by C. R. Pugh
Ravyn tightened her grip on my hand and pulled me up into sitting position. I turned and glanced back and forth between the two females. “You’re here … but … how did you know? You were too far away.”
Ravyn looked over her shoulder. The hall was empty except for a few bodies lying on the floor. Smoke from the explosion was still lingering, drifting out the front door and the gaping hole in the wall.
“Kaelem confessed everything,” Ravyn answered. “Laelynn had been trying to warn us. Do you remember?”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “Of course.”
Ravyn and Tallon took turns telling me the events of the last five days and what Kaelem’s brother had done to their family in his greed.
I scratched the scruff on my chin. “That’s … quite a story.” I glanced around the room again. “Where’s Pierce?”
“He’s with Archer and Brock. They’re saddling horses for the journey back to Peton,” Tallon explained. “I’ll go let them know you’re awake.”
Tallon jogged out of the hall, leaving me alone with Ravyn. She leapt into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. My throat tightened. I didn’t know what to say to her. How had we been manipulated so easily? How had one person duped us all?
“I’m sorry,” I whispered into her hair. “I should never have sent you away. We should never have separated.”
“It all worked out … except for you getting hurt again,” Ravyn chuckled. She eased out of my arms and cupped my face in her hands. “I’m glad we were here in time to save you. It was my turn … even though I didn’t do much.” Ravyn grimaced. “Kaelem killed Nash. His mother killed the governor. I’m just here to hold you in the aftermath.”
I gave her a lopsided grin and drew her closer. Ravyn leaned forward, closed her eyes, and placed her soft lips on mine.
“Hey!” Pierce shouted from across the room.
Ravyn and I jumped, bumping foreheads in the process. We both scrambled to our feet and turned to face my brother.
Pierce stood at the entrance, glowering at me through the dark curls hanging down in his eyes. I could see the muscles in his cheeks tick through his dark facial hair. Archer, Brock, and Tallon stood behind him, giving us both wary looks.
“Pierce, I -”
“Oh no, you don’t,” he snapped, storming toward me.
I flinched at the angry edge to his words. Pierce’s shoulders were bunched and his fingers had curled into fists.
Glancing down at Ravyn, I asked, “Is he still under that woman’s mind-control?”
Ravyn shrugged. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”
Marching toward me, Piece pointed an accusing finger at me. “You are done with dying. Do you hear me? You’ve nearly died three times. That was the last time. No. More. Dying.”
He barreled into me and wrapped me up in a fierce hug. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open in astonishment.
My brother is hugging me.
Beside me, I heard Ravyn sniff. Even Tallon, still standing with Archer and Brock by the front entrance, was wiping her own teary eyes.
“No more dying, okay?” Pierce choked. “You’re all I have left, Brother.”
Once the initial shock wore off, I wrapped my arms around my brother in return.
“Okay,” I promised. “No more dying.”
***
At first, there was quite a bit of confusion outside the dome from the Ahern people and the guards.
“Is the governor dead?” a woman asked the guard standing on the steps. She turned to face the crowd and shouted, “I heard the governor is dead!”
A collective gasp went up from the crowd and then everyone began talking at once.
“What are we going to do?”
“Who is going to be the governor now?”
“Who’s in charge?”
Another frightened woman latched on to my arm. “Who are you? Are you here to take over?”
“No, miss,” I said, twisting out of her grip. Kaelem had disappeared for the last half hour or so, putting his sick mother to bed in one of the governor’s chambers. The people were looking for anyone to take control, but I didn’t want to overstep my bounds.
“Everyone calm down!” Kaelem bellowed. He jogged down the stairs toward the panicking crowd. “It’s obvious we will need to have an emergency election.”
“When?” a man shouted from within the mob.
“Soon,” Kaelem answered. “For now, you should go home and let the guards do their jobs.”
Kaelem took charge of Ahern’s army. The dead were collected and readied for burial. The injured were sent to their healers to be tended. Hagan was placed under house arrest to make sure he was no longer a threat.
