by Sara Kincaid
As she scanned the building, Rina looked both for a way into the palace and possible clues as to where the Mystics were being kept. Thinking of Eagle Palace, Rina suspected that the grand main hall was the room most likely to feature the opulent glass she’d first seen at sunrise. The king’s personal quarters would likely have an expansive window and outdoor space not far from the main hall. The outer limestone walls would be protecting any view of the king’s personal quarters. She’d have to wait for nightfall to fly over the walls. “It really is an impressive fortress.”
Eldon was less impressed. “As long as you don’t run out of supplies.”
Like clockwork, the guards changed every few hours. Their faces were obscured by deep hoods as they manned the outer wall. Rina counted the hours of the day with the changing of the guard and at noon, she reached into her pack, pulling out a stale biscuit and some dried meat before taking a sip from her canteen. She burrowed herself further into her jacket and the rock face behind her, seeking respite from the frigid talons of the wind. The rune on her wrist continued to glow, pulsing against her skin. It exuded a strange warmth and Rina gripped it tightly, willing the warmth to fight the chill that had worked its way to her core.
While the glow was promising, it also made her anxious. Knowing that Eli was finally so close, but that she couldn’t see him reduced her patience to nothing. Instead, she turned her sword over in her hands. The Kaldarian palace was nothing short of masterful. She could fly over the walls, but once she was inside, how would she face the hundreds of soldiers and last long enough to find Eli and the other Mystics?
A narrow walkway on the back side of the palace led to a flat outcropping covered in a recently built wooden structure. Rina and Eldon were too far away to see anything, but whatever was inside of that building was truly massive. Eight large pairs of pulleys lined the building and thick ropes disappeared through round holes in the side of the structure. “There.” She pointed at the wooden structure with the tip of the short sword. “It will be the easiest place to get inside.”
Eldon narrowed his eyes, his fingers tangled in stray hairs of his beard. “I wonder what’s in there.”
Rina shrugged and glanced back at the structure.
“When do we fly?”
“Nightfall.”
High up in the mountains, sunlight disappeared quickly, flowing from the sky beneath the clouds and behind the apexes that reached like hands for the liquid gold sky. The afterglow of the sun left the castle shrouded in foreboding shadows until orbs of spark lights came alive all across the facade of the castle. At each guard station on the great wall, torches flickered, batting at the darkness. Behind the giant stained glass wall, lights glowed, projecting a sheen of red on the grounds below. With the exception of a few flickering spark lights, there was no activity by the wooden outcropping. Eldon wordlessly looked at his comrade. Rina nodded. Both Aviators bent their knees, pushing off from the ground, their wings opening with a flurry of feathers, and slipped silently into the dark.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Halay
As the last rays of the sun burned out, Halay took one last look in the direction Rina and Eldon had gone. She squinted at the sky hoping to catch a glimpse of them when they took off, all at once feeling very small and alone, more so than she’d ever felt before. Even when they’d lost Niko and then their parents, Halay had taken comfort in the fact that she still had her sister, Rina, the warrior NightWind.
The silvery mount beneath her pawed impatiently at the earth and she patted him absently on his haunches. Jarem twisted in the saddle, the frosted tips of his hair now flat against his head. “Well, it’s just us now.”
Halay paused, waiting for the first specks of starlight to peak through. “Sure is.” In the distance, the outpost began to light up with torches and spark lights, warding off the advancing night.
Their horses walked in unison beside each other, the gentle clip-clop of their hooves on the solid ground like a metronome. The growing silver of the stars was their only source of light. They continued onward until the steady beat of the hooves made Halay’s eyelids heavy. She yawned, blinking back her exhaustion.
Finally, Jarem reached out and tugged lightly on her reins, his hand briefly brushing hers, leaving behind a swirl of tingles that shivered up her arm. Both horses came to a standstill and the silence quickly magnified around them, echoing the glittering dark above.
