CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Aurora didn’t have the mental capacity to talk to Eli. Her mind was processing everything that had happened since the cabin. It was a while before a sharp pain in her thigh pulled her from her thoughts. She looked down at the blood-soaked cloth and could see the tips of the three jagged lines marking her skin. Even though she knew it should be the least of her worries, she couldn’t help fretting that by the time they were out of No Man’s Land and her magic could finally heal her, it would be too late. The wound would result in a scar.
“Your first battle scar, be proud. You earned the honor to wear it. You fought well.” It was as if Eli could read her thoughts. He smiled slightly; his eyes shone with pride.
And yet Aurora’s chest ached...her first proper kill.
She had never killed something that looked so human, had never felt its heart stop as it died. Killing smaller animals for food was one thing, but what she had just done was something completely new to her. Eli looked so proud of her, but she couldn’t help but feel disturbed by what she had done.
“I have to admit, I was worried you would stay frozen the whole fight. But once the second Kolec appeared, you rushed into action. The Guild will be pleased with how you fought.” His jaw clenched as he mentioned the Guild.
Aurora’s eyebrows knitted together, “What do you mean the Guild will be pleased,” she asked. “Isn’t this a common occurrence going through No Man’s Land?”
She watched his jaw tick.
“Every Guild member has plenty of creatures to fight in here, yes. But...” his voice trailed off.
“But what, Eli?”
He didn’t reply, avoiding looking at her. After a few moments, he took a deep breath before answering her, “You need to understand. I did this because I care about you. I know what the Guild is like. They are all I ever knew until I brought you to live with me.”
Aurora stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue.
“I tracked the Kolec. If you were successful in killing one, I knew the Guild would be impressed, and your transition to living there would be easier. You won’t have to prove yourself like all the others.”
Anger rose in her. Aurora’s chest tightened as she fought to get the emotion under control, “And if I wasn’t successful?”
It was only then that Eli looked at her, “I would never have let anything happen to you, but I would’ve had to find something you could kill that would still impress them.”
She tensed, her hands tightened into fists, “So it was mandatory that I killed something?”
“If you want to make a good first impression with them? Yes. You need to understand, Aurora. Most members are brought in as young children; yes, they know I trained you. Secrets aren’t kept from the Guild, but you need to show them your abilities. I did this to protect you; you need to see that.”
Aurora was as silent. In the forest around them, the only sounds came from Eli’s boots crushing the fallen leaves underfoot.
Eli stayed silent, knowing that pushing her to talk would make things worse. He knew her better than anyone. She needed time to come to wrap her mind around everything. He remained quiet, lost in his own thoughts as he carried her through the trees until they came face to face with another body of water.
She had lost track of time, but Aurora knew she needed to come to terms with things quickly.
Eli was suddenly standing on the lip of the river bank and looked out over the mist-covered water to the distant shore, then glanced back to inspect an old gnarly tree just to his right.
He carefully set her down, allowing her to rest against a large boulder protruding near the tree, then moved quickly, his hand running over the bark of the tree nearest to them.
Careful to keep the weight of her uninjured leg, Aurora adjusted her position as she waited to see what he planned to do next.
“May I ask what you’re doing?” She called in a hushed whisper.
“I didn’t think you would want to swim there, considering the grotesque beasts that live in there,” Eli said with a smile nodding to the water, a wicked glint in his eyes that made her think he would push her just to get a laugh out of it. She shuffled closer to the tree, “There is a hidden bridge so those that know of it can easily pass over.”
Her brows pulled together as she tilted her head. Her gaze moved disbelievingly from her mentor and out across the broad expanse of water, then back again, moonlight reflecting against the surface.
A bridge to where? There was nothing. The nearest land was the shoreline on the opposite side of the creepy laugh.
Aurora took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, a thing she would often do when annoyed about something.
His gaze snagged on hers, and as if he could hear her thoughts, his whole demeanor changed. Once more, the shuttered icy stare was back. She was beginning to suspect she would be seeing more of it.
This was a side of Eli she would need to get used to.
Moving from one tree to the other, he ran his hand down the rough bark until something on the withered tree closest to the water caught his attention.
