by Andi Van
Falcon gave Emlynn an appraising look, then smiled. A hint of sadness lay behind it, but a fond affection showed through more than anything else. “Bahz needs to be with a mage,” she said. “I may possibly still be a magic user, but I have little interest in being a mage who works and learns within a Guild. I am far too independent, and I have never worked well with others. Even in my out-of-control state, I knew when our bond finally severed. He will remain a good friend, but he is not my familiar. You have earned that place.”
And for the record, he’s been wrong before, Daro interjected. He still owes Rin a nice, fresh fish over a bet.
How would you know? Bahz asked indignantly. You weren’t there.
Rin told me. Maybe next time you’ll remember not to tell a cat they can’t do something. Haven’t you learned how stubborn they are?
Anyway, Bahz said loudly, making Zaree grab at her head. Bad enough to have someone speak loudly next to you, but to have them do it in your skull? It was uncomfortable at best. Yes, I believe you’re speaking of the southeast corner. It used to be a large storage room. Though things that got stored there tended to be forgotten.
“Wait a second,” Kelwin said, holding up a hand. He was looking skyward, mumbling something to himself, and Zaree assumed he was working through a mental map. He stopped abruptly and looked back toward them, his eyes wide. “How large a room?”
“Fairly large,” Falcon said with a shrug. “I never saw it empty, so I couldn’t give you a better guess than that, I don’t think.”
“Kel?” Zaree leaned closer to him and inspected his face. He looked ill. “What is it?”
“We’ve been in the southeast corner of the lowest portion of the castle,” he told her. “So has Tas. We met Reikos there.”
“What?” Zaree asked, before understanding dawned and her eyes widened in surprise. “The furnace room? Seriously?”
“I think he’s right,” Jorget said, mulling over Kelwin’s words. “Even if we consider the possibility of the original room not existing anymore, it makes the most sense. That’s the room that currently takes up the most space in that area. However—” He raised a finger, accentuating the point he was about to make. “—this works to our advantage. The guard who would have taken over the furnaces for Reikos would be an ally, wouldn’t they? Denekk is always very careful that anyone standing in for Reikos be on our side. I can contact him via mirror and let him know what’s going on, and maybe he’ll be able to figure out where the tunnel ends on the Archai side.” He looked at Falcon, a sense of excitement practically coming off him in waves. “How long should it take to get through?”
“Hmm.” Falcon tapped at her bottom lip thoughtfully, and only then did Zaree realize her nails still looked more like talons. She made a mental note not to ever ask Falcon to scratch an itch on her back. “When the tunnel was in perfect condition, I would have to stop somewhere in the middle to sleep. I will assume methods of keeping time have improved since then, but that is how it was when I was growing up. I was never very good at tracking time by the sun.”
“Two days?” Jorget asked, his voice cracking. That was the sound of barely restrained panic if Zaree ever heard it. “We’ll be in some dark, narrow tunnel for two days?”
Falcon frowned at him. “When did I say it was dark? Exactly what kind of tunnel are you imagining?” She shook her head. “Come. Let us go to Chadar and I will show you.”
“We could stay with the giants overnight and head out in the morning,” Zaree suggested. “Since you’d rather not go back to the isle.”
“Why would we do that?” Falcon asked, confused. “There is a gatekeeper here. We can take the portal to the guild near Chadar.”
“Is that not in ruins?” Yldost asked. “The portal on that side is functional?”
Falcon shrugged, the gesture making the feathers on her wings fluff out before settling. “If the portal is unsuitable for travel, it will not open. I suggest trying.”
“I agree,” Emlynn said. “If it will save us time we should try. If it does not work we can worry then.”
“Are we all in agreement?” Kelwin asked. When no one objected, he stood. “Then let’s go.”
The opening of the portal was almost mundane at that point. Kelwin called for Solitude—an appropriate name for a guild on an island in the middle of a lake, Zaree thought—and the portal opened. They’d all breathed a sigh of relief at that. None of them, save for possibly Falcon, had expected it to work. And to be sure, it had taken longer for the portal to appear, but appear it did, a bright blaze of light from floor to ceiling of the enormous underground room.
