Dusk Gate (Soul Bound Book 1)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “Oh,” Jasmine said, wincing and regretting her question. She chewed her lip, then decided to change the subject and asked, “Is your acquaintance in Evren?”

  “He is. I think that scrying is the best solution in this particular situation. If your high priest knew more, he likely would have contacted you, or a neighboring nation,” Xandra said, looking around the forest and frowning, waving them to a stop. She whipped a finger through the air, conjuring a spark of fire that she pointed toward a tree branch. As the spark flew at the branch, there was a scramble of movement, then a large, spotted feline fled into the forest. Xandra flicked her finger, causing the spark to vanish, and continued forward, speaking once more. “The problem is that I have no idea what your problem is. A crazed alchemist? A transmutation node gone foul? A section of the Thorned Wood deciding to spread? An invasion from a previously unknown plane of plant-life? I simply don’t know, and can’t tell you. What I can tell you is that they aren’t demonic in origin. Any demon worth their salt would have made their plants fire resistant.”

  Jasmine nodded, following Xandra around a rock as she thought, trying to figure out what she wanted to say, if anything. She didn’t want to wear herself out talking, but she also didn’t like walking in silence, especially when Xandra had been gone for three years.

  “Why do you still call the demon what you do? Your ‘Mistress’,” Naomi asked, sounding rather troubled. “It seems… odd. I know you said it would be a hard habit to break, but it’s been quite a while.”

  “I haven’t really tried,” Xandra replied absently. “Besides, she keeps contacting me. That makes it a good deal harder, and I’m trying to be polite.”

  “What?” Jasmine asked, the blood draining from her face as terror abruptly reared its ugly head. “But… Morselle was killed!”

  “And His Majesty restored her to life. She was too good at her job to leave dead, even if this led to some punishments. Not that she was willing to admit that to me,” Xandra replied, smirking. “If she weren’t in a poor position, she wouldn’t be wasting her time contacting me.”

  “I… what does she want from you? You to come back? Or… she’s not going to come after you, is she? Or me?” Jasmine asked, her fear growing with every passing moment. Even if Quentin had mentioned that Morselle would likely be resurrected, she’d hoped otherwise. Xandra’s laughter caused her to flush, though.

  “Oh no… none of those. She probably would hold a severe grudge if I’d been foolish enough to despoil or disrespect her body, but I didn’t. As for you… there are rules, and we did our best to escape, little more. No, her primary focus is on getting back her dress and other enchanted gear, and she keeps trying to bargain with me,” Xandra said, now grinning broadly. “I, on the other hand, am holding out for her releasing my soul from our previous agreement. She hasn’t agreed yet, but I still hold out hope that she’ll give in eventually. The items I took are not easy to craft. It gives me the one advantage in negotiations I have, and I’m using it for all it’s worth.”

  Jasmine couldn’t even speak for a moment, utterly speechless that Xandra would even consider bargaining with a demon after what she’d been through. Xandra seemed to realize that, as the elf glanced back at Jasmine and spoke dryly.

  “If you’re thinking I’m being an idiot, you may be right. I’m trying not to be, but not having my soul destined to go into her hands when I eventually die would be nice. I’m also not going to sign any contract. If she wants her things back, I’ll have her release my soul, have a diviner make certain that it is freed, then dump her gear in a spot where she can have her cultists pick it up. I’m not giving her the chance to grab me, that’s for certain,” the elf said, continuing down the path at a slightly more sedate pace. “I’m certain that I could completely screw myself over in the process, but I’m going to do my best to avoid it. Besides, she knows enough about me that she could harass me with mental messages until the end of time and I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. That would be a miserable experience.”

  “I… don’t understand you,” Jasmine said, feeling a little helpless. “You were imprisoned in the Domain of Ashen Hopes for over a millennium, yet you… I’d think that you’d hate them.”

  “I hate some individuals, but…” Xandra began, only to have her voice trail off, and she fell silent for a minute, then two. Jasmine was beginning to wonder if she was even going to continue when the elf spoke again at last.

