Naked from the waist up with a wide bandage around his torso, Beck was leaning over the stream with cupped hands preparing to take a drink. His head whipped around when he heard her.
“Beck!” She started toward him, fell again and began to crawl, too emotionally and physically spent to continue.
He stood up slowly and stared at her in disbelief, but did not move.
“Beck! I am sorry,” she whimpered. “Please, Beck!”
He started toward her at an uncertain walk, and then began to jog, and then ran. She held her arms out to him and it felt to Kiernan like an eternity had passed, but then he was there, lifting her off her feet. She wrapped her legs around him and sobbed into his shoulder. Beck dropped to his knees and they fell to the ground in a tangled heap. She clutched him closely, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear and she would never get him back.
Kiernan untied her horse and slapped the animal’s rump to set him running free, hoping as she did that he would find his way safely back to the castle in Elloree. With the moonlight to guide her, she returned to the clearing.
Beck asked if she was hungry and offered her a pear.
“Famished,” she admitted, and bit into the fleshy fruit with relish, pleased that her appetite had returned after so long.
He reached out and fingered a handful of blond hair. “I like it much better this way.”
She grinned up at him. “Thank you, Beck.” She was not talking about the compliment and he knew that. “You took me back,” she said, incredulously.
“Yes,” he said quietly.
“Why?”
He gave her a crooked smile and then quickly went to his pack and pulled out a crumpled pink flower. He handed it to her. “Because of the list of things I cannot live without in this world, you are first.”
She batted back the tears that welled in her eyes and accepted the flower. “It is beautiful. Thank you.” She shook her head. “I do not deserve you.”
He laughed quietly. “Probably not, but you are stuck with me nevertheless, Your Grace.”
She playfully punched him in the side and he winced. “I am so sorry!” she cried.
He laughed again. “It’s fine. At least one rib is broken, but they do not hurt as much now that they have been wrapped.” He reached up, took her pendant from around his neck, and placed it over her head.
She felt him tense suddenly when they heard a sound, but then he relaxed. “Bajan has returned. We need to leave.”
She looked at him quizzically. “Now will you tell me why you had me send away our fastest means of transportation to Iserport?”
He grabbed her hand. “I will show you instead. And, we are not going to Iserport. We are going to Sarphia with a stop in Kondor first to see what we can discover about Rogan’s whereabouts.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “How in Highworld do you…”
“Trust me,” he interrupted.
She looked into his blue eyes and the love she found there staggered her. “I do trust you. Wherever you are headed, I will follow.”
He smiled.
“Go on ahead,” she said. “I want to have a word with Bajan.”
Nodding in understanding, he kissed her and walked away, and she fell back to wait for the Draca Cat. He had been out hunting and his muzzle was stained red. It would not last long. Bajan was meticulously fussy about cleanliness.
Welcome back, Princess.
Thank you, Bajan. She paused. Do you forgive me as Beck has?
The question is do you forgive me?
She snorted in her head. What could you possibly need forgiveness for?
I have failed you.
What? No! How can you say that?
My Sovereign, Moombai, told me that you were in danger and I needed to be vigilant, that I needed to protect you. I just did not realize that I needed to protect you from yourself.
She was startled at his perceptiveness.
Nobody could have, she insisted. I am not sorry it happened, Bajan, because it has made me see things clearer. I even had the most glorious visit from my mother.
Did you?
Yes, and she said to ask you about her.
The Draca hesitated. Since the day that Galen Starr died and I was rendered unconscious, I have had strange visions. I am not sure what they mean, and I am anxious to arrive at Callyn-Rhe so I can ask Moombai. He will know.
I am here if you need me, Bajan. I will not leave your side again. She threw her arm around his neck and hugged him close, the Draca Cat purring with contentment.
“Over here!” Beck said to them, waving his arm in the darkness. When they neared, he briefly told her about his discovery of Aquataine and what to expect once he opened the grate. She was nervous about the steep slide, but her green eyes radiated with excitement at the prospect of meeting watershifters. It was incredible to think another metamagic existed in the world.
Kiernan watched Beck run his hands along the base of the grate and then suddenly it swung open. He gestured her and Bajan inside, warning them not to walk any further than a step. Beck then squeezed in behind and closed the grille tightly.
He grabbed her hand. “Ready?”
She nodded, and then they jumped together onto the slide. She would have been frightened to death if this had been her first time, but Beck’s laughter was infectious, and she was soon laughing along with him as they plummeted downward. She noticed a muted green light appear beneath her and then she splashed into a warm turquoise pool of water.
As soon as she surfaced, she found herself nose to nose with a young girl in the water next to her. Kiernan shrieked in fright.
“Who are you?” asked the girl.
“Beck, please come here!” said Kiernan looking around and then back to the girl. “I am Kiernan.”
“Greetings, Kiernan. I am Thandi. You travel with the shifter and the white cat?”
“Yes.”
Beck swam over to them, and Kiernan introduced him to Thandi. “Thandi, do you know Digby?”
“Of course.”
“Do you think you can find him and bring him to us? It is urgent that we speak to him immediately.”
