A Time of Darkness (The Circle of Talia)

by Lister, Dionne

  “So now what do we do? I can’t stay locked up here. I need to find everyone; we’ve got things we have to do.”

  “What things, and who’s ‘everyone?’”

  As relieved as Bronwyn was to see her best friend, Avruellen’s words sounded in her mind, and she was careful about how much she said. “Guess what? I have a brother!”

  This was news she could genuinely smile about. She wondered if he was worried about her.

  “What, a brother? That’s wonderful news! How did you find out?” Corrille jumped up in excitement and hit her head on the bunk above. “Shit! Ow, that hurt.”

  She rubbed it with her hand.

  “Are you okay? That sounded hard.”

  Corrille looked at her with a what a stupid thing to say look, and they both laughed.

  “It’s so good to see you again.” Bronwyn stood carefully and hugged her friend. “Hmm, I think you’d like my brother; he’s kinda cute.”

  “What does he look like?”

  “A bit like me; we’re twins. He’s got dark hair, and he’s tall with green eyes.”

  “Twins? This story just keeps getting more interesting. Do you think he’d like me?”

  “Of course he would. What’s not to like? Anyway, that’s enough silly talk. We need to figure out how to get out of here.”

  A knock at the door interrupted their reunion. Bronwyn tensed, resisting the urge to reach for a corridor to the Second Realm. She was getting stronger and quicker at linking with the Realm but decided it would be better to be patient—she shouldn’t to give her secret away to Corrille if she didn’t have to.

  A man, who Bronwyn recognized as the person who spoke to her by the sea, entered; his shoulder-length, curly, blond hair would have been more suitable on a woman, and his thin moustache ensured he looked more like a foppish noble than a kidnapper. Bronwyn wondered if the sword at his hip was for show, or if he could really use it.

  “Ah, good to see you’re awake. I’m Morth, and I’m here to insist you behave.”

  “Or what? And incidentally, why am I here?” Her plan had been to be quiet and watch, but she always felt impelled to act in confrontations, especially when she felt someone—in this case, her—was wronged. She took a step towards Morth.

  “If you don’t behave, we’ll make sure you sleep the whole way to where we’re going. As for why you’re here, that’s simple: Klazich has ordered it. Now there’s to be no more questions.”

  Corrille grabbed her friend’s arm. “Just listen to him. I tried to get away once, and his mother attacked me.” Corrille lifted her hair and showed Bronwyn yellowed bruises around her neck.

  “She tried to strangle you?” She really wanted to get her hands on Morth’s mother. Deciding it didn’t matter whether Corrille knew she was a realmist or not, she looked for the corridor to the Second Realm. As her speeding awareness reached the entry of the corridor, it crashed into nothing: an invisible barrier. Bronwyn fell to the ground, stunned.

  Corrille bent over her. “Oh, gods, are you all right? Bronwyn, can you hear me? Bronwyn, talk to me.”

  She tapped Bronwyn’s cheek with the ends of her fingers.

  Morth laughed. “Didn’t expect that, eh? What do you take us for, realmist? For that indiscretion, you two can go without food today. How do you like them apples? Ha, ha. Get it?”

  He exited, shutting and bolting the door.

  Bronwyn’s eyes focused, and Corrille helped her sit up. “What happened?”

  “I have something to tell you.” Bronwyn hoped her friend wouldn’t hate her for keeping such a big secret, or even for being a realmist. They had never discussed realmists before, and she had no idea whether Corrille hated them, liked them, or just didn’t believe in what they could do. “I’m a realmist. I just tried to get to the Second Realm, but they’ve put a barrier up, and I crashed into it.”

  “What? What are you talking about? You can’t be a realmist; they’re old and have beards.”

  Despite the headache digging its fingers into her brain, Bronwyn giggled. “Some do, but not all. They start studying when they’re young.”

  “I don’t know if I believe you. How come you never told me before?”

  “My aunt wanted it to be a secret. You don’t have to believe me—it doesn’t change what I know.” Bronwyn shrugged, disappointed. While glad that her friend didn’t hate her for being a realmist, she was hoping Corrille would be impressed, or even surprised—but not believing her? And when had she ever lied to her friend? “I’m not feeling well. I’m going to lie down.”

