Hey Team!
Presenting Chapter 28 for your reading pleasure, I am hoping for some more Circe and Obsidian time in the next Chapter. Hope your week is ticking along well, please check my converstations thread on my Wattpad profile for an awesome fanmade trailer for APK by @Memoryxx
Lots of love,
Daisy
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Chapter 28 | Internal Struggle
'And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.'
-John Steinbeck
OBSIDIAN
Obsidian was furious.
He couldn't find her.
His rage and frustration swirled internally, combining to create a nasty aura that swirled around him like a violent storm, causing the people in the streets to part around him, giving him a wide berth as he strode restlessly through the centre of town.
Back at the Inn, nothing had been revealed. It had been too long since she had gone, and he cursed himself again for not pursing her then. The alcohol he had chosen to drink instead, now throbbed like a bad decision in his brain, inciting his anger even further.
Damn it all.
He paused for a moment in the middle of the road, ignoring the glances that were sent his way and attempted to concentrate. If she had indeed gone into town with Nathaniel, she would have accompanied him to the docks. The boy was meant to go and check on a shipment that was due to arrive that morning, Obsidian knew as much.
His eyes flashed open and he spun on his heel, heading for the pier and he located Joseph without much issue. The old Merchant seemed surprised to see him, although he didn't comment, listening avidly to Obsidian's enquiry and passing on the information without so much as blinking an eye.
"Ah yes, the boy did pass through here. Not with a blonde, although he was with a woman," the old man paused in thought and then spoke through a frown, "tall," he described, "short hair, cautious type. She didn't say much, but they headed off towards the market together."
Obsidian's blood ran cold.
Jhaer.
*
CIRCE
Circe regained her consciousness slowly, confused by the barrage of noise and motion that immediately assaulted her senses. Why couldn't she see anything? Where was she? She was sitting down but it felt as though she was moving. Her head was throbbing with an excruciating pain and she felt as though her skull was being split in two. The deeply agitated voice that was pounding through her mind wasn't helping in the slightest.
Vanima!
Confused, she tried to reach up to rub her eyes and stand simultaneously but her hands were captured behind her back, her ankles bound also and that, coupled with a sudden violent motion from the ground under her feet caused her to sit back down with a disorientated thump.
"Circe!"
Vanima, can you hear me?
Ah, the pain. She shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of it, but it persisted.
Vanima-
"I can hear you!" She replied abruptly, efficiently silencing both voices, although it wasn't for long.
"Circe, are you okay-"
Vanima, I am coming for you-
"-she knocked you out-"
-won't have to wait long-
"-thought that you weren't going to wake up-"
-tracking you now-
"One at a time!" Circe yelled, unable to bear the noise alongside her headache any longer. The voices fell silent and when someone finally spoke, it was not the voice she had been expecting.
"Guess I hit you a little harder than I thought Princess," the cool tone said smoothly and for a moment Circe struggled to place the voice.
What had she been doing before this? She remembered leaving the Inn, there had been something Anthemin had wanted to discuss ...
Suddenly it all came rushing back to her. Seeing Nathaniel at the pier, following him down to the beach, finding Nathaniel only to be caught unawares by,
"Jhaer," Circe spat out, "what are you doing?" At least the mystery of her location had been solved. Circe now recognised the shift of the ocean beneath her and assumed that she had been put on the same boat as the one she had found Nathaniel in. "You have to know this won't end well for you," she stated.
The threat was there and Circe didn't have to speak his name for Jhaer to know exactly who she was talking about. She had half expected the other woman to be unfazed by her words but surprisingly she thought she detected a slight tremble in Jhaer's voice when she next spoke.
"Well it's not like I have a say in the matter," Jhaer uttered bitterly, "anyway, there isn't any need for you to panic, you're not going to be harmed."
"What do you mean you don't have a say," Circe said suspiciously, "are you following orders?"
"That's none of your concern," Jhaer said brusquely, "In fact, if you had just kept your nose out of this, you wouldn't even be here. I only needed Nathaniel."