She would’ve never noticed the subtle difference if it weren”t for Eli. The tree wasn’t as sickly as the others. The sickness infecting the trees around them wasn’t anything she had seen before. Although appearing dead and withered, they were still standing and gaining some sort of sustenance from the soil. Their roots showed in places where they had erupted through the surface of the dry earth, ready to trip unsuspecting travelers. The trees looked as if the slightest pressure on their trunks would cause them to topple over and break apart.
This tree, however, the one he was now inspecting, was similar to the others. Yet as she looked closer, it didn’t appear to be alive at all.
“It’s fake,” Eli said, seeing how Aurora was staring. “Usually, for this sort of thing, a glamor would be used. But seeing as this island is a dead zone to anything magical, the Guild had to go back to the old ways of camouflage. The fae male who originally constructed this little wonder is long dead, so Mikhai earned the job maintaining it when needed.”
Aurora watched Eli from the boulder on which she sat. A million questions raced behind her watchful gaze.
“As much as the male drives me insane, and I sometimes want to kill him, he’s useful. One of his specialties is working with mechanics. He would tinker with things when he was younger, making stupid little toys and the like. As he got older, his toys transitioned from pointless trinkets to useful gadgets,” he smirked.
She listened as Eli spoke of the male who had ousted them from their home and noted the tone was not one of bitterness. It appeared he had a strange fondness for the male, even if his next words were to the contrary.
“Be wary of him, Aurora. Not just him, of all of at the Guild. No one can be trusted. Keep that in mind when we get there. Not everything or everyone is what they appear to be. Be wary until you learn what each is capable of. Mikhai, for example, now he’s met you, seen you as you are, he can easily see through any other glamor you wear.” He stood before the fake tree, his cloak now off and his tunic sleeve rolled-up, “The Guild loves his gift, his ability to rip any object or person”s glamor away is something they have him use often.”
Aurora felt uneasy, “Do you think he could see through mine?”
Her glamor was her shield, allowing her to be seen only what she wished.
The one thing she always focused on and put a lot of energy into was ensuring it didn’t slip.
Had Mikhai sensed it? She never removed it; her hand went up to the scarf around her hair. She couldn’t help but wonder how Eli would have explained her appearance to Mikhai if he had planned to travel with them.
If he had recognized she wore a glamor, he hadn”t shown it. His behavior towards her was just as it had been from the moment they had met.
“Honestly, I don’t know. If he did, he could be waiting to use that little bit of information at a time when he needs something from us. That or he could be with the inner circle telling them what he saw. I guess only time will tell.”
Aurora watched as Eli knelt at the base of the tree. Reaching into a hole in the trunk, she watched as he groped around in its dark depths. Evidently unafraid of any small creatures hidden in the darkness, and once he found what he was looking for, the muscles in his arm strained as he began to work whatever mechanism that was buried deep within the body of the tree while muttering under his breath.
Once satisfied, he stood dusting off the knees of his pants before turning to face the water. Not wasting any more time, he walked forward, his body tight and vibrating with tension as he checked the bags on his back were secure. His cloak quickly stashed away before plucking her of the bolder up into his arms once again, carrying her forward.
“What are you doing? I thought you said we couldn’t go into the water.” Aurora”s brows scrunched together.
“We can’t,” Eli said, the corner of his mouth lifting.
She seethed at the fact that he appeared to be enjoying her confusion.
“Stop being an ass and explain,” Aurora demanded, punching him lightly on the chest.
“Always so impatient, Little Wolf,” he chuckled.
“Can you just spit it out? How are we getting across, and where are we crossing to? There is nothing out there.”
The mist seemed to be a constant companion along the water”s edge and a little further out. Eli paused before putting a cautious foot forward. His foot landed on something solid and yet invisible to her. Assured by the footing, he began walking. His gaze remained forward facing as if watching for something.
“There’s a bridge that sits directly under the surface. It’s camouflaged and lies at the bottom until we crank it up again. Curiosity sated? Maybe now you can stop gaping like a fish out of water. And can you not hold on so tight because you are choking me. I need to move fast, the beacon only stays raised for a short time, and if that disappears before I get us across, we are screwed.”
