“Well,” Trey continued. “What do you say to this? Goustav used the Coin to defeat the demons during the Dark War, because there was no Anchoress. Didn’t exist then! Doesn’t exist now! She’s a myth, a children’s story.”
Jorie’s lips grew thin, and her eyes popped as if she wanted to clobber Trey.
Uxa held up her hand to stop the chatter. “She exists. Her bloodline survived the Dark War.”
“She exists?” Yoatl asked, wide-eyed.
“Where is she?” Swanhilda interrupted. “Who is she?”
“One person here carries the bloodline of the Anchoress,” Uxa said.
“Who is it?” asked several others at once. Their eyes darted around the table, scrutinizing each person. Most of them landed on Daisy, including her brother’s. Daisy continued to sit serenely, like a delicate flower growing out of a crack in a sidewalk.
At least, Van was right about Daisy being the Anchoress-in-Waiting. It made sense—if the children’s fable were real and Daisy had magical powers, they probably emerged after she got her special Coin. Why else would someone like her be here?
“For your protection and hers, I have chosen not to reveal her identity,” Uxa said. “This way, if you are captured, her existence will remain a secret.”
“Hold up,” said a cocky brute.
Van recalled his name was Marcus. She remembered his skill set being war strategies and the ability to use two two-handed weapons at once. He claimed his favorites were battle axes, war hammers, and greatswords.
“Trey made a good point,” Marcus said. “If the Anchoress existed back then, she would’ve won the Dark War for us.”
“What is known about the Dark War has been translated by Balish scribes, skewed to bolster the Balish agenda,” Uxa said. “Exact details, Lodian involvement, and what actually happened, especially regarding our Anchoress and the Coin, are vague. My research found that the Veridicus Libellus is the only document known to give an accurate account of the Dark War. It also contains a map with the location of the Coin.”
“Do you have this text?” Brux asked.
Uxa shook her head. “The official word out of Balefire is that demons destroyed the text during the attack on Prince Devon. However, it is in the best interest of the Balish to declare the text destroyed, so others don’t go searching for it. Behind closed doors, they haven’t ruled out its existence.”
Like a rock to the head, Van remembered the text she had found in her father’s study. The room shifted and lost all its air. Through sheer willpower, Van expanded her lungs and drew in a breath. The oxygen acted like fuel to the stalled parts of her body. No, no. Her book couldn’t be Manik’s text. She had flipped through the entire text; it didn’t have a map.
Uxa continued. “The Anchoress-in-Waiting will be drawn to the Coin like a beacon light. She can intuitively attune herself to its location.”
Most of them couldn’t help but glance at Daisy again, who continued to be unaffected by their obvious belief that she was the Anchoress-in-Waiting.
Van wondered whether Daisy’s lack of response resulted from her being too weak, as if she didn’t have any extra energy to spare. Van felt uncomfortable at the thought that Daisy wasn’t fit enough to survive going on this mission. Good thing Brux would be there to watch over his sister.
“Anyone who knows how to read the Language of the Ancients and had access to the text could’ve studied the map,” said a wiry male warrior named Elmot. “And would have directions to the Coin. There must be others searching for it.” He had a long face and looked like an overlarge elf. Well groomed, he wore a pressed, spotless tunic and appeared persnickety. His specialty was navigation and maps. He was the smallest of the men, making him the runt of the warrior litter.
“Since the Dark War, the Balish and many from other tribes have searched for the Coin,” Uxa said. “None have found it. All have died trying.”
“This only serves to validate the presumption that the text is garbage,” Trey said. “The Balish think of Manik’s text as nothing more than the ramblings of a madman.”
“The Balish discredited it because it’s full of Lodian folklore and propaganda,” Brux said. “Manik was a Lodian sympathizer, even married a Lodian royal, which is why his brother Goustav rebelled and took over his throne shortly after the Dark War.”
“Michael Cross obviously stole that particular text because its information is genuine,” Yoatl added.
Van cringed at the mention of her father.
Paley stopped picking at her gel nails and looked up.
