“Take me to Crenen, only slower. Okay?”
Liitae rose above me and inched along at a snail’s pace.
“Very funny, Smart-Alec. Let’s go.”
The orb set a steady pace now, remaining four feet ahead, until I heard the faint hum of voices. Creeping closer, I attempted to listen in, but while I’d earlier been able to detect the far-off thundering of myriad furapintairow feet and judge their distance, my hearing now seemed worse than ever in my life.
The hairs on my neck tingled as I inched a little closer. Something slammed against me. The pressure heightened, pushing me back and forward all at once. I screamed and Liitae fell to the ground beside me.
“Vendaeva!”
The crushing force vanished. Collapsing to my knees, I gulped in air.
A hand rested on my shoulder. “Key?”
I slowly looked up and met the bloodred gaze of Lon. Never had I been so happy to see him—but I wasn’t about to waste good air saying so.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
I didn’t answer, still set on protecting my precious oxygen.
“I’m amazed you weren’t crushed. A person doesn’t generally walk into a barrier and live afterward.”
Wheezing, I wished he would shut up. At last I felt confident I'd reclaimed all the oxygen I needed, so I met his concerned gaze. “What was a barrier doing there, Lon?”
“I put it there.”
“Why?”
“That, Key, is none of your business.” He helped me to my feet.
“Where’s Crenen?”
“Over there, speaking with our captive,” Lon said, pointing somewhere beyond the tree trunks.
“About what?”
“They share one common motive,” he answered. “And I think Crenen has been particularly bloodthirsty lately. He’s kept from killing solely for my sister’s sake, but…”
“...Now that she’s not here…”
“Exactly.”
“Liitae thought something was wrong, so I followed it here. Oh, gosh. Liitae!” I found it flickering like a dying lightbulb right where it had landed.
“You called it Liitae?” Lon asked, watching as I knelt again and scooped the orb into my hands. It felt like a ball of blown glass, like the one Jana got when my family visited the coast once.
“Yeah.”
“Interesting.”
“Okay, so it’s unoriginal,” I muttered, tapping the ball.
“What do you think it means?” he asked.
“Light, duh,” I said, still attempting to revive it.
“Hardly,” Lon said. “Something much more important, actually. Strange that you would name it without knowing its meaning.”
I scowled. “Do you mind? That barrier may have killed my orb.” I turned back to it, prodding it gently, determined to keep it alive.
“Don’t worry, it can’t die. That would defeat its entire point, don’t you think?”
“What are you talking about?” I snapped, glaring up at him.
He held my gaze. “Liitae is Life, Key. You created this orb, and it cannot die unless you do. Which means, this thing is nearly immortal.”
I stared at him. “Immortal?”
“According to prophecy, Vendaeva is half immortal,” Lon said, kneeling beside me.
“Whoa, wait just a second here. Are you saying…?” I leaned closer and looked him in the eyes. “How can anyone be half immortal. Either you are, or you’re not.”
Lon offered me a laconic smile. “It’s simple,” he said, reminding me of my former loathing of him, “but I’d rather not explain it right now.”
I could've throttled him, but Liitae’s light flickered, and I turned my attention to the orb.
“It responds to your anger,” Lon said.
Sure enough, as soon as he said that, and I gritted my teeth, the little ball lit up again. I rubbed its surface, attempting to revive it, when a thought struck me. “Hey, Lon, when Chas tried to touch—”
“Chas?”
“Uh. Yeah.”
Lon stood and took off in the direction I'd come from. I ran after him, clutching Liitae. All thoughts of Crenen had fled.
We crashed through the same foliage I'd seen too many times already, and I wondered if I would ever be rid of it. It took less time than before to reach the clearing, running as we were. I staggered to a stop, wheezing again.
Lon halted in the middle of the clearing and looked up into one tree. “Chasym!” he called, making Veija jump in her sleep.
Menen jumped to his feet, claws out, sharp teeth shining with light from the moons. His gaze fell on Lon, and then me, and he relaxed. In that moment I was grateful I wasn't his enemy.
