The Channel (The Gifted Book 2)

by C. L. McCourt

  Jauline nodded. "Of course. Take what you need. I want to be kept up to date on your progress."

  "Yes, ma'am ... I mean, Your Majesty."

  "Ma'am is fine." The queen stepped closer to Rhea and took her in, once again, reading her. "I didn't want to mention this last night, but your colors are magnificent. I would like to see your gift someday, but for now, I must let you go." She stepped back from Rhea. "Safe journey."

  Rhea nodded. "Thank you."

  The queen turned and exited the room, almost bumping into Randell who was about to knock. "You ready?"

  "Yep. Let's go."

  They arrived at Port Iris five hours from the time they left the palace. They rode hard, getting fresh horses from a guard station halfway between the palace and the port.

  Before Rhea left Sedare behind, she thanked him for his strength and speed. She stroked his jaw. "I will come for you at the palace. I promise." She turned to the captain of the guard. "His name is Sedare, and he is precious to me. Please make sure he is returned to the palace safely."

  The station captain looked to Commander Nauylor to confirm.

  "Sedare is a royal horse," Naylor explained.

  The captain snapped to attention and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

  They continued their ride to the port after that and were under sail within an hour of arriving.

  ~~~

  They set sail ten days after setting foot in Luxatra and had been on the water for almost two days. The first day on board had been spent learning the ropes, literally.

  Rhea worked with the crew and learned about halyards, downhauls, sheets, and more. The captain and commander objected, at first, to her close contact with the crew. They both suggested that she would not be seen as their leader, but Rhea disagreed.

  "My studies have taught me that a leader needs to earn respect, not simply expect it after being granted a position of authority based on nepotism. I'm showing my willingness to learn and show my respect for their skills, and in return, I hope they will show me the same courtesy. If they don't, I will help them understand that I have skills of my own." She studied their faces, waiting to see if they understood.

  The commander kept a straight face. "We'll see if your strategy works."

  The captain wasn’t sure what to think of her comment. What skills?

  Rhea couldn't help feeling a little out of her element. What did she really know? The captain and the commander could be right. She didn't know the culture of this world, or the military for that matter. And to assume strategies she learned in the world of shadows would fit here was definitely a gamble.

  ~~~

  The second day was met with bad weather. A storm hit early in the morning, almost tossing Rhea from her hammock. Being below deck as a ship rises up the waves and crashes down the other side is not something she'd wish on anyone. Air, she needed air.

  When Rhea reached the deck, she was met with driving rain, high winds, lightning, thunder, and water smashing over one side of the ship and washing off the other side. She grabbed the rail on the cabin wall and held on. Any other time, she wouldn't want to be out in this kind of weather, but to be below deck was worse.

  The crew and some of the warriors were busy reefing the sails. In spite of the ship's movements, the crew moved gracefully, as if it were just another day at sea.

  Just when it looked like all was under control, a large wave swept over mid-ship, knocking a crewman off his feet and over the other side. Rhea reacted without thinking, reaching for him, wrapping her energy around him. She pulled him back onto the ship. Her act did not go unnoticed.

  Two of the crew had witnessed their mate being returned to the ship by Rhea simply waving her hand. The captain came forward to see what had happened and saw the crew staring at her.

  She continued to hold the rail as the ship crashed down another wave. "A story for another time, Captain," she shouted over the noise of the storm.

  He nodded and turned to bark orders at the crew who had become distracted by the recent event.

  Rhea stayed on deck and watched the storm pass. It took about an hour before the worst of it was over and the rain had stopped, affording her the opportunity to change into dry clothes and join the captain at the helm.

  "Do you want to tell me what happened earlier?" he asked.

  "I'm gifted. I used my gift to pull your man back onto the ship. That's all."

  The captain's face showed disbelief, but what choice did he have but to believer? But still, he had to ask, "That's all?" He shook his head and swallowed the other questions he had for her.

  Rhea ignored the look the captain was giving her while she watched the crew clean the deck and trim the sails for their new heading, bringing them back on course.

  The captain gave Rhea a slight nudge. "Your fellow crewmate wishes an audience with you."

  He was teasing her a little, but she didn't take him too seriously. Instead, she gave him a wink and a nod, "Aye, Captain," and turned to the man waiting for her.

  He stood with his head bowed, his cap in hand. "I want to thank you, Miss. The boys told me it was you who pulled me from my death."

  "You're welcome."

  He raised his head and hesitated. He had other questions but didn't know if he should ask.

  Rhea didn't give him the chance. "We are all in this together. You have your skills, and I have mine. Let's just leave it at that."

  "Yes, Miss. Thank you, Miss." He returned to his duties.

  Rhea heard the captain's voice as she watched the crewman return to his mates. "You handled that well. They'll know soon enough you're a person of station but will respect you for not holding it over them. I see merit in your strategies."

