“Thank me?” Will said, snorting.
She leaned over, looked him right in the eye, and said, “Everything that is happening and everything that will happen is your fault.”
Will’s jaw dropped, and his heart began to beat even harder than it was already working. She had seen him. Of course she had seen him. She knew he blamed himself for John’s death—blamed himself for a lot of things—but one thing Will never put on his shoulders was Drygo’s death. The man had gotten what he deserved.
But did Aralith deserve this? Will knew that they didn’t. He knew this was indeed his fault, but rather than go down that dark road again, he’d chosen to try to stop the inevitable. And now that he’d seen it—as he looked around at the endless sea of tents—he knew he was trying to fix a dam with his finger. No matter how hard he tried, it would not hold, and it would all come crashing down.
And it was all his fault.
Get a hold of yourself! Lotess shouted. This is what she wants—you broken. You are her greatest threat. The rest of the gods can be killed, but not you. She can’t kill you, so she’s going to tear down your emotions.
“I know what you’re trying to do,” Will said. “And I’m not falling for it.”
Ophi chuckled, and then laughed aloud. Then all at once it was over and she spat, “You think you’re so smart. You disobey orders from tacticians far wiser than you because you think you know best. How’s that working out for you?” She held out her arms, indicating the whole camp.
Of course Will knew what she was doing—what she was trying to imply. Maya had forbade him from destroying Drygo’s stone, yet he’d done it anyway, and now the elves were free. But Maya wasn’t any better than him.
She was likely off somewhere traipsing around the world while Will was here, killing elves and saving lives in Luton. He had discovered a soul stone, and as soon as his magic started working again he would tear through this camp until he found it again.
“Get him up,” Ophi said.
Someone grabbed Will under the shoulders and hoisted him to his feet.
Will put his hands together and reached for his magic again. Ophi was standing right in front of him. If he could just kill her, maybe this would all end and the elves would just go home.
But the power didn’t come forth.
“Oh that won’t work, I’m afraid,” Ophi said, smiling once more. “Your little kill streak is over.”
“What did you do to me?” Will asked.
Her smile continued, but she said nothing.
“What are you trying to accomplish?” Will asked. “You can’t kill me. You don’t have my stone.”
“Ah, but you see that’s where you’re wrong,” Ophi said.
“That’s impossible, I left it with—”
“Sowena?” Ophi finished. “About three miles to the west? Did you think I was just going to let her stay there?”
“What have you done with her?” Will shouted. “I’ll kill you if you’ve hurt her.”
“My, my. Such feelings for someone you’ve only barely gotten to know,” Ophi said. “I guess you are nothing like Drygo after all. He would have gladly sacrificed the girl for the greater good. He always thought himself so noble. But you’re more raw than that, aren’t you? Let me guess.” She laughed. “Oh, that’s right, I don’t have to. You see, I know you, and you’re the ‘have to save everyone’ type. But that’s why Drygo was a leader and you’re just a slug. He knew how to make the tough decisions.”
Will spat at Ophi, but it fell short.
“Bring her,” Ophi said to no one in particular.
An elf stepped into the open, prodding Sowena in front of him. Her hands were bound.
“Will!” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing you could have done,” Will said.
“How sweet. You’re sparing her feelings when we both know she doesn’t have an ounce of fight in her,” Ophi said with twisted smile.
Will flinched and turned away, but as he did so, a reflection caught his eye. Around the neck of Sowena’s captor was a pendant, and in that pendant sat the largest, clearest diamond Will had ever seen: the soul stone from the Trident.
Lotess cursed.
What? Will asked.
I should have known, Lotess said. I should have never let you come here.
What? he asked again.
Togun, she said.
God of peace? Will replied.
He’s the diamond, Lotess said.
So? Will asked.
Togun’s stone is called the Soul Silence, she explained. As in, his power negates yours—or any other power for that matter.
So if I die right now, I’m dead? Will asked.
No, it doesn’t work like that. He doesn’t destroy your power, or we wouldn’t still be able to talk, she told him. He just prevents you from using it. If you were killed, your soul would be free to leave.
You said this works against any power, so Ophi is blind right now? Will asked. She only sees through her own two eyes?
In theory, Lotess said.
“No doubt you’re discovering your powers won’t work,” Ophi said with an evil smile. “Meet Haladavar. Of course, you have your own self to thank for this.”
Haladavar laughed.
Ophi pulled out Will’s blue soul stone and held it up to the light. “Such a small thing that we’ve tethered our lives to. A simple crack, and life is gone.”
“If you’re going to kill me, kill me, but let Sowena go,” Will said.
“We’re not going to kill you,” Ophi said. “We’re going to use you.”
“If you think I’m ever going to help you again, you’ve got another thing coming,” he answered.
“Oh, I think you will,” Ophi said. “Because, you see, if you don’t, Sowena dies. And I know you won’t let that happen.”
Will clenched his teeth and glared at Ophi. “What is it you’re wanting me to do?”
“Catch a soulfiend,” she said.
Now it was Will’s turn to laugh. “You can’t catch a soulfiend. That’s impossible.”
