The Girl with the Scar (Dark Connection Saga Book 1)

by Stadler, William

  Wolf didn’t look back, but he kept up the incline. Eva’s hands trembled. She might never see him again. Clenching the coins, she stepped forward. Her lip fell cold as the words spewed out of her like when her mother sprayed the soup across the table a few days before. “Jevar, I have to ask you something.”

  He turned around, expecting her to speak. She hurried up the hill after him, each step feeling heavier than the previous. Wolf stood on the higher part of the incline, towering over her. Her spirit cowered within.

  “What is your question, Genevieve?”

  Filling around her mouth with her tongue, she asked. “What happened the other night, with you?”

  CHAPTER 5

  THE ANSWER

  Wolf stood over her, dead rabbit in one hand, bulging woolen satchel underneath the other. “Your mother has certainly kept you under her wing. I don’t blame her. Letting the Girl with Scar out from hiding would be all but foolish.” He lowered his even chin so that he could see her. “What do you want to know?”

  “The other night. What happened? Your eyes lit up, there were two of you, and then I heard a shriek.”

  Wolf sighed. “I’m a Hunter, one of only a handful left.”

  “A hunter? You mean like a tracker?”

  “Similar. But I don’t just track creatures.” He held up the rabbit. “I hunt Empyrean.”

  Empyrean? she wondered. She had heard of it before, but her brother had called it magic when he'd tell her the stories. “Is that why your eyes were on fire?”

  He nodded, rubbing the sides of his forehead. “Aye.”

  “Genevieve, have you lost your mind!” Heavy footsteps thudded onto the road. “I send you to get salt, and I find you crossing words with this man.”

  Maria held her dress up with both hands as she came down hill. She grabbed Eva by the arm and yanked her up the road. Eva glanced back at Wolf who did not turn around to see her.

  Stumbling over rocks and moving at her mother’s furious pace, Eva struggled to keep her balance. “He was standing there. I couldn’t just ignore him.”

  “No, instead you pass half the morning with him, listening to his grime.”

  Eva couldn’t tell her mother that she’d gone out looking for him. She just accepted the verbal whipping without arguing. “You’re right. I should have come home sooner.”

  “If your brother were half as wise as you, he might have some sense.”

  Flinging open the door and pushing Eva inside, Maria’s rage settled. Eva took off her coat and briskly rubbed her arms to warm herself. Maria had skewed the duck above the fire, and the scent of cooking poultry lingered in the kitchen. She rotated the bird slightly so that it would cook evenly. Its juices leaked into the flame, flaring up the fire.

  Eva completed her chores as the day faded, and her mother took the duck from the fire. Its wings were slightly charred, and its body was dark from the smoke, but Eva could taste the duck from the aroma alone.

  Slicing off the roasted legs, Maria placed one of each on their wooden plates, and then she scooped a bowlful of soup for each of them. Before Maria sat down, Eva sank her teeth in the meat. The flavor touched every part of her tongue, and the smoky juices leaked down the sides of her mouth. She wiped her lips with her fingers and licked them.

  Without washing down her first bite, she chased the flavor with the Barachi. The contrast of flavor from sweet and delicious to tangy made her mouth water even though her cheeks were full.

  “This is the most delicious meal I’ve ever had,” Eva said through smacking chomps.

  “Enjoy it. It could be another five years before there’s another.”

  “Don’t ruin it for me.”

  Maria grinned. “How could I possibly ruin this?”

  “Only by snatching it from my hands.” Eva licked the juices that dripped down the side of her wrist, holding the duck leg above her head with both hands.

  “Have some decency, child,” Maria said, licking the tips of her fingers.

  “I cannot have what I have not been given,” Eva replied.

  “That sharp tongue of yours needs only to be removed.”

  Eva took another bite of Barachi. “Please wait until after dinner.”

  Eva indulged herself until she lay back in her chair with her hands over her belly, still savoring the flavors. Her tired thoughts drifted back to Wolf. He had not answered her questions, and he was leaving by sunrise. Her stomach turned, and dinner did not seem so pleasant.

