Lunaria (A Soulmark Series Finale), page 38
What is he looking for out there?
Alekos clears his throat. "They are aware of the fundamentals of our magic. They understand the mechanics of how I connect with the trees and what it takes to influence them. The magic they're inflicting on the trees… it’s like lightning inside a bottle."
Contained, but still volatile.
Celosia stands, a gusty bout of wind, makes her stumble and slip on the melting snow beneath us. She barely catches herself on the nearest tree but regrets the action instantly. With a shout, she flops back down to her knees, hands cradled to her chest.
"Celosia!"
She lifts dazed eyes to me.
"It shocked me," Celosia breathes. “It shocked me!” The temperature she radiates flares as she attempts to gather herself. Eyes wide, she stares at her offender. "I thought you said it was like lightning inside a bottle. Inside, Alekos. Not outside. How is it possible that I felt the charge too?"
Alekos swallows. "I have no idea."
The rattled admission is far from comforting.
"I need to report this. I felt it too." At our collective astonishment, he explains. "You are my heart's content. What you feel, I feel." Adrian slips out of earshot without a word.
I watch in dismay, my bewilderment accompanied by another lash of dread. The fearful expressions on my friends' faces drive me to action. I thrust my hand into the cold slush, a single question ready at the forefront of my mind as I make contact with the frozen earth.
Without hesitation, I open myself up, our intricate connection instantly transforms from a drowned-out murmur to a surging boom. I fight to keep my focus as the forest heralds the cry of war and death. It counts the drops of blood spilled across it and races to warn each acre of what's to come.
Cold, biting air fills my lungs as I take a deep breath to center myself.
Why? I ask. Why are they attacking the forest?
The answer comes swiftly, appearing in my head out of nowhere.
The forest is a weapon now. It strikes out at any who stray too close. The forest hollers and crows in delight and pain, for they know the power is not their own and it will kill them. Kill them all. Kill them all. Kill them all.
I reel back with a gasp, hand burning from the cold as Celosia's heat envelops it.
"Luna, what is it?" Alekos shakes me. "What is it?" He demands.
"They've weaponized the trees." I take another deep breath, my hands curling into fists as I look out into the darkened wood then back to Alekos. "But all the magic and power running inside them will destroy them. All of them, Alekos!"
Alekos balks and rushes to stand on wobbly legs. "We can't let them do that," he says. "Luna, the trees are our way home. If they destroy them all—"
"We can't go home," I finish.
Chapter 19
"Wait! Don’t!" I cry.
Alekos all but throws himself past Celosia and me, charging into the dark wood. Instinct stops me short of dashing after him, because I know there is no hope that I will catch him by foot or wing. Afterall, tree runners like Alekos are some of the fastest creatures in all of the Hollow.
Adrian, on the other hand, is willing to test his famed speed.
Celosia and I stand, our eyes matching saucers as Adrian sprints after him. Alekos makes it far into the shadows, but not out of sight. Adrian tackles him to the ground, earning a wild shout from him. The trees quiver, though there is no wind to coax them.
Celosia snatches my hand and squeezes tight as we approach them cautiously.
In this moment, there is nothing more heartbreaking to see than the failed struggles of Alekos against Adrian's monstrous hold. The muscles of my Alekos's neck strain. His face turns cherry red as he continues to fight against my heart’s content to gain entrance into the battleground. Adrian grunts and is forced to toss Alekos back several feet, but he rolls with the movement and pops back up. Both breathe in uneven gaits.
"I cannot let you go out there," Adrian states. “I promised to keep you three safe. It’s too dangerous for you to venture into the forest.”
The trees stop their quivering, but the quiet that follows is no less disconcerting. Alekos takes off his coat and chucks it at his feet, still heaving in breath after breath.
"There is a tree in this forest that can take us home. It is our gateway. I cannot stand by and allow it to be taken away from us. This magic is poisoning the forest… it does not care which side of the war a person is on! It will harm any it comes into contact with. ” Alekos drags both hands through his hair making a frustrated noise when Adrian remains impassive to his appeal. “If the magic damages the gateway beyond repair, we will never see home again. But I can protect the tree. I can save it!"
