by Kay L. Ling
“Remember I told you these gem masters don’t like someone named Felith? Well, it turns out Felith runs the other group,” Loud Mouth said. “You wanna hear what Tabik said about Felith?”
Loud Mouth was definitely enjoying his newfound importance. “What?” Tyla asked, humoring him.
In a gravelly voice Loud Mouth said, “I ought to kick Felith’s lump-ridden butt!”
Everyone laughed, as much at Loud Mouth’s ability to mimic Tabik as at the comment itself.
“With Dark gems, he could do far worse than kick Felith’s butt,” Riven said.
“True,” Serrom said, “but physical violence may be more emotionally satisfying.”
“Drink up, everyone,” Olissa ordered. “We need to bury the gem pouches and get going.”
“My night vision is poor. I won’t be much good to you now that it’s getting dark,” Loud Mouth said.
“Stay here and rest,” Tyla told him. “You’ve been flying all day.”
“I usually sleep at night, and I am tired, but you may need me.”
“You’ve done enough,” Olissa said. “Sleep for a while and catch up with us later. Once we get past the perimeter ward, we’ll probably have to outsmart a few other wards, so we’ll be moving slowly.”
“All right. I’ll find you.”
The team buried the gem pouches and set out. Since Olissa had the ward-detecting gem, she went first, and Bounder accompanied her.
Tyla unsheathed her knife. When the glow didn’t shift to flames, she extinguished its light. So far, it wasn’t detecting dark powers, and it would alert her if it did.
As the sun sank below the horizon, the land took on a forbidding look. The thorny bushes dotting the landscape looked like crouching forms. Insects droned in the knee-high weeds. When the weeds rustled a few feet ahead, Arenia let out a startled cry and grabbed Tyla’s arm.
“Just a holedigger,” Tyla whispered.
“Sorry, I’m a little jumpy.”
“We all are.”
The ground was treacherous, making it impossible to hurry without turning an ankle or tripping over hidden rocks, and it seemed they were making no progress at all, but Tyla was sure they had walked at least a mile.
Bounder remained at Olissa’s side, occasionally sniffing the ground. After three or four miles, he said, “Gnomes have been here recently. I smell them.”
“Interesting timing,” Olissa said, motioning for everyone to stop. “The gem just sensed a ward. Tyla, is your knife warning you of anything?”
“No. Maybe it’s just the perimeter ward.”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Olissa said.
“So, what do we do now?” Serrom asked.
“Keep going, and stay close together,” Olissa said. “I’m using a spell in conjunction with two gems I infused. If we’re lucky, we’ll walk right through the perimeter ward, and it won’t detect our presence.”
“And if we’re not lucky?” Adin asked.
“Emanicus gnomes will show up,” Riven said.
“Not necessarily,” Olissa countered. “They used sophisticated wards at Emanicus headquarters to keep out intruders. They may do the same here.”
“Makes sense,” Adin said. “Why fight if they don’t have to?”
Tyla hadn’t considered that angle till now. Why should Emanicus gnomes take unnecessary risks? If they ventured out to see who had triggered the perimeter ward and it proved to be a large force, they’d regret it. Better to play it safe, especially if S was here.
“Maybe I should go first,” Tyla said, checking her knife again. “My blade still hasn’t lit, so there’s no immediate danger. If we encounter a malevolent ward, the blade should light. It’s probably as reliable as your gem, and as you pointed out the other day, I have the Guardian.”
Olissa said, “Go,” and told the others, “Leave some distance. If anything goes wrong, we’ll have time to react.”
Tyla found that comment disturbing, but it was practical advice, and Olissa was nothing if not practical.
Holding the knife in front of her, Tyla started out cautiously. The blade remained dark, which was reassuring.
After a minute or two, she felt lighthearted and totally unafraid. The prospect of encountering dark powers had filled her with dread, but now that she had a job to do and everyone was depending on her, she had mastered her fear. It was wonderful to feel confident instead of plagued with doubts. Of course, she must be careful. Emanicus gnomes were more experienced than she was, and there was no telling what S had taught them, but for some reason that thought didn’t particularly trouble her.
