The Agrista (Between the Lines Book 1)

by Shannon Lamb

  She complained that the armor was too plain, losing sight of its sole purpose. Dull as it may be, it was a lot more appealing than a gaping wound, Marie reminded her, causing her to finally accede. If they’d had BeDazzlers in this universe, Marie had no doubt she’d soon see Laylia sporting rhinestone studded armor, and laughed at the thought.

  Were Laylia not there to move things along, the tour of the Ordnantry would’ve been senseless torture. Cayden took it upon himself to educate them on the mechanics of every single weapon – and there were thousands – following each longwinded explanation with a thorough demonstration.

  Because Johanna was his daughter, Marie surmised that Cayden’s thoroughness was his way of coping with the idea of sending her into an extremely dangerous situation. It was silly, when she thought about it, because Johanna had been in one far more perilous for years. Knowing Cayden’s intentions were pure didn’t make the process any more bearable.

  When Laylia’s legs began to cramp up from being stationary for too long, she let it be known that she was ready to move on by means of candid distraction. She wasn’t used to being sedentary, and she impatiently broke away from the lesson at hand.

  “I’ve used one of these before,” Laylia’s mouth curled up into a twisted smile as she palmed a dagger with an embroidered hilt. There were several more just like it, splayed across a bed of soil.

  “On a person?” Marie’s eyes widened with surprise.

  “Of course on a person!” Laylia laughed. “On several, in fact.”

  “W-w-why?” Marie was a little afraid to ask, considering what little she knew of Laylia’s jaded past.

  “I freelanced as a vigilante for a time. Well, vigilante for hire, if I’m being honest.”

  “So in other words, a mercenary?” Marie laughed.

  “Vigilante sounds better,” Laylia reasoned weakly with a laugh.

  “The idea of carrying a weapon makes me feel safer, but the idea of actually having to use it,” Marie shuddered. “That frightens me to death.”

  “Why? If it comes down to a situation where you’re forced to use it, you can rest assured that your opponent would just as easily slit your throat without a second thought.” Laylia liked Marie, and she didn’t want to scare her off, but there was no use pretending to be someone she wasn’t, and she was not a compassionate person. Something about her younger sister made her want to abandon her many masks and give her a glimpse of the frightened child that cowered underneath. She was tired of feeling so alone, and Marie was different than the rest.

  “That’s not why I’m afraid. If my life is in danger, I’ll be more than ready to defend myself, but I’m not a fighter. Sure, having a weapon can save me, but if they get ahold of my weapon – which shouldn’t be too hard, considering my lack of experience – they can hurt me with it instead. I don’t want to make it easier for them.”

  “This isn’t your average weapon,” Laylia perked up. “It can’t be used against you.”

  “Laylia’s right,” Cayden finally caught wind of their conversation, and decided to intervene. “For both of our sakes, I’m not going to ask how you know that, Laylia,” he mumbled with a curious sidelong glance. “Would you like to know how it works?” he turned to Marie, who hesitantly nodded for him to go on. “A Milités official, such as myself, has to authorize its use.” Cayden swiped his thumb along the bottom of the dagger. “Now it’s active, and waiting to be assigned a wielder. Swipe your thumb along the hilt.” Marie did as he instructed. “Now the knife recognizes you as its owner. At least, until it’s reassigned. Only a high-ranking officer of Milités can reset it. Now, slide your thumb downward.” Marie dragged her thumb along the hilt and the blade instantly retracted. “Hand the knife to Laylia.” Laylia sensed Marie’s confusion and snatched the knife impatiently, rubbing her thumb back and forth over the handle. Nothing happened. She handed the dagger back to Marie and instructed her to do the same. Marie slid her thumb upward, prompting the blade to pop back out. “It will only work for you now.”

  “That’s pretty awesome,” Marie agreed with a smile. “But what’s to stop me from hurting myself?”

  “Your armor, I suppose,” Cayden laughed. “Just keep it away from your face, and you’ll be fine.”

  Marie and Laylia both chose a dagger as their weapon. Simple, but effective. More importantly, it was their safest bet. Johanna perused the Ordnantry’s inventory while Cayden gave the sisters a quick lesson on technique. Most of what he taught them was self-defense, but Laylia demanded that he teach them offense as well. Knowing where they were headed, he very well couldn’t deny them.

