Heirs of War

by Mara Valderran

  She took an automatic step back, putting her right next to Kyle, though he was still hidden to the murderer by the wall. She pressed herself closer to the doorjamb, and her fingers found his, still concealed to the man leaning casually against the counter opposite her.

  "You, my dear, are late." The man twirled the knife around a bit. "I had hoped to catch you alone which, as you can see, didn't happen. No worries. We'll call them a warm up."

  "What do you want?" she tried to be demanding, but she was pretty sure she held no more authority than a mouse in this man’s eyes.

  "Isn't my goal obvious, fair princess? I'm here to kill you. We tried to get rid of you discreetly, but that Cyneward of yours really is too smart for his own good. Though I'm sure he's probably halfway to your sister by now, so we won't have to worry about him."

  "I don't have a sister," she blurted out. She gasped as she felt some unseen force press against her body from every direction. “I-I can't move."

  She hoped Kyle understood her meaning. She wasn’t sure she understood it completely. She only knew she felt as though her feet weighed a ton each as she failed to take a step back. It had to be the shock. That was the only explanation. She looked up at the Cheshire Cat-like grin on the man’s face as he continued his villainous speech.

  "I hoped you would notice soon, otherwise there's really no fun for me. What you're experiencing is my power, of course. Not that my connection to the elements is very strong in this blasted place, but what I have suffices."

  "Your power?" What, did he think he could shoot fire from his fingertips? She decided to ask, thinking that keeping him talking as she assessed what brand of crazy he was might be her best plan. Didn’t the villains on television usually love to listen to themselves talk about their nefarious plans, giving the heroes the time they needed to thwart him? “What kind of power do you have?”

  "Dear Mothers, did they never tell you anything? No matter."

  Zelene looked to Kyle, who motioned for her to keep him talking. "Why do you want to kill me?"

  "My job is to kill you. And as they say, you should always enjoy what you do." The man lifted the knife, but he froze, hearing a sound nearby. "What is that noise?"

  Zelene looked at Kyle from the corner of her eye as he tried to fumble with his phone as quietly as possible. "My cell phone is still on vibrate from school."

  "Cell phone? What in the worlds is a cell phone?"

  "You, um, don't know what a cell phone is?" She was still trying to delay him, but Kyle didn't need any more time.

  He took her hand again and squeezed her fingers, once, twice, and then a third time, before he yanked her to the ground and swung the rolling pin directly into their attacker's face. She heard the crack of the man's nose as he went down before dropping to the ground and crawling towards the door. Her foster-father kept a gun in the closet, and she didn’t hesitate in retrieving it. When she turned back around, her shaky hands pointing the barrel in the direction of the commotion, Kyle was slammed up against the refrigerator, his feet dangling above the ground though their attacker didn’t have a hand on him. The glint of the knife moved her to action, and she pulled the trigger before she realized what she’d done.

  The gun was violently trembling in her hands now. Kyle limped over to her and placed a hand over the top of the gun, gently pushing the barrel down so he could take it from her hands.

  "It's okay, Zee. It's okay. He's dead."

  Her head snapped up, and the shock immediately went away as the truth of her actions hit her like a two-by-four. "He's...oh god...I...oh god." She dropped to the ground, and Kyle lowered himself down with her, wrapping his arms around her and gently rocking her back and forth. "I killed him, Kyle. I killed a man."

  Kyle cursed as his cell started vibrating again, and hit ignore. "Let's go into the living room, okay? Then we'll call the police and—“ He cursed again as his vibrating phone interrupted him once more.

  They both read the text message on his screen.

  Answer the damn phone, boy! -Varrick

  Before he could type a response, his phone started vibrating again. This time, he answered.

  Zelene struggled to listen to the urgent conversation taking place, but her focus kept shifting back to the dead bodies in the kitchen. She could see the edge of Nora’s fingertips, but it was enough to know she was there and dead. And then she could swear the man she shot was smiling at her, as though he was claiming this victory for his own. She stood up and inched closer to him, wondering if it was just her imagination. She’d shot him in the chest, and he was slumped against the fridge, his face frozen with laughter that seemed to be directed at her. Before she could assess him any closer, Kyle was ushering her outside to flee the scene.