Aurora’s eyes darted from the water to Eli. What beacon? She was about to ask when she caught a glimpse of it, an orb of light appearing to float just above the water.
“What am I missing? Are we walking into the water? There’s nothing out there. Would it not have been better, safer, staying on the land?”
There was no land to walk to and the fact that Eli was walking on a bridge that she couldn”t see still confused Aurora. But It looked as if they were walking out to open water.
Maybe the Guild sent out boats to collect members and take them to a piece of land Aurora couldn”t see. Her mind raced as Eli continued to walk, his steps not faltering.
“You’ll see. Just trust me.”
Aurora did trust him. If she didn’t, she would have demanded to be brought back to the shoreline. But even still, she couldn’t shake the knot in her stomach as she glanced back over his shoulder and watched as they moved further and further from land. Something just below the surface a few feet away snagged her attention, and her grip on his tunic tightened as she attempted to see what it was.
Eli huffed as he held her closer, “Stop wiggling. Unless you want to find out what lives in this cesspool.”
Sure enough, as though his words had conjured it, through the murky water, Aurora could see a snake-like shape slithering below. Its body rippled as it swam through the water, causing Aurora”s stomach to tighten with anxiety. It was massive, much longer than her own height, and at least twice her size.
“See the serpent?”
Aurora shuddered in response.
“Always remember; the surface may look calm, but in the depth of this water, death waits. Many have been claimed by the creatures that inhabit it. Don’t become one of them. I’d be pissed,” he winked teasingly.
“That wasn’t a serpent. That... I don’t know what it was, but that was no normal snake.” Aurora said, gripping Eli’s shoulders. She felt like a child again, scared of a spider that was in her room.
Eli chuckled darkly, “Get used to this, Aurora. There are much more dangerous things on the island of the Guild than an oversized snake.”
Aurora’s jaw clenched as she looked at the side of Eli’s face, concentrating on his scar. Her silence was answer enough for Eli, the corner of his mouth lifted. Suddenly, through the mist, an agonized cry reached them.
Eli’s pace quickened.
Aurora perked up, looking behind them once again, “There’s someone else in there. They might need help!”
“No, there’s not. Remember when I said if we got separated, no matter what you heard, you keep walking forward?” Eli asked. Aurora nodded, and he continued, “There is a creature, an Echo it’s called. It imitates sounds, Echo’s only have to be near you to learn your voice and use it to lure others to them. They are nasty things, beautiful but dangerous. They live in coves around the land, and when they can sense someone is nearby, they venture out and try to lure them to their death.”
“Do they live near the water?”
“No, they live inside it. The top half of their bodies look normal. They will be the most beautiful fae, or what you assume is fae, that you’ve ever seen. Yet underneath the water”s surface, a long spiked tail sits where their legs should be.”
Aurora shuddered.
“They lure you with their learned voices and kill you in the most horrific way, tearing into your skin with their razor-sharp teeth. The first one I killed lurked in my nightmares for ages. And they never forget the voices they learn.”
Silently nodding, she watched as they approached the beacon. She could feel that pressure again, like a bubble blown so big that, at any moment, it would pop. And pop it did, but now she was prepared for the feeling.
Her magic woke as Eli’s feet suddenly hit the Guild’s soil. One moment they were walking over the surface of the disgusting water with its hideous creatures; the next, they were on dry land. The island had been hidden. A magical barrier surrounded the land, hiding it from unwanted visitors.
Eli turned, and they watched as the beacon she had seen from the water disappeared before her eyes. Like a flame extinguished, its beckoning light blipped out.
“Never attempt to cross unless that beacon is raised. The bridge is on a timer, so you move from the island to No Man”s Land as quickly as you can. It is a safety feature to keep the creatures on that dead island and the Guild members on this one.”
The Echo still wailed in the distance, and judging by how Eli flinched, it was clear to Aurora that his experience with one obviously affected him more than he wished to share.
“If they have the tail of a fish, wouldn’t they just be able to swim to us?”
