There was a long silence before Julian spoke. “Then I guess we’ll just have to hope we’ll have all the medallions when we get to Jekyll Rock.”
“And you’ll get me to Lorcan Zamire.”
“Ok,” Julian said. “But that doesn’t mean I can just hand him over to you.”
“Maybe not,” Daewyn said. “But you can help me capture him. I have no jurisdiction outside of Elysium.”
“I don’t have any jurisdiction in Jekyll Rock either,” Julian said.
“Yes, but that didn’t stop you from storming in there a few days ago did it?”
Inga couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I’ll take you to the green medallion tonight,” Daewyn said. “But I want your word that you’ll help me get Lorcan Zamire.”
“Why does he matter to you so much?” Julian asked.
Another pause.
“He killed a friend of mine. He’s a fugitive. My father loved him as a son, and I have a sneaking suspicion that he set him free somehow. I can’t prove that it’s true, but regardless, if I can bring him back here, he will face swift justice.”
“Fine,” Julian said. “We’ll meet tonight. I’ll get you Lorcan as soon as we get to Jekyll Rock.”
No!
“Good,” Daewyn said. “Then I’ll meet you at sundown.”
Inga heard footsteps walking toward the door, and she almost forgot to move before it opened wide.
She had known Julian couldn’t be trusted anymore, but this was low even for him. He had just agreed to hand over one of her closest friends. She slipped past the guards and made her way to her quarters, and when she closed the door, she sat on her bed, releasing the magic that surrounded her.
Julian had gone off the deep end. She didn’t understand everything that had happened with the Dunarian Council, but she knew it hadn’t been good. Now it seemed Julian would sell out anyone as long as he got what he wanted. She didn’t doubt for one second that he believed what he was doing was right; but he was wrong.
She lay down on the bed and let out a deep breath. Everything had been going so smoothly until a little over a week before. Until the assassin showed up. It had been a marathon run since then. She had lost so much.
Her former teacher, Silandrin, who was the Gatekeeper, had died before her eyes. There had been no chance to say goodbye. It was the second time he had left her, but this time it was permanent. She almost wished that she had never found the old man. Discovering that he had kept so many secrets from her had hurt deeply. Knowing that Silandrin was the one responsible for humanity making its way to Marenon in the first place was baffling. All of it seemed too much.
Then there was Silas.
She didn’t even know if he was still alive. In one of his last revelations, Silandrin had told them that even though Silas was the prophesied Deliverer, that didn’t mean he couldn’t be killed. The prophecy only pointed to him as the possible deliverer of Marenon. There were no guarantees. To Inga, that meant Silas could be dead right now. In her heart she wanted to believe that the Gatekeeper was wrong, that he had been mistaken somehow. But she knew this wasn’t the case.
She thought about their last desperate moment, before Saul had attacked them. Silas had kissed her and told her that he loved her. She remembered feeling his kiss bringing her to life. She remembered that she had felt warm and safe, if even for just a second. Before she had a chance to answer Silas, Saul had attacked them and then Silas had defeated the assassin.
She knew what she had planned to say to Silas. She had planned to tell him that she loved him too; that she wanted to be with him forever. That’s how she had felt in the moment. But she had feelings for Lorcan too. Lorcan had kissed her right in front of Silas, and in that moment, she had felt she would be lost without Lorcan. If he died, she would lose one of the most important people in her life.
Now Lorcan’s life was in danger again. There was so much death, so much confusion, and Inga no longer knew her place in all of it. She could do something about this, though. She could follow Julian and Daewyn. She would follow them.
She sat up from her bed.
