Greylith, page 17
“Don’t tell him, love!” Calista yells.
“Wren,” I call out. “Drive a knife into her leg,”
“I’d love to,” Wren says through her teeth. She runs over and draws a knife from her waist, and plunges it into her left thigh dragging it down her skin.
Calista lets out a blood-curdling scream. While she does, a nearby Shadow Walker lunges toward Wren. Before Wren can react, I flick my left wrist and send the attacker flying fifty feet through the air across the clearing we’re all standing in. His head smacks a tree, and he lands hard on the ground. His eyes are empty of any life.
“Cut her throat, Xander,” I give him a look.
Xander hesitates, but walks over and places the knife on Calista’s throat.
“Last chance Travys,” I narrow my gaze onto him. “Who put the bounty on me?”
Travys looks at his wife whose eyes are filled with tears, out of anger or fear, I can’t tell, but he lower’s his head and mumbles a name, but we can’t hear him.
“Louder!” Xander yells.
“Dorian Ironleaf,” Travys yells with a crack in his voice.
Did he just say the Commander-in-Chief put a bounty on my head? That can’t be. I know that Ironleaf wants me dead, but to hire the enemy to do it? I just can’t believe it.
“Prove it!” Lyric yells.
“And how should we do that? Would you like us to ask him for you?” Calista yells.
I completely forgot I was still holding onto her. I release my powerful grip and her body falls like a rag-doll, unable to put weight on her leg.
“Let me help her,” Travys cries.
“Tell us everything you know first, and then you can help her,” Xander threatens.
Travys growls through his teeth, but he concedes, “All I know is that our leader, King Lucian Bloodmoon sent us to Camp Laith to retrieve the Reality Weaver.”
“And how did he know that I was here?” I snap.
Xander walks up from behind me and pulls my shoulder slightly as he steps in front, “Speak, before I cut out her tongue.” Xander points a knife at Calista.
Travys is livid, but he knows Xander is a man of his word, “King Lucian said that the Leader of the Aetherian Army sent you and that he would personally thank us for taking care of the biggest threat to Aetheria.”
“Biggest threat?” I shout.
“Quiet,” Xander orders.
I dart my eyes at him. Who the hell does Xander think he is speaking on my behalf? I can do that myself.
“You’re the only living Weaver that can stop the Shadow Army and you’re the biggest threat to your Commander-in-Chief,” Calista says, squeezing her leg in pain.
Xander pauses, but nods to Travys to help her, “You will all leave here. You will tell your King that you killed us. Do you understand?”
Travys turns around and glares at me, “We are supposed to return with your body.”
“Take him,” Xander points to the dead body that Niko was chewing on earlier.
“Our King is no fool,” a man from behind me snaps. “He knows you have silver hair.”
I turn over and see the body with blood-stained, ash brown hair. I twitch a few of my fingers and picture the body with silver hair to match mine. I guess I can add ‘physical alterations’ to my list of abilities.
“Now, that should fool him,” Xander raises his weapon.
Wren and Lyric cover our backs while Xander and I approach Travys and Calista.
“We’re dead if we’re caught lying to him,” Travys snaps.
“You’re dead if you don’t,” Xander commands,
“Now go.”
Travys and another Shadow Walker hoist Calista up and drag her out of the clearing and back into the forest, followed by the other two survivors.
Wren, Lyric, Xander, and I follow them out the edge of the woods to ensure they leave our camp.
Once they’re out of earshot I turn on Xander, “What the hell was that? You tell me not to speak? You want me to just stand behind and let other people do the talking for me?”
How can Xander sit here and just expect me to not speak up for myself and speak on my behalf?
“Love,” Xander starts.
“Don’t ‘Love’ me right now,” I shout.
“While in Fort Weave, we learn negotiation skills,” Wren steps between us. “You haven’t been to any of those training courses, Xander has, so he knows what the hell he’s talking about.”
“I would have loved to attend those courses, but I’ve been here, being hunted by our own Commander-in-Chief,” I yell.
“And we’ll figure out how to deal with that,” Lyric places her hand on my shoulder.
“I already have,” I say flatly, stepping back into Xander’s line of sight. “I’m going back to Fort Weave.”
“Like hell you are!” Wren yells at me. “Do you really think we’re going to let you do that?”
“I wasn’t asking Wren,” I say flatly.
The sun is low in the sky, barely giving us any light.
“Phoenix,” Lyric chimes in. “Think about this? Do you really think that Ironleaf is going to let you waltz in through the front door and just resume your training?”
“We aren’t going through the front door,” I say shortly. “And as for Ironleaf, I’ll deal with him personally.”
“Xander, say something to him!” Wren shouts.
Xander stands there, staring into my eyes, my soul.
I wait for him to start yelling and shouting at me, but it doesn’t come. He just slightly nods his head.
“Seriously?” Wren snaps. “You’re going to let him go back?”
“Wren, none of us can stop him,” Xander says. “If he wants to go, he will go with or without us, and I’m not letting him go alone.”
