Shadowmarked, p.2
ShadowMarked, page 2
A knock at the door startled us and we both jumped. Theo shot back so fast he smacked his head on the low hanging lamp over my bed, and I had to cover my mouth to stop from laughing.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Tynan said, a smug smile on his face. He leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. Even with clothing from the Sweepers, sand-colored wraps and scarves, Tynan stood out. His white hair and enormous size weren’t easy to hide, neither were his violet blue eyes. Unlike his sister, Petra, he’d come daily to check on me.
I tried, and failed, to hide the blush forming on my cheeks. “Any news?” I asked, clearing my throat. Theo rubbed the back of his head.
Tynan and Petra, the last living Guardians of Venzier, had recovered as well. Only small wounds and scars lingered.
“There’s to be a meeting with the Council of Eres happening right away. Jayla has requested you both be there,” Tynan said.
I glanced to Theo who immediately scowled. “Only if you wear the brace. You’ve been on it enough today.”
I rolled my eyes but reached for the metal brace the healers had fabricated for my leg, so I could walk on it without putting any real stress on the bone. It was heavy and uncomfortable, but much better than being left out.
“The Reeks destroyed another village. We can’t stay on top of them. We need more men and some way to track them down before more people are killed,” Tynan said, as I began strapping on the intricate brace.
“No one will help us until it somehow suits them,” Theo said.
Jayla had told me both Cytos and Kuros had closed their borders. They wouldn’t allow anyone in or out of their cities, and they definitely weren’t about to help us.
Tynan nodded. “It will soon enough.”
He had joined Jayla and her team a few times on their hunts for the Reeks. Tynan and his sister were slowly adjusting to this new way of life, having lived the entirety of theirs in the mountain tunnels of Venzier. I knew the transition wasn’t easy for them, but neither said much about what had happened.
They’d lost their entire family because I trusted someone I shouldn’t have and every time I looked at them, guilt churned in the pit of my stomach. They were alone, and it was my fault. I often wondered if Gunner was still alive. Had it been worth sacrificing our lives for whatever he’d traded to The Six? I hoped to return the favor one day, for what he’d done. It didn’t fix things when he sent Caspian to come get us from the mountain. That didn’t make things right—it never would. We were in that situation because of him. And now he was with Vic somewhere. My chest tightened at the thought, rage filling my veins, and I released a steady breath.
I shifted, Theo helping me to my feet, and we followed Tynan out the door and down the hallway of the Palace. The walls were thick sand-covered tarps, and we walked along a wood plank walkway. It always smelled of fresh jasmine and lilacs, a calming scent I was growing used to.
“What does Jayla plan to do?” I asked Tynan.
“Show the Council that what’s coming will destroy everything they’ve worked so hard for,” Tynan said, glancing over his shoulder. “There’s no longer peace—anywhere.”
One of the Sweepers slid past us in the hallway, and I couldn’t help but watch the girl as she passed. Her black hair was tucked back into the small braids all Sweepers wore, and her dark, smooth skin reminded me so much of Vic.
My heart clenched. We had no idea where they had been taken. All of The Six’s locations around the Void had been assumed abandoned, and now there were rumors genetic kids were going missing in Cytos and Kuros. That could only mean one thing: The Six were not done with the genetic kids.
Tynan led us out of the Palace. The smell of the ocean, salty and fresh, hit me and filled my lungs. The brace made it difficult to walk through the sand we travelled on until we reached the edge of the city and the ground hardened.
I’d only been inside the city once. Having the people stare at me like I was some sort of freak was too reminiscent of my time in Cytos—even if I didn’t feel hostility here as I had back there—that wasn’t a memory I wanted to remember. As we moved farther into the heart of the city, the smells of spiced meats and sweet breads made my stomach rumble.
Vic would have loved it here. She would fit right in with the peaceful culture of this place. Maybe that was why I didn’t feel entirely comfortable in Eres. It was too calm, too slow. I was used to speed and action and noise, and this place was the complete opposite.
I had to find Vic. I had to get her back. But how could I when I was stuck here, unable to walk without assistance, and with no idea where they were or how to get her out. It was a fool’s hope I would be capable of saving her. I could hardly save myself at this point. But I made a vow to never again let someone else decide what would happen to me or the people I loved. I’d been a pawn and a puppet for too long. Now, I would be the decider of my own fate.
Theo’s hand squeezed in mine, and I leaned in closer to him, breathing in the familiar smell of lemon citrus wafting from him.
We would have a life together. We would find Vic. Because if there was nothing left to hope for, I didn’t think I could keep moving.
SIENNA
“Everyone, please take your seats,” a tall, thin lady at the front of the large hall said and the room quieted. The twelve council members of Eres were currently seated at the front of the long and narrow hall. Columns lined the two sides and painted glass windows looked as though they melted into the stone walls. The ceilings were tall and peaked in three locations.
Jayla was there, along with the Sweepers’ leader, Neiva, and her second in command, Jacob. I had no idea why Jayla had asked us to come. Theo and I stuck out like sore thumbs, and this was not the kind of place either of us would get any respect.
