The Stone Eater (The Magic Eaters Trilogy Book 3)

by Carol Beth Anderson

  As Nora had considered where her father might hole up, she’d kept coming back to this place. He’d want access to the stone that gave him power. In some twisted way, he might even expect God to protect his crown. One glance told her that her instinct had been right. Two dozen soldiers and royal guards stood at attention at the front of the chapel. Some held torches. Only one person merited such protection.

  “How can we get in?” Nora murmured.

  Krey did what he did best: strategizing. He kept an eye on the chapel, drawing in details with those sharp eyes of his. When they had a sound plan, they approached the chapel from the side, where the guards stood farther apart. The three of them weren’t certain they could make it past without being seen, so Ovrun lifted his foot, then slammed it into the ground. Thump.

  “What was that?” a woman asked.

  “I’ll check,” her torch-wielding neighbor said.

  Nora, Krey, and Ovrun slipped into the wide gap left by the soldier. Once behind the line of guards and troops, they pressed their bodies against the chapel’s exterior wall and sidestepped around the corner and to the front door. Ovrun stood next to the door’s hinges, while Krey and Nora waited on the other side.

  Nora tried to slow her breathing but found it impossible. There was only about a met of space between her and the nearest soldier. If he turned, would he see her? Krey grasped her hand, rubbing his thumb along her index finger. Her breaths regulated themselves.

  They’d only been there a couple of minutes when the officer who’d ordered Krey’s and Ovrun’s deaths ran up. Nora squeezed Krey’s hand tight. Would she tell the king his daughter was somewhere on the palace grounds, invisible?

  Eyes wide, the panting woman whispered with a male officer. Nora gritted her teeth as she watched their quiet, heated exchange. She couldn’t hear a word of it.

  After what might’ve been a minute or ten, the female officer nodded slowly, then turned and left. The man did nothing. Apparently they were too afraid of the king to tell him his daughter had infiltrated his magical fortress.

  Her body still buzzing with tension, Nora gulped air into her lungs.

  After perhaps a quarter-hour, the door swung open. As a soldier walked out, Ovrun shoved a knife into the space between the hinges and the frame.

  The man who’d exited passed through the line of guards and soldiers, and the three invisible intruders entered the building.

  “Hey, you didn’t close the door!” someone said. “You wanna get us all fired?”

  Ovrun retrieved his knife with a grin, just as someone pushed the door shut.

  They walked through a dark hallway to the door that led into the main chapel area. Ever so slowly, Krey turned the knob. A little nudge, and it creaked open. They entered into a room lit by torches in wall sconces.

  “Close that door! The captain must not have shut it all the way.”

  When Nora heard her father’s gruff voice, an unexpected wave of grief rushed over her. With all her heart, she missed the man he’d been.

  Not ready to look at him yet, she watched a guard cross to the door and close it. He returned to his post in front of the small stage. Another guard stood at the opposite edge of the stage. Both had blank eyes.

  At last, Nora brought her eyes to the stage. Ulmin Abrios stood behind the pedestal that held the stone. The artifact was still covered with glass, but he was gazing at it with lustful worship. He looked even older than the last time she’d seen him, deep wrinkles forming a rippled map of hills and crevices across his face. His hair was shaggy and greasy, the sides matted. He reached into his pocket and retrieved what she knew must be animal brain matter, popping it in his mouth.

  “Here we go,” Nora whispered. She gave Krey and Ovrun a wobbly smile, then tiptoed to the stage and stepped onto it. She put a hand in her pants pocket, grabbing a handful of shield fuel, and nodded at Ovrun.

  He charged across the small room, straight for the king. Thank the sky, Ulmin didn’t flinch as Ovrun’s loud footsteps reverberated through the space.

  Ovrun was within two steps of the king when Ulmin’s eyes widened and his hands came up. The unicorn’s illusion had failed, as they’d known it would. Ovrun slammed into Ulmin, tackling him to the ground. The king freed one hand and shot a spear of stone at his attacker’s back. It bounced off Ovrun’s invisible shield.

  Ulmin bucked and kicked and twisted, but Ovrun was far stronger. Nora pulled her hand from her pocket. Bits of milled rock dropped to the floor as she rushed to her writhing father.

