“Very sure.” I had to keep her there, away from Sade, Astor, and Iri, so they could make a run toward the boat.
Widow began to spin a web.
My heart rate upped, knowing she’d be able to throw it faster than we could run. I’d have to delay her somehow without becoming caught in her web because it would be nearly impossible to escape. The memory of Iri trapped in it and his desperate brush with death afterward made me grit my teeth.
“I must say, I'm impressed you were able to find more than one person to help you on this mission. From what I hear, not many people want you around these days. Not even your own family. How does that feel, little dreamwalker? Is it painful?” She gave me a look of mock concern, before she burst into wicked laughter.
I held my ground, trying not to let her get to me. I told myself she’d say anything to break me down to achieve whatever her sick plan was. But even so, I had to bite back tears thinking of my family. Had she sent her spiders after them?
Beru stepped in front of me, placing himself between Widow and the rest of us. “You must know that feeling, being surrounded by people who only stay out of fear.”
I looked back at the others, giving them a nod.
They sprinted into the water swimming as fast as they could to the boat. Sade and Iri were strong swimmers, but had to turn back for Astor, who was not. They each took an arm and dragged him behind them as they made their way to the boat.
With the others safe, Beru and I spread out so it would be harder for Widow to attack us. He moved to the left as I walked to my right.
Widow smiled when she realized what we were doing and began to clap slowly. “I must congratulate you, Beru. You’ve managed to break out of prison and finally become valuable. Even if it's for the wrong side.”
“I'd never work for your side.” He pulled out his sword, spitting on the ground between them.
“Never say never, darling. You don't know how your venture will end.” She batted her long eyelashes at him.
Gross. Was she flirting with him? “He's not one of you.”
I felt dumb for taking the bait but was unable to stand by and let her speak to him that way. It was an insult to think he’d change sides and fight with her.
“Are you sure of that, little dreamwalker? Do you really know this man?” Her head extended a foot from her body as she tilted it to stare at me.
“He's not a monster.” If he had been, I would have discovered it by now. I had to rely on what I knew about him, not what other people said, especially someone as untrustworthy as her.
“Whatever. Let's get back on topic, since you’re unwilling to be rational. I need you to do something for me.” She retracted her neck, returning to her normal height.
I blinked at her audacity. “We aren't doing anything for you.”
She smirked, unbothered by my denial. “I’ll take that bet. Now, hear me out.”
“I'll listen, but I'm not going to guarantee anything.” As much as it pained me, I waited. Maybe she’d tell me what her mission was, though I knew whatever she told me would only be a partial truth, at best. But I was curious to see what kind of hold Dag’draath had over her. Perhaps I could use it to my advantage and somehow gain her trust.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Beru's head swing toward me in shock. I kept my eyes on Widow, not wanting her to see our bond. I knew she’d use it against me if she did.
Widow skittered closer, close enough to whisper without Beru hearing her words. “I need to know how to bring down the walls of the prison. If you help me, I can guarantee your place in the new world.”
“Why would I want to do that? Do you not know what kind of people are in there? Do you really think you're going to get a place in the new world if the prison does fall?” I was curious what Dag'draath told her to make her believe she’d have the power to promise me something like that. I was certain he was only using her because she was in the outside world and had fallen for his promises.
“I’ve seen it. The new world will be different from anything we have now. The leaders will be greater. Life will be glorious and for a limited time, you can choose which side you want to be on.” From her expression of adoration as she spoke of the future, it was clear she believed she’d picked the right side.
If I could convince her we were on her side, it might give us enough time to make it to the boat.
She wouldn't be able to follow us, so whatever promises we made wouldn’t matter once we were gone.
I hoped Beru would understand. “What would I have to do?”
Widow smiled as she swayed toward me.
I had to steel myself not show fear as she came within arm’s reach.
“It's rather simple. You need to dreamwalk to the prison and figure out a way to bring down the walls so everyone can go free.” Her hairy arm slid across my shoulders, pulling me into her body.
“I don’t know how to bring down the walls. I barely made it out alive with Beru.” I allowed myself to lean in, trying to relax my body and show no resistance, though my mind screamed for me to run.
“You’ll find a way, I’m certain of it.” Her voice murmured sweetly in my ear.
I looked over where Beru had been standing, but he wasn’t there any longer. I swung my gaze to the left, then the right. Had he abandoned me?
“Oh, are you looking for Beru? He’s right here.” Widow moved slightly away, dangling Beru from a web between two of her back legs. She sniffed disdainfully. “He’s rather a snoop.”
“Let him down.” I tried to keep my voice calm even as I felt the shift in my facial features. I knew if I could look in a mirror it would be the same look Mother gave us when we were fighting.
“We were only talking.” She smiled, swinging him back and forth lazily. “He’s quite the play thing. I can see why you want to keep him around.”
“He’s not a toy. If you want me to work with you, he’s part of the package.” I folded my arms to show my deepening disapproval of her tactics, narrowing my eyes further.
