“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about it.” I said, using a whisper. I was nervous and flickering my eyes around. “What if she hears you? You know that she—”
“Heard it.”
I froze in panic and looked up. Adele was standing by the entrance of the shelter, her face maddened and I feared the worst, moving away from Troy. “Adele?”
She didn’t say anything but she was clearly filling with rage.
“Oh, shit.” Ruby muttered.
Adele held herself back from unleashing her wrath at us by starting towards the river.
Ruby and I shared a quick look with each other and got to our feet with the decision of what to do.
“We’ll be right back.” I said.
Ruby nodded to agree with me and we walked away from the fire after Adele. We knew she would be mad and approached cautiously from behind while she was kneeled down by the river’s edge. “How could you?”
“Adele, we—”
She stood up but spoke in a low-key yet frustrated tone so no one else could hear. “How could you betray everything we were sent to protect for them? Do you know what they’re doing? Do you remember at all that they’re the enemy? They’re taking us to our deaths and you two are acting like we’re on a damn vacation!”
“Adele, we know what’s going on.” Ruby said. “We’re just making our last moments worth it and you should too.”
“I can’t believe what you’re saying! Don’t you dare think for one second that I’ve forgotten why we came here but it seems you and Jaylyn have! It was clear to me that ever since we’ve been in this mess, right from the start, you both were going to abandon your country for them!”
“Do you even hear yourself?” I tried not to raise my voice like I was mad but I was. I knew she was feeling the same way and this exterior she was showing everyone was a lie. “We can see that you’re trying so hard to hide it but we’ve made the connection and we’ve seen the truth behind your attitude!”
She said nothing but I didn’t stop there.
“You’re afraid. Afraid that you’ve found what it is you’ve been looking for but can’t seem to face it. You know what it is I speak of. How can you even stand there and ask yourself why when the answer is sitting right over there? It’s waiting for you to give him a single sign showing you feel what he does. We all see it but it’s you that’s choosing not to.”
Adele looked up at the fire and led us through a pause. I was hoping she was seeing our way but she looked back and her voice proved she still hated it. “You’re wrong. I do see it but I would much rather see it dead.”
“How can you say that?” I just wanted to understand how she could be this way. It was Fate that we were here but she wouldn’t embrace it. “We’re your friends, remember? Sisters even. We’re just trying to make you see what we see. They’re not bad guys. This is just their job.”
Adele’s anger level only increased. It would have been better if I had just said nothing. “They’re not bad guys? They’ve brainwashed you with their good looks, haven’t they? You’re falling for them. I can see it but let me remind you who they really are.”
She pushed her way passed me and started walking over to the fire.
We quickly followed, worried when Adele confronted Zayden. “The truce is off. Our agreement has been compromised.”
“What? When?” Zayden stood up in a hurry, his body tense and eyes clearly on Adele.
“When you let that happen!” Adele raged her voice towards him but her eyes pointed to the rest of us.
“It was never in the agreement we made and I wasn’t about to deny my men the spoils of war.”
“Oh, I see. So, that’s all we are? We’re disposable objects that you can get rid of the second you’ve got what you’ve wanted?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Well, you haven’t gotten anything out of me yet, Zayden. I belong to you now, remember? Don’t you want it?” Adele got closer to him and started to open the front of her corset.
Darius and Troy stood up next to us to watch this more carefully but I was only gritting my teeth. This was not good.
“It’s a trap.” Ruby muttered.
I agreed but said nothing. I couldn’t interrupt this, knowing she wouldn’t listen.
Adele got closer to Zayden and pulled open the front of her corset all the way. My mouth wanted to fall open. I knew she didn’t have anything on underneath and he was seeing her breasts right up close while she spoke. “The flesh of a real woman. To want it bad enough you can almost taste it. It’s torture, isn’t it, Zayden? Just take it. No one’s stopping you.”
I watched Zayden just look at Adele. His eyes only opened just a little wider but it was hardly noticeable to anyone actually looking. I wasn’t sure what he would do either.
“Well? What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to take it?” Adele got right in close to his lips but has yet to touch him.
It was like she was just teasing him to take her and we all thought that he would have when his hands raised but he did the opposite. His hands reached for her shoulders instead of her breasts and he carefully guided her back with a line I didn’t want to think to be true. “No. We don’t mix with your kind.”
It was incredibly offensive but Adele laughed while she started to close her corset and looked back at Ruby and I. “Our kind? Hear that? Our kind. Now, let me show you what we should have done with their kind.”
My worry meter couldn’t go any higher. Adele acted in a way she said she never would. She immediately brought up her hand and a force pushed Zayden down into the dirt when she looked back to him. Then she moved her hand up and roots came up out of the ground, tying him down.
The other two took a defensive stance but Adele turned back. “Uh ah. No interference, please.”
She pushed her hand toward them and they were pushed up against the rocks, losing their weapons. Then she clenched her fist and tree vines bounded them from moving or even speaking like earthy serpents coiling around their bodies.
