The Keeper (The Endless Chronicles Book 1)

by Nikki Mccormack

  The Keeper had been hiding the truth from them when they left the blood spirits. He had been able to read her the way he could read Argus before, but he hadn’t trusted himself. He took a breath, bracing for disappointment. “Argus?”

  She didn’t move. Her voice was little more than a weak whisper. “Yes.”

  There was a painful clenching in his chest. He didn’t trust himself to speak. Instead, he kissed her head and held her a little tighter.

  When Kaira calmed, Naago brought her attention to Argus’s injury. Rock spirits gathered to watch them while they removed the bandage. The cloth stuck and blood started to flow heavier again when they pulled it away from the wound. Argus made a whimpering sound in her throat. Her eyes were closed and she made no effort at all to pull away this time. There was no point.

  Kaira dug into her pack. She pulled out a small container and twisted off the lid. The greenish jelly within smelled oddly of bread. She scooped some out on her fingers and nodded to the wound. “Wipe it clean quickly then get out of the way. It won’t adhere properly if there is too much fresh blood on the skin.”

  Naago did as directed. It took two tries to get proper adhesion, but the second time the green jelly closed down on the wound, sealing to the skin and pulling the edges of the cut together. It was fascinating and more than a little disturbing to watch.

  Kaira settled back on her heels and stared at Argus. “The jelly’s hardened. It won’t come off now until the wound has healed. She’s very pale. I don’t expect she’ll be walking out of here.”

  Deynas moved the injured arm back into a position that looked more comfortable. Then he brushed her hair back away from her face. One finger touched the root at her temple. He didn’t mind it so much. Argus was there, even if the Keeper was an inseparable part of her. He could love them both.

  Naago stood and stared down at Settek’s body, frowning thoughtfully. “I don’t see how we can carry her and move him too.”

  Kaira stood and faced Naago, her eyes flashing with defiant anger. “We’re not leaving him here.”

  “You don’t have to.” They both looked down at Argus, but she was gazing up at Deynas. A tear slid down her cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

  His gut twisted and he clutched her tighter still as if strength alone could keep her there. “No. Not now.” Then he was holding only air. “No!”

  He clenched his fists and his long cry echoed through the caverns. The rock spirits startled, vanishing back into the stone.

  “Fuck!” Naago spun and slammed his fist into the nearest wall. It came away bloody. He didn’t seem to notice.

  Kaira sank into a crouch and buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook with renewed sobs.

  Deynas let his head fall back onto the stone, not caring that it hurt. He closed his eyes and drew in a ragged breath.

  They had done it all for nothing. Settek had died for nothing. If this was another trap of the Blooded Women, and he didn’t doubt that it was, he wouldn’t be surprised if keeping the spirit and absorbing its death were enough to kill Argus in her current condition. He hadn’t given her back the pendant either, though he had meant to, just in case. Now it was too late.

  He cried out again, so loud that it made his throat hurt. It was all for nothing.

  •

  Argus retreated when they disappeared, letting the Keeper take control. She appeared in the Halls of the Blooded in the New city and sagged against the doorjamb of the main doorway leading into of the Temple of The Undying. Blooded Women filled the main chamber. How many were there? The room blurred. She couldn’t focus well enough to count them. The call drew her toward something on the floor in front of the statue of The Undying. Whatever it was, it stank worse than the tunnels beneath the fighting rings.

  The Keeper closed her eyes, finding it easier to focus with pure spirit sight. She staggered out into the room with slow, dragging steps. The Blooded Women began to chant softly, satisfaction brightening their voices in her mind. They knew she was beaten and she hated them for it. She hated them for everything. This time, they would kill Argus and strip the Keeper of her spirit along with all of the memories she had only just reclaimed.

  It wasn’t the thought of losing those memories that made her heart ache. She hadn’t had them back long enough to mourn their loss. It was the memory of traveling with Naago after she first met him. It was Settek giving his life so that she would survive. It was Deynas, holding her close and kissing her head. They had tried so hard. Even if Naago and Deynas called her to them now, she was far too weak to hear them and respond.

