A Soul For Atonement (The Soulbearer Series Book 4)

by Crista McHugh

Then her throat started closing.

  She looked up into the cold obsidian eyes of the Ornathian leader. He stood over her, his fingers pinching closer and closer together. And with every fraction of an inch they moved, the tighter the invisible vise around her throat grew.

  She’d fallen victim to this spell once before. Then, Sazi had used it on her when she’d threatened the Ornathian mage, but she’d released Arden as soon as she relented. There was no hint of such mercy in the Ornathian king. He watched her struggle to draw in a breath with a bemused smile on his lips.

  Her lungs burned, and her pulse pounded in her head. A dark shroud fell over the world around her. She’d faced death more times than she’d cared to admit, but she never imagined her life would end this way.

  “Enough!” a man’s voice roared, sending a shockwave of magic rippling through the rotunda.

  The invisible noose around her neck vanished, and cool air rushed into her lungs.

  “You’d best be careful around King Adeyemi, my little Soulbearer,” Loku whispered. “He’s learned to contain me from a distance.”

  Irritation mingled with the lingering dizziness from her near asphyxiation. “So that’s why you didn’t offer to help when he was strangling me.”

  “I can’t help you if I’m contained—something you’d be wise to remember.”

  She sat up just in time to see Arano Tel’Brien, Dev’s father and the Mage Primus of Gravaria, move between her and the Ornathian king. “You should be more careful with the Soulbearer, Adeyemi. Remember that Loku’s soul will travel to the nearest person once it’s released.”

  “What he means to say is that if Adeyemi killed you, I’d be tormenting him for the rest of his days.” The malice in the chaos god’s voice suggested that torment would be putting it mildly.

  Disgust flared Adeyemi’s nostrils and curled his upper lip. “She is by far the most arrogant Soulbearer to tread upon this plane.”

  “If anyone is arrogant, it’s you.” Although he was a good foot shorter than the Ornathian king, Arano showed no sign of fear facing him down. The elf’s shoulders squared, and his hands curled into fists. “You, who dared to invade the neutral grounds of the Conclave and attack its occupants.”

  “I have what I came for.” Adeyemi moved aside to reveal his soldiers holding Dev prisoner.

  Arden’s heart stumbled for a few beats when she saw him. Blood trickled from a wound above his left eye, and mithral chains bound his hands behind his back.

  Fear flickered across Arano’s face a split second before he fixed a stern mask in place. “Do not trifle with me. You may rule the Ornathian lands, but I still rule the Conclave.”

  As though to prove his point, another wave of magic slammed through the room, leaving Arden sick to her stomach.

  “Oh, very sly,” Loku said with a chuckle. “Arano has blocked all magic from being used in this room.”

  Arden tested her own magic, calling upon it and feeling nothing in response. The absence of the familiar power made her feel as though she’d been robbed of one of her senses. She struggled to her feet and stumbled toward Dev, only to be blocked by a wall of steel and feathers. The guards concealed him from her, so she turned back to the king. “What has Dev done to deserve this?”

  The king glared down at her, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword once more. “It is not what he has done, but what he allowed to happen.”

  “Stop speaking in riddles, Adeyemi, or I’ll make your treatment of the Soulbearer seem like child’s play.” Arano crossed his arms over his chest, but it did little to detract from the power he emanated. “Why did you come for my son?”

  “Lireal demands blood,” the king replied, delivering each word like a punch to the gut.

  Arano’s face turned a shade paler, but he didn’t move. “And you think Dev will appease her?”

  “Yes.” The king started to turn, but halted when Arano spoke.

  “The empress will be quite upset that you violated your treaty with her, especially after all the assistance she’s given your people over the years on holding back the blight.”

  A mixture of anger and desperation laced the grimace on the king’s face. “The blight is the very reason we must extract retribution. Our goddess demands it.”

  “So you say.”

  “He speaks the truth, Arano,” Sazi interrupted. She entered the room, her normally graceful movements weighed down by some inner burden. “She has said that the only way to atone for the loss of her Blood is to punish those involved.”

