Ember (60 page)

I resisted at first, then I had to tell
myself to scream, that Ikovos and Jaden would hear me if I
screamed. I got one out before his head went up over my mouth, my
arms locked tightly behind my back. Ikovos and Jaden heard me
though. In actuality I'm sure they'd been watching me since I hit
the edge. I could barely see their faces from here, but both of
them lunged forward.

“
Don't
try it boys, or I'll gut her
right here.” It was so loud it hurt my ears.

I moved against his grip. Ikovos and Jaden
froze.

Then Sylvanus started to move forward slowly,
holding me ahead of him. I continued to struggle wildly, but it
didn't loosen his hold at all, he was too strong. It was all I
could do to kick and drag my feet against the ground.

The dark sky swirled above us. When we were
about ten yards away from the podium he stopped. I could see the
boys' faces now. They were standing in a shrilly. Ikovos up on the
platform and Jaden dropped down below. Both were intent and livid,
but Jaden's brow fell when my panicked eyes hit him.

“Sylvanus, if you—”

“Threats Jaden?” He stopped him with a shake
to my body. “Come, come, you know better than that.” Sylvanus’
mouth moved by my ear. “Plus, you're not in much of a position . .
.”

I groaned then opened my mouth to bite down
on his hand.

He screeched, then readjusted his grip,
tightening harder.

“That's no way to say hello, Evelyn. It's
been such a long time.” His eyes glowed excitedly, mouth set into a
disconcerting smile.

For a second I couldn't breathe. This was
everything I had dreamt about, it was happening, all I could feel
was a disabling fear.

He turned his head back to Jaden and Ikovos
and immediately a red, flaming, knife came whipping towards us. I
closed my eyes, bracing, but it past me, causing an unpleasant thud
beside my ear.

I opened my eyes and took in air. Sylvanus’s
hand was off my mouth. Then I looked over, paling to see the still
dimly glowing knife jabbing out of his hand. He bit down on the
blade with his teeth and slid it from his skin. The smell of blood
was overwhelming. He put his hand back up over my mouth.

“Try something like that again and I'll move
her in front of it.”

I moaned against the coppery liquid seeping
into my mouth. The boys froze, Ikovos still up on the higher level
and Jaden closer to us. Both of their chests were lifting
heavily.

“And none of that super-speedy business from
you,” he said to Ikovos, “you won't be quick enough.”

The boy's jaw clenched tightly.

Then there was a pause.

“Can't we all just calm down for a moment?”
tried Sylvanus. “It seems since this war's started everybody's up
in arms all the time. . . . Makes it hard to get close.”

My body rushed sickeningly. I shifted my
gaze, I couldn’t bear to meet their eyes.

Sylvanus seemed to catch this with intent
delight. He moved his lips closer to my ear.

“Will you look at their faces?” he whispered.
His voice was low, honeyed.

I turned my head defiantly, until he squeezed
my jaw and yanked it straight.

When I caught their expressions my features
dropped. I knew what they were normally like in these situations.
Resolute, focused, controlled. There was none of that now. They
looked worried, anxious, scared even. My chest locked.

“You are going to make this
so
easy
for me,” said Sylvanus. Then he licked his lips, turning back
ahead.

“So, how have you two been since the meetings
stopped? Keeping busy I'm sure?” He frowned. “You look so surprised
to see me . . . then again I guess we are out in the middle of
nowhere. . . .” His head shifted around. “I've no clue why, I've
just been watching for the pretty girl's scent since the battles
started.” His nose dug into the side of my head, then he inhaled.
“I knew she'd have to leave sooner or later.”

My jaw tightened.

“The question is, what can I do with the two
of you here? . . .” his head cocked to me, fingers tracing my jaw.
“My options have become somewhat limited. Unless I kill you both
first . . . but it's not as fun if no one's watching.”

Jaden almost lunged forward at that, but
Ikovos stopped him, dropping down slowly, tone composed.

“You're making a mistake, Sylvanus. If you
let her go now, you can live. Otherwise . . .” He didn’t finish,
the look on his face said the rest.

Sylvanus clicked his tongue at him. “So calm.
. . .” Then he smirked. “Come on, Ikovos, I promise to share.”

Ikovos shook then, all serenity lost.

I moaned against Sylvanus’s grip.

