Marks of the Past - 10

Chapter 10

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to cry or to scream or to stab James in the face with the knife. 

Chelsea was suddenly at my side, her fingers straying to the leather satchel at her side where I assumed all of the potions were stored. 

But her fingers fell away when she saw it was James. 

“James?” Chelsea whispered. Her gaze flitted between me and that traitorous boy several times before she bowed her head. “Obviously, you two have some talking to do. Leila, I have no idea how you know James, but I’m going to go stand over there and if you need me just call.” 

She casually strolled away, I guess trying to regain her composure. 

James took her absence as an invitation to get closer to me. I could sense him standing right in front of me, snow melting in his hair. 

My heart sped up and I hated myself for that. 

“What are you doing with Chelsea Darkwell,” he asked me. “How did you survive the Redemption?”

I pressed my lips into a line, afraid of how much to say. “I escaped, that’s all I can say.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You looked directly at me and then the stadium sank. Are you saying you have nothing to do with that?”

“Yes, actually. For this, I am surprisingly innocent.”

James didn’t look like he believed me, but at this point I didn’t care. We stood there in awkward silence, me struggling to figure out what to say. Finally, I settled for, “why are you here?” 

He was quiet as he bent down to pick up the little bouquet. “My father.”

I blinked. “Anton? He’s … gone?” It felt surreal that only days ago he’d asked me to marry his son. 

James nodded. “I want to blame you, but I can’t.”

I was silent. 

“Leila, I don’t know what you’re doing with these other people. I don’t know how you escaped the Redemption and why you’re back when you could run. I don’t even know why I want to forgive you for leaving me to die in that stadium. But you don’t have to run from me, we can figure out what’s happening together.”

“You still have my family,” I stated dumbly. 

James shrugged. “I can let them go, you just have to come back with me. I’ll protect you from the Court and we can find a way to fix whatever happened to you.”

I’m not broken, I wanted to protest. 

“Tell me what’s going on,” he pleaded, and I could sense the sincerity in his voice. Mark’s words rang in my head and I heard James telling me he’d taken my family. 

I didn’t know who to trust. 

Mark was only trying to get back to his family in the land of the dead. 

James was an orphan - because of me - left to run his family’s estate all on his own. 

“I’m cursed,” I whispered at last. “Which is why you have to stay away. Anyone magical that I touch will die.”

James paled. “My father?”

My silence was an answer enough, but instead of becoming angry, he grabbed my hands and held them tightly. 

“How?” he asked at last. “How is this possible?”

I pulled out of his grip and pointed to the mark on my face, the jagged scar that ruined everything. “I … I should be dead, apparently. Somehow, my magic is absorbing the lives of others to support my own. I didn’t try it-”

“That sounds like the Hidden Arts,” James breathed. “Leila, you can bring my parents back!”

I shook my head desperately. “James, I have no idea how my magic works and it’s too dangerous. The only option now is to find the Cursebreaker so he can end this terrible burden. So please, you have to let my family go and leave me alone so I don’t hurt anyone else.”

“There has to be another way…”

“My family did nothing to you…”

“Even if you can’t bring them the whole way back you can at least let me say goodbye…”

“And I promise that I’ll repay you somehow…”

“Leila,” James suddenly grabbed my shoulders. “You have no idea what a blessing your magic is. It can bring back the dead-”

“Please, stop,” I begged him, brushing his hands off. 

James took a step back, looking confused. I tried to ignore him, but my mind was already racing to the possibilities of him being next before I remembered we’d already touched before and he’d be fine. Hopefully. 

“I’m going to find the Cursebreaker,” I told him in a hushed tone. “And then I’ll come back here and get my family before we leave again. You can stand in my way or you can let me go.”

“You can’t go alone-”

“I’m not alone. I have new allies - ones I have obligations to as well.” I looked him straight in the eyes. “James, don’t make this harder for me. Let my family go.”

“I can’t do that,” he whispered back, voice harsh. “You can come with me, Leila. I will find a way to fix this. Fix you. You don’t have to run…”

“I’m not running-” 

“Trust me, please,” he tried. I could see the pain in his expression. He’d lost so much, all because of me. “I promise that I don’t want to hurt you, I just want justice.”

“Then leave my family out of this! Liam and Lexi are only kids…”

“And so was I!” James shouted back, his voice raw with emotion. “I was a kid when I watched my mom heal everyone without regard to her own health. I was a kid when that caught up with her and she died because of you. I was a kid when I let myself believe that you were innocent and you were afraid and you were my friend. Don’t tell me that I’m overreacting because I recently watched my dad die in pain because some girl intruded on our household and killed him in cold blood.”

