Defy

by Raine Thomas

“I—what?” Tiege frowned. “I didn’t mean…”

  “You should meditate,” the elder said in his matter-of-fact manner. “Open your mind and attempt to connect with her.”

  Blinking, Tiege gave that a moment’s thought. Knorbis and Malukali had both taught the Kynzesti meditation techniques. The elders had also taught them ways to block mental intrusions, something they said might be necessary when the Kynzesti made their debut at Estilorian Central and were among the masses of Wymzesti and Orculesti. So he knew he could put himself into the meditative state recommended by Ini-herit.

  “All right,” he said. “Why not?”

  Finding a shaded spot, he walked over and sat down. Being as immobile as possible always seemed to help when it came to meditation. He settled himself into a comfortable pose and then closed his eyes.

  His lack of sleep the night before aided him in his efforts. Because he was too tired to focus on much else, Tate was in his mind the moment he closed his eyes. He had thought that he would see her, kind of like what his mom described when she transported from one location to another just by envisioning it. Instead, it felt very much like he was in the middle of a dream. He couldn’t actually see her at all. But he could somehow sense that he was in her thoughts.

  Tate, he thought.

  He took her suddenly blank thoughts to mean she had frozen in shock. Tiege?

  The sound of her voice in his mind sent emotion flooding through him. Not so long ago he had thought he’d never hear her voice again. He had to swallow hard and hone his focus. Yeah, he thought back. We’re trying to find you.

  Oh, Tiege! I miss you so much. I knew you’d come after me.

  Now her emotion hit him, too. He couldn’t fight the sting behind his eyes, so didn’t bother trying. I’ve missed you, too, Tate. We’re coming to get you. I need you to describe where you are right now.

  Yes! she thought excitedly. I can describe it perfectly. Mom should be able to transport—

  Mom’s not here, Tate. His jaw clenched as the wave of surprise, hurt and disappointment washed through her and into him. She’s been on bed rest. Everything that happened...it was too much. Dad is with her. He didn’t bother adding that his father hadn’t wanted him to come after her.

  She seemed to understand. Her emotions leveled out. Okay, she thought. Well, I’m at a mountain.

  Tiege frowned. There hadn’t been any mountains nearby that he could see. Of course, they had been flying so close to the trees that it had been hard to see much of anything beyond that.

  I went through a field of strawberries not too long ago. I was originally in a cave. I’ve been through a couple of forests, stayed near a trout stream last night, and ran across a rather large plain between the cave and the stream. I…I don’t know where I am.

  She had begun her description calmly, but by the time she finished, she sounded confused, frightened and forlorn.

  Stay calm, Tate. You’re doing great. Hang on a sec.

  He opened his eyes and saw C.K. and Ini-herit staring at him. “She’s at a mountain. She said she was initially in a cave. From there she’s apparently been in a couple of forests, run across a plain, hit a trout stream and crossed a strawberry field.”

  “Strawberries?” Ini-herit considered this. “Find out if she sees a source of water anywhere near her.”

  Do you—? he started to think.

  I heard him, she interrupted. Yes. There’s a lake on the other side of this peak I just crested.

  “She says there’s a lake.”

  Ini-herit nodded. “I know where she is. She is less than a day’s flight from here. If she stays put, we will find her.”

  Tiege felt Tate’s joy and relief just as keenly as he did his own. He supposed a Corgloresti who had transitioned from just about everywhere possible on the Estilorian plane would know it very well. Having the elder along was proving invaluable. C.K. grinned as she looked from Ini-herit to Tiege.

  Smiling widely himself, he said, “Thanks.”

  Ini-herit nodded again. He looked at C.K., who reached out to take his hand and give it an appreciative squeeze. The elder didn’t seem to know what to make of that.

  Who is that? Tate thought.

