by Bryan Davis
He set a finger over the glowing skin patch. It was warm to the touch. “You mean there was doubt?”
“Every moment I am away from the star, I lose power. I was strong when I left here, but I have expended much energy during my journey.” She spread out her arms and basked in the radiance. “Now I will gather strength until I must leave again.”
As the streams of whispered tales washed over her, the light in her frame brightened. Beginning with the top of her head, the glow dripped down, as if poured in liquid form. Her hair turned from white to red, and with every inch the radiance traveled, the light took on material reality. The skin on her forehead turned bronze, darker than most people in Mesolantrum, and her eyes shone green, twin emeralds that matched Koren’s exactly. Soon, the flow covered her entire body, creating a young woman dressed in a white gown and wrapped in a sleeveless blue cloak.
Cassabrie took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ahhh! That feels so good!”
“You’re …” Jason took a step closer. “You’re solid.”
She offered a sad sort of smile. “Only while I’m here. If I take three steps backwards, I will become a ghost again.”
Jason gazed at her lovely face, so radiant, so filled with mystery and intrigue. Again words slipped out before he could stop them. “You’re beautiful.”
Her smile broadening, she curtsied. “Why, thank you, young man. And you’re quite a handsome warrior.”
He closed the gap between them and lifted her hand. A missing ring finger blemished its delicate shape.
“I have another one just like it,” she said, showing him her other hand. “Zena’s doing.”
As the patch on Jason’s chest throbbed, he opened his shirt. “You already know where one of them is.”
She reached out and touched it gently. “I have been a part of you all this time. You were immune to my indwelling.”
“Immune?”
“Any other host would be hypnotized by me, as would all who experience the fullness of my power.”
Jason longed to ask more about her powers, but they had been in the star chamber so long, the extane might already be affecting his body. “So now we have to go out and rescue the slaves. If Koren gets back to Major Four, maybe she’ll survive. Maybe she will —”
“Oh, Jason!” Cassabrie leaped forward and wrapped her arms around him. “Jason, I don’t want to be alone forever! Don’t let that happen to me!”
As hot tears dampened his shirt, he returned her embrace and patted her back. “You could go to Major Four with us. We’ll ask the king.”
He felt her head shake against his shoulder. “He told me I can’t survive there for more than a day. My Starlight energy would run out, and then I would be trapped between the worlds.” Her voice rose to a new lament. “Oh, Jason, don’t let me go there. I don’t want to be a lonely ghost. I want to live. I want to breathe. I want to … to …”
“To what?” he asked gently.
Her arms tightened around him. “To hold the people I love.”
As her tears continued to warm his skin, Jason rubbed her back. He had to help her, somehow, no matter what. “Maybe it will be all right. Maybe the star wants to be destroyed … I don’t know … metaphorically. Transformed to something else. Change it from a weeping star to a rejoicing star.”
Cassabrie pulled back, still grasping his arms. “Do you think so?”
As he looked into her eyes, sparkling and lovely, guilt washed over his soul. He had no idea how to answer. He had thrown out the option as a wild guess. Lying to her wouldn’t help her now. “I don’t know, Cassabrie. I just don’t know.”
She embraced him and pressed her cheek against his chest. Again tears moistened his shirt. After breathing a sad sigh, he kissed the top of her head and just let her cry. After all she had been through, she deserved a chance to pour out her grief. She was right about so many things, but one statement couldn’t be more wrong. He wasn’t immune to her. She had captured his heart, but he didn’t care. She hadn’t hypnotized him with a Starlighter’s charms; she simply showed him love. And that was enough.
sixteen
Her hands clutched tightly behind her, Koren paced the theater room floor. Finally free of the hated boots, her bare feet padded quietly on the hard tiles.
Each time she pivoted to reverse direction, her cloak fanned out and spun freely. What was taking Tamminy so long? The one-hour span had passed several minutes ago. Showing up late might ruin everything, especially when Taushin or Zena could wake up at any moment. For some reason, both decided to rest. Of course, Koren encouraged a nap, saying that they had slept very little lately, but she didn’t expect them to comply. It was all so strange, almost as if Tamminy had prophesied their drowsiness.
