by M. L. Greye
Olinia didn’t have to look to know that her brother was coming towards her. Will didn’t turn his head either. Instead, he kept his eyes focused on Olinia. She smiled and called out, “Hi, Zedge.”
He pulled up beside her, wrapping one arm across her shoulders. “You have no idea at how good it is to see you walking and talking again.” He grinned. “I’ve missed you, Nia.”
Nia was the nickname Zedgry used every once in a great while, usually when he was trying to hide how serious he actually was. Olinia glanced up at him, her eyes teasing. “Right.”
He blinked, as if hurt. “You don’t believe me?”
“Oh, I believe you. But I’ve also seen how you react towards that Eveon beauty.” She laughed at her brother’s stunned face. “Obviously, you’ve found someone else to keep you busy.”
“Arynn doesn’t keep my attention,” Zedgry objected, as his cheeks grew red.
Olinia laughed again. “Your face says otherwise, dear little brother.”
“Little, ha!” Zedgry let go of her. “I don’t think you’ve been taller than me a day in your life.”
Will frowned. The playful banter was all too close to the memory of his sister, Ariel. It was what she would do to get him to smile. Will began to feel his suppressed emotions surfacing.
“You alright, Will?” Olinia’s voice brought him back.
He focused his eyes. “I’m fine.”
“Your eyes have gone stormy.”
He shrugged that off. “Want to go back to the house?”
“Why is it called a house when it’s more like a small castle?” Olinia asked as they began towards the doors of the Courts.
“Eveon castles are huge and unbelievable.” Zedgry answered. “The Crystal Castle is Eveon – it’s where King Yrond’s Council meets. Once while you were asleep, Arynn and I rode to it. The entire thing’s made out of dark crystal, but it looks more like shimmering stone than glass. I don’t know how the Eves did it.”
A few moments later, as they entered the Willow Grove, Olinia turned to her brother, “Does Sadree or Denon know what happened to me?”
Zedgry let out a short laugh and exchanged looks with Will. “That was a lovely and lengthy ordeal.”
“Sadree and Denon know what happened,” Will told her. “They got here the day after we did.”
“What’d they say to you?”
Zedgry grunted. “What didn’t they say?”
Olinia blinked. “What?”
“After we arrived, Fuladrik somehow sent word to them that we were with him,” Zedgry explained. “The moment they laid eyes on Will and me next to your bed, they attacked. But not Will, just me.” He groaned softly and shook his head. “We, you and I, were ignorant and impulsive for having gone out so soon after the rain. We were irresponsible and completely at fault for your injury.” He grimaced. “Let’s just say I almost envied your unconsciousness.”
“Oh,” Olinia glanced at Will, “did they yell at you, too?”
He shook his head. “I’m Ethon. How was I to know about Beltoks?”
“They brought up that point too,” Zedgry added. “We put a complete stranger to the Other Worlds in harm’s way.”
“Where are they now?” Olinia asked, realizing she hadn’t seen them during the five hours she’d been awake.
“They’re home in Grennich, about three hours from here,” Zedgry answered. “It’s a lovely village. I actually prefer it to Willowvale. It overlooks both the Crellin and Dantean Seas.”
“Both?” Olinia blinked.
“Yes, there’s a very small strip of land between the two, about a mile wide, with a gravel road over it. The Eves call it Water’s Pathway.”
“Have you seen Grennich too?” Olinia turned to Will.
“No, I chose to stay here.”
“How long were you there?” Olinia asked her twin.
“For about a month.”
“A month?”
“What else did I have to do? You were asleep, and it got rather dull waiting around for you to wake up.”
They were to the crystal fountain now. Olinia glanced up, admiring its beauty once more. “Do they know that I’m awake yet?”
“I’m sure Fuladrik’s told them,” Zedgry replied. “But I don’t think they’ll hurry over. We’re under Fuladrik’s care now. Plus,” he paused, exchanging another quick glance with Will, “we’re going to be leaving here soon anyway.”
“To where?” Olinia blinked.
