“We are outnumbered,” Nameris observes. “By many more than sixty.”
“The short ones I count as half,” Zeno answers.
“You’re short,” chirps Duggie-Sky.
“I am certainly not short—look at you!”
“I’m four.” Duggie-Sky giggles and disappears.
Archie searches for the spot where the child will reappear. “Stay back, Duggie-Sky,” he calls softly. “Out of sight!”
“Okay, Grandpa Archie.” Duggie-Sky’s answer echoes through the trees.
“Ella told me that the Bangols are rigorously guarding the beach,” informs Tessa. “She said that approaching the cells at the ends of the arches would be better by boat.”
“We cannot invade with a blatant attack, even by water if we did in fact have time to construct a raft, or multiple rafts,” Nameris adds, glancing at Lady Sophia.
“You are right,” the Maiden agrees. “We must use cunning, not force.”
“What if we masquerade as renegades—deserters from the Lord of Olearon?” Azkar proposes. “We can claim that we have broken pledge and blood, and have come to join the Bangols.”
“Why would they believe that?” Ardenal retorts. “The Bangols will see right through us.”
“We would need to demonstrate our change of heart, our evil intentions,” reflects Azkar. “Maybe we feel that the Millia are too strong and that the Lord has grown weak, bending to the will of Senior Karish. We suggest an alliance to overthrow the Lord and the Millia together.”
Zeno nods. “The Bangols do hunger for the lands of the Olearons—and the southern shores. Their lust may cripple them till your true intentions are revealed. Tuggeron must die. That is the only way.”
The Maiden steps forward. “I will lead in this deception.”
“No, Maiden!” snaps Azkar.
“Remember your place,” she growls.
“Forgive me, my concern is only for your safety.” Azkar bows his head. “We have nothing here to create a suitable disguise.”
“I will not require a disguise, Azkar.”
“How will you convince them you have forsaken your soul-partner?” Kameelo asks the Maiden.
“A plan is forming in my mind. Leave that detail to me,” she answers, deep in thought.
“We must be convincing,” Ardenal says. “Even if they accept our story, they will search for a crack in our façade.”
“I don’t know how you will convince them, Maiden, but if you can, your presence may actually work in our favor,” reflects Azkar, meeting the eyes of his brothers and Ardenal.
Archie leans toward his son. “About what they said,” he whispers. “I’m surprised they would want their queen involved in this plan at all.”
“The Maiden refuses to lie. The Bangols know this. It is against her nature,” Ardenal replies quietly. “The Maiden and the Lord are joined; they are like one spirit in two bodies. The Maiden must convince the Bangols that her desire for dominion of Jarr-Wya is more precious to her than the sacred bond shared between Olearon rulers since the creation of their race. If she fails to sway the Bangols to this thinking, at the very least they will still welcome her in as a charade, waiting for the moment to take her captive.”
“If speaking the truth is her nature, how’s this all going to work?”
“I see what you’re saying, Dad, which is why she must express herself. It’s the only way we can trick them. She will have to demonstrate that her nature is no longer upright.”
“How’s she going to do that?”
“Strength of will,” the Maiden answers, interrupting the side conversation between Archie and Ardenal. “I love the Lord as I love myself. He has chased me through history, through countless worlds. He has always found me. This is our love story.
“I am born mortal in whatever race my spirit inhabits next, after our deaths. Then, when found by the Lord in his new form, I undergo the shift from common to royal. It was painful at first, when my spirit was newly birthed by Naiu, but now I welcome it, the stretch of growing pains from girl to the fullness of my nature. That nature, for me and every other Maiden before and after, is linked like eternal chains to truthfulness and loyalty—to the Lord. It’s the goodness of Naui, its purity.
“Yet, the 30th Lord is not as he seems—” The Maiden grabs her stomach, as if bracing herself after a mighty blow. She doubles over, beginning to choke. Her warriors draw their glass blades and their shoulders and hair ignite in flame. The Maiden gasps painfully, then slowly rises to her full height, and deeply inhales.
