by Candy Crum
Arryn looked at the woman sitting across from her, who was staring straight back. "Who are you?"
"I'm your cousin, Dana," she said.
Arryn's eyes widened as she realized just who she was. As children, they had lived only a couple houses from one another in the city. They had played together all the time with her friend Esther, who also lived on the street. She thought Dana was gone with the rest of her family.
"Have you been here the whole time?" Arryn asked. "With him?"
Dana nodded. "They captured me at the same time they took him, but I can't blame anyone for not noticing. I wasn't watched nearly as carefully as he and your mother were. They found us together. I had snuck out to meet him that night. We had a plan to save you, but it didn't go well. It was probably for the best, because Adrien would've found you eventually. They watched your father in hopes he would lead them to you."
"I don't know if you are aware of it or not, but Adrien is dead. A girl named Hannah came through and wiped him off the map. Everyone who worked for him, too. I killed his daughter when she came back to get her revenge on the city," Arryn said.
Dana’s eyes widened. "You killed Adrien’s daughter? Talia? She's the very reason we’re here. Your father found out about her, and Adrien didn't want anyone to know." The woman laughed. "If you went back to the city and took her out, you must be pretty damn strong."
"I had excellent teachers over the years while living in the Dark Forest. Celine is there now. We found each other in the city, and she's been living with me in the Forest of late. It's a long story, but I'm sure I'll be able to tell you about it later. Now, what's up with my father?"
Dana sighed as she looked at Christopher. "They’ve poisoned him with various things over the years. Mushrooms, belladonna—whatever comes along. They like to experiment on him with random plants. They keep him under, because when he's lucid, he begins to freak out about you."
Shaking her head, Arryn said, "I have to get him out of here. Both of you." She turned to her cousin. "Do you have magic?"
She laughed, but it was unamused. "I do, but not right now. They know I would never use my magic against them, because they would hurt him to get back at me. The guy that usually watches over us, Jace, he quit pumping me full of that shit for a while, but now that Alaric is back, they’re forcing him to do it again. It's weak, so I'm still in my right mind, but I sure as hell can't focus enough to touch the magic."
Arryn knew exactly what she was talking about, because that was just how she felt as well.
"Your dad was just given another dose. He acts like that for quite a while after, but he should come around in a few hours. You know, I've learned a lot here. If what I heard was true, you have the power to heal him, yes?"
Arryn nodded. "Yes, but not right now. I'm just like you—I don't have the ability to touch my magic. Someone would have to heal me before I could heal him."
Dana nodded. "Then my advice would be to act like you are out of it. Maybe they won't dose you again." She shrugged. "I don't know. But I do know our only chance of getting out of here lies with you. We have to find a way."
Arryn didn't speak again, but turned her attention back to her father and his non-stop pacing. She knew better than anyone that getting out of the cave would require her to reach her magic. She couldn't imagine the three of them dying here like that, and she wouldn't allow herself to be used as a weapon against the Dark Forest either.
She had to come up with a solution, and soon. After all, she had been in worse situations.
Alaric was making his way toward the cave when his brother stopped him. The two had decided to meet that morning, because Alaric wanted to introduce Jerick to his newest prisoner. He hadn't had the pleasure yet, and Alaric wanted to see that he did.
"How do you think this is going to go?" Jerick asked. "Do you think she'll do what we ask?"
Alaric nodded. "She’s going to do just fine. After she realized the hold I have over her and what I would do to her father, she came around quite nicely. By now, she’s probably realized I have her cousin, too."
Jerick nodded, his expression revealing his uncertainty. "Something about this just feels off. You said she was alone when you found her?"
Alaric sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yes. It was one of the things we anticipated. We knew the letter would get under her skin, and she would more than likely disobey Alexander. We knew she would either listen to him and stay put, which is why we went in the first place, or she would go rogue. Guess what happened? She went alone, which was much easier on us, obviously."
Shaking his head, Jerick said, "That's not what I mean. Think about it. How often do you see a druid of the Dark Forest without his or her familiar? That's what I'm asking. Animals might have been affected somewhat, but the smoke is deadlier on humans. So, if her familiar wasn’t there—where was it?”
Alaric stared at his brother for a moment, running his conversation with Arryn through his head. "She mentioned walking through the Forest with her white tiger. I didn't really think about it at the time, but that must have been her familiar."
Jerick was obviously annoyed by hearing this. "Fantastic. That means she more than likely sent the beast back to warn the others. If she did, trouble might find us soon. You should have searched for the familiar, Alaric. This may have cost us."
Alaric shrugged. "And again, this is something we planned for. Maybe not directly, but we planned for the possibility the others were too strong to be affected by the smoke. That was why we were trying to lure Arryn out without having to go in after her. We’ll be fine. And if not, you and I will take off and find another way into the Forest."
"You mean sacrifice our people to save ourselves?" Jerick asked.
Alaric laughed. "That's exactly what I mean. I'm not above threatening another army to follow me into battle. I wanted to take my people with me, but it's not necessary as long as I win."
Alaric clapped his brother on the back before leading him into the cave. It was time he met his special weapon.
