The Daath Chronicles- The Complete Series

by Eliza Tilton

  When I bit into it, I sighed. In silence, enjoying the fruit, we strode to the edge of the orchard where the trees broke apart and purple and white wildflowers covered the grass. I found a clear spot and sat on the ground, taking another bite of my half-eaten apple. Edward sat beside me.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” I said.

  He nodded, wiping the apple juice from his lips. There was a tiny piece of apple stuck to his cheek, and without thinking, I reached to brush it away.

  His expression froze and I quickly explained myself. “You’ve got apple there.”

  I wiped away the creamy crumb, and a wild sensation ran through me when I touched his skin.

  “Thank you.” The broken accent I was accustomed to had disappeared, leaving in its place a refined and smooth voice.

  I tilted my head. “You’re welcome. Do you like the apple?”

  “It’s good.”

  His voice now back to normal, I wondered if the heat clouded my mind. Suddenly, the air was too humid and I needed to walk. Was I imagining things? No . . . his voice had changed. I quickly stood, Edward standing with me, grabbing my elbow to steady me. He was close, very close.

  Winter . . . why does he smell like the cold air? Lucino smelled like winter, an attribute embedded into my senses. So unique, and yet this boy smelled the same. How?

  I rubbed my chest, wishing the bodice I wore wasn’t as tight. Sunlight beamed onto my forehead and sweat pooled underneath my chemise.

  “Everything okay?” Edward still held my elbow.

  “I should have thought of bringing water. I’m a little thirsty. Do you mind if we return to the harbor?”

  “Of course not.”

  Silence replaced conversation and uneasiness filled my steps. Why do I feel so uncertain about this boy? A boy who’s been nice and kind.

  But after Lucino, I was wary of trusting anyone.

  When we reached the market, I decided to break away from him. “Thank you, Edward, I hope you enjoyed the orchard.”

  “I did. Thank you, Jeslyn.”

  Seeing his sweet smile, I suddenly felt guilty for letting my feelings shorten our day. Edward had done nothing wrong and I shouldn’t have been so mistrusting.

  A butterfly flitted past him and he swatted the creature away, his face cringing in disgust.

  Lucino hated butterflies. He’d made the same face at the grotto.

  Suddenly, I was brought back to that day in Daath when Lucino had brought me to the enchanted grotto where the mystical blue butterflies resided. That day I saw the real Lucino. A boy who was much more than his title. And a boy who hated butterflies.

  It can’t be.

  His scent, the same eyes, and now this?

  Can it be?

  I found myself stepping away from Edward. Avikar had said Lucino was a shapeshifter. Did he not die that day? Was he standing before me now? And if he was, why?

  My heart frantically beat with confusion and fear. “Sorry to leave in a hurry, but Grandfather wanted me back before noon.”

  “May I see you later?”

  I’d already turned around, and I didn’t dare look back at him for fear I’d see what I already knew was true. “Maybe another time,” I called out as my steps quickened.

  Before he could say another word, I ran.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Avikar

  I should have been mad at Cael, but I couldn’t be, not after he saved Raven. My emotions rolled back and forth from jealousy to anger to gratitude. Being stuck in a cave with him didn’t make it easier. With nowhere to go, nothing to do, and the itch from my stitches intensifying, I was on edge. I spent three whole days studying the different scrolls in the cave. The Order had stocked the cave with every essential item, including literature, which I didn’t think was so essential. It seemed a waste to have all these extra items in here. How many times could The Order really have passed through the mountains?

  Only Cael would know.

  He sat against the wall sharpening his sword.

  “How many times has The Order been to Daath?”

  He stopped running the stone against the blade. “Only twice.”

  “And how did you find The Order?”

  He put his sword on his lap and leaned his back against the cavern wall, staring up at the ceiling. “They came to the Shores first, just by chance. When they heard our stories about Lucino and how Daath was impenetrable from the outside, they decided to create a hideout there. The Order planned to free Daath of Lucino’s rule. They didn’t like the idea of a powerful person other than them ruling.”

  “Is that why you came to Daath? To investigate?”

  He nodded. “My father was exiled to the Shores when I was a boy. Since then, I wanted to make sure it happened to no one else. You have no idea what’s it like to see your father sent away, and you can’t do anything to stop it. When I went to the Shores to find him, I found The Order instead.”

  “Did you find your father?”

  “No. He had passed away.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “His friend, Mariana, said he never stopped talking about his family and how he planned to return to Daath and find a way for us to be together again. He drowned during a fishing expedition.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Raven said.

  We both looked at her as she sat up.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “We had other stuff going on,” Cael said. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I’ve been hit with a pot. What happened?”

  The image of the spider biting her ran through my mind. I wrapped my arms around her. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

  “What? Save your life?”

  “I’ll give you guys a moment. I’m going to check outside. Now that you’re awake, we’ll need to be leaving. We’ve already spent too much time here.” Cael stood and walked outside of the cave, taking his sword with him.

