by Joanna White
I nodded. “You’re right; it doesn’t make up for what he’s done. But none of this is his fault. He was made this way and it’s Hindah and the Hunters who are to blame.” The anger in my tone shocked me.
“One thing losing him made me realize is that the same thing was done to the other Hunters. They were men once, men who had been taken, ripped away from their families, created, and forced to forget everything they knew and everyone they loved. As for Zagerah and Hindah, being the very first and second Hunters, I’m not sure. But the others, they had lives once, too.” Municx glanced away, and for the first time, I thought I saw tears glistening there.
“Your son was ripped away from you in a worse way than mine was ripped away from me,” Lehlax murmured.
Municx met his gaze with a sorrowful one of his own.
“The Aretul is who is to blame for all of this,” Lehlax murmured.
We all nodded in agreement.
“But, first, we need to save Jared. I can’t lose anyone else. I won’t.” Determination and strength filled me instead of sorrow and fear.
Municx nodded in acknowledgment.
“How do we do that?” Sine glanced from me to Lehlax and finally to Municx.
“The only place I know that would have something to help would be the labs.” Lehlax looked at the wall, deep in thought.
“There’s no way we can go there!” Sine shouted.
“The whole prison is blocked off by obstacles we could never get past. The ice caves only have two entrances: one facing south and the other facing east. The cliffs end in a sheer drop-off that would kill anybody. The wall connects with them and connecting to the wall is the volcanoes, which connects to the hills, and on the other side of them is a pass that goes all the way around until it reaches the quick sand, which connects to the whole west side of the swamps and surrounds the perimeter of the lake until it connects to the ice caves again,” Quinn explained.
“Out of all those, which one sounds easier to get past?” Municx asked him.
He stared at him, wide-eyed for a minute.
“The volcanoes, maybe,” Sine suggested.
“Too much ash. We would be dead before we reached the other side.” Lehlax stroked his chin with a finger thoughtfully.
“If we can find a way to get past the quicksand, it would give us a straight shot to the labs. That’s the way they always take the prisoners before they get turned.” Municx crossed his arms and looked at each of us as he spoke.
“How do the Hunters get past them?” I looked around as everyone’s eyes landed on me.
“Riding.” Lehlax pursed his lips into a thin line.
“Riding what?” Sine asked before I could.
“Raxcin,” Municx replied.
Everyone’s eyes widened, and I just looked at them blankly.
“The creatures that drag you in here. The ones that even the Hunters hate,” Sine explained, noticing my blank look.
“Then, how do they ride them?” I raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“Ysogi. The shape-shifter. He controls animals and he forces them to take them across. They may be huge, but something that their skin is made of lets them cross the sand without sinking into it.” Municx met my gaze directly.
I nodded.
“So, wait. You’re telling me that we not only have to blindfold and kidnap Jared, but we have to drag his Hunter friend along too, somehow force him to get us some Raxcin to carry us across the quicksand, and then enter the very heart of the prison, where they create the guys who kill us all off?” Sine asked in pure disbelief.
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.” Municx’s lips were firm—serious.
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Sine muttered.
We gathered all our supplies and weapons and crawled out of the burrow. Fortunately, no Hunters were near, and the sun was setting.
“Any idea where to find Jared? And where and how are we gonna capture the shape-shifter?” Sine looked all around us.
“We will have to convince Jared to call him to us. Remember how he can talk to them? We’ll make him tell us the shifter’s weakness.” Lehlax looked through the scattered trees to the north.
“How are we going to do that?” Quinn asked.
“Averella, you will have to get through to him somehow.” Municx met my gaze.
I gasped. “How? Zagerah has complete control over everything he does and says. Jared will know what we want, but he won’t be able to tell us anything.”
“We may have to threaten him,” Axe murmured.
“How? We can’t follow through with those threats.” Quinn kicked a rock across the ground.
“Anything we do to him he can just heal as soon as we give him some water.” Axe shrugged.
