She was overwhelmed. It was all she could to do not completely fall apart. Every muscle within her wanted to collapse under the gravity of everything that had just happened. And yet she knew doing so would likely be fatal. She held her ground and remained silent. Lanica grabbed her arm. “You’re coming with me.”
“Let go,” she said through gritted teeth.
“You won’t kill me,” Lanica replied. “You don’t want that on your conscience.”
A crackle of energy filled the room, and Lanica’s eyes filled with terror. She collapsed on her, then fell to the floor. Mae held Lanica’s staff over her fallen body.
“The amulet,” Mae said.
She looked down and noticed it was brightly glowing. The heat it emanated was now noticeable. She held the amulet in her hands and stared into it, becoming mesmerized in its glow. Her gaze softened, and she lost herself in its power. An overwhelming and yet strangely intoxicating wave of sadness passed over her.
She couldn’t look away.
Chapter 16
“Is everyone alright?” Aiden asked. His hand touched her shoulder. “Niv?”
Aiden’s voice finally brought her out of her trance with the amulet. “I… think so.”
The innkeeper raised up from behind the bar. “What have you all done?”
“I’ll pay for any damages,” Mae insisted.
“Damn right you will,” he said. “This stuff is bad for business.”
Mae handed him two gold coins. “Will this be enough?”
He frowned and fumbled the pieces between his fingers. “Yes.” He pointed to the bodies. “You’ll be cleaning up your mess, and quickly, too, before a customer sees this.”
Aiden stepped to the bar. “I’ll see to it.”
The bartender glared his disapproval. “Aiden, your father wouldn’t want you involved in this.”
He walked away from the bar with Mae trailing behind him. “I appreciate your help. But it isn’t right to drag you into our problems. Other than the proprietor, no one saw you helping us. You can walk away and no one would be the wiser.”
“They had no right to do what they did,” he replied. “As far as I see it, I was simply helping out an innocent civilian.”
Niv knelt next to the guard she had incinerated. “What are we going to do?”
“I’ll bury them,” Aiden said.
“You can’t march out the front door with dead bodies,” Mae said.
“I agree. Fortunately, this inn has a back door.”
She sat on the floor and pulled her hair back in frustration. “That’s not what I meant.”
Mae knelt next to her. “I know what you meant, and I’ll help you deal with that. For now, we have to handle with this problem immediately.”
She glanced at Frasie and noticed she was sitting in a chair facing the window. “I’m not sure this can wait.”
“It must,” Mae replied. “You two stay here. Aiden, I’ll help you with them. Just show me the way.”
Niv joined Frasie at the table near the window as Mae and Aiden dragged the bodies out the back door. “You saved our lives, Frasie.”
Frasie looked at her hands. “Maybe.”
“Definitely.”
“I didn’t think before I did it, Nivvy.” Frasie shifted uncomfortably and folded her arms. “It was an instinct. How could something like that be an instinct?”
Niv took her hand. “We did what we had to do.”
She was trying to convince them both.
Frasie searched her eyes. She knew Frasie was looking for a reason to believe her. She rarely questioned her assessment of such serious matters, and yet cynicism oozed from her countenance. Frasie’s lack of innocent acceptance hurt more than her guilt.
“We should go help them,” Frasie said.
The thought of concealing what she had done sent chills throughout her body. “I know.”
The two remained seated until Mae and Aiden returned.
“You three probably shouldn’t stay the night here at the inn,” Aiden said.
“Agreed,” Mae replied. “We’ll have to keep moving.”
“You don’t have to do that. You can stay at my house.”
“A kind offer, but that might put you in danger.”
Aiden shrugged. “How much worse can it get?”
Mae pulled her and Frasie from their stupor and gathered them to her like baby chicks. They followed Aiden to the wagon.
As they rode to his house, a multitude of thoughts swirled in her mind. She was grateful to Aiden for his help, yet terribly afraid another attempt on her freedom, or even life, would be made soon. Vorea now knew where they were and had considerable forces at her disposal.
Her fear was great, yet her guilt an even more noticeable companion for having taken a life. Her mind repeated the mantra that she was simply defending herself and her friends and did what had to be done. Her heart made an equally convincing case that in doing so she had taken a life of a son, a husband, or perhaps even a father.
When they arrived at Aiden’s house, he stabled their team and helped them inside. A large fireplace bathed a small main room with ample warmth. Two comfortable-looking chairs and an end table between them were among the sparse furnishings. His father sat at the kitchen table holding a metal cup.
“I’d like you to meet some new friends of mine – Maeva, Niv’leana, and Frasie. This is my father, Marcus.”
Marcus stood and nodded. “Pleased to meet you all.” He extended his tea kettle. “Was just having a cup of coffee before bed. Want some?”
Mae extended her hand. “None for me, thanks.”
“I’d love to have some,” Frasie replied. “But I promised my parents I’d never drink coffee again.”
Niv wanted to smile at her friend’s typical quick response, but somehow a smile didn’t fit the moment. She turned to Aiden’s father. “No coffee for us. Thank you, Marcus.”
