The glittering fog pressed against my skin and a deep groan tore through my chest. ‘Not again. Please God, I can’t kill again.’
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I sprinted around the burning barn. She had done it again, gotten herself in danger. I had never known anyone who danced with death so frequently, yet here she was, injured and likely dying. Again.
I cut through The Others, my dagger slicing with speed and efficiency. Each body fell with ease, none of them trained well.
I rounded the corner, the smoke worse here as it spilt from a hole in the barn wall, able to see three shadowy forms through the grey and black smog. One of my own gripped Ana by the throat, squeezing the life from her. The witch lay to the side, barely conscious. They were both fools. Arrogant human fools. Why did they never learn?
Ana faded fast; her eyes bulged as her lips turned blue. Even though dying, she attempted to fight, even if her flailing legs did little more than twitch. If she would only listen, she could become a much better student. Her stubbornness failed her each time.
I closed the distance between us and, with a roar, flung myself at her attacker.
Both of us rolled to the ground, and I sprang to my feet, turning to confront the Other. As he stood, my anger allowed reason to take control. I recognised the person before me; not in face, but I could never forget the sense of the person I had trained so long ago. ‘You?’
Ana moved in my peripheral vision, but I could not look away from my old friend. How had he come to be here?
‘Santea?’ he said. ‘I thought you would be dead by now.’
We faced each other, close enough to touch. My old friend moved, and I moved with him, keeping him in my sights as I came to terms with seeing the impossible.
‘Layton?’ I said, unable to accept the vision before me. ‘Vakros detected you. I believed you to be dead.’ The grief I felt for his death had almost torn me apart; the guilt that it had been my error that had gotten him killed. I should have known Vakros had taken a special interest in me.
Layton chucked with such bitterness, I grieved afresh for him. ‘In a way, I did die.’
‘I would have looked for you,’ I said. ‘If I had known, I would have saved you from him.’
Layton laughed, mocking me, and my hand instinctively tightened around my dagger.
‘You protect these humans?’ Layton said. ‘Why? You have no more care for them than I do.’
I glanced at Ana. She watched me from the ground, her hair singed and in disarray, her face layered in soot and blood. ‘It is our way, the way of the Siis. We do not involve ourselves more than necessary.’ I would not allow myself to look at Ana. The ways of the council were not the only reason I stayed. I growled inward at myself. Gabriel was my brother in mind, and I was here to protect Ana for him, and only for him.
Layton snorted with disgust. ‘Our way? To let these primates rule the planet as if it’s their own? We were here first. They should bow down to us, serve us as the lower animals they are.’
We continued to circle each other. I scowled at the direction the conversation had gone. ‘They are not our slaves.’ When teaching him, Layton had shown no real prejudice. The person before me was a shadow of the person I had once called friend.
‘Don’t you see? They should be. We are superior to them. We can wipe them from existence if we so choose.’
‘When did power become necessary to you? You were once content to live in peace.’ I remembered how he used to laugh with ease. I had often threatened to take his life, a threat which always caused him to laugh more. Where was that person?
Layton chuckled, a once pleasing sound that now grated against me. ‘Have you not noticed? The days of peace are long gone. Sometimes I wonder if there was ever such a time.’
‘So now you fight for Vakros?’ Pain stabbed at me, drawing up the memory of my son. How could Layton stand by the creature that had taken my bonded and child?
‘No. Vakros is a madman. He may have powers beyond our understanding, but there will come a time that he will destroy himself.’
I blinked at him in surprise, my normal cool exterior crumbling under a suspicion I objected to voice. ‘So why are you here? Why are you helping create more Fae, destroying your own people?’
‘I fight for his vision. There are those of us who believe he spends too much time dwelling on his own past glory and his hatred for Malachi and the council. We believe the time is right to win the war and take back this planet.’ Layton paused. ‘You have no love for humans. Join us. Become a part of the superior race.’
‘And kill innocent people?’
‘They are nothing more than cattle.’
