by Tenaya Jayne
She was juggling a pack of lies, detesting each one more than the last. It was time to let them fall and break. They had pushed her too far. She would live true to herself, or not at all.
She looked through her window, at the sky. One hour till the moon would be visible over the top of the forest. She’d sleep one hour, to heal. Then she’d begin living as she chose. Perhaps that decision would mean she’d die before the sunrise. So be it.
Sabra overslept by a few minutes only and woke completely healed from Tucker’s punishment. Adrenaline spiked as she got out of bed. She hadn’t realized the weight she’d been carrying around, until now. Letting it all go, she could have floated off the floor.
What was she going to do, exactly? She realized she didn’t know as she got a knapsack and began putting a few clothes into it. She had Knick-knacks, a few pieces of jewelry, but… Wherever she was going, all she needed were the bare essentials. She could leave it all behind.
Where was she going? She thought about Paradigm. All races were welcome there. But what if she left without really leaving? She could wait out the time until the tournament. Her name was still on the list, because no one could take it off, but her.
She stiffened as she heard Tucker come home. Maybe he would leave her alone, but if he didn’t… She strapped on her boots and latched a dagger belt around her waist. She tied a tight knot in the top of her knapsack and took it to the window. She looked down. The square was empty. She held her breath and let it drop, praying it wouldn’t be discovered, or taken, before she could get to it.
Tucker pounded on her door. Her heart hardened. This was it. She called on all of her courage, took a deep breath, and opened the door. He looked surprised for a second, as though he hadn’t expected her to open the door.
“Um…come out here. We need to talk.”
She managed to smile. “We certainly do.”
She walked past him and sat down on the couch. He gazed at her suspiciously as he sat down opposite her.
“Gahu will be here in a few minutes. Things are going to change tonight, and you better go along with them, and act happy, or it will be the worst for you.”
“What changes?” Her tone was mild, almost bored.
“You don’t live here anymore. Gahu is coming to collect you. You will move in with him tonight. It might be slightly frowned on before your mating ceremony, but only slightly. I doubt anyone will say anything.”
“Really? You doubt it?”
“Yeah, since you have no more reputation, except a tainted one. This will end that, and in everyone’s mind, put you securely as Gahu’s woman… He’s lost enough face over your behavior.” He leaned forward and pointed his finger at her. “If you fight this, or even complain once, he said he’s going to abandon you. If that happens, I’ll disown you, and Silhon will use you for his amusement, no doubt. Once he’s done with you, you’ll be passed around and used like trash. Just think about that when you go with Gahu. Your future depends on you making him happy tonight. You better give him everything, and I mean everything, he wants and more.”
“How long before he gets here?”
“Any moment now.”
“Okay,” she said mildly as she stood. “I guess I better gather my things, so I don’t keep him waiting.”
She walked back into her room, but instead of gathering anything, she grabbed a scrap of paper and scrawled a quick note to Gahu. She rolled the paper and put it inside the wooden cuff he’d given her and set it on the center of her bed.
She strode back out into the living room. Tucker hadn’t moved. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.
“What?” he said.
She hugged him. He hesitated for a second before patting her back awkwardly. She let go and took a step back.
“I hope one day you will find your goodness again.”
“Wha—“ He choked on the word as her fist slammed into his throat.
Before he could draw breath, she head-butted him. His head snapped back, and he staggered. He roared and fought to focus his spinning eyes on her. She kicked him in the knee, jumped behind as he fell sideways, and wrapped her arm around his neck. She pulled with all her might. He struggled for only a few seconds, pulling at her forearm, his heel scraping the floor. And then he went limp. She lowered him to the floor.
“Goodbye, Tucker. When you wake up, you’ll know just how submissive I’ve been. I could have bested you any time.”
A knock came on the front door. Damn. Out of time. She ran to the broken terrace doors and out. The knocking grew impatient as she jumped over the rails. Pain spiked in her ankles as she hit the ground and took off running. She went straight through the square, grabbing the knapsack and slinging it across her back without losing stride.
