They all glanced at Gemma, as he swept a hand to gesture towards her.
“You could be correct,” Prince Erik said, backing off slightly.
“If she can still use her powers, she may be able to escape,” the first elf continued. “She still lives, captured in a mountainside on the Isle Dark. If she escapes, she will be just as powerful as when she was imprisoned.”
“She must be hundreds of years old!” Marco spoke up. “Is it possible to live for that long?”
“Age matters not to something so evil!” the elf proclaimed. “When she gave up her soul, she gave up the ability to walk beside with time. Now, she defies time, without aging.”
“Is it possible for her to break free?” Evangeline asked.
At this, the first elf seemed even more offended. “Yes. The human mages brag about how they captured her but we have heard of the Gypsa speak of dark mage pilgrimages to the mountain top where Alincaadae was imprisoned. Who knows what happens up there. She could be freed at some point. Even partially free, she would be dangerous. It would certainly explain what attacked you when you crossed over into the Second Realm again. I do not know for what reason, but it sounds as if she guards the border of the First and Second Realms harshly. Other travelers may also be attacked.”
“Does that mean she has to be re-sealed?” the prince asked.
“Only if you want the attacks to stop! Who knows what kind of damage she could do if left free to her own devices! She may even break out of her prison!”
The prince frowned. “The book I have contains the spell used to imprison her.”
“Isn’t that illegal to have in the Emeralde Kingdom?” Gemma asked.
The prince’s frown turned into a small, sheepish smile. “Yes, but I couldn’t stand the thought of having the book burned. I hid it and a few others before my father’s book burning week started.”
He turned to the Shadow Assassins in explanation. “My father began disapproving of certain books that highlighted the more...magical lifestyle. Earlier this year, before you stepped foot into the Second Realm, he organized the book burning week, where books that encouraged this kind of lifestyle were destroyed. I did, however, save a few of my favorites. If they were to be discovered, well...I doubt being the king’s son could help me.”
“But they’re books,” Evangeline said.
“Books can carry dangerous ideas,” he said. “Or, so my father believes.”
“If you have that book, we better get it before war destroys it. It may not survive.”
“I agree.”
It was a long shot to begin with. This Alincaadae, or the Dark Witch Liliana might have only been a story or the evil force that had attacked the Shadow Assassins at the border between realms. Evangeline had no idea on if getting that book would help them in any way, but it was at least a place to start looking.
The Kkyathi always loved a party. Kaleb had seen some of their enthusiastic celebrations in the short time he had been with them, but now the other Assassins got to encounter it as well. Before a major battle, the Kkyathi liked to celebrate. One warrior had explained that the next day they faced would not be about celebration with their brothers, but one about bloodshed and mourning fallen brothers. Tonight, they celebrated as though they weren’t coming home, to celebrate the life they share with their brothers.
The elves and the werecats collaborated together to bring music to the celebration. The elves had wooden flutes carved from the trees they lived in. Despite going to war, some of the elves still carried the instruments on them for luck and a smile. Combined with the Kkyathi’s elaborate percussion and the vocal talent of a few elves, a nice, gentle sound floated up around the social fire, encouraging the others to celebrate.
In exchange for the armor given to them, Kaleb and Marco present the two nations with the weapons they had brought over from the First Realm. There was hesitation going around the warriors gathered around them. The warriors seemed reluctant to take the weapons, fearing misfire or other unfortunate consequences of the Rule of Absolute Separation. It wasn’t a good idea to carry a weapon that may fire on your comrades instead of the enemies, after all. It took some convincing, but Kaleb and Marco took a handful of the elves and werecats out into the forest to test the weapons.
While the boys left, Evangeline and Kaydee settled near the social fire. They were going to chat but Kaydee caught sight of the prince approaching. He seemed to be in a better mood than he had been before, but there was also a mug of ale in his hand. Smiling to herself, Kaydee instead excused herself from Evangeline’s presence and allowed her friend to be alone with the prince.
Evangeline was going to ask Kaydee where she was going, but Prince Erik approached, offering her a drink. When she declined, he sipped from the mug.
“Are you ready for the battle tomorrow?” he asked after a moment.
“Is anyone ever ready for war?” she asked in reply, not really answering his question. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I can be. I am, however, more concerned about you.”
“Me?”
He sat next to her on the roughly-hewn bench. “I want to be able to protect you, my lady.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said, trying to brush his offer off. It wasn’t that he was disrespecting her by offering to look after her in the battle, but she wasn’t comfortable with being his charge. Not after everything she had done as an Assassin and the battles she had already faced.
“I know you can,” he murmured. When he glanced at her, his emerald eyes were serious. Admiration shone in the warmth of his gaze. “But allow me to be your champion and guard tomorrow. Please. That way I can still protect you if needed.”
That wasn’t what Evangeline was used to hearing. Among the Assassins, they all took care of each other, but that was out of loyalty to each other. It didn’t come with anything like what the prince was offering. The intensity in his gaze broke right through her careful defenses, barreling over the distance she tried to keep between herself and everyone else. The prince was offering to look after her...as her protector...
Flustered, she quickly replied back, “I think I would like that. Thank you.”