I gasped and went to Troy, my heart heavy with regret and my voice anxious, trying not to cry. “Adele! Stop!”
“What’s the matter?” She walked to me and stood in front of Troy, looking between us. “They don’t mix with our kind, remember? He’d never give you what you want so he is in fact useless to you. Kill him.”
My eyes swelled. How could I possibly? He was so kind to me and made this last day worth living. I couldn’t repay him by taking his life. I wouldn’t. The thought of it put a knot in my throat and I didn’t know what to say.
“With his own sword.”
I looked away and Adele was holding his sword out to me. I panicked and stepped back with it on my voice. “Adele! No. I won’t.”
“No? You’re showing weakness for these fools, Jaylyn. That’s something you know I will not tolerate. Do it. Just think of it as your job.”
Hearing her say that brought tears to my eyes and Adele held the sword out to me again. I refused it again in my head but it didn’t play out too well. I needed to figure something out. I didn’t want this to be the way. I couldn’t kill him. He was trying to save me. The only thing I thought to do was save him in return but I had to make it look like I was doing what Adele wanted of me.
My hand was shaking but I took his sword from her and lowered it to my side. “Can I say good-bye to him first? Alone?”
I was worried because Adele seemed unsure but then started to turn away. “Thirty seconds.”
I watched her take several paces away and turned back to Troy, a little anxious to explain. “I’m so sorry. I don’t want to hurt you but I want us both to live. Do you trust me? I need you to trust me.”
His eyes were gentle and he nodded because he couldn’t speak.
“Good. I’m going to be back as soon as I can to—“
“Jaylyn! Time’s up!”
I panicked and backed away. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Well? It’s a long way home.”
I looked back at Troy and lifted his sword. His eyes widened. I didn’t know if he was acting or he didn’t understand what I was doing because I didn’t get the chance to tell him. I didn’t have much time to think about it. I was running out of time and had to force myself to act. I directed the blade’s tip at his torso and closed my eyes until I heard the reaction. His body tensed around the blade and Zayden and Darius moaned in rage trying to get free of their binds.
I couldn’t look. I pulled the blade straight back to me and turned, not to put my eyes on him again. It was too much for me. My eyes wanted to empty but I held it in to give Adele the satisfaction she wanted.
“Good. Let’s go. We’re going home. They’ll be fine here to die with him.”
I wanted to protest but it was too late. If we were going to just leave them in the first place, why did I have to do it? It was my own fault I guess for showing what she called weakness. I kept my eyes off Troy and was just anxious to leave. “Fine. Let’s go.”
I approached Adele and she held out the bag of our daggers as I was about to pass. “Take this.”
I took it but kept my eyes directed west. I was hurt for what I had to do but I just kept reminding myself that it was better than the alternative. They had a chance to live this way with Darius and Zayden being left unharmed.
Adele kneeled down next to Zayden and took his weapons. “I sure am going to miss you but you know as well as I do that it was going to be either you or me and as much as I really do despise my life, I couldn’t see it be ended by you. Good-bye.”
She stood up and Zayden struggled in his anger to get free. It was hopeless. Adele had him too tightly bound. My hope would have to fall to Darius to get free first. He was stronger and when they were free, I knew what they would do. I’d be ready.
Chapter 17
Zayden
We have been fooled.
We were left bound, angry and tried communicating with each other though we couldn’t speak. I wanted to get up and tend to Troy before he bled out but I wasn’t going anywhere. My commands sounded like a lot of mumbling and angry gestures but Darius knew because he wanted it too. He was the first to break free by rubbing the roots against the rocks and flexing his muscles to stretch them.
Once enough of them were broken, he was able to use his hands to free himself the rest of the way. He came straight to me, cutting me free quickly and we both rushed to Troy.
He cut him down and I caught him so he wouldn’t fall. “Troy!” He was so weak he couldn’t stand and I laid him back to look at his wound. It was just gushing blood and I knew he didn’t have long. “Damn bitch!”
“What are we supposed to do now?” Darius asked. “They have to pay for this.”
“Don’t worry. They will. We’re going to get them back, our weapons too.”
“How? By going after them? You saw what Adele can do. We can’t win against her like that, especially not without our weapons.”
I paused and looked around. I knew there had to be a way. I wouldn’t let them get away with what they’ve done. “Not necessarily. This is our country. They don’t know the land like we do and I won’t let them escape this time, no matter what it takes.”
“So, what’s your plan?”
“We swing out to the north. They should only be a few minutes ahead of us and I’m sure they’re taking their time, thinking we’re still back here. So, if we hurry, we can get ahead of them. Troy, you have to stay here. We’re going to bring Jaylyn back and force her to undo what she’s done but you have to stay alive.”
He kept his hands over his wound and nodded as best he could.
“Good. Darius, let’s go.”
We left Troy safe by the fire and headed north.
“What about Adele? How can we stop her from using her gift?”
“It’s her hands. Her power comes from her hands. We control them, we control her but we’ll have to do it before she ever gets the chance to use them. You know what to do with the others.”
