19. Evanee
Evanee
Fire surrounded me, consuming the moonflowers, their petals eaten away as the smoke thickened. The mountains blurred into shadow behind the haze, the vibrant colors I was accustomed to swallowed by an orange glow.
I panted as the smoke burned my lungs, clapping my hands over my mouth as I ran blindly. I ran, and I ran—not another soul in sight, until I came upon a cliff’s edge and nearly toppled into a black sea below.
The flames pursued me—hunting me. There was nowhere left to go but over.
The fire closed in. Flames licked at my wrists and ankles, a scream clawing its way up my throat.
This was wrong. Like one of those dreams where you run but never escape. Where fear presses in from every side. Somewhere deep in the haze, reality wavered, as if my surroundings were bleeding into something unreal.
Blinding pain struck me as fire traveled up my legs, across my chest, snaking down my arms, and settling around my wrists. There was only one thing I could do.
I jumped—
“Dammit, Aniah, do something!” A male voice snarled above me.
I barely heard him over the screams. My screams.
My eyes flew open, and I held my wrists in front of me, expecting to see the flesh melted from bone—instead, both markings glowed a furious orange. I tried to swallow my raw cries, but they tore free anyway as the pain surged hotter, sharper.
Someone stroked my hair. I barely felt it. My world narrowed to the searing pain. Tears slid down my cheeks—
“I’m working on it!” A female yelled back. She shouted words that made no sense. Then suddenly, the pain eased. Enough that I could drag in several shaky breaths. Sweat fell from my brow, everything spinning.
“How are you feeling?” the female asked softly.
My head was heavy like stone as I turned toward her.
“Who are you?” I croaked, blinking until my blurred vision cleared. I placed my hand palm down, feeling a boulder beneath me. The light of a small fire danced upon stone walls—a cave. I’m in a cave.
My head pounded—then I remembered.
I shot up, the room spinning, and I bent forward, emptying my stomach.
“Easy,” the male crooned from behind me. My hair was pulled back from my face, a cool hand resting on my back.
“You!” I snarled over my shoulder, jerking from his grasp. He dropped my hair, walking around to face me. It was the white-haired male from Thaddeus’s. A devilish grin spread, revealing his canines, those eerie eyes flashing.
“Miss me?” He casually placed his hands in his pockets, but despite his nonchalance, his eyes told a different story. His jaw flexed as his gaze drifted over me. And that voice—it had been him shouting over me. Stroking my hair—
“What did you do to me?” I barked. “Where am I?” His gaze flicked to the female. I stiffened.
She smiled warmly, but I didn’t return it. I scuttled back, damn near falling off the boulder as I took in her red gaze. Just like Cressida's.
“You’re one of the Four Sisters,” I breathed, fear coating my tongue like ash.
I fumbled my way off the boulder, standing too fast, stumbling.
The white-haired male lurched forward in the blink of an eye, grasping my arms. I jerked away, throwing myself against the wall.
My fingers bit into the stone as my gaze drifted down to the oversized black tunic draping over my body, almost to my knees—then to the shirtless male before me.
A cold sweat spread as I remembered I’d been in the spring. Completely naked.
He grabbed a blanket from the end of the boulder where my head had been, offering it to me. I snatched it, not taking my eyes off the blue-eyed bastard as I wrapped it around my shoulders, scowling at him. He held his hands up.
“You seemed cold.”
“Gee, I wonder why? Maybe because you knocked me unconscious while I was naked in a fucking hot spring?” I seethed.
“I didn’t knock you out,” he said, dark amusement in his eyes.
“Let’s start over.” The Witch stepped forward, pinching the bridge of her nose. I pressed hard enough against the wall that a sharp point nearly broke skin.
She stopped, putting her hand to her chest.
“I’m Aniah.” She offered a smile. “Yes, I’m one of the Sisters. I believe Cressida has done this to you. Yes?” Her voice was gentle, and she seemed sincere. I stared at her warily. Other than her eyes, she didn’t have the air of malice Cressida reveled in. No ink showed on her exposed skin.
She was stunning—her amber skin smooth. Flawless.
Not one dark hair out of place where it lay at her shoulders.
Her plain, light blue dress and black cloak were tattered, as if she’d been traveling for a while.
But that was the only sign of wear and tear.
She had a presence similar to Thaddeus—one that demanded respect and pulled me in.
Urging me to trust her. So I gave her a curt nod, willing to hear her out.