"I'm sorry Circe," Nathaniel began his voice coming from directly in front of her. She conjured an image in her mind, from what she had seen of the small boat and where Nathaniel had been originally seated, they should be somewhere at the front, sitting on opposing sides. She stretched her fingers but felt only empty space behind her and had no way of telling how close she was to the side of the vessel.
As she thought this, Nathaniel was continuing, "She said that she had information about-"
"Shut up," Jhaer demanded suddenly, the weight of the boat shifting as Circe imagined her rising to her feet, "I knew it was a oversight not to gag you."
"Don't you dare!" Circe cried in outrage as Nathaniel's now muffled protests reached her ears. She attempted to throw herself in their direction but was stopped with a swift kick to her ribs that forced her breath from her lungs and laid her flat on her back against hard wood where she rolled a few times until her bound hands found the edge of the boat. She dragged herself awkwardly up into seating and swung her head in the direction she imagined Jhaer to be.
"Keep your hands off him," she said venomously, "what has he done. Who wants him? Tell me!"
Vanima? Vanima, can you hear me?
For a moment Circe struggled to separate the two conversations again.
Anthemin?
"Like I said, it's none of your concern, you might as well just enjoy the ride and be happy that I didn't just leave you passed out on the beach."
Vanima, I couldn't feel your presence, are you okay?
"Why didn't you?" Circe asked, attempting to keep Jhaer talking while she tried again to order her thoughts.
Yes, I'm fine now, but I'm blindfolded. We are out at sea, but I don't know where.
The sharp kick to her ribs had cut through some of the fog that clouded her head and Circe focused on that pain as she licked her lips, attempting to order her thoughts. The familiar rocking of the ocean beneath her feet helped and she felt her heart slow down a little. Out here, she had the advantage, she did not need to be afraid. She just needed to think. Calm down and think.
It's alright, Anthemin replied, I can feel you now, I'm heading to your location. I will not be long.
Jhaer was still speaking, "What, so that you could immediately run back to Obsidian and give me away?"
"He will still come for you," Circe said resolutely, "you won't get away with this."
Jhaer had fallen silent, but Circe still needed her distracted and so she prodded, "I guess your offer to serve under me was just a lie then," she said, speaking randomly although it seemed to work, "but I have to say, although I doubted that particular truth, I didn't doubt your desire to reunite with the crew, they all seemed quite familiar with you, why would you sabotage yourself like this?"
There was a long pause and for a moment Circe thought that the stoic woman would not reply. When she spoke however, it was off to Circe's right somewhere and she shifted her head appropriately, feigning full attention.
"It wasn't sabotage, I never would have been given the chance to reconcile, even if I wanted to." Jhaer's voice was bitter.
As she spoke, Circe wiggled her fingers experimentally and found that although her wrists were tightly bound, the situation was still workable. Certain that her hands were hidden from view, she felt for the presence of the ocean. The boat was not large and the sides were not so high; she could feel the wind tousling the top of her head and knew from before that if she knelt, or stood, she would easily stand higher than the edge of the vessel. "What do you mean?" she persisted.
"It's none of your business," Jhaer snapped sourly, "and anyway, you made it clear you'd rather I hadn't shown up in the first place when you took a chunk out of me, so don't think your attempt to distract me is going unnoticed Princess."
Circe found herself pausing in her plan for a moment, genuine confusion appearing on her features, "What do you mean?"
"Don't pretend like you've forgotten," Jhaer said, and once again Circe detected that hint of unease in her voice, a small crack in the assassins otherwise impenetrable defences, "I know what you are. I made a mistake, underestimating you and for that I suppose I cannot blame anyone but myself."
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Circe declared with finality, although she couldn't push down the trickle of disquiet that had seeded in her mind. Jhaer spoke as though Circe had physically attacked her, but she remembered no such thing. A memory of a dream from that morning suddenly flickered through her mind as though she had summoned it, but the contents were so violent that she quickly squashed it down, her throat growing dry.
She licked her lips.
Concentrate, she had to concentrate.
We should have finished her when we had the chance.