  I moved to her side, reaching out to brush her warm cheek. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  She touched my hand, holding hers against it. “You’ll never lose me.”

  Holding her face in between my hands, I kissed her, afraid to let her go. Nothing mattered but her lips on mine. I didn’t care about Lucy, or Cael, or anything, except her. When our kiss broke, she breathed heavily on my lips.

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  “I love you, too.”

  I lost myself in the depths of her brown eyes, thankful beyond words she was alive.

  “Avikar . . . .”

  “Yes?”

  “Is there anything to eat?”

  I smiled and kissed her again. “Yes.” I grabbed a bowl and filled it with soup, which she shoveled into her mouth.

  “We have a problem.” Cael stood at the cave entrance.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Lucy.”

  We walked past the frozen water to a small break on the ledge. We were high from the ground, and the waterfall plunged from somewhere up the mountain and disappeared into the river below us. When we left the pass, we had to climb back up just to get here.

  Cael held a tube in his hand, this one smaller than the one he had used to create the explosion.

  “Look down there.” He pointed past the few trees that lined the ground, then handed me the tube.

  The tube had glass on the end, and I could see much farther with it than my own eyes. Lucy and her hulking guards had set up camp on the south side of the river. Broken boulders created a rocky hillside to our right and open land to the left near the river. Only one way forward, and that route went straight to her.

  “I thought you killed one?” I had counted five other men with Lucy.

  “So did I.”

  “What are we going to do?” I said, still looking through.


  “There.” Cael pointed to a rocky slope of the mountain to the right of us. The slope landed on the opposite side of the broken boulders, a mix of jagged rock and ice.

  “How are we going to get down?”

  “Climb.”

  “Raven just woke up, and you want us to climb? She won’t have the strength.”

  “We’ll tie a rope between us. If she falls we can pull her up.”

  No. It was too dangerous.

  “We’ll stay here until they leave. Lucy will realize we’ve moved on and go.”

  Cael shook his head. “We’re low on food. We can’t stay here. The descent will take a few hours. We’ll leave at night and be gone before morning.”

  “Won’t climbing at night be even more dangerous? We won’t be able to see.”

  “Yes we will.”

  I held the spyglass to my eye, looking at the mountain. The vertical slope made my stomach churn. Heights made me nervous. Man was meant to stay on the ground.

  “This is crazy.”

  “We’ll start preparing now.” Cael walked past, leaving me to stare at the deathly drop.

  It was impossible and dangerous.

  “One more night,” I pleaded, following Cael back into the cave. “She needs one more night.”

  Cael watched Raven scoop another portion of soup and wince.

  “One more night, then. We need whatever food we have until we get to the next location. There’s nothing but huckleberries down there.”

  Raven’s movements were slow and her face paled with any exertion. How could she make a trek like we were about to do when just standing took everything out of her? Travelling now might kill her.

  I wouldn’t let that happen. I’d never let anything happen to her again.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Avikar

  “Are you sure about this?” I held Raven’s shoulders, her eyes were glassy like she hadn’t slept in days.

  She nodded. “I can do this. I’ll be okay.”

  I kissed her forehead and checked the pulley around her waist, which Cael checked after me.

  He secured a main line to the top and attached all our ropes to it with metal carabiners. We spread out, each taking a spot on the mountain.

  “Remember to test the mountain as you go,” he said. “Look for footholds and move slow. The crampons on your boots will help secure your footing, and the glow worms will give us enough light to descend.”

  “What about Lucy? Won’t she see us?” Raven asked.

  Cael shook his head. “Night time is different up here. Strange lights reflect off the ice, and luminescent bugs crawl all over. We’ll be covered.”

  The tiny jar of glowworms emitted a blue light that covered me in an eerie halo. I could see, not far, but enough to figure out where I needed to put my foot.

  “Ready?” Cael asked.

  Raven and I nodded, then we all began to descend, Cael taking lead.

  It was hard not watching her every second, but I couldn’t be stupid. I needed to pay attention to my own footing. One misstep and I’d bring both of them down with me. Using the tip of my boot, I searched for a foothold in the mountain, then another. In some areas, the slope was a straight drop and I had to think five steps ahead of where I needed to go.

  No owls out tonight, or wolves, or coyotes . . . nothing. Just like the forest near the temple.

  I never thought I’d make it to the other side of the mountain,” Raven said. “I’ve always wondered what it was like.”

  “We’re not there yet,” I reminded her.

  Daath was beautiful, but Lakewood had a different kind of beauty, a familiar beauty. If Raven loved the lake in Daath, she would love the one in Lakewood, and I would take her there. I’d take her to the rope swing, put my hands around her hips, kiss her neck, then push her out over the water and watch her fly.

  Keeping Raven in my head made me forget the fear of the drop below. I pictured her in the lake, swimming, her clothes sticking to her body, showing off curves she always tried to hide. I smiled. One day, we’d be together, getting fat and lazy. No more fighting or running.

