by Candy Crum
Amelia shook her head. "No. Not for me. At this point, everything I'm doing is either for Arryn or for the city."
Elon slowly nodded his head. "As far as Arryn is concerned, helping the city is helping her, and vice versa."
Amelia took a step forward, her hands wrapping around the bars. "Yes. That's exactly how I think of it."
"Good. Then I won't decline."
She gave a sigh of relief, exhaling a breath Amelia hadn't realized she'd been holding. Even though she knew Elon was using Arryn as an opportunity for redemption, her recent string of bad luck had warned her not to get her hopes up, regardless of how certain she was of his good intentions.
"Thank you," Amelia said.
Elon waved a hand, inviting her to come inside. "The door's unlocked, but I assume you know that. Come on in and have a seat, and we’ll discuss whatever it is you want."
Amelia opened the door and stepped inside, not bothering to close it. Elon could have escaped at any point, but he hadn’t—he had stayed there from a sense of duty to his son Gregory. She believed he stayed now because he had an opportunity to make things right with at least one of the children he'd betrayed, even though his betrayal of Arryn and her family hadn't been intentional.
"I want to talk to you about some magitech. I have some ideas, but we no longer have a Master Engineer. You know as well as I do that no one in the city is even half as smart as you are, as much as it pains me to say it. That being said, I need something designed and built that will keep the city safe. We can't risk any more remnant attacks."
He sat there for a moment thinking over her words, his eyes never leaving hers. "Well, it sounds like we might have our work cut out for us. What did you have in mind?"
Amelia went into detail, describing something she had been thinking of since soon after the last battle with the remnant. Placing inexperienced guards between the city and the Madlands was a terrible idea. If another remnant invasion happened, they would be overrun in minutes, maybe even seconds.
There had to be something else.
She’d remembered Arryn's explosive use of lightning. It had been untrained, sure, but it had burst from the sky and rained down on the attackers, taking out many before they even reached the gate. What if they had a way to do that without risking the lives of the men and women of the Guard?
"You want to build a perimeter, so to speak," Elon mused.
Amelia nodded, an excited smile on her face. "Yes. A perimeter, but only out by the Madlands. We would have to figure out a way to hide it, but we could post warning signs every so often. Since the remnant can't read, they would have no way of knowing what the signs said."
"And if they came charging through, they'd be met by certain death." Elon took a moment to ponder the idea, then smiled and nodded. "I think I can design something by the end of the day, actually. Maybe a couple days. I can't construct it here, and you can't let me loose. However, you were wrong earlier."
Amelia looked at him, confused. "About what?"
Elon smiled. "I'm not the smartest man in the city. I had a mentor, Waylon. He was a very quick learner when the city first began, and quite the inventor. I went to him because I wanted to be that good, too. He taught me a lot, and I built from it. If you go see him, he'll be able to build whatever I design."
Amelia smiled, filled with even more hope now than she'd walked in with. Elon gave her instructions and the list of things he would need to design what she’d asked for. Luckily, all those things were inside the Capitol building already. They had been seized from his house after the revolution.
She had hoped another inventor would come forward to be the city’s new engineer and she could pass those things on to that person, but it hadn't worked out that way.
When she dropped everything off to him, she saw a spark she hadn't seen in quite some time. He looked at her, momentarily grabbing her hand. "Thank you for the opportunity. I won't let her down. I won't let the city down. Not this time."
Amelia smiled, somewhat satisfied that Gregory had been avenged in a way she doubted even he could have expected. She turned and made her way back upstairs, careful that no one saw her leave the jail before heading back to her office.
***
Scarlett was very careful as she left the city; it was a big risk forsaking sleep to further her plan. If all went well, she was on her way to taking control, as she’d planned from the moment she’d first stepped into Arcadia. If the worst were to happen, however, her fatigue would keep her from using the magic she would need.
On the way out of the city, she made sure she controlled what those around her saw as she usually did. They never saw her leave, since she’d entirely erased their memory of her as she passed.
As she traveled, her mind wandered to the reason for this escape. It had been because of a chance meeting, one she hadn't anticipated but had certainly been excited by because of the opportunities it presented.
A couple weeks before, there had been quite the disturbance in the city. Scarlett could sense a large amount of magic being used, and she was more than interested in figuring out exactly who and what was causing such a disruption in a city filled with mediocre magic users.
She snuck out of the Academy and went on foot. By the time she arrived, the action was over, but the instigator was still present.
She ran across the cobblestones, stopping when she saw four dead guardsmen lying by the gate. Slowly, she walked forward, studying them before coming to a stop. She looked around and saw Cathillian, Arryn's druid friend, lying on the ground.
From his appearance, she would have assumed he was dead, but she could still sense brain activity. His mind was active even though he was unconscious.
A girl clad in black sat on top of him. As she pulled her hands away from him, her eyes drifted up to see Scarlett standing there.
Scarlett smiled. "Well, hello, friend."
Without hesitation, the girl threw her hands out. Scarlett had no idea what she had planned to do, because she was much faster. Scarlett's hands also shot out, and the girl immediately grabbed her head in pain.
