The Channel (The Gifted Book 2)

by C. L. McCourt

  She gasped. Her heart was racing as she lay on the cot trying to calm her nerves. What had just happened?

  "Rhea? You all right?" Taulin asked through the tent flap.

  "Yeah." Rhea slowly sat up. Her head was light, and the images in her mind were starting to fade. She dug through her sack for her journal and pen, and she started to draw.

  Daen stuck his head inside the tent. "Rhea?"

  "Oh! Yes. Sorry. Come in. I'll be just a minute."

  Rhea continued to sketch the stone building from her vision. It was similar to a hacienda, with its indoor/outdoor walkways, arched openings, iron fixtures, and red tile roof. Two stories tall with a small bell tower at the top, it once could have been the home of a wealthy family, but the unkempt vines that had crawled up the walls indicated it was no longer a well-loved and cared-for home.

  Taulin, Randell, and the commander joined her in the tent as well.

  Rhea was not an artist, but she'd gotten a lot of practice over the last six months drawing scenes from her dreams, so drawing a building wasn't too difficult.

  She could feel the others watching over her shoulder.

  "What is it?" Taulin asked.

  "The Libraim showed me a stone building when I asked if it knew the location of the dark-haired man. It looks a little like this." She showed them what she'd drawn so far. "I wanted to get it on paper before I forgot."

  Randell watched as she continued filling in the details of what she could remember. "It looks like something you would find in southwest."

  Rhea nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."

  When she was done, Rhea showed the others, including the commander. "Does this look familiar?"

  None of them recognized the building in her sketch. Of course, that didn't mean they didn't know it, her sketch wasn't a work of art.

  "Did you learn anything else?" Randell continued to study the drawing.

  "Yes." She watched Randell. "Raisal is in that building."

  Randell almost dropped the journal.

  "Along with several other people," she quickly added.

  "Seriously?" Randell's jaw dropped. "Are you sure?"

  Taulin looked back and forth between Randell, Daen, and Rhea. "Who's Raisal?"

  "My great-grandmother." Randell didn't take his eyes off Rhea.

  "It looked like her, older, but her." Her answer came automatically, as her mind was stuck on the man with the green eyes, how he looked at her, and ... no, it couldn't be.

  Daen placed his hand on her shoulder. "Rhea, what is it? What haven't you told us?"

  She rubbed her hands over her arms as a chill ran down her spine. The look in the man's eyes, there was something about that look. She glanced at Daen who patiently waited for her to respond.

  "The image of the prisoners was different. It was as if I was there, and ..." She breathed deeply. "One of the men looked at me. He saw me, and I could swear he said 'help'."

  Rhea waited for one of them to question her, doubt her, but they just stared at her. "There's one more thing. He looked ... I don't know, there was something about his eyes, something familiar." She shook her head and stood up from the cot, starting to dismiss what had to be her imagination. "It was hard to tell, he was so unkempt. I doubt I saw anything important."

  Daen stepped in front of her as she tried to leave the tent. "Rhea. What do you think you saw?" His voice was firm, but caring.

  She chewed her lower lip, still not sure if she should say anything, but decided to get it all out. "I think he was one of the men the Libraim showed me before, in the coffee shop."

  Daen and Randell knew what that could mean.

  Randell started to think aloud. "Of the faces you were shown, three so far have been related to you. Lanne, Gaibel, and Raisal."

  Rhea nodded. "True, but remember, one the images was that of the man with the long, dark hair. So, I can't know for sure who the green-eyed man is."

  She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she had to know. She looked to Daen and the commander, the only ones old enough to remember. "Have either of you ever met Kalaub Baurden or seen a picture of him?"

  "He kept to himself a lot," said Naylor, "but I met him once."

  "We grew up together." Daen's voice was quiet.

  Rhea's jaw dropped as Daen's comment sunk in. She felt a moment of excitement and then hurt. "You knew my father? Why didn't you say anything before?"

