《Uniques》


 Prologue

    *ELEVEN YEARS PRIOR*


    A bubble of laughter spilled from the young girl¡¯s lips as her father swung her into his arms and threw her in the air, chuckling along with her as she fell back into his warm embrace.


    Her mother¡¯s stern gaze softened as she looked up from her sewing to smile gently at her daughter. It was a nice change from the usual misery that consumed the family. She almost always felt as if she would be crushed by the heavyweight of stress that pressed down on her. Her beautiful daughter was not meant to be alive. According to the law, any infant that possessed unusual powers was sent to a fate of execution. She wished constantly that she never packed up and left their comfortable home in the heart of the capital, but she knew that her daughter would not survive with the lurking government officials.


    She jumped as the door banged open, a tall, slim figure ducking into the small living room. Her worst fears confirmed, the woman screamed and grabbed the lantern sitting on top of the fireplace. She held it in front of her warningly, her eyes narrowed with fear.


    ¡°Mama?¡± The figure questioned, his dark face furrowed in surprise as she shined the bright flame into his face.


    ¡°Oh thank god, Adam!¡±


    The cheeky teenager grinned, ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t scare you, Mama.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s just early that¡¯s all.¡±


    The woman placed the lantern back onto the ledge and collapsed in the worn armchair heavily.


    ¡°Rhea, all you alright?¡±


    Rhea nodded and rubbed her forehead tiredly, clearing her throat as she answered her husband, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well.¡±


    The man frowned at Rhea¡¯s response but didn¡¯t pursue the matter further. Adam ignored the sudden tension and smiled at the girl wrapped around her father.


    ¡°Come here, you little monkey.¡±


    The young girl pushed herself away from her father and ran to her brother, nestling her face into his shabby jeans.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    Adam grinned and slowly forced the child¡¯s curled fingers away from the cloth so he could kneel at her level.


    ¡°How¡¯s my favorite sister doing today?¡±


    The girl smiled, her pearly teeth shining in the dim light, ¡°I am your only sister!¡±


    Adam laughed, ¡°I got something for you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡¯ The girl¡¯s eyes shined earnestly and wandered over the burlap sack strung over her brother¡¯s shoulder.


    Adam reached into the bag and pulled out a strip of leather, waving it around his sister¡¯s face teasingly.


    The girl tilted her head and stared at the object, ¡°What is that?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s a bracelet. Look, I have one too,¡± Adam turned his arm so his wrist was exposed, the red leather blending in with his earthy skin, ¡°Now we just have to put yours on.¡±


    The child held out her hand obediently and Adam tied the bracelet tightly, ¡°Now we won¡¯t ever lose each other.¡±


    Rhea sighed, ¡°Adam, don¡¯t make promises you might not be able to-¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ever leave you, Aethera.¡± Adam interrupted.


    Aethera smiled, ¡°Never?¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ***


    Gaia flinched as the angry man backhanded her across the face, sending her flying across the room. A soft grunt left her lips as she struggled to get to her feet, wincing as she cupped her raw cheek. Her eyes watered with pain, but she didn¡¯t dare let the tears fall. Her hazel eyes were lowered with shame and fear and her oily hair stuck to her face as she shivered.


    ¡°You ungrateful, little piece of-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Gaia gasped, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to!¡±


    The man glared furiously at her, ¡°That was your mother¡¯s favorite vase, and you broke it.¡±


    He picked up one of the shattered glass pieces of the large crystal vase that had stood on the wooden table.


    ¡°You see this?¡± He screamed, grabbing the girl by her brown braid and pulling her towards him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Gaia repeated desperately, scratching at the man¡¯s hand as her face scrunched with pain, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    Her attempts to escape her father¡¯s hold became more frantic as he held the shard to her face, the sharp tips glinting dangerously. His breath reeked of the vile liquid inside the bottles that filled the cupboards and her nose wrinkled in disgust as she shuddered.


    ¡°Please! I¡¯m sorry!¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Freak,¡± The man spat, ¡°You¡¯re a freak, you know that? You are nothing. You are no one. Do not forget that.¡±


    Gaia nodded, an agonizing sob tearing from her throat as the man cut her cheek with the glass, a deep cut opening on the side of her face.


    ¡°Repeat it!¡±


    Gaia whimpered, ¡°I-I am a f-freak. I-I am nothing I am n-no one.¡±


    ¡°Damn right!¡± The man barked, ¡°I should go report you. But then they¡¯ll kill you. And there are so many worse things that you should fear than death.¡±


    Gaia cringed as he shook her, her scalp burning like fire as her hair parted with her head.


    ¡°Please.¡± Gaia whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± the man said, his eyes rolling back into his head as he stumbled. Gaia screamed as he collapsed on top of her. Heart-wrenching sobs echoed throughout the large room as she pushed the man¡¯s heavy body off her. The young girl crawled to the corner of the room, behind the large armchair where he wouldn¡¯t look for her when he woke up. By the time she sat up again, her hands were bleeding from the glass embedded in them. She wiped her stinging palms on the chair, hoping that the bloodstains wouldn¡¯t show up against the dark fabric.


    Gaia curled into a ball, pressing her back against the peeling wall, and let her head fall in between her knees. It was always so much worse to hide, but she didn¡¯t know if she had the strength to face him again.


    The occasional hiccup escaped from her tight lips as she finally let herself cry.


    As her eyes finally started to slide shut with exhaustion, she fell victim to her father¡¯s words.


    I am a freak. I am nothing. I am no one.


    ***


    Hestian shuddered uncontrollably as he wrapped the thin blanket even tighter around his tiny body. He was only five years old, yet he knew the harsh reality of life. The sky was getting dark, and soon, the sun would disappear completely. Any other child would freeze to death in the bitter coldness of the night, but Hestian had a secret that helped him adapt to the difficult lifestyle.


    The young boy shifted his position on the hard, cement curb and inhaled sharply, forcing himself to remove his shaky hands from the warm enfold of the blanket.


    It took him a few tries until a small flame appeared in his palms. Glancing around nervously to make sure no one was watching him, he lit the small pile of trash next to him. He had only been caught using his ability once, and it was not an experience he wished to repeat. The paper ignited instantly, and Hestian winced as his face tingled at the sudden heat.


    He hummed quietly to himself as the warmth enveloped him, making the small child drowsy. His head slowly lolled forward as his bright emerald eyes slid shut. With a jerk, he snapped awake again, shaking his head as he forced himself to stay awake. If he wanted warmth, he could not go to sleep. He had to be on his guard in case one of the townspeople walked outside.


    The damp paper started to burn out and Hestian sighed as he threw shards of grass into the dying flames, hoping that it would help. Alas, the boy¡¯s luck had run out and Hestian watched as the warmth slowly deserted him. He could easily create another flame in his hands, but it would be harder to explain himself if someone glimpsed him using his powers.


    Hestian suppressed a shudder as he slowly got to his feet, clutching the edge of the chain-link fence that surrounded the small town. By age two, most of his former friends had learned how to walk but Hestian had always been a bit behind the others. Lack of food and water had also had its toll on the starved boy. He lived off scraps and anything he could scrounge from the garbage bins. But, more often than not, the bins were covered by heavy, metal lids to keep out raccoons and squirrels. If he had enough energy, Hestian would attempt to lift them, but the child was not physically strong enough to do much damage.


    Hestian whimpered softly at the sharp pain in his abdomen. It had been two days since he had last eaten and he didn¡¯t know how much longer he could go on. It had become very dangerous to eat other people¡¯s foods, especially with the sickness going around. In his weak state, he knew that he would not survive the fatal disease.


    Sighing, Hestian squeezed the fence in his tiny fist to keep from falling and tottered slowly towards the dark alley in which he called home.


    ***


    Triton glanced at his mother as blood splattered her fingertips. She was bent over from coughing, and her frail body was shaking with tremors. He wanted to comfort her, stop the sickness plaguing her body. But, his toy trains seemed a lot more interesting at the moment and he amused himself by making truck noises out of the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°June?¡±


    A short, plump man strode into the room and stared concerningly at the woman wheezing and choking on the floor next to the boy.


    Triton looked briefly at his uncle before rolling the trains across the edge of the sofa.


    ¡°June, are you alright?¡±


    The woman shook her head, pounding on the wood as dry, raspy coughs continued to torment her body.


    ¡°T-take the boy...and leave.¡± June rasped, ¡°Take him. I have...I have...the sickness, we all know it. Save...yourselves before it infects y-you too.¡±


    The man frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. You¡¯ll be fine, it¡¯s just a cold.¡±


    ¡°Fester, you h-have to take Sarah and Triton and leave.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t just-¡±


    June gagged as she started to vomit, the foul stench turning Triton¡¯s stomach upside down. She shook her head once more, pointing weakly towards the door. Triton frowned. He could sense the high tension in the air and his mother was speaking in a loud tone that she only used when he did something wrong.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    The man seemed at a loss of words as he hesitated, biting his lip hopelessly.


    ¡°G-go!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°You can and you will...get the hell out of my¡­.house!¡±


    The man¡¯s gaze flickered to Triton. The boy cocked his head and stared at his mother with wide, azure eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Ma?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± the man, blinking furiously to clear his teary eyes, ¡°Nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°Take him. Take him and Sarah. Go.¡± June begged, her voice raspy.


    Triton¡¯s uncle hesitated before grabbing the toddler¡¯s upper arm and guiding him gently to the doorway. Triton¡¯s tiny face scrunched up for a moment before a wail tore out of his throat, ¡°No! I want Ma!¡±


    The man cringed, ¡°We¡¯ll see Ma soon, okay? We¡¯re going to go pick Sadie up and go to my home.¡±


    June nodded, her chest heaving as she retched, ¡°G-go with Uncle Fester.¡±


    ¡°No! I want to stay here with Ma!¡±


    ¡°You will see her in a bit! Just come with me!¡±


    Triton fought his uncle¡¯s grip as tears rolled down his chubby cheeks, ¡°I WANT MA!¡±


    June sobbed as she shook her head, nodding towards the door.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered hoarsely.


    ¡°I WANT MA!¡± Triton screamed, ¡°DON¡¯T TAKE ME AWAY FROM MA!¡±


    Uncle Fester grunted as he picked the boy up, trying to keep his grip as Triton punched him in the back.


    ¡°PLEASE! I WANT MA!¡±


    ¡°Enough, Triton! Get in the wagon!¡±


    After a few more minutes of consoling, Triton finally calmed down and Fester was able to guide him past the horses and into the wagon. Fester sighed wearily and used the heel of his hands to wipe the edge of his eyes.


    ¡°Fester¡­¡±


    The man glanced back at June¡¯s weak call.


    ¡°The-the boy,¡± June coughed and her bloodstained hands reached up to massage her throat, ¡°Triton. Be careful with him. He¡¯s not like the others.¡±

 Chapter 1: Twister

    Though it was summer, the air was frigid against bare skin. The full moon bathed the city in an eerie light and Aethera shuddered subconsciously. All the windows of the identical, dreary apartment buildings were dark. It was several hours past the city¡¯s curfew, and almost everyone in the town was asleep.


    But one girl was very much awake. She had decided to take advantage of the cover the darkness provided.


    She was sitting on the edge of the low, wooden bridge that crossed the rapids. The strong current rushed beneath her swinging feet and she knew that if she fell, it would be certain death. However, she wasn¡¯t afraid to die. Death would provide an escape from the shattered world she lived in.


    Goosebumps coated the exposed skin of her slender arms and she shivered. It was below freezing, but she wasn¡¯t one to pester her brother for something as simple as a jacket. He worked hard enough as it was and if she asked, he would only feel guilty. It wasn¡¯t his fault. They were Unknowns - the lowest status - and the only way to climb up was through marriage. Neither of the two siblings was ready to leave each other, despite the advantages that came with belonging to a higher caste.


    The teenager closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying her best to relax her tense muscles. It was times like this where it was especially important to sneak past the armed guards and snobby neighbors to practice controlling her powers.


    It was dangerous, she knew that. She knew that she could be locked up, experimented on, or killed if she was discovered. She had watched dozens of children and adults massacred and thrown into the raging rivers, just because they had demonstrated unusual abilities and were identified as one of the so-called ¡®Uniques¡¯. Even her father had been shot in the leg and taken away by the hunters, who¡¯d threatened to kill his sickly wife and children if he refused to cooperate. She hadn¡¯t seen her father in eleven years.


    She also knew that if she died, her brother would blame himself and would certainly lose his will to live. But, he did not know that she was Unique. He did not know the danger she posed to both of them. If she was found out, he would likely be executed because of their relationship. Being Unique wasn¡¯t genetic, but the hunters were ignorant. They had to quench their thirst for blood regardless of species.


    If she had any hope at all of living, she had to learn to control her powers. She knew the statistics. Most of the Unique population were not taught how to separate their abilities from their emotions. If she got angry and accidentally lashed out, she would lose control. She might hurt innocent people before the Hunters got to her.


    Her brow furrowed as she forced herself to concentrate. She slowly curled her long, callused fingers into clenched fists and squeezed her eyes shut.


    Almost instantly, clouds began to sweep over the once clear sky. Angry winds stirred up debris and sent the girl¡¯s hair flying. Her heart raced as she gripped the edge of the bridge, and she jumped as a long strip of radiant light set the night sky ablaze. A clap of thunder soon followed, bringing a stream of heavy rain with it. It took only a few seconds for the clear droplets to drench the shivering girl.


    Stop.


    The girl gasped and her eyes snapped open as the wind howled around her. A narrow funnel reaching from the clouds to the ground swirled towards the apartments.


    Wait. Stop.


    The girl¡¯s efforts to control the wind became more frantic as the twister loomed closer. Lights flickered on and off in the small room windows and the girl ducked to avoid being seen. Screams and cries were lost in the sea of thunder and wind as the funnel spun faster and faster, becoming nothing more than a deadly blur.


    The girl screamed in frustration and threw her hands at the angry clouds.


    STOP!


    The wind finally ceased and the tornado retreated into the clouds. The small town became eerily quiet once more.


    The girl panted, her breath coming in short gasps as she collapsed. Her hands shook as she tried to gather her bearings. She had lost control. She had nearly destroyed her whole city.


    But, that was a risk she would have to take. She was not one to give up. Next time, she would start slower. Next time, she would be more focused.


    ¡°There¡¯s a freak here,¡± a voice spat angrily, ¡°I can smell their rotten stench.¡±


    The girl whipped her head around and her eyes widened at the two men walking towards her. She darted behind one of the large rocks that bordered the river, praying that she hadn¡¯t been seen.


    ¡°Send the drones out and do a headcount. We¡¯ll find it,¡± another voice replied, ¡°Screen the occupants thoroughly too. Kill anyone who seems suspicious. If a Unique slips through our fingers again, I¡¯m done for.¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t dare breathe for fear that the hunters would hear her. She didn¡¯t realize that they were so close. The guards usually stayed by the buildings, making sure that no one broke curfew. The twister must have chased them to the river.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Her breath caught in her chest as one of the guards stepped closer to her hiding spot. It didn¡¯t matter whether she was found or not anyway. When they did the headcount and discovered that she wasn¡¯t there, they would know instantly that Aethera Kapoor had started the storm. They would find her brother and take him to one of their prisons to interrogate him. Once they realized that he didn¡¯t have any information, they would kill him.


    Aethera swallowed the lump in her throat and exhaled sharply, gathering the courage to surrender herself. She wouldn''t be the reason for her brother¡¯s death. She couldn¡¯t risk it. It would be fast. A quick bullet to the head. She wouldn¡¯t feel a thing.


    ¡°Hey, come over here. Look at this.¡±


    Aethera flinched. She couldn¡¯t do it. King Rae had warned the public what would happen if one was caught harboring a Unique. What if they killed her brother anyway? What if they tortured her? What if they locked her up in one of their prisons and let her slowly starve to death?


    The very thought of Rae¡¯s prisons sent trembles of fear down her spine. She had heard stories of the gruesome conditions that the inmates were forced through. They had special devices that dampened the power of a Unique. Without their abilities to protect themselves, not many survived. She wouldn¡¯t have a chance.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, there¡¯s something here.¡± One of the guards whispered.


    Aethera snapped back to reality at the sound of the guard¡¯s wavering voice. She frowned and craned her head to look at the dark lump the officer was pointing to. Her chest tightened as the guard nudged it with his toe.


    ¡°Is that...a body?¡±


    The other guard grabbed it and dragged it closer to them, ¡°Sure is. Must have got caught in the twister.¡±


    Aethera''s eyes widened and her breath hitched. Had she killed someone? Had someone lost their life because of her?


    She instinctively glanced away as the guard exposed the corpse¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a body. Call headquarters to pick it up.¡±


    Aethera forced herself to look, and she immediately wished she hadn¡¯t. Bile rose in her throat and a soft gasp escaped her gritted teeth as she identified the corpse.


    She shook her head as tears pooled in her eyes. No. It isn¡¯t possible. He was supposed to be in the apartment. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be outside.


    ¡°Check his code.¡±


    Her heart stopped as the man reached for the boy¡¯s stiff arm. Each citizen of Rae was imprinted with a series of numbers. It was a painful procedure - they had to burn the black characters into the receivers'' skin - but the alternative was death. Most had accepted their identity as a number.


    ¡°178445.¡±


    The officer pulled a black device from his pocket and tapped the numbers in, ¡°We need to figure out who is missing. The drones are sent out?¡±


    The younger guard nodded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Aethera chewed her lip and ignored the sharp, metallic taste that filled her mouth as she watched the guards slowly walk away from the body. Her jaw was partly agape with shock and tears pooled in her eyes.


    Her brother was dead. The last person she cared about was gone and it was her fault.


    Aethera forced herself to breathe and winced as her fingernails dug into the soft flesh of her palms. She had to get out of here before they caught her. She wouldn¡¯t be of any use if both of them were dead.


    She clutched the rock and forced herself to stand up. The guards were gone, most likely walking back to the apartment. Aethera glanced towards Adam¡¯s body. The corpse would be collected tomorrow and sent to the cemeteries to be burned. They would remove his clothes and use the cloth for prison uniforms. They would dump him in the cremation chamber and his ashes would be disposed of and left to disintegrate.


    Aethera leaned forward and touched her brother¡¯s ashen face. She wouldn¡¯t be able to drag him away with her. His corpse was too heavy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aethera whispered, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    She unwrapped the shawl around her neck and covered the body, tears running down her face. She muttered a quick prayer and stood up to leave.


    Her face felt bare without her dark colored cloak and her ears were red from the biting cold, but she didn¡¯t care. Adam would have done the same to her. He had given up everything to take care of her.


    Aethera raised a hand to her mouth to muffle a sob and ducked her head as she sprinted across the meadow and towards the woods. She wasn¡¯t sure where she was going or what her destination was, but any place was better than the one she was in now.


    She wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand and blinked quickly to keep the tears at bay. Aethera wrapped her arms around her as she ran, conserving what little body heat she had left. Pieces of brush scraped at her face and arms and the tall trees blocked the moonlight, preventing her from seeing her path.


    Her chest heaved and her legs screamed for her to stop, but she ignored the pain. She was used to the painful stitches in her side and the agonizing exhilaration that came with fleeing. She loved the adrenaline pulsing through her veins and mind. Sometimes, she could forget her harsh reality. Sometimes.


    But the loss of her brother was still fresh in her head. The death haunted her and scared her enough to flee. She was familiar with death. Death was a strange and hollow inconvenience. It came in and ripped everything to shreds when you least expected it.


    Death wasn¡¯t a stranger. Aethera had watched her mother die from the disease. She had watched multiple children starve on the streets or freeze to death. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to find a body or two laying on the cold cement of the sidewalk with a bullet to the head.


    But, Adam¡¯s death was personal. He had risked his own life for her several times. More often than not, he would go to bed hungry so Aethera¡¯s stomach wasn¡¯t rumbling. He sacrificed everything for her and this was how she was repaying him.


    Yes, she had witnessed death uncountable times. But this was the only time where someone had lost their life because of her. Where she was the one at fault.


    Her legs buckled from underneath her and she collapsed in a heap in the overgrown grass. Her bones felt as though they were filled with lead and her body wouldn¡¯t obey her command to get up and continue to run.


    She was in the open. When the sun rose, she would be exposed.


    But, grief weighed her down and she couldn¡¯t do anything but close her eyes and let darkness rock her to sleep.

 Chapter 3: Friend or Foe?

    Aethera groaned and tossed in her sleep, and her dark eyes fluttered open groggily at the sun filtering through the dense trees. Her brow furrowed for a minute before she jerked awake, and leaped to her feet.


    Her gut tightened and bile rose in her throat as last night¡¯s events suddenly came flooding back to her. Sputtering weakly, she stumbled and vomited into the bushes. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she swallowed the foul aftertaste left in her mouth and sat back on her heels, sighing. Her sore muscles groaned in protest as she moved and she winced as she lifted her hands over her head and stretched.


    The hunters had definitely identified the culprit of the storm by now. They most likely had sent out their drones, designed to spot and kill. However, Aethera doubted that they were looking for her in the forest. No one went into the North Woods if they could help it. The tall trees and dense brush made it impossible to navigate. Most died if they got lost.


    The girl swept her long, tangled hair out of her face and glanced at the sky. Judging by the sun¡¯s location, it was around midday. She had slept for over a dozen hours.


    Aethera ran her fingers through her dark locks and fingered the ends helplessly. She was dead meat just sitting here. She had to move.


    A sudden motion caught the girl¡¯s attention and her eyes narrowed as she spotted a deer in the small clearing in front of her.


    The tiny animal was scrawny and it stared back at her with beady black eyes that were widened with suspicion.


    ¡°I suppose you are afraid of me too,¡± Aethera whispered, ¡°Just like everyone else.¡±


    The deer flinched and sprinted back into the deeper end of the woods and Aethera sighed.


