Shadow Lands (11 page)

“You are helping. I will ask her for other things.”

“Good God. A bit forward,” Marc mumbled. He left the entertainment room behind Rohnan and stopped dead.

Sanders and his men had fanned out in front of the establishment, staring across the small road at a line of lounging Graygual. A few were officers, standing straight and tall, but the rest were what Shanti called grunts—low-life men with sneers and crinkled uniforms. Three Shadow people dotted the way, standing in the middle of the road, staring out at nothing.

“Can’t they send more Shadow people?” Gracas asked quietly. He had a knife in his hand.

“No Inkna. Three Shadow is probably plenty. They’ll bring everyone to their knees.” Sanders pushed Xavier in front of him. “Let’s go—this is just a scare tactic. As soon as we’re out of eyesight of the Shadow, though, kill at will.”

Graygual eyes followed them as they moved down the road. Knives came out. More than one tapped a dagger against their belt as they watched Sanders’ crew passing. One man drew a sword, sneering at Rachie, who was closest to him.

“They are waiting for the same thing,” Rohnan said in a low tone. His hand rested on his sword. “The Shadow people know this. Their wariness has increased tenfold. Their people are starting to disappear.”

“That woman say anything about the Captain and Shanti?” Sanders asked, staring at a Graygual who had stepped forward.

“The temperature is turned up, and the forces are converging. The Chosen will emerge through the fires of need.” Burson took a knife out of his belt. “But war will come to those most loyal before it scours the island. We are in for a bloody few days.”

“A few blessed days of silence, and he comes back with that,” Sanders growled.

They turned into the alley and saw one, lone Shadow person in front of their building. The Graygual hadn’t followed, probably knowing Shadow lurked in here, too.

Sanders stopped beside the door to the building containing their many rooms. He watched the guys going inside—making sure everyone was there, probably.

Rohnan stopped beside the Shadow woman. “This is not a good place for you. We’ll be followed shortly, and then you will be outnumbered.”

She glanced at Rohnan. Her eyebrows dipped in confusion for a moment, before a grin tweaked her lips. “I recognize your power. I cannot say it is a welcome one, but very useful.” She stepped away from the wall. “I will take your warning. Be careful when leaving.”

As the woman walked away, Tobias said, “Why are you scaring away the help? We could use one more fighter with mind-power.”

“He has saved her life, and further entrenched us with their people,” Burson said as he passed into the building. “I can’t keep up with the choices before us now. Luckily, the Wanderer has brought only the noble to her cause so far. It is making my job much easier.”

“You’re making mine harder,” Sanders said. “I think it’s time we paid a visit to the higher-up in this place. Shit’s about to get real. First, though, we need to find Etherlan.”

T
hey took
the stairs quickly and spread out around the door to Rachie’s room. Sanders walked to the front as Rachie reached for the handle. Without a word, Sanders grabbed the kid by the shirt and ripped him to the side. He stepped up, his hand on the handle, cold to the touch. Tobias, next to him, took out a throwing knife. Rohnan, on the other side, did as well.

Sanders stared at Rohnan for a moment. “Feel anyone?” he asked softly.

Rohnan shook his head. “But there are many barriers in the way. It hinders my ability.”

Sanders rushed into the room. A cluster of black shirts greeted him, spread out and mostly lounging. Sanders threw his knife before peeling off to the side. A knife clattered against the wall behind him as Sanders rolled to a stop behind a chair. A quick blast of power scorched his mind before it stopped just as quickly.

Tobias and Rohnan ran into the room, each getting off a knife throw before ducking behind furniture. Xavier was next, doing the same. Someone grunted at the far end of the wall.

“Three are still up,” Rohnan said in a loud voice.

Sanders popped up from his location and threw another knife. It struck a Graygual in the face, his own knife falling uselessly to the ground. Two more stood beside, one in plain black staring at the fallen at his feet, while the other yanked out his sword.

