Divinely Trained: Ancients, page 28
Jermia had long presumed that Michael had saved her but didn’t want her to know he knew she had been in the cave. That knowledge Michael unwittingly revealed himself. Jermia shook his head at her reaction. She had no knowledge of cast etiquette and had absolutely no compunction giving Michael a piece of her mind. Jermia would have laughed, but deep-seated consternation coated him. It was ominous, like the feeling of having watched a child feeding a wild lion.
At length, Jermia concluded that Michael had skirted around telling Ellie he had saved her because then he would have had to explain why he hadn’t accompanied her to the compound. He had to admit, the first few days for Ellie with the men were very unpleasant for her.
Eyeing a perfect spot alongside a stream, he pulled his horse to a stop. He dismounted as Ellie tried several ways to get off her horse.
“Put your foot back in the stirrup,” he told her. “Now swing your right leg over, do not let go of your reins and keep a hold of the horse’s mane.”
Ellie swung her shaky leg over the saddle and held tight as she eased herself down. Lacking flexibility in her legs, Jermia assisted her.
“Thank you.”
“You must work on stretching, so you can perform this task unassisted. Be diligent with this. It may save your life one day.”
A thud behind them startled both Ellie and her horse.
“How was the journey?” Michael asked as he and Riden approached from across the stream.
“It was rough, but I’ll live.”
“We shall leave then. I see no point delaying.”
“I agree. We can rest the horses for an hour,” Jermia said.
Riden nudged Jermia’s arm. “Look after Nana. As you know, she prefers to ride ahead of the group.”
“I’ll take care of her. Worry not.”
Michael tugged on Ellie’s arm and spoke in a low voice. “I will look for your Peanut.”
Riden smirked.
Ellie scowled at him before turning back to Michael. “He won’t know you.”
Michael stepped closer to Ellie, speaking in a tone so low he knew Riden could not hear. “I know you have bonded with this creature, and the separation from it causes you pain, but you must understand something. I can promise that I will find him, but I cannot promise anything more. You have bonded, however unintentionally, with an extremely dangerous creature. You should prepare yourself for the possibility that you will never be able to go near him again. Even though he is bonded with you, he is an apex predator.”
Ellie smiled somberly, her gaze fixed determinedly on Michael’s back as he and Riden strode away. Jermia removed some sacks that were attached to the saddle of one of the cart horses. He tossed them to the ground, then unfastened the horse’s saddle and placed it on the ground next to the sacks.
“Can I help?” Ellie asked.
“No. Rest.”
Ellie kneeled on the ground and then collapsed onto her side. Within minutes, her eyes fluttered closed. He would let her sleep. Riding a horse, especially if you were not accustomed to it, was a tiring thing. The silence, broken only by the gentle trickle of the stream water, was a welcome break, and as he relaxed against the rock, a hum caught his attention. At first, he listened to the thrum of what he thought were the wings of a very tiny bird. A flash of something bright whizzed past him, sending his heart whacking out of beat.
Chapter 30
The Whisp floated to the boundary of the Namu Forest. It hovered close to the ground, waiting. Its glow was bright, especially bright considering it was daylight. As his heart pumped erratically, he nudged Ellie with his boot, startling her awake.
“What?” she groaned.
“I want you to see something. It is a Whisp. Very few of us ever see a Whisp in our lives.”
Jermia had to work at remaining calm; the event was extraordinary indeed. Craning her head around, she blinked several times, her eyes focusing on the glowing sphere, which was about the size of a man’s hand. She bolted to her feet, startling the whisp as it retreated.
“Don’t make sudden movements. You will scare it.” Jermia had never seen one, but this is what he had heard from the few people he had met in his life that had seen the magical little orb.
“What’s a whisp?” Ellie breathed.
“It depends on who you ask. The elves believe them to be a sentient that grants wishes if you can catch them.”
“What do you think it is?”
Jermia glanced back at the whisp. “I don’t know, but we are very fortunate to see one.”
The whisp hovered above the ground about fifteen feet in front of her. It was almost within her grasp.
