by Sharon Hinck
A watch? Images of a Timex floated through my mind. I smirked at the stray thought. Just before I sank all the way into sleep, I saw Arland’s face, heard his words: “Stay around for more than one battle.”
I flopped onto my stomach. “I promise,” I whispered, my cheek squashed into the pallet.
32
Jake
The captains agreed that we should approach Lyric together. Instead of hopscotching on transports, we took several days to hike, with the lehkan regiment riding all around us at a slow pace. The remaining men had time to coalesce into new groups. We restocked our supplies as we made our way through one village, and even picked up a few more lehkan.
The worst of the wounded had remained in Rendor. Those with minor injuries benefited from this time to mend. Weapons were sharpened, alliances reinforced. Wade commandeered a lehkan for my use, and I got a little better at managing the skittish creature. The captains had wholeheartedly endorsed most of my plans, but when I told them I wanted to keep the fact that I was a Restorer a secret a little longer, they balked.
I wasn’t worried about my safety; I was no longer shy about revealing my role. But we didn’t know the situation in Lyric, and having an ace up my sleeve felt like good strategy. They finally agreed.
The extra days also gave me time to thrash over some things with the One. I followed Wade’s advice to “not think” for as long as possible but eventually had to confront everything that had happened. Yes, we had taken Rendor, I had survived, and the One’s power had poured through me when needed. But I had nightmares about the men I’d killed.
And Arland was dead. When I’d wake in a cold sweat, I’d hear his last words: Stay around for more than one battle. It was on me to make sure I kept my promise to him.
One night, when Wade was snoring, I slipped away from our campsite to pray. It was the only time I could get out from under the shadow of my dogged protector.
“I know what I’m supposed to say.” Even though my voice was soft, the words were harsh and wrenched from deep in my gut. “I’m supposed to thank You for doing what You promised—for having a plan, for being in charge. But I want to say something else.” I stopped myself. How could I rage against the One who had restored life to me over and over?
Tell Me.
The invitation was gentle and so clear it was almost audible. I huffed and ducked my head with a grin. He knew what I was feeling anyway. No need to hide behind politeness.
“Okay, You know I’ve always wanted to make a difference. And when I got to know You, I figured You were the one who put those dreams in me. I wanted to be a knight and battle dragons and lead an army and right wrongs. My picture of what it would be like was silly, but I really wanted to serve You. So was I wrong? Have I completely blown it? Was it all stupid pride to think I could do something important for You?”
It’s all important to Me, Jake. You followed when you thought you understood the path. Now you know more about the cost. Will you still follow?
The words pulled me up short. Was He really offering me a choice? Some choice. Sure, when I agreed to follow Him, I didn’t really understand all it would involve. But now that I did, could I really walk away?
“Of course I still want to follow You.” Then my eyes stung, and I squeezed them tight. “But did Arland have to die? The people need a strong leader. What are You going to do?”
His answer came with startling clarity and left me so shaken that I stumbled back to my blanket in the camp. I lay awake staring up at the black sky for most of the night. I composed another song in my head. Not one I’d ever share. The people here wouldn’t understand some of the references. But it helped me get through the night.
Holy One,
Maker of all that is,
Hold me close
When darkness seeks to bury me;
Keep me safe in You.
Holy One,
You who set the stars in place,
Guide my path as You guide theirs;
Never let me stray too far
From Your way.
Holy One,
Bring light into my heart.
See the torment chaining me
To the wall of my own sin.
Set me free
Teach me how to hope again.
Though the world has wounded me,
You have never failed.
The next night we made camp close to Lyric. Evon, the young messenger, had run ahead to gather all the information he could. He rejoined us and sat with Wade and me around a heat trivet and gratefully wolfed down the boiled caradoc in our bowl.
“Sounds like things in the capital are very unstable.” He wiped gravy off his chin with his sleeve. “There are whispers that the king is crazy. He stormed into the worship tower one day and shouted all kinds of incoherent things until some of his guards talked him into leaving. And the whole city is in chaos. No one knows for sure who is in charge. The transtechs have stopped working on all the projects the king had them doing. Some have left Lyric, and others are stirring up trouble. The songkeepers have gathered and want to reinstate the end-of-season Feast day, but the king isn’t allowing them to use the worship tower. There’s been lots of confusion about old Records and new Records.”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t find out for sure how strong the king’s guard is, but everyone in the city is still afraid to cross them.”
I rubbed my chin. Wisps of beard were filling out on my face. I hadn’t shaved in weeks. “Okay, so did you find out anything about Medea? Is she still alive? Is she still in Lyric?”
Evon hunched down into his cloak and twisted the edge of it between his fingers. “Sorry, no one knew anything.” He looked up at me. “I’ve been trained to memorize and deliver messages, not spy.” His gaze dropped to the pine needles scattered on the ground. “I did the best I could.”
Poor kid. In over his head. Just like me. “You did great. This will help a lot.”
He answered a few more questions, then hurried off to settle his blankets among a group of young guardians. My fingers drummed nervous patterns against my leg.
