Twelve
Blood Ties
Tirah waited until the guard turned his back, then slipped through the gap in the fence and into the slave compound. She kept to the shadows and breathed a sigh of relief when her mother’s home came into sight.
Hiding behind the large weeping teal tree, she peered around to make sure no one was about, then dashed across the dirt yard and inside.
Ashara waited just inside the door, anxiety bright on her face.
“Mom, what do I do?” Tirah trembled. All she wanted was to fall into her mother’s welcoming arms. Only the sticky gore on her uniform stopped her. No way would she taint her mother with Captayen’s disgusting blood.
“I don’t know, baby. I’ve called Mihel,” Ashara said.
Tirah backed away in panic. “No. Why? He’ll have to turn me in.”
“I would never,” her brother said vehemently as he entered behind her. “Though you do need to leave. You killed your superior, they’ll be coming for you.”
“Where will I go?” she asked. The thought of living anywhere else terrified her.
“I have a map.” Mihel walked into the tiny kitchen and spread it out on the table. “Here—” he started to say, but their mother held up her hand.
“After.” Ashara looked at Tirah. “Come into the bedroom. Let’s get you cleaned up and changed.”
Still in shock, Tirah followed and tried not to wince as her mother dressed her wounds.
“Honey—”
Tirah shook her head. “No. Please don’t.” She didn’t want to completely break down and she would if her mother continued to speak about her actions.
Ashara didn’t say anything else, and Tirah quickly shed her blood-spattered clothing and dressed in the nondescript garb that was handed to her.
Then she thought about how her mother had spoken to her in her head. “How did you communicate with me like that?”
Ashara sat down on her bed. “It’s called telepathy, and it’s one of our gifts.”
“You are only now revealing this, why?” Tirah was still trying to wrap her mind around the whole thing.
“My gifts are complicated. And as much as I would’ve loved to have communicated with you all these years, it was too big a risk. Someone would have found out, and I shudder to think of how they would’ve used us if they knew. But this time I had no choice. When I saw what was happening, I knew you needed to run.”
Tirah stared at her mother and wondered what else they could do. “Do any of my brothers know about me?”
“No, not as far as I know.”
“Do any of them have gifts as well?” Tirah asked, though she wasn’t so certain she’d call them gifts.
Ashara hesitated. “Casin doesn’t. I don’t know about Wren, and Mihel … well, it’s better if you don’t know what Mihel’s gifts are, just like it’s safer for him not to know of yours.”
“I would never tell anyone,” Tirah said, thinking of all the times her mother had told her to keep what she was a secret.
“I know you wouldn’t. At least not intentionally.” Ashara sighed deeply.
Tirah gazed down at her bloody hands and frowned. Her mother had always been so scared that someone would find out about them. “I’ve always wondered why my brothers aren’t like us.”
“I suppose they just inherited more of their father’s genes.” Ashara stood and gathered up the ruined clothing.
Back in the kitchen, the reality of what she’d done hit her as her uniform was tossed into the wood stove.
“Tirah, look here.” Mihel pointed at the map in front of him. “See this spot? There’s a secluded cabin here. Make your way to this location but be careful. I will come to you when it’s safe for me to leave.”
“Take this.” Tirah’s mother shoved a pack into her arms.
“What is this?” Tirah asked.
Ashara shrugged. “Some food and other stuff I kept ready, just in case.”
Tirah blinked and wanted to ask what for, but just then, her mother pulled her into her arms. “Don’t ask. Just go, and remember, I love you.” Then her best friend, who had never touched her, hugged her. Tirah let out a little gasp at the feeling of power emanating from her brother.
“Remember, be careful. Trust no one. I will be there as soon as I can,” Mihel whispered.
Tirah pulled away and nodded. She studied the faces of her family, the only two who had ever cared about her, then left her mother’s home. Tears threatened, but she held them back and hurried into the night.
She felt empty and more alone than ever, as she quietly kept to the shadows of the buildings and trees. By the time she passed the barracks and made it to the outskirts of town, she was shaking. Finding a cluster of trees to rest unseen, she stopped. Then, as the whole horrible incident rushed through her head again, she sank to the ground and fought to breathe.
***
After two weeks of hiding out at the cabin, Tirah had run out of food, and was growing desperate to see her brother.
She was relieved when Mihel finally showed up. “I am so happy to see you.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.” Mihel set a bag of supplies on the rickety table. He seemed jumpy as he peered around the small space.
“Did you bring any food?” Tirah asked. “I’ve eaten everything Mother packed for me.” Not wanting to be seen, she had resorted to searching the forest for berries and nuts. “I’d have hunted small game if Mother had packed a knife or any kind of weapon—” Tirah stopped, aware she was babbling.
“Yes, here.” Mihel handed her a bundle, and Tirah tore it open.
“Oh, you brought chocolate. I love you!” She grinned and tore the wrapper off, then moaned at the first bite. Only a handful of shop keepers on Tartaria imported the stuff.
“Thought it might cheer you up.” Mihel slid two knives—one small and one large—from the supplies and laid them on the small table. “Sorry it took me so long to get here,” he apologized again and sighed. “I have some bad news.”
“What is it?” she asked, suddenly worried. Not much scared Mihel, but if he was freaked, then it had to be bad.
“The two dragon shifters from that night, they were Thorn brothers.”
The Thorns were notoriously well known for being the most fearsome dragon shifters in all the realms. “Shit.”
“Yes, and one of them has been picking off everyone who was there,” Mihel said.
Dreads. She could tell just by his appearance that he was dangerous. She put the chocolate down as her hunger fled. She could still recall Dreads vow of vengeance. He’d never give up searching until he found her.
“I guess I can’t let him find me.” She wrapped up the chocolate, then focused on Mihel. “I’m just glad you’re here now.”
“I only wish we could stay here, but it’s not safe.” Mihel stared at her. “You need to go somewhere far away.”
“Far away, like where?” Tirah asked. There were a lot of towns and small cities on Tartaria, but none seemed far enough away with the Ilyium and a dragon hunting her.
“You need to go off world. Go to one of the other realms,” Mihel said.
Tirah fought her threatening panic. “I’ve never been off world.”
She stared wide-eyed as Mihel told her of his plans.
“Here, take this,” he said and pulled a roll of money from his pocket. “You don’t have to go where I say, just wherever you do go, be wary. This dragon is a very adept tracker and seems to have no soul left.”
Tirah accepted the money with trembling hands.
“I’d go with you, but I fear what would happen to Mother if I do,” Mihel said.
Tirah nodded. “No, you are right, you need to stay here. Besides, this is my mess.”
Mihel bit his lip. “I wish I had better news, but the Ilyium are ….”
“They’re what?”
Mihel’s face pinched with anger. “They’re calling you a traitor. If they find you, you’ll be hanged.”
“And Casin?” she asked.
Mihel’s eyes hardened. “He’s leading the search.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s always hated me.” She knew it never mattered to Casin that they were blood.
“He’s always hated me too. I have no idea why. But I don’t hate you.” Then Mihel pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Tirah.”
Tirah hung onto him. “I’m scared.”
“I know,” Mihel said sadly. “I am too.”