by A D Lombardo
Disturbing the dead even with his ability to glean felt every bit as wrong as digging them up. Still, Kai searched the hillside, grave by grave, hoping to find something, anything out of place. There was only one new grave, and the body was female. Everything was as it should be.
Rayna tugged at his arm. “We should leave before they come this way. No point risking getting caught,” she warned.
Kai knew she was right, but he could not bring himself to leave. This was probably as close as he would ever be to his family. He loved them, and they hated him. It was foolish of him to believe he could change Iver’s destiny. He did not listen to others' warnings, and now he was a traitor—murderer. He wanted to stay and confront them, but their sorrow ran deep. They would never give him the chance to explain or solve his father’s murder.
Before he realized it, his Aunt Helena and Uncle Kaeco were nearly on top of them, venturing on the path back to the Avar Estate. There was no use in running; he could see the details of Helena’s lacy black veil covering her face, and it could not hide the tears on her cheeks, the redness of her eyes.
He knew he should not look at her, but he could not turn away. Their eyes met, and Kai knew instantly that his aunt had seen through his disguise. Helena was a strong woman, and she held her composure walking away. She never said a word, only kept walking down the path.
Compelled to follow, Kai pulled Rayna down the path a safe distance behind his family.
“What are you doing?” Rayna whispered.
A jumble of feelings and thoughts battled in his throat. It was impossible to admit he knew this quite possibly was the biggest mistake so far, but he owed his aunt an explanation. “She deserves to hear the truth from me, not some report from Diu,” Kai finally answered.
When Helena and Kaeco reached the estate, Kai held back as his family entered a small side gate. Wondering how close he could get, Kai paced near a large cluster of snow-covered pine trees. If his aunt wanted to speak with him, she would have to come back outside. As much as he hoped to talk with her, leaving Rayna alone did not seem safe.
He waited for nearly an hour and was about to give up when Helena came to the gate, alone. She stood clutching the iron bars, behind a prison of pain, and stared at him. Her black lace veil still covered her face, which held a new emotion, something Kai decided was a cross between anger and fear.
Helena did not lift her veil, but even through the tears, Kai thought she was beautiful. Knowing she was Iver’s twin sister made him wonder if she also physically felt his loss. “Aunt Helena,” Kai started, but then he stopped. Saying sorry did not feel enough. Overwhelming her with his true parentage also sounded wrong in his head. What could he say?
“Kai,” Helena croaked, opening the gate between them.
New tears streamed down her face. And Kai started to reach for her. She did not back away, but he withdrew the affection. “There are no words . . .” Kai began again.
“Words, you think I want words from you?” Her tone seethed with sudden anger. “Words will not set things right. Nothing will bring Iver back to me. Do you know where my brother is? I felt his pain the night he died, sharp and quick, then I felt nothing. I will not accept that he is gone, I cannot . . .” Helen broke into tears.
There was no denying the shared connection of twins. Iver and Helena were always very close; he remembered stories of Iver feeling her pain during the birth of her son. “I do not know where they took Iver,” he responded. “I know you miss him, and I wish he were here too, but words and wishes cannot change the truth.”
His guilt bubbled in his throat. How could his words bring any comfort? This was a mistake, yet he continued to speak. “The night he died—I was there, but I did not stay as he breathed his last.” His mind stubbled and his mouth felt dry like cotton. “I am sorry, I ran. Nola screamed for the guards.” His explanation came out all wrong, but he could not help but try. “I believe there was another person in the room, someone hiding in the darkness. He or she knows the truth of what happened and the location of Iver’s body. I believe it was possibly a man named Keegan.”
His rushed retelling felt forced and factual, then he noticed the mention of his birth father’s name sent a shudder down his aunt’s spine. “I know his name . . .”
“Yes,” Kai acknowledged. “The man who instigated the attack on Port Anahita last year.”
“Keegan hurt your mother,” Helena mumbled. A faraway look took her into the past. “Mariana was my best friend, and Iver, my twin. There are no secrets between twins or best friends. Keegan is your father. I have always known.”
