Attainment (Between Two Realms Book 3)

by Amber Flora

  “Thank you. I know that couldn’t have been easy.”

  “Aye, but it changes nothing. I still hate ya. For Ashtyn’s sake I will play nice but make no mistake. If you hurt her not only will be I be there to pick up the pieces, I’ll end you.”

  “And if you try anything that could be conceived as more than friendship I’ll end you,” Herrick replied.

  “As long as we know the rules,” Mac said, shaking Herrick’s hand.

  I awoke to find Herrick and Mac not only speaking to one another but also laughing; for a second I thought I was dreaming.

  “Well, hey there, sleepy head. You're just in time for the party,” Mac said, realizing I had roused.

  “Party?”

  “Get your warmer clothes on, love. We will be landing soon.”

  “Then what?” I tried my best to contain the fear that was beginning to surface. I didn’t want Herrick to think I was weak.

  “I have seen even the bravest of soldiers be afraid when facing the uncertainty of war, love. You are not weak for feeling as you do.”

  I looked into the gray eyes that always found a way to calm me.

  “You said you would act like you didn’t know what I was feeling.”

  Herrick rose and walked to where I sat, putting one hand on my knee and the other on my cheek to whisper in my ear.

  “Haven’t you heard, love, vibrants aren’t to be trusted.” He kissed me softly on my neck and I shivered at the sensation.

  “If you don’t quit that we’re going to give a hundred men one hell of a show,” he winked.

  “What am I doing?” I asked, confused.

  “Begging me to touch you.”

  He softly ran his fingers along my arms, increasing my desire.

  “Oh, well, seeing as how one of these soldiers is my father how about we wait till we're in more of a private setting.”

  “Now that’s a date I don’t want to miss.”

  He kissed my forehead before pulling from my seat and handing me my bag.

  “It’s about a five-hour walk from where we are landing to Damon’s hideout. The cold air will be fierce, love. I can’t believe I’m about to say this but wear as much clothing as you can walk in.”

  I smiled and wrapped him in a hug.

  “I’m not afraid to fight. I’m afraid to watch those I love fight,” I said, holding him tighter.

  “It’s going to be okay, hummingbird. This isn’t where our story ends.”

  I closed my eyes and for the first time in a long time I prayed to whomever was listening. No matter how this played out, one thing I was certain of: Damon’s story would come to an end. If anyone else I loved had to die, it wouldn’t be by his hands.

  Chapter 18

  How the hell human beings have managed to survive in Siberia I would never know. Even with all the layers I wore and tapping into my powers, I couldn’t stop my teeth from chattering. I looked around at all the soldiers treading through the snow. We were a sight to behold. I didn’t envy anyone who accidentally crossed our path.

  “Couldn’t we have landed closer? I’m going to be a block of ice by the time we get there.” I rubbed my arms in an attempt to keep my circulation flowing.

  “Not unless you wanted Damon to spot us the moment we did. Besides, there aren’t too many safe places to land a plane that size in these parts.” Herrick looked back to where we abandoned the military jet that brought us.

  “You can warm yourself over here, Macree,” Mac joked, pointing to his chest.

  “Would you please stop calling her that?” Herrick growled, snapping his neck toward Mac.

  “What? So now I gotta change all my habits because you two are in love?”

  “Exactly,” Herrick replied.

  “Sorry to disappoint, lad, but it ain’t gonna happen. She holds my heart same as she does yours.”

  “Would you two knock it off? Mac, stop antagonizing him. You will call Ashtyn by her name, do you understand?” Cody said, looking between the two men.

  “Last I checked, brother, ya weren’t me mum.”

  “I don’t need you to fight my battles for me, dreamwalker,” Herrick nudged Cody's shoulder as he pushed past him.

  “Has anyone noticed that Mac’s accent is more prominent when he’s upset?” I said, trying to deflect their anger.

  “It’s because it’s fake,” Cody joked from behind.

  I slowed my pace to let Herrick and Mac get a lead on Cody and myself.

