Of Liars and Thieves

by Gabriela Lavarello

  “Look,” Aeden said quickly, “I don’t trust King Sorren, nor do I like him. But I’m more scared of the consequences that would come with hiding the pages from him than the ones of letting him handle the situation.”

  “So, you think that we should give the pages back, then,” Finriel said, her words more of a statement than a question.

  Aeden realized that there was no anger behind Finriel’s words, in fact, the witch’s expression was blank, if only slightly thoughtful. Aeden shrugged, and she knew that whatever she said wouldn’t change anything. The outcome of their current situation was far out of their power, Aeden knew that. She was bound to her original quest, and she could not break it.

  “Krete, couldn’t you ask King Drohan what he thinks about this?” Tedric asked. “We all trust him well enough.”

  Lorian shoved the rest of the flaky pastry in his mouth and rolled his eyes. Aeden felt a sudden desire to hit the thief, but she pushed away the urge. It wasn’t worth her energy to beat him when it clearly wouldn’t make him any more in favor of returning the pages to the kings.

  “I can certainly speak to King Drohan,” Krete replied with a nod. “I will ask if we can share our afternoon meal with him, but for now we should try to relax and rest a bit more. There’s no use in figuring out what to do with the pages if we’re all too tired to actually do something about it.”

  Lorian’s face lit up. “You did promise to take me to the portal.”

  Krete gave Lorian a tired smile. “Of course. I can take you there once I’ve met with King Drohan.”

  33

  Lorian

  “It’s bigger than I expected.” Lorian circled the enormous swirling and gurgling blue portal with interest, and then looked over to Krete, who gazed at it proudly. Lorian glanced around the room, which was a black stone cave the size of a large manor. Hundreds of steel chests lined the torchlit walls, and the glow from the cobalt blue portal reflected upon the high stone ceiling.

  “I did say that a gnome army could go through it,” Krete replied, and Lorian snorted as he went to inspect the chests.

  “Suzunne could go through it with the army,” Lorian chuckled, glancing at the enormous portal once more.

  It was at least the size of the large pond that he, Krete, and Tedric had bathed in during their day of rest in Drolatis, perhaps bigger. Lorian wasn’t sure how big of a portal stone or how many had been needed to create such a thing, but he didn’t ask Krete for fear of a droning monologue.

  “What are these?” Lorian asked once he reached the nearest chest and ran a finger over the cold lid.

  Krete was at Lorian’s side in an instant and shooed him aside with a wave of his hand. Lorian obliged and watched as Krete lifted the lid with a small grunt of effort, and Lorian cursed as he was nearly blinded by the glow of hundreds of small blue stones glittering merrily within the chest.

  “Are all the chests filled with these?” Lorian asked, running his hand over the smooth stones in awe.

  “Yes, iron helps charge them, which is why they are glowing,” Krete said with an obvious note of pride in his voice.

  “So why is that one glowing?” Lorian asked, pointing toward the swirling mass of light feet away.

  “This part of the mountain is almost completely made of iron. It’s the only way for us to be able to have a portal of this dimension and for it to stay charged for more than half a second.”

  “Interesting,” Lorian mused, continuing to feel the small portal stones between his fingers.

  “Be careful,” Krete said, eyeing a stone that was now held between Lorian’s fingers.

  Lorian noticed small veins of pulsing light running throughout the stone, though its light had dimmed drastically the moment he took it from the chest.

  He looked down at Krete and raised his brows. “I am the master of being careful, don’t you worry.”

  Krete snorted and turned away. “Put it back and close the chest. We’ve got to go meet the others and King Drohan.”

  Lorian tucked the stone into his cloak pocket with a smirk and closed the lid of the chest with a dull thud. He turned on his heel and followed Krete out of the iron door, and a small pulse from the stone emanated from his pocket as if it were a second heartbeat. Lorian knew that he would have done better to listen to Krete and put the stone back, but he couldn’t help himself. And besides, perhaps it would come in handy for them all in the near future.