  The floor stretched out long before her, each faltering step barely bringing her closer to her subject. She could see the spirit of the creature, some form of rare demon, starting to rise out of its flesh. The call to keep surpassed the need for dignity. She sank down to her knees and crawled forward because crawling was easier and faster. The spirit was almost free of its flesh when she reached it, placing her hand upon the moist flesh and making her offer.

  The spirit flowed down into her, bringing with it the familiar pain of death brought by the Blooded Women. She shuddered with that pain and sank down, resting her cheek on the cool stone floor. There were punishments to deal out, but she needed to rest first. She couldn’t do it without rest.

  Many pairs of slippered feet whispered over the floor, moving in to gather around her, their smug satisfaction stinging like a slap across the face.

  We knew it would end this way. It is time for you to return to us.

  Her eyes stung, but enough tears had fallen. She would not add to them. I’m sorry, Argus.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  Progress was slow moving back through the caverns. It wasn’t only the difficulty of moving Settek that slowed them. Sorrow and defeat weighed heavy upon them, bearing them down as they trekked along in silence. Even the few creatures they encountered on the return trip, one of the translucent white centipedes and a few darro, gave them a wide berth as if despair created a miasma around them that none dared to enter.

  Numerous rock spirits followed them at a wary distance, weaving in and out of the rock like sand dolphins jumping in and out of the dunes. That thought, however, made Deynas think of Argus and he almost gave in to the selfish impulse to lie down on the hard stone and wait for something to come feast upon his flesh. He didn’t do it because Kaira and Naago needed his help to move Settek and because he never had learned how to give up properly.

  When they reached the improved corridors, the rock spirits abandoned them.

  Kaira led them along a different route this time and, though they didn’t question it, she explained, perhaps needing a break from the silence. “This way we don’t have to use the ladder. There’s a staircase up into Warlord Unag’s shop. I can probably convince him to lend us a flyer for moving Settek.”

  Naago grunted. That was the only feedback they gave her.

  She nodded and strode along, keeping her head up despite the shine of tears in her eyes and the twitching of muscles in her jaw that betrayed the urge to cry again. Deynas admired her strength. She was a remarkable woman, demon blood or no.

  Many of the Endless could learn a lot from crossbreeds like Kaira and her brother, who had more than atoned for his crimes. It didn’t matter now, but Deynas would be proud to call Settek a friend. He didn’t think Misa would hold it against him.

  When they finally made it up the stone staircase and gained access, under the callous watch of two crossbreed guards, to Warlord Unag’s cellar overflowing with containers of powders, fluids, raw ingredients, and odors that made their eyes water and their noses itch, they were almost too worn out to carry Settek any further. Only the motivation of escaping the olfactory assault kept them moving up the next set of stairs.

  At the top of those stairs, one guard opened the door into a dimly lit shop. The interior was done in worn dark wood and a few arrays of candles provided minimal illumination to shelves full of small glass bottles containing varied supplements
and medicinal preparations. The overall effect was one of antiquity and exotic secrets found in hidden places. An intentional ambiance heightened by the wizened old man who sat in the dark behind the counter. He appeared mostly human, with the exception of two horns that spiraled up from his forehead, eyes that were completely emerald, devoid of distinct whites or pupils, and long brown nails that twisted out several inches from his gnarled old fingers.

  The old creature took one look at their burden and his wrinkled features pinched together in distress. “You bring such a thing to Unag’s shop,” he shrilled. “Do you wish to see him executed?”

  Deynas and Naago set down the body, taking a quick break while Kaira hurried over and knelt before old creature.

  “Warlord Unag, we apologize for this intrusion. We would not have troubled you with this had there been another way, but you must look at it as an opportunity. Provide us a flyer to transport Settek’s body home and Warlord Kato will hear of your generosity.”

  Unag leaned back and eyed her warily. “Unag sees that you are Kato’s daughter. Your flesh carries the whisper of his glamour and you speak with his clever tongue. How can Unag trust you?”

