by Jill Cooper
Perhaps, or maybe something in Ella was changing. There was no way to be sure, but as we forged ahead toward the Temptress, I certainly hoped I was right.
Chapter Thirty
Tarnish Rose
The river had once been grand, and now the riverbed looked more like a crater. We had to climb down into it, truck through the dirt, and climb up on the other side. It was overgrown with tall grass and bushes, but through it all I saw the remains of old buildings, homes, and off in the distance a great wall.
“An old fort,” Sebastian said as he came up behind me. “We’ll do well to reach there and be secure while we wait for Temptress’s fortress to appear.”
“Then we better be quick because it’ll happen soon. In a matter of hours, no more than two,” Ella said.
“How can she know that?” Beatrice asked. “Are you some sort of witch?”
“Oh, please.” Ella rolled her eyes.
“Ella is special,” I said. “She won’t harm you.”
Sebastian shot me a look as I said 'special', and Ella sucked in a breath. “Special?” She asked in a high voice. “Special? I’m nothing of the sort.”
“Right,” I said with a slight smile. “Because it’s normal to sense where the tower will arrive, and normal to create light in the palm of your hand.” Not to mention what I saw her do with sound.
Ella took exception. “Special people get dead. I’m normal and plain as they come. Not special.”
“Let’s argue about it on the way, at least. We have to keep moving,” Robbie said.
He was right. We started forward again, and Ella rushed ahead and grabbed my arm. She spun me around. “You take it back,” she said. “Take back what you said. I’m not special.”
How upset she was took me by surprise. Tears lined her eyes, and I wondered where it was coming from. “All right, all right. You’re not special. Happy.”
Ella stomped her foot, and her hands clenched tightly. “No! You don’t mean it. Now you’re the one who's lying!”
I sighed. “What do you want from me, Ella?! What can I possibly say to calm you down?”
Ella shook her head. “You’ve ruined everything. You stupid—” She drew her arm back as if to punch me, and Sebastian placed his hand over her fist.
“Enough!” Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “Stop it, or we’ll tie your arms behind your back and leave you.”
“You need me!” Ella shrieked.
“Not really. You told us where the fortress will be and when it will be there.” Sebastian shrugged. “Guess you were right; not special.”
Before Ella got a chance to have another outburst, I held up my hand to quiet them, partially so the new group of men and women wouldn’t see what a mess we were—and because I heard a noise.
Someone—or something ruffling through the grass. “Did you hear that?” I whispered.
Everyone listened, and a moment later the grass just to our left shifted as if something fought beneath it.
Sebastian drew his bow while everyone but me and Ella drew their swords and readied their shields. I bent down in the grass and parted it down the middle, surprised as a dirtied and distressed face peered up at me.
It was the bar maiden, Rebecca from Haven.
****
“Oh, please,” Rebecca cried on her hands and knees at the hem of my robe. “Please, help me. She’s coming! You must help me!”
“Rebecca?” Sebastian called out with disbelief.
I bent down and took the poor maiden by the shoulder. Clearly, she had been through a struggle. Her face was darkened with soot and dirt and her hair was matted like a hornet’s nest, but it was her dried and bleeding lips that brought me the most worry. I had gone thirsty since we crossed the barrier into the unforgiving lands and knew how she felt.
“Sebastian, water,” I said gently. He replaced his bow and gathered his canteen.
“What happened?” I asked Rebecca, but she looked everywhere but at me. “Rebecca, can you hear me?”
“She’s in shock.” Sebastian put the canteen to her lips and tipped it back. As the first bit of water splattered out, Rebecca startled. When she realized what was happening, her eyes snapped with a blink and she started to drink.
“Just a little at a time. We don’t want her to cramp,” I said. “Are you with us now, Rebecca?”
She nodded. “She came and burned down Haven. Took the men, the horses and turned them into ghastly creatures just like her. I don’t know who she is, but I know she’s death, Tarnish Rose. Death.”
Death.
“How did you escape? Markus brought word of Haven to us. I’m sorry, Rebecca.” Sebastian said.
