by J. A. Comley
“Now,” High Lord Jari said, his voice commanding, sounding so much like Larkel's own. “You gently send your magic into their body. Let it guide you to the wounds.” He nodded as a young Larkel lay his hand on Naleiya's arm and followed his father's instructions. “Good. Do you feel the abnormalities? Those are the glass splinters. Use your magic to slowly close around them and draw them out. Try to heal the damage behind them as they move.”
Starla watched, concentrating on the flow of his magic as it pulled out the glass.
“Now encourage her body to seal the remaining wounds,” his father said.
Larkel obeyed. Starla felt the memory fade as Larkel had beamed up triumphantly at his big sister and their father.
“Do you think you can mimic that?” Larkel breathed, pain in every syllable. “You can watch it again, but I am afraid it is the only help I can give.”
“I think I can do it,” Starla said, kneeling before him, her voice filled with determination.
Larkel smiled as the strength he had first seen in her surfaced in her emerald eyes. “I love you.”
Starla's eyes shot back up to his. “I love you, too.” She briefly remembered the strange look in his eyes before the ground had heaved, but pushed it aside. He was dying. She had to help. “Now, hold still.” She looked back down at the wound and entered his body again, letting it guide her to the place of distress within it.
Using her magic as best as she could, she spread it around the injury, searching. There. An abnormality. Something that didn't belong. Stilling her fear, she sent her magic around the tip from Kyron's speared staff. Remembering the lesson as well as if his father had been teaching her, she eased it out of him. It clattered to the cage floor. Instantly, she felt his powers spill out to heal the wound, to boost the production of new blood.
She was about to withdraw when she sensed something else. Another thing that didn't belong. Unlike the shard of metal, this seemed to be everywhere at once.
The shield Kyron put around my powers, Larkel explained, sensing her presence probing. My powers will still protect me, I can self heal, and speak mentally if you open the connection, but I cannot exert my strength, my magic, on to anything beyond myself. It is matched to my powers. If I had my staff, it would augment my natural pool enough to break free. But without it—
Starla's presence seemed to twitch with annoyance. Stilling her mind, she tried to focus her energy. Willing it to break through the obstruction.
“Starla? Starla!” Larkel's face was hovering above her, eyes filled with anxiety. “Are you all right?”
Starla grunted, her head swimming as she sat up. Her whole body seemed to be throbbing with pain.
“Yes, I think so,” she said, blinking her eyes as the dizziness faded. “What happened?”
“What were you thinking?” Larkel looked unimpressed. “You could have killed yourself! And I couldn't heal you. I couldn't even check to see what was wrong.”
Starla's memories caught up with his anger. She had tried to break Kyron's spell and it had backfired.
“Sorry,” she murmured.
Larkel blew out a long breath, then drew her into his arms. “When you collapsed, I was so scared,” he whispered. “Now, would you like to hear some good news?”
Starla shifted a little, so that she could see his face. “Good news?” she asked. His voice had sounded weary, but a note of real hope rang in it.
“Your friends and family may be able to get out of here,” he said.
“What? How?” Father Joe called up, his voice hopeful too.
“The cages. They're not real,” Larkel said, shaking his head again in disbelief.
“Hang on. What are you talking about?” Starla asked.
At the same time, Raoul hit one of his cuffs against the bars, the metallic ring making a lie of the High Lord's words.
“Sure they're not,” he muttered sarcastically, his tone angry and surly again after Larkel had woken.
Larkel rolled his eyes but when he spoke his voice was the calm, deep tone that controlled the Order. “They're temporary. It was the Baron's idea.” He looked at Starla, disbelief plain in her face. “He had Ditte create temporary cages. He'd hoped that Kyron wouldn't have got here yet, or that he'd sentence us all to death. He hadn't counted on us being free of our chains.”
Starla had opened the bond, trying to decipher how he thought the Baron, of all people, had been wanting to help them.