As Koren passed by the log fire and empty pedestal for the twentieth time, she looked once again at Petra sitting atop the altar with her hands folded on her lap. Dressed in her gown and cloak, she flashed a series of hand signals that communicated alarm. She had heard something, maybe the sound of dragon wings beating the air.
Koren scanned the area near the open doorway. Nothing so far. Petra’s hearing had always been acute. She even claimed to hear the garden plants calling for water, a high-pitched cry that she said reminded her of a squeaking wheel.
A few seconds later, Tamminy flew in and landed on the theater stage. As he folded in his wings, he walked to the front edge and looked down at Koren and Petra. “Since you are looking at me, I assume the prince slumbers.”
“Zena has a dragon statuette that indicates Taushin’s state,” Koren replied. “The eyes weren’t glowing, so I knew he was asleep.”
“And Zena?”
“She’s also sleeping. It was really odd. They both became so sleepy they couldn’t keep their eyes open.”
“Excellent. My potion worked.”
“Some kind of poison?” Koren asked.
“Zena is too wise to allow poison to pass through hers or Taushin’s lips. I added a natural sleeping agent to their cups. I fear that it won’t last long.”
She looked up at the railing that allowed a view of the theater room from above. Fortunately, Zena had cleared out Magnar’s quarters, so Taushin now slept far enough away from the incubator room to be out of earshot. “You’d better tell me what your plan is.”
“Very well.” Tamminy’s ears bent back, and his eyes turned from red to purple, a sure sign of worry. “I assume you are aware of the difficulty in escaping. Zena and Taushin will use what you see to track you down.”
Koren nodded.
“I could take Petra away, but I would not be able to find a safe refuge for her on this side of the great barrier wall. When Taushin subdues the kingdom, no one will be able to shelter her.”
When he paused, she nodded again. Obviously he wanted to know that she understood each step in his thinking, but the deliberate pace was maddening.
“There is only one place that Taushin would not be able to find her.”
“The Northlands?” Koren prodded.
Tamminy bobbed his head. “As a former high priest, I would likely be able to get past the guards at the wall if I were flying alone, but certainly not with Petra riding my back. Even if we used deception and I carried her in my claws as a prisoner, they would know there is no reason to transport a human beyond the wall.”
“I understand. Go on.”
“At least no living human.”
Koren’s voice pitched higher. “What do you mean?”
“I have watched Arxad prepare the promoted slaves. You might not know this, but he removed their spirits and sent them to the Northlands for safekeeping.”
Feeling suddenly hot, Koren fanned her face. This flood of new information was almost too much to take in. “Arxad did that?”
Tamminy nodded. “I can do the same for Petra. Although her body will be dead, her spirit will be very much alive, yet invisible to all but the most perceptive. Then I can transport her dead body and living spirit without interfere
nce from the guards.”
“That sounds terribly dangerous.”
“Dangerous? Certainly more dangerous than sleeping in the comforts of Arxad’s cave. But those days of peace have passed, and I can assure you that her alteration will be safer than wandering through the wilderness should she try to escape alone, safer than the calamities Zena would cast upon you if you should try to escape together, and certainly safer than what Taushin has in store for her if she stays here.”
“Will you be able to put her spirit back into her body when she gets there?”
“Arxad had a theory …” His brow bent downward. “It is not a certainty that it will work.”
“Not a certainty,” Koren whispered as if echoing. She looked at Petra. Her fingers had intertwined, and she squeezed them tightly. “What do you think? Do you want to take the risk?”
Petra pulled her fingers apart and formed her reply so quickly, Koren could barely read it.
“You don’t have any choice?” Koren asked.
She nodded, her chin taut.
