“You know full well that Lenhal has fallen out of public favor with the other captains in the Thalassocracy. He is not a born leader of men and all can see it. Many believe that he should never have become prime admiral in the first place. The whispers I hear say the honor should have been given to you. Well, Lord Asura agrees. He feels that you, Domadred Steele, honored veteran of the Vai’kel Unification War, would not only lead the West into a new era of prosperity but also have the ability to broker the Central Continent’s much-needed peace.”
There was a long silence and Domadred sat back into his chair. Still holding his sword, he tapped the flat of the blade on the table’s edge, deep in thought. All at the table but Luka looked at him anxiously.
“I cannot speak for all Resistance leaders,” Domadred finally said, “and therefore cannot guarantee peace—their motivations and constituencies are as numerous as the city-states they govern.” Domadred stopped tapping his blade and looked Luka in the eye. “Let me be more clear. Many leaders within the Resistance will never declare peace with the North, no matter the offer Asura makes.”
“Those few will then never reclaim their lands. But the ones who do align with Asura will be reinstated into the government of their city-state, able to once again have reign over their province and people. If you can sway just a critical mass, Domadred, that is enough to achieve Lord Asura’s goal.”
“For they have the people’s hearts and will be able to still their ire and revolt,” Kairn said, shaking his head. “And then all in Vai’kel will pay fealty and a hefty homage to Asura, no doubt. But I ask you, Nobleman, in truth, what is sovereignty if it is not free and unbridled?”
“Well, Sailing Master,” Luka answered, “if the Resistance leaders prefer, they can stay in their sewer hideouts and deep-forest refuges. Or they can even live their lives as outlaws on the open seas like you—bouncing from harbor to harbor, hoping none will turn them in. However, Lord Asura has already infiltrated numerous factions of the Resistance, thereby finding their so-called secret locations.” Luka turned his green-eyed gaze to Domadred and smiled. “For how do you think I found this ship, Captain?”
Domadred did not respond.
“Well, a little bird loyal to the North told me. I think you might know the one. You seemed to have enjoyed patting her bottom back at the Guardian’s Flame in Mindra’s Haven.”
Domadred’s eyes went wide.
“Lord Asura instructed me to make it clear to you that if peace cannot be found, he will have no choice but to mass a full-scale war against the Resistance. No matter the cost or sacrifice, he will root out insurgencies not just from Vai’kel, but throughout all of Terra. This includes your friend Beck Al’Beth in Mindra’s Haven and your numerous allies in the Western isles.”
Domadred stood and sheathed his blade. Taking a deep breath, he tilted back his head and drank the last of his whiskey in one fell gulp before speaking. “Well, Luka, we of the West do not operate in a dictatorship like your lord’s empire, so I must discuss your proposal with my officers. You may wait in your guest chamber for my response. It may take several days, but I trust that you will find it more comfortable than the brig. While you wait, however, you will continue to have your two-man guard at all times.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Luka said, standing up. “May I assume that I have use of the deck by night? I would hate to miss the luminescence.”
“So long as you are with your guard, Nobleman, you may move about as you please. But if you leave their side . . .” Domadred’s tone regained its usual humor, and he winked at Fa’ell. “Our lovely lady will have another chance to display her talent for wielding a whip. And after she is done, you will have a very long swim back home. Have I made myself clear?”
“Perfectly,” Luka said. “I hope you all enjoy the rest of your evening. I will now take my leave of you.” Luka made a deep, flourishing bow. As he rose, his green eyes flashed to Aleksi. “Ponder my offer well.”
As Luka exited the captain’s chamber and the door was closed behind him, the room erupted in debate.
CHAPTER XXII
No one seemed to notice as Aleksi excused himself from the now-raucous captain’s chamber. As he silently made his way through the dimly lit navigation room, the youth’s right hand firmly grasped the hilt of his sheathed blade.
How could Luka have forced me to speak? Aleksi thought as he crossed the quarterdeck. Only a Master could possess such ability—but if Luka is a Northern Master . . . Aleksi didn’t want to think about what that meant for him, for Domadred, or for the world. Who, then, really is Asura? Is he a Master, too? And did Rudra know Luka would be on the Diamond as well? If so, why would he ever put me on this boat? I don’t understand!
