me to his chest.
“Are you all right?” he asks while kissing the top of my head.
I’m speechless from the urgency in his voice, but I answer to
calm his trembling body.
“I’m fine.” My voice betrays my assurance by quivering.
Tristan leans back and his green eyes search my face and
then his gaze falls on the dead man. His jaw becomes hard with
anger. Another one dead and all to save me. The door bursts
open as twenty men pour in. Tristan pushes me behind him
and breaks a leg off the nearest chair as a weapon. The first
three men attack. Tristan uses the wood like a sword, hitting
all three men with such force they lie unconscious and bleeding
on the ground. They’re down before they even realise what hit
them. Every man that comes for him, he disarms, and they join
the rest on the ground. I’ve never seen anyone so fast. At least
ten of them are down now. The others can see there is no point
coming in threes so they surround him, moving in. He takes out
another three before the rest overpower him.
Tristan throws his head back, breaking the man’s nose
behind him. The man grabs his face and howls in pain as blood
pours through his fingers. I can see one move up slowly behind,
but I don’t get to warn him in time. The man smashes Tristan
in the back of his head with a chunk of wood. Tristan falls to
his knees and the rest jump on him, knocking him completely
to the ground. He still struggles under them, but they finally
overpower him. The men are huge, there’s nothing I can do to
help. But at least he didn’t kill any more. I’m still in shock by
how easily he fought.
Morrick and Musa walk in then, taking in the room. “Let
him go,” Morrick commands.
The men look to Musa and he nods. “Leave us.”
Tristan gets up, touching the back of his head. It comes away
sleek with blood. The room empties; the others help carry the
ones that are unconscious out of the room. I just stand there,
dazed.
“What happened here?” Morrick asks, absolutely furious.
Tristan looks at Musa. “One of your men tried to kill
Sarajane so I disposed of him and then we were swarmed.”
Tristan doesn’t even flinch.
“You did more than dispose of him. I felt the pull. We are all
connected in this tribe.”
Morrick steps towards Tristan, trying to control himself.
“You didn’t use your powers? Tristan, tell me you didn’t.” There
is a pleading in Morrick’s voice.
“He tried to kill her, Morrick. What else could I do?”
Tristan’s own anger is rising.
“You managed to disarm fourteen of Musa’s best warriors,
yet you had to drain one.”
Tristan holds Morrick’s gaze. “He caught me off guard, a
mistake that will never happen again.”
Morrick steps closer to him. “You said that after Alana.”
Tristan flinches at this as if it is a blow. “That was different—”
Morrick cuts him off. “Yes, it was. You didn’t know what you
were doing then, but you were fully aware this time.” Everyone
becomes silent and Morrick’s gaze falls on me.
“What is this all about?” Musa asks calmly.
Morrick takes and deep breath. “Tristan has unusual gifts.
He can take anyone’s powers once he intercepts where it is
coming from.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but it
explained why the man had gone limp when the air filled my
lungs.
“Anything else, Tristan?” Musa asks, still calm.
“Yes, I can shield all powers used against me.” His gaze
flickers to Morrick, but he doesn’t say anything else.
“How could you, Tristan? I don’t understand. You could
have disarmed him.”
Tristan looks at me for the first time. “He was going to kill
her, Morrick.”
Morrick grabs Tristan’s arm. His voice is low but laced with
torment. “Don’t look at my daughter like that.” His voice rises.
“You have no right to her.”
Musa clears his throat. “Morrick, this is my land and you
came here as my guest. You didn’t feel this was important
enough to tell me?” Musa is angry now.
therefore, Morrick had nothing to tell.”
Musa approached Tristan. “Yet you used them. Stay right
here until I decide what to do.” He turns and leaves the hut.
“And you, fix your dress.” Morrick’s face is red with rage.
A blush rises in my cheeks as I retie my dress at my shoulder
with shaky hands. “This might be acceptable behaviour in the
mortal world, to fling yourself at a man…” Morrick stops as
Tristan stands beside me. A muscle twitches in his jaw with his
temper.
“This is my doing. Leave her out of it.”
Morrick’s eyes become wide with anger, but his voice is no
more than a whisper. “Be careful, Tristan, you’re not the king
yet. I am still your king and don’t you forget it.” Morrick turns
his back on us, his shoulders heaving with anger.
Tristan’s hand squeezes mine gently. I look up at him and
he gestures for me to leave the room. I squeeze his hand back
before I go to my room.
I inhale deeply, willing myself not to cry. That’s all I seem to
do in this place. At moments like this, home seems so far away.
A life I lived a long time ago.
It feels like forever I pace my bedroom floor before the door
opens. Morrick looks over my shoulder, not meeting my eyes as
he speaks. “Musa thinks it’s best if you come out to hear what
he has to say.”
