When she put it like that, it was audacious, and I realized just how badass we were. It gave me the strength to stand up. I moved cautiously, watching the guards, and expecting to be thrown back on the floor any moment. When they didn’t move, I bowed and addressed the Sovran.
"We wouldn't have bothered you again Sovran, only we are in a most important search for the Heart Stone."
I lifted my head, looking directly into her eyes. She tilted her head to the side with interest, waving for me to go on instead of cutting me off the way she had the last time. I rushed on in case she changed her mind.
"Everything I'd read told me the Heart Stone was found in the temple in the Desert of Souls, which the old writings refer to as Mahimānbita Sūrya. But when we got there after several days of uncomfortable travel—" I stopped, looking down at Nyalla.
I thought I’d heard something, but she was kneeling and looking at the floor along with the others. I looked at Jaydra again and shook my head.
"When we arrived, the stone was gone. It had clearly been gone a several weeks, if not longer. The dust had been disturbed and the traps had been set off, but sand had reaccumulated and there were no footprints. As I'm sure you can understand, it was quite frustrating. We left the temple and traveled through the desert, hoping to find word of its current location." I shrugged. "But no one had any information. The last place we were going to ask was under attack by ur’gel, so we changed course and headed back here."
Jaydra laughed, and I recoiled at the out of place humor. Surely, I hadn't said anything funny?
"Oh, you foolish elf." She gave me a patronizing smile. "Beru took the stone when he came through. I could have saved you time, had I listened to your ramblings more closely. But before you ask, I have no idea where he took it. Now, you clearly found our hospitality lacking last time, but please allow my guards to take you to holding. You may rest until I decide what to do with you."
She yawned, and with a dismissive flick of her wrist, the guards converged upon us. As their implacable faces loomed closer, I swallowed hard, certain we were going back to the same cage we’d escaped from earlier.
The problem was this time, our rescuer was with us.
Chapter 21
"This is such a pile of disgusting dog dung."
I crossed my arms and glared at the door to our prison. Sure, Jaydra had kindly called it a holding area, not a prison, and it was somewhat nicer than our last accommodations had been, but that wasn't saying much.
It was larger, and without bars. It also had places for everyone to sit, which was a pleasant change. It even had pillows. In fact, even though my mood had become terribly sour since we'd been led to our waiting area, I could grudgingly admit it would not have looked out of place as a place to receive guests at Cliff Castle.
Will sat on one of the overstuffed couches and lay back, groaning a little. From the way he was rolling back and forth on the surface I suspected his sound was one of pleasure, which was confirmed immediately when he yawned, "Ah, this is nice."
He opened his eyes and gestured for us to join him. "Seriously, guys. This is the softest thing I've laid on in forever. Definitely since before we hitched our ride on the airship.”
Gwen took my hand and gently led me over to a couch opposite him. Once I was seated, she patted my knee. "I know you're frustrated, Rhin. I'm frustrated too. It feels like we're missing everything, but it’s only by a single step."
I exhaled, visualizing the weight of my frustration leaving my body as I did so. Will was right. This was comfortable. I sank into the couch and leaned back, resting my head against one of the cushions.
"Part of what’s bothering me is being stuck in here until Jaydra decides what to do with us, but I’m also confused about something.” I turned my head. “Will I ever be able to find it? Is it already too late?"
She shook her head, furrowing her brow as she regarded me. "I don't understand. Why would it be too late?"
I leaned forward, directing my words to everyone. "Because. Beru was Onen Suun’s first Lieutenant. If he had the Heart Stone, maybe it never made it back to the pedestal in the first place." I looked at Nyalla.
"What do you mean?"
I waved a hand in the air, more of my frustration leaking out in the motion. "If he found it before he got locked up in the prison, he could have already given it to Dag’draath. In which case there's no way I'm ever going to get it back, no matter if I’m supposed to, according to the Library."
I pulled my hand away, rubbing my temples in futile to ease some of the headache the situation had caused.
"That doesn't make sense. If he had the Heart Stone in the prison, why would Jaydra know about it? Wouldn’t he have used it already?"
I dropped my hands from my head. She had a point. "You're right. Maybe Jaydra was saying he came by recently because he had got it two-hundred and fifty years ago and hid it before he was trapped."
Now Nyalla looked excited. "Which means when he came back, he went and got it from where he'd hidden it then, which may not have been from the temple your book told you it was."
"Exactly!" I jumped to my feet and began to pace. "So, it may not have even been where we thought when he was imprisoned, but if he came back this way it must have been in the desert. The question is—"
"Where would he be taking it now?" Sel spoke up. He had sat was next to Will and his slender face was thoughtful.
"And there lies the problem," I agreed. The impossibility of the situation struck me afresh. "The land in this area has changed immeasurably in the last two hundred years. We found the temple, but it clearly isn’t what it was, and the desert wasn’t even there when my books were written.”
She agreed. "For all we know he might've hidden the stone in a tree."