  Daen knew he should have said something earlier. "It was a long time ago, we were just kids. I had planned to tell you about him, but it never seemed the right time."

  Rhea pushed down the hurt feelings and focused on the present. "How well did you know him?"

  Daen grinned and chuckled to himself. "Let's just say we had our fair share of adventures before I left to train to be a guardian. After which, I think I saw him once."

  Rhea looked at Daen and then at the commander. "Can you describe him to me?"

  "It was a long time ago," said the commander. "I remember he has light brown hair, light eyes. I remember the eyes because most Baurdens have dark eyes."

  "Do I remind you of him, at all?" Rhea glanced at both of them. "Gaibel said I have his nose and his coloring." She felt like a child asking these questions, but she had to know.

  The commander studied her face for a moment. "It's hard to say, it was so long ago."

  "You remind me more of your mother," said Daen, "but I suppose if you stood next to Kalaub, I could find the resemblance."

  Rhea tried to ward off the feelings of disappointment that threatened to bring her down. She told herself that not all was lost. "That's all right. I understand. Thanks for trying."

  The commander opened the tent flap and started to step out. "I'm going to check on my men and their progress. Please excuse me."

  Randell slipped his arm around Rhea and gave her a brotherly hug. "We'll find them. Don't worry."

  30

  Cauhill

  Soon after Rhea's vision, the Sentran camp had been broken down and packed, ready for the trip back to Cauhill. Two of the warriors rode out before the others to scout the road ahead. A few minutes later, the remainder of the small force headed out: two warriors took the lead, followed by the commander, the foursome, Bandon, and the remaining guards.

  As Rhea rode next to the commander, her thoughts drifted to the queen and whether she would be forced to see her. "How long is the ride to the palace?"

  "From Cauhill, riding hard, you can make it in two days, but I don't recommend it. It's not good for the horses. If you want to go to the palace, allow three to four days. Why? Are you heading there next?" He asked the question, but he felt he already knew the answer. The queen was likely preparing a message, ordering him to escort Rhea to her.

  "I don't know. We need to hear back from the messages we sent before deciding our next step. You wouldn't happen to know of anyone in Cauhill who might recognize the building I drew, someone we can trust?"

  "There's an old trader that lives not too far south of Cauhill. He doesn't trade much anymore, but he's been just about everywhere, or at least that's what he says. He might know."

  Rhea felt a twinge of excitement. "Do you know him? Can he be trusted?"

  The commander laughed. "Oh, I know him. He's my father-in-law. And yes, I trust him."

  Rhea could barely contain her enthusiasm. If they could find the building, they could not only capture the man causing the realms their recent troubles but they might also find Raisal and … the man with the light green eyes. "When can I meet him?"

  "I'll take you to him tomorrow. Meanwhile, come to dinner tonight, you and your companions."

  Rhea's first thought was something her mother had taught her. Don't surprise the person responsible for dinner, by bringing extra guests, unless you're buying. "Are you sure you want to surprise your wife with five guests?"

  "She'll be fine. We have plenty."

  Rhea wasn't confident that he wouldn't
be in the dog house for last-minute visitors, but who was she to judge? "Then I accept. Thank you."

  The commander extended the invitation personally to Daen, Randell, Taulin, and Bandon. Each accepted.

  They rode in silence for a while. Rhea took advantage of the time and scanned the area around them, searching for anyone who might be waiting to ambush them. The area was clear.

  Her thoughts returned to the queen. Was she a fair queen? Would she believe Rhea or throw her in the cells for impersonating a royal? She looked at the commander. "How do you think the queen is going to react to the news that I exist?"

  He didn't know what to say and wasn't comfortable with where the conversation was headed. If he wasn't sure he believed her, why would the queen? All he knew was she had the mark and was very powerful.

  "I honestly can't say. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to check in with my men." He nudged his horse into a canter and joined the warriors riding lead.

  Rhea cringed as she drifted back to ride next to Taulin. She could tell she'd brought up a subject Naylor didn't want to discuss.

