by Tenaya Jayne
"Get back!" Devonte yelled.
"You and Copernicus threaten and take the lives of those who cannot fight back. Of those who did nothing to you." Syrus reached out his hand. Electricity swirled in his palm and shot through the air into Devonte's eye. The wizard fell to the ground, smoke coming from his ears, eyes, mouth, and nose. The young master scurried to the side, his terrified gaze darting between Devonte and Syrus.
Syrus leaned over Devonte and checked for a pulse. A weak thump pushed under his finger. He straightened and thrust his sword through the wizard's heart.
He turned to the young man standing next to him, handed him the sword, and clapped him on the shoulder. "There's a vast difference between killing and murder. Never forget that."
The young man nodded quickly.
Syrus walked back to the group of masters, all of them watching him intently. "I have to go… They've taken Forest."
The entire group looked up as a line of black smoke snaked over the pale sun.
"It appears they've taken more than that. There’s death in the air," Ithiel said. "We're going with you."
Syrus nodded. "You are all masters of the Blood Kata. You know what that means? Deadly bastards, every one of you. This is personal. Not just for me. Regia is our world. Now it's time for us to defend it. Pull no punches. The insurgents must be crushed. Leave no traces of this poison, so it can harm no one else. Are you ready?"
A roar of assent rose up from the group.
"Let's go. We make for Halussis."
****
Shi raised her eyes to the sky and watched the smoke drift over the tops of the trees. How long had it been since she'd truly felt despair? Really felt it as she did now? Would the whole world perish around her while she could do nothing except listen to their screams and smell their deaths on the wind? The Wood was her prison.
She looked back at the Heart and tried to force herself to be numb. Just yesterday, the flames were gray. Regia's heart had been healing. The color of the flames of the manifestation grew lighter by small degrees every day. But now…now all progress was reversed. The Heart burned black again. The breeze moving the leaves of the crystal trees chimed a tune of death and rage. Shi had never heard the likes of it before.
She wrapped her branchy arms around herself. Was Forest still alive? Her mind spun on what ifs. Her ghostly heart flipped in panic at the terrible scenarios her mind created. Shi broke into tiny pieces inside. She needed to be grounded. There was only one person who could help her now. Am I ready?
She moved slowly to her trunk, the wood long petrified, all the blush of life drained as colorless as glass. So long, she had caged Ler here. And never had she interacted with him beyond the occasional brush of her hand on the cold bark. Perhaps her anger was finally spent.
Hesitating, she clenched and unclenched her fingers. Her hand rested against the crystal bark, but she kept it on the exterior, not allowing her hand to slide within. He stirred and rose up to the surface. His face came into view from inside her trunk. He placed his hand against hers. Shi gasped and pulled her hand back. No, not yet…not yet.
His eyes went sad, he turned away, and began to fade back into the trunk's depths.
"Wait!" she called.
If she freed him, Death would surely come back and take his soul where it was meant to be.
Impossible tears stung her eyes as she placed both of her hands back on the bark. Leramiun, her heart groaned. Shi slid into her trunk, her spirit crossing the barrier she created between them for the first time in ten thousand years.
He looked just the same as he had the day she bound herself to him and became his queen. Shi glided into his open arms. As soon as they touched, her flesh shimmered, shivered, and pulled back into the shape she used to be. She sighed soul deep. Ler felt solid to her, and she felt solid against him. Perhaps their souls were made of the same fabric after all. He held her in silence. Love detained and dormant for so long, trembled.
Chapter Two
Forest held still, her hands loosely bound together in her lap. She could have easily slipped out of the tie but she decided against it, for the moment. The back of her head throbbed, but she'd suffered worse. Cold sweat pushed out of her pores as her heart pumped pure adrenaline instead of blood through her body. Electric currents snapped and flashed inside her, making it difficult to maintain her resolve to calm down and be still. Her breath was hot and moist in the confines of the fabric hood. She desperately needed fresh air.
