Our mouths were less than an inch apart when the door opened.
Ute breezed in and we both jumped.
What the hell was I doing? I didn’t even like Finn. I took a giant step back, but Ute had seen the flames.
He dropped what he carried and ran over to us. He grabbed my hands and held them out to Finn’s. Fire flickered and crackled between our fingertips. Ute held his own hands up to ours, and the fire sparked and touched his for a brief second.
Ute exhaled. “I remember this.”
“What is this?” I breathed.
“Magic.”
It felt like magic.
We stood there letting the heat slip between our fingers, until I stepped back again, rubbing my hands down my legs. My skin still tingled.
Ute moved to the table and sat with a thunk.
Finn stood there with his hands out. He stared at me and smiled. I wasn’t altogether sure I liked this new, friendly Finn. That smile did not bode well. My gut twisted inside me. This was too weird. All of it. It was surreal.
“I don’t understand any of this. This is crazy! I can’t do magic.”
“I do not understand either, but…” Ute trailed off.
“I need some air. I need to go outside.” It wasn’t reasonable, but this small room was getting to me. I had to clear my head. I had to get out of this room and not talk, not answer any more questions—I’d too many of my own. For my own sanity, I needed out. Just out. Oh god. I ran my hands down my arms as I paced to the door and glared at them until Finn got it and relented.
He gestured outside. “Then we shall ‘get air.’”
Ute smiled and nodded at me as if I was a two-year-old having a tantrum. Maybe he thought his smile might calm me, but it didn’t. It annoyed me instead. He was trying to appease the crazy girl.
I bolted out the door and ran smack into a guard. We collided and fell back. His chin grazed my temple, and I saw pretty songbirds singing around my head. My ears rang. I heard someone snigger nearby.
The guard was a few inches taller than I was. He had solid, short mahogany hair styled in spikes with bright green tips, and light brown eyes with slit pupils. We both scrambled up. I opened my mouth to apologize but never got the chance. He punched me hard, a quick, straight jab to my jaw. Stars exploded in my vision. Sharp pain took my breath away. I fell back into the room and collided with Finn, who’d moved to follow me.
Jesus, no one had ever struck me before, though the bear came close.
Finn placed me to the side and intercepted the guard who flew into the room. Two other guards stood at the door, and Ute waved them back outside.
“Stop.” Finn stood between us, his hands out.
Ute patted my shoulders and moved me to his side.
“She was trying to leave!” the guard exclaimed, hand on his dagger, caressing the hilt as he glowered at me and tried to move around Finn.
“What the hell?” I yelled at the same time. My hand cradled my sore jaw. I tasted blood. I hadn’t realized there were guards outside. Stupid of me. The extra security made sense. Still, it pissed me off.
“Zanth, I am ordering you. Leave this room. Now!” Finn bellowed. Finn kept himself between me and Zanth.
My lip throbbed where Zanth hit me. Ute went and got the same cloth from earlier and dabbed at my lip.
Zanth spat out, “Fine,” and left.
Finn’s face was drawn. “My apologies. I forgot about the guards.”
“I didn’t realize I was a prisoner.” My jaw tensed.
He didn’t reply; he just walked to the door and conversed with the guards.
Ute finished tending to my lip. We all looked at each other. I still wanted to go outside, but I wasn’t going first this time.
Finn led the way when we stepped outside.
I couldn’t resist flipping the bird to the guard who’d hit me. Zanth might not know what the gesture meant, but I did and that was all that mattered. Jerk.
Zanth gnashed his teeth at me as I passed, and I stepped faster despite myself.
We strolled back the way we’d entered the valley the night before, toward the outskirts of the city. Finn kept a much shorter distance between us now than last night, I noticed. Ute trailed behind, trying to read while walking. When he tripped and came close to sprawling along the path, I had to smile. Ute didn’t let go of his book. That was dedication.
Several guards surrounded us. They caressed their weapons as they surveyed the area for trouble. We formed a grim parade and walked to the clearing Finn and I had passed through the night before.