They'll get out of here, Starla. The Sacrileons may even be able to get us out too, if there's time, Larkel thought, trying to boost Starla's inexplicably low spirits.
No, Larkel, they won't. Her memory began with him falling to the ground, unconscious after Kyron trapped his powers. Then he saw what had Starla so anguished. The cursed chains had been soldered to the ground.
“Will the chains disappear, too?” Elise asked, Orla's head still cradled in her lap, her little face still a mask of pain and horror.
“No,” Starla murmured as Larkel relived her memory in silence. “No, Elise, they won't.”
“It doesn't matter, anyway,” Raoul said, his voice hot with anger, he hit the bars again.
“Bells don't matter,” Pierre scolded him as the ringing echo died out.
Starla looked down at Raoul. He was staring up at the cage. Their eyes locked.
“You said that necklace thing was important, that it would somehow save us,” Raoul began. “Well, he handed it over to Kyron.”
“Not really,” Larkel said, a sad smile in his voice.
“Are you calling me a liar?” Raoul shouted. “You … you—” he spluttered, clearly unable to think of a word that could describe the High Lord accurately. “We all saw the other man hand it over to Kyron.”
Starla was confused. She had seen this too but in Larkel's thoughts, she saw more.
He was thinking of the silent conversation she had seen him and the Baron having. Suddenly she gasped.
“Yes,” Larkel said, stroking her soft hair. “The Baron believed we would escape. He had me put a spell on the Blossom. He'd hoped we would be able to get to the City before Kyron. When the Blossom comes near the real Star, as in, when Kyron is in the City, my spell will surge, breaking it out of the box Kyron has put it in. Then, I can summon it and you will be able to unite it.” Larkel briefly expressed something that looked very much like pain before continuing, the look hidden. “I told him about Kara, too,” he added.
Starla smiled vaguely at Kara's name. Larkel was hiding something from her, but what?
“Trent gave his life so that we could accomplish that,” Larkel finished.
So many people had had a change of heart. Hope had come from places she had never expected.
I know, Larkel agreed, sharing her memories.
Pointless, Starla thought, hopelessness threatening to overwhelm her again. All those sacrifices, all for nothing.
The word 'sacrifices' had sent a spasm through Larkel's mind and he pulled her to him, holding her close, kissing her and tracing patterns down her back. Not for nothing. For hope. For a chance at victory. Our last chance will only be gone when we are dead.
After a moment's mental silence, Larkel's voice sounded in her head.
Do you want to learn some more magic? he asked, still keeping his tone light, as if there were still something to live for.
Slightly to her own surprise, Starla found herself brightening. Sure.
Watch this, then try it out on the blood soaked into your shirt.
Starla watched a memory of Larkel in the refugee camp, syphoning poison from some food. This works best on inanimate or already dead objects because their own bodies do not incorporate the poisons. Try it.
Concentrating on her blood-soaked shirt, Starla began to draw it out of the fabric, little by little, slowly getting the hang of it. She giggled softly, letting the blood pour out of the cage. Her shirt was still a little dirty, but it no longer had any blood on it.
Anything else I can learn? Starla asked,
feeling better.
Larkel caught the edge behind her question. There is no guarantee you could help them. Soreiaphin and Makhi use magic differently. Some are so different none of what I showed you would work.
But it did work, so I must be similar.
Similar, Larkel agreed, but not the same. What if you hurt them instead?
“Starla?” Raoul's voice interrupted their silent exchange.
“Yes, Raoul?” Starla asked, leaning away from Larkel so that she could see her old friend. What had caught her interest was the lack of anger in his voice. The early morning sunlight brought some light into his chocolate eyes.
“Is he what you really want?” he blurted out suddenly, his good-natured voice hovering on the edges of this new, pain-filled tone. “You're not brainwashed, or … he didn't force you?”
Starla looked back at him solemnly from her perch. “Yes, I am sure. He is part of me and I of him. And I made that choice freely.”
