Shadows Within the Flame (The Elder Stones Saga Book 2)

by D. K. Holmberg

  “How many ships were out there?” he asked Carth.

  She stood several paces in front of him, difficult to pick out from the darkened coastline. Somehow she had the shadows peeling off her, flowing in such a way that she looked almost like one of the rocks. “There were three, though at this point, there could be more.”

  “And they were pursuing?”

  “I wasn’t moving so fast as to outrun them.”

  “Could you have?”

  She turned, and for a moment he caught a flash of her eyes. “Had I wanted to, but we needed to see what they were after.”

  “What if they’re after you?”

  “That’s possible.”

  She seemed unconcerned about it, and unconcerned that they had a dozen, not much more, and might have to confront an unknown number of assailants.

  They continued to wait, but no ships appeared in the distance. Against the darkness of the night, Daniel wasn’t certain he would be able to pick out any ships, so maybe that wasn’t all that surprising.

  “They’re coming,” Carth said softly.

  “I could Slide us to them,” Lucy said.

  “Maybe,” Carth said. “I’d rather have them get closer, realize that we’re here and anchored, and give them an opportunity to reveal their intentions.”

  “I can Read their intentions, too.”

  Carth stepped toward her. “Has your ability really grown so strong?”

  “I can’t Read them from here, if that’s what you’re thinking I meant.” She shook her head, flashing a smile. “But I can determine something about them. We need to Slide on board the ship first.”

  Carth looked at Daniel, seeming to consider his reaction to the idea. He had Slid onto a ship once before and knew that he could repeat it if necessary, but he didn’t necessarily want to.

  And if he did, he worried that it would only be him. He might be able to Slide Rayen, but only if he had the ability to see where they were going. With as dark as it was, it would take considerable strength with the shadows to peel them away.

  But Carth had that sort of strength. She would be able to remove them, to give him an opportunity to See where they needed to go, and so maybe he could do this.

  If it came down to it, he might not have the strength to return, though it didn’t have to be his strength to return. It had to be Lucy’s.

  “I can Slide us there. We can determine what they’re after, and then we can decide what you want to do with them,” Lucy said.

  “Not all of us,” Carth said.

  “You don’t want to have more with you?” Daniel asked.

  “The more people we bring, the more likely we’ll appear to be a threat. Until we know what they’re after, I don’t intend to challenge them.”

  “And if they challenge you?”

  “If they do, then we have to be prepared for an alternative plan,” Carth said.

  “Who would you take?” Lucy asked.

  “I suppose we should bring your Elvraeth friend,” she said, looking at Daniel, “if he will come. And Rayen. Other than that, I wouldn’t want to diminish the Binders.”

  Four. She wanted to bring four people onto a ship out in the middle of the ocean, facing the A’ras, men who had nearly defeated him and Rayen.

  But that had been before they’d had Carth with them.

  “They’re getting closer,” Rayen said, appearing out of the darkness.

  “I can tell,” Carth said.

  “What’s your plan?”

  “My plan is the same as what you attempted in Asador.”

  “How many?” Rayen asked, glancing from Daniel to Lucy and then back to Carth.

  “Just us.”

  “I’ll have the others be prepared,” Rayen said. She disappeared for a moment and reappeared shortly after.

  Daniel marveled at how quickly she acclimated to the decision. All the Binders handled such decisions easily and quickly, never seeming to be caught off guard by anything Rayen or Carth might ask of them. It might be their most impressive trait. They were quick to accommodate changes like this.

  “When you’re ready,” Carth said, nodding to Lucy.

  Daniel turned to Lucy. “If you can’t See where they are, you shouldn’t do this.”

  “I don’t have to See them,” Lucy said. “I can Read where they are. They don’t know to shield their minds, so it’s much easier for me to latch on to that sense of them and use that to determine where I need to go.” She seemed to be hiding something from him. Did it have to do with her comments on Reading the A’ras? Why would she need to conceal that from him?

  Unless she already knew what they would encounter.

  He attempted to Read the men on the ship, but he couldn’t detect anything. There was emptiness. During the journey, he had grown accustomed to that. Most of the Binders had a way of keeping him from their minds, and so he’d stopped trying.

  Lucy watched him, as if knowing his thoughts. Which, he realized, she probably did. Taking his hand, she squeezed, and then she glanced over to Carth, who took her other hand. Rayen frowned.

  “And what am I supposed to hold?”

  Lucy chuckled. “Grab Carth’s hand. I’ll make sure you don’t get separated from us.”

  “That can happen?” Rayen asked.

  “I’ve heard rumors that Lareth can stop himself in mid-Slide, though I haven’t been able to do it yet.”

  Yet. The way she said it suggested to Daniel that she had been trying.

  What was in the place between Slides?

  When he Slid, he was aware of the sense of movement, and there was a fluttering sensation that suggested there was something in between, but he had never been able to determine what that was, and he couldn’t even fathom attempting to stop himself in between Slides. It was bad enough attempting to Slide someplace he couldn’t easily see, and even worse attempting to Slide places where he couldn’t move. He didn’t have Lareth’s ability to Slide without taking a step, so he needed to walk in order to make the Slide effective.

