“You wanted revenge,” he said darkly, “and now you may have it.”
Rain looked from the fire to him and then back to the girl, who watched her with wide eyes. “I don’t want it anymore,” she argued. “Please, Aziz.” Her weakness disgusted him. She could see it in his face.
“You will do this, because I command you to do so!”
Her arm started to lift on its own. With all her strength she tried to stop it, but she couldn’t. Aziz was moving her like a marionette.
“Aziz,” she pleaded. His face, a mask of cold anger, did not falter from its focus. Her hand pulled, ready to shoot forward and release the flames.
“One last chance, Rain,” he said. “Do this, or I shall make you myself.”
Rain could only shake her head in horror and disbelief. He was really going to force her to light the tiny girl on fire. All that talk from Elex about Aziz being able to control her had been true. She had lost her independence; her ability to decide what she would or would not do. The realization angered her fiercely. Her blood boiled in outrage that someone would take this power from her. Most of her life choices had been dictated to her. This was supposed to be her freedom from that, and yet now she found herself bound to another’s decree, stronger than ever before.
Her eyes looked back to Elex, regardless of what Aziz would think. She no longer cared. Elex returned her gaze silently. She could see how worried and panicked he was, but he made no move toward her.
“So be it,” Aziz declared.
Rain felt her muscles tense, her arm pulling back further, the ball of fire aimed at the manacled girl. As her arm flew forward Rain let out a scream that reverberated off the walls around them.
“NO!”
The fire was released.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The air was crisp with the fresh scent of a new season beginning. Soon the spring showers would fall and bring to life all the magnificence that was Eden in the Spring and Summer. There was nothing like the Capital during the warmer months. People were more joyful, happy to be outdoors after the long, cold months. A feeling of energy would flow through the city like a tangible force. Callum loved his home during the summer. He had missed so many years of it.
Breathing in the smell of wet grass and melted snow, he took a moment to glance up at the sun’s position in the sky. They’d been riding hard all morning. His brother seemed to favour this fast pace, the same as he had set on their way home from the south. Not that he was complaining. The sooner they got to where they were headed, the sooner he could return to his wife and unborn child. That was the problem though, wasn’t it? Where were they headed? To go to Ramel would be pointless since they all knew Aziz was not there. His own people had wanted nothing to do with him for years now.
There had been stories of him being up in the mountains, north-east, but the range there was vast and wide. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Callum, Jameson, and Turk had argued over it all morning. None of them could agree on where to start. Even though Callum had been Aziz’s ally for many years, he couldn’t provide them with anything helpful.
For now they rode eastward, with Jameson in the middle, and Callum and Turk on either side. It was funny to him how natural this all felt. Callum had spent a good part of his life hating the two men he rode with now, blaming them for his unhappiness. A misplaced hatred, he saw now. One he wished he could take back, while at the same time wouldn’t, because then he would have never met his Rose. Life worked in mysterious ways. He had to believe all things happened for a reason, even though he knew Aziz had pushed things in certain directions with his own purpose in mind. Well that would be remedied. Aziz would learn to not cross Elrond’s sons.
“Do you think it wise to stop, my lord?” Turk asked, breaking the comfortable silence, aside from the sounds of their steeds’ hooves.
Jameson chuckled. “I’m going to take it from that eloquent question that you need a rest, old friend?”
Callum grunted in amusement. Turk smiled.
“I am not too old to outride you, my King,” he replied false sweetness. “However, I do think it would be a smart decision to let the rest of the men take a moment to regain their strength before we cross the Giants Hills. Once we reach the sands on the other side it will be tough travelling.”
Jameson nodded solemnly. “Wisely stated as always.” Turk shook his head in exasperation from Jameson’s cheeky grin. Callum wondered how Turk had put up with his brother for so long. It took a lot of patience to deal with the childlike humour his brother exuded.
“Shall I call a halt?” Callum asked in an attempt to keep them on track.
“Yes, we’ll stop just up there at the base of the hills. Make sure to have everyone eat and drink enough. The sands are not easy, especially on a man’s thirst.”
Callum broke off from the two and headed back through the lines, spreading his brother’s orders. He pulled up beside his Captain, Stefan, who rode in the middle of the procession.
“How are you faring?” he asked, looking at the man who had slowly become a confidant to him during his years in the north.
Stefan shrugged in the casual way that was typical of him. The man never showed much emotion in any sense. He was always calm, no matter the situation. It was one of the things Callum liked most about him.
“The men seem in good spirits. The day is comfortable and we are making good time,” he answered rationally. “I have no complaints.”
“Good,” he replied. “We will rest near the Giants Hills before crossing to the sands.”
“Do we head to Ramel?” he asked, turning to look at Callum. Callum could see that Stefan did not think it was a smart choice, which pleased him. He liked that his Captain was as quick as he should be.
“What do you think?” he countered.
Another shrug. “It would be a waste of time, in my opinion. But I do not lead us.”
