Arbiter (The Arbiter Chronicles Book 1) (13 page)

She didn’t have time to watch Cathel fight. As the wood sprites recovered and noticed her presence they rushed towards her, forming a half-circle around her and putting themselves between her and the prisoner. One of the sprites reached out as she passed, grabbing her by her wrist. Rae heard a hissing sound, and her eyes widened as she saw it jump back, cradling its hand as if it had been burned. 

She gathered light into her hands and drew them back, a whip of light shooting out from her hands and lashing out at the entire circle. The light caught the sprites, throwing them back as she rushed through the gap she had made, setting off several blasts of blinding light to cover her escape.

The blasts did not come with sound, but she heard the wood sprites scream and cover their eyes as the light blossomed in front of them. It should have blinded her as well, but it was Alcian’s light, and she had Alcian’s eyes.

She reached down as she neared the prisoner, drawing the High Lord’s small knife from its sheath. Rae quickly hacked away at the vines, surprised at the ease with which Alcian’s gift parted the thick branches. The girl slumped forward, and Rae caught her by the shoulders as her head lolled back, her soft breathing the only thing that reminded Rae she was still alive.

Above her shoulder, Larin started blinking erratically. She looked. Out of the corner of her eye, three wood sprites were rushing towards her, vines in their hand. Her eyes widened, and she held her hand out towards them, summoning power into it. A blast of light shot out from her hand, slamming into them and scattering them like bowling pins.

It shouldn’t have done that, she realized vaguely. Light was light. It wasn’t supposed to be solid. It wasn’t supposed to hurt them.

But she wanted it to hurt them, she realized. And so it did.

She didn’t have time to think about that now. “Cathel!” she called, her eyes snapping over to Cathel’s fight with the
firithan.

Cathel jumped back, landing on the ground as the
firithan
rushed towards him, his talons extended. Rae heard a screech like that of a falcon finding its prey, and the
firithan
rushed forward at an almost impossible speed, his talons scraping down the side of Cathel’s arm. The mage’s eyes widened as he fell back, and Rae stared in shock as she saw blood appear, three bright red trails forming in the air as the
firithan
threw Cathel back.

Her eyes fixed on the blood, her heart pounding her chest.

It was happening again...

She remembered that day in the alley that the Reaper’s mark had warned her about, that one gunshot, the sound and crack it made as Nathan crumpled to the ground in front of her, his eyes wide and his hand over his chest. The men in front of her swore, one of them dropping the gun as they ran off down the alley in a panic.

Not again...

“Cathel!”
s
he shouted, cold fear running through her veins.

The
firithan
unfurled his wings, a large gust tearing through the air as he flapped them. The gust struck Cathel dead on, flinging him into the forest like a rag doll. She heard the snap of branches and the crunch of leaves as he disappeared into the trees, his sword still in his hand.

Her eyes narrowed in anger and she summoned the power the High Lord had given her again, flooding both hands with light. She got to her feet, drawing her hand back as she pointed both hands at Skor. Light flooded the space between her fingers, her brow furrowing in concentration as she attempted to pour all of her energy into the attack.

A vine shot out from the side, wrapping around her wrists and yanking her to the ground. The light disappeared, the magic suddenly fading from her. Rae’s eyes widened in shock as she struck the ground hard, attempting to summon light again.

It wouldn’t come.

She couldn’t reach her Source.

Her eyes widened in panic as another vine wrapped around her ankles, the vine around her wrists dragging her to her feet. She struggled, fighting against them, but they held fast, bringing her up to face the
firithan
. He turned towards her, a grin on his face as he licked blood from his talons.

Blood.

Cathel’s blood.

Fear and anger and rage flooded her, and she let out an angry scream, attempting to struggle against her bonds. They held fast, and her magic still wouldn’t come at her call.

“What do we have here?” asked the
firithan
, stepping towards her. He studied her, his eyes bright and owlish. “…High Lord Alcian’s power? You’re the Arbiter, aren’t you? A little hatchling Arbiter? Oh, this is just too good. Dark Lord Moriwen will be pleased with you.”

Her eyes narrowed as he reached out towards her. Her fists clenched, and her heart thudded with fear, but she kept nothing but anger on her face.

She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“Do you grieve for the human, Arbiter?” asked the
firithan,
extending his talons towards her. “Do you want me to bring him back?”

Rae drew herself away as he reached for her face, his talons lightly scraping her cheek. They drew blood, a faint line appearing across her cheek where his talons had touched.

