Xander walked up to Julian and stood an inch away, glaring into his face. “He said, ‘Tell Julian I have succeeded where he has failed, and that our master is very displeased with him.’”
Without warning he grabbed Julian’s right hand and ripped off his glove.Thaladria gasped. “The mark of loyalty. Then it is true. It was all a lie, everything.”
“Thaladria, wait . . . everyone. Please. I was going to tell you. I know I was wrong; I was just coming to tell you—”
“Forget it, Julian! I’m not falling for any more of your lies. I didn’t trust you, but you let me blame myself, and sure enough, I came around. I even started to like you! Can you imagine?” He shoved Julian, and Julian didn’t fight back. He felt defeated, terrified. Alone. “I should kill you for what you’ve done. I should kill you for Lily. We’ll find her. We don’t need you. We’ll find your master, and then I’ll kill him, too. And if he harms her, if he touches her . . .” He didn’t finish.J
ulian looked to Thaladria, raising his arms, but she looked away, tears on her face.“Just go, Julian.”
He backed away, looking at the twins, looking for any of the warmth that had been there just hours before. But not even Elt Sopa would meet his gaze.
Something inside him got defensive. So much for friendship.Xander was watching Julian with rage. He reached up and drew both swords off his back, breathing heavily, and Thaladria stepped forwards to calm him, but he shrugged her off.
Julian turned to go.
“Don’t you turn your back on me, Julian!”
He felt an icy cold feeling in his heart, and a scowl came over his face like a storm cloud. He faced Xander, throwing Lily’s bow to the ground and unsheathing Duncan’s sword, which felt heavy and cool in his hand. “You don’t want to do this, Xander. If you fight me, I’ll kill you. You know that.”
A roar of anger escaped from Xander’s throat, contorting his face until it was unrecognizable, and he lunged at Julian with an inhuman strength that only pain can bring. But Julian was faster. As Xander’s blades neared Julian’s chest, he parried with ease. He dropped back, then thrust forwards, perhaps just a hair slower than he was able, and Xander dodged. Back and forth they fought, blind rage controlling Xander’s arm, and a bitter cold controlling Julian’s.Xander’s anger fueled him, but he was no match for Julian’s swordsmanship. Blow for blow, the other boy blocked, threatened, and defended his space without ever advancing. The clash of metal as time and again blade met blade filled the forest glade as Xander spun. He was almost dancing, the points of his blades now trying to puncture the flesh of his traitorous comrade, despite how many times the two had fought side by side. Xander had forgotten the Nomed, the Snagap, the words of trust he had shared with Julian. All he could feel was the hatred and betrayal that filled him near to bursting. He slashed at Julian with his left blade, twirling in a circle with the full force of his blow and coming round again to bring his right hand down in an arch for the kill. He had a height advantage, and he easily could have driven his blade to the hilt into Julian’s skull if the other boy hadn’t brought his sword over his head and swept Xander’s blade to the side. Julian felt the cool edge of the blade as it glanced across his cheek, drawing blood, but he didn’t feel any pain.Julian’s anger was growing too.
“Are you really ready to do this, Xander?” he cried angrily, filling the clearing with a voice full of despair. Now he was an enemy to both sides, with nothing to live for on either. Maybe he should just stop fighting, let Xander have what he really wanted. But was he really ready for the end? “Are you truly ready? Because if you don’t kill me, I will kill you. I’ve done it before. I can do it again. Can you?”
But Xander didn’t answer. Julian realized that the boy was deaf to his admonitions, everything he said drowned out by the anger.How could he have ever felt that he could belong here, with these people? How could he have risked his own life to save Xander’s?
His thought was interrupted when he felt something hard against his back. He’d been cornered against a tree. Xander really thought he could beat him, eh? Julian had different plans.Xander was pressing hard, both blades flush against Julian’s sword. Julian could feel the rough bark biting against his back, but now the other boy seemed unsure what to do. Julian felt certain that Xander had never dealt a killing blow before, and so he took advantage of that. He let his pressure wane, allowing Xander’s blades closer to his body. Sure enough, Xander hesitated, just as Julian had anticipated. He pulled in his own blade, raising his foot and kicking Xander in the chest, throwing him backwards. Xander scrambled to his feet, but they both knew he had lost the advantage. Julian swung heavily, forcing Xander to block, not giving him time to recuperate before bringing another angry blow down on him. One after another the attacks rained down, and it was simply a matter of time before Xander tired enough to drop his guard. Finally he backed up and snagged his heel against a rock, falling heavily to the ground, one of his swords flying from his grasp and into the trees. Julian was beside him in an instant, the blade of Duncan’s sword at Xander’s throat, his heart pounding, chest heaving. Xander glared defiantly, unafraid, pressing himself against it so that a thin trickle of blood escaped from beneath the point of the blade.“Go ahead,” he growled. “Kill me as you have wished to all along. As you have Lily. For now she’s sentenced to death! And you are the cause.”
Thaladria ran forwards. Julian had forgotten that she was even there. “Julian! No! Please no!”
But Julian was already backing away. These children were no match for Sefil. They’d be sacrificing themselves if they tried to get anywhere near the castle. He sheathed the sword and spoke again. He had to make them turn back.“You can’t beat him, you idiots. Turn around and go home. How could you ever think that someone like me would be friends with a bunch of sniveling fools like you? Don’t come anywhere near the castle. If I see you there, I won’t show the same mercy.” He glowered at Xander.
Julian was walking backwards as he spoke, and something began to happen. Everything that had fought its way to the surface over their journey together was smoldering inside him, until nothing remained but a pile of ashes.
He disappeared into the woods, leaving the others behind him. Xander ran after him, shouting and crying. But he was gone.
It was almost as if he’d flown away.
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