“Fine.” The legs she’d been holding him with went limp. He fell head first toward the ground and I gasped. At the last moment, she softened his landing with another one of her legs. “Just kidding. Lighten up already.”
I raced over, hesitant to touch her web for fear of getting stuck in it. I looked at her, unsure of what to say to get her to release him, but I didn’t have to say anything.
She rolled her eyes and unraveled him.
“Are you all right?” I began to pat him all over to see if she’d injured him in any way.
“I’m fine.” He grabbed my head, gently pulled me in for a hug he whispered, “What are you doing?”
“Go along with it,” I murmured in his ear, then pulled away.
“Please, I’m going to get sick from this love-fest. Does your wife know about your new lover? Oh, right … she’s dead.” Widow smiled satisfied, folding her arms, and arching a brow.
Unlike me, Beru didn’t react to her words. He looked at her with the same expressionless mask which drove me crazy.
“That’s enough.” I snapped. “If you want my help, this stops now.”
“Fine.”
I held out my hand for Beru to take and pulled him up. “We’re going on the boat. I’ll figure something out. How can I reach you?”
“No worries. I’ll find you.” She smiled menacingly, but bowed, gesturing for us to proceed.
We walked as calmly as we could to the water’s edge, unsure if she was truly going to let us go, but too afraid to look back in case she saw it as a sign of weakness. As we swam to the boat, I felt her gaze on my back as she watched from the top of the hill.
When I finally stood on the boat and looked back, she waved merrily, as if saying goodbye to old friends.
As the boat moved away from the shore, I heard her voice drift over the waves. “While you’re hiding, little dreamwalker, rest assured I’ll be here, sharing my gifts with your people.”
Chapter 18
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It was past nightfall by the time we made it to the shores of Bruhier. I’d been on edge the entire time, wondering if merfolk were going to attack us, so the sight of dry land made my heart leap with joy, even if it was half-hidden by clouds. Once on land though, my heart sank as I looked at the landscape.
We were going to have a long climb ahead of us in the dark to get to the plateau.
“Which way do we go? It’s impossible to see over the veil.” Iri walked back and forth, his eyes trained on the mountain, looking for a way up.
“We go up.” Beru began to climb, not bothering to wait to see if we would follow.
The blue moon shone, giving us enough light to follow his lead.
Sade went next, staying an arm’s length behind.
Iri held back until they were farther up.
Astor stood behind me as we watched our friends climb. “So, climb until we fall to our death? Great plan.”
“Come on. Stay close and you’ll be fine.” I gave him a little push, then began to climb.
“Why? So you can take me out when you fall? No way. I’ll make my own path.” He snorted and picked a path to the left of me.
We made our way up to the first plateau and when I reached the edge, Beru leaned over and pulled me up.
Sade and Iri were sitting on some rocks drinking water.
Astor wasn’t far behind me.
“Any more ideas?” I poured two glasses of water, passing one to him.
“I’ll scout the plateau to see if there are any threats. If not, we’ll rest here and go further in the morning. We shouldn’t take chances traveling in the dark.” Iri stood, and when we agreed, he took Beru with him to scout out the area.
Sade and I gathered wood for a campfire as Astor promptly fell asleep where he sat.
“No one will steal him.” She stared down at him, an almost motherly expression crossing her face fleetingly.
I followed her gaze to where he was snoring loudly, curled on his pack and chuckled. “You’d be shattered if they did.”
“Maybe, but don’t tell him I said that.” She sat down, slowly feeding kindling to the fire as she built it higher.
I placed my hand over my heart. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“How are you and Beru? You seem to be getting along better.”
“Good. I think we have some common ground now. I’m starting to think I trust him.”
“That’s a big statement.”
“Do you trust him?” I tilted my head, watching her face intently. In general, she seemed better at reading people than I was.
Sade was silent, lips pressed together as she took time answering. “I do. For now. But I’m not sure I can say what he’ll do once he feels his debt is repaid.”
I didn't have the nerve to agree with her out loud, but it was something I’d worried about as well. There was no way to know how he’d react once he thought he’d given enough of his time. The more I got to know him, the more I wondered if I’d ever feel like it was enough time.
A movement in the bushes distracted us and she looked up, placing a finger to her lips. She threw extra wood on the fire and slid her knife from her pack while I shook Astor awake.
“There's something in the woods. You need to get up, but act like you don't know. Grab your knife before you come over to the fire.” I walked back to the fire after Astor nodded his understanding. I caught the branches move again. There was someone definitely watching us.
“Should we surprise them?” I spoke in a low voice as I returned to the fire. “Once Astor joins us?”
“Let's wait until Beru and Iri get back unless they make a move first. We don't know how many there are.” Sade shifted slightly for a better view of the bushes but continued to poke the fire as if nothing was happening.
“I wonder how long they’ve been watching.” I turned at the crack of a branch behind me to see Astor stumbling to stand and shook my head. If we were aiming for silent, he was failing miserably.
“What do we do?” Astor squinted at the bushes, not bothering to hide his interest.
