Shadow finished his soup, then handed the empty bowl to Ruyne as he stretched out. “My body feels weakened, but my Song is stronger than ever. I’ll perform. You should let Truyna perform too.”
“She’s too young,” Ruyne muttered, as he got up to clean the dish. “And your Song was strengthened because that ritual let the magic of the Leaders flow through you, so you could reach Derry.”
Shadow rubbed at the tattoos covering the back of his hand. He thought back to the ritual. That much power flowing through him felt terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. He could still feel it thrumming in his veins. The power hadn’t left him. Was it supposed to? Derry heard him; he had felt it. He missed Derry with every fiber of his being. The world was cold and lonely without his lover. He wanted nothing more than a second chance to show Derry how wrong he had been to take Derry for granted all those years. They had to save him. “Could I do it again, Ruyne?”
“Perhaps. Not now. It’s not something to be used lightly, Shadow,” Ruyne answered. Ruyne leaned against the doorframe, his entire posture betraying his exhaustion.
Shadow watched his brother carefully for the first time since he’d been back, truly seeing him. White strands in that dark blue hair and harsh lines on Ruyne’s face even though, in truth, Ruyne was only in his twenties. The weight of the Leader was telling. His brother had aged ten years in the last five years. For the first time, Shadow regretted leaving to find Derry. “I’m here now, Ruyne. I didn’t think I’d be gone so long or that you would even miss me. We have our differences.”
“We are nearly opposites,” Ruyne said with a slight laugh. “But that is why I need you, Shadow. You see the world in a way I cannot.”
“Then listen to me when I say you should let Truyna perform,” Shadow insisted again. The Song magic within him seemed to surge with an agreement. “It’s important, Ruyne. She is stronger than all of us. Her magic will protect us the best. It will strengthen us.”
“The more she performs the more the magic of the Leader will take hold of her. You see what it’s done to me already. What it did to me growing up even though we had a strong Leader and our Band was at peace.” Ruyne shook his head.
“You can’t protect her if we’re all dead either, Ruyne,” Shadow grumbled. “She’s strong, like you. And all she has to do is sing something short to strengthen the Song. The crowd will love her.”
“All right,” Ruyne agreed finally, as the wagon came to a stop. “Get ready, I have to go settle the camp and tell Truyna.”
Shadow nodded and watched Ruyne go. It was only then he realized he was in his own wagon, not Ruyne’s. He rolled his eyes at his lack of observation and got up to get dressed. He felt nostalgia wash over him, as he pulled out his best costume. It was black silk, with a button-down shirt that he left open to mid-chest, tight pants, and gleaming black leather boots with silver decorations. He traced the silver decorative piping on the shirt and pants with his fingers. Derry’s mother had made it for him. He wondered for a moment, as he pulled on the costume, if the woman had partially done it for Derry’s benefit too.
The man staring back at him from the mirror was an odd mix of the past and the present. His bold black tattoos were only partially hidden by the clothes. He had them all over his body; his neck, face, and hands showed that still. His once youthful, handsome face was weathered by harsh living. He brushed out his long black hair and tied it back into a tail. His looks wouldn’t matter much. His voice had always been the best thing about his performance, and he could feel the Song flowing strongly in him once more. Even stronger than it had before.
Shadow left his wagon and made his way to the stage with the rest of the Dusksingers. The town they had set up in was a smaller one and the townspeople hadn’t seen a performance for many years. A ripple of excitement went through the audience as Ruyne set the stage for the performers to follow. Shadow stood by the stage, impressed at Ruyne’s calm and showmanship despite all that was going on. No one could have guessed how wrong things were with the Band right now. The Band did their part as well. Festive foods were being sold in the back, and streamers were being passed out to the crowd. Children got their faces painted.
Shadow took a deep breath as Ruyne’s baritone voice hushed the crowd. It was a song full of hope, strength. It filled the crowd with awe and renewed the strength of all the Dusksingers. As Ruyne sang the Band only became stronger. The magic flowed through each of them and sparked their own back to life.
