by Morgan Wylie
A pleasant surprise had, however, come out of Maleina’s betrayal. There was a different woman who was, in fact, linked to the necklace. She had tried to use it to trace back to Maleina, but apparently Maleina was not the one who had commissioned the item. After slaughtering her sacrifice to the elements, the ritual for this particular dark magic was enacted. She would leave the slashed carcasses to be consumed by the large creatures that flew the gray skies and the others that lived in the rocky peaks. The crystal on the necklace was tied to a young woman; the connection was strong. In the smoke screen of the fire, she could see her face and even into her location. Perhaps this was a useful gift after all, She mused with interest. The woman she saw—a soul stealer—was very rare indeed and if the magic around her location was any indication, Maleina had reinforced it recently and knew it as well. She would find her.
She wiped away the blood that was left on her chest, arms, and legs with a piece of cloth she had carried up with her. Turning toward the fire, she threw the cloth into the flames. It ignited with a burst of sparks, nothing to be heard but the hiss and pop of an angry blaze. The scent of blood in the smoke called all the flesh-eating creatures to come and devour what was left for them. She turned and departed through the opening into the mountain, her silky black dress trailing on the ground behind her practically floating over the rocks and stones. Glowing with a new vibrance from her ritual, she was ready for her next move.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
His voice was sincere and concerned. “It will be dangerous. Most that go to Exhile who are not supposed to be there do not come back.” As the king of the Ehsmia, and Kaeleigh’s grandfather, spoke, he looked into the eyes of his granddaughter. She had decided that it was too much to say “great-great-grandfather” and so settled on simply calling him “Grandfather.”
“I understand, but I feel in my soul that I must follow through on this. I promised them,” Kaeleigh said with resolute confidence. Daegan stood by her side and nodded his agreement. Her grandfather’s eyes lit with hope at her declaration.
He nodded in return. “So be it. And may all the magic of the Ehsmia go with you.” Wyéln looked to the Elder Arileas, who nodded his approval, and then to his own wife, Kaeylnísa. She stepped forward next to her husband as he began to speak with an instructional tone.
“There is a way, a hidden portal into Exhile far from the pathways of the Ferriers as they escort the souls beyond, either into the In-Between or into Exhile. However, this portal has never been found in the age of Alandria. Most have disregarded its existence entirely. Its origins date back to the founding of the previous age. I believe our greatest hope to finally find this portal is found in the pages of the book of Lenoria. It is an ancient tome containing the founding documents of that age. It is a living entity unto itself, enriched with the magic and life force of the ‘originators’ long ago.”
Kaeleigh’s grandmother spoke up as he finished, with her gentle voice. “It has been in our guarded care for as long as the Ehsmia have existed. As important as it may prove to be in finding Exhile, it may prove even more important for getting yourselves out.”
“Where is this book?” Daegan asked cautiously.
Her grandparents looked at Kaeleigh, then back at Daegan, and then to everyone in the room.
“We do not know for certain, child. The magic of Alandria helps keep it hidden; the land protects what is her own. You would do well to remember that as well. We do know it is guarded by the Ehsmia, but not here.”
“How, then, do we get it?” Finn asked from where he sat rigidly, arms crossed and scowl firmly in place. Ella sat next to him completely relaxed, quite the opposite of him in almost every way with her white hair and her otherworldliness, as contrasted to Finn, dark and brooding, with more of the mortal realm rubbed off on him.
“You do not,” the king replied without malice. “Kaeleighnna does.”
“Not alone,” Daegan corrected him with no apology.
“Correct, she will not go alone, but she is the key,” Grandfather amended. “She has always been the key. Yes, she is part of the Sol-lumieth, but in the prophecy of her birth she is the key with regard to ‘the book.’”
“I could do with less of these prophecies,” Chel whispered to Hal, who sat next to her on the edge of his seat. He nodded his head with a smile and a wink.
Kaeleigh blew out a sigh, her hand shaking with slight tremors. She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath. It was usually then that she could feel Daegan’s energy sending her waves of peace. Instead, she felt his large masculine hand slide into her own delicate feminine one. Their hands locked like lost puzzle pieces finally fitting together. Instantly, she felt calm. Kaeleigh opened her eyes and looked straight up into his warm gaze watching her protectively. Her heart stuttered a little at the sudden openness she saw within his soul. A slight blush crept up her neck and she turned back to the king and queen, who were unfazed by their quick public display of affection. Chel, however, was beaming from ear to ear as she watched them unabashedly. There was a throat clearing at the front as Arileas stepped up next to the king and queen.
“In the mortal realm, there is a company of Ferrishyn that guard the book. They are more heavily bound by glamour than even you were, Kaeleighnna—of their own choosing—to appear mortal to anyone other than is deemed worthy by Alandria to find them. I believe this realm has chosen you to find the book, and will allow you to do so.” Arileas spoke with a confidence that Kaeleigh suddenly didn’t feel.
“So there’s a chance that she won’t be able to find the map and thereby the book?” Chel asked.
“There is a chance, but I do not believe that is the outcome. I cannot see it clearly, but my heart says it is time for the book to come out of hiding,” Arileas replied.
