by Aubrie Nixon
CHAPTER 13
They climbed for hours until the sun reached its highest point in the sky. It was blistering hot, and the air around them was dense. No one complained when Zad decided to stop and rest and get a bite to eat. They sat in silence and watched as Dorjan jumped and played, chasing his tail and tripping over his gigantic paws. Sephera barely had time to rest her legs before they started their trek again. They stayed close together, having never traveled this way before. The dangers that lurked around them were unknown. There were rumors of the perils, but few had traveled the pass. Most who braved it were never heard from again, and the ones who did return came back changed, driven mad by unspoken horrors.
“Evil lurks in those mountains,” the innkeeper had said. “It was once used by merchants as a trading route between the villages. But that was long before my time. The world has since changed. It’s too dangerous now.”
Yet such was the nature of their journey: maddeningly difficult and delightfully dangerous. On they went, into the abyss of the unknown. Fear was one obvious reason for the group’s silence. The other was utter exhaustion. They hiked for three days and made camp at the edge of a clearing. They took turns keeping watch as the others slept as soundly as they could in unfamiliar terrain. The noises in the surrounding forest were strange and distant, made by mysterious creatures they knew nothing of. The days were uneventful and long. The higher they climbed, the colder it got, and the harder it was to breathe. The trees grew further and further apart as the group ascended. There wasn’t much said, just grunts and a lot of pointing. Eventually, even that was too tiring. Even Dorjan, who usually seemed to have so much energy, seemed exhausted. He stayed soundly in his pack, only coming out to cuddle with Brenner or eat.
On the fourth day the incline gradually began to even out, making the terrain more flat and easier to maneuver in. The greenery slowly disappeared, and they came to a rocky cliffside. They stopped and looked out at the world below. It was magnificent. Everything below them was so small, so beautiful. It was as if time stopped, and they were its keepers. The sky was dark on the horizon as the sun began to set, indicating that a storm would be rolling in soon.
“We should make camp here, against these rocks. It will help shelter us from the storm,” Daegan asserted.
“No, we need to keep moving,” Zad argued. “If we stop now, we may not be able to reach the top of the pass. That storm looks strong, and I would rather we get to the other side before setting up camp.”
Daegan glared at him, running his hand through his dark hair. “That would be unwise. Look, the storm will probably hit us in the next few hours, and we can use that time to prepare a stable shelter to wait it out in.”
“I disagree. We need to keep moving. We don’t know what's out there, only that it's nothing good. I don’t want to stop unless we have to.” Zad’s anger rose.
“Yet you want to continue up the pass and get stuck in the storm? We’re all exhausted. We need to stay here, where it is open and we have a view of the land to fend off any incoming attack,” Daegan said, standing up.
“No,” Zad snarled, standing to face Daegan. “I have the maps. I am the leader and I say we keep going.”
“I will NOT take orders from some insolent child,” Daegan growled.
Zad spat at him. Daegan leapt at him, knocking him on the ground. He swung his fist, connecting with Zad’s face a few times. His eye immediately began to swell shut. Zad rolled onto the ground, coughing and spitting blood. He unsheathed his sword and lunged at Daegan. The two of them circled each other, daring the other to strike first—Zad with his sword, and Daegan with his fists. Chantry was screaming at the two of them to stop, and Brenner was holding her back to keep her from getting injured. Dorjan was whimpering from his pack, frightened by the sudden brawl. Brenner looked to Sephera with his expressive eyes.
DO SOMETHING! she heard in her head. Brenner motioned with a slight jerk of his head toward the pair. She looked wildly from him to the two fighting men. Their eyes were locked on each other, feral rage blinding them to everything else. Sephera jumped in the middle, her back to Zadkiel, just as he launched himself forward at Daegan. He plowed into her, knocking her off her feet. She landed face-first in the dirt. He fell on top of her, pinning her down. He rolled off her angrily, shoving her face into the dirt as he stood.
She grumbled, flipping onto her back and sitting up. “What in the name of the gods do you two idiots think you are doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed, Zad?” She threw a handful of small pebbles in his direction.
