“They’re our parents too, Trey,” Liam added.
“You can’t even drive a car. What makes you think you can fight on a unicorn?”
“Those demons stole our souls, Trey. They locked us in a prison and tormented us until Scout showed up. We want revenge.”
“Trey.” Lil Bit’s icy hand brushed his. “Iros’s army will be made up of children.”
“How do you—” He sighed. He didn’t have to ask how Lil Bit knew it. She just did, and there was no explanation. “Are you seriously going to let her do this?” he asked Scout instead.
Scout nodded, tears still finding their way down her cheeks. “She’s always been the warrior, Trey. Not me. I’m just her big sister.”
“Lil Bit is the reason so many souls survived, Trey. She didn’t let us lose hope,” Liam said. His hand found Lil Bit’s and clutched it tightly.
Lil Bit looked up at them both, her eyes so big, her face so fragile, and shook her head. “It wasn’t me.”
“What do you mean, it wasn’t you?” Tate asked. “Of course it was you. Every time we wanted to give up, you said Scout was coming. Scout wouldn’t leave us there. You made us believe.”
“I made you believe in Scout, because I didn’t doubt her.”
Sometimes, Lil Bit was far too wise for her own good.
“I knew she would come because Scout is the warrior. It was Scout that kept us alive all that time, not me. I just told you the truth.”
Scout sobbed, her fist against her mouth, fighting for control. She swallowed several times before she lowered her hand, giving Lil Bit a watery smile. “So what you’re saying then,” she said, “is that I shouldn’t let you fight after all?”
Lil Bit’s mouth opened and closed, and Trey couldn’t fight his smile.
She put her hands on her hips, and suddenly she was a little girl again, the ageless wisdom gone. “That is not what I said at all.”
Trey heaved a sigh, admitting defeat. “Fine. First, we get you back to your bodies. Then we go back to Aptavaras.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
There were so many unicorns coming and going, taking souls to their bodies, bringing people back — real people, with bodies — who wanted to fight with them. The sky was a constant electrical storm.
Scout sat on a unicorn she didn’t know while another waited patiently with Lil Bit tight against her chest. Trey was just riding up on one who was not Torz, and it looked so wrong Scout wanted to object. But Torz had earned a rest. They wouldn’t need the bond to retrieve Lil Bit’s body, and his brothers’. And their parents’ bodies, even though they didn’t have souls to go with them.
Yet.
They were taking a whole herd of unicorns with them to bring her parents and Trey’s back here where they’d be safe.
“What happens to the souls when they’re put back in their bodies? Do they remember all this?” Scout asked. There were gonna be a lot of unicorn believers if that was the case.
“Some will. They’ll return to fight. Others will only see it as a nightmare because they are not strong enough to handle the truth. They will not see us after they are reunited with themselves,” her unicorn said.
She nodded grimly. That made sense. If she hadn’t been desperate to believe, would she have seen them? Would she have been strong enough?
“Yes, Princess. You would have. Don’t get attached to that creature. You’re my rider, don’t forget.”
Scout smiled as they leaped into the air, the sky splitting above them. “Don’t worry, Horse. I’m just hitching a ride home. There will be no fighting without you.”
“Good. Now leave me alone. I’m trying to sleep.”
The gate opened above their hometown. Columbia Falls was still — there were no cars, no dogs barking. No people roaming the streets. The dried leaves blowing across dead grass was the only movement Scout could see.
“The hospital, over there. That’s where we’ll find them.”
She pointed, stupidly remembering too late that there was no way the unicorn could see her pointing. Luckily, the hospital was easy to find, and the entire herd swept toward it. When they landed, it cracked the asphalt, big, hoof-shaped imprints that were going to be very hard to explain to those who forgot. Scout slid from the unicorn, whose name she really should have asked, and turned to Lil Bit’s unicorn, watching as her sister uncurled herself and stretched, free from the magic.
“Hello, Scout. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Scout whirled, already knowing who awaited her. “Ariston.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Trey freeze, blocking his brothers from view.