While he was talking, Kaeleigh had wandered over to one of the walls. Maps of Alandria and each territory, along with drawings of creatures and weapons, were hung strategically on the cavernous walls. There were even maps of the forests as some of them were quite vast. On the opposite wall hung a collection of actual weapons that looked ancient. They had obviously been used at one time, but had been cleaned, leaving only the scars of scratches and knicks in the metal along with wear to the leather of the handles. Kaeleigh reached out her hand to touch the edge of one of the spears that had beautifully engraved symbols and words in an ancient tongue. Before she remembered what had happened in the dungeons at Elnye when she touched the walls, she was in the memory of the weapon.
Flashes of many battles long past flooded her mind. She was aware of what was happening this time where before she couldn’t differentiate what was her mind and the memory of others. This time was different. It wasn’t the memory of different beings, but of the actual weapon itself as it fought in various battles. She could feel the honor and duty it felt at its ability to serve and be what it was created to be. The spear was strong and confident. It was at its best when it felt at one with its wielder—when the wielder was confident and directed its path with precision and decisive execution.
Kaeleigh found it strange to be in the memory of the weapon itself, but there was also something very enlightening in feeling the connection it had. She suddenly heard Daegan saying her name both out loud and in her mind, trying to break her connection to the weapon. She heard him say something about blood and she felt herself let go of the wood with a parting infusion of gratefulness at what she learned.
Falling back into Daegan when she released her hand, she heard him asking her, “Are you all right? Where are you hurt? I felt your pain, but I cannot find the source of the blood.”
“Blood?” Kaeleigh asked as she sat up quickly and looked at her hands covered in blood. Shocked, she wiped her hands on her pants only to realize the blood was slowly disappearing as if never there. No stains. She and Daegan both looked at her hands, turning them back and forth, front and back. Nothing.
“Fascinating,” her grandfather breathed over her head as he too watched along w
ith everyone else in the room.
“I felt pain, are you in any pain?” Daegan asked her again, more direct.
“No, I didn’t feel any pain. Except... well, I could feel what the weapon felt. When it pierced flesh, it didn’t exactly feel pain but it absorbed the pain of whoever it had punctured and took in some of the blood. Maybe somehow I absorbed some of its blood when I touched it? Is that possible?” Kaeleigh looked at Arileas and then at her grandparents. Daegan’s grandmother was also in the room. She was quiet, but considering what Kaeleigh had said.
“I think that is exactly what happened, Kaeleighnna,” Arileas said. “I have never seen it to that degree, but your mother could project images like you can with her magic. Perhaps you can also take in physical experiences. That is something you will have to be very careful to understand. It did not appear to inflict you with the actual pain and injury, but the mental anguish that you might face could be tragic.” Arileas frowned. “In fact, that information does not leave this room. It could be used against you.”
Great. One more thing to “protect Kaeleigh” from, Kaeleigh grumbled in her own mind. Someday she would be the one to guard those she loved. She vowed it to herself then.
“It could also be quite a useful skill, child.” Daegan’s grandmother came up beside her and placed her hand on Kaeleigh’s arm. “Guard it, but do not discount it. It is a part of who you are.” She smiled and patted her hand before walking back across the room in thought.
“So, now what?” Kaeleigh asked, trying to divert the attention from her. “We go to the mortal realm again?” Her eyes lit up with the prospect of possibly getting to see her home and Chel’s parents. She realized that she missed them; she couldn’t imagine how Chel felt having been so far from them.
Everyone turned to look at the Elder Arileas. He sat rigid with his eyes glossed over. “He is having a vision,” Ella spoke as she came up next to him and stood protectively beside him. “We will wait until he has returned to us.” Suddenly Ella remembered the king and queen were there and she took a step back with her head bowed. “Unless you have other instructions. My apologies,” she uttered.
“No apologies necessary, Ella. Your grandfather has been governing for a long time and you now at his side. Your advice here is worth much,” the queen replied with softness.
“Thank you, your majesty.” Ella gave a small smile and stepped back beside Arileas.
Not but a few minutes later Arileas’s eyes cleared and his rigid body relaxed. He took a deep breath and looked around the room. “Time grows short. The darkness is growing. It will not remain contained as it is. I am afraid that we need to not only free the Orchids, but also strengthen our numbers with incredible haste. War is upon us. The Orchids are calling for allies—Alandria needs to know who fights for her.” His deep soulful eyes bored into each of them in the room. “We need to know who is with us.”
“I have allies that will be loyal to me in Adettlyn.” Aidón stepped forward. “I will go to them and prepare the territory of Lumari.” Head bowed and arm raised to his heart, he waited a breath of a second before he looked to the king and queen. “It has been too long. It will be my honor to fight alongside you and yours once again. Not only are you beloved royalty, but I count you as beloved family as well.”
