by West, Shay
“I don’t think I could wear this out there! The boys won’t be able to keep their eyes off my chest.”
Kaelin grinned. “Well, as long as one particular Earthman is smitten by the sight...”
Keera blushed. “I can’t deny that I want Sloan to see me in this.” She twirled, enjoying the feel of the material as it moved past her bare legs.
“Let me just find something and we’ll go out for supper.”
Keera brushed her hair as Kaelin picked through the clothes to find another dress almost as pretty as the one Keera now wore. It was dark blue with white at the cuffs and top of the bodice. Although it wasn’t cut quite as low as Keera’s, it still showed off her cleavage well enough.
Kaelin brushed out her long, dark hair. She sighed loudly and pushed it behind her ears, wishing she had some clips or barrettes to secure it in a more sophisticated up-do. It seemed silly to be wearing such a nice dress with her hair hanging in her face.
“You know these won’t be very practical to travel in,” Keera said as she stroked the fabric of the dress.
Kaelin set the brush down. “I hadn’t thought of that. It’s been so long since we’ve worn anything pretty.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to wear them just for tonight. I mean, we can change into trousers and shirts tomorrow before we leave.”
The pair dug through the pile of clothing and managed to find several pairs of pants and shirts that fit well enough. They tied them into neat bundles using the arms of the shirts.
The two walked quickly to the common room. They arrived quite out of breath. The room was full of patrons eating, drinking, and listening to the man playing the lute on a low stage situated near the hearth. Their group was seated at one long table which was heaped with plates of food.
Keera and Kaelin slowed their steps and glided sedately to the table where their companions sat shoveling food into their mouths as quickly as they could. When they spotted the two girls, their mouths opened wide, and many choked as they tried to speak.
Trying not to blush, the two dipped their heads as the men stood and wrung their hands nervously. They took seats next to Sloan and Brad, who seemed incapable of anything but staring and trying to smooth their unruly hair.
Jon rolled his eyes as he saw Brad cutting a slice of meat for Kaelin. He angrily tore a slice of bread and turned his attention to his meal so he wouldn’t have to look at the nauseating spectacle before him. You’d think they’d never seen a woman before.
His anger grew as he watched Kaelin laugh and touch Brad’s hand. Her eyes sparkled and she leaned in to the handsome Earthman, intent on every word the man had to say.
It should be me!
Unable to stomach it, Jon abruptly stood, startling those seated next to him. He ignored their questions and made his way out the front door of the inn, but the cool night air did little to quench his anger. It swelled and grew like some malignant force that threatened to consume him.
Jon shuddered. He recognized the call of the dark magic. It was always there, whispering to him of what he was missing by not drinking in the power. He felt it like a lover’s touch caressing his soul. He longed to reach out, take hold of the forbidden magic and unleash all of his anger and frustration on those he blamed for his unhappiness.
What does she see in that guy anyway?
These words had tormented him from the moment he first noticed the sparks flying between them. Their closeness had only grown as they had traveled and fought side-by-side. Each glance, each touch, sent slivers of agony through his heart. Part of him wished Brad would die at their next encounter with the Mekans so that he could finally have a chance with Kaelin.
She didn’t want you even before Brad came into the picture.
Jon snarled at the voice of the dark magician in his head. He hated Fa’ Vel almost as much as he hated Brad and Kaelin.
Almost.
After all, it was difficult to hate someone who might be your father.
Jon stomped down the empty streets of the city, trying to ignore the whispering voices attempting to lure him into drinking in the life forces all around him and unleashing his power. The fact that Fa’ Vel might be his father was something Jon kept buried deep inside, as if acknowledging its existence might make it true.
Of course it’s true.
Fa’ Vel’s laughter echoed in his brain.
“That murderer is not my father!”
Saying the words aloud made Jon feel a little better. But he knew he couldn’t hide from the truth; the evil dark magician was his father.
It doesn’t matter. My family will always be my family.
He was still angry at his parents for keeping the truth from him. Finding out he was adopted had shattered his world. Knowing he wasn’t related to his three little sisters had been almost more than he could bear. He had wanted to close off his heart to his family, shut them out of his life forever. But when they’d told him about the day they first saw him, and when he had looked into his sisters’ eyes, the wall around his heart had started to crumble. He couldn’t ignore his being a son or a big brother, nor could he pretend that his childhood had been anything but nearly perfect. His parents had shown him nothing but love and devotion, so much so that he had never once thought he was anything other than their true son.
The smell of salt water assailed his nostrils. Jon stood and watched the ships move with the minute swaying of the water. The faint light of torches flickered on many of the ships and men moved about keeping watch over precious cargo.
I wish I could just sail away from all this.
Jon barked laughter. I remember what happened the last time I ran away. He sighed and turned away from the docks and the call of the sea. He wouldn’t run away, couldn’t run away. Like it or not, he was part of a destiny that connected all of them together. As long as there was a glimmer of a chance that they could find a way to beat the Mekans despite the deaths of the other Chosen, he would fight until his last breath.
ASTRA
“LET HIM GO. He obviously needs some time alone.”
