Rift (23 page)

“Your advantages are speed and agility.” His hands gripped her forearms, holding her down. “So I have to keep you still to win.”

Breathing hard, Ember looked up into his face. He wore that infuriating expression of being on the verge of laughter.

“You’re supposed to be teaching me,” she said. “Not enjoying yourself.”

“I believe I can do both.” He smiled.

She gritted her teeth and tried as hard as she could to shove him away, but she might as well have been trying to lift a boulder.

“This is hardly fair.” Ember glared at him.

“That’s part of the lesson,” he answered, still smiling. “Most fights aren’t fair.”

“Fine,” she said. “Lesson learned. Are you going to let me up or make me spend the night in the mud?”

When he laughed, Ember took advantage of the distraction. She jerked hard beneath him, making him lose his balance. Rather than freeing herself, Ember only managed to cause Barrow to collapse into her.

“Points for effort,” he grunted, beginning to right himself. “I think you may be part fox, Lady Morrow. You’ve got the coloring to support my suspicions.”

Propping himself on one elbow, he reached out to brush a strand of auburn hair from her face. For a moment his fingers rested against her cheekbone.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she murmured, trying to catch her breath. She’d made an honest attempt to free herself, but now she couldn’t focus on anything but the length of Barrow’s body pressed against her. His face was very close to hers. She could see dark stubble beginning to peek out on his chin and jaw.

“It was meant to be one,” he said quietly, and went very still. Without warning he pushed himself up and stepped away from her. “I think that’s enough for today.”

Ember sat up, surprised by his sudden change in mood. He offered his hand to help her up but released her fingers the moment she was on her feet.

“I’ve kept something from you and I can’t continue to do so,” he said.

“What is it?” Ember asked warily.

“I wanted you to fight so you knew your strength, your inherent skills,” he said. “You are a warrior, Ember, don’t doubt that.”

“But—” She braced herself as if waiting for a blow.

The soberness of his expression did nothing to quell her growing anxiety. “You’re going into the field tomorrow. Lukasz told me last night.”

She swallowed the sudden thickness in her throat. “Tomorrow?”

“That’s not all.” Barrow sighed. “We’re investigating what could be a serious threat in the Black Forest. It’s a high-risk expedition, so Lukasz will lead the mission himself. Five of the Guard will accompany him.”

For a moment she felt relieved, knowing the burden of her first foray into the world would be shared. But Barrow spoke again:

“Alistair will be there.”

The sound of Alistair’s name jolted through her.

Barrow put his hand on her shoulder. “You cannot let what has passed between you be a distraction. He made a terrible mistake by burdening you with his desire. But I will not let it endanger you.”

Ember drew a long breath before saying, “I won’t let it get in the way. I’m here for a purpose that has nothing to do with Alistair. He’s a member of the Guard, which makes him my brother and friend. As you said, we live and die for each other.”

“Very well,” he said, though with slight hesitation. “When we’re in the field, I want you to stay close to me. You’ve proven capable in combat, but that won’t compensate for the shock of facing off with a beast that wants to kill you.”

“The revenant wanted to kill me,” Ember countered.

Barrow regarded her calmly. “Yes. It did.”

He picked up his sword belt, wincing slightly as he did. “And I’ll bear the bruises that witness to your skill. It still would benefit you to watch and learn from the rest of the group. Don’t endanger yourself unnecessarily.”

“Why would I?” Ember regretted the sharpness in her voice, especially when Barrow gave her a thin, cold smile.

“Because you may be a natural warrior, but you’re human,” he said. “You’ll be tempted to make a point to Alistair. And perhaps try to impress Lukasz. Both choices would endanger you . . . and all of us.”

Ember bowed her head, kicking the dirt as shame washed over her. How was it that this tall knight could look at her and see into her heart? Every word he’d spoken was true. She wanted to show Alistair she belonged among the knights, that she was as much of a warrior as he. And she wanted Lukasz to see her as a valuable addition to the Guard. Most of all, she wanted Barrow to have no regrets about choosing to be her mentor.

