Green Eyes

The three of them turned around to see Jael still standing in the center of the courtyard, not having moved an inch from where she had been held hostage. She looked petrified.

“Sure,” Mara let out a low laugh. “Jared, would you be a gentleman and help the lady home.”

Jared seemed to shoot his sister a withering look, but went over to Jael and started guiding her out with Selene and Mara in tow.

“What just happened?” she breathed out when they got her seated back in the inn 20 minutes later. “I was…And then you came and…Then you did…And then they were like…”

“That’s one way to put it,” remarked Jared casually. “By the way, your neck is bleeding.”

“My neck?” Jael blinked as if the word had no meaning to her. Clearly she was still in shock. Gingerly she reached up and patted her throat, feeling the still warm and sticky blood. That snapped her back to reality. “Oh my neck!” she gasped in horror.

“It’s not much more than a scratch,” Mara shrugged. “The man’s knife must’ve gotten you when I shot him. Sorry; I thought I had timed it better.”

“That was some rescue,” Jael said as she wiped the blood away. “How did you pull that off?”

“We’re just that amazing,” Mara smirked. “It’s kind of what we do.”

“But I mean the way you were placed and the way you tore through those thugs,” Jael shook her head in disbelief. “It was almost as if you knew what was going to happen the whole time.”

There was an awkward silence as the three of them exchanged furtive glances. “Yes, well, funny how things work out,” Selene coughed uncomfortably.

Jael narrowed her brown eyes at them. “You did know, didn’t you?” she guessed.

“Yes,” Selene blurted out.

“Selene!” Mara snapped at her.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I’m just not very good at this whole lying thing.”

“It’s a miracle you’ve survived this long, child,” Jared sourly commented.

“How long did you know?” Jael dunned, arms crossed and glaring.

“A little less than a day,” Jared replied. “Mara found out late last night and we figured that this was the perfect opportunity to begin dismantling the Bats.”

“By having me abducted!?” Jael railed.

“Oh it’s hardly that big of a deal,” Mara dismissed with a flick of her wrist. “As you saw, we had the whole thing under control. You were never in any real danger.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Jael shot back. “You didn’t have a knife to your throat!”

“Relax,” Jared chided. “They wouldn’t have harmed you. You were their only bargaining chip. If they harmed you before we turned ourselves in, then they would’ve lost us and the substantial reward that goes with it. Their entire plan was predicated on you being alive and well.”

“And what would’ve kept them from killing me once you attacked?” Jael questioned.

“An arrow to the forehead,” Mara casually answered.

“Really, you should have more faith in us,” Jared pointed out. “We know what we’re doing and we are very, very good at what we do.”

“And what is that exactly?” Jael interrogated. “Why is the king paying so much for your capture? Who are you?”

Again, an awkward silence and uncomfortable exchanges between the three of them.

“Zebulun, the Bats leader, said that you were a Navi,” Jael gestured to Selene. “It’s true, isn’t it?”

Selene didn’t answer, but instead stepped up to Jael. “Your neck’s bleeding again,” she informed, placing her right hand over the cut. “Let me take care of that for you.”

“What are you going—”

Jael was cut off as a white glow emanated from Selene’s hand over her wound and a tingling sensation buzzed her neck. As suddenly as it began, the sensation and the glow stopped. Selene removed her hand.

Jael’s hand immediately went to her throat, rubbing the fresh, new skin. Her wide, brown eyes immediately went to Selene.

“How…” she breathed.

Selene removed her hood, locking her emerald eyes on Jael’s chocolate ones. “Zebulun was right, I am a Navi,” she confirmed.

“My head,” Jael patted the back of her skull. “You healed it, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Selene nodded. “You were hit pretty badly.”

“And you two?” Jael pointed to the twins.

Jared and Mara looked at each other and shrugged, removing their hoods. Their arctic sapphire eyes appraised Jael from behind a stone cold veneer. They radiated power and command. And also she thought they looked vaguely familiar.

“Who are you?” she repeated her question to the twins.

“My name is Jared,” Jared responded. “I used to be a member of the Wolf Pack but have worked as a mercenary for a long time.”

“And I’m Mara, like I said,” Mara answered. “Like my brother, I was a member of the Wolf Pack, but since Manasseh’s usurpation have been forced to be a slave in Jasper’s care.”