When she broke the boundary of the Lair’s suburbs, into the wilds, she ran faster for the pure maniacal joy of running free. No matter how long it lasted. She’d never felt like this. So light, as if she were a bird. It was just her, the wind, and the moon. Sabra couldn’t remember having so much energy. It took no effort to run flat out all the way to the shifter colony.
She ducked into the skeleton of the house where her weapons were and sat down, leaning against the foundation blocks. Laughter poured from her lungs. What was she going to do now? She needed a new plan. Should she go to Paradigm? Or could she just stay right here? If she stayed in the shifter colony, this close to the Lair, would she be able to go undetected? Would anyone take the trouble to look for her? She really had no idea.
She wanted to stay close, so she could still know what was going on and be ready to step in when the tournament began. Her heart wasn’t willing to let go of her dream of leading the pack. She just needed to stay out of sight until then.
Her excitement began to ebb. The night was still young. Asher wouldn’t arrive until right before sunrise. She needed his help, now more than ever. She knew he would be willing, but would he be successful? If anyone decided to look for her, he could lead them away with lies, false evidence, and misdirection. Then she could stay right there, under their noses, and bide her time.
The moon shone on her through the open roof, and its pull reached down deep inside her. The animal within shivered. What are you waiting for? Are you going to live free or not? She stood, took her clothes off, and put them in her sack. She ran her fingers through the length of her hair.
Don’t tempt me so brazenly. That’s what Shreve had said.
Brazen, yes that’s what she was. A smile curved her lips. Then she called to the wolf inside and let it out. A shiver rolled through her whole body down to her bones as she shifted. It felt so good to be free like this, she thought as she ran. But the careless, free feeling didn’t last long, and soon she began to search for him. She didn’t mean to, but her ears pricked at every miniscule sound, and her nostrils flared, sniffing intently at the air.
She wanted to run with him again—she couldn’t deny it. She continued to seek him as she made her way to the place where she’d first seen him. Nothing. She went to the river. Again nothing. No trace at all. Compelled and hating she was compelled, she shifted back into a woman when she came to the place they had kissed.
The night air caressed her naked skin and combed through her hair. She paced among the thick trees, touching the bark lightly with her hands. What did she want from him? Nothing! She blew out a breath and shook her head. She couldn’t even convince herself of that. If she truly wanted nothing, why was she here?
“Who are you, Shreve?” she whispered. “Why did you try to help me?”
It was the first time she’d really dissected her encounters with him. He’d been a member of the Aluka Circle. So had others. They had been forced. Made into slaves. Had he? She latched onto that thought. If he had been forced, then he wasn’t responsible for Sophie in any way. He felt guilty. He was sorry. He’d said so, but she’d also felt it when they were connected as wolves and there was no way to lie. Had she been unfair to him?
He had helpe
d her, she thought again. The whip, the sword. He was an outsider. She didn’t even understand his racial background. He was a wolf, but he could shift, too. Her thoughts circled. She sighed and pushed her hair back from her face. She’d run with him, for goodness sake! She knew him on that elemental level.
Asher liked him. That carried weight with her.
She shivered and rubbed her arms. Her heart groaned in frustration and indecision. Sophie came to her mind. What would Sophie tell her to do if she were here now?
She knew. She shifted back into a wolf, ready to run again. Ready to feel her freedom and commune with the moon.
When, if, she saw him again, she’d let him talk. She’d ask him what she needed to know, and she’d listen. After that, she didn’t know.
Chapter Fourteen
Zeren, Syrus, Redge, Journey, Merhl, and Shreve came into the main chamber of Rune-dy headquarters as Rahaxeris had requested. Syrus had forewarned Zeren and Merhl about Shreve’s presence. They had accepted it, very reluctantly, and were obviously on edge around him.
