The Swarog blinked again, and Jo doubted anyone had ever asked it to give them a break before. But that was Sunny, even when she was begging for her life, she was blunt and said what was on her mind.
It looked as if it were really weighing her plea, giving Jo a sense of hope. Then the Swarog brought Sunny closer to it, until her face was inches from its own. My pets prefer human flesh, it hissed, and laughed at the crushed hope in their expressions, causing Sunny to flinch away from its teeth.
“Then we’ll bring you different humans,” Jo spoke up, unwilling to let Sunny grovel alone.
Jo didn’t meet her sister’s eyes. “We will,” she promised, “Like my sister said before, there are men after us. We can lead them here for your pets.” She looked at Sunny, “It’s them or us.”
We wouldn’t be much of a meal for them anyway, Jo thought.I’m sure they’d prefer a team of grown men over two skinny girls.
She opened her mouth to say just that, when Sunny gave Jo a subtle nod and spoke instead. “Right, we’ll bring back more food than the two of us could provide. I mean, look at us. I’m barely five-four, and Jo is a stick. We’ll bring back bigger humans than ourselves. We’ll bring back more than two.”
As thankful as Jo was that Sunny had gone along with it, she wondered how her sister had known exactly what she’d wanted to say.
And, of course, she didn’t want to hurt anyone, but if it was between some stranger and her sister, she’d pick her sister every time.
The Swarog brought Jo closer until she was only inches away as well. It smelled like pond scum, and tiny fungus spores grew in the thin rivulets that ran through its gray skin. It cocked its head, seeming to consider their offer.
I like this idea of a bargain, it told them, but if a bargain is struck, I want much more than food for my pets. I sense a lot is ahead of you, and you could perhaps be very useful to me one day. It leaned back, regarding the two of them side by side. I will let you go. BUT, it continued when Sunny and Jo looked at each other with hope, you will owe me a favor. Any favor I so choossse, and you will pay it when I ask.
Sunny frowned. “You don’t want it now?
When will you want it?”
It smiled a chilling grin. I’ll let you know.
Now give me your hand.
“My hand?” Sunny asked, confused.
Yes, both of you. I cannot call in a blood oath if you give me no blood.
Jo looked at Sunny. “A blood oath? I thought you said we’d owe you a favor.”
The Swarog shrugged. Think of “blood oath” as the official term. So that I can call you here when I intend to collect my favors.
“Favors?” Sunny asked, “Plural?”
Of course, it replied. One favor for one release. There are two of you. Its voice inside their mind was condescending.
Jo met her sister’s eyes once more.
This is the only way, they seemed to tell her, and Jo could only agree.
“Fine,” Sunny said, turning back to the
Swarog, holding out her hand.
With surprising gentleness, it took her hand in its own and used one of its talons to slice open her palm. Then, without breaking eye contact, it lowered its head and licked the blood from her palm in one long, slow stroke. Sunny shuddered when it released her, and the wave of energy sat her on the ground.
Then the Swarog looked to Jo, who gulped and held out her own hand. It sliced open her palm and licked the blood from her hand, its black tongue like oil against her skin.
Then she was moving through the air, suspended by water, and sat on her feet beside her sister.
A path appeared, leading out of the woods.
The Swarog said nothing, only stared at them.
As they turned to leave, its voice entered their minds again, following them down the path.
Sssstrength or weaknessss, what will it be?
Againssst all oddssss, they’ll ssstay or flee.
A shiver traveled down Jo’s spine at those words. They sounded more meaningful than just a taunting remark.
“What did we just commit ourselves to?” she asked her sister. She knew the Swarog wouldn’t just forget about their deal. One day they’d have to face it again. And that time they might not live to walk away.
But Sunny didn’t answer. She just pulled Jo into a crushing embrace, and they held each other for several long moments.
“I saw you drown,” Sunny whispered. “I thought you were dead.”
