Feudlings in Sight

by Knight, Wendy

  She spun away, sprinting through the field toward the abandoned building and beyond, Council headquarters. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she saw a tall, blonde Edren leading several warriors as they attacked Shane and Hunter.

  Her boys weren’t trained. They didn’t know how to fight, and Shane might not be killed but Hunter could be. She closed her eyes, praying, trying to send a vision, something. Seemingly, it worked. Seconds later, Carules warriors exploded from behind the building in front of her, swarming past her. A portal opened next to Shane and he was pulled through by the Council, fighting off their hands every step of the way.

  “Hunter, come on!” Charles bellowed.

  Hunter ignored him. He whirled around and raced toward Charity, grabbing her wrist as he caught up to her. But the doorway had already snapped shut so he pulled her recklessly through the warehouse back alley. There, in the shadows, he stopped, breathing hard, and peered around the corner, watching the field. “We’re chasing them into that old car factory,” he said, gasping for breath.

  Charity shook like a small dog in a hurricane. Wrapping her arms around herself, she backed against the wall and sank to the ground. Hunter was bleeding profusely from his back, and he was burned in several places. “You got hit,” she murmured slowly.

  “Yeah, a little. Shane can heal me,” Hunter mumbled, distracted by the battle in front of him.

  Charity buried her head in her knees, willing herself to get up and escape back to the Council headquarters. But she was so tired, and something nagged at her memory… the vision she’d had before the attack. She couldn’t remember a thing about it.

  Chapter Two

  “How did you know to come for us?” Shane asked. Hunter draped himself over one of the chairs in the Council chambers, watching it with deceptive disinterest. How had they known to come? He remembered Charity’s eyes had been glowing, but he hadn’t had time yet to ask her what she had seen. Had she somehow summoned the Carules warriors?

  “Sabine saw you, of course. She sent for us as soon as the vision hit.” Sabine, the Council’s favorite seer, sat silently in the back, enjoying the air of mystery around her cloaked figure. In Hunter’s opinion, she wore far too much eye makeup, and the colors made her look like a circus freak.

  Charity made a small, distressed noise next to him and he turned toward her quickly, wanting to protect her, wanting to beat into the ground whatever made her upset. She stared at her knees, her white blonde hair falling forward like a curtain.

  “I thought Sabine couldn’t see the Prodigy,” Hunter said, dragging his attention away from Charity.

  “I didn’t say I saw the Prodigy. I saw… you. And the warriors. Of course,” Sabine snapped, but Hunter could hear the lie in her voice. Something else had alerted the Council to the attack, and Hunter was pretty sure Charity knew what.

  Shane paced, throwing his hands around in sharp, angry movements. “We were almost killed out there. Why am I not being trained? I should be the one out there fighting, not our warriors!”

  Charles, the head Council member, glanced at Lewis. Nothing seemed to move forward without Lewis’s approval, even though he was missing from his seat half the time. Behind them, Sabine gasped.

  “What? What is it?” Charles seemed relieved at the change of subject, hurrying back to Sabine’s side.

  “The vision just went blank.” Her eyes were wide, frightened.

  Charles spun toward the rest of the Council. “The Prodigy is here. Right outside our door!”

  Hunter was on his feet before he realized it, instinct kicking in. He grabbed Shane’s arm as Shane started toward the door. “You aren’t trained, Shane. The Edren Prodigy will eat you alive.”

  Shane’s eyes had a bright, manic energy in them. Hunter knew there was no reasoning with him. There seemed to be an instinct in Shane, overpowering common sense, and it would drive him right out that door and into death’s arms. Hunter did the first thing that came to mind.

  He threw up wards.

  “Are you kidding me with this?” Shane bellowed, slamming a fist against the invisible magic. Sparks flew, igniting the Berber carpet at Shane’s feet, but the wards held. Hunter’s wards always held. No one in the world could get through them, even Shane. In fact, there was no one in the world who had stronger wards than Hunter. Except Shane.