  Kaira’s expression darkened. A chill fell over the room. Threat hung heavy in her tone. “We’ve suffered significant losses this day. If you do not wish to suffer the same, don’t let it get out that you refused to aid the offspring of Warlord Kato. I cannot begin to imagine his wrath.”

  Unag paled and looked up at one of his guards. He said nothing at all, but the guard nodded after a moment and left the room. Unag turned his gaze back to Kaira. “Unag’s guard will meet you in front with the flyer. Unag thanks you to leave now.”

  Kaira snapped to her feet and gave him a cutting glare. “Your generosity is humbling,” she hissed before turning to give them a curt nod and heading for the door.

  With arms that felt like jelly, Deynas lifted his share of their burden and they shuffled out front. When their burden was on the flyer, Deynas climbed up in the pilot position. Naago and Kaira crouched down on either side of the passenger stand, each with one hand on the stand for safety and the other holding Settek to be sure his body didn’t slip free. Deynas took them on a slow, steady course through the Undercity that way, aware of the many eyes watching them pass, many with cautious indifference, a few with hostility, and even some with sympathy.

  They were almost to the door of Kato’s hotel when a howler surged out of a side street and into their path, raising its head in an ear-splitting howl. Deynas pulled the craft up as slowly as he could, trying not to disrupt their burden. The crowd in front of The Firelight turned to watch and more emerged from within, drawn by curiosity and the hunger for conflict.

  A large mantis-like creature followed the howler from the side street, its long legs moving in a sharp, jerky cadence. Bulbous green eyes scanned them and it lowered its long neck to take a closer look.

  The howler sat back now, its many amber eyes reflecting the scene before it while its black tongue lolled to one side of a self-satisfied grin.

  “Your companions will be arrested. You are sentenced to death.”

  Deynas groaned. It fit with their luck that day to draw the attention of an elite enforcer. This wasn’t the kind of creature they could bribe or negotiate with. Apparently, his crimes merited no trial under the city’s new management.

  One long, spiny arm rose up as if to strike him down and Deynas leapt away from the flyer, giving himself room to draw his staff. Naago dropped a hand to his sword and Deynas gave him a sharp look then glanced meaningfully at Kaira. Naago nodded and climbed in front of the pilot stand to move the craft over in front of Kato’s hotel.

  The enforcer adjusted its aim and struck, but Deynas was ready. He blocked, catching the creature’s foreleg and deflecting it to one side. He didn’t really want to harm the beast. Injuring it would only guarantee his death sentence. However, not injuring it was just as likely to get him killed. He dove under a swipe, hitting the ground on his shoulder and rolling to his feet. Pain flared in the shoulder, a reminder that he wasn’t in the best condition for this battle.

  Hypnotists emerged from The Firelight now and formed a weaving row between the crowd from the gambling den and the conflict. They made no move to interfere. It looked as if their only concern was keeping the patrons out of harm’s way.

  Deynas ducked, blocked, and danced away, his arms shaking with fatigue. The crowd that was gathering started to shout out taunts and advice to both sides like the audience at an arena fight. The enforcer was lightning fast and to match that speed would only draw attention to the fact that he was no mere human. Not matching that speed, however, would mean taking a hit soon and the power behind those strikes was such that it was breaking chunks out of the concrete.

  Over by the hotel entrance, Naago stood watching from beside the flyer, his hand hovering close to his blade. Kaira was gone.

  When the enforcer started to bring down another strike, Deynas leapt forward, under the attack and in close to the body of the beast. He swung with all his might, catching one leg with the rounded part of the staff and sweeping it out. With its weight already forward, the enforcer toppled and Deynas had to sprint clear to avoid being crushed. The ground shook as the massive beast hit. One flailing leg caught Deynas hard across the back and he flew forward, folding his arms in to protect his face from the concrete. The skin scraped away from his forearms as he skidded to a stop. Then he twisted around and sprang to his feet.

