Elder

  “Looks like you could use a few reinforcements yourself,” Zachariah observed.

  Eirik quirked an eyebrow. “Perhaps you are correct,” he replied.

  Then he raised a hand. No less than twenty arrows struck the barrier that Ariana generated. She felt the blows like slices to her skin and flinched. She realized that Eirik watched her.

  “Ah, Ariana,” he said. “You have all sorts of secrets, do you not? It is a wonder that anyone would trust such a deceitful bitch.”

  Tiege started forward, but Zachariah stopped him with a loud, commanding thought. Ariana swallowed the anger and fear that threatened her and focused on reassuring Tiege. He didn’t look at her since they all had to watch Eirik, but she felt him calm down.

  “Very well,” Eirik said. “We will test your abilities. My Mercesti have countless arrows. With such specific targets, it should not take long for them to weaken your shields.” His gaze met Zachariah’s. “Once they do, I will wait until they kill you and then walk over your dead forms to get the scroll piece. Or maybe I will have them focus their efforts on you and the Kynzesti male so that I may further enjoy Tate and Ariana.”

  Zachariah uncrossed his arms and approached Eirik. Ariana felt his blistering anger in response to Eirik’s threat, but his casual stride and unemotional expression offered no insight into the reality that lay beneath.

  “By the time you finish blathering, you pompous ass, the bloody battle will be over,” Zachariah said. “Let’s bottom-line this. You have to defeat me to get anywhere near that scroll piece, and I have every intention of killing you. We’re both shielded against weapons, but the being who is shielding me is far more loyal than the being shielding you.”

  Eirik snorted. “Why would you assume that? You are a Mercesti just like I am. She has no reason to be loyal to you.”

  “I am nothing like you.”

  That was all the explanation Zachariah was going to give. Ariana knew, like he did, that Eirik didn’t understand a thing about true loyalty, and most especially nothing about love. Presenting those as arguments would be a waste of breath.

  “Fine,” Eirik snapped. “What do you propose?”

  In response, Zachariah broke his nose.

  Ini-herit joined hands with Sophia and Quincy as he watched his avowed step into the raging inferno. He swore if he was ever called upon to devise traps again, he would flat-out refuse.

  What the hell had he been thinking?

  The heat emitting from the open chamber had all of them stepping back. He watched the outline of Clara Kate for as long as he could—a matter of seconds—until it appeared the fire had disintegrated her to ash.

  Only then did doubt enter his mind. Had what he thought he’d just seen actually happened? Was she really gone?

  Have faith, Sophia and Quincy thought at the same time.

  He squeezed their hands harder. They were right. If anyone was meant to deactivate this trap, it was Clara Kate. The fact that her elemental power was fire was impossible to ignore.

  He couldn’t deny the compelling pull of fate as everything sank in. Knorbis had applied his foresight to the creation of the Elder Scroll. In it, he identified the eight beings meant to activate the scroll’s power. Somehow, Ini-herit had created traps that also involved those beings, though he’d had no idea who they would be at the time.

  Clara Kate was right. It all boiled down to faith.

  As that thought flashed through his mind, the fire died. He stepped forward, not releasing Sophia or Quincy. After viewing the bright fire, the chamber was especially dark.

  “Clara Kate?” he called out.

  A moment later, she came into view. She held something in her hand. When she met his gaze, she smiled.

  “I’m here,” she said. “And I have the last scroll piece.”

  Chapter 40

  Zachariah couldn’t deny the intense satisfaction he got out of hearing and feeling Eirik’s nose splinter against his fist. It had been increasingly difficult to subdue his murderous impulses as Eirik spoke. Only Tate’s quiet reassurance kept him in check.

  Now that he’d spilled Eirik’s blood, however, all bets were off.

  He followed up his right hook with a quick jab to Eirik’s throat. The combo had Eirik gagging and staggering back. When Zachariah again advanced, Eirik sheathed his weapons so he could defend himself. He likely knew that he wouldn’t stand a chance of breeching Ariana’s shields if he was armed.

