The Secret of the Keepers

by Elizabeth Isaacs

  “Why?”

  She raised an eyebrow, her speaking glance letting me know I had crossed some unspoken boundary.

  “I didn’t mean to offend...” I blushed, looking down. Elaine patted my arm.

  “Not at all, Princess. It was a long time ago, and I haven’t thought about it in years. But at one time I doubted my abilities as a warrior. I’ve always wondered why, when I needed solace, I was drawn to that place. Now I suspect it may be due to the fact I was sitting on the very ground covering the Sfera.”

  I knew better than to ask, but I still couldn’t help but wonder what would cause Elaine to doubt her abilities in anything? She always handled herself with such grace and assurance.

  Elaine smiled at the intent. “Thank you, my lady.”

  Per Malachi’s instructions, we left Ester’s Sfera in the energy field and then we made our way to Malachi’s chambers. Rena was waiting, cloaks in hand.

  “The Queen had her staff prepare a saddle pack full of supplies. Micah and Weylin have our horses ready, and they are with Tark in the woods. Here,” she handed me a cloak. Almost as an afterthought, she asked, “Do you know how to ride?”

  Everyone stopped. I swallowed past the lump in my throat.

  “I used to ride ... when I was a child. And, of course, I rode the unicorn when I went after Gavin.”

  That was stretching things a bit, but I refused to elaborate. Sweat beaded across my brow as I tried to keep all six trains of thought occupied. The middle stream glommed onto images of an old down-trodden horse at the fair. Gavin’s expression flashed in dismay, and I turned away from him, fiddling with the cloak.

  Rune shook his head, mumbling something about my lack of basic skills. “I’ll be waitin’ with the horses, Lass.” He marched away.

  “Malachi, are you coming with us?” I asked.

  “The Queen has requested my council regarding Ester, and as I haven’t ridden in centuries, I’m afraid I’d be more of a hindrance than a help.” Malachi lowered his chin, staring directly into my eyes. When I didn’t budge, he turned to Gavin.

  “Be safe, and keep me apprised of the situation.” He gathered his walking stick. “Godspeed to you all.” Malachi made his way out the door with Elias and Elaine on his heels.

  Silence settled in the cavern, I could feel Gavin’s eyes on me as I bustled around the room.

  “So, you don’t ride,” he finally said.

  I put my hands on my hips. “I’ve ridden before. And don’t forget, I made it to the portal on the unicorn’s back, and that was half conscious and moving at their speed.”

  His voice darkened. “The unicorn made sure you didn’t fall.”

  I frowned, wondering how that was even possible.

  Gavin’s frustration welled. “And as for you riding as a child, I would hardly consider being led around a ring on a decrepit old gelding as riding.”

  “Are you doubting my ability to learn?”

  “Not at all, Princess. However, I’m not so certain your education should take place in unfamiliar woods with Dokkalfar running around.”

  I finished putting on the cloak. “Look, I’ll figure it out. And if I need to, I’ll ride with you.”

  The exasperation flowing through me was mirrored on his face, and I made my way out the door before he could say anything else.

  I kept the hood draped over my head as we made our way through the castle and out into the yard. The sun beat down on my shoulders, and I wiped the sweat trickling down the side of my face.

  “Don’t worry, my lady.” Rena linked her arm through mine. “Once we are on horseback, the wind will help with the heat. Riding at full speed is exhilarating.

  “Sounds great.” My stomach flipped. I smiled, trying to keep nerves from completely taking over. Gavin’s jaw clenched as he walked a few paces ahead. We reached the field, and I stopped in my tracks.

  These weren’t horses. They couldn’t be.

  Six massive black beasts sidled, their dinner-plate sized hooves leaving marks in the cold, hard ground. Thick muscles flexed and twitched under a coat that held a blue-black sheen in the afternoon sun. I’d never seen horses this big.

  “How are these not supposed to be suspicious? I thought we would ride regular horses. You know, like the ones that pulled the carriages.” I swallowed, trying not to panic. The beast in front of me snorted. My blood felt hot and thin as it raced through my veins.

  “Those wouldn’t last in the heat of battle. These are the stallions we use in war.” Gavin smirked. “You ready?”

