The Cypher Wheel (7 page)

“As I said, no time to explain,” the woman repeated.
“Now, follow us before it's too late.”

The two horses turned to go back in the direction
they came from.

“Hold on a minute. We're not going anywhere with you
until you tell us who you are and where you brought us.” Faedra
snapped.

The lady from Falconchase turned her horse and gave a
pleading look towards Faedra. “Please,” she said, desperation
visible in her expression. “I promise I will explain everything
when we get you somewhere safe.”

Another hideous shriek echoed from beyond the trees
and all six people turned their attention to the direction it came
from.

“Too late. Follow us if you want to live,” the lady
threw the words over her shoulder as she kicked her horse and the
two women galloped off across the meadow.

“Oh, that did not sound good.” Etyran said, stating
the obvious.

A second later, the hideous winged creature that did
a fly-by a short while before, came looming over the trees,
followed by several more of the same.

Faen scooped Faedra up before she had a chance to
protest, something at that point in time she had no intention of
doing, and took to the air in the direction of the two horses.

Jocelyn took to the air and turned to Etyran. Knowing
he couldn't fly, she hovered above the ground looking between her
brother, the winged creatures, and the Lightbender. Indecision
plaguing her features

“Etyran...”

“Don't worry about me, just get out of here,” he
shouted, before disappearing. “I'll catch up to you in the
woods.”

She gave the space he had just occupied, one last
fleeting glance before turning and sped across the field to join
her brother.

Faen and Faedra saw the two horses disappear amongst
the trees and were getting closer themselves. Unfortunately, they
weren't fast enough. The winged creatures beat them to it, swooping
down and blocking their escape route.

Faedra watched in horror as the lead creature flapped
his wings to slow him down before reaching out a taloned claw to
swipe at Jocelyn, who had caught up and was now just ahead of
them.

Jocelyn was catapulted sideways by the swipe and went
swirling out of control until she hit the ground with a
bone-breaking thud.

“Faen, Jocelyn is down! You have to turn around! We
have to help her!” Faedra screamed as she looked down at her
friend, whose body was now slumped on the ground behind them.

“My duty is to you,” Faen said, his voice stoic.

“What?” Faedra asked, averting her gaze to her
Guardian, who's expression was on total lock-down.

Faedra's stomach lurched as Faen made evasive
maneuvers to dodge another of the hideous creatures who was
attempting to take a swipe at them, too.

“Put me down!” Faedra yelled, trying to squirm free
from Faen's ever tightening grasp.

“No.”

She looked back to see the creature that hit Jocelyn
had landed and was now standing over the young fairy’s body.
Jocelyn struggled to push herself up onto her hands just before the
creature swiped at her head, knocking her back to the ground.

“Put me down, NOW!” Faedra screamed again, but this
time didn't leave anything to chance. She sent a crackle of
electricity through her body, shocking Faen into dropping her.

It wasn't until he let her go, however, that she
realized just how high up they were. And she couldn't fly.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Faedra went plummeting to the ground, muttering
expletives as she did. She scrunched her eyes shut just as she was
about to make impact with the hard earth.

“This is going to hurt,” she groaned.

She felt her body get tugged and came to a sharp
stop. Well, now she knew what it must feel like on the end of a
bungee rope after flinging oneself off the side of a ludicrously
tall bridge. Even with all her powers, she still couldn't
understand why anyone in their right mind would want to do such a
thing.

When the ground didn't come up to smack her in the
face, she opened her eyes a crack and found herself dangling a
couple of inches above it, a blade of grass tickling her nose. She
craned her neck upwards to find her Guardian hovering above her,
hanging onto her ankles with a rather pained expression on his
face.

“I swear, Faedra Bennett, you will be the death of
me,” he said rolling his eyes heavenward.

Faedra gave him a cheeky grin and was about to throw
out a witty retort, but her eyes widened as she saw one of the
winged creatures fly up behind him, talons extended, ready to
strike.

