“At least we have water,” Lexi said.
“Maybe the stone is down there,” Tiberius said. “Maybe we have to go down into the well to find it.”
“Or maybe there’s some foul creature down there waiting to drag us under the water and eat us.”
“Come on, we have to know. We came all this way.”
“You sound a little obsessed, Ti. It makes me nervous.”
“Okay, what if I shine my light down into the water? Maybe we can see what’s down there.”
Lexi nodded, and Tiberius lowered his magical light. The tiny sphere dropped down into the hole. The reflection from the water only grew brighter as the light approached. They couldn’t see anything below its surface.
“Here goes nothing,” Tiberius said.
The light moved through the water without disturbing the liquid at all, but as soon as the light passed through the surface, their reflections disappeared. They could see inside the murky depths. The sides of the well below the surface were covered in a thick sludge, and as the light drifted down, they could see the bottom of the well far below. At the bottom was what looked like a metal box.
“That’s it!” Lexi said. “That box has to be it.”
“It is,” Tiberius said. “But we can’t get it.”
“What? Why?”
“Because that isn’t water,” Tiberius said grimly. “It’s some sort of oil. If you tried to swim in it, you’d drown—plus it would coat your nose and mouth. You’d suffocate even if you were able to reach the surface.”
“But there has to be a way to get it out,” Lexi said. “We can’t give up.”
“They put it down there so no one would be able to get it out. If you lowered a torch down there, the oil would ignite. This whole room would be filled with fire in an instant. No one could survive.”
“So the only way to know the stone was down there would be to use magic?” Lexi asked.
“I guess so.”
“Then maybe this,” Lexi waved her hands around her, “is all a test. Maybe the stone was left where only a wizard could find it.”
“You mean to get the stone you have to prove yourself?”
“That right. You have to use your magic to get the stone, Tiberius. It’s the only way.”
Chapter 16
Olyva
Coming out of the mist felt like a huge victory for Olyva. They had been forced to camp overnight in the gray mists that covered the blighted lands after fighting the brown-furred creature the day before. Olyva knew that Rafe would be worried, and Desyra was more than a little afraid, but more than any of them, Olyva was worried about herself. She had passed through the mists easily enough on the trip down the mountain, but the mist’s strange absence of light—combined with the steep uphill trek—had taxed Olyva almost more than she could bear.
It had taken half a day to emerge from the mists, and by the time they made it out into the bright sunlight above the foggy barrier, Olyva had no strength left. Desyra had been forced to carry their heavy pack and had gone without breakfast, but she was still in much better shape than Olyva.
“I just need to rest another minute,” Olyva said, collapsing on the ground.
“What’s wrong?” Desyra said. “Isn’t the sunlight helping?”
“It is,” Olyva said. “I’m just tired, that’s all. A few more minutes and I’ll be fine.”
The sun did feel glorious, and part of Olyva wanted to stand up, strip away her clothes, and let every inch of her skin soak up the intoxicating rays. But she was simply too tired. She lay on the ground instead, her whole body aching with fatigue.
She must have fallen asleep, although she didn’t mean to, for the next thing she knew, a group of soldiers had surrounded her, and Rafe was kneeling over her.
“She just collapsed,” Desyra said. “The climb was difficult.”
Olyva blinked in the bright sunshine. Rafe’s face was worried, and she could hear Desyra gulping water.
“Here, drink a little,” Rafe was saying.
He had a canteen in his hands. Olyva really wanted to pour the water over her feet, but she didn’t want to frighten the soldiers, who were already looking around nervously. They didn’t like being outside the city walls, but they would just have to get used to it, Olyva thought.
“Thank you,” she whispered, as she sipped the water. “I’m okay.”
“You look exhausted,” Rafe said. “What took you so long?”
“This!” Desyra proclaimed as she rolled out the brown-furred skin of the animal that Olyva had slain. “We were attacked, but Olyva killed it, and I helped her skin it.”
“You killed this?” Rafe asked, looking at the brown fur.
Olyva could smell the rotting flesh that was still stuck onto the animal’s skin. She had done her best to cut as much of the fat and sinew from the hide as she could, but she didn’t have the right tools.
“It attacked us,” Olyva said. “Yesterday. Just before we reached the mists.”
The soldiers were all talking in admiring tones about Olyva’s kill. Desyra was beaming with pride, but Olyva still felt weak. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, but she knew she needed time to recover.
“Come on,” Rafe said. “Let’s get you back in the city.”
The journey into Avondale was not what Olyva had hoped for. The rumors and concerns over the buildup of the earl’s war band had grown into a palpable sense of mistrust. Olyva could see it on the faces of the people they passed as Rafe escorted her to the earl’s palace. Leading them down the mountain would not be an easy task, and it was imperative that she regained her strength. If she didn’t bounce back quickly, she wouldn’t be good for anything.