Pain flashed across Raoul's face momentarily, before he recomposed his features into a hard mask. Starla felt a stab of guilt. Somehow, she should have been more forceful with her denial of his proposal back on Earth.
Do you think that would have helped? Larkel asked, his presence sceptical.
No, Starla sighed, knowing Raoul would never have been dissuaded. He knew everyone else was on his side.
“Then, somehow I will find a way to get you down from there,” Raoul said. “And then you leave. Don't worry about us,” he ended, finality ringing in his tone.
Starla managed a smile, but didn't comment. She knew that even if they somehow managed to get their chains free of the ground and get the cage down, they would not be able to help her or Larkel. She had sensed the way Kyron had sealed the cage. A magic seal that could only be opened by a source outside of the cage. Her human friends could not get them out. The Sacrileons could not help, as their chains were not only cursed, but bound their powers too.
***
Naleiya and the others had arrived at the stump of the enormous tree just after sundown on the previous day.
“Where are we?” Valana asked, squinting into the deep black, her eyes giving her more sight in the dark than anyone else in the group.
“This is as deep as I could bring us without Kyron feeling the surge,” Naleiya said. “I will have to risk a light to guide us.”
A deep howling suddenly broken through the still air. Fearing the worst, Naleiya quickly formed a protective barrier around the small company, though she hoped the Darkness Mantles would do their job.
“It is not our enemy,” Zerina said, calmly. “It is a pack of vapurix.”
Four enormous, white creatures shrugged out of the darkness, their seven tails swishing in agitation.
Shaneulia sighed in relief seeing the familiar wolf-like creatures.
They padded closer, soundless on their four big paws, their eyes glowing slightly.
Naleiya caught her breath as the largest came right to her, standing over her. Around this alpha's neck was a navy-blue sash.
“Larkel's vapurix,” she murmured in wonder. “How did you get free, Herio?”
The vapurix gave a low whine then lay down on the ground beside her. The other three followed suit, one each, beside Zerina, Shaneulia and a dubious Valana.
Unlike Larkel, Naleiya could not communicate with the vapurix, but this was a clear message, Get on.
Wasting no more time than was absolutely necessary to extend each Darkness Mantle over the vapurix pack and reassure Valana that the huge predators were safe, they mounted the beasts and were swiftly on their way, flying through the dark, the vapurix alpha tracking his master's scent.
As the new sun dawned, they could see the dark walls of Kyron's fortress ahead. They dismounted, Naleiya ordering the vapurix to hide until they came back out. Naleiya turned to the others hiding in the deep shadow between two boulders. Her words became a muffled scream as a blue loodek popped out of the ground right next to them.
“Sorry,” Melor said, brightly, looking up at the startled people.
“Melor!” Biki rejoiced, hugging Rya's pet.
“I have news,” Melor began.
“Who are you, creature, and how did you find us?” Valana asked gruffly, a throwing knife in her hand. Loodeks were poisonous and could jump immense distances for their size.
“Whoa!” Melor said, bobbing on his springy tails. “I belong to the Guardian Rya. I've been below ground listening for patrols, and for you. Well not you specifically, Queen Valana, but I knew the others had gone for help and I thought it would be—”
“You've been watching the patrols?” Naleiya asked, cutting him off.
“Yes. The drodemion and grobbler patrols stopped just before dawn,” he said. “There are still a few others, ergothan and magmi, but they seem to be all heading to the south east of the fortress.”
Zerina sighed. “And so it begins. He is calling in all his forces. He plans to march soon.”
Flek was suddenly shaking, his long legs trembling so hard it was a wonder he didn't fall over.
“Hestherewiththem,” he said, his voice so fearful that, for once, no one needed a translation.
Kyron was with the prisoners. Nothing else would have made Flek so afraid.
They waited in silence. Shaneulia bent to the ground, examining some old tracks. Booted feet, six pairs. She smiled. Starla and the Guardians had passed through here.
“You are sure you've watched all the patrols?” she asked Melor, unwilling to do nothing as they waited to hear if all their efforts were already in vain.
