Warrior Innocent

by Wendy Knight

  Lil Bit appeared through the crowd then, and Trey had no idea if she'd been with them all along or just knew to show up when Scout would need her. "Listen. You can hear the music through the trees."

  Trey couldn't hear any music. He knew Scout could, and he knew Lil Bit could, but for entirely different reasons. Scout heard music wherever she went, and Lil Bit heard and knew things no one else could. Scout held the girl at arm's length, and then took her hand. "I'll teach you."

  She started in first position, and several others lined up alongside her. She walked them through several simple moves while everyone else watched, and even then, he could feel Scout's impact. The peace she brought.

  Trey looked up to see Havik watching them. The mighty unicorn had always had a soft spot for Scout. They had a bond, completely different than her bond with Ashra. Trey didn't understand it, but he was grateful for it. Now, he watched from the top of the hill, and Trey was reminded of the first time he'd seen Havik look at Scout that way. Almost like he was grateful. Almost like he needed her peace as much as the rest of them. Maybe more.

  "Your horn comes off?" Kylin asked, reaching out to touch Havik. He reared back with a shriek.

  "Whoa, whoa!" Scout reached out to comfort him, almost without realizing it, knowing his horn seemed to be living fire, and his giant, stomping feet could cut her to shreds. "It's okay. We don't know any better," she soothed.

  "Thank you, Scout," Havik whispered, the tremors dying under her fingers.

  Trey snapped back to attention when he felt Havik's eyes on him. Sometimes it seemed that unicorn could read their very souls. Below them, the dancers had dispersed, and Scout stood alone, watching Havik. The look on her face was pure pain.

  Her pain hurt him, too. The fact she faced it alone hurt. The fact he'd left her when she'd pushed him away—when she'd needed him most—hurt.

  He wouldn't let it happen again.

  Lil Bit appeared at his side, grinning. "I was hoping you would say that."

  12

  "Someone's coming," Scout murmured. She was bent over Iros's map, trying to calculate how many unicorns they'd lost in the last battle, and how many still had no riders.

  The numbers weren't good.

  She hadn't even realized she'd spoken until Trey stood up and went to the window. "Nisha."

  Iros looked up. Aella was gone doing recon work, so it was just the three of them burning the midnight oil.

  "Hi." Nisha came in hesitantly, but Trey and Iros both smiled warmly. Hurriedly, she handed something to Scout. "I—I used to love to design. On the computer. But there's no computer, so I made this for you. To say thank you."

  Trey peered over Scout's shoulder. The card was beautiful, made with all the different colors of Paradesos. Unicorns drawn in charcoal, their riders fierce on their backs. Awaiting orders but ready to ride. Scout's jaw dropped, and she looked up at Nisha. "You made this?"

  Nisha nodded, smiling.

  "Wow. It's incredible. You have a talent, Nisha," Trey said.

  "That's not all. I had—I had an idea. You asked for battle ideas today? I had one."

  Scout grinned at Iros. "See? I told you."

  "I was just thinking—instead of coming at them from the front, we should split up. May I?" She motioned toward the map below them with the flags and figurines. At Iros's nod, she knelt next to it. "These are the Irwarros. We have the riderless unicorns attack from the front, like this." She moved the riderless figurine forward. "We then split the rest of our troops into smaller groups. Twenty or so will go this way and attack from the side, the others from this side and from the middle, but below. I've noticed the soul stealers always stay fairly high in the sky unless they're actively stealing the souls. We get below them and come up this way—" she moved more figurines "—there will be fewer that can escape with souls back to Aptavaras."

  Scout squealed. "Just like the Revolutionary War! Except with flying and magic!"

  Trey was reminded of Scout, pre-war. Driven would have been an understatement. The girl refused to fail, and learning had been her escape. She didn't love school—in fact, he was pretty sure she was miserable there—but she threw everything she had into every lesson, every homework assignment. Science had been her favorite, but history had taken a close second.

  Iros clapped Nisha on the shoulder. "That's brilliant Nisha. Scout, Trey, incorporate that into your training. We'll test it as soon as we're ready."

  Nisha blushed with pride and stood. "That—that's all I have."

  "It is more than enough." Scout smiled proudly at her. "Thank you, Nisha."

