Into the Unknown (The Djinn Kingdom Book 4)

by LJ Andrews

  Inside, it was clear someone had taken shelter inside the small crevice. There were hand-carved wooden bowls, some cruder than others. Nova took in the jagged arrowheads being made on a large boulder which seemed to serve as a table. There were herbs and bits of scales and tails hanging from rope and what seemed to be old rigging. Nova noticed a bed covered in an old sail, while the frame was made from long boards of smooth wood.

  “That’s a skiff, taken apart now, but it reminds me our ships. Look at the color of the wood,” she said, pointing to the bed.

  “What is this place?” Kale asked, pointing his pistol to the ceiling.

  With a brush of wind, the flame disappeared and they stood in the small room locked in eerie silence.

  Atlas cocked a double-barreled pistol coiled in a double helix of black copper. It had proven valuable in the Unknown, but Nova had a feeling they weren’t facing the same monsters they’d met there.

  Battle cries filled the small room. Whipping around, Nova jumped back when the room was bombarded by people covered in thin, linen headdresses. Yellow, red, and orange eyes glared out in the dark room. Before they could fight back, everyone in their small group had a jagged spear jabbed threateningly against their neck.

  The one who held Nova hissed in a muffled voice to the others in a language she didn’t understand. One woman, or so she seemed because of the curvy figure, whisked through the small crew, taking their weapons hostage.

  “We mean no harm,” Nova said.

  More strange language, followed by several throaty chuckles.

  “Release us,” Atlas said, jabbing his shoulder. The spear against his neck drew blood, causing him to stop where he was.

  “Don’t fight against them,” Maddox warned.

  “We are peaceful,” Sabryn said, but Nova saw her waving a strange herb out of sight, which smelled strongly of salt and bitter herbs.

  Whatever she was doing, the herb seemed to ease the tension with the strange humanoids. With a wave of his hand, Nova’s captor pulled them away out a back hole in the small shelter. A long rope bridge crossed between tree tops and rocky ledges. Out of the first shelter, it was clear the shelter was part of a vast society high above the ground. Bridges connected many homes and shelters built aside the cliffs and braided trees.

  The orange eyes peeked through windows. Some were small, giving way to children, while others glared sinisterly at the captives. They were pulled up a long staircase built in the side of one of the cliffs.

  “Let them go,” Nova cried out.

  Several of their captors were dragging Captain Tucker and the two who’d stayed with him down an adjacent bridge. Captain Tucker stumbled once, earning a painful jab in his back until they joined them on the same bridge. Kale tried to kick the man holding him to defend his father, but all he received was a deep gash along his shoulder.

  The shelter on the top of the cliff was not grand or much larger than those below, but it was clear they valued the person who resided inside. Nova was shoved through the door first, landing on her knees on a soft, spongy floor. The others toppled behind her. With the spear still lodged in the soft part of her neck, Nova carefully glanced up.

  On a chair built from vines and bark sat a woman with pale skin. She wore a headdress made of spikey leaves, and her long brown hair tumbled down her shoulders in twisted mats. She was dressed in long flowing robes of brown and green linen with a quiver of crude arrows strapped to her back. Her fingers were decorated with wooden rings carved in unique symbols, while long beads of bright purple stones hung from her ears.

  It was clear this woman was their queen by the way she carried herself and watched them condescendingly. Yet, her eyes weren’t orange or yellow; they were strikingly fierce as she studied Nova’s face. In the recesses of her mind, a familiar memory fought its way to the surface. Narrowing her eyes, Nova dared to speak.

  “Raine? Raine, is that you?”

  Chapter 19

  The Ferox

  She stood, more beads around her wrists and ankles jangling together. At first, she spoke to two women next to her. The language was choppy, as if she was not fluent, but still foreign enough Nova couldn’t understand.

  The yellow-eyed woman nodded and backed away behind a curtain of wooden beads.

  “Raine. It’s us—Nova, Atlas, and Kale. We’re here,” Nova said slowly, circling slightly as Raine’s eyes focused on her with ferocity.