  Johanna’s sudden reappearance as she emerged from the Ordnantry doors with an armful of weapons tore the sisters’ attention away from the lesson at hand, and filled them with laughter. Cayden shot them a horrified look, unable to see the humor in the child’s frightful eagerness.

  “Perhaps you could pick just one weapon, Johanna?” Cayden suggested.

  “I’d like to be prepared for the battle that lies ahead. Please, teach me how to use all of them.” Johanna attempted to stand taller, but it was impossible beneath the crushing weight of Infragilis and steel. Considering how small she was, her strength was remarkably impressive, but it was hard to take her seriously when they couldn’t see her face.

  “Too much will hinder your movement, but I’m willing to compromise. If you can narrow it down to just five weapons, I’ll show you how to use them,” Cayden agreed reluctantly.

  “Fine.” Without looking, Johanna skimmed the first five weapons off the top and let the rest clatter to her feet in a tangled heap. Cayden cringed at the impact, but couldn’t find it in his heart to scold her, deserving as it may be. Considering his absence throughout her life, he had no right to assert his authority now; though his anger leaked through his otherwise calm demeanor with flared nostrils and a clipped tone as he instructed her to venture forth and wait for him in a nearby clearing. Nothing could shatter a man’s patience quite like a teenage daughter.

  The dusty path back to the encampment was lined with massive brambles and pricker bushes, interspersed heavily with towering blackberry bushes that served as a delicious distraction. They were ravaged and consumed at Laylia’s behest, despite the warning signs that lined the perimeter. The fact that it was illegal for mere civilians to partake of the berries made them taste that much sweeter. Besides – as Laylia put it with a shrug – they were royals.

  Marie didn’t feel right lollygagging when there was so much to be done in preparation for their journey, but Laylia reasoned that there was nothing they could do. She oft reminded her that they needed to take advantage of the quiet moments, for they were far and few between. Having no desire to face Fallon or Cailene, it didn’t take much convincing. When they finally arrived back at camp, Fallon was not happy, but she rarely was.

  “Where’s Cayden?” Fallon demanded. “The ship is stocked and ready to go. Now that you’ve returned, we’re waiting on Cayden and Johanna.” She heaved an exasperated sigh. “I’d like to leave before certain people lose their nerve,” she jerked her head toward Bria, who was anxiously eating dried fruit by the fistful.

  “She chose a few different weapons. Cayden stayed behind to show her how to use them,” Marie smiled in remembrance.

  “I knew that girl would be nothing but trouble,” Fallon muttered bitterly. Apparently she’d found a new target for her vitriol.

  Poor Johanna, Marie winced.

  By the time Cayden and Johanna had returned – hours later – Fallon was furious. Because of them, they wouldn’t make it to Quinque until well after nightfall. Fallon had wanted to leave first thing in the morning. The longer they delayed, the better, as far as Marie was concerned.

  It was obvious by Fallon’s frantic flounce and heavy panting that she was dying to tear into Cayden and give him a piece of her mind. Instead, she mustered up all the self-control she possessed – which was substantially more than Marie would’ve guessed – and went unch
aracteristically quiet.

  She didn’t want to draw any more attention to Cayden and Johanna for fear that others might start to recognize their startling physical resemblance, if they hadn’t already. Instead, they observed Fallon’s odd behavior, adverse to its desired effect.

  “Now that everyone’s here,” Fallon harrumphed. “The Maior Vitae will take us halfway to Quinque, and we’ll travel the rest of the way by Umbrack. Cerin and Marie will go with Alex, and Johanna and Laylia will go with Bria. The six of you will follow Cayden and myself.”

  It made little sense for Fallon to take the Maior Vitae. It was the largest ship on Milités, and required a tedious amount of clearance for anyone other than Fallon. The people of Milités – who considered themselves peacekeepers – gravitated toward bordering disputes and vile acts of inhumanity, avoiding large wars and political skirmishes; other than their own, that is.

