Shine: The Knowing Ones (35 page)

Trin and Sam both felt the oncoming energy as it approached the small cottage. Trin released Sam, pushed away the blankets and stood. Sam was well warmed and fully alert but still weak. The door swung open. Anvil entered with a gust of frigid wind forcing its way in behind him. He turned, closing it in a rush and turned. “She is awake,” he said in surprise.

“She’s still pretty weak,” Trin replied.

Anvil crossed the room. Sam glanced up at him with a sweet recognition. “I just met you a few days ago,” she smiled. He returned her smile with the utmost sincerity, concealing a breaking heart—the cruel resemblance overwhelming. She extended a hand from underneath the quilt. “I’m Sam.”

His reverent touch sent a jolt of sadness through her. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” he replied. Anvil released her hand and turned to Trin, hesitant at first. “I need your help,” he said. “I have been to the council. They know you are here and are aware of what has occurred. They also feel this wasn’t a mistake. Llamar has just seen Ashbel in the mines.”

Trin nodded.

Anvil looked at him in surprise. “You knew this?”

“I’m positive that’s where I was when I found Sam.”

“He has gone back,” Anvil replied. “We have been looking for him for months. We cannot lose this opportunity, especially now. He has too many answers and must be stopped. The council is convinced, just as I am, that your being here is not by chance—especially now that we know Chernobog is involved. I cannot fight him alone,” he said. “I know you were instructed to return...” He looked earnestly at Trin. “I am asking you to stay and help me find Ashbel. Together I believe we can defeat him and prevent Chernobog from crossing.”

Trin’s eyes burned with loyalty. All his life he had watched Anvil push forward through his grief—an unbreakable vessel of humility
and charity, never able to help him and forever wanting to. “Done,” he said.

Anvil’s burdened energy gleamed in gratitude.

Trin looked down at Sam. “I’ll need a guarantee Sam will be safe,” he said. “I can’t leave her unprotected.”

“We will take her to the castle and leave her in the protection of the council. You can shield her.”

“He broke my shield, Anvil,” Trin said. “She was shielded when he took her from me. We aren’t just dealing with Ashbel’s power. What Ashbel can do now is
not
Veduny.”

Anvil’s eyes filled with resolve. “We will take her to the sanctuary.”

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

T
he deep blackness lit up with brilliant light as Ashbel appeared in the center of the space. Intensifying his own energy, he created enough light to search the sealed cavern.

The room was empty. The Oracle was gone.
Impossible.
A ragged fury welled up within him. How could she have mustered the energy? His binding was impenetrable. He analyzed the energy in the room, focusing on the area he had placed her in and began breaking down the elements left behind.

A sharp masculine charge intermingled within the Oracle’s energy. He focused, dissecting the information. His expression darkened, eyes blazing. He had tracked this energy for far too long not to recognize it. He stood more erect in profound disbelief, venomous rage brewing within him. His eyes lifted to the engraving in the stone above him. He had to find her before the first hour of winter solstice or it would all be over. He had not come this close to fail now. He focused his intention and a blinding conduit opened, taking him instantly from deep within the mines to the top, appearing on the outside as the conduit closed.

Winter wind howled around him as he opened his psyche. His aura ruptured in a powerful darkness, rolling off of him, crawling, spreading, extending past him, moving forward throughout the area covering every exposed surface, a continual reading covering more ground as it went. His darkened, feral essence crawled across the frozen landscape in uninterrupted continuity, searching for the signature energy that belonged to the Oracle and to her Keeper. He
would search every last acre until he had covered the entire mountainside.

Trin pulled his shirt and jacket back on and helped Sam to her feet. The blankets fell away revealing her scant costume. Anvil turned in shock, averting his eyes. Trin grinned, suppressing a laugh at his mentor’s unexpected discomfort. He grabbed Mikhail’s coat and helped Sam into it.

“You are a ballet dancer,” Anvil said, staring at the wall.

“Yes,” Sam said, throwing Trin a look. He shook his head and lifted her into his arms. “She needs something warmer,” Trin said. “She’ll freeze to death in this.”

Anvil nodded. “Anavi will have something she can wear. Her things will fit.”

Trin’s eyes gleamed, amused. “You can turn around now.”

Anvil turned, nodded and walked toward the door. Trin followed as Anvil pulled it open. His keen instincts bristled, throwing up a hand to his successor. “Stop.”

Trin glanced up. “What is it?”

The wind howled outside the solid walls of the cottage, morphing, swirling. Anvil’s irises lit, holding tight to the door frame, unmoving. He lifted his eyes to the hills, stretching beyond the castle. “He is searching for her.” He turned to Trin. “...and for you. He’s scanning the entire mountainside. These walls will not hide your energy.”

Trin tensed. “How long do we have?”

“Minutes. We must get you up the hill to the castle,” he said. “He will put it together if he finds energy in this cottage, even if it is just mine. There is no reason for me to be down here. I brought a horse down for you. If we ride quickly we can make it, but we must leave right now.” He pulled the door open as Trin raced through it with Sam in his arms, ignoring the biting winds.

Both men lifted Sam onto the front of the horse. Trin put his foot in the stirrup, threw his leg over the horse, grabbing the reins in one hand, his other arm tightly around Sam and took off into the wind up the hill with Anvil directly behind him. They charged toward the castle, Anvil meticulously monitoring his brother’s search as they went. The
speed and intensity of Ashbel’s search had increased. Anvil caught up to Trin. “He’s sending it from the top of the mines,” he yelled through the howling winds. “He is still there but his energy is nearly here.”

