by Anna Hub
I hesitated. What would be reasonable? “We'll bring three.”
“Three? I could save three. Bring us six.”
He wanted to see doubt on my face but I wouldn't let him have it. Instead, I offered my hand. “We'll bring you six.”
His smile exposed decaying teeth. He shook my hand. “You have one week.”
It was a trick for him to state his conditions while our hands were already clasped but I couldn’t go back now. If I managed to succeed, there was still a possibility of keeping our place outside the village. One week would have to be enough.
“Go now.” Tara ordered the group as she grabbed my arm and pulled me beyond their view.
“You only said that as a diversion, right? You don't intend to uphold that deal?" she eyed me.
I wiped hair from my face. "At first ... yes. But ... maybe it's not such a bad idea." The more I thought about it, the more passionate I felt. "We already know how challenging it is to live outside of this area. Maybe this would give us an opportunity to form a real alliance with the villagers. Plus, this is everything I want to fight for. It's something I truly believe in."
She shook her head. "He only made that deal because he knew the group were too afraid to back him up and fight Brayden. They just want him away from the village. It's impossible to do what you offered.”
“But if we can pull it off—”
“We can't pull it off," she hissed. "And we don’t accept transferring shadows in the village.”
“Why not?”
She continued walking. “If they turn into hunters when the process is complete, they're already in our home. It’s too dangerous. You did well, you thought quickly and it bought us time, but we need to stick to the original plan and run.”
“A deal is a deal. He shouldn’t have agreed if he couldn’t uphold his side.” I hadn’t had much time to think it through, but this was what I’d been searching for; a way to make my existence in the Shadowlands worth something.
We made it back to the shelter. Brayden’s eyes had cleared a little but with Matt nearby he would never be himself.
“What happened?” Matt nursed a split on his cheek and I guessed Brayden must have caused it.
“Selena offered them something we can’t deliver.” Tara shot me a look.
“It obviously worked,” Matt said.
“She said we would deliver six new shadows safely within one week.”
“That's impossible."
"And the villagers wouldn't accept them while they're transferring anyway."
Matt stared at me. His expression became thoughtful. "Actually maybe it’s not such a bad idea.”
"What?" Tara frowned.
“At least it’s original. Think about it. If we save new shadows, no one will be able to deny that Brayden’s useful. Saving lives would mean more resources for the village. It's one thing they desperately need, and the one thing no one else can get them.”
“Even if we could do it, where would we put them?" Tara asked. "They won’t let them in the village.”
“They don’t need to.”
My gaze drifted to Brayden, locked inside his Instinct. "Actually guys, when I made the deal, I meant Brayden and me, not the four of us.”
Tara laughed. “Yeah, right. If it wasn’t impossible, the four of us might have a chance in hell but you—”
"If you come with us, he'll be stuck like this." I took his hand, wishing I could urge the Instinct away so he could speak for himself.
Tara stopped laughing and looked at Matt.
Matt breathed deeply. "I have to be honest, Selena, I don't think it's achievable without a team."
"We should just stick to the original plan. And the four of us can find somewhere new to live," Tara added.
I shook my head. "Regardless of where we go ... it has to be just the two of us."
“Right, forget what we have sacrificed and run off on your own.” The beauty in Tara’s face seemed to morph. I remembered how I'd missed it the first time I met her.
Matt took her hand and pulled her back into line.
“It's not that we don't appreciate what you've done. But we don't have a choice. He can’t live with you. When you're around, the Instinct activates and he's trapped like this."
Tara's expression softened. “I can’t let you go out there alone, Selena.”
“I won’t be alone.” Brayden still stood motionless beside me. "Maybe you could stay here for a while. We have our shelter made up, or the cave,” I suggested.
“I’m not interested in your shelter,” she turned snappy again.
Why was she was so angry? Of course she'd made sacrifices for us, but she acted as though this was personal. Only Tara didn’t seem like the kind of person who would take anything personally. Was it just a front? Had she invested more in me than she wanted me to know?
Matt sighed. “Are you sure you won't reconsider?"
I shook my head.
Tara curled her braid around her hand. "Where do you think you're going to find six new shadows?”
“You said the city has a higher population, right? That's where we will look.”
“The Valley of the Hunters?” Matt crossed his arms.
The Valley was dangerous and unpredictable but I believed in this cause. It was a way to mark my place in this world. The more I thought about it the more I wanted it. People were dying and no one was doing anything to stop it.
“That's where the most people will be,” I confirmed.
“I don’t think it's a good idea.” Matt shook his head. "Does Brayden even agree to this?"
We all turned to look at him but he only stared back vacantly.
"Obviously we need to talk about it privately. But I think he'd be willing to negotiate."
"If he's like this around us, he'll be the same around new shadows," Tara said. "And being in the Valley of the Hunters will send his Instinct into overdrive."
She was right. There was a hole in my plan. Somehow Brayden's Instinct worked to keep me safe, but that wouldn't be the same for strangers.
