Jaius frowned as he took the heavy saddlebags. “There's more to it than that, Galen. You’ve always acted strangely when it comes to Kira.”
Galen wanted to change the subject before Jaius dug too deep and reopened wounds that were still too fresh. “Tell me about the Ruheshi, please.”
The frown changed to puzzlement, but Jaius began to recite the legend from memory as they meandered through the camp. “You know that according to legend, the first elves were created from the tears of Elios. These tears became their souls. However, when some of the tears fell, they split into two drops, creating two incomplete souls. The Ruheshi are these incomplete souls, constantly searching for their other half. When they find each other, they try to merge. Most describe it as a silver cord pulling them closer to the other half.”
Galen halted, his throat tightening. “But surely, it's not real. It's just a legend.”
“No, it's real. My parents were Ruheshi.”
He turned to Jaius. “You never told me that.”
“You never asked.”
“But if the legend is true, then it should only be between elves.”
Jaius’ sharp blue eyes filled with understanding, but he had the courtesy to wait until they were in Galen's tent to ask, “You think Kira is your Ruheshi?”
Galen nodded and sank into a chair, misery seeping into every pore of his body.
“So what are you going to do about it?” he asked as he secured the orb in the trunk.
“Nothing.” As if there was anything he could do about it. She was a human, and the Elders would frown upon their relationship. “There are more important matters to attend to.”
“Is that the only reason?” Jaius sat on the trunk and waited for his response.
“No, there's more than that.” He told Jaius about Mab’s tricks and confessed that he tried to force himself on her while under the faerie's influence. “I paid a price for the orb. She looks at me with a type of loathing I never imagined.”
***
The next morning, Galen was still battling with his guilt when Thoranus and Lohman came to visit. The Elder immediately knew he was troubled when he entered the tent. “Were you able to convince Queen Mab to give it to you?”
“Yes.” He silently urged the other elf not to say any more.
“Kira said it was a difficult journey. No wonder you look as worn out as her.”
“You’ve seen her this morning, Lohman?”
“Yes, she was visiting with Arlisle and Fergan this morning.” The human leaned back on the cushions, making himself at home in Galen’s tent. “Although I must admit she looks different with the long hair. I guess that was one faerie trick that worked out well. She’s going to have a hard time keeping all the men away from her now, or should I say, Arlisle will have a hard time keeping the other men away from her since he’s pretty much claimed her as his.”
Galen winced at the thought of Kira in the Highmounter’s arms.
Thoranus paced the length of the tent. “Lohman, let's direct our conversation to the matter at hand. We have three of the Tears of Elios already. Paleah, Orin, and Tyrrus should be back any day now with a fourth. And Ranealya is recovering three more. That means we need to find seven casters for the ritual. Who should we ask?”
“This is my idea, so I will participate,” Galen replied.
“You know you can count on me and Fergan from the humans.”
“And I will be casting alongside you.” Thoranus crossed his arms. “Do you think Mab will send a caster?”
“We discussed it, but you know how reliable she is.”
Thoranus nodded in agreement. “Elisus has expressed interest in participating in the ritual.”
Lohman rolled his eyes, a whine rising into his voice. “We’re not that desperate, are we?”
“Elisus may be an elitist,” Galen replied, “but he is a skilled caster. He was one of the High Elves that banished the drae.”
“The what?” The human reclined back against the cushions. “Never mind. It must be part of the elvan history that happened long before I was even a twinkle in my parents’ eyes.”
Galen and Thoranus exchanged glances. This occurred long before the humans arrived in Elgeus.
“The dwarves volunteered Orin as their representative for the ritual, considering he's one of the few with the gift,” the Elder continued. “Paleah may also be considered from the elves, if she is willing to participate.”
“Trying to guess what Paleah will do is always interesting, Thoranus.” Galen waited for more suggestions from them before concluding, “It sounds like we have five confirmed casters and several alternates. I've also spoken to Kira about creating a new gate to take the women and children to safety, should Anilayus attack before the ritual is completed.”
Lohman jumped to his feet. “Kira! That's who we should ask to participate in the ritual. The gift is stronger in her than anyone I've ever seen.”
“Absolutely not!” His refusal stunned both his guests, but Galen didn’t care what they thought. He didn’t want to put her at risk of dying because of the ritual, especially if it failed. “She's far too young.”
“She's an adult by human standards,” Lohman countered.
“She has little control of her powers. Tyrrus was too negligent in his training.”
“I'll have to agree with Galen on this issue, Lohman.” A hint of a smile played on the elf’s lips. “You of all people should know how easily human women lose control of themselves.”
Galen missed the joke behind his words, but judging by Lohman's frown, Thoranus knew more about the human’s female problems than he did. “Please don't mention the ritual to her. I need her focused on the gate since she's the only one who knows how to make it work.”
They nodded. Lohman muttered something under his breath about wastefulness as he exited the tent, but Thoranus lingered for a moment after the human left. “You are troubled, Galen.”
“I have much on my mind.”
“Jaius told me that he is worried about you, but he wouldn't tell me why.”
