I overestimated his willingness to talk. His skin felt hot against mine, his breath tickling my nose. He didn’t let go, but he didn’t answer either. My only sliver of comfort was the cool iron pressing against my face.
“Why am I here? Why did you take me? Why am I being caged like this?” I asked again. I couldn’t let him set all the rules. I had to get him to talk to me. I had to try to soften him up enough to convince him to let me go. Or at least keep him busy so I could find a way to escape.
Zane scoffed, then let me go, stalking back to the fire. I got a good view of his broad back, his muscles, sculpted to perfection, flexing with his movement. He sat down, resuming his blade-sharpening session.
“I haven’t made up my mind as to what I’m going to do with you yet,” he replied, his tone flat and somewhat bored. “But if you keep trying to escape, you’ll make it easier for me to decide, and it won’t help you, Fiona.”
I pulled myself back, and noticed the tremor in my left hand. I glanced at Zane, who went on with his task, seemingly unimpressed by my demeanor. I had to get him to talk to me more. I had to get on his good side and in his head. I needed to find a way out of here, one way or another.
My team was surely out there, somewhere, searching for me. I had to get to them before they ventured too deep into the gorge and got themselves hurt trying to find me. Besides, my own safety was hanging in the balance every minute I remained trapped in this cage. No matter how taken aback I’d been by Zane’s appearance, and how calm his demeanor currently was, I couldn’t trust a monster.
Caia
(Daughter of Grace & Lawrence)
We reached the Valley of Screams, the gorges rising before us like dark giants filled with deadly secrets. The wind rustled through the leaves of nearby trees, and a stream flowed on our left side, snaking its way through the tall glass. We followed it into the gorge, the tracking spell light hovering a couple of feet ahead of us.
Vincent and the Correction Officers were right behind us, their horses occasionally huffing and neighing. Ours did the same, most likely sensing the dangers hiding within the valley. The moons were bright and full, casting their diaphanous light in shades of yellow, orange, and white. It was enough for me to get a decent view of the narrow path ahead, through the gorge.
Sharp black walls rose on both sides, with shrubs and dark green trees sprinkled along the way. The stream carved its way through, framed by rich, irregular patches of grass and wildflowers. Myriads of stars twinkled across the black sky, and I would have appreciated their beauty, and that of our general surroundings, much more were it not for the occasional distant scream echoing through the gorge.
My skin crawled whenever one pierced through the nocturnal silence. I was still recovering from our incursion into the Exiled Maras’ prison, still shaken up by what had happened to Fiona. We’d seen what those daemons were capable of. We knew what could, and would, eventually happen to their victims. Captivity at the hands of those horned beasts yielded nothing but pain and death, and the idea of Fiona suffering the same fate as the others clawed at my heart.
“Caia, we’ll get her back,” Blaze said softly as he pulled his indigo horse closer to mine. My nerves were tight, my muscles stiff. All I could do was give him a weak half-smile, to acknowledge his attempt to reassure me.
“It was bad enough when I didn’t know what the daemons looked like,” I murmured. “Now that I’ve seen one, I can’t help but quiver at the thought of Fiona captured by one of them. I know she’s strong, and yes, she is a survivor, but I still dread her chances right now... I’ll feel a lot better when we find her.”
Harper, Jax, and Hansa were several feet ahead of us, followed closely by Patrik, Scarlett, Avril, and Heron, with Blaze and me farther back. The presence of fifty Correction Officers behind us did make me feel a little bit better. At least our backs were covered, while we continuously scanned our sides and the path unraveling before us.
“I meant it, by the way… what I said earlier,” Blaze said, a pained expression coming over his face. “I would have gone after her right then and there. It wasn’t an easy choice to make.”
“I know, Blaze,” I replied gently. “In hindsight, it was better this way. We did the right thing by returning to the infirmary, because at least now we know what our enemy looks like. We know what we’re going against, and, most importantly, we’ve learned how to bypass their invisibility. My only hope is that we’re not too late…”
“I doubt it,” Jax interjected, glancing over his shoulder at us. “Minah was kept in a cage before she escaped. I have a feeling these daemons don’t feed on their victims in one go. It’s only been a couple of hours, more or less. The trail is still hot. Don’t let this eat away at your morale. We’ll get her back, and we’ll burn down this entire gorge if we have to.”
Jax wasn’t a Mara of many words, in general. He rarely spent time motivating us. He hated doing speeches and usually left Draven or Field to welcome new recruits into GASP. It meant something to hear him say those words to us, in that moment. It told me that he had hope, and that he didn’t want us to abandon ours.
I felt a little more energized and straightened my back in the saddle, my left hand holding the reins while the other played with one of my lighters, flicking it on and off. The tracking spell was slow and steady. We weren’t close to Fiona yet, but I assured myself that it was only a matter of time.
There was suddenly movement ahead—a handful of shadows darting from left to right. We stilled, bringing our horses to a halt. My heart skipped a beat. Several wild animals resembling deer were scampering across the gorge. They stopped for a second to stare at us with their big, round brown eyes, before they disappeared into a nearby crevice. I breathed a sigh of relief, and we beckoned our horses to keep moving.
