The memory of that maelstrom came back to him with a wrench of remembered pain. He pulled away from her tender hands and sat up, his stomach giving a disquieting lurch. “What happened?”
Charlie met his gaze in the rearview mirror, his eyes at once soft with relief and hard with warning. “Stay away from the draggon stone.”
“Yeah. Got that.” He ran a shaky hand through his hair. All his life, he’d fought for control, disliking anything that even hinted of chaos. Roller coasters, slasher movies…love. He liked his world ordered. And he liked himself in control of it. Dropping into that abyss had been anything but, and he had no desire to try it again.
He eyed the sight outside the windows with confusion. Gone was the endless stretch of barren blue to be replaced by a forest of the biggest trees he’d ever seen, a place that reminded him of pictures of the giant redwoods in California, except that these trees had trunks of aqua and leaves of pink. There was little underbrush and the trees were well-spaced, giving the SUV plenty of room to maneuver around the giants along a ground of deep golden yellow.
“How long was I out?”
“Nearly two hours,” Charlie told him. “Do you feel any different?”
Beaten. Nauseous. “Should I?”
“I was hoping the draggon stone managed to share a little of its power with you before it knocked you flat. Guess not.”
“Any sign of Rith?”
Charlie shook his head.
“We’re gaining on them,” Findris told him. “My sense of them is strengthening.”
Good. But were they doing it fast enough to make a difference? Maybe they’d catch Rith in time after all.
But half an hour later, they crested a rise and Charlie slammed on the brakes, throwing them against their seat belts. Harrison looked up to find a village directly in their path. And dozens of Esri converging on them, circling the Range Rover.
His heart sank. Had Rith put them up to this, imprisoning them in a living blockade while the bastard got away?
“Drive right over them.” Findris’s voice was dispassionate.
Charlie threw him a look of disbelief. “Like hell. They’re people.”
“They’re immortal. You can’t hurt them. And we don’t have time to stop.”
Harrison stared out the window at the throng of Esri who were beginning to surround them. An entire village from the looks of it, though this was like no village he’d ever seen. Men in silk pants and tunics of various colors and patterns, women in simple, long gowns of solid oranges, yellows and reds. All appeared to be in their mid-to-late twenties.
“No children,” he murmured.
“Children are rare,” Ilaria told him. “Immortals have little need to procreate.”
Beyond the people, he could see structures of some kind, though again, nothing he was used to. There were no houses, only platforms built off the ground and strewn with colorful cushions.
“What happened to the homes?”
“There’s no weather in Esria,” Charlie told him. “No rain, no wind, no snow.”
“The platforms are a way to protect ourselves from the night predators,” Findris added. “They provide the means to raise magical barriers.”
Ilaria touched his arm. “Let me out, Harrison.”
He stiffened. “They could turn against you.” But as he studied those drawing close, he saw only joy and excitement on their faces.
Cries of “Princess Ilaria!” began to float through the closed windows of the vehicle.
“Let me out, Harrison. They won’t hurt me. They need to see me. And I them.”
Harrison glanced at Findris, a moment of accord between them. The Esri wasn’t any happier about letting her out than he was.
But Findris shrugged. “She’s their rightful queen.”
With a frown, Harrison opened the door and pushed it wide, then swung one leg out of the car and stood on Esrian soil for the first time. The golden ground beneath his foot had a spongy, alien feel to it. The scents of loam and forest reached his nose, along with an odd scent that made him think of metallic roses. Above him, through the treetops, the sky dome had turned a bright orange.
Watching the Esri warily, he stepped aside and held out his hand to Ilaria.
She placed her palm in his and let him help her out, then moved past him with a regal grace that had his heart swelling with pride.
Those in front fell to one knee, those behind joining them until the entire throng knelt in a wavelike show of loyalty and adulation. Every face held a mix of joy and relief. Nearly every eye held a tear or two.
One man standing in front, a man dressed a little more finely than the others, rose and took Ilaria’s hand. “My queen. We have prayed for your return since the day you were stolen from us.” Nothing but raw sincerity shone in the man’s face.
