Collide and Seek: Act 4-5 (Bitter Ashes Book 2) Read online

  “Maddy please,” Alaric begged.

  I stopped, then turned to face him. “I've got things to do,” I said simply. “I'd appreciate it if you would keep this meeting to yourself, but I'm sure you'll run to Estus the moment my back is turned.”

  I started walking again, hoping that Alaric would go back to where he came from, but he quickly caught up to my side. I was out of luck it seemed. Not that I had any to begin with.

  I stopped walking and glared at him. “What are you doing?” I asked sharply.

  “I'm coming with you,” he answered, looking forward at James' back in the distance instead of at me.

  With a huff, I began walking again, and Alaric kept pace wordlessly beside me. As we made our way through the woods, Alaric unbuttoned his navy flannel, then took it off and held it out toward me. Although I was still quite cold in the lightweight dress I was wearing, I ignored the shirt and walked a little faster.

  “I don't want you to come with,” I replied. “I think I've proven that I don't want, nor do I need, your help.”

  Alaric snorted and let his hand with the shirt fall to his side as he trotted to keep up with me.

  “Well if you've chosen to trust James, then you do need my help. It wouldn't surprise me if this was all some elaborate plan orchestrated by Estus to trick you into to finding the charm.”

  That stopped me dead in my tracks. I'd trusted James because he was willing to risk his life to help me escape, but what if he wasn't risking his life at all? Estus could have easily assigned James the task of making me believe he was an ally, so that I'd be willing to find the charm. Then once James had the charm, he could just give it to Estus instead of Aislin.

  “Didn't think about that, did you?” Alaric asked with a bitter smile.

  I started walking again, trying to brush off my reaction. “Of course I thought of that,” I replied, “but he's helping me at the moment, and if he does turn on me, I'll be prepared.”

  “Well since we're being so logical, I'm sure you can see that your best option lies in having me join you as well,” he stated conversationally.

  “On the contrary,” I replied, “I'd rather only have to watch my back against one traitor, not two.”

  Alaric laughed, delighting in our repartee. “If one of us is a traitor, then the other one can help you escape. You'll have the odds of two against one either way.”

  I smiled ruefully. “Unless you're both on the same side, and Estus sent you both to trick me.”

  Alaric shrugged. “Do you think I'd be his plan A, or plan B?” he joked.

  “Plan B,” I replied somberly.

  Alaric shifted his gaze quickly to me, then back to the woods ahead of us. “And why is that?”

  “Because Estus would have to be an idiot to believe I'd ever trust you again,” I answered. “He wouldn't waste Plan A on the underdog.”

  Alaric was silent after that, though he stayed by my side. When it became clear that I wasn't going to take his shirt, he put it back on. The moment he did, I wanted the shirt even more, but I refused to ask for it.

  We followed James for several hours. The protests from my stomach got louder as my feet began to drag, and I grudgingly accepted Alaric's help as I stumbled and almost fell several times.

  Just when I thought I couldn't go on any longer, James stopped. At first I was unsure of why we'd come to a halt, as all I saw were more trees ahead of us, then the air went all shimmery. As the shimmers dissipated, a small cottage came into view.

  James walked confidently into the cottage without offering an explanation, shutting the door behind him against the chilly air. Not knowing what else to do, I approached the humble building and knocked on the door. No one answered.

  Feeling irritated because Alaric was watching me with a raised eyebrow, I grabbed the doorknob and turned it, then pushed the door open and went inside. I scanned the interior for any sign of life, but it seemed abandoned. Where was James? Given his absence, I desperately hoped that who or what ever might live in the cottage wouldn't try to eat us, and would possibly offer us food instead.

  Alaric followed me in and stood close by my side, appearing at ease, but I could feel tension radiating off him like tiny ants marching across my skin.

  “This should not be possible,” he said quietly.

  “What should not be possible?” I asked as I looked around the cottage's living room.