  Archigos Ini-herit, he explained. Her astonishment over that response was evident, reminding him that she had no idea what else had occurred during her absence. He and C.K. had to transition back. Tate, you need to be aware that there’s a group of rogue Mercesti roaming the mainland in search of something. They’ve apparently taken to torturing and killing females in the course of their quest to find it, though we don’t know what it is or why they seek it.

  He felt her fear and horror. Despite her surging emotions, he made himself continue, wanting her to be on guard and aware of the potential danger. One of these Mercesti, a male named Zachariah, murdered a Scultresti named Luvania just before you were taken. The Waresti are in search of him as well as the Mercesti he’s apparently traveling with. We found evidence near where we were camping last night that a Mercesti female was attacked and murdered in a very brutal manner, and we believe, due to the way Luvania died, that this was also the work of Zachariah.

  Tiege, she thought. It was all that got past her racing thoughts and burgeoning terror.

  I know. Stay strong, Tate. Find somewhere you can sit out of sight for a day or so. We’re going to take flight again now. As soon as we land to rest, I’ll check in with you.

  Can’t we stay connected?

  Her fear was so potent and the thought had been issued in such a lost tone that he hated to tell her no, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to maintain his focus enough during their flight to keep the connection open. In truth, his head was already starting to pound from his continued efforts. It was more difficult than he had thought it would be.

  I’m sorry, sis. I’ll check in with you as soon as I can. I want to get in the air now so we can get to you as soon as possible.

  Okay. He had a sense of her lifting her chin and straightening her shoulders, as if she was bracing herself and finding her courage. Thanks, Tiege. I love you.

  He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose as her emotions blended with his. He couldn’t remember her ever actually saying that before. They certainly both knew the depth of their connection as siblings, but the words hadn’t ever needed to be voiced. They did now, though.

  I love you, too, Tate. We’re coming to get you.

  Chapter 28

  Alexius had his first big break just a matter of hours after Harold found the evidence of Tate’s survival in the cave. Because he shared thoughts with his commander and his elder, Alexius was aware of the successful hunt, as well as the effect it had on Tate’s family.

  He was quite relieved by the news himself. He couldn’t say exactly what it was he felt during Tate’s memorial service. In his centuries of being, he had seen many a comrade fall. But he realized as he stood with Tate’s grieving family that there was something very different about bearing witness to the devastation wrought by a child’s death.

  For some unknown reason, his gaze had returned repeatedly to Tate’s eleven-year-old sister, Abigail. Seated next to her twin brother, Adam, she had wept silently and stoically, her hand entwined with her brother’s. In particular, her muted emotion had left him aching in a way he hadn’t ever before experienced.

  As a class, the Waresti were known for their unemotional natures. Yet he had seen both his commander and his elder floundering as much as he had while archigos Jabari spoke about Tate’s short life amid her family’s anguished weeping.

  The search for Tiege and the others had been a welcome distraction from the foreign feelings evoked by the memorial. Alexius knew it probably didn’t speak much to his character that he preferred to focus on warfare and offensive tactics than the mess of emotions, but he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—fight his nature.

  So he had accepted the assignment from his commander with gratitude and enthusiasm. It felt productive.

  When they found the camp
site, he experienced a sense of elation that only occurred when he achieved success on a mission. The moment he stepped into the small clearing, his Waresti instincts told him that the area had been occupied by the group they pursued, and not very long ago.

  “They were here, were they not, sir?” Donald asked as they examined the area.

  Alexius nodded. His lieutenant was quite sharp and caught on quickly. When they lost lieutenant Balera in the battle against Grolkinei, Alexius had consulted for a long time with commander Harold and archigos Uriel over who should be nominated to fill her position. She had possessed a keen intuition that made her loss strongly felt by the Waresti. Donald had proven that he had been a wise choice on their part.

