Chapter 4 Zohav
ZOHAV
They hadn’t come back. Unable to study, or do anything, Zohav kept glancing out the window as the light faded from the sky.
The storm had weakened and moved on a couple hours ago, and they should have returned by now.
Except they hadn’t, which meant trouble.
Zohav grabbed her cloak and headed to the stables.
Uncle Karter intercepted her on the way. “I know you’re worried. We all are. But it’s too dark to see anything and you’ll only get lost.”
“Kitty has a good sense of direction.” She countered. “I’ll bring a lantern.”
“Do you know where they are?”
Of course not. Karter knew that. She glowered at him. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does. Look, Zethan is a smart boy. He has emergency supplies. They’re probably hunkered down until morning.”
The thought of waiting until morning was the same as contemplating torture. Actually, she’d rather be tortured. “What if they got lost on their way back? What if they’re injured? What if they—”
Karter put his hands gently on her shoulders. “Don’t speculate. We can’t help them tonight, but if they’re not back in the morning, then—”
“I’ll search for them.” The logic was sound, but the heart… Her heart was not happy. Oh, no. Not at all. It pounded and pleaded for action.
“We’ll search for them.” Uncle Karter met her anguished gaze. “In the meantime, we’ll light all the lanterns and post them on the north side just in case they need a beacon.”
It was better than doing nothing. Zohav helped to light them and set them up.
Knowing she’d be unable to sleep, she dressed in her warmest clothes and boots.
Then she patrolled the northern side, pacing back and forth.
The wind had died, but an occasional gust snuffed the flames. She relit each one.
Her thoughts looped endlessly. As much as her brother annoyed her, she loved him to the depths of her heart. They shared a soul. Zethan was the bright side. The everything-good-and-joyful side. The sunny-live-life-to-its-fullest side. While she… Zohav sighed.
She’d been called gloomy, pessimistic, icy, quiet, and distant. Growing up, she’d been…happier? Yes, happy with her quiet life. She hadn’t needed a pack of friends or adventures. A few books had been all she needed to be content.
Of course, Zee wouldn’t let her stay home.
He’d drag her out to play with his buddies.
Eventually, she tired of freeze tag, hide-and-go-seek, and capture the flag, so she created new games for Zee’s pack.
They had called her the games master, and, in order to be fair, she oversaw the hijinks and ensured the rules were followed, which had been preferable over running around and getting sweaty.
Odd. She hadn’t thought of her childhood in a long while.
Not since the day it ended. When her world had flipped upside down.
The day she’d spilled a pitcher of water on her uniform and had swiped at the wet fabric in dismay, wishing it would go back into the pitcher where it belonged.
Astonished was an inadequate word for her reaction when the drops obeyed her.
Soon after, Zee had insisted that someone was calling to him. That he had to go and find this person. Their parents tried to convince him it was his imagination, but one morning when she woke, Zethan was gone. They had worried and searched for him during the next two days.
He had appeared on the morning of the third day, soaking wet from the storm that blew in right behind him.
“It was the storm,” he had said as he dried off next to the kitchen’s hearth. “It called to me.” Gesturing to the window, he’d scowled. “It followed me home. I don’t know how to get rid of it.”
Sure enough, it had remained over their house until it spent all of its energy and flooded their cold cellar.
By this point, their parents realized the odd things happening around the twins had been caused by magic.
Zohav and Zethan had been cursed. She had no other word for it.
Magic had not only ruined her life, but it might take it as well.
Their parents had carefully and quietly searched for someone to help their children, before the neighbors realized they had magic and reported them. Fear fogged all of their lives, until they had gotten word about a sea captain willing to take them under her sails.
Nell had saved their lives. She taught them how to control their magic, and how to use it to help the fishing fleet.
She had transformed Zohav’s curse into a cause, and Nell took Zohav’s heart as payment.
To be fair, her heart had been freely given.
Zohav’s world had been righted until the pirates had come and capsized it.
Zohav jerked her thoughts to the present before the image of Nell’s dead body could appear again.
A few lanterns had gone out while she was stuck in the past. As she relit them, she wondered why it was the bad memories that kept repeating in her mind.
Why not the good ones? Obviously, her fear of her brother and Heli freezing to death had triggered them.
Yet, she dwelled on the bad even when not worried or anxious.
