by Lenore, Lani
“I still don’t quite understand why you are so hard on Rifter,” she said. “I've always known you to stand against him, but yet you were loyal when he needed you. What broke your resolve?”
“We took the Vow, as did you, and we promised never to change. But Rifter broke it. Rifter changed, not us. I had to set an example for my brothers.”
Wren leaned her head against the tree in thought after Nix didn’t reopen his eyes. How could everyone question Rifter so? He was only trying to save them. Did no one appreciate it? This pained Wren deeply. No matter how much she tried to defend him, so many things kept coming up against Rifter. Could he really be…?
She snapped from her thoughts when she felt a light touch on her arm. Looking down, she found Nix’s hand resting gently on her wrist. The skin of his fingers was hard with calluses. She must admit, it had come as a surprise, but then she had realized he only wanted to check the bandage on her arm where the mimic had cut her.
“It’s healing well,” he commented after he had unwound the bandage. “The salve must be working.”
“Salve?”
“I treated the wound while you were sleeping.”
Wren cast her eyes down at the yellowish residue on her arm and curled her lip in disgust.
“Don’t worry,” he said, catching her expression. “It’s only aloe and squirrel urine.”
Wren knew the expression she made was ridiculous when he laughed at her.
“Only joking,” he promised, covering her arm with the bandages again. She felt embarrassed, but sighed with relief, resisting her desire to scold him long enough to appreciate how boyishly handsome he was when he smiled, but he soon became serious again.
“Wren,” he started, touching her hand, at which she was jolted. She looked at him with full concentration, her blue eyes staring into the one that looked back at her. “I want you to listen to me carefully. I’m telling you this now, because I may not be around later and you’ll have plenty of time to think about it.
“For your own sake, don’t take what Rifter says to be the truth, just because he is Rifter. Please, don’t take what I say either, or what anyone else tells you. You’ve grown as well, even beyond your time here. You owe it to yourself – and to us – to think this through and form your own idea. You may be the only one who is not blinded by this corruption.”
He expressed every word carefully, his gaze firm, and she could not help but give weight to what he said. He had told her things in the past and, though not all friendly, they were always the blunt truth.
And somehow, she could not stop thinking about the warmth of his hand against hers.
“So you have resigned yourself to leave already, have you?” she forced herself to ask.
“My doubts are gathering more and more,” he said, removing his hand. The warmth from his skin faded quickly.
“I suppose I have to respect your choice when the time comes.”
“Yes,” he nodded, assuring her. “When my mind is made up, there is nothing anyone can say that will make me change it.”
She understood. If he wanted to leave, she could not help it. At least she had tried to convince him. She hoped, however, that he didn’t decide to leave before she had figured him out, or at least before she had found more help, but for now, she yawned. She couldn’t avoid it; she would have to rest.
Nix leaned back and put his arm behind his head.
She was tired, and still unsure, but perhaps things could be dealt with in the morning. She let her eyes close as she lay there, resting but not asleep.
I never sleep, she thought again to herself. No, not anymore.
Chapter Thirteen
1
Wren was standing on the roof and a storm was brewing.
The children were walking in front of her, padding across the rooftop in their slippers, talking excitedly. Their enlivened conversation was filled with speculations of what adventures they might find in Nevermor, but Wren was only looking forward to seeing Rifter again. It had been much too long since she had seen him – too many days and weeks and months.
I hope he will not think I have changed too much, she thought. Of course she would have stopped aging if she could have. It was his fault that he had left her here for two years.
A warm, glowing light danced before them, enticing their eyes and stirring their imaginations. The fairy’s light made them feel comfortable and safe. Whisper flew over them, uttering false blessings, and Wren was already thinking happy thoughts.
Soon, I will see Rifter again. He did not forget about me after all. Now we can be together and build a new life.
In the distance, thunder was growling. The coming storm was making her uneasy. It reminded her of the pain and suffering that the gales of Nevermor had brought on when Rifter dreamed. She should have recognized the sign.
Swelling with the prospect of their new life, the children jumped from the roof, full of images of victorious battle and successful hunts. They flapped their arms as if they would soar like birds, but their carefree laughter had soon turned to screams.
The event happened quickly. The orphans crashed into the ground – limbs twisted, broken like saplings – before Wren had come back to herself, just on the verge of jumping. She stood there on the edge of the roof, her nightgown trailing behind her in the air like a ghost, left to watch the massacre that she was helpless to stop.
Wren’s dream mirrored her reality, mingled with her memories of the event as it had happened, but there was one thing that was different. In her dream, Rifter was there on the roof, hovering behind her.
“Rifter?” she questioned, drawing his attention back to her. She could see the anger and sorrow in his eyes.
“Don’t look,” Rifter persuaded, pulling her face into his shoulder.
“Why did this happen? Why, Rifter?”
“I’m sorry, Wren.”
“Why?”
She kept asking why, and he kept apologizing – up until the moment that they began to hear people stirring in the streets below.
“I have to go,” Rifter said immediately. He tried to pull away, but she would not free him.