"You'll be killed," Adrian argues. "Or worse, they won't kill you. They’ll capture you again and put another collar around your neck. You'll spend the remainder of your days at their mercy. Is that what you want? Do you understand why I cannot allow you to go?"
Alekos says nothing in return. Instead, he sinks into a crouch, his leaf-like wings stand erect. A sneer curls his upper lip.
"I wasn't asking."
A second later, a flash of brilliant light blinds us all.
I reel back, rubbing the black spots and scarring white light from my eyes. A whimper tumbles from my lips. Adrian's curses fill the air, but there is nothing else for me to grasp on to as my blindness persists. Not even Celosia…
My heartbeat makes its way to the back of my throat. I cannot escape its chaotic thumping or the fever pitch of my nerves as I rely on my other senses to paint a picture.
"Celosia? Alekos? Alekos!" My hands stretch before me.
A soft shushing echoes close to my ear. I jerk sideways, but gentle hands right me. My pulse calms as my blindness slowly recedes, and the world pieces back together.
"It's okay," Celosia murmurs. Her steady hands take hold of mine. "Just hold on a moment more, and you'll be able to see again."
"What happened? Are you all right?"
She doesn't answer, but from Adrian's spike of anger in our bond, I can conclude only one thing. I shake off her hands, blinking rapidly to quicken the process of my recovery. It does not work as well as I hope.
"Did you do this?" I ask hotly though betrayal runs my blood cold. "Alekos? Alekos!" There is no response, and as my eyes readjust to the early morning darkness, I see no sign of him. Adrian remains where he stands, the heels of his palms pressed into his eyes, snarling. "Where is he?"
Celosia tilts her chin up at my glare. The fiery spirit of her illuminator nature shines bright in her calico eyes.
"Alekos and I made a pact the night we found the gateway tree. If, for whatever reason, the tree became compromised, we would defend it. Luna, it is the only way for us to return home!”
My heart skips a beat. "But—"
"Don't!" Celosia barks.
"Adrian is right," I rush to say. "We can't go out there. We need to stick to the plan. Stay here and defend the forest line—"
"No." Celosia casts away her coat. "You may stay here and defend this place. Alekos and I will protect the tree and save it from the Stormrow’s evil sorcery." Celosia steps back, her eyes sweeping over the forest and ignoring my crestfallen state. "Stay here where you are needed to protect your friends, Luna. Alekos and I will protect our passage home."
The cold seeps into my skin as her illumination and warmth retract. The sensation is ominous. I lift a hand toward her. I hope she doesn’t notice its quivering.
"Celosia, please, don't go out there. The Wselfwulfs—"
"We will not allow them to take this away from us too," she declares crisply before slipping away in a blur of dazzling light that forces my eyes to snap closed. Adrian curses again.
"Did she—?" I stop myself before I finish, my answer given in the empty space beside me. My violet eyes lift to Adrian's scowling face as dozens of pleas come to mind.
I cannot abandon my friends. I cannot let them face this alone. I manage a broken whisper of his name in lieu of the lengthy speech that builds inside my chest.
Adrian grimaces. I inch toward him.
"Would it be so bad to fight alongside them?"
He closes the distance between us, eyes still squinting and blinking in irritation. "I can't protect all of you out there,” he growls.
"I'm not asking you to protect us. I'm asking you to fight alongside us.” I shiver as the callous winter wind blows away the last vestige of Celosia's magical warmth. "Please, Adrian. We must help them. It is our home, too."
Adrian kicks the ground and turns away with a snarl to pace. A bundle of nerves corrodes our bond. The sensation makes me sick to my stomach. Soon enough, I find myself pacing to quell my discomfort. On my third pass, I stumble. My toes catch over a clump of earth and ice. I fall right into a tree. The shock I receive is mind-numbing.
I suck in precious air to stem the spasm of pain rippling over me, teetering to the ground as I lose my balance. Adrian lets out a startled cry from nearby. Moments later, an arm hooks across my waist and hoists me up.