No venom in those words. His men had accepted Callum’s decision with no argument, save the one who had attempted to murder Jameson on the battlefield. That treasonous act had been dealt with swiftly, and it was made clear that Callum would not accept such things. No one else spoke up or made issue. From what he could see, the two armies were getting along well enough. There was still a slight divide, but more and more the men from different parts of Eden were finding a common middle ground. The northern men were much harder, less jovial than those in central Eden. It came from a harder life living in the mountains. This made it more difficult for the two groups to get along, but he could see it slowly happening.
“I believe we will head north-east, but Jameson wants to venture as close to Ramel as he can to attract attention. He’s hoping Hakim will come out to meet us before we reach his city,” Callum confided.
“Do you think the leader of the Sand People has information on the sorcerer’s whereabouts?”
Now it was Callum’s turn to shrug. “I have no idea, but if anyone was going to keep a tab on Aziz, it would be Hakim. No one who takes a throne away from someone like Aziz rests easily. I’m sure he doesn’t let Aziz far from his sight.”
“I’d sleep with one eye open if I were him,” Stefan commented.
“And I,” Callum agreed.
The Giants Hills weren’t quite what Aiden would have classified as ‘hills’. They were borderline mountains in his personal opinion. The army made its way along the winding roads that led up to the top, before descending on the opposite side. To say it was slow going would be putting it mildly. With as many men as they had, it felt like it was taking them days. He could sense their exhaustion, despite the quick rest they had just enjoyed at the base of the hills.
Ty trotted along slowly, seemingly unbothered by the incline in the terrain. The sun was hot on his neck as Aiden leaned forward in the saddle in a desperate attempt to ease some of the pressure off his tailbone. Riding a horse was nowhere near as comfortable as a car. It was times like this, that he actually wished Eden was a bit more advanced than th
eir medieval ways.
“I’m soooo bored,” Logan complained from beside him. Aiden turned to look at his friend with a look of agreement.
“If you think this is bad,” Stefan remarked from behind them, “wait until we hit the sand lands.”
Aiden turned in his saddle to glance back at the northerner. “Have you been there before?” he asked curiously.
Stefan nodded solemnly. “Brutus sent me years ago on Aziz’s orders. He wanted to know what Hakim was up to.” From the sound of his voice, Aiden guessed Stefan hadn’t been too happy with the directive. “This might be taking long because of the ascent, but trust me when I say, it’s better than the hot sands we’re headed to.”
“I don’t know if that’s even possible,” Logan groaned.
The northern soldier chuckled. “Try having the sun beating down on you with ten times the heat we feel now, while your horse struggles through deep sand and your face is assaulted with the grit no matter how well you cover it.”
With a loud sigh Logan gave in. “I suppose that sounds marginally worse.”
“Wait until we’re there, and then tell me what you think,” Stefan held.
Aiden rode in silence, listening to the distant hum of others’ conversation, and the rhythmic beat of the horses’ hooves. He kept an eye on the sky, instinctively. Not that he really thought the winged man would reappear, but he was no fool. Aziz would know that they were headed toward him, and there was no doubt in Aiden’s mind that he was keeping a close eye on their progress. What better way to do that than from an aerial view?
He wondered what it would be like to have wings. Unconsciously he flexed his back, imagining having two extra appendages protruding from there. When he was a child he had been obsessed with the notion of flying. His father had once told him the story of Icarus and Aiden had wished he could try flying immediately after, despite how things had ended for poor Icarus. That same night he remembered having a vivid dream of a young boy, probably no more than 5, with dark hair and crystal eyes that looked as though he could see right through Aiden. He’d had the most beautiful wings, and Aiden had woken up feeling incredibly jealous of the little boy. It had felt so real that it had needed his mother telling him repeatedly that it was just a dream for him to forget it.
He remembered it now though. The image was as clear in his mind as it had been the day he dreamt it. It was funny how memories from childhood snuck up like that. If he closed his eyes he could probably see the same look of despair that had been on the child’s face. Aiden couldn’t imagine looking so unhappy when you had the ability to take off and fly anywhere.
Now would be an ideal time for wings, he thought achingly. His butt would certainly not be as sore as it was. They were cresting the top of the hill now, slowly. Aiden took a look around with a sense of awe. This was the first time he’d been this high up, and the land of Eden that lay below him was simply breathtaking. He could just make out the city walls in the distance, the Great Forest beyond. The mountains in the north still sat in all their magnificence, still towering high above them, even at this height.
Turning to the east, Aiden saw for his first time the lands of the Sand People. Ty stopped at Aiden’s slight tug on the reins. He sat there, looking out at the miles of desert beneath him. The base of the hills was still green with grass, and then it abruptly faded out to sand. It was like there was a line drawn separating the lush vegetation from the dry terrain. The wind had picked up, blowing clouds of sand like a veil concealing the city of Ramel.
What it didn’t hide was the group of riders currently making their way in their direction. Aiden pushed Ty forward, moving out of line so he could ride up to where Jameson and Callum rode. They turned with eyebrows raised in a similar expression. It was the first time Aiden could see the family resemblance in their features.
“We have a group of riders headed this way,” he said, falling in step with them.
Both men turned to the east with squinted eyes. “I don’t see anything,” Callum commented.
“Nor I,” Jameson added. “Turk,” he continued, turning in the saddle to where the Captain and Diana rode. “Do you see anything?”