“The Lord can feel me speaking ill of him,” she says weakly. “He does not know my words but only the intent and manner in which I have said them. The blood in my veins runs cold, white, if I lie, but I have been practicing—in secret—to be dishonest in tone and without a change to my spirit and body; to lie even to the one I hold most dear. It is a torturous exercise that I hope will one day save both he and I.”
“Save you from what, Maiden?” Kameelo asks.
“I cannot speak it. Not now. Or he will know. The other will know—” The Maiden is knocked over by something the company cannot see. Nameris and Kameelo are first to her side. Her flame is small and weak, a mere breath of smoke around her, concealing her already difficult to read emotions.
Again, the Maiden rises. “Please, no more questions. Please. Let us focus on what we can affect now, on our mission, that we might be successful. The plan to defeat Tuggeron has fully formed in my mind,” she announces. “And I will share it with each member of our company in private. There are many parts, some of which must remain a secret. Who knows what magic, like Tessa’s telepathy, the Bangols have conjured in their paranoia. It is best that we all contain a distinct knowledge of the plan, in case one in our company is captured. Much sacrifice is required. And we must hurry. The dawn is awaking.”
Chapter 46
The Maiden weaves through the group, whispering to each Olearon, human, and Zeno in turn. When she speaks with an Olearon, her flame grows to envelop them both in secrecy. To the humans, the Maiden talks in hushed tones.
“This is ridiculous—suspicious! That’s what it is!” Tessa vents to Nate as they watch Zeno form a clay ball. The Bangol lightly tosses it to Duggie-Sky, where it slips between the child’s arms and cracks apart at his feet. Duggie-Sky howls with laughter.
“Like this, like this!” Zeno demonstrates, exasperated. “I don’t know how many times we must practice this, Duggie-Sky.” Zeno calls forth more clay and molds a new sphere. The Bangol again slowly pitches it to the child who, this time, plucks it from the air. “Ah, that is much better. Now let us practice so you become proficient. One catch out of forty is hardly enjoyable.” Duggie-Sky dances on the spot and whips the ball back to the yellow-eyed creature. Archie, who leans on a nearby tree, his arms still fastened tight in front of him, praises the boy.
Nate shakes his head in response to Tessa’s annoyance as he watches the game. “I don’t know, Tess. How the Maiden responded to Archie and that glass thing he stole . . . It’s got me thinking. There is more going on here than everyone’s letting on, do you know what I mean?”
“I do. I don’t get it and I don’t like it.”
“At the same time,” Nate continues to whisper. “After all we have been through, and with all that we have coming, I don’t know if we have any other choice but to trust her. The Maiden has spoken to me. I can’t share with you what I’ve been told, but I think this plan could work.”
“Could work? Not will work?” Tessa bites her lip.
“Listen, Tessa. I do believe this is our best shot—for now—and if it fails, trust me. You and I will figure out a way.”
“She’s my daughter. This is my mission. I want to know what’s going on!”
“The Olearons have a lot at stake here too, Tess.”
“Oh, look! The Maiden pulled Lady Sophia aside. If I crouch by that fallen tree over there, on the far side of it, they’ll never see me.”
“A
re you sure you want to do that? What if you get caught and the Maiden lassos you with fiery grass? Or ties you up like poor old Archie? Or maybe worse, what if you hear something you don’t want to hear?”
“That’s exactly why I’m going. Don’t follow me.”
Tessa leaves Nate and slinks toward the Olearon and opera singer, finally crawling in low to kneel by the collapsed trunk and splintered stump.
“Your role is simple,” the Maiden tells Lady Sophia. “Stay by my side. I will protect you. You have nothing to fear.”
Tessa frowns. Why would the Maiden honor Lady Sophia as her attendant? she wonders. Why protect her? Of all the members of our company, she is the most useless! As Tessa is about to stand and confront the Maiden, Ardenal interrupts her.
“You must feel relieved,” he says as he crouches beside her.
“Shh!” Tessa scrunches her nose and glances quickly over the stump. She turns back to Ardenal. “What are you talking about?”
“To talk to Ella. That’s amazing. You must be relieved that she’s okay,” Ardenal clarifies. “Yours is not the gift of flight or fins, but in my opinion, it’s way better.”
