The Eden Series: The Complete Collection (96 page)

“I don’t believe you,” Callum said.

“Yes you do. You know I’m right. Aziz has been regaining strength, rebuilding his own army, while you’ve been out running his errands for him. We can stop this, Callum, right here, right now. We can join together and fight the real enemy in Eden, and return it to peace. You can live with your wife and raise your child, and be happy. Isn’t that enough? Isn’t having your own family enough to show you that you have been walking down the wrong path for the last ten years?
Please brother.
Listen to me for once in your life,” he begged, holding out his hand. “Let us end this, and get our family back.”

Callum looked at his outstretched hand and thought about what he was offering. Peace. To live his life with Rose and their child. To stop all his planning and fighting. To make a home and build a life.
A real life.
No more of this perpetual travelling, but to have a place of their own. Wasn’t it what he had been dreaming about since Rose walked into his life? Would his men fight alongside him? Yes, they would, he decided. Brutus was gone, and they were all loyal to him now. Some would probably even be secretly pleased at the possibility of returning to their families and being able to rest. Everyone, not just him, was tired of this life. They had been living it for so long, it had gotten old, and they had lost many of their friends and family in the process. But could he let go of his hate? Let go of the thing that had been pushing him forward since the night their father had passed?

He turned to look at Rose. The boy, the one Aziz wanted, was blocking her, probably wishing to spare her from witnessing his death. He suddenly felt very appreciative towards the warrior from the other world. He cared for Rose because she was the sister of his fallen friend. That showed great honour and loyalty. Could he pass up this chance for a future with her, just to die here with no honour of his own?

“Why would you be willing to forgive me, after everything I’ve done?” Callum asked, turning back to Jameson.

He still had his hand out, offering something Callum had never expected. “Because you are my brother,” he said simply. “You’re the only family I have left.”

His body was starting to shiver, and he knew if he didn’t get help soon, he’d die on this field regardless. Rose’s face flooded his mind. A perfect image of the way she looked when she stared up at him, her cheeks blushing. He closed his eyes, letting the image soak in. He didn’t want to leave her alone. He wanted to see that face every day for the rest of his life. Taking a shaky breath, Callum opened his eyes again and reached up to grasp his brother’s arm. Jameson’s hand tightened on his forearm in response. He smiled a broad, relieved smile.

“Glad to have you back, brother,” he said, with only sincerity in his voice.

Callum laughed, wincing at the pain it caused. “We’ll see how glad you are when my mood swings hit,” he replied, feeling a small pang of joy to be joking with him again.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, moving to stand. He pulled Callum up, right into a fierce hug. Callum felt his body weight lean heavily on his brother. He was weak, but still found the strength to embrace his brother in return. A surprising cheer ran throughout the King’s army. It hit him that those men would never be his, and for once it didn’t bother him. He still had the North to lead, perhaps only until he found a proper replacement for Brutus, because for once in his life, he had no desire to be a King. Being so close to death had brought his life into focus, and he knew that he didn’t need a throne to be happy. He already had what he needed, and she was currently running towards him.

Before he could get out a word, Rose had flung herself into his arms. As they sank to the ground he buried his face in her hair, feeling her body shake with tears. He whispered comforting words to her, but didn’t let go or ease up on his embrace. If he could keep her this close for the rest of his life, he’d be happy. She didn’t seem too eager to breakaway either. As more people began approaching them, the two stayed in their embrace, oblivious to anything else.

“Are they always like this?” he finally heard Jameson ask.

“Most of the time,” a rough voice answered. Callum knew it was his Captain, Stefan, answering. He smiled into Rose’s hair, still keeping hold of her. The scream that ripped through his happiness was what finally tore them apart. Callum looked up at the angered face of one his men, as he pulled back on his bow, letting loose a single arrow. He looked to Jameson. With what little strength he had left, he leaped towards his brother believing the arrow was meant for him. They landed with a loud thud, and he could feel his stomach wound open up again from the impact. A piercing cry filled the air, followed by an angered growl. Jameson and Callum turned to see a small figure fall to the ground.

