Chapter 31
Lexi
The sailors set Ti’s body on the deck of the ship. He looked horrid, and she knew she didn’t have much time to help him. Robere was fretting beside her, wringing his hands with worry.
“Help me,” Lexi said, drawing her Wangorian dagger and sliding it quickly up Ti’s charred pant leg. “We need to cut away his clothes and somehow get that boot off, hopefully before he wakes up.”
The captain was bellowing orders, and the smoke was rising up like a vengeful army behind them. They were safe now, from the fire at least, and away from the dreadful forest. Lexi wanted to lie down and close her eyes, letting the warm sunlight lull her to sleep, but she also wanted food and water. She was famished; her mouth was so dry it was hard to work up enough saliva to swallow. But she knew that would have to wait. They would have to wake Rafe up soon so he could heal himself, and it wasn’t going to be easy.
She cut the pant leg all the way from the tatters around his broken shin up to his hip, then carefully peeled back the wool cloth. Some of it was stuck to the blood on his legs; in other places it was fused to his blistered skin. The smell was horrible, and Lexi could see the broken shin bone stabbing through his blackened flesh.
The boot was burned worse than Tiberius’ flesh. The leather was scarred and deformed, the heat causing it to contract. Lexi sawed at the tough leather with her knife, but it was much more difficult to cut.
“Can we pull it off?” Robere asked.
“Not without hurting the break worse than it already is.”
“Oh, Master Tiberius,” the servant whined. “The smell is dreadful.”
“He’ll lose this leg if we don’t get the boot off,” Lexi said angrily. “And then we’ll probably lose him. Help me.”
Robere held one side of the boot while Lexi pulled on the other. She had to be careful not to cut Tiberius with her dagger as she sliced the boot. Finally, after several minutes of work, the boot came off Tiberius’ foot. There were some blisters, but for the most part, his foot was unscathed. His shin and calf were a completely different matter.
“What now?” Robere asked.
“We have to wake him up,” Lexi said. “He’s the only one who can heal his leg.”
Robere hurried away to fetch a canteen of water. When he came back with it, Lexi stared at the water longingly. Robere poured some water into his hand and patted Tiberius’ cheeks.
“Wake up, Master Tiberius,” he said in a gentle voice.
“Ti!” Lexi shouted at him.
Tiberius’ eyes fluttered, and the pain hit him, pinching his face into a mask of agony. Lexi held his hand, and he squeezed hers tight.
“Tiberius,” she said more calmly. “Your leg is broken and burned. It’s bad, but you’ve got to heal it.”
“Water,” he said, his voice nothing but a scratchy whisper.
Robere lifted Tiberius’ head and dribbled water into Ti’s mouth. His swollen tongue lapped at the water greedily. They took their time, letting him drink and rest a little before he began his spell.
“Are you ready?” Lexi asked.
Tiberius nodded.
“Do you need me to do anything?”
“Don’t let me pass out,” he whispered.
Lexi thought Tiberius looked strong, but she also knew that the healing process was hard on him. She’d seen the pain he experienced when healing other people and the toll it took on his body. She had no idea how difficult healing his own leg would be.
“
Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Ceptum Sarcio Adiflictus Ossis
,” he said softly.
The words meant nothing to Lexi; they were foreign and strange. She had never asked him about the words of his spells, but she thought he seemed wise when he chanted them. Magic was a mysterious force and she always marveled when she saw him wielding it. At first she had been terrified by the very idea of someone using magic. Even growing up alone on the streets of Avondale, she’d learned to fear magic. But the power that Tiberius tapped into was strong and good. He could conjure incredible power, but his spells always seemed to be to help others or to protect his friends. There was nothing selfish or maniacal about Tiberius’ magic. In Lexi’s mind, Tiberius’ magic was simply an extension of his nature.
Ti’s body stiffened, and his face contorted again, but he kept chanting the spell. Lexi watched his leg as the bone slipped back inside the skin and the sickening sight of the slightly crooked leg vanished as the limb took back its proper shape and proportion. Lexi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the worst was over, but Tiberius stopped chanting. His breathing was rapid, and he blinked several times.
“Tiberius,” she said. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, took a deep breath, and started chanting again.
“
Acies Sano Cuticula, Acies Penetralis Resarcio Viscus
,” he said, his voice growing louder with each strange word.
At first Lexi thought Tiberius was getting stronger, but the tone of his voice changed from the strong, determined chant to the wail of a man in great pain. He squeezed her hand hard and kept chanting. Then, suddenly, he started to swoon. His grip relaxed, and his back, which had been arched in pain, flattened. Lexi didn’t hesitate; her free hand lashed out and popped Tiberius hard across his cheek. His eyes opened and for an instance there was a look of rage, but he continued chanting and eventually he slowly calmed down.
