Noble Lies

by Lyneal Jenkins

  ‘That new witch wants to see Maria, too,’ Kacie said. ‘I was going to tell her, but she is so angry and…’

  I smiled, able to understand her hesitation. I loved Maria like a sister, but there were days she scared the crap out of me. When she got angry, her power seemed to grow in strength, a silent threat that many would be a fool to ignore. ‘I will let her know.’

  I shuffled after Maria in my own awkward, hobbling gait. Kacie touched my arm, stopping me. She whipped her hand away as if stung and stumbled back a step. How could I convince the Damiq I wasn’t a threat?

  She peered at me through her eyelashes, still not able to meet my eyes directly. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘For what?’

  ‘Saving my life. When I drowned in the stream. Verity told me what happened.’ She gulped. Her bottom lip quivered with unreleased grief. ‘If only Charlie had…’.

  I cast my gaze over the collapsed cavern, unable to meet her eyes, unwilling to see the condemnation in them. I knew how the rest of her sentence would go. I couldn’t hear it now.

  ‘I’m just glad you got out with the little ones.’

  I trudged into the woods, ignoring Kacie’s call after me, trying to banish Charlie’s vacant eyes from my memory. She hadn’t managed to get all the little ones out. I didn’t want her gratitude. It flamed the guilt devouring me. Although no one had come straight out and said it, we all knew the truth; Charlie’s death fell on my shoulders alone, along with everyone else we had left behind in the cavern.

  Eris leant against a tree as she spoke to Adam, her tone urgent.

  Maria stood to the side, glaring at Eris. Electricity crackled as it danced across her fingertips, fighting to be free. She clenched her jaw, working hard to keep her magic under control. Not a good sign; she rarely held back unless the outcome would be bad.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ I asked.

  ‘She’s pouting because I won’t heal her.’ Eris pushed away from the tree. ‘And I certainly won’t be healing you.’

  I scowled at her. ‘I wasn’t asking you to.’

  Eris smiled, her eyes bright with amusement. ‘That’s good then. Now down to business.’ She beckoned to a man stood several metres away, a Siis she must have brought with her. ‘Drake, find us a car.’ Once Drake sprinted off, she said, ‘You may be able to draw our shi in, but you haven’t mastered the art of changing form yet.’ She winked at me.

  ‘You know?’ I had been so certain that her knowing would bring fear to my heart. Maybe it was the residual shock from the battle, but looking into her eyes, I couldn’t care less.

  She rolled her eyes. ‘Of course I know. The whole Damiq camp, or what is left of it, is talking about it.’ She glanced at Adam, her eyes narrow. ‘I should not have found out from them.’

  Adam met her eyes with no hint of submission. ‘I am not your subject, Eris.’

  I watched them as they stared each other down, waiting to see if Eris would kill my friend. For once, Maria kept her mouth closed. Miracles did happen.

  After a moment of silence, Eris chuckled and turned to me. ‘And I hear that you’re pregnant. You don’t do things by half, do you? At least Gabriel will be happy. He always wanted another child.’

  The blood drained from my face, leaving my skin tingling. I stared at her, my mouth watering as nausea fought my body’s desire to hit the ground face first. Pass out or vomit? Which would win the fight? I took several slow, deep breaths determined to conquer both.

  Eris’s eyes narrowed as she glanced from me to Adam. ‘What am I missing?’

  Maria sniggered, enjoying the situation far too much. ‘She doesn’t know? The all-powerful Eris has missed the obvious. Who’d have thought?’

  Maria rose in the air, slammed into the ground, and rose again with blood dripping from her nose.

  ‘Do not taunt me, Maria. I don’t respond well to being mocked.’

  I moved between them with my hands out. A light breeze cooled my skin, drying the sheen of sweat on my forehead. It helped subdue the nausea. Only the light-headedness left to squash down now. ‘Stop!’ My voice sounded distant to my ears. ‘The baby isn’t Gabriel's.’

  Maria dropped to the ground, and Eris turned on Adam. ‘Tell me that you did not…’

  Adam looked down, his eyes shadowed with guilt. My cheeks reddened and I glanced away, not able to look Eris nor Adam in the eyes. He had his reasons for feeling guilty, but damn, it made me feel like crap, like I had taken advantage of him and now he paid the consequence. Not far off the mark really, but it wasn’t like I’d been in my right mind when I shoved my feelings at him.