Turk looked, his eyes narrowed into tiny slits. He shook his head. “I can’t see a thing with all that dust in the air.”
They all looked to Aiden. “They’re there,” Aiden insisted. He looked back over, seeing the group easily even amongst the sandstorm. “There are ten of them it looks like. Two are holding banners on the outside.”
“What do the banners look like?” Jameson asked.
“Blue, with two moons and a star in the middle.”
“It’s Hakim,” Callum announced. “They must have been watching for us.”
“Interesting,” muttered Jameson. “Looks like they want to head us off before we get anywhere near Ramel.”
“Probably wouldn’t make his people too happy to have a huge army invade their city, even though we have no quarrel with them,” the Captain observed.
“This will save us time anyway,” Callum noted. “If we don’t have to go as far East as Ramel, it will save us a couple days of hard travel. Let’s just hope Hakim can point us in the right direction.”
Jameson hummed in agreement. “Yes, let’s. I’m surprised Hakim himself would make this journey. I don’t think he’s left Ramel since he took it from Aziz.”
“What does he need to worry about now?” Turk grunted. “Aziz’s full attention is on us for the time being.”
Jameson looked over at Aiden curiously. “You can really see them?” he asked.
“You can’t?” Aiden returned. By the looks on their faces Aiden knew the answer. He gave them a shrug. “I guess I have good eyesight,” he said as explanation. He looked back at Diana with a smile. “You can thank Diana for that one.” Diana smiled back, but Aiden could tell it was forced and slightly strained. Had he said something wrong? Her smile was gone as quickly as it had appeared as she turned her face away from him to peer off to the east. Lately he’d been getting the strangest feeling that he was missing something, but he had no idea what.
“Tell the troops we’ll be stopping at the base of the hills before we cross to the sands,” Jameson ordered. “Let’s wait for Hakim to come to us. No sense in going to him if he’s already headed this way.”
“And that decision wouldn’t have anything to do with your distaste for the desert, would it, my lord?” Turk asked sarcastically.
Jameson grinned widely. “Not at all.”
The small group of riders reached them an hour later. Aiden was starting to think maybe he imagined them just as someone called out that they were close. Standing up from where he was resting between Moose and Logan, he quickly mounted Ty and headed over to the King. Jameson asked him to be a part of the group that would meet with them. It never ceased to surprise Aiden when the King made these sorts of requests. Why the King wanted Aiden so involved was beyond him. He was just a kid from some other world.
Aiden, Callum, Jameson and Turk rode out to meet the convoy a little off from where their army sat. A man in his forties sat slightly in front of the others. His skin was a dark bronze covered in a long, greying beard. White robes reached down to his ankles. His wrists and fingers were decorated in gold jewellery. Set in one ring was a massive ruby that glittered in the sun. Aiden wondered how much money was on this man alone, never mind his soldiers behind him who also sported various pieces of gold. Both ears were pierced with gold studs. Under thick, dark brows were eyes so brown they could have been black. He offered a small smile and nod when they approached.
“Hakim,” Jameson greeted warmly.
“High King,” he replied in an accented, deep voice. “It has been too long.”
“That is has. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
The leader of the Sand People laughed gently. “I’m sure you’re well aware of why I am here, Jameson. Let us not feign ignorance. I don’t think either of us has the time for such things.”
“H
ow did you know we were coming?” Jameson asked, getting to the point.
“My men have been watching these hills for weeks. We knew it was only a matter of time before you went after the sorcerer,” he answered. “I’d rather avoid your men coming into Ramel, if you don’t mind. My people are far removed from the disputes of the rest of Eden,” he continued, his eyes moving to glance at Callum then back to Jameson. “I see some have been resolved at least.”
Jameson nodded, his face void of his usual humour, now the serious look of a King doing his job. “We have called a truce, my brother and I. Aziz has been playing us both for fools, and we intend to remedy that offence.”
“I am surprised it took you this long to figure it out,” Hakim commented.
“At least we are both alive to realize it,” Callum added. Hakim turned slowly to look at the younger Prince, his eyes cold.
“And how do we know you have really ended your allegiance to Aziz? A decade is a long time to work as allies.”
“He is my brother,” Jameson interrupted. “I trust him.”
Hakim snorted, unimpressed. “Trust is such a fickle thing, High King. Be wise about who you entrust it to.”
“Noted. Now, do you know where Aziz’s location is? I’m assuming you must know something. If I were to steal a city from someone like Aziz, I’d be sure to keep a close eye on his whereabouts.”
A sardonic look passed over the other man’s face. “I’m sure you knew where Callum was, just as everyone else did,” he replied calmly.
Jameson sat up straighter. Aiden could see the anger fill his face. “I have already told you that I trust my brother now,” he gritted through clenched teeth. “It would be wise for you to drop these remarks and focus on our current problem.”
They stared at one another in tense silence. Aiden felt an overwhelming urge to shift in his seat, but he sat still so as not to betray how uncomfortable he felt. He wasn’t sure if he liked this leader of the Sand People. Although he partly understood the man’s suspicion, he still didn’t like the way he was speaking to Jameson.
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