“Skyden.” Soul’s voice was strained behind the mask. “Why. Why are you here?”
“Let him go.” Con’s voice cut through the darkness.
The grip on his throat lightened, but didn’t release. He might have been able to pry the hand away if he tried, but just as he thought it, Soul tightened his grip.
Con moved from his chair and walked slowly towards them. No one in the room was moving, no one but Con. “That’s enough, Soul. Let him go. Don’t push him, he can’t control it.”
What’s that supposed to mean? Sky clenched his jaw, ready to strike, but then, just like the night, his racing heart began to slow in his chest and his vision began to blur. The world around him became fuzzy and light and it was like he could suddenly understand how it all went together…and how it all came apart.
“Stop it, Skyden.” Soul’s voice was stern and grounding.
And then he was simply gone. Soul, and Con, had disappeared.
Sky dropped to the ground, unable to feel his body in that moment. Al and his dad ran towards him, calling his name in silent voices. Sky rubbed at his throat. Was that real?
He felt his body being pulled forward and heard the voice of his dad reverberating into his head. “What were you thinking?” There was nothing demeaning in the words, just concern and thankfulness.
“Find them.” Marcus demand of the newly arrived guards. “They couldn’t have gotten far.”
“They disappeared.” Sara’s sarcastic voice cut in. “I’m sure they’re wherever the hell they want to be.”
A gentle hand was on his back as his vision came into focus on the deep cracks and pits of the stone floor. “That was amazing. And really stupid.” Al’s voice laughed beside him.
“Beyond stupid!” That was Sara again, this time much closer. “What were you even thinking?!”
“Al.” Sky lifted his head, coming back to himself. “Dad.” He sat up and pushed away to get a good look around the room. Every one was fine. The room was already being picked up by servants and guards alike. Marcus, Sonya and Octavian were nowhere to be seen.
Roland was speaking rapidly in a hushed voice beside Zeph who was looking dolefully out the window.
Al stood up along with his dad and, with a heave and a hoe, they pulled Sky to his feet.
“It was good food.” Sky nodded to Al. “Can’t say much about the entertainment though.”
“Really?” Sara scoffed and turned with a roll of her eyes. “That’s all you have to say. You’re such an idiot!” She screamed at him with glassy eyes.
“Sara.” Lee pulled her back.
“No.” She pulled out of Lee’s grip, pushed Al out of the way and landed a hard slap onto the side of Sky’s face.
“To the Haven’s girl!” Al shouted and pushed her back. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Do you want to die?” Sara yelled. “There are two Iko’s in this room and you think, hey, I think I should fight that guy?” She shook her head and stormed away.
“Sara.” Lee called after her before turning back to them and standing beside Al. “I apologize for her.”
“No need.” His dad said and pulled Sky to his side. “She’s right. That was stupid.” He put a supportive arm around his shoulder and held him tight, as if he never meant to let go, “Never do something like that again.”
“Why did they do that? Why did they just leave?” Al asked, mainly just speaking out loud.
“They were outnumbered and the Snare failed. They know when to retreat and regroup. I guarantee you they will be back, but with the whole team.” Roland stated matter-of-factly.
“We need to get you kids out of here.” His dad looked around at them, “Allen, you most of all.”
Al smiled sadly, “You really think my father will just let me leave?”
Zeph turned towards them, but kept his post by the window, “He doesn’t have a choice.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sky’s hands were still shaking as he closed his door. He could hear his dad and Zeph rambling on and on to Zero about what happened, but his night had already filled its quota of excitement and the last thing he wanted to do was re live it in the exaggerated fashion of story telling.
Air escaped slowly from his lungs as he slid his feet towards his bed. They had brought them all to his house, Lee, Sara, Al, even Roland. Zero set up barriers and Zeph placed seals above the doors and assured them they would all be safe, at least for now.
He lay down, but couldn’t close his eyes. The vision of Soul’s mask lingered in his mind. Roland’s words echoed in his head. You’re not human.