  “Sorry, Shane. It’s for your own good. You aren’t ready to face the Prodigy yet,” Hunter told him, but he wasn’t sure Shane could hear him through the wards. Shane just glared, sparks licking at his fingertips.

  “What if the Prodigy attacks here? We can’t face him!” One of the Council members, a lesser, lower, whatever she was, and one whose name Hunter had never bothered to learn, was screeching like a barn owl. “We need to evacuate!”

  Charles and Lewis exchanged a long look. Decided, they both nodded. “Call for a saldepement. Tell them to portal us out of here.”

  Since a saldepement took two casters, Hunter wondered who was on the other end of that call.

  Inside the wards, Shane yelled louder than before.

  “Charity.” Hunter turned, looking for her. She stood silently at the back of the room, watching the chaos, her silver eyes glowing faintly. At his voice, she left her spot at the wall and came forward, stopping next to him. He was amazed, always, at the lack of fear in her eyes as they faced imminent death. He could see the panic just below the surface — her rapid breathing and clenched teeth — but she hid it well. “As soon as they open that portal, you get through it. Do you understand me? I’m going to try to wrestle Shane through.”

  She studied him for several seconds before she turned to Shane. “Let me in there,” she said to Hunter, without looking away from her cousin.

  Hunter had learned when they were about five years old not to argue with Charity. She was smarter than the rest of them combined, and if she had a plan, he didn’t doubt it would work. But how was he supposed to get her in there without letting Shane out?

  She waited patiently for him to drop the wards. When he didn’t, she blinked at him, raising a dark eyebrow. “I don’t—” he started, but she raised the other eyebrow. It was a talent he was pretty sure only she had. Without another word he let the ward drop. Shane started forward but Charity fixed him with those silver eyes. “Knock. It. Off.”

  Shane drew up abruptly, blinking like he was coming out of a trance.

  Hunter felt his jaw drop.

  “Shane, you aren't trained. By trying to run out there and fight this monster you are putting us all at risk. Is that what you want?” Charity's voice was soft, calm, despite the Council running around like frightened livestock. If the situation hadn't been so dire, it would have been hilarious — racing in circles, lots of cursing, and surviving several altercations with office chairs. Six of the most powerful Carules sorcerers alive terrified of one Edren warrior. Terrified enough to evacuate their entire headquarters.

  Hunter snorted. It was pathetic.

  Shane glanced at Hunter. His eyes swept the room, but he didn't care about any of these people. It was when his gaze landed on Charity that his expression softened. Ruefully, he nodded at Hunter. “Sorry, man.”

  Hunter shook his head. He understood. He wanted to fight too, and running seemed so cowardly. But if something happened, who would protect Charity?

  Shane took her arm, leading her toward the portal waiting across the room. Hunter followed, glancing over his shoulder. The Edren assassin was out there, just beyond that building.

  He growled, turning his back on the threat as he stepped through the shimmering doorway. ”Where in the he—” Hunter stopped, glancing apologetically at Charity. “Where are we?” he asked mildly.

  “Yukon. Northern Canada,” Lewis said briskly, striding across the frozen landscape to what looked like the foundations of a building.

  “Charity's gonna freeze to death.” Shane rubbed his hands up and down her arms, trying to keep her warm. She had only been wearing a t-shirt and jeans before they left. N
ow, in the frigid night air, it wasn't enough to keep her warm.

  “Doesn't… th-this place kn-know it's summer?” Her teeth chattered.

  “We're so far north that I doubt it gets above sixty degrees in the daylight. At night…” Hunter trailed off, watching her shiver. “Come here.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him and rubbing her back.

  He, Shane, the Council, even the Edrens, they didn't feel the cold. They had fire running through their blood, and cold was never an issue.

  Charity didn't have that. Sabine, either, but she was draped in a long, sparkly, garish cloak that made her look even more frightening than normal.

  “Lewis! We have to get Charity out of here,” Shane snapped, angry. Hunter was too. Always, always, they treated Charity like a second-class nothing. Hunter growled, deep in his throat.

