Feudlings

by Wendy Knight

  "It's me or them. Completely up to you." She heard Richard's voice by her ear, but when she spun around he wasn't there.

  "Fine!" she screeched into the smoke. "But I will hunt you down, Richard! You'll pay for what you've done!" And she raced after Will.

  She was too far away.

  She got to him in time to throw a masas just as he finished burning one of his own, and the spells forged together. The masas exploded, obliterating the several Carules attacking him.

  “Will! Is Hunter…?” She couldn’t even form the words, the horror too much in the back of her throat.

  Relief almost caused her to collapse as he shook his head. “No, he’s unconscious, but he’s alive.” His eyes widened in horror as he threw his arm out, and Ari spun to follow where he was pointing. “Shane!”

  She ran as hard as she could, to where she could see Shane fighting several Council members and Charles at once.

  She wasn't fast enough.

  A breeze blew the mist, just gently enough to clear it for a moment, and she could see Charles as she approached. He grabbed Charity and threw her through a portal, racing through and slamming it shut just as Shane's lirik smashed into it.

  "No!" Ari screamed, diving toward the saldepement, trying to reignite it. But it was gone. She tucked her head and hit the ground hard, rolling to her feet and whirling back on the empty space where Charity had just disappeared. "Charity!" she screamed, throwing spell after spell at the last shimmers of the magical doorway, trying to bring it back, trying to send a lirik through. It was useless.

  "Ari! Ari! She's gone. You aren't doing any good wasting your energy here," Will bellowed, jerking her around and grabbing her wrists. Ari sobbed. Shane was staring, devastated, at empty air. "He won't hurt her. He needs her alive, or he's got nothing as leverage to protect himself from you," Will said.

  "He's already hurt her!" Ari cried.

  "Charity's tough. She'll be okay until we can get to her." Hunter’s voice was raw as he approached, bloody and broken, stumbling up to them with the last of his strength. He gritted his teeth against the pain. "And we will get to her."

  “Hunter!” Ari turned and threw her arms around his bloody shoulders in an uncharacteristic hug.

  “Ouch, Ari. Not so tight.” He groaned as his arms went around her and he dropped his head against her temple. She could feel him shake, exhausted and terrified.

  “Hunter, let me help you.” Shane turned to his best friend, calling on what little magic he had left to heal Hunter. As soon as the worst of the injuries were gone though, Hunter waved him away.

  With Richard and the Council both gone, the battle had paused. All over the field, silence had descended as everyone watched the Prodigies with bated breath, waiting.

  "I've got to get Mom's body. She deserves a proper burial," Will said, his voice breaking. Ari squeezed her eyes shut as he disappeared into the smoke, reappearing several seconds later.

  "She's gone!" he yelled, his eyes wide with devastation, his face white under the grime and the blood.

  "What?" Ari ran after him, back to where Franklin's fire was still smoldering, but it was true. Vivian's body was gone.

  "Richard!" Once again, Ari was robbed of her target. She screamed with fury at the sky, her hands in fists, resisting the urge to throw a spell at the sun just because it was there. She whirled around, looking for something to attack, but her eyes landed on Will as he sank to his knees next to her. And then Shane was there, pulling her into his arms, burying her face against his chest.

  An eternity later, Ari raised her head. She was exhausted, every muscle ached, and her head felt like it might explode. All around her, Renegades formed a protective circle, facing outward. "You guys saved us. I thought you didn't believe in this war," Ari said, her voice weak and weary, speaking to the group in general. She didn’t move from the protective strength of Shane’s arms, barely having the energy to keep her head off his broad chest.

  It was Dani who answered, lowering her head, her eyes on the burnt grass in front of her. "We don't believe in fighting a pointless war. But we do believe in fighting to protect those we love.” She raised her head, brown eyes landing on Ari. “You. And Will."

  Ari's heart swelled and she felt tears threatening in her eyes. "Thank you. We would never have survived if you hadn't come."

  Will sat on the ground at her feet, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands, oblivious to the conversation around him. "She never gave up on me. Mom. She never did. Did you know that? That's why she wouldn't fight. She was so powerful, but she wouldn't fight because she believed I was right." Will’s voice was low and full of pain. Ari couldn't bear it. Relinquishing the strength of Shane’s arms, she dropped down next to her brother and pulled him against her.

  "When they sent you after me, she called to warn me. She sent me money as often as she could. She called whenever she could sneak away."

  "I never knew," Ari whispered.

  "She didn't want you to know. You were the reason she stayed, to protect you. And she didn't want you burdened with that guilt."

  Will raised his head and stared out over the valley. Then he frowned. "Look," he said, turning Ari around. She faced the battlefield, where thousands of warriors stood in the smoke like apparitions, all watching them. The fields were a silent tomb of shock.

  "They aren't fighting," Will said. It was true. Not one spell was being thrown.

  Shane stepped forward, casting a long shadow across the battlefield. He was burned and bruised and covered in blood, and his hands still shook, but when he raised his voice, everyone below leaned forward as one, straining to hear, trembling in anticipation. "This war ends now! A prophesy made three hundred years ago does not decide my fate. It will no longer decide our fates. The war is over!" It was as if his voice amplified a hundred times and carried across the battlefield. Silence descended. And then cheering, starting slowly and gaining until it was a roar sweeping the fields.