Galen was grateful for his friend’s silence. “I appreciate your concern, Thoranus, but at the moment, I wish to keep my problems to myself.” He turned to the scrolls scattered across his desk and began reviewing them.
The Elder took the hint that he wished to end the discussion and nodded. “If you need to lessen the burden on your mind or your heart, let me know.”
Galen waited until he was alone before cleared the desk with one sweep of his arm. He’d never kept secrets from Thoranus before. The Elder had always been a mentor to him, a second father. He would probably view him with disgust if Galen shared everything that troubled him.
Galen stared at the canvas ceiling. His confidence slowly slipped away from him.
He took a few minutes to regain his composure before picking up the scrolls and opening them. He searched for anything he could use to his advantage against Anilayus. It was early evening before he realized that Kira had missed her lesson with him. It was unlike her to do that.
He was about to go find her when Paleah peeked her head through the tent flap. She was beautiful, even by elvan standards, with her glossy black hair and piercing blue eyes. But she was also renowned for her stubbornness and razor-sharp tongue, scaring away most men that would try to approach her. “May we come in?”
“Of course,” Galen replied. Paleah gave him the orb from the sack she carried, and Orin followed behind her on his stubby legs. He was so preoccupied with examining the orb that it took him a minute to realize that only two of them returned. “Where's Tyrrus?”
Paleah winced at the mention of his name, and Galen remembered Kira’s vision about the dragon. His stomach tightened.
“Where is his apprentice?” she replied.
CHAPTER 20
Gregor relaxed once they came into the more familiar surroundings of Arcana. At one point, he thought he could see the village of Gentilmead and the spires of the Academy in the distan
ce. The pleasant memories from those places distracted him for a few hours.
Mostly, though, he was grateful for the level terrain. The last few days had taken their toll on his body. They had ridden over unbroken trails and wildlife runs through the mountains, but he understood why Ranealya wanted to stay off the main roads and far away from civilization.
It had been three days since the Azekborn attacked them, and she had become more distant from him than ever before. It reminded him of when they first met and she said nothing to him. Only now, there was a different kind of pain in her face. Not physical pain—mental pain.
He knew he was partially to blame. Perhaps he had over-reacted. Yes, he’d been frightened and disgusted by her behavior, but he realized now she’d acted that way to protect him. He’d never even thanked her for saving his life, and the guilt began to weigh on him.
His feelings for her still confused him. How could one woman make him so angry, so terrified, and so weak in the knees with lust? Part of him was still upset that they’d been interrupted once again. This time, she wasn’t teasing him. And even though she was going to great efforts to distance herself from him, he still desired her.
At least the reprieve had given him time to figure out the problem with her dress. While they rode through the mountains, he catalogued every spell he knew. Last night, he discovered that if he combined two spells—one to make the clothing invisible and another to make it expand and shrink with her body—she would be able to shape-shift without removing her clothing. He cast the spells on the green dress, and Ranealya tested it out by changing into a wolf while wearing it. The result pleased them both.
They continued to travel towards the southwest, hugging the hills of the Green Mountains. Yesterday, they forged the rain swollen Gentil River, which was far from gentle and made him wish he was a better swimmer. He would have been swept off his horse if she hadn’t held on to him as they crossed. Today, though, was sunny and mild, the classic eternal spring weather Arcana was known for.
Ahead of him, Ranealya made a sharp turn to the right and disappeared from view. Gregor followed her into a steep, canyon. It seemed so out of place with its jagged, grey walls and narrow passages compared to the rolling emerald mountains, yet it was so well concealed, he wondered how many times he’d passed it and never seen it. The canyon became too narrow to allow them to proceed on horseback, so Gregor tied his mount next to hers.
“Where are we?” He jumped when his voice echoed off the walls.
Ranealya shot him an angry glance. “So much for sneaking up on the guardian,” she whispered. “We are near the location of the second Tear.”
“How did you find this place?”
She crept forward. “I told you. I saw it in the other orb. Each orb will show the location—”
“—of the others,” Gregor finished. “But I never dreamed a place like this existed around here.”
She snickered. “There are many things hidden right in front of your human eyes, Gregor. You just don't know how to look for them. Now, silence.”
They continued along the canyon with Ranealya in the lead for almost an hour. The light dimmed as they travelled. Her stance became more protective, and he wondered what kind of guardian would be there to greet them at the end. His mind began to list all the creatures that could be more dangerous than a griffin.
He was considering casting an illumination spell when a sunbeam filled the canyon with a blinding light. A round opening in the rocks appeared. The sun remained bright and cheery overhead, but judging by how every muscle in Ranealya’s body tensed, he hesitated to continue ahead.
“Don't touch anything once we enter the cave, no matter how tempting it is,” she warned.
Gregor grabbed a hold of her cloak as he followed into the darkness, ignoring the irregular beating of his heart when his vision faltered. She allowed him a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the dreary surroundings before moving forward. For once, he envied her predatory senses and how easily they adapted to the new environment. She moved with stealth through the cave, whereas he tripped over every rock in his path. At one point, she stopped and turned to him. He didn’t need to see her face to know she was annoyed with him. “Sorry,” he whispered.