The Warriors had collected six strong horses for our journey home and they were harnessed outside the dome on the dirt road. Costian, the horseman who had testified against us, helped Pierce and Archer select the horses and apologized repeatedly for his part in the fiasco. He was as perplexed as everyone else coming out of their trances. Costian remembered meeting us and showing us the horses, but his memory of the trial was muddy.
“I’m not sure why I suddenly thought you would kill Marshall,” Costian said, rambling away while he helped put a saddle on one of the mares. “I knew you three were good men. It doesn’t make any sense.”
I decided to leave it to Kaelem to explain Governor Laela’s hold on their minds. For those who were not altered, knowing that there were people with such dangerous gifts would be difficult to swallow. A few brave guards of the former governor had approached us out in front of the dome, wanting to know what had happened. It was as if they had woken up from a strange dream.
The village was quiet. Most of the citizens had retreated to their homes as Kaelem had ordered. Nearly six hours later, after we’d eaten and rested, we were ready to leave Ahern. While Pierce, Archer, and Brock made sure our supplies were stored carefully in each saddlebag, Kaelem and I discussed the future for our two clans.
“We are neighboring clans and we’ve traded for many years. Once your people settle on a new governor, we will be open to new trade agreements. Perhaps even an alliance of some kind. We cannot survive in this world without friends nearby,” I said.
Kaelem, and a few guards who’d been listening, were delighted. I was not certain I should make such a promise since I was no longer the commander in Peton. My authority there was gone, but I hoped our Elders would approve of this new alliance.
I shuffled my feet, wondering if I dared to ask Kaelem to help us one more time.
“I know what you would ask me,” Kaelem said, reading my thoughts. “You want our help to fight Wolfe.”
I nodded. “The battle is not over for us. We need to defeat him if we are all to be free.”
Kaelem stared at the ground. “So much has happened. I’m not sure I can convince my people to join in this fight after what Laela has done to them.”
“But that might be the motivation they need. Wolfe wants to control them just as she did.”
Kaelem folded his arms over his chest. “I will speak with them, but I can’t make you any promises.”
“Fair enough. We should help you dig those graves,” I said, offering my help.
“No,” Kaelem replied, his face somber with grief. “You should be getting along. Ravyn is anxious to get back to Camellia.”
I turned to watch Ravyn pacing back and forth. Pierce was busy checking each of the horses and inspecting their hooves before we set out on the road. “I suspect you’re right,” I said with a chuckle.
Kaelem added, “Camellia and Kieron have been waiting out in the Aspen trees for hours.”
“Are you sure you will be alright after we’re gone?” I asked him.
“I still have Mother and Hagan to look after,” he answered. “They’re both grieving over so many losses in our family. Laelynn’s death hit Mother hardest. Finding out about what Nash had done … his madness … came as a shock. They need me.”
“The
villagers aren’t going to execute you once we leave, are they?”
Kaelem shook his head, popping another piece of grass into his mouth to chew. “Mostly they seem disoriented. They barely remember my mother being imprisoned or my banishment. I think things will sort themselves out once a new governor is elected. I was hoping my mother would take Aunt Laela’s place …”
“But she’s too sick,” I said, frowning. “She would make a fine governor.” I stared at Kaelem for a moment and then glanced at Ravyn out of the corner of my eye. There has to be something we can do.
Our last serum.
“Stay here,” I ordered Kaelem.
I marched over to Ravyn, needing to consult with her first. It was her serum – her blood. Ravyn halted when she saw me drawing near.
“What’s wrong?” Ravyn asked.
I placed my hands on her shoulders. “You have one more vial of serum?”
Ravyn frowned. “Yes.”
Cupping her face with my hands, I murmured, “Do you trust me?”
“Of course, Thorne.”
“I want you to give it to Kaelem.”
“What?” Ravyn gasped. “Why? We may need it! What if someone else … what if you …?”
