Azurynn removed the safety straps and leaped lightly from the saddle. Her cloak billowed out in the cool wind sweeping across the desert. The sand reflected the light of the full moon, making each of the creatures easily visible to her eyes.
She walked across the intervening space with three separate weaves at the ready, coming to stop several paces from the big male that had placed himself ahead of the others. Raising her chin, she eyed him up and down. “My, you do look like a Kojen, don’t you? How strange that you are so different.”
The big male growled and shifted. Azurynn gave him a lazy smile. “Down boy, I didn’t say you were a Kojen. I said you looked like one.”
“What are you here for?” The male’s voice was deep and demanding.
She considered a moment before answering. “Tonight, that depends on you. I didn’t come here with the sole intention of killing you all, however, if you try to stop me I will do just that. Not even that dragon thing you have hiding in the shadows will be able to save you. I’m sure she is quite formidable against Kojen and even humans. Against my Murynn, she wouldn’t last more than a few a moments.”
The leader stared at her for several minutes. Azurynn sensed him weighing his options. Finally, with a sigh somewhere between frustration and defeat, he asked, “What is it you want?”
“The human babe you have within your camp.”
A gasp went up from the females and one young female clutched a tiny bundle to her breast. The leader shook his head. “What does someone like you wish with the babe?”
Azurynn looked him in the eye. “That is none of your concern. What is your concern is that his father searches for him. I have told him the child died hours after his birth; however, he doesn’t believe me and scours the area for it. When he finds the child, he will kill it and anyone who is caring for it. There will be no negotiation with him, no chance to plead your case. Are you truly willing to risk the lives of everyone in your camp down to the youngest babe for a single human child?” She raised an eyebrow. “Of course, his father will have no chance to even find you if you continue to stand in my way. One way or another, I will have the babe this night.”
“And what will you do with the child?”
“Again, that is none of your concern.” She caught the edge of her cloak as a gust of wind tried to rip it away. “The child will be dealt with and your camp will be safe. For your cooperation, I will even give you a full moon to relocate far from here. If after that I fail to find you anywhere near here when I search, I will forget you even exist.”
The big male stared at the ground for several long minutes before heaving another sigh, his shoulders slumping. Azurynn smiled. She had presented him with an impossible situation. No matter which decision he made, it would run counter to his nature. Sacrifice a babe, or sacrifice his camp.
“Onatah, bring the babe.”
“Hakan, no!” one of the females cried.
Hakan shook his head and partially turned toward those behind him. “We have no choice. Onatah, bring the babe, I do not need to repeat myself.”
The young female, Onatah, slowly separated herself from the clutch of women and walked forward until she stood next to Hakan. The big male gestured toward Azurynn. “We have done all we can for him. Give the babe to her.” When Onatah hesitated, Hakan said, “Remember, you have an infant of your own. Would you forfeit her life so that this woman may still walk away with Marek?”
A tear slid down Onatah’s face as she crossed the distance and laid the child in Azurynn’s arms. Azurynn barely glanced at the sleeping infant. Instead, she looked at Onatah. “His name is Marek?”
The young female nodded.
Azurynn looked down at the thick black hair on the babe’s head. “A fitting name for him.” She looked up into the dark eyes of the purple-skinned female. “He doesn’t belong with you. Return now to the infant that does.” She shifted her look to Hakan. “Your camp is safe…for now. Leave in the morning and go far from here if you wish it to remain so.”
Azurynn turned and walked back to Murynn. Shifting the child to one arm, she climbed awkwardly into the saddle. She could only get one safety strap buckled. It would have to be enough. The baby stirred, and she tucked her cloak around him then touched one finger to his forehead, letting a small weave settle over his mind. It would keep him soundly asleep for several hours.
At her signal, Murynn rose into the air. A swirl of black filled the moon-washed night as the dragon opened a Jump.
They made several Jumps through the cold void, filled with only the whispers of the tortured souls trapped there. Just after the Galdar River, Murynn could Jump no more. Azurynn ground her teeth at the inconvenience of having to fly the rest of the way.