“Why am I here?” I asked Em, who sat beside me in the front row of the small chamber. Theo was on my other side, his hand casually resting on my leg. Tynan had left as soon as he dropped us off. Only a few others were present, but I didn’t recognize anyone outside of Emery and Caspian.
“Stop asking questions, just shut up and listen,” she whispered back.
“I don’t need you treating me like a child, Em.” She had only come to see me once since we’d arrived here. She’d simply asked when I’d be ready to join them, and when I couldn’t give her the answer she wanted, she left with little more than a goodbye.
“Then don’t act like one.” Em shrugged. Her shoulders were high, and her usual glare was more terrifying than I’d grown used to. She was clearly in a bad mood. “This affects every living soul in Armestes, and I believe that includes you. All you need to do is tell the Council what you know. We’ve let you heal and sit out of missions far longer than I think necessary, but now we need everyone’s help. This is the least you can do—and preferably without complaining.”
I knew not to take anything Em said personally. She had always been short tempered and had little patience, especially when asked questions, which I had a tendency to do, but still her words stung.
“Like I had a choice,” I seethed. “I’d give anything to be out there.”
“Yet you’re not.” Em just shrugged, and I felt an internal rage boil through me. She was acting as if this was my choice, as if I wanted to sit this fight out, when in reality I had been begging for days to be allowed to join them.
“Did you just ask for our help so you could piss us off or something?” Theo asked.
Em turned her glare on him. “We asked for your help because no one will listen to us.”
“And you think they’ll listen to me?” I glanced around the room, feeling every eye in here quickly divert their gaze away from me. I’d felt the stares the moment we walked in. “They don’t care about us or what we’ve been through. They only care about themselves.”
“Then let’s hope you can convince them otherwise,” Em said.
Before I had a chance to respond, the meeting began. Theo squeezed my leg, and I felt my blood pumping hard at my temple. It didn’t matter where we were or whom we worked for, everyone thought we were some pawn for them to use, even Jayla and her team. It infuriated me. It made me feel like a child all over again, and I nearly got up and walked out of the room, but I knew Em wouldn’t let that happen. I clenched my jaw and turned to the front of the room.
“This meeting is to assess the responsibility of the Sweepers’ intervention moving forward,” the moderator said from the stage. “We will hear from the representative of the Watchers first.”
“Have we not already heard this request and cast our votes?” A thin, sour-faced man said from the middle of the council table. His expression was flat and his tone dry.
“There has been a change in the threat level to Eres, Councilman Heriss, and we believe action is needed immediately,” Jacob said smoothly from the end of the table.
“The threat to Eres comes from the presence of the Watchers and their wards,” Heriss replied with a roll of his eyes.
“Their wards are innocent children,” Jacob continued. “And you would be wise, Councilman, to allow us to speak before you make an opinion.”
“Is that a threat? From a Sweeper?”
“No,” Neiva interrupted whatever Jacob was about to say next. “The Sweepers take our orders from the Council, and we will heed whatever decision you choose. Sweeper Jacob will keep his tongue in check and allow the meeting to proceed.”
The command in her voice set the room silent.
“Right.” The moderator shifted uneasily on her feet. “Let us proceed.” She nodded to Jayla, who stood, taking a few steps forward and facing the council table.
“The Reeks are separating and have now reached the entire west coast, from Eres to Cytos. This morning we received word of another village destroyed only thirty miles from here. And another near the borders of Cytos to the north. This means the Reeks will reach Eres soon, unless we can stop them before that,” Jayla said.
I couldn’t stop the breath I sucked in. I hadn’t spoken much to Jayla or any of the Watchers except to find out if they’d tracked down where Vic had been taken. Theo or Tynan often brought word to me, but neither had said more than the bare minimum. I knew they were following the Reeks that had escaped the Void, but I hadn’t realized they were this close.
“All the more reason to keep our troops in Eres. If an attack is imminent, then we must be prepared,” Councilman Heriss drawled.
The muscles in Jayla’s jaw tensed with restraint. “This is only a taste of what the Void was hiding. Only a few hundred escaped, and that small amount is destroying the entire coast. If we can get ahead of them, send out scouts to report where they move and attack them before they attack us, we may be able to eliminate the threat before the virus spreads. We can save not only this city, but every village and town between us and them.”
“Why are your men not enough? Why must we risk our own soldiers for your cause?” Councilman Heriss asked.
“This is not just our cause, and you know we don’t have enough men,” Jayla said between clenched teeth.
“And whose fault is that?” The Councilman sneered. “If you had not betrayed your own, and left your city abandoned, you may have the assistance of the other Watchers. But now, you come to us in hopes you can take our men and sacrifice them.”
“The Watchers are under the control of the psychopath who put those Marked kids inside the Void. She would not have helped even if we hadn’t left.”
The Councilman didn’t respond this time, and the moderator cleared her throat. “There is a witness who can speak on these Reeks.”
