Strength

by Jane Washington

  “She’ll be fine.” Coen sounded confident. “Cyrus has a soft spot for her, otherwise he’d have killed her already.”

  “He has a soft spot for Willa, you mean.” Yael didn’t sound particularly happy about that fact.

  “For both of them, then,” Coen revised.

  None of them seemed particularly worried about Cyrus killing Emmy, and I figured they were probably right. My friend hadn’t ever tried to hide how much the god pissed her off—not from us, and not from him either—but still, he hadn’t killed her yet. He also said he’d fix it. So … I had to believe she’d be fine.

  “Okay, I guess we’re off to Topia. Anyone know the best way to sneak in?” The pocket that Staviti had opened was gone now.

  Five almost identical grins broke out, all aimed at me—though Coen’s had a hint of a grimace to it.

  “Staviti is going to be watching this mountain closer than Topia right now,” he told me. “So, the pathways back to Topia should be safer than usual. As long as we get in and out as quickly as possible.”

  “That’s right,” Rome chimed in. “They’re going to notice if we’re not here to train our champions tomorrow, but we can get this done in a night.”

  “Maybe Cyrus will have thrown them all off the cliff by the time we get back?” I suggested hopefully. I was pleased to see that my comment widened their smiles, but the good mood quickly drained from our group as we travelled down the mountain.

  As it turned out, there were a lot of ‘back ways’ into Topia, but they weren’t so common that you could just turn a corner and slip into the other realm. You had to travel a short distance to one of the known pockets, or else traverse harsh terrain for some of the lesser known—for good reason—pathways. The Abcurses were of the opinion that since I was undead, I wouldn’t have the same problem crossing through the energy as I’d had on my first trip through a back door into Topia.

  So, getting through the pocket wasn’t going to be a problem, but getting to the pocket was a whole other issue. We made it down the mountain and began walking.

  I tried to listen as Siret explained how we were going to get there, but the moment he started using words like “east” and “miles” my attention began to drift to the scraggly bushes lining the valley.

  “Are you even listening, Soldier?” Siret asked with a chuckle, the brush of his hand across my shoulder returning my focus to him.

  “You lost her at east,” Aros told him. “Her eyes glazed right over.”

  I narrowed my eyes on them. “I was listening.” I jerked my head up and pointed forward. “We have to go in … that direction.”

  Siret laughed at me again. “That leads to the outback stockyards, where the bullsen are herded between breeding seasons. You should probably leave the direction thing to us.”

  “Freaking east,” I muttered, stomping harder as I followed them.

  Our conversations were brief then as we picked up the pace. We travelled down the mountain, up another mountain and around a small river that fed back into the ocean. We were now approaching a dense forest, and I was hoping the pocket would be before the treeline.

  “Are we there yet?” I huffed out.

  “Not yet,” several voices grunted out in reply.

  “I was really hoping it wouldn’t be in the forest,” I added conversationally. “I was killed in a forest just like this. Do you remember?”

  “That’s not something we’re ever likely to forget, dweller-baby,” Coen told me, brushing aside some low hanging branches that would have smacked me in the face. “And we’re getting closer.”

  Sucking in another deep breath, I pushed on, trying to enjoy the moment alone with my Abcurses. The trees really were bothering me, though. The forest was so much like the last one we’d been in.

  “Think about the swimming instead,” Yael suggested.

  Aros groaned before Yael had even finished his suggestion. “Gods, please don’t. I only have so much control. Willa’s thoughts drive me crazy.”

  Think unsexy thoughts. Think unsexy thoughts.

  Everyone laughed, except Aros, who groaned again. “The mantra is even worse than if you just tortured us with the thoughts.”

  “New plan!” Yael declared. “Think about … your new energy.”

  My feet were swept out from under me as Rome scooped me up and somehow managed to navigate a jagged boulder the size of a small hill. No doubt he knew that it would have taken me twenty rotations to climb it on my own. I relaxed in his arms, enjoying the brief respite from walking.

