Heirs of War (30 page)

"What now?" Ariana asked as her teeth chattered together. "Should we make a fire?"

Alec was huddled on the other side of the entrance, his arms wrapped tightly around his bare chest as a dither of cold ran up his spine. "No. Would draw too much attention."

"How are we supposed to dry off then?" she asked rhetorically. "Fat lot of good it does us to escape just to die from hypothermia here."

"I don't suppose you would be able to call two elements at the same time?" There was a hint of desperation in his voice, and Isauria assumed he hadn't taken their soaking wet conditions into account when thinking of seeking shelter for the night.

"Kellen," he explained at Ariana’s confused look, "used to do that when I was younger. And when she was kinder," he added sardonically. "After I went for a swim, she would call Air and Fire at the same time to dry me off."

"Where's Captain Planet when you need him?" Ariana muttered under her breath, and then shook her head as he started to ask her what she meant. "I can try."

Ariana stood up, holding her hands up from her sides as she cleared her mind and tried to find the two elements in question. Isauria felt the air and fire respond weakly. Ariana furrowed her brow, trying to concentrate as Isauria placed a ghostly hand on her back as if to offer help.

All at once, the power of the elements slammed into her and through her. Isauria could feel their intensity as her youngest sister staggered. The air around them started to warm and swirl around intensely. Ariana gasped as her dark hair whipped around, slapping her cheeks and causing her to wince. She held up a hand, struggling to see Alec through the dirt and leaves flying through the air around them.

Alec was on his feet in an instant, pushing through the forceful winds to try to get to Ariana. "Ariana! You can stop now. That's enough. Ariana," he shouted as the wind grew stronger. It was as if she had formed a cyclone around her that would fling him back every time his fingers brushed her skin.

Her eyes were rounded with fear as she tried to p
ull back on her power. "I can't," she shouted back, an edge of hysteria in her voice as the elements threatened to overwhelm her.

“You have to,
” Isauria urged her, though she knew she wouldn’t be heard. She could see Ariana’s skin paling as the forces around them intensified.

"I don't know how to make it stop!" Ariana squinted her eyes shut, trying harder even though she obviously grew weaker with each moment.

“No, don’t give up! Ariana,” Isauria shouted as she gripped her sister’s shoulder. “You have to try.” She couldn’t help but think about what Sheridan had told Ariana—the way the elements would draw from the person wielding them as well.

"Alec,
" Ariana cried out pleadingly. "Alec!"

He was on the ground now, clawing his way to her. His fingernails dug into the dirt around her, his face turned away from the splatter of leaves and debris scratching across his bare arms and cheeks. He found the center and pulled himself into its safety as quickly as he could as he sprang to his feet. His hands clamped around her face as he finally reached her.

"Look at me! Ariana, look at me!" Her lavender eyes snapped open and locked onto his gray eyes as they burned with ferocity. "Focus on me. Breathe. Let go."

"I'm trying,
" Ariana said with rising panic.

"Don't ta
lk! Just look at me and breathe," he yelled over the sound of the chaos around them. His thumbs stroked her cheeks gently. "Don't think about what's happening around us. Think about me. Look at me and think about only me! Just Alec and Ariana, remember?"

She nodded, clamping her own hands over his and giving them a light squeeze. Slowly, the air around them began to still until the cave was quiet. She wavered on her feet, and Alec's arms wrapped around her waist, holding her upright. She rested her cheek against his chest, their shaky breaths coming in time. "Remind me not to try that again," she said with a trembling laugh.

Isauria took a step back, her own relief washing over her. She watched the pair comfort one another, amazed at the connection she could see between them.

Alec wrapped a hand around the back of her head, holding her against his chest as he rested his chin on her temple. "I am so sorry, Ariana. It was stupid of me to suggest. I'll figure out another way for us to stay warm."

"It's okay," Ariana assured him as she relaxed. "This will work until we can get a fire going. Body heat," she clarified.

"
Huh. That's actually not a bad idea."

She slapped his arm lightly as she leaned away from him. "Don't sound so surprised
. I'm full of good ideas today."

He laughed freely. "We should get some rest. We have a long journey ahead of us."

"Where are we going?" she asked as they lowered themselves to the ground.

He held out his arms, and she snuggled against him. "Well, we have to find a way to get you to Anscombe. To do that, we have to go to the tairseach. Unfortunately, I'm fairly certain it's on the other side of the continent."

She suppressed a sigh as she laid her head against his chest. "Sounds like the adventure is just beginning then."

###

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mara Valderran is not just an author of young adult and new adult novels. She has dabbled in screenwriting, retired from acting, and drawn some pretty mean stick figures in her time. She is an avid reader and loves all things fantasy. She contributes to the fantasy blog There and Draft Again: A Fellowship of Fantasy Writers.

