We froze. A bead of sweat trailed down the front of my chest.
Daran removed himself, leapt from the bed, jammed his legs into his dark jeans, and peeked out the door.
My heart pounded in my ears. The tension that wracked my body was fading fast — but being replaced by an irrevocable fear. I dashed for my clothes and put on my undergarments, my chemise.
Daran dashed back into the room, frazzled. His hair was sticking this way and that. “We need to get out of here,” he said, the words tumbling from his mouth. He rushed to put on his shirt, put it on inside out, took it off to right the shirt, then put it back on. He only buttoned three buttons, and one of them was in the wrong hole.
“What?” I said.
“Get dressed, now. We need to get out of here.” He dove for his jacket, scrambling to pat his pockets, then breathing a sigh of relief.
“Wh-what’s going on?” I was still frozen, stuck on the bed. I heard gunshots smash into the air. More screaming came from downstairs. Daran was trying to urge me into my proper skirt and corset, but I pushed his hands away. I found my feet, starting to leap off the bed. “No, no, I could not care less — my sister is down there!” I rushed to the door.
Daran jumped in my way, putting his hands on my shoulders. “I — I can not let you go down there! You will be killed!”
“I do not care! My sister is down there and I need to get to her!”
I could hear the bang of the furthest door on the second floor being kicked open. Screaming, gunshots. Then the next, which was empty. Then the next door, with each sound growing louder and louder as whoever it was drew closer. My mind was frozen. Every muscle locked into place by dread.
Daran raced behind me, and I could hear the sound of the window being slammed open. His footsteps, overwhelmed by the sound of banging doors, came closer to me again. “Sorry, dear,” he mumbled.
“What?”
In a swift motion, Daran picked me up, and ran for the open window.
“But — my sister — !” I protested.
As he pushed me through the window, the door behind us swung open. I could hear the sound of surprise from whoever it was; someone cursed under their breath. Then, gunshots rang out, busting my eardrums. The bullets whizzed past Daran and I as we slid down the small roof we had landed on. Daran dropped to the ground first, holding his arms out for me. I ignored them, dropping to the ground alone. Gravel dug and cut into my bare feet, but I ignored the pain, dashing after Daran. He went to the right, following the road and getting us out of the path of bullets. I could hear the person in the room scream a string of curses, growing fainter and fainter as we dashed away for our lives.
I did not think as I dashed after Daran. I did not feel the gravel cut at my bare feet, nor the wind that whipped my hair completely out of it’s half-up, half-down style, which blinded me every now and then.
I just ran.
“This way!” Daran shouted over his shoulder as he rounded a corner to the left. I followed. A stray bullet landed in the wood where my shoulder was.
A large horse, its head a good two feet taller than me, and with fur as dark as the night without a moon, made several noises of protest as we dashed toward it.
“Here,” said Daran as he laced his fingers together. “Hop onto Tabitha.”
I had to use his help this time. I unsteadily placed my left bare foot onto his hands, gripping onto Tabitha’s saddle for support. I swung my leg over a bit slow as I was scared of tipping over. The horse shifted under my weight. Daran untied Tabitha from her post. He raced back to her side, smoothly hooking his boot into the stirrup and hoisted himself up onto the horse behind me. His chest pressed against my back through my clothes. He was damp with sweat, like me.
“This is a dead end,” I gasped. “We have to head past the saloon again to get out.”
“Fuck,” Daran cursed, his arms encircling me to grasp the reins. He turned Tabitha back the way we came, and clicked his tongue. The horse began at a canter, but quickly evolved into a gallop.
“We need to stop for my sister,” I said as the saloon’s backside came into view.
“No way!” Daran yelled. “If we stop, we are done and dead.”
We got to the saloon, and I yanked on the reins, causing the horse to rear on its hind legs. There was no one in the windows anymore, but I could still hear commotion going on inside. Daran smacked my hands away from the reins.
“Stop that!” He hissed, then verbally tried soothing Tabitha.
I started to slip off the horse.
“What are you doing?”
I shushed him, sidling up to the wall of the saloon, and peeking around the corner. I could see the backside of a dark carriage, its windows currently open. My heart leapt into my throat. I recognized the screaming.
Zyva was inside the carriage, banging on the window panes and screaming at the top of her lungs. Her hair was loose, the curls frayed this way and that. I could see several long shadows moving rapidly from the lamp-lights inside the saloon, but I could not tell what they were doing.
“Ima!” Daran hissed. “Get back here!”
Three long shadows pitched across the sand, growing larger and larger as they approached the carriage. Zyva tried lunging for the door, out of sight, but she was quickly knocked back as someone else was shoved, limp and unconscious, into the carriage with her. It was the man who was standing on the table, Daran’s partner. I saw the tip of a shoe poke out from the side of the building.
I rushed back to Daran, who lifted me up with his hand. “Ride to the edge of town,” I whispered.
“Hey!” Someone shouted. Daran and I glanced back, spotting the man from before, all decked out in a beige suit, pointing at us and yelling.
“Go!”
“Already on it,” Daran yelled, angling Tabitha toward the east and the opposite direction of the carriage. Tabitha took off.
The wind cut at our faces as the yelling grew fainter and fainter before cutting out entirely. I could not help it — tears that I had been suppressing flowed freely as we raced toward the edge of town. What was going on? Who were those people? Why were they taking Zyva? What if...?
