Awakened (Cursed Magic Series, Page 2

  “You’re the least of my problems.”

  “Don’t get cocky just because you beat us once!”

  Farron shrugged. “That’s what happens when you hire cheap labor.”

  What were they talking about? Claire froze. Wait… the thieves! Were these the men that had hired them? Remembering what Farron had said after that encounter, she glanced at the men’s’ wrists to see if the two dots were there, but they were covered by long dark sleeves and gloves.

  “It seems you’re outnumbered now. So just give us the girl.” The man took a step forward.

  In one quick motion, Farron drew his dagger and pointed it at the man, stopping him in his tracks. “I don’t think so.” His hand tightened around hers. Anger buzzed along his body, muscles tense, ready for battle.

  The man’s eyes grew wide and the sound of metal weapons being drawn sounded through the clearing. Fear flashed through Claire in a cold sweat as she watched, one by one, as the men drew their swords to point at them.

  “Fare,” she whispered, eyeing the men nervously. He wasn’t thinking of fighting all of them, was he?

  “Now, now,” the man said calmly. “Let’s be reasonable. All we want is the girl. No one has to get hurt here.”

  “It’s so kind of you to worry about your men.”

  Claire rolled her eyes. Even now he was still so arrogant.

  “Ya can’t think to win against all my men, boy,” baldy said, his voice holding more anger than before.

  Movement at her feet drew Claire’s eyes down. Thick fog crawled along the ground, slowly slithering its way toward her feet. She stepped closer to Farron in a vain attempt to avoid it. Something about it didn’t seem right, though. Fog didn’t just appear like that in the middle of the day. And it moved almost as if it were alive.

  Farron’s ice cold gaze rested steadily on the man in front of him, ignoring the others, as his dagger pointed unwaveringly at his chest in a stand-off.

  “Drop your weapon,” the man demanded through clenched teeth.

  “Drop yours,” Farron countered, his voice sending chills down her spine.

  “Oh, Fare-Fare, you disappoint me.” An accented female voice drifted on the air around them, echoing off the trees in an almost otherworldly manner.

  Farron’s arm faltered as a twinge of surprise flicked across his face. He swiftly recovered, returning his full attention back to the head honcho. A few of the surrounding men spun around to search for the owner of the voice. Claire eyed the growing fog as it crept higher and higher until they were all standing knee deep in the stuff. It seemed like everybody was joining their happy party today.

  “Do not tell me you forgot how to use that thing.” A woman stepped out from the trees in light brown leather armor, hugging curves that could knock a man dead. Her arms and shoulders were bare, and the front plunged down into a deep V between breasts any woman would envy. Tall and slender with dark blonde hair, green eyes, and sun-kissed skin, she was beautiful, exotic, and had one other feature that caught the eye like no other: a glowing purple mark.

  The surrounding men turned their full attention to the approaching woman, and she couldn’t really blame them. Claire stared at the glowing mark on the woman’s arm, so similar to the one that graced her own skin. The intricate design blazed a deep purple color as the tendrils, adorned with flowers and thorns, crawled up her forearm.

  “Do you know this woman?” Claire asked, even though she already knew the answer. Who didn’t the elf know these days?

  A strained look crossed over Farron’s face. “You’re looking well, Lianna.” He lowered his dagger finally and turned towards the woman.

  The men started to back away slowly, perhaps deciding that their new friend was more of a danger. Farron stepped in front of Claire, apparently agreeing with their assessment.

  “You always did try to avoid my questions,” Lianna said in a deep, sultry voice, with a smile to match.

  “It must be one of my gifts.”

  Lianna peered around Farron at Claire. “And what do we have here?” She raised an eyebrow as she looked Claire up and down.

  “None of your concern.”

  The woman’s smile widened as her attention rested on the bracelet dangling around Claire’s left wrist. “Oh, Fare, you shouldn’t have.” Her exotic eyes drifted up to his face. “The Ophiuchus Syndicate must be furious. But I suppose that’s why they sent these fine gentlemen.”

  “So it seems.” Farron glanced around quickly.