  Krete and Lorian made their way through winding halls and cavernous rooms, and Lorian allowed his mind to wander as Krete led them back toward the center of the mountain. He wasn’t quite sure how good an idea it was to share the information that Egharis had given them the night before, but Lorian didn’t want to tell that to anyone, especially not Krete. He knew how much the gnome loved his king, and Lorian’s distaste of most rulers was likely not a very good argument against keeping the new information a secret.

  “What do you think about Aeden and Tedric’s newfound love?” Lorian asked instead as he and Krete turned a corner.

  Krete shook his head. “I’m not so sure how I feel if I’m being quite honest. They are very different from each other.”

  Lorian noted a hint of hesitation in Krete’s voice, but he ignored it and nodded in agreement. He hadn’t fully trusted Aeden since the night of capturing the nian, mostly due to her sudden change of mood surrounding Clamidas and her manner of speaking to the beast. There was something else though, something that Lorian could not quite place. He had always noted the energy and connection between her and Tedric, but it made him feel strange, as if there were a greater force involved.

  “I just hope that they don’t hurt each other.” Krete sighed.

  “I hope so too,” Lorian muttered. “Our situation is already messy as it is. We don’t need heartbreak to muddle it up even more.”

  Krete shot Lorian a look he knew was likely related to his own relationship with Finriel, but he merely smiled. For the first time in ten years, he finally felt like there was hope for their friendship, though he couldn’t deny that at times he wondered what it would be like to have more. As the sounds of voices neared, Lorian hastily shoved down thoughts of Finriel blushing and the warm brush of her fingers against his stomach. Krete motioned for him to round one last corner, and Lorian plastered an easy smile on his face as they came to the familiar walkway overlooking the Viure and courtyard below.

  King Drohan and their remaining companions were waiting for them in front of the dining room door, and Lorian blinked in surprise to find that Finriel was engaged in polite conversation with the king as Aeden and Tedric stood close, each looking slightly disheveled and almost too happy in Lorian’s opinion. He allowed his attention back to Finriel for a split moment, and his heart gave a quickened thump as he noted that her dark hair was now free from its braid and tumbling in waves down her back. Her forest green dress complemented her caramel skin in a way that nearly made Lorian speechless, though he wouldn’t tell her for fear of losing one of his fingers, or any other favored appendages.

  “There they are. Krete, mister Grey.” King Drohan welcomed them each with a nod, and Lorian smiled and gave the king a small bow in greeting.

  “Shall we?” Krete asked, and King Drohan nodded, gesturing toward the dining room with a flourish of his hand.

  The companions began to follow the king and Krete, but Lorian stepped forward and grabbed Aeden’s wrist before she could slip past. Aeden whirled and shot him a look of confusion, but Lorian ignored it and led her back out of the room so that they were alone.

  “What is it?” Aeden asked, crossing her arms over her chest after Lorian let go of her wrist.

  “I know that you don’t want to release the beasts from the pages, but I think that you have a reason aside from just keeping your little fairy festival safe from harm,” Lorian said in a low voice.

  “What—”

  Lorian held up a hand and cut her off. “I only thought of that just now, so don’t ask me why I think so. But if t
here’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s knowing when someone is lying.”

  Aeden’s face paled slightly but her expression remained impassive. “I haven’t been lying.”

  “Oh please,” Lorian scoffed. “We are all liars in some way.”

  “Of course you would say that,” Aeden snapped. “Your job is to lie and cheat.”

  Lorian sighed and crossed his arms. “Look, I know that you’re hiding something. I don’t know what it is, and I’m not asking you to tell me. There are many things that I know and have done that I’ll never tell to another living soul.”

  “Then why are you saying all of this? Are you just trying to make me agree with you to let the beasts out of their pages?” Aeden hissed.

