"Thanks. I’m happy to accept. I'll try not to be too long. I want to be back at the campsite before twilight."
"I'm holding you to that. If I don't hear from you, expect me to come looking." Her eyes narrowed with warning.
I nodded in agreement and she pulled me into her arms. We embraced quickly under the watchful eyes of the others, then I set out with my satchel across my chest and Swift and Kiya close at my sides.
I waited until we were far enough away, maybe a ten-fifteen-minute walk from the camp, before I found a sheltered area to sit. Swift and Kiya had remained at my side, not roaming the way they would usually. Whatever she’d told them had obviously impressed protecting me as their first and most important duty.
They watched as I sat, heads cocked to the side. I smiled at their confused whines, knowing they hadn't expected this. Looking around to make sure no one had followed to hear me I spoke to them, even though I felt foolish.
"I didn't actually want to go hunting, Swift. But thank you for coming. You too, Kiya." I hoped they could feel my gratitude. "The real reason I came out here alone was because I don't trust Nyalla. And I'm not sure if I can tell the others because they don’t appear to share my suspicions about her."
I shrugged, feeling foolish even though the wolves had sat attentively on their haunches as I spoke. It was nice to have someone listen without interrupting. I figured I may as well keep telling them. It had been weighing on me heavily and letting it out felt good.
"I plan to use my book to ask Jarid for help. Do you remember him? He's back at the Library. He told me he’d help me if I needed anything right before we left. Well, during the trip we found out Nyalla has another person inside her. Or perhaps she's just pretending to be Nyalla. Twice now, I’ve seen her appear as another woman, someone she says is Y’serra."
I looked at Swift. His eyes were so wise I felt he understood what I was saying.
"Y’serra is a name I haven't seen or heard mention of outside of texts I've read about the Dark War. Another name Y’serra is known by is the Great Betrayer, because she was Onen Suun’s true love— until she left him to join Dag’draath to fight on the side of darkness. I know how crazy it sounds, which is why I need more proof. Either proof, or I have to wait until she outs herself in front of everyone. So far neither Nyalla, nor Y’serra, have done anything suspicious."
Both wolves watched with patient eyes, and when Swift placed his head on my shoulder, I leaned into his warmth. His fur smelled of pine and sunshine, and some of my tension eased.
"I don’t know what to do. The passage about her was light on details, but the key to the Library seems to be warning me about her constantly."
I paused to pull the top of my shirt down enough the wolves could see it. It gave off a burst of warmth, almost as if it was speaking directly to the wolves. Swift nodded at it wisely and looked at me again.
"Could you help me? If you caught something, it would help with my cover. I will sit here and wait for Jarid to answer. I hope he can help get a message to the Western March so they can relocate the Heart Stone before Nyalla or Y’serra, whoever she is, doesn't get it first."
For moment, I felt dumb spilling out the entire story to the wolves. They still watched me attentively, but I was sure they hadn’t understood a thing. Then, to my surprise, Kiya bobbed her head and darted into the trees.
Swift stayed with me, but nuzzled my satchel, as if pointing out my book.
A smile split my face as I realized what he was telling me. "Thanks, Swift."
I exhaled, quickly jotted a note to Jarid in the book then sat back to wait.
Silence had fallen in the small copse of trees I’d chosen to rest. I looked out into the dimming daylight. It was becoming a beautiful night, with the sunset painting the portion of the sky I could see in oranges, reds, and purples. When I looked down, writing appeared on the page before me.
It was messy, as if it had been written in haste. Even in the terse words I was able to sense his concern.
How is this possible? Your guide is the Great Betrayer? If you are correct, you need to hide the Heart Stone immediately. I cannot give you any details about its location you don't already know. The last documentation I was able to find about it in the Library showed it in Mahimānbita Sūrya, where you’ve already been.
If the stone truly is in the Western March now, it is possible it’s already on the move. The only thing I can think of to help is tell you to attempt to contact Runa Thorl. She’s a powerful dreamwalker who lives there. If you can find her, perhaps she can guide you or find it for you.