“Shall I try to catch it?” she asked.
“Not if it means you must step beyond the forest boundary. And you are at the edge now.”
The whisp hovered as she closed the distance. She was now ten feet from it. “This is strange; do you feel the ground?” she whispered.
Jermia stood slowly, the dirt vibrating beneath his feet. Only one thing could make the ground hum like that. “Yes, come back here, Ellie.”
He wasn’t sure she had even heard him. Caught up in the moment of catching the elusive whisp, she bolted into the forest after it. Jermia thrust himself after her. If truth be told, he hadn’t moved as quickly as he could have. He had wanted with every part of his being for Ellie to catch the possible once-in-a-lifetime orb that harbored a wish.
As Ellie reached for the whisp, her fingertips grazing the sphere, a calamitous thunder of hooves exploded out of the forest. A rush of primal instinct had him stepping in front of Ellie and pulling her behind him at a speed that could have left her incapacitated. Arrows shot through the air as Jermia pulled his sword in a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree arc, deflecting a score of arrows intended for his chest.
The very air in front of him lit with holy fury as Michael dropped in front of him. A moment later, Riden landed next to Michael with a battle cry that was sure to summon half of the brothers to their location. Jermia’s hand snaked behind him, pressing Ellie tight into his back.
Supernatural hearing had him keenly tuned into an almighty roar from a woman, the sound of which was almost as impressive as Riden’s. The figure had yet to appear, but her galloping steed was making headway as it launched out of the forest thicket.
“Cease immediately,” she bellowed with white-hot anger.
Instantly, bows retracted to the ready as forty royal guards, and the elf prince emerged behind the elf princess. Jermia had to admire the balance they maintained on their mounts, using just their legs as their bows trained tightly on all four of them. The elves never even breathed heavily as they sat, each with the stillness of a hawk.
“Who gave you permission to fire?” she yelled, her rage not yet abated.
The elves kept their eyes on their targets as one called out, “She crossed the boundary, Your Grace, and she is the thief that stole your cloak.”
The elf princess approached the edge of the Namu Forest. She sat on a chestnut-colored horse, the saddle a light brown, the same color as her hair. She had gained another cloak, identical to the one she had placed on Ellie. Raising a hand behind her, she pulled the hood off her head. She was every bit as beautiful as he had remembered when he first saw her five years ago. A hand pressed into his shoulder from behind, then Ellie pushed the elven cloak she possessed into his hand.
The elf princess dismounted her horse and approached Michael. “Forgive our guard. Our borders have been crossed a number of times with beings never before seen. They have attempted several times to abduct elves.” Princess Ashrin bowed.
Riden growled in response, which made the guards draw back on their bow strings once more. Ashrin raised her hands, and the guards released the tension.
“What other tricks have you taught your pets?” Riden flouted.
Jermia ground his teeth. Riden’s dislike for the elves and their arrogance ran deep and deeper still after he recently overheard a group speak disparagingly of Michael, but now was not a good time to test their patience, especially since he and Ellie had clearly been caught on their land.
The princess turned to Riden smoothly, her countenance unruffled. “It has been a while since we have seen your kind, Nephi.” Her shoulders moved slightly as her eyes danced brightly between Riden and Jermia. Her chin kicked up as she squared her shoulders to face Michael. “But you, it’s possible I have seen you more recently, Ancient one.”
“Princess Ashrin,” Michael acknowledged with a stern voice, dipping his chin in respect.
“Next time you claim thievery from one of us, we will not just deflect those arrows.”
The comment took Jermia by surprise. Was Riden actually defending Ellie?
“You’ve been spending too much time trading with the Gafrits. Those cretins will rub off on you.”
“And what would you know of that, elf? Your kind is too busy hiding in your own forest,” Riden clapped back.
Jermia rolled his eyes.
Prince Domin’s horse thumped its hoofs in place, seemingly in tune with his master’s impatience. The prince, whose face was pinched in agitation, said, “Miscreants, sister, let us not waste our time.”
Ashrin stepped around Jermia to look at Ellie. “You?” Her eyes lit with intrigue. “It is you, isn’t it? The one that fell from Toras?”