Even so, morning was no more than a mere hint of light along the eastern horizon when the black landed at the edge of Penendale, the eastern most city in Boromar. In that early hour before dawn broke the horizon, the silence was almost complete in the slumbering city. A quick weave on the city guards ensured they saw and heard nothing.
Azurynn resisted the urge to kill them while they stood there helpless. It wasn’t what she was here for this night. Where were the Guardians? Strange that none had sensed her, though she was thankful for it. Once inside the city, she got her bearings and started for one of the larger houses. Not the largest and richest, but one obviously well off.
She slipped through the door and up the stairs to the upper chambers where the sleeping quarters would be. Heavy snores led her to a room where a man and woman slept. Azurynn tossed a weave at them. “Wake.”
They both bolted upright in the bed, their eyes wide.
The man recovered first, his eyebrows drawing down as he scowled. “Who in the name of the Fates are you, and what are you doing in our house?”
Azurynn smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I am Azurynn, and I am a Shadow Rider. I trust you have heard of us? I thought so.”
“Wha…What are you going to do to us?” A tremor ran through the woman’s voice.
“Why nothing of course.” Azurynn raised an eyebrow. “As long as you follow my commands.” She looked down at the infant in her arms and ran a finger over his soft cheek. “I’m broken, I know this. Darkness has taken my heart and soul.” Azurynn glanced up. “I wasn’t always this way. I was made into this, and I can no longer help what I am.” She looked back down into the face of Kovan’s son. “He isn’t evil though. He has a chance to be something different. Someone who is wanted.” Azurynn walked around the bed and lay the sleeping infant in the woman’s arms before backing away to stand at the foot of the bed again. “The child’s name is Marek. You will raise him as your own, love him as your own, and treat him as only loving parents would treat their child.”
“But…” The woman looked down at the infant in confusion then raised her eyes back to Azurynn. “I can’t feed him. I’ve not had a child of my own yet, I don’t know what to do.”
“Then hire someone who can. Tell your friends he’s the babe of a very distant cousin who died in childbirth, and he was sent to you to care for.” Azurynn turned and walked away, only pausing briefly to look back. “See to it that he goes to the weapons school in Ardien, he will need the experience later in life. And don’t think you can mistreat him, and I won’t find out. All of the Guardians in Galdrilene won’t be able to save you if you do.”
Azurynn left the house and the city quickly. The eastern sky had turned pearl gray, and her time was running out. She released the city guards as Murynn entered the long, single Jump back to the Kormai. It was done. The child was safe from Kovan and taken care of. He would be wanted.
Maleena moved quietly around her bedchamber while Emmaleen slept snug in the little cradle, soft white blankets wrapped around her small form. Maleena smiled as warmth filled her at the thought of her daughter. Nydara’s silver nose rested in the doorway to the dragon’s lair, and her soft crooning filled the bedchamber.
With a sigh, Maleena glanced around the room. T
here wasn’t much point in putting it off, Kellinar and Taela would leave for New Sharren soon now that Paki’s eggs were laid. In a couple of days, the silver would fire the eggs and all that would be left to do was wait for them to find riders. Though she knew Taela and Kellinar would return to Galdrilene more often, Maleena needed to speak with them now.
Memories of the scenes she’d seen in the lake moved through her mind. The weave Anevay had left uncompleted really was their only chance, and there was only one way to get it. Taela didn’t have the gift her bondsister had. She couldn’t make sense of Anevay’s notes.
It would be best to speak with Taela alone first. Her Spirit sister could be trusted to keep things quiet.“Taela?”
The other woman’s mental response was immediate. “Yes?”
“I need to speak with you alone. Can you come to my chambers? I don’t want to wake Emmaleen right now.” The babe had just fallen asleep, it would give her an hour or so before the little one woke again.
“I will be right there,” came Taela’s reply.
