Sewn & Scarred (The Fated Creations Trilogy #3)

Chapter Seventy-OneSage

Chapter Seventy-One

Sage

“ W here will we go first?” Evaline was asking as we headed for the loft and training center.

“Correnti,” Charlotte interjected. “Please.” Her voice was a whisper but the desperation in it rang clear.

“Of course,” I said in response, but almost couldn’t hear my own voice over the thoughts racing through my mind.

I was trying so hard to prove to the kingdom that I was in this with them, that I’d chosen them over Mortithev, but when I let things like this slip from my mind, it only made me look guilty when it became a problem.

I scoured my memory for those days with Lauden, when he maintained the wards in Neomaeros and Merwinan. I’d believed him, at the time I had no reason not to. But I was angry with myself, now, for not realizing sooner that it was something I could have prevented.

I should’ve remembered. I should’ve considered he’d done something nefarious there the moment we arrived.

And now, all those dead, their lives were on me.

It’s okay. No one blames you. They deceived you, just as they deceived all of us. Dean’s hand on my waist tightened and I wasn’t sure whether he heard my quick breaths from the panic that rose in my chest, or the whirl of my thoughts down the bond.

“I need to warn my family I’m leaving,” Charlotte said at our side before the wind whipped, and she was gone with the guard who’d been waiting for her.

“I need to get Sage to the loft, so she can prepare,” Dean said at my side.

Evaline’s voice was immediate behind us. “Of course. Sage, do you need me to stay with you while Dean and Maddox get the rest of the Kova?”

I shook my head. “No, I’ll be fine.”

I tripped over my feet down the hill as I drew closer to the loft. My eyes were downcast, and I focused on each step and the pace of my breathing.

“I’ll start at the training center, see if anyone there will volunteer.”

“I’ll be right there,” Dean said to Maddox, then to me, soft and in my ear. “Steps.”

I lifted my eyes and let Dean lead me up the stairs into the loft. As soon as the door closed behind him I took a deep breath and doubled over, bracing my hands on my knees.

“Are you okay?” Dean asked, placing a hand on my back, and bending to my level.

I nodded. “Yes, go.”

“I’ll be right back,” he said softly. “Dress for a fight, okay?”

I nodded and listened to his soft footfalls approach the door, and then heard it shut.

I straightened, wiping both hands down my face.

“Gods,” I muttered to myself.

I took a deep breath and looked up, stretching my neck, and when I looked forward again, I felt my heart start to settle.

I pulled my hair up into a ponytail before donning my battle wear. The leather pants clung to my legs and tucked into my boots, which laced halfway up my shin. A protective leather corseted top, with hard protective panels in the front and back, laced up at the sides. The shoulders were made of a thicker leather, too, and the neckline ended just below my throat.

Underneath, I wore a green long-sleeve shirt to protect me from the cold of Correnti’s snowcapped mountains.

By the time I was headed back down the stairs, Dean was walking back in with wild eyes that flitted around the room before they landed on me.

“We’ve got everyone we need; they’re going to change and gather their weapons,” he said and walked toward me, hands outstretched until he took my face in them. “Are you okay?” he asked, brows furrowed. “It’s a lot to ask, for you to not only portal us all around but to fix the wards, too.”

I shook my head. “It’s okay. I can handle it.” I swallowed.

He smiled and nodded, pulling back to look down my form.

“Where are your weapons?”

I shook my head. “I don’t have any.”

Dean’s eyes rose to mine before he was pulling at his hips.

It was then that I noticed he’d changed, too. He wore battle leathers and had several weapons strapped all over his body.

Without warning he swung the leather holster he’d just pulled off of his waist around mine and I felt the two holstered daggers attached to them thump against my hips.

I held my arms up and out of his way, but didn’t argue.

“Too tight?” he asked, looking up at me as he pulled on the fastener.

“No,” I said, and as he moved to one of the fasteners on his chest, I spoke. “Dean, I can barely spar with weapons, I won’t be able to use them in a real fight.”