Chapter 4
Leo
Writhia, 5219
Ettria
Leo Cassavant had already had a perfectly pleasant start to his day. He'd begun with a brisk morning workout, dressed in his finest silk shirt, and ate some of the best homemade croissants he'd ever tasted.
Then, he'd returned home to Solonia, Ettria's capital city, where he began his saintly duties of spying on the people. Although it was his job as King Azmodeous' spy, he would sometimes. . . branch out of the king's reigns, visiting anyone he pleased.
You see, Leo loved secrets. Some would call him nosy, but he would call it knowledge. In his opinion, if you knew how someone acted, and what they did behind closed doors, then you knew their true selves. One couldn't be controlled if one had enough blackmail, which Leo was not above using to get what he wanted.
Striving for more “knowledge,” Leo decided he would check in on ol' Azzy himself, and strolled into the king's private chambers.
Invisibly, of course, which was why he made the perfect spy.
Being a Shadow gave him the Gift of invisibility. This allowed him, at times, to push his way through solid objects. That took a lot of skill, so he saved that little trick for emergencies.
Just as Leo reached the chambers, he heard the king bellow, "What do you mean you lost them?"
Oh, this should be good, Leo thought as he sat perched up on the rafters. He didn't need to be in the rafters since he was already invisible, but he liked the drama of it.
Below Leo, a platoon of soldiers stood before the king, their eyes on the floor. When Azmodeous spoke they flinched, but kept their gaze cast downward.
"Your Majesty, if I may speak?" the platoon leader asked, stepping forward with his fist to his chest. The king let out an insufferable sigh before nodding.
"Your Majesty, it is with the utmost regret that I inform you that we have failed this mission. We tried to look unthreatening, and we even raised our hands to show we meant no harm, but the two women still took off, frightened. We pursued, but they fell down a ravine into the Mistwood. I'm afraid they will not survive,” he trailed off, bowing under the king’s glare.
Leo, however, was inclined to agree. The Mistwood was a death trap. Whoever these women were, surely they weren’t worth losing a whole platoon.
But then another man spoke, drawing the room’s attention.
"It wasn't Eleyna."
He was an older man who looked as if he should’ve retired years ago. But, upon looking into his eyes, there was still a raw sense of intelligence and determination to be seen there.
"What did you say?" the king cocked his head to the side, voice lethally calm. That was the thing with King Azmodeous: he rarely raised his voice, it was always as soft as a feather’s caress on the skin, promising death was on its way. Leo had only seen him lose control recently. Whatever this mission was, it was a trigger of sorts. Leo would find out what it was, one way or another.
"It wasn't Eleyna," the man repeated. "One of the women looked very much like her, though, I'd say it was her daughter if I remember correctly. The other girl that was with her was the opposite. Tall, with dark hair and pale skin. She reminded me of someone else, I just can't put my finger on it," the man said, with such a knowing look that he had to be lying about something. Leo felt it, and he couldn't even read minds. Suddenly, his eyes glazed over and Leo knew the king had entered the man's mind, replaying the encounter with the women.
And why does the name Eleyna sound so familiar? he wondered.
The king curled his lip, and then it was as if someone flipped on his rage switch. There was a sheen of sweat to his skin, and his fists kept clenching and unclenching. Then, without warning, three of the men took out their swords and plunged them deep into their chests, at the same exact time. Blood rushed out of the wounds, leaving puddles on the floor, but the king didn't notice. He was still staring at the older man, the only soldier he hadn’t killed, who stood breathing heavily.
"That was a warning, Gerard," the king said, finally addressing the man. "If you mess up this mission again, I'll make what I did to these soldiers look like a carnival compared to what will be coming your way. Find the girls." He loomed over Gerard, and then backed up, noticing he'd lost his cool. He cleared his throat.
"Oh, and Gerard? Don't bring Eleyna's name up ever again," the king stated with so much ice in his eyes, that Leo was surprised to see Gerard hadn't frozen on the spot. "Leave. Now."