‘They have potential.’ I refused to glance at Ana. I would not draw Layton’s attention to her. He would never understand. Ana’s determination, even if it ultimately led to her to deadly situations, was admirable though exhausting. There were times I maintained she could sniff trouble out like a canine.
‘Since when?’ Layton said. ‘Since when do you see them as anything more than a plague destroying the planet?’
I glanced at Ana, unable to help myself. Her arm still bled, the bones revealed in places. Under the soot and blood, her skin was pale and clammy. She didn’t have long before the blood loss killed her, and she swayed as she watched us. Her arm must be agony, yet her eyes never strayed from us. Her curiosity would get her killed one day.
Layton waved his dagger in her direction. ‘This creature here? She isn't even human.’
‘She encompasses everything that makes a person human, even if there are aspects that are changing.’
‘You have fallen in love?’
I stiffened, even considering the act would break every law and the friendship had with Gabriel. ‘She is bonded to another.’
Layton shook his head, unbelieving. ‘You are different. You’ve become lost in a world that is about to change. Regain yourself. Join us. You will raise high in our ranks, even higher than me.’
I glared at him, unable to believe what he had just said. ‘How can you believe I would join forces with Vakros after what he did?’
‘I don't. As I said, Vakros is coming to an end. Join Cleas. Join those of us who want to end this war for good.’
His words almost rendered me speechless. I would have heard if such discontent filled Vakros’s ranks. ‘Cleas intends to turn against Vakros? You believe that he has the power to win such a battle? Vakros’s abilities outshine those of even Malachi.’
‘That may be so. However, Vakros’s madness makes him weak, and if we stand united, we can beat him.’ He took a step towards me, unable to sense my growing rage. I delved inside, clamping every sentiment down, becoming calm. I needed to know everything. I brought my mentors words to mind: Focus on the goal, Santea. Always focus on the goal and keep those pesky emotions buried so deep inside you’re at risk of losing them completely. A cold veil flowed over my thoughts, tempering the rage within, and I dropped my arms down, forcing my back and fists to unclench. I watched my opponent, relaxed, hoping to appear thoughtful. ‘When do you plan to take control?’
‘Cleas promises that it will be within the next few years. Just think, we will finally be the dominant species again, free not to hide from the humans.’
‘How do you plan to do it?’ I fought to keep the veil in place and my mind on the prize; the information I could get from him. The nagging suspicion needed to wait.
Layton shrugged and smiled. I thought I had taught him better, to rely on senses other than sight. He had obviously forgotten his training.
‘Cleas has a plan,’ he said. ‘Unfortunately, I'm not privy to all the details. Our numbers are growing, though. There are others of similar thinking.’
The nagging suspicion slipped from my lips before the idea fully formed in my mind. ‘How did you manage to survive?’ I wanted him to give me a plausible explanation for his continued life. I needed it. ‘Vakros knew that you were an undercover operative. Why did he not kill you?�
�
‘You survived when he found out.’
Grief threatened to swallow me whole. I had spent many long nights wishing Vakros had taken my life. ‘He killed my family in punishment. I live for his amusement, to suffer my loss knowing that I could not save them.’
‘Join us,’ Layton said. ‘We could use people such as yourself.’
I fought against rising memories and focused on him. ‘How did you survive?’
‘Does it matter?’
‘You had no family for him to murder, so how did he punish you?’
Layton studied me, the air between us heavy and loaded with suspicion. ‘He didn't. I proved that I was willing to leave everything behind.’
Rage crept in, overpowering the raw grief I still carried for my loved ones. ‘How?’
Layton circled me. I remained unable to move. Rage fuelled every fibre of me, yet I could not turn to face the person I had once loved as a brother.
Layton faced me once more. ‘Ask the real question.’
I met his stare without hesitation, wanting to see the man who had destroyed my life. I asked the question I already knew the answer to. ‘Was it you? Did you inform him of me? Did you give him my family?’
