From Breath and Ruin, page 10
Luken pulled off his pack and set it down to lean against the nearest tree, his gaze darting between Braelynn and me and back again. He didn’t look at Emory, but then again, since she refused to look at anyone, instead choosing to glare at her surroundings with folded arms, I didn’t blame him. I didn’t know why Emory had come. She didn’t seem to really want to be in my presence other than to yell at me recently, but now she was here. And, as evidenced by the Negs’ attacks, we were going to have to work together to find Rosamond and get out of this alive.
“We’re still in the Spirit territory,” Rhodes answered, pulling my attention away from Emory and back to him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emory huff out a breath, and I did my best to ignore her. I really didn’t know why she’d come with us, and I didn’t know what she was going to do now that we couldn’t return without help. Rhodes and Luken weren’t going to just stop and take one of us back if we were scared. We should have thought about that before we took Rhodes’ extra packs and supplies and came along on this journey I wasn’t sure we should even be on in the first place.
“It looks so much more…” I didn’t know what word to use that could describe the beauty of the place. Yes, the other part of the Spirit territory had been beautiful in its own way, but the starkness of it just reminded me that it had once been different. Not that I knew what it had looked like before exactly. Even Rhodes didn’t know for sure, but the deadness coming from it was clear. This part, however, had green trees and dark soil as if it were much more fertile and not afraid of the death and bareness that lay beyond it.
“Alive,” Braelynn finished for me, standing by my side and looking at Rhodes, as well.
Rhodes and Luken met gazes, and I wondered what their evident silent communication was about. Though, right then, I pondered a lot of things. Rhodes turned back to Braelynn and me and tilted his head as if looking for words.
“We’re on the border between the Spirit and Earth territories. We’re close enough now that sentries might find us if we aren’t careful, but we’re in a good position that most of them won’t venture this far out. On each border between the territories, the land represents the melding of the two. Earth clearly has more sway here, but my teachers told me that it used to be different, more a blend of Earth and Fire, as well as Water and Air.”
“Not that our teachers ever told us what it really looked like,” Luken said, rolling his eyes and his shoulders after he did so. “No one likes to talk about what it looked like before, so they don’t talk about it much at all. Those that remember, either hide it because it hurts, or because it gives power to those below them. There are those who don’t want others to remember. So they make sure others don’t remember it.”
Rhodes frowned at his friend. “That’s not always the case.”
“What? You’re saying that all of our territories are perfect little happy, warring people?” This time, Luken snorted. “They like us ignorant and beneath their notice.”
I didn’t know who they were, but from the way Luken and Rhodes glared at each other, I had a feeling this wasn’t the first time the two had had this argument.
Rhodes finally cleared his throat and pointed to the set of trees behind me. “We’ll set up the tents over there. It’ll be dark soon since the sun is just setting, and I’d rather get our camp set up before we have to do it in the dark.”
“I’ll take guard duty first,” Luken said, pushing off from the tree he’d leaned against. He patted the hilt of his sword. “You help set the girls up and get some sleep. I know you’ve been wired over in the human realm. Use the time to get used to being back.” Then he moved forward and hugged Rhodes tightly. “Welcome home, brother.”
Rhodes’ lips quirked into a small smile as he pounded Luken on the back. “Be safe. You know we can’t be caught here.”
“Of course.” Then, Luken was off, blending into the trees as if he’d never been there in the first place. I so wanted to learn how to do that, but at this point, I would settle for walking along a straight path without tripping over my own two feet or a root from a tree that seemingly came out of nowhere.
“So, we’re camping in tents? How long is this going to take? Not the tents, but the whole finding your sister thing. Because you weren’t really clear on that.”
Rhodes glanced at Emory as she spoke, but it was me who answered, tired and sore, and not in the mood to deal with Emory’s tone.
“It’ll take however long it takes,” I snapped. “Rosamond was taken by those Negs. She saved our lives, and I’m not going to let that be in vain. So, if it takes days…weeks…then I’ll be right here, figuring out what to do next, even as I’m doing it. If you have a problem with that, Emory, then you shouldn’t have come. But griping and snipping at every little thing will just make this trip that much harder. I honestly don’t know why you’re here, but now that you are? Don’t mess this up because you’re pissed off at the world.”
“I’m not pissed off at the world, I’m mostly just pissed off at you right now. Why are we here, Lyric? We’re not fighters, we’re not even aliens or whatever these guys are.”
“Maisons,” Braelynn cut in. “They are Maisons. Wielders. You know that. Stop acting like you’re above them because you’re scared.”
“Shut up, Braelynn. I didn’t ask you.”
“That’s enough,” Rhodes said quietly, but his voice stopped us all. “If you yell any louder, we might as well let the Earth Wielders know we’re here, waiting to encroach on their land so we can get to their other border. Go set up your tents. They’re in your packs and are larger than they seem thanks to an Air spell. I’ll help you take them down in the morning and put them back into your packs. Go now, but do it quietly. I’ll make a fire so we can actually eat tonight.”
