‘Sloane?’ Kai prompted.
Her eyes regained focus, and she looked up at him. He was standing right in front of her, and sympathy filled his gaze.
‘Those idiot humans are going to get us all killed, aren’t they?’ she said.
‘It may not come to that.’
Sloane lifted one eyebrow at him. He was just trying to reassure her. But from the moment her father had heard about the Liftsal, and she had seen the glint in his eyes, she had known that violence was unavoidable.
She felt angry with her father, her brother and all the people in the human camp for putting everyone’s lives in danger so carelessly. She’d done everything she could think of to try and protect the humans, and this was how they repaid her?
‘I tried to help them,’ she murmured. ‘I tried to get them to leave, but I’ve only seemed to make things worse. I don’t want to fight my people, but it’s the only way we can stop them from all turning into monsters.’
Kai sighed quietly. ‘Not all choices in life are easy,’ he replied. ‘And sometimes it’s not a simple choice between good and evil. Sometimes our choices come down to what’s in our own heart and what we believe is right.’
Sloane gave him a sad smile. ‘Well I’m not sure if I believe any of this is right, but stopping them is for their own good.’
Kai nodded. ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘We better get to the rift and find out what’s going on.’
They took off at a jog and headed along the icy paths to the staircase that crept up the sharp cliff face to the plateau that overlooked the village.
Sloane’s heart pounded with more than just exertion as they quickly bounded up the steps. Each thump in her chest felt heavier than the last, and each pulse that rippled through her body seemed to carry a touch more apprehension than the one before it.
She was nervous, and there was no denying it. She’d rather face another lair filled with Brakys than fight against her people. At least she’d known who the enemy was when she had been fighting alongside Rhyn outside the castellum and in the creatures’ lair. But Kai was right; she had to go with what her heart was telling her. And she knew in her heart that the Liftsal needed protecting at all costs.
The gates to the castellum were shut as they passed it, and Sloane could just make out the Unfaih warriors patrolling the tops of the walls in the dark.
‘You’re sure the villagers are all in there?’ she asked Kai.
‘I feel certain,’ he replied.
She nodded, slightly comforted by the thought that even if the humans managed to get through the rift, they would have little chance of making it past the castellum walls. She imagined the fear the Unfaih villagers must have felt as they were forced to flee their homes and retreat into hiding. But the image of Orelle, Lorian, and even Vilya, safely protected by the towering walls of the castellum briefly calmed Sloane’s rapidly beating heart.
The small ledge the rift was located on was packed with Unfaih warriors when Sloane and Kai got there. There must have been fifty fighters crammed onto the narrow ridge. They eyed Sloane cautiously as she approached, but with Kai at her side, they didn’t say anything as she walked towards them.
The warriors edged themselves back against the mountain walls, allowing Kai and Sloane a clear path to the rift. She could see that it was still night on Aeris, but the world seemed darker than usual. It felt like the stars weren’t shining so brightly as if they were hiding from what was to come.
Sloane didn’t hesitate as she moved past the warriors and stepped through the rift. She shivered as she passed through to the other side and set foot on the green planet.
Her eyes grew wide as she surveyed the scene in front of her, and she almost didn’t recognise the open, leafy clearing. Several hundred Unfaih warriors stood in lines in front of her, facing out into the woods. Their metal armour, shields and swords shone with a familiar blue tint under the moonlight, and it was oddly quiet despite the many fighters who stood waiting. The once green grass was trampled into the dirt, and wooden stumps surrounded the clearing where trees had been felled.
Sloane stood on her tiptoes as she scanned the area, looking for Rhyn. It was dark, and there were so many fighters it was nearly impossible to pick one out of the crowd. However, her gaze quickly found Rhyn standing in front of his warriors at the far edge of the clearing. He was with Elyx and another older Unfaih man Sloane didn’t recognise, while a couple of warriors hovered nearby. The older man had similar dark brown hair to Rhyn’s, and his ice blue eyes held a similar look of experience and wisdom as the elders, although he was far more imposing.
‘There’s Rhyn,’ Sloane said, pointing in his direction as Kai stepped through the rift.