"Don't touch the trees," I wheeze, still feeling the vindictive current fizzling out of me. Adrian shudders against me. I drag in another ragged breath, my mind sobering to my words. "Don't touch the trees! Adrian, you have to tell Quinn and Callie! Tell them the Stormrows are using them as weapons. They're making the trees a giant trap, like an electric fence—like a live wire."
Xander and Atticus's plan to utilize the trees and brush for cover will be doomed to fail if each tree is capable of delivering a debilitating shock.
"Quinn? Callie? Can you hear me?”
I sink back into Adrian's chest, counting each passing breath as he explains the recent developments through his earpiece. The small ritual clears my mind and subdues the lingering aftershocks of the poisoned tree. I tilt my head back, hugging his arm around my waist and reveling in this moment before it all changes.
"Yes," Adrian says. "We're going after them." Adrian's body tenses behind me. "Have the witch act as a sentry," he spits out.
I turn in his arms and curl back at the sight of his silent snarl. Adrian snatches the radio from his ear and squeezes it in his fist. There is a distinct cracking which emits past his vice-like grip. His hand opens to reveal crushed pieces of plastic and flattened wires.
My lips part. "Don't we need that?"
"We'll make do without. I cannot think straight with their chatter in my ear." His black eyes smolder down at me, golden bolts alighting his irises. "Luna, you need to follow my orders while we are out there. Do you understand? No stopping to help others. No getting distracted. We must find Alekos and Celosia quickly… and help them protect the tree."
I agree without hesitation, launching my arms around his neck and hugging him to me.
“I promise,” I repeat over and over. “Thank you, Adrian.”
Adrian helps me stand and then get out of my coat. The cold bites at my meager clothing underneath, but the chill is worth it. With my wings free from their confinement, I will move twice as quickly. I tug down my hat and knot my scarf a second time around my neck. My remaining glove I shove into my pants pocket.
"Ready?"
I lace our fingers together and agree. A flush of anticipation rises in his cheeks. His eyes turn molten gold.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine myself here. Caught at the foothills of war, in a realm not my own, and bound irrevocably to my heart's content—a rokama, no less. A trickle of fear ruminates in my gut, kept at bay by the strength I find in Adrian’s care. Strength. This is what our heart's content provides us, strength, and so much more.
Perhaps Adrian's thoughts run the same line as mine, for his golden regard sinks into me and pins me to the ground. A chaste breath skirts past my lips, and then his head is sinking toward me. Despite his soft approach, the kiss he delivers is anything but.
His kiss claims me. The tease of his tongue makes my breath come short, but it is too brief. Adrian rests his forehead against mine and captures my gaze.
"We find your friends and protect the tree," Adrian says.
I give a shaky nod. "We find them and protect the tree.”
Warm lips grace my lips before Adrian steps aside. There is a strange spark to his eyes. "Can you keep up?" He teases.
My lips twitch up despite myself. "You couldn't catch me the first day we met." His sights narrow on me. But before he can make his retort, a wolf howl slices through the early morning air.
We race off together, hands joined and then relinquished to allow us to run faster. My wings pick up the work of my legs to propel me forward.
With caution, I open myself to the earth. The reverberation of its turmoil is instantaneous—but I am prepared. Flinching, I push myself past the powerful cries and search for the unique signature of my friends.
Adrian and I veer in tandem, avoiding a dense cluster of thorny bushes before curving back to keep a straight path north. I glance at Adrian. He is a force of nature all on his own. Face set in stone, he pumps his arms to lengthen his already impressive stride. Watching him is more distracting than the earth's affliction. So much so, I almost fly headfirst into a tree.
I right myself in time, but the damage is done. Adrian's smirk coasts across his face as satisfaction spikes through our connection.
I'm tempted to shout some comment or drive myself faster just to spite him, but a glimpse of a figure to our left stops me short. Once more, I almost pitch myself into a tree, but my wings slow fast enough for my heels to anchor into the ground. Snow and frozen earth fly at the sudden abrasion.