Jermia wasn’t letting Ellie step out of his protection.
“Can it speak?” she asked, flicking her gaze at Ellie.
Frowning, Jermia tugged on the cloak and threw it to Ashrin. It landed a short distance from her feet. Ashrin only glanced at it before focusing back on Jermia.
“If she is a human, it is unfair that you hide her from us,” Ashrin said.
“That is no human!” Domin scoffed.
“It is. I’m telling you, I saw her myself. How do you think she came about my cloak?”
“So, you admit to being on our land?” Jermia noted.
“I admit to nothing, Nephi, but the cloak was a gift from me. I am just happy she is all right.” Ashrin’s eyes traveled the length of Michael. “An Ancient,” she said, her eyes flicking back to Ellie, “protecting a human.”
The princess had quickly pieced together the scene before her. This was not a surprise to Jermia; the elven monarchy was renowned for its wit.
“If that isn’t something to behold, I don’t know what is.”
“Ancient or not, he is fallen, disgraced, nothing,” Domin spat with derision.
Riden’s eyes glazed over with a kind of fury Jermia had not seen from him. His brother’s sword sliced through the air at an impressive speed as he pointed it at the prince and snarled, “I would cut your tongue from your mouth if you stood but a little closer.”
With that, scores of arrows were released, all aimed at Riden. The next few seconds Jermia would spend months—no—years rehashing in his mind. He and his brothers had spent time with the Ancient when they saw fit to oversee their training, but he was very sure none of them had ever witnessed one exhibit divine powers such as the kind that befell them that day.
And to think that so many believed Michael had fallen.
Ellie squealed, her voice drowned out by the bedlam of roars, arrows shooting through the air, and the very real speed at which Riden and Michael were moving. She had seen Michael do some incredible things, but Riden . . . All along, she’d known that the men at the compound weren’t all human. But at this moment, she struggled to see through squinting eyes as wings—huge, white-feathered wings—appeared on Riden’s back. He flew, his sword deflecting arrows with deft precision. Her heart soared, desperate to help, but Jermia had a death grip around her, pressing her into his back.
Jermia’s eyes had not left Michael. It was a known fact that once an angel fell from grace, they were stripped of most of their powers. If Michael maintained even a portion of his divinity after he fell, the thought of what he truly was before . . . now, that was unfathomable, even by Jermia’s transcendent abilities.
Michael moved at supernatural speed, allowing Riden to catch the first twenty arrows. The very air around them warped as Michael immobilized every guard, laying them to the ground, including Prince Domin. Within a couple of seconds, Michael returned to his side, and time resumed. Jermia’s eyes widened as he stared at the guards and the prince. They lay peacefully, as if taking an afternoon nap. Ashrin gaped, motionless, as she stood by their mounts with stunned expressions.
Michael turned to address Ashrin. “Your men sleep. It will take about three hours for them to wake. Fighting here, with us, is not the answer. Tell your king I will seek his counsel within a few days. I trust our next encounter will not be as volatile. We do not come to wage war. I come to prepare you for it.” He turned back to Jermia and spoke into his mind. “We only returned to pass something to Ellie. We must leave. Would you like us to stand by long enough while you ride away a safe distance?”
Jermia did not respond immediately, still astonished by the sight of the forty or so royal elf guards that lay sleeping on the ground.
“Brother, are you listening to me?”
Snapping out of his stupor, he nodded. “Yes, of course, go. We will be fine.”
Riden held Ellie’s shoulder from behind. “Michael left you something. I placed it in your saddle.”
“Th-thank you,” Ellie stuttered.
Ashrin was wide-eyed, gawking at her brother. She pushed Domin with her boot, but Domin slept soundly.
“I should like to have been present when the prince wakes.” Riden smirked as he and Michael walked away.
Ellie came out from behind Jermia, gaping at the remnants of the event as Jermia lifted the saddle and threw it back onto his horse. She warily approached the princess.
“Do not enter their forest,” Jermia warned, fastening the cinch on his horse and walking to Ellie’s side.
