The Rogue Knight (27 page)

“I thought so,” Skye said. “If I had the wrong trail, we could just have cut back and forth across the area. The Red Road runs a long way and is hard to miss.”

“Why is it here?” Dalton asked.

“Nobody knows,” Skye said. “The popular theory is that the torivor's influence maintains it. The road runs perfectly straight for miles and leads directly to the entrance of the Lost Palace.”

“Do we ride on it or next to it?” Twitch asked.

“Why not ride on it?” Jace asked.

“Trillian can't see beyond his domain,” Skye said, “but some believe he can see this road.”

“Then we ride next to it,” Mira said.

Skye directed her horse over to the side of the road and began paralleling it. The others fell in behind her.

As they proceeded, Cole couldn't keep his eyes off the road. It seemed so out of place in this unpopulated wilderness.

“What if we run into Red Guards?” Twitch asked. “Do we have a plan?”

“We'll try to bargain with them,” Skye said. “We want to use them to contact Trillian.”

“They might just want to capture or kill us,” Jace said.

“If they want a fight, I'll give it to them,” Minimus said. “The rest of you use seemings and run.”

Something about the Red Road forbade the idle conversations they had enjoyed the previous day. Cole supposed it made Trillian the torivor seem more present. At the end of the road they would reach his palace.

Trees or heavy shrubs sometimes made them veer well away from the road. Although riding on it would have physically been easier, nobody suggested it.

They broke for meals a couple of times. Finally, the light began to fade from all horizons. Skye moved a good distance from the road and made camp. Minimus again volunteered to be the sole sentry.

On his back, Cole gazed at the stars and thought about Jenna. What if he had already missed her? What if she was in Sambria? He could have ridden through the village where they were keeping her without knowing it. If so, he might travel to all the other kingdoms without finding her.

He had located Dalton. That meant there was hope. Cole shifted on the ground, trying to get comfortable. With the help of Mira and the Unseen, sooner or later, he would find Jenna—even if it meant multiple visits to all the kingdoms.

Where was she tonight? Was she scared? Suffering? Comfortable? Bored? What kind of shaping could she do? What if she had already freed herself? Could she be on the run?

Cole had promised he would find her. Did she still expect him to show up?

He pictured a scenario: He was far away, Creon maybe, or Necronum. Evil slave owners had trapped Jenna in a burning building. The Jumping Sword came to life in his hand, and he leaped to her rescue, springing away with her an instant before the fiery structure collapsed.

She would be so amazed! He would seem like a superhero!

The daydream made him cringe. Did he really still want to rescue her so she would like him more? Maybe a little. But those daydreams were more fun in a time without real danger. It would be such a relief to find her safe, to be reunited with another friend from home.

Did he still have a crush on her? Sure, but that wasn't what really mattered. What mattered more was their friendship. Cole remembered something Jace had said about Mira: just because he was a kid, it didn't mean his feelings weren't real.

The next day began with an actual sunrise. Around midday, a dense grove of trees forced them well away from the Red Road. As they made their way around the trees, the Lost Palace came into view.

“Oh, no,” Dalton murmured.

The dilapidated structure looked like the charred skeleton of a castle, spindly and crooked, as if it had survived a prolonged artillery barrage. A tall fence of barbed iron spikes enclosed an area much wider than the palace itself. Sickly mist swirled low across the stony, uneven grounds, eddying in irregular depressions. In defiance of the bright day, a gray haze hovered over the whole area, lending a sickly gloom to the precarious towers.

“It looks abandoned,” Dalton said.

“No,” Jace said. “It looks like somebody massacred everyone and then torched the place.”

“Comforting thought,” Twitch mumbled.

“I don't see the Red Guard,” Mira said.

“I don't see anybody,” Cole added.

“Make no mistake,” Skye said. “Trillian is in there.”

The Red Road went right up to the black iron gate. A dark, broken road continued on the far side, the color of old scabs.

“What should we do?” Dalton asked.

“We take a closer look,” Cole said.

