by T. A. White
He blinked at her but didn't move.
The Ahnteela cut her eyes toward Tate. "My son tells me you've forbidden my presence on this journey."
The words caught Tate off guard. She gritted her teeth as she thought several nasty words about the state of Evan's courage. She should have known he'd assign the blame to her, so the bulk of the Ahnteela's displeasure would fall squarely on her shoulders.
"Can you make the climb to the Silva's stronghold?" Tate challenged.
Behind the Ahnteela, she watched Dewdrop approach with several packs. The smallest he handed to Night who sat patiently as Dewdrop secured it around his chest and back. Both made no effort to hide the interest they had in Tate's conversation with the Ahnteela.
"Lasoso tee can carry me," the Ahnteela said, jerking her chin at Ryu.
Tate snorted. Even the Ahnteela wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to ask for a ride on a dragon.
Ryu lifted his head from Tate's hand and sat back, staring at the two women with a patient expression.
The Ahnteela let out a puff of air, a sharp sound of amusement escaping her. "I'm a warrior who has outlived her time. I can feel the coming storm in my bones, taste it on the air, yet my body is far too old for battle."
Tate smoothed her hand down Ryu's side, understanding some of what the Ahnteela wasn't saying. The woman's body might be old and past its prime, but her mind still remembered its younger days. It would be hard to watch your son and great grandson go into an uncertain situation—still harder, if you would once have walked in their place.
"Old friend, kick a little ass for me," the Ahnteela said with a tiny smile.
"I can do that," Tate said.
The Ahnteela glanced at the Silva still watching them and the Avertine as they readied to return to the road. "I regret I will not get to see you teach a new generation the meaning of your name, but I will look forward to the stories told."
"Not going to lie, I'm hoping those stories are boring and uneventful," Tate said.
The Ahnteela snorted as a chuckle escaped. "You always say that, yet somehow you always manage to be right in the thick of things."
For a second Tate saw a younger version of the Ahnteela superimposed over the older one. "Teela, I'm glad you got the chance to grow up and have the family you wanted."
The Ahnteela's laughter fell away as her eyes softened. "Me too, T. Perhaps when you return, we can reminisce about the before times while sharing some of the fire's breath my son likes to pretend he doesn't make."
"I'd like that," Tate admitted.
The Ahnteela held her arm out. Tate clasped it near the elbow as they touched foreheads.
"Safe travels, old friend," Teela whispered.
"You as well."
Teela's eyes were moist as she stepped back. "Great grandson, I expect you all back in one piece when this is over."
"Yes, Ahnteela," Dewdrop called from where he'd been caught blatantly eavesdropping.
"He's not as good as I was at his age, but he'll do. I've had him practicing these last few days and he's improved," the Ahnteela said with a faint smile.
Dewdrop made a disgruntled sound as his great-grandmother slowly picked her way back toward the caravan.
"I don't know what she's talking about. I've always been considered advanced," he muttered.
Tate smothered a laugh as Dewdrop stared up at the large dragon with a healthy amount of wariness. "The Silva aren't going to let the overgrown lout into their home."
Tate sighed, knowing he was right. "We'll figure something out, just like we always do."
"Is this how you normally operate? Without a clear plan?" Vale asked, joining them. Like Dewdrop, he was attired for travel and carrying a pack.
Tate took this to mean he didn't plan to be left behind. A pity.
Gabriella stood beside him, taking in the situation with interest. Tate had managed to avoid the woman for the past few days, not wanting to deal with the uneasy feelings she triggered.
Tate understood her loyalty to her people—her doyenne and the Harridan. It made her no less reluctant to spend time in Gabriella's presence.
"From my experience, this is normal operating procedure," Gabriella said with a trace of amusement.
"What's she doing here?" Tate asked.
"I'm not leaving her with my people when she’s a known danger," Evan said as he strode up, Wilson at his back.
"Your people could break her in half with little effort," Tate pointed out.
Evan shrugged. "I don't care. We have many who are vulnerable among our ranks. I won't put them at risk unless it’s absolutely necessary."
Tate wanted to argue, but she saw his point. It might make her uncomfortable to have Gabriella along in light of recent revelations, but she could look after herself. Many of his people might not be able to say the same.
"I'm curious as to why you don't simply allow his dragon to carry you to the city," Vale said, his head tilted up to stare at the majestic creature.
Gabriella looked slightly ill at the suggestion. "I've ridden by dragon before. I don't recommend it."
A muffled laugh escaped Dewdrop.
"Let's go," Tate said, ignoring the two. "It looks like our hosts are getting restless."
Indeed, although the vast majority of the Silva had disappeared shortly after the doyen walked away, enough remained behind to pose a clear threat.
The looks they leveled at Tate's group weren't quite what she would consider hostile. On guard, but not yet on edge. More like they were waiting for a threat that had yet to materialize.
Tate took her pack from Dewdrop and stopped next to Night where he crouched.
“Any thoughts?” she asked.
None that will be helpful, Night said grimly.
Tate sighed. If the bearcat was uneasy, then things were serious.
She moved past Night, heading for where the big man watched them with arms folded over his chest.
