“No. He can’t spare the time. He’s requested a pardon for me, but I’ve decided you were right about me seeing my mother, so I’m going on my own.”
“I think that would be best.” Tina nodded as she moved to the kitchenette area and filled two cups with hot coffee. “There’s so little here. Your mother will be able to help you find a Healer who will train you.” Tina gave a sad smile. “You're leaving soon? I’ll go with you to the Station House.”
She gestured to the table. Elora took off her parka and the makeshift bag before sitting and accepting the cup of coffee Tina held out to her.
“I’m not using the sigil. I’m going through the interior.”
“That’s a dangerous route. I’m surprised Gregory agreed to that.”
“He doesn’t know.” Elora had expected shock and concern, but not the flicker of excitement that lit up Tina’s brown eyes. “He’s restricted me to the village.”
“Defying his orders is a serious offense to break just to visit your mother,” Tina noted, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Why are you really leaving?”
Elora swallowed and took a deep breath. “Niobe used Mason’s soul to create a Soul Rune. That means it wasn’t destroyed. I want to ask the Regent to release his soul.”
Tina snorted and waved her hand dismissively. “Child, the Regent can’t help you. Unless you have the rune?”
“No. I only saw it the one time, when Niobe first made it. She kept it well hidden.”
“Without the rune, the Regent can’t do anything.”
Defeat weighed down Elora’s shoulders.
“Then there’s no hope. He’ll never get his soul back.”
“Hope is not completely lost.”
“Niobe’s dead, so we can’t ask her where she hid it, and I have no idea where she would have put it. How can there be any hope of finding it?”
Tina sighed and rubbed her hands together before leaning forward as if worried someone would overhear what she was about to say.
“Niobe may be dead, but she is not beyond reach.”
A chill crept along Elora’s spine. The suggestion in her aunt’s words was almost too horrifying to consider.
“You mean ...”
“The Underworld. If you can find her in the Underworld—"
“Even if it were possible, if I knew where to find the gate, if I found her, she wouldn’t tell me where it is.”
“In the Underworld, lies and deception are revealed. She would be compelled to reveal its location.”
Elora shook her head. “I still wouldn’t know where to find the entrance.”
Tina stood and disappeared into the bedroom. Through the open doorway, Elora heard her aunt rummaging around. When she came back out, she held a leather-bound book clutched to her chest. She laid the book on the table and sat back down.
“When I was younger, I traveled the interior with your uncle. Despite all of the tales I use to tell, much of what we encountered was little more than the occasional bear.” She ran a hand along the top of the book. “Sometimes, though, we came across the stuff of legends.”
She opened the book and flipped through the pages. Interspersed between pages of writing was the occasional hand-drawn image of creatures Elora had never believed in.
“Giants,” Tina said.
“Fairy tales,” Elora responded, pressing her fingers to a page. The picture she’d stopped on was of a large old woman, hideously disfigured by the deep wrinkles scoring her face. In one hand, the woman clutched the arm of her victim as she lowered him into a large pot atop smoldering stones.
“Igalilik, the wicked crone of the tundra. She favored children, though lone travelers were much more likely to encounter her. She took our friend John the day we found her.”
“She’s but a story. Arctic lore told to keep children from wandering away from the village,” Elora said. “Even if she were real, how could you have come across her? She is from the tundra of the east.”
“Lore often comes with from a seed of truth. Igalilik wasn’t as large as the tales once told, but she was fierce, and her cannibalistic ways ended the days of many men and women. Long before the ravagers invaded, her people had been forced west, seeking refuge in the woods.”
Tina picked up the book, turning pages until she found what she was looking for. She handed the book to Elora.
“His name is Juki. One of the Aklajuk. If anyone knows where the entrance to the Underworld is, it’s Juki.”
Elora knew little of the Aklajuk other than that they were known for digging up fresh graves in their quest for food. She supposed in a way it made sense that a grave-robbing ogre would know the whereabouts of death’s door.
“He lives east of Fairbanks. Take an offering, and he will help you.”
“You want me to find an ogre in the middle of nowhere? And hope he may be able to help me?”
“Is it so hard to believe? Before the ravagers, magic was considered a fantasy. People dismissed it as quickly as you dismiss my tales, despite the evidence you’ve witnessed.”
“I’ve never seen a giant.”
“Because you’ve been blinded by the belief that they are but stories. What of the Soul Stealers? Old women who hunt for souls. Sound familiar? Perhaps Niobe wasn’t a giant in size, but her cruelty and actions show her true self.”
“This is crazy,” Elora whispered.
“As crazy as an escaped fugitive traveling to the Capitol for an audience with the Regent?”
There was nothing Elora could say to dispute the truth of Tina’s words. Even if she made it, she’d never get to speak with the Regent.
Tina reached across the table, and her work-worn hands grasped Elora’s. “You have a chance to get Mason back.”
Elora studied her aunt’s serious features. As difficult as the stories of Giants were to believe, she believed her aunt.
“All right,” she said. “How do I find Juki?”
Excitement lit Tina’s face, vanquishing the lines of resignation and age that had settled across her face over the past six years.
