Bryd continued a personal commentary on the match, but Emory left her new friend alone, making her way to Memphis who was slouched on a bench. Sweat slicked his skin, and his eyes bright and alert as he watched the fight.
“You find this fun?” she asked. Emory’s voice was much curter than she thought, and Memphis looked up at her in question.
Blood trickled down his split lip. He shrugged. “Everything we do here has a reason, even on our off time. It’s encouragement and constant learning that makes us stronger than Adair.”
Her eyes trailed over his toned muscles that were evident under his shirt, her thoughts faltering. He cleared his throat. “You have to remember no one wants it this way. We are dealing with our situation the best way we can.”
With violence.
Blood and vengeance.
Emory’s heart sunk, her own blood running cold. She missed her home, her life. But knowing that all these people have known nothing other than cold iron walls and a constant state of war, that there was no softness here, no escape... Her heart thudded with a new-found determination that there had to be a way to help all of them rebuild their lives.
Looking to Memphis, she spoke softly, “I’m going to call it a night. See you tomorrow?”
Before she could leave, he stood, capturing her hand, lowering his lips to her skin. The kiss was soft and quick, and he locked his eyes blue eyes with hers, whispering back, “I’ve waited six years to hear you say those words. Sleep well, Emory.”
Memphis left her then to her own flustered self, Emory keenly aware that even from the ring, Brokk had his eyes locked on them the entire time.
Emory turned, leaving Bryd to watch the rest of the fight, feeling Brokk’s gaze burning into her back until she was back out in the hallway. Loosening a breath, she made her way back, trying to push both Memphis and Brokk from her thoughts.
***
The next day proved harder than she thought. Black and purple bruises flowered her skin, and her hair was a matted, sweaty mess. She needed a shower. Or ten.
Walking to the small closet, she opened it, being met with an array of black shirts and pants, jackets, one pair of leather boots, and an unnecessary amount of knives all donated by Nyx.
Sighing, Emory looked to the small pile of her possessions from Earth: dirty jeans, a green t-shirt, black high-top Converse, and her iPod that she forgot was in her pocket.
Her stomach twisted as she donned herself in the rebels’ clothes, doing up her boots before opening her door. The hallways were already teeming with rebels. Emory joined the flow, trying to get her bearings and remember where Command was located. She had no idea what time it was, or if she had overslept.
Spotting swirling tattoos, she yelled across the crowd, “Wyatt, wait up!!” Maneuvering through the crowd, she breathlessly met him. “Morning. Where can one grab a shower in this place?”
Crossing his arms, he stood his ground. “Shouldn’t you be with Memphis, preparing?”
“I won’t be any use like this.” Emory stubbornly matched his stance.
He sighed, practically rolling his eyes. “Come on. But you will be fast, and then I will personally take you to Command.”
She wanted to kiss the man.
The showers, it turned out, weren’t too far away from her room, the metallic tones of the room making everything shimmer. Wyatt had been clear; the showers were on a timer. She had fifteen minutes to feel human again.
It was the most blissful shower of her life. Steam curled around her, washing off layers of dirt and dried blood. There was a compressed bar that looked like soap in the stalls that Emory vigorously scrubbed herself with until her skin felt raw. The lingering aroma of citrus and rose lifted in the steam as Emory made a mental note to ask Memphis who or where he got the soap from. Her mind slowly rejuvenated, and with her body clean, she stepped out, drawing the curtain back and wrapping a towel around her. Emory quickly found out she wasn’t alone.
Standing in front of the mirror, Nyx swept her violet hair up into a ponytail. Emory froze, water dripping onto the cold floor. Nyx’s slow smirk made Emory’s skin crawl.
“Well, well, well. Princess, aren’t you looking radiant this morning? Any big plans for this fine day?”
Emory quickly grabbed clothes outside the stall, assessing Nyx. Venom leaked from her; she was like a snake about to strike its prey. She crossed her arms, “Training with Memphis, or that’s what I’ve been told.”
