Wings of Nestor (32 page)

Reaching the tomb of the kings, Alcander used his staff to open the door. Once inside, he paused at the bottom of the steps, looking at the place where his father had fallen. Then he placed his staff on top of the center tomb, unlocking it.

Inside was a glass coffin, just as she had seen in the Wings. Alcander popped the latches on the sides, opening the top. The skeleton of the first Tavean king lay undisturbed, the Light next to him.

The Light was dull, with magical cords wrapping around it. Although she had been told that no one could trace the magic through the bindings, she had expected to feel
something—
the power it contained was that of the Creators, and she was standing right next to it. But there was nothing. She brushed her finger across one of the cords, hoping for something—a flare of magic, a response. But again, there was nothing. If she didn’t know what she was looking at, she would have never associated this dull ball with anything born of magic.

Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her fingers around it, lifting it free of the tomb. Awe overcame her. They had done it—retrieved a Light! She grinned up at Alcander and Emane.

Alcander looked as amazed as she felt, but Emane was shifting his weight from one foot to the other, his eyes flickering between the Light and the stairs behind them.

“Come on,” he said. “We can look at the Light when we get it back to the city.”

Kiora nodded, tucking it under her arm. Rushing up the stairs, she muttered the incantation to call Lomay.
We have it. Are you ready?

There was no response, but a bubble dropped overhead and Drustan swooped to the ground. Lomay looked…older. He slumped over Drustan’s back.

“Lomay!” Alcander sprang to his side.

“That took a considerable amount of magic,” he wheezed. “Putting up that enclosure after bubbling so many has almost wiped me out. It feels like you are about out as well.”

Alcander looked nervously at the castle. The threads were beginning to move out of the throne room, no doubt looking for them. “Take Emane.”

“What? No,” Emane protested. “I am not leaving you two here without any magic.”

“I can take two of you,” Lomay said apologetically. “But that is all. Any more and I risk dropping the bubble and this will all be for naught.”

“It’s all right—I can call Arturo. I have enough for a small bubble,” Kiora said. “But we have to go. Now.”

The doors at the back of the castle burst open. Alcander helped Emane up as Kiora called Arturo. Lomay bubbled them right away to keep the Taveans from knowing in what direction they had fled.

Kiora felt a little guilty, knowing that Alcander and Emane would immediately realize she had intentionally misled them about the amount of magic she had. She had enough to bubble her and Arturo on the way out, but that was it. She turned and ran.

Kiora!
Alcander’s voice roared through her mind.

I will be fine—Arturo’s almost here.
She clutched the Light to her chest as she leaped over a small creek.
I will meet you at the enclosure.

Arturo’s thread was approaching rapidly from a height she would much rather never visit again. A bolt of magic crashed into the ground behind her.

Arturo swooped down in front of her and Kiora swung herself on his back before he had fully stopped. As they took to the air, Kiora glanced back at the Taveans pouring from the castle.

Do you have enough left to bubble?

Kiora steeled herself, pulling from the tiny core of magic she had left, and threw a bubble.
I hope we can make it.

They hadn’t even cleared the top of the castle when a vision rushed in hard and fast.

Jasmine stood by the tree that marked the entrance to the city. The Illusionist was gone, and the earth was marked by the battle that had taken place not that long ago. She was not hidden by her shadow. Whether she had discarded it, or whether it just appeared that way now that Kiora knew who she was, she wasn’t sure. Jasmine vanished, appearing again where Lomay had met them with the women and children. She looked around at the hidden doorway, running her finger over the edges, her green eyes narrowing in thought. Vanishing, she then appeared at the edge of the lake. She looked in the direction of the tree and then in the direction of the other door, a smile spreading across her face.

Jasmine’s beauty bothered Kiora
.
It seemed that her outsides should match her insides, as she had seen happen with the Taveans and Fallen Ones. But Jasmine’s dark core had not affected her outer beauty in the slightest.

“Clever, Father,” Jasmine murmured, bending down to run her finger through the water. Standing up, she took a step into the lake, and then another, her red cloak swirling on top of the water. “Your little exception will be too late, I fear.” The grin that lashed across her face was cruel and evil.