Lifting a hand, Koren caressed Petra’s cheek. “I’m so sorry for getting you involved in this. It’s all my fault. I should have figured out what Zena and Taushin had in mind.”
Her fingers now moving more slowly, Petra spelled out her reply, looking straight at Koren with tear-filled eyes.
Koren read the symbols. “I forgive you.” Those simple words felt like a soothing balm.
She turned back to Tamminy. “How much time do we have to decide?”
“Perhaps an hour, but certainly no more. The sleeping agent is not strong. I have no way to predict how it will affect Taushin, so I prefer to do the extraction as soon as possible.”
One word froze in Koren’s mind. Extraction. It sounded terrible—painful and permanent. And it would be far worse than pulling a rotting tooth. This extraction would end in death with no guarantee for reversal.
She looked again at Petra. The girl’s expression hardened to fierce determination. She believed. She trusted. Her eyes reflected the flaming logs, an appropriate symbol for the courage pouring forth, courage beyond her years.
Yes, she was willing to sacrifice, but for what purpose? Walk willingly into death’s jaws in order to escape death? It didn’t make sense. There had to be another way.
Firming her chin, Koren shook her head. “I won’t let her do it.”
Petra’s eyebrows arched, and her fingers flew. “If I go to the Northlands with Tamminy,” her hands said, “they can’t use me to force you to do anything.”
“No!” Koren hissed. “I can’t allow it.”
“I suspect you have an alternative plan,” Tamminy said.
“We will escape together. If I keep my eyes closed, Taushin won’t see where we are. Petra can be my eyes.”
“A bold yet dangerous option. Eventually you will have to open your eyes.”
Looking down, Koren nodded. “I know. Maybe I can find a safe place for her by then.”
Tamminy extended his neck and sniffed her bare feet. “A lengthy journey is likely, so you will need footwear. Will you be able to get ready without awakening the prince or Zena?”
“I think so. We sneaked out a little while ago. We can do it again.”
“If I could fly you to a safe refuge, you would have a great advantage, but the patrols are still out because of the lockdown. Even if I carried you in my claws, I could not explain why I am transporting living humans.”
“Then could you cause a distraction somewhere so we can escape on foot?”
“I am not accustomed to creating excitement, but I will think of something.” Tamminy stared at the fire, apparently deep in thought. After a few seconds, he drew in a deep breath and looked at Koren. “Do you know the passageway to the Zodiac’s lower level?”
Koren nodded. “We found it while exploring the Basilica. Zena told us what it was, but she wouldn’t let us go in.”
“Now you will enter. Meet me there as soon as you are ready. I must reveal a secret that Arxad and Magnar have kept for a very long time. It is possible that what you see will save your entire race.”
Koren reached for Petra’s hand. “Then we will go there as soon as we’re ready.”
“To increase the odds of success, allow me to take Petra to the Zodiac now. If anyone questions me, I will say that she is a promoted human who must be prepared for the coronation banquet. This way, if you are caught as you collect your travel items, I can proceed with the secondary plan, to extract her spirit and carry her to the Northlands.”
“What happens if the ruse doesn’t work? Will you come back here?”
Tamminy looked at the burning logs for a long moment. The flames had settled to inch-high firelets. “If I encounter trouble on the way to the Zodiac, I will return here in great haste, and I will attempt a distraction while the two of you escape. That means that you should wait here for a short time, let us say until the theater flames die away, to be sure that we arrived safely. At that point, you may go to your room with all stealth, finish your preparations, and join us at the Zodiac.”
“Suppose I’m caught,” Koren said. “How long will you wait for me before you extract Petra from her body?”
“No more than a half hour. After the extraction is complete, I must have time to transport her body past the barrier wall before she is discovered to be missing.”
Petra snapped her fingers, then signed, “The plan is good. I will go with Tamminy. I would rather die than be the reason you do what the dragons say.”
“Okay, Petra,” Koren said, “I get the picture. Death is better than bondage.”
