Reaching the end, she turned and was amazed at the roar that greeted her. She stood above a valley filled with plants, a waterfall and rivers, and below many people were gathered. At the other end, she saw a palace with many small balconies and one huge one, and it was there that three large drums sat. They were accompanied by two gongs, creating a slow rhythm which her heart could not help but follow. The whole cavern was filled with the noise, accented by the waterfall. Six guards led a casket out of the palace, a beautiful piece of oak and gold. They were followed by the stylized gentleman who had escorted Yoma away. Even from where she stood, Avienne could see that he was crying.
She felt momentary panic and looked around, relieved when she spotted Yoma on a balcony of the palace. She saw a shadow in another window and thought it was Zortan looking on, but he was too far and it was too dark for her to be sure.
Guess her time didn’t go too well, either. She turned to head back to the settlement. Her ears could not take much more of the pounding of the drums. Other settlers were now wandering into the tunnel. Avienne accelerated her pace and was soon out, where the sounds of grieving were less intense.
“Can you believe it?” one of the guards asked her, his eyes wide and filled with tears.
“Honey, I still can’t believe this place doesn’t have an ounce of booze.”
The guard frowned and turned to a more understanding ear.
Avienne sighed and started up the stairs that would lead her back to the Victory, heartened by the thought that Gobran Kipso might keep a personal stash of ale.
The drums were still pounding when Yoma broke free of the proceedings and let an old maid lead her to her room. There were more stairs to climb, circular ones this time, in some sort of tower. At the top, a hall spread before them. The maid led Yoma to the last door and opened it. The woman bowed, and Yoma feebly thanked her.
She needed to get out of here fast, before these people drove her insane. She smiled as she closed the door behind her, trying to imagine how these loyal servants would react if they knew of Yoma’s past: a petty thief and when necessary, a killer.
It had only been necessary once. Yoma sighed and walked to the other side of the canopy bed, surprised to see that the room had a window. She walked to it and looked out at the dark night sky. Apparently this section of the castle reached above ground. She could see a bit of the Victory from here, and could make out the large fences that protected the settlers.
She looked up, gasping as white mist stretched across the sky. Wraiths? No, this was different.
The mist clung to the sky wherever she looked, except…she could hear water falling. From here? The waterfall is deep below me. The sound of rushing water slammed into her and she held her breath. The mist cleared and she could see the temple again, above ground and deep red, and she was crossing the bridge. She felt an icy shiver of fear and her breath grew cold. She hesitated, but then looked beside her anyway. She laughed to see Layela, well and alive…and then the blood came. Blood covering her hands, dark and thick and warm.
“No!” Yoma screamed, hitting her fists on the window ledge. The pain dispersed the rest of her vision.
The door opened behind her and the old maid entered. “Is something wrong, Lady?” she asked, hurrying to her side. Concern lined her every tired feature.
Yoma gave a weak smile, but the maid looked out the window and gasped. Yoma followed her gaze. In the sky, previously hidden by the mists of her vision, was a large, blood red moon.
“What’s wrong with it?” Yoma asked. She didn’t like the look of it, but moons were different on each planet.
The maid turned to face her, her face white despite the red glow that illuminated her and seemed to infiltrate every crease of the room. “The moon, my Lady, has not shone on this land since the day of your birth.”
Yoma looked back out at the strange moon, so big and so sad, soaking the land in its eerie red light. The hairs on her arms stood at attention. She wondered where on the planet her sister was, and if she felt the same fear when she looked at the monster in the sky.
“Thanks,” Yoma said to the maid, who still stood mesmerized by the sight.
Something terrible would happen, she could sense it. She needed to lock Layela in the deepest, darkest cave she could find before it caught up to both of them.
