Midland Refugee (Ultimate Passage Book 3) (7 page)

N
ow what
? Marissa looked from Norn to Raiza. She was in the middle of this. Norn was sacrificing his life for hers.

“I intend to return home.” She took Finn’s hand. “With my baby and with Finn.”

The Elders looked at her. “Is it just that simple, human?” one of them asked.

Finn stepped forward. “Her name is Marissa. She believes it is that simple.”

Marissa fought back the smile at Finn’s defense. She knew he wasn’t convinced about Saraz and what Saraz would do. Finn didn’t believe anything Saraz said, and yet, he believed in her enough that he would defend her. She wanted to wrap her arms around this man. Her hero. Her own personal savior.

“When my baby is delivered and Saraz can see that it is not who or what he thinks it is, he will release us from Kormia by creating a portal.”

“Is it that simple?” Raiza translated again, but it was clear from the huskiness in her voice that her emotions were involved.

Marissa opened her mouth to answer the Elder, but was interrupted when Raiza stared straight at her and said in English. “It is not that simple. My man will be the collateral. My man will pay the price for her freedom.” She pointed at Finn. “And you are doing nothing to stop your father from sacrificing.”

Finn looked down at his hands in the face of this very personal assault.

Then Raiza said it—or something—in Kormic. Marissa looked to Norn and Finn to see if Raiza had translated accurately. Finn gave her a subtle nod, clearly getting what she was concerned with.

Shit. This was so not what Marissa had planned. And it didn’t help having Raiza doing the translating at this point, not when she was emotionally invested. But to be fair, Marissa didn’t blame Raiza. She’d do the same thing in the same situation. Hell, she’d do more—worse—more drastic. But still, she and Raiza were at cross-purposes, and Marissa was fierce in her desire to leave Kormia.

She looked at her friend. “I know this is not easy for you. But I have to take care of my baby, my family.”

“As do I.” Raiza responded, not translating.

“Will you still be able to translate objectively?”

“Objectively? No. Truthfully? Yes.” Raiza answered. Her jaw set, her eyes resolute. Then she turned to Norn. “You had no right committing yourself to this cause without discussing it with me. Feroz deserves a father.”

Norn took her hand in one of his. Then put his other hand over his chest. “I do not think it will be any consolation, but I believe that I will not be in danger. I’m convinced that the baby will not be what Saraz is hoping for. I know that Finn would not lie about Alithera having wings.”

“You are not taking into account the uncontrollable in this formula.” Raiza turned away from Norn, her posture stiff, proud head held high. She said something to the Elders.

Marissa looked at Finn for an explanation. His face a deep blue, he translated. “She’s offering them lunch. It seems they will not be leaving any time soon.”

Raiza screamed.

Marissa’s mind went to the worse, a jungle cat, something lethal. What she did not expect to see, striding out of the forest, his wings beneath his black cloak, his grayish-black skin gleaming, white teeth flashing in a brilliant smile—Saraz walked toward the center of the camp.

Feroz was in his arms. The little boy was chattering, and talking to Feroz, while the dangerous, dark-skinned shifter seemed to be patiently allowing the child to pester him.

Raiza had clapped her hand over her mouth. Norn and Finn ran toward Saraz.

The Elders were still, their eyes glowing with the whiteness. A low drone was emitted by the Elders, as though they were chanting but not with words.

Marissa had to do something to defuse the situation before it became explosive. Finn would overcompensate his reaction toward this intrusion on Saraz’s part. She feared he would draw a weapon, and when Saraz saw that . . . all hell would break loose.

And to compound matters, Saraz was holding an innocent child in his arms. She could not allow that to happen.
‘Put the little boy down.’
She told Saraz.
‘Please put him down now, if a situation escalates out of control, the only ones who will pay are the innocent ones. Please. Do it. Now. Release the child.’

Saraz stopped, stood still, his eyes on her, then on Finn and Norn. Then he turned to look at the Elders. Without taking his eyes off of the Elders, he lowered Feroz to the ground. Feroz, clearly completely unaware of the turmoil ran to his mother.

“Mother, look. Look at what Saraz gave me.” He held out a necklace made of black stone, maybe obsidian. Shiny and tear-drop shaped, several symmetrical shards hung from the necklace. “It is called Saraz’s Tears. Do they not look like perfect teardrops?”

Raiza picked the little boy up.

Marissa felt Raiza’s fear, understood it completely. She glared at Saraz.
‘Why have you come here? Why are you creating problems for us?’

He didn’t answer her, striding confidently toward the scarlet-cloaked Elders. The Elders’ thrumming grew louder and louder. Except that there were no sounds, it was louder in her head, louder in the vibrating that was happening in her body.