Cathillian was on the verge of exploding. It was taking everything Celine and Samuel had to keep him calm, so even Elysia and the Chieftain opted to stay out of his way as they traveled south through the Dark Forest.
Not only was Arryn missing, but now Corrine was as well, which Cathillian knew happened because they waited and rested up. Corrine was used to sneaking around. It was easy for her to eavesdrop on adult conversations she otherwise wouldn't be invited to hear.
He had no doubt she had gone south to find Arryn. While the others were confident they would find her on the way, he damn well knew better. That girl was faster in trees than people were on foot, even with horses. She moved like the Schatten, and she was just as fast.
Corrine would make it to Arryn long before they did, and she would more than likely die in the process, trying to do the one thing they should have done without question.
He understood his grandfather's reasoning, but he also hated him for it. If he lost Arryn because of his grandfather's rules and fears, he would never forgive the man. He would always love him, and stand by his side because he believed the Chieftain was a good man with a good heart, but he would never forgive him if he lost the person he loved most in the world.
"That lass has been through hell and back," Samuel said. "She’s survived things I don't think any of us coulda. Give ‘er some credit. Just ye watch. We’re gonna run in there ta save the day, and she's gonna end up rescuin’ all our arses."
Celine laughed. "It really is true. I know your mom and grandpa are strong, but Arryn…" She didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone knew how it would have ended.
Arryn had continued to surprise everyone every day. With her capacity to love, defend, and teach, she had proven herself worthy of a title that had never been given to one so young.
"I'm aware of that," Cathillian said, "but that's not my only worry. When Corrine came here, Arryn took her in like she was her own, just like we did for her
. She is incredibly important to Arryn, and she's important to me, too. I let her get away, out of my sight. We all did, and now she's in danger. We lost Arryn, and we lost the person who is essentially her adopted daughter. Snow and Dante are both a mess, too. Did you see the cub before we left? He's completely lost without Arryn and Corrine. He's Arryn's familiar, but he's just as close to the girl. We have to find them."
"I'm sorry, lad," Samuel said as he looked at Cathillian with genuine sympathy. "We're gonna find ‘em both, and they’ll be safe when we do. And then we’re gonna rip the balls off every one o’ those bastards."
The druid nodded. "That's more fucking like it."
18
Arryn looked away from Dana as she heard footsteps and swallowed hard as she felt the familiar dark energy coming closer. It was Alaric, but there someone else with him. She wondered if maybe it was Aeris.
She had hoped she would get the opportunity to see him again. Of course, she wanted to be at full strength when it happened, but she wanted to look into his eyes and see what she would find.
Instead, it was only Alaric and his brother, Jerick.
"Is the sun shining this morning?" Alaric asked, referring to their conversation the night before when he had initially called her “Sunshine.”
She smiled, cocking her head to the side. "That depends. You lettin' me go this morning? How about dear old Dad?"
He laughed and looked at his brother. "See? I told you she's hilarious." He turned back to Arryn. "It's funny you should say that. My brother wanted to have a little talk with you before we do anything else, so we'll see how that goes."
Jerick stepped forward with a broad smile on his face and knelt several feet away. "See, last night you had a conversation with my brother and you mentioned a white tiger. That got me thinking… That tiger wasn't with you, now was it?"
Arryn swallowed hard, trying to fight back the bile. She had a feeling she knew where this was headed. "No, she wasn't. I needed to approach you alone. I had planned to sneak into the camp and liberate my father. There was no way I could've ridden a white tiger in here while trying to be stealthy." It was a partial lie, but she hoped he wouldn’t catch it.
"Oh, there it is. Now, I expected you to say something like that, but here’s the thing… I distinctly remember hearing something big roar. I haven’t run into many jungle cats, so I just assumed it was Alexander’s bear. But it wasn't, was it? Keep in mind that if I don't believe your answer, I'll cut one of your father’s fingers off."
Arryn wanted to cry. While the darkness inside this man wasn’t nearly as deep as Alaric’s, he was far more terrifying. Finally, she shook her head. "No. It wasn't the bear. It was Snow."
Jerick smiled. "’Snow.’ Pretty name for a white cat. That wasn't so hard, right? After all, being honest with each other is how friendships are formed, and my brother thinks the two of you can be friends. My next question... Did you send her to warn the others?"
Arryn didn't want to answer, but she knew she had no choice. She nodded. "Yes, I did. I told her to wake everyone she could and get them out of the village."
Jerick sighed, shaking his head at her in a disappointed manner. "That's what I was afraid of, but your honesty buys you a bit of leeway. Now comes the fun part." He turned to his brother. "We don't have long before Alexander and the others get here. Get their asses outside. It's time for the test."
Arryn's eyes widened as she looked at Dana. Both had fear and uncertainty in their expressions. Alaric called out, and six dark druids ran in and separated into pairs. Each pair grabbed one of them and lifted them roughly by the arms.
Arryn and Dana began kicking and fighting as they dragged them out of the cave. The bright morning light hit Arryn's eyes, blinding her as they pulled her into the open. They threw her down, and she landed hard on her hands and knees.
