I touched her slack face carefully. It was cold, and her rapt expression didn’t change. Just as I was about to shake her, I glimpsed a great lumbering metal creature nearly upon me. Another deviltry of the Demon’s. Perhaps one that could kill me, even if she could not.
I had no sword or companions.
I was alone.
My stomach knotted as the creature paused. It seemed to have trouble seeing. It swung its great globe of a head, all metal and crystal, back and forth. Its entrails snaked into a bag it carried on its back. Was it feeding from some child’s corpse it carried in there? I didn’t make a sound, terrified it might spring at me at any moment.
CHAPTER 54
Berona
A soft, humming voice called my name. So kind. So understanding. I had been alone, but now I would be protected. Streamers of dark drifted from the green globe hanging nearby—brushing my eyes, my mouth, the way my mother might have. I sat heavily, exhausted, leaning against the tree trunk as tendrils cradled me. The mist was much thicker now.
Lovely suggestions of thoughts occurred, then assumed form. I was enveloped in a dream. So pleasant. Why had I been afraid…
Here was Mother, and she had Dedi with her. Dedi was older, so pretty. She was safe because of me. We were at the vineyard. Why no, we weren’t. I was at Yassin, but they were there too. Because it was a celebration, my trothing. There was Kea. He wore festive clothes, and he held out a ring. The hall was filled with revelers. Kendall smiled, loving me, accepting me as the leader. Oberin toasted me.
I’d had a nightmare that Shandon sickened and died, but that was all wrong. He stood right next to my mother, chatting with her.
I was clad in bridal finery, green silk, with silver brocade. My grandmother. She’d given the gown to me for the wedding. Not even her hard heart could withstand this special day.
Though there had been some falling out between Kea and me, perhaps.
Oberin winked. Seeing him smiling and at ease awoke desire in me. A memory came of a passionate kiss.
Perhaps I could marry both. Anything seemed possible.
Lively music began, and Shandon, smiling, led me out for a dance. Moab and Rheyna spun beside me.
The jerk of my leg jolted me awake. A fine web of thread spun out across my graying body.
Bitterness rose up. I had given up my life to save my kind, but they had abandoned me. Kendall deserted me because I’d challenged her. We’d lost Kilgad and Moab, who I’d stupidly sworn to protect. Oberin decided to save the Princess instead, so he could begin a new race. Hirschi chose battle, and probably death. Ilse…better not to think about her.
My hand groped for the comfort of the pearl as I faced my failure. I was going die here, unloved and uncared for. I had not saved anyone. Shandon had died for me, died needlessly.
With that thought, the dream stole into my mind again, feathery and sweet like the finest pastry. I dug my nails into my palm, pushing away its comfort, as despairing tears ran down my face.
I was completely alone.
No, it was even worse.
To complete my torment, the metal creature lurched toward me, its breath loud and harsh in the silent forest. The death it offered might be more painful than this kind dream that hovered so close.
I let my eyes shut and drifted, the pearl clutched in my hand.
* * *
Then I felt a tug on my arm, followed by a sharper one. I tried to return to the imaginary wedding feast, but an invisible force yanked me to my feet.
The horrible metal monster stood about twenty paces away, pointing a metal club at me. I was without a weapon.
It was the pearl that was pulling me upright, as if possessed of some ghostly force. All I had to do was let it drop and sink back into the dream.
But I couldn’t bring myself to give up the pearl. I recalled the vast clear ocean of my dream the night before. No matter how much sorrow I had, how much pain, how much loneliness, that shimmering sea of azure could always contain it. My feelings were like a tiny ripple across its grand reach; it covered all of the earth, it reflected the endless sky.
My pain was not too much to bear after all.
Clumsily, I brushed away the fine thread that still remained. My soul snare shuddered, and the neighboring ones took up the trembling, pausing their feeding.
“Are you ready to be free?” The monster spoke Trade. Its voice boomed but had a curiously muffled quality.
