Zelia's Lost Path

by Zora Marie

  “You feel while in that state?”

  Zelia shrugged. “Pain is more of an absent sense that nags at me.” In truth, it was more than that, but Zivu didn’t need to know that.

  Zivu shook her head and paced the tunnel, while Zelia ate the bread Barg had given her. When she finished the bread, Zelia stared down the tunnel she had come from, where the light of the torch didn’t reach.

  “Zivu, I don’t want to live in the dark anymore. If you won’t stop my heart so you can take me from here, then I will kill myself, so you’ll have no reason to leave me.” She used the water Barg had given her to form a dagger of ice. “Please, I don’t want to stay here and I don’t want Linithion here either.”

  Zivu stared at the crude dagger she had shaped before conceding. “Barg, will you carry her? I’ll take the torch.”

  Nodding, Barg tossed his small bag of supplies to the other warrior. Zivu paused, seeming to assess how weak Zelia’s body was.

  “I’ve been in worse shape than this. I’ll be fine.” For once she believed her words, even if they couldn’t bring her back that wouldn’t be so bad. At least her body wouldn’t have to rebuild from ash, and this body wasn’t damaged from all the years in the cave. If it weren’t for the memories and the fact this body seemed to be the same age as her original body, it would be as though those years never happened.

  “Be ready to move,” Zivu said and began her spell.

  Zelia sat back as Zivu pulled energy from the world around them, condensing it into her hand until sparks of light crackled across her palm. Before she could think about or second guess this choice, Zivu thrust her hand against Zelia’s chest and every muscle in her body tensed. Her head smacked against the cave wall and the light of the fire disappeared from her vision as she gasped like a fish out of water. She tried to control herself, to keep this from being so horrific for them to watch, but she couldn’t help but grasp at her chest once before her body went still.

  A weight seemed to lift in the cave, the same weight that had lifted the day Yargo freed her from Asenten, and Barg scooped her up. Something touched her eyelids, brushing them closed with a gentle hand. She laughed, or well her mind did, as Barg hauled her body over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Her body bounced and jerked as Barg carried her. He certainly did not have the grace of an Elf. She thought to mention it to Rogath, then realized their connection had severed. Where he had once been, even when blocking her, there was an empty void. It was in this void she settled and set to losing herself to pass the time. Without the pain and terror, she could just be in this place, even if it was dark and lonely.

  A prick in her arm and repetitive pressure in her chest roused her from the dark and quiet place in the back of her mind. Every muscle in her body tensed again, and she shot to the front of her mind, grasping to reconnect with her body.

  She forced herself to take a breath and someone grabbed her, pulling her into a hug before she was even fully there. The sweet smell of a spring forest touched her senses, and she knew it was Linithion.

  “Don’t do that to me,” Linithion said. Dirt and grime still covered Linithion’s face, washed away in bits by tears.

  “I’m sorry,” Zelia said, and she was. Her body ached and twitched, but not as much as her heart did at seeing the worry and concern in Linithion’s eyes. She glanced away from Linithion to see that they were in Lumid’s home on the bridge, Yalif kneeled next to her and Rogath glared at her from behind him.

  “Is Yargo?” she asked.

  “He’s stable for now,” Yalif said. “And for his and my sake, please take it easy for a while?”

  She nodded and glanced around the room, searching for Eleanor, Erolith, and even Alrindel’s familiar faces, but there were only a few people there.

  “They went home,” Linithion said. “Eleanor was in rough shape, so Vainoff went with her. Father went home too, they’re afraid of backlash from the Darkans so they wanted to increase the guard.”

  “What about Skylar?”

  “He’s unconscious, but he should wake soon,” Yalif said. “We put him in the study if you would like to check on him.”

  “Here,” Rogath said, taking off his cloak and draping it across her shoulders as she stood.

  Zelia couldn’t help but lean on Linithion as they walked to the Palace, her legs too thin and weak to support her.

  “We’ll check on Skylar, then we’ll clean up and get something to eat,” Linithion said.

  “Are you insinuating something?” Zelia said, trying to break the heaviness that seemed to linger in Linithion’s expression.

  “If she isn’t, then I will!” Rogath said. “We’re all filthy and you need to put some meat on those bones.”

  “Give me a week or two and you can help me rebuild the muscle with a bit of sword play,” Zelia said, giving Rogath a slight grin.

  “You’re on. I’ve been practicing.”

  “Could have fooled me,” Linithion said and Zelia couldn’t help but laugh a little at the challenge in Linithion’s tone.

  “You’re on, too, as soon as Yalif releases you.”

  “This should be interesting,” Zelia said.

  One of Yalif’s assistants was talking to Skylar when they entered the study, and they all took a moment to explain to him what had happened.

  “I should go. We told Alrindel we would let him know what happened before sunset. He is likely sick with worry. And Kafthry and Saria are probably wondering what’s going on,” Skylar said.

  “What about Orvi and Raven?” Linithion asked.

  “They may come here until you finish your training, so long as they do not go about burning the town down,” Zivu said, causing them all to turn as they hadn’t noticed that she had followed them.

  “Really?” Linithion asked, bouncing lightly on her toes. Zivu nodded, and Linithion wrapped her in a hug. “Thank you.”

  Zivu seemed taken aback by the sudden embrace, but Zelia only shrugged. She was growing used to just how different she and Linithion were.

  “I’ll let you know when the dragons are ready,” Skylar said and headed for the bridge.

  “Wait,” Zelia said. “Raven may not be willing to leave Dragon Island. She said she wouldn’t go with me until I worked things out, but…”

  “I thought the two of you were bonded,” Linithion said.

  “The bond is incomplete. She said I was too broken on the inside to accept the bond and when I left her, I drove a wedge between us. Now I’m not sure how to fix it or accept the bond.” She stared down at her thin, knobby fingers.

  “I’ll talk with her,” Skylar said. “Though it’ll be a one-sided conversation and I may appear crazy...” He cracked a slight grin.

  “Just don’t make it sound as though I’m not willing to work for our connection and her trust, I just need help.”

  Skylar nodded and then ruffled their hair. “Take care of each other.” With that, he left.

  Zelia stared after him, and longed to go with him, but she knew her place was here for now.

  Coming Fall 2020

  Etched in Runes (A Phoenix of Hope Novel, Book 3)

  You can find a link to it on your favorite retailer at:

  https://starcatcherpress.com/product/etched-in-runes/