It was flashes of light between the tracks in the woods because I kept blacking out.
Eventually I blinked at the sky, it was dark. I blinked again, realizing it wasn't the sky. It was the fabric of a makeshift tent. I was lying back on a patch of earth puffed to be a bed. Apparently I blacked out way more than I thought I did.
Selena was standing outside the tent, watching with real concern at the back of the witch when the witch turned towards me. My eyes widened. "Patricia?"
Her petite physique is unmistakable, as is her raven-dark hair. Clearly the weeks of travel have been hard on her, leaving heavy bags of sleep under her eyes. "Tajiri, you're awake."
Selena crouched down to look between us, looking confused. "Do you know each other?
"We travel together," I answer her, trying to balance my head to peer up at the site. Patricia inches closer with a slimy, chunky goo on her fist.
No time to process, she lays the thing on my ribs. Although the scent of it has me hurling for a bucket to puke in, it's an ache in my chest that started to be permanent.
She moves around the tent, grabbing hold of ointment to add to the complexion. The motioning of her hands, although practiced, seems automatic and not real thought for them. "You must be tired as hell."
She nodded, the movement seemed to expel some of the stress. We've been traveling a lot ever since we split paths, and I cut her off, expelling her to tell me, "Where is Helena?"
Patrice gave a once over at Selena before looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I nodded, confirming. My niece can hear this too. There is no danger of her repeating this to anyone else.
She expelled a long breath, biting her lip. Tension in my shoulders tightened, and I wanted to shake the information out of Patrice to know. "After you had gone missing during the boat ride, Helena left in the middle of the night too. She took and stole from the captain a rescue boat and sailed after you. She told me she wasn't going to leave you behind, and you must have been in danger because you would never leave her."
But I did leave her.
A traitor and the killer. The voice in my head quivered. Who will you get killed next? If not Helena, then maybe Nyla and her pretty daughters.
I shook my head, trying to focus. "Which way did she go? Do you know where she would be now?"
Selena held me down to the bed. I realized now that I was trying to sit up again, and my ribs started to hurt again. I coughed out a long breath that had been forced.
"What about..." I glanced at Selena thoughtfully, considering she was still a kid. I did not say the name of the man, but I mouthed out the words in silence. What about the butcher?
She gave a small shrug, but I could see the shiver that went through her at the realization of what I was asking. I knew better than to ask her more about this, especially in front of the kid.
In and out of consciousness, my head spun from strange dreams about burning ships and glowing hands and golden hair between my fingers. I felt bad. This kid, barely out of puberty, has to take care of her messed-up, long-lost uncle that she barely knows.
Selena was the only one now near me. I felt her tiny hands clutching mine when I opened my eyes. She pulled her hands from mine as if the action were forbidden or embarrassing.
"I'm sorry, Selena. I know that you didn't want this for your free day from home." I apologize.
She shrugged, looking away. "At least now we know that you're really my uncle. I'm the only one in our family to get these dizzy spells."
I try to furiously blink against the growing tiredness in my brain. "Was there any doubt that I was your uncle?"
She nervously looked away from me, still muttering. "When you first came here, I thought that you were a scammer trying to rip off Mom."
She's smarter than I gave her credit for. "That's a fair assumption."
She whipped her head towards me. "You aren't mad"
"You were trying to protect my sister, your mom. Why would I be?"
I suddenly hear a scream. Both of us swish toward the noise from the side of the tent. I raise my hands to my knees, trying to steady my body to stand.
I exit the tent while Selena tries to clutch a hand to my chest, half-heartedly trying to stop me from moving. My vision sharpens, I can feel the movement in the woods.
Soldiers. They're from a particular asshole's army. It's such a shame that Dad rules this area, isn't it?
-----
Now three of them are crowding Patricia. She's on the ground with blood on her cheek that makes my blood boil. While Jacob, her son, is holding a stick, it is only for protection.
I rose to my feet, the stick that I've been using for the last few days having a firm grip on it. I had my other hand around Selena's mouth, clutching her to my chest to make sure she didn't make a sound. "Don't say anything."
