“We were waiting for you on the other side of the
forest. What are you doing in here?” Carina questioned, a hint of
irritability in her tone.
“We got in a spot of bother at the castle, so I took
a gamble and used the cypher wheel to get us out of there.” Faedra
explained.
Carina raised her eyebrows, then her gaze drifted
past Faedra and her face lit up.
Faedra heard the crunch of leaves behind her,
announcing that the other members of the group were appearing
through the mist.
Carina and Anwynn dismounted, leaving their horses
standing alone on the path as they made their way down the
embankment towards them.
“Lady Allora, you are safe!” Anwynn cried as she
rushed past Faedra and threw her arms around her rescued
friend.
Carina kneeled down in front of Skylar and took the
young girl's hands in hers. “Are you alright?” She let go of
Skylar's hands and took hold of her petite face, moving it gently
from side to side. “Did he hurt you?”
Skylar dropped her eyes to the ground and shook her
head. “He did hurt Mama, though.”
Carina stood up and looked down at the frightened
girl. “Well, we will not let him hurt either of you again.” She
turned to Allora. “Where did he hurt you?”
Allora waved away their concern. “It is true; he used
to hurt me to see if I knew anything about Todmus. Of course, I
didn't know what happened to my husband, but he wouldn't believe
me. But after he got no answers for months on end, he eventually
gave up. He hasn't laid a finger on me for a long time.”
“Well, it is probably not a good idea to stand around
here for long; we should make our way back to the caves. You and
Skylar may take my horse.” Carina offered. “I will send some
lookouts to collect the other horses later.”
Allora inclined her head as a gesture of thanks.
Faen and Etyran made their way up the embankment,
each finding a branch to hold on to. They reached out with their
arms to assist the ladies up the slippery slope to the path that
ran above them. One by one the ladies made their way up to the
path. Once there, Faen helped Allora onto Carina's horse and then
placed Skylar in front of her mother. Carina took the reins and
started to lead her horse along with its precious cargo.
A moment later, the rest of the group was following
behind the two ovates on their journey back to the caves. It
wouldn't be too much further before they reached their destination.
Faedra was looking forward to plopping herself down on a bed and
closing her eyes. This day had turned out to be much more eventful
than she could have imagined. Was it too much to ask to be able to
go out and have some fun without being transported to yet another
realm? Would she ever be able to enjoy an ordinary outing without
someone needing her to save their world? She could only hope. A
yawn escaped and she realized just how exhausted she now felt.
Maybe using Savu's power did have a similar effect on her than when
she only had her own to worry about. It seemed like she was able to
use a lot more of it between 'fuel ups' than before, though.
Faedra was pulled from her thoughts by the now
familiar howling made by the lookouts, signaling they were nearing
the caves.
“I'm looking forward to my bed,” Faedra said to
Faen.
“We are nearly there,” Faen said, giving his
Custodian's hand a squeeze.
“Thank goodness.”
They came to a stop in front of the sheer rock wall.
Carina stepped forward, handing the reins of her horse to Anwynn.
After a few mumbled words and a wave of her arm, the rock face
shimmered and disappeared.
The horses disappeared first, carrying their cargo
through the archway that led into the caves. Etyran and Jocelyn
followed. They were almost out of sight when they stopped and
turned.
“You two coming?” Etyran asked.
“We will be right behind you,” Faen answered, sensing
Faedra's hesitation.
“Okay, see you in there, then”
Faedra psyched herself up to walk through the wards
again. She wasn't looking forward to the icy cold feeling she would
be subjected to as soon as she stepped foot in the tunnel. If she
was completely honest with herself, it had more to do with the fact
that Carina had told her she felt that way because there must evil
inside her. It was something Faedra couldn't come to terms
with.
Faedra took a deep breath and steeled herself.
“Ready?” Faen asked, clasping her hand, signaling
they would do this together.
