by S A Edwards
I shook my head. This couldn’t be ignored. We only just escaped the clutch of the creature. If it reached the village…. “I’m not leaving it like this,” I said.
The failing Gates really did pose a threat. I couldn’t stop heading for Charlie, but perhaps I could help on the way. “If we can’t fix this Gate, let’s go to the next,” I said. “We might find something that will help.” In the meantime, I hoped the Keepers would trap the Hellion before another escaped. “Do either of you know where the nearest Gate is?”
Kyne nodded. “I’ll get the group ready to move.”
Just like that? Could he be worried about the Gates, too, or was there more to it than that? My worry leaned toward the latter. “Must they all come?” I asked. “If another one fails –”
“I’m not leaving them behind.” He marched away.
I glared after him. Did he not care about the lives of the group, so eager to command, he would rather keep them in danger?
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Amicus blinked. “For what?”
“The way I was with you. I really am grateful for your help back there. The Gate … I couldn’t …”
Amicus waved a hand. “Listen. If you’re going to survive in this world, there’s something you should know. Anything beautiful is dangerous. Think of the Araña. How they lured you inside.”
It wasn’t hard to remember. The horror of their attack still clung to my memory. The fresh scent of cooking bread, the handsomeness of the Hellion, the glamour of the house. And all of it, an illusion.
“Then, there’s the clearing back there.” He glanced over at the arch, the perfect clearing ruined with the after-effects of the Hellion.
“It was lovely,” I said.
“It was meant to be. That’s how it drew you in. If you see anything of beauty, steer clear. You can almost always guarantee that death accompanies it.”
9
“Move out,” Kyne barked.
Hanrel smiled at me, so I shifted toward him. It would be a refreshing change to travel with someone who didn’t walk so close to Kyne and the head of the group. The hole left from the Hellion remained unaltered. Would the Hellion ever return?
“You’re weary,” Hanrel said.
I shrugged. “It’s been a long couple of days.”
“Aye, that it has.”
We walked in silence for a time, listening to the chatter of Mage.
“I’m curious,” I said, “what gifts are here? What do these Mage hold?”
Hanrel smiled. “Ah, I wondered when you’d ask.” He pointed at a couple of women with long, blonde hair and sky-blue cloaks. “Trish and Lara can talk to the animals, which is very handy since they see things we don’t.”
“Huh, I never thought of it that way before,” I said.
“Aye, it’s a good one. Peacekeepers, they’re called. Don’t reckon you’ve seen one of them before. They’re pretty rare, so I hear. Then, there’s the Energy Mage.” He directed my attention to the man I watched when first arriving at the camp. His light through the water bowl had cast ripples throughout the surroundings. “He tore a few of the shelters apart the night the Mortals attacked,” Hanrel added with a frown. “Caused a few injuries, but probably saved more lives than were lost.”
I remembered the flash of light, the graze of force above me when the shelter was shredded.
A Mage jostled me, pulling my attention back to Hanrel. “What’s the point of it?” I asked. “How does that help to keep the balance?”
“He uses it to energise the earth, to make crops grow quickly, to heal the ground after we’ve camped.”
“So, he could have healed the hole back there?”
“Could have. Better to leave that one to the Keepers though.”
“Okay. But I saw someone else move the earth. He made a hill when the Mortals attacked.”
“Aye, that’s true. You saw Loreto. But those are two completely different gifts. One strengthens, the other commands.”
“I suppose.”
“Then, there’s Rickson.” He skipped forward and clapped his hand on the back of another.
The young Mage grinned at me, a pink tinge in his eyes.
“What’s your gift?” I asked.
He shared a knowing glance with Hanrel and wiggled his fingers. Pink cotton whisked between them until he held a small ball of frothy fluff in his palm. He handed it to me.
Soft to the touch, it held a sweet scent.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Eat it.”
I glanced at Hanrel, and he nodded. Sweet and tangy, it melted on my tongue. Shivers coursed through me, and I instantly wanted more.