Her magic could overpower them. Maybe. Julian was a masterful fighter, but he lacked the magical ability she did. She wasn’t sure about Daewyn, but surely he didn’t possess the power she had learned from Silandrin. She could take the medallions from them. She could get the medallions to Jekyll Rock, and if the orange medallion was there, they could win this war. She could make it back to Jekyll Rock quickly too. Both sarians, Skarret and Autumn, had survived that attack by the Sleepers and their dragons. When she came to Jarul, she had left them in the grassy plains to hunt and fly so they wouldn’t have to stay cooped up in the stables. They would come to her when she was ready to leave. They wouldn’t be far. It was all coming together. Inga could actually save the Dunarians. She could provide them with the ultimate weapon to defeat the enemy.
Her hands began to shake at the thought. Before tonight, she had no idea that she could help bring any hope back to the Dunarian people.
Now she knew what she had to do.
She would get the medallions from Julian and Daewyn. If she had to kill them, fine. Then Lorcan would be safe. If she could do that, she might even get the medallions to Jekyll Rock in time to save Silas from whatever death might be awaiting him in Mudavé.
Chapter Six
Daewyn arrived at Julian’s room the moment the light had completely faded from the sky. Of course, Julian didn’t completely trust Daewyn, but the Erellen had nothing to gain by being devious. The plan was simple. Lorcan Zamire would be traded for the green medallion.
Julian had no idea whether Lorcan would even be at Jekyll Rock, but Daewyn didn’t seem concerned about this. Daewyn assumed Lorcan would be in the fortress, or at least near it.
The guards had tried to follow them through the city, but Daewyn made them back off – it was something Julian didn’t have the power to do here. After a few moments of walking silently, they were out of the city and into the grassy plains outside of Jarul. Julian’s sarian flew high above them as they walked. Daewyn assured Julian that the trip to the cave wouldn’t take long.
At first, Julian expressed his worry that getting to the medallion might be dangerous. It would be guarded, wouldn’t it?
Daewyn had simply laughed at this and said that anyone who wasn’t part of the royal family didn’t stand a chance getting to the green medallion.
As they walked silently, Julian’s thoughts drifted to what Daewyn had said about Nalani. She had taken off to go after Alric and help him in some sort of uprising or battle. For all he knew, she could be dead. No. He couldn’t let himself think that way. She had to be alive. They had been successful in getting the orange medallion. Surely none of them would have been foolish enough to stay and fight when they had a chance to escape.
“Why were you in Voelif?” Julian asked the Erellen.
“Scouting group,” Daewyn said. “We were trying to get information about the weapon. We had heard something about it through an informant. We were in the desert when we were spotted. I ordered the others to scatter to make it more difficult to be caught.”
“And you were caught,” Julian finished for him.
“Yeah.”
“Have you heard from your other men?”
Daewyn shook his head. “I’m assuming they were killed. I saw no trace of them in Voelif.” After a few more moments of silence, he continued. “Your friends are the ones that got me out. If it weren’t for them, I’d be dead.”
Nothing more was said, and in twenty minutes they came to a small hill in the plains. Daewyn led him over the hill, and on the other side there was an opening in the ground. A cave. Shrouded with vines and bushes, Julian would have never noticed the opening if he wasn’t looking for it. Julian hoped that Daewyn wasn’t going to try something here. Thoughts swam through his brain, making him wonder if this was part of an elaborate scheme to get rid of the nuisance that was King Julian Hobbe
s. Julian doubted it, though. Daewyn seemed determined. Julian didn’t take him for a liar.
At first, the cave was cold and dark, but as soon as they stepped through the barrier, it filled with light as fiery torches burst to life.
“If you had come here alone, the flames would have been much bigger, and would have incinerated you,” Daewyn said with a smile.
Julian believed him.
The cave was astonishing. The path was broad and slanted downward into the earth, eventually leveling off into a flat walkway. The ceiling above them was tall, unlike most caves Julian had seen. He took note of the immaculate carvings and drawings that danced along the wall.
“We Erellens have always been proud of our culture and way of life,” Daewyn said, noticing Julian’s gaze. “These drawings are thousands of years old. You won’t even see traces of Humans until much farther down the path.”
