by Kara Jaynes
A terrific crashing sounded behind me and with a yell, I spun around, hands up, light pulsing from my fingertips, ready to unleash havoc on whatever was behind me.
Nothing was there. The hair stood on end on the back of my neck. Snarling, I plunged into the woods in that direction. I stopped short as guttural laughter filled the air, haunting and animal-like.
“Show yourself!” I shouted. I scooped up as much air as I could, gathering it about myself as I prepared to attack. If anything appeared, it’d better be prepared to get blown over.
Something flickered out of the corner of my eye, and I twisted, unleashing a gust of wind, and propelled a squirrel several yards away before realizing my mistake and pulled in the amount of energy, so the animal landed with a gentle thump. It scrambled to its feet, and scampered away, chittering at me.
My face warmed as I began to stalk through the forest, arms held up in a defensive position. I could sense the Beast, but only trickles, here and there, like he was leading me on.
I stopped short, considering the possibility. What manner of creature was I hunting? I’d never seen it, and none of the villagers had been very clear on it. But someone had to have seen it, or they wouldn’t be living in such fear. Jett, maybe? I hadn’t had the time to press him on the matter. Maybe someone else had seen it, too.
I spent the remainder of the morning and the entire afternoon searching the woods before I had to admit that simply tracking the creature wouldn’t work. I didn’t find any tracks, which made me wonder if I was searching for a supernatural force. But then, if it was a ghost, people wouldn’t have been getting devoured.
As evening’s light began to fade, I walked back toward the village, pausing when I heard the first throbbing notes of music. Roamers.
My curiosity piqued, I trotted in the direction of the melody, pausing when I detected the presence of someone near.
I slipped behind the trunk of one of the large trees, peering around it to see Taloos and Glacia walking.
I frowned. What were they doing out here together? My eyes narrowed, and heat stirred in my gut. That snake, Taloos.
“Just remember to be careful,” the boy said. “You can’t trust Roamers.”
“I will,” Glacia said, and my muscles relaxed.
They were on their way to see the Roamers. I couldn’t blame them for that.
I waited for them to pass, and then silently followed, keeping watch as I surveyed the area for the creature.
I smiled to myself as the music grew louder. Here, the forest felt safe.
27
Glacia
I grew tired of the stares from complete strangers, so I retreated to Elysa’s cottage until the evening shadows began to lengthen. I smiled when I peered out the window and saw the sun slipping behind the trees.
It was time.
My skin prickled with excitement as I smoothed my dress. It was getting dirty, and was impossibly wrinkled. I would ask Elysa to wash it later. I combed my hair with my fingers, working out the worst of the tangles.
Inhaling deeply, I stepped outside and walked over to the green, where Taloos said he’d meet me. I got there first, happy to see it was abandoned by the other villagers. I closed my eyes, imagining what the music would sound like, and swayed in time to the music in my head.
“I met your friend out in the woods, today.”
The harsh, gruff sounding voice startled me, and I opened my eyes to see Jett looking down at me.
I blushed, embarrassed to have been caught dancing to music only I could hear. Wait. “You saw Silvan?” I asked. “Was he okay?”
Jett shrugged, glowering. “Yes, when I saw him. But he went tearing off deeper into the woods halfway through our conversation. If he’s still alive now, I doubt he’ll stay that way for long.”
“Why do you think that?” I seemed strange that anyone could doubt Silvan, but I had to remind myself that no one here really knew him.
“Because what your friend intends to do, it's impossible,” he said, still scowling. “He’s just a boy. A boy with noble intentions that will get him nowhere. He's probably dead right now.”
I shook my head. “That’s impossible. You’ll see. He’s alive.”
Jett sighed heavily. “I hope you’re right, girl.” His shoulders slumped. “I hope you’re right.”
He left, retreating further into the village. I watched him go, a worm of unease working through me. What was he getting at?
“Sorry, I’m late.” Taloos came up to me. “Ready to go?”
“Yes!” I nodded, unease replaced with nervous excitement.
