Heir of Hope (Follower of the Word Book 3)

by Morgan L. Busse

  “The Monastery follows the Word.”

  “And other rules, too.”

  Nierne crossed her arms.

  “The Word says it is not good to be alone. I know I don’t want to be alone.” He looked at her. “What about you?”

  There were Father Reth’s words again. It is not good to be alone. She didn’t want to be alone. And she would be, especially if Simon chose not to let her be a scribe. But the thought of bonding scared her. And to a man like Caleb . . .

  “I don’t know, Caleb. I’m not there.”

  He cupped her jaw and brought her face back toward his. His eyes roved across her face and for one heartbeat she thought he was going to kiss her again.

  A part of her wanted him to.

  His eyes lingered on her lips before he dropped his hand. “I won’t do that again. I won’t kiss you.” A sliver of disappointment welled up inside her. “You have my word. But I will wait for you.” His eyes had that same determination, that same iron will. “And when this is over, I will ask you.”

  “Ask me what?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead, he turned and headed out the door. “Don’t be out here too long.”

  Nierne watched him go, torn between her heart and her mind.

  Chapter

  37

  Caleb leaned against the wall and watched the people gather inside the large cavern. There were hundreds of men, women, even children, and more gathered by the minute, spilling into the tunnels and additional rooms. The air was hot and full of an earthy smell, mingling with body odor. Stifling, like a roaring furnace.

  In the middle of the room a large bonfire burned, the flames reaching above the people’s heads. The smoke rose high above, weaving between the rocks hanging from the ceiling and through a small crack at the very top. The fire contributed to the heat, but it was the only source of light that reached across the entire cavern.

  He crossed his arms, watching for one person. Heads bobbed up and down, people jostled each other, voices rose and fell around the cavern. A minute later Nierne appeared in the nearest doorway. She looked around, but didn’t see him.

  A smile curled along his lips, his thoughts pulled back to yesterday afternoon, to that searing moment he had shared with her. Even now the memory lit a fire inside of him. This passion was different than any other he had experienced before. Yes, he had been with other women, and done more than kiss. But not like this.

  She made her way through the crowd, almost swallowed amongst those taller than her, which was almost everyone.

  Caleb waited. She reappeared, her hair a deep red in dark light. She still hadn’t spotted him, or whoever it was she was looking for.

  He watched her, aware now of the connection between them. He could feel all the souls in this room with his Eldaran blood, like wisps along a living river. But his link with Nierne was different, like their very souls had intertwined.

  He tilted his head. Was this because he knew her more than he had known any other woman? He had thought bonding was just some ritual two people went through, a ceremony of words and a marking of blood. Never did he think there was more to it than that.

  She turned and spotted him.

  He gave her a lazy smile. No, what he had with Nierne—what had grown between them ever since he first met her—was a real bonding. A joining of every part of them, the heart, the mind, the spirit, and eventually body.

  He knew what he wanted. He just needed to wait for her to want the same thing.

  She hesitated, then made her way over to his side. “Caleb.”

  “Nierne.”

  They hadn’t spoken since yesterday She rubbed her arms and looked around. “So many people. And I don’t know a single one.” She inched closer to him. “I haven’t even seen Lore.”

  He didn’t say anything, just simply studied her face, the way her hair curled around her chin, the small dots across her nose, the turn of her lips.

  She looked up when he didn’t answer. They stared at each other, neither one blinking. Someone threw a log onto the bonfire, causing flames to rise and spit into the air before settling back down.

  Nierne bit her lip and turned away.

  What thoughts were flitting across her mind?

  Cargan stood up on one of the large stone slabs that surrounded the bonfire and raised his hands for silence. The voices dimmed across the cavern. The fire crackled and spit before he spoke. “You all know why we are here. The time has come to get Thyra back.”

  Mutterings erupted across the room. Cargan held his hands up again until all was silent. “I’m not much of an orator.” Laughter broke out in one corner of the cavern. He sent them a scathing look. “So I’ve asked Senator Regessus to speak today.”

  Caleb spotted Regessus before he even stepped up onto the stone slab. Regessus turned and looked over the people with a solemn gaze. The crowd quieted again.

  “Men and women of Thyra. For over a year we have been imprisoned, twisted, consumed, and forced to hide in caves and mines because of two beings. The Shadonae.”

  Heads nodded and whispers spread across the room.

  “They have no love for us, no love for mankind. We are vermin to them, creatures to be captured, used, and killed. But no more. Today we will take back what is ours.”

  He held up his hands. “This will not be a battle, not in the way wars are usually fought. We are not fighting an enemy who possesses an army. We will be fighting two beings with power beyond our own, who surround themselves with wraiths and use our own men against us.”

  “Then how can we possibly succeed?” someone shouted. Others murmured in agreement.

  “As some of you have heard, those of us who were freed from Cragsmoor were freed by another being of power. An Eldaran. She freed my mind from the Shadonae’s influence. She has the power to free all of our people.”

  “But what about the shadows?”

  At the shouted question, people nodded and whispered to one another.

