Dominion of the Star (Descendants of the Fallen Book 1)

by Angelica Clyman

  “You okay?”

  She instinctively clutched the box around her neck and then nodded.

  Jeremy’s head absently mimicked her gesture before he slid himself a few feet away from the fire to sit, leaning casually against one of the trees lining their camp. He watched as Kayla twisted her long, red hair into a coil over her shoulder so that the night air could reach the back of her neck. “Why are you out here?”

  She looked down at her hair. “I told you…I was on my way to Madeline.”

  “Yeah, I know. But why?”

  “I’m looking for someone. Ash—”

  “Ssh!” Jeremy hissed through clenched teeth. Then, seeing her wide-eyed confusion, added, “That won’t help you find this person. That’s how you’ll find a predator. I don’t wanna know the name, and you shouldn’t spread it around.”

  Kayla turned her head away, her facial muscles tense. She felt as if the world beyond the town she left was already incomprehensible.

  When he spoke again, there was a trace of kindness in Jeremy’s rough tone. “Listen…you seem like wherever you came from, you’ve been lucky enough to be sheltered from what’s been going on out here. But you’ll be safer if you keep who you’re looking for to yourself. And if that last name of yours isn’t a fake, make one up. First lesson in not getting eaten alive.”

  She didn’t understand why she had to conceal her own identity. Why would it even matter? But she couldn’t ignore the urgency in his harsh whisper. “Sorry,” she mumbled, at a loss. They both sat silently for a while before she braved speaking again. “So what about you? Why are you out here?”

  He laughed a little. “All right, that’s fair. Well, Kit sort of tells fortunes. We can make pretty good money in the summer doing that kind of thing, and I help her out, provide protection… But this time, when we got to Madeline, it was under attack. We ran into some trouble,” he motioned to his bandaged arm and head wound with a grin, “but hopefully we’ll have better luck in Torin. It’s a ways east, but it’s on our way home.”

  She watched Jeremy as he talked. He seemed completely relaxed, leaning casually against the tree behind him, one arm locked, his palm to the ground, while his other hand rested behind his head, his elbow jutting brazenly out of its bandage. His long legs were sprawled out before him, ending in heavy boots that dented the earth. He was clad entirely in black; the only exception the dirty, white dressings that covered his right arm from knuckles to shoulder. The shape of his legs were almost hidden by the wide cut of his heavy pants, weighed down with large side pockets, but his sleeveless shirt was like a thin undergarment, revealing his lean, powerful form. Emerging from his ragged and scorched clothing was his one bare arm, defined by hard lines and patterns of scars, and right above the edge of his collar she could make out the dark band of a tattoo.

  Jeremy noted her glance, and with a swift movement that matched the tightening of his shoulders, he pulled his shirt up to cover the marking on his chest. Kayla quickly looked away, searching for something else to focus on. She saw Kittie sleeping close by on what appeared to be a protective over-shirt, Jeremy’s size. She was lying carelessly on her stomach, mouth open, her smooth and innocent face surrounded by cascades of warm brown hair. Kittie didn’t look like she could be any older than eight. Could she really read fortunes? Was it okay for her to be with this guy? Jeremy looked to be roughly Kayla’s age, but there was some frightening maturity about him. It suddenly occurred to her that his story about what happened in Madeline didn’t completely match up with the snippets of conversation she overheard before she fell.

  Lost in this thought, she glanced back at Jeremy, and saw him watching Kittie sleep. His face was very still, but his slight smile was kind. “You know,” he said softly, almost to himself, “I think I feel more rested when she’s the one that sleeps.” He chuckled, his eyes half-closed. “Well, knowing Kit…” His voice rose, the harshness returning. “You aren’t even asleep, are you? Stop spying on us. The sun’s coming up; let’s go.”

  The little girl smiled, her eyes still closed. “Nope, wide awake. Your fairytale nearly put me out, though.” She lifted her head and grimaced at him.

  Jeremy scowled, rising to his feet. “Get up. Now. We’re going.”