They walked for another ten minutes before Daewyn finally let him know that they were nearly there. When they came to the end of the path there was an opening to a much larger cavern that could possibly hold thousands of people. The lighting in this room seemed to come from an opening in the top, though Julian knew it was still night. The light must have been from some magical source. Julian couldn’t help but stare in wonder at the plant life that thrived in the cavern. The grass under his boots was soft and welcoming, and the trees grew to an enormous height, offering low, strong branches for anyone to sit on or lie down comfortably. It was what Julian imagined an afterlife was supposed to be. The Erellens had made this cavern as welcoming as possible, knowing that if their people were forced from their land, they would need a place that calmed their nerves before stepping through the gate that had never been opened.
Every plant and tree, everything, seemed to have been placed in such a way to draw the focus on one point at the center of the back wall. The wall was bare. It was the only spot in the cavern that had no carvings or plant life on it – it was only a gray stone wall.
“Welcome to the Green Gate,” Daewyn said.
Julian turned to him questioningly. “It’s just a wall,” he said.
Daewyn smiled and motioned for Julian to follow him. “The wall is the gate.”
They walked up the stairs leading to the blank wall and Julian placed his hand against the cold rock. “How does it work?”
Daewyn walked to a tree some twenty feet away from Julian and placed a hand on the trunk. Julian was astonished to see the tree fold back on itself. Its branches spread backward and its trunk began to split from the bottom to its center, opening to reveal a small medallion held by a chain. Daewyn reached in and grabbed the medallion, and as he walked back to the wall near Julian, the tree unfolded itself back to its natural form.
“That was incredible,” said Julian.
“Erellen magic,” Daewyn shrugged. “But the real magic is when you use the medallion as the key.”
“You’ve opened this gate?” Julian asked.
“Of course not,” he answered. “But it connects to another world.” Julian couldn’t help but feel uneasy about Daewyn’s manner. The Erellen talked without looking at Julian, staring at the wall as though he wanted to leave Marenon and step through into the next great adventure.
“Can you imagine it, Julian? Can you imagine stepping through to another world, having no idea what lies ahead of you?”
Julian couldn’t help but snort at this. “Of course I can,” he said. “I did it. All the Humans you’ve ever seen have done it.”
“But you had to die,” Daewyn said, still looking at the stone.
“A much more exciting and terrible way to step into another world I’d say.”
“Maybe. But what if you had the choice? As a Human, you didn’t choose to come to Marenon. You were forced here.”
“But you have no idea what is beyond that gate,” Julian said. “For all you know, you’d step right into a world that was worse than Mudavé.”
“It would be a gamble, wouldn’t it? You know, we could forget about all this mess in Marenon, and never come back.” He looked down at the medallion then up to Julian. “No one would ever know what happened to us. We would just vanish from this world.”
Julian took a deep breath and held out his hand. “Give me the medallion,” he said.
“What if I don’t want to?” Daewyn asked. He looked back at the rock wall and placed his hand on the stone again. “What if I want to go away?”
He hadn’t been ready for Julian’s punch to the jaw. Before he could drop to the ground, Julian grabbed Daewyn by the tunic and shoved him hard against the wall.
“Now you listen to me,” Julian said. “We made a deal. Shut up about going on to another world and give me the medallion.”
“How do I know you’ll help me find Lorcan?” Daewyn said, sobered.
“You don’t,” Julian answered. “But you’ve put yourself in this position. I could take the medallion from you and leave your dead body here in front of the Green Gate if I wanted to. But I’m not going to do that because you’re not the enemy. You want Lorcan Zamire? Fine. He murdered your friend, so I’ll help get you to him. But I’m taking the medallion to Jekyll Rock.”
“Actually, I’ll be taking it to Jekyll Rock.” The voice from behind them made them both jump.
Inga.
“What are you doing here?” Julian yelled as he whirled around.
“I followed you,” she said, arms out ready to attack them both. “The Dunarians have worked long and hard to get these medallions, but not because they wanted power. The medallions are for Silas.”