  “It’s strange, my energy,” I told them. “It feels more controlled, and yet at the same time, I don’t really know what to expect from it. It’s almost like … I have no rules.”

  Saying the words out loud made me realise how true it was. My energy didn’t seem to want to subscribe to a particular category of power. It was swirling so strongly—no part of it felt like ‘fire’ or ‘earthquake’ or ‘chaos’.

  “Is that possible?” I asked. “For me to have multiple god-powers?”

  There was a moment of silence before I continued. “Do you all feel your power? Are you able to tell that it’s Pain or Trickery? Will I ever know what I’m capable of?”

  “You don’t just wake up one sun-cycle a god and know instinctively what your power is,” Rome told me. “Generally, you use the power and learn from it. There are cases of some gods who thought they had a particular power, only for it to end up another, closely connected power.”

  “Exactly,” Aros chimed in. “Love and Seduction are closely-related powers, but ultimately different. For the most part, though, the moment you use your power, it’s pretty clear.”

  Coen nodded. “Yep, like mine could have been electrical forces. There’s a god who can harness the energy of a storm, and my Pain mimics lightning energy. But I have no control over the weather.”

  I felt the zap of his power run across my skin, and it was exactly how I imagined an electrical current would feel … right before it killed you.

  “Chaos fits me,” I mused. “It encompasses so many different things. Anything that disrupts the normal way of existence, right?”

  They didn’t have an answer for me, and I wasn’t even sure myself. It still didn’t quite feel right, and Cyrus seemed so sure that I wasn’t the Chaos Beta. So … what the hell was I?

  Rome had set me back on my feet now, but he was still close enough to wrap his giant arm around me. The warmth he exuded—along with his intoxicating scent—was enough to make me lightheaded.

  “The panteras might have some answers for us,” he said. “Try not to stress about it until we talk with them.”

  By the time we made it to the pocket, I was exhausted enough that I could have fallen asleep right there in the woods, but Coen encouraged me through the lightly misting waterfall and pulled me through the magical energy without so much as a warning. Arriving in Topia didn’t curb my need to rest, however. I wanted to curl up with the Abcurses: the six of us together, safe, where nothing could ever tear us apart. This, of course, was pure fantasy, because I was pretty sure we’d never been so unsafe in our lives. Staviti was keeping a close eye on everything now. No one was safe.

  We emerged in a part of Topia that I had never seen before. It was still lush, overflowing with life and colour, but the plants and trees were so dense that they seemed to be closing in on me somehow. I could barely even move through all the foliage.

  “This is the Garden of Everlasting,” Coen explained, as we pushed our way through. “The plants here are resistant to magic and energy. They do not die. Every life-cycle they merge closer and closer. We believe that one sun-cycle, no one will walk through this land unless the garden allows them to.”

  Huge, purple flowers hung from vines above our heads, intertwined with the large trunks and branches of the nearby trees. Instead of feeling claustrophobic, as might have been expected, I actually felt safe. I was overwhelmed by the feeling that not even Staviti would be able to see through the mag
ical garden.

  Tension I hadn’t even realised I was carrying eased from my body. My shoulders relaxed, and I started to move with more carefree abandon than I’d felt in a long time.

  “You’re right at home here, Willa-toy.” Yael wore a lazy grin, his eyes following the movement of my hands as I brushed them across a very bright, green leaf. “Most people wouldn’t be brave enough to touch a canterpode. They’d be worried about getting spiked.”

  The moment he said its name, the canterpode I’d been touching became visible. It was the same colour as the leaf it was spread out across, it’s body segmented, almost furry. I jerked my hand back in a rush, flinching as I brushed something thorny.

  Spinning around, I threw my hands in the air. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I asked Yael. “I thought it was a plant!”

  He blinked at me like I was an idiot, before shaking his head. “It looked right at you, I figured you saw it.”