“The Wolf Pack? Manasseh’s coup?” Jael stared at them in astonishment. “But that was 20 years ago. How old are you?”

“Forty,” Jared answered succinctly.

“Forty!?” she exclaimed. “That’s impossible!”

“As Jared told me a few months ago,” Selene said, “around us, you might want to re-examine your definition of ‘impossible’.”

“Then you must be of Beth Yarack,” Jael supposed.

“Descended of,” Mara corrected. “But yes, we seem to have been cursed with the gift of extended life.”

“Cursed?” Jael incredulously retorted. “Most would call that a blessing.”

“To linger on while those you love die?” Jared coldly returned. “Does that sound like a blessing to you?”

“I suppose not,” Jael considered that. “You’re older than me then.”

“Like I told you,” Selene chimed in, “you might be surprised. He could’ve been one of yours, if he had been so inclined.”

“No,” Jared shook his head. “If I understand your timeline correctly, you started working after the usurpation, which would’ve been after we left.”

“But you probably met,” Selene suggested.

“It’s possible,” Mara shrugged. “To be frank, we met an awful lot of people during our time in Jermelek.”

“But you do seem familiar,” Jael scrutinized them for a second. “Are you sure we didn’t meet?”

“Like Mara said, it’s possible we may have met,” Jared quickly replied, not interested in having this probed any further. “And like she said, we met a lot of people in our time there. After a while, the faces start running together. Besides, we have those kind of faces.”

“Okay,” Jael let the subject drop. “Wait,” she suddenly sat bolt upright. “Where’s Deborah?”

“She’s sleeping peaceful in the stables,” Jared assured. “Don’t worry, she’s safe and sound.”

“You left her sleeping, but that was hours ago,” Jael corrected sternly. “Zebulun could’ve had a back-up plan, in case something went wrong. The Bats aren’t known for making mistakes.”

“I don’t think so,” Mara shook her head. “If Zebulun had a back-up like that, then he wouldn’t have folded so easily, if at all. Also, that would mean they would’ve had to find her and like Jared said, Deborah’s in the stables, hardly a likely spot for a small child.”

“And if she woke up and wander off?” Jael interrogated.

“She won’t,” Mara shook her head. “I guarantee it.”

“Clearly none of you have much experience with children. They’re apt to wake up and wander off. So how can you be sure that she didn’t wander?” Jael demanded.

“Because I drugged her,” Jared answered with a casual shrug.

“YOU WHAT!?” the mother in Jael exploded.

“Oh chill,” Jared snorted dismissively. “It’s a harmless sedative. She’ll sleep soundly until about ten tomorrow morning and will be a little groggy for most of the rest of the day, but she’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Jael was both worried and angry. Mostly angry: angry at being strung along like some puppet; angry at being deceived by these people she had trusted her life to; angry that that trust was not returned; most of all, angry that they had drugged her daughter!

“Of course I’m sure,” Jared chuckled. “I’ve used it dozens of times on all sorts of people. The potion is from the Esthorian Empire in the east. I learned it during the Ammonite Wars. It is derived from the Sallas plant, which is found only around the Moon Lake and the Harosheth Hagoyim that form our eastern border. It’s the perfect sedative; it gives the recipient 14 hours of solid sleep. Nothing can awaken a person during that time. Other than that, there are no ill-effects, save addiction if taken consistently for three or four months.”

“How bad is the addiction?” the mother in Jael was on full display.

“Pretty bad, but Deborah has only gotten a very tiny dose and this is the only one she’ll get from me,” Jared tried to appease. “No one that I know of knows how to make it and the ingredients aren’t available anyway. Again, she’d be at risk for addiction only if she took it consistently for three months or so, which is not going to happen. So don’t worry.”

“It doesn’t harm children?” Jael needed to be absolutely sure.

“I suppose if you administered a very large quantity, like a meadow full of Sallas, then perhaps it might overwhelm her brain,” Jared conceded. “I gave her half a leaf, so don’t worry. Look, I’ve used this drug dozens of times before and I learned from an Esthorian herb master. I know what I’m doing.”

“Fine,” Jael huffed. “You ever drug my daughter again without my permission I swear that I will make sure that you live to regret it.”