“He’s a Hunter. The Hunter part of him won’t talk. Averella, you will have to find a way to reach him.” Municx met my gaze again as if he was completely sure it was a good idea.
“I don’t like this plan,” Sine muttered.
“I may have an idea.” Lehlax creased his eyebrows in the center.
“Is it any better than Municx’s? No offense.” Sine glanced at Municx, before looking back at Lehlax.
“There are some flowers, if eaten, will make you delirious and show you your greatest fear. If we give them to Jared, with everything going on, and the fact that he’s basically two different personalities right now, it might just be enough to make him work with us.” Lehlax pursed his lips.
“I hate the idea of hurting him, but it has to be done. If it means saving him in the end, then it will be worth it.” Municx nodded once, as if in affirmation.
We all nodded and hiked back toward the rock forest, where we last left him.
“It shouldn’t take him long to find us.” Quinn looked around, eyes alert.
“Especially since the Hunter in him will be good and ticked at us and ready for a fight.” Axe swung his woodcutter’s ax around in his hands.
“I found the flowers.” Lehlax slipped some blood-red flowers in the pouch on his belt.
We all had our weapons ready; each of us had a piece of cloth ready to tie over his head if he showed up. But there was no sign of him where we had last left him. We walked for hours but still nothing.
Finally, we came out of the rock forest facing west. Another ten miles or so and we would be in the shadow forest. I heard soft grunting and looked to my right. Leaning against one of the rocks that bordered the rock forest, was Jared. His feet were untied, but he had a cut on his leg and a gash on his chest. He still hadn’t been able to take the blindfold off yet because his hands were still tied. When I looked closer, I noticed the ropes near his feet had been bitten and ripped off, not untied. That was when I realized he must have been attacked by a creature.
I darted to him and he obviously heard footsteps because he pushed himself up and grunted. “Who’s there?” he asked in a tired, husky voice.
“It’s only me. Averella.” I clasped a hand on his shoulders to steady him.
He jerked but didn’t pull away and he seemed to relax into me as if resting on me for strength. “What are you doing here?”
“We need you to get one of your Hunter friends here. The one who can shape-shift,” I replied.
He laughed. “I can’t call them even if I wanted to because of this cursed blindfold.” His voice was angry and harsh.
“If we took it off you, would you get him here? Only him,” Sine said.
He laughed. “Why in the world would I help you?”
“Because, deep inside, I know Jared, the real Jared, can hear me. I know that this isn’t you and I know that you want to help us. Fight it, Jared. Take back control. I love you. And I will never give up on you.” I looked at him where his eyes would be staring back at me, if not for the blindfold. Leaning into him, I pressed my lips against his lightly.
“We won’t either,” Sine said, and the others agreed with him.
His mouth stopped, frowning for a minute, as if deep in thought.
I saw his face seem to relax, from what I could see anyway, and I hoped that maybe Jared could hear me.
Then, his mouth hardened and turned back into the sneer that I was getting too familiar with.
He laughed. “Don’t hold your breath. I will never help you.”
I looked at Lehlax who nodded and stepped forward. Someone else had a canteen filled with just enough water to make Jared think we were giving him water instead of herbs. We hoped it wouldn’t be enough to strengthen him, so he could escape. Lehlax squished the flowers inside the canteen and put it up to Jared’s lips. “Drink.”
Jared hesitated.
“It’s water,” Lehlax said.
Jared frowned as I held the canteen up for him and he drank from it greedily. After swallowing, he choked and coughed. “What was in that?”
I handed the canteen back to Lehlax.
“A little something that will convince you to help us. We need to know the shifter’s weakness. And you need to convince him, and only him, to come here. When you do, I promise we will make this all stop.” Lehlax’s voice was firm and unwavering.
“All what stop…?” he started, but his voice trailed off. It didn’t take but a minute for the flowers to take effect.
