by Ryan Wieser
“And so would I.” Falco added, knowing her thoughts.
“I know you would.”
“We will speak with the others. Then we will carry on.”
* * * *
“Everything is as I feared it would one day be,” Urdo whispered, his deep voice traveling around the small group. They had told him all that had come to pass since they were separated the day of the first Soren battle. Urdo and Dezane had both inspected the burn on her arm. She had described the whip Calis had attacked her with. She had told them of her fight with him and Hydo, and all Hydo had said.
Urdo studied the burns intently. “Dream traveling is not a Hunter skill—it is a Bakora one.” Jessop had thought first to what Calis had said to her—that she was of Bakora blood and then she thought of what Mar’e had told her. She thought of telling the group but felt uncertain about how they might react.
“Fire-Wielders are all Bakora in one way or another; it is not a trait of Daharians,” Dezane added.
“You knew my parents, Dezane.”
“It doesn’t have to be a parent—any Bakora blood could allow for the passing on of the skill.”
“Mar’e, when Falco was healing with her, I spoke with her in a memory. She told me many things, including that Hydo had visited my parents every year of my childhood. Did she speak the truth, Dezane?”
She could feel Falco and Kohl shift in their seats, all eyes on her as she shared the new information.
Dezane held her gaze as he contemplated his answer. “Yes. Hydo met with your parents every year, before the year he killed them.”
“Why?”
“I do not know.”
“Dezane.”
“I promise, Oray-Ha. They never told me.”
“Was there a Bakora woman who lived Beyond the Grey once? Did Hydo know her?”
His gaze narrowed. Jessop knew he hadn’t expected an interrogation, and she hadn’t intended to give one.
Falco grabbed her hand. “A Bakora woman?”
Dezane ran a hand over his face, exhausted. “There were rumors but I never met any such woman. Bakora have never been welcome in Daharia, and had one been living Beyond the Grey, she would not have openly walked in my presence.”
Jessop nodded. She knew her line of questioning had been hard for Dezane, and harder for the others to follow without context, but she had needed to ask what mattered most before she left.
“My gift of Fire ...the dream travel,” Jessop spoke softly. They all knew what she inferred. They all knew what had been made so clear by recent events and Jessop’s expanding abilities.
Falco shifted in his seat, moving closer to her. “But I am no Fire-Wielder and I have no Bakora blood, and I managed to follow Jessop into Hydo’s dream world.”
Urdo sipped from his flask thirstily before answering. “Tell us exactly what happened again.”
Falco leaned forward, his strong forearms resting on his knees. “Jessop was gone. She was in Hydo’s dream. Kohl and I were watching over her. She began to scream, like I had never heard her scream before, and it was then that the burns appeared. I touched her face, as if to enter her thoughts, and just like that, I was with her.”
None spoke for several minutes, as if digesting the information he had shared.
Urdo stared at Falco, clearly eager to know more and perplexed by what he had already been told. “Hunters have tried to master the practice for years. We cannot do it.”
“Neither can the desert tribes,” Dezane added.
“It’s like nothing I’ve ever heard of before,” Urdo answered.
“Perhaps Falco is part Bakoran,” Hode Avay suggested.
Kohl leapt to his feet. “He’s not part Bakora. Can’t you people see?” He looked over them, finally fixing his gaze to Jessop. “Wherever she goes, he will follow. When you love someone like that ...you could find them anywhere. Even in some dream world.”
The silence that followed exaggerated the look of pain in Kohl’s eyes. He loved her but he couldn’t follow her anywhere, he couldn’t find her anywhere. He would have never been able to save her. If she had chosen him, if she had loved Kohl, and ventured for her son with him at her side only—she would have died.
Kohl forced his hazel gaze away from her and turned, exiting the tent. She wanted to follow him. She knew Falco did as well. But they couldn’t. Kohl’s suffering could not take precedence—not when she had so little time to speak with Urdo and the others. She fixed her gaze to the old Hunter. “We cannot focus on Kohl. Not now. Not when we still don’t know why Hanson and Hydo would take my son to these lands.”
Urdo sighed heavily. “He’s returned to her.”
“He’s returned to who?”
“I cannot believe it. After all these years.” The old Hunter shook his head, taking a deep breath before reaching for his flask. They all waited as he gulped down the fiery liquid. When he had his fill, he shifted in his seat, as if trying to regain comfort.
“We were so young, as young as you lot are now ...Things happened that we couldn’t have prevented or fixed. Hydo was searching for another Fire-Wielder. He didn’t know he was Bakora, none of us did, and for that, he did not know for whom he searched. Or how dangerous the one he would ultimately find truly was. Her name was Octayn Oredan and she was the most beautiful and most terrifying woman we’d ever laid eyes on.”
Jessop looked to Falco and instantly wished Kohl had stayed to hear the story—knowing that they were about to gain some explanation as to the woman he had heard Hydo speak of.
“Oredan? Like the Oredan family?” Hode Avay asked.
“The Oredan family. The leaders of Bakoran.”
