“To do so would make them prey. They will come. I will continue to call them. We should move away from the tunnel entrance. There is a clearing we can trek to, but we will need to be cautious as there are several red ant hills near the edge.”
“The same red ants that can take down a man?”
Zahrah nodded. Candace closed her eyes a moment and breathed.
“Okay, lead the way.” If she ever got home, Aiden would hear about this for the rest of his life.
§
Haytham helped Vahni, wounded from the fight with the blood cult members, to a bed in the clinic. The healer on duty handed him a healing potion. He moved aside so she could work on the fire wizard and then lifted the potion to his lips.
The licorice tasting concoction healed from the inside out. He winced as the gash on his side closed and the burnt skin on his arm from a fireball burning through his armor slowly turned from black to red, and then pink until only a slight flush of color remained.
He had been lucky to avoid any other wounds, but the Red Wizard disappeared with Elise Delaire in his arms. No one could question the rogue Fae, so there was no way to find out whether his uncle worked with the blood cult leader.
Hay shook his head. Even now, the possibility seemed remote. Owen patted him on the shoulder. Haytham didn’t know how Owen would retrieve his Destined One.
“You did good work today. I saw you save at least two of your comrades when they were down.”
Haytham nodded. “Thank you, sir. About Elise…”
“Don’t worry, I’m going after her as soon as Mabel awakes. You should go home. Get cleaned up.”
Hay nodded again. Now that his wounds had healed, fatigue hit him hard. He moved slowly toward the exit heading for the armor room. He didn’t want to go to the Luften house and have his uncle interrogate him. He’d shower here and then decide whether to return.
§
Candace followed Zahrah through the vast jungle on a small path. How the woman found it, Candace wasn’t sure. The humidity weighed on her chest with each breath she took and sweat covered her skin. Her hair, long and undone, stuck to her scalp and forehead. What she wouldn’t give for an air-conditioned vehicle. Candace chuckled in spite of her misery. Who was she kidding?
The beautiful forest with the different colors of green and foliage of purple and red still captured the eye. One tree with a trunk of deep indigo blue and large limbs stretched out over the other foliage. The plants thinned as they continued into a small glade with a sparkling pool of water in the middle.
Candace walked up next to Zahrah.
“That pool is fed by the same spring that feeds the underground lake. We must be wary. Animals come from all around to drink. I’m hoping that Bo and Tae came by here and are still near.”
Candace turned and looked around. To her left, a large swath cut through the jungle as if something huge trampled the plants to get to the water. Farther away, three large towers of red dirt about three feet tall rose from the jungle floor. The outside of the red towers seemed to crawl.
“Are those the ant hills you mentioned?” Candace asked.
Zahrah nodded. “As long as we stay away from them, we should be safe. They only attack humans when they are feeling threatened or on a hunt. I’m going to call for Bo and Tae again.”
She took out a small reed flute from her pack and sent three notes ringing through the air. Then she paused and listened. A noise came from the large left-hand path. Candace couldn’t see anything.
Suddenly, the ground began to rumble beneath them. The sound of crashing trees could be heard in the distance.
“Move toward the edge of the clearing.” Zahrah waved Candace back.
She took several steps when a huge red animal ran by. Candace stopped in awe as another crimson animal ran after the first.
“Hestin. They will not harm us if we stay out of their way,” Zahrah said.
“Hestin,” Candace said as she gazed at the strange animals that looked almost like a cross between an elephant and a rhino.
Large like an elephant with round feet, but instead of large ears and a trunk, they had a big head with a horn protruding from the nose, and short ears that stood up. More came into view as they ran by, crushing everything in their path. One of the creatures hit one of the anthills knocking it over. Thousands of red ants the size of Candace’s fist swarmed from the ground. As the last hestin ran through the glade, it hit a second anthill. More ants poured out until the ground and foliage around the hills turned red.
“Quickly, up the folant tree. The ants won’t climb its sticky bark.”
“Which one is the folant tree?” Candace asked.
