Palace of Moonlight

by Payton Taylor

  Guilt warred with satisfaction as he heard the sound of her retching.

  She stayed outside, away from him, until hours later when he heard the sounds of the others' footsteps approaching.

  Chapter 15

  Leo

  Writhia, 5220

  The Wastes

  "Are you sure this is the place?" Leo asked as they neared a tiny makeshift shelter several hours after Noelani had run away from them. The place was so tiny he didn't see how Westin could even fit inside.

  "No, this is just the guest house, he's in the mansion down the lane," Jo retorted sarcastically, causing him to grin.

  He found himself smiling more often now that they were friends again.

  Jo had tracked Noelani's mind through the Wastes and they had walked for hours, trying to catch up. Leo's strength was waning from keeping them invisible for so long.

  The rest of their group followed close behind them, weapons at the ready. Though Leo had kept them invisible for most of their journey, that hadn't stopped some creatures from catching their scent and attacking. They'd had to stop at least five or six times to fight creatures that Leo had never seen before.

  Thank the gods for Seren, he thought.

  If not for the tracker and his uncanny knowledge of different types of wildlife, Leo was sure they would be dead.

  As it was, they were much more battered than he'd anticipated, especially Khione and Marzanna. Khione had a large bruise on her forehead from a nasty fall and Marzanna was currently limping due to a twisted ankle.

  Seren, Kian, and Zahra had surprised him. When the first creatures had attacked, long reptiles that spit poison with deadly accuracy, the three of them had fallen into position as if they'd fought together a thousand times. They had left a trail of slaughtered creatures behind them.

  The scent of the lizards' slick black blood lingered in Leo's nostrils, a reminder of all the animals he had killed. He hadn't wanted to hurt so many, but Seren had told them that these were an aggressive species that had already developed a taste for human blood. Killing them had been their only choice.

  What had shocked him most, however, was Jo. She had drawn her blades and attacked with a cold determination that Leo had never seen from her before. She had been a whirl of flashing steel and spraying blood, and when it was over, she had only a small burn on her hand from some of the reptiles' poison.

  She picked at the burn now as they walked, but she dropped her hand as they neared the hut. Her eyes lost focus as she spoke to her sister through their thoughts.

  As they got closer, Noelani finally came into view. She was sitting outside, her back leaning against the wall of the shelter. She was staring off into the distance, not even noticing them when Leo dropped the invisibility. Leo had thought they would have enjoyed all of their alone time together waiting for the others to arrive, but she didn't look as if she had enjoyed it.

  He looked over to Jo, whose eyes were still distant, still conversing with her sister, mind to mind.

  After a few minutes, Noelani finally sighed and stood up. She nodded her head at the doorway, "He's inside."

  Then she spoke in their minds. Whatever you’re expecting, it’s worse. Be careful.

  Leo swallowed. He hadn't been expecting anything pretty to begin with.

  Cautiously, the group moved inside. The first thing Leo noticed was the splinters of shattered wood as if something had broken.

  Wow, their reunion really didn’t go as planned. I’m guessing that’s not a headboard they broke.

  Before his eyes could find Westin, Westin was on him, his hand gripping Leo by the throat as he lifted him and slammed him against the wall.

  "Traitor," he gritted out, his eyes full of so much hatred that Leo knew it couldn't all possibly be directed at him.

  Leo couldn't get past the change in Westin. His face had always been stoic but now it was severe. Covered in scars, the hollows of his cheeks deep in shadow.

  Leo looked to Noelani, "Didn't you tell him?" he wheezed.

  But Noelani was busy holding back Kian and Seren, keeping them from charging Westin with their weapons drawn. Marzanna and Khione stood to the side, panic written across their faces.

  Zahra slowly reached for her bolas.

  "No!" Jo ran forward, trying to peer around Westin's shoulder to see Leo. She tried to keep her voice calm, but there was still a frantic tremor to it, "Westin, listen to me, Leo did not betray us that night. It wasn't his fault."

  Westin's grip only tightened in response. "Wouldn't. . . if I were. . . you," Leo choked out. He pressed the dagger he had drawn when Westin had lifted him closer to Westin's neck.