Barrow’s light touch on her arm drew her eyes up.

“Come, Ember,” he said. “It’s time to restore the strength you spent today.”

SEVENTEEN

TWO THINGS HAD
ROBBED
Ember of sleep. The first was Alistair. All through the night any sound reminiscent of footsteps had made her tense, one hand clutching the dagger beneath her pillow. She couldn’t go on like this. As much as she’d spoken the words to Barrow that her commitment to the Guard was beyond any grudge she might bear toward Alistair, she worried that it might not prove true tomorrow.

Adrenaline building from nightfall to dawn’s first light was the second reason she hadn’t rested. And it was that still-churning source of energy that kept her from exhaustion despite her sleepless night.

Ember dressed and made her way to the barracks’ main hall. Barrow, Kael, and Alistair were at their table from the night before. Taking the coward’s path, Ember ducked her head and slid into a seat next to Sorcha.

Lukasz’s deep voice rumbled, “Good morning, Lady Morrow.”

“Good morning, sir,” Ember said.

A servant placed a bowl of cooked oats before her. She forced the spoon to her mouth, though her stomach didn’t want food.

Sorcha set down her spoon, fixing Ember with a puzzled frown. “Not that we object to your company, Lady Morrow. But it is customary that you are a constant companion to your mentor until your apprenticeship ends.”

“Never mind that, Sorcha,” Lukasz said. “If Barrow hasn’t instructed Lady Morrow to join him for meals, then she may sit where she wills.”

Sorcha shrugged and returned to her oats. Lukasz leaned back in his chair, regarding Ember.

“I’m told you fared quite well on the practice field.”

Ember lowered her gaze. “Lord Hess flatters me with his praise.”

The commander’s laugh resembled a bear’s growl. “Barrow is not known for his gracious manner! His fair assessment of your skill bodes well for us. You’ve been told of our mission today?”

“Only that I’m to join you,” she said, gaining some confidence after Lukasz’s pronouncement about her aptitude in combat.

“The others are used to encountering beasts of the dark,” he said, smiling at Sorcha, who shrugged. “Let me offer you some illumination.”

He turned his eyes back on Ember. “Our missions take us many places. Some near, some far. We respond to rumors of evil omens. Some of the missions lead us to baseless fears. Others pit us against those manifestations of evil we’ve sworn to defeat.”

“What’s happening in the Black Forest?” Ember imagined only a serious threat would compel the Guard to make the long journey from Scotland to the realm of the German princes.

“People are disappearing.”

Sorcha stopped eating to listen, watching the commander closely.

“It’s gone on for the past month,” Lukasz continued. “At first only a few villagers went missing. But when children vanished, the rumors began.”

“How many?” Sorcha asked.

“We’re not sure,” Lukasz said. “But enough to signal the presence of something unnatural in the forest and enough to create panic in the villages.”

Ember stirred her oats, though Lukasz’s story made the thought of another bite unappealing. “What could make people disappear?”

A sour expression crossed the commander’s face. “Creatures first identified in my homeland. We call them striga.”

“Night flyers?” Sorcha’s mouth twisted. “Disgusting.”

“Yes,” Lukasz said. “And very dangerous.”

“What are they?” Ember asked.

“Monsters,” Sorcha said. “Monsters who feed on human flesh . . . especially that of children.”

Lukasz nodded. “The stories of my homeland say that the striga were once barren women whose envy of other women’s children turned them into these flesh-eating creatures: witches and cannibals.”

“That’s horrible.” Ember’s skin felt cold.

“It is,” Lukasz told her. “In more ways than the obvious. The lore will eventually drive the forest people to search for a culprit.”

Sorcha was shaking her head. “That always ends poorly.”

“We need to hunt the striga and dispose of it,” Lukasz told them. “According to our sources, rumors have begun to fester throughout the villages of the forest. Once accusations begin to fly, they’ll surely find some poor woman, or more than one, to burn as a witch.”

