by PT Hylton
Once they were close to shore, Abbey approached the bow and tapped Dustin on the arm. “Hey, I’ll have a better view from up top.”
When Dustin answered, his voice held the slight twinge of annoyance it always did when he was interrupted while stormcalling. “The crow’s nest?”
“I was thinking a bit higher than that.”
Dustin grinned, finally getting it. “Viktor, take over for me here. Keep that wind steady.”
A few moments later, Abbey soared into the sky, carried on an updraft Dustin called for her.
It had been a few days since she’d flown, and even though she was new at it, she’d missed it. Using magic to change the weight of things made her feel alive somehow. It was as if part of her had been asleep her whole life, until she’d discovered this magic.
How had Liv explained it in the Farrows? Tapping into the Etheric. It made her wonder: if powers as diverse as hers, her father’s, and Dustin’s all came from the Etheric, what else was possible? What hadn’t anyone thought to try?
As she flew, she promised herself she’d keep pushing the boundaries to figure out what else they could do.
She glanced down and saw every pair of eyes on The Foggy Day staring up at her, including Dahlia’s.
Over the next hour they cruised along the coast, looking for Dahlia’s rock formations. Abbey glided on the currents of Dustin’s wind, dipping over the land and then banking back toward the ship. She’d never been aloft this long before. It was exhilarating.
She squinted at something in the distance: two objects that could very well be the formations Dahlia had described. She tilted her body toward the southwest.
As she got a bit closer, she confirmed it.
Towering pillars of stone stood on either side of a harbor city.
She signaled to Dustin, and he brought her back toward the ship. She increased her weight and descended to the deck.
“What do you know?” Dustin said. “Dahlia steered us right.”
Abbey frowned. “Yes, but toward what?”
Syd was unusually quiet as they approached the port. Abbey wondered if the prospect of finally seeing her brother after all this time was weighing on her.
Dahlia appeared to be fully awake now. She wore her usual cocky half-smile. Even with her hands bound in front of her, a stranger might have thought she was in charge.
The Foggy Day passed between the stone pillars. Now that they were close, Abbey could see there was a figure standing on top of each pillar.
“Here it comes,” Dahlia said softly.
“Here what comes?” Dustin asked, his voice alive with concern.
As if on cue, the men on top of the pillars raised their hands. The pillars suddenly shrank, as if they were sinking. At the same time, a six-foot tall stone wall rose out of the water behind them, blocking their exit from the harbor.
“What the hell is this?” Syd shouted.
Abbey gave Dahlia a shove. “Talk. What’s going on?”
Dahlia smiled. “What’s going on is, I’ve brought you to the most dangerous place on Earth. Welcome to the home of the Stone Shapers.”
****
Stone Shapers.
Abbey had never heard the term before, but looking back at the stone wall that had suddenly risen out of the water, she had a pretty good idea what these guys could do.
Somehow they’d taken the stone from the pillars and reshaped it into a wall.
“Wonderful,” Syd muttered. “A new kind of magic.”
Abbey drew her sword and pressed it into Dahlia’s side. “Talk fast. What the hell are we dealing with here?”
Dahlia smiled. “I may not have been entirely honest about the political situation in Gren.”
“Chop her damn head off,” Olaf shouted as he marched toward her.
Benjamin followed closely behind his new pupil. “I tend to agree with Olaf, much to my surprise.”
“No!” Syd yelled. “Not yet.” She turned back to Dahlia. “Tell us everything you know, or we start cutting things off.”
Dahlia sighed, as if Syd’s very presence were a mild annoyance she was being forced to deal with. “Fine. I told you the truth about Ragnar. He did lose the war on Barskall, and he did demand some of our stormship sailors before going into exile. He planned to raise an army and conquer Gren, which was perfectly fine with King Elias. As long as he stayed away from Barskall, Elias didn’t care where he went. And I really did help transport him to Gren.”
Abbey looked at the pillars and noticed they were somehow moving through the water toward The Foggy Day as if they were ships. The men standing on the pillars looked serene. They wore loose black sashes that matched their glowing black eyes.