A few minutes later, the other Silver Rider slipped quietly through the door. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes glanced at the baby’s cradle, worry clear on her face.
“Emmaleen is fine,” Maleena assured her as she walked over to sit in one of the two chairs by the wall.
Taela crossed the chamber and sat in the other. “Then what is wrong? Don’t tell me it’s nothing. I can sense it.”
Maleena smiled softly. “I had no intention of denying it.” Her gaze wandered to the cradle again, and an ache settled in her chest. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Taela. “Everything is wrong right now. I spent time at Spirit Lake. I went through every possible outcome of this war. Only one has any hope of success.”
“Which one?” Taela searched her face.
Maleena held out her hands. “It will be best if I show you.”
Her Silver sister’s tilted blue eyes stared at her hands for a moment, and Maleena sensed Taela’s reluctance. She didn’t attempt to soothe her. “This will be very hard to see and experience, even though it’s from my perspective.” Maleena hesitated then said, “You will have to promise me one thing.”
Taela eyed her warily. “Promise what?”
“You cannot speak of what you see to anyone, not even Kellinar.” Maleena shifted to get more comfortable.
“Why would you ask me to promise such a thing?”
Maleena sighed. “If you tell Kellinar, he will tell Mckale. Neither of them will agree to it, and Kellinar must agree. It is the only chance we have. Promise me.” She started to draw her hands back.
Taela quickly took them, pressing their palms together. “I promise.”
Maleena let out a long breath and sank into the visions from the lake. It wasn’t any easier the second time. The visions unfolded, playing in their minds as if they were both experiencing them happening. The vivid colors and emotions they saw and felt only added to the horror of each sequence.
Taela gasped and started to pull her hands away, but Maleena gripped them tighter. Her Silver sister needed to see it all, needed to understand the reasons behind her decision. Needed to know the horror that faced them all if they shied away. When the visions came to the final conclusion she finally released Taela’s hands.
Taela wrapped her arms around her middle and bent forward, tears streaking down her face. “You can’t, Maleena,” Taela whispered, finally looking up at her.
Maleena let out a shaky breath and shook her head. She’d already come to terms with it, Nydara had too. Now she just needed Taela to see the path to follow, impossible though the choice was. “I can. Nydara and I have already discussed it.” She took another deep breath and continued, “There is only one way to get the rest of the weave, the one that will end this under favorable conditions.”
“Favorable conditions?” Taela wiped her eyes and glared at her. “You call those favorable? Maleena, you will die!”
She nodded. “I’m well aware of this, Taela. As you saw, if I don’t do this, everyone will die, including me. No matter what happens, my death is assured. It comes down to what I wish to do with it. I have no intention of going to Maiadar knowing I will soon be followed by everyone, including Emmaleen.”
Taela stared at her in silence before she said, “How do you plan on getting the rest of the weave from a dead woman?”
“I can’t get it. I don’t have the right connection to Maiadar for this. Kellinar has it and so do you. You two will have to get it.”
Her friend shook her head. “I have no connection. I’ve never been in the lake.”
“Your bond with Anevay is your connection. Your magic will get you into the lake.” Maleena looked Taela in the eye. “You will have to go beyond the edge of Maiadar and travel into the depths of it to find her spirit. It’s the only way, Taela. The only hope we have. You saw that for yourself.”
Taela looked away, her eyes resting on the cradle. “You ask me to sign your death warrant.”
“My death warrant is already signed. I ask you to retrieve what is needed, so that my death will not be in vain and my life won’t have been wasted.”
“What about Emmaleen?” Taela asked softly.
Maleena looked at the babe. “She will be safe. She will have Mckale and you and Kellinar and the riders who are left once it’s ended. Marda will be here for her too. It’s the best I can hope for.”
“I gather you haven’t spoken of this to Mckale,” Taela said dryly. Deep sorrow rolled off her friend.
