When Silver Moons Rise (Lost Immortals Saga #2) (19 page)

I try to remain calm. I glance at Seth who still has his gaze locked on Jade. And he’s smiling. He must be crazy. They’ll bleed us dry when these tests come back positive. I hold my breath and try my best to keep my eyes from bulging.

“He’s clean,” Lionel says after a few minutes. His dark auburn locks remind me so much of Micah.

“She’s good, too,” Lilith agrees and gives me a hint of a smile. I force myself to look straight ahead. Glancing at Seth would reveal the questions in my eyes, the panic in my chest.

“Your names?” Jade asks. Her body is somewhat less rigid than it was before we passed the so-called angel-blood tests.

“Mark, and her name is Cary,” Seth says right away.

Okay, um, those names won’t convince a dog, let alone a sharp woman like Jade. Then I remember that Zeke hangs out somewhere among this strange group of people. He knows Seth’s real name, but obviously hasn’t said anything.

“Well, Mark and Cary, what are you doing traveling alone in Outcast territory?” Jade asks.

“I’m confused. Isn’t this an Outcast camp?” I ask.

Lilith bursts out laughing. “Sorry, Jade,” she says and glances at Seth for about the twentieth time since she and Lionel entered the room.

“In spite of what your leaders want you to believe, not every person who rises up against the Tribunal’s idea of perfection is an Outcast,” Jade says sharply. “We consider ourselves rebels with a purpose. Our children attend schools. We don’t keep radiation infected pets around as protection. We don’t paint our bodies as though we’re some kind of primitive animals. And we most certainly don’t need to wear spiked armor when we fight.”

“Those look super painful and completely unattractive,” Lilith says, shuddering.

“That’ll be all Lilith and Lionel,” Jade snaps.

“But, what about—” Lionel begins.

“Leave us,” Jade orders. Right away, the two kids scurry out the door.

“Now, it’s just us, Mark and Cary,” Jade says, narrowing her eyes at Seth. “What were you really up to? Surely, you’re not passing through these parts just to be doing something different. I want the truth.” Her icy tone causes me to jump a bit. Mr. Calm sitting across from me doesn’t even flinch.

“We’re headed to the prisons in Barrow,” Seth says. His openness surprises me. “A friend needs our help. Now, that your tests have proven we’re clean, I’d very much appreciate you letting us be on our way.” It’s probably super hard for him to be this polite.

Jade hesitates for so long, I almost think she has fallen asleep on her feet. Finally she says, “Stay a couple of days. Rest. I’m sure your girlfriend would appreciate a bath and some fresh clothing. Plus, tonight we’ll begin honoring the rise of the Silver Moon that happens in two days. Something I’m sure you both will enjoy. Most couples do.”

“I’m not his girlfriend,” I say before I can think twice.

Jade keeps her gaze locked on Seth. “No matter. A girl of your background must be missing the type of luxurious lifestyle she has become accustomed to, Chela Prizeon,” Jade says and turns her dark gaze on me. My mouth flies open. How does she know? “It’s an ironic kind of honor to have the Nation’s champion among my group of rejects.”

“How?” I ask.

“We found a reader among your things. Lionel, the genius in my community, cracked the pass code and found messages from your family and friends, which makes me question your friend’s name.”

I forgot all about the darn reader. Seth does look at me this time. The look on his face says: I can’t believe you were stupid enough to bring a computer with you.

“No matter. I’m sure Mark won’t mind if you go with Lilith and get cleaned up. The two of you are about the same size. I’m sure she has a few things you can wear.” Jade straightens up. She towers over us. I’m sure her height alone intimidates her group into doing what she needs them to do. The way she rotates between authoritative and friendly reminds me of Nina Winthrope. “Mark can go with Lionel.”

Her words unnerve Seth. He blinks several times and lowers his eyes. Of all the things we’ve experienced so far, he acts as though Jade just asked him to marry her. “While we appreciate your offer, we really need to be moving along,” he says as he studies the floor for a short moment before he glances up at her.

Jade narrows her eyes a bit, and says, “Once Chela gets a day or two of rest, you’re more than welcome to leave. Until then, you stay. Is there a problem?” She and Seth hold gazes.

This is a challenge, a test of some type. I can tell. This woman barely knows me, and she’s about ready to adopt me into her clan. I make mental note to keep a close eye on Jade.

