“Wait! Listen!” I looked at David and Nick with pleading eyes. I threw my dagger to the floor to show that I’d meant no harm.
“Who is he?” an older man I didn’t recognize asked.
“She . . . is our worst enemy!” Anton screamed.
“But isn’t Matthew’s ultimate weapon a . . . man?”
“No, an ignorant, sadistic, little girl. She infiltrated us under Andrew’s supervision and awareness of it.”
“Stop!” I shouted. I couldn’t take it anymore. “Just listen for once.”
“Arrest her!” Anton ordered.
A soldier put a gun to my back, but I turned around, disarmed him, and pinned him to the ground. Then I let him go. Violence wouldn’t gain their trust. Two more men attacked at Anton’s orders. I took away their weapons and threw them to Sam. After avoiding their strikes, the first soldier attacked again, not having learned his lesson the first time. He hit my wrist and pain surged, putting me off balance, but I grabbed his arm and flipped him. I pinned him against the floor and looked into his eyes to make my point perfectly clear.
“I’m going to let you go. If you attack again, you’ll find yourself in the same position. I don’t want to hurt you. Okay?” I told him. But before he could answer I heard the charging of a gun that Anton had pressed against my spine. I was an idiot for having turned my back to him. I put my hands up, aware that he wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
“I don’t have all day, so I’ll make this quick and painless. If you’ll step right this way . . .” Anton sneered.
“Just listen. Andrew is alive. Matthew has him and four other soldiers. I know exactly where they are as well as all of Matthew’s strategies and weaknesses.” I did my best to persuade him.
“And you expect me to believe you?”
“Please. Matthew used tracking arrows to find me. He’s as much my enemy as he is yours. Be sure that no one here had an arrow or he’ll know where we all are—”
Anton shot his gun in the air to get me to shut up. I was scared, but if I was going to die by his hand, then I needed to put up a fight, if not for me, then for Maxime.
“You complain that your men are suffering, but you left them at The Shadows to die. I warned you that Matthew was coming, and you refused to listen. Send someone to help them. I would have no reason to be here if I was what you claim. You want me dead. Why would I walk into your sword?”
“Is this true? Did she warn you of Matthew?” the older man asked.
“Simon, she’s the weapon! Why should we trust her?” Anton avoided the question. I felt a burden evaporate from my shoulders.
“Sam, take three other men and aid the wounded at The Shadows,” said Nick calmly, relieving the room of heavy tension.
“Sir, Alex is injured,” Sam announced, and everyone looked at me. “She has cuts and burns around her wrists from the rope and a gash along her head. Andrew took an arrow for her, and that’s why Matthew has him. If he was willing to do so for Alex, and she came to face those who want her dead instead of the one who offers her power, I think we can trust her.”
Everyone fell silent in the dry, cold air. Sam glanced at me, proud of what he had said, and I silently thanked him.
“Take care of her wounds,” David shattered the silence.
“I can wait. Tend to those who need it more than me.” I lowered my hands and looked at my audience, as if searching for their approval of my actions. Sam nodded and ran out with a soldier.
Anton grabbed my wrist, and I let out a faint squeal. Blood oozed from my wounds and stained his hands. “You won’t get away with this. You may have fooled them, but not me.” He brought the gun to my head, and my heart pounded as I held my breath waiting for the shot. I was paralyzed; I didn’t even try to resist.
“That’s enough!” David pulled the gun from Anton’s hands.
“I disagree,” Anton yelled, throwing his hands into the air. “What happens to her? We give our power and safety to the enemy? She’s the weapon! Matthew’s heir! How do we trust her? We can’t just limit her! Elimination is the solution. How can you be so blind to what she’s trying to accomplish? You’re falling into her trap. This is insanity!” Anton’s face was turning bright red, and his eyes were bulging out of his skull.
“Only the leader can take her life,” David said, recalling some of The Shadows’s rules, and my heart settled for the time being, but Anton wasn’t the least bit satisfied.