    Her stomach growled and she winced, massaging her middle. It had only been a couple of days since she had last eaten, but the beast of hunger gnawed at her painfully, and her mouth watered as she stared at the deer¡¯s fleeing path.


    Aethera groaned and shook her head. She didn¡¯t know how to hunt. Her brother had tried to teach her, but neither of them had the supplies nor the weapons to effectively trap and skin an animal. Meat was scarce and it was too expensive to eat more than a couple of times a year anyway. There were strict laws protecting the wildlife and the guards were ordered to shoot on sight if anyone was caught hunting illegally. Most didn¡¯t think it was worth the risk and Aethera had been fortunate enough to never have to think about it.


    Aethera fingered the leather scrap tied around her wrist, her heart aching. She didn¡¯t care for most presents. She figured that any money that they earned should be spent towards something more necessary - maybe something other than the watery broth they drank every night or perhaps some thread to fix the many holes in her apron.


    But, the leather bracelet meant everything to her. It was the last piece of her brother that she had left.


    The painful memory of his death brought tears to Aethera¡¯s eyes and she wiped them away furiously. It wasn¡¯t fair. Adam was innocent. He didn¡¯t deserve to be killed by the person he had held his heart out to. She should have turned herself in when she had the chance. She should have been more careful.


    A tear slipped down Aethera¡¯s cheek and she choked as she barely held back a sob. She didn¡¯t want this. She didn¡¯t want any of this. She didn¡¯t want the life she had stolen from her brother.


    How could she go on? Why was she still going on? The regret of Adam¡¯s death beat down on her like a wave, pushing her deeper and deeper until she couldn¡¯t get back up to the surface for air. But, she was still fighting, wasn¡¯t she?


    She was still swimming. She was still fighting for oxygen. She hadn¡¯t drowned yet.


    Aethera sniffed and wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. Adam would have wanted her to keep going. He would tell her that his death shouldn¡¯t matter to her, that she didn¡¯t need him. He would tell her that it wasn¡¯t her burden to carry. That it wasn¡¯t her fault.


    But it was her fault.


    It was entirely her fault.


    She had started the storm. She had watched the guards kick his corpse around. She had placed two fingers over his soulless, empty eyes and closed them shut. She had placed her shawl over his cold face. She had run into the woods without a second thought and left his body there to be dumped into a bag and burned.


    Adam didn¡¯t deserve that. He deserved a proper funeral with a silver casket and flowers and music.


    He didn¡¯t deserve any of this.


    She was the one that belonged in the grave, not him.


    Aethera bit her lip as it trembled, trying to keep the fresh tears leaking out of her eyes at bay.


    Sinking to her knees, Aethera cried into her hands and leaned against the rough bark of a tree. Her body shuddered as she was wracked with silent sobs.


    She didn¡¯t know how much longer she could go on like this. She didn¡¯t know how much longer until she lost the raging war inside her head and succumbed to the darkness. She knew that Adam wouldn¡¯t want this. He would want her to forget about him and move on. He would tell her that he would always be with her, even if he wasn¡¯t physically next to her.


    But, she couldn¡¯t just move on. He had risked his neck multiple times to make sure she didn¡¯t starve to death. He had sacrificed so much for her. She couldn¡¯t just forget about him. It wasn¡¯t fair. It never was.


    She should have told him the truth. But when she saw the toll her parents¡¯ passing had on her brother, she knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle another death. She had made a vow right then that he would never be able to know about her powers. It would only add to his stress and he would feel an even greater need to protect her from the evils of their world.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    She appreciated everything he had done for her. She loved him with all her heart and wished that he was still here, right next to her, but the selfish part of her - one she buried deep into her pit of emotions - tugged at her head, making her wonder if maybe his death was worth it. She felt terrible for thinking about an advantage that had come out of it, but the truth was that she could now do whatever she wanted. She could travel the country or join the rebel force to fight the King. Nothing was holding her back. She didn¡¯t have to worry anymore about how her choices would affect her loved ones. The only person she had to care for now was herself.


    Aethera sighed and buried the thought, suddenly becoming aware of her current, miserable state. Her face was sticky with tears and her throat was raw from crying. She would feel better once she found a river and washed her face.


    Dusting her long skirt off, Aethera stood up shakily, leaning against the tree behind her for support until the angry black dots obscuring her vision vanished. Slowly but steadily, she began to stumble her way down the forest path.


    Aethera groped around her back to pull her cloak over her and groaned in dismay once she realized it was missing. She felt oddly bare and vulnerable without it and shivered as the wind started to pick up, throwing her wavy hair in multiple directions.


    If she truly wanted, she could have silenced the wind, but even thinking about using her powers made her hands shake. She had lost control before, but she had never killed. She hated the feeling of her brother¡¯s blood on her conscience.


    Swallowing the lump in her throat, Aethera forced herself to continue walking deeper into the woods. Broken branches and heavy brush covered the trail and the girl found herself turning back several times to take another pathway when it was too difficult to get through.


    She walked till the sun was barely visible through the trees and the sky was a dull orange colour. Her eyes were heavy - despite the long, much-needed rest she had gotten last night - and she wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball on the forest floor. But she knew that she couldn¡¯t. It was too dangerous and it would leave her exposed to any animal or hunter that might pass by.


    Aethera sighed and glanced at the dark trees that covered the sky with a frown. She could seek safety in the high branches. No one would think to look up in the dense trees.


    It probably wasn¡¯t the smartest idea. Her fear of heights wouldn¡¯t allow her to get very high, but at least she wouldn¡¯t be waiting for an attack on the ground.


    Grabbing onto the rough limb above her head, Aethera grunted as she pulled herself onto the branch. Averting her eyes from the ground, Aethera continued to climb until the limbs became too thin to bear her weight.


    That¡¯s when she finally noticed the boy staring at her from his place in the opposite tree. Aethera spurred into action, her eyes darting around her surroundings as she searched for an escape. She made the mistake of looking down and fear gripped her heart as she gasped. She squeezed her eyes shut as she looked away.


    ¡°You okay?¡±


    Aethera squinted at the boy. His voice held genuine concern and he inched closer to her as he held out a hand.


    She shied away and hesitated, ¡°Who are you?


    ¡°Hestian,¡± the boy replied, ¡°Hestian Foxx.¡±


    Aethera studied him for a second, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. This is my home and you stepped foot in it,¡± Hestian smirked, ¡°The more important question is what do you want? I don¡¯t take kindly to intruders, so you¡¯re lucky I¡¯m giving you a chance to explain yourself.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t own a forest,¡± Aethera scoffed, ¡°I have every right to be here without your permission or answering your nosy questions.¡±


    Hestian grinned, ¡°That¡¯s alright. I already know why you¡¯re here anyway.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that runaway from New Orion. The one who started the storm.¡±


    Her gut clenched and her throat tightened as she shook her head, ¡°You have the wrong person.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m a Unique too. I can help you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a Unique.¡±


    Aethera flinched as the boy started to laugh, ¡°Wow. Say that again with a bit more confidence and maybe you can convince me.¡±


    She glowered at him, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious, but I¡¯ve been on the run for a while now too. Blew up some supply trains in Arcana a few weeks ago and the government didn¡¯t find it very funny. I¡¯ve run into the occasional fugitive but you¡¯re the first one I¡¯ve had a civil conversation with.¡±


    Aethera felt the tension in her body lift, ¡°You¡¯re part of the Rebel Force?¡±


    ¡°Not the Force, no. I do what I can by myself. I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with all those rules and commands.¡±


    The girl nodded in understanding and Hestian shrugged, ¡°What about you? What happened in Orion?¡±


    Aethera hesitated, ¡°Nothing that concerns you.¡±


    ¡°I would say otherwise. You sparked quite an outburst. I¡¯m not sure what happened but you led hunters right into my forest. You¡¯ve got a pretty nice bounty on your head too.¡±


    She bit her lip and looked away, ¡°They tracked me?¡±


    Hestian nodded and she chewed the inside of her cheek. She hadn¡¯t thought anyone would care enough to go after her and she doubted that she was being hunted because of Adam''s death. This was bigger. Had she killed more people? How much damage did the twister do that night?


    Aethera shivered at the curiosity in the boy¡¯s gaze and forced herself to look him in the eye, ¡°What about you? Are you after the bounty?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s no way to turn you in without exposing myself. You can trust me.¡±


    Aethera didn¡¯t offer any response back and she shifted her weight on the branch, cursing inwardly. She couldn¡¯t trust anyone. Especially not this boy who knew far too much about her already. It wouldn¡¯t take him very long to find out that she was a murderer.


    ¡°Look, I get it. You¡¯re scared. I would be too if I was in your situation. But having a friend can help calm that fear. Let me help you,¡± Hestian ran a hand through his wild black hair, ¡°You¡¯re headed to a safe house, right? I know one that isn¡¯t too far from here.¡±


    Aethera hesitated, ¡°If what you say is true, the hunters will kill you if you have any relationship with me. I don¡¯t want to put anyone in danger.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Hestian grinned, ¡°You¡¯ll find that I¡¯m very good at getting myself out of sticky situations.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re excellent at getting into them too,¡± she remarked with a sigh. The boy was extremely stubborn but it would be helpful to have someone who knew their way around the forest. Besides, if he decided to betray her and tried to kill her, she was almost positive she could win a battle against him. She would just have to stay on her guard. Reluctantly, she relented and rolled her eyes as Hestian threw his hands in the air in victory.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever got your name,¡± Hestian muttered stuffing supplies into a grey, plaid knapsack.


    Aethera was unable to rip her gaze away as she stared into the boy¡¯s wide, green eyes.


    ¡°Thea. My name¡¯s Thea,¡± she lied.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Thea.¡±


    Aethera dipped her head in acknowledgment but didn¡¯t offer a response. She felt bad for lying, but she didn¡¯t trust Hestian enough to reveal herself.


    The boy swung his bag over his shoulder and gestured to the ground, ¡°We should go.¡±


    She nodded and followed suit, looking away from the ground once more as she climbed down. Her foot slipped on the last branch and she fell backward into Hestian¡¯s arms with a soft gasp.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she mumbled, her cheeks turning red.


    He nodded, ¡°Come on, we only have a few hours before the sun sets.¡±

 Chapter 3: Riverbank

    Hestian glanced at the girl walking a few feet in front of him. Her long, black hair was pulled out of her face into a tight braid down her back and her dark eyes were widened with caution, constantly searching their surroundings.


    He, too, had lived life as a fugitive. He understood Thea''s wary demeanor and mistrust. But, she was too quiet. Too tense. She was hiding something, and though he didn¡¯t like to admit it, secrets and lies scared him. She didn¡¯t know it, but he had a faint idea of what she had done to earn such a large bounty on her head. He had heard whispers of murder that had occurred during the storm in New Orion. But despite the rumors, Hestian felt an odd sense of security when he was around the girl. She had a peculiar air to her and he felt drawn to it.


    Hestian stumbled as he tripped over a tree root and Thea jumped at the sudden noise, spinning around. She stared at him for a moment, her lips pursed, and then continued to walk up the rocky trail. Since their first encounter yesterday, Thea had barely spoken. Though she was very alert, she would occasionally drift into a daze, her eyes glossing over as she recounted some event in her past. He longed to ask her where she was from, how she had ended up in the North Woods, but he didn¡¯t want to scare her off with questions. She reminded him of a wild hare that would spook at the slightest sign of danger.


    He sighed and wiped the beads of sweat building on his forehead. Thea glanced at him, arching an eyebrow, ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. The heat¡¯s getting to me a bit.¡±


    She nodded and then hesitated, ¡°The sun is starting to set, I suppose we can set up camp.¡±


    Hestian shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m okay to go a few more miles.¡±


    Thea smiled softly, ¡°It¡¯s alright if you are tired, I have no problem stopping.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a rush to get there?¡±


    She laughed, ¡°My only priority is to not get killed. I¡¯m in no hurry to get anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Should we stop once we reach the river? We can fill up our cantons and there are fish and cattails we can gather if you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    Thea nodded and licked her lips subconsciously. He laughed and resumed walking up the steep trail, the promise of water and a full stomach motivating him to persevere through the hard path.


    ¡°How long have you been living in the woods?¡±


    He glanced at her, surprised at the attempt to make small talk, ¡°Around a few months. I used to live in Arcana, but I¡¯ll probably find something in New Orion once everything dies down. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s quiet there.¡±


    She hummed in agreement, ¡°The calmness is definitely nice.¡±


    ¡°Have you lived in New Orion your whole life?¡±


    She hesitated before shaking her head, ¡°I used to live in Zodiac. My parents moved my brother and me to New Orion when I was seven.¡±


    Hestian raised an eyebrow in surprise, ¡°You have family?¡±


    Thea bit her lip and shook her head, ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She shrugged and went back to staring at the forest floor as they walked. He silently cursed himself for bringing up her family. Though he never had one of his own, he couldn¡¯t imagine how hard it would be the last of his blood.


    ¡°What about you? Do you have family?¡±


    He glanced up at her and shook his head, ¡°No. It¡¯s not like I lost anyone though, I just never had one to begin with.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve grown up alone? Without anyone?¡±


    Hestian turned his head to look at her. Her forehead was furrowed in worry, and he frowned, ¡°I guess so. I¡¯ve never put much thought into it though. Being alone is all I¡¯ve ever known.¡±


    ¡°No one should be alone,¡± Thea whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to.¡±


    He stared at her for a few seconds, confused by the sudden compassion, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She nodded before pointing ahead of them, ¡°Is that the river you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°Yes...but be careful though,¡±  he called out as she ran ahead of him, ¡°It¡¯s a fast current.¡±


    She merely laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    It only took her a few seconds to get completely drenched. Fumbling with the ribbon, Thea let out her hair out of its tight braid. The stringy strands lay plastered down her back, dripping water down her skirt. Her eyes were bright with enthusiasm and her tense shoulders relaxed as she drank from the stream greedily.


    He joined her at the riverbank, splashing the cold water onto his face as he sighed in pleasure. A fish suddenly leapt up towards him, smacking him in the face. He jumped, losing his balance and falling face-first into the muddy shallows with a startled scream.


    When he got back up again, Thea was doubled over, laughing hysterically. He scowled at her, ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡±


    She pressed a hand to her mouth in a poor effort to stifle her giggles and held her side, gasping for breath. Hestian shook his head, attempting to clear the worst of the dirt in his hair.


    She waddled over to him, a grin still plastered to her face, and pressed a brightly colored handkerchief into his hands, ¡°Here. Use this.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    He accepted the cloth gratefully and wiped his face and the back of his ears, his face twisting into a grimace at the vile taste of mud in his mouth.


    Thea smiled, ¡°I saw a berry bush not far from here. Maybe we can try fishing again tomorrow?¡±


    Hestian nodded gratefully, still shaken up from his encounter with the salmon.


    He made to follow her, but Thea put up a hand to stop him and gestured to his pants, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in under an hour. How about you...freshen up while I¡¯m gone?¡±


    Hestian looked down.  His pants were caked with mud and his previously white shirt was now a dark brown. He would have to undress to clean them properly.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± he replied, blushing.


    He waited till she had disappeared behind the thick brush before slipping his clothes off. He soaked them in the water for a few minutes before spreading them out on a flat rock, using a sharp rock to scrub the remaining dirt off the fabric.


    Once he was satisfied, Hestian wrung the cloth out and pulled the clothes back on. It was still a bit wet and stuck to his skin uncomfortably, but Hestian felt a lot cleaner than he had before.


    Thea had not come back yet so he busied himself with building a fire. Glancing at the path and then the river to make sure that he was still alone, Hestian closed his eyes and focused on the pile of dry brush in front of him. Instantly, a flame ignited and the brush caught fire.


    Basking his face in the warmth, Hestian closed his eyes and leaned back on his hands, staring at the orange sky in the distance. The sunsets were one of the only things he liked about Rae. It was also one of the only beautiful things that he remembered from his childhood.


    ¡°Oh, you made a fire?¡±


    He flinched, startled by Thea¡¯s sudden appearance.


    She had used her apron as a makeshift basket to hold the blueberries she had collected. Dark juice stained the light fabric, but she didn¡¯t seem to care as she plucked a particularly fat one and popped it into her mouth.


    She sat down beside him, spreading out the apron in front of the fire so he could have some too.


    He selected one and chewed it carefully, sighing as the tarty taste spread out on his tongue. He took another one and then another until the apron was empty. He glanced at the darkening sky and yawned, stretching his hands above his head as he stood up.


    Thea wiped her mouth with the corner of her sleeve and brushed the apron off, tying it around her waist once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the first watch.¡±


    He briefly recalled her aversion to heights and shook his head, ¡°Let me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I can do it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re tired. Sleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, let me-¡±


    ¡°I will do it.¡±


    He opened his mouth to protest but the look on Thea¡¯s face made him swallow his words. She didn¡¯t trust him. The knowledge made him falter for a second and fought to maintain his composure as sat down and leaned against the tree she had climbed up, folding his arms behind his head.


    He didn¡¯t know why her feelings had affected him so badly. He had only known her for a day. There was a thin line between friend and enemy and he hadn¡¯t expected her to trust him after such a short time. His thoughts drifted to how carefree she had looked when they were splashing around in the river. She was kind and trusting then, what had changed? Had he done something to break her trust?


    Even if she didn¡¯t trust him, Hestian had felt completely at ease with her.  From the moment he had laid eyes on the girl, he had felt responsible for ensuring her safety. He had no reason to travel to a safe house. He had done things alone his whole life and had no interest in seeking refuge. Why had he offered to accompany her? He wasn¡¯t usually tongue-tied around other girls, but Thea was different. She was a puzzle that he was going to solve.


    Sighing, Hestian shifted into a different position, just to find that he was even more uncomfortable as the sharp strands of grass tickled his face.


    He usually slept in the trees, but he didn¡¯t want to make Thea feel uneasy if he had high ground.


    Hestian groaned, placing his head on his arms and bringing his knees to his chest, leaning against Thea¡¯s tree. He attempted to close his eyes, but it was no use. A few hours later, he was still wide awake.


    A quiet sniffle sharpened his attention and he fought the urge to find the source of the pitiful sound. Something in his gut told him to remain still.


    The sniffle came again, followed by a sob.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Adam. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    It was Thea.


    Without thinking, he twisted around and started to climb, until he heard a startled cry. Before he had a chance to react, something hard hit his head. Wincing, Hestian rubbed the sore spot and craned his neck at the silhouette a few feet above him.


    ¡°Thea?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she swallowed, ¡°I thought it was someone else.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Silence greeted his question and he lifted his leg over the branch and grabbed onto the trunk, hefting his body higher so he was sitting at the same level as her.


    ¡°Thea,¡± he repeated, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She nodded, and used the sleeve of her blouse to wipe her face, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You know, you really do need to work on your lying skills.¡±


    She laughed and he smiled and then frowned as more tears filled her eyes.


    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No. No, it¡¯s not you, it¡¯s just...I don¡¯t know,¡± Thea sighed, exasperated, ¡°I don¡¯t really want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°No one wants to talk about it, but everyone has to.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something I would love to advertise,¡± she admitted, ¡°I¡¯m fine, really, thank you for caring but you should go back down and get rest.¡±


    He understood the hint, but paid no mind to it, ¡°Whatever it is - no matter how big or small - you can tell me.¡±


    She held his gaze for a few moments and his heart broke at the misery sparkling in her warm eyes. Shaking her head, Thea broke eye contact and stared off into the starry sky, biting her lip.


    ¡°I said before that I don¡¯t want to talk about it. Please just go.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Thea. It can¡¯t be that bad, just tell me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask again. Leave me alone.¡±


    He relented, unsure what else to do, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry for bringing it up.¡±


    Digging the heel of his boot into the trunk, Hestian slowly made his way down. Just like before, he was perplexed as to how to comfort her.


    Using his arm as a cushion for his head, Hestian managed to adjust himself in a somewhat comfortable position. He silently listened to Thea¡¯s quiet sobs for a few more minutes before she hiccuped and the noises stopped altogether. It seemed like she had gone to sleep.


    He felt guilty as if he had seen something that he wasn¡¯t supposed to. It wasn¡¯t entirely his fault, but he knew that he had invaded her privacy. Everyone had a mask to hide their broken soul behind. And he had just seen under hers.


    He frowned. She had been crying about a boy named ¡®Adam.¡¯ Who was he? A family member? A past lover?


    Jealousy filled his heart and he quickly forced it down. She clearly had no interest in having a relationship with him. Once they reached the safe house, they would go their separate ways. He would never see her again and he would only hurt himself chasing after her.


    His body felt heavy - like it was filled with lead - as he rolled over. He closed his eyes and his breathing gradually became deeper as he allowed himself to fall asleep.

 Chapter 4: A Wrong Path

    Hestian groaned, squinting at the blurry figure crouched next to him. He rubbed his eyes and groaned as he was shaken again, scowling.


    Blinking away the last of his drowsiness, the boy yawned and cracked his knuckles. His neck was sore from sleeping on the hard ground and he had a hard time lifting his head to look at the girl who had woken him.


    Thea straightened up once she saw he was awake and motioned to one of the forest paths, ¡°We should leave.¡±


    He stared at her and then twisted his head to check the sky, ¡°The sun just rose!¡±


    She cocked her head, ¡°I know. That¡¯s the best time to travel.¡±


    Hestian sighed. He would much rather curl up in a warm ball and go back to sleep, but he knew better than to cross the girl. He begrudgingly stood up and bent down to touch his feet, wincing as he stretched his back.


    When he looked back up, Thea had her arm outstretched, offering him a handful of berries. He nodded his thanks and carefully slid half of them in his pocket for later, before swallowing the rest in a single mouthful.


    She wasted no time walking down one of the paths and he yawned before reluctantly following her.


    ¡°How much longer till we reach the safe house?¡±


    ¡°Around a day and a half,¡± Hestian replied.