Sanders rushed forward, but Rohnan beat him to it. Rohnan feinted, drawing the sword strike. He tapped the blade wide with his sword before slashing down. Blood spattered as Sanders reached the Inkna, thrusting his sword through the man’s middle. The Inkna shrieked, having done nothing to protect himself once Burson had rendered his mind-power useless. The Graygual tried to strike Rohnan one more time, but the strength had gone out of him as he sank to the ground.

Sanders scanned the room for any other enemy. All he saw were two legs sticking out of a room to the right.

“Ruisa!” Sanders barked, making his way to that room immediately.

Etherlan lay on the ground with his face in a chamber pot. Vomit covered the floor and filled the bowl. Sanders felt small hands push his aside. He stepped away, allowing Ruisa into the room. She bent to Etherlan, placing two fingers on the side of his neck.

“He’s got a pulse!” she said with hope etching every word. “It’s weak, but it’s there. Quick! Move him to the bed.”

Ruisa ran toward the door as Sanders hauled the limp, pale man up. As he moved Etherlan to the bed, as gently as possible, he heard Ruisa demanding, “Where did that woman come from?”

“How should I know?” Rachie answered.

“What did she look like?”

Sanders tuned them out as Rohnan came over to help with Etherlan. They laid him down. Rohnan felt his pulse and peered at his eyes. He sniffed Etherlan’s breath. “He doesn’t have long. It’s a miracle he’s still with us, but he’s a fighter. He’s clinging.”

“He’ll be fine,” Ruisa said, pushing between them. She put a bag on the bed and jerked it open. “Rohnan, I need blood.”

Rohnan lifted Etherlan’s sleeve and stuck him with a knife. A small amount of blood welled up. Etherlan showed no sign of feeling the nick.

Ruisa collected the blood into a vial. As it slid down the side of the glass tube, she pulled out another bottle. Unscrewing the lid, she took out the dropper and squeezed some of its fluid onto the blood. As she shook it, the blood turned a black-blue color.

“She was an amateur, thank God.” Ruisa dug through her pouch and extracted another vial with a blue lid, filled with a red liquid. “Either that, or she didn’t want him to die right away. She dosed him with a pretty common rodent poison it looks like. There is a lot of it around this city. It’s weak in case it’s accidentally ingested. She probably gave it to him in water, and diluted it enough that his stomach would purge it before it could really take hold.”

“Why would she poison him if she didn’t want to kill him?” Tobias asked from the end of the bed.

“She might’ve liked him. He was attractive and great in bed, or so I’ve heard.”

“How have you heard that—older men is your thing, huh?” Rachie blurted suspiciously. Sanders thought it sounded like a case of sour grapes.

“Women talk,” someone muttered. “Beware a scorned woman, too. The whole city will think you’ve got a tiny dick.”

“Think? Or know?” Tobias didn’t accompany the automatic quip with a laugh or even a smirk. His eyes were rooted to Ruisa’s efforts.

“He was also kind and treated women with utmost respect, me included, even though no one thought I belonged here,” Ruisa elaborated. “A lot of the women in this city have haunted eyes—they’re property. The visitors, I mean. Meeting a man that treats you like a person… it’ll give you second thoughts about trying to kill that man. Women’s hearts speak louder than their minds in most cases.”

“Then why go through with it at all?” Tobias asked.

“Because not going through with it would mean certain death. If she was anything more than an amateur, she gave him this out.” Ruisa dribbled liquid into Etherlan’s mouth. “And as I think about it, she must be, because a foolish woman would think Etherlan would protect her. If she’d asked, he would’ve tried. All of you would.”

“Of course we would,” Sanders said, his own gaze rooted to his fallen man.

“A smart woman would know that that would be impossible. The whole city is ganging up on you guys, starting with the Graygual handing out money to people like her master. How could someone protect her when he couldn’t even protect himself?” Etherlan coughed, his body’s reflex to the liquid trying to work down the wrong pipe. Ruisa fed him more. “Plus, her changing sides would just bring more animosity. She’d become a target. No, she must’ve let him off easy. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“Women are too complicated,” Leilius said from the corner.