He heard her sigh in response before she continued.
It wasn’t long before the faint glow of fire warmed the walls of the cave. The path widened, and lit torches appeared to light their way. The flickering orange lights grew brighter as they went deeper. He began to relax at the signs of civilized life, but she became more ill at ease.
The tunnel opened up into a large cavern as they turned another corner, and Gregor’s jaw dropped. Elaborate stone columns painted with gold and inlaid with gemstones held up the roof. Piles of treasure lined every wall.
And in the very center of the room, sat a sphinx.
“Greetings, travelers,” it said. “I wondered when you would arrive. What is your purpose for entering my home?”
Ranealya placed herself between him and the sphinx. “We come only for the Tear of Elios.”
The sphinx stretched one of its massive leonine paws and lowered into a crouch. Its tail twitched. “I know what my treasure is worth, and you will not get it easily.”
Ranealya responded in the same manner, preparing to pounce. A feral expression distorted her features, and he wondered if she was planning on shape-shifting into a sphinx to battle the guardian the same way she did with the griffin.
His stomach lurched. Unwilling to see her stoop to that level of brutality once again, he ducked between them.
“Get out of the way, Gregor,” she growled.
“No,” he replied, surprised his voice didn’t tremble like the rest of his body threatened to do. “Surely, there is some way to resolve this without violence.”
He turned to the sphinx and waited for his confidence to rise before speaking. “I've always heard that sphinxes were intelligent creatures. You must know some way that we can reach an agreement.”
The sphinx relaxed with a surprised expression on its very human appearing face. Gregor turned and glared at Ranealya until she responded in the same way, rising to a standing position.
“Very well,” the sphinx said. “I will give you a riddle to answer, human. If you are correct, you may take the orb as you desire. If you're incorrect, you and your companion will be my dinner.” It grinned, displaying the sharp fangs in its mouth.
Gregor’s mouth grew dry.
Her eyes narrowed. “Don't take the chance, Gregor. I can take it.”
“No, not this time. I'm going to prove to you that violence is not always the answer.” He faced the sphinx and took a deep breath, expanding his chest as far as he could. “What is your riddle?”
The sphinx reclined back on its haunches and recited:
“From the beginning of eternity,
To the end of time and space,
To the beginning of every end,
And the end of every place.
What am I?”
Gregor had always considered himself clever, but this riddle was far more complicated than he had expected. He cleared his mind and replayed the words. The beginning of eternity? He sank to the ground. His forehead rested in his hand as he repeated the riddle over and over again to himself.
“Perhaps you underestimated my intelligence, human.” The sphinx retrieved a small sandglass from his treasure piles and turned it. “You have this long to solve the riddle. I grow impatient for dinner.”
Ranealya waited at the edge of the room and leaned against the cavern walls, her arms crossed. He could almost hear her thoughts as she drummed her long fingernails on her arm. What kind of mess has Gregor gotten us into now? He should have listened to me. But as he stared at her, her attention remained fully fixed on the sphinx. When she saw him out of corner of her eye, she offered a grim smile, and he knew she would die fighting before she let the sphinx have his dinner.
Not that he wished for it to come to that.
&
nbsp; The sandglass reached half-empty mark in a matter of minutes, and he still had no idea of the answer. His leg began to twitch. He admitted that he had underestimated the sphinx’s capabilities when it came to the riddle. Any creature that could amass this much treasure had to be of more than an average intelligence.
Gregor began scratching the words into the stone floor with a rock, piquing both Ranealya's and the sphinx’s curiosity. “The beginning of every end, and the end of every place.”
He looked up and saw the sands slipping away faster. He had maybe two minutes left. He turned back to the words on the ground, desperate to make sense of them. His vision blurred, and although he wasn’t a religious man, he offered a quick prayer to Mariliel for help. Hopefully, she wouldn’t abandon him when he was this close to the answer.
The letter “e” stood out from his scratches. He grabbed the rock and underlined it in each word. It was at the beginning of the words “eternity” and “end” and at the end of the words “time”, “space”, and “place”.
He looked up and saw the sands were almost empty. The sphinx licked its lips, and he felt Ranealya's hand on his shoulder, ready to pull him away when the sphinx attacked.
“The letter E,” he answered and held his breath.
The sphinx took a step back and frowned. The cavern remained silent except for the pounding of Gregor’s heart in his own ears. Then it nodded. “You are correct, human.” It bowed to him. “You may claim your prize, worthy opponent.”
Ranealya hugged him, her face beaming with pleasure. He had never seen her so happy before. He smiled and hoped his face mirrored her joy instead of the fear that had filled him seconds before.
She took a step forward, but the large paw of the sphinx blocked her. “He answered the riddle, Cursed One, not you. Only he may retrieve the Tear of Elios.”
She looked back at him, worried. “It's another trick. It knows you can't touch it.”
Gregor stood and frowned. She was always keeping him away from the orbs. “Why not?”
The Tears of Elios Page 22
