Harbinger

by Nicole Conway

I let out a sigh and started back for the closet.

  A hand grabbed my wrist, pulling me to a stop.

  “Reigh? Is everything okay?” Enyo mumbled as she blinked up at me groggily, still holding on to my arm.

  “I—I, uh.”

  “Haven’t you slept at all?”

  “No,” I confessed.

  “I told you sleeping on the floor was a bad idea. Your back is still sore, isn’t it?” She propped herself up on one arm, tugging on my arm a little. “Lie down here.”

  Gods, Fates, and all things holy. Was this really happening? I opened my mouth to make a witty and confident retort—but nothing would come out. My face felt like it was on fire.

  “Don’t be stubborn.” She sighed. “You need to rest. I know you’ve hardly slept at all since we left Barrowton.”

  “O-Okay.” I tripped around trying to kick my boots off and then stood awkwardly at the side of the bed while she scooted over to make room.

  It wasn’t a very big bed. Bigger than mine, but still … Kiran never had, you know, those kinds of guests. I knew there was absolutely no way I was going to be able to sleep, not with her curled up right next to me. As I sank down into the mattress, I could easily pick out the warm spot where she’d been lying mere seconds before. The pillows smelled like her, too. I didn’t get any time to contemplate that, though. As soon as I got settled, lying on my side with my back to her, Enyo started snuggling me. She slipped an arm around my chest, hugging herself up against my back. Her breath tickled in my hair right next to my ear.

  My heart pounded out of control. I should say something—something good. Something intelligent and maybe a little romantic. Suave, but casual.

  “I, uh, I’m thinking of making eggs for breakfast.”

  Crap.

  “Reigh?” Her voice came in a soft, barely audible whisper.

  I took a deep breath, trying to steady my frazzled nerves. “Yeah?”

  “I love you.”

  My heart hit the back of my throat so hard, I couldn’t speak. Had I heard, that right? There was only one way to be sure. My hands were sweaty and shaking when I rolled over to face her. Her captivating, multihued eyes met mine in the pale light of the morning. She was blushing, too.

  “Say something, please.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s so embarrassing if you just stare like that.”

  I couldn’t. I wanted to, but everything I wanted to say kept getting tangled up in my brain. Words—what were words? Smoke was probably coming out of my ears.

  I kissed her instead.

  Enyo took in a breath of surprise as I moved in closer, sitting up just enough that I could lean over and press my mouth against hers. There was a slim chance I’d taken her words the wrong way. She might have meant love in a brotherly way, in which case she might break my nose or knee me in the groin—both if she was especially angry. I was willing to take that risk, though.

  Her lips moved against mine and she reached up, grabbing handfuls of my hair and dragging me in closer. My pulse was starting and stalling wildly when I slipped my arms around her. But the second I started to get confident, Enyo pulled back. Her brow crinkled as her eyes searched mine.

  “Don’t ever suggest that I like Jaevid more than you again,” she commanded. “I mean it. I know you think this power you have is evil, and that you’re not a good person because of it, but I don’t believe that. I never will.”

  “Why?” The question tore out of me. “You realize that doesn’t make any sense, right? You saw what happened at Barrowton. And I’ve done nothing to make you—”

  “Because you are my somebody, Reigh. Don’t you understand that? You’re the one person in the world that makes me feel whole. You’re the quiet voice in my head, the fire in my soul that makes me want to be brave, and the funny thought that makes me smile.” The morning light glittered in her eyes, making them shine like aquamarines as she ran her palms over the sides of my face. She brushed her thumb over the scar on the bridge of my nose.

  “Funny as in funny-looking or … ?”

  She giggled and pinched one of my cheeks. “See? Reigh, you really are stupid sometimes. It’s like you think you’re all alone in the world. But all you need to do is look down. I’m here. I’ll always be right beside you.”

  I was debating making a quick joke about how far down I’d have to look—since she was still short compared to me. Her lips against mine wiped those thoughts away instantly. One kiss and I was hers. Nothing else mattered … because she was my somebody, too.