Mara is more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She loves roller skating and movies, though typically not together. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or counting down the days until DragonCon.

Connect With Me Online:

My Website and Blog:
www.maravalderran.com

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/MaraValderran

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/authormaravalderran

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are so many people I have to thank for guiding or supporting me (or both!) in this process.

First, I’d like to thank my husband for his endless and unconditional support, and for putting up with me disappearing into fictional worlds for days at a time. Without him, none of this would be possible and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather share this journey with.

My family and friends…To say they are the best is the greatest understatement of all. They’ve read countless versions of these books, called me in the middle of the night to bless me out for something I did to one of their favorite characters, inspired and encouraged me, and most importantly: They’ve never let me give up. It is through their belief in me and in the girls’ stories that I have been able to keep going.

Jess, you will always be my number one fan and the best cheerleader a girl could ask for. Without you, I would have given up long ago. Thanks for always urging me to find my “inner Zelene” and keep going.

Lorri, you inspire me in more ways than I can say, but relevant to this: My hope is that one day I will be half the writer you are.

Tiffany, being my twin, sometimes you know my thoughts better than I do, so I’m not sure what I can say that you don’t already know. Thank you for never letting me compromise and always being there to smack some sense into me.

Krystal and James, you have been the best mentors I could ever ask for. I am a better writer for all you have taught me.

To Daddy and MamaSal: You’ve always believed in me and encouraged me before you had even read a word. You allowed me to dream while keeping me grounded in reality. And Daddy, thanks for that stubbornness I inherited from you. It’s helped a lot. ;)

To my editor, Kriscinda Everitt, thank you so much for not only smacking my manuscript into shape, but for also always being a willing and patient source of answers for the endless amounts of questions I have on the business.

To my cover artist, Gretchen Byers, I am in complete awe of your talent and your kindness. Your enthusiasm for this project gave me the courage to keep moving forward. Thank you!!

To my critique partners (Rachel, Jenny, Katie, Jessica, Katie, Mark, Stephanie, and Heather), Allen M and Meg, Priya Kanaparti, the Fellowship of Fantasy Writers over at There & Draft Again (EM Castellan, Raewyn Hewitt, Jessica Montgomery, Rachel Horowitz, K.L. Schwengel, Kate Michael, and Rachel O’Laughlin), the ColaWrimos, the World Literacy Café group on Facebook, Writers Support4U on Facebook, and the New Adult group: You have all been a tremendous source of support, encouragement, knowledge, betterment, and strength. The journey for an author, whether traditionally publishing or going at it on their own, is a tough one. Because of every single one of you, my journey has been full of smiles, friends, and good reads. Whether you critiqued the story or not, you took part in making it better, and I thank you for it.

I truly am one of the luckiest writers in the world to have a support structure as large and loving as I do. The list could go on and on, but I will end by thanking my characters for sharing their lives with me and through me. Their stories don’t always go according to my plans, and there are days they don’t speak to me at all, but I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.

And thank you to YOU, the person reading this book. I’m so excited to share these characters and their journeys with you.

HEIRS OF WAR, CROWN OF FLAMES

The screams were there again, echoing through her mind as they were torn from a throat that didn't belong to her. She could feel them, though. She felt how raw her throat was, how her chest ached from bawling endlessly for days and days. And the despair of losing count of those days.

The same dreams had been visiting Ariana almost from the first night she and Alec escaped Kellen's dungeons. Always, the tortured cries. Always witnessing horrors beyond her worst nightmares. And always through someone else's eyes.

She wasn't sure how she knew with such certainty that she was watching through someone else's eyes, but she did. She knew the hands clawing at the ground to get away from her tormentors did not belong to her. Some nights the same whimpers would escape her lips, but the voice was never her own.

Most nights, Alec would wake her before her dreams reached their conclusion. This time was different; she could feel it. The dream dragged on and on, almost as if she was locked in the mind of this pitiful person.

The sound of a chain grinding against a metal hook only echoed the way her bones felt as her arms were stretched above her head, the chains forcing her up and up until her toes dangled across a floor slick with her own blood. She cried out in agony as her shoulder slipped from its socket.

"Please," she heaved, her breaths ragged with the effort it took to speak through her cracked lips. "Please, I can't. I don't know why. I've tried, I swear."

"I know why." A shadow moved from the corner of the room, stepping into view. Kellen's long blonde hair reflected the light from the torches, giving the mistaken impression of a halo. Her green eyes knowing as she approached her victim. She looked into the girl's face as she cupped a hand against her cheek. "Are you watching, child? Do you see how you have forced my hand? Return to me, Ariana, and this will all end."

