by Candy Crum
She lowered her head, shaking it a little as her brows creased. She could feel her friends mentally pushing against the crowd, making them feel terrible for her as they watched her performance.
Scarlett momentarily placed her hand to her mouth just before wiping at nonexistent tears. It looked real enough to the crowd.
“And now, we have suffered another loss. Several more guards were killed, including two of my closest friends, people who were helping me find ways to better protect the city. But no… Arryn didn’t want that. Amelia didn’t want that. They came in the night, just as they did before, and they took them from us.”
The crowd began to get worked up as her words carried not only her influence, but that of the mystics in the crowd. A handful of those people began to feel rage. A sense of duty, but not to her.
To Amelia. To Arryn.
These people, who were no different than any other innocent man or woman in the crowd, were being overwhelmed by Scarlett’s new friends. Scarlett only needed to continue exactly as she was for this to work.
“How many times will we let them do this? How many times will we allow them to sneak in here and take the lives of those closest to us? When is enough enough?” Scarlett shouted.
The crowd responded even more enthusiastically, shouting their appreciation and support for her.
“Amelia is working with her. With Arryn. They won’t stop—not until they have what they want! We had no idea what that was, but now I fear they desire the death of every man, woman, and child in this city.”
She paused for a moment to allow that to sink in. As she looked at the crowd, she saw a few people moving forward, their faces creased with anger.
Keep pushing, Scarlett, Kade, one of the mystics in the crowd, told her. Keep talking. It’s all about to crash.
“Amelia is a traitor to this city, and we must stop her! She and Arryn have declared war on us time and time again. Who is with me? Who will stand with me and fight for Arcadia? Who will help me kill our enemies so our children might live?”
As the shouts began and their fists went into the air, declaring both their excitement and their devotion to her cause, a fight broke out—and then another.
Scarlett jumped, her hands moving to cover her mouth in feigned shock as she watched with utter joy. The plan was working perfectly.
“Fuck you!” one of the men shouted as guards seized him. “Those men deserved to die!”
Scarlett’s brows creased as a disgusted expression replaced the one of abject horror she had worn only a moment before. “Why? How can you say that? These men and women were our Arcadian brothers and sisters! They were innocent!”
The man pulled hard against the men holding him, ready to charge at Scarlett the moment he got the opportunity.
“There are more of us than you! You won’t stop us! We will stop at nothing to take back the city!” he shouted.
“For Amelia!” another man shouted as he pulled a knife from his belt and jammed it into the throat of guard standing next to him.
The crowd went wild as the mystics sent the men they controlled into a frenzy, attacking guards and screaming various things in support of Amelia and Arryn.
Soon, the Guard had them on the ground in magitech cuffs, though a few had lost their lives.
Scarlett hadn’t expected quite that level of a show, but it really had been perfect. Even better than she had expected, and it was exactly what she needed.
She raised her hands in the air as the “traitors” were carried away. “Everyone! Please!”
Scarlett waited for a few moments, giving the shaken crowd time to calm. The tension could have been cut with a knife. Their neighbors knew the men who had attacked as gentle souls who had always worked for the city and helped their fellow man.
That was exactly who they had been—until her talented friends had gotten hold of them.
“This has to stop. We have tried to allow the city to move on naturally, but that isn’t working. We’re allowing them to control us. I say enough! Now is the time to take back control of our city, and end this war for good. Go with me to the Dark Forest, and I promise you… We will take Arcadia back!”
The crowd screamed and cheered, determination on their faces.
They are yours, Kade sent telepathically. Tell us what you want, and we will do it. We need to plan for the Dark Forest.
Scarlett turned, smiling as she began to walk back inside the Capitol building. Have them gather the materials. I will have the Guard prepare.
As Elysia, Rae, and Alehah rode into the Dark Forest, Elysia began to worry about telling her father what had happened. He had been worried about her; hadn’t thought it wise for her to ride to Arcadia.
It wasn’t that he had been right. She’d had the best of intentions, and things had been going well. They’d had everything they needed. The information wasn’t as detailed as she would have liked, but they’d had enough to craft a well-thought-out plan for Arryn’s and Cathillian’s attack.
Now that was ruined. Now two of the five mystics were dead, and there was no way to predict what Scarlett was going to do about it. Would she bother to replace them at all? Would she only replace the two she had lost? Or would she get pissed off and import an army of mystics?
Elysia sure as hell knew what she would have done in that situation.
The entire trip had been pointless. Everything they had learned had been negated by Alehah and her need to test her skills. What was worse, Elysia had allowed the girl to manipulate her.
The Elder had known better than to let that happen. She had known the girl was wrong, but when she began talking about the risk to Cat and Arryn… Well, Elysia couldn’t stand by and allow that to happen. The girl had played on her motherly instincts, knowing she would get what she wanted.
Alehah had fought in minor skirmishes before, and had even fought the dark druids when they came for Jenna and her parents. She was no stranger to battle. What she hadn’t been able to do, however, was test her strengths as an assassin. Then again, not many Schatten had.