  “Just hold on tightly,” Carth said.

  Lucy tilted her head to the side, and then they Slid.

  There came a strange whistling sound, and they moved with incredible speed. They emerged on the deck of a massive ship that rocked on the waves.

  At first, no one noticed them.

  Darkness wrapped around them, though Daniel didn’t know whether it was from Rayen or Carth. It could have been either of the women, and it shrouded them, hiding them within the shadows. He was thankful for that, wanting to remain as hidden as possible, not wanting the A’ras to realize they were on board too soon. The moment they did, they would be in danger.

  Carth strode forward, shadows separating from her. They remained around Daniel and Lucy, and Rayen was there, hidden within them, answering the question about who held the shadows.

  Voices suddenly called out.

  Heat built, and an explosion slammed into Carth, but she simply batted it away.

  That wasn’t quite right.

  It wasn’t that she batted it away; it was more that she simply absorbed it, accepting the explosion, pulling it within her, filling herself with the power. Metal clanged on metal, though Daniel couldn’t see it clearly through the shadows. He started forward, reaching for his sword, but Rayen gripped his arm, holding him in place.

  “Not yet,” she whispered.

  “But Carth—”

  “Carth doesn’t need us for this.”

  “Why did we come if she doesn’t need us?”

  “She needs the threat of us. She needs the potential to return, and she may actually need us, but not yet.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I know Carth.”

  “Can you at least make it so that I can see what’s taking place?”

  Rayen shot him a look, but he ignored it, turning his attention back to the fighting. The shadows around them eased, and he was able to peer through them and make out the fight.

  Ca
rth held only her small knife, and she faced a man with a long curved blade. He danced around her, flickering the blade, and Carth simply batted it away casually.

  “What is she doing?” Daniel asked.

  “She’s toying with him,” Lucy said.

  “I see that, but why?”

  “To get him angry, it seems,” Lucy said.

  Rayen glanced over at her. “You know her tactics?”

  “I know her mind,” Lucy said.

  Rayen studied Lucy for a moment before turning her attention back to Carth.

  As they watched, Daniel allowed himself to get caught up in it, captivated by the fighting. He’d never seen anyone quite like Carth. She used nothing more than a knife to face off with the swordsman, and with that knife, she simply twisted off to the side, avoiding each attack. He marveled at her skill, though he supposed he shouldn’t. He’d trained with Carth and had seen how capable she could be.

  Something thudded near him, and Daniel spun.

  Light exploded, casting aside the shadows. A man held two swords crossed in front of him, flames crawling along the blades.

  Daniel reached for his sword and Slid, appearing behind the man. He shoved him as he unsheathed, and the A’ras went staggering forward. Rayen caught him, wrapping him in a band of shadows that trapped his arms at his sides, keeping him from attacking. Daniel waited for the man to shout, but no sound came. It took him a moment to realize that was because Rayen had gagged him, shoving shadows down into his throat. He convulsed, dropping to the ground and kicking before stopping.

  He looked over to see three others circling them. The sudden appearance of the man had revealed them, and Daniel found himself facing two A’ras, both with the strange curved blades, and neither of them hesitating as they pressed forward in an attack. He swept his sword around, Sliding as he did, emerging between them, elbowing one man, driving his heel into the knee of another.

  He spun his blade, Sliding as he twisted, and emerged in front of them again, sweeping down with the flat edge of the blade and connecting, driving one man to his knees.

  Lucy cried out, and Daniel jumped, Sliding quickly, and appeared back where she had been.

  She wasn’t there.

  Rayen wasn’t there, either.

  Daniel Slid again, emerging in the middle of the ship. There was activity all around him, and three men charged toward him, all of them carrying swords.

  He Slid, darting quickly as he went from place to place, emerging briefly enough to slam into the side or the back or even once the forehead of each assailant.

  There was still no sign of Lucy.

  Carth still toyed with the other man, her knife drifting lazily from place to place as she worked it, and the other swordsman became sloppy with his movements. Daniel thought she would be able to take care of him if it came to it and decided against joining in the fight.

  He needed to reach Lucy.

  Where was she?

  He saw no sign of her.

  Daniel continued to Slide from place to place and stared as he did, searching for signs of Lucy.

  Where was Rayen?

  She wouldn’t have disappeared either.

  Activity on a ship near them caught his attention.

  Daniel Slid without thinking about it too much. If he had, he might have thought better of it. When he emerged on the other ship, Rayen had shadows wrapped around three men.

  Lucy was near her, close enough that she could Slide to her, and he suddenly understood what had happened.

  Lucy had brought Rayen over here.

  “The other ship,” Rayen said.

  Daniel nodded, glanced over to it, and Slid.

  When he emerged, there were five men converging on him. He quickly took stock of the situation and Slid.

  He reacted instinctively, not thinking about what he was doing, just traveling from place to place, prepared for the attack, knowing that he could Slide, and that there was nothing for him to fear.

