Spurn (20 page)

Trust me
, sweetheart, you are definitely not the guy in this relationship.

What was with this sweetheart all of a sudden? Yeah
, I kind of liked it, but still.

His eyes ran over me, slowly, provocatively
... I knew he did it deliberately, but in that moment I was my usual raging mass of teenage hormones and didn’t really care. I worked hard to calm my breathing, slow my heart rate. I had to think about something else, anything. I really didn’t want to self-combust in front of my father. Instead I focused on how disconcerting it felt to have my inner reflections heard. Most of the time my thoughts were random and stupid. They’d had no filter applied, no checking of their permissibility to be spoken out loud.

I worried a little that
Brace would think I was young and unintelligent. His mind felt ancient, despite the fact he sounded twenty when he spoke. In the layers of his mind he had lived through more than I could have imagined.

You
’re perfect. I could not have asked for a better match. You make me feel young, less weighed down by the burdens I’ve witnessed. Your passion, humor and fiery personality. You’re perfect for me, Abigail.

“No!” Talina
’s screams drew me from my head.

I
realized I’d missed most of her conversation with Gladriel.

“Please
, don’t hurt him anymore,” Talina begged, apparently afraid to step closer, but still unable to stop from moving toward her brother.

Gladriel had gashed
Raror across his face, and it slowly dripped blood.

“I warned
you, Talina. If you do not go with your father then I will kill him.” Her voice was cold.

She didn’t even look down at the Spurn she’d
raised as a son.

I
realized Raror’s eyes were open now, just slightly, but he looked dazed. Whatever they’d done had really hurt him.

“I will go with him
. Just promise you won’t hurt Raror anymore. You have to let him come over here.” Talina waved her arms in the air.

T
he storm and ocean were still in tumult behind Gladriel, but Talina seemed to be in control.

“What is in thi
s for you, Gladriel?” I asked.

Why was she working with Walkers? It just seemed out of character for her.

She turned her yellow eyes in my direction. She spoke immediately, as if she’d been waiting for someone to ask.

“
Traktin approached me with a plan. He promised to take out Ladre. He said that if I made sure you all went to Silver City then he’d guarantee that I became the ruler of all of Spurn. I want the power. I hate to be dictated to by anyone.”

“Traktin is go
ne now,” I said, “so what’s the point of continuing this?”

She gestured to
Almastore. “He promised me the same thing if I made sure Talina would go without drama. I will not stop until I achieve my deserved crown. The Baroons should not rule over me simply because they are Baroons. I am the most powerful.”

She
turned from me again. “Now, dear daughter, since I know you value none above your brother, it was easy to figure out the way to assure your cooperation.”

“And you hav
e my full cooperation, bitc ... witch.” Talina stuttered over her attempt at a curse before finishing with a word she was more comfortable saying.

I
smiled as she took her chance to finally insult Gladriel.

“So let Raror go.
You have made your point. He is already hurt.”

“Talli.” Raror co
ughed then. His words rasped. “Do not go with him. Do not sacrifice yourself.”

He attempted to move away, but Gladriel
still held him tightly around his neck and he was just too injured to fight her.

“Save your energy and breath, son
.” Gladriel squeezed tighter. “Talina will do as she is told; she’d do anything to save you.”

“Dad, do something?” I turned to Josian. “
Blast her.”

Talina shook her head
. “No, Gladriel is a master at shielding herself. She is protected at the moment. Unless we can move closer, there is no way to hurt her.”

That must be why
Talina’s ferocious weather wasn’t touching them. I’d thought she’d developed some type of awesome self-control, but no ... Gladriel had a shield up.

“Go to your father
, Talina, and I’ll leave Raror with your friends.” Gladriel was getting impatient.

“No, I don’t trust you. You need to leave him there
. Step away, far away. I’ll go to Almastore, and then you can leave.”

“I have all the power, you ungrateful half
. Now move, or I rip his throat out.”

Talina stared at her mother for a minute
, but I knew she would never risk Raror. Turning without another word, she marched over to where Almastore had pulled himself to a half-sitting position.

