Rise of Legends (The Kin of Kings Book 2) (5 page)

The energy here was all bastial, not sartious, and the world here was completely composed of it. The ground was crimson and sizzling. It had taken Sanya quite some time to get used to the sound. She figured it was hot in most places, especially where it moved in waves as if alive, but she couldn’t feel it against her feet when she tested it. In fact, she could feel none of the terrain made out of energy. The only thing she could feel were the thousands of spirits around her. They were like leaves in the fall, many similar to each other but none identical. They drifted about as if carried by an unseen wind, all of them calm until another portal opened.

Basen was creating holes without knowing it, and there was no way for Sanya to tell him without revealing who she was. Each hole lasted only until the portal was closed, but the suction power of even small holes could rip apart spirits a mile away. Sanya couldn’t keep track of all the spirits, but it was clear thousands had faded in the last few months.

The deep red land stretched for a hundred, sometimes two hundred yards between spirits. It was sunken more in areas where bastial energy had been gathered for spells over the years, though some of the chasms had been formed in a single day. The great battle between Kyrro and Tenred had resulted in a twisting fissure starting near the Academy’s eastern wall and snaking toward Lake Kayvol for miles. Of course she couldn’t see the Academy’s wall in this world, nor anything else that had been built by any mortal. But the water of the enormous lake, she could. It shimmered and seemed to defy color, a swirling mix of brilliant oranges and yellows as if a sun had melted.

It was difficult to communicate with the spirits, as she was able to sense only their emotions. The strongest feelings were those of her mother’s spirit, who Sanya always found to be nearby when she entered this world. She figured her mother was able to feel Sanya’s presence in the same way, even when they were separated between the physical and spiritual worlds. Now that they were in the same world, however, Sanya could feel Lori as if she were still alive. It was comforting every time she was back in her mother’s presence, but it wouldn’t compare to when she finally brought Lori back into a body and could feel her touch.

Sanya wanted to tell her mother to travel away from this area in case she failed to kill Basen. But it didn’t seem as if Lori could hear her. Every time Sanya had spoken, her mother’s energy hadn’t changed. All Sanya could do was convey fear and then love. Her mother always had the same response to that: comfort and a heavy sense of peace, as if nothing could bother Lori and she wanted Sanya to feel the same.

She wants me to know that everything’s going to be fine. It’s what she always told me when I was a child, even when my father separated us so he could continue his experiments without interference.

Another portal opened, stretching her mother’s energy toward it along with all the other spirits Sanya could sense. She cared about none of them but Lori’s, holding it steady.

Lori’s spirit would’ve disintegrated by now like the others that had entered this world around the same time, but Sanya had been repairing her mother’s energy, replenishing her life as if Sanya were nursing a child. Lori needed so little, and Sanya could replenish her own in the physical world by eating and sleeping, so there was no risk of running out. She just wished she’d come to her abilities sooner so she could’ve kept her sister’s spirit alive as well.

Basen continued to open portals, but it was no longer a threat with Sanya now retaining her mother’s energy, keeping her spirit whole.

He’s not just practicing. He’s trying to anger me.

But Sanya had learned to control her temper. It was the only way to hide her true self. Letting go of her constant rage was one of the most difficult things she’d ever taught herself, but it was the first step toward the new Sanya, the one who eventually charmed Tauwin Takary into an engagement. Of course, psyche helped immensely with that as well.

Sanya stayed with her mother, soon losing track of the number of portals Basen continued to open. Many spirits came apart because of him. Sanya didn’t know where they went. She assumed that they simply ceased to exist.

She figured Basen would return home once he was finished trying to lure her. That’s when she’d kill him. She first had to return to her body, which was more difficult after taking the safli potion. It always felt like trying to emerge from a nightmare. A few times she’d been trapped in the spiritual world, panicking that she’d never get back out. But returning to her body always became easier the more time she spent away from it, as if the spiritual world knew she didn’t belong there and wanted to expel her.

She felt something among the spirits, a familiarity like she felt with her mother. Sanya beckoned it toward her. The spirit was fresh and strong. Years would not undo it. She could feel its curiosity as it obeyed her calling.

Just as she recognized it, Alex’s spirit recognized her as well, stopping suddenly. Sanya knew she didn’t resemble the other spirits. She was shaped like a woman rather than a cluster of bright colors. Alex must’ve known she wasn’t dead. He rushed toward her in anger, frightening her mother, who scurried away and wanted Sanya to follow.

From all the time Sanya had been with her mother’s spirit, she knew these weren’t fully thinking beings. They contained the essence of the person they used to be—this she could sense just as if they were still in the physical world—but they gave Sanya little sense of actual life. They seemed to function more on instincts, a base set of feelings like curiosity and fear, as if they were infants. It confused her enough to go back and forth between thinking of them as the actual people who had died or as just spirits lacking mind and body.

Alex’s rage was the first sign there might be more to them than instincts.

She didn’t know why it comforted her to have found his spirit, but she realized she wanted to keep him intact as well. Fortunately, he didn’t need her support. He had the will to stay alive.

Unfinished business, surely.

CHAPTER FIVE

“Sanya?” Someone was shaking her shoulder. “Sanya.”

Weakened by the crippling drowsiness, she could only manage to grumble. Soon she had the strength to crack open one eye and found Alabell standing over her bed.

“Bastial hell, I was worried. I couldn’t wake you. Are you sick?”

Sanya groaned as she sat up. “No. You worry too much. Why’d you wake me?”

When Alabell stepped back in alarm, Sanya realized what sound she’d let out of her throat. In her unguarded state, her old voice had come out. It was shrill and grating with a deeply annoyed undertone.

