Shifting back effortlessly, he stalked toward her, his hand lashing out to shove her against the nearest tree, and her body cracked against the bark.
“What are you thinking, Nyx? I could have hurt you!”
Her violet eyes narrowed. “Hurt me? You need to brush up on your predictability.” She scoffed. “I just needed time, Brokk. Why are you out here anyways? Because I know you, and I have a feeling we are looking for the same thing.”
His gut twisted; his hands fell to his sides. “I came looking for you. To bring you home.”
She barked out a laugh. “Home! What does that even mean now? Our entire lives our home has been a delusion... I joined a rebellion that has done nothing against the Mad King. What hope do we have if we continue to follow Memphis’s orders? The hope we have of regaining Kiero back fades every single day.”
Her eyes darkened. “Brokk, I am tired of hiding, tired of having my actions calculated, weighed for the benefit of our family. Memphis doesn’t make the calls for me anymore. No one does. And I am taking my future in my own hands. Can you say the same for yourself?” She spat the words at him, the words like sharpened knives.
Each one struck true. Brokk ran a tired hand over his face. “Memphis won’t change his decision. He will draw Adair out.”
“At what cost? Are you willing to pay his price?” Her voice danced through his mind.
Tilting his head, he drawled, “What was the price of your new blade there?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she quipped.
Flicking the side of his cheek, an acute sting spread across his skin. Droplets of blood ran down his cheek, but before they hit the ground, the cut had healed. Shaking his head, he looked at Nyx, but she had already started walking into the night.
“We better get back before Memphis sends more people after us.”
“I’m already one step ahead of you, Brokk.”
Sighing, he fell into step behind her. She had failed to tell him how a disguised magical sword fell into her possession. Animals were way more sensitive to energy, and that sword was drenched with power, where as to his human eyes, the sword was just a sword.
It would seem he wasn’t the only one with secrets, and he had every intention to find out what exactly she was up to.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Emory
Her feet thrummed against the forest floor. Her surroundings a blur. She was infinite. She was free. The wind hummed against her skin, and behind her, a throaty laugh sounded. This was a different time, the world a brighter place.
She came to a slower jog, and Brokk came into view beside her. “I will always beat you, Em. I will always catch up.”
His golden eyes were molten excitement and joy shining through them. She felt a hot flush creep up her neck, and she stopped.
“And when I’m gone?”
Sadness had carved a hole into her; time had always passed too fast.
Brokk stopped beside her, reaching out to cup her face against his palm. “You will never be lost to me.”
Warmth curled and spread throughout her body. Savoring the moment a second longer, before she pushed forward, racing away from her fate.
Emory awoke with a start. Sweat clung to her body, her hair sticking to her forehead. It took a moment to register a pair of eyes staring at her from across the room.
“Are you okay?”
Memphis stood up from his seated position across from her bed. Squinting, anger flickered through her. How had he gotten in her room? It was late evening, and she had come to rest before training commenced after dinner. Her calves cramped as a sweet reminder of what was to come.
Sighing, she rubbed her temples. “Memphis, you don’t have to babysit me, and after this afternoon, I don’t particularly want to see you.”
“I just came to apologize. I know you heard what Brokk said. I want to say that I’m sorry you didn’t hear it from me. I don’t know if you remember, but Brokk and you have always been closer. I wanted to have a fighting chance against him. It was a child’s jealousy, and I know that’s not an excuse.” Concern pinched the corner of his face in a soft gentle way, and he searched her for an answer.
She sighed again, anxiety curling around her heart. “You need to be honest with me for us to be friends. Some things are slowly coming back to me, but you can’t manipulate me, Memphis. I am afraid of Brokk, and all of that boils down to you.”
Her dreams were mostly memories—of school, her family, and Brokk. Lots of Brokk in fact. It made sense to her if Memphis claimed they had been close. A flush crept up the back of her neck as she tried not to navigate her feelings when it came to the golden eyed rebel. She pushed her thoughts back for the moment, focusing on the task at hand.
Almost a month had passed since she had arrived. She gingerly sat up and grabbed her black jacket and training shoes. She was ready in a second, and when Memphis extended his hand toward her, she blatantly ignored it. For this to work, Emory couldn’t hate Memphis, but that didn’t mean should would make it easy on him for lying to her.
Energy expanded through her palm, as she suddenly grabbed Memphis’s lingering hand. Concentrating, she tested her ability out. She was thrilled when his thoughts collided with hers, “Just talk to her, you coward....”
She smirked at him. “Talk to me about what?”
It was as if her skin was an electric wire. Dropping her hand, a flush spread through his cheeks, and he murmured, “Your ability isn’t faltering either, I see.”
“Nope.”
It was still surreal to her, the fact she had this coursing power throughout her body. But everyday that passed, Earth seemed more like a dream, and Kiero the place that she belonged. The facts were