“Let’s rest here for tonight.” Light from the curve of the moon lit up one side of Jarem’s face, accentuating the sharp ridges and contours of his profile. Gratefully, Halay slid from the majestic silver horse’s back. They tied the horses to a low-reaching spidery tree limb before sinking to the ground. Halay tucked her arms into her tunic, leaned back against the twisted trunk and closed her eyes while Jarem stayed up on watch.
Sometime in the night, they’d switched places. In the gray space between night and the wisps of daylight, Halay blinked away sleep, Jarem snoring softly beside her. His head tilted down and his chin rested on his chest. In sleep, his face was slack and smooth, his eyes darting behind his eyelids as he dreamed. The horses snuffled softly and chewed on the leafy tree.
Halay stood and stretched her arms overhead, seeking to relieve the tight muscles in her shoulders. Gazing off back the way they’d come, she watched the light slowly encompassing the shadows while chewing on an apple from her pack. She paused, the apple turning into mush in her mouth as she watched a swirl of smoke in the distance. Her eyes narrowed. Not smoke. Dust. Someone was coming up behind them and rapidly. She swallowed heavily and leaned down, her hand on Jarem’s shoulder. “Jarem. Wake up. Someone’s coming.”
The young Aviator blinked sleep from his eyes, his mind grasping through slumber at Halay’s words. “What? Who?” He jumped to his feet, head swimming, first looking ahead of them in the direction of the outpost. Then his head swiveled in the opposite direction and his gaze settled on the rapidly approaching group. He swore quietly and Halay’s face pinked at his words. “We should head to the outpost. There’s no telling who those guys are. But we don’t want to get caught out here. At the very least we can trade these horses.”
They swung astride their horses, untied them from the branch and urged them back onto the path at a steady clip. The horses Rina and Eldon had left behind were held on a lead in Jarem’s left hand and they snorted in protest as they began to trot. “If we trade the horses, how will we get Rina and Eldon and the Mystics back to Burga?” Halay struggled to control the tremor of worry that crept into her voice.
“If we don’t have a cover, then we’ll be in no position to help them once they escape.”
Halay urged the silvery mount forward with her knees and the beast responded, moving them like water across the valley. Wisps of her hair had escaped from her tight braid and feathered around her head. Jarem followed close behind, urging the other horses on in her wake.
But, no matter how quickly they seemed to travel, the dust cloud behind them drew ever closer. An hour later, Jarem stood up in the stirrups, gauging the distance lost between them. “They’re coming fast.”
“But are they coming faster?” Halay pointed in the direction of the outpost.
Jarem swiveled in the saddle and swore again. In the distance, a small group wearing oxblood red tunics raced toward them. The three Kaldarians might reach them before the mystery group behind them. “The last thing we need is to get caught in the middle of a skirmish.” Jarem sat back down and jerked on the reins. They were well and truly surrounded.
The valley was lush, but tall foliage was in short supply. There was no option to drop into hiding. Both groups would see them veer off their current path. For Halay’s sake, Jarem swallowed his concerns and wore a serene mask. Whatever happened, he was determined to protect her. His sword hand rested on his hip, though deep down he wished for his wings and a decent bow and set of arrows.
A
soft breeze curled across the valley, carrying the beat of hooves from behind them. Just as they were about to move on toward the outpost, words reached them across the distance. Jarem pulled on the reins, his ears straining, waiting for the cry to come again. Finally, the soft words reached his ears. “One flock!” The words rode the breeze, reaching them and stilling his heart. He jerked the horse’s reins in the other direction, calling out to Halay as he did. “It’s Burga!”
“What?” Halay veered the silvery mount, following in Jarem’s shadow. She squinted into the sun, trying to identify a lone shadow that had separated from the pack and raced toward them on the swiftest mount she’d ever seen.
As the horse drew closer, she could make out the brown uniforms of a Burgan soldier. He sat astride the beast with confidence, so she knew that it wouldn’t be one of Rina’s Aviators. After a few strides, Jarem pulled on the reins and waited, his horse breathing hard around the bit in his mouth. Halay skidded beside him, her mouth open in surprise as she recognized Rina’s friend Malik. “I can’t believe they came after us.”
