Compassion Be Damned

  This was it. Just what the Raven had told Titus and…

  The tree next to him groaned. I’d never heard such a sound before, and from the shock on Demetrius’ face, neither had he. I fell to the ground just in time to watch the tree topple over.

  “No,” Demetrius the Darkness screamed. “I deserve this. After everything I did to get here, she is mine. This time she is mine. I waited and waited, and they finally sent her. The one who can end it all. And I swore when that bitch’s father had me killed like that, I would win. In the end, that Duke would lose and I would win.”

  I didn’t have a clue what he was saying, but as he ranted I ran for the trees. There were thicker, stronger trees, and I grabbed onto one. Instinct told me that for whatever reason, that the crazy demon didn’t like the trees. That meant they were my best friend in the whole world.

  I pushed my forehead into the bark. It scratched. I didn’t care. “I was supposed to have guards, right? Guarding right now might actually work.”

  Bonney nuzzled her nose against me. “Oh, hello.” I spoke to her. “Thanks for following me. I don’t know what’s going on.”

  The world tilted, spun, and suddenly the blue light from the last time I had been in the woods surrounded me.

  “Krystal,” a woman much smaller than me spoke. She had pointy ears and…

  I tried to swallow before I spoke. “You look like an elf.”

  “I am an elf.” She motioned around her. “We all are. We’ve waited for you.”

  “I’m dead or hallucinating.” With all the things in the world that were real, I had never, not once, heard about elves existing.

  She touched my arm. “You’ll come to acceptance. You always do Sister Krystal. It’s why you’re so powerful. You understand in your too loving heart that you can believe in whatever you need to in order to fix things.”

  “What do you mean I always do?” Out of her whole sentence that might have been the least important, yet it was all I could focus on.

  She squeezed my arm. “That’s a conversation for another time. The Trees love you and so do we.”

  I blinked. As though her words summoned them, the woods were full of elves and they all stared at me. I lifted my hand and waved. “Hello.”

  “See? You did it again.” She beamed at me. “While we are speaking, that foul creature is leaving. As we knew he would. If only you could stay here with us. And yet the time has come for you to go. All will be right this time. I know it.”

  This time? “How are you real?”

  “My name is Benet, sweet Krystal, and yours are not the only powers in this world fighting the darkness that plagues this existence. Yours was not the first and it won’t be the last. And now that you know, you will understand.” She waved her hand in the air. “You bring back the trees. It is the first sign. You make them or you destroy them. It’s why he wants you. The power to heal needs only be flipped. Hold on. One chance is all you need.”

  She snapped her fingers, and I jolted into the place I’d stood before.

  My body shook, and I held tighter onto the tree like it was some kind of lifeline. To what or who I didn’t know. Okay. There were elves. I had to believe that happened because, well, it had. Woodland creatures of some kind and I made trees. Well, I supposed it made sense. Sisters had powers. Demons had powers. Men shifted into ravens or vice versa. Why shouldn’t there be elves?

  And why…

  “Krystal?” This time I knew the person shouting.

  I forced my mouth open. “Zeke?” I hoped he heard me. It was a pretty pathetic yell.

  A second later, he appeared. He was dirty and cut all over his face, but he was upright and running toward me. His fall couldn’t have been too bad. I let go of the tree and practically fell into his arms.

  He smelled so good, and his solid arms holding me against him were real. Sturdy. Home. I’d never had one. Where had that thought come from? It didn’t matter. Everything was wrong.

  “You’re shaking. I’m so sorry. Did the horse throw you, too? Paden grabbed the others. Titus will follow my trail and be here soon.”

  I shook my head and forced myself to lift my head from his chest. “Bonney is the best horse there ever was in all of time.”

  I was pretty sure she’d saved my life. Twice. First by running for this place when that unnatural lightning struck and the second time when she kept bothering the demon.

  “I’m so glad. Tell me what happened.”

  I needed to do that. “You’ll think I’m crazy.”