“Physical magic,” Benjamin muttered.
“You ever see anything like this in Arcadia?” Captain Syd asked.
“Not even close.”
Syd turned back to Dahlia. “Talk faster.”
“What I failed to tell you was that Ragnar’s conquest of Gren did not go as planned. After depositing him and his followers a bit north of here, Thunderclap immediately searched for the nearest city. We found this one. My plan was to endear myself to the local chief by providing information about the Barskall warlord now in their midst and revealing his plans for building an empire. It turned out the Stone Shapers were perfectly capable of handling some savage warriors.”
The pillars of stone were growing closer now. In a minute or two they’d reach the ship.
“What do we do, Captain?” Clemens asked, a hint of fear in his voice.
“Nothing yet,” Syd snapped. “Keep talking, Dahlia.”
Dahlia nodded. “While they didn’t need my help crushing Ragnar, I thought I’d check to see if there was any other way I could assist them. It turned out there was. They can mold stone with their magic, if you hadn’t already figured that out.”
“We’re not idiots,” Olaf interjected.
Abbey corrected, “Well, Olaf kind of is.”
Dahlia continued, “They were having trouble with some Gren natives who didn’t want to be ruled by Stone Shapers. These rebels were seafaring people with small, fast ships, and they were putting up quite a fight. That’s where Thunderclap came in. We paid those troublesome rebels a visit. Before that, Gren had never heard of storm magic. Now I’d wager there’s not a man or woman on Gren who hasn’t.”
“What about my brother?” Syd growled.
Dahlia shrugged. “Ragnar and his followers were captured and put to work in the mines deep in the mountains. I’ve heard tell they work them hard there. They don’t expect their prisoners to last long. Elliot may still be alive. Anything’s possible, I suppose.”
Syd grabbed Dahlia by the throat. “I’m going to cut you open and watch your guts grow cold on the deck.”
“I wouldn’t,” Dahlia croaked. “My Stone Shaper friends wouldn’t like that.”
Abbey glanced toward the pillars. They’d almost reached the ship now. With their glowing black eyes, it was hard to tell where the men on the pillars were looking. They seemed to be glaring in Dahlia’s direction.
Syd let go of Dahlia and cursed quietly. “You’ll pay for this.”
“These Stone Shapers respect you?” Abbey asked Dahlia.
The Storm Caller laughed. “They practically worship me. They used to call me the ‘Queen of Storms.’ I’ve put you in a bad position. These people value my life quite highly.”
“Good. Then you’ll make an excellent hostage.” Abbey shifted her sword from where she’d been holding it against Dahlia’s ribs and put it against the woman’s neck. “You think you tricked us, but we’ve been expecting something like this the whole time.”
“Well, aren’t you smart,” Dahlia replied. “And yet you still have two Stone Shapers about to board.”
There was a terrible grinding noise, and The Foggy Day came to a stop.
Clemens ran to the rail and looked over the side. “Captain, they’ve encased the hull in stone!”
As t
he pillars reached The Foggy Day, they began to lean toward the ship so the tops almost touched the rails without the rest of the pillar crashing into the side.
The two men moved almost as one, stepping off the stone onto the rail and then down onto the deck in unison from opposite sides of the ship.
The man on the starboard side was a bit taller than his companion. His hair was so blond it was almost white, standing in stark contrast to his glowing black eyes.
He raised his hand, holding it out palm upward. A perfectly round stone sat quivering there.
His companion mirrored his actions on the port side of The Foggy Day.
The first man spoke in a low voice that seemed to rumble through the boards of the deck. “Release the Queen of Storms immediately.”
Abbey held her sword steady against Dahlia’s throat. “No can do. I know she’s annoying, but her presence makes us feel better about ourselves.”
The man looked confused. “Who’s Captain here?”
