The Eden Series: The Complete Collection

by Stalder, Janelle

  Stepping out again, she heard the now familiar clang of metal on metal. They had started to fight again. With her heart in her throat, she headed back to the spot she had been before, this time not stopping behind the tent. Walking directly to the line where others stood, she watched in a mixture of fear and horror as Callum and his brother fought. Her heart sank as she realized that Jameson appeared to have the upper hand. Callum looked tired and was blocking the blows slower with each hit. Her hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her screams. How could she stand here and watch this? What made her think this was a good idea?

  Yet she watched, transfixed. Everything was happening in slow motion. One minute they stood fighting, the next Callum was on the ground. He sat on his knees, leaning over as if his stomach hurt. She couldn’t see the front of him, but she knew he must have been injured there. Jameson stood before him, the tip of his sword pointed at Callum’s chest. She felt like she was floating out of her body. It was as if she watched from somewhere else. She tore away from the line of men, the helmet flying off, her hair springing free and flying around her face. She was screaming, she knew that, but she could barely hear herself over the frantic pounding of her heart. Don’t kill him, she screamed in her head, over and over again.

  Callum’s head turned, his eyes full of so many emotions it almost brought her to her knees. His eyebrows drew together as he watched her run across the field. She saw his mouth open, but didn’t hear the words he said. The wind flew by her, erasing reality. Suddenly two pairs of hands clamped down on her arms, pulling her to an abrupt stop. She twisted and wretched her body, trying desperately to free herself, her voice raw as she screamed his name. He didn’t move, didn’t come to her. He sat there, with a bottomless pool of sadness in his chocolate eyes, as his men kept her from him.

  “Be still, Rose,” one said gently in her ear. Her legs gave out, and all three of them sank to the floor. The two men beside her held up her body. Without them she would have crumpled into a heap on the grass. Her eyes wandered to the High King, pleading with him in silence. He turned and said something to Callum, drawing his attention away from her again. She couldn’t hear their words, but she could see the defeat in Callum’s shoulders. She tried to free herself again, but it was no use, they kept a strong hold on her. Tears streamed down her face at the utter helplessness she felt.

  Someone else appeared on her right. She turned to see the boy from the other army crouch down in front of her.

  “Hello,” he said, softly. The two men holding her seemed to tense, but neither moved to harm him, which she was thankful for. He was there with Felix when he died, was his friend during the last days of his life. Sadly he was the closest connection she had left to her brother. A little weight inside her lifted at seeing that he had come to offer her comfort. She knew how desperate she must look. Her eyes pleaded with him as well, even though there was nothing he could do.

  “Stay with me,” she said, her voice a whisper.

  “I will,” he replied, keeping his body where he could block Callum from her vision. She closed her eyes, willing it all to be a dream.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  There was only silence. Elisa watched in horror as the girl continued crying out Callum’s name. Aiden moved faster than she had ever seen anyone move, until he was sitting directly in front of her.

  “Who is she?” Markus asked. Elisa shook her head.

  “She is Callum’s wife,” Diana said, her voice filled with sadness. They all looked at her in shock.

  “And she is with child?” Markus asked again, keeping his eyes on the fallen figure.

  “She is,” Diana confirmed.

  “Jameson did not know this,” Turk said, turning his head to look at their King and his brother. The two figures stood motionless, like actors caught in the final act of a horrible scene.

  “I did not tell him,” whispered Diana. Of course she would not tell him, thought Elisa. This was hard enough for Jameson as it was. The news of an heir to the throne would have made things more complicated, especially since Jameson had none of his own.

  “I can’t watch,” she heard Lily say. She turned to see the small girl hide her face against Moose’s chest. Wolf’s brother absently brought an arm around her, holding her close. His hand moved in comforting circles on her back. Elisa’s eyes moved to Wolf. He was watching the field, his eyebrows furrowed in grief and anger.

