One by one.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Brokk
Brokk cringed when the crowd around him leered at the two figures in the ring. Emory’s face was in a concentrated mask, sweat dripping down her face as Wyatt lunged at her yet again.
Looking to his left, Memphis took in the scene before him. Always the figure of calm.
Sighing, he rolled his shoulders back, his stiff muscles popping. A hard thud sounded, and looking up, Emory caught Wyatt’s arm. With a fierce expression, she disappeared. Wyatt’s face instantly paled, and he was left helpless. A minute later, Emory released and glanced up at Wyatt.
“Again,” Wyatt said, and the two of them continued their attack and defense.
“Brokk, I need to talk to you.” Jaxson materialized beside him, concern dripping off him.
“What’s...”
“It’s Nyx. She came to cover the rest of my watch last night. I forgot some papers out there, and when I went back out an hour later, she was gone. No one has seen her since, and her room is untouched...”
Dread filled every ounce of him.
Brokk moved in a blur, his heart thudding as he headed toward Memphis. He should have kept an eye on her after their match last night, but he was left with his thoughts about how to confront Memphis about what she had said. She had distracted him, and he was selfish enough not to think about her.
“Memphis, we need to talk. It’s about Nyx.”
“I haven’t seen her since the meeting last night, Brokk.” He glanced at him and frowned. “I can’t leave right now. We are alternating opponents with Emory. Time is of the essence.”
“Nyx is missing. A match is more important than that?”
Memphis exhaled, shaking his head. “She can take care of herself, Brokk. We all can. How do you know she is missing?”
He filled Memphis in on the details he was given, and Memphis rubbed his face wearily. “This isn’t the first time Nyx has gone venturing off. She needs space. You of all people should understand that. You should be focused on what is ahead, helping Emory and the others prepare for the fight. I need you to be focused, Brokk.”
Anger flaring, he said, “No. I will not stand back while Nyx is missing and while you are too preoccupied to care! We should have scouts out; we should be looking for her! She was upset about you, and I’m worried about her.”
Memphis snapped at him, “You forgot yourself, General. That was a command, not a request. You will forget Nyx, and focus.”
Brokk’s hands connected with Memphis’s chest, shoving him backward, hard. He was yelling now as his resolve cracked, “She loves you! And you used her to keep your bed warm until Emory was back. You use people for your own advantages, Memphis, and I’m done. Nyx told me what you did to Emory, manipulating her dreams. There is only one monster I see, brother, and he is standing in front of me. If you won’t go looking for Nyx, I will.”
He was stupid for banking everything on Emory. His future. Their future. A month wasn’t enough time, and with Nyx and Alby gone, depression hooded his thoughts. His body reacted before he could think anything through. Turning on his foot, he left the training room, not caring about the protests behind him. Not caring that Emory had been frozen in the ring as she took in his words. Memphis had everything he had always wanted—power, Emory, a plan.
And it would kill them all.
Sweat dripped into his eyes, and he stepped into the elevator. Air hissed around him, and coldness ran through his veins, numbing his body. Numbing his heart.
He left the compartment, jogging down the twisting hallway, memories flying at him like bullets. Memories of the echo of a girl who couldn’t even look at him now, of a family long lost, of a world that didn’t exist anymore.
He barged through the door, slamming it shut. Running full tilt, he exploded in a flurry of emotion, four giant paws grinding into the earth, only propelling him faster. Scents overwhelmed him, and looking to the forest sprawling to the northeast, he galloped, leaving the hillside behind him. Leaving the Academy behind. He would find Nyx, and he would bring her home.
***
The sun was setting, the warm glow bathing Brokk’s fur. He had been running for hours, following Nyx’s trail. The forest swallowed the horizon, and he rested his head on the ground, ears twitching at scuffles of animals around him. He allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment. Only a brief rest...
The breeze moved through his fur. The soft wind curled around him, and he drifted to sleep.
The memory shifted and dissolved as Brokk slammed into the ground, damp grass and moss underneath him. Staggering up, he whipped around, waiting. A giggle sounded in the darkness. Taking a closer look, he saw broken rock formations jutting out of the earth and green flames roaring. Squinting, he took a step closer, and the world ignited.
“Find us, Brokk Foster.”
The world was drenched in ash. It swirled, filling his nose, mouth, clouding his eyes. Another giggled resonated before everything went black.
Eyes flashing open, he was greeted by the steely edge of a blade. A growl grew deep in his throat, and he lurched up. It was late into the night, moonlight filtering only slightly through the trees. And a foreign scent filled his senses.
His visitor was dressed in a black hooded sweater, tight leather pants, and boots. His eyes flickered back to the blade. It hummed with magic, a faint blue glow pulsing from it. It was dangerous, laced with malice.
Hackles up, he jumped back swiftly, as the figure side-stepped his attack. The stranger laughed and threw the hood back. He knew that laugh. Nyx’s hand stroked his head as dread filled him.
“What a coincidence. We meet here of all places, Brokk.”
Shifting back effortlessly, he stalked toward her, his hand lashing out to shove her against the nearest tree, and her body cracked against the bark.
“What are you thinking, Nyx? I could have hurt you!”
