Sterling (37 page)

“I know. But I’ll still be here for you.” Before I could say anything he added, “And there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. It is what it is, woman.”

“You take good care of me.”

He came up from behind and crossed his arm around my shoulders, kissing me on the head.

“Someday Adam, you’re going to find someone who deserves you.”

Chapter 28

“What if he doesn’t show?”
I looked out the car window nervously, a random urge to fly into the road and run like hell was suppressed.

“Silver, you try my patience.” Justus stretched his oversized legs in the back of Simon’s car.

“But what if he doesn’t? They said that if he doesn’t show then…”

The leather in his jacket creaked and I knew as much as he wanted to yell at me, he was biting his tongue given that I might break down crying.

“The Mageri have custody of him, we turned him in.”

“Oh.”

That was the other out—if Samil didn’t show then I would be removed from his custody.

I tucked my hands under my legs to calm myself. Adam was in the front talking to Simon but all I could hear were the tread of the tires rolling along the pavement before we took a turn and ended up on a dirt road.

The engine roared off and the lights went black.

Simon and Adam exited the car leaving their doors open.

Justus had a hard look on his face as he leaned in. “Listen to me when I tell you that you will not interfere with anything that goes on tonight. There could be consequences. Just keep your mouth shut, no matter what happens.”

“Is that supposed to be your best motivational speech? Because if it is, it sucks.”

I cleared my throat and watched my Ghuardian run his palms down his thighs as if he were rubbing off his anger.

“I’ll make sure this works out in your best interest, Learner.”

“And his. If anything happens to Adam I’ll never forgive you for dragging him into this.” I got out and slammed the door with punctuation.

My combat boots crunched through the underbrush as we neared the clearing. You should dress for battle when appropriate and I sure as hell had no plans to dress for a funeral.

Through the trees, the figures of the Council became visible. My breath caught and my feet stopped working.

Samil was not facing the Council but facing us. The blistering menace of his gaze penetrated the darkness and seared my skin.

He lowered his head with a malevolent smile.

“
Ready to beg
?” I heard him ask in my mind.

“I’ll never beg for you,” I gritted through my teeth.

Adam turned and gave me a cold stare. Vengeance consumed him like a holocaust to which there was no salvation without the spilling of blood.

I wanted to rush into his arms because of that protective gaze and let him know how important he was to me. I wanted to tell him to turn back; I wanted to see him ride off in the distance on that big bike of his.

“Stay close,” he said.

He positioned himself in front to block any view Samil had of me and took my hand from behind, leading me forward. Adam locked me against him tight as a safe and when I tried to move away his arm corralled me back in.

“Council,” Justus greeted.

“This is a most unusual set of circumstances,” the older man, Samuel, said with a curious tone.

It was a rule that no conversations would begin on the matter until all parties were present. That meant the Council detained Samil on trust without explanation of the circumstances.

“Explain to us, Samil, why your Learner is not in your care and we have you in our custody?”

His thin lips peeled back. “I was attacked without provocation by the Mage you see before you and
my
progeny was stolen from me. They cannot take what is rightfully mine, I demand justice!”

My forehead fell on Adam’s back in anger. I stared at my boots and began to kick one of them as a riled up mare might.

“With the challenge already set, what would be their intention if they know this would bring consequence?” Novis asked.

“I think it’s because they know they cannot defeat me and wanted to use her as much as they could. They covet her. They tried to kill me; do our laws not protect a Mage whose life is threatened?”

“Your life was in no danger, Samil. Otherwise one of the parties present would be dead and we would not be standing here,” Hannah interrupted.

I had enough. I tried to move around Adam when his arm reached to push me back. Shoving at it, I stepped out in the open.

“Justus, did you attack Samil and remove the Learner from his custody?” This time it was Sophie who spoke in her bright voice.

“I did. Ask me why,” Justus replied.

“Of course,” she laughed. “Do tell.”

I could have slapped her
.

“In her Creator’s care, she was beaten, nearly raped, had her power prostituted out. That Mage stole her light with intent to end it. If we did not feel her life was truly in danger, we would not have interfered.”

Which was a lie. If he knew a fraction of what was going on in that basement he would have come in, guns blazing.

Samil waved his arms. “Lies. Why would I want to kill my progeny? After all that it takes to create a Learner, what he says is ludicrous.”

By his reply, he did not deny the other accusations, and it was noted on the faces of the Council.

“As you know Justus, it is not our place to interfere with the relations of a Learner and their maker,” Hannah began. I heard a low growl but wasn’t sure where it came from. “But I am interested in one small detail, Samil. You lent out your progeny for others to use? You are aware that we have laws against light stealing if it was against her will.”

“She is mine!”

“That remains to be seen,” Novis interrupted. “Learner, come closer.”

I looked up at the young man as Justus and Simon parted like the red sea. Closing the distance, I found myself side by side next to Samil.

Novis watched me with eyes that sparkled in the dim light that emanated from Hannah as it illuminated the space around her.

A drop of rain splashed across my nose and I wiped it away.

“Silver, was his intention to end your life?”

“Yes.” But that was not the whole truth. I could tell Merc sensed this by the way his body swayed in protest.

“Would you care to elaborate?”

“Only if I can ask a question.”

