Kardos stepped forward, his fists clenched into fists. “What makes you think the creatures haven’t heard us already, especially with all the loud-mouth yelling?”
Bonty swatted bugs around her head. “Calm down, Kardos. It won’t help losing your temper either.”
“The Dor’Jan will search the roads first, where most people travel,” Emery said. “No one strays far from the paths. We can use this to our advantage. However, if we alert them to our presence, then we’d be helpless to stop them. From this point forward, we must say absolutely nothing and walk like one of the creatures of the forest.”
“So a bear would be fine then, eh?” Hakan said with a nervous grin.
Emery shook his head. “Keep us safe, friend. I’m afraid it will take the perseverance of a bear to keep us alive.”
Hakan nodded, scowling with all seriousness, as Perception glowed from his eyes. He squared his large shoulders, took a deep breath, and with a steady sloshing of feet, their silent night journey began.
***
Although Megan had healed Nolan’s injuries, the awkward position on Rylan’s shoulder inflicted a whole different type of pain. When Nolan’s limbs weren’t asleep, he’d drift in and out, awakening to darkness. What little moonlight shone from behind the clouds was blotted out by the foliage. The only thing visible was the faint orange glow coming from Hakan’s eyes.
The silence and monotony were taxing. They didn’t even have conversation to pass time. After awakening again—much like the many other times—Nolan noticed the darkness seemed a little less. And after a short time more, he could see the outline of his fingers when he wiggled them in front of his face.
Sunlight filtered through the trees, and with it, a collective sigh sounded from the group. Rylan gently placed Nolan in a bed of leaves.
“This will have to do, Nolan.” Rylan smirked, looking more like a boy because of the freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose. Several lines of sweat dripped down his face. He wiped them away with a shaking hand.
“I’m so sorry, Rylan.” Nolan’s voice croaked from lack of use.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Rylan said. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be heading off to Faylinn instead.” He grinned. “It’s the least I can do. But a little break would be great.”
Rylan retreated toward the others, swinging his arm in a circle as if trying to gain sensation. Ahead, Hakan fell to his knees, covering his face with quivering hands. Emery went to him, exchanged a few words, and returned.
“Hakan is exhausted,” Emery said. “We’ll make camp here.” He gave them all a weary smile, dark circles under his eyes. “Well done … all of you. We should get some sleep, though we won’t want to stay long. We must distance ourselves from Alton. Tonight, when the night falls, we should be able to camp and sleep normally again. Today we’ll keep watch closely. The Rol’dan will be searching for us.”
As discussions progressed to who would be at watch and who would sleep, Nolan relaxed, barely noticing the sticks and rocks jabbing into his back. Alec stood a good distance away, his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Nolan with his golden Shay light blazing. He was angry. As much as Nolan wished he could ask him why, he couldn’t stay awake.
***
The smell of roasting meat roused him. Nolan opened his eyes, realizing he’d slept far longer than anyone else; they were already preparing to depart. He attempted to stand.
“Not yet,” Taryn said. She sat next to Nolan, her face smudged with mud, and her blond hair matted and wild.
She handed Nolan a wooden plate with meat cut into bites small enough for an infant. Nolan forced himself up against a tree trunk, took the plate, and placed the first bite gingerly in his mouth.
After several minutes of silent eating, he put down the empty plate and ran a hand over his chin. It was a strange sensation. Though he felt well, Nolan struggled to even lift his arm. “I suppose Rylan will have to carry me the whole way.”
Taryn smiled. “It’s okay. It’s daytime now, so it will be a lot easier for him.”
Rylan moved a large stone from one side of camp to the other, as if testing his Strength. He laughed, set down the heavy boulder, and brushed the dirt off his hands.
“See? Like I said, he’ll be just fine.” A strange expression passed over Taryn’s face. “Um, Nolan … About last night. I’m really sorry. I didn’t do anything.”
“Do anything?”
“When you were dying, I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. If Megan wasn’t here …”
“You couldn’t have done anything.”