“You wanted air and now you have air,” Finn said.
The field appeared larger than I remembered. There were more barren, lifeless trees bordering the clearing on all sides. The meadow had a wide expanse of blue grass with a few of what looked like wildflowers mixed in.
I wasn’t in the mood for talk, so I strode to the center of the grass and sat down. Ute settled next to me and placed his book on his legs.
I trailed my fingers through the grass. The texture was different, rough, almost like sandpaper. The dirt felt smooth, like silt. How could I think this was Earth when I woke up? There were so many little differences. The double sun I saw when I woke up wasn’t a result of my presumed head injury; it was, in actuality, one sun with a satellite planet that gave off its own soft glow. I guess it was more like a moon like Earth had, with a much shorter orbit. Twice a day it revolved around the main sun. Right now, it cast a wavering shadow on the sun itself and the light wavered in shades of gold around me, washing everything out. The air was different, thicker. There were fewer growing things. More dust, strange rocks, weird everything. Enough was similar that it just felt…off. Bizzaro world.
This field, though, this whole area reminded me of the countryside next to my house, where I grew up. Maybe it was the flowers. I grabbed one. It was light purple with six frilly petals. The petals were rough, almost like scales. When I touched them, they snapped closed, like a Venus flytrap. Even the plants were predatory here. Huh. Not quite like home, but my shoulders loosened anyway. I took in a deep breath. This was good. I needed this. My lip hurt, but on the bright side, my head was fine except for the not remembering shit part. I didn’t feel as trapped out here, and my panic eased.
The guards all convened with Finn, for some manly talk, I imagined.
Silence spread across the clearing. Quiet was good. I needed to think. I was on an alien planet, not Earth, but Solum. The Imani must have grabbed me. It had to have been the red lights. A ship, maybe. But why? And why couldn’t I remember? More importantly, would I ever be able to go home?
The Fost did not appear to be technologically savvy; the Imani were, and somehow I didn’t think that they’d give me a ride home since they were the ones who’d stolen me in the first place. Plus, what happened to my world, the madness? Did the Imani do that?
Deep down in my gut, I was afraid I was never going home, and my heart twisted. A tear trickled out the corner of my eye, and I brushed it away. Mom.
The men grew bored watching me sit there. They shooed me to the edge of the field. A few of them started to spar, trading blows back and forth. I thought I’d be a focal point of interest, but they all made sure to avoid looking at me, except for Finn.
Finn had developed a serious staring problem. He should see someone about that. He winked when he saw me peep back. I rolled my eyes, and he just laughed. Once I started to look at him, I couldn’t look away.
There was something about his eyes. I could see a figure—a man—pale hair, white eyes. There was a look in those eyes; I hated that look; I hated that man. Who was he? I shuddered and the memory faded. It wasn’t Finn, I knew that. I punched the ground and rubbed my knuckles.
A cold breeze beat at me as I sat with my chin on my knees. The shivat kept me quite toasty; still, I hated it. I reached beside me, hands touching the ground. Peace drifted along my nerves. I yawned, then closed my eyes, fingers tunneled in the smooth dirt.
&
nbsp; Back home, we lived right next to a pasture with open land and woods. When we were still a family, my mother, father, and I, we used to pick blackberries in the forest. My mom would use the berries to make a pie. I loved pie. She always let me sneak a taste early.
After my dad left us, she didn’t make pie anymore. She rarely cooked, period. She had to take a second job to support me, and that left little time for much else. My dad had been in the military. She had the option to apply to have his wages garnished to take care of us, but she had too much pride to do that. He didn’t want any piece of us, and she didn’t want any piece of him, not after all that happened. Even after all this time, disappointment ran through me.
A shout jolted me and I straightened. My eyes drifted to a tall, dark-haired figure standing off to my left by the trees. I couldn’t say why I noted him, but once I did, I couldn’t look away. He drew my gaze like a magnet. And he watched me too; I felt his regard. My skin tightened in response. A zing race down my spine and goose bumps broke out across my skin.
He started to walk toward me.