He shook his head
, his expression serious. “I can’t just take her, Gladriel. Don’t you understand? Brace beat me in a challenge. He is Talina’s guardian now, and he is the one who has to release her.” His voice was dull. He didn’t really seem that interested anymore.

Wasn’t he
afraid of Que? Shouldn’t he be trying to save his ass and get Talina to go with him?

“It would be in his best interest t
o release her into your care,” Gladriel said, her yellow eyes focusing on Brace.

He laughed out loud. “And why should I do that
? You hold no leverage over me, and I am afraid Talina is important to us as well.”

“Brace
,” Talina said urgently. She stood at his side now. “Please release me. I need my brother to be okay.”

He shook his head. “You cannot trust her
. This Walker is going to take you through a doorway, and then there is nothing to stop Gladriel.”

They argued for a few minutes.
She clutched Brace’s arm, and I could feel his wavering. Despite the fact this might cost us the battle with the Seventine, he was going to release her. Stupid as it was, that spoke to me of his true nature, and I liked it a lot.

Josian
was just stepping forward to intercede when a roar had us spinning to the ocean. One of Traktin’s creatures had risen from the water behind Gladriel and Raror.

We’d been d
istracted watching Brace and Talina argue. No one was looking at the water, not even Gladriel. She was in the worst position with her back facing the briny depths. My warning screams fell into the roaring wind as the creature reared up behind the pair. Gladriel shifted, but she was a second too late. With a sharp screech the animal projected one of its many tentacles, and the straight sharp movement pierced Gladriel through her back, impaling her.

She was still holding Raror
, so the spike also entered his body. I could see him arch up as the tip became visible in the front of his abdomen. Josian ran at Walker speed to the water line. On the way he gathered energy between his parted hands and blasted the creature. It shimmered for a moment as his projected power encased it and it screamed in agony, sending a shiver down my spine. It fell apart into two smaller creatures, which flapped helplessly for a few moments.

Josian caught Raror in his arms
and dragged him up the beach. Gladriel was thrown to the ground behind them, but I didn’t spare her a second glance. Talina and I reached them at the same time. Her face was white and I realized I’d seen dead people with more color than she currently had.

“Raror
...?” Her voice broke.

“Gladriel’
s dead,” Brace said.

He
must have checked her before moving back up the beach to us. Talina didn’t look up from Raror or acknowledge Brace in any way.

“Hey
, little mermaid sister,” Raror rasped. Small bubbles of dark blood blossomed from the corner of his lips. “You are far too brave. You should never have tried to save me ... it’s my job to save you.” His yellow eyes were warm.

Talina
pressed her hand tight against the injury on his stomach. But the blood continued a slow ebbing from his wound.

Her brown eyes filled with tears
, overflowing and running in rivulets down her cheeks.

“Raror
... no ... you need to listen to me. You promised, so you can’t leave me. You have to hold on. We can get you help.” Her desperate features sought Josian. “Can you do something? Help him?”

Josian
hesitated, his strong facial planes wracked in sorrow. I just knew he didn’t have good news.

“Talina, I don’t have any ability to heal
; I could try and repair the outer damage that I can see, but there is too much internal.” He looked up at Brace, who was standing protectively behind us. “Do you have any healing abilities?”

Brace
stepped forward before kneeling beside Raror.

“I
have some small ability, but I think he might be too injured.”

Too far gone.

His thoughts were somber as he laid both hands across Raror’s abdomen. I couldn’t see anything happening, but I felt a gathering of energy and then warmth seemed to surround us.

“You stay with Abby
.” Raror coughed again. He had not taken his eyes from Talina once. “She will look after you.”

A
dull light reflected in the yellow of his eyes. I felt Brace’s desperation. I placed my hand gently on his back, where he was crouched on the sand, sending him my warmth and support.

I can’t heal this, Red. The
limb pierced a major vein of the heart, the vena cava, I think. He is bleeding out.