“The blue one,” Zahrah said, grabbing a branch and pulling herself up. She reached a hand down to Candace and helped her climb. Candace pulled herself up next to Zahrah and sat on the limb.
“We need to move higher. Look.”
The ants climbed one on top the other to reach them on the lower branch. Zahrah moved to the trunk and worked her way up several branches with Candace following her lead. Finally, too high for the ants to reach, they rested on one of the limbs. Blue sticky sap that smelled somewhat antiseptic covered Candace’s hands. She tried to wipe it off on the rags she wore, but only succeeded in getting the blue goo all over. At least it smelled better than the crab oil.
Zahrah sighed. “I have clean clothes for us in the saddle bags on Bo. With the hestin around the watering hole, they probably moved farther north. We will have to wait for the ants to calm and return to their hills before we can climb down.”
“How long will that take?” Candace asked.
Zahrah shrugged. “As long as it takes. You might as well get comfortable. It will probably be a while.”
Candace sighed. Hreghen was indeed a treacherous place. She wedged her back into a crevice where two limbs grew out of the trunk and pulled up her knees to rest her head on. The large leaves of the tree shaded them and offered a little relief from the heat. Now covered in blue sap, she longed for a shower, or if worse came to worse, a dip in the water hole.
A beautiful red and gold bird landed on the limb next to where she sat and slowly hopped over to where Candace rested, a long tail trailed behind it. The red comb on top of the bird’s head stood erect and it clicked a long wicked-looking yellow beak. Candace wasn’t afraid. She found the beautiful avian creature fascinating. The bird cocked its head to the side looking at her quizzically.
“Hello,” Candace said softly. “Aren’t you a handsome fellow?”
“I am Engyl, your familiar, and you are now my witch guardian” filled Candace’s mind.
Candace felt love fill her heart as the beautiful bird hopped onto her shoulder while being careful not to puncture her skin with its curved claws. Zahrah gasped.
“It’s impossible!”
“What is?” Candace ran a finger over the breast of her new friend.
“That. The bird is a phoenix. They are incredibly rare and never have I seen one accept the attentions of a human. You shouldn’t touch it.”
“He’s my friend, isn’t that right, handsome. His name is Engyl.”
“Engyl. How is that possible? How do you know?”
“He just told me. He is my familiar. Witches sometimes are lucky enough to find an animal companion to help them with their magic. Engyl found me. Where I go, he goes.”
“Oh, dear. As if we didn’t have enough problems.” Zahrah shook her head. “Are you sure you can’t change into a dragon?”
The sun sunk low on the horizon and the sweltering heat began to break when the red ants finally rebuilt their hills and settled in to do whatever it was ants do. Out of boredom, Candace made a game out of counting the ants and trying to figure out their next step in construction.
“Well, it looks like we can finally climb down,” Candace said.
“No. We are safe up here from most of the dangers of Glaw forest. We can’t travel at night. We should wait here for morning and then climb
down.”
“Wait here? All night?” Candace moaned. Okay, maybe she was being a baby, but sleeping in a tree all night was not her idea of fun. Of course, nothing about Hreghen had been fun so far.
“I’m afraid so. We have no supplies to set up camp until we find Bo and Tae. So here is where we should stay.”
“Great, just great. Well, Engyl, might as well get comfortable. It looks like we are staying the night.” The large bird rubbed its head against Candace’s cheek making her smile in spite of the circumstances before moving to the limb above.
“Here,” Zahrah said, handing over another paper wrapped package of Suchi fruit. “This is all I have until we find our mounts.”
Candace broke one of the spears in half and offered it to Engyl. He took it gently from her hand and picked the fruit apart to eat it. Candace stuffed the other half into her mouth.
When the sun finally set, Candace gasped in amazement as certain bugs and plants gave off a luminous glow. One set of blue glowing eyes moved across the forest floor. A shiver went up Candace’s spine as a strange hissing sound accompanied the movement. The eyes started toward the tree. When it came close to the trunk, it retreated suddenly. Candace sighed in relief. Whatever that was, she had no doubt it wanted to eat her for dinner. Luckily the folant tree sap deterred more than ants from their resting place.