‘Ahh, you finally get it. You always were sharp.’ His lips quirked into a small smile.
Something tore in me. It took all my willpower not to roar the pain his words caused. ‘How could you? You were as a brother to me. I trained you in everything you know.’
‘You did. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. In fact, if it hadn't been for your training, particular skills that you have shared with few, I doubt Vakros would have been interested in keeping me around. It wasn’t an easy decision, but Vakros needed a worthy sacrifice.’
I stared at him, my fists clenched, steeling me against the fresh agony. My words came out in a hiss, carrying the brunt of my rage and pain. ‘You killed my son. Clara and Haydon…you killed them both.’
Layton stepped back, his eyes widening with fear as he comprehended his imminent death. It was about time. ‘Don’t you see? Without them, you can be anything. They were nothing more than a hindrance. Now you can reach your true potential.’
He was truly insane. I had no wish to hear more. I darted closer and sunk my dagger into his chest. Layton brought his weapon up to strike, but I knocked it out of his hand. Too easy. He was unpractised. I straddled him as he choked on his own blood, my rage boiling in my head, needing to hurt him. I twisted the dagger. Layton coughed, spraying a mist of blood over my face. I twisted the dagger further. I needed his agony. It was the only thing that would keep the grief at bay. Death.
‘Wait.’ Ana stumbled over and dropped beside Layton, drawing me from my trance. My rage dimmed as I took in the way she fought to remain conscious, her eyes slipping out of focus. She held a dagger in her hand. ‘You should know,’ she said in a coarse whisper, ‘Ora was the one who helped me escape.’
Layton’s face twisted into a silent snarl, and he reached up to grab her. I twisted the dagger again, pushing it deeper into him, watching the blood flow from the wound until he choked one more time and died. My grief remained as intense as it had moments before, and the loss of my loved ones weighed me down.
Ana collapsed onto her back, her eyes unfocused. She could not die. I had made a promise to Gabriel. I left my weapon in Layton and leant over her, determined to use Gabriel as the reason I feared for her.
‘I'm sorry.’ Her eyes rolled back in her head.
‘We will discuss it later.’
She sighed with frustration. I almost smiled at the normality of it. ‘Your son,’ she said. ‘Your wife…’ She coughed blood. ‘The siis, Ora, she is okay. That’s why…’ Her voice faded, and her eyes lost the battle and fluttered closed.
I inhaled, filling my lungs and paused before releasing my breath. I needed to control my rage and anguish to heal her. My insides were a churning mess of confusion and pain, yet I had no choice but to control it. If I continued to delay, she would die.
I sat on the ground, my old student and friend dead to one side, a semi-conscious witch to the other, and Ana, young human Ana, who could find danger in a nursery, cradled on my lap. How many times had I knocked her down while training? How many times had I goaded her to quit before she got hurt? And how many times had she gotten back up, given me that stubborn glare where she jutted her chin out and said some quip about how she had let me win? Young, hot-headed, disaster-prone, human Ana.
I brushed hair from her face revealing a purple bruise and a swollen ear. Anger rippled through me again, but I pulled it in, forcing myself to calm. Studying the multiple injuries she had sustained did not help. How she had made it so far was a mystery.
Once composed enough I focused on her injuries, the half-eaten arm first. I had seen the carcass of the prehistoric wolf her opponent had taken. Again, I marvelled at how she had survived.
I had just finished healing her arm when Maria shouted, ‘Look out!’
I tried to turn, to protect my back, but Ana’s limp body hindered me. I turned with her still lying across my legs, my dagger up but useless at the angle I sat. A dark figure loomed over me, their weapon already arching towards me.
My attacker arched, blue energy bouncing over their skin, the dagger still gripped in their hand but flailing uselessly out of reach. Another blue sphere hit the attacker as I rolled Ana off me. I leapt to my feet, more than ready to kill. Before I could react, the tip of a blade protruded through my attacker’s chest and sliced up. She dropped to the ground, dead.