  The corners of Rhea's mouth twitched slightly. "Thank you, Captain. That means a lot coming from one with your experience."

  ~~~

  The storm had delayed their progress, causing them to reach the chain of islands three days after setting sail. They stayed far out to sea to give the appearance they were just sailing by, in the event someone on the island was watching.

  The captain gave Rhea, Daen, and the commander each a telescope so they could look for the stone building. Rhea didn't need it but wasn't going to bring it to the captain's attention.

  Through the telescope, they could see five islands, each shaped similarly with a jagged wall of stone on the far side and flat lands facing in towards the center, forming a crescent.

  "Captain, you call these hot islands, right?" Rhea asked.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  Although the air was warmer here than on the continent, she could see she shouldn't have dismissed her thoughts of lava so quickly. She scanned the islands once more before allowing herself to believe what she was seeing.

  The islands formed the top of a volcano, or at least what was left of the top. Luckily, no lava flowed into the sea, but it had at one time. "How do you say volcano in Aduraun?" she whispered to Daen.

  He told her and she asked the captain to confirm her suspicions.

  He nodded. "A very old volcano. She's been quiet for a long time, but the waters are still warm."

  They continued to scan the islands for any sign of the stone building. It took a few minutes before Daen pointed. "It's on the third island from the left."

  Rhea's heart skipped a beat. "I see it."

  The captain stepped behind her. "Light is starting to fade. I would like to bring the ship behind the cliffs. Assuming there isn't a watch on top of the cliffs, we should be able to remain unnoticed."

  Rhea agreed. "That sounds like a good idea."

  Scauldry gave Waully the helm, and the others convened below in the captain's quarters. Once they were behind closed doors, the captain consulted the charts, marking their location and planning how they would approach the third island.

  "It'll be dark soon," said Scauldry. "We'll be close enough for you to row to the island."

  Rhea looked to Lanne. "Are yo
u up for this?"

  Lanne disappeared, and Scauldry jumped.

  "A little warning would be nice next time. I'm not as young as I used to be." Scauldry patted his chest as if to calm his heart.

  Rhea couldn't help but laugh. "Well, that answers that."

  Lanne appeared, grinning from ear to ear. "Sorry, Captain."

  "When should we expect you to return?" Gaibel was anxious and concerned. She wasn't comfortable allowing Rhea and Lanne to recon the island alone, but that wasn't everything on her mind. Her husband, the man she hadn't seen since their wedding night, was on that island. She wanted to be there.

  Rhea and Lanne looked at each other and shrugged.

  "We'll be going in under the cover of darkness," said Rhea, "so I assume the prisoners will be locked up. We might have to wait until someone comes out before we can get in. It could be a light before we return."

  The commander shifted his stance, looking uncomfortable with the plan.

  Gaibel pushed her motherly concerns aside and became a commander once again. "You will need provisions and weapons. I will prepare them." She turned to the captain. "May I speak to your cook?"

  "Certainly."

  Gaibel nodded and left the room. She seemed overly formal, but Rhea suspected it was her way of dealing with her fear.

  41

  Recon

  It took about thirty minutes to row between the islands to a small section of shore where Rhea and Lanne would hide the skiff and start their recon. On the way to the island, they used the veil to hide themselves as well as the skiff. As they rowed, they realized that not only could no one else see them, but they couldn't see each other.

  "How are we going to stay together if we can't see each other?" Lanne asked.

  "I don't know." Rhea looked over her shoulder as she rowed, trying to gauge how much further they needed to go. She could hear the waves crashing against the rocks at the base of the cliff so she knew they weren't far.

  The cover of darkness had its pros and cons. If their veil failed, they were less likely to be seen in the dark, but it made it hard to see where they were going.

  They passed between the second and third islands, working their way inside what was once the top of a large volcano, now half buried beneath the water. The water lapped gently against the sandy beach of the third island.

  Rhea spied some shrubs growing a few yards from the shoreline, the perfect place to hide the skiff. They slipped from the small boat, pulling it onto shore and hiding it amongst the thick, leafy plants.

  "Where are you?" Lanne whispered.

  "Kneeling at the bow of the boat."

  Lanne joined Rhea, almost knocking her over when she reached the bow. "I've been thinking about this invisibility issue."

  "Yeah? Got an idea?" Rhea whispered.

  "We hold hands as much as possible, and you extend your veil wide enough to hide us both so we can still see each other. I'm not practiced enough to control my veil extension yet."

  "All right." Rhea extended her veil, wrapping it around Lanne, or at least where she assumed Lanne stood. "Drop your veil."

  Lanne materialized in front of Rhea.

  "Let's go." She held out her hand and Lanne took it, following close as they headed inland.

  From a distance, the section of the island facing in towards the center of the crescent looked relatively flat. The trees and bushes hid its true grade. They had to climb up some steep, but fortunately low, hills before reaching the plateau upon which the building was located. Several times, they had to break the grip they had on each other, forcing them to pause and regroup before venturing further.

  The edge of the wooded area, in which they traversed, opened onto a large grassy yard that stretched about a quarter mile wide and about one hundred yards deep. The large yard was lit by torches placed throughout, providing just enough light for them to see the building and a patrol.

