Noah looked down at Kaya's note for the fifth time, the parchment now wrinkled from the many times he had crumpled it with the intention to throw it away. He couldn't bring himself to do it though, which he knew was ridiculous; a piece of paper from a stranger should mean nothing.
But Kaya hadn't been a stranger, he knew that. Regardless of the doubt that Addius and Felix had, Noah trusted his instincts.
'It's for the best,' Felix had told Noah, once he revealed the note.
'Typical,' Addius had muttered, though it had been more in reference to the stolen horse than Kaya's unannounced departure.
Now, as Noah sat astride his horse, he tried to figure out a way that he might track Kaya down again. If his suspicions about where she had been the last eight years were correct, then Noah knew where she was heading and where he could find her. Getting close enough to do that, however, was going to be difficult.
Noah caught Felix glancing at him for the umpteenth time, uncharacteristically at a loss for words, while Addius' mood had noticeably improved ever since he learned that Kaya had left. They travelled in calm silence along the Guarded Road which followed the border, and ahead Noah noticed the familiar bend in the Road that told him they were nearing the crossroads that separated the Guarded Road from Varalyn's Path, which was the main route winding through the House of Wind's territory before joining the Guarded Road beyond each border.
But as they came around the bend, Noah saw a lone horse grazing along the grass that edged the Road where a large tree had fallen to block the Road entirely. Felix and Addius, who were a few paces ahead of Noah, regarded the scene before Addius said, 'It appears the local bandits are becoming more brazen, to set up such a trap so close to a town and imperial watchtower. They didn't even bother taking their target's horse.'
'So long as they don't do the same on Varalyn's Path,' Felix added, before he and Addius split from the Guarded Road to head into the House of Wind.
But Noah didn't follow. He gave his horse a gentle nudge and moved into a canter toward the lone horse.
'Noah!' Felix called, a sudden clambering of hooves filling the air as he and Addius moved quickly to follow him.
Noah swung down from the saddle, and the lone horse whickered uneasily as Noah approached it. He moved slowly, his hands raised in placation, and as he gently took the horse's reins he gave it a calming pat along its neck. His eyes roamed the saddle until he found a small insignia stitched into the leather skirt, which Noah recognised as the same insignia that had been embroidered along the linen and painted into the cutlery at the Yularen inn they stayed at.
'This is the horse Kaya stole,' Noah murmured.
Felix was inspecting the base of the fallen tree. 'It's definitely been cut down. You don't think Kaya was attacked by bandits, do you?'
'She could have simply abandoned the horse to continue on foot,' Addius offered, still atop his horse as he surveyed the scene, his markings shifting indecisively. 'Regardless, she isn't our responsibility, Noah.'
No, she's my responsibility, Noah thought, and he felt his palm warm beneath his glove and bandages.
Then he heard it; a sharp ting of two blades glancing off each other. It was so faint he was surprised he had heard it at all, as if the wind itself had picked up the sound just to carry it the distance to him. One look at Felix and Addius told Noah they hadn't heard it.
Noah returned to his horse, only to unbuckle his sword that he had strapped to the saddle.
'What are you doing?' said Addius sharply.
Noah unsheathed his sword in one fluid movement, ignoring Addius, and then headed into the woods.
'Stay with the horses!' he heard Felix flick back to Addius, and then Felix came crashing through the trees to Noah's side. 'What's gotten into you? This—'
Noah cut him off with a silent command, his hand snapping into the air tensely. Felix, despite their friendship, knew how to follow orders when the orders were genuine and so he closed his mouth, setting it into a thin line instead.
Noah's gaze swept the forest, catching the spots of flattened grass and disturbed shrubs where a horse would have trampled through in a hurry. Murmured voices reached him, carried again by the wind, and Noah slowed his pace while lowering his body closer to the ground to let the surrounding brush conceal him. Felix did the same, one hand holding the sheath of his sword while the other gripped the sword's handle in readiness to draw.
Noah saw the first figure through the trees, oblivious to he and Felix who crept up behind him. Noah counted four; the one directly ahead of them, another to the left, a third to the right who had an arrow nocked in his bow which he pointed to the space before the fourth bandit, who was staring down at someone hidden from Noah's view.
