29. Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Viola
I don't want Mace here.
If Rew is to be believed, this family would be willing to die to maintain their control over the artifact, and well, they may get their wish if they get in my way of retrieving it.
It may be callous of me to say this, but I do not think Mace has the ability to do what is necessary.
Taking a life is much different than dooming others to lose their own, and we don't know what we're going to be walking into, despite our carefully laid plans.
Has Mace ever gotten his hands dirty?
Do I want him witness to me dirtying mine?
This morning, when Rew silently slid into the home we slept in and woke me, he almost died. My reflexes had a blade to his throat faster than he could say my name. I like the brute of a man, but he should've been smarter than thinking he could sneak up on someone like me.
When we danced the night before he had more questions for me than I expected. Given his size and stoicism, I expected him to be a bit more on the quiet side, similar to Morrow. Instead, he wanted to know everything about me and how my life had turned out. It turns out we had encountered each other during the Race before. It was ten years prior, my Ascension year, and initially, I didn't recognize him, but when he remarked on how he found me, it hit me like a lightning bolt.
He is the one who untied me from the tree after that man was done assaulting me.
He is the one who killed that man.
Now, I didn't know at the time that the man had been killed, and I barely remember being untied from the tree. Rew says it was because he didn't want me to realize I was alone with another man. Instead, he untied me and watched from the tree line until I collected myself and went on my way.
Rew knew all of this when he asked me to dance, but he didn't tell my companions. I appreciated his discretion. It was the honorable thing to do.
All of this is why I removed my blade from his throat and when he woke me up this morning. He told me he knew of the artifact and had been unsuccessful in retrieving it but that he knew I could.
Initially, it was hard to sit across from him, sober, and work with a man who found me in such a vulnerable moment. But I have picked myself up and grown stronger since the last time he saw me, and he could see that, so I shoved that shame down, pushed past the trauma, and planned how I was going to retrieve the artifact.
Tonight, he has lured the family from the home. The amulet is rumored to be able to restore sight to those in the dark. Previous generations reported it sharpening vision as they aged but that's hearsay. The current owners have a small daughter who is blind, and they hope that the amulet will allow her to see. According to Rew, there is currently no indication that it has worked, but they are unwilling to give up the chance.
Solarius' power of Light magic, if I had to guess, is imbued in it. Known for revealing that which is hidden, it makes sense that it could give sight to someone without it.
So Rew has lured the entire family of ten from their home, where the amulet is hidden. And I will break in and retrieve it.
It feels very appropriate that this all started with me breaking into a home and stealing an artifact under the cover of darkness, and now here I am again. This time, Mace is beside me, slowing me down.
"You don't need to be here," I hiss at him as we round a corner, keeping to the shadows of the overhang of the homes around us.
"Where you go, I go," is all he replies. I appreciate his dedication to me but the man has more heart than sense sometimes.
"What help is your magic going to be here? You haven't stolen anything in your life. All you are going to do is slow me down."
"If we get caught, I may be able to Influence us out of a sticky situation. And I may not have robbed someone before, but that doesn't mean I'll be a hindrance," he whispers.
I roll my eyes and call forth more shadows to help us travel between buildings undetected. The moon is small tonight, with clouds obscuring most of it, and so far, we've had an easy time getting around without notice. "You have to promise me then that you will not interfere with what I need to do. You're here to be a lookout, Mace. I cannot have you making me second guess what needs to be done."
"You think so little of me, my numen? I told you that in what happens outside of the bedroom, I will defer to you every time. Stop trying to push me away. I am here for you. Use me as you see fit."
That nickname.
Every time he says it, a chill runs through me in the most delicious way.
Mace continues to appeal to a part of me I didn't know was there anymore. It's like my body wants nothing more than to be near him. I am spending untold amounts of energy to keep my head cool and not fall across his lap like a lovesick teenager. He makes it harder to stay away when he speaks to me in that low, seductive tone he reserves only for me. Gods, that's ignoring how undeniably attractive he looked last night, bare-chested and covered in blood. He looked positively feral, and it about turned me that way as well.
But I can't think about that.
Nothing can come of Mace and me until the world is saved, I've decided. It's a distraction from what we need to accomplish. Forgetting the fact that every time he so much as kisses me, his magic loses control, I need a clear head to figure out the puzzle of how we're going to get these Gods back.
And then he's stepping in front of me, and I'm looking at how the trousers I bought for him hug his ass and strong legs, and my resolve slips.
A man like Mace does not seem able to separate sex from emotions, though. Which means I will deny myself to save his heart. Because mine is locked in a cage that I can't even think of opening until we get rid of Himureal.
"Is this it? Green door, one window?" he whispers, stopping in front of a smaller home with two floors.
There are no single-family homes in Pran, but this one currently is. According to Rew, the other family was none other than Tulip and Twig. It's why I couldn't tell her about what we were doing. I know she is going to be furious when she finds out, but this is what must be done. So I am the one who will do it. "This is it," I sigh.