“Fine. Could we start down the road of hospitality together by removing these chains?” he asks, and gives her the infamous Seth smile, the one that’s filled with devious charm.

“Sure thing,” Jade says and turns her head toward the door. “You can come back in, now. They’re ready.”

At once, the door flies open. An excited Lilith and a reserved Lionel head our way. My gaze locks with Seth’s. I don’t feel comfortable being separated from him. Zeke lurks somewhere out there. Plus, I’m anxious to move on. Faris waits just beyond the river. He’s not too far from this city and the thought of delaying our journey by a day or two puts me in a frantic state of mind.

And I still have to figure out Seth’s intentions. What will happen once he and Faris face off again? What is this mission he’s on? Have I been a fool to believe he has any good inside him? I did something stupid like this not too long ago. I even let him fool me into kissing him, but only because I thought he was Faris. Still though, it was a dumb mistake.

And yet, I am thankful he’s here with me. Even though Jade seems to be a decent woman, she has a gang member among her group. The thought makes me shudder.

Seth gives me a slight nod as the rope falls away from my arms. Standing up, I shake my entire body out and feel my limbs tingle back to life.

“So exciting to have another girl around,” Lilith says, her face beaming. “Come on. Don’t be shy. I only bite after I get to know you better.” I frown and hesitate. “Just kidding. Lighten up.”

Wow. That’s much easier said than I can even begin to think about doing at the moment. Feeling all kinds of crazy in my head and chest, I glance back at Seth who’s headed in the opposite direction from me.  He trails behind Lionel and doesn’t even bother to glance my way.

“Don’t worry. You’ll see him again soon enough,” Lilith assures me.

“I’m not. I mean, it’s not like that with us,” I say, feeling awkward.

Lilith gives me a smug, knowing grin and says, “Sure, whatever you say. Come on. We need to get you a bath and some clean clothes. And then Mr. Handsome with the silvery streaked hair who’s moping behind my brother will be eating his heart out.”

* * *

The rebel camp consists of several houses constructed inside of a mountain. Stairways lead up to each doorway. The one Lilith leads me into has a massive interior that rivals Chelby Rose in size. The technology the people who live outside the eight Boroughs have adopted amazes me.

I follow Lilith back to her room. It’s not as spacious as the one I have back home in Cornice, but it’s uniquely decorated and filled with black and white solar lamps shaped like the skulls of people. Black and white abstract paintings cover her walls, and her bed is covered by a black comforter with the words
Live and Let Die
etched across the top.

Inside the room, Lilith prances over to a wardrobe and pulls out a pair of white shorts, ripped stockings, and a white tee-shirt. Plopping down on her bed, she begins to remove her combat boots, the funny green top that blends in perfectly with the plants all around the place, and her baggy pants. She strips down to her bra and underwear in seconds and flops back on the bed. I hug my shoulders and glance around the room. “So glad to be home,” she says with her eyes closed.

She lays that way for a long moment before she decides to acknowledge me standing there feeling more awkward than the time when I had to act out an old poem in front of the class in detention camp. An embarrassing moment that was conjured up by Seth.

Strange tribal tattoos run along the outside of her right arm and thigh. Her hair is a dirty blonde that’s splayed around her head, and her skin has a pale undertone that gives her a porcelain kind of fragile look. Finally, she turns toward me. “So, are you just going to keep standing there and checking out my body? Are you like into girls, or something?” She sits up and gives me a smile. Her dainty features remind me of the elves from the fairytale books Father used to read to Micah and me. This girl isn’t delicate, though. Last time I checked, elves don’t carry guns around the forests.

“Hello. Did you hear me?”

“No,” I answer. “What else is there for me to do but look?”

“Gosh, I’m so rude.” She stands up, grabs a bag off the floor, and heads my way. “Your things. You’ll have to excuse me. I don’t get visitors very often.”

I take my bag and examine the contents. Everything I brought with me is still inside it. Only one thing is missing. “My sword?”

“Jade wants to hold on to that for a while. Sorry. Where’d you get something so fancy like that from anyway? It’s made out of pure gold,” she says, waiting for my answer. I don’t say a word. “I get it. You’re still pissed because I made you lose it, right? Sorry about that. We thought you two were angel-bloods, or something. Some of those guys aren’t really all that nice, in case you haven’t heard.” She stares at me a short while, as though she’s waiting for me to add to her statements.