Maleena shook her head. “No. As I said earlier, if I told him, he would tell Kellinar. Neither of them would agree to the trip into Maiadar for the weave. And in order to find Anevay, it’s going to take both of you. In the end, in their effort to find some other way, the fate of the Guardians and everyone in Galdrilene, along with the rest of the world, would be sealed.” A soft chuckle slipped past her lips. “Men often blind themselves to the reality of a situation when it comes to those they love.” She turned her eyes back to Taela. “This is something you and I alone are going to have to face with the full knowledge of what is to come.”
Taela’s eyes held hers for a long moment. Then her shoulders sagged, and she leaned back in the chair. “I don’t see that I have much choice.”
Emmaleen’s soft cries captured their attention. Maleena stood and crossed the chamber. Her hands were gentle as she lifted the small bundle. Taela walked over and held out her arms. “May I?”
With a smile, Maleena eased the babe into her friend’s arms. She watched while Taela swayed gently from side to side and spoke quietly, her fingers running through the thick black hair on Emmaleen’s head.
Tears stung her eyes, and Maleena blinked them back. “You will help take care of her when the time comes?”
Taela looked up, her own eyes moist. “I promise.”
Maleena nodded and took the babe back. “You should speak with Kellinar about this. Unless you think it would be better if we both spoke to him.”
“No, I can handle Kellinar. He won’t know what we’re really doing and that getting the rest of the weave won’t save us all.” Taela rubbed her arms then crossed them over her chest. “He will go willingly to find her. I would even look forward to seeing Anevay again if I didn’t know what the outcome would be.”
“Don’t let your chance to see her again be marred by this. Like I said, my own trip to Maiadar is a certainty, there is nothing that can change it. You travel to Anevay to save the life of my daughter and my bondmate. As well as the life of Kellinar and the lives of the other riders.” Maleena smiled. “Good things will come of this.”
Taela nodded. “I’m going to fly with Paki for a little while. I have to get myself into the right frame of mind before I approach Kellinar. He will know something is wrong otherwise.”
“Fly safe, my friend,” Maleena said quietly. She understood what Taela needed. It had taken her a few days to fully come to terms with it herself.
Taela gave her a brief
hug, careful of the babe in Maleena’s arms and then she was gone, striding through the door at a quick pace.
“I have already spoken with Paki and relayed everything you saw at the lake to her. She is not happy with what must be done, but she does see the need for it,” Nydara sent. “She will help Taela come to terms with it.”
Maleena glanced sharply at the dragon. “You made sure to keep it between you two and let nothing overflow to Tellnox or Shryden?”
Nydara snorted, her hot breath wafting into the chamber. “I’m more than capable of focused communication.”
“I know.” Maleena sighed and sat back down with Emmaleen’s warm weight snuggled in her arms. “I’m sorry. So much rides on this.”
Nydara’s mental tone softened. “Your concern is understandable. Rest assured, Paki and I are well aware of the consequences if this information gets out.”
Emmaleen whimpered again, and Maleena sensed the little one’s hunger. She wished she knew how much time was left. Was the future the lake showed months or years away? Only time would tell.
Later that evening, though Maleena and Mckale remained in the warmth of their lair with their new babe, most of the riders gathered on the inner terrace in the cold, crisp air as the sun sank toward the bay. The fire glowed in the firepit, dancing as it devoured the logs and sending occasional sparks drifting up.
Liora stood near the lake while Pachua splashed in the water. Vaddoc and Kirynn sat nearby shooting friendly insults at each other that ranged from benign to downright vulgar.
Serena and Nolan, relaxed on another bench, were deep in a conversation about healing. Marcaius sat with one arm around Nira while he took turns with Belynn sending tiny balls of flame into the fire. Brock, Toren, Jocelynn, and Varnen sat on the far side of the fire talking among themselves.
Kellinar reclined against one side of the cushioned bench with Taela curled between his legs, her head resting on his chest. His fingers traced through her hair while his gaze drifted across the gathered riders. The peace that flowed through Galdrilene itself seeped into his soul.
Ashes And Spirit (Book 3) Page 8