Farlands Prodigal (Ultimate Passage Book 5)

by Elle Thorne

  A while later, Zale and Thane returned.

  “Empty,” Zale confirmed. “Completely empty. And there’s no sigh of anyone having been here recently. He’s moved. And taken everyone with him.”

  Qalen moved toward the front. “When we get out of the lair, let me set Garth to it. He can guide us to where he tracked him after the last time we saw him.”

  19

  Cinia walked next to Taya, as up ahead, in the Midland forest, Qalen led the way, following Garth’s lead toward wherever the raptor had last tracked Saraz.

  “Who would have thought this would be our life now?” Taya whispered, a smile playing on her lips. “Me with a mate and a baby on the way. You with Qalen and an upcoming ceremony to take him as your forever mate.”

  Cinia knew her face was flushing rose with joy. “I didn’t think I’d find this type of happiness. Do you ever miss being among the Asazi people?”

  Taya shook her head emphatically. “These people are my people now. I have been accepted with open arms, by Bel and Gor and the rest of the Kormic. I am one of them now, regardless if I look different or not.” She took Cinia’s hand. “Do you miss the Asazi?”

  “No. I do not miss those who decided to promise me to a monster like Saraz. Even if they thought they were doing it for altruistic reasons.”

  Taya halted midstride, still holding on to her hand. “It would be my greatest wish that you and Qalen would live in the settlement with all of us. They are good people. It is a good life.”

  “I do not know what Qalen’s opinion is on the matter.” She thought of his lonely home, in the middle of the starkness of Farlands, all alone, the abandoned den of a slithersquil. They had enjoyed the days they’d spent there—or at least, she had—but is that what either of them would want after they were bonded together? After the ceremony? What about children? She was sure they would have some. Did she want to have her children raised without the company of others? She would need to talk to him. But first, they had to resolve the matter with Saraz.

  Saraz.

  The thought of him brought a frown to her face and made her lips pull tight into a thin line.

  Taya gave her a worried look. “What is it?”

  “Thinking of Saraz. And how…” Tears welled. “—everything. The way things were.”

  Taya tugged on her hand, pulling her into a hug. “It’s over now. And hopefully, soon, he will be… vanquished.”

  “I want him dead,” Cinia whispered to the woman who’d been the best friend she’d ever had. “I don’t even like to think that way. I’m not the type to wish anyone dead, but so help me…” She swiped at a tear that had escaped. “So help me, I don’t want him to breathe. His actions are the reason Qalen’s birth mother is dead. He would kill us without blinking. He—”

  Taya cupped Cinia’s cheeks, held her face steady while she locked gazes with her. “You are panicking.”

  Cinia sucked a deep breath in. “I am worried about Qalen. What if Saraz takes him on? What if Qalen hesitates and that beast kills him.”

  “Look at me,” Taya demanded. “The rest of us will not let that happen. Ever.” Her eyes widened.

  Cinia pulled her face from her grasp to see what had caused the reaction in Taya.

  Several red-robed beings approached. The ones they had called the Elders were coming.

  Barz met the Elders part way, gave a respectful bow, then spoke to the revered Kormic leaders as the others joined them.

  The head Elder stepped forward and addressed them. “We have decided to assist in your quest. Gor said you had set off to find Saraz. He has moved.”

  “Yes, we discovered,” Thane said. “Qalen’s raptor followed him after the last time he saw him. He’s leading us to him.”

  “We will travel with you. We can be of help. The time has come to bring an end to this era.”

  Cinia couldn’t have agreed more.

  They had spent the night in Midland. Building a small fire for comfort and safety—this was the home of jungle cats after all.

  Morning had come, and, after a hearty breakfast of smoked meat, eggs, cheese, and flatbread,

  Her feet had become numb. Her legs ached from walking. And since Garth could not exactly talk, there was no way of knowing precisely where Saraz had gone. Qalen’s whistling and the raptor’s cawing responses were becoming more frequent. He gave her an encouraging smile.