  “She is also Felix’s sister,” Diana added. Elisa let out a rush of air, whipping her head around to look back at the girl. Goddess no, she thought, tears making their way down her cheeks.

  * * *

  Callum closed his eyes to block out the confusion on his brother’s face. Rose’s cries rang in his ears, but he pushed them away. Why had she come? Why wasn’t anyone taking her away? To have her see him die like this was worse than the prospect of death itself.

  “Who is she?” Jameson asked, his voice hoarse.

  Callum took a deep breath, flinching against the pain it brought. The wound in his stomach was bleeding freely, soaking the front of his shirt.

  “Who is she?” Jameson repeated, earnestly.

  “She is my wife,” he said, softly.

  “Your wife,” he repeated, his voice only a whisper. “She is with child?”

  Callum didn’t know if that was a question or a statement, but he nodded his head. Had he not known? Clearly not, for he looked suddenly as ill as Callum felt. “Did she not tell you?”

  His brother’s eyebrows rose. “Who?”

  “Diana,” Callum said, his voice weak. There was a ringing now, and he knew it was from the loss of blood. His vision was spotted with black dots. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could stay upright on his knees. Everything felt heavy, and a deep need to sleep was pulling on his consciousness. He heard Jameson gasp.

  “She knew about this?” He looked back over to where Rose was. Callum couldn’t look himself, didn’t want to see what he had brought on her. Gods, this was all his fault. He had ruined her life, and for what? For a small window of time where he had been truly happy? At what price? All the insults Jameson had thrown at him suddenly felt true. He was a silly boy, not a man. He had led so many to their deaths, and for what? For this moment, where he would lose everything, and sentence another to suffer a lifetime of sorrow?

  “Why Callum?” Callum raised his head slowly, looking at his brother in confusion. The air felt hotter, the sun burning his eyes. He squinted against it as he looked into Jameson’s face. “Why would you risk this? Your child will grow up never knowing a father. You willingly took that chance. Why?” Jameson asked sincerely. Callum dropped his head, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him.

  “I couldn’t go back, not after all I had already done,” he admitted. His voice sounded far off to him, but he knew Jameson could hear him. His brother’s sword still rested at his collarbone, but he made no move to strike that final blow.

  “That is a coward’s excuse. You can always stop, there is no loss in pride in that, especially when you have so much to lose,” he said, his voice growing in anger. “Damn it, Callum.” He dropped his sword, taking a step back, and cursed again loudly. If Callum had any strength left in him he would have taken this opportunity to attack, but he couldn’t. His legs were like jelly. “Tell me, did you know that Aziz has rebuilt his army already?”

  Callum’s head lifted to look at him. “What are you talking about?”

  There was a hint of satisfaction on his brother’s face. “You didn’t, did you? He never told you.”

  “Explain, now.”

  “There have been reports. People have seen his creatures in the forests in the mountains to the North-East. He has rebuilt his blasphemous army, and yet he didn’t send them here to help you.” No. What he was saying couldn’t be true. Callum racked his brain to remember his last conversation with Aziz. He couldn’t remember it all, but he swore the man had said he hadn’t been able to recover enough. Had he been lying, or was his brother lying now? Why did
a part of him want to believe Jameson over Aziz?

  He heard Jameson move, and suddenly he was crouched in front of him. “Can’t you see what he’s doing? He’s using you to thin out the herds. He doesn’t even care which of us wins, so long as we kill enough of ourselves to make it easier for him in the end. We’re all puppets to him, and we’ve been doing exactly what he wanted. All of us, even Brutus. The whole North is open to Aziz now, and soon the rest of Eden will be too if we keep warring with each other.” He pleaded with Callum to hear the truth in what he was saying, but that prideful part of him that had hated his brother for the last decade resisted.

  “I don’t believe you,” Callum said.

