Feudlings (29 page)

And then she could feel his heart. It was pounding against his chest and he was shaking like a leaf in the wind. He was just as scared as she was, and knowing that, Ari let her guard down. She let go, snaking her arms around his neck and pulling him as close as she could get him, determined to never let go.

She didn't realize there were tears rolling down her cheeks until Shane pulled away from her. He raised a hand and slowly, gently, brushed one away with his finger, studied it, and looked back up at her.

"I love you," she said quietly. He watched her in silence for several seconds, searching her eyes. She said nothing, just looked back at him, finally acknowledging the pain and fear in his face. It had been there all along. She had refused to believe it had anything to do with her. But it had. She had caused it.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. Shane shook his head once, and cupped her face in his hands, bringing his lips to hers once more. He traced the line of her jaw with his thumb before running his hands down her arms to her hands, grasping them tightly. He was still shaking, maybe more than he had been before.

They stayed that way for an eternity, until the sky opened and rain poured down, and even then it wasn't until they were both soaked to the skin that Shane pulled away from her, looking up into the downpour with a grin. She didn't want to move away from him. She laid her head on his shoulder and for once, she didn't fight the smile that came to her face.

****

"You have completely lost your mind. You know that, right?" Ari yelled, turning to face Shane, her face a mask of incredulity.

Will, Charity, and Hunter had taken refuge in the kitchen, watching the sparks fly. "Well, that moment of peace didn't last long, did it?" Hunter said with a sardonic raise of his eyebrows. Will, at least, was pretending to cook, but he said nothing, sending Hunter a rueful look.

"Ari, once the Council understands the situation, they'll work with us. They'll help us figure out how to end the war without one of us having to kill the other one." Shane crossed his arms over his chest. They faced off, the couch between them.

"Your Council will try to kill me — and you too, probably!" Ari exclaimed. "They sent hunters after you when you went rogue. Did you forget that? You're in as much danger as Will now."

"They weren't hunters. They were a recon team. They were trying to find us, not kill us," Shane argued, frowning.

"We are
not
going to your Council. I've already had one close brush with death. I'm gonna wait a while before I throw myself in front of another
lirik
, if that's okay with you," Ari retorted. Shane paled and she heard Charity gasp from the kitchen. Ari was instantly sorry for bringing it up.

But Shane side-stepped it, saying instead, "Do you have a better plan to end this stupid war? People are dying out there, Ari. We can't just sit back and hope it ends on its own."

"Do you think I don't know that, Shane? I've spent my entire life fighting. I didn't get to grow up sheltered and protected in a pretty little boarding school. I know how many lives have been lost!" Ari yelled, angry now, forgetting that just a second ago she had felt bad for hurting him. Now she wanted to shove the entire couch at him.

With a sigh, Will handed his spatula to Hunter. "If I don't stop them now, they're gonna break something. And it isn't easy getting things replaced when you're stuck in a colony," he muttered under his breath. He made his way to the living room, Charity following him. Hunter stayed in the kitchen where it was safe, flipping pancakes.

Will moved between them, trying to break their staring match. "We aren't going to your Council. It puts Ari in too much danger. But maybe you could send them a message explaining the situation and ask them what they propose you do next. That way, no one is in danger, but Shane still gets to touch base with the Council. Everybody wins." Ari and Shane both scowled at him. "Just an idea," he said, holding up his hands defensively and backing into the kitchen. Behind him, Charity giggled.

"Pancakes are ready!" Hunter appeared in the doorway with his spatula in hand.

"They can trace the computer," Ari said, following them in and plunking herself at the table. Shane sat next to her, giving her a blank stare. "If you send the Council an email. And you can't call them, obviously," she said.

"Obviously," Will agreed.

"Obviously. Why is that obvious?" Shane asked, glancing from one to the other.

"They can trace the call," Will explained, pouring syrup over his pancakes. Hunter sat back and watched them eat, pride written across his face.

"Yeah man, pancakes are good." Shane grinned at him around a mouthful of food.

"But we
could
send them an encrypted email that they can't trace. I'm the best hacker you know, Ari. I'm wounded that you didn't consider that," Will pointed out. “How else do you think we’ve been communicating with the Family all this time?”

