“Go down!” Jacob said, motioning to Early and Amberly, both of whom disappeared into the dark hole, Akeno following close behind.
Jacob looked to see if the Lorkon was still unconscious, then went down a couple of steps, turning back to shut the door. It closed much easier than it had opened. He passed his hands over the edges of the door where it met the wall, searching for any warmth, sealing what he could. Satisfied that the door would now keep anyone from coming through for a while, Jacob turned in the pitch black. “Akeno, can you light up the stairs?”
“Yeah . . . I can,” the Makalo said after a moment. The familiar blue light filled the stone stairway, revealing Akeno down several steps from Jacob and Amberly a few steps below that. Akeno was rubbing his leg and grimacing.
“What’s wrong?” Jacob asked.
Akeno moaned. “My leg . . .”
“Where the Lorkon grabbed you?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need to rest?”
“No,” Akeno said, then straightened. “We’ve gotta go before they figure out where the tunnel ends.”
“Let me know if the pain gets worse, okay?”
Akeno didn’t respond.
Jacob pulled his knapsack off his back, wanting to have one less person to protect. “Early, in my bag,” he said. Early flew inside, then Jacob, Akeno, and Amberly started down the stairs.
Chapter Forty-Two
After at least three flights, the stairs ended, and a long passageway opened in front of them. Several sections of the ground and walls were wet, but the tunnel appeared to be in good condition.
“Is this the Fat Lady’s tunnel?” Jacob asked. “What if it leads us somewhere else?”
Akeno didn’t answer. He appeared to be in pain, but was keeping up.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay? We can take a break.”
“No,” Akeno said, his voice shaking. “Keep going, keep going.”
Jacob glanced over his shoulder every now and then while running. Akeno moved slower every minute, his limp becoming more definite with each step. Jacob tried to figure out how to help his friend.
He stopped running when Akeno stumbled. “Okay, this isn’t going to work.” He frowned, then took Akeno’s bag and handed it to Amberly. “Do you think you can carry this?” he asked her.
Amberly’s blue eyes were huge, and she looked super freaked out. But she nodded solemnly. “Yes. I can.”
Jacob’s heart warmed at her bravery. She was such an amazing girl.
“I have another idea,” Jacob said. He picked up Akeno and started jogging again.
Akeno gave a weak laugh. “Sack of potatoes,” he said.
Jacob laughed as well. “But this time you’re not being thrown over my shoulder. Your job is to keep the tunnel well lit so I don’t fall and drop you.”
A few minutes later, Akeno began to shiver and mumble. He opened his eyes, staring straight above him, and gasped.
Jacob looked up, ready to see something falling from the ceiling, but nothing was there. He watched Akeno’s facial expressions for a second, then turned his full attention back to the tunnel, his sister, and getting in as much distance as possible while Akeno was still conscious.
He paused a few times to catch his breath, surprised that Amberly was keeping up so well. She was a very active girl, but still—her legs had to be killing her.
“How are you doing?” he asked as they jogged.
“I can’t wait to get home.”
Neither could he. “We’ll be there soon, I promise.” He couldn’t help but wonder if that was giving her energy—keeping her going. The thought of being with their mother again. Of not being around horrible, evil creatures.
The weight of Akeno’s body was starting to make Jacob’s already-tired arms ache, and his head began pounding again. How was he ever going to make it to the end of the tunnel? He did his best to push the pain away, but was only successful when he heard Akeno start moaning. He paused to raise his friend’s pant leg. There were no breaks in the skin, but the spot was yellow, with angry pink edges.
Akeno’s muscles clenched up and his pupils dilated, making his eyes look almost black with only a sliver of blue. He looked as though he was about to slip into unconsciousness.
“No, no, Akeno, stay with me!” Jacob yelled, running as fast as his legs would take him—the end had to be near! Akeno’s blue light only reached forty feet into the distance, and it was getting dimmer—the Makalo probably wouldn’t be able to keep it lit much longer.