Nyx bared her teeth, mocking, “Of course. But maybe first, I could show you the ropes. After all, time is ticking.”
It was a challenge, plain and clear. Emory should back down and go with Wyatt. She should follow her orders, but it wasn’t in her nature to comply that easily.
Emory shot back, “Of course. What do we do about Wyatt waiting outside those doors for me?”
Nyx threw Emory supple leather boots. “Get dressed, and then we leave the way I came in. Wyatt is stupid to think he knows all the tricks of this place.”
Nyx sensing her unease, raised her eyebrows. “Is there a problem?”
Oh, was there ever. The black gaping tunnel in the wall appeared after Nyx had pressed two loose bricks. She had explained it was a vacuum tunnel that connected right to the ring. Emory gritted her teeth and swallowed down the urge to be sick.
Stepping in front of Nyx, she said, icily, “See you down there.”
Crouching down, Emory tucked in her limbs and sucked in a gulp of air. She threw her body weight forward into nothingness. Free falling at a dangerous speed, the wind howled around her as her body was jerked left, right, left, right. Her scream was stuck in her throat, eyes unable to shut, and suddenly, a hissing noise sounded and another opening made itself visible.
Emory was spewed out, flying, metal jagged teeth that surrounded the ring below her as she slammed into the ring, bones cracking, black spots entering he vision. Nyx wasn’t far behind, hooting, she flew out of the chute, all powerful grace as she landed nimbly on her feet. Emory scrambled up, quite sure now her wrist was either broken or badly sprained.
“What is wrong with you?” Emory asked.
Nyx cocked her head in fake innocence. “Tsk, tsk, Princess, don’t be sour. You agreed to it. Besides, that is good practice for your nerves. You will face worse things in the coming weeks. Now, since we don’t have weapons, how about some hand-to-hand combat practice?”
Emory gnashed her teeth together. “So you have another chance to further surprise me? No thanks.”
Nyx circled her lazily. “Now, believe what you want, but I am here to help you. I’m not living in some fantasy that you would be prepared to even live in this world, let alone survive it. In physical strength and ability, you are a newborn. So, are you ready to change that?”
The few rebels that had been down here attending to the room had now gathered around the ring.
Trying to still her heart, Emory said, exasperated, “No.”
Nyx threatened, “You’re going to have to be.”
It happened in slow motion to Emory. Nyx swung out her leg, trying to sweep Emory’s feet out, making her jump while anticipating this, and Nyx connected her fist with Emory’s jaw. The crowd leered at them, and Emory fell, the copper taste of blood filling her mouth.
“Get up,” Nyx growled, pacing with predatory fixation. This wasn’t a training lesson. This was personal.
Emory’s legs had turned to jelly, and she failed to find her feet. Nyx moved too fast, peppering her with a swift undercut to her jaw, slamming a kick into her gut. Emory fell onto her back, blood flowing down her face from her now split lip. The world spun, as white hot anger flared within her.
Rolling, Emory lunged and grabbed Nyx’s ankle, pulling her to the ground. It felt like time freezing but also jolting faster all at once. Nyx didn’t struggle at all. It was ice and fire running in her blood when Nyx’s power seeped into Emory. It was raw and wild, and Emory, with a thread of fear, realized that she liked it. Nyx had gone limp by this point, h
er eyes rolling in the back of her head.
Voices screamed at her through her consciousness, making Emory release Nyx, her entire body shaking. With the connection broken, the telekinetic powers started to fade, leaving Emory broken and panting on the ground. Nyx had paled to a scary shade of white.
“What, by flame and fire, is happening?” Memphis’s voice boomed across the room, making everyone freeze. For the first time, it would seem, in her life, Nyx was speechless. Anger flashed in Memphis’s eyes when he took in the state of both on the ground.
Coming to the edge of the ring, Memphis whispered to Nyx, “Nyx. Get her out. Now.”
Slowly helping Emory up, she nodded to a bystander. “Jake, if you will.”