The older woman was propelled into action, gathering herbs, gems, and other organics into a bag which she added to Elora’s bundle. She rattled off the names of different spells Elora could use with the items to help her find food and water. In her haste to escape, Elora hadn’t even considered needing to eat during the long weeks her journey would have taken.
“It’s all in the book,” Tina said with a slight smile, placing her travel-worn journal on the growing pile. “There’s also a map marking Juki’s location.”
“My father’s sled team ...”
Tina nodded. “They're out back. Have you ever led a team before?”
“Not on my own,” Elora admitted. “Dad used to take me out a few times a year, but he wasn’t much for letting me lead them.”
Doubts assailed her as she realized how ill-prepared she was to do this. She hadn’t thought of food, or transportation, or protection.
“Hmmm. I’ll go with you to the edge of the forest. That will give me time to go over some of the basics with you. It will also prevent suspicion if any word got back to Gregory.”
Elora’s shoulders dipped as some of her tension dissipated.
“Why are you helping me? Most people would be trying to dissuade me from going.”
“You’re like me in so many ways. You have always heard the call of adventure, were always willing to plunge yourself into the unknown and risk everything for what you wanted.” Some of the excitement that had lightened Tina’s face faded. “There will come a time when you can no longer accept the call, but until that day, you should embrace its wild ways.”
What a fanciful way of thinking about what her mother had described as reckless and dangerous.
“How will you get back?” Elora asked.
“A little walking never hurt me before. I need to break out my snowshoes anyways.”
Tina led her out to the back and gave her quick instructions on how to harness the
dogs. Her words flew by, and Elora managed only to grasp a few. Though she tried to commit Tina’s motions to memory, Elora knew she’d never accomplish the task on her own. She’d take them as far as she could before releasing them in the wild. Their chances of survival were greater on their own than with her.
“One last thing,” Tina said as went back inside for a moment. When she reappeared, she carried a long stick with a large bulbous-shaped gem at the end.
At first glance, Elora took it for amber but then the light reflected off it, and it looked like amethyst. She’d never seen a stone that changed colors so dramatically.
“What is that?” she asked.
“An aura spear. It suctions the aura from your target, which can then be used against your enemy.”
“Like a gun?”
“Not quite. With Ravagers, their auras are devoid of any peace so it would most likely emit an offensive projectile. With humans, it is much more complex. Our auras are not always indicative of our intentions. I’ve seen this spear give off everything from a lightning strike to nothing more than a sprinkle of stardust.”
“How will I know what it will do?”
“Until you shoot it, you won’t. There were some aura colors I made note of in my journal from the few times I used it.” Tina shrugged and gestured Elora to get on the sled. “If you’ve only the one weapon, it’s not ideal, but you can’t afford to be picky.”
Tina slid the aura spear onto the sled, concealing it amongst the trappings she’d tied down.
“Going somewhere, Tina?” a deep voice called from across the road.
Tina straightened and waved to her neighbor, a short fellow with straggly black hair.
“Teaching my niece to use the team. It’s been a fair while since she’s worked with them.” She smiled so naturally. If Elora hadn’t known it for the lie it was, she never would have suspected Tina of any deceit. “I’m thinking we’ll head to the south-east border. Should be a nice and easy trek.”
The man nodded. “Don’t get too close to the barrier. Luce mentioned they're culling the ravagers down that way.”
“We’ll keep our distance,” Tina said and gave him a wave before turning back to Elora, nudging her onto the sled.
Elora had expected the ride out of the village to be fraught with tension, but with Tina rapidly firing off directions and prodding her to follow them, it was anything but.
It was a nearly two-hour ride to the woods, and during that time, Elora found some confidence in controlling the headstrong dogs. They’d stopped a couple times, letting the dogs rest, though Elora knew it was so Tina could drill her with more instructions. It helped that some of the commands the dogs knew weren’t that complicated.
As the trees neared, Elora’s mind warred with itself. There was an exhilaration of knowing that she was about to begin her quest, yet at the same time, the trees marked the boundary of the village’s limit. Tina would go no further, and that meant Elora would be alone.
As if sensing her growing trepidation, Tina rested a hand on her shoulder.
“A life of fear is no different than death.”
The dogs raced across the plain, and before she’d set her mind on returning, they had reached the woods. She guided them to a stop, wrapping the reins around the handle. Eager for another rest, three of the dogs sat, while the others lay down.
“Will you make it back to town before dark?” Elora asked.
“The old Station House we passed isn’t far from here. I’ll wait a few hours before sending a message to Norm.”
“How will you explain things to the Dealer?”
“As far as I am concerned, I’ve done nothing wrong. Gregory asked the Council for a pardon, so you are free to visit your mother or travel anywhere within the Sector you choose.” She patted Elora’s cheek then squatted to strap on her snowshoes.
With one last hug, Tina set off, and Elora sat beside the dogs, watching her aunt’s progress until she disappeared over the horizon.
Despite being only noon, the winter nightfall crept along the eastern skyline, darkening the mountains in the distance.