  Taulin looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I couldn't help but overhear your question."

  "I don't think he believes me."

  "That might be true, but I can tell you this. The queen sent a message to my father when Kalaub went missing. I was too little at the time to know what was happening, but the order still stands. We are to keep watch for any sign of him. Maybe she'll welcome his child, assuming she believes you're his."

  "She's going to want proof," Daen added. "The mark will help, but she might want to speak to Gaibel."

  "Do I tell her what I am?" Rhea whispered.

  Taulin glanced at Rhea but turned away before providing his opinion. "If asked, don't lie."

  "If she finds out that King Argeon and a Laundan prince know and you don't tell her," said Daen, "she's likely to take it as an insult given you're part of her court."

  "Do you think she'll make me stay at the palace, do her bidding as it were?"

  Randell laughed to himself. "I'd like to see her try."

  Rhea scrunched her brows. "Yeah, well, I won't be anyone's yes man ... woman."

  Daen nodded. "Just like your father."

  Rhea thought back to her conversation with Gaibel. "Gaibel told me he kept a low profile, and that he didn't like being known as a royal."

  Daen chuckled. "He wasn't your typical prince."

  "Typical prince?" Taulin's brows furrowed. "How would you define typical prince?"

  "This is going to be good," Rhea thought to herself.

  Daen glanced at Taulin for a second before his lips curled into a grin. "If you could see your face right now," he started to laugh.

  Taulin tried to give Daen the evil eye but couldn't keep a straight face.

  "Taulin, you know the kind," said Daen. "The ones who follow the rules of their station, keep up appearances, and don't give others a hard time for trying to ensure their safety. I'm sure you know at least one or two who don't fit that mold."

  Taulin rolled his eyes. "Point taken." He looked over his shoulder at his bodyguard who was riding a few yards back. "I consider Bandon a friend. We trained together when we first enlisted as Laundan warriors. But since Kaurl gave him an order, and Kaurl outranks me in the family line, he's back there alone." He paused and then added, "Sometimes being a royal is a lonely duty."

  Randell listened to Daen and Taulin talk about family and couldn't help but miss his own. He wondered what his mother and father were doing at this moment. His internal clock was so far off, he didn't know if it was day or night in the world of shadows.

  Rhea noticed Randell's far off look. "What do you think of our adventure so far?"

  Randell grinned. "I wouldn't trade it for anything." He wasn't kidding. No matter how much he missed his folks, he would not have wanted to miss this experience.

  The trail they followed kept them on a slight downhill most of the way. After about three hours of slow riding, they could see Cauhill through openings in the trees.

  For the remainder of the ride, the commander answered Rhea's questions about the town and where he lived. She noted that Cauhill was significantly larger than Taulomi's Eantan and Baurns.

  They entered the town from the east. The first stop was the guard station where they waited outside for the commander to see if any messages had been delivered. He assigned Haurld to stay with the foursome while the other warriors returned to their quarters.

  The commander was gone only a few minutes. "No messages have been delivered here, but you'll want to check the message center. In the meantime, let's get you into an inn and your horses to a stable." He swung himself into the saddle. "Follow me."

  He led them to an inn, not far from the station. From the outside, it was similar to the one in Eantan. Daen and the commander inquired about rooms, while Rhea, Taulin, Bandon, and Randell walked their horses to the inn stables, agreeing to meet out front when they were finished.

  Daen stepped onto the walk in front of the inn. "I reserved three rooms. I hope that's sufficient."

  "The message center is around that corner, and if you need anything, there is a general store back that way, a few stores down," the commander added. "I'll come back in a few hours to pick you up." He mounted up. "You won't need your horses this evening." He bowed his head slightly and rode in the direction of his home.

  Rhea looked towards the general store. "The first thing I want to do is some shopping. Do we have enough money left for me to get a fresh shirt and still pay for the rooms?"