The young man with ashy hair and a grim stature flicked his hands, and gravity didn’t seem to exist anymore as they floated over the sharpened edges of the ring. Nyx nodded at him and limped toward Memphis, Emory swaying behind her. She needed to sit. Now.
Listening to her body, she slumped down on the cold floor, aware of the argument roaring in front of her.
“What were you thinking?” Memphis fumed.
“They needed to see what she is. She is human, and she is weak.”
Memphis yelled now, spittle flying from his lips, “Just weak? Because when I came in, she wasn’t the one unconscious. You need to go, now. Report back to what you’re supposed to be doing.”
Nyx looked like a fish out of water, gulping for air. Mouth closing and opening wordlessly, she finally turned a deep shade of red and stalked out without a second glance at them.
Memphis held out a hand toward Emory, pulling her back to a standing position. The world tilted, and he said, “Come on. One foot in front of the other. I’ll get you patched up.”
Blood roared in her ears, and she leaned into Memphis, allowing the world to take on a warped perspective.
“Breathe, Emory. Breathe.” Memphis’s voice cocooned around her mind.
Emory looked down at her shaking hands, trying to register what had just happened. Every minute took her closer to a tight knit web of emotions and betrayal she didn’t ask for. It wasn’t her fault she had been rescued, nor was it her fault for being brought back. She was trying to pick up the pieces and learn the secrets of her past for herself, not simply accepting what was thrown at her.
In the two weeks that have passed, each day, she was being morphed into a version of herself she didn’t think was possible. In a world that shouldn’t exist. But she had chosen to try and was learning exactly what that would cost.
Her world took a drastic dip, and Memphis hurriedly brought her around another corner, supporting her aching body. They came to a smooth iron staircase, but instead of being dark silver, it was an incandescent white, making it look like it was carved from ice.
Memphis noticed her staring and said, “Some kieroian steel can be manipulated with heat to achieve this color. We are lucky Jaxson listened in class all those years ago.”
Their footsteps clanged around them like bells tolling, marking every second. She could feel his gaze boring into her, and looking up through her lashes, she murmured, “I’m okay.”
Coming to a full stop, he said, “You’re okay? What about me? What about Nyx? Emory, what were you playing at? Nyx is just looking for an excuse to have it out with you. You are far too important to me for you to put yourself in these situations without me around.” Memphis clenched her forearm, fingers white.
Her eyes locked onto his hold. “Memphis, let me go. Now. I’m not some lost kid for you to control. I can make my own decisions.”
He stepped back. “Decisions that will land you hurt or worse? Emory, I will not lose you again.”
“But you can’t keep me in a cage, Memphis! I’m not your property and never have been! Stop treating me like your pet and show me that I am your equal! Show me my world. I want to see all the parts of it, good and bad, but I won’t from behind these walls. Let me try to understand what you have lost, so I can understand just exactly what I am fighting for.”
Memphis stepped closer, his breath hot on her cheek. “You don’t understand.”
Emory threw her arms out. “No, I don’t. Allow me to learn. I can’t hide down here forever. I have gotten one afternoon, Memphis, one day to get out.”
She knew she had hit a nerve when his jaw tightened and eyes narrowed. Several seconds passed in silence until he stiffly said, “Fine, okay, fine. But we are swinging by the infirmary and the armory, and that is nonnegotiable.”
She couldn’t keep her elation in place, even through her wounds. “Even though we are weapons enough?”
Memphis picked up his pace. “We aren’t weapons against everything that is out there. And besides, you will be of no use if you’re beaten half to death.”
She couldn’t argue with that. Up they climbed, Emory noting Memphis’s furrowed brows, his lips turned down, as the tensely continued in silence. They made it to the top of the staircase where a closet of a room was located on their right. Memphis ushered her in without a word and quickly set to work grabbing an arrangement of jars. Emory took a seat and tried to stifle her groan but was failing terribly.
Finishing, he held a strange dried root in front of her. “Eat this, and I’m sorry in advance about the taste. Thistlewood is one of the oldest healing roots in Kiero. Your mother researched its properties; she was a wonderful healer, he said, all this while not quite meeting her gaze.
