by Sharon Hinck
A huge warrior lumbered in my direction. He lifted his weapon, and I was inside his guard before he realized what was happening. More blood. My hands were sticky with it. I fought harder and faster. I wanted this to be over so I could wash my hands.
I was learning to stay alert to the chaos of action around me. Wade had saved me several times when I was too focused on one enemy and paid no attention to anything else. Now, while I exchanged blows with the Kahlarean in front of me, I also noticed that we were closer to the buildings of Rendor. We were in greater danger here. Away from the cover of the trees, we once again became targets for the Kahlarean syncbeams.
Adjusting my hands into a two-fisted grip, I sliced my way past another soldier.
God, why did You forbid long-range weapons to the clans if their enemies are using them? And all You send them is a Restorer? You’re doing things the hard way.
As I ran forward, I heard the hum of weapons. Blasts of heat hit the ground around us, though the Kahlareans couldn’t target the guardians without hitting their own men, so the stray beams weren’t doing much damage.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t hopeless after all.
My eyes focused on one of the buildings. Another flash of light erupted. I raced forward. The beam almost found me, but I reached the building and found the soldier first. I made it my job to find the source of each syncbeam and smash the weapon and its operator into the ground.
The fourth time, I misjudged. A syncbeam fired from a building twenty yards away. I dove forward, but the enemy saw me coming. Razor-edged pain seared across my chest, then whipped back across my legs as my body spun and fell. I heard a strangled scream and realized it had come from my throat. I tried to move, but the fierce fire of the wounds paralyzed me. Someone grabbed my shoulders and tugged. Impossibly, the agony grew worse. My vision blurred, and if I could have gotten breath, I would have screamed again. I clawed my way back toward consciousness. Wade was pulling me out of the line of fire. He dropped me against the side of a building and crouched, sword ready, scanning in all directions. When he was sure there was no immediate danger, he finally turned to me.
Burnt grilled cheese sandwiches. The smell filled my nose. Mom never used enough butter. I could smell the black smoke now. Suddenly, that seemed funny. A fractured chuckle gasped from my lungs; the world went grey.
Wade’s worried growl dragged me back. “Jake? Jake, what should I do?”
My face screwed up tight against the throbbing of my wounds. Every movement enflamed the agony, and I ground my teeth together. Deep breaths. Give it time. The roar of blood pulsing in my ears died down enough that I could hear the battle still exploding around me.
Healing skin itched and prickled its way across my wounds. The pain dialed back enough for me to open my eyes. Wade’s face was smudged with dirt and blood, his round face compressed with worry.
“I’m okay.” The lie wheezed out. “Just give me a minute.”
He nodded and turned to keep our position protected, but the fight had moved farther into the city, and no one headed our direction.
The healing didn’t happen quickly. Willing it to hurry did no good. By the time I could prop myself up, the fighting was far across the city and I could hear the rumble of the river for the first time.
Wade leaned forward, poised, eager to move out again. He looked like a dog straining against his leash.
“I’ll be all right now. Go on and help them.” I tried to be convincing while clawing myself up the wall to stand.
Wade stared at me, offended. “I’m staying right here until you’re ready to move.”
I didn’t have the energy to argue. Besides, his loyalty warmed me. I stretched my hearing. Which direction had the combat moved? Where could we best rejoin the battle? “Let’s circle this edge of the town and come up behind, from the river.”
Wade nodded his approval and waited for me to hobble the direction I’d suggested. “Jake.” The sharp reproof made me turn. “Your sword.”
My blade lay forgotten in the dust, ugly with gore and dirt. I limped back, embarrassed, and bent over slowly to grab it. The weight almost pulled me back to the ground, but I managed to heft it and straighten. My lurching progress improved as the healing deepened through my body. When the river came into sight, I longed to run straight into the water. But we weren’t finished yet.
I glanced around and frowned. “Isn’t there supposed to be a waterfall?”
Wade rubbed his beard. “Cauldron Falls is upriver, but it’s a long climb.”
“But that’s where they come from, right? The Kahlar-eans?”
“The pass is right above the falls. That’s where our guardian outpost used to be.”
The visions and dreams coalesced in my mind. The clearing. The roar of the waterfalls. Holding off enemies. The pass. That’s where I was supposed to be.
I whirled to look at Wade. “I have to go. I’m supposed to defend the pass.”
“All right,” Wade said slowly. “After we beat them out of the town, you can tell Arland, and we’ll send a group that way tomorrow.”
Urgency scratched inside my bones. “No. We have to go now.”
Wade’s limbs locked with the stubborn stance of a bulldog. “You can’t run off. At least find Arland. If you turn up missing, he’ll waste men searching for you.”
He was right. Besides, I’d promised to keep Arland informed. “Fine. Then let’s find him.” I bit the words out, using all my will not to shout in frustration.
I loped between empty buildings, aiming for the sound of the most conflict. Wade and I ran into a few stray Kahlareans; the dirt on my sword was soon washed away with fresh blood. We also passed dead and wounded guardians. I gritted my teeth and ran on.
