Lightning crackled violently, encircling my daggers in light. It fought against my command like a stubborn dog on a leash, but I fought back just as hard, holding it firmly in place. Sweat trickled down my temple and saturated my shirt; I couldn't tell if it was from the sun's heat or the intense concentration this "simple"--as Sasha had described it--task required of me. With each new bead of sweat, I felt my control slipping.
"Almost there. . ." Sasha was saying, eyes glued on her pocket watch. "Hold it, Eva."
I bit my tongue, using the pain to keep me focused on the electric charge in my hands--not the burn in my muscles or heavy fatigue weighing on my mind.
"Two minutes!" Sasha cheered. "Now push--or not." She cut herself off when the lightning surged out of my grasp, passed Sasha's head, for the ocean. Thunder roared in its wake, shaking the rock I stood on.
"Damn it!"
I hadn't meant to let it go. For a split second, I let my excitement distract me. It was all the lightning needed to escape my grasp. Not only did I have to summon a thunder storm to the Storm Cove, I also had to rip lightning straight from the gods' hands--at least, that was what it felt like with all the effort I put into it--and then make it wrap around my dagger. "Simple," Sasha had said. "Just a moment's thought--or a snap of a finger, if you're feeling flashy. You'll catch on quickly."
That was months ago.
She sighed, like she did every time she thought I was close, to only be disappointed in the end.
Frustrated, I kicked a pebble off my rock and watched it bounce off the waves. I pushed myself for months, physically and mentally--and this was all I had to show for it. A couple of minutes with a few flashy lights. What a rip off.
"Enough," Sasha commanded before I could kick another rock into the ocean. "Come on. Let's take a little break then we'll go back at it again." She made motions for me to follow her. We made it two steps then Bruce came into view. Panting, he stumbled to a complete stop at the base of the rock we stood on. He looked like he'd ran across the entire length of the beach to get to us in a timely manner.
We practiced at the very tip of the cove so I wouldn't hurt anyone if I lost control. It was just as well, because I'd definitely fried a few fish in the reef during my time here. It was just unfortunate if someone wanted to contact us.
"Sasha," he gasped between pants, "we need to talk."
She glared at him--everyone knew not to interrupt us while she was teaching. "What is it, Bruce? We're busy."
"There's a. . ." He stole a deep breath, standing up straight, then he was finally able to speak normally. "There's an intruder. He looks like a scout of some kind. Definitely trouble."
Sasha made a noise of displeasure in the back of her throat. She glanced at me. "Stay here, Eva. I'll handle this."
"But-" Her glare shut me up. She only gave one warning; the next word I spoke would not bode well for me. I relented, reluctantly, with a nod.
Without a word, she followed Bruce back to the cave.
Releasing a puff of air, I hopped between the rocks standing precariously out of the water until I reached the tallest one, jutting furthest away from the cove. This spot was the best one of all the places I'd found during my time here. It was strangely relaxing, despite how high up and how slanted it was. It might have something to do with how the waves crashed against the rock or maybe how I had a full view of the ocean in front of me and the desert behind. Or maybe it was none of those and I just liked how the top where I sat seemed to fit perfectly under my bum.
Arkon flew in from the ocean and perched awkwardly on a large boulder nearby; his tail and back legs dangled in the water, while his front legs clung to the boulder he'd chosen to roost on. "How did it go?"
Sasha had asked him to keep his distance from me while I trained with her. She didn't want me to be reliant on having him around and using the magic in his aura as my source. Being Bound to him, I naturally wanted to draw out my power from him, but the whole point in the storm was for me to use another source, one that I could create at a moment's notice. It made sense. I couldn't always be by Arkon's side in my line of work, but I still might need to use magic; this way I wouldn't be defenseless. Once I've mastered the art of wielding lightning, of course.
"I'm cooling off," I answered calmly him, trying hard not to let my failure bother me. It wasn't working in the slightest, and seemed to further remind me that I wasn't where I wanted to be at this point in my lessons.
"Not well, then." His sympathy nudged its way into our Bond and eased my frustration a little bit. "You've made an impressive storm this month," he pointed out on a positive note.
"I guess," I murmured, not ready to remind myself how far I had truly come in my training since being here. I wanted to stew and ruminate a little longer. It was difficult to do when you had an encouraging and supportive dragon as a partner.