“What if we walk through and end up impaled on something?” Jorget asked, staring at the beam.
“I spent many years researching everything I could about magic when I left the isle,” Falcon told him. “And there is one truth that’s repeated over and over. Magic will not harm its user.”
“Tasis threw a guy across a crowded inn with it,” Zaree pointed out dryly.
Falcon shook her head. “That is not what I said. Magic will not harm its user. Was Tasis harmed?”
“Well, no….”
“Exactly.” Falcon pointed at Kelwin. “He summoned the portal, which means it will not harm him. If it will not harm him to walk through it, it will not harm you.”
“Regardless, I wish I could go through first,” Kelwin said with a sigh. “I’d feel better if I could close the portal if something went wrong. But if I go through….”
“The portal closes,” Jorget finished. “We know. Don’t worry, I’ll go first. If something happens I’ll destroy the gate stones.”
“Are you certain?” Emlynn asked. “I could—”
Jorget held up a hand. “Please,” he said, giving her a smile. “Let me do this for you, at least.” His face flamed red, and he cleared his throat. “For all of you, I mean.”
“Jorget.” Zaree waited until he looked at her, then continued. “We all know. It’s not like it’s a secret. It’s perfectly acceptable to do things for your girlfriends.”
Jorget squeaked, and Zaree shook her head before looking at Emlynn. “Did he seriously think we didn’t know?”
“He’s just shy,” Emlynn said.
Zaree sighed and shook her head again before making a shooing motion at Jorget. “Come on, if you want to go first, then go. Places to go, people to rescue.”
“All in a day’s work for the daring mage,” Jorget said with a snort. “See you guys on the other side.”
He stepped through, and they waited with bated breath. When nothing happened after a long moment, they let out a collective sigh. “I believe it’s my turn, then,” Emlynn said, and followed after Jorget with Bahz riding his customary spot on her shoulder.
Zaree turned to Falcon and Yldost. “You two next.”
They nodded and, without complaint, stepped into the portal.
“You okay?” Kelwin asked once they were alone. Well, alone save for a gryphon and her offspring.
“No,” Zaree admitted. The gryphon nudged her, and she gratefully leaned against the beast’s feathered neck. “I’m actually really scared, Kel. But I’m trying not to let the others see that, because we all have to be strong. For Tasis, and for ourselves.”
“You don’t have to be strong all the time,” Kelwin told her, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “That’s what family’s for. To prop each other up when we need it most. I’ve seen you rely on Tasis. You can rely on us the same way.”
Zaree considered his words for a moment, then asked a question that had been in the back of her mind since Kelwin and Tasis had paired off. “Has it ever bothered you, how close Tasis and I are?”
“Never,” Kelwin answered immediately, leaving no doubt about whether he meant it or not. “I knew what I was getting into when I started to fall for your brother. You two are a package deal, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He reached out again, this time tugging on the lock that had immediately gotten in her face
again. “I love you too, you know. Sure, not in the same romantic sense that I love Tas, but that doesn’t mean I love you any less. Someday, when this is all over, we’ll make the trip to the village my mother moved to with her wife, and when I introduce you, I’ll say, ‘Mother, this is my sister, Zaree.’ And I’ll mean every word of it.”
Zaree blinked rapidly and sniffled a little, trying to keep from looking like she was near tears. She was pretty sure she failed miserably, but Kelwin didn’t remark on it. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
“I should be the one thanking you. But for now, let’s concentrate on the fact the Maker herself is keeping our Tasis safe. We’ll go free Reikos, and you can continue to pretend like you don’t have a crush on him.”
Zaree glared at Kelwin, and he laughed. “There we go. There’s the grump we all know and love.”
