Son of Ereubus (27 page)

Ariana followed in line with the others. They walked through the open areas beyond the wall and back into the temple. She didn’t want to admit that fear had crept into her thoughts but she had to force herself not to hesitate as they entered.

They walked through a long corridor and down a narrow flight of steps. She gasped as they entered a large, black-paved room with rows of benches. An altar was at the front, lined with candles. They filed into their seats, mindless drones, keeping their heads down and eyes averted. She braved a glance at her surroundings and had to keep from yelling out. Sara sat at the very far end of the pew from her.

Ariana swallowed hard as tears began to form in her eyes. It took all of her strength not to weep with joy. She looked over again and noticed Sara’s cheek was bruised and her hand was wrapped in cloth. Her attention was pulled away as she heard a familiar voice.

“Nech ordai neroman,”
Garren’s voice echoed through the sanctuary and she jumped to her feet as everyone around her rose at his entrance. “We are here for worship. But tonight is a night apart from all others.” He turned to the robed Ereubinian who stood closest to the altar. “His Holiness and I are here to dedicate the death of many to our Goddess. Thousands of humans have been sacrificed at Adoria’s borders in her honor and in revenge for the loss of our brethren. No longer can Adoria question the hand of the Laionai or the will of the Goddess.”

Ariana’s blood ran cold.

Garren walked around the sanctuary and for a time spoke in the same tongue that he’d used with her in the woods, what she’d come to learn was Ereubinian. Occasionally, he would pause, and everyone would repeat the last part of what he’d said.

“Norde latresk Ciara mordat.”
She would have felt the heat of his breath on her neck had it not been for the hood of her cloak. “It has come to my attention that there are some among us who have mixed loyalties — who have agendas of their own to abide by instead of that which the Laionai have set before us.”

As he walked away, she turned her head enough to see him saunter to the end of the pew and place his hand possessively on Sara’s shoulder.

She’s his wife
!

She heard many of the Ereubinians shift in discomfort in their seats as Garren continued. “Come,
speak
, you who’ve led them astray! Show them — show us — your strength!” The vile tone of his voice bit into the air. No one answered him. Whatever he’d just done, it had elevated the level of tension in the room significantly.

Suddenly, Garren laughed. “See, my brothers, you have nothing to gain from following such cowardice. Why would you listen to such a craven, powerless creature?” He released his hold on Sara and made his way back up to the altar.

Ariana tuned out the remainder of the service. Her bitterness clouded her focus, and she had a difficult time following the others. Several times throughout the service, she had failed to rise at the same time or kneel with them. She caught herself within an instant each time, but it wasn’t without fear of having been noticed. The service finally drew to a close. After the Ereubinians left, the humans started to file out of the doorway. Ariana watched as an Ereubinian grabbed Sara by the arm and pulled her from the group. She was about to yell out when a hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her into a darkened corner.

“That wouldn’t be wise.” It was a young teenager. He lowered his hand from her mouth. “You are Michael’s sister, are you not?”

She nodded, shocked that he knew her brother. She wanted to ask but didn’t have time — Sara was getting away from her.

“It’s not safe for you to be here.” He said. “Dark things are afoot. I’ll take you as far as I can, but you must leave.”

“I’m not leaving without Sara,” she whispered.

He looked at her sternly. “Don’t approach her. Believe me, Adorian, you have no choice but to leave. Doing anything else will get you killed and then what chance will she have?”

Ariana couldn’t argue with him. She’d been naïve in her assumptions of Garren. It would take the help of trained Braeden to free Sara from these walls. But how could she return to Adoria empty-handed? Her pride and her love for her friend wouldn’t let her acknowledge failure.

“I’m sorry,” she dodged his hand as he reached out to stop her and slid unseen across several of the pews, following Sara and her captor from the room.

She was careful to stay as far back as she could as they walked out into the open, shedding the white cloak as they reached the outer walls. She followed until she came right up beside Sara and as soon as the Ereubinian was distracted, she clamped a hand over Sara’s mouth and pulled her into an alley.

“Sara, it’s me,” she said urgently.

Sara had no expression on her face. As Ariana dropped her hand, tears formed in her eyes. “Aiden!” Sara cried out.

“Sara, no ...” Ariana moaned, backing away from her.

A single tear made its way down Sara’s cheek as she yelled for him again. “Aiden!”

Ariana contemplated forcing Sara to come with her, but the thought vanished as the Ereubinian came around the corner.

“What have we here?” Even his voice was vile.

She started to run but three Ereubinians intercepted her. Changing directions again, she yelled out in frustration. Suddenly, she felt something thrust into her hands. She paused to look down and she saw that she was holding reins. The boy had caught up with her.

“Go to the east entrance, it’s your only chance!” He hoisted her onto the Dragee and hit the beast hard in the side.

The city was congested, but breezing past the humans was easy. However, when they made it beyond the gates, things got complicated. She felt several crossbow arrows whizz past her head.

Oh, you’re about to lose this game — you sick bastards.

The first time she tried to turn around, she nearly fell off and it took a moment to regain her balance. She tried once more and found success by keeping her body lower to the beast. She pulled the bow from the case attached to the Dragee’s saddle and shot arrows out of the quiver.

She mortally wounded seven of the Ereubinian soldiers before the rest disappeared. Then she remembered Garren’s power to go unseen in Palingard and realized she’d been wrong in assuming he alone had the ability.

