Vaela opened her eyes. The afternoon sun lit the grassy hills that rolled all around her. Her body bobbed with the smooth gait of the horse, Surah’s hands firm on her hips. She shook her head and pain jabbed through her shoulder. She winced with a gasp as her hand flew to the pain. Her fingers brushed over a mass of bandages, padded under her tunic. Her other forearm throbbed as she wiggled her fingers. Two sticks splinted her forearm, bound tightly with sheets of fabric. She took a labored breath, exhaling through the full-body ache that already ate at her strength. Her body felt like a bloody rag that had been wrung free of its excess blood, left only to drip a trail of grime.
Beside her, Alnea rode behind Adyr, supporting her with her hands. Vaela jerked upright, wobbling in the saddle. Surah’s hands tightened around her, but she leaned to the side, trying to look at Adyr. She almost tipped out of the saddle and Surah heaved her back. Pain jabbed through her arm again, but she shoved it aside. Adyr’s torso was wrapped in bandages and Hermit’s cloak was draped over her shoulders. Her face was ashen from all the blood loss, though her breathing was easy.
Vaela squeezed the horse with her legs, righting herself. She tipped her head at Surah. “How long have I been out?” He patted her cheek, sending blips of stinging sensation through her face. Had he slapped her? She blinked and grabbed the pommel of the saddle. Everything was a blur, but she could swear he had slapped her.
Surah gestured to the horizon where the sun rose high above the trees. “We rode through part of the night, then set out again in the morning. You’ve been unconscious the whole way. Only woke up once–you remember this?” He tapped the splint on her arm.
Her arm throbbed and she hissed between her teeth, pulling her arm away from him. Her shoulder ached in protest at the sudden movement and she cradled her arm to her body with a wince. That’s right. An echo of sharp pain had pulled her out of the bottomless sleep she’d been in. Now that he said it, she did remember. They’d set her arm and splinted it. She nodded slowly, as the memory of the pain faded away.
Surah shifted back in the saddle. “Oh yeah, it was gross. Alnea wrenched it back into position to line up the bones.” He shuddered. “It made a noise.”
She leaned back, bumping into him. “Yes, well, I’m sorry it was so uncomfortable for you.”
He poked two fingers into her back and pushed her away from him. “It’s okay. Just remember, you owe me big time.”
Adyr groaned and stirred, straightening up in the saddle. Vaela froze for a moment, then shook herself from her stasis and nudged the horse closer to Alnea. Adyr’s eyes fluttered open and she weakly put a hand on her chest over the bandages. Alnea guided her hand away and placed it on the pommel. “Leave it be, child. You’re safe now.”
Hermit and Jace, riding at the front, came to a stop and turned their horses around. The group circled up as Adyr roused all the way. Her eyes still seemed unfocused, her shoulders slumped from the fatigue of the past few days. She ran a hand over her face. “Wh-where am I?”
Vaela almost burst with relief at the sweet sound of Adyr’s voice–even though it dripped with fatigue. She leaned over and rested a hand on Adyr’s. Clarity sharpened in Adyr’s eyes. “Vaela...” Realization filtered over her face, like rain flowing down a window. She looked around, taking in all of them, then her hands flew to her face. “Y-you came back for me. And I...” Her eyes filled with tears as she clutched her mouth. “I almost got you killed. I almost got everyone killed.”
Vaela shook her head rigorously, ignoring the stabs of pain the motion caused her right shoulder. “No. You saved me.” She brought Adyr’s hand to her lips and kissed it.
Adyr stared at her for a few moments, then her eyes hardened. “You pushed me away...”
Vaela winced, guilt echoing in her chest. Adyr whipped her hand back from Vaela and drew it back as if coiling to strike. Vaela spread her hands. “Listen, I had–”
Pain shot across her Vaela’s cheek as her head jerked to the side. She blinked, her eyes reflexively filling with tears from the strike. She clutched her face and looked back. Adyr’s eyes were wide with shock. A hand hovered beside Vaela–extended from behind her.
Surah raised his hand from where he’d just hit her cheek and curled it into a fist with one finger extended. He wagged it at Vaela. “And that… is for leaving us.”
