CHAPTER NINE
Aurora sensed something was off even before she opened her eyes. Thanks to Eli and his training, Aurora was a light sleeper. The lesson hadn’t been fun to learn. If she didn’t stir to the sound of a creak of a floorboard or the rustle of the tree branches outside, she would wake to a bucket of icy water being poured over her.
She hadn’t been happy with Eli at the time, even though she knew everything she was taught was for her safety. She was never able to experience the privilege of a full night”s rest, but if she and Eli were safe, that’s all that really mattered.
Slowly she opened her eyes, her heart racing, her muscles tense, and she was alert and ready for a fight. Aurora had been feeling a little on edge for a while. Maybe hitting something would make her feel better. Silently she pushed herself up to a sitting position, focusing on the sounds around her. All fae were blessed with enhanced hearing and eyesight. With her life and training, Aurora used both to her advantage at all times.
Magic or powers of any kind were not common with all fae. You had to have the power in your bloodline. Typically it ran in the royal families or bloodlines that were linked to them in some way, usually bastard children of High Protectors or their heirs.
Eli had been gifted with such a strong bloodline.
Aurora had always been jealous of Eli’s ability to control the air that surrounded them. His ability was strong enough that he could create gusts to uproot and knock over trees or buildings if he truly wanted to. The bigger the object, the harder it was to destroy. He didn’t use his gift for destruction, maybe when he was younger, to force his ability to get stronger, but he had told her stories where he had stolen the very oxygen right from his victim”s lungs. A sure way to get someone to stop moving.
The gift of air manipulation typically came from the Autumn Quart. With Eli being raised in the Guild, he had told her the gift must have come from his ancestors, that most likely originated from the Quartaine. He didn’t have any living relatives he could confirm the theory with, so everything was an assumption.
Aurora had always listened to his stories in awe. Not only were Eli’s learned skills impressive, but his natural abilities were also a reason he had become so successful in the Guild.
Her jealousy of his power and abilities only grew as she aged.
At nineteen, she knew she would never be as powerful, no matter how much she wished on the shooting stars which danced over the night sky on her birthday. She could glamor, change her appearance subtly if she wished. Her hearing and eyesight were incredible as well. But as she aged, she had not noticed any signs her own bloodline was one of power.
She was just a common fae.
It had slowly become her motivation to be like Eli in some way, strong in her fighting skills. She may not have power, but she would be damned if she didn’t become the best female in all the Quartaines and the continent beyond with her fighting skills. Aurora was confident that she could take on anyone else who came at her.
She closed her eyes and focused. A second later, she heard hushed whispering voices. She couldn’t make out what was being said from where she sat, but she knew they were coming from just outside the front of the cabin.
Moving carefully so as not to make a sound, Aurora made her way to the window and quietly pushed it open just a fraction, thankful Eli kept all the door and windows oiled so as to avoid extra sounds if they needed to get away quickly. She sat with her back to the window, leaning against the wall, and listened. Taking her time to decipher each voice, she immediately recognized Eli’s. He kept his voice so low she had to strain to hear what he was saying. She could tell by his tone he was not happy with whoever had decided to show up at their door so late at night.
“You need to leave. Now.” Eli quietly growled.
Aurora immediately went into full alert. She moved with purpose, dressing in dark pants, a black tunic and some boots. Pressing close to her door she listened for the other voices, but she didn’t recognize any of them. She could, however, pick out three different voices along with Eli’s.
Two males and one female.
After a back-and-forth argument between them, Eli finally appeared to relent and agreed to talk to them. “Not here, follow me.” Aurora heard Eli’s gruff voice grumble.
Not long after, the three strangers agreed. The soft click of the front door was heard. Waiting a couple moments as Eli had always instructed her, Aurora finally opened her door. Her years of training had finally come to her benefit. She quickly and silently made her way through the cabin and then out the front door. With quiet stealth, she followed Eli and his new friends.
She didn’t bother with a cloak. Stalking behind someone, especially three people who seemed to be just as talented as Eli, she didn’t want to risk the extra fabric getting stuck on any bushes or branches.
The last thing she wanted was to be caught. She could already imagine the disappointment on Eli’s face.
The Spring Quartaine was chilly at night, but she could go without a cloak for now. Aurora silently trailed behind Eli and the strangers, making sure there was a great distance between them. They stopped where she and Eli liked to train, a small clearing surrounded by trees. There was enough room for them to move around how they needed, but the trees were close enough to give them cover. Eli was always adamant about keeping them hidden whenever they trained. Aurora stopped behind a tree a good distance away from them, far enough not to be seen but close enough to hear everything that was said.
Eli walked a couple steps in front of the three cloaked strangers until he slowly turned to face them. Even from her hiding spot, Aurora could see the fury in Eli’s eyes. Whoever these people were, he was pissed they were disturbing his peace.
“Are you going to tell me what you want, or are you just going to stand there?” Eli’s voice pitched low.
One of the hooded figures, a male, laughed mockingly.
Aurora’s body once again tensed, and her gaze locked on the male. No one would dare laugh at Eli, and certainly not in that mocking manner. She herself gave him a hard time as any daughter would, but she knew not to cross the line with him. She would never dare mock him.
“Now, is that any way to greet an old friend after so long?” The male asked. He slowly pulled back his hood to reveal hair so dark it almost looked black under the low light.
Eli gave the stranger a strained laugh of his own, “A friend? Come on, Mikhai. Friends are the last thing we are to each other.”
Aurora’s brows hiked up. Eli knew them then; at least he knew this male, Mikhai. Aurora remained still, not moving, knowing Eli wouldn’t want her to approach unless it was absolutely necessary.
