I began to lose hope of finding them in the building when one of the women stood violently and threw something at us. The blade flew by us, a breeze on my check. I stood motionless, my breath catching in my throat as I stared at the woman.
The loud thud of my fathers knees connecting with the carpet froze time itself. The woman's venomous look morphed into a satisfied smirk. Her chest rose up and down as she glared at the man. Her right hand, now empty, was extended where she had released the blade.
My father's ashen face watched as the woman pushed past both Jax and me as we gapped. His body shook as the young woman in a vermilion dress pulled the blade out and whipped the blood on her skirt. The stain was nearly invisible and I wondered if that was the purpose of the color.
The barbaric action only increased the blood flow and my father collapsed onto his side, eyes staring up at me with an emotion only a dying man could have: pure and utter regret.
Bending over despite the tight dress and lush skirt, I breathed down on him. "You never understood me, you never understood us. You tell us we're monsters as though you aren't one. You might be right, I have killed, but I have only protected myself and the people I love. You kill for power and pride. Don't you dare die without knowing that." My voice hissed out, years of salty tears and deep wounds reflected in my final words to the dying man.
"Goodbye, father." I stood and turned to walk away from him. The young woman who had stabbed him was waiting at the door like nothing had happened, he faced now that of Liu Ming.
She looked at me and I nodded, thanking her for helping us. I was still bitter after last night, but I now owed her a debt. Her chin pulled downward, accepting my thanks before moving to Jax.
"We need to move quickly," she observed.
"I would never have guessed," Jax bit out, his hand still cupping the knife. "Where are the horses?"
"They're around back, Isabella is waiting for us."
Just as Liu Ming had said, Isabella was waiting with four saddled horses. She looked frantic with disheveled hair and torn clothing.
When she saw us, her face slacked, mouth falling open.
"What happened? You did something to Nicholas and he collapsed. How did you do that?" Her eyes caught on to Jax and Liu Ming, her already shocked expression turning darker. "Who is she and what happened to Jax?"
I ignored my frantic sister, helping Liu Ming lift Jax onto his horse. His face was beginning to pale, left arm hanging limp.
Liu Ming and I mounted next, the seams from my dress finally tearing. With a swift kick, our party was hurtling down the road, away from the hell behind us. I knew the closest water source was miles away at a constant rate.
"Maurea, please explain what is going on. I was beside myself with worry, especially seeing the guest flee as though they had met death. You killed Nicholas without a weapon, how is that possible?"
Isabella was the only family I had left, I didn't want her to see the darker side of me, but she looked on the verge of tears. I understood her fear, I had felt it myself, but now was not the time to explain every dark part of my past. Jax's life was in danger, he had been out of the water for days, he was on the brink of humanity. If he died now, there was only so much water could do for him.
"I'm sorry, Isabella, but now is not the time for this discussion. I promise I will explain, but we need to find a body of water soon." I urged my horse to go faster, the beast's sides already heaving under the strain. My own arm was beginning to sting, the warm blood scabbing. Thankfully my cut was much smaller.
It took hours to find water, and at that it was only a swampy pond, the water covered in a thin filament of muck. It was growing dark, the warm sun fading into the icy night air.
Jax had lost his fight with consciousness, his horse led by me as his body leaned against the animal. We had removed the knife a few miles back, the hastily bandaged wound no longer bleeding but it had done nothing for the man.
"Get him in the water," I ordered as I dismounted. Jax groaned as his horses protested, shaking his shoulders. Liu Ming and I pulled Jax off the animal while Isabella stood to the side, watching as we carried him to the water.
We pushed him into the shallow water, his body sinking like a bag of stones. I could feel the water, but the pollution lessened the usual night I would get.
"Will this be enough?" I asked, looking to Liu Ming for help.
"It should, but it might take longer. Check his wound."
I pulled the red material off his shoulder, the remains of my dress being used for something other than a hindrance. The wound was still inflamed, skin around the deep scarlet gash yellow.
Liu Ming pushed him farther, the water covering the wound completely. The blood clouded the water, cleaning the area around the wound, but the skin didn't heal.
"Why is nothing happening?"
"Get me the knife," Liu Ming demanded, her voice sharper than a needle.
I looked at Isabella and she scrambled to retrieve the blade. The silver handle glint in the fading light, the metal colder than I remembered, still caked in blood.
Liu Ming snatched the blade, her hand shaking despite her calm face. With a swift stroke, she fractured the skin on her finger, a dewdrop of blood perched on the tip. She soaked her hand studying the finger. I held Jax in the water, his body beginning to shake in the cold water.
"Get him out."
"What do you mean-"
"I said get him out of the water," Liu Ming whirled at me, hissing as she threw the blade in her satchel. "Grab the rest of the skirt material, we need to bandage it like we would a human."
I nodded, pulling Jax out of the shallows. His eyelids fluttered, but remained closed. That might be for the better.
