“No way.” Lana said. “I’m not going out there like this. Bring my clothes in here.”
I kept going and waved behind me. I didn’t think she would have been nervous about it but she was and I could still hear them try to come up with a solution.
“You can get out.” Dirk said. “Hide behind me.”
He started following me and Lana walked behind him to shore. “My clothes.”
Dirk bent down to pick them up and Lana gasped.
“Don’t worry.” I said while Dirk turned to her with the clothes in his hands. “No one is here. They went to get the horses.”
“Dirk, turn around and keep watch. I don’t want some stranger looking at me.”
Dirk smiled towards me when he turned around like he couldn’t believe she was being this self-conscious either. It was a little odd for her but Lana managed to quickly put on her clothes just in time as the others came over with the horses.
“Let’s go.” Seth said. “We have to get back and tell my father the news.”
“What about my father?” Naomi asked.
“He needs some rest but he said he would catch up.”
“Doesn’t that seem odd?” I asked. “I mean, he should be fine after Bryce treated him.”
Everyone else just paused like they suddenly realized I was right.
“Maybe he’s having some kind of mental breakdown after losing his ship.” Seth said. “Some people take care of them as if they’re children.”
“Yeah. I guess it’s nothing. Let’s just go.”
I didn’t want to go on with my paranoia. It wasn’t really the right time to think about it so I turned with them and we continued to ride north to tell Zayden about this dreadful news.
Chapter 31
Naomi
We traveled the road for three days and stopped for the third night to rest the horses. Cadence and Seth created the shelter and we all went inside to sit down and rest while we could. None of us really wanted to. We were anxious to get back but we knew we needed rest just the same.
“It’s such a cold night.” I said, snuggling up closer to Bryce. He felt so warm against my cold skin and didn’t seem to mind my constant attachment at all.
“I can fix that.” Cadence held up her hand and brought in wood for a fire then she took a deep breath in and blew out a breath of fire toward the wood.
“Shit.” Dirk said. “Where did that come from?”
“What do you mean? One of you should be able to do it.”
“No.” Seth said. “None of us can do that.”
“What about your fire, Dirk?”
“I can’t breathe it. It comes from my skin.”
“Then how can I do it if none of you can?”
“How did you know you could?”
There was a pause while Cadence though over the question and Bryce began to look around like something were wrong. I started to worry. “Do you feel that? I’m counting fourteen strong heart beats.”
“Fourteen?” Dirk wondered.
“Yeah. Six of us, the six horses and two others.”
Seth’s eyes immediately turned solid black as a sign of danger to check if he was right. “I feel a horse approaching.”
“And I feel a power drawing closer too.” Cadence said. “Maybe it’s what I did but I fear it’s not friendly.”
Everyone looked at each other and we went outside. I was still cold but I ignored it due to the severity of how this could turn out.
“Father?” It was the last person I expected to see but immediately became fearful. The power had to have been coming from him if Cadence felt it.
“There you are.” He said. He got off his horse but everyone was being extra cautious because they knew as well as I did that something was very wrong. “Is everything all right?”
“I don’t know.” Cadence replied. “Is everything okay with you?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” Everyone took a step back, still staring at him but he noticed our behavior. It would have been hard to hide. “Are you sure everything is all right?”
No one seemed to want to say anything but something was indeed wrong and I needed to get this out in the open. It wasn’t his question but I had one of my own that I already didn’t like the answer. “Father, who did you say set the fires to all of those ships?”
“It was the mountain men. Why are you asking such things?”
“Because I don’t think it could have been them.” Lana cut in, only shaking my worry. “It would have taken a lot of oil to start a fire like that unless it came from a stronger source and I didn’t smell any oil.”
“What are you saying?”
“We think it was you.” Cadence said. “I can feel you have a power strong enough to take out all those ships.”
My father only paused but then began to smile evilly like he always knew what he’s done.
I felt my eyes tear up and I just didn’t understand this. “Father, why?”
“Why? You want to know why? I couldn’t let them leave the island.”
Them? I watched his eyes and he was looking at Bryce, Seth and Dirk.
“Why?” Cadence asked. “What did they do?”
“They’re Senians and I can’t let any of you leave to tell Zayden about the rebellion.”
“Why are you doing this? You’re betraying your country.”
“It’s a hefty price to pay but in the end everything will be much better and my quest for revenge fulfilled, when the first generation Great Seni Fighters cower before me and die by my will.”
“What do you have against them?” Seth asked.
“Your fathers are seen for their greatness but they’re nothing but murderers. My brother Chan was killed because of them. He was all the family I had left and now I’m getting back at them by taking out everyone close to them, starting with you three.”
He inhaled deeply and let out a breath of fire towards us. Lana and Cadence dodged out of the way while I stepped in front of the guys and herded them behind the shelter while turning the four of us invisible.
“What the fuck? We look like ghosts.” Dirk said. “Are we already dead?”