Branches rustled and creaked in the tree Lon had addressed, then Chas jumped down. A few leaves fluttered down around him and settled in the dewy grass. He was still in his adult form, familiar yet alien to me.
He and Lon studied each other for a moment before they broke into smiles and started laughing. Lon strode over and gripped his friend's arm. “It is good to see you.”
Chas clapped Lon on the back. “It’s been far too long.”
“You’ve been well, I hope?” Lon glanced at Chas’s tattered apparel. “Furapintairow attack, from the looks of it…?”
My rival nodded.
I was at a loss, so I plopped down in the grass and glanced at Menen, who watched the two men, seated again himself. Veija turned over in her sleep and murmured something about mosquitoes. I smiled despite myself.
Crenen's irritated voice interrupted the happy reunion. “Cra vener eyia baskyne, Lon!” I turned to watch him storm into the clearing. Then I stared. He was covered in blood. What was it with this clearing and him? He walked over to the robed pretty-boy, ignoring Chas. “Vener miek diay kryn,” he growled. “Daja vener soraj ihi kryn keis levieshna jaer lanya deirsh eyia baskyne liish cra liiv, Domi Libin Kag? Se braryr hem.”
Lon blinked before he glanced at me, then back to Crenen. He sighed. “I’m sorry, I was distracted.”
I opened my mouth to ask what was going on, but Crenen whirled on me. “And you—almost killing your Essence! What possessed you?”
I also blinked. “E-Essence?”
“Yes, Essence!”
His volume caused Veija to sit up. “Wha—?” she began, but one look at Crenen made her clamp her mouth shut.
Chas stepped from behind Lon and Crenen to address me. “Crenen is upset because Lon left him abruptly to rescue you from the barrier they created to keep people away, and he never returned.”
“Oh.”
Crenen, once again, did not acknowledge Chas’s presence. “Well?” he demanded.
“Uh…” Well what?
“Leave him alone,” another voice said.
We all turned to see Jenen sitting against the tree he'd been sleeping under. His breathing was labored, his pale face beaded with sweat, but he was awake. Relief rushed through me. I'd managed to save him.
Crenen’s frown turned into an evil smirk as he regarded his twin. “Beneficial, indeed, Sick Nasty Dog, yeah?”
Jenen considered him, then smiled. “Yes, I believe so.” He turned his gaze to me. “I owe you my life.”
“No,” I shook my head, “we’re even.”
He frowned. “That’s twice you’ve saved me, and I will repay you.”
For the first time, I recalled the pitch darkness and Jenen, dead. I'd summoned Liitae to revive him. How could I forget such a thing? And how in the world did I bring someone back from death?
“Why are you bloody?” Jenen asked Crenen.
Crenen glanced at his stained clothing. “Had long talk with Bloody Dying Man.”
Jenen raised an eyebrow. “You killed Sikel?”
“Not dead yet,” Crenen replied, flexing his claws as he spoke.
“Good. He has something I need,” Jenen said, attempting to stand. Menen stepped to his side and helped him up.
“Hey, I have some questions,” I said, wondering if anyone would list
en.
Chas and Lon looked at me.
My mind went blank, but I forced myself to latch on to one of the many questions I had. “Um, why did Chas's hand go through Liitae, while to me the orb is solid.”
“Because you’re the only one who can touch your soul,” Lon answered.
My soul? “…Okay…” I glanced at the glowing ball. “Next question.” I caught Crenen’s gaze and held it. “Why do you want Jenen to take over Yenen leadership?” I wanted to know about their rift, too, but that was a personal issue and I didn't want to pry. Yet.
The entire clearing fell quiet as each member of the strange group regarded Crenen. The man's expression darkened.
“Vendaeva.”
I glanced around the group, wondering which of them had spoken, but they were still watching Crenen, who, for once, seemed to have clammed up.
“Did…you guys hear that?” I asked.
“Hear what?” Chas asked.