The voice that slithered into her mind was so faint that initially, Circe failed to even realise its existence. The words swirled around, latching onto her own thoughts as though they had been hers to begin with and so she brushed them aside without much concern. Instead she focused on her task, her fingers twisting delicately as she summoned a small stream of ocean water to rise and trickle over the side of the boat, concealed by her back, until she had enough to form a small ball in her hands.
"You can play dumb all you want," Jhaer was saying to her, "but it's not going to help you at this point. We will arrive soon."
Twisting her wrists awkwardly, Circe flicked her fingers outwards, forcing the ball of water to form into a shard of ice, it's edges as sharp as glass. Grasping it in her hand, she twisted the makeshift blade until it was in the right position to saw at the ropes, forcing her face to remain impassive, even as the ice shard cut into her palm and her wrist screamed at the awkwardness of the angle.
"What makes you think help won't come before then?" Circe forced herself to ask, desperate to keep the woman's attention, lest she notice Circe's plan. Circe could feel the rope about to give behind her and she readied herself.
Once again Jhaer took a moment before speaking and when she did, it was not in reply. "If you knew the truth, then you would walk to this fate on your own two feet Princess."
"Then why don't you just tell me?" Circe asked distractedly. She was on the last rope and could feel the boat start to rock as the waves grew higher.
"Because-
Circe didn't give her a chance to finish as the last rope split apart under her bloody fingers and her arms extended to her sides, free at last. She heard Jhaer curse, felt the boat tip as the woman lunged towards her, but Circe was already reaching behind herself to pull the ocean forward with a heaving motion and the boat was tilting to vertical and then there was a moment of disorientation as her hearing was muffled, silenced by the ocean and she felt her gills open, tail forming, her pants tearing unfortunately, ropes sliding to encircle one fin instead of two ankles even as she reached up to rip the blindfold from her eyes.
Nathaniel was not immediately in front of her like she expected him to be, but she spotted him quickly anyway and struck out for him as he floundered in the water, his limbs still tied, eyes covered and mouth unable to close to hold a breath due to the gag that bound him.
She caught him around his shins, boosting him up to the surface and launching him onto the capsized boat where he landed ungracefully. She calmed his failing limbs gently, even as she ripped the material from his eyes and pulled the gag down out of his mouth, allowing him to splutter and cough, squinting as his eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden brightness.
"Circe?" He coughed, voice hoarse, "What-"
"She shushed him gently, her eyes narrowing as she glanced around, "Are you okay?"
He nodded, still gasping for breath, "I thought I was going to die."
"It's not done yet," she said grimly, quickly untying his wrists even as her eyes flitted around them, ever vigilant, "I need to find Jhaer. Untie your ankles," a sudden thought occurred to her and she dug into her coat, surprised to feel the hilt of her knife in her hand. That surprise quickly turned to irritation. Did Jhaer think her so naïve as to not check her for weapons? "Here, take my knife," she said, forcing the blade hilt first into Nathaniel's hand, "and hold onto my coat." She flung the now useless material at him and before he could speak, she submerged again, turning a quick circle in the ocean as she sank deeper.
Jhaer could not hide from her here and she did not have to look for long before she spotted the assassin, attempting to swim around and climb up atop the half-submerged vessel from the other side. Circe's attack had caught her completely off guard and she had no plan to fall back on.
With a grim expression, Circe struck out for her, grabbing her ankle just as Jhaer breached the surface of the water and yanking her back down before she had the chance to take a full breath. If Jhaer was surprised to see Circe's Siren form, it did not show on her face and instead the assassin struck out with a swiftness Circe was unprepared for and she hissed in pain as a blade dug deep into her shoulder, dragging through the muscle as it sliced cleanly through.
With adrenaline pumping through her from the fight, Circe barely felt the pain and swiftly brought her tail around to smack into Jhaer, the force from the impact driving a cloud of air bubbles from the woman's mouth and propelling her further underwater.
The two females stared each other down, Circe positioned so that she was blocking Jhaer's ascent to the surface. Circe could see Jhaer's eyes flickering between her and the promise of air that lay tantalisingly close. Her shoulder began to throb, but she ignored it.