Syrus' spirit echoed across whatever distance parted them. He knew she was gone. His agony and desperation flooded into her chest. There were no reassuring sensations she could send back to him. She knew nothing of her location or the fate that awaited her. She remained motionless, waiting, calculating.
Syrus and Rahaxeris would come for her. That was comforting. Who could stand against their combined ire? Still, she wasn't the type to do nothing and wait for the cavalry to show up. She would draw upon anything and everything she could to survive, to escape, no matter how pathetic or underhanded the means might be.
An aftershock from the quickening vibrated in her lower abdomen. Forest gritted her teeth and held the cry of pain deep inside her lungs. No one knew she was pregnant, and she intended to keep it that way. Little Secret, you're safe inside me. I'll protect you.
She leaned her head against the hard surface behind her. It felt as though she'd been propped up in a corner. Redge had been the one to kidnap her. That thought was a lifeline. No matter where she was or what she was up against, she already had an ally. He'd had good reason to do what he did. She didn't believe for a second that he was on their side. But where was he now?
The floor under her butt was solid, but she felt a rocking. Was that just the effects of the blow to her head? Her stomached ached and rolled with nausea. She would not throw up in this fabric bag! The whole room lurched. She couldn't stand it any longer. Despite her resolve to be perfectly still, Forest raised her bound hands and pulled at the hood until it came off.
It was a cell, totally bare. A perfect box. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all the same dull bronze color. She touched the wall next to her with the back of her hand. It was cold and metallic. There was a door on the opposite wall, but it had no knob or handle; all she could see was the outline. The light overhead came from a small circle and reminded her of the skylights she'd seen in the Rune-dy's headquarters deep under Kyhael. And as she looked closer, she realized it was much the same. The light coming through the ceiling was sunlight.
Forest rubbed her bound wrists together and smiled. Redge had done that on purpose, she was certain. She could slip the ties when she wanted. It didn't really matter how tight or loose he'd tied her, all she had to do was shift her wrists a little smaller to get out. The rope slid off into her lap. She pocketed it.
Forest stood just as the room pitched sideways again, knocking her off balance and into the wall. She spread her legs a little farther apart than her shoulders to gain more balance. It was as if she was on a swing…or the water. Forest strained her ears but heard nothing. She knelt and pressed her ear against the floor. Sure enough, she heard the lapping sound of waves. She closed her eyes and cursed Copernicus for being too clever.
She rolled onto her back and stared up at the small skylight, swamped with despair. She held everything inside. She thought of the Fair. Were all her friends dead? Just like the shifter colony? Had they all died because Copernicus knew they were a way to strike at her? Had it always been about her? If so, why? Why did she matter so damn much to him? So many faces flashed before her eyes, friends, family, even past enemies who might now be dead. Why did Copernicus want to break her? He could just kill her.
She closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her lower abdomen, listening to the child's pulse. Her heart reached out for Syrus. Could he feel the baby? Did he know?
"Oh, my love…" she whispered. “Help me, Syrus…What should I do? How do I get back to you?"
His eyes loomed in her
mind. She drew strength from their depths. Syrus pulled his power from anger. Her anger usually clouded her judgment and made her sloppy. He turned his rage into a weapon, but he always had control over it. How could she do that? How could she be more like him? Syrus could create spheres, she'd seen it… That's what she'd do, mentally at least.
Forest imagined a glass sphere in her chest. She took everything she was feeling and poured it all into that empty vessel. She would hold it in silence, buried deep inside, until the time came to break it open and empty out her contempt in its purified rancor over Copernicus. She'd pour out every last drop until he was utterly destroyed and his dead body was nothing but ashes dancing on the wind.
Approaching footsteps had her jumping to her feet, her heart thundering in her ears. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, trying to force her pulse to steady. Is this it? Am I about to die?
