“Princess.” The guy shifted in his chair so he was facing me. His white beard and heavily aged face told me he was much older than me. He could have passed for my grandfather.
“Please, there’s no need for that.” I continued toward them. “I may be from royal blood, but I hardly consider myself a princess. I’m just a Resident from the Capitol.” I paused, thinking about how I would no longer be accepted there. In a matter of seconds, one bad decision had cost me to give up the life I knew. Thoughts of Kesi invaded my mind. My best friend. My eyes began to well up from the fact I’d never see her again. I quickly pushed away all emotions. They didn’t need to see any of my weaknesses. I didn’t know who I could and couldn’t trust right now. It was me against the world. “Or, I used to be a Resident of the Capitol,” I corrected myself.
“Ah, my dear. I can see you take after your mother. She was one of the greatest and most caring Regents Sector Twelve had ever had. So, you see, you will always be a princess in my eyes. You are meant to do great things.” The man beamed.
I stopped and leaned against the wall. My mother had told me the same thing many times, and even though I wanted to believe her, I just couldn’t. Hell, I screwed everything up, including my Obligation. Even though the ravagers disappeared, the fact was, they still got in under my watch. I couldn’t do anything right. “You knew her?”
“Yes. Everyone in Sector Twelve knew her and loved her. She always traveled out of the Capitol and to every village. She cared about her people. Humans and witches. They were all the same in her eyes.”
Yes, my mother did care. She cared too much. Which was why her and my father weren’t here today. She had let people come and go freely from the Capitol Temple. Someone had entered their chamber one night and murdered them while they were sleeping. I was never told the full story, and the person responsible for their death was never found. It didn’t seem to faze the council, they quickly moved on and Ordained my sister as the new Regent since she was the eldest daughter. Everything after that just went to hell. A week later, the battle between her and Zane broke out. Sector Twelve was divided, and it was never the same.
“Layna, we need to go.” Seth stood up and leaned over, grabbing a small sack off the table.
“What’s that?” I eyed the bag curiously.
“Just a few supplies you may need. Mostly food and some bottles of water to get you to your destination.” Arados stood as well.
“Destination?” My gaze fell on Seth, wondering what in Othala he was talking about. We never discussed a certain place.
“There’s a camp across the river. We’ll be safe there.” He refused to make eye contact with me as he turned around and headed for the door.
I hurried to catch him as he disappeared from view. “Thank you, Arados,” I yelled over my shoulder as I left the small house. I would have to think of a way to repay him one day for his generosity.
Once I caught up to Seth, I had a chance to gaze around the area as I walked behind him. What I saw caused my heart to drop into my stomach. Devastation everywhere. Buildings were crumbled, heavy debris littered the streets, and the people… They were frail, appearing as if they hadn’t had a decent meal in years. But the part that hurt the most, was seeing that they didn’t seem bothered about this. They just continued on, even the children rushing down the street, as if this was the life they were accustomed to.
“What happened to this village?” My voice came out so low I wasn’t sure if Seth had heard me or not.
“Come on, Layna.” He continued to walk. “Don’t tell me you’re that naïve. You know damn well what happened here.”
“No, Seth.” I shook my head, still taking in the crumbling village around me. “This is my first time out of the Capitol in years. Why do they look like they’re starving? Who did this to them?”
Seth stopped so suddenly I almost ran into him. He turned around and glanced down at me, his blue eyes resembling an angry ocean looking to devour everything in its path. “The Regent, Layna. You know, you’re sister.” He glared at me. “She and her council did this to these people, and what you see here, is only a fraction of their devastation.”
All feeling drained from my body as I took in his words.
Chapter 8
“Tiahna did this?” I swallowed hard. No, she couldn’t have. I didn’t believe a single word. The Regent’s purpose is to look after her people, provide them with what they needed. We had people Obligated to farming and harvesting the food for Sector Twelve just outside the Capitol. So many farms for miles and miles. Where was it all going? What were they doing with it?
“Yes, princess. Your high and mighty sister did this, but we can’t worry about it now.” He took my hand and pulled me forward. “If Amun manages to catch up with us, we will both be dead.”
I let him guide me along the dirt street, my mind still in a hazy mist. I wanted to wake up out of this nightmare. These people…these poor people. They shouldn’t be treated this way. Something had to be done, but I wasn’t sure what. There was no way I could sneak into the Capitol now to confront my sister. It was too dangerous, besides, everyone knew who I was.
Before I realized it, we had vacated the village and were now headed out into the desert again. Like earlier, Seth left a big gap between us. Even though the sun was lower in the sky and the heat of the day beginning to fade, I couldn’t manage to meet his stride. If the stories were true, he was a warrior, someone with not only an abundance of physical and mental strength, but he would have also been trained to endure all the elements. My training only extended to protecting myself, which always seemed to be hit or miss. Not from any of these harsh elements. The heat had totally wiped me out.