“To get the legendary Tallet, or to at least see if it exists.”
“Tallet?”
“It supposedly contains the names and places of each current Silver Heart.” Zedgry rolled his eyes. “It seems about as real to me as the Legends, but as Sadree pointed out, it’s worth a try. That Tallet could save us a lot of time.”
Olinia was nodding, her eyes on Will’s stone-like face. He was able to hide his emotions too well; his face was so unreadable. “Are you going to come with us?”
He looked up, seeming surprised by her question. “I’ve stayed this long, princess. Why would I leave now?”
She ducked her head slightly. “Just wondering.”
His eyebrows drew together as he came to a standstill. Olinia turned, stopping as well. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not going anywhere, Olinia,” Will told her. “Your brother has already sold me on your cause. I’m staying as long as you need me.” He paused as a crooked smile turned a corner of his mouth upward, reaching his eyes in a way that suddenly gave Olinia the feeling she was being teased. “So, stop worrying about me deserting you.”
She blinked, completely taken aback by his teasing, but then felt herself smile. “Good, because I was afraid I’d have to face Dagon all alone.”
“Aw, the classic damsel in distress,” Will returned, still smiling.
Zedgry snorted. “Except this one can pause time and slit your throat before you realize what she’s doing.”
“So, I fight dirty.” Olinia shrugged.
“Can you really pause time?” Will blinked.
“When I choose to.” She smiled sheepishly.
“Remind me to have you show me sometime.”
Olinia grinned. “Deal.”
* * * * * *
Tiara’s head ached from the high-pitched, ear-wrenching sound. It traveled through her ears, echoed inside her brain, and shot out into her limbs, causing her entire body to shake. Somehow the Kendren devices always managed to give a new meaning to the word pain.
The Screams was an appropriate name for the mechanism that created the blare she was experiencing. It was designed like a large wooden whistle with a long, thin steel pipe twisting out of it. To generate a noise that could be heard over a space of three miles, the device was nearly ten feet tall. The Screams never bothered horses, or any other animal for that matter. Just humans. It was created to pierce their ears alone. It did its job well. To make the racket continuous, more than one soldier and pipe was required. A tube was placed out of the main line that had five or six openings at the opposite end. It was enough for the soldiers to switch off, keeping the Screams from ever taking a break.
What made the Screams so unique though, was its ability to strip away an individual’s thoughts. The pain and confusion it created were meant to drive out any desire to think, leaving the victim’s head empty so that the Kendrens could fill it with false loyalties. Kendrens wished for nothing more than to have everyone be Kendrens.
But Tiara could still think. True, a large portion of her brain was being consumed by the searing hot pain coursing through her, but there was still some thinking going on.
Tiara crawled her way to her mother’s vanity. It was only a few steps away, yet it took over two minutes for her to get there. The Screams made her muscles tight and unwilling to cooperate. Once there, she had to grip its edges in order to pull herself up enough to reach the small, white handkerchief sitting on top. She ripped it in half, her fingers trembling, and rolled the two pieces into balls. When finished, she jamme
d the pieces into her ears. She was instantly greeted with relief. All Tiara could now hear of the Screams was a slight, continuous ringing, nothing in comparison to before. Tiara dropped into the chair with a sigh.
She knew she couldn’t stay in her house any longer, though. The Kendrens would soon find a way inside. They had somehow discovered that Avlin Delqueda once lived there, which meant they were going to search the house for anything having to do with Time. They wouldn’t find anything though. Her mother had destroyed all of her things, except her Time ring.
A hand landed on her shoulder. Tiara whirled to find a man. He was tall, dark-haired, clean-shaven, and unbelievably handsome. His skin had an olive tint to it, tan and even. But his eyes were what captivated her – one blue-green and the other violet. She stared up at him. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had the feeling that his violet eye was significant. But she didn’t try to remember why. Her eyes dropped to the dark green uniform. A Kendren. Tiara’s eyes narrowed as his watched her, almost amusedly. Beneath the green tunic was thick chainmail. There was no use stabbing him.
