The Catalyst

Chapter 12

They were not equipped for spending the night outside, Jaden decided. Wrapped up as they were in cloaks and blankets, they still shivered. Kitera was the only one sleeping. She seemed blessed with the ability to sleep through anything.

Realizing they were both miserably awake in utter darkness, the rattle of rain against rock assailing their ears, Jaden and Noah sat side by side, leaning against their shelter's wall.

Detecting a faint glow, Jaden wondered if a firefly had appeared. Wrong insect, Jaden realized as his gaze followed the light and landed on Noah's arm, where the spider tattoo glowed softly.

"Why a spider?" Jaden felt compelled to ask.

Noah regarded him with amused green eyes. "Why not a spider?"

"Because it's disgusting?" Jaden tried.

"Agree to disagree. Well, it's just a disguise anyway."

"Is that what she told you?" Jaden asked.

"Yeah."

Jaden clutched his blanket tighter around himself.

"Does she have a name?"

Noah took a deep breath, eyeing Kitera's still form. She was fast asleep, Jaden was sure of it. No one could fake snores like that.

"It's Arakili," he said, "but I call her Kili."

Jaden chuckled. "You nicknamed your demon."

"I sure did."

The silence lingered, filled with the steady drumming of the downpour.

In that daft village, they probably believed this harsh weather represented the gods' outrage. After all, they had failed to complete the sacrifice. Jaden hugged his knees closer to his chest.

"Those rituals are important," Matt would always insist. They used to get into such heated arguments, which Jaden loathed, for every time he got furious with Matt.

"If it were you," Jaden told him once, "I'd save you. I wouldn't hesitate a damn second. I'd kill the priest if I had to."

"And I would hate you for it," Matt had replied.

Snapping out of the memory, Jaden realized Noah was staring.

"Where'd you go?" Noah asked softly.

Jaden shook his head. "I was merely thinking that . . . a friend of mine would truly despise me right now."

"Why?" Noah asked.

"Because, I killed that priest."

"He deserved it," Noah said.

". . . What about those other two?"

Noah waited a beat, then shrugged. "Shit happens. Maybe they deserved it too."

"I appreciate your efforts to make me feel better."

"Anytime."

Then Noah broached a different subject, "Hey, can I ask you something? I heard the Dragon's guys fight with the Azurian army?"

"You heard right," Jaden answered.

"How does that work?" Noah sounded genuinely curious. "What kind of magic do they use in battle?"

Two dragons circling the night sky, breathing fire; Felleran soldiers writhing in pain as flames seared their skin; the scent of burning flesh reaching Jaden's nostrils. An enraged hyena, hacking its way through his fellow archers; atop the wall, alongside Azurian archers, a dark mage hurtling his snake demon at the king . . .