“This is bullshit,” Wren storms off to her tent.
“I’ll go talk to her,” Lyric follows after her.
I walk back to the tent that Xander and I have been sharing since the night of the bonfire. I’m furious, but I’m trying hard to be understanding. I haven’t been through any interrogation or negotiation training courses, but no one gives me a chance to try. When I get into the tent, I grab the closest rucksack and begin filling it.
Xander swings the flap of the tent open, “Can we talk about this?”
“What’s there to talk about?” I say, not taking my focus off the shirt I’m stuffing into the bag.
“Us,” Xander says with a cold tone.
I turn my head, my face filled with confusion, “What about us?”
“I need you to understand, what happened back there wasn’t me trying to control you,” Xander looks at me. “But sometimes it feels like you don’t think before you do things.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means, you need to have better control over your emotions,” Xander’s voice begins to raise. “You telling me to cut Calista’s throat? Do you know what that would’ve done? Lucian Bloodmoon would’ve killed your entire family and all of Fort Weave. She’s one of his highest ranking leaders. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t attack Fort Weave because we put that knife in her leg!”
“Well it’s not like I was told any of this to begin with!” I shout back. “I barely know anything about the Shadow Army and you just expect me to know who all of these people are? In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t heard anything about the Shadow Army or even Fort Weave for the past four months! I don’t know shit about the Shadow Army, their Officers, or their King Lucian!”
“So instead you’re just going to go around killing everyone without talking to them first?” Xander screams.
“If I have to, yes!”
“You’re fucking crazy,” Xander says under his breath as he walks out of the tent.
“What the hell did you just call me?” I say, following behind him after throwing the bag aside. “Did you seriously just call me crazy?”
Xander stops and turns around. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Oh no, that’s exactly what you meant,” I say. “You know what, don’t bother coming back to Fort Weave with me. I’d rather go alone.”
“Love,” Xander calls out as I turn my back to him.
“Stop calling me that!” I yell over my shoulder.
I reach into the tent, pull out the half-packed rucksack and head toward the opening in the woods.
Halfway between the entrance to the forest and the clearing, I stop against a tree and lean my head back. What the hell am I doing? Xander’s right. I can’t take on the entire Shadow Army without his help, and I also can’t get back into Fort Weave without him either. I turn around and see Xander walking toward me, along with Wren and Lyric following behind him.
“What are you do-?”
“You can be mad at us all you want, but we still aren’t letting you go alone,” Xander says.
“He’s right,” Lyric smiles.
“I’m not mad at you guys,” I hang my head. “You guys were right. I was being stupid back there, and I can’t do this without your help. I need you. All of you”
I look up slightly and see Xander smile at me. Damn, I love him.
Wren looks at me. “Listen, I don’t agree with this, but I get it, and I’ll do what I can to support you.” She wraps her arms around me in a hug. I think this is the first hug I’ve ever gotten from her, which oddly feels nice.
“So, should we call Niko and Cleo?” Lyric asks, setting her pack down.
“Oh, you can,” I chuckle, scratching the back of my neck. “But I was just going to teleport us.”
“Do you think you can do it from this far away from Fort Weave?” Wren asks with the motherly tone she used to use when we were younger.
I glance at Xander and he nods, “I know he can.”
Wren sighs, “Just please don’t kill us while you do it.”
Lyric laughs, but Wren is right. I’ve never teleported with more than one person, Xander. And when I did it with him, I was kissing him.
“Exactly how many times have you done this before?” Lyric asks.
“A few,” Xander says sharply.
“And, you think you can do it again with all of us?” Wren raises her eyebrow.
“I think so?” I shake my hands to release the nerves. “The first time I did it, I needed to talk to Xander, and I ended up where he was. The second time I needed to get us into Fort Weave during War Drill and it worked that time also. I think the trick is needing to get to a place and just picturing myself there.”
“So do it,” Xander says. “You need to get us to Fort Weave. You need to confront Commander Ironleaf.”
I nod and close my eyes to focus.
“Maybe don’t teleport us right in front of Ironleaf?” Wren jokes.
“And not right outside the front gate either,” Lyric mocks.
I open an eye, “Maybe I’ll just teleport Xander and I so we can have some peace and quiet.”
Xander laughs.
I close my eyes and picture my room at Fort Weave. The stone walls, the queen size bed, the one I want Xander to soil with his seed. Fuck, I need to focus.
“Everyone put a hand on me,” I order, my eyes still closed.
Wren’s hand squeezes my shoulder, “You’ve got this.”
Lyric’s small but calloused hand squeezes mine.
Xander’s hand, of course, is on my ass. His entire hand fills one cheek.
Focus.
I try drowning out the sound of the surrounding forest. The wind in the leaves, the crickets chirping around us. I squeeze my eyes tighter and picture the window of my room. The ocean splashing in the distance, the blood stain still on the stone from where I had my first sparring session with Xander and Wren. I picture the face of Ironleaf when I walk into the High Council Chamber and kill him for trying to kill me. I picture his death. I want to kill him. I will kill him.
