Bryntar points to a cluster of white rocks in the distance. “The village is there.”
“How do you know they will help us?” I ask.
“They worship the ‘One’ of all things instead of Aru. If we can get inside their walls, they provide sanctuary for those in need.”
“What is the ‘One?’” I ask.
“They believe we are all connected and come from the same source,” she says.
“Let’s hurry,” Daniel says. “I don’t like being out here in the open.”
We start across the barren land.
Drums batter the air. Their sound is such a shock that I cannot move.
Daniel grabs my hand. “Run.”
I try to shut out the drums, but they get louder and louder along with the whoops and shouts of the Kepyr warriors behind us.
Bryntar yells. “Do not look back. Keep running.”
We race faster. The flat, cracked ground changes into plants with prickly thorns and bright colored flowers that are hard to avoid. The white rocks become low buildings the closer we get.
Ice Lords riding khorbocks race from the sanctuary toward us in a cloud of dust. Kepyr warriors surround us.
Jyrr rides my spotted-nosed khorbock and pushes through the Kepyrs and other mounted Ice Lords. “Did you think you would escape from me, my Enchantress?”
Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Capturing
Blood drains down my spine, leaving me lightheaded. If I could save us without causing harm to Daniel or Bryntar I would, for my fear is only for them. With so many against us, the danger is too great. I sway, overwhelmed. Interest, fear and hatred surge through my body from both Kepyr and Ice Lord. Daniel tightens his hand to steady me.
A tall Kepyr warrior stalks up beside Jyrr, but he still has to look up to the mounted Ice Lord. “These prisoners belong to us. We watch and track for two days.”
Jyrr raises his eyebrows. “Why wait to capture them?”
“Safer than in the canyon.”
Jyrr sneers. “Safer for you, a mighty leader?”
The Kepyr leader tightens in anger. “For my warriors. We know the powers of the Enchantress.”
“By order of my father, the Ice Lord King, these are my prisoners,” Jyrr says.
“As you wish, my Lord,” the leader says.
I know that he would rather kill Jyrr than submit to his order.
Jyrr says, “Their trials will take place at Council before all the people of the island. I expect they will be found guilty. Their executions shall be tomorrow. Sound your
drums.”
Dizzy, I gather my energy to stand straight. Light bursts in a halo around my head. Snorts and shouts abound as khorbocks and warriors leap away.
“Cover her head!” Jyrr shouts.
Daniel tries to protect me. A spear strikes him in the head and he collapses.
“Daniel!” A knife to my throat stops me from going to him. I want to cry, to scream, to do something.
Bryntar touches my arm and whispers, “A better time will come to fight.”
Someone throws a blanket over my head while I am jerked up to sit on the back of my khorbock. “I will enjoy this ride,” Jyrr whispers in my ear.
Spasms of sick horror envelop me as he puts his arms around my waist and clasps me tight against his chest. The only thing that saves me from screaming is the feeling of warm love radiating from the khorbock.
“Throw the male prisoner over that khorbock. Let the deformed woman ride with one of you. Keep your weapon on her neck at all times.”
Bryntar sends me feelings of love and hope.
I control the rage that starts to burn through me. Controlling my emotions will be my greatest strength now. Tuning into Daniel, I feel his steady breath even though he is unconscious. It calms me. I cannot blame Jyrr for his treatment of us when he was once our prisoner. Yet I have never detested anything in my life until now. I hate Jyrr with all my being.
The khorbock tenses his muscles. Jyrr kicks its flanks and all the Ice Lords thunder away, their hooves pounding along with the beating of the drums. Soon, we leave the drums far behind, but they batter my heart and remind me of my mother’s death. Will I soon join her?
“Promise not to use your powers and I will remove the covering,” Jyrr says.
“Why would you believe the promise of an Enchantress?”
“Because I will kill your Daniel and enjoy it.”
My body tightens. “I will not fight against you.”