  Rhea and Lanne watched as the guards casually walked the perimeter, obviously not expecting any trouble. So far, they'd seen two guards, which didn't seem like enough. There had to be a reason for such light protection, unless the man with the long, dark hair was truly that arrogant.

  When the two guards reached the end of the yard, leaving a large opening between them, Rhea and Lanne quietly slipped from the tree line and crossed to the building, where they started to look for an open entrance. Each one they came upon was locked, so they worked their way around to the back where they saw two more guards. They tried the single door on the back of the building and found it locked as well.

  Hoping the light of day would provide an excuse to unlock the doors, they found a spot off the path used by the guards and waited, taking turns sleeping and hiding each other.

  At full light, they heard a door squeak on its hinge. Lanne and Rhea looked at each other. Lanne nodded and motioned that the sound came from the back of the building.

  They stood, holding hands, and worked their way around the other side. When they rounded the second corner, they were greeted by a small farm. It had been too dark when they arrived to see the planting beds and barn that were now in clear view.

  The prisoners were being released to work the garden and tend the animals. It appeared as if the prisoners were just a group of people who had created a self-sustained community on the island, but Rhea knew better, and the armed guards were her confirmation.

  Lanne and Rhea took in the setting, watching the prisoners move to their assigned tasks. Most of the prisoners wore floppy hats, preventing Lanne and Rhea from seeing their faces. Raisal and Kalaub could have been among them, but they couldn't tell.

  Rhea squeezed Lanne's hand gently, getting her attention and signaling for Lanne to follow her through the door where the prisoners passed.

  The door opened to a large kitchen where other prisoners were working, preparing food for the island's inhabitants. Rhea scanned their faces but didn't see Kalaub or Raisal, so she assumed they were outside or someplace else in the building.

  The kitchen prisoners moved quickly about the space, frequently crossing from one side to the other, creating a set of unpredictable obstacles. Lanne and Rhea had to time their kitchen crossing just right to avoid being in someone's way and causing a collision.

  On the other side of the kitchen was an opening to the dining room and beyond that, a large sitting area. To the right was a long hall that ran the length of the building, with several doors, including one open door at the far end.

  Once they had cleared the kitchen, Rhea and Lanne headed down the hall and towards the open door, careful not to make any noise. Rhea peeked beyond the doorway and saw it was unoccupied, so she proceeded inside, with Lanne right behind her.

  It was a library or perhaps an office. The walls were covered in bookshelves, and a large table and chair sat in the middle of the room. The shelves held books, journals, and various types of equipment.

  Still holding Lanne's hand, Rhea turned towards the door, wanting to explore the opening they'd seen just before entering the room. As she turned, she glimpsed something familiar. She squeezed Lanne's hand and pointed to a book on the shelf in front of them.

  At first, Lanne didn't notice, but the reason behind Rhea's reaction became clear. There, on the shelf was a book with an English title, 'The Study of Genetics.'

  Lanne and Rhea looked at each other in silent wonder.

  Who was this man? Rhea shook off the creepy feelings and pulled Lanne towards the hall and the opening just outside the library door.

  It was a stairwell with steps leading up and down. Lanne signaled for Rhea to go down.

  The stairs ended in a room with two large tables and benches. Burning torches hung on the walls, providing light in the windowless space, the space Rhea had seen when the Libraim sent her on her first spirit walk.

  On the far side of the room were two halls leading to what appeared to be cells, the prisoner sleeping quarters. The doors were open, and the cells were empty.
At the end of one hall was another open door.

  Inside the tiny space was a single chair with ropes attached to its arms and legs. Rhea knew this space. She hadn't actually seen it in her vision, but she knew this was the place the prisoners didn't want to go.

  So far, they had seen two guards in the kitchen and two in the gardens. The prisoner quarters were void of any guards.

  Lanne and Rhea retreated from the dark and dismal space below the building, heading for the second floor. When they reached the landing of the second floor, they found themselves facing down a hall that ran the full length of the building.

  On the left were windows that overlooked the gardens in back. On the right were a series of doors. All but four doors were open, and each open room contained traditional bedroom furnishings.

  So far, there was no sign of the room Rhea had seen in the veil opening, the room with the runes, nor was there any sign of the man with the long, dark hair.

  After a quick exploration of the second floor, they returned to the kitchen and stepped back outside. Lanne led Rhea away from the door to stand against the wall so they were out of the way but able to watch for their target to appear.

  Moments later, one of the kitchen workers stepped out and waved to a guard. Instead of walking in her direction, he turned away and headed down a path on the far side of the barn, which was between the wooded area and the gardens. About ten minutes later, the man with the long, dark hair came up the path, followed by another man, probably the one he'd been talking to when Rhea saw him in the veil opening.

  Rhea squeezed Lanne's hand and nodded in his direction. To avoid any accidental collisions, they moved further down the wall, never letting go of each other's hand. The two men walked past Rhea and Lanne into the kitchen and shut the door.

  Rhea pointed to the path and Lanne nodded. It didn't take long to find out where the man had come from.

  At the end of the path was an unguarded, unlocked, wooden door in a slab of stone that looked like part of the tall rocky wall they saw from the ship. Rhea guessed they had maybe ten minutes before the man with the dark hair finished eating and returned.