  Westin blinked, only just realizing it was there.

  Then he bared his teeth in a feral grin, "Do it." He pushed his neck forward a bit, causing the knife to prick his skin. A small drop of blood rolled down his throat. "It'll match all my others."

  Shit, he’s lost it, Leo thought. He was starting to feel light-headed from the lack of oxygen.

  Jo came closer, standing right beside Westin. "Let him go, or I'll make you."

  "No!" Now it was Noelani who ran forward. "Jo, don't! Westin, I know you hate me right now, but she's telling the truth. If it wasn't for Leo, none of us would even be here right now!"

  Some of the heat seemed to die in Westin's eyes.

  Leo jumped at his chance. He met Westin's gaze directly. "Your family. . . is safe."

  Westin's grip slackened. Leo saw the change come over him as he accepted the truth. Summoning his Gift, Leo loosened his molecules, his body sliding through Westin's hands until his feet hit the floor.

  Feeling a trickle, Leo quickly swiped his thumb under his nose, wiping away the blood. He had been using his Gift far too much today.

  Jo gaped at him. "Really, Leo? You couldn't have done that at the beginning?"

  Leo shrugged, rubbing his hand across his throat. "What can I say, I live for the drama." He grinned before lowering his voice, "Besides, running would have just made me look guiltier. He needed to see it for himself."

  Jo stared at him for a moment, the emotion in her eyes hard to read. It made him uncomfortable.

  He looked around the tiny room. "Nice place you got here, Wes," he said, turning to look at Westin.

  To Leo's surprise, Westin barked out a laugh. "You should see my summer home. In the back, there's a beautiful Lykka nest and if you're lucky they'll eat you quickly instead of slowly."

  Not wanting to bring back Scary Westin, Leo went with it. "You'll have to get me your land agent's contact information."

  Someone cleared their throat and Leo turned to find everyone staring at them as if they'd lost their minds. "As romantic as all of this is," Khione said, "Can we leave now?"

  "My sentiments exactly," Westin muttered.

  Jo let out a gasp and they turned to see her with that slightly distracted look she got when she was in someone's mind. She was staring in horror at Seren and Noelani, whose eyes both glowed with a pale green light. Then everyone gasped.

  "They're having a vision," Kian said. "No one touch Seren."

  Seren spoke, his voice distorted like a gravelly echo.

  "We must go south."

  With that, the light faded, and Noelani and Seren both stumbled a bit, trying to get their bearings.

  Jo and Noelani looked at each other, their expressions full of heartbreak as they simultaneously whispered, "Fuck."

  Marzanna stepped forward, rubbing Noelani's back soothingly. "Are you alright?"

  "No," Noelani said, straightening. "And if we don't go south, none of us will be."

  A muscle in Kian's cheek twitched. "Then south we go."

  Seren stepped forward to rub Kian's back the way

  Marzanna had for Noelani. Kian gave Seren a smile, which Leo was beginning to realize was rare for him.

  "Anyone want to clue us in?" Leo asked, his concern growing by the minute.

  "There are two possible futures," Seren said. "Only one can come true."
/>
  "There's a darkness in the south," Noelani spoke up, "if we stay and face it, we live."

  "If we go home now, though," Jo interjected, "everyone dies."

  Marzanna gaped, "All of us?"

  Jo shook her head. "No, everyone."

  Noelani shuddered as she reached for her hair and began tying it into tiny knots. "There were dead bodies everywhere. Something killed them."

  "The darkness in the south killed them," Seren said, "because we didn't stop it."

  "Well, why is it up to us?" Leo asked.

  He looked at Jo and her sister and then to Westin.

  They’ve been through enough.

  "Because I had the vision," Seren said simply. "His visions are never wrong," Zahra said. She moved forward as if trying to shield Seren's significantly taller body with her short form.

  Seren sighed and stepped away from her as if he expected this sort of thing from her.

  Everyone looked to Westin, the one who had been there for over nine months.

  Emotions played over his face like images on a screen. Rage. Fear. Hopelessness.