“It’s delicious,” I said. “Unusual. But what’s its purpose?”
Rickson laughed. “We have yet to figure that out.”
I contemplated asking for more but thought better of it, and instead plucked a red berry from a bush and turned it over in my fingers.
Hanrel grasped my wrist. “No, lass, don’t eat that.”
“Why not?”
“It’s Deepwood. Eat that, and you’ll be out for the count for a good couple hours, at least.” He lowered his hand.
I rolled the small berry between my fingers. “Really? A sedative?” My jaw tightened. Yet another reason I relied on these people. I didn’t know anything about this new world.
“Haven’t you ever seen Deepwood before?” Rickson asked.
I shook my head.
“Stop here.” Kyne’s voice rang out over our heads, bringing our journey to a halt.
The sky glowed a deep orange, signalling the onset of dusk, and that weird, blue tint clung to the setting sun.
I sidled reluctantly around the Mage to where Kyne rummaged in his pack. “How much farther to the next Gate?” I asked him, unwilling to stay here any longer than needed.
He straightened, a piece of bread in his hand. “It’s over there.” He nodded at a patch of trees. Twinkling lights glittered in a large ring, like stars fallen from the skies. At the sight of their beauty, Amicus’ warning returned to mind.
I stepped closer, drawn to the magic that fizzed over my skin. What kind of Hellion resided in there? I didn’t relish finding out.
I twisted away from the sight of it, determined to maintain my distance. After my last encounter, wandering through it against my will seemed likely.
One of the Mage unshouldered his pack and withdrew the storage cushion. He laid it on the ground and retreated. A snap of his fingers brought the covered crates back to their full size.
Then, three women leapt into action, removing the sheet with a wave of their arms.
Kyne nudged me with a flask.
I took it with a reluctant nod. I didn’t like having to rely on everyone for my needs, although as a Healer, I hardly needed it. Still, the Mage didn’t know about my Healer gift. Better to keep up appearances. “Any chance of getting my own pack?” I asked.
“If you join the group.”
So I could be subjected to him ruling over me? I took a sip of water, and then handed back the flask. “No, thanks. I’m not planning on sticking around once I have Charlie back.”
“Where will you go? The Mortals will always hunt you.”
“We’ll be fine.” I hoped we could return through the Void. The Keepers might not be able to see through it, but perhaps we could get home. Unless we ended up somewhere else. Somewhere worse. I frowned.
The air shuddered, and something dark tugged within me, drawing me to the Gate. I stared at the stars, wondering why I could feel their power so strongly.
The lights spun and juddered, spinning faster and faster. Power surged, dark, evil, and an anger that wasn’t mine pierced my mind.
Then, they slowed.
“You okay?” Amicus asked.
I stared at the Gate. “Did you feel that?”
Kyne kept his focus on me, his eyes narrowed. “Feel what?”
“The anger. The hate.”
The air shudder
ed again.
“And that.” I stepped closer to the Gate, and the sense of darkness grew in my mind. Shivers coursed along my arms. “Something’s wrong.”
Beyond the lights, a huge shadow with two chunky arms loomed. The lights touched its flesh, and I gasped. Giant bulges protruded from olive, wrinkled skin, and two fangs hung over its top lip. A mess of dirty, brown hair stuck up over its balding head, and thick, tarnished armour covered its body. It glared down at me with beady eyes.
No one reacted to the huge creature.
“What is it?” I asked.
Kyne’s jaw tightened. “What’s what?”
“That.” I pointed at the Hellion.
It leered.
Kyne just shook his head. “I told you. That’s the Gate.”
“No, I mean … you can’t see that?”
“Clara, what’s going on?” Amicus asked.
Another shudder set my legs trembling. “You really can’t feel that?”
Amicus’ brow drew down. “I can’t feel anything.”
The power surged.
Surely, not. Surely, this Gate couldn’t be failing, too?