Malik stood up on the stirrups and waved, his face open in a wide grin. “Ho there, Burgans!” His horse’s thundering hooves came to a stop right before them, huffing through soft, pink nostrils. Malik slapped the horse’s haunches affectionately. “Ho there,” he called again. “Well we finally caught up to you.” He grinned, his white teeth gleaming. His black horse frothed at the mouth and huffed heavily, catching its breath.
“How’d you find us?” Jarem grasped Malik’s hand with enthusiasm.
“We’ve been tracking you for days. Lost sight of your path about a week back. But we picked back up on your trail in the middle of Rosson past the river.”
“Who sent you?”
“General Shin. He’s back with the group, but sent me on ahead. Hello, Halay. Good to see you safe.”
“Good to see you, too, Malik. Rina will be pleased.”
“Where is your sister?”
“She and Eldon took off for Bear Palace.”
Malik’s dark eyes widened with surprise. “By themselves?”
Jarem shrugged.
“Jarem, we know you’ve been sent after the Mystics. The general and your commander pieced it together and Shin decided to pursue you and the Mystics himself.”
Jarem nodded. “It’s good to have you join the team.”
Malik nodded and slid from the saddle. His boots hit the ground with a soft crunch of grass. “Well we’ve been ordered to wait for General Shin.”
“In the meantime, we’ve got company.” Jarem gestured to the trio of Kaldarians quickly approaching on silvery mounts.
Malik grinned maliciously and unsheathed his sword. He buried its point in the dirt and leaned casually against it as if it were a cane. The blade gleamed wickedly in the sunlight. “Lovely.”
The soldiers pulled their horses to a stop a few strides away from Jarem, Halay and Malik. “Greetings,” one soldier called.
“Are you the welcome party?”
The soldier’s smile faltered. “Hardly. We came to see what the dust rise was all about.”
“Ah. Good man.” Malik left his sword in the dirt and stepped forward offering a hand to the still-mounted Kaldarian. “I am Commander Malik of the Burgan military, beta battalion. We’ve a special envoy behind us for the honorable Regent Opher sent by Burgan Regent Arayna.” When the soldier refrained from shaking his hand, he bowed stiffly. “The rest of our group will be along shortly. We’ll need a quick stopover at your outpost if you have room to accommodate us?” The soldier balked and glanced at his comrades for support. Malik stepped forward again. “General Khalid Shin is part of the envoy. I’m sure Commander Rex Saladin would want him to be treated with utmost respect.” He cocked an eyebrow and waited a second more.
“Uh yes, sir. We’ll go back to camp and send a messenger on to Bear Palace announcing your arrival.” He saluted clumsily and wheeled his horse back the way they had come.
Malik watched them go, a satisfied gleam in his eye. He pulled his sword’s point from the dirt and dusted it off on his pant leg before sheathing it once more. Halay and Jarem were wide-eyed. “We’ve been fighting those bastards for days. How did you do that?” Jarem crossed his arms with a huff.
Malik shrugged and grinned as he sheathed his sword and returned to his horse. He paused mid-stride and looked back at Jarem and Halay. “Oh, WaveRunner, one more thing. Been feeling a little gravity logged lately? We can help with that.” His smile widened.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Eli
“Friends, Kaldarians, welcome!” Regent Opher grinned from ear to ear, his freshly dyed red and black hair shining beneath a thousand silver spark lights. The hall was filled with Kaldarian gentry dressed in their best clothes, wearing blood-red jewels. The setting sun sent beams of light like fire through the red stained-glass window, bathing the stone floors in crimson.