“Be right back!” The girl leapt out of the water, sprinted over the crescent-shaped beach and dove back into the lagoon on the other side, moving swiftly toward the cave entrance.
Beck led Kiernan to the shore where Bajan was already shaking the water from his fur. She looked around in awe. Beck was right. It was an underground paradise. He pointed upward to draw her attention to the glow worms on the ceiling and told her about the reversal in day and night in Aquataine.
“I am just glad that Adrian’s spell has not touched this place,” she remarked.
“Oh, it could not have because Adrian does not know that it exists. If you do not know something exists, your spell cannot affect it.”
Kiernan looked over at him in question. “How do you know that?”
Beck pulled a small black book from his backpack. “Galen’s Protetor.”
“He gave that to you?”
“Yes, he wants me to study to become a Mage.”
She looked skeptical. It was not something she would have thought Beck would want for his life. “And?”
“Let’s just say that I have read a few pages in the book out of curiosity and that is all. I am content with being a shifter.”
“How come it is not soaking wet?”
“A protective spell. It is far too valuable not to be protected from simple things like water damage.”
They both looked up as a man guided a raft through the cavern entrance. “We meet again, Master Atlan,” he shouted.
Beck grabbed her hand and they ran over the beach to the waterway. “Well met, Digby! Tell me. How fast can you get us to Kondor?”
The watershifter thought about it. “A day or so.”
“What?” she exclaimed.
“Can you take us there now?” Beck asked.
Digby shook his head. “Always in a hurry,
Master Atlan. You need to relax once in a while.” He paused. “Your lady friend is also a shifter?”
“My lady friend is most definitely a shifter and also The Princess of Iserlohn. May I introduce you to Princess Kiernan Everard.”
Digby’s eyes rounded to saucers, and Kiernan was surprised when he fell to a knee on the raft at the same time little Thandi, who was swimming behind, leapt into the air with a squeak and raced back through the opening in the cave. “You know who I am?”
“Of course. It has only been the past ten years or so that Aquatainians have been unable to tolerate the Surface World for long. Before then, we traveled among Massans regularly.”
It was confirmed. Kiernan realized she knew absolutely nothing about the world in which she lived. She shook her head in amazement. “Please rise, Digby. It is nice to meet you.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” he said pushing his long, lanky body back to his feet. “Wait until the Elders meet you!”
Kiernan looked back at Beck. “Elders?”
“Come on,” he said, waving her onto the raft. “You have to meet with the Elders at the Temple of Grotte. I will explain on the way, but for Highworld’s sake, just do not forget to take off your shoes!”
She had no idea what he was talking about, but was sure he would fill her in.
“Hang on tight,” Beck warned. “This man knows how to watershift.”
They stopped briefly at the temple in what Beck referred to as the city of Ebba, and several of the watershifters in the water and on land waved to her, calling out, “Princess! Princess!” Apparently, Thandi could deliver her gossip as swiftly as she could watershift.
After delivering her oath to the Elders, she jumped off the portico of the temple with sandals in hand and raced back to the raft. Sadly, after departing from Ebba, she did not have much of an opportunity to admire Aquataine due to the speed of their travel. Digby was tireless as he propelled them smoothly through the water for hours. They stopped only once at a small village for a short rest and a meal of fruit, cheese and bread.
“Digby,” Kiernan began, “can we pay you for the food and transportation?”
The watershifter shook his head. “No, your coin is no good here, Your Grace. It is my pleasure and my duty to assist you.” With that, he jumped into the water again and they were off.
Beck looked at her confidently. “We are going to make it, Kiernan.”
She squeezed his hand in support, but did not feel so sure. There were still too many variables for her liking. Too many ways that events could go horribly wrong.
She was woozy by the time they reached Kondor and Beck helped her onto shore. Bajan, however, leapt off the boat with no apparent side effects.
“I will be waiting here for you,” yelled Digby at their backs.
Beck sprinted toward a limestone stairway built into the side of the earth, and the trio raced upward to come out at a grate concealed between an outcrop of rock just outside of King Rik’s castle in Kondor. It was still dark in Massa, but all they had to do was follow the screams.
Storming into a clearing, they came upon two horned demons menacing a group of women and children trapped tight against the outer wall of the castle. A dozen soldiers in the deep maroon and blue of Deepstone were attempting to distract the demons away from the innocents.
Several more soldiers lay dead on the ground.
There was no conversation as Beck and Kiernan stalked forward— Beck with hands thrown out to his sides and Kiernan with sword drawn. Bajan vanished around the castle wall.
Beck struck first by rippling the ground beneath the two demons and sending them crashing to the ground. Kiernan rushed forward, sword held high overhead with two hands and slashed powerfully at one of the demons. The creature moved out of range just in time and her swing took off one of the demon’s clawed hands instead of its head.
The women and children continued to scream in terror.
The soldiers, bolstered by the unexpected aid, started an advance on the other demon. Unfortunately, another soldier died.