In his ears, Tiara noticed cloth pieces like the ones she had stuffed into hers. Tiara ran her tongue along the back of her teeth. She had to find her way around the soldier. Unfortunately, he looked to be about twenty-five. Why couldn’t they have sent her an old, decrepit Kendren? An old one wouldn’t stare at her as if he were staring into her…or through her.
The ringing suddenly stopped. Tiara blinked, but the Kendren didn’t seem surprised. He pulled out the cloth from his ears. Tiara guessed it was safe for her to do the same.
“Is this the home of Avlin Delqueda?” He asked in Arthelian.
A cold chill swept down her spine at the mention of her mother. “Avlin Delqueda does not live here anymore. This is the home of the Anteals,” she replied evenly in Arthelian, disregarding his surprise at her tone. At seventeen, she was an adult, his equal. She didn’t fear him.
“What’s your name?” His voice was deep and husky. Tiara recognized the Tlaidian lilt in it. She frowned. If he was from Tlaid, then he was a deep-rooted Kendren. Tlaid was the Kendrens’ capital world.
“My name means nothing to you,” Tiara retorted, not caring that the man could kill her for her sass. The reality of her mother’s death was finally setting in, and she was finding it hard to keep her emotions from overwhelming her.
“Archrin, you in here?” Another voice called up to them, also in Arthelian.
“Aye,” Tiara’s Kendren shouted back without turning.
“The city is ours. The leaders have surrendered.” The Kendren entered the room and stopped mid-step. A smile broke across his smooth face. “Who’s this pretty thing? One of the villagers, eh?”
“Aye,” Archrin nodded once. “Can’t get her to tell me her name though.”
The soldier moved past Archrin and extended his hand to her. At that moment, if Tiara could have had her way, she would have strangled him. The Kendrens had just killed her mother! How could they possibly be civil?
Tiara fought frantically to hold back her tears. She had to escape them first. Then she could cry. The only way to free herself from them was to trick them at their own game. Kendren soldiers were known for their mastery of women. It was rumored that Kendrens had at least one girl in every world they overtook. The idea of her pretending to be one of those traitorous women made Tiara’s stomach churn, but it could bring her freedom. All she would need to do was watch for the opportune moment.
“What’s your name, miss?” The other Kendren asked kindly.
Tiara forced her mouth open. “I’m Tiara.”
“Anteal?” Archrin asked.
She nodded, already hating herself for giving her real name. She should have given them an alias. She glanced at the soldier, removing her eyes from Archrin. “What do you want?” She doubted they were standing in her house for fun.
“Our Commander needs your home for the headquarters in Graymark.” That made sense. Tiara’s house was idyllically located in the outskirts, near the highway to Hadeshorn. But Tiara needed to play the part of the innocent idiot. She widened her eyes and let her bottom lip stick out in a pout. The soldier, doing exactly what was expected of him, pulled her hand into his. He went down on one knee to put himself at her level. “Don’t worry, Miss Anteal. We will be responsible for finding you other living quarters.” The soldier was all honey and butter. “You should inform your other family members though.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Where are they?”
Tiara held back a grunt. He was now prying. “I have no living family.” She lied. “My mother died recently, leaving me this house, and my father died when I was a little girl.”
“How long have you been living alone?” Archrin asked.
Her thoughts flickered to her neighbors. Would the Kendrens think to ask them about her? No. Tiara was unimportant in their eyes. The most they would ask her neighbors would be about Avlin Delqueda, and they knew nothing about her. They probably didn’t even know Tiara had lived with anyone at all. Her mother rarely left their property. Tiara glanced up at Archrin. He was waiting patiently for her answer.
“No one is going to hurt you,” the other soldier soothed, mistaking her hesitation for fear.
Tiara returned her gaze to his face. The other one was also attractive, but not in comparison to Archrin. She put on a withered look. “I’ve been alone for months now.”
“Well, you are no longer alone.” He smiled. “My name is Foehn Creed.”