  He wiped a tired hand over his face and walked out of the hut.

  Everyone looked at each other before moving as one to follow him until Noelani stopped them.

  "Stop. Give him time."

  They slumped.

  Leo slid down the wall to sit on the ground. "Next time we go on vacation, I'm picking the destination."

  They all groaned before joining him on the floor.

  "By the way," he said quietly as Jo sat next to him, nudging her shoulder with his, "thanks for coming to my rescue earlier." He placed a hand against his heart, "My hero."

  That got a smile out of her.

  Though he'd said it as a joke, Leo realized it was the first time in a long time someone had stood up for him.

  After a while, Westin came back, angry but resigned. "When do we leave?"

  Chapter 16

  Jo

  Writhia, 5220

  The Wastes

  Jo couldn't sleep. They had decided to stay and get some rest before heading out, and the group was currently spread across the floor of Westin's shelter, pressed together uncomfortably. Jo lay between Sunny and Marzanna, her sister's elbow wedged into her ribs. The latter's soft breath tickled Jo's neck with every exhale.

  How did Westin survive here? she wondered.

  She was exhausted after one day and he had been there for over nine months. No wonder he was changed. Who wouldn't be?

  She hadn't really known him before, but Sunny had told her about him. She'd spoken of Westin softly, telling Jo about how strong and gentle he was. Her stories were nothing like the man they'd found.

  She could vaguely hear his footsteps outside as he paced around the perimeter, too wired to sleep.

  To top off her exhaustion, she couldn't stop thinking about Seren's vision. Flashes of it kept replaying in her head.

  When the vision had started, Sunny had seen it too, her Gift tapping into Seren's ability and showing her what he saw. And Jo, her mind synced with her sister's, had witnessed it as well.

  The vision had shown them a map of Writhia drawn on old, frayed parchment. The south of the Wastes was covered in darkness. Jo couldn't see what lay behind the darkness, but she could sense it. Ancient. Evil.

  In the vision, Jo had witnessed the group as if from a distance, entering the darkness and coming out the other side, bloodied but breathing.

  Then, the scene seemed to rewind, and she saw them leave. As they boarded Ayven's ship, the darkness had grown, stretching to cover all of Writhia. It spread and spread, enveloping Jo as she watched, and she saw it leave death in its wake.

  She saw her friends and family among the dead.

  Asteria. Khione. Marzanna. Seren. Kian and Zahra. Westin. Leo.

  Her sister's pale, unseeing eyes flashed through her mind and she clenched her hands, squeezing her eyes tight until she saw bright flashes of light against the black.

  But even that wasn't the worst of it.

  Piles of dead bodies littered Writhia, and at the top of the tallest pile sat a dark, formless presence. It radiated a bone-chilling cold that left her shivering, hours later, in the damp heat of the Wastes.

  Jo closed her eyes tightly and listened to the thumping of large insects hitting the outside of the hut.

  When she finally slept, she dreamed of a dark shadow chasing her. When it caught her, it opened its mouth to reveal millions of writhing insects.

  *****

  "Are we there yet?" Leo asked for the tenth time, causing Khione to glare at him murderously.

  "Say it again, Cassavant, and I'll skewer you on an icicle, spymaster or not," she practically snarled when she spoke.

  They were all testy after a night of little sleep on the hard ground. Even Marzanna was subdued as she stared ahead. None of them wanted to be there, especially Westin, who hadn't spoken a word since sunrise.

  He led their group, and Sunny kept her eyes on his back. Jo could practically feel her gaze trace over his scars, over and over again. Her shields were up, locking Jo out, something she hadn't done in months.

  Jo wanted to help, but she wasn't sure how. Westin had a right to be angry, and Sunny had a reason to feel guilty. Jo only hoped they didn't dwell on it. She hoped they moved on instead of letting it fester.

  The only person who didn't seem miserable was Seren. He whispered quietly to Kian and Zahra as they walked, telling them about the different flora and fauna they came across. Every now and then, when they stopped for a moment, he would pick up a leaf, twirling it between his fingers. After a moment of consideration, he would either drop it back on the ground or put it in a pocket of his backpack. Jo wondered what he was saving them for.

