‘Are all humans like you?’ Lleevia asked, snapping Sloane from her memories and back to reality. The Unfaih woman was looking up at Sloane with a mixture of curiosity and confusion in her eyes.
Sloane shrugged. ‘Not really. We’re all very different. Why?’
Lleevia glanced back down at the book in her hands. ‘You’re not quite what I expected.’
Sloane frowned as she watched Lleevia, realising that the woman had never met a human before. It was likely that all she knew of humans were the horrible memories and stories that Joran had shared with her.
‘We’re not all bad,’ Sloane said, softly. ‘There are many good people in my world.’ Her voice trailed off slightly as she thought of the destruction and devastation she had fled back on Earth. She thought of the violence her father was probably planning to unleash on the Unfaih back on Aeris, and for a moment it felt impossible to defend her people to Lleevia. But then she thought of Rowe.
‘We’re a lot like your people,’ she continued. ‘We care about our families and our loved ones in the same way the Unfaih do. My sister Rowe is the kindest person I know. I would do anything to protect her, just like Joran would probably do anything to keep you and the rest of your people safe.’
‘If the humans are good, why are they attacking?’ Lleevia asked, quietly.
Sloane let out a long, sad breath. ‘While we’re not all bad, we’re not all good either.’
Lleevia frowned at the explanation. She looked like she wanted to question Sloane more, but she quickly turned away and walked over to one of the cupboards. ‘You must be hungry after your journey,’ she said. ‘I’ve been told that you humans need to eat.’
Sloane knew Lleevia was trying to change the topic of conversation, but she could tell the Unfaih woman was still curious about humans. Sloane was eager to keep her talking, but the thought of food had made her stomach grumble.
‘We don’t have much in the way of food, but we do have some filligris,’ Lleevia said, as she pulled a wooden box from the cupboard and opened it, offering it out to Sloane.
When she peered inside the box, Sloane frowned at what she saw. A bunch of strange white leaves with frosted edges that sparkled when the light hit them rested within.
‘What is this?’ she asked, pulling out a leaf and turning it over in her hand.
‘A plant that grows beyond our village. We don’t need food, but Joran enjoys tasting it every so often it.’
Sloane shrugged and took a bite, deciding there was little chance it would be worse than rashi. She was wrong. Oh so wrong. Her eyes watered and she squinted them shut as she tried to continue munching on the plant that was a strange and horrible combination of bitter and spicy.
She coughed as she tried to swallow it down, but swallowing it only made the taste worse. It burnt its way down her throat and tears pooled in her eyes as she tried to stomach the food.
Lleevia cursed under her breath and rushed out of the room, coming back moments later with a cup of water. Sloane took the cup and guzzled the contents in one long gulp.
‘More?’ Lleevia asked as she took the empty cup from Sloane’s hand.
Sloane nodded, not daring to speak, and the woman rushed outside before coming back in with another full cup of water.
Sloane drank slower this time. Her throat still stung, but it felt much better after drinking the ice-cold water. When she finished, she placed the cup down on the table beside her and looked at Lleevia.
Concern filled the woman’s eyes, and she looked the picture of guilt as she watched over Sloane. Sloane merely shook her head and smiled. ‘I don’t think the filligris agrees with me,’ she said. It was a massive understatement, but Lleevia looked devastated, and Sloane didn’t want to make her feel worse.
‘Joran enjoys that?’ Sloane continued, with a laugh. ‘He must have a stomach made of lead.’
Lleevia relaxed and nodded, a small smile appearing on her lips. ‘I thought that perhaps it was just me that did not enjoy the filligris. I’m sorry, I didn’t realise it would be so unpleasant for you.’
Another understatement. Sloane thought the stuff was vile. At least now she knew there was something worse to eat in the Unfaih’s world than rashi. Even rashi was a pure delight compared to the filligris, and Sloane made a silent vow to never complain about the stuff again.
‘It’s fine,’ Sloane said, waving Lleevia’s comment away with one hand.
