Thunder Rattles High (Unweaving Chronicles Book 3)

by Sarah K. L. Wilson

  It was strange that an item made on another planet by a completely different group of people would fit Amandera’s heartstone so perfectly. Was it possible that the design for each had come from a time long before ours, enduring - by the traditions we held dear - through the ages?

  I threaded my heartstone out of my hair, staring into it’s crackling, sparking depths for a moment before sliding the chain from the pendant and pressing the stone to the other end of the scintellex. It stuck in place, vibrating. The rings began to spin faster and the illegible text glowed golden. Something was happening, but what?

  What are you doing?” Rusk asked, looking over my shoulder.

  “I think I’m making it more powerful.”

  “And what do you think it is?”

  “It’s like a lens. Sometimes it makes me see things. Sometimes it amplifies things. I don’t know. Maybe if I can make it powerful enough…”

  “But we don’t need it anymore, Wild Girl.” He smiled, resting an arm around me. “The world is fixed. Catane is weakened. All that’s left is to beat his armies, and we have the strategic advantage. Then we settle down in the Kosad Plains and live lives of peace and raise children.”

  “You want children?” How could I tell him that there was a hitch in his plans?

  “Sure. At least a dozen.”

  “And who, exactly, is going to birth a dozen children for you?” I couldn’t contain my laughter.

  “If you won’t, Windbearer, I will,” Astrex said from over her shoulder. “I’ve rarely met a warrior so skilled in strategy.”

  “I think you might be a little old for that,” I said acidly. Really! Offering to take my man from me, just like that!

  Rusk laughed, deep and throaty. Of course, he would like that.

  We rounded a bend on the narrow trail, sneaking between a pair of cliffs that blocked the sun and left me shivering in the sudden shade.

  “Almost there, now.” Astrex’s posture was stiff. Either she was worried about meeting our forces, or she was angry at my comment. Either way, I shook it off mentally. She’d fight for her people, so I didn’t need to worry about whether she liked me.

  Graxx ducked under a rocky outcropping, bending his back so that we weren’t scraped out of the saddle. As we broke out into the bright sun, a call met us. Along the river, our forces were arrayed like palm trees planted in a line, glittering bright and strong in the sun. Elephants stood in a knot at one end – the Tazmin’s cavalry - and Eaglekin with Black Talon riders stood in their own knot further down the line. The sheer numbers made me catch my breath. Talking casually about forces while pushing pebbles around on a map was one thing. Looking at them standing in the flesh was another.

  There was a flurry of activity from further down the line and then Helixx came running from the center of our forces towards us. Graxx cocked his head to the side, and I was certain that if I turned my head Rusk would be doing the same thing.

  Astrex grunted and Rusk answered her as if she’d spoken.

  “You’re right. They’re exactly where I asked them to be. A sign that I put the right person in charge.”

  She smiled at him, looking over her shoulder. Sweet Penspray, I was right here! I rolled my eyes, but at the same time, I noticed something. Our forces were laid out over rocky ground with clumps of dry bushes and spiny calendon trees. One of the hills at the center of the mass had four bumps at regular intervals – almost as if it were a fist made of rock. The light of dawn threw everything into stark relief and despite the army and the running Eaglekin, my eyes kept drifting back to the fist.

  There was another hill not far away with a very regular shape as well. It looked almost like…

  “Evanessa!” Rusk cried.

  I turned from my musings to see her ride up on the back of Helixx, a Tribe leader and a Lesser Tazmin mounted on Helixx behind her.

  “Brother,” she said when she pulled level with us. “I’m so glad you are safe. We watched yesterday as the cracks healed themselves and we were relieved by your message. Thank you for fixing our world.”

  I clenched my jaw. Of course, Rusk deserved the credit. This was his victory, too. I was surprised to realize that I craved praise for what I’d done. I should be less selfish by now, shouldn’t I? I smiled, loosening my jaw and letting the joy I felt for him fill me instead.

