The Secret of the Keepers

by Elizabeth Isaacs

  “Why didn’t we know?” I asked. “We could have helped—or at least we could have tried.”

  Rune grunted and sat next to me. “The old one’s been knowin’ for a while, but he’d thought you’d be leavin’ yer studies and go blazin’ through the land, tryin’ t’ save things. Even now he’s doubtin’, thinkin’ ya should’ve stayed put.”

  I startled at Rune’s honesty.

  Gavin’s arms strained, masculine aggression ran through me.

  My heart lurched. “What’s happening?”

  Gavin’s breath brushed against the back of my neck. “Elias and Elaine have discovered the place where Ester is being held. It’s underground.”

  I looked around the cavern. Rena’s shoulders were set; disgust marred her sharp features.

  “Are they all right?”

  Rena looked down. “They are still undetected.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  Masculine revulsion twisted through me. Rena turned away, staring at the rock wall.

  “They’ve taken her eyes.” Rune finally growled.

  “What?” I recoiled.

  “Rune ...” Gavin muttered, shooting him a warning glance.

  “You’ll not be protectin’ her from the horrors of war for long.” Rune turned to me. “Them demons’ll have taken what they’re not understandin’. They’re hopin’ her eyes’ll tell ‘em somethin’ that’ll be helpin’ unlock her mysteries. She’s in pain, but she’s still survivin’.” He stood and walked toward the entrance.

  I swallowed hard. Dipping my hands back in the water, I washed off my face. Rena glared at Rune, evidently making her opinion known. He ignored her.

  “No Rena, Rune was right to tell me. When Ester comes back, we need to be prepared.” I looked at Gavin. “Can you fix her eyes?”

  “I can try, but I don’t think so.”

  Tension exploded in the room.

  Tark slowly stood, reaching for Rena’s hand. “It is time.”

  Tark’s knuckles turned white around Rena’s small hand, and they started for the entrance.

  “Wait!” Panic sliced through me.

  Rena grinned. “Don’t worry, my lady. Weylin and the guard are already at the fissure’s edge. And don’t forget, I can now harness joy. The Dokkalfar won’t stand a chance.”

  I could feel the blood drain from my face.

  Rena pulled me into a fierce hug. “Nora, really. Tark and I know this terrain, and we’ve been warriors for a long time. We’ll be fine.” Her smiling Jasper brown eyes lost their warmth as she turned to Rune.

  “Whatever else may come, you are not to leave the Princess,” She ordered.

  Rune’s feathers ruffled; his eyes narrowed. “I’ll not be strayin’ from me purpose.”

  Tark and Rena headed off into the dusk. The passing hours felt more like days, and anxiety surged, becoming almost unbearable. We stood by the mouth of the cave, Gavin giving reports every now and then.

  “Elias and Elaine have Ester above ground, but Rena can’t reach Elias with her mind.” Gavin’s shoulders tensed.

  “That’ll be what I’ve been fearin’,” Rune growled. “Same thin’ happened when we fought them mongrels on Earth. We’d be speakin’, but no one’d be hearin’. If that’d be the case, then them demons know where they are.”

  My heart dropped as cold chills of fear rippled through me. “Rune, are you sure?”

  “I’m tellin’ ya. It’s a trap.” His feathers raised, his teeth bared.

  I started to shake.

  Gavin turned to me, his emerald eyes full of dread. “Elias and Elaine—they’ve been discovered.”

  Chapter22

  The Dead Forest

  “WHAT NOW?” I ASKED Gavin, fearing the worst.

  “Elias and Elaine are heading north, but they soon will be surrounded.”

  “How can they communicate with you and not each other?”

  Gavin’s voice became wooden. “I don’t know. It might have something to do with the fact that we are in the mountain.”

  “I’d not be believin’ anythin’ I’m hearin’,” Rune grumbled. “Might be only what they’re wantin’ ya to know.”

  Gavin’s shoulders slumped, and he turned away.

  I went to his side. “What about the guard?”

  “The last I heard they were almost to the Queen. Rena and Tark are have stopped trying to communicate. The guard is making short work of the Dokkalfar, although Weylin is confounded at their size and lack of training.”