I heard Vincent’s indigo horse trotting closer to us. I looked over my shoulder and noticed the wary look on his face, his eyes as big and round as those of the deer we’d just seen. Clearly, he wasn’t cut out for this kind of expedition. He would’ve been better off selecting color palettes for some new wing in the mansion, but I did appreciate his eagerness to help. He had a soft spot for Fiona, and it was nice to see him act on it.
The Correction Officers behind him didn’t look too comfortable either. Their heads kept turning, their eyes constantly scanning the gorge, one hand always clutching a sword handle. Cadmus was the most difficult to read—we’d been introduced to the leading lieutenant earlier, during our crossing of the plains. His expression was firm, a permanent frown pulling his dark brown eyebrows together over his pale blue eyes. It didn’t look like anger, but it didn’t exactly look like fear, either.
“Are you afraid?” I asked Cadmus, wondering if I’d get a reaction out of him.
“We have lost many people in these gorges,” he replied stiffly. “Some were family; others were close friends. Of course we’re scared. You must be either suicidal or stupid, or both, if you’re not afraid right now.”
Okay, not the friendly type. Got it.
“I didn’t say I’m not scared,” I said, staring ahead. “I can’t speak for the rest of my team, but I’ve got chills running down my spine. That hasn’t stopped me from coming down here to do the right thing, though.”
“I agree,” Cadmus replied. I didn’t turn to look at him, but I heard his voice soften a little. “We have a mission; we have our orders and a duty toward our Lord Kifo, who commanded us to watch over you and your team.”
“And it is much appreciated,” Harper chimed in, pulling her horse’s reins so she could move closer to the Mara lieutenant. My gaze followed her, watching her exchange with Cadmus. “Speaking of brooding marble statues, what’s up with him? What’s he like, as a commander?”
Cadmus let out a sigh, as if searching for the right words to describe Caspian—a struggle also indicated by the way in which he pursed his lips and averted his eyes.
“Lord Kifo is a mystery to most of us,” he replied. “Mostly because he lo
st his parents at a young age and was raised by Dillon, a family friend and trusted general of his House. Caspian was educated in a military environment and taught not to display his emotions. It became a part of his nature, I suppose. A lot of people in the city don’t trust him, but that’s purely because they don’t know him. We tend to fear what we don’t understand.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t exactly come across as… likeable,” Harper muttered.
“Lord Kifo often disagrees with the other Lords, as well,” Cadmus explained. “He’s a dedicated servant of Azure Heights, and cares about our people, but his methods are usually questioned because of differences in ethics. Lord Kifo is not known for his mercy or compassion, and is very strict where our laws are concerned. That usually leaves room for disagreement and friction with the more progressive Houses ruling over the city.”
“That’s not true,” Vincent intervened, slightly offended. “We like Lord Kifo, despite his abrasiveness. He’s a valued member of our council and—”
“Why don’t you stick to supervising your art department, milord?” Cadmus cut him off, visibly annoyed. He didn’t seem to like Vincent much. Upon a second glance, none of the Correction Officers seemed pleased to be around him. “Clearly, you have very little understanding of the inner workings of the Lords. You know, since you’re not a House ruler, nor were you ever educated to become one. Sienna was meant to take over House Roho, not you.”
“Whoa, that’s a bit harsh,” Harper said, but Vincent didn’t flinch.
“It’s okay, Miss Hellswan,” he said. “Cadmus is entitled to his opinion, just like everyone else. I don’t have to like it, but I must respect it. It’s part of our ethos as Exiled Maras. Brutal honesty is better than cheap acting, I always say.”
“Glad you understand,” Cadmus replied, undeterred. “I’m merely stating the obvious here. Vincent was never a part of any leadership decisions. If anything, Sienna was the one assisting Lady Roho during council meetings. It’s just a fact. Now, however, unfortunately, the situation has changed, and Vincent is being groomed to take over House Roho one day, in the absence of his sister. But he still has a lot to learn about Azure Heights’s leadership issues.”
“Care to elaborate on these leadership issues, as you call them?” Harper asked, wearing a friendly smile. She wasn’t one to show such warmth to strangers, leading me to believe that she was politely trying to drill the Mara lieutenant for information regarding the upper echelon.
Smart girl. Might as well, since we’re here, and the Lords aren’t.
“I’m not qualified to discuss it, really,” Cadmus replied, but seemed to soften under Harper’s gaze. “What I can tell you is that it has to do with the direction in which the city is going, more or less. Most of us want Azure Heights to stay here, while Caspian wants us to move, find a new, safer home. You could say he’s a bit of a rebel, but he has valid reasons for his persistence. He feels that it would be easier if we start over elsewhere, rather than struggle with these… daemons here.”
Harper
(Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)
Cadmus wasn’t exactly the most open of Maras, but he was certainly more useful and informative than Caspian, where Caspian was involved. The Mara lieutenant did help paint a better, clearer picture of Lord Kifo, but I still had a lot of unanswered questions.
Much to my dismay, most of these questions were of a personal nature, mainly because of the way I felt myself react whenever Caspian was around. I tried to convince myself that no question was too personal, given the mission at hand and the many unknowns surrounding it, but, still, I had to choose my words carefully so as not to draw any unnecessary attention.