She ran down the tower stairs and out of the palace, where the proceedings were now reduced to quiet meditation. The casket was gone, and the mourners with their lowered heads did not notice her. Still, she stuck to shadows and walked quietly, her steps accustomed to blending into even the thinnest of crowds. She still practiced the thief’s habit of locating exits in every room, so she knew there were only two ways out of this bunker — one was with a ship, which would be faster but too easily detectable, and the second was through what she guessed was the original entrance, the one used by the settlers in the main hall.
Yoma reached the main hall and quickly stole a garment to throw over her shoulder and head. It was a type of dress — or maybe a sheet, she wasn’t sure — but it was enough to get her past the mourners undetected. She snuck through houses and walls, over fences and under clotheslines, spotting the sought-after break. It was easy to spot, since no house had been built close to the exit for fear that wraiths might break in. Yoma cast glances left and right, and found everyone too absorbed in their grief to even look up. She slipped into the corridor, shed her acquired clothing, and dropped into a crouch. Two guards watched the corridor, whispering in panicked tones to one another. News of the moon had travelled fast, and so would news of her escape.
She hesitated, not wanting to hurt the guards too badly. She felt some sense of responsibility toward the people who would claim her as their queen. Yoma looked at her remaining weapons, most small and easily disguisable. Her biggest by far was a knife, but she found that she still had two sleep darts, and she smiled. Nice and easy.
She peered around the corner again, took note of their positions and swerved around. The darts were gone from her hand and into their skin before they had even realized she was there.
Their eyes rolled back into their heads and they collapsed. Yoma stepped over them and tried the door, which was locked with a strong deadbolt. Of course. She sighed as she searched the first guard, and then the second. She came up empty handed, save for a gun that she tucked into her belt.
She searched her back pockets and grinned as she pulled free two metal pins. She wished she had more light, but a good lock-picker had to rely only on her hands.
She inserted the pick and a small tension wrench, intent on scrubbing the lock quickly. She turned it once, twice, while carefully feeling the lock’s mechanism, and on the third try it opened.
Already getting rusty. She had, after all, spent the last few weeks on ships, and had cut down on her thieving beforehand for fear of dragging Layela’s growing business reputation down with her. One witness was all it took, and as a twin, they had twice the chance of identifying her. She deftly put her tools away and quietly stepped out into the night.
The air of Mirial was cool, the moon casting her disadvantage with its red hues. Part of the bunker had a huge fence around it, but this section was protected by cliffs, a door, and probably extra security inside, and had not been fenced. A small advantage.
From here, she couldn’t see where the corridor of the cliffs led. It was filled with cracks, shadows and maybe even caves. She took a deep breath and slowed her heart, keeping her ears and eyes alert for danger. She wished Josmere was with her to watch her back and prayed that no visions would take hold of her mind.
She crept along the side of the darkest cliff, sticking to the thickest shadows and the smoothest terrain. Suddenly a voice rang out of the darkness. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Yoma spun around, gun drawn. Avienne stepped out of the shadows and held up her hands.
“Even as bored as I am right now,” the redhead said, “I don’t think a firefight is quite the entertainment I�
��m looking for.” She lowered her hands and grinned. “But thanks anyway!”
“What are you doing here?” Yoma hissed, hoping no one had heard the loud smuggler.
Another voice shot out of the darkness and made Yoma’s heart almost beat out of her chest. “We should all stick together.” The voice was followed by Zortan, stepping out of the shadows right beside her.
He’s good. Yoma cast a wary glance at him.
“So you’re both stalking me?” Yoma’s anger boiled.
“Actually,” Avienne responded, kicking dust as she joined them. “I’m looking for ale, and since there was none in there, or on any other ship…”
Zortan ignored her. “We need to stay together to stay strong.”
“When did I join this happy little party?” Avienne mumbled.
Zortan ignored her again. “We need to keep you safe, Yoma, lest Mirial be lost.”
“I can’t believe I come from a place that doesn’t even have anything to drink. I think of all people, I miss Lang the most right now,” Avienne mumbled.
Yoma held up her hands to silence them both. “Please, I have to go, and the two of you will just slow me down.”
