Heart Song (29 page)

He smiled and with it came a deep chuckle that sounded somewhere between a purr and a growl. I stopped and stared at him just to see which it was. Anger or humor, I couldn't tell.

“I promised your mate that I wouldn't let harm come to you. If I let you go and you ran into Jiren, he would kill you before you could blink. Your best interest is to stay put.”

“Did Marren tell you to tie me up too?” I asked, not believing for one moment he would say something like that.

“Actually, he said to use whatever means were necessary.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “I don't believe you.”

“No matter.”
He partially stood, then turned and crouched, facing the small opening into the trees. The sound of battle started to fill the air. Tobias stood and lightly shifted from foot to foot, readying for battle. It worried me. Then it occurred to me what he was doing.

“What would Marren say if he knew you were using me as bait?”

He shifted slowly and twisted enough to look at me from the corner of his eye. “What makes you think I'm using you as bait?”

“I'm tied up here and you clearly look like you are waiting for someone to come and meet you, so you can take care of him yourself. Tell me why?”

“You mistake my actions,” he said.

“Do I?” I asked, even more sure of myself. I watched as his form shook slightly. I couldn't tell if it was laughter or if it was sadness. Then he turned and quickly cut my ropes. I stood up, worried. “Tobias?”

He turned slowly, then I heard a sniffle, and I knew he was weeping.

“I'm the last of my kind. He killed my family, my mate, my child!” The last word choked him. “I lost my entire race because of him.
Him and his desire for ultimate power.”

“I was told that you can't defeat him,” I said.

“You can't, but I can damage him enough to force him into hiding for quite some time—giving you and Marren ample time to find a way to kill him.”

“What about me?” I still couldn't understand why I would be the lure.

“There is a sword in between those bushes behind you.” I knelt down and picked it up. It was heavy and didn't have much of an edge to it, but it would work to fend off anyone for a short time. “Use it to further wound him if I should fail.”

“I don't understand.” And yet there was a weight in the conversation that pressed on my shoulders, and with it carried the knowledge that I didn't want to face. He was going to make Jiren kill him. “Tobias, you can't.”

“I can. And I will,” he spoke, softer this time. His shaking had stopped. He was preparing himself.

“What can I do to help?”

“Hide until I'm dead. If he's not wounded enough, and you will know, you must fight him until he is. You fight extremely well for a newly turned werewolf. You have the skills—”

“Of an elf, I know. Danst taught me.”

He nodded as if he understood. “Go, now.
Before he sees you.”

I ducked down behind a tree next to the bushes. The wind had blown in between them, bringing with it an acrid smell of rotting flesh and bile. I covered my mouth to prevent myself from vomiting.

The anticipation of a fight tingled under my skin, forcing my heart to pump in a quicker, yet even pace. I took a few deep breaths through my mouth and braced myself to watch Tobias die. My heart felt for him, though I couldn't blame him. If my whole family, and by family I mean Marren, Enid, and Danst, had died, I would want to join them also. What good was my life without them?

Jiren appeared in a red cloak, the hood pulled over his head. He turned towards Tobias and slowly removed his hood. I had to force back the scream that lodged in my throat. My heart pounded painfully hard.  Jiren's true image stood where I could see him. Made completely of ethereal, his body was translucent and glowed with a purple hue. Small bolts of lightning buzzed over the surface of his head.

Pure energy?
How in the great Netherworld are we to defeat pure energy?

“Tobias,” Jiren said, “eager to die?”

“My death is only the beginning for some. For others, it marks their end.”

“Speaking in riddles, old friend?” Jiren asked with a sadistic smile on his face.

“I'm surprised you can even say the word without choking on it,” Tobias said.

“Well, I can understand why it would surprise you,” Jiren retorted.

“Enough of this talk, let's be done with this.”

“First, give me the girl.”

“She's not here. She took off this morning, looking for you.” He let his words slow towards the end to indicate a suspicion. “Did she not find you?
Another game of yours?”

“She didn't find me, I assure you. I would be too happy to be rid of her and that filth she's carrying.
Abomination.
Ancients shouldn’t be mixing blood with humans,” Jiren hissed.

“You were human once, remember?”

“Bah! I was Wizard, better than human. Higher.” Jiren lifted his chin in the air.

“And yet you'll never cease to stoop to new lows,” Tobias noted.

He shrugged nonchalantly. “She's strikingly familiar to someone you and I once knew, isn't she?”

“I have no idea what you are referring to,” Tobias said.

“Your wife is who I was referring to. Relena bares an unnatural resemblance, don't you think?”

I sucked in my breath. That was why he held on to me. He was protecting me. I couldn't help feeling flattered and saddened at the same time. My face reminded him. I couldn't imagine how at that moment.

“She does bare my love's likeness, yes. But she is not my love. You saw to that.” There was a slight growl from Tobias on the last few words.

“Still pointing the finger…” It was more a statement than a question. “Well, I guess you won't have to suffer for much longer. You'll be joining them soon enough.”

I ducked back behind the tree and pressed myself against it as far as I could, then
waited
. The sound of metal clanked together with shuffling feet.  Dirt kicked up, pelting the trees. Exchanges were made. Then the sound of a grunt from Tobias made silence fall.

I peeked from around the tree. Jiren had used his robe to clean off his sword and kicked Tobias's lifeless body. He tapped the tip of his sword against the toe of his boot. “You can come out, Relena. I could smell your stink from across the field.”

