FOREVER KNIGHTS: #2 Rise of the King of Assassins

“I do. I’ve had it for sennights.” Chastain reassured.

At Serdephe’s confused look, she added. “The voice told me it had to be tonight.”

“That makes zero sense.” Serdephe shook her head.

Chastain’s own step faltered, and she slid to a knee.

Sabine and Serdephe shot her worried looks. Well-aware the oldest had been carrying the brunt of their work for them and dividing her food amongst the youngest girls.

“When did you eat last?” Serdephe asked.

“I don’t know.” Chastain said dismissively. Forcing herself weakly back to her feet. Chin hitching. “Keep moving!”

Chastain, as the oldest of them, would be ten and four this year.

Serdephe, nearly ten and three, had dark hair which had turned purple in the last few months and strange bluish eyes, her moods as changing as those vivid irises.

Sabine and Riaura, only a year apart, were the next oldest at ten and one and ten. Behaving nearly like blonde twins, they differed only because one had deep blue eyes and the other snapping green.

Ebony and Meralee, both highly spirited, were the youngest. Ebony’s glistening black hair and dark eyes lent her a childish look that’d forever make her seem younger.

The youngest and most petite, inspiring the mad flight tonight, was Meralee. Her usual high spirit and adorably bossy air gone these days.

She’s tired all the time. Their savior noticed. Watching the littlest one. His fear clearly written over his face.

This is the last of them. All that’s left of the Fallen’s comrades. The Watchers... He noted.

“What’s wrong with her?” Riaura looked up at Meralee in Serdephe’s arms.

Mera’s eyes were shiny as she stared ahead, body nearly limp.

“Did Udora beat her again last night?”

“Every night.” Sabine said breathlessly. Gaze falling.

“I can hear her begging to know what she’d done wrong.”

“Better her then him.” Serdephe hissed. Recalling the flash of a belt across her forearms and the slap as it rung along her shoulders.

Radix.

“How’d you get her up?” Serdephe muttered. “She usually sleeps so heavily…”

“Not tonight.” Chastain ran a soothing hand along Meralee’s hair. “She was sitting up waiting for me though I’ve no idea how she knew.”

“I’m coming.” Meralee had whispered, as she weakly rolled off the edge of her cot. So fragile she had to catch the edge of the bed to steady herself on her feet. She’d padded to Chastain’s side on shaking limbs.

It’d only taken minutes to get the girls out the door. They’d willingly followed Chastain out into the darkness. One by one.

Chastain swept lush red hair from her face. Gown soaked from the underbrush. She shivered.

“I’m scared they’ll catch us.” Ebony looked up at Chastain with eyes so dark they seemed black.

“There’s so much light.” Riaura looked up at the bright moon which had lit their path so dimly most of the night but now illuminated the whole forest as the cloud coverage faded into the distance.

Putting them at risk of being seen. He feared. Exchanging a worried look with the redhead girl.

“Sabine.” Serdephe called.

The tiny blonde stilled.

“Hide the moon.” Riaura whispered in her tiny voice.

Sabine closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The breath emerging from her lips as a vapor. Ice crackled along the branches above them. Drops of rain froze into icicles or hardened into tiny pebbles of hail as they landed. Clouds rushed over the sky in heavy billows before a dense wind drove them over the moon.

Sabine sighed and collapsed backward.

Riaura caught her hand and put a palm to her back to keep her moving forward. “I have you.”

“I know.” Sabine breathed. Steam still rising from her parted lips as she blinked drowsily.

“Come on.” Chastain ordered, sounding strong to feign a confidence she didn’t feel.

“The water.” Meralee told them, her eyes glossing to white.

“What water?” Serdephe asked. “I see no water.”

“The rain has made a river ahead.” Meralee said in a far-off voice. Her eyes white.

Serdephe handed her to Chastain with a smile and a lifted brow. “Water.” She nodded to the other girl. “Water I can handle.”

Cracking her neck, Serdephe led the way until reaching the rushing torrents of a NetherRunnel run-off.

With a crazed laugh Serdephe knelt next to the water. Reaching in caused Chastain to gasp.

“Careful Ser! Don’t get washed away.”

Serdephe smiled over her shoulder. “Don’t be naïve Chastain. Water like this does what I wish.”

The water receded from around her hands. Pulling back until making two walls for them to walk between.”

“Why couldn’t you stop the rain?” Riaura said bitterly.

“Mighty hard to control drops.” Serdephe hissed giving her a sharp look. “I can control one but the other billion do what they want.”

“Huh.” Riaura scoffed. “Seems like you should work on that.”

“Shush.” Serdephe smacked her upside her head. Before ordering. “Light.”

“Fine.” Riaura held out her palm.

Serdephe put her hand under Riaura’s to help her focus the energy. “Remember? Like we practiced.”

There was a sputter then a green illumination bloomed in Riaura’s palm.

“Good job.” Serdephe ruffled her hair before returning to Chastain’s side to retrieve Meralee as they crossed the river.

Sabine had composed enough she held Riaura’s free hand to guide them across the mud to the other bank.

The rest followed, weaving through thin brush toward town.

When Chastain sped up, dragging Ebony along with her, the girls trudged determinedly behind her. Keeping pace, despite their weariness.

Finally, Sabine and Riaura pled for her to stop.

She turned to tell them to keep going, in time to see Meralee’s small frame collapse against Serdephe’s shoulder.