From Flame and Ash

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  I reached out and gave Wyn a hard hug.

  “Thank you,” I said, my voice soft. Sincere. “From the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Because everything seems so vast, so magical, and so out of my hands. Just having someone to talk to may seem silly, but it means everything.”

  “Well, I’m here. But it’s kind of hard to have girl-time when we’re surrounded by boys that always sweat and grunt.”

  She looked over at Teagan then, who flexed his muscles and waggled his brows.

  I didn’t think he could actually hear us, but he liked making Wyn laugh. Sometimes, I even laughed, as well.

  I knew they had a friendship that went beyond what I could see. They were a unit, always there for one another.

  I wanted that. Because while I had given in to my fate, I hadn’t given in to my destiny. And I didn’t want to be alone while I did it.

  We finished setting up the fire and then watched as Easton and Teagan made dinner, using whatever berries, fish, and small game they had found.

  I had learned how to field dress. I had learned how to take care of the meat and other things that we hunted down while we were in the Earth territory—even though it wasn’t my favorite thing. But I couldn’t be squeamish when it came to getting protein into my body. It wasn’t like the meat that had been pre-packaged in the stores that I used to go to.

  We ate in silence, Easton finishing quickly before going to relieve Teagan, Arwin following him.

  By the time we cleaned up, and people started to settle down to at least get a power nap in before we started on our next part of the journey, I was exhausted, even more so than before. I wasn’t very good at sleeping these days, mostly because I was afraid of the dreams. But I would get used to it.

  As I looked over at Rhodes across the fire, I couldn’t help but remember the time that I had fallen asleep next to him and woke up—thanks to Lore—with both of us on fire.

  Rhodes had been hurt because of the dream, because of what Lore had done.

  I didn’t know if I’d ever forgive myself for that.

  He had forgiven me, but it still didn’t feel right.

  I needed to take a walk or something before I went to sleep, mostly because my nerves were a little jittery. Even though I didn’t have much energy, I just needed to move. So I patted Wyn’s shoulder and gestured towards the other side of the fire. She gave me a nod.

  I wouldn’t truly be alone, and for that I was grateful. Because someone was always watching. With so much coming at us, I knew that was important. Even if privacy would sometimes be nice.

  I knew Rhodes was right behind me as soon as I took my first step into the treed area.

  “I’m fine, just taking a walk. Everyone can see me.” I waved at Teagan, who gave me a chin lift before turning back to what he’d been doing.

  “I know. I just wanted to talk to you. Is that okay?”

  I swallowed hard and then looked up at him. He was pale and looked just as tired as I felt. I knew he was probably hurting.

  “I’m so sorry, Rhodes. I wish we could get there sooner. To your grandparents. That way, we could get back to your mom. I’m just so sorry for everything.”

  He ran his hands through his hair and nodded. “I’m sorry, too. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her. She has to be okay. You know?”

  Rhodes was my friend, and even though things were complicated, I had to remember that. So I took a few steps forward, closing the gap between us, and put my hand on his chest. “I hope she’s okay, too. We’ll get to the Air Estate as soon as we can. And, hopefully, they’ll find a way to help her.”

  “I don’t think help is what my dad had in mind,” Rhodes said wryly. “I think it has more to do with the whole saying goodbye thing. I just hate the fact that he’s forcing me to go and get them on my own. I mean, without the rest of the family.”

  “Well, we’re here for you. Though I wish there was something else I could do.”

  “I know.” He was silent for a moment, his gaze resting on everything but me before he finally looked into my eyes. “I owe you an apology, as well.”

  I shook my head. “Why? I’m here because you need a friend.”

  “No, I’m grateful that all of you are here. And I know it’s a little weird to be traveling with a bunch of Obscurité.” He grinned for a moment, but then delight faded from his eyes.

  “I’m sorry for kissing you the way I did in front of everyone. I was just confused. I just…I loved seeing you again. Knowing you were with me. And feeling our connection. I know it isn’t the type of connection we thought it was. I would have been able to heal you if that had been the case. When you were bleeding on the floor, I should have been able to heal you. But I couldn’t. No one could. And it was a blow that everything I had thought was true, wasn’t. And I took it badly. And then I saw you again, and I kissed you because I missed you. And then it just crossed all the wires again and made things weird. So, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I was so confused that I kissed you without asking. That I made things harder for everyone.”

  “I…” I trailed off, not knowing what to say. I hadn’t expected his apology. After all, it had felt like a lifetime ago that he had kissed me when I first entered the Water territory. Had it only been a few days ago? Had I only been in the realm for a few months?

  It felt as if I’d been here forever, yet at the same time, I could still remember everything about where I had been before as if it had been yesterday.

  “You don’t have to apologize. It was good to see you. Although, I must admit, it was a little shocking to have you kiss me like that.”

  “Well, I probably should have been a little suaver about it. Or at least not such a dick about it.”

  “You’re apologizing now. But I don’t really need that. Because I was confused, too. I guess I still am.”

  There was silence between us for a minute, and then he looked directly into my eyes again. “Is it Easton?”