“That voice.” I'd heard it before, when I was being crushed by Lon’s barrier. At the time I assumed it was his voice, but thinking back, it was different from Lon's; perhaps a little deeper. Plus, that wasn't the first time I'd heard it, either. The same voice had entered my mind when the furapintairow army attacked, and I was certain there was one other time.
So much for questions getting answered. The list kept growing.
14
They of No Identity
“What voice, Jason?” Chas asked, raising an eyebrow.
I frowned but shrugged. “My imagination, I suppose.” I knew it wasn’t; no way had I heard it without good reason. I decided to change the subject. “So, now that we’re all here, what next? I guess I could just stand here and let you guys pull me back and forth to see who gets me this round.”
“What talking about, Strange Coward Boy? “You my servant, you stay with me.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Right.”
Crenen considered my response good enough, since he turned back to his twin. “You stay with us, since you owe Strange Coward Boy much, yeah?” He smiled the most devious smirk I'd ever seen. “Besides, if wanting something from Bloody Dying Man, only we can supply Sick Nasty Dog with location, yeah?”
Jenen watched Crenen for a moment before he sighed. Without a word, he walked across the clearing, aided by Menen, and stood beside me.
“Are we going to visit Jenen’s friend?” Chas asked.
Veija laughed. “Jenen has a friend?”
I smothered a laugh of my own. How anyone could be so clueless I would never know.
“What does that man have that you want?” Menen asked.
I was wondering the same thing, so I threw in my own questioning stare.
Jenen held my eyes, but remained silent, ignoring Menen. I, on the other hand, made a note to pull Tall Strong Jerk aside and drill him for as many answers as I could get. Knowing my luck, I doubted it would ever happen. Crenen pretty much ran the show, a puppet-master hording all the strings.
“Come,” Crenen said. Case in point.
We moved out of camp and I bade farewell to the place I’d mentally christened the Clearing of Blood. Crenen kept a fast pace, and we struggled to keep up in our battered conditions. I hadn’t eaten in days—too many things had happened to make time for it. How many days had it been since I returned to Paradise? Two? Three?
My robe snagged on a bramble, and as I jerked it away from the thorny bush, realization struck me—I was still wearing my hospital gown. Looking down at the formerly white gown, I winced. It was a muddy mess. As I trudged on, I ran a hand through my hair and felt the tangled locks as they tickled my chin. Not only was I wearing a dress, but my hair was long, too. Something had to be done about this. I needed a bath and a new wardrobe as soon as possible—though not anything from Lon.
Speaking of which—
I glanced around for the pretty boy, but he wasn’t among the traveling party. I looked back at Chas, walking just behind me, and raised an eyebrow. He glanced at each person, then shrugged.
Frowning, I wondered where Lon had run off to. Was he really working with Crenen, or would he soon pounce another betrayal on me? Not that I could do much to prevent him if he did. Fate had taken over my life, and I could only brace for whatever it threw at me next.
“When is Kiido coming?”
“Soon, my Master. Soon.”
I halted and shook my head, tapping my palms against my ears.
“Something wrong?” Chas asked.
“No, it’s nothing,” I whispered as I reflected on the voices in my head. I could see vague images—a man bowing before his lord, the latter shrouded in shadow.
We reached the spot where the barrier had nearly killed Liitae and me. Crenen commanded us to remain where we were while he went to get Sikel. I sat in the wild grass, pulled my orb from the pocket of my hospital robe, and stroked it, watching as the pulsing light brightened and dimmed, brightened and dimmed.
“Is it going to be okay?” Veija asked, taking a seat beside me.
“You’re the Seer, you tell me,” I said with a smile.
She blushed and looked away. “I…I have a confession to make—”
Lon jumped down from the treetops, causing my heart to leap into my throat. What were these people, monkeys? He padded over to me and knelt, meeting my gaze.
“Perfect timing,” I told him, watching as Veija got up and scurried away.
“Let me see Liitae,” he said even as he took the orb from my hands.
“Help yourself,” I muttered, listening to the murmurings of my stomach.
Lon glanced up from the ball of light. “Hungry?”
“No. I’ve just not eaten for days, I’ll be fine.”