Two knives were flung in her direction, their path slowed by the drag from the water. She dodged them easily and prepared herself for the follow up. Jhaer advanced quickly for a human, attempting to wrap her legs around Circe's tail in order to make the Siren an easier target. In any other situation, Circe would have just dodged her, but her goal was to keep Jhaer underwater. Unfortunately, those knives were proving to be more of a problem than Circe had anticipated, and she gritted her teeth as another sunk into a fleshy part on her tail, narrowly missing a main artery. Circe lashed out with her talons, her nails finding purchase in Jhaer's right arm and flung the other woman away from her again, her shoulder aching with the effort.
Her blood was flowing freely out into the ocean that surrounded her, but Circe found herself unconcerned. She would win this fight, she could see her victory clear in Jhaer's eyes, the assassin's movements beginning to slow due to lack of oxygen, even as the water Circe breathed began to take on the metallic taste of her own blood.
Jhaer's cold gaze began to lose some of it's intensity and Circe took the opportunity to rid the assassin of her knives, ripping them from her grasp with little effort and flinging them away through the water where they sank like stones, their curiously bronze blades glinting in the filtered light. Circe didn't have time to ponder that small detail however and she wrapped her fingers around Jhaer's throat, the assassins demise imminent. With little resistance, Circe forced her down, deeper into the ocean until they were deep enough that it was impossible for the other woman to return to the surface in time for her next breath.
And then Circe let her go.
It was almost serene, the way the two women floated apart slowly, both pairs of eyes never leaving the other. Circe's hair billowed out in the water like a golden cloud, it's ends swayed by the currents to reach towards Jhaer, even as the woman floated further away.
There was no sound, nothing to indicate their earlier deadly struggle. Even the light was soft, casting an eerie green glow that rippled and distorted. Blood rose like a blossoming flower from the wound in Circe's shoulder, curling upwards and hanging there as a devilish voice whispered into her mind.
Let her die.
Circe felt as though she was detached from her body as she watched the other woman's consciousness slowly fade. Jhaer's movements slowing completely, her limbs floating out to her sides like a marionette controlled by the will of the ocean.
She tried to take him from us. She tried to take both of them from us.
Jhaer's eyes were still focused on Circe, her gaze still present, but even that was fading fast.
She would kill us if she could.
Circe couldn't seem to move her body. She stayed suspended where she was, a feeling of horrified fascination curling low and hot in the pit her stomach as she watched the women before her slowly drown, her limbs electric with the knowledge that she could prevent it from happening if she wanted.
We are just finishing what we started.
The memory of a dream flashed across Circe's mind again, but this time she snatched a hold of it before it vanished and immediately wished that she hadn't. Her mouth was instantly filled with the taste of blood, her fingers painted red as they sank into soft flesh, seeking out the beating heart that sat below, her mind filled with thoughts that she refused to call her own. But they were her own. And she had enjoyed it.
In front of her Jhaer was slowly sinking, her heavy coat floating out around her revealing a half buttoned white shirt and a glimpse of heavy bandages that resided underneath. Above her heart, five distinct red circles bled through the white.
Kill her.
The taste of blood was thick in Circe's memory, only accentuated by the presence of her own blood that was currently tainting the ocean around her.
No. Suddenly Circe felt her mind clear, pushing the voice back as she regained control of her body. I am not a murderer.
She closed the distance between them in an instant, tugging Jhaer upwards in the next, her thick tail powering through the water, bringing them closer and closer to the surface until-
With a colossal splash they burst from the ocean, Jhaer's body limp and heavy against Circe's uninjured shoulder. Heart racing, Circe dragged her to the capsized ship where Nathaniel waited, his face pinched with concern. Together they managed to heave her aboard the capsized boat where Nathaniel checked her pulse before swiftly beginning compressions without question.
Circe tried not to watch the way blood seeped out from under his hands as he pressed down again and again on the bandaged wound over Jhaer's heart.
Suddenly the assassin was violently awake, her body lurching to the side as she spewed mouthful after mouthful of water into the ocean, the lapse in vomiting replaced by a hacking cough that did little but produce more vomit.