Taloos smiled back, but his grin looked forced. He was nervous, too.
Together, we left the village. In my pale dress, I felt like a wandering spirit, weaving in and out of the trees as I left civilization behind me.
“Do you know where we’re going?” I asked. I wasn’t sure why I whispered, but it seemed fitting in the half-light of the forest, where anything was possible.
Taloos nodded. “Yes. They park their caravan in the same spot whenever they come here, two or three times a year. They’re nomadic, but even they like predictability and consistency.”
“That makes sense.” I didn’t say anything after, focusing on keeping my dress hem from snagging on foliage.
The Roamer’s music was what first alerted me to their presence. A deep, hypnotic, throbbing melody rippled through the dark, caressing my senses. My body began to sway in response to the music, and I giggled. “It sounds nothing like Chosen music.”
“What?” Taloos asked, and I shook my head, even though he wasn’t looking at me.
“Never mind. I like it.”
“Me, too,” Taloos admitted. He placed his hand on his back pocket and grunted. “Spirits take it, I left my whistle at home. Blast.”
“You play music?” I said. I grinned. “You’ll have to play it for me. I’m going to learn to dance tonight.”
“You?” Taloos eyed me doubtfully. “You’re kinda thin.”
“Hey!” I punched him in the shoulder, startling myself by the action. “I’m still a woman, Taloos.” I blushed. “Silvan’s not here, so I want to learn when he’s not watching.” I wouldn’t feel as self-conscious, then.
“So, I know it’s not really any of my business,” he said, still tromping confidently through the forest, “but you and Silvan . . . are you two, you know . . .” He trailed off awkwardly.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said, feeling at least as uncomfortable, I was sure.
“In a relationship?” He quickened his pace, and I had to lift my skirts up to my knees to keep pace.
“Friendship,” I clarified. “We’re good friends. That’s it.” Sadly. “He’s an Elite. He’s forbidden to be in a . . . romantic relationship.”
“Ah.” His steps slowed as firelight appeared through the trees, casting strange, flickering light and shadows. “We’re here.” He grabbed me by the upper arm, locking my gaze with his. “Don’t accept anything to eat or drink, okay?”
I tilted my head. “Kali seems to like you well enough.”
“Yeah, well, she didn’t seem to like you very much.”
I bobbed my head in a short nod. “Fair enough.”
When we broke through the trees, we were met by two Roamer men, obviously set as guards. They recognized Taloos, and waved us through. I stayed close to the village boy, noticing the way one of the guard’s eyes lingered on me.
I peered about, taking in my new surroundings. We were standing on the edge of a large meadow. It was too dark to tell if the grassy field was contained in the forest, or if we had left the woods entirely.
The wagons were dark blurs in the night, a huge bonfire casting them in a garish light. I looked up at them as we passed. They were larger than I had expected, but it occurred to me that they’d have to be, if entire families lived in them. A small tent set near the wagons looked out of place, but was clearly of Roamer make. It was covered in silks, the opening concealed
by a bead curtain. An old woman sat outside it, watching me with beady black eyes.
Something about her seemed familiar and I drew closer.
The woman smiled, her teeth gleaming in the light. “Ah. A young girl, so far from home. How are you faring in this strange new world?”
I eyed her nervously, ignoring Taloos’s confused expression. “What do you know about me, woman? I've never had a place I could truly call home.”
The woman laughed, delighted by my answer. She pushed strands of greasy gray hair from her face. “Then you and I are very much alike. I, too, have never had a home.” She gestured for me to come closer. “Come here, girl. I will tell you your fortune.”
I eyed her hesitantly. She was exactly the kind of woman my old tutor would have warned me against. Fortune tellers were tricky, often speaking in riddles, and standing predictions on their head, so one potentially took the course fate didn't intend for one to take.
I shook my head. “I don't have any money.”
The woman cackled. “This one's on me, sweet pea.”
I drew closer, apprehension skittering up my spine, but curious all the same. She pushed aside the beaded curtain, and I entered the tent.
