Force the Truth, page 2
Traitor. Traitor. Traitor.
Braken folded in on himself, shame burning his ear tips. His father let out another wail, and he felt the echo reverberate through him.
That echo reached a crescendo, and suddenly the dream collapsed around him. Braken shot to wakefulness, his eyes blinking against the light that was peeking through the trees in the early dawn.
Instinctively, he attempted to move his limbs, but they were held fast. Then he remembered. I’m imprisoned in a tree in the middle of the Fae Wilds, captured by a cackling old woman. While Lina had been led off to some ritual he didn’t understand, Braken and Pigeon were imprisoned and forgotten. Now a new day was rising, and he was here, helpless to know what had happened to Lina and what would happen to him.
Although his current state should hold his attention, he couldn’t shake the remnants of his dream. He’d felt helpless as a child too, caught up in his father’s fate, painted with the same tainted brush. Braken had spent his adulthood trying to push back against his father’s legacy, to prove that he was not the same kind of Weiss. Not a coward. Not a traitor. Despite his hard work, his connection to his father remained.
And what about Lina’s connection to the Wilds? It was as undeniable as his own parentage, he realized now. Still, he could never believe that Lina was contaminated by the evil around her. She’d been afraid that she was part of some nefarious plot against the Fae King, but Braken wouldn’t believe it, just like he wouldn’t believe the insults that were hurled at him. In this, we are the same.
An owl hooted from above him, and Braken started, letting out a curse. Tension flooded him, anxiety about his future and frustration about his current state combining to make his adrenaline surge uselessly. Forcing himself to calm down, Braken figured there was no way things could get any worse.
Then again, I can’t see how they could get any better.
Chapter One
Her stomach rumbled like rolling thunder. Lina clutched her midsection, amazed at her voracious appetite. She’d already consumed two eggs, three pieces of toast, and a bowl of berries and cream, but she felt as if she could eat the same over again and still not be full.
Resting on a log by the fire, her eyes followed the wildlings as they flowed around her, working in a communal fashion to feed themselves. A large bowl of porridge passed her, carried by a short, pudgy Fae with carrot-red hair. Lina licked her lips, lunging for a clean bowl and heading off after the porridge. Soon enough, she was back on the log, shoveling spoonfuls into her mouth at top speed.
Her mouth wasn’t the only thing hard at work, but her mind didn’t quite seem up to the task yet this morning. Lina attempted to piece together the events of the day before, but it wasn’t coming back all at once. She remembered the ritual, remembered regaining her memories. And regaining a sister I didn’t know I had.
Those memories had also shown her that her biological mother had abandoned her and her sister to the Crone, to be used as a weapon in her war against the city-dwellers. Lina rubbed her chest, hoping to warm away the chill that suddenly flooded her body. All my fears have crystallized. I wanted so badly not to be a traitor, but I guess we don’t always get what we want, no matter how much we want it.
But there had still been some memories that remained hidden. Lina couldn’t recall how she’d come to end up on the riverbank in the Wilds with no memory of how she’d gotten there with only a ring and a coin purse for clues. It wasn’t until she’d touched the Crone that the woman realized that was something still inside Lina, something with teeth.
She’d been knocked out by the old woman’s magic, awakening to find herself in a pool of still, clear water. Lina remembered it now, remembered the light that had blazed around her naked body as she’d floated. On the shore, the Crone had been uttering an incantation and moving her hands and fingers in a strange rhythm. She’d felt a sudden clenching inside her. It had felt like something was being ripped out of her, and she’d started to sink, thrashing.
An inky blackness had surrounded her, as if leeching out of her body into the water around her. The darkness had blinded her, but not for long as she felt herself being lifted from the water. She’d blinked, clearing her vision, and watched the sky grow closer as she levitated above the pool.