Ariston was as beautiful as ever, despite the dead eyes watching her with such an infinite sadness that part of her heart broke. His injuries had all healed, which meant more souls had died for his cause. He was surrounded by soul stealers, at least ten of them — all with red, glowing eyes.
She shook her head. “Ariston, please. Don’t do this.”
“Lil Bit, go. Run. Find your body and get on the unicorn and get out of here.” She couldn’t turn to look at her sister, but she felt her presence leave and knew Lil Bit had heard.
Ariston swept closer, so close she could feel the cold seeping from him. “I’ll make you a deal, Scout.” His voice was low, intimate, sliding over her like silk. She closed her eyes, fighting the voice, the familiarity.
“What is your deal?” she asked, but she knew already.
“Come with me.”
She wasn’t prepared, however, for the vulnerability in his voice. Her eyes snapped open to see that the pain in his eyes had broadened, spreading across his face.
“Come back to Aptavaras. I will call off the war. I will imprison my soul stealers. I will let everyone go.”
She swallowed. An innumerable amount of lives for hers. The answer was an easy one. Except for one thing. “What about when I die, Ariston. I’m not immortal, as you are. What then? Will you still leave the souls alone? You won’t march on Paradesos?”
“Scout,” his voice was strangled. “You and Paradesos are my only solace in an eternity of pain.”
“She’s not yours to take.” Trey was suddenly between them, breaking Ariston’s hypnotic gaze. “She might be unselfish enough to consider it, but I’m not. You. Can’t. Have. Her.”
“And you, you’re a mere child. Do you think that the two of you can fight my pets? You barely survived your last attempt, and that was with bonded unicorns. You don’t even have that now.”
With a lazy sweep of his hand, black flames erupted in a wake and threw Trey out of the way. Scout screamed, moving to run to him, but Ariston blocked her, his hand like a vice on her arm.
“Come with me, Scout, and I won’t have to kill him.”
“You forgot about the rest of us, demon master.” It was the unicorn who’d brought Lil Bit, her voice quiet in the face of his fury. “She is one of us. We will not let you take her.”
Scout strained to see over her shoulder, to the herd of unicorns. Lit horns sparking dangerously, already sheathed in battle armor. Nine of them to ten souled Taraxippus.
They would all die.
“Lil Bit? I have to go. Get your body. Get on the unicorns and get to safety. Don’t look back, no matter what. Promise?”
Lil Bit didn’t answer.
Ariston raised his free hand, motioning with the barest flick of his fingers, and the soul stealers leaped forward, claws already outstretched, screams filling the air.
“Wait! I’ll go. I’ll go, Ariston! Leave them alone!”
But the unicorns didn’t listen. They met the battle head-on, fire exploding around them.
“Please, Ariston.” she begged again. “Please call them off.”
“No, brother. She will not go with you.”
The ground shook as Havik landed behind them, Iros on his back. The sky flooded with more unicorns, all of which leaped into the attack — Kylin on Melete, Aella on a unicorn Scout didn’t know. So many others, souls they
’d rescued who had returned to Paradesos to fight after getting their bodies back. And they’d brought more souls, who were now escaping into the hospital. Some, Scout knew — Trey’s two best friends, Cole and Kasen. Other kids from school. Adults Scout had seen around town. Her favorite teacher. They fled inside, already searching for their bodies.
“Let her go.” In all the conversations she’d had with Havik, she’d never heard him sound so deadly, so very terrifying.
Ariston, so close to Scout, sucked in a breath, his face paling before he turned slowly. “Iros. Aella. How nice to see you both.” His grip on Scout’s arm didn’t loosen. “Funny, brother, how you are always riding to Scout’s rescue, yet you left your betrothed in my care for six hundred years.”
Scout looked wide-eyed at Aella, but there was no pain in her eyes.
“The risk was too great, Ariston. You knew that. He could not march on Aptavaras with no riders, and his own mind was unable to even handle your betrayal. He knew he could not kill you, no matter what you’ve done. And he had no army to match to your Taraxippus. It would have been a death sentence for us all.”
