Indiro casts him a look.
Silas nods. “Alright, Keres. Let’s go home.”
“I’ll walk with you.” Thaniel chases after us.
“Darius will stay with me,” Indiro says to nobody but Darius.
The two of them walk on either side of me and I lilt between them. As if they’re each holding either end of a necklace string and I am the bead, sliding from end to end. They speak to each other of armor and weapons. My smile stretches across my face from Silas to Thaniel.
“You’re lucky we are men of honor, my dove.” Silas chuckles as I stumble. “You’re in quite a compromised state.” Even through the stupor, my predatory senses are picking up his body’s signals.
“You’re lucky, I’m in such a fancy state or else I might have kissed you!” I laugh.
Thaniel’s brows shoot up. Silas licks his lips.
“Both!” I add. “I might have kissed you both.”
“Aye, now. I don’t share, Keres.” Silas’ eyes flicker with amusement.
“And I do not fancy you,” Thaniel stutters.
Silas’ golden eyes are brighter in the dark, more gold than honey by the silver moon. His lips look delicious as a bottomless pit yawns open in my stomach. I realize we’ve stopped walking, and the two of them poise to catch me.
I try to turn away from them, but their footsteps match mine. Silas is not letting me get away. His eyes rake over my body. My nipples are hard from the cold and I notice his gaze catching on my top.
Might I fall or run? The exotic thrill of being watched like prey by these two warriors forces me to stop swaying and bite my tongue. My cheeks warm again and my mouth runs dry. Silas is hungry too, I feel it in the energy he’s throwing off. His vibe is running rampant all over my skin. Making me blush. Since when do I blush like a little girl? Thaniel looks the more concerned, but Silas looks…
“Fuck.” I whimper.
“Mmhmm,” Silas steps closer to me.
The hours are getting heavier; the stars are falling— or I am.
Next thing I know I’m in someone’s arms and my mind goes darker than the sky.
10. HARK! THE HERALDS OF WAR
Standing in a field of flowers, staring at the ground. My eyes pierced through the earth, boring a hole down to the core of the world. From it came water and shadows. The shadows swam in the pool at my feet. I waded deeper into the liquid nightmares and the depths took hold of my ankles. I sank into the earth, swallowed up by this world into the belly of the next. In my stead, a river flooded the field, and the flowers died.
“Wake up, dammit!” A bucket of water empties on me. I fall out of bed, gasping for air.
“Oh, right. Sorry. Didn’t think that one through.”
“What the shit, Indiro!” I wipe water from my eyes and with it goes the memory of the drowning nightmare. There is no field of flowers. No underworld. Just Indiro towering above me as I slap my sopping wet gown against my thighs.
A low laugh rumbles in his throat. “I tried; I really did. Ask your sister. Even stripped the blankets off you first. You seem dead when you sleep, and hellish when you wake, lass.”
“That’s because you nearly drowned me,” I say.
“Someone drank too much last night,” he says.
“What?” My sister’s voice comes from somewhere to the left.
“Too much herbal tea, Liriene. That stuff will kill you,” Indiro says.
I shake my head like a water-logged wolf. Indiro reaches his hand under my arm and swings me up. My breasts now visible through my soaked sleeping gown. He looks to Liriene instead, approaching her where she sits at our small table. She watches him with wary eyes, her red hair glowing like a fiery halo around her sleep-swollen face. I turn as he places one hand on the table and one on the back of her chair, caging her in. I dry my skin and pick clean lacies and leathers out of my dressing basket.
Out of the corner of my eye, I monitor his hands. He twirls a loose strand of silky red hair around his finger and she looks up into his eyes. They carry a conversation not meant for me to hear. I press my lips together and focus on preparing for battle while he distracts her.
Armored up, I opt for my short bow, tossing it over my shoulder. I sheath a dagger and a knife on either side of my hips and consider switching my bow out for something that doesn’t require range.
