ARC: Sunstone

by Freya Robertson

  Nele gave her a firm look. “You must tell us now, Sarra, what your plans are. We do not know what lies outside the Embers or how dangerous our journey would be, especially for someone in your condition. If you stay here, perhaps Comminor tells the truth and he will look after you and keep you healthy and well. I would not blame you if you could not turn your back on that. But we need to know. Because if you plan to do so, we must call an end to the Veris now, before we are found.”

  Geve watched her. She looked down at her hands, studied them in the light from the lantern. He sensed that maybe she had been asking herself the same question, maybe ever since Comminor had first shown interest in her. His heart ached. Why had he not been born a Select, privileged and able to offer her a better life? Why would she choose him, and an uncertain life for her child, over security and safety?

  She lifted her head. He could almost hear everyone holding their breath.

  “I cannot say I am not tempted,” she said. “He was kind to me, and I find it difficult to believe everything he said was a lie and the affection he showed me was just a ruse to earn my trust before he made me tell him about the Veris. But… I cannot be sure.” She hesitated. “There is no doubt that many women have had their pregnancies terminated, and that has been at his command. He explained to me last night how he has to control the population because of our limited resources. But he said so coldly, with no sign of emotion behind it. Part of me fears that he is able to be cruel one minute, tender the next. That scares me more than the animal they have made him out to be.”

  She rested her hand on her belly. “The dreams are getting stronger, more vivid, as the baby grows. I can feel the wind on my face, the rain, see the clouds in the sky. I can feel myself standing beneath the Arbor, and I look up and see its leaves shaking in the breeze.” Her eyes took on a faraway look. “The sun streams through them and scatters golden fragments across my arms and face. And… I know this sounds strange, but I can feel its love.”

  Relief showed in her face as the others nodded, Geve included. He, too, had dreamed of the Arbor and felt enveloped in the warmth of its love.

  “The Arbor wants us, needs us,” she said. “We must get to the Surface.” Her eyes blazed. “This urge within me to take my child there overwhelms every other feeling I have. It overpowers me, makes me shake with its intensity. I have to go. It is as simple as that. It does not matter if Comminor promises me all the gold and food in the Embers, none of it could replace the feel of the sun on my face as it has been in my dreams.”

  Geve felt dizzy with a mixture of emotions; relief that she had not changed her mind, exultancy that they were still to escape, and a strange kind of despair that lingered at the thought of her in Comminor’s arms, lying with him. She had promised herself to him, Geve, if they made it to the Surface. He thought she might even honour that promise, would do so for her child’s sake. But at that moment, he knew she did not – and probably never would – love him.

  The thought settled over him like ash.

  Nele nodded. “It is done, then.” He shifted on the ground, making himself comfortable. “Let us make our plans.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  I

  Horada reined Mara in and sat looking ahead of her at the Forest of Bream. It stretched to her left and right for many miles, the road she was on leading straight into the trees, bisecting the finger of woods that separated Esberg to the north and Ransberg to the south.

  She could, of course, go around the forest. Although she usually liked being amongst the trees, her experience in the hamlet had suggested she was better in the open air, and she felt nervous at the thought of entering the woods again.

  However riding around them would mean a detour of probably two days either north or south, time she could ill afford to waste. The urge to get to Heartwood seemed to increase with every minute, and the memory of Cinereo’s words and the way the Incendi had nearly set fire to the inn made her think she should not loiter just because of an uneasy feeling.

  Mara pranced beneath her, clearly picking up on her tension. She patted her neck, trying to think calm thoughts. She would ride as quickly as she could through the trees, and before she even realised it, she would be on the other side. She was only three days’ ride from Heartwood now, and it wouldn’t be long before she was in the presence of the great Arbor, and she would be able to take advice from the council and others who knew far more about the problems of the Incendi than herself.

  Lifting her chin, firming her resolve, she kicked her heels gently into Mara’s flanks and the horse trotted forward.