Shadow got so caught up in it and the Song magic bubbling up inside of him he almost missed the movement through the crowd. He’d been away from the Band long enough to be cynical now, , and the two people slinking through the crowd and moving toward the back with pained looks on their faces at Ruyne’s power seemed out of place. They weren’t dressed like the other villagers, and they slipped through the crowd unnoticed by anyone else. Shadow stepped forward, intending to pursue them but the song faded, and Ruyne shifted into the speech to introduce Shadow.
Shadow fought a grimace. Bad timing. Who were those people? Well, if the Song pained them, they were about to be in for an even worse time. He forced a smile as he climbed up onto the stage. He bowed deeply to the crowd and played them a little, joking and flirting. Just like the old days, it came back easily. Although, his gaze kept searching for the out of place people. Where had they gone?
He couldn’t do anything about it until his performance was over, so he let it go and focused. The Song magic rang through his veins, and when he started to sing, it flowed through his voice with more power than he had ever had before. Could he reach Derry without the ritual? The power was still within him; he could feel it. Words poured out of him, a confession, everything he wished he could tell Derry. The emotion-fueled the magic even more and strengthened it.
His gaze roamed the crowd, trying to see the outsiders. Instead, his voice nearly faltered at what he saw. Derry. Ghostly at first, drifting through the crowd. Glimpses here and there. Shadow began to worry that he was hallucinating. Derry would appear on one side of the crowd, then in the next blink, he would be near the stage. Then in the back again. Certainly, faster than anyone could move.
The stronger Shadow’s song grew, the more powerful his voice, the more solid Derry became. At least it looked like Derry. Until it was there at the edge of the stage and Shadow met his gaze. Dread filled him. A horrible feeling of wrong. Those eyes were not Derry’s. The monster looked at him with such pure hatred Shadow’s voice did falter, and he stumbled back from the edge of the stage.
The monster inhabiting Derry’s body climbed up onto the stage, Shadow’s spell over the crowd broken. The horrifying laugh that came from this creature was not Derry either. It was a painfully beautiful voice, so different than Derry’s common one, that said, “Little Dusksingers, this vessel I possess is so beloved by you that you would attempt to take him from me? The one that created you? He is not even born of the Bands. Derestan is merely a common townsperson. Nothing special.”
Shadow glanced at the crowd as his voice died. Were they hearing what Travain said? It didn’t look like it. The townspeople appeared completely enthralled by the voice. Their eyes were vacant, and they stared at Travain with a look of worship that scared Shadow to the core. Those without the Song were powerless to resist this monster. He bristled and glared. “Derry is more special than you will ever know. You can’t have him. Give him back, or we will take him.”
“Bold words. You must care for him very much. But you are too late. He is gone. Derry is no more. There is only me in this mortal shell. You know who I am. Go about your Band’s business and leave me to mine. I am loath to harm my children but I will not allow you to interfere for something to save someone so insignificant.” Travain scowled at Shadow then looked to Ruyne. “Leader, rein in your Band before I do it for you.”
Ruyne stood there staring in shock like the rest of the Band. Then he narrowed his blue eyes and lifted Truyna onto the stage. The little girl walked forward, clu
tching a favorite doll to her chest. Unlike the rest of them, she showed no fear of the monster before them. She walked right up to Travain, and her tiny pure voice rang out clear as a bell, as she began to sing one of the ancient protection songs of the Band. As she sang, she began to dance to the Song magic as though she danced with autumn leaves in the wind. As her tiny feet stomped, the Band started to accompany with stomps of their own and bangs on the drums.
“What is this? Stop!” Travain commanded as he backed away from her. He fell backward off the stage, as the Song magic rose like colored mist all around them. The monster roared and shook and, for a moment it, was almost as though Derry were split in two.
During that moment, Shadow saw the true Derry within, scared, pleading. Shadow threw his voice into the song with Truyna, and the colored mist encroached on Derry’s body. The rest of the Band started to join in the song. Truyna danced with her eyes closed, her pure voice still ringing out over all the others.
