The Daath Chronicles- The Complete Series

by Eliza Tilton

  Lucino

  When I arrived at Romulus’ lab, he was nowhere in sight, even though I’d given the fool strict orders to prepare the scrying bowl before he started dabbling into his other experiments. Vials of bubbling liquids sat amidst scales overflowing with yellow dirt and jarred feet. On the table in front of me sat a giant obsidian beaker, empty. An acrid smell burned my nose. The black stone was the only element able to contain the acid from the pools in the Crags. Acid. A component used in some of the more potent spells. Whatever Romulus was concocting would have to wait until he found Jeslyn’s location.

  I navigated the speeder across the red rolling sands to the pink gorge. Gnarled violet trees surrounded the dangerous pools. The acid pools bubbled in various spots, but most were small and full of yellow liquid that stank of sulfur and rot. Romulus preferred the big pool by the crescent hill.

  The smell drove anyone of sound mind far from this place. The acrid scent would infiltrate everything, including skin. It would take a long, arduous salt bath to scrub the smell away.

  Romulus’ silver racer was parked beside a wild tree and surrounded by a herd of ardvars. The giant, lizard-like creatures always had a curiosity for our shaped flyers. They would stare at their reflections, hissing and poking, until they grew bored or hungry and then move along. At one point in history, the lizards had been our mounts, but that was long before my grandfather’s days.

  I parked the craft and stepped outside. Romulus stood near the pool using a long metal device to collect samples. The machine reached out over the liquid and dipped a black cylinder into it.

  “You always pick the worst smells to work with,” I said, clearing my throat. Too much time spent out here, and the air would irritate the thorax and cause a very painful burn. It was yet another reason to stay away from the place.

  “Have you found her location?”

  A black gas mask with large bifocals covered Romulus’ face. He ignored my question, and finished collecting the sample.

  Ordering Romulus to speak or do anything while he was in the middle of working would only cause him to move slower. I needed to choose my words carefully. “What new experiment has driven you to this horrid pool?”

  “I needed the component for a spell.” The words came out muffled.

  The sky crackled in the far distance, signs of an approaching storm. When the air became hot and lightning began to scatter, it would only be a few more nights before the acid rain would fall, scorching our world. While we had found ways to protect ourselves from the harsher climates, the storms were becoming more hostile and more unpredictable. Wildlife had decreased, since creatures who couldn’t find shelter during a storm were killed by the slaying rain. We didn’t have long before we needed to migrate our people into Tarrtainya.

  There were parts of Mirth I would miss—the vibrant sky after a meteor storm, the red waters that spilled like blood through the purple wood, and the haddock. Haddock was the one fish I had yet to find in Tarrtainya. A simple white fish, and yet it didn’t exist in that world.

  I’d have to convince Romulus to bring a few through the gate.

  “You may come with me when I return,” I said.

  Romulus reeled his device in. “Back to my lab in Daath?”

  “Not exactly.”

  Romulus grunted.

  “We can’t let my father or The Council know of this little adventure. You can use the lab on Dune Island.”

  “That doesn’t have all my supplies. I’ll need more.”

  “Then you’ll have them. Jeslyn was strong enough to block my spell. She could block other powers. I need to complete the ritual, drain her essence, and discover the true source of her power.”

  “I should study her. Cut her head open like the rest, hmmm? Then we would have answers.”

  “Normally, I would agree, but not this one.”

  Romulus walked to his racer, shooing the ardvars away. I was being too lenient.

  “Have you forgotten the present I brought for you?” I dashed to his speeder, blocking the entrance.

  He pulled off his mask, frowning.

  “You have two days,” I said.

  I tapped the side of the speeder and the door slid open. Romulus stood before me, his face wrinkled with age, but his eyes still intelligent and sharp. If only he could do something about that bulbous nose.

  “You will have your answer,” he said, waiting for me to step aside.

  I waved him into the speeder and he grumbled as he passed. While the old fool was a bit grumpy, he was the only Reptilian I trusted, and he would succeed.

  The old man didn’t know how to do anything else.

  Chapter Ten

  Jeslyn

  Ships sailed into the harbor, the setting suns descending behind them casting a cascade of shadows and vibrant colors dancing out across the water. One of my favorite pastimes since moving here with Grandfather was watching the sailors return from their days at sea, wind rippling the mighty sails, and dolphins frolicking beside the ships.

  Once afraid of the gentle creatures, I’d since learned how intelligent and kind they could be, how playful their personalities were—something I’d never have known without watching them daily.

  I gazed out across the sea, my eyes scanning the surface between here and the island a few miles out. Surrounded by reef, Grandfather and Becket had hunted for many pearls in the island’s waters and, soon, I planned to accompany Beckett to search for my own blue and silver pearls.

  Grandfather’s ship, Selene—named after my mother—pulled up alongside the dock. Waves crashed against the barnacle-covered sides, splashing up onto the deck where Beckett, redheaded and pale, stood out like a sore thumb among the other sailors as he hurried to knot the buoys.

  We’d often teased him about his fair skin, joking he wasn’t meant for sea travel, but Beckett was a fine sailor; one of the best, no doubt.