The air around us changes. Everything is quieter.
“Holy fuck!” Wren yells.
I open my eyes. We’re standing in the center of my room at Fort Weave. I look around at the other three to make sure they’re all here and okay.
“You did it!” Lyric screams, wrapping her arms around me.
“I’m actually impressed,” Wren says, her lips pursed with enthusiasm.
I look up at Xander and he gives me that irresistible smile. I stand on the tips of my feet and kiss his full, soft lips. He places one arm around my waist, and the other on the back of my neck.
“I didn’t mean what I said earlier,” I say. “I still want you to call me ‘Love’.”
“Oh, I wasn’t going to stop,” Xander smiles.
We kiss again.
“Umm, hi, we’re still here,” Lyric interrupts.
Xander places one last kiss on lips before addressing the group. “Alright, I have an idea on how we can get to Ironleaf.”
I blink slowly, trying to keep my eyes open.
“Are you okay?” Lyric turns to me and places a hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m just exhausted all of a sudden,” I say through a yawn, trying to shake the tired away.
“Well, you did just use a huge part of the Arcane Weave, your body needs to rest,” Lyric tells me.
“No, I’m good,” I shake my head again.
“Love,” Xander lowers himself to me. “Rest. We can discuss the plan later.”
I nod. I’ve learned that I can’t fight with Xander because he’s usually right.
I find my way under the sheets of my bed, curled up in a ball. Just as my eyes are about to close, I jolt up, “Wait! You three have to stay here, and we need a sound barrier in the room.”
The three of them turn to me, already grabbing blankets from the bottom drawer of my dresser.
“Umm, clearly,” Wren jokes.
“Lay with me,” I look at Xander.
He looks at Wren and Lyric.
“Oh, ew,” Lyric says.
“What?” Xander laughs.
“Sleep with him, but please, don’t fuck while we’re in here,” Lyric makes a face.
“I could say the same to you two,” Xander looks at Wren.
“Oh please,” Wren laughs. “Like I’d let you watch.”
“Okay, new rule,” I sit back up. “When the other couple is in here, there is no fucking allowed.”
Everyone laughs.
Wren and Lyric make a bed on the floor made of random clothes from my dresser and a few extra pillows from my bed.
Xander crawls in the bed next to me. He pulls the covers over both of us and places the front of his body against the back of mine. “I love you,” I hear him whisper in my ear as I fade into darkness.
I hear the sound of a body hitting something hard and a large crack. I turn around and see the limp corpse of the man I threw against the tree. The split in his head exposing his skull. My stomach churns at the sight. I hear another crack. I spin around and see another body hit a differnt tree, the head cracked open, this time it’s Lyric, and then more, Wren, Mom, Caspian. The last crack makes me lose my breath, Xander. I scream, trying to shake him awake, so hard that my body is shaking.
I open my eyes and see that Xander is the one shaking me because I let out a horrific scream. My mind starts racing, I realize how terrified of losing him and the others, and that I’ll be the reason they die.
“You’re safe,” Xander whispers with his forehead resting on mine.
“We’re here,” Lyric is now sitting on the edge of my bed, rubbing my shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” I say, out of breath. “It was just a nightmare.”
“I get them, too,” Lyric leans in. “I’m sure we all do.”
Wren stands at the end of my bed and nods, looking down at the ground, “It happens to all of us Greyliths,”
“What does?” I glance at her in the darkness, as I try to slow my heart rate.
Xander and Lyric are also staring at her.
“Nightmares start on the night after our first kill,” she still doesn’t make eye contact with me.
“First kill?” Xander backs up, staring at me.
“You didn’t see or hear it, Nightingale?” Wren looks at Xander.
“Hear what?” Xander asks, looking at me now.
I go over what happened, how Wren stabbed Calista’s leg and then another Shadow Walker tried to blindside her and how I tossed his body into a tree.
Xander stares at me with his eyes glossy as tears begin to form, “I, I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I ask. “It needed to be done.”
I try to hold back all emotions. I realize that today is the day I am going to confront Ironleaf, and if I show too much emotion, I know Xander is going to talk me out of it.
“Love,”
“I’m fine,” I say. “Seriously, it was just a nightmare.”
I stare at Xander and see that he’s fighting back tears with everyone around.
I lower my eyes and relax my facial muscles, knowing that he’s hurt by this.
“I should’ve known,” Xander sobs.
“You couldn’t have known,” I pull him into my arms for a hug.
“We’re gonna go back to bed,” Lyric says quietly, standing up and walking away. She tugs on Wren’s shoulder and leads her back to their spot on the floor, allowing me to focus on Xander.
He lets out a sob, “If I wasn’t so consumed by getting information, I would’ve noticed what happened.”
“It’s okay,” I rub his back, trying to console him.
“I promised I would protect you, but I didn’t even notice.”
“Love,” I whisper to him, just as he does to me. “We’re in a war, you can’t protect me from everything.”
“But I can try,” he says, trying to catch his breath between tears.