“I’m not a grump,” Zaree muttered. Which was a lie. She kind of was. Well, no, more like she was kind of standoffish, but that was how she protected herself. “And yeah, okay, I have a crush on him. So what? I don’t know him all that well, and the moment I do what I promised Em and tell him the truth, that’ll end anyway.”
Kelwin reached out with both hands this time, placed one on each of her cheeks, and squeezed, forcing her mouth into a shape that made her look like a goldfish. “Let me tell you something, Zaree Muna. Your pathetic excuse of an older brother may have drummed his bigotry into your head for years, but the things he says are not true. You are beautiful. You are kind. You are talented, fierce, and loving. But above all, you are a woman that anyone would be lucky to have at their side for the rest of their life. Whether Reikos sees that or not, it’s still true. And if he hurts you, it’s not me he’ll have to worry about, because it’d likely be what wakes Tasis up just so he can kill the guy. When Tas is done with him, I’ll use whatever’s left of him as kindling. Okay?”
“What is it with you guys?” Zaree asked, giggling a little as she did and feeling her spirits lift. She’d needed that. “Em already threatened to break him in half.”
“Really?” Kelwin asked. “Okay, new plan. Tasis gets to kill him, then Em can break him in half. Jorget can practice his fireball spell on his corpse, and I’ll find a nice tree to bury his charred remains under. That way it can be a team effort.”
“Well, that’s violent,” Zaree said. “And somehow weirdly reassuring.”
“Feeling better?”
“A little.”
“Ready to go save your boyfriend from the dungeon?”
Zaree gave Kelwin a withering look. Lesser men would have quivered in fear over it, but Kelwin just grinned. “He’s not my boyfriend. Not even close.” She raised an eyebrow and gave him a smirk. “Not yet.”
Kelwin laughed. “That’s my girl.”
Zaree turned her attention to the gryphon. She really needed to name the poor thing. “You should go through first, you and your babies,” she said. “I promise we’ll be right behind you.”
The gryphon nodded and nosed her babies into place before nudging them each through. She looked over her shoulder at Zaree, then followed after the hatchlings.
“Your turn,” Kelwin told her.
“No,” Zaree said. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. “We go together.”
Kelwin smiled, returning the affectionate grip. “Together, then.” As one, they stepped into the light.
Chapter 11
ZAREE STEPPED out of the portal and was welcomed by blue sky overhead and a gryphon headbutting her chest. “Wait,” she said, looking around. “Where’s the rest of it?”
“The rest of what?” Yldost asked. Zaree was surprised to see they were back in their dragon form, and wet. Then she realized fewer people were waiting than there should have been.
“The guild,” Zaree said, waving around her. The stone circle they were standing next to was barely visible, and while a few large boulders were nearby, there was nothing like the rubble they’d seen on the isle. “And where are the others?”
“I swam Emlynn and Jorget across the lake, as I cannot yet fly,” Yldost said. “You were taking so long we figured we’d at least do that much. Falcon is with them. I overheard Emlynn say something about finding Falcon something to wear in her pack. I believe she’s afraid Jorget might perish from embarrassment if he looks in Falcon’s direction one more time while she’s not wearing anything.” They grinned, cocking their head to one side. “Falcon flew herself across and will be leading them to the castle.”
“Okay.” That made sense and would save them time. “But what about…?” She motioned around her and frowned. “I expected there to be more. Not just a few boulders.”
“This guild was abandoned long before the king,” Yldost reminded her. “It no longer had the magic to sustain it. I am not certain how the portal is even working.”
“Me neither,” Kelwin said, looking at the grass-covered rocks. “I’m a little worried about using it to send people across to the isle. I’m not sure I even trust it to send us back across, and we’re a small group.”
“I believe it will be fine,” Yldost said, waving off the concern. “Shall I carry Kelwin?”
Zaree smiled at the gryphon. “What do you say, want to give me a lift across?”
The gryphon crooned at her, then looked down at the hatchlings at her feet.
“Kelwin can carry them,” Yldost offered, turning their head to look at Kel, who nodded in agreement. “We will not be flying, so he will be able to keep hold of them.”