We found Arland behind a low wall, planning an assault on a large building that flickered with syncbeam fire. When he saw us running forward in a crouch, the head guardian turned from signaling one of his men. His eyes scanned the singed fabric of my tunic. “Are you all right?”
I nodded. Arland’s own wounds had torn open. The side of his shirt was black with oozing blood. “You?”
His grin was feral. “We’re making progress.” A beam seared over our heads and we ducked lower. Then Arland edged around the corner of the wall to check on the progress of his men.
“I need to head upriver to the Falls.”
He whipped his head back toward me. “It’s not safe. We need you here.”
It was hard to look forceful and determined while crouching behind a wall, but I did my best. “It’s a Restorer vision. I’m supposed to be there.”
He hissed through his teeth. “Fine. Tomorrow. After we finish here and the men get some rest, we’ll head up to the Falls.”
Kahlarean soldiers rushed from the building and crossed swords with guardians in the street. The clanking and shrieking grew louder.
“No. I’m going now.” I had to shout over the noise.
The anger in Arland’s eyes slipped perilously close to hatred. “Jake, don’t do this.”
Wade braced himself with a hand on my shoulder and leaned toward Arland. “Could be some of the Kahlareans went out the back and are headed to the pass. If one of them gets word across, they’ll send reinforcements. It’s not a bad idea to seal that up now. I’ll go with him.”
Arland checked on the battle moving still farther into the city. When he turned back, his jaw was set. “Your vision. Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. It’s what I’ve been seeing since I came here. I need to go. Now.”
“Fine. But I’m sending some men with you. And I want you reporting back to me by tonight.”
Arland glared at Wade, who answered with a sharp nod. The syncbeams had stopped, and we were able to stand. The guardians had taken one more building. Arland vaulted over the low wall and called out to one of the captains as he came out into the street
.
“Take some of your men and go with Jake and Wade. Chase down any stragglers and hold the pass.” The captain beckoned his men our direction, but at the same time, Ian popped out from behind another house.
“Arland, let me go with him.” The head guardian raised an eyebrow, and Ian shrugged. “I owe him. I’ll bring my best men and back him up.”
Ian’s show of support raced through me like the warm fingers of healing had minutes earlier. “Thank you.” Ian just looked away.
Arland eyed the progress of another group down the street, but he spared a moment to spear me with his gaze. “When we’re done here, I’ll send some men to relieve you at the pass. I’m expecting you back before nightfall.”
“I’ll be here.”
Wade led the way back through the deserted streets of Rendor and to the river. He set a brisk pace following the bank. Ian and three of his men followed me. I strained to hear any sounds above the water tumbling over boulders. If there were Kahlareans ahead of us, I couldn’t detect them.
When we were well above Rendor, we stopped to indulge in a long drink of cold water. I scrubbed my arms until the skin was red, numb from the icy river. I knew enough not to get my gear and weapons drenched; otherwise I would have plunged all the way into the water. As far as I was concerned, there wasn’t enough water to wash away the horrors of the day.
The force of the current churned against boulders, hurtling forward. I stared at the shifting patterns. My life was racing forward now too. After so many weeks of floundering, my reason—my purpose—lay around the next bend.
“Jake.” Wade called with the annoying insistence of my alarm after I’d hit the snooze button one too many times.
The water was incredibly clear. I could count the stones in the eddy near us.
“Jake.” A hand thumped onto my shoulder, and I jerked back, confused. Wade’s concerned face blurred into focus. “Remember what I told Arland? If any of the Kahlareans are heading for the pass, we need to catch them.”
I turned back to watch the water. Clean. Pure. Uncompromising.
A meaty fist clamped around my arm and pulled me to my feet. “You held your own today. Stay focused. You can think about it later.” Wade kept his voice low, glancing back to where Ian and his men waited.
“When?” I looked at Wade.
He frowned. “When what?” He clearly thought I was losing it. Maybe I was.
“You keep telling me not to think. When do I get to think?”
Sadness brushed across his face before he could hide it. He forced a grin and cuffed my arm. “Come on, Jake. Let’s move.”
My limbs dragged. Where was my Restorer strength now? We kept climbing.
“I’ll scout into the woods, in case they didn’t stay close to the river,” Ian called. Wade waved an acknowledgment. I tried to stretch my hearing, and the roar of the waterfall ahead swelled to an unbearable level.
I stopped and closed my eyes, working to focus my hearing in other directions. “That’s weird.”
Wade planted his sword into the earth and rubbed stiffness from his fingers. “What is?”
“A voice.”
“Kahlareans?”
I shook my head. “Sounds like Ian. Who would he be talking to?”
Wade grinned. “Maybe he’s talking to the One. You’re a good influence.”
The voice faded, and I tried to laugh at his joke.
Wade turned to Ian’s men. “Go see if he needs help. Meet us up at the outpost.”
They cut into the trees, and Wade and I approached the falls alone. We sheathed our swords, freeing our hands for the rough climb. Now that we were moving again, my feeling of urgency returned.
At the top of the falls, we drew our weapons and followed a worn path to a clearing. As soon as I saw the outpost and the sheer rock walls towering near the pass, my heart throbbed. Stronger than déjà vu, a sense of belonging in this place and moment grabbed me. I faced the narrow path where the rock surface created a natural bridge over and across this narrowed section of the river. I expected Kahlarean soldiers to come pouring through like an endless column of ants from a crack in the sidewalk. Nothing stirred.