Arryn's friend did not move, and she assumed he wouldn't for some time. It was the perfect opportunity.
"You mistake me for someone easily overcome, someone like that young man you sit upon now. I am not your enemy, so don't make me one. I promise, you wouldn’t like the end result," Scarlett had said with a knowing smile on her face.
The girl was in so much pain she couldn't scream, let alone speak. All she could do was groan in response.
Scarlett had lowered her hands, all defensiveness draining out of her posture as she looked at the girl as if they had just met at the market. "I'm Scarlett. Nice to meet you..."
"Jenna," the girl choked out as she stumbled to her feet.
Nodding, Scarlett had said, "Jenna. It's nice to meet you. I think you and I have so much to discuss."
From there, the two had spoken quickly about the Dark Forest, the city, and their mutual disdain for the Arcadian druid herself, Arryn. Scarlett had wanted the conversation to be longer, but she knew someone would come across the dead guards and the near-dead druid lying on the ground before much more time elapsed.
Instead, they had made plans to meet later, and meet later they had. It had been only once, but Scarlett had a much better idea who she was dealing with. Though she was a petty child, she had more reason to hate Arryn than Talia did.
After all, Talia had created her own group, and was clearly twisting them to hate and not trust Scarlett. As far she was concerned, she was simply returning the favor. Now that the remnant were out of commission, the dark druids would provide quite a backup plan.
When Scarlett approached the southernmost edge of the Dark Forest, she was met by a man with dark gray eyes. His long, beautiful face was only made more attractive to her by a scar that reached from his forehead to his chin.
He was tall, taller than most men in Arcadia, but still shorter than Arryn's druid companion Cathillian. At
least she thought he was, judging by the descriptions Talia had given her as well as how long his body had looked as it laid half-dead on the ground.
His skin was unlike anything she'd ever seen. He wasn't quite as dark as those who stood behind him, but his skin lacked the normal pigment of any race she was familiar with. He somehow looked gray, although it was a much lighter color than his irises, without looking sickly. It was a strange thing to see, but it worked for him. She found herself very interested in this man
The man raised a hand, signaling for her to stop, which she did. He approached slowly.
"Are you Scarlett?" the man asked.
She nodded. "I am. I'm here to see Jenna. Are you Aeris, her brother?"
He nodded. "I am. She told me quite a bit about you, and I would like you to discuss all that with me. If you are everything she says, then you are welcome to stay. However, if I find I can’t trust you, I promise you’ll not be leaving today."
Scarlett smiled. "Oh, I don't think you'll have a problem trusting me. In fact, I think you and I will be great friends."
"I'm glad to hear that because my sister has gone missing, and I could use someone with your talents to help me get her back."
CHAPTER NINE
Having Cathillian back was more than a welcome distraction, but the reason behind it had been devastating. Learning what had happened to Arryn was a crushing blow. Elysia may not have given birth to her, but she was like a daughter anyway. She was family.
More than anything, Elysia wanted to rush out and search for her, stopping at nothing and leaving no stone unturned to find her. Instead, she was bound by duty to protect far more than a single life, even if that life was important to her.
She had to protect the entire druid tribe.
Though Cathillian had objected, Elysia ordered him to stay with the Chieftain. She had taken Nika as well as several other warriors, including a couple from the Schatten. She knew that team was her best hope in finding out what was happening.
They had spent the entire afternoon questioning Jenna, but she dodged every question. It wasn't until they had made her angry, knowing it was her weakness, that she opened up and gave them any real information. In her rage, they knew she would lack the filter that would keep her secret, and lack it she did.
In the midst of her screaming a string of obscenities and threats, she'd let slip a general location. She’d told them as a threat that the dark druids were not far away, and had plenty of resources.
Immediately, they had assumed that an earlier theory had been correct—the dark druids had, in fact, been living somewhere in the Dark Forest, just far enough away that the druids couldn't sense what the darkness was doing to their forest.
The information led Elysia south. As an Elder and the Chieftain's daughter, she knew quite a bit about the dark druids. She knew what they were capable of, and that their magic was a perversion of her own, but when she approached the southernmost section of the forest, she was not prepared for what she found.
Elysia and her warriors stopped short, their horses stomping and bobbing their heads as they protested advancing any farther. Even Chaos displayed signs of discontent.
Elysia's jaw fell open as she looked around her. The vast difference in land from where her own horse stood and just several feet ahead was far beyond disturbing. The deep, dark colors of the once beautiful landscape looked like the very life had been sucked from it.
Tree trunks were ashy in color, and the leaves were mostly brown. As she looked farther in, she realized many of the trees were missing their leaves entirely.
"What is this place?" Nika asked, only barely able to keep her horse from bolting the other way. "This was once the Dark Forest, but not anymore."
Elysia swallowed, doing her best to hold back the tears that wanted to form as a result of seeing all the death. "It's them. They’ve killed everything here. They made it their home, to use that word loosely. They've been here for a while, and it looks like they're running out of food sources. That's why they want our land. It's lusher than any other part of the forest, and they could survive for years in there."