The shadow warriors grew up training hard. They knew how good they were, and they were tested among their own. There were times when they were needed, but most times they were only there to strategically affect the outcome of war.
Alehah had dramatically overstepped her bounds, and their people would pay for it. Without a doubt in her mind, Elysia knew it was impossible for the Arcadians to sit quietly now.
They would more than likely believe it had been Arryn, and potentially Amelia as well. There was no reason for them to think it had been Elysia, because they had never seen her—or any other druid besides Cathillian, for that matter.
As a result, they would come for Arryn in the only other place they would know to find her.
The Dark Forest.
How could she tell her father she had made a mistake? That she had allowed herself to lose focus and be discovered? If they had finished and left before Alehah had started in, they would have gotten off scot-free.
No one would have known they had been there, and war would not have come for them quicker. Deep down, Elysia wondered if they could survive a war with the Arcadians without Arryn’s help. Without Amelia.
They entered the southern village, and Elysia’s father approached them with a smile. His arms were outstretched as he welcomed her.
“Daughter! I’m so glad you’re home. All three of you safe and sound! The governor, his son Nathaniel, and those we sent with them have all returned safely as well.” He made his way to her, hugging her as she dismounted Chaos. “How did your journey go?”
She pulled away, her eyes finding his and just staring at him. She opened her mouth a few times to speak, but couldn’t find the words to say.
“I…” she began, but stopped.
The Chieftain’s brows furrowed as he studied his daughter. “What is it?”
She opened her mouth again, but another voice spoke.
“Chieftain,” Alehah said. “I b
elieve it’s me you should speak with regarding this.”
Elysia turned, her eyes wide as the girl stood there, shoulders square, feet shoulder-width apart, and hands clasped behind her back.
“Oh?” the Chieftain said. “What happened? What is this about?”
Alehah cleared her throat. “Everything went great. We got in without being seen, and we got all the information we needed.”
The Chieftain nodded. “This sounds good so far.”
Alehah nodded. “It was, sir. But… But then I got carried away.”
His eyes narrowed. “How do you mean?”
“I’ve lived here my entire life. I’ve never left. When I saw the chance to fully test my training… I don’t know, I just needed to. Before you say anything, no. That is no excuse, but it is the reason.”
Elysia wanted to interject. It should have been her giving her father the rundown of what had happened, but she couldn’t deny her curiosity regarding what Alehah would say. Not only that, but she wanted to judge her father’s reaction before he said anything.
“Continue,” the Chieftain ordered.
“We learned there were five mystics in the city. While there weren’t enough to give them a fully controlled army, there were certainly enough to turn the general populace against Arryn and Amelia and set them against the Dark Forest. I thought…” She sighed. “I thought if we could just thin them out, we would stand a chance. I thought about Arryn and Cathillian getting hurt, when all we had to do was take one or two out and weaken their defenses. It’s what we train for!”
“Elysia,” the Chieftain turned to his daughter. “You supported this?”
“Absolutely not,” Rae chimed in before Elysia could speak. “Like me, Elysia was against it. She was worried for her son and goddaughter, but she knew engaging would have been a terrible idea. Unfortunately, as it was being discussed, we were overheard.”
The Chieftain gave an annoyed laugh. “The Schatten were overheard? Really?”
Rae nodded as she swallowed. “Yes, sir.”
Alehah spoke up. “A mystic felt us there. One overpowered me and forced me to attack Elysia. You should know that if it hadn’t been for her, I would have died there. She knocked me out and got me over the wall to safety. After that, I don’t know what happened.”
Rae nodded. “After that, we fought the guards who had been alerted. I’m not entirely sure if they heard us or if they were alerted by the mystics, but regardless, we fought them and won. We killed two mystics and fled.”
The Chieftain turned to Elysia. “Is this what happened?”
She swallowed. It was mostly true. Both women were covering for her weakness. Elysia was a woman of honor, and the idea of lying to her father didn’t sit well with her. However, knowing that he would look at her with pity made her feel even more unsettled.
“Yes,” Elysia said again, once again feeling like a sixteen-year-old girl.
The Chieftain sighed before turning to Alehah. “I’m sorry, but you senselessly risked not only your own life, but those of two others, one of them your Elder. I have no choice but to relieve you of your position. The Schatten warriors are a very elite and important part of our army. You have proven you can’t handle the responsibility.”
Silent tears slid down Alehah’s face as she nodded, doing her best to hold her head just as high as she had earlier. “Yes, sir. Does this mean that I am no longer a warrior? If so, I humbly request to be allowed to train others. I might not be fit to fight alongside everyone, but I still have the skills necessary to teach.”
The Chieftain thought for a few moments. “You will be limited to patrol and training duties. We will see where you go from there.” He turned to Elysia. “Do you have anything to add?”
Elysia’s eyes lingered on her father’s for a few seconds before turning them to Alehah. The girl gave a brief smile and nodded.
