41. Chapter 41
Icrossed the grassy pathway to where my sister stood. The morning sun’s brilliant rays crested the sky and painted her in lovely shades of gold. She stood still, her eyes closed, and held on to our mother’s pendant within her hands.
“You look like her.” I stood at Ora’s side, redoing the bottom portion of her braid that had become loose.
Ora’s golden eyes met mine and she smiled. “I miss her, but when I hold on to her necklace, it brings me comfort when I need it the most. Like a piece of her that’s still here and warms me.”
I took the white stone into my hand. Ora dropped her hands to the side and returned her attention to the rising sun.
I rubbed my thumb against the hardened mineral and the metal that wrapped around it so intricately and delicately, the coolness matching the dew-filled morning.
A small memory of my mother’s smile flashed against my mind before disappearing.
I let the stone fall gently back onto my sister’s chest, and she promptly tucked the chain beneath her dark green tunic where it became hidden from prying eyes.
It wasn’t long before everyone else arrived.
No one spoke as they made their way to where we stood.
Paige had her arms wrapped through both Fyom’s and Uriah’s elbows as they led her forward.
Sury’s bow was strapped tightly across his back, his quiver strapped to his belt.
I smirked when I noted the impressive amount of daggers attached to his waist and thighs, like he had raided Loamil’s armory.
Peiro donned a similar amount of weaponry, but instead of a bow, a shortsword sat across his back, the pommel just reaching above his left shoulder.
His gaze locked onto mine. With how the sun was angled, his eyes glowed a honey brown in color and took my breath away.
His light gray tunic was rolled up to his elbows, showcasing corded arms from persistent training, and his hair was once again pulled away from his face as if he were ready for battle.
Before I knew it, the toes of Peiro’s boots were just inches away from mine, allowing him to tower over me.
My back straightened as I craned my head up, taking him in.
His scent captured me and threatened to pull me in closer.
The half-smile he held and the brief twinkle in his eye told me he was enjoying this.
“Are you ready, Naa’n le’ya?“ his deep voice murmured next to my ear.
“Ready as I can be.”
“You’re missing something.” He winked.
“I am?”
That damn simper twisted my insides. Slowly he bent down on one knee, keeping his eyes on me as his hands softly wrapped around my thigh. I should have backed away, resisted his touch so openly, but he kept me drawn in and unaware of what his fingers were doing.
“There,” he whispered hoarsely. “You’re ready.”
I looked down to find a sheath tightly attached to my right leg with a new blade tucked within. “Ever proactive, it seems.”
“Just in case. Always best to be ready for surprises.” Quickly he rose to his feet, his shadow consuming mine, and kissed me softly on the temple. I leaned in to deepen the gesture before he moved to kiss me on the lips.
Paige wished us all good luck, but not without squeezing mine and Ora’s hands tightly.
A small tear slid down her cheek as she looked deeply into each of our faces.
“You two are so much more than I could have ever dreamed of, and if your mother and father were still walking among us, there is no doubt in my mind they would be in awe of who you two have become.”
Her endearment warmed my heart, lessening the ice that had formed from the questions I so desperately sought for my sister and myself.
“This is not goodbye.” Paige’s tone turned to her usual tartness that I was accustomed to.
“We will fight. I will learn who has risen in power and received the calling, and rebuild your court for the better.” She nodded once to us before stepping back.
“Now, if you find any other scum from Dokvalon, give them hell.” Paige winked and turned to give us distance.
“Is everyone ready?” I called down the line right when Peiro’s hand grabbed my left one.
“Ready as I’ll ever be, my moonlight,” he said softly, giving my hand a soft squeeze.
“So help me if you vomit on my boots again,” Sury yelled as his left hand grabbed Ora’s and Uriah grabbed his right hand.
“My brother in giants’ spirit, I told you it wasn’t my fault.”
“Why are you next to me anyway? Don’t you want to hold your father’s hand?”
Fyom boomed with laughter. “Oh, he’s not coming near me if he gets sick.”
“We hope it will help the balance, having two on either side of me and Phe,” Ora declared. “Now be a grown-up and grab a hand so we can make the jump.”
