Burn the Night

One

The clang of clashing swords echoed through the woods.

Gritting my teeth, I dodged one blow and swung my short sword at her throat, aiming to remove her head. Rain pelted us in large, heavy drops, blurring vision and soaking clothes. I had called down the rain, but was holding back on the lightning, knowing I would finally need it when they tried to overwhelm me. The torrential downpour I had created wasn’t succeeding in slowing down my opponents as much as I’d hoped. Only the one light clan naturi seemed bothered by the weather, while the four earth clan members stalked me like a pack of wolves looking for a weakness in their prey.

As I fought my onetime brethren, I could easily hear Cynnia’s voice ringing in my head, when I would have liked to walk away from this battle and return to her side.

Please, Nyx, I need him.

The moment Cynnia spoke those words, I knew I was in trouble. Rowe had become a nightmarish creature among our kind, the first in all of memory to ever be banished. Yet, I also understood my young sister’s thinking. Rowe was a powerful naturi, a force to be reckoned with. He would make a powerful ally if we could win him over to our side, which was looking thin and sickly in comparison to those that had gathered to Aurora’s skirts.

After traveling for more than a month, word finally leaked into my camp that a group of earth naturi had gotten their hands on Rowe and were dragging him toward Aurora’s domain in the western part of the United States. I could only guess that their plan was to throw a weakened Rowe at Aurora’s feet so she could deliver his death, rather than allow his continued banishment. He was too much of a threat to leave alive.

Sparing a glance out of the corner of my eye, I found that Rowe still lay on his side not far from the fire they had tried to start before my arrival. His arms were bound behind his back and his clothes appeared to be torn and muddy. Whatever their grand scheme was, Rowe was not going to see his wife-queen willingly. He was being dragged before her.

When I had got within feet of the camp, they did not hesitate to attack, while the light clan member hung back and vainly attempted to maintain the fire they had been building. Blocking blows and sliding out of harm’s way with a practiced ease, I managed to edge closer to the camp while avoiding my opponents.

“I’ve come for Rowe,” I announced, not looking at my fallen compatriot. “I have need of him. Please hand him over.”

“Aurora desires his presence as well,” the light clan member smirked as the others circled me. It was the smirk that caused me to recall that this was Claudia, one of Aurora’s longtime assistants and loyal followers. Now, she was reduced to errand runner, as there were too few that Aurora felt she could count on. Paranoia and mistrust had sunk its fangs deep into the queen over the past several years.

My grip tightened on my sword, but my gaze never wavered from Claudia. “What does she want with him? He’s been banished.”

I could feel a gathering of energy beneath my feet. One of the earth naturi had edged closer. Someone was about to make their move and I needed to be ready. However, I preferred to know what Aurora was up to before I started killing my adversaries.

“She’s willing to forgive him if he can hand her the Fire Starter.”

“I doubt that.” Forgiveness was not something my sister understood or even believed in. While I wasn’t too fond of Rowe, I was willing to let him live if he assisted Cynnia in her endeavors.

“Hand him over to me and no one will get hurt,” I commanded. The muscles throughout my body tensed as I readied for the attack.

“You’re just one pathetic warrior without a nation to protect. We outnumber you now, Nyx, and our queen has ordered your death. It’s you who should run,” Claudia mocked.

Pressing my lips into a firm line, I swung my left hand to grab the small crossbow at my side. As my arm swung up with the weapon, the bolt shot out and embedded itself deep within Claudia’s throat, causing her to stumble backward, gasping in horror and pain. She was the obvious leader of the group, and now would be unable to shout orders while I decimated her comrades. The crossbow was hooked back on a strap at my side before she finally hit the ground.

My sword whipped through the air, slicing one earth naturi across the chest. It was little more than a flesh wound, but the blood saturating his shirt was enough to give some of the clan second thoughts about continuing the fight. Another earth naturi with more common sense and clarity awoke the trees around us. A large limb reached down to grab me, but I ducked out of the way, sliding in the mud and leaves. I grabbed a sleeping branch and swung up so I was looking down on the little camp. Darkness had thickened in the area, giving me an edge. I had spent too many centuries working exclusively at night, making my night vision sharper, keener than that of my brethren.

The tree shuddered once, trying to shake me loose. My balance held as I reloaded the crossbow and wounded two more naturi. I wouldn’t kill my own kind unless they backed me into a corner and left me with no other choice. For now, I would be content to grab Rowe and run.

With the five naturi writhing on the ground with their injuries, I jumped down from the tree and walked across the small camp to where Rowe lay, completely oblivious to the fight that had just occurred over his possession. Unfortunately, being with me wasn’t going to be much more advantageous for him than going to Aurora. Our lovely queen would be happy to have his head if he failed to hand over Mira. And I would be happy to remove his head if he made a single false move toward Cynnia. He was surrounded by would-be enemies, but weren’t we all these days?

Kneeling beside Rowe, I cut the leather thong binding his wrists behind his back. That wasn’t enough to keep him bound by a long shot. He should have been able to break free, barely trying. I could only guess that they were also keeping him drugged in an effort to keep him docile. With a frown, I sheathed my short sword.

Scooping Rowe up, I cradled him awkwardly in my arms before dropping him on one shoulder to carry him out of the clearing. His weight was easy enough to manage. It was just his size, with his broad shoulders and long legs, that made it difficult.

“You belong together, Nyx!” came a rough, garbled voice. Claudia’s throat had healed enough so she could now shout at me. “Two outcasts destined to be slaughtered by Aurora! We’ll come after you. You’re not free.”

“I’m counting on it, Claudia,” I said as I disappeared into the night.

My footsteps were silent on the rain soaked ground, sinking into the soft earth. As I reached a clearing in the woods, I tilted my head back and let the rain hammer against my cheeks, eyes, and forehead, washing away the blood that had splashed over me in the brief fight. Claudia and her group had not been prepared for me. In fact, they were not even strong enough to take down Rowe. Someone else had accomplished that task and then handed Rowe over for delivery.

With a sigh, I summoned up my powers and touched the clouds that were still unloading their wealth of rain on the earth. It took only a slight shove to reduce the rain to a mist and then nothing at all. With Rowe in my arms, I leaned forward and braced my legs as a pair of black wings grew from my back, tearing through a shirt specially made to mend itself each time the wings disappeared.

My muscles stretched and relaxed for the first time since I’d come upon Claudia and her group. I fully extended my wings, shaking them out, ensuring that each feather was in its proper place. They flapped twice on my back, stretching stiff muscles. The wind naturi were meant to fly, and fly as often as possible.

Tightening my grip on the sleeping Rowe, the earth seemed to cringe beneath my feet as I took a few running steps forward. The wind gusted at the same time, lifting us both into the air with practiced ease. It was rare for me to carry such a heavy load, but I had done it before.

Overhead, the thick clouds began to part and the nearly full moon broke through, sending down its silvery light, the forest below glistening and shimmering with raindrops. I watched the Earth quickly passing as we headed east, away from Aurora and back toward Cynnia’s hiding spot. The earth whispered hazy secrets of a dark future that hovered on the horizon. War was so close now, and no matter what plans we made or what allies we found, there was no avoiding it.