Rebecca nodded in a hurry. “The parts of it that mattered are burned and destroyed. The people, the crops. My pub… it’s all gone.” She sunk back on her knees and stared down at the sparse grass at our feet. “I’m so sorry I failed it. I failed you, Sebastian.”
Curious… she never said how she escaped. I glanced at my party members and saw disbelief and shock on their faces, especially Ella, who looked hardened as ever with a deep scowl.
“Never.” Sebastian gripped her hands. “You’d never fail me.”
“She’ll track me. She’ll follow me to you. We must leave if we want to keep ahead of her.”
“Oh, she’ll track you, will she?” Ella asked with mockery and disdain, her hands perched on her hips. “Or is it that you’re leading her to us? So she can get her prize, and you’ll get what—food? Water?”
“You’re in no place to judge,” Sebastian said firmly.
Ella rolled her eyes. “She’s a plant. A troll. Don’t be a sap, Tarnish. You see her for what she is, don’t you?”
“She’s a friend. She comes with us, and we’ll give her food and drink. Somewhere to survive. When we return to the McRow family, we’ll leave her there to help. They, in return, can help her. Does that sound good to you, Miss Rebecca?”
Rebecca nodded. “It sounds lovely. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them. I am most weary, but if we have to make a stop first… where is it we are riding to?”
“We are off to rescue the McRow children. We ride toward Temptress’s fortress.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened. “Don’t worry,” Sebastian said, “we will keep you away from the battle and keep you safe. These men and women are going to return the children once we find them. You can go with them.” Sebastian gestured to Robbie and his friends. Beatrice and Ana bent over to give Rebecca a hand and brought her up to her feet.
I did have a bad feeling of her finding us, but what could I do? She was a friend, she needed food and water as desperately as we did. I watched as Sebastian gave her some bread and Robbie helped her along. Inside I felt desperate, like I was watching my end play out in front of me but was helpless to do anything about it.
“You see it, I know you do,” Ella said as she stood beside me. “But you’ll just let it continue and go on because what? Because you lack the strength to do anything about it.”
“We can’t leave anyone behind, no matter what I suspect. I could be wrong. You could be wrong. She’s our friend.”
Ella snorted and shook her head. “Give me a knife, and I’ll do what you should. I’ll end it here and now.”
“No. I’ll keep an eye on her. The others will, too, I saw it in their eyes.” I headed toward our horse and gripped its reins.
“Great,” Ella muttered to herself and kicked at the dirt. “Who is going to watch me while you’re doing all that? You’ll have to grow eyes in the back of your head.”
“Somehow I’ll manage.”
“I could run,” Ella teased. “I’ll run and never go near that farm again. Who's to say I won’t do that?”
I decide to test a theory. “These lands are running out of food. I think you know that. Soon, that farm might be the only place left with fresh food or the ability to sustain life.”
Ella turned her head and stared toward the front. My theory was right, I hated it, but it
was right. The world wasn’t able to sustain people much longer if things didn’t change. If the world wasn’t saved soon, everyone would die out.
We headed toward the fort, keeping it in our sights, and were guided only by the light of the stars, twinkling far above. “You’ll need to trust me,” Ella said with a tense jaw. “When we get to the fortress, when we go up against Temptress to rescue those children, you’re going to need me. So, what will you do, Tarnish? Which of us will you trust? Me? Rebecca?”
I sucked in my breath and didn’t answer because I didn’t know what to do, but I feared Ella was right. I feared she was right about everything.
Chapter Thirty-One
Tarnish Rose
We came to a structure in the wilderness. Trees grew, and the green grass was thicker than most, but there was a lingering feeling of dread and regret here. As we came to a stone wall and an entrance, I felt resistance. I didn’t want to enter this place. I wanted to move away from it.
Instead, Ella gazed up at the rusted walls. Moss grew between the joints and clung to the place. “We enter here. Temptress’s fortress won’t be far, but the only way to the other side is through.”