Faedra gave him a weak nod before following her
Guardian into the tunnel. All the while mumbling, “I'm not evil,
I'm not evil,” under her breath as she pushed herself through the
wards.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Faedra ran her palms over her face and blinked her
eyes a few times, willing herself to stay awake. It wouldn't be
long before she could collapse onto the makeshift bed in her little
cave room. At this point, she didn't care that it was nowhere near
as comfy as her own bed; she just wanted to rest her eyes.
Faen and Faedra ambled down the tunnel to the main
cave, neither in any great hurry to get there, as both were
enjoying the peace in the darkness of the tunnel. As they neared
the end of the tunnel, Jocelyn's distraught voice bounced off the
walls and echoed through the darkness. It was quickly followed by a
rabble of other voices joining the foray.
“Ugh. What now?” Faedra groaned as she and Faen
picked up their pace.
Faedra noticed her ring heating up again, too. She
looked down at it to see the symbols glowing in the dark tunnel.
This wasn't the first time either, but she'd expected it to heat up
when they were in the castle. That place had been full of danger,
but here, where it was supposed to be safe, this was not a good
sign.
Faedra was expecting to hear joyful voices and feel
joy and happiness at the return of their Lady Allora. Instead,
confusion and anxiety plowed into Faedra as she and her Guardian
burst through the end of the tunnel. The sight that confronted them
made Faedra stop dead in her tracks.
Etyran was rolling around on the ground growling
expletives as he got covered in dust from the floor. He was
surrounded by the ovates, Allora, Skylar, and a very anxious
looking Jocelyn. More and more onlookers were emerging from their
rooms, climbing down ladders to join the spectators huddled around
this bizarre turn of events.
“Etyran, stop it!” Jocelyn cried. “What are you
doing?”
“I knew it!” Etyran growled. “I just knew it!”
“Knew what?” Faedra asked as she pushed through the
crowd, followed closely by Faen.
When she and her Guardian got to the front of the
growing throng of people, Faedra's eyebrows shot up into her
forehead. Etyran was covered in dust and struggling on the ground.
He got to his knees and with one hand pushed himself up. But
instead of straightening, he remained bent over. His other arm was
outstretched, his hand nearly touching the ground.
“Get up!” Etyran demanded.
Faedra noticed now that she was closer, that Etyran's
hand looked like it was holding onto something. An invisible
something.
“Etyran? What's going on?” Faedra demanded to
know.
Etyran gave her a fleeting look. However fleeting it
may have been, Faedra could see the pain and confusion in his eyes.
His gaze quickly returned to the ground in front of him and turned
to a glare.
“I said. Get. Up!” Etyran pulled back, looking like
he was pulling something substantial off the floor.
Faedra looked up at her Guardian giving him a quick
shake of her head and a shrug of her shoulders, silently asking if
he knew what was going on. Faen returned her look with a bemused
one of his own. They both turned their attention back to the
Lightbender who was still acting very strangely in front of the
growing crowd of onlookers.
Etyran took his other hand and held them both close
together about waist height in front of him.
“Get off me, you great oaf!” a female voice cried
out.
Everyone fell silent and all eyes were glued on the
dust covered man in the center of the crowd.
He made a move as if he were pulling someone closer
to his chest so he could whisper in their ear.
“Do you really think I'm that stupid?” Etyran
taunted. His menacing voice reminded Faedra of when he had first
introduced himself to her in the forest. A chill ran down her
spine.
Faedra stepped forward until she was standing just in
front of Etyran. She held her arm out and tentatively opened her
hand, then leaned in a little further, fingers outstretched before
her. They touched material a foot before reaching Etyran's chest.
Faedra gasped and her fingers stopped in midair. She gave Etyran a
questioning look before allowing her fingers to move. She could
feel cotton under her skin, then came the feeling of a rapid
heartbeat. A fraction of a second later, she was overwhelmed with
emotions. Fear, anxiety, tension. The same feelings she had felt at
the top of the staircase in Arawn's castle.
“Who are you?” Etyran's menacing whisper resonated
around the three of them.
“Let go of me, you're hurting me,” the voice sounded
defiant. Faedra saw Etyran's big frame jerk a little and his hands
close tighter around invisible wrists.
