Feudlings (8 page)

"Ari…" His voice held a warning, and Ari relented.

"Will, I promise, if the headaches continue, I'll see a healer next time I'm home. I'm due for a visit anyway. It's been over a week since they've wanted me to kill anyone." Although she meant it to sound lighthearted, it sounded sad.

"You could always walk away, Ari," Will said. She could hear sadness in his voice; they both knew her answer.

"I can't. Somehow I have to find the Prodigy and kill him so I can stop the war and set you free. I’ll talk to you soon, Will, okay? Have a good night.” She hung up, loneliness creeping through her as her mind traveled back to places she couldn’t forget.

Rarely, those in charge of the two sides — the Council for the Carules and the Family for the Edrens — let those who refused to fight walk away. But Will was too powerful, and he knew who the Prodigy was, which made him a threat. He couldn’t just walk away. The only way out was death.

To circumvent that, the Renegades — those like Will who refused to fight — created colonies. There were powerful wards, like invisible walls, created by a combination of Edren and Carules magic that didn't allow anyone through. Except Ari, who for some reason could walk right through wards. The only way in or out was by using a
saldepement
spell, a spell that opened a doorway between both casters.

The Renegades who lived there rarely left — it was just too dangerous. There were always Hunters watching them, waiting for them to leave. Then the Hunters attacked and collected the bounty for killing a Renegade.

Needless to say, that made living difficult. They couldn't just run to the store for groceries or clothes. Everything they ate had to be raised or grown, and they had to make their own clothes, unless they wanted to risk sneaking out to the ‘real’ world to buy things. Will, who was a genius with computers, built his colony in an abandoned Normals town with electricity and plumbing. He had started his own company and employed many of his colonists.

Ari sighed as she walked across the commons toward her dorm. She fought daily to forget the night she had found him, all those years ago. She had tracked Will with ferociousness, not remembering he was her brother, believing he wanted to kill her.

She was young then, and believed everything the Family told her. She thought they knew it all, could do no wrong, and had her best interests at heart. That changed the minute her ten-year-old self crossed those wards. Edrens and Carules Renegades came running, all of them knowing who she must be, and all of them fearing for their safety. Will had to have known she was there to kill him. And yet, he had saved her.

Ari cringed remembering that day. It was etched so forcefully into her brain that she couldn't get away from it. It was always there.

She drew a lirik, the most powerful spell she knew, her eyes sweeping over the children, the old people. She didn’t care. They stood between her and her enemy.

But then, over all the noise,
over all the screaming, she
heard him. "Arianna! Leave them be! It's me you want!" Will appeared through the smoke and the red and blue tangle of flames. She froze, surprised he knew her name. She felt his voice seeping down into her soul, past all the forget spells, and she remembered. She knew who he was and she knew he loved her. She remembered when he left he had tried to take her with him.

“No, wait! She’s not attacking!”
she heard Will scream, but it was too late. The spells had already been thrown. She didn’t know how many or even what they were that hit her, but she knew it hurt. A lot.

She didn't remember what had happened after that, but Will told her later that he’d stopped them and convinced them to help her. They’d gathered all the healers in the colony, Edren and Carules alike. They had worked for two days straight, drawing spells over her injuries to keep her alive. She spent three weeks recovering, and by the time she was well, she remembered everything.

And everything had changed.

Chapter Six

Shane couldn't remember the last time Hunter had been this mad at him. But now… well, now they were definitely having issues. He didn't want to admit it was all because of Ari, because admitting that a girl had come between them was admitting that maybe they weren't as undefeatable as he had thought. Both sides, Edren and Carules, had a Prodigy — one had to kill the other to end the war. Of course, hunting the other Prodigy would end the war a lot quicker, but the Council wouldn’t let him. The Edrens, however, sent their Prodigy out to hunt every chance they got.

Both the Prodigies had an uber-powerful Guard. The Edren Prodigy had never been seen with his, but Hunter was Shane’s. Which was why it was imperative that they work as a team. Or at least, be able to talk to each other without throwing a punch.
That would be good, too.
Shane thought, grimacing.