  As soon as he saw her, he pressed his mouth closed.

  “Open his mouth!” Nora shouted at Ovrun as she fell to her knees by her father.

  As Ovrun attempted to pry Ulmin’s mouth open, the crack of gunshots filled the room. Nora glanced up to see both guards rushing onto the stage. The king had called for his slaves’ help. Neither of them had guns out; the shots came from Krey’s weapon.

  Desperately, she tried to shove shield fuel in her father’s mouth. He twisted away, lips tightly closed. The gunshots continued.

  A pair of strong hands pulled Nora upright, pinning her arms to her sides. At the same time, Ovrun reached for the gun in his pocket. He wasn’t fast enough. The second guard thrust a knife into Ovrun’s side.

  Nora screamed.

  The gunshots halted. Krey must be out of ammunition. The room went silent except for Ovrun’s low groan.

  The guard who’d stabbed Ovrun frisked him and took his gun, before shoving him off the king. Ulmin stood and shouted at the guard holding Nora, “Restrain her, but don’t hurt her!”

  The arms around her tightened. She kicked, to no effect.

  Ulmin turned to the other guard, whose ear had been grazed by a bullet. Despite the blood running down the man’s neck, the creepy, placid expression on his face didn’t change.

  “Whoever was shooting, find them!” Ulmin shouted. “They’ll be visible, as these two are. Go, quickly! Search the building!”

  The man ran off.

  Her father’s words penetrated Nora’s panic. He believed everyone had turned visible again. If he stepped away and could no longer see her, he’d rethink that supposition. She had no idea where the unicorn was or if it could hear her, but she sent out a telepathic message anyway. Please keep me and Ovrun visible, but maintain Krey’s illusion. She paired the words with images, desperately hoping they made it to the creature’s mind.

  A quick glance showed her that Krey was now standing in front of the stage. She knew the look on his face. He was strategizing, considering every option, still determined to take down the king.

  Ulmin stopped over Ovrun, who was moaning and squirming. Pure hatred twisted the king’s face. “I trusted you, and you lied to me. You lied, you lied, you lied!” With each repetition of the accusation, he kicked Ovrun hard in the side.

  “Stop!” Nora screamed.

  Her father’s furious eyes locked onto hers. He lifted his foot high, then stepped hard on Ovrun’s hand, grinding it into the stage, eliciting a POP and an agonized groan. Seeing the horror on Nora’s face, his expression shifted into a gleeful grin. “We’ll let your boyfriend lie in his own blood for now.”

  He stalked toward his daughter, smile fading, until he was close enough for her to feel the heat of his breath. “Who was shooting in here?” His hand shot up to her neck.

  He squeezed, letting in just enough air for her to choke out, “I don’t know.”

  Letting go of her, he spat on the ground. “You took shield fuel.” His voice lowered. “We’re going to have a talk. Do you know what I told my officers today?”

  “To bring me to you if they found me.”

  “That’s right. They assumed I wanted you to remain safe.” He looked down for a moment, and when he met her gaze again, genuine grief pulled his brows together and tugged down the corners of his mouth. “And I did. Because I won’t let anyone kill you but me.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut against the cruelty of his words.

 
“Look at me,” her father said.

  She obeyed.

  Tears streamed down his face. “I don’t want you dead. But it’s the only way to stop you from ruining our nation. And, sweetheart, I’ll do it quickly. I won’t make you suffer. You can die in my arms. With the one person who always loved you.”

  Nora swallowed bile. Her eyes swept the room, seeking Krey.

  He wasn’t there.

  The loneliness she’d battled for months pummeled her heart. Sharai’s words returned to her: No one truly fights for others. We all fight for ourselves.

  But in her gut, she knew that was false. Krey wouldn’t desert her. He’d fight for her with his life. He was somewhere nearby, waiting to act.

  Or incapacitated.

  Or dead.

  The second guard, after all, had never come back. Maybe they’d met in the hallway. Maybe—

  Her father interrupted her pointless train of thought. “You can’t save your own life.” His voice was flush with regret. “But if you answer my questions, I’ll ensure Ovrun gets healed. He won’t be free, but he’ll be alive.”