When Gerard shut the door to the chambers, the king barked out orders. "Airoldi! Bring me the girl!"
Airoldi, the king’s lapdog, marched quickly from the room. Leo wondered what the king could want with a mere kid. While he waited, he stood and paced back and forth, ever silent.
The general returned, escorting a young girl with light brown hair. And when Leo saw the fear in her eyes, an uneasy feeling passed through him. He'd just seen the king, for lack of a better word, lose his shit. What did he plan to do with a young child? Leo might be a self-serving, pompous asshole, but that didn't mean he wanted to see harm come to a child. Even he had limits.
Well, kind of.
The king towered over her as if the pitch- black decor and the giant monster statues weren't menacing enough. Maddow’s wind, those damned things had always creeped him out as a kid. It was like they were watching you. It's why Leo was so thankful for his Gift.
No one could watch him if he didn’t want them to.
"We are going to try this again, and I know you will be able to track them if you do not want another episode like this morning. Right, my dear?" The king’s voice sounded like something from a nightmare. The girl trembled before him and let out a pitiful whimper.
What episode? Leo wondered. Why isn't Airoldi protecting her?
Airoldi, though an idiot, was usually as noble as they came. Leo was shocked to find him going along with this. Didn’t the noble types usually protect innocent children? Apparently, she wasn't the only one who was afraid of King Azmodeous. Leo and Airoldi weren't best friends by any means, but sometimes Leo couldn't believe what a blind fool the general was. He was the perfect soldier, tall and strong with unparalleled fighting skills. Yet, he always unquestioningly followed King Azmodeous. Even now, he stood behind the king, shoulders straight with a hand on the hilt of his sword.
Deciding he needed a closer look, Leo dropped down from his perch, years of training making his landing soundless. He crept around the king to get a look at Airoldi and the little girl. When he was close enough to see Airoldi's eyes, his complacency suddenly made sense. The general’s eyes were glazed over, and he would remember none of this. That's what happened when the king got ahold of your mind: he had complete control.
Leo just never figured Airoldi for the type to be controlled so easily.
The laws of the land, put forth by the king, of course, stated that no citizen of Ettria was allowed to shield their minds from the Murmurs’ Gifts. Azmodeous said it was for their own safety, to make sure no one with ill intentions could get past the king, but Leo knew he just liked having complete control. His control extended in some respect to every citizen of the kingdom, brainwashing them into thinking the king was fair and just, and that the things he did were all in service of his people. At least, that’s how he was with others who had the most powerful Gifts, usually royals and those of noble blood. However, the lowly peasants of Ettria were not a threat.
Therefore, they might as well live in the Wastes.
Leo, being a spy, was probably one of the only few who knew the king’s true colors. The king only used those who could be used, and he thought Leo was one of them.
He had never been so grateful when he'd found a diary in the king’s private bedroom—a place he'd only dared enter once—stating how to shield thoughts from King Azmodeous. He didn’t know why the king would keep such a thing, but he was glad he did. It took a long time for Leo to learn the techniques of mind shielding, and he would never give away his control.
Not again.
The king brought out a vial of what looked like blood and handed it to the little girl, who cringed but held out her hand to receive it. Leo could see the fear in her hazel eyes as she took out the cork and dripped a few drops onto her fingertips. She clasped her hands and bowed her head for several moments. When she raised her head, her eyes were full of raw terror, and he knew she hadn't succeeded.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered.
Before she could say another word, her hands flew to her head, and she let out the most blood-curdling scream Leo had ever heard. He was torturing her, actually torturing a child.
Leo panicked as the girl continued to scream, unsure of what to do. He couldn't just give himself away. If the king had the slightest inkling that Leo could protect his mind, he'd likely be slaughtered.
