Heirs of War

by Mara Valderran

  ***

  "You said they escaped," Sylvanna repeated from inside the door of Isauria's room in the leigheas. "They who?"

  "Ariana and the boy who’s been helping her," Isauria explained impatiently. "He was a prisoner too. Kellen calls him her pet. Look, we have to do something and fast. Kellen will be looking for them if she isn't already." She wished she could give them more information to go on. "There was a river near them, and they were going to follow it. I know they're in Cahira somewhere, I just don't know where yet. But I can keep looking, and I'm sure they'll come across more clues to help us find them."

  "Absolutely not," Bianca snapped. "I will not allow you to go rushing back like this. You died, Isauria. I will not allow that to happen again." She said this as if telling her patient not to die was an order to be followed if she willed it hard enough.

  "I agree with the paion," Sylvanna said simply as if putting the matter to rest. "You are too valuable to be risking yourself in such a way. Solanna will take over from here."

  "She can't watch them all the time," Isauria argued. "We can't risk taking our eyes off them for one minute. They have someone like me who can see them. They'll be watching, too, and if they find out where they are before us—"

  "What do you mean they have someone like you?"

  "Someone with the gift of seeing," Isauria answered with a impatience. She didn't understand why this was such an issue. She felt like they should have seen this coming and briefly wondered how Terrena had evaded capture for so long with someone like Sheridan on the Cahiran side. "That's how they found us."

  Sylvanna waved her off dismissively. "That is impossible. Only those born into our bloodline have the gift of seeing."

  "Well, maybe she's a distant cousin or something," Isauria pressed with impatience, feeling like this was so far beyond her original point. "She's there. I've seen her, and I've seen what she can do, and it's exactly like me."

  Sylvanna took her time mulling this thought over as she paced the floor in front of Isauria's bed. "Very well. You will share duties with Solanna."

  Bianca stood up, completely outraged by this. "I cannot believe you are agreeing to this. Does no one understand Isauria was dead? I am not mistaken in this. She cannot go back. The risk is too great."

  Isauria held out her hand, which Bianca took, and she linked her fingers with hers. "Then help me. I promise to be more careful this time, but I can't do this without you. Please."

  The paion's lips pressed together in a straight, stern line. "You will not stay there for days on end anymore. You will wake when I tell you and allow Solanna to take watch when I feel you need the rest. Do you understand me?"

  Isauria nodded, her paled face softening with the appreciation of Bianca’s support. She knew she was under Bianca's care, but she had grown to depend on her as a friend with her visits and felt compelled to get her to understand. "I need to go back now to make sure they're okay." She let out a relieved breath when the paion gave her permission with a stiff nod, and she closed her eyes, slipping back into her dream like state and seeking out the thread connecting her to her youngest sister.

  She found them climbing rocks toward a cave overlooking the river they had come from. They were both hardly dressed and shivering. Alec offered Ariana a hand up, helping her to the mouth of the cave. They sat just inside, sheltered from the wind by the walls, but able to see the river flowing below them.

  "What now?" Ariana asked as her teeth chattered together. "Should we make a fire?"

  Alec was huddled on the other side of the entrance, his arms wrapped tightly around his bare chest as a dither of cold ran up his spine. "No. Would draw too much attention."

  "How are we supposed to dry off then?" she asked rhetorically. "Fat lot of good it does us to escape just to die from hypothermia here."

  "I don't suppose you would be able to call two elements at the same time?" There was a hint of desperation in his voice, and Isauria assumed he hadn't taken their soaking wet conditions into account when thinking of seeking shelter for the night.

  "Kellen," he explained at Ariana’s confused look, "used to do that when I was younger. And when she was kinder," he added sardonically. "After I went for a swim, she would call Air and Fire at the same time to dry me off."

  "Where's Captain Planet when you need him?" Ariana muttered under her breath, and then shook her head as he started to ask her what she meant. "I can try."

  Ariana stood up, holding her hands up from her sides as she cleared her mind and tried to find the two elements in question. Isauria felt the air and fire respond weakly. Ariana furrowed her brow, trying to concentrate as Isauria placed a ghostly hand on her back as if to offer help.

  All at once, the power of the elements slammed into her and through her. Isauria could feel their intensity as her youngest sister staggered. The air around them started to warm and swirl around intensely. Ariana gasped as her dark hair whipped around, slapping her cheeks and causing her to wince. She held up a hand, struggling to see Alec through the dirt and leaves flying through the air around them.

  Alec was on his feet in an instant, pushing through the forceful winds to try to get to Ariana. "Ariana! You can stop now. That's enough. Ariana," he shouted as the wind grew stronger. It was as if she had formed a cyclone around her that would fling him back every time his fingers brushed her skin.

  Her eyes were rounded with fear as she tried to pull back on her power. "I can't," she shouted back, an edge of hysteria in her voice as the elements threatened to overwhelm her.

  “You have to,” Isauria urged her, though she knew she wouldn’t be heard. She could see Ariana’s skin paling as the forces around them intensified.

  "I don't know how to make it stop!" Ariana squinted her eyes shut, trying harder even though she obviously grew weaker with each moment.