Kiora could feel Arturo banking beneath her before the vision faded.

Faster,
she urged as they headed toward the city.

Kiora, you are out of magic.

I know.

You are in no state to fight her.

What do you want me to do? What if she discovers a way in? We have to get them out.

As soon as they were out of the Taveans’ range, Kiora dropped her bubble, trying to hold on to the last bit of magic she had. The magic flowed to her, trying to fill the void, but the imminent meeting with Jasmine made it painfully apparent just how large the void was.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Loss

ALCANDER TRIED TO IGNORE Emane’s anxious pacing around the perimeter of the barrier. His nerves were already on edge as it was. Kiora should have been there long before now.

Trying to distract himself with his duties, he moved from person to person, talking to them and shaking their hands. The adoration in his people’s eyes humbled him.

Alcander knelt down next to a girl who looked to be about his age. Her white hair was dingy and her fingernails were caked with grime. She looked up at him with hope. “Is it over?” she asked.

Alcander wanted to tell her “Yes,” but there was a sick dread creeping in. Something was wrong. He took her hands and gave the best answer he could. “I hope so.” He was about to move on to the next man, whose eyes were pleading for a chance to grasp his hand, when he saw Lomay stiffen. He knew that look. Quickly, he moved to the old man’s side, waiting for him to finish his vision.

Lomay’s face was grave.

“What?” Alcander asked. “Where is she?”

“I didn’t see that for sure.”

“But?”

“If she saw what I just saw, I know where she is going.”

Emane strode up next to them, his fingers running over the hilt of his sword repeatedly as if the action was somehow calming him. “Well?”

“Jasmine may have found a weakness in the city,” Lomay said grimly.

Both boys were silent until Alcander frowned. “Jasmine is there?”

Lomay nodded. “Or will be soon. It’s hard to tell.”

Emane clenched his fists. “Kiora went after her, didn’t she?”

“I truly don’t know, my boy,” Lomay said. “But she is not here.”

Alcander turned, sprinting toward the edge of the boundary. Lomay called out to Drustan. “Stop him!”

Drustan leaped up, wrapping arms that were much too large for the rest of his body around Alcander.

“Let go of me, Shifter!” Alcander said roughly. “Or I swear I will throw you in with the rest of your kind when this over.”

“Why am I holding him?” Drustan yelled.

Lomay hobbled over to them as quickly as he could.

“If you step out of the barrier, your people will die,” Lomay said. “You have almost no magic and no way of getting to the city. Think, Alcander.”

Alcander stilled in Drustan’s arms, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

“What are we going to do?” Emane asked, the wobble in his voice betraying his worry.

Alcander thrashed again. “Let go of me, Drustan!”

“He called me by name. Does that mean he is calm enough to let go?”

Emane cracked. “Drustan!” he roared. “This is not the time for jokes!”

Drustan released Alcander, who smoothed his shirt down with shaking hands. “We can’t just let her fight the Shadow by herself. She doesn’t have anything left either.”

“We might not have a choice,” Lomay said, staring out in the direction of the city. “We can’t go anywhere until we have enough magic to get us there undetected.”

***

THE MOMENT KIORA FELT the precious little magic she had draining, she pulled the mesh sleeve off the talisman and put up her bubble. They were getting very close to the city, and obviously Jasmine was already there. Kiora cursed the timing of her vision. Why not yesterday?

At least with Jasmine so close, the magical defenses in the villages would be down and Kiora could use the door at the tree. The last thing she needed was Jasmine knowing the location of another exit.

As they came over the village nearest the entrance, Kiora’s mouth went dry. Jasmine was striding into the lake, just as she had seen in her vision. But what she had not seen was the water peeling away from the lake floor, pulling up into walls of water on either side. With every step she took, more water swept out of her way, adding to the ever-growing walls. Kiora had done something similar in Meros, but nothing so grand.

Arturo sped toward the first entrance, nearly falling to his knees when he abruptly dropped to the ground.

Kiora fumbled the talisman into the notch, holding the Light with her other arm. “You will have to come in,” Kiora said as the door swung open.

Underground is no place for a Pegasus. I will go back for the others.

