Savage Worlds, page 3
part #3 of Savagery and Skills Series
“Don’t,” she whispered against my lips. “They’ll heal.”
“It shouldn’t have happened.”
“But it did. What happened to being optimistic?”
“Good point.”
There was a quick knock at the door, then it opened.
“Seneca? Helena said there was—oh, um,” Macron muttered, quickly covering his face with his hand. “Sorry, I uh, never mind. Well, we need to talk. Out here,” he added then shut the door in a hurry.
Seneca and I burst out laughing. I kissed her one more time, willing the moment to last, but if Macron had something to tell us, it was probably important. I hugged her hard, breathing her in and telling myself she was alive. Gingerly, I ran my fingers over the wounds at her neck.
“They hurt?”
“Not so much anymore.”
I kissed around them then we stood, and she handed me my shirt. Her hand slipped from mine as she ducked into the closet. I pulled my t-shirt on and left the bedroom to find every set of eyes giving me various looks.
“I need to speak with you both,” Macron said.
“Good news?”
“Very,” Minnie’s voice came from the kitchen. She sat down beside me, patting my leg hard as her blind eyes lingered on me. “My, my, you really have stolen away our sweet Seneca’s heart and not a moment too soon.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Once she’s here, I’ll tell you all we’ve learned. Patience, Lord Draven. Patience.”
Lord Draven? No one had called me that since our coven fell. The title was foreign to me, but it was mine by rights.
Minnie continued to stare at me.
Fun conversation indeed.
Chapter 3
Seneca
The puncture wounds on my neck stood out, fresh and red. I gripped the sink hard as the sensation of Rudarius biting me rushed back. Proof that he told me of how easily he could always get to me. How no magic, not even my own, would keep him away from me forever.
A warning that if Draven tried to protect me, Rudarius would ensure he suffered before he finally let him succumb to death. And I’d be there, forced to watch every second of it.
Who knows, you might even enjoy it by that point, my dark fae princess.
I hissed at my reflection as my eyes opened. They were nothing but black pits of onyx looking back at me. Draven, I just had to think of Draven. My nails left rivets in the ceramic, as I focused my thoughts on Draven’s protective arms around me and nothing else. Rudarius’s voice faded away. The shadows cleared from my eyes and the punctures on my neck stopped hurting. I considered covering them up, but there was no point. They’d heal eventually. I dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and after ensuring there were no shadows in my eyes, I exited my room to find everyone gathered in the living room.
Macron’s face was blank, but I sensed his uneasiness when I sat on the other side of Draven, putting him between Minnie and me.
“You finally going to tell us what you two have been up to?”
Macron sniffed loudly, glancing from me to Draven then folded his hands, resting his elbows on his knees as he studied me closely. “Helena, can you place the ring you have on the table, please.”
She did as he asked, sliding the broken ring from her finger. She spun it around so it faced Macron. “There’s no magic in it,” she said quietly. “I’m not sure what you plan on doing, but nothing remains but a bit of old jewelry.”
“That is true,” Macron agreed.
I sighed. “And here I thought you found a way to fix it.”
His scowl of disapproval was one I was used to from my days of training, but it wasn’t going to do him any good, not after all the shit I’d been through these last couple of weeks.
I raised a brow. “What’s that look for?”
“We need more than one mended ring to ever stand a chance against Rudarius.”
“Yeah, I figured as much.”
“And if you recall,” he continued, louder now, shooting me a glare that did resonate with me and I bit my cheek to curtail my sarcasm, “these rings will not help you without hurting you.”
“Then what do we do?” Draven studied the ring on the table. “Marlie said we can’t simply make more.”
“Can’t we?” Macron countered.
The silence that fell in the cottage was heavy enough to smother me. “I’m sorry,” I managed to whisper, “what did you just say?”
“The rings, we can make new ones.”
I stuck my finger in my ear and wiggled it hard, pushing my tongue against my cheek. “Could you say that louder? I’m not sure I heard you the first time, Macron.”
“Seneca,” Draven said, trying to get me to sit back down.
I shoved his hand aside. “You’re telling me we’ve been sitting on our asses for five days thinking there’s no way we’ll be able to stand against Rudarius and you pull this out of your ass, just like that? Oh, don’t worry guys, just kidding about that whole we can’t forge new rings shit. What the hell, Macron?” I was shouting by the time I finished talking, my chest rising and falling quickly with ragged breaths. “How long were you going to keep this to yourself, huh? Another week? A month? Maybe let Rudarius gnaw on my neck a while longer? Don’t worry. I handled it fine the first time. Good thing I don’t have another set of wings for him to rip out.” I kicked the coffee table on my last word and stormed away from his penetrating glare.
“Seneca, stop,” he commanded, and as much as I didn’t want to, my feet froze where they were.
I whirled around to find him standing, but he kept his distance. “What?”
“We can’t remake all the rings.”
I threw my head back with a groan. “You’re a very confusing old man. We can’t forge rings, but then we can, but not all the rings. Make up your mind.” I stomped toward him and realized the second my eyes turned black.
