The Elder Stones Saga Boxset: Books 1-3

by D. K. Holmberg

  He lunged forward, driving with the sword, twisting around as he kicked at their leg, wanting to surprise them if nothing else.

  One of the men jumped, and Daniel spun, jumping over one of the attackers.

  Maybe if he disrupted whatever they were doing, however they were managing to hold on to them, Lucy would be able to get them free.

  One of the men jumped toward him, driving his sword at him, and Daniel brought his blade up, barely in time to block.

  “Daniel!”

  One of the other men lunged toward him, and Daniel dropped, rolling off to the side, kicking out with his sword. Heat radiated from them where their swords blurred over him. Rayen had tried to instill in him that he needed to be prepared for the possibility that his powers might fail him at the most inopportune time. Had he not had such training—different from the way the tchalit taught—he might not have been prepared for the possibility of the attack.

  Someone slammed into him, and he staggered to the side, swinging his sword around. Had he not, the next blade might have taken off his arm.

  He lunged, twisting and driving his sword up, and caught one of the men in the shoulder.

  He twisted his sword as he withdrew, turning toward the other.

  The man pushed out, and heat radiated from him.

  Daniel staggered back.

  He caught himself, and as he did, he realized that whatever they had been doing to separate him from his ability to Slide was gone.

  He grabbed Lucy and Slid, bringing them back to the tavern.

  He stood panting, and Lucy watched him. “What was that?” she asked.

  “That is the same sort of attack we faced the other night.”

  “What type of magic do they have?”

  “Rayen claims it’s similar to what Carth has, but she doesn’t know why they’re here.”

  “We need to know, especially if they aren’t just here but in Thyr.”

  And if they were in Thyr, where else might they be?

  10

  Lucy

  As they returned to the tavern, Lucy kept her attention on Daniel. With his deep green eyes, hair that had grown out in the time they’d been away, and beard, he looked like a different man than the one she’d left Elaeavn with. Still handsome, but there was less of the casual arrogance to him than before. It made him more appealing, though she would never tell him that.

  From watching him—and Reading him—she could tell that he was troubled by the attack, though she shared some of his discomfort. It wasn’t so much that they had been attacked as it was the violent nature of it. She had been looking with Carth for C’than, and these men didn’t strike her as those who served the C’than, though there was something more to them than what she knew.

  “You should stay here,” Daniel said. “I’m going to find Rayen, and—”

  Lucy shook her head. “I think if anyone needs to remain here, it would be you. You were shaken up.”

  “Only because they kept us from Sliding.”

  Without meaning to, she Read him and could practically feel the discomfort within him. Daniel wasn’t accustomed to being unable to control with his abilities. He might never have spent considerable time trying to master them, but using them had always come easily to him. He had learned to fight while Sliding, and so much of his technique seemed to be connected to his ability to Slide. Surprisingly, a significant part of his identity was tied up in his ability to Slide, as if he would be less if he were unable to do so. Daniel still struggled with the idea that there were others in the world who were powerful, many of them considerably so, and quite a few of those with power had far more than the people of Elaeavn. Daniel had never been controlled the way Lucy had, had never had to worry about someone reaching into his mind, forcing themselves upon him. Those experiences granted her a different appreciation for the types of power that existed. It was that kind of power Carth wanted to find.

  “You’re Reading me again, aren’t you?”

  She turned away, aware that he was trying to place his mental barriers, but they weren’t stout enough to prevent her from dipping into his mind. It wasn’t that he was weak—far from it—but the fact of the matter was that the implant had significantly augmented both her ability with Sliding and her ability to Read. Most of the time, she Read without fully realizing what she was doing.

  “I’m sorry. I know that I shouldn’t, and I know that—”

  Daniel grabbed her arm, turning her to face him. “I’m not angry that you’re Reading me. It was a little disconcerting at first, but the more used to it I get, the more I realize that I don’t have anything to hide from you.”

  She resisted the urge to say anything. Even if he wanted to hide from her, he couldn’t. His emotions were right in the forefront of his mind, far too easy for her to uncover. Many of those made her blush, or they had when she had first detected them. Knowing how he felt about her no longer made her react the same way, though it did seem as if his interest had changed somewhat. It was almost as if he had begun to realize she had changed, and with that change, anything he had hoped for with her had also shifted.

  For his sake, it might be easier if he returned to Elaeavn. There was much he could do if he went. Returning to Elaeavn would allow him the opportunity to rejoin his family, to take his place upon the council and eventually lead the city. Now that he had experienced more of the world, she had to think that Daniel would make a much better leader for their people.

  And yet, as she became aware of his thoughts, she recognized that he had no interest in leaving. In his mind, this was a fight he needed to be a part of, as if he somehow had to help her, as if she needed his saving.

  If only he understood the truth.

  While he had helped her Slide away from the attack near Venass, she wondered if she might have been able to escape on her own. She hadn’t forced her way that much, and in her brief period of panic, she hadn’t taken the opportunity to Read their attackers, though she was tempted to return. If she did, there might be much she could uncover about them.