Then he turned on his heel, and I knew my cheeks were red. Fighting with my friends in front of the person who was protecting me and the one I had a weird crush on? Not the smartest move. But it wasn’t like the latter mattered at all. No matter what Rhodes said, he was still older than me, and I had far more important things to worry about outside of the fact that I liked his eyes.
Emory sneered, then went to her pack. Braelynn gave me a sad look, then did the same, so I opened my own bag and pulled out the small bundle of cloth that looked to be the only thing inside that resembled a tent.
Warmth spread over my fingers. I knew that feeling.
Magic.
I didn’t know why I could sense it now—maybe because I was in the other realm. And perhaps Rhodes was right, and there was something different about me. I wasn’t the Spirit Priestess like he said, I couldn’t be, but there had to be a reason I had been drawn here and could feel and see the things I could. Maybe I was what they thought Braelynn was, someone of the blood.
Putting up the tent was relatively easy since it wasn’t a bunch of poles and stakes. By the time the three of us had put ours up, Rhodes was back with firewood and had a small fire going in front of him. He had his hands above the flames, looking as if he were warming himself, but from the way he whispered, I had a feeling he was doing something far different.
“I’m using my Air Wielding to keep the sound and sight of the fire from prying eyes. You can only see it because you’re close to it. If any of the sentries get close enough to see it, they’ve made it past Luken, and we’re already in trouble.”
I nodded, trying to soak everything in. My head hurt, and I knew I’d already taken in too much information in such a short period of time, but I couldn’t tell Rhodes to stop teaching me new things—not when I craved to know more.
“Do you need me to set up your tent?” I asked.
He gave me a strange look. “If you’d like. I’d appreciate it. I need to cook us some dinner so we can get to sleep early. I know you’re tired since you’re not used to hiking like we did, and frankly, we need to get up before the sun rises so we can get through the border undetected.”
I nodded then went to his pack, doing the same with his tent as I had with mine. Since Braelynn had put herself between Emory and me, I set up Rhodes’ tent on the other side of mine, making a semi-circle. It was ridiculous that the action sent a little thrill through me since it was just a tent and it wasn’t as if they were touching, but thinking about silly things like that was easier than thinking about the harder ones like a new life and this new sense of being that threatened to overwhelm me.
Emory and Braelynn were silent, Braelynn looking thoughtful while Emory sulked, as we met Rhodes by the fire. He’d cooked what looked to be stew in a pot, looking very human-gone-camping rather than the warrior he’d looked like before, in a world that I didn’t understand. A world I wasn’t sure I fit in.
Rhodes must have caught my look because he said, “We’re eating some of the supplies that might not do well once we hit the other territories. The magic around here is relatively dull since no one lives in this territory.” He paused. “Well, not no one. But the people who might live here won’t reveal themselves.”
“What?”
Rhodes winced, his cheeks darkening, and I was pretty sure he was blushing. “Rumors and myths surround both of the Spirit territories. About what it used to look like, and the people who used to live here. Since the Spirit Wielders were always so reclusive when they lived within the Maison realm, most of us have never seen them do magic, or even know what their power entails. It’s all such a mystery that some say a few Wielders remained here. Others say that those who camp—longer than we are tonight, those who aren’t just passing through—are fugitives or refugees from other territories that don’t want to be found.”
Rhodes dished out our dinner as he spoke, leaving some in the pot for Luken I assumed. I kept my attention on him, soaking up every piece of information I could. Everything was new to me, yet at the same time, it was as if I had always known that I needed to know this. It didn’t make any sense, but then again, nothing about the past few days did.
“So, there could be other Wielders around other than the Earth sentries you’re worried about?” I asked, taking a bite of the stew and not really tasting it.
He nodded. “Luken is keeping an eye out, and so am I for that matter.”
“And we’re eating the stew now because…what? Magic will make it bad?” Emory asked, clearly not believing a word Rhodes was saying. That didn’t surprise me since she didn’t want to believe anything he said, no matter what she saw with her own eyes.
“Yes.” Rhodes shrugged, finishing his stew. “The magic in these territories is so strong that it affects all things that come from the human realm. So, any food, canisters, clothes, or anything that was made there will disintegrate, catch on fire, or make you sick after a while. So, we’re going to use up the food that I brought since it’s hard to find good hunting areas in this realm. But, from now on, Luken and I will find what we need.”
“I can help,” Braelynn put in. “My dad taught me how to make traps and things when I was little.”
Rhodes smiled softly and nodded.
“I can’t help with that, but I can learn,” I put in, hating the feeling of being the useless one.
“You will.” He met my gaze. “You’re going to help because you’re going to unlock your powers and figure out who you are and what it means to be a Spirit Priestess.”
“Seriously? Stop with that garbage,” Emory snapped, but I held up my hand.
“I don’t think I’m who you think I am,” I said softly. “But let’s for a moment pretend that I am.”
He gave me a look that said he wanted me to believe and, thankfully, Emory shut up. “Okay.” He was so close to me on the fallen log just then that I could feel the heat of him against my thigh. I tried to ignore it. There were more important things going on than what he did to me.
“You’re saying the Spirit Priestess can Wield the five elements. But how do you go about unlocking them? You say that I’m here, that I have all of these…powers inside of me and I’m supposed to know how to use them.”