  Daen touched the pouch tucked into his waistband. "We have enough. I'd like to stop at the message center first, and let them know where we are in case a message comes in." He stepped off the walkway and headed in that direction with Rhea, Randell, Taulin, and Bandon in tow.

  Their next stop was the general store where Randell, Daen, and Rhea each got a clean shirt.

  31

  Nauylors

  When they got back to the inn, Rhea checked her watch and saw she had just enough time left to soak in the tub and scrub the trail from her body. She had just finished getting dressed when there was a knock at the door.

  "Rhea, you ready?" Taulin asked through the door.

  Rhea stepped out of her room, locked her door, and noticed Taulin looking at the sword hanging from her hip. "What? You have yours."

  He shook his head. "It's customary for me to wear it." The minute his words came out of his mouth, he knew he shouldn't have said anything. With the exception of his sister, he wasn't used to women wearing swords. He understood the need when they were traveling but dinner at the commander's didn't seem to warrant the need.

  Rhea stepped past him. "I need to be able to protect myself."

  Taulin started to apologize but stopped when Daen and Randell stepped out of their room.

  "Shall we?" Randell motioned to the stairs.

  The commander entered the lobby at the same time the foursome stepped from the lobby stairs. "Ah, perfect timing." He turned and held the door for them.

  As they stepped outside, they were greeted by a large open-top carriage and Bandon on his horse.

  Taulin sighed and leaned close to Rhea. "Bandon says riding will gave him an advantage if anyone tries to attack."

  Rhea suppressed a laugh and followed Randell into the carriage. Taulin slipped in next while Daen joined the commander in the front seat.

  "Now that we're away from my men," the commander announced, "I would appreciate it if you would call me Huntr. Commander is best when I'm on duty."

  "Huntr, it is," said Rhea. "By the way, may I ask, who did you tell your wife was coming to dinner?"

  "Well, I seldom bring people home for a meal, so when I said we would be having company, she knew you must be important." He didn't continue.

  "Well? Who did you say?" Rhea was fairly certain she knew what his silence implied but wanted to be sure.

 
"Since I don't know your official title, I told her a member of the court and her companions. I thought that would be sufficient for her to understand." He glanced over his shoulder to Randell and Taulin. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to be known."

  "If I can get Bandon to loosen up, I would prefer that he and I just be part of the group. If he doesn't, we might want to explain."

  "It's not unheard of for a guardian to travel with a member of the court," said Daen. "You don't need to hide my identity."

  Randell glanced around and grinned. "I don't have a title, so I'm easy."

  They passed the Lamp Light Tavern half way to the residential area of town. Each head turned to look, remembering that this was the place where the dark-haired man had been seen.

  Rhea glanced at her watch and her heart skipped a beat. It was 9:00 p.m. in the other world. Shadows.

  "I put several warriors in the tavern tonight and told them to watch for a man with long dark hair," said Huntr, glancing back at Rhea. "If anyone matching that description shows, one of them is to come get us."

  "Will they be in uniform?" Daen asked.

  "No. They're to blend in."

  Hearing that helped, but Rhea was still on edge. If the man was going to enter the tavern, it could be any time over the next six or seven hours, assuming the moon was bright enough in the world of shadows. How long was the tavern open? She couldn't help scanning the area for openings in the veil as they rode along, wondering if there was another location for him to come through. She saw a few small openings, nothing large enough or positioned such that someone could pass through.

  The ride took about … ten minutes, it was further than Rhea had realized. His home was similar in style to Randell's parents' home. It was painted white with dark blue shutters, and the shape of the house was square versus the rectangular style of homes she was used to. It had two stories and had a wrap-around porch with a swing.

  They followed Huntr to the front door while Taulin had a few words with Bandon. Rhea turned to see how Taulin was doing and saw the two men nose-to-nose, glaring at each other. She thought to herself that they must friends, who else would defy a prince? The stand-off didn't last long before Bandon's shoulders slumped in defeat and Taulin grinned.