Keeper of the Keepers
The Plan: Cower and Pray
To Safety
Detours
More Disguises
Attack on Gate City Park
Ripping Gateways
In the End
PROLOGUE
“They’re so beautiful,” Richard Porter said.
Grace Reed smiled at her fiancé. Of all the things he had seen on his first trip to Alisundi, she would have never thought it’d be the aluria that captured his attention so thoroughly.
Small and light, the aluria looked like a cross between lightning bugs and tiny butterflies on Earth. The bugs floated on the twilight air like fluffs of cotton caught in a breeze. As they interacted with each other, their whole bodies glowed several soft, pastel colors instead of just yellow. And, unlike their lightning bug counterparts, the aluria weren’t ugly to look at close up. They had fuzzy bodies and triangle-shaped wings like butterflies.
“I think the purple ones are the prettiest,” he said.
“They’re my favorite, too.” Grace leaned her head onto Richard’s shoulder.
She didn’t want to break the mood the cool evening had settled on them like a familiar blanket, but she never was one to be able to hold her tongue. She was known as a talker who had an opinion on just about every subject.
“I was so afraid to bring you here,” she said. “I didn’t even want to tell you about it. I almost turned and ran when you proposed to me.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” Richard said. “But, why would you be scared of telling me about this? It’s amazing here.”
“It’s not all pretty bugs and flowers,” she said. “Besides, when I first told you I’m a Gatekeeper, you thought I was pulling a prank.”
“Then I thought you’d completely lost your mind,” he laughed.
“Exactly!”
“Well, you don’t have to worry. I love it here.”
“Now,” Grace argued. “There’s a lot more to this place than what I’ve shown you.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing it all.”
“You’re not going to,” she said.
“What? Why?”
“I don’t plan on coming back here once we’re married.” Grace sat up, drew her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. “There’s no reason to.”
“Of course, there is,” Richard said. “I’m not afraid of a little adventure every now and then.”
“That’s just it. It’s not an adventure. This isn’t the woods out back behind your house. This place can be dangerous. Deadly.”
“How?” Richard said, trying to keep the conversation light. “Are we going to be attacked by auloras?”
“Alurias,” Grace corrected.
“Come on, Grace. I don’t see what’s gotten you so worried,” he complained. “You said you’ve been here many times. You seem to have survived okay.”
“Sometimes just barely,” she said. “You don’t get it. I’ve only taken you to areas I know are safe. The Jo-Shar keep their mountain safe.”
Richard glanced at the peak rising in the distance. The Jo-Shar he met seemed nice enough but his breath smelled like carrots.
“This area around it is relatively safe by being within proximity of the mountain.” Grace turned to stare at the valley and forest stretching below them. “Out there, it’s different. There are races that would just as soon rip you apart and eat you as look at you.”
“It can’t be all that bad,” Richard said.
“Things are so unsettled here,” she muttered. “Tensions are high. Elder Narit says the whole planet is on the brink.”
“Brink of what?” he asked.
Grace shrugged. “War. Destruction. Death. I don’t know but I can feel it imploding in on itself.”
They sat in silence for a while as the night settled in around them. One by one, the aluria extinguished their lights and disappeared into the dark.
“This is so trippy. Unbelievable,” Richard mumbled.
“I just wanted to bring you here to show you who I am. What I do. I don’t plan on coming back.”
“Aren’t you some kind of ambassador or something?”
“I guess.” She shrugged again. “Not that I want to be. I wasn’t really given the choice.”
“You were chosen—”
Grace snorted.
“—because you’re an amazing woman. Some power out there must think you can do good on this world. If it’s now or later, I believe you’ll change this place for the good.”
She smiled at him. “You’re amazing, you know that? Silly, but amazing.”
“Of course, I am,” he said like it was obvious.
The smile faded from her lips. “Of course, I’ll come back here, but only when really needed. Dire emergencies or whatever.”
“Of course.” He smiled at her. “And you’ll change the world with the light you bring with you.”