Ariana's eyes flew open and she inhaled sharply. She looked around the cave she and Alec had taken refuge in—the third since their escape weeks ago—but he was nowhere to be seen. She pulled her knees to her chest, waiting for him to come back and willing her heart to slow its beating.

"It was just a nightmare. Just a nightmare," she told herself, but she couldn't shake thoughts of the poor soul trapped in Kellen's dungeons.

Maybe because, not too long ago, Ariana
was
that poor soul. And she could still hear the crack of the whip and the wet echoes of flesh being ripped from her feet on its impact. She'd never felt as powerless as she had when Kellen tortured her. At seventeen, Ariana had suddenly become aware of her own mortality and how fragile it truly was. Kellen had torn her apart, inside and out.

But Kellen had also awoken something inside Ariana. She reminded herself of this as she unfolded herself into a cross-legged position and held out her hand in front of her. In the blink of an eye, a flame appeared just above the skin of her palm. She tilted her hand as she examined it, felt the heat licking at her flesh, but in a comforting way. She knew this fire would never harm her. It was hers to command.

"I thought we agreed that you weren't going to do that," Alec said from the mouth of the cave. He had a sack slung over his shoulder and wore a dark blue shirt made of what looked like burlap over the lean muscles Ariana had been trying not to admire over the past few shirtless weeks on the run. He brushed his wavy brown hair out of his face, his grey eyes narrowed at the flame in Ariana's palm.

Her back straightened with defiance. "No,
you
told me not to do it. I didn't agree to anything."

"What if you had lost control while I was gone? You could be dead. Do you not understand that?"

She snuffed the flame in her hand out as she curled it into a fist. "I'm not an idiot, Alec. I started small. I've got to learn how to do this since I'm destined to rule the worlds or whatever."

Alec shifted his weight from foot to foot, a sign he was losing patience, before responding. "You have no idea what you are doing, Ariana. People here learn how to manipulate the elements almost from birth. There will be people in Anscombe to help you understand and use your power. It's too dangerous for you to try on your own."

"What do you expect me to do, Alec?" she demanded heatedly, fear from her all-too-realistic nightmares shifting to anger. "Do you expect me to cower in this cave while you run around having all the fun? What if someone had found me? I need to know how to defend myself."

He conceded her point with a nod.
"First of all, I was getting supplies, which I would hardly call fun on the best of days. Second, if you feel it is necessary to defend yourself, then I should teach you how to fight."

"I know how to fight," she retorted.

He dropped the sack on the ground at the mouth of the cave and walked over to where she stood, crossing his arms behind his back as he faced her. "Very well. Hit me."

The smugness fell from her face. "What?"

"Hit me," he repeated. "As hard as you can."

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't want to hurt you."

"I've been with Kellen since I was eleven, Ariana. I assure you that I have been through far worse than what you could inflict on me. Come now, I'm sure you've wanted to hit me plenty of times since we've met."

She was outraged at the accusation, her eyes rounding. "I have not!"

"You know, your eyes only get that large when you're lying. You claim that you know how to fight. I don't believe you." He leaned forward when she matched his stance, his smooth voice full of teasing as he dropped it to a whisper. "Prove me wrong and hit me like you've been longing to do since I dragged you into this disgusting cave."

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you. My Dad's best friend really did teach me how to fight." It was only a little bit of a lie since she had never really paid much attention. Varrick had grumbled something about bullies and how he wanted her to know how to defend herself, but she had never dealt with bullies in her entire life so she had dismissed his concerns easily. She squared her shoulders, trying to remember what he taught her. She balled up her fist and threw it into Alec's stomach.

Alec didn't flinch but lifted a brow as though he was unsure whether or not she had actually made contact with him. "Would you like to know what you're doing wrong?" When she responded with only a glare, he took that as the closest thing he would get to a yes. He took her fist into his hand, adjusting it accordingly. "First, your thumb should be here," he said as he tapped the area in between her first two knuckles. "Not tucked away inside your fist. Don't lock your wrist. Let it bend just slightly so you don't cause yourself more harm than the person you're trying to hurt. Let it straighten when your fist connects so that your knuckles here are hitting your opponent." He stepped behind her, pulling her arm back into the proper position, then closed his hand around her fist and guided her through the motion of the punch. "How did that feel?"

"Good,' she admitted and tried it again on her own. "But if this turns into some 80's movie training montage, I'm leaving."

He blinked at the back of her dark head. "I don't understand what you mean."

She glanced at the ceiling, remembering once more how different the world she had been used to was from the one she currently found herself in. "It's a Dhara thing, I guess. So what's next?"