“She’s ignoring me. Just like at home. And if it’s not that, Ella is silent for some other reason, which is what has me worried.”
“I’m worried too, Tess. She’s all I can think about.”
Ardenal’s love for Ella is enough to erase any lingering doubt Tessa has about his identity. She feels her heart softening for the man huddled low beside her. “It must have been hard for you to be here, away from us,” Tessa acknowledges for the first time.
“It was the worst. Lonely. Confusing. I missed you and Ell every day, every second. But . . .”
“But what?”
“Over the last few days, I have forced myself to accept the fact that you will never forgive me. I see you with Nate. You come alive. You blush. Your smile is genuine. I do hope we can stay friends after this—even worlds apart.”
“It sounds like you are breaking up with me.”
“Not at all, Tess. I love you. I’m releasing you.”
“Releasing me?”
“I want you to find happiness and love.”
Tessa had been furious for years that she could never move on because a tiny part of her, a part that she would never have admitted to, still hoped Arden would show up on their front steps. Her life had been in limbo and there were countless days when she wished she had heard the words Ardenal had spoken to her now. So why do they sound so terribly wrong? she wonders. Aloud, Tessa manages to eke out, “I don’t know what to say.” Tessa had cursed Arden and wished he was dead, but now her feelings for him—as she is still unwilling to admit—make her mind spin with confusion.
“You are the only woman I have ever loved, but I know loving you means letting you go.” Ardenal adds, “If you choose Nate, I understand. He is a good man. I hate him for the way he looks at you, but—”
“How long have you two been there?” the Maiden roars.
“We were uh, only talking—sorry!” Tessa grimaces and jumps to her feet. Her eyes burn with tears. She runs away from the Maiden, Lady Sophia, and Ardenal—into the forest.
A warm hand grabs her by the shoulder. “I was starting to love you again,” Tessa blurts—but it is not Ardenal.
“May I talk to you, Tessa? We do not have much time,” breathes the Maiden. Tessa nods, her cheeks hot with embarrassment. “Tessa, I know you want to lead the charge to find your daughter, but you must trust me,” the Maiden continues. “I will lead the Olearons onto one of the bridges. We will win the Bangol’s confidence only to slaughter the stone heads the moment they are most vulnerable, then we will rescue your daughter. You, Tessa, will wait with Ardenal, who will protect you on the shore, hidden at the forest’s edge.” Tessa begins to protest but the Maiden holds up a hand to silence her. “You must do this. If the Bangols see you, or Ardenal, they will know it is an ambush. If our plan is to succeed, you must play your role and let me play mine.”
“Why can’t I know more? What are you keeping from me?”
“Your perspective must change, human. I do not withhold to harm you, but to help you. Imagine the Bangols recognized your ability to connect your mind to Ella’s; what greater danger would we have then placed her in? I will not mention the lengths the Bangols would take to probe that connection, to uncover our plans, perhaps even to use Ella—or you—against us.”
“I see,” Tessa folds her arms across her chest, her thoughts suddenly plagued by tragic scenarios. “I have no say in the matter then, do I? I must trust you.”
The Maiden nods her head slowly. “Have faith in me.” The Maiden leans forward and kisses Tessa on the forehead, her hot lips leaving a warmth that lasts for a moment after she pulls away.
“What was that for?” Tessa asks, blushing.
“You have taught me the power of a mother’s love. When I birth life myself, I will be even more passionate in my devotion because of your example.”
Kameelo surprises Tessa and the Maiden as he swoops down from the sky. “Gather around,” he calls to the company. “Reconnaissance complete, no Bangol the wiser. Here’s what I saw: The ruins of the fortress are unguarded, but what Ella told Tessa is correct. The beach, beyond the rubble, is patrolled by watchmen on the arches, with stores of weapons to defend from their elevated positions. In addition, five Bangols guard each of the seven bridges.”
Donna cannot stand still. “And which bridge do you plan to enter by?” she asks. The Maiden looks to Kameelo.
“Tuggeron keeps to the southernmost,” he answers.