I don't feel good about potentially robbing a blind girl of her sight. If there were any other way to save the world, I would take it. But I have no guilt if this is what must be done. One girl with no sight is better than an entire world thrown into chaos.
Still, stealing from anyone isn't something I am ever proud of. A means to an end, sure, but nothing to brag about.
Looking down at Shadow as if he could say something to encourage me, I take a steeling breath before turning to Mace. "Once again, I'm going to remind you to not get in my way. You're going to be lookout."
He rolls his eyes at me like a petulant child. "Fine, Shadowweaver." When he uses my title, I know he is pissed, but I don't care. This is bigger than the two of us, and if he insists on being here, that is where I need him.
I slip into the home, and I am greeted by the familiar smell of bread and clay. It's dark, the sconces unlit as the family has left for the night. Rew didn't tell me how he was going to get them out, just that he was. I didn't ask too many questions, preferring not to further dirty my soul if it wasn't above board.
There are only two rooms down here in their living area, so I start with the bedroom in the back with plans to work my way forward. I don't dare bring light into the room, so much of my search is by touch alone. I pull up loose floorboards, shake out bedding, and empty books from their cases. The room is a wreck when I finish and I feel no closer to finding the amulet.
I push my shadows out in hopes they can feel some of the magic from it calling to them.
"Viola!" Mace hisses through the cracked doorway. "How do you know it's here?"
"It has to be," I respond. "Now, face forward. You're the lookout, and that requires looking." I swear I can hear his eye roll from here. I keep tearing the side room apart as a last-ditch effort, but nothing appears.
I abandon the small room and move into the main area. Mace has the door closed again, and I'm thankful he's not watching me ransack this family's home.
With my head in cabinets, digging through their cookware, I hear the creaking of the door. "Mace, get out of here!" I say through gritted teeth.
"Some God you are," a deep voice responds.
A deep voice that is not Mace's.
I freeze for just a second and slip my hand down to my thigh to grasp my blade. "I wouldn't do that, Shadowweaver. Come out slowly."
Backing out of the cabinet, I turn slowly and lay eyes on a man with light brown hair and blue eyes, with a crossbow aimed at my heart.
"You didn't think I figured out what Rew was doing?" he snarls, taking a step towards me. That's when I see Rew's body on the landing of the stairs heading towards the second floor. Rew's very still, very broken body. I never thought to check upstairs, assuming Rew just got them out.
And now, that sloppy mistake may cost me my life.
I can't think about what his brown eyes look like without the keen intelligence in them right now. Not when I am probably seconds away from a crossbow bolt to the chest.
"I need the amulet. This is bigger than both of us," I say, tightly gripping a blade to my side. Shadow crawls up my body and wraps around my head, a position of power and intimidation. "I am sorry it will take the potential for sight from your daughter, but that is better than death from everyone."
"I don't give a fuck about everyone. My daughter deserves the chance to see. This has been in my family for generations, and I will not give it up for a false God who comes spewing lies."
"Spewing lies?" The audacity of this man shoots ice through my veins. "I'm sorry you don't want to believe me, but I have spoken to Himureal face to face. He plans to allow only Winter magic to thrive. It's Spring that controls the beasts to stop attacks like the minotaur. It's Autumn that brings prosperity to your harvests. It's Summer that controls wildfires and warms the land. All magic is needed for a balanced world. You do not have to believe me to be a God, but you do have to believe that Himureal cannot be all we have." I keep my voice low to not alert Mace, but my eyes keep darting to the door to ensure he stays outside.
This is why I did not want him here with me. I do not want him thrown into the middle of this, where he could be harmed.
The man's hands shake on the crossbow, and he keeps looking up the stairs to Rew's sprawled body. I don't see any blood on the body. "You didn't mean to kill him, did you?" I ask softly.
"Rew was a good man. He never should have agreed to work with you. I pushed him away, and he just…" The crossbow droops slightly, and I take advantage of the distraction, pushing shadows forward to wrap around it and pull it towards me. They deposit it in my hands, and I set it down on the counter next to me.
The shock on the man's face would be humorous if it weren't for the situation we find ourselves in. "You pushed, and he landed wrong," I state simply. The man nods, his eyes full of fear now that he's disarmed. "Give me the amulet," I say calmly, holding my hand out to him.
"I'll die before I do."
With a shrug, I flip my dagger in the air by the blade and catch it. "That can be arranged. But, if I'm being honest, I would prefer not to."
I underestimated the man because suddenly, there is a shooting pain in my left arm. I look down to see a small knife jutting out of it. My blood pours, and I see red with anger. "You fucked up there. You could have handed over the amulet, and I would've been on my way."
With a dive, I slide across the floor and slice through his thigh. He grips the leg as the blood pours, and I fucking forgot about the blood lust that would come with it. My head spins, and I fight with everything in me just to avoid tasting his blood.
While I struggle with the surging of my Blood magic, he gifts me with a well-placed kick to my ribs. The breath is knocked out of me, and I struggle to regain my footing.