Aiden stirred a pot near their wood stove. “We still have some soup from lunch. But I don’t suppose anyone is hungry.”
“I just want to rest,” she said. Frasie and Mae agreed.
Marcus took one last sip from his cup and stood. “I can sleep in Aiden’s room. You three ladies can sleep in my bed. It’s plenty big enough.”
“We’re very grateful,” Mae replied.
Frasie perked with excitement. “It’s been a while since we’ve slept in a bed.”
“I’ll put fresh sheets on for you,” Aiden said.
“We can do that,” she said.
“Indeed,” Mae added. “We don’t want to inconvenience you any further.”
Aiden fetched linens from a cabinet near the hallway. “It’s no trouble. I have energy to spare.”
“All I want to do is collapse,” Frasie said.
Aiden motioned to his father’s room and they followed him. “We don’t get much excitement around here.”
She and Aiden pulled off the existing bedclothes while Frasie and Mae readied the new linens.
“We really appreciate this, Aiden,” she said. “You are kind.”
“And brave!” Frasie exclaimed.
“We could have been all captured, or worse,” Mae said.
“Who is Lanica?” she asked.
“A member of the Ael’Shanar. A terrible woman who bends to the will of anyone who will help her acquire more power.”
“She was afraid of you,” Aiden said.
“I saw it too,” Frasie added.
She fluffed a pillow after putting on a new case, then held it with a blank stare. “We didn’t have to do that.”
“There was no other choice,” Mae said.
She put the pillow on the bed. “That doesn’t make it any better.”
Aiden tucked the last corner. “I’ll bring some fresh water for your basin.”
She sat on the edge of the freshly made bed. “Are we going to pretend that we didn’t just kill three people?”
Mae sat next to her and put her hand on her shoulder. “List
en, Niv, Lanica was just trying to save herself with her phony display of concern.”
“Maybe so,” she replied. “But was she evil?”
“I… I don’t understand.”
“Was she irredeemably bad?”
“I have known her for a long time,” Mae replied. “She has always craved power and cared little for anyone or anything that got in her way.”
“Does she deserve to die for that?”
“What was the alternative, Niv? We would have been captured. I understand this is the first time you’ve had to kill someone, but—”
“The first time?” She stood and squarely faced her mother. “Are you telling me you’ve killed before?”
Mae looked away. “Regretfully, yes.”
She shook her head. “I can’t believe this.”
“You can’t just pretend this will all go away. Vorea is a real threat.”
“Vorea would have never found out where I was if you hadn’t come back for me!”
Chapter 17
Niv realized she had yelled and was likely heard throughout the house. She took a deep breath and walked to the window. “I didn’t mean that the way—”
“Yes, you did,” Mae said. “And you’re right.”
She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
“Frasie, would you mind giving us a moment alone?” Mae asked.
She extended her hand to Frasie. “There’s no need. It’s been a long evening and I’m not thinking straight.”
Frasie’s eyes darted between the two. “Should I stay, or should I go, or…”
“Stay,” Mae replied. “We can’t turn inward in times like this. We need each other.”
Frasie sauntered to the bed and slowly took off her shoes. The process would have usually been far more entertaining to watch. Frasie would have normally made some remark about the spring in the bed or grunted excessively and made a funny expression when pulling off her boot. Instead, she went through these motions like anyone else would. The normalcy in Frasie’s actions spoke volumes, and it nearly broke her heart to see the playful innocence so forcefully yanked from her best friend.
Niv removed her boots and folded her cloak neatly on a chair next to the bed. “Every muscle in me aches.” She held her arm. “Especially where they grabbed me.”
Frasie pulled back the covers. “It feels strange getting into bed still wearing my dress.”
“We can sleep in our undergarments if we like,” Mae said.
Frasie shook her head and pointed to the door. “Boys.”
Niv smiled, bolstered in spirit to see a sign of Frasie still underneath the cloud of darkness hovering over her. She crawled into bed between Frasie and Mae.
“There will be more killing,” Mae said. “I don’t see a way to escape it. Vorea cannot be reasoned with.”
She took a deep breath. “I have seen the evil Vorea is capable of. I understand that. But Lanica and those guards didn’t kill anyone.”
“They would have.”
“Maybe. Probably. It doesn’t make it any better.”
“It’s not supposed to. But in time, you will adjust.”
“I don’t want to adjust to that.”
Mae turned away from her. “Goodnight, Niv.”
Despite her emotional turmoil, she saw there might be a time when she could justify her actions as self-defense. But she couldn’t help but to blame her newfound mother for having put her in that situation. Her emotions were strong, yet her convictions terribly unsure. Her heart ached for the simpler life she had just a month ago in the heart of the Jeweled Woods.
The next morning, she awoke to a pair of bright green eyes staring at her. “You snore.”
“I know,” she replied. “It didn’t keep you up, did it?”
Frasie sat up in bed. “No, it’s not that bad.” She looked towards the window. “We killed three people yesterday.”
She sat next to Frasie. “Yes, we did.”
Frasie looked at her intently, her face absent its usual cheerful morning burst of energy. “Things won’t ever be the same again, will they?”