A soft giggle flits through the air from behind me and it tempts me to look at them. I haven’t heard Liriene laugh in a long time. I shake my head, deciding not to care and not to bring my other weapon even if it may be a close-ranged battle. My arrows won’t fail as long as Mrithyn’s power courses through me— which is always. Even my blades are divinely guided by Hm. No step will falter. Even if they come at me with their best, I have two Gods on my side, Death and Magic. Liriene will notice that blade and question why I’m so armed. That weapon is not worth the attention right now.
“Alright, you old war hound. Are you ready?” I call over my shoulder.
“Where are you two going?” Liriene asks.
“Officers meeting. Then an exercise. Be back for supper.”
I hear footsteps turn toward me. Indiro’s hand lands on the back of my neck and he pushes me out of the tent with a goodbye to my sister.
“Old, am I?” He growls at me.
“Twice her age,” I sneer back.
He sighs. “Aye, well I’ll be damned if I can’t smile at a pretty lass with long red hair.” He pats my back. “And I’ve a right to. Now, off with you. The boys are waiting by the river.”
“What about you? Off to terrorize more maidens?”
He kicks the dirt at me. “I’ll follow.”
I bounce on my toes instead of walking away.
“Out with it then,” He folds his arms across his chest.
“You knew.” I look across the path at a female with three brats hanging from her skirts as she churns butter.
“I didn’t want to ask last night with them there, but who told you?”
“Aye, I knew. About your little escapades with the forest witch, if I glean your meaning.”
Forest witch.
He reads my face. “Silas. He said he sees you on his watch.”
I roll my eyes as if I’m not surprised.
“Mind yourself, I pressed him for the information.”
I shoot him an incredulous glance and then continue watching everyone within earshot.
“I’ve got a duty to your mother, you know, to watch after Liri and you.” His frown-lines deepen.
I avoid his eyes.
He grabs me by my shoulder, pointing one finger at my nose. His long gray hair falls forward, shadowing his sharp jawline and dark eyes. “Mind yourself, lass.”
I shrug him off and lift my hands. “Alright.” I turn, “I’ll see you out there.”
He grunts his agreement and his footsteps kick up dirt in the opposite direction. I pick up the pace as I near the camp borders. Slipping past the watch, I break into a run toward the river. The river’s voice reaches me before I see it, and then the other voices. Deep, charismatic timbres. Cursing and arguing, and a voice like thunder. Darius.
I slow once they come into view. Thaniel is wearing armor this time, they all are, and heavily equipped. I tighten my grip on my bow, settling the lump in my stomach. I remember Indiro ruined my chances of getting my first meal.
“Did you eat?” Silas asks at my approach. Gods bless him. He passes me a piece of bread with smoked fish on it. I frown at the meat but decide it’s better than nothing. I gobble it down as fast as I can. Darius watches my every bite. I ignore his hard-pressing gray eyes and focus on forcing this animal down my throat.
“We were just discussing your brilliant idea of an Elven coalition,” Darius says. I meet his gaze.
“And we decided not to talk about it where the wind can carry our voices to the wrong ears,” Thaniel says.
“We can talk more about it later,” I nod at Darius.
“All of us will have another meeting,�
�� Silas says.
“Yes,” I nod at him, “Can we go over the plan again?” My head is fuzzy from all the drinking last night. I want a clear goal, a reign on my thoughts to control myself when the killing begins.
“Indiro will meet us here,” Silas rehashes the plan, making it sound like we’re going for a stroll. “The patrol will come through here and we will have them surrounded.”
“And then we’ll do to them exactly what they did to my brother,” Darius snarls.
“We need at least one alive, Darius,” Silas says. “We need information on their strongholds. A coalition will mean nothing if we don’t know what we’re up against.”
“Keres.” A brittle voice breaks my concentration on the map Silas holds.
“Yes, Thaniel?” I glance at him.
His gaze is steady, his shoulders relaxed. “You brought a dagger, right? We will need to be stealthy, but if they catch us it will be a close fight.” His voice softens.
“And a knife,” I flash a smile as I whip it from the sheath, slicing through white beams of sunlight. The glint off the blade shows the contrast of his two-toned eyes.
