by Sophia Sharp
“Me?” Hunter blinked once, seemingly in surprise. “I feel…different. And my head aches.” He brought a hand up to his face, and he winced as he touched the side that was swollen. “Oh, yes. I think I’m starting to remember. There was a fight, and there were these two horrible creatures…”
“Human men,” Nora jumped in. “They were both just human men.”
“Really?” Hunter sounded surprised. “Are you sure we speak of the same ones? The ones I fought against were like no men I have ever seen. They were hideous, monstrous deformities. Their faces—”
“I know,” Nora interrupted, taking his hands. “I know what they looked like. But they…spoke to me. Told me things about who they were. And as hard as it is to believe, they were simply regular human men.”
“Hm. Then how…?”
“All this?” Nora asked. Hunter nodded. “They gagged you, and apparently the cloth they used had some type of mixture of herbs or something like that, which when breathed in, completely dulls the Vassiz powers within us.”
“What?” Hunter sounded shocked. He looked around and pushed himself up in alarm. “I can’t see…” he whispered, half to himself in complete disbelief. “It’s…dark. And I can’t see!”
“I know,” Nora said, placing her hand on his shoulder. “I know. Me neither, not as well as before. But the effects wear off. Already, my vision’s better than when I first got free.”
“An herb that restricts the Vassiz within us?” Hunter sounded like he was in complete disbelief. “I have never heard of such a thing, but if it’s the truth…”
“It is,” Nora nodded. “I saw one of them put the mixture on the cloth just before they stuck it into my mouth. It made me pass out, right away.”
Hunter nodded. “I guess that’s why things are so hazy and difficult to remember…”
Nora smiled. “That’s right. But you’re safe now. We’re all safe now.”
“Your shirt,” Hunter said suddenly. “What are you wearing?”
“Oh. This?” Nora tugged at the cloth she was wearing. “It’s one of theirs. My clothes were taken.”
“Taken? They didn’t…” he trailed off, not willing to say the unimaginable.
Nora swallowed. “They were about to. But Gray got there just in time.”
“Thank God.” Nora squeaked as Hunter threw his arms around her and squeezed her tightly. “I could never live with myself if I let anything like that happen to you,” he whispered in her ear. “Nora, I’m so sorry all of this ever happened.”
She frowned. He was sorry? What about the way she had let him be beaten? He could have been killed! She should be the one apologizing to him. She had been the last one captured, after all, which meant she had a chance to save them. And he was apologizing to her? The stubborn man!
“How are the others?” he asked suddenly, pulling away.
Nora reached out to touch his face. “In better shape than you,” she said softly. She motioned toward them. Both Madison and Alexander were on the ground, and neither had moved yet.
“We need to wake Madison and Alexander,” Hunter said. “And we need to get away from here.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
~Herbs~
It took a bit of effort, but eventually, both Alexander and Madison awoke from their slumber. Neither had been hurt anywhere nearly as badly as Hunter, and Nora suspected it was because the elders were looking for her and Hunter, not her and Hunter and two others.
It took a little bit more time getting them up to speed with what happened. Nora explained how she had been taken into the tent and the conversations she had with both twisted men. She told them how Gray showed up just in time to rescue her, and how she suspected the torrial were key to the barrier she found when she was searching for the others.
“And what about that…darkness?” Alexander asked. “What do you think that was?”
“Based on what Nora’s told us,” Madison offered, “I suspect it has something to do with the powers of the two torrial.” Nora nodded in agreement.
“It makes sense,” Hunter said. “That a torrial would be able to work against Vassiz in that way. The darkness that swept up each of us in turn is very likely something extracted from the dream realm and controlled by the two medallions. We are, unlike humans, very intimately connected to that world.”
“Right,” Nora said, nodding.
“And the herbs,” Madison continued, “that’s…astounding. That something exists that can mute down the Vassiz within us?”
“I know.” Alexander whistled. “In all my years, I have never heard of something like that. Not even a hint about it existing.”
“Do you remember what they said was in it?” Madison asked Nora.
Nora shook her head. “No. All they told me was that it was a common herb that did it.”
“Wait a minute,” Hunter interrupted. “Didn’t you say you saw them apply the mixture to your rag?”
“That’s right,” Nora answered.
“Well, in that case, wouldn’t the mixture still be on them? I’m sure we can find it by their bodies.”
“And take care of Gray at the same time,” Madison added. Nora looked at her in surprise. “I can take a look at the wound. With the Vassiz sense faded, I shouldn’t have any problem discerning the severity of it.”
“Thank you,” Nora said. She got up, and the rest of them followed her to the tent.
The scene was just as she left it. The canopy had been pulled over to one side, revealing the two fallen bodies. This time, the queasiness Nora felt was more subdued. And, she realized with delight, she could already see farther in the dark than before.
Gray was still there, licking at the wound on his leg. Nora ran up to him, and he moved his great head toward her. Madison came next, walking toward him with a bit more caution.
