The Shaktra (31 page)

“What are you talking about?”

Geea sighed. “This symbol has a power over the mind.”

“I don’t feel anything from it.”

“But you’re anxious to go inside?”

Jira shrugged. “That is why we came here.”

Geea shifted her focus on the mandala, moved to Jira’s side, put her palm on his powerful chest, and looked up into his eyes. The chill in her body had grown worse, and she felt as if she were flying near the highest kloudar, in the thin air even the birds could not breathe.

“Please, Jira, do not go inside this temple,” she said.

“Why not?”

“There is evil inside.”

He was doubtful. “But the other fairies said it is filled with amazing devices.”

“But they described none of them to us. Why is that?”

“Because they said we had to see for ourselves.”

Geea glanced once more at the door, the faint sketch in the crumbling stone.

“No. They lied to us because the temple affected their minds,” she said.

He hesitated. “Doren said it was safe.”

Geea frowned.
“She
could have lied like the rest.”

“That’s ridiculous, Geea. I have to go inside. I’m here at my father’s command. I have to report back to him what has been discovered. You know this.” He added, “I can go in alone if you are afraid.”

Geea took his hand. “I am afraid.”

He squeezed her fingers, then let go. “I will not be gone long,” he promised.

“Jira, no,” she pleaded, but his mind was made up. Using the pulleys, ropes, and levers that had been installed, he pulled back the ancient block of stone and took a torch and disappeared into the black opening. To her surprise the door closed at his back, without any movement of the pulleys, and she was left alone with her fears. The door was thick, she worried she would not be able to hear him if he cried out for help.

Yet she did hear him, a few minutes later, when he began to scream.

Ali was in bed when the dark fairies attacked the palace. She had awakened several minutes before she heard any sound or movement, well before Amma came running into her bedroom with the news. The dark fairies were
not
shielded from her psychic senses—she had felt them coming miles away.

Yet she was not ready for their attack, she thought, not the way she should have been. The comfort of the palace after the rigors of the road had lulled her into a false sense of security. She was sitting on the edge of her bed actually
seeing
the dark fairies in her mind’s eye as they landed in the palace courtyard, when Amma appeared. But she was not sure what course of action she should take. They could fight them or they could try to sneak away unnoticed. There were advantages to both plans—it all depended on how many dark fairies there were. She saw only a dozen in her head, but that gang might be merely a scouting party. Yet if there were only twelve, it would be better to kill them and let no news of what they had discovered get back to the Shaktra.

Amma looked worried but not scared. She quickly informed
Ali of the dark fairies and Ali nodded like she was learning about it for the first time. But she held up her hand when Amma tried to describe the enemy’s position. Ali could
see
the dark fairies slowly probing the palace perimeter.

“What does Trae want to do?” Ali asked.

“He thinks we should all flee down to Tiena, and ride the river to a stronghold we have hidden in the Youli Mountains.”

“How old is this stronghold?”

“Five years. Why?”

Ali stood in her green fairy pajamas. “The age might be important. Tell Trae to gather all the fairies in the room where I spoke to them last night. I want them to have some say in what we decide.”

“They will not vote on the matter. They will look to you to decide their course.”

Ali reached for her clothes. “Fine, gather them anyway, and go wake Ra and have Drash climb up to the game area you showed me yesterday, the one near the courtyard.”

“Has the koul grown strong enough to help us?”

“I guess we’re about to find out,” Ali said.

It struck Ali then: She had no weapons in her room. She was going to have to use the fire stones again, risking more pain in her hand. Already, she had decided on killing the dark fairies, and then fleeing. She wondered if Radrine would be among them.

The long rest had softened the pain in her hand but not eliminated it. If there was to be fighting, she would have to be careful.

Ali dressed in two minutes, stashed her box of stardust in her pocket. Finding her way to the lush meeting room, she discovered most of the fairies already present. As Trae strode inside, she told them all to prepare to board boats on Tiena. Trae approved
of her strategy, but was worried when she spoke of her, Ra, and Drash killing the dark fairies.