She nodded, committing his features to memory. The wavy, light brown hair and pale blue eyes would be easy to remember. He would be her project – the way she would trick them all into believing she could be a Kendren.
“May I show you your new home?” Foehn asked. “You can send for your things later.”
Tiara blinked. They already had another house for her? She forced a smile and squeezed Foehn’s hand. “Thank you. I’d like that very much.” She made her voice sound small, helpless.
Foehn helped her to her feet, triumph evident in his eyes. “You are most welcome, Miss Anteal.”
As he led her out of her mother’s room, Tiara felt Archrin’s gaze on her back. She turned just in time to catch the look in his eyes. He didn’t believe her charade for an instant.
* * * * * *
The Tallet was a small, round tablet made from a unique type of stone. It was a deep blue color with flecks of gray and blue-green around its edges. Its center was almost black. No larger than a hand span, it was light of weight – hardly noticeable between one’s fingers. Olinia stared at the object as Lord Oldron held it out to her.
This was too easy. It had taken the three of them – Olinia, her twin, and Will – only a day’s ride to reach the sovereign of Relivaynt. Upon arrival, they had received immediate audience with Oldron. It was a convenience of being related to King Yrond – of being High Royalty. After a few minutes of explanation, Oldron himself led the way to his personal vault, which was where he kept the Tallet hidden.
Now, as Olinia had the Tallet within inches of her grasp, she was finding herself reluctant to take it. Shouldn’t this have been harder? She was waiting for the catch, expecting some grand quest she first needed to accomplish before receiving the Tallet. Zedgry must have been feeling the same; he made no move to take it either.
Oldron seemed to sense their thoughts. He smiled, his ageless eyes sparkling within the folds of his face. “This was never intended for me, your highness. You are High Royalty. By blood it is yours.”
Gingerly, Olinia slid her fingers around it. The Tallet’s surface was cool and smooth, despite the late summer heat that filled the room. Olinia twirled it in her hand, wondering which side was up. Olinia frowned, her eyes flicking up to Oldron’s face momentarily. “How do I read it?”
His forehead creased. “Only those of High Royalty can see inside. I see only an empty stone.”
“Then…” Olinia let her voice trail off, peering more intently on the stone’s center. Slowly
, silvery letters emerged out of the darkness, forming into wispy, almost ghostlike words, written in Eveon. “Oh!”
Zedgry caught her surprise. “What does it say?”
“There are just two names here.” She passed it to him before looking at Oldron. “Are there not eleven?” She remembered the Legends and her lessons from Sadree and Denon. There should have been eleven.
Oldron pursed his lips. “There were eleven.”
“Were?” Olinia repeated.
“The others must be dead, your highness,” Oldron answered.
“Dead? They’re supposed to pass on their Hearts before they die.”
“But if you are captured by a Nagreth or Kendren before you are able to find someone worthy, then your Silver Heart dies with you,” Oldron pointed out.
Olinia felt her mouth drop slightly. Here was the catch. The band of heroes she’d imagined suddenly disappeared, leaving her with only two. If there were so few left, would they even be worth searching for?
“Hey,” Zedgry touched her arm, “one doesn’t have a location.”
“Which one?” She asked.
“Enrid Vel.”
Oldron chuckled. “He is currently traveling from his world to mine. Enrid is a good friend. He will be here in a few days.”
A stroke of luck! Olinia smiled. “How long will he be with you?”
“A month or so.”
Olinia glanced over her shoulder to her twin. He grinned. She turned back to Oldron. “We’ll be back soon.”
* * * * * *
Sazx glared into the mug of ale his lips had never touched. It was a prop, meant to help him blend in with the other travelers. He didn’t drink. Alcohol dulled the senses, making it easy to ignore one’s surroundings. Sazx would not allow that to happen to him. He kept his focus.
A nearby table toppled over as one of the men tripped on his way out of his chair. His companions burst out into laughter, while the man fell to his knees, his glazed eyes unsure of what had just occurred. Sazx’s upper lip curled back in disgust. That was exactly what he tried to avoid at all costs. He didn’t believe in wasting his time.