'No wonder your master values you so highly,' said one of the bandits.
'You clearly don't know him at all, if you think he'll succumb to your demands just to recover me.'
Noah looked to Felix then, because they both recognised Kaya's voice. Felix gave a brief signal, a silent way of saying don't do anything reckless, but Noah's blood was thrumming through his veins with the urge to act and beneath his glove he felt his palm throb with the same need.
And so Noah stood, seeing Felix reach for him as if he intended to drag him back down, but Noah stepped forward through the brush, and just as one of the other thugs shouted a warning Noah plunged his sword through the back of the bandit who stood in front of him.
The leader turned in surprise, and Noah's gaze fell to Kaya where she knelt on the ground, one hand pressing around the shaft of an arrow that protruded from her shoulder. The archer loosed another arrow straight for Noah, but Felix flashed in front of him and deflected the arrow with his sword, a cool anger emanating from him.
'That,' said Felix to the archer, 'was terribly foolish.'
Noah saw two bodies on the ground beside Kaya, one taken out by a wound to the heart and the other a deep gash on his back which had bled out, staining the earth beneath him.
Looking back to Kaya, Noah said, 'Are you all right?'
She didn't answer, only gave a breathless, incredulous laugh.
'Kill them,' said the leader, snarling.
Noah turned for the bandit that approached him, while Felix charged the archer before he could notch another arrow. The bandit swung out with a wide-bladed sword, its width twice the size of Noah's sleek weapon, and Noah deftly swept around its arc. But as he did he flicked out his own sword with a quick twist of his wrist, his blade smacking so sharply against the bandit's sword that it was knocked out of the bandit's flimsy grip.
Surprise flashed across the bandit's expression, but he recovered quickly and withdrew a knife from his belt, skilfully flipping it in his grip. It was clear to Noah that these men weren't average bandits, he could tell that by their fighting calibre, the quality of their clothes and weapons, and that they had disregarded Kaya's horse when other bandits would have savoured the steal.
Kaya made a pained sound and it lanced through Noah's chest like the arrow in her shoulder, forcing him to turn toward her and see the leader of the group had grabbed hold of the arrow's shaft to twist it.
Something skimmed Noah's cheek, like the brush of a hand coaxing him to turn, and Noah spun back to his opponent just as the bandit drove his knife up toward Noah's rib. Noah angled his sword and slammed the hilt into the bandit's forearm before the knife reached him, but even though the bandit stumbled he didn't release his knife.
Noah could see Kaya being hauled to her feet from the corner of his eye, and his body, his soul, wanted nothing more than to forget the bandit and go straight to her side, but his mind kept him focused. He ducked under another swipe of the knife, and then with one hand he caught the bandit's wrist and gave it a sharp twist, feeling something pop beneath his fingers that had the bandit choking on pain. He let go of the knife and Noah caught it in his free hand, his foot slamming into the bandit's chest just as Noah launched the knife through the air – and straight into the leader's shoulder.
The leader let Kaya go and she dropped back to her knee with a grimace, but Noah knew it wasn't just her shoulder wound that was causing her pain. He saw her briefly press her palm to her chest, a shudder rippling through her body, and her face took on a pale sheen that warned him she might lose consciousness.
But a bandit took his attention again, if only for a moment, because as the bandit ran forward to catch Noah in a grapple-hold Noah ran him through with his sword, the blade sliding cleanly through the bandit's chest. He pulled his sword free, the bandit's body crumpling to the ground, and then Noah turned back toward Kaya.
The leader, realising his disadvantage, took off in the opposite direction with a frustrated snarl. Kaya was back on her feet, and just as Noah took a step toward her she met his gaze, something in her eyes desperate and bright.
And then she took off after the leader.
'Kaya, wait!' Noah shouted. He cursed under his breath, shooting Felix a cursory glance who had just disarmed the archer, and then followed Kaya.
*****
Kaya was still reeling with the fact that Noah and Felix had appeared to fight off the thugs, but she centred her focus on the leader who crashed through the trees ahead of her. She couldn't let him escape, not when he had seen Chaos symbols, because even if he didn't understand what it meant all it took was for one knowledgeable person to hear the rumour and Kaya would be hunted.