  “No, I’m telling you this because I want to make sure that whatever you are hiding doesn’t negatively affect Tedric.” Aeden fell silent at Lorian’s reply, and he swore that her already pale skin turned even more ashen at his words. Lorian continued, “He is like a brother to me at this point. It is my duty to make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”

  “I don’t want to hurt him,” Aeden whispered, and Lorian noted a hint of sincerity in her meaningless words.

  “Then don’t.” With that, Lorian turned on his heel and left Aeden as he walked into the dining room with a smile. Tedric looked up expectantly, and scowled slightly at Lorian as he sat down across from the commander, next to Finriel.

  “Is everything all right?” Finriel asked.

  “Oh yes,” Lorian replied easily, “just had to discuss Aeden’s choice of color for her dress today.”

  Aeden entered moments later, and Lorian nearly applauded her outstanding performance in attempting to look like absolutely nothing had happened. Her dazed smile was back, if only slightly strained now, and she gave Tedric a small nod as she sat at his side and he murmured something into her ear. Aeden’s green eyes met Lorian’s for a split second, and she nodded again before quickly looking down at the spread of mouthwatering dishes set in front of them.

  “So,” King Drohan began, “what did you want to discuss?”

  Krete recounted their meeting with the storyteller, not leaving a single detail out. King Drohan’s brow furrowed slightly when Krete mentioned the storyteller’s employer and the curse that had been set upon him in order to maintain secrecy, but he listened intently during Krete’s tale. Lorian busied himself with eating the mound of potatoes fried in butter and rosemary along with an assortment of other root vegetables cooked in a delicious dark sauce as Krete told the king of the meeting.

  “I cannot say that I have heard any news of someone attempting to create an army of beasts, but it is certainly concerning to hear that someone is trying to introduce violence to Raymara once more,” King Drohan said, his fingers steepled together as he gazed off at the gleaming red door.

  Lorian scooped a large serving of rhubarb and strawberry crumble onto his now empty plate and tucked in, briefly glancing up at Aeden, who had barely eaten anything from her plate. He bit into the mouthwatering crumble with some frustration at her blank expression, which was much like that of his other companions as they waited for the king to continue.

  “Are you sure that the storyteller did not give you any information as to who this employer is?” King Drohan asked, and Krete shook his head.

  “No, he was taken over by the curse before he could say anything.”

  “He did say that the employer wished for darkness to return to Raymara, and that he had power,” Lorian said through a mouthful of crumble.

  Aeden shot him a look. “You said that the employer had immense power, not the storyteller.”

  “But he didn’t say that I was wrong either,” Lorian replied, pointing his fork at her.

  “Stop, you two,” Finriel snapped, and Aeden transferred her glower to her potatoes and stabbed one with her fork.

  “With the lack of information, it is hard to say exactly what I would do,” King Drohan sighed, ignoring Aeden and Lorian’s brief spat.

  “Would you recommend that we release the beasts as Egharis told us to do?” Tedric asked, and Aeden visibly stiffened.

  King Drohan tapped his fingers together in thought for a moment while Lorian served himself another helping of crumble. His stomach was near bursting, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t sure if this would be their last meal before having to transport Egharis and the pages back to Keadora, but if so, he wanted to eat as much as he could before going back to dark bread and apples.

  “I think that releasing the beasts might be your best chance of safety,” King Drohan replied finally. “We can’t be sure if or when the storyteller might be called to create the army, but it is better to be prepared when the time comes.”

  “Once we return him to the Red King, we won’t have to worry about him creating the army,” Tedric said confidently. “We have the highest level of security in the realm, and I can assure you that the Red King wouldn’t allow him to do such a thing.”

  “We could give King Sorren and the Red King our pages as well then,” Finriel offered. “It would be better to let them take care of the situation should anything arise.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” King Drohan shook his head. “The Red King and King Sorren have been known to act behind the backs of the grand council in order to get what they want. I do not know if I would trust them with the pages.”

