Songbird

by Colleen Helme

  Chapter 7

  After Bran and Jax left, Teya enjoyed the first real food she’d had in days. She finished getting dressed and pulled her hair back into a neat braid, grateful her arm didn’t bother her. When she’d taken off the bandage to bathe, all that remained of her injury was a small, white scar.

  The grove water was truly miraculous. No wonder Korban wanted it so badly. Korban. Every time she thought of him, her teeth clenched with anger. His selfishness had caused misery and death for her entire race. The far-reaching effects of his greed astounded her. Every Kalorian now paid the price for his actions, and it made her sick.

  She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. So much had happened since she’d left the grove with Bran. Meeting Jesse had shaken her trust and nearly cost Bran his life. In escaping Jesse, she’d killed one of Jesse’s men and guilt caught her breath. The power had raged through her with such intensity that she nearly lost control.

  It frightened her to think of what could happen if her magic got away from her. The magic surged through her so powerfully that it seemed to have a will of its own, but she knew that wasn’t true. Magic was all about control. A wave of doubt assailed her. Was she strong enough to handle it? She knew Bran would help, but he didn’t understand how deeply rooted her anger was. She’d denied her feelings and buried them so deep inside that she didn’t know how she could ever let them go.

  Now all she could think about was what the king had done to her guards and countless others after her escape. Knowing the king had tortured innocent people made her want to lash out at him with all the anger she possessed. But did that make her a monster? After all he’d done, how could it? If there was a monster here, it was the king, not her.

  To quell her growing anger, she focused on Bran. He had surprised her with his acceptance of the bond. His reaction melted a part of her heart and dared her to hope that what they shared between them was real, and not a by-product of the bond. Maybe she’d been looking at it all wrong, and the bond only magnified feelings they’d already had.

  Teya sighed with guilt, knowing deep down that it was still wrong. Bran might be okay with it, but he should have been given a choice. She found it difficult to understand why her grandmother had believed it was necessary. Bran said himself that he wouldn’t leave her, but if she ever lost control, what would happen to him? Could her magic hurt him through the bond they shared? She couldn’t bear it if she hurt him because of her weakness.

  Now it looked like they were in more trouble than ever, with Bran caught in the middle of both countries. She knew the king wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, and it sounded like his superior, Rasmussen, wasn’t in a position to help him either. The only way out of this mess was to find the Kalorians, but where were they? And what about Korban? Who was he? Jesse knew him. It was one more thing she meant to find out once they caught Jesse.

  The minutes passed into an hour with no sign of Bran, and Teya’s stomach began to churn with unease. Where was he? Unless he was helping Jax spread the word, he should have been back by now. Had something happened to him?

  After fifteen more minutes she changed into her black clothing and paced the room in restless energy. She glanced out the window and watched for movement, but all was quiet. With growing desperation, she pulled her cloak over her shoulders, knowing she couldn’t wait there another minute.

  With the hood pulled up to hide her face, she stood in front of the door. Indecision held her there for a few more minutes. She didn’t know exactly where this tavern was, but something must have gone wrong or Bran would have been back by now. But if she left, would she only make it worse?

  Then it came to her, and she cursed herself for not thinking of it before. The bond. She might be able to sense him. Concentrating, she sent out her awareness and searched for the thread that tied them together. Feeling no trace of him, she let out her breath. Was there another way?

  Maybe she was doing it wrong? Instead of concentrating on what she could do with her magic, she concentrated on Bran, opening her mind to him. There! She caught a faint string of light in the darkness but it was shrouded in magic. It was barely bright enough to follow, but she knew where to go.

  Without thinking it through, she pulled the broken kundar out of her jacket pocket and placed it around her neck. It had no power over her now, but it might save her from having a real one put on if something went wrong.

  A quick knock at the door startled her. “Teya, it’s Jax. Open up!”