Daegan laughed from behind her. “So you think I would win against your boyfriend? Interesting.”
“Shut up, Daegan! Just go!” she screamed at him. She turned her attention back to her friend.
“Zadkiel, have you lost your mind? Fighting in unknown terrain? With him?”
He looked at her for a moment, his jaw clenched tight in anger. Then he walked away.
“Zad! Zad! Where are you going?” she called after him, standing up.
Let him go. He needs to cool off, Brenner said in her head.
She whipped her head around to look at him, her eyes wide.
Don’t. We can speak later, he thought to her coolly, not bothering to look at her.
She glanced at Chantry, who looked frightened. “We can set up camp here,” she barked, not meaning to sound so harsh. “We are all tired, and everyone is a little on edge.” Chantry nodded silently and began to unpack the tents and supplies. Sephera stomped around the camp, fuming at Zad’s stupidity. What was he thinking, attacking Daegan? What if he had killed the man? (Not that she hadn’t dreamt about killing him herself plenty of times.) Zad may have been a trained assassin, but he didn’t get into pointless testosterone battles like this. It wasn’t like him.
She busied herself by setting up a perimeter around the camp, unwinding the wire and wrapping it around the wooden stakes Brenner had driven into the ground. After finishing the perimeter fence, she helped Chantry with the tents. They worked in silence, not bothering to look up from their work.
“We are all exhausted. To be honest, I thought it would be you who broke first, not Zad,” Chantry said quietly as they finished.
Sephera, sat on a log and unsheathed her dagger, cleaning it with her tunic.
Taking a long sip from a canister of water, Chantry finally asked, “Is he going to be okay?”
Daegan appeared from behind them, putting a pointed boot on the log next to Sephera.
“Who cares?” he interjected. “If he does not get over it, my point will have been made. He's a cowardly child.”
Standing suddenly, Sephera balled her fist and threw it into Daegan’s smug face, sending him stumbling backwards. Surprise flashed over his dark features, making him look vulnerable for a moment.
“You are an ASS!” she huffed, reeling her fist to punch him again. He caught it mid-air and twisted her arm, pulling her against him. He held her tight against his chest. She tried to get free, kicking her legs and thrashing her body, but he was too strong.
“Let me go! Now!” she screamed.
“Calm down first,” he whispered gently in her ear.
She thrashed harder, trying to loosen his grip, but he squeezed tighter.
“Sephera, calm down. I will let go, just relax.”
She stopped moving, willing her breathing to slow. She was shaking with anger. He held her until she calmed.
“I’m going to let go now. Don’t punch me again, all right?” he whispered.
She nodded slowly. He released her, and she stalked away without looking at him, fearing one glance at his face would send her into another rage, and she would punch him again.
She walked off in the direction Zad had fled. Angry tears stung her eyes as she thought of Daegan. She hated him. She hated his face, his pompous attitude, the way he mocked them. She found Zad staring out over the valley below. She sat next to him and took his hand. They watched the storm inch closer, covering the world below
in rain.
“I’m sorry I said Daegan would win in a fight between you two,” she said softly.
He looked at her sheepishly, his right eye swollen shut.
“I’m only sorry you let him hear you say it,” he said dryly. “Just because you were right doesn’t mean I want him knowing it.”
“Zad, that's not—”
“It is true,” he interrupted. “But only because he’s huge and I lost my temper. Let him try and start a fight with me when we’re back home, and I could kick his ass.” He laughed.
She smiled. “I punched him.”
“You what?” Zad looked at her incredulously.
“I punched him, right on the lip. It's going to make eating rather strenuous the next few days.”
“I'm not sure if I should be pleased or angry.”
“I didn’t punch him for you. He took my clothes.”
They looked at each other and laughed.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable the other night,” Zad murmured.
She willed herself to look at him. His eyes were full of hope.
She bit her lip nervously. “You didn’t. I just . . .” She paused, trying to find the right words.