  I clutched the basket of bread to my chest, my knuckles whitened by my tight grip. I shouldn’t have been nervous about being here, but I was. Grandfather didn’t care for my meddling, and that’s why I’d come to meet Beckett today.

  “Jeslyn?” Beckett noticed me and waved as he climbed down from Selene. “Shouldn’t you be closing the shop?”

  “We needed bread for supper and I wanted to watch the ships dock. How was the catch?”

  “It’s getting harder to find the nicer pearls. Only got two today.” He stuck out his hand, presenting one silver and one black pearl. “Isn’t she a beauty?” Beckett said, rolling the black one around his palm. “Been awhile since I found one of these.”

  Seeing the black pearl reminded me of the one Lucino had given me. “It’s almost the end of the season,” I said, pushing away the memory.

  Beckett nodded as he washed his hands in a nearby trough.

  “With the season almost over, I was hoping Grandfather would take me sailing.”

  He rubbed his hands on a rag from his pocket. “Too busy. Once spring comes, we can go.”

  “Perhaps.”

  There were no given signs or hints of Grandfather’s upcoming travels, but then again, Beckett wasn’t one to gossip.

  Walking in front of me, he navigated around the dock boys who hauled barrels of fish off the docks.

  “Why don’t you take me on the next run?” I asked, smiling and swinging the basket. “Then we won’t have to bother Grandfather.”

  “Maybe next time.”

  “He mentioned a new adventure. One he needed a map for.”

  “A conversation better had away from here,” Beckett said, guiding me off the busy docks.

  “Please talk him out of this,” I asked in a hushed tone. “What if The Order finds out he hired a diver? They’ll take him away.”

  “I’ll keep him safe.” He placed his hand over mine. “Trust me.”

  Grandfather was like a
father to Beckett. “I don’t understand why he chases this myth.”

  “What if it’s true?”

  “Huh?”

  Beckett’s voice lowered. “If the gem really can control the seas, do you know what kind of power that is? We would be able to travel farther than ever, even the eastern shores.”

  Daath.

  Lucino had told me his secret to navigating the strange eastern waters. He had a device that allowed him safe passage. No one else but his people had access to that side, a reason the thirteenth land had remained hidden for so long.

  What if Lucino had already found the eye, and now one of his servants or Lucy had the gem?

  Beckett patted my hand. “Don’t worry, Jeslyn,” His voice brought me back to our conversation. “Harold is a good man. If we find the blue eye, we’ll protect it.”

  How could two sailors protect such a treasure from The Order and any other powerful man who wanted it?

  “You have a good night.” He tipped his wide hat and strolled back to the boat, ending our conversation.

  Trust me, he’d said.

  I hoped I could.

  Chapter Eleven

  Avikar

  The higher we climbed, the more my body worked. My lungs burned with each inhalation, tightening and threatening to give up. The thin air sucked the energy out of our steps, making us walk in silence. One moment we’d be walking in beautiful sunshine, then rain would drop in buckets, drenching our clothes. Wind whipped from different sides, forcing tears out of my eyes and sending blasts of cold air through me.

  I expected to see signs of Lucy, but two days into the journey, there was still nothing. I kept thinking I overreacted, but she attacked. Was she playing with us? Was she playing with me?

  Raven hiked ahead, quiet and focused. She hadn’t complained about the harsh weather or sleeping in the cold, and I found strength in her determination to push forward. She was tougher than most of the boys back home.

  Cael stopped at a tree, or what I thought was a tree until he put his hand through the wood.

  “What are you doing?” I walked closer to better see him. The wood rippled until part of the tree vanished, revealing a hidden door which he opened by pushing inward.

  “We’ll need these to cross the glacier,” he said, ignoring my question.

  Was that magic?

  He took out three metal poles.

  “What do we do with these?” Raven grabbed a pole and stabbed the ground.

  “Up ahead is a glacier. Snow covers deep crevices. Use the pole to test the area in front of you. We’ll go slowly so that no one falls through.”

  Cael took the lead once more, poking the ground before every step. None of us spoke as we trekked across the desolate glacier. My mind taunted me with visions of Raven falling through the cracks.

  Cael still hadn’t explained how he was involved with The Order, and for that, I didn’t trust him.

  Raven didn’t talk much about her past. After the two months we’d spent together, I still didn’t know anything about her childhood. I began to doubt my decision to let her open up when she was ready. Too many questions remained unanswered.

  “Everyone good?” Cael stopped to take a drink.

  Raven nodded and pulled out her canteen, gulping away half of the water. “How much farther?”

  The suns had begun their descent, which meant this mountaintop would get even colder, really soon.

  “Not much,” Cael said. “If we keep this pace, we’ll reach the hut by nightfall.”

  “Then let’s keep going,” Raven said, picking her pole back up.

  Cold and barren, the mountain had a majestic quietness. Grand and wide, far as you could see. The first sun dipped below the horizon, coating the sky with a swirl of orange and red. From this high, the sunset was unlike any I’d ever seen. Varying hues of red, orange, and gold reached out to the mountains, bathing everything in a warm light. The second sun, still visible, glowed brighter in the amber light of its setting sister. How could such a natural picture of beauty exist in a place so desolate?

