by Becky James
“Huh?” Evyn yawned. “Share dreams?”
“Yes. Souls can do that, if they are close.”
“Close as in physical proximity, or the relationship?”
“Relationship. We’ve accepted one another and we’re learning more about each other and how we work together and complement one another. As that deepens and strengthens, we will open up more and more. We will also start to fall naturally into roles.” I realised that I would have to explain a lot to an Earthian; she knew virtually nothing. “The roles are things like Finder – I can find where you are – and Caller – you can bring me towards you by creating a compulsion. I expect I’ll fall into the Finder role, and you’ll be the Caller.”
“How’d you figure that?” She pulled the long strands of her hair into a loose plait, her small fingers working rapidly despite her half-lidded eyes.
“Well, Calling isn’t all that – I mean, Calling is great. It’s essential to the Finder-Caller dynamic but, uh…”
“You don’t think it’s useful, so you don’t want it.” Evyn grinned at me. “Might be I become the Finder, eh? Then you’ll be stuck with a disappointment again.”
I gave her arm a squeeze. “I was always looking out for where my soul companion could be. It makes sense that I would want to know where you were at all times. Meanwhile, you weren’t looking for me, but your heart probably knew I was missing.”
“So I’ll call out forlornly? Chuh,” she said, getting up and stretching. “I do have stuff to get on with. I won’t be the princess in the tower waiting to be rescued.”
“I know that. You pinged out of it, remember?”
She smiled, and my heart sang just as my father said it would.
“Are you two going to get up today or not?” Aubin called from the next room. I scowled; it was not just me and my soul on this adventure, and that made it perilous. The sooner I had my allies with me, the better I would feel about rescuing Gough and keeping my soul safe from any magic users.
Evyn went through to put the kettle on, but Aubin had already done it. He had also set out mugs. I dumped mine in the bin. “Never trust a poisoner to make your drink,” I muttered at Evyn.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” she replied, pouring hot water on hers. “Be nice. You promised.”
“I promised to keep you safe from him. I didn’t promise I’d politely let him poison me.” When Evyn wasn’t looking, I tipped out her mug.
“Hey! Stop it.”
I shrugged. “Oops. Guess we’ll have to make another one.”
While we were sipping our drinks, Aubin went through to use the bathroom. As he left, he said, “Ever consider that I poisoned the milk?”
I spat my drink out in the sink.
Evyn rolled her eyes. “Thorrn! He’s making fun of you.”
“Or it’s a double bluff. Get rid of it.” I gestured to her mug.
“I’m not drinking black tea! No way.” She tried to move away, but I was that much stronger than her; holding her waist and carefully prising the mug out of her grasp was easy for me. “Hey! Get off me. That’s not fair, and it’s pointless. He hasn’t done anything to our milk! Thorrn!”
I successfully poured it out. “Better to have no tea than be dead.”
“I need my caffeine or else I’ll feel like I’m dead! Thorrn!”
Despite her protests and grumbles, I succeeded in keeping her safely away from any and all supplies that Aubin could have interfered with. We pinged through into Oberrot and one of the shoulders of Spiritshere mountain with her still complaining. “I love the sound of my soul hale and well!” I told her.
Taking a deep breath of the air, it smelled fresher here. There was a toxic overlay on Earth that sometimes made me feel like I breathed in tar. As the only mountain in the range that had been tamed for canals, Spiritshere was the only way to travel between northern and southern Oberrot without magic – or now, an Earthian. The mountain was riddled with canals and waterfalls, and slaves pulled their boats up the latter using pulleys and ratchets. I studied a pulley jutting out over the waterfall ahead of us.
“Tuniel says we need the second fall up on the southern side,” Aubin explained as he pointed behind us at the roaring waterfall. “That’s where the Labyrinth starts. We will need to swim under the waterfall to get into the caves.” He gave the water a glare like it was a patient refusing to take their medicine.
“We’ll be in and out in no time if Gough is just behind that waterfall,” I said. And then with Gavain and Aleric on the way, we could restore Gough to the throne, and all this would be over. Our contract with Aubin included.