Helena’s knowledge shook Kai to his roots. If she knew as Iver knew, all these years, she never let it show. The love she gave him felt overwhelmingly intense. “Who else knows?” he asked.
“Mariana only told me.” In a display of affection, Helena reached out and touched Kai’s arm. “Iver asked me not to tell Kaeco. Secrets between spouses cause a rift—small, but it is there. A burden I chose to keep.”
Tears welled in Kai’s eyes and streaked down his cheeks. “You know I did not kill my father, right?”
“Best dry your tears, my dear. They are ruining your disguise.” She offered a hand to Rayna, pulling her close. “Take care of him, if you can. Take care of each other.”
Like a clockwork keeping time with their suffering, the winter weather returned. Snow fell from the night sky. The sorrow and pain bubbled up like a volcano to bring them all to tears. For one moment, his family did not hate him. Kai felt his aunt’s arm around his waist, holding him close. “I am sorry, Kai. Go find Iver and bring him back to me.”
Letting go of the pain and the sorrow, Kai stepped back. “Don’t be sorry. I know what I have to do. Thank you, Helena, for believing me. I only wish I could prove what really happened that night.”
There was no warning, no sound; Helena’s pain had masked their arrival. Twelve Avar Estate guards and his Uncle Kaeco approached through the snow. Kai looked at his aunt, searching her eyes to see if she had betrayed him.
She had.
“Did you believe anything I said?” Kai called out as he took Rayna by the hand and pulled her toward the path. They did not get far. Bitter winds whipped around them, ruffling their cloaks. “Stay close,” Kai whispered to Rayna.
Twelve armed men would not be an easy fight on his own, but he could not discount Rayna’s power. She was not as good in a fight as him, but she was fast, faster than these men. Weighing the options, Kai decided he only needed to give them an opening. Better to run and survive than fight and make a mistake.
Kai thought about what they had to work with. No weapons, only a pouch full of seeds and Rayna’s dagger. He took notice of the largest man in the group who took a position behind him.
“Do your seeds work in the snow?” he whispered to Rayna, squeezing her hand and nodding to the right.
She squeezed back. Kai saw her slide her hand into the pouch on her waist. A handful of seeds dropped in the snow, and Rayna closed her eyes for a moment. He felt her pull of power from the storm, and he saw her free hand swirl at her side. New plant life rippled beneath a blanket of snow. Kai saw the vines slither and grow, ready to do Rayna’s bidding.
Everyone paused. In an instant, Kai spun on his heels, catching his chosen man the throat, disarming him, and kicking the side of his knee at an odd angle. Using the butt of his newly acquired weapon, he struck a nearby man in the temple. The man dropped in the snow with a grunt.
Kai kicked the next man twice, once in the gut and then in the head. This was followed by a series of jabs and whacks with the butt of his sword, which dropped two more in the snow before they were able to land a punch. Dark green leaves popped up through the snow, climbing the legs of four men and yanking them to the ground.
Meanwhile, Rayna lurched at Helena with her dagger, pulling his aunt around like a shield with her blade near Helena’s throat. “Back off. Call them all off!” Rayna shouted. “I have little to lose, so back off.”
Kaeco shook his head. “How can I trust anyone who has a knife to my wife’s throat? Kai is not the boy I knew. How could you do this, any of this?”
Rayna pressed the blade into the veil against the skin, drawing blood. Kaeco grabbed a sword from one of his men and stepped forward.
“Kaeco, no!” Helena stayed him with her hand. “Let them go. I will be fine, but you must let them all go.”
Kaeco wavered, flexing his fingers around the sword.
Rayna said nothing, she only pressed the blade farther into Helena’s neck, causing her to flinch in pain. Finally, Kaeco retreated, pulling the remaining guards with him. “I will not forget this, Kai,” his uncle called. “You will pay for the blood you spilled today. You both will.”
Kai cringed at Rayna’s aggression. How had they become so desperate? He touched her arm. “Let’s go,” he whispered, then he called out, “Do not follow us, Uncle.”
