“I’ll return in two days to ask you this again,” said the guard, picking up the bucket once more.
A large drop of rain landed directly in the middle of Lily’s forehead and she winced. Could the universe be any clearer with her? She had to get off this Terrace. If a storm were to hit, she’d never survive.
“A-angel!” she stammered. “I’m Angel of the Lighthouse, daughter of King Sterling and Queen Eileena.” She swallowed but the bitterness of her lie stung the back of her tongue.
“I’ll tell His Majesty that his daughter, Princess Angel, wishes to speak with him.” The guard passed the bucket down the ladder and took hold of the handles of the hatch.
“Please!” cried Lily. “Let me come with you. Don’t leave me up here.”
But the guard swung the hatch closed without giving her a second glance.
Lily crouched down on the cold doors and banged them with her fists. “Don’t leave me up here!”
As if on cue, the rain started to fall in earnest and soon fat droplets were pounding the Terrace and soaking into Lily’s dress, her hair, the very core of her soul. She let go of some tears she’d been holding onto and the salt of her teardrops mingled with the ferocity of the rain. Life couldn’t get more miserable than it was right now. Was she being punished for letting go of her name so easily? All it’d taken was two days without food or warmth and she’d been prepared to completely disown her family.
“I’m Lily,” she called to the clouds. “I’m Lily.”
But the clouds only rained harder, sweeping her words away and dragging them down to the earth.
Then the lock in the hatch turned once more.
She scrambled off the metal surface and stood watching as the dark space opened up below.
A guard had opened half the hatch and was gesturing for her to follow him down. A different guard to the one who’d come before.
“Princess Angel?” he asked.
“Y-yes.” She was shaking quite violently now, the lack of food paired with the freezing temperatures having taken its toll. “I’m Angel. Please, help me.”
She was aware of the guard scrambling up the ladder and catching her just before she hit the hard surface of the door.
Her eyes closed and a feeling of warmth enveloped her.
Then, nothing.
RAPHAEL
THE NOW
Raphael stopped so abruptly that Azrael walked into the back of him.
“Did you feel that?” he asked.
“Yes, I feel a sore head after banging it on your shoulder blades,” said Azrael, smirking.
“Not that.” He didn’t have time for jokes right now.
“I felt it,” said Micah. “It was Lily. Something happened to her.”
“Is she all right?” asked Pip, letting go of Griffen’s hand.
Raphael shook his head. “I… I don’t think so. I haven’t had a vision of her for days but just then she flashed into my mind. She was…”
“She was what?” prompted Azrael.
“She was screaming.” Micah finished the sentence he’d been unable to.
“Oh.” Azrael’s face filled with anguish. “What do you think that means?”
“It means she’s still alive,” said Pip. “That’s good, isn’t it?”
Raphael shrugged. Maybe it was good, but maybe it wasn’t. Maybe a vision so short and sharp and clear meant something had happened to her. That maybe the worst had happened.
“We should take a rest here and look for some food,” said Pip, glancing up at Griffen. Raphael had noticed she liked to feed him more than she liked to feed herself. It was no wonder she was so thin.
“We can’t rest,” said Micah. “We have to hurry, now more than ever.”
“I agree.” Raphael was glad someone felt the same way he did. There was no time to waste. “Let’s keep moving before the sun sets. Lily needs us.”
“And Gabe,” added Micah.
“And all the children in the mines,” said Raphael, refusing to call them Fossickers.
“What’s our plan?” Raphael motioned for them to continue walking as they spoke.
“It’s a bit hard to have a plan when we don’t know what we’re up against,” said Pip, annoyingly correct as usual.
“We’ll hide somewhere and observe for a while,” said Griffen. “Figure out how many guards we need to take out to gain access to the mines.”
“If there’s a choice, I think we should get Lily first,” said Raphael.
“I agree,” said Micah.
Raphael’s head turned sharply to look at her. He’d been certain she wasn’t going to like that idea. She was so focused on finding Gabe.
“She’s in more danger than Gabe,” said Micah, stooping to pick up a fallen branch and using it as a walking stick. “Plus, releasing who knows how many children from a mine isn’t going to be easy. Lily might be able to help us. She’ll know how it works down there.”
“But what if Raphael’s magic potion is taking us to Gabe?” asked Pip.
“Elixir,” Raphael corrected. “Not a magic potion.”
“Elixir then,” said Pip.
“There’s one way to find out.” Raphael reached into his bag and ferreted about for his bottle of homing elixir.
“Are you going to put some on?” asked Micah, noticing what he was doing.
He nodded, pausing his steps for a moment so he could apply the elixir without spilling any of it.
Lily had owned his heart ever since he’d first seen her in the vision he’d had in the apothecary. He’d walked away from his entire life to find her. If she wasn’t the definition of home then he didn’t know what was.
He placed several drops of the elixir onto his shirt collar and tightly secured the bottle. Walking on, he picked up his pace to fall into step beside Micah. The terrain had thinned out the further they’d walked. Dead trees had become scraggly living trees which had then become a sparse forest with bracken on the ground and the rare bird hopping between the shrubs.
