by Kaylin Lee
His eyes went wide. “What?” His grip on my shirt loosened.
“And strengthened your immune system. You were about to come down with a mild cold.”
His throat jerked. “I was?”
“And I reset the bone in your wrist that broke last year. Right? Or the year before?”
“Yes, I mean …”
“Well, it wasn't set properly, so I fixed it. I also healed the scar tissue on your abdomen.” The woods were spinning, so I focused on his clear, green eyes and made myself stand still. “You’ve sure been stabbed a lot of times.”
“Stabbed and shot, actually.” He released my shirt and ran a hand through his hair. It was so dirty and matted, the movement made his hair stand up straight. “I’ve taken more than my fair share of arrows.” He patted his jacket in the same place where the wounds had been, his expression bemused. “No more scars, huh?” A glint of humor flashed in his eyes. “What if I liked them?”
I rolled my eyes. “Too bad. I also healed the recent bruising on your back and ribs. I’m surprised you walked as long as you did last night. You must have taken quite a beating in the past week or two.” I’d only seen injuries like the ones on his ribs when we’d done a student rotation at a hospital treating injured prize fighters in the River Quarter.
He nodded slowly. “That it?”
I bit my lip. I couldn’t tell if he was annoyed, worried, or pleased. “I got the blister on your right toe, and the dry skin on your cheeks from winter. You have a nice … um … healthy glow now. And …”
He raised an eyebrow. “And what?”
I didn’t know how to interpret the look on his face, so I continued. “I healed the damaged cartilage in your left knee and the ruptured Achilles on the same leg. Should take care of your limp.”
He took a quick step backward. “That's impossible. You can’t fix old damage to muscles. They have to be healed right away, if at all.”
“Mage-craft muscle repair is a new technique they’re developing in Asylia.” I shrugged. “I learned about it in class last term. I’ve never done it before, but I’d sent so much magic in to you, I had to do something with it. Thought it was worth a try. How does your leg feel now?”
The man studied me for a long moment, his expression difficult to read. Then he squatted low and leapt high into the tree branches hanging over our heads, whooping gleefully as he hauled himself up branch after branch. My accidental patient swung from the highest branch he could reach then released it, landing several steps away from me with a flourish and a bow. He bounded to the top of the nearest boulder, then he threw back his head and laughed.
I squinted at him as the mid-morning sun glinted off the rock. “I guess it feels pretty good, then?”
My captor leapt off the boulder and landed in a crouch with a bolt notched in his crossbow. Before I could say anything else, he’d sunk a bolt into every tree trunk in the clearing.
My stomach lurched. Was he trying to intimidate me?
He strode across the clearing toward me. When he was within arm’s reach, he smiled, his teeth flashing in his short beard, and bowed. “Thank you, Alba Mattas, from the bottom of my heart.” He grabbed my hand and kissed it with a loud smack.
“You’re welcome.” Should I confess my original intentions? “I was actually planning to—”
“Doesn’t matter.” He waved his hand, his warm smile and crinkling eyes making me feel oddly off-balance. “I’m in your debt now, and Badlanders never let a debt go unpaid.” He drew out his knife, sliced through the binding on my wrists, and stepped back. “Asylia’s that way.” He pointed down the mountain. “I’d help you get home, but …” He sheathed the knife and marched to the nearest tree to retrieve one of his bolts. His smile disappeared. “I have some work to do now. A whole lot of work.”
I watched numbly as he retrieved the bolts and slid them back into the quiver strapped to his back. “You can’t leave me out here.” My voice wavered. I couldn’t believe I was begging him to stay with me after all he’d done. “There’s no way I’ll find—”
“You’ll figure it out.” He saluted me with his last bolt. “Goodbye and good luck.” With that, he took off through the forest at a dead run, leaving me alone in the woods.
When I could no longer hear his footsteps crunching through the pine needles, I sank onto the nearest log and pressed my hands to my cheeks. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. It can’t be happening!
The woods were eerily silent. How close was I to the Masters? I couldn’t stay in this part of the mountain. What if they found me wandering around, even after that strange man had set me free?