Keera glanced at Sloan and rolled her eyes. “Of course he wants to be alone, but that’s not the point. We shouldn’t let him run about in some strange city.”
Sloan raised his hands in supplication. “Maybe we just need to wait for a few minutes before we go rushing off. He doesn’t really need to be treated like a child.”
“Oh, sure, let’s just let Jon get into a fight, perhaps use his power to hurt someone, maybe even get killed. I suppose you think so many of us have died that one more won’t make much difference.”
“Of course I didn’t mean that,” Sloan sighed as he ran his hands through his hair. “If you want to go after him, I’ll accompany you.”
“Well, I certainly don’t need to be watched!” Keera huffed.
“Of course not. I am merely unwilling to be apart from you when you look so ravishing,” Sloan bit his lip to keep from smiling as he stood.
Keera gave him a sidelong glance, certain he was poking fun at her and yet flattered by the statement nonetheless. She allowed the Earthman to lead the way to the door of the inn and followed him out. She took a deep breath of the night air to steady her nerves. After Gwen’s death, the last thing she wanted was to endure the death of someone she had known for many years, even if he was acting the fool.
As if sensing her need for silence, Sloan merely held his hand over hers as they walked, enjoying the feel of her arm tucked beneath his. They walked down the main thoroughfare that led straight to the docks. Sloan figured Jon was smart enough not to get lost in a strange city.
“See, here he comes now,” Sloan said, catching sight of Jon striding down the street.
“What are you two doing out here?”
“Looking for you,” said Keera with her hands on her hips.
Jon furrowed his brow and tried to brush past them.
Keera stepped in front of him. “You can’t just go running off alone. Remember what happened
last time you ran away?”
Jon narrowed his eyes. As the black film covered his eyes, he smiled a lopsided grin.
Great Lucian’s ghost, he looks just like Fa’ Vel! Keera tried to back up but found herself quite unable to move. She tried to scream but to no avail. Jon had stolen her voice as well.
“The last time I was taken against my will, I didn’t have the power I now possess. Do you think I fear anyone? Who do you think could ever touch me now? You?”
His mocking laughter sent chills down her spine. She tried to take hold of her power but she was blocked as surely as if she didn’t have access to it at all.
What’s he done with Sloan?
“Your little boyfriend is fine. Just tied up, like you.”
Keera hated the smug tone in his voice. If Saemus and Kaelin were here they could take him!
“Now, I want you to listen, and listen good. I don’t need looking after. I’m a grown man and you’ll treat me as such. Understood?”
Keera managed a slight inclination of her head. That seemed to satisfy Jon - as soon as he walked past her the bonds holding her suddenly disappeared. She turned to find Sloan looking rather angry and embarrassed at the same time.
“That boy has some serious power. But he has no idea how he should use it.”
“He certainly shouldn’t be using it to truss us up like turkeys on a feast day.” Keera fumed.
She reached into her self and smiled in relief when she felt the familiar power rush through her veins. She curled her hands into fists. Tie me up with magic will he?
“Now, now. We don’t need any of that.”
She turned at the sharp tone in Sloan’s voice. “I wasn’t going to actually do anything,” she mumbled as she released the magic.
“Let’s head back to the inn. I, for one, could use a good night’s sleep before tomorrow.”
“I wonder how Sheldon will take the news? I mean, it’s not every day a Patriarch is told that a horrible enemy is going to crawl all over Astra and kill everyone,” Keera said.
“We can only hope he will heed the warning and send word to the people to move as far west as they can go.”
“Do you really think that will help?” Keera asked, beginning to cry.
Sloan sighed. “No.”
“Still, we have to try something. Everything else we have done has failed miserably.”
Sloan turned to her, brushing his fingers gently across her tear-stained cheeks. “We can’t give up. And we can’t lose hope. We are the only thing that stands between the Astrans and the Mekans. Even if stopping them means our deaths, we must at least die trying.”
“I would rather succeed in killing the Mekans and live.”
He laughed and took her in his arms. “As would I. And grow old together.”
Keera sighed happily and snuggled deeper into his arms. “I like the sound of that.”
“Then let’s make sure that our story has a happy ending.”
All of her troubles melted away as soon as his mouth met hers.
***
The man watched from the shadows, his scarred face twisting into a nasty leer. Of all the people walking the streets of Sheldon’s City, he never thought he would see any of this group. It was too much to be merely coincidence.
The last time he had seen them he had been their prisoner, about to be handed over to Patriarch Mordaen for his treasonous crimes. But the young lad, Jon, had allowed his emotions to get the better of him, allowing the dark magician a chance to escape their clutches.
Fa’ Vel smirked at how easy it had been to control the boy. He lacks discipline. He knew he could teach Jon much about his magic, about how to do things he’d never before dreamed of.
My son.
He had suspected the truth from the moment he had first seen the boy in Faerow. Jon had been looking to tell stories in seedy taverns, which was what had brought him to Fa’ Vel’s inn. There had been something about Jon, something that had tickled at him like a sneeze.
Something.
That something had become apparent the last time they had met. It had hit him like a bolt of lightning. Fa’ Vel was surprised he hadn’t figured it out sooner.