  “I hope that your memory isn’t so worthless as to have forgotten my conversation with you and Adrian. It’s useful information, and I loathe having to repeat myself. However, as Naomi was snoring at the time, I suppose I’ll have to repeat some of it,” Xandra said, prompting the younger woman to gasp. Naomi quieted when Jasmine shot her a stern look, fortunately. The younger priestess’s cheeks were red with outrage, but Xandra continued as if she hadn’t noticed. “Yes, I hate some demons. Those who personally slighted me, I hold grudges against, but those who were particularly powerful… no. You mentioned my Mistress, and I’ll admit that most people would hate her. I do not, because what she did wasn’t her fault. It was mine.”

  “How do you figure that?” Jasmine asked, growing even more confused, and Xandra glanced over her shoulder at Jasmine, grinning.

  “You weren’t at fault for what she was going to do to you. You may have been incompetent, getting captured like you were, but you didn’t know what you were walking into. I was an arrogant, incompetent sorceress who should have known better. Everything she did to me was my own fault, no matter how much I may have hated the experience,” Xandra replied, making a dismissive gesture. “However, that is water under the bridge. I was speaking of why I don’t hate. It’s because it isn’t worth the energy that hate and outrage take. By the same token, I have no patience for fools, so I will not spend the effort on those unworthy of the effort. I’ve been worn down over centuries, until all that’s left is bare metal. Regard me how you wish, I don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks.”

  Jasmine was speechless at that, mixed feelings swirling through her. She really didn’t understand why she found Xandra so fascinating… yet the woman was mesmerizing.

  “You’re crazy,” Naomi muttered.

  “Quite probably. Now, if you don’t have something intelligent to say, I suggest you shut up and walk. The two of you should’ve invested in endurance charms, from the way you’re puffing,” Xandra said bluntly, and picked up the pace as Jasmine felt her cheeks flush.

  She couldn’t argue, though. Not since Xandra barely seemed to be breathing hard, while they were having to put in a fair amount of effort. At least it meant they’d reach Evren sooner, though.

  When they reached Evren two hours later, Jasmine’s legs and sides were burning, she felt like her lungs couldn’t suck in enough air to keep going, and she was almost on the verge of falling over.

  Evren wasn’t a huge city by any means, but it was the nearest one past the border, which Jasmine appreciated even more once she reached it. The city was on the coast, but its bay wasn’t quite as sheltered as that of Lothdar, which was why it tended not to get as much trade. Jasmine supposed that was why it’d been a haven for pirates on and off over the years. Why, it barely even had a wall, and Jasmine suspected that she could climb it if she’d wanted to, it was that poorly maintained.

  The gate guards seemed to be familiar with Xandra, as they’d taken one look at her and hastily gotten out of her way, shooting nervous looks at her, as well as curious ones at Jasmine and Naomi. They didn’t try to stop them, though, which startled Jasmine. If she remembered right, Evren had a toll to enter the city, so them not even trying to collect from Xandra was unusual.

  Inside the gates, Jasmine was reminded of why she didn’t like visiting some of the neighboring nations… though she didn’t have much experience with them. Loth might not be imaginatively named, nor were its cities, but at least their cities had proper cobblestone roads, not a dirt road with distinct ruts carved into it, and the oc
casional paving stones scattered in haphazard patches that she suspected did more harm than good, from how the ruts went around those sections where they could. And the smell… goddess above, she could do without any city that lacked a sewer system.

  The buildings were a mixture of finely built stone and ramshackle wooden structures that Jasmine suspected would vanish in the next mana storm. She never understood why people wouldn’t choose roofs that would last, especially when mana storms came through every decade or two.

  Xandra didn’t even pause, though, striding down the sorry excuse for a street at a quick pace, while several people spotted her and hastily got out of her way. Jasmine suspected that she’d developed a reputation, if that was how people reacted to the beautiful elf’s presence.

  “Cain is busy at this hour, and as I don’t want to have to murder one of his excessively admiring and drunk friends, I think that it’s time to get lunch. Something better than I can cook, which isn’t saying much,” Xandra said after a minute, slowing her pace slightly, but only slightly. “Unless you have good reason to go elsewhere, I intend to visit the Grounded Galleon.”