‘Perpetrator of all that is evil.’
A chorus of voices spoke. It was the Elders. Except Marissa was watching them the whole time, their mouths never opened. And she understood everything they said. “That was in English,” she said to Finn. “Did you hear it? But they didn’t say it.”

Finn gave her a weird look. “English? No. that was Asazi.”

Norn said, “No. It was the universal language, Paonian. The Elders speak Paonian in their minds. And everyone understands Paonian.”

Marissa closed her mouth, because she knew her jaw had dropped open. If they spoke a language everyone could understand, in their heads, then why did they let Raiza do the translating? Could she do it? She tried.
‘Why let Raiza translate if you can talk like this?’

‘We had to be sure, human Marissa.’

No way. She tested them again.
‘You can hear me if I talk like this too?’
The resemblance to what Saraz did wasn’t lost on her.

‘Of course.’
Two of the Elders nodded, the other two smiled. The last two glared at Saraz, who still had a smug look on his face.

He threw his cloak off, his wings unfurled, his thrumming became louder than theirs.
‘You seek fear from me? You? Monsters? Scourge? Unwanted? You think I should fear you? Do not make me rain disaster on your kind.’

The Elders pushed their cloaks off, revealing garb that resembled a warrior’s fitted armored attire more than it did the wise men they were portraying themselves to be. Behind each Elders’ back, two long scabbards crossed in the shape of an X.

They put their hands over their shoulders and drew swords that glowed. Marissa stared at the swords.
That can’t be.
Their blades—where their blades should be, were blades of white light.

Saraz stepped back.
‘You think I should be concerned? You do not want me dead.’

‘Is that what you believe? Why would we want you alive? You are the Perpetrator. You are the reason we are here. You have disregarded the tenets. We are assigned to keep you from returning.’

‘What are you talking about? How do you know about tenets?’

‘Thane.’

‘Where did you hear that name? Where did you get those swords?’

Marissa didn’t know what to say, if anything. This was confusing. She had questions, but didn’t know who to ask. She turned toward Saraz a thought on her mind, a question on the tip of her tongue when a cramp seized her. She doubled over, grabbing Finn’s hand to keep her from falling.

Instantly, Finn’s arm was wrapped around her, his other hand holding her up. “Marissa. What is it?”

“I hope it’s not a contraction.” She tried to breathe in, but her breathing was labored. “This tension, the baby. God, the baby.” She panted.

“Look what you are doing. You are hurting Marissa and our child.” Finn’s voice overpowered the vibrating and thrumming from Saraz and the Elders. “Saraz. I thought you wanted this baby to be well.”

Marissa rose, leaning heavily on Finn. She pointed an accusatory finger at Saraz. “You will make me deliver early.”

“Do not do this.” Raiza pleaded with the Elders.

“Go now,” Marissa asked Saraz. “For the love of—”

Saraz did not say another word. With a final challenging look at the Elders, he left. His cloak remained on the ground, unclaimed.

One of the Elders mumbled something. Marissa did not understand it. She asked Raiza what he said. Raiza shook her head.

Marissa looked to Finn for an answer, “What did he say?”

Finn frowned. “This means war.”

She was confused. “That’s what he said? Or are you saying that?”

Finn nodded slowly, as if going over things in his head.

“War, between who?”

His skin shimmered, drifting between a blue and indigo color. “Probably the Kormic and the Asazi.”

“Because of me? Of the baby?”

Norn approached, pulling out a cloth and wiping the perspiration from Marissa’s face. She looked at him with gratitude. That was the very same thing her father would have done. It made her miss her dad so much more. And it hit home the fact that Norn was willing to sacrifice himself to get her, the baby, and Finn back to Earth.

Norn explained, “Because of Saraz. The Asazi believe in him as a god, not as a mortal, certainly not as an evil entity the way the Kormic do.”

“So the Asazi will fight a war without knowing that they are defending a lie, without all the facts.”

Finn shook his head, dejected. “All wars are this way.”

Norn added, “There would be no issue if there were no Saraz.”

Marissa was horrified. No Saraz meant no portal. That meant no return to Earth. “What do you mean? That would—” She closed her mouth. She had no business saying that it would mean she wouldn’t go home, not when it meant that Raiza’s mate would have to stay as collateral.

Norn put a hand on Marissa’s shoulder. “Do not fret. I will not do anything to prevent your dream from coming true. It is all in the timing. You and Finn must go to Earth. You do not belong here. And Raiza and Feroz, also.”

Marissa shuddered, wrapped her arms around herself. This worried her. She did not want to contemplate what it meant. She looked up just in time to see a flash of orange tears pooling in Raiza’s yellow eyes.

Marissa put her head down. The sacrifice that Norn was making was too great. Should she change her mind? Stop being selfish and live here? On this planet where war and friction prevailed? Finn put his arm around her.

Behind them, the Elders were muttering to one another.

