Martyr (20 page)

“Your supper, friends,” the young boy said, which just made Tenn wonder what time it really was. “Let us know if you require anything else.” He bowed once, then left through the door without another word. Tenn's gut twisted with the thought of food, but Earth growled hungrily. He knew that he was feeling so worn-out because his Spheres weren't replenished. He needed to eat. To recharge, if nothing else.

The meal was far from bland. Silver domes hid bowls of steaming stew and roasted fowl, warm wheat rolls and a tureen of roast vegetables. There were even small bowls of chocolate mousse topped with cream and mint leaves. On any other day, the feast would have made Tenn's head spin. As it was, he loaded up his plate and ate with a methodical detachment. Everything tasted like ash.

“We don't have to continue, you know.”

Dreya's voice cut through the silence of the room. Tenn glanced up over his fork, and Dreya actually blushed. Even Devon paused in eating, his scarf loosely draped across his chest. The sight of Devon without his scarf was decidedly odd.

“What I mean is, we would understand if you no longer wish to find the Witches.” She looked at Devon as though she were expecting back-up. He just glanced down and resumed eating his duck. Dreya sighed and looked Tenn in the eye again. “You have been through hell. We do not expect you to continue. You can start over, perhaps join another guild farther away.”

“No,” Tenn said. “I'm not running away from this. Not anymore.”

She dipped her head.

“I knew you would say that,” she said.

“You don't have to follow if you don't—”

Her head snapped up, and she cut him off before he could finish.

“Do not think Jarrett's sacrifice was for you alone.” She took a deep breath. “He has given much for us, all of us, to be here. But know that…know that this is just the beginning. If you continue down this path, Jarrett will not be the only loss you face.”

She glanced at her brother, their eyes locking for the briefest of moments. Tenn's knee-jerk reaction was the urge to say
I have no one else to lose
, but in that exchange he realized just how wrong he was. He could lose them, too. It didn't matter that a week ago the three of them had barely exchanged a word. He knew they were now in this, together, for the long haul. They were the closest thing to family that he had left.

“I know,” Tenn said. He looked down to his half-empty plate. “I just don't want anyone else to get hurt.”
Because of me
.

“We can make our own choices,” Dreya said. “We will see this mission through. If only to make the evils that did this pay.”

“Thank you,” Tenn said.

“It is not for you,” Dreya whispered. “We have our own demons to vanquish.”

They ate the rest of the meal in silence.

The twins got up to leave shortly after finishing, saying they had been given a bedroom for the night. Tenn stopped them.

He couldn't tell them about Tomás—he had a feeling the incubus would classify that as
defying him
and he didn't want the twins to be targeted—but Matthias was another beast altogether.

“What do you know about dreams?” he asked.

Dreya raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

Tenn bit his lip.

“Matthias,” he said. “I think he's following me. In my dreams. I think that's how he found us.”

“Perhaps,” she said. “It would not surprise me, powerful as he is. Especially if Leanna has trained him.”

It wasn't the response he expected.

“What do I do?” he asked. “How do I keep him out?”

Devon answered.

“You want revenge. Why would you hide from him? Let him hunt us. It saves us from running after him.”

Tenn could only stare at him, and thankfully, Dreya picked up the slack.

“My brother has a point,” she said. “Matthias will be tracking us no matter what. He does not abandon the chase. He cannot hurt you in your dreams. And if he uses them to find us, well…we know to be prepared. Here, at least, we are safe from him.”

“You seem so sure of that,” Tenn said.

“We are,” Dreya said. “For this is not a part of the reality we know. Matthias has no access to Maya. He cannot step foot here. Nor can anyone else. So long as we reside within the halls of this temple, we are safe.”

“I don't understand.”

“And it will take more than one evening to learn,” she said. “Just know that here, in this place, the outer world cannot reach you. That is why we must rest. That is why we
can
rest.” She gave him a quick hug. “Good night, Tenn. We shall see you in the morning.”

With that, they opened the door and left.

Tenn remembered the way Erin brushed aside his question of where this was. Was it possible? It was rumored the Priests of Maya lived in a place set apart, which is why they needed the Voices to communicate. He wasn't ready to claim anything was impossible.

It wasn't until he had curled up under his covers and blown out the bedside candle that he was hit with a terrifying thought. If only Priests attuned to Maya could reach this place, how had Tomás managed it?

The thought didn't hold for long. As exhaustion rolled over him, the panic was replaced by an emptiness he had been able to ignore in the twins' presence. The bed was large. Suffocating. Tenn reached out an arm for the body he knew he'd never touch again. His fingers twined into cold sheets.

Tears filled his eyes as the weight of Jarrett's absence filled him. He barely even noticed as Water unfurled within his chest and dragged him down into a troubled, dreamless sleep.

20

The
room was glowing when Tenn awoke, and it took him a few moments to convince himself he wasn't dreaming. Candles and torches were lit, casting the whole room in a soft, warm light. He was certain he'd extinguished all of them before he fell asleep. Whether it was the magic of the Priests or a forgotten visit from Tomás, he wasn't certain, but as he rolled over in bed, the thought was quelled as a new reality drove home like a shard of ice.

His bed was empty. This was the first day of the rest of his life without Jarrett. And that thought, that realization, made his chest ache.

He took a few deep breaths and tried to keep Water from opening. By some miracle, it didn't come alive to torment him, but he knew how Water worked. If he let himself sink, even for just a moment, it would take over. He needed to keep moving. The moment he stopped, he was done for.