  He dropped back and leaned in. “Getting closer.”

  Thankful, Cinia gave him an encouraging smile.

  It was less than a mere hour later when the hunting party found itself before the opening of a large cave. Perched on the branch of a fallen tree, Garth awaited. A gleam in his eye, his mouth open, as though he’d been panting.

  Qalen held out a piece of dried meat and whistled so low it was barely a whisper. Silently, Garth took wing, flew the short distance to Qalen’s shoulder pad, then alit. After which, he took the tiny morsel of meat gingerly and swallowed it. He stroked the raptor’s head and murmured quiet praises.

  The Elders assembled the entire party into a tight circle.

  “This is the place,” the head Elder acknowledged. “The raptor has done well.”

  Thane regarded the Elders with a raised brow. “You were aware of this location?”

  “We have been aware of it.”

  “Could have made our job easier by cutting to the chase,” Barz uttered, clearly disgruntled by the wasted trek.

  “None of you conveyed your intentions to depart to us. We learned from Gor that you’d taken off, after you’d already left,” one of the Elders chastised.

  “Noted.” Thane’s lips were a tight, thin line. “Now, let’s begin the process of putting things to right.”

  All nodded in agreement.

  “One request.” Thane glanced at Taya first. Then he turned his sharp gaze to Cinia, and Raiza. After which, he turned his eyes back to Taya. “I’d like the womenfolk to—”

  “No,” Raiza exclaimed, her voice not much more than a hiss.

  “Absolutely not,” Taya said with a frown.

  “Never.” Ali crossed her arms over her chest, a determined set to her jawline.

  “Not a chance,” Cinia agreed.

  Thane exhaled and glanced at Barz then Qalen, as though beseeching them to side with him or perhaps talk sense into their women.

  Cinia repressed a smile at this, seeing as how he couldn’t not control his own, he wanted them to control theirs? She noticed Qalen watching her. She tilted her head and studied his expression, trying to read it, but failing, as his face was as unreadable as Garth’s was.

  Finally, Qalen gave a small one-shoulder shrug. “I cannot force Cinia to do something.”

  Barz’s face was grim. “Nor can I force Taya. Though, I wish I could. Gods know, I wish I could.”

  Taya winked at Cinia—a slow, barely perceptible wink hidden from all of the males.

  Raiza harrumphed. “You cannot expect me to stay behind when my mate’s wellbeing is at stake. If something should fall apart in there, what will I tell my son? That I stayed behind and let his father be killed because—what?” She shook her head emphatically. “I will be going with you.”

  One of the Elders turned to the head Elder. “She has been this stubborn since she was a child. Her father could never control this one. Ever.”

  Raiza turned her formidable glare onto the Elders. They merely watched her in return, a slightly amused look on their faces.

  “We will be doing this together,” the head Elder explained. “I do not expect much resistance in the form of other soldiers. I think the women he has held captive will be difficult, at least while under his mind control. And unless he chooses to remove the mind control, only his death can fully disrupt it.”

  Cinia studied the forest around them while the Elder spoke. She turned her gaze from one tree to the next, from one bush to another. How far were they from the area where she grew up? Not that it mattered. The Asazi had given her to a monster. It was the Korm
ic who would save her.

  She squinted at several long mounds of dirt. She tugged on Qalen’s sleeve. “That doesn’t look right.”

  He glanced toward the direction she’d indicated with a nod. He studied the area, his expression serious, then he turned to Thane and showed him the elongated mounds. Ten mounds, at least, Cinia counted.

  Thane and Barz strode toward the piles of dirt. Moments later, they returned.

  “Bodies. Those are graves,” Thane confirmed the suspicions that had begun to rise in Cinia’s mind.

  She wasn’t sure if anyone else had put it together, but—

  “The women,” Taya whispered, dread coloring her voice.

  Clearly, Taya had been thinking the same thing she had.

  Taya clutched her midriff, as though to protect the baby. “He killed them.”

  “Or had them killed,” one of the Elders asserted.