Em placed a hand on my back and I stood, limping a few steps forward. “I was there. I witnessed what the Reeks are capable of.” I swallowed back the images of bodies being torn apart. “They’re fast and strong. Just a few of them can take down hundreds of us. By the time they arrive here, their numbers won’t matter because you can’t fight them all. The only way to beat the Reeks is to take them out one by one, in small groups if possible.”
“And who are you?” the moderator asked.
“My name is Sienna. I’m a Marked Kid, and I was in the Void,” I said.
“This is the opinion of only one girl.” The Councilman waved a dismissive hand.
“A girl who witnessed these Reeks in person. One of the few who survived because those things murdered thousands of them,” Jayla said with restrained violence.
“I was there, too.” Theo stood beside me.
“So was I.” Caspian joined us.
“We have more weapons and trained soldiers than those kids did. We are much more prepared than a bunch of children.” The Councilman smirked. “Her account only further proves we need to keep our men in the city.”
Around the table, I saw a few heads nod in agreement while others looked at me with consideration.
“You will be sentencing every citizen here to death if you don’t listen to us. This is no longer just about you or your city—these things will destroy everything and everyone.” My voice felt loud against the silent room.
“While I can appreciate that you went through a lot, my dear, we cannot provide more troops when our borders are vulnerable, and those things could attack at any moment.” I opened my mouth to argue, but the Councilman’s hand shot up. “We must consider our own citizens first and foremost. That is our job. And our defenses are needed here.”
“We are not asking for many, just enough to search where the Reeks may be heading, to try and stop them before they kill more people,” Jayla argued.
Councilman Heriss shrugged. “We will consider your request, but if I were you, I’d be looking elsewhere for an army.”
“I’m only asking for the freedom to allow your Sweepers to help. I know many are willing to join us, if you would only— ”
“We will consider it,” Heriss interrupted Jayla.
Her hands shook at her side, but she kept her mouth shut and gave a curt nod.
The moderator waved a hand for us to be dismissed, and together we slid out the wide double doors and into the front foyer of the large council chambers. The Council was already deliberating and arguing before the doors were closed behind us.
“They won’t help us. That slime has them all wrapped around his finger,” Jayla seethed.
“Neiva will advocate for our support, and she will help some see reason.” Jacob stood behind Jayla, his tan-colored scarves and robes concealing the many weapons I was sure he wore. “Remember, we do not need to convince them all, just the majority.”
“What else can we do?” I asked.
Jayla’s eyes swept down, looking at the ground. “That’s why I asked you to come. I knew what their answer would be before I even asked, but I needed you both to understand that right now we stand alone, and we need all the help we can get.”
“I’m healing as fast as I can,” I argued.
Jayla shook her head. “It’s not that.”
My brows knitted, and I glanced to Theo before understanding swept through me. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am,” she said dryly.
“We promised those kids freedom, and now you want to ask them to fight?” I couldn’t believe she would do this. I glanced to Em, who kept her chin high, as if to say, “I told you so,” and then Cas who gave me an apologetic look. “All of you agree with this, that we should force these kids into another war?”
“We won’t force anyone to do anything, but right now we have no other choice but to at least ask. You saw thousands of kids destroyed by those Reeks… what can we do against that?” Jayla swept her hand around to the small crew. “I’m sorry, Sienna, I wish I didn’t have to, but I need you to ask them for their help. You’re one of them. They trust you more than they do us.”
“There has to be another way,” I said quietly, mostly to myself. I knew there wasn’t. And I was certain if any one of those kids were asked to join, they would do it in a heartbeat, just as I was prepared to do the same. I just wished we didn’t have to ask.
“Like what?” Em’s voice was softer this time. “We have thought of everything. We have no leads, Sienna, no idea where they have taken the Marked kids, and no clue how to stop these Reeks. We can’t be in every place at once, and if we had more soldiers on the ground here, that’d allow us more time to search for Vic and the others.”
My shoulders drooped, and I couldn’t argue back. It was the only thing I wanted now, to find Vic, and if having the Marked kids help us here meant we could focus on that, then I’d ask. I can’t save them all, I reminded myself. I had told myself this back in the Void and had thought once we were out, I wouldn’t be repeating the sentiment, but here I was…
“I’ll ask, but I won’t force any of them,” I finally said.
Jayla squeezed my shoulder. “If there was any other way…”
I nodded, knowing we were all being asked to do things we didn’t want to, and we would have to do more in the days to come if we wanted to survive. None of them would force us either. I knew this despite Em’s cold words earlier. She just wanted to win—survive. We all did.
“I’ll let you know what they say,” I said.
Jayla nodded before she and Em stepped a few feet away, leaning against one of the columns at the entrance, likely willing to wait as long as they had to for a definitive answer.
Theo was a few feet away from me, his brows creased with the same look I knew was on my face—worry. Would this work? Would the kids even be enough?
We left the others to wait for word from the Council. The small amount of walking from the Sweepers Palace and back, plus the exercises I’d attempted in the morning, left my leg throbbing. I didn’t want to admit I was sore, but I made my way back to the MediCenter.
The nurse was waiting, a scowl on her face because I’d left without her permission.