Was it offering me the release of death? I struggled against the snare’s remaining cords. I heard the soft whisper of my mother’s voice, as it tried to recapture me. I shook my head violently.
A lie. I would not give in.
I gathered my strength.
“Everyone is gone, and I stand alone. I stand alone,” I shouted. I would not flinch from the truth. “Nevertheless, I am not broken.” I straightened my spine and brushed off the clinging tendrils, now curling up and turning gray. The pearl vibrated in my hand like a living thing. “I will destroy this terrible forest of lies,” I snarled, feeling strength flow through me.
A quiver ran through the ground, and the Forest of Bones rattled. Some of the soul snares dropped like leaves in autumn, drifting lazily to the forest floor. The gloomy sky opened, letting through a chink of blue.
“I’m here,” I shouted. “And I’m enough.” Something seemed to be working. The monster hadn’t come any nearer either; it had lowered its club and seemed to be waiting.
Emboldened, I broke off one of the horrible bone branches. It was sharp. Perhaps I would get lucky and find a chink in the monster’s armor. The ground was shaking now. My soul snare turned a dull black. It fell with a thud, striking the ground and bursting like overripe fruit, releasing a poisonous sweet smell that threatened to choke me.
The air throbbed as a storm hit. The crash of one thunderbolt blended into the next. A flash lit the sky. Then the heavens turned white—black—white. Lightning drove down on a nearby tree, leaving only splinters in its wake. A high-pitched ringing began, and the air changed, wind whipping the smell of spring before it. Trees crashed down, and rays of sunlight reached through the canopy of storm clouds. I was dazzled after the long gloom. I felt floaty, weightless, disoriented. If I died now, at least I had destroyed her work.
The fumes had clouded my head and I could barely think, but my will was strong. I wanted to live.
Where was that damn monster?
Krossos. Right next to me.
I raised my bone stick to strike it and fainted dead away as lightning hit the ground.
CHAPTER 55
Berona
I drew breath and woke, conscious of my tired, aching body. Happiness coursed through me. I had survived. I lay on my back, covered by something warm. It was dusk; familiar stars glowed in the clear black sky. A campfire crackled nearby. I took gulps of the fresh, clean winter air. The cold made me cough.
“Young warrior, are you awake?” a pleasant baritone asked in Trade.
Startled, I jerked into a sitting position. I first saw a glimpse of his bare chest, framed by a leather jerkin embroidered in silver thread with dolphins. A clear blue jewel hung on a golden chain, contrasting with the depilated wool of his low-cut tunic. It was faceted, causing it to glimmer like cerulean fire. With difficulty, I staggered to my feet.
The man’s eyes were a vivid dark blue, matching the jewel. They seemed even brighter framed by sunburned skin. He was hale and vigorous, with thick hair curling down his back. Though it was covered with dirt and ash, I could make out the original color—golden with copper highlights.
Next to him, disassembled on the ground, lay a bodysuit of armor made out of metal and an attachable head covering. The helmet included a curved faceplate of thick glass—something no craftsman on the Heartland would have been able to build. Set beside that stood a large metal flask, about the length of an arm, with what looked like a piece of cow gut trailing from it. Bellows were attached to it.
I blushed with embarrassment. That was no
monster in the forest. This man had worn the suit and headpiece. It must be some kind of protective armor, far more sophisticated than my chainmail vest.
“I’m Berona, a Mannite Red Robe from the country of Trea. You came to my assistance?”
“Naturally. I’ve been waiting for you. I’m Luca, the Prime of Vendrisi. At your service.” His smile was tight and careful.
So this was the Prime. I could see why the founders of Vendrisi elected his ancestor as their ruler. Luca had bearing and grace.
“Thank you for your help. And your gift.” My hand went to the empty pouch, seeking the precious pearl. I’d been holding it right before the storm. I must have dropped it.
I wanted to hear how the pearl worked, but I had more pressing questions. “Have you seen any Mannites?”
