Pariah (The New Covenant Series) (19 page)

Your father? Are you serious?”

Both nodded in affirmation.
Great.
Now I get to meet the demon who spawned these two devils. I reluctantly agreed to travel to the seafarers as I saw no other options available. I wanted to see the ocean anyway. I’d read and heard stories of its beauty. The only thing that worried me was what Riven had said earlier about his father not wanting to let me leave. But I figured that I’d gotten this far and would figure it out after the message was translated. Besides, I didn’t know anyone else who could decipher the strange writing. I couldn’t read it. I’d looked in Maylon’s mirror and tried to figure it out. I thought that since it was written to me, I would be able to understand it. But either God had a great sense of humor, or he wanted me to travel across the sea. Settling on the latter, we set off to the shore.

The forest eventually began to
thin. We’d traveled for four or maybe five days. Hunger, sleep deprivation, and exhaustion had begun to take a toll on my body. I tried to wash well but feared that I might even smell, having gone so long without a proper bath.

The dress Maylon made me had de
finitely seen better days. Once form fitting and perfect, it had stretched a bit and sagged into an unflattering heap that even my curvy frame wouldn’t support. So starved, I feared that my stomach was devouring itself.

A few miles out, the trees thinned into grasslands. Clay turned
into thin dry dirt and then to golden sand. Salt hung heavy in the air. My very soul hummed at the thought of seeing the ocean for the first time. It was nearly dusk when we arrived at the edge of the world. Feeling a new bout of exhilaration, I fumbled down from the horse, never taking my eyes off of the water. The sand felt warm and grainy as it wormed its way in between my toes. I wiggled them, tickling them with the sand. I felt my lips curl up into a smile. Gentle waves lapped the shore, receded, built back, and repeated their paths in an infinite symphony of beauty. I was mesmerized, completely enthralled and unconditionally in love for the first time in my life.

The guys took upon themsel
ves the chore of setting up our camp. Faric went hunting while Riven began gathering for the fire. I let them work while I stepped into the surf, letting the warm water splash onto my achy legs. It was healing. Cathartic. Wonderful. Then it dawned on me. I could totally bathe in the ocean! I yelled to Riven that I was going to walk down the beach a bit to bathe and threatened the lives of him and his brother if they ventured anywhere in my vicinity during my outing. Then I took off in an almost sprint toward a cleaner me.

A safe distance away, I ran as
fast as I could, splashing into the water and plunging in until the foamy waves crashed over my head. Popping back up, the salty seawater flooded my senses. It was briny and delicious. I’d never smelled anything like it. My eyes stung a little bit. I blinked the water out of my lashes and dragged my hands over my hair, squeezing the water down my back. I dragged my soaked dress off and used it as a wash cloth, rubbing its dark oily fabric over my skin, scrubbing away days of accumulated dirt and sweat.

After m
y skin felt clean, I rinsed the dress several times to clean it. I slinked out of my undergarments and washed them as well. Then I used the wet sand from under feet to scrub my skin again. Sand became my soap, and I even piled it into in my hair and scalp and scrubbed then dunked my head backward, sinking into the baptismal water.

Finally clean and thoroughly exhausted, I dragged myself to
shore and pulled my underwear and corset back on as well as I could. Though I couldn’t tie the darn thing, it at least covered my important bits. I crashed onto my back there on the shore in the hard-packed sand and looked at the sky. Darkness was starting to creep over land and earth. A few stars shone, and the moon’s halo shone from behind a soft, silvery cloud. The wind blew over my body, drying it somewhat, but I realized that I needed to head back to the fire and its warmth when chills raked over my skin, and my teeth chattered together.

I shrugged the dress back
over me and took off toward the camp. The guys weren’t there. The fire was blazing in the dark night.

Thwack! It
was followed by a
thump, thump
. Two coconuts fell to the ground a few feet away. I looked up and saw one of the twins clinging to the trunk of a palm tree, a long knife in hand. He shimmied down and gathered four coconuts he’d freed. Faric or Riven? He was shirtless and his pants were dark. That’s all I knew.

He grinned and nodded toward the coconuts. “Want one?”

“Sure.” His hair dripped wet on his broad shoulders. Why did this fine specimen of a man have to be such a jerk? Why? It didn’t even matter which twin he was. Both were jerks. One was just more open about it. He quickly and efficiently beheaded the coconut and handed it to me. I tipped it back and gulped the milk down with a fury. Rivulets of the sweet water ran down both sides of my mouth, meeting at my chin and forming a waterfall that splashed onto my toes. I didn’t care. Thirst and deliciousness took over. I stopped, gasping for air and wiped my chin and mouth.