“No! Don’t leave me!” she begged, clinging to him. She held her arms around his neck as lights flickered within the houses and a cacophony of gasps, screams and murmurs could be heard from below.
“I have to go, Wren,” he insisted. “I have to leave you. We can’t stay together. I have to find Whisper and make her pay for what she did.”
“Take me with you!”
“I can’t.”
Wren was shaking. Tears were leaking down her face. She knew Rifter would hate to see her cry, but she couldn’t help it.
“You can’t just leave me here after this!”
“It’s not the right time,” Rifter told her. Her sobs came on forcefully, and this did something to him. “But I’ll come back for you. When it’s safe – when it’s over – I’ll come back for you.”
“And you won’t forget. Promise me that you won’t forget!”
“I promise. I’ll tell you everything then, but you have to let me go.”
If you leave, what will hold me up? She wondered this to herself, but she took her arms from around his neck and wrapped them around herself instead. The boy took off into the sky like a rocket, leaving her staring up after him.
Wren gazed into the sky – it was all she could do to keep herself from looking at the ground. She choked on her own tears as the Londoners below began to point her out on the edge of the roof.
She could still hear the screams.
2
Wren opened her eyes, feeling a hint of the phantom tears pressing through. Somewhere between drifting off and snapping awake, she often saw visions of old memories which seeped in from the outer edges of forbidden darkness. These were the things that haunted her, keeping her awake.
Feeling that she couldn’t close her eyes again, she pulled herself up from the tree a bit. Her neck and back were sore from slumping agains
t the bark, but she wrapped her arms around herself to protect from the chill that had settled into the green wood, brought on by a low-hanging fog.
To her right, Calico was still sleeping soundly, curled upon Nix’s coat. On the other side, Nix was resting against the tree near her, his head propped up on his tattooed arm. Wren watched him as he breathed peacefully, thinking that when he was asleep was the only time his eyes weren’t narrowed and his face wasn’t frowning. While he slept, he had an expression of contentment. She smiled a bit to see him that way, wondering if he was dreaming.
Perhaps that’s a dangerous practice for any of us.
Feeling suddenly alone in the silence of the woods, Wren took a deep breath and her thoughts drifted off to Rifter. What was he doing as they all sat here? If he finished his tasks ahead of schedule, would he come find her?
He won’t, she reminded herself. He expects me to come to him.
What would it be like if Nix decided to stay and meet with Rifter? Would they fight again – tear each other to pieces with blunt words and sharp swords? Would she finally know the truth? There were many questions, but she found none were with answers.
Her eyes again trailed over to Nix. Why had he said those things to her before? Why did he care if she chose to be in love with Rifter? It was really none of his business how she felt or what she wanted. She owed him no explanations – even if he had delivered her from danger a few times thus far. If he didn’t want to help, he didn’t have to be here, but she dared not say this to his face. He really would leave her then, and she didn’t like that thought at all.
Losing family is hard. I won’t lose any more of mine.
She smoothed her long gown over her knees, though the ends were ragged and stained. Even so, she made sure all the folds hung straight, for lack of a better thing to give her attention to. She pushed herself back against the tree, wondering if her head would again feel heavy, but it was no use. She took a deep breath of the night air and tried, at least, to relax.
This wood was frightening – perhaps simply for the darkness and the fact that her companions were asleep – but as she sat there, Wren found that it was far from silent. All through the night, she swore she could hear strange sounds coming from all around her. Neither Nix nor Calico seemed to be disturbed in the slightest, but Wren was sure she heard something. There were unusual noises, like whistling and scratching against the bark of the trees. Then there had been the rustling leaves and disturbed branches above.
Now, Wren could clearly hear a rummaging sound, accompanied by the musical rattle of metal clinking together. For a moment, she did not want to believe her own ears, but was swiftly corrected on the matter as the disturbance continued, delicately jingling in the darkness.
What is that?
Turning her head slowly, with only the hazy moon to shed light, Wren trailed her eyes over the area, mindful of her movements, until her gaze fell upon a dark shadow, set apart from the night.
She froze. The shadow was thicker than the dark, and she could tell by the way it moved that it was alive. This was no mimic – or if it was, it was separated from its host. Squinting, she forced her eyes to adjust to it.
Someone is there. Her lungs seized up.
Straining her eyes, she began to make decisions about what she was seeing. This figure seemed to be covered in thick fur, which led her to believe that it was not human. It had glowing yellow eyes and, by that, she was able to see where the creature’s face was directed. Several yards away, it was rummaging through a satchel.
Nix’s bag. The creature was probably searching for food, but they could not afford to lose that.
I should wake him up, Wren thought, but she did not know how he would react if she did. This is urgent. I can’t just sit by.
Seeing that she had no other choice, she touched his leg lightly and was glad to see that he was not a heavy sleeper. Nix woke up swiftly but with little movement, looking toward her first before she directed his attention where it needed to be.