Chaos' symbols had disappeared instantly when Noah arrived, but whether that was because of Kaya's surprise or for another reason Kaya didn't know, yet it didn't stop the pain in her chest. It almost overrode the pain of the arrow in her shoulder, which was burning in a way she hadn't expected. She had never been hit by an arrow before, but instinct told her something was wrong with the wound.
Poison.
Kaya pushed that thought aside as the leader stumbled over an upraised root and he hit the ground, the pain of his wound seizing his body. Kaya dropped a knee into his back, one hand fisting in his hair to lift his head off the ground.
'Remember what I said about that third option?' Kaya said softly, bringing her dagger to his throat. 'Well, this is it.'
'Killing an unarmed man? I guess you and your master do deserve each other,' the thug remarked, craning his neck to glimpse her out the corner of his eye. It caused her dagger to nick his throat, a thin line of blood welling across the blade's edge, but he didn't flinch from it.
'What I deserve is a life of peace, of quiet living where no one will bother me and where no one expects anything of me, but I know I will never have that,' Kaya told him honestly, until her voice hardened like ice. 'So I'll have to make do.'
And then she slit his throat.
Kaya dropped back, succumbing to the pain of her injuries. She pressed a hand to her mouth and doubled-over as a string of raw, violent coughs tore up her throat with the taste of blood. Her hands were already stained red, so she wasn't sure how much blood she coughed onto her palms as she pulled her hand away from her mouth, wrapping it instead around the shaft of the arrow. Kaya knew she couldn't remove the arrowhead from her shoulder by pulling it out, otherwise risk the arrowhead breaking off to remain lodged in her shoulder, so she snapped the shaft in half, intending to use it to help dig the arrowhead out.
But Kaya heard movement behind her, and she turned with her dagger raised only to find Noah stepping through the trees toward her.
Exhaustion had her dropping her dagger, but inside she felt Chaos start to calm, felt the pain ease away.
'Why are you here?' Kaya asked tiredly.
Noah came closer, but he did so slowly as if any sudden movements might frighten her away. 'You're injured.'
'I'm aware of that.'
'You won't make it to the next inn,' he added. 'Let me take you back to Devenese. We can reach it by nightfall, and the healer there—'
'What is wrong with you?' Kaya said in exasperation. 'Surely you're not so stupid to invite me to your home again after what you've just witnessed. I killed three men, who were part of a gang specifically targeting me, and do you want to know why they were targeting me?'
'Because you killed those two men at Wayside,' said Noah, but there was no surprise or sudden understanding in his voice; he spoke as if he had known it all along. Not suspected, but known without doubt.
'Yes. Because I killed those two men at Wayside,' Kaya confirmed. 'So why in the seven hells are you still offering to help me after all you've witnessed? You don't even know me.'
'You're right, I don't,' said Noah, lowering into a crouch a pace in front of her. 'I don't know who you are, Kaya, but I know what you are.'
Kaya stilled. 'Excuse me?'
'I know what you are, Kaya. I know you're a Hunter.'
And then her blood ran cold, because she realised then that her instincts had been right about Noah all along. I told you so, a voice whispered into her ear, menacing and smug.
I told you so.
'Kaya—'
With a growl of fury Kaya lurched forward, throwing all her weight into Noah to send him slamming back into the ground. She pinned him with a knee into his chest and brought her dagger to his throat, and beneath her Noah went still – but he showed no fear. He was calm, like always, and he kept his hands to either side of his head in placation.
'I meant what I said in Hisane, Kaya. I don't intend you any harm,' Noah told her softly.
'And I meant what I said in Hisane,' Kaya returned, 'when I warned you not to lie to me. I should kill you right here.'
'Then why haven't you?' asked Noah boldly. 'I can't claim to know what's caused you to show such distrust in others, or whether you just don't want to trust others, but give me a chance. I'm offering you safety, Kaya, and sanctuary in Devenese.'