  “Lewis!” Shane yelled again, but when the man didn't respond Shane glanced at Hunter, fury racing across his face before he turned on his heel and jogged after Lewis. An enraged Prodigy. Interesting. Shane wasn't angered easily, but Hunter could still feel the pull of battle with the Edren monster. And if he could feel it, he was sure it was that much stronger for Shane.

  Charity raised her head, watching Shane. “What is that thing?” she asked between chattering teeth.

  “It looks like the start of a building.” Curiosity bit at him, but he couldn't let Charity go. He was barely keeping the cold at bay as it was.

  Shane ran back over. “I'm calling a friend. We'll get you out of here, Charity.” He dug his phone out of his pocket, standing behind Hunter.

  “The Council didn't okay this call, did they?” Hunter asked, keeping his voice low as he glanced over her shoulder.

  “Not exactly.”

  “How do you even have cell coverage here?” Hunter asked, bewildered. He dug his phone out of his pocket. It didn’t have service.

  Charity shook, and Hunter hoped it was laughter and not chills getting more violent.

  “Don’t ask,” Shane said. Turning away from both Charity and Hunter, he said into the phone, “We need a saldepement.” Seconds later, Hunter felt the warmth behind him as Shane grabbed his shirt, dragging him backward through the portal. Charity stumbled with him. He just heard someone yell as Shane snapped the doorway shut.

  Hunter gripped Charity tighter, spinning to make sure they were safe before he relaxed his grip. They were in someone's home, from the looks of things. “Thanks Michael,” Shane said, the discomfort clear in his voice. Hunter glanced over at the man standing near the doorway to the living room. He looked like an older, more tired version of Shane. His black hair was cropped short, but Hunter guessed it had the same reckless waves as Shane's. His eyes weren't the bright metallic blue that Shane's were, but they were fringed by the same long dark lashes. And the facial structure was the exact same. Charity raised her head.

  “Hi, Uncle Michael,” she said timidly.

  Uncle? Hunter had known Shane since they were small, and he'd never met Shane's father. Shane had never spoken of him, or his mother, although he knew Shane had their phone numbers, just like he had his mom's programmed into his contacts list.

  He also knew Charity didn't have her parents' numbers in hers.

  They weren't supposed to have contact with family. It made them weak and put their families at risk. But apparently Shane had thought the situation warranted it.

  “What are you doing here?” Michael asked.

  Shane glanced away so Hunter spoke up. “We were running from the Edren Prodigy.

  Michael's home was cozy. The furniture was dark leather and there was a roaring fire in the fireplace. An archway led to the kitchen beyond, and the doorway Michael stood in led to a hallway. Is this where Shane would have grown up if he had been just a normal Carules? The place seemed to fit Shane well. Hunter could see this being his home.

  “You shouldn't be here. If the Council finds out…”

  “The Council won't find out.” Shane cut him off, sounding more brusque than Hunter had ever heard him. “We just needed a place to escape to. We'll get out of your way as soon as it's safe.”

  Michael watched him silently for several seconds. If Hunter had been more in tune with people's emotions, like Charity was, maybe he could have seen more — maybe regret or sadness in Michael’s eyes, but he wasn't in tune and all he could see was fear. Of his own son. Of the Council.

  “Well, sit down. Would you like something to drink?” Michael asked slowly, sidestepping to the kitchen like he was afraid to turn his back on them.

  “No,” Shane snapped, and then softened his tone. “Thanks, but we're fine. We'll be gone before you could get back anyway.”

  They sat there in awkward silence until Hunter couldn't stand it anymore, which was an odd feeling for him because he typically preferred silence, awkward or otherwise. “What was that thing Lewis was looking at?” he asked quietly. Michael stopped in his sneaking away, straining to hear them.

  Shane shook his head. “A giant hole lined with some kind of metal, as far as I could tell. I think it's going to be the Council's fortress one day but right now it's just one step away from a plummet to your death.”

  “Deep?” Hunter asked.