Engyl slept on the branch above her head. Exhausted from the day, Candace relaxed into her crevice. Between the branches and the sticky sap, she figured she wouldn’t fall off the tree in her sleep.
§
A stream of light fell across Candace’s face, waking her. She yawned and stretched. Rumbling from the ground made her grab onto one of the branches for support. Was it another stampede?
“Ho? Zahrah? Where are you?” a voice called from below.
Candace moved forward on her perch to see a group of people riding what she assumed were rogne into the clearing. They made sure to stay far from the ant hills, though once they stopped she saw several of the huge horned lizards swipe out a tongue to catch the dangerous insects.
“Here, Andras.” Zahrah climbed from one limb to the other.
Something about her tone of voice made Candace think there might be something between the two. A man rode one of the lizards under the tree and looked up at them. Candace’s breath caught. Small black twisted horns curved out of the sides of the man’s head surrounded by shiny black hair. His dark blue eyes looked concerned and then relieved when he caught sight of Zahrah.
“I worried when I found Bo and Tae unattended, Jiya.” His voice carried a small bite of reprimand.
Another rider moved forward with two unoccupied lizards. Candace moved down limb by limb, taking her time. Of the twenty or so riders, five of the men possessed different shaped horns growing from their sculls.
“A herd of hestin stampeded and trampled the ant hills. We had no choice but to take to the tree. I’m sorry I worried you, Andras.”
The man reached up for Zahrah, the muscles in his arms bulging. He grabbed her hips and lowered her to his lap. His arms quickly tightened around her. Then as if he realized the whole company watched, he lowered her to the ground.
Candace reached the lowest limb.
“Hi. A little help, please?”
Andras looked her over and then reached up to catch her as she dropped from the branch. He didn’t set her in his lap, but let her momentum carry her all the way to the ground. Once on her feet, Candace stepped back to admire the man on the huge saddled reptile. His smile alone would get him any woman he wanted.
“So you are the daughter of our beloved Cressida. Welcome to Hreghen. Zahrah will accompany you to the capital city of Zaltana, where your mother waits. I found your mounts and it concerned me. Hreghen can be a dangerous place.”
“Yes. I’ve noticed.” Candace reached out a tentative hand and stroked the scaly beast. To her delight, his skin felt silky, not slimy like she feared. The beast turned its head and sniffed at her, and then it sidled away. Candace frowned. Maybe the rogne didn’t like her.
“Andras is captain of the king’s guard.” Zahrah looked up at the man, adoration in her tone.
“You should change. The rogne are not fond of the sand crab smell. If you leave promptly, you can reach the end of the forest and the way station easily by nightfall. I want you safe, Jiya.”
Zahrah nodded and dropped her eyes, her cheeks turning pink. Andras turned in his saddle and started shouting orders. Every one of the riders hurried to comply. Someone handed Zahrah the reins attached to the unoccupied mounts. She rubbed the noses of the two lizards speaking to them quietly and slipping them each a piece of fruit.
After speaking to one of his men, Andras dismounted. A loud screech filled the air. Candace stiffened and Engyl dropped from above and landed on her shoulder. One of his claws went through the rags and nicked her skin. Candace winced, but didn’t complain. Engyl was her familiar and she wanted him to feel welcome.
Everyone turned to look at her and froze. Andras looked puzzled.
“The phoenix appeared to us last evening,” Zahrah blurted out.
“He chose me,” Candace said rubbing the feathers on the bird’s breast. “He’s my familiar.”
Andras chuckled. “It seems that you, like your mother before you, are full of surprises. To be chosen by the phoenix is a rare honor. Cressida will be pleased.” Andras looked at his people and they quickly got back to work setting up a small camp. “I have a scrap of banhweh hide you can wear on your shoulder to protect your skin. Get changed and I will fetch it for you.”