I swung my sword in a few circles to loosen my arm. “Do you think any of them made it across to get reinforcements?”
Wade shrugged. “Can’t say. But we won’t let anyone past now, eh, Jake?”
We exchanged grins, and my sense of purpose grew. The Kahlareans weren’t going to terrorize our clans anymore. We’d keep their soldiers from fleeing back and reporting that we had retaken Rendor. And we’d fight off anyone who tried to cross from their side.
Wade patrolled the edges of the clearing, peering down the various trails. I hovered by the pass, staring down the rock corridor looking for a glimpse of anything that moved.
Half an hour later, a crash sounded from beyond the outpost and drew me away from my self-appointed guard duty. Ian burst into the clearing from the side farthest from the river. “We caught one. Wade, my men need your help.”
Wade’s eyes lit, and he bounded toward the trail Ian had taken. Then he pulled up short.
“It’s all right.” Ian waved him on. “I’ll stay with the boy.”
Wade ducked under a branch and headed down the trail.
I turned to watch for any sign of men crossing through the gap over the river, but I threw a glance over my shoulder in Ian’s direction. “Thanks for helping.”
“I owed you.” Ian’s low voice darkened.
What was he angry about now? I thought he wanted to help me. And why did Ian leave his men to come and get Wade? Ian was every bit as strong of a fighter and, as a guardian of Rendor clan, had as much authority as Wade to question their captive.
A cold chill crawled from the ground and up my spine. I turned slowly.
Ian met my gaze with hard grey eyes that still reminded me of my dad. Behind him stood four hooded and masked Kahlareans. They had melted into the clearing in perfect silence. Assassins.
My heart pounded with the uneven gait of a lehkan. “Ian, look out!” Why didn’t he react?
The Rendor guardian turned to one of the assassins. “He’s the one.”
“You’re sure?” The Kahlarean voice was a breathy whisper.
“Yes. I’ve seen it myself. You’ll pull out of Rendor now? I have your word?”
The bug eyes of the assassin squinted over the cloth that covered the lower half of his face. He was grinning. “You have our gratitude,” he said in a throaty murmur. He offered his hand to Ian.
Shock and anger churned in a volatile mix in my stomach. “What are you doing?”
Ian sneered. “I told you that too many people have died because of the Restorers. All they want is to take one captive. Then they’ll leave the clans alone.” He shrugged. “It’s what you’re here for, right?” He reached out to grasp the Kahlarean’s arm in a warrior’s greeting. He didn’t notice the flicker of metal in the assassin’s left hand.
“No!” I raced forward. Too late.
A compact silver venblade streaked across the short distance and pierced Ian’s tunic near his heart. The guardian’s eyes widened and he fell backward, twitching as the poison raced through his system.
I swung my weapon in a wild arc, but two of the assassins closed in behind me. One of them bashed a sword against my arm and knocked my blade from my grip. Another reached from behind me to press a curved dagger against my neck. Knobby fingers grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked my head back.
“We’ll disable you as much as you like, Restorer,” a voice hissed behind me. “But you’re coming to Kahlarea. You’re ours now.”
30
Jake
Knife to my throat or not, they weren’t taking me without a fight. Fury raced through me with one quick gasp for air, and my muscles tightened.
“Hold!” The command from a familiar voice stopped me. The Kahlareans froze. The assassin’s grip loosened enough for me to turn my head.
Arland stormed into the clearing. He spared a glance at Ian’s body, and something dark flickered in his eyes but disappeared. “Sorry, Jake. I can’t let you do this.”
I gaped at him, completely confused.
He strode closer, hands lifted away from his sword hilt. “I know I agreed to Ian’s plan, but I can’t let you make this sacrifice in my place.” He gave me a warning look before turning to the assassins and pasting on a face of devout solemnity. “It’s not what the One would want me to do. I’m the Restorer. I’ll go with you.”
This was crazy. They’d kill him trying to see if he would heal. I couldn’t let him do this. “No—”
“I know you wanted to prevent this.” His eyes burned into me and he spoke slowly. “Our people need the Restorer”—he faced the assassins—“but there have been enough deaths. I’ll come with you.”
Two of the Kahlareans exchanged angry whispers. The one behind me released his grip and stepped toward Arland. “Easy enough to discover the truth.”
“Wait!” I leapt forward. Too late again.
The assassin’s curved blade sliced across Arland’s belly. The head guardian fell to his knees, fresh blood darkening the already saturated tunic. I reached him a second after his gasp of pain and caught him, easing him to the ground.
What kind of stupid plan was this? How could he have offered himself to them? What was he thinking? The Kahlareans watched from a distance, expecting to witness an unnatural recovery, but I focused all my attention on Arland. “Why?” The word tore from my throat.
The corner of his mouth quirked upward. Then his face contorted in a grimace. He drew a rough and wheezing breath. One hand pulled my head closer. “They’ll want you alive. Fight them, Jake.” The words were barely audible.