A noise from the corner of the room had him sitting up so fast he nearly blacked out as his heart began to race. He held his breath and searched the shadows. In the corner where the sound originated he swore he could see the outline of a figure, topped by a gleaming white mask. His sleepy eyes were playing tricks. He blinked hard, but the illusion didn’t fade.
He slowly moved his legs over the side of the bed, never letting his eyes stray. There was no doubt Soul was there. He could almost feel the energy radiating from the spot where the shadows made shape.
“Now what?” He was surprised at how strong his voice sounded despite the fear raging through his mind and body.
The shadows didn’t move. Soul had just been standing there, and was now gone.
Sky ran towards the door, “Da-” was all he could manage to get out before hands latched onto his arms and pulled him back. The sheer force of the movement combined with the sudden change in his surrounding was enough to stop his mind, breath and heart. It was a moment of pure, uninterrupted nothingness as Sky found himself in a haze of unformed shapes, where nothing had a beginning or an end. There was no clear light source, yet everything was illuminated in bright white while mixing with the darkest black.
The tight grip around his arms loosened enough for the blood to start flowing back into them again.
“Where are we?” A shaky voice came out of him, he tried to turn, but everything was flowing and changing, he couldn’t find the ground.
The grip around his arms tightened again. “Keep still.” Soul said calmly. “Just put your feet down.”
Sky was too enthralled in the moment to be scared. When he should have felt the floor, he did. He felt like he was on solid ground, yet at the same time, he knew there was nothing there.
Soul paced back and forth like a caged beast, his hands running continuously over the wild mop of dark hair that covered his head.
Sky wondered if he could take a step, but didn’t want to make any sudden movements. “What’s going on, Soul? What have you done?” He said slowly.
Soul didn’t seem as intimidating as before, it could have been the peaceful flow of the space around them, or the fact that he seemed to be a complete nervous wreck, just like he used to be.
Soul stopped when he said his name, but just stood there with his back to him. “Many things.”
“What is this place?” Sky thought it was safe to move and began to stand, “Is this the…Snow?” It had to be. It was such an epic realization, he didn’t see Soul turn angrily and step up to him until he was again face to face, his emerald eyes peering coldly out from behind the stark white mask.
Sky took his previous thought back. Soul was still scary; especially when he was radiating an energy that could peel paint off a wall.
“Why couldn’t you have just stayed out of things? Why did you apply to Arche? Why were you there tonight?!” Soul yelled, the air around them reverberated in visible undulations.
Anger swelled up inside Sky as he looked at a brother he didn’t recognize. “You. You come here after four years, attack my friends, attack me…” Sky judged the ground and the distance between them, his hand curling into a fist.
“Calm down.” Soul spoke sternly, “Everything we did was to protect you, to protect your friends.” Soul stepped straight to him, inches away, “You want to hit me, then hit me, but it won’t change anything. You’
re just wasting time.”
Sky stood up straight and relaxed his hand, trying to push down every urge he had, “Take off that stupid mask when you talk to me.”
With a nod, Soul reached up and pulled off the mask to reveal a face that Sky remembered, just older and thinner and etched with sadness. “You weren’t supposed to be there, and we had to do what we did. If Marcus didn’t see with his own eyes that his son and his precious army were in danger he would never let Al leave with Master Zeph. Skyden, your friends are in danger. We were sent here to protect you – Con, Ellie, Seth and I, even Lee.” Soul shrugged as Sky flinched at Lee’s name, “Lee was a surprise, even to us. He doesn’t know that it was the Choirmaster who hired him. He only knows as much as he’s told you. It was the only way to get close to Al since the Powers reputation was known by the Taul.”
“Choirmaster? Who’s that? Zeph?”
“No.” Was all he said.
“So it was all an act.” Sky let his annoyance come through in an exaggerated sigh, he somehow wasn’t surprised at all.