“Good.” He turns to Darius, “You going to behave yourself, or will we all have to mind you?”
The corners of my mouth flinch in surprise. He just reminded me of Indiro.
Darius’ stare goes over Thaniel’s head, landing on me. He looks me over, appraising my bow and blades. “I will if she does. Will you use only the weapons?”
You used only the bow…. A poisonous snake who bites and gives no venom.
“What?” The word stumbles off my tongue.
Silas’ eyes dart from my mouth to my fists. I wring the tension out through the tips of my fingers.
“We all hear stories of the Coroner’s power, but none of us have ever seen it.” Darius shrugs and looks to his brothers-in-arms. He lifts his hand toward me, “Mage, warrior, and Goddess of death? Sounds like today will be very interesting.” He pockets his hands awaiting my retort.
“I am not equal to the God of Death.”
“But you share his power. To kill.” Something sinister surfaces in his smoke-filled eyes. “Is it true you’re cursed?”
I study Darius for a couple breaths, looking for something trustworthy. He radiates danger. Every hair on the back of my neck stands up when he licks his lips. Sunlight complements his glowing eyes but does little to calm my nerves as I look into them. His dark curls are a beautiful contrast to his searing stare. He looks like fire in the dark.
I stare a little too long and step closer.
“I am cursed. Cursed to shed blood and guide souls into oblivion. Blood is no small tribute to the God of Death and to me it is everything. Vengeance is my life’s purpose. Blood sings to me, and the screams of my enemies light me up inside. That fire is all I feel in battle and the chill of Death Himself is the only thing that soothes me. So, don’t take it lightly when I warn you not to test me, Darius of Massara. I am cursed, and you’d be wise not to upset me.”
Looking at Darius brings up a vision of Hayes… and Katrielle. It brings up a feeling I’ve never felt before too. He doesn’t take me seriously; he doesn’t fear me. No one has ever looked at me like I’m harmless before— like I’m a joke. Not even my comrades looked at me like that. They knew I was a weapon. He looks at me like I’m an ordinary woman. A plaything. Fool.
Darius’ mouth twitches. A dark humor fills his eyes. He opens his mouth to speak but bites his plump lower lip, stopping himself. The muscles in his square jaw feather, and he rolls his shoulders back to stand taller. He towers over me by a few feet, but I’ll climb his body like a tree to wrangle that neck if I must. He does not understand who he’s messing with.
“Enough.” The authority in that voice forces me to look at Silas but his mouth is still. The command came from Thaniel. I turn to face Silas and Thaniel and see them again as I saw them last night in the dark, with moonlight scratching at their beautiful faces. Drunkenly, I said I wanted to kiss them both and Silas taunted me. Thaniel turned me down, but Silas turned me on. Thaniel looks at me now with the same sternness Indiro always has.
“Ker, you remember what you said last night?” Silas interrupts, reading my thoughts aloud.
I suddenly feel naked standing among these three. It’s as if all my feelings and thoughts are written on my skin. Their eyes follow my every move, assuming and appraising. They don’t know me, but they yearn to understand this enigma of a girl whom they will battle beside. Death’s Right Hand or a flower with little thorns? The nine were my everything. The only group of people I ever truly belonged to. These three… they’re different.
Most people can’t stand to look me in the eye, but since last night they’ve been watching my every move like they are watching a God.
Darius paces behind me like a hungry wolf and Thaniel’s cracking his knuckles as he tilts his head toward me. Silas lets his eyes wander over my armored body. They’re as curious about me as I am about them. What will they do with me when they finally see the taint of my soul? Loathe me, fear me, or pity me?
“I remember,” I force my best sly smile. “And nothing has changed.”
In what feels like two steps, Silas has his arms around me. Instinctively, I place my hands against his armored chest, and the cold of the metal sends shivers up my arms. He pulls my head back by my hair and kisses me. My senses are cheated the warmth of his mouth and the wetness of his tongue as he pulls away as quickly as he touched me.
“And I still don’t share.” He smirks “You will walk with me.”