  Tired of feeling like an object, Claire pried her hand from Farron’s grasp and took a step back. She wanted both her hands free in case things started to get even more ugly, which looked like an ever increasing possibility. Lianna’s face grew steadily angrier the more she talked to Farron, which definitely wasn’t a good thing, but it was nice to know she wasn’t the only one he had that effect on.

  “Why don’t you hand the girl over to me then?” Lianna took a step in Claire’s direction.

  “Why, so she can turn out like you?” Farron glared at the woman and his left hand went to the other dagger handle over his shoulder.

  But before he could draw, Lianna lunged forward and slammed into him, tackling him to the ground.

  “Far—!” Claire gasped, jumping away.

  Lianna gripped Farron’s throat with her right hand, the mark blazing to life as she pinned him down to the ground. Tiny sparks of energy crackled in the air above her as she glared at the elf.

  Claire stood frozen with her hand on the dagger at her waist. Should she help him? Everything was happening so fast, she wasn’t sure what to do, though there was no way she stood a chance against their new attacker.

  “I’ll be taking the girl,” Lianna growled, leaning over the struggling elf, who seemed strangely helpless underneath her. She fished the gold necklace out from his shirt and grasped the large sapphire in her hand. “But I’ll leave you with a parting gift. This should make it easier to take care of them.” The stone burst to life, blinding them with a bright white-blue glow. “Thanks, my love.” She bent close and pressed her lips against his in a not-so-chaste-kiss before rising up off Farron.

  Then her green eyes set their sight on Claire, like a hunter eyeing their prey. Claire took an unsteady step back, her heart jumping in her chest.

  Farron had forgotten to mention the little fact that there were others like her— and much more powerful, it seemed. And that the necklace he wore was more than it had appeared.

  Claire took a glance around. The men stood unmoving along the edge of the clearing, holding their weapons up in front of them as they watched Lianna. Her choices were limited once again. Either go with the scary men or the scary woman.

  Farron slowly stood up behind the woman as if in pain, his breathing ragged, as he picked his dagger up off the ground. “You shouldn’t have done that,” he said in a strained voice. The jewel pulsed with a dim light and he closed his eyes for a brief second, taking a deep breath.

  Lianna looked over her shoulder at Farron as he raised the dagger in front of him. He ran a hand down the back of the blade and sparks of energy, like lightning, shot over the length of metal. He drew the other dagger from over his shoulder and slammed it into the other and the energy spread onto it. With a quick flourish, he held his blades at the ready, knees bent, muscles taut.

  Claire’s eyes grew wide and she took another step back. Since when could he do that?

  Lianna laughed and rushed at Farron again, the movement a blur.

  Claire shrieked as hands suddenly grabbed her from behind and pulled her back into the trees. Both her arms were seized as another man came up and they began to drag her through the woods at a hurried pace. A deafening crack sounded behind them and her heart jumped again. Farron should be all right, especially with those fancy new powers of his. Her fate, on the other hand, remained questionable. It was hard to struggle when her feet could barely touch the ground.

  The man to her left let out a sudden shout and stumbled to the
ground, taking her and the other man with him. They lay in a pile on the ground for a moment before one of the men untangled himself and got up, grabbing Claire by the arm again. She glanced over to the man still on the ground. An arrow protruded out from the middle of his lifeless form, his face hidden from view in the leaves. The man that gripped her shouted and then fell to the ground himself, grabbing at an arrow lodged into his side.

  “It seems that trouble has found you once again, my lady.”

  Claire whirled around, she knew that voice. “Aeron! How—?”

  Aeron rushed over and, without stopping, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along with him. “This way, mon lainí.”

  She continued her frenzied run through the woods, this time accompanied by a familiar face. How had he found them? Although she was relieved to see him, this was all getting way out of hand.

  A dark form caught her eye to her left as one of the other men chased after them. Aeron turned abruptly and they ran down a slight decline before they burst out of the trees into a wide field. A tall mountain loomed before them, the white-tipped peak reaching high into the cloud-filled sky. Aeron stopped and spun around, drawing his sword in one swift motion. He pushed Claire to the side and she fell to her knees, struggling to catch her breath.