  Ari reached over and took his hand as her eyes swept the expanse before her. They had done it. They had ended the war.

  But at what cost?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Hours later, Hunter staggered out of Will’s guest bedroom, scrubbing his reddened eyes.

  Shane waited for him in the hallway, reading the pain in Hunter’s eyes. He could almost hear the constant mantra running through Hunter’s mind. Charity’s gone. We didn’t save her. Shane put his hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “You okay?”

  “I wish my heart would just stop. It hurts, every time it beats. Shane, I don’t know how I’m going to get through the next minute, let alone the next hour.”

  Shane closed his eyes, understanding too well how Hunter felt. His heart, too, ached like every beat was a burden.

  “Why didn’t I tell her I loved her when I had the chance? Why didn’t I tell her a thousand times since then?” Hunter mumbled.

  Shane didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure Hunter even knew he was there. He was overwhelmingly relieved when Hunter spoke first. “Did you see her punch me, that day in the park? She’s so tiny. But it hurt.” Hunter’s lips quirked up in a small smile as he quoted Charity, “This didn’t happen. When you want to tell me you love me, do it right. And this, Hunter, is not right --” Hunter broke off, gasping for breath as silent sobs shook his frame.

  “Hunter?” A soft, hesitant voice interrupted his pain and he jerked his head up. Shane followed his gaze with a smile.

  “Mom.” Hunter mumbled.

  She held her arms out and he crushed her to him, unable to hold back the sobs, but it was okay because she cried with him. His mom, who was nearly as tall as he was, cradled her big son in her arms until he could find no more tears. Then she lifted his chin, smiling a sad, sweet smile as she peered into his face.

  “It will be okay. Everything will be okay,” she whispered.

  “How do you know?” Hunter asked.

  Shane watched her, praying she was right. The war was over.

>   “There is hope on the horizon.”

  Hunter’s face fell. “Maybe for some. But not for me. Without Charity, there is no hope. There is nothing.”

  “There is hope. You ask how I know — it is because I know you. And you won’t rest until you make it so.” She turned as another teenage boy came into the hallway, his big hands rubbing the back of his neck uncertainly. “Hunter, this is Dax. Your younger brother.” She held out a hand to the boy as he stumbled closer, looking at Hunter with something akin to awe. Behind him, a much smaller, quieter little shadow hovered, twisting her sandy brown hair as she watched him. “And this is Ivy. They’ve been waiting to meet you for so long,” Shelley said.

  Hunter spread his arms wide, and Ivy raced into his embrace. Hunter pulled Dax in, too, and held them both like everything in the world depended on it.

  This was how Hunter would make it through the next minute, the next hour. Family.

  ****

  Will set them up in the colony, in a nice house only a few steps away from his. He set Hunter’s mother up with a job, and Hunter and Shane moved in with her. Will took care of them, the same way he took care of everyone in his colony.

  But the colony was changing. The war was over. Many of the families were leaving, going back to homes they thought they would never see again. Will was standing with his arms full of a large box, helping one of his families move. He shook his head ruefully as Shane and Hunter paused next to him, just arriving to help. “I might have to hire Normals after this. I’m not sure I’ll have enough sorcerers to run my company.”

  “I didn’t think about that.” Hunter frowned. Will’s life and the way it revolved around the colony hadn’t occurred to Shane, either, when they celebrated the end of the war.

  Shane shifted awkwardly. “Sorry, Will.”

  Will just shook his head. “I’m not. Freedom, Hunter. We haven’t had freedom in so long.”

  “Are you going to leave the wards up, Will?” Hunter asked, his eyes straying to where he knew the invisible walls still stood, protecting them.

  “Yes. While Richard and the Council members are still out there, this war isn’t truly over. Not for Ari. Not for Shane. Not for you and your family. And as long as you are all still in danger, the wards will do what they can to protect you.”

  Shane squinted down the road, to the house he knew belonged to Dani and her family. “Yes. They’re staying,” Will said with a crooked grin, hefting the box a little higher as he turned to go inside.

  Hunter’s hand shot out and grasped his arm. “Will?”

  Will turned questioning eyes on him, dark brown eyes so like Ari’s.

  “Tell her you love her. Before you don’t get the chance.” Hunter’s voice cracked.

  Will held his gaze for a long, long time, and finally nodded. “I will, Hunter. And Hunter,” he said as Hunter started into the house to grab another box, “You’ll get your chance. Charity isn’t gone. Not with you and Ari and Shane still here. There’s not a force on earth that could keep her from the three of you.”

  Hunter took a deep breath, his eyes turning up to squint at the sun. “No, nothing will keep her from us.” His voice shook, just a bit, but he nodded when he again turned to look at Will. “We’ll bring her home.”