Jessop couldn’t believe that Hydo had been involved with one of the enemy’s own family members, and yet, she did not know why it surprised her. He was the enemy to her. She couldn’t believe that there had been another Octayn and that the woman Kohl had heard Hydo speak of was relevant to their mission.
Urdo cleared his throat, drawing Jessop’s attention back.
“He loved her instantly ...It was frightening to watch. He changed completely and immediately. His whole world shifted, and the importance of the Blade and his brothers fell far beneath the love he had for her. Something happened ...it gave her more power over him, over all of us really, and it ultimately, perhaps, led to Hydo becoming the Lord Protector—but he would never speak of it with me.”
“What happened?” Falco interrupted.
“I cannot speak of it, Falco.”
“You must.”
“I’ve never told. None of us has.”
Jessop could see the pain in Urdo’s face. She did not want to see him struggle.
“Falco—”
“Master Rendo. Tell me.”
Urdo looked away from Falco, to Jessop. He stared at her for a long time, as if worried most about how she would react to his news. “I am so ashamed.”
Jessop pulled away from Falco and moved closer to the old Hunter. She took his hand in hers. “You can tell us, Urdo. Do not fear that I would ever see you different.”
He took a deep breath as a silent tear streaked his cheek. “Hanson Knell killed a man. I was there. It was partly my fault. We took the body to Hydo and Octayn Oredan destroyed it.”
Jessop squeezed Urdo’s hand.
He squeezed her hand back.
“I don’t understand how that could lead to Hydo becoming the Lord Protector?” Falco asked. Jessop knew Falco wouldn’t have been angry at the news. They both cared for Urdo too much to let any past mistakes taint their view of him.
“I believe that Gredoria Vane found out about the murder and that Hydo shattered his mind before letting Hanson face execution.”
When Falco said nothing further, Urdo continued.
“Shortly after that, Hydo left for a long while. He said he escorted Octay
n back to Bakoran in secret and that we needn’t worry any more, that he was devoted to his role as the Lord Protector. He returned, and for a long time, he was true to his word. He put all his energy into training Trax DeHawn. And then he found you,” he finished, staring at Falco.
Jessop shook her head. “And now you think he has returned to Octayn Oredan in Bakoran—that he has taken Jeco there?”
She could picture the dream world vividly, where she had seen Jeco playing with the other children. It was a place of great luxury—not a wasteland desert.
“I’m starting to think he never severed ties with her at all. But still, what I do not know is why he would visit your family so many years in a row. What are the odds of him knowing another Octayn, and why try to kill her whole family?”
Chapter 15
Bakoran
Twenty-five years ago
Hydo shifted uneasily on his feet. The Oredan palace was grand, even to the eye of someone familiar with privilege and wealth. It was not laced with the modern fixings of the Blade. Instead, it remained fashioned in a historic, regal style: white pillars, gilded dressings about every room, long artful tapestries, platters of fresh foods upon every table, in every room, regardless of its engagement. He was accustomed to a childhood where servants had waited on him, but he knew them by name and history—in the Oredan home, those who served were silent. They kept to the shadows, and if you did cross one, they would stare firmly at your feet, refusing to speak a word. It was the coldness with which he was truly unfamiliar—the Oredan elitism that made him most uncomfortable, despite having perhaps felt elite all his life. It was simply different.
“You hate it.” Octayn crossed her grand chamber to stand at his side. They looked out from her open balcony to see hundreds of miles of forest—so different from the deserts they had traveled across to be here.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Our children will be raised here. You must abandon these reservations ...You are Bakora.”
“Do you think I’ve forgotten? Do you think for one second the fact that my own mentor lied to me for years about a murder your uncle—the Emperor—orchestrated?”
Seeing her expression immediately made him regret his words. If she were hurt, she never showed it. Her fire was fueled by anger. He could see the flames burning around their clasped hands. He took a deep breath and pulled her closer. “I’m sorry.”
“We have a plan. Why must you make this harder than it already is?”
He kissed her forehead, forcing his own anger back. “Our plan worries me.”
She turned from him and he instantly grabbed her wrists, stopping her. He loosened his hold but kept his fingers laced around her. “Where are you going?”
She looked down at his hands on hers before returning his stare. “To rest. My family can be tiresome. Dining with them tonight will be a long event.”
“The way it is with your family is not how it will be with ours. I don’t want our children to hate us.”
“And what of my children?”
“The half-Daharians I didn’t father?”
“Yes. Do you care if they hate you?”
He thought on it for a long moment. He was no longer the man he had once believed himself to be. He no longer looked at the same future he had seen set before him for so many years. He had never envisioned a partner and children. He had never pictured a true family. However unorthodox, that is what they would have—a true family.
“Yes, I would care. They are our children. And they will love us.”
* * * *
Ozea Oredan’s skin was completely gold. Hydo knew it wasn’t really his skin, but gold painted onto it. He wore flowing white robes and every square inch of flesh that Hydo could see was covered in a thick gold paste. His eyes were green, like Octayn’s, and they contrasted wildly with his gold eyelids.
Hydo controlled his breathing. He forced his anger down into the deepest parts of his mind. The Emperor had killed his parents and Hydo would have to spend an evening speaking with him as if he did not care—as if all were forgiven. He didn’t know how he would be able to do it. But he felt Octayn’s eyes on him. He sensed her and their child and he knew what he had to do. He took the Emperor’s hand in his.