She’d never seen Kai in the World of the Woods before, and he looked slightly uncomfortable to be there. She couldn’t tell if he was on edge simply because he was on a foreign planet, or because he was surrounded by so many deadly fighters waiting for battle.
He nodded when he saw Rhyn and the two of them quickly began to make their way through the Unfaih ranks. The warriors were packed so tightly together it was difficult for Sloane to manoeuvre her way past them. As she ducked and weaved around each towering Unfaih fighter, she kept her eyes firmly locked on Rhyn through the crowd.
She was still a little way from Rhyn when he looked back and caught her eye. She came to a standstill as his gaze met hers, and her heart beat a little faster as they stared at each other. He looked deadly in his battle armour, and his strong arms bulged as they folded across his chest.
The moment he saw her, the frown that creased his forehead disappeared completely and the corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. Multitudes of warriors still separated them, but they all parted ways as Rhyn closed the distance between them with long strides.
He didn’t pause when he reached her but gathered her up in his arms before she had a chance to protest. His body was so warm as he wrapped his arms around her and she found herself sinking into his grasp, never wanting to leave. For a brief moment it felt like they were the only two people in the World of the Woods, but then the soft noises of the warriors surrounding them came rushing back, and Sloane’s senses returned to her.
She eased herself out of his arms and lifted her chin to look into his eyes. Their light blue colour seemed dull in the darkness, but Sloane could still make out her own fearful expression reflected in them.
Rhyn lifted a hand to her face and briefly touched her cheek before his hand dropped and he stepped away, allowing her distance enough to breathe. He hadn’t said a word to her, but she felt like he didn’t have to. She could tell how much he’d missed her, and she had no doubt that he felt an echoing feeling of completeness now that they were back together again.
‘What’s going on?’ Sloane asked. ‘Any news on my father’s plans?’
Rhyn nodded. ‘Jack sent word. They are preparing an imminent attack. The ship arrived yesterday, and they have doubled their forces. The civilians are having a celebration of some kind, so we don’t believe they will be involved in any battle. It must be a distraction.’
Sloane blew out a long breath at the news. She had expected the other ship, and she knew it would bring more soldiers, but she had been clinging to a small thread of hope that they would have more time.
‘Did you get the stone?’ Rhyn asked, looking over Sloane’s shoulder at Kai who had come up to stand behind her.
Kai reached down the front of his shirt and pulled out the chain that held the lifeless green stone he carried around his neck.
Rhyn’s eyes lit up as he saw the stone, but Kai was already shaking his head. ‘It’s only a fragment of the Oblivion Stone that closed the rift to Earth,’ he explained. ‘Joran said it’s useless without the other parts of the stone. One of them is with the Brakys, and the other is on Earth.’
Rhyn’s eyes darkened, and his lips tightened as he heard the news. ‘The Brakys have one…’ he shook his head, dismissing the thought as he refocused. ‘So there’s nothi
ng we can do to close the rift?’
‘No, I’m sorry,’ Kai replied. ‘Not without the other pieces.’
Rhyn rubbed his face with one hand and stared into the sky as if he believed it would provide some solution to their problem.
‘We may not be able to close the rift,’ Sloane said. ‘But we can fight to defend it.’
Rhyn’s gaze dropped to meet hers, and she hoped he could see the determination in her eyes. ‘Your warriors are fierce. They are a whole lot stronger and a whole lot faster than humans. They’ve trained for centuries to become the deadliest fighters I’ve ever seen. My father could send five times as many soldiers to fight you, but every single Unfaih here could take on five humans alone.’
‘Not with their guns,’ Rhyn rumbled.
Sloane waved his comment away. ‘You moved so fast in the camp a few nights ago you basically dodged their bullets. And the metal in your shields is more than strong enough to protect against gunfire. Trust me; we can make my father regret ever coming here.’
Sloane spoke confidently, but as she glanced around the clearing a sense of unease filled her. She paused as she focused on the warriors lined up behind her, quietly thinking before she turned back to Rhyn.
‘Is this all of your warriors?’ she asked.