The blisters disappeared, one by one. It wasn’t a rapid process, but eventually Tiberius’ leg looked as if nothing had happened to it. Robere gave Tiberius more water and then food. Lexi finally got some water, and even though it was tepid, with a dusty taste, she thought it was the most wonderful thing to ever slide down her throat. She gulped the water ravenously, then leaned back against the ship’s railing while she ate a piece of bread.
“We’re leaving that dreadful forest behind,” Robere said. “I won’t miss it, even if I never see it again.”
“It won’t be there long,” Tiberius said. “It’s burning down.”
“It was rather genius of you to start a fire,” Robere said, his voice brimming with admiration.
“The fire nearly killed him!” Lexi snapped.
“A wind storm blew the ship away from the opening,” Robere explained, ignoring Lexi's criticism. “The captain was forced to cut the ropes holding us in place or risk snapping the masts. We wouldn't have found you without the smoke signal.”
"Of course Dancer couldn't have led you back to us," Lexi muttered.
She looked back and saw the massive cloud of dark smoke and felt a shudder of fear. If the ship hadn’t come along when it did, they would have died a horrible death in that forest. She understood Robere’s sentiments even better than he did.
“So what now?” Lexi asked.
“We go north,” Tiberius said, getting to his feet for the first time since being pulled on board. “Captain! We need to get back to Avondale as fast as possible.”
“Aye, my lord,” the captain said, then began giving orders to his men.
“Should you be on your feet?” Lexi asked, getting up to stand next to Tiberius.
“I’m fine, thanks to you.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Lexi said. “You healed yourself.”
“But you kept me moving. You even got that rope tied around me before I fell.”
“You wouldn’t have fallen,” she said.
“I couldn’t have climbed that rope ladder. Not with a broken leg.”
“If not for your magic, you probably would have lost that leg. Was it difficult to heal yourself?”
“The magic isn’t hard,” Tiberius explained. “But whenever a person works healing magic, they take on their subject’s pain. It’s a magical link, painful, but it allows the wizard to know if his spell is working or making things worse.”
“And you felt your own pain?”
“Yes,” he said. “When I heal myself, the pain doubles.”
“I’m so sorry, Ti,” she said softly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
He felt stronger, more confident and determined, even though she knew he was exhausted. They had pushed themselves hard to get out of the forest, and their race across the canopy had been the most grueling thing Lexi had ever done. Her whole body ached, and her eyes were stinging from fatigue and the smoke from the fire.
“You shouldn’t be sorry. You saved me. You saved me in the forest, you saved me from the fire, and you saved me when I was about to pass out from the pain.”
“We saved each other,” Lexi said. “Going into that well was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Not getting the box, but trusting you completely. I never thought I could trust anyone that much.”
“You can trust me, Lexi. I love you.”
“I know,” she said, resting her head against his chest.
The sound of his heartbeat and the warmth of his arms around her made her feel safe and blissfully happy, which in turn made her feel incredibly sleepy. She tried to stifle a yawn and failed.
“Perhaps we better get some rest,” he suggested.
Lexi nodded and smiled. They went down below the main deck to the small area that had been set up just for the two of them. Lexi was grateful they had a bed, even if it was small and the mattress was thin. She didn’t like the looks of the hammocks and couldn’t imagine sleeping in one. She pulled off her grimy clothes and used some of the water in a basin that Robere had set out to wash herself off.
Tiberius did the same thing. His hands and face were blackened from the smoke of the forest fire. Once they were clean, they slipped under the heavy blanket, and Tiberius curled around behind Lexi.
“Tiberius?” she asked sleepily.
“Yes?”
“Are you sure going back to Avondale is the right thing to do?”
“I have to,” Tiberius said. “I have to stop Leonosis.”
“But without the Emerystone…” She let the thought trail off.
“I still have to try,” he said.
“He’s going to try to kill you. You know that, right?”
“Yes,” Tiberius said sadly.
“And you’re going to have to kill him.”
Ti nodded but didn’t speak. Lexi felt him acknowledging the truth and she wanted to cry. She had no family, and there had been times in her life when all she wanted was a mother to hold her or a father to protect her and make her feel safe. She had spent many cold, hungry nights crying over the loss of people she could barely remember. And now, the person she loved most in the world was going to have to kill his own brother. She couldn’t fathom the pain that caused him.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
“Don’t be—you’re my family now. You and Rafe and Olyva.”
“That’s what Olyva said.”
“She was right.”
“No matter what, I’m staying with you,” she said, feeling suddenly very protective of him.
“Okay,” he said calmly.
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
She felt a shiver of fear, but also a warm, deep love. Her eyes wouldn’t stay open, and even though she knew they were rushing back into danger, she was exactly where she wanted to be.