  With trembling fingers, she unlocked the door and he burst in. “Jesse’s got Bran.” Jax closed the door behind him and continued. “We had everything set up, and Bran was just leaving the tavern when Jesse walked in. Bran tried to outrun him but didn’t make it. Jesse must have used magic on him. He’s holding him in the same room we were going to use. They didn’t know about me, so I slipped out when things calmed down.”

  “We’ll have to get him out,” she said, her heart racing.

  “How?”

  Teya took a deep breath and let it out. With practice born from years of captivity, she locked away her fear for Bran and let calm determination wash over her. Jesse would not win this time. “I’ve got magic of my own. It’s time I used it.” She opened the door and waited for Jax to follow. “Show me where he is.”

  “But we need to have a plan,” he said. “You can’t just go in there.”

  “I can find him without you.” Her cold gaze caught his and he flinched.

  “Wait, I’ll come. We can go through the alley to the back. There’s a door we can get in from there.”

  “Good. Don’t worry about being seen. I can cloak us from view with my magic.”

  His eyes widened with astonishment, and she lifted one brow. He swallowed, then nodded and opened the door. With a simple tone, she cloaked them, and followed Jax down the steps and into the street. He cut through a side street and down another alley to a corner, then hurried across the street and followed it until coming to the main street. The tavern was on the far side, facing the street in full view. From here, everything looked normal, but Teya wasn’t going to be fooled again.

  “We need to cross the street and head into that alleyway,” Jax said. “The door is at the end.”

  Teya increased her concentration and they slipped unnoticed across the street and into the alley. Arriving at the door, she opened the bond with Bran and felt his frustration and fear. She knew when he sensed her because a rush of conflicting emotions came through the link. First she felt his relief, then his worry, and finally an urgency to act.

  She couldn’t feel pain from him, so she assumed he was tied up. Now how to get in? She tested the door and it opened. Keeping the cloak of magic around her, she slid inside. A black curtain strung across the wall obstructed her view, but she knew Bran was on the other side. Someone else was there as well, quiet with anticipation.

  Teya could feel the magic around him, just waiting for her to make a move. She needed a diversion, so she quickly ushered Jax inside and motioned for him to go to the end of the curtain. She dropped her cloak of magic so he could be seen, but whoever stood there allowed him to move to the edge of the curtain anyway. Taking a deep breath, Teya nodded at Jax and all hell broke loose.

  Jax sprang from his hiding place, but was quickly thrown back by a burst of magic. Teya took that moment to slip around the other side of the curtain. Jesse didn’t have time to change direction before Teya threw the low tone of darkness at him. He gasped and clutched at his head before sliding to the floor. Teya held him there for a moment longer, feeling anger rise inside her with unbidden intensity. She found it hard to let it go, but forced the magic back before she killed him.

  Bran sat tied up in a chair, but Jax had recovered and reached his side to loosen his bonds. Shaken and breathless, Teya hurried to him and removed the gag from his mouth.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” Bran gasped. “Jesse sent for the king’s soldiers. They’ll be here any minute.”

  “We can’t
leave until we know where the Kalorians are,” Teya said. She crossed the room to Jesse’s side and touched his face. For a moment she thought he was dead, then he took in a shallow breath and she sighed with relief.

  “I know where the Kalorians are,” Bran said, kneeling beside her. “Jesse told me.”

  “He did?” Teya’s mind went blank. “Why?”

  “I don’t think he thought I’d ever get away. Come on, we need to leave.”

  Teya nodded, but didn’t stand. Jesse had survived her magic, but she almost wished he hadn’t. She’d wanted to kill him, and that bothered her even more. He deserved it for what he’d done, but killing Jesse would make her no better than him.

  “Teya!”

  Inhaling sharply, she swallowed her anger and followed him out of the room. They slipped into the alley and ran to the end, stopping at the sounds of a large group of riders coming from the street. Jax took the lead and led them into a side street where they waited for the soldiers to pass.