Tears filled my eyes
. I liked Raror and the scene between the siblings was just devastating.

This is going to kill Talina. But if you can’t save him, then just step back and let them have this moment.

I knew he’d try until all hope was gone, but it would be better for Talina to say goodbye. After a few more futile moments he took my advice, straightening to stand next to me.

“I’
m sorry, Talina. There is just too much damage. I did everything I could.” His voice wavered. “You should say your goodbyes.”

“No
...” she said. “No, you can’t stop. He can be saved.” Her voice rose in desperation.

“Talli, he is right
.” Raror’s quiet words captured her attention again.

Her face crumpled even as she
continued to shake her head in denial.

Raror
finally tore his eyes from her.

“Look after
Talina,” he said to me. He didn’t wait for my reply, turning back to her immediately.

“I love you
, Talina of Earon. You save the world. You find your destiny.”

Despite the alien nature of
Raror’s features, I found his face lovely in that moment. Talina sobbed once, and I could see from the corner of my eye that she was leaning against him.

“I don’t think I can do this without you
,” she whispered in a broken voice. “You are my rock.”

“No,
you have always been my rock. I am a far better Spurn because of you. Do not mourn this. I will wait for you in the fade.” He lifted one hand and wiped her tears.

This seemed to be the last of his energy. His arm fell back down and his eyes shuttered, as if about to close.

I turned away then, staring into the endless beauty of the ocean, searching for comfort. Brace placed a hand on my cheek before leaning down to rest his forehead on mine. I let the tears free. The salty river of pain flowed in an endless torrent. Brace wiped them away without saying a word; he let me have my pain, giving only his comforting touch.

I heard Raror’s stuttered breath, and then there was no more.
Talina started to wail, loud shrieking mourning wails. The wind went crazy around us. Brace dragged me backwards, just in time to avoid a tidal wave. From where we’d fallen into the sand I struggled to reach Talina. I couldn’t hear that pain any longer and not attempt to comfort her. But the wind held me motionless. At least, from what I could see through the sand, Talina looked to be safe in the center of her storm. She’d gathered Raror’s body up in her arms, and was rocking back and forth. Her wails increased. I couldn’t say how many endless moments we waited, watching her as she begged, prayed and cursed to whichever god the Spurns worshipped.

“We have to get to her, Brace. How long can she do this?” I turned to face him.

He
sat behind me, one of his large, warm hands rubbing gentle circles along my spine.

“She could mourn like this forever, Red. Raror was her everything
. The grief for that knows no limits or boundaries,” he said with a quiet sadness, and I wondered who he’d lost.

I swallowed audibly. “That’s how I felt when Lucy was kidnapped, but even then I had no definit
e proof she was dead. I refused to even consider it.”

His face hardened
. “I can’t forget the look on your face that day – that dead look.” He took my chin in his hand. “I vowed I would never see that again. But it was there again when you found out about me, when you asked me to leave you alone. It was there and I was the cause.” He growled. “If anyone else had caused you to feel pain like that I’d have ended them where they stood. But it was me, and there is nothing I can do but make it up to you forever.”

He pressed a
gentle kiss to my cheek, his lips lingering. It was odd to have him kiss me so casually, and yet it felt as if we’d been joined together for years.

I decided to change the subject
. We still had a lot to work through – including his little episode of hiding the truth from me – but right now that was too heavy.

My eyes filled with tears. I couldn’t help it
. The scene with Raror’s face in those final moments continued to play through my mind.

“Baby, please don’t do that. Don’t let it linger in your mind
. You have to release the pain, or it will dig in deep and take hold.”

I gulped in a couple of breaths, raising my eyes up trying to stem the flow of tears. Brace placed his hands on my cheeks, using his thumbs to gently wipe at my overflow of pain.

“I … just … it was so quick.” My words stumbled as I tried to express the pain.

“Life is one of those things that can be over in an
instant, even for those of us long-lived. We must embrace every moment.”

I lowered my eyes to stare at him. The tears continued, letting free some of
weight on my heavy heart.