  “Why… there…?” Naomi huffed, her cheeks burning as she tried to breathe. Jasmine was just glad that the younger woman had spoken for her, since it gave her the chance to catch her breath.

  “The owner appreciates my skill and knows better than to water down the ale. He also owes me a rather large sum for work I did, and is grateful that I’m allowing him to pay it off via food and drink. The better the food he serves me, the faster his debt will disappear,” Xandra replied, glancing over her shoulder and smirking. “I don’t think it’s enough to make me trust him, but at least it gives him impetus to make me happy.”

  “Are you… ever happy?” Naomi asked skeptically. Xandra seemed to ponder the question for a few seconds.

  “Occasionally. Usually for fleeting moments before someone opens their mouth,” the elf said at last. “That, or when I’m in a library with no one else around. Or in a quiet, comfortable bed… mostly when I’m alone and it’s quiet. People can be such idiots.”

  That prompted a wince from Jasmine. She hesitated, but eventually decided it was worth speaking. “That sounds pretty lonely to me.”

  “It is,” Xandra agreed, turning a corner and passing through the edge of a market square. The booths were jammed together rather tightly, but there were a lot of people perusing them, along with some that made Jasmine check on her coin purse. She’d heard thieves were more common in Evren.

  Jasmine frowned as she saw where Xandra was going. The port seemed to be a bit closer than she liked, with how close a ship’s masts were. There was something odd about them, though, and she couldn’t quite place what it—

  As they stepped far enough forward that a church was out of the way, Jasmine stopped, blinking in bewilderment at the building beyond the church. There, with a couple of buildings around it, was a galleon. A full-sized ship, sitting on supports to keep it upright, and with a doorway cut into the side with a staircase leading up to it. She knew her mouth was hanging open, but she couldn’t help it, not with the completely ridiculous sight before her. Naomi seemed shocked as well, since she’d stopped beside Jasmine.

  “W-what?” Jasmine gasped, looking at the ship, which prompted Xandra to stop and look back at them, raising an eyebrow.

  “Ah, you don’t know about it. I should have guessed as much. It’s the Grounded Galleon, a ship which washed ashore during the tidal wave a few years ago,” Xandra said, smiling briefly. “Now, get off your asses and move. I want a proper meal.”

  “Oh, um, r-right…” Jasmine said, quickly starting to move again, Naomi just behind her.

  Jasmine remembered the tidal wave in question. One of the volcanos in the Sea of Mists had erupted, and the accompanying earthquake had sent tidal waves crashing into most of the shorelines, though fortunately Lothdar’s harbor had been sheltered from the worst of it. They’d only taken a few weeks to repair the damage, but she’d heard that some coastal villages had been destroyed completely, while several cities had only recently finished rebuilding. She supposed that a ship could have been washed ashore, though the idea of turning it into a tavern was just… strange to her.

  Seemingly unaware of her thoughts, Xandra made her way up the short staircase and opened the door. From inside came a wave of laughter, along with jaunty music like she often heard dockside in Lothdar. Jasmine followed Xandra inside… and immediately relaxed slightly.

  The Grounded Galleon was more spacious than she’d expected, likely because the interior had been opened up to give more room, plus there were numerous lanterns that shed warm light throughout the room. There weren’t any actual fires that Jasmine could see, but there was a large crystal that was vaguely shaped like a fire in the middle of the room which she could feel producing heat. Opposite their entrance was a door that led to a tower on the other side of the hull, and given that it was behind the bar, Jasmine suspected that it led to the kitchen and wine cellar. The tables around the room were worn but relatively high-quality, and Jasmine’s eyebrows rose as she took in the décor, which was composed of outfits and weapons that made her think of pirates.

  None of the people inside quite made her think the same, though. Some of them had the darker complexions of Algarian natives, or those who simply spent a lot of time at sea, but they didn’t quite fit the usual stereotypes for pirates, which relieved her. There were what looked like townsfolk mingling with sailors, but all of them looked a bit wealthier to her eyes. That likely explained why everything was still nice, at least, as well as the presence of a bard in the corner, playing a fiddle while dancing.