The farther she walked the happier and more carefree she felt. It was hard to imagine anything harming her. The knife remained dark, so there was no evil close by. It was a beautiful evening, and she couldn’t remember when she’d felt more at ease.
She had walked quite a distance when she realized she should check on the team. She looked behind her and could barely make out their forms in the growing darkness. Why were they so far behind? Were they even moving? It was hard to tell from this distance. They might have stopped to discuss something, and she had kept going. Well, it didn’t matter. They’d catch up. In the meantime, she could rest. There was a flat rock just ahead that would serve nicely as a seat. She sat down with a sigh of contentment. The cool evening air felt wonderful. It would be lovely to sit here for an hour or two.
She checked her knife again, and seeing no sign of danger, she set it down on the rock and started picking stickers off her pant legs. There were dozens, and they weren’t easy to remove. When she finished, she looked to see if the others were coming yet, but they were as far away as before.
“Ah, there you are,” said a kindly voice. A black-robed gnome appeared in front of her as if from thin air. Tyla realized with a lack of concern that he must have been invisible. He picked up her knife. “I’ll carry this for you. Shall we go?”
“Where are we going?”
“You’re Tyla, aren’t you?’
“Yes.”
“We’re holding a party in your honor. Isn’t that why you’re here?”
A party? Was that why she felt so happy? A party in her honor? How could she have forgotten something like that?
The gnome smiled down at her. He was quite handsome, and yet there was something about his smile that seemed false. How ridiculous, she scolded herself. He was a very nice fellow, and he was clearly delighted to see her. She looked behind her. Surely her teammates had been invited to the party, too.
“Don’t worry about your friends. I’ve sent someone to get them. Do come along now. We don’t want to be late.”
A fresh surge of happiness filled Tyla. She rose and followed him.
Chapter 36
Tyla’s new friend, who said his name was Tabik, took her inside an old stone building. A number of black-robed gnomes sat at a makeshift table made of boards laid across kegs. They looked at her with cheerful smiles and curious eyes.
“You got her,” said one, sounding rather surprised.
“Yes, and we’ll start the party now while Lanimore takes care of the others,” Tabik said, giving his companions a sly wink.
“Good idea,” another said, rising from the table. “The party will be in the adjoining room, Tyla. Right this way, please.”
He opened a sturdy wooden door, revealing a magnificent room, far larger and better furnished than this one. In the center stood a trestle table with meats and cheeses, fruits and vegetables, and sweets. Paintings in ornate frames hung on the walls.
“Splendid, isn’t it?” Tabik asked. His hand tightened around her arm, and he propelled her into the room.
As she looked around, delighted at the idea of a party in such a lovely room, the door banged shut, and the room went dark.
A distant part of her mind said something was wrong and she should be afraid, but try as she might, she couldn’t muster any fear. In fact, she felt quite complacent about the whole situation.
For
some reason, it was hard to think clearly.
Tyla looked down in surprise. Her hands had begun to glow. They gave off a weak blue light, and for a moment she had no idea how that was possible, but then it came to her. For months, she had tried to infuse light gems without much success. Apparently she’d infused enough to create a dim light, and subconsciously, she had drawn that power. It was quite useful at the moment.
Her happiness began to fade, ever so slightly, when she looked around. She was standing in a closet-sized space. What had become of the dining room? And the table full of food?
It had all been an illusion.
Even knowing this, she continued to feel lighthearted and cheerful. Everything would be fine. She shouldn’t worry about it.
She could hear muffled voices through the heavy door. She laid her ear against it.
“The knife only works for her,” Tabik said.
“Better you have it even if you can’t use it.”
“She has infused powers,” someone said, sounding worried.
“It doesn’t matter. She has no desire to harm us.” Tabik’s voice dropped, and Tyla could barely hear what he said next. “She couldn’t, anyway. The warded closet prevents it.”
