As We Rise: Savage (As We Rise Saga Book 2) Read online

  Sage tucked himself under her arm and whispered, “Mommy.”

  Sky felt a surge of pride that although she was only eighteen cycles and utterly alone, she could protect her child. The feeling didn’t last long. An ominous snap of a twig behind Sky started a chain of events she remembered only as a series of vague images.

  The priest holding a knife.

  Blood coating the dirt.

  An agonized scream ripping from her throat.

  Pain against her cheek and falling to the ground.

  Her mouth filled with dirt and leaves stuck to her wet cheeks, but all Sky could see was Sage’s body crumpled into a heap. Four priests carried jugs, drips of deep red flowing down the lips. Sky hated herself for her foolishness. She should have known she wouldn’t escape that easily. In her rush to leave, she forced the priests’ hands, and instead of saving her son, she ended his life sooner.

  Sky’s consciousness had drifted away from her body, and for the first time in her life, she prayed.

  “Sky.” Rana’s soft voice startled Sky from her memories. Rana kneeled beside her and wrapped her arm around Sky’s waist. “I’m here for you.”

  Sky rested her head on Rana’s shoulder. Feet shuffled behind her before a meaty paw rested on her shoulder. Fern stepped around Barrow and sat next to Sky. She didn’t offer her hand or words of comfort, but Sky felt reassured all the same.

  “Barrow, thank you for caring for Sage. The venia flowers are a nice touch.”

  “You’re welcome, my friend, but I did not plant the flowers. They were already here when I visited after you left. I only clean the stone and say the prayers.”

  Sky’s brow furrowed at that revelation. Someone unknown had planted the flowers and kept them from being overrun with weeds. Sky didn’t think it was her father, but Titus was routinely mysterious about his emotions. Maybe he felt the need to honor the loss of his grandchild.

  A warm drop of liquid fell on Sky’s temple, and she realized that Rana had been crying. Sky’s heart grew as her friend mourned the loss of a child she didn’t know.

  So Sky told Rana about Sage but left out what happened after her desperate prayer, aware of the other two in her audience. She trusted them, but she wasn’t ready for others to know how her mark worked. Sky feared they would be repulsed.

  Rana couldn’t hide the horror on her face as Sky revealed her past, and Sky did not have to look at the others to know their faces mirrored the emotion. This would be the first time Fern and Barrow had heard the whole truth of what happened while Sky was enslaved.

  “You are the strongest woman I know.” Rana’s voice shook with emotion, but her jaw was clenched in restrained anger.

  “I agree,” Fern and Barrow spoke in unison.

  “What happened next?” Fern asked. “After you prayed.”

  Sky and Rana exchanged a glance. Rana knew the basics, but not of the devastation that occurred once Sky was granted Luz’s gift. What happened was a gruesome necessity, and Sky knew they would not completely understand it.

  “Maybe another time,” Sky replied. She stood and brushed the dirt off her pants. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow in the forest. It was closer than before, and Sky could make out the broad chest of a sizable man. Her mark tingled and Sky relaxed a fraction—it was her shadow. She wondered who he was and why he kept himself hidden. Whatever his objective, Sky resolved to find it out.

  At once, the soothing tingles Sky’s mark exploded in pain. In a flash, she leaped around and in front of her three friends. They gasped at her sudden movement, but their shock was replaced with wariness as Tempest ambled down the path toward them, a sneer twisting her beautiful face.

  “Hello, dearest cousin.”

  Ten

  Tempest’s lips were twisted in a sneer that was also somehow a smile. It made Sky even more uneasy. Tempest stopped outside the ring of venias, her lip curled as she studied the carefully tended garden.

  “Why anyone would honor a dead bastard is beyond me.”

  Rage boiled beneath Sky’s skin, and she bared her teeth at her cousin. Her mark blazed with anger, and Sky felt the pressure of Luz’s power trying to overwhelm her. Sky resisted. She didn’t want to know the state of her cousin’s soul. She didn’t want to deliver its retribution.

  “Why are you here, Tempest?” Sky asked through clenched teeth.