“I’m hoping he recognizes me,” she said, “but with the Vassiz sense dulled, I can see him clearly. The advantage before was that I was nearly indiscernible to him. I just hope I don’t spook him now.”
As Madison got closer, a growl began in Gray’s throat. Nora quickly stroked the back of his neck. “It’s alright,” she whispered to him. “Madison is a friend.” She wished she could form the connection already, but it was still impossible. “She’s going to take care of you. Don’t worry.”
As if Gray understood every single word, he instantly relaxed. She felt his muscles loosen as he settled back down into a more comfortable position.
Madison walked over to the side and squatted beside Gray. He moved his head to look at her, but Nora pulled it back. She held onto him as Madison gently examined the wound, spreading his fur out to see it better. When she was done, she got up and nodded to herself.
“So?” Nora asked.
Madison smiled. “It’s not nearly as bad as you might think. Bears are strong creatures, and they get into fights all the time in the wild. This stab is little worse than a scratch he might get from another bear. I wouldn’t worry about it getting infected or anything like that.”
“But he was limping when he walked,” Nora said.
“I know. The slit from the knife is narrow, but it went pretty deep. Not deep enough to damage anything permanently, but deep enough to cause discomfort until it heals.”
“And how long should that take?”
Madison licked her lips. “Two, maybe three weeks? The wound itself will close up long before then, but it will take a while for the muscle fibers to recover. In either case, neither Gray nor you need to worry.”
Nora exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “That’s such a relief,” she said, and looked to Gray. “You hear that, you big hero? You’re going to be just fine.”
Madison smiled. “Now, I think we need to figure out what to do with them.” She looked over at the two bodies on the ground.
“Right.” Nora rose. Alexander and Hunter were already examining the bodies, albeit with a bit of caution. It was like they didn’t quite know how to behave witho
ut their Vassiz senses. Both of the men looked as if they were afraid either Borrak or Serkhol might jump at them at any second.
“This is the one who used the bottle,” Nora said, pointing at Borrak on the ground. “If we’re to find the mixture anywhere, the first place to check would be on him.”
At her words, Hunter bent down to the body. He gripped Borrak by one side and heaved him over. Nora grimaced. Death had not made him any easier to look at.
Hunter patted the front pockets of Borrak’s pants. “I think this is it,” he said, as he dug in to pull something out. Sure enough, in his hand was that same dark glass bottle Nora had seen Borrak use on her rag.
“That’s it,” Nora said, picking her way over. She still didn’t like the way her bare feet squished through the dirt that was still moist with blood. Hunter handed the bottle to her, and Nora examined it. It looked to be about half-empty and had a cork twisted into the top. She didn’t want to open it lest she unleash the effects of the mixture again.
“We should throw it away,” Nora said. “It’s a horrible, vile substance.”
“And yet,” Alexander interceded, “it may come extremely useful in the future.”
“What? How?”
“Think! If we need to fight the elders, having something like that to use would give us an immense advantage.”
“And besides,” Hunter said, “who knows what its effects might be in the dream realm?”
Nora stared at the two of them in complete shock. They were the ones who looked so completely unnerved by their missing Vassiz powers, and they were suggesting keeping the bottle? It didn’t make any sense.
“They’re right, you know,” Madison said gently, from just behind Nora. “We should not waste a gift like that. With the little remaining, we could even examine it, maybe find out how it’s made.”
“And if we can make more,” Alexander said. “Perhaps it will hold the link to the cure that so many are seeking.”
“Cure?” Nora looked around in confusion. “What cure? What are you talking about?”
“A little known secret of the Vassiz,” Madison told her quietly, “is that many wish for release from the burden of eternal life. None ever get it. Maybe with this, some that have been denied that choice will be given the chance.”
Nora blinked. This seemed much too egalitarian, especially considering that so many of the other Vassiz were hunting them. But then again, they were only doing so on the elders’ orders. To live life like that, perpetually at someone else’s command…. Nora could imagine yearning for a release. But if Borrak and Serkhol knew of the herbs, did it mean the elders might, as well? Surely they must have been the ones who gave it to them. And if so, why didn’t more of the Vassiz know about it?
Nora knew the answer to the question before it was even half-formed. The elders relished their hold on power, and lessening the number of Vassiz meant lessening their own influence over the world. A substance that did anything even close to what the herbal mixture in her palm did could be catastrophic to the entire hidden society of Vassiz.
“Alright then,” Nora said. “We’ll keep it. But I don’t want to be the one holding onto it.”
“I’ll take it,” Alexander said smoothly, and whisked it from her hands. “I don’t mind having it on me.”
“Well, if that’s settled,” Nora began, “what are we going to do about the bodies? And the two torrial?”
“What I’m interested in,” Hunter said, “is that barrier you spoke of. How was it formed? And was it truly done just by the torrial?”
“By all accounts of her escape,” Alexander said, “that is the only explanation that makes sense. And yet, unless any of us want to try the medallions out ourselves…?” he trailed off to prove his point. “Thought not.”
“So what do we do with them?” Nora asked again.
“Take them with us, of course,” Alexander answered. “Knowing our enemy’s weapons can only give us an advantage.”
