Heirs of War (10 page)

"There you guys are," Emma said brightly as she reached them. "I
totally
fooled them both. I acted all worried and—" She stopped, pointing a finger at something behind Ariana. "Who are they?"

Ariana whipped around, noticing the two men for the first time. "Emma, go call the cops," she said as she started to back away, slowed down significantly by her hurt ankle.

A number of things seemed to happen at the same time. Sheridan started to explain they were with her, and then suddenly one was on Emma, snapping her neck with a twist and letting her fall to the ground. Both Ariana and Sheridan's horrified cries of protest echoed through the trees.

Sheridan looked both shocked and regretful as she addressed Ariana, who stood there with her hand clamped over her mouth as if she had been petrified. "I'm sorry to have to do this. This wasn't supposed to go down like this."

Sheridan held her hand out as if she was gripping something, and Ariana immediately started gasping for air. Her hand clutched her chest as she tried to find her breath. Sheridan still had her hand stretched out as she walked over and wrapped her arm around Ariana’s shoulders. She hugged Ariana close as she tried to fight for air. The last thing Ariana heard before the darkness took over was Sheridan murmuring how very sorry she was.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Rhaya's thin eyebrow arched as she studied the ring of trees they
stood in. They were massive trees with branches bowed over them forming a canopy overhead, leaving very little sunlight peeking through. But she still couldn't understand the significance of this place. They had run as fast as they could to Liam's awaiting car, and then they had driven for what felt like an eternity though in reality it had only been about an hour or so.

And now, after all the running, committing multiple traffic violations, and maybe even bending the laws of physics as she knew them, they simply st
ood there. Isauria still assaulted her father with questions as they walked, but he refused to answer, his brows drawn down in a stubborn line matching his crossed arms resting over his chest. Raemann wasn't proving to be any more forthcoming as he paced back and forth from each side of the circle.

Rhaya
turned around and followed the path her father had made. He now knelt before the largest tree, using his finger to draw symbols in the sand in front of the gnarled roots. She stepped closer to inspect the first symbol he had drawn, but he quickly snatched her back.

"You don't want to be too close to the edge when it activates," Raemann warned her as
a slight breeze around them picked up.

Rhaya was going ask why when she noticed the change in the atmosphere. Every inch of her skin tingled with
the energy around them; she felt as though whatever was happening was passing through her, yet somehow out of her reach at the same time. The wind whipped her hair violently around her face, and even though she felt not all too far from Dorothy on her way to Oz, she laughed.

Isauria let out a slight yelp and latched onto her hand, but Rhaya held the other one out with curiosity, turning it this way and that as the moist heat from air managed to cool her, sending a ripple of goose flesh across her skin. She sucked in a breath as the forest floor beneath them quiver
ed, and suddenly Raemann was at her arm, holding her steady as their amazed grins found one another. His eyes held the same sparkle as hers: one full of wonder and adventure. The shared excitement came to an abrupt end as a bright blue light engulfed them, leaving all four shielding their gaze against the luminescent glow. When she opened her eyes again, they were standing in the same exact ring of trees as before.

"Okay," Rhaya said, disoriented and extremely perplexed as she looked around the all too familiar setting. "That was more than a little anticlimactic. What just happened?"

"We traveled through a portal," Liam answered as he scanned the terrain surrounding them.

He scowl
ed at Raemann, communicating a warning that Rhaya didn’t quite understand. Her own face still held confusion as she waited for him to give her something more to go on.

Noticing her expectant look, he explained, "The place we are in now—"
he stopped himself as he wearily glanced at Isauria, "is different."

Isauria gave their surroundings an exaggerated
look. "Really? Cause everything looks the same to me."

Liam placed a hand on her back, guiding her forward. "It's not, I assure you. Think of this area here as a hallway surrounded by doors. Each door is a world. The symbols we drew in the sand are the keys, unlocking the door we want to go through."

"Why five symbols?" Rhaya asked. She couldn't help but think back to her favorite space traveling archaeologist and what he might think of the symbols used. "Why not seven? Or eight?"

Raemann's face lit up, eager as always to indulge her inquisitive mind. "Watch this!" He grabbed a stick from outside the ring of trees and began dragging the tip across the ground, creating lines connectin
g the five largest trees. "Look."