  Before I could ask how I was supposed to get on the thing, Gavin grabbed hold of my waist and lifted me. His hand stayed on my thigh, while I straddled the broad back, trying to find my center of balance.

  “Keep your body forward and hold onto the reins. And whatever you do, don’t fall off.” His jaw ticked as he walked away.

  The horse whinnied and looked back; I tightened my grip.

  Everyone else mounted their steed ready to go. The tallest stallion was hitched to a cart overloaded with hay.

  When Elaine said this place was a few hours away, I assumed she meant at a leisurely pace. I couldn’t have been more wrong. With a silent command, the horses jolted to a gallop. My saddle felt like it was being ripped out from under me, and I over-adjusted, lunging forward and hitting my head on the neck of the steed. My heart raced, the view became nothing but thundering hooves trampling the ground below. Every gallop caused my backside to slip a little more, and I dug my knees into the saddle trying to keep from toppling sideways. Gavin was suddenly next to me, his hand pushing me back upright. My fingers clenched the silky black mane, the stallion’s jerked to the side, but, to his credit, the horse didn’t break stride. After that, I kept my body tucked low, grateful I didn’t have to steer, and I concentrated on staying in the saddle. The long, ground-eating gait of the stallion kept such a pace that my teeth rattled. Within minutes, the castle was no longer in sight. The air chilled as we made our way deep into the forest, and I gathered my courage and straightened up.

  The horses slowed to a trot. Stonechats chirped overhead, while the constant buzz of cicadas swelled, subsided, and then rose again like a rolling wave of sound. This forest was alive with thousands of insects and creatures that slithered, scampered and crawled. Moss blanketed the land like green snow, growing up the trunks of the trees, leaving a sweet, wet scent.

  Rena cantered next to me. “This is the oldest known forest. It is said to hold every type of plant created.”

  I looked around and thought she might be right. The papery bark of the Tea trees stood next to ash, oak, and sycamore. Large waxy plants, which shouldn’t be able to survive in the same environment as the smallest delicate flower, thrived.

  “It’s beautiful, but there’s something else ... like an untold story, isn’t there? I feel it.” I looked up at the mixture of leaf, moss, and vine overhead.

  “What do you mean?” Rena didn’t look alarmed, just curious.

  “It’s like the power here has a secret. Like this place has knowledge, but we are protected from it.”

  “Aye, protected ... that’d be a way of describin’ it.” Rune came alongside Rena. “Although I’d be callin’ it somthin’ else.”

  Before I could ask, Elaine pulled her horse to a stop. “From here we go on foot.”

  The clan dismounted. Gavin helped me off the horse and kept an arm around my waist until I found my footing.

  My inner thighs ached, every bone in my body felt like it had been jarred loose, and I had bruised parts I didn’t even know I had, but I refused to complain.

  Gavin sighed and pulled me to a stop.

  “Give us a minute,” he scowled at the others. As soon as they turned to walk ahead, his hand skated down my front until they rested on bruised flesh above my inner thighs. Relief surged through as my muscles tingled than itched.

  “That’s the best I can do, for now,” he grumbled.

  “Thanks,” I grumbled back.

  His
hand found mine, his grip fierce, yet gentle, and we caught up with the group.

  Elias and Elaine wove through bracken so thick at times it felt like the bushes were reaching out, trying to hold us back. We finally came to a clearing with only two trees. One was a massive yew, the other an ancient Fig.

  The clan spread out, circling around the two, but I pulled Gavin toward the middle where their roots intertwined. Energy curled around my ankles.

  “It’s here,” I whispered.

  Gavin tossed a carved rock aside, making quick work of the ground cover. I scooted back as Elias and Tark joined him, their powerful hands digging through the hardened soil as if it were made of sand. It took all three of them to unearth the enormous stone, and I started to worry. What if the hay cart couldn’t carry its weight?

  With a combined effort, Gavin, Elias, and Tark lifted the Sfera and headed back toward the path. Rune never left my side.

  I stared at the fresh cavity between the trees, my mind racing. “Why?”

  “Why what?” Rena asked.