  “What’s on your mind?” Maria asked, interrupting Eva’s thoughts.

  “Nothing.”

  “So your mind is completely blank? I don’t believe that for the life of me. There’s always some stew stirring in that pot of yours.”

  “You have to promise not to be upset.”

  “Am I to commit to something before I know the terms?” Maria asked.

  “Then I’ll keep my thoughts to myself.”

  “You can trust me, darling.”

  Eva sighed. “I wasn’t talking with Jevar the entire morning.”

  “You mean Wolf?”

  “Right.”

  Maria looked at her from the corner of her eye. “Then where were you?”

  “I went looking for him as far as the Vice.”

  Maria closed her eyes and put her fist to her mouth. “I swear to the gods, child, stay away from that man. He’s dangerous.”

  “He protected me. Besides, he’ll be gone by morning.”

  Maria’s anxiety simmered away, and she grabbed her daughter’s hand in her own. “You’re a woman now. I know I need to let you make your own decisions, but I just can’t let go.” She wiped away a few tears, squeezing Eva’s hand tighter.

  “I don’t want you to let me go, Mother.” Eva’s face flushed, but she resisted weeping.

  Maria released Eva’s hand, patting it. She picked up her napkin and wiped the remaining tears away from the bags beneath her eyes.

  “What’s so bad about him, Mother?”

  Maria threw her napkin onto the table helplessly. “I can’t watch over you forever, and I don’t know what’s worse, you not knowing or your nagging me about it. Either way, you should probably know.” Maria sighed, staring blankly at the napkin, and then she turned grimly to face her daughter. “Wolf killed an entire village of innocents, at least that’s how the story goes.”

  Eva sat, motionless, barely able to mumble a few words. “Surely he had good reason.”

  “What reason is there that’s good enough to murder men and women alike?”

  “Then it mustn’t have been him. An impostor or someone who looked like him perhaps?”

  “Someone indeed.”

  “But the people at the Connect seem to revere him.”

  “Do not mistake fear with reverence. For you do not know what stirs in the people’s hearts. This is why you must let him go his own way. A man whose past is as dark as his should never have dealings with civilized folk.”

  Maria got up from the table, taking the plates and dumping them in the garbage pail. She wrapped up the duck and the Barachi, storing them away in the cellar that was a wooden hatch in the floor near the fireplace. Eva helped her clean up the kitchen, and then she went to bed, not having much else to say to her mother.

  Eva lay in bed, tossing in each direction. Her mother had retired, blowing out the candles and leaving only the light and warmth of the fire. The straw from underneath the burlap poked into Eva’s back, and the bed seemed less comfortable.

  Knowing that Wolf was leaving in the morning kept her awake. She got out of bed and peeked out of her bedroom, silently making her way into the kitchen. “Mother?” she whispered. Her voice seemed louder in the flame-lit darkness. Maria did not respond. Only rhythmic breathing could be heard from her room.

  Eva slipped into her coat and laced up her shoes, hating even the silent rustles that her clothes made with each movement. Even the crackling of the fire sounded too loud. She sucked in a deep breath, peeled the door open, and steppe
d out side, careful not to let the wooden barrier slam behind her.

  The night breeze was vicious, whipping against her skin, rather than caressing it like it had done earlier that day. She closed her coat over her chest, but the chill snuck in somehow. Small ridges appeared on her skin, forcing the tiny hairs on her arms to stand erect, and the tip of her nose was icy cold.

  Without delay, she hasted towards the Vice where Wolf said that he would be. She didn’t care what her mother said. She had questions that only he could answer. Passing by the intersection, she hurried to the east towards the Vice.

  Coming upon the exit of Green Planes, she barely missed it through the night’s blackness, but she had come this way so many times that her instincts had stopped her before she made it through.

  The leafless trees swayed above her and cracked under the power of the whistling winds. Owls hooted both near her and far off, and the sound of unseen rodents trampled over the twigs, making Eva’s insides jump, though she kept quiet.

