by Callie Kanno
“How would we get a message to you when the time came to act?” she asked him.
Maizah, who had been keeping to the side of the tent, stepped forward and pointed to herself.
Kendan looked at her and nodded in approval. “Yes, Maizah will be able to sense when your battle with Cha-sak begins.”
Adesina looked at L’iam, who inclined his head.
“It does seem like the best option we have.”
Adesina agreed. “Very well, we will retreat to the Thieves’ Forest to make our stand against the Shimat army. Kendan and Maizah will join the Shimat and position themselves as close to Basha as possible.”
She went on in her mind. And I must find a way to move the spirits that inhabit the forest without harming them, as well as figure out a way to defeat a demon of incredible power.
Ravi’s wry voice came to her thoughts through their Joining.
A simple matter, I am sure.
Adesina smiled at him.
Of course. Very simple.
The smile faded from her lips as the council began to stand and part ways. Adesina folded her arms across her chest and continued to stare at the collection of maps and papers on the table.
It was good to keep a sense of humor, but the tasks before her really were no joking matter. Thousands of lives depended on her ability to clear a safe passageway through the forest, and the whole of humanity depended on her ability to defeat Cha-sak and his followers. Failure was something she simply could not allow.
Ravi shared her concern. He moved to her side, pressing his head against her hand. L’iam stood at her other side and put his arm around her.
Adesina smiled at both of them, her heart overflowing with love. She knew she would be lost without them, and she was so grateful for their support.
We will find a way, Ma’eve, Ravi reassured her. We have come this far, and the Creator will not abandon us to failure.
Adesina prayed that he was right.
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Allies of Light
The Laithur were primarily nocturnal. Many of the Children of the Night were, even though it was not a rule of the classification. Ruon did not need to sleep during the day, but that was usually his time for quiet, solitary reflection.
Now, that time that had once been reserved for peace was spent keeping up with the humans around him. He tried to rejuvenate himself at night when the rest of his companions slept, but it was still an unnatural schedule for him. It made him irritable—more so than he would normally be.
He stared coldly at the human who was delivering a message to him. Ruon had been told this human’s name before, but he could not keep them straight. Humans seemed to rely on names and slight physical differences to tell one another apart, but they really did all look the same to him. And there were so many of them. The idea of thousands of beings belonging to the same species seemed ridiculous and strange to Ruon, and yet Adesina had said that this world was filled with millions upon millions of humans.
Even at the beginning of the creation, there had only been two hundred Laithur born into existence. The Seer was solitary by nature, and had been resistant to have even that many followers. He had accepted the Laithur as a gift from the Creator, and had eventually grown accustomed to them.
Now, many centuries later, there were less than fifty Laithur remaining. Forty-seven, to be precise, the others having been murdered by greedy humans seeking the Third Eye.
The human messenger in front of Ruon finished his long-winded speech, and the Laithur waved him away with a careless gesture.
Ruon had known what the human was going to say, and so he had not bothered to listen to the words.
When would Adesina learn that she need not actually send for him? She had not yet learned to touch her mind to his, as the Laithur did when communicating with each other, but even that was not necessary. All Adesina needed to do was to decide to send for him, and Ruon would See that he was about to be summoned. That would be enough for him to seek her out, and he would not have to cope with the bother of human interaction.
Ruon had not listened to the instructions of the human messenger, so he did not know where to find Adesina in the camp. Even so, he walked purposefully in her direction. He reached out with his mind to search for Ravi, and found him almost immediately.
Ravi, as a Rashad, was more comfortable with opening his mind to the world. The Rashad were born with heightened senses, and that extended to their minds. Ruon could make a telepathic connection to Ravi, if he chose to do so.
Adesina, on the other hand, had been raised as a human. Human minds were intensely private, and they did not open the lines of communication that were necessary for a telepathic connection.
Keeping this in consideration, Ruon never searched for Adesina directly. She was a Serraf now, and she would recognize the presence of his mind even if she did not understand it. Ravi was simpler to find, and Ruon knew that the Rashad was always near Adesina.
The L’avan queen and her guardian were standing near a campfire, speaking to two young men. Sitara and Riel were already present, meaning that Ruon was the last to arrive.
A vision passed through Ruon’s thoughts, and he processed it with practiced ease. He Saw Adesina welcome him and reintroduce the young men as her brother, E’nes, and her friend, Mar’sal. They had just returned from a long and difficult mission she had sent them on.
Adesina spotted Ruon and smiled politely. “Thank you for joining us-”
“Yes,” Ruon cut her off, “I know all of that. Tell me why you have summoned me.”
He could see the strain on Adesina’s face as she tried to control her temper, and it made him want to smile. Ruon didn’t like humans, but Adesina was amusing to watch. Her expressions were so guarded, and yet there were always signs of how she was feeling.
The young queen turned back to the young men somewhat stiffly. “E’nes, Mar’sal, I think you remember Ruon, our representative from the Laithur.”
