Ezekial’s booming laugh broke the quiet, and Ben gaped at Roska’s back. Library eyes? He stole a glimpse of Raine. Her eyes bored into the table, a slight flush to her cheeks. Great. Now she was going to be mad at him for the rest of the day, because someone misread the situation. Ben cleared his throat. “Shall we run those errands for Ann, now that he’s taken care of this?”
Raine nodded and stood without meeting Ben’s gaze. She pulled out Ann’s note for a brief moment before folding it and returning it to the leather pouch on her belt. “Let’s go.”
They walked through the quiet library without further comment. Raine’s pace slowed as they reached the doorway where they’d entered. Her face slowly drained of color. Ben glanced at her, then above the door, where her gaze was fixated. Two stones, a deep blue and an opaque gray, were nestled above the threshold, out of sight for those entering.
“Raine? Are you okay?” Ben resisted the urge to touch her elbow, wary of what was going through her mind and what she was so afraid of. “We good to go?”
Her eyes snapped to his, pupils dilated. She nodded, her gaze tracking something he couldn’t see. “Let’s see how fast we can get this done,” she whispered. Cold fingers slid into his palm for the second time in forty-eight hours, and she almost yanked him off his feet as she pulled him through the doorway.
Raine led Ben away from the library like the hounds of hell were on their heels. She guided him through the side entrance of a bakery and out the back, down a few alleys, and finally back out to the heat of Main Street.
“What were we running from?” Ben finally asked when Raine slowed down. Their palms were sweaty where they touched, her fingers still tightly intertwined with his. She didn’t reply, and he squeezed her hand.
That got her attention. She dropped her grip on him with a strangled gurgle, and she stepped back, hugging herself.
“Raine?” Ben clenched his hand, trying to shake off the feeling of sudden loss. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and swiped at a strand of hair plastered to her forehead by sweat, then waved to the road. “Precautions.”
He grimaced at her blatantly shallow explanation. Something had spooked her at the library, and it was enough that even though he’d made her mad with the book, she still dragged him with her. Something about that didn’t give him any warm fuzzy feelings.
Raine hugged the outside side of the curb as she wove effortlessly through the crush of people. Ben stayed close to her, subconsciously mimicking her erratic way of walking the sidewalk until he started to pay attention. She’d move to the inside of the curb, walking the edge of it, a slip of the foot away from standing in the street, then weave away from it, back to where everyone else would walk. It took another minute of observation to take note of the shops that had two crystals hanging over their doorway—the same ones that they’d noticed at the library. She moved to the inside of the curb again, and Ben glanced back to confirm the presence of the two stones. A solitary man entered a shop and the blue stone glowed overhead.
Asking her a direct question about her behavior or the stones that spooked her probably wouldn’t earn him any points right now. A cart laden with produce rumbled past, and inspiration struck. Ben trotted to catch up to Raine. “So this is the bread basket of Terrene?”
Raine’s eye twitched. “Please don’t ask such obvious questions when in public.”
“Sorry.” Ben winced and scratched at his beard.
Her sigh was barely audible over the noise of the city, and she turned her face toward him, her gaze scanning around him. “It is fairly true, though.”
She wove around him again, and Ben threw caution to the wind. It seemed like all his questions put her on edge. What was one more? He nodded to the crystals in another doorway, knowing better than to point. “What are those for?”
Her face tightened. “What, you didn’t read about those in your book?” she challenged with a bitter twist in her tone.
“I barely looked at it.” Ben fought to keep the irritation out of his voice. He succeeded only partially. “And it wasn’t for the purpose of hunting Void Born, or whatever it is you think I was doing.”
Raine gripped her sword hilt, glanced at Ann’s list, and pointed to a nearby store that didn’t have the crystals. She angled toward it. “One is for Elph. It detects Elph blood in a person and will glow in their presence. The other is for those born in Terrene. It lights up when someone who was born here passes it. Void Born don’t have the same spark of life. The stones don’t light up for them.” Raine released her sword to flip a strand of hair behind her. “It’s an alarm, of sorts.” Her jaw set. “I’m not going to give business to a place that discriminates against people like Ann.”
