Roses Wither: Into the Darkness
Seventeen

Marcus

I loved my little sister more than anything. She was beautiful, smart and angsty, but she was kind and would be strong and powerful. I knew it. I had seen it.

It was hard to leave her behind, while I moved to the forefront of our war, but I knew she was in good hands.

Chase was right next to her in my visions, but I couldn’t place his role until yesterday in that sparring room.

I now knew through my change, why he was so cold and standoffish when I was a child. His joking and slightly laid back manner now, was totally different even from when we had come together for the completion of my training, and I had pieced some things together from our transfer.

If my theory was correct, he was there to either protect Rosa, or he was her equal, her bound. Although, some things just didn’t add up in either aspect. Like, where Aiden fit into this.

“We will be touching ground soon.” Mother leaned in to tell me what she obviously hadn’t needed to.

I gave a nod and glimpsed the sandy shoreline as it came into view, then I rested my head back, and fell into my memories.

****

Marcus

If they were fighting and Mom was out here, where was Rosa?!

I started running toward the house, but The Guard pulled me back, his arms like a death grip.

“Not you,” He spoke coolly, looking around at the vampires falling to the hunters, “We leave the fray.”

“No,” I fought to break away, “I need to get Rosa out! They’re after her!”

He examined me, trying to see if I was lying.

"Rosa?" He looked at me in question.

“I have to get my sister out! We need to take her North!”

“Chase!” My mother spoke as she used the Little magic she could harness, to twist roots and throw them at the ferral wolves, “Our boarders have been breeched! Marcus has been given orders! Get Rosa and go! Go North East, Marcus knows the way!”

He gave a nod and followed me as I ran through the house.

I made it through the labrinth of our family quarters. These quarters were off limits to anyone but us, but mother was trusting Chase and I to get Rosa to safety, so I ushered him through the soundproof wing to her bedroom.

We could hear her cry from the point of entrance, but he froze in the doorway to bedroom, staring at my sister in her crib.

“Mother saw this this morning.” I began collecting the bags and small bottles from a cooler as I talked.

“Look at me,” I paused and went to his side, placing my hand on his shoulder and making eye contact with him, “Mom saw this. You will need to carry her. She will feel safe with you and she will cry less.”

“It’s so small.” He gaped at me, “I might hurt it.”

“We have to go!” I shouted, turning to shove more into a bag, “She needs blankets, Mom!” I hissed and turned back to coach him, “It’s like holding a chicken, Chase! Pick it up like it will get away if you aren’t firm, but break if you squeeze too tight.”

“I always squeeze tight. That's how you kill it for food.”

"Goddess!" I griped, “Grab her gently and cover her in a blanket, don’t let anyone see her! They’re after HER!”

When I realized she had stopped crying suddenly, I turned around to see why and almost laughed, despite our situation.

She was staring at the very freaked out Chase as he gaped at her. It was like they were having a staring contest, but right now my baby sister was in danger and we needed to get her past this shit and into the clear.

“Grab her!” I ordered him, “We have to go! Now!”

“Can’t you?” His eyes jerked to me with shock, but I think I was more in shock. He'd never denied an order before.

“Have you ever held a baby?” My brow furrowed.

“I am a warrior.” He ground out.

“We need to go!” I shouted, “Just hold her firm, but don’t squeeze her!”

We heard the doors below burst open, and we both pulled our swords, pointing them to the door.

I was ready to attack the intruder, but when he entered the room, I realized it was Father.

His eyes were silvered and he and his sword were covered in black blood as he ran toward Chase and fisted this shirt.

“Take her and fly!” He hissed in the guard’s face, “She is your Queen! Protect her with every life you have been blessed with! Do you hear me?!”

Chase went into action, grabbing Rosa and as she clutched onto him, father kissed her head and whispered.

“May God and the Goddesses protect you, my beautiful baby.” He breathed in her scent and turned to pull my head to his, it was then that I noticed how he shook.

It must be bad, really bad.

“Be careful, follow no paths, and stay safe my son.” He kissed my forehead, “Until we meet again.”

He turned and was out the door before I could say anything.

“I’ll explain on the way, we have to get out of here!” I wiped away my tears and covered her little head as she snuggled into the crook of the massive man’s arms.

Once we were in the clear, I turned to take my sister from The Guard, but as soon as she left his grasp, she startled and began whaling.

“Can you shut her up?” Chase hissed looking around, “They will hear from miles away.”

“She’s just a baby.” I cooed, resting her back into his arms, where she stopped crying immediately, “And she seems happy right there.”

“I am a warrior, not a wet nurse.”

“Consider this a promotion.”

“I once waged a war against your father,” He looked down at baby Rosa as she sucked on her thumb, staring back at him, “This has to be a punishment.”

I paused and turned to look at him.

“Do you know why he has you train me?” I glared up at him.

“He has seen my days of combat,” He gave a tight nod, “He wants me to train you so you cannot be defeated.”

“No,” I shook my head, giving him a once over, my eyes also roaming to Rosa’s mahogany colored hair as she nestled into his massive chest.

“Mom and I have both seen it. You are by her side in the end.” I swallowed hard, “The final battle she will fight.”

“The baby will be a warrior?” He examined her again as she grabbed his face in her little wet hands, “How do you know this?”

“Have you ever noticed some of the weird things that happen around Mom and I?”

“Aside from the whole wolf thing?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I scoffed, “But I mean, like blanking out and stuff?”

“All the time.” He gave a nod.

“There are some of us with abilities,” I explained, “We were given abilities by our Goddess and with the powers come the prophecies. Each person holds a part of a bigger prophecy and it’s written in our skin.”

I showed him my arm and stomach. He had seen them before, but now I knew that he’d had no idea what they were.

“Is that why someone drew on the baby?”

“We are born with them and they morph, change and are added to as we grow older, with each decision we make. Rosa was born with these markings. She will be our Queen and she will unite the species and bring our worlds together. She will go to war with my... My uncle and his demons and she lead an army, with you. I have seen it.”

“How does one get markings if they were not born with them?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged, “Maybe they did something to aide the Goddesses.”

“Some of the ones that I have, appeared after I let a man walk free. He later turned around and freed me.”

“You have markings?” My brow furrowed as he nodded.

“On my arms and stomach.” He gave a serious nod, “The ones on my stomach appeared after I was turned, but Matthias told me that I have wings on my back, that I have had for millennia.”

***

She needed Chase. That much I was sure of, but how?