Syd took a step forward. She hadn’t drawn a weapon, but she already looked pretty imposing with her twin swords on her back and her shaved head. “I am. And where I come from, it’s customary to ask the captain’s permission before boarding a vessel. Anyone who fails to do so will find himself quickly regretting his decision. I suggest you step off my ship and ask my forgiveness before things get ugly.”
The rock in the man’s hand began to quiver a bit faster. “Ugly?”
“Yeah, like your face!” Olaf shouted.
Syd shot him a look. “Stop helping.”
The blond Stone Shaper nodded toward Dahlia. “Perhaps we need to continue this discussion on dry land. Proceed to the docks, and the captain, the Storm Caller, and the Queen of Storms will accompany us to have a discussion with our chief.”
“Now hold on—” Syd began.
“That wasn’t a request. If you fail to comply, we will destroy the hull of your vessel and you will sink.”
With that, the men climbed back over the rail onto their pillars of stone.
“Well,” Syd said, “it looks like we’re going ashore.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Abbey, Dustin, Benjamin, you’re coming with me.” Syd kept her eyes on the pillars of stone that kept pace with them as they sailed toward the dock.
“You sure about that?” Abbey asked. “They said just you and Dustin.”
“If they think I’m not bringing my magic users to this meeting, they’re crazy.”
“I’m a magic user too, now,” Olaf said, his voice hopeful.
Abbey raised an eyebrow. “Take it easy. You’ve had one lesson.” She turned to Syd. “What about Viktor and his three friends? They’re magic users.”
“No. I don’t know them well enough yet. Just the four of us.” Syd sounded distracted as she spoke.
As the ship neared the dock, Syd asked Dustin, Benjamin, and Abbey to come close. She spoke to them softly.
“Job number one is finding a way to get Elliot back. Let’s keep our focus on that, no matter what.” She cocked her thumb back toward Dahlia. “Job two is we make sure we don’t leave this sea-forsaken country with her alive. She thinks she’s pulled a fast one on us. She hasn’t. We knew something like this was coming. If we take her inside that city, we’ll never leave with her. She’s staying aboard. Abbey, take care of the arrangements.”
“Aye, Captain.” Abbey marched across the deck and grabbed Dahlia by the arm. “Olaf! Clemens! Fannar!” Without waiting for a response, she pulled Dahlia toward the ladder that led belowdecks.
“What are you doing?” Dahlia hissed.
“It’s nighty-night time again, Queen of Storms.”
Dahlia’s eyes widened. “Didn’t you hear them? They want me brought ashore!”
“Yeah, well, they’re not the boss of me. Watch your head as you go down.”
Dahlia tried to stop but Abbey shoved her forward, so her only options were to climb down the ladder or fall. “Stone Shapers don’t mess around. They’ll sink the ship if you don’t listen to them.”
“I’m thinking they won’t. Not with you aboard. And if they do, stormship sailors can swim. You’ll be sleeping so deeply you’ll wake up in the afterlife.”
She led Dahlia to the mat where she’d spent her voyage and shoved her down onto it. Then she got out the potion and poured a cup.
Olaf, Fannar, and Clemens had joined them now.
She addressed them as she forced Dahlia to drink. “You three are in charge of Dahlia while we’re on shore. She should be asleep soon, but in the meantime, don’t listen to anything she says. I trust you guys. You can do this.”
“What, watch a sleeping woman?” Olaf asked. “Yeah, I think we can handle that job, Abbey.” From his tone of voice, it was clear he was still annoyed at not being invited to the meeting with the Stone Shapers.
Abbey remembered something Dustin had said before they left the Farrows. “Don’t underestimate her. You could fill a graveyard with the people who have.”
Dahlia looked up at Abbey, her eyes wide. “Take me with you to the meeting. I’ve had dealings with the Stone Shapers. You don’t know their ways. Their customs.”
“This really isn’t going like you’d thought it would, is it?” Abbey shook her head. “What I said the other day still applies. If you try anything, you’ll lose your hands. I’ll see you when I get back, Your Majesty.”
With that, Abbey headed topside.