"I know you survived it once, but you don't have any weapon training. Breaking out with a hunter on your side is one thing, but if he won't help you keep them safe, how are you doing to get them out on your own?"
"We'll find a way to make it work," I said. Tara didn’t have to believe in it. From this point on, it wasn’t her problem. "We should get out here before it gets too dark."
She put her hands on her hips but I was done with the conversation. All I knew, was I had to get Brayden out of there. I'd promised him that. I looked at Matt to convey a silent thank you. Somehow I knew there was no point saying any more to Tara.
"Maybe I'll see you once we have our new shadows." We walked away and when I turned back, they were arguing. Once again, they almost seemed too invested in me, and I was relieved to be escaping it.
Chapter Seven
Back at the shelter, Brayden watched with grey eyes as I packed our tools into the bag. We didn’t have much but there were stones and pieces of wood that catered perfectly to our needs. We needed to figure out how this was going to work, but right now, the most important thing was getting him far enough away from the others that we could at least talk about it.
Brayden lifted his head and stared into the forest. I followed his gaze, fists tightening as leaves crunched and branches swung aside.
"Matt, what are you doing here?" I asked.
Brayden turned to stone, staring at him with grey eyes.
Matt held out two fresh water bags. "I wanted to make sure you have enough supplies. And a weapon." A bow slid down his arm. "This is the one Tara made you."
"I have no idea how to use it."
"Take it anyway. I'm sure Brayden will be able to handle it." He pushed it into my hand. "Please. I'll feel better about you being in there if you take it."
I nodded. "I really am sorry we're leaving without you."
He shrugged. “It's okay, I get it. And Tara sometimes speak
s before she thinks. She just hates to be left out of the action.”
"I didn’t mean to upset her. I’m just trying to do the right thing by Brayden.”
Matt nodded. "Are you really going to be okay in there?"
"His Instinct will keep us safe." Of that, I was sure. “We're probably safer in there than we are out here.”
“Remember everything we talked about. Think slowly when everything around you is moving quickly.”
“I will.”
He started to back off and I hooked the bow over my shoulder and looked the other way. I didn’t want it to feel like a goodbye. Tara had been a strong ally but somehow Matt felt more like a genuine friend.
“I hope I’ll see you again, Sel."
"Me too." And I really meant it. Maybe we'd one day find a way to live out here in harmony.
I dragged Brayden with me, his movement mechanical until there was enough distance between him and the sentries, and the brown filtered back through his eyes.
He turned, taking in the sight of me with the bow, and bags with supplies. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes filled with questions.
"I remember bits and pieces." He shook his head. "Am I right in thinking you want to rescue new shadows from the Valley?"
"Yes." He must have been more present than I realised. "You remembered more this time."
He stepped back as I approached him with a grin.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I never agreed to that."
My heart sunk. Of course he had a choice as well, but I wanted this more than I'd ever wanted anything. "I know that. That's why I took you away. We need to talk about it."
"I can't be around other people, Selena. What makes you think that would be any different in the Valley?"
I swallowed. "I know it won't be easy for you. And I realise the Instinct is going to be a huge barrier, but you could keep me safe while I rescue the shadows. We can leave as soon as we find them. It will only be a few days."
"And then what?"
I had no idea. "Then I'll bring them back here and prove to the villagers that we're worth an alliance. We can keep living where we are, away from everyone else." Would he remember what Tara said about the villagers not accepting new shadows? That was a problem, but I'd find a way around it when the time came. I tried to get closer but he took another step away from me.
"I have no idea what the Valley will do to my Instinct."
"What do you mean?"
He paced back and forth, eventually pausing to meet my gaze. "You have this enthusiasm to do the right thing for someone else ... I don't feel that way."
"I know that."
"But shouldn't I care about those people too?"
I didn't know what to say to that. "I think the fact you're even saying that proves you're trying."
"Doesn't the possibility scare you?"
I shook my head, hiding any doubts I had. "I know you're different. I see the tug of war you have with your Instinct, but you've always done the right thing."
"What if I don't do the right thing this time?"
I ran my hand across his shoulder. Insisting he would do good probably wasn't helpful. "I don't expect you to be perfect. It's okay if you make a mistake."
He turned. His eyes were intense as he studied my expression. "Would you really forgive me though?"
I let my hand rest against his cheek. "All I care about is that your intention is good."
His hand closed over mine as my thumb traced down toward his lips. "You say that now—"
I kissed him gently. "And I mean it."
It was hard to think he was anything less than human. I'd seen him at his worst and some part of me would never forget that vulnerable man lying in the hospital bed. I knew he feared what he was becoming but I still believed he would learn to manage his Enhancement with time.
We walked in silence for a long way but in truth, I had no idea where we were going. Brayden took the lead and at first I thought we were heading west, but as the trees cleared in the distance, I caught sight of the Valley peak for the first time. It was already past midday. If we had decided to keep going we might have made it there before dusk, but night wasn't a good time to enter the Valley. Still, I at least needed to know if that was our destination.
