Today, they sailed for the island of Ellvin.
“I don’t see them yet,” Kiernan complained, craning her neck to see over the large crowd gathered to see the royals off on their latest voyage.
“Stop fussing, they will be here,” he assured her and as soon as the words left his mouth, a loud murmur raced through the suddenly parting throng and Beck caught glances of white. White horses high stepping in unison. White hair flowing in the wind. The Elves had arrived.
“See? It’s Airron, Melania and Izzy.”
“Father!” The shout drew his attention to his eldest son, Kellan, striding toward him. Muscular, tall and dark-haired, most people commented, and Beck had to agree, that he was the spitting image of him. Following silently behind Kellan was his second son, Kane. Blonde, like Kiernan, Kane was quieter and much more reserved than his larger than life brother. Shadowing both, were their male Draca Cats, Maks and Jain.
“I looked for Kenley as you asked,” Kellan grumbled, “but she is nowhere to be found. You really need to take a firmer hand with her, father.”
Beck promptly ignored the pointed look his wife gave him and turned toward the sound of heavy staccato steps striking the cobblestone road signaling the arrival of the Dwarves. Another wide furrow in the crowd formed as Rogan, Janin, Reilly and Jala appeared at the entrance to the harbor in the midst of a ring of Dwarven Iron Fists.
Another loud cheer roared for the impressive troupe and Beck smiled, anxious to see his old friends again. As the only Mage on the island, it was his duty to seek out new technologies and methods from other peoples around the world and in that effort gratefully accepted the assistance of the Savitars to accompany him on his seafaring journeys. Given that the trips proved so highly beneficial to Massa, this trek today would be the fourth in as many years ordered by the Council of Kings.
Over the noise on the dock and the streets below, Beck and Kiernan greeted Airron, Rogan and their families as they stepped onto the wide pier.
A tap on his shoulder spun him around. It was the Ship Captain, Rafe Wilden. “She is ready when you are, Your Grace.” She being The Wanderer, a three-masted dinoque of considerable size.
“Thank you, Captain, but we are still waiting for…” Beck let his words trail off when he caught sight of Kirby Nash and Kenley’s Draca Cat, Baya, moving smoothly through the crowd. Wherever Kirby and Baya were, Kenley was not far behind. “Never mind. We will be ready to board in a few moments.”
Years ago, after Roman Traynor’s betrayal, both Beck and Kiernan rebuffed the idea of personal guards, and Kirby was reassigned to Kenley. Kiernan trusted no one as much as her former protector and wanted their strong-willed daughter to have the finest there was.
The handsome Scarlet Saber jumped up on the dock and knelt before them with his left fist on the ground. “Your Graces.”
“Please rise, Captain. Where is Kenley?” Kiernan asked him impatiently.
Kirby rose to his feet. “On her way, Your Grace. You should feel her arrival momentarily.” He coughed nervously. There was clearly more on his mind. “Your Graces, if I may?”
“Of course, Captain, speak your mind,” Beck told him.
He cleared his throat again. “Are you sure you wish to leave all of the children here on the island?” At the look on their faces, Kirby quickly continued. “Some of the Sabers, Fists and the Gardien have expressed, shall I say, extreme concern over protecting all of the children at the same time.”
Beck tried to hide a smile. In the absence of parental influence, the protectors often found themselves on the receiving end of most of the mischief perpetrated by their charges. When those charges also had the use of magic, the pranks took on a whole other level.
Kiernan laughed out loud. “Kirby Nash! Are you going to let a few children get the better of the revered Scarlet Sabers and their counterparts? Battle-hardened men and a woman? Afraid of mere children?”
Kirby Nash turned as scarlet as his title, but mumbled under his breath, “There is nothing mere about those children.”
Abruptly, a gust of air sprang up and Beck’s long black cloak whipped around his legs. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the blowing sand generated by the swirling wind.
“It’s Kenley!” Izzy Falewir announced with an excited shout.