“No eavesdropping,” I heard the woman say, and I grinned. Taloos would be immensely curious to hear what the woman had to say.
I looked about the tent, my curiosity growing.
It was small, the only furniture a low table with two cushions set on the floor on either side of it, and a low counter off to the side covered in silks, clumps of crystal, and what could only be a crystal ball. I stared at it. I'd heard of such things. If you looked into it, a crystal ball was supposed to show your future. My tutor would have called it quackery.
“Take a seat, dearie.” The fortune teller settled down on one cushion, and I sat on the other, rearranging my skirts about me.
She took my hand, turning it palm upward. “Ah,” she sighed, tracing it with one finger. You will live a long life.” She blinked, leaning closer, her brow scrunched in disbelief. “A very long life.”
I sighed, allowing some of the nervous tension in my chest to release. “That sounds like good news.”
“Hmm.” She tilted her head to the side. “And you're in love.”
The nervous tension was back. I stared at her, unable to breathe. How could she tell? I decided to test her. “You mean the boy out there?” I jerked my head toward the tent entrance.
The old woman laughed. “No. You love a boy with silver hair.”
She held my palm with both her hands, as if afraid I would leave. I stared at her, wishing I could stop the trembling that shook my entire body.
“My, my,” she murmured. “That boy holds complete power over you. He tells you to do something, and you do it. You are very eager to please him.” She eyed me, a sly smile on her wrinkled lips. “But how far will you go, to please the boy with silver hair?”
I looked away, my face burning. I wished I hadn't come.
She studied my palm further, chuckling to herself. “Oh, goodness, this is quite serious. You are terrified of losing this boy, and it rules your actions, to the detriment of everyone around you.” She jerked her head toward the tent entrance. “It's not too late, you know. That animal boy would come to love you, deeply and passionately. If you choose him, it will alter your future, for the better.”
I wrenched my hand from hers and stood. “I hardly know him,” I said. “And my tutor was right.” My tone frosty. “This is all a bunch of quackery. False. Fake. I will take no part in it.”
The woman laughed like I'd said something hilarious. “If you say so, child.”
I turned and marched to the entrance. I inhaled deeply, and almost choked on the scent of incense that permeated the small space.
“One last thing, child,” the woman said. “When you meet the dark bull, run. Run as far and as fast as you can.”
I pushed aside the beaded curtain and went out.
28
Glacia
There were a few cook fires scattered about the camp, but only one bonfire, piled high with wood, the flames reaching far above me. This was where several of the Roamers gathered, skirts swirling, boots stamping. Several played fiddles, or beat drums. The music pounded in my blood, headier than any drink at my parents’ banquets.
Taloos held out his hand, his eyes strangely bright in the flickering light. “Do you want to dance?”
I laughed. Such a silly question. I took his hand, allowing him to tug me closer to the fire. I watched some of the dancing women and mimicked their steps: two steps, swish, two steps, swish, two steps, turn a full circle. I tried to move my hips the way they did, and glared at Taloos when he hooted with laughter. “I’m still learning, you idiot.”
“You’re fine,” Taloos said, smiling broadly. “Not too bad for a first time.”
I stepped away from him, shaking my head ruefully as I stepped to the edge of the ring. “I’m going to observe a little, and see if I can figure it out.”
I watched the dancers as they wove about the great bonfire, weaving in and out of the light like wraiths. Longing tightened my chest as I listened to the laughter, song, and banter. These were Roamers, nomads, but even they had a family and home—something I’d never had, living deep in the stone of the mountain for sixteen years.
“You came.” Kali materialized out of the darkness like a forest spirit, her brilliant red hair matching the flames. She smiled at Taloos, weaving closer to take his hand. “I’m glad you didn’t make me march through the woods in the dead of night to fetch you.”
Taloos shrugged, strangely silent. I eyed him curiously. Taloos always had something to say.