The Crone drew her back through the air toward the grassy bank, where her feet finally touched ground again. “You’re cleansed of the evil that was polluting you,” she’d announced with a sniff, her ancient hands on her hips. Lina had grabbed her head as a wave of dizziness hit her, then she’d collapsed, giving in to unconsciousness with a soft sigh.
When she’d awoken for the last time, she found herself in the bed she’d slept in the night before. It was morning, and her stomach was demanding that she rise and find something to fill it. Which was how she’d ended up near the cook fires, shoving food into her face.
The porridge bowl empty, Lina set it to the side, then immediately grimaced. I’ve been so worried about feeding myself, I haven’t bothered to check on my friends. Her cheeks heated, and she berated herself mentally for the oversight. Lina stood, rushing to collect food for her companions. Her arms full, she began asking wildlings where her sister could be found.
Several didn’t answer, still distrustful of the twin who had suddenly reappeared in their midst. Although her sister seemed to command respect and loyalty, most held Lina in suspicion. I guess they weren’t exactly privy to the Crone’s plans.
Finally, she was pointed in the direction of the large tree that grew at the north end of the forest village. Lina reached its base and stared upward, looking for her sister. It wasn’t until a breeze shifted the leaves on a branch enough for her to make out Gilly’s face that she could even tell there was a Fae hidden among the foliage.
“Can I talk to you?” she called up. Lina caught a momentary look of annoyance on her sister’s features. There was a sudden blur, then her sister was standing before her.
“What is it?” Gilly asked, her expression neutral.
“What were you doing up there?”
Her sister shrugged a shoulder. “Keeping watch.”
Lina knew they’d been separated for years, but a part of her was disappointed at the gulf that stood between them. She’d been changed by her time among the city-dwellers, and she had a feeling her sister resented her absence and the changes it had wrought. Then again, maybe I’m the one with resentments.
“Where are my friends?” she asked finally, her arms starting to get tired from holding up the bounty of breakfast supplies she was carrying.
“Somewhere safe,” Gilly said, then started walking in the direction of the commune’s central clearing.
Lina hurried after her. “Care to be more specific?”
“The Crone wanted them held somewhere safe for their own protection.” Her sister didn’t bother to slow her steps as she continued the conversation. “Wildlings don’t have many flaws, but some would say their primary one is a distrust of outsiders.”
Lina let out a snort of laughter. “That’s putting it mildly. Where exactly are they being held?”
Gilly turned back to look at her, then frowned. She changed directions without warning, heading down a thin path through some brush that had Lina struggling. Small branches whipped at her, her arms too full to deflect them. She was grumbling curses under her breath by the time the path widened out into a small clearing ringed by large trees. “They’re there,” Gilly said, pointing toward two trunks that were next to each other in the ring.
Lina hurried forward, then let out a gasp when she saw Pigeon and Braken were behind bars. The bars were carved into the tree trunks, creating a small cell inside the tree. “You’ve locked them up!” she cried, accusation heavy in her tone.
Gilly gave another one of her shrugs and followed after Lina, who was muttering about the lack of hospitality among the wildlings. She reached the plump Kingsblade cadet first, her features wracked with guilt. “Oh, Pigeon,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry about all of this.”
Her friend blinked bleary eyes in her direction. She was sitting on the floor of her wooden cell, leaning against the bars. “It’s okay,” she said, standing with a creak of her joints and a grimace on her face. “I know you didn’t intend for any of this to happen.”
“That doesn’t make it right.” She started handing her friend items from her stash. Pigeon’s eyes lit up, and she hurried to take a bite of the fruit Lina handed her. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she licked at the juice that trickled down her chin. “The food here is so good, I could almost forgive them for the whole kidnapping and imprisonment thing.”
Lina laughed, amazed at the other woman’s indefatigable positivity. Then she caught sight of the occupant of the other cell, and her stomach dropped. She left a few more choice goodies with Pigeon, then moved to the other cell.