Her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Emery said the powers aren’t as strong at night. Also, you heard what he said to Daren, that he hasn’t used his Perception long enough to help much. You just got your Healing. How much have you actually used it?”
She scraped a bit of mud off her fingernail. “I healed a cut on Rylan’s hand once.”
“Did it hurt?”
Her eyes came up. “Maybe a little.”
“And what else?”
She shrugged. “Nothing else, so far.”
Nolan snorted. “And you feel guilty for not healing an arrow in my chest?”
“Six arrows, actually.”
Nolan started. He pulled down the front of his blue jacket—which now resembled dirty rags. Six new scars joined his previous arrow marks, concentrated on the center of his pale chest. How in the Darkness had he lived?
Taryn shook her head, eyes wide. “I thought you were dead. Then Megan pushed everyone aside and healed you anyway.”
“Crows, Taryn. Anyone would’ve panicked.”
“I suppose.” She sniffed and looked away. “I could’ve at least tried.”
Nolan put his hand on hers and squeezed. “Where’s Alec?”
She bit her lip. “He went for a run, I think. He’s pretty upset with you. About the bag and all.”
“About me going to get it?”
She nodded.
“They didn’t leave it behind, did they?”
“Alec’s bag? Why I … I don’t—”
“It’s right here,” Alec said, speeding out of the woods.
His voice caught everyone’s attention, and the rest of the camp went quiet. He stood, frowning with dried blood smeared across his tunic and face, blood that was more than likely Nolan’s.
“It’s just a bag,” Alec said. “Why in Darkness would you risk the whole plan? There was an entire wall full of Accuracy archers for Brim’s sake.”
Nolan started to speak, but couldn’t. Alec was right.
“I told you to leave it, but you wouldn’t listen,” Alec continued his rant. “Instead, you nearly got yourself killed. Crows, Nolan. What about Megan? She risked her life to bring you back—all for a nightforsaken bag.”
“Now, Alec,” Emery said as he came closer, “there was no permanent harm done.”
“And what the Darkness do you know?” Alec spat. “Apart from what you steal from other people’s minds? The only reason I helped you in the first place is because Nolan trusted you, and considering his bad choices, I’m not so sure anymore. Why should I trust a Rol’dan anyway?”
“I’m as much a Rol’dan as you,” Emery said.
Alec glared at Emery, and then at his own Rol’dan uniform, now dirty and torn. “Well, I can make sure this doesn’t happen again.” Alec removed his bag from his shoulder, walked toward the edge of the forest line, and drew his hand back as if to toss it into the woods.
Nolan staggered to his feet. “N-no, Alec. Please …”
Alec gawked. “After all that, and you still want it? No. It’s for your own good.”
“Alec, may I see it?” Emery asked.
Alec stopped the forward momentum of his throw, frowned, and chucked the bag toward Emery instead. Emery opened it and handed items to Taryn: a clean Rol’dan uniform wadded into a ball; a small dagger; bread wrapped in cloth, suspiciously looking like linens from Alton
Manor, and a flask that sloshed with water. As he dug deeper, the contents deteriorated: a ratty, bloodied tunic, a leather belt, some cloth bandages—some slightly used, and a half-eaten apple turning brown.
“Disgusting. Don’t you ever clean out that thing?” Taryn said quietly.
Alec cast her an annoyed glance, but ignored her. “I told you. Nothing important.”
“Wait a moment.” Emery reached to the bottom and pulled out a palm-sized bundle wrapped in a frayed white cloth. The color and age of the fabric didn’t just look old, it looked ancient.
Alec’s eyebrows went up. “What the—”
“Is this yours?” Emery asked.
“I’ve never seen it before.”
Nolan leaned forward, the bundle in Emery’s hand pulling him. Nolan swallowed. He’d never felt like this before. He held his breath as Emery unfolded the layers of cloth. Inside, a smooth, translucent stone filled the entirety of his palm. It’s just a rock?
Kardos scowled. “Where’d you get that, boy?”