“Take me up to the rooftop,” Olyva told Rafe.
“The earl wants to see you,” he explained.
“I need sunlight. I’m so weak.”
“What has happened?”
“I don’t know for sure.”
“She grew tired in the mists,” Desyra explained. “We shouldn’t have camped there.”
“Maybe she’s right,” Olyva said. “I don’t know. But the climb today was so taxing. And poor Desyra, she’s had nothing to eat.”
“Well, we can fix that,” Rafe said. “I’ll see that your hide gets tanned. Why don’t you run to the kitchens and find something to eat?”
“Okay,” Desyra said excitedly. She was eternally optimistic and full of joy.
“How was the trip?” Rafe asked in a worried tone, once Desyra was gone. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
“I did,” Olyva said.
“But you’re hurt. Did that animal injure you?”
“No, I’m not hurt. I’m just weak. I need sunlight and water.”
“Here, drink some more,” Rafe said, holding out the canteen.
“I need it on my feet,” Olyva said. “I know that sounds strange but—”
“No, it’s not strange, my love. It’s just you, and I love you. Come on, I’ll get you to the roof.”
Olyva would have preferred a grassy meadow, with soft soil to dig her toes into. Instead, she settled for climbing up onto one of the long planters that decorated the top of the earl’s palace. She let her toes wiggle into the rich soil as Rafe poured water over her feet. The sun on her face and arms felt wonderful, but the cool water soaking into her root-like toes was ecstasy.
“I’ll bring the earl to you,” Rafe said. “I don’t think he’ll mind the distraction.”
Rafe hurried away, but Olyva raised her arms and stood perfectly still. She had grown to love stillness. When she stood with her arms upraised, her feet rooted in the ground, she felt strong. But she was also more perceptive, with every sense attuned to the air around her and the earth beneath. She could taste the different scents that drifted through the air. In Avondale, she could smell the wide variety of cooking meats and baking breads. She could smell the animals that were used by the farmers on the lowest level of the city and the tanneries where skins were stretched, scraped, softened, and sometimes smoked to add color. The waste that was the bane of any city was especially pungent but not repulsive.
Each scent told Olyva a story. And sounds carried on the winds, too. She could hear the buzz of hundreds of voices. From the forest that surrounded the lake at the center of Avondale’s cone-shaped summit, she could hear the swaying of branches and the scratch of pine needles rubbing together. And even though she wasn’t planted on the ground, she could still feel the movement taking place deep inside the mountain. There was a great pressure building, and heat was rising, changing the very pressure of the air above the mountain. The palace roof was one of the highest points in the city, and Olyva felt the currents that flowed through the air, reading the scents and sounds from faraway places. And all because she had learned to be still and listen.
She heard Rafe and the earl coming up the steps to the rooftop before they arrived and decided that it might be better if she came down from the planter and met with the earl in a more common fashion. She didn’t want her changes to distract him from the important news she brought.
Stepping down from the planter, her legs felt weak. She leaned back against the stone planter for support as Rafe escorted the earl onto the roof. The tension on the earl’s face was easily recognizable. It radiated out from him like a bad odor, but Olyva felt only sympathy for the man. His own son was bringing an army to destroy him, and she couldn’t fathom what that kind of pain felt like.
“You have returned,” the earl said, trying to smile.
“Yes, my lord. And I have found a suitable place to take the citizens of Avondale when the time comes. There is ample water, and the journey will be relatively easy.”
“Easy enough for wagons?” the earl asked.
“I believe so,” Olyva said. “There are dangers, of course, but not from the land itself. Your soldiers should be more than able to hold back any animal attack.”
“Olyva made a kill on her own, yesterday,” Rafe said.
“Yes, that news has already reached me. They say the fur you took is quite exotic.”
“I was defending myself and my sister,” Olyva said. “I only took the hide because it seemed a waste to leave it. I doubt the tanners will have time to do anything with it.”
“It was still a prize,” the earl said. “There may be very few in the weeks ahead. Why do you doubt that the skin can be tanned. Do you have more to report?”
“I do, my lord. It is the mountain. I fear an eruption is inevitable. I can feel the pressure building up below the city.”
“You can feel the pressure?” the earl asked, obviously suspicious.
“I know it sounds strange,” Olyva said. “But I can feel it. I can feel changes in air pressure, and there is a massive buildup of pressure within the mountain. There is movement, too, but you know that already. Something is stirring the mountain to life.”
Earl Ageus looked down at Olyva’s feet. They were muddy, her long toes covered in wet soil from the planter. Then he looked up and into her eyes.
“I’ve always been good at reading people,” he said. “I can almost always tell when a person is lying. I didn’t see many things in my children because I didn’t want to see them. But I can tell when someone isn’t being honest with me. What I need to know is if you really can sense what you claim to feel or if you’re insane.”