Beck watched as his daughter rode an air current at least sixty feet off the ground, her body bladed for balance and her arms stretched out to the sides. A look of pure joy creased her features as the wind blew her long black curls back from her face.
The crowd went wild when they saw her.
Never one to shun an audience for her skill at airshifting, Kenley lifted her arms above her head and shot straight up into the air like an arrow. At the apex of her climb, she stopped and hovered for a few moments before gently laying back into what looked to Beck like a deadly free-fall.
Shrieks and gasps exploded from the onlookers, but Kenley pulled herself up at the last moment and soared into the sky once again.
Beck observed her continued aerial stunts with his heart lodged in his throat. He only began to breathe normally again when she came out of her spins and descended out of the sky.
As soon as her feet hit the ground, she strode toward them with an enormous grin on her flushed face. She was wearing leather trousers and a tight-fitting leather jacket made especially for flying. Beck had to admit that she was an impressive sight, and in the fifteen years since Kenley’s abilities had been made known, another airshifter had yet to be born. She was still unique among shifters.
People shouted to her as she made her way through the path that opened up for her, and she acknowledged all with a polite nod, but did not stop to talk or let them deter her from her destination—the platform where her family waited.
To Beck’s left, Baya let out a contented mewing sound, and the bright green eyes watched Kenley’s every step as she moved closer. Even more so than Kirby Nash, Baya did not like to be out of reach of Kenley when she took to the skies.
“Am I late?” Kenley inquired casually as she breezed up onto the elevated wooden pier.
“The better question is, are you ever on time?” Kellan retorted.
Kenley made a face at him as Kiernan grabbed her arm. “Now, Kenley—”
“Yes, I know mother,” Kenley interrupted. “I’m the oldest, so it will be my responsibility to look after the children.”
Beck winced at the withering look Kiernan leveled at their daughter, but knew better than to comment.
Kenley knew better, too, and quickly pulled Kiernan into a hug. “You can count on me, mother.”
The gesture softened Kiernan slightly. “The children will have their guards, of course, but we will be gone almost a month. I expect you to keep them occupied and out of trouble, Kenley.”
“Everything will be fine. I promise.”
Beck looked with amusement at the looks of sheer terror on the faces of the protectors. The three Scarlet Sabers, Kirby Nash, Gregor Steele and Haiden Lind, stood beside Kenley, Kellan and Kane. Two Iron Fists, Iben Rydex and Dallin Storm, stood next to Reilly and Jala Radek, and the only female protector, Elon Aubry, held the hand of the youngest Savitar offspring, Izzy Falewir.
Kiernan held up a finger. “And, no pranks this time!”
Kellan’s eyes widened innocently. “Pranks? Why, whatever are you referring to, mother?”
Rogan gestured toward one of the Iron Fists. “Let me refresh your memory, young Prince. Remember what happened when we were away last year? Between your earth and Reilly’s water, you buried poor Dallin in a mud sinking up to his neck! And, then left him there for hours!”
Everyone except the protectors laughed.
Melania Falewir ran a hand down her daughter’s hair. “And, what about Izzy sending that falcon after Haiden? The way I heard it, the bird chased and pecked at him every time he dared to step outdoors. The man had to run with his arms covering his head for three weeks straight!”
Haiden smirked at the rem
inder, but that was as much as he would give up.
Captain Wilden interrupted the storytelling. “It really is time, Your Grace.”
Beck nodded and after hurried goodbyes, ushered Kiernan onto the lowered gangplank of the dinoque and once aboard, toward the bow of the ship. The Massans in the harbor waved and shouted while the sailors on board rushed to man the capstan to reel in the heavy mooring ropes.
Beck stood beside Kiernan at the rail as the large vessel slowly pulled away from the dock and was surprised to see a frown on her face. She typically loved these adventures to other islands much more than he did.
“I hope they will be all right, Beck.”