“Want to know about my dreams?”
Brace said his voice tinged with desperation. He didn’t like me crying. Luckily, his attempt at distraction worked. My pulse race, I’d been dying to know what his dreams were.

I nodded briskly, and with his hands still resting on either side of my face
, he leaned in close and touched his lips to my forehead. I was about to protest when I realized I was no longer seeing the Spurn beach but a scene of pure unending love. I was in Brace’s mind.

I couldn’t
see the faces clearly, but I knew it was us. As his dream progressed the images came into focus. We were running through the forest of First World. No ... that wasn’t right, not running, Brace was chasing me. But I looked like I was gliding above the foliaged ground. My red Walker marks were on display. I laughed freely and occasionally shrieked as his long arms almost captured me. I could tell he wasn’t putting much effort into catching me. His expression was joyful; he was enjoying the chase. And even though I’m pretty competitive, I was just waiting to be caught.

Suddenly
the laughter ceased and darkness flooded the sunlit trees. As an observer I couldn’t do anything, but the Abby of the dream spun around, her ... my ... features alight with surprise. Brace was nowhere to be seen. She looked panicked as she pushed through the fog, the trees whipping around in a cruel wind.

“Brace!”
she screamed out, falling to her knees.

The wind howled, blowing her red curls everywhere.
I silently urged her to get back up, to run from the darkness.

Then
he burst through the gloom, glowing, in the same way Josian always did – light surrounding him on all sides – and he was levitating off the ground. I expected dream Abby to run straight to him, but she hesitated. Standing slowly, she actually started to back away.

“Brace?”
she questioned, and I suddenly understood.

His eyes
were a swirling mass of gold. And the darkness that flooded the forest and was turning my blood to ice poured from his outstretched hands. He moved too fast, capturing her face in both hands. Leaning down, he was about to press his lips to hers, and that was when I noticed the darkness was inside his mouth also; he was going to flood her with darkness. I screamed my own warning. Which I knew was useless. The scene faded out at this point.

Back on the beach I yanked myself free from Brace.
Safe to say, I’d been suitably distracted from my grief.

“What the hell was that?”
My heart raced. The adrenalin flooding my system didn’t understand that was just a dream.

He gave me a half
-smile.

“I don’t know, Red
, which is why I haven’t told you about it.” He stared out into space. “That damn dream’s been haunting me for years.” He shook his head. “But one thing was always clear. I had a mate, a beautiful, sarcastic, funny mate. And despite the nature of the dream, I looked forward to it every night.”

“Yeah
, but now I have to worry about you doing that freaky gold-eye, evil-smoggy-hands thing.” My words stumbled over each other in my haste.

He laughed
. “I promise I’ve never gone freaky gold-eye before. You know most dreams are more metaphoric than literal.”

He
might not be worried, but I couldn’t shake my unease.

Around us the
winds slowly faded. We were still confined behind a wall of sand, but Talina’s howls no longer filled the air. Instead, it looked as if she was speaking quietly to Raror. She lay next to him, staring down into his face. She held onto him, preventing the lapping water from stealing him away. The lump returned to my throat. Swallowing audibly, I turned back to Brace.

“
So why do you call me Abby?” I said.

He
’d been staring down, gathering large handfuls of sand, and then letting them flow out through his open fingers. But at my question he raised his head, his velvet eyes pinning me to the spot.

“That’s your name
,” he said. His expression lightened.

I snorted under my breath. “You know what I mean. Why don’t you call me Aribella like everyone else from First World?”

It was so hard to read him. He was very good at concealing his emotions, and right now I wasn’t picking up anything important from our bond. He shook his head. He almost seemed sad.

“Aribella doesn’t belong to me. I have always known
that. She’s Sammy’s sister and Lucas’ Empress and the First-World girl I was going to destroy for my father. But Abigail, well, she’s been mine since we collided in the forest. Well, much before that actually, but it’s since the forest I’ve known she was mine – you’re mine.” He flashed me a gorgeous grin, all blinding white teeth.