“What was that?” he asked, lifting his hand
off.

I ground my teeth. “Stop it.”

He chuckled, dropping the hand to my
neck.

“Did you two hear that?” he asked ahead. “She
said she wants me to stop.” I swallowed, searching for Jaden’s
eyes. They were set on lividly on Sylvanus. When they caught mine,
they fell weakly. A lump rose in my chest. Sylvanus' mouth pressed
hard against my ear. “We haven't even
started
yet.”

A loud chirp sounded, followed by a cry from
Sylvanus. His grip on my arms loosened enough for me to push away.
I turned back to see Tanis latched onto Sylvanus’ ear by his teeth.
I groaned, trying to hold my mind clear while reaching for the
knife in my belt.

Sylvanus grabbed Tanis and flung him across
the rocks, then fixed his eyes on my again.

I felt Ikovos’s hands on me, it had only
taken him seconds. Sylvanus grimaced, but got interrupted with a
thorough punch from Jaden. It knocked him back at least five feet,
when he came back up he was changed. Dark, bat-like, ears. Slick,
stringy, hair. His hand wiped the silver blood across his face.

“You know I hate it when things get violent,”
he cursed. In seconds a silver ball of liquid appeared in his hand
and shot out at Jaden.

He ducked one, but a second knocked him back
into the air. I screamed. Sylvanus prepared another shot, but
Ikovos was already on top of him, hand balled into a fist.

Sylvanus grabbed his neck, lifting him
easily. “You two are distracted, this isn't even a fight.”

Jaden was starting to get up again. Ikovos’s
hands went to his neck, he was choking. I tightened my grip on the
knife, then rushed forward, aiming for Sylvanus' chest. He grabbed
me with his free hand, then threw Ikovos down against the rock.
There was a loud crack.

“You're all making this so easy for me.”

I swung back to check Ikovos. He'd dropped
him on his head. Before I could reach him Sylvanus grabbed me,
locking his arm around my neck and holding my body against him.

Jaden froze ten feet away.

“Now we're in the same position with one
down,” screeched Sylvanus. His was breathing heavily.

I ignored everything. My eyes were still on
Ikovos. I couldn't see the extent of the injury, but he wasn't
moving. My blood heated and I tore at Sylvanus' arm with my
nails.

“Ugh! I'll kill you!” I screamed. “Let me go!
Let me go! I'll kill you!”

“Oh, calm down,” he drawled. Then he kicked
the body further, refocusing on Jaden.

I lurched and thrashed violently, not
stopping till I met Jaden’s eyes. He shook his head.

“You're all such
fools
,” croaked
Sylvanus. “So wrapped up in your emotions, you can even fight
properly.” His tone was more strained now, pulse beating wildly
against my back. “And you have no
idea
what is coming.”

Jaden’s gaze shot to him.

“Demian did warn me specifically not to spoil
the surprise, but seeing as neither of you will live past this
anyways . . .” My throat constricted, choking through gasps. “You
see . . . How can I put this? . . . Let's just say it won't be long
before I get to play with all the kiddies at your little
lodge.”

Jaden looked back at me. I searched his face.
His head shook.

“He's lying, Eve.”

“I can assure you, I'm not,” argued Sylvanus.
“You see while you all have been taking it easy with your training
and your . . . socializing, we've all been quite busy.” He sighed
wistfully. “I didn't like Demian's appointment at first, I mean
he's a nasty little killer, don't get me wrong, but he seemed like
too much of a rule-abider, always playing to the bigwigs and
following his orders immaculately. . . . But when I heard about his
plan for your precious group I couldn't help but join in.”

Jaden's eyes were hard, but hesitant, a
realization hit me.
He doesn’t know what Sylvanus is talking
about.

The creature pulsed. “The man has an army,”
he whispered it amusedly. “
Thousands
.”

My heart missed a beat. Jaden didn't look
much better.

“That's not true. . . .” was all I could
manage.

“Oh, yes,” smiled Sylvanus. “It is.” He
nodded forward. “That boy knows it too. Ask him where all the
forest-dwellers are, or the deserters, any of the Meoden that used
to live out of our boundary lines.”

My eyes shot to Jaden. He held my gaze hard,
his jaw clenching till tears started in my eyes.

He looked back to Sylvanus with a heavy
breath. “We'll fight them.”