Her eyes challenged Ben to disagree. He nodded as he slipped his hands into his pockets. Was Raine part Elph, and she didn’t want people to know? She wasn’t Void Born, of that he was certain. So why else would she react the way she did? Questions for another day, another time.
“Do you think those are new, those alarms?”
Raine drummed her fingers on her hilt. “Yes. Those are very new.”
“And it makes sense.” He ignored her surprised look as he dipped his head back, savoring the scent of roasted meat that wafted in the air. “Your logic about Ann,” he clarified. “She’s just an old lady. It doesn’t matter where she’s from. What matters is how she lives her life here and now.”
The frost around Raine’s eyes melted. “Well said.” She hoisted the basket and forced a small grin, the shadow of fear still lingering in her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder. “I want to hurry. Maybe she and Papa have had a chance to look at those books from Roska.”
Ben swept forward in a grandiose bow. “After you, my lady.”
Raine huffed a tiny laugh, but the lines of concern remained etched in her forehead. “I’m no lady, but thanks anyway.”
“Then what are you?” Ben teased lightly, trying to shake the melancholy that radiated from her.
An emotion he couldn’t interpret flashed across Raine’s face. She walked a few paces before she patted the sword on her hip and offered him a brief smile. “Just a swordswoman. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ben
Raine’s edginess eased during their shopping trip, but instead of dissipating, it sank into Ben, filling him with unease. Two men had followed surreptitiously behind them for the last three shops, and when they’d faded from view, Ben and Raine had hit the trail toward Ann’s. The men were back now, and anxiety churned Ben’s stomach.
The woods on either side of the trail provided too much coverage—it’d be too easy to be ambushed. Ben gritted his teeth. Short shadows under the direct sun could hide anyone, let alone a skilled soldier. Ben glanced at Raine’s sword with a stifled curse. He had his own sword with him, of course, but his skill with it wasn’t close to hers. Raine could hold her own against two or three, but if there were more than that, then they’d be in serious trouble.
Light fingers grazed his forearm, just below his rolled cuffs. Raine stepped close, shooting him a sharp look. “Something isn’t right,” she whispered.
Foreboding and relief twined together, simultaneously relaxing and tensing him. She was as perceptive as he should’ve expected. He dipped his head close to her ear, hoping it would look like something innocuous. “I think we’ve been followed since the oil shop.”
Raine blanched, then reddened. “It’s all my fault,” she muttered. Her fingers tightened, gripping his arm. Tension weighted her words. “Play along.” She skipped a pace, then broke into a jog, her hand on her hilt to prevent her sword from bouncing on her hip. She waved and called out with an airy voice that ended in a falsetto giggle, “Race you back!”
He dashed after her, scanning the trees as he ran. They burst around the copse of trees, gravel flying as Raine skidded. She righted herself and blew past Brandon in the front yard. Ben ignored the former berserker and held out a hand to
prevent the door from slamming his face as he entered Ann’s home.
Finn and Ann sat at the table, same as they’d been when Raine and Ben had left, but now they had the piles of books from Roska stacked between them. The two seniors stared at Raine with open mouths.
Finn half rose from the table. “What’s wrong? What happened?” He shot Ben a stern look, and Ben raised his hands defensively.
“Papa,” Raine gasped out, straightening with a wince. “They had an alarm in the library.” Her black eyebrows drew together. “We were followed.”
Ann and Finn exchanged a look that spoke of a long friendship that allowed them to communicate without words. She lurched from the table and hustled down the hall, reappearing a moment later with two woven fabric bags. Ann tossed one to Finn and gestured at the books. “Grab what you want to look at later, and get the herbs we talked about. We’re not fighting them.” She pointed to Raine. “Tell your friends out there to come in. We’re going out the back.”
Ben floundered in the middle of her living space while everyone bustled in action. What should he do to help?
“Ben, grab the bloodbane and the camphor,” Finn said over his shoulder. Finn stacked the books in the bag and pulled open Ann’s cupboard to pull down two brown glass jars.
