Maveryck only smiled.
“I’m leaving,” Heidel said. She turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the doors behind her.
“Well,” Kull said, “two members of my family have been offended before noon, and I wasn’t the one to do it. I’m moving up in the world.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I walked with Kull down the hall in the Wult keep, trying to ignore my growing headache, trying to stay positive about my stepfather’s abduction, and failing miserably at both. We both carried our traveling packs, deciding to leave this evening to head for the desert. Maveryck and Heidel had agreed to meet us at the rails.
“At least one good thing came from our meeting with Maveryck,” Kull said.
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“I don’t think I have to worry about my sister being interested in him.”
“Really? Did you not see how red her face turned before she stormed out? She’s got a crush on him for sure.”
“Perhaps. But she’s too proud to ever admit such a thing. She’d never allow him to get close to her now. She’s got a reputation to keep up.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” I rubbed my temples, hoping a little food would clear up my headache. We turned down another hall, where we found a small door at the end leading to the kitchen. A long wooden counter took up the center of the space, and Kull helped me sit on a stool by the butcher block. Smells of warm buttered bread and herbs with a hint of lemon made my stomach growl. Kull handed me a slice of bread, then ladled two bowls full of a dark, thick stew that smelled heavenly.
We sat at the makeshift table and ate. Between bites, Kull focused on me.
“Are you ever going to tell me what has you bothered?”
My spoon stopped halfway to my mouth. I wasn’t ready to tell him, but then, I probably never would be. Maybe it would help if I told him the truth.
“I don’t really know how to say this,” I said, “but when I was trapped in the cave with the bloodthorn, Theht came to me, and she… put a piece of her consciousness inside my mind.”
“A piece of her consciousness?”
“Yeah, I know it sounds odd. But I think she was trying to keep tabs on me so she could understand me better, so that when the time came…” I sighed, unable to finish the sentence. “Either way, I don’t like it. My magic has been growing weaker, and I haven’t felt like myself since then.”
He eyed me. “And this is why you asked me to keep my distance?”
I nodded, feeling a bit of relief after finally telling him, but also wondering if he would still accept me.
He rested his hand atop mine. “You should have told me sooner.”
“I guess, but it’s not an easy thing to admit.”
“I can understand that,” he said, and I knew he was still keeping from me what had happened to him in the witch’s castle.
“What about you? Have you recovered from your ordeal at the castle?”
Fear flashed through his eyes, but it only lasted a moment, and then he smiled as if to reassure me.
“Of course.”
“You’re lying.”
“Maybe, but can you blame me? You’ve already got enough to worry about. I’m only trying to keep you from worrying about more.”
“Still, you should tell me. I told you my secret, didn’t I? It will help if you tell someone.”
He rested his chin in his hands. “Millions of miles away from Earth, and still you’re the psychologist.”
I took his hand. “It’s a habit,” I said. “You’ll have to get used to it.”
He kissed my fingers. “I hope to have many, many years to do just such a thing.”
My heart leapt at his touch. Sometimes I still had trouble accepting that he’d chosen me. But I saw pain in his eyes and knew I couldn’t rest until I knew he was okay.
“Kull,” I said, “you should tell me what happened at the castle. It’s better if you don’t keep it in. Trust me on this one.”
He shook his head. “It’s not important.”
“If that’s the case, then tell me what happened.”
“Olive, you’ve already got enough to worry about. You don’t need to worry about my problems, too. I assure you, I’m fine.”
He grabbed a few loaves of bread and wrapped them in cloth, then found his bag and packed it with the bread, some dried meat, and a few hunks of cheese. I wasn’t ready for another journey, but the thought of losing my stepfather drove me forward.
We left when evening approached. My heart felt heavy as I walked away from the keep. It was one of the only places where I felt safe, but now, after the witch had taken Fan’twar, I wasn’t even sure I felt safe there anymore.
Kull and I took a path leading to the light-rail. A misty rain drizzled around us, and I pulled my cloak’s cowl over my head. We found Heidel and Maveryck waiting by a light carriage, although Grace was nowhere in sight. Through the dense fog, a halo of orange glowed from the coach, yet the light did nothing to settle my unease.
Before boarding the carriage, Maveryck turned to stare at each of us. Under the shadow of his cowl, his face looked ghostly, his eyes gleaming with a twinkle of silver. Moments like this made me wonder who exactly the man was.
“Perhaps I should have mentioned it sooner,” he said, “but I feel I need to warn you about Jahr’ad. He’s not to be trusted. In fact, I only take us there as this is the direst of circumstances and we have no other choice. It’s quite possible that I will be putting your lives in danger, and for that, I deeply apologize.”
Heidel crossed her arms. “And you waited until now to tell us? What if we refuse to go with you?”
“That is your choice. You may leave if you wish.”
“Never. You underestimate us, Maveryck. We’ve dealt with cheats and thieves before. We can handle it.”
“Very well. But it may be best if you follow my lead once we get there. Challenging Jahr’ad’s authority will only make this worse.”
“What makes you think I would challenge him?”
“Call it a hunch.”
