United (Exalted Trilogy: Book 3)

by Elizabeth, Tara

  As do I.

  I have to give Val credit. For never having driven a vehicle, she's picked it up faster than I would have. She’s driving the machine like she's driven one many times before. She threads her way between all of the obstacles the forest has to offer with ease. Without realizing it, I squeeze her tighter. The inky blackness of the night has no effect on her ability to maneuver through the woods and onto an old highway.

  “Everything okay?” she shouts over the roar of the engine.

  “Oh. Yeah, sorry.” I loosen my hold, but don’t take my arms away from her waist.

  The journey takes several hours, all of which are filled with concerns of what we'll encounter. Thus far, there have been no signs of Dr. Fredericks and his raiding party.

  Ryker pulls off the old highway and travels north on what may have once been a paved road. It’s so hard to tell. The grass and brush around us is taller than we are, as we travel through it on the beastly four-wheelers. Thankfully, the powerful beasts just roll right over the scraggly landscape with little effort.

  Once we reach the farm, we stop inside the forest on the south side of the home. This is good thinking on Ryker’s part, as Dr. Fredericks and his army will most likely be coming from the northwest. Val follows suit when Ryker shuts the engine down on his four-wheeler. We all dismount and hide behind a grouping of trees to get a firm grasp on what’s happening at the little farmhouse.

  Fire is drifting out of the chimney and the windows are glowing from candlelight. All seems to be quiet. I find myself straining my ears to hear something foreign coming from the pleasant home. I strain to see through the wooden boards that form walls.

  “Should we move forward?” Val whispers just as the windows of the house burst, flames spitting debris onto the ground outside.

  Chapter 39 / Mena

  I stay with my mother until she finally falls asleep under an old oak tree. She lays curled in a tiny ball with leaves and grass threaded through her messy hair. She refused to leave this place for the comfort of a bed in the bunkhouse, because this is where the village buries their dead. My father is here, and so, my mother is as well.

  The instant I step away from her, my heart fails me, and my eyes release more tears than I thought possible. I walk for hours, crying over the loss of my father and wondering about Ryker, Lily, and my friends. I avoid passing people as much as possible, because every time someone looks into my eyes, I burst into tears all over again. I want it to end. I want it all to end.

  At the end of my walk, I find myself standing before the calm waters of the lake. The water is black like the night . . . and my heart. Still, however dark it appears to be, it feels inviting. It's telling me that it can help ease my pain.

  After taking off my heavy boots, I venture forward until my toes touch the edge of the lake. It’s cold, but I don’t mind—it numbs my thoughts and body. Walking into the lake tonight is not about enjoying the peacefulness of nature and soaking up the sun, it’s about taking my pain away.

  I don’t know how to swim. There was never a need to learn, or a place to practice. This doesn’t bother me either. The lake still calls, so I continue forward until the water is lapping at my chin and my toes are having trouble gripping the squishy mud at the bottom of the lake.

  As I stay there motionless, looking at all the glassy water lit by only the moon, I think to myself that this seems like the amount of tears I’ve shed tonight—enough to fill a giant lake. I feel like my insides are dry. Needing to saturate them, I go under.

  The water is even darker below the surface. I can’t see a thing—and that’s good. The cold is so intense that I can’t think about my dead father, my mourning mother, the destiny of my love, the fate of a little girl and her new family, or the fate of the village and the Republics—and that’s good.

  I think I’ll stay here below. I'll stay until the pain is gone forever.

  My lungs burn.

  I’m out of oxygen.

  Chapter 40 / Ethan

  I'm shocked into place as the farmhouse fills with fire. The ground is holding my feet hostage. I turn to look at Ryker for the next course of action, because I can't think of one on my own.

  He’s off.

  Ryker sprints across the open field. He’s faster than any Exalted I have ever seen, faster than me for certain. After pulling my feet from the ground, I hurriedly sprint after him, and as I follow I wonder why he’s running toward a house that’s been completely scorched inside. There’s no chance of someone surviving that explosion. Then, as I get closer, I see it. There’s movement under the house. The house sits about two or three feet off the ground on brick supports.