“I have returned, Gerdin, but I’m not your queen. Not yet.”
The man’s mouth tightened. “King Rith has no royal blood in his veins. Nothing but greed and cruelty. He and his guards passed through here not half an hour ago.”
Ilaria squeezed the man’s hand. “Rith is a Caller and has retrieved the stones of Orisis. Even now, he travels to the Temple of the Ancients to free their darkest power.”
The man’s pale face turned a starker white. “You seek to stop him with this strange magic?” He motioned to the Range Rover.
“We do.” She took Harrison’s hand with her free one, her flesh warm against his. “But we need your help, Gerdin. We need a clear path and quickly.”
Gerdin’s eyes flashed and he turned toward the other Esri. “Make way! At once, make way!” He turned back to her. “Everything we have is yours, my queen. Esria shines upon you.”
“My thanks, Gerdin.” Ilaria turned her gaze to Harrison before ducking back inside the Range Rover.
Harrison slid in behind her and closed the door as Charlie took off, the Esri parting like the sea before them, waving and cheering and crying, “Queen Ilaria! Queen Ilaria!” as they passed.
Harrison glanced at Ilaria beside him and saw the gleam of moisture in her eyes. She’d needed this, the accolades of her people. The confirmation that they believed in her. That they loved her.
He took her hand, twining his fingers with hers, feeling her heart beat against his palm.
Stopping had strengthened her, but it had cost them valuable time.
* * *
Two hours later, they reached the Dark Mountains. Ilaria had been here before, but only once, long ago. Unlike most of Esria, color was nearly absent from these rocky, jagged, inhospitable hills. The dirt was blue, as it was in much of Esria, but a blue so dark as to be almost black. And the stones themselves looked as if they’d come from the human realm, a dark, dull gray. Only the orange sky added color to the dreary landscape.
“How much farther do you think we can drive?” Charlie asked Findris.
“Not far. The paths tend to be narrow and rocky once we rise out of the foothills.”
“How close are Rith and the stones?” Harrison asked.
“Close. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s—”
“There!” Charlie pointed. “I see them.”
Ilaria bent forward to peer out the windshield. Sure enough, the mounted Esri were visible at last, winding through the rocky paths high above them.
“Arrow range, Tarrys?” Charlie asked.
“Not quite. I need to be closer.”
“No problem.” Charlie stepped on the accelerator and the car bucked forward over the rocky ground.
Harrison tightened his hold on Ilaria’s shoulders, keeping her firmly against him so she didn’t bounce around as Charlie tried to close the distance between them and their quarry. The vehicle lurched and skidded, moving too fast for the good of the car, she was sure, but there was too much at stake to worry about an inanimate object. One that would not be of use to them much longer.
“What about now?” Charlie asked.
“Yes.” Tarrys grabbed her bow and quiver fr
om the back, then turned and lowered the window beside her. She started to rise as if to lean out, but Charlie stopped her.
“Hold on. The path turns up ahead. You’ll have a straight shot.”
The Marceil sat back, pulled an arrow and cocked her bow, waiting. As Charlie promised, the car turned into a curve, giving Tarrys a clear view of the gray terrain and the Esri dotting it.
“Aim for King Rith. If you slow him, you slow them all.”
Tarrys began firing her arrows…one, two, three, four. All met their mark, three burying themselves in Rith’s neck, one in his cheek.
“Extraordinary,” Ilaria murmured. The arrows wouldn’t hurt him, but they might stop him for a few minutes.
The Marceil glanced at her, a small smile on her mouth, before pulling a fifth arrow. But as she cocked her bow, a loud pop sounded from beneath the SUV. The vehicle lurched sideways, throwing Ilaria against Tarrys even as Harrison crashed against her own shoulder, sandwiching her between them.
“We blew a tire.” Charlie slammed his palm against the steering wheel. “I brought a couple of spares but I don’t think we have enough open ground left to make changing it worth the time. We’re hoofing it, boys and girls!”