  “Same difference,” Ali said, her eyes narrowed.

  “I’m becoming less and less inclined toward having any mercy on him,” Qalen whispered close to Cinia’s ear. “Such a betrayal of trust.”

  “I don’t understand how he could have moved them all the way here, only to kill them here.” Taya’s eyes were glued to the graves. “If he’d killed them at the other lair, he’d not had to transport them.”

  Cinia scoffed. “He’s not exactly a rational individual.”

  “The sooner he is no longer a threat to anyone,” Kal said, “the better off we will all be.”

  “Without further ado, shall we?” The head Elder began to take slow deliberate steps toward the cave opening.

  Thane gave Qalen a quick nod and pointed toward the cave’s entrance. Then he did the same to Zale, Barz, and Kal.

  With long swift strides the men overtook and passed the Elders, leading the way into the cave.

  This left Cinia wondering because, based on what she’d seen of the Elders, they carried lethal light swords and seemed adept enough at using them. Why did Thane want to be the first to encounter Saraz? Did he have a specific plan for him the others weren’t aware of? Was it because he knew him before he came here? Did he have a certain amount of sympathy because they both came from the same race?

  She did not give voice to her questions, following the others as they entered a dark cave, once again, although this time with hearts that were heavy at the wanton and unnecessary loss of lives.

  20

  During their walk through the corridors made of stone, Qalen wondered how things would play out. Having seen the makeshift graves of the women that had been pledged to him in servitude, he questioned whether he would want to kill Saraz himself. An act that, not too long ago, he was certain he would not have been able to commit.

  A crashing sound came from deep within the bowels of one of the passageways. This caused the entire group to pick up the pace, hurrying toward the noise, though now, only silence ruled the dim walkway.

  Moments later, the corridor opened to a large room with roughhewn stone walls and an assortment of furniture that, at best, could be called rustic. This room had none of the grandeur of Saraz’s lair. Cinia studied the area. At the center, a large platform could be reached by stairs carved of wood.

  From the back of the platform—more of a stage, really—stepped Saraz. To his side, he held a man. He was sure that was the man Cinia told him about. The one from the refugee camp. Norn. Raiza’s mate.

  Qalen sucked in a breath, fighting to keep his composure.

  Clearly, Raiza was not able to keep from expressing her dismay with the events unfolding before them all. Her eyes were wide and fixed on the scene that played out before them on the stage. Saraz clearly had created for this for those who were coming for him. It was as though he knew they were seeking to bring him to bear for all his sins and crimes, and he’d decided to take a preemptive strike.

  Quite a strike, too, since every single member of the party froze and stared at the platform.

  “Welcome to my humble abode.” Saraz’s voice reverberated in the large area.

  Qalen noticed the blade. Gleaming, it was against the captive Asazi man’s neck, digging into his flesh.

  Saraz’s eyes traveled over the assembled group there to hold him liable and make him pay for his actions.

  The head Elder stepped to the forefront. “Release the captive, Saraz.”

  Saraz laughed. “Else what?”

  “Else you’ll be held to account.”

  His laughter grew louder, underscored with the sound of thrumming. “I will kill him.”

  Raiza lunged between the group and stood next to the head Elder. “You will die.”

  Saraz eyed her dispassionately. Behind the blade, the rise and fall of Norn’s Adam’s apple was evident. As was the change in the color of his Asazi skin. His scales undulated between a deep red and a dangerous orange color, occasionally marked with streaks of green.

  Qalen knew from his experience with Cinia that this meant Norn’s fury was punctuated with moments of sadness.

  The Elder glanced at Raiza. “Young one, I realize the tremendous distress this situation causes you, but I would like to have the opportunity to rescue your mate without your interference.”

  She turned her gaze from Norn to study the Elder’s face, tears streaking down her own, then she ran a hand over the orange spiky knobs on her head. “I can’t lose him, Elder. I can’t.”

  He put his hand on her shoulder. “Trust me. Have faith.” Then he focused his attention on Saraz once more. “Do not force our hands.” The Elder had raised his voice, drowning out all other sounds.