  His eyes were so kind. The long line of his jaw that hardened around his chin spoke of strength. Whatever I needed, Zeke would get. If I had to be told I’d hallucinated, he would be the one to do it. I was sure of it. He didn’t let anyone down.

  Why did I know that so well? Why did I care? I just did.

  “There are elves.”

  I spit out the whole experience. The Darkness being a solid person with a name. Losing my mind to him. Almost doing what he wanted. The Trees not letting him through. Attacking him or something. And then the Elves.

  When I was done I waited for the denial, for Zeke to tell me I’d fallen and hit my head. He smoothed my hair off my forehead. “Wow.”

  That had not been the response I’d anticipated. “Wow?”

  “I mean, I saw the blue tinted place when we were all linked there. It seemed like the same location we were in, yet different. Like the other side of a veil, it was tinted differently. I had to force it out of my head because it brought back all of these stories from when I was young.”

  He put his arm around me, and after grabbing Bonney’s reigns, started walking toward the clearing where I’d tried and failed to fight the Darkness. “Like what?”

  I’d seen a picture of an elf once in a book of fairytales. Otherwise I had no reference to go by.

  “I didn’t know my parents. They were both possessed by the time I was old enough to have a clue about anything. My grandmother raised me. But what was even odder was I had a great-grandmother. She died only ten years before my grandmother did. I was twelve. I can vividly remember her stories. Of many places. That’s what she called them, the Many Places. That was the name. Like there was more than one of this, more than one of everything, and in the Other there were creatures that were of this world and not of it.”

  His description worked. It did feel… different and yet the same. So why did they like me?

  “You make trees.” He rubbed his eyes. “You know I don’t think they were here when we got here. A forest sprung up overnight?”

  I nodded. At least I wasn’t alone in this oddness. “Zeke, it wasn’t here. I was staring out the window the whole time you fought the zombies. No forest.”

  “Then I guess you made trees?”

  I grabbed onto his shirt, needing the connection to him. “If I was making trees I promise you I would remember doing so.”

  “I…”

  “Krystal, Zeke.” Titus’ voice rang out and we stopped our conversation. I was going to have to explain to all of them what happened.

  “We’re here, Titus.” Zeke leaned over and kissed both my cheeks. “They won’t think you’re crazy. Well, Ryland thinks everyone is crazy. You’ll just fit right in that way. And, hey, if the elves wanted to talk to anyone, I can’t think of a better person than you. If I was an elf, I’d talk to you.”

  Titus appeared in the clearing on horseback. A sound caught my attention. One lonely raven—not the white feathered one—circled above us. What did he know that I didn’t? If there was one path that led to everything in the world being okay then someone had to tell me how to get on it. Because so far no one—not the ravens, not my guards, not even the elves—had told me a concrete way to get through this.

  The only one who knew what he was doing was the Darkness. And that scared me to death.

  The fire Titus had built stayed high, keeping us warm. After what happened had been explained, Titus very methodically and without drama told the others to get
the stuff ready to leave. He wanted us to be at Anne’s sooner than later. Demons were hard enough. He believed me but didn’t have the slightest idea what to do about elves.

  Even if they seemed to be on our side.

  Two sides sharing a common enemy did not necessarily an ally make.

  I was more inclined to believe the elves were good for us. They had saved my life after all.

  When I vocalized this, Titus shook his head. “They didn’t kill it.”

  “Maybe they can’t.” I handed him a piece of wood, and he threw it on the fire.

  “Then what good are they? Thank you for distracting the demon for a minute. You won’t the next time.” He sighed. “Don’t mind me. I have a headache. I’ve had it all day. Can’t get it gone.”

  My powers weren’t turning on. “I’d fix it if I could.”

  His smirk covered some of the discomfort in his eyes. “I guess Divinity doesn’t care about my headache.”

  The others all slept. Paden muttered something but didn’t stir. They were tired, and I didn’t blame them. The Darkness had stayed away again. Perhaps our daytime antics were enough for the demon. Or maybe that was wishful thinking.