Her body still felt weak, but she managed to struggle upright. When her eyes adjusted, she saw nearly a hundred dark druids gathered around the area as both dark chieftains looked at their attentive crowd.
"What is this? What's going on?" Arryn asked.
She unsteadily tried to get to her feet, but was immediately kicked back to her knees. She all but growled at the guilty druid as he came around to stand in front of her, but still far enough out of the way that she could see both Dark Chieftains.
Alaric held his hands out to the sides, smiling as he looked at the crowd before turning his gaze on her. "Why, this is your test, my dear friend. You see, we’ll need to leave very quickly if your adopted family catch up to us. The question is, do we leave you behind to hopefully gain ground between us and them, or do we take you with us because you'll help us escape?"
Jerick smiled next to him, pointing a finger in the air. "Ah, don't forget the best part. If we have to leave you behind, clearly we’ll have no use for you or your father…or your cousin for that matter. If you refuse to help us they will be killed, and it won't be pleasant. We'll leave you behind and take them with us. Then we’ll send them to you piece by piece."
"Arryn, you can't do this," Dana said. Arryn turned to face her. "You can't help them take the Dark Forest. You know your dad would never want this. I don't either. Save yourself and save the Dark Forest, even if that means letting us die."
"Arryn."
Her eyes widened as she heard his voice speak her name. She turned her head in the opposite direction to see her father looking directly at her. There were questions in his eyes, but when he saw her, it seemed to bring him back to the present—even if only a little.
"Is that really you?" he asked.
"Aw! Isn't that cute? He's lucid enough to remember who she is," Jerick said. "Arryn, sweetheart, you can't let that man die after all you've been through, after all he's been through, can you? You've waited ten years to see him, and he's right there. That's your father, and you can have him back. All you have to do is help us take the Dark Forest."
Her father looked toward the two men standing ahead of them, his eyes suddenly clearer and his brows furrowed. Realization crossed his expression as he slowly began to shake his head.
He turned back to Arryn. "No. Don't. Save yourself. Your safety is all that has ever mattered to me. The Dark Forest gave you a home when I couldn't. Don't forsake it and everyone in it for me. You know better than that."
Her jaw dropped open as she tried to speak, but she couldn’t. Tears streamed down her face. She began to sob when she heard her father, her real father, talking to her as he had when she was a child. As if no time had passed at all.
All she wanted in the world was to reach out to him, but it was just like it had been ten years ago.
If she reached out she would be pulled away all over again, not allowed to touch him.
"I don't know if this is a dream or not, but if you're real, don't do it. You've always been my angel. Don't let them turn you into a destroyer." Tears fell down her father's face as he stared at her.
She took a shaky, uneven breath and slowly nodded. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, baby girl. Now do what's right."
She closed her eyes, forcing the last of her tears to fall down her cheeks as she faced forward. She wasn't ashamed of her emotion, and for the first time, she regarded it as more than just a weapon.
It was her strength.
"Well, darling?" Alaric said. "What is your decision?"
She risked one more look at her father, and he nodded. She turned to look at Dana, and without hesitation she did the same.
Taking a deep breath, she faced the Dark Chieftains again. "I will never help you. I will never help you take the Dark Forest. I would rather burn in hell."
Alaric smiled. "Wouldn’t that be a fitting end, given that's exactly where you promised to send me?"
A wicked smile crossed her face. "The day’s not over yet, sweet cheeks."
Jerick shook his head and rolled his eyes. "What a fucking waste of time and effort. I've had enough. Bring in her consolation prize. Show her exactly what
not thinking about the consequences of her stupid decisions gets her."
Arryn heard a scream, and the voice was familiar—far too familiar. Corrine was thrown to the ground several feet in front of her, and the little girl had tears in her eyes as she looked from Arryn to her father.
"I'm sorry," she said, her tiny voice shaking. "I thought I could save you. I thought I could call vines from the trees and carry you and your father away, but all the trees here are dead. Everything here is dead."
Arryn's hands covered her mouth as she shook her head, more tears falling. "It's me who’s sorry. If I could have healed myself, I would've been able to save all of you. Remember what I taught you. Your emotions are your greatest weapon, not weakness. Even your fear."
Corrine’s eyes widened for a moment before her expression fell again, more tears falling.
Despite her brave words to Corrine, for the first time in a long time, Arryn experienced a moment of doubt in herself. She had never allowed weakness to swallow her, but at that moment—poisoned and unable to touch her physical or magical strength—she was engulfed by doubt, by weakness.
Jerick stepped forward, laughing as he grabbed Corrine by the hair and roughly yanked her back, causing her to cry out again. "But she can't, little one! She can't save you. She can't save any of you. You failed, you little shit. I knew I should've killed you the day you were born. There was always something off about you. Your own parents didn't even want you."
"Stop it!" Arryn shouted, rage taking hold of her. "Leave her alone. If you want to torment someone come after me, but leave her be."
He leaned down and took out a knife, holding Corrine tightly by the hair with one hand while flipping the blade in the other, and movement to either side of her caught her attention. Dark druids were lifting swords over the necks of both Dana and her father.
"I changed my mind. I don't like long, drawn-out goodbyes," Jerick said coldly. "We're just going to end this now."