I stood stiffly and scanned the forest, wondering if I’d even see the Masters coming for me through the trees. Would they simply appear, using their powerful alchemy to transport themselves like they’d done to invade Asylia?
My abductor had run in the direction I thought was east, the same way we’d been traveling when we’d first left the Sentinels the previous evening. If the Sentinels had continued up the mountain without me, perhaps I could travel due west and intersect with the team so I could tell them about Bri’s duplicity. I shivered at the thought of confronting her, but my feet moved west all the same. I’d find the team first, and we’d sort it out.
~
I hiked west and dreamed of food.
A section of the slope had eroded and was just a bare, lifeless patch of fine dirt and dust. I slid across it, my limbs sprawling out to keep my balance.
Frostberry cream swirl pastries. Hot spiceberry cider. I pulled off Bri’s gloves and stuffed them in my jacket pocket so my bare hands could get a better grip on the rocky slope. Coffee—hot, strong, glorious coffee. When I finally passed the steepest part of the eroded section, I straightened and brushed the dirt off my thigh. Lemonburst cream wisps. I had a long list of tasks to complete when I finally reached Asylia—filling my belly with sugar was going to be a top priority.
The air was chilly. I curled my fingers in my sleeves as I walked but didn’t put Bri’s gloves back on. I’d learned the hard way I needed a good grip when the mountain crumbled beneath my feet.
My throat was parched, my feet throbbed, and I desperately wanted to lie down and take a nap. I could only assume the rest of my gear—my victus, my canteen, the collection of obcillo crystals from my pack—was still sitting in that little cave where the Sentinels had left me. At least I still had the crystals my mom had sewn into my tunic. Now I just had to stay conscious so I could use them if I needed to.
I peered blearily at the sky. The sun had disappeared behind a collection of ominous-looking, gray clouds several hours earlier, and I wasn’t sure how much of the day had passed.
Inhale, absorb. Exhale, prepare. I released a wave of healing magic to restore my energy levels and to trick my stomach and throat into feeling as though they’d been satisfied with food and drink. I couldn’t live off magic alone, but with luck and a bit of creativity, my magic would fuel me until I found the team.
Rain had just begun to patter down on me when I rounded a curve in the mountain’s slope and was rewarded with a glorious sight—a steep, snow-covered cliff looming over a narrow valley, and traversing the slope near its top, three distant hikers in black, sentinel garb.
Had I found them? I wasn’t sure why they would have separated into smaller groups, but the hiker in the center had blonde hair. She had to be Bri.
I stumbled, my legs jittery from relief. “Hey—” I cut off my cry and looked over my shoulder. The Masters could be anywhere in these woods. No need to draw attention to myself. I’d just hike up the valley and follow the Sentinels until they stopped, then I’d catch up. They had to take a break sometime, didn’t they? I hurried forward, checking the slope every few steps to make sure I didn’t lose sight of the three black figures near the crest.
The rain soaked my hair and jacket, and the heavy sweater under my jacket was growing damp too. My body shivered from the cold. Inhale. Exhale. I released a pa
thetic wave of magic to raise my core temperature and ease the shaking, but I hadn’t waited long enough. My magic needed longer to replenish. Still, the paltry warmth was better than nothing.
I forced one sodden foot in front of the other. The Sentinels were nearing the top of the slope. I focused on increasing my speed. I had to—
A man’s horrified shout echoed off the valley’s sides. The blonde Sentinel slipped from the path and hurtled through the air. She landed with a cringe-inducing crash on a rocky outcrop and began a deadly, limp roll down the steep slope. Was that my sister? How could she have fallen off the cliff?
I sprinted forward. Inhale. Exhale.
Her body rolled, smashing into one rock, then another, without stopping. She disappeared, her final landing place obscured by the trees clustered at the mountain’s base.
I had to absorb as much magic as possible before I reached her. What would her injuries look like?
Inhale. Exhale. If only I hadn’t wasted magic to keep myself warm. I should have known I would need it—I should have saved it! If Bri was still alive after that terrible fall, it would take every bit of magic I could muster to heal her injuries.