He appeared tall, almost as tall as Finn. Well built, but not bulky. He was older than I was, maybe mid-twenties. His hair was a deep mahogany, shoulder length and wavy. He had a dark green streak running through his hair right next to his face. That little bit of color looked whimsical, yet his expression appeared anything but. His eyes were light brown and intense.
He looked familiar. I tried to place him. My gaze tracked over him, as his lips curved in a half-grin, as if he was up to something.
That grin spread into a smile when he approached me. I leaned forward involuntarily, senses singing.
He opened his mouth, a dozen feet away, just as a guard ran up and grabbed his arm. He watched me while he exchanged a few short, tense words with the guard. The stranger then turned his head and beckoned to Zanth. Zanth walked over to meet him.
Released from his hypnotic gaze, I noticed more people drifting toward the clearing. More guards. More gawkers. Most of the latter didn’t look that friendly. They pointed at me, and a sense of exposure roared through me. I looked down at the uniform and curled my arms tighter around my legs. The guards quit their practice and moved between me and the people approaching.
The stranger talked to Zanth. I could hear the smooth murmur of his voice but couldn’t distinguish the words. The sound called to me in some strange way.
The stranger gestured at me, the guards, and the people walking toward us.
I’d wanted out of Ute’s place, but the situation went from a quick jaunt outside to a lynch mob mentality. This hadn’t been my brightest idea. That seemed to be an ongoing theme.
Zanth ran over to Finn, and Finn came to round me up.
The stranger watched everyone, most especially me, with arms crossed. He moved between me and the onlookers.
I stood up and dusted off the seat of my uniform. Finn grasped my arm, placing me behind him. Ute staggered to his feet.
As we began the walk back to Ute’s house, the guards stayed between me and the crowd. It was unusually quiet, and the shuffle of our steps seemed loud in the silence. Faint mutters reached my ears, too low to make out. A few brave souls glared at me.
Even with Finn, Ute, the guards all surrounding me, I’d never felt more exposed. More alien. More alone.
At home, I had my mom. No matter what, she was there for me. Grief twisted inside me, alongside the fear. Mom.
Damn it.
Tears pooled at the corner of my eyes; the breeze tugged my hair across my lips.
I couldn’t help glancing back. The stranger cut a solitary figure silhouetted against the dawn. He looked as alone as I felt. I waved to him. I’d never gotten his name. His hand rose in response.
When we re-entered Ute’s place, Ute sat and continued to read. I paced for a few minutes, then moved to look over his shoulder at what he was reading. Finn stepped up behind me. He put his hands on my waist and nestled close.
What the hell? I could feel heat gather in the pit of my stomach. It felt good, to both of us, if what I felt pressing against my butt was any indication. Assuming our parts were the same. Whoa, buddy.
“Stop it!” I hissed and elbowed him. His hands tightened on my waist, and he nuzzled me. I pushed backward, trying to buck him off. We started wrestling in earnest. His arms came up to wrap my own arms close to my body. I stepped back, trying to nail his instep; he slid out of the way and tightened his arms, restraining me.
What was he doing? I struggled in earnest, and I think he felt the difference. Finn opened his arms wide and let me go.
“What’s wrong with you?” I hissed and paced to my chair, making sure I stomped on his toes along the way.
Finn’s eyes sparkled as he settled in the opposite chair. “I was distracting you.”
“From what?”
“From everything; look at how red you are now.” A smirk slid across his face.
I ground my teeth. “This is anger, you ass hat. Next time just pull my braids, why don’t you?”
“What?”
“Never mind.” I scrubbed a hand across my face. “What’s going on here, Ute?”
“I do not know. I am reading to see if anything like this has happened before. There might be something in one of the histories about how and when we got our magic. You can help look.” He indicated the stacks around him.
I gazed around in dismay; I’d no idea where to start. That many books were intimidating. I peeked at the titles.
