3. Three

Three

Ari eyed me as I caught up with them deeper in the forest. He’d set the boy down, and the kid seemed to be keeping up all right.

The more you use it, the more power you give it over you.

“I didn’t have a choice.” I was out of raw mana. I pressed my palms to my temples against the pounding in my skull.

Ari’s glowing eyes narrowed, and the first notes of his raspy voice filled my mind again. I slammed my barriers down, pushing him out. He flinched.

“We don’t have time for this.” I shoved past him. “We have to move.”

Yelling split the air behind us, dampened by the snow. We wouldn’t be able to outrun them. Not for long, anyway. Hunters loved a good chase.

“Is there anywhere we can hide?”

“There’s nothing but forest for miles.” The boy swallowed, and his silver gaze surveyed the moonlit forest. “I—I think we’re nearing the lake.”

I picked up my pace.

“They’re following our tracks in the snow,” I said to Ari. His purple eyes burned under the shadow of his hood, which stayed over his head as he jogged smoothly beside me. “We need to confuse them.”

Ari nodded, and he disappeared in a cloud of darkness.

There. A clearing through the trees. That must be the lake.

“I have an idea.” It was a horrible idea, but it might just save us.

I sprinted to the water, frozen over with a thick layer of pale ice. The boy hesitated at the edge, but I grabbed his hand, pulling him behind me to the center of the lake.

Movement caught my eye through the dark woods as I glanced over my shoulder. Some must have stayed on our trail. We didn’t have much time.

I pulled my sword from its sheath and drove it into the thick ice at my feet. Cracks split outward like a spiderweb. Then it shattered.

I sucked in a breath before the frigid water engulfed me. My boots and bits of armor pulled me down. I didn’t fight it. But the boy thrashed in the water, swimming for the surface with his one good arm.

Maybe I should have told him my plan before plunging him into icy water.

I searched within for that spark of magic. The one I’d felt so briefly before, but ... nothing. Instead, the corrupt mana rose in its place. I didn’t have a choice.

I let it surge down my arms and directed it at the window of water above. Ice crawled toward the center until it covered the surface again. As though we’d never fallen through.

The boy’s feet kicked above my head, and I grabbed his ankle, pulling him further into the dark depths of the lake. The moonlight didn’t reach far below the surface. He fought me, but I was stronger.

My lungs screamed for oxygen, but it was too risky to go to the surface just yet. We had to let Ari lead the corrupt hunters away. I just needed one more spell. Just a little more magic.

As if responding to the thought, dark mana shot from my fingertips, encircling us with light blue mana, tinged with shadow. Droplets of water ran down my face as an air bubble expanded around us.

I gasped cold air into my burning lungs. The boy’s struggling had grown weaker. I pulled him down until his head popped into the air bubble.

“You can breathe, now,” I said, letting go of him and treading water. The lake was deeper than I’d thought.

He coughed and choked. “Are you crazy? You could have killed me!”

“Relax. I had it all under complete control.” My teeth chattered. “I’m just glad you can swim.”

“You’re using magic.” The boy glanced around. “How? Some of the bad hunters used magic, too.”

“I think all hunters can. It just takes a little practice.”

Ari’s mind brushed against mine, and I opened my barriers to him. His voice filled my head. I led them away. They’re gone.

I blew out a breath and lifted my hand toward the ice above. Power rushed through me as I shattered the ice with my fist. I released the air bubble and snagged the hunter boy’s good arm as I swam up. I pulled myself over the icy lip to the frozen surface and yanked the boy out beside me.

Ice cracked off my body as I stood. We had to get dry quickly, or we’d freeze.

Just one more itty-bitty water spell.

I called on the corruption and pulled the water from our clothes and hair, letting it fall to the frozen lake in a shower of snowflakes. No wonder Skye was always so arrogant. It felt amazing to bend the elements to my will.

The boy sat up, shivering violently. I could warm him. My heartbeat filled my ears as the dark mana sang. I lifted my arm and red mana gathered in my hand.

I always thought raw mana was life. That it was pure power. But maybe I was wrong. This was power.

A gloved hand wrapped around my wrist. Ari’s strong aura brushed against me, and the corruption shrank away, sinking like a stone in my stomach.