“They wouldn’t dare. They would never survive the serpent.”
“We need to check your wound. It should already be starting to heal.” Eli set her down on her feet, making it clear the conversation about the Echo was over. He motioned for her to sit down.
She obeyed, sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree.
Crouching next to her, Eli began to unwrap the cloth. He was quiet as he inspected her wound. The bleeding had stopped, and it was already starting to clot, her skin knitting back together. The slashes were bigger than any injury she had ever received. Scrapes, bruises, and little slices on her skin from a blade were common. But this was something she feared that not even her fae healing could fix, especially if salt had gotten anywhere near it.
Salt could slow down healing if ingested. If applied to the skin, the salt would burn where it made contact with the flesh, damaging the area and limiting the fae’s healing. Some scars were a result of salt being forced into or on a wound.
Aurora knew the wound on Eli’s face had been deep enough to scar. It was a long and jagged marking that she had often found herself wondering who had done it. When he was wounded, had he been tortured? Did they force salt water onto his skin? He had never offered up information on what had happened, and she had never once asked him about it.
Aurora shuddered at the thought.
Most fae avoided salt at all costs, but it was not the only thing to cause scarring. A wound could be stopped from healing by either magic or binding a fae’s ability to heal, both causing the skin to be marked forever. But it was rare to see someone scared as deeply as Eli, which indicated his wounds were not healed on purpose. Whoever had done that wanted him marked permanently.
Even as Eli worked to tend to her wound Aurora knew the delay in her ability to self-heal had taken effect. Had her abilities been allowed to take over the healing earlier, the ache would remain, but the slashed flesh would have been healed or close to it. A scar would now be visible, faded but still noticeable.
Aurora cringed.
Eli secured a new strip from his cloak tightly around her leg. He secured his cloak around his shoulders once again, “There’s no infection, you”re lucky with the claws that sliced you, but the ointment helped with that. Can you walk?”
Aurora nodded. No words passed her lips other than a slight huff of pain as she attempted to stand and settle some of her weight on her damaged leg.
Eli frowned at her attempts. He stood, slinging the bags over his shoulder again, then offered her his hand.
She took it, gripping tightly as she allowed him to pull her to her feet. Once standing, she abruptly dropped her hand from his and took a moment to look around.
Eli followed her gaze. The thick forest that shielded the ruins and graveyard within lay ahead. “Before we can continue, make sure your glamor is intact again.”
Aurora hesitated slightly, irritated with herself that she had forgotten to do it automatically. Eli shouldn’t have had to remind her. She was not a child.
“This isn’t just about blending in; this is life or death. You wake glamored, you sleep glamored, even in the privacy of your room when you are alone. That glamor never leaves you,” Eli demanded.
She felt confused by the hint of anger in his tone, “Why? I don’t understand.”
“The Guild is dangerous. They will do whatever they can to find out everything about you. Let this be the one thing you can control, the one thing the Guild can’t hold over you. I can’t protect you here, not like I used to.”
Aurora ignored the pain she felt in her leg as she walked forward, limping slightly. A few moments later, she could feel a familiar tingle as the power No Man”s Land had stolen from her began to seep back into her, slowly beginning to heal her. A familiar pins and needles sensation danced over her injured leg.
“I don’t need you protecting me all the time,” Aurora tore the scarf from her head. She could feel her hair fall past the middle of her back. She knew why she had to cover her appearance. She had accepted it. Yet somehow, deep down, it felt wrong.
Eli fidgeted impatiently next to her.
With a sigh, she pulled her glamor into place, and with it, a small kernel of sadness grew in her chest. Even though Eli had always encouraged her to glamor her appearance, he had never insisted on it. She had always preferred to hide behind the fa?ade. She had never felt sad about it until now.
Once she was satisfied, she turned back to Eli again, her tone letting him know she was tired and so over it all, “Lead the way.”
There was something in Eli’s stare she couldn’t decipher. She almost thought it looked like sadness or guilt. It was gone before she could truly register it. He shook his head and walked past her. His tall frame stalked into the new forest.
“Your new home awaits,” he murmured as he led Aurora to the Guild.