“Not so many,” the creature laughed.

My heart started to pound wildly. All the
Meoden scattered through Sharadeen.
That's
who Demian now
led, along with all the others, and they were going to attack the
lodge, attack the boys.

“No. . . .” I gasped.

Sylvanus wrapped his other arm around my
torso.

“Oh, yes,” he whispered, “but don't worry.
You're going to die before you have to see it . . . after you watch
him die.” My vision blurred.

Jaden’s head shook. “Eve, don't listen to
him. You're strong, you can fight him.”

I looked up, breath catching. Sylvanus
clicked his tongue.

“Look, he’s trying to be brave for you. . . .
How touching . . .”

Jaden’s eyes shifted to him. It looked like
he was having hard time breathing, from nothing else I could guess
at but anger.

“If she wasn’t here . . . ,” he managed,
voice shaking, “. . . you would be very sorry for every word you’ve
said.”

My tears sobered at the intensity in his
tone, in his eyes.

“Every . . . single . . . word.”

I felt Sylvanus’ pulse speed behind me. There
was a slight pause, then he bent his arm tighter, pulling my neck
up.

“Well, he is quite menacing isn’t he . . .
hard for a poor lonely Meoden like myself to keep my bearings. . .
.” He laughed. “But just watch how brave he acts when you start
talking about his mommy and daddy.”

My eyes widened immediately, searching,
alert.

Jaden’s features fell, but he held his mouth
in a tight line.

Sylvanus moved his hand up to feel my
heartbeat.

“Oh, so he’s told you . . .” he cocked his
head “. . . That’s unexpected.”

My chest was raising heavier, anger replacing
fear with each word.

“Well, that ruins some of the fun, but really
you’ve only heard one side of the story.” Jaden’s eyes kept hard.
“You see I wasn’t there myself, unfortunately, but I’ve gotten
quite a few firsthand accounts. One of my subordinates remembers
Jaden’s family specifically. The other ones too,” he added, nodding
down to the lifeless body.

My stomach burned with rage. I tightened my
hand into a fist as he continued.

“So much happened after they took the young
boys out, and it doesn’t matter much to the less refined soldiers
if the person’s dead like his mother was . . .”

His words continued, but I didn’t hear them.
I wasn’t going to let this happen. The thinly veiled anguish on
Jaden’s face was maddening. I was scared, weak, and infinitely
incapable of fighting anything on my own, but I was as sick of all
three facts as I was of accepting on them.

I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated
everything in me on my hand. It was only a second before I could
feel the intense burning. Jaden’s eyes caught it first. I gripped
it then brought my hand up to Sylvanus’ arm.

The purple flame seared into his flesh. He
screeched and released his lock on my neck. “Why you—”

I didn’t waste a second. I dropped down to my
knees. Picked up the dark silver dagger that he’d torn from my
hand. Lit it,
somehow,
with a violet glow. Then stabbed in
into his chest.

He gasped, clutching it, then looked at me
wide-eyed. “You can’t use . . .”

I wanted to tear him to pieces my pulse was
beating so furiously, but the knife was well-placed, and silver
blood was flowing heavily from it.

He staggered back, eyeing down again, then
letting out a horrifying screech. I had to put my hands up to my
ears, the nearby birds scattered out of the trees into the sky.
Then he fell back solidly.

I didn’t wait to see if he was gone. My body
gave out, lungs emptying of all oxygen.

Jaden caught me. I think I fell into his lap.
I blinked for what felt like a second, but when I looked up Jaden
had shifted. His head was turned towards Sylvanus’ body.

I tried to move and his gaze turned to me,
face contorted.

“Ikovos!” I sucked in suddenly.

“Hold it.” He put a hand on my stomach. “He’s
okay, he’s just unconscious.”

I sighed. My body felt numb. “Is Sylvanus . .
. ?”

“Dead,” he finished. I lifted my head enough
that I could see him and he looked at me with a pained
expression.

I coughed from the way my throat closed.”I’m
sorry for what he said about your—”

The furrowed, flawless boy shook his head.
“Stop it.”

There wasn’t a shred guarded or indifferent
demeanor left visible on him. It made me smile despite the
circumstance.

A breath escaped him and he wiped my cheek.
Sylvanus’ blood must have still been on it.