I put my hand on the door. It was cool to the touch and moist. Swiping away decades worth of dirt revealed a name engraved on the plaque. “Fort Washington. Last resistance to D.C., the capital.”
Swallowing hard, I gripped the door handle.
“Last resistance to what?” Ella asked.
I shook my head in disgust that she knew so little, of course, I myself had only learned about D.C. a short while ago. I looked to Sebastian, who supported Rebecca, fallen over on top of him. Her eyes were closed, and she was moaning. Her head hung low and swayed like she had no control over it.
“She needs to rest, Tarnish. Rebecca won’t last upright must longer.”
Ella narrowed her eyes. “I told you she’d slow us down,” Ella hissed. “She’s nothing more than a wench thrown in our plans.”
“A wrench,” Sebastian corrected.
“I meant what I said.” Ella held her nose in the air. “She’s a bar wench, and now you’ve made me explain myself, so it’s not nearly as funny.”
“It wasn’t funny to begin with.” I pushed open the door, but it barely gave an inch. I threw my entire weight behind it, digging my feet in as I pushed and pushed. I groaned as Sebastian lay his hands on the door and helped me swing the door open.
We stepped into an overgrown courtyard of grass and blowing dirt as our growing party followed behind. In front of us were barracks and several buildings with access to the gate walls. By the gate walls were rusted cannons covered in ferns and moss.
“This place existed through all the great wars. In the end, it turned on the capital,” Sebastian said solemnly, “just as they turned on the citizens. Turning people into… cattle to be shepherded and controlled.”
“Spare us the history lessons,” Ella said with a snort. “I might fall asleep before she does.”
I glanced at Rebecca, who was teetering on her feet. My heart went out to the tired woman. “We get her a bite to eat and a nap before we head out. Get her settled.” I glanced at Robbie.
He nodded. “We’ll take good care of her.”
I was relieved to hear it. Ella yawned. “I could use a nap and a bite to eat, too.”
“Eat,” I said, “but there’s no time for the rest of us to sleep.”
Sebastian nodded with understanding. I stepped forward in the tall grass, and my foot crunched against something brittle. I bent down and swished the grass away with my palm. I thought I had found rocks, twigs, maybe bugs, but instead I found human skeletons.
Tons of human bones.
“This place is death,” Ella whispered. “It’s a grave, and if we stay here, we may end up joining them.”
While I didn’t respond to Ella, I did turn back and give her a glare. Her eyes narrowed at me. At the other side of the old fort, I pushed open the door to the barracks. A gust of mildew hit me as I stepped inside.
An old table and chairs and a few cots in the corner, everything inside looked like something you’d find in a museum. I didn’t want to disturb the slumber of the place, but Sebastian pushed past me with Rebecca.
He lay her on the ground as she shivered. “I’m so cold. So cold, Sebastian.”
“It’s been a wet day through the wilderness. I’ll get you warmed up.”
Sebastian took off his robe and lay it across Rebecca’s shivering shoulders. Now only in his leather armor, I saw how muscular and strong he really looked. It wasn’t something he played up, but I could see the sword against his leg, the bow against his back. Sebastian was ready for a battle, wherever which way it came from.
“Get her some food,” I said to Robbie. “Everyone else, eat and prepare yourselves.” I glanced at Sebastian. “We leave soon.”
I walked outside and took a breath, feeling like the walls were closing in. This place was a tomb and a prison. It was beginning to crush me.
“Tarnish,” Sebastian softly said from behind me. I heard his rush of footsteps. “You, too, should rest.”
Pivoting on my heel, I shook my head. “I can’t. There’s too much to do. Worry about.”
“That’s why you need to. The biggest thing we need to do is right over the horizon. Temptress and D.C., the last remnant. It can’t be a coincidence her tower is appearing here, so close to what we need.”
“She placed it here. She must remember where they all are.” The implications to what it all meant... well, I didn’t really want to even consider it. Maybe she couldn’t touch them herself, maybe she didn’t even want their magic, maybe to her this was all a game.