She didn’t quite know why she was accepting, but it seemed awful to turn him down. He seemed genuinely interested in her well-being.
“The only thing I ask,” Prince Erik began to say, “is that you allow me one kiss for luck. I am not a man who would take advantage of a woman, I assure you, but one kiss may give me the proper inspiration in the battle to come.”
She didn’t doubt his intentions. Someone like Marco, she would instantly question his motives. People like Marco, who chased girls and had no real interest in them, grated on her last nerve. The prince on the other hand, he had been kind to her from the start, even after he had seen what she was. Why? She didn’t understand it.
She glanced at him, then leaned in close to him. She almost changed her mind at the last second and pulled away but the prince sealed the deal, meeting her halfway with his lips. Heat rose within her at the feather-light touch of his lips...but then the moment was over as she finally gathered her wits and pulled away.
“I’ll give you a better kiss when the whole thing is over.”
Her voice was low, ripe with promise. The prince’s gaze shot to hers and heat blazed through that emerald gaze for the smallest moment. It was almost as though he wanted to ask for the better kiss she promised him right then and there.
Instead, he calmly pulled away from her. “As you wish, my lady.”
Leaving Evangeline and the prince alone meant that Kaydee had no one to spend time with. Feeling awkward, she sought out Atrimalous and Leta. They were at least familiar to her. She found them away from the social fire, hanging out around one of the tents where women were preparing meat for roasting over one of the several cooking fires. They weren’t alone. Leta held a mug of ale and danced with the cat warrior who called herself Kirrah an
d her red headed female companion. The three women danced gleefully to the music that came from musicians nearby. Atrimalous stood near them, looking annoyed by the celebration.
“You’re not one for partying, are you?” Kaydee asked as she approached.
He glanced at her and let out an annoyed laugh. When he spoke, his voice wasn’t any kinder, dripping with sarcasm at first. “Getting drunk before a battle is always a surefire way to win. It would be smarter to hold the celebration off until after the battle is won.”
Leta overheard and swept over their way, her hips moving with the music. “He wouldn’t know how to celebrate if his life depended on it!”
“There is no point,” he snapped at her.
Leta’s smirk was triumphant. “See what I mean? Not one fun bone in his body!”
He only glared at her further.
“Well, prove me wrong,” she said with a sloppy, somewhat drunken grin. “Dance with me!”
“Hell no,” was the instant reply he shot back at her.
“See! Proved me right!”
His glare went from annoyed to toxic. He wasn’t any more friendly when he spat, “Fine, you’ll get your dance, if it will make you shut up about it.”
Kaydee couldn’t help but laugh as Leta gave an excited squeal and pulled her companion closer to her. Atrimalous protested at the thought of being close to her, but she paid him no mind as she lined their bodies up to dance. When she found out that he had the grace of a stone, she clucked in annoyance.
“Who taught you how to dance!”
Kaydee continued to watch as they moved, tripped over each other and bickered. A strange feeling of warmth surged through her as she watched them. Somehow, they seemed so familiar to her, as if she had known them for a longer time than just a few chaotic days.
The warmth was quickly extinguished as she realized what would be coming in the morning. More chaos. Worse, battle. War. Death, possibly.
She watched the two find their rhythm with the music with a fluttering heart. Talented mages they might be, but war was unpredictable. Should they face a sword or an arrow at the wrong time tomorrow, one of the two mages in front of her might be taken from this world – if not both of them. She might be taken from this world. Atrimalous would protect her, she knew, but there was no predicting what would happen tomorrow. She couldn’t even stand the thought of Atrimalous or Leta – or any of her friends, for that matter – sustaining injuries in the battle to come. Anything beyond that?
She shuddered.
“Kaydee,” Leta called. When Kaydee looked up, Leta held a hand out to her, even as she twirled around. “Come dance with us. Leave all those worries behind.”
The ice mage must have seen the fear in Kaydee’s face. Kaydee glanced at Leta and tried to smile. Her heart still beat uncomfortably as she stood up but she pushed all of those worries aside, for the moment.
Fearing the battle to come was no way to spend the night. The Kkyathi had something good going, she realized. Tonight was about celebrating life. That was what she should be doing, instead of worrying herself into a frenzy.
Feeling foolish for getting up and dancing with them, Kaydee closed her eyes and got lost in the music. She moved to the music as Leta and the other women did, fluid and alive. Even with Atrimalous scowling beside her, she couldn’t help but smile. Tonight was about celebrating life, after all. The rest could wait.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Kaleb and Marco had stayed out with the elf and werecat warriors for the majority of the night, testing their weapons and showing the others how to use them. They got lucky. Aside from some awkward handling of the new weapons, there was no misfiring of the weapons brought in from the First Realm. The elves handled the transition beautifully after they got used to the new weight and feel of the compound bows and how they handled arrows.
When the party of warriors had returned to the camp, the celebration had begun to die down. Warriors settled down for the night. Although they were different, both the Kkyathi and the Oraldine elves had nightly rituals before a battle in the morning. The Kkyathi prayed to their Moon Mother, as they called their deity. The Oraldine checked their weapons and prayed to nature and earth spirits to bring them life and victory in the battle to come.