  Mercesti typically left a campsite without care. Campfires were often still burning when found by Waresti touring the mainland. Any food that had been eaten remained in discarded heaps around the area. Because Mercesti couldn’t receive hospitality items from the Lekwuesti, they usually had to rely on their own wiles to fulfill those needs. Thus, the Mercesti found it a particular success to convert a Lekwuesti. As many converted Estilorians maintained at least some of their prior class’s skill, a Lekwuesti who converted to Mercesti could usually be relied on to produce food, clothing or similar items. Even so, the Mercesti didn’t generally concern themselves with neatness or maintaining the sanctity of their environment.

  This campsite, on the other hand, had a doused fire and little other evidence left behind.

  “They were here,” Alexius said to punctuate his nod. “I see prints large enough for males and small enough for females. There are even some prints that appear feline, which would be explained easily enough if Sophia shifted. Fan out and let me know what you find.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the small group of Waresti once again collected around the doused campfire. Donald took the lead in discussing their findings.

  “There were numerous tracks within a clearing just a few minutes from here. We found evidence of what I believe was a Mercesti camp. Gauging from the markings in the ground and the predicted sizes of the tents they used, the Mercesti number at least thirty. We followed tracks leading off into the forest.”

  “How long ago do you believe the tracks were made?”

  “The Mercesti tracks are approximately a day old,” the lieutenant said. Alexius knew that Donald would have used his Waresti abilities to assess any footprints for heat signatures and other identifying traits. “I did, however, detect prints that were made much more recently.”

  This didn’t surprise Alexius. He may have remained behind at the primary campsite, but he hadn’t done so without carefully assessing it. The more recent tracks in the area stood out to his experienced eyes like blood on a snow bank.

  “They have split up,” Alexius said. “The freshest prints in this area belong to two males—one of whom is carrying the other for flight—and one female. There is no sign of another male and female here.”

  Donald was already nodding as he also looked around the site. “While in the clearing where the Mercesti camped, I noted recent tracks for two males and one female. One of the males returned to this area while the other male and female followed the visible tracks left by the Mercesti.”

  Alexius had already reasoned this out and was pleased his lieutenant had also done so. “We need to split up. I will lead half of our number in pursuit of the two males and single female.”

  While he didn’t mention it, he suspected it was archigos Ini-herit carrying Tiege who had left the large boot prints beside the smaller, feminine ones within this campsite. Sophia was a small female who rarely wore boots. And because she couldn’t fly, it made sense that she was with Quincy. Alexius was observant enough to know that the Corgloresti who saw to the medical needs of the Kynzesti wouldn’t allow Sophia out of his sight for long.

  “You will lead the search for the two who went after the Mercesti,” he told Donald. “I cannot imagine what drove them after the evil beings, but you must attempt to intercept them and bring them back.”

  Alexius looked around at each of the Waresti gathered around him. “Our mission is to bring this group back to their families unharmed. And that is just what we are going to do.”

  Bertram was going to kill Tycho as painfully as possible for this.

  The duo had been wandering aimlessly for days after being cast out of the band of their Mercesti brethren. Eirik had found them having a bit of fun with the female Lekwuesti pet he kept all to himself, and he hadn’t liked that at all. Bertram failed to see what the fuss was all about. They hadn’t even removed any of her clothing. Yet.

  But the hard-nosed leader hadn’t wanted to listen to their arguments. He considered their behavior rebellious, since he had ordered everyone following him to leave the female alone until he said otherwise. Bertram thought Eirik was being overly territorial, though he had been wise enough to keep that opinion to himself. Thanks to his silence, he and Tycho had only been kicked out of the camp and not slaughtered where they stood once their actions were discovered.

  He and Tycho had realized within the span of a day that they weren’t cut out for solitary life. They fell in with Eirik’s little tribe shortly after Grolkinei was killed. Kanika’s “reign” over the Mercesti had been laughable. Eirik was at least a leader they could respect. Unlike Kanika, Eirik didn’t try to convince them that they had been influenced by some of Grolkinei’s commanders to behave in a way that would convert them to Mercesti.