“I need fire!” screamed Beck at the men. “It is the only way to destroy them!” He lifted his hands and an enormous boulder rolled over the ground and slammed into one of the demons, flattening him to the ground.
The remaining, clawless demon put his head down and rushed toward Kiernan, intending to impale her on its horns. She sprang into the air over its head, but it managed to catch her ankle with the intact claw and slam her to the ground. Grunting in pain, her sword fell from her grasp as she tried to roll away and the demon was on her immediately, forked tongue protruding through tiny serrated teeth. With one hand, the fiend grabbed her hair and stood her upright. He held his face inches from hers and hissed ominously. “Your interference has cost you your life, Savitar. I will show you pain like you have never known!”
Lightning fast, Bajan was a muscled ball of fury as he hammered into the demon and brought him down. A flaming torch was thrust into Beck’s hand and he jabbed the wooden shaft into the creature’s mouth. Fire licked out through the orifices in the demon’s face in a ghastly show, and it howled in torment before dying in a puff of black smoke. Kiernan grabbed another torch and strode to the demon pinned beneath the boulder and set him afire. In seconds, his body, too, turned to blackened ash and disappeared.
She looked around at all of the Dwarves. “Is everybody all right?”
“Yes,” said one of the soldiers, looking around. “Those of us still alive anyway.”
Kiernan watched the Dwarven soldiers usher the women and children toward the gate in the outer wall of the King’s castle. “We are looking for Rogan Radek. By any chance, do you know who he is?”
“I do. He left for Sarphia days ago. He should be close to there by now.”
Kiernan nodded, relieved.
“Where is King Rik?” Beck asked.
“Left the same day as the shifter. He also sent two cohorts of the Deepstone Army a few days beforehand.”
“A few days?” asked Kiernan in shock. “It will take weeks for the Dwarven Army to arrive at the Valley of Flame. They should been dispatched long before now!”
The soldier looked embarrassed. “We have been ordered to stay here and move as many people as possible within the castle walls to protect them from the demons, but the darkness has not helped us in that effort.”
Beck put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “You are doing a great job, soldier. These women and children would be dead if not for you and your men.”
“Are you Savitar?” the man asked.
“So we have been told,” said Beck, with a resigned grin.
“Best of luck to you then and do us all a favor by kicking some demon arse!”
“That is the plan!” said Beck over his shoulder and they ran back for the grate.
Evening was approaching in Aquataine by the time they reached the raft. Digby was sleeping so soundly, that Kiernan hated to wake him. The watershifter had gone well above the call of duty. Bajan, not so concerned, emitted a small bellow that had Digby scrambling to his feet and into the water.
It was amazing to her how quickly they could travel on the waterways of Aquataine. By horse, it would have taken weeks to reach Sarphia from Elloree.
The moving raft lulled the fight-fueled adrenaline from her body, and she laid her head in Beck’s lap. She was so content, she did not want to bring the subject up but felt she had to clear the air between them or it would fester like an open wound. “About those women in Iserport…,” she started.
“What women?” he asked.
Obviously, he did not want to discuss the matter. She shook her head. “Never mind.”
He looked down and stroked her cheek. “Kiernan, there never has and never will be any woman for me other than you. Do you understand that?”
“But, I saw you,” she pointed out softly and sat up.
“Whatever you saw, it was not real. Magic was involved somehow, and I had the headache to prove it the following m
orning. You have to believe me, Kiernan.”
She felt incredibly foolish and knew that he was speaking the truth. “I do. Whoever, cast the spell, though, is still out there.”
“I know. I have been thinking about that quite a bit, but we will worry about it another time. For now, see if you can get some rest.”
She did not think she would be able to sleep, but fell into an exhausted slumber as soon as her head returned to the haven of Beck’s lap.
Chapter 30
THE VALLEY OF FLAME
“We are never going to make it!” exclaimed Kiernan in a panic as they climbed out of the grate near Sarphia. “We only have two days left!”
“We will make it,” assured Beck, his voice still full of the confidence she had yet to feel.
She knew she was becoming hysterical, but could not help herself. “We have to find Rogan, find Airron, summon a magical map, find an invisible mystic city, uncover a weapon, and travel to Starfell!” She was babbling now. “We cannot do it!”
Bajan growled an instant before a voice drifted to them from the trees and said, “Well, one down and five to go.” Rogan stepped out of the trees with a Dwarven soldier at his side.
“Rogan!” she cried and almost knocked him down as she gathered him in a hug.
The Dwarf turned red and glanced sideways at his traveling companion. “Good to see you, too,” he said, hugging her back. He let go and reached out to shake Beck’s hand, but Beck was having none of that. He gathered Rogan in an embrace as well.
Rogan finally disentangled himself to introduce Janin. Kiernan had not realized in the dark that the soldier was a female until she spoke in greeting.
“Nice to meet you, Janin,” she said, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.
“We better get going,” said Rogan brusquely, putting a halt to any questions that may have been forthcoming. He called a flame to life in his hand and started away on the path to Sarphia. “We have to find Airron.”
Island Shifters: Book 01 - An Oath of the Blood Page 34