  Dev struggled against his chains, the clicking of the metal filling the room. “How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t know what Syd did with it.”

  Syd had been the sixth Soulbearer, and from what Arden had been told, was nothing more than a common thief. She moved beside Sazi. “If anyone should be punished, it’s Syd.”

  “He is dead.” Adeyemi pointed to Dev. “And if his Protector had been doing his duty, the Blood of Lireal would never have been stolen, and my people would not be suffering the wrath of our goddess.”

  “See? I told you Lireal was a bitch,” Loku added.

  Arden wished she had inherited her father’s keen logic, because none of this made any sense to her. They were turning Dev into a scapegoat instead of taking the proper course of action. “Then why don’t you just find this Blood of Lireal and return it?”

  “It is not that simple, Soulbearer.” Sazi placed a hand on her shoulder, soothing the rage boiling inside Arden. “We have spent most of the last century trying to find it. By the time we found Syd, the madness had consumed him, and we could not discover its whereabouts from him. And without the protection of the sacred relic, our people have been attacked by the blight.”

  “It has been torture for me to stand by and watch, unable to stop the progression of it.” The king’s jaw hardened, and the knob in his throat bobbed. “One by one, my people have sickened and died. The blight has made us infertile, unable to replace those we have lost, and unless we destroy it soon, it will destroy us. Many nights I have prayed to the goddess, and this is the answer she has given me.”

  The pain in his voice awakened a spark of compassion in Arden’s heart, but with one glance at Dev, her own pain moved to the forefront. “There has to be another way.”

  “The only other way is to find what is lost and return it, but that secret died with the sixth Soulbearer.”

  “Oh, but you should’ve seen how happy Syd was when he stole it right from under their noses,” Loku said, the levity in his voice contrasting with the sorrow in the king’s. “He truly was the most accomplished thief of his day. Of course, he did ask for a little assistance from me. Together, we managed to hide it in a place no one would ever think of looking for it.”

  Arden’s breath caught, and she rushed toward the king. “Please, Your Majesty, I beg to differ. There’s someone else who knows exactly where Syd hid it.”

  Adeyemi arched one brow. “And who is this person?”

  “Loku.”

  Chapter 3

  “Don’t you try to bring me into this,” Loku protested, but Arden ignored him.

  “Loku was there with Syd when he stole your sacred relic, and he knows where it is.”

  Adeyemi drew his sword, and she froze.

  “Yes, you silly girl, you should be scared. As much as he abhors me, he’s considering ending your life in an attempt to wrestle that knowledge from me.”

  “Then why don’t you just tell us where it is?”

  “Why should I?”

  “Have you forgotten that I control you?”

  “Are you so certain of that?”

  “What do you have to gain from keeping the relic from them?”

  “Everything,” Loku answered in a seething whisper before retreating to the edge of Arden’s consciousness and ending the conversation.

  Adeyemi leveled his sword at her chest. “Tell me, Soulbearer, do you think you can convince him to reveal its location?”

  F
ear balled in the center of her throat. Nothing was ever certain with the chaos god, but if there was ever a reason to lie, it was now. “Yes, but I’ll need some time to find out what he wants in return.”

  Dev strained against his captors. “You know what he wants, Arden. Don’t do it.”

  The king’s eyes narrowed, but his sword drew closer until the tip touched the skin over her beating heart. “This is not a game. The sooner I appease the goddess, the sooner the blight will be lifted from my people.”

  “Agreed.” Her gaze slid over to Dev. If she could, she’d give Loku anything he asked for in exchange for the location of the relic. Anything to save Dev’s life. “Neither one of us wants to lose our loved ones. All I’m asking for is another month.”

  He lowered his sword and drew in a deep breath that seemed to double the wide expanse of his chest. “I’ll give you two weeks, Soulbearer. No more.”

  The date hit her like a jab in the center of her gut. Their wedding day.

  “If you can find the Blood of Lireal and return it to me by then, I will set your Protector free. If you cannot, then I will exact the retribution my goddess demands to save my people.”