  Teya held her breath until the soldiers passed by, then silently followed Jax and Bran in a roundabout way back to inn and up the stairs to his room. Once inside, Bran turned the lock in the door and leaned against it, his breath heaving with relief.

  “I can’t believe we made it out,” he said. “You came at the perfect time. Jesse was going to use me as bait, but you came before he was ready. It was lucky he didn’t know about Jax.”

  “How did he find you?” Teya asked.

  “It was a fluke... a crazy coincidence,” Bran answered. “I’d just finished paying for the back room when he walked in with his men. He spotted me before I could move.”

  “That seems a little suspicious to me, and I’m not sure I believe it was a coincidence. I mean... it’s like he knew you were there.” Teya shuddered to think what could have happened. “And now we got away without anyone in pursuit. That was almost too easy.”

  “You’re right, but I’m not going to complain.” Bran wiped at the blood on his mouth and frowned.

  “Are you all right?” Teya asked. His lip bled, and the side of his face showed some swelling and the beginnings of a bruise. She gently touched his face with her cool fingers.

  “I’m fine.” He took her hand in his and spoke softly. “Your people are in Braemar. I overheard Jesse gloating about how they were right under our noses all this time. From what he said, I think they’re in a building someplace close to the wall. It must be some kind of a church, because he talked about all the praying that went on there. If we look at a map, I bet we can figure it out. I can get us back into the city from here, but I don’t know how we are going to get through the city and past the wall between the Old Country and Braemar.”

  “I know a way,” Jax said. “And if Jesse doesn’t wake up for a while, we’ll have a head start. What do you think?”

  “I think I hurt him pretty bad,” Teya said. “But if he sent for the soldiers and told them he had Bran, they’ll start looking for us. I can use my magic as a shield, but someone using sym might be able to see through it.”

  “Then we’d better get going, there’s just one more thing you should know.” Bran took hold of Teya’s hands. “The easiest way into the city from here is the way we came out, through the vault in the cemetery. Can you handle that?”

  Teya’s heart sank at the prospect of going back down into that hole, but she swallowed her revulsion and nodded. Bran squeezed her hands reassuringly, and turned to gather his things.

  “We’ll have to leave the horses there,” he said. “And go through the city on foot so bring only what you need. If all goes well, by morning we’ll be in Braemar.”

  The confidence Bran radiated gave Teya a quick burst of energy and she quickly glanced through her things, reaching for the pouch that held the seed from her grandmother. It was the only thing she really needed to take with her, and she didn’t want to lose it.

  With sudden inspiration, she borrowed Bran’s knife and loosened the lining of her jacket. When the opening was big enough, she slipped the pouch inside and pushed it to the corner where it was well hidden. Pleased, she put the jacket back on and handed the knife back to Bran.

  “I think you should keep it,” he said. “Here’s the sheath. It should fit in your pocket.” She accepted it with a nod, but didn’t think she’d ever need it, not with her magic, but if Bran wanted her to keep it, she would. “I noticed you put the kundar on,” he said, giving her an admiring glance. “That was a good idea.” Warmth flooded through the bond, and she smiled unexpectedly.

  He reached above the dresser and brought down a small case. He opened it, revealing a pair of guns and ammunition. He strapped them on and gave his other gun to Jax before turning to Teya. “Let’s go.”

  With only two horses, Teya rode behind Bran, but she didn’t mind. It gave her an excuse to touch him. She sang the notes to cloak them from sight, and they started out. She had to adjust the tones several times before she muffled the sound of the horses’ hooves. Not a moment later, several riders came barreling toward them.

  She caught her breath and felt Bran tense. He guided their horse out of their way, and stayed still until they passed. His breath came out in a relieved whoosh, and he turned off the main street to follow a less used road, carefully avoiding the soldiers who seemed to be everywhere searching for them.

  Teya worked hard to keep the shield around them, and they made good progress. Coming to the end of the main road, Teya felt a pulse of magic come from behind. A lone rider came into view, and paused to search with his magic.