  One of the core teachings of Milités was to always be prepared. The Maior Vitae was built as nothing more than a last resort. It lay hidden in an underground facility, dormant and collecting dust, much like the old ways of Milités. It hadn’t been used once since its inception, and served solely as a peace of mind for the inhabitants here.

  The sight of the grand warship sent a shiver down Marie’s spine, detonating a synaptic explosion as she mentally combusted. It had been easy to focus on trivial things and forget where they were headed up until now, but seeing the Maior Vitae brought things into sharp focus. So sharp that Marie felt the stabbing pain of fear twisting her insides and wrenching her breaths.

  Flashes of Cailene’s fury and sadistic imagination – evident in the monstrous decor and gamut of anguish – unfurled in her mind. Her own imagination rivaled the dark Queen’s as she saw herself woven into the barbarous tapestry, begging for release with a terrible scream that left her trembling.

  She rapped her taut white knuckles on the pane of her cheek, forcing herself to become cognizant of her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was her sister, Laylia. She’d caught her in a rare moment of vulnerability, in which her face was unguarded. She looked like the innocent child she’d once been, before Marcel stripped her of her virtue and filled her with hate.

  Thinking herself safe from prying eyes, Laylia wrapped her arms about herself and held tight to combat the growing feeling of helplessness.

  The sudden awareness of Laylia’s impending downfall impeded Marie’s. Something about seeing another person in need always forced her to be strong. Her compassion for others always outweighed her own need for self-destruction.

  “Laylia!” Marie spoke firmly, assuring her sister’s undivided attention. “Whatever happens, I won’t leave your side.” In other words, she wouldn’t leave Laylia alone with Marcel, no matter what. “If it comes down to it, I’ll kill you myself before I let him touch you again,” she hissed, surprising herself with the intensity of her promise.

  A surprising smile lighted Laylia’s face, signifying that they had a mutual understanding. Both of them would rather die than let Marcel get within a breath of them.

  “I’d do the same for you,” Laylia whispered before abruptly turning away. She had a soft spot for her little sister, but she refused to let anyone see her break. Never again, she wept softly to herself beneath a cloak of shadow.

  The speed of the Maior Vitae was even more impressive than its massive size. The ride was smooth, similar to the way one can’t feel the Earth turn beneath their feet as it orbits the sun, but knows, without a doubt, that it’s constantly moving. The Maior Vitae wove through the stars, leaving all hope of returning in its dust.

  Raeph seemed dissatisfied with Fallon’s reasoning for taking the Maior Vitae on this fool’s expedition, her reason being: If I’m going out, I’m going out with a bang. She most likely would, taking the glorious ship down with her.

  Marie found it surprising that Raeph was such a stickler for the rules. Due to his laidback attitude and startling lack of boundaries, she’d originally thought him a rebel. One would have to be delinquent on some level to forge such a lasting camaraderie with Fallon, but perhaps it was based on a compatible maliciousness. He had an equally sharp tongue. The only difference was that he was more selective about when he used it.

  Aside from the seasoned pair of dignitaries squabbling at the head of the ship who were desensitized to the hell of warfare, everyone looked to each other for comfort, silently drawing strength from one another. No one wanted to give voice to their fear, if not for fear of appearing weak, then for fear of its contagious nature. They found comfort only in distraction.

  Marie and Laylia held hands for the entire journey, refusing to part for even a second. By forcing themselves to acknowledge the awkward intensity of their sudden intimacy with sweaty palms and terse glances, it kept their minds off of other things, like how they were continually edging closer to the last place in the world either of them wanted to be.

  Alex watched their friendship blossom with secret longing. He so desperately wanted to be the one to comfort Marie, but his sentiments were morphing into pangs of desire, and were no longer so innocent and helpless in their nature. He was her protector. Nothing more, he reminded himself.

  Johanna fawned over Cerin as he muttered various theorems and calculations to himself, finding the hollow words comforting in their absolute certainty. Cayden watched her from the shadows, wondering if this was the first crush she’d ever had on a boy; not that Cerin was a boy, mind you. He had so much to learn about his young daughter. If they died today, he’d never get the chance.