The ground suddenly buckled underneath them, a shield of earth appearing between Rae and the
firithan
. Rae’s eyes widened in surprise as the
firithan
turned around, facing the woods. The shield faded, allowing her to see just over his shoulder. As Rae watched, the trees in the woods groaned, seeming to sway in one direction simultaneously as they angled themselves towards the camp.

Cathel emerged through the trees, his green eyes blazing. Branches and vines were wrapped around his arms, bearing him in the air for a moment as they set him down on the ground. They unwrapped from him, sliding back into the trees like snakes as he held his sword in front of him, pointing it towards the
firithan
. He was bleeding, but he didn’t seem to notice, the blood streaked across the side of his face and his arm.

Power crackled around him. Rae stared at him. She could practically see
his Source, settling around his shoulders like a shroud, a mantle of power. The very air seemed to surround him, shielding him, putting him in the center of a whirlwind. He looked like a figure out of legend. She couldn’t look away.

The
firithan
chuckled to himself, pulling away from her. “Looks like Alcian’s pet still has some fight in him after all.”

“Do you believe, Skor, that the lands of the Ivali have a life of their own?” asked Cathel as he stepped forward, the last of the vines that had caught him withdrawing from him.

“Of course,” said Skor. “All of the Ivali know this.”

“Then tell me,” said Cathel, his eyes narrowed dangerously. “You have insulted High Lord Alcian on her own lands? How do you think they feel towards you now?”

Skor tensed. Rae could see it rippling through the muscles in his back and shoulders as he turned away from her fully, facing Cathel. “…What about it?”

“You really are an idiot, aren’t you?” asked Cathel. “I am an Edictal Mage. My power is only as strong as the willingness of the things I command to work with me. But now I hardly need to use any magic at all.”

Skor’s eyes widened, and Rae saw the realization begin to dawn on him. She didn’t particularly care about him, though. Her eyes were fixed on Cathel, fixed on the mage as he drew his hand back, pulling his sword closer to himself. She didn’t know what he had been so angry about earlier—why he was so jealous of her power.

She was only the judge. But in that moment, the land was the jury.

And Cathel was the executioner.

“…Skor Firithan,” he said, the wind seeming to carry his voice, projecting it throughout the clearing. “I am High Lord Alcian’s
tarethan
. I am her champion. I am the voice of her lands, and I will be the channel for their retribution.”

His eyes narrowed. “You should have left while you had the chance,” he said quietly, under his breath.

In one fluid movement, he drew his sword forward in a slash, the power radiating outward from him as he made a single command.

“Kill.”

The earth buckled underneath them at Cathel's command, the air whistling around him. In one instant, the wood sprites fled, disappearing into the woods and dropping the vines holding Rae. She collapsed onto the ground, letting out a quick shout of pain. The grass seemed to move to catch her, softening the blow somewhat but not erasing it completely as she lay there, hands and feet still bound by the sprites' vines. She twisted around, forcing herself to flip over so that she could see Cathel. She tasted blood, and wondered if she had bit her lip on the way down.

Cathel stood at the center of the rolling earth, his eyes fixed on Skor. Sharp spikes jutted out from the ground just underneath the 
firithan
. He jumped back nimbly, avoiding the point of one and landing on its side, his wings unfurled. As Rae watched, the 
firithan 
took to the air, but at a wave of Cathel's hand, the wind's direction shifted, narrowing and cutting towards Skor. He banked sharply, avoiding the blast and rushing towards Cathel. The earth moved, forming a wall around Cathel. Skor avoided it, rising sharply and flying over the wall towards the mage. Cathel raised his sword, catching the talons pointed in his direction and taking a step back as the wind rushed towards him again.

Skor moved to avoid the blast. It soared past him—she saw its passing ripple through his feathers. Cathel quickly moved to take advantage of the opening he had created, stepping forward. His sword moved in a flash of steel, cutting a long gash down the
 firithan's 
arm as Skor jumped back. Dark blood stained the edge of Cathel's blade.

"Now we're evenly marked," said Cathel. His voice was calm, his eyes fixed completely on the
firithan
. They were glittering green emeralds in the unnatural cast the forest lent them.

Skor drew back his wounded arm, the 
firithan
's eyes gleaming in the rapidly darkening forest. Rae took the opportunity to draw her hands closer to herself, scooting her legs underneath her as she attempted to pull the vines apart. Even without the sprites holding onto her, they held fast, and she could feel them repressing her Source, stopping her from reaching it and drawing it forth. The talismans around her wrists didn't seem to affect them the same way they had affected the Ivali, which was to be expected. They were just plants after all.