  I had no idea where James had gone. From all I could tell, the cottage seemed empty. The rickety-looking furniture was covered in a thick layer of dust, and I had a strong suspicion that some mice had taken up residence in the couch cushions.

  “The Vaettir are forbidden to live above-ground,” he explained while he crept around the room as if looking for a secret panel.

  “I don't think anyone lives here,” I whispered as I followed his progress around the room.

  Alaric went down a nearby hallway to explore the rest of the house, forcing me to either follow, or stay in the creepy, dusty room by myself. I followed.

  “It's an illusion,” he explained, “a facade to turn away any who might discover the nature of whoever lives here.”

  “Forgive me,” an elderly-sounding voice said from behind me.

  I whipped around to find an old woman standing in the middle of the living room. The room she stood in was the same one we'd just left . . . only different. The dust had all been lifted to reveal spotless furniture, and a few candles were lit to make the place cozy.

  “I needed a moment alone with James,” the woman explained. “It is not often I receive visitors, especially other Vaettir.”

  The woman was dressed in a long, pale blue robe that obscured any other clothing she might be wearing underneath. The hood of the robe was pulled up to cover her short, curly, gray hair.

  “And where is James now?” I asked suspiciously.

  “He's fixing you supper, little mouse,” the woman said with a smile. Her eyes were the vibrant green of fresh-leaves, and looked out of place in her pale, deeply lined face.

  “I really wish people would stop calling me that,” I grumbled.

  The woman chuckled to herself as she removed the hood from her head. “I am Diana,” she introduced, “and I offer you refuge for the evening.”

  “Um, thanks,” I replied hesitantly. “I'm Madeline.”

  James came into the room from the hallway opposite us. He was carrying a large tray with stacked sandwiches on one side, and several teacups on the other. James set the tray down on the low coffee-table that stood in between the couch and two comfy-looking chairs. He sat down in one of the chairs, followed by Diana, who sat in the other.

  Alaric sauntered past me and took a seat on one side of the couch. The three of them watched me as I considered where to sit. With a final look at Alaric, I sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the coffee table. The position I'd chosen put me closer to Diana than I wanted to be, but it was the spot farthest from both James and Alaric.

  “Sit by your man, child,” Diana scolded. “There's no need to sit on the floor.”

  “He's not my man,” I replied politely. “I much prefer the floor.”

  Diana huffed. “Just because you're mad at him, doesn't mean he isn't yours.”

  The woman was obviously senile, but I humored her none-the-less. “I'm not just mad at him,” I explained. “He had me put in a cell, and then he watched while James stabbed me. Mad doesn't even begin to cover it.”

  Diana simply smiled. “You will see things differently in time.”

  Diana's words made James frown. “What else do you see?” he asked.

  Diana turned toward him. “You know better than to ask,” she chided. With that, she took a cup of tea into her bony hand and began sipping daintily.

  I turned my attention to the sandwiches lying only a few torturous inches away from me. They looked to be peanut butter and jelly. While it was a strange choice for supper, I was just glad there wasn't any meat in them. Noticing my gaze, Diana gestured toward
the sandwiches with a smile.

  “Now, about this charm,” Diana began as I snatched a sandwich and bit into the hearty bread.

  “James sure told you a lot, didn't he?” I interrupted with my mouth full.

  “He told me very little, though he did mention your current quest,” Diana replied. “I wanted a moment with him before I met you so that I might scold him for not warning me of his visit.”

  I squinted at her, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. I had a suspicion that Estus could sometimes read the thoughts of others. Perhaps this woman was the same.

  “Then how did you-” I began.

  “I see things,” she interrupted. “What has been, some of what will be, but only sometimes what is.”

  Well that explained her observations about Alaric, which I'd have to think more upon later. At that moment I was more concerned with the look in Diana's vibrant green eyes as she stared at me. It was a look that said she was imagining peeling my skin off layer by layer.

  “Could you please stop looking at me like you want to eat me?” I asked nervously.