  Eris rubbed her hand down her face and sighed, as if weary to the bone. ‘How?’

  Maria wiped her nose with her sleeve, smearing blood on her cheek. ‘How do you think? Even a Siis should understand the mechanics of—’ She flew back into the tree and slumped to the ground with a groan.

  Eris hadn’t even glanced at Maria as she continued to stare at Adam. ‘You know what this means?’

  He nodded. ‘Gabriel may well invoke Ta Mar.’

  ‘Ta Mar? I asked, my nausea coming back to the race.

  ‘A challenge,’ Eris said. ‘With weaponry.’

  I stared at her in disbelief. With all the things happening in our lives, they were going to take time out to fight each other? ‘But it wasn’t Adam’s fault. It was mine.’

  Eris chuckled and waved her hand, dismissing me. ‘You, a little bit of a human, caused this to happen? How is that possible?’

  Adam stared ahead, unable to meet her eyes. ‘It was a mutual mistake.’ His words cut right into my heart. So, this is what a metaphorical sucker-punch felt like. The real thing hurt less.

  I couldn’t meet their eyes. ‘He didn’t want it.’

  Eris’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘And you forced it on him?’ She laughed, the sound as cold as an arctic wind. Someone had obviously gotten out of the wrong side of the bed. ‘Do not treat me like an imbecile. Adam has more control than anyone I know, including myself.’

  I touched her arm and pushed out everything I felt, all the heartache and fear that controlled my heart.

  After a few seconds, Eris sprang back, scratching her skin as she shuddered and squirmed, like a kid who has found a spider running along their skin. ‘It’s true’—she looked to Adam—‘what they say about insane humans. They do make you itch.’ She cursed in her own language, a harsh sound that fired off her tongue with a soft drawling end. ‘You are nearly impossible to keep alive. If anyone finds out that you can change the emotions of the Siis, you will be sentenced to death.’ She shook her hands as if dispelling the last sense of me. ‘If Malachi finds out what she has become—’

  ‘Like the Fae?’ I asked, my voice hollow.

  She nodded causing nausea to curl up to my chest. ‘If he finds out—’

  ‘He will do nothing,’ Adam said, his words clipped with warning. ‘She carries the prophesised child.’

  ‘And what about when it’s born? You believe that Ana will live long after that moment?’

  He nodded. ‘You will ensure it.’

  She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair in agitation, not an emotion that I’d ever noticed from her. ‘You ask too much of me. To do that, I will need to disobey a direct order from Malachi.’

  I stared at her in horror. Had she already decided my fate?

  ‘You did it before,’ Maria said from the tree. If she imagined the distance would protect her from Eris, she was mistaken. ‘When you saved my great-gran and my mother.’

  Eris rolled her eyes. ‘One good deed and I have to spend an eternity paying for it.’ She sighed and flapped her hands before her. ‘Fine! But I want Ana.’

  Adam shook his head. ‘The mission is too dangerous.’

  ‘And her presence might help.’

  ‘It will not help. You know what they did to her.’

  ‘Yes, but she is the only human we have unless you count the Damiqs’ pet human, and I have no interest in work
ing with him.’

  I threw my arms in the air as if I could wave them away and glared at them. ‘Stop it now! I am not a god damn chip for you two to bargain over. If you want my damn help, ask me.’

  Eris grinned. ‘Pregnancy makes you touchy.’

  I glared at her. ‘No, you make me touchy. Now just ask.’

  She rolled her eyes and sighed, like I was an annoying child who wouldn’t stop bugging her. ‘We need to visit your Prime Minister.’

  I blinked at her for several seconds before what she said registered. I stumbled back a step. ‘Not a chance in hell! Did you not see what they did to me?’

  She sighed with enough drama she could compete for an Oscar. ‘Yes, yes, I know. They tortured you. Poor Ana. Maybe we should just tell Cleas that we aren’t playing in this war because you are feeling all messed up from your time with the humans.’

  I glared at her, wishing I could kill her with a look. ‘This is nothing to do with the war, and you know it.’

