She stood and brushed herself off. She pulled her hair back and let it flow down her back. Without the cloak obscuring her, Will noticed for the first time that she wore a tight-fitting steel-plated leather brigandine.
Red no longer looked the helpless girl, but a warrior.
“Close your mouth, you’re going to catch a fly,” she said.
“Why were you wearing that cloak anyway?” Will asked.
“This draws too much unwanted attention,” she said, placing her finger beneath his chin and lifting it up.
“Point taken,” he said.
They took in their surroundings. He couldn’t see the hawk anywhere. He didn’t remember where it went and it wasn’t there anymore. But obscured by the trees to the left stood a massive stone structure.
“Is that—?” Will asked.
“Anima Sanctum. It has to be,” Red said. Then, as if more to herself, she added, “I’ve found it.”
Will coughed. “We found it.”
“Yeah, whatever, you helped,” she said, giving him a careless wave. “But if it weren’t for me, you’d have died in the wood. Or would have died of dehydration. Or would have been eaten by a soulfiend. Or—”
“Okay, okay. Fine,” he said. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, dipping her head in appreciation.
“Shall we?” Will said, indicating for her to lead the way.
The trees fell away and the temple’s grandeur revealed itself. Stone arches the color of gold jutted high into the sky. The two at the front were nearly as tall as the trees in the wood. Six arches behind them grew smaller the farther they went, terminating at about half the size of the first. Two more sat a short distance away, a large stone wall connecting the two structures.
Between the arches, more stone connected the two sides of the arch, making a pattern that appeared like vines or branches. At the front of the temple, four more arches, though significantly smaller, created a pathway leading to the temple entrance. A set of stairs led up to a large open archway leading into the temple itself.
At the top of the stairs stood two pillars in the corners of the temple, each at least a story tall. Above the door, each of the symbols of the gods was carved into its own stone.
They ascended the stairs with a mixture of caution and excitement. For the first time in over a week, Will’s heart began to race, not with fear, but anticipation. He didn’t know what treasures they might find, if any at all, but the mystery of it was more than he could bear.
“What do you expect to find here?” Will asked.
“I don’t know. Instructions. Clues. That sort of thing,” Red said, shrugging. “I doubt any stones themselves reside here. That would be too easy.”
Walking through the entrance, they entered a long, dark corridor with high ceilings. Row upon row of stone pillars lined the hallway. Many were cracked or crumbling with age. It gave Will a sense of uneasiness. He didn’t like tight spaces, at least not ones that could collapse on him at any moment.
A light shone from the end of the corridor. As they drew closer, Will discovered it was another archway. This one led into a courtyard. Stone walls lined the perimeter, making the door they came through and a similar one on the other side the only entrances.
Pillars of varying heights dotted the courtyard, each covered with lush green vines and overgrowth. At its center stood an altar, rather devoid of vegetation.
Will descended a set of stairs. Caution was beginning to win out as the silence became eerie. Though he could see the forest outside, the noises he expected, the ones that often dropped into the background, were gone.
He approached the altar, hesitation in his step. It seemed unremarkable. A stone slab held up by another stone. Some sort of inscription was etched on the side. Will knelt down beside it. It read:
One gave to twelve
Then twelve became ten
Their power they sealed
To prevent it again
The stones were hid
That no one may find
That which destroys
And alters the mind
One tears asunder
Another to plunder
One that conceals
Another reveals
One gives and takes
One sees afar
One alters shapes
One heals all scars
If ever they meet
The end will be
Of all time
And eternity
“Hey, Red,” Will called out, waving her over. “Check this out.”
“ ‘One gave to twelve, then twelve became ten…’ ” she said to herself. “This is the story of the gods.” She kept reading in silence. When she finished she said, “This seems to be some sort of code as to the nature of each of the stones. Look at this one: ‘One tears asunder.’ What do you think that means?”
Will swallowed, his heart pounding. Did she know that he could tear souls apart? Or was it chance she chose that line?
“I haven’t a clue,” Will said. “ ‘If ever they meet, the end will be, of all time and eternity.’ Sounds pretty ominous. Don’t you think?”
“I’d rather not find out,” she admitted.
“Which one do you suppose the king’s got? I bet it’s ‘That which destroys.’ ”
She didn’t answer.
Leaving her to examine the altar, Will checked out the rest of the courtyard. No more inscriptions. Not even a mark on any of the walls or pillars beside normal decay.
What good did this do him? A cryptic inscription teaching a history lesson and not a hint of anything else. Will needed instructions. Something, anything, that could help him make sense of everything. Specifically with regards to the king’s power blocking his access to Lotess. So far this had been a waste of time.
“Did you figure anything else out?” he asked.
“Not really,” she said, standing. “There are ten lines that describe powers, one for each power. Beyond that, it doesn’t reveal much. You?”
“Nothing,” he said with a sigh. “There’s nothing here.”