"What are you doing?" Harsh breath comes and goes in vanishing columns of white from Adrian's mouth and nose. "They're north—"
"That's Ryatt!"
Adrian catches me around the waist as I redirect my slowing momentum westward. A lungful of air lurches out of me as he tugs me back against his chest.
"No helping others. No distractions—"
"He's hurt!" I argue, scrambling to be released. In our stalled state, the terrifying snarls and shuttering barks of wolves echo nearby. The air around us sizzles with energy as well, pulling my skin taut. "Please!"
I sag in relief against Adrian’s steel hold as Ryatt and another hobble over to us. Both men are stripped of their clothing completely. They shiver in the relentless cold, and blood paints a mess across both of them. Ryatt leans into the man at his side heavily. It is Ronan.
"Didn't expect to see you this far out," Ryatt calls as they near.
Ryatt keeps one arm curled around his middle, where his bleeding is the worst. The rest of his body is covered in bite marks and scratches. He uses his other arm to hook around Ronan's neck. The raven shifter sports a nasty collection of lacerations on his left bicep and a cut across his brow, but not much else.
"My friends..." I trail off, too stunned for more words.
"We saw them pass not long ago," Ronan affirms, followed by a grunt as he keeps their party shuffling southeast from where we came. "I think I did, at least. Not many out here are flying."
"Including yourself," Adrian mutters.
Ronan's silver eyes flit to his arm. "Including myself."
Ryatt releases a groan from behind gritted teeth. "Not to ruin the moment, but I don't care to bleed out here of all places. A bed is far more preferable. Even a couch will do. Now, get me to Zoelle," he rasps, face paling. "Maybe I can convince Quinn to let me out of her sight again if she can stitch me up."
Ronan shakes his head briefly but does as Ryatt requests.
"Wait!" I call after them, struggling once more in Adrian's hold. I rush to take off my scarf and hat, and when Adrian realizes my intent, he releases me. Ignoring the way the cold takes advantage of my newly revealed flesh, I hurry to Ronan and Ryatt's retreating forms. I tug my hat over Ronan's shaved head and offer my balled-up scarf to Ryatt.
He takes it and presses it against his stomach.
"Stay sharp out there," Ryatt says, his teeth clamping shut as his body is racked by a convulsion. Ronan tightens his hold around Ryatt's waist, his own face grimacing as he carries more of Ryatt's weight.
"Remember, you see anything headed south toward town—kill it." Ronan's ruthless instruction makes me swallow, and I watch them go with growing concern.
"We need to go." Adrian's voice sounds directly behind me. I spin, my heart pounding, and hands to my chest. He plants his hat on my head.
"But—"
"No buts," Adrian interrupts, adjusting the hat so I can see. The thick material sags backward, and my hands join him to correct its positioning further. "I can't track their scent. There's too much blood and magic in the air."
My frown remains in place as we return to our previous pace. I tune into the call of the earth again, to find Alekos and Celosia’s signatures, but the earth’s cries become too wild and distracting. Every time I slow to focus, Adrian urges me to go faster. More than once, we must stop and tuck ourselves carefully behind some boulder or shrubbery as wolves clash in our desired path.
My pulse rages through my veins.
"This way," I pant, throwing my arm out to the right and squinting to see through the shadows and darkness.
Adrian pulls sharply at my wrist, urging me to the left. "They're this way."
"We haven't doubled back yet, from our last turn," I argue. Adrian's lips arch down and shakes his head. "I used to tend to the crystal! I know where we need to go."
"Luna, it isn't getting any prettier out there."
My mouth snaps shut at the rough execution of his words. I can't disagree. The farther we plunge, the thicker the air pollutes with magic and blood. More and more, we must conceal our movements with the utmost care to avoid detection.
The odds are growing against us.
We enter an eerie stretch of ground devoid of the savage cries of war. I strain to hear any crunching twig or windswept spell. We scan our surroundings in tandem, Adrian searching the area at my back for attackers and I, his.
"Something's near."