  Sudden sobs shook her chest. She’d broken Ovrun’s heart; now her only choices were to send him to prison or to his death? I should’ve done this alone. Then he could’ve killed me, and the others would’ve found somewhere to live, free from the pain I’ve brought them. Now nothing will stop him from killing Ovrun, no matter what I say.

  “Calm down, sweetheart,” her father said. “You can’t answer my questions if you’re crying.” He gently took her face in his hands and brushed his thumbs across her wet cheeks. Disgust bubbled up in her, calming her weeping. His eyes turned cold. Greedy. “First question. Tell me about this invisibility magic.”

  Nora’s father had imprisoned dragons. He’d do all he could to catch a unicorn if he knew the truth. She pressed her lips together and shook her head.

  “Perhaps I should gouge out Ovrun’s eyes,” he said. “I didn’t, after all, promise him a quick death.” Gaze fixed on Nora, he took one step toward Ovrun, then another.

  “Don’t!” she screamed, “I’ll tell you, I’ll—”

  Someone threw a gun across the stage, arresting Nora’s words. It passed behind Ulmin and slammed into the stage’s back wall. The king spun to look that direction, turning his back to Nora and to the stone.

  The pillar toppled violently, smashing into Ulmin, sending him to the floor. The stone’s case shattered. The pillar pinned down the king’s legs. Stone and glass covered his chest and the floor.

  Krey stood from where he’d been crouching behind the pillar. A wild grin filled his face. As Ulmin roared and grabbed one of the stone’s pieces, Krey rushed to him and knelt in the glass by the king’s head, pulling out a handful of shield fuel.

  Suddenly, Nora’s guard threw her to the floor. She looked up just in time to see the blank-faced man lunging at Krey. A knife gleamed in his right hand.

  He thrust it into Krey’s heart, burying it to the hilt.

  Agony filled Nora’s own heart, as if the knife had entered her chest. With strength she didn’t know she had, she pushed herself up and kicked the guard’s head. Her boot connected with his temple. He went down, unconscious.

  Her father was still prone, the heavy pillar on his legs, his hands gripping the stone. Orange light covered his hands, arms, neck, and head.

  Nora’s gaze found Krey. His face and lips were pale, his eyes blinking slowly. Blood covered his shirt. She doubted he had more than minutes to live.

  He gave her a weak smile and mouthed three words: You got this.

  Somehow—she didn’t know if it was due to magic or love or something else—Krey’s strength penetrated into her pained heart. She knew what she had to do.

  Turning to her father, she let her tears flow again. “Daddy, why?”

  “Oh, sweetheart. Come here.” He lifted one arm to her. “Let me hold you, honey.” He released the stone. Orange light faded from his body as he began pushing himself up, stone and glass falling off his chest.

  In one quick movement, Nora lifted her fist, opening it as it reached his mouth. The powdery shield fuel she’d pulled from her pocket fell through his gaping lips. A cry exited his mouth, but she slammed a hand on his chin, forcing his teeth closed.

  Ulmin’s eyes widened with panic. He fell back and grabbed her arm with both hands. His withered body was stronger than it should’ve been, but she was fueled by anger so intense, it roared through her limbs. He couldn’t budge her, not a simmet. She held his mouth closed, watching his throat. He coughed. He squirmed.

  He swallowed.

  “Nora,” he breathed. “No.”

  The shield fuel had a profound, immediate effect. Ulmin’s fingers weakened, allowing Nora to yank her arm away. His skin paled, his cheeks sinking in. Tears flooded his eyes again. In a voice so weak as to be unrecognizable, he said, “I only wanted what was best.”

  But Nora had already shifted her attention back to Krey. That same incongruent smile remained on his pale lips. His breaths were quick and shallow. “Good job,” he whispered, before his eyes rolled back into his head.

  “Wake up! Krey, please!” She took his face into her hands, leaning in close. “I never got a chance to tell you, I lo—”

  A voice behind Nora, warm and worried, interrupted her. “What happened here?”

  In one violent motion, Nora spun around, a piece of glass digging into her knee as she moved. The guard who’d held her was kneeling behind her, conscious and in his right mind. Blood was clotting on his temple where she’d kicked him.