At first, Jared spoke to someone who wasn’t there. From the sound of things, it sounded like it would switch back and forth between Zagerah and Hindah. Eventually, he started yelling and thrashing around and I winced and looked away. I couldn’t bear to see him like that. He called out my name several times and would try to run forward, but he was so weak his knees would collapse.
Several times, he froze as if the ice-Hunter had done something to him, or he would wince like he had been stabbed. He would talk and shout as if speaking to Zagerah. And then he sneered at someone and I heard my name. He broke the ropes on his hands and rose to his feet as if facing someone in an attack. Holding his hand as if gripping a knife, he stabbed the air with it. Yelling my name, he screamed, loud and full of agony. He held his hands out as if holding a body that wasn’t there and I saw his cheeks wet with tears. Looking up as if meeting someone’s gaze, he winced at something they said. He whispered no over and over again and eventually put his hands over his ears and kept saying no.
“Just make it stop,” he said in between grunts and through clenched teeth.
“Will you help us?” Lehlax stepped forward as he asked the question.
“Yes! Just make the visions stop! It’s too much!” he yelled, voice rising in pitch.
I winced.
Lehlax gave him some leaves and told him to eat them. Jared put them in his mouth and swallowed them quickly.
It took a few minutes, but he finally calmed down and leaned against a rock, panting.
“Ysogi’s weakness is when he’s trapped,” Jared growled.
“Like in a cage?” Lehlax furrowed his eyebrows.
“Anywhere,” Jared replied with a grunt. “Tying him up works too. He can still use his powers for a little while until he’s been tied or trapped for too long and he loses his strength.”
“Only call him, or I swear I’ll give you more of those and the Hunters won’t know the herbs to make it stop. Trust me, it’ll be weeks before those get out of your system without the proper herbs to stop them,” Lehlax threatened.
Jared winced, and his hands shook.
We walked away from him a little bit so that he couldn’t hear us, as Axe took the blindfold off him and held his ax up to Jared’s throat. “Don’t even think about trying to get away.”
He glared up at Axe, but said nothing, and didn’t move.
“How are we going to trap him?” Sine murmured.
“We could trick him into the glass pyramid. And somehow block the entrance,” Quinn suggested.
“The easiest thing to do would be to tie him up. It will be a risk because we will have to fight him, but we don’t have a choice.” Lehlax began shuffling through a bag to find a rope.
“I’ll do whatever it takes.” I glanced at Jared.
“We all will,” Sine added.
“Ysogi’s on his way. I hope you guys are happy,” Jared snapped.
“Get ready, guys,” Lehlax said.
Axe put the blindfold back on Jared. He moved as if to try and grab Axe’s arm to stop him, but he was too weak to do any more than that.
We all had our weapons out. Lehlax looked at me. “Averella, he will underestimate you because you’re a woman. He’ll try to play and toy with you which will distract him away from the rest of us. How much rope do the rest of you guys have?”
“I’ve got plenty.” Axe smiled.
“About a yard left.” Sine held his out.
“I’ve got a little more than two feet.” Quinn shrugged.
“Okay good. Someone tie his hands or feet together, whatever you can reach first,” Lehlax said. We all nodded.
I assumed Lehlax and I would fight with him, to distract the Hunter from the others so he wouldn’t notice the rope. He wouldn’t expect us to know his weakness.
We didn’t have to wait long. In less than ten minutes, we could see him across the flat ground in the distance, and, seconds later, he stood five yards away from us, only about two yards away from Jared.
Chapter 17
AVERELLA
Ysogi shook his head. “Got yourself in a bit of a jam, eh?” He cast Jared a sideways glance. “Well, alright. I’ll have some fun.”
As he smirked, he unsheathed his sword and charged right at all of us. He swung at Lehlax, who ducked, and within seconds Ysogi had knocked Quinn backward and grabbed Municx around the neck and threw him, but Municx managed to graze Ysogi’s arm.