He shook his head. “I’d rather you have them than not. The Vasi will be fast, and I will be right by your side, but it never hurts to have something small you can use to ward them off even if it’s only for a moment.”

He wrapped the next holster over my back and pulled the straps over one shoulder and under the other to strap it into the center of my chest, and I felt the holstered short sword land against my back.

When he was done fastening it, he tugged on it softly so that I was pulled closer to him.

“Just don’t let them take it from you,” he said softly, eyes lowering to my lips.

I shook my head. “Dean, I don’t want to lose your weapons. If they’re that important, I’d feel better without them. Are they sentimental?” I asked, my hands reaching up to run down the fastener on my chest.

Something flashed behind his eyes and his brows twitched inward.

“Sage, I don’t give a fuck about these weapons,” he said softly, tilting his head. “I don’t want you to let them disarm you, because I don’t want the Vasi to use the weapons against you.”

“Oh,” I whispered and felt a warmth spread through my face and chest. My eyes moved to his lips. I didn’t know if it was the rush of energy or the content of his words, but we both began to lean in.

But the door opened, letting in light from the early evening sun.

Maddox and Evaline strode in, dressed in their battle attire too. Evaline in the same outfit that she’d worn the first time we went to Correnti.

“Are you ready?” Maddox asked, and we straightened.

“Are you okay?” Evaline asked me as we followed the two men outside and toward the training center.

I nodded. “Yes, I just feel guilty. I should’ve known sooner that he’d done something to those wards,” I said softly.

She shook her head. “Dean and I were in Correnti with you. None of us considered he would’ve left a way for Vasi to get in.”

I turned to her, to see if she looked as sincere as she sounded, and when I met her blue eyes and saw the way they softened, I took a breath of relief.

My eyes drifted behind her, to her braid hanging down her neck, and the small black points that struck out between strands.

“Is that a new wire?” I asked, and my hand tingled where her previous wire had dug into it.

She smiled and nodded. “Yes, the Blacksmith made me a new one.”

My eyes lingered on the spikes a moment longer before I pulled my gaze away to face the training center. The wire in her hair was another weapon, something she did to protect herself. And even standing here with weapons strapped over my body, I didn’t feel any more protected by them than I would if I didn’t have them. I didn’t know how to use them, and all I had to protect me was my magic, and even that wasn’t enough to truly stop a Vasi from hurting me. I hadn’t practiced enough for it.

I was heading into battle, utterly vulnerable and a massive target for every Vasi who recognized me. I wondered what instruction Vasier had sent for my head. Whether he wanted them to draw out my death, make it as painful as possible, or if he wanted them to bring me back to him, so he could do it himself.

I swallowed the fear and felt Dean’s hand brush against the back of mine in what I knew was an inconspicuous sign of comfort.

A few people had already gathered in front of the training center and nodded to us as we approached.

Maddox made introductions.

“This is my mate, Evaline, and Dean’s mate, Sage,” he said, waving to the two of us, and I felt a flutter through my chest at the introduction.

And felt the same flutter down the bond from Dean.

Maddox continued, turning to the woman who stood there.

“This is Eliana,” she smiled at us and nodded.

“Wish it was under better circumstances,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her. She had fair skin and strawberry blond hair that was braided down the crown of her head then tied off into a ponytail.

I smiled back at her, but then heard more people approach and my skin froze when I saw Nash, Fredrik, and Grant.

Before I had too long to wonder if they already knew that I was involved in their abduction, I saw their appraising eyes on me.

It’s okay. Dean said through the bond. They’re reasonable men. They understand why you did it, just give them a bit to get used to working with you.

I swallowed but didn’t respond.

“This is everyone?” Grant asked, looking to Maddox.

Charlotte and her guard ran down the hill behind them now.

“I’m ready,” she said breathlessly.

I tried, not for the first time, to remember if I’d ever heard anything about her in Mortithev, or if I’d ever seen her, but I already knew the answer. I hadn’t seen Charlotte ever before, apart from that painting of her that had been hanging at James’ house.

