by Lisa Daniels
Summer rose in a fluid motion and quickly closed the distance between them. “Do not use people like that.”
Despite the shadow, she could see that there was no smile on the man’s face. “You don’t get to tell me how to behave. Remember I am helping you despite my better judgment. I will decide how best to accomplish that.” He turned and began walking away.
“No.” Her voice was forceful and commanding. “I never asked for your help, and I will not be party to your abusing people who believe you are their friend. If you pull anything like that again, so help me–”
He stepped toward her, and it was only when there was almost no space between them that she realized just how tall the man was. The menace in his voice was harsh, especially after the levity he voiced moments earlier. “Or you’ll what? Die again? You’ll help Chesed? No, your threats are hollow, so don’t bother with them.”
He turned and only when his back was to her did Summer feel she could breathe. “I will leave you.”
The words rang out around them, and for a fleeting second Carrington stood still, almost as if he had been paralyzed by her words. When he spoke it was low, without any menace. “It may be in your best interest to do so. No good will come of you staying near me.” With that he continued to walk away from her.
Summer watched his back, torn between following him and following through with her threat.
Placing a hand to her lips, she pinched her lower lip and watched his figure. She had a name now, she could go it on her own and find Cyprian, but she found that something else was bothering her more than the nearly empty space where her memories should be. The man who had taken her on as his charge was clearly one of the most broken and damaged men she had ever encountered. He had taken her on knowing that it was a bad idea. Despite his cold words, she knew her threat bothered him more than he was willing to admit. For some reason he wasn’t going to be honest with her.
This bothered her much more than her lost memories. Closing her eyes and tilting her head back, Summer brought her hands up in front of herself and spread them out toward the sun. A smile spread over her face, and she knew that she couldn't leave him. Not yet. Finding the man from her memory could wait – this man was in far greater need. Something about the thought struck a familiar note in her mind, but Summer wasn’t quite sure what it was. For now, she didn’t care.
Stepping over the small grass wreath she had made, the woman followed Carrington.
Chapter 5
The First Signs of the Storm
The pair walked in silence for a while. Summer was slightly behind Carrington as they progressed toward wherever he had decided would be their destination. After several hours had passed, she finally decided that silent progress was not in their best interest.
“Where are we heading?” The question seemed innocuous, something that she wanted to offer right now as her companion wrestled with something that she could only guess at.
“We are heading to a small port, and then we’ll head over toward Ancusa.”
Summer stopped for a moment. “But I thought that you were needed here.”
With only a slight turn of his head, and without slowing down, Carrington said, “I have no intention of staying here.”
Summer quickly caught up to him. “You cannot just leave the lesser god to his own devices.”
“Chesed.”
“What?” Images spun through her mind at the name, and it felt like all light had been extinguished for a moment. Stumbling for a second, she tried to hide the fact that she had been bothered by the name. If he noticed, Carrington did not show it.
“His name is Chesed. The more you say the name, the less power he has because it tarnishes gods to be addressed by their proper names.”
Summer frowned, but something in the words were familiar. Though it caused her to stammer, she managed to say the lesser god’s name. “We cannot simply leave Chesed to fester. We have to do something to stop him.”
Carrington suddenly came to a complete stop. Summer passed him as she slowed. Turning to look at him, she noticed that he had balled his hands into fists. His black eyes flashed. “And just what can you do? He killed you the last time you faced him.”
“I have been observing him.”
“For how long? Do you even have any idea how long you were dead? You came back and yet couldn’t even remember his name. Just what do you think you can do against him?”
“It will come back to me when I am facing him.”
“Oh, that’s a brilliant plan. Show up and make him run.” The words were spat out of his mouth, and Summer did not like the way his face contorted as he spoke. “He has been planning this ever since you died, and you coming back is just one of the last pieces of his plan. Even if you had been plotting since the day you died, you can’t even remember what you learned, let alone any plan. This isn’t something you can fix, so don’t bother trying.”
Summer folded her arms. “Oh, because giving up is so much better. He can take the world down a little bit at a time, but I shouldn’t worry because I will be safely somewhere else when he strikes. I hate to tell you this, Carrington,” and she emphasized how hollow the name was, “but once he starts, you are either there to fight, or you die later. There is only one wave against a lesser god. That is the only chance anyone will get.”
Carrington ground his teeth, fighting back whatever was on the tip of his tongue. A dark shadow had passed over his face, but Summer was almost certain there was no cloud to have cast it.
As if to provoke him into speaking, she taunted him. “I see. Now that I am showing some spine, you are cowering.”
His eyes glared at her, but no words came out.
Summer began walking back the way they had come when a hand shot out and stopped her. “Take your hand off of me.”
“Yes, you were all set to take him on last time, too. You don’t remember it, but I do. We all do, those of us who lived to remember it. I don’t give a damn about anyone else and their plans, but this is not a fight I am willing to repeat.”
Summer pulled away from him. “No one is asking you to. But you cannot stop me from fighting. I know what he is after.”