  The enforcer was getting back up. Deynas turned to grab for his staff only to find it pinned under a large scaled foot. He looked up at Kato. The warlord was staring over him at Settek’s body.

  Deynas froze.

  Did Kato mean to let the enforcer have him? Perhaps as punishment for Settek’s death.

  The enforcer rushed toward them. Kato spread his wings wide and let out a roar. Deynas covered his ears. The sound stunned the place to stillness and silence. The only sounds as the roar faded were those of the howler panting and Kaira’s footsteps as she walked out of the hotel and went to stand next to Naago.

  After several seconds, the enforcer’s head began to weave back and forth on its long neck and it made an impatient clicking noise. “That one is dead,” it hissed, gesturing to Deynas with one foreleg.

  Kato stepped toward the beast and Deynas grabbed his staff, feeling much better with the weapon in hand, though the lull in the action was drawing his attention to the stinging in his arms.

  Color swept along Kato’s scales, moving over his wings in a mesmerizing and beautiful cascade. The enforcer settled, becoming still. Even it wasn’t immune to his influence.

  “That one is not dead. My son saw fit to give his life so that man and his companions might live,” Kato boomed. “From this day forth, they are all under my protection.” He took two more steps forward and the enforcer shrank back, looking suddenly small even though it towered over the warlord. “And if you ever try to arrest my daughter again, I will tear off your head and feed it to your howler.”

  Kato drew in his wings and turned his back on the enforcer then. He walked to the flyer, lifted Settek from it as if the crossbreed weighed nothing, and strode back into the inn. Deynas glared at the enforcer as he disarmed his staff then followed Naago and Kaira after Kato.

  •

  The violin sung a soft lament, its rich notes resonating through the halls around the ruin level arena. Kato had given Naago and Deynas a set of joined rooms in which to rest while he retreated into mourning. It was in the shared front room, a sparsely furnished sitting area, that she found Naago, his eyes closed and his music pouring forth like a river of sorrow.

  Argus leaned against the doorjamb and closed her eyes, resting while she watched the colors of his sorrow dance languorously around the room. Then the tune changed, the color turning to warm bright hues of pleasure. She opened her eyes to find him watching her, his pale gaze full of delight and wonder.

  Pushing away from the door, she walke
d in and went to sit in a chair beside him. He finished the song and set the violin down.

  “How can you be here? You were barely alive when you were called.”

  She folded her hands in her lap. The hardened jelly on her wrist itched, but it would take some time for the wound to heal, so she did her best to ignore it. The body that she shared with the Keeper now was weak still and their spirits raw from being nearly torn out by the Blooded Women. Her salvation this time had come from an unexpected source.

  “The Blooded Women nearly got what they wanted this time.” Her voice shook, so she paused, taking a few slow breaths to steady it. “We fell unconscious before the Blooded Women and woke in one of Kato’s rooms. He wouldn’t speak much, but did explain a little.”

  She paused, thinking back. When she’d woken, she’d found Kato in the next room. Settek’s body lay on a bed and he stood staring out the window. Kaira slept curled up in one of the big chairs, the salt of many tears drying on her cheeks.

  “How am I here?”

  He didn’t move. “You should be resting. You are weak.”

  “I need to understand.”

  Kato ignored her.

  She walked up to the bed and set her hand on Settek’s shoulder. “I wasn’t able to keep his spirit.”

  Kato turned then and stared at her for a long time, his eyes dim with grief. “Thank you for trying,” he said finally. Then he turned back to the window. “When The Undying created you, he gave you his blood, but I gave you a piece of my spirit. Now that you have your spirit back, I can call you to me when I wish and you can refuse me no more than you can refuse the call to keep. That connection also made it possible for your spirit to call out to me for help when the Blooded Women tried to take you back. I took you from them.” The hatred in his voice rippled black down his scales.

  She was silent. Startled by this new revelation. Something that hadn’t been in her memories. The warlord had given no reason for her to distrust him, but the thought of being at his mercy made her uneasy all the same. Still, he had saved her.