Maria towered over the body, her hand thick with fresh blood, her eyes exhausted. Her weapon slipped from her fingers and clattered on the ground.
I dipped my head with mixed feeling for what I needed to do. I held my dagger out to her. ‘I owe you a debt for saving my life.’
She looked down on me with her lip curled as she cradled her arm to her chest. ‘What the bloody hell am I going to do with a dagger?’ She flopped to the ground and lay on her back, looking up at the sky. She rolled over to face me where I still knelt with my dagger ready to defend.
‘For god’s sake!’ Exhausted or not, the witch had fire in her. ‘Park your ass, will you. That was a bitch of a fight and I need a rest. Ana okay?’
I nodded and sat down, taking her advice and resting for a moment. The fight had been short for me. What I had learnt would haunt me for a much longer.
‘Of course she’s out cold.’ Maria flopped onto her back. ‘It’s just like her to sleep through the fight.’ She rolled onto her side to stare at me, her expression soft for the first time in my presence. ‘Sorry about your family. How long ago were they murdered?’
I considered ignoring her, it would not be far out of character for me. She continued to watch me until I sighed in resignation; it would be rude to ignore her after she saved my life. ‘Five years.’
‘That’s tough. You want to talk about it?’
I gave her a quizzical look. ‘With you?’
She scowled. With her face grey from soot, it looked more comical than menacing. ‘Suit yourself. I don’t want to hear about your crappy problems anyway.’
‘Maria…’
She rolled onto her back, glaring at the sky. ‘What?’
‘Thank you.’
The animosity drained from her. ‘No problem.’ She waved the dagger at me like it was an extension of her hand before she dropped it to ground, too exhausted to keep it raised. ‘And don’t you be telling anyone what happened here, now. I can’t have my reputation ruined for saving your life.’
I smiled despite myself. ‘We cannot allow that.’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I pitched forwards, cracking my face off the cracked road. ‘Crap!’ I screamed, pressing my hand to my face. I was still in the wasteland of my mind; what a dismal place it was.
The charred remains no longer creeped me out. Now when I looked at them, my heart ached with sadness. Were they a symbol of the people I had lost and conti
nued to put in risk? Or were they a representation of the horror to come?
I dabbed my cheek with my sleeve, wincing as it pressed some grit deeper into my skin.
On the plus side, I didn’t retch. Maybe I’d gotten used to my little trips down other people’s memory lane, Adam’s been the last one, or maybe retching was a side effect of killing in cold blood. I had better get used to it as murder was the starring attraction in the world that was Cleas, open every day all day, in the evenings and at weekends. I had a V.I.P. ticket just for me, with the added bonus of seeing and feeling every crazy-ass, screwed up, psychotic thing.
I screamed up at the cloudy, grey sky. ‘It’s a shitty train to frickin’ hell!’
I jumped out of my skin when my name was whispered through the still air, for a moment convinced that the devil had answered me back, wanting to know what problem I had with his train.
‘You’re losing it, Ana.’ I leant against a husk of a truck, waiting for Adam to speak again. ‘All we need is Harvey to turn up with something nice to say and I am definitely on the crazy train.’ I giggled and slapped my hand over my mouth, holding it in. What was my sudden fascination with trains?
‘Ana? Can you hear me?’
‘Yeah, yeah.’ I pulled a hanging side mirror from a half-crushed car. ‘But if someone doesn’t get me out of here soon, I might be coming back with a few more personalities in my head.’ I spat on the glass and wiped it with the bottom of my top. ‘And I'm not talking about the Siis kind.’ I spat on the glass again and continued wiping. ‘I'm talking about the “Ana’s lost her frickin’ mind and Harvey brought some friends to stay” kind of crazy.’
After much scrubbing, I cleared the glass enough to see my face. As I’d suspected, three balls of grit were embedded under my skin. The city was meant to be a construct of my mind, but any control I’d had before, had gone when the first fog enveloped me.
Noble Lies Page 18