  ***

  "How do I look?" Ariana asked, spinning around for her two friends. She wore a white dress that ended just below mid-thigh, accenting the hourglass figure starting to develop on her. It was sleeveless, with a round collar accentuated by layers of differently-shaped black beads. Her shoes were half-boots with spiked heels and blunt silver studs speckled across the straps.

  "Amazing," Sheridan said. She still wore her jeans and pale green tank top from school, her bouncy curls hanging around her face and her glasses still resting on the bridge of her nose. "I am so jealous."

  Emma simply clapped. She had just put her own dress on, a light pink number with a ballerina style skirt, though she hadn't put her shoes on yet. "I think Allen is going to die, you look so good." She turned back to the mirror to put her eyeliner on.

  Sheridan walked over to the window and stared at her reflection in the glass. "I'm going to miss this," she said to herself, an air of wistfulness hanging around her.

  Ariana laughed as she bumped her with her hip. "Why? You going somewhere?"

  "No," Sheridan said in a significantly lighter tone. "I just mean when you're grounded. Cause your Dad is going to flip when he finds out you aren't there."

  Ariana didn’t seem to be paying attention. Instead, her jaw hung open as she stared down at the street below. "That frigging traitor. I can't believe he ratted me out!"

  "What?" Sheridan asked as she plastered herself against the glass and watched Tate and Ariana's father get out of the car now parked on the curb. "You told Tate what we were doing?!"

  "Yell at me later," Ariana said as she grabbed her hand and started pulling her toward the door.

  "We'll hide out back in the woods," Sheridan told Emma as she allowed Ariana to drag her away. "Once they're gone we'll come back and get my car. And my dress."

  Emma looked panicked, but nodded. "I'll cover for you guys. Hurry!"

  Sheridan went out the sliding glass door leading to the backyard first, looking around for any signs of Tate or Ariana's father before she gave her the all clear. They both broke into a run, heading for the woods. Ariana pulled them to a stop a few yards in, hopping up and down and cursing under her breath.

  "I think I twisted my ankle trying to run in these things," Ariana said as she grabbed her friend's hand and lowered herself to the ground. "Crap! Now I just ruined my dress."

  "Shh…." Sheridan pressed her finger against her lips, her neck craning as she scanned the area around them.

  Ariana lifted herself up, resting against a tree as she watched the house. She bit her lip nervously, waiting for her father to round the corner and spot her. Sheridan came up beside her and linked her fingers through Ariana’s with a tight grip.

  Ariana gave her a sideways smirk. “Easy, there, Sheri. My Dad isn’t an ax-wielding murderer. It’ll be okay.” She noticed the tears forming in her friend’s eyes and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “It will, I promise.”

  “I know it’s stupid,” Sheridan said over her sniffles, “but I really wanted to go to the dance.”

  “We will,” Ariana assured her, brow wrinkling in confusion. Sheridan’s reaction was so over-the-top, but completely genuine, which she didn’t understand.

  Sheridan wiped at her
eyes and pulled away. “No, we won’t. They’re here. Which means I have to take you to Mother. My time is up.”

  “What? Your chariot turns into a pumpkin at five o’clock?” she joked. She blinked when her friend didn’t laugh. “Okay, so we need to stop by and see your mother on the way to the dance. No big.”

  “Aren’t you listening?” Sheridan hissed at her. “We aren’t going to some stupid high school dance. Not anymore.”

  "I'd like to think of this as more than just a stupid high school dance since I signed away my freedom to be able to go," Ariana quipped. She winced as she rubbed her sore ankle. "Though I don't think I'm going to be doing much dancing."

  “We have to get out of here, Ariana,” Sheridan said as she stepped toward her with urgency. “I can’t risk them finding us at the dance now. Mother has big plans for you. That's why she sent me here. To find you and help you understand before the Estridians try to corrupt you."