    ¡°Could we travel by night to get there faster?¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t in a rush to get there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I just don¡¯t want to delay the trip any longer.¡±


    ¡°I guess we could. I don¡¯t really like traveling by moonlight, but if we did, we could get there by daybreak tomorrow.¡±


    She gave him a short nod and bit her lip, slowing down her pace so she was a few feet behind him. He arched an eyebrow but didn¡¯t comment on it. It wasn¡¯t any of his business if she didn¡¯t trust him enough to expose her back.


    He felt slightly uncomfortable in the awkward silence, but he didn¡¯t think Thea would appreciate a conversation, so he kept his mouth shut.


    It only took a few minutes for Hestian¡¯s chest to feel heavy and his legs to start aching. It was odd, he had thought he was in good physical shape. Climbing trees and living on the run from the government had kept him fit, but he supposed that he wasn¡¯t eating as well as he used to. Last night¡¯s meal was the first he had in four days. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t hungry - he was constantly looking for something to eat - but he had a habit of hoarding resources and never using them. He was paranoid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find a next meal. It was a valid fear. His life was unpredictable. Anything could happen.


    Lost in his thoughts, the boy didn¡¯t realize that he had taken a turn. He became dimly aware that the trees were thinning out and the ground was becoming less grass and more dirt. He frowned and glanced behind him. Thea dipped her head in acknowledgment as their eyes met and stuffed her hands into the pocket of her apron.


    ¡°I think we took a wrong turn.¡±


    He saw a flicker of annoyance pass the girl¡¯s eyes before she bit her lip, ¡°How long have we been traveling the wrong way?¡±


    Her voice was incredibly patient - as if she were instructing a two-year-old - and he felt his face grow hot, ¡°I-I¡¯m not certain. Half an hour?¡±


    She sighed and his blush deepened, ¡°Do you know the way from here?¡±


    ¡°I can try to figure it out but I don¡¯t really go into these parts of the woods,¡± Hestian admitted, ¡°It¡¯s too close to the city. We could continue down ?this trail and turn east when the river splits or go back,¡±


    She ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head, sighing, ¡°Whatever you think is best.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re only a few miles away from Imogen. It¡¯s risky to be so close to the population but we¡¯ll lose a lot of time if we turn back. I think we should continue.¡±


    He waved his hand in front of him as he spoke, gesturing the directions so Thea could understand. She nodded and started to walk, this time trudging along beside him.


    He chewed the inside of his cheek. After the mixup, she probably thought that he was too dumb to try to attack her.


    He doubted it but hoped that Thea would be willing to allow an hour¡¯s rest before they turned back. He yearned for a sip of cold water and to wash his sweaty face. Maybe he would have better luck fishing this time around too.


    As they walked,  Hestian made sure that he was paying careful attention to where they were going. He didn¡¯t know if Thea would be so calm and forgiving if he led her the wrong way again.


    Hestian frowned as several pairs of footprints came into view. The edges were clearly defined in the soft dirt and he could see the dense pattern of the sole of a boot. His eyes widened and he froze. Thea stumbled into him at the abrupt halt.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she inquired, clearly exasperated with him.


    Panicking, Hestian grabbed Thea¡¯s arm and pulled her close to him, slipping a hand over her mouth in a desperate attempt to muffle her startled yelp.


    She jerked in his grip and twisted around to kick him hard in the stomach. He doubled over in pain, his eyes watering with tears.  Thea pulled on his arms, locking them behind his back as she held him in a headlock and placed the tip of her dagger against the soft flesh of his neck.


    ¡°Wait!,¡± he struggled to breathe as Thea¡¯s grip tightened, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to surprise you, I just had to make sure you didn¡¯t scream.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    He heard her scoff, ¡°And why was that?¡±


    ¡°Hunters. There are hunters here. I panicked and tried to pull you back but you cried out.¡±


    Her breath was hot on his neck and he squirmed, ¡°Please. It was an honest mistake.¡±


    ¡°You better not be bluffing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he pointed to the footprints he had seen a few minutes prior, ¡°Look. Those are fresh. The hunters could be anywhere here.¡±


    Hestian heard her mutter something before releasing him. He stepped away from her at once, massaging his throat.


    ¡°We should turn around then,¡± Thea pointed out, crossing her arms.


    He nodded in agreement, ¡°Come on, we have to be quiet, but-¡±


    He broke off as a hunter came into view over the girl¡¯s shoulder. The bearded man was slowly walking towards them, but his head was turned and he was talking to someone behind him.


    Hestian brought a finger to his lips and motioned for Thea to come closer to him, desperately hoping that they could get out of there before the hunter noticed them.


    Thea¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion, and she followed his gaze and glanced behind her. Her eyes widened in terror before she gasped and started to sprint in the opposite direction.


    The sudden move caught the hunter¡¯s eye and the broad man instinctively grabbed the spear strapped to his back as he started sprinting towards Hestian.


    The boy had hoped to try reasoning with the hunter - maybe convince him that they weren¡¯t wanted fugitives -  but his plan was lost as he turned tail and ran after the girl.


    Hestian¡¯s heart hammered in his chest and his breath came in gasping wheezes as he ran for his life. The hunter¡¯s long legs gave him the benefit of longer strides and it only took a few seconds for him to catch up to the boy.


    Hestian felt an arm rope around his waist before he was yanked off his feet, dangling like a bag of flour over the hunter¡¯s shoulder.


    He wasted no time grabbing the dagger from his belt and aiming for the hunter¡¯s chest. Hestian was dropped on the floor heavily as the hunter stumbled backward, shouting something inaudible as he fell.


    Picking himself off the floor, Hestian stumbled back down the path. Due to her head start, Thea was still a good distance away from him and she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes filled with concern.


    He waved his hand, trying to tell the girl that he was fine. Her mouth opened for a second before her body dipped forward and she tripped over the tree root sticking up from the uneven ground, landing hard on her left ankle.


    Thea pushed herself back to her feet and limped towards a tree. She cried out as she slipped and fell back down, this time staying on the ground and crawling slowly towards the ravine.


    Hestian risked a quick glance behind him and his face fell in dismay as he saw two more hunters - a man and a woman - running towards them. Amid the confusion, the woman seemed to have forgotten her weapon, but the man had a sheath of arrows and a bow clutched in his hands.


    It only took a few seconds for Hestian to catch up to the incapacitated girl and he helped her stand up.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he questioned.


    Thea shook her head. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth against the pain, her face paling. After a moment, she opened her eyes and the boy felt his heart jump at her fierce gaze.


    ¡°Leave me here.¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t run. They will catch up to us in no time. Save yourself.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    Thea glared at him, ¡°Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Stop what?¡±


    ¡°Pretending you care! This is hard enough already!¡±


    ¡°I do care!¡±


    ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t,¡± she snapped, ¡°The hunters will kill you along with me. How does another dead Unique help either of us?¡±


    He fumbled for a reply, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do well on my conscience to just leave you here to die.¡±


    ¡°Would it do well on your conscience if we both died?¡±


    He ignored her and his eyebrows knitted together as his eyes lit up, ¡°Can you climb?¡¯


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°The tree. Can you climb the tree?¡±


    Her eyes narrowed and she hesitated, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe.¡±


    The hunters were getting closer now. It would only be a matter of seconds before they reached them. Whimpering, Thea grabbed onto the branch directly above her, and tears formed in her eyes as she put weight on her hurt ankle, ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I can do this,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°We have to be fast,¡± he warned, ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    She sighed, and the fiery look in her eyes told him that she would much rather pull away, but she allowed him to put his hands on her waist and ?hoist her higher so she could grasp onto the limb.


    Hestian held her until she had both of her feet braced against the trunk and then let go for a second to grab the branch, lifting her once more when he was steady. An arrow suddenly whizzed past his ear, sticking to the bark right next to his head. He grabbed it and stashed it into his pack, grinning. The sharp point would be useful when he had time to make a makeshift spear. He had left his dagger in the hunter¡¯s chest, and his pocket felt empty without it.


    It took them a while - long enough for the hunters to gather around the tree - by the time Hestian was satisfied with their height.


    Thea pushed his hands away to swing her leg over the branch and he kept a hand on her back until she was balanced. Her eyes were slightly widened with fear and she shuddered as she glanced at the ground.


    He climbed next to her and wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead, ¡°We should be good for now. We might have to relocate once they come up with a plan, but for now, we are safe.¡±


    She nodded and sighed, raising a hand to itch her neck, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s my fault we got into this situation. The least I could do is help you get out of it.¡±


    She hesitated, ¡°You¡¯re right, but you didn¡¯t have to offer to help me in the first place. Then again, you chose to risk your life to save mine and help me climb the tree. Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I have a knack for being a hero.¡±


    Thea laughed and he smiled, but her question had brought up some earlier curiosities he had. She was right. He didn¡¯t owe her anything. There was absolutely no reason for him to help her. Was there something more? Did he have feelings for her?


    He brushed the thought away, blushing. It was too complicated. Love was too messy for him to wrap his head around anyway.


    He glanced at Thea. Her face was hard, her lips pressed into a straight line. She was studying something on the ground.


    He followed her gaze and frowned. Several more hunters had joined the two that had chased them and the man he had stabbed was glaring at him as he polished Hestian¡¯s former dagger. Hestian gulped. He didn¡¯t have a plan and he feared that the hunters would come up with some way to capture them before they could get out.


    Thea nudged him, ¡°You hurt him?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That hunter, he has your dagger. Did you hurt him?¡±


    Hestian nodded, smiling at the red spot on the hunter¡¯s shirt, ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    Thea frowned but didn¡¯t say anything further. She looked repulsed and his forehead furrowed. Was it the sight of blood that made her queasy? Or, more likely, was it the fact that he had hurt someone? Was she really that naive that she felt bad for the hunter?


    He reminded himself that Thea wasn¡¯t as innocent as she looked. Though he didn¡¯t have the details or know the circumstances, she was being accused of murder. She probably just disliked the feeling of blood on her hands.


    He shifted on the branch, sighing. The occasional arrow would find its way to their spot in the tree, but the hunter¡¯s aim was poor and the man quickly grew frustrated, throwing his bow on the ground.


    Hestian groaned as the hunters began to set up camp around the tree and he heard Thea sigh.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be here for a while, aren¡¯t we?¡± Thea muttered.


    He nodded, ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡±

 Chapter 5: Plans

    Aethera bit her lip and surveyed the scene underneath her. The height at which she was sitting intimidated her, but curiosity got the better of her and she couldn¡¯t help but watch the hunters. Her throat tightened and her vision shook as she looked at the ground, but she swallowed her fear and set her jaw. She was determined to get over the phobia.


    The small group consisted of four men and two women. She had been watching them for a while now, trying to figure out their strategy. But, she was too high up to hear their hushed murmurs. Frustrated, Aethera huffed and averted her eyes from the ground as she felt a wave of nausea.


    She couldn¡¯t help but pity the group. People joined the ranks to prove their loyalty to King Rae or because they had no other choice. There were quite a few that grew up in a poor village on the outskirts of an unknown town and concluded that the only way to a better life was to join the King¡¯s forces. She knew a few of her brother¡¯s former friends that had joined the hunters because of the heavy pay. Most Uniques had a bounty that differed depending on the crime. Aethera scoffed. Crime. Their only crime was the powers they were born with.


    But despite their reputation, not all of the hunters were bad. Aethera knew that her beliefs were not popular, but she knew how desperate people got. The system was unfair and their world was broken. Sometimes, there wasn¡¯t a choice. People had no other option but to kill others to save themselves.


    She glanced at the boy sitting next to her and smiled. His eyes were closed and his head lolled forward as he mumbled something. It amused her that he was asleep in such a dangerous situation. He had protested when she had told him to rest, saying that it was unfair for her to take watch twice in a row. But, Aethera didn¡¯t truly mind, so the boy had finally relented. He had passed out almost instantly.


    He was cute. His wild black hair was strewn all over the place and faint freckles sprinkled across the bridge of his nose stood out against the paleness of his fair-colored skin. His thin lips moved as he talked to someone in his dreams and his deep, emerald eyes fluttered.


    Aethera held her breath, hoping he would fall back asleep. She enjoyed the blissful silence. It gave her time to think. She had always liked being alone, though she supposed Hestian was good company. He was nice and had a decent personality. She still didn¡¯t trust him completely, but he had risked his life for her. She hated it, but she would forever be in his debt. Despite herself, Aethera had to admit, she was slowly falling for him.


    Aethera sighed. She knew the danger and conflict that came with a relationship. It was the reason she felt an odd sort of relief when Adam died. She loathed herself for it, but she treasured the fact that the only person she had to take care of was herself. There wasn¡¯t anyone that she had to be afraid of losing.


    That was why she would have to be more careful in keeping her distance from the boy. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t love, it was that she was scared to love. Adam¡¯s death was still fresh and she never wanted to go through something like that again. She was terrified to lose someone again.


    Aethera heard the shrill whistle of an arrow being released and she flinched, biting her lip nervously. The hunters had terrible aim, but Aethera was still worried that the man would get lucky and one of them would be shot.


    The silver head dug into the bark a few feet under her and she strained to grab it, tugging it out of the dense wood. Hestian had asked her to collect any arrows that were shot in her reach and had promised that he would teach her how to make a spear.


    She already had a couple in the folds of her apron and she examined the arrow¡¯s wooden shaft and pretty fletching before stuffing it into the wide pocket. She would only ever be able to marvel at the grace and beauty of archery. Adam had found an old bow in the woods a few years ago, but no matter how many times he had tried to teach her, she had never been able to figure it out.


    She rubbed her eyes as a wide yawn split her features. She was a bit tired, but she didn¡¯t feel comfortable with the notion of both of them being asleep. Even if Hestian woke up and offered to take watch, she didn¡¯t like the idea of being vulnerable with such high stakes.


    She would be kept awake by the nightmares, anyway. She shuddered at the simple thought of the horrid dreams. They left her weak and shaking, her face wet with tears. The last one had been particularly bad - a recount of Adam¡¯s death - and she wasn¡¯t willing to revisit it. She would have to sleep soon, though. Her movements were sluggish with drowsiness and her head was beginning to ache.


    Aethera sighed and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. Her sore legs were twisted around the branch and she grimaced as she sat up straight again so she could move to a less awkward position.


    She couldn¡¯t help but stare miserably at her ankle. The swollen flesh had doubled in size and had darkened to an ugly black and blue colour. It throbbed horribly whenever she put weight on it, leaving her incapacitated and vulnerable. Aethera was experienced in healing - she had taken care of countless injuries from her brother and the younger children that had lived in nearby dwellings - but she had no resources to take care of this.


    She was surprised that she had managed to climb the tree without passing out, though Hestian had played a large part in that. However, she wasn¡¯t worried. The injury could have been a lot worse and she was grateful that the pain was at least bearable. It was her fault anyway; she should have been more careful, but her attention had been divided when the hunter had grabbed Hestian.


    Aethera glanced at the boy as he smacked his lips and shifted in his sleep. Her heart skipped a beat as he rolled over. Jerking forward, she grabbed his arm and yanked him closer to her. His eyes flew open at the rough jostling and he stared at her with widened eyes that still looked disoriented.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Wha-what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°You almost fell out of the tree.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Oh. Thank you for...saving me.¡±


    Aethera shrugged. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to let you just fall.¡±


    Hestian snorted and his eyes fell on her hand, ¡°You can let go. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    Aethera let go instantly, and she blushed. She hadn¡¯t realized that her hand was still wrapped tightly around his forearm.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡± He smiled, clearly amused, as she moved over so he could sit up.


    Hestian surveyed their surroundings for a moment before leaning forward to peer at the hunters. Aethera watched him, hoping that he would have an idea of what to do next. Sitting here without a plan was starting to drive her crazy.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t tried to climb the tree yet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Has there been any action at all?¡±


    Aethera shook her head. ¡°I tried to listen, but we¡¯re too far up to hear their conversations. It doesn¡¯t make any sense. What are they waiting for?¡±


    He hummed in agreement, ¡°I don¡¯t know. They could easily kill us if they wanted to.¡±


    Aethera bit her lip. ¡°Maybe they have different orders.¡±


    ¡°What other orders would they have? For decades, their only instructions were to hunt us down and kill us. Why change that now?


    Aethera shrugged. ¡°Things are changing. People are starting to fight back.¡±


    He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly deep in thought. ¡°You¡¯re right about that. I saw it in Arcana. It wasn¡¯t only me who tried to sabotage the supply trains, there were others who wanted to fight the government. But what does that have to do with anything? Why would-¡± he broke off as he realized, ¡°They want information, don¡¯t they? They¡¯re hoping that we have details about the rebels?¡±


    She hesitated, ¡°I-I honestly don¡¯t know. It seems unlikely but-¡±


    ¡°It all makes sense now,¡± Hestian exhaled sharply and shook his head. ¡°When the hunters were chasing us, one of them grabbed me. He had a spear, but he didn¡¯t hurt me. He could have killed me right then and there, but he didn¡¯t. I thought that maybe he was just confused or was too much of a coward to spill blood, but maybe it was because he wanted to take me to the King unscathed.¡±


    ¡°You stabbed him,¡± Aethera pointed out, ¡°If you really felt like your life wasn¡¯t in danger, then you wouldn¡¯t have-¡±


    ¡°If they want us alive, we¡¯re in even more danger than if they wanted us dead,¡± Hestian muttered grimly. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about what they could do to us.¡±


    Aethera shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. She hated how ignorant she was of her future. She could see that Hestian was frustrated too and his jaw clenched with anger as he stared at the hunters.


    ¡°We have to get out of here,¡± he muttered. ¡°The safe house is only a day¡¯s trip away, we could make it.¡±


    Aethera shook her head. She was desperate, but not stupid. ¡°No. They¡¯re waiting for us to make the first move. If we climb down, it¡¯s game over.¡±


    ¡°We could fight,¡± Hestian suggested.


    ¡°The only weapon we have is my dagger. We¡¯ll be overpowered in seconds.¡±


    ¡°We have our powers.¡±


    Aethera shook her head. ¡°No. Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t an option. I¡¯m not using my powers.¡±


    ¡°But, why not?¡±


    Hestian turned to look at her. His forehead was furrowed in confusion and he looked slightly annoyed. Her heart pounded in her chest and a sharp ringing noise filled her ears as she forced herself to take deep breaths, on the verge of a panic attack.


    ¡°Please,¡± Aethera swallowed as her voice cracked. ¡°Can we please try to figure out something else?¡±


    He was quiet for a moment before nodding. ¡°Okay, fine.¡±


    Aethera bent down, pretending to stretch. She wiped her eyes under the cover of her long hair and straightened back up once she was certain that there was no evidence of her misery.


    She knew that they might not have any other choice, but she had promised herself after Adam¡¯s death that she wouldn¡¯t use her powers. The stakes were too high and she might hurt Hestian if she lost control. There had to be another way.


    ¡°What about a signal?¡±


    Hestian frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Something that would draw attention,¡± Aethera explained, ¡°Like a smoke signal. It probably isn¡¯t the best idea, but-¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I think it''s a brilliant idea.¡±


    She blushed, ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t know how we would build a big enough fire to get enough fumes.¡±


    Hestian was silent and his eyes glossed over as he pondered something.


    ¡°I can do it,¡± he replied quietly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can burn the trees over there,¡± he gestured to the tall oaks a few dozen feet away from them. ¡°That way we wouldn¡¯t be in danger of getting burned ourselves.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t understand. How would you¡­¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s your power? Fire?¡±


    Hestian smirked and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll have to be careful and I¡¯ll have to figure out a way to get close enough, but I think I¡¯ll be able to do it. I hope I can.¡±


    Aethera hesitated. ¡°Are you sure? If you make a mistake¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t make a mistake.¡±


    She held his gaze as they made eye contact. He seemed confident, but Aethera was still dubious. However, she couldn¡¯t think of another way. Their time was running out.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she relented. ¡°Let¡¯s do that then.¡±

 Chapter 6: A Special Day

    It was nearly midnight. Triton glanced at the old brass clock on the bedside table and scowled, pressing his pillow to his face. He was exhausted from the day¡¯s work, but his body refused to go to sleep.


    Triton kicked the heavy covers off and sat up, wincing as the old bed squeaked. The walls of the small cottage were paper-thin and he didn¡¯t want to wake Frank. Stumbling into the dark room, he managed to find the box of matches on his desk.


    He rubbed his eyes and squinted, searching for the lantern. The candle was barely a silhouette in the dark room and Triton cursed under his breath as he burned his finger trying to light it.


    The small lantern barely illuminated half the room, but Triton didn¡¯t want to waste resources by lighting another candle.


    He pulled out the wooden chair and sat down heavily on it, patting his sleep-messed hair down. He opened the worn book on the small table and flipped through it, careful not to rip the yellowing pages.


    Triton poured over the photographs, his eyes scanning the pages until he found the photo he was looking for.


    A young, blond boy sat in his mother¡¯s lap. The pretty woman was laughing, looking up at a broad-shouldered man whose arms were wrapped around her shoulders. The man¡¯s attention was fixed on the little boy, a wide smile spread out on his face as he stared proudly at his son.


    Triton felt a small smile touch his own lips. The photo had been taken at one of the balls in the capital, only a few weeks before his father had died and his mother had passed shortly after. It was one of the only memories of his parents that he had left.


    Uncle Fester had given it to him for his fourteenth birthday a couple of years ago. Triton felt guilt flood him at the thought of his kind-hearted uncle. He had given Triton much more than a shabby scrapbook. He had made sure that Triton had a place to call home.


    But, Triton had run away with nothing more than a note telling his aunt and uncle not to come after him. He had left them behind. He had left his sister behind. It was the only way to keep them safe. He didn¡¯t know what he would do if the government came after them. He couldn¡¯t be the reason that they got taken into custody.