“How well do you know Lord Kifo, on a personal level?” I asked in a low voice.
“I know him well enough,” he replied with a shrug, looking ahead. I drew my horse a couple of feet closer to his, to encourage him deeper into the conversation.
“Okay, so I noticed he’s very close to Amalia.” I dropped my first non-question, wondering if he’d pick it up and help me figure out what was up with Caspian and Emilian’s daughter. Sure, Rewa had told us about their betrothal and subsequent refusal to marry and unite Houses Kifo and Obara, but I knew I could get more information if I posed the right… non-question.
“Oh, those two have been friends since they were children,” Cadmus said, smiling slightly. There was a twinkle in his eyes, and I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant, other than familiarity. It made me think that Cadmus might have been around Amalia and Caspian as well, during their formative years, and that the twinkle was a sign of nostalgia for days gone by. “We grew up together, in fact. Dillon was my uncle, and he often invited my father and me to visit House Kifo. I spent many summers with Caspian and Amalia.”
Nailed it!
“I can tell you one thing for sure,” Cadmus continued, his head tilting as he listened to the near silence around us—the only noticeable sound was the water flowing on our left side. “Amalia is one of the few creatures in this city that Caspian has ever been affectionate toward. They were tapped for marriage, but said they would rather work to bring all Houses together and maintain their freedom, rather than unify two families and create some bourgeois monopoly over the Council. They’re very good friends, though. Caspian would easily kill anyone who hurt Amalia in any way, but he’s never shown any romantic interest in anyone. It was always platonic, downright brotherly with her. People often thought there was something between them but, trust me, there isn’t.”
The smirk he displayed at the end almost made me wonder if he had something going on with Amalia instead. I wasn’t sure how relationships worked among the Lords and the “upper echelon”. I didn’t even know whether Amalia would be allowed to be with anyone she wanted, including a lieutenant of House Kifo, or whether her options would be limited to a handful of high-society Maras. Cadmus seemed like a solid guy; it would have been a shame not to let them be happy together.
“That being said,” Cadmus added, giving me an intense stare—the kind that made my cheeks burn, as if I were the one student being singled out in class for a pop quiz, “it’s been even more difficult to understand Caspian lately, particularly since GASP arrived here. His behavior has changed dramatically, and he’s become very unpredictable.”
For some reason, there was a pang of guilt digging its way through my stomach.
“What… Um, what do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely audible.
Do I have something to do with it? I mean, I do get a kick out of annoying him, but…
“He’s undecided and foul tempered, mainly because of how you go against him, Miss Hellswan.” He frowned. “I strongly advise that, going forward, you take his advice under consideration. He wishes GASP no harm whatsoever. On the contrary, he’s looking out for your best interest.”
“Right, by telling us to leave while your people are dying in these gorges?” I rolled my eyes, tired of hearing the same palaver regarding our capabilities as fighters and defenders of supernaturals.
“Is that what he told you?” Vincent asked, his eyebrows raised and his green eyes glimmering with curiosity.
“Oh, it’s not important.” I brushed him off lamely, feeling the conversation slowly drifting out of my control and into uncharted territory.
Vincent frowned, then shook his head slowly and looked away, as if mildly offended. There wasn’t much I could do there, as I’d previously promised Caspian I’d keep the details of our conversations private, especially from the Exiled Maras.
I then noticed the glances from my team ahead, varying from inquisitive to confused. I exhaled sharply and gave them all a discreet shrug, knowing I’d have a lot of questions regarding Caspian to answer later. My explanatory note had barely done anything to explain his involvement in our mission or his knowledge regarding the daemons.
If anything, I now had more questions about him, and so did the others. And Caspian wasn’t around to answer any of them. Not that he would’ve jumped to clarif
y anything, even if he were there. That guy required heavy-duty pliers when it came to getting him to divulge information… I seriously had to find a way soon, though.
Everything about this world was riddled with murky question marks, and I had a feeling that our survival and success in this mission, and my ability to anticipate what was coming next, depended on Caspian revealing whatever secrets he was guarding.
For now, however, I needed to focus on getting us out of this gorge alive.
Avril
(Daughter of Lucas & Marion)
Our journey through the gorge was going suspiciously smoothly as we followed the small light orb that was Fiona’s tracking spell. My stomach felt heavy as we advanced another mile, with just a few animal sightings here and there.
Harper was at the back, talking to Vincent and Cadmus, while Jax and Hansa led the way forward. I was right behind them, with Heron riding close to me. We’d barely spoken since we’d left the city—mostly because we were both strained, paying close attention to our surroundings, and anticipating a daemon attack.
“Knowing Fiona, she’s probably kicking some daemon ass as we speak,” Heron muttered, giving me a half-smile and a sideways glance meant to give me comfort. He’d seen me over the past couple hours; he’d sensed my anguish, and he was trying to make me feel better.
I couldn’t stop myself from softening under his jade gaze. Our indigo horses trotted through the dark gorge, the three large moons glancing at us from the narrow strip of black sky above.