But instead, Hunter stared stonily at the smart board, ignoring Shane as best he could. Shane glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but refused to look at him. He heard Charity sigh behind them. She was angry, but Shane had no idea whose side she was on. She seemed to like Ari, but Shane knew her well, and he knew she was holding something back. "You two suck. You know that?" she said through clenched teeth as the bell rang.

Hunter glanced back at her guiltily but refused to look at Shane. "He's being an idiot."

"Why? Because I like a girl that you don't? Since when do you get to decide who I date?" Shane jerked his bag up off the floor and flung it over his shoulder.

"You're going to be late meeting her. She might have to walk to her next class by herself!" Hunter said, holding his hands up to his mouth in mock horror.

"Knock it off, you two," Charity said but they both ignored her.

Shane stomped toward the door. "What've you got against her anyway? You don't even know her." Hunter followed him, grabbing Shane’s arm and jerking him around.

"Neither do you," he responded. They stood toe to toe in the crowded hallway, both breathing hard. People stopped to watch, the anticipation of a fight blooming in the air and drawing them like bees.

"So? Why is that such a big deal?" Shane asked, his voice rising.

Hunter flushed and looked away. Spotting Charity, standing at the outer fringes of the crowd, he replied, "It's a big deal because Charity can't see her."

"Oh please. That's what this is about? And you call me an idiot." Shane spun on his heel and walked away, leaving Hunter staring angrily after him.

Ari hadn't waited for him. Big surprise. She seemed to barely tolerate his presence. Actually, she seemed to barely tolerate any of them, except Charity, who for some reason was exempt from Ari’s disinterest. He thought of heading in the direction of her next class hoping to catch up to her, but that seemed a little desperate. Frustrated, he also considered smashing his fist into the wall, but decided that would be counter-productive. With a sigh, he started off to his next class.

As he turned the corner he nearly ran into Charity, who was leaning against the wall with her arms folded, waiting for him. "How is it you always seem to know just where I'll be, if you can't see me?" he asked with a slow smile, stopping next to her.

She looked up at him. His cousin was average height, but he was tall and it forced her to crane her neck back to see him. "Because I know you," she said quietly.

Shane groaned and fell back against the wall next to her. "You too, huh?"

"Me too what?" she asked, her eyebrows drawing together as she picked at her nails.

"You're mad too."

"Nope." Her silver eyes sparkled as she glanced up at him. "I don't know why she makes Hunter so angry. Maybe because she's gorgeous and intimidates him. Not much does."

Shane stared ahead at beige corridors, but didn't see them. "She's different, Charity," he said, bouncing the back of his head off the wall a few times.

"Shane, I can't help but wonder… and don't take this the wrong way, but is she different because she's hasn't jumped at the chance to go out with you?"

Shane blinked in surprise. His mind traveled back to the first time he had seen her, under the ladder, unconscious and bruised. And yet, she had been the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And then he jumped to when he had seen her in the hall the first day of school.

The world had stopped.

Time had stopped.

Nothing had existed but her, and it had taken everything he had to even attempt to not be a blathering moron.

Returning to Charity, he shook his head. "No. That isn't it."

Charity studied him for long seconds, searching his face. Even if she couldn't
see
him using her gift, she could still see more of him than anyone else. Coming to some internal conclusion, she nodded, "Okay," and turned to walk away.

"Okay?" he asked, baffled, pushing away from the wall.

"Yep." And she continued walking.

****

"Hey Shane!" a boy named Conner yelled at him over the noise as he walked into the crowded lunch room. He hadn't gone to walk Ari to class or met her before lunch. He was half-hoping it would appease Hunter, but he knew better. Hunter didn't like Ari, and the only thing that would make him happy was if Ari was out of the picture. And Shane just didn't think he could do that.

He stifled a sigh as he realized a whole table full of guys was watching him like he was crazy. "Hey, Conner. What's up?" He attempted to force a smile.