  “No, don’t give up! Ariana,” Isauria shouted as she gripped her sister’s shoulder. “You have to try.” She couldn’t help but think about what Sheridan had told Ariana—the way the elements would draw from the person wielding them as well.

  "Alec," Ariana cried out pleadingly. "Alec!"

  He was on the ground now, clawing his way to her. His fingernails dug into the dirt around her, his face turned away from the splatter of leaves and debris scratching across his bare arms and cheeks. He found the center and pulled himself into its safety as quickly as he could as he sprang to his feet. His hands clamped around her face as he finally reached her.

  "Look at me! Ariana, look at me!" Her lavender eyes snapped open and locked onto his gray eyes as they burned with ferocity. "Focus on me. Breathe. Let go."

  "I'm trying," Ariana said with rising panic.

  "Don't talk! Just look at me and breathe," he yelled over the sound of the chaos around them. His thumbs stroked her cheeks gently. "Don't think about what's happening around us. Think about me. Look at me and think about only me! Just Alec and Ariana, remember?"

  She nodded, clamping her own hands over his and giving them a light squeeze. Slowly, the air around them began to still until the cave was quiet. She wavered on her feet, and Alec's arms wrapped around her waist, holding her upright. She rested her cheek against his chest, their shaky breaths coming in time. "Remind me not to try that again," she said with a trembling laugh.

  Isauria took a step back, her own relief washing over her. She watched the pair comfort one another, amazed at the connection she could see between them.

  Alec wrapped a hand around the back of her head, holding her against his chest as he rested his chin on her temple. "I am so sorry, Ariana. It was stupid of me to suggest. I'll figure out another way for us to stay warm."

  "It's okay," Ariana assured him as she relaxed. "This will work until we can get a fire going. Body heat," she clarified.

  "Huh. That's actually not a bad idea."

  She slapped his arm lightly as she leaned away from him. "Don't sound so surprised. I'm full of good ideas today."

  He laughed freely. "We should get some
rest. We have a long journey ahead of us."

  "Where are we going?" she asked as they lowered themselves to the ground.

  He held out his arms, and she snuggled against him. "Well, we have to find a way to get you to Anscombe. To do that, we have to go to the tairseach. Unfortunately, I'm fairly certain it's on the other side of the continent."

  She suppressed a sigh as she laid her head against his chest. "Sounds like the adventure is just beginning then."

  ###

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Mara Valderran is not just an author of young adult and new adult novels. She has dabbled in screenwriting, retired from acting, and drawn some pretty mean stick figures in her time. She is an avid reader and loves all things fantasy. She contributes to the fantasy blog There and Draft Again: A Fellowship of Fantasy Writers.

  Mara is more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She loves roller skating and movies, though typically not together. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or counting down the days until DragonCon.

  Connect With Me Online:

  My Website and Blog: www.maravalderran.com

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaraValderran

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormaravalderran

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  There are so many people I have to thank for guiding or supporting me (or both!) in this process.

  First, I’d like to thank my husband for his endless and unconditional support, and for putting up with me disappearing into fictional worlds for days at a time. Without him, none of this would be possible and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather share this journey with.

  My family and friends…To say they are the best is the greatest understatement of all. They’ve read countless versions of these books, called me in the middle of the night to bless me out for something I did to one of their favorite characters, inspired and encouraged me, and most importantly: They’ve never let me give up. It is through their belief in me and in the girls’ stories that I have been able to keep going.

  Jess, you will always be my number one fan and the best cheerleader a girl could ask for. Without you, I would have given up long ago. Thanks for always urging me to find my “inner Zelene” and keep going.

  Lorri, you inspire me in more ways than I can say, but relevant to this: My hope is that one day I will be half the writer you are.

  Tiffany, being my twin, sometimes you know my thoughts better than I do, so I’m not sure what I can say that you don’t already know. Thank you for never letting me compromise and always being there to smack some sense into me.

  Krystal and James, you have been the best mentors I could ever ask for. I am a better writer for all you have taught me.

  To Daddy and MamaSal: You’ve always believed in me and encouraged me before you had even read a word. You allowed me to dream while keeping me grounded in reality. And Daddy, thanks for that stubbornness I inherited from you. It’s helped a lot. ;)

  To my editor, Kriscinda Everitt, thank you so much for not only smacking my manuscript into shape, but for also always being a willing and patient source of answers for the endless amounts of questions I have on the business.

  To my cover artist, Gretchen Byers, I am in complete awe of your talent and your kindness. Your enthusiasm for this project gave me the courage to keep moving forward. Thank you!!

  To my critique partners (Rachel, Jenny, Katie, Jessica, Katie, Mark, Stephanie, and Heather), Allen M and Meg, Priya Kanaparti, the Fellowship of Fantasy Writers over at There & Draft Again (EM Castellan, Raewyn Hewitt, Jessica Montgomery, Rachel Horowitz, K.L. Schwengel, Kate Michael, and Rachel O’Laughlin), the ColaWrimos, the World Literacy Café group on Facebook, Writers Support4U on Facebook, and the New Adult group: You have all been a tremendous source of support, encouragement, knowledge, betterment, and strength. The journey for an author, whether traditionally publishing or going at it on their own, is a tough one. Because of every single one of you, my journey has been full of smiles, friends, and good reads. Whether you critiqued the story or not, you took part in making it better, and I thank you for it.

