Sorcerer's hill

14

Keira never thought riding a horse was her thing - and hell, she was right about that one.
It was uncomfortable at first. Not having a stable ground under her feet felt extremely vulnerable. But after a few minutes, it was pure torture.
Domeon didn't seem to realize she was a human, and the closest she ever got to a horse was with Thane.
She gripped the man's torso, hoping, praying not to fall - which seemed very likely with the impossible speed which Domeon seemed to possess.
The wind rushed through her hair and stung her eyes. She wanted to close them but was too afraid it would affect her already decreased balance.
She didn't see almost anything. It was already dark. Keira was sure though that even if it was sunny, her surroundings would be one big blurry image.
The centaur ran through the woods as if a fire burned at his tail - and Keira wanted to believe he would stop if she would fall and was lucky enough not to break her bones. She also didn't dismiss the thought he would barely realize she wasn't on his back anymore.
Even though they were running as fast as they could, Keira couldn't help but find sitting on Domeon's back kind of intimate. The kind of intimacy where she trusted him with, well, her life, if she wanted to be dramatic. Her worries were like a cloud in her head, surrounded by the fear of falling. And on top of that, the mixture of awkward gratefulness she felt towards Domeon.
She didn't have to suffer for long, though. They arrived at the meadow sooner than if she ran by herself.
She quickly dismounted from Domeon's back - more like she fell - and tried to find her stability while running forward. Her legs felt weirdly numb after the painful clenching at the centaurs hips.
What she saw was excruciating.
She truly came too late.
Thane was lying on the ground, his long hair dishevelled. The horse was lying a few steps next to him - both without any sign of movement.
Over them stood Kayden with something in his hand. Keira couldn't recognize the weapon but it couldn't be anything good.
She knew there was no use in calling Thane's name, but she couldn't help herself scream when she saw Kayden kneeling beside his body, danger emitting from every move. "Stay back!"
Kayden almost jumped at her scream. When he noticed Keira, he seemed to shrink in size. Keira started to feel the old fury again.
This person drove her crazy. What was it that he decided to make her life more complicated?
"I swear to God," she warned him, her tone so furious even she didn't know where it came from, "if you hurt him, I'm gonna kill you."
She wanted to be calm, she wanted to be a hunter. She didn't care what power he had. She was angry, she was the epitome of a woman scorned. Her vision was red.
"Keira, what are you-"
"You little," she came closer, just enough to dodge him if he wanted to hurt Thane. "What did you do?"
Kayden stood next to Thane, not leaving his side. He somehow managed to point at the two of them.
"I, they-" his voice broke under her accusative stare. Then, he started screaming. "They killed her! Don't you understand? They're murderers! When will you finally get it?"
He was now dangerously close. She saw he was holding a knife. Something was dripping from it.
She did it without thinking. Any other situation. She would slap herself across the face for her stupidity. But now, there was no time to think about the consequences.
She jumped at him, aiming for the knife. He dodged her attack, easily as if she was a mere fly, annoying and stupid.
Keira didn't know where she got that courage, maybe because she thought he wouldn't really hurt her.
She saw Domeon slowly pace next to them and snorted. What could she expect - that he would help?
"You brat," she spat at Kayden, trying to ignore his death stare. "You have no proof of that!"
"Do you know who that horse is?" He accused her, pointing the knife fiercely at the animal behind them.
Keira looked over Kayden's shoulder. She saw a slight movement of the horse's ribs. "I know."
"Do you, really?"
"I can put two and two together," she rolled her eyes while closely coming forward. "I know it's Seth."
He gaped at her but slowly nodded.
"Now tell me," he asked her. "Why should I let them live?"
She didn't have an answer for that, so she turned the question on him. "Why should you be the one to decide that?"
"Because they owe me! They killed her!"
"Oh Kayden, grow up!" She exclaimed. She needed to get him distracted. Far enough for her to decide what to do next. "It's been years! Why did you decide to do something now?"
"Because of you!" His voice broke. "You think I can just sit by and watch how they kill another woman I care about?"
His voice trailed off to a bare whisper.
Keira would be moved by that - under any other circumstances than what she was experiencing just now.
"I don't care," her voice was cold. Kayden looked as if she slapped him. She truly didn't care. "If you won't step away, now, I will use everything I can. Literally, everything I have, to stop you."
He just watched her, perplexed. "I thought you were on my side."
"I thought you didn't have aside."
They watched each other for the longest time. He was making a decision, she saw it in his eyes.
Not even in a million years would she think Kayden, someone who got closer to her than anyone would turn out to be someone like that.
One part of her tried to understand. So badly. She didn't want to hate him, fear him. She could only imagine what he must've felt. If he truly loved Raven, God. She was able to threaten him to kill him if he only laid his finger on Thane. What would she do if he actually... no, she didn't want to think of that.
"I can't even try to imagine what you feel," she began, "it's beyond my understanding. But please, Kayden," she didn't think she would resolve to beg but here she was. "Don't do this. Don't do this to me."
He watched her as if every word she let out of her mouth hurt him more than stabbing with a knife.
"You don't understand anything." He whispered.
"I don't." She admitted. "But I know you're not a killer. Think about it. What will you do once it's all done? Will you run? Where?"
"You think anyone would be mad at me? They would thank me!"
She glared at him. "I wouldn't."
He snorted. "What is it that makes you care so much?"
She didn't answer him. She didn't know herself. But she knew what she felt - and that was all that mattered.
"You two are so dramatic," Domeon snorted. He paced around them, his arms crossed against his bare chest. "Just do something already, either of you!"
It all happened too fast.
Before she could say anything to contradict him, Kayden jumped forward, his grip on the knife tightened. She saw it all in slow motion. The jerk of his head, the muscle moving forward. She saw it and she didn't want to believe it.
She felt something rose behind her, something monstrous and furious.
It was a bright force, the energy of vengeance and protection. It somehow moved within her, to the surface of her very being, completing her. Her thoughts became its thoughts.
And her thought was simple. Keep Thane alive. Simple as that.
The force moved from her body and she saw how it moved with speed and precision to Kayden. He, at the last moment, was swiped away by the enormous force.
Her wrist was painful from the heat of the bracelet she swore there would be a bruise.
Kayden fell to the ground. He didn't move. The white force moved back to her body.
It all happened within few seconds. She didn't know what it was but didn't have the time to examine that.
She quickly moved and kneeled next to Thane. He was breathing.
Seth, too.
Then, she moved to Kayden. He was unconscious but otherwise seemed unharmed. Shame, she thought.
She felt an arm on her shoulder. Domeon.
"I was waiting for you," he whispered, his eyes wide.
"What?" She replied, completely confused. What was he talking about? And why the hell didn't he do anything? She shook off his hand.
"I knew it was you, I felt it."
"What you felt," she snarled, "is not my problem. But what I feel now will soon become your problem! Why didn't you help me?"
"I didn't need to," he smiled wickedly. "You don't need anyone's help."
"If you didn't push, Kayden wouldn't do this!"
"Who cares? He wouldn't finish it, anyway." He waved his hand, bored.
"How can you know?"
"I just know," he bowed so his face was in the same height as hers. He sighed. "Of all people, it's you."
"Huh?" she lifted her chin. "Is this," she motioned to him with his head bowed, "is this a centaur thing?"
He ignored her comment, but his eyes showed something she didn't catch in them before. It was respect.
"You are finally back, Protector."