  Corrille didn’t say anything and Bronwyn watched as she climbed onto the top bunk. How was she going to get out of here without Second Realm power, and who, or what, was Klazich? Did Avruellen know where she was? She worried because they only had a certain amount of time to find the ancient book and figure out how to do the second unlocking of her amulet by the next full moon. With no ideas materializing, Bronwyn gave up thinking and, lulled by the roll of the ocean, fell asleep.

  Chapter 17

  Close to midnight, Bayerlon slept. Draped by night’s dark pelt, the dragons, Agmunsten, and Arie prepared to leave. In a training field behind the castle, the realmists took to their saddles, excited. Riding on a dragon was rare and so invigorating that even Agmunsten enjoyed the rush of gliding through the cold, fresh heights, wind lifting his spirits and reminding him how amazing life could be.

  “Is everyone ready?” asked Arcese.

  “Yep,” came the unanimous reply.

  The dragons channeled earth magic, calling the heat from deep underneath Talia to come to the surface, thereby warming the air and creating additional lift. The dragons, heavy as they were, needed assistance to leave the ground—whether that was running off a cliff, jumping from a height, or invoking thermals. As they extended their wings, ready to take off, Queen Gabrielle ran out, yelling at them to wait. Both dragons stopped channeling and folded their massive wings.

  Gabrielle reached them and spoke through winded breaths, “Boy’s missing.”

  Agmunsten spoke, “How long has he been gone?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t been up to see him until now. I just wanted to check he was sleeping okay. I have a feeling he’s gone after Edmund, thinking he can help. You have to stop him. If you find him, take him with you, but look after him, please? I would ask you to bring him back here, but I know you’re in a hurry. If he runs away again, I can’t afford to send soldiers to chase him.”

  “We’ll find him. Don’t worry. I forgot to mention I’ve also had a chat with The Academy, and I have a realmist coming to help you. Her name is Astra. She’s originally from Zamahl but escaped across the sea on a trading ship when she was a teenager and found us, which was very lucky considering the rarity of Zamahlan ships coming this far west. She’s been with The Academy for forty years and is one of our best teachers, especially when it comes to manipulating the power to create lightning.”

  “Lightning? What use am I going to have for that?”

  “You’d be surprised how quickly it can cook food.” He winked, but no one saw it in the dark. “Astra can do other things too. She’ll keep you safe, and I can keep you updated through her.”

  “I’ll take your word for it. Get going and stay safe.” Gabrielle hurried back to the castle, and the dragons channeled again. Arcese flapped her giant wings. Arie felt the resistance as she tried to leave the ground. For a few seconds, it seemed as if they were held fast by stretchy fabric. After straining it as far as it would go, it snapped, and they were flung at a great speed, up and forward. Arie decided he much preferred the “jump off a cliff” approach.

  Once the dragons settled into smooth flight, Zim sent part of his awareness to the Second Realm and scried for Boy’s symbol. He soon found him—forty miles from the castle. “He’s managed to get a fair way. His symbol is overlapped with another; I’m assuming he’s on a horse. We’ll be on him in less than an hour. I’ll fly down while you go ahead. I’ll catch up.
”

  When they neared Boy, Zim descended, swooping low over him and landing in front of his plodding horse. Boy pulled hard on the reins and quickly pulled a dagger out of his belt with shaking hands.

  Agmunsten jumped off Zim and reached Boy in a few large strides. “Boy, it’s Agmunsten. Put the dagger away.”

  “Agmunsten?” His timid voice reminded the realmist that he was only ten. What sort of sabotage was he really capable of? He was just a child doing what his master told him. How could he know the consequences?

  “Get down, lad. The queen is very worried. She sent us to find you. Climb up on Zim; you’re coming with us.”

  Boy, stunned, slid off his pony and flinched as he walked past Agmunsten. “I’m not going to beat you, child. Just hop up on the dragon.” He was disgusted at Boy’s reaction—how many times had the child been abused that now he expected it? Agmunsten decided there were a few adults he wouldn’t mind feeding to the gormons. He climbed up in front of the child. “Hang on around my waist, and whatever you do, don’t let go. Okay, Zim, we’re ready.” Zim channeled, flapped, and they farewelled the ground.

