“Is that right? So you lied.” He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “That’s too bad. I might have shown you some mercy.” After a brief pause, he laughed. “No, not really. Now I’m lying. You were dead the moment you killed Markus. He might have been a cold-blooded killer, but he was still my friend.”
Her face contorted in anger. “Before you can reach your sword, I will have –”
Five orbs of red light suddenly surrounded the Rakasa, stopping her dead.
Ethan smiled. “If you move, this conversation ends now.”
Kat moaned softly, but did not wake. Ignoring the Rakasa for the moment, he went over and bent down, brushing the hair from her face.
“It’s odd you didn’t sense the effects of the ward were wearing off,” said Ethan, twisting to face the Rakasa again. “You were once an elf before you were corrupted, and as far as I know, you still have a connection to magic. Dark and vile…but a connection. You should have been able to feel my power returning.”
Strangely, the creature’s anger had now faded, replaced by mild amusement. “Very good,” she said. “I was told you had gained much knowledge about the elves – that you had even been gifted with powers that all other mages have sought for centuries. But I wasn’t sure until now.”
She took a step forward, passing through the ring of red lights completely unharmed. “My master thought you might come here rather than face him.” Reaching into her robes, she produced a small blue stone.
The sight of it brought a grim smile to Ethan’s face. “You think that stone will protect you?”
“Not indefinitely, no. But long enough.”
Even as the final word was still leaving her mouth, the Rakasa charged. Ethan dove left, but such was the blinding speed of the attack, the blade still managed to inflict a deep cut to his arm. He reached for his weapon while at the same time casting a surge of energy behind him. It slowed the creature just long enough, giving him time to roll to his feet, sword now in hand. Only one thought pervaded. He would need to cast a truly powerful spell to shatter the protection the stone was providing. But it would be far from easy while in the midst of physical combat.
After parrying two blistering strikes, Ethan knew there was no more time for delay. The speed and strength of the Rakasa was simply too great. Still heavily on the defensive, he called forth a stream of green smoke that quickly wrapped itself around his opponent’s legs. A mere holding spell, but enough to allow him to step away and out of range of another strike. Realizing her danger, the Rakasa strained violently against the smoke.
“Yulari Mons!”
At the shouted command, a five-foot-long iron spike shot up from the floor directly below the Rakasa, skewering her almost dead center. It was a devastating strike, yet even in the throes of agony she did not cry out. Her eyes remained determinedly fixed on Ethan. In a final act of hostility, she attempted to hurl her sword at him. As it was, the spike had made almost any movement impossible, and the blade crashed harmlessly to the floor.
There was a certain amount of satisfaction in watching the creature suffer as Ethan then consumed her in a magical inferno, leaving naught behind but a pile of ashes. The foul stench of death filled the chamber. He quickly cast a mild spell to clean the air. But even then it lingered on.
“Ethan?”
Kat was coming around.
He rushed to her side and cradled her in his arms. “I’m here.”
“What happened?” Her voice was cracked and her eyes were barely open.
“I’ll explain later. Right now, I need to get you somewhere safe.”
She managed a weak smile. “I’m with you. That’s safe enough.”
He leaned down and kissed her brow. Her scent and the taste of her skin on his lips were exactly as he recalled. Fresh doubts formed. Could it be possible that this wasn’t an illusion? Maybe he had already been cast from the heart of Lumnia. If he’d genuinely lost his memory, he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. And so far, there had been nothing to suggest that this was anything other than what it appeared.
“I need to ask you to do something for me,” Kat said, breaking into this thought. “But I want you to promise before I do.”
He cocked his head. “Promise what?”
“Just promise.”
“Okay. I promise.”
She reached up and touched him tenderly on the cheek. “Take me back to Earth.”
He regarded her incredulously. “Earth?”
“I can see that look in your eyes. That’s why I made you promise.”
“But what about everyone else? You want us to just abandon them?”
Kat sat up and locked eyes with him. “There is no one left. There’s nothing left at all. Why shouldn’t we leave?”
“What about Keira? And David and Val? We don’t know if they’re dead or alive. You want to just leave them here?”
“Keira would never leave Lumnia anyway,” she shot back quickly. “And David and Val are probably dead. There’s nothing left to fight for. Please. Can’t we just get away and be together?”
Ethan closed his eyes for a second. In truth, it had occurred to him on several occasions to do exactly as Kat was asking. But how could he abandon his friends? “What if we try and find David and Val first?” he suggested. “They might still be alive. I wouldn’t feel right just leaving them behind. I was the one who brought them here, remember?”
Kat pushed him away and rose to her feet. “If you love me, you’ll do this. I’m tired of fighting. Tired of watching people die.”
Ethan stood up beside her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I am too. But I can’t just leave them here. You have to understand.”
Kat scowled. “I understand that you care more about them than you do me.”
“That’s not true and you know it.”
“Do I?”
A small movement in the corner of his eye caught Ethan’s attention, but it was gone the moment he turned to look. Puzzled, he focused on Kat. She was staring at him with a combination of anger and desperation. He wanted to give in. But…
A thought occurred. “Markus told me I couldn’t open a portal,” he said.