Finn stared at me. He wasn’t even subtle about it; he just propped his head on his hand and looked. The intensity of his stare scared me. He went from looking like he wanted to kill me to looking like he wanted to eat me, in a day. He brought out a childish streak in me, too. I wanted to stick my tongue out, but resisted. That wasn’t like me. I grabbed a random book from the table and stuck it in front of my face.
The longer I stared at it, the more the words made sense. With a start, I realized I could read it. The book was about the wildlife of the Adak Mountains. This was all so weird. My hands shook.
“Find anything interesting?” Finn asked.
“No.” I closed the book, unsettled. “So what’s my situation here?” I crossed my arms and leaned back.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean am I a prisoner, or can I go outside, move around, and explore?”
Finn cocked his head, considering me. “You are our guest, with some restrictions.”
“What restrictions?”
“This is your place now. I have given Ute temporary quarters, but he is to be your guide. You are to be watched while you are here. While I do believe you, others are scared. They have not met you, and they do not trust you. The guards are for your benefit, as well as ours.”
“Guards, like the one who hit me?” I pointed to my lip, which felt fine. Huh. Finn realized this at the same time. He grabbed my chin, tilting it left and right. His thumb stroked along my lower lip. Heat spread through me again in a slow wave, pooling in my belly. He focused on me. I dropped my gaze and pulled back.
“Your lip healed.”
I touched my lip; it wasn’t swollen anymore. My tongue traced along it—no cut.
He followed the motion with interest.
“So I have magic? I thought it was you?” Hoped, really.
Finn studied me, his eyes wandering over my face. “I do not know. You are healed, though.”
Ute slammed down his book with a disgusted sigh. “Nothing.” He observed us with a question in his eyes. “What did I miss?”
“Look at her lip.”
Ute peered at me. “Fascinating.”
He took my chin from Finn. For a second, I thought he was going to pop me one to see how fast I healed; he had that gleam, but he restrained himself. Ute’s shoulders straightened. He looked at Finn, resolute.
“We cannot let them hurt her. She has to be here for a reason. She has magic. Powers we haven’t seen in over a dozen winters. She can heal. There is th
e heat. She has fire magic! If we figure out how she got hers, maybe we can get ours back. She is the key.”
His eyes glowed and he rubbed his hands together.
Finn’s eyebrow rose and a smile tugged his lips. “This could be a problem if her power becomes known. Some already see her as a threat. This would make her a bigger one. The clans are on the edge of violence. We cannot let people know about the magic.”
“Why hide it? Don’t you want people to know the power might be coming back?”
He held up his hands in my direction. “You are a lost soul who escaped from the Imani and nothing more, for now. Certain parties think you are a spy. There are also some who feel the lack of power is what has kept us safe.” He shrugged. “Ute will teach you about the Fost, and I will take care of the rest. I will make sure no one hurts you.”
Ute nodded with this disturbing, glazed look on his face.
Finn stood up. “I have to go. Midday soon.” He hesitated. “Do not go outside. I will be back.”
Ute continued to look at me with puppy dog eyes. I gave Finn a telling glance. “Come back soon.”
Finn grinned. “I will leave you with your adoring audience.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Chapter Eight
After Finn left, I poked Ute. “Stop that!”
“What?”
“You know what.”
“Sorry,” Ute said with false contrition. He hid his smile behind his hand.
“What is Midday?”
“Midday is a meal. All the clan leaders meet at the home of the clan chief to eat lunch and discuss events, most likely you today.”
“Tell me about the clans.”
“Well, our political system consists of a series of clans, nine of them. Each founded and helmed by our oldest families. Traditionally, these were the ones strongest in strength, magic, power. To be clan leader, you had to be the best, the brightest, the most charismatic. To be clan leader, you had to earn your place. Now, the position of clan leader is hereditary. Now, you just have to be born first to the right person.” His lips twisted. “I sound bitter, and that is because I am. I have always been the strongest of my clan. And I have had to watch as the demented son of my brother drove our clan into the ground. Clan Forg is a laughingstock. People flee it, and I stay and mourn.”
Must Remember: Dead or alive, they want her back. (Solum Series Book 1) Page 5
