Water (The Six Elements Book 3)

by Rosie Scott

  I imagined Kyrin attempting suicide in all manner of painful ways, and finally caved. “I will do it.”

  Kyrin exhaled a breath that held half his weight. “Thank you, Kai. Thank you.”

  I walked slowly to the tormented man, feeling an extra weight in my step. Thoughts of Theron were at the forefront of my mind. I'd only leeched from him out of desperation to end his pain. It wasn't something I'd wanted to do. It was never something I would have chosen to do. If it were up to me, Theron would have still been with us. Sometimes, life gives people second chances. Sometimes it is generous enough to give the same person a few more. And yet, sometimes still, it gives no second chances at all, leaving people like me to clean up after its cruelty.

  I knelt before Kyrin as he sat on the couch, the heat of my eyes escaping them against my will. I held my breath so I did not sob.

  Kyrin blinked a few times, his injured eyes moving over my face. “You are crying?” He questioned.

  “Trying not to,” I admitted, the release of the words causing the emotion to tumble out.

  “I'm sorry I asked this of you. I don't wish to be a burden. If there is another necromancer—”

  “You would be more comfortable with me,” I interrupted him, knowing it to be true.

  Kyrin nodded slowly. “Yes. I would be. You were my savior. I trust you.”

  “It only takes a few seconds,” I informed him, my voice thick. “Please tell me if you have unfinished business.”

  “Only to tell both you and Ricco thank you. And thank you to the illusionist.” He stopped, waiting for Jakan's name.

  “I am Jakan,” the thief said softly, from behind me. “But my spell did not work. I do not deserve the commendation.”

  “Nonsense. You all do.” Kyrin hesitated, before he added, “You all have shown me such kindness after I knew nothing but cruelty. Even this. This, Kai,” he said, reaching out for my hand, and squeezing it when I gave it to him. “This is kindness.”

  I nodded jerkily, though I said nothing.

  “Don't be sad. This is a good day. Death is the only true freedom.” After a pause, Kyrin added, “Best of luck to you all in Hazarmaveth and beyond. I pray you do well in your quest.”

  “I refuse to fail,” Ricco replied, before he reached over, and patted Kyrin on the shoulder. “And even if I do, I will see you on the other side. Save some ale for me, ey?”

  Kyrin smiled softly. “I will. You are the only one of us who drinks it, anyway.”

  Ricco huffed in humor, though it was muted.

  “Okay. I am ready,” Kyrin said, before he reached toward me, pulling me into a hug. I shook up against him, the scents of sweat and terror thick in my nostrils.

  I fit one hand between us as we hugged, putting my palm flat against the center of his chest. Kyrin squeezed me tighter, since he knew it was coming.

  Absort la mana del life.

  Crackling was muted between us as the spell depleted his body of what little energy he had left. It was only a handful of seconds before Kyrin went limp against me, his head heavy on my shoulder. He hadn't had much life left to give.

  I continued to hold him for a few moments, and his body shook with my sobs. Ricco finally pulled the body back up onto the couch, relieving me of its weight. Jakan came up behind me a moment later, rubbing my shoulder for comfort. He had seen Theron's death, so I knew he understood.

  I hadn't known Kyrin well, but that mattered little. Being unable to save someone was my greatest fear, ever since I'd watched helplessly during Bjorn's death. I was used to being a powerful person whose skills could change fate, so each time I went through this, I told myself I wouldn't let it happen again. But it would. It would happen again. Perhaps many times. And I was powerless to stop it.

  Twenty-eight

  68th of New Moon, 420

  At last. After half of a moon of travel, we had made it to the edges of Hazarmaveth. Eteri sat over the cavern ceilings above our heads, out of sight and reach. The tunnel from Thanati had grown wider and burrowed ever further into the depths of the earth. Hazarmaveth was far deeper than Thanati had been, and thus the atmosphere had changed. There was no need for magical or fire light here. Bioluminescent fungi dotted along the tunnel walls, making the depths glow in shades of blue, green, white, and at times, lavender. The temperature dropped the lower we got. Above ground, it was nearing High Star, and most of Arrayis would be heating up to its highest temperatures. In the underground, it felt like late Red Moon. If it weren't for the ventilation shafts, I was sure it would be even chillier.

