Page 37 of Light Locked
Ryson cursed. “By cien, you can drop it off in the woods and I can guard it, but I’m not going to touch it, all right? Just hurry.”
Clea didn’t hesitate, but took one longing glance at Althala and followed Ryson into the woodland. She ran with all the energy she could muster, tugging at the medallion until she slipped it off her neck.
“It should only be for a few minutes!” She huffed after him once they were a decent distance from the village. “I just have to help them!” she said between breaths, shouting over thesound of their footfalls. “We can evacuate the women and children, and the warriors can distract the beast to create an opening for me to kill it!” They broke past the tree line. “Without the medallion, I’m sure I can beat it! This should be far enough,” she shouted, and they slowed to a stop.
She searched for a place to hide the medallion.
“Clea,” Ryson said as she began to lift herself into a nearby tree. “We have to keep moving.”
“Yes, I know, I’m moving as fast as I can!” she shouted back, foot slipping against the bark.
“You aren’t going back,” he replied coolly.
She lowered herself from the tree, looking at him with the medallion in hand. “Yes, I am.”
“It’s not a battle we can win. You aren’t thinking clearly.”
“How can you say that?” she said in disbelief before shaking her head. “I’m going.”
He placed himself between her and the route to the Kalex village, weapon still drawn. His wounded shoulder bled, but he showed no pain. “I can’t let you do that.”
“You can’t do this.” She moved to pass him, but he blocked her way. She tried to weave past his other side, but he grabbed her arm and jerked her to a halt.
“I said don’t touch me!” She yanked away from him. Her hand tensed as a blessing formed in her palm. “Don’t make me do this, Ryson.”
“I’m protecting you. You’re not thinking,” he hissed.
“I don’t want to be protected right now! The camp was supposed to be safe! They’re usually safe!” She set her hands against the ground, and a blessing exploded around Ryson like a cage. She raced past him, but his hand locked around her shirt and yanked her backward again. She fell hard against a tree, breath forced from her lungs. Ryson locked the scythe across her chest, the blade splitting the bark beside her and holding her in place. She flinched against the cold steel flattened across her chest.
“So, that’s it then?” Ryson hissed, hovering over her.
She gritted her teeth as he pressed the weapon harder against her shoulder, their faces inches apart.
“One tragedy and you lose your head? This is the forest, Clea. This is it!” he shouted. “You have a responsibility. That means sacrifice! Maybe I don’t know honor, or integrity, or whatever else you Veilin preach, but I know sacrifice!”
She kept her teeth clenched, intent on resisting him, but his words weighed heavier on her with each passing second.
“They won’t escape.” She pushed out the words on a strained whisper. “The camp was supposed to be safe. Why not tonight, Ryson? Why wasn’t it safe tonight?”
Beneath her anger now whispered the fear, the fear of her own guilt.
“Don’t make up reasons if you don’t have to,” Ryson replied. “I picked the night. I left you there. I’m forcing you to leave.”
“They won’t escape.”
“And that’s why we can,” he replied. “Why we must.”
A monstrous dread inside her ravaged the hope she’d had for justice.
“The beast in that village was stronger than me, stronger than you, and stronger than any warrior living there. If anything, we have to use the village as a distraction so that we can escape. That’s the only purpose it could serve at this point. You can go back and all of us can die in vain, the medallion lost, or you can move on,” he explained.
She shook her head, searching his face in the silence. “Thinking of leaving them feels like leaving a part of myself behind,” she whispered. “I left my mother behind. It’s tearing my heart out. I can’t do it. It’s the opposite of everything I stand for. I healed these people! I healed them! They showed me their wounds and I touched each and every one!”
She could still hear the screaming in the distance, swallowing against the knot in her throat. She looked into his eyes, still looking for answers, or some alternative to the dreadful decision in front of her.
“Then let me make the choice for you,” Ryson whispered back, and softer, he added, “Hate me for it.”
†††