“First off, try to be a little more subtle.” She pushed him to sit beside her. “Next, we wait for Iri and Beru to return. Can you handle that?”
He put his head down meekly.
We sat around the fire and listened to the noises around us silently after that. There was a gentle breeze blowing, so we had to be extra attentive to the noises around us. I knew the creatures in Bruhier were different and it was possible whoever was watching could be either curious or dangerous.
An arrow shot through the sky and landed in the fire. This was not a peaceful greeting.
We grabbed our weapons, stood shoulder to shoulder, and faced the spot where the arrow originated.
Nothing. The bush had quieted and there was no sign of our invisible attackers. I jumped when another arrow flew past me, hitting the fire from a new angle. We whirled, and I completely expected somebody, or something, to come out of the woods.
“Looks like they want to play with us.” Her voice held a hint of irritation as she crept around the fire with narrowed eyes, scouring the trees for the mysterious visitors.
We formed a loose circle, our backs to each other as we tried to keep eyes on as much of the darkness as possible.
When the sound of footfalls on the path reached our ears, Sade lunged. As the intruders broke through the brush, Sade stopped, pulling her knife back as Beru and Iri appeared.
“That’s not quite the welcome back I was hoping for.” Beru held his hands up, an obvious look of surprise plastered on his face.
“There's someone watching us. They shot arrows at the fire, but from different locations. So maybe more than one.” She kept her eyes on our surroundings as they drew their swords.
“Only place to go from here is up. Everyone ready on my count?” Iri walked toward the rocky cliff face, leaning nonchalantly against it, prepared to start the climb.
We nodded in agreement. We’d have to leave our things behind. If we tried to gather anything, whoever was watching would know what we were trying to do. We could come back later if we were lucky and didn't go too far up the mountain.
“Run!” Iri ordered, and we made a break for it.
As soon as we hit the cliff face, the attackers came out of the woods.
I turned back to see who we were fighting and my eyes widened. I’d never seen anything like them.
They were more massive than the average ur’gel, and surprisingly faster as well. They shot arrows at us until we were out of reach.
Just when I was beginning to appreciate the reprieve, I looked back to discover they’d slung their bows over their backs and were climbing after us. Same as on the ground, they were faster climbers as well. It wasn’t long until they’d caught up. They grabbed at our feet as they tried to pull us down.
A large misshapen ur’gel latched on to my foot and was hanging on it, pulling hard. I lost my handhold but scrabbled and caught a tree root. I used my other leg to swing myself around so I slammed him against the wall.
He lost his grip, and the shriek he let out as he fell to the ground was both satisfying and terrifying, knowing it could have been me instead.
I climbed higher, but the ur’gels just kept coming. Another scaled the side of the mountain beside me, leaping onto my back. I let out a cry of surprise and Beru turned, dropping down to throw it off me.
We were almost to the next cliff, but I couldn’t see if there were more at the top and we were climbing into a trap. If we reached the cliff first would we be able to pick them off as they came toward us? As we neared the top, we could see people there.
They didn't resemble the ur’gels at the bottom, and more reassuringly, they appeared to be aiming their arrows at our pursuers and not us.
Sade reached the cliff first and I exhaled in relief as they helped her over.
The guys were next.
As I reached for purchase at the top of the ledge, a hand pulled me up. I stood,
breathing too hard from the exertion to realize our saviors were elves.
Elves who’d encircled us with long, sharp spears and grim expressions.
No one spoke, and we remained still, waiting to find out who their leader was.
The ur’gels kept coming and except for the ones watching us, the elves fought to keep them from making it over the ledge.
When an elf shorter than the others arrived dressed in gold, our guards parted to let him in.
Sword in hand, he raised his chin and looked us over. He stopped and directed his words to Iri. “State your business.”
“We have come to look for someone. And right now, to get away from the ur’gels. We greatly appreciate your help with the second goal.” Iri placed his weapon on the ground as a sign of peace.
The new elf didn't reply, but instead walked around and gestured with his sword. “I’ll ask again. What is your purpose here?”
It appeared he didn't believe Iri.
I stepped in front of the group, hoping he’d listen to me. “We wish no harm. We are merely looking to speak with the High Elves in search of information.”
He walked around us again, but became distracted by a handful of ur’gels climbing over the cliff at the same time.
We remained under guard as the rest of the elves fought off the ur’gels using flames and arrows.
In comparison to the smoothly coordinated movements of the elves, the ur’gels appeared disorganized, and seemed easy to defeat.
I watched as several ur’gels separated one of the elves from the rest and attacked in unison. I was about to scream out in warning, but then the elf pulled his belt off. Metal spikes glinted in the light of the moon as he swung it.
When it contacted the first ur’gel, it howled and fell backward off the mountain. The elf swiftly repeated the mesmerizing action with his belt, and the others followed closely behind the first.
With his opponents out of the way, the elf put his belt on and hurried to the aid of two others who were rolling out a cylindrical stone. They pushed it over the side, and screams echoed in symphony with the dull thud, thud, thud as it hit several hard objects on the way down.
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