  “Well, I didn’t,” I shot back, wiping my hands on my pants to try and dispel the sensation of furry bug. After that, I kept my hands to myself, and my eyes on the constant lookout for creatures. I had never imagined that Topia would be filled with so many animals. Before I had visited the realm, I had mostly pictured it as a world of gods. Nothing else, really. Just gods, standing around looking at each other. Maybe throwing some balls of fire.

  “Balls of fire,” Siret snorted.

  “Stop listening to my thoughts,” I told him firmly.

  “Stop shouting them so loudly,” he countered. His words were softened by his actions. He was holding a really large plant—probably filled with canterpodes—back for me, keeping me from accidentally befriending more wildlife.

  “We’re almost free from the Garden of Everlasting,” Rome said, using his height to peer above the landscape. “Just a few more clicks and we’ll be out.”

  “How do we find the panteras then?” I asked, slightly breathless from all the hiking.

  Siret was the one to answer. “We’ll call for them.”

  That made me think of Leden, and the bond I’d felt with her. I wondered if she would know if I called for her. Had she felt it when I died? Would she have any answers for me?

  Eleven

  When we emerged into the open countryside, I fought against the urge to return to the garden. It might have been overrun by creepy, camouflaged bugs, but it held a note of safety and protection. Once free of the garden, I felt exposed and vulnerable.

  The Abcurses must have picked up on my nerves, because they closed in around me. When the five of them were towering over me, some of my panic finally eased. They were better than a garden.

  “Knowing Staviti is out there makes me nervous,” I admitted.

  “He’ll never touch you,” Yael vowed. “Not while we’re here to protect you.”

  The thought of them not being with me was enough to have the panic rushing back again. They were already immortal—I just needed them to stay that way. They had to live forever, for my sanity.

  Heat brushed across the backs of both of my hands, and I ended up intertwining my fingers with Siret and Aros, who were the closest to me. Their touch instantly calmed my frazzled nerves and I felt my step grow lighter. I had no idea how they managed to soothe me the way that they did, but I wasn’t going to complain.

  “I’m going to call for the panteras now,” Coen announced.

  The others slowed their steps, bringing me to a halt as well.

  Leden. Her name sprang to mind and I felt an almost giddy anticipation at seeing her again. She was smart and funny, more personable than most of the dwellers, sols, and gods combined. Plus, she had a sense of humour. Who didn’t like a beast with a sense of humour?

  I had no idea how Coen was going to call for the panteras, so I just stood back and watched him. He had tilted his head back and was focussing his attention toward the sky. I mimicked the posture, calling out to Leden in my mind. She had been the fastest pantera, which surely meant that she would beat the others here.

  Coen let out a low chuckle. “You want our panteras to race?” He directed his full attention to me, the sky forgotten.

  I shrugged. “I don’t think there’ll be much of a race. Leden is superfast.”

  Coen’s tolerant amusement melted into a smirk, which I ignored. I knew Leden would arrive first. A flash of white cut through the blue of the sky, then. I directed my attention upward again and the brightness blinded me for a click, until the figure loomed closer.

  Leden. Most of the panteras had similar markings or features, with common shades of fur, but I knew that it was her. The brilliant, snowy white of her coat seemed unique, at least to me.

  Hello, sacred one.

  “Leden!” I shouted, before quickly shutting up. I had forgotten that this was supposed to be a stealth mission.

  I’ve been waiting for your return. We have much to discuss.

  “Can any of you hear her when she talks in my head?” I asked.

  “No.” Aros briefly pulled my attention from the sky. “The panteras choose who will receive their words. Even with our bond, she can block us.”

  “They’re so powerful,” I mused. “How did the gods manage to exile them from the populated areas of Topia?”

  Maybe we chose to leave. Leden’s voice filled my head. To protect the main sources of this world’s power.

  Usually, cryptic comments like that would have had me confused, but this time I knew exactly what she was talking about. Along with guarding a stream of water that somehow unlocked a person’s magical ability, the panteras were also the protectors of the mortal glass—whose depths of knowledge I could put no measure on. The water, the glass, and whatever else they guarded were all special. It made sense that they would prize those sources of power above all others.