As the temperatures plummeted, she couldn’t help but speculate.
What if they died? Zohav stopped. She’d be alone with her darkness.
She wouldn’t survive. But she had survived Nell’s death.
She had to be strong for Zethan, so she had clung to the good memories of Nell, during that awful time.
Nell’s tender touch. Her sly smile. Her strong arms.
Zohav closed her eyes. Ah, there they were. Zohav thought they’d been worn away with repeated use. At least, she had those moments with Nell. If Heli died, all Zohav would have were a few significant glances.
It hit her like a slap to the face. She’d been trying to protect her heart by keeping her distance from Heli and it hadn’t worked. Not at all.
Morning took its sweet time in arriving. Zohav’s feet were frozen, but as soon as the sky lightened, she was in the stables, saddling Kitty.
Annika and Endre entered.
“We’re coming with you,” Endre said in a tone that implied arguing was futile.
“Thanks.” More people meant a higher chance of spotting Heli and Zethan.
They exchanged a surprised glance before getting their horses ready. Elley and Surren arrived and saddled Smoke and Thunder. An image of two bodies slung over the horses flashed in Zohav’s mind. No. She dismissed it with effort. Determined to focus on the task at hand.
Uncle Karter came in carrying breakfast and a burlap bag. He glanced around. By this point, Elley and Surren were prepping their own horses.
“Five people should be enough for your posse,” he said to Zohav. “Take this along, just in case.” He handed her the bag.
It was heavy. She peeked inside. It was filled with frozen meat.
Another unwelcome image rose. This one with blood stained snow, mutilated corpses, and snow cats protecting their kill.
This one terrified her. Unable to shake the image, Zohav tied the bag to her saddle with numb fingers, wishing her emotions could also freeze over.
When they were all ready, Zohav mounted Kitty and headed north. Smoke’s reins were tied to Kitty’s saddle, and Thunder was tied to Smoke.
Zohav leaned forward and Kitty’s ears swiveled back. She said, “Find Zee, please.” Kitty broke into a gallop.
On horseback, it didn’t take long to get to the NIP.
Once there, the riders slowed and fanned out into a line, scanning the snow.
In the end, it wasn’t hard to spot the bright red fabric of the tent in the distance.
The other’s cheered, but she kept a tight hold on her relief and wouldn’t relax until she knew for sure Zee and Heli had survived the night.
About halfway to the tent, the horses shied away, stopping.
Elley blocked the sun with her hand. “Something is moving.”
“Looks like blowing snow,” Endre said.
“There’s no wind.” Surren cursed. “Snow cats. Four of them, looking right at us.”
The ball of ice in her chest grew, pressing on her ribs to a point that breathing became difficult.
“No blood,” Annika quickly said. “The tent looks intact.”
Zohav silently thanked Uncle Karter. She dismounted and untied the burlap bag. “Stay here,” she ordered everyone.
“You’ll be eaten,” Elley said.
“We should all stay together,” Endre said.
“No. Trust me. I know how these cats think.” Not quite true, but not an outright lie either. “Just stay here.”
Zohav trudged through the snow to the right of the group for a hundred feet. Then she headed slowly north until she was aligned with the tent. Two of the snow cats watched her, while the others kept their gazes on the horses.
Opening the bag, she removed the meat piece by piece, holding each one up before setting it down. Karter had been generous, but would it be enough? Once the bag was empty, she returned to the group.
“Amazing,” Elley whispered. “I thought they’d attack you as soon as you flashed that first steak.”
“Everyone, back up,” Zohav said as she mounted.
They retreated about twenty feet. The snow cats had shown an unusual restraint. Normally, it didn’t take them long to pounce on an easy meal. The cats kept an eye on them for a few unnerving minutes before they headed toward the offering.
What happened next almost sent Zohav toppling off her horse. Two smaller snow cats left the tent and followed their pack. She grabbed Kitty’s mane to keep her seat as a wave of horror swept through her, leaving her weak and nauseous.
“No blood, no blood,” Annika said.
“Huh?” She couldn’t focus. The world swirled around her.
Annika shook her shoulder. “No blood on their maws or paws, Zo! There’s still hope.”
Blinking, Zohav cleared her vision. The pack had taken the meat and were heading away.
The tent’s flap opened, and Zethan stepped out. “Thank fate. We thought we were going to be breakfast.”