  Regessus held up a hand. “Recently another Eldaran joined us, one with the power to banish the shadows.”

  Voices rose across the cavern. A couple people shouted, “Who?” Heads turned and people looked around. Caleb pressed his back against the cavern wall. A couple eyes lingered on him, but he was so deep in the shadows no one could see him. His fingers brushed the hilt of his blade.

  “And how do we know that these Eldarans are on our side? How do we know they won’t turn on us?”

  Senator Regessus held his hands up again, motioning for the people to quiet down. “If the Eldarans had wanted to harm us, they would have done so by now. Instead, the woman Eldaran gave up her freedom to rescue those of us in Cragsmoor and the other Eldaran has agreed to fight the shadows for us, putting his own life in danger.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything!”

  Others agreed.

  “Have we forgotten how to trust? How to believe in goodness?” Regessus stared down at the people. A hush fell across the masses. “Yes, we have lived in darkness for over a year. We have been on the run, and hiding for our lives. But do not let that taint you. Do not forget there is light. And where there is light, there is hope. If we lose that, then we lose everything and we might as well go back to our caves and cells. Only hope will save us now.”

  “And the Word,” Caleb said quietly.

  Nierne looked back and nodded.

  “So we must believe. I believe. In times past, it was the Eldarans who stood for mankind. So it is again. They have come from the far reaches of the Lands to stand with us now. Will we stand with them?”

  People looked at each other and whispered.

  “But what about the Shadonae?” a woman called out.

  Regessus’s face turned hard. “There will be no mercy given to them when the time comes. We welcomed Valin and Malchus with open arms and friendship. They
repaid us with acts of war. As such, they shall receive their due recompense as enemies of Thyra.”

  Shouts echoed across the cavern. Men threw fists in the air.

  Caleb understood the bloodlust. These people had been ravaged by the Shadonae. They wanted vengeance. But unless it was tempered, they would end up becoming that which they were fighting.

  Cargan stood up on the stone slab beside Regessus. The fire had died down behind the two men. Cargan raised his hands. It took almost a minute for the crowd to quiet. “We leave at dawn, men. We will meet at the mine’s entrance. Now, go and rest. Spend this last night with your families and loved ones. Make sure your gear and weapons are ready. Until then . . .” He waved his hand and dismissed the group.

  Voices rose inside the cavern. Caleb stayed where he was, watching the people shuffle past him on their way out. Others stood around, speaking loudly, their voices carrying across the room. Nierne stood close beside him, watching the crowd leave.

  Perhaps it was arrogance, but he wasn’t afraid of the upcoming battle. Instead, he was focused and ready. But just in case something did happen, he wanted to talk to Nierne one last time. Just not here.

  Caleb stepped away from the wall and saw Lore on the other side of the doorway. Make that two people.

  He wove his way through the crowd. He had been through too much with Lore not to say something now. A couple feet away, he raised his voice. “Lore.”

  Lore glanced up, his gaze clear, his jaw set.

  “Are you ready?”

  “I am.”

  “I hope you find Rowen.”

  “I will find her.” His voice was firm. “One way or another.”

  For Lore and all their sakes, Caleb hoped so. “I will see you tomorrow.”

  Lore looked past him. “Do you plan on bidding Nierne farewell before we leave?”

  “Yes.”

  “She just left. You can probably catch her before she reaches the women’s quarters.”

  Caleb looked over his shoulder in time to see a glint of red disappear through the doorway.

  “Go.” He waved at the doorway. “During times like these you don’t want to leave things unsaid.”

  Caleb nodded and left the main room. Halfway down the corridor, he stopped. He still didn’t pray much, his walk with the Word more action than words. But the words came from deep inside. He didn’t know Rowen. Their meeting had been brief and life changing in that field by the White City over a year ago. But he did know Lore. In fact, he considered Lore a friend, one of the few he had.

  He closed his eyes. Word, let Lore find Rowen. Let her still be alive. Let there be a happy ending to all of this. For both of them.

  It wasn’t much, but it was from his heart.

  A minute later, he spotted Nierne and followed her down the corridor. Just as he caught up to her, she turned and entered another large cavern. Makeshift tables and benches were set up in rows. Candles were placed across the tables, creating a soft light across the cave-room. It was a dining hall of sorts, but in a rough sway.

  A couple sat at the table nearest the doorway. Nierne bypassed them and the other tables and headed to the back where barrels of water stood. She took the dipper and plunged it into the water. She didn’t seem to realize he had followed her. She took a drink, drew more water, and drank again.

  “Well, this is it.”

  She spun around and sloshed water across her front. “Caleb! You really shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.” She hung the dipper back on the peg and wiped at the stain.

  Caleb shrugged. “Hard to break old habits.”

  She rubbed the fabric more. “So, you leave tomorrow.”

  “Yes.”

  Nierne looked up and studied him the same way she had back in the cavern. What was she thinking when she looked at him? What did she see? How did she feel?

  “I’ll miss you.”