He glanced across the lunch room to his table, where Hunter had watched him walk in alone, eyebrows raised in mild surprise. Nev sat next to him and she also watched Shane, except she was frowning. Charity was just setting her tray down but as usual, she didn't seem surprised about anything.

"Uh, Shane?" Conner asked again.

"Sorry. Rough morning." Shane dropped down in an empty seat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I was saying we're playing some two-hand touch football after school. Are you and Hunter in?"

Shane again looked over at Hunter, who was still watching him. "I'll have to ask Hunter but I'm in. Sounds great," he said with forced enthusiasm, getting up to go get his lunch.

Ari had just walked in the cafeteria, and as usual, the room went silent for a few seconds. She was that stunning. And Shane was sure she had no idea. She assumed everyone was staring at her because she was the new girl. He stopped behind her in line.

"Hey stranger," she said with an arched brow.

"Sorry. I've been stuck in classes," he lied, and then wasn’t sure why he hadn’t just told her the truth.

She smiled. "I told you I didn't need help finding my classes, Shane. I only got lost once, and that was because I stopped to tie my shoe and the halls changed places on me."

Livi, who was standing next to her, giggled. "You're wearing boots, Ari."

"Yeah. I decided those laces had to go." Ari smirked as she moved forward to get her food.

"Did you really get lost?" Shane frowned. Her lips turned up as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't answer.

As they walked to their table and toward a scowling Hunter, she asked, her voice low, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Sure. Why?" He glanced at her, surprised, as he navigated around tables and the crowds of students without spilling his tray.

"You're just acting kinda… down. I haven't heard one lame joke since you walked up." Her face broke into a teasing grin, but he could see it. Underneath it all, she might actually care.

He perked up, just a little, his eyes brightening. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Hunter," Ari said, dropping her tray on the table next to him.

"Ari." And that was it.

Nev and Livi started chattering, and the rest of them didn't have a chance to get a word in edgewise. He caught Ari watching him, once, with what he would swear was concern. But then she looked away.

****

It was way too hot to be playing football. The game was rougher than normal, which said a lot since a whole bunch of testosterone-charged high school boys playing football wasn’t a tame thing to begin with. Shane and Hunter were on opposite teams, taking their aggression from the past week out on each other whenever possible. Unfortunately, Hunter was a lot bigger than Shane, and Shane was getting the worst of it. Conner hauled him off the ground for the umpteenth time, Shane rubbing his backside where he had just landed and grinding his teeth in frustration. He was determined to stop Hunter from making another play, no matter what.

But Hunter didn't go for a long pass like Shane expected. Instead he handed it off to Rueben, their running back. Shane went after him, couldn’t quite reach him, and dove. They both went down, with Rueben on the bottom.

Shane jumped up as the team ran over, everyone yelling.

"What’s going on, Shane? We're not playing tackle!" Hunter bellowed.

Shane’s team jumped to his defense as Shane pulled Rueben up. "You okay, man?" he asked, ignoring all the yelling.

"Kinda winded." Rueben doubled over and put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"You guys are playing way too rough. Somebody's gonna get hurt!" Nev jogged over from the sidelines, black braids dancing, a scowl crinkling her chocolate eyes.

"Come here, Rueben. We'll take care of you." She shoved boys out of the way and took Rueben's arm. Liv and Charity were on his other side, helping him off the field. He glanced back with a wide grin, rearranging his face into a grimace of pain when Charity looked up at him.

"Great. I just lost my running game." Hunter threw the football at the ground, glaring at it as it rolled away.

"What running game? You didn't have one to begin with," Shane retorted.

"Yeah, and you're just rackin’ up the points, aren't ya?" Hunter threw back at him.

"Well yeah, Hunter, we are. You guys are barely even on the board!"

"Guys! Can we just play, please?" Conner interrupted, moving from one foot to the other. No one was used to Hunter and Shane fighting. They weren’t even used to them being on opposite teams.