* * *

Aiden didn’t know how he did it, he just remembered standing with the others, watching the fight like everyone else. Then the next minute they all turned as Felix’s sister ran onto the field, crying out Callum’s name. There were two men close behind her, stopping her before she got too close. He felt sick just seeing the sorrow on her face, knowing she was about to witness her husband be killed. The air had smelled stronger, he could feel the wind as if it were a part of him, and the birds that had been silent for so long suddenly sounded like they were right beside his ear. It was the oddest sensation, and had thrown him off for a moment. He remembered breathing it in, welcoming the odd feeling like the world was suddenly open to him. In the next instant, he ended up in front of the girl, and he couldn’t remember having moved.

Without hesitation, he had blocked her view, trying his best to provide some sense of comfort and calm. He briefly looked at the other two men, wordlessly asking if they should move her. They seemed to understand, and the dark skinned one shook his head slightly. Instead, they stayed with her, all three of them surrounding her like a protective shield. When she looked up at him, he felt like his heart would break. Her eyes were so similar to Felix’s, and had the same hopeless look as his did when he had died at Emerald Fields. It killed him to see that sort of look again. How many more lives would he see ruined? He was so sick of all this. For the first time since he had returned, Aiden had a strong urge to go home. He didn’t want to see more people die, or have anyone look at him the way she did ever again.

Then she asked him to stay with her, and it was like she was speaking to his soul. It felt like all the problems in Eden were his to fix, for some inexplicable reason. The memory of how connected he had felt to this world, only moments before, came back, and at once he knew that he couldn’t leave. Definitely not until he made things right. The first thing he needed to do was to stay with her. Aiden didn’t want her to be alone for this. They sat there, her crying, while Aiden tried offering reassuring words, for what seemed like forever. He didn’t know what was happening behind him, but he didn’t hear anyone fighting. Was it done? Had Jameson already killed the exiled Prince? Aiden wished he could turn to see, but was too afraid to move his focus off of her. He could see the expressions of the other men, and both appeared weary.

When the men began cheering, Aiden almost jumped out of his skin. He immediately turned to see what was happening, and his jaw dropped when he saw the two brothers embracing. A sudden blur of movement was beside him. He turned to look but was too late as Felix’s sister ran, racing towards Callum. Aiden and the two northern men stood in silence, watching the scene unfold. Eventually they moved forward without him, joining the growing group of people around the brothers. The truce effectively ended the war, but Aiden knew better. As long as Aziz was still out there the war would continue.

When he heard the soldier cry out, everything turned to slow motion. He watched as the man strung a bow, but it all felt so odd. Then he followed the arrow as it flew, and even that seemed slower, like he could see its entire journey. It flew past the group and headed straight for his friends. Aiden realized too late that it was heading straight for Lily, now that its intended mark had been knocked out of the way. He wanted to cry out, but sucked in his breath when he saw someone else push Lily aside, and take the arrow for her. Then everything went still. The scents around him heightened again, and his breathing echoed in his ears. The same things happened when he took a deep breath. One minute he was standing on the side of the field, and the next we was directly in front of the archer, a knife to his throat. The man’s eyes widened in horror as he dropped his weapon.

“I will kill you if they die,” Aiden said, his voice harsh and cold. It sounded unfamiliar to him. A large hand suddenly clamped down on his arm. He didn’t turn away from staring into the man’s eyes, but somehow he knew it was the dark skinned soldier.

“I will serve out this sentence, warrior,” he said, his deep voice brimming with untethered anger. Aiden gave the man another long look, before reluctantly stepping back. “Go to her,” he said. Aiden turned with a heavy heart, and started towards his friends.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The last two days had gone by in similar fashion. Rain woke up, had breakfast with Aziz, and then they spent the afternoon working on her teachings. Aziz was, surprisingly, a very patient and encouraging instructor. They ate lunch in his packed office, and then separated for an hour before meeting again to have dinner. He was extremely attentive and gentle with her.