  Teya strengthened the shield, and sat stiffly until the rider continued on. As she relaxed, Bran let out his breath, and she realized how tight she’d held him. She was about to explain, but found she didn’t need to. Bran had felt it through the bond, and she realized she hadn’t shielded her feelings from him since their agreement. Maybe this bond was useful after all.

  They left the soldiers behind at the outskirts of town and rode quickly to the eastern side of the city wall. The hill was exactly how she remembered it, and when Bran removed the covering only the first two rungs of the ladder could be seen in the inky blackness below. Teya shuddered involuntarily and was relieved when Jax said he’d go first and find the torch Bran had left behind.

  After Jax lit the torch, the faint glow coming from the tunnel didn’t make it any better, because now she could see exactly how small and narrow the passage was. How was she ever going to do this? Already, her palms were moist with sweat and her stomach churned.

  “Come on,” Bran said, and she felt his strength pour over her. This was easy, nothing to be afraid of. She focused on the feelings he shared with her, and stepped into the hole, following the ladder until she felt the ground under her feet. Bran came beside her. He took her hand and squeezed, then led her along the passage and into the vault.

  The torch went out, sending her into a brief panic in the dark. Thankfully, Jax opened the door, and cool night air touched her face. With a quick breath, she followed Bran through the grounds to the gate, keeping her hand clasped in his.

  As he ushered her through the gate, she kept hold of his hand, knowing it was like a lifeline, and despite everything, she needed him.

  “At this time of night the gates at the great wall are locked and barred,” Jax said. “But there’s another way out. It’s near the palace, so stay low.”

  Teya didn’t want to go anywhere near the palace, but followed Jax anyway. The fact that it was several hours after midnight helped, but she kept careful watch, attuning her senses for anything unusual. She also used her magic to cloak them, needing it now more than ever.

  A few blocks from the wall between their countries, Jax veered toward the palace and Teya caught her breath. She didn’t like being this close to the king and she tensed with anxiety. At the end of the lane, Jax pulled them behind some bushes.

  From where they hid, the entrance to the palace stood at the end of the street, illuminated by several street lamps. Two guards conversed
in low tones as they stood in front of the gate. A guardhouse was just inside the gate, and even though a light shown through the window, Teya couldn’t tell if anyone else was in there.

  “Below that guardhouse is a tunnel that leads to the outer side of the wall and Braemar,” Jax explained. “The tunnel is big enough for a small army of men to pass through quickly. It comes out about a hundred yards down the wall.

  “This late, there’s usually just the two men standing guard in front of the palace. If Teya can get them to take a little nap, we could slip into the guardhouse, then through the tunnel, and be in Braemar in no time.”

  “How did you know this?” Bran asked.

  Jax smiled, showing his teeth. “I’ve been busy while you were gallivanting around. If the king wanted to catch us by surprise, this would be the perfect way to send his troops into Braemar.” He glanced at Teya. “Can you do it?”

  “I have to get a little closer, but yes, I can do it. You two stay here. I don’t think the guards will be suspicious if I approach alone.” Teya walked off before either of them could protest. She could feel Bran’s disapproval through the link and he started to follow, but Jax stopped him.

  Both guards noticed her at the same time, but only stared in appreciation. She smiled to put them at ease and then wove a song of sleep into their minds. She hated the thought of these men getting in trouble or dying because of her, so she made sure they would only think she was part of their dreams. With their eyes a vacant stare, she motioned Bran and Jax forward. They passed the guards quietly, slipped through the gate, and entered the silent guardhouse.

  Inside, there was no sign of a door that would lead anywhere.

  “Where is it?” Bran asked, slightly panicked.

  “It’s here, but I’m not sure where, I never got that far,” Jax said, then pointed. “Try behind there.” A large tapestry hung along the back wall hung. Bran parted the hanging from the wall, revealing doors behind it. Unfortunately, a padlock and chain bound them together.