  “To rid myself of the competition, of course,” Tempest answered. Her voice sounded bored, but Sky noticed the tightened muscles in her neck and the clenched fists she tried to hide in the folds of her skirt.

  “You’re no match for Sky,” Barrow stated, his brows clenched in confusion. “Besides, we wouldn’t let you harm her.”

  “Well, I wasn’t exactly expecting Sky to have company. I assumed she’d come here alone to wallow in her shame,” Tempest sneered at Sage’s monument. “But it’s no matter. I won’t be getting my hands dirty this day.”

  A rustle of leaves drew Sky’s attention to the forest line. Her shadow was gone, and instead a group of ten men clad in leather breeches and scarlet tunics under graphene breastplates, wearing arm bracers marked with the Bludrun clan crest, emerged from the foliage. Sky raised a brow at her cousin. Certainly Tempest didn’t think Beast’s men would end Sky. Not when he desired her to the point of obsession.

  “These men were a gift from my fiancé. They are to do as I say.” Tempest smiled cruelly.

  “Oh? And what do you say,” Fern sneered, her hands resting on the twin daggers strapped to her thighs.

  “To kill you all.”

  “If you murder the chancellor’s daughter, they will avenge her,” Sky bluffed. The military corporation wanted Rana dead, but Sky figured that even if the news traveled to GCA space and the military was secretly thrilled at Rana’s demise, the government would use that action to start another war with the clans. And they would have support from the rest of the system.

  “The GCA will never know Rana was here,” Tempest stated, her calm facade betrayed by a nervous shuffle of her feet.

  “My captain will make sure they know everything,” Sky replied. She crossed her arms and smirked at Tempest.

  “Kill them,” Tempest shrieked.

  For a fleeting moment, none of the soldiers moved, and then one stepped forward. He was an imposing man, at least a head above all others in the clearing. Where the rest of his men had bulk amassed on their frames, the leader was sinewy, with corded muscles that made him look more dangerous than his counterparts. His shiny black hair hung to his waist and was tied with a leather strap at the base of his neck. The other men wore plain bracers and breastplates, but his was a complete harness with metal studs hammered on the edges of the leather and graphene layers.

  He stopped in front of his soldiers and looked Tempest up and down with a disparaging smile before turning his calculating gaze toward Sky. Sky had to force herself not to shiver under his scrutiny. Her mark flared with a warning that Sky didn’t need. One look at the man and she knew he was dangerous.

  “We cannot fulfill your demand, Tempest,” his deep voice was deceptively soothing.

  “And why is that, Thorne?” Tempest’s voice grew shrill as she clenched her fists until her knuckles matched the white paint on her arms. She looked one second away from stomping her feet in a childish tantrum.

  “Because you are no longer the elder’s betrothed. He discovered that his true love has returned and has demanded that she be taken to him at Bludhaven,” Thorne stated with a smile. He obviously enjoyed Tempest’s outburst.

  “He can’t throw me to the side like that,” Tempest squealed, the usual venom in her voice reduced to a sad whimper.

  “But he can. There has been no union.”

  Tempest curled in on herself and cried. Sky felt pity for her cousin, and then she remembered that Tempest was planning on having Sky and her friends murdered. The emotion passed.

  “Come with us, Sky. Your fiancé awaits,” Thorne addressed Sky for the first time. His hand was ou
tstretched in an invitation as he dipped his head respectfully.

  “No,” Sky said. “I’m more than happy to relinquish this honor to my cousin. She desires it more than I.” At Sky’s statement, Tempest lifted her head and stared. Her face was a mixture of disbelief and hope. It pained Sky that her cousin felt she needed an advantageous marriage to feel worthwhile.

  “It doesn’t matter what either of you want. The deal was struck many years ago, and you must honor the agreement.” Thorne withdrew his hand and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “What I want matters plenty,” Sky replied. “I will not go with you, and you can tell your elder that he will not have me.”

  “Do you wish to for this to come to blows? You are vastly outnumbered.” As Thorne spoke, his men gathered around him. Sky could feel her friends press in closer as well, and for a moment she allowed herself to fear for Rana but pushed the worry to the side. Sky wouldn’t allow any harm to befall the woman.