  Behind the bar was a kitsune man, his hair black, a coloration which extended to his foxlike ears and tail, and his eyebrows rose as he looked at Xandra and Jasmine, blinking a couple of times. He had a single gold earring hanging from his left fox ear, and he wore a vest that showed off a chiseled figure. He looked more like a pirate than anyone in the room to Jasmine, which made her wonder… at least until he spoke.

  “Xandra, you’re back! I thought you said that you’d be gone for a while!” the kitsune said, grinning broadly as he looked at the elf, spreading his arms, a mug and washcloth still occupying his hands. “Did you miss my tender embrace that much?”

  “Hm. Your brains have obviously been fermenting if you think that,” Xandra said sharply, sending a wave of laughter through the room as she turned and headed toward a staircase in the corner leading upward. “I’m taking my usual spot. These two are with me, and if you harass me again, I’ll light your tail on fire.”

  Jasmine flinched at the threat, but the kitsune took it in stride, raising his gaze to the ceiling as he proclaimed in exaggerated sorrow, “Ah, my heart is wounded! Why is it that the loveliest flowers all have thorns? However… your wish is my command, Lady Xandra. I shall assuage my sorrow with a cup later.”

  That prompted still more laughter, and as Xandra started up the circular staircase, Jasmine blinked in surprise, as she caught just a glimpse of a smile on the elf’s face. Then Xandra’s head turned again as she continued climbing the stairs, hiding her smile, and Jasmine followed.

  They emerged onto the main deck of the ship, which was just as clean as the lower deck, except that there were more tables. Xandra headed for the foredeck, and Jasmine followed her, pausing as she saw that the bow had a clear view of the ocean, then pulled out a chair, setting down her pack as Xandra took a seat.

  “Here we are,” Xandra said, settling back in her chair and pulling the hood of her cloak back again. “Fortunately, most people know better than to bother me, so I shouldn’t have to hurt anyone.”

  “If you dislike the barkeep enough to threaten him, why were you smiling when climbing the stairs?” Jasmine asked, sitting down, and she almost groaned in relief, startled by how good it felt to be sitting in a proper chair at last.

  “I didn’t say I disliked Keith. He deliberately plays the lovestruck admirer, but he isn’t
interested in me, as everyone in the city knows. He has a husband that he’s quite devoted to and isn’t interested in women at all. He simply enjoys teasing me,” Xandra replied, picking up her satchel and opening the flap to look inside. Jasmine didn’t think the satchel was the one she’d had when she escaped the Domain of Ashen Hopes, but she couldn’t be certain. “I hate it when people are fools or bother me unnecessarily. Keith is annoying, but manages to be charming enough I don’t feel like strangling him.”

  “You’re so rude,” Naomi muttered, prompting Xandra to look up at her and arch an eyebrow.

  “If you dislike me that much, the bow is right there. Take a flying leap off the ship, be my guest,” Xandra said, gesturing toward the guardrail. “I don’t have to put up with you. I’ve chosen to indulge you so far because I somewhat like Jasmine, to my surprise. You are simply annoying baggage.”

  Naomi recoiled as if she’d just been slapped. That didn’t surprise Jasmine, and she sighed, reaching up to rub her forehead as she thought… then finally requested softly, “Naomi, please try to refrain from comment? Xandra isn’t going to change her ways just because you don’t like how she acts. If anything, you’re inviting her to retaliate when you bring it up.”

  Xandra smiled at that, finally pulling out a black wooden wand carved to have a spiral shape, with a white moonstone set into its base. The elf examined it once, then nodded and gave the wand a flick. In response, a bubble of nearly-transparent white light flickered around the entire table as well as them, then faded. Xandra put the wand away, looking satisfied with herself.

  Naomi’s face was flushed, and the younger woman’s jaw worked a few times, then she lowered her head, focusing on the table instead. Jasmine wasn’t surprised, and she resisted the urge to sigh. The main problem with Loth was that far too many of the clergy were used to everyone being excessively respectful, and they grew used to that. It made it more difficult when dealing with outsiders.