  Azazel was one of the most helpful allies I could have asked for. During our army's trek through the tunnels, he stayed in the front of the group with the other Alderi archers, picking off travelers from Hazarmaveth before our true identities and reasons for being there could be discovered and relayed back to the city. After all, our plan required our presence to be a surprise. We weren't planning on being able to take Quellden in the same way, given the high traffic between this city and the next, but for now, remaining hidden was imperative. Azazel was a man of his word, and was an excellent archer. His eyes were sharper than most of the Alderi, allowing him to see farther than his brothers. Whether foes came through the tunnels in pitch blackness or by the light of the plants, they were dead before they even knew we were there.

  Azazel also knew these tunnels by heart, since he'd been a part of Hazarmaveth's hunting parties for four decades. He knew when to stop our army in order to separate us into groups. After recruiting slaves in Thanati, we had hundreds cut out for the initial stealth mission of the plan, but the more numbers we had, the more chances for mistakes. We ended up picking about four dozen of the best soldiers for the job, which included Jakan and Nyx. Most of the soldiers we'd picked knew illusion magic, which meant they could quiet their steps with the muffle spell, and go invisible. Both would help immensely here. All of the soldiers wielded weapons which would allow them to kill as quietly as possible.

  Other than our small group of fifty, everyone else was staying in the tunnels to wait for Azazel's signal. Cerin, Anto, Calder, Jayce, Ricco, Vallen...all of them would do nothing but wait in silence, hoping we did our part correctly so that they could rush in to support us. At the very front of this larger group would be Alderi archers who could keep the tunnels clear of alarm-sounding foes if any were to venture too far. After all, it would take some time for us to work at our first task. Hazarmaveth was twice the size of Thanati, and given that it had taken us two days to take the first city, I imagined it would take us at least four for this one if we succeeded. Perhaps even more. After all, stealth tended to be slower than simply rushing in to attack.

  Our smaller group prepared to leave the rest of the army, whispering last goodbyes until we would see each other again in battle. As Jakan and Anto embraced, Nyx was giving hugs to multiple people, including Vallen and Jayce. And Calder was in front of me, saying his last words to me as Azazel awkwardly waited nearby.

  “We will rush in as soon as we hear sounds of battle,” Calder encouraged, holding me as arm's length as Azazel watched silently.

  “It could be awhile,” I mused, with an anxious smile. “Make sure not to fall asleep while you wait.”

  “As if I could sleep when I'm this nervous,” he said, before glancing to Azazel. “My army is at your mercy, Azazel. They have been instructed to follow your orders if I cannot give them.”

  “You have given me command of your army?” Azazel asked, incredulous.

  “Of course. You remember this city better than I. You know its weaknesses and its strengths. If you can plan as well as I know you can, surely you can give simple directions to bloodthirsty men.” Calder glanced back to me. “Besides, you and Kai will be attached at the hip for the foreseeable future, and she is a good strategist. I trust her direction, and you must as well, if you requested to be with her. I'm hoping you two will influence each other. You both are among the most intelligent people I've ever met, and I feel immensely lucky to have
you two here with me.”

  A new wave of admiration flowed through me with Calder's words. I was overwhelmed by my friend's compliments, but even more so than that, he had spoken to Azazel like a true leader. Despite the tension between the two, he had overcome his hot-and-cold personality to offer responsibility to the other man, showing he placed trust in him. Azazel was a good choice for the job Calder picked him for, even if making that choice was uncomfortable.

  In the past, I'd sometimes had doubts that Calder would translate from a good ship captain to a leader of the underground. He had anger issues, and still needed to overcome the shame he felt for his upbringing as a slave. He had expressed doubts about his ability to lead, particularly when he spoke of the doomed ships he'd owned in the past, and the mistakes he made were sometimes dumb ones. Regardless, he was learning, and learning quickly out of necessity. Calder could do things extremely well when he put his mind to it, and before our quest in the wildlands, he'd simply never tried to do many of the things he was attempting now.