Trin looked in the direction of the Ivanova mines. Darkened, toxic energy rolled across the landscape like lava, covering everything, not a single hole, fracture, or inconsistency anywhere. The Veduny castle lay right in its path.

“Faster!” Anvil called out.

Trin snapped the reins, leaning forward, his muscular arm flexing around Sam like steel. She held on to him praying they would make it.

The horses raced through the final stretch of land to the back of the castle. As they neared the stone steps that led to the massive veranda, Sam lifted her eyes to the hills. Rancid energy peaked over the ridge leading down to the castle. She gasped. No amount of stone or any other substance would hide them from its penetrating power.

She turned.
“Trin,”

He glanced up at the massive ridge as the turbulent energy scoured every minute molecule it came into contact with. Reaching the stables they raced through the massive doors. Two horses out of place would flag them as well. Trin dismounted; reaching up to Sam. She leaned toward him, falling into his arms—still so weak.

Anvil called out orders to both steeds, pulling them into their stalls as fast as he could and secured the doors. “Come on!” They raced for the exit, Anvil pushing the doors open. The toxic energy spilled onto the grounds, gushing forward at a significant pace. They were out of time.

Trin’s irises gleamed in rage. He looked at Anvil, about to charge for the door when Anvil threw out an arm to stop him. Swarming blue light filled Anvil’s eyes. The winds picked up, golden blue light swirling snow, ice and branches into the sky. A towering wall of thundering air rose up before them, rushing forward across the grounds, disturbing everything in its path. It pushed across the landscape to the edge of the property and collided with Ashbel’s venomous scan. The ground trembled, Ashbel’s energy blasting apart in all directions, splintering against the ferocious wall of wind.

“Идите! Немедленно!” Anvil ordered Trin to make a run for it.

Trin took off toward the veranda with Sam in his arms. Anvil followed suit. “This won’t stop him!” he called out. “It will only redirect the energy for a few moments. Hurry!”

Both warriors gracefully mounted the stairs through the chaos, making a clean break for the massive veranda doors. The fragmented malevolence fused, regaining continuity as each second passed, reorganizing itself and reestablishing its path. Anvil grabbed the large, ornate handle and pulled the door open. Trin burst through the entry with Anvil right behind him, slamming the door shut.

“Now what?” Trin cried.

Anvil pulled a small knife from his belt and pulled the blade across his palm. “Move the coat and hold her tight.” Trin pulled the collar of the coat away from Sam’s shoulder and tightened his grip as Anvil pressed his injured hand against Sam’s exposed skin.

A brilliant burst of golden blue erupted around all three of them as Ashbel’s hideous energy seared through the castle walls, washing right over them like a wave of water. Lethal energy passed through the castle, continuing on to the grounds and land beyond. “Stay with me,” Anvil said. “He’s not finished.”

The three remained motionless maintaining contact as the minutes passed. After what seemed like an eternity, the energy dissipated. Anvil lifted his gaze. “It’s over.”

Trin exhaled pulling Sam to him.

Anvil pulled his hand from Sam’s shoulder, about to break the seal, then stopped. “I’m going to leave it,” he said. “It may confuse him for a time.”

Trin nodded.

Anvil focused on the wound, his jade eyes flashing with light, healing it completely just as Trin had done. Silence fell upon the massive room. Beautiful high ceilings covered in carvings stretched down around them to form a substantial hall filled with ornate furnishings stitched in gold, silver and crimson. Trin carried Sam to a grand sitting area where several couches and chairs faced a warm fire burning in the stone fireplace, offering them relief from the bitter Ural winter. Trin lay Sam on the couch closest to the fire, taking a place on the floor in front of her.

He gazed at Sam as he spoke to Anvil. “I didn’t know we could protect anyone but our own charge.”

“Neither did I,” Anvil said. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

Trin watched him. “Are you sure it shielded me?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Ashbel knows something is awry. He knows it was me who blocked his search. He’ll be coming to find out why.”
He moved toward the fire, gazing into it. “I grew up with a functional Oracle,” he said. “Not knowing is difficult for me. I have had more of that in one night than I’ve had all my life.”

Trin glanced at Sam. “It’s all we know.”

Anvil looked up. “You’ll be helpful to us. I honestly have no idea what to do or what to expect. I am grateful you have chosen to stay.”

“Find the kindjal.”

The two men looked at Sam, who had been silent until now. “It’s how this all started, it’s got to be the way to end it,” she said.

Anvil turned to Trin in confusion. “The dagger Ashbel used to kill Anavi was the same dagger used to make the first sacrifice before Gea arrived,” Trin said. “The blade is solid alexandrite.”

Anvil lifted his chin, eyes glinting. That explained everything. Trin continued. “The conduit to the Divinity was not destroyed by Anavi’s death. When alexandrite was used to kill her it corrupted the conduit. I can’t even restore the Oracle power to help us. It will open up to Chernobog.”

Anvil stared at Trin, his mind hard at work deciphering this new information. He placed his hand on the mantle, gazing into the flames. “That would explain Ashbel’s involvement.”

Trin gazed at him. “What do you mean?”

Anvil turned. “If Chernobog has control of the conduit all he has to do is ignite the Oracle power to activate it.”

Trin’s face twisted in confusion. “But I am her Keep-”

“Ashbel is also a Keeper.” Anvil’s interjected words began to sink in. Shock colored Trin’s features as Anvil continued. “Our abilities work for other Keeper’s charges. We’ve just experienced it. He must have figured some way to bypass Gea’s seal. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”