Iros glared, as if trying to dispute her words, but Aella ignored him.
“Until Eirene brought him the peace he craved, he was unable to face his demons. She gave him peace from his demons, and now he faces you without regret.”
“My betrayal? You banished me from my home.” Ariston did not sound vulnerable when he spoke to Iros. He sounded arrogant and obnoxious.
“You wiped out an entire race of unicorns!” Iros thundered, and Havik reared, mighty razor-sharp hooves tearing at the sky. “You betrayed the trust of your unicorn, the most unforgiveable of sins!”
“I tire of this conversation.” He motioned to the demon closest to him. “Take us out of this place.”
“Call off your soul stealers, Ariston. Tell Iros you will end the war. I will go with you willingly,” Scout said. “Refuse, and I will die.”
Ariston didn’t look at her. “You are not in a position to make demands, my dear.” With Scout between Iros and Ariston, Iros could not attack. They stood, mighty, powerful, huge and terrifying, and unable to do one thing to stop him.
“You killed my mate. You’re not taking my human, too.”
Ashra’s voice was like thunder in Scout’s mind, in all of their minds. Scout whirled in time to see her unicorn swooping low out of the sky, coming so fast. Her hooves clattered across the asphalt.
So fast. Too fast.
Before Ariston could move, her horn pierced his side, impaling him, carrying him backward. Scout’s arm was wrenched out of his grasp. He screamed, black flames erupting from his hands, and Ashra was shoved back.
Ariston ripped free of her horn. “Taraxippus!” he screamed, and one of the creatures left the fight and swooped into the hospital.
Scout knew what was coming before the thing re-emerged. “Stop it!” she screamed, horror choking her.
A riderless unicorn went in, but it was too late. Screams shattered the air, the screams of a torn soul and then, more shrill, the screams of a dying unicorn. The soul stealer reappeared… but the unicorn did not.
Ashra struggled to her feet. Torz landed next to Trey, his horn already healing him. Everything but the soul stealer seemed to be moving in slow motion. Havik was running forward. Aella had joined the battle, but no one was fast enough as the demon tore the soul to shreds, its screams echoing in Scout’s ears, reverberating through her heart. So close. It had been so close to reuniting with its body.
And then Ariston took it, and he was on his feet — the soul healing him, making him whole. Black flames erupted from his hands, both hands, one blasting Ashra in the side and the other hitting Havik in the chest. Iros shot back, Havik’s flame weak but joining, and slammed Ariston’s chest. He flew backward, but remained standing.
Ashra couldn’t fight Ariston alone. Scout ran, leaping, landing on her back by some super-human strength she wasn’t aware she possessed, and her scepter was in her hands. “Leave, Ariston, and take your demons with you,” she screamed.
Ariston looked at her, and briefly, the fury in his face was replaced by pain. Scout hated that she hurt him, and she hated that she felt guilty about it. She should loathe him by now. She should want to kill him. But she couldn’t use her scepter against him.
Somehow, Ashra sensed that, and although she wanted vengeance, she put Scout first.
She sprang into the air, leaping over Ariston, over Torz and Trey, who had just climbed to his feet, over Havik, and landed in the midst of the fight with the soul stealers. “Let Iros battle his brother.”
Her horn speared the first soul stealer she got to, right through the back. Torz and Trey swooped low, shooting straight into the thing’s chest. It imploded, ash raining down on them.
“I so need a shower,” Scout muttered. She rubbed the soul stealer grime from her eyes and blinked several times, trying to clear her vision.
And saw her very small sister sitting on the back of a unicorn, dressed in battle armor, wielding a scepter that was bigger than she was, and blasting the demons around her.
“Lil Bit!” she screamed, but her sister didn’t hear her, so focused on killing things. And this, Scout realized, was what Lil Bit was born for. Though she be but little… She’d always known Lil Bit was strong. She was a warrior, always. Fighting demons only she could see her entire life.
Tate and Liam flanked her, one fighting on either side like they could protect her. Like she needed protecting. Somehow, in the fury of battle, everything had slowed around Scout but her sister, and she watched in awe as Lil Bit moved, flowed, fought like she’d been doing it forever.