Will looked unperturbed. When I frowned at him, he shrugged. "What? Look, I have faith in you, Rhin. If anyone can figure this out it's going to be you. But in the meantime, I'm tired, I'm dirty, and this couch is so comfortable I could fall asleep right now. Why don't we use this opportunity to rest? After all, with the guards outside and the one reason we were able to escape last time inside with us, it's not as if we have many options."
I rubbed my forehead again, knowing he was right. As much as I wanted to disagree with him, I couldn't. "Sure, why not?"
I allowed Gwen to draw me down onto the couch. It seemed as if regardless of what happened next, we probably had plenty of time for a nap. But just when I had allowed myself to get comfortable, the thoughts playing in my head coalesced. For some reason, the Library still wanted me to get the Heart Stone even after it had been reclaimed by Beru.
Was I going to have to fight him? The tablets in the Suun Room had shown me the truth about what had happened. Beru was innocent. If he wasn’t evil though, why did the Library want me to take the stone? And if he was on the side of darkness, it was extremely unlikely I’d be able to retrieve it.
I couldn't help but think about the way I’d fought with the slaver, with a skill and technique impossible to have been my own. The more I considered the situation, the more I felt as if the Library had gifted me with a some of Beru’s legendary fighting prowess. So how would I defeat him?
With those thoughts hanging heavy over me, my rest was far from peaceful as my friends slept deeply around me.
Chapter 22
After an uneasy sleep spent tossing and turning on the most comfortable surface I’d slept on since leaving my own bed, I was startled awake by the sound of the door opening.
The heavy booted feet of one of the guards stopped just inside the door.
I sat up, wiping the side of my mouth and grimaced as I noticed a small patch of drool on Gwen's shoulder. Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice.
Will and Sel bolted upright at the same time I did.
Nyalla and Gwen moved more slowly.
Once the guard was certain he had our attention, he nodded toward the door. "The Sovran will see you now." His tone was clipped and didn’t invite further discu
ssion.
We stood, scooping up our belongings and taking them with us.
I still wasn't sure why they had allowed us to keep our weapons, unless it was because they no longer thought we were much of a threat. Or did it mean we weren’t prisoners?
My apprehension mounted as we entered the throne room again. From the angle the sun fell through the window, it was afternoon at the latest, a fact which caused my stomach to rumble almost on cue. It had been hours since we'd eaten, but even though we’d been summoned earlier then I had expected, I didn't hold much hope for food anytime soon.
Once again, we knelt on the floor a safe distance from the Sovran’s chair. Guards flanked her, and although the room was not as empty as it had been earlier, neither was it as full as it had been the first day we'd arrived. From the others present, it looked as if she had cleared the room of all but her most important and trusted advisors. No supplicants requiring favors or payments were in evidence, and those present crowded closely behind her.
My head jerked at the sound of the door grinding to a close and I watched as two guards took up positions in front. We were outnumbered and even if we had weapons this time, I knew we had no chance at getting away unless it was through her direct order.
I turned to Jaydra, bowing my head for a long moment before looking up respectfully. She’d changed again, this time into a bronze colored tunic and loose flowing pants which gathered tightly at the ankles. Her hair was up, which was a pity, as it truly was her best feature. But most surprisingly, her expression was one of amusement.
"After a long discussion with my advisors," she began, waving to either side of her chair to where the other men and women stood in deferential postures. Several bobbed their heads at her regard as she looked at me. "I have decided to let you go."
I blinked, unable to do more as I tried to process her words. But as she continued speaking, I realized why she appeared to find the situation humorous.
"It has come to my attention after much debate with my advisors that Beru and his companion were headed toward the Western March." She smiled, but I saw no kindness in it.
"The Western March?" I was dumbfounded.
It wasn’t just far, no, it was on the other side of another mountain range. The place the Oubliee lived in the Northwestern Lands was flanked by the Dragon Dominion on one side and the mountain range before the Western March. It was where the D’ahvol lived and wasn’t a place for the faint of heart. Even if we were better equipped, it would be dangerous to go there.
Jaydra laughed, a cold, bell-like peal that echoed in the nearly empty marble room. "Yes, the Western March. When I discovered this, I could not help but see your predicament as entertaining. I expect you would like to be on your way. If you wish to make it there at any time in the next several weeks or months, that is." She smirked again, then as she’d done before, flicked her wrist and turned away.
She'd obviously told us everything she intended to, but it was unclear if she’d done us any favors. As I stood there, unmoving and still bewildered, Jaydra and her advisors filed out. Soon, we were left alone and staring at each other. Most of the guards filed out with her, but the two at the door remained.
Will stood and brushed his knees off. "Well? Shall we?” The others stood as well, hesitating as they looked at the door until he added, “I think it wise to use this as our opportunity to get out before they change their minds."
He kept his eyes on the guards and Gwen exhaled, nodding her head as she came to stand beside me.
She looped her arm through mine. "I agree. Let's go back to Nyalla's and grab the packs. I’m not in a lingering mood."
Sel bit his lip as he looked at Nyalla. "Can we take camels? How far is it to the borders of the Western March?"