I stood up slowly and stepped cautiously from around the tree. As hideously frightening as he was, his smile set me on edge. “I suppose we shall see whose cockiness will win out today, now won't we?” I asked.

“Tell me, how's Marren holding up?”

“You would know better than I.”

“Would I?” There was far too much intrigue in his voice.
Too much happiness.
Like he thought he already won.

I held up my sword towards him. “You will pay for my suffering.”

He laughed. It sounded like static from a lightning storm. “Your facade will fade. You’re no match for me.”

“Oh, you are right, there,” I said.
“Because, I
will
defeat you!”
I ran forward as he sidestepped. I halted, immediately swinging my sword towards him. He defrayed my attack.

“I'm going to enjoy tormenting you to death!” Jiren's words were full of promise.

“How original,” I retorted and attacked again.

“I thought so. Just imagine it, if you will.” He stepped slowly around me, deflecting each attack I sent towards him. “I torture you, I become you, and I defeat you by killing Marren, disposing of both of your worthless bodies, then taking on your essence under the guise of Marren's orders, keeping the people here under false claims of returning home. By the time they find out the truth, it will be too late.”

“Assuming you would defeat me, how would you go about keeping up my appearance?”

He stepped forward quicker than I had time to react, grabbing me by my throat. I dropped my sword. The thud was barely heard. Jiren squeezed so hard I couldn't breathe. I gasped for air as I looked into his eyes. He explained, “Very easily, I've already absorbed part of your essence.” He shifted and released me.

I fell to the ground, gasping for air. I struggled to stand and grab a hold onto my sword. By the time I could breathe enough to fight, I was staring at myself. He smiled a reflection of my own.

“You see, you failed to think things through. You should have known better than that. And now, it's led to your ultimate demise. I've absorbed everything about you in mere seconds, even your terrifying fear of your own image in your poor mate's eyes.”

I used Jiren's gloating to think through how I could get him to drop his guard enough to defeat him. I had to make him crack somehow. It couldn't be that hard, he did just fight Tobias. He called him friend. That had to have done something to him.

Then it came to me.

“You're wrong!” I said.

“Am I now?” His teasing tone grated upon my nerves more than ever. I had to work to control my composure.

Taking in a deep breath, I said, “Yes.”

“Well, isn't that interesting,” he said, again in my voice.

“It wasn't my image that terrified me.” I admit that I was reaching, but I thought this would buy me some time.

“Oh? Then, pray tell, what was it?”

“You wouldn't understand. It's an issue only someone who was once
mortal
would understand,” I said.

“Ah, I see.”

“Ha! You see nothing. In fact, you are the one that is so blinded by your fears and your own image. Why else would you feel like you had to steal everyone else's?”

I saw a crack in his image. I was making headway...I thought.

“I'm the blind one?” He dramatically laid a hand over his chest.

“Everyone can see it, except for you,” I continued.

“You really have no idea what you are talking about.” He spoke to me like I was a child that he had run out of patience for.

“I don't, huh? Then why get defensive?” It was my turn to be sarcastic. He stood as still as me, mirroring my image except that his lips were pressed firmly together where mine were parted and relaxed. “Too close to the truth for you to handle?”

“You will pay for your folly!” He charged at me, sword aimed at my heart.

I dodged his attack quickly. He kicked the back of my knees, forcing them to give out on me. I fell to the ground, landing hard on a rock. I knew he was bracing for the final blow. I grabbed a handful of dirt and thrust it into his face. He staggered back a few steps, crying out in pain and frustration. I stood and went to attack.

Jiren quickly recovered, blocking my approach and each attempt I took. Then he caught my arm and took his hand in a downward motion across the width. A searing pain shot through my arm. I cried out, dropping my sword. A dagger shone in his other hand, used to cut my sword arm and prevent me from being able to fight. I looked at the deep gash and watched as blood poured out. The wound started to heal, but I was bleeding too fast to keep it up for long.

He kicked me in the stomach; I fell back onto the ground. My elbows, scraped by the dirt and rock, stung badly. Jiren approached, still in my image and held the point of the sword to my throat, nicking my skin. It made me remember when Marren and I fought, when his sword kissed my neck. The cut stung just as badly, but that one was a sweeter pain to endure. 

I watched as the lips of my likeness curved up slightly at the corners and stared at me with cold eyes—colder than what could belong to me.

“Having second thoughts, coward?” I snapped.

“You either have a lot of courage to mouth off, considering I’m the one with the sword, or you're a lot more stupid than I originally thought. Humans have no place in this world and should be killed, not mated with! That abomination within you will suffocate to death as you take your final breath, which will be as soon as you watch all your friends fall.

“You seem to think that you are winning,” I said and did my best to chuckle believably.

“I know I am,” he gloated.

“How can you be so sure?” I asked.

“Bah! Enough with this! I tire of your mind games!”

“Why does torturing me give you so much satisfaction?” I stood up slowly with my hands in the air.

“This is why,” he approached me and placed the blade of his sword against my neck, “the fear that plays in your eyes!”

A loud growl filled the air. Jiren was flung, from standing in front of me, to the ground.

Run to the rest of the group, now!
Marren's voice sounded like a miracle in my head.

No!
I struggled to breathe through Marren fighting Jiren in my form. I was frozen with fear and filled with incredible joy to see him awake. My heart lobbed in my chest and my head felt light. Suddenly I couldn’t breathe.

Relena, do it!
He commanded loudly.

I...can't..
. Before I could say, or do, anything else, the world tilted in front of me. As I hit the ground, blackness took over.