Oh. Zaree hadn’t thought about that. There was no way she could carry the two and hold on to their mother at the same time if they were in the air. “I could ride Yldost if you prefer to carry the little ones,” she offered.
The gryphon clacked her beak, but it wasn’t a sound of anger. More of a denial. Zaree found it more than a little odd that she could get that much from one small motion. To her surprise, the gryphon nudged her children in Yldost’s direction and let out a chirrup.
“We will take good care of them,” Yldost promised, crouching. “Kelwin, you first, then I’ll hand you these two.”
Once Kelwin had taken a seat on Yldost’s back, the dragon craned their neck around to look at him. Kelwin looked like he might lose his perch for a moment, but he held fast as Yldost gently scooped up the two hatchlings one at a time and handed them up. Once they were sure Kelwin was okay, they began to saunter toward the water.
“Don’t let yourself float off me,” Yldost warned Kelwin as they slid into the water gracefully.
Zaree and the gryphon watched them for a moment, and then the gryphon turned to nudge Zaree with her beak before crouching down. Zaree climbed on and found it was easier the second time around. She’d still never get near a horse if she could help it, but riding a gryphon? This she could do. With just a few leaps forward, the gryphon pumped her wings and they were airborne. The wind blew so roughly into Zaree’s face that her eyes watered, but she kept them open so she could see. The lake below appeared to be a small one, but the water was so dark that she wondered if it was deeper than it was wide. She spotted the small figure of Yldost climb onto shore, and Kelwin climb off, presumably still holding the hatchlings, though they were too far away to tell. The gryphon began her descent and landed next to Yldost just as the dragon gave themself a mighty shake, spraying water everywhere. Zaree felt the gryphon heave a sigh underneath her, and she had to agree.
“I am sorry,” Yldost said when they realized exactly what Jorget was laughing at. “I did not realize you’d landed so close.”
“It’s fine,” Zaree said, soggy hair hanging in her face. She wondered if she might as well ask the gryphon to fly around for a bit to dry them off, given how windy the ride had been. She paused and looked the gryphon over as she dismounted.
“What is it?” Kelwin asked as he stepped up next to her and wiped her face as best he could with his tunic sleeve.
Zaree smiled and patted the gryphon’s neck. “How do you feel about Mistral as a name?�
�� she asked. The gryphon clacked her beak happily and pressed her forehead against Zaree’s chest as the hatchlings tumbled about her feet. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“What’s it from?” Jorget asked, taking a step back when Zaree glared at him. She’d give him a hard time for a bit longer for laughing at her. At least until her clothes dried.
“It’s the name of a particular wind,” Zaree explained. “It’s got a nice sound to it, and it seemed appropriate.”
“I agree,” Emlynn said, clearly having no qualms about approaching Zaree. Or rather, approaching the gryphon, because the moment she was near, she picked up one of the hatchlings and held it close. Mistral gave an approving hum, so clearly she’d decided Zaree’s friends were her friends. Which was for the best, especially if they were going to be traveling together.
“We should go,” Falcon said, wearing one of Em’s tunics as a dress and looking uncomfortable to be interrupting the conversation. Her wings were still visible, so Zaree assumed the giantess must have cut into the back of the shirt to allow them freedom. “The day gets no younger as we stand here, and we can talk as we travel.”
“You’re right,” Kelwin agreed, giving her an encouraging smile. “Where to?”
Falcon smiled back, though Zaree didn’t know if it was because she was being polite or because Kelwin hadn’t shot down her suggestion. She hoped it was because of Kelwin. Obviously Falcon could take care of herself, but she could certainly use some friends. And probably some help getting used to the world as it was now.
“There,” she said, turning to point. “Can you see the tower?”
The area she’d pointed to was heavily treed, but Zaree could just make out the edge of a stone structure. It was closer than she’d anticipated, and she felt a wave of relief. Too many things had been happening around them for her to feel safe in an area where their field of view was limited. But even just that short distance was enough for small creatures to get lost.