She helped Petra rise and embraced her warmly. “Try to be brave. If I don’t see you at the Zodiac, I will see you in the Creator’s palace in the sky.”
Petra kissed Koren’s cheek and formed a familiar symbol, the fingers of one hand curled into the other’s, with her knuckles pressed into the heel of the opposite palm.
“I love you, too, Petra.” Koren pulled in her lip. If she tried to say another word, she would cry for sure.
After Petra climbed onto Tamminy’s back, the two sailed through the doorway and out of sight.
Koren stood alone. The crackling fire made a clicking sound—a clock of sorts, an odd timekeeper. Soon it would die down to embers, and the guard dragon would bring it back to life with another slave-hewn log or two, but not before she had already embarked on the most dangerous journey she had ever taken.
Sighing, she sat on the altar and stared at the dwindling flame. It seemed so symbolic. Humans were little more than logs in a fire pit. The dragons seemed happy to let them provide warmth, serve a purpose for the benefit of those who punish them with flames, and then let them burn to ashes. Other slaves would come along and take their places.
Koren buried her face in her hands. Don’t despair! Concentrate! But too many mysteries swirled in her mind, and they seemed to multiply with every passing moment. What did Tamminy want to reveal that might help save the human race? What untested method could Arxad employ to reunite Petra’s spirit with her body? It was all so confusing!
Peeking between her fingers, she watched the fire—smaller, quieter, cooler. It wouldn’t be long now. Shaped like arrowheads, the yellow flames swayed in an imperceptible draft, as if waving at something above.
Koren looked up at the Basilica ceiling. Nothing but blackness met her eyes. Was that really how life worked? Humans toiled, suffered, and waited for relief, praying and hoping that someone more powerful than they would reach down from the heavens and help them. Yet so many times it seemed that no one was there, just a void where prayers drifted into the darkness and died without ever being heard. Who could listen to the laments of broken men, desperate women, and starving children for so many years and not be moved to bring solace to those in bondage?
And if no one in the heavens listened, what was life worth?
Koren drew her head back from her hands and studied her callused fingers, the signature of a slave. Born in se
rvitude, traded as if chattel, she now risked her life to make sure others avoided the same fate. Did it really matter? At the end of it all, everyone dies. If the Creator didn’t care about their pain, would he rescue them from this world and restore them in a better place? Was there a heavenly Northlands, a land of eternal peace and comfort? Was there even a Creator at all?
Again covering her face, Koren wept quietly. Maybe it was all a myth. Maybe the Creator and his palace in the sky was a dream conjured by desperate women who wanted to believe in happy endings to their tragic tales, or by broken men who longed for rest for their weary bodies. Everyone, even Arxad, had deceived her for so long, who could know what was true and what wasn’t?
Finally, the last firelet gave up its useless prayer and sank into the wood. Koren rose and jogged silently to the hidden stairway at the rear of the stage, guided by a single lantern on the back wall.
She pulled the lantern from its bracket and picked up the flint stones sitting in an attached tray. After opening the hidden door, she tiptoed up the ancient stairs, paused at the top, and blew out the flame, stuffing the stones in the waistband of the trousers under her dress. Now in complete darkness, she set the lantern down and pushed the door to Zena’s room. The hinge let out a low whine, prompting her to stop the swing. She waited, listening. No sounds. Total silence was likely a good sign.
Koren squeezed through the narrow opening. With a map of the room in her mind, she padded forward. Zena slept on the bed to her left. The conjuring table stood to the right, but with the dragon’s eyes dark, Zena’s collection of sorcerous oddities sat invisible. Straight ahead lay the storage cubbyhole where Petra’s half-length trousers waited along with a new pair of sandals Zena had provided. They would be essential for rugged travel, certainly better than bare feet.
Koren reached the alcove and crouched, probing the darkness with her hands. It seemed that eyes drilled into her back, but the chamber remained silent.
Ah! The trousers. Now for her boots and Petra’s sandals.
A grunt sounded from Zena’s bed. Koren froze.