Alec stared in wonderment. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Kardos said. “How can something appear in your bag without you knowing it?”
“I told you, I don’t know.”
“Didn’t you feel the thing knocking around?” Kardos asked.
“It’s light,” Emery said. “Much lighter than it should be.”
“Where’d you leave your bag? Someone must’ve put it in there,” Kardos continued.
“I didn’t leave it anywhere!”
“You must have,” Kardos said, “otherwise that rock wouldn’t have ended up in there, now would it?”
Alec jerked his bag from Emery’s hand. “I already told you!”
“What about the lodge?” Taryn said.
Both Kardos’s and Alec’s heads jerked toward her.
She swallowed, like she regretted speaking at all. “After the Speed challenge, when you were unconscious at the lodge.”
A muscle twitched in Alec’s face, making the scar on his cheek lighten.
“Unconscious?” Kardos said.
“It’s nothing.”
“How is unconscious nothing?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Alec stuffed his things into his bag.
“Do you think there might’ve been a chance for someone to put it in?” Emery asked.
“No. I mean … I don’t know. I suppose it could have been then. Why should it matter? It’s a rock, for Brim’s sake.”
“What were you doing unconscious?” Kardos asked.
“Father, just drop it!”
“I taught you well enough. You shouldn’t be knocked out by anything. Why weren’t you keeping your guard?”
The bickering continued as Nolan staggered toward them. He felt as if his limbs had gained five times their weight. Concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, he trudged to where they argued. With a tap on Emery’s shoulder, the yelling ceased.
“Nolan? You shouldn’t be up. What are you do—?”
“May I see it?” he asked, holding out a shaking hand.
They all stared at him, blank faced.
“Please,” Nolan begged.
Emery didn’t hand it over immediately, but examined it first. “Nolan, we don’t know what this stone is or where it came from.”
Nolan’s skin crawled with anticipation. “For Brim’s sake, Emery. Please …”
Emery pursed his lips. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. “All right, Nolan, though I don’t approve of it in the least.”
As soon as Nolan’s fingertips brushed across its smooth surface, an overwhelming peace came over him. His tense muscles relaxed. His fatigue melted away. He cupped it between his palms and a breath escaped his lips. And strangely enough, his strength returned.
Chapter Eighteen
A WHITE FLAME DANCED across the logs, licked upward, and then sank into the orange glow from where it came. Nolan stared at the hypnotic fire and listened to the quiet drone of conversations. It had been a long day. With one hand in his bag at his side, he fingered the stone. He didn’t know what it was, or how it had helped him, but now he couldn’t put it down.
Behind their small camp, Emery arranged the travel torches to protect them from any threats. Nolan felt safer with the fire. Though they saw no sign of the Dor’Jan, Nolan swore the creatures watched them just outside the circle of trees.
With both the campfire and the torches, the stifling heat made Nolan drowsy. He inhaled a cool breeze and glanced to Megan. She sat with her foot propped on a rock, her elbow on her knee, and her chin resting on her fist. The firelight flickered across her thoughtful expression … her full lips … her slightly upturned nose … her green eyes. Those eyes came up, and Nolan strangled a breath and jerked his attention back to the fire.
Crows. She made him act like he was ten years old! And to top it off, guilt kept prodding him. She’d risked her life because he’d been an idiot, yet Nolan didn’t have the decency, or courage, to thank her.
“Thank you” was easy enough, wasn’t it? Nolan grabbed a twig and dug it into the earth. No. It was harder than dodging a grip of arrows. But at some point, he’d have to say something.
“So, Nolan,” Hakan said. “What does a scribe do? You know, besides jotting bits of this and that.” His eyes sparkled and crinkled the corners of his eyelids while the fire’s light flickered off his weatherworn face.
Nolan smiled, thankful for the change of thought. “I wrote documents and summons and recorded day-to-day events in the manor.”
He grunted. “So you just wrote all day?”
It sounded boring when he said it like that. “Yes, I guess. We did have other things from time to time.”