“Yes,” Melor swallowed, looking away from Flek, “there are no more. We should be able to go directly to the doors from here.”
“Good,” Shaneulia said but Valana forestalled her good mood.
“What of the sky?” she said, pointing at a shadow hovering in the distance. Even from here, its shape was clearly discernible. A magmus.
Melor wilted a little before her hard silver gaze. “I cannot know the skies.”
“Then we must find another way,” Valana said, her voice final. “Though the sunlight does not reach the ground here, even I have heard of the terrible wind storms that rake this bare land during the day. We cannot trust our mantles to conceal us as they are blown about by the winds.”
As if called by her words, a strong wind suddenly whistled through their sheltered place. It would only get worse as the day wore on.
The little loodek suddenly smiled. “I have already dug out a tunnel big enough for you. It leads straight to the gates, or it will. I didn't want any one spotting it, so I sealed it up.”
“Open it,” Naleiya ordered. “Our friends don't have time for us to just sit here. Or to find another way.”
“Naleiya,” Zerina cautioned, “we cannot best Kyron.”
“I know,” Naleiya said in a harsher tone than intended. She calmed herself. “I know, but I will wait by the gates. That way, as soon as he leaves, we go in.”
“It will take some time. I will return when it is ready,” Melor said, and dove into the ground as if it were water.
She looked away from the two Queens. Both pairs of eyes, silver and amber, held the dreadful thought she couldn't let herself think. What if, when Kyron left, those they had come to save were all beyond saving?
Litzie's ears suddenly perked up, flickering in the direction of the black fortress.
“Trouble,” she murmured.
They all cowered in their mantles, the shadow between the boulders darker than the surrounding black.
Suddenly, ten small magmi, no more than babies, half- flew half- sprang from the darkness. Their cries were ear-splitting shrieks. They jumped on the boulders to gain momentum and then were off, flapping in short, staggered bursts.
Just as Naleiya began to relax, a huge magmus flew low over their position. It swooped down on the little ones, catching them gently in its talons.
Shaneulia heaved a sigh as it flew off, back to the fortress. Then sh
e screamed.
A baby magmus had her by the arm, its teeth sunk into her.
Naleiya shoved it back, sending a piercing blade of power into its belly.
“Silence it!” Zerina hissed as the baby cried in pain.
Naleiya cast a sound barrier as Valana unsheathed her dual swords.
“See to your friend,” she ordered, circling the wounded beast.
Naleiya obeyed, horrified by how pale Shaneulia had become. Quickly, she set her mind to healing her ravaged arm.
Valana sprang at the beast, slicing its paw as it tried to claw at her. Inside the barrier, she could still hear it crying out. She dodged the burst of flame. It charged. She dove, rolled and had spun back around before the baby could correct its direction. She was on it. Her swords sliced cleanly through its neck.
Then she was running towards the other women.
“Naleiya!”
Naleiya waved her staff, creating a second barrier to trap physical things around the dead magmus. The little magmus exploded. The blast was contained within Naleiya's double-shield and made no sound.
Working meticulously, she pulled the smoking bits of carcass into the ground. Someone was bound to notice eventually, but she hoped they would be gone by then.
Shaneulia was drinking one of her little vials of elixir. “I'll be all right,” she smiled weakly up at Naleiya. “Here,” she added, handing Naleiya the blue potion that helped a Makhi regain their strength quickly.
“No, I'm fine. Keep that for Larkel.”
“Naleiya,” Zerina's voice sounded worried.
Valana was looking at her hand in horror. She had sustained a small cut from the magmus scales as she had killed it but that inconsequential wound was now turning an ugly yellow and spreading across her hand instead of healing as her Nightstalker abilities should have allowed.
“What is it?” she demanded, not liking the weakness spreading up from her hand.
“It looks like poison,” Naleiya said after a pause, her voice dumbfounded. “I can't get a read on it, on you. It is as if you are fading.”
“But magmi are not poisonous,” Zerina whispered.
