Divided

by Rae Brooks

  Something told Aela that Leif wanted to do this properly, and she found herself being very attracted to that idea. If only she hadn’t been suffering from a very serious case of desire, she would have had no objections at all. “I’m worried,” she admitted, “I’m afraid something has gone wrong.”

  “You’re always worried,” Leif reminded her. “Taeru is alright. Calis saved him. The book is simply waiting for the war to be stopped. Why won’t you calm your mind?”

  “I just don’t understand. The curse, the rules, everything is stipulated by the Light, and the Light ought to be able to stop the curse. Surely, it would know that we will succeed. What if there is a reason that we will not?” Her mind was running wild again, and from the look in Leif’s eyes, he knew it.

  The young male let out a long breath. “Aela, the Light is probably just a stickler for procedures. All higher-up things are,” his voice was disinterested. “Stop worrying about it. If things continue as they are after we stop the war, then you can worry—for now, you’ll give yourself wrinkles.”

  “And then you wouldn’t like me anymore,” she teased.

  His smirk looked very handsome on his face, though she wanted very badly to hate it. And she wanted very badly to smack it off of his face. “Who said I liked you now, princess?”

  Their remaining hidden had not been difficult. After all, the guards—or the ones that were left—were all tending to the grief-stricken Claudia. No one had time to try and find two people that they barely knew existed. Still, Telandus had not retracted its statement that Calis Tsrali should be killed. When they had left the cellar, Aela had heard the humors.

  “He was wearing the Cathlari amulet!” someone had said.

  “He had glowing red eyes when he killed his father.”

  “He is possessed by an evil spirit.” Most of the things were ridiculous, though Aela made sure to listen to all of them.

  Another problem was that Katt and Alyx seemed to have vanished entirely. They could have been in the hands of the Shining District, and they could have escaped the walls. Aela preferred to think that Katt was resourceful enough to get Alyx out of the city. Lee, Calis, and Taeru were out there somewhere, and that was surely where Katt ought to be. “I just don’t want anything to happen to him,” Aela whispered. Taeru flitted across her mind. He had looked so weak, so broken, lying stilled in Calis’s arms.

  This time, Leif stood and walked across the room to kneel beside her. She stared at him, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Everything will be fine,” Leif promised. “We are going to get through this. The others will be here soon, and this will be all be over.”

  “And what if that doesn’t happen?” she snapped. Leif never seemed to want to consider the negative side of things. What if there was a reason that Cathalar wouldn’t stop? What if the war continued? What if something did happen to Taeru—or Leif?

  The dark, blue eyes were complacent, staring at her with a mixture of amusement and frustration. Odd, though, that those two emotions should merit complacency. “Stop worrying. Worrying won’t stop it from happening, and we will act accordingly if we realize that something has gone wrong.”

  “It just seems so wrong. Taeru has done everything he was supposed to. I don’t get why the Magisters won’t just leave him alone,” Aela whimpered.

  Leif kissed her forehead, and her body immediately caught on fire as rampant emotions came back to life. “You mean Magister,” Leif reminded her. “Didn’t we decide that only one Magister—the direction one—was the crazy one behind this?”

  “Right,” Aela agreed, “she was insulted. But still, she is a Magister, and she must uphold the rules. She was able to cheat during the bargain, at which point she created the corruption in Lavus and other things—but she must stop if the conditions are met.”

  Her bemused companion smiled at her. “Then, she is probably just holding out, hoping one of us will trip on a rock and be unable to stop the war,” Leif said.

  “But the war isn’t…” Aela sighed. “Perhaps you’re right. But wait!” Her eyes lit up as the book’s words seemed to form a new meaning in her mind. “That’s it. What if Aleia tries to keep us from stopping it? She is going to try something!” Of course, that was why Aela had been worried. Aleia would not stand idly by while her plan was foiled. Then again, by Aela’s standards, it ought to already have been.

  There was a flat look in Leif’s eyes, and once again, a ghost of a smile eased onto his lips. He really wasn’t very excitable. “And that is why I stole you a bow and myself two swords, so that we can combat whatever she throws at us.”

  “You’re right,” Aela affirmed. “We will win this.”