Unseen, but not totally unheard.
She closed her eyes, ignoring more arrows as they missed her, and focused. Drawing back the bow, she listened to the sound of hooves pounding into the ground. She let the arrow fly from her hands and yelled in triumph as she saw one of them reappear and hit the ground with her arrow lodged squarely in his chest.

C
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arren didn’t take the time to see who’d grabbed his shoulders before throwing the offender to the ground. He spun and saw the look in Micah’s eyes, and it brought immediate dread to his gut. “Goddess, Micah, what is it?”

“She was in the service tonight, Michael’s sister, dressed as one of the humans. She was caught. I caught up with her and gave her my Dragee, but I don’t know how far she’ll make it, my Lord. Aiden’s right behind her.”

Garren didn’t wait to hear anymore, he grabbed the reins of the Dragee nearest him, his heart caught in his throat. He’d been so close to her, how could he not have known? And she’d heard every word that he’d said. Even if he were able to get close enough to help her, she’d have every reason not to trust him.

He paid little attention to what he was destroying as they tore through the city. If Aiden reached her first — no, he couldn’t think of that. She’d outrun him pretty well in Palingard, but she’d have little chance against as many men as Aiden would bring with him. Garren tore through the gates of the city into the barren landscape beyond.

He passed several who’d fallen, mortally wounded. Perhaps she hadn’t come alone. He could only hope. He came upon several more before reaching the edges of the forest — nine in all. Aiden was yet unaccounted for. Just then, Garren realized he wasn’t alone. Riders were approaching from the south.

“Don’t harm her,” Garren struggled with what to tell them. “I have unfinished business with this one.”

The riders seemed to heed his command, but, glancing at their faces, Garren realized he didn’t recognize any of them. Yet, they were clearly Ereubinian and wore the cloaks of his elite. He didn’t have time to contemplate it further as Aiden came into view.

Aiden raised his sword and it fell too quickly for Garren to act. He heard Ariana cry out as it caught her heels. Aiden pulled her from the Dragee and she fell to the ground. He looked directly at Garren and raised the sword. “Aiden, drop your sword!” Garren’s voice echoed through the forest. He watched in horror as Aiden plunged the sword into her chest.

Garren jumped from the Dragee before it had come to a full stop and scrambled to her side. The men who’d ridden with him seized Aiden.

The sword had entered just below her collarbone on her left side. His aim had been for her heart, but he’d missed.

She met his gaze, her face wild with fear as she gasped for breath. He wanted so desperately to tell her that he wasn’t going to harm her, but it would prove fatal for them both, considering their audience.

“Have I not done as you’ve requested, my Lord?” Aiden hissed. “Is it not your will for this Adorian to die? Or do you perhaps wish for her to live?”

Garren wanted nothing more than to end Aiden’s existence right then. “It’s not my will that’s important, but that of the Laionai. This Adorian has knowledge that we may use.”

The girl didn’t have enough energy to say anything, but managed to grip his sleeve with one hand. He could feel Aiden’s men’s eyes on him and he brushed her hand away with coldness that made his insides shudder.

Aiden had nothing more to say on the matter, though Garren suspected it had more to do with his being restrained. Garren motioned for the men to take Aiden back to the city. “Keep him in his chambers until I say otherwise.”

Garren removed his cloak and pulled off the long-sleeved shirt he wore. He held it ready as he pulled the sword free. Her eyes, hurt and angry, met his one last time before she lost consciousness due to the pain. He tied the shirt around her chest and over her shoulder to stop the bleeding. He clenched his teeth as he saw the reason for Aiden’s first blow to her ankles. If she recovered from her more serious wounds, she’d never be able to walk again.

He pulled her into his arms and stood, numb and unsure of his next move. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see that a few of the men had stayed.

“I’ll hand her to you once you’re mounted.”

Garren put his cloak back on and then hoisted himself up onto his Dragee and steadied himself in the saddle. Once he was ready, he leaned over as the soldier handed her to him.

He held her with her legs across the saddle, her head against his chest. He could feel her heart beating against him, though it was weak. Her eyes were still closed, but she’d regained an ounce of awareness and struggled against him as they made their way back to Eidolon.

He felt his face heat up as they neared the city gates. He hadn’t the slightest idea what to do. Anything he could think of would get them both killed. As they came to the castle, the same unfamiliar soldier who’d helped him before again approached him.

“My Lord, I assume you’re taking her to the dungeons below the keep?”

Garren nodded. He’d almost forgotten those particular cells were in existence. They were the least used in Eidolon and the last place anyone would think to look for them. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Malachai, my Lord. It’s as good a name as any other.” The soldier smiled as he turned his Dragee and disappeared into the crowd.

It took him a moment to realize what had just occurred. He knew his men were loyal, but to the point of disobeying the Laionai? And why hadn’t he recognized those particular few? He looked down at her again. Her face, once blushed with color, had paled to a lifeless pallor. Fear clutched at his heart as he felt for a pulse. He breathed a little easier as he found it, but it was weak and unsteady.

There were already several others in the cell halls as he came down the stairwell with her. One of the larger guards reached over to take her from him.

He held her firm in his arms, refusing to loosen his grip. “You should be off to more important things. This one poses little threat of escaping.”

The guard laughed, his voice coming out rough and coarse from years of pipe and ale. “I suppose she wouldn’t be, my Lord. Much of a threat, I mean. Kind to the eyes though, this one is. I haven’t seen one quite this young down here in a while.”