  “Why here? Why didn’t Jayril take the Sfera to the fissure? It would make sense that he’d want to keep them close.”

  “Unless he had to hide them in a hurry.” Elaine crossed her arms.

  “Or possibly he thought no one would look here.” Rena looked up. “I mean, look at this place. It would be like finding a penny in the ocean.”

  “What do you think, Rune?” I turned, wondering why he had grown so quiet.

  “I’m believin’ that’ll be a question that needs answerin’, and soon.” His voice grew harsh as he started filling in the hole.

  “What is this place?” I frowned, watching the Urisk aggressively push fresh mounds of dirt back where they came from.

  Rena took a deep breath. “We are standing on what many believe to be the first land.”

  “How could anyone possibly know that?” I half grinned. I mean, it couldn’t have been recorded.

  “The trees’d be the oldest in this blasted place. They’d be harnessin’ the energy the same as the mountain. And I’d not be makin’ light of things I’m not understandin’.” Rune never looked up, shifting the ground cover over the freshly filled hole.

  I looked at the bulk of the yew with new appreciation. The fig tree was much smaller and held no fruit, but buds stood on the ends of its branches.

  “It is said the fig tree is waiting for a time when darkness no longer exists before it will release its seed.” Elaine’s voice grew hushed.

  “Has it ever been known to bear fruit?”

  “Once,” Rune grumbled. He swept the dirt from his hands, and the ground around the tree looked as if nothing had been taken.

  “I still don’t understand why Jayril would put the Sfera here.”

  “I guess we’ll never know,” Gavin said, coming back through the narrow path. “The cart is loaded. Let’s get out of here.”

  Rune placed the carved stone back where he found it. The hair on the back of my neck stood.

  The stone held the same symbol that was on the floor of the forbidden cave.

  “Maybe we can find out.” I started toward the rock, but Gavin put his hand on my arm.

  “No.” His protection ran through me. “We don’t know what you’ll see, and I’ll not have you mentally tortured again. I remember well your reaction in the cave.” He started for the path, but I dug my heels in and stood my ground.

  “I’m stronger now. And you and I both know I’ve been given this gift for a reason. It’s time we find out why.” I tugged my hand from his. My stomach flipped as I looked at the rock.

  Gavin exhaled aggressively, but instead of arguing he knelt beside me. My hand shook as I placed my palm over the crude symbol. As soon as I touched the cold rock, hatred boiled from deep within.

  “Why should I?” An unfamiliar voice sneered. I held my breath as his eyes looked up from carving the stone.

  A group of Alfar stood in a semi-circle. They were emaciated and ashen gray, patches of hair had fallen from their heads, and their teeth had already turned the color of rotted squash.

  “I am the one who understands the Sfera. I am the one who knows how to harness negativity. I am the strongest. They should bow to me.”

  His voice hissed with a vehemence that had the others cowering. He stood, rock in hand, pacing in front of them.

  “They sit in that mountain day after day, grateful for what little they’ve been given,” he scoffed. “But they do not know; they have not seen. And so, we will show them. Now is the time to declare myself sovereign over all—after we are through, they will recognize me as supreme lord.”

  One of the women glanced up. “And how, Jayril, will we accomplish this?” The man with the stone motioned her forward until she was bowing at his feet.

  His eyes looked at the two trees overhead before starting to carve once more. “Once I show them that I am as powerful as the Creator, they will bow to me.”

  “They will not...” her voice became muffled as his foot stepped on the side of her face, digging it into the ground.

  “You forget. What has been given, I can take away.” Hatred pulsed as he dug the ball of his foot into the base of her throat.

  The woman shook beneath him, trying not to struggle.

  “Bring the stones! Bury them until we have need of their power.” He smiled as both Sfera were brought forward. “It is to your advantage that I’m feeling merciful. Do not doubt me again.” Jayril released the woman at his feet. She backed away, rubbing the side of her face. “Tonight, we ride into the heart of the mountain.”

  His thumbs completed the symbol; the memory faded as the marker found its place on the ground.

  Gavin grabbed the rock and tossed it aside. I shook from head to toe.

  “They meant to destroy this place.” I wrapped my arms around my knees.