Harrison straightened, his concerned gaze shooting from her to Tarrys and back again. “Are you two okay?”
Ilaria flashed him a cheeky grin. “We’re immortal.”
To her surprise, an answering smile lifted the corners of his mouth, lighting his face like a dozen moons. Her heart squeezed with pleasure even as his smile disappeared as quickly as it came.
As one, the five poured out of the vehicle and began running. On the journey, they’d discussed their plan and decided it amounted to only one thing. Catch Rith. Stop him and they stopped his evil.
Simple.
And oh, so difficult.
Ilaria gazed up the steep, rocky slope at Rith and his guards being carried steadily upward by their mounts while she and her companions followed on foot. They’d never catch him before he reached the Temple of the Ancients. Hopefully, the kind of magic he sought to raise would take time. If not, they really would fail.
Charlie, Tarrys and Findris took off, quickly outdistancing her. She could run well enough, but there was no denying the full skirt of her gown hampered her progress while Tarrys wore human clothing—pants and running shoes.
Harrison held out his hand to her and she took it, feeling him take much of the weight off her feet as he pulled her along beside him. Still, she knew she held him back.
“Harrison, go on with the others. I’ll follow as I can.”
A moment’s indecision flickered in his eyes, then disappeared as if it had never been. “I’m not leaving you unprotected.” No resentment colored his words. In his face she saw nothing but loyalty and a fierce tenderness that swelled her heart and lightened her step. “I’m staying with you, Princess.”
His promise burrowed deep in her heart, filling her with the vehement wish that he would do just that. Stay with her forever even as she knew such a dream was impossible. He was mortal. And she would likely never be free of Esria. If they beat Rith, she might, possibly, be queen. If they failed, she’d face imprisonment again. Or death, as her mother had.
She turned her mind to the task ahead, watching Tarrys dart over the rocks, and Charlie barrel his way up the hill through sheer brute strength. Findris followed close behind the pair, his lean body made to run. They were slowly closing the distance between them and Rith although the royal horses took the path with ease. Ilaria began to believe they might yet be in time.
The Temple of the Ancients lay just over the next rise.
But no sooner had she begun to think they stood a chance than Rith stopped, turned and raised his hands. The arrows had already fallen from his flesh, leaving no marks visible from this distance.
Below him, Tarrys lifted her bow, cocked an arrow, and shot. The arrow whizzed through the air, straight for him, then stopped abruptly and fell to the ground as if it had hit a wall.
An invisible wall.
“He’s erected another damned barrier,” Harrison muttered.
Tarrys shot two more arrows, but both crashed and fell at the same spot. Rith turned and led his riders up and over the rise as Charlie and Findris chased after them, Tarrys close behind. As the three neared the spot where the arrows had crashed, the two men slowed, making their way cautiously, hands out in front of them.
To no one’s surprise, they hit a wall.
As Ilaria and Harrison caught up to them, Findris and Charlie spread out, trying to find a way past the barrier, but to no avail.
Findris frowned. “He used the draggon stone to hold the last barrier.” He lifted the stone that now hung around his neck. “How has he created this one?”
Ilaria joined him, placing her hand against the invisible wall. Beneath her fingertips, energy flowed like a living warmth, an energy she recognized. “He’s using the power of the temple. Since the stones of Orisis were created here, they’re strongest here.”
“Which is why he had to return to the temple to access their deepest power,” Tarrys said.
“Yes.” Ilaria’s stomach clenched. “Already, he’s far stronger.” Their chances of beating him had sunk to near zero. “We have to find a way through this barrier!”
Harrison’s hand clasped her shoulder. “Tell us what to do.”
Hopelessness swept over her, bitter and devastating. “I don’t know.”
“The draggon stone holds the source of your power, Princess.” Findris lifted the necklace from around his head. “You’ve barely tapped into the strengths it’s given you. Perhaps you can find the way with the draggon around your neck.”