A collective breath was sucked in. Shane merely frowned. Draven stood and slowly approached as if making ready to restrain me if I tried to hurt Macron. Assuring him I wouldn’t was a stupid idea, because at that moment, punching my old savior and mentor sounded like a brilliant plan.
“Minnie and I have been searching for any information we could on the forges. All but one has been destroyed.”
“And where is this one?”
He hesitated.
I looked behind him, to Minnie, when he took too long to answer.
She smiled softly. “Always so impatient, Seneca. The only forge remaining resides in the lost fae kingdom of Sa’ren.”
“No,” Marlie snapped from the corner of the room.
“Yes, it does,” Minnie corrected, her tone gentle. “It is there, though it has been dormant for many centuries.”
“That’s impossible,” Marlie said louder. “That kingdom no longer exists.”
“Hence the term lost,” Minnie supplied happily. “But in truth, it was never truly lost.”
“Someone mind explaining to me what you’re talking about? Marlie? What is Sa’ren?”
“A kingdom that was banished from the rest of the fae,” Helena replied for my brother. “I grew up under the impression that it was nothing more than a myth. There were only ever four forges, but stories told of a fifth that resided in Sa’ren. Macron, are you certain?”
“It’s the reason we’ve been gone so much these last five days,” he said, directing the words at me. “We had to be certain our journey would not be in vain.”
“But you said not all the rings could be remade,” I said slowly. “Why?”
“You need rings that will channel your dark power. As for the others, I’m afraid, there’s no way to remake them. Those forges no longer exist.”
I licked my lips, mind racing confused. “What makes this one different?”
“Sa’ren was a dark fae kingdom,” he confessed.
“Dark,” I said.
He nodded at me.
I wanted to grimace, but held it back. “Dark as in evil?”
“Dark, as in their magic was like yours. There was a time when fae were not always of the sunlight. Many were of the moonlight and back then, such power was not seen as dangerous or evil. Something your parents did not seem to remember.”
“Wait, you’re saying there used to be more fae like me?”
Macron nodded again.
I cocked my head, studying him. “What the hell? Why aren’t they part of Otherworld anymore? Are they even in Otherworld?”
“No, they were banished by the So’run fae kingdom.”
I rubbed my face, a headache hitting me. “The what?”
“Long ago there were only two kingdoms,” Macron explained in a hurry. “When the So’run became too strong, they decided they no longer enjoyed sharing Otherworld with those of the night and banded together to banish Sa’ren, claiming their magic was actually evil. The entire kingdom disappeared overnight as if it never existed. The leaders of the So’run kingdom split into three. That is the deep dark secret the fae have hidden away for centuries. The mages are one of the few races who remember.”
“You’re saying that all this time, you knew there’d been a kingdom filled with fae like me. And you just what? Thought I didn’t need to know?”
“What good would it have done?” Macron moved as if to take my hand
I backed away.
“Seneca, I never imagined your power would be this strong, or that you would need rings such as they had to survive. I never imagined Rudarius would… that he would…” He choked on the words.
I reached up to feel my neck.
Macron’s eyes followed the movement and the man I always believed to be so strong paled.
“That he would turn me and taint me with evil. Yeah, neither did I.”
“The ruling family though, the lineage,” Draven asked quietly, “who does it lie with?”
“No one. The Sa’ren kingdom was made of those born as Seneca was, or those who were drawn to the moonlight instead of the sunlight.”
“Then that makes Seneca what, the only surviving heir to a lost kingdom?”
“If you want to get technical, yes,” Macron answered Draven’s question. “She’s not just a fae princess anymore.”
“No.” I hissed as I glared at them all like they’d lost their minds. Or maybe I had. I wasn’t sure anymore. “No, I’m not some lost heir to some lost kingdom that may or may not have a damned forge to make me rings. Plus, I’m assuming if this kingdom was banished, that means we have to go and find it, right?”
Macron pinched the bridge of his nose. “Seneca, please, we don’t have any other options if you are to use your power safely to the fullest extent. To ensure you do not turn.”
I doubted rings would silence the evil inside me but didn’t say so. “Great, of course not. Why would we? So then, where is it?”
“If it’s where we think, the kingdom was sent to a realm that should not be entered lightly. A grey world of death and monsters,” he was saying.
I started laughing like an insane person.
He shook his head. “I find nothing amusing about this.”
“Oh no? Just me then, great. That’s great.”
“If we find the forge, we can make rings that will work with your power,” Macron insisted. “You’ll have a fighting chance. You’ll be able to fight Rudarius.”
“And what, maybe win? Who’s to say these rings will work, Macron? I’m tainted, remember?” And there it was, the harsh truth no one except me had the nerve to admit.
“Seneca,” Macron called out, but I stormed through the kitchen and out into the garden.
But that wasn’t far enough away, so I walked away from the fence. Then even further.
Draven yelled for me, but I had to get away from them all.
Get away from everything. It was too damned much, always too much. Another mess we had to face. Another problem we had to solve. Rudarius was never going to let me be. There was no guarantee of victory, no full proof way to know if these rings would save me from a terrible fate or not.