  “I’m sorry, this is all my fault. I want them to get along and at times it seems like they could but I know I’m kidding myself. I need to accept that my choice may have cost me Mac for good.”

  Cody looked behind him, where Ben and Algon walked on either side of Bonnie.

  “Ashtyn, I know what my mother said to you, she told me. You are not a bad person because you follow your heart. Don’t let Bonnie’s words change you. You will not lose Mac because you don’t reciprocate his feelings. Although, it may be a good idea to separate the two of them for a while once all this is over.”

  I knew I wanted Herrick, I couldn’t fight that, but as much as I knew I shouldn’t, I still cared for Mac. I didn’t want to lose him or Cody because I took a different path.

  “What about you? Will I lose you?” I asked, looking up at Cody.

  “Why would you lose me?”

  “Because I hurt your best friend. Once all of this is over and we can move on with our lives, there will be no place for me among all of you.”

  Cody stopped walking, grabbed my arm and forced me to look at him.

  “Ashtyn, my friendship isn’t conditional. You are a dreamwalker and part of our family. You will always have a place with us. Of course I care for Mac, he is like my brother, but you are like my sister and I won’t choose one over the other.”

  He wrapped me in hug and I sighed with relief. I don’t know what I would do if I lost Cody and the gang; they were the closest thing to family I had. I couldn’t imagine going back to a life without them in it.

  “Come on, we better catch up. I don’t need the vibrant taking my head off as well.”

  I smiled and shuffled my feet in an attempt to run wearing the extra twenty pounds of clothing.

  “How much longer?” I whined, ready to topple over any moment.

  “About another thirty minutes, love. Then we can make camp for a few hours.”

  “Tell me again why we have to make camp?”

  Herrick sighed, which meant he was trying very hard not to lose his cool with me. I couldn’t help it. I was cold, tired and hungry, which made for a very cranky Ashtyn.

  “Attacking in the dead of night is our best option of not being detected. Not to mention everyone will need to rest a bit before we try to overcome the Credo. It’s going to be a long night. Everyone will need to be on their game.”

  “Well there better be a fire,” I crossed my arms in a pout.

  “Soldiers don’t pout, love,” Herrick said in his stern assassin voice.

  “Well then I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a soldier.”

  I let my annoyance flow through me so that Herrick would no problem identifying exactly what I was feeling at the moment. I saw a small smirk appear in the corner of his mouth and I knew he had experienced the little burst of emotion I pushed through.

  Ben strode up beside us, nodding hello to Herrick. At least Ben didn't seem to care too much about my choice in men.

  “Your father wishes to have a word with you.”

  “Couldn’t he have told me that himself?” I asked Ben, looking back to where Algon was walking.

  “Don’t shoot the messenger. He just asked me to gather you and Cody.”

  I huffed and wobbled off into the direction of my elusive father.

  “You summoned me?” I asked, trying my best not to have an attitude. I was glad my father was alive and I did care for him but the man was so estranged from me it was difficult to connect with him on any level.

  “Ashtyn, this is Je
remiah. His sister was taken from Damon a few weeks ago.”

  “Jeremiah, we met in Cardician. You are part of the rebellion?” Cody asked, jumping into the conversation.

  “Yes, although I played a smaller role until recently. My sister’s capture has pushed me further into the cause. The wizard committee has done little to search for the missing women that Damon has taken.” Jeremiah’s voice broke a little at the mention of his sister.

  “I’m sorry about your sister, what is her name?” I asked, placing my hand on Jeremiah’s shoulder.

  “Bethany. We are twins.”

  I felt as if this were all my fault. Katrina, Bethany and all the others were now paying the price for my betrayal. Was turning my back on Damon worth the cost everyone else was paying?

  “That is why Jeremiah will be crucial in the battle,” Algon said, looking to me and Cody.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” I said, trying to figure out what my father meant.

  “Twins can communicate with one another telepathically. Once we bring down Damon’s magical barrier, Jeremiah can speak with Bethany. Hopefully she will be able to tell us where Damon is keeping her and the other girls. We will essentially have someone on the inside leading us.”