“Thanks.”

“Welcome.” He beheaded his own and sat down on a log near the fire. Sparks spewed into the night fizzling out as they fell back to earth. “Faric’s out hunting. He’ll be back soon. He’s better at it than I am.”

“Well, that answers one of my questions,” I admitted.

Wondering which one I was, huh?” He raised his mouth in a hesitant half smile.

“Yep. The only way I can tell y
ou apart is by your clothing at this point, though your personalities are very different.” I admitted and began gulping the rest of the coconut milk. Pausing, I added, “If you aren’t acting, that is. You’re both either brilliant, or I’m very foolish. I’m not sure which at this point.”

He released a heavy si
gh. “Lara, you’re not a fool. I didn’t mean—”

“Stop,” I interrupted. “Just st
op. You did mean to deceive me, right? I’m not sure of your motive. I hope to figure it out at some point. But don’t say that you didn’t mean to fool me or hurt me or lie to me or whatever. Just don’t. Don’t lie anymore.”

“Okay.” He said as awkwardness
fell over us. I’m surprised the fire wasn’t smothered by it.

“So how are we getting to the seafarer’s,
and how long will it take to get there?” I asked.

“Faric has a friend not too f
ar from here with a boat we can hopefully borrow, and if that pans out, we can travel by boat in about a day, depending on the winds and currents.” He shifted onto his side, leaning down on his elbow, flinging dried pieces of sea grass into the flames.

“I’ve never been in a boat. What’s it like?”

He smiled and looked over at me. “Freedom. It’s like freedom. Feeling the wind in your hair, the power in the sail and the current beneath you. You’re completely at God’s will but free to enjoy every minute of it. It’s like God’s breath speeding you across the water. It’s amazing.”

“Wow. You must really love to sail. Why did you leave? I mean,
you did leave, right? You are the trader? Or was that a—”

He cut me off. “No. It wasn’t a l
ie. I am the trader. Our mother died, and father had to work. He was a sailor. We were given the option of staying with a seafarer family that would raise us or traveling to Annette in the kingdom. But we never had the option of staying with him. He didn’t want us after mother was gone.

He couldn’t have handled childr
en and sailed at the same time, anyway. We were sent to live with Annette and her husband, and she stayed with us until we were five, almost six. She was called away to become a governess, having been a previous potential, and we stayed with her husband for a while longer. Our father called for our return. We both complied and Faric lived with him for quite some time. I chose to return to the kingdom. From there, I began trading.”

My heart sunk in my chest.
These were the two boys Annette mentioned having raised. Their mother had been best friends with my own and Annette. She left them to take care of me.

Guilt washed over me. Their fa
ther had sent them away, either killed or sent their mother away as well. They chose Annette who took me in and then chose to leave and become my governess. They didn’t know she had chosen to go with me into the tower.
Oh holy crap of all revelations
. I clenched my eyes shut.

“You lived with Annette? An
d then her husband? Is that why she wanted me to trust you?” I cringed at the thought.

“Yes. She said, I or Faric rath
er, should take care of you and make sure nothing happened to you—that a lot of people would become interested in you after you received the mark and that if the wrong kind of people found out about you, your life would be in danger,” he admitted. “Faric returned about a year ago and was assigned as a guard in the tower. I kept an eye on him from a distance when I came to town. He didn’t know I was the trader, just thought I’d left—maybe gone back to father. I always covered my face when making trades there. I got worried and finally waited in his house for him to return. When he did, he was shocked to see me. Actually, he was pissed. He wanted me to leave before I ruined everything. We fought, as usual, but he finally admitted that Annette had begged him to take you away. She’d seen some signs in you that you may be more than just a potential. That you may be the chosen. Look, Faric can be a real jerk, and I didn’t know if he would actually keep you safe or sell you to the highest bidding kingdom. So I knocked him out and took him into the nearby hills and chained him up in this cave. I mean, I took him food and water and stuff every day, and I know that doesn’t excuse what I did, but I really just wanted to get him away from you in the event you were the chosen, and I’m rambling aren’t I?”

I nodded. He continued, “But
then I saw you, and I got to escort you to the introduction, the Altair thing happened, and I wanted to kill him for what he did to you. And I did apply your hand--using Faric’s name. And I know neither you nor Lillian will be likely to forgive me, but I swear my intentions were good.”