“My man is helping the two that came this way. He’ll be back as soon as he gets them close to a trade route where they can find help.”
“You’re not alone?” I remembered the calamity that befell Luca’s men. Princess Neyva had told us about the attack of the Elementals.
A spasm crossed his face. “One other of my company survived. Yuvio. He knows something of medicine. The Mannite girl was desperate, so I gave Yuvio permission to take our two weatherbeaters. The girl and the sick man ride one, and Yuvio is on the other. We can’t go anywhere until he returns.”
Kea and Ilse.
“The girl was fair-haired, with freckles?”
He nodded. “She wanted to wait until you were awake, but the lad is doing poorly. She needs to get him to a healer.”
Ilse was alive. Kea as well. But what of Hirschi, Oberin, and Neyva? Would I ever see them again? Was Rheyna safe with the Elders? I stifled a sob.
A spasm gripped me. I collapsed, trying to catch my breath.
Luca spoke, his voice low and reassuring. “Still in shock, then? Is your arm sore? The one that held the pearl? After the lightning hit the attractor I planted, the lodestone’s field increased in power. It coursed through the entire forest.”
I had no idea what he meant. “Did I destroy the soul snares?” At least the Demon would be deprived of her most powerful weapon.
“More than that. The entire Forest of Bones collapsed. Once you broke the connection with your own soul snare, the energy rippled out along the nodes, disrupting other feedings. That’s what the pearl and the lodestone were for.” He looked like a young boy for a moment, as excitement lit up his face. “I can’t believe it worked.”
“You helped destroy the rest of the soul snares with the pearl? I don’t understand.”
He spoke quickly, eyes gleaming with rapture. “It’s science. You rejected the lie. Once you found your courage and made your stand, things changed—but only for you and your soul snare. We wanted the effect to ripple out, so we designed the pairing of the pearl and the lodestone to disseminate your energy.”
He held up the thing I’d thought was a club. “The pearl contains ferrous material—lava, to be exact. I used this horseshoe-shaped lodestone to create an energy field that spread from the point of impact. It shattered all the illusions. All it took was one man with the strength.” He looked down. “Rather, one woman. I didn’t expect her to be so young and beautiful.”
I was at a loss for words.
He looked at me intently. “The pearl was a reminder for you. It came from an oyster. The oyster builds a shell around what hurts it. And people do too. That’s what lets the Water Demon worm her way in. We take our pain and sorrow and anger and swath it in layers, so it won’t hurt us anymore. We turn it into a pearl. But for that pearl to bring wisdom, we’ve got to acknowledge the secrets that lie buried inside.”
“That sounds more like magic than science.”
“The world is made of both. I’m just beginning to learn that myself.” Beneath his untrimmed beard and wild hair, he was younger than I’d thought at first. Not much older than me.
* * *
As Luca cooked some porridge, I scanned my surroundings, hoping for a sign of my people. Why had we not made plans to meet up? We were so focused on reaching our goal, perhaps none of us expected to survive. And many hadn’t. I made a list of those I loved, now dead: Shandon, Moab, possibly Kea and Oberin. And Kilgad. He had been a comrade, if not a close friend.
“You look fierce,” Luca commented, passing me a bowl.
I forced a spoonful of the bland grain down before answering. “The Demon killed those I loved.”
He came quite close, looking at me intently. “We have that in common. What are your plans now?”
“I didn’t think beyond destroying her weapon.”
“And the creator of that weapon? The Demon? What of her?”
A slow crawl started in my gut. “Have you seen her?”
“No. She may have withdrawn to the Shadow Plain. But she’ll be back.”
I moved closer to the campfire so that it would look like I was shivering from cold. He moved with me, crouched down, holding eye contact. “We have time now, Berona. Time to prepare.”
“For what?”
“The coming war. With a champion such as you and the Book of First Naming, we will slay every Elemental and destroy the Demon.”
I considered. “The Demon can’t be killed.”