Isauria
stared at the path he had created in the dirt, turning around several times to see the full picture. "You played connect the dots with the trees."

Rhaya walked into the center of the circle, and thus the lines Raemann had created. "You created a pentacle with the lines."

"Yes," he said, his grin widening to show his dimples. "There are five symbols for five points. Tell me, Isauria, do you know what the pentacle represents?"

Isauria thought this over for a moment, giving a mocking glare to Rhaya, who bit back a Hermione-like smile. "It's a Wiccan symbol or something."

"Yes," Raemann agreed. "And this symbol represents the connection between us—people—and the elements. Each point represents one of the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The fifth one," he said pointing to the top of the star he had drawn, "represents Spirit. You girls are special because you also represent an element."

"Alright, lesson over, Raemann," Liam interjected
, seeing realization begin to dawn on his ward's face, quickly followed by skepticism. "We need to get moving. We have no idea how many were there, and if they suspect we left, this will be the first place they look."

“You’re going to have to explain things to her, Liam,”
Raemann said in a lowered voice.

The two men locked each other with fierce stares as if they silently
argued who was right before Liam stalked off.

"Walk and talk?" Rhaya asked with dim hope as her guardian gestured for her to follow Liam. She glanced back to her friend,
worrying as she watched Isauria rub at her eyes as if she was seeing spots.

"Wait a minute,
" Isauria cried out as she struggled to see the way ahead of her even though the light of the sun was glaringly bright overhead. Frustration edged her usually mousy voice. "Dad? What's going on?" She swatted a tree branch away, marching to catch up with him, her cream-colored cheeks pinked with frustration and the lines around her eyes expressing concern and confusion. "Where are we? And who were those people attacking us? And how did they...with the…?" she started gesturing like they did and making 'whooshing' noises.

Liam put his hands on her shoulders, ducking so his wheat-colored eyes met hers. "I know you have a lot of questions, Izzy. And we will explain what we can along the way. But it is imperative we keep moving. Do you understand?"

Isauria nodded weakly and followed him, her every step numb. "What is this place?" she asked, looking around.

"I cannot explain anything to you now, Isauria. No more questions, from either one of you." He placed his hand on her back, guiding her forward. "The farther away from here we are, the better we will be able to explain everything."

All Rhaya could do was shrug as Isauria threw a pleading look to her. She could tell both Liam and Raemann were concerned for Isauria, though she struggled to understand why. She could feel their uneasiness, but none of their worries were directed to her.

"So how does it work?" Rhaya asked as Liam started setting up the campfire. She had been trying to take advantage of the moments when Isauria trailed behind to whisper her questions to their guides. "I get they used magic of some kind, but I'm not sure how. They didn't use any magic words or fancy hand gestures. They just sort of held their hand out and—whoosh! Rhaya meet wall, wall meet Rhaya," she quipped as she mimicked herself flying through the air using her fingers.

Liam squatted in front of the small fire, using a stick to turn over the wood and allow the flames to spread. Isauria was sitting a short distance from them on a tree stump staring out into the woods. "That's something I can't answer because I don't know, not really. I could tell you the basics, which is as far as my knowledge extends."

"You can't actually do what they did?" she clarified as he shook his head. "How are you supposed to protect us if they outmatch you?"

“I’m not sure how to explain.” Liam stared at the fire as he thought this over. "Put simply? We have other abilities giving us the upper hand against anyone who might try to harm you."

Rhaya used two fingers to point to her eyes. "Is the creepy black eyes thing part of your abilities?"

"You know, I don't know why that happens. I like to think it looks cool though," he said with a wink. "We're naturally stronger and faster than most people, but when you're in trouble those abilities are heightened."

She nodded her understanding, watching him with a critical eye. "Why won't you explain everything to us now? I mean, we're far enough away from the portal thingy, aren't we? It's because of Isauria, right?" she asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.

Liam’s attention shifted over to where Isauria still sat. "Isauria has a...gift, I guess. She's connected to this world and always has been."

"Her dreams?" Rhaya asked.