  Before anyone could move, a shrill, male voice cried out from some outlying trees, “Kaaaylaaa Steeeelryn!”

  Kayla’s head whipped towards that strange voice calling her name. She saw two men running towards her with two more lagging behind. The man in the front yelled to the friend at his heels, the words forced out the side of his mouth that wasn’t gripping a lit cigarette, “Th’ girl with th’ red hair! She look’d when we called ’er!”

  “Fec, she’s not alone…!” replied his blond companion, one eye covered with a patch, the other wide open and wild.

  The men in the lead stopped short, while the other two slowly made their way closer. Jeremy lunged between them and Kayla, facing the strangers with a drawn sword. One edge of the double-sided weapon was viciously serrated, and although the blade looked polished with great care, it was weathered with scratches and nicks.

  Jeremy’s face was slightly down-turned, shrouded in the shadows cast by his dark, disheveled hair. His grin was wide and menacing. “No, she’s not. You pirates are gonna have to earn it this time.”

  The blond man leaned towards his smoking comrade. “We really look like pirates…I mean, even away from the ship?” he muttered.

  Fec sighed, not appearing to hear him, and pulled out his homemade smokes, carefully selecting one. “I hate earnin’ it.” His scrawny form stretched almost out of its slouch as he lit the fresh cigarette with the glowing tip of the one that jutted out from the corner of his mouth. Switching their places, he threw the used nub to the ground and snuffed it out beneath his sandal. Inhaling deeply, he glanced towards his companion before breathing out a seemingly endless stream of smoke.

  The blond quickly pulled some gold and silver coins out from beneath his vest, and Kayla saw them dancing over his knuckles before the darkening cloud of smoke enveloped the pirates and Jeremy, and threatened to take her in as well. She stepped back slowly, covering her mouth and squinting into the thick haze, but the only signs of battle she could make out were a few curses and the violent ring of metal on metal. Each one of those sharp metallic sounds was followed by a shining disk spiraling awkwardly out the pirates’ side of the cloud and dropping to the earth.

  As the smoke cleared, the two pirates that hung back motionless throughout the encounter sprung to life, dashing into the deep brush and disappearing from sight. Fec glanced around, sweat beading on his pale face. His extinguished cigarette dropped from his lips and he called angrily out to his friends, racing to follow them.

  The remaining pirate stared at Jeremy in disbelief, holding his bloodied right shoulder. “You deflected all of them…blind.”

  Jeremy had already lost interest. He was buckling his sword’s scabbard across his chest and sheathing his weapon back over his shoulder. “Yeah. Good thing too. Looks uncomfortable,” he said, nodding towards the blood that dripped through the pirate’s fingers.

  The blond followed his glance, and then looked up at Kayla with a furrowed brow. He leaned his head in Jeremy’s direction. “It’s really her, isn’t it?”

  “You don’t even know what you’re saying. Go back to your ship, pirate.” Jeremy turned his back and began walking.

  Kayla stared at them both, frozen in her confusion. She felt a small hand slip into hers, and she looked down to see Kittie’s smile again. The little girl was weighed down with a pack half her size. “Let’s follow. We’re safe with him,” Kittie said happily.

  She looked away from the smaller girl to stare first at Jeremy’s back and then into the pirate’s blue eye. He looked pained and uncertain, almost ready to spring towards her. At that moment, Jeremy stopped walking, his stillness watchful. With a low, frustrated growl, the pirate retreated into the trees after his friends.

  Kayla pulled
Kittie along with her, rushing to Jeremy’s side, struggling to keep his pace. “You knew what that guy was talking about, didn’t you?”

  He kept walking, staring straight ahead. “They knew your name. You explain that. You could at least thank me for saving you from pirates.”

  She swallowed the angry reply she had prepared. He was right. This might not be her ideal situation, but pirates? He did defend her against that strange attack, and now she was free to continue on her journey. “I’m…sorry,” she said softly, “thank you.”