She needed to get moving, but her arms and legs ached. Standing in the same position, holding the reins and handles so tightly had worn on her. Yet, she couldn’t waste the time advantage she had over Gregory. She had no doubt he’d send someone after her when he realized what she’d done.
Determination spurred her on, and she climbed back on. Traveling through the woods was as difficult as it sounded. The trail she found had yet to be cleared, so the summer growth hung bare and brittle in her path. She made it a few hundred yards before it became too thick to plow through.
She slowed the sled to a stop and surveyed the landscape, calculating her options. If she wanted to take the dogs through, she’d need to work on clearing the path, which would slow her down. But if she walked, it would only take her longer when she reached the open fields.
The dogs nervously pawed the ground, and concerns about the branches vanished as she strained to hear what set them on edge. The familiar shrieks of a ravager reached her, but they sounded different than she was used to. Clearer.
Ravagers were inside the Sector. A shiver of fear coursed through her. Even one of the monsters could destroy a village in minutes.
This must be where the culling was happening. Thanks to the trees, she hadn’t realized how close she was to the barrier.
Creeping through the dry, frozen brush, Elora moved as quietly as she could to the edge of the woods. She pulled down on a branch and peeked through to see the clearing leading to the water.
In the distance, Luce and Mason fought off ravagers as the piles of dead bodies spoke to the size of the horde they’d faced.
The beasts charged them without hesitation until the last one. That one must have sensed the danger it faced, because rather than attacking, it raced toward the trees. Toward her.
She scrambled backward, falling on her ass before she turned over and got to her feet. She ran for the sled, swatting aside branches.
The sound of her thrashing agitated the dogs, who were already moving away from both her and the ravager. She lunged for the sled, landing half on the wooden frame. It jerked under her, and her fingers clawed for purchase, but as the dogs pulled her deeper into the brush, she slid further off.
Abruptly, they came to a stop, and her face scraped along the rough wood as she found herself almost entirely on the sled. Panting, she rose to her knees and grabbed the reins. Looking over at the dogs, she realized they’d become tangled in a bush.
They jumped and twisted in their attempts to free themselves, which only tangled them further. She set the brake and went around to free them.
A high-pitched cry came from behind her, and she froze. The dogs stilled as they too realized the eminent danger. Elora turned around, careful to avoid making any noise.
The ravager stood about fifty feet away, partially concealed by a tree. Even in the growing darkness, its pale skin glistened with water. Its head tilted as if listening for any sound of them, or perhaps searching for their scent.
A flash of movement behind the creature caught her eye, and she realized Mason was coming up behind it. When he was only a few feet behind it, he lifted his ax and swiftly brought it down, embedding it into the creature’s thick skull. Its sinewy body shuddered and the crumpled to the ground.
Pressing his foot to the ravager’s back, Mason yanked his ax free then shoved it into the loop at his waist. Black blood dripped from the blade, making a trail along his pants.
“Should I assume that you're lost?” he asked as he walked toward her.
“Yes,” she answered truthfully, though she was certain her destination wasn’t the same as the one he might be imagining.
“This is a long way from the village, especially with a team you're unable to control.”
“I ... I was with Tina, but we got separated a ways back.”
“Do you take me for a fool?”
Dread settl
ed heavily in the pit of her stomach. “No.”
He moved briskly toward her, and instinctively, she stepped back.
“Please, Mason. Let me go.”
“The Dealer has restricted your movements. You understand that by attempting to leave, you are in direct violation of his orders, and he could sentence you to a public whipping or execution, right?”
Elora nodded tersely. She’d known, yet until that moment—caught in the act with no hope of escaping again—she hadn’t really considered how terrifying those consequences were.
“I thought you were smarter than this,” he said, shaking his head.
“This has nothing to do with my intelligence,” she protested. “This is about doing what’s right. I cost you your soul. I have to get it back.”
“We went over this. I don’t want it back.”
“Your father’s trained you well. Have you never wondered why he doesn’t want you to be whole? It’s a lot easier to control a person when they don’t care about anything or anyone.”
“I make my own decisions.”
She snorted. “Are you sure about that?”
8
It wasn’t anger that bubbled within Mason. He almost wished it were, because then he’d at least feel something at the harsh words Elora threw at him. He let his eyes narrow as if anger existed in him. He’d found that the look could spur even the bravest into retreat.
“Let’s move,” he said, letting his voice reflect the illusion of anger.
He tugged her out of the bush and set to work freeing the sled team. He had a thought that Elora might try to run, but he wasn’t too concerned. If she left, she’d die without the supplies on her sled.
The dogs yapped and nipped at him, but he managed to untangle them. He pointed a finger at the sled, gesturing to Elora to get on. He got behind her and set the dogs in motion.
It only took him a few minutes to realize what a mistake he made getting on the sled with her. Every bump they went over jostled them, and his groin made repeated contact with her soft ass, tempting him. It had been weeks since he’d had sex, thanks in part to Elora’s reappearance.
Winter Souls: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Sector 10 (The Othala Witch Collection) Page 7