They rode down to where the Red Road ended at the outer gate of the Lost Palace and dismounted. Through the bars of the fence, Cole watched a cloud of vapor heaving in and out of a cavity in the rocks, as if a huge monster inside was breathing. Growing out of cracks and creases, sparse, malnourished weeds limply clung to life. Fuzzy scum added mottled brown patches to a few meager puddles.

“Hello?” Mira called loudly, hands cupped around her mouth.

Cole flinched at the sudden noise in this dead, quiet place. Her voice did not echo. The shouted word fell flat, as if swallowed by a vast nothingness. No reply came from the Lost Palace.

Empty minutes passed.

“I don't think anyone is coming,” Cole finally said.

“Won't be an easy climb,” Dalton observed, gazing up at the fence. “Those barbs look sharp.”

“I could probably jump it,” Twitch said without enthusiasm.

“I'll try the road,” Jace said. “The rest of you get back.”

“Are you sure?” Skye asked.

“If we want to bargain with his guy, we need to let him know we're here,” Jace replied. “But only one of us should risk it.”

Jace stepped onto the road and fell to his hands and knees, his body shaking. Turning slowly, he reached out a trembling hand. “Kill me,” he rasped.

Then he started laughing.

“You're such a jerk,” Mira said angrily.

Jace stood up. “I couldn't resist.”

“Um, guys,” Cole said.

“What?” Jace asked.

“The gate is open.”

C
HAPTER

 27 

THE LOST PALACE

“D
id you
see
the gate open?” Skye asked.

“No,” Cole said. “I was watching Jace. I didn't hear it either.”

“The gate was definitely closed a minute ago,” Twitch said.

“Did anyone see it open?” Skye asked.

Nobody spoke up.

“Let's wait and see who comes,” Jace said. “You guys might want to hide.”

“And leave you here alone?” Mira asked.

“The torivor knows I'm here,” Jace said. “He might not know about you guys.”

“Are we sure Trillian saw you?” Dalton asked. “Maybe someone is about to leave.”

“It opened right after I stepped onto the Red Road,” Jace said. He looked up and down the road. “I don't see anybody else coming.”

“We'll wait with you,” Skye said. “I'm not sure what good hiding will do. We came here to bargain. We don't want to seem weak.”

“Don't worry,” Minimus said, drawing his sword. “I won't let you come to harm.”

Cole silently wished the Halfknight was a little taller.

They waited. Beyond the open gate, Cole watched tendrils of mist flow like lethargic snakes across the scabby road. Turning to look back down the Red Road, he could see nobody approaching.

“I'm going in,” Jace informed them with a nod toward the gate.

“No, you're not,” Mira replied.

“What else are we supposed to do?” Jace asked. “The torivor isn't sending anyone.”

“We don't just go rushing onto his property,” Mira said.

“He opened the gate,” Jace said. “It's an invitation.”

“According to the stories, Trillian is a powerful enchanter,” Skye said. “He was locked up for good reason. If we enter his prison, we'll be subject to his power.”

“
We
won't be going anywhere,” Jace said. “Just me. I'll check it out. Trillian opened the door. He knows I'm here. We want to talk with him. This is our chance to find out about Honor. I'll come back and let you know how it goes. If I don't come back, you'll know the bargaining will be tricky.”

“I should go,” Twitch blurted. “If they close the gate, I have a chance of jumping the fence.”

“No,” Jace said. “If this torivor is half as powerful as everybody says, you won't get away from him because you have wings. He'll either let me come back or he won't. Same with any of us. I'm the one who stepped onto the road. It makes sense that I keep going.”

“Jace, don't,” Mira said. “Honor is my sister. I should take the risk.”

“If she goes, I go too,” Minimus said staunchly.

Jace gave Mira a lopsided smile. “You're too valuable to risk, Mira. The torivor wanted your sister, so he'll probably want you, too. He may not care about keeping me.”

“He may not care about killing you,” Cole said.

“It's okay,” Jace said calmly. “I've felt useless since we left Sambria. At least this is something I can do. It's just another sky castle to survive.”