“Based on our intelligence,” Uxa said, “we can confirm that Michael and Solana are going after the Coin.”
Van’s stomach dropped.
“Having the Coin will ensure Solana’s takeover of Salus Valde,” Trey said. “It will secure her position on the throne from being challenged by the male Balish royals.”
“It was no coincidence Michael stole Manik’s text to lure Prince Devon into the woods,” Uxa said. “Solana’s soldiers are scouring the countryside, allegedly seeking vengeance against the thief who lured her brother into a demon trap. This action by Solana leads me to believe that Michael lost the text, and Solana is using her brother’s death as an excuse to go searching for it.”
“She’s after the map?” Elmot asked, his tone high-strung. “Why? She must have the entire text memorized.”
Paley stopped chewing on her cuticle. “Do you know how hard it is to memorize an entire book? Or a map?” Her finger went back to her mouth.
Van nodded, thinking about how tough her classes were in school.
“It’s about control,” Trey said. “Solana’s trying to prevent others from going after the Coin. Anyone who finds the text will go after it.”
“Makes sense,” Brux said. “Even with her father’s massive army at her disposal, Solana would benefit from getting the Coin. We know from the Dark War, anyone skilled enough can harness its energy to create a great weapon. She wouldn’t risk letting something like that get into our hands, not with her planned invasion of Salus Valde.”
“Michael is probably headed toward the Coin as we speak,” Marcus said, banging his meaty fist on the table.
Van’s mouth felt too dry to gulp. She had undergone training in her special classes, mock-battles where she learned that twirling wasn’t only a beautiful form of dance, but could also be used as a combat skill—a way to fight to the death. Her classes had been simulations. Role-playing. Not real life. By following the path to the Coin, she would surely run into her father—and then what?
“Does this mean the Escalation has begun?” Daisy asked in her airy voice, startling everyone. “Demons in our world, on the verge of another Great War, calling forth the Anchoress—sounds like the first stage of Dishora. According to legend, Darkness gains the strength to extinguish all Light every thousand years. The Anchoress must fight against this Darkness to ensure that Light continues to govern the worlds.”
Of course, Daisy was interested in the legend. Which was good. Daisy being the Anchoress-in-Waiting allowed Van to hang back and let the others do most of the work. Daisy would get the Coin, and she would face Van’s father. Not Van. Yet Van felt sad for Daisy. She had overheard Fynn mention the Anchoress-in-Waiting’s mother had died. Van could relate to that. Maybe their mother’s death accounted for Brux being a jerk and Daisy so frail.
“And the Coin of Creation will help her do that,” stated Jorie.
“Right now, we need the Coin to prevent a Balish invasion,” Uxa said. “Stay focused, people!”
“I wish we had the map,” Elmot whined.
“We need to focus on what we have, not on what we don’t have,” Uxa said. “Article 57 of Manik’s law is still in place, in our favor. Thank the Light of the Creator that the Elementals—”
A few of them, including Jorie, interrupted, by using their hands to make a sideways figure-eight motion in front of their chests and mumbling, “Thank-the-Light-and-all-that-is-good,” the same way
Harrus had done.
Uxa paused, then, after they were done, continued, “—that the Elementals would not allow a squawker on children during the creation of Manik’s law. You are all under eighteen and will be able to pass out of Salus Valde without being tracked by the Balish.”
“Ho-yeah,” Jorie bellowed. “The Balish would never suspect Lodian children to be out of bounds. Lodians are known to be fiercely protective of their kids.”
Fynn swooped by and dropped a folded parchment paper in front of Van. It contained a hand-written physical description, a headshot, personal information, and official stamps and signatures.
“Fynn has handed out your forged border passes,” Uxa said. “I must warn you, even with papers, it’s best to avoid the Border Guards as much as possible. King Nequus put tighter controls on all border crossings and has squadrons searching travelers for Manik’s text. Solana publicly believes whoever has the text is the thief who caused Prince Devon to leave the palace and is therefore responsible for the prince’s and the queen’s deaths. She also believes that if the Grigori had done their job, demons wouldn’t have been here in the first place. She’s acting angry and outraged. But we know she assassinated her brother for the throne. This makes your mission much more dangerous.”