"What about the dragon?" he asked.
Tate shrugged. "If you want to tell him to change, be my guest. Word of advice, dragons don't really obey anyone."
"Even other dragons?" Lita asked.
Tate snorted. "Especially other dragons."
At that moment, Ryu sprang into the sky, his wings beating as he arrowed away.
Tate aimed a brilliant smile at her hosts. "Shall we get moving?"
Lita stared at her doyen, her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed.
He let out a weary sigh. "Follow."
Tate waved at the others as the Silva took the lead, following the trail Tate had come down earlier.
"You have an interesting notion of negotiation tactics," Vale said lightly when he reached her.
He didn't say anything else as he set off after their hosts, Evan and the others falling in with him.
Tate waited for Dewdrop and Night to catch up.
"This is not how I thought this trip would go," Dewdrop said quietly, pitching his voice so their escorts couldn't hear.
"Neither did I," Tate muttered back. She'd thought the hard part would start when they reached the Harridan's city. She’d had no idea the journey there would be so difficult or hazardous—much less contain so many detours.
Really? Because this is exactly how I thought things would turn out, Night thought grumpily as he padded forward.
Dewdrop rolled his eyes at Tate before following their friend.
Tate glanced up at the sky. At least Ryu was keeping an eye on them from above. It was the one spot of luck in this whole situation.
*
They walked for hours, taking only a few breaks to let Tate's party rest. The Silva had little need for the stops. They were used to the difficult terrain, moving with an ease and familiarity cultivated from years of making this same trek.
Night was the only exception, traversing the trail with ridiculous effortlessness as if he'd never lived in the city or spent years underground.
Her friend was curious, ranging ahead of the group before cir
cling back to check on the rest of them. Tate caught the doyen's thoughtful gaze on Night more than once. The consideration and interest she saw there made her uneasy. Night drew people. Some were fascinated by his uniqueness, others sought to profit from it or take advantage. She didn't know which category the doyen fell under. Until she did, she'd have to keep an eye on her friend.
Ryu remained an elusive presence in the sky, a small dot high above that occasionally disappeared from view. She assumed he was checking to make sure they weren't being followed or led into a trap.
The doyen lifted a hand. "We'll stop here for another break."
Dewdrop released an exaggerated sigh of relief as he dropped his pack and collapsed next to it, reaching into a side pocket to pull out a water bladder. Finished, he offered it to Tate.
"No, thanks, I still have some in mine," she said, spotting Vale where he'd sunk wearily onto flat rock. The guardian's head hung low, every line of his body pointing to his exhaustion.
Seeing where her attention had wandered, Dewdrop raised his eyebrows in question as he took another greedy gulp of the water.
She hadn't made time for Vale during the journey, perhaps she should do so now.
She set her pack down at the base of the rock he'd chosen as his seat, finding her water bladder before putting her back against the rock and sitting. It felt good to be off her feet, even if it was only for a short rest.
A lengthy silence stretched between them, each content with their own thoughts.
"You're not how I imagined," Vale said finally.
"What were you imagining?"
Tate found herself interested in the answer. Partly because she could claim the same about him. When she'd first met him, she'd seen disturbing similarities to the other guardians who'd contributed to the events in the tunnels. Those events had led to countless children being sacrificed because they were considered expendable—some were targeted because they shared blood with one of the other races, others because they were too poor to matter or be missed.
He'd been arrogant like them. Puffed up on his own self-righteousness and convinced his people could do no wrong.
Over the last few days she’d watched him and come to the conclusion she may have been a little hasty in her judgement, stubbornly seeing only what she wanted to see. Night and Dewdrop treated him with a respect that pointed to there being more to him than she'd given him credit for. Those two weren't the type to suffer a narrow-minded ass for long. They would have left him on the side of the road without a second thought—if Night didn't lead him out into the desert and bury him first.
"Angrier and more self-righteous," he admitted.
Tate muffled her snicker. The first she could almost see, but the second? She wondered where he'd drawn that conclusion from.
His lips tilted in a half smile as he watched their escorts with a tired interest. "I never thought I'd visit the Kinjisan clans and survive the encounter."
"You still might not. They could decide to kill us once they hear what we have to say."
"This is true. It's still a unique experience."
"Why do they call them the Kinjisan?" Tate asked.
He looked momentarily surprised at her question before his expression shifted to thoughtfulness. "I suppose it's because they're considered ghosts. They rarely stray from their territory, and as you've seen, they're not very accepting of strangers."
"They're outcasts," Gabriella said, joining them. "The Kinjisan take in those considered too feral and those whose human side is rarely dominant. Others accepted into the Kinjisan have been cast out of their former clans. It's given them a reputation as thieves and murderers."
"It is funny to hear a Morain refer to us as murderers."
Tate controlled her jolt of surprise as Lita appeared on the boulder beside Vale. How long had she been listening?
Gabriella didn't startle, making Tate think she had known Lita was near.
"Especially considering the Morain often act as the Harridan's assassins."
Tate gave Gabriella a sidelong look. Assassin? That hadn't been covered under any of Roslyn's lessons.