“Well, now you know we’re not,” I say, hoping I don’t look as nervous as I feel.

“I know what’ll make you feel tons better. A shower and some fresh clothes.” She hops off the bed and heads over to the dresser beside it. “Later on tonight, we get to party,” she says, her face beaming. “That’s going to be so much fun. Something you all don’t do in the Boroughs, right?”

“Hey, we have dances and things,” I say, feeling defensive of my life back home.

“Not like the kind of dancing you’re about to see here tonight,” she says, smiling mischievously. “You’ll need to wear this.” She holds up a short black dress with a bodice that has spikes sewn into the meshed fabric. “And don’t worry. I’ll teach you the steps to the Groove before we head out tonight. That’s our official ode to the Silver Moon.”

“I can’t believe you all celebrate that day.”

“Come on. You Borough kiddies don’t have some kind of way to honor the anniversary of the Great War?” She bends down, reaches under her bed, and pulls out a pair of shoes. “You are Chela of Champion Blood. What was the other person’s name? The one you beat up. I heard it was a guy. But no one knows his true identity.”

Right away, my heart flips. She’s talking about Faris. As soon as I start to believe I can handle his absence just a little while longer, someone always says or does something to remind me of how much I miss him. “Could you just—I need a shower now,” I whisper. “Please.”

Lilith’s face crumples. “Oh, I said something bad, didn’t I? How about I leave you alone for a bit. Got some fresh underclothes laid out for you here on the bed.”

“Lilith, thanks for being so nice to me,” I say truthfully.

“My sister was killed by an Outcast. You kind of remind me of her, with your funny colored hair and eyes, you know. Gosh, I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.” Lilith smiles and finishes getting dressed. “I’ll come back and get you in a bit. I know you’ve got to be starving by now.”

She’s right, but my stomach has passed the starving stage. I’m so hungry, I feel like my organs have started to dine on one another. “Thanks again.”

She gives me the strangest look, and says, “Believe me, the pleasure to serve you is all mine, for the moment, anyway.”  I don’t even want to know what she means by that statement. Without wanting another thing to worry about, I head into the bathroom. I wash away what feels like a year’s worth of dirt from my body.

Chapter Twenty Three

Escapades (Faris)

The Baron strolls into the ballroom. He’s dressed in the colors of his country: fine gold silk over white pants. The clothing highlights his blonde locks. Asa tells me the color of his hair reminded her of the hay she and I played inside when we were small children.

In the memory I’m experiencing, I stand in a corner, watching the way Baron Von Neer bows to my sister. He treats her respectfully. I can handle a guy like the Baron any day. The long silver dress Asa wears makes her dark hair shine. The colors inside the fabric match the tunic I wear over my white pants. Her skin looks radiant. Father stands beside her, looking proud, as he should. It fills me with nothing but happiness to see her this way.

Our palace is filled with guests that have come from all over the land. A few of the younger attendees hope to win the hand of either me or my sister, the last members of the royal families directly related to the Archangel Gabriel.

“Dance with me, Princess Asa,” the Baron says. My sister smiles. She hates being told what to do, but she’s infatuated with this guy.

“Baron Von Neer, I’m so flattered.” She takes his arm and beams at him. I chuckle when she walks by me standing off to the side. She narrows her eyes and balls her fist, shaking it at me. I don’t care. I’m just glad to see her grinning again, especially after what we experienced in the woods a few weeks ago. Even I have trouble with forgetting about the day when I changed into some kind of weird jaguar.

Who am I kidding, though? I’m not getting off so easy. Father set me up too. He intends for my future bride to be a girl named Olivia Warren. I don’t want any part of courting and communing: love, loss of freedom, kids. Not for me. The path I chose leads me in a different direction.

Asa dances most of the night with the Baron. I’m sure she’s enjoying herself more than she thought she would.

“Want to dance, Prince Indrail?” a girl’s voice asks from beside me. Olivia.
Curse it.
I still haven’t told her about my decision to join the demon slayers.

She wears a silky white dress and her snow white hair is piled on top of her head in a bun. Strands of loose hair frame her face. I must admit, she’s a gorgeous girl. Some of my friends might say I’m a fool for rejecting her. At least, I’ll be able to sleep at night in knowing I didn’t marry someone just for the sake of forming an alliance between two countries.