by Hanna Peach
He winced. “Careful.”
“Oh, Jordan,” Alyx said, pulling back to study his bruised face. “What have they done to you?”
“I’m okay. A bit worse for wear, but we’re okay. Tobias, Lukas, Luce, but,” Jordan’s face dropped, “Marin and...”
Alyx shook her head. “No, Marin’s okay. Barely. He made it to Cajatambo and they brought him back to Aradale.”
Jordan let out a breath, relief obvious on his face. “Thank God.” His face was serious again. “And Omniya and Fernando?”
“What? I don’t know. We haven’t heard back from the swallows we sent to the local communities of Saudi and Florence.”
Jordan slumped. “Samyara said he left one of us at every site as a warning to you about how serious he is.”
Alyx felt her skin grow cold. One from each site. “Where are you?”
“I don’t know. We were blindfolded. Somewhere dark. A cellar of some sort. It smells damp and sour, like overripe grapes. But...I don’t have much time. I’ve been sent here with a message. Samyara wants to trade. All of our lives...for Israel.”
“Never.” It slipped out of Alyx’s mouth before she could stop it. She could see a new pain in Jordan’s eyes. She had instinctively chosen Israel over him, over all of them. Alyx wished she could crawl into the earth and let it swallow her.
“I know you can’t give him up. He is connected to the prophecy. The mere fact that Samyara wants him so badly tells you that you can’t let Samyara have him. With his half-demon blood and mortal blood...they would be so close to having their keye. You can’t give him up.”
“No.” Alyx shook her head. “There has to be another way. We’ll rescue you.”
“There’s no time, even if I could tell you where we were. Samyara wants an answer in one hour.”
“But then...” she couldn’t say the words...but then you’ll die.
“These are tough choices we have to make, Alyx. We must consider the greater good. I have already spoken to Tobias and Lukas and Luce. We all agree.”
“No. I won’t let you. There must be another way.”
Jordan touched her face, his eyes bore into hers. “Alyx, do what you have to do. I promise, I won’t blame you or hate you for it.” He leaned down and touched his lips to hers, barely a flutter. It felt like a goodbye kiss.
Then he faded into mist.
Chapter 39
The swallows had returned carrying bittersweet news. Omniya had been found near the Saudi community and Fernando had made his way back to Florence. Both were in bad shape, but at least they were alive.
In Tobias’s office, there was a silence when Alyx finished telling Dianne, Israel, Ana and Vix what Jordan had said to her. Alyx could see the depth of pain etched on each of their faces. She couldn’t bear to look at any of them, especially Ana. Ana collapsed to the table with a wail that hit Alyx right in the stomach.
“No,” cried Dianne standing up so violently that her chair clattered to the floor. “You’re lying. They would never give up their lives for him.” Dianne glared at Israel when she said him. “You would give up these good Seraphim’s lives for the sake of your lover?”
“No,” cried Alyx. “I’m telling the truth.”
“No. We won’t let them die,” said Dianne. “We’ll exchange this half-blood for their lives.”
“We can’t give up Israel,” said Alyx quietly.
“Why the hell not?” Dianne snapped. “You would value his life over the lives of four Seraphim?”
“He’s a link to the Blood Prophecies.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass.” Dianne turned to Vix. “Vix? What do you say? Will you throw away Tobias’s life? Will you cut off Jordan’s life? Jordan who has kept this community safe for so long? Will you look at Ana, Ana who has given up so much of her time and care for this community, and tell her that you are condemning her husband to death? That you are taking away the father of her boy?”
Vix leaned her face forward and placed her forehead in her hands. The strain of this decision was clear on her face.
“You should give me up,” Israel spoke up. “I can’t be responsible for the lives of so many.”
“No!” Alyx cried.
“I’m sorry,” Vix said. She lifted her fingers from her face. “If Israel is offering... I can’t let Tobias and the others die.”
Alyx sank into her chair. “There has to be another way,” she said quietly. “There has to be a way to save them all.”
