Heartbreaker

by V. Romas Burton

  Silas ground his teeth. "As long as he behaves."

  I squeezed his hand. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

  Silas didn’t look convinced as he shoved his hands in his pockets and joined the others. As I watched him stalk out of the room, I ran my hands through my hair. Silas, Claire, James, Lord Farmount, and me, trying to save our realm from evil incarnate. What could go wrong?

  Chapter 12

  The shimmering door swirled with pink and gold spirals, a contrast to the darkness growing in Decim and the Shadow realm. Eman and I stood before the door, watching the lights spin.

  “The door will deposit you at the edge of Wintertide, facing the Shalley Mountains,” he explained. “From there, the book will tell you which direction to go.”

  The last time I had traveled through this door, I saw the destruction of my home. What would be waiting for me this time?

  Clutching the hem of Lyle’s sweater, I ran my fingers over the worn fibers. Although I had come so far, my worries were still pertinent. Could I really do this?

  Is everything okay? Eman asked in my mind, and I jumped, forgetting he could hear my thoughts. Was his voice the one I had been hearing all this time? He gently placed his hand on my shoulder. Eman couldn’t have said all those things before, could he?

  I’m scared.

  Eman lightly tapped my shoulder. You are more powerful than you believe.

  I bobbed my head to avoid any further conversation. Everyone kept saying that. But I had only just learned of my power when we fought against the siti. And even then, it wasn’t that strong.

  Don’t give up so easily.

  With a twang of irritation, I scowled back at him. Give up? I jumped through Schism’s doors, fought through the Seven Choices, and endured the mending of a new heart. I’ve done everything but give up.

  Eman tapped my wrist, and I followed his gaze. My hands were lit with the same orange glow as before. My body tensed, and the glow faded. I extended my fingers to release the rest of the sparks of light. Eman gave my head a pat and strode toward James and Silas, his shoulders straight and tall, a sense of satisfaction rolling off him.

  Before I could follow, Silas strolled up to me, rubbing the back of his neck as an uneasy smile crept across his lips.

  “What?” I snapped, still irritated about my conversation with Eman.

  He dropped his hand and took a step back. “Nothing.” He quickly averted his gaze.

  Breathe, Eman’s voice said.

  I poured my irritation into my grip as I strangled the satchel strap.

  Silas lifted his shoulders. “I haven't felt anything in a long time, much less battled monsters.” He looked down at the sword hanging from his belt. “I guess I'm a little nervous.”

  My irritation fled at his sincere tone. I took in his tapping fingers on the sword and the unsure look on his face. Silas was adorable when he was nervous.

  Struggling to keep my grin from spreading too wide, I said, “You’re nervous? The young blacksmith, who battled his way through the Seven Choices and almost defeated Ophidian, is nervous?" A pink tint bloomed across Silas's cheeks. That was even more adorable. "We’ll be okay.”

  Silas stepped forward and took my hand. The rough patches of his skin pressed against my own as our fingers intertwined. My insides stirred at his touch.

  “Silas—”

  He pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh, follow me.”

  While Eman was still speaking with James, Silas tugged me away from the door to a tall willow tree nearby. The thin, green leaves swayed around us, creating a blanket of privacy, something we hadn’t had since I returned from Ophidian’s Realm.

  My body tensed. What was he doing?

  “I know we’ll be okay,” Silas said softly, caressing my cheek with his knuckles. My flesh tingled where his skin touched mine. “Because you’ve become so strong.” His hand paused, gently stroking my jawline. “I’ve known for a while that you’re not that scared little girl anymore.”

  My heart rammed inside my chest. I licked my lips, trying to form words, but none came out. Focusing on Silas, I watched his throat bob. Silas’s eyes traveled down to my lips, his breath wavering. Blood rushed between my ears as he leaned forward, the beat of his half-heart in perfect rhythm with my own. I tilted my chin up, wanting to taste Silas’s lips—the real Silas, not the one from Ophidian’s Realm. Our lips were almost touching when a sharp pain shot through my arm as if my bones were being crushed together.