  Each time he emerged, he confronted another of the swordsmen, knocking them down. He went from one spot to another, darting around the ship, knocking them out rather than trying to harm them. He found that he could emerge briefly, just long enough to attack, and then Slide again. The men didn’t have a chance.

  Was this how Lareth had fought? He’d never seen Lareth in a real fight, and yet he suspected it was similar.

  Only Sliding himself didn’t require nearly as much energy. The hardest part for him was adjusting each time he emerged.

  Another attack, and another.

  And then it was done.

  He stood, sword in hand, panting.

  He almost didn’t need the sword, but then, had he not brought the sword, if he had been attacked by another who had one, he’d have had no way of blocking it.

  He Slid over to the first ship and found Carth with her knife up to the man’s throat.

  “Did you take care of the other ship?” Carth asked. She didn’t bother to look in his direction, and he wondered how she even knew he was there.

  “I did. And Rayen and Lucy handled the other.”

  “Good.”

  She pulled her knife back and kicked the legs out from under the man. He dropped to the deck and glared up at her.

  “You’re her,” the man said.

  “You have no reason to attack me,” Carth said.

  “You’re Rel.”

  “Well, it seems as if you do know me,” she said, laughing. “And if you know me, then you would understand that I am A’ras.”

  “You are not A’ras. You were exiled.”

  Carth crouched close, leaning down toward the man. “Was I? If I was exiled, then why was I permitted to return? Why have I continued to train with the masters? Why do I still have my blade?” She thrust the knife forward, keeping it near the other man’s chin. “The better question is why you are so far from Nyaesh.”

  “We aren’t beholden to you. You will have no answers from us.”

  “I didn’t say that you are beholden to anyone. But I will have answers.”

  “You will have nothing but shame.”

  “Shame? That sounds so dramatic. And now that I’ve claimed your ships for my fleet, you’re the one who will have shame.”

  Carth turned and glanced past Daniel. He turned and realized that Lucy was there, and she was watching.

  “Can you Slide them to shore?” she asked.

  “What’s your intention?” Daniel asked.

  Carth looked over at him. “I asked her if she can Slide them to shore. That’s my intention.”

  “Carth, we shouldn’t bring them closer to the Binders.”

  “The Binders are going to be the ones to hold them.”

  “What if they continue to attack?”

  Carth glanced over at him. “There’s nothing they can do that will allow them to continue to attack. Unless you don’t think my Binders are capable of restraining them.”

  He shook his head. “I wouldn’t say that. All I’m trying to get at is—”

  “I understand what you’re trying to get at. And I’m warning you that you need to trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

  Daniel took a deep breath and glanced over to Carth. She watched him, an intense gaze on her face. After a moment, he nodded, turning his attention back to Lucy.

  “It’s okay,” she said.

  “Lucy—”

  “Most of them are unconscious, Daniel. Besides, I think I have an idea about what Carth intends.”

  “And what does she intend?”

  She fixed her gaze on Carth. “She needs the ships, not the men.”

  Carth smiled. “Very good. Did you Read that?”

  “No, but that would be the only reason you’d want them on the shore.”

  “Not the only reason, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.”

  “What do you need the ships for?”

  “I intend to travel as if I’m one of the A’ras. And that means I need to present myself in a way that is believabl
e to those who know.”

  “Your ships aren’t believable?”

  “No. But these will be. And I have enough people with me who can ensure that we continue to be believable.”

  Daniel looked around the ship. It made sense. They could use the ships, but this had to be about more than just getting into Nyaesh. If that was the case, they could simply Slide there, but that didn’t seem to be what Carth wanted.

  “What are you after, Carth?”

  “You don’t think my search for answers is enough?”

  “I think this is about more than just a search for answers,” Daniel said.

  “We need to be able to travel through some of the northern lands effectively, and we can’t do that with my ships. They will draw attention. There are plenty who know of me in the northern area, and if they realize it’s me, they will be less inclined to answer the questions I need answered.”

  “And those questions have to do with the Forgers and the Ai’thol?”

  “They do,” Carth said. “Not all the answers will come in Nyaesh, though I suspect that is where we will need to start. The rest of the answers will likely come from outside of the home of the A’ras. We will need to travel through much of the northern lands, and only then will we find what we seek.”

  “And what are you looking for?”

  “The power of the Flame,” Carth said.

  “Can you simply detect the Flame?”

  Carth closed her eyes, and for a moment, the blade in her hand glowed with a deep orange light. “Reaching the Flame was the first thing I was formally taught, and the A’ras know how to do so much better than anyone. Or almost anyone. And because of that, I would like to believe that we can find out what they’re up to and where to find the Elder Stone I’m searching for, but it might require more, Daniel Elvraeth. Will you be able to participate?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  “You’re here, but you don’t know if you want to be. I can see it in the way that you look at me, and I can see it in the way that you debated how much to fight.”

  “What are you going to do with these men?”

  “If you think I’m going to slaughter A’ras, then you haven’t been paying attention to the type of person that I am.”

  “If you’re not going to slaughter them, then what do you intend to do with them?”