My legs begin to shake with each step I take towards the door.
My stomach turns with nerves. What will happen to Tristan?
Everyone is seated. Musa and another tribe member sit on
the couch while Mirium and Tristan sit on armchairs across
from them. A third armchair is vacant beside Mirium.
Musa gestures towards the chair. “Princess, please sit.”
Mirium gives me an encouraging look as I sit down stiffly.
Morrick sits at the table where I had dinner, all signs of my
earlier meal gone. This feels like court.
“This is Kia.” Musa introduces the man beside him. He
looks nervous; a sheen of sweat coats his bald head. His eyes
are focused on his feet. “Ziar was the man that tried to kill you.
This is his cousin,” Musa explains to me.
“I am sorry.”
Musa acknowledges my sympathy with a nod of his head,
but Kia just keeps his head down.
“Tell them what you told me, Kia.”
Kia looks at Musa, startled “But…”
“No buts. Kia, tell them.”
Then Kia meets my eye. “He was ordered to kill you.” He
holds my gaze; a hardness shows on his face. He turns to Morrick
to explain his case. “King Paulus threatened his family’s life if
he didn’t kill the princess.”
Morrick stands and approaches Kia. “Are you positive he
said King Paulus?”
Kia sinks farther back into the chair. “Yes
, sir.”
“How did he get into Aquaterra?” Tristan asks. He doesn’t
look like he’s buying this story. I don’t blame him. Aquaterra is
very well guarded.
“When we were on a routine trade with Hummus, we passed
through the mountains and it was Ziar’s shift to gather water.”
Kia smiles at the memory. “He was so angry; he hated chores.
When he returned with no water and looking pale, he wouldn’t
tell me what happened. The men laughed, saying he was trying
to get out of it, and Ziar laughed along with their jokes, but I
could see he was afraid. The whole journey he was looking over
his shoulder and at night he never slept. When we got home two
days ago, just before you arrived, I questioned him.”
Morrick’s body is rigid in front of Kia. “You knew this for
the last two days?”
Kia’s eyes shoot to the door nervously. “Yes.”
Musa pats him on the shoulder. “You can leave now, Kia”
Morrick blocks his way. “He knew my daughter was being
targeted and you pat him on the shoulder?”
Musa isn’t intimated; he rises too. “Morrick, this is my land. I
will deal with Kia as I see fit, not you.” His last words rise slightly.
Morrick stands aside, but he watches Kia until the door
closes. “How did he know my daughter was here?” Morrick
“Yes, it does seem that way, but accusing your men will not
get answers. You must test them.” Mirium says-wise words
from a wise man.
I don’t see the need for me to sit here; there’s too much
testosterone in the room. I get up and head for the door.
“Where are you going?” Morrick demands.
I turn back around. “To get some fresh air.”
Morrick looks at me as if I’m dumb. “You want to walk
around alone and defenceless after someone tried to kill you?
Remarkable.”
“Alana will stay with me.”
“Tristan, go get Alana and then come back here. We are not
finished”.
Morrick gives him a warning look.
Mirium is watching me. “Are you all right, Sarajane? You
must have gotten a fright.” The understatement of the year.
“A little one, Mirium.”
Tristan returns with Alana. She must have been close by. She
is dressed in another beautiful dress, not her fighting clothes.
Morrick shakes his head at the sight of Alana and me standing
together. “Maybe if someone attacks, you can smile your way
out of it.” Then he turns his back to us, visually giving up.
Tristan pulls a dagger from his boot and places it in my hand.
“Take this.” I go to object, but he tightens his hand around
mine. “Please.” Is he trying to push Morrick?
“Fine.” I wrap my fingers around it and leave with Alana.
We walk a while. Alana doesn’t ask anything. She lets me be
and I appreciate that. “Alana, what did Tristan do to you?” She
freezes. “I’m sorry. Never mind.”
Her body relaxes. “No, it’s fine. What did you hear?”
“Just Morrick said something about him using his powers
on you.”
“Come on.” I follow her back to her hut. It’s the same as
mine, only hers looks like nobody has even sat in it. I sit down,
glad for a rest without Morrick watching me disapprovingly.
“I am not from Saskia.” She sits down and takes a deep
breath. This isn’t going to be good. “I come from the Enola
Tribe, near Saskia, but we have our own ways. I had a sister,
Noria, and parents and friends.” Her face takes on a faraway
look. “We never gave any trouble to anyone and we kept to
ourselves. At the time, we didn’t even know who the king or
queen of Saskia was. We lived off the land completely.”
“You were happy?” I ask, but I can see by her smile that she
was.
“Yes, but then we were invaded by King Paulus and his men.