Inhale. Exhale. My feet pounded against the muddy ground, slipping with every step in my heavy, wet boots. Rain plastered my hair to my face.
“Bri!” A spot of black appeared between the trees ahead. I increased my pace, absorbing magic as I half sprinted, half slid toward her body. “Bri, I’m here!” I panted. Her prone body twitched like she’d heard me.
I shoved a heavy branch aside and slammed to my knees beside her. “I’m here, Sis.” I put my hand on her arm and prepared to flood her with whatever magic I could muster. “I’ll heal you. I promise. Everything is going to be fine.”
She twitched again and cracked open her eyes. Her face was battered and red, scraped heavily on one side. Blood trailed from her nose. She jerked her head, but her torso didn’t move.
“It’s your back,” I heard myself say, the words oddly numb. “It’s probably broken. I’m going to heal your back first. Then … then I’ll tackle the rest.”
Bri’s eyes darted around wildly, but her head didn’t move. A thick, rasping sound accompanied every breath she took. “Alb—”
“Shh.” I inhaled and tried to recall everything I knew about spinal injuries. “I’ve got this.”
“Run,” she whispered.
I stilled, my magic pooled in my hands but not yet released. “What?”
“Run. You … have … to … run.” The thick, scraping of her breath between each word made me cringe.
I shook my head. “No. I have to heal you.”
For the first time, Bri’s gaze met mine. “They … are … close.” The urgency in her blue-green eyes shook me as much as her words. “Can’t … have … both … of … us. Run.”
A strange wave of clarity washed through me, a thread of revelation suddenly pulled taut. I released Bri and stood, my hand over my mouth. In that moment, as what was left of my world crumbled around me, I knew only three things.
The Masters were coming.
Bri was expecting them.
And it was time to run.
Chapter 11
I lurched ten steps before the air in the forest around us sizzled with power.
A deafening snap made my ears ring. I dove behind a fallen log, pressing my body into the mud and squeezing my eyes shut. Would they sense me? Would they know?
“Nice attempt, Briar Rose, but as you can see, it wasn’t enough.” The man’s voice was low and mocking, and it sounded oddly familiar. “We were impressed by your commitment to death, however. That was quite a fall.”
“Yes. It must have been painful, don’t you think, Piers?” A woman’s high, feminine voice chimed in sweetly. “You’re all grown up now, child. And darling … you’re right on time, almost to the minute. Excellent work. I just wish you hadn’t separated from your dutiful entourage of Sentinels. They would have made good messengers to your mother. I would’ve thought you knew by now how we deal with disobedient servants.”
The rasping of Bri’s pained breaths grew more pronounced, like her pain had suddenly worsened. I fought the desperate desire to lift my head above the log and peek. What were they doing to her?
“Enough, Elektra. Heal her. The curse will set in any moment now, and I don’t want to carry that dirty bag of bones. She should walk herself back into the crater. It’s only fitting.”
The woman sighed. “I suppose you’re right.”
There was a moment of silence followed by a rustling sound, like a body stirring and standing.
“Shall we, Briar?” The man offered drily. “I’m sure you’d like to get it over with. This moment has been five years in the making, after all. That’s a lengthy period of apprehension for a weak, frightened creature like yourself.”
Bri didn’t respond. Whatever magic they’d used on her must have robbed her of any ability to resist. Five years in the making. What could that possibly mean?
The air tingled. Wet strands of my hair peeled away from my cheek and twined in the air.
SNAP.
Two minutes passed before I dared to lift my head. Bri was gone.
“Mom.” The word found its way to my tongue unbidden, unleashing a crushing, heavy longing in my chest. Rain rushed down the back of my soaked jacket, but my skin was already so cold, I barely noticed the sensation. I shoved aside a tree branch and ran past. Then I slipped in the mud.
Mom, Mom, Mom. I stared at the trees overhead, dizzied by the pockets of gray sky that peeked at me between the tree tops. I was on my back. How had I ended up in this position?