“I can just about manage a current like that. I’m a good swimmer,” Evyn said. “What about you?”
“I can do it,” I said, but Aubin shook his head.
“I’ll help you,” Evyn offered.
“We’ll help you,” I amended. No way was Aubin dragging my soul down to the depths to drown. I’d drown him first.
“Yes. Help,” Aubin murmured as if he’d heard my thoughts.
We packed our supplies in a waterproof from the barge. Taking off my clothes, I put them in as well. Evyn admitted that was sensible but did not strip, but Aubin pulled off his top and trousers, his body lean and tight with muscle. Evyn avoided looking at him, her face turning Special Forces red.
When we got into the water, the biting cold made me gasp. I pushed the supplies and we swam up toward the falls. Soon the water took on a battering quality.
“We’ll go under here,” I shouted. Evyn nodded, and Aubin’s lips thinned. Evyn and I accompanied Aubin either side. I had to drag him along a few times, pulling him close to me rather than letting him reach out for Evyn. We pushed forward when the water eased and swam eagerly upwards to air.
We surfaced with grateful gasps. Inside, the cave glittered with blue light. “This is lovely!” Evyn’s voice echoed on and on and on. “Uh… The walls are covered with entrances. This place is riddled with caves.”
“Oh,” I said, staring. The walls reflected countless black and blue openings, multitudes of wrong turns to take.
This wasn’t going to be as simple as I thought.
“See now why we need a stone mage.” Aubin took in water with his acerbic comment and coughed. Before I could reach him, Evyn guided him to the side. I swam behind them until my knees hit stones and I could stand.
We dried off quickly, pulling on fresh new clothes to warm up. Evyn sneezed, and Aubin set about building a fire to put water on to heat.
“I’ll make the tea,” I said, glowering.
He gave me a level look. “Certainly. With what?”
He had me there. I muttered under my breath, averting my gaze.
On a whim we explored one or two branches, but it quickly became clear that we would need to scope and map the depths and twists of every single cave. Aubin assured us that Tuniel would do that within heartbeats, so trying now was pointless. I wanted to set up a basecamp further in to afford some protection in case someone else came in the same way we had, doubling back to one that looked promising, with a flat floor and smaller branches to dead ends that would be good for sleeping. There we set up a rudimentary camp.
“I want to use the lodestone again,” I said, and Aubin handed it over with little protest. I blanked my mind apart from the excitement of speaking to my friend.
“Thorrn.” Gavain sounded much clearer. “We’re close to Spiritshere. Where on the mountain are you?”
“The Labyrinth. I’ll come out to meet you as it’s hard to find. Get on the second waterfall up on the southern side.”
“I will. Be there at sunset.” He broke off contact.
“Sounds promising,” I said to Evyn.
“And are you going to share your progress?” Aubin asked.
“It’s nothing too much yet. Small steps.” Let him be amazed when Gavain and Aleric turned up behind me tonight.
We made short forays into the surrounding caverns. Aubin was careful to make small marks and notc
hes in the stone as we progressed so we would not lose our way. It would be incredible luck to stumble on Gough’s hiding place on the first try, but it could happen. Instead, we found more caverns with dazzling light glittering on cold undisturbed waters. I held Evyn’s hand, and we shared our wonder and awe.
After dinner Evyn said, “I’ll just pop into Earth and make sure we disconnected the engine. I really can’t remember.”
“You did,” Aubin assured her. “I watched you.”
I ground my teeth, and he scowled at me.
“I’ll just grab a few more blankets. Won’t be long.” Evyn held her hand out to me. “Want to come?”
I stood up, stretching. I needed to wait for Gavain and Aleric. “I’d like to, but I’ll patrol the perimeter. I could do with a walk, and I need some more training.”
“I’ll guard the fort,” Aubin said. He idly turned another page in Evyn’s book. I smirked at the back of his head. Soon, he would be outnumbered, and the contract would change in our favour.