  Confused, my mind raced with questions. “Are you sure that’s Weylin? And what do you mean, lack of training.”

  “I’ve talked with Weylin’s mind my entire life. I’m sure it’s him. And he says these Dokkalfar aren’t warriors, Nora ... they’ve sent their young to fight.” Gavin’s eyes blanked. “Rena and Tark found Mother. They are protecting her.”

  I shuddered. “Was she hurt?”

  Gavin shook his head.

  Relieved, Rune grinned. “Tis good to know. I’d been fearin’ the guard wouldn’t be reachin’ her in time, and she’d be findin’ herself buried like Ester.”

  “Buried?” My voice rose.

  Gavin subtly shook his head, but Rune growled; his eyes turned to a dusty blue.

  “She must be understandin’, sire.” He turned to me. “The Dokkalfar’ll be buryin’ their prey, leavin’ only above ground what’s needin’ to survive.”

  “But Ester ... she’s all right.” I glanced at Gavin; he turned away. “Isn’t she?”

  “She’s alive,” Gavin muttered.

  “Can she fight or claw her way out?”

  Rune shook his head. “Yer not understandin’. The badlands’ll be stronger than steel, and it’s hotter than blazes. They’ll not be worryin’ about her escapin’. Nah. The only thing’ll be worrin’ them is if she’d be burnin’ to death before they’re gettin’ what they’re needin’.”

  Tears filled my eyes. The horror coursing through me was quickly smothered with dread.

  “The tide’s turning.” Gavin’s monotone voice sounded like a dirge. “The Dokkalfar sent their youngest to weaken the warriors. The real battle has begun. Rena and Tark struggle to keep the Queen safe. I’ve ordered Elias and Elaine to heal Ester as best they can and then hide her in the forest somewhere. They must defend the Queen.”

  “Can they bring Ester here?”

  “It’s impossible. They’re past the cedars, and Ester is too weak.”

  My hands shook as I brushed a tear away. “We have to help.”

  Gavin’s eyes never left the abyss. “Not yet.”

  We stood in silence for what could have been minutes or days. Finally, Gavin turned towards us. Cool relief wisped through me, calming my jagged nerves.

  “Rena has unleashed her amulet. The Dokkalfar are falling. Weylin says they may be able to ... to ...” Gavin’s panic blazed. “How many are there?” He growled as he paced at the mouth of the cave.

  “They’re trapped, aren’t they?” My voice broke, knowing the answer before he gave it.

  He stopped; his eyes bore into mine. “I won’t let you—”

  “I’ll go.” Rune interrupted, heading toward the entrance. I followed him, but he turned on his heels.

  “Princess, be hearin’ me.” Rune’s voice rose in exasperation. “You’re needin’ to stay here. And I can fight a fair bit better knowin’ yer not in harm’s way.” His eyes began to glow. “If I’m needin’ ya, I’ll be lettin’ yer Prince know.” He turned to Gavin. “Oh, and sire. I’ll be only speakin’ in the original word. Don’t be trustin’ nothin’ else.”

  Before I could say anything, he darted toward the abyss.

  “How could this happen?” I whispered. And how did so many get here without us knowing?

  Gavin took two strides, and I found myself in his arms. His need to protect overpowered everything else and I leaned into it, not realizing how much I needed to feel its familiar embrace.

  Dark emotions pounded through me. Ove
rwhelming dread weighed on my heart.

  What’s happening?

  His grip tightened, his hand resting on the small of my back pressed me closer, closer as if he wanted nothing more than to pull me into him physically and shelter me from it all.

  “I don’t know what to believe. It sounds like Weylin’s voice, but something’s off.”

  “We have to help,” I whispered. “I feel it.”

  He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I want to hear from Rune first. Maybe it isn’t as bad as we fear.”

  I held his face in my hands, my nose touching his. Minutes passed as six streams of thought focused on everyone coming out of this alive, of our victory, and the future I dreamed of, twins and all.

  “I love your mind.” Gavin’s eyes glittered as he smiled. “And I hope that you’re right.”

  “Have you tried reaching Rune?”

  “He’s not answering.”

  “How long are we going to wait?”

  “I don’t know.” Gavin stopped in front of me. “Everyone is silent.”