“When we don’t have dicks to distract us, we have the freedom to use our brain.” Ruisa stood.

“So when do you start working for our side?” Gracas asked. “When do you start showing us that you aren’t an amateur?”

“Gracas,” Sanders barked, throwing a pointed glare at the boy to shut him up.

“I already have. You’ll see my efforts in another day’s time,” Ruisa said in a smug tone. “I have breasts, too. They distract men just as well as this woman’s. With Rohnan charming ladies and men ogling breasts, no one notices what the silly little lady’s hands are doing, do they?”

Sanders quirked an eyebrow at Rohnan. Rohnan said, “You left her in my care. I decided what the best use of our time was. Daniels agreed.”

“And I would give the order again,” Daniels said in a haughty tone, his gaze on Etherlan. No one wanted to lose a man, especially when the odds were so stacked up against them. “She had an extremely insightful, well-thought-out plan. The Captain was right in bringing her.”

Sanders looked at the straight-faced girl, that smugness she must’ve felt not displayed. “Why wait?”

“If poison works quickly, people immediately look for the distributor. They go over who the victim had talked to, what he had done, what he ate—it takes a lot of effort to hide from that scrutiny. Time it to strike after a few days’ time, and the traces are mostly gone. Also, the damage is done. They’re infected before they can defend themselves. So, tomorrow, we will see a lot of sick people. If everything goes as planned…”

“Let’s hope so,” Sanders said, glancing out the window. “We are losing traction as more people flood this city. At this point, the Shadow people are sitting in a sinking ship.”

“
L
et
’s stop here for the night,” Shanti said with a sigh as she dropped her pack of garments rolled within a tarp.

Cayan stopped and looked back at the small area she indicated with a thick hood of branches over it. He glanced around them, picking out defensive capabilities. A small rock ledge stood behind Shanti’s chosen shelter with thick trees lining it. If someone came from that side, they’d be hard pressed to get through the trees without making a lot of noise. In front and to the sides was the normal forest, with ground sodden with rain and green grasses dotted with large trunks. Visibility would be minimal if someone crept toward them, but that problem would exist in most places.

She was already setting up the tarp, not waiting for him to give his approval, and unlike with his men he felt no need to reclaim control or authority. Of course, he had no authority here. He was her support in this endeavor, and he had never felt that he had control over this woman. Even when he forced her to follow his commands, she did it because she chose to. When that desire ceased, she did as she pleased.

A large part of him respected her more for it.

Cayan put down his pack and helped her secure the tarp over the top of the shelter. He then laid the other tarp under, creating an area big enough for the two of them to lay in order to keep dry. They’d need to sleep close to each other, sharing both space and body heat.

“Food?” he asked as she laid out the fire equipment.

“We have the rabbit we didn’t eat earlier. If we just scrape up some root vegetables, we should be fine. It seems like we’ve walked miles today, I’d rather relax then eat.”

“I’ll go get some root vegetables.” As he left, she flashed him a thankful smile.

He wandered into the wood, listening while searching for the vegetables she’d been pointing out on their walk. This part of the forest was a dead-spot for their
Gifts,
so they’d have to listen for sounds of any stalkers creeping up on them. So far, they’d seen no one all day. Cayan figured they were probably letting Shanti heal—making a sport out of her—but time was always on his mind. The Graygual were getting ready to strike.

He bent to dig a carrot-like root out of the ground, hearing the soft rustle of an animal in the near distance. The rustle sounded again, and then a third time. An animal foraging for food, he’d bet his life on it.

And, in truth, he was.

He finished yanking the root out of the ground and moved on to another. When he had enough, he landed back at the camp, marveling at the welcoming fire Shanti had started.

“I don’t know how you get them started so easily with all this wet.” He sat down next to her, feeling the hum of her body so close. Their power gave a small surge at the proximity.

“Practice,” she said, coaxing the flame higher. “It didn’t rain nearly as much where I grew up, but we were close to the ocean. Everything had a dampness to it.”

