by Ashley Nixon
“And how do I know you will make me human at the end of this?”
“Oh, brother,” she said. Stepping forward, she placed her hand on his cheek, letting the blood that pooled there press against her palm. She drew back, taking her blade and slicing her palm. Ben watched her, and his blood and her blood mixed together and bubbled. Where there had been an injury, there now was none. “There now. A blood oath exists between us. If I fail, you fail. If I succeed, you succeed.”
Their gazes met, and there seemed to be peace between them. Aethea moved to leave, but paused at the door.
“Oh,” she said, and approached him again. She pulled back the collar of his shirt where a horrific scar lay above his chest.
“It is a pity you swore by the mark.”
“I did not swear,” he spat, glaring at her. “I was born to a pirate father who branded me...but that part of my life is over.”
“Is it?” she asked. “You had a lot to recover from, having once joined sails with Barren Reed as Isaac Noble and betraying him. If he discovers you, he will kill you.”
He jerked away from her. “My father abandoned me to sail the seas,” said Ben. “Pirates are cowards and I intend to eradicate them, including Barren Reed. With your help, of course.”
She gave him a half smile and placed a black velvet pouch in his hand. The contents of the purse clinked together as it landed in his hand. “You will have time to gain the upper hand here, half-breed. I would not want Datherious to consider you useless.”
He opened the pouch in front of her, and the wicked smile they shared cracked across his face.
“Sister, you shouldn’t have.”
***
Hollow stared down at the bold letters. They glared at him from the page and he glared back.
ROSAMUND'S DAUGHTER GOES MISSING: AMBASSADOR ROWELL AT SEA
When he saw it, he wanted to drag his fingers along the grain of this fine wood desk. This article was speculation, of course, but it would breed rumors, and they would spread like wildfire. It would succeed in damaging Sara Rosamund’s reputation and might garner sympathy for Ben Willow. Cove had certainly gained naysayers since his departure, people who had watched Ben Willow drag Dr. Newell into the courtyard. People who had doubts before suddenly found themselves on a side. If Cove were here, he would quash those rumors with some pretty words and a party, but he wasn't, and Hollow would only hurt this situation if he tried to step in. So he had to let the rumors swirl and build.
“Hollow!” There was urgency to the voice that made his heart rise in his throat. “Hollow!”
Maddox burst through the doors, out of breath. “The church is on fire!”
Hollow was on his feet instantly. The adrenaline that rushed through him was the same as the night Cove had been shot, and what had transpired from there had been one long and tiring string of events.
He hurried with Maddox out into the night. The air smelled of ash and smoke, and he could see orange over the trees in the distance. It looked like a sunrise in the middle of the night. He and Maddox broke out into a run, not sharing words about the subject, just hoping to get there in time to save some people.
The closer they got, the more people joined them in the run toward the church. As they rounded the corner, they could see a large crowd, and the tall pinnacles of the church were completely consumed. The fire was great and rabid. It crackled and raged, catching the trees on fire as it went. Some attempted to carry buckets toward the blaze, but they had to move back once the structure of the church collapsed.
Hollow and Maddox came to a dead stop. “No one could survive that,” said Maddox.
No, they couldn’t.
Suddenly, a word was thrown into the air that Hollow did not expect.
“Murderer! He’s a murderer!”
The crowd agreed in a rushed yell. “I say we hang ‘em!”
The crowd agreed again, and Hollow was reminded of the night John Newell was almost hanged. He moved forward, pushing through the crowd with Maddox behind him. When he burst through, the heat of the fire was on his face, and the bodies of the brothers of the church lay on the ground, including Alaster. Ben stood before them.
“By Cove’s word we let him roam our streets, and this is how he repays us!” Ben roared. “I say we deal justice tonight! For the brothers of unity!”
The crowd agreed.
“Find John Newell!” Ben ordered and the crowd obeyed like a wave, darting off to retrieve the doctor from his home.