“Don’t be so sure. Perhaps the Book has a clue. I thought you would have it on you.”
Had he searched through my belongings while I was unconscious? “Luca, I have some bad news.” As I told him of the fight with the Elementals and the disappearance of the Book, his face closed and he grew quiet.
Then his mouth set. “You’ll just have to get it back.”
I looked at him, shocked. “The Elementals have it.”
“My friend Yuvio and I will help you,” he said, his tone cool. “It’s the first step. To take revenge against a powerful enemy, one must prepare carefully. The Book is magic, and those of the Heartland are connected to magic. You will learn much from this Book.” His eyes glinted. “Yuvio and I have knowledge too, of a different sort. We know how to make devices—and weapons.”
“You may be ruler in your own land, but I am not one of your subjects,” I pointed out, in what I hoped was a civil tone. “I have not decided on my course of action. My first concern is the well-being of my comrades.”
He paused, stirring the embers of the fire hard. “My comrades are all dead, because I honored an ancient agreement to come to your aid. One signed before their grandfathers were born.”
After that, we ate our meal in silence.
* * *
I awoke to a mild winter day, the low sun slanting across the pale prairie grass and the whiskers of blue-green fescues. Fleece flower seed heads tossed in the breeze, and above us a raptor soared. A slight man was with Luca; he came over to offer me tubers he had foraged and cooked in the fire. He gave me a lopsided smile. “I’m Yuvio.”
I chewed one, finding the flavor mild and nutty. “Not bad. It’s safe to eat?”
“Yes, it’s safe and will build your strength. I’m a botanist and know a little of healing.”
“How ill is the young man with Ilse?”
He sighed. “Near death, I would say. At least he will not die in that terrible place.”
Luca strode up, as if he wanted to interrupt us. “Why not tell Berona the good news?”
I wiped away a tear. “Thank you for helping them, Yuvio.”
“Ilse said there was a Mannite that way.” Yuvio pointed west. “Apparently, she has a gift for finding things?”
My heart leapt. “Yes. Yes, she does. Did she say who it was?”
“She said it was a woman.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” Unless Rheyna had somehow made her way here, to be with Moab.
“That’s what Ilse said. She was very tired. Perhaps confused.” Yuvio held out his hand. “She also found this.”
It was the pearl.
It would have bought her and Kea many nights at an inn and the services of a skilled healer. Perhaps she too did not
expect he would survive long. Or perhaps it was a kindness on her part.
Then I noticed Luca’s hard gaze. “Ilse and the young man you love are leagues from here. You wouldn’t have a chance of catching up with them.”
My face must have betrayed my feelings for Kea. “You think that’s what I would do? Run after them?”
He gave me a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “It crossed my mind.”
“Then you don’t know me well.”
“I hardly know you at all,” he pointed out.
I frowned at him. “I will look for the Mannite woman, then gather the other survivors.”
Luca patted one of his weatherbeaters. “If I abandon my metal suit and lodestone, you and Yuvio could ride together on one beater and I can take the other.”
“You’re willing to search for the Mannite with me?”
“She’s a warrior, no doubt? Like you.”
Rheyna was far from a warrior, but I had to tell her of Moab’s death and make sure she was safe before I went on. I hated to lie to Luca, but then, I had the feeling he wasn’t being quite honest with me either.
“All Mannites are taught how to defend themselves,” I said.
“Excellent news. Are you recovered enough to ride?”
“Yes.” I would not let him see the weakness that still lingered in my lungs from the forest’s foul air.
Luca whistled a little tune as we rode. He seemed determined to make up for his earlier discourtesy. He had combed and bathed while I slept, and his freshly washed hair gleamed in the morning light. He asked me about my life among the Mannites and listened raptly to my brusque replies, until I softened. His dark blue eyes sparkled as he asked more questions, making me feel as if I were the center of his universe.
If it weren’t for the devasted Forest of Bones, still smoldering in the distance, we could have been a courting couple out for a ramble.
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