Rahaxeris laid the cube on the table for the group to see and explained what he knew about it. No one approached it, except Merhl, who braced his gnarled hands on the table and leaned down toward it. He pursed his lips as he turned it around with just the tip of his index finger.
“It’s made of the same material as Netriet’s arm.”
“Yes. It’s from the same world,” Rahaxeris confirmed.
Journey moved forward, a hesitant but excited light in her eyes. “Merhl?”
He looked at her.
“Remember what we talked about?”
He nodded slowly, and then his eyes widened, and he looked back at the cube.
Before anyone could gripe that they needed to be filled in on their little secret, Journey spoke.
“I’ve been talking with the Heart. I’ve made some real progress healing it. We have a relationship. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it friendship, but almost. If this tesseract truly is a power harness, nothing in Regia has more power than the Heart. We must put the cube in the flames. I’ll talk to it. Persuade the Heart to accept it.”
“No,” Merhl said. “You can talk to the Heart, but it’s not going to be as simple as just throwing the cube into the flames. We can’t put the cube anywhere near the Heart until I’ve opened it and…”
“What?” Rahaxeris demanded.
Merhl sighed. “After all this time. Since we found out the wizards were coming. I’ve been pushing myself to create something new, and I have, but I keep going back to the same thing. A blood lock.”
“But you made a blood lock around Forest,” Syrus said. “And it didn’t work. Copernicus was able to break it.”
“Yes,” Merhl admitted. “This would be a reverse blood lock, not one to hold in, but to keep out. If I were to try to make the same kind as the one I put around Forest, I’d have to put the blood of every Regian inside it. And the wizards would break through anyway…” He picked up the cube. “I will make the blood lock inside this. And I only need blood from one wizard. The lock will hold them back. Wizard blood will not be able to cross it. See?”
Everyone nodded.
“I wouldn’t trust it to last long,” he continued. “But once it’s constructed, if we have the Heart powering the lock…” He broke off and sighed. “I’ve got nothing else. I’m sorry. I feel this will work, or buy us some more time at least.”
Journey put her hand on his shoulder. “You’ve done well, Merhl.”
“Yeah, um…” Redge came forward from where he was leaning against the wall. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are no more wizards in Regia.”
Shreve swallowed. “There’s me. But my blood is mixed.”
“That won’t do. For the lock to work, the blood must be wizard only,” Merhl said.
The group launched into a passionate discussion about whether they were certain there were no more wizards in Regia. Rahaxeris took Shreve’s arm and led him into another room and closed the door.
“Redge is correct. There are no more wizards.” Rahaxeris’ voice was sorrowful. “I can extract your wizard DNA and separate it from your other blood types, but…”
Shreve took a deep breath. “But the extraction will kill me?”
“I don’t know the odds, but they are long. I can’t give you any hope that you would survive the operation.”
“The blood lock is a good plan. The only one there is, it seems.”
“This is your choice, Shreve.”
Shreve closed his eyes. He was almost out of time anyway. If he did this, if it worked, he’d achieve what he wanted. The only thing he desired more than Sabra. If he could save Regia, surely that would be enough to redeem him from his crimes. He could be forgiven.
His idea of saving everyone shrank down into a smaller and smaller point, until all he saw was Sabra. He’d give anything to save her. He opened his eyes. “I’ll do it…I just… Can I say goodbye to someone first?”
The depth of sorrow he saw in Rahaxeris pulled at his heart. “Let’s talk to Merhl about buying you as much time as you need. I don’t want you robbed of even one day.”
They went back out to the still arguing group. Rahaxeris began explaining things to them. Shreve couldn’t hear it. His ears filled with white noise, and he looked down. He could feel their eyes on him. He could feel the shift in their gazes as Rahaxeris spoke. They were all looking at him with emotions that had never been applied to him. He forced himself to look up. Yes, there it was in their eyes. Admiration, respect, and gratitude. He was their champion.
His ears cleared as Merhl spoke to him.