You have overcome much, Little One, do not forget that.
The first part of my training was to help Sasha make a storm. Today, she let me do it on my own, and it was one of the biggest storms so far. Almost too big, Sasha said, mentioning some people had flooding issues in the Under City, but I didn't let that get in the way of my mood; I was able to contain the storm within the edge of the cove without too much difficulty.
After my success today, Sasha deemed me ready to proceed to the next part of my training, which was learning to control the lightning I summoned. She said it would be easier for me to start melding it around a pre-existing object, in this case my dagger. Later down the road, I'll be able to form a lightning dagger, or any shape.
Considering how well my attempt today went, I wouldn't be making shapes any time soon.
"Eva," Arkon scorned, sensing my turn in mood. "Do not let this deter you. Given time, you will overcome this, as you overcame every other obstacle thus far."
I ground my teeth. He was right. I knew he was, but I wasn't making progress as quickly as I wanted. People were counting on me. Abroia was counting on me. How many people have died because I was taking too long to learn how my magic worked?
The storm over the cove fizzled out while I seethed on my rock, because I'd completely let it slip from my mind. Static still clung to the air. I was tempted to keep going, just one more time--maybe I'd get it right this time--but practice this morning had almost drained me dry and the sun was sapping what energy I had left out of me.
There would be no more magic today.
Taking a deep breath, I inhaled the cool, salty air, allowing its calming trance to wash over me. Now was not the time to be thinking of what I couldn't do; it would only frustrate me further. I wouldn't be able to do any of the things I wanted to do if I couldn't control myself.
I let the sounds of the waves to take me away, the splatter of water against my skin seep into my bones as the waves hit my rock. There was nothing but the clouds, the water, and me sitting in between. My heart slowed down, my muscles relaxing. I was so in tune with the world around me, I moved with the wind, feeling it take my hair away. . . .
"Very good control, Eva," Arkon praised.
Sensing someone approaching, I opened my eyes. Bruce was standing at the base of my rock, covering his face as a wave crashed against the shore. "Let's go, Eva."
Strange. I'd expected Sasha to come for me, not him.
Nevertheless, I hopped off my rock and followed him along the beach. Arkon remained where he was, having a good view of all the comings and goings of the cove. I wanted him to keep an eye out for Annalyse while she swam around the cove; with Aster hiding in the cave from the storm, there was no one around to make sure she didn't get into trouble with the carnivorous seals that frequented these shores.
I stopped dead in the cave's entrance. There were raised voices further down, by Sasha's throne. I recognised one of the voices. I dreamt about it almost every night, but I hadn't expected to hear it so soon. Not like this.
I crept closer, and finally caught a glimpse of him--or his back--after all this time. He hadn't changed at all. He still held an air of calm fury around him. Still stood with pride, so sure of every step he made. He was untouchable but still dared people to try to defy him--including the several heavily armed men and women surrounding him. Sasha Remoar being one of them; Syran wasn't too far behind her, either.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
"She's not here," Sasha said with a knowing smile. She'd seen me, but she would be the last person to gave me away. If I'd learned anything from my time in the Desert Lands, it was that Sasha loved to play with people.
"I know she is here," he growled. "Tell me where she is or I'll find out my way--and trust me, you don't want to know what my way is."
She scoffed a laugh then swung out of her throne. She held her palm up and summoned a ball of lightning into her grasp. The blue light danced off her eyes, adding to the sudden menace in her features. "Threatening me won't go as well for you as you think it will, Slayer."
For the first time, Grayson hesitated.
"Yeah. I know who you are. You think I don't know a Fortys when I see one? Your eyes are as black as your hearts. You wanna touch my pupil, you have to go through me first."
His hand moved to the hilt of his sword.
Eva? Arkon's voice broke through my thoughts. What's happening? He must have sensed my level of stress soar.
I didn't have time to respond to him, except to send him a quick word of comfort; I stepped away the rock I had been hiding behind. "Sasha!"
She groaned, rolling her eyes to the heavens and back. "Ugh! Eva, things were just getting good."