She passed out almost immediately afterwards and Nathaniel pulled her back from the edge of the boat, one hand helping her remain on her side in case she was to vomit again. With Jhaer stable, he scanned his sister, his gaze darkening.
"You're hurt."
Nathaniel swung his head to look at Jhaer with eyes that suggested he was considering whether or not to throw her back into the ocean.
Circe winced, "Don't, we need her for her information. I'll be fine."
"It looks bad," he cautioned, "come up and let me see."
One hand still holding Jhaer on her side, he threw Circe her coat with his other as she heaved her body from the ocean, unable to change back without exposing herself completely. She caught the wet material gratefully and wringed it out the best she could before wrapping it around her shoulders. The rest of her clothes were still intact, but she had lost her trousers in the transformation and was now stuck in her Siren form. It was inconvenient but she would manage.
Covering her shoulder wound with one hand, she attempted to send energy to close the cut. A moment passed and she withdrew her grasp, frowning as blood continued to seep out, trickling wetly down her arm.
"It's not working."
Nathaniel frowned, "Can you think of a reason?"
Circe made to shake her head but then she paused, remembering the curious bronze blade she had snatched from Jhaer's grasp. "I noticed something abnormal about the knives she was using," she said slowly, "but I'm not sure. I will have to ask Hobbs when we return."
Her ever vigilant brother immediately spotted the wound on her tail also, his face darkening further as she attempted and failed to heal that one as well. He gritted his teeth however and spoke, his tone sour.
"Here, your knife. Get rid of that rope," Nathaniel passed her the blade, gesturing to the rope that was still knotted at the base of her large tail fin. As she sawed it free, he let go of Jhaer to rip a length of material from the bottom of his shirt. Pushing Circe's coat back a little, he wound the material tightly over her wound, grimacing when the white fabric immediately became drenched with blood.
"It's deep,"
Circe tried not to wince at the pressure on the cut and sent him an unconvincing smile, "It's only bleeding a lot because I've been in the water, it will be fine."
"And the one on your tail?"
They both looked at the wound, a clean slice straight through the muscle that oozed red every time Circe flexed her lower half.
"They will both need stitches," Nathaniel said, frowning unhappily when Circe failed to say anything in reply, choosing instead to begin sawing at the rope around her fin. "What now?" he asked instead.
"Anthemin is coming," she unwound the length of rope from her tail, having cut only one part and keeping most of the length intact, "He will be here soon." She handed the rope to Nathaniel, "Tie her wrist's behind her and I'll check her for weapons. Even though she almost drowned, we can't underestimate her," her voice was grim as she surveyed the unconscious woman, "it's imperative that we take her back with us. We need to find out what her plan was."
Nathaniel took the rope but made no attempt to move, still staring at her unhappily.
He eyes softened as she returned his gaze, guessing immediately what he was thinking, "I'm fine. Honestly."
"If I hadn't followed her-
"Don't say that," Circe touched his cheek gently in comfort, "what's happened happened. You are not to blame."
He caught her hand with his and she could see the guilt swimming in his blue eyes. "I'm sorry." He said simply, apologizing before she could stop him.
"There is nothing for you to be sorry for," she said swiftly, "now quickly, make sure she is secure before she wakes up. Also, while you're doing that, you can tell me what she told you to convince you to follow her out here in the first place. It must have been good." Circe's voice was light, but the seriousness that lay beneath could not be missed.
Nathaniel's hands, in the middle of tying the rope around Jhaer's wrists, paused for a moment before quickly completing their task. With the woman secure he straightened; his eyes solemn as he met Circe's questioning gaze.
She had always been good at reading her brother but at this moment, his face was full of conflicting emotions. The waves slapped hollowly at the sides of the capsized boat as the two siblings stared at each other in silence. She could see he was struggling to find the right words and his indecision only served to increase her anticipation, a feeling that was building quickly inside her, causing her heartbeat to quicken, her insides feeling jittery.