“Besides,” Madison offered, “we don’t want any of these items to fall into the wrong hands.”
“You’re right,” Nora agreed. “And then what about the bodies?”
“Leave them where they are,” Madison said, with an unexpected coldness. “The elders sent us a warning by destroying the tower and desecrating the wall in the sanctuary. Let us do the same. Let them know we were able to dispose of their hounds, and let the others who come after you fear the same fate.”
Nora blinked. That was…completely ruthless. And yet it made perfect sense.
Alexander nodded. “The elders think you for easy meat. And yet, you have shown them time and time again that you are anything but. I agree with Madison. Leave the bodies here for everybody else to see, and let them rot.”
“It’ll be an outright mimicry of anything the elders are trying to do,” Hunter said thoughtfully, “but I like it. They will be the ones to be afraid once they realize you are coming after them.” His eyes locked with Nora’s, and shivers ran down the back of her spine as he spoke. “You are brave, Nora, and strong. Your escape here and your rescue of us will be the first direct act of defiance against the rule of the elders. They will know not to take you lightly. But you have dealt with their two biggest threats and emerged victorious over them both. And you will finish the coup when you lead us against them.”
Nora nodded and realized her heart was beating hard. Adrenaline ran through her veins. She was the one prophesied to defeat the elders, and Hunter, Madison, and Alexander were rallying around her. Let the elders see what had become of their hounds. Let them fear the day Nora Cubus comes for them.
By the way she saw Hunter’s face so clearly in the dark, she could tell her Vassiz senses were returning.
Chapter Twenty-Three
~Goodbyes~
It was dark again by the time they arrived at the edge of Portland. The effects of the herbs had lasted all the way through that first night and into the early daylight hours of the next day. But when they finally wore off – completely wore off – it felt like waking up after a very long nap. The senses that came back nearly overpowered Nora with their intensity. It was hard to imagine, but it felt as if her body had gotten used to not seeing everything in such high detail, to not smelling everything with such clarity. Having everything come back to her at once was overwhelming.
She could tell by the way the others reacted that they felt the same way. When their senses were restored, within minutes of each other, all of her companions stumbled as if they had become light headed. It took a moment for each of them to regain themselves, to render control over their bodies.
The direct benefit to getting the abilities back, of course, was the immediate speed they could use in getting to Portland. That is, if Gray were not laboring behind them.
His walk had improved, Nora noted, and each time she looked back he seemed to be limping less and less. Still, the way he avoided putting weight on that leg worried her.
Which is why the first thing she did when she realized her senses were back was run to Gray and form the connection between their minds.
Relief flooded from Gray immediately on contact. Relief, coming from the fact that their communication channel was not lost forever. Nora immediately sent her appreciation, as a pure, unbridled emotion. She wanted him to know how thankful she was he had come for her when he did and for the way he took care of Borrak and Serkhol. She felt contentment come back, as if rescuing her was exactly what he lived for.
Satisfied with that, Nora started prodding, exploring the parts of his mind that he let her. She was looking for the pain center, where she could finally tell how severe the injury felt to him. But, as if he knew exactly what she was looking for, he seemed to…block off…her ability to read that part of his mind. She tried again, and again she found that reaching the pain he felt was very slippery. No matter what she did, it always seemed just slightly out of reach.
She broke the connection as she crossed her hands and looked at him sternly. He rega
rded her with his head craned to one side. He was a warrior through and through, and she knew that. But did he have to be so stubborn, as she was starting to realize all males were, to not even let her peek at the severity of his hurt? She had thought perhaps it was a human trait, and one that remained within all Vassiz, but what Gray had just shown her proved her wrong. It was decidedly a male trait, pretending absolutely nothing was wrong even when something obviously was.
And so, with Gray continuing to limp behind them, but blocking Nora from seeing the extent of his injury, the entire trip to Portland took longer than it should have. Yet they were finally there. Except that, like they agreed upon before, they couldn’t go into the city at night.
“Now what?” Nora asked. She realized she needed to get some new clothes before going into the city. From where they stood, on a hill about half a mile away, she could see all the bright lights of the apartment buildings and other real estate that signified a living, breathing city.
“Alexander and I can continue from here,” Madison said. “We’ll find a room in a hotel and come back to bring you guys the key.”
“Are you sure it’s safe for you two?” Nora asked.
“Of course. The elders are still only looking for you. And besides, even if they have found out that there are four to our party, none would suspect us.”
Alexander put an arm around Madison’s back. “Besides,” he added with a wink, “if anything happens, I can take care of her.” He grunted as Madison put an elbow in his side.
Nora laughed. “We’ll see you soon?”
“We’ll be back within the hour,” Madison replied.
Nora watched as Madison and Alexander sped downhill toward the city. They would be there in mere minutes.
“Have you told him yet?”
Nora looked behind her and saw Hunter was standing right there. He was looking at her worriedly.
The question caught her off-guard. “Told who what?” Nora asked.
“Gray. Does he know we’re leaving?”