  Which was why she intended to go back.

  From what Daniel had told her—and what she Read of him—Rayen had a way of getting past whatever it was these men did. She wasn’t restricted by their magic the way Lucy and Daniel were, and because of that, Lucy was hopeful that, working with Rayen and her shadows, they might have an opportunity to Read them. This was the kind of thing Carth wanted.

  “Everyone has secrets that they want to keep,” she finally said.

  “Maybe before,” Daniel said.

  “You don’t anymore?”

  “I don’t know about much anymore.” He turned away, and the conflicted nature of his emotions surged within him. “Do you know that I spent my entire life assuming I would take a place on the council?”

  Lucy turned back to him, meeting his deep green eyes. He rubbed a hand across his jawline, scratching at his beard. There was a new intensity to him since they’d been gone, too. “I do know that you assumed you would sit on the council. Most within the palace assumed the same thing.”

  “Do you realize how pompous that was?”

  “Why would it be pompous?”

  “Because it meant assuming that I would be elevated to that point.”

  “Your father was grooming you to take that role.”

  “I know, but others within our family would be equally well suited to taking on leadership of the Elvraeth.”

  It intrigued her that he shared this with her. Even more intriguing was that he wasn’t just telling her this, but he actually felt it. “You wouldn’t have been the first one to assume a place on the council like that.”

  “I know that Cael Elvraeth was promoted in a similar way, but Cael had a different reason to do so. She had gained an understanding of the sacred crystals and had returned with it.”

  “That’s not why Cael was promoted to serve on the council,” Lucy said.

  “It’s not?”

  She smiled. “If you had s
pent any time in the library, you might have gained a better understanding of the history of Elaeavn.”

  Daniel’s nose wrinkled at the mere idea that he would spend time in the library. It was almost enough to make her laugh. “I’m not sure I’m the right person to have spent time there.”

  “Obviously.”

  Daniel grinned at her. “What else is there to the story?”

  “Well, according to what I’ve read, Cael and Galen helped to secure the city during the attack. Her father had been working against the city, and when that was discovered, he lost all his credibility.”

  “I worry that my father was involved,” Daniel said.

  “Why?”

  She focused on him, trying to Read him, and detected the discomfort within him. This was not something he wanted to admit, even to himself. It was almost as if he tried to hide it from himself, to wrap his mind in such a way that he would prevent even himself from remembering.

  But the details were there.

  As he thought about what he referred to, Lucy could see it. There was a ship—a C’than ship, she was certain—and a visit to Elaeavn. Daniel had watched the tchalit carry something to the palace. They had delivered it to his father and the rest of the council.

  “You know why,” Daniel said.

  Lucy nodded. “I do now.”

  “I don’t know for sure that he was involved, but the timing is suspect.”

  “It’s more than just the timing, isn’t it?”

  “It’s something that Lareth said.”

  “Carth doesn’t think Alera was acting alone.”

  “She doesn’t?”

  Lucy shook her head. “I wish I could Read her better; then I might be able to understand what Carth is after. But she worries that Alera might have had help. And if she had help, Carth worries…” About what? Lucy wasn’t entirely sure why that would upset Carth, only that it did.

  “I didn’t know you’d been spending that much time with her.”

  “Occasionally. I’ve been helping her Slide places.”

  Daniel grinned. “That explains it, then. Most of the Binders have been acting as if she was suddenly gone again, but Rayen hadn’t seemed all that perturbed by it.”

  “She has been around Rayen.”

  “I gathered that, now. I didn’t realize you had been helping Carth Slide.”

  “She has been looking to see if others were involved in what took place, but we haven’t uncovered anything yet.”

  “Where have you been looking?”

  Lucy looked away.

  “You can’t tell me. That’s fine. I understand that Carth keeps things to herself.”

  “It’s more than that.”

  “How so?”

  “It’s not so much that Carth keeps things to herself as it is that I don’t really know where we’ve been looking. She’s had me Sliding all over.” As someone who had considered herself something of a scholar, that troubled her. She should know where she’d been.

  “That must be exhausting.”

  “Not as much as it once would have been.”

  An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Lucy turned back to him. “You should rest. I’m going to talk to Rayen.”

  “Why?”

  “There something I need to check on.”

  “And you don’t want me there.”

  “That’s not it.”

  Daniel shook his head. “It is, but that’s fine.”

  He took a seat on the bed, and Lucy paused for a moment before heading out of the room. She tried not to feel anything about leaving him like this, knowing it was necessary, but she couldn’t ignore the pain he felt. It was almost enough for her to pause and go back to him. He had left the city on her behalf, and everything that had happened to him was because of how he felt about her.

