Vulture (36 page)

42 - Sunset

Krishani scanned the crowd inside the hall for a sign of Kaliel. He frowned, seeing Pux, Jack, and the others he met going door to door. When it was over, he waited, trying to answer questions for the villagers as he pawed through the crowd looking for the one person he needed to talk to about his own ingenious plan. He ducked out of the hall and followed the trail to the stables. If there was something he needed to do it was make sure the horses had enough blankets. He also wanted to make sure the doors were secure so none of them would get spooked enough to run.

He crossed the threshold and inhaled the smell of horses. Shimma was there behind him, like she followed him even though he was trying to find her. She stepped into his peripheral vision, her fingers playing with the seashells on her necklace. Krishani wanted them so he could get Kaliel to the boats. He needed to get her to a safe place while he took care of the storm. He thought about going with her, but after visiting half the village personally and seeing the looks on their faces, he couldn’t let them deal with it alone. That was something Elwen would do, but he honestly didn’t care if that weasel died.

“I came to say I’m leaving,” Shimma said.

Krishani nodded. “I know. Get back to Avristar, take Kaliel … and Pux.”

Shimma shook her head. “That’s not a good idea, Krishani. I’m not going back to Avristar.”

Krishani stopped, anger singing through him. “Where are you running to now?”

Shimma shrugged. “Nimphalls. I’m going back to my sisters.”

“And you’ll just leave us to die?”

Shimma dropped the seashells and put a hand on his shoulder. “You won’t die.”

He didn’t even think about it. His clenched fist met with her jaw so hard she fell on the ground. Blood trickled from her nose.

“You disgust me,” he muttered. She wasn’t even worth it in his opinion. Shimma knew what Kaliel meant to him and what Pux meant to Kaliel. Letting them perish in the storm with the rest of the villagers? It was unforgivable. He couldn’t save the villagers, the boat was too small for that, but he could buy himself more time.

Shimma pulled herself to her feet and flew at Krishani, a dagger in her hand. She slashed his tunic, tearing it open. She stumbled backwards and gasped, staring at the black vines stretching across his chest. She wiped her bloody nose with her sleeve but it trickled over her mouth. Her blue eyes widened.

“You’re changing.”

“And you’re not helping,” Krishani said, shuddering against the cold.

“I never stay when it gets bad,” Shimma said calmly.

Krishani glowered. “Fine, do what you will.” He pushed the stable doors open and stormed to the watchtower.

• • •

Krishani took the steps two at a time, slipping on the rungs as he fought to grip the railing. He roared at the snow as he reached the platform and skidded across it, stopping himself on the doorframe. He was out of ideas and sick of concealing what he was from her. He needed her in a way he couldn’t even explain anymore. Of all the bad things he’d faced alone and all the bad things she’d faced alone, this was something they needed to face together.

He pushed the door open and shock hit him. Traveling sacks sat on the bed, stuffed full of dresses and cloaks—all her things, none of his. The box with the birthstone sat on top of the bag. He stared at it for a long time. His things were piled on the desk and in the wicker chair in the corner. He caught her eyes in the mirror, but she wasn’t looking at him. She looked frazzled. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks red and wet with tears, her eyes puffy. They weren’t even green anymore. They’d faded to the gray he saw in Aulises’s eyes when he first found her on Amaltheia.

She ripped open another drawer and it clattered onto the floor. She shrieked and cursed, balling up her fists in frustration, grabbing clumps of her hair as she let out another sob.

Krishani didn’t know what to think. He was livid. Shimma made a grave mistake in leaving Kaliel and Pux here to die. He slammed the door and stalked into the middle of the cabin, his arms folded across his chest, his mismatched eyes blazing at the girl he loved.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, not caring how harsh or upset he sounded.

She whipped around, her face full of terror and shame. Her grayish eyes found his, and her mouth opened but she didn’t speak. She glanced at the bags and at him, anger in her eyes. “I’m leaving.” Her tone was timid.

Krishani recoiled in disbelief. He shook his head imperceptibly as he backed to the door, pressing his back against it. “I won’t let you.”