  “The who?”

  Sheridan gave her a pitiful frown. "They really haven’t told you a thing." She reached out and took Ariana’s hand, flipping her wrist around to where her marked skin faced up. "This symbol means power. It means you have the power to do good. To help others. And my people need your help. Your people need your help, Ariana."

  Ariana pulled her hand away. "I know this is like a power symbol in Wicca or whatever, but I'm not a witch or anything. Wait—are you? Is your mom?"

  Sheridan tilted her head in contemplation. "I suppose you might think of our ways like Wicca, but that would be very understated. The powers we deal with are much different from anything here. Everything here is so weak." She brushed her hair impatiently from her eyes, which were still just as kind as the first day Ariana had met her. "I'll explain everything along the way, but we have to get moving, okay? Just trust me."

  "There you guys are," Emma said brightly as she reached them. "I totally fooled them both. I acted all worried and—" She stopped, pointing a finger at something behind Ariana. "Who are they?"

  Ariana whipped around, noticing the two men for the first time. "Emma, go call the cops," she said as she started to back away, slowed down significantly by her hurt ankle.

  A number of things seemed to happen at the same time. Sheridan started to explain they were with her, and then suddenly one was on Emma, snapping her neck with a twist and letting her fall to the ground. Both Ariana and Sheridan's horrified cries of protest echoed through the trees.

  Sheridan looked both shocked and regretful as she addressed Ariana, who stood there with her hand clamped over her mouth as if she had been petrified. "I'm sorry to have to do this. This wasn't supposed to go down like this."

  Sheridan held her hand out as if she was gripping something, and Ariana immediately started gasping for air. Her hand clutched her chest as she tried to find her breath. Sheridan still had her hand stretched out as she walked over and wrapped her arm around Ariana’s shoulders. She hugged Ariana close as she tried to fight for air. The last thing Ariana heard before the darkness took over was Sheridan murmuring how very sorry she was.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Rhaya's thin eyebrow arched as she studied the ring of trees they stood in. They were massive trees with branches bowed over them forming a canopy overhead, leaving very little sunlight peeking through. But she still couldn't understand the significance of this place. They had run as fast as they could to Liam's awaiting car, and then they had driven for what felt like an eternity though in reality it had only been about an hour or so.

  And now, after all the running, committing multiple traffic violations, and maybe even bending the laws of physics as she knew them, they simply stood there. Isauria still assaulted her father with questions as they walked, but he refused to answer, his brows drawn down in a stubborn line matching his crossed arms resting over his chest. Raemann wasn't proving to be any more forthcoming as he paced back and forth from each side of the circle.

  Rhaya turned around and followed the path her father had made. He now knelt before the largest tree, using his finger to draw symbols in the sand in front of the gnarled roots. She stepped closer to inspect the first symbol he had drawn, but he quickly snatched her back.

  "You don't want to be too close to the edge when it activates," Raemann warned her as a slight breeze around them picked up.

  Rhaya was going ask why when she noticed the change in the atmosphere. Every inch of her skin tingled with the energy around them; she felt as though whatever was happening was passing through her, yet somehow out of her reach at the same time. The wind whipped her hair violently around her face, and even though she felt not all too far from Dorothy on her way to Oz, she laughed.

  Isauria let out a slight yelp and latched onto her hand, but Rhaya held the other one out with curiosity, turning it this way and that as the moist heat from air managed to cool her, sending a ripple of goose flesh across her skin. She sucked in a breath as the forest floor beneath them quivered, and suddenly Raemann was at her arm, holding her steady as their amazed grins found one another. His eyes held the same sparkle as hers: one full of wonder and adventure. The shared excitement came to an abrupt end as a bright blue light engulfed them, leaving all four shielding their gaze against the luminescent glow. When she opened her eyes again, they were standing in the same exact ring of trees as before.

  "Okay," Rhaya said, disoriented and extremely perplexed as she looked around the all too familiar setting. "That was more than a little anticlimactic. What just happened?"