  Where could he be? The Vice was a large area, and he’d told her that he would be there. “Jevar?” she whispered, sticking her neck out a little, hoping that her voice would carry farther. There was no response.

  The trees rustled more, as the breeze blew past her, heading south, picking up speed. Dead leaves brushed against her ankles, and her hair flapped in the gusts. Her fingers had lost their feeling, and the autumn air seeped into her nightgown.

  Other than the breeze, the night was quiet, so quiet in fact that she could almost still hear her voice from when she had called for Wolf just moments ago. “Jevar?” she whispered again.

  Through the trees, to the north, a tiny light speckle appeared, so faint that it could have been mistaken for a star if it were not so low to the ground. “Jevar?” she called again, a little louder this time.

  The light moved closer, then it soared at her. A violent shriek, as sharp as blade, tore through the night, ringing in Eva’s ears. She stumbled back as the light came near, leaving specks of illumination behind it.

  Eva froze, petrified. This was the light she’d seen the night she was with Wolf, only this was an apparition. The entity had the face of a woman, devoid of eyes with claws rather than hands. Its hair snapped like lightning, as it hovered in front of Eva. Its white luminance lit up the path, exposing the trees of the Vice.

  The apparition pointed a sharp finger at Eva, casting its evil light on her face. She fell to the ground, panting, praying for a seizure. It didn’t come.

  “Scar….” The apparition hissed between its ghastly lips.

  Eva could barely breath, sliding across the ground, unable to take her eyes away. The apparition reached down, spraying its luminescence over Eva. It grabbed the hems of her coat collar in its hands, its claws scraping into the leather.

  Effortlessly, it picked her off the ground. Eva screamed and kicked, but her feet went straight through the apparition, leaving puffs like eerie, white clouds where her foot went through, and then the holes resealed.

  “Let me go! Please!” Eva screamed, staring down at the ghost that held her above its head.

  “Scar….” It reached its other hand back, revealing its claws to run through Eva’s gut. The ghost screeched.

  Eva’s head pounded from the scream. All around her, blue flecks of dust drifted from the sky, then she heard a loud grunt. The apparition dropped her to the ground, and she landed on her tailbone. A throbbing pain echoed through her body.

  In front of her, stood two men, both with tomahawks, tearing into the apparition. The ghost bellowed and shrieked, ripping its claws at the men, but axes kept flying, hacking into the entity. In a dying scream, the ghost faded into the darkness, leaving nothing but the gentle breeze and the Vice behind.

  The two men turned to her, jade fire in their eyes. Without warning, the flame ebbed away. Unable to calm her breathing, Eva’s chest rose and fell. Her bottom ached and her head hurt. The two men started towards her, merging into one person, as the one man reached his thick hand down to pick her up from the path.

  “Get away from me!” she demanded, kicking herself away from him. “My mother told me what you are!”

  “Genevieve?” Wolf appealed to her in his sweet voice. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He reached down towards her again.

  Cutting her eyes up at him and back to his hand, she offered him hers. He grabbed her wrist, and his rough palms pinched against her skin. “What are you?”

  “I’ll explain if you give me a chance.” He strapped his tomahawk back onto his belt, covering the edge with a flap of leather.

  Eva stepped away from him, wanting to go back home. What if Mother is awake? “I should be going,” she said nervously. The questions that she had for him did not seem as important as her life, not anymore. He could leave and never return, for all she cared.

  She turned abruptly and started back west towards her house. Wolf grabbed her arm. “Let me go!” She jerked her wrist away, his rough hands scratching her. “I don’t know who you are, but this,” she paused, staring at him, “this isn’t natural!”

  Bolting away, she stormed off back down the night path.

  Wolf called to her. “I know where Edward Solace is.”

  In the middle of her stride, her foot fell to the ground, planted. She pivoted on the tip of her toe. “What did you just say?” she asked, knowing the answer to her question.

  “Your brother. I know where’s headed.”

  “How do you know my brother?”

  “I asked around.”

  “Where is he?” she asked. The power had been stripped from her voice, leaving only a weak innocence.