  ‘It has everything to do with the war. The vein of daku that your people have, well, they lost it, to Cleas! Now, because of their incompetence, the Others will be able to fight with bullets!’ She spat the last word in disgust.

  I continued to glare at her. ‘Why don’t you just take it from them?’

  Eris turned to Adam. ‘Is she really this idiotic all the time? Or is she being this way for my benefit?’

  ‘We cannot take control of it.’ Adam threw her a stern look. ‘We have no knowledge of the location.’

  Maria laughed but choked it back when Eris glared at her.

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ I said. ‘My presence won’t help you.’

  Eris smiled at me, her eyes cold. ‘I'm not giving you a choice. As soon as Drake finds a vehicle, you are coming to London with me.’ She grinned, the light returning to her eyes. ‘Anyway, you want to get the Damiq back, don’t you?’

  I nodded, hesitant, wondering what the hell she had planned. Likely nothing good. It wasn’t like she would lose sleep over the captured Damiq.

  ‘This is your chance.’ Her grin broadened sending a shiver of ice down my spine.

  Had there been a time that just seeing her smile brought light into my soul? Now it caused fear to tighten around my heart and created a desperate urge to sprint from her.

  ‘Just do me a favour,’ she continued, ‘and don’t make the situation worse than it already is.’

  Adam waited for her to leave before he nodded towards where Madeline and Sebastian stood waiting, letting me know they were there. He led me to Sally, his eyes drawn into a tight scowl. ‘I cannot believe I am to work with witches.’ He pointed to Sabastian. ‘He insisted on coming. It was one of the witch’s stipulations if she agreed to help.’

  ‘Help? I asked as he led me to where Sally stood watching Bill light a fresh fire.

  ‘I want her by your side; it is not up for debate. Her power and control are far greater than any other witch I have seen in a long time. She will be useful for your protection.’

  I went to argue the toss but stopped. He was right. I needed all the help I could get. I almost smiled at the thought of him trying to convince Madeline of anything. I bet she had more than a few words to say about his orders. His foul mood supported the idea. ‘She didn’t respond to threats?’ I teased as we reached the fire.

  Sally looked up, her eyes flat and hollow. ‘Who didn’t respond to threats?’ She asked more from instinct than interest, in a lifeless voice that made me grimace. She was worse than I’d thought.

  Adam glowered at Sally, and she shrank back from him. ‘Madeline has put conditions of her assistance,’ he said. ‘She wishes to train you.’

  Sally moved back in surprise, with a hint of panic. ‘Me? Don’t you mean Maria?’

  He shook his head. ‘No. She eventually agreed to train Maria, but you are the one she wants.’

  Sally looked at us all in turn. ‘But I don’t understand. I am not a witch.’ She may have been born to a prestigious clan of witches in America, but she was one of the few to never develop any abilities

  ‘Tell that to her!’ His eyes blazed with annoyance. Maybe Adam enlisting Madeline’s help hadn’t been the wisest choice. Considering how abrupt he could be, it was a miracle she had agreed.

  Sally skittered back from us, her arms waving before her as if she could ward us off. ‘But I can't train. She is wrong. I don’t have power. I'm not a real witch, not like the rest of them.’ Her eyes flittered around, never settling on one spot as she looked for an escape route.

  I frowned at her. ‘What’s the problem? If you have no ability, she will soon get bored.’

  She shook her head violently as she backed away. ‘I don’t want to do it.’

  ‘Sally.’ I reached for her. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I don’t want to do it!’ Her sharp tone caused Bill to frown in confusion from across the fire. He wasn’t the only one. She was attracting an audience.

  I pulled Sally to the side, turning her away from the growing crowd of spectators. ‘Tell me what’s going on.’

  Refusing to meet my eyes, she crossed her arms and muttered, ‘Nothing.’

  ‘I don’t buy that. I can't help you unless you tell me the problem.’

  She glared at me, her eyes bright with unshed tears. ‘I don’t want to fight! Okay? Now you have it. I'm a coward. I like that I can't hunt for the Fae. I'm quite happy being on the clean-up crew and never having to kill anyone.’ Tears spilt down her cheeks at an alarming rate. ‘I can't do it again, Ana.’ She held her hands out, showing me her palms. ‘I can't get any more blood on them. I just can't.’ Her chest hitched as she sobbed. ‘I killed him. I stuck the knife in him and watched him die.’