She huffed. “What does he know? I bet if you were to ask him, he’d come with us.”
“Markus is dead,” he told her. “And so is Lylinora.”
A look of shock formed on Kat’s face. “I…I’m sorry.”
She was silent for a long moment. Then determination returned to her expression and the words came with a rush. “In that case, there really is nothing holding us here. I hate to leave David and Val, but I’m not about to throw our lives away. Not when we could be safe…and together. Don’t you want that too?”
“Of course I do. More than anything.”
Ethan could feel his will crumbling. He was on the very point of giving in to Kat’s wishes when another movement caught his attention. This time when he looked, he saw what it was...a tiny white dragon. It was staring at him from near the doorway, hissing and growling.
“What are you looking at?” demanded Kat.
Ethan ignored her. It was as if this tiny creature was trying to tell him something. It let out a wailing cry that sent waves of emotion stabbing into Ethan’s heart. In a rush, he could see everything clearly. “This isn’t real.”
“What?” Kat grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. “Of course this is real? Have you lost your mind?”
He took her by the wrists and shoved her back. “No. You’re not real. The real Kat would never abandon the people she loves. And she sure as hell wouldn’t ask me to do it either. You’re just an illusion. All of this…”
“Ethan.” Her voice had become soothing. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you. But I promise you, all of this is real. The only thing I want is for us to be safe. Nothing more.”
“What you want is to trick me,” he countered. “And it’s not going to work.”
For a long moment, Kat simply gazed at him. He could see noth
ing but love and pleading in her eyes. Finally, with an exasperated sigh, she spread her arms. “Okay. If I’m nothing more than an illusion…kill me.”
A knot twisted viciously in the pit of Ethan’s stomach. This was it. This was the test. Could he trust his senses enough to risk so much? She looked real, smelled real, and sounded real. But she had not seen the dragon. And the dragon was the key. It was warning him not to be deceived.
“What are you waiting for?” challenged Kat.
Ethan closed his eyes and cleared his thoughts. At first, all he could hear was the repeated sounds of Kat’s voice. Then, slowly, that faded away until only the beating of his heart disturbed the silence in his mind. He could feel a presence. No, it was more than that. It was a powerful strength of will, reaching across the void to urge him on. Lumnia…and something…or someone else, was showing him the way.
A smile grew as he opened his eyes. Kat was still glaring at him, daring him to kill her.
He extended his arms. “Ozaria Bur!”
Kat’s defiance instantly fell away and her eyes shot wide as a cloak of green light fell upon her. “Please, Ethan! Don’t do this!” she cried out.
It made no difference; her words meant nothing to him now. He snapped his fingers, causing the light to collapse inwards. Kat became frozen in place, her mouth still wide open in the middle of a pleading cry. Starting at the tip of her head, sand began pouring to the floor as her flesh disintegrated, ultimately disappearing completely. It was a painless death. Not that it mattered. An illusion feels no pain.
“Very well done,” a voice said.
The walls began to ripple and distort.
Ethan shrugged. “I told you before. You won’t beat me.”
“Overconfidence is not an admirable trait. It could be your undoing.”
The chamber faded, and he found himself standing in pitch darkness. He still had the sensation of ground beneath his feet, but there was nothingness surrounding him on all sides.
“What is it you want?” Ethan demanded.
“I was going to ask you the same question. Surely you can see the futility of this?”
“What I can see is that you are afraid. Your time is almost up, and you know it.”
“Believe that for now if you wish. But let me show you what I do know. Perhaps then you will finally understand.”
Ethan sniffed. “I already understand. I’m not interested in seeing more of your lies.”
The voice took on a far more ominous tone. “You should be. Because this really will be your final chance to save yourself…and all the ones you love.”
Chapter Sixteen
For a place so crowded, the tavern was oddly subdued. The musician in the corner, though playing only softly on his lute, could easily be heard over the combined voices of the patrons. As for the serving girls, they moved silently from table to table with joyless eyes and rigid postures.
Markus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He felt exposed and vulnerable here, and for good reason. He was clearly an outsider, and being so deep within Kytain meant that should he be discovered by the enemy, his chances of escape would rate somewhere between very difficult and impossible. There were Urazi agents close by, but they would be of little use to him. Most were simply sources of information, totally unaware of the help they provided. Only two were actual members of the order, and to risk exposing them would not be a choice he would want to make.
A few soldiers, usually low-level officers, frequented this establishment. Judging from the snippets of conversation Markus had overheard, he considered most of them not too bright. They talked primarily about the war and how fortunate they felt not to have been sent west with the army. Apparently, most of the garrisons were now all but empty of anyone able to fight. Only a small contingent of men had been left behind in each one to look after things. That might be so, but despite their lack of numbers, Markus could not help but notice how the people still lived in fear of them. The result of generations of oppression, he supposed. It made him wonder what they would do after Shinzan was gone. Would their spirits recover? Or would they remain like cowed animals, born in a cage and afraid to leave even when the door was flung wide and freedom awaited?