I can give you a spell to reach her, but it isn't an easy one. You must dreamwalk to let her know they are in danger. If you are correct about your guide, most likely she’ll send an army of ur’gel after the stone. You must warn them to take the stone far away, and to mount their defenses.
I quickly replied.
What? How? I thought dreamwalking was something limited only to a few naturally born to it?
It felt like forever for the words to appear, but when they did, I almost dropped the book.
Generally, that’s true. However, you still have the key to the Library. We know it has allowed you to do magic before. With your own innate magic, even as untrained as you are, the key may be able to help you succeed. Good luck.
I thanked him for his help and when he sent the spell, I memorized it. I was relieved to see it required nothing other than reciting a few simple words and falling asleep. Of course, I knew the simplicity of a spell was no guarantee of success, but it buoyed my hopes.
It was immediately clear the spell would be harder than it appeared when I found it impossible to get to sleep.
Swift looked at me curiously, his intelligent eyes seeming to size up the situation faster than I could explain it. He approached again, snuggling up to lay beside my head. With no idea whether it was intentional or simply a byproduct of his soft, warm fur so close to me, within moments I began to feel drowsy.
As I drifted to sleep, I smiled. "Thanks, Swift. I don't know what I’d do without you. No wonder you’re her favorite people."
Just before I faded off, I repeated the words written on the paper and concentrated on where I needed to go.
Blinking, I opened my eyes. I was in a place I didn't recall being before. For moment I thought I was dreaming. When the realization the spell had worked sunk in, I felt like crowing with pride.
Now, I just needed to find Runa. I took a moment to size up my surroundings. It was true the scenery was of a rocky landscape, different than the soft grassy hills and scattered trees I'd been surrounded by when I'd fallen asleep, but I appeared now to also be in a strange city, standing right beside a small house. If I was lucky, Runa would be inside.
I took a deep breath, feeling strangely like myself even though I my body wasn't there. It was a weird dream, not dream, and I was both gratified at my success and terrified by it.
I walked with a halting gait to the house, knocking with a tentative rapping. When nothing happened, I pushed on it.
The door swung open beneath my hand easily. Entering with nervous steps, I wasn’t sure if the usual etiquette applied to the dream state, or if it was acceptable for me to wander around a stranger's home looking for someone.
"Hello, Runa? My name is Rhin. I am a Librarian, originally from Cliff Castle in the Low Forest. The Library has chosen me to seek out artifacts in order to end the growing darkness. But I need your help. The Western March and all of its people are in danger."
The house remained eerily quiet, and no one answered my tentative call. The creak of the door opening behind me made me whirl around, my hand reflexively leaping to my throat and to the key resting underneath my shirt.
The person who had entered through the door opened was a tall human woman, with unusual eyes that seemed to see past reality into the mists beyond and a face much older than what her youth should have suggested.
"Runa? Are you Runa?"
The woman nod
ded, tilting her head to regard me with curiosity but not fear. Either I didn’t appear frightening, or she was able to tell instantly I was dreamwalking.
"Yes, I am Runa. Why are you here?" She paused and looked me up and down before adding," I don't recall seeing an elf dreamwalk before. How did you manage to accomplish such a feat?"
I shrugged, not wanting to anger her but not sure what her question had to do with anything. "I'm a Librarian, from Abrecem Secer. I was given a spell and told I needed to find you."
Runa looked surprised, but a trickle of fear soon darkened her eyes. "Someone sent you to find me?"
I shook my head. "I need your help. Someone is coming to take the Heart Stone. Someone who was supposed to be long gone from this world, but now appears to be alive and well."
Runa waited silently. When I realized she wasn't going to respond, I sighed. "The Great Betrayer, Y’serra, is back and she wants it. She knows it was brought here, to the Western March, and I fear she’ll stop at nothing to get it. You can’t let her get it. Please, find it and bring it to the Library. It will be safe there."