“Such as notorious traitors being dragged in?” Emery stepped into the circle and sat next to Nolan. Smiling, he rested his arms on his propped up knees. Bonty handed him a steaming plate and patted his arm.
Nolan chuckled. “One or two, maybe. Though you topped them all.”
“You flatter me.” Emery shoved a bite of roasted rabbit—Hakan’s latest kill—into his mouth.
“And what about your spare time?” Hakan asked. “What’d you do for fun?”
“The fine art of crafting words isn’t fun?”
Hakan laughed. “I suppose someone might think so. That is, if they were quite dull.”
Nolan flinched. “Well, I did read.”
Megan leaned forward. “Oh, really? The manor had lots of books?”
A bead of sweat dripped down Nolan’s face; he promptly brushed it away with the back of his hand. “No. I mean, yes. But not the type you’re probably thinking of. My room had two huge cases, stocked with historical documents, some of the oldest known books I’ve ever seen. All filled with Adamah history.”
“And you enjoyed this sort of reading?” she asked.
Nolan considered lying, but he did enjoy studying history. “Well, yes. I did, actually. I learned a lot.”
Hakan snorted. “What about sport? Did you get out much? Do some hunting?”
Nolan laughed. “I’ve never hunted.”
“What a waste!” Hakan said. “You’d be quite a hunter with that Accuracy of yours. Just think! I’d track the biggest buck in the forest, and you’d bring it down with a single shot.” His eyes glinted.
“He’s always trying to find a hunting partner,” Emery noted.
“And what’s wrong with that?” Hakan asked.
“I’ll tell you what,” Nolan said. “When we get to this camp of yours, I’ll hunt with you. Promise.”
Hakan beamed. “Aye! And I won’t forget your promise, either.”
“You have no idea what you’ve gotten into,” Megan said.
“Gotten into?” Hakan said. “Why, I’ve done him a favor, I have. The only thing he’s done is look at dusty old books.”
“I’m sure he had lots of things to do besides reading,” Megan said. “Do they have lots of parties at the manor?
”
“A few,” Nolan answered. He didn’t mention how he’d hidden during those parties. He hated crowds.
Afterward, conversation thankfully drifted from Nolan. He rose from the fire, went to the edge of camp, and stood next to one of the travel torches embedded in the ground. The darkness of the forest sang its usual sounds as night followed its routine. Sometimes, Nolan wondered if his escape was pointless. It wasn’t as if he could fight like Alec. All he could do was read books and write well. Really well. But a good map wasn’t going to help them in a fight. He supposed he could sling a little. That did come in handy when they were trying to get away.
Taryn laughed with Alec, Daren, and Rylan. Nolan relaxed his tense shoulders. Yes. The escape wasn’t totally pointless. He saved Alec and the others, too. Now they’d have a chance at a real life … whatever that was as a traitor.
“Nolan?”
He whipped around to find Megan standing close. He’d been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t heard her.
She bit her lip. “Mind if I join you?”
He gawked before answering. “Sure.” He shifted, making room next to him. He touched the metal sconce holding the torch by mistake and yanked away, welts forming on his fingertips.
Megan sighed, and before Nolan objected, she touched him. A pulse of healing energy surged into him.
“Um … thanks.”
She dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “Don’t worry. It’s what I do.”
He wiggled his fingers. She was good. “Speaking of … thanks for the other day too.”
She shrugged. “You don’t need to thank me.”
“Megan, you nearly died.”
“Not true,” she said, green eyes twinkling. “You almost died. I merely saved you.”
She had a point. An embarrassing one. He’d been quite an idiot to grab that bag, but at least now he knew the stone made him do it. It wasn’t his fault.
“Besides,” she said. “You’ve already thanked me. With your eyes.”
He snorted. His eyes had been grateful … and guilty … and a lot more. He’d struggled to keep back all the strange feelings inside him, especially with her brother, Flann, watching. Nolan had never met anyone quite like Megan. And though he barely knew her, he was starting to really like her.
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