“Why can’t you just take us where you want to go?” I reached up and wiped the sweat from my forehead. If he had the ability to vanish us from one spot only to appear in another, why wasn’t he doing it now? It sure as hell would beat being out in this heat. Normally, I spent my days in bed at my Residence, and at night, I was Obligated to the boundary. I was regretting begging Kesi to take me to the Cell to talk to this guy. I still hadn’t gotten any answers. All we’d been doing was running. And how did we know Amun was still chasing us? I’m sure he was trying to locate us, but he wouldn’t have had a clue to which way we went after disappearing from the Cell.
“I am taking us where we need to go.” He continued forward without hesitation.
“That’s not what I meant.” Jogging up behind him, I reached in the sack and withdrew a bottle of water. “I mean that teleporting thing you did. Why can’t you just do that?” I slowed my pace and twisted the cap off the bottle, taking a sip. Ugh…hot water. I wasn’t sure which was worse, dehydrating or drinking this crap.
“It’s too risky.”
“Risky? Why would it be risky?” I tightened the cap on the bottle.
“Because I can’t control where we will end up. I only use it as my last resort.”
Great. Another Natural who couldn’t control their ability. I was doomed. If I didn’t die from dehydration, the heat would surely be my demise. “I need to take a break.” I stopped and crouched down, hoping to take some of the weight off my feet, but it only ended up causing a burning sensation in my legs.
Seth spun around and walked over to me. “We don’t have time to take a break. We need to keep moving. We have to get over the border and into the oasis on the other side before dark. If we don’t, we’ll both be dead.”
I gazed up into his blue eyes and swallowed hard. “We have to go over the boundary line?”
“Yes.” He reached down and grabbed my arm, pulling me up off the sand. “Our only chance of survival is staying in the oasis tonight.”
“But the ravagers.” I shook my head as an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. “We won’t be protected by the force field.”
“Layna, we don’t have a choice. It’ll be dark soon, and we can’t stay out here. Amun is still searching for us, and he’ll find us if we stay inside the boundar
y tonight. Besides, there’s no place for us to stay here, unless you plan on sleeping on the sand.”
Seth was right. There was no shelter here. At least, in the oasis, we’d have the cover of the trees. And there would be water. Cool water.
Before I could say another word, he turned around and began walking again. But he moved slower this time, making it easier for me to keep his pace.
We must’ve walked for another hour or so when we came across a large hill. Seth didn’t seem fazed by it at all. Instead of going around it, like I hoped he would, he began climbing it.
I froze in place and watched him. “I can’t do this.” There was no way I’d be able to make it up the hill. As much as I didn’t want to appear weak, the truth was, I didn’t have the strength. This day; the hot sun, the endless walking, and lack of water had left me completely drained.
Seth slid back down the hill and held out his hand. “Come here, Layna.” His tone was soft as his eyes met mine.
I slowly walked over to him and took his hand. “I won’t be able to make it. It’s too high.”
“Listen to me, we can make it. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Something in his voice and the way he was looking at me had me convinced he was telling the truth. But what happened? This wasn’t the same man I talked to in the Cell. No. This man was different.
Seth shifted my body in front of his and placed one of his hands on my waist. His touch sent tingles shooting through my insides. I pushed the feeling away and concentrated on the top of the hill. Slowly, I made my way up as his body pressed against my back, giving me the support I needed to start climbing.
Once we reached our destination, Seth came around and stood next to me. “The force field is down there.” He pointed to the bottom of the hill, and then gazed over to the setting sun. Only half of it was visible. The bottom half had already disappeared into the distant landscape. “It’s going to be close, but we should still reach the oasis before dark.”
I glanced over to my right, spying a small wooden shack. “I think we may have a problem.” Knowing from experience, the building housed Watchers, witches Obligated to keep an eye on the boundary, like I once was. I never had to stay in one of the shacks since my post was near the Capitol. But I’d heard stories about some of the Watchers stationed out in the barren land. They were highly trusted by the Regent. And if I wasn’t mistaken, fully armed. If that building was occupied, there would be no way to sneak by them. In fact, they more than likely already knew we were here. And they were waiting.
Seth balled his hands into fists, the tension causing the fire tattoos on his arms to tighten around his skin. “If they give us any issues, I’ll take care of them. Just stay close to me.”
“And what, teleport me away somewhere?” I couldn’t help but to let the sarcastic tone slip. “Seth, if you can’t control it, it could put us farther away from our destination. There’s no way I’m making that journey again.”
“No, I can’t take that chance.” He turned to look at me, worry lines creasing his forehead. “You’re more important than you think you are. I didn’t end up in the Capitol because they captured me. I could have escaped at any time. I came there for you.”
“What?” His words left me dazed and confused. What was he talking about? He acted like he didn’t want to talk to me in the Cell. And in the desert, it was like I had inconvenienced him. It was hard to make sense out of him. His demeanor constantly changed. I’d only caught a glimpse of his softer side a couple of times. I didn’t know what to believe. Was he just telling me this to keep me around for some other reason? Sure, I was the Regent’s sister, but she couldn’t care less about me. If he was trying to use me for ransom, a way to buy his freedom, he was clearly mistaken. The Regent would kill us both.
“I can’t explain right now.” He turned back around and focused on the shack. “We’re running out of time.”
Three figures emerged from the building as the light of the day began to fade. All men.