“Who? The children? Of course, they will.” When she simply grunted, he grabbed her chin so she had to look at him. “There is nothing to worry about. Between six protectors, three Draca Cats, and their own abilities, the children will be fine.”
“I know, but that is a very bad omen,” she murmured as she looked past him back toward the harbor.
“What is?” he asked, confused.
She pointed at a large, black crow perched on one of the wooden pilings on the pier, and its beady little eyes seemed to be staring directly at them.
Beck laughed. “I did not know you were superstitious, my love.”
She put an arm around his waist and buried her face in his chest. “I hate crows.”
“I thought you hated snakes?”
“Them, too.”
He chuckled again and held her tighter.
“I can’t explain it. I just have a bad feeling.” She looked up at him, her green eyes laced with concern. “You aren’t worried at all?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Why?”
“Because I have not seen or heard from the Oracle in fifteen years. When that old woman reappears in my life, then I will start to worry.”
CHAPTER 2
CRONES AND CROWS
Captain Nash leaned in close to Kenley’s ear to be sure she heard him over the swell of noise in the harbor. “Don’t even try it, Princess.”
She turned her back on the rest of their large party to face him. “Captain, I can assure you that while in my custody, the children will be on their very best behavior.”
His loud snort caused the others to look at them. He grabbed her arm and steered her away. “I do not want a repeat of last year, Kenley. You will set an example for the children and keep them out of trouble or…”
She glared at him under her upraised eyebrows. “Or what, Captain?”
“I…I will take you over my knee, that’s what,” he growled at her.
“My, my, Captain, that sounds suspiciously more like a proposition than a threat.” When his face flushed red, she threw her head back and laughed. “Don’t worry, Captain, your honor is safe with me.”
He mumbled something unintelligible under his breath, but she was already turning from him to gather the children. A fluttering movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she turned back toward the extended pier where the dinoque had been docked only moments ago.
A black crow sitting on one of the pilings squawked and beat its wings causing a loud ruckus. Kenley shuddered. She hated crows. She was about to turn away, when she noticed an old woman standing by herself directly beneath the agitated bird staring after the departing ship and shaking her head.
Kenley paused, deciding whether to approach, and then the woman turned toward her. She sucked in a quick breath. The woman’s eyes were completely white. Even though it must have been impossible for the woman to see, there was no mistaking that direct gaze. Kenley had no doubt that the woman could see everything around her. And, then some.
“I’ll be right back,” she said to Kirby and walked over to the woman. The old lady did not look away as Kenley approached. “Pardon me. My name is Kenley, and I was just wondering if you required assistance.”
“I know who you are,” the woman replied in a deep, gravelly voice.
Kenley was not surprised. Most people on the island knew who she was. Usually by her green eyes, but sometimes by her distinctive, long black curls. She tried again. “Are you looking for someone?”
“The Mage.”
Kenley pointed to the ship now making a graceful turn to head out into open water. “I’m afraid you just missed him. He is on his way to the island of Ellvin and will not be back for three or four weeks.”
“Interesting.”
“Can I help you? I am his daughter.”
A puzzled frown crept into the woman’s face as she looked out to sea. “I wondered for years why it will not be the Mage who fights and at long last I have my answer.”
“Pardon?”
The woman did not answer at first and Kenley thought maybe she did not hear the question, but then she finally turned back and moved her white eyes up and down Kenley’s body as though measuring her up in some way.
“Interesting,” was all she said for the second time and then shuffled away toward the platform steps that led to the streets below.
Very strange.
Shrugging, Kenley turned away from the mystery to the more pressing matter at hand—the children.
Reilly, a watershifter, at nineteen was a year younger than she was and his sister, Jala, a fireshifter, was a year younger than Reilly. The twins, Kellan, an earthshifter, and Kane, a sightshifter, were both fifteen and little Izzy Falewir, a feralshifter, was the youngest of their group at the age of twelve. The six progeny of Savitars, and all extremely powerful in magic.
