“I’ve made you some of Layla’s herbal tea,” Lilly said. She smiled, carefully placing the mug in my hands. “Callon and Dex think they’re closer to a solution for your wound, too.” She sat in the chair beside me and grabbed a drink. “Layla and Nakari are working with them. They’re both very good at herbal remedies.” Her smiled broadened. “I’ve often told the two of them they could start their own beauty product line with their creations.”
“More testing would need to be done first,” Andre chuckled as she moved to the floor beside Lilly. “Remember when they turned my skin green?”
Daniel laughed, and Lilly waved her hand. “Oh, Andre, that was years ago.”
“I still remember it.” She grinned. “It took weeks before Koda stopped calling me Mrs. Frankenstein.”
A soft laugh escaped me.
“I’m sure it would have been fun to see you like that,” I said.
“Yeah, perfect for Halloween, Andre,” Daniel chimed in.
Andre rolled her eyes. “I supposed I can’t complain too much. It wasn’t half as bad as what they did to Bree,” she snorted.
“I heard that!” Bree whisked in from the hallway. “No more beauty products for me!”
I lifted a brow, now curious. “What’d they do to you, Bree?”
“She looked like a pumpkin!” Daniel chortled.
“It was artificial tan for carrots, alright!” Andre laughed.
“Worse,” Bree giggled.
“Hey, what’s with all the laughing?” Koda boomed. He entered the room, sitting on a footstool. His blue eyes had a twinkle to them. I looked down at my mug. He wasn’t Colt.
“Just remembering the beauty trials of Layla and Nakari,” Daniel replied. “I think Bailee was their last victim.”
Koda’s eyes dimmed, and Daniel suddenly stiffened.
“Oh, I—I’m sorry, Koda, Bree, I—I didn’t mean…”
It grew quiet. Finally Koda sighed heavily.
“I know, Daniel. It’s okay to have memories.”
I sipped more of my tea, my heart burning. Memories, all the memories in the world couldn’t replace the real thing…
“You feeling better, Cheyenne?” Koda broke my thoughts.
“I’ll be fine. I just can’t seem to get warm.”
“I’m sure it’ll get better soon.”
I nodded, my thoughts drifting to Maes.
“So has Maes changed, Andre?” She glanced at Koda, unsure. “You can’t hide this from me forever, and since he won’t talk to me right now, I’d really like to know if giving him the ring made a difference.”
“Nothing’s changed, Cheyenne,” Koda answered.
“Ah,” I sighed. “I was hoping otherwise.”
“We all were,” Andre said.
“Is that why he’s been avoiding me?”
“No, he’s out on a mission,” Koda replied.
“On a mission?”
Koda nodded, but didn’t answer. My eyes narrowed.
“Seriously, we’re going to play the game of keeping Cheyenne in the dark again?” I snapped.
“Callon doesn’t want anything to upset you right now,” Daniel chimed in.
“What’s upsetting is that you all think I’m incapable of handling any situation!” I growled. “I’m the leader of the clans. I have the right to know what’s going on.”
“He’s out looking for some plants for me,” Callon answered. He and Dex entered the sitting room, Layla, Brogan and Nakari behind him.
“You sent him out alone?”
Callon shook his head, resting his hand on my blanketed shoulder.
“No, Skylar, Clayton and Quinn are with him. They’ve gone to find the last part of a remedy for your leg wound.” I glanced at him, and the stress he’d been under flashed briefly, before he pushed it away. “I was the one who asked that nothing be said. You haven’t been yourself. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t hide things from me, Callon.”
“I’m just doing what I think is best.”
“I know what’s best for me, trust me.”
“Of course you do,” a low voice added.
I jumped; I hadn’t expected Brogan to butt in. He stepped in front of the fire, forcing me to look up at him.
“You might have fought a decent battle, Cheyenne,” he said, though his eyes told me otherwise. “But what you did was completely out of order. Stealing another’s power and leaving them defenseless on the front line is selfish and unacceptable!”