Finally, Jacob saw what looked like the end. Stairs led up—hopefully, the way wasn’t blocked. Akeno’s breathing was shallow. His left hand was limp, barely elevated above his chest, and his light had dimmed to the point where Jacob could only see four or five feet ahead of him.
“Hang on, Akeno, we’re almost there,” Jacob said, trying not to panic. His legs were burning from the exertion, and he was forced to slow to a walk. He shifted Akeno’s position and took Amberly’s hand, helping her up the stairs as quickly as he could. It was difficult to carry Akeno and help Amberly, and the stairs seemed endless. Amberly was depending on his strength nearly as much as Akeno by the time they got to the top. His entire body was on fire, his breaths coming in short gasps.
Jacob reached the top just as the blue light went out. Akeno must have fallen unconscious.
“Oh, no, Akeno, I’m hurrying as fast as I can!” Jacob put the Makalo down and started pushing frantically against the ceiling and the walls, trying to find the exit.
A stream of sunlight hit him in the face, nearly blinding him as he pushed against one section of the wall. He released the stone, letting it fall shut, enveloping them in darkness again. He pulled his bag off his shoulders and opened it. “Early?” he whispered.
“Yes, Jacob?”
“When I push the stone open, I need you to sneak around and tell me what’s out there.”
“Will do!”
Jacob pushed the door just far enough to let Early out. He held it open with his shoulders, waiting for the Minya to return. She took longer than usual to come back, but after what felt like forever, she zoomed in past him.
“The tunnel opens in the middle of a forest very close to the mountains,” she said. “I wasn’t able to see much. I did find some honey, though.”
Jacob moaned in frustration. Was that what had taken her so long? “Were there any Lorkon?”
“Lorkon? Oh, yes, there were.” Early spun around a couple of times, doing some sort of dance. She held up three little fingers.
Jacob realized Early was getting burned out and needed a break from running errands. Please, hang on just a little bit more, he begged her inwardly. “And? Where were they?”
She pointed. “Farther south.”
“What were they doing?”
She tapped the side of her head. “They looked like they were searching for something.”
Jacob rolled his eyes. “Of course they were searching for something.” He knew sarcasm would be lost on Early. “Were there Dusts or anything else?”
“I couldn’t see anything, no.”
“Which side of the wall are we on?”
“I didn’t check.”
Jacob grimaced and decided he’d have to see for himself. He pushed the door open slowly, letting his eyes adjust, then poked his head out. Roots grew over the side of the hill above the exit, and in front of him were several trees. It looked as though the tunnel opened in the side of a small canyon, facing the mountain, since there was a slope going up on the other side of the trees. To the right was the forest, thicker here than anywhere else he’d seen so far. Judging by the light, he figured the tunnel had led them under the wall and to the other side, though it was hard to tell. Something about this bothered him, and he racked his brain, trying to figure out what.
Then it occurred to him. Aloren. He backed up and let the door fall shut. She had no way to leave Maivoryl City without him.
Jacob mentally kicked himself. He’d p
romised he’d help her get out of the city—that she would only have to be there for a couple of hours. Who knew what had happened to her after he and Akeno had run away? Who knew if Eachan had been successful in protecting her? Who knew if she was even still alive? He felt sick to his stomach when he thought he might never see her again. She’d trusted him! And he’d thought she could—that she’d be safe doing so.
He took a deep breath, struggling to control his emotions. There was no way he’d be able to save Amberly, Aloren, his dad, and Akeno. He knew it, and he hated it.
Jacob forced himself to put her smile and sparkly brown eyes out of his mind, knowing there was nothing he could do but pray she’d be okay. He had to focus on getting Akeno to someone who could help him, and as soon as possible.
He made sure Early and Amberly were ready to go, swung his knapsack over his shoulders alongside Aloren’s bag, then he picked up Akeno and pushed open the heavy door.
Jacob let his eyes adjust to the sunlight and stepped outside, feeling very exposed, even with the thick forest closing in on him. After Amberly came out, he lowered the door, then squeezed past a couple of large trees into a small, enclosed area to the left that would keep him hidden for a few minutes while he checked on Akeno.