Sunset being a turn of the glass away, I could meet Gavain early, perhaps as he made it to the second waterfall. Stripping my effects to keep them dry, I dived into the waters with something approaching eagerness; water that cold was never entered into with a joyous heart. When I surfaced on the other side, I blinked the water and the sun out of my eyes and shook my head, sending water droplets flying. It was bright outside the caves, even though the sun was headed toward the horizon. It took me longer than I thought for my eyes to adjust from the dim caverns.
When I could see, my stomach and limbs iced even further.
A whole contingent of Special Forces gathered on the bank. Swords drawn, they pointed at me in the water. I couldn’t see Aleric or Gavain’s tall bulks. I dived straight back under the waterfall. Beside me, huge bursts of bubbles showed the shapes of other men diving after me.
Chapter 16
I swam directly underneath the fall while they had to feel their way as I had the first time. Frantic with panic, I charged furiously for the bank, unable to feel the cold anymore and gasping for air. I surfaced only a few heartbeats before the leading man, followed by more heads popping out of the water, swearing and cursing over the cold. They tore through the water in pursuit. My legs slammed into the stones and pebbles of the bank, and I staggered up, feeling like I weighed twice as much. Snatching my father’s sword belt from my effects I stumbled toward the cave mouth—
No. I could not lead them to Evyn.
A whistle sounded overhead; a weighted rope slammed into the ground beside me, tossing up chips of stone. I leapt over it and sprinted toward another cavern, to lead them away from Evyn.
I nearly made it to a likely cave mouth when the rocky ground betrayed me, my ankle turning and a flash of pain darting up my leg. I tried to get up, but my leg would not move. Looking back, I saw another heavy rope wrapped around it, and scrabbled at it to pull it off. The lash had wrapped several times around, and trying to remove it only tightened it further into a stranglehold on my calf. The leading men gained the bank, moving towards me and drawing their swords. It was too late; I had to fight. The calm of battle surrounded me as I took a deep breath. Drawing my father’s sword, I sliced at the rope, cutting my leg in my desperation to be free. Bouncing to my feet, I set my stance and catalogued them, all skilled swordsmen that I had known all my life, more and more coming through the water all the time.
Before I could decide how much damage I wanted to do, a shout rang out in the cavern. “Halt!” Gavain swum up to the side and wrung himself out.
“Gavain.” Relief flooded me and my knees weakened. “Thank the gods.”
He strode over to me, hands held out, empty. I bade him approach and slapped his back. He grunted. “We were not expecting you in the water.” He looked around at the cave mouths. “So, this is the Labyrinth. An ideal hiding place.”
“Yes.” I slid my father’s sword back into its scabbard.
“Where are the Earthian and the apothecarist?”
“They are nearby.” I noted his new sergeant epaulettes.
He glanced at me. “Don’t trust me?”
Lowering my voice, I said, “These are a lot of men to bring to a clandestine meeting.” I scanned them as they arrived and fanned out, dripping and shivering, nearly a full contingent. Some stayed between me and the water, others moved toward the caves. They all kept their faces toward me. I frowned. It was almost as if they were cutting off any escape. “Where’s Aleric?”
The faces of the men nearest us darkened. Gavain looked away, saying, “Tell me where your soul is. Are you the Finder or the Caller?”
My lungs started to feel tight. “Neither. We haven’t got that far yet.”
Gavain nodded slowly.
“Gav?” I was unable to voice my question, dread creeping up the side of my lungs.
“I have a solution for you. It is a good one, with the best outcome you can hope for.” My friend put his arm around my shoulders, lowering his voice. “The apothecarist stole Evyn. In order to follow her, you won his trust by pretending to be on his side. It was a risky and brave move, something we would expect from the most loyal of the king’s swordsmen. And now you’ve brought us to her so we can restore her to her rightful place beside the king.”
My ribs ached. “Gav, what are you… What is this…” I glanced at the men surrounding us. Surrounding me.
Gavain’s eyebrows twitched. “Trust me. I will help you through this. Now, about the girl at the soul swap. You’re going to love her—”
I threw his arm off me. “No, Gavain. Not this again.”