Municx fell to the ground hard, and milliseconds later, Ysogi met Axe’s ax with his Inquiri blade. Axe growled and swung high, but Ysogi disappeared too fast for us to see. When I found him, he was behind Axe. I ran and slid, right under Axe’s legs, and swung my sword up to hit Ysogi in the legs. I stabbed him in the upper thigh in the right leg, as high as I could reach.
That gave Sine a chance to cut Ysogi’s back, while Axe turned around and swung for his chest, but he managed to dodge so that his shoulder was grazed instead. He collapsed on the ground and Quinn jerked his hands behind his back, but Ysogi slammed his head against Quinn’s.
Quinn reeled backward, looking dizzy. I ripped out my dagger and Ysogi looked at me, growled, and darted right for me. Lehlax picked up Quinn’s rope and wrapped it around Ysogi’s neck and squeezed. Ysogi jerked and tried to get Lehlax off, but no matter where he was elbowed, Lehlax held on. Minutes later, the Hunter had passed out from lack of air.
“We did it,” I whispered.
“Tie him up.” Lehlax backed away and panted roughly.
Sine and Axe tied Ysogi’s hands behind his back and tied his feet together, too. Axe took a canteen and poured water on his head to wake him up. He coughed and shook his head, but his eyes opened.
He growled, pulling at the ropes, but it was obvious his strength was gone. With a curse, he spat on me. “How did you know?”
“That’s not important. What is important is that you’re going to help us.” Municx winced as he stood to his feet, but, overall, he seemed to be okay.
“And just how do you want me to do that? And why would I even consider helping you?” Ysogi glared up at us as we stood around him.
“Because I think if you stay this way for too long, it won’t be good for you. But as soon as you help us, trust me, we’ll let you go.” Lehlax crossed his arms, glaring right back at Ysogi.
It was quiet and Ysogi seemed to be thinking about it.
He laughed. “Why would you do that? No… Better you should kill me because what’s going to stop me from killing you once I help you?”
“We aren’t going to kill you. So, will you help us, or stay here and hope to get freed?” Lehlax cocked his head.
Ysogi thought about it, seeming to weigh his options. “What is it you want?”
“We need you to call enough Raxcin here to
carry us all. Control them and let them transport us through the quicksand.”
He laughed. “Just what exactly are you planning to do?” Ysogi demanded.
“That’s not important,” Lehlax answered.
“You’re all fools if you think you will escape.” Ysogi hissed, almost animalistic at us.
“We will see. Are you going to help us, or not?” Lehlax glared at him, unmoving.
“And risk Hindah finding out? Even with my life on the line, I’m dead if he knows I gave in. I’d rather face my weakness than that,” Ysogi snapped.
“If you don’t, he will find out that you allowed us to compromise your weakness. That makes you vulnerable. And I’m sure you know how Hindah feels about a vulnerable Hunter.” Lehlax’s lips twitched with the hint of a smile.
“Fine, have it your way, prisoner, but trust me when I say you will all die.” Ysogi spoke through clenched teeth.
Sine and Quinn walked a little away to grab Jared, while Axe and Municx kept ahold of Ysogi. It took us a good three and a half hours of hard walking, with no stops, but we finally crossed the shadow forest. It was slow because it was so dark, but we kept heading west.
There were low trees, and the ground was mushy. In some parts there was water so deep it reached a person’s knees, but we mostly walked on the soft ground. Our feet sank ankle-deep in water and mud. There was a low fog, but it wasn’t thick enough to hinder visibility. It was slow-going, and hard to move, but we only had ten miles left before we reached the quicksand. We pushed ourselves straight through the swamps.
Soon, the water deepened.
“We’re going to have to wade through it,” Lehlax said.
He was leading us, with Municx and Axe holding Ysogi between them, then me, and Sine and Quinn with Jared between them, still blindfolded, following behind me. I sank in the water, and it went all the way up to my ribs. Most of the others were waist-deep in water. We moved through it as quickly as possible. Eventually, we found it way quicker to swim, rather than try to walk through it.
“Wait, there’s something in the water,” Lehlax said.
Ysogi furrowed his eyebrows.