Chapter 32
Olyva
The camp was a disaster. The evacuees from Avondale were distraught, most of them in shock. Some even refused to leave the sky ship, even though it had been tethered to the ground. Many stood in awe of the blighted lands that weren’t blighted or ruined, and certainly not toxic. Most had never been out of the city section of Avondale, and being in a wide open expanse of the verdant green plains at the foot of the mountain was a shock to their system.
Olyva’s first priority was to get the soldiers focused and organized. The officer Rafe had sent down with the contingent of guards was an older man whose main task in the earl’s war band had been organizing and keeping up with the food and supplies needed for the professional soldiers. He was ideally suited to help Olyva but perhaps a little timid when it came to giving the soldiers orders or planning for the security of the camp.
“Captain Izlon, can we talk?” she asked, walking briskly toward the officer, who was sitting on a crate of turnips.
Izlon looked nervous. He was certainly out of his element, Olyva thought. Not that he would have been more comfortable in Avondale under siege, but it appeared that he was just as skittish about being in the blighted lands as many of the evacuees.
“Of course, my lady,” he said, standing up and pulling the wrinkles from his uniform.
He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes and bright red veins snaking across his plump cheeks. His nose was round and a little too large for his face. The stubble that was taking over his jowly face didn’t help him look any better.
“You are Commander Rafe’s quartermaster?” she asked.
“I am, my lady, although we have no supply chain to manage at the moment.”
“But we have all these supplies.” Olyva waved her hand at the large array of supplies that had been shipped down from Avondale for the evacuees.
“Y-yes,” he stammered. “But these are civilian supplies.”
“For now, they are civilian and military. I want you in charge of them. I need them organized and catalogued, so that there is plenty for both the evacuees and your soldiers.”
“I can do that, my lady,” Izlon said, sounding confident for the first time.
“I also need you to give your men orders.”
“Orders?” Izlon asked, the uncertainty returning.
“Yes, I want those troops who were paladins in Avondale to help the evacuees set up shelters. Then I need half of your war band troops to guard the expedition that will be gathering fuel for our fires. The rest should be formed into a perimeter so that the evacuees see them guarding the camp.”
“All right,” Izlon said.
“You can do this, Captain. I have complete confidence in you. Get your men together and give them their orders. We’re all out of sorts here, but we have the supplies we need and the skills to create a safe, effective camp here.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Your best is more than enough for this task,” Olyva said, smiling at the man.
He bowed his head and turned to the soldiers who were loitering around the supplies. He called them together and began giving them instructions. Olyva stayed only long enough to ensure that Izlon was following her instructions. They had one hundred and fifty soldiers, with half that number being converted paladins. It would be more than enough to keep the camp safe, at least until more evacuees from the city fled down the mountain. When Olyva turned back toward the sky ship, she found her younger sister waiting for her.
Desyra was anxious to help and Olyva knew that just like the other evacuees her sister had been traumatized by leaving the city. Unlike the evacuees, Desyra knew the blighted lands were a lush, vibrant place, but leaving her mother and other sisters was difficult, especially so soon after Cassandra’s death. Olyva knew she should feel some sort of regret at her sister’s passing, but the girls had always been at odds with one another, and since Olyva had been brought back to Hamill Keep by Rafe and Tiberius, Cassandra had been trying to sabotage everything Olyva did.
Staying busy was the best therapy that Olyva could think of. It would do the evacuees good to get busy, as well. And the more people she could convince to join her in setting up the camp, the more quickly they would acclimate to their new environment. That included Olyva’s sister, who seemed anxious to help.
“Desyra,” Olyva said. “We’ll need fuel for fires. Do you think you could organize the other children to help you go and collect the tamaka dung I showed you on our scouting trip?”
“Of course I can,” Desyra said, shaking off her fatigue and sadness. “Do we have baskets?”
“The soldiers should have organized the supplies. Go and see what you can find.”
Of the three hundred evacuees, there were fifty or so men who were willing to work. Many of them had been farmers, tending the terraced crops where the city met the sloping fields high above on the mountaintop. Now they saw limitless potential, and many had begun inspecting the mossy grass that covered the rich, dark soil of the plain. Olyva gathered them together and met with the soldiers.
“Our first priority is to set up shelters,” Olyva said. “There is no twilight in the blighted lands. And with the constant cloud cover, there is no light at night. We’ll need to have the shelters set up and make sure each family has blankets and a fire.”
“What do you burn out here?” asked one of the men.
“We burn dried tamaka dung. I know it sounds disgusting, but it is actually a very efficient and clean fuel source. Desyra is gathering a party of women and children to gather dung for the camp.”
“What are we going to do if one of those monsters comes looking for an easy meal?” asked another of the men.
“There are relatively few of the large beasts you’re referring to,” Olyva said, her toes burrowing down into the soil, alert for even the slightest vibration that might warn her of danger. “With the soldiers that Earl Ageus has sent to guard our camp, we should be safe enough. But in the event of something unforeseen, we can board the sky ship and take to the air.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if we camped on the sky ship?” asked an older man.