The hair on her arms stood on end as her best friend struck a deep chord. “No.” The word barely escaped her lips.
They heard a knock at the door.
“We’re not decent!” Frasie called out.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Aiden. Just wanted to let you know breakfast is ready.”
“We’ll be right there,” she replied.
She stood and motioned to Frasie. “Come on, let’s get decent.”
At breakfast, the three gathered around the table with Aiden.
“Where’s your father?” she asked.
“He eats his breakfast in his workshop.” Aiden shrugged. “He says it helps him think.”
“Does he know about us?”
“Yes, I filled him in on what was going on. I thought he would object to me helping you, but he seemed pleased that I helped three people in need.”
“I am glad he has accepted us with an open mind and heart,” Mae said.
“Where will you go now?” Aiden asked.
“It would be unwise to continue to Selandis without more help. Farius and I have allies in Lahara.”
“That’s two weeks to the north by wagon, and you’ll have get through Grey Oak,” Aiden said. “Selandis has strong trading ties in Grey Oak and will likely be well prepared for your arrival.”
“I have been worried about that,” Mae replied. “But we have no other choice.”
Niv picked at her grits. “Before we leave, I’d like to see the graves.”
“Me too,” Frasie added.
They both looked at Mae. “I’ll stay here and ready the wagon.”
Aiden finished the last bite of his biscuit. “We can walk there now if you like.”
She and Frasie agreed. As they walked to the center of town, they were careful to avoid eye contact with anyone. They slipped around to the woods behind the inn and looked at the unmarked graves. It started to drizzle, dampening the already dark mood.
She knelt at one of them. “Is this Lanica?”
Aiden hesitated. “I… I’m not sure. I think so.”
She picked up some of the fresh dirt and ran it through her fingertips. “I wanted to see the graves. I don’t think I could have continued on otherwise.”
He put his hand on her shoulder. “You did what you had to do.”
“That’s what everyone keeps saying.”
Aiden walked to the other side of the graves. “I did a lot of thinking last night. I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept going over the events and worrying about you three on the road.”
“I appreciate your concern,” she replied.
“It’s more than just that. Don’t take offense, but I wondered why I cared so much for people I barely know.”
Frasie tilted her head. “That is kind of strange, Aiden.”
“I know. I can’t explain it.” He lowered his voice. “My father would think this is silly, but I feel my destiny is somehow linked to you.”
“I don’t think it’s silly,” Frasie replied.
“Nor do I,” she said. “You seem to fit right in to our band of reluctant fugitives.”
Aiden chuckled. “I don’t think of you as such. Your mother is the rightful heir to head of the Ael’Shanar. Niv, you, one day, could become high priestess. That hardly makes you fugitives.” He stepped between them. “I’d like to join you.”
“Aiden, are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked.
Frasie stomped her foot. “Nivvy, how dare you ask that? He’s offering to help us. Sure, you can come along.”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate your offer,” she said. “But it isn’t safe. You’d be putting yourself in danger for a group of people that, as you admitted earlier, you don’t really know.”
“I know it doesn’t make much sense. It may not even be the smartest thing to do. But I’m certain it’s the right thing to do.”
&n
bsp; She took a deep breath as she pondered his request. “I don’t know.”
“Say yes, Nivvy,” Frasie said.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Completely.”
“Say yes,” Frasie whispered.
“It’s not up to me entirely, you know. Mae is the leader of our group.”
“She’ll say yes if you say yes,” Frasie added in a singsong tone.
“I can’t resist either of you. Yes, Aiden, you may come along.”
Frasie pumped her fist in excitement. “Yes!”
“You’re making a mistake,” she said.
“We’ll see.”
Chapter 18
“I’d like to go with them, Father,” Aiden said.
Marcus looked at him for a moment, then returned to his work. “You don’t have to ask my permission.”
He glanced at Niv, then back at Marcus. “I know, but… ever since mom died, we’ve been a team. I don’t want—”
“We have been a team, but you are your own man, Aiden. You are not responsible for me.” He looked at her. “You are not responsible for anyone but yourself.”
“I didn’t ask for him to come along,” she said.
“I know that,” Marcus replied.
She caught a glance of Frasie poking her finger in a geared contraption. She got her attention and shook her head. Frasie grinned and nodded, then resumed obliging her curiosity.
“This is not about them,” Aiden said. “It’s about me.”
Marcus studied his face. “Fair enough, then. I will get along fine without you, Aiden. You don’t have to worry. But I will worry about you. I want you to be safe.”
“I will be.”
“No, you will not always be safe.”
“But he will always have friends at his side,” she said.
Marcus carefully scanned her expression. “I’m counting on that.”
A ping followed by a strange springing noise emanated from the contraption Frasie investigated. She jumped back and put her hands behind her, then stepped away from the bench.
“You’re going to need money,” Marcus said.
“I will meet his financial needs while traveling,” Mae said.
“And what about when he gets to Selandis? Or Lahara? Or who knows where else? Like I said, Aiden, you’ll need money. You can have what’s in the tin box on my dresser.”
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