“Riven, I don’t know what to s
ay about all of this.” I looked back toward the ocean. The breeze stirred my hair and blown it over my shoulder.

“I know. I just want you to kn
ow that when you got that mark, I felt so helpless. I wanted to help you, drag you out of the air, and keep you safe from those dirty bastards, but I couldn’t. I literally couldn’t move. I’m so sorry.” He gulped.

“I know. I saw you. You look
ed angry and worried all rolled up in one.”

“I knew Maylon could help
you, and that’s why I took you straight to her. I’m not really sure how the tattoo thing appeared. When you were dropped back to the ground, you had this giant slash down your spine from the sword, and a thick burn mark across your shoulders from the whip. I’d never seen anything like that in my life. I’d always wondered if God and Satan really existed, but seeing that left no doubt.”

I couldn’t help but agree and laugh. I felt the exact same way.

“Anyway,” he said, “I’m sorry I was such a jerk at the settlement pub. I just couldn’t stand the thought of you with Jonas. I’m sure he’s great. But I don’t know. I just didn’t like it. Then I saw that you’d left, and I went back to Maylon’s and found her and the boy and saw horse tracks leading toward the forest. I didn’t know if you’d left on your own, or if you’d been taken, I just knew I needed to get you back. And I
am
really sorry for everything, for lying, for pretending to be my brother. I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to keep you safe.” He dragged his hand over the back of his neck and peeked up at me from beneath his dark lashes.

“Please don’t lie to me again, Riven.” I said numbly, realizing that

I needed to come clean with him as well. “There’s something you should know. And I only found out on the night of the introduction myself, but”—I took a deep breath—“do you remember a baby being at Annette’s house when you were little? A baby girl?”

“Yeah. We called her lad
ybug. I thought that was such a funny name, but she was so little and cute. It suited her,” he said, releasing a small laugh through his nose. “Why are you bringing her up? Do you know her?”

“Yes.” I admitted. Realizatio
n swept over his brow. His eyes turned dark, turmoil swirling through his pupils. “Annette, my mother, and your mother were best friends. They were all potentials in class together. She took you in after your mother was gone. And my mother died giving birth to me, so she took me in as well. It was my mother’s last request. Then because of the timing of my birth, they called me to the tower as a potential at the age of two. Annette had promised my mom on her deathbed that she would take care of me, especially since I was a potential. She volunteered to be my governess. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to take her away from you. You and Faric needed her too.” And with that, the tears fell. I could hold them back no more.

B
linking at Riven through bleary
eyes, he seemed stunned. I was sure that he was angry with me. Why wouldn’t he be? I was the reason Annette left him. His mother was gone, his father didn’t want him, Annette and her husband took him and Faric into their homes and lives, then entered Solara, and I dragged Annette away from them. Why? Why had my mother made Annette promise to look after me?

“Solara,” he rasped. “Don’t tell
Faric about this at least for a while. Okay?”

“What?” I choked.

“Just please don’t. Please. Trust me. I’m not sure what he’s up to, and until I can figure it out, I don’t think it would be a good idea to put much faith in him. If we see that he is being altruistic, then you can feel free to tell him everything, okay?” He stared at the fire with hardened features, muscles tensed.

“Okay. I’m really sorry, Riven.”
We remained silent until Faric joined us a short while later.

“Fire! We’ll need it. Check this
out, brother!” Faric exclaimed, holding in one hand some sort of floppy dead bird with black and white feathers and in the other an enormous tan-colored crab. Its jointed legs hung limply at freakish angles. The two quickly prepared the meat and placed it into the fire. Outwardly, Riven was jovial and seemingly upbeat, but I knew better. He wore his mask well, a mocking reminder of his artful deception. After stuffing ourselves, we agreed to get some sleep, and we could continue to Faric’s friend’s house in the morning.

I slept fitfully. Sand fleas gor
ged themselves on every inch of my exposed flesh. Black surrounded me. It was everywhere as if someone had drawn a large quilt over my head. It was comforting to be wrapped in the velvet abyss. If darkness had a scent, it would be strong and masculine—musky and sensual.

I swam in the darkness, enjoying its splendor until two lights emerged and made their way toward me. One yellow and one teal. Both illuminated in otherworldly grace. Then a brilliant white light from above beamed down, bathing me. The light from above dimmed the yellow and teal orbs, slightly blinding me. I cursed the light from above, covering my eyes and blinking to adjust to its brightness. I wanted to know what those orbs are. I had heard the saying, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it,” and now terrifyingly became aware of its meaning.

