A Gathering of Souls

by Dianne Keep

  Illeya smiled. Despite the fact their love was manufactured by a Seyh, it felt real. Warm comfort pulsed in her chest. With Khrisk, she was finally home.

  Shane narrowed his eyes but didn’t comment on the touching. “Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER FORTY

  The palace halls were still empty whether from the Ranking or from the alert that she'd escaped, Illeya didn't know. The silence was strangely oppressive.

  “Why can’t we just shift there?” Copia asked.

  “Illeya has expended enough power already,” said Shane as he peeked around a corner. “Clear.” He motioned for them to move forward. “Besides, Khrisk won’t do too well if we keep shifting him everywhere. He might unravel.”

  “What?” Khrisk asked. “What does unravel mean exactly?”

  “I’d put you back together.” Illeya still couldn’t believe the Source had called her family to another planet without her. She was seventeen. Parsa was the only planet she’d known. Anthea, the only country she’d known.

  Khrisk winked and smiled. “I’m—”

  Shane shushed him. They had arrived at Osling’s office. The door was unlocked and the air inside was chilly for such a warm spring day.

  “Something’s wrong,” said Illeya.

  With Rhion being able to shift, what kept Osling from returning to the palace immediately? The wolves might have slowed them down, but still. At least an hour had passed since she returned with Khrisk.

  The snakes crept around her every footstep on the infamous rug. Oh, how she wanted to burn it but there was no need. She would never have to see it again after today. She asked Khrisk, “Where does the Resh keep the maps?”

  Khrisk went to a bookshelf and started pulling out books. “Not a map on paper. He uses a handheld most of the time and stores all his data on temes.”

  That little piece of metal Ehre had shown her. She had known what it was as a Faewyn, but it had been a test for Bree. Osling had her running around in the lower levels and attending useless magic sessions in Ehre’s study, all for nothing.

  “Do you have a handheld in the isap bag?” Illeya asked.

  “Of course. How do you think we communicate? Every military commander has a handheld and a comm disk.” Khrisk said it like she should have known.

  “Does he use thanum to power it?” asked Copia.

  Realization dawned on Khrisk’s face. “I’ll remove the energy cell, and Illeya can power it from now on.”

  “How are we getting out of Stav?” Illeya asked.

  Her power was infinite, but she’d yet to find a way to access all that wonderful infiniteness. She’d need another hundred years or so before she could execute her power as well as her parents. It would take another couple thousand years, if she wanted to perform as well as Jir. Then again, it might take her longer now that they were gone. The Source was alive inside her and would guide her in her training but other Faewyn were helpful with glitches.

  She would never stop grieving for them even though she would see them again. On another planet in another form, but she would see them again, even if it took her a trillion life cycles.

  “I can’t find it.” Khrisk tucked the books back into place. He went to the fireplace and studied the snakes.

  The snakes. All the rulers of Rysa had a thing for snakes. Illeya let her eyes wander around the room. The teme was just a device that held information. Would Osling put it next to a handheld powered by darken energy?

  “Copia, do you see any reflections of devourers in here?” Illeya asked.

  Copia shook her head. “I haven’t seen any devourers since the Changing.”

  That was surprising. “You can’t sense them? The teme might be near Osling’s handheld.”

  “Osling carries his handheld at all times.” Khrisk was still poking at the sapphire fireplace.

  “I can’t sense them.” Copia’s features hardened. “Not that I’d want to.” She went across the room and tapped the wall.

  Shane glared at Illeya. She’s sensitive about it, he sent through the honsworn bond. Don’t pester her.

  “I’m sorry,” Illeya mouthed silently. I didn’t know. I’ve never—Shane severed the connection and inspected a safe behind a painting—had a chance to talk to her about the Lumen wars. She had known, though, that the wars carried great loss for the Faewyn and Lumen. Illeya’s sister was killed in battle during that time, which was one of the reasons her parents performed the Changing. Their grief was great. She understood now.

  The teme had to be in the room somewhere. This was Osling’s sanctuary. Her eyes focused on the carpet. Snakes twisted and licked her boots. A teme was too big to hide in the fibers but the edges of the carpet had circles, and those little creepy-crawlies were drawn to her. Would the thanum react to her presence?

  Leaving the carpet, she walked the room, pausing at lanterns, cabinets, and odd-looking floor patterns, but nothing seemed attracted to her. Khrisk still stood in front of the fireplace. Maybe he thought the stones hid a teme or two. She walked past the desk to stand next to him. As she passed, something thumped.

  It was a very soft thump, but she was willing to follow it. She sat in Osling’s chair. The leather molded to her form, clinging to her skin, and not in a comfortable, cushy way. “I think the chair hates me.”

  Khrisk whirled around. “You had to sit in it.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

  “I heard a bump. I thought it might be the teme. I didn’t ask the chair to smother me.”

  Shane and Copia came over. Khrisk touched the chair. It let go of her and became a regular piece of furniture.

  “An alarm will sound. We’ve got two, maybe three minutes.” He went back to the fireplace. Shane and Copia strode to the two doors in Osling’s study.

  The teme was in the desk, Illeya was sure. She ran her fingers along the edges, and then over the top, sides, and legs. Nothing. The chair. Why would Osling have an alarm on his chair? Osling would sit and want all the important things ready at his fingertips, wouldn’t he? No, the desk was for show. The treasure was in the chair.

  It appeared to be one piece of smooth leather, except for the tips of the armrests. There they were, little snakeheads. She pressed the beady eyes. The chair’s armrests elongated and flattened out; a desk hidden inside a chair.