Kenley clapped her hands together as she walked back to the group, and the protectors tensed in high alert. They had been through this before.
“All right, it’s time to head back to Bardot. We will proceed in an orderly fashion and…” Five pairs of eyes glinted at her mischievously. “Oh, what utter nonsense! Let’s do it!”
With one last apologetic glance at Kirby Nash, Kenley waved her hand in a circle and the air around her began to stir. She felt Izzy Falewir’s small hand slip into hers.
“Kenley Atlan!” It was Kirby, and he sounded furious.
The air gusted in the form of a mini tornado on the platform, and Kenley’s hair whipped around her head. She carefully kept her magic directed at the six protectors and watched them disappear behind a cloud of dust.
Kenley jumped off the platform and took off running through the cobblestone streets of Northfort, the others close on her heels. When they were far enough away, she risked a look back over her shoulder and giggled in amusement as her hapless victims tried to breach the gale force winds holding them back.
Was that really necessary, Princess?
Baya’s reprimand cut through her joy.
We’re just having a little harmless fun, Baya.
And, the protectors are just trying to perform their duty. Why must you make it so difficult for them?
Because I wish to be free, Baya! Do you really not understand? How would you like to be followed around everywhere you go? For Highworld’s sake, I cannot even go to the privy on my own without a Scarlet Saber shadowing me!
It is for your safety, Princess. Surely, you realize that by now.
What do I need to be protected from? If anyone tries to harm me, I can take to the skies! she declared forcefully. Then, she stopped and looked directly into eyes the color of her own and made her tone deliberately softer. Besides, I have you to protect me. That is all I need.
True.
No one can stand against the ferocity of a Draca Cat.
Not if they wish to live.
Humans and beasts of every size tremble at the very mention of Callyn-Rhe.
Baya clicked her tongue. Your flattery is far too transparent, little one.
But, working?
Yes.
Kenley hugged her best friend tightly around the neck. Thank you for understanding, Baya.
Know now that I will not interfere with any punishment Captain Nash deems appropriate.
I understand.<
br />
Go then. Have your fun, but just for a few hours mind you. We must return to Bardot.
Maks and Jain, who were younger and far more playful than Baya, let out an excited howl as they loped to the front of the group to cut a path through the people on the streets.
I remember when you used to be like that, she reminded her friend.
Never.
Kenley smiled at the outright lie.
Reilly spoke up. “Now that we have a few hours of freedom, how about we go to the lake? My gills are starting to dry out.”
“You don’t have gills!” Jala scoffed.
“Not yet,” Reilly murmured in disappointment and, since he was a Surface Dweller, it was unlikely that he ever would develop the physical traits so predominant in the watershifters that lived below ground in Aquataine.
“Swimming with a watershifter! Count me in,” Kellan shouted.
Jala and Izzy quickly agreed. Kane as usual was silent, following anywhere his twin brother wished to go.
“To the lake it is,” Kenley confirmed, and the party continued to maneuver through the throng toward the outer gates with most people giving wide berth to the enormous Draca Cats padding imperially out in front. Some shouted out their greetings from afar, almost all dropped to a knee as they passed.
Sharing some of her father’s aversion to crowds, as soon as they were through the gates, Kenley shifted the air and rose a few feet off the ground. “I’ll meet you there!”
“Show off!” she heard Kellan shout.
The wind gathered beneath her, pushed her off the ground, and she shot into the air once again. Now, this is freedom! Fierce exultation thudded through every nerve of her body as the wind sliced over her and she climbed higher into the sky. Nothing gave her as much joy as the thrill of flight, of manipulating the elemental power to which she was bound to propel her through the air. Here, in the rush of wind, she did not have to worry about royal protocol. Here, in the sanctuary of the clouds, she did not have to worry about her every action scrutinized.
Island Shifters: Book 03 - An Oath of the Children Page 2
