Angst stopped beside Dulgirgraut and watched in amazement as Alloria danced. Unlike the spinning and falling, this was surprisingly elegant. She rose on her toes, held her elbows straight out with her hands against her chest, and spun before leaping into the air. He couldn’t imagine the leg strength it took to jump so high. The landing was so quiet, she must’ve been on invisible feathers. Arching back wincingly far, her hands touched the floor. She smoothly lifted a leg overhead before lithely setting her foot on the ground beside the other. Raising her hands high, she took a deep breath and froze. Her eyes were wide and she covered her mouth.
“Oh,” she said, blushing as she slowly rested flat on her feet. “Um, hi.”
“That was…entrancing,” Angst said, in genuine awe. “I’ve never seen anyone dance like that. I can’t imagine how much you trained. How long did it take to learn?”
“Mom always said I was a natural,” she said, brushing honey blond hair from her damp cheek. “I took some lessons, but then she died, and Father had other plans.”
“I’m sorry,” Angst said, frowning. “But to me, it looks like you should be teaching, or performing.”
“You really liked it?” she asked, her eyes pleading.
This was a very young Alloria, surprisingly insecure and hungry for praise. He sensed no mischief or even her voracious sexual appetite. This was a side of her he’d never seen, and he really liked it. She was both artistic and humble in her abilities.
“I did,” he said. “What inspired you to suddenly do…that?”
“I was dancing with my shadow,” she said with a full-lipped smile. “It was like dancing with myself. I’ve never had a partner before.”
He tried his best to hide his worry and sadness behind a smile. She was like a shattered mirror, and the curse had found a long-buried shard. The broken piece he’d spent the most time with was an out-of-control party girl in desperate heat. He’d barely glimpsed the other shards, which seemed to have weight and meaning. Inside that mess was a person who cared, and another who was wise, and now this one, the humble woman who danced like she’d been performing her entire life.
Alloria deserved those shards to be made whole so she could choose which path to live. Not even his great foci had an answer or spell that would glue the young woman back together. Magic had broken her, and Angst didn’t know what to do. All he could think of was to encourage the good Alloria. Maybe that would help. Maybe.
“I only wish I could dance as well as your shadow,” he said, smiling softly. “You deserve a partner who could compliment your grace and talent.”
“Really?” she said hopefully. Alloria blinked several times and shook her head. Her voice transformed from innocent to something far sultrier. “But, honey. I’ll dance for you any time you want.”
She shimmied up to him, spun around and gyrated. Grasping her shoulders, he gently turned her about to face him. She licked her lips, readying for a kiss. Instead, he leaned his head to one side and pulled her into a firm hug.
She stomped. “Hugs are boring,” she muttered into his shoulder.
“Should I stop holding you?” he asked, kissing the top of her head.
“No,” she said, relaxing into his embrace.
Without warning, Alloria began sobbing, and he wished his hug was the cure she needed. Her shadow was tiny, as if the curse had given up and was hiding beneath her feet. He wouldn’t give up. After a long time, she pulled back, wiping her cheeks and sniffing away her sadness.
“Thanks,” she said, almost too quietly for him to hear. She whispered, “I love you.”
“Alloria,” he said, lifting her chin with a finger. “I love you too.”
“Really?” she asked, hopefully.
“Really,” he said, staring into those big, beautiful eyes. “Maybe not the way you want, but hopefully the way you need.”
“I understand,” she said, looking slightly defeated. A mischievous grin crept across her face. “But I still can’t wait to have sex with you.”
“What?” he said in shock, taking a step back.
She winked, spun about, and ran toward the pyramids, laughing the whole way. He couldn’t help but smile and chase after her. Alloria deserved to be chased. Everyone does.
37
“This place must’ve been amazing,” Victoria said, taking it all in.