  Lorian pursed his lips and readied himself for Tedric’s outburst of defense against his king, and it came within seconds.

  “The Red King always makes decisions that are for Keadora’s highest good. I would trust him with the pages more than I would trust the five of us.”

  “Do you actually mean that?” Lorian snorted, but Tedric merely glared at him in reply.

  “You five bear more responsibility for the safety of this realm than you may realize, and though I do not know you very well, I trust you more than I do either king,” King Drohan replied evenly. “You have Creonid’s full support and assurance of safe haven should you wish to keep the pages.”

  With that, King Drohan stood, and Lorian and his companions stood as well, each bowing low as the king made his way to the door. King Drohan turned toward them once more and gave a small nod.

  “I wish upon the goddesses that you will make the right decision. You may stay here as long as you wish.”

  The king turned away and exited, and Lorian sat back down with a small sigh. He felt more confused than ever, finding personally that King Drohan hadn’t been very much help at all. It seemed as if they were alone in this once again.

  34

  Finriel

  Finriel padded silently down the dark corridor, cold shooting up through her bare feet with every step she took. She’d been walking aimlessly through dimly lit halls for some time now after deciding that sleep would not be greeting her tonight. She thought of Nora, who had been snoring loudly when she left, deciding it best not to wake the mogwa for a simple stroll. She hadn’t been sleeping well for the past few nights, as her mind was too busy with thoughts of the prophecy and everything that had happened in the past three moons of her life.

  The companions had argued for some time after their meal with King Drohan, and still hadn’t come to a compromise. Finriel wasn’t sure where she stood, though it seemed that only Tedric and Lorian had very set opinions on the matter. Tedric of course had said that they needed to return to the Red King immediately, and Lorian had insisted that they stay and keep the pages for a little longer. They ended up leaving in a muddle of yells and frustrated curses, and Finriel hadn’t seen any of her companions for the rest of the day. Thoughts of keeping the pages filtered through her mind, but she quickly fought them back as her muscles tensed with an all too familiar sense of hopelessness.

  Finriel turned to peer through the mouth of a corridor to her left, finding the large branches of the Viure a few meters away. She turned in the opposite direction and headed toward a door to her right, where soft light spilled over the sleek stone floor. She walke
d for some time down the plain hallway when a sudden draft of cold air blew against her skin, causing her to wrap her cloak closer around her body. The hall curved and she soon found herself in a hall that was lined with enormous carved out spaces in the mountain, much like the opening that Suzunne had flown through two days before. Finriel walked closer and paused as a dark figure caught her attention. But it was only Lorian. Finriel’s shoulders relaxed, and she walked to where he was seated.

  He was slouched at the very edge of the windowsill, his feet dangling out from the inside of the mountain to float in the air. His dark hair was messy, as if he had just gotten out of bed. His simple clothing was also crumpled, the cream white tunic slightly askew on his filled out frame. Finriel hadn’t noticed how much healthier he looked compared to the way he had been at the beginning of their journey, and she forced her gaze away from the bare skin of his collarbone.

  “Are you waiting for someone?” Finriel asked softly, stopping a few feet away to look over the scene below. The scarred meadow glittered under a blanket of soft dew, and the sun was starting to peak over the ridge ahead. The warm pink glow of the rising sun gave everything a feeling of tranquility that seeped into Finriel’s bones. No wonder Krete was proud to call this place his home.

  Lorian lifted his head to look at her, a soft smile on his lips. “Only for you.”

  Shivers rushed up Finriel’s spine at the tone of his voice, but she ignored the feeling and sat down next to him. The white stone pillar felt cool and comforting against her back as she leaned against it, and she watched Lorian as he turned to look back down at the the scorched earth and rocks.

  “I now understand why Krete was so homesick all of the time,” Lorian mused as he gazed down at the world below. Finriel nodded in agreement and tilted her head back, letting the calmness soak into her bones. The magic in Finriel’s veins sung here, pulsating as if a second being lived inside her body.