He walked back over to the sack and pulled out a dark purple burlap dress and a black cincher. "Now you get changed and we hit the road."

She turned her nose up at the offered clothes but took them anyway. "Haven't you people heard of jeans and t-shirts?"

"No," he answered honestly, not catching that it was more of a complaint than a question. "Is that another 'Dhara thing' as you call it?"

Ariana exhaled loudly. "Yeah, it is. I've got to say that from what I've seen of your world, it sucks in comparison."

He shrugged. "I would suggest you get used to it. We have to blend in if we are going to get to the tairseach without raising any suspicions and that will be difficult enough since we are both so young and I am accompanying you."

"What do you mean?" she asked and motioned for him to turn around.

He turned his back to give her the privacy to change, speaking to her over his shoulder. "Well, we are too young to be on our own individually, for starters. We could try posing as a newly married couple, but given our ages that might be a bit of a stretch. We can only hope that people don't ask too many questions."

"Can't we pose as brother and sister then?"

"I'm afraid that would raise even more questions. In our worlds, children stay with their parents until they are wed or until they are taken in as an apprentice. It is unheard of for someone our age to be traveling alone."

"Okay," she said, dragging out the word to show her displeasure at that idea. She had been looking forward to being able to pull the 'I'm eighteen and officially an adult' card on her parents with her birthday right around the corner. She paused, realizing she wasn't sure if her birthday had passed or not yet. "What about orphans?"

"They are placed in the care of relatives or local families. No one is ever on their own here."

"I thought you said that kids were sent away to apprentice or whatever at a young age. How does that fit in with what you just said?"

"While studying in their apprenticeship, they are under the care and supervision of their masters. Most return to their homes, back under the roofs of their parents or family members, by the age of twenty in order to be married. Others aren't so lucky and stay under the command of their masters."

"Like you?" she asked softly and touched his shoulder.

He turned around, taking the cincher she held in her hands as he nodded silently. "That raises yet another problem. My being with you will cause suspicions if I am recognized for what I am."

"And what are you?" Ariana asked as she looked up at him from under her lashes.

He swallowed hard, avoiding her gaze. "Not someone you should be seen with. Turn around."

She did as he asked, lifting her dark hair out of the way when he wrapped the cincher around her waist and began to tighten it. "So what are we going to do? We can't pose as siblings and if people recognize you for whatever it is that you are, we're in trouble. Sounds pretty hopeless."

"My kind don't originate from Cahira, which I believe is where we are. We live mostly in Estridia, so I am hoping that the people here won't be able to recognize my race since they are not accustomed to seeing my kind here," he explained while he tied the strings of the cincher together. "There, all done."

She turned around to him, their faces inches apart. "You keep saying your 'kind' like it's a bad thing. I think you're too hard on yourself. You don't seem so different to me."

He stepped out of the intimate space between them. "There's much you don't know. We should get going. If my estimates are correct, we have an extremely long journey ahead of us to get to the tairseach."

"How long exactly?"

His shoulders drooped and his grey eyes lifted heavily to hers. "Months. From what I have been able to gather about Cahira over the years, it has a very distinct and broad geography, much like Estridia. There are mainly mountains to the north and deserts to the south. The east is made up of flat planes, mostly farm lands, and the west is mostly dense forests where all manner of creatures live. Unfortunately, that is also where the tairseach is."

"And we're northeast, aren't we?" she concluded, thinking back to their surroundings and the hilly terrain they had trekked to get here.

"We'll follow the river north for now. There's another cave half a day's journey from here where we can take shelter for the night."

"Great, another cave," she muttered, once more missing the comfort of her own bed. "After you," she said sardonically and gestured to the mouth of the cave. She impatiently shifted her weight to her other hip when he motioned for her to wait.

"I have something that might cheer you up," he said and dug around in the pack. He sported a bright and proud grin when he pulled a stick out and offered it to her.

Ariana quirked a brow at the offered stick. It had a soft edge, almost like a fan of fibers, but other than that it just looked like a twig to her. "How thoughtful of you…you got me a stick."

"It's for your teeth,” he explained, wounded by her lack of enthusiasm. “You were complaining before about not having a way to clean your teeth on our travels."

She brightened significantly at this. After their first night on the run, she had started to feel the dirt and grime of the cave. She had used the river water to rinse out her mouth and try to clean herself off the best she could, but she would hardly be satisfied until she had a proper shower. Even still, she was very touched that he had thought of it when gathering supplies. "Thank you, Alec. That's very sweet of you."

He beamed at the appreciation in her voice. "It's my pleasure."

She bit her lip as they started on their journey. "I don't suppose you were able to find any toothpaste, were you?"

COMING
SUMMER 2014