I placed my thumb over her lips to silence her arguments. “His mother, Kaela, is dying. She may only have weeks to live and she’s in pain. She was living down in that damp prison for months.” I gazed down into Ravyn’s blue-green eyes. “I would have given all the vials of serum to save your mother and father, to save Hawke, but we were too late. We’re not too late this time.”
Ravyn crossed her arms and shifted her weight to the other foot.
“Kaela will make a fine governor for these people,” I told her in confidence. “If she was healthy. She has a good soul.”
Ravyn lifted an eyebrow. “You’re hoping to make a stronger alliance with them?”
“That, and Kaelem would owe you a lot if you were to do this.”
“I’m not sure he would owe me,” she argued. “He came back to help us save you. I think I owe him.”
“No, he was paying his debt for his brother’s betrayal. You’re even. And you never know when a favor might come in handy in the future.”
Ravyn shifted her feet again, thinking things through. “Fine. But what if his mother doesn’t get elected?”
“He’ll still owe you for the life of his mother, and you will have done a wonderful, selfless deed.” I leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose.
“The serum is in our packs with Camellia and Kieron,” Ravyn pointed out. “He’ll need to come and get it when we leave.”
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Table of Contents
27
Ravyn
We rode out of Ahern to collect Camellia and Kieron. Thorne, Pierce, and Archer agreed with my idea to attack the compound. We would travel to Peton and recruit as many Warriors willing to fight as possible. From Peton, Kieron and I would make our way back to the compound alone. Kieron, pretending to be Wolfe’s soldier, would bring me in as a prisoner. While we hunted Wolfe from within, the Warriors would draw the soldiers outside as a diversion. The scientist, Audrick, had approved of the plan when we spoke inside the cave. He was supposed to meet us down in the prisoner’s cell block once he spotted us on the monitors. It was our best shot to finally bring down the General without hurting the innocent people still living inside the compound, unaware of his evil.
I rode with Thorne out of Ahern on a stallion he’d picked out for himself. He led the caravan of riders out of the village at a trot, headed toward the wooded area where we had left Kieron and Camellia. Kaelem and his friend, Costian, rode along beside us to collect the serum I’d promised his mother. Tallon and Brock rode separately behind Thorne and I, with Archer and Pierce bringing up the rear. Pierce pulled along another saddled horse meant for Kieron. We mutually agreed that Camellia would ride with either Pierce or Tallon.
I hope Kieron knows how to ride, I thought, still feeling a bit wary of the powerful animals myself.
“Why are you so tense?” Thorne breathed into my hair, sending chills up my back.
“I feel foolish,” I said. “Even Tallon has her own horse.”
Thorne brushed his lips across my neck. “Tallon has been around horses her whole life. You haven’t.” He tightened his hold on my waist. “That’s not all, is it?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. The warning sensation in my tattoo was silent. “I have a feeling. Like the one I had when we were riding back to Peton together.”
Thorne signaled his Warriors with a quick gesture. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw each of them draw their weapons. “You don’t feel a tingle?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Camellia’s been out here for hours.”
“I’m sure she’s alright. She had Kieron with her. He’s a well-trained fighter, same as you.”
The knowledge did nothing to dispel the unease I felt.
We reached the white-tree forest a few minutes later. The forest was not as thick or dark as the Old Sequoia Valley. There were no eerie shadows to watch and hardly anywhere decent to hide. The early afternoon sunshine was streaming through the trees. I could see straight through the forest to the lake beyond. I craned my neck to see if I could spot Camellia or Kieron anywhere. Up ahead on the trail I saw something lying on the ground.
“Stop,” I said. Thorne pulled on the reins to halt his stallion. “Do you see that?”
“It looks like a body,” he muttered.
I swore under my breath and jumped down out of the saddle. Drawing my pistol, I walked toward the person lying in the grass. Behind me, I heard the other Warriors dismount to follow me.
“Costian, watch our horses,” Thorne ordered in a quiet but commanding voice. “Eyes to the trees.”