Hollow pulled Maddox toward him. “Go, see if you can evacuate him before they get to him.”
Maddox nodded and hurried off into the woods. Hopefully the other privateers had the forethought to get John out of here.
Hollow approached the bodies that lay in a row before the blaze. Some of them were burned, but each had clearly been killed in another way. A wound above their hearts had taken their life.
Then Hollow turned to Ben, and he knew this had been orchestrated by him.
“Senator Dallon,” he cried when he noticed Hollow. “What have you to say for your friend's behavior?”
“John Newell could not have killed these men, nor the men Cove brought to Arcarum. He was nowhere near them and was only consulted to find the cause.”
“And were you a witness to these murders or these fires, Mr. Dallon?”
The crowd jumped to back the question.
“No,” Hollow said evenly.
“Then we have little reason to believe you, Senator.”
“You will kill an innocent man if you do this!”
“And we risk more deaths in this manner if we do not! To the courtyard!”
The crowd surged forward and Hollow was pushed back and forth as they rushed past him. The fervor of the crowd to kill made Hollow sick. He had only one hope now, that the governor would intervene.
He took off on foot, hurrying to Matthew. He found the governor holed up in his study. Hollow was wary as he approached him, for he was pushed into a corner of the spacious room, head bent, his thumb and forefinger rested on his nose.
“Governor, Ben Willow is going to hang Dr. Newell!”
“Yes, I have been informed,” he said in a restless voice and looked up at the senator. Hollow had a feeling it took a lot for him to meet his gaze at this moment.
“You will do nothing?”
Matthew's eyes were pleading.
“If he has threatened you, I can protect you. Just stop this,” said Hollow.
“You cannot stop this,” Matthew said. “And you cannot protect me.”
Hollow glared. “Tell me when Ben gained so much power."
“When Cove Rowell became a liar.”
“Cove protects, he does not lie. If you think him a liar, you are not his friend.”
“If he protects, where is he?” Matthew said between his teeth.
Hollow turned to leave, and Matthew stopped him. “You'd do well to tell Cove to stay where he is.”
“It's too late for that. This is war.”
Hollow left the governor’s house and hurried toward the courtyard. His lungs burned.
“Any in opposition to this crime?” Hollow heard the question, and no one rose to protest.
Hollow came upon the scene just as the hangman released the lever. John fell from the hanging stage, his neck snapping and while Hollow’s heart fell out of his chest, the crowd cheered in approval for the death of an innocent man.
Beside him he felt the presence of the other pirates.
“What will we do?” asked Jonas.
“We prepare for our end here in Arcarum.”
“You do not really believe Cove will lose?”
“All good things come to an end,” said Hollow.
The edge of the horizon was dotted with the tree line of Aurum. Barren didn’t remember the last time he’d arrived here. He had been slowly succumbing to the poison racing through his blood. Later, after Lord Alder had healed him to the best of his ability, he’d learned he’d been stabbed w
ith a hemlock needle laced with magic. Christopher Lee had been the possessor of that hemlock needle. Barren was just now learning it was only one of many weapons created by the Lyrics.
It was easy to try to place blame on Lord Alder, but Barren knew that the Elfin Lord wasn’t completely at fault for his actions. Mortals had played a role in this, too. It had started when Lord Alder had given Eadred the bloodstone. The bloodstone ensured Alder his kingdom, but it also made him a slave to the mortals and all their lustful wishes. This did not justify Lord Alder’s actions, but it did make them understandable.
“I don’t believe that Elves and men can exist together in a world with magic,” said Barren.
“They haven’t been given the chance to live with magic,” said Leaf. “Think about what you knew of magic before the bloodstone. Nothing. It’s this secret only shared between those who sit at the top of our world. It’s a power play. Elves and men, they could live with magic, but it must have boundaries.”
Barren scoffed. “How do you put boundaries on something so unruly?”