“Maybe, but those things definitely will!” Without
hesitation she brought up her hands and shot a stream of intense
fire past Faen's ear, slamming the creature square in the chest. It
went reeling backwards, shrieking in agony before falling to the
ground consumed in flames.

“Thank you,” Faen said when he turned back from
looking at the smoldering creature behind him. He cast his gaze
down at the Custodian, who was still dangling just above the
ground.

“Any time,” Faedra said. “Um, you can put me down
now.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Faen gently lowered his charge
to the ground.

Upon reaching Terra firma, Faedra rolled over and
jumped back up. Faen, who was now on the ground, stood beside her,
taking a defensive position.

The creature that Faedra just killed must have been
the one that was attacking Jocelyn because when she spun around to
attack it, it was gone. Instead, two more were swooping in from
above.

“God, those things are ugly. It doesn't look like
they're dragons, though. I haven't seen them breathe fire,” Faedra
surmised.

Faen pulled out his sword and held it up.

“I'll take care of them, Faen. You go get Jocelyn.”
Faedra said, raising her palms to the sky.

Faen looked uncertain. He was supposed to be the
protector, not the protected.

“Faen, I've got this. Your sister needs you.”

She could see the look of hesitation in his eyes.
“Go!” she snapped.

He gave her a stern look, but inclined his head
before turning towards his sister.

Faedra let the incoming creatures have it with both
palms. They met the same fiery end as the first one did, by
dropping out of the sky and landing in a heap of smoldering flesh
on the ground several feet away. Faedra wrinkled her nose and
wafted her hand in front of her face to ward off the stench of
burning flesh.

“Maybe this power isn't so bad after all” Faedra
mumbled to herself, slapping her hands together gesturing a job
well done.

Faen kneeled down to pick up his sister and was met
by Etyran who
unwrapped
himself as he got to them.

“Is she alive?” he asked between pants.

Jocelyn groaned.

“She will be fine,” Faen answered.

Faen scooped up his sister and gave Etyran an odd
look as the Lightbender leaned in to place a palm against her
bruised cheek.

Jocelyn's eyelids fluttered before they opened wide
and she looked around startled.

“Thank Kernunnos, you're okay,” Etyran said with a
smile when her eyes flitted around and met his.

“What are those things?” she croaked, as she watched
Faedra fire roast another couple from the sky.

“I do not know, and we do not have time to debate the
question now. We need to get out of this field.” Faen beat his
wings and took to the sky. “Etyran, grab Faedra and drag her into
the forest, will you?” he called as he flew towards the trees.

“On it!” Etyran called back. He started to run
towards Faedra, wrapping the light around him as he did, and
grabbed her by the arm on the way through.

“Flippin' heck!” Faedra shrieked as a vice like grip
encircled her upper arm and dragged her forward with determined
force. “You're never going to warn me before you sneak up on me,
are you?”

She heard Etyran's cheeky chuckle. “Now where would
the fun be in that?” a bodiless voice answered. “Come on, we have
to get out of this field and under some kind of cover.”

“You've got no argument from me on that one.” Faedra
picked up her pace. She could hear more shrieks in the distance.
Winged reinforcements were going to be there any minute and she
wasn't quite sure how many creatures she would be able to torch in
such a short period of time. Truth was, this was the first time
she'd purposefully used any of the power absorbed from Savu. She
had spent the past six months trying to keep it from consuming her,
everyone, and everything she loved. Keeping the power under control
was painful. But now, for the first time in six months, the pain of
keeping something that strong under wraps was gone. She felt freer
than she'd felt in a long time. What else could she do with it?
What if she used too much of it? Would it drain her like her other
power did? She didn't know the answers to any of those questions,
and she didn't have any food. The last thing she expected to happen
on a treasure hunt was being catapulted to the middle of a field in
another realm. Although, she chastised herself, she really should
have learned by now.

Faen and Jocelyn disappeared into the forest about a
hundred feet ahead of her. Etyran loosened his grip on her arm and
slid his hand down until he caught hold of her hand, propelling her
forward with every step he took.