Her violet eyes narrowed. “Hurt me? You need to brush up on your predictability.” She scoffed. “I just needed time, Brokk. Why are you out here anyways? Because I know you, and I have a feeling we are looking for the same thing.”
His gut twisted; his hands fell to his sides. “I came looking for you. To bring you home.”
She barked out a laugh. “Home! What does that even mean now? Our entire lives our home has been a delusion... I joined a rebellion that has done nothing against the Mad King. What hope do we have if we continue to follow Memphis’s orders? The hope we have of regaining Kiero back fades every single day.”
Her eyes darkened. “Brokk, I am tired of hiding, tired of having my actions calculated, weighed for the benefit of our family. Memphis doesn’t make the calls for me anymore. No one does. And I am taking my future in my own hands. Can you say the same for yourself?” She spat the words at him, the words like sharpened knives.
Each one struck true. Brokk ran a tired hand over his face. “Memphis won’t change his decision. He will draw Adair out.”
“At what cost? Are you willing to pay his price?” Her voice danced through his mind.
Tilting his head, he drawled, “What was the price of your new blade there?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she quipped.
Flicking the side of his cheek, an acute sting spread across his skin. Droplets of blood ran down his cheek, but before they hit the ground, the cut had healed. Shaking his head, he looked at Nyx, but she had already started walking into the night.
“We better get back before Memphis sends more people after us.”
“I’m already one step ahead of you, Brokk.”
Sighing, he fell into step behind her. She had failed to tell him how a disguised magical sword fell into her possession. Animals were way more sensitive to energy, and that sword was drenched with power, where as to his human eyes, the sword was just a sword.
It would seem he wasn’t the only one with secrets, and he had every intention to find out what exactly she was up to.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Emory
Her feet thrummed against the forest floor. Her surroundings a blur. She was infinite. She was free. The wind hummed against her skin, and behind her, a throaty laugh sounded. This was a different time, the world a brighter place.
She came to a slower jog, and Brokk came into view beside her. “I will always beat you, Em. I will always catch up.”
His golden eyes were molten excitement and joy shining through them. She felt a hot flush creep up her neck, and she stopped.
“And when I’m gone?”
Sadness had carved a hole into her; time had always passed too fast.
Brokk stopped beside her, reaching out to cup her face against his palm. “You will never be lost to me.”
Warmth curled and spread throughout her body. Savoring the moment a second longer, before she pushed forward, racing away from her fate.
Emory awoke with a start. Sweat clung to her body, her hair sticking to her forehead. It took a moment to register a pair of eyes staring at her from across the room.
“Are you okay?”
Memphis stood up from his seated position across from her bed. Squinting, anger flickered through her. How had he gotten in her room? It was late evening, and she had come to rest before training commenced after dinner. Her calves cramped as a sweet reminder of what was to come.
Sighing, she rubbed her temples. “Memphis, you don’t have to babysit me, and after this afternoon, I don’t particularly want to see you.”
“I just came to apologize. I know you heard what Brokk said. I want to say that I’m sorry you didn’t hear it from me. I don’t know if you remember, but Brokk and you have always been closer. I wanted to have a fighting chance against him. It was a child’s jealousy, and I know that’s not an excuse.” Concern pinched the corner of his face in a soft gentle way, and he searched her for an answer.
She sighed again, anxiety curling around her heart. “You need to be honest with me for us to be friends. Some things are slowly coming back to me, but you can’t manipulate me, Memphis. I am afraid of Brokk, and all of that boils down to you.”
Her dreams were mostly memories—of school, her family, and Brokk. Lots of Brokk in fact. It made sense to her if Memphis claimed they had been close. A flush crept up the back of her neck as she tried not to navigate her feelings when it came to the golden eyed rebel. She pushed her thoughts back for the moment, focusing on the task at hand.
Almost a month had passed since she had arrived. She gingerly sat up and grabbed her black jacket and training shoes. She was ready in a second, and when Memphis extended his hand toward her, she blatantly ignored it. For this to work, Emory couldn’t hate Memphis, but that didn’t mean should would make it easy on him for lying to her.
Energy expanded through her palm, as she suddenly grabbed Memphis’s lingering hand. Concentrating, she tested her ability out. She was thrilled when his thoughts collided with hers, “Just talk to her, you coward....”
She smirked at him. “Talk to me about what?”
It was as if her skin was an electric wire. Dropping her hand, a flush spread through his cheeks, and he murmured, “Your ability isn’t faltering either, I see.”
“Nope.”
It was still surreal to her, the fact she had this coursing power throughout her body. But everyday that passed, Earth seemed more like a dream, and Kiero the place that she belonged. The facts were that this impossible world existed—despite her lack of belief in magic and far away lands.
Emory glanced ahead. She had promised herself that she would give the rebels a chance. She hadn’t really warmed up to being killed by a rogue raider or dabarne. She shut the door a little too firmly behind her.
Sighing, she looked down the hallway, her heart skipping a beat, hoping to see Brokk’s golden gaze. She was about to ask Memphis where the General was when it started. There was a high-pitched screeching, like nails on chalk boards, and every single person stood to attention. Memphis’s color drained, and he gripped her hand hard.