Seth grabbed my hand and began pulling me down the steep hill. “It’s now or never. We’ll try to go around them since they look distracted.”
We were halfway down the hill when my feet slid out from under me. The loose sand carried me past Seth. He gripped my hand tightly, but he was unable to keep his balance. Before I knew it, we were both sliding down the hill at a tremendous rate of speed. Seth kept trying to grab onto me, but we were moving too fast. I knew I had to do something before we both hit the bottom of the hill. If we came in contact with the ground too hard, we’d be useless, unable to fend off the guards who were probably running toward us already.
I lifted my arms as I continued to slide down the hill on my back, focusing on the ground quickly approaching. A shield. I had to manifest a shield. It was my only option, but I wasn’t sure if it would work or do us more harm. As I concentrated on the energy, Seth’s strong arms suddenly wrapped around me.
The ground appeared under me. I stumbled backward, losing my footing in the sand, but before I could fall, Seth caught me. “Easy,” he said, his voice soft.
I gazed up at him. “I thought you couldn’t control the teleporting thing?”
“I can’t.” A slight smile invaded his lips. “Let’s just say we’re lucky we ended up here.”
I looked away from him, and my heart stumbled in my chest. The three guards were standing around us, but instead of staff’s, they were each holding a sword in their hand. They weren’t going to immobilize us, they were going to kill us. “Maybe, we weren’t so lucky after all.”
Chapter 9
Seth released me and pushed me behind him, protecting me from the three men in front of him. Without hesitating, they lunged toward him, swinging their swords around in the air.
He brought his elbow up, striking one of them in the cheek. The guy took two steps back and fell to the ground. Seth then twirled around and stuck his leg out, tripping another one. Like a flash of lightening, he grabbed the last one by his throat and shoved him to the ground. He knelt down beside him, still grasping his neck, and narrowed his eyes. “All we want to do is pass through. Let us go and you will live to see another day.”
I’d never seen these men in the Capitol before, and how did they even know we were coming. It was like they were prepared for our arrival. When I was at my post, I never had weapons, not even a staff. How did these men get them, and why would they have them?
Out of nowhere, an arm slid around my waist, and I was pulled backward, my body slamming into something hard. A sharp object pressed against my throat. I drew in a deep breath and my entirety went completely numb.
“Sorry, Seth,” a deep voice rumbled behind me. “We can’t do that. You and Layna are wanted by the Regent. We have specific orders to keep you here until her army arrives.” He pressed the blade tighter against my throat, completely cutting off my air. “Dead or alive. Your choice.”
I’d been so focused on the guy Seth had pinned to the ground that I hadn’t noticed the other two get up. We were clearly outnumbered, and I wasn’t in the best of situations. I stood there, as still as I could, praying to the Sixteen this man’s blade wouldn’t go any deeper.
“Let the girl go.” Anger took control of his voice. His hand remained around the other man’s neck as he turned his head and narrowed his eyes at the guy behind me.
Never had I seen Seth so consumed by fire before. Maybe, that’s what his tattoos meant. This was the man from the stories I had been told. The savage…the warrior. Part of me was terrified, but the other part was relieved he was on my side. His eyes were no longer the color of the ocean. They were a deep gray in color, like the storm clouds had rolled in.
Darkness pressed down on us. We didn’t have time for any of this. If Seth and I didn’t make it to the oasis soon, all this would have meant nothing. As much as I didn’t want to reveal what I was to anyone, I didn’t have a choice. I needed to create a distraction, needed to penetrate Tiahna’s force field and get me and Seth
out of here.
Closing my eyes, I focused on the energy around me as Seth and the man continued to shout at each other. I was the only thing holding Seth back from taking this man out. But that wouldn’t last for long. As soon as the tingling sensation engulfed my body, I reached back, placing my hand on the guy’s upper thigh and pushed outward.
The man screamed, the sword dropped, and I spun around to face him. The area where I touched him caused his pants to smoke. I must’ve accidentally ignited him instead of pushing him away. My magic seemed to have a mind of its own. Things never turned out as planned. But it didn’t matter. The plan was to get him to release me, and he did. Now he’d pay.
Before I could grab ahold of him, two strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back. I swung around, ready to strike out at one of the other men, but I came face to face with Seth. His eyes were still a dark gray and his jaw tense. “Get through the boundary.” He released me and ran toward the guy who was still smoking from the leg.
Seth leaped in the air and snatched the man’s sword from his hands. He swung around, slicing the blade through the guy’s neck. Blood splattered everywhere as the man’s head slipped off his shoulders and fell to the ground.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. My mind was spinning in circles and my legs became weak. I’d never seen anyone die before. The sight of the body and blood turned my stomach inside out.
“Layna!”
Seth’s voice ripped through me, reminding me we were still in danger. My instincts kicked in and I turned around, only to come face to face with one of the other men. An intense pressure centered in my abdomen, like the man had punched me. My gaze dropped, and he was pulling the blade of his sword out of my stomach. Blood. So much blood. Placing my palm on the crimson-stained white tank top, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The warm wetness seeped through my fingers. I glanced back up at the guy.
Forbidden: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Othala Witch Collection (Sector 12) Page 4