  When they had been flying for a while, Boy spoke. “Will the horse be okay?”

  “Yes, lad. He’ll find his way home, most likely. Even if a farmer finds him, the Laraulens brand their animals. Now tell me, what were you doing running from Bayerlon?”

  “It’s not that I wanted to leave Bayerlon; I just wanted to help the King get Verity back.”

  “And how do you think you were going to do that, eh?”

  “I figured I’d think of something by the time we got there.”

  “You bloody kids think war is glorious or easy, or, I don’t know. Chances are you would have died in the cold with no food before you even caught up to the king. You’re with us now, and I expect to be obeyed. I won’t think twice about using the Second Realm to make sure you can’t move if you even think about going against what I say. Have I made myself clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  They flew the remainder of the night; Boy snuggled against Agmunsten’s back. Agmunsten thought ahead to what they had to do when they arrived at Klendar. Whatever they did had to be done quickly, before Leon knew they were coming; two dragons couldn’t escape notice for long in the open—the terrain within one hundred miles of the castle was mildly hilly scrubland, thin forest with no caves or thick stands of trees to speak of. Pernus had filled them in on what to expect.

  After a few hours flying northwest, Agmunsten noticed the black sky lightening to dark gray, the change so subtle it came without warning. “I think it’s time to land. We’re not far from the border, so there’s still places to hide. I’m sure there’s a cave around down there somewhere.”

  Zim answered, “When was the last time you were in Inkra, my friend?”

  “Hmm, about forty years ago, but caves don’t just get up and walk away.”

  “I was thinking more of how good your memory is, and you could have crossed the border anywhere.”

  “True, but it was west of Feldon, so I’ve narrowed it down.”

  “Yes, great. You’ve narrowed it down to within one-thousand miles.”

  There was nothing to say to that, so they descended in silence and searched for a place to hide. Two more nights of flying and they would reach Klendar. Agmunsten’s heart beat faster as he imagined confronting Leon. As much as they wanted to arrest him, chances were he wouldn’t come willingly. Someone would die, and the realmist didn’t think it would be him. He had known Leon since he was born, and even though he hadn’t turned out as he hoped, killing him was not something he was looking forward to. He would make sure it was quick. Maybe he should have brought Astra with him—delegating the job to someone who was good with lightning bolts sounded good to him right now.

  Zim landed next to Arcese at the base of a small hill. There was enough light for Agmunsten to appreciate the mass of trees that would cloak them while they slept. They were far from any thoroughfare and were unlikely to be disturbed. Boy and Arie remained silent while they walked as far into the forest as they could—only stopping when the gaps between trees were too narrow for the dragons to pass. Zim spoke out loud since Boy didn’t have the skill of listening with his mind. “Arie, I’d like you to take first watch, and Agmunsten will take the second. Arcese and I don’t usually need a lot of sleep, but we’ve been flying all night and my wings ache. I could do with a good nap.”

  Boy and Agmunsten watched as both dragons curled into balls, their skin shimmering to a gray-brown imitation of large boulders.

  “I didn’t know they could do that.” Boy was clearly impressed.

  “You learn something new every day, hey lad?” Agmunsten and Boy lay down. Before too long, Arie could hear his teacher and one of the “boulders” snoring. He chuckled and hoped if anyone came near, they were hard of hearing. Settling in to watch for a few hours, he crossed his fingers and prayed they wouldn’t be disturbed—Inkrans weren’t renowned for their hospitality. The wait began.

  Chapter 18

  After dinner on the second night, they gathered in Arcon’s room. Too sick to get out of bed, the realmist lay on his bunk, a bowl within easy reach. Avruellen commandeered the only chair in the room, so Blayke sat on the floor next to Sinjenasta. Out of habit, Avruellen spoke aloud. “I’ve warded our conversation. There’s not much use shielding ourselves, as I’m sure whoever has been watching us knows we’re after Bronwyn.” The realmist waved her hand in front of her face. “For goodness sake! How does a squeeto get out here? The last thing I need is for tiny bugs to be hatching out of my skin.” This time she brought her other hand up and clapped in the air. “Got it. Now, as I was saying … what was I saying? Oh, yes, I spoke to the captain this afternoon. His man in the crow’s nest says the dot is getting bigger.”