“Jake?” Wade mirrored my worried frown.
I yawned. “Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day.”
Wade didn’t buy it. “Will it be a problem for you if she’s still there?”
I stared at my boots. Even thinking about her made my stomach clench. “I don’t know. But if she gets me under her power again, do me a favor?”
“What?”
I launched to my feet. “Kill me yourself.”
•••
The next morning, we approached the main entry tunnel of Lyric. I rode at the front of the guardian army, sword at my side. As the scalloped white walls rose up before us, I glanced back. I had a moment to appreciate the irony. Here I was, riding at the head of an army. No shining armor or white charger. My lehkan was a far cry from the regal mounts in my childhood books. But I did have a few dragons yet to slay.
As we drew closer, a sound rose on the morning air. Voices raised in cheers. I craned my neck and looked up. Lining the top edge of the three-story-high wall were men, women, and children of Lyric. Some waved bright cloth. All were shouting.
I nudged my mount over toward Evon. The young messenger tilted his head away. “I didn’t let anyone know about you being . . . you know. But I may have mentioned that we saved Rendor.” He glanced at me, biting his lip.
All around me, battle-weary men revived. Cavalry sat taller in their saddles. Guardians who had been banished and hunted and betrayed by the people they served lifted their chins, absorbing thanks that were long overdue.
A slow grin tugged my lips until it stretched so wide my face hurt. The cheering became a chant. “Jake! Jake! Jake!”
Evon edged farther from me, his neck turning red. “I kind of told them we won beca
use you led us.”
The loud welcome lit the faces of the men. How could I be angry at the boy? They needed this.
Then a rust-clad figure with slick black hair stepped into place over the arching entryway. The cheers choked off and the air became silent, except for the snorts of lehkan and jingle of tack.
“The king thanks you for carrying out his plan and freeing Rendor.” Cameron’s voice boomed and he flashed a smug smile.
Didn’t he know how hokey he sounded, referring to himself in the third person?
“Lyric is dealing with . . . unrest, so the guardian army must remain outside the walls. But Jake, you may come in. The king is eager for a report from his son and heir!”
He shouted the last words and turned to the citizens closest to him along the wall. A few people attempted a halfhearted cheer, which quickly fizzled out.
“Don’t go in there alone,” Wade growled from behind me.
I swung my leg over and hopped down from my lehkan. I gave Wade a grim smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t be alone.”
Before he could argue, I marched through the tunnel. The king’s guard at the far end stepped aside and I entered the central courtyard of Lyric. Two other guards in rust tunics and black vests flanked me as I strode toward the old Council offices. “Thanks, guys, but I know the way.”
Their stoic faces didn’t flinch. After escorting me to the familiar door, they took up position in the hall.
A dark chill ran through me as I stepped into Cameron’s office. Weapons still decorated one wall, and tapestries another. I prowled around the onyx-topped desk and peered through the door into his inner office. The room was empty. At least Medea wasn’t lurking nearby. I slid my sword a few inches out of my sheath and back again several times, testing its readiness.
Cameron entered the room like the tornado-in-a-bottle I made for the sixth-grade science fair. Starched tunic, arrogant posture, and rigid face couldn’t completely hide the storm churning inside of him.
“So I send you for the healer and you disappear. And now you’re back.” He sneered.
“What happened to Medea?” Best to know what I was going to be up against.
His bitter laugh leaked venom. “Your concern is so thoughtful. We won’t have to worry about her anymore.” Regret chased across his face, but then he took a deep breath and smiled with all the teeth and false warmth of a politician. “So you’ve returned to take your place beside me. Come and sit down.” He waved a hand toward the chair behind his desk.
I didn’t move.
He leaned against the edge of his desk and crossed his arms. “You know, I was going to defeat the Kahlareans once all the weapons were ready. You didn’t need to jump ahead of my plan. But since you succeeded, we won’t hold it against you.” His smirk was almost genuine. “The people love you—the young, reckless hero.”
He bent forward from the waist, and his eyes darted around as though he were sharing a conspiracy with me. “You know, I’ve had a few problems with the changes I’ve been making.” He lounged back again. “But with you here, they’ll fall into line. You’ll tell the clans to stop clinging to the old Records and to follow me. Together we’ll push back the foreign threats for good.”
Was he nuts? He sounded like he believed his own rhetoric. I stepped closer and glared straight into his face. “No.”
His dark eyebrows drew together. “Jake, I’m giving you a rare opportunity here.”
His reptilian stare used to frighten me. Not anymore. “Cameron, you nearly destroyed the People of the Verses. It stops now. The Council will be reinstated, and the worship tower will be opened to the songkeepers and the people again.”
One hand strayed behind him, reaching for something on his desk. He smiled and grabbed my shoulder with one hand. I didn’t react fast enough.
A sharp pain pierced my stomach. I shoved Cameron away and pulled the small weapon free. A venblade.
I sighed. This was getting old. And now Wade would need to find me another new tunic.
“Cameron, there’s one thing I forgot to tell you.”
The smug grin on his face faltered slightly, but he recovered. “What’s that?”