Soul stood with military precision, reminding him of Lee, “The more you know the more danger you are in. Our hope was to resolve this matter before it escalated to such a point, but the Man of Mist has proven to be an elusive adversary. He was getting too close.” Soul shook his head, his forehead creasing, just like it always used to when he was worried, “He’s like a ghost, impossible to track, impossible to catch. Our only choice now is to simply take Al and Sara out of the equation.”
“What does that mean?” Sky didn’t like the way Soul had said that, like it was the worst possible thing.
“It means exactly what I said.” Soul straightened, “The Choir protects the Realm of the Living. The Councilmen need Al and Sara to get to the Valley and we will do whatever we have to in order to stop that from happening.”
“Councilmen? And the Valley? What are they?”
“We will allow you one chance to hide them, but if they can not successfully evade the Man of Mist or whatever the Councilmen may send, then we will have to do what we must do to ensure that the Valley is never found.”
“How can you say that?” Sky stepped back, horrified. “The Man of Mist, he wasn’t even after Al or Sara, he was after information.”
“Only because he is still seeking the location of the book and once he knows that, who do you think his next targets will be? And it’s not just them we need to protect; anyone who stands in his way now will be eliminated, just like he didn’t hesitate to shoot you.”
“You know about that?”
“Who do you think cleaned you up after he left you for dead? I had tracked him to our house, but you beat me there.”
Sky scratched at his chest, feeling the old ache returning, “You were there?”
Soul nodded slowly, swallowing hard. “To be honest, I think it was my fault he tried to kill you. He didn’t have to do that. He could have just left and you would have never known he was even there…but he knew I was there.” Soul’s mouth turned down and his face grew cold, “There are no heroes. That’s the mantra of the Choir. He kept saying it. He kept saying it and then he shot you.”
“Why didn’t you just come out then?” Sky couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“I couldn’t. I have my orders.” Soul tried to catch his eye, but failed, “I’m not supposed to have contact with you.”
“Then what is this? You’re here now aren’t you?”
“I can’t be helped anymore. I have no other choice.”
Sky shoved Soul as hard as he could, “He shot me! And you didn’t even try to stop him, because of your orders?”
Soul’s eyes drifted off into the distance and his face went slack, “I didn’t think he would do that.” His eyes came back, but focused near his feet. “I’m so sorry, Skyden.”
Sky shook with disgust. “Just take me home. And then, be sure to keep obeying those orders, and leave us alone.”
“I can’t do that anymore.” Soul shifted, the flow of the Snow shifted with him. “I understand now that protecting you is more important. Family first, that’s what dad taught us.”
“It’s a little late for that now, don’t you think?” His words dripped sarcasm.
“It’s never too late.” Soul reached under his vest, pulling out the same jagged knife he had used before to slice his arm. “Not for us.”
What he expected was for Soul to cut another seal, not thrust the knife forward, into Sky’s belly.
“You’re stubborn. And you never listen.” Soul withdrew the knife and let Sky fall to his knees. Soul stood there, contemplating, his eyes steady on the swirling of the space beneath their feet. “Roland told you, yes? What you really are?”
“Soul.” He choked, holding onto a stomach that honestly, didn’t even hurt.
“Stand up.” Soul raised his eyebrows, “You know you can. You’ve been through this a few times now.”
Sky pushed the spot he had been stabbed. There was a slight tingle of pain, but even that soon faded. “What was that for?” He huffed and stood.
“So he can find us.”
Sky would have stepped away, but he was frozen all the way up to his vocal cords.
“Who?”
“Roland told you not to tell anyone, right.”
“Yeah.” Sky looked around nervously. “Who’s trying to find us?”
“It’s very important that you understand those words. No one must know. Not even dad.” Soul ignored his question. “I began my change five years ago, shortly after I was sent away to Arche and was placed within the Choir.” Soul stepped closer, “Are you listening? This is important. The Choir is more then just a bunch of students running around doing random missions. There is something much bigger, much older behind it. They protect the realm, no matter the cost.”