He pushed himself from bed and went into the bathroom to shower. The shower walls were smooth, black stone, and the water poured from the ceiling like rain. The luxury of it was lost on him, however, and when he finally stepped out and got dressed, he still felt cold and unclean. He didn't have long to think on it, though; there was a knock at the door a few minutes after. This time, it was the twins carrying a tray of food.

“Good morning,” Dreya said as she stepped inside. “We've brought breakfast.”

Tenn tried to smile, but the truth was his appetite was long gone. He felt rested, sure, but he definitely didn't feel any
better
. Still, when she set the tray down, he joined them in eating. The only thing Dreya said was that Erin had told them where to go when they were ready to leave. After that, the meal was silent, which he was more than okay with. He never had to worry about small talk with the twins. It wasn't necessary.

When they finished, Tenn had nothing to pack except for his staff. He grabbed it from beside the door and followed them out into the hall.

“This place is very beautiful,” Dreya said, reaching out a hand to caress a leaf the size of a car that draped over the balustrade. “I hear there is another place, similar to this. Run by the Violet Sage.”

“The what?” Tenn asked.

“The Violet Sage,” she answered. “She is the only one to master all four Spheres. She runs a sanctuary, somewhere in the heart of Japan. I hear it is also breathtaking.”

“I've never heard of it.”

“Very few have. That is how it remains safe. Imagine, a whole sanctuary dedicated to understanding the Spheres. I should like to see it.”

“Maybe you will,” Tenn said. “After all this.”

She looked at him sadly. “I would like to believe that, but I do not enjoy lying. Not even to myself.”

He bit the inside of his lip and kept walking.

Erin was waiting for them at the end of the hall, an old man beside her. He looked like the epitome of a wise old sage—from the long, dust-covered robes to the wispy beard that curled past his waist. He sat on a wooden stool, watching the three of them approach with glazed brown eyes that were heavily flecked with purple.

“Are you ready to leave, then?” Erin asked when they neared. Tenn nodded. Erin gave a small smile, then stepped over, took his hand, and placed it in the man's grip.

“Marcus,” she said in a delicate whisper. “Tenn and the others are here to see you. They are ready for the return journey.”

The man's eyes surveyed them, though it was obvious he was either blind or close to it. Lines etched across his face, and his skin was loose. But his grip was firm and warm; it didn't waver, not even in the slightest.

“It is a pleasure,” Marcus said. His voice was gravelly and just as warm as his grasp. “I have waited a long time to meet you. And to have the honor of aiding you on your path is a great blessing.”

Tenn studied the man, his gut sinking with every other word. He knew the price Marcus was about to pay, and he had no doubt that the act of taking them back would kill him. But Marcus was smiling, as though that death was the greatest gift Tenn could give. These people really were crazy.

“Th-thank you,” Tenn managed. There wasn't anything else to say.

Erin handed the twins a bag each. Marcus didn't let go of Tenn's hand while they slung the provisions over their shoulders, and Tenn couldn't take his eyes off the guy. He looked like the grandfather he'd always wished he had. The type that would tell you stories at night and sneak candy in with your breakfast. The type that spoiled you on holidays and made sure you ate your vegetables. Tenn's breath hitched, and he looked away, down to the floor. He didn't need any more reminders of the life he'd never have.
The end is just beginning
.

“Be safe in your travels,” Erin said, clasping him on the shoulder. Then she stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “We will meet again, Hunter. When the final days come, we will rally to your side.” She turned and walked away. Before Tenn could say anything—to ask what she meant or thank her for their kindness—he felt his stomach twist. The world lurched around them. Candles stretched to smears of flame in the darkness, and then the world went black.

Stepping back into the real world felt like stepping into a nightmare. Black inked into flat grey skies and a field as dark as pitch. For a moment, Tenn thought they had been taken somewhere new. But then he recognized the steel frame of their SUV smoldering a few feet away, and he realized the awful truth: this was the town. Everything within had been burnt to ash.

There wasn't any time to let the landscape sink in. The old man stumbled, the ash at his feet billowing up in a swirl of black dust. Tenn knelt down at his side, still holding his hand tight. The old man didn't look panicked. He was staring up at Tenn with the same blind smile as when they met. Tenn felt the twins edge in close behind him. At first, Tenn thought it was bits of ash that were floating away from the man. Then he realized it wasn't ash at all. Flurries of flesh wafted away on the wind as Marcus unraveled before their eyes.

“It has been an honor, Hunter,” Marcus said. His voice was strong. His hand squeezed Tenn's tighter. “A great honor.”

Then, without so much as a groan or sigh, the man burst into a cloud of dust that drifted out and up into the heavens. Tenn knelt there, holding onto empty air, and closed his eyes against the sight. Another innocent had died because of him. He took a long, deep breath and tried to calm Water as it raged with guilt inside of him. It wasn't just guilt, though—this place was alive with emotion, the landscape steeped in pain and loss. The madness spoke to his Sphere, coaxed it to life, and Tenn struggled to keep it from pulling him under. This is where Jarrett died. This is where Jarrett died. This is where…

Enough was enough.

“Which way?” he asked.

He pushed himself up to standing and wiped the ash off his jeans. He wasn't certain if it was from the ground or Marcus.

The twins shared a glance, and Devon opened to Air. The Sphere flickered like a ball of smoke behind the folds of his scarf. When that faint light went out, he shrugged his white coat closer around him and turned. Dreya didn't answer for him. She didn't need to. The three walked away from the devastation in silence.

Tenn didn't look back. Not once. He didn't want to remember the place where his future died.