  Icicles shot through my veins as I saw Silas’s fingers locked around my wrist. Panicking, I tried to pry their firm grip from my arm.

  "Silas," I said, clawing at his hand. "What are you doing?"

  He didn’t respond as his pupils expanded.

  "Silas," I said again, yanking my wrist away as fear lodged in my throat. "Let go of me."

  Silas immediately released me with force, and I stumbled back. The orange flower fluttered from my hair, wilting as it hit the ground. Red marks branded my wrist from where his fingers had clenched it. The memories of the scorch marks from the Fourth Choice shot through my mind, and I shook my head, trying to push them away. My skin still burned.

  “Addie,” Silas whispered, blinking down at his hand in disbelief. "I don't know what happened."

  I backed away from him, clutching my arm to my chest. Eman had said something wasn’t right with Silas, but I never expected this.

  “Addie,” Eman called from the doorway.

  I jumped at Eman’s voice, guilt thickening my unease. Did Eman know what had just happened?

  Silas’s back faced me, and his head bowed while he pressed his hands against his temples. I wanted to help, but fear convinced me otherwise. I turned away from Silas and hurried toward the others.

  Claire and Lyle finally rejoined us, their hair more tousled than before, and both of their faces were flushed. Claire stood beside James and Lord Farmount, all three of them clad in clothes for Barracks’ icy wrath. Claire tightened her messy bun as I rushed out from beneath the tree.

  I muscled my way between Claire and James, comforted by their presence as I hid my wrist behind my back.

  Did Eman choose correctly when picking Silas for this journey?

  “Everything okay?” Lyle whispered in my ear.

  “Mhmm,” I replied, quickly yanking my sleeve down before folding my arms over my chest. Were these thoughts my own? I couldn’t decipher all the voices ranting in my brain. But I didn’t disagree with it.

  Silas stumbled out from the leaves of the willow tree, rubbing his forehead as if he had been struck. I ran my eyes up and down his dark blue sweater and tan slacks, but nothing seemed out of place or different. When his gaze met mine, I quickly turned away.

  Eman knocked on the door to Decim, bringing our attention back to him and the long journey ahead. The swirling door opened inward. Sparks of colored light flurried through the white, foggy air. “There is a darkness that has been infiltrating the Twelve Lands for much time, and it has finally reached them all. You will witness things you never thought you would see. Bloodshed and disease are just a few of the many horrors you will encounter.”

  My mouth went dry. I had never been beyond Barracks’ borders. Realizing that the other Lands would be ravaged with evil made me fear for my safety and those I was bringing with me. Would we all return from this journey?

  Taking a breath, I adjusted my pack and pushed my fear away. I had made an oath that I would bring the Twelve Magisters together. Once I gathered the Magisters, we would defeat Ophidian.

  “Bellata,” Eman said, drawing my attention away from my thoughts. His shoulders drooped, lines of weariness appearing around his usually bright brown eyes.

  Guard your heart.

  I stilled. So, he did know.

  I’ll try, I responded as I headed toward the door. I couldn’t think about anything else except uniting the Magisters.

  “Be smart, Addie,” Lyle said, giving me another hug.

  “I will.” I retu
rned his embrace. Lyle ruffled my hair like when we were young before facing Claire. A more intimate expression covered his face as he held her close.

  The spinning lights danced all around, inviting me into their bright embrace once more. I took a step forward, placing one foot in the warm, feathery air. Before I immersed myself completely, I glanced over my shoulder at Eman.

  “You better be here when I get back.”

  He inclined his head but didn’t smile. “You will never be alone.”

  The exhaustion and misery filling his gaze made his words hard to believe, but I nodded regardless. Turning back to the open doorway, I plunged into the light, unsure of what awaited me on the other side.

  Chapter 13

  I braced myself for the harsh slap of the cold, but it was as if thousands of needles plunged into my skin. The air had gotten more deadly.