He laughs and removes the covering.
I blink in the glare of the overhead sun. From the corner of my eye, I see Bryntar is
safe. Daniel hangs over the khorbock on his stomach, still unconscious.
“Where you have been hiding all these years?” Jyrr asks.
I say nothing.
He moves his hands higher than my waist and I cringe with the movement of his fingers. I cannot control the sparks of light that shock him.
He yanks his hands away. “Witch.”
“I am sorry, my Lord. Only recently have I acquired my powers. They are not always controllable.” I speak in the meekest voice I can, hoping to appease him.
“I do not believe you.”
“Because you do not know me.”
“Remedied soon.”
I die a little inside with the feelings that course through him.
He kicks my khorbock harder and races toward the Ice Mountains.
I am left with my own thoughts. It is a place I do not want to be. If I had never left my home, we would not be prisoners. How will I be able to save anyone now?
The khorbocks have great stamina and cover much ground. I am surprised at how soon we reach the Ice Mountains. The sun is much lower on the horizon when I see the tips of great black towers rising into the sky.
“Announce my arrival to the King,” Jyrr says to his riding companions.
The Ice Lords race ahead, except for those with the prisoners.
We pass many houses built with square chunks of gray, white and black stone, far advanced from the huts of the Kepyrs. I do not know why anyone would want to live in such cold, desolate places for there are no gardens and nothing that grows with life. Maybe that is why they put such effort into the intricate carvings on their doorways and the unique designs made by the colors of stone. Handsome men, women and children emerge and watch us as we ride by. They all have black hair, black eyes and icy purple skin. They gather and follow us.
Bryntar looks straight ahead, but I feel her nervousness.
Before we reach the Palace, Jyrr pulls to a stop and jumps from my khorbock, taking a coil of rope off the creature. He yanks Daniel to the ground. “Stand up.”
Daniel staggers up with blood caked on his face.
Heat flares in my every nerve. I want to scream. As if separating into two of me, I force my mind to stand apart, watching my angry self. I look weak. Small. Useless. This mind part of me feels powerful, yet observes without judgment. I can choose not to feel anything that does not serve me. The anger instantly disappears and I am one again. I have control.
Jyrr ties Daniel with his arms behind his back, rope wrapped around his body. I am surprised that he does not tie his feet.
“Time to walk,” Jyrr says. He leaps behind me, hanging onto the rope and kicks the khorbock.
Daniel is ready and starts running.
Murmurs from the crowd behind us fill with surprise, then distaste.
Jyrr presses the creature harder. Daniel runs fast enough to keep up. I feel Jyrr’s fury. He shoves Daniel with his boot and he falls, to be dragged down the icy path to the Palace.
“Please, stop!”
Jyrr laughs and yanks on the reins. “For a kiss.” He grabs my chin roughly and presses his cold lips hard against mine.
I cringe with his desire and tremble with growing fury. Until I dispassionately observe myself from afar and choose not to react.
Jyrr releases my lips and smiles. “I am satisfied that you tremble with my kiss
.”
I smile inside, for at last I have learned the key to mastering myself.
Someone helps Daniel up.
I breathe, relieved to see his eyes radiate defiance, even though his skin bleeds through torn clothes.
The stark beauty of the Palace soars before us.
“Behold the might of the Ice Lords,” Jyrr says. “Are you afraid, now?”
I laugh. “I could destroy everything with one finger.”
He grins. “I do not believe you.”
I ignore him and concentrate instead on the giant pillars of polished black rock and white crystal that form the Palace walls. Their energy vibrates through me. Is the building alive? The huge structure is carved into the mountain, one level after another, after another, in perfect symmetry. Arches abound, etched with unreadable writing, geometric equations and patterns of star constellations. The setting sun paints everything red.
Jyrr stops in the middle of the large courtyard filled with the khorbock riders and many other Ice Lords. They move toward us in interest. All are exceptionally tall and beautiful. They wear fur and leather made into vests, jackets, pants and dresses. Encrusted jewels flash in their clothes. Each adult has a different emblem and fang hanging from one ear.