They sat in silence for a moment as the crackling of the fire grew louder and flame reached higher. Cayan said, “When do you think the next trial will come?”

She sighed and looked out at the trees. “Any time. I think they must let the candidates move at their own pace, but we were walking today. That probably says to them I am ready to keep going.”

“What do you think is next?” Cayan watched the flame dance as she braced her elbows on her knees.

“They know we have a lot of power, and they didn’t push when you warned them of it, so they probably know hitting us with that will take planning. They’ve tried to sneak up on me already, and they’d sent a strange monster-type animal after me. What’s left but fighting?”

“Archery? Knife fighting?”

Shanti laughed. “Well, I don’t have anything but knives, so knife-fighting is a definite. I’ll just have to dodge the arrows.”

“How do I factor into this?” Cayan shifted away from a rock. His knee touched and then stayed connected to hers for a brief moment. Electricity surged between them, tingling his base. She shifted, cutting off the contact. Running, as per usual.

It was as maddening as it was exciting.

“They bring more fighters, that’s how. They’ve seen how you move. Not fight, no, but a good fighter can tell a lot by how people move. They’ll prepare for it.”

The light in the sky dwindled as Shanti started peeling the vegetables with her knife. The crackling of the fire and the slow slide of her knife competed with the soft dripping of water onto the tarp above them.

“Without you, I’d be cold and miserable this whole trip. And hungry. I could get by in here, but not easily.” Cayan picked up the other vegetable and took out his knife.

“Without me, you’d be warm in your house tucked away in your city.”

“Waiting for death.”

“We are all waiting for death, Cayan,” Shanti said in a soft tone. “It is how long we have before the inevitable that makes the difference.”

“And how long is that?”

She shrugged. “The Elders only know.”

A
fter eating
and spending a few moments quietly listening to the soft sounds of the forest, they moved further into the shelter. Shanti set out Cayan’s unused garments, providing a small amount of comfort, and lay down facing the fire. Cayan moved in behind her, pushing up against her back and closing his eyes as he breathed in her scent, feminine and floral.

“How are your wounds?” he asked as electricity jumped from her body to his. His body stirred at the contact. He ran his hand up her thigh and over her hip before dipping it into her coat and resting on the warm skin of her waist.

“Healing. They don’t hurt as much, and they’ve scabbed over now, so not as prone to infection, but they’ll break open with the first battle.” She removed his hand.

“Are we going to pretend we didn’t make love?” Cayan asked as he trailed his lips across her neck. She shivered at the contact. A small sigh escaped her lips. He slid his hand over her hip again, unable to stop himself from touching her.

“No. In the heat of the moment, it felt right, but I don’t want to get involved, Cayan. I can’t afford to love again. I can’t afford to let people get that close, because I can’t stand losing any more loved ones.”

“We’re already that close. The Honor Guard, Sanders—all of us are already that close to you. We’re your family now. The thing between you and me— we both feel it. Why not express it?”

“Because that makes it real,” she said with a tremor in her voice. She flung his hand away, resorting to violence to drown out her pain and uncertainty. She closed down her shields, trying to shut him out, but their connection was deeper than that now. Whatever they’d done, they’d combined their
Gifts
and merged parts of themselves. Closing down the mind didn’t stop the feeling from leaking from one to the other. It also didn’t stop the aching desire.

He could let her run again, as she always seemed to do, or he could match her violence, and force her to submit. Neither would be permanent, but each would make a statement; both of his intent and her resolve.

It took a split second to make the decision.

He backed up and then pulled her shoulder toward him with a heavy hand, forcing her to roll his way. She winced, rolling on her wounds, but her eyes showed fire before they were lost to shadow. She jabbed him with an uppercut, forcing the breath from his lungs. He caught that hand. The next punch was hindered by her position, but when it hit the base of his neck, he choked. Wheezing, he rolled onto her, as much to stop her hurting him as anything.

Pinning her upper body, and holding her hands with his own, he said, “No more running.”