"Nate ..." She spoke his name with a calm reassurance that concealed the turmoil of emotion currently raging within.
He opened his mouth and then closed it again. And then opened it. And the words that came out caused Circe's blood to run cold in her veins.
"She said she knows the whereabouts of our brother."
*
OBSIDIAN
He stood silently at the entrance to Anthemin's cave, his face dark. Below him the ocean raged and thrashed at the stone cliffs as though echoing his anger. His fingers had long curled into fists and they did not unclench now as he turned his back on the empty cave and stared out to sea.
The dragon wasn't here.
Under normal circumstance, this shouldn't have been cause for him to worry. His Kitten and her pet disappeared together all the time, either to train or simply for leisure. He knew Circe loved the freedom that came with flying and if he could have it his way, he would be the only dragon she would ever need. Unfortunately, she had already bonded with the other one and he would not be the bastard who stood in the way of something that brought her such happiness. After all, it wasn't like the dragon was a threat.
However.
Even though Circe's safety was practically guaranteed whenever Anthemin was present, Obsidian still found himself unconvinced. His brother would call him paranoid, but he had been unable to locate either Nathaniel, Jhaer or Circe within the town, even after employing the use of his more supernatural senses.
Seeing that the dragons cave had been the last place to check, he had swiftly made his way to the location, something deep in his gut telling him he would meet this outcome, even before he was forced to face the empty cave that now stretched out gloomily before him.
Running an aggravated hand through his hair, he paced up and down the mouth of the cave like a caged beast. He could go after her, but with her whereabouts uncertain, he would be just as likely to miss her return whilst searching in vain. Jhaer's absence troubled him, but he had no proof other than what the old Merchant Joseph had said, that she was even involved in any of this. Nathaniel could easily have parted ways with her before going to meet up with Circe.
It was plausible to assume that, perhaps having seen the markets down in the town, the dragon, Circe, and her brother, had simply chosen to escape for the day in search of new places to explore in the surrounding area.
Again, Obsidian's intuition told him that this was not the case. His eyes hunted meticulously along the horizon as he stewed on his thoughts. Perhaps it was simply best to remain here. After all, when Anthemin returned, he would undoubtably be accompanied by Circe, and that way Obsidian could be sure to lay eyes on her as soon as she arrived.
Pausing in his pacing as something caught his eye, he stuck out a hand and caught the flake of white as it drifted downwards from the sky. It had begun to snow.
*
CIRCE
Circe was still staring uncomprehendingly at Nathaniel as snow began to fall thickly from the sky, rapidly cloaking their cold forms in a plush robe of white. The ocean around them had grown still, as though holding its breath in suspense for the snow's soft touch. The two were not destined to meet however, the snow dissipating instantly upon contact with the surface of the water, melting into fine ripples that echoed outwards before vanishing also.
The air around them was so eerily silent that Circe could hear her heart thumping in her chest as she struggled to process the information she had been given. She could hear the muffled pattering sound created by the snow falling onto the surface of the ocean, hear Nathaniel's quick breaths opposite her as he stared back, as though shocked into silence by something she had said, rather than his own words.
"She knows where to find him?"
Circe's voice, breaking the silence was startlingly loud and Nathaniel seemed to refocus, jolting slightly. "Yes," his voice was hoarse, and he made an attempt to clear his throat.
"Did you have any reason to trust these words of hers?"
Nathaniel had the good grace to look ashamed, "No."
Circe supressed a deep sigh. Her beautifully naïve, innocent brother was unfortunately someone who would easily believe other people's words. However, there was an itch in the back of her mind keeping her from disregarding the issue completely and it was this. They had not mentioned to anyone outside of their close circle of the truth about Nathaniel's heritage. Only those select few and the other Royals knew that he was the son of Evangeline and would therefore have a twin, the result of a naturally occurring phenomenon that affected the offspring between a magical being and a human.