The male behind her only watched. Silver flashed across that electric blue every time he cut his gaze toward the Witch…
Aniah. Recognition hit me. My eyes flared—
“You’re… You’re the missing Sister.” They both tensed.
She ignored my question and asked, “Your marks, how are they?”
My brows furrowed as I held my hands out, then looked at my ankles—the pain was almost nonexistent. Only a whisper compared to what it normally was.
“They’re… fine. How did you—”
“Hello? I’m back. I’ve got—” A female walked into the cave, carrying saddlebags over her shoulder.
She wore leggings, and the only thing around her breasts was a strange brown wrap.
Her midriff and arms were exposed entirely despite the icy air.
Her alabaster skin was reddened, presumably by the cold.
Her blonde hair escaped a single braid as if she’d been moving fast. But her strange, revealing garb wasn’t what had my eyes widening in disbelief.
“Freesia?!” I blurted.
She stared at me, dumbfounded, her mouth working but unable to form words.
Aniah cleared her throat. “Yes, I believe the two of you have met. Freesia has been helping us.”
“So you knew who I was? When we walked into your shop?”
“Not… exactly,” she said cautiously, her eyes flicking to Aniah, then the brute. “But I knew who the captain was. By reputation, that is.”
“He thought he knew you.” I shook my head, thinking back to that day.
“I’d never met him.” Freesia offered me a small smile as she dropped the bags down with a thud. Her eyes darted between the rest of us before she addressed Aniah—
“I thought this wasn’t happening for a few more days,” she said, uneasily.
“I saw an opportunity.” The male casually strolled forward.
My gaze slanted toward him, and my eye caught on the ink that covered his right shoulder, down to his bicep—the pattern made no sense.
Yet… I could almost swear the band at the base of the tattoo looked similar to the band of ink on my bicep. That would be impossible, though.
He snatched some black fabric from a bag on the ground and pulled it over his head.
Freesia scowled at him. “I understand why Aniah'ss fed up with you.” She then slipped a tunic over her strange corset-wrap-thing. The wall became my permanent shield as I pressed harder against it, pulling the blanket tighter around me.
Aniah turned toward me. “I would love to explain all of this to you right now, but there isn’t much time.”
“What do you want from me?” I demanded, voice firm despite my slice of fear. “Why did you kidnap me?”
The male snorted. “That’s rich.”
“Stop it,” Aniah chastised before turning back to me. “We want to help you.” She offered me an encouraging smile that I didn’t return.
“What do you mean… help me?”
“Aniah believes she can restore your memory.” His gaze pressed in until my knees threatened to give as he folded his arms. Freesia moved from foot to foot.
“Why would you want to help me? How did you know I have no memories? Who are you?”
As I looked between them, I couldn’t ignore the nagging thought that there was a deeper purpose to their aid. The way they carried themselves, the urgency in their actions, and the intensity in their eyes made me wonder why they’d risk themselves against the King’s guard, for me?
“We’re friends. It’s difficult to explain.
Please, I know it’s a lot to ask. Especially with the manner you were brought here.
” She shot a glare at the male. “But we’re asking that you trust us.
” She fiddled with a ring that had a sapphire on it.
“You can’t remember anything? Anything at all other than the past three years? ”
My eyebrows knit together, trying to figure out what game they were all playing.
“What would that matter to you?” I held his stare, though I addressed the Witch. “Any of you?” The male’s brows dropped, jaw working.
“It matters.” His deep voice echoed off the stone. The Witch shot him a clear warning as he moved closer to me, the torch lighting up his white hair. I tensed, ready to fight my way out of here if he tried anything, but the Witch… Aniah, stepped between us with her hands raised.
“Please, we haven’t much time at all until they realize you’re gone.
I know you have no reason to trust us, and you don’t remember anything, but we know each other.
” I blanched at her words, my breathing becoming uneven.
“I know you don’t remember me, but I can get your memories back if you’ll trust me,” she said breathlessly, as if her heart were beating as fast as mine.
“How?” My voice cracked. “How do you know me?”
“I’m so sorry, Evanee. I can’t say much more. Just, please. Trust me.”
I looked to Freesia, frozen in place as she watched the exchange. Then forced myself to look at the male. His eyes flashed brightly, and though he held himself with a lazy confidence, I noticed the tension in his rigid muscles.
I swallowed dryly. “And… You? Do I know you, too?” The cave fell silent, save for the faint whisper of wind through rock. Aniah looked between us, her mouth pressing into a line, before she scowled.
“This is—”