Lita's cool gaze found Tate. "It's an open secret among our people. They're the Harridan's shadow force. They listen to and follow her every order, whether those orders hurt innocent Silva or not."
Gabriella's expression grew stony as she listened to Lita's accusations.
"You visited the glass lake, didn't you?" Lita asked abruptly.
Out of the corner of her eye, Tate saw Vale twitch. He leaned forward in interest as Tate hesitated. How had Lita known?
"I heard that one talking," Lita said, reading the question on her face. She nodded at Dewdrop who glared at the Silva girl. "You're lucky you survived."
"What do you mean?"
"You saw the glass figures? The statues?"
Tate nodded.
"There’s a price to be paid by Silva who venture there. Those glass statues are Silva who didn't pass the minor god’s test. They say the lake is meant as a trial, to force you to face your inner demons and overcome them. It's also meant to weed out the undesirables. More and more of our people fail the test each year. Few attempts are made anymore."
"I knew you would pass, Tate," Gabriella said.
"Liar. Only Silva ever survive that test. She meant to kill you." Lita didn’t wait for any further arguments, stalking away.
"Teenagers." Dewdrop rolled his eyes.
The statement broke the tension.
"Tate," Gabriella started.
Tate held up a hand. "You didn't force me into the lake. Ryu was the one who decided we would cut across the Dunes of Revelation, not you."
But he had made the decision knowing they were being followed, while Gabriella, along with her fellow Morain, had chased after them which forced them deeper into the dunes. Would Tate and Ryu have stumbled onto the lake if they hadn't been running for their lives?
Gabriella's shoulders relaxed and she nodded, a hint of relief peeking through.
"Let's get moving," the doyen called.
Tate rose before Gabriella could say anything more. Dewdrop shot her a questioning look and she shook her head. She wasn't in the mood for more conversation. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts for a little while.
After their break, they didn't have far to go, their journey taking them closer to the red cliffs.
A short while later, Tate, Dewdrop, and Night stared down into an opening in the ground, the dark interior taunting them. It was a hole more than anything. Lita and several of their hosts dropped out of sight through it.
Tate edged closer, trying to see the bottom. It was no use, the way the rock had weathered hid what was beneath. They'd be falling blind.
"Why is it always a cave or tunnel?" Dewdrop moaned. "Just once I'd like it to be a regular building with windows and normal rooms."
Night grunted, staring into the hole with his ears tilted forward. I blame Tate. Her adventures always lead underground at some point.
Vale edged closer to the hole, his expression uncertain. Taking a deep breath, he stuck his foot out and plunged out of view.
"Oh great, even the guardian is braver than us," Dewdrop said sourly.
"You could always change that," Evan said with a smirk.
Dewdrop gave him a dour look.
There was a rush of air above them. The Silva ducked and reached for their weapons as a dragon plunged from the sky. His wings were folded close to his back as he dove. At the last minute his wings snapped out, breaking his momentum.
The dragon's shift took him midair, his body folding in on itself. Ryu dropped to the ground, landing hard, his head up, his eyes nearly feral as he took in the weapons now pointed at him.
He was wearing the same clothes he’d had on before his shift.
"Took you long enough," Tate observed.
His smile was slight. "We needed to stretch our wings."
"I don't care," the doyen said flatly. "Let's go. I don't have all day."
/>
"Grumpy," Dewdrop coughed.
Evan smacked him in the back of the head. "Don't antagonize the people who hold our lives in their claws."
Dewdrop grimaced, wasting no further time dropping into the entrance, Evan following quickly behind. Night was the last to go, diving through head first.
Ryu's touch was warm on her back as he joined her. She searched his eyes for a hint of the dragon madness.
There was a tight feeling in the pit of her stomach that refused to loosen. No amount of self-assurance was going to get rid of it. Not until she was sure this was Ryu and not a half-mad version of himself.
"I'm fine," he assured her.
She didn't move. His eyes were clear with no evidence of the madness she feared, just the Ryu she'd grown to love.
He caressed her cheek, his expression warm, the brutality of before wiped away as if it had never been. He was different, but she couldn't put into words how. It was like he was more comfortable in his own skin, when he'd already seemed pretty comfortable in it before.
"Shall we?" he asked, canting his head at the hole.
She made a small sound of assent. "Let's get this over with and be on our way."
Tate was the first through. She landed lightly on a rock lip, loose gravel cascading down with her. Dewdrop and Night waited a few feet in front of her.
The dark passageway she’d expected never manifested. Light bounced off the red walls from patches of sky visible above. What she had thought was a cave was actually the beginnings of a slot canyon, water having worn the surface of the walls smooth, while creating deep, interesting, twisting passageways. They traveled single file through the canyon until it widened into a large, round chamber.
Like the passageway, the roof hanging over them was uneven and filled with holes. Bright rays of light shone down, dirt and dust dancing in the beams and setting the walls aglow.
People lined the ledges along the walls, their gazes riding the line between watchfulness and unfriendliness. One wall was pockmarked and weathered, large bore holes spaced throughout, making it look like a honeycomb. Tate thought it might have been a natural phenomenon at one point, until the Silva had carved deeper into the rock creating small burrows for their homes.