  “That’s if she is still alive,” Ben said, coming out of nowhere to poke his nose into the conversation.

  “She will be!” Cody and I shouted in unison.

  “I’m just saying, we have no idea what Damon is actually doing with these girls. We need a backup plan.”

  “She’s alive,” Jeremiah replied in an assured voice.

  “Look, son, I’m not trying to make you lose hope. … ”

  Jeremiah cut Ben off before he could finish his sentence.

  “I know she is alive. If she had died her symbol would have disappeared.”

  “Come again?” I asked, completely confused.

  “Twins bear a symbol of one another, kind of like a birthmark. When a twin dies the mark disappears. I still have mine, which means Bethany lives.”

  I definitely need to become an immortal. A human life would not be a enough time to uncover all the weird that comes with the different races.

  “Neat.” was all I could say. I was kind of in shock. Not only did I just discover that twins can communicate with each other through their minds but they also have birthmarks that last until death.

  “I want you and Cody to stay by Jeremiah once we get to the hideout. Keep him safe. He will lead you to Katrina.”

  I nodded, looking at my father. I didn’t need telepathy to know what he was thinking. Where Kat would be so would Damon. He wouldn’t leave his leverage unattended. He would use Kat as a bargaining chip if things went south.

  “My mother … ” Cody said, looking to Ben.

  “I will keep your mother close to me. I will do all that I can to keep her safe, Dakota,” Ben said somberly. I had a feeling that Ben was thinking the same thing I was. This was war and he couldn’t guarantee that Bonnie would survive. I grabbed Cody’s arm, pulling him away from the group.

  “You need to talk her, Cody. We may not all make it out of here. Don’t let things go unsaid.”

  “She nearly killed you, Ashtyn. How am I supposed to forgive that? I can hardly look at her without wanting to kill her myself.”

  “Do you remember what it was like when you lost your father. Don’t you wish you had the opportunity to tell him goodbye, to let him know how much he meant to you? Don’t risk the chance that you could live with that regret a second time.”

  “We make camp here!” I heard Ben yell to the crowd.

  “I’ll think about it,” Cody replied, walking away in the opposite direction of his mother.

  Cody, Mac, Ben, Herrick and I sat around a small fire in our makeshift encampment waiting for the command to abandon our belongings and trek through the remaining three miles of rough terrain to Damon’s hideout. I looked around the camp. My father, Brian and Bonnie were sitting about 15 yards away, close enough to keep an eye on but far enough away to ensure Bonnie couldn’t finish what she had started. Even in the midst of battle I couldn’t help but appreciate my surroundings. Wizards and dreamwalkers sat together talking and laughing. There were still some in the mix who kept to their own race, secluding themselves from the others, but for the most part, they were unified. After so many centuries of prejudice and fear, two races came together for one goal. Of course, it was just a hundred soldiers, but it was a start. I thought about the women Damon had kidnapped, impure women like myself. If he managed to find so many of them in such a short time it made me wonder how many are out there. For the races to despise one another as much as they do I couldn’t wrap my mind around why it seemed as though so many of them ventured out of their own race to find love. I understand why the Zeotecs created the multiple realms to end the feud between those with special abilities, but I don’t believe they ever intended to have every race alienate the others to the point of calling mixed races impures. I needed to speak with Skyler again; aside from him now containing the book that held Ser’ie, he was the only known living Zeotec. All the information he held inside in his mind had to be useful. Maybe the intention all along was to give them a place where they felt at home but not necessarily to make separate worlds that denied a connection with those that were different from them.

  “Ashtyn?” Ben shouted, bringing me out of my haze.

  “Huh?”

  “I asked if you were hungry. You need to eat something before we head out.”

  “Oh sorry, no thanks. Maybe in a bit.”

  “Are you all right, love?” Herrick asked, tilting his head to the side as if he were examining me.

  “I’m fine, why?”

  Herrick looked around at the group and sighed before responding.