Sasha forgotten, Grayson whirled around to face me. His mouth opened into a small O when our gazes met. He had a nasty cut in his hairline and he had dark bags under his eyes. Not exactly how I'd imagined he'd look when I saw him again. Seeing him like this--his armour stained with mud, skin smudged, hair matted down by blood--I almost forgot that I was mad at him. All I wanted to do was run up to him and ask what happened, to hold him.
Almost.
He stepped for me; Sasha's followers grabbed him. He didn't resist. She came around to face him, sword held tightly in her grasp. She was going to kill him, I realised.
I rushed to stop her, grabbing her arm. "Wait. Sasha he's not here to hurt me. . . he's--good." I struggled to say the word, considering he had lied to my face, but I didn't want her to kill him either.
She turned to me, a visceral pain in her eyes. "Good? Do you know who this is? What he's done??"
He winced but said nothing to his defense. Damn him for making me explain things to her.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "His name is Grayson Smith. He's a Dragon Knight."
She looked like she wanted to throttle me. "Eva, he's-"
"I know," I cut her off before she could finish. I did not want her to make me admit that the man in front of us was once Prince Deximus Fortys. The truth was hard enough to face without saying the words aloud. "Let him go."
She gritted her teeth, glare cutting into me. For a second, I thought she might turn against me too, but then she sheathed her sword and waved the man and woman holding him. "You heard her, let him go."
They hesitated for a second then released him and walked away. Grayson seemed to think that defending him meant I'd forgiven him; he stepped for me.
I stepped back, crossing my arms with what I hoped was a glare worthy to be compared to Sasha's. The small glimmer of hope in his eyes fizzled out.
"What are you doing here?"
Swallowing, he advanced on me again, more slowly. "Are you okay, Eva? Have these thugs been treating you all right?" Unlike when he spoke to Sasha his voice was soft, filled with nothing but concern for my well being. His eyes were unyielding, but in a good way, looking me over eagerly, as if to remember every detail. I would have found it hot, had I not looked into those soulful eyes of his while he lied to my face about his identity.
He seemed to sense my anger and stood only a foot away. His hands glued to his side awkwardly, like he had to focus on not reaching out to touch me. "Eva. . ."
Gods, the way he said my name made my heart flutter.
Furious at myself and at him, I punched him. "You lied to me!" I had to do something before I forgot why I was so furious at him.
He stood his ground and flexed his jaw then spat out a glob of blood. "That was a good hit. I deserve that. Can I explain why I-"
"You don't have to!" I snapped, kicking a rock beside him. "I know why you lied. Gods know I'd probably lie if I was a Fortys, but damn it, Grayson--or Dex--I trusted you. How am I supposed to trust you again? Was it so easy to lie to me?" Before he saw them, I wiped the tears out of my eyes.
The mask he'd held melted away and twsisted into agony. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "You were the last person I wanted to lie to. . . . Now that you know who I used to be, do you hate me?" he asked as if he feared the answer.
I crossed my arms again, feeling safer having something in between us. "I haven't decided yet." I could never hate him--not that he needed to know that. I still wanted him to hurt, to know how much he hurt me.
A faint, relieved smile on his lips, he took in the cave around us. I hadn't realised no one had left the cove; Sasha and her people had gathered around, watching us. If they had snacks to munch on, they would be devouring them by now.
"Eva? What's going on?" Annalyse entered the cave, drying her hair off with a towel. She froze on the spot when she saw the man in front of me. The towel fell out of her hands. "Grayson!" She jumped into his arms, squealing.
Thank the Gods for that. I needed to get away from him. I wanted nothing more than to be where she stood, holding him the way she did, but I needed space. I still hadn't decided how I wanted to handle him yet.
She pulled away from him, grinning like an idiot, looking around the cave. Her smile faded. "Where's Jacob?"
My heart sunk. I'd been so caught up with Grayson's appearance, I forgot all about my brother. Like Anna, I looked around desperately for him. He was nowhere to be seen. Grayson had come alone.
And then I remembered the cut on Grayson's head and terror struck me.
"Where is he?" I couldn't help sounding like a little girl pining for her big brother.
Grayson dropped his gaze, shoulders slumping.