“As soon as I leave here, I will set up a series of alarms. I will make sure I place them so far out that if the wizards begin their approach, we will have two days, maybe more, to finish the blood lock before they get here.”
Rahaxeris placed his long, sharp hand on Shreve’s shoulder. “Go. Close the last chapter of your life in the way you choose. When the time comes, I will send for you.”
“Please open a portal for me to the wilds near the Lair.”
Rahaxeris took a step back and struck the air, opening a portal for Shreve.
The group remained for a while, but Rahaxeris was anxious for them all to leave, except Merhl. He wasn’t going to let the cube leave Rune-dy headquarters, and so Merhl was going to be a permanent fixture while he worked on it. As the group dispersed, Rahaxeris held Syrus back.
“Please bring Tesla here tomorrow. I need a few hours with her.”
“Excellent! That means I get alone time with Forest. Gosh, it’s been so long…”
Rahaxeris closed his eyes and shook his head at Syrus’ exuberance. “Don’t say anything else, Syrus. You’re about to make it weird.”
****
Sabra remained in wolf form most of the night. She ran herself out, as she experienced her emotions without thought or filter. The entire night was solitary. She encountered no one. When the moon began to set, she made her way back to the shifter colony.
She looked at it with new eyes. There was plenty of debris to salvage and move so she could actually make a shelter for herself. She shifted back into a woman and dressed quickly. She stiffened as she heard approaching footsteps and reached for her whip.
“Sabra?” Asher’s voice was quiet, almost a whisper.
She relaxed and came out.
He looked relieved when he saw her. “I was afraid for you.”
“Why?”
“Why?” he scoffed. “You ran away. If you were the talk of the Lair before, it’s nothing to now. I was awakened from a dead sleep last night by Gahu, beating my door down, looking for you.”
“Shit! I hoped he wouldn’t care that much.”
Asher scowled. “He was in a rage. It wasn’t much of a lover’s concern. He told me about what you did to Tucker. I feared maybe Silhon had done something.”
“What did you fear I’d done, old man?” Silhon demanded loudly, stepping out from t
he thick of trees nearby. His gang followed, filtering through the forest.
Sabra froze inside, her hand tightened on the whip handle. They advanced, forming a closing semi-circle. She raised her arm and struck out. The whip crack was louder than any she’d done before. Each of the thugs halted and looked surprised. Silhon signaled for them to stop their approach.
Sabra ducked back into the house as fast as she could, grabbing her sword, and the broadsword, tossing it to Asher. They stood together, back to back.
“Back off!” she ordered, rolling her wrist side to side, making the whip dance along the ground. “Or I’ll snap your pretty eyes out first, Silhon.”
He smirked. “Give it up. You’ve got no chance… Of course, what am I thinking? You’d never give up, would you? I would hate for you to anyway. You’ll fight, just as I want you to.” He cupped himself lewdly. “So much sweeter that way. I know you will be, once I’ve put you in your place, underneath me.”
“The only way you’ll get me under you is if I’m dead.”
“Come now. I know this is what you wanted all along. You’re wasted with Gahu. He’d have no idea what to do with you. Not like I do. You knew it would come to this.”
His smile grew bigger, and he drew his sword, nodding at the others to do the same. She cracked her whip again in warning. It bought them only a second.
“Run, Sabra,” Asher whispered.
“Never!”
It was seven against two. She didn’t waste time thinking it was hopeless. She set her sights on Silhon.
“Come on, bitch!” she yelled.
The whole gang gasped and looked at him. She’d called him the worst, most insulting, taboo thing a woman could say to a man in wolf culture.
He blinked three times, looking winded, before his smile came back. “Stop begging me for it, Sabra.”
The gang rushed them. Instant chaos as the sounds of clanging metal filled the air. Asher took two out at once with one long sweep of his sword. The blade cutting across first one throat and then the other in turn. Sabra struck out with her whip, catching Silhon on the shoulder. The hook on the end caught his flesh and tore a nasty hole as she yanked the leather back to her.