Braken’s face was pale but lined with anger. Lina approached carefully, not wanting to set off his notorious temper. Holding out a sweet pear in his direction, she tried on a smile. “Good morning. Hungry?”
He ignored her offering, his features darkening. “Let me out of here.”
The rough tone in his voice had her on edge. “You should eat,” she said softly, trying again to pass him a morsel.
Braken slapped the pear out of her hand, not caring where it landed. “Are you blind? We’re being kept in leafing cages! You seem to have some pull around here, seeing as you’re not in a cage currently. Free us so we can fight our way to freedom.”
Her eyes flicked to her sister. Gilly was casually leaning against a tree trunk, examining her fingernails, but Lina could tell she was listening to every word. She returned her gaze to the handsome velox, hoping to get through to him. “There’s more going on here than meets the eye. The ritual...it worked.”
Braken stared at her, his face giving nothing away. She continued, figuring she should take advantage of his lack of an outburst. “I remember who I am, and I remember this place...because it’s my home.”
She expected a reaction, but all she could see was a tightening of his fingers around the bars. “It’s everything I feared,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She could feel tears pricking at her eyelids, but she pushed forward. “Turns out, I’m just a tool for that crazy old woman to use to try and bring down King Lyr and return the entire Realm to wilderness.”
Braken’s expression didn’t change, but emotion filled his eyes, an emotion she couldn’t put a name to. “Well done. So now you must know why you turned up outside the village where we met that fateful night.”
Lina opened her mouth, then closed it, her brow furrowing. “I...still don’t.”
One dark eyebrow lifted. “I thought the amnesia was over now.”
“So did I. So why can’t I remember that?” Pursing her lips, Lina delved deeply into her mind. She remembered everything from early childhood until she’d traveled with Linetta to her southern estate. Then things began to get blurry. “I thought the cleansing would return my memories.”
“Cleansing?” With his temper already threatening to burst its bonds, Braken’s tone said he wasn’t pleased. He let out a curse, then looked heavenward. “You’re blindsided by this wild folk and their ways. You need to focus, Lina. Time to stop trusting strangers and look at what’s right in front of your face. Namely me, in a cage.”
Braken rattled the bars of his cage as if to emphasize his words, but Lina shook her head. “That’s what I’m saying. They’re not strangers at all. And if I don’t try my hardest to convince them to change their plans, then the whole Realm is doomed.”
“We’re doomed,” Braken growled, pushing his face against the wooden bars. “And you’re not doing a leafing thing to stop what’s happening!”
Lina was hit by twin feelings of guilt and anger. “That’s not true,” she insisted, her tone stiff. “You think I’ve been sitting pretty, but the ritual and cleansing, they weren’t a walk in the park. And trying to talk sense into the Crone and her followers is as easy as holding water in a bucket made entirely of holes.”
“That’s all the more reason to escape, to return to Exeria and try to convince the king of the danger that conspires against him.”
Lina looked down, upset that she was disappointing him, but something inside her said to stick to her plan. “I’ve got to go. I’ll return as soon as I can.” She turned away from the cages, her heart heavy. Gilly watched her go, as did Braken. Lina could hear him calling to her, telling her to stop, to listen to him, but she continued through the clearing and back down the path. It seemed to take forever for the echoes of his words to fade.
Chapter Two
The Crone was nowhere to be found. Lina had hurried from the tree-prison to the hut, hoping to convince the old woman that her friends were not a threat. Unfortunately, the hut was empty when she arrived. She wandered through the interior, looking over its crowded contents. There were bones, dried herbs, and frogs, lizards, and moths kept in small cages. Walls of bound pages and rolled scrolls were squeezed on overfull shelves. Magical implements littered every available surface, and as always, the cauldron bubbled away in the center.
After abandoning the hut, she’d tried finding the Crone in the forest village, but no one had seen her, and Lina got the impression that the old woman wasn’t often seen. Perhaps she disappeared regularly, because no one seemed alarmed by the news of her absence. Once she gave up the search for the Crone, Lina switched to looking for Gilly. If anyone knew where to find the woman, it would be her sister.
