The Elder Stones Saga Boxset: Books 1-3

by D. K. Holmberg

  “Of course.”

  “We could explore while we’re still here.”

  Rayen glanced over at him. “Won’t that preclude you from recuperating?”

  “Not much. All I need to do is not use my ability for a while. As long as I allow it to recover for a bit, I should be able to Slide us back to Nyaesh.”

  And now that he had managed to rescue Rayen from the ship, he could take her back to Nyaesh and return for the stone. But he didn’t think Rayen would let him do that. There was a look on her face that warned him she wanted to be here.

  “We can take whatever time is needed. Besides, I am curious about this place.”

  “Should we take the stone with us?”

  “I think I can find it again, unless you’re worried about someone else coming upon it?”

  Daniel scanned the empty landscape. There weren’t any birds or animals or any other signs of life. “Not terribly concerned.”

  “I doubt that we need to be concerned, but I will still conceal it.” Rayen crouched in front of the stone, running her hands alongside it. As she did, shadows swirled, blending together, concealing the stone from him. It was subtle at first, but the longer she worked, the more difficult it became for him to make anything else out.

  “That’s impressive.”

  She shrugged. “And probably unnecessary, but I’d rather err on the side of caution.”

  “You think the Ai’thol can track us?”

  “I honestly don’t know what the Ai’thol are capable of.”

  There were some who had the ability to track those who could Slide, though it was a rare power. Rarer still was the ability to influence someone who could Slide. He wouldn’t put it past the Ai’thol to have worked to ensure they had such capabilities, but they had seen no evidence of them having done so.

  Rayen started off across the rock, moving quickly, almost as if drawn in a direction. Daniel followed, glancing back toward the stone as he went, but he didn’t see where she had left it. When he caught up to Rayen, she was moving quickly along the rocky ground. Every so often she would pause, her gaze flicking around her, and then continue onward. With each pause, she changed her direction ever so subtly, enough that he had to wonder what she detected.

  “What are you following?”

  “I’m following the sense of the shadows.”

  “What do you sense?”

  “It would be difficult to explain.”

  “It seems we have some time for you to try.”

  Rayen glanced over, grinning. “Perhaps we do. I am following what I can perceive of a density of shadows.”

  “A density?”

  “Shadows exist around everything. Those who have abilities with the shadows can pick apart that connection and probe for greater access to the shadows. In this case, I can detect a greater connection to shadows.”

  “How can shadows exist around everything? What about sunlight?”

  “The sun creates shadows. It is more difficult, but those with knowledge have the ability to use the shadows found even in bright sunlight.”

  She said nothing more as she continued onward, heading across the land. Daniel followed, silent, focusing on his ability to Slide. How long would it be before that capacity returned fully? Normally, it could take hours before his strength fully recovered, but in this case, he didn’t want to be gone that long. The longer they were gone, the more likely it was that others within Nyaesh would begin to wonder whether something had happened to them. All of the women he had helped rescue would begin to raise the question of whether they had survived, and he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of someone thinking to go after them. They had already lost one ship; they didn’t need to lose another.

  The expanse of rock continued to stretch before him. Everything about it was bleak, desolate, and despite the wind blowing through here, a persistent haze hung overtop everything. Daniel wished for another gust of wind, hoping that perhaps there might be something more that could carry the haze away, making it easier for him to see clearly, but it never came.

  After walking for an hour or so, with little conversation between him and Rayen, they crested a rise. He looked out, noticing the ruins of what had to have been an ancient city far below. A river ran near the ruins, burbling gently. It reminded him of the river in Nyaesh, though it wasn’t nearly as wide as that one, and it didn’t move with quite as much speed.

  “Is that it?” Daniel asked.

  “That must be one of the ancient cities,” Rayen whispered.

  “How many cities were there in Ih?”

  “Dozens. It was once a powerful land, bolstered by the strength of the shadow blessed along with those shadow born.”

  Daniel still marveled at the fact that there was such history here in a land that was so far removed from anything he had known. “We could go down there.”

  She shook her head. “It doesn’t feel right.”

  “Why not?”

  “The city is gone. It’s been gone for years. Centuries. I’d prefer to leave the dead to my memories. I’d rather not disrupt their resting.”

  Daniel nodded. What had she hoped to encounter by coming here? Was it only to see this place, to realize that the remains of Ih were still here, or did she have another purpose?

  “Would Carth have been here?”

  “Carth has traveled extensively, even before I met her. It’s possible that she has.”

  “What do you think she discovered?”

  “It’s hard to say what she might have encountered. Carth goes after an understanding of where she came from. She’s the one who helped me understand the history of Ih and Lashasn.”

  She fell silent again, and Daniel didn’t push. She seemed focused, determined, as if she wanted to have this moment of silence. Far be it from him to be the one to disrupt it.

  Rayen stood there for long moments, and Daniel wandered along the ridgeline, looking down at the city. It had to have been impressive once upon a time, and even now there were remnants, towers that still stood, though the stone was blackened, giving evidence to what Rayen suggested about its destruction.