The Maiden looks Donna in the eye. “You and Harry must depart, immediately. Kameelo will guide you to the tree line. Creep out as close to the sea as possible under the cover of the rubble. From there, adhere to the plan and know that our thoughts will be with you.” Harry rubs his hands together eagerly.
“Kameelo,” the Maiden continues, “we will await your return. Fly back to us swiftly. Now go!”
Kameelo leads Donna and Harry in a sprint through the dark forest. Tessa marvels at the fluidity and stamina of the elderly couple, who run parallel to the Olearon.
The Maiden turns to Ardenal. “Are you ready?” He nods and tears off a piece of his jumpsuit at the breast. As he passes it to the Maiden, she retrieves her glass dagger from its sheath on her belt and slices open Ardenal’s palm. His steaming blood begins to pool and drizzle onto the ground.
Tessa shoves Ardenal back and screams, “Stop! What’s the matter with you?”
The Maiden does not flinch. “Calm yourself, Tessa,” she says evenly.
“Don’t tell me to calm myself! You said Arden’s role was to protect me, to remain unseen, not that you would leave him injured. I don’t like surprises, Maiden. What is your real plan?”
“My plan is your plan, Tessa.”
Ardenal lays his uncut hand on Tessa’s shoulder. “They need my blood to convince the Bangols they have killed me. We need them to believe that I am dead.” The Maiden shakes her head as Ardenal divulges his part of the plan. He extends his dripping palm to the Maiden, who wraps it with the fabric from Ardenal’s jumpsuit. Once it is drenched, she folds it inside a large waxy leaf and tucks it into her pocket. Ardenal silently cauterizes his own hand with a scowl of agony.
“This will work, Tessa,” is all the Maiden says before hailing the Olearons to her side.
Nameris, Azkar, and Kameelo, as if cued from the shadowy forest, join the Maiden, who addresses Ardenal one last time. “Remember who you serve. Upon my return, I expect to find your father bound and the lock secure. Loyalty is proven every day.” The Maiden pats her pocket where Ardenal can see the shape of the key to Archie’s lock. She and her warriors set off into the fading night. Lady Sophia rushes along behind them.
“I get it Arden, don’t feel bad,” says the old man once the Maiden is out of earshot. The lock again clanks against Archie belt.
“I’m sorry, Dad. This is killing me inside.
I feel both human and Olearon, yet I’m forced to choose. If the Maiden finds you free, that will be it, her trust in me will be broken.”
“Whine later,” Zeno snaps. “I don’t want to miss the show!”
Ardenal nods. “Let’s make sure we’ve got everyone. Archie, Tessa, Nate, Zeno . . . Where’s Duggie-Sky?”
“Hi!” Duggie-Sky says as he appears with a gush of wind. “I have a present for you, Grandpa Archie.”
“What is it, little fella?”
“This—” Duggie-Sky hands Ardenal a rusty metal key. “Unlock him,” the boy says to the Olearon. Ardenal hesitates, his brow creased, then forces the key within the lock, which snaps open with a click. Ardenal unfurls the rope which reveals clammy white and purple skin on Archie’s forearms.
“Oh, Dad—”
“Look, the circulation is already flowing back. I’m all right. We’ll simply carry this rope and lock—and the key—along with us. The second we see the Maiden approach, we’ll bind me up again. Toss the key into the grass as if she dropped it. Our secret.”
“Thanks Dad.”
“Thank you, son—and thank you, Duggie-Sky!” Archie grins and flexes his wrists and shakes his hands at his hips. “Now,” Archie continues, “we’ve got somewhere to be. Stay close, little fella. Hold Grandpa Archie’s hand, now that I’m able. There’s a good sport!”
The six take a southeastern trajectory. “We will wait farther south than the battered fortress, hidden in the trees, away from danger,” Ardenal explains. “That position is downwind from the bridges. The breeze will carry every word into our ears.”
As they near the spot Ardenal describes, a heavy rain begins to clatter on the shore.
“Why am I not wet?” Zeno mutters.
“Because it’s not rain . . .” Nate’s voice trails off.
They arrive in time to see stones dropping from the sky above the heads of the Olearons and Lady Sophia.
Above the Star Page 24