    So, he had crept out of bed before sunrise and taken off with nothing more than a piece of bread, a canteen, and a map that he had circled the closest safe house on. When he had gotten there, Frank had welcomed him with open arms. Usually, Uniques left a couple of weeks after they received the help they needed, but it had been almost two years since Triton had darkened Frank¡¯s doorstep.


    In return for food and sanctuary, Triton worked for the old man and helped out with whatever was needed. But, it hadn¡¯t taken long for Triton to start to think of Frank as family.


    Triton closed the book and returned it to its place at the back of the desk. Careful not to touch the hot wax, he blew out the lantern and hung it on the hook above his bed. He climbed back into bed - sighing as the lumpy mattress creaked again - and closed his eyes. Usually, the book helped him sleep, but he felt even more awake. He stared at the ceiling for a few more minutes before his stomach growled.


    Triton sighed. He stood back up and raised his arms above his head, stretching. He quietly walked to the door and it squeaked painfully as he opened it.


    ¡°Triton?¡±


    The boy looked up. A man was sitting on one of the chairs at the circular table, his glasses lopsided on his face. He scratched his grey beard and raised his eyes expectantly at Triton.


    ¡°What are you doing up so late? We have a busy day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± Triton admitted. ¡°I was hoping that something to eat would help.¡±


    Frank smiled and waved his hand towards the small kitchen.¡°Go ahead. Get me something too, I think I¡¯ll be here for a while.¡±


    ¡°Is milk okay?¡±


    Frank nodded absentmindedly, his attention fixed on reading a letter.


    ¡°What are you working on?¡± Triton asked, noticing the stack of envelopes and parchment spread out on the table.


    Frank shrugged. ¡°More and more Uniques are getting into trouble with the government. They¡¯re running out of safe houses to place them in. I offered to take a few in, now I just have to send some paperwork back to General Woods so she can approve it.¡±


    Triton¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. He was dying to see some new people. ¡°When are they arriving?¡±


    ¡°Day after tomorrow. Two Uniques got cornered in the North Woods, surrounded by hunters. Rebel scouts spotted them, but they weren¡¯t able to interfere. You know how the rebels are, they¡¯re too scared to get caught.¡± Frank sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t blame them though. It¡¯s extremely risky to be in sight of any hunter, especially now that the bounties have increased. But, I have nothing to lose, so I thought that I might try to help out. It¡¯s the least I can do after all the favors the General has done for us.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going? You¡¯re going into the forest?¡±


    Frank arched an eyebrow. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s barely a day¡¯s trip away.¡±


    Triton hesitated as he poured the milk into the pot hanging inside the hearth of the chimney. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be a good idea?¡±


    Triton bit his lip. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You haven¡¯t seen action for a while.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Frank threw his head back and laughed. ¡°Ouch. Is that a reference to my age?¡±


    Triton shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just a little risky. Maybe you should sit this one out.¡±


    Frank shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that,¡± Triton said, half-serious. ¡°You¡¯re reaching, what, 66 next month?¡±


    ¡°67,¡± Frank corrected. ¡°But, regardless, I¡¯m still in perfect shape.¡±


    Triton snorted and gestured to the walking stick leaning against the wall. ¡°If a hunter tackles you, it¡¯s over.¡±


    Frank chortled, ¡°Like your stubby legs could outrun one of them. Stop trying to babysit me, son. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Triton shook his head and carefully stirred the warming milk. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Frank. You could get seriously hurt. I think it¡¯s best if you pass on this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop it. You¡¯re just cranky because you¡¯ll miss me.¡±


    Triton stared at the pot for a second before turning his head to look the man in the eye. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t get killed.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    Frank¡¯s smile slipped and Triton felt his heart drop at the man¡¯s expression. It broke his heart to see Frank so exhausted and weak. He knew that there was a high chance that Frank wouldn¡¯t survive the trip and the boy wasn¡¯t willing to take that risk.


    The old man sighed and ran a hand through his balding hair, ¡°There¡¯s not enough time to let the rebels know that they''ll have to transfer the mission to someone else. Those kids will die if we don¡¯t help them soon, is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only way!¡± Triton protested. ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±


    Frank snorted, "You?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any training.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been training me! I¡¯ve got this!¡±


    ¡°Triton¡­¡±


    ¡°I can do it!¡±


    ¡°No, Triton!¡±


    ¡°Why not? You said it yourself, those Uniques will die if-¡±


    ¡°I said no!¡±


    Frank¡¯s voice turned angry and Triton flinched, dropping the spoon on the cobblestone floor. He bent down to pick it up, his face red. He was ready, why couldn¡¯t Frank see that? For months on end, Frank had been teaching him how to fight. He knew how to throw a dagger and handle a bow. Not only that, Frank had taught him how to control his powers. He was more than prepared to face a few hunters.


    The boy looked back up and frowned as he noticed the wrinkles covering Frank¡¯s face. The man seemed extremely worn down, and Triton bit his lip. He probably wasn¡¯t helping anything by arguing. But, Triton didn¡¯t want Frank to go. He couldn¡¯t lose him.


    ¡°What if nobody went?¡±


    Frank stared at him.¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to go, and I¡¯m not letting you go. Is it really necessary to take this mission on?¡±


    ¡°And leave those kids out there by themselves?¡±


    Triton shrugged. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t see any other option.


    Frank sighed and shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯d rather die trying than not do anything at all.¡±


    ¡°And what would become of me?¡± Triton asked, a lump forming in his throat. ¡°What would happen if you were killed and-¡±


    ¡°You would take my place managing the safe house,¡± Frank replied simply. ¡°I have lived a full and plentiful life, Triton. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the hourglass runs out. You need to be prepared for that.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Triton was quiet as the milk started to boil. He ladled it into two mugs and passed one to Frank. He was uncomfortable in the terse silence and he wished that he had never brought it up. He hated arguments, and he knew that Frank did too. But, at the same time, he didn¡¯t want to let this go. Frank was smart and resourceful, but Triton feared that the old man wasn¡¯t valuing his life by making this decision.


    He slid into one of the chairs across Frank and fidgeted awkwardly as held the mug to his lips, his fingers tingling at the sudden warmth of the cup.


    ¡°I bought some shortbread cookies,¡± Frank said as he sipped the milk. ¡°They were on sale at the market yesterday, and I thought that we could celebrate your birthday.¡±


    ¡°My birthday?¡±


    The old man nodded and jerked his head to the large grandfather clock. The two arrows were pointed directly up and Triton felt his heart jump. It was midnight. With everything going on, his birthday had completely slipped his mind.


    ¡°I suppose it hasn¡¯t started off to a great start though, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Triton replied. ¡°I started it.¡±


    ¡°Still. I always feel guilty about arguing with you, especially on your special day.¡±


    Triton shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. There¡¯s nobody I¡¯d rather spend my birthday with than you.¡±


    Frank chuckled lightly and shook his head, but Triton meant it. From the moment he had met him, Frank had always been there for him. The man was a father figure towards him and Triton loved him with all his heart. He adored others in his life, but he enjoyed the old man¡¯s company immensely. He was beyond grateful that Frank had come into his life.


    ¡°They¡¯re in the cupboard, behind the plates,¡± Frank said suddenly and Triton started, shaking himself out of his thoughts. ¡°I hid them the best I could. I know they¡¯re your favorite and I didn¡¯t want you eating them too soon.¡±


    Triton dipped his head as he scrambled out of the chair and pulled open the cabinet door. ¡°I would have eaten them all at once,¡± he admitted.


    He knew it was childish to be so excited over cookies, but it had been so long since he had tasted something sweet. Their weekly rations didn¡¯t exactly include dessert.


    Triton quickly found the small box wedged between the ceramic bowls and plates. He turned around to place the prize on the table, inhaling deeply at the delicious aroma. He couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed. Sugar was a rarity these days. It must have been difficult for Frank to get his hands on the cookies.


    The earlier tension had vanished at the sight of the sprinkled cookies and Frank smiled warmly at him.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Triton. I hope seventeen treats you well.¡±

 Chapter 7: Hidden Feelings

    Hestian clenched his fists, trying to stop his hands from shaking. He was terrified that he would mess up and accidentally lose control and hurt Thea or himself.


    Hestian bit his lip. He didn¡¯t have much practice, only using his powers to help him survive in the bitterly cold streets of his childhood. He had not been willing to take the risk of being seen. The boy had been young, but smart. He¡¯d had to be. He would not have survived otherwise.


    Over the past few months - since he had sought refuge in the woods - he had tried to learn how to control his powers and make up for lost time. But, he had not made as much progress as he would have liked.


    He glanced at the girl. She was still asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. He knew that she would be embarrassed when she woke up, but Hestian didn¡¯t mind the physical touch. It was almost comforting. He had never had company that lasted this long - he travelled too often to make or keep relationships. He didn¡¯t know the first step to friendship.


    Hestian was learning as he went on. He had only met Thea a little over a week ago, but he felt that they were close enough that he could call her his friend. However, he wasn¡¯t sure the feeling was mutual.


    From the time he had known her, Thea had been distrusting and suspicious. It seemed that she was only putting up with him to save her own skin. He hoped that wasn¡¯t true, but Thea seemed extremely fed up with him, especially over the last few days. Hestian supposed it was his fault, though. He had led her down the wrong path and nearly gotten them both killed after promising to lead her to safety.


    A sudden bang and a chorus of angry voices startled him out of his thoughts. Hestian carefully sat up - making sure not to jostle the girl - and leaned forward, straining to see the cause of the outburst.


    The hunters were in a circle around their tree. One of them was holding an axe, prepared to strike the trunk. Another held a spear and gestured angrily to the two Uniques, talking to the rest of the group. The hunter glanced back at the tree and met Hestian¡¯s eyes, glaring at the boy as he twirled the weapon expertly. He shouted something, and though Hestian couldn¡¯t make it out, he was certain it wasn¡¯t nice.


    Hestian gulped. The hunters had already tried scaling the tree, but the bulky men had given up before they had even reached halfway. One of the women had tried too, only to fall backward after attempting to balance on one of the branches. She had disappeared into the tent and he hadn¡¯t seen her since. He suspected that she was more injured than she had initially let on.


    The hunters weren¡¯t very good at archery either. The closest arrow that they had shot had been a few feet away from his foot.  Hestian wondered briefly why a group of dumb, inexperienced cowards would be hired into the King¡¯s forces. But, he supposed they did have one strength: the hunters were ruthless. They wouldn¡¯t relent until the two Uniques were dead...or captured.


    Hestian shuddered. He had been in Rae¡¯s prisons once before and it was not an experience he wished to repeat. He still had scars on his neck and back from the things he had been forced to endure there. He owed his life to the rebels that had broken him out.


    If he got thrown into prison again, the guards would search up his records and see that he was a criminal. Based on what he had done against the government in the past year, he had no doubt that they would hang him.


    That was why the plan was so important. They had decided to execute their strategy in the afternoon, where the bright sun would make sure that the smoke from the fire would be seen.


    Thea would distract the hunters and keep a lookout while he would jump to the next tree and get as far away as he could to set the fire. The hunters would likely notice, so it would have to be big enough that it would be impossible for them to extinguish. Once it was lit, he would stay by the fire to make sure nothing got out of control. He probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get back to Thea until they were rescued.


    Hestian felt nauseous just thinking about it. He had used his powers a few times before, but it was always for small things. The bare minimum to ensure he didn¡¯t freeze to death. He had never done something this big and risky before, and he was worried that he would screw it up. This was the first time that he had worked in a team. The first time someone¡¯s life depended on him. He wasn¡¯t sure if he liked the responsibility or not. He had already broken Thea¡¯s trust by getting them into this situation, and he didn¡¯t know if she would stay with him if he broke it again.


    They had a contingency in place in case the plan didn¡¯t work out. Thea hadn¡¯t liked it, but she had finally agreed that their options were limited and there was only so much that they could do.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why Thea was so reluctant to fight the hunters. He was confident that they would be able to win a battle. But, she was strongly against violence, which he had a hard time understanding. How had she survived this long without fighting?


    Not only that, she had refused at the mere idea of using her powers. He understood her fear. Not many Uniques knew how to properly use and control their abilities. There was always the risk that one may hurt a loved one.


    But, at the same time, she was being unreasonable. They were in a position of life and death. Their time was running out and she would have to learn to get over it. Their chances of survival were slim without their powers. But, as much as he disagreed with it, he would respect her boundaries. He didn¡¯t want to force the girl to do anything she didn¡¯t want to.


    Hestian covered his eyes with one hand and tilted his head back to examine the sun. It was nearly on top of the sky. They would have to act now if they wanted a full day of sunlight.


    He gently shook Thea¡¯s arm until she stirred and her eyes opened groggily. It only took a second for her to realize that she was leaning on him. Her eyes widened and she jerked upright to a sitting position, her hand going up to rub her cheek where it had been resting against his arm. Stolen story; please report.


    He chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not coated in poison.¡±


    She blushed and her hand fell away from her face. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to fall asleep on you. You should have woken me up.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Thea ducked her head and her blush deepened. After a moment, she looked back up and glanced at the hunters.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    He nodded and ignored the pit in his stomach. ¡°Yes. Are you?¡±


    She hesitated and finally shrugged, turning back to look at him. ¡°I just hope everything goes according to plan.¡±


    Hestian laughed. ¡°You think I¡¯m going to mess up, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Thea bit her lip. ¡°No, I trust you.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    Thea hesitated. ¡°I just think we should prepare for the worst. Things rarely go according to plan.¡±


    There was something she wasn¡¯t telling him. He could see it in her eyes. Even though probing her hadn¡¯t gone so well last time, he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Thea turned her head to look at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried about something.¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m worried. Our lives are on the line.¡±


    ¡°You misunderstood,¡± Hestian said. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about something outside of all this. What is it?¡±


    She chewed her lip and shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It won¡¯t interfere with the plan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that,¡± Hestian whispered. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    She stared at him quizzingly and tilted her head to the side. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± she replied quickly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be. It¡¯s okay not to be okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He studied her for a minute before sighing. ¡°Then who¡¯s Adam?¡±


    She reacted just like he thought she would. Her dark eyes widened and horror crossed her face before she shook her head again. ¡°I-I don¡¯t-can we just stick to the plan? We¡¯re already short on time.¡±


    ¡°Eight days ago...the night when we went to the river. You took watch in the tree and you said his name and how sorry you were. Why were you-¡±


    ¡°Hestian.¡± Her voice was sharp as she interrupted him. ¡°Please stop.¡±


    ¡°Not until you tell me.¡±


    Their eyes met and Thea swallowed and looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Thea. What are you hiding from me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help.¡±


    ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t.¡± Her voice turned icy. ¡°What¡¯s your problem anyway? Why do you care so much?¡±


    Her question made him pause for a second and he hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m just worried, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about me, I¡¯m fine. Please just leave me alone.¡±


    He felt guilty for pushing her - she was obviously distressed and didn¡¯t want to talk about it - but he knew that it wasn¡¯t healthy to bottle things up. He knew what it was like to feel alone with no one to open up to and he wanted the girl to know he was there for her. He hesitated before relenting once more, not feeling very inclined to get into an argument.


    ¡°If you need anything, you know you can always talk to me, right?¡±


    Thea glanced at him and she chewed her lip. ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s not something that I want to talk about. I know you mean well, but please don¡¯t bring it up again.¡±


    ¡°I was just trying to help.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Thea gave him a small smile. ¡°And that means a lot. It¡¯s just too painful to talk about.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Sorry for prying.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    They lapsed into an awkward silence until Hestian gestured to the ground and dug around in his pocket for the sharp sticks they had broken off the tree. ¡°Cover me?¡±


    Thea nodded and she moved forward, taking the sticks from his hand as she studied the group. She bit her lip and her eyes narrowed before her arm reared back and she threw one. The large twig hit the back of a hunter¡¯s head and the man turned around in surprise. His eyes searched the sky where the stick had come from. Despite the thick tension, Hestian couldn¡¯t help but press a hand to his mouth to stifle a chuckle at the man¡¯s expression.


    Thea threw another one and hit him again, straight in the forehead. The man shouted something and put his arms over his head to avoid more sticks.


    She had incredible aim and it made Hestian wonder what she could do with a dagger. She hit him in the arm the third time and the man''s eyes wandered the trees until they rested on the girl. He snarled and clutched his spear threateningly.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Thea merely smiled at him and leaned forward to yell back, ¡°Just having some fun. Care to join?¡±


    The man glared at her. ¡°You just wait until I get my hands on you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a few lifetimes for that to happen, judging by the pace things are going.¡±


    The hunter growled and recoiled in surprise as another stick hit him, this one poking him in the eye. His face screwed up in pain for a moment before he cursed loudly and clutched a hand to the wound. The hunter headed into the tent where the injured women had gone in yesterday and Hestian laughed, glancing sideways at Thea.


    He frowned at her expression. Her mouth was slightly open in shock and her face was pale.


    ¡°You good?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I only meant to create a distraction, not hurt him.¡±


    His forehead furrowed in confusion as he tried to console her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you didn¡¯t mean it. It was a mistake.¡±


    She nodded again and gestured to the trees.¡°You should get going. With their leader incapacitated, for now, they probably won¡¯t notice you. This is the best time for you to leave.¡±


    He dipped his head and began to climb quietly down the branch.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Thea whispered.


    He craned his head up to look at her. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m going to need it.¡±

 Chapter 8: A Journey

    Gaia Evans trudged up the worn path, scowling as she kicked a stone across the dirt.


    She hated the woods.


    The girl would much rather be training new recruits at the rebel camp, but she hadn¡¯t gone on a mission for nearly a year now. She needed some excitement and yearned to see something other than the drab, grey walls of her tent.


    It wasn¡¯t enough to fight in the background and try to destroy the government from the inside. Isla - the Uniques¡¯ General and promised Queen of the New Era- had assured her that they would see some action soon, but the girl doubted it. Gaia had been living in a secluded area in the middle of a hidden island for too long. She was thirsty for blood - all the rebels were - and she couldn¡¯t wait to see the government¡¯s downfall.


    But, Isla had warned that they would have to be patient. ¡®Baby steps¡¯, she had said. So, the rebels found other ways to satisfy themselves. Some picked up nursing or farming, others worked in the factories or helped out with the many chores at the camp.


    Gaia had found a love for archery. She brushed a hand against her cloth sheath slung over one shoulder and fingered the soft shaft of an arrow lovingly. There was something about the string of the bow strung tight against her cheek and exhilaration of watching the deadly point fly towards its target. She had a talent for it too and she supposed her skills with the arrows was the only reason she had kept her rank. She had expected to be thrown out or at least demoted after her devastating failure.


    She winced at the memory of her last mission. She had been sent into the castle disguised as a servant in hope that she would be able to steal confidential documents. It had not gone well. Something had gone wrong. Someone had sold them out. She had narrowly escaped and security had tightened, making it harder for the rebels to try again.


    She had lost something personal too. Her heart squeezed at the thought of her accomplice. Her best friend.


    Ash hasn¡¯t been so lucky. They had been separated in the chaos and he had been captured. He was most likely dead. Possibly imprisoned in one of the castle towers. She hoped it was the prior - capture was a fate worse than death.


    It hurt to think about and Gaia shut out the memory, focusing on her current mission. Isla had sent her to one of the safe houses bordering the North Woods. She was supposed to report to Frank Bridges to help with one of the Unique rescues. To her knowledge, the man hadn¡¯t been warned that Gaia was coming to help. Isla said that he was stubborn and determined to do things himself, and that he would have refused the offer.


    Isla had been so worried for the man¡¯s well-being that Gaia hadn¡¯t hesitated to volunteer to help him out. The girl had long suspected that the General had a soft spot for Frank.


    It had been a long journey from The Azure Isles all the way to Imogen. One of the rebels had used his powers to teleport Gaia across the ocean, but she was on her own for the rest of the trip. She had taken a carriage into the woods until it had become too rocky to travel by wheels and then decided to walk the few miles left. If she kept at the same pace, she should reach the safe house in under a couple of hours.


    Gaia wiped the sweat beading on her forehead and glared at the harsh sun beating down on her. It was much easier to travel by the cool air of night, but Gaia didn¡¯t like how she couldn¡¯t see her surroundings in the darkness.


    Gaia rolled her shoulders back and rubbed at her aching neck. She lifted the heavy pack strapped to her back for a second to relieve the pressure. She had stuffed most of her meager belongings into the backpack, not knowing when she could go back home. Most of the stuff was food and necessities for the trip, but she had packed one of her own possessions. A picture of her mother that she had stuck into a locket that Isla had given to her on her thirteenth birthday.


    The girl wasn¡¯t big on jewelry, but she did love the silver necklace. She didn¡¯t like how tight the chain was around her neck, however. She supposed it reminded her too much of her past - especially with the photograph of her mother inside.


    The woman had left her when she was five, but sometimes she could remember tiny bits and pieces of her. Their relationship was confusing and complex and thinking about it made Gaia¡¯s head hurt. But, it hardly mattered now that she was dead.


    Gaia felt her heart squeeze at the thought of the loss. It was strange. Her mother had never been more than a stranger to her. It didn¡¯t make sense to grieve a loss she barely had a connection to.


    Shaking her head, Gaia pushed it out of her mind. Another reason why she hated the woods. There was nothing better to do than dwell on her thoughts. Though it was different from what Gaia was used to, she had found that she didn¡¯t quite enjoy it. She had learned early on to stuff her emotions and feelings deep inside where no one would be able to find them. She couldn¡¯t show weakness. It was the first step to surviving this bitter world.


    She ran a hand through her thin, auburn hair and frowned as she came to a crossroad. She glanced at the two paths and then back at the sign standing in front of the separation. The messy scrawl on the thin wood was impossible to make out and Gaia bit her lip.


    The sudden noise of a wagon made the decision for her and Gaia quickly headed down the opposite path. She heard a howl and then a shout, followed by the crack of a whip.