  Crack.

  I glanced up to Raven. Her feet were both set on the rock, secured. The rope tied around her waist. Without a pack, the only items she carried were a water canteen and her long dagger, both hooked onto her belt.

  Where did that crack come from?

  Cael was too far away to see clearly, but he seemed fine. I checked the area for footholds. Everything looked sturdy. I climbed down another two feet, making sure I didn’t get too far below Raven.

  Wind blew the cold air around my head, freezing my ears while the rest of my body sweat with each movement.

  Keep going.

  My muscles were strained, but not fatigued, at least not yet. I wondered how Raven was.

  “How you holding up?” I called out to her.

  She moved her feet down again, grabbing a piece of rock. “A little tired, but I’m okay.”

  I turned my head, peering below into the dark. “We should be close. Only a little more.”

  She nodded and continued descending.

  There were no clouds tonight, and from this angle, every star appeared larger. There were thousands. Little pin pricks of light filled the open and endless sky, and I wondered where in that ink of blue The Creator resided.

  Crack.

  Was the ice cracking? I looked at the frozen waterfall, but didn’t see anything. No black lines, no cracks to indicate the mountain was falling apart, just that eerie noise.

  “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Raven’s words came out in between ragged breaths.

  “That noise. It sounded like the ice is breaking.”

  “I didn’t hear anything. Must be the wind.”

  I definitely heard something.

  The wind wrapped around me again, fierce and cold. I held my place, waiting for the gust to slow, but it didn’t. With nothing left to do, I descended, down and down. Every few feet I’d hear crack, then the wind, and my body would go numb.

  The muscles in my arms twitched and my throat desperately needed water. I positioned my belt and made sure my feet were stationed well, then took out the canteen. The cold water soothed my dry throat.

  “Ahh, that’s good.”

  I cracked my neck and rolled out my shoulders, getting ready to descend again. A yellow light hovered around the slope, far to the right. Fireflies?

  The light turned into two. Two almond shaped spheres that came closer to me. I put the canteen away in my pack just as the two lights turned into two yellow eyes. Before I had time to yell out a warning, a black face hissed and jumped at me.

  “Cael!” I swatted the bat-like creature.

  “What’s wrong?” Raven yelled. “Avikar!”

  Another creature came. It resembled a big bat crawling on the ice, its mouth open, hissing, large teeth dripping with saliva.

  “What’s going on?” Cael yelled, but he was still out of sight.

  “There’s bats crawling around and coming after me!”

  “Ice bats. Hit them in the face.”

  Another bat came from my left and Raven screamed above me.

  “Raven!”

  She kicked at a bat, sending it into the rock.

  I held onto the rope and punched out with my right hand. “Stupid bats! Shoo, shoo!”

  The ice bats scrambled away from me, then one bit my neck. I dislodged it, losing my footing in the process. Both my legs dangled, and I reached for a gap in the mountain, but missed, falling, yanking Raven with me. Raven reached for the rock, but she couldn’t hold me.

  “Hold on!” Cael yelled, the strain of holding us both echoed through his words. “Try to grab onto something.”

  The rope swung and Raven latched onto the m
ountain, but I was weighing her down.

  “Swing me,” I said to her.

  She grabbed the rope and tried. Her face strained and I moved, but not enough. I swung back and forth trying to gain momentum.

  Back and forth I went each time a little closer, but there was nothing for me to grab.

  The rope stopped moving. Raven breathed heavily, trying to swing the rope again. If she used all her energy saving me, she wouldn’t make the rest of the descent.

  She took another deep breath, swinging the rope again, grunting. The slope near me was smooth and I couldn’t find anything to grab. I was going to take them both down with me.

  I swore I wouldn’t let anything else happen to her. “I love you.”

  “Why are you saying that?”

  Blue light from the glowworms highlighted her face. Her perfect lips drew into a frown.

  If I didn’t do it now, I’d never be able to.

  I had to make a choice.

  And I chose her.

  I slid my dagger out, met Raven’s gaze, and in one swift movement cut the rope connecting us.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Lucino

  My days with Jeslyn had been painfully uninformative. She’d said little about her grandfather’s voyage, and if I wanted to take her away without complications, I had to act now. Today, I would give her a proposal, and if that didn’t work, I would wait until tomorrow when Harold left and take her by force.

  The shop was empty when I entered, neither Jeslyn nor Harold were in sight. “Hello?”

  “Is that you Edward?” Jeslyn called from somewhere in the back.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, great, I need help. Could you come to the storage room? This new display case Grandfather ordered is much heavier than I expected.”

  “Of course.” I walked to the back of the shop. “Where are you?”

  “In here.”

  I followed her voice through the swinging door and walked into the storage room. “Jeslyn?”

  “Here.” I turned around and Jeslyn stepped out of the shadows.