  I also see movement on the porch of the house. Three Exalted traitors make their way down the steps. Their faces are like stone—they have no idea what they’ve done.

  We run out in the open toward the traitors, making no attempt to hide. Ryker doesn’t spare them even though they are under the influence of the Pump. That’s probably exactly the reason he doesn’t give them a chance to surrender. He knows they won’t.

  Ryker launches a dagger out before him, but the traitors are expecting it—they’ve seen us coming. The dagger misses its intended target of the group leader’s chest and instead skims his biceps. He doesn’t even utter a moan of discomfort. He keeps moving toward us.

  While running, I throw a blade as well. It misses and hits the front door of the house, which has smoke seeping through the cracks. Those are the only two shots we get off before the Exalted traitors retaliate. The group leader is a sword bearer, and he aggressively engages in a fight with Ryker. Ryker’s blades may be shorter than his opponent’s, but Ryker’s infinitely more agile even when injured. He weaves and bobs, the blade missing every attempt to strike him.

  Of the two remaining traitors, both are armed with bows, just like Val. All Exalted know that the best way to beat an archer is in hand-to hand combat, so I sprint directly toward them. Behind me, I can hear Val veer off to my right. Arrows shoot past me as I run, one coming and one going. Neither hits me, and I’m able to tackle the first archer. He’s taller than me and stronger than me. Slamming into him is like hitting a cement wall. Lucky for me, I had a dagger leading the way.

  The traitor stumbles backward. His heels hit the steps of the porch causing him to fall on his buttocks with force. The next archer is on me in an instant. He brings his bow down over my head, string resting against my neck, and pulls. The thin string digs into my throat. The pain is unbearable. I can already feel the blood running down my neck and chest. As I try to force a thumb under the string while reaching for another knife to cut the string, the archer in front of me pulls the knife from his stomach.

  I throw my foot out in front of me and kick the first archer in the stomach. After he falls backward, I’m able to finally get a hold of another knife in my belt. I squeeze the hilt, ready to strike out, but before I’m able to use my weapon, the archer strangling me arches against my back and slumps over to my side. In his death grip, he pulls me down with him. It feels like razors are being dragged across my neck and thumb. The downward force is so great I can’t even gasp. I just let my body fall with him.

  Val is on top of me in a heartbeat. “Deep breaths. Let me see,” she struggles to say calmly. I close my eyes as she leans over me. She grabs the knife from my hand, and first cuts the string across my throat. As she peels the string away from the fresh wound, I wince. “It’s not as bad as I thought,” she mumbles over me as she yanks on my shirt.

  I can hear the fabric splitting as she cuts the hem of my shirt. She rips off a long piece of fabric and secures it around my neck. “You okay?” she asks.

  “Yeah,” I answer though I still haven’t attempted to swallow. It hurts too much.

  “We have to go!” Ryker is shouting from somewhere beside us. “Hurry the house is going to blow!”

  As I turn to find him in the darkness, Val grabs my hand and pulls hard. “The girl?” I croak as I climb to my feet.


  Val throws her free hand out to her side, pointing to her right. Ryker is carrying the girl, and behind them an older woman is running and sobbing. “Wait! My horse! Please! I have to get my horse!” she yells. “Tom loved him. Please!”

  I break my hand away from Val and turn back toward the farm. On the west side of the house, the horse is tied to a stake in the ground. It’s only four feet from the house at most. The animal is bucking and making a loud, horrendous noise. How did I not hear that before? It sends shivers down my spine.

  “I’ll get him!” I turn back, running past the three fallen Exalted traitors. The flames on the house are like nothing I’ve seen before. The heat is tremendous.

  “Ethan!” Val is screaming from the forest. “Ethan!”

  I ignore her and untether the horse just as the house explodes around us.