  Wrapping my arms around my stomach, I shuffled away from the doorway and waited for the others. Within moments, Silas, Claire, Lord Farmount, and James walked through, all stiffening at the bitter atmosphere.

  “Where are we?” Claire asked, pulling on thick mittens as she shivered.

  We scanned the trees surrounding us. The snowcapped peaks of the Shalleys pointed through the tall trees of the forest.

  “We’re still in Wintertide,” Silas replied, suddenly by my side.

  I tensed before taking a few steps away from him.

  Silence coated the air, lifting the hairs on the back of my neck. Silas must have felt it, too, by the way his stance stiffened, and his head twisted back and forth, searching. He placed a finger to his lips as he walked out in front. But when I began to follow, he held up a hand, directing me to stay where I was.

  Is Silas in charge now?

  “I thought you were the leader,” Claire said as she rubbed her hands together. I only huffed and rolled my eyes in response.

  Silas soon disappeared into the trees. After a few moments without his return, I pulled on my own mittens and played with the strap of the satchel. James tensed at every sound. His fists balled at his sides as he searched the trees to his right. Next to him, Claire had her arms tucked tightly to her chest, her weight shifted to one side as she watched the smoke-colored clouds rolling across the sky. That was when I noticed Lord Farmount was gone.

  Panic clenched my gut, and I whipped around. It had only been a few minutes. Had he left already?

  Appearing on my left side, two hardened emerald eyes glared back at me. I stumbled back with a yelp before Lord Farmount clamped a large, gloved hand over my mouth.

  Claire and James stared, wide-eyed, as footsteps sounded in the forest. I stifled a whimper, praying the malum and siti were long gone from Wintertide.

  “Hush, Adelaide,” Lord Farmount scolded me. A smokey aura surrounded his thick, leather gloves. “How will we evade the creatures if you tell them where we are?”

  I ripped his hand from my mouth. “I wouldn’t have made a sound if you hadn’t tried to scare me.”

  Lord Farmount snorted. “If that scared you, you shouldn’t be here.”

  He flipped his cloak over his shoulder before stalking toward the trees. Though he had scared me, I relaxed as I watched him crouch down and survey the ground. Carefully, he unsheathed a dagger and shaved pieces of wood from various surrounding trees. They floated to the ground in perfect sheets.

  Impressive, isn’t he?

  The thought startled me, and I realized I was still staring at Lord Farmount when the heavy footsteps crunched from the forest again. I quickly broke my gaze from the lord. A figure with a head of golden hair broke through the iced trees.

  “What was that?” Silas scowled, brandishing his sword.

  “L-lord Idiot was being st-stupid,” Claire replied through her chattering teeth.

  Lord Farmount growled something, but he continued slicing the branches, so his words were muffled.

  “What’d you find?” I asked, trying to turn Silas’s attention elsewhere. The last thing we needed right now was a fight. “Are we where Eman said?”

  “Yes,” Silas replied, ignoring Lord Farmount. “We’re about a hundred yards from the edge of Wintertide and the beginning of the Shalleys. There doesn’t seem to be any creatures in the forest.” He looked up at the sky, then into the trees. “I suggest we get moving.”

  “How do we know where to go?” Claire asked, rubbing her arms.

  “The book,” James replied, his hands snug in his pockets. “Eman gave Addie the book so she could lead us to where we need to go.” He sent Silas a frown before motioning to my satchel.

  I nodded quickly, reaching into my satchel and pulling out the brown text.

  Using my teeth, I pulled my mitten off and caressed the worn leather binding. The power of the pages surged through my veins, sending a bolt of energy to my heart. Sucking in a sharp breath, I opened the cover. Silas and Claire crowded around me while Lord Farmount continued his work. James gave a firm nod and stayed where he was, scanning the trees around us as he rubbed his chin.

  The invisible quill drew on the pages as it had when Eman first showed it to me. The curved shape of Barracks was drawn with the trees of Wintertide surrounding it. Soon, the tips of the Shalleys formed, accentuating the valley where the Flum River flowed. The river extended off the edge of the top of the page.