“I’m sorry,” Alabell said, clearly surprised. “I just wanted to tell you that Cleve and Reela are outside Basen’s house. I’m going over there to speak with them for a little while, but I didn’t want to leave you alone without you knowing. You certainly sleep deeply. I practically had to hit you before you awoke.”

Sanya laid her heavy head down, breathing out her tension. “Go ahead,” she uttered in her friendly voice. “I might meet you there soon if I don’t fall back asleep.”

As she struggled to stay awake against the safli potion’s lasting effects, she watched Alabell regard her nervously before leaving her room. Sanya heard their front door open and then shut, and then came the lock.

Sanya chuckled at the healer’s overabundance of caution. Basen’s house was next to theirs, just twenty yards away. She went to her window and watched Alabell approach Cleve and Reela. What were the most skilled warrior and psychic of the academy doing there?

Sanya’s heart fell as she realized the answer.
Guarding Basen so he can sleep.

She tried to think of a new plan as she went to investigate her secret compartment. The wooden panel seemed to be just as she’d left it. If any of the searchers had found it, they’d returned it to its original state. She hid her silver dagger and remaining safli potion there, then disrupted the bastial energy from the akorell bracelet in her pocket before putting it in as well. They might search her when she tried to get into Basen’s room, so she couldn’t bring any weapons. She knew he had a dagger and a sword somewhere in his room. She just had to be alone with him.

Sanya changed into her nightgown and threw on a fur coat over it. She went before the mirror in her room, fluffed her ash-brown hair and then rubbed her amber eyes. She’d used psyche on Basen every time she noticed him looking into her eyes, and now they gave him a sense of comfort, of home. Even if he’d grown suspicious of her, she knew she could find a way to regain his trust. It was getting past Cleve and Reela that would be difficult.

She’d spoken to Cleve about psyche and learned that he’d encountered one of the strongest psychics in the world in Greenedge, the only known continent across The Starving Ocean. Because of constant training with one of Reela’s brothers, he was able to resist the psychic’s spells enough to escape with his life. Part of his tale wasn’t true, but she was familiar enough with Cleve to know he wouldn’t exaggerate or boast. She figured that instead of escaping, he’d probably killed the psychic and didn’t wish to talk about it.

Reela was likely to be better than Cleve at resisting psyche. As a half Elf who grew up with Ovira’s most powerful psychic, she had the best chance against Sanya if it came to a duel. But Sanya would never let it get that far. They couldn’t find out she was a psychic, which meant she dared only to sense their emotions and would do nothing to change them. She even had to be careful with how she sensed their energy. If she let her mind venture too deep, they could sense her presence.

To make matters less complicated, she waited for Alabell to return first.

“Is Basen still awake?” Sanya asked.

“I’m not sure. I only spoke with Cleve and Reela. Are you going over there?” Alabell glanced down at the nightgown spilling out from the bottom of Sanya’s coat and gave an expression of disapproval.

“I think I am. I haven’t spoken to him at all.”

“And you might sleep there?”

“Only if he wants my company.” Seeing Alabell’s eyes drop, Sanya used a soothing tone. “Nothing will happen. We’re only friends.”

Alabell dismissed the implication with a wave. “Do what you wish. It doesn’t affect me.”

Sanya didn’t call her on her lie. She kissed Alabell on the cheek, then left.

Cleve and Reela promptly turned to face Sanya just after she closed her front door. Mimicking Alabell, she locked it and then chuckled to herself at the absurdity of it.

When she was close enough to speak in a hushed voice, she asked, “Does Terren expect you both to be out here every night?”
If not, then tomorrow might be a better option.

“We volunteered,” Cleve said in his dry voice.

“Actually, Cleve volunteered us.” Reela yawned.

Sanya laughed as she sensed their emotions. Good, there was no suspicion. “I didn’t get a chance to speak to Basen today.”

“We should let him sleep,” Reela interrupted before Sanya could say more.

She glanced back at her house. Psyche told her Alabell was in Sanya’s dark room, watching through the window.

“I just want to make sure he knows I’m here to help if there’s anything I can do,” Sanya persisted.

Reela frowned. “You should speak with him tomorrow.”

“I might not get a chance tomorrow. Cleve can attest that I don’t spend much time in the dining hall, and there’s nowhere else for me to meet him.”

“Let’s see if he’s awake and let him answer for himself,” Cleve said.

Reela appeared reluctant but agreed.

They went around to Basen’s window, which was already open, to Sanya’s surprise. Basen leaned against the inside wall. “Hello, Sanya,” he said in his cool tenor.

She smiled. “You heard us?”

“No, I’ve just been like this for an hour, hoping someone would come around.”

Reela sighed. “You should be sleeping.”

“I can’t seem to sleep knowing people are staying awake at my expense. Perhaps some company will help.” He left his room and disappeared into the hall. Sanya went around to the front of the house as he opened the door. Reela clasped her shoulder before she went in.

“Just try not to keep him up any longer than he needs to be.” Reela sounded genuinely worried about Basen’s health.

“Whatever Basen wants,” Sanya agreed.

“I can’t tell if I feel like a king or a prisoner,” Basen joked.

It reminded Sanya of a quote she thought of often.
A king is a prisoner to his own power.

Once she and Basen entered his room, he went across to close his window. Sanya shut the door behind her and glanced around for his weapons. His wand was on his dresser, across from his bed. His sword and dagger were in sheaths leaning against his wardrobe, extremely accessible. She held back a grin.

“Is Annah here?” Sanya asked, though she already knew the answer.

“She’s in her room, probably not sleeping so she can stay awake worrying about me. We contemplated sharing a room until the murderer attacks, but we’re trying to keep our relationship at a level of friendship, and sharing a bed makes that difficult.”

“I see.”

They both awkwardly eyed the bed, then each other. Basen sat down and patted beside him. Sanya gladly accepted his invitation, sitting close and tucking her arm around his.