  The forest closed around her in a swathe of green. The air smelled of mulching leaves, rich loam and the freshness of new growth. The trees – mainly oaks, some beeches and ash – shook in the light breeze, and she could almost taste green on her tongue, making her mouth water, like the tang of metal in the air when riding nearby a forge.

  Her mother had once confided she felt uneasy in forests, stating they were like graveyards and smelled of death and decay, the trees like tombstones and the air unnaturally still. She had admitted that had a lot to do with spending much of her time walking the walls of Heartwood, high up, open to the elements and with panoramic views in every direction, or on patrol on the Wall, where the north wind blew across wild plains and nobody could creep up on you without being seen from miles away. Forests lent themselves to stealth and secrets, and Horada could understand her mother’s dislike, even if she didn’t feel the same. She felt the opposite, and had always thought of them as nurseries, focussing on the new buds and twigs instead of the dead leaves underfoot, and thinking of the ancient trees as caring for the newborn seedlings.

  That day, though, for the first time she thought she could understand Procella’s wariness. The trees whispered, looming above her, and the undergrowth seemed filled with shadows, with plenty of places for people to hide. Where were the animals, the rabbits and squirrels, the numerous crawling insects, the birds that usually hopped from branch to branch, following her with interest? The smell of rotting leaves rose up to fill her senses, and she couldn’t stop thinking of the way the leaves were falling to the floor to decay. Why did everything suddenly smell of death?

  Her heart pounded as she rode, her mouth going dry with nerves, although she didn’t dare stop for a drink. She felt frustrated at the slow pace, but she couldn’t speed up because the path zigzagged through the trees. Clearly, it had not been tended for a while. What had happened to the forest rangers who maintained the roads, the poachers and hunters who knew the natural pathways almost as well as the animals? She had worried that Mara might fall into a trap, but after a while the feeling grew on her that nobody had passed through the forest for a long while. That in itself was worrying.

  Branches reached across to whip her face, and Mara stumbled occasionally on fallen logs and vines that snaked across the path. Horada let her go at her own pace, the last thing she wanted was for her horse to break a leg.

  For a while she rode quietly, stiff and tense in the saddle, but as nothing happened and the sun climbed high in the sky she began to relax and think maybe she had imagined that the danger would be greater within the trees. Cinereo hadn’t said thus, had just said she should be wary of her connection to the Arbor, and she had assumed he meant that being in the presence of trees would make it worse. She was being foolish, she told herself – she had to be careful not to let her imagination run away with her. A permanent optimist, she made herself roll back her shoulders and let the dappled sun fall on her face, let the fresh smell of nature fill her nostrils.

  She had just thought she must be about halfway through the forest when she felt it: a presence behind her, a feeling of being watched, so clear and sharp it sent a frisson up her spine and made the hairs on the nape of her neck stand on end.

  She turned in the saddle and looked over her shoulder, searching the trees. For a moment she could see nothing and thought, again, she had imagined it. And then, far off into the distance, she sa
w it.

  Fire.

  Her heart seemed to rise into her throat and choke her as the reddish-orange glow flared in the trees. The forest was on fire, and even as she watched, she saw it spread from left to right, the dry brush and dead leaves catching light and flaring to reach for the higher twigs and branches.

  It was too late to conceal herself – they knew she was there, and camouflage wouldn’t save her against fire. She kicked her heels into Mara’s sides and urged, “On, Mara!” The horse leapt forward, and Horada leaned close to Mara’s neck to avoid the branches whipping above her head.

  Glancing over her shoulder as the horse thundered through the trees, Horada felt panic flood through her at the sight of the red-tinged greenery. The sound of crackling as the flames chomped on the undergrowth rose in her ears. For the first time, smoke filled her nostrils, and as she looked forward, she saw the fire spreading in her peripheral vision.