  His thoughts came to an abrupt halt. No one had ever told him that before. Corin gave him orders and Ailis never knew about his missions. But Nierne knew where he was going and the danger he would be in.

  She reached over and took one of his hands, sending another jolt through him. Her fingers were cool and smooth against his own hot skin.

  He gripped her hand and stared down into her eyes. “You know I’ll come back.”

  She shook her head. “You might be able to banish shadows, but you can’t promise me that.”

  “You’re right. I don’t know what will happen. But you know the Word is with me.”

  She swallowed and glanced down at their hands. Her skin was pale against his darker tones. “The Word was with Father Reth as well.”

  He ran his thumb across the top of her knuckles. “If that is my end—death—then so be it. At least I will die serving the Word.”

  The hum of voices from the other side of the room filled the silence between them.

  Nierne looked back up. “Are you scared to die?” There was a rawness in her gaze.

  “No.” He could honestly say that now. His nightmares no longer held sway over him. “But I would miss what could have been.” He looked directly into her eyes. “I will be back. Then we will talk.”

  “You keep saying that. About what?”

  “You already know.”

  Her eyes moved back and forth, but she didn’t say a word.

  A weight sat across his chest as he let go of her hand and turned around. He feared little in life, but he did fear that. That in the end, Nierne would choose the Monastery and her vows over him. It was her right to choose, if Simon let her back into the order.

  But the thought left a strange emptiness inside of him.

  Chapter

  38

  The door opened behind Valin inside the senate tower. He didn’t turn around. Instead, he watched the reflection of Malchus entering in the window in front of him.

  Malchus spotted him and shut the door. He made his way across the room, past the circle of chairs in the middle, and came to stand beside Valin.

  Valin didn’t move, didn’t acknowledge his presence. They hadn’t talked in days, not since the incident with Rowen. “Come to gloat?”

  Malchus kept his lips tightly closed. Just as well. He would probably tear Malchus’s eyes out if he said the wrong thing right now. And Malchus probably knew that. Malchus knew him better than anyone.

  The two stood silent before the window. Dull grey clouds stretched across the sky. Thyra was as empty as ever below. With all their plans, with all their scheming, they were still here in this graveyard of a city a year after the White City should have fallen.

  The Temanin Empire had failed them. Velyni had failed them. They hadn’t heard from their Thyrian informant in months. And now Rowen . . .

  Valin clenched his hand. No. It went all the way to the beginning. The Word had failed them. And then Mercia, and Anwar, and all the other Eldarans. They had been too cowardly to take what was rightfully theirs—the power inside them. And too cowardly to actually follow the Word. The fools. Even he had understood one must either be hot or cold. At least he chose.

  He clenched his hand even tighter, his leather glove squeaking under the pressure. Yes, there had been many setbacks. But he and Malchus had enjoyed a few victories. They were still alive. And they controlled not only Thyra, but all of Kerre. There would be more countries, more victories. He slowly released his hand. He would not give up, not until there was no more life inside him.

  A slow smile spread across his face. And that would not be happening anytime soon.

  The door opened behind them with a long, low groan. Valin looked in the window and watched their informant walk in.

  “Juris.” He turned. “Please, take a seat.”

  Juris hesitated, then sat down in the chair closest to the door.

  Malchus changed. His gaze grew intent, his body alert.
The more he tore the veil, the more he seemed to hunger for souls.

  “It’s been a while since you brought us information.” Valin sat down three chairs to Juris’s left. Malchus came and stood behind him, his hands across the back of his chair.

  Juris shrugged, a bit stiffly. “It’s not easy to get away from Cargan. And there hasn’t been much to report, other than the few outposts. Until now.”

  There was a weasel look to Juris, something Valin had noted when they first arrived in Thyra. That, and a weasel-like aura. Juris’s eyes shifted between him and Malchus. Yes, he could feel Juris now—a mixture of greed and fear. So easy to manipulate.

  Valin placed his hand along the arm of the chair. “We’re listening. What news do you have?”

  “Cargan is planning a covert attack on Thyra in three days.”

  “Well, well. Cargan is going to make his move, after what, a year?” He smiled. “He doesn’t stand a chance.”

  “He does this time.” Juris leaned forward. “There is a foreigner who arrived a couple days ago who has the ability to kill your shadow-wraiths.”

  He sat up. “What do you mean?”

  “A Temanin. I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. He pulled a blade of light from his palm.”

  Valin froze. “A Guardian? It can’t be. There are no more Eldarans. We have the last one here, Mercia’s own daughter. There were no other children . . .”

  Juris gave him a shrewd look. “Well, apparently you’re wrong.”

  Valin gripped the arm of the chair. “We would have known if there was another Eldaran. We would have felt this other being.”

  “He’s real enough, whether you felt him or not. He used the blade on his companion, a woman scribe from the Monastery. It was she who found him and brought him to Kerre.”

  “And what happened to the woman?”

  “The blade passed right through her, like a beam of light.”

  Heat seeped into Valin’s cheeks. “It’s not possible. Perhaps he’s a sorcerer, able to conjure imag—”