  Jeremy didn’t reply. He kept striding quickly forward, his face remaining motionless except for a slight tightening of his jaw. They walked in silence for a long time, Kayla’s steps determined and breath controlled, refusing to fall behind. Kittie trotted along on her short legs, somehow keeping up and not showing any signs of tiring. After a while, the little girl began to skip and hop happily between stretches of her rapid steps, singing softly to herself. Her joyful spirit seemed oblivious to the tension of her two companions, while their unease was amplified by the glaring contrast.

  “Kit, would you just fucking stop!” Jeremy barked.

  The violence in his tone made Kayla cringe, her steps falling out of rhythm.

  Kittie was unaffected. “What’s bothering you?” she asked, genuine concern in her expression.

  Jeremy kept walking, his teeth clenched. After a few more strides he came to a sudden halt, a fierce growl erupting from his momentary silence. His eyes were pale and wrathful as he turned abruptly to face Kayla. “You don’t know why those pirates wanted you? You really don’t know?”

  Kayla became still, her gaze falling to the dirt and leaves at her feet, but she knew she couldn’t escape him as she watched his dark, heavy boots approach, confronting her own worn shoes. “I don’t. I don’t know what my name means to them.” She looked up to meet his stare, suddenly unafraid. “None of it makes sense to me. Forget those guys — nothing you’ve said, nothing you’ve done, adds up either. And that’s fine. There’s something out here that I’m looking for, and I’m going to find it.”

  His earlier fury disappeared as he watched her with quiet interest. “It’s that important?” he asked coldly.

  Last night he had asked her this same question before rescuing her locket from the bottom of the pit. Kayla reached for her necklace. The familiarity of the burnished wood was a comfort beneath her fingers. Her eyes met his again. “Yes. I have to do this, regardless of the consequences.”

  Jeremy’s lips parted in a dark expression of amusement. “Well, as long as you’re willing to face the fallout…” He turned his back and began walking again, his steps brisk, but this time, relaxed.

  Kayla hurried to catch up, and then found herself easily traveling at his speed. She held on to her locket with a tenacious grip; it was her only connection to the answers she sought. This world outside had already proved to be a place of secrets and instability, not the clear blue realm of understanding she had hoped for. Kayla bit her lip against the memory of her brave declarations. She didn’t know if she really believed her own words, but now there was no choice but to feign strength for as long as she could, especially while she was in range of his merciless eyes.

  3

  Jeremy couldn’t remember the last time his heart beat with such anxious excitement. They had walked for days through swamps and trees, wandering from dirt roads, to the unstable remnants of asphalt trails, to ground where there were no paths at all to be found. Some places were pristine examples of nature, others full of pre-Eclipsian ruins, but as they traveled on there was hardly a sign of modern civilization. He knew they’d arrive at their destination tonight, and that knowledge was a burning pleasure in his chest. He leaned against the remains of a wood and wire fence, enjoying the morning air and the sound of Kit’s gun going off in the distance.

  He knew she was only hunting some small game, but he couldn’t help but smile when he heard the loud bang, and not just because he was hungry. Jeremy had given her that handgun years ago, but he rarely saw her fire it except on occasions like this. She was a perfect shot.

  “Squirrel?” he called out.

  “Bunnnnny!”

  Kittie emerged from the brush, holding a brown rabbit by its ears. “Never thought I’d find one out here. What a lucky sign! Maybe we’ll even make it back today.”

  Kayla turned her head towards the girl. “You mean…to Torin.”

  “We were in Torin before Madeline, and now we’re going back,” Jeremy replied, silencing Kit with a glance. “I think you’re setting some kind of record, Kayla. A few days out in the world, and you’re already paranoid.”

  He watched Kayla’s face tighten, her eyes coming alive with anger for just a moment, but she let the emotion diffuse out through her limbs as she stood, pacing softly. “Yeah…maybe. Would you guys just give me a few minutes?” she murmured, turning away, her steps taking her further from their circle.

  Jeremy ignored Kittie’s disapproving glare. “Where’s she gonna go?” he mouthed.

  “It’s dangerous out there, Kayla,” Kittie called to her. “I’m making breakfast, so Jeremy’s gonna have to keep an eye on you. I promise he won’t say a word or you have my permission to smack him.”