“Do you love her?” Micah kept her voice low, her words only for his ears.
He nodded, knowing that Micah would sniff out a lie in a matter of moments. Nothing got past her.
“But I have no expectations of my feelings being returned,” he said. “I want to save her because she deserves to be saved. Not for any selfish reasons.”
“You’re a good person,” said Micah. “And believe me, I’ve met some really horrible people, so I know. I’m sure Lily will see that.”
“There’s an age difference,” he said. “And a kingdom difference.”
Micah laughed. “You’re hardly an old man! It can’t be more than a few years between you. Tallis is older than me.”
Raphael nodded, aware that a flush was spreading to his cheeks. He wasn’t used to having these conversations.
“I’m glad you love her,” said Micah, nodding her head. “Because it means you’re going to try harder to find her.”
He smiled.
“And because you’re a good person,” she added.
His smile turned to a gentle laugh.
“So.” Her voice turned serious and he knew this personal chat was finished. “We need to find some oarsmen and get them to tell us where this lighthouse is. We go there, rescue Lily, then we get back here and find Gabe and release the children from the mines. We then go home.”
“Sounds so simple.” He shook his head.
“I’ve executed far more complicated plans.” She lowered her voice. “But do you know what worries me? This time I have so much to lose. There’s Tallis back home, and little Gabe, and Jeremiah and Rose waiting for Lily. We can’t fail.”
“We’re not going to f—”
“Raphael! Micah!” hissed Griffen, pointing ahead. “Hush!”
Raphael strained his eyes to see what Griffen had spotted. Whatever was in those tonics he’d been raised on had certainly helped his eyesight as Raphael could see nothing but a blur of shrubbery ahead. But his finely tune
d sense of smell tipped him off as to what Griffen had been pointing at. There was the distinct smell of salt in the air. It was hard to tell if they’d walked in a circle or across a section of this strange kingdom, but whatever had happened, they’d managed to find themselves at the ocean again.
“Up there,” said Griffen, pointing.
Raphael looked up to see a large rectangular column rising into the sky in the distance.
“Oh,” said Raphael, realizing that Griffen hadn’t been talking about the ocean. “What is that?”
Griffen shrugged. “Could it be the lighthouse?”
Was this where the homing elixir was leading them? Could Lily be in there somehow? But this column was most definitely located on the land, when they’d been told the lighthouse was surrounded by water.
“It’s not the lighthouse,” he said.
“Then what is it?” asked Pip.
Micah rubbed her hands together. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
AZRAEL
THE NOW
Keeping their voices low and their steps measured, Azrael followed her companions across the terrain, noticing how sand was starting to overtake bracken. A copse of trees near the waterline seemed the obvious place to head while they worked out their next best move.
“Can we dip our feet in the water?” asked Pip.
“Not just yet,” said Griffen, forever protective of his Princess. “We need to make sure it’s safe first.”
Azrael put down her bag and leaned against a tree, slipping off her shoes and wiggling her toes as she sank to the sand.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” said Griffen, peering between the trees and scanning the sand for a sign of any activity.
“Is someone there?” asked Raphael, squinting.
Azrael held her breath.
“It’s a woman.” Griffen stepped back to better conceal himself. “Sitting on the sand, way down there on the beach.”
Azrael breathed a sigh. Surely a woman alone on the beach was no threat to them.
“She might be able to tell us what that tower is,” said Micah. “We should go and talk to her.”
“What if it’s a trap?” Pip’s eyes were wide with concern. “A hundred men could jump out of the bushes when we approach her.”
“I’ll talk to her.” Azrael hauled herself up, feeling her feet ache in protest. “On my own, in case it’s a trap.”
“No, I’ll go,” said Raphael.
“She’ll be less threatened by a woman.” Azrael smoothed down her hair, hoping she didn’t look too much of a mess.
“I’ll do it,” said Micah. “I dragged you all out here on this quest. It should be me.”
“None of us were dragged.” Azrael wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “And you have more to lose than me.”
“You have a mother who loves you,” said Micah. “I saw the sadness in her eyes when you left.”
“She’s strong.” Azrael blinked back a rush of emotion at the thought of Freya. “And it’ll be fine. One woman alone isn’t a threat.”
“Let Azrael go,” said Raphael. “She’s good with people.”
“And I’m not?” Micah’s jaw fell open and she raised her eyebrows at Raphael.
“You have… a different manner,” said Griffen, stepping in. “It’s a little more forceful. A gentle approach is sometimes better.”
Micah huffed and Azrael saw her companions stifle smiles.
“Azrael can walk down the sand and I’ll follow from the tree line,” said Griffen. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“We’ll all follow,” said Raphael.
Sensing a losing argument, Griffen fell silent.
Azrael nodded, scooped up her shoes and walked down to the sand, enjoying the softness under her feet. The sand back home was coarse and burning hot. This was like another substance altogether. She should collect some of it to bring back home to show Rani.
As she walked down the sand toward the woman, she wondered what her friend was doing right now back home. Busy being Empress, she supposed. And mother to those beautiful twin girls. She and Aarow had a lot of work to do to unite their kingdom’s two cities and establish a new rule of peace and respect. Azrael didn’t envy them that task, but knew if anyone could achieve it, it was them.