“If that is your decision, we can help you,” he said. “Most of the fairies present here are excellent archers.” He added, “A few are high fairies, they can fly.”

Ali blinked. “Can you and Amma fly?”

“Yes.”

“Where is she right now?”

“Not everyone in the palace has been told of the dark fairies. She’s searching for those people right now.”

Ali nodded. “Can you carry someone when you fly?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Trae seemed surprised by the question. “A fairy generates his or her own field in order to fly. It is unique to that person. Another cannot enter it, the person would fall to the ground.”

Ali nodded. “That doesn’t matter right now. My coming here brought the dark fairies. I don’t want to risk anyone outside my group on them. Besides, I’m not worried; we can handle a dozen. What you can do for me is get everyone in the boats. Have them bring the bare essentials. Don’t bother waiting for us, go straight to that stronghold in the mountains Amma told me about.” She added, “Take Farble and Paddy with you. Let the leprechaun bring his gold, he will get upset without it. Bring red meat for the troll.”

“We are all vegetarians here.”

“Then give him a bunch of cookies, he has a big sweet tooth.”

Trae paused. “Excuse me for questioning a direct order, but a few archers might be more helpful than you realize. I know I would feel more comfortable if you let a half dozen accompany you.”

Ali had to remind herself not to get cocky when it came to
her powers, particularly when she was injured. Her hand throbbed as she spoke. “That’s fine, I’ll take six with me. But I want you and Amma to leave with the others.”

Trae shook his head. “Either Amma or myself must stay with you if you are to find the stronghold. Its location is top secret, so to speak.”

“Then have Amma stay behind,” Ali said, although she had no plans to go to the stronghold. “But I want her to remain inside the palace until the dark fairies are dead.”

“You do not remember our Amma. She will insist on fighting beside you.”

Ali was firm. “That is an order, she is to obey me.”

Ra was with Drash when she reached the game room, his bow and arrows ready. Ra nodded his approval when he saw the six archers Ali had brought along.

Taking out her fire stones, and reviewing with them where the dark fairies were heading, Ali hastily drew up a plan of attack. But Ra didn’t like it; he thought they should split up, come at the dark fairies from two directions, with Drash on one side, the rest of them on the other. He especially wanted Drash outside, where he could unleash his flame.

“I’ve seen him. His fire is growing by the hour,” Ra said.

“Is that true?” Ali asked.

The koul was uncertain. “Drash is a lot hotter in the face than last night.”

“How many dark fairies can you kill at once?” Ali insisted.

Drash shrugged. “Depends on how close together they are.”

“Can the blast of their fire stones pierce your hide?” Ali asked.

“Drash hopes not.”

“He can kill all we need him to kill,” Ra said confidently.

“Have him exit the back side of the palace and crawl toward the front. We can follow him out the windows, and we’ll know when
he is in position. This way we get the hammer and anvil effect. Crush them from both sides.” Ra added, “Ali, you know how dangerous it will be if even one of them escapes.”

“I hate exposing Drash to their firepower,” she said.

The koul shook his head and turned toward the rear exits. “Drash owes Geea. He wants to fight.”

Ali called after him. “Protect your eyes! Don’t light the palace on fire!”

Ra’s plan was superior, Ali had to admit. They
were
able to follow Drash through the windows as he went out the back and then headed for the front. The dark fairies were spread along the edge of the palace, all on the west side, the direction the koul was going. As Drash closed on the first dark fairies, Ali and Ra and the other archers moved behind the monsters farthest away from the koul. Being able to look down on their enemy gave them a huge advantage, but Ali understood the dark fairies were staying out of the air so as to remain inconspicuous. They were evil but they were not stupid.

Ali saw no sign of Radrine.

The battle that ensued was no battle at all. When Drash bumped into the first of the dark fairies, he let loose with a blast of flame that was so ferocious it literally stretched out fifty yards, the length of an Olympic-sized pool. It was so wide, so hot, that the dark fairies standing in the center of it turned to crisp bacon. The other dark fairies came up to attack the koul, but he only had to suck in another breath, and then there was more dark fairy ash floating on the breeze. The archers shot two that tried to run away, and Ra and Ali did not even use their weapons. The skirmish was over in less than a minute.