Chapter 40
Samyara sat motionless in his chair as two bulky Darkened stood on either side of him. The chair, generously padded with a high back, was out of place down here in the dark and dank wine cellar of this mansion, but Samyara had insisted on bringing it down here while he waited for the DreamWalker to wake with the answer to his proposition. No need for him to wait in discomfort, was there?
Samyara watched the Seraphim’s breathing become shallower. Then his eyes blinked as he awoke from his unnatural sleep.
“Well?” Samyara said, scowling with impatience.
The seraph looked disoriented as he pushed himself off the cold stone floor into a sitting position, his shackles clanking as he moved. He turned his head so that he was now looking at Samyara. His other Seraphim friends also had their eyes trained on him.
“She said yes. She agreed to meet tonight for the exchange. The Remembrance Park, Saint Joseph. Three a.m.”
“The devil’s hour. How fitting.”
“She agreed to have two there for the exchange and only two.”
“Excellent.” Samyara was already rubbing his fingers together.
“There is one extra condition.”
Samyara growled low in his throat. This was his negotiation, not hers. Annoying girl. “What?”
“They want Adere as well.”
“Adere? What does she want with Adere?” To gain his secrets? To torture information out of her? The location of his current base?
“It’s actually not her condition. It’s his.”
“His?”
“Israel refuses to cooperate unless you hand Adere over. He still wants to save her soul.”
“He wants to save her soul.” A little smile began to creep across his face. “Oh how touchingly disgusting. See,” Samyara turned to the Darkened next to him, “this is why we are far more evolved than these wretched humans. This is what happens when you care about other people. They become your weakness. Save her soul. Ha.”
Samyara stood up and brushed down his pale blue linen suit jacket. “Tell her that he can have his little Adere.” Fat good it will do him.
* * *
Back in his den, Samyara called for Passar.
“You wanted to see me?” Passar asked when he entered the room.
“Leave us.” Samyara commanded to the Darkened at his side. For a moment they didn’t move. They had never left him alone with the traitor. Samyara snapped his fingers in impatience. “Well, go on then.”
Hesitantly they left the room saying that they would just be outside.
“Have a seat,” said Samyara to Passar. “I’m not going to bite. Not today, anyway.”
Samyara watched, mildly amused at the traitor’s nervousness as he perched himself on the edge of his seat. It was always good for your underlings to retain a healthy dose of fear around you.
“I have a task for you,” Samyara began. “Tonight I am making an exchange. In exchange for Israel I will give them back the prisoners that we captured and Adere. Incredibly generous on my part, don’t you think? When we make the swap, I need you to be in hiding over on their side. Once we have Israel and they have Adere, I need you to kill her.”
“What?” Passar said. “But why?”
“They want to turn her back. If they succeed, the human Adere will give them all the information on us. We can’t risk her giving away our secrets. And once I have him, I don’t need her anymore.”
“Why don’t you get one of the Darkened to do it?”
�
��It isn’t your place to ask me ‘why’.”
“This isn’t part of the deal.”
“If you successfully kill Adere, I shall deem you to have met your contract conditions.”
Passar’s mouth parted and Samyara could see the glint in the traitor’s eyes. He knew this seraph could almost taste his own freedom. Fool.
Samyara smiled. “So you’ll do it then?”
Chapter 41
Passar shifted in his spot high up in the branches of a tree in Remembrance Park. Through the leaves he could see that the four prisoners were already kneeling in a row. Each prisoner had a small rough sack covering their heads. Their hands were tied behind their backs and strung together. Behind them stood Adere and another four Darkened; he only knew the largest Darkened’s name as Bostif. A way behind them was Samyara.
In the distance the clock chimed three times. Moments later three figures appeared in the sky over the trees and made their way down to the park. Their feet crunched on the ground as they touched down in front of the prisoners. Passar recognized Israel. He was being held by Alyx and another seraphelle that he didn’t recognize. She had brown hair past her shoulders and watery eyes. Passar frowned. This mystery seraphelle didn’t carry herself as a warrior, her eyes darted too much and she looked nervous. Why would Alyx bring her?