He was preparing for an attack, but what worried me more was that the attack had already taken place. Ten feet from the body, I froze. It was a man in a dark green uniform. A soldier.
My stomach churned with dread as I stared down at the dead soldier. Thorne brushed past me and crouched down to inspect him.
“He’s been shot multiple times.” Thorne glanced over his shoulder at me. “You left them with weapons?”
I nodded, still unable to speak. Thorne, ever the steady commander, turned and gave orders. “Search the trees in pairs. Pierce and Archer. Brock and Tallon. Kaelem can stay with us.”
Each pair headed in a different direction. Thorne, Kaelem, and I veered off the trail to the north where the thin, white trees grew closest together. Twenty feet from the first body, we came across two more soldiers, one male and one female. Both had been gunned down. To our right I saw two more, still bleeding from their gunshot wounds. My heart raced as we stepped over the corpses to continue searching.
I turned in a circle. “Camellia!” I shouted, not caring anymore if anyone heard me. I kept expecting my sister to pop out from behind some bushes and run to me. “Camellia! Kieron!” I heard nothing except the wind whistling through the trees and the sound of leaves crunching under our feet.
In another fifteen feet we stumbled across the packs we’d left behind. Thorne knelt down and inspected each of them.
“They don’t seem to be tampered with,” Thorne mumbled.
I left Thorne and Kaelem with the packs and moved further into the woods. “Camellia! Kieron!” I called out again, searching the trees. My bottom lip began to quiver. Please come out, Camellia.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted another man lying down in the brown and yellow leaves blanketing the ground. I squinted against the sunlight and stepped toward the body. My feet moved on their own accord, drawn to the man like a magnet.
“No,” I whispered to myself, jogging toward him, hoping I was wrong.
“Ravyn, stop,” Thorne said, chasing after me.
Thorne called my name again, but I wasn’t listening. The man lying face down in a pool of blood was my old friend.
“Kieron!” I screamed.
&nb
sp; Thorne caught up with me, wrapping me up in his arms. Kaelem skidded to a halt beside us and cursed under his breath.
My pistols slid from my hands and my knees gave out. Thorne held me against his chest and together we dropped to our knees next to Kieron. My chin dropped to my chest and tears slipped down my cheeks. I covered my head with my arms and wept for the loss of my old friend.
“I’m sorry, Ravyn,” Thorne whispered over and over again. “I’m so sorry.”
When Kieron had been Two, Wolfe’s mindless soldier, I had always wondered how I would feel once he was dead. I thought I would be relieved – free. I’d been wrong. It felt like a knife had been plunged deep into my chest and then twisted to torture me further. My heart was shattering.
“I never forgave him,” I whimpered.
Thorne turned me around and drew me into his chest. I hid my face in the crook of his shoulder.
“I agreed to let them stay,” I said. “I got him killed.”
Thorne squeezed me. “No, you didn’t. You didn’t do this.”
“Camellia’s gone!” I wailed, pounding a fist into Thorne’s chest. “He has her! He has her!” I was gasping for air now. General Wolfe had outsmarted me again.
“What’s happened?” Pierce shouted, jogging up behind us.
The other Warriors sprinted toward us, their boots pounding across the forest floor. Tallon swore when she finally caught sight of Kieron.
“Thorne, did you find her?” Pierce demanded. “Where’s Camellia?”
No one responded. Thorne and I both knew the answer from the evidence around us. The soldiers had overwhelmed them and taken Camellia.
“Search the trees,” Pierce bellowed, still not quite believing Camellia was gone. “She has to be here.”
Thorne stroked my hair while the Warriors looked for my sister, but I had already accepted the horrifying truth. I took a deep breath in an attempt to regain control. While I was sitting here bawling, Camellia and the soldiers moved further out of my reach. I eased back out of Thorne’s embrace, wiped my eyes, and turned to gaze down at Kieron once more.
Kaelem knelt beside him. He’d rolled him over to see the damage to his torso. Kieron had taken at least six or seven bullets across his torso and one in his thigh.