Scout was so focused on Lil Bit that she failed to notice the demons around her rising in the air, trying to flee. Ashra whirled in a tight circle, trying to find more to attack, but there were none. She stopped, breathing hard, her neck lathered. The air itself seemed to freeze and crackle. Scout raised her eyes, seeking the cause.
Iros and Havik were locked in a battle of wills with Ariston. Ariston’s black fire warred with the colorful flames of the unicorn. It was eating away at the still world, pulling the light from around them.
“If one of them doesn’t give, this entire city will implode!” Aella yelled, spurring her unicorn on.
They raced forward, clattering on the asphalt, and Ashra joined her as they ran past. Torz leaped to their aid, until the three formed a wall, galloping straight at the demon master.
He raised his free hand, pointing at them without looking, and Scout thought there was no way he could take all three of them and Havik.
She was wrong.
The fire burst from his hand and shot straight at them, slamming into Ashra, scalding Scout’s face and hair, and they all went tumbling end over end. Scout was thrown free. She crashed into the side of the building and slid down to lay in a broken heap.
“Trey,” she whispered, trying to raise her head, but it wouldn’t listen.
“Do you know why you can’t beat me, brother?” Ariston yelled.
“I can beat you,” Iros growled back.
Scout’s vision clouded. She couldn’t see except for the ground under her face. “Trey… Ash… Ashra,” she whispered. She felt them, somewhere beyond where she could see, struggling, trying to get back on their feet. But she couldn’t move. Her back… the same pain, the same immobility she’d fought for so long and finally conquered, it was back. She couldn’t move.
“You’re wrong. You can’t beat me because I have a reason to fight, and you don’t.” Ariston’s voice was deadly calm.
Hey. That’s my line. Didn’t I tell his soul stealers that just… a week or so ago…? Scout’s mind wouldn’t cooperate quite right, either.
“I have the entire world to fight for!” Iros, in the midst of battle, sounded completely flabbergasted.
“I have her. That is all I need.” Ariston meant Scout. She could feel him looking for her, imagined his eyes falling on Ashra without a
rider, imagined him turning to look from Ashra, following the scorched earth, finding her, lying in a mangled heap.
“Scout!” he screamed, and there was an implosion.
The heat seared her already-broken form. And then the heat was gone; something protected her, and Scout felt herself healing. Her vision became clearer, and she finally raised her head to see Ashra from one side, Torz and Trey from the other. And Lil Bit in the middle with scepters pointed at her, magic flowing from the unicorn’s horns, enveloping her, healing her, protecting her from Ariston’s and Iros’s exploding attack.
“This is why I’m not the warrior, Lil Bit. I try so hard to be as tough as everyone else, but someone is always having to save me.”
“That’s because you’re always trying to save everyone else. Isn’t that what a true warrior does, big sister?”
She turned her head, slowly, painfully. Havik and Iros lay, unmoving, clear across the parking lot. Aella and her unicorn raced after them.
Ariston stood staring at her, horror clearly written across his face. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, such a heartbroken sound. His head fell to his chest in defeat, and he raised his hands, letting his black, black flames split open the sky like Havik did using lightning.
And then Ariston was gone. By the time Scout could push herself to a sitting position, he and his demons had disappeared into the inferno he’d created. They disappeared. The hospital, the many souls, the bodies of dead unicorns all lay silently. Too quiet after so much noise. So much death.
“Havik? Iros?” Scout asked as the magic faded, and Lil Bit and Trey were racing, tripping over the buckled earth, stumbling to her side.
Trey’s hands slid over her, checking for injuries. “We need a healer. We have to get her home!” Trey yelled over his shoulder, his voice frantic.
“Scout, you can’t leave me. Do you promise?” Lil Bit’s big, dark eyes stared her down, as if daring her to say differently. Scout raised her arms, and Lil Bit fell into them. Pain shot through her; she was sure she had several broken ribs, but she didn’t care. She finally, finally got to hold her little sister.
Warrior Everlasting Page 17