“No. You’re invisible. This is how we can see each other. Now I need you to do exactly what I say and get out of here. Take the horses and ride as fast as you can back to Randal. The horses will turn invisible when you touch them so you won’t be seen leaving. Don’t wait for us.”
“Naomi, no.” Bryce replied. “I don’t like that plan. I’m not leaving you here.”
“Just go! Once you’re well out of sight of me, you’ll turn back to normal which means you’re safe. We’ll take care of it.”
“But he’s your father.”
The word lingered in my mind but I knew where my true loyalty lied. “That’s a traitor and wants you dead. I won’t let him get away with it. Now go!”
Dirk and Seth pulled Bryce away and they made their way to the horses like planned. I didn’t want to send them away but it was better this way. We had to be the ones to end this.
I was visible again and came out from behind the shelter where that man was standing with Lana and Cadence off to the side. “Where are they?”
“That’s not your concern anymore. We are.”
He laughed. “It will take more than just the Kalu Assassins to stop me. I will have my revenge. You can count on that.”
“I won’t let you do this, father. We don’t want to hurt you but we will if you continue this. Please, just think about what you’re doing.”
“Oh, I have thought about it. I’ve thought about it for a long time and now I’m finally ready. Family or not, I will bring you down if you stand in my way.” His words were cold and I never would have thought how easy this was. We pulled out our weapons and stood ready as our answer. “So be it.”
He blew fire at us and we ducked and rolled out of the way. We had to get closer to him somehow in order to use our weapons at all but it was impossible, he wasn’t letting us get close enoug
h.
“This is crazy.” Lana said as she moved aside. “I can’t get close enough.”
“You mean you aren’t just going to jump at him?” Cadence asked. “You’re fire-proof.”
“To Dirk’s fire. Not some fire-breathing maniac. I don’t want to test it when he can see me.”
That’s when it came to me. I knew how to end this and it should have been me. “Leave it to me.” I turned myself invisible with my plan. “But you have to distract him.”
Cadence and Lana nodded and kept Porter’s focus on them in one direction while I snuck around behind him and opened my metal fans. He heard the sound and turned to breathe fire at me but I swung towards his neck before he could. He fell to the ground instantly, choking and gasping for breath. It was pretty hopeless if he wasn’t Bryce and his own gift worked against him. Whatever he used to breathe the fire started coming out the gashes in his throat and he died there right in front of me.
I had done it. I had killed my own father.
I didn’t shed a tear for it while I cleaned off my fans and put them away. Why would I? He hasn’t been much of a father to me and this had to be why. He was always away, thinking up ways to plot his revenge even if he had to get whole countries involved and now, we were going to be at war because of him.
“I’m sorry about this, Naomi.” Cadence said.
I took her sympathy but didn’t reflect off it. “I’m not. This man wasn’t my father. My father died long ago with my mother.”
“We better get going. We can still catch up to them.”
We nodded and went to our horses to leave this night behind us. It would seem we weren’t stopping after all.
“Come on, Lana.”
“No. Take my horse. I’m going to fly ahead and find them so they don’t tell Zayden without us.”
Cadence nodded and Lana gave her human form wings and started flying north. They couldn’t have gotten that far but it was still good for us to all be together when we got back. I wouldn’t want anyone to worry.
Chapter 32
Dirk
None of us liked the idea of leaving them back there but we had to know they could handle it without us. They were Assassins and it was hard to at first but we had to trust in it.
“There’s Lana.” Bryce said.
I looked up and saw my beautiful wife flying over us with a great pair of golden wings and she stopped up ahead. We slowed down as we approached and stopped as well. “Lana? Is everything all right?”
“Yeah. They’re just slow.” She smiled, getting rid of her wings.
“You mean it’s over?” Seth wondered.
“Yeah. They should be catching up shortly.”
“So, what happened?” Bryce asked.
“He’s dead.”
“How’s Naomi taking it?” I wondered.
“Rather well. She’s the one that killed him after all.”
“What?” Bryce was beyond shocked. “She killed her own father and she’s not upset?”
“Well, she says he wasn’t her father. She says her father died with her mother and that was close to ten years ago. Her aunt is the one that raised her. So, don’t worry, she’s not going to be depressed or anything.”
Bryce sighed in relief. “Oh, good. So, we’re just going to wait here for them then?”
“Yup. Can you see how far away they are? We should really be getting back.”
Bryce turned on his horse and looked back with his vision. “They’re not too far behind. In a few minutes even you should be able to see them.”
Lana sighed. “A few minutes? Great. I’m going to get my horse and make them pick up the pace.”
She gave herself wings again and took off back south. We watched her until she was down over the hill.
“That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” Bryce said.
I laughed. “Then you should see what she can do with her tongue.”
Saying it even gave me chills; the good kind but Bryce and Seth raised their eyebrows at the same time, looking in each other’s direction.
“Really?” Seth smiled. “She actually uses that animal stuff that way?”
“Sometimes. She knows what she’s doing so she doesn’t make it weird.”