The door slams open. Mace is there, face livid. "You didn't call for help?"
"I don't need help!" I shout at him before I knock the man in the face with my elbow, sending him sprawling on the ground. "I have this handled. Keep watch, we don't want people coming to investigate."
"You're fucking insane if you think I'm turning my back on you, Viola." This man is the picture of stubbornness.
I kick the man in the gut before I turn to Mace and yell, "You're distracting me! What are you going to do, strike lightning on the house and take me out too? Get out of here, Mace. Trust me to handle myself!" And then I'm on the ground, my distraction with Mace allowing the man to sweep my legs out from under me .
"Godsdamnit it Viola! At least use your magic!"
Right, my magic. Once again, I fell into hand-to-hand by default. Maybe some part of me felt it would be unfair to use against someone without some of their own. I pull forth shadows and wrap them around the man's waist, lifting him into the air and immobilizing him. He thrashes, roaring in pain at the pressure they are putting on him. "Where is the amulet?" I yell.
He spits at me. "I'll never tell you, blood traitor."
"I didn't ask for this!" I bellow, pulling the shadows tighter around his waist despite his yells. "Do you think I wanted this power? No. I wanted a normal, boring life. And here I am, following the path set for me that I never wanted to travel down. We all have our part to play. Yours is giving me the Godsdamned amulet!"
"Viola! His neck!" Mace shouts, pointing at a glimmer of gold that is slipping out from under the man's shirt.
I grin happily. "There it is. Now, just slowly remove it and toss it to me, and I'll have my shadows put you down. Otherwise, I am sending Shadow to get it, and he really likes to be a necklace. Unfortunately for you, he never knows when he's wrapped too tightly." Shadow slithers down my arm, readying to jump into the shadows I have wrapped around the man whose only real crime was trying to give his daughter a better life. The smell of his blood fills the air, and I feel the call towards it growing within me. It's everything I can do to fight off the bloodlust that has my body screaming.
A single shadow smacks the man on his cheek, sending blood and a tooth flying across the room. "The amulet!"
"You'll have to kill me."
With a shrug, I tighten the shadows. "That's the second time you've said that. It's high time I give you what you've been asking for." He's screaming now, the pressure on his hips threatening to crack the bones.
Forget threatening. The bones crack loudly, and his wail fills the room momentarily before he slumps over, passed out from the pain. I drop him unceremoniously to the ground and walk towards him, yanking the amulet from around him and holding it by the chain. The power is concentrated in the amulet itself, but I can feel hints of it through the chain. Like the Witch's Ladder, it hums with magic, but this one doesn't vibrate my fingers. I feel it in my chest, a small spot that burns with longing, like a piece of it is missing.
"You paralyzed that man, Viola," Mace says quietly.
I inspect my wounds, relieved that their shallow nature should heal swiftly and easily. "Well, he lives. He's lucky in that regard, considering he killed Rew." I nod towards where Rew's body lies, crumpled on the stairs. "He didn't mean to, but the floor didn't know that when it snapped his neck."
Mace inhales deeply, slowly, and rubs his hands down his face. "It didn't need to go like this, Viola."
I spin to face him. "I told you not to come. I knew if you saw what I would do to get this you'd fight me, you'd hate it. You'd hate me." I stalk towards him, the amulet swinging by its chain in my hand. "But what you don't understand, Mace, is this is me. Consequences be damned, I will get what I need. I am sorry you had to see it, but at least now you know who you're placing your faith in." I have to get away from the metallic scent of blood before I give in to it.
"You left that family with a blind daughter and a father who won't be able to walk to provide for them," he shouts as I push past him to exit the home.
My body tenses, and I don't turn to face him when I say, "Yeah, well, at least she has a father. You didn't give me that same courtesy."
The exhale of his breath fills my ears, and for just a moment, I feel guilty for bringing up his biggest regret in this way. But it's the truth. I left this girl her father, even though he deserved to die for what he did to Rew and what he was willing to do to the world.
Mace pushes past me, bumping his shoulder into mine before facing me. "You don't get a drop a low blow like that and get away with it, Shadowweaver. These situations were entirely different."
"Both were done to ensure the return of a God."
"You had other ways! I did not. Your shadows could've pulled it off of him instead of crushing him!"
I spin the amulet chain in my hand, and I can't help the smile that crosses my face. "But that's not as fun, Mace." He flinches back from my words.
I push up against him, my free hand pointing a finger in his face. "You saw me with Amio. You watched me for years. You have always known what I am capable of. What happened here tonight should not shock you. If it does, that's because you choose to believe I am someone I am not."
With a sigh, I put both hands through the chain, readying myself to put it on."I may be willing to save the world, Mace, but that doesn't make me the good guy. Being a God doesn't change that about me."
I slip the chain over my head, and the amulet settles on my chest. That spot that burns within me expands, happily welcoming the artifact as part of me. A bright light flows from the amulet, blanketing the surrounding area and lighting it up like it is the middle of the day.
And then all I can see is black.