“Not impossible, but let me rephrase,” she said. “You’re going to separate the soul from the fiend.”
“And why would you—”
An elf screamed, and the next thing Will knew a body had flown into the space between he and Ophi. Everyone turned toward the commotion. There stood Ocken and Robert.
Ocken cleaved the head off of an elf with his claymore and said, “Hope we’re not late to the party. I hate it when people start without me.”
An elf grunted, drawing Will’s attention back to the scene around him. Sowena had elbowed Haladavar, grabbed his dagger from his waist with her hands still bound, and plunged the dagger into the elf’s shoulder.
Will didn’t need an invitation—he dove at Ophi, slamming his shoulder into her chest, knocking them both to the ground. The stone went flying. Will partially stood and lunged for it. Its hard, cold surface rested comfortably in his hands once more.
Flipping over, Will made to attack Ophi, but she was gone.
Apparently the elves were heeding Ophi’s command that he wasn’t to be killed, because they came at him with their weapons sheathed. That was their first mistake.
Their second was thinking Will would go without a fight. He dodged the first elf’s grapple and stole his sword from its scabbard as he passed.
Sowena drew in close to Will as he cut a path through the crowd to Ocken and Robert. Will and Sowena arrived just as Ocken’s sword slammed into an elf’s skull with a sickening crunch.
“You have no idea how good it is to see you,” Will said.
“Likewise,” Robert said. “We’ve been chasing you since you left Shadowhold.”
“There’ll be time for this later,” Ocken said over his shoulder as he sliced off an elf’s arm.
Ocken roared and charged, picking up an elf and using his body as a shield as he barreled his way through, punching a hole for Will, Robert, and Sowena to follo
w. As soon as they were free, they stowed their weapons and ran full force through the forest.
“Any ideas for losing the relatives?” Robert remarked.
The comment was lost on Will until he remembered he looked like an elf. “Oh, umm…”
“I’ll take that as a no,” Robert said.
Will glanced around, but all he could see in any direction were trees, trees, and more trees. He could really use a bird’s-eye view right now, but somewhere behind him, one of the elves in pursuit must have been Haladavar, because Will’s power was still blocked.
Maybe Will didn’t need the bird, he’d already been up there once.
“Wait,” he said. “I do remember one thing. Come on this way.”
Will immediately cut to the north, turning right.
“I’d prefer to go south—you know there’s nothing left in Celesti, right?” Robert said.
“Just trust me,” Will said. “We’re not going that far.”
A minute later the land sloped off and the trees grew sparser around a gully, which snaked to the left and widened into a larger ravine.
“Down here,” Will said, jumping and sliding feet first. “Quickly!”
When they reached the bottom, they all lay flat against the ground.
“Are you sure this is a good idea? We’re sitting ducks,” Sowena said.
“Shh,” Ocken said.
The footsteps of a hundred or more elves ran past on the ground just above and out of sight. When he was sure they were gone, Will stood and the others followed suit.
“How did you know where I was?” Will asked.
“We saw your girlfriend picking apples a few hours ago,” Ocken said.
Sowena blushed.
“She’s not my—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Robert said. “We need to get out of here before they come back.”
They climbed back to the top and cut south, the opposite direction the elves had headed. They ran for a good hour when Sowena stopped and bent over, placing her hands on her knees.
“Give me a minute,” she said.
“Don’t do that,” Ocken said.
“What?” she asked, lifting her head.
“That position will restrict your airway. Stand up and put your hands behind your head,” he replied. “You’re liable to faint otherwise.”
“Thanks, I guess?” she said. “I don’t think I ever got your name.”
“Oh, right, sorry. I’m Ocken,” he said.
“And this is Robert,” Will said, shaking Robert’s shoulder. “He’s my older brother.”
“Brother?” Sowena asked. “You never said anything about a brother.”
“Ouch,” Robert said. “Come on, really?”
“How many people have you told about me?” Will asked.
Robert forced a tentative smile and looked away.
“My point exactly,” Will said.
“This is a completely different situation here,” Robert said. “You’re supposed to be dead, remember? You know how difficult it is to explain how you’re alive? Very. But you’ve got no reason to withhold important family information from your girlfriend.”
“She’s not—”
“—your girlfriend, I get it,” Robert said. “My point remains the same.”
“Can we change the subject?” Will asked.
“Break’s over,” Ocken said. “Luton’s twenty minutes away, tops. The elven camp was a lot closer to the city than I would have liked, but if all goes well Luton will be fully evacuated when we get back.”
As they started walking, Will asked, “What’s our move here? They’ve got another stone, and it has already been paired. Worst of all, it blocks my powers, so I can’t just sneak back in there in soul form.”
“We send word to Maya and we wait for orders,” Ocken said.
“We don’t even know where she is,” Will said. “How are we going to get a message to her?”
“You guys actually know the queen?” Sowena asked.
“Yes,” Will said. “I told you that.”
Sowena snorted. “I didn’t actually believe you when you said that. I thought you were just making it up to make yourself seem important.”
“I am important,” Will said.
“In your dreams,” Robert said. “You joined Maya’s team for a few hours and botched the mission so bad you released the big bad elves and now Aralith is pretty much doomed. Not to mention that soulfiend.”