  “After all, in truth, this book was created so that the words could only be read by a Hero.”

  -A Hero’s Peace v.i

  Chapter lx

  Taeru Lassau

  The war was before him. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he watched men killing men, children, women—everyone was dying. And it was his fault. Taeru grabbed his head, whimpering against the guilt that threatened to overpower him. “No,” he whispered. “This isn’t real…”

  He could see them, though, and he knew that it would not be long. He could feel the pounding of the horses, knowing that it had been just long enough. He could not let this happen—he had to save Aela, to save Leif—to save what he had left. Calis. Calis, Calis, Calis. That was the one thing that Taeru could not lose. The one thing that Taeru would have done anything to save.

  Calis, the man who had loved him in spite of everything, had tried to protect him. But Taeru knew that everyone who tried to protect him would eventually die. His mother had tried, and Juliet had tried—they were both dead. He wouldn’t let that happen, not to Calis—because he would truly be broken if Calis were gone. The war was approaching, and even as swords danced before Taeru’s eyes—he knew that. He knew they would be there soon. They would be in Telandus, and he was the one who had to go to stop them.

  Blood seeped along the ground, as he stared at the men who were dying—the men who would die. Taeru could feel panic spreading through his body, and without thought, he sprinted into the battlefield. He had to find someone, something—some way to stop this madness. The darkness was surreal, and he knew he was dreaming—none of it made sense. His feet splashed through puddles of blood too large to be made by men.

  “Taeru, where are you going? You’ve already failed. Stop running.”

  “No,” he snapped. The Magister—Aleia. He had to find a way to stop this, and that meant that he had to find a way to speak to her. “No! I can still stop this! You can’t do this yet!” Taeru yelped. The seedling had appeared a little bit ahead, in the midst of a battle that would go on forever.

  His eyes widened, staggering back from the seedling, though it begged him to come forward. He wouldn’t, not now. “I can stop this!” Taeru’s head snapped to the side, and he saw the profile of someone that he knew. Ryo!

  His feet moved without much command, and he started towards the figure. It stood there, as it brought the sword through another man. “Ryo! Stop!” he cried. Pain lanced through him, never ending, as he saw the people around him dying.

  Your fault.

  Ryo turned, and his sword cut through another man’s throat. Taeru let out a pained cry as he approached his brother, but the ground beneath him seemed to be growing, and he would never reach Ryo. “Brother!” he shouted. Still, Ryo’s sword found more men—destroying them, killing them.

  And suddenly, there he was, standing not far from Ryo with his sword drawn—Calis Tsrali. Taeru’s eyes widened with pain. “No! Calis! Ryo—don’t hurt him!” No, Calis didn’t look as though he was going to get injured. His eyes were narrowed as he regarded Taeru’s older brother, as though he was regarding an enemy.

  As Taeru continued to run along the never ending path, swelling with blood—Ryo’s and Calis’s swords met one another in a clang. Stumbling, Taeru cried out again, and neither of them looked to him. Their s
words met again, and again, and he knew with every slash—he was losing time. Cut, cut, parry. They seemed to be at a stalemate. “Stop!” Taeru choked. His feet kept moving, though his body ached with tiredness.

  Ryo’s sword moved downwards, and Calis’s caught it with a thrust upwards. Calis pushed Ryo backwards, and the Cathalari stumbled. Calis’s sword cut through the air, and Ryo’s cheek was sliced open. Then, Ryo retaliated with a stab that sliced through Calis’s side, just missing its mark. Calis twisted his body so that he managed to get behind Ryo, and he forced the Cathalari to the ground with a blunt force from his sword’s hilt. Ryo immediately threw his foot backwards, catching Calis’s ankle and knocking the Telandan off his feet. At once, Ryo was back on his feet, thrusting downwards, but Calis rolled out of the way. “STOP!” Taeru’s voice was choked.

  Using his foot, Calis forced Ryo back a few paces. He stood, then, swinging his sword once and catching Ryo across the chest. Taeru’s brother staggered, and he parried with a blow of his own, nearly cutting into Calis’s throat. Calis responded, though, by slamming his knee into Ryo’s chin.

