Sewn & Scarred (The Fated Creations Trilogy #3)

Chapter Eighty-EightMaddox

Chapter Eighty-Eight

Maddox

T he sun was already up and over the horizon into late morning as we finished with the Vasi in Arlomandrah. There were more than the Madierian Kingdoms, but not more than there had been in Kembertus.

Still, establishing peace had taken hours and the lot of us were exhausted as we made our way to the castle, to speak to the rulers.

They were hesitant, but they allowed us to tell their people, and to heal them.

“Take in as many of the villagers outside of your walls as you can,” I instructed as we prepared to leave. “The brunt of the war is likely to happen in Widow Maker Plains, as all the others have. Take them in to give them sanctuary, and stay away from the Plains.”

The Lord nodded his head, face paling from fear as I confirmed the worries that most humans, but definitely all Arlomandrian’s, had over the horrors that may happen in the Plains.

Evaline and I bid our farewell and went to meet the others outside of the castle, but just as we exited the front doors, a raven’s cry pulled my attention to the sky.

A black raven flew from the east and made its descent into the open window of the castle where it made its landing.

I turned back for the door and Evaline was on my heels as we stormed through the castle, back to the study where we’d met with the Lord and Lady.

They jolted, startled, when I slammed the door open.

“How do I get to the raven enclosures?”

They led us up the hallways and stairwells to where their ravens docked when they arrived, and the raven who’d just flown in sat at the perch just inside the open window, eating some of the feed that had been left for it on the table beside the perch.

The Lord walked over and pulled the scroll, but handed it straight to me.

My fingers shook as they unraveled it. I didn’t know what to expect, but there’d come no good news from ravens in the last few days, and I feared there was more.

My brows furrowed as I read the note aloud.

“Vestaria is under attack. Please send aid.”

I turned to Evaline, eyes wide.

The Lord shook his head. “I thought you said Vestaria was an ally to the Vasi? Why would they attack their own ally?”

I swallowed, looking back down the scroll as if I’d misread it.

“I don’t know.”

We left the Lord to meet the rest of the Kova and informed them.

They had the same question, but this time, Evaline straightened.

“Vasier doesn’t know loyalty to any kingdom, even Vestaria. He steals their residents for his slaves, to create new Vasi, in Mortithev. He wants to rule over both Kova and the humans.”

One of the Kova that Sage and Evaline brought to Kembertus spoke up.

“I say we leave them be. Vestaria made its choice when it chose to align with Vasier.”

Annoyance bristled down the bond from Evaline.

“I think we should go,” she said, her voice strong. She looked up at me, awaiting my support.

I’d never stepped foot in Vestaria and never planned to. But the humans there, the citizens, were innocent.

My mind flashed to Bassel and I felt my blood begin to boil.

At least some of them were innocent.

“The bystanders don’t deserve to be killed ruthlessly for a choice the ancestors of their rulers made,” I said, looking to Evaline.

A smile grew on her face but promptly fell as there was immediate opposition from a few of the Kova.

“I understand your reluctance,” she said, turning toward them. “Trust me, I have my own reasons to hate Vestaria, as they do me. I killed the heir to their power, for Gods’ sake,” she said, and a few of the Kova straightened. “But the humans, the young women and girls like Maeve, a slave I met in Mortithev, they don’t deserve to die there, alone, with no one fighting for them. If you won’t go to save the kingdom, or to help the rulers, go for them. Go for the innocent.”

The Kova around us stayed silent as they processed her words, but finally, they all nodded, looking to each other, then looking to her.

Pride swelled in my chest at my mate, mighty in both her magic and her words.

Evaline turned to Sage, only to find the Sorceress standing there with her shoulders rolled in, and a worried look on her face.

“Don’t you want to go protect them? It’s where he steals a lot of the humans you knew from,” she said softly.

Sage swallowed, and I saw Dean turn to look down at her, pursing his lips.

Sage took a deep breath and gave a slight nod.

“It’s where I’m from.”

Evaline’s head jolted back at the surprise of the reveal.

Sage straightened and shrugged.

“I suppose that’s a good thing,” she said, looking around at all the Kova. “I bet none of you have been.”