I liked Novis. There was nothing condescending in his voice or expression when he spoke to me. He almost looked like Simon did when I would smart off to Justus. Of course, I knew it wasn’t appropriate with the Council but something told me that deep down he really did like my outspokenness.”

“You may.”

“Mage have been around for a long time, and on many levels are superior to humans only in that they have the advantage of time and power. You have more time to learn, to grow, to educate yourself. But in the short time I’ve been a Mage I can’t help but wonder, why haven’t we evolved?”

He didn’t appear to know how to answer it, a few of them looked between each other and I shook my head and went on with the story.

“Yes, he took me in that field to kill me. It wasn’t until after he stole my light that he changed his mind and planned to keep me for himself—to use me. The only thing that man ever wanted to teach me was how to beg for mercy.”

“You motherfuck—”

“Silence!” Hannah barked at Justus. I was so shocked I turned to look at him because Justus never swore like that around me. Maybe once, but it scared the life out of me.

That admission had released Samil from any charges he might have faced with the Council. This was no human court of law where attempted murder would hold up. Either you murdered someone or you didn’t. What you intended to do held no importance.

Samuel mumbled impatiently, “Let’s get on with this.”

“Samil,” Hannah began, “The Council presented an open challenge in which the rights to this Learner could be sought after by any challenger due to the circumstance of her creation. As defined, the power will be leveled down to the weakest, making fair the fight. Is there any here who would challenge Samil for this Mage? Speak up, or this Learner will be returned to her Creator.”

“I challenge him.”

Adam stepped forward and allowed the Council to appraise him.

Sasha snapped her head around and glared at Hannah. “He is not Mage,” she nearly whined in her high voice, sounding like a teenager.

“No, I am not a Mage. My name is Adam Razor and I am challenging Samil to fight as a human. I want justice for what he did to her as a human and I will leave with nothing less.”

“Well played,” Samil bit through his teeth at my Ghuardian.

The Council recognized their gaping loophole that would allow a human to fight Samil. They set forth the rules, and were bound by them.

“As a human, it is within my rights to challenge him to the death.”

Adam removed a dagger from the inside of his jacket and snapped his wrist, sending the blade slicing through the air until it plunged into the earth. He bowed his head and silenced himself. Simon coached him well.

But my focus was not on Adam.

I stared at the handle of the dagger and my throat was dry, my palms sweaty and my heart raced like a hummingbird. That was never part of the plan. If Justus thought I was going to sit back and allow this to happen, he had another thing coming. While I was pretty clear on the ‘to the death’ rule, the weapon added a whole new element of danger to the equation that I was not prepared for.

I spun my head around and charged him with an accusatory glare. “A dagger? When the hell were you going to tell me? This is not going to happen,” I hissed. But he already snatched an arm around me and clamped his hand over my mouth.

I struggled, kicking him in the shin. But his hand was firmly pressed and I wasn’t even able to part my lips enough to bite his palm. So instead, I stomped on his toe with my heavy boot.

He growled in my ear, “Feel better?”

I smiled in the palm of his hand. Actually, given the circumstances, I kind of did.

“The Council accepts,” Samuel said. “Merc?”

The large blonde man took a slow stroll to Samil with eyes as ravenous as a lion.

“Samil, give me your hands.”

“How do I know you’ll give it all back,” Samil hissed.

“Our word is law.” Hannah looked annoyed at the accusation as her fingers began to tighten one of her hairpins that had come loose. “Do let us know if you wish to strike an accusation against the Council. We’ll make a note of it.”

As the transference of power began, the light became a strong aura that nearly burned my eyes with a white flash. The air crackled and I jumped when I heard a snapping sound, like the crack of a whip. Samil doubled over and Merc stood up—his body was literally vibrating. Merc’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and as he faced the night sky, he released a slow, satisfied breath.

Tiny droplets of water awakened the forest from its slumber. The trees stretched their arms and bowed to us. Merc pivoted around and stepped back into place. “It’s done.”

My wide eyes went to Samil, standing before me as a mortal.
I could kill him myself.

“Silver,” Justus whispered harshly in my ear. I didn’t even notice that he was restraining me with his left arm wrapped around my waist. I had at some point…lunged.

“Let go of me,” I mumbled through his fingers, shaking my head wildly as he pulled me tight to his chest. I let out a long exhale through my nose as a dragon might, giving him all the warning he needed with my gaze. His eyes dropped to meet mine.

“Do nothing,” he stressed in my ear before his hold released.

“Then let it begin,” Hanna said.

She motioned the Council to move back and they formed a wide semi-circle. Hannah sent out energy in the form of light to illuminate the clearing. That was her gift, or at least one of them.

Adam’s feet took a vengeful journey towards Samil. He was dressed in black pants similar to what Justus wore in training and a long sleeve black shirt with his combat boots. Samil also wore all black, so between them they looked like shadows, only Samil’s coloring was much paler making him easy to identify.

Samil spat on the grass. “You have no idea what you just asked for, human.”

“You look like a scrapper to me without all that power.”

“I’ve got hundreds of years on you. Don’t waste your breath with such feeble remarks. I could disembowel you faster than you can say Amen.”

“Big words for a big pussy.”

Samil threw off his coat in a single movement. “All this for a whore.”

Adam moved so fast he could have been a Mage. His arm swung out but not quick enough.

Samil leaned back and struck out with his palm—Adam dodged it with ease.