  I glanced back at Adam and Bill who looked at me with question in their eyes. I shrugged and turned back to Sally. This was all we needed, her having a mental breakdown just before we entered the lion’s den.

  I breathed, slow and steady, counting each inhale and exhale until I managed to form a small slice of calm in my chaotic mind. The darkness pushed against the calm like a living beast, wanting to break free and destroy what I needed to do. I couldn’t let it win.

  I laid my hand on Sally’s arm, trying to force calmness upon her. After a few seconds, her panic settled down and her breathing returned to normal.

  A single remaining tear dropped from her chin. ‘I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to shout.’

  I dropped my hand down, the calm moment passed. ‘That’s okay. we are all feeling the tension at the moment.’

  She jutted her chin out, staring at me in defiance. ‘I’m still not training.’

  I glanced back at Madeline and Sebastian who had joined Adam. ‘I'm not sure you have a choice.’

  The panic spiked in her again as she hugged herself tight. If I didn’t calm her, she would embark on a one-way trip to the land of hysteria. ‘Look, I get it. Killing someone isn’t an easy thing to come to terms with, trust me, I know.’

  ‘I'm not—’

  ‘Can’t you at least pretend?’ I forced softness into my voice. ‘Make Madeline think she is training you?’

  She stared at the ground, but her eyes remained distant. ‘She will know.’

  I forced a smile, hoping it didn’t look as grotesque as it felt. She wasn’t the only one struggling. ‘Not if you do it well.’

  She chewed on her lip while watching Madeline with apprehension. I wanted to shake her, urge her to hurry up and agree. She looked at her feet, her forehead furrowed. ‘I don’t want to learn.’

  ‘Don’t then,’ I snapped without control. So much for being calm. ‘But for the record, I know that you’re scared, but I think that deep down, you really do want to learn, if only for Kye.’

  Her lip trembled and her eyes became moist once again. ‘That’s unfair.’

  I sighed. I needed to have more understanding. She had just survived her first battle and needed a little longer to digest it all. I wished we had that time. ‘I know, and I'm sorry, but
you did say it was one of the things that kept you apart.’

  ‘I don’t want to kill people, Ana. It’s not who I am.’

  I put my arms around her, but she remained rigid. ‘I know,’ I said. ‘But magical powers aren’t going to change the person you are. They will just increase your chances of survival.’

  To calm myself, I took a slow breath and pictured the Mediterranean Sea, the crystal green waters as they lapped the white, sandy beach. It took longer than anticipated to force past the darkness within me. When sure I wouldn’t accidentally shove my own crazy into her, I kept the calming image in the forefront of my mind, and pushed the tranquil feeling out, allowing it to envelop her. She sighed and relaxed in my hold.

  Once convinced she would remain calm, I released her. ‘Let’s go and speak to Madeline. Maybe she can explain why she wants to train you.’

  She smiled, a sad, hopeful smile that made me want to hug her, and rubbed her sleeve across her eyes. ‘Maybe Adam got it wrong. Maybe it isn’t me she wants.’

  ‘Maybe.’ It wouldn’t harm for a moment of wishful thinking, even if a dose of reality would soon crumble all hope.

  I led her to Madeline who hunched over her cane, waiting, her dark eyes like bright pebbles in her aged face.

  She hobbled straight to Sally and gripped her chin in twisted fingers. She turned Sally’s head from side to side inspecting her. ‘Let me see you.’

  Sally looked at me with wide, pleading eyes, begging me to save her from the strong fingers gripping her jaw.

  I smiled, urging her to calm. ‘It’s okay.’

  ‘Such power in such a clueless young lady,’ Madeline murmured. She dropped her hand from Sally’s face. ‘We will start work as soon as possible.’

  Madeline thumbed at Adam. ‘He said the Scelus is dead.’

  I nodded, the memory of Seraphine flashed into my mind, of how she had looked with the shi drained from her and how, even in the moment of her death, she had threatened to kill me and my unborn child. A witch was never meant to take shi into themselves; the agony of the combination would drive the most stable person sane. And the power she’d carried because of the bond scared the hell out of me.