  “Raine,” Atlas said, shoving off the grip of the man holding his arm. “It’s us. We’ve come to rescue you. What are you doing?”

  Atlas ducked as an arrow flew in his direction. Raine glared at him, the arrow from her quiver jutting out of the back wall. “Silence,” she said; her voice was hoarse and low.

  Atlas stomped to the front of the room after dodging a jab from the spear. Raine held up her hand to stop the guards from halting his pursuit. “What has happened to you?” he demanded. “It’s us, and we just risked our necks to get to you. Now let’s get out of here.”

  He reached his hand to grasp her wrist. Without blinking, Raine grabbed his hand, twisting it up at an odd angle. Atlas cried out in pain, lowering to his knees and shouting curses at her.

  “I am home, and I do not know you,” she snarled.

  “Are you positive this is your companion?” Maddox hissed under his breath near Nova.

  She nodded. “Positive. She’s been in the Unknown too long, can’t you see? How can we get her to remember us?”

  “Nova, rub a small bit of this on her skin and remind her of something only you would know,” Sabryn whispered, sliding a small leather pouch between them. Her guard noticed her movement and jabbed the spear harder against Sabryn’s neck.

  Nova quickly concealed the pouch in the folds of her shirt and watched Raine pace in front of them anxiously. It was clear their presence had upset her, though her eyes blazed around wildly as if trying to place their faces.

  Nova slowly dipped her finger in the pouch. The substance was red and had the texture of wet sand. She rubbed it between her fingers, getting a fair amount. Before anyone could react, she rushed at Raine, running her fingers along her cheek, leaving red lines across her jawline.

  The spears surrounded her, forcing Nova to submit on her knees. She paused for only a moment before speaking.

  “Raine, it’s Nova,” she said quietly. “We’ve come to save you.”

  Raine looked at her curiously. “I do not know you.”

  “Remember, we met in the palace. You were queen of Launi. We saved one another.”

  Raine’s eyes clenched, and her fists pounded gently on the sides of her head. When she snapped her eyes open, they blazed with a fire Nova had never seen. “No! I do NOT KNOW YOU!”

  The guard responded to their queen’s outburst, and Maddox groaned in pain as the spear head against him drew blood.

  “Raine, we aren’t here to hurt you,” Kale whispered. “Remember when you and I sat on my father’s porch on Silva island? Does that sound at all familiar? You told me you thought Nova had feelings for me? It was just you and I, no one else. You knew how I felt, and you encouraged me, Raine, when no one else did.”

  He lifted his head to meet her eyes. She watched him, her mouth slightly open. Shaking her head, she looked away. “No, I don’t know you. I’ve always lived here.”

  Kale stood, the spears still threateningly close. With careful steps, he approached her and took her hand. When she didn’t pull away, the spears seemed to slowly retreat. “No, Raine, you’ve only been here for a short time. It is hard to see clearly in the Unknown. We’re here to take you home.”

  Her eyes widened at his touch, and Nova saw a single tear fall onto her cheek. The room was engulfed in silence as she never dropped her eyes from Kale. Finally, Raine’s lips pulled into a small smile. “Kale? Is it…is it really you?”

  He smiled, and Nova breathed a sigh of relief. Raine turned and helped Nova to her feet. “I never thought I would see you again! It’s been so long. I’ve be
en here for years. Right?”

  Nova smiled, pulling Raine in a close embrace. “We’ve missed you. You’re in the Unknown, Raine. It only seems like you’ve been here for years. We feel the same. It has not been easy keeping the truth clear.”

  Pulling away, Raine rubbed her head. “How did I get here?” she asked more to herself than the others. “I remember I was upset. I saw…I saw…” She trailed off and looked down at Atlas still crouched on the ground. “Atlas.”

  He stood, his eyes defiant yet relieved in the same moment. “You saw me?” Raine’s cheeks were red and she didn’t respond. “We’re here to protect you, Raine, and bring you home,” he said more softly.

  Her eyes narrowed in his direction as she seethed her annoyance at him. It seemed strange for her character; Raine had always been friendly and receptive to Atlas, to the point Nova imagined Raine may have had feelings for him.

