Martyr (10 page)

Tenn wasn't watching Cassandra as intently as the rest of the troop. He was watching Jarrett. And Jarrett looked terribly uncomfortable. He must have known what came next. Tenn did, too. His chest constricted on instinct.

“Sam, if you please. And Maria, please join us.”

Two Hunters from the front row came forward. Tenn barely knew them, though he'd seen Maria training quite a few times. She had a strong, lean figure and dark hair that curled past her shoulders. Sam was about the same height, with spiked brown hair and a goatee.

“Maria,” Cassandra said, holding out the jar, “if you would please take this a moment.”

Maria took it without hesitating.

“Very good,” Cassandra continued. “Now face Sam.” The pair faced off. “And when I say, channel a thread of Fire into the jar. I want you to focus on Sam while doing so. When I say stop, you stop. Understood?”

Maria nodded.

“Go.”

Fire opened in Maria's chest. The flame burned brighter, and symbols in the glass flared. Sam gave a startled cry and fell to the floor, twitching. More than one Hunter stood up in the bleachers.

“Stop,” Cassandra said. She put a hand on Maria's shoulder.

Maria closed off to the Sphere. Sam took a deep breath. Jarrett went over to help him stand, and Tenn wondered if he'd looked as pitiful when he'd been tapped.

“What the hell was that?” someone called out. Tenn didn't recognize the voice.

“That, my friends,” Cassandra said, taking back the jar, “is how the necromancers have been creating the Howls. This is how they are able to drain a human's Sphere past the point of depletion, until the Sphere stops generating power and starts consuming it, until it drains the host's essence and turns them into, well, a monster.” She traced the jar's surface with a finger, the line of symbols seeming to glow under her touch. “They're using runes. Somehow, runes allow them to draw energy and store it in these devices. This one targets the Sphere of Fire. We can only assume it would create a succubus.”

The crowd was talking wildly. Runes? Tenn touched his right forearm. There, inked into his flesh, was the Hunter's mark—a series of lines, concentric circles, and arcane symbols that he'd received at the Academy. It connected him to the Spheres, and he'd done enough research to know that some of the symbols were runes. Were they the same marks that could turn the Spheres against him? He remembered quite vividly another time, not two years ago, when he came to this guild and was attuned to Earth. He'd received new marks then. He'd never given it much thought; what would have happened if the tattooist messed up?

Was it really that easy to become a Howl?

Clearly, he wasn't the only one having those thoughts, but he
was
the only one keeping quiet about it. At least, that's what he thought until he saw Devon and Dreya sitting opposite him. While the Hunters around them spoke and gestured, the twins sat in stony silence, watching the figures on the court. Sam and Maria had taken their seats once more, and now Cassandra and Jarrett had their heads bowed together, conferring. Neither of them looked pleased by whatever they discussed.

A few seconds later, they looked back to the crowd. Jarrett opened to Air, and when he spoke, his voice cut through the general roar of the room.

“Silence,” he called. The troop hushed immediately. Air faded, and Cassandra spoke once more.

“Tomorrow, a few of you will be sent out into the field,” she said. “Our sources know of those who might have insight into the runes. We are making it our prerogative to seek them out. Those selected will receive their orders by nightfall.”

She took a deep breath and surveyed them all.

“Remember this moment, comrades. This is the moment we cease being the hunted. This is the moment we take back what they have stolen. This is the moment we get our revenge.”

The crowd broke into a roar.

“A word, Tenn?”

He'd hung back to meet with Jarrett. He hadn't expected Cassandra to pause by his side as she left. Up close, he could smell her spicy perfume. Her eyes were as green as the dense forests the scent conjured.

“I would like to speak with you and a few others. Privately. I'll meet you back in your room in five minutes.”

Tenn opened his mouth to ask who was included, but she was gone before he could speak. Not that it would have mattered; Cassandra was the type of leader who told you precisely what you needed to know. If you didn't know it, you didn't need to.

Jarrett must have left through the back, as he didn't come through the double doors Tenn haunted. When the last of the Hunters filtered through, he turned and made his way back to his room.

His heart nearly gave out from fright when he opened his door. The lamp was lit, and there were humanoid shadows stretched against the walls. For the briefest flash, he imagined them as Matthias and Tomás. Then his eyes focused, and he realized it was the twins. They did not look amused.

Dreya leaned against the wall, arms folded across her chest. Devon was sitting in a chair beside the small table. His clothes had changed, but the burgundy scarf remained. Did he ever take it off?

“I had wondered whose room this was,” Dreya said.

Tenn glanced around, seeing his tiny home through a stranger's eyes. Even though he shared it with Jarrett, there
wasn't
anything to differentiate the room from anyone else's. The pile of clothes in the corner could have been anyone's, and there weren't any photos or posters. It was blank. Easy to change out for the inevitable day either he or Jarrett failed to return…

“I didn't know you'd be here,” Tenn said as he closed the door behind him.

“Nor did I,” Dreya said. “Do you know what this is about?”

Tenn shook his head. Devon sighed and sank down in the chair.

“Whatever it is,” she continued, “I do not like it. We are reaching into territories we should know nothing about.”

“What do you mean?”

“Runes,” she continued. “They are more than just faerie stories. They are dangerous.”

The door opened behind him, and in walked Jarrett and Cassandra. The moment they were within the room, Jarrett opened to Air and sent a curtain of magic through the walls, a pulse that rippled like heat on pavement. Tenn had seen that magic in use plenty of times before—a shield to keep out prying ears. Whatever this was about, it was deadly secret.

Cassandra strode into the center of the room and looked them over, her green eyes calculating. Jarrett stayed in the corner, hands behind his back and a guarded look on his face. He wouldn't meet Tenn's eye.
What did you tell her?