  We curled up together in the middle of the bed, nestled in the pillows and blankets. She put her head on my chest and entangled her legs with mine. Her breathing slowed, coming in gentle puffs as she drifted off asleep again.

  Drinking in the serenity and silence, I kept my arms around her and my nose burrowed into her soft silver hair. I honestly didn’t know if I could make her happy. She was everything I’d ever wanted, and everything I knew I’d never deserve. But in that moment, I knew I’d happily kill myself trying to be the guy she claimed I was.

  I’d do whatever it took to become the hero she believed I could be.

  Enyo and I had just sat down to eat a late breakfast. Okay, so I was showing off a little. Expertly-fried eggs, freshly-baked bread from the bakery down the street, hot spiced tea, sweet butter, and an assortment of jellied fruit preserves were spread out around for us to share. I was stirring a spoonful of honey into my tea when someone knocked on the front door.

  In an instant, reality burst the bubble of happiness I’d been reveling in all morning. I sighed. “I’ll get it.”

  “Who is it? Are you expecting a patient?” Enyo looked worried.

  I didn’t want to answer that. “Just keep eating. I’ll handle it.”

  Of course, it wasn’t a patient. I was anticipating a troop of gray elf warriors waiting outside my house. But when I opened the door, I found the king and queen standing on my doorstep alone. They hadn’t even brought an escort.

  Okay, that was weird.

  “Where is he? Where is Jaevid?” Queen Araxie asked with a tremor of worry in her voice.

  “Inside,” I replied. “Still asleep, last I checked.”

  “Then we’ll be joining you until he wakes up.” King Jace muscled his way past me. “Breakfast smells delicious.”

  The queen followed with an apologetic smile.

  Enyo’s face paled like she might pass out as the two royals entered my cramped sitting room and sat down next to her at the fire pit. Her hands trembled as she began pouring some of the tea we had been sharing and offering it to Queen Araxie. “G-Good morning, Your Majesties.”

  “If only it were.” Queen Araxie sighed as she took a teacup from Enyo. There were tired creases around her eyes, like she hadn’t slept last night, either.

  I plopped back down next to Enyo and went back to eating my breakfast. “Something to do with the scout I saw returning from the jungle last night, right?”

  Everyone, Enyo included, stared at me with similar expressions of wide-eyed surprise.

  “I saw him heading for the palace.” I shrugged and stuffed a piece of bread into my mouth.

  King Jace nodded, his mouth locking into a somber frown. “There was another battle. The Tibrans came in overwhelming numbers. Barrowton has fallen.”

  A cold, tingly sensation climbed my spine and made my teeth chatter. I bit down hard, willing it away. “When?”

  “Only two days ago. Our scouts report that the whole city was overrun.” Queen Araxie’s voice was quiet. I could feel her gaze on me without having to look up. “We don’t know much yet about who might have survived. But the scout was quite certain that Kiran was killed in battle. I am so sorry, Reigh.”

  My stomach lurched. My body went cold. I couldn’t breathe, or think, or even move. Immediately, my eyes darted to Enyo, who was staring back at me with a pasty, haunted expression.

  “He went to Barrowton with a small numbe
r of our warriors to help defend the city. He must have arrived just after you left. I didn’t seek him out during my visit. There were so many wounded from the previous battle—I just assumed he’d gone out to give medical attention to as many as he could,” King Jace explained, as though he actually knew what had happened. He put a hand on my shoulder. “We know what he meant to you; that’s why we thought we should come give you the news personally.”

  I clenched my teeth so hard, my jaw ached. The weight of his hand on my shoulder felt like a thousand pounds. Guilt split through my brain like hot iron spike. Guilt—and shame.

  When I finally dared to look up again, I could see Enyo studying me carefully out of the corner of my eye. I could almost hear her voice in my head screaming at me not to lose it. I had to stay calm. The king and queen had no idea about Noh. If he showed up now, I doubted that would go over well.

  “There will be a time to grieve for his death,” Queen Araxie assured me. “But right now, we must find some way to help Maldobar. Jaevid must go there as soon as possible. Without his help, it will fall, and we don’t have the warriors or resources to stop it.”