  Deep inside, she knew this man wasn’t responsible for what he’d done to Krey. She didn’t care. “You killed him!” she screamed, aiming a punch at his bloody face.

  He leaned back, evading her fist. Then he stood and ran away.

  Numbness came over Nora, along with clarity. She pulled her sleeve over her hand and swept every bit of stone off her father’s chest and away from his grasp. It might burn up his shield fuel if he touched it again.

  He was clearly too weak to extricate himself from the pillar. Ignoring the soft words he directed toward her, Nora stepped over him. She knelt by Ovrun, who was pale, but conscious.

  “I think I’m gonna be okay,” Ovrun said. “Help Krey.”

  “He’s dying.” She shoved the words through her tight throat. “Or dead.”

  “Then say goodbye.”

  She moved to Krey and buried her face in his neck. He was still warm.

  “Excuse me?” someone said.

  Nora sat up with effort. Both guards had returned to the stage. The one who’d left to look for Krey was drinking something from a clay jug.

  “My friend here’s a blood lyster,” the guard who’d stabbed Krey said. “Is it too late?”

  Nora’s tears returned. She couldn’t answer.

  The blood lyster knelt, wiping thick, yellow blood from his lips. “Let me try.”

  36

  We heard the roads will be clear tomorrow! That means in a couple of days, I can give you this letter in person. We’ll have less than a week to finish preparing for my wedding.

  Queen Onna and Ulmin have spent the last week helping with arrangements. Ulmin is tireless. Yesterday, he helped workers assemble a dance floor. For a man who works with his mind more often than not, his body is remarkably strong.

  -Letter from Ambrel Kaulder to Dani Kaulder

  Dated Wolf 28, 180 PD

  Krey’s eyes fluttered open. Nora was sitting beside him, holding his hand. But her attention was on Ovrun, who was next to her, fabric draped over his bare shoulders, talking softly. It felt like an orsa was sitting on Krey’s chest, and for a moment, he didn’t know why.

  He looked down. His chest was bare, and a wound in the center was healing. Smeared, drying blood covered his skin.

  It all came back—he’d been stabbed in the heart. He should be dead, but he couldn’t imagine the afterlife would be this painful. Come to think of it, Ovrun had been stabbed too. He l
ooked to be in decent shape. Someone must’ve healed them both.

  “I thought the king kicked all the magic eaters out of the palace. Who healed me?” Krey croaked.

  Nora turned to face him. Her face brightened with the prettiest smile he’d ever seen. “I look away for a few seconds, and that’s when you decide to wake up?” She dropped a way-too-gentle kiss on his lips.

  “It’s my heart that got stabbed, not my mouth. You don’t have to be so careful.”

  She laughed and gave him a moderately better kiss, before sitting up and wiping tears from her cheeks. “One of my father’s two guards was a blood lyster,” she told him. “Recently hired. My father must’ve thought it was the one type of magic that was more likely to help him than hurt him. The healer had to keep trying until his magic burned away your shield fuel. It got dicey, but here you are.” She gave him another light kiss, then turned to Ovrun. “Uh, I suppose you should know . . . Krey and I are together now.”

  A low chuckle exited Ovrun’s mouth. “I’ve suspected it since we were in Tirra. And I was sure when I heard the things you whispered to him while he got healed.”

  “Shut your mouth!” she cried.

  With the hand Nora wasn’t holding, Krey pushed himself up, groaning at the ache in his chest. “What sorts of things was she saying?”

  Nora clapped a hand over Ovrun’s mouth and glared at him. “Not a word. Agreed?”

  Ovrun nodded, eyes sparkling.

  “I’ll get it out of one of you eventually.” Krey took a moment to look around the stage. His and Ovrun’s bloody shirts were sitting in a pile. The heavy pedestal he’d pushed over was standing again. Nearby was a pile of shattered glass. “Where’s the stone?”

  Nora pointed to a blanket-wrapped bundle in the corner. Her forehead wrinkled with worry. “We can’t leave it there, but I don’t know what to do with it.”

  Krey still thought they should hide it, but that wasn’t his decision to make. “For now, we need to put it somewhere safe. After that . . . you’ll figure it out.”