Vaela swatted at his hand and tried to twist to face him. “You already slapped me for that, you ass!”
Surah swung a leg over the saddle and stepped down from the stirrup, settling on the ground. Vaela swayed back, her body unused to the lack of support of him behind her. He rolled his eyes and flung his hands wide. “Well, Adyr didn’t get to see that one.”
Vaela struggled to balance in the saddle. She gripped the pommel tightly and swung her leg over. The stirrup wobbled underneath her leg, pitching her forward, while she clutched her broken arm to her body. Surah made no movement to help her as she found her balance and managed to step down to the ground. She swiped her stick from the saddlebag and stomped up to him. “That is the last–”
Adyr’s laughter rang out from behind and Vaela glanced back. Adyr covered her mouth as she giggled. The anger flushed out of Vaela and her heart pounded fresh love through her entire body. That idiot, Surah–well, he had helped rescue her. Maybe she wouldn’t kick his ass right now. Or at least, not as bad.
She hobbled over to Adyr, the ground still unsteady under her feet. With Alnea’s help, Adyr slid off of the horse and Vaela stabilized her. Tingling excitement shot up her spine at the feeling of Adyr’s skin beneath her hand. Adyr stepped close, the color returning to her cheeks as her eyes burned with desire. Vaela’s entire body felt sore and worn with fatigue. She cradled Adyr’s cheek–it was all worth it to feel the Cold again.
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Their lips met in a long kiss, sending something far more exhilarating than Power coursing through Vaela. Adyr’s breath mingled with her own and she drank in the cool sensation. Adyr’s heartbeat throbbed through her body, sending blips of joy through Vaela with every beat. They broke their kiss off and Vaela brushed a tear from her eye.
Never again. They’d never bleed apart again.
Hermit, Jace, and Alnea dismounted and Alnea rummaged through a saddlebag. She pulled out a hunk of bread and tore it in two, holding a piece out to Adyr and Vaela. While the group rounded up, Surah fished a tunic out and gave it to Adyr. She pulled it on, returning Hermit’s robe. Vaela tore into the bread as her hunger, held at bay by the pain, finally reared its head. She sat on the ground beside Adyr and devoured her piece, then cocked her head at Alnea. “So… what now?”
Alnea nodded to the path they’d been riding on. “Journey to the coastal city that Seratia–the last of the Created here–lives in. She’ll have selected a Champion already. Ideally, we’ll find a Healer along the way and make sure you and Adyr recover fully.”
Adyr glanced over at Vaela’s broken arm and bit her lip. “We barely survived. I almost cost us everything. Almost cost Dome itself everything.” Vaela took her hand and laced their fingers together.
Alnea handed a flask of water to Adyr. “On the contrary, my child. You, both of you, have proven yourselves. The Sacrifice that you two accepted for each other is exactly why we choose humans to defend Dome.” Alnea nodded to Vaela and Adyr’s intertwined hands. “You are worthy. The fate of the world is in both of your hands.”
Adyr drew back and tilted her head. “Both?” Her pupils constricted, an inward expression shadowing her face. She grabbed her sleeve and pulled it up slowly. One by one, her horizontal scars peeked into view. After the highest one, directly over her shoulder itself, a black Mark adorned the top. Vaela leaned forward and looked at it. It was like an eye, atop a tower of scars. Adyr’s fingers jolted back from the Mark and she whipped her head back to Alnea. “I-I don’t understand…”
Alnea knelt with a smile and cradled Adyr’s face with a hand. “I have Seen what lies inside you. And I have Chosen you, my Champion.”
Vaela’s heart pounded loud in her ears. She jerked Adyr into a hug, pulling her tight with her good arm. Their hearts hammered against each other–with all the fear, and all the Power, that rested within them.
Hoarse laughter barked out behind them and Hermit pounded his leg. Vaela pulled back from Adyr and stared at him. He howled with laughter and gripped his sides, shaking almost violently. When he finally got a hold of himself, he turned towards Jace, his eyes full of light. “Oh, how sweet! How delicious! Methinks the wise Alnea has decided to have faith in more than just Adyr.”
Jace folded his arms over his chest and glared at Hermit. “What are you going on about, old Shade?”