  “I haven't seen Kai in action yet,” Azazel finally said, leaving Calder's compliments of him hanging in the air. “But I have heard the others talking. You do not gain that many admirers by doing nothing.”

  “Wise words,” Calder agreed, before he pulled me into a hug. “Good luck, love.”

  “You too,” I murmured back, before we separated. “We will take this city for Koby.”

  Calder smiled softly and nodded, appreciating the sentiment.

  Jayce came up to me next, bubbly with energy as Vallen continually hushed her from behind. She grabbed me into a hug, rambling, “Lucky you! You get to see the explosion first-hand!”

  I kept my laughter quiet. I thought about telling her to find a way to create her own, but then I knew her excitement would cause her to actually attempt it. “I will tell you all about it,” I finally promised her.

  Vallen patted me on the arm, standing tall amongst the green glow of fungi. “Let's make this a repeat of last time, yeah?”

  “That's the plan,” I agreed.

  Vallen glanced over to Azazel, who remained quiet. “Don't worry, friend. Kai will take care of you.”

  Azazel huffed in humor. “So I've heard,” he replied.

  Cerin was last to let me go. The necromancer pulled me into a hug, landing kisses over the side of my face. “Be careful, Kai. Do not forget, this army is in wait to support you. It would be better to call us early than to allow yourself and the others to be killed.”

  I chuckled against his face as I landed a kiss of my own. “You forget that I know this, Cerin. I would not endanger the others. If the army is required, I will call for it.” I held him close to me, breathing in the scent of his neck. His natural scent was thickest here, and if I could have bottled it up and taken it with me, I would have. “The last time I was preparing to sneak around like this, it was to come break you out of the dungeons,” I reminded him, before pulling back from our embrace, letting my fingers graze through the lock of black hair that hung beside his face.

  “Yes,” Cerin agreed, his silver eyes glazed over with nostalgia. “And things went awry. Be careful.”

  “Nyx and Jakan have taught me their spells,” I reminded him. During our trip here, many spells were taught during our camping time to the soldiers who hadn't yet had the chance to learn in Thanati. “I can quiet my steps and go invisible if I need to.”

  “Invisibility can still be detected by a good eye or alteration magic,” Azazel reminded me. “It is not the solution to every problem.”

  I turned my gaze to him. “Yes, but don't tell Cerin that,” I murmured in jest, to which the necromancer chuckled nervously.

  Azazel shrugged, though he smiled. “Invisibility is helpful, for sure, and if it comes down to a fight, Kai is the only one of us who knows it. I only deal in alteration. Enemies will focus on me instead of her, and I can fend them off.”

  “See? We'll be fine,” I encouraged him.

  “Famous last words,” Cerin replied. I hadn't expected the tease, and snickered as I pulled him to me for a kiss.

  I murmured against his lips, “Stop worrying.”

  Cerin claimed my lips again, before retorting, “Stop giving me reasons to.”

  “Get a room,” Nyx teased nearby, calling my attention to the rest of the group, which stood ready and waiting to go.

  “I wish,” Cerin retorted, before reluctantly pulling away from me.

  “I'll see you in a day or two,” I promised him. “In battle. I love you.”

  The necromancer smiled warmly. It wasn't often I showed him this much affection outside of the confines of our privacy, so I could tell he enjoyed the attention. “I love you more,” he finally replied.

  “Before this starts a never-ending argument, let's go,” Nyx said, revved up for battle. With little more than a nod, I followed her, with Azazel by my side.

  When the others were far enough behind us that we could no longer see or hear them, Azazel finally murmured, “That man loves you so much the air was thick with it.”

  I glanced over to the archer, judging his expression. His tone was hard to read, so I couldn't be sure if he was annoyed by the previous affections or not. “I'm sorry it took us awhile to say goodbye. We don't like being separated. We've been through it many times before.”

  Azazel shook his head, his black eyes ahead and looking out for enemies. “Don't apologize. I'm just a little shocked, if I'm honest.”

  “You didn't know Cerin and I were together?”