She wrapped her arms around her stomach and looked towards the igloo entrance. Kai and Joran had been gone for a while, and she was starting to worry about the two of them. Joran had not wanted to talk about the stone, the rifts or the humans, and Sloane was concerned about how long Kai was taking to convince him. Lleevia, on the other hand, seemed more willing to talk, and she was beginning to warm to Sloane. It was happening far too slowly for Sloane’s liking though, and they didn’t have time to waste.
‘Do you know where Kai and Joran have gone?’ Sloane asked.
Lleevia stepped beside her and followed her stare to the entrance to the igloo. ‘Joran is probably out beyond the lights of the camp.’ She shook her head as though it saddened her. ‘He doesn’t like to speak of the past, and it upsets him greatly to recall what happened with the rift. Sometimes he goes out there to clear his head.’
Sloane thought that Joran would need a bit more than fresh air to clear his head. If anyone was going to help him, and convince him to open up, it was Lleevia. Sloane knew the woman had discussed humans with Joran—maybe they had talked more about what had happened a thousand years ago. She decided to get straight to the point.
‘Has Joran ever spoken to you about the rifts or the Oblivion Stone?’
‘No,’ Lleevia responded, shaking her head slowly. ‘I told you. He doesn’t talk to anyone about it.’
‘I know he doesn’t want to talk about it,’ Sloane said, continuing to press her. ‘But that’s the thing about the past—it’s happened, and there’s nothing you can do to change it. As much as you sometimes want to keep it locked away, there’s always going to be someone who comes along, and busts open the lock. It’s not good to ignore it. The longer you keep it hidden away and pushed from sight the harder it is to face and the darker it becomes.’
Lleevia tensed, and her aqua eyes fell to look at the floor.
‘He needs to talk to Kai,’ Sloane said, softly. ‘You are Joran’s one. Surely you can see how refusing to speak about what happened is affecting him?’
‘He has been through a lot.’ Lleevia whispered, her face dropping further as she spoke. Sloane could see the Unfaih woman was in pain and her bright blue eyes glistened with unshed tears.
‘Look,’ Sloane continued. ‘Sometimes we have to help the people closest to us in ways they might not like. I can see how much you care for Joran, and I know you’re just looking out for him. But I honestly think he’s in need of some serious tough love. Allowing him to shut everyone out, including you, is only making the burden he bears worse. Not talking about it for a thousand years clearly isn’t working, maybe it’s time to try something else?’
Lleevia blinked back the tears in her eyes before they could fall down her face and she slowly nodded. ‘You’re right,’ she said, letting out a sigh. ‘It would be good for him to talk about it, but I know he worries that the same mistakes will happen if he gives anyone the knowledge he possesses.’
Sloane nodded in agreement. In a way, Joran was trying to protect everyone by keeping his secrets, even if it caused him great personal torment. ‘I get that,’ she said. ‘But times have changed. If he wants to protect people, he needs to help us. The humans are after the Liftsal and planning to attack the Unfaih. I know he doesn’t want to repeat past mistakes, but if we don’t find a way to stop them there may not be anyone left to protect.’
Sloane huffed out a breath. Lleevia seemed so close to helping her, but she could see the Unfaih woman needed more convincing.
‘I know that humans have a bad reputation around here, and you
may consider me the enemy, but I’m here with Kai because I don’t want any harm to come to this world. We’re trying to protect everyone, and if that’s what Joran wants to do, then he needs to share what he knows.’
A hint of confusion entered Lleevia’s eyes, and she looked at Sloane like she hadn’t truly seen her before. She chewed on her lower lip as she stared, but after a few moments, she relaxed and a look of resolution formed on her face.
‘You’re not my enemy,’ she said. ‘You are right. I’ll speak to Joran. The least he can do is hear what Kai has to say.’
Sloane reached out and touched Lleevia’s arm lightly as she moved to leave. ‘Thank you,’ she murmured.
Lleevia glanced down at the hand on her arm before looking back at Sloane. ‘I can’t make any promises,’ she said. ‘But I’ll see what I can do.’