‘A large proportion of them, yes.’
She frowned and looked back towards the Unfaih gathered in the clearing. ‘I know you want to protect the rift, but I don’t think this is the best way.’
Rhyn nodded, and his gaze darted to the older Unfaih man Sloane had noticed earlier. He was still standing next to Elyx, closer to the trees. ‘My father is insistent on defending the rift this way. I’ve tried to convince him otherwise, but he won’t be persuaded.’
‘That’s your father?’ Sloane asked, her throat closing up a little at the sight of him.
‘Yes.’
Both Elyx and Vas were looking back at them, and while Rhyn’s second in command wore his usual grave look of concern, Sloane could practically see the hatred Vas felt towards her in his stare. She wasn’t sure why he automatically despised her so much, but she was going to have to convince him to listen to her if she wanted to stop him getting his fighters slaughtered.
Vas started marching across the clearing towards them, and the two warriors who had been hovering close to him shadowed his every step. Elyx trailed a few paces behind.
‘Get that human out of here,’ Vas shouted, as they drew near.
The two warriors following him moved forwards but paused almost immediately as Rhyn stepped in front of Sloane, his hand resting on the sword at his side.
‘Touch her, and you die,’ Rhyn growled.
Tension rippled through the air, and the two warriors pulled their swords out but stalled as they glanced nervously between Rhyn and Vas. It was clear they didn’t want to take Rhyn on, but if Vas ordered them to, they wouldn’t have a choice.
Everyone in the clearing was already on edge, and Sloane knew the last thing they needed was to be fighting amongst themselves. Especially over her.
‘Yeah, you guys can just put those away,’ Sloane said, as she manoeuvred around Rhyn and started walking towards Vas. His two guards frowned as they looked at her, but they didn’t lower their weapons.
‘What are you doing?’ Rhyn whispered, keeping close to her as she approached his father.
She huffed out a breath, completely ignoring Rhyn’s question as she came to a stop in front of Vas. The Unfaih king’s body radiated with anger, and the two warriors at his side looked ready to pounce on her. But she wasn’t about to cower or bow down; not when he was about to get them all killed.
‘Hi, I’m Sloane,’ she said, as sweetly as she could. ‘We’ve probably gotten off on the wrong foot, but you are making a huge mistake here.’ She waved her hand behind her in the direction of the Unfaih force.
Vas’ eyes darted between the two warriors at his side. ‘I thought I told you to get rid of the human?’ he said.
The warriors stepped forwards, but Rhyn moved to Sloane’s side, drew his sword and pointed it at them, stopping the guards in their tracks. Sloane wasn’t focused on them though. ‘Hello, I’m right here,’ she replied. ‘And the human isn’t going anywhere. You’re about to get your warriors killed and hand the humans the Liftsal, but the human can help.’
‘Is that so?’ Vas asked, glaring down at her. ‘I have been alive for over a millennia, and you think you know more about battle strategy than me?’
‘I never said that,’ Sloane said. ‘But I do know more about the people who are coming to fight you. You may have been alive a long time, but you’ve been sitting safely in your castle defending it from thoughtless wild beasts. The way I see it, you’re about to get all these Unfaih killed. Firstly, I would never be stupid enough to fence my fighters in like you have. It gives the enemy one target to hit, and you don’t want that, especially with the weapons they have.’
A hint of uncertainty flickered in Vas’ eyes, but he looked too damn stubborn to agree with her.
‘You should listen to her, Father,’ Rhyn said. ‘I already told you the same thing, but you are speaking with the daughter of our enemy. It has been a long time since you last dealt with humans, and Sloane knows how they wage war now.’
Sloane nodded along with Rhyn, turning back to Vas. ‘Please listen. I know you want to protect the rift, but it’s a mistake to have all of your fighters packed into this clearing. You should divide your force, have more warriors waiting on the other side of the rift and others placed throughout the woods.’
Rhyn grunted in agreement, but Vas didn’t look convinced.
‘I will not follow a human’s orders,’ he snapped, looking at Rhyn. ‘She could be leading us into a trap.’