“Sure, and maybe in a month or two, or maybe next year, you will remember. But the problem is that there aren’t more than three days left before everything will be over. You don’t have the luxury of time. While you are right that I cannot stop you, I can try.”
Summer stared at the man, his eyes fierce as he looked at her. The anger there was not at her, it was directed at himself. Allowing the tension to slip out of her body, Summer looked away. “I don’t remember the fight, nor do I know who was lost. I can’t even tell you what I am. Or what you are. But I know that we are not going to survive if we try to step aside. Knowledge is always the key that can turn a fight.”
Carrington brought a fist to his face and winced at her words. Turning away from her, he said, “It isn’t Chesed that is after you.”
“What do you mean? He wants me to be his pawn.”
The black eyes trained on her as Carrington measured his words. “By staying here, we are both his pawns.”
“We are both against him, so what value can we be in a fight that he can use? He cannot play us the way he did last time.” The shadow darkened over Carrington as she spoke, but he did not interrupt. “You just need to trust that I will remember and that I can help, even if I am not as powerful as you and Cyprian.”
Summer could hear Carrington’s teeth scraping against each other. Suddenly, he reached his hands out and grabbed her shoulders. “You are not to go anywhere near him. Promise me that you will not seek out Cyprian.”
“If you will promise me that you will fight beside me, then I will swear that I will not seek out Cyprian.”
She felt his fingers dig into her arms for a second before he released her and turned. “I cannot make that promise again. You cannot ask me to enter that fight again. You do not remember what happened last time, but I do. It has b
een my nightmare for over 500 years.” His voice was passionate and pained as he avoided looking at her. “You died more than 500 years ago. If you can’t tell me right now what you can do…” He turned to face her, the shadow obscuring most of his features. “If you can’t remember that day, will you really make me relive everything I have fought to forget for more than five centuries? Will you really ask me to suffer through another war where almost everyone that I cherish dies?”
Summer stared at him. “500 years? I’ve been dead for more than 500 years? How old… how old are you?”
“Good gods,” Carrington squeezed the bridge of his nose, “I’m glad you got the important point for that. Thank you.” He began to pace around her. “You do not know what you are asking of me.”
Summer reached out a hand gently and touched his arm. Immediately he stopped and the shadow faded from his face. “It will be alright. I promise.”
He shook his head, “You said it yourself. No one knows the future. Death does not make you immortal or omnipotent.”
She gave him a faint smile. “I swear that I will protect those that you cherish to the best of my abilities, but you cannot run from this. You were once brave enough to face the danger. Surely you know as well as anyone else just how devastating Chesed’s return could be.”
Placing his head in his hand, Carrington squeezed his eyes shut. “Just like last time, Chesed wants me there. He needs me there because there is no better place for a pawn like me than where he can control me.”
Summer scoffed at the words. “You don’t look to me like someone who is going to willingly side with him.”
The dark eyes were like an abyss as Carrington turned to look at her. “No one works for him without choosing to. We are both his pawns, and if we show up…” He looked away from her and began to move toward the port, though Summer could not say how far it was from their current location.
“I cannot continue to call you Carrington. There was no Carrington at that battle. You are hiding, and I want to know why.”
The figure stopped and she saw his shoulders sag. “Search your memories for the battlefield. You will remember there why I have no desire to remind you who I am. Because of what I am, Chesed can gain control over me, and I killed some of my own friends the last time. I killed…” His voice broke and he shook his head. “I cannot stop you, but you cannot make me go.”
Her voice was soft as she reminded him, “You swore that you would never leave my side.”
His expression was unreadable as he turned toward her. “Then you must swear you won’t try to go.”
“How can I keep myself safe knowing that others will die for my decision?”
“How can you justify going knowing that you are already his pawn?” The man took a step toward her. “You have no idea how he will use you, what mechanism he will use to trigger you.”
“Neither do you.” Her eyes searched his face for traces that he was breaking, but the shadows deepened.
“I do. I know exactly how he plans to use me, and that is why I cannot go.”
Realizing that their conversation was getting nowhere, Summer decided to give in for the time being. “Alright. For now, I will agree to go with you, but if something arises, I will not sit still and wait to be saved.”
A fleeting smile passed over his face. “No one who had any clue about you would mistake you for a damsel in distress.” With a heavy sigh, he turned. “If we move quickly, we can be there by midday tomorrow.”
Summer turned to look behind them. A few voices whispered from the corners of the shadows, but she wasn’t able to make out what they were saying. Her stomach churned at the thought that they had managed to follow her so far from the City of the Dead, but that concern was soon dismissed. If they were trying to compel her to return then she was clearly on the right course.
Turning to follow her companion, Summer’s skin crawled as something that sounded like a laugh followed her.
“Who do you think can save you when even your friends want you dead?”
She knew it was Chesed mocking her. Closing the distance between her and the man she knew wasn’t named Carrington, she grabbed his arm.