My fingers grew tight around the mug’s handle.
“I did what I needed to do to kill the creature.” I exhaled slowly. The beast within stirred.
Brogan snarled.
“Acting like a spoiled child isn’t doing what you need to do!” he roared. “If that had been an army of Trackers, or Marcus himself, would you have seized your comrades’ power and leave them to be slaughtered for the sake of your revenge?”
“You weren’t exactly putting that power to good use!” I shot back. “Someone had to.”
Brogan clenched his fists, his veins bulging.
“Cheyenne, stop it,” Callon said. “What Brogan’s saying is that we needed to work together as a team…”
“The creature would have killed me if I hadn’t found something else,” I cut him off.
“We were right there with you!” Brogan boomed. “We told you to leave it to us.”
I snorted.
“Oh yeah, so you can blame me for failing again? How can I prove myself and my power if you never let me be a part of anything?”
“We work together, not alone,” Brogan growled.
Daniel grabbed my forearm. He could sense the beast waking up.
“We wouldn’t have let you die, Cheyenne,” he said.
My jaw tightened.
“Colt didn’t get that chance,” I said quietly. “I failed him. There has to be one stronger than the others to succeed.”
“No, Cheyenne.” Callon stepped closer. “Our strength becomes greater as we come together as one.”
I blinked. Those words…I stared down at my mug. My dad had said those exact words to me many times, and only now did I realize what he’d been trying to teach me.
“Those words are your father’s, Cheyenne. Qaysean’s,” Brogan said. “He knew to rely on his friends and not shoulder everything alone. A lesson you would do well to learn sooner rather than later!”
I fell silent, and the beast quieted, too. It had become so difficult to keep it under control…and it kept feeding my poor judgment. Of course Brogan was right. Going it alone was what had caused the whole mess. The fighting between Colt and Callon, breaking apart my family, and finally Colt’s death; all because I’d wanted to do things myself. Was I going to repeat the past again and lose more people’s lives?
“I’m such a fool,” I whispered.
“You’re no longer a fool if you learn from your mistakes.”
I looked up. Maes entered the sitting room. He held up a cloth package, and Callon took it from him. His jade-rimmed eyes were solemn. “It’s time for your healing to begin, Cheyenne.”
Chapter 9
With each passing day, my strength returned. Whatever herbal concoction Callon, Dex and the two ladies had made for my wound was working. My spirit was growing stronger, too. I had something to hold onto, and I didn’t care whether it was because of the creature’s venom, as Callon claimed. I had hope, a new feeling deep down that Colt was still alive, and I wasn’t going to let go of any trickle of light I could get my hands on.
Daniel landed just outside my bedroom door.
“You ready?” he asked. “I suppose so.” I rubbed my leg before rising from the bed. Even though I’d come a long way, my thigh still ached.
“They’re waiting in the field for us.” He smiled, uncertain. “Are you sure you’re up to this?”
I strode towards the door, grabbing a dark-colored jacket from the chair. “I’ll be fine. It’s just a flesh wound.”
Daniel chuck
led.
“Quoting Monty Python now are we?”
“Well, it’s Colt’s fault. He made me watch them.”
Daniel’s smile broadened. “Fond memories are good.”
I nodded and placed my hand on his arm. “They are.” Especially when I was now convinced he was still alive, somewhere.
We disappeared down the hall, stopping briefly at the top of the stairs. Callon walked through the main hall, pushing his way to the library. Lilly was at his heels.
“Callon.” Lilly reached out and touched his shoulder. “Callon!”
Callon ignored her, shrugging off her hand.
“Callon, listen to me! I really don’t think this is a good idea. Cheyenne’s not fully…” The library door closed, and Daniel jumped us to the terrace. I sighed. I knew Lilly meant well, but I was sick of being locked up inside. It was time to move on and put a collar on this beast before it ran wild.