Her eyes locked with mine. I could tell she believed me but before she could speak, the angry peals of alarms going off outside the house drowned her out. The same type of alarms I’d heard when we’d escaped the Oubliee.
The city was under attack.
Runa turned to leave, but before she did, she hesitated. With a firm jaw and determined eyes, she held her hand up in a gesture of honesty. "I will do what I can. I promise on my life, I will get the Heart Stone out of here if it's the last thing I do. It appears your warning has arrived too late but thank you for trying. Maybe we shall meet again."
As she hurried out, I was overcome by exhaustion and crumpled to the floor.
Chapter 25
The rasp of a sandpaper tongue returned me to my surroundings.
I opened my eyes to the vision of Swift, watching me with concern in his ice-blue eyes. When he saw I was awake, he moved back slightly to allow me to sit upright. As everything rushed back, I started to shake. It was as if he understood my feelings better than I did, and when the first hot tears scalded my cheeks, he was already there, providing support before I realized I needed it.
"I was too late, Swift. I found Runa, but they were already under attack."
I stood up, feeling my legs tremble slightly. Too little, too late to stop the death and destruction I knew would come in the wake of an ur’gel attack.
Runa promised she’d try to get the stone, but the odds of her making it out alive weren’t favorable, let alone finding the Heart Stone during a melee as well.
Swift lent me strength as I rose and I hugged him around the neck, finally standing straight and tall. It was time to return to my friends. If Nyalla knew her minions were attacking the Western March in advance of our arrival, perhaps she didn't need us anymore. My breath caught as the thought crossed my mind.
What if she tried to kill them before I returned?
I bit my lip, glancing down at Swift. Our eyes met and he nodded slightly. Before I could speak, Kiya bounded into the clearing with a small rabbit in her mouth, appearing pleased with herself. Even though I was terrified for my friend’s safety, I almost laughed at Swift's judgmental expression.
"Thank you, Kiya. It may be small, but it's something."
At my words of praise, Kiya seemed to smirk at Swift. If I hadn't known any better, the interplay between Kiya and Swift seemed to be almost fraternal. But my amusement was brief, and I turned, running back in the direction of the camp with the wolves at my heels. I was even more grateful I’d stayed nearby once the idea of Nyalla disposing of my friends had hit me.
My stomach twisting with worry, I returned to find a fire crackling cheerily in the near dark. Sel poked at it with a stick, as he would have any other night, and my stomach finally settled into its usual home. It was too late to keep the acid from burning an unpleasant ache into the middle of my abdomen, but at least my clenched stomach hadn't been a precursor to heartbreak.
He looked up as a twig broke under my foot and smiled, waving me over. I held up the lone rabbit Kiya had presented to me like she’d won a trophy and tried to look pleased.
He smiled again, but less broadly. "Umm, great? You were gone for hours. Not much out there, I guess." His words were mild, but his disappointment was obvious.
Nyalla joined us, smirking when she saw the rabbit. When she spoke, she smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "That's it? Well, I guess it's a good start. For a novice."
I bit my tongue instead of angrily telling them what I knew, forcing myself to shrug instead. "Well, it was only my second time. I could make a stew with it?"
Nyalla shook her head. "No, I'll go and find something else. I'm more comfortable finding game after dark, anyway."
I realized I hadn't seen the others and turned to Sel. "Where's everyone else?"
He waved his free hand in the direction of the camels. "Last I saw, Gwen was feeding the camels and Will was setting up the last of our sleeping gear. Damio was helping."
I nodded reluctantly, turning to frown at Nyalla. "Are you sure it's safe to go out after dark? I can go with you, if you'd like."
I had no intention of leaving my friends again but didn't want her to become suspicious. After all, everyone had objected when I’d tried to leave on my own and I knew it was the expected response.
Nyalla shook her head, giving me a cool, confident look. "No, I'll be faster and quieter alone. Don't worry about sending the wolves with me. I'll be more inconspicuous without them."
