We fall faster, faster. Until the mountain spits us out.
I ram into the river bottom, pounded by the waterfall. My coat rips off. Rocks slash into my back like daggers.
Bryntar grabs my waist and pulls me downstream. I choke up as much water as she does. Swim away and crawl up the riverbank.
Fog smothers everything. I can barely see Bryntar, though she is right beside me. Pain stabs into my back.
She hisses. Her greater pain overcomes mine. I move close. A large shard of rock sticks in her side.
She gasps. “Too far to home. Lose much blood.”
“Tell me what to do.”
“Get . . . needle.”
I fight to control my panic and remove the bag from her neck. I find sinew and thread the needle. My fingers are slow tying the knot. I hand her the needle. She pushes my hand aside.
“Arm is broken. You remove. Close wound.”
“I cannot.”
“You must.”
Her faith and the expression in her eyes give me strength. I grab the shard and yank it from her side. Blood gushes and pain burns through us. Holding the wound closed, I stick the needle through her furry skin. She winces, but says nothing. Over and over the needle pierces in stinging torment. I clench my teeth to mirror her bravery. Agony stops time. The hands of a stranger sew the gaping wound shut, tie off the last stitch and knot the sinew. I pause and cannot stop trembling.
“Thank you, Elandra.”
I stare at my bloody hands and start to slide into darkness.
Her raspy voice warns. “Stay with me. Not safe until home. Wash.”
I stagger through the fog, the sound of the river guiding my way. I clean rapidly in the frozen water. Rip a piece off the bottom of my ragged dress, soak it in water and struggle up the bank.
Bryntar is lost in the fog.
“Bryntar! Where are you?”
“Here.”
I backtrack and kneel to clean her wound. There is much blood on her fur.
“Help me up,” she says.
She sits up and I put my shoulder under her good arm to help her stand. Her other arm hangs limp at her side. She hobbles off through the heavy mist, holding her wound.
“Wait. Let me help or I will lose you.”
I slide next to her, hanging onto her good side. Her claws lean on my shoulder.
Trees, bushes and rocks become obstacles of punishment as night darkens the fog and silence surrounds us. Bryntar’s eyes never stop scouring the woods, but I wonder if she can see what I cannot. She keeps a grueling pace. It costs us both. Do not feel her pain. Concentrate. Ignore the throbbing in my back. I slip and trip on uneven ground. Twigs, dead logs and tree branches batter in ambush. Bryntar steadies me.
I whisper. “I cannot see. How do you know where to go?”
“I smell the way.”
Thoroughly exhausted, I giggle at the idea of sniffing my way home. I slip to the ground in uncontrollable giggles. Which turn into hiccups.
Bryntar pulls me up. “No time. Please help.”
Her weakness strikes into my heart. I drag myself up. “Oh, Bryntar, forgive me.”
Much later, the mist fades. Bryntar leads us straight to the vines that hide the stone entrance to home. She pants in exhaustion and leans against the rock.
I push on the boulder and it swivels in silence. A shadow moves inside. “EEKK.”
Bryntar hisses and moves protectively in front of me.
“It’s me,” Daniel says. Guilt flows from him as he stands there with a pack over his shoulder.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“Out of here.”
“You will be killed.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“Before you run headlong to your death, help me get Bryntar downstairs.”
Thirteen: The Finding
“You’re both a train wreck,” Daniel says. “What happened?” He avoids looking at Bryntar’s bloody fur.
“We were thrown out of a waterfall. She has a broken arm besides the wound in her side. Be careful.”
“Jeez.” He subdues his uncertainty and takes my place.
She flinches, but remains silent.
I struggle down the spiral tunnel, every step a concentrated effort not to feel Bryntar’s torment.
“Where did you think you were going?” I ask.
“Home. This place is crazy. You run around with a monst . . . with her, and that Taroc guy is nuts.”
I glare at him. “This is my family. Say another word and I am going to lose my temper. You do not want that to happen.”
“I’m so scared.”
He doesn’t look scared. His eyes trail down to the rags that barely cover me. Heat fills my body and I sway.
“This is an island. How do you expect to escape?”
“Why should I believe you?” he says in defiance.
“I do not lie.”
He shuts up.
When we reach the great hall, the strong odor of pine-scented candles makes me long for a childhood that is gone. How could I take my home for granted? Images flitter through my mind: Taroc chasing me through the corridors—robe flapping against his legs, the gardens of sunlight, Bryntar humming while gently rocking me in her furry arms. So many memories.
Taroc sits in the wavering shadows cast by candles. He rises with difficulty when he sees us. “Quick, put her on the chair.” He hunches in stiffness over his cane, the only thing holding him upright. Wrinkled skin hangs in folds on his haggard face. He looks ancient. “Please, let me see your arm, my dear.”
Taroc holds her broken arm and slides his fingers up and down. She shivers, but not from pain. When he reaches a point above her elbow, he yanks.
A yell escapes from me as her bone cracks into place.
Smoke furls from her nose, but she says nothing about my outburst.
Daniel stares at us and backs away.
Taroc frowns. “Control yourself, Elandra.”
