler and reloading her crossbow.
Wyatt hadn’t waited for Addi’s suggestion. He was already cradling Nev in his arms. Her eyes were full of tears, and her breathing was ragged. The injury to her shoulder was bleeding some again. Wyatt quickly pulled the sash from his belt, reached through her sleeve, and pressed the cloth firmly against her wound. Nev moaned softly in pain as he worked to reduce the bleeding. “It is alright, love. I’m here. You did it,” he assured her softly. Pausing his attention to her wound only long enough for him to lean down and kiss her forehead.
Nev smiled at seeing Wyatt’s face hovering over her. “We did it. Are you okay?” she inquired, brushing his face softly with her hand.
“I’m fine. That damn thing knew just where to hurt you, didn’t he?” Wyatt replied.
“Yes, but I’ll be alright. The armor did its job. So, is it too late to find a cave instead?” Nev suggested, forcing a small grin before wincing.
“I love the way you think. And you,” Wyatt marveled, looking at her with total adoration.
“I know. Now, be a dear and help me up. I want to ask our guest a few questions before he bleeds out,” Nev responded, trying to push the pain down.
“Alright, but only a few questions. Your shoulder, well… you do remember me telling you I’m not an actual healer, right?” he asked, giving her a half-smile.
Nev nodded and braced herself for the pain as Wyatt moved to help her to her feet. “On three?” she questioned.
Kissing her twice quickly on the nose, he lifted her up and helped her stand in front of him. He then picked up her sword and secured it and her dagger to her belt. Once her weapons were seen to, he kissed her once more on the nose. “Yep, on three,” Wyatt said, winking at her.
“Have you grown more adorable, or am I just feeling lightheaded and dizzy from blood loss?” she mused with a grin.
“More… of course,” Wyatt replied, as he grabbed Nev’s right hand and cautiously walked with her to where Addi and Nellis were still standing watch over the prowler. Nodding at them, he kicked the boot of the prowler. “Hey, wake up. The lady has some questions for you. I suggest you answer them, or things will quickly grow more uncomfortable for you,” Wyatt ordered sternly.
The prowler’s eyes flickered open as Wyatt kicked him, and he grinned at his captors. “Well, well… what do we have here?” he sneered as he stared directly at Nev and Wyatt.
The prowler was a slightly smaller build than Sagrine, and his dagger lacked any adornments. His armor, however, was quite similar to Sagrine’s. Save, one glaring difference. There was no hood. Nev became gripped by his appearance. He was definitely human, but he’d been broken and contorted into something else. The prowler’s eyes were almost black in color. Even now, in his last moments, they were transfixed on Nev with intense hunger. His face also bore several deep scars, hinting at a terribly pain-filled past. Nev found herself almost feeling sorry for him. What horrors would be needed to twist someone into something so beastly? And who were you before you were subjected to them? Nev wondered.
“Curious about me, aren’t you? I can sense your questions bubbling just below the surface,” noted the prowler. He grinned broadly at her.
Nev felt herself reflexively bristle at the prowler’s attention. Shaking her head briefly, she seized back control of the conversation. “Why are you here? Why come after him?” Nev asked, gesturing towards Nellis.
The prowler tilted his head as he examined her. “Come closer, and I will tell you,” he taunted.
Wyatt kicked the prowler in his wounded gut. “You will tell her now,” he insisted, his eyes flashing with hatred.
Groaning briefly, the prowler looked up at Wyatt and grinned. “Your choice. The option won’t be available much longer, I’m afraid,” the prowler replied, staring down at his wound.
Nev moved to kneel and felt Wyatt stop her. “It’s okay,” she responded, trying to reassure him.
Wyatt nodded reluctantly before helping her to her knees.
“Alright, that is the best you are going to get. Now tell me,” Nev demanded.
“You are the one. The one I’ve hunted for so long. Your smell, your essence… it is delicious and so familiar,” the prowler purred, inhaling deeply.
Nev fought the urge to permanently silence him. “Familiar… how?” she insisted.