  “I don’t need your protection,” she said darkly. “I’ve survived on my own. I defeated creatures on my own until the Ferox Tribe found me.”

  Atlas’s brows raised in surprise. “I didn’t mean—ˮ

  “I know what you meant,” she said. “I am not the same person you once knew.”

  Atlas held his hands up in defense. “Obviously. Forgive us for trying to find you.”

  “Atlas, leave it be,” Briggs whispered so Raine couldn’t hear. “She be confused.”

  He folded his arms and looked away, his jaw clenching tightly.

  “Raine, it truly is amazing how you’ve survived,” Nova said, trying to defuse the tension between Raine and Atlas. “But how have you done it, and…who are these people?” She glanced at the people guarding them.

  “They are the Ferox Tribe, the native people of the Unknown. I was taken down by a cockatrice and they killed it and took me in.” She turned and spoke to the surrounding guards in the different tongue. She mimicked the motion of removing the veils and slowly, the Ferox took the linen from their faces.

  They weren’t as frightening as Nova would have imagined. Their faces were round, with flat, wide noses. The Ferox people varied in the amount of hair growing on their cheeks and chins. The females had notably less, but still it grew, while the males had long curly strands hanging from their chins. Their yellow and orange eyes glowed in the dim light as they studied their queen’s friends without malice.

  Raine smiled as she looked upon the Ferox Tribe with pride, like a mother to her child. “I’ve become a leader to them over these many years.”

  “No, Raine, it hasn’t been years,” Kale said gently.

  She shook her head, her brow furrowing beneath her headdress. “I don’t see how that can be.”

  “Raine,” Nova said, taking her hands. “What do you remember about the time before you were in the Unknown?”

  She paced in front of them, her forehead furrowed in concentration. “I…can’t be sure. I remember I was frightened. I remember…seeing Atlas. But how can that be?” she said glancing up at him.

  “I was never with you,” he answered.

  “Raine, were ye with the Djinn?” Briggs asked loudly.

  She stared at him for a long moment as her mind thought back to a time she’d long forgotten. “I remember it was golden, with beautiful gardens. The people were happy until…” She trailed off as her eyes widened with fear.

  “Until what?” Kale asked.

  Tears hugged the corners of her eyes. “Until I saw the truth. It was terrible. She…used you all against me, she made me believe Atlas cared about me,” she said as if they were no longer in the room. Nova saw Atlas stiffen out of the corner of her eye as Raine rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. “I saw the truth. I saw the pain. I saw the façade, and I ran. I…I ran until I came…here.”

  Her eyes shot open as her memories flooded her mind. Raine straightened her shoulders, gripping a small knife tucked in the rope around her waist. “What brought you here? How did you know how to find me? It could all be part of her plan.”

  “It’s true, Raine. I saw you because of Lurlina. She tried to manipulate me just as I’m sure she did to you. She told me she banished you here. But it doesn’t matter how we found you, the point is you’re here and now we can fight back against Lurlina.”

  “No, I’m never going back there,” Raine said, darkly.

  The room was tense as the Ferox whispered to one another, noticing their queen’s agitation. Finally, Maddox stepped to the front, stepping beside Nova.

  “You do not know me,” he began, “but you remember the devastation you witnessed at the temple. We want to put an end to the suffering of the people under the temple’s oppression. Can your conscience stay clear after all the suffering you’ve seen?”

  Raine looked down on Maddox with regal condescension, but slowly she shook her head. “No, I cannot.”

  Nova breathed out a sigh of relief and allowed the smile to spread over her face. “Come with us, Raine. There are more, we have a camp,” she said pointing in one direction then another before shrugging. “Well, we have a camp somewhere in the Jungle. Won’t you come?”

  Raine gave a stiff nod as her reply. “The Ferox Tribe will join us against the temple. They once were free to travel away from the Jungle of Amissa. Now, the borders are closed to them since the Djinn’s rule and they are left to defend themselves against the creatures of this forsaken place daily.”

  Briggs cocked his head. “Them things goin’ to come with us? We can’t fit them on the ships.”