  “Yes you do. You know I’m right. Aziz has been regaining strength, rebuilding his own army, while you’ve been out running his errands for him. We can stop this, Callum, right here, right now. We can join together and fight the real enemy in Eden, and return it to peace. You can live with your wife and raise your child, and be happy. Isn’t that enough? Isn’t having your own family enough to show you that you have been walking down the wrong path for the last ten years? Please brother. Listen to me for once in your life,” he begged, holding out his hand. “Let us end this, and get our family back.”

  Callum looked at his outstretched hand and thought about what he was offering. Peace. To live his life with Rose and their child. To stop all his planning and fighting. To make a home and build a life. A real life. No more of this perpetual travelling, but to have a place of their own. Wasn’t it what he had been dreaming about since Rose walked into his life? Would his men fight alongside him? Yes, they would, he decided. Brutus was gone, and they were all loyal to him now. Some would probably even be secretly pleased at the possibility of returning to their families and being able to rest. Everyone, not just him, was tired of this life. They had been living it for so long, it had gotten old, and they had lost many of their friends and family in the process. But could he let go of his hate? Let go of the thing that had been pushing him forward since the night their father had passed?

  He turned to look at Rose. The boy, the one Aziz wanted, was blocking her, probably wishing to spare her from witnessing his death. He suddenly felt very appreciative towards the warrior from the other world. He cared for Rose because she was the sister of his fallen friend. That showed great honour and loyalty. Could he pass up this chance for a future with her, just to die here with no honour of his own?

  “Why would you be willing to forgive me, after everything I’ve done?” Callum asked, turning back to Jameson.

  He still had his hand out, offering something Callum had never expected. “Because you are my brother,” he said simply. “You’re the only family I have left.”

  His body was starting to shiver, and he knew if he didn’t get help soon, he’d die on this field regardless. Rose’s face flooded his mind. A perfect image of the way she looked when she stared up at him, her cheeks blushing. He closed his eyes, letting the image soak in. He didn’t want to leave her alone. He wanted to see that face every day for the rest of his life. Taking a shaky breath, Callum opened his eyes again and reached up to grasp his brother’s arm. Jameson’s hand tightened on his forearm in response. He smiled a broad, relieved smile.

  “Glad to have you back, brother,” he said, with only sincerity in his voice.

  Callum laughed, wincing at the pain it caused. “We’ll see how glad you are when my mood swings hit,” he replied, feeling a small pang of joy to be joking with him again.

  “I’m looking forward to it,” he said, moving to stand. He pulled Callum up, right into a fierce hug. Callum felt his body weight lean heavily on his brother. He was weak, but still found the strength to embrace his brother in return. A surprising cheer ran throughout the King’s army. It hit him that those men would never be his, and for once it didn’t bother him. He still had the North to lead, perhaps only until he found a proper replacement for Brutus, because for once in his life, he had no desire to be a King. Being so close to death had brought his life into focus, and he knew that he didn’t need a throne to be happy. He already had what he needed, and she was currently running towards him.

  Before he could get out a word, Rose had flung herself into his arms. As they sank to the ground he buried his face in her hair, feeling her body shake with tears. He whispered comforting words to her, but didn’t let go or ease up on his embrace. If he could keep her this close for the rest of his life, he’d be happy. She didn’t seem too eager to breakaway either. As more people began approaching them, the two stayed in their embrace, oblivious to anything else.

  “Are they always like this?” he finally heard Jameson ask.

  “Most of the time,” a rough voice answered. Callum knew it was his Captain, Stefan, answering. He smiled into Rose’s hair, still keeping hold of her. The scream that ripped through his happiness was what finally tore them apart. Callum looked up at the angered face of one his men, as he pulled back on his bow, letting loose a single arrow. He looked to Jameson. With what little strength he had left, he leaped towards his brother believing the arrow was meant for him. They landed with a loud thud, and he could feel his stomach wound open up again from the impact. A piercing cry filled the air, followed by an angered growl. Jameson and Callum turned to see a small figure fall to the ground.