The dark magician felt nothing with regards to having fathered a child. To him, Jon was only someone else who had the ability and desire to use forbidden magic. If he had come across someone else that fateful day in Faerow, he would have been captured and sent off to Queen Cheye and life would have turned out very differently. But fate or the spirits had brought him his own son.
A son he’d kidnapped without a second thought.
Fa’ Vel decided to follow the group, see what they were up to. It seemed as though the seers and card readers had been correct; something had indeed come to Astra and meant to destroy them all.
ASTRA
TRUE TO HIS WORD, Captain Morden arrived just before sun-up. Saemus wanted nothing more than to pull the blankets back over his head and sleep for another day at least. The bed was so comfortable, the sheets so soft, the blanket so warm.
Sighing heavily, he dragged himself out of bed, and gave Jon a hard shove to get him up. Saemus splashed some cold water on his face and quickly brushed his teeth with salt from a tiny cup next to the basin. Feeling as awake as he was going to be, he exited the room and nodded to Captain Morden who was busy waking the others.
“Go on down and get you a mug of black. Breakfast should be ready soon,” Morden said.
Saemus trudged down the stairs to the common room. It was empty at this early hour. Lamps chased away the shadows since the sun had yet to rise. Zed was busy behind the bar, mumbling to himself as he washed and dried mugs from the night before.
“Ah, there you are. Sit, sit,” Zed waved to the long table the group had occupied the previous evening.
Saemus took a seat, smiling at a young serving girl as she set down a steaming mug of black. He added a few spoonfuls of sugar to take the edge off of the bitterness. He sighed in contentment at the first sip. A few more and he began to feel almost himself.
The others tromped down the stairs looking worse for the wear. They had been up most of the night discussing possible plans. The Earth Chosen wished to return to Gentra as soon as Gwen’s parents were notified of her death. The Astran Chosen wanted to remain and help spread the word about the coming threat, perhaps find some spell that would help them destroy the Mekans. After much arguing back and forth, it was decided that they would stick together and return to Gentra. It was bad enough that the Volgon Chosen had left them to return to their home world; they didn’t want to split up even more.
I wish Master Brok were here.
Saemus sighed. It had been difficult taking up the mantle of leadership since Brok’s passing. Everyone expected him to have all the answers and to make the right choices for them, at least while they were on this world. But he was afraid: afraid of making the wrong decision, afraid of letting everyone down, afraid of being responsible for someone else’s death.
“Hogging all the black I see,” Kaelin teased as she sat next to her twin.
“It’s not my fault you overslept.”
“You always were the early riser.” Kaelin grinned as she poured herself a mug, skipping the sugar.
“Is that bacon I smell?” Robert asked.
“And eggs too, I think,” said Saemus.
As the rest of the group seated themselves around the table, the same young girl set a plate and silverware before each of them, smiling absently, yawning every now and then. Saemus guessed she wasn’t used to being roused so early in the morning.
Zed’s wife swept out of the kitchen, arms laden with plates heaped with bacon and eggs. She hollered at Zed to bring the bread and butter and to be quick about it, throwing in a few choice words.
“Now eat up, ya hear? I have more in the kitchen and I don’t want leftovers!”
The group set to eating as though they hadn’t stuffed themselves the night before, loading their plates and shoveling it in before it was
cool enough to eat. The young barmaid brought out more food as soon as a bowl or plate was empty.
“I couldn’t eat another bite!” Jon said as he leaned back in his chair.
“I’m glad we aren’t getting back on Lucian’s Fury today. All that breakfast would go to waste!” Keera said.
“Keep that in mind tomorrow and don’t stuff your face full,” Sloan said.
When it was clear that everyone was done eating, Morden cleared his throat. “I contacted my friend in the palace and he will see to it that we get an audience with Sheldon. But we must hurry. The Patriarch is a busy man and I have a feeling that this meeting could take a while.”
“Lead the way,” Saemus said.
The group followed Morden out the door and into the street. The sun was just peeking above the horizon, bathing the city in a warm glow. The new day had yet to shake off night’s chill and their breath misted in the morning air. Few people were actually out at this hour but lamps glowed faintly in most windows. A sudden caterwauling echoed in the empty streets and sleek feline shapes darted out of one shadow, only to disappear into another.
Morden chose to lead them through the streets, but it wasn’t necessary; a blind man could have seen the enormous palace, its many turrets and towers in stark contrast with the lightening sky. Pennons and the Patriarch’s standard fluttered in the light breeze.
Guards stood to block the gate when they saw the large party approaching. However, as soon as they spotted Captain Morden they stepped to the side and opened the gate. A servant was there and bowed quickly before leading the group through the massive courtyard.
“Look!”
Everyone turned to see what Kaelin was pointing at. About a dozen urgits chased each other around a stand of trees, circling the trunks before leaping to a low-hanging branch, then dashing off as soon as one would come too close. The trills and purrs of their speech filled the inner courtyard.
Kaelin wanted to hold them and snuggle her face into their soft pink fur. She missed Moira terribly but knew she was safe with her family. I hope she’s okay.