  “It didn’t stop me the last time,” Sky replied coolly. “Have your people forgotten just how deadly I can be if provoked?”

  Sky could see the soldiers shuffle uncomfortably at her words. Apparently, they hadn’t forgotten. Thorne smiled with what looked like admiration shining in his brown eyes before he nodded solemnly.

  A tense breath passed and then another. Thorne drew his weapons from the scabbards on his back. Sky heard the whisper of blades being unsheathed from all around. She held own short swords in light grips as she bounced from one foot to another. She risked a quick glance at Rana and was relieved that she was at least armed.

  Thorne growled as he ran at Sky, his men following close behind. Sky met him at the edge of the venia field and blocked his assault. He spun away and brought his swords down on her again. Sky almost missed his attack. She held him in position. Her shoulder blazed with power and fury. The temptation to tap into Luz’s full power and end this skirmish as quickly as it had started grew with each passing breath, but Sky resisted. Although she did make a blood oath to kill all those who tried to harm her or Rana, she didn’t really want to kill the Bludrun soldiers or her cousin unless it was necessary.

  As she transferred her weight to her dominant foot to go on the offensive, Sky pulled just enough power from her mark to give her an edge. The shift allowed her to see Barrow fighting two men, with two bodies unmoving at his feet, in her peripheral vision. Fern was to his right, exchanging blows with two men as well.

  Sky felt another soldier approaching from her rear and with a small smile, she adjusted her stance. She pushed Thorne, and with her boost of power he stumbled and fell onto his back. Sky crouched and spun with both blades ready. She drove them up as she pressed into a lunge. They slid smoothly into the man’s stomach, one blade piercing his lungs and the other his heart. His face twisted in bewilderment as blood poured from his slack jaw. The light faded from his eyes, and Sky yanked the blades free, shaking off the excess blood.

  Thorne was there in an instant. He swept his leg, but it caught nothing except air as Sky jumped. When she landed, his fist connected with her jaw and she staggered back. She spat blood and smiled at Thorne.

  Her smile faltered when she saw Rana surrounded. Her shirt was ripped and tinted red around a tear in the fabric. Sky didn’t have time to feel pride that Rana was holding up against the onslaught of trained soldiers. All Sky could see was the blood dripping from the second wound on Rana’s arm. She took an unconscious step in Rana’s direction, but then Thorne landed another blow to her temple with the hilt of his sword. Stars danced in her vision as she turned back to Thorne. He was the greater threat, but Sky’s soul screamed at her to protect Rana.

  Sky was torn, but Thorne was relentless. He attacked again, and this time Sky was paying attention and blocked the move. She countered again and again, pushing him toward Rana. Sky resolved to use her untapped power to protect her friend, even if it meant killing them all.

  She reached inside to the eager power residing under her heart. Her soul brushed against the energy when a roar sounded from within the dark trees.

  The fighting paused for a moment when a figure exploded from the forest. Sky’s mark tingled excitedly and she sagged in relief. It was her shadow man. He was still cloaked in shadow even though he was in the clearing. He roared again as he charged the men who had surrounded Rana.

  Thorne landed a punch to her kidney and Sky returned her focus to him. She let her body absorb more power. Thorne didn’t stand a chance as she attacked him from all sides in little bursts. Sky’s sword was swinging around for a killing blow when Rana screamed.

  Sky turned to her friend. Rana was hunched over Fern who was holding onto her stomach as blood seeped through her fingers. Sky glanced around the clearing. Bodies littered the ground. Sky studied the corpses for a familiar face, but to her surprised relief, there was no sign of Tempest. Sky wouldn’t have to complete her oath and end a family member. Knowing her cousin, she ran at the first sign of conflict. The venias were mostly crushed, but besides Thorne, the Bludrun soldiers were defeated.

  Sky lifted her blade to Thorne’s neck. “Return to Beast and tell him to stop pursuing me. I have made a blood oath to kill all who come after me or my charge. Today, I spare your life—it will not happen again.”

  Thorne nodded and stumbled away. Sky watched until he left the clearing before she ran to Fern, her eyes blurred with unshed tears. Barrow had Fern’s head in his lap, his face pale as he robotically ran his fingers through her sable hair.