Carved stone statues decorate the fountains with the births and deaths of former Ice Lord leaders. I long to be warm and bathe in their steaming waters.
Bryntar whispers, “It cannot be.” She lowers her head, hair falling over her face.
We pass a beautiful statue of Bryntar made of white stone flecked with gold.
Jyrr dismounts and lifts me from the khorbock, holding me tight.
Bryntar’s rider does the same, his knife still at her throat. She stands taller than he, her eyes rebellious. The crowd gasps when she brushes long hair with her claw to reveal the tiny row of iridescent scales on the side of her icy purple face. They do not seem to recognize her from the statue.
A man strides from the Palace, his eyes cold and commanding. Leather breeches and a sleeveless fur vest mold to his muscular body. Hanging from his ear is a large fang and an iridescent three-star emblem. Wide gold bands encircle his upper arms. Jewels ring his fingers. “Welcome, Ice Lords,” the man says. His voice is as icy as his demeanor.
They lower their heads in respect. Moving up beside the man is a beautiful woman in a long gown of bearran fur. Her hair is braided and coiled on top of her head, the ring in her ear matching the man’s.
Jyrr says quietly. “Father, Mother.” He raises his head, his voice loud enough for all to hear. “Mighty Ryz-IL and Lady-Ryz-IL, I bring you the prisoners I promised.”
Ryz-IL looks at Daniel and glares at Jyrr. “Do you fear this stranger to treat him in such a manner?”
The crowd murmurs and fury rages through Jyrr. He raises his chin. “I was treated to the same.”
“That makes you equal to him, not superior.”
“Jyrr is just a boy,” the Lady says.
Ryz-IL’s eyes flare. “That is the problem.”
Embarrassment flushes through Jyrr, and something else; a burning dislike for his father. “Ryz-IL, I have brought you the Enchantress and the woman who raised her against the laws of our land.”
Lady-IL narrows her eyes in calculation as she stares at me, then at Bryntar.
Ryz-IL circles Bryntar. “What are you?”
“I invoke the law of silent respect,” she says.
He smiles. “Obviously, you were once an Ice Lord. It will be entertaining to hear your story.”
“That shall never happen,” Bryntar says.
Surprise filters through him. “You would defy your Lord?
“You shall never be my Lord.”
Her opposition irritates him, but he hides it well. “We shall see.” He turns to me with cold disinterest. “So this is the Enchantress we have so recently heard about. How old are you?”
“I have sixteen seasons.”
Although there is nothing in his eyes or his manner, his shock vibrates through me.
“What are you called?”
“Elandra.”
His emotions become a jumble of contradiction: astonishment, denial, fear, hope, love. Not once does it show in his face.
There is no doubt that I am standing before my father.
Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Imprisoning
I shiver and stare in defiance at him without flinching.
“Take them to the dungeons,” Ryz-IL orders.
“I told the Kepyrs the execution is tomorrow,” Jyrr says.
“You overstep your authority, Son. I am not dead yet.” Ryz-IL disappears into the Palace.
My stomach churns. Is Jyrr my brother?
The Lady pulls Jyrr aside. “Go with care. While I have great influence over my husband, he is not compelled to relinquish his position when the bloodline is not direct.” She sweeps into the building.
I release the breath I did not know I was holding. He is not my brother.
Jyrr nods to four of his riders. “Lock them up. Separately. Chain the woman’s wrist. Make sure the boy’s feet are chained together.” He strides after his mother.
One rider leads, another holds his knife to Bryntar’s neck and the others walk behind us. We march through corridor after corridor, past great dining halls set with ornate plates and glasses, meeting halls with stone chairs of embedded jewels, chambers with strange words on closed doors.
I move to Bryntar’s side and whisper in her ear, “Ryz-IL is my father.”