I waved as I watched Nyalla slip out of the campsite. Once she was out of sight, I looked at the rabbit and got to work.
By the time I’d done what I hoped was a decent job of draining the blood and skinning it, Gwen and Will had joined us at the campfire. Once the rabbit was roasting on a spit Gwen had rigged, she turned to me.
"What is it? I don't think I've ever seen an expression quite like that on your face. What happened when you were out there?"
I rubbed my forehead. How could I tell them what I’d seen without sounding crazy? When Swift bumped against my leg, I suddenly understood. I took a deep breath, exhaled, then took her hand.
"The real reason I left to hunt wasn’t to practice my hunting skills."
She searched my eyes. Hers glinted a dark emerald in the light of the campfire as she absently bit her lip. "What did you do?"
I sighed, this time, speaking loudly enough for the guys to hear.
"I needed to be alone to contact Jarid. You see, the other night when everyone was sleeping, Nyalla changed again." I paused as I looked at my friends, waiting for their reaction. When all I saw was confusion, I elaborated. "I spoke with her and asked if she meant us harm, but she told me it wasn't her we needed to watch out for, it was Nyalla."
Will exploded onto his feet, clenching his hands into tight fists. "No. It's not possible. She's been nothing but our savior. She's far too kind to ever hurt anyone."
"Is she though?"
Sel spoke so quietly and unexpectedly Will stopped, staring at him.
When Sel saw he had our undivided attention, he turned the rabbit over on the spit, before he spoke again. "Think about it. True, she's always kept us safe, but at the same time everything has gone just the tiniest bit wrong whenever we’ve tried something when she’s been around. The ur’gel attacks, our escape, even when we were recaptured at Jaydraberg. Each time we've arrived, it's been too late for our mission to succeed."
Will sunk back down onto the rough log he’d been using as a chair and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his palms together as though praying. "But how could she be responsible for any of those things? She was with us the whole time."
He shrugged. "Was she? There's been a few times where she's left for short periods. Not to mention it's hard to trust someone once they tell you someone evil may be inhabiting their body. Or have you forgotten that part? I couldn’t. I wouldn't be surprised to get to the We
stern March and find we’re too late and the stone is gone."
My face drained of color as he gave voice to my greatest fear.
Gwen noticed, placing a hand on my cheek.
"What is it? There's more, isn't there?"
I swallowed hard, reluctantly sharing what I'd seen. "I dreamwalked with a spell Jarid gave me. I’ve already been to the Western March and spoke with their dreamwalker, Runa Thorl. But I was too late. By the time I reached her, the city was under attack. They beat us there."
Gwen shook her head, her face ashen. "We're less than a day away. How?"
"Nyalla knows our every move. I don't have any idea what kind of powers Y’serra or Nyalla possess. For all I know, she could have been passing messages to someone at any point. For all I know, she can dreamwalk as well."
Sel nodded solemnly and when I looked at Will, I was sad for his transformation. While he still looked angry, much of his disbelief had shifted to pain.
He believed everything he was hearing, even though he didn’t look like he wanted to. His mouth was pressed into a line and he was sitting with his left palm cradling his forehead. He stared into the fire, like a man who'd lost sight of a dream.
"Will? Are you okay?" I wasn’t sure what else to say and remembered how horrible I'd felt when I thought I'd lost Gwen forever. Something told me he was feeling the same way now.
He forced a smile as his eyes met mine and I knew he believed me. He was on my side, no matter how he felt about Nyalla.
"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Gwen tilted her head to the side with a mix of disappointment and confusion in her face.
"To be honest, I didn't know for certain until today. And I was worried you’d think I was crazy. Or worse, you’d chose to believe her over me. After what I saw in the Western March, I have no doubts left. We can’t trust her. As long as the Great Betrayer is with us, we’re all in danger. All this time, I thought Y’serra was the one we needed to watch, but I was so wrong. Nyalla is the one who’s been our enemy this entire time.”
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