Charity looked up, her eyes widening in alarm. "Hacker? I thought you were a programmer."

"Umm… yeah. That's what I am."

Ari rolled her eyes. "
Anyway
, it's too dangerous. They could trace it back here and put the whole colony in danger."

"They can't get past my firewalls," Will said with a big grin, heaping his plate full of more pancakes.

Ari just shook her head. They ate in silence for several minutes before she heaved a giant sigh, leaning back in her chair and pushing dark red and black curls over her shoulder. "Fine. If Will can encrypt it, I think it's a good idea,” she said. Shane watched the curls tumble over her shoulder, fascinated.

"Okay. Let's get to it then," Hunter said, sending Shane a disgusted look as he pushed away from the table. He followed Will into the office where they huddled over the computer. Charity joined them a few minutes later.

"Ari, they will help us. You'll see," Shane said, reaching across the table and taking her hand.

Ari stared down at their joined fingers for a long moment before she looked up to meet his gaze. "I hope so, Shane. I do."

They heard the front door open and Dani came around the corner. She had been fighting the flu and, from the looks of it, still didn’t feel well. “Hey Ari. Is Will around?” she asked. She tried to smile but only succeeded in looking more miserable than before.

“Office. Sending encrypted emails.” Ari sighed, motioning her toward the office.

Dani gave a little nod and wandered toward the door. She raised her hand to knock, but stopped before her knuckles touched the wood. “You know… I probably shouldn’t bother him. Will you just tell him I stopped by?” she asked, turning back to Ari.

“Sure. But he’ll be done soon if you want to stick around. We’ve got pancakes.” Ari said as Shane helpfully pushed the plate full of still-steaming pancakes toward her. Dani just shook her head, paling. Ari wondered if she was going to be sick all over the kitchen. That would be… unpleasant. Dani just gave them a quick wave and fled the house.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ari’s eyes flew open as Charity’s wail jarred her out of sleep. The moon was just a sliver and barely visible through the bedroom window. Morning was on its way. Ari lay silently, watching Charity try to catch her breath. “Are you okay?” she asked finally.

“I… had a dream…” Charity trailed off. She rolled over and looked at Ari, her eyes glowing in the dark room. “You aren’t as healed as you’d like us to believe, are you?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Your breathing. It’s ragged.”

Ari changed the subject. “What was your dream about?”

Charity squeezed her eyes shut, but Ari could see them glowing brighter than before. “I can’t remember. Something feels
wrong
, though.”

Ari could tell the second the vision hit. Charity fell backward like she had been smacked in the head with a bat, knocking her back against her pillows.

“A girl… one I’ve seen around the colony…”Ari struggled out of her covers and went to kneel by Charity on the floor. “I’ve noticed her because Will watched her with a light in his eyes that I can only wish Hunter would see me with.” Even caught in a vision, a blush colored her fair cheeks. Ari could barely see it in the moonlight.

Ari sucked in a breath. Dani.

Charity gripped Ari’s hands, her mouth moving, words tumbling out. “
The girl is in the woods, outside
the wards. She’s running, and crying, she’s crying so hard, choking on sobs.
Spells fly past her head. They smash into the trees.

’Help me! Please help me!’
she screams. And then she trips.”

"Charity! What's going on?" Ari yelled, shaking her. With a strangled cry, Charity’s eyes flew open.

The room flooded with light as Will and Hunter fought their way through the door, Shane on their heels. "What's going on?" Hunter asked.

"If you'd shut up, she could tell us!" Ari snapped, turning back to Charity.

"Breathe, Char. It's okay." Shane knelt next to Ari and took Charity's hands. Ari watched blue warmth flicker out of Shane's hands, soothing his cousin.

Taking a deep breath, Charity told them what she had seen. “Will, I think it’s Dani.”

Will sucked in a sharp, pained breath.

"Who is Dani?" Shane asked.

"Will's sort-of girlfriend, the girl who stopped by today," Ari explained as she turned toward her brother." She's out there somewhere. We've got to go after her."

"It's too dangerous, Ari." He closed his eyes, as if the words tortured him. "I'll go. I'll get some of the other colonists to help me. You'll stay—" Ari glared at him and leaped toward the door, racing down the hallway as his words died behind her. She was in pajama pants and a tank top, no shoes, but she was hurtling down the stairs before they even got to the hall.