He takes my hand, pulling me to his side. Dazed and confused, I allow it. Thaniel and Darius clean up from our quick meal and then we begin our march south. Nobody’s ever kissed me before. Did it even happen? It was so fast! Anticlimactic too.
These males walk very fast. I fall behind a few steps, watching their long legs stride farther and faster than my own. I imagine each footstep taking root into the earth, and them growing tall as the surrounding trees. Their bodies ripple with power. The surrounding forest brushes across my peripheral vision like green and brown watercolors as I rush to keep up with them. I focus on the songbirds as every step we take toward this battle distorts their tune into a hymn of war. Their shrill incantations seem to follow us, carried on that cold familiar breeze. A shiver runs down my spine and I jog to catch up.
Darius turns a wary eye on me, and I on him. Footsteps that aren’t our own distract me.
At the same time, a signal from Silas breaks our rhythm and we all stop short.
A bird cawing in the branches above draws my eye. It’s huge and black, and its feathers ruffle as it throws its head back and screeches. The sound catches in its throat as an arrow nestles into its chest, and we all watch the heap of feathers plummet to the ground.
Someone pushes me. A hard wall of muscle and armor goes up between me and all else as my body catapults toward the base of a tree. Darius wraps himself around me and we slide through dirt and leaves between the tree’s roots. His knee bruises me but my elbow knocks his chest.
I catch a glimmer of the inferno in his eyes as I push my disheveled hair back. Dry, broken leaves tangle in my hair.
One by one the voices shout and echo. Our plan is obliterated. This isn’t the patrol we planned to ambush. Not here. Is this what happened to the nine?
“Behind the trees!”
“Earth-fucking scum.”
“Come out, Savages!”
Darius and I lean around the corner of the tree. I ready my bow and arrow as his massive body covers the back of me protectively. His right leg comes against my right leg and he leans out further to see the Dalis men past the end of my arrow.
Dark thoughts blossom in the forefront of my mind like black roses. Surrounded by the sound of hearts beating, men drawing their swords, beads of sweat rolling down the skin of someone’s neck. Breaking my trance, I look at Silas and Thaniel. They’re ready to attack but look to me first.
As I focus back
on the humans, my inner Death Spirit whispers, “Kill them.”
“Kill them all!” A Dalis Soldier echoes.
I knock my knee against Darius’, signaling him to move out. My touch jolts him into action. Darius raises his battle axe and shield as he roars at the three nearest Men. Thaniel and Silas scream out and follow behind him. I stay at range, rethinking and redirecting my aim. The angst in the boys’ voices reverberates off every stone and tree. Their furious words catch on every branch and leaf like a forest fire.
“For Hayes!” Darius roars again. His axe clangs against a Dalis Soldier’s shield.
Thaniel flurries his twin short swords between two men armed with chains and maces.
I pick a target and shoot. My arrow rips through a Man’s shoulder, forcing him to drop his mace as Thaniel’s blades lurch into his chest. Thaniel moves with roguish brevity toward the other soldier, slicing his inner thigh and then his abdomen.
Silas kneels, blocking the heavy swing of a great sword with his shield. In the seconds it takes the swordsman to regain control on the massive sword used with two hands, he regains his footing. His footwork is quick; he moves with conviction, twirling around the lumbering Human and cuts him down from behind.
I quarrel with myself: Move. No, watch.
Before I can decide, the boys have already turned the tide of the fight. The blood is on their hands. I don’t move, I watch.
“This is for Nilo!” Silas’ voice cracks. My throat is tightening up again. I understand now the power in Riordan’s words to Ivaia that night. I’ve been attempting to take justice into my own hands alone for too long. I wasn’t the only one suffering. This is why Indiro has become so bitter towards my father for his passivity. We all deserve the chance to fight for what we love, to take back what we have lost in any way we can. What little chance we have at making a difference— we deserve it.
“One victim given the power…”
Ivaia’s lessons turn from gold to gall.
“We are all victims of the human terrorism.”
Riordan stands up in my head and puts his hands on his hips.
The Sunderlands Page 10