She shook her head. "Several days, at least. Yes, we can take camels, although they won't do well in the mountains. I agree with about the necessity of leaving immediately. Even if there are ur’gel out there, we’ve been given a rare chance to leave. We need to take it.” Her eyes narrowed as she cast a glance in the direction Jaydra had exited. "The Sovran is not known for her patience. If we do not act immediately on her command, which this was, make no mistake, she has been known to rescind a gift and replace it with punishment."
I flicked my gaze toward the guards, noticing they were beginning to shift, and I nodded. "Agreed. We'll head to Nyalla's first. It's still daylight though. Is it wise to start traveling now?"
From the grim look on her face, I could tell she wasn't keen on it. But as we had no other option, she just shrugged.
We followed the guards out, and once we were deposited at the entrance to the castle they turned and allowed us to walk away through the market. We weren’t being chased this time, so I had a better opportunity to observe the town during a regular day.
The people we encountered were dressed in less coverings than we’d adopted in the desert, but everyone had a scarf and long robes. I imagined the wind could still pick up even with the barrier of the wall and buildings.
It was hard to determine friendliness though. The prickle of eyes on my back didn’t let up until we reached Nyalla’s home, but I expected nothing less. After all, we were strangers, and from the interested and watchful eyes of the townsfolk, it was probable everyone had heard of our escape and return. By the time we reached her house and gathered our things, I was eager to leave.
We waited as Nyalla returned with camels, but when I noticed they weren’t the same as before, I frowned. “Where did these come from?”
She shrugged. "My friend, no longer needing to trade information, was kind enough to provide us with fresh, untraveled ones."
I did my best to keep my lip from pulling back as I examined our new transport dubiously. At least her friend had managed to find us an extra one, but these camels didn’t look nearly as young or well as the three we'd had previously.
Nyalla led us down a winding path to the main gates. I realized when she stopped to deliberately speak with the watchman, she was making it obvious our party was leaving. I still didn't trust her, but I couldn’t fault her logic.
Once she’d finished speaking with the younger of the two watchmen, she hopped off her camel and offered the reins to Gwen. "I need to go back for something. Continue toward the West. It's a straight path to the mountain pass as we discussed, and I’ve drawn a rough map for you to use."
She passed me a piece of parchment which I took reflexively. She wasn't joking when she said it was rough, but the way was clear enough. She’d drawn the required changes in topography clearly enough for us to make our way through the mountains. It would be easy enough to follow, even without a guide.
"What are you going back for?" I tried to keep my voice light, but I suspected it was an excuse to leave us. I didn’t mind, necessarily, but she’d wanted to leave so badly before it struck me as odd she would take off now.
"There's something I need to do," Nyalla said mysteriously, without volunteering any more information.
"You can't go." Will shook his head, looking at her as if his world was crumbling before him. "We'll never make it through the desert without you."
Nyalla reached over, patting his leg gently, allowing her fingers to caress it fleetingly on their way past. I managed to suppress a shudder of unease, but her touch seemed to do the trick and his sadness gave way to the same adoration I'd noticed over the last few days and weeks.
"Don't worry, you’ll be fine. Today will be warm for a few hours, but once night falls, I recommend continuing without sleep. With the camels, you may even be able to reach the pass by morning."
The guys looked disappointed, and even Gwen looked a little sad, but I was relieved. I still didn't trust her even though it looked as if she’d won everyone else over. The key lay calmly against my chest for the first time in days, and I knew at least something else agreed with me.
"Thanks for everything, Nyalla." I reached down to shake her hand.
She clasped mine in return, giving me anoth
er one of her mysterious smiles before she nodded and vanished back inside the gates.
I had debated earlier whether I should even try to retrieve this stone, but during my fitful rest in the chamber I’d decided if the Library had set me a task. I needed to complete it, no matter who currently had the stone, and no matter what they were planning on using it for. For all I knew, Beru may even give it to me. And if he didn't, I would cross that bridge when I came to it.
I looked at my friends, fully outfitted with packs and camels, and in possession of all our weapons and belongings. The Oubliee had returned everything they’d taken when we’d been given permission to leave. I was happy to be on our way, but even though Nyalla wasn't coming, my throat tightened with foreboding about the trip that lay ahead.
Chapter 23
It was liberating to be on our own again, even with my worry our journey would have further unexpected developments. I couldn't deny my relief Nyalla wasn't with us, even if Will was uncharacteristically quiet as he pined for our mysterious guide.
Sel was his usual quiet self, so it was difficult to see any difference, and Gwen was thoughtful, if not appearing overly upset by Nyalla's disappearance. The wolves, oblivious to any drama between its bipedal counterparts, roamed in lazy loops around us.
It was so nice having the camels. The landscape almost flew by on their backs. It was hot but the breeze from the western mountains came directly toward us. It blew an unpleasant amount of sand into any cracks in our clothing, but at least the snow from the mountaintops kept the sun from being completely sweltering.
Even with the camels traveling at twice the speed we could have made by foot, by the time night fell we were nowhere near the mountains. When a rider appeared on the horizon, we all visibly tensed.
"Who is it?" I squinted, unable to make out the shape. It was large but misshapen, as if it had several heads and more legs than it should. I was intensely concerned about it being a new type of ur’gel we hadn’t crossed paths with before.
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