Hobbson described the occurrence once as something akin to a division of power. The contrast between a human and someone from the magical realm was so great that it was almost impossible to create a sole being from the fusion. Instead, two human bodies were formed in order to divide the strong magical power amongst the two weaker vessels. The results could vary. In some cases, the twins would seem equal, while in others, magical blood would be a little more present in one than the other. There were exceptions of course, but Hobbson had told Circe, the only exceptions he had ever laid eyes upon were the Shifters, a breed that was the result of Lycan and Human pairings.
Hobbsons tone had become slightly ironic then as he pointed out to Circe the fatal flaw in this union and the reason Human and Magical pairings were greatly admonished in their world, it was the Shifters who were currently starting war with the Lycans and the Elves after all. And it was due to the simple fact that human emotion controlled them and caused them to hate, fear and envy the Lycans, a race which had always, and would continue to, stand above them in terms of magical prowess and longevity. There was more to it than just that, but the topic had seemed to tire Hobbson and Circe had eventually changed the subject.
"What are you thinking?" Nathaniel's voice brought Circe back to her current situation and she shared her current thoughts with him, her tone sceptical.
"I was just thinking that there might be some truth in Jhaer's words ..." she trailed off, trying to find the right words. "No-one knows about your heritage, therefore, why would Jhaer have any reason to think you had a brother? She couldn't have that information unless, unless she had truly seen someone who looked like you or ..."
"Someone told her," Nathaniel finished, his eyes steady, "back when you were distracting her, before you flipped the boat, you were right, it did sound like she was acting under orders that came from someone else."
Circe felt the faint white scars that laced her skin tingle in anticipation of her next words, "Aranel," she breathed, "she's the only one that makes sense."
It wasn't like she had cause to be surprised. Circe had known the Princess was out there somewhere, planning her own agenda, whatever that was. Honestly, Circe hadn't cared enough to give it a thought and after all, it hadn't been anything that had directly affected her ... until now. If it truly was Aranel that was behind the order to kidnap Nathaniel, then that could only mean one thing. Across from her, Nathaniel was slowly reaching the same conclusion.
"Aranel," Nathaniel's expression was a conflicted one, "I don't understand why she would send someone for me unless she-" he stopped abruptly, raising his gaze to meet Circe's, his eyes round and startled, "Surely she can't," he whispered, "impossible."
"Have our brother?" Circe replied grimly, "Unfortunately where Aranel is concerned, I have learnt to expect anything and assume nothing. She could have him, or it just be a simple trap. Send someone out to trick you, someone who already knew the crew and had no reason to lie about such a thing, it should have been easy. It would have been easy, if I hadn't followed you."
Nathaniel's face was white, "But what does she even want with me?" he whispered. Within the snow encased world that surrounded them, the space between them suddenly seemed very heavy and Nathaniel's words seemed to hang, suspended in the air as though they had tangible existence.
The answer was obvious to both of them, but Circe couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.
She wants to use you to get to me.
Circe was a loose end after all. Aranel had simply decided it was time to wrap her up.
Circe's only consolation was that Aranel didn't know Obsidian was alive. Although once Obsidian found out about the current turn of events, there was no telling how long that illusion would last. If there was one person in the world Obsidian hated more than Zalas right now it was her. If Obsidian was to learn Aranel was trying to get to Circe ... well. It was safe to say that the Princess would suddenly find that she was no longer the one doing the hunting.
"It'll be okay," Circe forced herself to say, "let's not think any more about it for now and focus on getting back alright?"
Nathaniel gave her a terse nod and although she had spoken the words, it was easier said than done. Her thoughts were swirling, and she was deeply troubled. The existence of her other brother was one she had thought about often, but she had not expected to find such a sinister lead so suddenly. On top of that, it was freezing, and her wounds had begun to ache. The blood flow had slowed with the cold temperature, but she knew as soon as she moved her lower half that her tail wound would reopen. Her shoulder as well felt heavy and numb with the dull pain. She let out an involuntary shiver, her eyes sliding back to Jhaer's prone form. Shifting herself closer, she began to check the other woman for weapons, Nathaniel helping her when her fingers proved to be too clumsy with the cold. They removed several knives, a pistol, now useless with its gunpowder wet, and a stealthily concealed dagger. All weapons were discarded into the ocean without a second thought and Circe watched them sink out of sight with grim satisfaction.