  Metal clanged as Aeron fought off the dark clad man. Another man emerged from the forest and Claire raised herself onto unsteady feet. She finally drew her dagger and held it up in front of her, her hands and arms shaking with exhaustion.

  The man ran towards her, sword drawn and at the ready. Aeron was too busy with the other one to notice. A wave of thick fog sprang from the trees then, quickly rolling across the field and engulfing the man, tackling him face first into the ground. His yells were cut short in the dim haze.

  Claire took a step back and tightened her grip on her dagger. Anticipation wracked her nerves.

  The fog started to dissipate and Lianna stepped out of it, her beautiful face set in an angry scowl as she stalked towards Claire. A deep purple glow engulfed her right arm and blood dripped down her left from a gash just below her shoulder. She ignored Aeron and the other man still fighting, giving no interest to his sudden appearance.

  Claire’s stomach sank as she wondered the fate of the other elf. Too many people were dying for her sake already. She’d had enough. She stood her ground and waited for the approaching woman.

  The ground in front of Lianna exploded in a ball of flame and earth. Claire ducked, falling quickly to her knees and covering her head as dirt and grass showered down on top of her. She lifted her head again, her eyes peering up. Farron stood a couple feet in front of her, bow in hand as he reached behind him for another arrow. A large gash cut across his side, with blood already soaking into the torn fabric of his shirt.

  “Don’t do this, Lianna.” Farron’s voice was hoarse and heavy, the fight already taking its toll on his body. He slowly drew the arrow and the tip was engulfed by a bright orange flame as he pulled the string back and aimed at the woman.

  Lianna stopped and glared at Farron.

  “What is going on here?” Aeron’s eyes were wide as he looked back and forth between the two. He’d disposed of the man and stood with a hand in the air, his sword in the other, looking for a way to quell the situation, it seemed.

  “Stay out of this, Aeron,” Farron snapped, never taking his eyes off the woman in front of him.

  Lianna raised her hands in the air above her head, her hands balled into fists, and in one quick motion, fell to her knees and slammed her hands against the ground. A shockwave trembled through the earth, spreading beneath their feet. Farron shot the arrow and Lianna dodged at the last moment. Another explosion erupted behind her as she quickly knelt and grabbed the sword from the man she felled earlier. With sword in hand, she rushed at Farron. He dropped his bow and drew his daggers just in time to block her attack.

  A low rumbling brought Claire’s attention behind her. High atop the mountain, a landslide had formed, dragging boulders and snow with it as it barreled down the side towards them. She barely had time to gasp before Aeron grabbed her once again and pulled her back into the forest. The rumbling noise grew louder behind them, and the ground began to shake, following on their heels like a menacing beast through the trees.

  She let Aeron drag her along, her body on the verge of collapse. It was all just too much. Her whole world had been turned upside down. Just two months ago she was living a normal life with her mother. She was happy. Content. None of this was supposed to be happening. Why her? Why did the mark have to show up on her? Why did the centaurs have to destroy her home? Why did her mother have to leave her?

  The skin of her right arm started to sting underneath the tight bandage, but no blue light showed up. No powers surfaced. Nothing useful came of it. She was totally useless and people had died for her, were giving their all to protect her and she’d had enough.

  Claire stopped, digging her heels into the dirt as she yanked her wrist out of Aeron’s grasp and fell to her hands and knees onto the ground. He spun around, surprise written on his face as he bent to grab her again.

  “Just go!” she yelled, jerking away from his hand. A sharp pain shot through her side, her throat raw as she took long quivering breaths. If the woman wanted her so bad, she wouldn’t hesitate to take him or anyone else down to get to her.

  Fog coursed along the ground at a rapid pace. Too late. A dark form slammed into Aeron, throwing him back against a tree. He fell limply to the ground as Lianna materialized once again in front of her.