  * * *

  Aiden didn’t know how he did it, he just remembered standing with the others, watching the fight like everyone else. Then the next minute they all turned as Felix’s sister ran onto the field, crying out Callum’s name. There were two men close behind her, stopping her before she got too close. He felt sick just seeing the sorrow on her face, knowing she was about to witness her husband be killed. The air had smelled stronger, he could feel the wind as if it were a part of him, and the birds that had been silent for so long suddenly sounded like they were right beside his ear. It was the oddest sensation, and had thrown him off for a moment. He remembered breathing it in, welcoming the odd feeling like the world was suddenly open to him. In the next instant, he ended up in front of the girl, and he couldn’t remember having moved.

  Without hesitation, he had blocked her view, trying his best to provide some sense of comfort and calm. He briefly looked at the other two men, wordlessly asking if they should move her. They seemed to understand, and the dark skinned one shook his head slightly. Instead, they stayed with her, all three of them surrounding her like a protective shield. When she looked up at him, he felt like his heart would break. Her eyes were so similar to Felix’s, and had the same hopeless look as his did when he had died at Emerald Fields. It killed him to see that sort of look again. How many more lives would he see ruined? He was so sick of all this. For the first time since he had returned, Aiden had a strong urge to go home. He didn’t want to see more people die, or have anyone look at him the way she did ever again.

  Then she asked him to stay with her, and it was like she was speaking to his soul. It felt like all the problems in Eden were his to fix, for some inexplicable reason. The memory of how connected he had felt to this world, only moments before, came back, and at once he knew that he couldn’t leave. Definitely not until he made things right. The first thing he needed to do was to stay with her. Aiden didn’t want her to be alone for this. They sat there, her crying, while Aiden tried offering reassuring words, for what seemed like forever. He didn’t know what was happening behind him, but he didn’t hear anyone fighting. Was it done? Had Jameson already killed the exiled Prince? Aiden wished he could turn to see, but was too afraid to move his focus off of her. He could see the expressions of the other men, and both appeared weary.

  When the men began cheering, Aiden almost jumped out of his skin. He immediately turned to see what was happening, and his jaw dropped when he saw the two brothers embracing. A sudden blur of movement was beside him. He turned to look but was too late as Felix’s sister ran, racing towards Callum. Aiden and the two northern men stood in silence, watching the scene unfold. Eventually they moved forwar
d without him, joining the growing group of people around the brothers. The truce effectively ended the war, but Aiden knew better. As long as Aziz was still out there the war would continue.

  When he heard the soldier cry out, everything turned to slow motion. He watched as the man strung a bow, but it all felt so odd. Then he followed the arrow as it flew, and even that seemed slower, like he could see its entire journey. It flew past the group and headed straight for his friends. Aiden realized too late that it was heading straight for Lily, now that its intended mark had been knocked out of the way. He wanted to cry out, but sucked in his breath when he saw someone else push Lily aside, and take the arrow for her. Then everything went still. The scents around him heightened again, and his breathing echoed in his ears. The same things happened when he took a deep breath. One minute he was standing on the side of the field, and the next we was directly in front of the archer, a knife to his throat. The man’s eyes widened in horror as he dropped his weapon.

  “I will kill you if they die,” Aiden said, his voice harsh and cold. It sounded unfamiliar to him. A large hand suddenly clamped down on his arm. He didn’t turn away from staring into the man’s eyes, but somehow he knew it was the dark skinned soldier.

  “I will serve out this sentence, warrior,” he said, his deep voice brimming with untethered anger. Aiden gave the man another long look, before reluctantly stepping back. “Go to her,” he said. Aiden turned with a heavy heart, and started towards his friends.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The last two days had gone by in similar fashion. Rain woke up, had breakfast with Aziz, and then they spent the afternoon working on her teachings. Aziz was, surprisingly, a very patient and encouraging instructor. They ate lunch in his packed office, and then separated for an hour before meeting again to have dinner. He was extremely attentive and gentle with her.