A fleeting smile crossed his face as he pulled a bunch of gerani from his pocket. “I found these on my way back. Eat.”
Scratch that ‘eternal feud’ bit. Lon was now my best friend.
I snatched the Purple Fruit from him and downed the grapes three at a time.
Chas shook his head. “How can you eat so many? I can only handle one—tops.”
I blinked. Swallowed a gerani. “They're not that potent.”
He snorted. “For you, maybe. But I’m not the only one who has dizzy spells after the first bite.”
“What are you talking about, Chasym?” Lon gazed at his friend wryly. “You don't get dizzy spells; you pass out.”
“Even so, no one can handle more than four before it's too much.”
My eyes narrowed as I considered that Crenen could not have known how well I handled gerani, yet he offered them without any kind of warning. The jerk.
While eating my breakfast, I glanced at Menen, wondering if I could pull him aside for questioning while Crenen was away. He was still sitting by Jenen, though neither said anything. As I watched them it struck me that whatever had caused a rift between the twins, it had torn Menen in two. But if there really was a rift, what possessed Crenen to willingly hand over clan leadership to his reluctant twin? One thing was certain: Power wasn’t the motive in this matter, regardless of Crenen’s megalomaniac tendencies.
The rustling of bushes brought me from my thoughts, and I looked up to see Crenen reappearing with a deep frown on his face. “Not there,” he said to Jenen.
“He escaped?” asked Lon. “Impossible.”
Crenen glanced at him. “No Bloody Dying Man there,” he said with a hiss.
I looked at Jenen who fixed Crenen with a penetrating stare. “You lost him?”
Crenen nodded casually.
“Master?” Menen got to his feet.
Crenen stepped back, watching Menen with narrowed eyes. Then he doubled over as a fit of coughs racked his body. Blood splattered his hands as the coughing grew worse, and Menen ran to him with terror in his red eyes—but before he could reach him, something shot out from the trees and tackled Crenen to the ground.
We were all on our feet now. I gawked at the newcomer, and my eyes widened. It was Crenen. But—two Crenens? Heav
en help us all!
Lon and Menen dived in to stop them from killing each other. They held the Crenens apart while the rest of us stared.
“Triplets?” Veija suggested.
“Certainly not,” Jenen said.
“Let go,” both Crenens hissed together.
“Interesting,” Chas mused, stepping forward. “I wonder if this means pigs can fly now.” He glanced at the sky.
“Probably already could in Paradise,” I muttered.
He chuckled.
“So, if not triplets, one is an impostor?” Veija said.
“I would assume as much,” Lon replied.
“Tall Strong Jerk!” both Crenens cried in warning tones, struggling hard against their living bonds.
Menen looked at the Crenen he held in an arm lock, and then at the other. He remained still and silent—probably thinking that was safer than helping the wrong Crenen and hearing about it later.
Chas strolled forward, gazing at each Crenen in turn. “An intriguing situation, to be sure.”
“Do something to fix this or move out of the way,” Jenen growled.
“Maybe we could ask them which is real?” Veija suggested.
I attempted to hide my smile and succeeded for about two seconds.
“We real one, yeah?” the Crenens snarled.
“This is easily taken care of,” Chas said.
“Kill ‘em both?” I suggested.
“Well, there’s one possibility.”
“What’s the other?” Menen asked, showing no signs of budging as his captive squirmed to break free.
“Well, I know who the real one is.” Chas’s eyes danced.
“Spill it,” I ordered.
“Neither.”
Everyone stared at the blond. Chas laughed.
“Explain,” said Lon.
Both Crenens moved, and Lon and Menen found themselves face-first in the grass before anyone knew what had happened. Crenen and Crenen pounced on Chas, slashing at him with their claws.
Once, I’d ordered the forest to part for me and it obeyed. Now, desperate to stop the impostors before they hurt Chas or anyone else, I mentally urged them to cease. Nothing happened. “Stop, dang it!”
The clearing froze, and everyone in it. Every surface glowed with an icy-blue sheen like a thin coat of ice.
A Liar in Paradise Page 16