'Sanctuary?' Kaya said with a harsh laugh. 'You mean imprisonment. I won't allow myself to be imprisoned even if the chains are made of silk and gold,' she bit out, but she couldn't bring herself to swipe her blade as cleanly across Noah's throat as she had to the thug behind her.
'You wouldn't be a prisoner. If you decided that Devenese was not for you, then you would be allowed to leave without question,' Noah assured. 'The Anarchy Wars may be over, but the world still isn't safe for Hunters.'
She was well aware of that. 'And you think the House of Wind is safe for me? My mother told me that the homes of the Descendants were safe places for the Hunters decades ago, until they weren't. There's a reason why there aren't others like me anymore, after all.'
'You're right, they stopped being safe places when Descendants turned on Hunters,' Noah said, 'but fear has a unique way of uprooting the morals of even the most honourable men.'
'Fear shouldn't be an excuse,' she murmured, but as she said the words she realised how hypocritical they were. Everything she had done in the last eight years had been because of fear, the desperation to survive driving away her morals.
'No, it shouldn't be,' Noah agreed softly. 'But I think the House of Wind is safer. Even if those who would seek to use you or abuse your power hear of your existence, they wouldn't dare try it within our borders – at least while the God of Storm's power still protects us.'
'You have no Descendant,' she reminded him.
'That doesn't mean we're defenceless.'
'I know,' Kaya hissed, but she pushed herself away from Noah and fell back on to her haunches. 'The House of Wind has power even without a Descendant, and those with power cannot be trusted.'
Noah sat up, his expression gentle as he said, 'You have power, Kaya.'
She raised her hands to him, showing the blood that wasn't just her own. 'Exactly.'
Noah regarded her hands, and then he carefully reached out to press his hands over hers and lower them to the ground, as if the blood coating her skin meant nothing.
'Were you in Hisane to track me down?' Kaya asked then, pulling her hands in to her lap.
'I wasn't. Our meeting was pure coincidence, but I'm... sensitive to magic, and I recognised yours as unique. I went to that the house just as it started burning, and you ran right past me without even noticing – but I glimpsed your symbols, and knew instantly what you were.'
'Why didn't you tell me then?' she asked, her suspicion rousing again.
'Because I know trust can't be created purely by a few kind words,' Noah replied. 'I wanted to prove to you that we were genuine people, that we truly didn't intend harm. If you had agreed to join us in Devenese yesterday, I would have told you the truth then.'
Kaya found herself believing him, if only because of the open honesty in his bright silver eyes. But there was a reason she didn't trust anyone, a reason she had to watch her back and a reason why she had no real home to call her own. It was because of her power, and people who had power but wanted more.
Over Noah's shoulder, Kaya glimpsed another will-o'-wisp whimsically moving between the trees. It was no bigger than her fist, with a solid white centre and an ambience that didn't seem to touch anything around it, as if the orb existed on a different plane to theirs.
Dropping her gaze back to Noah, Kaya said, 'I've heard it before, you know. The promise of safety and sanctuary, the assurance that nothing is wanted from me – but there's always a want. Always a price. Whether that's my power or my—' Her throat closed of its own volition, as if refusing to let her say anything further.
And then Kaya staggered to her feet, her head shaking quickly. 'No. No, I won't let myself be fooled,' she said, but as she rose she felt the world lurch beneath her feet and she stumbled, her hand reaching out to catch the nearest tree.
Without Chaos beating in her chest, Kaya's attention was brought back to her shoulder wound, her focus narrowing solely to the pain with such intensity she felt sick. Her knees buckled and Kaya dropped back to the ground, the impact ricocheting through her bones as if she was as fragile as glass.
Noah was in front of her – she didn't even see him move – and she had no energy, no strength in her arms to fend him off when he quickly peeled back the edge of her robe to see the wound beneath her clothing.
'Poison,' Noah whispered, confirming what Kaya had already suspected. Her eyes became heavy, but she felt Noah's hand cup her cheek to lift her head, urging her to stay awake. 'Kaya, please. Let me take you to Devenese, if only to treat your wound. You'll die otherwise.'
Maybe that's a good thing, Kaya thought, although the words never left her lips. She nodded despite herself, and she felt Noah gather her in his arms before the world slipped away, and darkness embraced her.