Ben nodded and scanned the dusty shelves, plucking the bloodbane first, and then the camphor, appreciating Ann’s alphabetized ordering. He handed them to Finn. The door slammed open, and Ben spun on his heel, hands raised, guarding his face.
Raine, Brandon, Kerlee, and Geist surged into the room. Kerlee pounded down the hall, the general jovial light in his eyes replaced with dark concern. “Miss Ann? Are you ready to go?”
Geist paced the room like a caged tiger. “There’s too many of them for us to take.” He scowled as he gripped his sword hilt. “Either they over-guessed our numbers, or they really don’t want a fair fight.”
Brandon shook his head and crossed over to the nearby window, holding back the simple white curtain to peer out. He let it swish back in place with a blistering oath. Metal rattled as he gripped his crimson sword. “We’re more than out-numbered, man. There’s a mob coming. Ready or not, time to go.”
They filed through the narrow hallway of Ann’s home, and she met them at her bedroom doorway, a pack slung over her shoulder, and a tiny burgundy dragon the size of a lizard rested on her other shoulder. Her head bowed as she ran a hand over the doorframe. Ben looked away, giving her a moment of privacy to say goodbye to her home. He examined the woods around them, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The distant rumble of voices and feet marching set his nerves on fire, raging for them to get out while they could. He tapped his fingers against his sword hilt.
Ann pushed away from the wood, her eyes determined and her steps even. The small pet clung to her blouse. “Follow me. There’s a deer path we can take around the edge of the city.”
Helpless sorrow and frustration warred on Finn’s face as he looked back at their group. “Raine. Brandon. You two take up the rear. You have the best chance of slowing them down, should it come to it.”
Ben pressed his lips together as they crashed through the underbrush. He didn’t like Finn’s honest assessment. Still, Raine didn’t seem the least bit surprised, or even resigned at Finn’s order. Her eyes shone with equal amounts of fear and determination, but Ben didn’t look back at her anymore while sprinting. The last thing he needed was to run into a branch or a tree and get injured.
Shouting echoed behind them. Ben grimaced at the sound of glass breaking. Ann was losing her home. She had to flee for her life. Because of him. Because he was a Void Born. He should’ve guessed that there’d be some sort of alarm. Lance had warned him that other places were getting superstitious.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Ben swatted a branch away from his face as he followed Kerlee’s blue-and-orange shirt through the dappled light. Ann moved along the path with the surety of a woman who knew the woods like the back of her hand. She hesitated only once, turning slightly, looking over her shoulder at the distinct sound of fire whooshing behind them.
Ben met Raine’s eyes and saw the same devastation in her face that he felt gripping his soul.
“We have to keep going,” Finn urged. “We have to get out of here.”
Ann nodded, and she switched which shoulder she carried her bag on. Kerlee jogged to her side and wordlessly took it off her hands, slinging her pack over his back. Ann gave him a tremulous smile.
Their group hurried through the trees with minimal sound, all of them continuously swiveling their heads, listening for signs of pursuit.
A small sigh escaped Ben when he caught the first glimpse of the Phoenix’s metallic hull gleaming in the sunlight. They just had to reach the ship. And hope that no one else was still in town. Ben stumbled. What if they still had crew in the city? What would they do? Send in a few to try to find them? Fight the mob? They’d have greater numbers and the high ground of the airship, but that wouldn’t do much against a group hell-bent on their destruction.
They broke free of the trees, no one stopping to brush off the leaves or brambles sticking to their clothing and hair. Finn marched up the gangplank. Ann and the others followed on his heels as they all piled onto the main deck. Rebecca stopped in the middle of the ship, a clipboard in her hand. She lifted it to shield her eyes from the sun, taking in their flushed faces, their panting.
“What is going on?” she asked, her voice not quite sharp, but demanding nonetheless.
“Is everyone onboard?” Geist replied. He moved away from the gangplank, but stayed by the edge of the rail, peering over the edge.
