Soon they came to a dead end. Talin did his weave, and the passage opened. They poured out into a warehouse stacked high with crates and lit by scattered Sunlamps. Here, there was barely any trembling at all. The crates quivered only a little.
"I know the way out of here," Talin said, motioning for everyone else to follow. They raced to the warehouse's exit and stepped out onto the snow-covered cobblestone streets.
"We need to get out of the city," Deril said.
"But how will we get past the guards at the gate?" Kae asked.
Talin stopped and turned to them. "I know a way. Follow me."
Out in the city, the tremors were weaker Still, people glanced around in panic. Many looked toward the palace, which had collapsed. Only its reinforced outside walls remained standing. Where were all the Firelords now?
"We shouldn't move too fast," Talin said. "Don't want to draw suspicion."
Davin chuckled, sounding out of breath. "I couldn't keep running anyways."
Deril was glad to know he wasn't alone in that. His father, who still clung to him, looked sweaty and exhausted.
"Are you doing all right?" Deril asked.
"I'll manage. Don't worry about me."
As they walked, the trembling continued. How powerful was this weave Halarik had performed? Had Atarin and the others realized by now that Halarik had done this, or did they still believe it was an effect of their weave failing to free Halarik?
People had a way of ignoring the truth if they didn't like it.
After walking for a few minutes, the party stopped at what looked like an ordinary stretch of the city's giant stone wall. Talin put a hand to the wall. "There's a secret passage here, designed for Fireweavers in need. Few people know about it."
The passage rumbled open, large enough for them to slip inside. Talin closed the passage behind them, then strode to the other side of the wall, where he opened another passage.
They stepped through this second hole, leaving the city behind.
"Now let's get out of here," Kae said. "The chaos will only keep them busy so long."
Despite their exhaustion, they marched northward. Today, there was no snow, but the air felt bitterly cold. Deril had few reserves left to battle the cold, so he had to endure it and hope that his thick furs were enough.
Eventually, he recharged his light reserves, and he was glad for the warmth that came with Red Suncasting. That night, utterly exhausted, they settled down in the middle of nowhere and started a small fire. Everyone huddled close to the fire, warming their hands above its flames.
As they'd walked, Deril had told his father everything. The story took a long time to recount, but his father listened patiently, his eyebrows lifting at the mention of Kadin's Sunlord powers. Was there something Deril's father hadn't told him?
They all looked miserable as they sat around the fire, but no one looked as bad as Kae. She had lost her husband. She'd managed thus far to remain strong, but Deril knew a person couldn't do that forever. In truth, he still hadn't accepted Tiran's death.
So they sat in subdued silence, barely speaking or acknowledging one another. It didn't feel as victory should. Yes, they'd prevented Halarik's return, but they'd suffered a lot to do so. In time, they would realize the importance of what they'd done. For the moment, though, Deril felt numb and without direction. What would he do now? The world couldn't be the same after this. Surely people would see how Sunweavers and Fireweavers worked together.
But were the people of Tarileth ready to accept that?
"We did a great thing," he said, breaking a long silence.
Kae looked up. "I know. Tharik did a great thing as well."
"Yes, he did save my life," Kadin said, looking down at the ground. "But I don't feel like I deserved that sacrifice."
Faina leaned against Kadin. "You're a Sunlord, Kadin, a real Sunlord. He died to protect you because you're important. The world needs you."
"But they have one Sunlord already," Kadin said, glancing at Deril's father.
The Sunlord cleared his throat. "I'm not going to live forever. And as long as you're around, it will be more difficult for them to try this again."
Tense silence fell, and Deril's legs bounced. He couldn't believe how close the world had come to seeing the return of Halarik.
Fire glowed upon Kadin's face. "What kind of life is it, being a Sunlord?"
Deril's father chuckled. "In truth, it's not the most exciting. It's very rare that people kidnap us. No, you'll spend most of your life within the walls of the Temple of Aralea." He chuckled. "A temple for a goddess that's been dead six hundred years."
"Maybe I could use a little boredom," Kadin said, almost smiling.
Deril's father leaned toward Kadin, squinting as though examining the boy. "I find it curious that a Sunlord showed up among the Lightless. That contradicts everything we've ever believed. I don't think it's possible."
Kadin fidgeted, avoiding eye contact. "Well, my mother said my father wasn't my real father."
"What's your mother's name?" asked Deril's father.
"Andella Telluri."
Deril saw a look he'd never seen on his father's face. The man looked caught somewhere between sadness and great joy. At last, he said, "Then I think I'm your father, Kadin."
Deril looked at his father. "What? How is that possible?"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," his father said, "but I wasn't always faithful to your mother. In my younger days, I sought out beautiful women to satisfy me. Some of them were even Lightless. By then, I thought my Sunlord powers had robbed me of the ability to reproduce. I never thought I'd be able to produce a child so late in life, but it looks like I did."
Kadin's mouth was hanging open. He looked like he wanted to speak, but said nothing.
"I was with her at the right time to produce you," Deril's father continued. "And the fact that you're a Sunlord makes it a near certainty that you're my son."
"It seems so ridiculous," Kadin said. "How could I grow up being abused so much when I was the Sunlord's own son?"
"I'm sorry for what you had to go through," Deril's father said. "If I'd known about you, I would have taken you to live with me as soon as possible."
Kadin flashed a rare smile. "It's all right, I guess. After all, I get to live with you now."
Deril's father returned the smile. "Yes, you do, my son."
"I suppose I have a new brother now," Deril said, suppressing a chuckle. "I'm sorry I was so hard on you all this time."
"It's all right," Kadin said. "Everything worked out in the end."
Deril scooted over beside Kadin and wrapped an arm around him. "Yes, it did."
Kae looked grave, though. "I hope Andra is all right. I have no idea if she's truly with us anymore." She forced a smile. "I'm glad you have new family Deril. I only wish I hadn't lost mine in the process."
Talin cleared his throat. "I think Andra's still out there. She's smart and resourceful."
"She is," Kae said, looking down at the ground.
Deril wished he could comfort her, but he still felt the sting of losing Tiran. In time, that would fade, as the loss of Tharik would fade for Kae. How much time, Deril had no idea.
The road from here would not be easy. There was a lot of healing to do, a lot of change that was necessary. In addition, Atarin and Karik were out there somewhere, plotting their next move. But Deril could worry about all that later. For now, he could find comfort in his father, and in his new brother.
Life back home would never be the same. Whether or not that was a good thing, Deril wasn't sure.
Thank you for taking a chance on Sunweaver. If you enjoyed it, please do take the time to leave a review on Goodreads and/or Amazon. And if you're looking to stay updated on new releases and sales, please sign up for my mailing list.
Sign up here: Mailing List
If you enjoyed Sunweaver, you might be interested in my other series, World in Chains. Links to the books are available here:
&nb
sp; Book 1: Empire of Chains
Book 2: The Shadowed Land
Sunweaver Page 33