  “Gavin, we don’t have a lot of time here. If they are in trouble, we need to go.”

  His eyes turned wintery, old. “You’re right.” He kissed my forehead and took my hand. Without another word, we stepped into the night.

  I took a breath and gagged. Sulfur and rotting flesh punched my nose, the smell so heavy I couldn’t breathe. Gavin started back into the mountain, but I refused, ripping another breath through my lungs, determined not to fail. Thunder rumbled in the distance. My feet warmed as my heels sunk in, and I looked down. We weren’t on soil. The area closest to the fissure was hot sand saturated in oil. I picked my foot up, leaving a perfect imprint. Gavin hopped on the nearest rock, and I watched black ooze fill the print as if to wash it away. We kept as close to the mountain as possible, ducking in between boulders and piles of rotting logs. The debris became dense. Massive trunks lay crisscrossed, their branches entangled as if they had been thrown down like matchsticks. Roots, still balled at the base, looked like they had been eviscerated from the ground. Several times Gavin released me to climb on a log, and panic crept in as soon as his hand left mine. Instinct screamed that I make sure we stayed together, no matter what.

  I kept my focus on his back, all thoughts concentrating on making as little noise as possible. Our course led us further and further from the mountain. The ground cooled, and I glanced up. Petrified cedar trees reached high in the night sky, their branches lifted to the heavens as if to cry out for mercy. A thick blanket of ash smothered any chance of life, and our feet kicked up fine soot, leaving a cloud of dust trailing behind. A stitch pained my side, and I panted through my nose. Sweat dripped off my brow, and I wiped it away, along with the ash that had collected there. Gavin found a hollow at the base of a tree and pulled me in, tucking me under his shoulder. We stayed hidden until the dust settled. A hint of pine kissed the air, the jagged shadow of evergreens outlined the landscape.

  “We’re almost there,” Gavin whispered in the ancient language.

  Have you spoken with Elias? Rena?

  He shook his head. “Too dangerous.”

  His brow lowered as his eyes swept across the darkened forest.

  What’s wrong?

  He leaned in, his lips touching my ear. “There are no sounds of struggle, of war.”

  Maybe Rune finished them off.

  Gavin’s emeralds sparkled. “Let’s hope so.” His hand tightened over mine, and we took off again.

  We ran in unfamiliar woods; the muted moonlight nothing more than a thick, purple haze. Gavin stayed a few paces ahead, his hand gripped mine pulling me faster.

  “Go back!” Ester’s craggy voice echoed off the dead forest. A collective roar exploded, surrounding us, screeching in victory. Gavin jerked me to him, and we stood back-to-back, his determination coursed through my veins. Clouds rolled in blanketing the moonlight.

  “You don’t understand!” Ester’s voice turned frail. “They’ve taken your clan, they know you will weaken. You must go back.”

  My heart jolted. What did she mean? Rena? Tark? Elias and Elaine should be here. Why wasn’t anyone here?

  The darkness grew closer. The stench of the Dokkalfar smothered the hopeful scent of pine. Hundreds of almond eyes glimmered in the night; the ash-covered ground deafened the sounds of their feet. My thoughts scattered, and I tried to think past the rising panic.

  “It is a lie,” Gavin growled. “Focus, love, focus.”

  The front line crept closer, and all streams of thought strained on Gavin’s every move. I knew how to protect; Gavin knew how to fight. I crouched as the front line charged. My senses heightened; every nerve became alive. Power coursed through me as a blue haze encircled us. The closest Dokkalfar dropped where they stood, dying before they hit the ground. Their bodies made a perimeter the others dared not cross. I curled my lips in a hard grin.

  “Follow my lead,” Gavin softly said in the ancient language.

  Can you reach the others?

  “They do not answer. We’re on our own.”

  Cold ribbons of anxiety ran through me as I wondered what happened, what went wrong. The wild child screamed, demanding that I concentrate, and I snapped all thoughts back to Gavin and the need to be his source.

  Gavin grabbed my hand, and we inched our way toward Ester, stumbling over the dead. The amulet grew warm as the wild child kept the barrier strong. Clouds drifted, releasing the moon from their grip. A sea of black poured from every direction, leaving only a small opening to the north where the evergreens were.