‘Why the hell would I do that?’ Sloane demanded, ignoring the fact that Vas wasn’t speaking to her. ‘Forget whose idea it is,’ she continued. ‘You guys are like animals in a pen waiting for the slaughter. You may have defended the castellum for a long time, but you’re not in a fortress here, and you’re not dealing with creatures that only attack with their claws. Do what I’ve said; break your men up into smaller units. Trust me.’
Vas’ uncertainty appeared to grow, and he looked between his two sons for support. ‘There are traps all through the woods,’ he finally said. ‘It would be dangerous to put fighters on the ground out there.’
‘Then put them in the trees,’ Rhyn replied.
A grin slowly began to form on Sloane’s lips. ‘That’s perfect,’ she said, her enthusiasm building by the second. ‘This is your land. Use it to your advantage and take the humans by surprise.’ But Vas still didn’t seem convinced.
‘Give us a moment,’ Rhyn said, turning to Sloane and Kai.
Sloane didn’t want to leave them alone, but she trusted Rhyn to change his father’s mind. At least Vas hadn’t sent his guards after her again.
She took a few steps to the side with Kai until they were just out of earshot, but Sloane continued watching as Rhyn talked with his father in passionate whispers. Elyx stepped forwards, and Sloane could see Rhyn’s second in command adding his opinion for the first time. She didn’t know what any of them were saying, but Vas kept shooting her dirty looks as Rhyn persisted.
The more Rhyn talked though, the more he seemed to keep his father’s attention. Slowly the dirty looks stopped coming Sloane’s way, and the Unfaih leader appeared to listen more closely as Rhyn pointed towards the trees.
‘I think he’s actually considering it,’ Sloane said to Kai.
Kai nodded, but he wasn’t focused on his father as Sloane was. Instead, he was staring at the tree line as if he were waiting for any sign of the fight to come. Sloane followed his gaze into the trees.
The woods were steadily becoming lighter now, and she could feel a new day arriving. She suspected her father would wait until daylight to send his troops to the rift, but dawn was coming on fast and she knew it wouldn’t be long until the day she had been dreading began.
‘Will your father fight?’ Sloane asked, turning to Kai as she tried to take her mind off the worries that haunted her thoughts.
Kai shook his head. ‘He will stay close. Once upon a time, he might have insisted on fighting with his warriors. But he’s older now and knows the risk is too great. He is much better placed on the other side of the rift where he can give orders and retreat to the castellum to protect it should our efforts here fail.’
‘What about you?’ Sloane asked.
‘What about me?’ Kai replied, tilting his head as he looked at her.
‘Will you fight?’
He looked back at the warriors surrounding them as he considered her question. ‘Yes, I will fight.’
He was such a gentle and peaceful person; Sloane couldn’t imagine him engaging in battle. ‘Are you sure that’s a good idea?’
‘I taught Rhyn everything he knows…’ he said, staring down at her.
Sloane’s eyes widened. ‘You’re better than Rhyn?’ she almost whispered.
Kai laughed aloud. ‘No, not even close. He surpassed me when he was about ten. But I do know how to wield a sword, and I will defend the rift with our army.’
‘No, you won’t,’ Rhyn’s voice came from behind Sloane.
She turned and found him staring intently at Kai. ‘I want you back in the castellum with the Oblivion Stone. I know you think it’s useless, but it once had power, and I will not risk it falling into the wrong hands out here. We’re going to need you to figure out how we can use the stone should we lose control of the rift.’
Kai slowly nodded, though the disappointment was clear in his expression. Sloane caught sight of movement from the corner of her eye, and she turned from Kai to see Elyx beginning to redirect his warriors to different posts. A lot of the Unfaih were disappearing into the trees, and more were following Vas back through the rift to Ellysia.
Rhyn’s talk with his father had worked, and he was listening to Sloane’s advice. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest as she watched the Unfaih warriors reorganising. The moment she had seen them lined up in the clearing she had known they were in trouble, but she still couldn’t believe that she’d managed to convince both Rhyn and his father.
The Oblivion Stone (The Liftsal Guardians Book 3) Page 21