Hermit spread his hands, a wide grin still on his face. “But don’t you see? Our entire plan revolves around finding a Storer. I provided the Forger”–he waved a hand dismissively at Vaela–“and Alnea has bestowed this one”–he flipped a hand at Adyr–“with her Mark.” He clapped both his hands on Jace’s shoulders and peered into his eyes. “And you know that Seratia has already Chosen her Oracle as her Champion. Which leaves...” Jace’s face fell, eyes widening in horror.
Alnea patted her mouth, her brow furrowed. “Oh. Oh my.”
Hermit glanced back at her, practically dancing with glee. “Yes, you see. You See. The fate of humanity now rests on Jace’s ability not to Mark the first person he has sex with.”
Jace sputtered and swatted Hermit’s hands away. “I-I do have self-control, you know.”
Hermit fell over and rolled on the ground with laughter. Alnea cleared her throat and turned away from Hermit, her mouth set in a grim line. Adyr squirmed and rubbed a hand over her scars. Alnea’s face softened and she smiled at Adyr. “You have proven your valor. I Chose wisely.” Hermit rolled to his side and pawed at Alnea with his feet. Annoyance flickered over her face and she batted him away. “Jace will just have to show some self-restraint.”
Warmth filled Vaela and–despite the increasing likelihood that all of humanity would die–she smiled. She leaned back to Adyr and kissed her, softly this time. Adyr’s hands trailed down Vaela’s body to rest on her hips. She broke off the kiss and pulled the knife from Vaela’s belt, holding it to her arm.
Vaela sat up in alarm. “What are you doing?”
Adyr rolled the sleeve back down and pulled it away from her body. She dug the tip of the knife into the tunic just above the shoulder. It pierced the fabric and her eyes flashed. “I’m not ashamed of my scars. Not anymore.” She cut through the top half of the sleeve with a sharp motion. Her Mark–the dark eye–peeked through, atop the highest scar. With a few more slices, she cut the sleeve completely away and pulled it down her arm. Her column of scars jutted along her arm in a pale display. She handed the knife back to Vaela and stroked the Eye. “I have triumphed over them.” She threw the sleeve to the side and shot Vaela a sheepish grin while ducking her head, as if embarrassed of her own declaration.
Vaela returned the smile, her heart fluttering for Adyr–and her sheepishness. Adorable. She took Adyr’s hand and leaned towards her. One by one, she kissed the scars, all the way to the Eye. Vaela rose up, her lips hovering over Adyr’s, and she stared into her eyes. “Then it’s time for a new scar–and a new victory over that.”
Adyr nodded and tilted her head, lips parted. Vaela eagerly bent forward, eyes closing. This. This was all she wanted.
A hand clapped her on the back, jostling her forward. Vaela twisted to avoid headbutting Adyr and their chests bumped into each other. Adyr hissed and jerked back, a hand flying to her bandages. Chagrin flicked through Vaela and she glared at Surah who stood over them. He paid no mind and thumped Adyr on the back as well. “Here, here! To more scars, more wine, more adventures.” He heaved Vaela and Adyr to their feet. “I must admit, being a hero is quite exciting. Pays shit, though.” He nudged Vaela and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Her annoyance dissolved and she leaned against him. He was an idiot, and she fully planned on paying him back those slaps–three, no, four, counting the slap on the back–but he was here. And he always had been. She chuckled and gingerly wrapped a hand around his waist. “Yeah, feels like shit most of the time, too.”
Adyr giggled and stood on Vaela’s left side. They intertwined hands–Vaela’s Mark spiraling up her forearm and Adyr’s Eye atop a pillar of scars. Surah’s and Adyr’s heartbeats sang to Vaela, pounding blood–beloved blood–through their bodies. Vaela looked at Adyr and her heart burst with beats of song. This woman she would See.
Alnea had been right. Vaela squeezed Adyr’s hand tightly and Adyr squeezed her back. The fate of their world was in their hands. Vaela leaned her head over and Adyr did the same. They rested against each other and Vaela stared over the horizon. Her entire world was in her hands. Something worth fighting for.
Blood worth dying for.
End of Book 1