  With the temporary distraction, Calis was able to knock Ryo to the ground. He drew his sword back, narrowing his eyes as he prepared to slam his sword through Ryo’s chest. “Calis! Please stop!”

  At last, Calis jerked his head so that his eyes met Taeru’s. They widened, unsure and lost. Inevitably, his sword arm dropped to his side, and he whispered words that Taeru found himself unable to hear. Then, though, Ryo pulled himself back up, placing a gash into Calis’s cheek and throwing him back.

  Just as Ryo moved to stab forward, Taeru found that the distance had finally become passable. He sprinted forward, crying out as desperately as he could. Just as he reached the battle, moving in front of Calis, the sword struck and slammed through his chest. Taeru gasped, choking as blood bubbled in his throat. Ryo’s eyes widened for a moment. “T-Taeru… why?”

  Taeru tried to move to grab the sword in his chest. It was lodged there, though, and he was sure that it had punctured something vital. Letting out a soft whimper, he dropped to his knees. Suddenly, Ryo pulled his sword backwards, and it was wrenched free, sending another jolt of pain through Taeru’s body . “R-Ryo,” Taeru coughed.

  When he looked, though, Ryo was gone. Rather than his older brother, there was a strange creature there. The thing was standing on two legs, as a human should, but its body seemed to be made of mud. It had long claws and three makeshift fingers on either hand. The sword was on the ground, as the creature didn’t seem capable of wielding such a thing. The monster’s face was twisted, eyes hidden beneath sinking flesh. Though, its mouth was wide and filled with teeth far too sharp to be human—dripping with blood.

  Glancing down at him, it let out a wailing sound, terrifying, threatening. Taeru tried to move backwards, but his wound persisted, and the thing grabbed him, bringing him into the air. Once he was raised, Taeru realized that the creature had four arms, if they could be called such. Its body was thin, consisting of tiny crystals interwoven throughout the grime, and beneath the folds of flesh, there were yellow, obscene eyes. As a whole, though, despite its thin body—the creature was twice the size of Taeru, able to hold him up without effort.

  “You are the master’s now,” the thing hissed, in a voice that was barely comprehensible. Taeru flinched, trying to pull out of the creature’s grip, but its second set of talons held his lower body.

  Suddenly, wings exploded from the back of the creature, larger than its body three times over. Taeru’s eyes widened, staring at the black and purple objects. They wrapped around him, and he screamed for a moment before his body collapsed into the field—the field where the flowers dripped blood.

  Before him was the massive obelisk, and this time, it shot up into the sky—extending beyond what he could see. The seedling was gone, and this had taken its place. “You will fail. I will see you fail. I see only what I want to see,” the voice echoed from somewhere in the distance.

  The purple crystal had fallen to the side so that the strange, black crucifix, with the tendrils wrapped around it, was visible. He wanted to get away from it, but his chest ached from the stab wound. This was a dream, though, and he ought to be able to get away. As he staggered to his feet, he turned to see the creature—not one, but thousands. One of them reached forward, dragging a talon across the front of his chest.

  He tried to move forward, but another of the creatures caught him and sunk its teeth into his neck. He cried out in pain, and his eyes searched the distance desperately. There was Calis—far away, but still somehow within Taeru’s vision. Then, Taeru realized that Calis was far too close to the creatures. “Calis! Calis—move! Get away!”

  All at once, one of the tendrils wrapped around his waist, drawing him back against the crucifix. The tendrils about the black obstruction sprang forward, tangling his body about its prison—arms pulled apart, resting against the crucifix. Still, he saw Calis’s wary eyes. “Calis!” he cried.

  Then, a pain shot through him so fierce that it pulled him from his dream. He gasped, rather than crying out, as he stared at the ceiling of the cottage. Silence was all around him, and he could feel that familiar sense of dread echoing through him as he lay there—sweating, with an ache in his chest.

  Time had passed, and most of his injuries were alright. His legs were capable of walking, and most of his injuries had healed to the point of being ignorable. There was something he had to check, though. As he sat up, he glanced down at the blond lying at his side. Somehow, Calis had fallen asleep on his knees, head resting on his arms and the bed. One of his hands was splayed outwards, and Taeru was sure that it had been holding his before. Slowly, warily, Taeru moved his hand to touch Calis’s, savoring its warmth. After a few moments, careful not wake Calis, Taeru eased himself from the bed.