“Better hope so.”
Tyla heard a door slam.
“Pack up whatever you can’t do without, and make it snappy. We’re supposed to be out of here in twenty minutes.”
“Twenty minutes!”
“Leave? Why?”
“Felith can’t expect us to leave so soon!”
“I don’t often agree with him, but I do this time. We have to assume Tyla told others where we are. Fortress troops could arrive at any moment.”
“That doesn’t mean we need to leave. We could stay and fight.”
“Why risk our necks and possibly forfeit everything we’ve worked for?” Tabik asked. “In a few weeks, Outcast forces will fight fortress troops. We’ll support them from a safe distance. When the war is over, we’ll still be alive to run the new government.”
“He’s right,” someone said. “Stop bellyaching, and start packing.”
“Vink and Gragg, hitch up the carts,” Tabik ordered. “The rest of us will meet you outside shortly. Felith’s group should be here soon.”
“What about the gnome statues?” someone asked with an unpleasant laugh. “Do we kill them, blot their memories, or just leave them to die?”
“Felith says leave them. We don’t have time to use the Focal Gem, and even if we did, neutralizing all of them would leave us utterly drained.”
“And we’d all get more lumps,” someone said.
“They’ll die soon enough if no one restores them. Hurry up, fellows. Let’s get packed and out of here.”
The door banged again, presumably Vink and Gragg leaving to get the carts ready.
For the next few minutes, Tyla heard bangs, crashes, thumps, grunts, and curses, then the sound of crates and trunks scraping across the floor. The euphoria she had been feeling was fading fast. Her current plight was sinking in. Everyone was leaving, and they planned to leave her behind in the closet. They had mentioned statues, and now that her head was clearing, she realized the statues were her teammates. Arenia! Olissa! They had all been immobilized and left to die!
Tears welled in Tyla’s eyes. She wanted to pound on the door and demand the gem masters let her out, but it was better to let them think she was still in a euphoric stupor.
What had Tabik said? The closet was warded. How would she ever get out? Olissa might be able to break the wards, but Olissa was a statue and also needed to be rescued. Tyla suppressed a groan of misery. She had to get out of here and help the others. She didn’t have her knife. Tabik had that. She had infused powers, but they were useless. The warded closet ensured she couldn’t project her powers to harm anyone. There had to be a way out. She had to restore everyone. Think! Think!
“I’ll check on the others. Pren, you finish up here,” Tabik said.
Tyla heard retreating footsteps. If she could get out of here, she should be able to defeat one opponent who’d be caught completely off guard.
The Guardian. Could it help her? It hadn’t so far, but to be perfectly fair, how was it supposed to know she was in danger? She hadn’t known it herself. She had willingly accompanied Tabik to this building and walked into the closet, carefree and happy, expecting a party. Well, she wasn’t happy now, and her life was in danger. She willed the Guardian to appear and save her.
Nothing happened. Tyla rubbed her forehead, frowning. Maybe there had to be a visible threat. It was maddening to think that after she had found the gem masters’ hideout, they were about to escape again. She would never forget that night at Emanicus headquarters. She had created a hole in the wall with gem powers, and she and the rest of Finnack’s team had gotten inside only to discover that S and the gem masters were gone.
A hole.
She latched onto that thought. Could she do that here? Would making a hole in the door breach the ward so she could escape? She was wearing her topaz bracelet. The only other gem she needed for the anomalous reaction was color-change simbioryte.
Which was in a pouch, buried by their cart.
Tears of frustration welled in Tyla’s eyes. Maybe it wouldn’t have worked. The wards might have kept her from making the hole, but it would have been worth a try.
“Change of plans!” she heard Tabik call. “We’re bringing Tyla with us. Let her out. Hurry!”
“Another of Felith’s bright ideas, I suppose,” Pren grumbled.
“Hurry!” Felith repeated.