  Scout had been in too much of a hurry to get to her own bed, and the fake cold she'd suddenly gotten wasn't believable. Trey watched her escape to her hut then went into his own. But he kept his boots on. "You're late," Tate mumbled, mostly asleep.

  Trey didn't answer. "Torz?"

  It took a while, and Trey was starting to lose hope when his unicorn finally answered. "Yes?"

  "Are you up for a ride tonight?"

  Again, a long pause. By now, Liam had sat up and watched Trey suspiciously in the darkness. Tate, however, had gone back to snoring.

  "This is about Ashra and Scout."

  Trey was surprised. He settled himself at the table so he could keep an eye on Scout's hut without being seen. "Yes. What do you know?"

  This time the answer came immediately. "I know that Ashra is involved in something she doesn't want to be. I know Scout is leading the way, but she's not happy about it either. And I know Ashra just flew out of the meadow. So if we're following them, now is the time."

  Trey had a hard time putting his plan into words. Admitting he wanted to stalk Scout's movements sounded worse when he said it. "I'm worried. Neither one of them ever knows when she's in over her head."

  Ashra landed softly in the valley below, and Scout, looking for all the world like a thief, snuck out of her hut and sprinted down the hill. Trey slid out of his own hut, ignoring Liam when he asked what was going on. Torz landed next to him on silent wings, startling Trey, but Liam yelped in surprise.

  Below them, Scout froze.

  Torz backed up, dancing lightly on his hooves out of sight. Trey fell to his stomach, breath held.

  Scout turned in a slow circle, and Ashra lit her horn, but the ray of light didn't fall this far. Finally, they both gave up as Scout leapt astride. Ashra's wings snapped out, and she lifted silently into the air.

  Torz reappeared at Trey's side before Trey had even climbed to his feet. "Man, you're quiet," Trey muttered. Torz gave him a look that possibly said that was the whole point, but he kindly refrained from openly mocking Trey.

  "They'll go far from here before Ashra calls the lightning. We have to move fast." Torz pumped his wings, and they sailed through the sky, seeming to leap from shadow to shadow. Twice, Ashra turned a full circle, and Scout looked behind them repeatedly, but neither caught site of Trey and Torz.

  "You've done this before." Trey felt stupid for catching on so slowly.

  "Yes."

  "Do you know where they're going?"

  Torz leaped to another shadow, falling sideways to keep out of the light. "Yes."

  "Why didn't you tell me?" Trey asked. Scout, he could see keeping secrets. But Torz? What about their bond? What about—

  "You didn't ask."

  Trey rolled his eyes, leaning low over Torz's back so Scout wouldn't see him. The lightning came without Ashra even pausing, and she swept up and through quickly—if someone had been alerted by the bright tear, they wouldn't have seen her escape.

  But it also meant Trey and Torz had plenty of time to catch up and slip through, too.

  The icy blast hit him before Trey's eyes could fully comprehend what he was seeing. Aptavaras.

  And Ariston.

  "This is where they went before?" Trey was certain his heart had cracked. It was hard to breathe, and he was angry and hurt all at the same time. "She's meeting with him?"

  "Yes. But not for the reason you'r
e thinking." He could hear the disappointment in Torz's words, but it took him several minutes to realize the disappointment was in Trey, not Scout.

  Torz landed softly on a cliff face safely above Ashra, but kept his wings out—just in case. They'd had too many cliffs in this place give out from under them. That was the same reason Trey didn't dismount, instead leaning low over Torz's back so he could see better.

  "Where are they, Ariston?"

  "You broke our bargain." Ariston looked up, straight at Trey. His black eyes seemed to sear right through them.

  "What do you mean? I'm here, aren't I? I didn't keep you waiting."

  Ariston raised an eyebrow. "You don't know," he murmured softly, but his voice carried. A delighted smile lit his face. "Are things not well in paradise, Scout? The reason he's—"

  "Stop it, Ariston. Stop playing your head games. Where are Trey's parents?"

  Trey's parents.

  Scout was here to rescue his parents?

  Ariston turned fluidly and motioned once. The demons approached, his parents' souls pinched between their claws. Scout gasped and ran forward, and Trey nearly yelled out—whether to tell Scout to stop or to scream obscenities at Ariston, he wasn't sure. Torz's misty mane wrapped tightly around Trey's mouth, keeping him silent.