The stuffy room made it a challenge for Van to keep her breathing steady.
“What’s our cover story?” Brux asked, reading his border pass.
“You will travel as marketier’s scouts. For those of you who may not know, they are children from Hod who scour the lands searching for merchandise to bring back to their parents for sale in the marketplace. When questioned, you will claim your parents sent you to search for the Runestar, a brooch of great value that dates back to the Dark War. Rumors of it resurfacing constantly crop up, making it a viable cover story. It’s not uncommon for the marketiers of Hod to send their expendable children on a task of such high risk and low rate of success. Now . . . it is too risky for you carry anything the marketier’s scouts would not normally have on them. Like communication devices.”
Several people groaned.
Someone grumbled, “No Multi-Tracs? How are we going to contact you if we have a problem?”
Uxa appeared unbothered by the group’s reaction. “Multi-Tracs are far too valuable for marketier’s scouts to have. Keep in mind, if Solana discovers your real mission, you will be considered a threat and executed.”
“Do we have any idea where the Coin is hidden?” Yoatl asked.
“Sources tell me the probable location is in the deep south, in the Pusiel region.”
Elmot straightened. His eyes shot wide open. “The only way to Pusiel is straight through Aduro! We’re talking Balish territory, not Balish-occupied territory.”
Uxa waved her hand to settle the group. “You were all chosen because, collectively, you have the ability to succeed,” she said. “Each team will contribute to the success of this mission in its own way.”
“Wait. What?” Van said. “Each team?”
“I will break you into two teams,” Uxa declared. “Smaller groups can move easier without drawing attention to themselves, and more ground can be covered.”
“Without Multi-Tracs, we won’t be able to talk to one another!” Trey said forcefully.
Disgruntled muttering erupted around the table.
“Suck it up, people,” Jorie barked. “Being a warrior is all about surviving by using what the Creator gave us.” She beat her fist into her chest.
Uxa raised her voice. “My selections are final.”
Van panicked. She felt terrified she and Paley would be separated, then remembered they had to stay together. Paley nervously clasped Van’s hand under the table. Van leaned in and whispered, “She won’t separate us because of the Twin Gemstones.”
Paley gave Van’s hand a squeeze and said, “Maybe Brux will be on our team.”
Van hoped for the opposite.
“The first team will be known as Delta. On this team are Jorie Alquest, Trey Catherwood, Elmont Entwistle, Brux Lake, Paley Ash, and . . .”
Uxa’s pause felt like an eternity to Van.
“Vanessa Cross.”
“Yes!” Paley crushed Van’s hand in an excited grip.
Van wasn’t sure whether Paley was happy about her being on the same team or Brux. She was just glad no one made the connection between her and Michael Cross. At least, not yet.
“On team Echo is Swanhilda Ragge, Marcus Crompton, Karpos Ledo, Yoatl Xifaras, and Daisy Lake.”
All of the team Echo members, excluding Daisy, leaped up from their seats and made whooping noises as they gathered together, clutching one another with rough hand-grabs and slapping the others on the back as if they had just won a prize. Van could see why. Team Echo consisted of the super-muscular beasts of the group—except Daisy, who was most likely the Anchoress-in-Waiting and therefore ensured the success of their team.
Jorie, who fit right in with team Echo, fumed at being placed on what she probably considered the losing side. The team with smaller warriors, relying on luck to find the Coin.
Daisy rose from her chair and drifted over to team Echo.
“Wait a minute!” Brux said, popping out of his seat. “Why are you separating me from Daisy? I can’t protect her if we’re on different teams!”
“I’ll protect her,” Marcus said lecherously. He cupped Daisy with his massive arm and roughly pulled her close.
Van inhaled sharply, fearing he might snap Daisy in half.
“Hands off!” Brux roared. He lunged across the table. Jorie intervened, grabbing Brux by the collar and pulling him back.