His eye locked on the target, recognizing the threat, and he slowly began to get to his feet, remaining crouched. Nix withdrew the dagger that was strapped to his leg, inching forward as Wren watched, wondering what he would do.
Will he choose to kill before even knowing what the creature is? She didn’t like the idea of that, but as fate would have it, the situation did not play out that way.
Nix was quiet as he moved, but not undetectable. A crackling footstep caught the creature’s attention. The strange shadow snapped its head up, glowing eyes on them, and Nix went into action, clearing the space between them and thrusting the dagger forward.
Wren watched with wide eyes as the creature dodged every swipe that came at it. Twisting, ducking and whirling, the mysterious beast did not even raise a claw to block the dagger or strike at Nix. Wren stared in amazement, unsure of what to do with herself. What manner of beast was this?
The creature was standing on two legs, and when the hairy figure finally pulled two swords from within its pelt, Wren realized that what she had thought was an animal was actually humanoid.
“Leave me be and no harm will come to you,” the furry creature warned Nix in a scratchy, masculine voice.
“I don’t much appreciate you taking my things,” Nix growled in return, knife in hand as he watched the other, sizing him up.
“That’s the toll for being in my woods,” the creature shot back.
“Like hell ‘your woods’.”
“That’s the way of this world, mate. You conquer it; it’s yours.”
“So, for stopping by, you’ve decided to make sure we pay our dues?”
“That’s about right,” the man-thing confirmed. “No one comes here without answering to me!”
“Well, I don’t answer to anyone,” Nix declared boldly, but Wren wondered if he saw what she did.
Pairs of faint lights emerged from the dark woods behind him – sets of glowing eyes. As she watched, more appeared, nearly a dozen. She didn’t know what the creatures were, but they were all like the first – with thick pelts and were at least her size, some bigger. She felt nervousness in her heart and her knees, in her chattering teeth. There were three of her company against this group, and she was no fighter herself.
If only Rifter were here.
When the other figures took shape before her, one directed the others with quick hand motions that Wren did not understand, but he parted the sea of his followers effectively. Before Wren could think, the strange tribe rushed into the area, leaping with incredible speed to take control.
She felt herself being thrown back against a tree as hands clutched her arms. Her head hurt, but she managed to pull her own dagger from its sheath and wave the sharp blade about in an attempt to ward the strange creatures away.
“Stay back!” she threatened, but her thrusts only pushed them away momentarily before they were able to notice the weakness of her wrist. Soon, they were upon her again, taking hold of her arms and tying her up quickly with thick bonds that she could not loosen.
“Nix!” she cried out, but he was fighting his own battle.
Calico was roused when the figures jerked her up, and as Wren might have expected, the vicious girl began to fight. They quickly became wary of her strength and dealt with her more hesitantly, but eventually the group with glowing eyes managed to overtake her as well.
Calico tried to fight them off as best as she could, but to no avail. Soon her hands were tied. Her mouth was gagged. Still, the painted huntress managed to break free from their grasp, running off into the trees with two of the creatures in pursuit. Wren silently hoped she would get away.
But what good will it do since her hands are bound?
Nix was holding his own against a small group of the yellow-eyed dwellers. They had not been able to subdue him yet, but the leader – the one who had confronted them first – had lost interest in that. He was leisurely hoisting Nix’s knapsack onto his own shoulder as if he was already certain that it bel
onged to him.
As Wren watched with wide eyes, Calico was brought back into the open by two of the creatures, and they threw her to the ground for their trouble.
What will they do with us? Wren wondered, fear clenching her heart.
With a wave of the leader’s hand, Wren was pulled back to her feet. He approached her as the others held her against a tree, and her eyes lit with horror when he drew one of his swords.
“Don’t,” she begged, but the words were muffled by the gag. “Please…”
His shining eyes were on her – perhaps really seeing her for the first time. He stared, lost in her and everything she was.
“Wait…” he muttered, taking a step toward her – but his guard was down.
The leader sensed the threat nearby a moment too late, and the ones who held her were not aware enough to react. The leader attempted to lift his sword just as the long barrel of a gun crashed down upon it. He turned quickly, staring Nix straight in the face, and Wren was relieved to see that he was there. Beyond him on the ground, several of the animal men were sprawled out, motionless.
“They are not dead, but I can arrange it, just as I can kill you,” Nix said menacingly, his eye cold as he stared. “Let them go.”
The leader considered, but he said nothing. Finally, with a small nod of his head and a signal of his hand, those of his company who held Wren began to untie her hands.
“There’s no need for more violence,” the leader said, raising his hands to his head in surrender. “Looking at you now, I believe I know you. I think you should remember me too.”
The fur-covered creature tossed Nix’s satchel on the ground, then peeled back his face to reveal the head of a young man, and Wren understood now that the suit of fur was only a disguise. The large glowing eyes had been merely magnified by goggles, though still glowed mystically in his human face. They had been ambushed by a group of humans.
Nix withdrew his gun from the boy’s face. He examined the other carefully, but seemed to dismiss him as a threat.
“You say we are friends?” he asked, clearly unsure.