“You don't have your rope,” Mira said.

“I made it through my first missions without it.” Jace started walking toward the open gate.

“Be careful,” Skye said, her voice quavering.

Jace paused where the Red Road became black beyond the fence line. Cole held his breath. He had a sick feeling the next step could be the end of his friend. He wanted to call out for him to stop. Hands over her mouth, Mira looked away, but her eyes were promptly drawn back.

Jace glanced at Mira and gave a casual salute, then stepped forward.

And vanished.

Cole looked to Skye. “What happened?”

“Hard to say,” Skye replied. “There are powerful enchantments here. I can sense the energy. Everything we see could be a seeming. Or maybe I'm sensing the enchantments that imprison the torivor. We can only wait and see if Jace returns.”

“That was really brave,” Dalton said.

“Jace has no shortage of courage,” Mira replied.

Cole picked up a pebble. Approaching the fence without stepping onto the Red Road, he tossed the pebble underhand through the open gate. The stone disappeared as soon as it crossed the fence line.

“I think it's an illusion,” Cole said. “I think he's okay. We just can't see him.”

“Either that, or everything that enters gets vaporized,” Twitch said.

Mira glared at him.

“What?” Twitch exclaimed defensively. “It's one or the other. We were all thinking it.”

“What's our next move if Jace doesn't return?” Dalton asked.

“I'm going after him,” Mira answered.

“You mustn't hand yourself over to Trillian,” Skye said. “Without a daughter of the High King, the revolution is doomed. I'll go in before you will.”

Jace stepped out from the open gate onto the Red Road, seemingly materializing out of nothing. “Hey,” he said.

“What happened?” Mira asked.

“The torivor wants all of you to step onto the Red Road,” Jace said. “Unless you do, there won't be any bargaining.”

“You talked to him?” Skye asked.

“No,” Jace said. “One of his servants. I'm not supposed to explain.” He turned and walked back through the gate, vanishing.

Mira stepped onto the road. “Come on,” she said to the others. “This is why we came.”

“Or this is how he'll destroy us all at once,” Twitch murmured.

“His servants can probably attack us whenever he wants,” Mira said.

“At least Trillian seems willing to talk,” Skye said. “I wasn't sure we could hope for that much.”

Cole walked onto the Red Road, as did the others. There was no sensation to indicate the road was magical or had any effect on them. Cole noticed that Twitch stayed near the edge of the road, one foot on the curb, slightly crouched, ready to jump. They waited tensely.

Jace returned. “The torivor wants Cole and Mira to enter with me.”

“Do you think they should?” Skye asked.

“I'm not supposed to give details,” Jace said slowly. “But who cares? I think it would be stupid for Mira to come. It looks beautiful once you step through. It might all be an illusion, and it could absolutely be a trap.”

“I'm coming,” Mira said, walking toward the open gates.

“No,” Cole said, grabbing her wrist. “We don't have to give this guy everything he wants. I'll go. You stay.”

“But—” Mira began to protest.

“You have to stay back,” Cole insisted. “What if getting you is all he cares about? We won't have any room to bargain.”

“There's no telling what the torivor might want in exchange for Honor,” Skye said. “But, Mira, Cole is right. Putting yourself in his power will only weaken our position.”

Mira paused. The reasoning seemed to sink in. “You may be right.”

Jace folded his arms. “Cole, if you're coming, we should go. They're waiting.”

Stomach fluttering, Cole walked to where the Red Road ended. He glanced over at Jace. “Why me?”

“They didn't explain,” Jace said. He stepped forward, vanishing.

Cole looked back at Mira and nodded. He waved at Twitch and shared a look with Dalton. Then he stepped forward.

The sensation was like passing through a membrane made of static electricity. It was only vaguely tangible, but left the hair on his arms standing up.