  He deflected the next punch Zachariah threw, so Zachariah followed it up with a roundhouse kick. Eirik grabbed his boot and twisted, sending Zachariah spinning. Zachariah managed to remain on his feet, but couldn’t block the punch to his kidneys. Pain radiated up his spine.

  Taking advantage of Zachariah’s stumble, Eirik brought his knee up into his abdomen. All of the air left Zachariah’s lungs.

  Lurching forward, he rammed his shoulder into Eirik’s midsection. Dust flew as they hit the ground. They landed in the middle of the ongoing skirmish between the Mercesti and the Waresti, scattering a number of beings. Zachariah ignored them as he drove his fist into Eirik’s face once, then again.

  Eirik used his legs to dislodge Zachariah from on top of him. A second later, they were both back on their feet.

  They circled each other. Zachariah feinted with a punch. When Eirik moved to block, Zachariah kicked him in the ribs, following it with a blow to the side of his head.

  Then he was grabbed from behind. It took a moment for the violence to lift from his mind so he could absorb the fact that the fight had been interrupted. Looking to either side, he realized that Eirik’s followers held him. The large swarm of Mercesti that had preceded Harold and Derian’s teams had proven too much for the Waresti trying to hold them back.

  Then he noticed that Tate and Tiege were also engaged in combat, trying to keep their opponents from reaching Ariana and disrupting the shields she generated. When he saw Tate facing six Mercesti, the violent haze returned.

  Pain shot through him as Eirik struck him in the jaw. He turned his gaze back to his opponent.

  “Your advice about reinforcements was sound,” Eirik said, spitting blood from his mouth. “Looks like it will gain me the victory. But not before I destroy you.”

  Ariana didn’t know how things slid sideways so quickly. One minute, she was relieved because Harold and Derian had finally joined the fight and Zachariah was standing strong against Eirik. The next, they were facing so many Mercesti she didn’t see how any of them could survive.

  Her gaze darted around the landscape, seeking assistance. She couldn’t believe that the elders would leave them unprotected. The statue behind her housed the final scroll piece. On top of that, two of their fellow elders were within that statue, one of those elders being the daughter of yet another elder. If nothing else warranted their intervention, this certainty did. Yet all she saw was Eirik’s followers.

  She knew she couldn’t focus on that. She had to maintain the shields. Direct physical contact was possible through the shields, but she prevented Tate, Tiege and Zachariah from taking a hit from an arrow or other weapon.

  It wasn’t going to be enough, she realized now.

  Zachariah was currently restrained by six Mercesti. Two males held each arm and two held his legs. He was essentially defenseless in the face of his enemy.

  Ariana wasn’t surprised by Eirik’s cowardly maneuver. She had seen and experienced far worse in her time under his thumb. That didn’t make it any easier to watch him hurt Zachariah. Remembered terror had her shaking as she witnessed it.

  Tate and Tiege had their own problems. Each Kynzesti faced a growing group of Mercesti. For each opponent they defeated, two more took his place.

  The siblings fought well, though. Years of precision developed by working with their large family on offensive and defensive maneuvers now came to their aid. Because the Mercesti were unshielded, Tate and Tiege could use their blessed weapons against them. Just a brush with Tate’s nunchucks or a slice from Tiege’s k
amas was enough to cause their opponents excruciating pain. Since the Mercesti weapons couldn’t get past the shields, many of them backed off. It didn’t take long for Ariana to realize that the siblings could hold their own.

  Zachariah, on the other hand, was another matter. Surrounded and held down by Eirik’s followers, he looked utterly alone. He had even closed off his mental connection to them, probably not wanting any of them to experience what he was, even if only in thought. She had caught one thought before he brought up the mental barrier, though. He knew that by keeping Eirik focused on him, he was giving everyone else a chance.

  She had been in his position before. She wouldn’t let him endure this alone.

  As Eirik continued his attack, she ran from her position near the statue’s entrance. Although fear had her chest aching, she silently reassured the twins with her thoughts when they tried to get her to return to safety. She needed them focused on protecting themselves and keeping any more Mercesti from surrounding Zachariah.

