Eyes of the Woods (13 page)

“Your father,” he panted, “is dishonored by you, beast.”

His words didn’t faze me. Daniel had told me enough stories for me to figure out it was I who was evil. “I didn’t murder a mother in front of her child.”

“Child?” He laughed as blood sputtered from his mouth and sprayed his face. “Have you forgotten everything you know about nightwalkers?”

“No. Because nothing I was told about them was the truth.”

“Them? You’re one of them!” He coughed again.

I stepped on his neck. “You took that child’s mother away from her. You’ve traumatized her forever. She could grow up hating humans, and could you blame her?
We
are the reason they attack us! We give them no choice!”

The man grunted, unable to speak, so he shook his head and then spat blood on my leg. “Burn in Hell, nightwalker.”

I took my foot away. “You are the only monster I see in these woods.”

The man glanced at the child, who clung to Daniel’s leg, clearly traumatized. He looked back up at me, began to speak, but then thought better of it.

Daniel held out his hand to the child. “What is your name?” he asked.

“Eugenia,” she said, her bottom lip trembling.

“Come, Eugenia,” Daniel said. “I’ll take you home.”

A small smile touched my lips. Daniel looked like a giant next to tiny Eugenia, but he held her hand and spoke to her in such a gentle way. Something inside of me twinged. I had built so many walls: as a child to show my strength as a Prior, and then as a young woman to try to convince my father a betrothal wasn’t necessary. Day by day Daniel had quietly dismantled the walls I had so carefully constructed.

Watching Daniel with Eugenia reminded me of the way Daniel had taken care of me while I turned. The way he spoke to me, the way he held me, the way he looked at me. But it was different.

Daniel looked back at me and smiled, and the last wall crumbled.

He began to walk away, and the man grabbed for the dagger I had kicked to the ground. I bent down and pulled his neck up quickly, powerful satisfaction coming over me when his bones snapped. His head fell back to the dirt, his body limp.

Daniel was in a protective stance in front of Eugenia. His eyes were wide, and then he looked at me.

I covered my mouth, realizing what I’d done. It was instinctual. Animalistic. I had killed a man of the Priory. They could have easily been my father and brothers. That terrified me.

“They’re all dead,” I said through my hands. “Trou’s Priory is gone. They’re defenseless.”

“Against what?” Daniel asked. When I couldn’t answer, he took Eugenia’s hand again and held out the other to me. “You saved my life, Eris.”

“Did I?” I thought a moment and then nodded, answering my own question. “He was going to kill you. Kill Eugenia. I had to.”

“You did. And now you see. We only kill when we must.”

My hands came away from my mouth slowly, and I took his hand.

I crouched on an elevated ledge behind the falls, fully clothed, watching the other immortals through the water. I wondered if there was anything my eyes couldn’t see. The pale, smiling creatures below frolicked and laughed with one another. It was an unknown hiding spot that I had discovered, and I had spent much of my time there, looking down on my new family. That was Daniel’s word for them, not mine. They largely ignored me, which was better than them constantly insisting on my punishment for being a Prior, like I had feared.

A male playfully caught his mate, and they kissed. I felt a twitter in my belly. I hadn’t been held by anyone since Daniel cradled me the night I died, and I thought about it often.

As if he could hear my thoughts, Daniel stepped through the water at the base and climbed up to join me. The water roared past us down to the rocks below.

Daniel’s hair was dripping down onto his bare torso. His pants were soaked.

“Are you always so modest, or do you do this for me?” I asked. “The others don’t seem to be bothered to cover themselves.”

He chuckled. “I thought you would feel more comfortable. The new additions to our coven are easy to spot in the river. Before long, everyone seems to stop caring.”

“I won’t.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” We were both quiet for a while, and then he spoke again. “I owe you my life.”

“No. We’re just even.”

“I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you.”

“Nothing is easy anymore.”

Daniel’s head bobbed twice, and his brows pulled together. He seemed hurt by my words.

I closed my eyes. “I am the enemy to everyone.”

“Not to me.”

We sat for a while, watching the immortals below. I crossed my arms over my knees and rested my chin. “Do you think Eugenia will be all right?”

Daniel watched members of his coven playing in the water. “We left her with her father. I got the sense that he cared for her very much. Didn’t you?”

I agreed. “The look on Eugenia’s face when he held her. I hope I never forget it.”

“You miss your family,” Daniel said.

“Every moment I’m awake.”

“I hope that soon you’ll be able to see them again. I understand how you feel. I went a long time without seeing my parents.”

“When did you decide to visit them?”

“My father walked into the thicket and called for me not long after I was turned. My situation was similar to yours. I was injured in the woods beyond repair. Kyah had saved me from the true death. My father would call into the trees that he knew what I was and didn’t care. He begged to see me, even if it was just one more time. He did that every night for a month. Finally, I went to him. He was frightened at first, but his love for me brought him past that. I visit the house nearly every day.”

I hugged my knees. “Is that where you go?”

He nodded.

I thought about that for a moment. “Then I will hope for that.”

Daniel reached over and put his hand atop mine. “I see how lonely you are. You needn’t be.”

“I’m not lonely. I have you.”

“Yes, you do,” he said. “More than I care to admit.”

I looked over to him, and he slowly pulled his hand away. “I have longed to speak to you for years. But I never hoped it would be this way. At least, I would like to believe I’m not that selfish.”

“Why me?” I asked. “There are plenty of women here.”