“You won’t know how to use them, you’ll need to be trained, but they are there, Lyric.”
“How can you tell? How do you know I’m her?” My heart rate sped up, and my fingers grew tingly. I felt like I was having trouble breathing, and I knew if I weren’t careful, I’d have a full-blown panic attack.
“Because I’ve been searching for you for what seems like all my life. I know you, Lyric.”
He leaned closer, and I did the same, drawn to those eyes of his. When Emory coughed, I blinked and pulled away, the moment broken since I’d forgotten that my friends were still there, watching Rhodes and me talk.
“I know you,” Rhodes whispered again so the others couldn’t hear, but I didn’t say anything back. I wasn’t sure I could. Because even though I didn’t want what he said to be true, there was something inside me telling me to listen.
And that part scared me more than the Negs.
Because if it was all true, then my part in this was just the beginning, and there would be more to come than a camping trip and searching for a friend.
Much more.
Chapter Thirteen
I woke up to the sound of someone outside, rummaging around as if they were looking for something in the near-dark. Blinking the sleep away from my eyes, I tried to adjust to my surroundings, taking a moment longer than I should have to realize that I was in a tent, but this wasn’t a camping trip with Braelynn.
No, I’d walked into another realm with Rhodes, Braelynn, and Emory, meeting up with a Wielder named Luken. And after dinner around a fire, Rhodes had helped the three of us get settled in our tents before leaving to trade positions with Luken so the other man could eat. But not before giving me a lingering look that I knew Emory hadn’t missed.
The sound came again, and I hoped it was Luken or Rhodes moving around, or even one of my friends. Because if it weren’t, it wasn’t like I could do much but kick out and hope I connected. And maybe run away. But to where?
As I tried to calm my breathing, I knew I’d have to ask Rhodes or even Luken for some help. Because there was no way I was going to continue on this journey without knowing at least some ways to protect myself. The self-defense class I had taken had been helpful, but it hadn’t been enough for things like Negs and fighting against beings who had magic.
I didn’t want to be the weakest link.
And I’m not, I reminded myself. I’d fought back, at least a little, while Braelynn and Emory had either been frozen in place or knocked out. That had to count for something.
A scratch on the outside of my tent, like fingernails sliding along the cloth, had me freezing, my heart once again racing.
“Lyric, I know you’re up.”
Rhodes.
That was Rhodes’ voice.
My whole body relaxed, and I sat up then rolled out from under my blanket, already in the leathers and top I’d borrowed from Rosamond’s closet. Not only had I not brought anything to sleep in since there hadn’t been space to pack, I’d also wanted to be ready to run at a moment’s notice. I’d even kept on the boots.
I crawled out of the tent, aware that I hadn’t brushed my teeth or even my hair, but I was half-awake and wanted to see what Rhodes wanted.
He looked up at me from where he knelt on all fours. He crouched beside the opening of the tent and put his finger to his mouth so I wouldn’t speak. His eyes were dancing, and I had a feeling I looked a little ridiculous.
Not like I could change that.
Thankfully, he moved out of the way and stood up, holding out a hand to help me up when I finished crawling out of my tent. I swallowed hard at the contact of his skin to mine, wondering once again what it was about him that drew me in.
He kept his hand on mine, pulling me around the tent area to the small stream I had heard when we first got to the campsite. I had yet to see it since we’d crashed after dinner rather than washing up before bed.
“Luken slept for a bit but is out on patrol again. I’m going to let your friends sleep for a little while longer, but then we need to get moving. But I figured you could use some time alone while you clean up for the day.” He paused. “Not that you have a lot to clean up, but you know what I mean.”
I raised a brow. “Thanks. I think.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, for once looking like he was actually my age instead of this older entity he’d suddenly become when he first showed us his magic.
“I know this is a lot for you, Lyric, and I wish Rosamond was here so she could explain things better.”
“If she were here, I wouldn’t be in this realm,” I reminded him as I bent down to the stream to let my hands touch the water. The fact that it was ice-cold cooled any blushing I might have done.
“I don’t know about that.” He crouched down next to me, his hands sliding through the water near mine. “You’re here for a reason. If you weren’t who you are, do you really think I’d have let you come into the realm with me to find my sister? You’ve never been here before, and this is going to be dangerous, Lyric. It’s been a walk in the park so far.”
We’d been attacked by Negs and had hiked until my legs felt like they were going to fall off, but if that was what he called a walk in the park, I wasn’t going to be scared off. Not yet.
“I might be a liability, but it’s too late now.”
“I didn’t say you were a liability.”
I glared at him. “You might as well have said it.” I might be a burden, but I was the only one allowed to think that.
“What I was saying,” he continued, “is that you would have come here anyway. The realm needs you. The people need who you can be.”
“Not who I am.” I hadn’t meant to say the words, but they were out, so I continued. “You and Rosamond came to me and wanted me to go hiking. You wanted to be my friend because you thought I was this person you needed for your realm. You don’t need me. You need me for what you think I can do, not what I can do right now. Don’t forget that, Rhodes. But don’t forget that I’m not that person either. I don’t know if I can ever be.”