  "You said you wouldn't hurt them!"

  Ariston had the audacity to look bored. "I didn't. But they fought. They didn't have faith in you, as your parents did."

  Scout whirled on him. "Well of course not. They're not my parents! Let them go."

  "And you will dance for me?" Trey's fists balled at the intimacy in Ariston's voice.

  "Yes."

  The souls were freed and flew to Ashra. The souls. His parents. His parents were free.

  Scout had risked her soul and all her relationships in Paradesos to save his parents.

  He was the worst boyfriend ever.

  But Scout was dancing, and he felt warmth settle over him as she twirled and spun. The tense set of Ashra's muscles eased, just a bit, and Torz breathed easier.

  And Ariston.

  The darkness in his eyes faded. The anger in his face escaped, and he almost looked human. And for that brief dance, Trey could see why Scout refused to believe Ariston was as evil as he seemed. When she took the pain away, he just looked…

  Exhausted.

  "We've gotta go," Trey said as Scout's movements slowed. He knew her dances well enough to see that the end was coming.

  Cautiously, Torz spread his wings, ready to take off the second Ashra did. Because the pain and hatred were back in Ariston's eyes, and he was looking right at Trey.

  Trey didn't realize they were surrounded until Torz lifted into the sky, and the demons descended from above them.

  Ariston laughed. Trey could hear his laughter over the screams of the soul stealers.

  "Ariston! What have you done?" Scout cried.

  "I had a deal with you. I offered no such protection for him."

  Trey grabbed his scepter, swinging it hard at the claws closest to them before lighting the end and throwing powerful flames into the midst of the soul stealers. "Get my parents out of here, Scout!"

  He caught a glimpse of Ariston fading from view, going back to his lair, and then his vision of everything below him was cut off by more demons.

  "I'm sorry, Torz. I'm so sorry."

  13

  "What do I do, Ashra?" Scout squealed, watching in horror as Trey and Torz were engulfed in a flock of soul stealers. She looked for Ariston, but he was gone.

  They couldn't leave the souls. They couldn't fight with the souls clinging to Ashra for dear life. They'd be torn to shreds.

  "While you're thinking, maybe shoot with that thing, huh?"

  Scout hadn't realized she'd pulled the scepter up. Now she screamed as magic flowed through her, flowed through Ashra, twisting together and smashing into the soul stealers. Several of the demons spun toward her.

  "Oh, no."

  "Scout! Give me his parents!"

  Scout jerked toward the voice as Kylin swooped down, landing hard next to them. Her unicorn was lathered and breathing hard. "You're a better fighter than I am! Give me his parents and go save Trey!"

  Scout nodded and Ashra released the souls. "I'll meet you at the hospital."

  Kylin gathered the souls, and her unicorn spread her wings and was gone. Without hesitation, Ashra rose, shrieking like the mouth of hell. Attacks, one after another after another exploded from her horn to twist and bond with Scout's, hitting demon after demon. Ash and blood rained down on them as they fought their way up.

  They were nearly there when Trey was ripped from Torz' back and thrown.

  "Trey!" Scout screamed. She reached out, but they weren't close enough. Her scepter slipped from her fingers and fell.

  Trey bounced off the cliff face and tumbled end over end to the ground below. He lay still.

  "Trey!" she screamed again. Ashra twisted and went down, tucking her wings so they shot through the sky. Scout leaped from her back before they touched ground, racing to Trey.

  And then Ashra was gone again, fighting her way back up to Torz.

  "Trey!" Scout fell to her knees next to him. His chest rose and fell.

  He was alive.

  "Torz," he gasped, trying to sit up. Scout could tell immediately he had several broken ribs as he fought for breath. "He needs help."

  "Ashra's with him." Scout jerked off her armor, tugged her shirt over her head, and used it to tie Trey's bleeding shoulder. "They'll be okay. We've gotta get you out of here."

  "They're—they're not okay."

  Scout froze, twisting around so she could see the fight. "Ashra," she murmured. Ashra wasn't okay, Trey was right. Without their riders, neither unicorn was strong enough, and Torz was already covered in blood.