“Ouch,” the voice squawked in response.
“Tell me who you are,” Etyran repeated.
Faen stepped forward to stand beside his charge.
“I can't. Arawn will kill me if I do,” the voice was
still defiant but Faedra could hear a hint of the person's fear
seeping into her voice.
Something distracted Faedra from behind, and she spun
her head around. She could feel the now familiar emotion of hatred
coming from within the crowd surrounding her. It happened when
Arawn’s name was mentioned. She scanned the faces, expecting to see
the emotion on Allora’s or Skylar’s faces but they looked passive.
Maybe it was one of the ovates. She narrowed her eyes in confusion
as none of the faces portrayed the feeling she was sensing. She
wondered if her heightened sensitivity to energy would allow her to
home in on the person to whom the hatred belonged. She wasn't sure
how she would accomplish it, but decided to close her eyes and let
her mind float to see what happened. A second later, her eyes flew
open and she felt winded. The emotion nearly knocked her backwards.
She put her hands to her knees to steady herself.
“Faedra? Are you alright?” Faen leaned forward so
their faces were level. She looked at him and gave him a weak
smile.
After taking a deep, calming breath, she replied,
“I'm fine, thanks.”
That wasn't entirely true, but until she had a chance
to figure out what just happened and what she just felt, she didn't
want to worry him unnecessarily. The hatred hadn't been aimed at
Arawn, as she had first thought. No, the all-consuming hatred, that
someone in the crowd was feeling, was aimed directly at her.
She gave the crowd one more suspicious glance before
returning her attention back to Etyran and his invisible
captive.
“Arawn
may
kill you if you tell me,” he
growled, “but I
will
kill you if you don't.”
Etyran jerked again, as if restraining a struggling
body.
“Etyran!” Faedra snapped. “That's quite enough of
that. You will do no such thing. There will be no more killing, do
you hear me?”
Etyran glared at Faedra, obviously not appreciating
her giving him orders.
Faedra felt her blood start to boil and sensed Faen
taking a step away from her.
“Do I make myself clear?” Faedra enunciated each word
with equal menace.
Etyran's glare changed to surprise for a split second
before reverting back to his menacing facade. “As crystal!” he
spat. “And there's no need to do the glowy eye thing at me. You
know it freaks me out.”
So, that's why he looked surprised. Faedra didn't
actually realize that's what had happened but her newly acquired
powers were constantly manifesting themselves in different
ways.
“Okay, then,” Faedra said, blinking her eyes a few
times, hoping to push back whatever was glowing there. She looked
at Faen. “Gone?”
“Gone,” he confirmed.
Faedra turned to address the invisible person who was
still being restrained by Etyran.
“Well, I guess we will just have to wait for whatever
spell Arawn has cast on you to wear off. I don't think we are going
to get very far talking to an invisible person. Obviously, Arawn
sent you to follow us so you could see how to get to the caves. It
seems he knew we would try and rescue Todmus's family. Makes sense
he would send a spy.”
“What are you going to do with me?” the voice
asked.
“Find somewhere secure to hold you until the spell
wears off and we can keep an eye on you,” Faedra answered.
“You will be waiting a very long time,” the voice
contradicted.
“What do you mean?” Faedra asked.
“It's not a spell.”
“What do you mean it's not a spell? It's the only way
you could be invisible,” Etyran stated.
“Is that so, Lightbender?” the voice said with a hint
of smugness.
Faedra saw confusion war on her friend's face. She
could feel his heart race and a whole mixture of feelings rushed
from him, making her feel dizzy.
“You lie!” Etyran growled.
“No, Lightbender, I do not. You know it is the truth,
you sensed me on the stairs, I saw you.
“Liar. You lie!” Etyran shouted. He shoved the
invisible person at Faen. “Hold her!”
Faen gave Etyran a startled look as an invisible body
was thrust at him. He quickly put his arms around it, watching as
Etyran stumbled backwards. Etyran's expression was full of
confusion and sadness. Faedra drew her eyebrows together, asking
her friend a silent question.