The Makalo’s skin was cold to the touch. He had huge, dark rings circling his eyes that made them look sunken, and he was breathing rapidly.
Lifting Akeno’s pant leg again, Jacob drew back in horror at what he saw. The skin on his lower leg had broken and was blistered, oozing blood and pus.
“Oh, gosh, that’s disgusting,” Jacob whispered, pulling the fabric down to hide the sore, hoping Amberly hadn’t seen too much of it.
He tried to pour a little water into Akeno’s mouth, as he’d seen in the movies. But he couldn’t get Akeno to part his lips, so he offered some to his sister, then drank the rest of it. Akeno was unresponsive to everything.
Deciding it would be a good idea to find out where they were before moving Akeno again, Jacob got up and squeezed through the small opening between the trees. He moved past the tunnel entrance, looking through the roots that hung over the door. At first, he didn’t see anything, but then he was able to pick out a shape he hadn’t noticed before. While he watched, the shape shifted, coming into better focus. It was a very tall figure, wearing a large black cloak. A Lorkon. Jacob watched as it bent over, digging through the brush. It was only thirty or so feet away from where they were. Why was it doing the dirty work, and where were the Dusts? And what about Molgs? He hadn’t seen any in the castle.
Jacob crouched down and pushed through the underbrush to check the other side of the small canyon. He stayed still, trying to catch any movement through the thick trees, but didn’t see anything. He crept back to the little hiding place, deciding Akeno wouldn’t last long enough for the Lorkon to leave.
Chapter Forty-Three
Jacob crouched down next to Akeno, putting himself closer to Early’s level. She was sitting on Akeno’s chest. “I need you to do something that could be very dangerous. You care about Akeno, right?”
“Yes, of course,” Early said.
“I know you have no tie to me to keep you here right now, but Akeno needs you. Are you willing to help me get him back to Taga, where they’ll take care of him?”
“Yes!” Early said.
“Oh, good. First, go find Kenji and ask if there’s anything I can do for Akeno.”
With a flash, Early disappeared. Upon returning, she reported that the only thing Jacob could do was get Akeno to the village as quickly as possible.
“Okay,” Jacob said. “I’ll need you to keep an eye on the Lorkon and let me know everything he and the others are doing. It’s going to keep you very busy. There’s one about thirty feet from here.”
The Minya disappeared and returned a second later. “The Lorkon have split up. The one that was closest to us is now moving toward Sonda Lake. Another Lorkon is moving farther south, closer to the Dust mound. The last is heading up the mountain.”
Jacob frowned. “Where is the lake compared to where we are now?”
“That way,” Early said, pointing through the forest straight ahead of them. “The trail is there too.”
“Okay. We’ll go more to the left, then, away from the Lorkon.”
Jacob grabbed the bags, swinging them over his shoulders, then picked up Akeno. He waited for Amberly to follow, then squeezed between the trees, trying to make as little noise as possible. Looking around and seeing no one, he took Amberly’s hand and stepped to the left, keeping his eyes open for anything dangerous.
Every few minutes, Early flew to him, relaying a message. The Lorkon to the south kept moving in that direction, rummaging through the underbrush, probably looking for the tunnel entrance or them. The one that had moved up the mountain was now searching somewhere above them. Only the thick leaves and branches of the trees kept Jacob out of sight. The Lorkon moving toward the lake had raised his hands to the sky and yelled words into the wind. Jacob could think of only one reason for doing that. Lirone.
Jacob stayed as close to the trees as possible, noticing with panic when they began to thin, taking away their cover.
“Oh, no,” he muttered, looking up constantly, checking if the Lorkon above could see him yet. A few yards later, the forest ended. Dang it—what now? Jacob struggled to stay in control and not give in to the fear.
He paused before stepping from behind the last tree, trying to figure out what to do and where to go. He wished Akeno or Aloren were able to help him decide, and he didn’t want to freak Amberly out by letting her know he didn’t have a plan.
