Page 22 of Anywhere

Of course, he didn’t answer and continued to munch away on the sweet fruit. The birds were talking up a storm, and I wished I understood them better. Keeva was so good at talking to the birds, while I had better luck with woodland animals. They were speaking about unrest and a storm brewing, but I didn’t think they meant the weather. A pair of bright red birds with yellow-tipped wings swirled around as they chased one another, squawking about danger and dark magic.

My hand instantly went to my necklace. I squeezed the stone and thought of Keeva. Within moments, the stone glowed in my hand, then fell silent, but my heart soared that she was all right. Not seeing her smiling face was the hardest part about coming out here for so long. Leaving her behind felt like leaving a piece of me, and I hated that I wasn’t there to protect her.

The scent of smoke was still in my nose, and I rubbed at it like that would help remove the scent. Instead of growing fainter, it got stronger. The sound of a distant scream had my head snapping up. I could just make out the billow of smoke in the distance. I ran through the forest along the trail. Barry chattered in my ear, telling me how annoyed he was with having to hang on to me.

Breathing hard, I burst through the edge of the trees. My eyes grew wide at the sight of the people running and screaming, bodies glowing from intense flames. Some of them had been tied to stakes screaming as they burned. Others were already burnt beyond recognition. Those running had been doused in something, or the ropes had burnt free but not in time for them to escape their fiery end. The homes were fully ablaze, the bright orange flames dancing against the darkening night sky.

Lifting my hand, I murmured for Barry to step into my palm and carried him to the nearest tree.

“Stay here,” I said to the tiny squirrel.

I took my pack off and laid it and my walking stick at the base of the tree. Not even thinking about the possible consequences, I ran toward the water well. Hand over hand, I pulled on the rope to get a bucket of water. Dashing to the closest babe that had been left in a crib left by a stake to burn with it’s mother, I threw the water on the infant, even though the child had already stopped screaming.

The thick, black smoke stung my eyes, and tears instantly welled as I ran back to the well and dropped the bucket to get more water. In the back of my mind, I knew it was too late—the injuries would be so severe that they wouldn’t recover—but I had to try to help the children.

The thick, grey smoke had changed directions with the wind and was blowing directly in my face, making me cough. Running headlong into it, I covered my nose and mouth and threw the water on the fire that only got bigger. It was like a monster rising from the dark fade to devour all that stood in its path.

“Please help me,” a woman wailed as I ran back with my third bucket of water.

I threw it on her, but the flames only sizzled. All I could do was stand there and watch as she shrieked in pain so loudly that it hurt my ears. I slowly stepped back.

Helplessness washed over me as tears steadily trickled down my cheeks. Hearing the sound of a motor, I turned and blinked through the smoke to see the taillights of a car leaving. I couldn’t make out if it was the same car, but it seemed unlikely that two cars heading in the same direction and at both fires was a coincidence.

I moved farther away from the blaze and those already lost to stare at the devastation. These same villagers would’ve forsaken me for simply having red hair, but it wasn’t in me to turn my back on those in need. My heart hurt for those who had lived here. The ones who had done this were monsters. No…They were demons.

I hated myself even more for having any kind of pleasant reaction to the two men in the car. They were darkness conjured from the deepest depths of the fade. I needed to stop them before they killed anyone else.

Dropping the bucket to the ground, I forced myself to turn away from the last of the wailing voices as their bodies thrashed on stakes. I didn’t understand why people were so cruel to one another and why they insisted on proving time and again that it was best for me and my coven to stay in hiding.

Making my way back to where I’d left my possessions, I stopped long enough to grab my stick and pack and let Barry climb onto my shoulder. He snuggled into the crook of my neck, providing a tiny spot of warmth. Silent tears fell down my cheeks to the ground below as I gently ran my finger over his small head.

He was my only comfort and the only reason I kept moving. The only reason I didn’t try to run back to those poor souls. What good would it do? My powers were useless against the likes of that. Making little charms, talking to animals, and having spirits whisper messages in my ear wasn’t helpful. I had no healing ability or power over the elements. I could put out a wee little wick of a flame, but what good did that do? This feeling was crushing.

I heard the dark spirits as I tried to put out the fire. Their voices were like a million small cackling demons as they took what they wanted. There was something about the sound of that fire and the screaming that shook me to my core and made me colder than death itself.

It was almost dark before I stopped or allowed my mind to play over what I’d seen. A small whimper left my mouth. Dropping to my knees at the side of a stream, I looked at my reflection in the water and didn’t recognize the face staring back at me.

There were streaks of black, and my eyes were red and swollen from the smoke, making me look evil. Cupping my shaking hands, I splashed cold water onto my face and rubbed at the dark marks that ran down my neck.

Another cry left my mouth as the emotions overtook my body, and all I could do was rock and let the waves of sorrow out into the night sky. Barry kept touching my face with his little nose. I knew he was trying to understand my sadness and comfort me, but I needed to get this out. It was the only way to move on and to find and kill those who would do such a thing to defenseless children.

Once more, I could clearly visualize the handsome faces of the two men in my mind, but instead of beauty, all I saw was evil. I took a fortifying breath and began to plan how to make them pay for the way they’d hurt those babes.

Rook

I paced more in the last few days than in my entire life. No one ever explained these feelings properly. The words, ‘it’s a connection,’ didn’t describe how my skin constantly crawled with this overwhelming need to touch the other person and leave me breathless. It didn’t explain why my power was supercharged to the point that I felt like I could take on the world. It sure as fuck didn’t hint at the reality of my mind plagued with images of Rhys’s face. The fluttering in my chest whenever he was close and irrational spikes of jealousy made me want to kill anyone who’d dare to even look at him.

Why did we have this crazy connection shit anyway? Wouldn’t it be easier not to feel? My soul-sucking father had tricked me into this. He knew that my resolve would be tested, that the connection I’d scoffed at was strong enough to do his dirty work for him.

A frustrated shout ripped from my throat. The decorative items along the bookshelf took the brunt, flying off and crashing on the floor. My door banged open, and Mari stood in the doorway. Her hand was up, and her eyes glowed as she looked around the room.

“What’s attackin’ you?”

Running my hand through my hair, I resumed pacing. It was the only thing that helped to keep my body at bay. “No one. I’m just frustrated. Where did you come from so fast?”

She relaxed, her hands dropping. “I was on my way to the training area.” She looked down at the black outfit that made her look every bit the warrior she said she was.

“This late? Is that all you ever do? Train?” I asked.