Elysia shook her head. “No. I think this punishment is fitting. She can join me on patrol and in training duties for her first week.”
“Thank you, Elysia,” Alehah said.
“We might not have a week,” the Chieftain reminded her.
All attention turned to him, and there was silence before Elysia finally nodded.
“Unfortunately, this news brings great consequences,” the Chieftain said.
“I’ve thought about that,” Elysia replied.
He placed his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Good, because we have to ready everyone. We will also need to make use of the Cellan Guard. War is coming, daughter, and I fear it will be upon us very soon.”
17
Alaric and his people arrived in the Terres Forest early in the morning, the birds chirping in the trees as they walked the paths. He had given strict instructions that no one was to attempt using magic once they had entered, including taming anything. It was hard to say how his brother would take such behavior.
Unlike Alaric, Jerick and his people walked a thin line between the peace and structure that Alexander of the Dark Forest had set for his people and the culture of total freedom Alaric had set for his.
The Terres druids did as they pleased, but they were taught respect. It was the only law of Jerick’s land. Respect one another—but anything else is yours to take.
Living this way allowed his druids to retain their healthy nature magic, but also harness the power that Alaric had, though it had been scaled down. They were able to grow healthy fruit and keep their forest lush, though it would never compare to the Dark Forest.
As they walked along they saw bears, leopards, and birds of various species, all healthy. All cloaked in beautiful fur or feathers. All of them stunning. It had been many years since Alaric had come to see his brother, and he now remembered why he hadn’t.
Because he hated what he had built.
Even had Alaric known what would happen, he would do it all again—and that was exactly what he planned to do. That was the true reason why he wanted the Dark Forest. He wanted to give his people a fair shot, so they could live like his brother.
If Jerick wanted a cantaloupe, he grew one. If he wanted coin, he would steal it or kill for it. But if a man, woman, or child sheltered under the canopy of his trees, no harm would come to them—because that would be considered dishonorable. They were family.
Alaric planned to test just how far that family loyalty went.
Unlike in the Dark Forest, there was no wall here to barricade Jerick from the outside world. Instead, anyone was able to approach, but if he judged against whoever dared to enter, he would destroy them before they could even defend themselves.
Alaric could see the small wooden homes from a distance. Unlike the living-tree homes in the Dark Forest, these were small structures crafted from wood that had been harvested from the forest around them. These druids had no issue cutting down trees. It made a lot more sense than bending and shaping trees into a house.
Before they made it the rest of the way to the village, something fell from a tree just ahead of them. Vines burst from the ground and grasped what appeared to be a small girl before lowering her to the ground.
She had very kinky and thick, dark-grey hair, its color not much different than Alaric’s. It was disheveled and matted, with leaves and sticks tangled in it. Her dark-grey skin was covered in filth. When her eyes snapped open, he saw they glowed a very bright green—almost a neon green.
He had only seen that color in one other druid’s eyes—Alexander’s.
Alaric couldn’t help but think just how cute she would have been had she not been filthy and worn tattered clothing. She was seven or eight at most, so he wondered where her parents were.
As far as Alaric knew, Jerick’s people didn’t live in filth. They were at least moderately clean, though not everyone bathed in the river regularly.
“Hello,” Alaric said. “Do you know who I am?”
Her eyes flashed brighter as Alaric took a step closer. She growled at him—actually growled. The girl bared her crooked teeth at Alaric
as she lowered herself into a defensive position.
“He don’t want you,” was all she said.
Alaric smiled. “So, you do know who I am.”
“Ya look just like ‘im, but bad. You’re a bad man,” she said.
His eyes narrowed. Jerick didn’t judge others’ behavior, and he sure as hell didn’t teach his people to do so either. The only thing the Terres druids cared about was if someone planned to hurt or steal from them. If either of those were possibilities, they had a problem. Past that, it didn’t matter who you loved, hated, fucked, or killed, as long as they didn’t reside in his forest.
So, why would the little girl think Alaric was a bad man?
“I don’t think you know me at all, little one. Where are your parents?” Alaric asked.
“They’re bad, too. You’re all bad.” She spat on the ground, achieving an impressive distance to almost hit Alaric’s bare feet.
He smiled again. “Interesting. I think I see now why you’re a filthy little beast. You believe you’re better than everyone. Is that it? Mommy and Daddy teaching you the lesson that you’re not?”
She shook her head. “Oh, I know I’m better than you.”
In a flash, the girl disappeared into the trees, the vines having carried her away so quickly, he wondered how her neck didn’t break.
“What a strange child,” Aeris said from beside him.
Alaric nodded. “Strange indeed. Let’s go.” He nodded to where a man stood in a clearing. “My brother’s waiting for us.”
After a second night in the Heights, they made one hell of an early start the next morning. She and her companions had to get back. They wanted to make it back long before the dark druids, so they had a chance to prepare. If their enemies were lucky in their travels and managed to get help from the dark druids to the west, it was highly possible they wouldn’t go south.