The cold air bit at my cheeks, and I zipped my jacket up. Dark clouds loomed overhead, and I could taste moisture in the air. It had been Brogan and Maes’s idea to start some training, in a bid to get me to be more of a team player. Callon hadn’t been too enthusiastic, yet he hadn’t disagreed, either. Lilly had been the only one to voice her dissenting opinion, and I wasn’t that surprised at her reaction. But she had to understand. I needed to learn to control the crimson-eyed demon. Anger was my trigger, and I had plenty of fuel for that. I had to practice keeping it within limits. That was easier said than done, though, as Marcus’s face was never far from my thoughts.
The mere thought of his name made me clench my fist. He was going to pay so dearly for…
“Cheyenne?” Andre hesitated on the terrace stairs. I unclenched my fists. “I can feel it when you do that, you know.”
I rolled my eyes. Great, just what I needed; Andre to be my anger detector. I forced a fake smile. “It’s all good, Andre.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Maes and Brogan are waiting for you out in the field.”
I followed Andre and Daniel, still unsure what “training” they had planned for me. If it meant creating and throwing whirlwinds, then all would be good. I just had to remember not to let my anger feed the beast too much. The practicing I’d been doing would also pay off.
Almost all the clan members were out there, with the exception of Dex, Lilly and Callon. I was sure Callon would arrive soon. He wouldn’t leave me to my own devices, not when I constantly got in trouble.
“Cheyenne.” Brogan gestured for me to come stand beside him and Maes. I stood between them and faced the entire group, feeling like a mouse about to get pounced. They were both easily twice my height.
Brogan lifted a red strip of material and proceeded to tie it around my arm. I raised a brow. What was he up to?
“How are you feeling?” His brown eyes negated the kindness of his words. Even after killing the creature, I hadn’t earned an ounce of respect from him.
“Fine,” I replied.
“Good. Now I know how hard we can train.”
“I figured as much,” I muttered under my breath. I stared at the red material. “You had to tag me to remember who I am?”
Daniel snickered in the background.
“We’re playing a version of Capture the Flag,” Brogan said, clearly not amused by my little joke. “You know what that is, don’t you?”
“Yes, you hide your flag from your enemy and they try and steal it away.” I paused for a moment. “So I’m the flag? This doesn’t make sense. You want me to hide?”
A very sly smile rose on Brogan’s lips. “You’re the flag, and we’re going to come find you.”
Oh, I understood. It was a game of maneuvers, tactics, except they wouldn’t be after a piece of material. They’d be after a moving target, me.
“So who’s on my team?”
“You’re on your own.”
“Wait, what? That doesn’t seem fair.” I glanced around the circle of clan members. “All of you against me?”
“You seemed quite happy to fight the lake creature alone,” Brogan said. “Why the problem now?”
I clenched my teeth. That sneaky…
“Brogan, you’re being a little harsh here.” Callon strode into the field. “Fourteen against one is excessively unbalanced. Give her a few teammates.”
I mouthed a thank you to Callon, knowing that I’d have gotten nowhere with Brogan. He must’ve been really upset that I borrowed his powers.
Brogan growled from the back of his throat. He wasn’t happy, but even he couldn’t talk back to the clan regent. “Fine.” He paused, eying the group. “You get Nakari and Maes.”
Nakari looked pleadingly at Callon, as if she’d been asked to clean the toilets. I frowned. Why didn’t she want to be on my team, and why did she constantly look to Callon for approval? Jealousy surfaced, rekindling my anger. Wasn’t I good enough? Or was she afraid I’d steal her powers again?
“I’ll be on Cheyenne’s team,” Andre said. She stepped forward and gave Nakari a quick glance.
“No,” Brogan replied, “I’ve already made the choice.”
I looked across at Maes. He seemed pretty indifferent to the whole thing. “So now what?”
“Try not to get caught.” Brogan looked very pleased with himself. I got the feeling he was going to enjoy this.
“So I can use my powers?”
“Limited use of powers, Cheyenne,” Callon admonished.
I rolled my eyes. “I won’t purposely try to hurt anyone.”
“It’s not the purposely I’m worried about,” Callon said quietly to me, though I know the others heard him.