“I represent all demons who have chosen to side with the Threshold Child,” Ruon corrected flatly.
The emotions that flashed across the faces of the two men were like blazing beacons to Ruon’s practiced eye. They were nervous and uncertain when faced with an actual demon. Unlike Adesina, these two had never been taught to restrain their expressions. Ruon found such open facial expression—so common among humans—to be distasteful.
Ruon could see that they were trying to be polite, and perhaps their reactions would not seem so dramatic to any other observer. A vision passed through his mind of their stammered responses, and he stopped them before they began.
“You have returned from an errand of the king and queen. Is this why I have been asked to join you?”
Adesina gave him a disapproving glance. “I asked you here because I thought it would be of some small interest to you to greet my brother and my friend upon their return.”
The tone of her words was not lost on Ruon. He almost wanted to smile again, but as before, he kept his face free of any such amusement. Ruon was surprised at himself. That was twice in this conversation that he had wanted to smile. His attitude toward these humans was becoming almost friendly.
In any case, he appreciated that Adesina did not treat him with much awe. He was thoroughly tired of the humans staring at him when they thought he was not looking, or speaking to him as though he might eat them if he became displeased.
“I knew you would both return safely,” Ruon said dismissively. “I did not need to witness it personally.”
Adesina looked as though she might roll her eyes, but she didn’t. Instead, she simply turned away from the Laithur and back to her brother.
She began asking him questions about his mission, and a long discussion began between the humans. Ruon stopped listening, though. He had known what would happen from the moment the mission had been decided upon.
It was not often that he could See something so far in advance, and he no longer had the ability to choose what he was able to
See. It had been different when the Laithur had benefitted from the patronage of the Seer. They had been able to choose what they Saw and in how much detail. Now that the Laithur were Creatures of Darkness, they were cut off from contact with the Seer and their gift of foresight was limited and unpredictable.
Ruon felt a wave of sadness when he thought about the Seer.
The Laithur had been entirely devoted to their patron deity. Ruon also knew that the Seer had loved the Laithur in return. They had been his children in the truest sense of the word.
Ruon was not one who typically reconsidered decisions once they were made, but he often wondered if the Laithur had been wrong to forsake the Light. Perhaps the Seer would have found a way to protect them from those who had wished them harm.
Ruon set his thoughts aside as the conversation among the humans began to wind down. Another vision passed through the Laithur’s mind, and he knew what would be coming next.
“Sitara, Riel, Ruon,” Adesina said as her brother walked away, “I have some questions for you, if you have time.”
“Of course,” replied Sitara.
Ruon waved his slender hand indifferently. “Why would I have anything else to do?” he asked in a sharp tone.
Adesina’s eyes flashed with emotion, but she didn’t comment on Ruon’s rudeness.
The Laithur knew that he tried her patience, and he had recently felt rather guilty for goading her so. Still, he found her reactions to be amusing. They showed that she actually cared about what he said and did. Humans were difficult to understand, especially since Ruon was accustomed to a mind-to-mind sort of communication. Prodding Adesina to higher emotions made it easier for Ruon to see what she was feeling below the surface.
Adesina took a breath and went on with what she had been saying.
“I would like to ask you some questions about other realms.”
***
Adesina walked through the maze of campfires. Some weary soldiers were crouched near the fires as they ate, others had taken the opportunity to get some sleep. She knew that they were tired, and she sympathized. It could not be easy, especially since none of them had been soldiers before joining this war.
She was proud of them for their hard work. They were really not much more than farmers, but she had never heard them complain about living the harsh life of a soldier. They knew what was at stake, and they were each willing to lay down their lives to protect their homes and their country.
Adesina felt as heart-weary as each of them, despite her physical energy. She had been deeply disappointed by the news E’nes had brought her.
She had been so excited to see her brother, and she had been certain that he had brought reinforcements with him. However, the joy of their reunion had been marred by his information that the leaders of Charan considered this “tribal conflict” below their interest.
Even the unexpected arrival of the Matshi did not compensate for the number of soldiers Charan had refused to send them.
Adesina shook her head. How could she win this war when she and her allies were continually outnumbered?
Something caught Adesina’s eyes as she walked, and she slowed to look at it more fully.
Hestia was standing at one of the campfires, talking to the soldiers there. Adesina could not hear what she was saying, but the men and women who were listening looked up at her with adoration in their eyes.
Hestia truly did look every bit the queen, regardless of how she was dressed. There was a sense of nobility in the way she carried herself and in the expression on her face.
She touched a few of the soldiers on the shoulder and then moved on to the next campfire.
The Seharan queen was moving in Adesina’s direction, and so Adesina could hear the conversation that took place with the next group of weary soldiers.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” Hestia said gently.
The men looked up, startled. Some of them scrambled to bow to their new queen, others looked uncertain as to what they should do.
Hestia waved a graceful hand. “Please, do not trouble yourselves. You have been working so hard to protect our home. I do not expect you to waste energy on a formality.”