  A glance across the room revealed Katt, who was leaning on Lee’s shoulder, sleeping soundly. Lee’s head was dropped, proving that he too was asleep. Lastly, Taeru’s eyes found Alyx. She was lying on the floor, curled into a ball, sleeping quietly. Her eyes were still red with tears. Nearly four cycles, he reminded himself, and the pain hadn’t lessened. He would never earn Alyx’s forgiveness for what he’d caused, but he would not fail her again.

  As he made his way to the window, he wondered why he had been the one to take the bed. After all, he wasn’t that injured anymore, and the girls needed it more than him. When he reached the window, though, all those thoughts left him. The sky was dark, though there was no moon. The sky was split with the strangest red streak, echoing outwards, towards Telandus, and towards the obelisk in the grove.

  Taeru swallowed, and his dread worsened. Stop me, child. See if you can stop me. The voice from his dreams continued to play in his mind. Without looking, he knew that there must be a new bruise on his chest. It didn’t matter—he had to stop this—and he would do it without hurting the others. The sky was as disturbing as in the dream, but this time, it was real. He knew that if he did not hurry, the army would be overtaking Telandus. And the creatures—the creatures would be there. He knew they would.

  Taeru exhaled, pushing his way into the front room. Katt’s brown bag sat against the wall, and Taeru moved to it. Only one thing remained inside, untouched, and Taeru pulled out the black, leather armor. The suit that he often wore when Dark Districters had called him the Phantom Blade. He would not bother with the disguise, but slowly, he slipped into the greaves, and the chest piece fit over his undershirt easily.

  Pulling on the brown gloves, and then securing the belt around his waist, he released a shaking breath. The armor felt familiar, and he wasn’t sure when the last time was that he had gone so long without it. There was no mask or bandana, of course, but that was alright. This was enough. Against the wall, his dual swords sat in their sheaths. Why had Katt thought to bring those, he wondered? He pulled them on, fastening them with ease.

  But he had to go, and he knew he had to go now—if he didn’t, then he would have truly
failed. Glancing towards the back room, he frowned, fighting tears that pricked his eyes. “I love you, Calis,” Taeru whispered. And with that, he left the cottage, careful to close the door softly as he did.

  Outside, he glanced at the cream-colored horse and offered it an apologetic smile. Katt had been charged with caring for the horses, and she appeared to be doing a good job. The other two horses sat idly, though the cream-colored one was eyeing him suspiciously. Grabbing the saddle, Taeru worked it into place and pulled himself onto the horse. “Sorry, girl,” he whispered, “but I’d feel bad if I took Lee’s or Calis’s horse.”

  As he untied the horse, he grabbed the reins, moving the creature easily. He hadn’t ridden in so long, and yet he felt as though he’d been riding this horse the sun before. Snapping the horse’s reins against its back, there was a burst of energy, and the horse moved towards the city of Telandus.

  As he ran, he realized just how much he had missed the horses of Cathalar and the freedom of having the wind blow around him as he rode. He’d always been made fun of, mostly by Ryo, for how close he rode to the horse. But he did it now, leaning into the ride and pushing the horse as fast as it was willing to go. Freedom—unlike any other, and Taeru realized for the first time that he had truly given up a lot when he’d left his home. Not just in his family, but in his life.

  The red streak in the sky seemed to be a path, moving him towards the city that was sure to be overrun. He kept going, not pausing, not slowing, and moving with the horse so that the creature could move at nearly its optimal speed. “I will do this,” he promised. The horse sped up a little for the words.

  At last, the city came into view, and he hurried the horse a little further. The moon was truly nowhere to be seen, and Taeru thought with a chill that this was not the beginning of its cycle. As he neared Telandus, the gates coming into view—he found his answer. Though, it wasn’t the moon, not as it ought to be. The moon was a pale, red color. It hung over Telandus, dangerously close, as though it was pouring terrible energy into the city.