Rayna released Helena, and then they took a few cautious steps backward before turning and running into the storm. Helena watched them go with tears in her eyes.
♦ ♦ ♦
The storm ebbed and flowed throughout the day, changing the visibility from complete whiteout to clear and back again. Now moonlight peeked through the clouds, highlighting the wintery landscape.
Kai and Rayna ran down a back road behind the Avar Estate, avoiding the groundskeeper's house, stables, and guardhouses. They moved quickly, but not too fast, keeping their distance from any of the servants or workers. Their goal was to reach the outskirts of town and the road to Diu without being discovered.
A speck of a rider crested the knoll along their chosen path, and Kai pulled Rayna from the road and down the embankment. Tiny snow flurries and the lack of trees offered zero coverage, leaving them exposed. When a second and third rider crested, Kai sank to his knees into the snowdrift. Time was not on their side. If they hoped to go unnoticed, they needed to decide what to do fast.
The three riders came closer, and Kai sank as deep as he could into the snow and leaned into the embankment in front of Rayna. The thundering horse hooves matched the pounding in his heart. He had no idea how much trouble they were in until their uniforms became visible. With the slightest bit of moonlight piercing the clouds, he noticed their midnight blue uniforms with a silver spear through a crescent moon—the symbol for Fort Pohaku. He held his breath as they came within fifty feet. The lead man stopped and gazed in all directions before turning and galloping back toward the waiting group at the top of the hill.
“Scouts,” he whispered as if it mattered at this distance. “There will be more men, many more.”
“I recognize their uniforms,” Rayna said. “Navy men from Fort Pohaku. Roark’s men are here. Your uncle must have sent them to search the estate grounds. Our clothing is too dark against the snow; those men will spot us if we run.”
Kai frowned. “I agree, our disguises are useless.”
Rayna rose again to look over the knoll. “The estate is behind us, but what is across those fields?” She pointed to over the road.
“Farms. Too flat and far to run. They will spot us long before we reach those trees.”
“Your snow wolf is mostly white. From a distance, you would be near impossible to see.” Rayna pulled opened her dark cloak, exposing her bright white blouse. “If I remove my cloak and you shield me from the road, we could make it.”
Kai studied the rolling slope leading toward the estate. “Maybe, if we walk over the knoll.” He looked up the road again. “Could be worse, at least these men are not Roark’s elite unit. They do not have the Galloway symbol on their coats. It would mean Roark would not be far behind them.”
His confidence sank when the silhouette of Dresnor came into view. Perched high in the saddle, his friend stopped at the top of the hill and waited for the returning scouts. More men crested the hill, forming two lines behind Dresnor.
“We need to move now.” She gave him little choice by taking the cloak from his shoulders and balling it up around her cloak. “When we reach the top, we should run. I know you will not be able to speak to me once you transform, but I will keep up.”
Kai nodded. “It may be a risk, but I think we should walk at an angle toward the men.” He used his hands to demonstrate a parallel movement. “The sooner we pass them, the better. They should continue to follow the road and we can reach the tree line to hide.”
Taking hold of his crystal, he transformed while remaining low along the ground. Giving a quick shake of his fur, he stood tall and glanced up the road. The scouts fell in line, and Dresnor took the lead as the group started down the hill. An uneasy feeling swelled as he watched them until Rayna’s hand touched his side.
Letting his fluffy tail brush the snowy trail behind them, he held his ears back and head down, hoping to hide the blackest parts of his snow wolf’s coat. It was a risk going back the way they came and getting closer to the estate grounds, but he could not risk crossing the road into an open field. Instead, he eased away from the road and walked toward Dresnor and his men.
Rayna nestled near his front leg, her head leaned into his wolf’s shoulder. His massive size hid her from view as she hopped through the knee-deep snow while he walked at a comfortable pace up the slope. Each step took them closer to safety, although he knew no hiding place would be safe as long as they were in Port Anahita with Roark nearby. Meanwhile, Dresnor’s group came closer.