  “Stop it, Eirik,” she commanded, throwing herself in front of Zachariah when Eirik reared back to strike again. “This isn’t getting you any closer to your goal.”

  “Get back to the statue, Lekwuesti,” Zachariah ground out from behind her.

  She heard a rattling sound with each of his breaths. Stop talking, you stubborn Mercesti, she thought back, swallowing hard as she met Eirik’s gaze.

  “Get out of my way,” Eirik warned.

  “No.”

  He drew back his fist. “It will be you or him.”

  “Damn it, Ariana—bloody move,” Zachariah hissed.

  She didn’t. Fighting a whimper, she held her arms out to the sides to keep Eirik from trying to get around her to hit Zachariah instead. For a brief moment, she saw surprise in his gaze.

  Then he struck. She took the punch. Staggering back, she fell against Zachariah. Pain had stars dancing before her eyes, but she maintained her focus and stayed on her feet. She had a great deal of experience being on the receiving end of Eirik’s abuse. It would take more than one blow to bring her down.

  “Ariana!” Tiege shouted.

  She sensed him trying to get to her, but their opponents were too many. She wondered how long it would take Harold and Derian’s reinforcements to reach them. She wondered why the elders had abandoned them. She wondered how long she could maintain the shields while keeping Eirik from hurting anyone else.

  “What are you doing?” Eirik growled. His gaze had moved behind her.

  Confused, Ariana wiped at the blood on her mouth and glanced over her shoulder. She realized that the six Mercesti holding Zachariah had released him.

  “You said all of the other classes hate us, that they want to keep us from being equals,” one of the males responded. “Yet this Lekwuesti just allowed you to strike her to protect this Mercesti, and I see an avowed marking on his arm that bears the coloring of a Kynzesti.”

  Ariana realized that this Mercesti didn’t know who Zachariah was. She also realized that Eirik had lied to his followers. His hold over them had just been shattered.

  She met Zachariah’s gaze as they reached that conclusion at the same time. He surged forward and tried to grab her, but he wasn’t fast enough. Eirik snatched her from behind and dragged her away, his hands encircling her throat and squeezing.

  Gasping for air, she clawed at his hands. He lifted her from the ground by her neck, making her spine pop. Agony ratcheted through her. Her vision went in and out of focus as she tried to remember what to do to escape. The voices of her family clamored in her head, confusing her. Her lungs screamed for air.

  She felt him change his hold. He wanted to break her neck before Zachariah reached them.

  No. He would not kill her.

  Survival instinct kicked in. She brought forth her power. When she felt the handle of the kitchen knife in her hand, she stabbed backwards with all of her strength.

  He let her go. They fell to the ground. She gasped for breath, shaking so hard she almost dropped the knife. It took her a moment to realize it was covered in blood, as was her hand. She had gotten through his shield. The being generating it had either died or chosen to stop.

  Before she could look at him and see what she had done, Zachariah reached her. Taking the knife, he lifted her to her feet, positioning himself so she couldn’t see Eirik. He held her gaze.

  “I killed him, didn’t I?” she asked numbly.

  “Yes.”

  Tears filled her eyes. Tiege and Tate ran up to them, the Mercesti no longer trying to keep them back. She looked at the blood dripping down her arm and stumbled away from them. They couldn’t touch her. She was a murderer.

  “Ariana.” Zachariah gripped her shoulders and forced her to look at him. He lifted a hand to hold Tiege and Tate back, then said, “You’re not to blame. You acted in self-defense.”

  Tears clung to her lashes. “I k-killed him.”

  “Yes, and he damn well needed killing,” Zachariah said. When she looked at her bloodied hand, he lifted her chin so she focused on him. “Your soul is untainted, Ariana.”

  Two tears dripped down her face. “How can you know that?”

  He didn’t reply at first. Two more tears fell. Watching them trail down her cheeks, he finally said, “Because for a long time I thought mine was, and now I’ve learned the difference.”

  It took forever to get out of the statue. First, they had to make their way back along the path they took to get to the scroll piece, then they had to deal with the rocks in the entryway. Clara Kate worried over the fact that she still couldn’t hear the others in her mind. She had hoped that once she defeated the third trap, it would lift all enchantments over the statue.