“I was beginning to fear that you had changed your mind,” Samyara called, his voice seeming to echo across the divide.
Israel leaned towards the second seraphelle and whispered something.
“I thought we said to come with only two,” the unknown woman called out. Her voice betrayed her nerves, though the woman tried very hard not to let them show. Strange that it wasn’t Alyx who was speaking.
“Darling, come on,” Samyara held out his hands to the side with an air of light-hearted causality. “Seven of you and three of us? Hardly equal numbers.”
Israel whispered to the mystery seraphelle before she spoke again. “Fine. But we need to see the faces of the prisoners before we trade.”
Samyara nodded at Adere. Adere began to remove the sacks on the heads of the four kneeling prisoners. Bostif and the other Darkened remained standing where they were.
So Alyx really was going through with it. Passar hadn’t believed that she would have accepted the trade. If it was him and he had to trade Elijah for all the world, he couldn’t do it. He could be happy in Hell as long as he had Elijah. A pang of sadness shot through him as he thought about Elijah. He just had to kill Adere. Then his side of the bargain was complete. She was a Darkened anyway. Never mind that Israel believed he had found a way to save her soul.
Passar pushed away at the gnawing guilt that seemed to be his constant companion these days. His only companion. A companion that got harder and harder to ignore as the days went by.
“You’ve seen their faces,” Samyara called out when the last sack had been removed. “Now here’s what will happen. Adere will walk them over to your side as Israel walks to ours. Nice and easy. Let’s keep this exchange civil, shall we?”
Adere walked over to stand behind the prisoner closest to her, a younger seraphelle who Passar had heard being called Luce on the far left of the line of prisoners. Adere yanked Luce to standing, the movement pulling at the ropes of the seraph called Jordan who was tied beside her. Adere placed the sharp edge of a Black Stone blade against Luce’s exposed neck.
“Now,” Adere hissed, “everybody moves nice and slow or this youngling gets it.” The line of prisoners stood up awkwardly. “Don’t even think about trying anything. I don’t mind making a mess.”
They began to walk forward slowly. Israel stepped forward as well. Passar eyed Alyx, who hadn’t moved, although she watched Israel’s progress across the invisible line between the sides. If not for the other seraphelle who refused to let go of Alyx’s arm, she may have rushed forward to pull him back.
As Adere and Israel passed each other Adere blew him a kiss. “Hello, lover.”
Israel returned her look with a glare. But he kept walking, his focus back on Samyara. As Israel walked deeper into the enemy’s side, the Darkened moved to surround him, blades focused at his torso, until they circled him.
“Hold it right there,” Bostif said. “Throw down your sword.”
Israel pulled his sheath from his belt and held it out to the side, the pommel resting lightly between two fingers. Then he dropped the weapon onto the ground.
“And the hidden blades, too.” Israel grimaced and pulled a small dagger from the back of his pants. “And the other one.” Another appeared from the inside of his boot. Each fell to the ground with a thud. One of the Darkened kicked the weapons away.
Samyara nodded at one of the Darkened guarding Israel. In several long strides the Darkened was behind Adere, his sword at her back.
“Adere,” called out Samyara. “Be a dear and throw down your weapon and hand yourself over.”
The Darkened behind her poked the tip of his sword at her back to emphasize this command. Adere flinched and glanced over her shoulder at Samyara, disbelief written all over her face. “What?”
“You heard me, darling. Now give up your weapon and hand yourself over. You were part of the deal.”
Adere continued to gape. Passar felt a little sorry for her.
“But...” The strength seemed to leave Adere’s arms and her sword faltered at Luce’s neck. That was all Luce needed. She thrust her head back, head-butting Adere in the nose. Adere cried out, her arms flailing.
“Duck, Luce!” Jordan called out and he kicked out over Luce’s bent body towards Adere’s hand. Her blade flew from her fingers to the grass.