  “We’ll manage, Uncle Briggs,” Nova said lightly. “Let’s get back. It feels like we left months ago, and I have no sense of direction.”

  Raine spoke softly to one of the Ferox men at her side. He nodded and rushed from the room. She gathered a long wooden bow and tightened the quiver, leading the way from her shelter.

  Atlas stopped her while the others made their way back to the Ferox tree top city.

  “I’m glad you’re safe, Raine,” he said cautiously. “If there’s anything I can do…you know, to help you work through what’s happened, I’m here.”

  Raine stared at him. It seemed there was a part of her which wanted to smile, but her face remained flat and stern. “I’ve been able to manage on my own just fine. I suspect I will continue to do so. Come on, there’s really no good reason to stay here any longer, or we’ll all lose our senses.”

  She pushed past him, leaving Atlas watching her lead the way through the bridges and steep edges with a longing in his eyes only seen in one full of regret.

  Chapter 20

  The Rebel Gathering

  The campfire flickered through the thick line of trees. Nova breathed a sigh of relief as the hulls of the ships rested in a tight circle. The Ferox people fanned out as they approached, raising their weapons over their heads as they approached the strangers. Raine hissed a low command in the strange language as Nova pushed into the clearing, excited to see familiar faces once again.

  Darkly dressed figures huddled around the fire. In the darkness next to one of the ships, she could see the pallid faces of the Three Brothers, but she quickly turned her attention away looking for her father.

  Varick was leaning against one of the ships, staring blankly into the fire. When the trees rustled he looked up, his smile widening across his face. Quickly, he scooped Nova up and swung her around.

  “It’s been ages, but I’ve been reminded that it has only been two days. Did you have success?”

  Nova didn’t answer, only turning toward the line of trees. The Ferox tribe slithered through the trees, gripping their weapons tightly, with Raine standing stiffly at the head.

  “This is Raine and the natives of the Unknown. They’ve come to help.”

  Varick’s eyes widened taking in the tribe. “I had no idea there were native tribes.” Turning to Raine, he nodded. “You must be the great Raine I’ve heard so much about. I’m so pleased you’ve been found.”

  “I would have been perfectly content if I had not been found,” she said dully.<
br />
  “Remember she’s been here for several weeks,” Nova whispered to her father, turning her head away from Raine. Varick nodded, understanding what weeks in the Unknown could do to a mind.

  “Please come and rest. We will convene later and plan what comes next,” he said, pointing to the open decks of the ships and the lean-tos the band of shadows had built within the circle.

  “Raine, I set up a spot on the quarterdeck,” Atlas said softly, moving close to her side. “You might find it more comfortable.”

  Her brow furrowed, studying him. “More comfortable near you? I’m not sure I even really know you anymore, Atlas. I see those women over there, yes, those three. Look how they watch you. The longing in their eyes is proof enough that you have not spent many nights alone. I shall be quite comfortable with my people at the edge of the clearing, thank you. Sleep well.”

  Raine offered a smug smile toward the three women in long dark robes, their eyes locked on Atlas from across the clearing. She squeezed his hand briefly before stalking away, her shoulders held high as a queen would.

  Atlas watched her, his expression turned in awe and disappointment woven together in a ribbon of rejection. Kale patted his shoulder but was sure to offer a coy smile. “Tough luck. You’re welcome to cozy up next to Nova and me.”

  Atlas grunted, shrugging Kale’s hand from his shoulder and stomping toward the ship as Kale chuckled. Nova rolled her eyes at their competitiveness, yet somehow, she knew if the moment came they both would defend one another to the death.

  A loud screeching brought their attention to the edge of the circle. Several people from the Ferox tribe were jabbing spears defensively.

  “What is the meaning of this?” It was Patus, looking at the strange people with disgust.

  The Ferox had the brothers cornered and were hissing in an angry tone while falling in closer.

  “Raine, pull them back,” Hadwin said.

  She watched as if she were bored as the Ferox people tightened on the brothers even more. “They say these vagrants are part of the reason they were banned from leaving the Jungle of Amissa. They want someone to pay. I remember their horrid eyes from long ago. I don’t blame my people.”