"It was warmer in the ocean," she attempted to joke lightly, her eyes flickering to scan her brothers face. His lips had twitched upwards at her words, the expression more out of habit than anything else. His lips were beginning to turn blue. They were both in wet clothes after her little stunt with the boat, but there was no way they could get warmer ...
Circe inwardly cursed herself and her stupidity. Swiftly she waved her uninjured arm in a vigorous circle, her fingers trembling slightly with cold. The air above their heads began to swirl, a flat shield of wind forming a tight circle overhead that dissipated the snow and moved the frigid air surrounding them, ousting some of the chill.
"Don't fall in," she warned Nathaniel as she pointed her other hand at him, flat palm facing his body. He braced himself and with some concentration, she blasted air in his direction, efficiently air-drying him to some degree. She did the same to herself but couldn't find it in herself to extend the same kindness to Jhaer.
"Better?"
Nathaniel nodded, "A little."
She nodded and then frowned at a suddenly unwelcome memory, "Zalas could make it warm, but I think that was only because of his Dragon heritage." She scowled further as Zalas's smug face popped into her head and she could only imagine his self-satisfaction at her acknowledgement of his skill. She swatted him away, "arrogant" she muttered venomously.
She lowered the air shield above them and adjusted the shape so that it curved slightly, protecting them in a sort of half cocoon. Nathaniel looked up at the spinning air, a vacant look on his face. "I always forget how amazing you are," he uttered randomly, "isn't it funny how normal we used to think the world was? And yet all of this was always there, just beyond our reach."
Circe leant her elbow on her knee as she sustained the shield and considered his words. Indeed, now that their eyes had been so widely opened to the Magical realm, it seemed impossible that they had ever disregarded its existence in the first place.
She was just about to open her mouth to respond when a familiar voice echoed through her mind.
Vanima?
Her reply was instant, I'm here.
The snow around them was falling straight down so thickly that it seemed the world around them had turned white, save for the blackness of the ocean beneath them. As Anthemin appeared, it was as though he floated through many layers of wispy mesh, each curtain of snow opening and closing behind him as he passed through it. As it was, Circe heard his approach before she saw him, her ears attuned to the beating of his wings and even when he came into view his form, so white against the snow, almost seemed to shift and blend with the falling flakes; a perfect camouflage.
Without further ado, she levitated herself and Nathaniel onto Anthemin's back as he hovered above them, accepting Nathaniel's help as she found her balance, her tail hindering her slightly. Nathaniel chose to settle behind her, his legs on either side of her body, keeping her in place. She felt his warmth seep through to her back and some of the weight that had settled unknowingly on her shoulders lifted. She had succeeded, her brother was safe for now and that was all that mattered.
You're hurt. Anthemin shifted restlessly beneath her, why haven't you healed yourself?
There was something wrong with her knife, Circe answered swiftly, skimming over the details, it is nothing I can't sort out once we are back. Save your energy for the flight, I need you to carry a third. Can you?
She was achingly conscious that Anthemin, despite his recent growth spurt, had only just reached a size where he was able to carry two people comfortably, and even then, that was not something to be indulged. Now he was suddenly required to carry three adults and Circe knew he would need all of his energy if he was to get them back to Balagar quickly and safely. The energy she had been unable to use to heal her own injuries, still swam close to the surface of her skin, ready to be transferred to the young Dragon, should he need it.
She felt him pause before he answered, his unhappiness clear. If I must.
His great body dipped suddenly as he stretched out a clawed foot, scooping up Jhaer as though she was prey, her limp body flopping about like an overgrown doll. He shifted her weight between both feet carelessly as he powered them into the sky, finally finding a position where he was able to grip her comfortably without accident skewering her on one long talon. Setting course for Balagar they left the sad little boat floating solemnly upside down behind them in the snow.
If she gets too heavy, Circe conveyed to Anthemin as she settled in for the journey, feel free to drop her in the ocean.
As was usual, Anthemin's thoughts were pleasantly in line with her own.
*