Leaf glanced at him, and his gaze was not kind. “You know nothing of magic but that it has been used against you. In truth, it has not been good. Magic in Mariana has not been given the chance to be good. It has been twisted and used for evil.” The Elf turned to face him fully. “You must think of your mother when you begin to believe magic is evil, and you must think of Larkin when you begin to wish you could destroy it altogether.”
Barren pressed his lips together and looked away. He heard Leaf laugh quietly. “Trust me when I say, it is easier to live with the knowledge that she still exists, even if you are apart.”
The words fell heavily onto his heart, and it hurt.
***
There was no place like Aurum in the whole of Mariana. No place as ancient, no place where the earth and trees seemed wise and alive. No place with such fearful things, the living forest, the Elves themselves.
The island was serene and as they approached, everything was still. There was no breeze in the trees, no ships or port crowding the white shores. No signs of life. This was not uncommon. Barren knew the ports were built into the bank of the river which ran straight to the palace at the center of Aurum. Despite this, Barren couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, and it was amplified by Leaf’s unwavering stare.
“Something’s not right,” Leaf said. His eyes searched the tree line.
“What do you see?”
“It’s what I don’t see,” he said. “There are always archers in the trees. Guardians of the forest. They are not present.”
Leaf turned to Layce. “Where are they? Where are the guards?”
“Do you think Lord Alder would call away his guards? At a time like this?” Layce asked. “I know as much as you.”
“What do we do?” asked Barren.
“You and I will sail up the river with Layce and the other captives,” said Leaf.
“It will be safer than walking through the woods.”
“Captives?” Layce’s voice echoed Leaf’s. “It is as if you are not one of us.”
“I am not,” said Leaf. “As far as I’m concerned, you are my prisoner until my father releases you.”
“Then I will not be a prisoner much longer. You seem to think your presence will change your father’s mind about what he has done.”
“I don’t expect to change my father’s mind about anything,” said Leaf. “But I do intend to make it known that I disagree with him and that I will fight to change what he has done.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Layce said. “You think you can win a war against magic?”
“Perhaps I can’t, but then you won’t withstand the magic coursing through your veins and you will die, too.”
Then Leaf turned to Barren. “Cove and Devon can keep watch for approaching ships. I hope we are not too late.”
Cove was at his weakest yet. If he entered into battle, Barren was not sure he could hold his own.
Leaf understood the concern. “I do not intend to fight a battle on these shores,” said Leaf. “If I can evacuate my people, I will.”
“Evacuate? To where?”
“The place my father used as his prison,” Leaf said simply. “D’Avana.”
It was safe, providing they could sail past the storm guarding it again. Barren wasn’t sure that privilege was given twice. It had barely been granted the first time, but Barren didn’t argue. They had few options. With Dominique and the other Corsairs retreating to their hole in the Octent, they were left outnumbered against any force Tetherion might dispatch their way. All they could do was run.
The orders were given that Cove and Devon would stay behind and scout the waters. Barren and Leaf prepared two dinghies and, after settling Layce and the other Ore Mine guards inside the shallow boats, they departed, paddling the small boats toward the river.
The mouth of the river was wider, and planks of wood and tree roots seemed to work together to create a port where elegant Elfin ships were tethered. Beyond this, the river narrowed, and the branches overhead seemed to reach over the river and entwine creating a canopy of gold. It was fall here in the forest. Barren watched as one of the leaves broke free from its stem and floated slowly to the water below.
“The leaves do not usually fall in Aurum,” said Leaf. “They turn gold and red in the fall and linger, and then return to green in the spring.”
Barren looked at the Elf, and then their heads snapped to the forest. There were noises in the distance, footfalls and the sounds of metal, and even Layce seemed concerned. Through the thicket of trees, men dressed in black ran toward them. There was the stretch of bowstrings, and Barren yelled, “Take cover!”