I overheard Sury grumble about not getting the smell out of his laces when Paige called out, “If this isn’t a good-looking court—but I truly want you to reconsider that one.” She pointed a finger in Uriah’s direction before she released a chuckle.
“Hey! You love me! And you know I would make a great…” He quickly leaned his head forward to look at Ora. “Erm, what would my title be after this is said and done?”
Ora gave him a mischievous look. “Captain has a nice ring to it.”
“Really?” Sury and I asked in unison.
“Yes, Captain of the Stables. Lord Shite Shoveler. Warden of Waste.”
I cackled and was soon joined by Fyom’s own chuckle, while Sury doubled over. Peiro even laughed under his breath.
Uriah gave Ora a scowl and shook his head as a wry smile rose on his face.
“Are we ready?” I called out again. Everyone reclasped hands, with Ora and I holding hands last. “Ready?” I asked her. She nodded in return.
In unison we dove into our Wielding, so similar to the time at the Rising Rock and when our magic clashed days ago. Steadily we dove deeper, pulling on our twin celestial magic, opposite but equal, and pushed our powers together in our joined hands.
I thought I had grown accustomed to the feeling of refracting, but in this jump, nausea wanted to rise.
I pushed the feeling aside and focused on the force that pulled and pushed us together.
Cosmos and atmospheric matter soared past us; my hand felt as if it had melded with my sister’s.
Pressure built, threatening to overpower my senses, but I continued to focus on the area of the map Fyom had pointed to for us to land.
My feet soared through the stardust, feeling weightless and fighting for grounding.
My hands became nothing and felt nothing.
Shooting stars and comets flashed before my eyes.
The usual feeling of my insides being suctioned into tiny bits formed just as my boots crashed hard back onto a solid surface.
The pressure disappeared and my vision refocused to find us in a field surrounded by high grasses and thin trees.
I blinked, feeling my senses stabilize and bring back the feeling of hands holding mine. There was a fresh breeze in the air, but something was off. I couldn’t place my finger on exactly what, but my Wielding stirred uncomfortably in this place.
“Where are we?” Ora whispered. I knew she too felt something inexplicably unstable about the ground we stood on.
There was a sound of someone retching nearby. I released my aching fingers from their holds and stepped forward, finding Uriah holding on to a nearby tree as he released the light breakfast from his stomach—right on top of Sury’s boots.
“What the fu—“ Sury roared, but he was cut off instantly by a high-pitched whirring noise before it, too, stopped.
Something wet splattered against my face.
Ora screamed something incoherent and turned toward Sury’s falling form, crashing onto the ground with him.
I saw it then—an arrow had found its mark deep within his throat.
Blood seeped fast onto his dark tunic, soaking it within seconds as Ora’s shaking hands desperately tried to find a way to cover the wound.
No! Not again.
My eyes widened. “Fyom! It’s Sury!” I called for the Healer as the oxygen in my chest held, unable to escape.
Everything happened in slow motion.
I felt them before I heard them. I heard them before I saw their movements. From the trees a band of warriors dressed in brown garments raced through with swords and axes and bows with notched arrows, ready for their release.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Peiro pull his sword and charge while I called on my Earth Wielding, summoning vines from the dirt to wrap around the attackers legs to slow their attack.
Quickly the vines built a small webbing of sorts to keep a few in their place.
Fyom held off two by Wielding his green shield, arrows bouncing off the force of it, all the while making his way over to Sury’s body.
“PEACE! WE COME IN PEACE!” I heard Uriah shout as he Wielded flames from his fingertips and released fire-daggers, finding their marks at the attackers feet. The dry grass caught fire, making a small barrier between us and the others within the trees.
“Bring us your leader! The Unveiled! She knows who I am!” I prayed to Domesis and his good fortune that Uriah’s charisma could get us out of this. While we waited, I would kill every last one of the members of this band of murderers for stealing my friend from us too soon.
“Ora!” I screamed as I saw a man with a black sword charge her from behind.
I summoned my Wielded sword, harnessing the moon within my hand, and blocked his strike just inches from my sister’s head.
I saw then that she was now covered in blood from her hands to her elbows as she continued her failing attempt to stop Sury’s wound from bleeding out.
My vision turned gray faster than I was accustomed to as I saw someone’s magical whip lash at her, drawing blood from her face, causing her to cry out in pain.