    Her heart sank as she glanced over her shoulder. She had thought that she had made it far enough that anyone in the wagon wouldn¡¯t see her, but the horse-drawn cart was headed quickly towards her.


    Gaia forced herself to take deep breaths. They didn¡¯t know anything about her. They didn¡¯t know she was a rebel. She didn¡¯t have a reason to run away and they didn¡¯t have a reason to chase her.


    The girl jumped as she heard a growl. A tan-coloured dog had run ahead of the wagon and had crept up silently behind her.


    She had no doubt that it was the hunters¡¯ scouting animal. There had been rumours that the beasts could detect Uniques through their blood, and though Gaia didn¡¯t believe them, her breath caught in her chest at the thought of capture. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Easy,¡± she whispered, clucking her tongue. ¡°Easy, boy.¡±


    The dog merely bared its teeth and advanced on her. Gaia slowly backed away, drawing an arrow.


    ¡°Get back here!¡±


    The dog¡¯s ears flattened against its furry head and it whimpered as one of the hunters started to run towards them. The girl¡¯s first instinct was to shoot the hunter, but she held her ground and kept the bow steady, not knowing if she should aim at the dog or the man.


    The hunter¡¯s eyes narrowed as he saw her and Gaia didn¡¯t miss how his hand went to his pocket, where she was certain a weapon of some sorts was stored.


    He stared her dead in the eye as he picked up the dog, who cowered in the man¡¯s hold. The girl couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for the small animal. She couldn¡¯t imagine what the man had done to it to make it whimper at the mere presence of him.


    ¡°You¡¯re good now. He¡¯s not going to attack.¡±


    Gaia ignored the hunter¡¯s words and remained in her aggressive stance. She bit her lip as the hunter moved towards her.


    ¡°Drop your weapon.¡±


    She hesitated and locked eyes with the man. After a moment of tense silence, she slowly lowered the bow.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. The dog scared me, that¡¯s all.¡±


    She would much rather insult and stab the tall man before her, but she held her tongue and forced herself to be polite. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to get the man angry.


    He stared at her for a second and then nodded. ¡°A young maiden like you shouldn¡¯t be alone in these parts. Who knows what could happen.¡±


    Gaia swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly capable of defending myself, but I appreciate your concern.¡±


    She could see a flicker of anger pass in the man¡¯s eyes and she silently cursed to herself. He was getting suspicious.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Imogen. I have an apprenticeship in the city.¡±


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°Cadence.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been walking that far?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. A friend drove me a few miles into the woods. I only started walking a few hours ago.¡±


    The lies came easily. Gaia had years of experience. But, this man was smarter than most of the hunters. She could tell that he wasn¡¯t fully convinced with her story and she was scared of what would happen if he decided not to believe her.


    ¡°You should come with us, rest your feet for a little bit. We¡¯re also headed into the city.¡±


    Gaia shook her head instantly. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for the offer, but I will be alright. I wouldn¡¯t want to interfere with your journey.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a disturbance,¡± the hunter replied. ¡°Come.¡±


    By the man¡¯s sharp tone, Gaia could tell that he wasn¡¯t offering her a choice. He suspected that something was off. She hadn¡¯t done a good enough job deceiving him. She knew that once she got into that wagon, she wasn¡¯t getting out without cuffs slapped around her wrists.


    ¡°Again, I appreciate the offer, but I really should get going,¡± Gaia finally said. ¡°Please, excuse me. It was a pleasure meeting you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid,¡± the hunter growled. Gaia flinched as he grabbed her arm. ¡°No one walks alone in the woods, especially not a young girl like you.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have gone if I could have avoided it,¡± she replied, forcing herself to stay calm. ¡°But, unfortunately, my parents are old and sickly. They have no one else. I have to make sacrifices and take risks to provide for them.¡±


    ¡°Why not seek a job closer to home?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find good enough pay. Believe me, I would stay with my parents if I could, but I¡¯m sure you know that there isn¡¯t a place as rich as Imogen.¡±


    ¡°You sure about that? I wouldn¡¯t put it past you to be lying through your teeth. I have great instincts and they¡¯re telling me right now who and what you really are.¡±


    The girl stayed silent for a second before shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re hinting at, sir.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb!¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get that bow?¡±


    Gaia¡¯s hand instinctively went to touch her glossy, wooden bow protectively. ¡°It¡¯s been in my family for centuries. It was passed down from-¡±


    Her head snapped to the side as he slapped her. Her cheek stung, but she refused to let tears form in her eyes. She would not give the man the satisfaction of knowing that the blow hurt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, or you will regret the consequences.¡±


    His breath was hot on her neck.


    She felt her heart speed up.


    His grip was too tight. He was going to hurt her. He wouldn¡¯t stop till she was dead. She couldn¡¯t move. She was vulnerable. She was a freak. She was nothing. She was no one.


    Gaia shook her head and refocused on the man before her, refusing to let the memories of her past overwhelm her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and opened them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with a bastard like you.¡±


    She spat in the man¡¯s face before he could process her words and drove her leg up between his legs.


    He buckled instantly and sank to the floor with a pitiful whimper. The dog in his arms tumbled out of his hold and onto the dirt path.


    The hunter stared at the dog and then back at Gaia before sputtering in pain, anger clouding his face. ¡°Get her.¡±


    The mutt bared its teeth and snarled. It lunged at her, but Gaia had already turned around and started to flee down the path.


    She risked a quick glance over her shoulder. The dog was gaining on her. Fast.


    Gaia crouched behind the dense brush, where the animal would be sure to get thorns stuck in its paws, and held her breath, her chest heaving. The dog barked and stuck its wet nose into the leaves by her face. She bit her lip and drew an arrow, not knowing what else to do.


    Her hands were slick with sweat as her fingers grappled with the bow until the string was tight against her cheek. She took a breath, her eyes narrowing on the target, and let the arrow fly.


    Gaia closed her eyes, trying to block out the dog¡¯s agonized cry before it went limp. She could hear the other hunters¡¯ faint shouts as she jumped over the animal¡¯s limp body and began running in the opposite direction before they could figure out what had happened.

 Chapter 9: Dont Move

    Gaia gasped and came to an abrupt stop as she clutched her side and fought to catch her breath. She had hoped that the hunters would leave her be and continue their journey to Imogen, but they had chased her for a couple of miles until she had veered off the trail and tumbled down a steep ravine.


    Damn them, she thought as she glanced back up, scowling as she saw how far she was from the main trail. Why couldn¡¯t they have just left her alone? Lives were at stake and though she didn¡¯t care much for this specific mission, she didn¡¯t think Isla would be very happy to find out she had failed.


    Gaia rubbed her bruised spine and shook her head. She couldn¡¯t think like that. Isla trusted her to carry out the mission, which was exactly what she was going to do.


    It would be difficult, but she would be able to do it. Somehow. The fall would delay her quite a bit, but if she hurried, she still might be able to make it to the safe house by nightfall.


    She rolled her shoulders back and tied her hair into a loose bun, biting her lip as she tried to figure out where to start. The steep hill was slick with mud and wet grass. There weren¡¯t any holes or ledges to put her feet on. Gaia sighed and glanced around her. Unless she wanted to go down a route that led in the opposite direction, she didn¡¯t have a choice but to try to climb up the ravine.


    Deciding to take a running start, Gaia jogged a few meters away from the hill, wincing as a streak of pain went up her side. She ignored it and stared at the ravine for a second before sprinting towards it. She managed to curl her fingers around a rock sticking out of the wet dirt and planted her feet on the soil. A startled cry escaped her as her feet flew out from under her and she landed hard on her back. Gritting her teeth, she got back up to her feet and went again, adjusting her pack and her bow on her shoulder.


    The next few tries ended with the same result and Gaia decided to see if there was another way. Her attention landed on the route she had seen before. It could branch off to another trail where she could go back up. It would take the same amount of time to take this trail as to try to scale the ravine. It was worth a shot.


    She didn¡¯t know the forest very well, but she was familiar with this sort of terrain. The rebel camp was located on a woody island and she had lived there almost her whole life.


    Not many knew where the rebel bases were. There was one in Zodiac - the capital of Rae - and another in the Azure Isles. She had been born in Imogen, though she barely remembered the town. She had joined the alliance when she was seven years old.


    It was strange that she had been taken in so willingly. From the ones she had encountered, the rebels did not mingle with outsiders. It was too risky.


    The only reason she was alive and not dead on the streets was that the rebels had taken pity on her. She had been close to death and half-starved when they had rescued her.


    Excluding Isla, no one knew her background or where she came from. She was grateful that the General had kept her lips closed about it. Gaia hated sympathy. It made her feel weak and helpless; she had promised herself years ago that no one would make her feel that way again.


    Most of the rebels had hard pasts and barely any were willing to share. That was fine with her. Everyone had memories they were running away from.


    She hardly trusted the rebels. Anyone could sell her out. She was even careful around Isla, though the woman had filled in the gap as Gaia¡¯s mother.


    There was the only downside of the alliance: she had to depend on others for her safety. Gaia didn¡¯t trust easily. She was independent and did things herself. That¡¯s just how she was. There was no way to tell who would turn her in. She was too important to the alliance to get captured. She knew too much and if the government managed to torture the information out of her, the rebel era would be over.


    It was a bloody world, full of war and conflict, and somehow, Gaia had found herself as a vital piece in it.


    The girl flinched as a low branch hit her ear. She could only hope that she was going the right way. The tall trees shielded the sun, and she couldn¡¯t tell which direction she was without it.


    It wasn¡¯t long before she came upon a river. Gaia ran towards it and sank to her knees, gulping down the cool water. She splashed some on her hot face and sighed in content. After she was done drinking, she dug into her back for her canteen and filled it for the rest of the trip, not knowing when she would find another water source.


    She should be at the house in less than a couple of hours, but there was no telling if she would get delayed. The obstacles from the earlier part of her journey proved that even the simplest things were unpredictable. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Gaia tilted her head up to study the sky. It was beginning to get dark and she could see the sun starting to set. She quickened her pace, turning east. She was right where she should be. Isla had told her to turn left where the river split. She only hoped that the General was right. It had been years since either of them had left the island and nearly a decade since Isla had come to these parts of Rae herself. She loved the woman - Isla was an excellent leader and had great strategies - but even Gaia had to admit that Isla tended to make a few mistakes when a map was involved.


    Gaia¡¯s stomach growled and she rubbed it, licking her lips as her gaze wandered over the dense trees. Any animal that had been in range most likely had been scared off. She didn¡¯t have the time to build a fire to cook the meat either. Perhaps she could find some plants or fruits. It would be harder than hunting, but she didn¡¯t feel like killing.


    She sighed as her mind wandered over to the dog she had shot. She didn¡¯t care for any kind of unnecessary murder. Too many innocent lives had been lost already. But, there was nothing else that she could have done. She would have torn her apart otherwise. Gaia felt bad for the dog, but she did not regret it.


    It had been a long time since she had killed. Gaia didn¡¯t like going out with the hunting parties. The fast deer and squirrels were good practice, but it left a dull ache in the pit of her stomach whenever she shot one.


    She hunted occasionally - when the rebels were short-handed or needed help - but she didn¡¯t quite love or enjoy it like some of the others did.


    She knew most thought she was odd for the lack of interest, especially as a rebel that was training for war, but it was one thing to murder innocents. It was a whole other thing to kill on the battlefield.


    Gaia adjusted the strap of the pack and rubbed her aching neck. She was hungry, tired, and thoroughly miserable. She wouldn¡¯t be doing Isla any more favours that included hiking through an uncharted forest.


    The girl reminded herself that she would be saving two lives. Two Uniques that would otherwise be dead or captured. Though the journey was tough, it would be worth it.


    Gaia walked for a little longer before sitting down on the side of the path. The pink sky stretched above her and a cool breeze sent flyaway hairs into her face. Gaia took out her hair and ran her fingers through it, frowning as several strands came out. A lot of her hair had been falling out recently. She had delayed getting it checked out by a healer. It was probably nothing. Most likely just malnutrition or anxiety.


    She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. It had cooled down quite a bit without the sun and though the girl had a jacket, she was starting to get cold. Deciding to start back up before it became completely dark, Gaia forced herself to stand up and continue walking.


    Her stomach was growling by the time she reached a tall slope. Drained of energy, she groaned for a second, considering the option to just curl up in a ball at the bottom and finish the rest of the journey tomorrow. Her shoulders sagged and she stared at the ground longingly before sighing, remembering Isla¡¯s instructions. The safe house was supposed to be at the top of a hill. It could be this hill.


    Despite her aching legs, Gaia ran up the slope, encouraged by the possibility of supper. She nearly collapsed in relief as she reached the top and took in the scene before her.


    A small cottage took up most of the small clearing. There was a small stream running beside the house and a large garden filled with plants and vegetables on the other side of it. Gaia carefully walked closer, her grip tightening on her bow. She hoped that there would not be trouble, but she was still not certain that this was the house she was looking for. She would rather be safe than sorry.


    When she was only a few feet away, the wooden door slammed open. She jumped back as a young, blond-haired boy walked out, a bag hoisted over his shoulder. Gaia froze as his azure eyes landed on her and his jaw slid open, the bag sliding out of his hands. He probably didn¡¯t get many visitors.


    He stared at her in shock for a moment and Gaia hesitated, unsure of his intentions. She didn¡¯t want to startle him and hoped that they would be able to keep the peace. She didn¡¯t want to have to be the first one to resort to violence.


    She watched as the boy¡¯s hand slid down to his pocket, where a hilt of a dagger was barely visible above the dark fabric. Her arrow was on the string instantly and the boy flinched, his hands flying into the air. He backed away and his eyes widened. ¡°Who-who are you?¡±


    His voice was quiet and filled with fear. Gaia didn¡¯t answer and shifted from foot to foot, chewing her lip.


    ¡°I think the better question is, who are you?¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s any of your business.¡±


    ¡°Does Frank Bridges live here?¡± She inquired, ignoring his reply.


    He glanced behind him at something inside the house before his hand shifted back towards his pocket. Gaia tensed. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    The boy locked eyes with her and his hand shook as he moved it slowly, centimeter by centimeter until his fingers were wrapped around the hilt.


    ¡°I just told you not to move!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The boy inquired. ¡°How do you know Frank?¡±


    It was clear that he was buying time and Gaia¡¯s heart started to beat faster. ¡°Put your hands in the air, or I swear I will shoot.¡±


    He said nothing and Gaia shook her head and stared at him incredulously as he continued to inch his hand into his pocket. ¡°Do you have  a death wish?¡±


    The boy¡¯s hand whipped around the hilt and the metal blade glistened in the moonlight as he yanked the knife out. He was quick, but she was faster. Gaia let the arrow fly and it found its mark in the center of his chest. A perfect shot.


    His eyes widened and the weapon fell out of his limp land and landed with a loud thud onto the doorstep. His eyes rolled back into his head and his knees buckled before he fell onto the ground, a red stain blossoming on his white shirt.

 Chapter 10: A Lucky Miss

    Gaia felt the bow drop from her limp hand. She had shot him in the chest, square in the heart. She could have hit him in the hand or arm instead, but she had instinctively aimed to kill. Her breath caught in her throat and she sank to her knees, ignoring how the damp grass soaked into her pants.


    She was only partially aware that her body was shaking and she hugged her arms around herself, though it did nothing to stop it. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were wide as she stared at the boy slumped against the doorstep. She couldn¡¯t tell if his chest was rising or not, and even though she had been in danger, she desperately hoped that he was only injured. She didn¡¯t want to be responsible for any more deaths. Her gaze flickered to the bow that was resting in front of her black, leather boots. She stared at it in disgust. How could she have loved something that¡¯s sole purpose was to hurt and kill?


    She stared back at the door, pale-faced, as an older man ducked through the doorway. He rubbed at his short, white beard for a moment before his forehead furrowed and his icy blue eyes landed on Gaia. He stared at her for a moment before following her gaze to the limp body a few feet in front of him. He gasped and jumped back, startled, before spurring into action.


    A pocket knife came out of his pocket and he held it daringly in front of his face as stepped in front of the body protectively.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    Gaia swallowed and opened her mouth, but she found that she was unable to speak. The man''s eyes narrowed and he took a step towards her. ¡°Who are you and what do you want?¡±


    She swallowed, trying to act braver than she felt. ¡°Are-are you Frank Bridges?¡±


    To Gaia¡¯s dismay, her voice came out as a tiny squeak and the man¡¯s forehead wrinkled further as he eyed her suspiciously. ¡°Yes. Give me one reason I shouldn¡¯t kill you where you stand.¡±


    Gaia flinched at the anger in his tone. ¡°I-I mean no harm, sir. I¡¯m part of the alliance and I was sent to help you on a mission.¡±


    Frank glared at her. ¡°Well, you can turn tail and go back to your base.¡± He gestured angrily to the boy. ¡°I think you¡¯ve done enough. I don¡¯t need any of your help.¡±


    ¡°Please, sir,¡± Gaia whispered. ¡°Isla sent me.¡±


    The man¡¯s gaze softened and he shook his head, muttering something to himself. He looked up after a second and his eyebrows knitted together. ¡°If you come in peace, why did you shoot?¡±


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t think. I could not tell if he was a friend or an enemy. He was armed and I reacted.¡±


    The man sighed and though his azure eyes still held suspicion, he lowered his knife. Once he was certain that she didn¡¯t pose a threat, his attention turned back to the boy. He slid his hands under the boy¡¯s arms and hefted him up with a grunt. Gaia hesitantly ran forward and grabbed the boy¡¯s legs. The man frowned but didn¡¯t protest as she helped him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she apologized again.


    The man paused and studied her for a second. ¡°You¡¯re just like Isla. Always acting before thinking and never considering the consequences.¡±


    She felt her cheeks redden, and though she felt a little insulted, she knew that he was right. Gaia glanced up at him and then back down at the ground, finding that she was unable to make eye contact. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to kill him.¡±


    ¡°There are always two sides to a story,¡± the man replied. ¡°I have a feeling that there was more going on than just cold blood from your side. Besides, you do realize that he isn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°You are right. But, I¡¯m the one with his blood on my hands and I will never be able to give his life back. I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Gaia interrupted quickly.


    The man shook his head. ¡°He isn¡¯t dead.¡±


    Gaia stared at him. ¡°He¡¯s not?¡±


    The man smiled gently. ¡°No. He¡¯s badly injured, but he¡¯ll heal.¡±


    She exhaled in relief. ¡°Oh.¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°Now stop apologizing, and make yourself useful. He¡¯s not dead, but he will be if we don¡¯t act soon.¡±


    Gaia nodded and assisted him in dragging the boy into the house. The cottage was bigger than she had thought from seeing the outside. A sitting room took up most of the space and blended into a small, tidy kitchen. There were a couple of doors in the short hallway that she guessed led to bedrooms.


    The man lifted the boy onto a circular, oak table that stood in the middle of the kitchen and pointed to one of the closed doors. ¡°There should be some gauze and alcohol in the cabinet next to the mirror.¡±


    She dipped her head in acknowledgement and twisted the brass doorknob. The door opened with a slight creak and her eyes scanned the room. A neatly made bed was stationed in the middle, with a bedside table on the left side and a wooden desk on the right. A framed photo was tacked to the wall above the bed frame and she frowned as she studied it.


    The boy and the man were sitting on the same circular table she had seen before. The man was holding a cookie just out of the boy¡¯s reach, a teasing smile plastered to his face. It looked like it had been taken a few years ago, but she could see the connection between the two in the photo. It was easy to tell that Frank loved the boy, so Gaia was a little confused on why the man was so forgiving. Now that she thought about it, though, she supposed mentioning Isla¡¯s name had something to do with that. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Did you find those bandages?¡±


    Gaia jumped and spun around towards the open doorway. Frank was bent over the boy, his face scrunched as he worked on cutting away the blood-soaked cloth from the boy¡¯s wound. Gaia quickly opened the cabinet and pulled out the bottles and gauze, running out of the room to hand it to him.


    The man grunted in thanks as he accepted the materials. ¡°You know how to bandage a wound?¡±


    Gaia bit her lip hesitantly. ¡°I-I could try. I¡¯m not very good at it, though.¡±


    "I thought you were in the rebel force, do they not teach basic first-aid?¡±


    Gaia shrugged. ¡°I did take some training a couple of years ago, but I just couldn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Too hard?¡± The man inquired jokingly.


    She shook her head. ¡°The sight of blood just makes me feel ill to my stomach.¡±


    The girl jumped as Frank began to laugh. ¡°You¡¯re a rebel. I would have thought you¡¯ve developed a taste for it.¡±


    ¡°Only when I have to,¡± Gaia whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t like seeing the aftermath.¡±


    The man nodded slowly. ¡°I guess that makes sense. Would you like to learn a little though? I¡¯ve cleaned most of it and the wound is barely bleeding anymore.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt him more than I already have,¡± Gaia admitted sheepishly.


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± the man replied. ¡°Just do exactly as I say.¡±


    ***


    Triton groaned and shifted on the cold surface, blinking wearily as he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he became aware of was the raw agony licking down his chest. He groaned again and barely bit back a cry of shock as he noticed a girl leaning towards him, her head tilted so her ear was centimeters away from his mouth.


    He jerked in surprise and the girl drew back instantly, gasping softly as she realized he was awake. Her hazel eyes stared intently into his own and she flicked back a flyaway strand of her auburn hair, biting her lip.


    It took him longer than it should have to make the connection and once he did, he raised his arms, ignoring the searing pain up his sides, and pushed her back.¡°You! You tried to kill me with your arrow!¡±


    The girl arched an eyebrow. ¡°I told you not to move. It wasn¡¯t all my fault.¡±


    His eyes narrowed. ¡°Where¡¯s Frank? Did you shoot him too?¡±


    The girl reeled back, her eyes shining with shock. ¡°No! Of course not. He went outside to get some herbs that will help with your pain.¡±


    He didn¡¯t believe her for a second. Frank wouldn¡¯t let the girl who had tried to kill him into their house. His breath caught in his throat as his heart stopped. Was Frank dead? Was his body lying outside somewhere?