I ignored his comment and instead stared at the forest. Fall had arrived, though since the weather was still much the same, I hadn’t really noticed. The leaves formed a mix of colors, from mustard yellow and crimson to burnt orange and gold. At least with my dark clothes and the cloudy skies, I could blend in better. Except for this red band on my arm.
“So what about everyone else then? Do they get to use their full powers?” I asked, still trying to establish the rules.
No answer came. I was the only one limited.
I blew out a breath. “So what are the boundaries, and how will I know when the game is over and I’ve won?”
“The boundaries are the enchantment barriers, and we’ll play till dark. If you haven’t been captured by nightfall, then you’ve won this round.”
“And I just return to the terrace?”
“Yes.”
“Sounds easy enough, but how will I know where the enchantment barriers are?”
Brogan scoffed. “You’ll know.”
“How long do I have before you come after me?”
“I’ll give you fifteen minutes.”
Nodding, I began walking towards the lake. That wasn’t going to be enough time to find decent cover without use of my powers.
“This is serious training, Cheyenne,” Brogan called out. “We won’t hold anything back.”
“Got it.” I waved my hand in the air as Maes fell into step beside me, his hands in his pockets.
“Any ideas?” I asked. At least I had him to help out.
“That is not for me to say, mon espoir. I’m already well-equipped for battle.”
“So your role is to sit back and watch?” I asked petulantly.
“My role is to make sure you don’t kill anyone.”
I sighed. Just what I needed, zero trust again.
“What about teamwork? I thought that’s what we’d just discussed.”
“This is purely tactical.”
I stopped.
“Why? So Brogan can watch me hide like a rodent? Is this how he wants me to face Marcus?”
“No, it’s to gauge your natural abilities so we can build on them.”
Nakari suddenly appeared, looking annoyed. I glanced ahead. We still had a little way to go before the forest, and it had already been five minutes.
“Care to give me a lift, Nakari?”
I asked.
“And let you steal my powers again? No thanks,” she replied, her voice as cold as ice. Obviously she was still upset about that, not that I didn’t deserve it.
Frowning, I decided to rely on my own skills and sprinted towards the forest. Maes ran beside me in his Tresez form, and Nakari jumped, always landing a few yards ahead of us. First and foremost, my priority was to find high ground. I needed to see where my enemies were coming from, as it was obvious I wasn’t going to get any help from my teammates.
As I entered the trees, I veered to the left, away from the lake. The patter of feet behind me soon disappeared and Nakari and Maes vanished into the leaves. I stopped to catch my breath.
Cowards.
The crackling of branches brought me back to the task at hand. I glanced around, and spotted Koda emerging from between two birches.
“Dang, Cheyenne,” Koda chuckled, flexing his fists, “you were supposed to make this a challenge.”
Crap! My hands flew out before I had a chance to think and I shot a blast of air in Koda’s direction. Koda went flying into a tree, cracking it, and he tumbled to the ground. I didn’t have time to apologize before I took off through the forest again. This time I wouldn’t make stupid mistakes.
Patches of dense brush slowed me down as I climbed a ravine. My wounded leg was throbbing, and I tried not to push it too much. I continued running uphill for another hour, alert for movement. So far, there hadn’t been any more signs of the enemy, nor my so-called teammates. Still, every crackle and movement of the wind had me on edge. At the top, I stopped and stared up at the blackening sky. It wouldn’t be long now till the rain started, and then the real fun would begin.
“Gotcha!” Daniel cried, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. On instinct I dove, but my footing slipped and I fell, branches scratching my cheeks. I didn’t wait for Daniel to grab me. Instead I rolled to my side, burying myself further in the orange and brown brush. Then I bolted to my feet and ran into the trees. Daniel appeared in front of me, ready to catch me, so I changed direction. He jumped again, and his hand skimmed the fabric on my arm. Before he could rip it off and escape, I touched his knuckles, the icy cold feeling of his powers trailing up my fingers.
Daylight, a Timeless Series Novel Page 13