Now that she was closer, she could see the woman was sitting on the sand staring out at the ocean. She was so still that Azrael wondered if perhaps she wasn’t real. But then the woman picked up a handful of sand and threw it at the water, her movements filled with fury.
This complicated matters. Angry people didn’t normally part with information in the same way as someone who was relaxed. She’d been right to volunteer for this job. If anyone could calm this woman and get the information they needed, it would be her. She was used to dealing with people who needed help. And there was something about this woman that screamed of being a person in need.
The woman was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn’t notice Azrael approach, so Azrael took her time, observing the woman, trying to gather as many clues about her as possible.
She was older than Azrael by maybe ten years, with the same dark hair, although she had streaks of gray running through it. She wore a brown vest made from some kind of heavy wool to keep out the cold, paired with a long skirt made from the same fabric and a white shirt underneath that was stained with years of wear. This woman didn’t have wealth, and the deep lines on her face told Azrael that she wasn’t free from worry either.
She could be very wrong, but something told Azrael that this was someone she could talk to. She just needed to find her way into her confidence.
Sitting down next to the woman, Azrael looked ahead to the ocean without saying a word.
The woman turned her head and Azrael drew in a breath and met her gaze to see that her eyes were bloodshot with heavy bags underneath. She’d been crying. Not today, but in recent days. And not a small amount, but a lot.
“Who are you?” asked the woman.
“My name’s Azrael.”
“Azrael’s the angel of death. Are you here to kill me?” The woman said this without any concern in her voice. Was death something that appealed to her right now?
“Perhaps I’m here to bring you back from death,” said Azrael.
“Pity.” The woman picked up another handful of damp sand and threw it at the ocean.
“What’s your name?” asked Azrael, treading carefully. There was more to this woman than anger. Azrael had seen it many times before in people. She was wrapped in a blanket of grief so overwhelming she had no concern for what happened to her.
The woman sighed. “Enid.”
Azrael’s hands itched to heal this woman. There was so much she could do to relieve her despair. Although, admittedly, there was nothing she could do to lift it altogether. Despair that sat on shoulders as heavily as this was difficult to shift.
“You’re not from here.” Enid scanned Azrael, as if seeing her for the first time. “You dress differently. Your skin’s different. So are your eyes.”
“I’m the same here.” Azrael put her hand to her heart.
“I don’t know where you came from, but they’ll kill you when they see you.” Again, her voice was impassive, like she was commenting on the weather, not about a potential risk to her life.
“Who’ll kill me?” she asked.
“The King’s guards.” Enid shook her head. “They like killing. They killed Carson.”
Azrael nodded, waiting to see if she’d elaborate on who Carson was and if he was the reason for her grief.
“He’s out there somewhere,” said Enid, pointing to the ocean. “Did you come from out there? Maybe you saw him.”
“I did cross an ocean to get here,” said Azrael, hearing the snap of a twig in the bushes behind her and hoping Enid hadn’t. Her companions really needed to learn to be more quiet. “But I arrived from the west.”
“Are you from The Bay of Laurel?” Enid studied her once more, tak
ing in Azrael’s long robes stained with dirt.
“No,” said Azrael. “My kingdom’s called The Sands of Naar. It’s covered in sand, too, only our sand is red and the sun is hot.”
Enid nodded, looking back out at the water, so Azrael decided to continue talking, hoping maybe Enid would join in and tell her something useful.
“There’s also Forte Cadence, although that’s made up from rocky mountains and rolling hills. And Wintergreen, which is green like its name and filled with plants and flowers. Then there’s The Bay of Laurel where we left from. They grow crops of every type of food you can imagine.”
“Then why would you come here?” she asked. “We don’t grow food or flowers. We grow nothing except crystals and they’re all for the Queen. They take our children from us, return them to us, then take them again. There’s nothing you could want here.”
Another twig broke behind them and Azrael held up her hand as subtly as she could to warn them to be quiet.
“What’s that tower?” asked Azrael, pointing to the column stretching into the sky.
“That’s the King’s palace.” Enid turned to glare at it.
“So it’s not the lighthouse?” asked Azrael, just to be sure.
Enid shook her head and looked back to the ocean. “I blame the King for killing Carson.”
“Who’s Carson?” she asked gently.
“My son.” Enid looked at Azrael and her eyes spilled over with tears. “They took him from me when he was three years old, just like I was taken when I was that age. Just like all the children. Do they do that in your kingdom?”
Azrael winced. “They used to. I was taken from my mother at birth and didn’t see her again until I was grown. But that doesn’t happen anymore. Not in any of the kingdoms.”
Enid nodded. “I didn’t see Carson for years, either. He was returned to me when he got too big for the mines. I was happy for a while. Then the palace claimed him as an oarsman and he had to leave again.”
Azrael tried to hide her gasp of surprise. An oarsman! This was just too perfect. She needed to tread carefully or Enid was going to clamp her lips closed and she’d get no further.
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 106