Darius nodded and we continued to run northwest, dodging branches and jumping over any obstacle in the way. We did it so quickly that we easily got ahead of the Kalu Assassins before starting to travel back south to cut them off for another surprise ambush.
We waited north just beyond the tree line so we couldn’t be spotted under the moon’s light and soon were able to see them approach.
“There they are. Remember what to do. Don’t make a move on the others until I have Adele.”
Darius nodded, keeping his eyes on the women below.
They were walking steadily, Adele seeming to keep her head high and eyes straight forward while Ruby was to her left looking at the ground and Jaylyn on her right.
Something changed. Jaylyn must have felt something faint with her senses and she set a slow steady gaze in the direction of the trees; to us.
“Shit.” Darius muttered. “I think she knows we’re here.”
“Easy, Jaylyn. Keep walking. I won’t let you ruin this now, not when we’re this close.”
Jaylyn averted her eyes from the north and kept walking west without showing Adele or Ruby any kind of sign that she knew we were here.
“Good girl. We don’t know how much time before she warns the others. We better go.”
We snuck down the hill behind the Kalu Assassins, making sure our light steps were in sync and I was able to surprise Adele by knocking her down and pulling her hands behind her back.
Ruby and Jaylyn looked back just in time to be grabbed themselves by Darius and I pulled Adele back up to her feet.
“Miss me? You really didn’t think you could get away that easily, did you, Love? You probably should have finished us off yourself to know for sure.”
My words were only fueling her hate while I was tightly tying her hands together, fingers and all. No mistakes this time. “Oh, believe me. Next time, I will.”
“There won’t be a next time.” I turned her around so she could see the others being tied. “You’ve wasted your only opportunity and this time we’ll be more careful. Let’s go.” I started moving her back east with one hand and put my weapons away with the other.
Darius followed, moving Ruby and Jaylyn forward after getting his weapon back and put away along with Troy’s.
“Where is he?” Jaylyn asked. “Is he okay?”
Darius huffed before I could answer. “You’re the one that stabbed him. Why do you care?”
Jaylyn struggled in his single hand grasp and was able to get free.
“Hey!” I said, watching her run passed me.
She didn’t look back but hollered back. “You’ll catch up!”
I sighed but didn’t worry about going after her at her speed. It seemed like we wouldn’t have to force her to heal Troy. She was going to do it on her own. I couldn’t make sense of it. Why do it at all?
“What’s the point of taking us back now? We’ve clearly broken the bonds of our agreement. You should just be killing us.” Adele said.
“Not necessarily.”
She sighed. “Oh, do interpret, please.”
“Well, that was only for if an escape attempt was made.”
“Yeah, and it was.”
“Yes, but you also succeeded, if only for a few minutes. Now that agreement is no longer in effect and we’re starting a new one. Get it?”
“I suppose but not necessarily the smart way to go, now is it?”
“Let me be the one to decide that but you’re lucky I don’t pull all the terms. At this point, I would gladly like to see Darius ravish you until your heart stops.”
“Can I?” He sounded unusually happy about it. Maybe I shouldn’t have said it so loud. It was only getting his hopes up.
“No.”
“Then next time don’t say it. I wasn’t even thinking of it until now.”
“You should be thanking me.” I told Adele. “I’m protecting you.”
She took a breath of anger, muttering almost silently to herself. “My hero.”
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I still heard from being so close and smiled but we didn’t say another word during the minutes it took to get back to the camp site.
Jaylyn was next to Troy, still trying to get out of her binds to help him. It seemed Darius tied them too tightly.
We sent the other two in the shelter and made sure they stayed put. “You are not to leave this place until we get you in the morning.”
“You mean you’re just going to leave us all tied up like this?” Ruby asked. “We couldn’t possibly sleep.”
“Then don’t sleep.” Darius replied, his eyes expressing a darkening hatred in her direction. I was glad to finally see it. “We don’t really care what you do. Just don’t leave because we’ll be right outside to hunt you down if you do and it won’t make us any happier.”
He turned and walked out with his final word and I followed, closing up the entrance.
We went straight over to Jaylyn and she was anxious to see us. “You have to hurry! Get these off me!”
“Hold still.” Darius said.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
She didn’t answer. She was in a rush to get her free hands on Troy and her eyes began to glow immediately. We stayed quiet through it only because we wanted it done right and let her have all the time she needed.
Chapter 18
Troy
I didn’t feel any pain for a while. My mind tricked me to think there wasn’t any or I was just too traumatized to notice the pain. I felt like a fool for trusting her. Her beauty blinded me. For a moment I thought that maybe she wanted to be with me but when it came down to it, she chose to end my life. All thoughts to save hers were now gone. If I made it through this, I would see her beheaded for making a fool of me.
My eyes opened and I saw the last thing I wanted to see. She was leaning over me with her eyes fading with the green light.
“Are you all right?”
I looked passed her to the voice while I started to sit up and saw Zayden and Darius eager to hear me say something. “Considering.”
Aligning Stars (Fate's Intent Book 1) Page 10