“You’re such a suck up,” she laughed.
“Every man in his right mind is a suck up to the woman he loves.”
“Now, you’re just being mushy.”
“You love it.”
“I love you,” she said.
His face split into a wide grin. “I love you, too.”
“Come on,” she said, “I don’t want to get caught out here over night. The travelway back up the mountain is just over that rise.”
They rose and Richard flicked on the small flashlight he always carried around in his pocket. Although she had asked him why he carried it multiple times before, Grace never understood his answer. “Never know when I’ll need it.” Turned out he was right. She hadn’t planned to be on Alisundi this long, but she was glad for the light to help them see.
They climbed the small rise side-by-side. It felt comfortable. She knew bringing him here was dangerous, but Alisundi didn’t seem as deadly as it had to her before. She’d been attacked by so many creatures, it was hard to keep track. Her Keeper had done an excellent job training her, but Richard didn’t have the powers she did. He was just a guy with a flashlight and knife in his pockets. He felt prepared for anything with those two simple items.
Grace had a sudden rush of unease. She had put the love of her life in danger. Was he going to defend himself with a three-inch pocket knife? It was stupid. She had convinced him she was telling the truth before she brought him through the gateway. There was no reason for her to give in to his constant nagging for her to show him Alisundi. She shouldn’t have.
She slipped an arm in his and pulled him. “Come on, it’s just over there.”
“What’s the rush?” he asked. “Are you trying to lead me off a cliff so you can collect my great wealth?”
“You have like 300 dollars to your name,” she reminded him.
“Exactly!”
A loud growl from just off to their left made them stutter to a stop and Grace’s heart leapt into her throat.
“What was—” Richard said.
Two narrow lights caught moonlight and reflected it back to them from just ten feet away.
Grace reacted on instinct. She raised a hand, fingers splayed out. There was well of power deep down inside her like an extra organ. She pulled energy from the well. Not much, just enough to get the job done.
She released it out the tips of her fingers. Lightning lit up the entire ridge as it arched from her to the creature lurking just beyond the tree line. Although she didn’t need to see it, the flash gave her visual confirmation of the large cat-like creature stalking them.
Richard stumbled back rubbing his eyes. “What the hell.”
Grace grabbed his elbow and dragged him along as she ran. “Come on. Run!”
I’m never coming back here , Grace thought.
I’m never coming back.
PART ONE
MAD FLIGHTS
1
THE DUNGEONS
I said wake up,” somebody growled, violently shaking me.
I’m not sure exactly when I fell as
leep. I wouldn’t have thought it even possible considering my circumstances, but sharp pains shooting up my spine and into my head woke me from a sleep as deep as the Mariana Trench, though I kept my eyes closed.
It took a while to climb through the haze of sleep and pain to find myself standing. Something held me upright against a wall. I grunted and pulled my arms around my torso. Pain stabbed deep into my chest like a knife stuck between my ribs. I squeezed my eyes tighter.
“Wake up, worm!”
I don’t know why I refused to open my eyes. I was awake. Very awake and in more pain than I had ever been in my life. More than after any football game. More than cracking my head open on the window sill and leaving a bloody mess everywhere. More than getting my butt handed to me while training with Minotaur out on the plains. How long ago had that been?
Rough hands shook me and slammed me against the wall. My head cracked against the stone and my already shaky legs buckled. I collapsed to the floor, perfectly willing to let the darkness wash over me. I willed it to come. I wanted it to crash down on me like a curtain at the end of a play. Show’s over. Nothing to see here. Time to pack up and go to sleep.
The voice spat out a word I didn’t understand. Hands twisted in my shirt, hauled me to my feet again, and pushed me back against the wall. One hand planted in my chest to hold me there. The other landed an open-hand slap across my face. I cried out in pain and shock.
“You awake yet?”