“Maybe, or the centuries she’s been here…” Sebastian’s lips drew into a thin line. “I don’t want to talk about her now. I came here to express my concern for you… and for how…” He didn’t seem to know what he wanted to say.
“How?”
With a sigh, he moved away, but he changed his mind. I could see the conflict of choices on his face. “Tarnish… when we’re done, there’s… something expected of you. Men. The rebellion has believed in this prophecy a long time.”
“It’s okay, Sebastian. Stop twisting yourself up like this. I already know.”
His face spread with relief. “You do?”
I nodded. “Markus told me, right before we left. You’re my partner in all this. I feel closer to you than ever, but I’m not going to marry you. Not ever.”
His relief turned to pain. “You… you can’t just say that. We have to… I’m the historian. You’re the curator, we belong together for… the future of the human race.”
“Once Markus explained it to me, your behavior made sense. The sudden affection, those times I felt like you were going to kiss me.” I smiled as I took his hands in mine. “We care about each other, that much is clear, but Penny. You love her.”
His eyes widened, and he stuttered, trying to come up with an answer.
“Don’t. I saw it with my own eyes, and it’s beautiful, Sebastian. It’s true in all its glory. Sweet, tender. Real. You can’t marry me just because you think you should. Just like I can’t marry you.”
He bent his head down. “What if love isn’t the answer?”
“Love is always the answer.” Gently, I touched his face. “I understand now why you were so put off when you first met me. You were meeting this person you were supposed to wed, and I was only looking for someone with answers. We’re friends now, and friends don’t let their friends marry someone they don’t love.”
“Then what? What do we do?” Sebastian narrowed his eyes. “Markus, the leaders in the rebellion, they expect things from us once the world is saved. They will expect us to do specific things once we rid the world of Creighton.”
“They’re wrong.” I pointed out past the fortress. “George is in that fortress, and I’m going to get him back. Just like you’re going to get Penny. I’ll marry who I choose. If I didn’t want a choice in m
y life, I never would’ve left Rottenwood.”
Sebastian’s face went pale as he got the comparison I had made. “The rebellion leaders aren’t ministers, Abby.”
I gave a little laugh. “I like it when in moments when you’re angry with me, you call me Abby. Sometimes I forget I’m still her underneath.”
Sebastian stroked my hair back. “I’m not angry.”
Sure he wasn’t, but I let it go. “Can you drop this? Can you be my friend, fight with me in this war? We fight for those we love, for those we don’t even know, and for each other, right? For the right to do what we want.”
Sebastian nodded. “It’s going to take me a while to come around to this….”
“It took me a while, too. You tried to explain it to me, but you couldn’t. I had to feel my way through it all. As for the rebellion leaders, I don’t see any of them here, Sebastian. I’m here. I’m the one who will destroy Creighton, once and for all.”
“You’re our leader,” Sebastian whispered. “You are her.” He kissed my hands. I knew he loved me as I loved him, not sexual, not all consuming, but as friends. Allies. Maybe even a little bit like I was his sister.
I stroked his hair for a brief second. “I’m going to go check on Rebecca before we depart. You gave me a lot to think about. Thank you, Tarnish.” With relief I watched him go, happy we had finally been able to put all the cards on the table. As I turned, a shadow lurked near the wall.
“Come on out, Ella. I know you’re there.”
She peeked around the corner. “I didn’t want to interrupt all the sappiness. You really know how to shoot a man down.”
Ella loved to goad me; maybe that’s how she treated everyone. “It’s almost time to go. Let’s take a look, find this tower.” I climbed up the ladder on the wall and walked the perimeter so I could get a lay of the land.
Ella’s footsteps quickened behind me. “You won’t like what you’ll see.”
I saw an old dried up riverbed, and in the distance, a giant fortress. The courtyard outside was a giant circle and made of stone. There were multiple pointed towers, as if it was a giant shard, and the windows glowed outward. Ravengers circled the tops and cried out with a mind-numbing scream, making my insides quiver.