Kiora just nodded as she stepped through Nestor’s security check. She kept her thoughts guarded as Arturo flew off. She wasn’t worried about him being seen—no one had any magic to attack with anyway—but she was worried about him making it back in time. Dread seeped through her as the magic released her, a dread that she couldn’t explain.

Screams erupted from the long corridor. She ran. Entering the main chamber, she looked up, stopping short. Where water had once been and fish swam lazily back and forth stood Jasmine, glaring down at the magical barrier.

Water towered hundreds of feet on either side of her. She was not only controlling the water, but pulling wind to secure it. A whirlwind screamed through the tunnel of water, sending Jasmine’s hair snapping around her, her cloak twisting and turning like a river of blood.

The panic from the women and children in the main chamber seemed to lessen upon Kiora’s appearance, which made the dread infinitely worse. She could tell Jasmine wasn’t sure what to do yet, the way her eyes were shifting around the barrier, looking for a way to thwart it.

All eyes were fixed on Kiora as she walked through the terrified silence into the middle of the courtyard right beneath Jasmine’s feet. She could see the questions in their eyes, asking her what they should do. She didn’t know. With Jasmine blocking magic, none of them could bubble. Sending them running out of the exits was certain death. And she couldn’t ask for help. With both talismans in use, it was just her and Jasmine.

Jasmine reached out a hand, keeping the other up to maintain control of the water, and sent magic flying at the barrier, her mouth moving as she spoke an incantation. The barrier turned red and then flashed white. Kiora put her arm over her eyes, turning away. When she turned back, she could tell by the way Jasmine’s eyes focused in on her that the ability to see through the barrier was no longer one way. Jasmine smiled slowly before allowing her gaze to roam over the women and children around the room.

Kiora glared, trying to sort through the mess of feelings inside. She set the Light down by her feet, freeing up her arms for whatever was going to come next.

Jasmine extended her hand and magic poured out. A spot at her feet began to crackle and snap from the assault. Kiora’s stomach sank as a small hole began to open in the barrier. Kiora shot back a defense. Jasmine abruptly withdrew her fingers in surprise and the hole sealed immediately.

Jasmine’s eyes lit with recognition as they fixed on the talisman Kiora wore. Kiora’s breath caught in her throat. Throwing back her shoulders, Jasmine reopened her magic, doubling her efforts.

Kiora again tried to spurn the attack. She managed to keep Jasmine from opening the hole any wider, but could not force her back.

Jasmine’s brow furrowed in concentration as she slowly brought her other hand down. The water jerked and wobbled wildly. For a moment Kiora thought she would lose hold of it, but she recovered control.

Water began to dribble from the top of the walls, raining all around Jasmine as she opened her eyes in triumph, extending both hands. Magic ripped forth, slamming into the barrier. More water spilled from above, drenching Jasmine and beginning to pool around her feet before dripping through the hole and into the city.

Kiora tried to hold her, but she had nothing left. Her magic sputtered and she yelled to the others, “Get out of here! Get somewhere safe.”

There was nowhere safe. Nowhere. But the mothers grabbed their children, running down the multiple corridors. Tears welled in Kiora’s eyes as she felt them all stop at different rooms in the halls, barricading themselves inside—as if that would do anything.

Her magic sputtered again and died. A small reserve burned at her center, but it wasn’t enough to do what she was asking of it. Kiora’s hands dropped as her eyes slowly lifted to the one she was supposed to be strong enough to defeat. But she wasn’t—she wasn’t anywhere near strong enough.

Jasmine’s skin had turned gray, her eyes half open as she struggled under the magic she was performing. Her arms shook with exertion as she literally peeled back the barrier with her fingers. Wider and wider she pulled the hole. Kiora watched helplessly below. Jasmine stopped, looking in confusion at the hole she had created.

Hope blossomed within Kiora. Jasmine couldn’t do anything else. She couldn’t let go of her hold on the hole or it would snap shut. She couldn’t get in. Couldn’t fire a shot. They were safe. She couldn’t…Kiora’s thoughts trailed off as determination flooded Jasmine’s face despite dropping to her knees in exhaustion.