“I give my life to the leader, whoever it may be. Anton, if you gain the power, hang me, shoot me, strangle me, and I will not oppose you.” I looked deep into his eyes to show how serious I was, but he wasn’t convinced. I was running out of options.
“And I just take your word for it?” He laughed at my offer, but my word was all I had.
“Everyone heard me. While you choose Andrew’s substitute you can lock me up. I won’t resist.” The compromise was in his favor, and I couldn’t see how he could not take it. David and Nick looked at me for an explanation, but I ignored them. I was afraid of what would happen, but I had finally made my loyalties clear.
David picked up my dagger and signaled that he would hold it for the time being. I nodded my head in understanding and was escorted out by four soldiers. The sun skimmed over us, and the first breath of cold air tore at my lungs. They tied me to a tree with electrical-magnetic handcuffs that didn’t hurt my wrists. My ankles were also restrained, and Anton took the liberty of stuffing a piece of cloth in my mouth to keep me quiet. I choked on it at first, unable to take in the little air that managed to pass through the fabric, but I quickly got used to the struggle and breathed through my nose instead. I felt like a captive savage. I ignored my growling stomach and gave into the dizzy drowsiness of the lack of oxygen until I fell asleep, exhausted, starved, and in pain.
“Anton!”
“Stop!”
“You can’t!”
Yelling came from every angle, blasting my ears. I opened my eyes and saw Anton running toward me with a long dagger in his hands. Nothing stood between us. A throng of soldiers chased him, and I went rigid, unable to do anything but watch him approach me. I closed my eyes and bit down on the cloth, waiting for excruciating pain to surge as he neared. I thought of Maxime—his beautiful, strong face, his multicolored eyes. I imagined his warm hands cradling me, bringing me home, wherever that really was. Then my heart fell as the ropes quickly loosened. Release and relief ripped through my spine. I opened my eyes to see Anton’s burning eyes glaring at me.
My hands were freed, so I tore the cloth from my mouth and took a deep gulp of air. “I don’t understand,” I said, trying to sound thankful and humble, but I was confused. Why had I been freed? Why hadn’t Anton just plunged the dagger into my stomach?
“You’ve been nominated to lead. Don’t get your hopes too high; you still have to pass the challenges, and when I win, I’ll have your head.” Anton didn’t even look at me. His voice dissolved in the wind, and the snow crackled beneath his steps as he stormed off. I remained in shock.
David came by and returned my dagger. He helped me up and called Nick over.
“Is Sam back?”
“Yes, sir. At the moment, he’s healing Emanuel, who was shot and severely injured, sir.” Nick remained very professional in keeping the traditional etiquette. He avoided eye contact, but smiled lightly, revealing that he hadn’t turned against me.
“Have him treat Alex when he finishes with Emanuel. Thank you. Dismissed,” David said.
When Nick left, David explained what he could. I listened attentively, but his words disappeared in the air and were lost in the snow. I couldn’t fully focus knowing that everyone wanted me dead no matter what I did.
“You’re up against four other people, including Anton, Nick, and myself. The other is Jason; you don’t know him yet. You’ll have four challenges chosen by the soldiers. Then you will have to make a speech, and everyone will vote. My main concern is that being a girl, you have less power, if any at all, reg
ardless of your nomination.”
“Why exactly?”
“Last time a woman had military authority at Maria, our community became dust, and we learn from history and past mistakes. She was in charge during the Battle of Seven. We haven’t had enough time to let it heal yet. Sorry, I guess you just have bad timing.”
“Most dictators are men, including Matthew.”
“I don’t make up the laws.”
“But you stand by them.”
“I don’t have much of a choice, and they are only for the best,” David said angrily.
“How do Maxime and Matthew know each other?” I asked.
“I can’t answer that. Why do you ask? How . . . ?” His voice turned dark and condescending, but he lost grasp of the words to formulate his response.
“Because I need to know. What happened to Matthew’s son?”
“How do you know all—”
“Just answer the question.”
“I can’t.”
“Not capable or won’t?”
“Won’t. Sorry.” He sounded sincere but kept his usual tint of stubbornness.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m forbidden to. You’ll have to ask Andrew.”