  “Ahh!” Raven’s sharp cry ripped through the air, tearing my gaze from the surrounding beauty as my heart leapt in my chest.

  “Raven!” I screamed and started to run to the empty spot where she’d walked ahead of me just seconds ago.

  “No!” Cael held up his hand, palm out. “Don’t run, or you’ll fall too!”

  He poked his metal staff into the ground between us. “Raven!”

  “I’m here!”

  We followed her voice, slower than I cared for, until we located the crack she’d slipped through. Stuck in between a narrow crevice, her pack kept her wedged in.

  My breath hitched at the sight of her.

  “I have some rope,” Cael said, rummaging through his pack. “We’ll pull you up.”

  “You okay?” I asked, leaning over the edge.

  She planted her feet against each side of the crevice, and pressed her hands against each wall at shoulder level. “I think so.”

  Adrenaline pumped through me, and I reached over the ledge, extending my hand to her. “Reach up.”

  She lifted one hand, then slid.

  “Raven!”

  She flattened her back against the wall and planted her feet. “I can’t do it. I’ll fall.”

  “Hold on, Cael’s getting the rope.”

  Jagged edges covered the inside of the narrow opening, which gave her another small foothold.

  Her eyes widened as a dark shadow crossed over her face. “Avikar, behind you!”

  A giant bird swooped at me. I dodged into a roll, just missing its razor sharp talons. It flew back into the sky where five other large birds circled.

  “Vulcries,” Cael said, taking out his sword.

  I whipped out my bow and notched an arrow. “What are vulcries? They look like vultures.” The birds had the long wingspan of the carnivorous bird, but why would they attack?

  “They are vultures, except these don’t wait until you’re dead.” He raised his sword as another black bird descended.

  Killer vultures? I shot an arrow into the sky, nicking the wing of one of the birds, and smiled. “And just as dumb.”

  “Avikar!”

  I turned to the sound of Raven’s voice, as two vulcries dove into the tight crevice.

  “Don’t underestimate them,” Cael yelled out. “They’ve survived by hunting anything in this area!”

  I lined a shot at the vulcries near Raven. “You couldn’t warn us?”

  The shot had to be timed perfectly. Letting go of the bowstring, the arrow flew straight and true, drilling into the first bird’s head and catching its companion in the side. The body fell, almost hitting Raven.

  Trusting Cael was a mistake, and now, because of his carelessness, Raven was in trouble.

  As I looked up, something hard hit my back, and I flew forward onto my stomach. Using my hands, I pushed off the ground, throwing another vulcrie off my back, and faced the bird in front of me.

  I’d never walloped a bird before. This would make for interesting conversation later.

  The vulcrie flapped its wings at me. “Kreeaaaaaa. Kreeaaaa.”

  Was I being taunted by a bird? I laughed back at it.

  “Kreeaaaaa. Kreeaaaa,” it yelled again, and came at me, beak first. My fist caught its beak. The bird flopped over. Large and intimidating, but still dumb. Cael swatted away two more with his sword, and the crevice where Raven was stuck was clear.

  Killer vultures? Hardly.

  “When you’re done playing with the birds,” I called to Cael, “mind helping me get my girl out?”

  Cael glared at me, then his eyes widened “Behind you!”

  Three vulcries launched at me, and I didn’t have time to block them. Six sharp claws raked my clothes and face. One beak pie
rced through the thick coat, cutting my side. I thrashed my body back and forth trying to dislodge the three birds, but black feathers blocked my sight. I covered my head with my arms, trying to protect my face. Blood from the cut on my forehead, one that almost took my eye, gushed into my vision.

  “Argh!” Cael screamed.

  I landed a vicious backhand on one of the vulcries, dislodging it, and giving myself a chance to get out from under the other two.

  Pulling my shoulders in, I grabbed one of the birds and slammed it to the ground; its head smashed into a jagged rock, puncturing its skull. The flashing of steel met the last bird as Cael’s sword cleaned it through.

  The rest of the vulcries tore off into the sky, flying away.

  My knees buckled and I dropped to the ground, catching my breath. When I touched my head, a smear of blood covered my hand. Three long scrapes went from my forehead across the bridge of my nose and over my eye. I was lucky I didn’t lose an eyeball.

  “We’ll need to stitch those,” Cael said, hovering over me.

  “Raven first.”

  I walked over to where Raven had wedged herself in. “You ready to come out?”

  “Your face!”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  Cael stood behind me, wrapped the rope around his waist, then handed me the rest. I grabbed hold, getting a tight grip, then lowered the other end to Raven.

  “Got it,” she said, tugging to check the tautness of the connection.

  On three, we pulled, but the rope wouldn’t budge.

  “Again,” I said, pulling harder.

  “I’m stuck,” Raven said. “It’s the pack.”

  The pack was the one thing keeping her wedged in the crevice, but it also kept us from taking her out. “Tie the rope around your waist and lose the pack.”

  “We can’t. We need it.” She stared at the pack, biting her lip.

  “Do you want to sleep in there?”

  She shook her head and tied the rope around her waist.

  “There’s not enough rope to grab the pack.”