Both nights she had woken to screams of pain. They kept her awake for hours until finally silence returned, and she was able to drift back into sleep. In the mornings he appeared young and energized, making Rain wonder why he was using the villagers more often than when she first arrived. Neither of them spoke about the nightly proceedings. Rain was terrified to ask him, for even though he was kind to her, she knew what his anger was like and did not want it directed at her.

During this whole time she had not seen Elex once. A small part of her wondered where he was, but she pushed that curiosity aside. It wouldn’t do her any good, and she didn’t want to get either of them in trouble. She figured he wasn’t in the mountain fortress since he hadn’t invaded her private thoughts in some time.

Each day she learned knew things. Not only could she now manipulate fire quite competently, but also water and air. One day she had actually produced a small twister in Aziz’s office. They both laughed as books flew around them in a literary funnel. Aziz appeared content to keep her focused on the elements, the basics of magic. She bit back complaints, reminding herself to be patient.

Late on the second day, as the two of them ate in companionable silence, there was a slight but familiar tug on her mind.
Hello Elex,
she sent out. A sense of amusement that was not her own filled her head. A second later his magnificent form dropped gracefully from the ceiling, large wings extended in all their glory. Rain couldn’t help but admire his beauty, and felt another sense of amusement from an outside source. Clearly he could sense her admiration, so she quickly closed off her mind like she had been practicing. As he folded his wings behind him, he glanced at her briefly, a slight smile on his lips. Oh yes, he knew exactly what she had been thinking when she first saw him. Her cheeks felt hot and she looked back down at her plate.

“Ah, Elex,” Aziz greeted, placing his utensils down. “I was beginning to worry. What news do you bring from the south?” Rain’s head snapped up and looked at Elex curiously. He had been in the south? This was news to her.

“Father,” he greeted, before answering his question. “The two armies fought for an entire day before calling a brief truce. They looked evenly matched from where I flew, which I assumed the leaders had realized.”

Aziz sat back, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. “I’m surprised,” he admitted. “I didn’t think this would go longer than a day. Did anyone see you?”

Rain watched as a brief look of irritation crossed Elex’s face. “Of course not,” he said, slightly offended. “However, I believe
they
could sense me, but I stayed above the clouds.”

“Interesting,” Aziz muttered. “And today?”

Elex’s jaw clenched, and Rain got the sense he was not happy. “It seems the two brothers had agreed the night before to end the battle with a single fight between the two of them. I didn’t know this until this morning.”

Aziz’s eyebrows shot up. Rain could feel herself begin to sweat. She didn’t know why, but she was suddenly very nervous. “I must say, those two seem to always surprise me. Stop delaying and tell me who won.”

Rain saw Elex shift uncomfortably on his feet. It was the first time she had ever seen him look truly nervous and unsure.

“Neither, Father. They called a truce and have joined forces.” Rain jumped in surprise at the sound of Aziz’s chair crashing to the floor. He stood, his face dark with anger.

“Callum is a fool,” he spat out. Rain could almost feel the threatening air around him.

“Who have they joined forces against?” she asked, her voice quiet. She already knew, but felt like she needed it confirmed. Aziz’s eyes met hers, she shrank back into her seat. He watched her for a minute before visibly relaxing his features and posture. She sat up a bit straighter, still cautious of his mood.

“Do not be frightened, my Queen. Those fools cannot harm us,” he said, reassuringly. “What about the boy?” he asked, turning back to his son.

Elex shook his head. “The forest person was watching the skies, as if she knew to look for me. I realized Callum would not deliver him, but couldn’t find an opening to retrieve him myself. There is something else,” he added, as Aziz grew angry again. Aziz stopped to look at him expectantly. “The boy…his abilities have fully developed. I saw him fight and he moved as if he had been born fighting. His skills rival that of any of the older soldiers. I would go so far as to say he is the best fighter I’ve seen. He also accomplished space-shifting. I’m not sure who else noticed.”

Aziz sucked in his breath. “Are you certain?”

“It only happened twice, but he moved faster than I could see. He was literally at one spot, and then appeared in another. There is no doubt,” answered Elex. Rain watched Aziz absorb this, his eyes narrowed in thought.