  “Oh Fern, I’m so sorry,” Sky cried. She cupped Fern’s cooled cheeks in her hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll get you back to the village and you’ll be just fine.”

  “No,” Fern coughed. “I can feel myself fade.”

  “Nonsense,” Rana cooed, her cheeks streaked with tears.

  “May I?” A gravelly voice asked from behind Sky. Barrow’s eyes narrowed at the man and Rana jerked upright, but a familiar shiver along with a soothing peace flow from Sky’s mark.

  “Yes,” Sky answered without removing her gaze from Fern’s deathly pale face.

  Large hands followed by brawny forearms and thick shoulders reached over Fern. The man knelt next to Sky, close enough for her to feel the warmth from his body. From this angle, Sky couldn’t see enough of his face to guess at his identity, but what she did see drew her to a stop.

  Above his right eye was a spindly red tattoo exactly like hers. He had been captured by the Ocmus priests and survived. By the looks of his well-built body, he thrived.

  Sky wanted him to look at her, but his focus was completely on Fern’s injuries. His hands lowered until they hovered above the wound, and a blinding light poured from his outstretched hands and seeped into Fern’s skin. Fern’s back bowed off the ground, and a strangled groan escaped her lips.

  “What the hell, man?” Barrow growled.

  “What are you doing?” Rana shrieked.

  “He’s healing her,” Sky announced, her voice filled with awe. “Look, the color is coming back to her cheeks.”

  Barrow and Rana focused on Fern, smiling as her skin grew less deathly with each passing second, but Sky was observing her shadow man. Sweat gathered on his brow as he pulled his hands away from Fern. The light that had flowed into Fern absorbed back into its host.

  When the last wisp of light merged with his hands, he slumped back onto his feet, breathing heavy.

  “Is it difficult to heal?” Sky asked.

  “Yes,” he rasped.

  “Thank you.” Sky placed a hand on his arm. His muscle flinched under her touch, but he didn’t move away. Where their skin met, Sky felt an exchange of power that sent an almost sensual shiver creeping up her arm.

  Her eyes grew wide as she looked at the man, but he was ogling where her hand met his skin. A pained expression twisted his face as he raised his gaze to Sky. She understood that look. She used to feel the same way.

  They both had been broken by the priests and their evil ministrations. The war
mth spreading between the two of them was awakening something lost inside. For at least a rotation after her escape from the temple, Sky refused to willingly touch another human unless it was in battle. She only recently began to touch others and allow them to return affection, but she had to deaden her reflexes in order to somewhat enjoy the lackluster sensation of skin-to-skin contact.

  This man’s touch was alive with feeling, and Sky didn’t know what to think about it. She lifted her hand and the sensation stopped.

  “What now?” Rana asked as she helped Fern stand on wobbly legs.

  “I don’t know,” Sky answered truthfully. She didn’t think going back to her family was the wisest move now that Beast had officially claimed Sky once more. Sky was of age now, and the law would require her father to turn her over to Beast.

  Sky had no choice. They had to leave the safety of the clan.

  Eleven

  “You can’t go back,” Fern hissed as she straightened her back.

  “The clan will just turn you over to Beast now that he has transferred his claim back to you,” Barrow added. He wrapped an arm around Fern’s waist, the action forcing him to bend uncomfortably, but the adoration that shone in his eyes made Sky believe he would suffer much worse to ensure Fern’s comfort.

  “You can come with me,” the man offered.

  “I don’t know you,” Sky replied.

  He shrugged, but Sky could see the hope in his eyes. He wanted Sky to go with him.

  “What is your name?” Sky asked.

  “Phoenix. Formerly of the Evengust clan.” Phoenix tilted his head formally at Sky.

  “Formerly?” Rana’s brows pinched as she looked at Sky. “Is it because he has a tattoo like yours?”

  “Most likely. Either that or they assumed he’s dead,” Sky answered Rana. She raised a brow questioningly at Phoenix, and he nodded sharply. Sky took that move as affirmation. “How did you survive the temple?”

  Phoenix’s jaw twitched as he crossed his arms and looked at the forest. “It’s a long story, Sky.”