“There’s got to be something,” she said. “I mean, there’s a reason the temple was struck from modern maps. Otherwise, who cares if someone comes here?”
“You’ve got a point. Let’s keep looking. Up here,” Will said as he ascended the second set of stairs opposite where they came in.
They passed under the archway and entered another structure. Inside was an open chamber. Along the walls stood twelve enormous statues, reaching from floor to ceiling, four on each wall. It was some kind of worship hall. Not unlike the one in Shadowhold, but more rudimentary yet on a larger scale.
“Magnificent, is it not?” said an unknown voice.
Will spun around, drawing his weapon in the process. The man stood over six feet tall. Dirty blond hair fell loose over a leather pauldron dyed green. He held his hands behind him, pushing his cloak back and exposing his own blade at his side. The stranger made no move to arm himself. Amusement splayed on his sharp, angular face, which drew attention to his bright green eyes.
Those eyes…
“Put your weapons away. I mean you no harm,” he said, holding out his hands in a nonthreatening manner.
“Who are you?” Will asked.
“Perhaps it is I who should ask you the very same,” the stranger said. “You are, after all, in my house.”
Will opened his mouth to answer, but the man waved and shook his head.
“No need. I already know who you are.”
Red took a step forward and gripped her sword all the tighter. “Who are you?” Red repeated.
“No doubt you have many questions. In due time. My name is not important. I am the protector of this temple.”
Not much worth protecting, Will thought.
He continued, “It may not look like much, but I’m sure by now you have guessed there is greater significance to this place than meets the eye.”
“What do you want
?” Will asked.
“It is not what I want, but what you want,” he said, pointing at them. “One of you seeks the stones. The other already possesses one’s power.”
Red gasped beside him. Will looked at her and she flashed a glare in his direction.
“What are you, some kind of seer?” Red asked.
“Not I, but I speak on her behalf,” the man said. “If you wish to fulfill the desires of your heart, she will help you.”
“But?” Will said, expecting a catch.
“No buts,” the man said, shaking his head. “You came for training, and it will commence immediately.”
“Why would you help us?” Red asked. “You don’t even know us.”
The man smiled. “You see, that is where you are wrong. I know a great deal about you. Milady offers her assistance. Are you willing to take it?”
He turned around and walked toward the arch that led back into the courtyard. As he spun, his hair slid behind his back, revealing tall ears that came to a point.
An elf!
Red turned on Will in anger and whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me you had a soul stone.”
“I don’t have a soul stone,” Will retorted.
Red’s eyes narrowed. “But he just said—”
“If you wish to begin,” the elf called back, “you would do well to follow me.”
Red huffed, the look in her eye telling Will their conversation was not over. He sheathed his dagger and entered the courtyard, Red following after him.
“What are we going to do?” Will asked as they caught up with the elf.
“Patience,” the elf said, continuing to walk again.
“Where are we going?” Red asked.
“You will see,” he said.
Red jumped in front of the elf and pointed her sword at his throat.
He didn’t even flinch.
“Enough with the cryptic answers,” she said. “How do we know you’re telling the truth?”
Without missing a beat, the elf said, “Your mother died when you were young and you were raised by your uncle.”
She gritted her teeth and said, “That just proves you’ve been following us. How—”
“Your father is worried about you,” he added.
“My father can stuff it,” she replied.
But her sword lowered and her bluster deflated.
Her father? She said he was dead.
After a brief pause she started to say, “How do you—?” but glanced at Will and let the sentence drop. “What about him?” She jerked her head at Will.
“What about him?” the elf asked.
“Aren’t you going to prove yourself to him?” Red asked, tapping her foot.
“I already have,” he said.
She looked at Will with a quizzical expression. He shrugged.
“Fine,” she said, sheathing her sword. “Let’s go.”
She moved aside and allowed the elf to pass. He led them back through the courtyard and out of the temple. They followed him through the forest, though Will didn’t know where they were going.
“You’re an elf,” Will said, making conversation.
The elf didn’t speak. As if that should have been obvious.
“I’ve never met an elf,” Will explained.
“My kin have long since been shunned by your world,” the elf said. “We do not often venture beyond our borders.”
“Then why are you helping us?” Red asked again.
“It is best if I let milady answer your questions,” he answered.
“Where is she?”
“She will speak with you when you have completed your first task,” the elf said.
“What exactly is our task?” Will asked.
The elf lifted his hand. Will’s eyes followed the direction in which he pointed. A lake stretched before them all the way to the mountains.
“This lake is formed by a natural dam in the Gaelin River.”
Will furrowed his brow. He’d never heard of that river.
The elf, noting his confusion said, “I believe your people call it the Estes River. The river flows through our two lands. Think of this dam as its connector.”
They emerged from the trees, giving Will an unobstructed view. The Frostpeaks towered over the lake, reflecting off the waters.
The elf pointed again, but Will couldn’t tell at what.