“Wait,” Sowena said. “This is all your fault?”
“Who said anything was anybody’s fault?” Will asked. “Am I responsible for the actions of an evil elf?”
“No, but you’re certainly the reason said evil elf got out of her cage,” Robert said.
“And the soulfiend?” Sowena asked.
“He practically created it,” Robert said. “When he killed the king, Drygo turned into that thing. I wasn’t there, though, this is just what I’m told.”
“You released that thing?” Sowena continued. “My parents, Maggie, the Harstens. They’re all dead because of you?”
“Again, am I responsible for the actions of—”
“I can’t believe you!” Sowena shouted. “The only reason you bothered to help me is because, what? You knew what you’d done and you felt guilty about it? You think humoring little Sowena will somehow make up for the lives you’ve ruined!”
“Calm down,” Will said, raising his hands.
“I will not!” she screamed. “I see the way you look at me. I know what you must think of me. From the moment you met me I’ve been a pain in your side. You blame me for losing the stone, you think it’s my fault the elf got away, and you wish you’d let those thieves kill me.”
“Sowena,” Will said.
“Don’t Sowena me!” she said. “I’m not—”
“Shh!” Ocken said. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Will asked, but before Ocken could answer the sound of voices drifted through the forest.
“Over here, I see them!”
Will cursed. “Run!”
As they crested the hill, Luton came into view. In the harbor sat a ship with a familiar flag flying from the mast.
37
The Wave Wraith pulled in to dock at Luton. It had been quite some time since Maya had been here. It had been a long while since she’d been anywhere. This tour to rally support had shown her that much. She was very out of touch with her kingdom as much as she liked to think otherwise by playing the people’s liberator.
She hadn’t truly known what it meant to fight for the people. All they wanted was peace and prosperity, both of which had been provided by her father. Had he been overly cruel? Maybe, but it seemed he’d done what was necessary to keep a whole kingdom in line. But what she thought the people needed and what they actually wanted were two different things—something she was only now realizing.
There were no do overs in life. She couldn’t go back and change things, try or wish as she might. She only had power over the present in hopes of molding a better future.
One of the deckhands lowered the gangplank and was beginning to tie up the ship, but stopped when four figures burst out of the city into the harbor. Khal went for his sword, but Maya stayed his hand.
It was Ocken, Robert, a girl she didn’t recognize, and a fourth person that Maya could only assume was Will in a different body. A million emotions came flooding back to her as she was seeing him again. They hadn’t been separated longer than ten days, but it seemed like a lifetime had passed between them. Trust, she had learned, was a precious commodity. He had only had Maya’s and the kingdom’s best interests at heart, yet she had spurned him.
She would regret the way she’d treated him for the rest of her life, but now she might have a chance to make up for it—an opportunity to apologize for her immaturity and thank him for his friendship.
Inaudible words were coming out of their mouths as they waved their hands.
“What are they trying to say?”
Maya asked.
Khal squinted, as if that would improve his hearing, then his eyes went wide. Maya followed his gaze. At least thirty elves were in hot pursuit of Will’s party.
“Weigh anchor!” Maya shouted down to the deck hand. “Make ready the sails!”
Will and the others scrambled aboard the Wave Wraith, then the ship pulled out of the dock. The elves ran to the edge of the pier and one jumped for the rear of the ship, but fell short, splashing into the water.
The four of them dropped their gear and fell flat on their backs.
“What’s going on out here?” Khate said, emerging from below deck. “I thought we were going into—”
Ocken sat up. “Khate?” he said, his jaw slack.
“Ocken?”
“Mother!” Robert and Will shouted in unison as they climbed to their feet.
“What?” Maya and Ocken said together.
“I would introduce you, but it seems you’ve already met,” Robert said.
“This isn’t your mother,” Maya said. “This is my aunt.”
“And this is my son,” Khate said, wrapping her arm around him in a big hug.
“Wait a second, that means we’re—”
“Oh gods,” Will said. “We’re cousins.”
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Khate asked.
“It’s me,” he said. “Will.”
Khate stared at him, speechless, her eyes rapidly blinking. Then her knees gave out and Ocken caught her.
“But you’re dead,” Khate said. “Robert, you told me he was dead.”
“I didn’t know when I sent you that letter,” Robert said. “He’s—”
“Got a soul stone,” Khate said, her eyes turning teal. “So do I.”
“You… have a soul stone?” Will asked.
“What do you boys think I’ve been doing for the past month?” Khate asked. “Sitting at home knitting baby blankets for the neighbors?”
“Mother, the neighbors are—”
“I know,” she said, her face falling. “Celesti is gone. Our home is gone.” Then she lifted her head and said, “If Will is alive, does that mean—”
Will was already shaking his head. “John’s gone. Drygo killed him.”
Khate ran a hand across her face and sighed. “If Alexander had known. If he had only known. He killed his nephew.” A tear ran down Khate’s face and she sniffled. “I nearly died when I read your letter. It’s been a month and I still can’t get over it. But my Will is back, and my Robert is safe.”
Soul Shade (Soul Stones Book 2) Page 29