“I saw you hesitate one night. After that, I watched you and realized you purposely let your brothers and father kill. You did your duty, but I could see you didn’t enjoy it. I was curious about you at first, and then it turned into something else.”

“What?”

“It’s hard to explain, really,” he said.

“Try.”

“An ache.”

I stared at him as the water dripped from his nose and chin. His long eyelashes shaded his eyes, and he looked down.

“I apologize. That was forward of me.”

I shook my head and opened my mouth, but couldn’t think of anything to say.

He cringed. “I’ve thought of telling you this many times. Now that I have, I wish I hadn’t.”

I leaned over to him, desperate to end his embarrassment. “I don’t,” I said, just inches from his face. “I’ve wondered if what I feel is because it was you who turned me. Is that what it is? Do you feel that way toward the one who changed you?”

“How do you feel?” he asked.

I hesitated. “Answer the question. Do you feel anything toward the immortal who changed you?”

He blinked. “Kyah?” He shook his head. “She may have claimed me, but I’ve walked in this life for decades and thought I would be alone, until you. It was you who changed that for me, so I suppose you’re right.” He leaned in just a few more inches, and barely touched his lips to mine. I leaned in more, and then Daniel’s arms were around me, pulling me against him. Our lips parted, and his fingers pressed into my skin.

When he finally pulled away, he cupped my jaw with both hands. “I only hesitated when I found you on the forest floor because I feared you might hate me for claiming you. But I couldn’t let you die.”

“I miss my family,” I said. “But I don’t hate you. I just wish I could have both.”

He nodded, resolute. “Come with me.”

We leaped from the ledge and walked through the falls and to the shore. Daniel slipped his shirt back over his head and then took my hand. We walked together to the square, to find Evander sitting in his throne made of sticks. Two enormous, male immortals on each side of the elder stiffened, but Evander waved them away.

Evander noticed my hand in Daniel’s and smiled, but it wasn’t warm. His eyes sparked with delight for another reason, but I couldn’t guess why.

“Evander, we seek an audience with you,” Daniel said.

“Go on,” Evander said.

“We’ve spoken before about a truce between our coven and the Priory. I think Eris is the key.”

“Eris? How so?”

“What if she speaks to her father? Gets him to understand?”

Evander considered this for a moment and then stood. “I think it’s a risk, Daniel. And like I’ve said before, I think it’s a risk that outweighs the potential result that you hope for.”

“I believe Eris can convince Dyre. She is his daughter, Evander. This is the first time a Prior has been claimed. If there was a chance to make them see the truth, it’s now.”

“How do you plan to convince him?” Evander said, looking to me.

Daniel squeezed my hand to encourage me. Evander’s eyes were sharp and intimidating, but I lifted my chin and spoke.

“If I could speak to him, he’ll listen.”

“You’re certain of this?” Evander asked.

“I…I can’t promise.”

“What can you promise?” When I hesitated, he continued. “If he doesn’t, you must kill him.”

“What?” I said, taking a step back.

“Evander—” Daniel began.

The elder held up his hand. “I’ll give you my blessing, but you must make that promise to me. It’s the only way to protect the coven.”

Daniel looked at me. “We’ll just be sure to convince him.”

I looked to Evander. “So, I have your word? You won’t harm him unless he refuses to believe me?”

He nodded.

I felt sick in my stomach. Evander was making sure the risk was equal on both sides, and I couldn’t argue with that. I winced and then nodded.

Evander clapped. “Very well then. Good luck to you both.”

A ruckus at the back of the crowd caused a path to be opened again. Several men brought a woman to the front of the pack. She was young, in her early twenties. Her wavy brunette hair nearly reached her bottom, and her dirty bare feet poked out from her dingy dress. She struggled, but the men kept hands on her.

“We’ve found her, Evander.”

“Ilana,” Evander said, his eyes sad.

The men pushed Ilana forward. She fell on her knees and looked up at her master.

“Is it true?” Evander asked.

She nodded.

The coven gasped.

Ilana stood. “He was going to do it again, Evander. I heard him. He planned another raid.”

“And the only way to stop him…,” Evander said.

“Was to kill him,” Ilana finished.

The coven gasped again.

“She admits it!” a woman yelled from the crowd.

“Kill her!” another woman yelled.

The crowd joined in, chanting pleas for Ilana’s death.

Evander glanced at the two large men on each side of him, and they stepped off the platform where they had stood.

Ilana fell onto her backside and then backed away. “Another raid would have created a war! I did what I had to do!” she yelled.

I leaped in front of her, holding up my hands. “She’s right!” I yelled.

Evander raised his hand, and the men stopped.

“One more raid would have unified the Priory. All six territories would have acted. It would have been a massacre!”

“For them,” one of Ilana’s captors said, amused.

Evander spoke. “And then what of the balance? The balance is our first law. We must keep the balance to survive.” He looked down on Ilana. “You may go.”

She turned over and scrambled up, disappearing before anyone changed his mind.

Daniel pulled me away, and we walked quickly back to our trees.

“You didn’t make any friends just then,” he said.

“I didn’t have any to start with.”

When we reached the base of Daniel’s nest, I covered my face with my hands. “Oh my God. What did we just do? I don’t know if I can convince my father. I don’t know if I can bear the look in his eyes when he sees me this way. Even if he wants to believe me, Vileon is too important to the villages. To the people.”

“You saw Evander just now. He listens to reason. If he will, your father will.”

I shook my head. “Evander knows the truth about humans. Father doesn’t.”

“We’ll figure it out. Together.”