  The rumbling in the distance had stopped and the forest was eerily quiet. Claire’s head hung low, her fingers dug into the dirt as she remained on her hands and knees. The woman’s footsteps crunched on the leaves as she walked, drawing closer and closer to her.

  Lianna knelt in front of her, put a hand under her chin, and drew Claire’s face up to meet hers. “Don’t be afraid, child. I will not hurt you.”

  Those beautiful green eyes studied Claire carefully. Sweat dripped down the side of her face, but other than that, the woman looked barely winded. The mark on her right arm had faded to a faint purple. The dark lines seemed more elegant than her own, with gentle curves and flowing lines, the beauty of it only ruined by the thorns that were dotted here and there. A flower shape bloomed on the back of her hand, the long petals gently swaying with her power.

  The sting in Claire’s right arm started to quell the second Lianna touched her, sending a wave of calm throughout her body. A tear escaped from Claire’s eye as she looked up at Lianna. She was her prisoner now, whether she liked it or not. She just wished no one would have gotten hurt.

  A rustling noise came from behind them and Lianna straightened, dragging Claire to her feet. The taller woman twisted her around, sliding her right arm around Claire’s shoulders and wrapping her hand around her throat, her fingers clamping down tightly. Her other arm slid around her waist, holding her firm against the front of her body.

  Farron emerged from the trees, daggers drawn and at the ready. Then he froze.

  “Drop them,” Lianna demanded, her mouth close to Claire’s ear.

  He held his daggers up in the air and relaxed his hands, letting the blades fall freely to the ground. Defeat showed clearly on his face as he dropped to a knee, his shoulders slumping forward. He looked tired and worn. Red dripped down from his side and a layer of dust and dirt clung to the sweat covering his body. It was the worse she’d ever seen him.

  Claire tensed. She wanted to call out to him, to tell him not to bother, to just run before he got hurt any further, but her voice wouldn’t work. Only small sounds escaped her throat as she tried to form the words. He’d kept his promise, but it was enough. There was no reason he had to die.

  “His Majesty has missed you, Fare-Fare.” There was a hint of amusement to Lianna’s voice.

  Farron glared up at her, hatred returning to the icy blue depths.

  “I should thank you. You surely do have a talent for findin
g… us.”

  Claire shifted her gaze down to the ground. She wasn’t sure who or what to believe anymore.

  “Please, just let her go.” Farron’s face softened, the hatred melting away.

  Lianna laughed. “You know where to find us.”

  A breeze started to stir around them in a whirlwind, obscuring Claire’s view, quickly growing in intensity. Claire closed her eyes to protect them from the whipping winds and felt her feet lifting off the ground. A few moments later the winds stopped and Lianna released her from her grip. Claire fell forward onto the ground, her hands hitting stone pavement. She looked up, opening her eyes finally.

  A great palace straight out of a fairytale stood before her. A giant clock decorated the facade, the large gears exposed, both hands stopped on the twelve. A wide, walled courtyard surrounded them, most of the grounds covered in gray gravel. A long paved pathway led up to white marble stairs and a pair of gigantic wooden doors.

  Claire sat up slowly and took a deep breath. She’d always dreamed of living in a palace, right?

  “Y ou can still walk, I presume?” Lianna asked as she strode towards the wooden doors under the clock, though it didn’t sound like she was too concerned either way. Her footsteps echoed throughout the large barren courtyard. Everything else was quiet, peaceful. No, not peaceful— ominous. Lifeless. Almost as if everything stopped when the gears of the great clock did.

  The sudden stillness was jarring after the fight in the woods. She didn’t even bother asking how they’d gotten to a castle. It certainly wasn’t the only strange thing she’d witnessed today, and it seemed the least of her problems at the moment.

  Two guards stood on either side of the entrance, dressed head to toe in shiny metal armor and armed with tall spears. They stared straight ahead and saluted to Lianna as she pushed open the massive doors.

  “Make yourselves useful, boys,” Lianna called as she strode into the castle without turning back.

  Quickly, the two guards sprung to life and came for Claire, grabbing her by the arms and dragging her to her feet to follow behind the other woman.