The scene before him changed dramatically. The Red Road extended before him, its color so rich and vibrant that Cole felt he was seeing true red for the first time. The grounds around the keep were now composed mostly of huge crystals streaked with veins of light. Elegant groves of trees huddled around clear ponds. A flock of birds wheeled overhead in synchronization, as large and bright as kites. The castle had changed into a gleaming monument of pearl and platinum.

Three figures confronted him. A woman sat astride a chestnut stallion as broad and beefy as a bull. Her hair was like molten silver, and her beauty so flawless that she seemed more a work of art than a person. Two brawny men stood on the ground near her, clad in snug, cunning armor made from overlapping rings of varied size. The men carried long halberds with elaborate heads, and the woman wore a dagger at her slender waist.

“Where is Mira?” the woman asked, her voice clear and resonant.

“She's not coming,” Cole said.

The woman closed her eyes for a moment. “This does not please us.”

“She sent me to hear what the torivor wants,” Cole said.

The woman threw her head back and laughed. It sounded so mirthful and genuine that Cole had to resist joining in. “Does she imagine herself safer than you where she now stands?” the woman asked.

“Yes,” Cole said. “Who are you to boss her around?”

“I have authority to speak on Trillian's behalf,” the woman said.

“And I can speak for Mira,” Cole replied.

“Can you really?” the woman asked.

“That's why she sent me,” Cole said.

The woman closed her eyes for a moment. “True enough, I suppose. Very well, follow me. My master will see you.”

She turned her horse and started walking along the Red Road toward the glistening keep. The men fell into step behind her.

Cole glanced at Jace, who shrugged. They looked back at the fence. Beyond it, all was impenetrable blackness.

“Does Jace have to come?” Cole asked.

“Both of you,” the woman said, not looking back.

Cole walked to the side of the road, crouched, and tried to pick up one of the smaller crystals. Most of them were anchored to one another, but after a moment he found a loose one. He turned and prepared to throw it out through the open gate.

“Don't toss it,” the woman said. “And don't dally.”

Cole looked over at Jace, who glanced toward the fence and gave a nod. Cole winged the crystal sidearm. Just before it reached the blackness beyond the gate, one of the guards appeared and caught it.

“Did he just teleport?” Cole muttered to Jace.

“He's got some skills,” Jace murmured back.

The guard gestured with his halberd for Cole to follow the woman and the other guard. Cole and Jace obeyed.

The woman continued ahead of them on her muscular steed, with one of the guards flanking her. The other guard followed behind them. Craning his neck back, Cole saw that the sky was a swirling cloud of opalescent light. He observed no sun or moon or other specific light source, yet the whole area was quite bright. Light glowed down from above, out of the crystals, and from the very air itself.

“What's your name?” Cole called to the woman.

“I am Hina,” she replied, not looking back.

“Have you lived here long?” he asked.

“Save your questions for Trillian,” she replied.

The Red Road ended at a cascade of steps leading down from the mirrored doors to the palace. Hina dismounted, and the guard took the reins of her horse. “Follow me,” she instructed.

Hina swept up the steps to the castle door, which opened at her touch. Cole hurried in order to stay close. The inside of the castle shone like the outside. They passed through minimally furnished chambers of pure white marble and chromium. All surfaces appeared smooth and highly polished. Glowing crystals of odd shapes and sizes served as decorations. Everything was so clean and white that Cole couldn't decide whether it looked more like heaven or a fancy insane asylum.

After a climb up a long staircase, Hina indicated a door to Cole. “You may await my master here,” she said. “You will not be able to leave this room unless he allows it.”

Cole reached for the doorknob, and Jace moved to follow, but Hina placed a hand on Jace's shoulder. “I have a separate room for you.”

Cole and Jace shared an uncomfortable look. “Can we stay together?” Cole asked.

“You cannot,” Hina said.

“Their house, their rules,” Jace said.

Cole went through the door, and it promptly closed behind him. A smooth, white floor sloped up into smooth, white walls that curved into a smooth, white ceiling. The room lacked edges or corners. A low, crystal table sat surrounded by cushions instead of chairs. A large round bed filled one side of the room. Billowy pillows topped the silky white sheets.