“He’s freezing.” I tried to pull away, but Ari’s hold was solid.

He’s a hunter. Ari growled in my head.

“So am I. That never seemed to be a reason to let me freeze to death before.”

That’s not what I meant. Ari’s grip tightened around my wrist until it was almost painful. He took a step closer until his masked face was inches from mine. He’s a hunter. Like you, raw mana sustains him, makes him resilient. Will you freeze without fire magic?

“No.” I wrenched my hand back and turned from Ari to the boy, still clutching his injured arm and sitting on the ice.

He gazed numbly in the direction we’d come from. Smoke rose above the pine trees.

I could’ve kicked myself. He’d just lost everything and here I was, squabbling with Ari.

I knelt in front of the boy. “What’s your name?”

“Zach.” He blinked. “Zach Titus.”

“How’s your arm doing, Zach?”

He wiggled his fingers and winced. “Better, but I still can’t move it much.” He eyed me. “What did you do to me?”

“I gave you mana so you could heal faster.” I shrugged. “It’s a Morgan thing ... kinda. But you’ll need a sling while it finishes healing.”

I eyed the hem of my shirt. There wasn’t much material there, but it was enough to make a sling. Good thing I was wearing my daeva sports bra.

I yelped as heavy fabric draped over my shoulders. Ari’s cloak ... and it was shorter.

Ari stalked to Zach. He stiffened as Ari neared, but the Wraith quickly tied a strip of dark fabric around the boy’s arm in a makeshift sling.

I took a deep breath and clasped my iron choker around my neck again. It strengthened my barriers and pushed the corruption down.

“Thanks,” I said. My throat constricted around my words, so I sent them to his mind instead. I’m sorry I freaked.

At least Zach wouldn’t hear my pitiful excuse for an apology.

Ari stood and turned to me. His tousled, light brown hair stirred in the winter wind, grazing his masked chin. It’s not you.

I nodded, but I wasn’t so sure anymore. With every day, the line between me and the darkness became more blurred.

“Now what?” Zach asked.

I bit my lip.We were only a couple hours’ drive from Haven. If only I could call Sabrina ...

“Do you have a cellphone? Sabrina might be able to send a car.”

Zach’s brow furrowed. “I thought you grew up as a hunter.”

“That’s right.” I sighed. “Cult.”

Cellphones were too easily tracked. Of course, they wouldn’t carry them.

“We have the bikes back at the compound.”

“The compound crawling with corrupt hunters?” I raised an eyebrow. “That one?”

Zach pursed his lips.

I turned to Ari. “Do you know how to drive?”

He tilted his head.

“It doesn’t matter.” I waved my hands. “If you can’t, you can lead whoever’s driving to us. You always seem to find me no matter what world I’m in, so I assume that won’t be a problem?”

His shoulders tensed, the cords of muscle visible under his tight, long-sleeve shirt. I won’t leave you.

“I’ll be fine.”

He was still for a moment. Take some of my mana.

“No—”

Arsyn. You can’t afford to use any more corrupt magic. I see it growing inside you. He stalked closer. Overwhelming you.

I tapped my leg. He was right. As long as I was so weak, the dark mana was the only power I had. “Fine.”

Ari slipped a leather glove off and held his hand out to me. My hand almost disappeared in his. His palms were smooth.

His aura wrapped around us. Purple magic slid against my skin like blunt nails and his spicy scent overwhelmed my senses. I inhaled deeply and pulled some of his mana into me.

It flowed into my veins, sending cozy tingling through my body. I sighed as his grip tightened.

Right. I shouldn’t take too much.

But as I raised my barriers and cut off the flow between us, dark mana coiled in my belly, overwhelming the small shot of Ari’s power. I shivered. It wasn’t enough.

Maybe regular mana would never be enough again.

I cursed as my foot caught on another branch. My eyesight in the dark was better than a human’s, but we were still stumbling around a snowy forest in the middle of the night. And I was getting grouchy.

“Are you sure we’re headed in the right direction?” I asked as I walked face-first into a frosty tree bough.

Zach groaned. “For the zillionth time, yes. I grew up in these woods. I think I’d know better than you.”