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” she said, taking them all in with her gaze.

You kind of forced us to
, Tenn thought.

Her voice was soft; it spoke of understanding, of care. That was the true reason men and women died for her. “I know you would much rather be sleeping now. You've had a horrible few days. Your work is beyond commendable.”

Tenn wasn't certain if she expected them to thank her for thanking them. No one said anything.

“In any case, in light of recent developments, I'm afraid I must send you back out into the field.” Her gaze narrowed in on the twins. All that motherly comfort left her voice in an instant, replaced with the cold detachment of their commander. “I hear you know how to find the Witches.”

Save for the last battle, Tenn had never seen the twins lose composure. To see Dreya's jaw drop, Devon's eyes widen—it was like seeing a Howl smile. Fire flickered in Devon's chest, just for a moment, before he managed to shut it back down. The slight shake in his shoulders made Tenn take a half-step back. The guy was a ticking time-bomb.

“How did…?” Dreya began. Then she looked at Jarrett, and her mask slipped back into place. But colder. “You swore you would say nothing.”

Jarrett looked down to the floor.

“These are dark days, Dreya. I had no choice.”

Dreya exhaled sharply and crossed her arms. The glare she cast between Jarrett and Cassandra could level mountains. Although she kept her Spheres closed, Tenn expected her hair to billow with her anger.

“Our ties to the clans have been severed,” she said, her voice flat and an octave lower than normal. “We cannot help you.”

“I am not
asking
for your help,” Cassandra said. She took a half-step forward. Even with her hands in her pockets, she spoke like she was bearing arms. Her eyes were narrow, and all hint of composure, all hint of loving mother had vanished, replaced by a steel Tenn had rarely seen. “I am
telling
you. If you know how to find the clans, if you have even the slightest
inkling
of an idea, you are bound by duty to do so.”

Dreya pushed herself from the wall. This time, it wasn't in Tenn's imagination. Air flickered in Dreya's throat, and her hair billowed in the sudden breeze. Even Devon wasn't able to hold his agitation; sparks flickered around him as Fire opened and closed in his chest like a strobe. Tenn's skin went cold. The idea of the twins attempting mutiny was terrifying.

“You know of our agreement,” Dreya said, her voice still taught. “We are not bound by the laws of your guild. We are not governed by your
commands
. We fight those battles which
we
deem necessary. And this is not our battle. You know not what you ask.”

“Are you so naïve?” Cassandra whispered. The two were barely inches apart. In her high-heeled boots, Cassandra towered over Dreya by a good foot, but Dreya was far from cowering. Cassandra opened to Earth, and somehow, just being open to the Sphere gave her a presence, a solidity, that said she would not be toppled. “Do you truly believe this battle ends with you? If you fail to aid us, how many lives do you think we'll lose? I'm not speaking dozens or hundreds or even thousands. Millions will die, Dreya. Because we. Are. Losing. And you…you will be responsible for those deaths. Are you really comfortable with more innocent blood on your hands?”

Dreya gasped. Air winked out, and she took a step back, her eyes darting between Jarrett and Cassandra with a look that tore at Tenn's heart. Betrayal. Pure and utter betrayal. She looked like a little girl who'd just been told Santa wasn't real.

“We cannot,” she said after a moment's hesitation. Her voice was soft, tinged with hurt. “Our ties are severed. There is no way—”

“We'll do it.”

The room silenced in an instant, all tension gone like a snapped violin string. As one, they turned to Devon, who was studiously looking everywhere but into the eyes of those he'd spoken to.

“What?” Dreya asked. More hurt in her voice, another layer of betrayal.

“I said we'll do it,” he said. His voice was muffled and husky through the thick silk scarf. Fire still flickered in his chest, sending waves of heat that made sweat break out on Tenn's otherwise-freezing skin. Devon looked at Dreya. They stared at each other for a long moment, as though they could read each other's thoughts. Dreya—powerful, controlled Dreya—actually seemed to wilt under her brother's stare. Finally, she sighed and nodded, settling back against the wall and hiding her face behind her silvery hair.

“We know how to find them,” Devon said. He didn't stand up, despite the resolve in his voice. If anything, he seemed to sink lower in his chair. “But whether or not they'll help us, I can't say.” Then, almost to himself, he muttered, “And they have every reason not to.”

“That's more like it,” Cassandra said. She nodded, and Earth faded out. Her expression wasn't smug, but it was close. Tenn could tell from that look that she wasn't the type who was ever denied anything. “You'll leave tonight. I don't want anyone to know where you're going or why. Jarrett tells me there's reason to believe you might be targeted.”

Was it Tenn's imagination, or did her gaze linger on him? In any case, she quickly brought her attention to Jarrett. He held himself a bit taller, it seemed, now that the storm between Dreya and Cassandra had passed.

“You have your orders,” she said. “I don't expect you to return until they've been fulfilled.”

They all nodded.

She walked toward the door and put her hand on the knob. Before opening it, however, she turned around.

“More than you know is riding on your shoulders,” she said. “If you fail, there will be no point in coming back. We'll already be as good as damned. Don't let us down.”

Then she opened the door and was gone.

They stood there in the silence for a good minute before Jarrett finally spoke.

“Right. We'll meet at the south tower at five to midnight, right before the guard changes. We'll have to fly out.”

That got Tenn's attention. He'd begged Jarrett from day one to take him flying. Jarrett had always said it just didn't work that way, not unless he was attuned to Air.

The twins nodded. Tenn half-expected them to speak out against their orders, but not even Dreya spoke up. She was still slumped against the wall, watching her brother with wary eyes. Devon stared at Jarrett, his blue eyes intense and his hands knuckled white in his lap.