    With a slight grimace, Triton twisted his arm, putting his weight on his elbow so he could sit up. The girl placed a cold hand on his collarbone and pushed him back down, shaking her head. ¡°You can¡¯t get up. You¡¯ll just aggravate your injury further and start bleeding again. We¡¯ve already had to change your bandages twice because you were tossing around in your sleep.¡±


    He frowned and then blushed as he became aware of his bare chest. Ignoring the pain, he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to shield as much as he could from the girl. She stared at him for a moment before breaking into laughter. ¡°You realize I don¡¯t care, right? The gauze is covering half of it anyway.¡±


    Triton looked back down. Bandages were tightly wrapped around his body, starting midway up his stomach and tapering off under his armpits. He slowly put his arms back down and glared at the girl. If she wanted Frank and him dead, why did she bother healing him? He considered the possibility she was telling the truth. But then why did she come here, armed, and prepared to shoot him?


    The door banged open suddenly and Triton craned his head with a pained whimper, trying to catch sight of the owner of the heavy footfalls coming towards the kitchen.


    He sighed in relief as Frank made his way towards him. The man set something down on the table and smiled warmly. ¡°Good to see you''re finally awake, Triton.¡±


    The boy shrugged and jerked his head towards the girl. ¡°What¡¯s she doing here? Why did you let her in here? She tried to kill me!¡±


    ¡°I didn''t mean to,¡± The girl protested.


    ¡°It seems like introductions are in order,¡± Frank sighed. ¡°This is Gaia. She¡¯s from the alliance.¡±


    Triton¡¯s brow furrowed with confusion. ¡°A rebel? Why is she here?¡±


    Gaia glanced at him. ¡°My orders were to help with one of your missions. A Unique rescue.¡±


    He briefly recalled the mission Frank and him had been arguing about. Though he was relieved that Frank would have someone to help him out, he still didn¡¯t trust the girl. ¡°I don¡¯t understand...that was a fatal shot.¡±


    She looked down at her feet, a steady blush forming on her cheeks. ¡°I missed.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he muttered. ¡°So, it was just a warm-up then?¡±


    Frank turned his head to glare at him. ¡°Enough, Triton. She made a mistake and she¡¯s sorry.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look sorry.¡±


    Gaia sighed. ¡°I really am sorry. I regret it now. I¡¯m grateful that I missed that shot, I don¡¯t know what I would have done if I had actually killed you.¡±


    ¡°You aimed to kill,¡± he argued. ¡°Your intentions aren¡¯t pure.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if you were a friend or foe and I panicked. Surely you could understand that?¡±


    ¡°I understand being confused between who to trust,¡± Triton replied evenly. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t have tried to kill a stranger.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think before I acted,¡± Gaia acknowledged. ¡°I ran into some trouble before, and I barely got away. I just didn¡¯t want a repeat of that scenario. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Triton opened his mouth to shoot something back, but Frank held up a hand to stop him, giving him a long look. Triton rolled his eyes and reluctantly looked back at the girl. ¡°Fine, whatever.¡±


    Frank glanced carefully between the two of them and shook his head wearily. ¡°I¡¯m going to go out to the front to get some more herbs. I trust that the two of you can be here alone without murdering each other?¡±


    Triton glared at Gaia and rolled his eyes, grumbling to himself. ¡°We¡¯ll be perfectly fine.¡±

 Chapter 11: Death Sentence

    Aethera bit down hard on her tongue, barely muffling a cry of pain, as Hestian pulled tighter on the make-shift splint that was strapped tightly around her foot. She quickly wiped away the tears beginning to trail down her cheeks and squeezed her eyes shut as Hestian shifted her foot again. He stopped for a moment, letting it go limp. ¡°Should I stop?¡±


    Aethera swallowed and tried to muster as much courage as she could. She would much rather have him stop, but if her ankle wasn¡¯t splinted, she probably would injure it even worse.


    ¡°Keep going,¡± she managed to reply.


    To her dismay, her voice was nothing more than a meek croak, but if the boy noticed, he paid no attention. Aethera closed her eyes again and clenched the branch tightly as he finished tying his belt around her foot.


    It was lucky that Hestian had gotten here when he did. She didn¡¯t know how much longer she could have taken the pain.


    Aethera was now certain that she had broken it. Without Hestian, she hadn¡¯t been able to collect the necessary supplies to make the splint. When the boy had finally climbed into their tree, she had instructed him how to tightly wrap her foot with her apron and his belt. She barely had any medical training to begin with, but she desperately hoped that some of her brother¡¯s knowledge had sunk in after the dozens of lessons he had forced her through. Adam had told her that she would need to use it someday. Like always, he was right. She felt her throat tighten. Even thinking about him made her want to curl up in a ball and sob until her tears ran dry.


    Aethera watched Hestian as he tugged on the belt again. ¡°I think it¡¯s good,¡± she whispered.


    He nodded and retreated, giving her some space. ¡°Are-are you okay?¡± His voice was hesitant as he spoke and Aethera sighed and nodded as he gazed at her in concern. She didn¡¯t want him to worry about her. Her ankle still hurt, but it was much better than it had been.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Aethera nodded again. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be without your help though. Thank you.¡±


    A few moments of silence passed between them and she watched as Hestian¡¯s eyes flickered and he wearily rolled his shoulders back.


    ¡°You look awful,¡± Aethera whispered. ¡°There¡¯s a bag strung on the branch behind you. There should be some nuts left.¡±


    Hestian moved instantly, all signs of drowsiness vanishing at the mention of food. He grabbed at the pack hungrily and dug into it, pulling out the bag of nuts. He stuffed a few in his mouth and mumbled something inaudible, making the edges of Aethera¡¯s lips lift into a small smile.


    It had been only three days since she had last seen him, but his face had changed drastically. His cheekbones were sharply defined in his pale face and a deep cut was slashed across the left side of his cheek. His eyes were sunken into his skull and there were large, dark circles beneath them.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Your face, who did that?¡±


    Hestian watched her and flinched as she reached out to touch the wound. Aethera glanced at him, and after silently asking for permission, she traced the outline of the scar. ¡°It looks deep. Does it hurt?¡±


    He shook his head, but she didn¡¯t miss how he winced as he moved.


    ¡°I cut it on a branch when I was climbing back,¡± Hestian whispered. ¡°I wasn¡¯t being careful. I-I thought that you had been shot.¡±


    Aethera sighed. They had yet to talk about what happened, but she knew one of them had to bring it up. She grimaced as she leaned backward so she could give the boy more space to sit next to her. Hestian grabbed the pack and moved forward so he wasn¡¯t in danger of falling backward out of the tree anymore. Once he was situated, he glanced at her shyly. ¡°Thea, there¡¯s something you need to know. I-¡±


    ¡°You failed.¡±


    Hestian flinched at her harsh tone and Aethera grimaced. She hadn¡¯t meant to make her voice so sharp, but it was hard to mask the annoyance that she felt towards him at the moment. Guilt surged in her stomach, but she was too tired and angry to acknowledge it.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it,¡± Hestian whispered. ¡°I tried, I really did, but I was scared I would screw it all up. and my powers wouldn¡¯t cooperate.¡±


    ¡°Did you try?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I tried everything...but it wasn¡¯t working. I don¡¯t have the training to do things like that. You know that.¡±


    Aethera sighed. She did know that. It wasn¡¯t fair to blame him, not when the same thing had once happened to her. But, they had lost their only chance to escape. The hunters had acted at the Hestian¡¯s hesitation and started to fire arrows at her, knowing that the boy would come back to protect her. She hadn¡¯t thought that he would, but he stupidly did. And now they were both stuck in this mess.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Hestian muttered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You tried your best,¡± Aethera replied, fighting to keep her voice even. ¡°Besides, we have another plan. We will resort to that.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡±


    Aethera frowned. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Your foot. You won¡¯t be able to make it like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right.¡±


    She looked at her ankle scornfully and bit her lip. The pain was still fresh in her mind and the joint throbbed with every breath, but she had forgotten to take into account what it meant for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to die here, aren¡¯t I?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Her voice finally broke and she looked away, tears starting to brim in her eyes once more. She felt something touch her hand and she glanced at Hestian as he put his hand on top of hers. She bit her lip at the physical contact and moved her hand so it was resting in her lap. Hestian hesitated, his eyes sparkling with sorrow.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to die,¡± he whispered. ¡°I made a promise and I intend to keep it, Thea. You¡¯re going to make it out alive.¡±


    Aethera chewed her lip and shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t make it. I thought that I could before...maybe if it hadn¡¯t been so severe, but there¡¯s nothing anyone can do now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°We both know it¡¯s true. The only thing left for you is to go. You, at least, have a chance at survival. Take it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The contingency,¡± Aethera reminded him again. ¡°I¡¯ll distract them again and divert their attention while you run.¡±


    ¡°And leave you here? Defenseless?¡±


    She nodded and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her blouse. ¡°It¡¯ll work better than the original plan, anyway. They¡¯ll be willing to let you go without too much of a struggle if they have me.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Thea. I¡¯m not leaving you here.¡±


    ¡°You have to,¡± she whispered. ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    ¡°That goes against everything I stand for!¡±


    She sighed. She didn¡¯t want to die. It was hard enough sacrificing her life so that he could get out. But, she had already decided. She would not condemn him to the same fate she had. She wished that she could live, but she knew it wasn¡¯t realistic. Hestian would figure that out too. She just didn¡¯t know if he would figure it out in time to save himself.


    ¡°Please, Hestian. It¡¯s your only shot.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Thea. I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d take the chance if I could,¡± she encouraged. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be selfish. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°No! How can you even suggest this? What kind of person do you think I am?¡±


    Aethera flinched at the sudden anger in his emerald irises. ¡°You have to be realistic, Hestian. I¡¯m not going to make it and the one thing you can do is save yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can make it, I-¡±


    ¡°No, Hestian,¡± Aethera interrupted gently. ¡°I¡¯m not going to make it. It¡¯ll be better for the both of us if you just accept that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could live knowing that I let you sacrifice your life for me.¡±


    ¡°Think of it this way, you risked your life to save mine before, this is my way of repaying you.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t want you to repay me.¡±


    Aethera sighed and threw her hands in the air in frustration. ¡°Then what do you want, Hestian? Because I¡¯m trying to save your life and you¡¯re shooting down every single suggestion!¡±


    ¡°Well, all of your suggestions involve your death! I just want both of us to live!¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t possible,¡± Aethera bit back.


    ¡°Then we will die together,¡± Hestian replied, locking eyes with her. ¡°Nothing you say will change my decision. I¡¯m not leaving you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you''re doing this! I¡¯m just a stranger to you!¡±


    ¡°You are much more than that to me,¡± Hestian replied. ¡°I know I¡¯ve only known you for a month, but I-I don¡¯t know how to explain it. I just can¡¯t go without knowing that you are safe.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. You shouldn¡¯t do that. You shouldn¡¯t care about me. It¡¯s too dangerous. You have no idea who I am or what I¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has their secrets. I won¡¯t ask what yours is and I trust that you¡¯ll tell me when the time is right.¡±


    She scoffed and let her head fall between her knees, her long hair shielding her face from him. She forced herself to hold back tears, not wanting Hestian to see how deeply this wounded her. She didn''t want anyone else to die for her. She didn¡¯t deserve it.


    But, Hestian was stubborn. He would stay whether she wanted him to or not.


    She ground her teeth in frustration. His decision had many more consequences than she had initially thought about. What feelings did he have that led him to sacrifice himself for her?


    She wanted to push back, to force him to go, but deep down it felt nice. It felt nice to have someone that cared about her as much as he did.


    But, he shouldn¡¯t. It was too risky to trust someone like her.


    ¡°Everyone who cared about me is dead,¡± Aethera whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to follow down that same path. Please, Hestian. If you really cared about me, you would go.¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply right away and Aethera watched him as his eyes swept over the hunters and his brow furrowed. ¡°There¡¯s another option.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°The hunters. We can make a deal with them.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡° They can take you to a healer in exchange for my life.¡±


    Aethera shook her head and replied without hesitation. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why? You are so willing to sacrifice yourself for me, why won¡¯t you let me do the same for you?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t trust them, Hestian! You don¡¯t know if they will keep their word!¡±


    ¡°But, that isn¡¯t the only reason, is it?¡± Hestian burst out, his eyes lighting up with frustration. ¡°You think my life is worth more. You think you deserve to die.¡±


    Aethera bit her lip and averted her gaze. She was surprised at the recognition she had for his words. She hesitated and shook her head.¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. I¡¯m living on borrowed time as it is.¡±


    ¡°Thea¡­¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ve accepted it. I¡¯ve accepted the fact that maybe I¡¯m just not meant to survive this. Every action I take...every word I say...it feels as though I¡¯m already marching towards my death. I can¡¯t shake that feeling so the only thing I can do is embrace it.¡±


    ¡°No, Thea. You can¡¯t give up. You have a future.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t! I¡¯ve lost everyone!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still here,¡± Hestian replied sincerely. ¡°And I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    Aethera opened her mouth and then closed it again, caught off guard by his words. She hesitated before answering. ¡°No. I-I need you to go.¡±


    ¡°Thea-¡±


    ¡°No, Hestian! Just stop with all this nonsense! I¡¯m not a damsel in distress, waiting for some hero to sacrifice their life for me! This isn¡¯t a fairytale!¡±


    Hestian stared at her. ¡°Is that what you think this is? That I¡¯m staying here to boost my ego?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Hestian. I can¡¯t let you care about me. For my own sake, if not yours. What else am I supposed to believe?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer, instead, he continued to gaze at her. There was something in his eyes that Aethera couldn¡¯t make out. Was it anger? Pity? Fear?


    ¡°Believe what you want. Let me be the villain or hero, I don¡¯t care. All I care about is making sure you survive,¡± Hestian finally whispered.


    She glared at him. ¡°I won¡¯t let you do this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try to stop me.¡±

 Chapter 12: Rescue

    Hestian glanced at the sky, frowning as he noticed the dark clouds. A storm was approaching. Usually, he didn¡¯t mind the rain, but the days had gotten colder and the mere thought of being wet in the frigid weather made him shiver.


    He was tired and hungry. They both were. Hestian glanced ashamedly at the empty bag of nuts. He had eaten them without a second thought, instead of conserving them and offering Thea some.


    Though it had been only a few hours ago, his stomach growled. The nuts weren¡¯t very filling.  He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how hungry Thea must be.


    Hestian glanced at the leaves. They had taken refuge in what seemed to be some sort of cross between an almond and oak tree. They had already eaten most of the nuts in their reach, but he would have to risk the hunters¡¯ arrows if he wanted to climb further down to pick more.


    Hestian shifted uneasily on the uncomfortable branch. They had been here long enough to figure out the hunters¡¯ rotations. At least three of them would always be on watch, even during the night. There was no way to escape, especially not with Thea¡¯s ankle, and they wouldn¡¯t last much longer without food.


    They needed water too. His canteen was dreadfully empty, and he didn¡¯t think Thea¡¯s bottle was very full either.


    They were desperately short on supplies and one of them had to do something about it, even if she was still angry at him. Hestian shifted on the branch before taking a deep breath and nudging the girl¡¯s shoulder. She flinched at his touch and he felt his heart skip a beat as she directed her narrowed, dark eyes at him.


    He hesitated, unsure of how to convince her to help him. Though he knew she hadn¡¯t trusted him since the beginning, he felt that things had worsened with the stakes of their dire situation.


    ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    Her tone was sharp and though he had an inkling why she was mad, he couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists in frustration. He knew he had failed, but getting angry about it wouldn¡¯t do anything to help their situation. She needed to move on.


    He took a deep breath before summoning the courage to try to talk to her. He didn¡¯t usually have much of a problem talking to people, but Thea was a challenge. He could never tell if he was scared or amused by her.


    ¡°We need to figure out something,¡± Hestian finally whispered. ¡°We¡¯ve run out of food and water. It¡¯ll only take a day or two for our bodies to stop functioning.¡±


    As he predicted, the girl glanced at him with a scowl on her face. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to reply.


    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡± Thea muttered. He didn¡¯t miss the glare she sent his way.


    ¡°First, you need to stop,¡± Hestian stated, trying to be as gentle as he could. ¡°I know you¡¯re mad at me, but it¡¯s really not helping anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you,¡± Thea replied, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m just angry about this whole situation.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Hestian hissed. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry. I get it, but we¡¯re both stuck in this. I think I¡¯ve gotten a good enough punishment.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. It isn¡¯t all your fault,¡± Thea whispered.


    ¡°What did you do wrong? I¡¯m the one that got us into this,¡± Hestian replied bitterly.


    She glanced at him and sighed. ¡°You have given nothing but kindness to me, and I have given nothing but bad luck to you.¡±


    ¡°Thea-¡±


    ¡°That very name is a lie, Hestian. This is all just proving my point. I don¡¯t even know why you¡¯re still here, you must have known that I wasn¡¯t being honest. I¡¯m a thief and a liar. If you¡¯re going to sacrifice your life for someone, it shouldn¡¯t be me. I don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    Hestian hesitated. He had suspected that she had lied about her name, but he had thought that she had trusted him. He had let himself believe for a second that they could have been more than strangers. That maybe the Fates had led them to tumble into each other for a reason.


    ¡°You¡¯re being too hard on yourself,¡± Hestian said, choosing his words carefully, ¡°And you haven¡¯t brought just bad luck.¡±


    ¡°Really? Name one thing that I¡¯ve done to help you.¡±


    ¡°You became my friend.¡±


    The anger in Thea¡¯s eyes changed to something he couldn¡¯t decipher. He hoped it wasn¡¯t sympathy. Hestian never had many friends, but he was content with it. He was okay with being alone. It could have been anger, but he doubted it. She seemed in need of a friend just as much as he was.


    But, friends didn¡¯t fight this much, did they? His head was starting to hurt from all the petty remarks and insults they had passed.


    They had argued for the better part of the day, and now that the sun was setting, he had wanted to climb down under the cover of darkness to see what he could do. He knew it was risky to make a deal with the hunters. Their word meant nothing. But, they were going to die either way, what was the worst that could happen?


    Realistically, the girl wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. She may be able to defeat him in a fight, but she wouldn¡¯t physically battle him over it. But, if he did make a deal and the hunters didn¡¯t keep their word as Thea feared, there would be no point. It would be the same outcome as if they had willingly given themselves up.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t let me make the deal, then at least help me fight. We could do it. Two Uniques fighting a dozen hunters? It¡¯ll be easy,¡± Hestian said, near pleading.


    ¡°You can barely produce a flame,¡± Thea bit back. ¡°And too many bad things have happened when I try to use my abilities. We don¡¯t have any guidance or training. Together, we¡¯ll probably burn the whole forest down, along with ourselves.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°But, if we at least tried-¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Hestian,¡± Thea whispered.


    He knew better than to probe further, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I-I just don¡¯t want to lose control.¡±


    ¡°How do you know you will?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s happened before!¡± Thea seethed. ¡°It¡¯s too risky. Too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°This whole situation is risky and dangerous!¡±


    Thea clenched her jaw and shook her head, resolute. ¡°I¡¯m not doing it.¡±


    ¡°What is your power?¡±


    Thea hesitated and he half-expected her to change the subject. Admitting you were Unique was one thing, telling one¡¯s power was another. It could be used against you. It almost always was.


    ¡°Air,¡± she finally replied, her eyes narrowing as she made eye contact.


    He bit his lip as he thought out a plan. ¡°With your air and my flames, we can build a strong enough fire to send them scrambling away like gutter rats.¡±


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help you, but I can¡¯t use my own power.¡±


    He sighed in exasperation. ¡°Thea, we¡¯re going to die if we stay here. What could be so bad that you refuse to even try?¡±


    She had shot angry replies to him for most of their conversation, but now her eyes lowered to stare at her hands and her voice broke as she pleaded with him. ¡°Hestian, please.¡±


    Guilt flooded him, but he shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯ve let you get away with this before, but not now. Now while both of our lives are hanging in the balance.¡±


    Thea hesitated for a long moment before replying, ¡°I killed someone.¡±


    He froze.


    Her voice shook as she continued. ¡°My brother. I loved him and I never would have hurt him, but it was an accident. Things got out of control.¡±


    He tried to offer some sort of comfort. ¡°It won¡¯t get out of control this time. You won¡¯t hurt me, I promise. I¡¯ll stop you if it gets to that point.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I swore to myself that I wouldn¡¯t use my powers again after that. He sacrificed himself for me so many times...and I-I killed him.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. You said so yourself, it was an accident.¡±


    She shook her head again. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to decide. I told you why, Hestian, and I¡¯m not doing it. Just please stop.¡±


    ¡°Then the deal, Thea,¡± Hestian pushed. ¡°If you won¡¯t fight, then that¡¯s our only option.¡±


    ¡°The better option would be for you to go. At least then, one of us is guaranteed to make it out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of who¡¯s going to survive and who¡¯s going to be captured,¡± Hestain pointed out. ¡°And I promised you-¡±


    ¡°Will you stop saying that?¡±


    ¡°But, it¡¯s true! I-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡±


    He saw one of the hunters glance up at the commotion and Thea quickly lowered her voice, biting her lip in defeat.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she muttered.


    He hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I shouldn¡¯t have pushed you.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I think we¡¯ve run out of options.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a way.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s your brilliant way to get out of this?¡± Thea asked, clearly fighting to keep the anger out of her voice.


    ¡°Well-¡±


    ¡°Besides make the deal,¡± she quickly cut in.