  “Catane’s armies approach.” Evanessa pointed over the river. “Our scouts say they are only hours away.”

  Rusk nodded, running a hand over his hair. “Then we have work to do.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  “OUR HEADQUARTERS ARE THIS WAY,” Evanessa said, as Helixx turned and began to lead us into the camp. “And I should tell you that I have news.”

  She blushed as she spoke and Rusk tilted his head.

  “Our allies are important,” she said, her voice tense with emotion. “We must keep them close and happy, yes?”

  “Of course,” Rusk agreed, his face relaxing into a smile. “Which is why you are an excellent choice to lead us.”

  My gaze wandered to the two men behind her. The clan leader was watching Rusk carefully, a smirk on his face, but the Tazmin – Alarouse? – was studying the hills beyond us. What was he hiding? It should be obvious, and yet…

  “You’re remarrying?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Evanessa said, tilting her chin up defiantly.

  “Marrying?” Rusk looked stunned. “Again?”

  Evanessa cleared her throat.

  “To who?” Rusk looked at the clan leader, who shook his head in a tiny motion. His gaze travelled to the Tazmin sitting right behind Evanessa. “He’d better be worthy.”

  “Would I choose otherwise?” Evanessa asked.

  Probably. After all, she’d liked being married to my father. But it was still a wise political move. After this battle, there would be a country to win over and that would take allies and trust. Married to a Lesser Tazmin and with a claim of being one of the High Tazmin’s former consorts, Evanessa would be everyone’s first choice. I rubbed my arm where the brand marked me as heir.

  This should have been mine – the rebuilding of a nation, the planning pavilion we were approaching, the respect, the years ahead leading a nation. But it couldn’t be. I’d given all of that up and I couldn’t snatch it back again. I was unfit to take it back, so I’d taken myself out of the running. Even with the world healed, that hadn’t changed. I was still an unweaver. I still had the potential to destroy everything that mattered.

  We entered the pavilion to cheers.

  “Congratulations, Tazminera!”

  “Welcome back, Prince of Hawks!”

  I blinked at the sudden attention, but Rusk grinned, taking the offered cup of water and pouring a tiny stream of water over his head Black Talon style. He offered it to me and with a tight smile. I did the same. The cheering redoubled.

  “Thank you for your loyalty,” I said. “We pledge you ours.”

  Rusk grinned, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and another around Evanessa’s. “Show me where we are and what we still need to do before that dog Catane gets here.”

  There was another cheer as he walked to the maps table and looked over the pebbles laid out there. I leaned forward to watch when I felt a tug and my consciousness slipped into Ra’shara.

  I blinked, reality swimming before my eyes for a moment before I felt a vice-liket grip around my neck. Catane’s snarl was only inches from me. Even in the spirit-world, his hands could choke me.

  “You killed her! Destroyed her soul!”

  I coughed, fighting his grip.

  “Anyone but her … anyone! Why her?” Tears poured out of his golden eyes, running down the ebony planes of his skin and following the gold patterned tattoos. “Why did you have to take her?”

  One of his hands let go of my neck, his fingers gently tapping the tattoo of an asp on his chest.

  “I kept her close to my heart all these years. All I ever wanted was to get her back. That’s all!”

 
; His grip tightened as his tears flowed. I grabbed his forearms in both hands, struggling to break his grip on my throat as my strength and consciousness faded. My throat burned and my vision danced with dark spots. I tried to pull out of Ra’shara but I was stuck. Reaching to the Common I felt for my link, calling on it to unweave. I struck out wildly, grasping for any thread I could find and tugging.

  “Not in here, you fool!” Amandera’s voice startled me, and I lost my grip.

  Catane’s hand slackened like he’d been struck and I fell to the ground.

  “Amandera.” The single word dripped with loss and worship rolled up together. “Beloved.”

  I pulled myself up on my knees, coughing uncontrollably, my fingers feeling my tender neck.

  Catane held both hands out, frozen in place like he was seeing a ghost, which of course, he was. Tears still trickled down his face, but his wide eyes were glued to Amandera, his ko flickering wildly.