  I was too tired to sleep. Before that day, I’d never known such a thing was possible. Titus tugged on my arm, and after a second I realized what he wanted. I climbed onto his lap. Wrapping his arms around me, he held me close.

  “Krystal. The maker of trees.” His voice was in my ear.

  The elf woman’s voice still bounced in my mind. What could heal, could kill.

  Chapter 9

  I must have fallen asleep against Titus’ chest. I could hear him breathing, the steady rhythm of his heart beating, and it soothed me into oblivion. I woke as the sun was rising.

  “Lucky.” Paden whispered to Titus. “That was the only benefit to getting sucked into that cavern below the ground. I got to hold her for a while.”

  Titus touched the end of my hair. “Not going to complain.”

  “If we get to Anne’s. Scratch that. When we get to Anne’s. And things settle down…” Paden started to speak before Titus interrupted him.

  “—assuming they don’t throw us out on our asses because of Mika, which I wouldn’t blame them for doing. But I’m not leaving Krystal. So they’re going to have to figure out how we can make that right. End of story. Sorry, go on. My head is aching.”

  Paden sighed. “So is mine. Anyway, when we get there, I think we should make a schedule. If this is going to work, if this is what she wants, it’s really the best way so everyone is happy.”

  “Agreed. Zeke can make one. He’s good at that.”

  I forced my lids open. “You both have a headache?”

  They both grimaced as an answer. “Hey, beautiful.” Paden grinned at me as Titus’ arms circled around me tighter. “Good morning. Glad you got some sleep. Zeke, Ryland, and Jett went to gather supplies. Water. See if they could easily hunt something for breakfast. If not, we’ve got the food from the inn and the jerky we always have on supply for situations where we can’t find food.”

  They were a lot more solid in their thinking. Yes, if people lived on the road they had to have a constant food supply. I’d probably starve to death alone. Not to mention, since I’d had the really odd experience with the trees and the elves, I didn’t want to just give into the Darkness anymore. I was going to fight the inevitable.

  Who said I had to succumb? I hadn’t so far. There was a path where I won. I was going to do that and screw Divinity if they thought otherwise. I shuddered as I thought that. Years of carefully worshiping the divine and those who led us was not going to go overnight.

  I would probably not actually think those words again.

  In my current situation, perhaps I should be careful of sacrilege.

  But what was that anyway if it was so misunderstood through time, corruption, and… Katrina? I rubbed my eyes.

  Paden gave me his hand, and I rose. “I wish I’d taken advantage of a little hot water at the inn.”

  “All of us do. Next stop we make that has warm water we won’t be so careless.” He kissed my cheek. “But you smell good. Don’t worry.”

  I was, but since there wasn’t a thing I could do about it, I decided just to keep it to myself. Titus rose, and between the three of us, we’d cleaned up the campsite before everyone else returned. With a small amount of food, thanks to Ryland hunting some rabbits, we made our way down the path toward Anne’s Sisterhood.

  We hoped.

  No one spoke much, and as I rode Bonney I found that the day before seemed to fade from me. Had there been a time when people had… regularly believed in elves? What were they doing with those newfound trees? Did any of this really matter?

  A storm brewed in the distance. The sky turned purple, and behind me I heard Jett groan. “Looks like we’re going to get wet. Let’s get Krystal something to cover herself. She’s not used to the soaking.”

  They were right. I wasn’t. But that didn’t mean I was about to start complaining or that I needed special treatment. “Thanks for the thought, but I am okay here.”

  A raven dove down in front of us, shifting as he did, which made Titus’ horse stop abruptly. Everyone shouted some version of whoa and halt, which fortunately happened without incident.

  This was the fourth man I’d seen do this, and I was convinced I’d never get used to it. How did that happen? Were they just shifting things all around us? Why had I never heard this?

  The elf woman’s words resonated in my head, a distant sound. I had the ability to accept things as they were. That’s why I was who I was. Whatever that meant.

