Page 15 of Marked for Redemption

Our weapons clashed as they struck one another. Equally matched, I knew it was going to come down to having the correct timing and getting the right amount of force into each swing.

Sparks flew when the metal struck each other. Amaya stumbled back, and when I advanced, she threw her weight into blocking me from cutting her throat. She went for my legs and I jumped back, barely missing her swing.

“Do better.” I taunted. She’d have to in order to win. I focused on trying to stay alive. I needed her to exert more energy so I could wear her down.

“You as well. Die with dignity.” She hissed at me before her blade swiped the side of my arm, cutting into the flesh there.

Ignoring the pain, I used her distraction to swing at her leg. The tip sliced her thigh, and she jumped back in realization, but not before I did a roundhouse kick to her side. Amaya circled me, looking for an opening, while I stood still doing the same. I doubled back, barely able to get behind her. I sliced across her back and she turned just in time to drive her blade into my chest, knocking me to the ground.

“Getting what you deserve. It should have been my blade instead, though.” I heard in the distance.

Colton?

Then I heard the voice of the witch in my head so clearly, it was as if she was standing beside me.

“Twins. Forever bound. I curse your futures, erase them from this time, sending them into another. A realm filled with death, despair, and a game of the underworld. Your love for one another will be their undoing. Your love for others, blinding and cruel. The misdeed of your father has sealed your fate. To make things right, your husband must suffer at the hands of you to honor the marriage taken away from another. The bond of your family is broken so that another’s family can heal. If you sacrifice yourself, the veil will be removed and they will see all.”

I had sacrificed. Colton deserved whatever great things he was about to do. I had no family to bond with. No husband to make suffer, though, I’d have loved to be Colton’s wife. My father had abandoned me long ago, choosing to put money and power before his family.

Family.

Lightning lit up the darkened sky, striking down around the three of us, and clear as the water’s edge, the fog lifted. Colton was no longer the enemy but my husband, Alistar. The cloaked woman, my twin sister Sarai. I am Renee. The spell cast upon us was because of my father. The two people I cared about most were right here with me this entire time. No longer alone, family here to lean on…

It was too late.

As the blood drained from my body, taking my life in its hands. The inevitable was happening. I was paying for my sins with the only currency that mattered. I took a last look into the eyes of my true love, hoping that he’d love again before I turned to my sister.

“Damon. He’s building a mighty army that is going to bring hell to the other clans. Kiara needs to pick a side. If she knows what’s best, she’ll join him before it’s too late.”

Amaya’s eyes widened, and she looked at Colton. “You’re Shaye.”

They were enemies, and I couldn’t help either of them now that I was fading into oblivion.

COLTON

I sent Sarai–err, whatever her given name was in this world, back to wherever she’d come from. Grief-stricken, she barely said a word. I needed to figure out what to do now that Zendaya was dead. My heart was in pieces. Some grieved over her death, while others couldn’t decide if she’d gotten what she deserved. Understanding that she was in my head being loving and considerate, she tortured me on the outside. In the prior world, she was my wife and soulmate.

Do something. A voice inside screamed at me, but Zendaya was already gone. Then I remembered a secret I’d heard whispered a time or two. I didn’t know if it would work or if I was a fool for believing.

I picked her up from the ground, hastened into the woods, and searched for an entry to the underground that was near the mouth of the waterfall. I didn’t know what I was looking for. The passageway was a secret, so it wouldn’t scream its path to me. As I drew closer, I could see the sky brightening. Still dark, the sun wasn’t visible, but it wasn’t the moon that lit the darkness.

There was a slope that was muddy and seemed to go nowhere, but I could see faded footprints. The crushed leaves and handprints along the rocks were all signatures of someone passing through here. I followed it, slipped over the wet dirt lining the stepping stones, and cursed about having to carry Zendaya while I did it. At the bottom, there was a small space that one would have missed if they didn’t use the wall to break their slide. I went through and found myself underground.

I moved with the curves and bends, going deeper underground until I walked so far that I was sure this wasn’t the right way. Continuing on was more about me finding a place to rest than about figuring out where the fuck I was. The sun should have been shining by now, making the exit less than optimal. A second path came from the right, a third from the left, and I sighed when there weren’t any clues about which way I needed to go.

“What are you doing down here?” A voice asked. I didn’t see anyone, so I didn’t know how much to say.

“Looking for a doctor.”

“What kind of doctor?”

“One not afraid of the rules. Someone willing to take a chance.”

“What’s wrong with the female?”

“I’m sure she’s dead.” I sighed. “Help her.”

“Turn left and follow it to the end.” The voice disappeared, leaving me to decide.

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