  “We will send as many warriors as we can to fight at his side,” King Jace agreed. “I have no doubt many will volunteer now that he’s come back. We can prepare a sizeable force.”

  “No,” Jaevid’s voice replied firmly.

  I choked on my tea.

  Everyone whipped around to find Jaevid standing at the bottom of the stairwell. His features were hardened into a stony frown and his pale blue eyes somehow reflected the heat there without ever looking warm.

  “N-No?” The queen’s voice broke. All the color drained from her face.

  “Jaevid, whether you remember it or not, those are your kinsmen dying out there,” King Jace snarled suddenly. “Your dragonrider brothers—the citizens of Maldobar—people you swore to protect!”

  Jaevid raised a hand to silence him. “I’m sorry, that came out harsher than I meant it to. Of course, I will go to Maldobar, but I won’t take any of your fighters with me. They should stay in Luntharda, in case things don’t go as planned.”

  I had to agree with him there. Putting more soldiers in the Tibrans’ path was essentially like tossing them into a meat grinder. They were taking down dragonriders, so it’s not like a few shrikes would do any better. It wouldn’t end well, and there was no sense in giving Argonox any more slave soldiers to use against us.

  “You’re going alone?” I snorted and shook my head.

  Jaevid’s piercing gaze settled on me. “No. You are coming with me.”

  “What?” I balked. “Like hell I am! If you want me back in Maldobar, it’ll have to be you dragging my dead corpse because there is no way I’m—”

  “Paligno spoke to me in a dream last night,” he replied, his tone still eerily calm. “He revealed to me what’s happened in Maldobar. We don’t have much time. Your brother and sister need you. Argonox has them both at Northwatch. They were taken prisoner during the battle.”

  Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one sitting there with my mouth hanging wide open. Queen Araxie and Enyo wore similar expressions. I felt a little less stupid when I couldn’t do anything more than make unhappy noises as a response. The Tibrans had captured Aubren and Jenna? What could I do? How was I supposed to find them, let alone do anything to—

  “Brother and sister?” Enyo shot me a threatening look.

  Oops. I hadn’t told her about the possibility that I might be some sort of lost son of the King of Maldobar. I mean, of course I was going to tell her … eventually. But I didn’t know quite how to or where to begin. When it came down to it, I didn’t have any real proof yet.

  I didn’t have to scramble for an excuse right then, however.

  “It’s true, then. You really have replaced the god stone.” King Jace interrupted as he leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. “Seems as though you’ve gotten your memories back.”

  “Not entirely,” Jaevid murmured, his expression dimming. “My interaction with Paligno brought some things back to the surface. A few flashes of memory and a handful of names. I remember Felix—he was my friend. I loved him like a brother. And I remember you and Araxie, though you’ve obviously changed since then. I recall being here in Luntharda, going to the temple, and … ” He paused, and his brow furrowed. “I remember saying goodbye. Then there was nothing. Just a darkness like endless night. I could sense that time was passing, but I didn’t know how long it had been when I awoke.”

  Heavy silence hung over us for nearly a minute before Queen Araxie dared to break it. “Forgive me for being indelicate, but what does you being the god stone mean for us, exactly? I don’t understand.”

  “It means that I carry Paligno’s essence within my body. Our minds can be melded so that we think as one. If I concentrate, I can see what he sees and feel what he feels. He can share his thoughts with me, and I with him. It’s not a constant thing, and I can’t read his thoughts unless he allows it.” Taking a step closer, Jaevid tipped his head in my direction. “It’s similar to the connection you will have with your goddess through Noh.”

  I made a few more shocked, unhappy choking sounds.

  The king raised his hand, his expression snapping into a scowl aimed right at me. “Wait a minute—who is Noh?”

  Great.

  Jaevid’s gaze softened, becoming almost sympathetic as he spoke. “It’s time, Reigh.”