  “Gentlemen, this is my one turn to talk to you. After this, I’ll have to stay away. Reed can come and go. He doesn’t. But he could. The rest of us have one chance to speak to you before we have to go. I’m not sure if it was explained or not. They don’t tend to care for explanations.”

  All of that was certainly interesting. “There are rules governing ravens? At least the shifting ones? Who made these rules?”

  The new arrival was medium sized in height with black hair that shone and muscles that bulged out of his white shirt. Despite his smaller stature, I wouldn’t want to face him in a fight. Not that I actually wanted to battle anyone physically. I wasn’t exactly cut out for it.

  “Divinity, Sister Krystal. I must say you are looking quite well. The last time I saw you that was not the case.”

  I’d seen nothing but ravens since I started out on this journey, sent by Aspen to find a train. How much had changed in so little time? “When was the last time you saw me?”

  “Right before you were sent down.”

  That made no sense. “Sent down where?”

  He didn’t answer the question I asked. That was becoming a theme with these bird men. Instead, he continued talking. “Don’t take her any farther down this road. There is only death ahead. Sister Krystal, the ravens are guards. Or souls that may someday get to be guards. Your own men here were ravens before they were selected. When you see large groups of them together, that is what you’re seeing. Divinity sent watchers, waiting for their turn. Occasionally being gifted with the ability to help.”

  I blinked, trying to catch up. “But you’re never with a group. Any of you who have spoken to us have been alone.”

  He bowed slightly. “My name is Jamie, Sister. And it has been our pleasure to get you this far. There might be one more of us to come. I don’t know. We can’t communicate. Any gathering together or interacting with Aspen puts us on their radar. We need to see that doesn’t happen. If you haven’t already seen Gage, you may still. Otherwise, we wish you well, and we are hopeful you are what we’ve all thought you would be.”

  I took a long breath. “What is that?”

  “The One.”

  He took to the air, growing wings and vanishing into the horizon. I turned to ask Titus what he thought but his face was scrunched up in pain. I jerked around on the horse until I saw them all. They were all
that way.

  “Your heads?”

  Titus breathed heavy, his nostrils flaring. “Something is wrong, and it’s wrong with all of us.”

  He cried out, closing his eyes.

  “My head is thick, like I can’t think through a fog.” He grabbed onto his head. “I know this feeling.”

  Ryland fell to his knees. “I know this feeling. I’ve had this before.”

  Jett lifted his eyes to meet mine. They were bright red. “She’s still in my head. I can hear her there. Like she was never gone. How is that happening? We kicked her out.”

  “No, we didn’t.” Zeke was very still. “We never did. We thought we did but she was just waiting for… for…”

  Titus pushed on the back of my horse like he could make her move. “Go. I don’t know how much longer I can hold off. She’s in my head. She wants me to hurt you. I won’t.” He grabbed onto his head. “Fucking… Darkness.”

  I panted like I’d been running. Katrina was still in their heads? Still controlling them? But… but…

  I never got to finish that thought. Whatever sense I couldn’t make, Bonney did. Thank Divinity one of the ravens had given her to me. She ran, top speed, and I held on for dear life. What was happening? I managed to look back over my shoulder for one second to see Titus hit the ground.

  Katrina had gotten back in their heads. Or had she never left to begin with? Doubt filled me. All of it was really convenient when I stopped to think about it. The way I’d found them right when I’d gotten away from her.

  Maybe I’d never really managed it.

  The Darkness had thought I’d let my guard down in the presence of friends. She waited. She watched. When I got through the woods, and didn’t succumb, she’d played her next card. She’d taken the guards away from me.

  I sucked in a breath. They weren’t just my friends. I’d started to think of them as mine, which might be foolish. When had anything belonged to me?

  I couldn’t let myself cry. That wouldn’t solve anything. Titus said Katrina said to hurt me. So they weren’t anything anymore. They were hers. My plans not to cry stopped. I held onto Bonney and let myself. Real tears, sobs, I didn’t try to hold back.