This earned several smiles, albeit tired ones.
Hestia’s dark eyes studied the faces of the men before her, and she spoke earnestly. “I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of you for your sacrifices. Many of you left your families and your livelihoods in order to answer my call to protect our homeland. This war has been difficult, and most of us have lost someone dear. It would be easy for us to become discouraged and wonder why we are fighting this war at all.”
The men’s eyes became introspective as they each thought of the friends or family members that they had lost during the fight with Cha-sak. Some of the soldiers nodded sadly at Hestia’s words.
The tone of the Seharan queen changed, and her voice was filled with determination as she went on. “I am here to tell you that our efforts are not wasted. Our fight is not in vain. You have seen the powers of the demon that we face, and you know that his existence is real. I did not want to believe in such powers, but I cannot deny their existence.”
The practical Seharans all nodded, for they had also been skeptical about the radical claims of their L’avan allies.
“We have seen what that demon can do,” continued Hestia, “but we have also seen what we can do. We have held off his army for weeks, despite the belief by some that he would crush us. Even now, we are not defeated. Once we reach our next destination, we will turn and fight Cha-sak once more. We will fight him, and he will be destroyed. We have the Light on our side, and with such an ally we cannot lose.”
Adesina saw the soldiers listening to Hestia’s words sit up a little straighter, and their faces seemed a little less weary.
Hestia touched a few of the soldiers’ shoulders in a parting gesture, and then she moved on to the next group.
Adesina did not stay to listen to her speak, but began walking again. She assumed that the speech stayed essentially the same, giving encouragement to all who heard it.
Adesina was proud of Hestia. The Ojuri leader had been so resistant to the idea of making a claim of the Seharan throne, but she was perfect for the job. She was strong and beautiful, inspiring her subjects to take pride in following her. She was sympathetic and kind, which made all who saw her grow to love her. She was intelligent and capable, which may not have been as easily apparent to those who had not worked closely with her during the weeks of fighting with Cha-sak, but it made her a valuable ally to the L’avan.
Moreover, Hestia was right in what she had said to the soldiers.
She had not merely spun together a string of pretty words to make the soldiers feel better. She had spoken the truth, and the knowledge of that had strengthened them.
It strengthened Adesina, too.
Adesina had not known what they would face in this war with the demon. She had not known if they would be able to stand up against his tide of darkness. Before the battle had begun, part of her had been worried that their small army would be overrun before they had a chance to really put up a fight. Even now, she was wondering how they would survive without reinforcements.
Yet, here they were.
They were not defeated. They were not scattered. It was only a matter of time—and location—before they took another stand against Cha-sak’s followers.
Adesina sensed Ravi long before she saw him. He had been meeting with the other Rashad leaders, and now he was waiting to walk back to the tent with her.
“You are happy,” he observed as she drew near.
Adesina smiled. “With Light as our ally, we cannot lose.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Among the Shimat
Kendan did not tell Adesina when he was leaving.
They had discussed his mission in detail the previous evening, as well as his thoughts on the upcoming battle with Cha-sak, and there was nothing left to say.
There had been a time when Kendan
would have hoped for some sign from Adesina that she still cared for him, but he knew such hopes were in vain. Anyone with half a brain could see that Adesina was completely in love with L’iam. There was no room in her heart for anyone besides him.
Kendan restrained a sigh and mounted his horse. Maizah, ever by his side, did the same. Together they quietly rode away from the sleeping camp.
Kendan had given instructions to Per, another one of Adesina’s former Shar. The experienced former Shimat was to lead the Matshi in Kendan’s absence. Per knew that he was to answer to Adesina and to accept her orders without question. Even so, Kendan had some misgivings about the situation. Since the formation of the Matshi, Per had never shown the slightest interest in anything but following Kendan in his quest to do what was right. However, leaving behind decades of Shimat training and manipulation was not an easy thing to do.
Kendan shook his head and pulled his thoughts back to the present.
Surely Adesina was as aware of the risks as he was. She would keep an eye on Per and the Matshi while Kendan was gone.
The cool night air rushed against Kendan’s face as he galloped away from his allies and toward his enemies. He had always loved riding fast, and even the foreboding of what his future held did not take away the exhilaration that he felt.
Maizah rode alongside him, her face as expressionless as always. Kendan smiled to himself when he glanced at her.
They had been together for more than a year now, and Kendan felt that they had become good friends—the only real friend Kendan had ever had, aside from Adesina. Maizah was not an easy person to get to know, and not just because she did not have the ability to speak. She was intensely private, and often chose not to communicate. In spite of this, Kendan had learned how to discern her feelings and intentions even when her face was inscrutable.
Kendan could sense Maizah’s grim determination—as well as a touch of dread—as they rode toward the Shimat camp. Kendan could not blame her for her feelings. She had been a slave to the Shimat, and she had been badly mistreated by them her entire life. Maizah always seemed more confident in Kendan’s presence, but even he could not protect her if this mission went wrong.