We were silent again at the mention of his brother.
“You must be hungry. I’ll get you something to eat.” David ran off, leaving me in the middle of nowhere. I wanted answers, but I couldn’t object when my stomach was howling.
I sat by a tree and started to cry. I couldn’t stop or keep it inside any longer. Tears fell and collected by my feet. I hid my face in my arms, ashamed. The sun gently stroked my nape as I drenched my sleeves. The tension broke free and flew away. I fell silent, drained of energy. A warm, long arm wrapped around me and pulled me into an embrace. I looked up to see Sam, then quickly turned back into my own isolated world. He comforted me but didn’t speak. I appreciated his lack of words, and his gestures were genuine and sincere. I felt attached to him, but not like Maxime. It was different.
Sam finally helped me to my feet just in time for Nick and David to arrive. I wiped away my sticky tears, rubbing my swollen eyes. They seemed to know that I didn’t want to talk.
David handed me an apple, and I devoured it, savoring every piece that melted on my tongue. He apologized for not having anything more to offer, and although I was starving, the apple was more than enough.
“The competition starts in two hours,” Nick said, shattering the peaceful reunion.
“Swordsmanship and shoot-off tonight. Strategy tomorrow morning, physical combat in the afternoon, and speeches in the evening,” Nick stated casually, but it was obvious that the short notice also surprised him.
“But everyone is exhausted and injured,” Sam chimed in.
“All the more reason to have it now. We need a leader,” David reasoned.
“But Alex is injured,” Sam sounded worried.
“Heal her,” David ordered casually, then left.
Nick and Sam exchanged a look of confusion and disbelief while I stood waiting for an indication of what to do. I knew I was better off than Sam because of the S.S. Pill, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed bleeding.
Nick asked if he could speak to me alone before I left with Sam. I nodded and he led me away, deeper into the forest. Sun glistened on icicles as I watched him pace and waited for him to speak.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you like that. I was just so unsure of what to believe and how to act. And . . . thank you.” He looked deep into my eyes, and I had to divert my gaze. I didn’t deserve the praise. I had put him in the line of fire, and thankfully he hadn’t been killed. He placed his hand on my shoulder, told me to be careful, and that they didn’t mean to hurt me during the competition. I thanked him, and he left.
Sam and I headed to a simple, modest cabin, isolated from the others. My legs were tired, I was sore, and my head was spinning. My steps weren’t straight, and I asked for his forgiveness numerous times as I bumped into him, unable to keep my balance. He told me to sit down, and I leaned against a tree. I focused on breathing to get my mind off the pressure building in my skull. Sam spoke, but I didn’t listen. After a couple of minutes, we made it to the cabin. He helped me on the bed as I kept my eyes shut from the spinning world. I felt him inject fluids into my right arm and then in my wrists and head just above my brow.
“The competitions are about to start,” he said.
He helped me sit up, gave me a shot of adrenaline, then helped me walk to the improvised arena.
The gash along my skull had been completely healed, and my wrists were bandaged. They were tightly wrapped and reminded me of shackles. As I sauntered out in front of a huge crowd, I was reminded that they wanted my blood. Their icy glares stung, slipping down my spine. The soldiers seemed to be watching my every move, preying on me like an animal. I tried not to succumb to fear and grabbed Sam’s hand. He jumped when my fingers touched his, but then relaxed and told me to do the same. My heart felt constricted.
“As you already know, you do not have the right armor, but what you’re wearing should be okay. Still, be careful. This is serious; there are rules, but the lines get blurred,” Sam whispered as he handed me a simple, steel sword that an older soldier had given him.
My opponents stood with pride and determination to exterminate me. Even David and Nick seemed aggressive and prepared to rip me to shreds. Jason had short, black hair, almond-hazel eyes, and caramel skin. He shot me a glare that indicated his hate for me. Anton stood with a wide stance, and his square shoulders blocked my view of the arena. His bloodshot eyes pierced through me, burning a hole in my chest. I looked away and turned to Sam, who had dissolved into the horde encircling us. I was alone.