“What’s that?” Her voice sounded as small as she felt.
“Air raids. We have to move. Everyone, a code blue. This is not a drill!” He shouted the last bit out in the hall, and the residents of the Academy filed out toward the cells, Memphis towing her along.
The first wave hit, and Emory thought the world was going to split open. The ground shuddered, as Emory was ricocheted off balance. Memphis steadied her as they came to the cells, and Memphis opened the door, quickly getting them in and shutting it firmly behind them.
Emory trembled, whispering, “What about the others?”
Memphis slid to a seated position against the wall, closing his eyes. “They all know what to do in these situations in order to reach the cells. Adair periodically does air raids, trying to flush us out. We found out the hard way that he has concocted a gas that not only immobilizes you but neutralizes your ability. These cells are made of kieronian steel, so even if the gas gets in our ventilation, we have to wait twenty-four hours for it to flush out.” He sighed. “We wait it out like the other times.”
Memphis said this like they were discussing the weather. Sadness took her breath away at the fact they lived in a world like this.
Because you wanted to escape to save yourself.
The honesty in the thought struck deeply, and she sat down next to Memphis, feeling the tension and heat rolling off his body.
“What happened to Adair?”
This close, Memphis’s full lashes made his blue eyes hypnotic as he stared at her, weighing her question. “He was my friend, as well, at school. Your parents shaped this world into something worth being proud of, their unconditional love nurturing us all into believing we are more than our ability. That we aren’t monsters. Adair was no exception. He has started a wildfire that can’t be put out, and the result of that is this war.”
Emory replied, “Isn’t the Academy considered strong?”
Memphis cocked his eyebrow at her. “We are the only ones left who are strong enough to give Adair a run for his money. We fight now for all the innocent lives he took, for shattering your parents’ legacy. We fight for them, for their love, and for our freedom.”
Emory sighed, letting his words settle in her core. Silence seemed to suffocate them in the cell as bomb after bomb was dropped above ground. In that moment, such an absurd idea struck her, she bit her lip, feeling exposed and glanced sideways at Memphis, who looked like a carving out of marble—flawless and jagged, capturing such a ruggedness she couldn’t tear away from it.
She noticed the corners of his lips turning up. “What?” he asked.
“I know this isn’t the solution to overthrowing a Mad King, but the rebels need something to celebrate, and that’s each other. I have an idea.”
Emory had his full attention now. “I think we should hold a party, a dance to be specific.”
Confusion clouded Memphis’s face. “Dance?”
She beamed up at him. “Seeing as we have a bit of time trapped in here with each other, I will fill you in.”
***
Her body was stiff from sitting for a day in a stone cage, but she smiled as she pressed the elevator’s button. Everyone was exhausted and was headed back to their bunkers to get some sleep. Stepping in, she could still hear Memphis’s excitement about her idea of holding a dance to celebrate what the rebels have accomplished. And didn’t fail to notice Memphis’s eyes had never left her face.
She exhaled lightly and pressed the elevator’s door, trying to ignore the pulling sensation in her gut at the thought of him. Emory knew she needed to focus.
Each day, her memories became clearer but only about the three boys she had used to call her best friends. The once nightmares of Brokk faded with each passing day now that she knew that was only Memphis’s doing. She remembered them as teenagers—Brokk her confidant, her best friend that would do anything for her. And Memphis—she knew their relationship had always been complicated. But above eve
ryone else, she had been remembering Adair Stratton. The gangly boy with dark hair and shadows in his heart who made her stomach churn.
For right now, Memphis Carter thought of her as his foolish pawn, and Emory continued to let him. For the time being, she wanted him to. Rubbing her eyes, she needed to find Brokk, to talk to him. She wanted clear the air between them, to apologize for being so cold with him, and in her heart, she knew he was the one who would tell her the truth about her past—the parts she couldn’t remember. She needed to focus on her personal plans. As much as she liked Black Dawn, she wouldn’t allow herself to be manipulated. She knew in her heart; this was only just the beginning.
***
The following day, Memphis scheduled training for her first thing after breakfast. The hours had slipped by in Emory’s frustration when she couldn’t find any trace of Brokk. Chewing the inside of her cheek, she looked at Memphis.
"You have to imagine you can see the ability flowing through you. It’s a life force, and more importantly, it’s your life force,” Memphis drawled.
Circling around Emory, concentration pinched his eyebrows together. She huffed, frustration leaving her palms tingling. They were trying to hone her abilities to control them more. Sweat stung her eyes, and her heart dropped as Memphis stopped to look at her, saying, “Again.”
His study was a small training space, but she needed to take advantage of the time she had. Books soared from their shelves, encircling Memphis before shooting out like bullets at her. Emory dodged the assault, silently thanking her karate teacher for years of classes on Earth. She spun toward Memphis, breathing deeply and trying to clear her mind as she found her mark and clasped his forearm. Pushing forward, she gritted her teeth and willed that rush of power that had been so close to the surface since she had gotten here.
Emory waited, but nothing happened.
Heir of Lies (Black Dawn Series Book 1) Page 35