T
aya struggled
to keep up with Corzine and Barz, and they didn’t seem in the least interested in walking at a pace she could keep up with. She panted, her throat dry, her feet blistered. Finally out of frustration, she stopped—simply stopped and leaned against a rock that was taller than she was.

Both men turned to look at her. Barz approached. “What are you doing?”

“I will not travel another foot until you tell me why we are rushing. And where we are going.” She didn’t stomp her foot, though she wanted to. She also wanted to grab him and shake him. Not that she could inflict much damage to the wide-chested large man with arms thicker than her legs.

Barz crossed his arms over his chest, emphasizing his biceps. “We are going to the nearest Kormic tribe. We want to ask their help in finding your friend. Several of us will stand a better chance than just the three of us, especially when at least one of us has to watch over you.” His voice was gruff.

She shot him a look. “Watch over me?” Her voice raised shrilly.

“Keep quiet. These are the Farlands. This is not a friendly place. There are more threats here than you know of. Threats that lurk in shadows, and some underground.”

Barz shifted his gaze above her head. Taya was ready to rail at him for not even looking at her when he talked to her. Then when she saw Corzine looking in the same direction, she became concerned. She shifted.

Six great beasts approached. On each beast sat a Kormic warrior, armed with lances, swords, and spears. The Kormic sat astride, on saddles nestled in a bed of the creatures’ feathers. Taya stared at the beasts the Kormic sat on. She’d never seen anything like them before. Never even heard of them. They were two legged, resembling birds, with fat chunky thighs that ended in spindly legs with clawed hooves. The Gostracks’ long necks inclined forward. The creatures wore half-helmets that protected their heads, sharp beaks protruding from the half helmets.

“What are those things? I did not know Kormic had beasts of burden.” She whispered to Corzine.

“Few tribes have them. They are Gostracks.”

They were fierce-looking. Their beaks looked like they were covered with metal tips. She shivered thinking of what kind of damage those could do to an opponent. The Kormic newcomers nodded to Barz and cast disparaging looks at Corzine. Odd. As if they knew them but didn’t care for Corzine.

They nodded, spoke some words between them. They pointed to Taya. She shifted closer to Corzine, feeling uncomfortable with the looks the men on the Gostracks were giving her.

“What? What are they saying?” she whispered to Corzine while Barz had a conversation with the six.

“Barz is asking them about Cinia. They say they have seen no signs of an Asazi woman, or any other woman in the territory, but there have been some odd occurrences.” He paused, listening in.

Taya couldn’t contain her question. “What kind of odd occurrences?”

“Wait, please.” Corzine was silent, listening, but not joining in. the six Kormic did not glance at him. It was as if he did not exist.

That was another question she wanted to get the answer to. It was clear from the interaction that these outsiders knew Barz and Corzine, and their relationship with Barz did not seem to be an issue, but they definitely had no regard for Corzine. She stayed close to him, because she was sure they would have even less regard for one of their blood-sworn, centuries-old enemies.
Even if I was not even born when any of this rivalry started.
She knew that did not matter. Just as it did not matter to her people, who spent their lives hating and killing Kormic.

The men on the Gostracks took their reins in hand, turned the feathered, armored creatures around and started off to the left. Taya looked at Corzine for an answer. He was watching them depart.

Reluctantly, she turned to Barz. “What is the plan?”

“They have agreed to help. They’ll provide us with shelter and a small force to assist in looking for Cinia.”

Taya exhaled a sigh of relief. “They are fierce creatures.”

“The Gostracks? Or the Kormic?” Barz’s tone was full of sarcasm.

“The Gostracks, of course.” She knew he was still angry about her earlier outburst. But she had not changed her opinion. She would not believe her people would do anything like the atrocity he mentioned. Abandoning their babies. Ridiculous. Her people were loving. They cherished their babies. She also would not let him bait her into an argument about his. Not while she was at his and other Kormics’ mercy.

Corzine responded. “Gostracks are hand raised from the moment their mother lays the egg. The warrior who will be assigned to the Gostrack sleeps near the nest, close to the mother who laid the egg. Even in its shell, the young Gostrack becomes accustomed to the warrior’s voice. And when the Gostrack hatches, it is carried by the young warrior in a pouch. It imprints on the warrior. It becomes his soul-Gostrack. When a warrior dies, a Gostrack refuses to eat. It starves itself because it cannot live without its soul-Kormic.”

“So they are like soul mates. But, in a different way.”

“Exactly. The bond runs deep.”

“Asazi have no such bonds with any animals.” She was whimsical, not realizing she spoke out loud.

“Why does that not surprise me?” Barz’s tone was again full of sarcasm.

Taya took three long strides forward, catching up to him. She grabbed his arm, held on to it until he stopped and faced her. “You will stop trying to bait me.”