“Point taken,” Jared chuckled, holding his hands out in mock surrender.

“I’ll go get her,” Mara volunteered.

“Thanks,” Jael nodded feeling suddenly weak. She had had a long day: first she had been abducted and then held captive as bait for most of the day. A man had been shot dead while he had been holding her and in the following moments, Jael had watched fifteen men get cut down like late summer wheat. Then she had discovered that her mysterious guests were among the most powerful, most dangerous, and most wanted people in the country.

By now, the adrenaline high that had kept her going for most of the day was wearing off and she was heading for a crash. When Mara came back with Deborah, the last shred of energy left Jael. Breathing deeply, she felt herself falling asleep.

“Come on,” Jared hefted her up and started carrying her to her room. “You need rest and Mara and I have a big day tomorrow.”

“This is the second time in as many nights that you’ve tucked me in,” Jael smiled playfully but tiredly. “Maybe one of these nights you’ll join me.”

“Uhhhh,” Jared replied with a very uncomfortable and awkward look on his face. Mara and Selene suppressed a laugh. “We’ll see about that.”

“You’re a good man, whatever the king says,” Jael almost drunkenly commented. “And very handsome.”

“Uh-huh,” Jared shook his head with a hint of a smile. She was crashing hard and was asleep before Jared got her out of the common room.

“He’ll never take her up on that offer, will he?” Selene commented to Mara.

“No,” Mara shook her head while she rocked a sleeping Deborah. Selene thought it strange that the tough, ruthless warrior could simultaneously be so tender.

“Why not?” Selene sighed in frustration. “Not that I’m advocating sex before marriage or anything like that, but Jael is a beautiful, kind, strong woman. If Jared would just give her a chance, I know he could have a really happy life with her. Why is he so stubborn?”

Mara leaned back against the edge of the table. “That’s a long story,” she said.

“Jared told me a story about a prince who was betrayed by his lover,” Selene put in.

“Did he?” Mara cocked her head curiously.

“Yes,” Selene confirmed and then related the story.

“I suppose that’s one way to illustrate his stance,” Mara seemed slightly uneasy. “But that pretty much sums up his attitude towards relationships. Understand Selene that that story is not too far off the truth. When Manasseh took over, both of us were betrayed by people who were close to us, some of them like family. That kind of betrayal is bound to mess with your head. It isn’t relationships per se that Jared is opposed to; more it is letting people get close.”

“He’s let you and I get close,” Selene pointed out.

“Sort of,” Mara replied. “I’m close because I always was and you, well let’s just say he doesn’t trust you as much as you think.”

“He thinks I would turn on him?” Selene was horrified by the idea.

“I doubt he plans on it,” Mara answered. “But he doesn’t rule out the possibility. Neither do I, for that matter.”

“How can you think that, after all we’ve been through together?” demanded Selene incredulously.

“Life, my dear,” Mara gave Selene a hard look. “Twenty years ago, there were a lot of people that I would never have thought would betray us, but they did. A little suspicion of everyone is a healthy thing.”

“That’s an awful way to live,” Selene decided. For a minute, the two women were silent, the only noise was that of Deborah’s deep breathing. “What about you?” Selene finally asked.

“What about me?” Mara turned her penetrating gaze on Selene.

“Did you ever have anyone special in your life?” the Navi questioned.

Mara didn’t answer. Instead she looked away from Selene and seemed to be staring intently at nothing.

“Yes,” she finally whispered her voice hoarse.

“Who was he?” Selene pressed.

“He was a member of the Wolf Pack, like Jared and me,” Mara supplied still staring at nothing. “We had grown up together and he was my best friend. Then one thing led to another and we fell in love.”

“What happened?”

“Manasseh,” Mara responded in a low growl. “We had just started being a couple when the usurpation happened. I faked my suicide and that’s the last I know of him. He’s either dead or joined with Manasseh, which amounts to the same thing in my eyes.”

“I’m sorry,” Selene tried to put a reassuring hand on Mara’s shoulder only to be shrugged off.

“That was 20 years ago so it doesn’t really matter,” Mara snarled as she abruptly stood. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get this little one to bed before crashing myself. Like Jared said, we have a busy day tomorrow. Good night.”