Swallowing hard, Aleksi walked down the quarterdeck’s stairs and stalked through the hallway that led to his room. No one was in sight and the youth quickly unlocked his door. After entering the cabin, Aleksi relocked the door and let out a great sigh.
The young woman in his dreams, his upcoming duel with Kefta, and now Luka—everything was happening too quickly and it was all too much. I was only supposed to cross the ocean. It is not supposed to be like this! Aleksi sat on the floor and tried to calm his mind. No matter what he did, however, the youth couldn’t shake what Luka had said to him at dinner. Perhaps you have just not found the right Master, my boy. There are others out there who can teach you, and I promise they would not abandon you like the man you search for now.
Aleksi focused on his breath and desperately tried to force his mind to relax. It was no use, however, for his thoughts were flowing endlessly, like a river. So, just like he had been taught as a child, Aleksi relented and allowed his thoughts to drift by one by one as he focused on his breath.
Aleksi first saw Kefta’s malicious gaze as the boom swung across the stern deck. Next were the eyes of green flame and the rumbling voice’s deadly promise from his dream in Mindra’s Haven. Aleksi then felt the young woman’s passion—followed by her shame. Next, the youth saw the bloody faces and haunting stares of the dead soldiers in Mindra’s Haven. Aleksi also felt Fa’ell’s anger, Nara’s deep scars, and Brayden’s longing. Lastly, Aleksi saw Luka’s eyes and heard his poignant statement. “Perhaps you have just not found the right Master . . .”
Rudra is my true Master! The thought burst into Aleksi’s mind. And I will kill you, Luka, if you try to stop me! The idea surprised Aleksi greatly. Kill Luka? Why? How? If he is a Master of the Academy . . .
Suddenly, the young woman rose out of Aleksi’s stream of thoughts. Clothed in the same water of the mental river itself, she beckoned Aleksi to join her in its flowing current. A shiver ran through Aleksi’s body and the Rune on his hand pulsed painfully.
Opening his eyes in the darkness of his room, Aleksi looked down and saw light shining through the bandages on his palm, brighter than ever before. Agony shot through Aleksi’s arm as the light seeped up the Rune’s tendrils into his forearm. No, not now! The light was so bright he had to shield his eyes as the pain cut deeper into his shoulder. Curling up into a ball, Aleksi hugged his glowing arm to his chest. Not yet, I’m not ready!
As if in response, Aleksi felt the sensation of the young woman rise up in his chest. She was calling to him, urging him into the Dreamscape. Aleksi could not refuse her. Answering her summons, Aleksi closed his eyes.
Despite the burning pain, sleep took him instantly.
Aleksi was floating on his back. He opened his eyes and saw a sky of infinite azure. He felt the touch of the ocean encompass him—it was neither warm nor cool, just there. In the distance, the youth could hear waves washing against a coastline. He looked toward the sound and saw land. He swam for it.
Aleksi was at the shore in a heartbeat. Emerging from the water, he noticed he was dry. This did not surprise him. Looking up, the youth saw the towering Western Zenith. It shone out just like last time—watching, waiting.
Aleksi then saw her. The young woman was standing under the same willow tree. Sh
e was still clad in the same delicate dress, and its white fabric swayed in the warm breeze. Amid the green grasses, wisps of multicolored lights danced at her feet whimsically.
When she saw him, the young woman smiled, causing the light of her forehead to dim. The sight warmed Aleksi’s chest and he rushed to her across the sand, rock, and grass. Despite the distance, he was at the tree nearly instantly. Before Aleksi could enter the canopy, however, he felt the same barrier push him back. He raised his hands and pressed against it.
The young woman shook her head. As she did, the soft amber strands of her hair wavered in the breeze. They framed her elegant face in a halo of spun gold. Aleksi sighed and looked into her eyes. They shone like brilliant glaciers, vibrantly illuminated in a frosty cerulean, asking a silent question.
Aleksi opened himself to her and the young woman raised her hand to the wall. This time, she did not hesitate. She reached through the barrier and slid her fingers between his. The moment they touched, Aleksi’s heart once again erupted with emotion.
