“Since we’ve been reacquainted during the past several months, do you believe that my skills have waned from my youth?”
“No,” he said, looking more than a little confused. “You’re stronger. You’re a better fighter, and I did not know you were capable of spell casting until now.”
“Then why do you persist in calling me ‘Dark One’? You gave up that name when we trained together as youths and I proved myself to you.”
“It bothers you?”
“Of course it bothers me!” I paced to the opposite side of the cave and laid my left hand against the wall. “I do not need the constant reminder that I am beneath the touch of the glorious light that comes from the earth and our people. I do not need to be reminded with every breath that my life is an abomination.”
I was an abomination. All naturi babies are born during the light of day so that they can be bathed in the glorious light of the sun and the radiant joy of the Earth. Those few born at night were killed immediately. But when I was born just past midnight with my tuft of black hair and wide silver eyes, my father could not bear to lose me. He fought the heads of the clans for months until he finally convinced them to allow me to live, so long as I devoted my life to the protection of my people. And yet, even with that promise, I was an outcast; never knowing the warmth of compassion or love. Only Cynnia saw me as more than the Dark One or the protector of our people. She saw me as sister and loved me. Only Cynnia.
For a time I thought Rowe had been different. We trained together, fought side by side. He was the commander of the naturi armies and I was his second in command. I thought I had proven myself to him as a warrior.
“Look at me, Nyx. Really look at me!” he said now, drawing my eyes back to where he sat on the ground. “Do you think someone who looks like me has a right to judge you?”
“When I see you, I see someone who made a choice, a great sacrifice for the people he was fighting for.”
Rowe gave a snort and shook his head. “Don’t make it sound so noble. It may have started that way, but my motives weren’t always quite so honorable. Sometimes it was just the fastest way to get the job done.”
I shook my head, but remained silent as I listened to the wind rush by the entrance of the cave. Night was settling in the woods, filling the open areas between the trees with thick shadows, while the moon drifted in and out from behind the clouds.
“What happened to you after Machu Picchu?”
My gaze shifted back to the naturi sitting on the ground with his back to the cave wall. Rowe looked as if he was totally relaxed, but I knew he didn’t relax if he could help it. He was always ready for the next attack, ready to strike at the next enemy. But then, so was I. Too many years with the same training.
“Surprised we survived?” I asked.
He opened his mouth and then quickly shut it, shaking his head. “No, I’m not. You are a strong fighter. You would have defended Cynnia with everything that you are.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, surprised by his words. “We traveled northeast, hoping to head in the opposite direction of Aurora. We initially thought she would remain in South America near Machu Picchu. I thought she would remain there and use the strong power of the earth and the forests to rejuvenate, but I was wrong. Our intelligence indicated that she almost immediately headed northwest into a land called Canada. It was like she was mirroring us.”
“I’m sure she can sense you.”
“As Cynnia and I can sense her in a distant way. There’s no hiding. We just hoped to find a spot that she wouldn’t immediately attack so we could have a chance to build our army.”
“Where?”
I drew in a deep breath and frowned as I released it through my nose. “You’ll see soon enough, but we have another stop to make on the way. What have you done since Machu Picchu?”
“Hunted the Fire Starter,” he said with a shrug. Unexpectedly, a smirk grew on his lips and he softly chuckled to himself.
“What?”
“When Mira and I last parted, she said that I should seek out Cynnia. Live my life instead of chasing after death.”
I gave a little snort as I pushed away from the wall and walked back toward the entrance. “She’s smarter than I would have given her credit for.”
Rowe pushed to his feet and shook his head. “And devious. I would avoid her at all costs. She’s nothing but trouble.”
“Let’s get going. They are getting close,” I said, letting his comment pass as I stepped slowly out of the cave with one hand on the hilt of my sword. “By the way, who exactly was it that captured you in the first place?”
“Don’t worry. They’ll be here soon enough. When Claudia failed to report or hand me over to my next escort, they were undoubtedly dispatched to reclaim me.” Rowe looked a little too smug for my liking—he was a formidable warrior, and it didn’t look as if he had gone along willingly. What would we face?
Stepping clear of the cave, I stared up at the welcoming sky and the growing darkness. The wind was a light caress, carrying with it only a hint of a spring shower. Balanced on the balls of my feet, I inclined forward, allowing my wings to once again sprout from my back. I stretched them to their full length, enjoying the feel of having them free.
“You’ll want to put those away,” Rowe instructed, coming to stand beside me. “It will only make the fight more difficult.”
Looking over at him, I folded my wings so they hung gathered against my back, but didn’t make them completely dissipate. I was about to ask him again what I faced but the earth gave me my answer. The ground gave a soft shudder beneath our feet, and the nearby trees creaked and groaned even though the wind had gone still. Around us I could hear the scurry of small animals fleeing the vicinity, running from their burrows while flocks of once sleeping birds took to the skies with loud, fearful cries. Members of the earth clan were approaching, and I could now guess at who had been sent.
As if on command, three willowy women stepped out from behind the trees. They were dressed in tight- fitting buckskins and supple leather boots that allowed them to tread on the earth without making a sound or bending a single blade of grass. They could not be tracked for they were of the earth itself. And I knew they were skilled fighters, because I had been the one to train them for many years. They were Greenwood’s three daughters, simply known as the Huntresses among our people. This made the circle complete. If Greenwood’s daughters could track down and bring in Rowe for their father, then his place at Aurora’s side would be sealed.
“It seems you have stolen something that rightfully belongs to us,” Jasmine, the one in the center of the trio, said. Her hands were open and empty, but the same could not be said of her sisters. To her left, Alaina held a short bow with a quiver full of arrows waiting to be set free. On her right, Wyllow held a short blade in each hand and had a large grin on her face. The youngest of the three, she was always eager for a fight. Their eldest sister Jasmine was the diplomat, willing to use words to get close to her opponent before she jammed a knife between their ribs.
“Aurora banished him,” I replied. “She had no business with Rowe any longer. She made her choice, and I’m certainly not going to help your father take his place as consort.” I drew a pair of knives from my sides as my wings dissipated to mere dust that trickled down to my feet. Rowe had been right. My wings would only be a hindrance in a battle with these three. There were too many trees in the area. Neither of us would get a clear shot to the skies above before we were grabbed.
“Maybe she has rethought her position on the traitor,” Jasmine said with a slight shrug. Behind her, Wyllow gave a small snicker, which matched my own sentiments. Aurora was not about to back down—she had been planning this elimination of her allies for months, if not years. At least I believed that to be true when it came to Cynnia and me. Rowe’s appearance might have taken her by surprise and she might have decided to sweep him away with the rest of us. Her goal was to begin a new rule on Earth, and she was going to do that with a fresh set of allies.
I placed myself between Rowe and the three women. “Leave here,” I told him. “I will find you after I have dispatched these three.”
The naturi gave an unexpected snort, drawing my gaze over to find him leaning against the entrance to the