“My lord,” Rafe said. “She saved our lives more than once in the blighted lands. She predicted rain, and it rained. She knew one of the huge creatures was coming, so we were able to prepare. And she saved an entire tribe of Hoskali people from a poisoned stream.”
“Well, I suppose I have very little to lose,” the earl said. “If you’re wrong and nothing happens, then the citizens can return to their homes no worse for wear. But the war band will stay, of course. How much time do you think we have?”
“I really don’t know,” Olyva said. “I can feel the pressure building and I might be able to give a warning, but not enough to evacuate the city. I doubt it would be enough to save myself if the mountain erupts the way I’m afraid it will.”
“But you’re confident that everyone will be safe at the bottom of the mountain?”
“I am,” Olyva said.
“All right, I’ll gather the people,” Earl Ageus said. “Rafe, send runners. I want the entire city at the main gate in three hours. Will you be ready to lead them out tomorrow?”
“Yes, my lord,” Olyva said, feeling a tremor of fear as she answered.
“How long will it take to get everyone down?”
“The journey by foot will take a full day,” Olyva said. “But the elderly and children could be carried down by sky skip. The vessel from Hamill Keep is perfectly suited for such duty.”
“That’s true,” the earl said thoughtfully. “We could move down supplies that way as well. There is still much to be done. Thank you for taking our people to safety.”
“It is my honor to serve, Lord Ageus.”
The earl and Rafe strode swiftly away, and Olyva stood watching for moment. She wasn’t sure what she could accomplish in just one evening. She still felt very tired, but she needed to speak to her mother. Countess Mauryn would not like the fact that Olyva had volunteered to use the Hamill Keep sky ship as a ferry to take people down the mountain.
Chapter 17
Leonosis
Draggah was impatient. He had reveled in the freedom he felt leaving Sparlan Citadel, but that joy had quickly faded. The voyage across the sea of mist that covered the blighted lands was dull by any standard. Even in a grand ship of war, which the royal sky ship was, the seemingly endless expanse of mist was tedious. Draggah, whose eyesight was more keen than Leonosis’ (or anyone’s on the ship, for that matter), still had nothing to look at, but he paced the command deck just the same.
Unlike the other sky ships, the Sparlan Citadel vessel was fully armed. There were catapults in the bow and archery stations along the rails. On the bottom of the ship, there were small bay doors that could be opened to allow the ship to drop fire bombs (or anything else) down on any helpless creature below. The ship carried a contingent of the king’s guard, even though the sailors were all armed and trained in warcraft. The main deck was more narrow than the lavish ship from Avondale or the broad supply vessel from Hamill Keep. There was an elevated deck at midships where the captain saw to the sailing of the vessel, but an even taller deck was situated at the stern and was for the private use of the king. The command deck was also the roof of the king’s compact, but opulent stateroom.
From the height of the command deck, Draggah could see everyone on the main deck and out on the rigging or masts. A shouted order could be heard by everyone, including the captain, who had no illusions about who was in control of the vessel. Draggah had enjoyed watching his underlings scurrying about the ship, making sure all was well. He also enjoyed looking behind the vessel, where his magnificent fleet of warships spread out in a well ordered formation.
But leaving Sparlan Citadel was not easy for Draggah. Leonosis, prisoner though he was in his own body, could feel the strain the distance from the capital put on the demon. Something—Leonosis had no idea what it was—tied Draggah to that particular mountain. Draggah retained full control over Leonosis, but he had dropped his hold over the other earls. Life would go on in those cities just as it always had. The demon had learned as much as he needed about each one and ensured that Leonosis’ coronation had been properly carried out. Now, the noble families of each city could fight over the right to be the next earl; Draggah had no interest in their local politics. Soon, the demon planned to enslave them all, and when that time came, he would have the Balestone, ensuring that no one could stop him.
Leonosis had also been given a reprieve from the constant torment the demon usually inflicted on him. The demon had removed as much of his mind from Leonosis as possible, even erecting a barrier of sorts. Leonosis didn’t understand it and he didn’t care. He had no control over his body, but he finally had the demon out of his mind. He could think whatever he wanted, and Draggah was none the wiser. Leonosis knew the demon could return at any moment and lay bare all of Leo’s most secret thoughts, but he couldn’t help but ponder the fact that Draggah seemed weaker the farther they traveled.
In fact, as Leonosis thought about things, Draggah had been confined to the space at the center of the castle when he’d arrived. Draggah had been trying to take control of the king’s son, but the poor child simply wasn’t strong enough to host the vile demon. When Leonosis, full of arrogant pride, had forced himself on Princess Ariel, she had revealed the true power in Sparlan Citadel, and Draggah had found a new home inside Leonosis. But Leo couldn’t help but hope that the demon’s hold over him was slipping.