  Kayla turned back towards them, her brow furrowed, attempting to meet Kittie’s eyes, but the little girl’s head was bowed, her concentration now focused on dragging her knife along the rabbit’s stomach. Kayla frowned, taking a deep breath before her attention shifted to Jeremy’s face. He stared back for a moment, enjoying the way her tawny eyes veiled her fear, before he grinned, lightly pushing himself off the fence and motioning for her to lead the way. Kayla’s wide gaze narrowed, tainting that vision of vulnerability, and he wondered if she somehow guessed his thoughts, just before she turned and began walking down the grassy path ahead.

  Her stride was slow and without destination, so he only had to take occasional steps to keep his distance behind her, existing only as a remote guardian. Jeremy regarded her cautious movements with mild curiosity. It was clear that she trusted neither him nor Kit, but she didn’t run, which could only mean she was as alone and ignorant as she seemed. Kayla didn’t talk much, but the only thing she appeared to know for sure is that she came from some nearby potter’s village that he had never heard of. It was hard to accept that her story wasn’t a put on, but all the physical evidence was there. Her sleeveless top revealed the muscles cradling her shoulder blades, and the tight curves that composed her bare arms. Her square hands were slightly chapped, and her fingers graceful when in action. Kayla’s body carried all these marks of a skilled worker, but what was unusual was the softness of her face and her unmarred skin, all suspiciously innocent.

  He watched as she eyed the remains of some downed power lines. It didn’t make sense, but it had to be true…somehow she was completely untouched by the Eclipse. For an instant, his head swam with the hot breath of his resentment, but his ire cooled rapidly with the knowledge that the world was rushing in fast to meet her. She wouldn’t ask him her questions and he wouldn’t offer any answers. He’d give her the gift of these last few hours of blindness.

  Kayla turned around suddenly, and catching his slight smile, crossed her arms protectively in front of her. “What?” she snapped nervously.

  He liked the futility of that gesture. “I was just thinking that you’re handling this well,” he replied, moving a little closer.

  “What…?” She squeezed her arms together tighter, but that only accentuated the fullness of her chest.

  “You might be afraid, but you’re not letting it stop you.”

  Her eyes flashed again with a momentary glimmer of fury, soon quenched by caution. “You say that like it might not be the right thing to do.”

  Jeremy kept walking forward. “The ‘right thing’ is never a good motivation anyways.” He stopped, just a few feet away from her.

  Kayla looked up at him. “You never approved of my reason for being out here.”

&nb
sp; “What do I know?”

  “More than you’ll ever tell me.”

  Jeremy stepped even closer to her, drawing one of his small knives. Kayla stiffened, holding her breath, and he smirked in enjoyment of this unexpected diversion. He turned the knife around, holding it by the blade, and poked the bony hilt in her pocket with the handle of his weapon. “That makes two of us.”

  She lowered her head, grasping her strange possession through the outside of her clothes. Jeremy laughed a little, backing off and turning away, his interest waning as quickly as it had arisen. “Don’t worry, we’ll reach our destination tonight. You only have to trust me for a few more hours.”

  His slow retreat hadn’t put much distance between them before he heard her call out, “Is this what you wanted to see?”

  He turned around to find her, face pinched and arm outstretched, with a twisted mass of bone in her fist. His curiosity renewed, he came closer, stopping when his fingers almost touched the strange object in her hands. Remembering the shock of pain he experienced last time he came into contact with it, he grabbed her wrist instead, pulling the girl and the thing she held closer. As the hilt was brought close to his face for inspection, they both felt it tremble for an instant before it engaged. A curved, ivory blade cut into the air, covered Kayla’s knuckles, and sliced the side of Jeremy’s wrist, barely missing his cheek. His fingers twitched, but he didn’t release her arm. Kayla’s face was hard now, but he had already seen her surprise. “Do you think it’s wise to wield a weapon you can’t control?”

  “My position is no more foolish than yours.” She faced him with steady eyes, but he could feel the pulse racing in her wrist.