Then Ali became aware of a dark fairy frantically flying away from the palace.

She did not see it, not out the window they were standing at,
but she suddenly sensed it on the other side of the palace. Dragging Ra and the archers with her, she raced out the front porch and into the palace courtyard. The dark fairy was a quarter of a mile away, high up, flying fast in the glare of the green sun. Along with the archers, Ra tried shooting it down but it was out of their range.

Ali raised her fire stones and got off two good shots. One scored a direct hit, but to her surprise the creature did not drop. It was then Ali knew she was staring at Radrine. Only the evil queen could have taken such punishment and survived.

Amma came running out of the palace, carrying a long silver knife.

“I have to go after it, it will alert others that we are here!” she exclaimed, and Ali saw that she was about to rise into the air.

“Stay where you are! Let it go!” Ali snapped.

“Ali! If she can go after it, let her go!” Ra shouted.

Ali sensed a powerful field building around Amma, saw the woman gripping her knife tightly, her entire attention focused on the escaping dark fairy. Ali had to walk over and shake her.

“I’m your queen, you’re to listen to me!” she said. “You’re not going after it!”

Amma was dumbfound. “Surely you can see that it cannot be allowed to escape?”

“It is Radrine. You are no match for her,” Ali said.

Amma met her intense gaze. “How do you know what I can do?”

“Let her try to kill it,” Ra pleaded.

But Ali would not release Amma. For some reason, an intense urge to protect the fairy swept over her. “It doesn’t matter, we are leaving anyway,” Ali said.

“If Radrine was dead, maybe we wouldn’t have to leave,” Amma said.

Ali tried being gentle. “You said it yesterday, I have to follow the path I’ve begun. There is no point in staying here. Remember, you promised to come with me.” She added, “You’re not going to die on me before I get to know you.”

A tear came into Amma’s eye, but she didn’t respond, just walked away.

They were in a wooden rowboat, the three of them: Ra, Amma, and Ali. As it turned out, they had killed the dark fairies so quickly they had reached the harbor before the others had left. Now, as a small fleet, they were floating north on the black waters of Tiena. Although she was not interested in the stronghold, Ali did not mind their direction for she felt it took her closer and closer to the kloudar.

They had oars but they were not using them, content to let the current push them forward. Swimming alongside their boats, Drash offered to tow them faster, but Ali told him to relax, to regain his strength after his successful battle. The other fairies had heard of Drash’s ferocious flame, the whipping he had given the dark fairies, and had praised him for his help. This had done wonders for the koul’s self-esteem.

Yet they had also heard that a dark fairy had escaped, and that was bad. Ali was not sure how firm their faith was in the strong-hold they were headed for. She feared that when the Shaktra marked a fairy, it had access to its memories. She hoped that none who had been marked knew about the place.

Ali expressed her fears to Amma, who sat beside her in the rear of the boat.

“Few know the direction to the spot, and none have gone into battle where they could have been captured,” Amma said. “It should be safe for the time being.”

“I want Paddy and Farble to go there with the rest of the fairies.” Her friends were in a nearby boat, and kept waving and smiling at her. Farble was helping Paddy count his coins, and the leprechaun appeared happy for the help.

Who said a troll could not count past two?

Amma merely nodded her head. “Whatever you wish, Geea.”

“You think I was wrong to stop you back there?” Ali asked.

“You are my queen. I obey your word.”

“My word,” Ali whispered, mostly to herself. “What is the worth of my word when I cannot remember my name? You know, I had to be told it.”

“Who told it to you?”

Ali regarded her in the dark, spoke softly. “Nemi. Do you know who that is?”

“I know what Nemi. . . I know of Nemi.”

“Who is he? Where is he?”

Amma’s face darkened. “I’m sorry, Geea, I can’t tell you.”

“Because you don’t know? Or because you think I’m not ready?”

“Both.”

“Maybe it’s time you started to trust me more.”