Kaleb and Marco found their companions near each other, in two separate spots. Evangeline slept on the ground, leaning on an arm to cushion her head. Prince Erik was still awake and he sat on the wooden bench above her, watching over her with an expression that could only be described as affectionate and protective. His gaze instantly flashed to the two male Shadow Assassins when they approached.
“Sorry,” Marco whispered. “Not trying to wake her up.”
The prince nodded. “Get some sleep, you two. Big day tomorrow.”
“Yeah, you get some sleep, too.”
Marco settled on the ground next to Evangeline, using the bench to prop himself up. He ended up falling asleep in a slumped, almost sitting position. Kaleb settled beside him. He was tempted to go find the chieftain’s tent and sleep there, like he had before, but it felt wrong with his team nearby. What kind of friend and teammate would he be if he abandoned them for something more luxurious?
Not that there would be much reason to go there now. Kikkaho had vanished, without so much as a goodbye. He couldn’t help but feel hurt by it, but it wasn’t as though she had seen him.
He must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing he knew, people were milling about. There was noise in the air, the general sounds of the village waking up. There was a low murmuring of voices as the people awake tried to not stir those who still slept, although the clanging of metal armor and weapons rang through the air. Soon, the smell of cooked meat wafted throughout the camp and more people stirred, craving breakfast.
Marco awoke from beside him. “Something smells good.”
“I wonder why.”
They both looked up. Above them stood Evangeline and Kaydee. They both held bowls of some kind of meat and vegetable stew, one in each hand. One they gave to their companions and the other they ate from.
“So are you scared about what’s going to happen?” Evangeline finally asked the others.
Kaydee nodded instantly, but the two men exchanged uneasy looks.
“Yeah,” Kaleb finally said.
“Same.” Marco echoed.
“What are we going to do?”
Kaleb spoke up first. “Stay together. That’s all we can do.”
Evangeline nodded in agreement, then glanced up after swallowing a bite of the stew. “What if we went to get that book Erik spoke about? If that Liliana person is responsible for attacking us at the portal, shouldn’t we investigate that? What if she is attacking other people as they try to cross over?”
“It’s worth a shot,” Marco said. “And we’re heading there anyway.”
Kaleb glanced at his friends. “Alright. Let’s talk to the prince, then, so he can show us where it is.”
The talk with the prince was successful. Prince Erik agreed to escort them into the castle, as cautiously as possible. With the sudden attack that was going to happen, it wasn’t as though they could calmly walk through the maelstrom and into the castle.
Once they had come to an agreement, they focused back on what was happening around the camp grounds. The camp ground was significantly more silent than the celebration that had happened the previous night.
The Kkyathi were solemn as they made final war preparations. Half of the werecats were wearing armor and had weapons ready. The other half, who would be the ones transforming into feral form, stood beside them in little more than cotton dresses or loincloths. The two groups stood in neat lines side by side each other, before Kirrah. She stood at the head of the line, holding a bowl full of liquid red. What it was, none of the Assassins knew, but it must have been some kind of paint. With care, she streaked the red across her warriors’ faces in varying patterns, swirls and stripes, before she wiped her hands o
n a cloth tucked into her belt. She took each warrior’s moon-disk into her hands, kissed it, then kissed the warriors on the forehead. The marked warriors in turn formed new lines, still separated by who was in armor and who was not, off to the side.
Beside the Kkyathi, the Oraldine elves were going through their own pre-war ritual. D’jerik strode among his warriors, a small basket of white feathers hanging on his arm. He spoke hushed words to them and tucked a feather into one of the braids the warriors wore. After he had walked by each warrior, the warrior secured the feather further into their beaded and braided hair.
D’jerik approached the Shadow Assassins after his warriors had been adorned and offered them a feather as well, except theirs were secured by a small leather thong that formed a necklace.
“Take these as a sign of fortune from the Oraldine elves,” he said, his voice grave. “We wear feathers to remind us to be swift in battle, on our feet and with a weapon. Take one as a sign of good fortune and honorary membership into our tribe.”
Marco took the necklace offered first. “You have our thanks. From the bottom of our hearts.”
D’jerik regarded him for a moment. “I can see why Camira chose you.”
He glanced up, startled. “Chose?”
The elf’s gaze held something else within that strength, something like regret. “Yes. When this is over, maybe you can see for yourself what I mean.”
Didn’t that just make Marco’s heart beat faster? He nodded quickly, but couldn’t stop the small smile from crossing his lips. “Thanks.”
The warrior nodded but didn’t say anything else. Instead, he left the four Shadow Assassins and went back to his tribe.
Before his companions could tease him, Marco pointed out the Moonriver army. “Look, even they’re ready!”
They turned. The Moonriver army wasn’t any more than a rag tag band of survivors in mismatched armor and a slew of recovered weapons that had been used to kill their classmates. Despite that, they still stood straight and proud, as if they were more than ready for this day. The group stood in rows of four, side by side. At the head of the line, Dante paced, as if impatient to get moving. That was, until she surveyed her army and saw the unease on their faces.
Shadow Assassins (The Second Realm Trilogy) Page 23