After the woman had left, Sloane sat down on some of the cushions that were scattered over the rug on the floor and stared at the entranceway as she waited. She still wasn’t confident that Joran would help them, but they would have more of a chance with Lleevia on their side. Sloane was so used to using force to get her way that she was surprised her words had been more useful for once. She just hoped she had done enough to get Joran to open up about his haunted past.
Chapter Fourteen
Kai returned long before there was any sign of Joran and Lleevia. His shoulders were sagging as he entered the room, and there was a look of hopelessness in his eyes. Sloane could tell from his expression that he hadn’t had any luck talking to Joran; if he had even found his mentor. She wondered if there was more to Kai’s sadness than that. He’d come all this way to speak to the man he’d looked up to for years, and Joran had refused to hear him out.
Kai lowered himself onto one of the cushions near Sloane and stared dejectedly at the ground in front of him. He didn’t say a word—he didn’t have to. She could see his misery as clear as day.
‘What happens if he doesn’t come back?’ Sloane asked. Her voice came out quieter than normal, and she almost sounded a little timid. She didn’t want to upset Kai further, but she needed to know what they were going to do.
‘Then we return home,’ Kai replied, not lifting his gaze off the floor.
Sloane frowned as she watched him. She didn’t like seeing her friend so low, and she wished she could see some fight in his eyes. Kai was usually so positive, and she didn’t want to sit back and watch him give up so easily.
‘He’ll come back. Just give him some time,’ she said, in an attempt to cheer him up. The tone she spoke in caught Sloane by surprise, and a slight pout of annoyance formed on her lips. She wasn’t known for being a consoling or sympathetic person. She’d always been that bitch who told people to get up off the floor and fight for what they wanted. She was seriously losing her edge.
‘I clearly need more sleep,’ she muttered to herself.
Kai glanced up at her comment, one eyebrow raised in question.
She waved a hand in his direction. ‘Don’t mind me, I’m just talking to myself,’ she told him. Yeah, she totally needed more sleep.
‘Do you think Joran even knows another way?’ Sloane asked. ‘Wouldn’t he have just told us if he had found a way to close a rift without bringing about eternal winter.’
Kai shrugged, his gaze still focused on the rug. ‘Just mentioning the rift is enough to set him off. Joran isn’t himself right now.’
Sloane certainly hoped not, because the man she had met before seemed like a bit of a whack job. ‘What if he tells us a way to close it, but there’s no way to avoid ruining your world further?’
‘Then at least we know our options, and we can decide,’ Kai responded. ‘Closing the rift might be a last resort, but we may regret it if we don’t know how to do it when the time comes.’
‘Which is why I don’t want to tell you,’ a voice slurred from the entrance of the igloo. ‘Desperation should never be the justification for taking such a risk.’
Sloane and Kai both looked up to see Joran entering the room with Lleevia at his side.
Kai darted to his feet, and Sloane quickly followed him. Joran shot a dirty look at Lleevia, but he walked into the room to meet Kai, his arms folded across his chest. He was swaying slightly on his feet, and Sloane glanced at Lleevia to see if she was concerned.
He looked like he was drunk, but Lleevia shrugged at Sloane as if his behaviour wasn’t all that unusual. ‘Joran, you said you would hear Kai out,’ she scolded.
Joran shot her another glare of annoyance, but he eventually turned and focused back on Kai. He looked like a schoolboy who’d been told off by his mother. ‘I’m listening,’ he said to Kai, though he obviously didn’t want to be.
Kai glanced at Sloane before he began to talk and she could see a hint of fear in his eyes. It wasn’t that he was afraid of his mentor; rather he was afraid of failing. She gave him a reassuring smile. He wouldn’t be failing that night. Not if she had anything to do with it.
‘I need to know about the Oblivion Stone,’ Kai said.
Joran snorted with laughter, causing Kai to pause. ‘No, please, go on,’ Joran said, shaking his head at Kai.
Sloane wrung her hands together as she looked between the two of them. It looked like Joran would rather burn in the fiery pits of hell than say a word about the Oblivion Stone. Kai had barely spoken, and Sloane was already losing confidence.