  She needed to be more forthright with him. Through all the time he had chased her while in Elaeavn, she had never really pushed him away, but partly that was because Daniel Elvraeth was perfectly nice, and if her parents were determined to pair her off with one of the Elvraeth, then she could do a lot worse than Daniel. The problem was that she hadn’t wanted to be within the palace even when she had been in Elaeavn. Now that she had left, now that she was trying to get a sense of how to better use her newfound abilities, she didn’t think she could return to the city.

  In the time since the attack, she hadn’t felt any real urgency to do so. That should be troubling, and yet it didn’t bother her at all. Other than Haern and the people within the forest, there really wasn’t anything for her in Elaeavn. Then again, it was more than that. If she were to go to Elaeavn, she would feel like an outsider. With her augmentation, she didn’t know whether she could even tolerate being within the city.

  Lucy took a deep breath and Slid down to the main part of the tavern. At least here, there wasn’t the same overwhelming sense of activity. Many of the Binders had discovered techniques to mask their thoughts. Not all of them were effective, but they muted them in a way that made it much less painful to her. She could tolerate being here in a way she couldn’t tolerate other places. It allowed her the opportunity to relax, to unwind and think.

  Taking a seat in one of the corners, Lucy looked around. No minstrel played today, and the entirety of the tavern was much quieter than it often was. There was the sound of voices all around, but not so loud that she couldn’t enjoy sitting by herself.

  It didn’t take long for Rayen to find her.

  Lucy hadn’t told Daniel, but she had known that Rayen was here, and though Rayen was able to mask her thoughts, like many of the Binders, she wasn’t able to do so nearly as well as she believed she could. The only person Lucy had been around whom she couldn’t Read easily was Carth. It suggested to her that whatever Carth was able to do, and whatever quiet she was able to maintain over her thoughts, came from more than her connection to the shadows. Perhaps it was tied to whatever fire abilities she possessed, or perhaps there was more to it.

  Lucy looked up and nodded to Rayen. The other woman took a seat across from her, resting her elbows on the table. Rayen was slight of build and quite a bit shorter than Lucy, and she had long black hair. Much about her resembled Carth, and though Lucy didn’t believe they were related, that had to be some distinctive feature of their shared heritage.

  Rayen grinned at her. “I suspect you need something—otherwise, you wouldn’t have come here.”

  “Is that the only reason I would come?”

  “The only reason you would spend any time here.”

  “I’ve been working with the Binders.”

  “You’ve been working with them only as much as you thought you needed to.”

  “Carth thinks I need to work with them to help protect my mind better.”

  “I’m sure that’s true. Has it been working?”

  Lucy only shook her head. “Not as well as I would like.”

  “In time you’ll figure it out. Either that, or you won’t be able to tolerate it anymore and will end yourself.”

  Lucy frowned at Rayen. “That doesn’t really reassure me.”

  “Everyone has to find their own understanding of their abilities.” Rayen leaned back, looking around the tavern. “Many of these women have no real abilities of their own. Oh, they have some talent, but it isn’t the same as what you possess.”

  “Or you.”

  “Or me. Then again, I never attempted to make it seem like I had any other abilities than what I did.”

  “Is your point that I will be able to gain an understanding of my abilities because these women have?”

  “Most of these women didn’t have anything, and so for them to learn to control it required them to focus and to better understand what their powers meant. The same thing could be said for you. In time, you will better understand your abilities.”

  Lucy smiled, and her connection to Rayen and her thoughts gave her a bit more insight than what Rayen was saying. Much about Rayen reminded Lucy of Carth. Both women were very
blunt, matter-of-fact, but whereas Carth always seemed to be hiding something, she didn’t get that sense from Rayen. With Rayen, what she heard from the woman was what she was. Lucy appreciated that about her. How could she not?

  “Daniel and I encountered something.”

  “What sort of something?”

  “From the way he described it, I suspect it’s similar to what the two of you dealt with on that ship.”

  Rayen sat upright. “Where was this?”

  “Thyr.”

  “Why were you there?”

  “Because of me.”

  “Did the Ai’thol take you there?”

  “I find it difficult to remember everything they did to me and with me. I think so, though it’s just as possible that I only have fabricated images of it.”

  “How long ago was this?”

  “Not long.”

  Rayen looked around the tavern. “That’s why you came here for me.”

  Lucy nodded. “The attack happened too quickly. Whatever was happening, we need to get a better understanding of why.”

  “This is not the Ai’thol,” she said.

  “I didn’t think it was. I would recognize the Ai’thol.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Quite.”

  Getting to her feet, Rayen waited for Lucy. She held out her arm, and a flicker of understanding came to Lucy. Rayen had traveled with Daniel enough times that she understood how Sliding worked, much like she understood its limitations. Despite that, they hadn’t worried her.

  “Do you think anyone else should come with us?”

  “I don’t know that anyone else would be of much help.”

  “We were attacked by five men. They prevented us from Sliding.”

  “And yet you returned.”

  “Daniel was able to disrupt whatever they were doing long enough for us to Slide.”

  “I don’t fear the S’al.”