She looked away as the hope in his eyes disappeared. She hated hurting him. But he was her friend, and now was not the time to sift through her feelings for Zad. They were on a mission, one that held their very existence in its grasp. There was no time for distractions, especially ones of that sort, though she did wonder what it would be like, with Zad. She looked at his lips, full and soft. Her mind wandered to what it would be like having her mouth on his. She felt herself go red. No. Not Zad. But why not him? He knew her better than anyone else. He loved and accepted her. He was always trying to lift her up, to get her to better herself. He knew her strengths and weaknesses. He knew her favorite foods, her likes, her dislikes. He knew her completely. She shook her head, banishing the dangerous thoughts from her mind.
“I’m sorry, Zad. I just can’t. Not now. Too much is resting on us. I can’t have any distractions. This mission is already hard enough.”
He nodded, staring out at the approaching storm. It wasn’t until the wind started to pick up that they returned to camp. Brenner and Chantry were adjusting the tents and the shelter. Daegan was readying leftover stew over a small fire. They ate in silence, hardly looking at one another.
“Well, this has been another bright and cheery day,” Chantry said, standing up and rubbing her hands together. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, but I’m exhausted. Wake me for my shift, will you, Sephera?
She nodded, feeling exhausted herself, but too angry to sleep. There wasn’t much need for keeping watch. The storm was strong, and she could hardly see her own hand in front of her face, let alone any approaching threat. The perimeter fence would give them fair warning if anything came near their camp. She sat outside the tent, the wind and rain pouring down on her face, chilling her to the bone.
Do you want some company? Brenner's voice spoke inside her head.
She jumped, thinking she had dozed off.
Sorry, I did not mean to startle you. He sat down beside her and handed her a vial of a red liquid. It's falahi—liquid heat. It will help keep you warm.
“Thank you.” She opened the bottle and downed the liquid. It was sweet and tasted like cinnamon. Instantly, she felt warmer.
I can teach you to project your thoughts into my head if you want. She threw him a look of surprise. He shrugged. It's easy if you have a good teacher, he smirked.
“Oh?” she laughed. “And who taught you?”
A good teacher.
She shook her head and smiled into her hands.
Just picture yourself talking to me, like we are now, only silently. It will take some practice, but you’ll learn. Pretend that it is your only way of communication. You cannot speak, you cannot write. The only way to communicate is through sheer will.
Sephera closed her eyes tightly, concentrating on speaking with her mind. She clenched her teeth so tightly she thought she was going to chip one.
Easy, there. I said it would take practice. Do not strain yourself. Besides, it is not like anyone can hear. They are all asleep, and the wind is too loud.
Shrugging her shoulders, she leaned back against the rock. The rain pelted down on the make-shift roof above her head.
“Tell me about yourself. What was life like in the tower?”
Quiet mostly. Mages do not do much speaking.
She laughed. “Ah, a joker, I see.”
I can juggle, too. But I suppose that is not what you want to know.
“Juggle? That’s an interesting skill. So you’re a healer, a joker, and a juggler? Is there anything you can’t do?” They sat in silence and watched the rain.
I made a medicinal compound for you. You will need to take it every night to keep your mind guarded against Valessa.
She whipped her head to face him, surprised. “What? How did you know she’s been speaking in my dreams?"
You forget, I am quite accustomed to the Keeper’s ways. I know your mind is weaker when you sleep. She is able to enter when you do not have your guard up, though being up here makes it impossible for her to get through.” He gestured to the air around them.
“Why is it different up here?” she asked curiously.
She needs to be close to you, at least within a few miles. Any further, and it takes a great deal out of her. She would not follow you up here. She is powerful and strong, but even she has her limits.
Pulling her dark hair out of her face, she stared into the darkness around them, her heart pounding. Things were complicated. She was changing. Fear had always been a fleeting thing to her. Now it was taking over her life. She was losing her mind. Was Valessa responsible?