I clenched my teeth against the colorful insults on the tip of my tongue. We’d been hiking for hours, and I’d forgotten how annoying teenagers were. Hunter or not, they were stubborn, self-assured little—

“Why’d you do it?” Zach glanced sideways at me.

“You’re gonna have to be more specific.”

“Why’d you run from the Order?” His voice didn’t carry any judgment or condemnation. He peered at me with a sparkle in his silver eyes.

I focused on the dim, moonlit path before us. Apparently, nosiness was a teen trait, too. “I had to.”

“You were the Morgan heir. Any hunter would kill to be you.”

“I was a pawn,” I spat. Zach flinched, and I slowed my pace to look at him. Really look at him for the first time. There were no visible hunter marks on his tan skin. Many young hunters chose their faces for their first marks. They wanted to show off the blood of their kills. Proof of their prowess as a hunter. Zach looked like a young teen, but there was an air of innocence about him. “Have you been on a hunt yet?”

“I’ve been on hunts,” he said quickly. Color bloomed on his cheeks, and he focused on the path at his feet. “I’m just not very good at ... ya know ... the killing part.”

I smiled to myself. “You’re clearly a survivor, and despite what they taught you, surviving doesn’t always mean killing.”

His expression darkened.

“What happened tonight?” I asked softly, slowing to a stop.

Zach took another step, putting his back to me.

“Their leader came this morning.” His voice was barely audible above the wind and sounds of the forest. “Said he wanted to speak to the Patriarch, but the Patriarch refused. Something about the man being a traitor to the blood.” Zach chuckled, but it was humorless. “Guess the Patriarch would be surprised to hear another traitor to the blood would save me from the first one.”

“Did their leader say his name?” I had to ask, though I dreaded Zach’s answer.

Zach pressed a palm to his forehead. “It was something familiar. I’d heard it before. Maybe when I was younger?”

I swallowed thickly. “Sebastian Castelle?”

“That’s it!” Zach spun around. “Why would I have heard it before? I don’t even know where the Castelle compound is.”

I brushed snow from a log and sat down, stretching my sore legs out. “It’s not too far actually. In Nevada. Well, it was . Sebastian’s the last Castelle alive. He killed all the others.”

“That’s where I’d heard his name before.” The color drained from Zach’s face. “When the patriarch refused to see him, Sebastian told the rest of us he could give us absolute power and freedom if we joined him.” He hung his head. “I’ll admit, I considered his offer. I’ve been on four hunts, but don’t have any marks ...”

He let the part unsaid linger in the silence between us. I’m a disappointment. An embarrassment.

“What happened, then?”

“Then he left ... until nightfall.” Zach wiped at his eyes. “The worst part is some did join him when he returned. My aunt drank his blood and—and her eyes turned black.”

I shook my head. You didn’t have to know a lot about hunters to know they had an unhealthy loyalty to family. “Why would they do that?”

“’You left the Order and survived.” Zach blew out a breath. It misted in the cold. “But you’re not the only one who wanted out.”

The shadows shifted beside me, and a form clad in black stepped out of the darkness. Zach gasped and stumbled backwards into a sapling. He disappeared in a shower of snow.

I snorted. “You always know how to make an entrance, Ari.”

“The road is a mile to the south. This way,” Ari rasped before turning and trudging away.

Zach emerged, brushing the snow off his clothes and hair. “What the hell?”

“You get used to it.” I shrugged and stood to follow Ari.

Zach kept up, a renewed pep in his step. “So, what’s the plan? Are we going after Sebastian?”

“ We’re bringing you to Haven to be babysat. Then, I’m going after him ... eventually.” I waved a hand. “I have some details to iron out.”

“Whoa, wait. You’re taking me to Haven? The last time a whole family of hunters went to Haven, they didn’t come back.”

“I know.” I cleared my throat. The Ardens strayed too close to Haven before. We’d gone to drive them away, but Sebastian had beat us there. “But they were hunting. You’ll just be a ... tourist.”

“They’ll kill me if they find out what I am.”

He wasn’t wrong, but I had it handled. Sabrina would take care of him. She’d protected me and my secret for almost four years. She always said it was just business, but she secretly had a soft spot for those in need.

I smiled at him. “I won’t let that happen. Do you trust me?”

Zach hung his head. “I don’t have a choice.”