Elven Legacy

Chapter 113

Jaden

He took Noah lightly by the arm and moved a few symbolic steps back, nodding for Dharkan and Fenek to join them. He breathed in deeply in an attempt to calm himself, and the air rushing into him was all morning dew, primrose, alyssum, and the autumn briskness of northern winds.

Still holding his bow and arrow in his right hand, his left let go of Noah's arm and fell by his side, fingers twitching as he prepared himself for the question he knew was coming.

Noah crossed his arms. "Well? What'd she say?"

Dharkan held quiet for now, but his eyes kept tracking worriedly from the army facing them and back again to Jaden.

"She said that they'll leave us alone if we give them Noah. They want to extract the catalyst and give it to their empress. Putting him through the same agony I endured. We don't know for sure that he'll survive," Jaden said without looking at Noah. The mere thought of it brought simmering anger to his heart, made him tense at the shoulders, jaw and fists.

Dharkan said, "So what do we do?"

Jaden parted his lips to reply, but Noah was faster, "Jay, you have to let me go with them. There's too many. They'll slaughter us."

Now Jaden did glance up at Noah, taking in the sight of him as if for the first time. As the flickering sunlight, peeking momentarily through clouds, made his eyes a bright pale green and dusted gold over his skin, memories of last night danced across Jaden's thoughts. Rather than distract him, these memories kindled his resolve like coals to a forge, like air feeding fire.

Right now, Noah's eyes betrayed only a great concern for his friends. Which of course, Jaden had known would be the case.

"Besides," Noah said, "I'm the one who wanted to come to Chyulin . . . I can't let you guys die because of me."

Fenek tapped Noah's arm, he wanted to know what they'd been saying.

But Jaden couldn't hold back anymore. "My connection to you is what got me through it." He spoke in a low voice, as if for the two of them only. Dharkan could hear him too, but no matter. Let him hear. This is important.

Noah uncrossed his arms, leaned slightly closer as if to say something, but Jaden grasped his wrist in a Felleran soldier clasp – Noah returned it.

"Listen to me," Jaden said. "Back then, you handled some of the pain for me. I know you did. You were there . . ." Noah glanced down briefly, as if in acknowledgement, then looked up again at Jaden. He seemed upset, though his eyes remained dry. "Should I let them do this to you," Jaden said distinctly, "you will be alone. I won't be able to do for you what you did for me."

For once – for just this once – let me be the one to help you. To save you.

It hung there, unsaid, between them, whilst thick clouds claimed the sky once more and shadows darkened Noah's eyes.

Until Dharkan broke the moment with his legendary wit. "Guys, that's nauseatingly sweet, but the fact remains that we're outnumbered as hell."

Jaden let go of Noah's wrist and cleared his throat.

"Can you conjure a barrier around us? A sort of protective sphere?"

Noah shifted his weight, his raven hair swept back by the wind as he shot a glance at the Chyulin soldiers – no doubt concerned, like Dharkan, about their numbers. There appeared to be at least one hundred of them, and again as many demons – lions, panthers, tigers, horses, snakes, vultures, eagles, jackals, coyotes, wolves; yellow-eyed, watchful and waiting beside their tattooed masters. And yet, what especially unnerved Jaden was that Blood Eyes didn't have his demon out.

He could only hope it wasn't a fucking dragon.

Noah's answer came slow, as he raked a hand through his hair. "I mean yeah but . . . I don't know how long I can hold it."

"Doesn't matter. They don't know that. Just look confident."

A disbelieving chuckle escaped Noah's lips. "You're acting pretty confident yourself right now."

"That's because my arrows will get through," Jaden said. "Theirs will not."

Dharkan asked, "How?"

"Magic," Jaden said.

"What magic?" Dharkan asked, confusion furrowing his brow.

"Mine." He could feel it already, the potential, the energy, much more subdued than when he'd had the catalyst, but never mind that. It was there. A low buzzing, a tiny rush, a telltale tingle here and there, in places of his body he couldn't fully understand.

"Has he gone completely mad?" Dharkan asked.

Jaden ignored that, looking only at Noah as he asked, "Do you trust me?"

Noah gave a slow nod, and his eyes held the peaceful calm of someone who'd just made up his mind.

Jaden returned the nod. "All right then, I have a plan. Translate for Fen . . ."