“James, I told you that it was an accident-”

“You are an accident, Leila. You are the result of ancient magic that shouldn’t exist. You’re the perfect example of why I have to continue my father’s project. Magic isn’t meant for people like you.”

“You can’t possibly mean that,” I breathed. “James, I know you’re angry-”

“Shut up,” he spat. “Run back to your friends and cry while I’m forced to be the strong one, the bad one.” When he turned back to me, there were tears in his eyes. “I never wanted this, but you forced my hand. The next time we see each other, I will have justice.”

“Then for my sake and for yours, I hope we never meet again,” I whispered back before turning and running like the coward I was. 

The Whip had faded by the time Chelsea and I slipped through the disbanding crowds. It would probably be back tomorrow, but for now the tourists were upset that it’d been quick and none of them noticed two crying girls running through them. 

Chelsea had heard me running away from James and quickly caught up to me. Somehow, she understood that I didn’t want to talk yet and we made a silent pact not to speak until we were out of the city entirely. It took less time on the way back since the street lights had dimmed enough that it was nearly impossible to see anything in the shadows. 

When we were finally outside of the city, Chelsea finally spoke. 

“So, how do you know James in the first place? He’s kinda like the top of the system, and you’re …”  She hesitated, unsure of what to say. 

I shrugged. “I’m a nobody, I know. But he decided to sponsor me for the Redemption.”

Chelsea pursed her lips. “It was supposed to be Becky. She got caught one night when we were trying to steal a cure for Kyle. I reached out to James through an anonymous letter and suggested that he ‘redeem’ a dark-haired girl because she was innocent.”

Add that to the list of reasons why James decided to sponsor me, I sighed bitterly. 

And now just my luck, Becky had died when the Shadows had rescued me instead of her. Yet another shackle to weigh me down. 

“I don’t blame you,” Chelsea mumbled. “Not a ton.”

“Oh, it’s okay if you do,” I assured her, because it would be easier if everyone else blamed me too. “So, how do you know James? Like, well enough to send him a letter?”

“It was anonymous,” Chelsea repeated. “And I’m a Court kid. We grew up together. Until…” Her voice trailed off and I noticed her fingers were digging into her palms. “You won’t tell the others what you saw, right?”

I nodded. “Of course. It’s alright to cry-”

“No, it’s not,” Chelsea argued before falling back into silence. “If it makes you feel any better, I won’t tell any of the others what I heard between you and James.”

A wave of panic rolled through me. “What … What all did you hear?”

Chelsea gave an indifferent shrug. “Not much, only that he has your family and that you're cursed and that you killed his father, but other than that…”

My stomach sank. She heard everything. Yet Chelsea didn’t mention anything about Kyle so maybe she hasn’t put the pieces together … As much as I wanted to spill everything, I couldn’t. All I could do was hope Chelsea held her tongue until after we found the Cursebreaker because by then I’d be long gone and she could say whatever she wanted about me. 

Chelsea noticed my expression and gave me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell them either way. It’s your past, not mine, though it did seem like you two did have some history.”

I glared at her, but then I realized she was joking and forced a grin. 

She was so closed to the truth, but I couldn’t let her know that I’d let myself be fooled by his charm. 

“So what do you say, Leila? Can we both forget everything that happened tonight?”

“Of course,” I answered. I wish, I thought. 

She gave a genuine smile this time. And although maybe I wasn’t Becky, at least Chelsea didn’t seem to hate me anymore. “C’mon,” she said, beckoning me faster along the trail. “If Nik wakes up and we’re not there, he’s going to flip.”  

Nik was furious, to say the least. 

It wasn’t my fault that Chelsea had forgotten a lantern, so we’d lost our way in the forest. Under the cover of the trees, we couldn’t see much of anything and by the time we found our way to the cabin, Nik was climbing into the tiny boat with a sharp knife in hand. 

Most of the chastising was for Chelsea, of course, but Nik didn’t reserve it all for her. I got a fair amount of reprimanding for agreeing to go with her. 

Jonah and Rave watched from the window as Nik yelled until his voice became hoarse and I saw Jonah begrudgingly hand Rave a gold coin, which she pocketed with a sly smile. Nik finally shut up then and told us he didn’t want us to die, though I was pretty sure that part was reserved for Chelsea alone. 

On that note, the next few days flew by. I didn’t leave the area around the cabin, and it kind of felt like I was being grounded but at least I had stuff to do that kept me occupied. 