We all shook our heads, it was forbidden for the Kova to set foot in a kingdom that aligned with the Vasi, for fear of starting a war.

Sage nodded. “Well, I have. So I can portal us in. I was young, so I only remember the forest just outside of the kingdom, that’s where I was when Vasier took me.”

Evaline took a step toward her. “And you can put a ward around it, to stop Vasi from going into the kingdom in the future. Stop them from taking slaves out of the kingdom.”

Grant spoke up.

“Creating a ward around Vasier’s only alliance is a quick way to antagonize him,” he warned.

I nodded and met my friends’ eyes.

“The moment the Vasi infiltrated other kingdoms, our allies, he opened the door for us to do the same to Vestaria. Only we won’t hurt them.”

Grant nodded.

Sage took us in her small batches as usual, and portaled us into the forest just outside of the kingdom. Through the sparse trees, I could see it loom in the distance.

Within seconds, we were all together, standing at the edge of the tree line. The screams sounded from everywhere. Within the kingdom, and outside of it. The sounds of humans shouting, what sounded like property destruction within the walls, and the hundreds of heartbeats, made hearing anything overwhelming.

As soon as we were all together, we ran out of the tree line.

We neared the gates, and I turned to Sage.

“Find a safe place to create the wards,” I said as we approached the threshold of the open gate into the kingdom. “And we’ll meet you back here to test them once they’re done—”

I was jolted back, a pain piercing through the space between my heart and shoulder.

I screamed, pain ripping through my chest, and heard my friends cry out around me.

I looked up to see archers lining the walls of the kingdom above us and narrowed my eyes as I met theirs.

Human.

“It’s a trap!” I screamed, whirling back to find Evaline, to gesture for them to retreat, but as I did, the pain in my shoulder expanded, crawled through my veins.

And not just pain, but weakness. Exhaustion.

Just as I turned, another arrow hit me in the back. And another in my leg.

I gasped out, falling to the ground, and tried to pull myself forward, away from the wall. But my body wouldn’t move.

Evaline was screaming my name, Sage was screaming Dean’s.

I looked up to see all the Kova I’d come with, apart from Sage, on the ground writhing in pain like I was.

We were spread out, right outside of the opening to the kingdom. I was the closest to the kingdom’s gates, all my friends had been behind me. And there they were now, scattered in front of me. Dean closest, Sage falling to his side, just as I felt Evaline kneel down at mine.

“What’s wrong?” she rushed out, eyes wide and worried as she tried to push my shoulder over so I’d lean on my side. So she could see the damage, see my face.

I shook my head, eyes wide.

“I don’t know,” I gasped. My muscles felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds. They wouldn’t flex when I told them to, and fatigue clouded all my senses. “Weak,” was all I could rasp out, my eyes barely able to remain open.

Evaline’s hands were on the arrows, ripping them out.

I screamed against the pain, but it didn’t go away.

She looked up, looked all around. Trying to keep us all safe as she looked for Vasi, but tears streamed down her eyes while she did it.

“I don’t understand,” she cried, and then I heard it.

A laugh. It was behind me and I knew it was someone walking through the opening to the kingdom, out to face us. I looked up at Evaline, her eyes wide as she watched the person approach.

“Right on time,” a deep voice said. And I knew it.

I’d grown up with it.

“Broderick,” Evaline said, shaking her head. “What have you done to them?”

I found the strength to roll on my back and looked up to Rick as he approached.

“Just a little concoction our Sorcerer made.” He shrugged, picking up one of the arrows Evaline had pulled from me, and thrown away from us.

He straightened, hand wrapped around the shaft of the arrow. He twisted it, examining the point of the arrowhead.

“We used the Rominium we had, and we melted it down. Extracted some and dissolved it in a solution.” He shrugged. “A convenient piece of research your old Arch Sorcerer had been working on, to use against us of course, before Lauden killed him.”

Evaline shook her head. “What are you saying?”

But I understood before he spoke.

“They’re poisoned,” Sage said behind us, and Evaline turned to face her.

Evaline’s face fell, and she looked down at me.

“Rominium,” she breathed.