As soon as they had docked and lowered the gangplank, Syd led them off the ship. The two men who’d been on the pillars stepped onto the dock next to them, leaving their shrunken pillars on either side of The Foggy Day.
“Where is the Queen of Storms?” the blond one asked.
It took a concerted effort for Abbey not to roll her eyes. This Queen-of-Storms thing was going to get old fast.
“Her Majesty is staying aboard,” Syd said, looking the blond Stone Shaper in the eye. When he started to respond, she held up a hand. “That’s non-negotiable.”
The other Stone Shaper spoke for the first time. “Our method of negotiation is different than yours.” He held his hand up, displaying the round stone in his hand. It quivered, as if it wanted to leap up at them. “Most outsiders don’t find it very pleasant.”
Abbey knew it wasn’t her place to speak, but she couldn’t help herself. “It’s funny. Every new place we go, the people think they’re bigger badasses than the outsiders. Yet we’re always the ones who end up walking away at the end of the fight.”
The blond Stone Shaper smiled. “Perhaps you should try not fighting everyone you meet.”
Dustin smirked. “We do try. Hasn’t worked out so far.”
The shorter Stone Shaper glared at Abbey.
She wondered what the deal was with the way they held out the stones. Was it supposed to be threatening? Did they make the stones fly at their opponents? She wished she knew more about how their magic worked.
With the way this was going, she’d probably find out sooner rather than later.
The blond man sighed. “Very well, we’ll proceed without the Queen of Storms. Though I warn you, it will put Magnus in a foul mood when he learns we left her behind.”
“What, not all Stone Shapers are the gregarious party animals you two are?” Abbey asked.
Syd shot her a look.
“Enough talking. Follow.” With that, the tall man turned and started walking toward the center of town.
Syd, Dustin, Benjamin, and Abbey followed, with the shorter Stone Shaper trailing them closely.
As they walked, Abbey nudged her father and spoke to him in a low voice. “Notice the buildings?”
“Hard to miss,” Benjamin said.
Every building they passed was made of stone. Not stones stacked and held together with mortar, but solid rock. It was as if the homes had occurred naturally, each made from a single stone worn by nature into highly unlikely shapes.
There was no consistent architectural style, either. Some houses were perfect re
ctangles, orderly in their design. Others looked like drawings sketched by a child and somehow brought to life. One house leaned at such an angle that it was a gravity-defying wonder it didn’t topple over.
The shorter Stone Shaper must have seen them staring, because he addressed the matter. “Most residents of Ammaas design and shape their own homes. It’s an expression of their family’s philosophy. A reflection of their personalities, if you will.”
Ammaas. That must be the name of the city, Abbey realized.
She nodded toward the leaning home. “I’d hate to meet the person who created that one.”
“Wait.” Benjamin turned toward the man. “Are you saying every person in this city is a Stone Shaper?”
“Not everyone. Most children under ten have not yet mastered the Way of the Stone. But for everyone older, it’s a requirement.”
“Wonderful,” Benjamin muttered darkly.
They made their way through the winding streets of the city. She lost track of the number of times they turned and seemed to double back, only to find themselves heading down a new street. It seemed to Abbey this place hadn’t been designed; more like it had grown organically.
Or it had been shaped.
She came to the realization that she wouldn’t be able to find her way back to The Foggy Day if she needed to. Not without flying above the oddly deformed buildings for a birds’ eye view, anyway. And she intended to keep that ability secret for as long as she could.
The blond man stopped in front of a large stone hill at what seemed to be the edge of the city.
No, not a hill, Abbey thought. It was a building, perfectly crafted to blend into the natural setting behind it. It was a truly impressive design.
The blond man turned to them and smiled. “We have arrived. Welcome to the home of Magnus, Chief of the Stone Shapers.”
****
The blond man led them through a large archway into the building. They entered a labyrinthine series of featureless hallways, with nothing adorning the stone walls, floor, or ceiling. The effect was disorienting. After they’d been walking for five minutes, Abbey had an irrational but alarming notion that they were actually walking on the ceiling and looking up at the floor.