There were so many preparations that had to be made in order to guarantee our safe passage across the ocean that Nik was completely overwhelmed. He divided the “missions” up to pretty much everyone except me, but he reserved the majority of them for himself. Honestly, I don’t think he slept much - if at all. 

Most of my tasks were useless in my opinion. Polishing weapons, gathering spare clothing, even weeding - it all seemed like busy work. 

I tolerated it only because the jobs gave me an opportunity to distract myself from thoughts of James and Chelsea and Mark. Besides, this was the only way to earn Nik’s trust - which wasn’t necessary but after the whole sneaking away incident it felt important. 

Exactly two days prior to our departure from the Republic, our team regrouped to discuss probably the most prominent challenge. 

“So, how exactly are we going to get Kyle to the docks, across the ocean, and to the Cursebreaker - who is who knows where - without being arrested?” asked Jonah, tapping his lips thoughtfully. 

We were sitting in a lopsided circle on the floor, heads bent over Nik’s plans and also a small snack because the only way Jonah agreed to sit down was if there was food. 

“I already purchased our passage,” Nik clarified, giving a little smirk that sent shivers up my spine. “As for how we’re going to sneak him down to the docks, I figured an outbreak of pox would keep onlookers away.”

My heart leapt into my throat as I recalled the feeling of the fever the pox had given me. It seemed wrong to fake the same thing that had put Kyle in this condition, nor did it seem right to cause other people panic of another outbreak. Still, I said nothing. Nik’s plan was the only one we had. 

“Clever,” I managed, not looking up from my hands in my lap. 

Suddenly Nik swore loudly and I turned to him in surprise - he’d seemed so calm the majority of the time. “Shoot, I completely forgot what that would mean for him.”

“Oh,” Jonah realized. “Kyle probably wouldn’t appreciate that.”

I gave a small shrug, trying not to let them see how much the idea bothered me. “If he’s awake enough to disprove of it, then he’s awake enough to understand that it’s important.”

Nik sighed. “I suppose that’s true, but now that you mention it, I don’t know that it’s the best method-”

“It’s fine,” Chelsea interjected. “Kyle will understand. Besides, it’s our only choice.”

Nik and Jonah seemed to agree with that, and I forced my rising panic down. It’s not real. It’ll all be fake. 

“Okay, so that’s how we’re smuggling him to the docks,” I repeated, trying to urge the conversation on. You can get over your fear some other time. “Once we’re in Miryir, are we going to drop him somewhere? And does the captain of the ship know he’ll be with us?”

“The preparations are made,” Nik said. “The captain has made accommodations. As for once we reach Miryir, I plan to leave Kyle at the safehouse until we bring the Cursebreaker back. Miryir is way more superstitious than than the Republic, so if anyone sees him they’ll assume the worst.”

Chelsea thought for a moment. “Won’t that mean someone will have to stay back with him whenever we go out?”

Nik shook his head. “I’m sorry to say this, Chels, but he hasn’t changed in condition in several months. A few more weeks isn’t going to fix that. Besides, if there is some kind of change, he’ll know to stay put.”

Unless he changes for the worst. No one said that, though. 

“So, two days,” continued Nik. He held out a piece of the paper on the floor and passed it to Jonah. “Here are the last minute assignments. In two days we set sail.”

And hope it’s not too late, I thought bitterly. 

“Are we completely sure this was a good idea?” I grumbled as Chelsea snatched at the last stray strand of my hair and tucked it into the tight braid she’d been working on. “Chelsea and Nik don’t look old enough to be our parents.”

“We’ve been over this a million times,” Jonah called from the other side of the room as he pulled his vest over his head. “It’s only a last ditch protocol - we’re not going to parade around claiming it. With the time and today’s temperatures, the only people who will be out and about are the tourists who want to see the Golden Road.”

I opened my mouth to say something else, but Chlesea poked me in the back of the head with a bobby pin and I bit back a curse. 

“There,” Chelsea announced at last, spinning me so I could see the grimy mirror. 

She’d braided my hair so that the strands fell around my face in a way that both hid my scar and looked fashionable. As much as I hated how all the pins prodded at my scalp, I knew that at this point, I drew more attention with my mark than an unconscious Kyle would. 

“That disguise won’t work if she sees someone who recognizes her,” Jonah pointed out. “Does anyone know you?”

I shook my head. “My mom homeschooled me - I barely left the house.” 

Chelsea raised an eyebrow, but I shook my head slightly. As far as Nik was aware, Chelsea and I had snuck out so she could say goodbye to her parents. He didn’t know about James or the cemetery and I wanted to keep it that way. 

Apparently, Chelsea wasn’t about to jeopardize the mission for my secrecy though. 