I tried to shove away the annoyance at one more thing Vasier had kept from me.

Perhaps I’d been wrong. Perhaps he’d always thought there was a chance I’d turn on him, maybe that was why he’d kept so much from me.

My skin went cold as I considered something far more likely. Perhaps he just compelled me to forget everything I knew. Perhaps he thought I wasn’t cut out for this role, or thought I’d betray him, and took it all so I couldn’t use it against him or destroy his plans.

I frantically tried to search my mind, just as I’d done after Maddox and Wyott told me I’d been compelled, but it didn’t come up. The memory of his compulsion, if there even was one, didn’t unveil itself like the memory of him telling me not to portal Evaline had.

Whether it was because there was no compulsion, or simply because me speculating its existence wasn’t enough to reveal it, not like Maddox and Dean confronting me with the evidence that I’d been compelled had, I didn’t know.

“Is everyone ready?” Maddox asked, looking around, and after several nods, he turned to me.

“Take it away, Sage.”

I swallowed and took a step between the loose throng of nine people.

“I’m going to open a portal that we can step through. I need to be touching all of you when we go through, but this is a large group, so we’ll go in four smaller groups.” I’d already done the math. There were six of us when we came back from Mortithev, and it had been too much. I didn’t want to even come close to that number if I didn’t need to, not when I needed my magic to fix the wards.

I spun around to look at each of them.

“Split up however you’d like. Be warned that once you step through, we’ll immediately land on the other side.”

Maddox stepped toward me. “How about Evaline and I go with you this round.” He looked to the others. “Is that okay?”

They all nodded as I opened the portal below, I grabbed Maddox and Evaline’s outstretched hands, both moving to stand on either side of me.

“Ready?” I asked, and then we all stepped through.

I’d opened the portal to open just outside of James and Charlotte’s house. There was no use in further torturing her, I wanted her to see him right away.

As soon as we landed, I was letting go of them, and opening a new one. I didn’t stop to look around, only felt the cold night bite at my cheeks and the slip of what seemed like sleet over my hair.

This time Charlotte lunged forward, ready to portal in, and I reached for her and her guard.

We landed, and I was already turning to open another portal when I heard Charlotte’s soft gasp as she realized where she was.

The cold wind of Correnti’s mountains melted away as I stepped back in front of the others, and Dean and Eliana came forward.

I opened another portal, and held my arms out for them.

Finally, I came back and was faced with Grant, Nash, and Fredrik. I was thankful when they didn’t say anything to me, didn’t tell me that they hated me. We were silent as Nash and Grant grabbed one hand, and Fredrik held onto my arm.

When we stepped through, they cursed about how cold it was, but I was already turning back to Charlotte.

The door to the cabin was open, and Eliana and Charlotte’s guard stood outside with Evaline.

“What’s going on?” I asked, walking up to stand with them.

Eliana shook her head. “They went in, but it doesn’t sound like anyone is home.”

Maddox and Dean reappeared through the door a moment later, their faces somber.

Charlotte ran out behind him, looking around wildly and shaking her head.

“No, no he should be here,” she cried. She ran a hand through her hair as tears started to stream down her face. “It’s not fair,” she cried, turning to face Maddox. “He can’t be gone, just when I’ve come back for him.”

Maddox shook his head. “He could be on his way to Rominia right now,” Maddox offered. “We did send him that raven. And there’s no sign of any wrong doing inside. It doesn’t look like he was attacked here.”

“He could be down protecting the mortals,” Evaline said, rushing forward to put a hand on Charlotte’s arm.

Just then all the Kova turned to look down the path, and Evaline and I snapped our heads that way too. James stood down it, too far for us to hear whatever small noise he’d made, but loud enough for us to hear once his voice rang out.

“Who are you?” James’ voice called. “What do you want?”

He stood down the path, blood coating his clothes, and a hand clutched over his side.

He could barely walk, and it was clear that Evaline was right.