A young beautiful fa
ce emerged from the surrounding shadows. Riven! His face is perfectly masculine. I saw his turquoise eyes, no eye. His right one was turquoise. But the left was yellow-green and feline. From behind his perfectly sculpted torso, two enormous wings snapped out from behind him. The right wing was covered in downy feathers—the purest white I’d ever seen. The left wing was covered with large, sharp-looking feathers, a piercing raven-black color. He smiled sweetly at me, and I smiled sweetly back. He reached forward to embrace me, and as I reached for him, he lunged at me, grabbing my throat in his strong hands and squeezed the life from me.

I gasped awake. Riven lay opposite me with an arm draped over his face, mouth slightly gaped open in sleep. Faric, the evil twin, raised his head. “Bad dream?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I whispered, still trying to compose my thoughts.

“Sorry I woke you.”

“I haven’t slept well. These stupid sand fleas are eating me alive.”

“I know. They think I taste good too.” I smiled.

smirk emerged. “I’m sure you
do, Solara.” Heat flashed into my cheeks.

What? Did he really just say that to me? Pervert.
“You’ll have to take their word for it, Faric. You’ll never get a sample.”
Touché, jerkwad!
He just looked at me and smiled, raising his brows. Seems I surprised him with my snappiness!

“So, are you going to tell me?” he asked.
What? How I tasted? Ewww.

“Tell you what?” I prayed
the conversation didn’t go any further into the gutters.

He smirked, seeming to know
what I was privately afraid he was alluding to. “About your dream of course.”

“Oh no. It was nothing. I barely remember it now,” I lied.

“Liar,” he said firmly but calmly. “Well, if you choose to lie about your dreams, that’s your choice. But will you please refrain from lying to me about my brother? I know something was up with him tonight. I’m just not sure what. You were with him while I went hunting, so did you talk with him much? Did he tell you if something was wrong?”

Making sure to avoid eye conta
ct with him, I lied again, “No. I didn’t notice anything off about him. We didn’t talk much. Why do you think something was the matter with him?” I gritted my teeth, hoping he didn’t see through this lie as well.

“He was too friendly with
me. He hates me. He never jokes around or has fun when I’m around. But tonight, he was almost too brotherly. I know something’s up. I’ll just have to find out myself,” he said, lying back onto the sand again.
Smack!
“Stupid sand fleas!” he seethed.

I giggled and then one bit me. I smacked it to death too and
giggled again.

The morning sky was ablaze with o
ranges and pinks slashed across it, easily overpowering the muted purples and hazy blue behind its fury. The waves were calm and gently rolled and foamed over one another, lapping the shore. There was a calm warm breeze coming off the ocean. Faric and Riven were both still asleep near the fire that was barely still alive. I gently placed a few more pieces of dried wood into the coals to keep the fire alive before then walked down to the surf. Small shells dotted the dark brown sand, and a sand crab scurried sideways and ducked into its hole as I approached.

Walking up the beach felt wond
erful. Sea gulls filled the air with their wings and calls to one another. Early morning light glistened off of the water’s surface, concealing what lay beneath.

I’d heard stories of great fish and
sharks with razor-like teeth. I walked past the area in which I bathed yesterday to a place where the beach curled around into a cove.

Rocks of varying sizes rose from the su
rf. Some were covered with seaweed and barnacles. Several were sharp and jagged, while others were smooth, having been worn by time and water. A few only peeked above the water’s surface when the waves receded. Others towered from the waves, daring someone to climb them. Sirens of rock and earth. I waded out into the warm water and climbed atop a rock that was large and rectangular, and smooth.

Its sides were covered in barnacles
and algae; its top rose only a few feet out of the water during swells. I stuck my feet out over the edge and let the waves gently sweep over my toes. The waves moved as if they were a living being, their crests and valleys, as if inhalations and exhalations of a great creature. I leaned back on my hands and looked toward the sky and closed my eyes soaking in the sounds and smells of the ocean and the feel of the briny water on my feet and legs.

I didn’t know I had company unt
il he cleared his throat. “Care if I join you?” he asked. I opened one eye, hoping I could tell which one it was. As if reading my thoughts, he offered, “I’m Faric. The real one.” He smirked, and I nodded for him to come on up. He easily scaled my rock and sat down beside me dipping his toes in the water as well. “You’re quite away from camp. I thought I might never find you.”