  She wrung her hands, her flickering form fading in and out. Kjexx appeared beside her, looking quickly from one to the other, before moving to stand between Catane and me – as if his spirit form could shelter me.

  What was that in Catane’s shadow? Was something moving there? And then, a figure detached. A man with arms crossed over his chest and tattoos across the bridge of his nose.

  I stood up, ignoring Amandera and Catane’s heart-wringing reunion and dashing to the specter, grabbing his arms.

  “Don’t move,” I said, my tone pitched low. This must be Catane’s ancestor. Who else would be lingering in the shadows behind Catane?

  “I’ve lost you before I ever had you,” Catane was saying behind me.

  “I was never lost to you,” Amandera replied.

  “In the real world, I have sung the song of the dead and rubbed ashes into my forehead.”

  “Don’t disturb them,” I told Catane’s ancestor. His lips thinned as he compressed them, but he said nothing. I felt a cold sensation as Kjexx leaned in beside me. “And now, you talk.”

  “Who are you, little girl. I sense power in you.”

  “I’m Tylira Nyota.”

  “Ah. I see. The sister. It could just as easily have been you.”

  I shared a confused look with Kjexx. “What could have been me?”

  “The child of prophesy. ‘Heir of the Highest, marked for fate, untangler of the future. The son of the stars will unweave the threads of the world to save the world and give his heart to keep it.’ Drusica prophesied it, though she thought it wasn’t as important as the other things she saw.”

  He was right. It could just as easily be me, but I didn’t believe it meant anything. He probably made it up to stoke Catane’s fires and unleash him on the world.

  “What is your name?” He should tell me that, at least.

  “Garedun. I was an astrogator on the Event Alura.”

  “An’alepp’s ship.”

  He nodded. His eyes strayed to Catane every few seconds like the parent of a toddler.

  “And you fed this prophesy to Catane which led to his reign of terror?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. Beside me, Kjexx cracked his knuckles, his face growing hard. He had even more reason than I did to blame Garedun. He’d lost his planet and his life to Catane.

  “He is saving the world. It must be unwoven and remade, and he’s the only one who can do it. Surely you can understand, he had to tear it apart or the prophesy couldn’t come true, and now that he’s seen the love of his life die, it is complete.”

  I shivered at the look in Garedun’s eye. He believed this completely. Any atrocity could be forgiven in his eyes if it led to this end. I reached out and slapped his spectral form, but he wasn’t done speaking.

  “It could have been you. If I’d found you first, instead of him. You bear the mark. You have the ability. It could just as easily have been you.”

  “What are you saying?” I growled.

  “That you’re the same. Two sides of the same coin. You could no more avoid your fate than Catane could avoid his.”

  “He chose to take over Veen,” I said.

  Garedun nodded.

  “He chose to steal Rusk from me.”

  He shrugged.

  “He chose to build himself an empire and dominate Axum and then come here and kill his entire family and every person he could find who could access the Common. This wasn’t chance! It wasn’t fate. He chose every step along the way.”

  Garedun laughed. “Of course, he did. But it was also Fate that guided his path.”

  “And you.” My words were a threat, if he could hear it.

  “We had to save the world. We had to do what it took.”

  I bit my lip. Hadn’t I been doing the same?

  “What world were you saving?” I asked. “Axum is gone.”

  “But Everturn remains.”

  “And when he’s unwoven it, too?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s your nature – yours and his – to unweave the world. You don’t like it? The only alternative would be to unweave yourself. Are you ready to be reduced to nothing?”

  I shivered and Kjexx stepped between us.

  “Enough,” he said.

  “Are you ready to feel what it’s like to have your very self unraveled by death? It’s slow. It takes away things one by one until all that’s left is the one thing at your core, and then that is gone, too.”

  “I said.” Kjexx’s voice increased to a roar. “Enough!”

  He shoved the specter and the two of them stumbled.