  I truly am one of the luckiest writers in the world to have a support structure as large and loving as I do. The list could go on and on, but I will end by thanking my characters for sharing their lives with me and through me. Their stories don’t always go according to my plans, and there are days they don’t speak to me at all, but I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.

  And thank you to YOU, the person reading this book. I’m so excited to share these characters and their journeys with you.

  HEIRS OF WAR, CROWN OF FLAMES

  The screams were there again, echoing through her mind as they were torn from a throat that didn't belong to her. She could feel them, though. She felt how raw her throat was, how her chest ached from bawling endlessly for days and days. And the despair of losing count of those days.

  The same dreams had been visiting Ariana almost from the first night she and Alec escaped Kellen's dungeons. Always, the tortured cries. Always witnessing horrors beyond her worst nightmares. And always through someone else's eyes.

  She wasn't sure how she knew with such certainty that she was watching through someone else's eyes, but she did. She knew the hands clawing at the ground to get away from her tormentors did not belong to her. Some nights the same whimpers would escape her lips, but the voice was never her own.

  Most nights, Alec would wake her before her dreams reached their conclusion. This time was different; she could feel it. The dream dragged on and on, almost as if she was locked in the mind of this pitiful person.

  The sound of a chain grinding against a metal hook only echoed the way her bones felt as her arms were stretched above her head, the chains forcing her up and up until her toes dangled across a floor slick with her own blood. She cried out in agony as her shoulder slipped from its socket.

  "Please," she heaved, her breaths ragged with the effort it took to speak through her cracked lips. "Please, I can't. I don't know why. I've tried, I swear."

  "I know why." A shadow moved from the corner of the room, stepping into view. Kellen's long blonde hair reflected the light from the torches, giving the mistaken impression of a halo. Her green eyes knowing as she approached her victim. She looked into the girl's face as she cupped a hand against her cheek. "Are you watching, child? Do you see how you have forced my hand? Return to me, Ariana, and this will all end."

  Ariana's eyes flew open and she inhaled sharply. She looked around the cave she and Alec had taken refuge in—the third since their escape weeks ago—but he was nowhere to be seen. She pulled her knees to her chest, waiting for him to come back and willing her heart to slow its beating.

  "It was just a nightmare. Just a nightmare," she told herself, but she couldn't shake thoughts of the poor soul trapped in Kellen's dungeons.

  Maybe because, not too long ago, Ariana was that poor soul. And she could still hear the crack of the whip and the wet echoes of flesh being ripped from her feet on its impact. She'd never felt as powerless as she had when Kellen tortured her. At seventeen, Ariana had suddenly become aware of her own mortality and how fragile it truly was. Kellen had torn her apart, inside and out.

  But Kellen had also awoken something inside Ariana. She reminded herself of this as she unfolded herself into a cross-legged position and held out her hand in front of her. In the blink of an eye, a flame appeared just above the skin of her palm. She tilted her hand as she examined it, felt the heat licking at her flesh, but in a comforting way. She knew this fire would never harm her. It was hers to command.

  "I thought we agreed that you weren't going to do that," Alec said from the mouth of the cave. He had a sack slung over his shoulder and wore a dark blue shirt made of what looked like burlap over the lean muscles Ariana had been trying not to admir
e over the past few shirtless weeks on the run. He brushed his wavy brown hair out of his face, his grey eyes narrowed at the flame in Ariana's palm.

  Her back straightened with defiance. "No, you told me not to do it. I didn't agree to anything."

  "What if you had lost control while I was gone? You could be dead. Do you not understand that?"

  She snuffed the flame in her hand out as she curled it into a fist. "I'm not an idiot, Alec. I started small. I've got to learn how to do this since I'm destined to rule the worlds or whatever."

  Alec shifted his weight from foot to foot, a sign he was losing patience, before responding. "You have no idea what you are doing, Ariana. People here learn how to manipulate the elements almost from birth. There will be people in Anscombe to help you understand and use your power. It's too dangerous for you to try on your own."

  "What do you expect me to do, Alec?" she demanded heatedly, fear from her all-too-realistic nightmares shifting to anger. "Do you expect me to cower in this cave while you run around having all the fun? What if someone had found me? I need to know how to defend myself."

  He conceded her point with a nod. "First of all, I was getting supplies, which I would hardly call fun on the best of days. Second, if you feel it is necessary to defend yourself, then I should teach you how to fight."

  "I know how to fight," she retorted.

  He dropped the sack on the ground at the mouth of the cave and walked over to where she stood, crossing his arms behind his back as he faced her. "Very well. Hit me."

  The smugness fell from her face. "What?"

  "Hit me," he repeated. "As hard as you can."

  "Don't be ridiculous. I don't want to hurt you."