Jaden stood beside her, more interested in imminent dangers than the distant pyramids. It was cute that he felt the need to protect her. He was cute. When Jaden had first arrived, he couldn’t remember much—just his name and that he was from the future. She’d been drawn to his mystery and intelligence. It didn’t take long for their flirting to become something more…until he remembered. Jaden had spent months unconscious in the infirmary. When he woke, his memories changed everything.
Conversations with the man now ended in frustration and shouting, because she refused to believe him. In his future, Angst’s wish at Prendere had cracked Ehrde, leaving a wide gap between the halves. The loss of life was beyond her understanding. Humanity had survived, but it had become something twisted. Two dystopian nations had grown from the ashes to rule their side beyond the crack. War had become a way of life as countries found new ways to cross the divide.
His stories of floating ships, machines of war, science warriors, steam, and the fact that most could wield magic was an overwhelming fantasy. She could comprehend most of his narrative and had wanted to believe, until he admitted the truth. He’d been sent back to kill Angst so that none of those horrors would happen. When Jaden had told her who’d sent him, she’d been filled with uncontrollable rage. She knew in her heart that they had to be lies.
It just didn’t add up. More than anyone, she understood how change affected the future. The fact that he was here and had already dipped his toe in the pool of time should’ve created enough ripples to affect everything, but he refused to accept her argument. If she was willing to believe his future, he should’ve believed what she saw. It was a tough sell when Jaden’s future wasn’t a series of straight lines but a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces.
Yet, here they stood, in the last mage city before the end of all things. She had given up so much and was on the verge of losing more. Her mother was gone, Tyrell was gone, and Angst was lost to her. Was Jaden all she had left? Maybe they couldn’t be lovers, but it was still possible for them to be something. Friends would be nice. More than friends would be better. And, he was cute.
“Are there mage cities in your future?” she asked.
His head whipped about as if stung by a wasp, and a hopeful smile crept up one cheek. “Actually, there is one,” he said. “Not far from your castle. It has a sovereign leader, separate from the western empire. That city is a haven in the middle of a nightmare. If you can find your way in, they’ll teach you wielding. That’s where I learned, before being caught and slaved to the arenas…” He trailed off as his tone darkened.
She didn’t press for more and placed a hand on his.
“Are we…?” he said, his face pained.
“Friends or something,” she said. “That’s a good place right now.”
“Friends works,” he said, facing her with glassy eyes. “Or something.”
“Are you going to try to kill Angst?” she asked.
“I promised I wouldn’t,” he said, staring at her hand. “I don’t think I could, anyway.”
“Those two swords make him a lot to handle,” she said.
“That’s not what I meant. I don’t think it’s in me to try,” he said, now looking into her eyes. “When I was sent back, I planned to be ruthless like in my arena days. I promised myself I wouldn’t fall in love with you, but—”
“Do you ever shut up?” she said, gripping the back of his neck and pressing her lips to his.
Thirty seconds of passion and wet lips and dancing tongues wasn’t enough to quench her longing. They needed a room, not a city. Victoria’s heart raced to satin sheets and a steamy night as she forced herself to pu
ll away. It wasn’t her first choice or even her hundredth, but it was the right decision. They laughed with foreheads pressed together and her hand still holding the back of his neck.
“I…I just want you to know,” he said, slow to release her. “I understand if you have to choose another, but my feelings will never change.”
That sacrifice broke Victoria’s heart. He would give up everything to save Ehrde, knowing she would give anything to save her best friend.
“They’re coming,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said. “I needed this.”
“Me too,” he said.
Their team approached, and both stood tall and looking on as if life hadn’t just happened.
“Why are you upset?” Victoria asked, reaching for Dallow’s hand. He sighed as she took it. “Oh no.”
“Yeah,” he said, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
“What?” Simon asked, looking around nervously. “Did you guys find something?”
“An obelisk that gave me directions,” Dallow said, his eyes downcast. “There are libraries everywhere. Maybe thirty or forty.”
“I’d expect you to be jumping for joy,” Jaden said in a snide tone.