The sky darkened with clouds, and the Lorkon near the lake was now closing in, as was the one on the mountain. Only the Lorkon to the south had maintained a large enough distance not to worry Jacob.
He glanced around the tree, hoping to figure out where they were. What he saw caused relief to spread over him. There was the paddock, the clothesline, and—Jacob moved to the left—the cabin!
“Oh, good, oh, good, oh, good,” Jacob breathed. Only one problem remained—the cabin was a good two hundred yards from where he stood, and between here and there was nothing but meadow, with no cover except for a few small apple and pear trees.
He looked down at Akeno—the Makalo appeared nearly lifeless. Only a slight movement of his chest showed he was still breathing. And he looked so sick! A pasty-yellow color accentuated the rings around his eyes, and his hair was matted to his head.
Amberly was staring up at Jacob, her eyes huge, but a determined expression on her face. “We can do it,” she whispered, seeming to know what he was thinking.
“I don’t know if you’ll be able to keep up with me,” he whispered back.
Amberly looked offended. “Jacob,” she said, stomping her foot. “I’m on two soccer teams. I run all the time! I score more goals than anyone on either team.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, realizing she was right. She might actually be able to go faster than him, since she wouldn’t be carrying Akeno and hadn’t been constantly traveling for the past several hours. Apart from looking freaked out and having very messy hair, she was in great condition. The Lorkon had obviously wanted to keep her healthy in case Jacob didn’t show up and they had to work with her instead.
Thinking about what they’d planned to do with her made his heart clench. He wasn’t about to let her fall into their hands again.
“Get ready to go,” he said, adjusting his grip on her hand. If he had to, he’d swing her up on his back. He wondered if he should do that now, but decided against it—Akeno’s weight was already dragging him down.
Early’s next report was that the Lorkon to the south had turned around to head back their way. Jacob stopped her before she left. “Stick around. I need you here with me now. The Fat Lady’s cabin is right over there. I’m going to make a run for it. But first, Early, fly ahead and let her know we’re on our way.”
Early disappeared with a flash of light, returni
ng only moments later. “She said you need to have the key out, ready to use, and she’ll tell you what to do.”
Jacob shifted Akeno to one arm and pulled his bag off his shoulder, grabbing the beautiful box that contained the key. He opened it, jumping when its sweet melody poured out. He removed the key, then peeked around the tree to see if the music had caught the attention of the Lorkon. It hadn’t. Thank goodness.
The clouds rolled, warning of Lirone’s appearance. A dark spot moved by the shore, and without having to ask Early, Jacob knew it was a Lorkon.
“Okay, let’s go,” he said, putting the box and his bag away. He took a deep breath. “Early, change of plans. Keep me updated on those Lorkon as much as possible, but don’t go far in case I need you. I have to know exactly where they are the entire time. Be careful they don’t see you.”
Taking another deep breath, Jacob stepped around the tree, taking Amberly’s hand again and holding Akeno securely with his other arm, the key in that fist. Then, putting all his energy into his already tired legs, he took off as fast as he could toward the Fat Lady’s cabin.
Amberly kept up with him very well. He was impressed—the girl could really run.
Only a few seconds passed before Lirone spotted him, making his presence known by taking away all sound. A sudden explosion to the right nearly knocked Jacob over, and he stumbled along, trying to stay on his feet, trying not to lose his grip on Akeno or Amberly. An explosion behind him was followed by one in front. Jacob lurched to the side, avoiding the huge hole that was created, nearly dropping Akeno in the process. Amberly’s soccer skills really came in handy—she dodged the obstacles better than Jacob did.
The remaining distance grew shorter. Early flitted to his side, yelling in his ear. Jacob was surprised she could still speak, then realized she was too small for Lirone to see.
“The Lorkon by the lake just spotted you. He’s on his way.”
She then yelled at him that the Lorkon from the mountain was also in pursuit.
Forsaken Prince (Kilenya Chronicles Book 1) Page 17