  “No, I did. I figured as much ever since our talk of plans in Thanati, when he nearly argued with me over this plan.” Azazel paused, frowning as he pondered over his next words. “Love is not often experienced underground, and if it is, it is the love of friendship. I never thought I'd feel that again.”

  “So you have seen people love before.”

  Azazel nodded, though he didn't seem to like admitting it. “Calder and Koby had a connection I could only envy. I'd never seen anything like it before.” He huffed dryly. “Perhaps I foolishly thought that by sharing my plans with them, I could join in and experience that for myself.”

  My heart ached at the longing in his tone. Given the events that had happened between him and Calder, I could only imagine the pain and bitterness he'd had to fight through.

  “Now, I find myself in envy again,” Azazel continued, after a moment. “Forgive me, Kai, but I am jealous of you. I tried to befriend Alastor for years, and he left me without a second thought. Now that Koby is dead, I can tell it is you he has latched onto.”

  I was quiet for a moment, listening only to our group's footsteps over rock. Nyx and Jakan were close enough to me that I knew they listened to the conversation, though they were staying out of it.

  “Calder has become a dear friend of mine,” I finally said softly. “But he is one of the few I will have to leave behind. His goal is taking the underground. Mine is Chairel. Within a year or two, my friends and I will be gone from here, and you will be free to pursue his friendship without my meddling. I never intended to bring up these painful thoughts of your past.”

  “You misunderstand me,” Azazel replied. “I no longer pursue his friendship, because I will no longer live my life seeking the approval of others. And I do not blame you for anything. I am simply reflecting on the things in my life which have continued to escape me. Love, friendship, freedom. They come so easily for others. I have to wonder if something about me repels them, or if I am simply cursed.”

  “I can tell you it is certainly not the former,” I murmured. “There is nothing repelling about you, Azazel, unless you have a second personality floating around I have yet to see. You have been nothing but helpful to us.”

  Azazel's thin black eyebrows dipped together, but he said nothing. Maybe he was so unused to compliments that he didn't know how to react to them.

  All conversation died down as we moved closer to the city. We'd left the rest of the army just fifteen minutes away from its edges,
so they were close enough to hear the explosion and feel the vibrations of it in the walls, though they would be safe from prying eyes. Even though we were still a few minutes from Hazarmaveth, I could already see it at the end of the tunnel, for the bioluminescence illuminated it.

  Hazarmaveth was beautiful. It mimicked a surface city at night, though it was lit up by its plant-life instead of magical lights. Mushrooms grew like trees here, some of them as tall as a man, some of them taller, giving colored glows that lit up the shadows of the city better than any street light ever could. Stalks were grounded between cracks of stone, leeching from the nutrients they could find. The lights of the plants glowed through the thick skin of their caps, some of the lights marked by patterns or imperfections.

  There were so many types of mushrooms here. The broad tree-like ones with thick stalks and even thicker caps were the best light sources of them all. There were clusters of spindly fungi with round, ball-like caps which gave dull bluish-white glows from near the floors of the cavern. And, like in Thanati, there were mushrooms which grew like little shelves from the walls, white stalks cupping turquoise caps. Some of these grew much larger than they had in the other city, for many of the caps grew glowing tendrils which hung in streaks of light down the stone. Many of the shelf fungi grew straight out of the stone of the buildings, keeping even the side streets relatively well lit.

  The architecture in Hazarmaveth was similar to Thanati's. All materials for its buildings had come straight from the stone the city had been carved from. The only difference between the two cities was the set-up. Thanati had mostly been one level, though it had gained depth in its southern end. Here, the buildings sprawled out before us were lower to the ground than further in toward its northern end, but that wasn't saying much. Like Thanati, Hazarmaveth was full of apartments, and even the lowest ones were two stories tall. Ahead, over the roofs that some of the buildings had, I could see the towers Azazel had told us about, fully connected from ceiling to floor. My eyes weren't good enough to see whether they were manned from this distance, but I did not use the illusion spell to enhance my sight, because I wasn't going to waste the energy to check. I would assume every tower had its archers. I would assume the worst for everything, so I could be well-prepared to face it.