"What do you need me to do? I know nothing of wounds and injury, but I can follow orders."
Liu Ming scoffed, tearing the fabric in her hands. "I just need space. Take your sister, calm her down."
I looked to Isabella who was sitting a distance away, head on her knees like I used to do, brown eyes watching us. For the first time today, there was no expression on her face, just a blank look lacking recognition.
Liu Ming was fitting a temporary dressing around Jax, her head bent away from me. They would be alright, she had more experience that's me and I would only get in the way. Still, my heart was beating against my ribs. I felt useless, nothing I could do would help Jax, but perhaps I could help Isabella.
"If you want to talk, now would be the time to." I folded my legs and sat next to her, leaning into my sister who continued to stare into the distance. "If not, we can sit."
Isabella's lower lip trembled, the strong woman fading. My heart broke as she began shaking. I had weeks to adjust to who and what I was, she was thrown into the war in the span of a few days. My mature sister who would do anything to protect me was failing.
"What are we doing, Maurea?" Her voice was scarcely above a whisper, but it hit me like she was yelling in my ear. "Things used to be so simple. Now you're not human and you come to tell me everything I knew was wrong. I don't know what to do."
I wrapped my arm around her, pulling the shorter woman to my side. "It takes time, but you are one of the strongest people I know, you'll survive. Let me explain and help you."
"But you aren't my sister," Isabella whimpered. "The Maurea I knew was quiet and couldn't hurt anyone. Now you've killed a man. You stood up to father and you're a Spirit."
"I'm the same woman as before, but stronger. I am your sister."
"How can I accept that? Nothing is the same, I look at you and you've changed. You look different and you aren't the same inside. I've only been told that Spirits are evil and when you came to ask for help you were my sister, just free. Now you have a gleam in your eye. I want to trust you, but after what happened at the wedding I can't bring myself to."
Isabella curled further into herself, her face hidden in a mass of curls and cloth. I knew she wasn't afraid of me, she wouldn't be curled into my if she was. She was afraid, terrified.
"I have never hurt anyone that did not threaten me. You know what Nicholas did to me. Before the wedding I found proof he had hurt another woman the same way. I couldn't let him continue." Isabella's breathing slowed, her head turning to heed my words.
"I won't lie to you, I never will. I was untruthful earlier, I did board the ship. The men were cruel, more inhuman that any Spirit. They poisoned me and threw my overboard in the heart of a storm. I found the men and ended them, only the ones who had harmed me."
"I was saved along with another, a human boy. The man who pulled us from the wreck was a merman, a Spirit whose father knew of. He saved the boy and helped me find other Spirits. They have a city, Isabella."
I took the hand that was resting on her knee, cupping the cold fingers. "They accepted me, knowing what my ancestry was. It's beautiful, people from every corner of the globe and so many gifts. They live in hiding, unable to live with humans for fear of the Hunters. That's why I need your help, you know of the Hunters. You could help us defeat them, so we can live peacefully."
I could see Isabella's eyes through her mess of hair. They looked tired, bags hanging under the swollen orbs. She was motionless, her breath held as she studied me. I tried to keep a neutral expression, but I could feel her fingers tighten under my hand.
"What about the stories of Spirits sinking ships and committing murder?" Isabella breathed. "You admitted to killing the men on the ship and theyNicholas. You ended his life before he knew what had happened. How did you do it? If Spirits are that powerful, why are they hiding, they could kill us as easily as the stories claim."
I noted Isabella's 'us' the word separating us. Bile rose to the back of my throat, the urge to scream growing. I hated this war, the Hunters and Spirits. We weren't evil and the Hunters were afraid for themselves. If only we could coexist, unaware of the other.
"Every Spirit has a gift, Isabella. The city I mentioned, we learn how to control our powers and ourselves. I am a Venom, Jax is a Seductor and Liu Ming is a Shifter. That's why she looks like a stranger. The water gives us power and heals us, but it also makes us less human. The more time we spend out of water, the weaker we become, it's our life force. However," I bitterly hissed, "it's also like a drug. The longer you're in it, the more monstrous you become. We walk the line between man and monster. That's what Jax told me when I arrived. The council protects us and helps any Spirit who loses themselves. We protect ourselves and humans alike."
"But you could still turn into a monster, killing humans and Hunters with no soul."
"If I did, the others would help me. You needn't worry about us, but know that we don't want to hurt anyone, just be free. Isn't that what you encouraged me to do all those weeks ago. To leave everything behind and make a new life for myself where I was happy. That's why I did, but I need your help to keep it safe."
Isabella pushed her hair out of her face, pulling her hand from mind. She looked away from me, watching the horses graze around the tree they were tied to. The weight of the world was once again on her shoulder, the reality of the situation slowly sinking in.
"I need time," she finally said. "I want to help you, but I just need time."
"I can give you as much time as you need, but know I will always be here for you." I stood, stretching my stiff legs. "After all, you were always there for me in my times of need. I should start returning the favor."