“We're nearly there, only another few yards.”

The edge of the forest was getting closer and closer.
Faedra heard another shriek, nearer this time, and looked up. The
sky was still clear above them. She looked back to the forest,
amazed that her lungs weren't burning with the effort of running.
Etyran made it first and wrenched Faedra out of the field as he
did. She looked up to see the skull-like face of another winged
creature fly over the trees just as she was dragged under the cover
of limbs and leaves. They continued running a few more yards into
the dense forest before they came to a stop. Etyran
unwrapped
himself and Faedra leaned forward, putting one
hand on her knee to balance herself.

As her breathing returned to normal, she looked up
and scanned the area. Faen was a few feet ahead and lowering his
sister to her feet. She was recovering from the beating she
received in the field, and the bruise on her cheek was fading fast.
Etyran dropped Faedra's hand and ran over to her. He stopped just
inches away, hesitated, then pulled her to him and wrapped his arms
around her. Jocelyn's eyes widened with surprise and she let out a
little squeak as she got pulled into Etyran's embrace. She looked
tiny in his arms.

Faen gave his friend a considering look as he walked
past him over to Faedra.

“Ah, ain't love grand?” Faedra said with a mock
northern accent.

Faen chose to ignore the comment and put a hand
either side of Faedra's face, studying her with intense worried
eyes. He moved her head slowly from side to side. “Are you
okay?”

Faedra pinched her brows together. “I'm fine.”

“Are you sure? I mean, you have never used your new
powers like that, they may have hurt you.” He put a hand on each
shoulder and spun her around, continuing to examine her back.

“Faen, what
are
you doing?” Faedra exclaimed
as she pulled herself from Faen's grip and turned herself back
around to face him. “I'm fine.”

Faen took hold of her shoulders again and continued
to look her up and down. He moved his head from side to side
casting a scrutinizing gaze up and down either side of her body.
She caught his face in her hands and held it steady in front of
her. “Faen, I'm fine! In fact, I haven't felt this good
since...well, you know.”

Faen's expression softened and the worry fell from
his gaze. They looked at each other for another moment. Faen leaned
in and was just a hair's breadth away from Faedra's lips when the
crunching of leaves behind them distracted him.

Faen's reflexes were so swift, Faedra was still
leaning in while her Guardian already had his sword out and was
standing protectively in front of her.

Faedra opened her eyes to see Faen's back. She
materialized two energy balls, a day late and a dollar short, only
to let them fizzle out when she saw it was the two women on
horseback.

She stepped out from behind Faen to stand by his side
and could hear Etyran and Jocelyn move to stand with them. All four
looked up at the two women. There was silence for a heartbeat
before they started asking the questions that each of them wanted
the answers to.

“Where are we?” Faedra demanded.

“Why did you bring us here?” Faen chimed in.

“What do you want with us?” Etyran joined the
questioning.

“What
were
those things?” Jocelyn said,
sounding unusually assertive.

“We will answer all of your questions, but first we
have to get you to safety. Those creatures are erchyll. They are
some of Arawn's many spies. He knows you are here now, and if he
knows you are here, he knows why. He will send more of his spies
out to try and capture you. The forest may be an escape from the
erchyll, but it holds its own vast source of danger,” the woman
Faedra recognized from Falconchase explained. “Please, follow us
and we will explain everything to you.”

“How do we know you're not leading us into a trap?”
Etyran asked.

“Good point, Etyran,” Faedra agreed. “How are we
supposed to know you're not leading us into a trap?” she repeated
to drive home the point.

“If we had wanted to trap you, that would have been
very easy to do. Please...” The cloaked woman looked around
nervously, “we need to get out of this forest and get to
safety.”

Faedra looked at her Guardian for guidance. “What
shall we do?”

“Can you use your power to sense if they mean us any
harm?” Faen asked.

The Custodian rolled her eyes. “Of course, why didn't
I think of that?”