Nika looked at Elysia. "How is that possible? How do we know this didn't take only a couple weeks?"
"We don't." Elysia shook her head. "All we have to go on is what Jenna said. She said it in anger, so I believe it. She’s never been able keep her mouth shut about anything of importance, which was one more reason she made a terrible warrior. At the first sign of something wrong, she would run and tell all the innocent tribesmen, filling men, women, and children with fear instead of helping her fellow warriors solve and end the problem."
There was a pause, and Elysia heard a heavy sigh beside her. "The horses won't go any farther. Shall we continue on foot?"
Elysia was silent as she stared into the barren wasteland in front of her. Her eyes then turned to search those of the men and women she was responsible for keeping safe. Finally, she shook her head.
"I’d love to run in there and save the day, but we can’t. The moment we crossed the threshold, they would know we were here, just like we know when they get too close to our barrier. We would be outnumbered, and potentially overpowered. I won't risk your lives senselessly—that would serve no purpose. We came to see if we could find where they were hiding, and we found it. Now we go back and tell the others. Next time, we’ll bring an army."
***
Looking at the sky, feeling the ever-sharper chill in the air and the increase in cold moisture burning her skin, Arryn knew her luck had run out. Because of her initial lack of energy and slow progress toward regaining it, she'd been forced to stay where she'd been dumped on top of the mountain. But now, a storm was approaching, one she would have no power to chase away or survive if she didn't find better shelter.
Her igloo was well-crafted and protected her brilliantly in the weather she had endured so far, but with temperatures dropping farther and a snowstorm approaching, she would need something far sturdier—like a cave.
Before, there would have been no way in hell she could descend any part of the mountain without risking her life, but now she was stronger than ever. That being the case, she was about to use every ounce of her newly acquired energy searching for safety.
Arryn stuffed her cloak pockets with the raspberries she had grown and the meat from the ram she'd killed, both of which were frozen solid. She made her way to the flat section where she had been growing things, where the earth was the most alive because of her magic.
Kneeling, she placed her hands on the ground where the snow was shallowest. Using nature magic as well as physical magic, she pushed forward, searching the mountain for any abnormalities or openings.
The druids had taught her how to do this, but the purpose had been to sense if anyone was cutting down trees or mining within their borders. That was how they monitored the forest and kept it safe.
Arryn had never had a reason to do it—mostly because she wasn't very good at it—and the Elders were the only ones who searched that far out. Only their power was strong enough to reach any real distance.
Since her power had grown significantly since she’d been abandoned on the peak, she was able to get a faint look at what lay below her. After several moments, she found something like a large hole in the side of the mountain. Had Elysia or the Chieftain been there, they would've been able to tell her exactly what she'd found.
If she were wrong, she would be without any form of shelter whatsoever on a section of the mountain she was unfamiliar with in the worst storm she'd ever seen. Her energy, and more than likely her magic, would be depleted by the time she got there.
If she were wrong, the odds of Talia's dark wishes for her coming true were certainly not in Arryn's favor.
She pulled her hands away, took a deep breath, and stood. She couldn't allow Talia to win, not now. If Arryn stayed here, she would freeze to death—there was no doubt in her mind. If she was wrong about the cave, the storm would kill her.
As she s
tood there, the first few snowflakes began to fall, and she watched the clouds rolling in.
"Well, little buddy," she said, turning and making her way back to camp, her furry rabbit friend in tow, "it looks like I'm heading down the south side of the mountain. You're more than welcome to keep me company. A snowstorm is coming, and I doubt even you would make it up here."
She was answered by the rabbit hopping forward a few feet, twisting his head a bit to the side, and twitching his nose. Smiling, she turned, and he followed close behind.
Arryn grabbed her daggers, rolled and secured the animal pelts to her back using cloth she’d cut from the very bottom of her cloak, and began her descent, moving slowly but steadily. She surveyed the area around her as she moved and realized there were a lot of places too steep to walk down at all. She would have to climb down parts of the mountain, something she'd never done.
The wind had begun to pick up and the snow had become heavier as she descended; Arryn shivered and shook as she traversed the slopes. Several times she’d had to conjure heat without creating an actual fire to keep herself warm enough to stay focused, since she couldn't risk a misstep.
Unfortunately, she was growing weak very quickly.
"You can do this. You can do this. You can do this," she kept repeating to herself. "This is only temporary. You're getting back to Arcadia. You're going to find her. You're going to kill her."
When she got to a place where she needed to climb down, Arryn picked up the rabbit that had followed her and tucked him into the hood of her cloak behind her neck. He was a fat, pudgy thing for a small animal trying to survive in such terrain, and he kept her neck very warm.
Arryn began coaxing herself again as she used a bit of magic to sense the rocks in her path, allowing her to determine how to place her feet without seeing where they needed to go.
"Easy does it. Getting weaker, but that's okay. You've been doing this all along. You get weak as hell and then you get stronger than you ever knew was possible. Then you weaken yourself again, and then you get stronger still. Get to the cave. Get some sleep. Everything will be fine."