  The nine of them came to the designated halfway point faster than any of them would’ve liked. The sudden stop was widely known among the crew by the grating cacophony, amplified by the empty metal corridors as they came to a screeching halt. Marie was hoping for at least a full day’s journey to build up her nerve, but was granted no such pardon.

  “Are you ready?” Cerin suddenly turned to Cayden.

  “Are you?” Cayden snorted indignantly.

  “I need to equip you with the IVs before we make our departure,” Cerin clarified with a laugh.

  “I suppose we should say our goodbyes now then,” Marie said with a flickering smile.

  “I’ll see you again, sweetheart,” Raeph winked, fighting the urge to gather her up in his arms. He swiftly turned his attention to Fallon. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  “We’ll see. I’m not making any promises.”

  “There’s no need for sentimental goodbyes. We’ll return shortly, safe and sound.” There wasn’t a hint of doubt in Alex’s words, reminding the others of their own as the ship fell silent for a moment.

  “Let’s just get this over with!” Bria said grumpily, cautiously eyeing the IV in Cerin’s hand.

  “Alright then,” Cerin nodded briskly as the others struggled to contain their mirth with strangled snorts and shaky exhalations.

  The IV made an unpleasant hissing sound as it pierced Bria’s thick hide, almost as if the prongs were the canines of an ill-tempered snake. The earsplitting bellow that followed as runnels of blood and sweat laced through her limp mane left the others shivering in dreadful anticipation. They hadn’t even gotten to the painful part yet.

  This was the first time Marie had ever seen Bria in her Umbraic form. She was different from the others. Plain by comparison, but there was beauty in her simplicity. Her rich brown coat shimmered. Even in the dim light of the Maior Vitae, it glowed like a blazing sunset, pouring over the mountaintops as it faded into the coming night.

  The tips of her burgundy mane reflected her surroundings like faceted glass, forcing those that chose to look upon her to see themselves for what they really were; slightly askew, much like Bria herself. Her wings were a mosaic masterpiece. Delicate and hypnotic, much like a monarch butterfly flitting on the breeze, entrancing all who indulge in the whimsy of its flight.

  Alex’s resounding roar brought Marie back to herself and away from her diverging thoughts. He was the last one to be eq
uipped with an IV, and he made no effort to stifle his displeasure.

  One by one, Raeph’s companions disappeared before him as they mounted their Umbra and donned their Clamans rings, leaving him alone, yet haunted.

  The door drew open with punishing slowness. Each metallic click sent an anticipatory shiver down Marie’s spine, leaving her shaking with fright. She leaned forward and buried her face in Alex’s silvery mane, expelling her fear with abbreviated gasps that raised his hackles and steeled his resolve.

  Fallon wasted no time with lingering sentiments and awkward partings. The spur of her heel on Cayden’s torso was like a match to a fuse. Raeph was struck with the force of a cannon as the air whorled around him in mighty gales, forcing him on his back as they made their violent departure.

  He hated that he had to stay behind. Raeph wanted to be out on the frontlines, battered with blood and sweat as he proudly fought alongside his comrades. It’s not in the cards, he told himself bitterly.

  He understood the significance of his role and his patience. He was as vital to this operation as Marie and the Agrísta. If something went wrong, it fell to him to save the day, he reassured himself.

  Bria’s incessant grumbling was about as pleasant as raging indigestion. Crushed beneath the weight of Laylia’s fear, she echoed her own insecurities as she grew tense beneath her creator’s flaccid body. If Johanna hadn’t been holding on to Laylia, she would’ve fallen adrift among the sea of stars.

  The others felt similarly. The chilly wind nipping at their backs was the only thing that kept them rooted to the present, but their thoughts had no such stronghold, and their minds were torn asunder. The eerie quiet gave life to the seeds of fear culminating in their bellies, tearing through their guts and slithering into their ventricles as it took a firm hold of their courage.

  The sight of the castle glimmering in the distance stopped their hearts cold. It was even more beautiful than Marie had remembered. Ironic, considering the horrors held within. Everyone braced themselves as they came to a sudden halt. They mentally prepared themselves for the onslaught of inspirational militant litanies as Fallon puffed out her chest and slicked her hair back with an unsteady palm.