  "Go. I'll be okay." Trey was trying to force himself to his feet, but it wasn't going well. Scout looped his arm over her shoulder and supported his weight as much as she could, mostly dragging him to the rocky overhang.

  "Wait here. I'll be right back."

  Trey nodded and fell backward with a groan, shooing her away. Scout spun and sprinted back out to where she could see Ashra.

  "Can you come get me?"

  She could hear the annoyance in Ashra's voice. "Kinda busy right now, princess."

  "Okay…" Scout turned in a circle, praying for a brilliant plan. The mountain rose in front of her.

  "Plan found."

  She snatched her scepter off the ground as she raced to the rocky cliff and climbed as fast as she could, sometimes finding handholds, sometimes grateful it wasn't too steep, and sometimes taking a leap of faith and hoping she would make it to the other side. Her hands and arms were scratched and bloody, but she could hear Torz screaming in pain, and she wouldn't stop. "I'm coming. I'm coming."

  And then, miracle of miracles, she made it to the ledge above Ashra. Except the distance between mountain and unicorn looked a lot further from this angle, and there were several soul stealers in the way.

  Scout really, really didn't like heights.

  However, there wasn't time to be a wimp. She backed up several steps and then ran, as hard and as fast as she could, and she jumped.

  Time seemed to slow. She could hear Trey screaming her name, which meant he'd moved from his safe place. She could see Ashra's wild eyes turn on her in panic, watched her unicorn fight to get closer. And in the distance…

  She heard Ariston, yelling her name as well.

  And then she smashed full force into a soul stealer. Her head smashed its skull and her vision blotched several times, but she'd been the lame, unconscious girl in too many battles. She wasn't going to do that now. By sheer force of will, she kept her eyes open, clinging to the soul stealer. She wrapped her arms around its neck and threw herself backward.

  Its head snapped off, and she tumbled.

  Clearly, she hadn't thought this through.

  She landed on another demon, but this time she had claws raking her
back, a rough reminder that stupidly she hadn't put her armor back on and was only wearing a sports bra. Somehow, she got her feet to the demon’s shoulders and launched herself through the air once more.

  This time she made it to Ashra.

  "Took you long enough," Ashra panted. By now, she was also covered in blood.

  Scout didn't answer; she just jerked her scepter out and swung it at anything and everything she could reach. Her desperation and panic turned to power as the fire escaped from the bright orb, like some magical flamethrower. Everything around them caught and burned.

  Soul stealers burn slowly, though, so she had to keep attacking, even when the magic was exhausted and her arms shook. They had to get to Torz.

  One demon after another, they forced their way through the flock to Torz's side. Scout threw a rope-like attack, catching a few around the neck, and Ashra's powerful wings pulled them back, effectively jerking the soul stealers and their vicious claws away from Torz.

  Torz didn't hesitate. His wings shot out and lit, and everything left clinging to him burst into flames. The demons were so busy trying to kill the fires burning them that Torz was suddenly free. With a shriek, he tucked his fiery wings close and dropped from the sky. At the last possible moment, his wings jerked out and caught him. He landed next to Trey, who was climbing on before Ashra and Scout could even fight their way free. By the time Torz was back in the air, Ashra was racing across the sky to the gates of Aptavaras.

  "Call the lightning!" Trey bellowed. "Torz can't do it."

  Ashra huffed. "Really? You think?" But her horn lit, the lightning snaked through the sky, the air split, and they escaped.

  Scout looked over her shoulder as the air clapped back together. Ariston knelt where she'd left him, head bent over her helmet and armor.

  Lil Bit met them at the hospital with a Leerha. Without a word, Trey carefully slid off Torz's back into Scout's waiting arms. The Leerha moved forward, but Trey motioned with his head. "Please. Heal him first."

  Torz looked bad. Gashes ran the length of him, and his entire body shook with the effort of remaining on his feet. Trey sank to the ground, and Scout hurried to Torz's side, offering what strength she could. The Leerha's soft, blue light encased Torz and sank past the hair and into the skin. He straightened and the shaking stopped, the healing energy flowing through his limbs. He inclined his head in gratitude as the Leerha moved on to Trey, and then Ashra.