“Silas is as good as dead,” Julian said.
“Words from a faithless murderer,” Inga spat. “I know you have five medallions with you now. I’m taking them to Jekyll Rock.”
“Inga, if you wanted to come with us, why not just ask?” Julian said.
“Not on your terms,” she said. “Not anymore. All you want is to get to Marenon’s Map. But the problem is that you’ve lost everyone’s trust. You couldn’t get into Jekyll Rock now if you wanted to.”
The girl had no idea what she was talking about. Julian could get into Jekyll Rock. The place was secure, but Julian had been part of the council. He knew the various ways of getting into the fortress without passing the guards. He knew the way to Marenon’s Map. He knew he could save Marenon by himself.
“What do you want?” Julian asked.
“I want the medallions,” she answered.
“Think of a different answer, because you’re not getting them.”
Inga hesitated, looking between Julian and Daewyn who were ready for the fight to come. Without warning a fire blast exploded next to her, and Julian could see Daewyn’s arm stuck out, producing another fireball.
Inga jumped to the side, and with the force of a hurricane, she threw both Julian and Daewyn hard against the wall. Julian lost his vision for a moment as he fell to the floor. Before pulling himself up, he grabbed his sword. Inga tried to shoot another blast at them, but Julian was able to dodge it. Daewyn hadn’t been so quick.
“Inga, stop!” Julian yelled.
“Give me the medallions!”
She stepped forward with a tiny ball of fire floating inches above her palm, pointed at Julian’ head. He had used such magic before and knew that the velocity of the fireball could easily end his life.
He dropped the sword to the ground.
“Give me the medallions,” she commanded again.
Before Julian could answer, they were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps coming from the path leading to the cavern. Inga extinguished the flame and the three of them ducked low.
Julian watched Inga as the magic of invisibility concealed her as though she had never been there.
“Make me invisible!” Julian said.
“Give me the medallions first,” the voice came back.
He wasn’t giving them up that easy. He reached down and picked up his sword. Whoever was in the cave was coming fast. Daewyn cro
uched beside Julian, rubbing the side of his head.
“Where did the girl go?”
“She’s here,” Julian answered.
A group of soldiers charged into the cavern with ready swords and anger on their faces. Leading the charge, however, was not a simple angry soldier, but an angry father and King.
“Jiaros.”
Daewyn swore under his breath.
“I knew I wouldn’t be able to trust you Julian,” Jiaros said as he stepped forward. “But to think that my own son would be so willing to help you is surprising indeed.”
“Father I…”
“Save it,” Jiaros held up a hand and looked at Julian. “I expected more from a king. You have dishonored yourself today.”
Julian smirked. “I have done nothing but try to help the people of Marenon. Something the Erellens have failed to do.”
Jiaros ignored him. “Which one of you has the medallion? I want it now.”
This was it. This was Julian’s last chance to have all of the medallions and possibly save Marenon. He knew he couldn’t fight for it. The guards would be on top of him before he could do anything. He had finally lost, and there was nothing to be done. Unless…
Daewyn pulled the medallion from his shirt to hand it to his father, but Julian stayed his hand.
“I have something to say first,” he said. Daewyn held on to the medallion and Jiaros rolled his eyes.
“Julian, I’m tired. I’m tired of you, and I’m tired of hearing you speak.” He looked at Daewyn. “Give me the medallion, son.”
“Wait a second!” Julian yelled, causing Daewyn to keep his hold on the medallion. Julian looked in every direction, speaking loudly so everyone in the cavern could hear his voice. “We are at a point where we all just need to work together. I will hold on to the medallion. Daewyn and you can come with me.”
“What are you talking about?” Jiaros demanded.
Julian disregarded him, still speaking to the air. He hoped Inga was still listening. “The three of us must become invisible, or none of us get the medallion. It’s something we can work out later.”
The Marenon Chronicles Collection Page 62