“But, I don’t-”
“I said listen, not talk. Now please, you need to understand this. The Choir protects the realm, and, you and me; we are a threat to the realm, by our very existence. The Choirmaster and a few select others know what we are, and they have let you exist so far, only because you hadn’t shown any signs of the change. I am allowed to exist, because I am a member of the Choir, Zeph saw to that. The Powers are my allies, but also my wardens. If I stray from my duties as a guardian of the realm I will be sealed away, never to see the light of the suns again.” Soul again looked away into the distance, as if listening to something far off, “They will not be so easy on you, Skyden. You have an unruly nature, I have heard them say how like our father, our real father, you are…they have already decided that when you turn, you will be sealed, or you will be destroyed, depending on if you resist us or not.”
“Destroy me? But, I haven’t done anything.” But, somehow he knew that didn’t matter.
“I thought of a way to protect you.” He went on, “You won’t like it, Zeph won’t like it, but it will work, I know it will.” Soul brought his attention back once again to Sky, “The Choir pride themselves on being fair and just. So, there is no way they can punish you if they can’t prove that it’s your true nature acting out.”
Sky chanced another step back and turned his back to his brother. “Just stop, okay. I’m pretty sure I’m not gonna like whatever you have planned here. Roland said that Zeph said they could keep me hidden.” He didn’t want to be afraid, he didn’t want to wish his brother would go away, but he did. He wanted nothing more in that moment then to wake up and for it to all be a bad, bad dream. He wanted Soul to just be that jerk in his memory that had abandoned his family for selfish reasons.
“Zeph is an unfailing optimist. Now, this will hurt,” Soul was saying, “but it will save you.”
“Wait, what?” But Soul was gone. “Wait!” Sky yelled, alone in the strangest place he had ever been. The fear that had kept its distance found its way back into his mind. Strange as it was, without Soul there the Snow didn’t seem so peaceful.
The light and dark began to churn around him like a brewing storm. S
ky turned, wanting to run, but found himself falling instead. Just as he thought about hitting the ground, he hit it hard.
“Soul!” He screamed as panic set in. He had no idea how they had gotten there, or how he could get back. He clung to the ground he convinced his mind was there, “Soul, you jerk! Take me home!”
“Home?” A gritty voice that was certainly not Soul’s answered.
Sky froze and his panic combined with full on terror. The darkness around him began to swell, merging into a crude form. He clamored to his feet; the dark monstrosity grew larger and larger, until it had taken up the world around him.
“But, you are home.” It laughed in a deep rumble.
He backed away, concentrating only on the dark form.
“Do you not like your home?” It said again, this time in less menacing tone. The form began to compact and grow smaller until it was roughly the size of a human. “My prince.” The smile was the first feature it formed, then the outstretched hand. Slowly the blackness began to fade into flesh like tones. Clear blue eyes opened above the wide smile.
He could feel his own eyes getting wider, what was this? The Creatures face smiled brightly, a face he almost recognized. Sky felt strange, like he was suddenly lighter and almost content as his fear faded with each steady beat of his heart.
“You don’t have to be afraid, Skyden.” The creature wasn’t young or old; its features seemed to shift and change, like the landscape. “I’m a friend.”
The Creature seemed so familiar, but he couldn’t place why. The face it wore was one he felt himself wanting to trust, out of instinct he found himself moving forward. The dark hair, the blue eyes and toothy smile, “Who are you?”
The light in the Creature’s eyes darkened, the blue turned to coal. “I said, I was a friend.”
Sky’s step faltered as the Creature’s face shifted to a younger, more innocent appearance. A face that looked like a memory. He stepped back, and found the ground beneath his feet growing softer, threatening his balance. “What are you?” His voice wavered more then he would have liked.
Creatures of Snow Page 21