"Everyone out," Sasha ordered her followers. The room cleared in ten seconds flat. She forced Grayson down in a nearby chair, making him look at her, holding his chin. He did nothing to fight it, exposing the despair in his eyes. "She asked you a question. Answer it, Prince." She spat the word, despising the very thought of him being a Fortys.
He swallowed a large lump in his throat, turning his head to me. The pain was gone, coated in a cold mask. "Darius led an attack on a village near his camp. . . ."
°•° °•°
Hargin had just given them the orders to help with the evacuation, nothing more. They were in the stables waiting for their dragons. Jacob couldn't stand still; he paced in front of him, fists clenched tight at his sides, teeth barred. He looked like a wild animal. Not the most desirable qualities to have in a partner he was about to go on a mission with.
Grayson grabbed his arm, forcing him to a halt. "Jacob." He tried to shake him off, but Grayson's grip was too tight. "Jacob!" he barked if it was the only way to get his attention. "Look at me."
With great effort, Jacob finally met his gaze. His eyes burned hotter than fresh embers--and looked just as volatile.
"This isn't a man hunt. We're there to help with the evacuation. Got it?"
Jacob finally ripped his arm free, but then he sighed and slumped. "Yeah. I got it."
"Good. I need you to focus, man."
"Someone has to make him pay, Gray. He can't get away with this."
"Let me worry about Darius. You worry about everyone else--that's your thing."
Jacob released another breath, instilling confidence in Grayson. This was hard for the both of them, to be so close to Darius and not be allowed to do anything about it, but the people came first. Grayson wouldn't let his brother torment the people of Aboria. They were his people now, under his protection. If he was going to be known as the Slayer of Souls, at least let it be to put fear into his enemies instead of his people.
Aries and Eran flew in with the other dragons for the other Knights accompanying them on this mission. Eran approached him and lowered his head, giving his hand a little nudge. Grayson patted his muzzle in greeting then faced the Knights awaiting his orders.
Hargin had made him Lead Knight of this operation, as she often did for these types of things. If he wasn't who he was, he was positive he'd be a Captain by now, but he'd never be given more power than a Sergeant, just in case he ever turned against them. He didn't hold it against Hargin and she'd made it perfectly clear before he signed his papers that he'd never be in a position of power. He wasn't doing this for power. He just wanted to right all the wrongs he had commited. Even then, there was no possible way for him to atone for his sins, but maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to live with himself and finally be able to find peace in his heart.
He went over the plan in detail, emphasising that they were only there to help the citizens evacute the battleground. Renkon's army would deal with Darius' men. When he finished, they mounted up and took to the skies.
It took almost two hours to get there, and by then most of the damage had been done. The village was on fire; people's screams and cries filled the air. Even from their height, Grayson could see the villagers fleeing in the woods with Darius' men hot on their tails. His grip tightened around the horn, furious that his brother would chase down these people like animals. For as long as he could remember, he'd always tried talking Darius out of treating people like cattle. He'd never succeeded--and this was the result of him not trying enough.
There was no changing him, Eran comforted him silently. He is and always will be a monster. That doesn't mean you have to be, though, Grayson.
He knew his friend was right, but it still nagged at him like an angry wound. He doubted the feeling would ever go away.
The squad landed on a farm a little ways from the battle. While he met up with Jacob and the other Knights, the dragons took to the skies, doing their best to quell the fires and rescue people the Knights couldn't reach.
Jacob and Grayson broke into a run, following the screams in the forest. Before they knew it, they found Darius' soldiers. Grayson didn't hesitate cutting them down, starting at their knees then finishing them off with a clean slice to the throat. Jacob took care of the last one chasing the family down.
"Quickly, find everyone you can and run to your evacuation point," Jacob ordered the family. Every village had a place to hide in case of an attack--though the attack was usually a monster. "Our dragons will protect you."
They cried and ran into the woods.
They were about to head out to help the next family, but then Grayson heard Darius' sick laugh. He glanced to the side in time to watch his brother break a whimpering girl's neck.
Suddenly, nothing else mattered. His blood boiled, watching Darius carelessly drop the girl and look for his next victim. Grayson stepped for him--then he heard another scream, reminding him why he was here.
It took every ounce of self control he had to tear himself away to help the people he came here for.
Only, Jacob was no longer at his side. Alarmed, Grayson looked around--and saw Jacob heading straight for Darius.