A sharp whistle caught Kai’s attention, and his wolf ears perked to the sound. Stopping, he instinctively turned his head toward the road. He stood parallel with Dresnor. A tightness formed in his chest as he stared at his friend. Were they friends anymore? After all, he asked this man for help, and Dresnor had threatened to turn him into the authorities.
Rayna whispered in his ear. “We need to go, Kai.”
He knew she was right, but he felt paralyzed by the past. There were so many lies and half-truths between them now. The deceit lingered between him and his old friend like an invisible wall they both knew was there but had no idea how to tear it down. I am so tired of running. There is no escaping my fate. Should I turn myself in now, save everyone the trouble?
Dresnor eased his horse down the embankment. Frozen by sadness, Kai stared at his past, torn between staying and running away. I am ready to give up, he wanted to shout.
Moving slow and easy, Dresnor rode closer. “Hello there, you beautiful beast,” his friend called, riding slow—getting closer. “I have never seen anything like you before, you stand as tall as my horse.”
Kai stared. Take me away, I do not care anymore, his insides screamed.
A guard called from the road. “Dresnor, this is foolish, look how big the wolf is . . . Come back, man, please.”
Rayna grabbed handfuls of wolf hair and pushed Kai. “Please! Please, run!” she cried.
An uneasiness rolled in Kai’s stomach, and his hackles rose. Rayna’s plea touched his heart, and he shook his head, mane, and body. I have something—someone to live for, he remembered.
Baring his teeth, he growled at Dresnor’s horse. As loud and fierce as he could, he barked and growled and stepped toward his foe. The horse reared, but Dresnor held the reins. “Easy now.” Dresnor wrangled his horse under control. “Easy boy.”
“Dresnor!” another man shouted. “Should we kill it?”
Kai lowered his head and growled again as his friend back away, directing his horse onto the road. “No, leave it be!” Dresnor waved them off. “Let’s go.” He led his men down the road.
Kai lowered his head and felt ashamed for his foolishness.
Rayna wrapped herself in both cloaks. “Come now,” she put her hands on either side of his muzzle and let her head fall against his. “You will be alright. Roark is coming, and we still needed to check the woods between here and Diu. Probably best if you stay in beast form. If I ride on your back, we will make better time than walking. Not sure there is any safe place for you to become a dragon.”
In agre
ement, he lowered into a crouch so Rayna could climb onto his back.
New snow fell from the sky, hiding them both in the rebirth of the storm. Kai hated to admit all the doubt swirling around in his head. The usual four-hour horseback ride to Diu took him less than an hour. And once again, the storm eased, revealing patches of the clear stary night through the clouds.
Chapter 20
The Gravedigger
The moonlight danced between the rolling clouds kissing Baden Lake. Standing at the edge of the snow-covered forest, Kai clutched Rayna’s hand. In the distance, he could see Diu beyond the Stone River Bridge. The sound of rushing water below Baden Lake dam was serene, but the lights of his city mourned its king.
Snowflakes and bitter cold ripped through the trees, and Kai felt Rayna shiver by his side. They both knew starting a fire was out of the question, but they needed to find a warm place to spend the night.
She rubbed her arms. “I am usually not this cold, even in the mountains. Maybe I can build something off the ground with a surround to block the wind and keep the snow off our backs. We can search the forest from the treetops.”
“Good idea, I could transform back into my snow wolf. I can still use my gleaning ability, and you would have two cloaks and my fur to help keep you warm. Can you make something large enough for me?”
Her hesitation left a gaping silence between them. She wormed through the woods, looking up and down several tall oaks and pines. “I suppose, but I will need to ensure we have a strong tree to support you. We should get at least fifteen feet off the ground to go unnoticed, should anyone pass by. Here, this spot already has a few vines.”
She pulled seeds from her pouch, knelt to clear the snow, and dug a hole for her plants to grow. Three different vines sprang from the ground, twisting and snaking up the largest of two oaks: one thick and woody with brown and orange leaves, another mossy and dark, and the last covered in large evergreen pine-scented narrow leaves. Up and up her foliage grew, taking her with it. “Is your snow wolf afraid of heights?” She shouted down from the center of three oak trees within the pod she created.
