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The crunch of dead grass being stepped on alerted me that someone was coming. I turned quickly and drew my arrow, prepared to defend myself.
“Gods, Thea!” The boys ducked down as if I would shoot them. I lowered my bow in relief. The twins straightened and smiled at me. The twins were at least fifty years older than me, but when they smiled, they looked young. They were the same in every way except where their elite magic marks were on their skin. Kaz’s blackbird elite mark was on his forearm and Kai’s identical mark was on his neck. They never talked about their magic, but I had overheard them talking about shifting once.
“Sybil sent you,” I muttered. I had just wanted time to think. Alone.
“She gets worried about you when you're left to your own thoughts and angry.”
I knew this but I still wanted to be alone.
“Where have you been lately, Thea? We haven’t seen you much?” Kaz frowned at me. His blonde hair was a lot longer than I had remembered. It had been longer since I had last seen them than I thought. His dark eyes held my stare, waiting for a truthful answer. My eyes drifted over them.
“Taking care of Sybil. She hasn’t been doing well,” I sighed.
Kai was the one frowning now. He had always been the more caring of the two. Kaz’s heart had hardened when his girlfriend exposed their hiding place and turned him and Kai over to the King’s Guardsmen. I was certain there was more to that story, but he would never talk about it when asked.
“She said you crossed again.” Kaz stared at me like an annoyed older brother even though he was barely older than me. Although I wasn’t sure what having a brother was like. I had seen children in Exile give this same expression to their annoying younger siblings. “It’s too dangerous.”
“I don’t need a lecture from you, too. I’m going to continue to cross over to keep us alive. I got enough food this time to make you fresh bread and Sybil to have medicine. Would it kill any of you to thank me for keeping us alive?”
“We are thankful, but we’re terrified for your safety. What if it’s a test, Thea? What if the king finds out and all of us are punished for it? You shouldn’t be able to go through the boundary. I don’t know how you figured out you could, but it’s not a blessing. It’s a curse!”
I didn’t acknowledge him as guilt soured my stomach.
I had stolen a cart of food from one of the towns before and brought it back. No one knew where it came from, but chaos ensued. Fae beat and killed each other for food. I never did it again although I wanted to help everyone.
Kaz, Kai, and Sybil were the only ones that had any idea I crossed the boundary, and it would stay that way. The others would demand more than I would ever be able to deliver. They would become dependent on me, and I can barely care for the four of us as it is.
“Thea, you’re too impulsive. Your lack of regard for yourself will kill you.” Kai chimed in. Great. He was right, but I didn’t care. My eyes narrowed on him as my anger simmered under my skin with my magic. Feeling my magic so close to surfacing was its own form of torture. I wondered if others in Exile felt it, too.
“So what?” I huffed. “If I died it would be an improvement from this hell.”
Kaz and Kai didn’t say anything in response. They cared for me, and I didn’t ask them too. Just like Sybil. They all learned that I could cross the boundary by accident. Kai and Kaz had been near the forbidden wood when I crossed back over one time.
Sybil had asked too many questions about where I found herbs, so I felt like I needed to tell her. I had expected her to tell others, but she hadn’t. I still couldn’t trust any of them completely, especially with what she revealed to me earlier. Nearly everyone here had been turned in by a loved one. Or that was the story I had been told by everyone. Families were torn apart in seconds because they turned their backs on the elite magic fae. Mine and Sybil’s conversation replayed in my mind. Something about what she said made me doubt how we all ended up here.
Would I always doubt others' true intentions? Not having a memory of my own made me rely on others for information and I hated it. It caused a constant unease that weighed heavily on me, draining me of energy because I was always on edge and overthinking. My shoulders slumped with how tired I realized I was.
“Thea, we don’t want you to be hurt or dead. We just want you to think about your decisions.” Kaz sighed. The weight of his words settled over me as he seemed genuine in his concern for my well-being.
“Why does everyone assume that I don’t think before I do something? If I don’t go, we will all die. If I can prevent that then I will.” I raised my bow, pulling the string of it against my cheek forcefully. My magic tried to claw its way out but sat just under my skin like an itch I couldn’t scratch. “You will not tell me what I can and can’t do.”
I released the string and my arrow hit the dead center of the farthest target. I walked away from them to gather my arrows, but they followed.
“Sybil wanted to make sure you’d come back before the town meeting so we can make some food,” Kai muttered.
I nodded as I collected my arrows. I never missed a town meeting, even though it was torture to go. Tonight's meeting would likely be just another reminder of our gloomy future.
“Let’s practice throwing daggers first.” Kai offered when he saw how upset I was. “We’ve been lacking on helping you learn different weapon skills.”
Kaz and Kai had taught me all the combat I knew. Kaz was the one who taught me how to shoot my bow after I brought it from across the boundary, but both of them had helped me carve new arrows for it. They had said I was a natural fighter and, to be honest, all the fighting and weapons they taught me felt natural. Maybe I had a background in these things.
I set my bow down and pulled out my viper-handled dagger. Kaz grabbed one of my targets and moved it closer.
“Do you remember the stance from the last time we practiced?”
I nodded and took the stance, making sure I widened my feet like he drilled into my head. Lifting the dagger with a firm grip, I waited for his instruction.
“Good. Now feel the weight of the dagger. Balance it with your fingers. Remember to twist your hips the same time you release it.” Kai instructed. I listened to him and focused on the target before twisting and releasing it.