  Chapter 41 / AZ

  I carry the wounded refugees to Jenna, sometimes two at a time. She is amazing with them, knowing exactly how to treat each one and working side-by-side with Tommy and his mother. Jenna even takes charge, giving instructions to the villagers that have come to help. Tommy and his mother graciously accept her leadership.

  When Jenna's finished treating a refugee, I carry them to a free bed in one of the two bunkhouses. Both bunkhouses fill up quickly. Newly homeless families line the floors because the beds are reserved for the injured. It's a sad sight—crying children and parents, those that are now alone, and those that have lost everything. I wish I could help them more, but only time will heal their wounds.

  Beyond the medical area and bunkhouses, the entire village is at work. The cooks have come out to prepare hot food for the refugees. Old lady Beverly, the village seamstress, has come bearing fresh clothing. The youth are charged with bringing water to everyone. Two runners have been sent to our old Republic to inform them of the fires and to request extra support for when Dr. Fredericks and his loyalists return. Cap and a half-breed are helping Mena and her mother bury her father—apparently that’s what they do with the deceased here. It's seems like an odd thing to do, but it's their way.

  When I'm not relocating the wounded, I watch Jenna work from a nice spot on the ground. Her hands are delicate and efficient. Her touch is caring. She works through the night without stopping, until each patient is treated. When Jenna is finally finished with her work, she walks over to me with a small smile on her round face.

  "Mind if I sit here?" she asks as she motions to the patch of grass next to me.

  "Please," I reply and pat the ground next to me.

  Jenna takes her time lowering herself to the ground. When she sits next to me, she rests her tiny shoulder against mine. Our backs are up against the side of someone’s house and our feet are stretched before us. I feel so comfortable with her, like we've sat together like this many times before.

  Jenna sighs, her valiant efforts clearly catching up with her. “You were amazing,” I tell her with complete sincerity.

  “I love it,” she says with a sweet smile on her lips. “There is one thing the Republic got right, I suppose. They chose medicine for me, and I wouldn't have chosen differently if the choice had been mine to make.”

  “I agree. You seem like you were born to be a doctor.” When Jenna blushes, I try to take the attention off of her. I lift my head and gaze at the stars in the sky. I can’t get over how I never saw them before I came here. “How many do you think there are? The stars I mean,” I ask Jenna.

  When she doesn’t answer, I glance down. Her eyes are shut and her breathing is deep and even. Completely exhausted, she fell asleep sitting straight up with her head resting on the side of the house. I gently pull her tiny upper body toward me and let her rest her head on my chest. Hopefully she’ll be more comfortable this way. I know I am.

  Chapter 42 / Ryker

  "Are you okay?" I ask, as I look Lily over from head to toe.

  She's crying but nods, yes.

  "And you? Francis, are you physically okay?"

  She shudders and brings her hands to her mouth to cover her sobs. She can only nod yes as well.

  "I'm so sorry, Francis. I'm so sorry." I wrap the woman in my arms and hold her tight. She just lost the love of her life. I can't imagine for a second what that would feel like. Her loss makes me think of Mena. I can't lose her. I won't let Dr. Fredericks hurt her. Ever.

  "Do you see him, Ryker?" Val calls to me from the edge of the forest. "I don't see him! Ethan!" She's completely panic-stricken.

  I go to stand beside her and look at the devastation that has taken place at the once beautiful and peaceful farm. What I don't see is Ethan.

  I stand with her there for several minutes before saying anything, but when it looks like Ethan won't be joining us, I say, "We need to return to Toledo Lake, Val. Other Exalted may come looking for their friends."

  Finally, she pries her eyes away from the fire. "Others. Yes, we need to get back." As she heads off for our four-wheelers, her body is rigid. This is one more thing that I can't fix or change.

  My shoulders sag as I turn back toward Lily and Francis. "Can you walk, Francis," I ask the woman. She simply nods again and follows after Val in much the same manner.

  "Come on," I say to Lily as I scoop her tiny body up off the ground. She hugs me around my neck and hides her face in the crook of my neck as I carry her. I rub her back as I walk, trying desperately to comfort her.