The door swung open. Redge entered, followed by two others. As soon as she saw Redge, she cast her gaze elsewhere so no one would be able to see that she knew him. The other two men were identical except one was shorter and slightly less bulky. The shorter one pulled out Forest's old silver sword and smiled at her tauntingly. She recognized him, now. This was Shreve, the shifter she'd fought at Fortress, who could shift across sexes. She turned her gaze away from him and looked up into the face of her enemy, Copernicus.
He was at least a head taller than Syrus and almost twice as thick. His honey wheat hair was cropped short over a square but surprisingly handsome face. His almond shaped eyes were a layered, muddy hazel, and his full mouth curved into a terrifying oversized smile as he looked down at her. Forest didn't know what she expected, but she could see a madness inside him. It was not unlike what she'd seen with Netriet when the shadow lived inside her, amplified times ten. Copernicus' face and body were the lid on a vault containing a jumble of horrors and confusion. His gaze ate her up inch by inch, and he guarded none of the emotions coming from his eyes.
Forest lifted her head and squared her shoulders defiantly. Copernicus laughed, a delighted throaty chuckle, and swooped down on her. She had nowhere to evade. His massive arms lifted her off the ground. She held herself rigid, her mind stumbling. Copernicus didn't crush her, or try to break her back, nor did he attempt to assault her sexually. He hugged her like a precious, long lost friend.
"Sister," he whispered in her ear as he kissed the side of her head. "At long last...we are together."
He set her back on her feet, but he was still forcibly in her personal space. He touched her cheek and combed his fingers through her hair. She was shaking inside, but she continued to hold herself still.
"So beautiful…Shreve, you didn't tell me how beautiful she was."
"I told you she was beautiful, Father," Shreve argued.
"You didn't describe her. You were vague. Look at those eyes! See the banked rage beneath the green?"
Shreve shrugged. "She's a shifter. She'll look different in an hour."
Copernicus sighed and rolled his eyes. "What about you, Redge? Don't you think Forest is beautiful?"
"Yes. Very."
"See now, Redge has taste."
Forest looked carefully at everything she could see. She filed every nuance into her mind: body language, tone of voice, anything that gave her clues about her captors.
"Sister?" she chanced speaking.
Copernicus didn't take his eyes off her as he spoke to the others. "Shreve, you can go. Redge, leave us for a moment, but stay just outside the door."
He waited for the others to leave and the door to close. His expression was mild, but his eyes continued to devour her.
"Relax, Forest. I can practically hear your heart beating, despite how you're working to hide it."
"You called me, sister."
"And that amazes you? You are my sister. We share the same father."
He paused, Forest assumed for effect. It could be true. She still didn't know that much about Rahaxeris, but she knew enough to know it could be true.
"That's why I'm here, isn't it? It's not about me, it's about him."
"Double threat, smart and beautiful…maybe that's what you've got that compels men's hearts."
"I am more than that."
Copernicus' smile turned into a sneer. "Yes, I can see you are many things. A little arrogant, too. I hate arrogance."
He moved so fast, she didn't even have time to flinch. His massive fist slammed into her face. Stars and colors exploded behind her eyes as she flew backward into the wall. She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her bleeding nose. He didn't strike again. When her vision cleared, she had to blink a few times to make sure she was really seeing what she was seeing.
Tears clouded his eyes, and his face crumpled. He wrung his massive hands over and over. "I'm so sorry, sister. Please forgive me."
His unnatural behavior alarmed her more than anything else. She had to play him, despite how dangerous a prospect that was.
She rubbed the blood running from her nose across her cheek purposefully. "You hurt me, brother."
"I'm sorry," he said again. "Oh, your face. Your gorgeous face. It'll heal without notice, I'm sure."
"What is it you want from me? How can I help you?"
"I want our family to be together, but that is a personal desire. There is a grave threat coming. It might not look like it, but everything I have done since coming home to Regia has been to protect and serve."