  “Is that it?” Silas asked. His face was so close, his warm breath danced against my cheek.

  I wanted to back away, but my heart still fluttered, keeping me close to him.

  “I guess so,” I managed to reply.

  “But we already know we’re at the edge of Wintertide,” Claire exclaimed, pointing to the trees on the page. “Why isn’t it telling us something more useful? Like what’s ahead or where we’re going?”

  “It tells you what you need to know at the present. No more, no less,” James answered.

  Peering at the map again, I watched the blue ink forming the Flum River shift back and forth as if it were an actual river. The soft trickling of water filled my ears. A lightness filled my chest, and my legs had me taking off before I could stop myself.

  “Addie, where are you going?” Silas called.

  “Come on,” I responded, too curious to stop.

  The snapping of branches echoed behind me as I bounded through the trees. Every few feet, I glanced at the opened text, making sure I was still on the right path. Excitement pumped through my veins as the sound of churning water grew louder with each step. The faster I ran, the more the river in the book glowed.

  The energy was pulsing so quickly from the book in my hands, I couldn’t stop. I ran, my pulse pounding with the flow of the river, until I found it.

  The water shimmered as it gushed down its path. I took a step closer to the edge, peering into its crystal-clear depths, straight to the bottom of the stream's light-brown foundation.

  The Flum River flowed from the Shalleys into the center of Barracks, providing us with the water we needed to survive. But it was always dark and lifeless—nothing like the water before me.

  As I referenced the book once more, the map shifted, removing the previous section of Barracks and adding more of the river with the Shalleys surrounding it. Noting the change, I brought it closer to my face as the lines crisscrossed over the pages.

  I placed my hand on the map, remembering what Eman had said. Although he couldn’t be here with me, he was still guiding me in the right direction. I laid the open pages on the ground and crouched near the river. The water was so beautiful and clean. Rolling up the sleeves of Lyle’s sweater, I plunged my fingertips into the diamond ripples.

  A jolt of power rushed through my arm, and I quickly yanked my hand out, examining my fingers. That was new. Holding my breath, I watched, transfixed, as tiny orange flames sparked off my fingertips again. Footsteps crunched through the ice behind me, and I stood, frantically shaking out my hand before drying it on my pants.

  Soon, Silas, Claire, James, and Lord Farmount barreled out of the woods, panting for br
eath.

  “Wow, I knew you were fast, but I didn’t know you were that fast,” Silas breathed, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

  “You should’ve seen her in Ophidian’s Realm,” Claire said with a laugh.

  “I’m sure she was fantastic,” Lord Farmount replied monotonously. My excitement drained from his sarcasm.

  Claire shot him a pointed glare. “What’s your problem?”

  Lord Farmount gave her no answer as he stalked to the edge of the river and knelt down. I couldn’t help but watch as he rolled up his sleeves and removed his glove to allow the cool waves to flow through his bare fingertips.

  It seems you two are more alike than you thought.

  “We’re being followed,” Lord Farmount said before flicking the water from his fingers.

  He turned to me, and I realized I was staring at him. Again. Why did I keep doing that?

  Because he’s nice to look at.

  “We need to keep moving.” Lord Farmount picked up some more sticks along the path before trekking down the river.

  “Followed?” Claire questioned, looking from Lord Farmount to me. “By who?”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Silas interjected. “He doesn’t know.”

  “Well, I think—” James began before Silas cut in.

  “So, this is where the book led you?” Silas asked.

  I watched Lord Farmount pause further down the river and dip his hands in the water again. Were his skills that good? I searched all around, trying to find any hint of someone following us, but nothing stood out to me.

  ”Yes,” I replied and bent down to pick up the text from the cold ground. Lifting the pages toward Silas, I said, “The book shows me what I need to know when I need to know it, as James said.” James gave a grunt of approval before I continued. “It was leading me to the river. Once I got here, the map changed.” I pointed to the mountains across the page and the river flowing between them.

  Silas hummed as he looked at the map. “We follow the river.”