‘You know the humans have found a way to reach the World of the Woods,’ Kai continued. ‘More of them are on the way. Sloane has tried to convince them to leave, but they are refusing to listen. If the Brakys find them or if they manage to get a hold of the Liftsal, we’ll have an insurmountable army on our doorstep. I want you to tell me if we can create another Oblivion Stone and if we can somehow avoid the fallout we endured the last time we closed a rift.’
Joran was shaking his head, his body trembling with anger. He was not at all receptive to Kai’s pleas.
‘Just fight the humans and kill them all. That is a much better way to rid you of this scourge,’ Joran responded.
‘You know that’s not our way,’ Kai returned, barely managing to keep the shock from entering his voice.
‘Fighting the humans is pointless,’ Sloane added. ‘Even if the Unfaih win, they will only send more men to the World of the Woods from Earth. And the ones they send will be armed for battle with weapons you cannot hope to defeat. There is a full blown war coming, and it is one you cannot win.’
Joran frowned at her words, but she didn’t pause to let him speak.
‘What kind of pathetic mentor are you?’ Sloane asked, stepping forwards. ‘Look, you clearly have some deep seeded issues, and quite frankly you should probably talk to someone if you haven’t been able to get over them for a thousand years. But these are your issues, not Kai’s. He is making a decision for the good of everyone in this world, and if you don’t give him the tools to make it, then he’s going to be the one with the thousand-year hang up because he was stuck doing nothing at all.’
She snuck a glance at Kai who didn’t look very happy with her. Actually, he kind of seemed like he wanted to strangle her. He’d have to touch her to do that, but he almost looked like he was considering it. She ignored his irritation though and turned back to Joran, folding her arms over her chest. ‘We don’t have time to argue, but we’re not leaving until we get the answers we came for. By then it may be too late. And if it is, I will hold you personally responsible.’
Sloane was practically growling, and the scowl she was directing at Joran felt so dirty that it was almost a thing of beauty. She wasn’t sure if Rhyn could even look so darkly at someone, and he was one scary warrior when he was in a bad mood.
Joran’s eyes seemed to sober as he looked at Sloane and she could see he was thinking through the many things she’d just said. She’d probably made everything a whole lot worse, but Kai was too timid when he spoke to his mentor. He didn’t have the guts to stand up to him properly, and it was clear from the moment Kai opene
d his mouth that he was never going to persuade Joran with his pleading requests.
‘Joran, I’m sorry about Sloane’s behaviour,’ Kai said, stepping forwards and shooting Sloane a look that told her they’d be having words about her actions later. ‘But everything she said is true.’
Sloane was stunned. Had Kai just agreed with her?
‘If you don’t help me now, if you don’t give me the information I need so I can close the rift, I will be powerless to stop the terrible fate we are heading towards. If that happens, I will regret it for the rest of my days. Please, you must help us.’
Joran cleared his throat and looked gravely between the two of them. ‘I don’t want you to repeat my mistakes,’ he said.
‘I know that,’ Kai replied, taking another step closer. ‘And I won’t. You had no idea what would happen when you closed that rift, but I’m hoping we can learn from your mistake. Maybe the mistake we made a thousand years ago was allowing the humans to set foot in our world in the first place. We can prevent that happening this time.’
Joran sighed and slowly began to nod. ‘Fine. I’ll tell you everything I know. But I’m not sure it will be any help to you.’
He moved away from Sloane and Kai, and over to a bench covered in a large heap of scrolls. He rummaged through the pile as if he was looking for something and paused when his hands skimmed across a large book hidden beneath the pile. He gently lifted the book up and cradled it to his chest before walking over to a table where he picked up a metal stylus and a scrap piece of parchment. He carried them across the room to take a seat on one of the cushions scattered on the ground.
Kai moved to join him, and Sloane cautiously followed. She sat back a little from the two of them, feeling slightly timid after her outburst. She was glad she’d done it because it had gotten Kai what he wanted, but she wasn’t sure how Joran felt about her threats. The man was so eccentric and supposedly powerful that Sloane wasn’t too keen to be on his bad side.
The Oblivion Stone (The Liftsal Guardians Book 3) Page 14