  “By dot, do you mean the boat we’re chasing?”

  “Yes, Blayke. What other dot would I be talking about?”

  “Just checking.”

  “So, as well as gaining distance on them, the captain said the only place he could be heading for is Aspurle and Blaggard’s Bay. Apparently there are no other islands in that direction for at least two weeks, and if we can believe the talk around the docks, the ship only had supplies for a few days.”

  Arcon groaned, from feeling sick or dreading what that meant, no one could tell. “Are we grabbing Bronwyn and getting her out, or are we looking for the gormon too?”

  Avruellen answered, “I think we stand a good chance of killing it, two against one.”

  “Hang on. I’m here too,” Blayke said.

  Arcon’s voice, although low, was in a tone that forewarned against arguing. “I need you to help Sinjenasta get Bronwyn back to the boat. We can’t afford to lose anyone. My sister and I might decide we have to retreat, and I don’t want to have any extras to worry about. We’re on limited time.”

  “Yes,” interrupted Avruellen, “the captain said it’s about five days from here to the Isle of the Dead Souls if the wind favours us, and even if we find the book straight away, it might take some time to find the part we’re looking for. The full moon is in nine days: that’s not a lot of time to waste.”

  “What happens if we miss the full moon? Can’t we just wait for the next one?”

  “No, Blayke. If we miss it, according to the prophecy, the gormons will be upon us before we do the last activation, and then it will be too late. The amulets are the key to defeating the gormons—without them there is no way. And don’t ask me how because I don’t know.” Arcon propped himself up on one elbow and hovered his mouth over the bowl. Nothing came out. He dropped his head onto the pillow. “I hate boats.”

  Sinjenasta sat up and curled his sleek tail around his feet. “How far ahead are they? If they land too far ahead, they could do anything to Bronwyn before we get there. I’m blocked from feeling her, but surely I’d know if she died.”

  “They’re about three hours ahead. It’s not much,” Avruellen answered.
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br />   “That’s too far for my liking. I think I’m going to call up some extra wind, see if we can’t speed this boat up.”

  “Be careful, panther, you don’t want to tire yourself out. Who knows what’s waiting for us. Now, I need to go to sleep; it’s the only escape from this rotten ship I can find.” Arcon rolled over, indicating the conversation was over.

  The others climbed above deck. Avruellen stood with the captain, a squat man with dreadlocks and a cropped brown beard. Blayke, with Fang nestled in his shirt pocket, joined Sinjenasta at the prow of the timber vessel. The panther stood quietly, staring in the direction of where he thought Bronwyn must be. His stare glazed over as he concentrated. Drakon, are you there?

  Yes. What is it?

  What’s waiting at Blaggard’s Bay?

  There is a gormon. He’s preparing for the arrival of the horde. If you’re going to ask me if you could kill him, I don’t know. If I knew the future, by definition, it would be unchangeable. I do know the gormons will come through, with or without the one who is already there. And for you to fight thousands is still what will need to be done. Will one less make any difference?

  So you’re saying leave it? Drakon remained silent, and Sinjenasta realized the god had gone. The panther snarled, and Blayke, who had been watching him trance, pulled his sword out of its scabbard, anticipating an attack. Put that away, cub.

  Blayke relaxed. “Why the growl?”

  Just having a conversation with the dragon god. He has no concept of manners, which surprises me since his dragons are Talia’s foremost authorities on etiquette. Sinjenasta swished his tail and sat down. He sent to Avruellen and Arcon. Drakon says there is one gormon at Blaggard’s Bay. He’s hinted we shouldn’t risk it because there are thousands about to get here. Silence stretched until he spoke again. Hello? Avruellen, Arcon?

  Sorry, I’m here, said Avruellen. I just don’t know how to answer. Thousands? When?

  He didn’t say.

  He might not know. Arcon’s mind voice sounded just as ill as his real one.