  “I have offered you sanctuary,” she replied. “You are safe from my appetites . . . tonight.”

  I gulped. I hadn't actually thought she wanted to eat me, but I had seen a similar, predatory look from James.

  Diana turned her attention to Alaric. “Now my dear,” she said, “I haven't seen you since you were a boy. Where is Sophie? You two were never far from each other as children.”

  Alaric looked truly surprised. “I'm sorry, do I know you?” he asked.

  Diana smiled. “I asked my question first.”

  “Sophie is . . . ” Alaric paused seemingly at a loss for words.

  It only occurred to me in that moment that I wasn't the only one Sophie had abandoned. She had never even planned on telling Alaric that she was going to leave with Maya. It had to hurt.

  “Sophie is away on business,” I answered for him.

  Diana cocked her head at me. “You're not lying,” she began, “but you're also not telling me the truth.”

  I shrugged and took another bite of my sandwich.

  Diana sniffed and turned her attention from me. I glanced up at James, who was sitting stiffly with an unreadable expression. Something told me that we didn't want Diana to know that Sophie had left the Salr.

  “I will help you find the charm,” Diana said suddenly, “but I want to share in the credit when you deliver it to my sister, Aislin.”

  “Aislin?” Alaric sputtered as he choked on his tea at the same time I asked, “Sister?”

  “Why would we give the charm to her?” Alaric asked as he turned to me for verification.

  “Because Aislin didn't have me hung from a wall to be tortured,” I answered sweetly.

  Diana chuckled. “I see someone has yet to choose the correct side.”

  Realization dawned on Alaric's face as he stared at Diana. “Aislin knows that you're living above ground, doesn't she? And she allows it?”

  Diana's smile grew. “Like I said, the correct side.”

  Alaric turned his glare to James. “I wonder which side you actually work for,” he mused darkly. “In the end, which will you betray?”

  Diana snorted. “James would not abandon his own grandmother, and I have no intention of betraying one as powerful as Aislin, sister or no.”

  I was doing my best to figure everything out while the attention was off me. If Diana was James' grandmother, then that made Aislin his great aunt. Given the family connections, James was probably telling the truth about working for Aislin during his time with Estus. The family ties lent him credibility. Then again, lies might run in his family as well.

  I started eating another sandwich as Alaric and Diana continued to bicker. I felt like a little kid, sitting on the ground while the grownups talked about grown up things. I might have even been offended if I wasn't so bone-achingly tired.

  James watched me with a small smile on his face throughout the exchange. Eventually he nodded toward the hallway, then stood. Not particularly wanting to remain in Diana's presence, I rose to my feet as he walked past me and down the hall. I followed warily, still expecting some sort of trick.

  A moment later the bickering stopped, and Alaric was following close behind me. James pushed open the first door he reached, revealing a small, clean bedroom. He stood to the side of the door while he waited for Alaric and I to walk through.

  Once in the room, I turned and looked a question at James. I hadn't hoped for a private room, but separate beds would have been nice.

  James regarded me with an evil smile. “I figured I'd let you two lovebirds have the honeymoon suite. I'll sleep on the couch.”

  I squinted my eyes at him. “I knew you would betray me,” I grumbled.

  James gave me a little salute, then shut the door in my face, leaving me alone in a dark room with a man I once could have loved.

  Chapter Three

  I hugged my arms tightly around my stomach, not wanting to turn around and face Alaric again. Sure, I'd spoken to him in the woods earlier that day, but we hadn't been alone. Being alone made me nervous.

  The room was small, and fit with the rest of the cottage-style decor. The single bed stood ominously lit by the moonlight shining through the room's only small window.

  I jumped when a hand landed gently on the side of my arm. Alaric's long fingers gripped my bare skin, turning me to face him. I moved stiffly, not wanting to look at him, but knowing I couldn't avoid it.