Harrison pulled back without her having to ask. Findris placed the silver chain over her head and the stone settled against her chest, welcoming her with a rush of warm power.
Closing her eyes, she embraced all that it sought to give her, seeking a gift she might have overlooked, a way through the barrier. Understanding came to her.
“Within this stone lies the essence of those who’ve come before. The six kings and queens who have ruled Esria from the dawn of time,” she murmured.
“Can they speak to you, as Jack’s ancestors talk to him?” Harrison asked quietly.
“I don’t know. If so, they haven’t tried.” But she knew what she had to do. The question was…did she possess the strength to do it?
As she stepped forward, her hands raised as she prepared to embrace the wall of energy Rith had erected to keep them out, a sudden gust of warm wind tore at her skirts and hair.
“I thought this place didn’t have weather,” Harrison said.
“It doesn’t.” Findris’s voice was flat and ominous. “Look.”
Ilaria gasped at the sight of the sky. Above them, the bright orange gave way to a jagged mosaic of human and Esri skies, as if the dome had cracked, with great shards of orange falling away to reveal a vast, deep human sky dark with lightning-filled storm clouds.
The winds grew even stronger, beginning to howl.
“It’s starting.” Charlie’s words rang with doom. “He’s tearing down the walls between the worlds.”
“Get us through the barrier, angel,” Harrison urged at her side. “It’s all up to you.”
She met his fierce gaze, drawing strength from him as he enveloped her in the warmth of his eyes. With a nod, she turned and placed her palms flat against the barrier. Pain scorched her palms, shooting up into her arms, and she jerked her hands back.
“What’s the matter?” Harrison asked.
“He doesn’t want me doing this.” Gritting her teeth, she lifted her hands and pressed them against the barrier again. She couldn’t let go this time. Inside, she felt the power swirling, battling the evil energy.
The pain grew, taking root in her bones until just the act of breathing was torture. The energy sensitized her skin, tearing at her scalp, until even the weight of her hair became a torment. But at the place where
her palms connected with the wall, she felt the battle rage, the power of the draggon stone fighting that of the stones of Orisis. Her power was a match for the evil, but little more. Eventually, she would win…if she could hold out long enough.
If it wasn’t too late.
“It’s hurting you.” Harrison voice shared her pain.
“The discomfort is short-lived, not permanent. It’s going to work, Harrison. It has to work.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, tears beginning to dampen her cheeks as the evil energies clawed at her muscles, raking them with tiny knives until every part of her body felt as if it were bleeding.
She was holding her own against the evil’s power, but for how much longer?
Not enough.
Vaguely she became aware of Harrison’s hands pressing against the wall beside her, Findris and Tarrys mirroring him on her other side. But none of them had the power needed.
Her muscles began to quiver beneath the assault, her arms growing heavier by the moment. Sweat beaded on her brow as she struggled. Deep inside, she knew she couldn’t keep this up long enough to win. Her heart plummeted.
She was going to fail.
Chapter 16
Harrison watched Ilaria helplessly as she fought to break through the barrier separating them from Rith and his evil. Her pale hair clung to tear-streaked cheeks, sweat rolling down her temples as she growled with frustration through gritted teeth. His own muscles bunched and flexed in a driving need to snatch her away, to protect her. To take her place.
Though they all pressed their palms against the invisible wall, only Ilaria felt anything. He was afraid the rest of them were just window dressing.
“We’re not helping, are we?”
“No. I’m sorry, but this is my fight alone. The power only flows through me.”
“It wants me, too.” Harrison stepped back from the invisible wall, his hands dropping to his sides and slowly curling into fists as the tug of energy became a demand beating at his chest and head. “The draggon stone wants me to join you.”
“No,” she breathed. “It’ll kill you.”
He lifted his hand to stroke the pale curls back from her damp brow, the pull of the magic leaping at him through that simple contact. “If we fail to stop him, we’ll all suffer. You’re not fighting this battle alone, angel. I’m not going to let you.”
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