Rebecca’s gaze darted from Geist’s back to Ann. “Yes. We’re all accounted for, now that you all are here.”
“Take off. Now.” Finn eased Ann into a chair in the shade of the top deck. “We may have stirred up the locals, and we don’t want a lynching today.”
“I want an explanation later,” Rebecca warned. She hustled up the stairs to the captain’s deck. “Everyone, harness up!” She leaned over the metal railing. “Finn, where to?”
Finn’s lips pressed together. “Kelstone.”
“Kelstone, it is.” She disappeared from view, but the deck shuddered as the turbines whirred to life.
Keene and Steban ran out of the mess hall, quickly tying down the sail and preparing for takeoff. Finn offered Ann a hand up, and he waved in the direction of the stairs to the lower deck. “We’ll let them do their job. Let’s get you settled.”
A pang hit Ben’s heart. This is all my fault.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Christopher
Christopher grimaced as Lucio turned on his horse and started prattling at Andrew again. Victor had warned Christopher that Lucio was occasionally annoying, but he’d sold the sage short. The man wasn’t occasionally annoying—he was downright aggravating, and everyone on Christopher’s team of fellow Void Born was quietly hoping they’d be able to get the bloodstone rejuvenated and the barrier down as soon as possible, just to get away from the man.
Andrew’s black mustache twitched as he laughed along with Lucio, the undertones of Andrew’s baritone betraying the false humor. Beyond the two, Deirdre caught Christopher’s eye, and she sighed loud enough for him to hear her over the quiet clop of horses’ hooves against the forest floor. Derrick fiddled with the leather latch holding his battle axe on his back, his eyes constantly roaming the tree-ridden landscape. Christopher rubbed at his temple, the leather from his gloves offering no help for the sweat on his brow. He blew out a breath.
This mission was nothing like what they’d expected.
Well, Lucio was nothing like what they’d expected.
Christopher studied the back of the sage again. Soft. Pudgy. A man more caught up with his creature comforts than anything else. Definitely didn’t have the Elph metabolism, despite his insistence otherwise. How could such a weak man be such a powerful sage? How could they expect him to keep up with their pac
e as soldiers? How exactly was this alliance supposed to work?
Those that got to stay in Victor’s group were lucky. Now there was a man whom Christopher respected. Victor led with a calculating, take-charge manner that commanded deference and esteem, and all without using the blood-bond to rule over Christopher and his unit. Oh, he had the ranking to use it whenever he wanted, but a true leader like him didn’t need that.
Best of luck, comrades, Christopher thought with a side glance at Lucio. Enjoy bringing Aerugo to its knees with a leader who isn’t crazy.
Lucio leaned back in his saddle and waved a thick hand in the air. “Now, Jaxton? Mm, he was a student I was proud of! Absolutely brilliant. The things he could do with time and Void magic?” His entire body quivered with his heavy breath. “I should have known he had other plans going on behind my back. And now he’s dead.” Lucio clucked his tongue and shook his head. “Such a loss.”
Christopher tuned Lucio out. Victor insisted that Lucio was necessary, but the man grated Christopher’s nerves. Who would’ve thought that the great sage of Lasim would consider airships too “uncomfortable” to travel in, and would insist upon traveling to the village of Kelstone by horseback? The trip would be longer, dirtier, and it would force Christopher and his crew to spend more time with Lucio.
And the man wouldn’t shut up with questions about Tastow. What were the Elph doing with their manipulators now? Who was ruling—same leaders as before? Were they ready to invade the moment the barrier went down?
Christopher waved a fly out of his face. As long as the site that Lucio wanted to use was still in Kelstone. Without a working bloodstone, everything they’d planned would be for naught. Nothing else could take down the barrier. And the barrier had to come down for his people in the north to take back the southern lands.
Which would be interesting in and of itself, as according to both Victor and Lucio, many of the Elph actually mixed with the humans, and now were of mixed blood. It was almost unfathomable that Elph would stoop to mate with humans such as himself. Then again, he wasn’t a human. He was only a Void Born. That had to be the difference.
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