“Our quarrel lies not with humans,” Ashrin told Jermia. “The human is welcome on our land.”
Jermia eyed her disdainfully.
Ashrin glanced about her, seemingly unperturbed that her brother was out cold on the ground next to her. Her gaze flicked up to Jermia. “Our race has been threatened. You must understand that we have come under attack several times by creatures never before seen.”
Jermia scanned her face studiously. What attacks did she speak of? He would have asked, but not wanting to break the treaty further by engaging the princess in a conversation, he resolved to get the information at the palace. Ellie picked up the cloak, brushed it off, and held it out for Ashrin.
“Thank you for taking care of me that day,” Ellie said.
“How did you know the cloak was mine?” Ashrin asked Jermia.
He did not respond.
Ellie lowered her voice to a whisper. Ashrin leaned toward Ellie to hear her. “He told me it belonged to a princess whose face could bring light to the darkest place.”
Jermia rolled his eyes. He wasn’t sure why she whispered since he could hear her every word. Ashrins’ eyes widened, a grin spreading across her lips as she looked into Ellie’s eyes. She caught herself and cleared her throat lightly. Straightening, she composed herself. “It was a gift. Keep it.”
Ellie returned to her horse, and Ashrin watched as Jermia helped her get on the saddle. The princess stalked them with her eyes as they rode back down the path from where they came.
Chapter 31
Ellie’s mind swam with questions. The princess was still in view, though she doubted she could hear them. “I need to talk to you, Jermia,” she said in a hushed voice. “What are you guys?”
“We should wait until we have ridden farther out of sight.”
Ellie agreed, but it didn’t stop her from playing over in her mind the way Michael, Jermia, and Riden had moved and had remembered asking Michael if the men at the compound were human. His response: not exactly. Her mind drifted to the comment she’d made to Princess Ashrin. Ellie had intentionally made her think Jermia liked her. She had done it to ease the tension, but after she had seen the reaction on the princess’s face, Ellie’s heart had felt a little heavier.
Some twenty minutes later, Ellie found she was squirming in her saddle. For most of the ride to the Namu Forest, all she’d thought about was the night before. Not about telling the men she’d been in Hell, but Jermia in the salt bath, with her. It had been difficult to think about anything else, and now they were alone. Fidgeting in her saddle, she realized Jermia was looking at her. Heat bloomed on her face.
“What?” she said defensively.
“Why did you misquote me to the princess?”
Ellie’s face flushed further. “I didn’t. You said, ‘Her face brings light to any dark place.’”
“That is not what I said. I said, her face is said to bring light to any dark place.”
Heat rose at her nape. “Ashrin called you Nephi. What is that?”
“It’s short for Nephilim.”
Her eyes peeled open wider. “Nephilim?” She never gave him a chance to respond. “All of you men are half angels?” she choked out.
Jermia flicked her a quizzical look. “Michael never told you?”
Ellie shook her head. “He said I had to ask you. I mean, it was obvious you’re not entirely human. But I have to say, not once did I think you were half angel. Aren’t the Nephilim supposed to be giants?”
A hearty chuckle rumbled out of him as he shook his head. “You humans and your books.”
Ellie flushed. She hadn’t believed any of it was true. Moments passed with her staring at him.
His grin broke into another chuckle. As if he knew what she had been thinking, he said, “They vanish when we don’t use them.”
Her brows pinned to her hairline. “Your wings?”
He nodded. They rode in silence for a long while, her thoughts relentlessly taking her back to wondering how much he liked the princess. She’d had Jermia to herself for the longest time, but now she was going to have to share him. Her nose had wrinkled when he’d said Ashrin’s eyes were beautiful and that he may have courted her at one point. Rolling her shoulders to ease the tension, she resorted to giving herself a pep-talk. Honestly, a guy like Jermia couldn’t be serious about a woman like her. Grinding her teeth regretfully at where she’d let her heart wander off to, she remembered Riden had put something in her saddlebag. After she unstrapped the left saddle compartment, a lick of excitement sprung her heart back to life as she pulled out the bag.