  Out of the blue, Zale stepped forward, ahead of the group, ahead of the head Elder. He strolled toward the platform as though he were on a casual late evening constitutional, with nothing better to do.

  When he was a few strides from the platform he paused and studied Saraz.

  Saraz glared at Zale. “Why are you here?”

  Qalen noticed Thane was whispering to Ali. Glancing at Cinia, he murmured, “I’ll be back.”

  He approached Thane and sidled next to him, on the other side from Ali. “What’s going on with Zale?”

  “He has history with Saraz.”

  Qalen nodded, still not sure what this was about. “What kind of history?”

  “Long ago, Saraz killed his brother.”

  Qalen looked back at the two Dumarians. “I’m guessing by long ago…”

  Thane nodded. “Dumarians live a long, very long, time.

  “So, his appearance here is no accident. He has a vendetta.”

  Thane gave him a hard look. “He could have come here long ago to destroy Saraz, if that were his only goal. He’s here because matters on this planet have gotten out of hand. A punishment meted out by the Dumarian Brethren—decision-makers, if you will—has led to the punishment of all the inhabitants here, Asazi, Kormic, and anything in-between. And all this at the hand of one individual, who for some reason has taken his powers and used them against all.”

  “You would have thought the Dumarian leaders would have put a stop to this far sooner.”

  Thane’s lips tightened. “You’d have thought a lot of things.”

  They turned their attention back to Zale and Saraz.

  “Face me.” Zale planted fists on hips. “Face me.”

  “Face you? Or your entire group?” Saraz indicated all of the individuals behind Zale with a wave, momentarily taking the hand around his captive’s shoulders, though leaving the blade still at his throat.

  Norn must have sensed his captor was distracted, for in that brief second, the muscle in his forearms twitched.

  Seconds later, mayhem ensued, as Norn ducked under Saraz’s hold, then lowered his body and landed a kick directly in the middle of Saraz’s back, sending him flying off the platform, and the dagger he’d held flying upward.

  Saraz flipped midair, landed on his feet several steps in front of Zale, then reached for a sword sheathed at his back and brought it before him.

  Norn j
umped from the platform, holding the blade that had just been at his throat. He landed near Saraz, who turned his dark metal sword toward Norn, indicating he should back up.

  Norn sidestepped several paces, never once taking his eyes off of Saraz until he was with the group, and next to Raiza. Then, and only then, did he lower his weapon and put his arms around his mate. “How’s my son?”

  “Eagerly awaiting his father’s return. As I have been.” She leaned into his embrace.

  Over her head, Norn looked at Kal. “And my other son?”

  Kal nodded. “Finn is well. I am here in his stead.”

  Norn released his embrace on Raiza, though he kept one arm around her shoulders, and shook Kal’s hand. “I am grateful.” He glanced at each party member. “To all of you.”

  Murmurs acknowledging his appreciation came from the group, though all eyes were glued on Saraz, who stood in the same spot, sword at the ready. He motioned to Zale with a come-hither wave.

  Zale turned toward the group. “This is my battle.”

  The Elders whispered amongst themselves, then nodded toward Zale, adding, “If we need to intervene, we will.”

  The head Elder tossed a sword to Zale, just like the one they’d tossed to Thane when he’d battled Saraz. A sword of light.

  21

  Cinia felt like she’d been holding her breath while Zale battled with Saraz. No one had stepped forward, all respecting Zale’s word that he would fight Saraz alone. It had been at least an hour of swordplay, though play was hardly the word to describe what she was witnessing.

  The two opponents were equally matched in size and skill. Both were covered with gray sweat, each had slices on their arms and torsos from miscalculated strikes.

  They’d spoken little. There had been grunts, an occasional swear word.

  Then something changed. Drastically. Dramatically.

  Both men froze. Their swords still raised. For a brief second, they were silent.

  Zale’s eyes narrowed. “It’s only fair you should know.”