“The ship is big enough to carry us all, but not big enough to house us. We need space, and every family needs a shelter of their own. The sky ship stays here in case of emergencies, but our task is to build something we can function out of for a very long time if need be.”
“So we’re to build a city?” asked another man.
“Think of it more as a base of operations,” Olyva explained. “Look around us. Does this look like the foreboding wasteland we’ve always been told the blighted lands were? No, this is a land that is full of opportunities. We have plenty of supplies, including food. There is a fresh water spring nearby. We have soldiers to protect the camp, weapons, and supplies for making shelters. All we need to do now is get organized.”
“What are we waiting for?” said another of the men. “Tell us where to start, my lady.”
Olyva breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid that the evacuees might balk at her plan, making things much harder than they had to be. But most of the evacuees were from the lower sections of the city, and they were only too happy to let Olyva make the decisions. She showed the men where she wanted the shelters erected. Most were simple canvas tents, but in the warm lands below the mountain, there was not much need for stronger shelters. The Hoskali lived in animal skin tents year-round. They might seem insubstantial compared to their homes in Avondale, many of which were carved right into the mountainside itself, but they would soon discover that while the camp didn’t have the amenities they were used to, the blighted lands offered many wonderful benefits that they simply couldn’t get in the city.
The day seemed to fly by. The paladins helped the evacuees set up their camp, then the soldiers focused on their own group of shelters. A large tent was erected in the center of the camp to be a gathering place for the refugees and to keep the camp’s perishable supplies safe from the elements. Each family received a tent that was big enough for three people, and a few needed two tents, but with so few evacuees, there was plenty for all. Each family was provided with a basket of tamaka dung, which was enough for several nights’ worth of fires. Food was passed out, and water gathered.
The soldiers dug a latrine and open spaces were marked off for the children to play in. It took the more timid evacuees a while to overcome their misgivings and move out of the sky ship and into their new shelters, but by mid-afternoon the entire camp was settled. The mood changed from tentative to festive as the day wore on, and everyone seemed to embrace the possibilities that the blighted lands now offered them.
Olyva heard a group of farmers talking about how they could expand their fields. The soil at the bottom of the mountain was ideal for growing vegetables and grains. Everyone expected to be able to return to Avondale eventually, but the base camp would serve as a place where the families could stay and work during the seasons when growing crops was ideal. Greater room meant that larger flocks and herds could be raised and more space in the mountaintop fastness could be given over to new construction.
She felt a sense of elation as the camp slowly pulled together to form a new community. In all her time growing up the daughter of an earl, she had never been included in the governing or planning of the city. She had always thought her father occupied a thankless job with very little benefit for himself. Then meeting Earl Ageus and his family, she saw people who were focused only on what their position could provide for them. Now, having led the evacuees to set up a primitive camp at best, she felt a pride she had never experienced before, but also a yearning to create something even more symbiotic, something tight-knit and focused on a singular goal. At first she thought it was just the urge to start a family. She was married now, and she had dreamed of being a mother most of her life, but the urge felt different somehow. And even though she couldn’t say how she knew or where the knowledge came from, she knew that what she was yearning for was a grove.
The thought was both frightening and at the same time appealing. Her human side didn’t want to disappear or be replaced, and even though she knew logically that the transition begun by the Hosscum grove would not erase her or who she was, there was still a level of fear involved with giving her humanity over to the botanical. She knew she could do that now—it was her choice. The change started by the sentient grove of trees had progressed as she soaked in the direct sunlight up above the mists that cover the blighted lands. But as attractive as that thought was, she knew she could never leave Rafe. She loved him too much, and despite their differences, she wanted a life with him.
Even though there was no change in the light and no way to see the sun setting, Olyva knew that night would fall soon. The sudden shift to complete darkness could be unsettling, so Olyva gave orders to have the fires lit. One large fire was kindled and built up near the communal tent, and from that fire the smaller cooking fires that each family would use were lit. When the blighted lands suddenly plunged into darkness, the camp was prepared, and the evacuees merely marveled at what was to them a new and interesting facet of their strange new home.
Olyva was curious about what was happening in the city high up on the mountain, but she had gone without sleep for a long time, so she settled just outside the small tent occupied by Desyra. The ground was warm and inviting. She lay down, letting the muscles in her legs and back relax and slowly feeling the pressure she was under drain away. She was almost asleep when she felt the earth shudder. She knew that no one in the camp but her had felt the tremor, but she had felt it, and the message it carried was as clear to her as a flash of lightning across the sky. The eruption would happen soon. Everything was ready, and the pressure building inside the ancient volcano was so massive, Olyva realized that nothing in Avondale would be safe.