But he couldn’t let a child suffer, so Leo ran to the door. He pressed his hand against it and, after concentrating for several moments, which was difficult due to the sounds of torment ringing in his ears, he was finally able to step through, his molecules becoming less dense to move around the molecules of the door.
Once on the other side, he felt the usual lightheadedness kick in as it always did, but there was no time to rest. He dropped his shield, becoming visible, and knocked obnoxiously loud on the door before opening it and sauntering in. The girl’s scream cut off abruptly as he entered the room, and she fell to the floor, sobbing.
"Cassavant," the king said icily. "What are you doing here? You know better than to barge into my private study." Beside him, Airoldi stood utterly still, unaware of his surroundings.
"Apologies, your majesty," Leo said, not sounding at all apologetic. "I have news of the Viannese. The queen has fallen ill," he said, stepping around the crying child without so much as a glance at her.
"She has had several Healers, none of which appeared to be of any help." As the king’s spy, Leo had spent several days gathering this intel. He was one of the few people who could enter the king’s study without being killed on sight. Little did the king know, Leo came into the study whenever he pleased.
The king leaned back on his heels, his pale face the picture of contemplation. "I see. This is news indeed. Now lea—"
"So, who's the kid?" Leo interrupted, jerking his chin towards the girl behind him. At Azmodeous' savage look, Leo dropped the shield around his outer thoughts knowing the king was about to make him leave. He kept up the shield around his deeper, inner thoughts, protecting his mind.
Barely a second later, a heavy, fuzzy feeling entered his brain, a sign that the king was in his head. Leo felt his eyes start to glaze over.
"That is none of your concern," the king crooned. "And if you ever interrupt me again, I'll cut out your tongue and strangle you with it. Go!"
Oh, what a time to be alive, Leo thought sardonically. His body turned and started walking toward the door, but in his inner mind he was still aware and knew he was being controlled. Just before he shut the door, he heard the king tell Airoldi to take the girl back to her room, and he tried not to let his relief escape the shield around his thoughts.
Chapter 5
Sunny
Writhia, 5219
The Mistwood
"I thought you were dead."
It had been the most terrifying moments of Sunny's life. Scarier than losing her mother, scarier even than the feeling of the Swarog's tongue against her palm. In those moments, Sunny had been completely and utterly alone. She thought she had lost the single most important person in her life. She had
seen those monsters tear her sister apart with her own two eyes.
The sight of the blood-stained water would haunt her nightmares forever.
But as she said the words aloud, a strange look passed over Jo's face. Strange, because it was the mirror of Sunny's expression.
What did Jo see out there? Sunny barely had time to wonder before Jo pulled her into a crushing embrace.
"I thought you were dead, too," her sister whispered against her hair.
Jo told her everything she had seen. Sunny walking off. Diving into the water. The monsters surrounding her.
The story she told was exactly what Sunny had experienced, word for word. Only, in Sunny's version, it had been Jo who had walked off. Jo who had dived into the water. Jo who had been attacked.
When they were finished talking, Sunny pulled Jo back into her arms. She felt the need to reassure herself that Jo was really there.
After a moment, Jo's arms loosened, ready to let the hug dissolve.
Sunny, however, tightened her arms. "No, I'm not done yet."
Even though Sunny couldn't see her face, she knew Jo was smiling as her arms retightened around her.
When they finally pulled away, Sunny took the opportunity to take in their surroundings.
The Swarog's path had led them to an unfamiliar part of the forest. Sunny turned full circle, looking for a sign. A sign of what, she wasn't sure, but she felt she would know it when she saw it. As she searched, her head began to throb with a dull pain, her eyes unable to focus.
The trees around them were bright, so bright that it almost hurt to look at them. Each tree was a swirl of vibrant color, the bark a shifting rainbow spectrum. Each color shone vividly in the glaring streams of sunlight that filtered through the canopy. The way the trees were clustered together was crowded, almost confusing, reminding Sunny of a maze. She had no idea where to even begin to look for a way out.
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