  As they finally made a hole big enough to see through, she took in the sight of the battle raging beyond the alleyway. It alarmed her that she still couldn’t hear it.

  “Holy light!” she exclaimed, her heart rate accelerating. “Tate and Tiege are seriously outnumbered. I don’t even see Zachariah or Ariana. We have to get out there.”

  Her words were unnecessary. They were all working as fast as they could to clear the rocks without bringing the doorway crashing down. Ini-herit refused to let her do any heavy lifting due to the baby. Since there wasn’t much she could do, she watched her cousins fight.

  Damn, they were good. Pride warred with fear as she observed them. She longed to be by their sides. She felt more and more useless by the second.

  Then something curious happened. The Mercesti who had been fighting the twins suddenly stopped. They lifted their hands and eased back, indicating that they meant no further harm. Tate and Tiege exchanged glances, then hurried somewhere out of her range of vision.

  Clara Kate frowned. “What in the world…?”

  “Nearly there,” Ini-herit said, working with Quincy to shove one last, large chunk of stone away from the entrance.

  Sophia could have gotten out by shifting, but Clara Kate knew she was remaining behind because of her and Quincy. She gave her cousin’s arm a squeeze as they stood beside each other.

  “There,” Quincy said, brushing his hands off on his pants and retrieving his satchel from the ground where he’d left it. “We should be able to get out now.”

  “Should being the operative term,” Sophia added, giving the entrance a wary look.

  Clara Kate hurried forward, clambering over a few rocks to reach the opening. Ini-herit rushed up to steady her. Since she slipped and nearly clipped her face on a jagged rock, she supposed she couldn’t blame him.

  “Oh, I’m getting out of here,” she declared. “Right. Now.”

  She jumped from the top of a rock out into the alleyway. The moment she cleared the threshold, the outside noise resumed. She turned to make sure the others got out safely, then ran for the end of the alleyway, drawing her weapons as she went. Her gaze moved quickly across the horizon. Seeing no threats, she didn’t pause before emerging from between the statue’s paws. The others were right behind her.

&nb
sp; Then she stumbled to a halt. The Mercesti who had been battling Tate and Tiege now all stood watching something. She couldn’t see beyond them.

  Tate? Tiege? she thought.

  Over here, came their joined thought.

  She hurried around the Mercesti. When she finally saw what they were looking at, she lowered her weapons. Eirik lay on the ground, his throat a bloody mess. Tiege reached for Ariana, who stood beside Zachariah, and pulled her into a hug. Zachariah took a few steps over to Eirik’s unmoving body, a bloody knife in his hand. Then he went to one knee and stabbed the knife next to Eirik’s head, burying it in the sand all the way to the hilt.

  Clara Kate got a brief mental recap from Tate as she watched her cousin bend down and touch Zachariah’s arm. She murmured something to him. Pushing her way through the crowd, Nyx also appeared, settling beside Tate and studying Zachariah with her diamond eyes. After a moment, he got back to his feet.

  That was when Clara Kate noticed that all of the elders stood behind Zachariah. Blinking in shock, she even saw her father.

  “Dad?” she asked, hurrying forward. She expected him to look at her, but his gaze remained on Zachariah. “What’s going on?”

  Seeing her expression, Zachariah glanced over his shoulder. Then his red gaze returned to her. “Who are you talking to?”

  “My dad,” she said. Then she reached out to touch the image she saw. Her hand passed right through it. “All of the elders except me and Harry are standing right behind you.”

  Ini-herit nodded. Now, everyone looked at where they pointed. Shrugs and confused expressions followed.

  “You haven’t seen an elder since Eirik approached the statue, have you?” Ini-herit asked, having read their thoughts. When Tate and Tiege shook their heads, he said, “I’m willing to bet that they transitioned to these forms the moment we recovered the third scroll piece.” His gaze settled on Clara Kate. “Normally, we would have done the same.”

  “What’s different about us?” she asked.

  “We’re part of the eight.”