He gripped her hand and struggled against the wall. The young woman’s timidness had returned along with her bashful uncertainty. Still, she grasped his hand firmly and pulled him through the barrier. Aleksi’s breath caught in excitement as he felt the tree’s canopy flow over him. As he passed through, the wall seemed to grow thicker and the young woman was forced to pull even harder.
Suddenly, Aleksi came free and the barrier released him quickly. Stumbling, he fell into the young woman and knocked her backward. Before she could fall far, however, Aleksi pulled her close. The young woman held on to him tightly, and as she pressed her warm softness against him, he swallowed hard and looked into her eyes. They were illuminated with that same strong emotion he had experienced within her before. She felt something for him—something that had grown over their many encounters in their dreams.
She seemed to push her personal emotions away and again tried to tell Aleksi her urgent warning. Her lips moved, and while he could not hear her words, Aleksi could now feel their intention clearly. She was truly afraid of something—no, of someone.
Aleksi probed deeper and felt the young woman’s meaning. This person she warned of was cunning and powerful, and if he did not get his way, he would take over the ship. This man was going to act very soon and needed to be stopped.
But how can she possibly know about the ship? How can she know—?
The young woman looked into Aleksi with her brilliant-blue eyes and forcibly grasped his attention to tell him more. This danger on the ship, he was sent by another who was much more powerful. This greater threat wished to reshape the world to his own desires by usurping the Guardians and stealing their holy power. But, more importantly, to realize his goal, he would need to kill Aleksi—and to her, do worse . . .
Aleksi felt the young woman’s fear grow into terror. He then remembered the gigantic eyes of green flame and cold fury that had invaded his dreams in Mindra’s Haven. Those eyes had rung with a voice of thunder that spoke as if a landslide had assaulted his mind. The voice had called for Aleksi’s death and the destruction of the Guardians.
Alarm flooded through the young woman. Yes! That was the one who hunted them! That was the one who wanted to control her and wanted Aleksi dead. The young woman in Aleksi’s arms was regal and noble, but she was also truly afraid. With her body pressed against his, Aleksi could feel her innocence, her fright, and the gentleness of her womanhood. He tightened his arms around her and held her in the shelter of his embrace.
The young woman’s emotions changed. Her fear melted away and self-consciousness and abashment replaced it. Aleksi felt her breath grow heavy, causing her pert chest to firmly press against him. The young woman’s desire to tell Aleksi her warning was gone—it was now replaced with a new desire and embarrassment of her youthful yearnings.
With one strong hand on the small of her back, and a confidence he had not known he possessed, Aleksi pulled her body even closer to his. The young woman blushed as she looked up at him. Slowly, Aleksi put his other hand to her cheek and gently touched her skin. It was so smooth and soft. He traced the lines of her brow and jaw with his fingers. He had drawn her so many times and he knew these lines so well. But knowing and knowing, Aleksi realized, were two very different things.
The young woman swallowed and her body quivered against him. Aleksi felt suppressed emotions rise up in her, and he then felt her desperately try to push them back down. The young woman now looked at him with a new fear. It went beyond youthful inhibition or even the nervous uncertainty of love. Her new emotion felt heavy like duty and honor. It felt as imposing as the responsibility of governing nations—as daunting as sovereignty over the lives of millions. The young woman was now not just fearful of her own love and humiliated by what it meant, but afraid of betraying something even greater than both of them. She was afraid of betraying not only her people—but also the holy divinity of Terra itself.
As Aleksi continued to look into the young woman’s profoundly blue eyes, he felt her fear win out and she slipped away from him. Aleksi was also uncertain, and he, too, was nervous—but he was not scared. Not of the green eyes of fire or of the fury of the Guardians.
Gently, he brought his face to meet hers. Leaning in, Aleksi then kissed the young woman deeply. Her passion overcame her frightened inhibition. As the young woman’s lips embraced his, her heart and tongue welcomed him into her warmth. She tasted salty, and sweet, and wonderful.