She squirmed under my hold, leaning towards my old travel companion; clearly she felt for Patricia's current state, or maybe it was the soldiers.
If I knew anything, it was clear that Nyla has not had a good relationship with Dad in recent years, and considering where they were living and the fact she hasn't mentioned him, I'm pretty sure they lost touch clearly. Selena feels the same way her mother does because her muscles clench up in fear and anger.
I want to beat the living shit out of them, but I'm in no condition to do anything right now, and with Selena by my side, I can't do something that will endanger her.
I needed to get my niece out of here back home, but I would not leave Patricia and Jacob behind. She helped me even though she didn't have to.
And Jacob is Helena's brother, for heaven's sake!
I did something that I was not particularly proud of in that moment. An old technique that I learned, I pinched her neck in a sense of a spot that's supposed to knock out an enemy. Selena swayed in my arms, immediately falling to my chest, very lightweight. She settled easily on the ground, although I was still struggling with the stick, holding it upright.
I tried to tap into whatever sort of power in my chest was left. I did not know. I don't know where I had the strength to leave behind the stick and run at the two soldiers.
Suddenly I was a wraith once again, dodging and tackling and swishing back and forth. Like dance I was lost to it.
I blinked out the haze. I was so tired that I was inclined to close my eyes forever. Three dead bodies lay at my feet. I had the bloody dagger in my hand; my hands were red from their blood. Patricia seemed inclined to run for me.
I threw away the dagger to the side, bending my knees and huffing up a breath, realizing I took out a lot of energy in that fight. "Are" you okay?" I asked the two of them. Jacob was curled into his mother's chest, red from tears. He turns to me, asking, "Taj?"
I smile, saying, "Yeah, it's me. Do you remember me?"
He nods gingerly. Patricia tugs him closer to her chest, eyes wide from fear; she looks like she is ready to bolt. I repeat myself in a calm, soothing voice, "It's me, Patricia."
She shakes, tremoring. "What are you?"
I don't answer the question because I don't know what the hell that was. "You told me you knew where Helena went. I need to find her. I need to keep her safe." The urge was stronger than ever. I was sure of it.
She goes down shaking her head, refusing me. I grit my teeth. "Listen, take Selena to her home. You can stay with my sister there; I'm sure she will help you find a permanent home here if you ask her. Just tell me where Helena is; I'm going to go find her either way.
She shakes her head, tugging her son closer. Jacob seems confused by the eyes and the blood on my clothes, but I take it away, ensuring not to traumatize the boy further. I suddenly realize he has quite the bruise on his right arm. I reach out to Jacob, the boy's mom.
Patricia yells, "Don't touch him," but the glow from my hand starts to intensify from one moment to the next until it's latching on to his arm. Patricia yells and tries to tear off my arm from his, but I only let go when I feel the warmth dissipate. I remove my palm from the bruise to reveal clean skin.
Jacob seems enamored with it, gasping, "How did you do that? Are you magic now?"
I open my mouth to say something to deny it, but nothing comes out because I really don't know what it is. Magic? Yes. But how did it get there? No idea. I never had any connection to magic or passion for it.
Patricia seemed to not be able to remove her eyes from me. I still pleaded, "Please tell me."
I didn't care that I apparently have magical healing abilities now that don't seem to be helpful to me or that I killed more people in the last few days than I ever did in my lifetime and my thirst for blood seems to grow.
She searched my eyes for something that was not there and nodded her head, saying, "I don't know. She told me she won't search every port until she finds you. She could be halfway across the ocean by now."
I stood upright, engaging my spinning head quickly, feeling so much better than I ever did a few days ago. In the last few days I took the stick I've been carrying and ordered, pointing towards Selena, "Take her home, please. She's family."
Patricia noted understanding much more than she should have, looking at her. She seemed older beyond her years, only a young woman struggling through court life.
She pulled Selena up into her arms, readjusting her so she could grab hold of Jacob in her second palm.
I watched them until they disappeared in the distance, then I made a vow: I will find Helena no matter what and make sure my family is safe doing so. And not my father, not the butcher. No mercenaries are going to stop me from getting my girl.