  They are pushing us toward something ... or someone.

  “I know,” Gavin muttered. “I’m working on it.”

  Rune’s roar trumpeted from the south, and hope threaded through me.

  I surged energy to Gavin as all hell broke loose. Silver uniforms flashed through the trees. Screeches of pain rent the air as the first wave of Dokkalfar fell. Gavin’s hand tightened over mine, and he bolted west, left of where they wanted us to be. White noise shrieked in frustration as the gap widened. A shock of wild white hair, spattered in blood lay helplessly on the ground.

  I faltered, slowing Gavin’s progress.

  “Princess, run Princess! Don’t come for me! Please ... you must flee!” Ester screamed, her blistered arms outstretched as if she could physically hold us back.

  Gavin tugged my hand, darting left again, away from her. I glanced over my shoulder. Slick, obsidian silhouettes, thrashed, lunging toward us, growing closer. My heart sputtered.

  I’ve seen this before.

  Gavin turned; recognition blazed as my mind latched onto an old memory ... night melding into purple light, unfamiliar wood, surrounded by black demons. The memory of my first nightmare played in unison with reality.

  “No!” I whimpered, pushing my legs as fast as they could go. That couldn’t have been a vision of the future.

  Masculine panic burned; Gavin jerked me forward, but my hand slipped as I lost my footing. The Dokkalfar screams crescendoed to a deafening roar, and black demons fighting the guard turned, racing toward us.

  For the first time, Gavin’s warrior grew fearful as the ash billowing around the Dokkalfar brought their sheer numbers to light. I struggled as black wisps of death lashed at my feet. The closest ones to me bared their sharp, yellow teeth, anticipating tearing my flesh from the bone. I lunged, reaching for Gavin’s hand. My fingers grazed his before something clamped onto my ankle, pulling me down. Pain knifed through my leg, and I kicked with my other foot, making contact. The ground rushed up; my head bounced on a rock. I screamed as the skin ripped from my calf.

  “Nora!” Gavin cried. He ran past me, beheading the one holding me down. Growls and screeches of elation echoed off the trees as onyx bodies bounded on him. All the Dokkalfar charged until nothing but a mound of writhing limbs could be seen. Holding onto Gavin’s warrior like a lifeline, I willed him to fight. My heart lurched as I looked at the amulet.

  Only
a small amount of silver remained.

  A fresh wave of fury crashed through me. The energy surrounding me lashed out; demons dropped in droves. I clenched my jaw, willing more to die, running into the mass of Dokkalfar.

  The amulet cooled, but they kept focused on their prey ... on Gavin.

  “Please, God,” I pleaded, unleashing the last of my energy stores. Rune flashed from the Petrified Forest as the Dokkalfar closest to me fell. His roar echoed across the land, and he left a trail of black flesh and blood. Elias and Elaine followed close behind.

  “Help me!” I screamed, trying to push away the bodies of the dead, searching for Gavin. Blood gushed down my leg and into my shoe, but I ignored it.

  Masculine fear knifed through me.

  We’re almost there. Hang on ... please, hang on.

  Familiar sapphire and jade eyes glimmered in the night, killing anything standing in their way.

  “He’s under here!” I shouted in the ancient language. Elias and Elaine tossed bodies off the pile as if they were dolls, killing the wounded as they went. Gavin’s desperation coursed through. Carcasses lay all around as Elias and Elaine lifted the last ones.

  Only the ground remained.

  Despair and pain ripped through me as I felt Gavin weaken.

  “They’ve got him,” I whispered, horrified.

  Elias took off; Elaine stayed by my side. My heart stammered as despair and pain riddled my chest. Rena and Tark led a troop toward me, trapping the remaining Dokkalfar and making quick work of them. As soon as Rena was close, Elaine disappeared between the petrified trees.

  “My lady, you’re hurt.” Rena’s voice shook as she dropped to her knees and placed her hand over the gaping wound. Tark crouched in front of me, scanning the woods. Pain bolted past my hip, but I focused all my energy on willing Gavin to fight.

  “Rena.” I shook as the leaves shuffled to our left. “Over there.”

  She pushed me against a tree before lunging into the dark. A dozen guards replaced her, surrounding me in silver.