  Heart in her mouth, she urged the horse on. Mara needed little encouragement. Clearly she could hear the fire and smell the smoke too. Her ears flat to her head, nostrils flaring and mouth flecked with foam, she wove through the trees, leaping over fallen trunks and skilfully dodging the branches that seemed to reach out to grasp them.

  For the first time in her life, Horada felt that the forest was working against her, trying to slow her down. Twigs caught at her clothing and hair, vines threatened to catch around her neck, and only staying low and close to Mara saved her from being snagged and pulled from the horse.

  It could not be much further, she thought desperately. Instinct told her the edge of the forest wasn’t far, and yet the trees clustered close ahead of her, with no sign of daylight to lift her spirits. Though she knew it was sunny, the canopy of leaves above her head grew dense and thick, and here deep in the forest there were no rays to light their way. Shadows loomed, reached grey hands for her, while the fire clawed its way forward like a huge beast dragging itself on flaming arms, closing around her until she could feel the heat on her skin.

  Mara whinnied, and a moment later Horada thought she heard someone call to her right. She risked lifting her head a little and saw through the darkness of the trees an even darker shape – a figure in a black cloak, riding low like herself, matching her speed. Her heart rose into her mouth again, but even as panic swept over her, she heard him call, “Horada!”

  It was Julen, she realised – her brother must have been tracking her, and had seen the fire and knew she was in danger. She would have turned the horse towards him, but she didn’t want to interrupt Mara’s agile dodging of the trees, and instead just called back, “Julen!”

  He called something else, but she had to duck again to avoid a branch and missed his words. Brother! she thought, but could not find the breath to shout. The knowledge that he had come to find her – while annoying in one way that he hadn’t trusted her alone – made her heart swell. He had always looked out for her. How had he found her? She had thought she’d covered her tracks well. But she was relieved he had used his tracking skills to hunt her down. If only she could exit the forest, she thought maybe she would ask him to go with her to Heartwood.

  On her right, he moved closer through the trees, his horse matching her pace, but still the forest refused to part ahead of her, remaining a wall of green like a tidal wave coming to sweep over her. The fire crackled loudly behind her, hot on Mara’s heels, and the horse’s eyes shone white with fear. Horada urged her on, patting her neck, but the horse had been running hard for some time now and Horada wasn’t sure how much speed she had left in her.

  “Not much further, not much further,” she said to herself, although she couldn’t be sure. Julen had closed the distance between them, and now she could see him just feet away, his horse weaving the same as hers, avoiding the uneven pattern of trees. She managed a glance across and saw his grim face, his frown of concentration.

  “Faster!” he yelled, and she kicked her heels, let the horse feel her own panic.

  Heat wafted over her, smothering in its intensity. Tree trunks fell and ash rained down on them both, soft as snow but smudging black on her skin. The forest was burning. The forest was burning and she was going to burn along with it.

  Was that a glimmer of light through the trees ahead? Her heart lifted. “We are nearly there,” she urged Mara. “Come on!”

  Heat engulfed her, and she risked a glance back over her shoulder, only to fill with panic at the sight of the bushes only feet behind them bursting into flames. The fire was spreading at an incredible rate, clearly unnatural, and for a moment she thought she could see the shapes of creatures in the flames, figures running on two legs, racing on four, crashing through the undergrowth after her.

  She wasn’t going to make it. Even as the thought filled her head, in her mind’s eye she saw a vision of Cinereo as he had appeared to her in the hamlet, cloaked in grey.

  “Ride, Horada,” he whispered on the wind, and the ground trembled and the air thrummed with a low humming like the reverberation of a bell.

  The Arbor, she thought. The Arbor was sending her what power it could to aid her flight. She would make it. Light angled through the trees ahead of her, welcoming arms of sunshine to encourage her into the daylight. The trees cracked, crackled and burned, but she was going to make it…

  And then Mara stumbled. Her stride broken, her pace slowed, and Horada screamed in frustration as the fire caught up with them.