He gave her a surprised look before answering. "Yes. Isauria is connected to certain people, can tap into what's happening with them without even knowing what she’s doing. Usually it happens in times where their emotions are strong." He hesitated. "She's seen some pretty horrible things over time. I'm not sure finding out about this world, and everything that comes with those truths, is best paired with finding out that the horrors she’s witnessed over the years were really happening to people she would care about."

"I understand. She told me about the woman she saw murdered. She was pretty shaken up, and that’s just thinking the woman was some character and not a real person." Rhaya
took in a deep breath, and asked one of the questions she was most scared of finding the answer to. “Who was the woman she saw? The one Kellen murdered?”

Liam grew quiet, his shoulders tightening as he
stared at the flames. “Nandalia. One of the Duillaine Banair. The leaders of the worlds.”

She frowned, sensing he was skirting the truth. “Who is she to us?”

“Family. Nandalia was your aunt. And Izzy’s mother,” he added with a sigh before turning back to the fire.

Rhaya winced at the truth even though she had suspected it. She closed her eyes, shaking her head as she thought about how Isauria might react to this information. “She watched as her mother was tortured and then murdered. I think I understand why you don’t want to tell her yet.” Her round eyes turned sympathetic as she turned back to Isauria’s guardian. “But you have to, Liam. You can’t let her figure that sort of thing out on her own.”

“I won’t,” he said through a set jaw. He snatched up a rock and began twisting it in his fingers. “She won’t figure it out on her own. We’ll get to Anscombe and her real father will be there to explain everything to her. It’ll be better coming from him.”

And there it was. The real reason he hesitated to unlock the truth to Isauria. His own fatherly instincts—as well as his heartbreak over losing that relationship to another—were clouding his vision. She placed a hand over his, waiting until he finally turned to her before continuing. “You’re her father, Liam. The only one she knows. Trust me. I feel the same way about Raemann. And I know things are about to get pretty darn complicated when we get to…Anscombe?” she asked with some uncertainty, continuing at his affirmative nod. “But right now you’re all she has. And she’s a clever girl. She’s going to start piecing everything together. I mean, she’s been sitting over there just zoning out for a while now. How do you know that’s not what she’s already doing?"

Liam cursed under his breath. “Because she’s having a vision now.” He quietly eased over to Isauria and knelt down in front of her. "Isauria? Are you all right?"

Isauria gave a slight nod, her focus elsewhere.

"What do you see?" Liam asked. He gestured for Raemann to back off as he started toward them. "Is it Terrena?"

She nodded again. "They attacked h
er." She looked at him now and gripped his shirt with panic. "She's hurt. Really bad. I think Kenward is taking her to Anscombe." She seemed to shake herself and pulled in a deep breath. "Sorry, I think I'm just tired."

Liam offered her his hand,
and lead her over to the blanket he had spread out for her and Rhaya. "You girls get some rest. Raemann and I will take turns keeping watch. We'll get moving in a few hours."

Rhaya
rose from her seat by the campfire and walked over to their makeshift bed, pausing to let Isauria get situated before lying down on her back beside the girl. "I always wanted to have a sleepover," she offered for conversation. "Didn't think I'd be nineteen when I finally got one, but I'll take it."

Isauria turned to the raven-
haired girl, her chin wrinkling with worry equally reflected in her fearful eyes. "I really am going crazy, aren't I? That's the only way any of this makes sense." She could see Rhaya open her mouth to protest and quickly cut her off. “You don’t understand, Rhaya,” she pressed, her voice thick with the fear lining her every feature. “I don’t want to go to sleep. Every time I stop just to breathe, I keep seeing all these people. So many people…I can’t even make sense of them all. I don’t want to know what will happen to me if I fall asleep. I already feel like my mind is being ripped apart. I’m not even sure any of this is real,” she admitted with a choked sob.

Rhaya reached over and took her hand, linking their fingers together once more to show the solidarity she felt with her. "I’m real, Izzy, and I am right here with you. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” She opened her arms and Isauria rolled over onto her side, leaning her head against Rhaya’s shoulder as quiet tears
fell from her eyes. “You’re like family now. And I don’t think you’re crazy. If you are, I'm right there with you. I don't think we are, though," she added quietly. "I think things are starting to make more sense now than they ever have. Something just feels right about this place, you know?"