My legs shook as I stood again, gripping the nearest branch to steady myself. Every layer of my uniform was wet and muddy, but the Badlands had no mercy. The rain poured down. I resumed running through the valley with plodding, jerky steps. A roaring noise kept getting louder, but was it real or just the residual ringing in my ears from the Masters’ magic? They’d stolen Bri away.
Mom. She would save Bri. She would fix everything. Mom would know what to do, just like she always did.
All I had to do was get back to Asylia.
I slipped again. The thunder was deafening now. Some part of me knew I needed to use my magic to heal my sense of hearing, but it felt all wrong to use the magic I’d stored up on myself. What if Bri needed me to heal her?
No, Alba. The Masters healed her, remember?
I shook my head as I scrambled to my feet. It was strangely slippery in this part of the valley, and for some reason, I kept forgetting Bri was gone. If only the din would quiet down so I could think straight.
Just get back to Asylia. Just hurry down the mountain and—
Cold, wet spray hit my face. The ground disappeared from beneath my feet. I plunged into ice-cold, fast-moving water.
Chapter 12
I thrashed my arms overhead and kicked frantically, my boots like weights on my feet. Somehow, I broke the surface and took a gasping breath before the river plunged me into its depths a second time.
I’m going to die like this, aren’t I?
With renewed vigor I flailed toward what I hoped was the surface. When I broke the second time, I reached out and grabbed the first thing that brushed my fingers, a rough, dead branch. I kicked wildly to stay afloat as the river hurtled me along, whipping me past rocks and other debris.
Rain came down in sheets, but my entire body was numb from the cold water. It’s spring, I thought dully. The snow at the top of the mountain was melting, and the river was probably at its highest point all year. I’d stumbled like an idiot right into the torrential flood, and now I was going to die.
The river pulled me through twists and turns as the valley narrowed. I had no idea what direction it had taken me, nor how far away from the rest of the Sentinels team. What did it matter anyway?
Bri has been taken by the Masters, and now I’m going to die.
A niggling doubt poked at the back of my mind, but a
sudden wave of icy water washed over me and chased it away. I gasped for breath and clutched the dead branch.
The river narrowed, and a loud, continuous crashing sound reached my ears. Were my ears still ringing?
No, Alba. Pay attention. It’s a waterfall.
I had to get out now, or this would be it, wouldn’t it? The torrent tugged at my boots, so I kicked them off. Hope refused to die.
The river sped up, and the tumult grew louder. I must be approaching another waterfall. I thrashed with my lightened feet and jabbed the branch I was clutching toward the nearest bank. It caught in a cluster of exposed roots and slowly, carefully, I pulled myself along. The scrapes on my palms stung. Then I used the roots as a ladder to heave my body onto the shore.
I collapsed and rolled onto my back.
Rain lashed my face. The sky was heavy with gray clouds, and the trees in my field of vision were oddly blurry.
I should …
I shut my eyes against the heavy rain. Why was I shaking so violently?
Look out for your sister, Mom had said.
That didn’t make any sense. Bri didn’t need me. Bri didn’t need anyone. She was strong—brave, resilient, and independent. She was exactly the kind of daughter my heroic parents deserved. She certainly didn’t need my help.
If only I could get comfortable, I could finally get some sleep.
No, I should …
My arm came up to block my eyes from the rain. Bri’s bruised, bloodied face lurked in my mind’s eye, her eyes wide with terror. Can’t have both of us. Run.
Something was wrong with Bri. She was hurt—no, she’d been healed. But something was wrong with my sister.
I was just so tired, and I couldn’t remember what had happened to Bri. Perhaps if I rested, I could figure it out in the morning.
Why wouldn’t my body stop shaking? All the movement was making it difficult to fall asleep.
Look out for your sister. Look out for your sister. Look out—
“Weak heartbeat,” I mumbled aloud as the words from the first question on my final exam suddenly popped into my mind. Rain dribbled into my open mouth as I spoke, making me cough. “Violent shivering,” I continued between coughs. “Confusion of mind. Muscle weakness.” The rote recitation of symptoms exhausted me, but the next words came directly from my final exam two weeks earlier. “Diagnosis—hypothermia. Raise core temperature right away.”