I knew I couldn’t keep my eyes closed any longer. I couldn’t pretend this was all just a dream. No matter how badly I wanted it to be, it wasn’t. The pain from this dream—this nightmare—was too real, both the physical pain and the hurt I felt deep inside me. One dug out my insides, leaving me hollow for the other pain to pour in and fill me up with the kind of misery that made me want to fall back down to the floor and curl into my ball. I couldn’t, though. Somewhere in the haze of my brain, I knew only more pain would come if I did.
I opened my eyes, expecting to see Daresh’s tall beanstalk of a man. Yeah, he was there, but he wasn’t the one holding me against the wall. Another man had that pleasure. He was shorter than me, so he had to look up to sneer at me. The dude was ugly. Red, puckered skin covered one permanently closed eye. The other was bright blue and pierced into me like he could see right through my skull and read my thoughts like a book. There was so much hatred in that eye. Maybe he wasn’t as ugly as I originally thought. If it wasn’t for that hideous scar on one side of his face, he might have been a descent looking man. Maybe it was just that look in his eye that made him so ugly. There was so much hate there, I felt like I had done something to him personally.
I opened my mouth but only an incoherent grunt came out. I swallowed what little spit I could work into my mouth and tried again. “Where’s Aoife?”
His upper lip curled up even more, causing it to crack like he had a major case of chapped lips. “You’d better start thinkin’ about yourself, I’m thinkin’.”
“I’m not opening the gateway.” I meant that to be a statement, but it sounded a lot like a hesitant question to my ears.
“Oh, you’re not, are you?” he growled, his voice sufficiently gravelly and rough for a man of his demeanor.
Before I could catch my breath enough to formulate a response, he yanked me away from the wall and pushed me towards the door. I stumbled but managed to catch myself on the door frame before I fell to the hard floor.
Mr. Beanstalk stood just inside the hallway. He looked uninterested, bored even, as he held out an arm like a host showing guests to their seats at a restaurant.
I collected myself and attempted a glare. I didn’t want him to see just how broken I was. They could treat me like mud scraped off the bottoms of their shoes, but I wouldn’t let them see its effect on me. Sure, my face was probably streaked with clean stripes where tears had run down my cheeks. Sure, I could barely stand because of the sharp pain from the gash on my leg. Sure, I was broken down to the core.
Or, was I? Anger bubbled in my gut as I looked into his drooping eyes and I stood as straight as I could without putting too much weight on my bad leg. I meaningfully turned my back to the tall man and hobbled down the hall in the opposite direction of the stairs.
“Oh, there seems to be a bit o’ fight left in him,” the scarred man said. “Way he was carryin’ on in his sleep like a babe wantin’ his bottle, I’d have figured he would be wettin’ himself to give Boss what he wanted.”
I ignored him and limped straight-backed down the hall without a backwards glance.
“Should be right fun, what he’s got comin’, dontcha think?”
The beanpole didn’t answer his partner.
“I’m thinkin’ so,” the one-eyed man cackled. “Can’t wait.”
We moved deeper into the bowels of the castle. I wondered how far underground we were. The narrow hall was lit by flickering torches every twenty feet or so. It created an ominous ambience. It felt like the walls closed in on me every time we moved into the dark between the pale lights. I had dim visions of some kind of blood sucking monster jumping from those shadows to attach itself to my neck. I was surprised to find myself hoping for that and hoping it would be a quick end that would take me out of this miserable place. Out of this miserable body full of pain and uselessness.
Useless. I felt anger growing. I hated feeling useless. I hated knowing how worthless I was. What was I thinking allowing Seanna to bring me here? Seanna. Rage boiled over the sharp pains all over my body at just the thought of her name. It numbed the pain. It rushed into my head, waking me from the lethargic state I had sunk into like a wave of cold water. I stopped limping. I clenched my fingers into fists. I slowed, ready to whirl on the two men behind me.
And do what? I had no idea what I was going to do. Jump them? Beat them up with my fists? Barrel past them and run back down the hall to find Aoife? Right. Whatever it was, I didn’t have time to put it into action.