The hour was growing late, causing Markus to fear that this entire journey had been for nothing. Though the message that had brought him here was vague, what it suggested was far too enticing to ignore. Estella had agreed wholeheartedly that it should be investigated, but protested when he said he would go himself. She had wanted to send three of their best people. Markus had remained stubborn, though, consistently refusing to hand something of such extreme importance over to anyone else. The only thing that had almost stopped him was the fact that he had lied to Lylinora. Had she known the truth, she would have never allowed him to come this close to the thin border separating Kytain from the wastes. From where he was now, a traveler need only continue for a few more days and they would find themselves within sight of the Imperial palace itself.
The tavern door swung open, allowing a pair of men to stumble drunkenly inside. Just behind them came a third man wearing a pendant on his chest displaying the Imperial crest. He halted a pace inside the doorway to survey the room. Markus tensed, ready to take flight. However, upon spotting him, the man simply strode over and took a seat at the table.
They sat in silence until the barmaid brought over a mug of ale for the newcomer. She did not receive any payment. Soldiers and officials never paid. To ask could get you a beating…or far worse.
The man stared down at his drink for several seconds before speaking. “I’m glad you’ve come. I was afraid you wouldn’t.”
“Are you the person who sent the message?” asked Markus.
“I ensured that it was passed to the Urazi. But it was my uncle who sent it.”
“And who is your uncle?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
Markus scrutinized the man. He was obviously very nervous. “So tell me who you are.”
He hesitated for a time. “You can call me Guri. And before you ask, that’s not my real name.”
Markus frowned. “If I am to act on the information you sent, I must know who I’m dealing with. What you are suggesting is dangerous.” This was a massive understatement. In truth, it was far more like a suicide mission.
“All I can tell you is that he is close to the Emperor.”
“How close?”
“Close enough.”
“That doesn’t help much.”
Markus leaned back and stared into Guri’s eyes. The man wasn’t lying. That much was obvious. And if his uncle genuinely could achieve what he claimed, all that mattered on his own part was waiting for the right moment to strike. He had gone over everything in detail with Estella. She had been the one who had suggested a way to do it, and had even provided what he would need from the vaults. Only one question remained: Even if he could get close enough, would he have the time? If Shinzan saw it coming, it would be over for him in an instant. But if it worked…
Guri spoke, breaking into these thoughts. “I’m taking a huge risk by talking to you,” he said. “So either trust me or don’t. Either way, once this conversation is over, you are on your own. And you can tell my uncle the same thing.”
“If you are so afraid, why help him at all?”
“Because I owe him my life. But as far as I’m concerned, the debt is paid.”
“You haven’t told me yet how I’m to get there,” Markus pointed out.
From his pocket Guri produced a scrap of paper, which he pushed across the table. “Everything you need to know is written here. But you must leave tonight. If you don’t, you’ll be caught for sure.”
Markus read the paper and instantly his heart sank. “Are you insane? This will never work.”
“Unless you can think of something else, it’s the only way,” Guri insisted. He pushed back his chair. “I wish you luck, I really do.”
Without another word, he rose and hurried away, his drink
left untouched.
Markus made no attempt to stop him. Even if he’d wanted to, bringing any kind of attention to himself was the last thing he could risk right now. Instead, he reread the instructions, at the same time fingering a small pendant tucked beneath his shirt.
“If this doesn’t kill me, then Lylinora surely will,” he muttered almost silently.
At this moment, he was severely tempted to walk away and forget the whole thing, even though in his heart he knew he couldn’t. A chance like this would never come again. Not only had he been presented with the opportunity of possibly saving Ethan’s life, but also the lives of everyone in Lumnia.
He finished his ale and exited the tavern. After pausing briefly to retrieve a few things from the inn where he’d been staying, he made his way north through the empty streets until arriving at a large storage building on the outskirts of town. Four loaded wagons were waiting at the front, all filled with provisions and various other goods destined for the city of Noel. The drivers were lazing alongside the lead wagon waiting for the quartermaster to finish checking his list.
Ducking around a near corner, Markus crept along a narrow alley leading to the back entrance. Just as the instructions had indicated, only a single sentry was guarding the door. He drew his dagger. From where he was standing, the soldier’s back was facing him. Perfect! Swift and deadly as ever, he spanned the distance between them in a flash and thrust the blade into the man’s neck, simultaneously covering his mouth to stifle any cry of alarm. After gently easing open the door, he carried the body a few feet inside and placed it beside a stack a crates.
He could hear the loud mutterings of the quartermaster at the far end of the building as he checked off his list. Motionless and silent as a statue, Markus stayed with the sentry’s body until he heard the man go outside through the front door. Now was his opportunity to get into a better position. Threading his way through numerous stacks of boxes, he found a dark corner behind some sacks near the main loading bay. An oil lamp atop a rickety wooden desk a few yards away was the only illumination. A gloomy place to work, Markus found himself thinking.
Dragonvein Book Five Page 22