  Was that understanding how she was detecting the pools of shadows? Whatever it was that she picked up on was interesting and unique. He had no idea how she was able to detect the shadows, though she had no ability to Slide, so perhaps his inability to understand shouldn’t surprise him.

  “Daniel!”

  He turned, sensing the urgency in her voice. “What is it?”

  “There’s something nearby.” She looked around, tipping her head to the side. “I can feel the presence of something—and someone.”

  “Where?” He turned back toward where he thought the stone had been left, though he wasn’t certain.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Your shadows don’t reveal that to you?”

  She shot him a withering look. “Does your ability to Slide allow you to know everyone around you?”

  “No.”

  “We should get moving. If it’s the Ai’thol, then we need to see if we can’t grab the stone and return to Nyaesh. Do you have enough strength to do that?”

  Daniel wasn’t certain. It had been an hour, possibly two since they had arrived here. Would that have been enough for him to recover? Without trying, he wasn’t sure he would know for certain.

  “Now there’s another,” she said.

  “You can detect two people?”

  “It’s possible there are more.” Shadows swirled around her, and Daniel wished he had the same ability to detect others. “Dark night!” she hissed.

  “What is it?”

  She nodded behind them, back in the direction they had come from. “There are at least a dozen.”

  That many meant the Ai’thol—they needed to go.

  Daniel attempted to Slide, reaching for Rayen, but he could feel the struggle within him. His ability wasn’t fully returned.

  “I’m not going to be of much use yet. I can’t even Slide a little,” he said
.

  “It took that much out of you?”

  Daniel nodded. Perhaps he had expended himself far more than he had known. The effort had been intense, incredible, and he had felt just how much power had been involved in trying to tear himself away from the ship, dragging himself with the Slide. He should have known that with as painful as it had been, he would struggle to fully recover. Anytime he’d exerted himself like that before, he’d barely managed to recoup. It shouldn’t surprise him that this time would be no different.

  “Then we must be prepared to fight.”

  “If there are twelve or more Ai’thol, what makes you think we can fight?”

  “We can manage.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “What would you have us do? Run and hide?” She looked all around her. “And where exactly would you have us go? Look around you.”

  Daniel did, motioning to the remains of the city far below. “That’s where we can go.”

  “We can’t go down there.”

  “I think we have to.”

  “That city deserves to be protected. It should not be defiled.”

  “Do you fear your ancestors would be angered by you coming here?”

  Rayen glanced behind her, everything about her still tense and on edge. “I have been taught to respect my family. I was taught that we must treat them with the measure of respect they deserve for the contributions they made so we could live the way we do.”

  “That doesn’t change anything. Going down there doesn’t mean that you suddenly don’t respect them.”

  Daniel didn’t want to force her to do something she was uncomfortable with, but at the same time, he didn’t want to get caught out here by the Ai’thol. There was no good place for them to hide, and he thought the only thing that would keep them generally protected would be going down into the city, where they could disappear among the towers.

  A shout echoed behind them, and Daniel turned to see the Ai’thol in the distance. They stood outlined on the ridge, making their way toward them, though there was still time before they could get to them. He hoped they hadn’t been spotted yet, though it wouldn’t take long before that changed.

  “Rayen. I’m going to go down there.”

  She let out a heavy sigh and finally nodded.

  They hurried down into the city, Daniel glancing back behind him every so often, afraid that perhaps the Ai’thol had seen or heard them moving, but there was no sign of that. As far as he could tell, they remained unnoticed.

  He would keep it that way as long as possible.

  When they reached the outer buildings of the remains of the city, Rayen slowed, her gaze drifting all around her. Daniel grabbed her arm, dragging her with him. If only he could Slide. He hated that he was the reason they were stuck here, though surprisingly, Rayen didn’t seem to mind. Rather, she appeared curious, wishing she could have more time to look around her, though Daniel didn’t dare give her that time. Not until they were safe from the Ai’thol.

  He pointed, motioning to one of the towers in the distance. That would be the most likely place to ensure their safety. Rayen followed, saying nothing, and Daniel began to worry about her. What would happen if it came down to fighting here? Would she view this as too sacred a location to do combat in if it were necessary?

  He knew Rayen and didn’t think she would, expecting her to be far more practical when it came to matters like that, but a part of him still worried.

  They reached one of the towers, and he hid behind it. Rayen followed, staying close, but also remaining generally silent. Perhaps that was for the best. He didn’t want or need her to say too much until they knew what the Ai’thol might do. Hiding here at least gave them the opportunity to take better stock of the situation.

  When the nearest Ai’thol came into view, Daniel pointed.

  Rayen nodded but said nothing more.

  The Ai’thol made their way into the city, moving slowly, quietly, and yet with a determined step.

  Did they know that they were here?

  Daniel thought they had managed to stay ahead of the Ai’thol, and had done so in a way that had kept the Ai’thol from realizing they were there, but perhaps they hadn’t been as successful as he had thought.

  He attempted to Slide, doing so with a single step, nothing more than that, and still couldn’t.