She looked helpless, conflicted, confused. She dropped the nightgown she was holding and bunched her hands into fists, pressing them against her temples. “You can’t tell me what to do.” She glared at him, and he saw it, the Flame in her rising to encompass every part of her. Her aura flared and jagged lines of white in her eyes sparked through the liquid amethyst. He didn’t know what had gotten into her or why she was doing this to him.

Krishani narrowed his eyes to slits. “I’m not letting you leave.” He wanted to hold her, make all of her dark emotions fade away, but he was shaking with anger of his own. Part of him wanted to crush the pain out of her, force her to be the girl he once knew.

She narrowed her eyes to slits. “Get out of my way, Krishani.” The way she said his name, low and menacing, made all the whispering in the back of his mind intensify. He shot a venomous, cold look at her, refusing to move.

“Not until you tell me why.”

Blinding pain raked across his cheek as she crossed the floor lightning fast and smacked him so hard he almost fell on the floor. He tasted blood in his mouth and swallowed it down, straightening up to face her, completely unable to fight back. He didn’t know why this was happening, how in the blink of an eye she could change.

“You’re a liar. You promised …” she hiccupped as she sunk into the floor. Her fingers were curling around clumps of her hair and she pulled tight.

His cheek throbbed as he rubbed it with his uninfected palm and thought about everything he’d promised her. He’d promised Crestaos was dead, he’d promised the Valtanyana weren’t coming for her, and he’d promised her a happy ending. Guilt sang through him as he stared at her, broken and fragile.

“I didn’t—”

Her head snapped up, her face full of fury. “You didn’t think I’d find out? You didn’t think I knew about Morgana? Cassareece?”

Krishani frowned. “Who’s Cassareece?”

Kaliel stood and moved to the traveling rucksacks on the bed, pulling the drawstrings taut. She wasn’t looking at him anymore. “You didn’t think I’d find out about the Vultures?”

Krishani blanched, his pulse hammering so loud he felt the pulse in the palm of his left hand. He wanted to take it all back, wake up with her on the battlefield and warn her about the impending war. He should have said something, anything. He hung his head. “I wanted you to be you.”

Kaliel seemed stricken by his words. She reached for the rucksack and threw it over her shoulder, taking a step back. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“What?”

“I have to leave.”

“And sacrifice yourself again? I won’t lose you—I can’t lose you.” He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss every inch of skin until she trusted him, until she understood everything he’d done to protect her. He winced as he felt the mark of the Vultures crawling across his skin, spreading faster than it ever had before. Without her, he had no hope—he’d let go, he’d give in, he’d let them have him. He glanced at the small window above the desk in the corner, nothing but trees and sky visible through the tiny square. People were dying, and he couldn’t stay with her but he couldn’t take her with him knowing the Valtanyana were out there.

She gritted her teeth, her arms folded across her chest. “I’m not yours, not anymore.”

Krishani lost it. He crossed the floor and pulled her to him, forcing his lips to find hers, but she struggled against him, turning her face so his lips fell on her cheek. He made a trail down her neck, tasting her pulse under his tongue. “You’ll always be mine. You belong to me,” he whispered.

She let out a cry and wrenched herself out of his grip, trying to move around him to the door. He caught her by the waist and, without realizing how strong he was, thrust her across the floor. She hit the scattered dresser drawers, her head smacking the wood hard. He gripped the doorknob, ready to storm out of the cabin, when he took one last look at her. Blood covered half her face. It seeped through her fingers as she stared at him, shock coloring her expression. She went to speak but the words wouldn’t come out.

Krishani thought of Desaunius and the time at the Elmare Castle when he’d hurt her. He never meant to hurt Kaliel but he couldn’t listen to her blatant accusations, her pain-filled laments. He couldn’t admit she was right about everything he’d done wrong. He ripped the door open, the hinges whining as a gust of chilled air stung his face.

“I can’t leave you, but you’re leaving me?”

He heard her strangled voice behind him and turned a fraction of an inch to face her, his hand lingering on the door. “I have to help the villagers.”

“So you don’t become a Vulture, right?”