Food was brought for Leonosis, but he refused to eat. Leonosis suffered the pangs of starvation with absolutely no way to feed his body. The demon rarely allowed Leonosis to sleep. Leo’s mind sometimes wandered, falling into a dreamlike state, but his physical body was wasting away. It was a horrid torture, and Leonosis felt as though every nerve in his body was crying for relief, but he couldn’t solve the problem while Draggah retained control of his physical body.
The wind was cold, but Draggah didn’t seem to care. The sun, when its rays weren’t blocked by the massive hylum sail overhead, scorched his exposed skin, but there was nothing Leonosis could do but suffer.
Princess Ariel was on the lavish ship as well, but she had her own stateroom and she rarely emerged from it. Leonosis longed to see her, to speak with her and share his misery, but Draggah wouldn’t let him speak. He was as lonely as he’d ever been, and the isolation was starting to play tricks with his mind. He let his thoughts turn inward and he dreamed about death. If he could die, he reasoned, he would be free from his body and therefore free from the demon.
Days had passed since they had left Sparlan Citadel, but in the lingering daze Leonosis drifted in, he couldn’t tell how long the journey had taken. He was in a state of numb, uncomprehending limbo when he felt a sudden thrill. It was as if a jolt of excited happiness had suddenly shot through his weary mind. It shocked Leonosis back into a fully conscious state, and through Draggah’s enhanced vision, he could see a dark spot in the distance. The day was growing late, and the sun was beginning to drift down toward the horizon behind them, but something was clearly visible in the distance. And only one thing would be visible above the mists. It was Avondale, the glorious city, sitting on the pinnacle of the ancient volcano like a king’s crown.
“Finally,” Draggah uttered.
The jolt of excitement had pierced the wall between the demon’s mind and Leonosis’ own thoughts, but now the barrier was fully back in place. Still, Leonosis was a silent observer to all that happened.
“Food!” Draggah bellowed. “And wine! Summon my queen and raise the war flag.”
There was a sudden flurry of activity. Servants appeared with a folding table and chair. Food was brought. There was fruit, cheese, bread, puddings, seasoned fowl, a variety of vegetables, and desserts dripping with honey and dotted with candied nuts.
A large crystal goblet was filled with wine, and Draggah took his seat at the table. He ate with no thought to the food’s taste, but Leonosis marveled over every succulent morsel. He was so giddy at being fed he wanted to cry, but he dared not draw the demon’s attention. The wine spread a warmth through Leonosis’ body that it hadn’t felt since leaving Sparlan Citadel. And the tired, cramping muscles relaxed somewhat.
“You summoned me,” Queen Ariel said irritably as she climbed the wide staircase that led to the command deck.
“Our prize is in sight,” Draggah said.
“Where?” the queen asked, turning around to look for Avondale. “I don’t see anything.”
“Use your powers, fool,” Draggah taunted. “How quickly you forget your own abilities.”
“
Ultimus Conspectus
,” Ariel said softly.
She had cast the spell almost under her breath, but Leonosis heard her. He was riveted by the very sight of her. Ariel was the one person who knew of his enslavement. She alone had not forgotten him, he was certain of that. They were fellow victims of Draggah’s evil machinations, a bond that Leonosis hoped wouldn’t break.
“And now you see,” Draggah almost cooed. “The Balestone is close—I can feel it. The earl’s son won’t be able to keep it from me. I shall tear down that wretched city brick by brick if that is what it takes to find him. Then, we shall have our victory, my sweet.”
Leonosis suddenly felt ill. Draggah was going to destroy Avondale, and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it. Leonosis always felt a pang of regret when Draggah unleashed his merciless fury on a lowly servant or disappointing soldier, but those were minor losses. In truth, even though Leonosis didn’t want to see anyone fall under Draggah’s influence or fury, he didn’t care for the lives of those people. Other than Queen Ariel, Leonosis didn’t care about anyone. But he cared about Avondale. It was his home. It was beautiful and strong, yet Leonosis had no doubt that Draggah would happily raze it to the ground to achieve his purposes.
“And I shall rule, remember that. You promised me that I would rule over the nine cities,” Ariel said in an almost petulant whine.
“Of course—I have no interest in the lives of mortals, only in their suffering. Soon,” Draggah said happily, his lips smacking and still wet from wine, “my conquest will be complete.”
The laughter that followed was wicked, and even though it came from Leonosis’ physical body, it was clearly not human. Leo tried to block out the sound but he couldn’t. Nor could he keep from seeing the terror of the hardened soldiers who heard it and looked to the command deck to see their king, cackling like a mad man. If only they knew, Leonosis thought. If only they could comprehend what Draggah planned to do to them, to Valana, to the entire world, they would throw themselves from the sky ship and welcome their deaths gladly. But no one knew the depravity that awaited, only Leonosis. And he couldn’t tell a soul.