One of the men explained the rules briefly. It was just like sparring in class, only more competitive, belligerent, and challenging.
I started off facing Nick. He kept me on my toes and was more aggressive than usual, but not impossible to defeat. Maxime had trained me well, and I overwhelmed Nick with simple attacks, then complicated ones, and finally made him lose control. Jason was very strong and skilled, but his physical build made him lack agility. I used his weaknesses as my strength and got him to his knees.
We had a fifteen-minute break to mark the halftime. I was able to stand, but my legs were giving out, so I sat down, alone, in an unfurnished cabin and listened to the crowd. I tried to block out the negative voices, but they kept ringing in my head like the students in Tamizeh. I felt myself weakening and tried to remember Maxime. I needed to remain strong, but that seemed impossible. I was against Matthew and The Shadows. There was no help, no aid, no refuge . . . only hate.
Sam entered without knocking, apologized, then offered me some coffee. I took the warm cup and held it tightly, absorbing its heat. I slowly sipped it and felt the heat run down my throat, warming my body. Sam was trying to encourage me, but it was pointless. I thanked him anyway, and we walked out for the following fights.
Anton awaited me in the arena. His eyes were dark, and he gripped his sword firmly, holding back his anger. As soon as the bell rang, he let it all out with a scream and attacked. Long ago, we had fought by the river, so he knew my weaknesses, but I had studied his weaknesses as well. Strikes were exchanged faster than I could blink. I breathed heavily, struggling to keep up. He wielded his sword and tried to slash me. He didn’t seem to think, just move, and I did my best to mirror him with the cries from the crowd pounding at my head. He brought his blade up and pulled it down quickly with all of his strength, but I dove to the side, barely escaping the blow of the silver blade. I needed to attack in order to win, but I could hardly defend myself.
He was controlling the fight, pushing me back. I pivoted so he would have to move around and use more energy, but I couldn’t do much more. He kicked left, then brought his sword down right, cutting off the strap that kept my armor on. I was unprotected from the waist up, but there was no stopping. I remembered Maxime telling me how I tempted peo
ple to kill me, and tears started to blur my vision. I needed to pull myself together.
I reacted more efficiently so Anton had to work harder. He lunged and I slid aside, then kicked him in the chest, making him lose his sword. I threw my weapon away and wrapped my fingers around his collar. The flicker of light in his eyes darkened, and I let him go. He grabbed his sword and walked off with silent flames exploding from his eyes. I stood there as the snow gathered on my shoulders.
David walked into the arena calmly with a warm smile. His gait was crisp and cracked the snow beneath him, but he appeared calm. This fight was going to be more relaxed and fun; even though he was a challenge to beat, I had gained confidence. He kicked me in the abdomen, but I quickly protected myself from another strike. Although the strikes were violent, there was a tint of gentleness. He wasn’t trying to kill me, and I was able to relax. We danced in the arena to the rhythm of our blades clashing. The spectators encouraged us as sweat pearled on our foreheads. He lost his grip, and I blasted his sword away, out of reach, buried in the snow, but I didn’t want him to lose. I knew I couldn’t win the challenges and lead The Shadows with my reputation, so I was cheering for David. He deserved to be in charge and had the experience. I waited for him to lunge for his weapon, but he didn’t get back up. He looked at me in regret.
“You didn’t attack. You had the opportunity to win,” he muttered. Realizing and accepting his defeat, he brought his sword to his lips, kissed it, and laid it at my feet, surrendering. I quickly imitated him, so that the duel would be considered a tie. I offered him my hand and helped him up. He smiled and pulled me into his warm embrace, which reminded me of Maxime.
I was called to the next challenge, but before I went, Sam gave me another shot of adrenaline after changing my bandages. He provided me with a laser gun and some encouragement.
Simon, the old man who had listened to me when I had first arrived at Oaks Valley, explained the challenge. We were supposed to shoot moving targets. There weren’t many rules, because it was more of a game than challenge. All five contestants stood side by side with our guns ready. We struggled to see the targets in the darkness.
Violet Path Page 27