“Well, you did.” I said. My eyes closed once more.

“You seem to really enjoy the ocean. Is it what you expected?”

I opened my eyes and leaned for
ward. “Yes. It’s wonderful as I imagined but, at the same time, so much more. I feel connected to it in some way. Like I have been reunited with a part of myself I never knew was missing until now,” I admitted. “That probably sounds stupid, sorry.”

He shook his head. “Don’t apolog
ize for being honest. Actually, I feel the same way. I love the ocean. I feel refreshed every time I get to return.”

The silence between us was filled with the sounds of the waves.

“So you kissed my brother...” he trailed off, a smirk stretching over his lips.

Oh crap. Why couldn’t Riven keep his mouth shut?

“I was drunk. It was a mistake. End of story.” I felt the blood flow into my cheeks.

“Well, for what it’s worth. He
enjoyed it. I’m quite sure any man who has been graced with your succulent lips would feel quite the same.”

“What do you want, Faric?” I ask
ed, feeling a change of topic was overdue.

He looked down the be
ach toward camp then back at me and smiled, revealing a set of dazzling white teeth. “Other than your lips?”

I gave him a get real look, and he laughed and said, “O
kay, okay. Look, I want to talk to you about the trip. I will gladly take you to the seafarers for them to interpret your mark. But then I need for you to return to the kingdom with me. Things there are chaotic. Riven doesn’t know any of this, so I need you to keep it between the two of us. Do I have your word?”

I nodded. “How are things chaotic?”

“Well, there is no longer a council. Most were killed. One man has assumed authority over the kingdom and its inhabitants.” His features were serious.

“What? Who?” I asked. What
about Wes and Lil and Annette? Were they safe?

He took a deep breath and ex
haled deeply and then looked at me. “Altair. He sent me for you.”

Goosebumps flooded my
skin, and I grabbed my chest to steady my galloping heart and breathing.
Altair? How did he take over the council? Wait, he said they were dead. Had Altair killed them all? Why did he ask for me? Oh God, he is nuts.
“I can’t go back there, Faric. I know you don’t know what he did to me, but I can’t go back there. I won’t. He’s crazy. He’ll kill me.”

He looked at me, scrunch
ed his brows together and said, “What do you mean what he did to you? What did he do? I thought he only wanted you because you’re the chosen.”

“No.” I choked on a sob. “He’
s crazy. First the introduction and then on the balcony, and at the reveal. I can’t go back, and you can’t take me to him. You can’t.” Sobs overtook my body before I even knew what hit me.

“What did he do, Solara?” H
e grabbed me by the arms, and I looked up at him. “You’re shaking. What happened with Altair? Please tell me.”

“Riven can tell you. I can’t talk about it.” I wiped the tears from
my cheeks. “It all happened when he was you or pretending to be you. He was my guard. He can explain everything.” I jumped down from the rock into the surf and trudged back to shore and started back to camp, squeezing my waist and ribs to try to shake the chills brought on by the simple mention of Altair’s name.

Faric quickly caught up with
me. “Solara, stop. Please.” He grabbed my arm, and I stopped, looking anywhere but in his direction. “Look, I’ll ask Riven to explain everything. But you should know that if I don’t return with you, he will send soldiers after you, and those he will send are as ruthless as he is. They will break you even before you’re returned to him.”

I looked at him through blear
y eyes and sniffled, hugging my ribs tighter. He looked away and said, “He has Annette, Wesley, and Lillian.”

My heart sank. “Are you su
re?” He nodded. I overheard him speaking with Matthias before I left to get you. He sent me to retrieve you from my brother. The longer you’re free, the more your loved ones are in danger.” He paced back and forth in the sand in, cursing and squeezing the bridge of his nose.

“I don’t want to go to the seafarers, Faric
. Please, take me back now.” I couldn’t believe my own ears, and yet the voice that had uttered those words was unmistakably my own.

He stopped abruptly and looked at me, confused. “What?”

“Take me to Altair. I can’t let him hurt them. He will. He’s crazy. If I don’t return, he’ll kill them all. I know he will. Please, Faric. Take me back. Don’t say anything to Riven. I don’t want him harmed either. We’ll just sneak away, and you can take me back.” I begged. “Let’s go back to camp. Let me think things through with regard to Riven. We’ll proceed to my friend’s house as planned.