  Time? Who was he to tell me it was time for anything? Just because he was a great war hero from some bygone era and Paligno’s chosen one did not mean he got to give me marching orders. “No.” My lip twitched in a snarl. “I am not going back to Maldobar, and last time I checked, you didn’t have the authority to command me to.”

  “This isn’t a choice either of us gets to make. Surely, you understand that after what happened in Barrowton.”

  My skin prickled with a cold sweat.

  “Clysiros has chosen you, and both of us have been called upon to stop the bloodshed. We need to go. We must fight this together if Maldobar is to survive.”

  “C-Clysiros?” Queen Araxie sucked in a sharp breath, regarding me with sudden horror.

  Now he’d gone too far.

  I threw my plate of food down, letting it smash against the stone floor before I slowly rose to my feet. My hands shook as they curled into fists. Every muscle in my body was tense as I glared at him and bared my teeth. “Get out of my house.”

  Jaevid didn’t even blink. “Paligno told me you would be scared, just as I was. But I’m giving you a gift, whether you are willing to see it or not. I’m giving you a reason—a purpose for being what you are. This is what you were born to do.”

  White-hot rage crackled over my tongue and my mouth filled with a coppery flavor, like sucking on an old coin. My body, though, had gone as cold as ice. I couldn’t hold it back. The shadows were growing thicker, soaking up the light in the room and swallowing it whole. My breath turned to white fog. Out of the corner of my eye, the vague, flickering shape of a wolf went slinking along the farthest wall.

  “You have no right,” I growled. My body flexed beyond my control, arms drawing up in a curling gesture that made the shadows dance and take form. Noh’s cold laughter cracked in the air. The queen and Enyo leaned in closer together, their eyes wide with fright. King Jace moved in front of them as though he might try to shield them.

  Suddenly, the wooden beams of the ceiling and walls groaned. They creaked and shuddered, sprouting branches and leaves that filled the inside of my house with living greenery. Vines the size of jungle pythons burst through the windowpanes, climbed the walls, and snaked around my feet. Jaevid stood before me with his hands also raised before him. His eyes flashed like green lightning against the gloom of my shadows. “I have the only right.” His voice thundered through my living room.

  I tried to resist. With my teeth clenched, I poured every ounce of my will against the anger that rose like
a bitter wind and ripped through my lungs. There was no stopping it.

  “You think you can oppose me?” Noh’s form burst from the ground before me, swelling like a churning black tide. I could feel his delight—his desire for blood—as if it were my own. He wanted to feast. His red eyes flickered, and his jagged fangs glittered as he surged forward, jaws open for the kill.

  A blast of white light blinded me. The impact rippled through the air, blowing me back onto my rear end. My head cracked off the floor. I sat up in a daze, trying to shield my face and squint through the light that radiated in the air like someone had dropped the sun into my living room.

  I could just make out the shape of Jaevid rippling in the center of that light. He had Noh by the throat and was holding him in the air as he kicked and squirmed, toothy jaws still snapping.

  “I am not your enemy,” Jaevid said, his voice eerily calm. “And I am not your rival.” My body shuddered as his gaze slowly panned over to stare right at me. “This is not the time to let fear rule you, Reigh. You must make a choice about who you are—right now. Either you will embrace Clysiros as your patroness and learn to use your power, so we can rescue your family and end this war, or you will let the Tibrans destroy them. I can’t do this without you. What’s it going to be?”

  FOURTEEN

  My head was pounding when I woke up, lying on my back in my childhood bedroom. The familiar, spicy aroma of Kiran’s special chaser root tea wafted past my nose. He’d always made it when we had a patient with a head injury or concussion. It was the best cure for a headache. Trouble was, take too much of it and it could make you extremely drowsy. Take way too much of it, and you were basically a drooling lump until it wore off. Kiran had never let anyone mess around with it. Apparently, there had been a few instances in the past of elves slipping it to someone because it made them easy to take advantage of. Not good.

  For a minute or two, I thought it might have all been a dream. The Tibrans, Aubren, Jenna, Hilleddi, the battle at Barrowton, and Jaevid returning from the dead—all of it was just a figment of my overexerted brain. That meant Kiran was still …