“Keep movin’.” Scarface shoved me hard.
Even though I didn’t feel the pain in my leg as acutely as I should have, that didn’t mean the injury wasn’t there. My knee gave out from underneath me as I stumbled and pitched forward onto the grimy stone floor, earning a fresh set of scrapes and rashes on my palms and forearms.
The squat man snatched me up by the collar, nearly choking me with my own shirt. I staggered to my feet and felt myself sway. Another push in the back sent me stumbling forward. I reached out to catch myself on the wall, but my hand slid right across it like it was lubed with grease. I fell to the floor again. I pushed myself up before I could be hauled roughly to my feet again.
I turned to the two men. “If you would stop— “
“Move.” He pushed me again. I stumbled back, but somehow managed to stay on my feet by flailing my arms around like I was swatting at bees.
“I’m going.” I turned and started back down the hall, shoulders slumped.
Useless. Worthless. Coward.
All that talk with Aoife about being a hero and that’s all I was. Useless. Worthless. Coward. I knew she was somewhere back in those dungeons. I knew she must have been feeling exactly like I was, but I couldn’t do anything about it. I couldn’t make myself do anything about it. What could I do beside be herded along like stray cattle? Nothing. That was what I could do. I could allow these two men to push me along to whatever they had planned for me. Why would it matter? Nothing they did could have compared to how I felt at that moment. Useless. Worthless. Coward.
A meaty fist grabbed the back of my collar and steered me to the left into another room. I wasn’t ready for the shove that came next. With no time to catch myself, I hit the stone floor hard. Something popped in my chest and pain bloomed around my torso. I cried out.
Somebody sighed behind me.
I was yanked up by the collar. I cried out again as I was set on my feet. I wrapped my arms around the new pain in my chest and lifted my head.
Daresh sat with his legs crossed in a chair in the c
enter of the room. One wrist draped over the knees and the other hand hung loosely from chair’s arm. When he looked up to see me, his face split into a smile I would have thought cordial in any other circumstance.
“Ah, Gaige Porter. Our esteemed guest,” he said delightfully.
At that moment, looking into that man’s eyes, I reassessed my thoughts on whether they could do anything more to hurt me.
“Bones are a funny thing, don’t you agree?” Daresh threw the question out for anybody. When nobody replied, he went on. “Some are nearly impossible to break.” He tapped a finger on his thigh. “While some break under the most minor of force.” He lifted his hand to wiggle his fingers at me. He stopped to examine a pure white ring on his middle finger. He splayed his fingers out like my aunt had done to show off a modest diamond engagement ring.
I held my arms tight to my chest, finding it hard to focus though. It felt like somebody had stabbed me through with a sword. I hunched over the pain like Gollum over his ring.
Daresh twisted his ring idly around his finger with a thumb, pausing as he thought. After a moment of silence, he started humming while staring somewhere over my head. I tried to not look, but curiosity won. I shifted to glance behind me. All I saw was his two henchmen in the doorway and the grime crusted wall. I turned back to him, but he kept staring and humming. The tune nibbled at my brain. I thought I should have known it, but I couldn’t quite place it.
“There’s a race of lizard men,” he said so suddenly I wondered if he knew he had stopped talking for a significant amount of time, “in the swamps to the east of here who form idols from bone.”
He spoke as if I didn’t know about the lizard men, but I had the impression he knew about my encounter with Sholto. There was something in the way he said lizard while flicking his eyes at me. He hated them—was disgusted by them.
“I’ve managed to get my hands on a few here and there. Curious little trinkets, of course. Completely useless, but interesting to examine, none the less. Most of them are human bone,” he said with a false note of scandal in his voice. “I’ve never been able to figure out which bones they used. They had to be careful to not use a bone too brittle. Ribs, for instance, break way too easily. Skilled, gentle hands would be required. Something they’re not known for, I’m afraid. On the other hand, working with a too hard bone would be extremely difficult.” He began twisting the ring again.
The Gatekeeper Trilogy Page 32