“It can’t be!” Travain roared as he scrambled to his feet. “I will not be undone by a child!”
Truyna opened her eyes as accompanying music died away. She looked right at Travain without fear, her voice brilliant as she sang. It was clear to anyone with the Song magic that something far more powerful than a little girl battled this monster.
Travain let out a pained cry and fled, the confused crowd parting as his spell was broken. Wherever the Song’s painted mist floated, it freed the villagers from entrapment.
“Don’t let him get away!” Shadow called, as he dove off the stage to follow. Dusksingers nearby ran to assist him as the Song magic roared around them like a rushing wind. The crowd made pursuit difficult as Shadow struggled to push his way through to where Travain had vanished. Shadows formed the outsiders that Shadow had seen in the crowd earlier and once solid they charged forward to block the Dusksingers from pursuing Travain.
Shadow fought his way through them, desperate to see Derry. There were too many attackers. They grabbed at him, slowing him. “Derry!” he called, trying to be heard over the music and the mutters of the confused crowd. Shadow saw Travain pause just long enough to glare back at him then disappeared from sight around a building.
Once Travain was gone, the strange villagers that had moved to hinder the Dusksingers let out a piercing unified scream as they melted into shadows, and disappeared as though they had never been there.
Ruyne handed Truyna down to Silver, the little girl exhausted by the powerful performance. He managed to jump right into his showmanship, assuring the crowd that it was all part of the performance.
Shadow slowly made his way back to Ruyne and the others, disheartened, as the rest of the Band started to perform. They’d been so close. He wanted to pursue, but the Song told him Derry was far away once more.
Ruyne didn’t say a word, just rested a comforting hand on Shadow’s shoulder as they waited for the remaining performances to end. They had fought their first battle. They might have stopped Travain momentarily, but now that they had all seen the extent of what had become of their friend, the prospect of getting the real Derry back was grim. Shadow glanced over to watch Silver returning to the camp with Truyna in his arms. The little girl slept peacefully against her father’s chest, a tiny smile on her lips. In that battle, Shadow had seen something else inside his niece, much like Travain lurked within Derry’s body. A glance at Ruyne’s haunted gaze told him his brother had seen it as well. It had not been only the Leader’s magic that powered Truyna through her first performance.
Chapter 24
Silver
Silver hummed a lullaby his mother had taught him, laying curled protectively around Truyna as she slept. Truyna cuddled against his chest and hugged her favorite doll. She seemed no worse from the performance, and she slept peacefully. He stayed with her even past the meal outside. Ruyne entered the wagon carrying a bowl of soup for each of them. After he closed the door behind him, he set the bowls on a chest next to the bed.
Silver sat up, careful not to wake the little girl, then reached for a bowl and ate in silence. His Song magic fluttered around with his nerves and, now that Ruyne was there, he could sense his lover felt the same way. “What was that, Ruyne?”
Ruyne dressed for bed then lay on the other side of Truyna before responding. He wrapped a strong arm around her and held her close. “I don’t know, Silver,” he admitted. “It wasn’t the Leader magic.”
Silver finished his food then rejoined them, resting his hand over Ruyne’s and interlocking their fingers. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the way the Song magic bound and flowed between the three of them in harmony. Truyna’s Song filled them with peace. “We’ve always known she was special. Powerful,” he murmured. “That did not seem like Truyna on the stage tonight.”
“No,” Ruyne agreed as he smoothed his daughter’s dark hair. Worry lines creased his handsome face, as he frowned. “I think she was channeling something much older.”
“Perhaps the Sirens lent their magic to the Song in an attempt to gain their vengeance against Travain?” Silver furrowed his brow. “She’s too young, Ruyne. What if we lose her to that power?”
“I am not worried about that. She is young, innocent, pure. The Song protects her. She won’t be corrupted. But Travain has seen her power now. She is his enemy. He will strike hard and swiftly. I don’t know if we can protect her.” Ruyne murmured, his fingers closing tightly around Silver’s.