I tossed the small dagger across the room. It was barely affecting me. Maybe I was building up an immunity. I stood tall. “I’m the Restorer.”
Cameron turned greyish-white, the shade of old sweat socks.
I slugged him hard with a right hook, and his eyes closed. Man, that felt good.
He fell back against his desk, and the door of the office burst open.
I turned to the guards, rubbing my stinging knuckles. “The king just attempted to murder me. Take him to the guardian tower and lock him up. And send word to all the chief councilmembers still in Lyric. We’re calling a Council session. Now.”
Their eyes took in my bloody tunic, the sword at my side, and Cameron sprawled across the desk.
A wedge of doubt jammed against my confidence. What if they throw me in a cell instead?
But they’d seen Lyric fall apart under Cameron and heard the One’s authority in my voice. They obeyed without a word.
As soon as the door shut, I doubled over, clutching for the edge of the desk. Okay, so maybe I wasn’t completely immune. Numbness began to creep through my muscles again. My lungs spasmed for air. I should have driven the venblade into Cameron instead of just having him locked up. Then the room went fuzzy, like a television with bad reception. Someone pulled the plug, and the screen went blank.
When I woke up, Wade’s face scowled down at me. “You’ve got to quit doing this, Jake.”
I laughed, but that hurt too much and I started coughing. When I caught my breath, I looked up at him again. “So how did you get in here?”
Wade helped me to my feet. “The king’s guard decided to let us in. We were ready to show them how real guardians do battle. Then they got word the king had gone mad and tried to kill the hero of Rendor. They didn’t have the stomach for a fight.” He sounded disappointed.
Hadn’t he had enough fighting for one week? I hid a grin.
As the aftertaste of poison in my system faded, pure joy surged through me. The guardians were back inside Lyric. Medea was dead. Cameron had been stopped.
Wade looked around the grim office. “So what next?”
My mood sobered. “We still have to find out what Medea did with the families from Rendor. Let’s go talk to Cameron.”
That interview was as frustrating as I should have expected. Cameron wouldn’t say a word, even when Wade cracked his knuckles and offered to help me persuade him. I pulled Wade out of the cell and made sure that several of the guardians were left to watch Cameron. As I left the prison area, a sudden flurry of activity assaulted me like a bunch of rabid pigeons flapping in my face. Councilmembers, songkeepers, transtechs—everyone had questions, needed reassurance, demanded information. Wade helped me field some of the early decisions. The rest could wait until the afternoon, when the Council met. Wade finally drew me away from the clamor, and we retreated to the wall near the city entrance. Climbing the stairs got us away from the chaos of a city unsure whether to celebrate or panic.
I leaned on the wall and looked out at the berms between the city and the transport station. “Wade, what kind of victory is this? We’ve got to find the Rendor families. I don’t know what to do next.”
Wade gave a dark chuckle. “If Cameron knows what Medea did with them, he’ll tell us eventually.”
I wasn’t so sure. Cameron worshiped power. And the only power he had left was in his secrets. I pushed my hair back and stared at the road outside the city.
Something moved in the far distance. A pale shape hovered at the edge of the hill, where the road curved toward town. “Wade, what’s that?”
He squinted. “I don’t see anything. Wait. There is something moving out there.” He stumbled back a step.
His voice dropped to a terrified whisper. “Messengers of the One, it’s the Shades of Shamgar.”
I’d never heard that ghost story, but whatever was approaching did look like something from the grave. Pale wraiths, all dressed in white, moved with slow, uneven gaits. A creepy chill gripped me. “Zombies.” I clutched the edge of the marble wall and tried to breathe.
As I stared, my focus telescoped. They weren’t the specters from horror films that I had thought. They were pale, horribly thin, limping people. And at the front of the ragged column was a lady with straight brown hair, her arm around the shoulders of a young girl.
Shock, confusion, and wonder raced through me. “Wade . . .”
He edged back toward the wall to stand beside me. I leaned forward. “I can’t believe it.” I grabbed Wade’s arm and gave a glad shout. “It’s my mom!”
33
Jake
We vaulted down the steps and raced through the tunnel. My feet tore up the pavement. My mom lifted weary eyes and squinted at me. “Jake?” Then a smile lit her whole face. “It’s you? Where’s your dad?”
I hugged her. She was so thin I held back on the fierceness of my grip, afraid I would bruise her. “The portal didn’t let him through. He’s still at home. Where have you been? I thought you’d made it back to the attic by now.”
Tears washed down her cheeks, and I sniffed, fighting back the moisture in my own eyes. Must be allergic to something in the air. I glanced behind her. “Who are all these people?”
“Rendor clan,” she said softly.
She stepped back, giving me the adoring look only a mom can give. A fan club of one. Some days her pride embarrassed me. Today it was exactly what I needed. Questions flew between us as we limped into the city. I held her arm to support her; she seemed shorter than I had remembered.
•••
The Council session brought some sense of order to the impossible events of the day. My mom looked all done in but insisted on addressing the Council and telling them what she’d learned in Rhus.