  The flames swept over her, enveloping her in a wall of heat. The world became a blur of scarlet and gold.

  The last thing she remembered was seeing Julen’s horror-stricken face. And then everything faded away.

  II

  Demitto opened his eyes. For a moment he just lay there, bleary and groggy, trying to focus on the walls of the inn. His mouth felt like he had been licking the floor with it, and his head pounded. Had he been drinking the night before? For a moment he couldn’t think. He had drunk a few ales the night before they left Harlton, but since then he had been careful with his drink, wanting to stay alert, especially since the incident outside Realberg.

  Finally able to focus on the ceiling, he lifted his head and looked at the bed next to his, where Tahir had lain the night before.

  It was empty.

  He glanced across the corner to the curtained-off area where the pisspot lay, but the curtain was drawn back, the small cubicle empty.

  Alarm shot through him, but his body refused to respond. It took a few moments for him to push himself upright, wait for the room to stop spinning and then gingerly rise to his feet.

  He padded out of the room and into the one next door, only to find that empty too. Catena’s bag and clothes were also gone.

  She had taken the boy, he realised. Left him behind and gone who knew where.

  He should have expected this. She had withdrawn from him over the past few days, but he had been so preoccupied with the news he received from the Nox Aves every day that he had assumed his talk with her had convinced her of the seriousness of the matter, and that she understood why it was imperative that the young prince accompany him to Heartwood.

  Clearly, he had not conveyed his anxiety well enough.

  Cursing, he returned to his room and quickly packed away his things. Hefting the bag onto his shoulder, he went downstairs, paid the innkeeper and discussed them delivering some of his belongings to Heartwood – mainly his ceremonial armour, and a few other bits and pieces that weren’t essential for the detour he was now going to have to make.

  With just the one bag left, he headed out of the door. It was well into morning, the sun rising in the sky, the air already humid. Sweat dampened his tunic and did not improve his befuddlement. Catena must have drugged him, he thought as he made his way around to the stables. Annoyance and worry sharpened his wits a little, and while he waited for the stable lad to saddle his horse, he ate a bread roll and drank a cup of water, and that also helped him clear his head.

  Where had they gone? He had no idea. He doubted Catena
would have taken the boy back to Harlton. There would be no welcoming committee waiting there for him, no flags hung out on his return. His father, the King, would only be embarrassed and angered that the sacrifice hadn’t gone ahead. Catena would be disgraced and removed from her position, and the boy probably sent straight back to Heartwood on a horse. Demitto couldn’t believe she wouldn’t think of that.

  Equally she would not be taking him to Heartwood, of that he was certain. She had obviously hoped that if she spirited the boy away, he, Demitto, would lose heart and return to Heartwood to find someone to take Tahir’s place. She didn’t understand the vital role that they would all play in the coming confrontation – that they were all of them essential figures in the chess game that was coming together piece by piece. She didn’t understand because he hadn’t told her, worried about confiding too much, fearing she wouldn’t be able to handle the truth. And now he had lost her.

  Cursing again under his breath, trying to stave off the guilt and panic that threatened to wash over him at the thought that he had failed the Nox Aves, he took the reins from the stable lad, mounted the horse and turned it to head south out of the city. She would either have gone east or west. His instincts told him west, into the bush. She was more comfortable there than he, and would feel more at home than she would in the wide open fields of east Laxony. Kicking his heels into his horse, he set off at a canter, scattering dogs, chickens and people in his path as he raced through the city centre.

  Outside the walls, he headed south for a few miles before turning off towards the bush. The jungle undergrowth had already crept east to entangle the road, and the horse threaded through vines and lush palms for a while before it eventually became too dense to ride any further.

  Demitto dismounted and withdrew the wooden pendant around his neck. Checking around him briefly, making sure he wasn’t being watched, he dropped to his knees and pressed the pendant into the soft earth.