She took a deep breath and let out a groan of effort, closing her eyes and trying to push even the smallest amount of her magic through. She could feel it building up beneath her skin like water behind a dam, but she couldn't get it to break the surface, to come out and free her.

Her eyes snapped open, and she let out the breath she was holding in one exhausted sigh. The ground rumbled, moving underneath her like waves on the ocean as it snapped up beneath Skor, flinging the 
firithan 
into the air before he could attack Cathel. Rae saw Cathel extend his hands out to either side of him and bring them together, as though he were grabbing something. The winds above suddenly changed direction again, slamming into Skor on either side and sending him tumbling end over end. Cathel brought his hand down in a slash, and the wind moved with it, catching Skor in the chest and slamming him onto the ground.

She felt the ground shake with the impact, dust and debris scattering from the area Skor had struck. The impact was followed immediately by a loud cracking sound, and Rae cringed in spite of herself. She immediately closed her eyes and raised her bound arms in front of her, turning her head away from the sudden spray of dirt and stone.

The ground rose where Skor landed, forming two spikes that crossed each other in the middle. She saw Skor rise up through the curtain of dust, jumping from spike to spike as they rose and landing clumsily on the ground as he rushed towards Cathel, his talons pulled back. The wind flared up behind him, heading towards the mage.

Cathel raised his sword, blocking the first blast of air. She saw it rush past him on either side, carrying with it dirt and dust as it pulled at his hair and the edges of his cloak. The mage quickly sidestepped as Skor approached, raising his sword and blocking the creature's claws. The ground rose up underneath Skor again, and he quickly jumped out of the way as his attack was blocked, letting out a fearsome screech and diving down towards Cathel from the air.

Rae averted her eyes from the conflict, attempting to tug her wrists apart again. The vine continued to hold, keeping close to her. She looked around her, beginning to scan the ground as realization struck her.

Knife.

Where was her knife?

She spotted it lying in the grass a few feet away from her, closer to where the prisoner lay. A glimmer of light reflected off of its surface. Rae grit her teeth and launched herself forward, slamming her fists down on the ground and pushing off with her feet as she attempted to maneuver herself over towards it. She heard another earsplitting screech and saw the ground buckle like a crater around Cathel, earthen walls rising up on either side to save him from the wind. His walls cracked as Skor's blasts struck them, and she saw stones topple, landing on the ground with a crash.

Cathel was getting tired. His face was growing paler with each strike, each manipulation of the environment, and the blood-red spot on his arm seemed to be growing each time she looked. Skor wasn't much better. He looked exhausted, and one of his wings was hanging at an odd angle, as if it had been broken in the fight, but the 
firithan 
was strong, and he didn't look like he was backing down. The sight of Cathel fueled her determination, and she forced herself onward.

He really didn't have much time.

Rae let out a ragged breath as she pulled herself up in front of the knife, collapsing onto the ground in front of it. She reached out, grabbing it clumsily in both hands and attempting to maneuver it in such a way that would allow her to cut her own bonds. The knife was sharp, and it didn't cut her, but her gloves were fair game, and she saw the thin faesteel blade cut through the leather like it was no more than half-melted butter, brushing lightly against her skin as she attempted to move it onto the vines.

A pillar of air moved downwards above Skor at Cathel's direction, shoving the
firithan
to the ground with such force that the earth cracked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cathel move forward, all the power and fury of the ground and sky and forest behind him as he drew his sword arm back. And he was going to win. She knew it, even as she frantically tried to cut herself free from her bonds. If that blow hit, he was going to win.

But she didn't stop, the tip of the knife just barely piercing the thick surface of one of the vines.

The wind whistled in her ear, blowing her hair into her face as Cathel let out a shout of fury, raising his sword over his head.

And then suddenly it was quiet. The howling of the wind ceased, the ground stopped moving, and even the forest seemed to go still. Skor's laugh rang out through the air, the sound of it chilling her to the bone. Rae's eyes widened, and she glanced over to see Cathel staring wide-eyed at a vine wrapped around his arm, a single brave wood sprite holding on to the other end of it. The vine snaked up the length of his sword, and she saw the realization dawn on Cathel's face, the realization that he couldn't reach his Source, that the magic fueling the land's anger was gone.

Skor stepped forward with a grin, freed from his bonds, and slammed his fist straight into Cathel's gut.

Cathel's eyes widened, and he flew back. She saw him, suspended in the air as if in slow motion, the force of Skor's blow sending him into the trees as he dropped his sword. She heard something crack, saw his mouth opening in a silent shout. In that one moment, she could hear nothing else, could see nothing else. All she could hear was the blood rushing in her ears, the steady sound of her own heartbeat. All she could see was Cathel's face, the sword slowly falling from his hand to the ground.