“I’m sure her past has something to do with that.” Bryce laughed.
I snapped my head towards him and my mood immediately changed when my eyes turned red. I could even feel my fire already moving my hair. “Don’t talk about that! You know it wasn’t her fault! She didn’t exactly learn by choice!”
“Okay. Sorry. I didn’t mean for you to get defensive about it.”
He was right. I took a breath and my eyes slowly changed back. “I’m sorry too. Just don’t talk about it. She just finally got to move on from it. I don’t ever want her to be reminded.”
Seth and Bryce looked at each other in this unusual way and started to smile.
“You’re in love with her.” Seth said.
I didn’t feel embarrassed about it. We were married but I couldn’t exactly tell them that. I just let them think they’re harassing me. “Well, that is the plan, isn’t it?”
“I guess but it’s just starting to sink in. We’ve just never seen you so protective over someone.”
“Well, get used to it.”
“I’m trying to.”
His lost expression made me laugh and the girls finally started to become visible over the hill.
“There you are. We were wondering when you were going to show up.” I said.
“Good. You waited for us.” Cadence replied.
“Of course.” Seth said.
“Lana, call Honey now. I need to send this message to Aleksander.”
Lana sighed as she looked around. “All right.”
She put her hands around her mouth and let out a loud bird call that echoed through the plains. We waited here for a second and then heard another bird call back.
We looked around and saw Honey, the golden hawk, flying to us. We’ve seen our mothers using her before so it wasn’t much of a surprise.
Cadence held out her arm and Honey landed on it. “There you are. I need you to bring this to Kalu.” She attached a small rolled up piece of paper to the bird’s leg. “Fly swift as the wind and don’t stop until you get there.” Cadence tossed Honey up in the air with her arm and she began to fly west toward Kalu. “Now, let’s go. We must get back to Randal and report the dreadful news.”
Dreadful? I didn’t quite think so. The Leccan thing was fun but it was over too quickly. If we were going to get that chance again, I was going to welcome it. The world had to pay somehow for thinking they could ever take us out and so they would―hopefully soon.
Chapter 33
Seth
We arrived back at Randal in three days and hurried up to the palace to inform my father that I was right and we could move forward with the preparations.
“So, you have returned and all alive. Good.” My father said.
I was semi-amused about how relieved he sounded but this wasn’t the time to joke about it.
“Yes.” I replied as everyone got down on one knee and bowed to the King respectfully. “But we bring alarming news of the world back with us.”
“Please get up and tell me what you found out.”
I stood and told my father exactly what he didn’t want to hear. “The world wants war against you for past actions.”
“Let me guess.” He seemed all too comfortable with this. “A family member of someone I killed wants revenge.”
“How did you know that?” Dirk asked in awe like my father had known the whole time.
“It’s always the way. Anyone I’ll remember?”
We all looked at Naomi among us and watched her swallow hard. I didn’t know if she wanted to explain but she was brave and didn’t seem afraid to speak up.
“It was my father.”
“Your father?” My father scowled like he didn’t understand.
“He said it was about h
is brother that died because of you.” I explained. “I think he said his name was Chan.”
My father’s expression changed in a curious way. “Chan Doe?”
“I don’t know. We didn’t get that far.”
“What of him now?”
“Destroyed.”
“And the problem?”
I looked around and knew I had to explain. “The war will still happen. He had followers and they’ll follow through on the rest.”
He was quiet for a moment, probably thinking that now was indeed the time to do something about it. “Settle back in. I’ll gather the others with the military leaders and we shall meet in the conference room so you may explain everything.”
I nodded to my father’s wishes and we parted ways.
“Shit.” Dirk said. “Our first military meeting. This is big.”
“Yes, it is. We’ll be speaking to the greatest minds of the country in the matter of minutes. It’s best if we don’t mess this up.”
“Then maybe it would be best if you did all of the talking.” Bryce said.
“Why me?”
“Well, you are the Prince, Blue-Eyes.” Lana said. “It’s seems like the leader thing to do.”
I sighed. “Okay, great. So, I’ll do the talking and you five sit by and be supportive while I take full responsibility for this and try not to mess it up.”
Dirk smiled and patted me on the back. “No pressure.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
We went to our rooms and changed into something more suitable for the meeting. Still carrying our weapons, I put on my crown and met up with the others downstairs.
My father had quickly gathered everyone in the conference room like he said and came to us in the dining hall. “They’re ready. Come.” He turned and we all followed to the conference room door. “Okay. This is it.”
He reached for the door knob but I stopped him from opening it with an anxious voice. “Wait. Don’t you have any advice? Like special words of wisdom or anything?”
He smiled. “You’re my son. You’ll do fine. Just wing it.”
He opened the door and went in but we stayed back in the hall. I was just trying to figure out what that was supposed to mean. “Just wing it? What kind of advice is that?”
Autumn Dawn (Fate's Intent Book 11) Page 17