    He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We could surrender.¡±


    Thea arched an eyebrow. ¡°You want us to give up?¡±


    Hestian shook his head. ¡°It pains me to say it, but if they wanted us dead, they would have done it. They want us alive and unharmed.¡±


    Thea bit her lip as she processed his words.¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Information? They might think we¡¯re with the rebels.¡±


    ¡°What will they do to us until they find out we don¡¯t know anything?¡±


    A touch of terror touched her voice and Hestian quickly tried to reassure her, despite their grim situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It won¡¯t get to that point. We¡¯ll escape by then.¡±


    He saw doubt flicker in her eyes at the plan, but he felt the same way. How were they supposed to escape from a high-security prison meant to keep people like themselves? Once they were locked in, there would be no chances. They would have to escape while they were being transported, but even that was all but impossible.


    ¡°You know what, maybe it isn¡¯t a good idea,¡± Hestian admitted.


    ¡°You think?¡± Thea chuckled.


    The girl twirled a strand of hair around her finger and her brow furrowed as she mulled something over. She had let it out, he noticed. Her dark hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, reaching her hips.


    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t completely mind dying with you,¡± Hestian blurted out.


    Thea opened her mouth to reply and then closed it, her eyes widening with fear. He frowned at the strange behavior and drew back as she grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to her.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Thea whispered fearfully, her question directed at someone behind him.


    His first thought was that she had gone completely insane. He tried to shrug her hand off, but she had an iron grip on him.


    ¡°Thea, what-¡±


    ¡°Quiet. They can¡¯t know I¡¯m here.¡±


    Hestian¡¯s head whirled towards the unfamiliar voice and grabbed the dagger Thea had given to him when they had attempted to set the forest on fire, hiding his hand in his pocket. A girl was crouching on one of the branches of the opposite tree. She swept away one of the auburn locks framing her face and met his eyes, amusement glinting in her dark irises.


    ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡±


    When the girl didn¡¯t answer, Hestian whipped out the dagger and the girl arched an eyebrow. He noted the bow strapped to her back and the pack of arrows slung to her hip. He waited, expecting her to try to reach one, but she merely watched him.


    He felt Thea tense next to him and shift uneasily. He put his hand on top of hers, hoping she wouldn¡¯t draw away. To his surprise, her fingers curled into his, squeezing his palm nervously.


    Hestian shifted on the branch and glared at the newcomer, brandishing the knife and daring her to make the first move.


    ¡°Easy,¡± the girl said, her voice lowering to a whisper, acting like she was talking to a rabid dog. ¡°I¡¯m not here to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you here for?¡± Thea breathed.


    ¡°Why, to rescue you,¡± the girl replied, a grin spreading out on her face.

 Chapter 13: Choices

    Gaia had tried not to laugh, she really did. But, it was hard to stifle the manic laughter that had overcame her when the old man gave her the job of finding and rescuing the two teenagers that were stuck in the North Woods.


    She had doubled over with laughter, her face flaming red as she gasped for breath, trying to still her giggles. It wasn¡¯t the mission that she found funny, it was the shocked, sour expression on Triton¡¯s face that had her dying. He had looked like he was either going to burst into tears or throw her out the window.


    But, to his credit, he had stayed in his fetal position on the table, glaring daggers at her back while she walked out with her bow, a small pack, and a map with Frank¡¯s messy scrawl.


    Even now, in her deadly pose, the corners of Gaia¡¯s mouth lifted into a small smile as she thought about the ways she would tease the boy when she got back. She would walk through the door with both of the lost Uniques in tow, proving her loyalty and earning bragging rights.


    But, she would have to get the Uniques to trust her first.


    Gaia studied the two kids staring back at her. The girl - Aethera, judging by the reports - would be easy to win over. She could already see the shining hope in her eyes.


    The boy, however, would be a different story. He was a puzzle, managing to avoid being recorded into any chart - rebel or government-owned. According to the papers, he didn¡¯t exist. She would have thought that he would be ecstatic to see her, but he looked quite the opposite. His green eyes were narrowed in what she would guess to be disgust and his eyes darted from her to Aethera nervously. He recoiled as they made eye contact, and though it probably wasn¡¯t personal, Gaia couldn¡¯t help but feel a little insulted at his reaction.


    ¡°Tell us your name at least,¡± the boy practically spat, his fists clenching.


    Gaia hesitated. She would much rather hold off on introductions, at least until they were closer to the safe house and out of reach of hunters. She didn¡¯t plan on it, but if something went wrong, she didn¡¯t want her name coming out when they went through interrogation.


    She could lie, but she felt that wouldn¡¯t build a great foundation. Gaia met the boy¡¯s gaze evenly as she replied. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that right now, but I can tell you that I¡¯m your only option. It¡¯s clear you need help. Otherwise, you would have made a beeline away from here days ago. Let me help you.¡±


    The boy glanced sideways at Aethera, his fingers twitching.


    Gaia tensed, her own hand itching to grab the bow tied tightly to her back. She had strapped it safely away so she could climb the tree without any distraction, but now she regretted it. There was no way she could release an arrow before the boy stuck his dagger in her heart. But, she doubted he would make the first move. He may be acting the part, but he surely wasn¡¯t that stupid. He wouldn¡¯t have survived this long if so.


    ¡°We need to leave, soon,¡± Gaia whispered when the boy didn¡¯t reply. ¡°If you want to stay here, that¡¯s fine. But, you are going to die if you don¡¯t come with me.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Aethera mumbled. It wasn¡¯t directed to her, but Gaia¡¯s gaze landed on the girl anyways. ¡°Hestian, she¡¯s our only chance.¡±


    So that was his name. Hestian. It had a familiar ring to it, but she couldn¡¯t quite place where she had heard it originally.


    Hestian shook his head. ¡°No. She could be working with them.¡±


    ¡°I could be a hunter, you¡¯re right,¡± Gaia replied. ¡°But, I could also be a rebel.¡±


    ¡°Are you a rebel?¡± Aethera inquired, lifting her dark, brown eyes to meet hers.


    Gaia nodded. ¡°I am. I can¡¯t prove it to you, but for this to work, you need to trust me.¡±


    ¡°I trust her,¡± Aethera replied, her hand slipping away from the boy¡¯s clenched fingers. Hestian¡¯s face tightened at her reply and he grit his jaw, glaring at Gaia.


    She met his gaze, unfazed. ¡°And you, Hestian?¡±


    He flinched as she spoke his name, but bit back a retort, giving a sharp jerk of his head instead.


    ¡°Good,¡± Gaia said, shifting her weight on the branch. It creaked underneath her and she grimaced. She wanted to get back on the ground as fast as she could. ¡°We need to move as soon as possible, then. Can you both climb down?¡±


    Hestian shook his head. ¡°Thea¡¯s hurt,¡± he muttered, jabbing a finger towards Aethera.


    Her gaze followed his and she barely bit back a gasp as she saw the girl¡¯s twisted foot. A wave of nausea instantly flowed over her and Gaia looked away, chewing her lip.


    It was bad. It appeared as though they had attempted to splint it, but her foot was twisted the opposite way, the swollen flesh an ugly, dark purple. Gaia couldn¡¯t even imagine the pain Aethera must be in.


    She would never walk on that foot again, not without the work of a healer.


    Gaia sucked in a breath. ¡°What happened?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I tripped over a branch when we were running from the hunters,¡± Aethera mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ve always been clumsy, I guess it¡¯s finally caught up to me.¡±


    Aethera forced a laugh, but Gaia clucked her tongue worryingly. ¡°You¡¯re not going to be able to put weight on that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for pointing out the obvious,¡± Hestian snarled. ¡°You said you were here to rescue us, can you still do that?¡±


    Aethera nudged the boy hard in the shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s trying. Quit it.¡±


    Gaia quietly watched them before leaning back against the trunk of the tree, clasping her hands in front of her as she thought it out. Could she still do it? Aethera¡¯s injury was a major setback, one that she didn¡¯t know if she could make up for.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, we could fight,¡± Hestian said, pulling her out of her thoughts.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Hestian rolled his eyes. ¡°Fight. I assume you know how to do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gaia replied coldly. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering exactly how you plan to overpower a dozen armed hunters with nothing but that dagger that¡¯s not even yours.¡±


    His eyes narrowed even further. ¡°How did you know it wasn¡¯t mine?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Everyone has a weapon, whether it be inside of you or something physical. It¡¯s a part of you. But, that dagger is a stranger. You don¡¯t know how to properly grip it or use it. Anyone that¡¯s paying attention can tell.¡±


    He studied her for a second before shaking his head. ¡°Regardless, do you have a better idea?¡±


    Gaia refused to admit that she, in fact, did not have a better idea. Her confidence wouldn¡¯t allow it. She was a rebel, raised to come up with battle plans and strategies. This kind of work was exactly what she was born to do.


    And she had come up with several different escape attempts, all of which had a high chance of survival, and all that would go to waste with Aethera¡¯s injury. But, it was a minor obstacle. She could come up with another idea, with time.


    But time was the one vital thing that they didn¡¯t have the luxury of. The government reinforcements were supposed to arrive any hour now, and though she had gotten to the forest earlier than planned, it wasn¡¯t enough. She would have to use her powers, effectively labelling herself to the hunters as the one thing she had spent her entire life hiding. She had managed to stay off their radars thus far, but if she was captured there would be no chances.


    Gaia¡¯s hand instinctively went to run over her breast pocket, where the small, white pill was hidden. She knew too much information. She had never been interrogated before, but there were rumours of the methods they used. She was prepared to take it, but she didn¡¯t want to die. She had suffered too much to lose the game now. Her thoughts flickered to Isla, both her General and adoptive mother.


    When the odds are against you, do you run or do you fight?


    The other rebels joked about Isla''s ¡®motto,¡¯ saying that the answer was obvious. Gaia had initially agreed. There was only one right answer. Fighting the odds was what the rebel base had been built on. It was what she had been built on.


    But, fighting wasn¡¯t always the right decision.


    She had held her head high and met Isla¡¯s gaze, squaring her shoulders as she replied.


    Both. You run when you have to, you fight when you get the chance. Bide your time. Lie low. Strike only when you know it¡¯ll hit. You do what¡¯s best in every situation.


    Inhaling deeply, Gaia turned her head so she was looking the boy straight in the eye. ¡°We don¡¯t fight. We run.¡±


    Hestian scowled and nodded his head towards Aethera. ¡°How¡¯s she supposed to run like that?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t have to,¡± Gaia replied, flourishing her hand as she focused on the green vines steadily growing on the bark beneath them.


    It expanded instantly, twisting around itself as it snaked up Aethera¡¯s bad leg, earning a startled yelp from the girl.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hestian demanded, pulling desperately on the tendrils.


    ¡°Relax, buddy,¡± Gaia soothed as the vines ignored the boy and started to wrap around Aethera¡¯s torso. ¡°It¡¯s just to bind her leg to make things easier. The pressure might hurt a little initially, but it¡¯ll make the pain better after.¡±


    Aethera inhaled sharply and clenched her jaw as Gaia spoke, confirming her suspicions. The girl was definitely in a lot more pain than she was letting on.


    ¡°T-thanks,¡± Aethera managed to rasp out.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gaia replied, dipping her head in acknowledgment. She turned and directed her attention to the boy. ¡°I can grant us safe passage to the edge of the forest, maybe a mile or so, but it¡¯s going to cost me. When we get there, I¡¯m going to be too drained of energy to offer us much protection. You need to defend us then if it comes to that.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything, but I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    ¡°Good. You only need to buy us a few minutes, by then I should be okay to continue.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but what is your plan, exactly?¡± Aethera questioned, her eyes still darting nervously over the vines encircling her lower body.


    ¡°Most of these trees have vines growing on them. I can control them enough to swing us from tree to tree. But, I won¡¯t be able to extend my focus to all three of us. You both will need to keep close and we¡¯ll have to swing on the same vine.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just lengthen the branches so we can step from tree to tree instead?¡± Hestian inquired.


    ¡°The vines are easier and more efficient,¡± Gaia answered, her patience weaning. ¡°The branches are harder to grow and I¡¯ll grow tired quicker.¡±


    Hestian hesitated. ¡°This is too risky.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t, really. It was less dangerous than fighting, but she knew Hestian didn¡¯t trust her. If they did things her way, he and Aethera would be entirely at her mercy. She could drop them to their deaths if she wanted to.


    ¡°I could kill you where you stand before you flexed a muscle,¡± Gaia replied coldly. Not to her surprise, Hestian reared back like he had been slapped and his hand went to his pocket where the dagger was stored. She suppressed the urge to laugh.


    ¡°But, I haven¡¯t. If I wanted harm to come to you, I would have done it already. Trust me on that.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes narrowed in disdain, but he huffed and pulled his hand back out of his pocket without a weapon. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Gaia ducked her head, an attempt to hide her satisfied smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s get this party started.¡±

 Chapter 14: Falling

    Aethera watched nervously as more of the girl¡¯s vines snaked around her leg. It was too tight. Too confining. She didn¡¯t like being this vulnerable, especially at the mercy of a stranger.


    She hadn¡¯t liked the idea of trusting the rebel initially, but what other choice did they have? Even if the girl had bad intentions, any place was better than the one they were in now. They had no choice, not if they wanted a chance at survival.


    Hestian was the greater challenge. He kept sneaking glances at Aethera, his forehead knitted in worry. The rebel was concerned about her foot too. Though, it didn¡¯t look much like a foot anymore. More like some deformed, purple pumpkin. It hurt like hell, and Aethera winced as it throbbed in time with her rapid heartbeat. Painkillers were few and she didn¡¯t expect the luxury of them, but she did hope that they would be able to do something to numb it once they got to the safe house.


    The rebel cleared her throat and Aethera glanced at her warily, though the rebel was looking at Hestian. The boy hadn¡¯t been inclined to trust the rebel either, but Aethera was able to get him to listen to her with a little persuading.


    ¡°All good?¡± The rebel asked.


    Hestian dipped his head but refused to answer any more than that. He was still angry about their terse argument. The rebel was friendly enough, but she didn¡¯t waste any time with the boy¡¯s nonsense. She had shut down Hestian¡¯s ideas instantly, much to Aethera¡¯s appreciation.


    He had wanted to fight. Her gut twisted at the thought. She still hadn¡¯t gotten over how he had forced her to tell him why she didn¡¯t want to use her powers. It was her past. Her story. He shouldn¡¯t have made her share it.


    But, it did feel good. She didn¡¯t feel any less of a murderer, but some of the guilt and grief had lifted once she had admitted the truth. She wasn¡¯t sure how Hestian had taken it, but she didn¡¯t dare try to speak about it around the other girl.


    The rebel was currently muttering to herself, using her finger to draw a line on the worn-out map she clutched tightly Aethera couldn¡¯t see much of it over the girl¡¯s shoulder, but she could faintly make out the two lines where the river split and a large cross at the end of them. That must be where they were going.


    ¡°What does it symbolize?¡± Aethera asked.


    The girl whipped her head up, her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What?¡¯


    ¡°The cross on the page. What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a safe house,¡± the girl replied quietly. ¡°The Uniques there will help you two get back on your feet.¡±


    ¡°You know them?¡±


    ¡°Kind of. I met them a few days ago. I understand your unease, but you can trust them. They are devoted to the rebellion. Turning you in will create more trouble than it''s worth.¡±


    Aethera nodded.¡°Thank you...for coming here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just following orders,¡± the girl replied kindly. ¡°Maybe we can see to fixing your ankle once we get there too.¡±


    Aethera felt a spark of hope ignite. ¡°There¡¯s a healer there?¡±


    The rebel nodded. ¡°Of sorts.¡±


    She sighed and ran her fingers over the vines. Even at the gentle movement, pain prickled up her foot and Aethera grimaced. Looking at the injury somehow made the pain worse and Aethera averted her eyes. She didn¡¯t need a healer to tell her it was bad.


    It hadn¡¯t looked too complicated initially, but it had gotten worse and worse as the days went on. Without treatment, she didn¡¯t know how much longer she could last. It was too terrifying to think about what would happen if she wasn¡¯t able to walk again.


    But, healers were known to be able to do extraordinary things. She just had to make it till then.


    ¡°Do you think...we will survive?¡±


    ¡°I expect us to,¡± the rebel replied, her voice sharp. ¡°But then again, there are things out of my control. There are risks to every plan, even the best ones.¡±


    ¡°Right. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. I¡¯m not positive we¡¯ll make it, but I sure hope so. No one¡¯s ever gotten killed or captured in my protection before.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a first time for everything,¡± Hestian grumbled.


    The rebel¡¯s eyes narrowed and she shook her head wearily. ¡°You aren¡¯t helping.¡±


    He shrugged, sending a scowl over the rebel¡¯s face. If Aethera didn¡¯t step in soon, the two were going to kill each other before even the hunters got a chance.


    ¡°We should get going,¡± Aethera whispered.


    The rebel hummed in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right. Come on, Hestian.¡±


    Hestian glared at her crossly, but shifted on the branch and grabbed the pack, stuffing it into the pocket of his pants. He glanced at Aethera for only a second, but his gaze was hard and full of desperation, making her heart skip a beat. What was he trying to communicate?


    Shaking her head, Aethera ignored him. If he wanted to tell her something, he would have to say it. She was done playing games.


    Grunting in pain, she pushed herself to a sitting position, ignoring the worried look Hestian gave her.


    ¡°We good to go?¡±


    Aethera nodded and she heard the boy grunt in agreement behind her. Despite her uneasiness, she placed a hand on his forearm comfortingly. He had tasked himself with the job of protecting her, something she still didn¡¯t understand. But, Aethera did know that it was a difficult job. She didn¡¯t feel the same way as he did for her, but she appreciated it all the same.


    ¡°She¡¯s our only choice,¡± Aethera whispered, soft enough so that only he could hear her.


    Hestian turned his head at her voice and the edges of his lips lifted in a small smile, though it looked more like a grimace.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    She let her hand drop and turned away. Though she wanted nothing more than to get out of there, she didn¡¯t want to leave the boy. He had grown on her. She had promised herself that she wouldn¡¯t become attached to him, but now she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of him leaving once they got to the safe house. Maybe she could convince him to stay, at least for a few days.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    The rebel cleared her throat. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to hold on tight to my hand and Hestian¡¯s. The vines should support all of us if we stick close.¡±


    ¡°And if they don¡¯t?¡± Hestian questioned.


    ¡°Then we probably won¡¯t survive the drop down,¡± the rebel replied, shooting him a look.


    Aethera swallowed nervously and avoided looking at the ground as she moved forward so she was perched like a bird taking flight at the end of the branch. The rebel took her left hand and Hestian grasped her right.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be okay,¡± she muttered, more for her benefit than his.


    He didn¡¯t reply, his gaze remaining firmly on the ground set a few dozen feet beneath them. She shuddered.


    ¡°Okay, jump on three.¡±


    They both nodded.


    ¡°One,¡± the rebel whispered determinedly. ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°Wait-¡± the cry was halfway out of Hestian¡¯s mouth before the rebel counted down to the last number.


    ¡°Three!¡±


    Aethera and the rebel both jumped, pulling a screaming Hestian with them.


    ¡°Stop it, do you want the whole world to know we¡¯re here?¡± The rebel hissed, grabbing onto a vine as it swooped towards them. Hestian grit his jaw and squeezed Aethera¡¯s hand tighter as he grasped onto the strong tendril as well.


    Aethera closed her eyes, muttering a silent prayer. She was determined not to heave up her meager breakfast of walnuts.


    Regardless, her stomach twisted and she gagged in fear, her palms starting to sweat. She adjusted her grip on Hestian¡¯s hands and he clenched her fingers tighter. ¡°I got you, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    An arrow suddenly whistled past her ear and she flinched, recoiling as she twisted her head to look at the rebel. Her eyes were narrowed in focus, and sweat beaded on her brow as she swept her hand left and right, the vines following her direction.


    ¡°They¡¯re shooting at us!¡± Aethera screamed desperately.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it! Just try to swing as much as you can, they¡¯ll have a harder time aiming!¡± The rebel shouted back.


    Aethera closed her eyes, her heart thudding frantically in her chest as she dangled like a limp rope from the rebel and Hestian¡¯s clenched hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this!¡± he screamed, his eyes wide with fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one that doesn¡¯t like heights!¡± Aethera shot back. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared too!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared, I just have a bad feeling about this!¡±


    ¡°Well, too late!¡± the rebel spat, her pale face turning pink as she put her energy into transporting them to the next tree and the next.


    Aethera¡¯s feet had barely touched the bark of the branch when the rebel counted down again, pulling both of them along with her.


    Aethera¡¯s stomach was knotted with fear, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to focus on something else. Anything else.


    ¡°Talk to me,¡± Aethera managed to gasp. ¡°Anything. Just...distract me.¡±


    A few seconds of silence followed her desperate request before he replied. ¡°Why are you scared of heights?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t help to mock me,¡± Aethera shot back.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, it isn¡¯t exactly a rational fear. I mean, like, I get if you don¡¯t like spiders or something, but-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± The rebel whispered. Aethera cracked open one eye, peeking through her lashes. She felt the rough bark under her feet almost instantly, earning a sigh of relief from all three of them. Aethera winced as her foot was dragged over the branch by the vines trailing from the rebel¡¯s fingertips. As soon as they were safely on the tree, she let go of both Hestian a She gave the rebel a look, expecting her to release her from the tendrils.


    Instead, the girl shook her head, standing shakily from her exhausted heap. ¡°We go on three.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± Aethera inquired, making sure she heard right.


    ¡°Again,¡± the rebel confirmed. ¡°The hunters have figured out our plan. We need to keep our pace ahead of them.¡±


    To Aethera¡¯s surprise, Hestian nodded in agreement. ¡°We don¡¯t want them to catch up to us.¡±


    ¡°They already have,¡± Aethera protested weakly. ¡°I just need a minute, I-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the rebel interrupted. ¡°But, we don¡¯t have a minute to spare.¡±


    Groaning internally, Aethera nodded reluctantly and held her hands out. The rebel took her right and Hestian took her left.