  “We need to go,” I said, looking back at Amandera.

  She wasn’t there. Where she had been, only moments ago, there was only Catane, sunk to his knees, his fingers raking through the sand and his face turned up to the sky, his mouth in a silent howl.

  “Now.”

  I grabbed Kjexx’s hand and thought of the Rainbow Shrine. She had to be there. Where else would she go?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  THE RAINBOW SHRINE MATERIALIZED BEFORE me, the same as when we had left, except that Amandera didn’t lie dead on the blue mosaic floor. Instead, her spectral form was huddled against the metal door sobbing.

  “I don’t think it will take you anywhere,” I whispered.

  “That’s not why I’m here. I can’t go anywhere – not really. I’m stuck. I just wanted to remember a different day.” Her long, shuddering, indrawn breath was like the opposite of a sigh. “A day that I could have made a different decision.”

  “Catane?”

  “If I’d just been braver or smarter it wouldn’t have come to this.” Her whisper was so faint that I barely heard it.

  There was a crackling sound, like thunder in the distance. I looked towards the sound, suddenly alert.

  “The thunder rattles high in the sky all the time now,” Kjexx said from beside the window. He was leaning with his back against the wall beside the window, craning his neck to look up at the sky. A finger idly traced the designs on the hilt of his sword. “It’s the beginning of the end for this place.”

  “There must be a way to prevent it,” I said.

  “Catane makes it worse. You’ve limited yourself to only occasional use of your power. He has no such constraints.”

  “We’ll both have to use our unweaving in the coming battle.”

  “You’ll rip Ra’shara apart.” He held his body in a stiff posture, but his tone was casual.

  “And if you do, it will destroy the real world,” Amandera said, straightening from her huddle. “Everything we did will be for nothing. You can’t allow that. Not after I died for this.”

  “So, what do you suggest? That I just let him tear my people apart and fill Canderabai with the black creeping army of Veen?”

  Amandera put her face in her hands. I bit my lip. This was not the Amandera I was used to. I was used to an ice-cold queen who dominated everyone around her. I was not used to a heart-broken, pleading shell.

  “Veen was a place of marvels. The people from tha
t land are ambitious and industrious.”

  Really? She was going to defend Veen now?

  “And they killed most of my relatives and will kill the rest if they get the chance,” Kjexx said, a bite in his words. “Just like how you killed me. I still haven’t heard an apology for that.”

  Amandera shot him a silent glare. So, there was no love lost between my spectral allies.

  “Listen.” I looked at each of them, meeting their eyes before continuing. “Ra’shara is dying. Catane and I are killing it with our magic. This is not acceptable. I have a people to protect.” I pointed to Kjexx. “And a planet to save – and that planet includes the country of your birth, Amandera,” I pointed at her. “We’ll use the Common to fight this battle with Catane and win.”

  Amandera opened her mouth, but I shook my head.

  “I don’t want to make him suffer, but I’m not going to promise not to hurt him, not when he isn’t making any kind of promises. He’s been slaughtering people wherever he goes. He killed what’s left of my family. No. You might not have made the choice to work with Kjexx and me, Amandera, but now that you’re here, you’re going to help.”

  “I don’t have to help you destroy the man I love,” she said, her chin held high, just like the old Amandera.

  “Don’t you?” I asked, drawing on the Common through her.

  She frowned, her forehead furrowed, and then after a few moments, she began to shake. “It’s not supposed to work that way.”

  Was it because I had her heartstone, or was it something else?

  “It seems it does work that way.” I sighed. What had I done when they tried to force a life on me that I hated? I’d run the other direction. What had Catane done? He’d razed an entire planet to the ground. I couldn’t force her. I needed to think like Amandera.

  “If Ra’shara rots it will take him with it, just as surely as it will take me. If you love him, help me fix it. Help me show him that he’s going about this the wrong way. Maybe you’re right. Maybe there is still hope for him.”

  The moments slipped by as she stared at me, her expression flickering from one emotion to the next.