  Her head swam at the implications, but she found herself nodding. She’d bought Dev more time, and that was a small blessing. “Will you please set my Protector free so he can continue to perform his sworn duty while I’m on this quest?”

  The cold smile returned, and Adeyemi shook his head. “No, Soulbearer. I’m not a fool. He is my prisoner until you return what belongs to my people.”

  He didn’t have to remind her about the other part of his threat. If she didn’t return the relic, Dev’s life would be forfeit.

  Her eyes burned, and her voice shook as she asked, “Then will you please allow me a moment to speak to him privately before you take him away?”

  “Just a moment.” The king nodded to his guards, and they fell back.

  Tears threatened to fall with each slow step she took toward Dev, but she refused to release them. She had to be strong. She had to keep hope alive for both of them.

  “Arden, you shouldn’t have agreed to this,” he said softly.

  She cupped his cheeks in her hands and pressed her forehead to his. “I had to.”

  He closed his eyes, and his breath shook as he said, “My life isn’t worth it.”

  “It is.” She clung to him, if only to convince him of how much she needed him.

  “You could get hurt. Or worse, Loku could drive you insane.”

  “I don’t care.” Her voice choked as she added, “The thought of living without you is far worse than anything I can imagine. Please, trust me. I can do this.”

  His face tensed with a myriad of unspoken emotions, ending with a heavy sigh. “Be careful, Arden.”

  “I will.” She pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss. “I love you.”

  “As do I.” One of the guards grabbed him by the chains and yanked him back, ending their private moment. “Cinder, you’d better keep her safe.”

  The fire wolf whimpered and leaned against her leg.

  “He always did like you better than me,” Dev muttered with a weak smile.

  “I still have a bone to pick with you about attacking the Conclave, Adeyemi,” the Mage Primus said, his words hard with anger.

  Adeyemi responded with a haughty sniff before beckoning Sazi to his side. Defiance stiffened her movements as she approached, and although she spoke to the king in their own language, there was no mistaking the sharpness of her words. The king replied with what sounded like an order and kept repeating the same phrase over and over again each time Sazi tried to protest. Her wings snapped out, and a snarl revealed tightly clenched teeth.

  The soldiers drew their weapons and inched closer to Sazi, all waiting for their king to give them permission to attack. But instead of giving it, Adeyemi said something in his native tongue that caused Sazi’s wings to wilt. She closed her eyes, but kept her head held high in one final gesture of resistance. The king gave a guttural command, pointing toward the door that led to the center courtyard.

  Sazi snapped her eyes open, fury still burning in their depths, and flew out the door.

  The king then turned to Arano. “There is nothing for us to discuss, Mage Primus.”

  “We’ll see what the empress has to say about that.”

  “Indeed.” He turned on his heel and snapped his fingers. His guard encircled him, dragging Dev with them as they marched out the door. A low boom echoed through the courtyard as they unfurled their wings in unison and took off into the sky.

  Arden ran after then, the familiar hum of her magic returning the second she passed through the door. She searched the sky for the guards carrying Dev and directed her magic to her fingers.

  “Don’t,” Arano said, whipping her around. “If you attack them now, your deal with Adeyemi will be voided, and they won’t hesitate to kill Dev in retaliation.”

  The magic refused to dissipate. It stormed inside her, tempting her with thoughts of blowing something up to vent her frustration. “How could you let them do this to your own son?”

  “Because I’ve lived long enough to know the rules the Ornathians play by. You managed to buy Dev some more time, and for that, I’m grateful. Now I intend to make the most of it.” Arano called for the Mages Secundus and Tertius, who fell in step beside him when he reentered the rotunda. “Call the Mages Council to order immediately. If there’s a way for us to end this blight without blood being shed, then let’s find it.”

  Arden trailed after them. “And what about finding the relic? Wouldn’t that be the ideal answer?”