    ¡°One, two,¡± the rebel started, ¡°three!¡±


    Aethera bit down hard on her tongue, holding back another scream as her feet acted of their own accord, pushing against the surface beneath her.


    She clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°Hestian.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. Just breathe.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m going to be sick,¡± Aethera gasped.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± the rebel offered comfortingly. ¡°Just a few more seconds.¡±


    Hestian yelped suddenly and Aethera¡¯s eyes shot open. Her stomach twisted at the warm sensation running down her arm. Blood.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Aethera shouted, panicked.


    His fingers loosened around hers, and she scrambled for a better hold, her heart racing. ¡°Hestian, please.¡±


    His eyes were closed, his jaw set against the pain. He swallowed as she called his name, but didn¡¯t offer a response. The point of an arrow was embedded into the skin of his wrist, a trickle of blood trailing down his knuckle and onto her own hand.


    ¡°Thea, I-I don¡¯t know if I can hold on,¡± he grunted.


    ¡°Please,¡± she whispered, though wasn¡¯t sure who she was begging. She didn¡¯t want him to be in pain, but she didn¡¯t want to die either.


    Sweat beaded on his face as he adjusted his grip. ¡°Thea¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she offered, her mind protesting as she spoke the lie. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. It¡¯ll be fast.¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s dying!¡± The rebel hissed, ¡°Just hang on, Hestian. We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Ten more seconds. Nine. Eight.


    Hestian moaned in pain and Aethera gasped in fear as his grip slackened.


    Seven. Six. Five.


    The rebel grunted as Aethera desperately grabbed onto her palm with both hands.


    Four. Three.


    Her heart raced in her chest, a high-pitched ringing filling her ears.


    Two.


    Her mouth opened in a scream as the rebel let go, her weight too much to bear for one person.


    One.


    She squeezed her eyes shut as she fell, praying for a quick end.

 Chapter 15: Sacrifice

    Hestian couldn¡¯t stop a scream from escaping him, his fingers fumbled at the air where Thea¡¯s hand had been. Her body dropped through the air for a couple of agonizing seconds and he heard the rebel grunt in surprise as she took Thea¡¯s weight.


    ¡°Hestian,¡± the rebel yelled. ¡°Grab her!¡±


    He stretched, trying to grab her flailing fingers. ¡°I can¡¯t reach her!¡±


    Thea was deathly pale, and her panicked eyes found him as he struggled. Her knuckles brushed against his fingertips and she whimpered. A few more inches and he would be able to grab her fingers. He made the mistake of looking down at his wrist. The sight of the arrow buried deep in the flesh of his wrist made his head spin.


    ¡°Hestian!¡±


    Her mouth opened in a scream and she tumbled through the air. He saw the rebel shoot vines out of the corner of his eye, but she was falling too quickly for them to wrap around her in time.


    ¡°Hestian, do something!¡± the rebel grunted. ¡°I can¡¯t hold both of us and grab her at the same time!¡±


    ¡°Thea!¡± Hestian screamed, his heart battering in his chest like a broken drum. ¡°Thea!¡±


    She closed her eyes and even from afar, he could see her wrap her arms around herself and brace for the hard landing. He froze as he saw a shadow dart out of the trees. A hunter. Bitter disgust filled his mouth, and Hestian swallowed thickly, glaring at the tall man.


    The hunter caught her easily, but the momentum from falling caused her to bounce out of his arms and onto the grass. Hestian held his breath and waited for Thea to leap to her feet and run.


    Hestian sucked in a breath as she remained motionless on the ground. She couldn¡¯t be dead. She couldn¡¯t be. He knew his thoughts were selfish. She was better off dead than captured. She was tough, but they would break her in an instant. They always did.


    Hestian glanced at the rebel. She was turned away, her head in her hands. He couldn¡¯t tell if she was angry or upset.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°We need to help her.¡±


    The rebel didn¡¯t move a muscle as his voice shifted an octave. ¡°Listen to me!¡±


    No answer.


    It was getting harder to breathe, and he was dimly aware of how fast he was hyperventilating.


    Hestain¡¯s gaze shifted back to Thea. The hunter was standing over her, blocking her limp body. Anger surged through his veins as he watched the man grab Thea¡¯s wrists and fit them into some kind of metal contraption. He did not doubt that it was to suppress her powers.


    He swallowed and gauged the height from his place in the trees to the ground. It was far too wide to jump. Thea must have been closer to the ground when she had fallen. The hunter had also helped break her fall.


    He couldn¡¯t climb down, either. The bark was too smooth, too slippery. There weren''t any holes or ledges that he could stick his foot in.


    Hestian held his breath as the hunter hoisted Thea over his shoulder like a sack of flour. She stirred and her head lolled against the man¡¯s back.


    ¡°Thea! Wake up!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t as comforting as he thought it would be to know she was alive.


    ¡°Thea!¡±


    ¡°Quiet,¡± the rebel demanded. ¡°We¡¯re too close to the ground, and in range of their arrows. They can¡¯t know we¡¯re here.¡±


    He spared her a glance. She had stood up and was tying her hair tightly, her mouth pressed in a grim line. Her eyes were still slightly red, but he didn¡¯t draw attention to it.


    Hestian gestured frantically at the disappearing figure. ¡°He has her! He has Thea!¡±


    ¡°I know. We need to go,¡± the rebel whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t have much time before they come after us. She is our only distraction.¡±


    He twisted his head to face her. ¡°We can¡¯t leave her!¡±


    The rebel sighed. ¡°Hestian, don¡¯t be rash.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Now.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can!¡± The rebel hissed. ¡°And you will.¡±


    Her voice made him feel like he was a young child being scolded, and though the look in her eyes was deadly, he shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± the rebel said, ignoring him. She flicked her fingers and vines instantly intertwined around his body.


    The girl hadn¡¯t batted an eye after letting go of Thea, and she barely looked at him as she focused on wrapping the vines tighter around his torso. He grabbed the tendril and pulled it away from him, though he was no match for her ability. ¡°Enough. We need to go back.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± she muttered, her forehead creased in concentration. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°We can try,¡± Hestian protested. ¡°Please.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°And get ourselves killed?¡± The rebel hissed, her hazel eyes flickering to him. The determination and anger in them were enough to make him flinch. ¡°I made a promise to the General and the Uniques back at the safe house. I¡¯m going to try to at least keep half of it.¡±


    ¡°If you won¡¯t help me, then let me go. You can¡¯t take me against my will.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± The rebel glared at him. ¡°Try me. I¡¯ll do what I need to do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s illegal.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± the girl whispered, shaking her head. ¡°Hestian, if you go, you will get killed, or worse, captured. I won¡¯t be able to help you then. No one will.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m okay with that,¡± Hestian replied. ¡°But, I won¡¯t be able to ever forgive myself if I abandon her without even trying.¡±


    ¡°You will get both of us killed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to come with me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you go alone.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I made an oath,¡± the rebel huffed, and the vines dropped as she glared at him in frustration. ¡°I serve the Alliance. If I disobey direct orders again...I could lose my place. I won¡¯t let that happen. I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I thought the Alliance was created to help Uniques, not order them around,¡± Hestian hissed. ¡°If that¡¯s so, then I don¡¯t think it¡¯s much different than the government.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very different. In more ways than your shallow brain can handle,¡± the rebel shot back. ¡°We need to go before the hunters start the chase again.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hestian refused. ¡°I¡¯ll fight you if it comes to that.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t beat me even if I let you,¡± the rebel scoffed. ¡°Grow up. Things happen and you need to learn how to adapt.¡±


    Hestian glared furiously at her. She had no right, no idea what Thea had meant to him. He had never felt what he had with her before. Just because the rebel didn¡¯t know what love was, didn¡¯t mean she had to condemn him to the same fate.


    ¡°I get it, okay?¡± the rebel whispered, realizing she had struck a nerve. ¡°You just lost your girlfriend, and I know how it feels to lose a loved one, but-¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Hestian¡­.please just stop this. We don¡¯t have the time,¡± the rebel hissed. ¡°If you¡¯re going to act like a child about it, that¡¯s fine. Just bear with me until we get to the safe house, then you may do whatever you like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with you until we save Thea.¡±


    ¡°Hestian, I-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, so don¡¯t you dare say that you do. Have you ever loved someone? Or have you always been cold and emotionless?¡± he finally snapped.


    The rebel stared at him in shock, her mouth opening and closing like a suffocating fish.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    He turned his back on her and started to scale down the tree. He felt a little guilty, but if she was going to be stubborn about it, he was going to have to be too.


    Hestian recoiled as a coil of vine snaked around his wrist and yanked him upwards, sending him crashing into the trunk. Stars danced across his vision, and he groaned. Shaking his head, he tried to gather his bearings. When he opened his eyes, he was staring right into the face of the rebel. He hissed in surprise and pushed his back against the branch, trying to get away from her as possible.


    ¡°Let me go.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t asking and the girl knew it. She studied him for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Thea was wrong to trust you,¡± Hestian growled. ¡°You never wanted to help us, did you? You just blindly follow your leader¡¯s orders, regardless of the consequences.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t true.¡±


    ¡°Really? Do you think it¡¯s right to leave Thea with them? They will torture her until she gives them what they want. And then they will kill her in the most inhumane way possible. Is that what you call help?¡±


    ¡°I never meant for-¡±


    ¡°She would have been fine if it weren¡¯t for you.¡±


    The rebel bit her lip.¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You should be.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re acting like a child. Don¡¯t let it come to this, Hestian. I don¡¯t want to have to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill  you before you try.¡±


    The rebel raised an eyebrow. ¡°You are too cowardly to carry that out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll sell you out,¡± Hestian threatened. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the hunters about you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know my name.¡±


    ¡°I know where you¡¯re from and what you¡¯re here for. That is enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding.¡±


    ¡°I-what?¡±


    He looked down at his wrist. Blood streamed down his arm, staining his tunic a deep crimson. He grimaced as it started to sting.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± the rebel offered, digging through one of the pockets in her skirt before producing a roll of gauze. He gingerly accepted it and inhaled sharply before pulling the arrow out, closing his eyes at the wave of pain that followed. It only took a few moments to collect himself and wrap the wound tightly.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Hestian muttered.


    The rebel hesitated, and after a moment she dipped her head. ¡°Come with me back to the safe house. We can piece together a rescue team. There will be more of a chance of succeeding with more people.¡±


    Hestian glanced at her doubtfully. He didn¡¯t trust her sudden change of mind. ¡°How do I know that you¡¯ll help me?¡¯


    ¡°You don¡¯t.¡±


    He frowned and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Let me be clear about something. This isn''t a joke. It¡¯s not funny or something that should amuse you. You act like you are so much better than everyone else, but in reality, you¡¯re just as vulnerable.¡±


    The rebel snorted. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you,¡± Hestian stated, bluntly honest. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you either. You say you¡¯re a rebel, but you couldn¡¯t pull off a simple rescue mission. How do I know that you¡¯re even capable of helping Thea?¡±


    She flinched as though she had been slapped. He felt a pang of guilt, but he forced himself to keep an even glare at the girl. She met his eyes with equal fire, her hands shaking slightly with anger.


    ¡°I saved your life. Don¡¯t act like your girlfriend wouldn¡¯t have been dead if I hadn¡¯t come!¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t my-¡±


    ¡°At least I got you out!¡± the rebel whispered loudly and the vines that were loosely wrapped around his stomach wilted, turning brown. ¡°I saved your life! And you didn¡¯t offer as much as a ¡®thank you.¡¯ Don¡¯t talk to me like you¡¯re perfect and unflawed!¡±


    ¡°I never said I was!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure acting like it! You¡¯ve blinded yourself, Hestian! Have you ever thought about the fact that you¡¯re the one who let go of her first?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± he trailed off, the full meaning of her words hitting him. He had let go of her. The arrow...the pain...he had let go.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± Hestian muttered, though he felt quite the opposite on the inside.


    ¡°I know that,¡± the rebel whispered sincerely. ¡°But, it wasn¡¯t mine either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Hestian decided. ¡°But, if you break your promise-¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 16: Alone

    Aethera groaned and the second she opened her eyes, she regretted it. Blinding agony flooded her vision, and she had to blink a few times before the pain was manageable.


    It only took a few seconds for her to realize that she was in total darkness. Holding back a whimper, she rapidly blinked her eyes, a lump forming in her stomach at the possibility that she was blind. The fall...her heart plummeted as she recalled her last memory...was she dead? Was this what happened after? Or was she hovering somewhere between life and death in a coma?


    No. If she was dead, then everything wouldn¡¯t be hurting. She couldn¡¯t exactly tell where the pain was coming from. Her head felt like it would burst out of her skull and her arms and legs tingled with agony. Something warm was trickling down her face. Blood, Aethera realized, reaching up to wipe it off her face with a grimace.


    Panic quickly seized her. Her hands were trapped, refusing to spread apart. Something hard was holding them together.


    Aethera opened her mouth to scream, to plead for help, but her jaw wouldn¡¯t move. It was as if someone had glued her lips shut. After swallowing a few times, she tried again. To her relief,  her mouth parted, but she could only get as much as a croak out.


    Where was she? The question demanded answers, and Aethera stretched her hands as far as they would go, searching for clues. Her right arm was useless, and she was pretty sure it was either broken or pinned underneath something. But, using her left, she was able to touch the things closest to her. It was hay that was surrounding her from all sides. Hay that was underneath her. Hay that was poking uncomfortably in her shoes and face. God, she really hated hay.


    After a while, Aethera convinced herself that if there was something out there other than the dry, dead grass, she wasn¡¯t anywhere near it. It took her a few more painful moments to reach up slowly to her face. She couldn¡¯t get past her nose, but she knew what was covering her eyes the instant her fingertips touched the rough fabric. She was blindfolded too.


    Blindfolded, handicapped, and tied up wasn¡¯t a good combination. It didn¡¯t take a genius to know where she was. She didn¡¯t have many enemies, but the government seemed to have a personal vendetta against her.


    Nausea overcame her and Aethera felt her eyes start to water. What would they do to her? What did they want? If they wanted her dead, they would have gotten it over with. But, instead, they had given her life. Did they want information? How long would they torture her until they realized she didn¡¯t have any?


    Tears had begun to stream down her cheeks, soaking her blindfold. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stop crying. It wouldn¡¯t help ??anything.


    She had to get out of here, but the problem was that she didn¡¯t even have any idea where she was. A wagon? A prison cell? Her head was spinning too fast to tell.


    Aethera moaned in pain, gasping as another wave of agony crashed over her body. She just wanted it to stop. How did she even injure herself? Had they done something to her already? Or was all of this from her fall?


    She found herself thinking of Hestian. He wouldn¡¯t leave her, would he? She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of him abandoning her too. But, even if Hestian somehow tried to rescue her, the chances that he would be successful were almost none. She couldn¡¯t depend on him. She was alone in all of this.


    What advantages did she have? She was a Unique. That was the only thing she could use against them. The King would never admit it, but everyone knew that the government feared the abnormality of her species. It was the main reason they had started hunting them in the first place. Erase everything you don¡¯t understand. They were scared of their ignorance.


    Aethera subconsciously reached for the wind, but she couldn¡¯t sense it. The hard contraption around her wrists suddenly made sense. Darkstone. Icy dread filled her veins and her pounding headache became even more noticeable. The metal would suppress her powers, rendering her vulnerable until they took it off.


    Her breath caught in her throat, and she forced herself to breathe. It would be okay. She would play their game until there was a chance for her to escape.


    She felt her body rock, slamming into a rough material that molded around her body when she hit it. Canvas. A wagon cover. She was in a wagon. And it had stopped.


    ¡°Please, God, help me,¡± Aethera whispered, closing her eyes.


    She heard something being unzipped and then the darkness lightened a little, she still couldn¡¯t see much, but she could make out a faint silhouette coming towards her. Aethera scooted backward desperately, but she couldn¡¯t get very far with her injuries.


    A hand reached towards her and Aethera cried out as a fistful of her hair was pulled, dragging her forcefully to the entrance of the wagon.


    She was in too much pain to plead for mercy, but her ears rang with the echoes of her weak screams of agony.


    ¡°Quiet!¡±


    The sharp command was colder than it needed to be and Aethera forced herself to grit her teeth, not wanting to see what happened if she disobeyed. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°What¡¯s her number?¡±


    Aethera grimaced as she felt her arm being roughly pulled straight, cold nails digging into her flesh. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have one.¡±


    Aethera couldn¡¯t help but shriek as her arm was violently twisted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a number?¡± the icy, female voice demanded.


    Aethera felt herself start to shake. ¡°I-I-don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Let her go. The King can see to this one personally.¡±


    Aethera didn¡¯t dare to breathe as her arm was released and she was pushed forcibly to the ground. The grass, damp from morning dew, stuck uncomfortably to her neck and face and Aethera whimpered as a heavy boot was pressed sharply into her spine, pinning her in place.


    ¡°Fine. I deserve a hefty pay for her, though. My team was camped out there for a week.¡±


    ¡°Your team can camp out in prison,¡± the other hunter replied coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone catch you on your ride out. If they find out that you¡¯re the thing we¡¯ve been hunting¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Aethera craned her ears, listening closely as she heard the retreat of footsteps. The thing they¡¯ve been hunting. Was the woman a Unique? Was she hunting her own kind? She shuddered in disgust. Surely not. That was an unthinkable betrayal.


    ¡°Come on,¡± the other hunter barked, pulling on her manacles.


    ¡°Please, can you take the blindfold off? I¡¯ll be able to move faster if I can see.¡± Aethera pleaded, stumbling as she was forced to her feet.


    Pain exploded in her cheek as her head was blown to the side. She fell to the ground once more, tears springing to her eyes. She had seen and gone through horrible things, but no one had ever hit her before.


    ¡°Shut your mouth, you filthy creature.¡±


    She knew it wasn¡¯t worth it to fight back, but she couldn¡¯t help but shoot something back. ¡°Do you really believe that you¡¯re superior and I am subordinate because of a genetic mutation? I can do things that you wouldn¡¯t even be able to comprehend. If these manacles were off, I could blow your head into bits.¡±


    The next blow was delivered to her stomach and Aethera gasped in pain as she curled into a ball on the hard ground.


    ¡°Who do you think has the upper hand, now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you,¡± she whispered, though she felt quite the opposite.


    ¡°We can do this two ways,¡± the hunter growled. She flinched as she felt his hot breath on her face. ¡°You can cooperate and get on the horse, or I can tie you to the stirrups and you can be dragged behind.¡±


    Aethera swallowed. She did not doubt that the threat was real. ¡°I¡¯ll come.¡±


    ¡°Good choice.¡±


    The hunter grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet. Aethera swayed unsteadily, nearly collapsing on top of him as he hoisted her on top of the uncomfortable saddle.


    She drew back as rough fingertips grazed her forehead, nearly gagging in repulsion at the sudden contact. She braced herself, but all the hunter did was rip off her blindfold, scratching her above the eyebrow in the process.


    ¡°T-thank you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll take that back once we get there,¡± the hunter snapped back.


    She knew that he meant to scare her, but she couldn¡¯t help icy dread from coiling her empty stomach into knots.


    Aethera tensed as the hunter grabbed her manacles, pulling her wrists to the top of the saddle and attached a chain to the handcuffs that led to the horn of the saddle.


    He walked somewhere behind her, and after a moment a loud crack vibrated through the air, making her flinch. The horse obeyed the whip instantly, and Aethera grabbed the edge of the leather saddle as the horse started to trot.


    If she strained her head back, she could see a tall, black stallion cantering a few feet behind her horse. The hunter met her eyes suspiciously and Aethera turned back around, beads of sweat appearing on her brow.


    How would she escape? They would only add more security once she got there. It would need to be now.


    Aethera glanced at her manacles helplessly. Her body was weak from stress, injuries, and the effect of Darkstone. She would be no match to the hunter without her ability.


    The wind had always been a part of her. It had always been there, swaying and dancing around her. She could feel its breath on her cheek and its cold hand flicking her hair back whenever the hot sun was too much to bear.


    But, now, she felt nothing. She felt hollow and empty without it. She could neither sense it nor control it. The government had seen to that. There had always been rumours about the advancement of technology, particularly to the ones meant to make the Uniques suffer, but they were a myth. They had never applied to her. Never till now. She had always trusted Adam to keep her safe, and she had thought that once she learned how to use her powers, she would be invincible. That she would be able to protect him in turn. It had been her thought process only a month ago, but now it felt childish. Impossible, even.


    The horse started to speed up, and large clouds of dust puffed with every gallop. Aethera felt nausea climb up her throat. She had always hated riding. She supposed the fear originated when Adam had bought a goat many winters ago. It had been an older nanny, with silver-lined fur and droopy ears. She had been maybe five, or six then-small enough to ride on its back. But, it had reared and bucked her off almost instantly, resulting in a concession and a pulled muscle.


    Without money for medicine or healthcare, she had been unable to work or go to school for three weeks. The memory of empty stomachs and angry curses was still sharp in her mind. Her parents had still been alive then, and Adam had gotten in a boatload of trouble for assisting in the injury.


    A stream of whoops jerked her out of her daze and Aethera craned her eyes focusing on the approaching building. Her heart sped up as they got closer. Guards and hunters were lined up outside the entrance, armed heavily with arrows and spears. Her horse slowed down and Aethera swallowed her fear thickly, her eyes darting around her surroundings. There was nowhere to go. No way for her to escape. If she tried, it would only end in her death. She planned to stay alive as long as she could.


    ¡°Welcome to Chamber 7,¡± one of the hunters barked at her and Aethera shuddered in disgust as his yellowing teeth widened in a menacing grin. ¡°I hope you enjoy your stay.¡±

 Chapter 17: Acceptance

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.