  Gavin’s warm palm rubbed up and down my spine. “So it would seem.”

  “How? How can the Sfera destroy?”

  “I don’t know, but we have to get out of here. If we wait too much longer, it’ll be nightfall before we reach the castle.” My legs shook as I stood, looking at the keepers. From their horrified expression, I knew Gavin had shared what I’d seen. We made our way through the thicket in silence. I felt chilled like I was coming down with the flu. Gavin was right. Jayril’s mind affected me more than the others.

  I started toward my horse, but Gavin’s grip kept my hand.

  “You’re riding with me.” He placed me in the saddle, swinging his leg behind me. One hand stayed around my waist as the other found the reins. I leaned into his warm chest, still shaken, wishing there were such a thing as an emotional bath. I felt dirty inside.

  We rode through a grove of sycamore trees, their odd bark smooth in some places, rough in others. The front stream registered their unique beauty, but my mind concentrated on the wild child in the back.

  Jayril found a way to somehow twist the power of the Sfera. If just one stone could wreak havoc, apparently, he thought two could destroy the oldest land in this realm—a place that could harness energy itself.

  Long shadows stretched across an open field as we rode out of the forest’s grasp. I glanced around, feeling the flesh crawl up my spine.

  Someone was watching.

  Gavin’s arm cinched around me. The horse’s gate elongated, his stride thundering to a breakneck pace. I looked past the keepers surrounding me, searching the woods for any sign of movement. The afternoon faded to dusk, and by the time the castle came into view, the hay cart trailed far behind. Rune fell back, keeping pace with the stone. Instead of taking the path to the gates, Gavin jerked to the right, jolting me. We weren’t going to the front of the mountain. Instead, we headed toward the entrance closest to Ester’s house. Gavin’s breath warmed the shell of my ear.

  “It wouldn’t be possible to carry the Sfera through the castle.” He murmured, answering the question running through my head. The horses came to a stop just below the hill. Gavin hopped
off, helping me down. He escorted me to Malachi, who stood at the mouth of the cave.

  “Stay here,” he ordered as he headed back out. I started to follow him, but Malachi placed his hand on my shoulder.

  “He’s helping unload the stone. Look,” he pointed to a small ditch. The horse had pulled the cart as closely as possible, but the uneven ground had kept it several hundred yards away. Rune, Tark, Gavin, and Elias strained to get the Sfera out of the cart. Dusk settled to twilight.

  Rancid dirt wafted on the breeze.

  Chapter 17

  The Scout

  GAVIN’S HEAD SNAPPED up, his eyes flew to mine. Recognition blazed on his sharp features. My clan left the stone in the cart and darted off into the woods. Everyone but Rune. He hopped on the Sfera, his feathers standing on end, his roar echoing off the trees.

  “We’ve got to help.” I tried to pull Malachi forward, but he held on to me.

  “We cannot leave the mountain.” He became adamant. I shook with the need to protect Gavin, the need to defend.

  My shoulders slumped in defeat. Malachi was right. I couldn’t do anything without Gavin near, and he disappeared the minute I’d smelled the Dokkalfar.

  Rune’s nose tilted to the wind. He growled and ran up the mountain and into the woods.

  The stone sat vulnerable, unprotected, and it was getting darker by the minute. If the Dokkalfar found it now, it would be theirs for the taking. Jayril knew a way to steer the energy toward evil. Good bet he’d passed that info onto Jakkar. And that stone was huge. If they got it now, God only knew what they could do.

  “Either you come with me, or I go alone, but we need to get the Sfera into the mountain.” I started down the hill, not looking behind to see if Malachi followed and trying to ignore Gavin’s fury burning through me.

  I didn’t know if a human and an elderly ancient would be strong enough physically to roll it uphill, but instinct shouted that at least we could protect it. By now Gavin would’ve called every warrior we had.

  Malachi’s footsteps shuffled behind me as night seeped around us. Thick gray clouds rolled in, blocking the moonlight and plunging us into darkness. We stood back to back, listening to the thundering hooves of the guard fade in the distance. The silence sent a shiver down my spine. Large birds soared high above, their screech cut through the air like a knife. I started to tremble. Malachi patted my shoulder.