  “Winter Hills, my home city.”

  “Winter Hills? Where’s that?”

  “Six months from here, after you cross the river.”

  “How can you be sure?” she asked, stepping closer to him, ignoring the cold.

  “The miller in Green Planes told me that your brother is part of the Strikers. The Water Walkers have heard rumors of another band of Raiders who are venturing into the Vagabond Lands, searching for the Girl with the Scar. The Strikers are looking to eliminate this outer force to isolate the Raiders to this side of the river.”

  “Edward. Is he is safe?”

  “For now.” Wolf stepped closer to her, the metal on his belt jingling.

  “What do you mean, ‘for now’?”

  “The Raiders may be brutes, but they’re warriors, not just mindless beasts. Edward's walking into a trap. The Raiders may be upon him by the harvest, and they’ve sent another band of troops to trail the Strikers, mashing them between the two bands of Raiders. If they find your brother, they will kill him.”

  “Don’t the Strikers know about this?”

  “Of course, but they haven’t seen what you’ve seen, the Haunt, the apparition that attacked you twice. When the Raiders come, the Haunt will be with them.”

  Eva started back east towards the Vice. “Then we have to stop them. We must warn them. I will not let me brother be killed in an ambush.”

  “Woman, are you mad? You’ll be beaten and broken before you make it to the river.”

  She whipped around at him, his silhouette a mass of blackness in the darkness, blocking the road back to her home. “I do not intend to fight, only to warn.”

  “Your intentions are not enough to ward of the thieves who roam the Open Lands. You’d best hope that you can fight, or you wouldn’t last the night without the spillage of your innards.”

  Eva’s boldness crumbled, her cheeks growing colder. “I’m not a fighter.”

  “Then what did you intend to do?” he chuckled, his words sliding between his teeth.

  The moonlight lit up her checks, spraying its rays down the curls of her auburn hair. Her invitation was limp, nearly emotionless. “Then could you warn him?”

  The molasses washed off his tongue, and Wolf’s voice was no longer as sweet. “I do not get involved with Striker affairs.”

  “So why have you burden
ed me with news about my brother?” The ramose, green ashes cracked overhead as the breezed barreled by. Eva felt betrayed by the man she scarcely knew, the man who had protected her for unknown reasons, until now.

  Wolf had pummeled Grange into the dirt by the Connect, and he had torn into the Haunt, but now, when she needed him most, when the fate of Edward lay gently in his hands, Wolf was willing to do nothing.

  The tip of her nose had lost its feeling, and the night air intruded underneath her dress and into crevices of her leather jacket. But the frigid autumn night could not compare with the dank, chill of Wolf’s heart. She flicked her tongue around in her mouth, looking for the words to convince the man, hardened by his own darkness, but they were gone, crushed by the force of his Wolf’s powerful hands.

  “I have burdened you, because there is something about you that intrigues me,” he said, as slyly as Grange had spoken to her, though Wolf did not advance towards her as that spineless swine of a merchant had done.

  “Then your assistance has not been assistance, but selfishness?” She rubbed her fingers against each other while holding her jacket closed, nervous.

  His eyes sparked a jade fire, spreading a pale emerald flame into the darkness, and then the fire extinguished. “The Girl with Scar is a treasure that all the kingdoms of the world would fast for days to the gods just to find her, and yet, here you are.”

  Eva stuttered backwards, not wanting to show how Wolf’s words had ricocheted off her heart. What did he want from her? Confusion swarmed around her like furious bees. The man she once trusted had readied himself to knife her in the back, using her for his own gain.

  “Genevieve?” He stepped closer to her, the once sweet voice now like hidden poison.

  “Stay away from me, Wolf!” she screamed her warning, calling him Wolf, abandoning the name Jevar.

  “Genevieve, please.” His belt jingled with his steps as he offered his hand to her.

  “Stay away!” She ducked past him, racing home. The trees expanded away from the road as she bolted to her house, not listening for his chasing footsteps behind her. The sharp winds cut against her face, throwing her hair behind her head.