As he did, arrows rained down upon the boat. Some splintered the wood, others plopped into the water, and some of the Elfin guards were hit. Leaf hurried to cut the ropes from Layce’s wrists.
“Free the rest,” he said.
There were no comments from Layce. Instead he turned and hastily did as he had been commanded.
Leaf withdrew an arrow from his quiver, strung his bow, and shot into the forest. As soon as Leaf loosed his first arrow, others followed. At first Barren thought they were being attacked from both sides, but the stream of arrows had come from the trees, and they took down a row of men running just inside the forest. He looked up. There were Elves in the trees, the Elves Leaf hadn’t seen guarding the forest near the shore.
As their attackers drew closer to the river, Barren realized who they were: not just privateers, but men from Estrellas, recognizable for their deformities. They had been under Aethea’s command in Aryndel. Did that mean she was here now? And what did that mean for Lord Alder?
Another round of arrows fell on the dinghy and Barren jumped from the small boat into the river below. He swam to shore and drew two blades—his sword and cutlass. Leaf followed suit, as did the Elfin guards who still lived, and though they had no weapons, they stormed forward with Barren.
It was then Barren witnessed, in the chaos of it all, the true terror of the Elves. He was sure part of it was in their nature, the other was in the magic they’d consumed. Layce and the others fought with their bare hands. They were graceful but murderous, snapping necks and sending bodies flying. When they had the chance to take up a weapon, they did, and then there was bloodshed.
Leaf ran ahead, using his blade to cut down anyone in his path. He was a different person in this battle, the raw anger explicit on his face. Barren’s blade met with the blades of the Estrellas men with sickening familiarity. He fought hard, cutting down anyone who dared step forward to fight him. Overhead, the Elves moved among the trees, their arrows raining down in a methodical release, wiping out a row of men in seconds. Some Elves fell from the trees, arrows through their bodies, eyes still open. There was a time when it would have startled the pirate, but it didn’t anymore. It just made him angrier.
Suddenly, Barren began to feel dizzy and light headed. The colors around him melded tog
ether. He kept fighting. It was the only way to stay alive. He stumbled but managed to stay on his feet, his sword rising weakly to block another blow.
“Barren!” he heard Leaf call his name and he turned to find a man running toward him, blade lifted high above his head. Barren charged, ducking as the man swung over his head. Barren swiped his blade along the man’s stomach, felling him, and Barren turned to bring the final blow to his head. The pirate breathed heavily as he turned to fight more men. His blade clashed with others and blood spattered, the sound rising over the roar of fighting and the singing of the arrows in the air.
The sting in Barren’s arm was unexpected and he cried out, jerking toward the pain. A gash lay across his arm, deep and oozing blood. It slid down his arm fast, coloring his vision in red. He gripped his sword as hard as he could, ignoring the blood that stuck around his fingers, and engaged the man responsible. He was a man from Estrellas. He was large, his skin badly burned from torture. It made his eyes look dead, but it didn’t lessen the fervor with which he fought.
The man hit Barren’s blade hard and sent it to the ground. Barren lifted it again but another blow sent the blade flying out of his hands. His arm ached and he cradled it to his stomach. Then pain spread from his head down his back and he fell to his knees. He looked around blindly seeing men running past him, continuing their battle.
Where was Leaf? He couldn’t see him.
Another blow and there was nothing.
***
Cove and Devon sat before Aurum on their ships. They kept their eyes on the horizon, on the water, and on the island, which Cove trusted least of all.
“There is unrest here,” one of the Lyrics from the Ore Mines stared at the island. He wasn’t sure if she’d ever known this place, so it was strange to hear her say such.
“We are connected to this land,” said another, as if guessing Cove’s thoughts. “The magic in our veins is the same magic that makes Aurum dangerous.”
Cove nodded once, and then set his eyes on the island again.
When the trees began to move, Cove reached for Sam’s spyglass. As he looked through it, several men in dark clothing emerged from the forest, weapons drawn.