  It’s time for you to learn more of the truth. Leden landed softly, about ten feet from us. It’s time you righted the wrongs of Topia.

  The wrongs of Topia? Was she talking about the fact that the gods seemed to be draining Minatsol to sustain their world? Or was this specifically about Staviti and his actions? The servers, for example. The only thing I did know was that righting the wrongs of Topia was not a suitable job for me. Pushing through Siret and Coen, I rushed across to her. My hands lifting to brush across her soft coat.

  “I missed you,” I said, only realising in that moment how true it was. I might not have spent much time with her, but I already knew—and had experienced—that bonds could form quickly, and strongly.

  I have missed you also. It is not easy to be bonded to one so far away.

  Her tone held only sadness, no blame, but I still felt terrible.

  When a familiar heat brushed across the right side of my body, I wrapped an arm around Siret’s waist.

  “Are you going to introduce us, Soldier?” he asked.

  He dropped a kiss on my head then, and for a click, I forgot what he’d asked. Leden nudged me, bringing my focus back.

  “Abcurses—meet Leden, she’s the fastest pantera.” I felt her satisfaction at my words. “We’re bonded. I don’t know if it has an official name, but I definitely feel the connection.”

  “Nice to meet you, Leden,” Aros said, finding my other side. “Panteras are loyal and wise,” he added, whispering to me. “They won’t bond with just anyone.”

  Willa is unique. I knew that Leden had directed those words to the others as well, evident by the way they turned to her.

  “We know,” Yael said bluntly. “She’s special.”

  I’d been called special before, but usually the tone indicated that my kind of special was a physical hazard to others. Yael and Leden weren’t talking about that kind of special, though. Their words made my heart a little light and my knees a little weak.

  I really needed to start thanking someone for how my life had turned out. Not Staviti, of course—he was an asshole. And not Cyrus, because you should never thank the people that stab you in the chest. And not Rau, either, because the only thanks he
deserved was the thanks I’d give him after he let me douse him in my crazy-fire. So … someone else. I needed to thank a completely unrelated third party for how my life had turned out.

  The beating of wings drew our attention as five additional panteras appeared on the horizon, sweeping across the sky toward us. I assumed they were the panteras that the Abcurses had bonded with, the same way I had with Leden.

  It is time to go, Willa. Staviti stalks these lands, we must not linger.

  Leden’s words had barely brushed my mind before hands were on my waist. Aros lifted me onto her back, letting his touch linger on me. I found myself leaning down and pressing my lips to his. Just like every other time he’d kissed me, the desire his touch evoked just about knocked me over, and I almost toppled straight off Leden.

  “Looks like you might still have the power to roll her, Seduction,” Coen noted, from where he stood with his pantera.

  The pair exchanged a look, and my body tightened.

  “It’s stronger than I expected, since Willa is no longer a dweller,” Aros admitted, his eyes meeting mine again. “I thought she’d be able to resist at least a little bit more now.”

  Siret took a step closer. “I think our emotions heighten the powers. Willa can definitely handle our abilities now, we all know that. I’d say your love for her, and hers for you, is elevating the draw of Seduction.”

  “So, I’m going to need Coen and you together,” I blurted out, before slamming my mouth closed.

  Something shimmered almost visibly in the air between Aros and me. Coen was too far away, but I could see the way his eyes darkened. It was like energy, lightning, electricity … and I was about half a click from getting off Leden’s back. Siret quirked a brow at me, but he didn’t seem upset.

  This is not the time. Leden’s voice was tinged with amused impatience.

  “Are you sure?” I murmured back.

  “She’s sure, Soldier.” Siret winked at me and then moved to his own beast.

  With a snort and shake of her head, Leden thrust her wings out to the side, before leaping high into the air and taking off across the sky like we were being chased. I could sense that her mind was now focused on the task at hand, so I tried not to think or speak.