Mikhai stepped forward, slowly circling around her mentor. He stopped behind him, facing where Aurora stood hidden. He was a handsome male, his hard features being ones of nothing other than a warrior. A strong jaw, perfectly straight nose, arched brows, and full lips accompanied with a smirk decorated his face.
His dark hair fell just above his collarbones, and some loose strands hung into his eyes, giving him a messy look that Aurora couldn’t help but find attractive.
She shook her head, forcing herself to focus again. A dark power was glowing around his faint lilac eyes intriguing Aurora, especially his kohl-lined rims. She had never seen a male wear cosmetics before. It didn’t change his face to look feminine in any way. If it was possible, it brought out the male”s handsome features further, almost drawing her in. She knew then that was probably a reason he wore it, to lure you in. Like he was a snake hypnotizing his prey. The deep tan of his skin was muted under the moonlight.
As Aurora watched the male, she couldn’t pinpoint which Quartaine he would have originated from. Her closest guess was Summer. The Quart was known for the merciless sailors and warriors that took what they desired and never apologized for it. The male seemed like the type to do just that, but she couldn’t be completely sure. Thanks to the Guild, she was sure even he didn’t know.
“Fine, let’s get the formalities out of the way then...I think you know why we’re here, Eli. The Guild was very disappointed in how you handled your last assignment. They are willing to forgive your failure and let you return, even if you did do that assignment half-assed.”
Mikhai began walking again, stopping at Eli’s side.
Eli didn’t give Mikhai what he wanted. He was being stubborn as always. He just stared forward with a slight smirk on his face.
“Don’t get me wrong, kudos for sending proof of completion on the assignment. But you didn’t do it how we have always been required to. I was surprised they let you run free for so long.” Mikhai’s tone was playful, and yet it held a sharp edge.
Two of the other hooded figures started casually backing away, the male moving to take a seat on a nearby boulder, using one of his many daggers to pick at his nails. His posture was casual and indicated absolute boredom. The female, however, decided to take a stroll through the trees, heading in the opposite direction of the cabin, away from Aurora, and away from the males in the clearing.
Eli slowly turned to face Mikhai, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. He looked at the male like he was an annoying pest.
“You want to enlighten me as to why you never came back? Or did you forget how to find your way in your old age?” Mikhai asked, the corner of his mouth lifting.
Eli was not old according to fae standards, with fae living to be at least a thousand or so years old, he was not old in the slightest. Even being three hundred and fifty years old, he still had a long life ahead of him. Mikhai was obviously just trying to get a rise out of him. Aurora couldn’t tell how old Mikhai was, but she could only assume he was in his mid two hundreds, so he wasn’t too much younger than Eli.
In return, Eli only continued to smirk at Mikhai, causing the male’s jaw to clench. He was trying and failing to get a reaction out of Eli.
“I didn’t come back because I didn’t want to. Is that answer simple enough for you?” Eli asked, the playfulness in his eyes fading quicker than Aurora had ever seen.
The male who had been lazily messing with his dagger scoffed.
Aurora’s eyes were glued to both males in the clearing. So this must have been the Eli Tirich many fae, and those of the Guild feared, she thought to herself. Right now, he was not her Eli, not her father. Surprisingly she felt no fear at seeing this side of him, her instincts told her to stay calm, remain quiet, and he would be proud of her.
The male did not like Eli’s answer, and Aurora could see his anger begin to get the better of him. Mikhai grabbed the front of Eli’s tunic pulling him close, a dagger suddenly at Eli’s throat.
Aurora couldn’t help the gasp that fell past her lips. Her nails dug into the bark of the tree she hid behind.
Both males were close in height, both around six-eleven by Aurora’s guess. Eli was only taller by a small amount. A typical fae trait, especially in males, was towering height. Out of all the Quartaines, males of Winter all stood at seven feet tall typically. Aurora herself was a lot taller, resting at five-ten. It was another thing that made them so different from those that lived on the other continent. If their beauty and lifespan didn’t prove they were fae, their height definitely did.
Aurora was brought back to the now with her racing heart, fear threatening to eat at her. She couldn’t lose Eli; he was all she had. Keeping an eye on the two males, she started to creep forward again. Moving quietly, she hid behind trees and bushes, using her natural stealth to hide from being heard. Eli had always been impressed at how that part of her training came so naturally to her.
Hiding behind a wide trunk of a tree that was often used to practice swordplay, scars from blades hitting the trunk covered the bark, she watched Eli and Mikhai once more. The other male, whose name she had not known, had stopped playing with his dagger. He leaned forward, eyes covered in shadow because of his hood. Aurora could still see how focused he was on the scene playing out before him. He was entertained by this. Aurora held in a scoff, already hating the male.
“Members don’t just leave the Guild, Eli, especially not you. Being raised in the Guild, I thought you would understand that.” Mikhai pressed the dagger with more force to Eli’s neck.
Eli did not flinch.
“I understand perfectly how the Guild works; I have been there longer than most of its current members. Which is why I decided I was done. Give the Guild my best wishes.” Eli bared his teeth, giving Mikhai back the same aggression he was giving out.
Aurora had had enough. She couldn’t stand to watch as blood slowly trickled down Eli’s throat from where the dagger was pressed to his skin. She was about to step forward when she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, and the cold blade of a dagger pressed just under her jaw.
“Seems we have a little spy.” A female voice said.
The female who Aurora had watched walk off had come back, and Aurora was so focused on Eli that she hadn’t noticed someone coming up behind her. She mentally apologized to Eli; he had taught her better.
“What shall we do with you, pet?” She asked against Aurora”s ear, making her flinch slightly.