  “Grolkinei used some of his most powerful Mercesti, such as his commander, Layla, to influence the decisions and behavior of Estilorians on the mainland,” Kanika had announced. “This resulted in many conversions that should never have been. If you have ever doubted the fact that you are Mercesti or questioned why you acted in the way in which you converted, please speak with me.”

  Please. Bertram knew well and good what he was doing when he killed the Estilorian who caused him to covert, and he knew Tycho did, too.

  When they finally acknowledged that they needed to be aligned with Eirik for the sake of their own livelihood, they tried very hard to think of ways to ingratiate themselves back into the fold. They considered and dismissed the idea of finding a female for him. Not only did he already have the Lekwuesti female right there whenever he wanted, lone females were rather difficult to come by on the mainland. Additionally, Eirik wasn’t as obsessed with enjoying females as those who followed him were. He usually passed along any female prisoners to Deimos. That wouldn’t do Bertram and Tycho any good.

  After two full days of deliberation, they decided that the most effective way to regain their positions within Eirik’s camp was with information. Their leader—former leader at the moment—was up to something big. He hadn’t revealed much to his followers, but he had given enough hints to have all of them salivating with thoughts of power and prestige.

  Both Bertram and Tycho suspected that Eirik was uncertain about some element of his plan, however. Their group had changed course numerous times in recent weeks, sometimes revisiting ground they had already covered. The addition of the Lekwuesti to the mix was even more puzzling. From what they observed, it seemed that she was attempting to help Eirik find something. This made Bertram and Tycho reason that Eirik needed more information about whatever object he sought. Bertram and Tycho were determined to get that information and deliver it to Eirik in exchange for being let back into the tribe.

  The questions were, what was he looking for and what information did he need?

  Before they could discuss this more in-depth, a group of Waresti entered the area that Bertram and Tycho had set up as their tentative shelter. It wasn’t much more than a twiggy overhang beside a muddy pond, but it was all they had.

  The moment the nearly-silent Waresti approached, Bertram looked around in a panic to ask Tycho what he thought they should do, only to find the other Mercesti gone.

  So here he was, huddled down in a muddy hole, silently cursing Tycho and hoping the Waresti passed through th
e area without doing a very thorough search. His hopes were dashed as the largest of the group came into sight. Bertram easily recognized the huge, blond male with orange markings lining every inch of his upper body…a testament to the number of Mercesti lives he had taken.

  The Waresti commander, Harold.

  There were very few reasons the Waresti commander would be leading a standard patrol on the mainland. His services were generally extended toward training Waresti warriors at Central. Bertram knew the commander also spent a lot of time training with the three daughters of Saraqael, as well as their growing brood of children.

  Could his presence on the mainland be related to the sisters?

  Curious and eager to learn more, Bertram risked his life by edging closer to the opening of the muddy pit serving as his only camouflage and watched as the Waresti communicated with each other using their silent hand signals. Because he was a converted Waresti himself, Bertram remembered many of those signals. They were changed frequently for just that reason, but he knew the patterns well enough that he could interpret pretty well through context.

  His eyes widened as he watched the interaction and silently translated what they communicated. They were looking for a lost Kynzesti.

  Elation coursed through him as he realized that this was just the information that he and Tycho needed. There were no beings more highly protected from the rest of Estilorian society than the Kynzesti. As a result, very little was known about them or their abilities. But because they were the children of the daughters of Saraqael as well as the powerful Gloresti elder Gabriel and the Gloresti James and Caleb, there was no doubt in Bertram’s mind that a Kynzesti would make an exceptional bargaining chip.

  He didn’t know what Eirik was trying to find, but he was willing to bet at least one of the elders would be able to tell him where it was. And if a Kynzesti was a prisoner of the Mercesti, the elders might be willing to trade the information for the child’s life.

  Now, he thought as the Waresti moved on, he and Tycho just had to find the lost Kynzesti before the Waresti did.