  They were visible at the moment. Sunny and Leo had decided it was too taxing to keep everyone invisible all the time, so they only did so when they heard people or animals approaching.

  "Can we rest a moment?" Marzanna asked. Her face was streaked with sweat and dirt.

  They all agreed and sat down, leaning against various tree trunks. They were still in the jungle part of the Wastes that lined the river on both sides. If they crossed the river and headed east, across the short mountain range, they would eventually reach the desert.

  Jo sighed and leaned against a large boulder, checking it for bugs first. She took a sip from her canteen. They had to conserve their water for as long as possible to keep from having to take some from the river.

  "How long have we been walking?" Khione asked. They all kept their contacts off to save the battery so they could contact Ayven when they needed to.

  "Five hours and twelve minutes," Kian said, "give or take a few seconds."

  Khione arched a brow, "That's awfully specific." "Kian's a Tempo. Time is his Gift," Zahra said, brushing a hand through her sweat-soaked hair.

  "Wait, so you can stop time? Reverse it?" Khione asked, her eyes now alert.

  Kian snorted, "Maybe if I was stronger. My Gift is extremely weak. I've never been able to manipulate time. The most I've ever been able to do is know what time it is, down to the second." He lowered his eyes, "So weak that my Mark is barely a dot."

  Khione slumped a little as whatever idea she had been forming vanished.

  Zahra patted his shoulder soothingly. "Gifts aren't everything. When it comes to being a strong person, they mean next to nothing."

  Jo found herself nodding. As strong as her Gift was, it wasn't the reason she had been able to survive. Her sister and her own fortitude were what had kept Jo going. The Gift was just a bonus that sometimes seemed more like a curse.

  You're a curse , a voice whispered in the back of her mind, causing Jo to tense. She glanced around the group, but everyone stared ahead, exhaustion slowing their every move.

  I need a nap.

  "I'm going to, uh, use the privy," Marzanna said, bringing Jo out of her self-deprecating thoughts, and felt the urge to snicker at how polite she remained even in the most law
less land in Writhia.

  She headed into the trees a little and Jo closed her eyes.

  Suddenly, a high-pitched shriek cut through the air.

  It had come from the direction Marzanna had gone.

  As one, they all stood, rushing to find Marzanna. A little ways away, they found her and Jo gasped.

  Marzanna was half-submerged in the dirt, only the top half of her body visible. Her fingers clawed lines in the dirt as she tried to pull herself out. She let out another scream as her body was yanked another few inches deeper.

  "Something has me!" she shouted, "Something reached through the dirt and grabbed me!"

  A vine whipped its way over to her and she grabbed it. The vine began retreating, pulling Marzanna with it, but her control over it was slipping due to her frantic state.

  "Help her!" Sunny shouted, bending to grasp the vine in both hands. She yanked on it and Marzanna flew forward, her body reemerging up to her thighs. Westin walked over and grabbed hold as well, and together they pulled, muscles straining.

  Whatever had a hold of Marzanna put up a fight, but Sunny and Westin were stronger, and within seconds she was free. Angry, red scratch marks marred the skin of her calves where the creature had ripped through her suit.

  Jo let out a sigh of relief.

  Her relief was short-lived as Kian and Zahra each let out a surprised yell as half of their bodies disappeared, being pulled down into the dirt.

  Jo took a step forward to help, but something grabbed her ankle, yanking her downward. The dirt seemed to loosen around her body, allowing her to be pulled deeper.

  Frantically, she reached out with her mind, looking for whatever had her. What she found were animalistic thoughts, simple and stubborn, too primal for her to control.

  Westin had a grip on Kian's arms, trying to pull him out while Sunny did the same with Zahra.

  Khione let out a shriek as she was pulled under too, and Marzanna rushed forward, commanding vines to wrap around Khione's shoulders.

  Seren took a step toward Jo, but gasped as he was pulled down as well, sinking up to his shoulders.

  "Seph!" Jo looked up to find Leo running toward her. Something grabbed Leo's foot, but he used his Gift to slip through and he rushed over to Jo.