Nononononono, was the only thing on his mind. Jacob couldn't fight him. He wasn't prepared for the brutality of his fighting style. No one ever was.
"Jacob!" he called, mentally pleading with the gods that his partner would listen to him. "Don't do it!"
But it was too late. He was already charging at him. Darius caught wind and sidestepped him. When he realised who exactly he was fighting, a smile split his face in two.
Grayson had to get to him.
Now.
He ran. Faster than he'd ever run in his life.
Jacob swung his sword. Darius easily blocked it then kicked him in the gut, knocking him to the ground. Grayson barreled into his brother, shoving him away from Jacob. He punched him, dodging a swipe from Darius. One of his soldiers came out of nowhere and hauled him off his brother. Roaring, Grayson swung his sword, quickly dispatching the stupid man. He turned for Darius to see him smacking Jacob with the hilt of his sword over and over again.
"Darius!" Grayson shouted. "Leave him alone!"
Delirious from the rush, Darius grinned at Grayson. He grabbed Jacob by the shirt, lifting him to a stand; the poor man could barely keep on his feet. "What are you gonna do, brother? Kill me?"
Grayson stepped for him, blade at the ready, with every intention of doing just that. Darius' dragon dropped from the sky, unleashing a vicious roar in his face. Grayson kept moving, knowing his dragon wouldn't kill him without Darius' order.
He, however, didn't take into account of the dragon swinging his tail around and hurtling him back into a tree.
Grayson! Eran's roar tore through the sky, but he was too far away to reach him in time.
Groaning, Grayson stumbled to his feet; his head and back ached, but he had to keep going. He couldn't let Darius take his only true friend away from him.
Snorting at Grayson's feeble attempt to reach them, Darius loaded the unconscious Jacob onto his dragon's saddle. "Tell your little storm dragon rider friend, Dex, that if she ever wants to see her brother alive again, to meet me where all of this began."
Before Grayson could do anything, the dragon took off. The powerful gust of wind from its wings forced him to the ground.
Eran! Don't let them get away! he called out with his mind, but even the voice in his head sounded faint. His head wound was preventing Eran from hearing him.
"Grayson!" Manning called, running from the woods. He rushed to his side, kneeling to check his head.
Growling, Grayson pushed him aside. He didn't know what he was trying to do, or knew what he could do, he just had to do something. His partner, Eva's brother, was in the hands of the most corrupt human in the world. Not even his father was as ruthless as Darius. Grayson feared the worst.
"Where's Jacob?" Manning asked, giving Grayson the space his glare demanded of him. "The remaining villagers are at the evacuation point. Darius' men have retreated. We won!"
Had they? Grayson felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. Darius wasn't after the villagers. They were bait. He knew Hargin would send Grayson, and Jacob by default, to aid with the evacuation. He'd seen how Jacob behaved last time they met and took advantage of it. All of this--a village razed, hundreds dead--was so he could take Jacob and use him to lure out Eva.
"Darius," Grayson seethed, finding it suddenly difficult to talk, to admit he'd fallen for his brother's obvious trick, "he flew off with Jacob."
The blood drained from the other Knight's face; he rocked off his heels and landed on his butt. Manning didn't know Grayson was in fact Dex, so when he looked up at him, instead of asking what Darius was going to do next--the main question everyone asked him about his brother--he merely sat there, shell shocked. "He was such a good guy. It's always the good ones. . . . He has a sister, doesn't he? I feel sorry for the bastard who has to tell her he's dead."
"He's not dead," he snapped, sheathing his sword. "I'm going to get him back." He turned for a clearing where Eran could pick him up.
Manning hurried to his feet and gripped his shoulder; he gestured to the blood rolling down the side of his face. "Man, you're in no position to be doing anything. Head back to the base with Aries and Eran, tell Hargin what happened, get checked out at the infirmary. Chris and I can take care of everything here."
Manning didn't seem to realise what an idiot he was if he didn't know how important it was that they got Jacob back before Eva found out. Knowing her, she'd run straight to Darius if it meant saving her brother. He could not let that happen. For the sake of the kingdom, for Jacob's sake, for his own sake, nothing could happen to Eva. If his brother laid one hand on her. . . there would be hell to pay. With interest.