“I learned a new dance.” Kali either didn’t know I was there, or chose to ignore me. Her eyes were for Taloos, only. “I want you to watch.” She released his hand to stalk closer to the flames, holding her arms out dramatically. She held perfectly still for a moment, then began to dance.
I stared, incredulity and envy welling up inside of me. The Roamer girl moved like a mountain serpent, her hands and hips swaying and dipping like a dream wrapped in shadow, her arms weaving, legs turning in time to the music. Her hair tumbled about her shoulders like living fire, her green eyes flaring as she gazed at Taloos.
The boy stared back, motionless except for the rise of fall of his chest, his jaw clenched, fists held at his side. His face was flushed, and I couldn’t tell if it was from the close proximity to the fire, or the dancing girl. My eyes narrowed. Taloos talked like she wasn’t very important to him, but what I saw here told a different story.
Kali grinned, her teeth a flash of white. She knew she held him in her thrall. She spun, her emerald-colored skirt flaring out in a wide circle, exposing too much leg, her feet bare of sandals or jewelry. Her hands wove in an intricate pattern, held high above her head, bangles clinking together.
“You should learn to dance like that.”
I jumped when Silvan spoke, standing by my shoulder. I hadn’t noticed his arrival. He smiled, his blue gaze looking violet in the weaving flames as he gazed at me.
My heartbeat picked up speed. “I’m not very good at dancing.”
His grin widened. “Nothing helps like trying.”
He held out a pale hand, the flames casting a flickering orange light over him. I swallowed and placed my hand in his, heart pounding at a full gallop.
Silvan was a quick study. He picked up the steps in record time, pulling me along as we bounded in a circle with the Roamers. My self-consciousness melted away as Silvan didn’t tease me for my mistakes, only laughing from sheer enthusiasm.
We were circling, leaping, and suddenly Silvan’s arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me completely off the ground. I inhaled sharply, closing my eyes for one delicious, weightless moment. I felt like I was flying, one of the sparks that jumped from the fire, circling in the sky.
Then Silvan set me down, and I sighed in disappointment when I felt the dry grass under my feet.
Silvan closed his eyes and sighed, leaning into my hand.
My heart hurt, it was pounding so hard. If I stood on my tiptoes, our mouths would meet.
“Glacia! Come get a drink!” Taloos shouted, breaking the spell. Silvan and I looked over to see Taloos grinning ear-to-ear, holding a mug overflowing with punch. He clearly hadn’t taken his own advice to abstain from Roamer drink. Kali had draped herself on him, arms locked around his waist. I felt jealous of the expression of absolute bliss on her face as she rested her head on his chest. When would I get to do that; hanging off a man I loved?
Silvan’s arms released my waist, only for him to take my hand. He waved off some drinks that some Roamers offered us, and together, we left the encampment, the night swallowing us up.
“I can’t see.” I peered into the blackness. I felt blind after the brilliance of the bonfire. I blinked, trying to adjust my vision.
Silvan’s arms tensed as he swept me up into his arms. “Let me help you, then. I can see fine.”
I relaxed into his hold, laying my head on his collarbone. “Thank you.”
Any jealousy I’d felt when watching Kali and Taloos melted away. I was exactly where I wanted to be in this moment.
We were both silent, content with each other’s company. My eyes began to adjust, but Silvan didn’t question if I could see, so I didn’t tell him, happy to silently revel in my silver-haired boy’s strength. Is this how Kali felt around Taloos?
Except I’d never get to truly be Silvan’s.
I bit my lower lip, staring into the darkness. I’d give anything to be in a romantic relationship with Silvan. Anything.
But it wasn’t that simple. And we both knew it.
Silvan paused when we reached a small stream that ran near the village. There was a break in the leafy canopy where the moonlight filtered through. The moon was a razor-thin silver slice, still growing. Silvan sat down on the bank, tugging me to sit down next to him. We listened to the burbling of moving water, and the calm whisper of the trees before us. I smiled at the dark boughs above us. “I love our new home,” I said quietly.