  Arano paused and slowly turned around, his shoulders slumping. “I have searched for it. Hours scrying over maps that covered every inch of the known realms, but nothing. There’s a part of me that wonders if Syd destroyed it, although I refused to mention that possibility to Adeyemi.”

  “And what if we try to reason with Loku?”

  “Reason? With the god of chaos?” Arano reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. “We both know what he wants, Arden, and he isn’t above manipulating you to get it. Don’t fall into his trap. The consequences could be dire.”

  Irritation ignited an angry fire in her gut that spread throughout her body. She shrugged Arano’s hand off. “So you’d rather let your only child die for a crime he didn’t commit rather than negotiate with Loku?”

  He winced, but a steely resolve took over. “Yes, Arden, because we both know what Loku is capable of doing if he’s freed. When Dev vowed to become the Soulbearer’s Protector, part of his duty was to keep Loku from escaping from his imprisonment. As much as I love my son, I would rather sacrifice him than give Loku the means to destroy the world.”

  “Please promise me that’s not what you’d do,” she asked the chaos god, but no answer came.

  “Then if you won’t help me, maybe I should find someone who will.” She took three steps backwards before turned toward the stables.

  “Where are you going?” Arano called after her.

  “Queembra.”

  “Now? Night is falling, and the road down the mountain is treacherous.”

  “It’s not the first time I’ve gone down it at night.”

  Footsteps came from behind, drawing closer until Arano overtook her. “Arden, my dear, I cherish you as much as I would my own daughter, and I know it would upset Dev if you were injured. Please, wait until morning.”

  “He just doesn’t want you depending on me,” Loku whispered. “But where is he when you need him?”

  “Finally decided to come back?”

  “I never left. I just wanted to make you stew for a while. Don’t worry, my little Soulbearer. I’ll get you safely down the mountain, just as I have before.”

  Loku’s reassurance quieted any doubts she had about leaving immediately. “Arano, I’ll be fine. Cinder will be with me.” She doubted he wanted to hear about Loku’s assistance. “Focus on finding a cure for the blight, and I’
ll see if the empress can do some political maneuvering to set Dev free.”

  “You think she will?”

  “There’s only one way to find out. What’s the use of being a Milorian if I can’t call upon my family’s influence every now and then?”

  Arano’s expression showed that he wished she’d reconsider, but at last he nodded. “I’ll offer a prayer to Ivis that she protect you on your journey.”

  “And what am I?” Loku huffed. “Some second-rate castoff? I may not have a body, but I’m still a god, and I can keep you safe.”

  A pair of invisible arms wrapped around her, comforting at first, but growing more and more possessive with each passing second.

  “I know you can,” she replied as she shook him off. The question was, would he keep her safe?

  “Every second counts,” she reminded the Mage Primus. “You have your task, and I have mine.”

  “Then go with the speed of the goddess.”

  Loku gave an indignant snort, but that didn’t stop Arden from hurrying to the small building that housed her and Dev when they were at the Conclave. She grabbed the essentials and stuffed them into her pack, Cinder prancing on her heels as she moved about the room. A final trip to Dev’s weapons chest supplied her with a short sword and four daggers. She strapped the sword and one of the daggers to her belt before concealing the other three in her boots and up her sleeve.

  She could almost feel Loku grinning. “That’s a rather nice little habit you’ve acquired from him.”

  “It’s proven useful more than once.”

  One final sweep of the room told her she had all she needed, and she headed to the stable for her horse. The setting sun bathed the sky in a fiery orange light that shimmered off Cinder’s russet-colored fur and made it look as though it was burning. It would be a long, sleepless night, but with any luck, she’d reach Marist just before breakfast.

  Chapter 4

  Any other person who dared enter the Imperial Palace in Queembra with mud-caked boots, wind-disheveled hair, and a soggy fire wolf would’ve been hauled away by the guards before they reached the first gate. But all Arden had to do was stare down each guard as she passed them on her way to Marist’s private quarters. They all knew who she was and what she was capable of doing, but her status as the Soulbearer opened more doors for her than her blood ties to the empress.