“We came to help with the attack,” Maddox called down the path, and I turned to see Charlotte, frozen still. Eyes wide and unblinking, as if she was afraid they were lying to her. That she wasn’t seeing what she thought she did, over my shoulder.

“I came to get my Rominium chains,” he said behind me. “There aren’t enough Kova here. And the wards aren’t working.”

I turned to James now, saw him gesturing toward the cabin.

And then I stepped away.

His slow steps stopped, and his eyes bulged.

“I don’t…” he breathed. “I don’t understand.”

And that seemed to awaken Charlotte from her fog, because she ran forward, and he ran forward until they collided just a few paces from us.

He seemed to forget about the wound he’d been clutching at his side with his arms wrapped around her, his eyes wide over her shoulder.

“Charlotte?” he asked quietly.

Maddox turned to all the other Kova besides Dean. “Go, now. We’ll be down in a moment.” They nodded and ran, and the sound of Charlotte’s voice drew me back to the reunion.

“Yes, James.” She pulled away. “Didn’t you get the raven we sent?”

He shook his head. “I don’t—you’re not—this can’t be real.”

Evaline ran forward then.

“It’s real,” she breathed. “After we left your home, we found ourselves in Mortithev. Vasier has had her all this time.”

He looked to Evaline and recognition flashed over his face, but he looked back to Charlotte and shook his head, backing away from her.

“No,” he said, tears streaming down his face. “No, I watched her die. This isn’t possible, and this is the cruelest joke anyone could ever pull.”

Charlotte shook her head and reached for him.

“No, J.J. It’s me,” she whispered, and his eyes widened at the nickname. “Vasier compelled you to think that I’d died.” I couldn’t see her face, but the tears were evident in her voice. “I’ve been locked in Mortithev, all this time. He wanted to use me, to use my knowledge from coming back.”

“It’s true,” Evaline said behind Charlotte. “Vasier was going to kill you, but Charlotte offered her subservience for your life. So he compelled you.”

“You’re wrong, a Kova can’t be compelled,” James said, but Maddox took a step forward.

“A First can compel all the others,” he admitted, and I wondered what Kovarrin would have to say about him revealing that.

But James’ eyes took in Maddox, the clear son of the First by his looks alone, and turned to Charlotte, eyes still wide.

Charlotte raised her hands to grasp at his shoulders, at his chest.

“Please, look at me. You know it’s me.” She pulled his hand and placed it on her cheek. “It’s me,” she whispered.

He shook his head slowly, his eyes wide. “It was a false memory?” he asked slowly. His brows furrowed for a moment, his eyes became unfocused before they widened, and he gasped.

Immediately, I understood what happened.

He remembered the compulsion.

James’ face crumpled into a look of pure joy, tears fell from his eyes, and a sob from his lips. He brought his other hand up to cup her face as well, and their lips met.

We turned away then, and Dean spoke at my side. “We need to go fix the wards.”

Maddox nodded and looked in the direction of the kingdom below.

There was no noise, there were no screams, and I hoped that meant the fighting was over.

Can you hear them? I asked Dean down the bond.

No, he whispered back.

“We’re too far,” Maddox said quietly. “Too far to hear them. Sage, can you go somewhere safe that the two of you won’t be harmed while you fix the wards?” he asked, turning to me.

I nodded, remembering how far up into the mountains Lauden was when I’d found him the last time we were in Correnti.

He turned to Dean. “The rest of us will go down to help. When you’re done, meet at the castle. If we’re not there, it’s because we’re still hunting.”

Maddox turned to Evaline, scooped her up into his arms, and the Kova sprinted down the mountain.

Dean turned to me, hand out and ready to portal.

I placed my hand in his, and feeling the steadiness in it only accentuated the shaking of mine.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, brows furrowing.

I swallowed. “What if I can’t fix it? What if I can’t help, and forever, they all think that I had something to do with this?”

Dean shook his head. “You didn’t have anything to do with this, and you will fix it.”

I pursed my lips. “Only if I have the exact spell Lauden used to create it.”