The king had a knowing grin on his face as he nodded his approval. The queen gave a loving glance at Kaeleigh and then back to Aidón. “We are family indeed.” Then her eyes intensified with a smile. “Our people will come together once more.” Kaeylnísa threw off customary protocol and embraced him, uniting the house of the Elves with the Ehsmia. “Make haste, Aidón, surprise will be your ally and stealth your guardian. As much as you will be drawn to your home, to your son, you must find our allies or there will be nothing for you, or any of us, to go back to. The state of Adettlyn will break your heart if you see through its glamour—of this I am sure you will—but stay the path. Your journey will be well received.”
Aidón nodded. “I will leave at first light. Perhaps our scattered departures will bring confusion to those that might be tracking our movements out of this hidden place.”
The Elder along with the royalty nodded and murmured their agreement.
There was more discussion of loyalties, allies, and where they could assemble them once they came. Finn had been talking with Ella off to the side in what was clearly a private conversation, but Ella did not look too happy with the outcome. She sighed then stormed away from him. “So be it.”
Ella spoke out when there was a brief moment of silence between the planning. Arileas and the king had been poring over a map that they had taken down from the wall. “Finn and I will go to the Twined camp and gather the warriors that have been training. It’s time to follow through on our promise. It’s time to give them their chance to be a part of Alandria.”
“Yes,” Kaeleigh interjected confidently. “I could not agree more. They have won my heart. I believe they have won all our hearts. Let them join us and let them call Alandria home, if they so desire.” Suddenly aware that they were all staring at her, Kaeleigh stepped back with a moment of hesitance and insecurity. But then she felt Daegan at her back, strong and solid. She could feel the heat coming off his body. Confidence began rebuilding itself within her.
“Do not back down from any decision you have made. Stand firm in your belief. They respect you,” he whispered right next to her ear, sending shivers all the way down to her toes. His warm breath on her neck made her want to curl up in a ball and snuggle into him. She caught herself leaning back into him and stood tall. She could feel a chuckle silently shake his chest just before he moved back to give her decision space.
Kaeleigh shook her shoulders and regained her stature. She looked at her grandfather and was humbled to see pride in his eyes.
“It is a well-deserved proposal,” Hal spoke up. He had remained quietly observing up to that point. “They have been either ostracized or ignored along with the Shifters of Alandria for far too long. It is a wrong that my family has condoned and I want to make it right.” He paused and took a breath. For some reason, he seemed nervous about what he was to say next. “I would also like to suggest that I go to Mandü tre’ Lan with Chel to find allies among the clans of her race.” Hal’s eyes shifted to where he could see Chel out of their corner, gauging her reaction. It seemed she was surprised by his suggestion, but then perhaps excited about seeing her ancestral home.
“I would like to see where I am from,” Chel said, biting her lip as she thought through the plan. “But what about going with Daegan and Kaeleigh?” She directed her gaze at Hal, knowing he would want to go with Daegan.
“It will be easiest if our journey is quick and focused,” Daegan said.
“Translation: without distraction, quiet, and so you don’t have to watch out for everyone.” Chel winked at him.
“Not exactly, but we will be in situations where fewer people involved will be to our benefit. Stealth in the mortal realm, with beings both good and evil hiding in plain sight, is essential. There are those with dark hearts seeking the same thing we are, and they have been seeking it for centuries. They will not hesitate to murder us without thought if we are discovered. Stealth in Exhile is even more imperative.” He did not intend his words to be a harsh dose of reality, but that was exactly how they came across.
It was quiet for a moment as the weight of what they were all doing settled upon the room. They were fighting for a realm and the future of so many. It was daunting. The air was thick with a united faith in their cause mixed with anxiety and fear of what was to come.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Standing at the entryway into and out of Ehsmia was Aidón. He was surrounded by Kaeleigh and the entire group as they came to wish him well. He checked his weapons to ensure they were securely in place for his journey. One of the Faeries that worked in the kitchen handed Ella a satchel, which she in turn handed to Aidón.
“Food for the journey. It is not much but it is enough
and it will be light for you to carry swiftly.” Ella bowed her head to him before stepping back.
“My thanks to you and gratitude to the hands that prepared it,” Aidón said humbly.
Everyone said their farewells and wished him safe travels back to Adettlyn. Kaeleigh was last to approach him. Hesitant, she stood in front of him, willing herself not to cry. She would see him again. She had to. He was family.
Aidón placed his hands upon her shoulders and looked into her eyes. As if reading her mind, he spoke confidently. “We shall meet again, Kaeleighnna. I would not be here if it were not for you and your friends. We have so little time, but it is our honor to be destined for such a moment of great importance. However, with it comes sacrifice and duty.” Kaeleigh couldn’t speak for fear of losing the emotional net she was barely containing. She nodded, understanding. Aidón looked to Daegan who stood not far from her, then to all of Kaeleigh’s friends. “Take care of one another. You will be tested of your strengths and loyalty to this cause, of this I am sure. Stay true to each other and the light of Alandria. She will guide you and we will meet again.” He placed his fist to his heart honoring them all, then he turned to walk out the portal into his unknown adventure. He would unite those willing to fight for Alandria. He would do all that was necessary to bring peace back to his home of Adettlyn. Even if it meant the death of its dark ruler, his own son.