  "We traveled through a portal," Liam answered as he scanned the terrain surrounding them.

  He scowled at Raemann, communicating a warning that Rhaya didn’t quite understand. Her own face still held confusion as she waited for him to give her something more to go on.

  Noticing her expectant look, he explained, "The place we are in now—" he stopped himself as he wearily glanced at Isauria, "is different."

  Isauria gave their surroundings an exaggerated look. "Really? Cause everything looks the same to me."

  Liam placed a hand on her back, guiding her forward. "It's not, I assure you. Think of this area here as a hallway surrounded by doors. Each door is a world. The symbols we drew in the sand are the keys, unlocking the door we want to go through."

  "Why five symbols?" Rhaya asked. She couldn't help but think back to her favorite space traveling archaeologist and what he might think of the symbols used. "Why not seven? Or eight?"

  Raemann's face lit up, eager as always to indulge her inquisitive mind. "Watch this!" He grabbed a stick from outside the ring of trees and began dragging the tip across the ground, creating lines connecting the five largest trees. "Look."

  Isauria stared at the path he had created in the dirt, turning around several times to see the full picture. "You played connect the dots with the trees."

  Rhaya walked into the center of the circle, and thus the lines Raemann had created. "You created a pentacle with the lines."

  "Yes," he said, his grin widening to show his dimples. "There are five symbols for five points. Tell me, Isauria, do you know what the pentacle represents?"

  Isauria thought this over for a moment, giving a mocking glare to Rhaya, who bit back a Hermione-like smile. "It's a Wiccan symbol or something."

  "Yes," Raemann agreed. "And this symbol represents the connection between us—people—and the elements. Each point represents one of the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The fifth one," he said pointing to the top of the star he had drawn, "represents Spirit. You girls are special because you also represent an element."

  "Alright, lesson over, Raemann," Liam interjected, seeing realization begin to dawn on his ward's face, quickly followed by skepticism. "We need to get moving. We have no idea how many were there, and if they suspect we left, this will be the first place they look."

  “You’re going to have to explain things to her, Liam,” Raemann said in a lowered voice.

  The two men locked each other with fierce stares as if they silently argued who
was right before Liam stalked off.

  "Walk and talk?" Rhaya asked with dim hope as her guardian gestured for her to follow Liam. She glanced back to her friend, worrying as she watched Isauria rub at her eyes as if she was seeing spots.

  "Wait a minute," Isauria cried out as she struggled to see the way ahead of her even though the light of the sun was glaringly bright overhead. Frustration edged her usually mousy voice. "Dad? What's going on?" She swatted a tree branch away, marching to catch up with him, her cream-colored cheeks pinked with frustration and the lines around her eyes expressing concern and confusion. "Where are we? And who were those people attacking us? And how did they...with the…?" she started gesturing like they did and making 'whooshing' noises.

  Liam put his hands on her shoulders, ducking so his wheat-colored eyes met hers. "I know you have a lot of questions, Izzy. And we will explain what we can along the way. But it is imperative we keep moving. Do you understand?"

  Isauria nodded weakly and followed him, her every step numb. "What is this place?" she asked, looking around.

  "I cannot explain anything to you now, Isauria. No more questions, from either one of you." He placed his hand on her back, guiding her forward. "The farther away from here we are, the better we will be able to explain everything."

  All Rhaya could do was shrug as Isauria threw a pleading look to her. She could tell both Liam and Raemann were concerned for Isauria, though she struggled to understand why. She could feel their uneasiness, but none of their worries were directed to her.

  "So how does it work?" Rhaya asked as Liam started setting up the campfire. She had been trying to take advantage of the moments when Isauria trailed behind to whisper her questions to their guides. "I get they used magic of some kind, but I'm not sure how. They didn't use any magic words or fancy hand gestures. They just sort of held their hand out and—whoosh! Rhaya meet wall, wall meet Rhaya," she quipped as she mimicked herself flying through the air using her fingers.