  “Ya turned down food, lass. I don’t think that’s ever happened in all the time I’ve known ya,” Mac piped up before Herrick could respond.

  “I can taste your emotions.” He seemed almost embarrassed to say it out loud.

  “This is not exactly news to me, Herrick. What’s with the reluctance?”

  “You sort of reek of uncertainty.”

  I noticed none of the guys wanted to look at me directly. I couldn’t tell if they felt sorry for me or afraid I would go nuclear if they said the wrong thing.

  “I’m sorry, I have a lot on my mind. In case you haven’t noticed we are about to knock on our enemy’s door. I doubt Damon is going to wave the white flag and accept defeat. Look around you. For the first time in God knows how long, wizards and dreamwalkers are working together. Many of them will die together tonight. Doesn’t that make all of you feel a little uncertain?” I waved my hands around the camp for emphasis.

  “Macree … I mean, lass, of course we’re all uncertain. Fear isn’t a weakness. We are afraid because we want what is on the other side of that. The things you don’t want, those not worth fighting for. There would be no unease or confusion. Whatever happens tonight, however this plays out, I know I’m about to fight for a cause worth dying for.”

  Cody raised a brow at Mac and it caused me to giggle.

  “What?” Mac asked in agitation.

  “I’m just confused as to when you became the person who gave inspiring speeches.”

  “It’s called growth, ya horse’s arse, look it up.”

  We all laughed, including Ben, which told me he had been doing some growth of his own.

  “I’m sorry you had to leave Gloria behind. I know she’s missing you.”

  I gave Ben a sincere smile.

  “She knew what she was getting into when she decided to date a general.”

  “That doesn’t make it any easier,” I replied.

  “This is why women shouldn’t be on the battlefield. We need to keep our heads clear, not fill them with thoughts that aren’t suited for war.”

  “Aye, I’ll drink to that,” Mac agreed with Ben, taking a shot of whiskey from his flask.

  “You guys are chauvinistic
pigs!” I barked, rising from my spot by the fire.

  “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, lass. Oink.” Mac winked, giving me his all too sexy smile. Herrick snapped his neck toward Mac, sniffing the air before letting out a snare that made me shiver. I assumed he didn’t like the smell Mac’s emotions were giving off.

  “I’m, um, going to try and get a few minutes of sleep before we shove off. Cody, this may be the last chance to do what we discussed earlier.”

  I motioned my head toward where his mother sat before turning and heading in the direction of the tent Herrick and I shared.

  I was drifting into a decent dream when I felt cold hands wrap around my stomach.

  “You’re freezing!” I cried out, trying to scoot away.

  “It’s Siberia, hummingbird. I can’t exactly turn up the heater.”

  “Is Mac still alive?” I asked, turning to face him.

  “For now.”

  He smirked, kissing the back of my neck.

  “He doesn’t mean anything by it,” I tried to reassure him.

  “Yes he does but who can blame him? Look at you.”

  I looked at the five layers of clothing I currently had on and chuckled.

  “Yeah, I’m real sexy.”

  Herrick leaned into my neck.

  “You have no idea,” he purred into my ear before trailing kisses across my neck up to my lips. I didn’t know how he did it but every time he touched me it felt like an inferno.

  “It’s freezing, we’re about to go up against Damon and you want to make out?”

  Herrick began unwrapping the scarf around my neck.

  “Oh I want a lot more than that, hummingbird.”

  “You can’t be serious. We will die of frostbite.”

  “We can keep each other warm,” he whispered seductively as he wrapped his hands around my hips, pulling me on top of him.

  “I have dreamed of another moment like this with you since the night in the cabin but not like this.”

  I hoped I wasn’t making an enormous mistake. While the timing was horrible this could possibly be the last chance we had to be together. One or both of us may not make it back. What if I never got to touch him again, if this moment was the best we could hope for? I couldn’t think like that, I wouldn’t. We would be together again. After tonight we will have a million more moments together without the threat of death hanging over our heads.