I ran and ran, tearing through the tall grass of the fields that stretched out from Madwich. I ran until I slid on gravel and I glanced down a long stretch of driveway. The farmhouse. I’d bolted toward it, not even sure what drew me to it. The house was dark when I walked up the front porch and pushed the door in. Empty and cold, a shell of what it used to be.
This is how I was going to end up if I wasn’t careful. If I didn’t stay in control.
This house was the first time my life was turned upside-down. At least, turned upside-down after my time with Rudarius. The first time I started to realize how much had been kept from me.
The first place I sensed a connection to Draven.
If I’d known then the path we were going down, I would’ve stopped us both. I would’ve let him kill me and be done with it. Now, he was going to be dragged down with me, no matter what the outcome, because we weren’t going to come out of this war unscathed. How could we? Warmth brushed across my back, and I turned to find the full moon shining down on me, bright and brilliant in the sky. My hands stretched out at my sides, and I found myself pulling on the dark power burning inside me. I always assumed I could never reach my power without rings, but that was turning out to be wrong. The power within me could’ve been great until I was turned into a monster. I had to let it go, or it’d tear me apart.
“Seneca.”
My hands closed into fists, and I hunched my shoulders, fighting against the overflow of power wanting to explode outward and destroy everything in its path. “You shouldn’t be here.” The words came out harsh.
Draven’s steps moved closer. His fingers brushed my shoulder.
I flinched away. “Don’t.”
“It’s not safe for you to be out here alone.”
“You’ve got that all wrong. Just go away, please.”
He grabbed hold of my shoulder and spun me around. The clench of his jaw told me exactly what he saw.
“I don’t know if I can keep it under control. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Your power?”
“Since we’ve been back, I keep burying it deeper and deeper.” I gasped as the darkness pushed to be set free, setting my teeth on edge as it clawed its way through me. No, not just the darkness. There was an evil side to the power flowing through me, making it unpredictable. “Every time I hear Rudarius’s voice or see him.” I shook my head hard and tore myself away from him. “Get out of here before I hurt you,” I begged.
But he didn’t run away. The damned idiot planted his feet. “I told you we’re in this together. I’m not going anywhere.”
The power screamed inside me, wanting to lash out and attack in any way it could. With or without rings no longer seemed to matter.
“I can take it,” Draven said.
Was he insane? I could kill him. I winced when my hands cramped from being clenched so tightly. He took a step toward me, and I hissed in warning, but he ignored me. He took another and another.
My fist flew without my having a chance to realize what I was doing. It connected with his face. Shadows seeping from my skin added to the hit.
Draven staggered backward, blood on his lip. He wiped it away with his thumb, and I waited for him to leave, to take off. For him to get angry.
He raised his hand and motioned for me to come at him again.
“We’re not doing this.” I backed up.
He followed, mirroring every step I tried to take to get away.
“Then you’re going to have fun explaining the shiner you’re about to get.” He blurred to my right.
I reacted on instinct, blocking the hit aimed at my face. He came at me again.
I snarled, swiping my leg out for his feet.
He dodged back in time to miss the attack and spun around me, coming in on my weak side. “That’s not all you’ve got. Come on, Seneca, show me who you are.”
I was about to tell him this wasn’t going to do anything but get him hurt, except I mistimed a block, and his fist collided with my nose. His kick hit me solidly in the chest. I flew backward, into the wall, cracking the sheetrock.
The monster inside me lunged forward as I snarled, and fell into the offensive. The bit of rational thought I clung to disappeared. All that was left was the darkness that swirled with the evil Rudarius had planted inside me, the whispers inside my head.
Draven’s eyes glimmered as shadows surrounded me like a cloak, waiting for the right moment to attack.
I saw him, saw the vampire who held my heart, but there was no pulling the power back. With a sound like a wild animal, I threw myself at him, clawing and punching at his face. He blocked most of the hits but grunted in pain when I connected with his jaw then spun around and kicked him in the back.
He hissed viciously as I came at him again and again, the shadows breaking away from me and adding to the chaos.
It was like it was when I drained that shifter all over again. I saw nothing but a target to be eliminated. We tore through the house, crashing through walls and doorframes as if they were tissue paper.
The walls buckled. Ceilings and floors gave way, but the fight went on. Draven held his own against my wrath. He caught my wrist and twisted my arm back as I spewed curses.
“Control it,” he instructed sternly. “Don’t let it consume you.”
I threw my head back into his.
He released me.
My fist found his stomach, and I slammed into him three times until he managed to block my attack and kicked my leg out from under me. I rolled back to my feet and jumped high into the air, my fist crashing into his shoulder.
He sank to the floor then dove to the side as the shadows followed.
There was no beginning or end to the power inside me. My anger drove it, my hatred of Rudarius, my fears, and uncertainties. I sensed myself slipping further away, even though Draven’s blue eyes never showed a single hint of fear at what I was. If I’d had rings, I might’ve already hurt him worse than I already had, but there was no sign he cared what happened to him. The power surged through my mind and said I shouldn’t care either. He was nothing but another vampire. Just someone else who would betray me in the end. My musings distracted me, and he wrapped me up in his arms from behind, holding me to his chest.