Emory tentatively took the grey root from him, popping the whole ting in her mouth, chewing fast. She tried not to wince as a harsh heat swept in her mouth and throat as she ate it.
Crouching down in front of her, he rested his hand gently on her knee. “Emory, look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten mad. A lot of that is between Nyx and me and has nothing to do with you.” He took a steadying breath. “And you were right. You deserve more. You deserve to pull your weight, to know the truth. I’ve spent so long knowing you’re the heir and being bred a soldier that I was blinded by my duty to keep you safe. And we have been hiding for so long, I grouped you into that rule. I’m sorry. Can we start over as friends?”
Heat flushed her cheeks, taking in the man in front of her with his heart bore on his sleeve. A thousand doubts flooded through her unexpectedly. Was he only playing another card in the game? But to get to the truth, she had to take her own risks. To play this game, she had to be just as daring. And she didn’t have many offers of friendship as of late. Eyes watering from the thistlewood, Emory smiled. “Of course.”
He patted her knee, standing up. Memphis had been right about the root. Almost instantly, a cooling sensation swept over her muscles, her dizziness gone.
Revitalized, Emory followed suit. “Any idea about where we are going?”
“Now that, I am going to keep a surprise. Ready?” He beamed.
Nodding, they re-emerged into the windowless hallway, setting out again.
“So, my mom was a healer?”
“The best to be found. Not only was that her ability, but she was the most knowledgeable person I knew. She always had more love for her research than she did in politics, but once the Academy started, she made it a priority along with your father. She had a heart of gold, your mom did.”
“Why start the Academy then?”
The corners of his mouth turned down. “There was a lot of unrest along the borders, especially between the Shattered Isles and Kiero. People using their abilities for worse, or not knowing how to control them. The Academy was the start of a school that would help protect the land and its people with gifted students. Its main purpose was to help people like us so their power wouldn’t consume them.”
“What went wrong then?” Emory asked.
Memphis murmured, “The need for power. And that’s the hardest to understand. Looking back, no one saw it coming. I found out after, that it had been rumored that your father was keeping an artifact of ancient magic. Something that, if wielded, would make you unstoppable.”
Her b
lood ran cold. “And Adair has it?”
Memphis peeked at her. “How much do you remember, Emory?”
She shrugged. “Right now? Nothing. It’s more like I feel a connection to things I see. Like the forest, that stirs up a lot of feeling.”
Memphis nodded. “You have to take it in a day at a time. You must understand, we did what we all thought was best. Adair was our friend. He was one of my best friends. But to him, there were more important things. His family name and the never-ending lust to be the best. He believes that anyone who doesn’t have a strong ability is not to be worthy of a choice.”
Chills snaked down her spine, her mouth running dry as Memphis continued, “After your parent’s death, and after the Academy fell, the world changed. Adair’s wrath spread through Kiero, and people either joined his kingdom or he killed them. When it comes to you and Adair, you have always had a target on your back, Em.”
Emory stopped dead in her tracks. “What do you mean?”
Memphis cleared his throat, not meeting her eyes once more.
“Memphis, what?” It came out more as a plea as she pulled him toward her, stopping him.
“It was well known that Adair always had feelings for you. On your fourteenth birthday, he had it planned to move on these feelings. His family and your family had been close and, honestly, were two of the most powerful family names. He had always believed you two to be destined.”
“But I rejected him?”
Memphis didn’t have to say anything more but looked at her with hollow eyes.
Emory looked down at her shoes. “I rejected the now Mad King, who once believed that we should have ruled Kiero together.”
Memphis sighed. “That’s exactly why you hold the most power over him. Not only does your ability trump his, but you are the only person who can reach him. He has never let you go, Emory.”
Ice settled over her heart, strong and unveiling. She stared down the hallway as she walked, processing everything. Memphis followed more slowly, giving her space.
Heir of Lies (Black Dawn Series Book 1) Page 31