  ****

  Ari lay sound asleep against Shane’s chest. She’d been sleeping almost since they all tumbled, half-alive, through the portal two days earlier. He knew it had been too much to ask her to fight in that battle after nearly dying… twice. His tough Ari was weak now, and shook and fought tears whenever she was awake. So he healed her as well as she would let him and Will slipped her something to help her sleep. Once she realized what they were doing, she objected, but Will had told her that she was no good to Charity if she couldn’t even stand up straight. “Get better, Ari. Then we’ll go after Charity.”

  Will, Shane, and Hunter had spent every spare second, when they hadn’t been helping others put their lives back together, poring over maps and calling in favors. Will was tracking credit cards and cell phones. So far, they had nothing to go on.

  So Shane didn’t sleep, and he didn’t let Will slip him anything to help him sleep. He stared at the wall while he stroked Ari’s black and red curls, listening to her somewhat ragged breathing and willing Charity to send him a sign, a vision, something. Ari and Will could do it. Why couldn’t he and Charity?

  Ari stirred against him, murmuring, calling for Charity. He kissed the top of her head, whispering, “We’ll find her Ari. We’ll bring her home.”

  Spells

  Masas — spell that can hit multiple targets at once. Not incredibly powerful

  Lirik — kill spell, one of three

  Rikil — kill spell, one of three

  Filik — kill spell, one of three

  Ginsti - painful stinging spell, much like a burn, curlicue

  Sabate — spell that creates a small explosion

  Alable — spell that shoot flames

  Nacinin — spell that turns into a fiery canine

  Nidib — spell that takes two casters, works together to catch and entrap

  Saldepement — opens a portal. Takes two casters

  About the Author:

  Wendy Knight was born and raised in Utah by a wonderful family who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she spends her time driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no water after five, terror when faced with a live phone call, etcetera, etcetera). She also enjoys chasing her three adorable kids, playing tennis, watching football, reading, and hiking. Camping is also big: her family is slowly working toward a goal of seeing all the National Parks in the U.S.

  You can usually find her with at least one Pepsi nearby, wearing ridiculously high heels for whatever the occasion may be. And if everything works out just right, she will also be writing.

  Also from Astraea Press:

  Prologue

  Osier Schmidt stood inside of a graveyard, his hand perched on his belly. There was a flask of liquor in his fat, clenched fist, and he gazed at a gravestone in front of him. It belonged to Eden Schmidt, his daughter. He gritted his teeth and then pivoted to peer at the headstone next to that. It belonged to Rebecca Schmidt, his wife.

  He took another chug of his drink. It dulled the edges of his mind, causing everything to be a blur. The world became softer in this haze, and he preferred it that way. It wasn't like he had a job, or anything else, to be presentable for. Alone. All alone. He peered at the tombstones again. Chances were good it was entirely his fault his daughter had died.

  The sound of voices in the distance caused him to turn around and look up at the rolling hills covered with gravestones. A massive crowd was forming at the top of the hill. Curiosity sparked inside of him as well as the feeling of intense loneliness. He peered down at himself and knew he was not presentable for such a gathering. Osier wore a white T-shirt stained with beer and a pair of loose shorts. Sweat ran down his back.

  I'll just have a look. He sighed and headed up the hill. Halfway up, his breathing became strained. He could hardly breathe.

  At the top of the hill, he spotted a beautiful brunette woman wearing all black clutching her face. Tears streamed down her cheek. He guessed she was a widow or a parent. At her side was a cold-eyed man. Osier made his way through the large crowd and stared down at a dark brown casket. There was a picture of the deceased person on a piece of board by the grave. To him, it appeared cruel to have a picture of such a young, beautiful girl displayed so prominently when everybody knew hers was a face they would never see again. But what did he know? At one time he’d thought he knew everything, but now he was well aware he didn't know anything at all. As he clenched his fists and continued to look at the picture, he sighed.

  A collective gasp from the people who had gathered interrupted his thoughts. He spun around, frowning. Even the beautiful brunette woman had stopped weeping. A flash of white erupted from beyond the crowd.

  What's going on? He leaned forward,
curious.

  A girl stepped forward, through the throng. His breath caught in his throat as he saw who stood before him, shrouded in white, with long golden hair trickling down her back.

  It was Eden, the daughter he had lost twenty years ago.

  Chapter One

  Twenty years earlier…

  Sixteen-year-old Eden stared wide-eyed at their new house. It was beautiful, though a little run-down. It was painted ivy green, the roof was black, and there was a surfboard planted in the yellowing grass. She touched a part of the fence that surrounded the house and gasped when it toppled with a loud bang.

  Shoot. Mom was going to kill her. She twisted around to check and see if her mom, Rebecca, had noticed what she'd done, but she hadn't. Rebecca was struggling out of the rental truck with her fat pink purse in hand, landing on her feet with a thump before wobbling dangerously on her high heels. She walked forward, stopped on the sidewalk, and peered at the house with her hand shading her eyes.

  "Goodness. It's not much, is it?"

  Eden shrugged. "I don't know. I think it has its charms."

  Her mother shrugged and headed back to the moving van. When she reached the back door, she stared at the handle as if it were her enemy.

  "Eden, would you mind opening the door for me? I just got my nails done. I don't want to chip them."