I whirled to Kyne. “We need to get out of here. Tell them to run. Now.”
10
The lights marking the Gate flared, and a silent, agonising crack slashed through my mind. With a cry, I clutched my head and sank to my knees.
Amicus grabbed my shoulders. His mouth moved but no sound came out. Hanrel rushed over, crouched beside him, and laid his hands over mine.
Shouts slipped through the pain. The ground trembled beneath panicked footfalls. The world spun.
Then, the pain passed, and the surroundings shifted back into focus.
“Such pain.” Hanrel’s eyes brimmed with tears, and water swirled around him in threads. “Such pain in you.” His grasp on me tightened. “But I couldn’t heal you. What happened?”
I pulled away from his grasp. “I don’t …” I blinked away the hazy cloud still clinging to my mind and surveyed the Gate. The lights were gone. “The Gate failed.” And the Hellion was loose.
It bounded toward the group of Mage. He grunted and slashed through a thick tree, scattering leaves and splintered bark across the area.
The campers scattered before him.
Broken wood cut across Amicus’ cheek, but he didn’t flinch, instead calling upon his gift.
Lightning and a dagger of earth collided with the Hellion’s bulk. The attacks bounced off the thick armour, failing to harm the Hellion.
I raced toward the creature, unleashing a wave of blue fire. It ricocheted off the armour like a stone skimming water and fizzled into nothing.
Kyne stood nearby, his eyes black. Hands raised, an ebony, flashing ribbon surged from his palms and crashed into the Hellion. His energy encircled its body and tightened.
The creature shook its head, hair flapping, and with an exerted grunt, broke through the black hold.
Shock filled Kyne’s features. “Move out,” he shouted.
The Hellion struck out.
Kyne shoved a Mage out of the Hellion’s reach with a blast of his energy a second before its fist collided with the ground.
All around, the Mage fled, abandoning the little food they had begun to unpack.
The creature moved to follow the larger group.
I shot a thick wall of ice between it and the terrified company.
The beast snarled and punched, crashing against the ice’s hold.
My wall fell.
It grinned, baring more fangs.
“That’s not possible,” I whispered. Nothing was supposed to be able to break a Preserver’s ice.
Amicus grabbed my arm. A trail of blood streaked his cheek and jawline. “Come on.”
I sprinted after the fleeing Mage, leaping over roots and stones in my haste.
The Hellion roared but for some reason, didn’t follow.
I glanced back, expecting to see someone, a new target, but nothing unusual caught my eye. Aside from the Hellion.
Still, several minutes passed before anyone dared to stop.
I collapsed on a rock, fighting for breath.
Many Mage carried cuts and wounds, so I shoved aside my fatigue and pulled on my connection with the water, drawing it from the earth and a nearby stream. It curled before me in the familiar, twisting pattern of the Healers. I dragged out the contaminates and directed the cleansed water into the wound of Amicus, no longer caring about hiding my gifts. Not when there were wounded to help.
His pain stabbed against me, and then faded when the cut closed.
He rubbed his cheek. “Thanks.”
I nodded and moved to the next person.
“Celeste.” Kyne grabbed my arm. “What was that back there?”
“I don’t know. I felt …” I actually didn’t know what I felt. The Gate was failing. But then … “My head hurt. I don’t know why. Now, let me go. I’ve got wounded to heal.”
He released me. “Because you’re a Healer.”
My lips tightened.
“Four gifts,” he said, and a smile pinched his cheeks. “How very interesting.”
“The village!” Rickson raced toward us, cloak waving behind him. “It’s attacking a village.”
I twisted to Kyne. His neutral expression was enough to guess his response.
“We have to help them,” I said.
“They’re Mortals.”
“They need us. They can’t fight off the Hellion on their own.”
“Good.” He smirked. “One less village to worry about.”
My teeth gritted, and I spun to Amicus. “You’ll help me, right?”
He nodded and scooped up a pack.