His smirk looked almost seductive as he focused on Heidel, but the moment only lasted a second, and then he turned to the carriage as the doors slid open. After climbing inside, I took a seat near the window. The coach was warm and dry, although the soft cushions and ambient light weren’t enough to calm my racing heart.
As we settled in for the long journey, the coach’s doors closed and, with the speed of thought, raced eastward. Outside, there was nothing to see but the swirling mist, and beyond that, darkness. Only the quiet whooshing of the carriage and sound of the pattering rain broke up the silence.
“Get as much rest as you can,” Maveryck said. “I doubt we’ll get the chance to rest once we arrive.”
With my mind in an uproar, I wasn’t sure I would get any rest at all. But soon, my mind wandered and my eyes closed, and I knew I was dreaming when Theht came to me.
In my dream, I found her sitting in my father’s old office at my mom’s house. Behind her, through the window, thick fog covered the garden. Only the gray silhouette of the small bird fountain was visible through the mist.
The goddess looked more human than I remembered, and I wondered if her appearance had any significance. She still wore the same red armor, and her skin was made of the same orange scales. But her eyes. Something was different. I almost felt as though I were looking in a mirror.
“Kull won’t tell you what happened in the witch’s castle, will he?” Theht said.
“No. I’m worried about him. But then again, I’m worried about a lot of things.”
“You’re right to be worried. There is a reason Silvestra was chosen to guard the gate to my lands. She wields magic more powerful than any other creature on Faythander. Not even your stepfather has the ability to stop her. He’s only alive now because she wishes for an exchange, but not even that will appease her for long.”
My heart weighed he
avily in my chest as I thought of losing Fan’twar. He’d always been there for me. I couldn’t go on without him. If I lost Fan’twar, I would lose my world. There had to be a way to get him back.
“What does she want in return for him?” I asked.
“That’s for you to find out. And you’d better do it quickly.”
“Why do you even care about any of this? You’re planning to destroy the world as soon as you get a chance.”
“Destroy the world? No. Your world will be reborn.” She leaned forward and spoke quietly. “But I will not be the one to do it, Deathbringer.”
A shiver ran down my spine, and the dream shifted to a different reality. Instead of sitting in my father’s office, we stood in the desert—the same desert I’d seen in another vision, one I’d tried so hard to forget.
I stood alone.
“This is your curse,” Theht whispered. “To be forever alone without anyone to guide or comfort you. That is the destiny of the Deathbringer. Like Ulizet, like the silverwitch, you will fulfill the prophecy, kill the ones you love, and then you shall be as them. Alone.”
I clamped my hands over my ears. “I don’t believe you,” I called. My voice echoed through the empty expanse.
“There is no need to believe. Prophecy happens whether you believe it or not.”
I sank to my hands and knees, the sand gritty as it clung to my skin. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
“But you will be,” Theht whispered. “You will be here sooner than you think.”
I bolted awake, sweat slicking my forehead, my hands cold and clammy. My heart pounded, and the throbbing headache had grown worse. Outside, it was still dark.
“Olive,” Maveryck said quietly. “Are you okay?”
His words surprised me. I hadn’t realized he was awake. But then again, I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen the man sleep.
“I… I don’t know.”
I rubbed my temples, trying to make sense of the dream. Had I really spoken to Theht? I tried to remember where I was. On the light carriage, headed for the desert. Theht was just a dream.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“We’ve just crossed through the outskirts near the elven capitol,” Maveryck answered. “We’ve still got a few hours to go.”
As I breathed deeply, the images from the dream faded, but I could still hear Theht’s voice.
Prophecy happens whether you believe it or not.
Trying to distract myself from the dream, I turned to Maveryck. “Where is your wolf?” I asked.
“I left Grace at the keep. She hates the desert, and she hates Jahr’ad even more. I thought it best if she stayed put.”
“I see.” I turned to the window, trying not the notice the haunted look in my reflection. “Do you really think this man—Jahr’ad—will be able to help us?”
“Yes. He may be the only person in Faythander who can.”
Taking deep breaths, I still couldn’t shake the fear I’d felt in the dream.
“It’s a shame that Silvestra appeared and took your stepfather,” Maveryck said. “I had intended to help you find the lost isle of Tremulac.”
“Did you know where to look?”
“Not exactly, but during one of my journeys, I came across some rare documents that held knowledge about Tremulac.” He placed his pack on his lap and pulled out a slim, leather-bound tome. “I hadn’t thought to look through this until now as it didn’t make much sense to me before. But after recovering the staff, the allure of the lost isle piqued my curiosity, and so I took another look at it. This book was written by a historian who lived several hundred years after the Madralorde, so I can’t say how accurate it is. Still, it does contain some fascinating knowledge.”
“What does it say?”
“It seems the Madralorde did indeed live longer ago than most suspected. In fact, they lived at the same time Earth Kingdom’s Egyptians were building the pyramids.”
“Wow. No wonder it’s so hard to find out anything about them.”