“The missions of the Guard are as often about saving innocent people from such fates as they are about destroying the real monsters,” Sorcha said to Ember.

Ember’s mind reeled. “None of the stories are true? Of witches in league with the devil?”

“Everything we’ve learned in Conatus would negate the verity of witchcraft as it is commonly understood.” Lukasz stood up. “The evils we face are not of this world. Their true dwelling is elsewhere, a darker place still shrouded in mystery. We do all we can to learn of this spawning realm that plagues our world with its diseases, but our efforts have been for naught.”

“And lately things seem to be getting worse,” Sorcha muttered. She squinted at Lukasz. “What do you make of Eira and Cian’s report?”

Lukasz shook his head slowly. “I wouldn’t wager a guess as to what might have caused what they found. We’ll find out soon enough, though. The Circle will send out another patrol to the village as soon as we’ve completed this mission.”

“Something’s happened to another village?” Ember asked, noting the deep lines of concern etched on the commander’s face.

“A nearby settlement is gone,” Sorcha told her. “Dorusduain.”

“Gone?” Ember frowned.

“The structures remain,” Lukasz answered Ember. “Houses, tools, carts. But all living things that should have filled the village vanished, according to Cian and Eira.”

Watching Ember’s face twist in puzzlement, Sorcha said, “A messenger arrived yesterday with news that Dorusduain was gone. That was the only message he carried, and the source of that information remains unclear. Eira and Cian took it upon themselves to discover whether the message carried any truth, and since they’ve returned, the Circle has been questioning the messenger in the hopes that we might learn more about what happened to the people of Dorusduain.”

A thrill spiraled through Ember at the sisters’ courage. That two women would ride out alone, hunting a terror that could empty an entire village, bolstered her spirit. Ember hoped she could muster that same bravery in the Black Forest.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the commander rising from his chair.

Lukasz raised his voice so it filled the hall. “Those embarking on today’s mission should now assemble in the paddock. We’ll leave Tearmunn shortly.”

As the room filled with the sounds of knights finishing their morning meal and moving into the pattern of the day, Ember went to the table where Barrow, Kael, and Alistair were getting to their feet.

“There she is,” Kael greeted her warmly. “These two were claiming that it’s my conversation that kept you away this morning. Say it isn’t true, milady.”

Ember laughed. “Of course not. I wanted to speak with the commander.”

Barrow’s brow shot up and Ember quickly said, “He told me about the striga.”

“So it’s striga,” Alistair said, and Ember noticed he avoided making eye contact with her. “I thought that might be the case when I heard about the disappearances.”

“An unpleasant day is ahead of us,” Barrow said. “We’ll have to spend hours scouting and then wait for it to appear.”

“Wait for it?” Ember frowned. “Aren’t we hunting it?”

Kael answered her. “They’re called night flyers for a reason. I’d guess Lukasz is hoping we’ll find its roost and catch it sleeping. But considering the number of villages affected, it’s a wide swath of forest we’ll be searching. Odds of finding it before nightfall are against us.”

“We won’t find anything if we dally here,” Barrow said, and took off in the direction of the armory. Kael was soon at his heels, leaving Ember to stand alone with Alistair at the table.

She had started to turn when his voice stopped her.

“Wait.”

Ember’s heart jumped into her throat and she almost ignored him, wanting to run after Barrow and Kael.

“Please, Ember.”

She slowly turned and found Alistair’s eyes on her, large and pleading.

“I’m a fool,” he said.

“You are,” she said, letting her tongue run ahead of her mind.

Alistair blanched but stammered on. “If you choose to hate me . . . if you wish to curse my name, I will not begrudge you the right . . . but I beg for your mercy and your forgiveness.”

Ember held her breath, startled by the sudden change in Alistair. She couldn’t remember a time in their shared childhoods when he’d apologized for anything. He’d often taken a beating from his father rather than admit he’d done wrong.