Team Echo, minus Daisy, laughed at Brux’s futile attempt to throttle Marcus.
“STOP!” Uxa shouted.
Fynn shook his head at Brux.
“Another outburst like that, Brux, and you’re off the mission, understood?” Uxa seemed more worried than angry. “Now sit down! Everyone!”
Brux slouched in his seat, still glaring at Marcus.
Marcus goaded Brux with a smirk.
The rest of each team’s members settled on opposite sides of the table, facing one another. Team Echo appeared smug. Team Delta, humble.
“The leader of team Echo will be Swanhilda Ragge.”
Team Echo let out thunderous approving grunts and fist-bumped Swanhilda.
Van felt another flash of terror. No way did she want to be team leader; it would be way too much work.
“Team Delta’s leader . . . Jorie Alquest.”
Jorie’s shoulders slumped, as if the weight of the worlds had just been dumped on them; even her Mohawk seemed to wilt.
As the chatter rose around the table, Uxa pulled Fynn aside and spoke privately with him.
Paley leaned close to Van and whispered, “You should’ve been picked. You always get picked for all the top spots on the island. You should be pissed off.”
Van grunted and shrugged, in an attempt to cover up just how relieved she was not to be chosen.
“What an insult,” Paley kept on. “I trust you as my leader more than Jorie! That girl scares me.”
Van shrugged again and said, “That Jorie freak better not think she’s going to tell me what to do.”
“Me, either. Say something,” Paley urged. “You should be the leader.”
Van wished Paley would shut up, because now that Van thought about it, yeah, she should have been picked, given her lineage.
“You have to say something,” Paley annoyingly persisted. “Go!” She gave Van a push.
Now Van had to go, to save face. With the teams chatting and getting to know each other, the time was right. Van meandered to the front of the conference room.
Uxa stopped talking when Van approached. She turned away from Fynn and stared at Van expectantly.
Instead of complaining about not being team leader, Van said, “I want to go home.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Day 1: 10:57 p.m., Living World
Uxa led Van to a private cor
ner of the room and said, “Talk to me.”
“I’m useless—”
“Afraid,” Uxa said. “You are afraid. This is normal. Everyone at that table feels the same way.”
In a pause where neither one spoke, the air hung heavy between them.
“It sounds like you’d rather not try,” Uxa said solemnly. “But your fate was sealed the moment you accepted this mission. The only way out now is through.”
“What if I run into my father?” Van blurted, her eyes brimming with tears. “Fight him to the death over some coin?”
Uxa grasped Van’s elbow and guided her closer to the wall. “Vanessa, your father is in great danger and doesn’t know it.”
“W-What do you mean?” Van said, as her anxiety flared.
“Demons are created from the negativity of terrigens, from the lesser part of themselves, yet demons are drawn to the Light, higher vibrations, like that of the Living World. Light is a threat to their ‘food source,’ because those who worship the Light are peaceful, hopeful, and full of love. Light is the reflection of the Creator and represents all that is good.”
“Okay. I get that,” Van said, wriggling her elbow.
Uxa released her grip. “Your father’s payment to the demons for murdering Prince Devon was an escort into this world. Those demons didn’t survive, but demons have a collective mind.” Uxa leaned forward and lowered her voice. “For the first time in a thousand years, they have reached the Light of our world. It reawakened the darkness of their nature. Now, they will stop at nothing to get here. Demons seek the Light, not to become one with it, but to destroy it. It is more important than ever that we get the Coin. The Grigori will never allow the Balish to rule Salus Valde, and we need the Coin to stop a war between our two tribes.” Uxa shifted her body, as if to brace herself against what she had to say next. “The negative energy caused by a war of that magnitude would be enough for demons to reach here, bringing about Dishora. The Coin is the proof the Elementals require to keep Manik’s law intact, so the Balish cannot attack Salus Valde. As for your father, there is a consequence to the soul when a person consorts with evil.”
Shock of Fate: A Young Adult Fantasy Adventure (Anchoress Series Book 1) Page 12