Kyne stepped in my path. “You’re not going.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s too dangerous. You’ll die.” The fact that he cared filled me with concern. What was his true agenda?
“I’m not part of your group. I don’t take your orders.”
“And what about your precious Charlie? Are you willing to leave him in the Underworld forever?”
A growl rumbled deep in my throat. How dare he use Charlie to try to control me. “I’ll be fine. I am going for Charlie, but I’m not letting a village suffer for another Gate failing.” I shoved past him and ran toward Rickson. “Show us where to go.”
He hesitated for a moment, eyes on Kyne, and then led the way through the forest.
None of us spoke. I listened intently to the sound of our footfalls and any sign of an approaching Hellion. The woodland remained calm, and the sky grew darker.
At last, shouts echoed through the gloom.
My heart leapt. We were close.
Rickson paused at the edge of a crop field. The light of the two moons cast distorted shadows along the ground. A flattened trail through the crops marked the path of the Hellion’s huge feet, and smoke billowed from the houses in the distance.
Then, several houses in, the Hellion’s head bobbed over the roofs.
Light flashed beside me, and Lux, the Light Keeper appeared. He frowned at me. “You’re here.”
“I was there when the Gate failed. I couldn’t leave them to its mercy.”
Lux made eye contact with someone behind me, and Umbra stepped from the shadows. “Two Gates have failed so far since our last meeting,” he said.
“I know. I was there for the first one, too,” I said.
Lux cocked his head, a worried glint in his eye.
“Did you catch the first Hellion?” I asked.
“It’s still underground. But it’s only a matter of time.”
“So, how will we stop that?” I nodded to the creature terrorising the village.
“The Gate has failed, so we can’t return it since the balance is still off and restoring it remains impossible. We can, however, make a temporary prison to trap it. It’ll take a minute to force it through after creating the prison, though. It requires a great deal of power, so if you’re helping, you can distrac
t it to prevent it fleeing.”
So, they could force things through Gates, too? “Or I can help with the prison,” I said. “I can force a Hellion through, too.”
“That’s not possible.”
“I did it twice in my world. Once with a Hellion, and once with Zantos. You make the prison, I’ll put it in.”
They exchanged a look.
“It’s unwise,” Umbra said. “If this doesn’t work, we won’t get another chance for seven days. It takes time to recover our strength.”
“You can trust me.”
“Trust isn’t the issue,” Lux said. “What you’re saying should be impossible to do.”
“How do you explain what I’ve done in the past?”
“Without the details, we can’t.” He glanced at his brother.
“Yet, we sense the ability within you,” Umbra said. “How can that be?”
I shrugged. “No one I knew could explain it. It just happened. Wouldn’t it be better to cut out the risk of it fleeing?”
Umbra’s expression darkened. “It would, and perhaps we can work out the reason why you have this ability.”
Lux nodded at Amicus. “Are you ready?”
“Yes. Rickson, you should head back. We’ll catch up with you.”
Rickson frowned. “Oh, sure. So, a Mage creates pink fluff, and suddenly he’s no good in a battle.”
A sudden desire to eat more of it set my teeth on edge. Could I ask for more before he left?
Amicus chuckled. “Be safe.”
Rickson nodded. His gaze met mine for a moment, and then he sped back beneath the trees.
We set off, sprinting through the field toward the village and onto the cobbled street. The scent of blood and sweat touched my nose, and the surrounding fear tugged on the Seeker within me.
Bodies sprawled over the stone, unmoving and bleeding. My Healer gift connected with no signs of life. We weaved past them in the streets, bowing our heads in silence. A lump grew in my throat. If we’d arrived earlier, we could have helped. Or tried to.
Several minutes passed with the pattering of our footsteps on stone broken only by the growing grunts of the Hellion we approached.
Lux plunged ahead of us into a large square, filled with fleeing villagers. Mortal Blades stuck out of the weathered flesh of the Hellion like grass, but it stood as though they held no effect on it’s magic.