Wooden chairs scraped against the stone floors as guests leapt to their feet. Soldiers loitered in the corners, their eyes on the festivities and their hands on their weapons. Eli stood silently to the side with the Mystics. That morning, Thea had introduced them to the other two Mystics brought from their homes from around Mantinea. First was Gaela from Novo, a woman with long blonde hair and hands that fluttered like birds when she called the spark to her. Then, they met heavy-footed Rhett from Antel who looked more warrior than Mystic with thick shoulders and deep-set gray eyes.
Beside him, hard-headed Moriyo hunched low, arms crossed. His dark eyes were melded in shadows and Eli could feel the charge of the spark racing across his skin. They’d been resolute against helping Thea and the Regent until that morning when Thea came to them and led them to the Opher’s personal quarters. They’d all seen the eerie inked footprints marking where Opher had paced back and forth across the floor. With a flourish, Thea had thrown back the curtain and revealed the slumbering Livia and Jade, wife and daughter of the Regent. Try as he might, Eli couldn’t wipe the image of the sleeping women from his mind. The way the sunlight streamed across their porcelain skin through the gigantic windows. How even a heavy prodding couldn’t wake them. “They’ve been like this for weeks,” Thea told them. Around the country and long before the Regent’s own kin, people of Mantinea were succumbing to this sickness. Why hadn’t the Mystics been told?
Eli’s left hand covered his right wrist. The previous day, he’d noticed the rune waking up and giving off a faint glow. Somehow, unbelievably, Rina was not far away. His heart quickened when he first noticed it and he felt joy knowing that she had survived the crash to the ground.
But intermixed with that joy was apprehension. The last time they’d been in the same room, she’d refused his request of marriage. And now, he almost wished she wasn’t on her way. Before that morning, he’d been resolute, sharing the same views as his master teacher. But now, after seeing the Regent’s sleeping relatives and hearing tales about dozens across the country similarly affected, he hesitated. He’d told no one about Rina’s imminent arrival, afraid of putting her in greater danger than she was already walking into.
The Regent began to pace, walking between the rows of round tables, each decorated with silver flowers in cut-glass vases. “Nearly two years ago, you came to me, your Regent, telling of your wives, husbands and children who were falling into a mysterious sleep from which you could not rouse them.” He paused and bowed his head. “And then my own wife and daughter fell ill.” The room hung on his every word and silence blistered as they waited for their Regent to continue. Opher swept his red cape over his shoulder with a flourish of his hand, animated once more. “I consulted with the wise and powerful Thea Winter, our beloved Mystic, who has kept her nose in the scrolls, studying our histories and the terrible outcomes of that fateful battle between Mantinea and the Northlands searching for clues.”
He gestured to the white-haired Mystic, wearing anoth
er silk ensemble of black with a bolt of tulle wrapped around her from her shoulders down to her hips. “Together we approached the Council of Peace and were denied our request to consult and work with Mystics from around the country.” He clasped his hands together, now standing at the front of the room, the glow of the spark lights filling the room as the last rays of sunlight faded behind him. “And so I promised you a different path to a solution. We commissioned a ship, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in generations, and we have the remaining Mystics of Mantinea here with us. Just this morning they have pledged themselves to our cause.”
The crowd erupted in cheers that echoed off the stone walls. Beneath the din, Eli heard Moriyo snort. The Regent was exaggerating. They had in no way pledged themselves to anything. But, they had agreed to try to help. Yet no one had mentioned anything about a vessel. Eli leaned to his left, whispering in Zaid’s ear. “What’s this about a ship? There’s no water nearby.” Kaldar was landlocked. Zaid simply shrugged.
The Regent snatched a glittering goblet off a nearby table. “A toast!” Guests around the room picked up their own glasses and raised them high. “To our fearless warriors who will seek answers from our ancient enemy to the north.” Cries of support echoed around them. “To our crews who have worked day and night to give us this great vessel!” His voice cracked. More shouts and cheers urged him on. “And to our new-found allies who will fuel the journey.” Opher lifted his glass, gesturing at the group of Mystics before downing the contents of his glass as raucous cries erupted from his people.