“Emperor Oredan, it is an honor.”
“Hydo Jesuin, Lord Protector, welcome to Bakoran.” His voice was high and tight, and he stared at Hydo with unblinking eyes. Suddenly, a bright flame erupted around their hands. Hydo refused to acknowledge the Fire, keeping his eyes on Octayn’s uncle.
“Thank you for having me, and for keeping our meeting so private.” They all knew that the surreptitious relationship would be widely disapproved of by both their territories.
“Of course, of course, thank you for bringing our Octayn back to us.”
She inclined her head slightly to him, not required to bow. “Uncle.”
He turned his eyes back to Hydo, extinguishing the flames. “Let’s sit, eat, and discuss the future of Bakora and Daharia.”
* * * *
“That went better than I expected,” Octayn spoke, wrapping her arms around Hydo as they entered her chambers.
“Because we remained civil?”
Octayn pushed herself up on her toes, her lips touching his ear as she whispered. “Because you’re a terrifyingly good liar.”
He could tell by the tone of her voice that she was pleased with the knowledge. He, on the other hand, felt sick. He had dined with the man responsible for killing his parents. He had betrayed Daharia.
“Ready for bed?”
He nodded. She was worth it. She was worth everything. “I must return to Daharia tomorrow, Octayn.”
“I know.”
“It kills me; the thought of being away from you. Of not being able to watch you every minute…” He sat on the end of the bed, running his hands over the fine linens.
“I can show you something. Something that only Bakora can do. It’s a way we can be with each other every night.”
He felt his heart fluttering at the prospect. “Anything. Show me and I’ll do it.”
She smiled. She pushed her hand into his chest, willing him to lie back on the bed. “We have the ability to see one another in our dreams. We can be together always.”
“Is it hard?” He asked, immediately thinking the gift was similar to his own Sentio.
“For one of Bakoran—not at all. For any other, near impossible.”
* * * *
The carriage waited, ready to return Hydo to the portal wall. As he resisted leaving, he felt certain that Octayn looked more beautiful than ever standing in her long, flowing robes, her golden tresses falling about her pregnant frame.
“I cannot bring myself to leave you.”
“Think of the dream travel, as we practiced. We will be with each other every night.”
“I’ll do everything I can to be here for the birth.”
“I know.”
He pulled her into a tight embrace. “Everything we have discussed ...it’s all happening.”
“I love you more than I ever thought I would, more than I ever thought I was capable of.” As she looked up to him, he saw she had tears in the corners of her green eyes. He had never seen her show sadness. It hurt him to see it.
“And I am just as in love with you ...My life is yours.”
When he finally took a step towards the carriage, she grabbed his wrist. “Be sure to use the same names I used on the paperwork with the Voyagers,” she advised.
He stepped into the carriage. “One Hoda Jero, returning to Daharia. Where did you come up with such a name?”
She smiled as she took a step towards the carriage, to whisper her answer. “The Jero couple are my daughter’s guardians. The woman, Essa, goes by Octayn, so that my girl might know my name, if not anything else.”
Hydo sm
iled at her. He knew he would have to find the Jero family someday soon to test whether Octayn’s child had become a Fire-Wielder. Octayn had insisted that it was required before he could reunite her with her kin. All Bakora royalty needed to show they had the gift, a requirement to one day rule, she had told him.
Chapter 16
Haren’dul Daku
Present Day
Jessop fixed her blades to her back and readjusted her sword on her hip. Her long dark hair was plaited and she wore a fresh black tunic, breeches, and her boots. She had repacked the satchel Teck had originally given her with a fresh bedroll and provisions. The heat of the desert was returning in full force, urging her to leave. She longed for more rest and food. But such wishes paled in comparison to her true wish—to have Jeco in her arms once more.
She couldn’t force an army onward when they needed their own rest—a requirement for battle. They weren’t even her armies to command. She couldn’t help but recall her mission to save Aranthol. Against Kohl, she had failed. She knew she could not lead warriors again—not against Hydo Jesuin. She would go alone and she would return with Jeco. Any who crossed her would die on her blade—it was the simple rule that she had to continue to live by.
She ducked out of the tent and into the heat of the desert once more. To her amazement, Falco and Kohl stood before her, Dezane and Urdo behind them, then Korend’a, Teck, and Hode Avay ...and behind them, their entire combined armies ready for travel. Falco took a step towards her. “Where you go, I go.”
Kohl stepped forward, his hand on his blade’s hilt. “You are a Hunter of Daharia, Jessop; where you go, so go your brothers.”
Dezane moved forward slowly, his glowing eyes fixed on her. “You’re a daughter of the Kuroi, Oray-Ha, where you go, the Kuroi army goes.”
Jessop felt the heat in her throat that would give way to tears, had she not been standing in front of warriors. She focused on the details of the men—their dress, their weapons, their armor. She focused so that she would not cry.
Urdo took a step forward, unsheathing his sword and kneeling. “My blade is yours.”