“Normally, yes. This would be a great find,” Dallow said. “But we don’t have time to search them all.”
“Did it tell you where to find Angst?” Simon asked.
“Sort of,” Dallow said. “I think he’s headed beyond the farthest pyramid.”
“Helpful,” Jaden said, turning to Victoria. “Can’t you just tell us where we end up?”
She concentrated on the future and immediately reeled with vertigo. Jaden grabbed her arm, and she held on until it passed.
“Nope,” she said, swallowing bile, several times. “I’m limited here. I get sick when I try to see the future.”
“Then we follow Dallow’s lead,” Jaden said. “The libraries are a waste of time.”
“Libraries are never a waste of time,” Dallow said, his eyes flashing white.
“We need to stop Angst,” Jaden shouted. “I’m already giving up everything, I refuse to give up Ehrde.”
“We need direction,” Dallow snapped. “We don’t even know why we’re here.”
The argument simmered to a boil as everyone vomited out vile anger. Nikkola’s hands bubbled with dark power, and red lightning spewed from Jaden’s fists. Victoria leaned in so everyone would hear, the sword in her hand rattling against Mirim’s. Fury and rage blurred her vision. She raised her sword, preparing to swing…
An explosion of sound struck them, making everyone grab their ears and take a step back. It was a fierce, growly, bark of a noise that cleared Victoria’s mind like a splash of cold water. She wanted to cheer, and cry, and vomit as sanity and focus slowly returned.
“That sucked,” Nikkola said, grasping her belly. “What happened?”
Sean turned away and leaned over as the contents of his stomach emptied onto the vines.
“A curse,” Dallow said. “All mage cities seem to have them. This one is bad.”
“Your shadows,” Mirim said, pointing at the ground between Dallow and Jaden.
The shadows beneath the two men were larger than the others and jerked about in an invisible tug-of-war. They both stared down with wide eyes. Jaden poked his with a sword while Dallow lifted one foot, and then the other. They took calming breaths and nodded at each other as their shadows subsided.
“It’d be best to split these two up,” Mirim said, looking at Victoria.
“Agreed,” she said with a nod. “We go find Angst while Dallow and someone go to the libraries.”
“Nikkola,” Mirim said. “He needs offensive support.”
“That’s me,” Nikkola said, raising her hand. “I’m offensive.”
“Not what I meant,” the captain said, rolling her eyes.
“But which one?” Dallow asked. “There are so many, I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Why so many libraries?” Mirim asked. “Are they all the same?”
“These people may have been crazy,” Dallow scoffed. “Our libraries back home have books on everything. Here, each library specializes on a theme.”
“Like what?” Mirim asked.
“Cooking, art, elements, history, geology, magic,” Dallow said. “It’s a long list.”
“Is there a library that tells you where to go?” Mirim asked.
“Sort of,” Dallow said. “The history library is also cartography, or guidance. It didn't translate well.”
Mirim raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“You’re a genius,” Dallow said, his face brightening.
“I am,” Mirim said, lifting her chin proudly.
“Jaden was right, pointing to the farthest pyramid isn't helpful. Let me try something,” he said. Kneeling, he whispered something into his cupped hands and blew. A blue orb floated from his hand and stopped five feet away. As it emanated a dim light, a second orb appeared five feet beyond the first, and then another. The path soon led well beyond view.
“Wow,” Nikkola said. “Nice hands.”
“Thanks,” Dallow said with a wink.
“Be careful,” Victoria said, placing a hand on Dallow’s shoulder.
“You too,” he said. “Hurry, they won’t last long.”
“Dallow,” Jaden said, with a strained effort. “I, uh…”
“We’ll figure it out,” Dallow said with a nod. “Let’s get out of here first.”
38
“Go away,” Maarja said. She sat against a large oak, staring down at her flask of wine. “Go away, or I’ll punch you too.”