  Either they would have to hide here, or they would have to fight. The idea of hiding became less and less likely the longer they were here. Yet he didn’t like their odds if they were forced to fight and there were as many Ai’thol as he suspected.

  Rayen remained silent, and Daniel motioned. The nearest of the Ai’thol were almost within reach. He thought he could get to them, and if he could, maybe he could take one of them down. It would involve fighting, and he didn’t know if he was up to it. Would the weakness he felt following the Slide that had brought him here overwhelm him in a way that would keep him from even being able to fight? He had been training, working with the sword, so he wasn’t unskilled.

  There was no chance for him to decide. One of the Ai’thol came around the corner, appearing in view, and Daniel unsheathed, cutting through the Ai’thol before the man had an opportunity to realize they were there and reveal their presence to others.

  As he fell, his body bleeding out on the ground, Daniel looked over to Rayen. It seemed as if the sudden appearance of the Ai’thol had triggered something within her.

  She looked over with a start, grabbing her own sword and nodding. “I’m ready.”

  “Good. I don’t know what we might have to do, but we should be prepared for the possibility that it will involve taking down every Ai’thol that comes in here.”

  “Like I said, I am ready.”

  Daniel decided not to push. If Rayen said she was ready, he believed she would be. They dragged the fallen Ai’thol back, keeping him out of sight so others wouldn’t realize he had fallen, and they waited.

  They didn’t have to wait very long. Two Ai’thol appeared. When they did, they seemed surprised by the fact that Daniel and Rayen were there. Daniel launched himself forward, swinging his sword, and the Ai’thol started to flicker, his attempt at Sliding. But Daniel reacted, catching him before he could finish the Slide. If he had disappeared, the others would have converged.

  With that one down, he glanced over to see that Rayen had managed to defeat the other Ai’thol.

  They nodded to each other, and together they dragged the two fallen Ai’thol back, away from the edge, and away from the possibility of detection.

  That was three. If Rayen had picked up on twelve, they still had quite a few to handle before they ensured their safety.

  He peeked his head around the corner, noticing that three more Ai’thol converged. He jerked his head back, motioning for Rayen. Shadows began to drift away from her.

  “There are four coming toward us.”

  “Four?” Daniel started to poke his head back around, but Rayen grabbed him, pulling him back into place. “Are you sure?”

  She arched a brow at him. “Quite.”

  Even if they could handle four Ai’thol, it likely wouldn’t be quiet. The attack would draw attention, and he had wanted to avoid any unnecessary attention in order to ensure they got out of here alive.

  Fighting might not be safe.

  The tower behind them might be their only protection.

  Daniel nodded to Rayen, motioning for her to follow, and they disappeared into the darkness of the tower. From here, he thought he could find a place to hide, at least gather some time to determine their next step.

  But that depended upon the tower having enough capacity to hide them.

  Steps led down.

  Down might trap them, but at the same time, once his ability to Slide returned, they wouldn’t be trapped. All they needed was time in order to ensure their ongoing safety.

  As he started down, Rayen grabbed his arm, frowning.

  “We just need to buy ourselves some time,” he whispered.
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  “And if we are forced to fight down here?”

  “If we’re forced to fight, then we fight.”

  She nodded, saying nothing more.

  Daniel continued down into the dark. With his enhanced Sight, he didn’t struggle as the daylight began to fade, disappearing into greater and greater shadows. He glanced over to Rayen, wondering if she would struggle, but saw darkness fading away from her.

  “You’re using the shadows?” he asked.

  “There is some benefit to being shadow born.”

  “You can manipulate them in order to see clearly?”

  “Sometimes. In places like this, pulling away the shadows doesn’t necessarily make it lighter, but it does make it easier for me to see. At least I won’t stumble down the stairs and fall to my death.”

  Daniel grinned, and they continued to make their way down. They reached a landing, and he was surprised to see that it was tiled. He was even more surprised to see that it remained completely intact. As they wandered, he paused, listening to see if the Ai’thol would follow, but there was no indication of that.

  “I think that we—”

  Something appeared in front of him.

  Daniel darted forward, swinging his sword, prepared for whatever it was that might come toward them, but he swung toward nothing.

  Which meant the Ai’thol had found them.

  And if the Ai’thol had found them, they were Sliding, and it wouldn’t be long before they appeared again.

  Daniel darted forward, swinging his sword, racing into the darkness of this level. He had no idea what he would find down here, but he continued to race, glancing over to Rayen, who followed. Shadows pushed away from her, and the longer they were down here, the clearer the shadows became to him.

  Everything ended in a section of wall.

  Daniel paused, placing his hands on either side of it, spinning around to look backward. There was still no evidence of the Ai’thol having returned, but he knew they would come soon.

  “This is an ancient temple,” Rayen whispered.

  “How do you know?”

  “The design. The temples of Ih were always below ground, celebrating the darkness and the shadows.”

  “Then we’re trapped here. I suppose we can fight our way out, but I’m still not strong enough to Slide us from here.”