  By the time we reach the four-wheelers, she has quieted down. Francis climbs on behind Val, while I place Lily in front of me on the second four-wheeler. I don't want to risk her falling off the back from the bumpy ride.

  Just before we start the engines to return to the village, I hear the clapping of horse hooves hitting the ground in a gallop. The four of us turn at once in the direction of the familiar sound.

  Chapter 43 / Mena

  Just before the lake takes me, I realize that all those people I’m trying to forget need me. I need to be strong for them. I am not a failure.

  As my head bursts back above the water and I gasp for air, a battle strategy flames to life in my head. Had I not come here, I would have never had the idea. The water has renewed me instead of silencing me. I fight my way to the shoreline, ready to end it all and ready to start anew.

  After pulling on my boots and lacing them up, I march back toward the center of the village. I pass the bunkhouses and slow when I reach the open-air cafeteria. The aroma of hot foot still saturates the air around the structure. It seems everyone was too tired to clean because it’s a mess here, though quiet of the chaos that occurred only hours ago.

  Az and Jenna are sleeping on the ground beside a house. Cap is pacing at the other end of the dusty main road. He's in deep, agitated thought—talking and disagreeing with himself as if no one else can hear him. I approach him slowly as not to startle him. He needs to know my new idea for when Dr. Fredericks returns to attack us.

  Before I make it to him, I hear an engine or two. Lights bounce around in the forest to my left.

  My heart stops.

  Ryker.

  Cap stops pacing and I stop walking toward him. The wait for our friends to arrive is excruciating. I begin to count so that I don't panic. The numbers keep me focused.

  One

  Two

  Three . . .

  Finally, after 42 seconds that seem like 42 minutes, the first four-wheeler enters the village. Then another. Lastly, a horse with a single rider comes into view.

  Ryker.

  Ethan.

  Val.

  Lily.

  Francis.

  Tom is not among them.

  I rush to Lily first, and as I pull her from the four-wheeler where she sits in front of Ryker, I lean down to kiss Ryker's cheek. "Mena," Lily whispers and starts to cry. She’s dirty and heartbroken, just like the day I met her. I gather her in my arms and squeeze her tight. I wasn't sure I'd see her again.

  “Are you okay?” I whisper in her ear as I press my face against her blonde curls. I breathe her in, the sme
ll of smoke offending my nose.

  Lily doesn’t answer verbally because she’s crying. She just nods. Behind her, Francis climbs off the other four-wheeler that Val is driving, though Val has already jumped off and is tending to Ethan. I notice that Ethan is bleeding from his neck. He has fabric tied around the wound, but blood has covered his neck and the front of his once blue shirt.

  "Ethan, you're hurt," I say as I approach him while holding Lily.

  "Val, take him to Jenna or Tommy. They'll get him all fixed up," Cap says to Val. "And I'll go put this fine horse up." Cap quickly leads the animal away to a nearby stable.

  Ryker is at my side now. He hugs both Lily and me.

  “Tom is gone,” he says in my ear.

  “I know,” I answer sadly.

  We both move toward Francis and each take one of her frail hands. "Come with us, Francis," Ryker says to the sorrowful woman.

  "Thank you," she says through her heartbreak.

  As our sad group heads into the heart of the sleeping village, I whisper to Ryker, “I have an idea.”

  Chapter 44 / Dr. Fredericks

  “Well? I’ve been waiting for days and days! I know he came back. What did he say?” Dr. Fredericks demands of Dr. Leon. “Tell me!” he pounds his fist on the oak desk. He’s sweating. The perspiration forms on his forehead and over his top lip. Dr. Fredericks runs the back of his hand across his head and then wipes the dampness on his crisp white pants.

  Dr. Leon smiles. “Looks like we are going to war.”

  Dr. Fredericks nearly squeals with joy. “Where? When?”

  “South America wants us to destroy all of the marauders and especially Toledo Lake since they seem to be the source of the problem. Then, we’ll invade your old Republic to regain control.”