  “Khrisk.” Illeya pointed to what she’d discovered.

  His mouth dropped opened. “Whoa.”

  “Don’t tell me you’ve never seen the chair do this?” He shook his head. Illeya tapped the top of the leather-like desktop. A row of drawers opened revealing rows upon rows of temes. “Which one?”

  “They all look the same.” Khrisk poked through a line of the little black squares.

  “Should we take them all?”

  Khrisk answered by pulling out the isap bag. “He must have back-ups.”

  “I hear footsteps,” said Copia.

  “Me too,” said Shane.

  Illeya scooped the temes out of one side of the drawers, Khrisk the other. The footsteps grew louder and louder. How many soldiers was Osling bringing?

  Silence.

  Illeya felt them. Not just soldiers. Devourers. The essence of exploited souls. Another Nexvene.

  The soldiers carried thanum-powered weapons. Osling had been smart to keep the palace and training yards mostly free of loaded weapons when she still believed she was a Seyh. The guards in the lower levels had had them. The lower levels had been a test. Osling had discovered what she’d do when faced with the otherworldly energy. Had he learned nothing from the times he’d exposed them to her?

  She couldn’t have stopped the rushing of the Source’s power if she wanted to. It was automatic. An instinctive defense, she guessed. The Resh would finally see the power he craved in action. Only against him, not for him.

  The light blinded. Stinging brightness. No air. Everything dissolved.

  Except.

  Cords. Connections. Bonds.

  Khrisk. Shane. Copia.

  They’d
come with her.

  With that thought, Illeya held them close, and swept them away from her all-consuming gold fire.

  EHRE

  The dust was beautiful even as a sign of destruction. Illeya had left behind billowing clouds of glimmering golden dust. It was so like her that Ehre couldn’t hide her smile.

  Ehre savored the chaos. Half the palace had been turned to little more than pebbles, the rest of it smoldered. Rock and debris littered the second tier, but the dungeons were empty. The barracks, too. Illeya, in all her rage, hadn’t killed anyone. Her powers relocated everyone before the explosion. The soldiers sent to Osling’s study were found across the river. The palace staff along with Bayan and Fara were farther out in the foothills. All of the captives in the dungeons were gone, nowhere to be found. Not even the tracker Seyhs could find them.

  Illeya proved she wasn’t like her father, or any other Faewyn in history.

  The Resh fumed beside Ehre, standing just beyond the ashy haze. His precious plan in shambles. It was too delicious.

  And at the same time, beyond heartbreaking. Being in the presence of Illeya had brought Ehre closer to the Source, a power not her own, but that created her kind. The Faewyn never let themselves be worshiped, refusing the praise of people. Yet, the power they wielded was addictive to Seyhs and Lumen. Illeya was kept separate because the other Seyh would attach themselves to her if they could. Any person would. Her light drew them in. Made them feel complete. At home. Not even Osling was immune.

  There were so many things Ehre wished she had told her. Warnings left unsaid.

  The Faewyn had trapped her better than the Resh ever could. With the Hollders destroyed, he would want to delve deeper into magic, the mesomatrix, possibly the Nexvenes to discover a way to control the Seyhs. Most of the Seyhs in the palace were loyal out of fear. Or because he had trapped their families as he had hers.

  At least, Illeya was free, for now.

  Osling would send his best after her.

  The Resh savored retribution. He was more creative than most people suspected. Half the incantations Ehre performed were his idea. He always pressed for more.

  He loved power above anything. More than Fara or Bayan, Ehre had discovered, even more than his throne and his country.

  He would hunt Illeya. Send out his best. It wouldn’t be her. No. Ehre would remain in Stav, helping him rebuild and stay in power. When he did find Illeya, no doubt he’d find a way to capture her alive. Then he’d subject her to more than a thousand torments before he’d feel the least bit satisfied.

  Ehre had witnessed it before.

  She took in all dust, the rubble, and relished the Resh’s tiny moment of distraction before he remembered all her little “mistakes.” Whatever happened to her next, helping Illeya escape was worth it.

  Acknowledgements

  Many people were a part of creating this book. To my husband, thank you for giving me the time to be artistic and the space to do so. I love you always and forever. You are my soulmate. Thank you, my lovely children, for listening to me about random characters and their special powers. I love hearing your perspective and imaginative ideas. Mom, thanks for reading to me as a kid and encouraging my passion for writing. You read several versions of this book and gave sincere feedback. I treasure your honesty and love. Thanks, sis, for reading the early drafts and giving me some excellent advice! I love that you love to read!

  For all the support and encouragement over the years, words cannot express my gratitude to my dear friend and critique partner, Amelia. You are a true light in this world. You’re exceptional. Henry, you’ve been a wise voice and critique partner, thank you for all the guidance. LaWanda, thank you for all the commas. You are a grammar genius! Thank you, Revision Warriors for all the awesome edits. Marlana, thank you for all your thoughtful suggestions and ideas on how to make the characters and setting shine.

  And to my Savior, Jesus Christ. Without you, I wouldn’t have the hope and passion for life that I do now.

  Thank you for reading this book, I hope you enjoyed it and will join Khrisk and Illeya on their next adventure, coming soon in 2019.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Dianne Keep lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. She loves all things fantasy and science fiction, especially blended genres like the sci-fi western series, Firefly, or the historical horror novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

  For more information and updates, visit Dianne online at www.diannekeep.com

  COMING SOON

  Fall 2019

  The Unraveling of Power

  World Walkers

  Book Two