Remorse sweeps through me. “I am sorry. It will not happen again.”
“See that it does not.” Taroc looks at the wound in Bryntar’s side and then at me with a raised eyebrow. “Nicely done. Daniel, will you please fetch a pitcher of water and cups?”
Daniel strides away, trying to hide his limp. His frustration and another feeling hover at the edge of my mind: shame, lost pride? As he leaves the room, my fingers long to touch the golden hair that curls at the nape of his neck.
What is the matter with me? He is nothing but a stranger.
I experience a sickening pain that sweeps over Taroc. Stunned, I tremble and try hard not to feel his slow-beating heart, the sluggish movement of energy through his body, his organs shutting down regardless of his steel resolve. He is dying. And he knows.
“Oh Taroc, no.” I place a shaking hand on his shoulder.
His eyes meet mine, dark, still alert and piercing. “Welcome home, Elandra. You had us concerned.”
Love for my teacher and mentor spreads through me like warm honey, surprising in its fierceness. More emotions hit me, flying like trapped birds between Taroc and Bryntar. She tries to hide her sorrow about Taroc and refuses to look at him, even when he places his hand over the wound in her side. He closes his eyes in concentration. His hand quivers, yet healing takes place inside her body. Great waves of relief sweep through all of us.
She rests a claw upon his hand. “Thank you.”
He strokes her arm. “It is little enough after my past selfishness.”
A tear escapes from Bryntar that she wipes away. “We had lifetimes together. I am thankful.”
“Are you ever going to tell me your secrets?”
Taroc studies me. “Turn around.” He places his hands on my lacerations. Energy flows into the wounds like cool bubbles. He shakes with the effort. Relief flows as my pain recedes. He sags, drained and older than minutes before. Straightening slowly, he throws a blanket around my shoulders. “I suspected that you received your unique abilities. Tomorrow wi
ll be soon enough to answer your questions. It is late and I am weary.”
Excited to know there will be no more secrets between us, I hug him. “It is good to be home, Taroc.”
His smile is tinged with a sadness that thuds in my heart.
Daniel returns with water and cups. He pours and hands one to each of us. He looks at Bryntar. “I’m sorry I called you a monster.”
“It is what I am.”
“I didn’t think monsters were real.”
She smiles. “Who knows the truth? No monsters in your world?”
“Our animals don’t talk.”
Smoke furls out of Bryntar’s nose.
“I’m sorry. You seem more than an animal. You—“
“You need to rest from your ordeals,” Taroc says. “Until then, goodnight my dears.” He turns and shuffles away. Bryntar goes after him.
“I didn’t mean to insult her.”
“Try harder next time.”
He appraises me and offers his arm. “Let me help you to your room. You look like a three-ring circus.”
“What is a three-ring circus?”
“It’s where animals perform.”
I stiffen.
“Forget it. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”
“Are you insulting me?”
“No. It’s hard to explain my world.”
“Maybe you can try, if you are not ready to run away.”
Many emotions flicker through him: guilt, worry, interest in me. He says nothing.
I have trouble thinking over the stupid thumping of my heart. My throat tightens and I stomp away.
He grabs my arm. “I’m sorry, okay? It’s hard not to feel like a prisoner.”
I look up at him, trapped in his gaze. The gentleness of his soul hides behind his scorching eyes, confusing me. “We are all prisoners here. At least it is safer than above ground. Goodnight.”
“Please, at least let me see you to your room.”
“I’m going to the gardens.”
He looks into my eyes. “They are unbelievably beautiful.”
A thrill makes my knees wobble.
“What’s up there?” he asks. “On the surface.”
“Wild animals. Kepyrs and Ice Lords who want our deaths.”
“Why?”
“I do not want to talk about it.”
“The apple does not fall far from the tree.”
I glare at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Secrets are the norm around here.”
“If you do not have secrets, tell me your story,” I say.
He turns away with tortured eyes. “It took my family three years to build our ship in between school and work. Sailing around the world seemed so cool.” His voice grows to a whisper. “Now I’m glad my mom and sister couldn’t go at the last minute.”
Horror washes through him and me.
I am determined to block out his feelings. Someday.
The words rush out of him. “I don’t understand what happened. I was sleeping and thrown out of bed. By the time I reached the deck, the ship had cracked in half and was sinking. How does a ship crash into nothing? There was only an empty ocean and a strange shimmering light over my half of the ship.” He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. His voice cracks. “Then a whirlpool came from nowhere.” Guilt strikes like a knife through him. “It started sucking my dad and brother and their half of the ship down into it. I ran toward them and they yelled at me to stay where I was.” His voice breaks.
“I am truly sorry.”
“Now, I’m stuck here. Wherever that is.”
I shut out his feelings. “What has Taroc told you?”
“Not much. He asked me lots of questions. I know one thing. He’s dying.”
A sword pricks my heart. I cannot even imagine a life without Taroc and refuse to think about it. “There must be a way to save him.”
Daniel stops and turns to me. “There isn’t. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sorry. He won’t let me leave the caverns. Says I’ll be killed.”