“What about James? If he sees you, what do you think he’ll do?” She asked it so innocently that I wanted to smack her. 

Suddenly, Nik was in front of me, hands on my shoulders. He looked worried, forehead creased and voice slow when he spoke. “Leila, who in the world is James and how much of a threat is he?” 

I couldn’t meet his eyes. “The threat level depends on how angry he is at the given time.”

Nik blew out a frustrated breath, dropping my shoulders to wring his fingers. “That complicates things about. On a scale from one to ten, how angry do you think he would be if you saw him tonight?”

I didn’t have to think long. “Seeing as our last meeting ended in him threatening to get revenge on me for orphaning him, probably eleven.” 

Nik put his hands on his head, pacing around the room. “The only thing we can do is pray that we don’t run into him or anyone else who recognizes you. Should be easy, right?” He gave a nervous laugh. 

“You shouldn’t say that,” Jonah groaned. “Every time you say that something terrible happens.”

Nik returned a small grin. “Well then you should be used to it by now.”

If the walk to the docks didn’t kill us, the temperature definitely would. I was pretty sure that my fingers would freeze and fall off before we even got halfway there. 

A cloak, a pair of thick boots, two pairs of socks, and a wool hat weren’t even enough to counter the chill of several inches of snow. And considering that I was freezing, I was sure that Kyle was probably as good as an ice cube. 

We stood outside the cabin, Jonah and Nik carrying Kyle between them like a limp piece of wood. 

Rave raised her arms and the earth trembled under our feet. She braced herself as the cabin slowly began to sink into the snowy ground like it was being consumed. The shaking slowed when the door was almost entirely buried. 

“We can always come back to it,” Chelsea explained to me. “Rave is just making it so no one takes it.”

Our trek through the woods was shorter than my previous one with Chelsea. Because Jonah and Nik had to carry Kyle, they’d decided on taking a shortcut that would drop us off at the northwest entrance to the city. It would be lightly guarded since it was nearly midnight, and Chelsea had done good work giving Kyle sore-like abrasions on his skin to increase the plausibility of our pox story. 

Sure enough, when we arrived at the northwest gate not long after, the two guards let us pass the second they heard Chelsea’s sob story about Kyle’s need for a healer. 

She also gave them an address on a slip of paper and a small wink as we turned away.

“Where does the address lead to?” I hissed after we were out of earshot. 

Chelsea gave a sly grin. “It’s the Red Rose Bar down at the edge of the scum area of town. I also gave them a room number that shouldn’t exist.”

“Was it necessary?”

“Yes. They’re less likely to snitch if they think they’ll see me again.” She flipped her fiery hair over her shoulder, fluttering her lashes at me until I shoved her. 

“Quiet down,” Nik ordered from in front of us, his breath forming clouds in the air in front of him. “If anyone recognizes your voice, Leila, it could be just as bad as if they recognize your face.”

I made a huffing noise at him, but I knew that he was right. If someone knew my voice, they’d definitely make a big deal of checking me out and then we’d be caught. 

Nik led us through the backroads where the Whip wasn’t as prominent. The snow crunched under our boots and the cold air stung my cheeks. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and I felt the knife at my hip in a comforting weight. 

Luckily, Nik knew exactly where we're going and before I knew it, we’d arrived at the hill that overlooked the docks. Wooden beams stretched pretty far into the ocean, ships boarded at some of them. 

“Which one is ours?”

Nik pointed to a tiny, white painted boat floating halfway out of the harbor. “Her name is The Stargazer and she’s got the finest crew in the Republic.”

Somehow, I doubted that. 

We’d already been given exactly where we were supposed to go and who we were travelling with. Nik had planned for him and Jonah to carry Nik through the left side of the docks where the guard posts were more sporadic. 

Rave, Chelsea, and I were on orders to go right and stay together at all costs. I’d asked why, when it seemed like it would be easier to get killed as a group. Nik had responded by saying it was easier to bleed out when you were alone. 

Fortunately enough, fog had begun to drift over the docks. That would make us harder to see, at least, although it would also make it harder to see enemies. 

“You guys ready?” Nik asked quietly. “This is the hardest part, but-”

He didn’t get to finish his statement because suddenly there was a loud crash from beyond us and I wheeled around to find James stumbling out of a bush, a long dagger in his hands. I almost laughed at the thought of him using it. 

Nik was already taking off, Jonah dragging behind him. “Okay, plan B - run!”

Author's Note

This is the last you'll see of James for a little while (sorry not sorry!) but he WILL be back later. More action coming soon!