“You broke his face,” Jintorich said, settling down beside her.
“Good.” The large woman snuffled into some furs and took a draw from her flask. “He broke our marriage.”
“I was able to heal him while he was still unconscious,” Jintorich said. “I don’t think he’ll remember much.”
“Then I’ll do it again,” she said, baring a fist.
“I doubt there will be time,” Jintorich said. “Rasaol ordered Niihlu to ‘take him to the woods’ tomorrow morning. I don’t know what that means.”
Fear washed away resentment, and her eyes met his for the first time. “Nordruaut are fond of small pets, like bears and frost lions.”
“Small?” Jintorich asked, his ears rising tall.
“As with all things, pets become old,” Maarja said. “We give them a quick death in the woods rather than making them die slowly from age.”
“I understand,” Jintorich said, respectfully. “Referring to Tarness as a small pet is quite the insult.”
“I will correct Rasaol in good time,” Maarja said. “But I understand their decision. Nordruaut kill traitors.”
“And you’re okay with that?” he asked.
“He lied to me,” she shouted, slamming the ground with her fist.
Jintorich popped up like corn on the griddle and sat again when the forest floor calmed.
“Tarness was unable to tell you the truth,” Jintorich said.
“You lied to me,” she said, darkly.
“For that, I am sorry,” Jintorich said, spreading his hands out. “But it was not my truth to tell. I knew little of Tarness’s story, only enough to get him killed. I would not be a friend to put him or you in that position.”
“Fine, I won’t hit you,” Maarja said with a sigh. “Even if you idiots thought you were doing the right thing, he still killed Jarle. There’s no way to fix that.”
“What if he didn’t kill Jarle?” Jintorich stood, placing his staff foci to rest on its tip.
“You’re trying to fix that,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Rasaol told us that Tarness killed Jarle.”
“And Tarness?” Jintorich asked, resting his tiny hands behind his back. “What did he say?”
“I don’t remember,” she muttered. “I was too angry.”
“Your husband said, ‘I think so,’” Jintorich said.
“W
hat does that mean?” she asked. “You either kill someone, or you don’t.”
“What if he was tricked into killing Jarle?” Jintorich asked. “Or worse, tricked to believe he had killed Jarle?”
“He is no fool,” she said in a half-hearted defense. “Unless I’m upset with him.”
“I love Tarness. He is a good man with more common sense than anyone I know,” Jintorich said. “But he is also just a man, and susceptible to being tricked by an element like Magic.”
Maarja looked at the Meldusian with a hint of hope in her eyes.
“Look at what Magic has done to the Fulk’han, to my people and me,” Jintorich said, his ears drooping slightly. “And they burned Rohjek to ash.”
“Yes, but those are nations,” Maarja said in an unsure tone. “My husband is just one human.”
“He is also Angst’s best friend,” Jintorich said. “I couldn’t imagine a better tool to manipulate Angst.”
“It makes sense,” she said. “What do we tell the others?”
“I’ve spent the last six months helping Tarness try to remove that ring,” Jintorich said. “A man completely under Magic’s control would not be able to try. If Magic couldn’t keep him from trying to remove the ring, Magic could not make him kill Jarle. What do you think?”
Her blue eyes became wet with tears, and her lower lip trembled. “I broke my husband’s face?” she sobbed, burying her face in her hands.
Jintorich bounded over to her shoulder and patted her long, platinum hair. They were an odd couple, the giant and the mouse. He was small enough for her to eat in a bite, but the Al’eyrn had incredible power and uncanny wisdom. What had happened to all Meldusians was unexpected, but with his foci, Jintorich was a danger to be wary of.
Moments and tears passed before she leaned her head against him. When she finally nodded, he hopped back to the ground.
“It’s the worst argument ever,” she said with a sad laugh. “I think you are right and I should have believed in my husband. But the others will never agree. With Rasaol as king and Niihlu his right hand, few would stand up for Tarness.”
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