"Where are we going?"
Brayden wiped sweat from his brow. "You know what's in the Valley. Do you really want to go there again?"
My pulse quickened. The nightmares from the Valley hadn’t stopped yet and if I thought about it too long, the fear took my breath away. But if I had the chance to take that fear away for someone else, it would be worth it.
"This is where I can make a difference. I think this is my calling in the Shadowlands."
He stared at me for a long time. "I don't know if it will work. I mean, I don't know if I'll be as in control as I was last time we were there. The Instinct is different now." He shook his head. "But, I'll try ... if it means this much to you, I'll do what I can to help you find the new shadows."
"Thank you," I whispered and stepped closer.
"I can't pretend to feel the same passion about the rescues as you do though. But I want to test the Instinct, and I want to be far away from the village."
I nodded. It was hard to hear him say that, but I suspected he cared more than he even realised, he just wasn't sure how to feel it.
We walked until we reached the edge of the mountains and the air grew cold as afternoon set in.
Brayden circled a clearing a number of times before he dropped our bag and pulled out the fire plough. "We might as well settle for the night now."
He kneeled down but I took the plough out of his hands. "Let me try."
I worked quickly, using the same angle I'd managed to get heat last time, but increasing the pace the way I'd seen Brayden do so often.
"That's it," he urged.
I moved faster, feeling the heat building at the base of the wood and within minutes the smell of tinder sparking rose up.
"You've got it." He cupped his hands to block the wind, allowing the sparks to smoke before the shaved tinder burned and he breathed oxygen over the burning wood.
I gathered dried leaves and slowly added them to the fire, waiting until it grew stronger before we added thicker twigs and eventually a tree branch.
"Finally!" I shook my hands to help with the friction pain.
Brayden grinned at my victorious expression and we settled into our places beside the fire.
We ate dried meat from the supplies Matt had given us, finishing with root vegetables and some fruit before the last of the sunlight faded. We didn't speak much while we ate, both of us probably lost in our fear of the Valley, but for very different reasons. In a way it would force Brayden to face his demons and at the end we'd come out knowing the true power of his Instinct. For me, it would be a chance to make a difference, but it would also force me to become braver. If I was going to save people, I couldn't cower in fear and rely on Brayden to protect me against everything. It was time to stand up and fight.
He used his shadow to flick me.
"Ouch." I turned, rubbing my arm where his shadow hand had hit.
He kissed my arm and wrapped his shadow around my shoulders as he hugged me against him. I closed my eyes, relishing the warmth.
"Remember that time you held my shadow against you at the rocks?" he asked.
I turned to catch a glint in his eyes. "You mean the time you lay it over me like a blanket and didn't tell me you could feel through it? When you pretended to comfort me, but your shadow was having a grope?" I elbowed him and he laughed.
"I promise it was innocent at the time. But that was the day I realised I was attracted to you."
"Really?" I twisted to catch his expression. Aside from the awkwardness of him feeling my body through his shadow, he hadn't shown any sign of attraction at that point.
"For our first few meetings, I had blinkers on. Life had been hard and I was so caught up in my own mess that I barely
noticed you. And that day, you seemed so vulnerable. I wanted to hug you, but it didn't seem appropriate. I realised for the first time that I wanted to be close to you."
"It had nothing to do with your shadow being wrapped around my naked body?"
"Well, that had a little to do with it." His hand moved to my stomach, his fingers gently swirling against my skin. "After that, every time I looked at you, it was battle to keep my eyes where they should be."
"I actually remember being a little offended that you never looked at my naked body. I didn't want you to, but at the same time, it was a hit to my ego."
"Now you know, it took remarkable self control." He kissed my neck. "But I like you in this tiny skirt too."
I closed my eyes, breath catching as he pulled my hair aside and ran fingers down my back.
"Turn around," he whispered.
I climbed over him, curling my arms and legs behind his back as he gripped my face and kissed me deeply.
I felt closer to him than I had before. Somehow, knowing the Valley would divide us made this moment more intimate and we took our time, kissing each other by the firelight before the flames diminished and we were too distracted to notice.
--*--
Sunlight washed over me, my shadow pulled all the way up to my chin as Brayden's hand rested against my hip. I blinked away the sleep and turned. "You're making a habit of this morning sleep in."
He laughed. "It'll be the last one we have for a while."
My stomach tightened with fear at the thought of going back to the Valley. I sat up, clearing debris from my hair.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.
I nodded, somewhat hesitant. "Are you?"
"What's the worst that can happen?" He winked.
Back in the Origin, that statement didn't mean as much as it did here. I laughed at the dry humour in his expression. "Let's go."
We walked until midday, crossing the barren lands in direct sunlight. I was thankful for the water bags Matt had given us. The river was a long distance away, and closer to the village than we would have dared to go.
Nerves fluttered through me, getting worse as we got closer to the Valley.