Tyla’s heart leapt. They were going to let her out! Here was her chance to overpower Pren, and she couldn’t afford to fail. Not only did she not want to remain their captive, if she failed, her teammates would die here.
“I’m letting you out,” Pren said. “You’ll be sorry if you—”
“That’s very kind of you,” Tyla said in a mindless, cheerful tone. “For some reason, it’s dark in here.”
While Pren was disengaging the ward, Tyla wracked her brain for an offensive strategy, but there was little time to think. The door opened, and Tyla found herself facing a gem master with a number of lumps on his face. “Come on,” he said gruffly and reached in to grab her arm.
Immediately, the Guardian appeared.
“How?” Pren cried, stumbling backward. “We have your knife!”
The amorphous Guardian quickly developed legs and arms.
It was impossible to attack a being made of energy, so Pren attacked Tyla instead. Pain exploded through her whole body, and she screamed in agony. It felt like her skull would split. She fought to maintain consciousness.
The Guardian’s hand shot out and closed around Pren’s throat. Instantly, Tyla’s pain disappeared.
“Tabik’s coming!” Loud Mouth cried, flying through the open window. “And he doesn’t know you’re free!”
How could that be? Tabik had ordered Pren to release her. It took Tyla a moment to make sense of this, and when she figured it out, she cried, “Oh! You clever, clever bird!” Loud Mouth had impersonated Tabik, giving the order to free her!
The Guardian released Pren. Then it plunged its hand into the gem master’s chest. The hand glowed from inside Pren’s body, growing brighter and brighter until there was a horrible sizzling sound like meat on hot coals. Pren let out an anguished cry and dropped to his knees. Within seconds, his screams of pain and terror ceased, and his body, which looked like a charred husk, fell forward onto the floor.
Tabik burst through the door and stopped short, stunned by the scene before him—Tyla free, and a luminous being standing over Pren’s charred remains.
“I’d like my knife back,” Tyla said calmly, holding out her hand.
Tabik dropped the knife on the floor. “Take it.” He backed toward the door.
A voice outside said, “Not so fast.”
Tabik looked to see who had spoken. There stood Bounder, blocking the door.
The Guardian disappeared. Tyla darted forward and scooped up her knife. The blade began to glow as it reestablished its link with her.
“The carts are ready to leave,” Bounder reported, still blocking the door.
Tyla thought quickly. She might need Tabik to free her teammates. “Tabik won’t be going.”
Tabik eyed her glowing knife, and then his eyes dropped to Pren. “If I don’t show up in a few minutes, the others will look for me.”
“They’ll find Pren dead, the warded closet open, and me gone. I don’t think they’ll bother to look for you.” Tyla projected peace, calm, and happiness onto him as he had done to her. “Let’s go. My party is over, but I have one planned for you.”
Chapter 37
Tyla wasn’t sure whether she had made Tabik so passive he didn’t want to escape or he was too cowardly to fight. He walked ahead of her without protest. Loud Mouth circled overhead, keeping an eye on him, and Bounder walked protectively at Tyla’s side.
“Loud Mouth, go check on the statues. We’ll meet you there,” Tyla said.
“Will do.”
“I thought you fortress gnomes didn’t use dark powers,” Tabik said, his tone accusatory despite the gems’ calming effects. “You’re no better than us. You killed Pren—or that luminous thing did, which amounts to the same thing since you control it.”
Tyla wasn’t about to admit she didn’t control the Guardian or that Pren’s gruesome death had been a surprise. Tabik could think what he wanted.
When she didn’t answer, he went on, “And besides murdering Pren, you’ve been using transformation gems. Before long, you’ll have as many lumps as we do.”
Transformation gems? For a moment, she had no idea what he was talking about; then it dawned on her. He must think Bounder and Loud Mouth were gnomes, and she could see why he would come to that conclusion. Both could talk and were abnormally intelligent for their species. Loud Mouth’s ploy of mimicking Tabik’s voice had been pure genius.