Will followed her with Shane and Hunter on his heels, all of them yelling at Ari. She glanced over her shoulder, just catching sight of Charity, just coming down the outside stairs, tugging on her shoes. Shane caught up to her, skidding to a halt as she reached the wards and sprinted right through them. Through the wards, she could barely hear him as he said, “It’s incredible, watching her do that.”

"Ari!" Will yelled. She spun toward him, held up three fingers, counting down. At one, she and Will flew into a flurry of
saldepement
s, opening a portal. "You are in so much trouble!" Will bellowed as he dove through. The rest of them followed.

"We're already out here, Will. Charity, come with me. We'll use your vision to find her. Will, you go that way around the colony and see if anyone has seen anything. Get help if you find anyone awake.” Ari motioned to Shane and Hunter. “You two go that way and we'll go all the way around the colony if we have to."

"Are you crazy? You aren't going out there alone!" Shane yelled.

"Shane, I'm a better fighter than all of you combined. You know that. This girl means a lot to my brother and I'm not going to stand here and argue with you. Besides, I won’t be alone. I’ll have Charity with me." With a glance at Charity, Ari raced away. Charity didn't even glance back as she followed her, running as hard as she could to keep up.

****

"Charity, yell if something looks familiar," Ari called over her shoulder, and then she slid to a stop, jerking her arm out to catch Charity as she hurled by.

"Carules magic." She pointed. Moving quietly, Ari pulled Charity along behind her, her hand hot on Charity’s wrist, heading toward a clearing ahead of them. Their breath hung frozen in the air and snow crunched under their feet.

Dani stood in the middle of the clearing, sobbing with her hands over her face, barely visible in the twilight.

"Dani? Are you okay?" Ari called from the shelter of the trees.

Dani jerked, put out her hands. "Ari!" she cried. Ari hesitated, searching the surrounding forest.

"Something isn't right," Charity murmured.

"What do you see?" Ari asked, risking a glance at her before turning her attention back to the clearing.

"Nothing. But it feels wrong."

"Ari! They're — they’re gone. But I'm scared!" Dani called.

Ari frowned. "Come to me. We'll get you back where it's safe."

"I can't. I'm hurt." She gestured to her foot, which was twisted at an odd angle.

"Good grief." Ari took an uncertain step out of the trees. "Where'd the Carules go?" Ari asked.

"They weren't after me. They thought I was someone else. When they got close… they just took off." Dani was sobbing harder now and Ari could see her shaking even from her hiding spot at the edge of the trees.

"Stay here and hide in the trees. If anything happens, run back the way we came and tell Will to get you back inside the colony." Ari glanced down at Charity as she bit her lip. Charity nodded, her eyebrows drawn together with worry. With a nod to herself, Ari sprinted out into the clearing.

But it wasn't fast enough. Carules swarmed through a portal that bloomed to life at Dani's back. By Dani's hand.

Ari skidded to a stop, sliding in the snow. "You're the traitor?" she screeched in shock.

"I'm so sorry Ari! I didn't have a choice—" Dani cried.

Ari's hands were already shooting out spells, sparks flying from her fingertips. Several Carules went down at once; a few more tried to dive out of the way but got hit with her next spell. Charity had never seen anything like it. Ari was just too fast, dodging and ducking and weaving and whirling away from anything they tried to throw at her while her hands flew through spells of her own.

"Edren Prodigy. Arianna, is it? Maybe you can stop killing all my warriors for a second so we can talk. I have something here that will interest you." The voice wafted across the clearing. All the spells assaulting her stopped, and everyone ran for cover. Wards went up all around her.

Ari pushed her curls away from her sweaty forehead. "Come closer so I can kill you, and I won't have to kill the rest of your warriors," she said, her voice flat and hard.

Slowly, a man stepped out of the trees, dragging an unconscious form behind him. Ari stifled a scream behind her fist as she realized it was Charity. Outside the shimmering lines of the wards, she could see Shane and Hunter, desperately throwing spells against the walls. And she could feel her brother without even seeing him, trying just as recklessly to find a way through from behind her. But it wasn’t possible.