“Precisely. I have also learned that the Madralorde brothers built their keep on the site of what had previously been an ancient temple. The locals opposed the building of the keep as they claimed the Madralorde were desecrating sacred ground. In retaliation, the Madralorde brothers sacked the temple and killed everyone in it. They… tortured them in an unusually brutal manner, and then they burned them alive. After that, they displayed the charred corpses outside the temple as a warning to anyone else who sought to stop the construction.”
“My goodness, they sound like savages.”
“Yes. Remember, this was before the time of Pa’horan, so they basically were savages.”
“But they were also smart. They constructed weapons powerful enough to harness Theht.”
“True, but they had help.” He tapped the book on his lap. “This historian says that when the brothers unearthed the temple’s foundation, they found a wellspring of magic, and they used the magic to forge their weapons.”
“If that’s the case,” I said, “then wherever they built their castle must have been a place of great power. But if that’s true, then finding it should be easy… but it isn’t. Why?”
“Perhaps the magic no longer exists? They may have used all the magic in constructing their weapons.”
Sighing, I gazed out the window. The clouds had cleared, revealing a star-flecked sky. “Until a week ago, I thought the place was a myth.”
“Yes, as did almost everyone else. Everyone except the elven queen.”
“Does that book say anything else useful?” I asked.
“Only that the castle was built on an island and surrounded by a large lake.”
“Okay, then all we’ll have to do is scour every lake in Faythander. Easy.”
Maveryck’s smile didn’t seem to touch his eyes. “Yes, perhaps it would be easy if there weren’t over a million recorded lakes in Faythander, and perhaps a million more that haven’t been discovered.”
“All right, maybe not so easy. Then how do you propose we find it?”
He shook his head. “We need more information, and unfortunately, the one race who has the only collection of known records from the Madralorde are the elves.”
“And they won’t be giving it up any time soon.”
“No, and it’s quite likely they’ll find the island before we do.”
My shoulders slumped. I wanted to argue, but I knew he was right. I glanced at Heidel and Kull, who still slept. Kull’s idea of opening a library was sounding more and more appealing. It was about time someone other than the elves had all the knowledge.
“Olive,” Maveryck said hesitantly, “has Heidel ever… spoken of me?”
“Uh…” I wasn’t sure how to answer. “Well, I’m afraid Heidel is a guarded person. She’s had a rough past, so she’s not necessarily open to speaking about her personal life.”
“Ah, I see. So she hasn’t mentioned anything about Earth Kingdom… or about me?”
“No, but I don’t expect she would. Her memories of Earth Kingdom are gone.”
He nodded but bit his lip, not seeming appeased by my answers. “Do you think she would ever consider someone like me?”
I shifted in my seat, unsure of how to answer his question. Kull would kill me if I gave Maveryck the okay to date his sister. “You know, that’s probably something you should talk to Heidel about.”
“Oh.” His face fell. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry to have brought it up.” He smiled, then turned away from me to stare out the window.
I wasn’t sure what to think of Maveryck. While he was polite and seemed to want to help us, I couldn’t help but feel he was hiding something.
Except for the whirring of the carriage’s magically hybrid motor, the rest of the trip passed in silence. Outside, the sun rose, changing the sky from gray to cloudless pink, revealing a flat, barren landscape devoid of trees or plants of any kind. Sand stretched away from us
in a seemingly endless ocean.
Heidel and Kull both woke, and we had a scanty breakfast of nuts and cheese. As I chewed my food, I glanced out the window and saw that the landscape was changing from flat, broad plains to mountains in the distance and tall sandstone pillars that rose three stories high. As we put the food away, the carriage slowed and then stopped.
“The light-rails won’t bring us to the mountains,” Maveryck said. “From here, we’ll have to hike.”
Blinding sunlight streamed inside as the doors opened with a soft, motorized whirring sound. After we climbed out, the doors sealed shut and the carriage zipped away, leaving us alone in the desert.
The tall pillars surrounded us like trees as we trudged toward the mountains. Sand billowed around us, and I tasted its gritty particles on my tongue. The dry air was swelteringly hot, and soon I was covered in sweat. When we reached one of the taller pillars, we found some shade, pulled out our canteens, and rested before going any farther.
“How long will it take us to get to this compound?” Heidel asked.
“Only a few more hours if the weather holds, but we’ll have to be careful—the sandstorms here can come without warning.”
After replacing our canteens in our packs, we continued hiking toward the mountains. I glanced at Kull as we walked. Without speaking, he focused straight ahead. He hadn’t tried to kiss me since that evening in the Wult outpost when I’d pushed him away. The feeling of growing distant from him made a knot form in my stomach, and an idea formed that if I kept pushing him away, I wouldn’t get him back. But knowing I would destroy the world—and worse—with Theht’s presence still lurking in my head, made it painful to be with him, and I didn’t know what to do to make it better.
The sun beat down on our backs, hot and oppressive until I felt I was suffocating, but still we walked. The only thing that kept me going was to focus on Fan’twar. Every step I took brought me closer to freeing him.
Up ahead, strange brown cacti grew as tall as buildings. Some had magic trapped inside, and occasional bursts of blue ran through their spines and zapped the ground.
Silverwitch Page 17