Avienne gave a short laugh that challenged that notion.
“You two stay here and help the Mirialers. I have to go and help Layela.”
Zortan’s eyes grew wide, but nowhere near the size of Avienne’s. “You mean she lives?”
Yoma nodded.
Avienne took an excited step forward. “You mean, my brother lives too?”
Yoma shrugged. “I assume so.”
Avienne’s hand came up so fast neither Yoma nor Zortan had the time to react. Her fist collided with Yoma’s chin. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” she demanded, her voice low and laced with cyanide.
“I just found out,” Yoma said. She pulled herself back up, rubbing the side of her face. Not bad, and she was certain the smuggler had held back her strength.
“Blood and bones, Yoma! You could have saved me all that angry swearing in there! So many young ears spoiled by my carefully chosen words!”
Yoma couldn’t help but smile. Avienne Malavant might be insane, but she had a joy for living that was hard to match.
“I can’t believe I’m from here and I just hit the woman who’s supposed to be my queen,” Avienne mumbled again, and Yoma laughed.
“Call me queen again and I’ll be the one to punch you!”
Avienne grinned widely. “Some fun for another day, then!”
“We can settle this on the way.” Zortan, who had wisely stayed back, now stepped in. “Now we should go. With Adina gone,” he swallowed hard, as though poison clung to his throat, “they will be even more protective of you, Yoma.”
The two women nodded, and resumed walking. An inhuman scream pierced the night, and seconds later an alarm sounded, slow at first but then strong and intermittent, urgent and impossible to ignore.
That alarm alone would make me panic! Yoma thought. The bunker’s strongest spotlights blazed to life on and aimed at the outskirts of the red glow. They struck far, and at the edges of the light, where it was most diffused and almost gone, the land seemed to be moving, as though the earth itself was taking many quick deep breaths.
“What the…” Avienne started. Zortan grabbed both Yoma and Avienne by their upper arms and twirled them around. The two barely stayed on their feet for his speed, mostly carried by his strong grip. The door of the bunker was opened and then shut behind them in a second, and Zortan locked it and tested the handle.
“Let’s go,” he said as he released their arms and stepped over the two guards.
Seconds later, the walls shook with gunshots and explosives.
They were in an old bunker, filled with villagers and peasants, and no army.
And they were under attack.
36
To the ships!”
The cry echoed off the walls, to be shouted again and again in low voices of disbelief and in high, panicked tones. Yoma led the way, followed closely by Avienne and Zortan. Some settlers desperately tried to grab their few remaining belongings. In the chaos of the packed bunker, parents screamed for their children, answered by faint yet piercing youthful cries.
Yoma crossed a wall, flapping the red sheet aside and sidestepping to avoid a small family that clung to one another. A wife, a husband and a little girl huddled together as though they had run far enough, and could go no further. Yoma clenched her jaw and walked past their dim faces, turning back when she heard Avienne’s shout.
“Blood and bones, die here if you will, but let the child go!” The redhead had already pushed the father down and was now trying to release the mother’s clutch. Zortan walked by Avienne and, without stopping, grabbed her upper arm and pulled her around hard, tugging her along.
“Let go of my arm, you filthy bark-eating Gratka sewer monger!” Satisfied they were following her, Yoma worked a path through the crowd. The crush of people grew thicker as they neared the staircase to the surface.
An elbow caught Yoma in the gut and she quickly kneed back, wincing for breath. The crowd jostled her, closing in on all sides and blocking the stairs. Tightly packed people fought each other with knees and elbows, their arguments only temporarily silenced when an incredibly loud explosion rolled through the bunker. Guards shouted desperately over the din, but their commands to remain calm and go one at a time were ignored.
“We’ll never bloody get through!” Yoma shouted as the others joined her.
“Bloody, useless, genetic variant of pond scum!” The redhead screamed, pulling her arm free from Zortan’s grip. She shot the tall man a venomous look. “There will be an exit for the royal family, I bet you, from within the castle itself. Let’s head there instead!”