Looking at her with concern, he asked, “What is wrong? Is someone following us?” He lifted her off of the ground without warning, and turned to look the way they had come. “We have to go faster. They are gaining.”
Unsure how he could hear the voices, Summer allowed him to carry her until the sun reached its peak.
Chapter 6
The Gathering Winds
Several times the man stumbled, yet he refused to put her down. Summer squirmed in his arms. “You must stop and rest. You cannot keep going like this.”
“I am fine. Worry about yourself for now because your concern for me is wasted.”
“Now, now, that is no way to talk to such a beautiful young woman.” The voice was that of a friendly woman. Summer looked around and saw a startling looking redhead standing off to the side of the path. Summer’s eyes immediately flicked to her companion as she felt his muscles tense.
Instead of issuing the verbal sparring she expected, the man smiled. “My dear Bree, but it has been so long since last we met. Am I to think that you have finally succumbed to my charms and are willing to run off with me?” The mask was so firmly in place that had she not seen him moments before, Summer would have believed that the man holding her was perfectly happy.
The woman named Bree fanned her face. “But you do still know how to make a woman long for you. Gods, H–”
The man immediately held up a finger. “As you have already noted, I currently have a lovely young woman that I am conquering. No real names, or I will have to release her.”
The woman’s laugh was almost contagious. “You say that seconds after trying to sweet talk me. How is it that you haven’t bedded every woman between here and Tarstan?”
The man laughed jovially, “Not enough hours in the day, and I only have the one body to work with.”
Summer looked between the two in confusion. “I thought he preferred men.”
Both sets of eyes swiveled to look at her before Bree burst out laughing again. “Oh, is that the cover you are using to get her? That’s sly.” She gave the man a wink, and Summer could feel the heat radiate from the man holding her. “So if I can’t use your real name, what should we call you instead?”
“We?” Summer looked back at the woman, half expecting her to split into several people.
“She is not alone. There are three others heading this way now, but the sorceress is able to travel much faster. She is like the harbinger of something either really delicious or something so awful you might as well off yourself.”
“Oh my, what flattery, dear stranger.” She fluttered her lovely lashes, and Summer felt a smile spread across her face at the gesture.
“You can call me Carrington. That’s the name I have been going by of late.”
“It really doesn’t suit you.”
“I bend to your whim, loveliest Bree. What name would you give me besides my own?”
“Wait, did you say sorceress?” Summer cut into their banter.
The woman grinned, “Yes, but I dare say that does not cause you any concern.” A slight frown crossed her face. “Although, I must say that I am at a loss for what you are. My loving Dedric, she has quite the aura to disguise herself. Even I can’t see through it.”
“That’s enough, Bree.” A tall imposing man walked forward out of the woods. The scowl on his face made him look like a vengeful god, at least that was Summer’s first impression.
“So you know a sorceress now?” Summer’s face turned toward the man holding her.
“It never hurts to get on their good side when they fall in your path. You should remember that.” He gave her a wink, and for a moment Summer’s heart fluttered. She had to tell herself that it was just an act to regain the progress of her thoughts. By the time she was aware of the conversation, Summer realized that the full party
was in front of them. Interrupting whatever they were saying, she said, “I’m sorry, I have not met any of you. I am Summer.”
The imposing-looking man simply looked at her. The man standing next to him was equally handsome, but the smile made his eyes twinkle. “It is lovely to meet you. I am Elian.” A serious-looking woman stood beside him considering the scene before her. Though she appeared to be the least powerful of the people present, Summer got the distinct impression that was what made her so dangerous. The man beside her placed a hand around her shoulders and nudged her with his hip.
“I’m Annora.” The words were curt and to the point. In her mind, Summer swapped the dour-looking young woman with the vengeful god. That seems like a more natural pairing. Appalled that her first thought was to reorganize the pairings before her, Summer blushed.
Annora tilted her head to the side as Bree laughed, “Oh Dedric, she is just adorable. Treat her well, alright?”
The man beside her frowned, “Dedric? Who is Dedric?”
“The man right there holding our lovely Summer.” The man furrowed his brow, but before he could speak, Bree waved a hand. “Nothing you need to worry about, my precious Calixto. It’s mating stuff that is well out of your understanding.” The man’s frown deepened, but he simply looked at the pair.
Elian had been holding back a laugh. “Well, Leonides said that something was up, but he was busy at the time, so his report was somewhat scrambled in the telling.”
The man going by Dedric tensed again. He shifted Summer’s weight as he asked, “And how is Taja?”
“She’s fine,” Annora answered. Though the answer was short, Summer felt Dedric relax a little. Out of the corner of her eye she witnessed one of the rare sincere smiles.
“Thank you so much, Annora. Honestly, how anyone can call you Fiend is beyond me. I dare say you are a misunderstood demi-goddess whose sole purpose is to mete out justice and retribution.”
Elian held up his free hand. “Look, Dedric, you know she’s taken. The wedding is not too far off. We just came to collect you so that we could go take this son of a bitch down.”