Zahrah pulled two packages wrapped in the same paper as the food out of the saddlebags. “I didn’t know your exact size, although these should fit. We will wash at the pool. Bo and Tae are docile, but they wouldn’t stand the crab smell on their back. The large crabs, like the one who ate the man chasing you, will eat the rogne as well. It is only my own smell and familiar voice that keeps them from running.”
Candace nodded her understanding and took one of the packages. She followed Zahrah to the edge of the pool. Zahrah laid her package on the ground and quickly began to strip.
“Uh, everyone can see us…” Candace pointed out.
Zahrah smiled, continued and once naked stepped into the pond. “It is the only way. Come on.”
She walked into the center, the water coming up to her waist and then knelt ‘til the water reached her chin. She ran her hands over her skin and leaned back to wash her hair.
Candace froze, surprised to realize that underneath all those stinky rags hid a beautiful woman. Zahrah’s long blonde hair fell more than halfway down her back. Her physical form looked like a painting or sculpture. Her curves, the exact right dimensions. She could be Venus rising from the waters.
In comparison, Candace was short and a little too curvy. Many found her red hair too bright. Muttering, Candace reached for the ties to the rags. She hated letting everyone see her naked.
“Find someplace to rest, Engyl. It looks like we’re putting on a show.”
The bird flew into the tree nearest to the pond and stood watch. Candace dropped the rags all at once and ran into the water. Once near the middle, she sank down and washed hurriedly.
When Zahrah went to leave, Candace stood right behind her, hoping to use the woman to block everyone’s view. When they reached the edge of the water, Andras stood waiting. He reached for Zahrah and turned her this way and that looking her over.
“What are you doing?” Candace asked, indignantly.
“Searching for leaches. Glaw forest is a dangerous place. You are clear, Jiya.”
Andras grasped Candace’s shoulder. She closed her eyes, even as her skin heated. Her face must be as red as her hair. He turned her this way and that, his touch impersonal, and then ran a finger over the mark left by Engyl.
“You are clear of leaches. I have ointment to put on this scratch. We don’t want it becoming infected. I will also find you a hat. Your fair skin will be blistered befo
re you reach the city if we don’t get you covered.” His hands dropped, and Candace opened her eyes.
Andras handed her bundle of clothes to her. “You’ve found your Destined One. Isn’t that what the color in your tattoo means? Why is he not here with you?”
Candace ran a finger over her dragon tattoo before she ripped open the bundle and shook out a large caftan like shirt and drawstring pants of light linen-like material.
“How do you know about magic house tattoos?”
“The king made it a point to learn everything he could of the people who took in Cressida. He shared the information with me.”
“I was attacked by the Marwolaeth. I came through the portal to save myself.” She quickly donned the shirt to hide her nudity before slipping on the pants. “My Destined One wasn’t there to follow me.”
“This is troubling news. I will have to inform, His Majesty. You are a virgin as well, a delicacy to the dragons. You will need to be especially careful once you reach the court.”
“Are they going to eat me?” As if she didn’t already need to be careful.
“Not the way you think. The smell of a virgin attracts and arouses a dragon’s senses. You will have many suitors, but you must stay true to your Destined One.” Andras reached down and picked up the small slippers that came in the package. “Put these on. You must protect your feet.” Candace obediently slipped on the lightweight shoes. Andras wasn’t such a bad guy. But he didn’t have to be so helpful standing right in front of her.
Shaking his head, he walked over to an object sitting on the ground. “Here, try this on your shoulder. I added a strap, but I must mark the holes for the fastener.”
Zahrah now dressed stood waiting, her gaze never leaving Andras. She plaited her long yellow hair into a braid across her shoulder.
Andras measured a strap that went under Candace’s arm and then pulled a tool out of a pocket in his pants. Unlike the linen material she wore, Andras wore pants made of heavy suede-like material in a dark brown. His shirt a light beige color seemed to be a finer blend than the linen she wore. He made a few adjustments and then set the heavy piece of hide on her shoulder and strapped it on. He tugged on it briefly before stepping back.
Fiery Magic Page 4