The knife cut through the vines, and she pulled her hands apart in one quick movement, grabbing it by the hilt with a speed she hadn't known she possessed and slashing out at the vines on her ankles.

At once, her power flooded through her. Like a river that had been held back for too long, she felt the power she had tried to summon rush to the surface, begging to be set free. She didn't stop to think, didn't stop to look. Cathel didn't have time for that. Her hand shot out, reaching for the nearest thing she could find.

It turned out to be a shovel, a wooden shovel with a metal head that one of the sprites had dropped from where they were setting up camp. Rae gripped it tightly in both hands, light wrapping around the tool and glowing brightly as she ran forward, raising it over her head with a shout. She brought it down as hard as she could on Skor's head, the bright light from her magic fueling the attack and driving it down further.

Rae heard a sickening crack and saw Skor's body tense, before every muscle in it went limp and he slumped to the ground in front of her, between her and Cathel. His wings hung limply beside him, his head turned to the side and his bird-like beak open. She heard a rustle in the leaves, looked up just in time to see the wood sprites fleeing again, and exhaled deeply, her breath coming in short pants. Her gloves were a tattered mess, and Alcian's knife had even managed to score the leather on her boots. Her hair clung to the side of her face, her heart beating loudly in her chest as she gripped the shovel like a lifeline.

And then it was quiet again.

She exhaled, looking down at Skor. Once it became clear that the 
firithan 
would not be getting back up, she let out a slow breath through her teeth, her fists slowly unclenching around the shovel's handle. The tool clattered to the ground, its head stained with blood and God only knew what else. Rae felt the bile begin to rise in her throat, and she swallowed quickly in an attempt to keep it back. It didn't work, and she quickly looked away from Skor's body and attempted to pull some of her hair out of her face as she was promptly sick.

She had killed him. Even though he was Ivali, even though he wasn't human…he had been a being with thoughts, with emotions, with life, and she had killed him. He would have killed her—she knew that in her mind—but it couldn't help the way she felt as she looked out into the forest, slowly exhaling in an attempt to calm herself down.

She had seen death before, but she had never caused it. That had always been someone else.

The Reaper. It had always been the Reaper's fault.

She shook her head against the thought, kicking the shovel aside with her boot and quickly looking over Skor's body. She didn't have time to think about this now. There were more important things.

Cathel.

He lay on his back in the grass, his hand over his chest. His face was pale and contorted in pain, his breathing labored. The vine that had wrapped around his hand now lay on the ground beside him, and there was a faint light over his hand, his mouth moving in between breaths as he recited something to himself.

She quickly moved around Skor, crouching down at his side.

"Cathel," she said, holding her hands out towards him. She hesitated, then pulled them back. Maybe she shouldn't touch him. "…Cathel."

He took another sharp breath, and his eyes drifted open, meeting hers. The brilliant green of them began to fade away, and they returned to the normal green color that they had been before. He exhaled sharply and looked away from her, muttering something else under his breath as his expression grew pained. At first, she thought he was casting a spell, but then as she listened to the words, she realized that he was actually just cursing.

Typical Cathel.

He attempted to pull himself up, but lost strength and fell back. Without thinking, Rae reached forward, supporting him on her arms. His head lolled forward, leaning against her chest as he closed his eyes.

"…Ribs," she heard him mutter under his breath. "Broke a few. Tried to get them to heal, but…the magic's not coming. Too tired…I'll live…out of danger…"

She shook her head. "You rest," she said quickly. "But stay awake. No magic, unless it's an emergency."

"Yeah…" mumbled Cathel, and she felt him nod. "Stay awake…easier said than done…" He hissed as she shifted position. "…Damn, that hurts."

"Sorry," she said quickly. She could feel panic threatening to overwhelm her. The prisoner was unconscious, and Cathel was semi-conscious at best, and seriously hurt. What was she supposed to do?

A thought occurred to her, and she looked around, scanning the forest for her wisp. "Larin!" she called. "Larin, where are you?"

There was a pause, and then her little wisp materialized into existence, hovering just over her and Cathel. Rae slowly lowered the mage so that he was lying down on her lap. She did her best to move slowly, but there was no denying Cathel's hiss of pain as her eyes fixed on the wisp. "Find help," she said. "From somewhere—anywhere—and get them here as fast as you can. Find someone loyal to Alcian."

For a moment, she wondered if Larin understood. The wisp hovered in the air as if regarding her and Cathel, and she saw it flicker, almost as if it was wavering back and forth. Then, it pulsed brightly a few times, before fading out of sight.