Sobs racked my body. I could fear Daran stiffen behind me. What if this led to Him finding Zyva? Those thugs may have been able to take down a saloon, but they seemed human. What were they even planning to do with them? I took several gulps of air, trying to calm myself. My knuckles turned white on the horn of the saddle.
We reached the edge of town in soon enough, and Daran turned Tabitha toward the North, hugging alongside some of the wealthy homes in town. We came to a stop a quarter of a mile away from town.
Daran tugged on the reins, slowing Tabitha to a canter, then a walk, before she stopped. He got off the horse, walking several feet away with his hands on his head. I could hear him cursing softly.
The horse breathed heavily beneath me as I surveyed the area. It was quiet, not even an animal in sight. The moon hung heavy in the sky, several days away from being full. The sister moon, a quarter of the size, also hung in the same phase. I took a quick self-inventory. My feet felt disgusting, potentially bloody from all the rocks I ran on. I was cold — I never ended up getting into my corset, so all I was wearing was my chemise and my skirt. I hesitated before sliding off the saddle. I slinked to Daran. Desert sand squished between my toes.
“Daran...?” I asked, reaching for his shoulder.
He turned. In the light of the sister moons, I could see tears glistening on his face. “I am so sorry Ima. I did not mean for anyone to get dragged into this.”
I jerked my hand back. “Into what, exactly...?”
“This!” He gestured wildly in the open air. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Those men showed up... because of me.”
“What? Why?” His partner on the table... the tales he wove... five Nameless... The back of my neck was slick with sweat and my hair stuck to it. “Daran, just, just tell me what is going on.”
Daran looked to me, his dark green eyes pained. “I owe you the truth. I dragged you into this.”
“Truth? What have you lied about?” I felt small and weak and vulnerable. I was alone with someone I had known for only an hour, and my sister was captured by crazy people, and I had nothing to defend myself with. I tensed, ready to run toward the horse and get away from here depending on what he said next.
He licked his lips. “My real name is not Daran. It is Ares. And,” he rushed, “I am truly sorry for lying about that, but I have had issues with saloons employing Stoics and, well, you can guess how well that works out.”
The name did not ring any bells for me. “That is... okay? I never gave you my full name either. I understand, given your experiences.”
“And you do not have to give me your full name. Ima works for me.” He grinned, showing pearly white teeth.
I could not help but give a small smile back. I covered my mouth with my knuckle, glancing away from him. “The way you said that made it seem like it was a big deal.”Ares did not respond. After a moment of silence, I stared at him. His angular brows were furrowed. “That was everything... right?”
He sighed. “My partner... Emil... well,” he paused, deliberating. Ares looked me in the eyes. “Emil and I are Seekers.”
Dread and annoyance flooded through me. I grit my teeth. “Do not tell me my sister and I are stuck in some magical item bullshit.”
He gave me an apologetic look.
I groaned, which developed into a frustrated yell. “I cannot believe this!”
“Please — just let me explain,” he started, but I cut him off.
“It is your fault she is gone!” I jabbed a finger at him, my other hand balled into a tight fist. My mind reeled, trying to remember exactly what it was that they found. It snapped and swam, diving for the city Emil had named.
Ares was stuttering, but that quickly turned into angry sputtering. “Do not — how — it is —“
The memory resurfaced. “Fucking Vegtton! Where is it?” I tried to dash for Ares’ pockets, patting and slapping over his coat.
Ares pushed me away with enough force that I stumbled away from him. “You are — being completely idiotic.” He wiped at his coat, righting it. “If you touch it, the luck transfers to you.”
“Right, then by some stroke of luck my sister ends up by my side again. Give it to me!” I jumped at him again.
He danced out of my reach, jabbing a finger at me. He pulled the rock from his inside pocket, holding it tight in his hand. Purple light spilled out from the gaps of his fingers.“If you take it from me, I get bad luck — the worst luck I can ever have.” As he spoke, realization washed over his face, before it fell. “Oh Gods. Emil — I took the rock from him before he got on that table —“
“And you said I was idiotic. You got a magic rock and fucked around with it without even knowing the full capacity of its powers!”
His expression snapped back to anger. “I am an experienced Seeker — I have fought —“
“Five Nameless, yeah, I heard. I do not believe such lies,” I hissed. “I have seen what Nameless can do and trust,” I eyed him up and down, “You would be no challenge for them.”
“Five, what?” Ares rolled his eyes, “What are you even talking about? I fought against two Stoics and a Nameless’ vessel for this.”
“Emil said —“
“Emil likes to tell stories. We spent months tracking this rock down, studying it, analyzing the puzzle that guarded it. I knew about the bad luck — but I figured since Emil and I found it together, that it would recognize dual ownership.”
The hot wind of the desert blew, rustling my skirts and hair. I crossed my arms. “Clearly, it did not.”
Ares grit his teeth, the jaw muscle flexing in his face. “Clearly.”
A solid minute passed where we were both stuck in our thoughts. I was in shock. I was angry. Fuck, I was furious. All these years I thought our most dangerous moment would be Him finding us again. Instead, it was this. Two stupid Seekers with a fucking rock.
“You are going to help me find her.” I spat, looking up at him. Ares stared at me. “It is your fault,” Ares took in a breath, presumably to defend himself, but I put up a finger to shush him. “It is your fault that my sister was taken. Therefore, it is your job to get her back. We can also rescue your partner, too. As a bonus.”
I walked to Tabitha, and got back on, this time with ease. I walked her over to Ares, holding out a hand for him to take. “Deal?”
Ares sighed, looking skyward. He grasped my hand. “Deal.”
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