“I don’t know what is happening to me. For the past few weeks I’ve been changing. I feel different. I’m not strong enough to lead this group, and I know you all see it. Even Zad sees it. That's why he’s taken over from the start. What is wrong with me?” She felt Brenner gazing at her with what she knew must be pity. But when she turned to face him she saw, not pity, but sadness.
I assume you are referring to your lack of control over your mind? She can get in anywhere, and with her last spell, she left you weak. She needed your barriers down. She needed you to question yourself. All of that fear and questioning chips away at the natural barriers already in place, making it easier for her to gain access to your mind.
“So having a complete breakdown like a child is just me losing my inhibitions. Right,” she fumed, throwing her hands in the air. “And feeling like I am completely going mad? What is that?”
Fear is powerful. Valessa can be stronger than fear. She is cruel and manipulative. She will stop at nothing to get what she needs and maintain control. He gestured to his mouth sadly.
“Did she do that to you? Made you unable to speak?”
Brenner nodded, closing his eyes, his hands tightening into fists. When a mage reaches a certain age—it is different for everyone, but it is whenever we are in our prime, at our most powerful—we are given a talisman. It harnesses our power, helps us to control our magic and do powerful spells without depleting our energy levels. It is, in a sense, a mage’s lifeline. Without it, we are missing a piece of ourselves. We are essentially empty. Once we are bonded with our talismans, she takes us under her wing. We train with her, dine with her, do everything with her. When she is done with us, we are stripped of our clothes, beaten, and tied down with iron chains. She takes our talismans—our souls—and we are rendered mute. Most die. Others are not so lucky and are forced to live life under her control, soulless and broken.
She turned to look at him, anger flaring in her eyes. She placed her hand on his, squeezing it tightly. “Why did she let you leave the Tower and join us?”
Brenner smiled. She took my soul, but she did not break me. As far she knows, I am under her control. She will not see it coming until it is too late.
�
�You’re a clever little devil, aren't you?” she quipped, smiling.
I will have my time, but first we need to focus on eradicating this pesky plague. It complicates matters and frustrates all plans of revenge, thoroughly making it useless to try until the cure has been found. His voice was filled with nonchalance.
“You seem certain we will succeed,” she said, unconvinced.
And you seem certain that we will fail.
She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips.
Like I said, fear is a powerful tool, and Valessa knows how to use it. Doubtless, our mission may seem impossible, but having hope makes the outcome seem a little brighter.
“Hope or vengeance?” she asked quietly, running her hands through her hair.
Both. They are both powerful, driving forces. But though fear is strong, it is no match for hope. I can help you overcome your fear, Sephera. I can help you gain hope. I just ask that in return, you help me.
Just as she was about to answer, Chantry emerged from the tent. Her eyes widened in surprise at Brenner. He only nodded, giving Chantry a half smile, and walked towards his tent. Sitting down next to Sephera, Chantry stretched her legs out and leaned against the cliff behind them, running her hands through her blonde hair.
“I figured if I couldn’t sleep I could at least do something useful,” the blond woman said quietly. “You can go. I’ll take over from here.”
“To be honest, I don’t think I can sleep much either. You can keep me company if you’d like,” Sephera said, surprising herself with her offer. Chantry looked at her with wide eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it and closed her mouth, smiling to herself.
“Don’t think that this means we are friends. We’re not,” Sephera blurted out. She threw her a look, and Chantry smiled silently.
They sat in silence for hours, watching as the storm dissipated, leaving the world a muddy, foggy mess. Sephera shut her eyes and listened to her surroundings. She let herself fall into a dark dreamland, covered in black blood and darkness. She wasn’t afraid—just curious. She studied the shadowy world around her, feeling content and peaceful in the eerie abyss. It was vibrant, its intentions clear. She felt no confusion, no fear. There was only the rush of fresh possibilities in this new world. No hypocrisy, no secrets. Just the darkness and its graceful power. She looked around. The creatures that haunted her nightmares seemed so tranquil here. She came to a path and followed it to a small pool of clear water. She bent down and touched the water, making a small ripple. She sat and observed the world around her. It seemed so normal, so right.