“Hmm… fine. I may as well tell you. Besides, I suspect the reaction will be entertaining for me to watch. You see, we may hunt all the Unmarked, but they are only a necessary step on our real path. Our true purpose is to hunt you and you alone. We are taught to focus all our hunger, all our desire to find you. Your energy is the familiar beacon that calls to us endlessly, even to those untrained. We must possess it now and always. That is why the boy was drawn to you, and it is why he stays. Whether he knows it or not. It is why, once we learned of him, we simply followed his trail of friends and acquaintances knowing they would likely lead us to you. He is powerless to let you go, just as we prowlers are,” he explained before looking directly at Wyatt and flashing a menacing grin.
Wyatt was growing increasingly uncomfortable as the prowler spoke. He felt his anger beginning to boil over. “No! You are wrong,” he yelled furiously.
The prowler just laughed and sneered, “Am I? Perhaps I am. Perhaps you are nothing like me. Or perhaps you grow furious because you are more like me than you want to admit. Deep down, you know I speak the truth.”
Wyatt’s mind raced as his wrath grew. No, you are wrong. I am not like you. I was drawn to her because she needed help and because she is special. I stay because I love her… Not because… No, he thought to himself.
“I sense your doubt. As does the heiress. You cannot stop fate from finding her, no more than you could stop me from finding her. You can only hope to delay it. For when it truly calls her, she will be powerless to resist. Just like her mother was. And when that happens, nothing else will matter. Especially not you,” the prowler growled, grinning and turning his gaze to Nev. “You will be lost, and he will have no choice but to let you go.”
Nev could sense Wyatt’s anger and anguish growing as she touched his thoughts, hoping to ease his pain. Instead, she was met with an unfamiliar feeling of him withdrawing from her. She gasped as she felt his mind momentarily snap and cave to all of the sufferings he had witnessed and endured.
Wyatt yanked the dagger from Nev’s belt and thrust it deep into the prowler’s throat. “No, you are wrong,
” he bellowed, his voice shaking. He watched as the prowler’s eyes went dark and cold. Then he handed the dagger to Addi and walked off several feet by himself.
Addi and Nellis looked at Wyatt stunned. Addi had never seen Wyatt so furious or so broken. She turned to Nellis and said, “Take Nev to your house and start patching up her shoulder.”
“Wyatt,” Nev whispered, taking a shaky step towards him.
“Nev, go with Nellis,” Addi directed.
Nev shook her head no. “I need to…,” she pleaded.
“I know, but not now. Not yet. Go get your shoulder patched up, and I will make sure Wyatt gets to the house safely,” Addi said, handing the dagger to Nellis and gesturing for him to take Nev and get going.
“Come on, lass. I may not be much at patching up wounds, but I can at least get started. Plus, I can brew a pretty good cup of tea, and I have some soup that should be ready,” Nellis instructed, his voice calm and steady. He leaned Nev against him and led her off towards his house.
Nev wanted to protest. She could feel Wyatt’s heartbreak and desperately desired to help him. Somehow. However, Addi had made it very clear she thought she should handle it, and Nev felt like pushing the issue wouldn’t help anyone. So, she consented to Addi’s request and went with Nellis. As she was led towards the house, Nev tried to reach out and ease Wyatt’s pain. Despite her efforts, she felt him continuing to pull away from her. Nev sighed heavily, feeling herself drifting as Nellis chatted in her ear. “Wyatt,” she whimpered.
Addi found Wyatt sitting quietly with his head in his hands. She sat down next to him and watched him closely for a few minutes. “Do you remember when our mother and father first got sick? I was a mess. All I could think about was how I would be all alone with the responsibility of looking after you. I was afraid of it. I resented it, and I took it out on you. I was far harsher to you than you deserved. Then one day, I was sitting under the tree in our backyard crying, and you brought me a flower you had picked. You looked at me and said, ‘Addi, I love you, and I will always take care of you.’ I shook my head, but you just took my hand and insisted that you meant it,” she remembered fondly.
The Obsidian Throne Page 18