Forest bit down on her tongue as she thought of all the people he'd killed. The faces of the dead cried out to her. She eased the memory back and tucked her vengeance away. She had to play along.
"I don't think I can do this," he muttered. "I love you too much... You have no idea how much I love you, Forest. But you must be shown. You're wild. You must be broken."
Shit, I don't like the sound of this. Forest thought.
"I have questions.” she scrambled. "You need to tell me about this new danger to Regia."
He smiled again. "I will. I can see that you're scared. You're like a child without boundaries. First, you must learn trust. I have put you in an invisible circle, and you will stay inside it."
"I don't understand."
"You will…Redge, come back in here," he shouted.
Redge returned. He looked anxiously at Forest for a split second and then turned his eyes to the floor. Copernicus wrapped his hulking arm around Redge's shoulders.
"I love this guy. So strong, so dedicated to me. It wasn't always that way. But you know that, don't you? He used to work for you, didn't he?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice was flat.
"Come now. I know the two of you know each other. Redge has spilled his guts to me—under duress, of course. He didn't have a choice, but still."
She looked hard at Redge; she could see it. The signs were there. His shoulders hung in defeat, and he continued to stare at the floor.
"You see, sister? He's my slave, as are almost all of my followers."
The urge to attack Copernicus swelled inside her, but she knew she couldn't win. She had to protect her baby. But her heart broke for Redge. She knew what it was like to be a slave, to have no control over your own actions.
"So, I have things to do, and my heart is apparently too soft for you, sister, to take you in hand the way you need it. I'm going to have your old friend Redge do the dirty work for me."
"What?!" she demanded.
Copernicus ignored her and turned Redge to face him. "I'm giving you an order, Redge. You are to beat her within an inch of her life. You will not stop or show her mercy until she is in a state that will take even a fast healer like her considerable time to recover from. Do you understand?"
"Yes, my lord." Redge's voice broke, and his muscles gave a little jerk in response to the order.
"Good." Copernicus turned to leave. "Oh, and you better not scar her beautiful face."
The door shut behind Redge. He advanced on her. Forest placed both of her hands on her stomach and m
outhed the word baby. His eyes rounded and flooded with pain, but he nodded as his hands came up and fisted.
He swung. She ducked, coming up behind him and shoved him into the wall. He spun around and kicked out, sweeping her feet out from under her. Forest landed on her back, the fall knocking the wind out of her. She gasped and cried out as he kicked her hip. The bone fractured under the force. He wasn't capable of pulling back under Copernicus' order.
Forest slammed her elbow into the side of his knee, knocking him off balance. As he stumbled, she grabbed his leg and pulled him off his feet. He landed on the floor next to her.
"I'm sorry," he wheezed. "I'm in over my head."
"I know. I forgive you."
It was terrible. They were friends, and now they were turned on each other like puppets on strings. She didn’t want to hurt him, just as he didn’t want to hurt her.
Redge roared as he tried to fight back his compulsion to obey Copernicus' order. Forest pulled herself up just as he jumped on her, pinning her down and wrapping his hands around her throat. His tears fell on her face as she tried to pry his hands off.
"Tell me what to do, Forest," he begged as he pressed down harder on her windpipe, making it impossible for her to answer.
She brought her knee up, smashing his groin. He fell off her, compressing into the fetal position, groaning.
Her first breath burned like fire all the way down her throat and through her lungs. Tears scalded her eyes. She rolled and tried to get up, but her broken hip screamed in stabbing pain and kept her down. She panted, sweat sliding down her forehead, as she looked over at Redge. There was no way out of this. She could keep fighting, but all that would do was hurt Redge and further endanger her baby.
She thought of her child as she wrestled back her nature to fight. Her nature clawed and raged. Maternal instinct reared up and shoved the wildness down with authority. Forest pulled her body tight around her stomach and waited. She heard Redge get to his feet, but she didn't look at him. She closed her eyes tight. I'll protect you, Little Secret.