  I froze, swallowing hard. What was there to say?

  “I see the way he looks at you. I see the way that you try not to look at him. He comes with a lot of baggage, but then again, so do I. I can’t really fight with fate and all that. You know?”

  There was something in his voice that I couldn’t understand. It was hard for me to understand anything with the ringing in my ears. It was like I was standing on a precipice, far away from civilization, trying to figure out exactly what to say and what to think.

  But there really wasn’t anything to think.

  There never was. That was why I was always trying to catch up and push thoughts from my mind, so I could focus on what was important and right in front of me.

  I cleared my throat. “He’s not mine either. We’re not soulmates. He’s just a friend. Like you. And, in the end, I guess that’s how it should be.”

  See? I was being so strong. So…adult.

  I was being the Spirit Priestess.

  Not a teenage girl. Even though I was.

  “Oh.” Rhodes ran his hands through his hair again and then frowned. “I guess I thought…well, I don’t know what I thought. But whoever’s out there for you, Lyric, we need them to come for you. Because you can’t do this alone.”

  “Excuse me?” I didn’t mean for the bite to come out in my voice just then, but it did, and it surprised both of us.

  “That’s not what I’m saying.” He held up his hands in surrender. “You are so strong, Lyric. And I know you’re still learning everything, and I know that whatever comes, you’re gonna be able to handle it. But I hope you have someone to lean on when you do. I hope there’s someone that you can rely on. Because you can count on all of us. Rosamond, too. And Luken. We’ll be your friends. Be your court or whatever word we’ll use. Because we’re here to stand behind you. But I feel like someone needs to stand beside you. Or at least closer to you than the rest of us.”

  I shifted my head and then pulled out my braid, pacing in front of him. There was so much inside of me, and I reall
y just couldn’t handle it right now.

  I was tired of thinking about petty things like soulmates and futures. There was a reason I was in this territory, and it wasn’t to find my soulmate. It was to find Rhodes’ mother’s parents. It was to try and help the lady if we could. And it was to figure out exactly what this territory meant to me.

  Because I had to find all the elements. And I needed to figure out the prophecy. Discover the end of it. Decipher it all.

  And I couldn’t do that with all this other insanity in my head.

  “You know, that’s nice and all, but I need to unlock Fire and Spirit first. Because the people around us are dying.” I felt out of breath. “Literally dying. Their powers are still being stripped from them. The Wielding is being leached from this realm day by day, minute by minute. And I need to help figure it out. There’s something wrong in the air. Can’t you feel it? There’s just something…wrong. I can’t think about all of this.” I gestured between the two of us. “Because, while you’re my friend, what happened between us can’t be important. There’s something bigger than us at play. Doesn’t it feel that way? Like something or someone’s orchestrating all of this?”

  “I’ve always felt that way. That we’re just stones in a quarry. Drops in a sea. There’s something bigger. But, sometimes, you have to remember the smaller things, too, and just focus on what is so you can move forward.”

  “I guess. But having my mind pulled in so many different directions isn’t helping. I’m exhausted as it is.”

  Before I could say anything else, before I could put my words or thoughts into some kind of action, there was a rush of wind so forceful that it blew back my hair, and I had to reach out and grab onto Rhodes so I didn’t fall.

  “What is that?” I asked. Rhodes’ eyes narrowed, and he growled.

  “It’s the Creed. They’ve found us.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “The Creed?” I asked.

  “They aren’t the League. They aren’t spies. They are the Creed of Wings. Assassins. And they don’t take no for an answer. If they find you, you’re dead—no matter who you call your king.”

  Rhodes pulled me closer, but I didn’t move behind him like he probably wanted.

  I wasn’t as weak and untrained as I had been before, and from the look in his eyes when he glanced down at me, he was starting to see that.

  At least, I hoped he was.

  The others moved towards us, Easton and Teagan bringing up the rear as Wyn and Arwin ran forward.

  “The Creed of Wings?” Easton snapped as he stormed in our direction, Fire flickering on his palms. “Really? You have the League and the Creed coming at us?”

  Rhodes growled. “It’s not me. I told you, things are unstable here. It’s why I’ve been here for the past year.”

  “Things are unstable in my land, too, yet you said I gave up on destiny and all of that. Said I gave up on Lyric because I stayed behind to protect my people.”

  I stood in between them, anger radiating off me. “We do not have time for this. At all. What do we do, Rhodes? You called them the Creed of Wings. And you said they’re assassins. What does that mean?”

  “It means they’re going to try and kill you, Lyric. For the love of God, get that through whatever fog you’re in right now.”

  I glared at him, ignoring the hurt I felt at his words. “I know what an assassin does, Easton. And don’t you dare talk to me like that again. I just want to know what we need to do.”

  “Fight. We fight. I don’t know why they’re here. But, like I told you, if they come at you, it’ll be the last thing you see.”

  “Not today,” Easton snapped. He rolled his shoulders back and took a few steps away from me.

  “He’s just a little worried, ignore him,” Arwin said softly.