Unable to continue, Daniel stops talking and twists the leather rope on his wrist. He sees my interest. “Sailors get tattoos for luck. Mom wouldn’t let me. I don’t usually wear jewelry, but my sister made this to remind me that with an anchor and a compass I’ll always be able to find my way home. His jaw tightens.
I have no words to comfort him and change the subject. “Did Taroc say anything else?”
“He’s full of secrets.”
I stop and glare at him. “I have lived my whole life with secrets.”
“That sucks,” he says. “You won’t like this one.” He takes my hands in his.
I cringe and yank away, suddenly horrified to hear his words.
“I don’t get it, but somehow your life means his death.”
“No. No!”
I turn back toward Taroc’s study and flee, racing as fast as my heart.
“Elandra, wait.”
Abruptly, the floor of the cavern heaves like a giant, continuous wave. It throws me across the corridor and slams me into a wall.
Daniel slides across the floor and grabs me in his strong arms. “Hang on.”
The ground growls under us like a raging monster. A writhing mass of black rock and blazing fire buckles the metal floors and disappears so fast I wonder if I imagine it. Aru? The earthquake crashes us from one side of the hall to the other. The walls moan and creak, ready to burst.
My one thought is of family. Trapped in Daniel’s arms, I yell. “Let me go.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“My family needs me.” I fight to be free.
“You want to die?” Daniel asks.
The ceiling shudders. Metal splits at the seams.
“Let go!” My hair lights up. Sparks flash from my body into him.
“Ow!”
I shake, holding the energy inside so it goes no further. “I am sorry.”
Terrified, he scrambles away.
The earthquake hits full force, growling, rumbling, screeching. Alive. A piece of ceiling rips off, swinging toward Daniel.
I trip across the rolling floor, fling myself at him and enclose him in my arms. We roll into a corner. I will have control. I cut out all thought except protection. A bubble of light bursts around us. My light deflects the torn metal that whips around and over us. Energy courses through me in waves, overwhelming all other sensation. The protection suspends us in a world separated from the chaos.
And then it is over, the stillness a jolt.
Daniel yanks away from me, dazed. His disbelief pierces into me like needles.
“How did you do that? What are you?”
Bryntar’s shriek shatters the silence.
The room twists sideways on me with her terrified cry.
Daniel grasps my arm. His solidness stops my whirling world. “I’ve got you.”
“I have to go to them.”
We skirt floors gouged with holes of ripped metal. My muscles weaken as fear drains my energy. I swallow screams. Time stretches on and on. When we reach Taroc’s study, the door lies on the floor like a trampled piece of parchment. We pick our way around it.
Inside, Bryntar strains to lift a huge wall off the floor, her face furious. She hurls it away. Taroc lies crushed beneath. She kneels beside him and takes his hand.
I cannot breathe. I cannot think.
Taroc wheezes. “Do not cry, my dear. It is quicker this way.”
I scream, the horror of what I have done crashing down on me. “This is my fault. I led the beast here.”
My knees buckle. Daniel catches me once again. “What beast?”
I collapse in his arms, afraid to look at their faces for fear it will destroy me.
Taroc’s raspy voice cuts into me. “You are not to blame, Elandra. Aru came for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“While you were gone, an earthquake damaged one of the metal walls that I created for protection from Aru. I am amazed the
beast has not found me before now.”
“What are you saying?” I jerk away from Daniel and notice the turban Taroc usually wears has been knocked from his head. His long hair spreads across the floor, silver and shining. He breathes light.
Words stick in my throat. Until anger at his betrayal tears through me. I shut out his pain. “Who are you?”
“I am an Enchanter.”
I blink, refusing to believe the evidence before me. “You have black eyes!”
“As do all males of our species.”
“You lied to me!”
He struggles to breathe, his voice barely a whisper. “Only to spare you. I am the only Enchanter on this island to survive until your birth. As soon as that happened, I started to age. Only the youngest survives when the gift is received.”
“That is not fair!”
“We do not live a life of fairness,” Taroc says. “We live a life of service.” He turns to Bryntar. “And of love if we are so fortunate.”
I am to blame. It is my fault he is dying. “Why did you keep this from me?”
Taroc gasps, clutching his chest.
I try to block out his unbearable agony, but cannot and sink to the floor next to him.
He struggles for breath. “You . . . deserved to know . . . the goodness of life. A thousand seasons . . . is a long time to live. I am ready to go on.”
“No. Please, heal yourself.”
His love spreads through me, cherishing, holding me close. “My child, I used my gift to heal you.”
Bryntar sobs quietly.
Tears drip down my face as I gaze at his study and the books I was never allowed to read. “You hid here for a thousand seasons?”
“As a coward.”
“Taroc, no.” Bryntar stands defiant. “You chose love.”
“I was stupid to think I would succeed in becoming normal,” he says. “I can never forgive myself for what happened to you, my beautiful Bryntar.”
The raw muscles ache in her throat. She strains to speak her words. “I would do it again, to be with you.”
He smiles. “As would I, my love. My only regret . . . is leaving you.”
She touches his cheek, her shoulders shaking. “I want to go with you.”
“You are needed here,” Taroc says. He coughs without stopping and clutches his chest. His hair dulls as he struggles for breath.
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