  “We shouldn't stay here,” Alaric said once he had my full attention. “We need to look for Sophie. She can give us a place to hide and regroup until we decide what to do.”

  “There is no we,” I said tiredly. “There is only me, and I'd like to get some rest, if you don't mind.” I looked at the lower half of his face while I said it, not wanting to feel the full pressure of his gaze.

  He put his fingers underneath my chin and raised my eyes up to him. “You're putting yourself in the middle of a war, Maddy. You don't understand what you're doing.”

  I took a step back out of his reach. I'd thought my anger was exhausted, but I was wrong. “You put me in the middle of a war. I had no choice in the matter.”

  Alaric's shoulders slumped as his hand fell to his side. “Nothing would have happened to you if it weren't for Maya.”

  “Maya?” I scoffed. “You mean the woman who was being tortured against her will?”

  Alaric raised his hands in frustration, but seemed to calm as he closed his fists, then dropped them back down. “Maya's problems weren't your fight, Maddy.”

  “Then whose were they?” I countered.

  “You're defending a woman who abandoned you!” he shouted. “I didn't see Maya coming back to risk herself when you were the one in the cell.”

  “Well I didn't see you risking yourself either,” I snapped. “Just because Maya didn't save me in return, doesn't mean I shouldn't have saved her to begin with. I didn't help her because I thought she deserved it. I helped her because that is the type of person I want to be.”

  “That type of person does not exist among the Vaettir,” Alaric replied coldly. “Do not risk yourself for others, because they will never risk themselves for you.”

  “And yet here you are,” I stated blandly, “risking yourself for me.”

  “So you believe me?” he asked, jumping on what I'd just said.

  “I don't believe anything anymore,” I replied, “not without solid, indisputable proof.”

  Alaric took another step toward me, and this time I let him. “I'll prove it to you in time,” he said with an almost smile, “that is, if we live long enough.”

  “You think Estus will come after us?” I questioned, though I already knew the answer.

  “He will,” Alaric stated. “Especially after you released all of his hearts. He put two and two together, and he would rather die than let you hand the charm to Aislin.”

  “And you would let me give her the charm, even though you
r Doyen forbids it?” I countered.

  “I left the Salr against his wishes,” Alaric replied apathetically. “He is no longer my Doyen. The life I had is gone.”

  “You didn't need to follow me,” I stated coldly. I'd be damned if he'd make me feel guilty for his loss.

  “I was already planning on leaving once I managed to free you,” he explained. “If we would have been more swift, or if you had bothered sharing your plan with me, I would have left with you the night Sophie escaped with Maya.”

  I shook my head. “I don't believe you. You would have had no reason to make such a sacrifice for me. You barely even know me.”

  “You keep insisting that I've made some huge sacrifice,” he replied with his head tilted slightly to one side.

  The movement made his now loose, dark hair fall over his shoulder. I didn't know at what point he'd untied it, but I had the overwhelming urge to reach out and run my fingers through the soft tresses. Repressing the impulse, my hands balled into fists at my side.

  “You left your home,” I explained. “Leaving home is always a sacrifice.”

  Alaric shrugged. “I've had other homes, and I'm sure I'll have more in the future.”

  It was my turn to tilt my head in confusion. “It was my impression that you and Sophie grew up in the Salr.”

  Alaric laughed, and the abrupt sound was startling in the darkness. “Sophie and I grew up in a very different world from the one we know now.”

  “James informed me that the Vaettir do not always look their age,” I said as an idea formed in my mind. “How old are you, exactly?”

  Alaric shrugged. “Old enough.”

  I shook my head. “No. No more lies. I'll need two forms of I.D. before I'll believe anything you say.”

  Alaric sighed and started wandering around the room. He ran his fingers along the quilted bedspread, then went to fiddle around with the bedside lamp like it actually interested him.

  “I've lost track of the exact time,” he said finally, “but I was born around 1500, give or take a few years.”

  “You're trying to tell me that you're over five-hundred years old?” I scoffed.