He expected a head-butt. Instead, her thighs slid up the outside of his as a slow burn sparkled her fire-lit eyes. He kissed her, a hard, bruising kiss. She matched it angrily. When she opened her mouth, he filled it, tasting her, but not slowing down. Not letting her fear catch up with her desire.

He let go of her wrists and pulled open her jacket. He slid his hands underneath her shirt and felt that smooth, hot skin. Her legs tightened around him. The kiss became harder, more needy.

He stripped her as she ripped clothes from him, movement difficult in such a small space, but actions firm and rough. When he entered her, she didn’t hide her moan of pleasure. He took to her hard, giving her what she needed, matching her fight to overcome the memories of her past and those she lost. And also to claim her, because she was his. This was it. With their power, and their actions—he was done chasing.

His explosion matched hers. Then, his kisses softened. His movements slowed. His mood shifted.

What had started fierce and wild became slow and deep, but just as intense. Her hands shook as they snaked around his middle, palms splayed on his back. A tear flowed down her cheek in the firelight as she looked up at him.

“What does
mesasha
mean, Cayan?” she asked in a quiet tone as she accepted this new slow, deep movement.

“It is a term my grandmother used for my grandfather in her home language. It means heavenly beloved. In essence, it means there is only one. For me, you are that one.”

He barely saw her nod as her arms moved from around his middle to around his shoulders. “I hate that you’ve forced me into this,” she whispered.

“I know. But it was inevitable.”

“I’ll torture you for it,” Shanti said as another tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m a hard woman to love, Cayan. People close to me seem to end up dead. I chew people up and then my duty spits them out.”

“
Shhh
,” he silenced her with his lips. Her whole body shook as she clung to him. “I’m as much in this as you are. I’d still be by your side if I hated you—and that place would be infinitely more perilous.”

Her lips curled into a smile. “This will take time for me. I feel like I’m betraying another. But…
Heaven’s Gates,
Cayan, you feel good.”

“The Elders are in heaven?” Cayan asked, moving faster, feeling the build.

“No. We believe the Elders exist within the blanket of stars, looking down on their children and helping point the way. But I heard Rachie say Heaven’s Gates, once. It stuck.”

“Hmm,” Cayan said, losing the ability for words. Shanti did too, straining into him in the way she had recently strained to get away. When their explosion came again they entwined in each other’s limbs, sharing heat and completely open. Their
Gifts
surged and flowed, despite the forest’s limitations. It blossomed out from them, the foundation solid and unbreakable, the power as beautiful as it was terrifying.

In the aftermath they lay together, him curled around her with their clothes draped on top, sharing warmth. Come the morning, she’d probably try to run again, but they would both know it’d be in vain.

S
hanti startled awake
. Cayan’s warmth coated her back, his breath rising and falling in sleep. She listened. The soft patter of drops splashed on the tarp above. The fire, having died to a soft glow, only made a couple of light crackles. Leaves rustled in the falling rain, but otherwise all was quiet.

Shanti knew better than to close her eyes again. She’d been hunted for more than a year, and before that, trained in the harsh conditions her people conjured up. When her body awoke with a start like this, there was always a reason.

She sat up, wincing as pain lanced her leg and side. She moved out of the shelter so she could stand straight, shivering immediately with the cold.

“What is it?” Cayan asked quietly.

A light fog sifted between the trees, glowing white where the moonlight hit it. The deep black of the shadows contrasted, making depth perception and visibility nearly impossible. Her eyes were no good to her.

Her eyelids drifted closed and she centered her mind, letting the world around her soak into her awareness. A light breeze brushed against her skin, bringing with it the damp cold. The sound of raindrops fell away, ignored so she could focus on the small sounds lingering behind and between the definable.

She heard it. A soft crunch, then silence. A tiny slide came next, barely noticeable. Her small hairs stood on end, feeling something moving out there. Feeling an awareness creeping closer. Animal or human, they were both dangerous—especially with the animals in these woods.