She is surprised, but shrugs. “He will do nothing.”
“But—”
“Unless he has more influence than I think, he will not stand against the law.”
“Is there a way to escape the Palace?”
“No.”
I do not want to have to kill anyone.
Daniel limps beside me.
I know how he feels, but ask anyway. “Do you hurt much?”
“Only when I breathe.”
“You were very brave.”
“Easy when your life depends on it.”
Without the riders seeing, I take his hand and touch my fingertips to the center of his palm. Icy power spreads throughout his body, greater than ever as I concentrate on my love and my desire to heal him. His head wound and abrasions disappear. His relief becomes mine.
“Thanks.”
“Do not look at me that way,” I say.
“Can’t help it. You’re hard to believe.”
“Try harder.”
He chuckles. “Don’t go anywhere. I don’t think Jyrr is through with me yet.”
We descend floor after floor and eventually reach the end of a long hall. A rider opens the narrow doors revealing a long winding staircase leading down. The beauty displayed on the upper floors disappears. Strange torches light dull gray stone as we go deeper and deeper into the core of the mountain.
“What magic is that light?” I ask.
“Electricity. Kind of like lightning, only harnessed by people. Wonder where they got the technology?”
Heavy iron doors fold to reveal a long corridor. The rider opens another metal door and points to Daniel. “Get in.”
“Can’t we be together?” he asks.
The rider lowers his eyes. “I am sorry.”
Daniel turns to me. He touches my cheek. “Remember. It’s not over as long as we’re
breathing.” When he disappears into the dark cell my heart goes with him. Chains clink around his ankles and the door slams shut.
Breath stops. I feel the hall go sideways.
Bryntar grabs my arm and whispers, “Control.” She enters the next cell. Her wrist is chained and a spike slides into the stone locking her away.
I gag, struggling to hold my screams inside.
Another iron door clangs behind me. Doomed the moment I was born, I face death once again. Pain throbs up my arm as Bryntar fights the chain confining her wrist. Daniel suffers with chilling fear for me, rather than himself.
I block out
all their pain, too much to bear now. For this is my fault. I am responsible for Taroc’s death and my uncle’s. To face Bryntar’s and Daniel’s deaths is more than I can bear. I do not care to observe myself or control anything. I sink to the cold stone floor and let dampness slither into my soul. Tears slide silently and then flood down my face. I cannot control the sobs that wrack my body. I cry until there are no tears left to shed, only a strange peace and acceptance. I must find a way to save my friends before their executions or go mad.
The clang of iron startles me and I stand up quickly.
Jyrr glides inside with a torch. “I bring gifts.” He wears tight leather clothing that molds to his muscles. I wonder why Ice Lords do not seem to mind the cold. I cringe when he pulls the door closed.
Wary of his good mood, I move to the back wall and say nothing.
He connects the light to the wall and unrolls a thick carpet of fur. Inside is a container of hot food. “Please eat.”
“Why should I eat when you have condemned me to death?”
“Our discussion might change your predicament.” He takes the lid off to reveal steaming meat.
“I do not eat dead animals.”
Irritation flits through him, but he manages to smile. He opens the door and talks to someone outside. “I need a plate of fruit.” He turns back. “I can be accommodating.”
“What about my companions?”
“What becomes of them is up to you. I want to get to know you better. How did you survive all these years?”
“Why does it matter?”
“My position as heir can be helpful.”
I glare at him. “You ordered my execution.”
He settles onto the rug and indicates that I sit next to him. “I can still save your life.
Many wish to see me on the throne.”
“No one stands against the law,” I say.
“Laws can be changed.”
I laugh. “Not in a day.”
His black eyes bore into me. “You are wrong. Ice Lords respect power. Tell me of your gift.” He moves closer to me and I cringe with his desire. “If your power is strong enough, we can rule this island. Not even the law can stand against us.”
Enchantress Sacrifice Page 19