Gilly turned out to be almost as hard to locate as the Crone. Lina spent most of the day walking in circles, retracing her steps, and asking wildlings where to locate her sister. Few answered her, and none had any information as to Gilly’s whereabouts. It was almost dusk when she returned to the Crone’s hut, tired and frustrated. After sticking her head inside to make sure the place was still empty, she sat on the stone stoop, her elbows on her knees, deciding to wait until either woman reappeared.
While she waited, she realized she was oddly reliving the moment her mother had abandoned her and her sister on the same doorstep. It had been a night of fear, loneliness, and a deep, abiding sadness that still resonated. Hopelessness descended, and not for the first time, Lina worried that she wasn’t up to the task ahead of her. An impending civil war for dominion over the Realm. A vicious outsider hoping to devour the Realm, hiding in plain sight. And a bossy velox with a hot temper and an even hotter exterior who alternatively wants to protect me and throttle me.
Sure, I can handle it. Piece of cake.
Lina covered her face with her hands, rubbing at her eyes and wondering how she’d ended up in this position. And why can’t I remember what happened to blank my memory? Linetta had told her that she’d disappeared from her southern estate, and that she’d gone off-world to locate her, picking up a fiancé along the way. A fiancé who just happens to be keeping a little secret: He’s a monster intent on destroying the Fae and everything they hold dear.
No matter how she tried, she couldn’t make things add up. Desperation climbed up her throat until Lina thought she might be sick. She looked up at the faintest sound from the forest around her, her pointed ears pricking. From the brush emerged Gilly. Her sister sauntered up the walk toward her.
Lina stood, blanking her face. She hadn’t been able to persuade her sister to her side exactly, but now was her chance. She cut to the chase. “You’ve got to let my friends go.”
Gilly ignored her, moving past her toward the door to the hut. Lina blocked her, hands on her hips. “I’m not moving until you listen to me.” Emotions were taking the lead, it seemed, and Lina had trouble suppressing her temper.
Her sister paused, a look of amusement on her familiar face. “Things are moving quickly now. You should recognize the way the wind is blowing.”
“And you should recognize that this is all going to blow up in your face!” Lina grabbed her sister’s arms, her words filled with intensity. “Don’t you see that we’ve been used as pawns our entire lives?”
Gilly wrenched away from her, her neutral expression cracking to reveal the anger underneath. “I see a force that will do whatever it takes to achieve their goal. And if you don’t have it in you, then get out of the way.”
She tried to push her way past, but Lina wasn’t having it. Her temper boiled over, and without hesitating, she moved her weight forward, shoving her sister off the stone step. Gilly stumbled backward, then looked at Lina, murder in her eyes. “Right.”
She sprang forward, somehow wrapping her legs around Lina’s waist and jerking her down so that they both tumbled into the grass. Lina struggled away from her sister, wiping away a clump of mud from her face. She scrambled to her knees, once again facing her sister. “You’re rude!”
Gilly stuck her tongue out at her in reaction, then rolled her eyes. “And you’re so full of decorum. Even the city-dwellers couldn’t teach you to behave properly.”
Lina drove her fingers into the soft ground, pulling up a hunk of dirt and throwing it at her sister. Gilly batted it away but was caught off-guard by Lina’s lunge forward. They ended up on the ground, each attempting to subdue the other.
Lina managed to straddle Gilly and hold down her shoulders for a moment. “Why are we acting so petty? We should be considering what yesterday revealed. We’re twins, and we used to be closer than anything. Inseparable. You’re me, remember? And I’m you!”
“And you’re a leafing pain in my backside,” Gilly growled, shifting so that now she was on top. Her hands dug into Lina’s shoulders, keeping her pinned to the ground. “All that changed when you left.”
“I didn’t want to leave!”