Krishani’s eyes widened. She knew. His stomach dropped. “Aye …” She didn’t say anything, and he went to leave but stopped in his tracks, his foot hovering over the threshold. He didn’t look at her. “If you’re leaving, be gone before I return.” He thrust himself into the cold and clamored down the steps.

• • •

Kaliel fell on the bed, her back pressed against the traveling bags. She was numb. There were tears to cry because she couldn’t bring herself to blink, breathe, or think straight. She was shocked, unable to react to what Krishani had said. The way he spoke to her, his volume, and his strength all scared her. She didn’t belong to him, not in that way. She meant to break his heart because she was exiled, but she hadn’t meant to let him break her heart. She called him out on his mistakes, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Betrayer.

It was over. He wasn’t coming back, and even if he was, he didn’t want her there. She’d raised the magic, she’d caused the storm, and she was the reason all the villagers would die. It didn’t matter because Krishani wasn’t hers anymore. Self-pity welled in her chest as she fell onto her back, incapacitated. Aches ran the length of her arms and legs, a lump formed in her throat, and moth-sized piranhas attacked her stomach.

She couldn’t let him walk out on her.

Not without knowing the truth.

Tremors dug into her bones and tears stung her eyes but she pulled herself to her feet and made it to the door. She fell against the frame and closed her eyes. She sucked in a breath and threw the door open, the coldest gust of wind hitting her face. Her slippers slid on the sheets of ice covering the porch. She tried to get down the stairs. Her feet slipped, her body slamming onto them. She landed on the ground, sprawled out, her back aching from the fall. It was nowhere near the worst pain she’d ever felt. She forced herself to her feet and ran, limping towards the main road. She’d check the castle first, then the barn and the stables. She checked off places he might go when she reached the main road and glanced at the gates. They were wide open, and beyond them, Kaliel saw the clear sky littered with ribbons of orange and pink.

Sunset.

It was sunset.

She grabbed her skirt and ran, crossing the threshold, slowing when she found Krishani.

He stood in the middle of the field in nothing but his tunic and breeches. He had his back to her, his eyes on the streaks of light in the distance. His arms stretched out, the cold licking at his fingertips. She tried to ignore the disease on his right hand as she approached, wanting to put her arms around him one last time, but her legs gave out before she reached him and she let out a loud sob.

He whipped around, his mismatched eyes full of confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.

“I took the Flames,” she cried, a lump forming in her throat. “I took them and I gave them to the Valtanyana.”

His eyes widened as he crossed the distance between them and pulled her up by the wrists. His eyes searched hers, but he wasn’t angry anymore. “Why?”

She hung her head, bile rising in her throat. “Because …” She didn’t want to admit it, didn’t want to say it out loud and make it true.

“Why?” Krishani roared, shaking her hard.

Tears escaped her eyes as his fingers dug into her skin so callously she cringed. She forced herself to meet his eyes while trying to push the words out of her mouth. “I hate what you are.”

He dug his fingers in deeper and she gasped at the pain. There were tears in his eyes. He cupped her face with both hands. She knotted her fingers in his tunic, desperately wanting to pull him against her, feel the last burning energy of their love before it died out with the force of the storm. He didn’t respond and she got scared, her heart dropping. He didn’t kiss her, didn’t let go of her; they were locked in limbo.

“Do you hate me?”

Krishani chuckled without humor. “I could never hate you, Kaliel.” She remembered the first night they spent in the cave behind the falls. She grimaced in an attempt to smile, but the cold curled around them, gaining fortitude. The wind picked up and snow showered them in heavy, wet flakes like thousands of tiny white flags of surrender. She hated the inches between them. The Flame burst, the violet aura lighting up the sky, her eyes snapping to liquid amethyst. Wisps of violet light reflected off the snowflakes, turning them a white violet as they rained down. She closed her eyes and went to lean into him but he held her at bay. She opened her eyes, scared of what he was going to say. Fear sent shockwaves through her as she waited. He brushed a tear off her cheek with his thumb thoughtfully, savoring every last memory of her.

“I can’t stop this.” He gestured to the black marks crawling down his left arm. They snaked up his neck, spider-webbing into his cheeks. Her eyes filled with horror as he glanced at the sky, and she knew what was on the horizon.

It wasn’t the Valtanyana.