The sword remained at Adere’s back. Adere held her nose, which was now pouring blood, the growl from the inner-demon rolling with anger.
Samyara tsked. “If you had only disarmed yourself, you could have avoided that.” Samyara nodded at Israel. “Tie him up and let’s go.”
One of the Darkened sheathed his sword, pulled a length of rope from his hip and advanced on Israel.
Passar looked back at Adere. At that moment, the Darkened was standing in the way of a clear throw. No matter. He would soon get a clear shot. He readied his knife.
* * *
Alyx tensed as part of her fought to stay in control. Not five minutes ago she had almost lost control of herself and lashed out at Adere.
“Hello, lover,” Adere had said. That tone. That proprietary tone. It made Alyx’s skin roll with fire. It was difficult to control herself when she also had to control all of these other desires and ignore this extra voice in her head. Her ribs itched like crazy under her shirt. It had been dangerous playing with undiluted blood. But what choice had they had?
Moloko’s panic flooded through her. Hide, you need to hide. Alyx quashed the desire to fly into the sky.
Alyx forced herself to stand her ground even as the Black Stone blades held her in place with their steely fingers, and over her shoulder a Darkened was walking towards her with rope. Alyx eyed the blade tips once more. And readied herself.
The rope went over her head as the Darkened pressed up behind her. She heard his startled voice when he saw through the mirage, “What the−?”
“Now,” cried Alyx as she let go of her mirage. Israel’s form slipped off her. She kicked out at the blade on her left, then using that momentum, she rolled her torso around, pulling the Darkened behind her into the path of the other two blades. She heard Samyara growl in anger as Vix and their small group of Seraphim, made up of other warriors from the Florence, Saudi and Lima communities, appeared out of the trees and from the sky. The Darkened seemed to forget about Alyx and turned towards the oncoming Seraphim with their Black Swords. The ring of metal echoed through the park.
Alyx flipped up and twisted over the Darkened behind her, managing to twist him up in her ropes. She glanced back towards Israel and Moloko. Israel had pulled forward from Moloko’s grasp, breaking his mirage so that he no longer wore her image. He was tussling with Adere.
/> Vix and another Seraphim were working at the ropes binding the four prisoners, yelling at Moloko to help them. Moloko moved forward towards Tobias, who was on the other end of the line.
Alyx turned forward and spotted Samyara now backing up from where he stood, facing off against a Florence seraph. Alyx flew up over the heads of the fighting mass. She flipped in the air as she went overhead, keeping her eyes trained on Samyara. She saw Samyara’s sword lash out, piercing the seraph. He fell with a cry. Alyx landed behind Samyara, blocking his way out and holding her sword at him. “Hold it right there.” Samyara spun, growling.
Alyx smiled as the last of the Darkened fell and several other Seraphim swords joined hers around Samyara. His face contorted in anger.
“You’re trapped and outnumbered, Samyara. It’s over.”
Samyara snarled as he took in the swords around him. Then his face softened. He began to laugh slowly, which crescendoed into a loud bellow that shook his body, sending chills down Alyx’s spine.
Chapter 42
Marin cried out again.
“I’m sorry, Marin,” said Ana. “I know it hurts, but you’re just going to have to hang on a little longer. I’m almost done.”
She wished she had some anesthesia for his pain. Aradale didn’t carry that kind of thing. They had never needed to. She had already used the last of the animal tranquilizer earlier in sedating him.
Marin was lying face down on a skinny bed in the small infirmary unit of Aradale. Ana continued to clean the wounds on his upper back. She stopped when her fingers slid over something uneven. She wiped the area again, clearing away more of the blood.
It was a lump. Something was under his skin.
“Hold still, Marin. Something’s gotten under your skin. I’m going to have to make a small cut to get it out, okay?”
Marin let out a cry but he nodded his consent.
Ana picked up a small scalpel. She pressed it into Marin’s skin, making a small incision, then held it open with the fingers of her other hand. There was something shiny in there. A bullet? Did they shoot him?