“The lake spills into an underground waterfall. Behind this waterfall is a cave,” the elf said as if he’d been there before. “The cave contains one of the ten remaining soul stones. I want you to retrieve the stone.”
“Why not go get it yourself?” Red said from behind him.
He turned to address her. “Oh, the stone is not for us, but for you. Obtaining it is no small task. Succeed, and we’ll continue with your training. Fail, and… well, may your soul find rest.”
“And then what?” Red asked.
“Milady will explain everything to you herself when you return victorious,” he said. “But be aware, there are many defenses in place to protect the stone.”
“Of course there are,” said Red.
“Those who created the stones did not want them to be found,” the elf said.
“Why is this one so close to the temple, then?” Will asked.
“Is there any better place to hide something than where one would least expect to find it?” the elf said, smiling.
“How will we know where it is once we’re inside?” he asked.
“Merva will show you the way,” the elf said. “Enough questions. The quicker you find the stone, the sooner you will have your answers.”
19
Shaw and the others continued through the forest. Something or someone was preventing them from finding their quarry. Shaw couldn’t prove it, but he knew it to be true.
Ever since Drygo had given Shaw a piece of himself, Shaw had been able to feel Will. There was a tug pulling them together. But then that tug disappeared the moment they entered the Wandering Wood.
Something about this place was unsettling. Whether it was the eerie glow or the unnatural feeling of it all Shaw couldn’t tell.
“We’re walking in circles,” Tomas said. “And you’ve lost them… again.”
“Got any better ideas?” Shaw asked.
“If you would have let us kill him, he’d be dead already,” Tomas replied.
“Nobody kills the boy!” Shaw roared.
“No, instead, you’ll kill all of us,” said a guard. It was a man Shaw didn’t know personally. He had joined them after Shaw replenished their supplies in Tikani.
Shaw could feel Drygo’s frustration growing. His body went numb as the king once again took control of it. Shaw hated this more than anything else. He felt like a prisoner. Worse than a prisoner. At least a prisoner had the use of all of his senses.
Drygo, using Shaw’s body, grabbed the naysayer by the throat. The colors of the world melted away before Shaw, leaving a dark, black and white world, save for the souls around him and a long, thin tether stretching from Shaw off into the unknown.
Shaw watched as another tether formed, reaching out and grabbing hold of the guard. Power began to flow from Shaw into the guard, his soul glowing brighter and growing within the man’s body.
The guard desperately clawed at his throat, the others watching in horror.
“You will obey your king,” Shaw’s voice said in a growl. He had not said those words. Drygo had. If Shaw had control enough to blink, he would have. He felt his energy waning. What the king did taxed him greatly.
The guard’s soul continued to grow brighter and bigger, as if pushing at the seams of the man’s body. He howled in pain. Then, in one large burst, the man’s soul exploded, sending a shock wave of brilliant white light through the forest. The guard slumped to the ground, dead.
Another tether blinked into view and Shaw felt the return of the familiar tug leading him to Will. The king had somehow nullified the odd magic of the forest that interfered with their co
nnection.
Drygo slipped out of Shaw’s mind and his body became his once again. Exhaustion washed over him and he collapsed on the ground.
As soon as the elf was gone, Priscilla turned on Will again. He decided to call her Priscilla while she was mad at him.
“When were you going to tell me?” she said, her hands on her hips.
“Tell you what?” Will asked, feigning ignorance and walking around her.
“Come back here when I’m talking to you,” she said loudly.
Will turned. “Or you’ll do what? Kill me? Go ahead and try,” he said, narrowing his eyes, daring her to do it.
She stared at him blankly. Will could see her brain processing his words. She blinked and opened her eyes wide.
“It was you,” Priscilla said in an accusatory voice. “The one the king executed. You gained some sort of power from the soul stone. What? You can steal people’s bodies?”
“Something like that,” he said and rolled his eyes.
“So the other day, when we were talking. You really did see me at the execution. You lied to me,” she said, shoving her finger into Will’s chest. “You said you only heard about it. But you were the one being executed.”
“I lied? What about you?” Will said, shoving his own finger at her. “You said your father was dead.”
“I never said anything of the sort.”
“Yes,” Will said, “you did.”
“This isn’t about my father,” she said, deflecting the issue. “You have a soul stone, for Merva’s sake.”
“No, I don’t,” Will said, shaking his head. “Drygo still has it.”
“Semantics,” Priscilla scoffed. “You have magic and you hid it from me.”
“I don’t even know you!” he yelled. “I just met you less than a week ago. And what else have you lied to me about? Is your mother really dead? Are you really an only child? Dahlshwood probably isn’t even a real place.”
Will spun and stomped off. She didn’t immediately follow.
“Okay. Okay,” she said, jogging to catch up. “We both lied to each other. Let’s put it behind us and get this stone.”
“Deal,” he said.
Will didn’t know what to believe. He didn’t know how to feel about it.
Soul Render (Soul Stones Book 1) Page 17