“Listen to me,” he hissed, grabbing my shoulders. “I’ve thought through every angle for you and this is only way you can retrieve this situation. Tell the king it was the thrice damned apothecarist, get a new soul companion, and get back to your life.” His eyes flicked between mine. “Oh, come off it, Thorrn. She’s just a soul! It doesn’t mean anything. The bond can be reforged, would that even be possible if it were some fated thing?”
He shoved me back a few paces, and I flinched.
His face was set. “You cannot be Special Forces if you will not put duty above her. We are made to choose between the tenets and our souls. Those who remain are the ones who do exactly that.”
My hands shook, holding onto my father’s blade. “I can’t give her to Torgund.”
He threw open his arms, exasperated. “I would give up Zelora if ordered, and I have demonstrated that I could.”
I squared up to him. “Gough would never give orders like that! That’s the difference, Gav!”
“But he did. He made me choose. I’m still here. Gough is gone now, and Shard as well.”
I took a step back. “The king might still be alive, Gavain, the real one. Gough might still be alive! We can restore him.”
Gavain’s eyes flickered. “King Torgund says not, and to gainsay him is treason. Captain Shard made the same protest.” He flexed his hands. “Thorrn, don’t make me do this.”
“You don’t have to do this. All of you!” I turned to the men. “You don’t have to—”
Gavain grabbed my right forearm. “It’s the core tenet, Thorrn. Special Forces must obey the king. We aren’t like you, able to do whatever we want with no thought to the consequences.”
“I’m not. I’m looking for the real king, King Gough, I’m going to restore him. He must be out there—” I tried to pull my arm free, but Gavain held on.
His grip was immovable. “More treason. We have always served the current king of Oberrot.”
I heaved backwards. “What about Prince Rogan? What does he say?”
Gavain grimaced, holding on as I dragged him, chips of stone scattering under his feet. “He has yet to reach his majority. King Torgund speaks in his stead until he comes of age.”
“He’ll never make it that far, Gav. You know that! He’s in danger too.”
“No,” Gavain breathed low. “He’s not. I swore to protect him, and I will, against all c
omers.” He raised his voice, dropping my arm. “The other story,” he said loudly, “is that you conspired to steal the soul companion of the king. You named an accomplice, Aleric. He awaits execution at the castle, and meanwhile you will be apprehended and tortured until you give us the location of the king’s new soul.”
Aleric? “What did you do?” My chest squeezed painfully.
“The king had the lodestone listened to. You named him, Thorrn, not me.” Gavain’s eyes glittered. “Don’t make me do this, Thorrn.”
“You said you wanted to join me,” I snapped.
“I said I deeply regretted the offer. I confirmed it still stood, and that you were trying to entice loyal soldiers to your side.”
“You’re betraying me?”
“No. You betrayed us when you disobeyed the king. We live to obey, and we obey to live.” He took a deep shuddering breath. “Now. A contingent against one, Thorrn. Stand down, give me the captain’s sword, and tell us where Evyn is.”
I wouldn’t be able to stand against these men. I would have to kill some of them. The thought made bile burn my throat.
But I couldn’t hand over Evyn.
I set my stance. “No.”
Gavain lunged for me. I punched him in the face and whirled to face the men surrounding me. They drew their swords and I pulled mine free to parry what I could. Blades sheared closer and closer to cutting my bare skin. I didn’t want to hurt these men, and my reticence showed and slowed me down.
A twist and my father’s sword was wrenched out of my hands, and I was tripped to the floor, where chips of stone ground into my face.
Gavain stoppered up his bloody nose. “Set up there, on that flat stone above,” he ordered, spitting to the side. I panted underneath six fighters who held me immobile by their weight. With my twisted face pressed into the grit, I watched as two men scaled quickly up a ledge of rock and hammered a piton into place.
“You can still choose, Thorrn,” Gavain said underneath the echoing retorts of the hammer. “You can choose what story I tell the king. He is not minded to give you mercy, but he may stay his hand. Aleric’s life hangs in the balance. Think of that while you choose.”