  I looked over at the boy and shook my head.

  “We’re all a little worried. Whatever.” I let out a breath. “Have you ever heard of the Creed of Wings before?”

  “No, not really. Just as a myth, like the nightmares we’ve already seen. It seems like everything they wrote about in our children’s storybooks is real.”

  “That’s reassuring,” I said under my breath.

  And then there was no more time to try and figure out what we were going to do.

  The Creed was upon us.

  There were at least twenty men, and they all flew at us.

  Literally flew.

  I knew in theory and from Rhodes that Air Wielders could fly, at least the powerful ones. They could use their Wielding to lift them up from the ground and move them in any direction they needed.

  But I hadn’t seen it in action until now.

  I mean, I knew my own Wielding was getting stronger the more I kept up with it, but I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do this.

  The grace and beauty of their technique was stunning. Even as I knew they were coming to kill us.

  All of the Creed of Wings members came at us, their arms outstretched. And then, as one, they moved their hands straight out in front of them, slamming their palms together.

  The force of the gust that hit us was so hard, we all staggered back.

  I ended up falling, my palms scraping on the soil beneath me as I hit the ground. But then I was up on my feet again, ignoring Easton’s and Rhodes’ outstretched hands.

  I didn’t know what was going on, but I didn’t have time to be the one falling.

  “Kill them, before they kill you,” Easton barked out.

  When nobody took offense to that or contradicted him, I knew we were truly fighting for our lives.

  The Creed came at us again, one moving for Teagan directly, using his Air Wielding like a blade.

  Teagan held up a wall of Fire, pushing the Air Wielder back a few feet.

  Two more came at Wyn, and she spun in a circle, her arms coming around her head to clasp above her body. She created a vortex of soil that protected her from whatever came at her from the Air Wielder.

  Arwin went to one knee, swiping his arm down and bringing up a wall of Earth to take out two more Air Wielders.

  Easton used his Fire and Earth as one, taking one step forward and then another, creating a wall of Fire and then a wall of Earth then slamming them into the Air Wielders as he moved his arms forward, protecting us as best he could.

  Rhodes and I moved forward together, using whatever water was around us to create an actual wave to slam into the Creed members. And then we used our Air Wielding to create a buffer against the gusts of wind coming at us from our enemies.

  I didn’t know how to use all three elements at once. When I tried to add one, the others seemed to either fail or get out of control.

  I tried to lift up more water and add soil to it so it would create mud and collapse on top of the Air Wielder. But instead, it fell back on itself. I cursed under my breath.

  I wasn’t trained in this, and I hadn’t had enough time to deal with all of these new powers within me. It didn’t help that we were already depleted. I could feel myself shaking, could feel myself breaking.

  And then the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I let out a gasp.

  I turned around, and I knew it was over.

  We were surrounded.

  “There are more,” Easton called out. “Protect your flank.”

  “No need to do that, son,” one of the Air Wielders said, his voice low and deep.

  “Not everybody wants your Spirit Priestess in this realm. The realm is exactly how it needs to be. We don’t need her, we don’t need a prophecy. And you will all listen to what your elders tell you.” And then he slammed his hands down to the ground, and darkness came, pulling us all in with it.

  * * *

  I sucked in a breath as my eyes opened, and I found myself chained to the bridge of a ship.

  Somehow, they had knocked me out, and now I was on a vessel surrounded by clouds.

  I could hear the rush of wind around us, but I couldn’t hear water.

 
; I had a feeling we were far up in the sky, like on a plane. But we were on a wooden ship, and none of it made any sense.

  This was so far out of my realm of experience.

  “Just hold on,” Easton whispered from my side, and I blinked, looking over at him.

  That’s when I realized that all of us were chained to the same deck, only on different parts of it.

  Somehow, they had overpowered us, but that really hadn’t been a question, had it?

  They had outnumbered us three to one. And all of them had been trained to kill, torture, and do so much more.

  I only knew that because I could hear the screams.

  I could hear the depth of their depravity in the magic around me.

  At least, I thought I could…I could see it in their eyes, hear it in the true silence surrounding us.

  “Just hold on,” Easton whispered again, his voice low.

  But I couldn’t talk because there was a rope in my mouth, keeping me from saying anything.

  I was so scared, I didn’t know what to do.

  I didn’t know who these people were. Not really. Nor did I understand why they wanted us.

  They wanted me gone? Then why hadn’t they just killed me?

  No, instead, they had taken me, taken my friends and brought us here.

  And that scared me most of all.

  I tore my gaze away from Easton and looked over to the other side of the ship where Wyn was strapped to a piece of wood near the bow.

  Her long, dark hair flew around her head, her eyes were wide, and her mouth was open as if she were trying to scream, but there was no air to do so.

  “Do you know what we’re doing now?” one of the Air Wielders asked as he stepped towards me.

  You couldn’t hear his feet moving along the wood, and as I forced my head to look down, I realized that he wasn’t actually touching the deck at all. He was using Air Wielding to literally walk on air, likely just because he could.