Silver rested his forehead on Ruyne’s shoulder. “You have made Shadow dangerous, my love.”
“Shadow has always been dangerous, Silver,” Ruyne responded. “But you are right. He summoned Derry here with the Song he sang. Derry tried to come, but Travain is the one we got.”
“Poor Derry. Trapped inside his own body with a monster who calls him worthless,” Silver scowled, anger flowing through him. “What if we did a Band-wide ritual, Ruyne? Could our combined power cleanse him? Shadow to draw him here, Truyna to bind him, then the rest of us could sing to rid him of Travain?”
“Did you see what happened to the villagers when he spoke, Silver?” Ruyne’s gaze grew distant at the memory. “All he had to do was speak, and any without the Song magic were in his thrall.”
“All the more reason to fight him here, Ruyne,” Silver said with conviction. “He will have converted everyone where he is. He’s building an expendable army. You heard the disdain Travain has for townspeople. He’s probably brainwashing them with the corrupted Song and plans to throw them at the Sirens. Who knows how many people he has gathered. And his corrupted villagers were here tonight, Ruyne. Somehow his servants came with him when Shadow summoned Travain.”
“There’s a place of power near here,” Ruyne said thoughtfully. “One of the ancient Song altars. We’ll go there and do it.”
“Won’t that strengthen Travain too?” Silver asked with a shake of his head.
“No, I don’t think Travain is using the Song. Not the same one we are, anyway. I think it will harm him. You saw what Shadow and Truyna were doing to him and his followers. They were pained by the Song.” Ruyne closed his eyes. “We’ll travel there tomorrow. The performance tonight should soothe the Song for a while.”
Silver reached over to brush strands of blue hair back from Ruyne’s closed eyes. One of them was silver. It pained him to see the price Ruyne paid to be Leader, though he knew Ruyne would have it no other way. He rested close to Ruyne and Tryuna and hugged them both close as he relaxed. “Rest now, my love. You carry too much. You will break under the weight of it if you are not careful.”
“It is the burden of the Leader, Silver,” Ruyne mumbled dismissively, but his voice was exhausted.
Silver merely started to hum the soothing lullaby again. He made sure Ruyne and Truyna were both in a deep restful sleep before he allowed himself to close his eyes and join them.
Chapter 25
Ruyne
Ruyne stepped from the circled safety of the wagons and walked up the worn stone path. The stones were crac
ked by time, use, and the determined plants weaving their way through. Grass and wildflowers leading to the shrine that sat on the hill. A chill still hung in the late morning air, a promise of the cold to come. Ruyne brushed blue strands of hair from his vision, as he turned his face from the wind to look back at the camp. The wagons were ill-prepared for winter. They should have been so much further south by this time of year.
Ruyne clenched his jaw as he continued up the hill with newfound purpose. They would free Derry today, then the Band would make haste to the warmer climates before the winter came. They had time yet. They did not dare go to Derry as he had originally planned. Not if Travain could seduce villagers to his will with just his voice. He could have built an entire kingdom of villagers to defend him by now. Someone using the Song for such a terrible purpose filled Ruyne with righteous anger. It cooled as he reached the shrine, though.
The shrine itself was a simple stone altar with ancient runes carved into the sides. Worn grey stone blackened by the elements. The power that lay within the clear water in the bowl was unmistakable. It felt like the build-up of electricity in the air before a lightning strike, and he bowed his head in reverence to it as he walked up to kneel before the altar.
Ruyne’s Song magic played an erratic tune, as it attuned itself to the shrine’s magic. Once he felt in harmony with the place, he took a deep breath. He pulled a small pouch from his belt and dumped the shimmering powder into the water. It was all that remained of what his mother had left him for rituals. The recommended offering was usually a pinch. He threw in the last third of the pouch. The Song magic roared to life around him like the winds of a hurricane and knocked him back from the altar. The water in the bowl swirled into a tsunami. The water slowly took the form of a vaguely humanoid female face and focused a harsh gaze on him.
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