Aleksi swam in her emotive essence. It was a musk of sensuality and allure—a promise of connection, oneness, and joy. He felt both her fragility and her strength—the tenderness of her skin and the power of her passion.
The young woman circled her arms around Aleksi and pulled him closer. Aleksi felt her heart delicately open to him. With its opening, he tasted her beauty, her light, and her vast power. Awash in emotion, he felt the slenderness of her figure, but he also could feel her strength. The young woman’s power was truly overwhelming.
Desire strongly built within him. In response, Aleksi pressed his firmness against the mound of her womanhood. Gasping, she dug her nails into his back and kissed him even deeper. All of her walls were down now. Reveling in their space of pure emotion, Aleksi experienced a connection to another in a way he had never before thought possible. He caressed her worries and celebrated her hopes—he nurtured her desires and guarded against her fears. He felt alive, free, and filled with joy—the joy of truly connecting to her.
Suddenly, the young woman pushed back and broke away from his embrace. Her eyes shone with pain, as if she did not believe what she had done. Aleksi reached out and touched her face consolingly, but the young woman shook her head. He felt anger within her. No. He felt shame, confusion, and, once again, fear.
The young woman’s face hardened and an invisible force pushed Aleksi away. Everything around them then suddenly changed. The willow tree began to swing violently as a wild wind picked up. It pushed at Aleksi, forcing him back toward the water. Aleksi fought the torrent and ground his boots into the sand. In response, the wind blew even harder, and he had to use his bandaged hand to block his eyes from the gale.
Aleksi saw tremendous storm clouds building above the Zenith Mountain. As he struggled against the storm, he looked at the young woman pleadingly, but her eyes and the bright light on her forehead pierced him like sharp blue ice. The young woman’s arms were crossed over her chest, and although her face was a mask of regal power and proud honor, her heart betrayed her.
Aleksi felt profound sadness well up inside of her, a sense of loss so strong it threatened to rip apart the world around them. He still felt her desire for his embrace, but while her longing and love flowed freely from her heart, they did not melt the ice of her eyes. Instead, they shone with pain and resentment.
High above, storm clouds obscured the Zenith’s light. Everything about them was cast in shadows of grey and sadness. Even the ocean behind was afoul in anguish. Waves crashed angrily on the rocky shore,
frothing their wrath across the coastline.
Aleksi tried to call out. But try as he might, the wind was too much. It pushed him farther away and his boots dug thick tracks into the sand. The sound of the gale rose in his ears—the wind was wailing the young woman’s lament.
Her icy eyes commanded him to leave.
Aleksi did not yield.
Howling, the wind kicked up a squall of water and sand. Aleksi had to cover his face as a blast of gravel tore at his skin. Yet even as it ripped his flesh, he hunkered down and fought against the torrent. Through his fingers, he saw that the willow tree was gone and the young woman was now standing alone on a harsh, rocky bluff. What had once been soft grasses and gentle hills were now sharp boulders and desolate barrens. What had been a frail white dress was now a long, regal sapphire robe, ornate and commanding.
A radiant fury filled the young woman’s eyes and forehead. The cold blue light streamed out into the darkness. She raised her robed arms high into the sky and called forth a tempest. The winds screamed about her, and rain and hail fell in icy sheets. The squall’s cold shards tore into Aleksi’s flesh, numbing his body and mind.
However, within Aleksi’s heart, love still burned. Through the torrent of wind and ice, Aleksi saw that tears were running down the young woman’s face. Amid the raging storm, sorrow flowed from her chest. There was grief, longing, and regret. There was regret of betraying Aleksi and herself, but what tore at her heart most of all was the regret of betraying her Arkai and her people.
In that instant, Aleksi understood this storm was not truly hers—the barrier was also not of her creation. Aleksi looked up at the Western Zenith. There, that was the seat of this fierce power. That was the cause of this violent storm. And while the young woman was not its captive, she was bound to its divine will.
Aleksi looked around in desperation as the icy tempest continued to slash at his flesh. No! It does not matter. Nothing does. I will challenge the Zenith itself to be with her! I will not let my love be stolen from me, not even by a god!
Rune of the Apprentice (The Rune Chronicles) Page 31