They slaughtered us.” Tears run down her face. “I tried so
hard to stop them, but they wouldn’t. She was only twelve.”
She looks at me as the tears pour down her cheeks. “My sister
didn’t deserve such a death. And then it was my turn. Nearly
our whole tribe was dead so I was faced with a large group of
men.” My stomach turns. “They took turns beating and raping
me.” The tears stop and Alana’s face becomes stone. “But they
let me live. I don’t know why. Maybe it was because I could live
in my own torment for the rest of my life.” I could feel my own
cheeks wet. “I stayed in our home with my family and just sat
there for seven days.”
The smell must have been unbelievable from the dead
after that long and she must have been terrified. “At the time,
Morrick had overthrown King Paulus and he sent out his own
army to find survivors in the smaller settlements. There weren’t
many left. When they came for me, I was disorientated, still
protecting my family’s bodies from any vultures. That’s when
Tristan arrived. He was a man so I thought he would hurt me.”
She paused to take a breath.
“I attacked him with fire and he took my gift away by
accident. He never knew he could do it. He tried to calm me
down, but in the end the only thing he could do was knock me
out. They kept me in that state for three days until I arrived at
Saskia, where I was treated by the maidens.” She looked up at
me then. “I took loyalty to King Morrick, and Tristan taught
me how to fight so I would be able to defend myself if anyone
ever attacked me again.”
“Alana, I’m so sorry.” I know my words can’t come close to
what she went through.
“Thank you. I am lucky to be alive.” Then she gives a
bittersweet laugh. “But sometimes I wish I died with my family.”
I wipe at my own tears, feeling weak for crying in front such a
strong person. Alana looks at me and gives me a genuine smile.
“Your tears for me are not a weakness, Sarajane. It just shows
you have a kind heart.” I go to her and hug her so tight, feeling
so angry at this world to let such horrible things happen, yet
they happen every day in the mortal world, but just never to anyone I know.
Chapter Fifteen
Saskia
(Sarajane)
I stay with Alana that night. I just can’t bear to leave her.
The next day we spend helping out in the kilns. I have to
check on my bowl anyway, and Mei and I paint our pottery
together.
I meet my mother once. After Alana’s story, it makes me
want to forgive her.
We both pause before passing each other.
“I want to forgive you so much, but I know I will never
forget.” I look up at my mother. “Does that make sense?”
She embraces me. “Perfect sense. I’m not sure I will ever
forgive myself, either.” She kisses my forehead. “But I love you
no matter what and will never stop. You are my daughter.” She
says this with such fierce pride.
I give her a hug back. “I love you too, Mum.” Some of the
villagers have stopped and are watching us. We both laugh a
little and wipe our tears away. “I need to help out in the kitchen
so…” I feel a bit awkward.
“Okay, love.” She squeezes my hand before I leave.
That evening, we eat in one of the big indoor rooms. It’s like
a large canteen. It houses over three hundred people at once. I
sit with Alana. She’s quiet all day, even when Neve and Kiar
come to join us. I can see Liber and Legis sitting with Tristan
and the other guardians. Neve and Kiar keep the chat flowing
at our table as they always do with their light-hearted banter.
“What is wrong? You are awfully quiet.” I look up at Neve
and feel bad I wasn’t even listening to anything he was saying.
“Sorry, was just thinking.” Kiar gives me a look that says,
Continue. I wasn’t going to say anything about Alana so I
decided to tell them about me. “Someone tried to kill me last
night.”
Alana drops her fork. “And you are only telling me now,
Sarajane?”
I give her the best sorry look I can muster. “It was nothing
really. Tristan sorted it.”
Kiar smirks. “Oh he did? And where was this when you were
attacked?”
I can feel my cheeks burning as all eyes are on me now. “My
hut.”
Kiar continues. “Oh, so you and Tristan were in your hut?”
I throw a piece of lettuce at Kiar, but it doesn’t reach him.
Instead, it flops down halfway across the table. “Whatever,
Kiar.”
He looks confused. “What does that mean?”
I get up with my plate. “Since you’re so smart, you can figure
it out.” I leave then, leaving my plate beside the large tubs that
act as sinks.
I stay with Alana for the rest of the night, just wandering
around the settlement. It’s nearly dark, but there are lots of
people still around. Then I see Mirium, Morrick, Musa and
Tristan moving through the crowd. They’re heading for the
large barns that I met Musa in. I grab Alana’s hand and drag
her with me.
“Sarajane, what are you doing?”
I give her a mischievous smile. “Finding out what they’re up
to.”
Alana lets out a groan. “Sarajane, you cannot follow them
if they—”
But I keep moving, leaving Alana with no choice but to follow
me. I stand in the crowd until they have all entered the building