Rominium in our veins, in all the Kova except for Sage. To keep us down, and to keep us weak.

This was a trap.

To take Evaline and Sage back.

I threw myself upward as hard as I could, but barely moved an inch. I tried to throw myself in front of Evaline but only managed to sling my arm over her lap. I heard Dean’s grunts of struggle too, and knew he was doing the same.

Another arrow shot through my stomach, and I choked up some blood, falling backward again.

“M-Maeve?” Evaline asked, and I was able to tilt my head between gasps to see a woman walk through the gates of Vestaria toward us, a bow still poised in her hands from where she’d just shot me, a quiver full of arrows slung across her back.

She stopped at Broderick’s side, and tilted her head, looking to Evaline.

“Surprised to see me?” she asked, a wicked glint in her red eyes.

My heart sank as I saw Evaline’s face fall, saw the tears fall harder down it.

“I tried,” she said shaking her head. “I tried to get you out,” she promised, but Maeve only shook her head, pulling another arrow and aiming it for me.

It dug into my thigh, and I ground my teeth against the pain.

I knew Rominium couldn’t kill me, but Gods did it feel like it was.

Evaline screamed and flung her body over mine, as Maeve smiled.

“Sure didn’t seem like it,” Maeve spat, tossing the bow to the side. “Looked mostly like you saved yourself and got the fuck out. Never mind the danger that would leave poor, weak, Maeve the human in.”

Evaline shook her head, tears coming faster.

“No, I did. I promise, I tried. They pulled me back, I didn’t have a choice. I wouldn’t have left without you if I had the opportunity.”

Maeve tilted her head. “Doesn’t matter much now, does it?”

Rick looked down at Maeve, a small smile on his face, and then turned to us.

“Enough with all this anyway. We just need to grab our Sorceresses and get out.”

Evaline shook her head, looking back to Sage, then looking to me.

Evaline stood with a start and leaned down to wrap her hands around my shoulders, dragging me back. I bit down as every bump in the land sent a wave of searing pain through my body, and found myself laid beside Dean.

Evaline and Sage stood in front of us, guarding all the downed and writhing Kova, but I could see Rick through the sliver of space between Evaline and Sage’s bodies.

His eyes landed on Sage, for what must’ve been the first time because his spine straightened and his jaw set.

“Well,” he breathed. “Your father is not going to be happy about that,” he said, meeting her gray eyes.

She lifted her chin. “He’s not my father.”

Rick shrugged, taking a step closer. “Neither am I, but I treated you like my own. Come back to us, Sage.”

Evaline took a step forward, arms widening and hands flexed.

“Don’t take another step,” she hissed. “I don’t want to kill you, Rick.”

She said and the Vasi’s eyes flicked to hers, amused.

“Mmm, so you know.” He tilted his head. “Pretty obvious you didn’t back in Mortithev. Tell me, how did Wyott take it when you got home and he discovered that you didn’t save his dear old father from being a Vasi like he surely saved your mate for you?”

Evaline only shook her head, and I knew she didn’t want to waste time, or thoughts, on conversing with him. She didn’t want to be distracted.

Rick took a deep breath and shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter. You won’t have to worry about it anymore, because Sage is going to take us home,” he said, sliding his eyes back to hers.

She straightened and shook her head. “I won’t.”

He smiled. “I saw you use your portal, I know your magic still works.”

She gave one shake of her head. “I refuse .”

A slow smile crawled up his face then.

“I thought you might say that.”

Maeve smirked at his side, crossing her arms, as Rick leveled Sage with an evaluating stare.

“The time is now, Little Sorceress.”

Sage’s body straightened and then relaxed. She gasped and swayed slightly. I couldn’t see her face, so I tore down the bond, to see through Evaline’s eyes. My mate had turned, looking to Sage, worried something was wrong.

And something was.

Her face had gone slack, her jaw hanging open.

Her eyes were wide, and they looked blank. Glassy. Unfocused.

I ripped back down the bond, understanding at once what had happened, and threw myself upward.

“No!” I screamed, fighting against the pain in my veins, and in my muscles to force myself up into a sitting position.

Rick smiled, and tilted his head, looking at Sage.