  “Yeah. Several stories deep. Maybe they're channeling comic book heroes and building an underground lair.” Shane tried to quirk his lips up in his usual grin, but failed miserably.

  They fell back into the uncomfortable silence until Shane's phone vibrated in his pocket. He jerked it out, his movements aggravated and harsh. Michael, slowly inching backward down the hall, flinched like Shane had attacked him. “Yeah,” Shane said, putting the phone to his ear. “Just do the saldepement and get us out of here.”

  Charity, with her gift, always seemed more aware of the emotions around her than everyone else, and now was no exception. Since Hunter could feel the tension in the room, he could only imagine what she was suffering. Which explained why she stood so stiffly in Hunter’s arms. He could feel her sharp, shallow breaths like she was afraid breathing normally would draw attention to her. When the portal lit up, she leaped for it, leaving the safety of his arms for the first time in several minutes. The absence of her made his skin ache, something that Hunter had to shove far away. He couldn't think about Charity like that. Not until the war was over.

  He followed her through the doorway into the Council chambers. They both turned, waiting for Shane and ignoring Charles and Lewis, who paced angrily, ready to launch into their tirade.

  Shane paused, his foot halfway through the door. Slowly, he looked to the side where Michael must have still been standing. “I'm not a monster, you know. I'm just your son.”

  Before Michael could reply, Shane snapped the portal closed. He squeezed Charity's shoulder as he brushed past them. “What were you thinking? That was—” Charles exploded but Shane stormed past them.

  “I've got packing to do.”

  Charity looked up at Hunter, the worry evident in her big silver eyes. He wanted to brush the white, silky strands off her forehead. He wanted to tell her it would be okay and that she had nothing to worry about. But instead he shook his head. Grabbing her hand, he led her past the Council, shielding her as much as possible. He'd never looked forward to starting a new school before, but this time he couldn't wait to escape to the quiet boarding school in the mountains of Utah.

  Chapter Three

  The airport shuttle dropped them off in one of the most beautiful places Charity had ever been. Granted, she hadn't been a lot of places in her life — the Council headquarters in Detroit, surrounded by abandoned, falling-apart warehouses and factories, and a boarding school in New York. And wherever she'd been born, but she didn't remember that.

  But Park City was beautiful. It was surrounded by soft rolling mountains, the air was clear and everything was so green. The school wasn't anything exciting — just a big, square building surrounded by short, rectangle buildings. But she could see trails branching off from the well-manicured la
wns connecting all the buildings together.

  “Wow.” Hunter’s eyes widened as he sucked in a breath.

  Shane glanced around them, and Charity could see the pain in his eyes as he watched the students hurrying inside the main building. They had parents with them. Frazzled, teary-eyed parents lugging around huge bags. Shane had never had that. Neither had Charity.

  Hunter's mom had fought the Council with everything she had when they came to take him. She had lost, of course, because no one wins against the Council. But at least Hunter knew he had a family who loved him. His dad had died after a particularly vicious fight with the Council when Hunter was twelve. The official report from the Council implicated the Edrens, that Sam had died fighting bravely.

  Charity hadn't seen it. She had tried, but the vision wouldn't come. She wasn't powerful enough. But she knew Hunter had his doubts. She did too, but she didn't mention that. No one wanted to know that the Council they fought for was made up of heartless monsters.

  “Should we go in?” Hunter asked gruffly, hiding under harshness. Charity threw her large blue duffle bag over her shoulder and hoisted her backpack onto her arm. Everything else had been sent ahead, luckily, because she was pretty sure she was already carrying more than her own weight in luggage.

  There was a long line at the orientation desk for freshmen, full of students and nervous parents, and shorter lines at the sophomore, junior, and senior desks for new students. Charity wished momentarily that they were coming in a year late if for no other reason than she wouldn’t have to stand in that long line and watch all those parents care about their kids. But starting school a year or two late was social suicide — even worse at boarding schools. And starting as a senior was pretty much the worst thing anyone could do.