Yoma smiled and shouted above the crowd. “Good thought!”
Avienne shrugged and grinned. “Insane, not stupid!”
The three took off sideways, no longer fighting the crowd. The guards were not even bothering with the entrance to the palace, which stood on a ledge overlooking the entire bunker. Just as they reached the cavern, screams rose beyond them. Yoma turned and saw oddly shaped tar-like creatures slithering into the bunker. A few settlers were immediately trapped, vanishing in the tar, their screams coming to a sickening, gurgling end.
The creatures were fast, and although Yoma couldn’t identify any limbs, she could imagine where they were. The settlers screamed and fanned out, the panic on the stairwell boiling as people began fighting one another to save themselves.
Yoma heard a faint scream over the rest and turned. The family Avienne had tried to break was surrounded by the creatures, the little girl clinging desperately to her mother. The woman looked up and caught Avienne’s eyes, hers shining blue with tears as she clung to her little girl.
Avienne turned around, her face set in stone. “Let’s go.” Yoma swallowed hard and followed, Zortan staying close.
The sound of the waterfall soon rushed around them, blocking some of the artillery noises and screams. Avienne was running up ahead, Yoma and Zortan not far behind. When Avienne reached the entrance to the valley, she stopped dead in her tracks, Yoma catching herself before crashing into her.
The valley rocked from the weapons, the whole mountain shaking.
Crack! Above them a huge stalagmite broke free and fell into the side of the palace, rocks crumbling as two balconies broke and crumbled. Dust fell freely from the ceiling, and so much condensation was being shaken free that it felt like rain.
Another stalagmite broke free and fell into the lake. A huge wave crashed into the crops, ripping them free of the tender earth.
Yoma swallowed hard, her hands and feet tingling with adrenaline, her heart pounding in her chest.
“Quickly!” Zortan pushed them both and they began scaling the steps down. They took two and three steps at a time, hoping the adrenaline and fear would keep them from losing their footing. They had just reached the valley floor when an odd gurgle sounded
behind them, and Yoma chanced a glance back. At the top of the stairs, the tar creatures were oozing out of the entryway, already sliding their way down.
“Faster!” Zortan screamed and the three broke into a wild run through the crops, sliding a few times on the wet earth. Avienne tumbled once and fell, but was back up in an instant, her entire right side covered in mud.
Ggggrrrrrggggggggg. Yoma could hear the odd sounds of the creatures behind them, and she pushed her body harder, her lungs screaming and burning.
Crack! Another stalagmite broke free and landed a few feet from them. The ground shook from the blow, a shudder that vibrated through Yoma’s body.
Avienne was the first to reach the stairwell. She climbed the circular stairs three at a time, hopping and leaping as the creatures gained ground and the roof crumbled. Yoma was not far behind, and Zortan hovered protectively behind her. She reached the top and dared but a quick glance at the grounds below, unable to see the greenery through the fallen rocks and smears of tar.
“Where?” Avienne screamed to Yoma. She pulled a small explosive charge from her belt and motioned the other two through.
“Back here,” Yoma screamed as she passed Avienne, who unhooked the charge and threw it on the balcony. They did not stick around to see the result. The whole palace shook from the explosion, statues and paintings flying off the walls and shattering at their feet.
Think, Yoma! Exits and entry points.
“Shouldn’t you know this, oh captain of the Royal Guards?” Avienne asked Zortan behind her.
“This was built after my time,” Zortan responded casually, his breath betraying none of the fatigue that laced Avienne’s voice.
Concentrate! Yoma let her feet guide her, fumbling through her memories. Her mind was becoming foggy, and Yoma hoped it was simply fatigue and not a vision.
She felt tugged in a direction and she followed her instincts. They had never been this insistent, but they had often proved right. Another stairway. She heard Avienne groan behind her.
Destiny's Blood (The First Star Book 1) Page 29
