Hex Breaker (The Fenearen Chronicles Book 1)

by Taryn Noelle Kloeden

I suppose they had to be. The Kyreans tried to eliminate them, as well as your kind and mine.

  While that's true, it does not excuse their cruelty.

  Their conversation lapsed as Lonian urged the team to quicken their pace. When the convoy skated over the border and past the Sylrian patrols, the dogs were fed and released from their harnesses. Lonian accompanied Rayna and Mina into his tent. Mina stayed close to Rayna. She was sometimes nervous among these strange, nomadic people, but Rayna felt at ease with her long-lost cousins.

  Lonian's expression turned serious. “Rayna and Mina, I am happy to escort you both to your intended destination. But I would appreciate it if you would first tell me where that is.” His voice was friendly and calm, but Mina fidgeted uneasily.

  Rayna hesitated. “Lonian, I want to tell you the truth.”

  “A good place to start. Garrison seemed mighty interested in you, Rayna, and you say he had been ordered to hand you over to Councilor Terayan alive for some unknown reason. Also, I have not seen a Fenearen this far north for a very long time.”

  Rayna licked her lips. “We’re going to Mount Keleapath, the Eye of Heaven.”

  Lonian’s eyes bulged. “Do you understand how dangerous that is?”

  Mina looked down. “Ice Wolves.”

  Lonian nodded. “Ice Wolves. Even if you get past them, what are you going to do up there?”

  Rayna looked away. She trusted Lonian, but it seemed wrong to betray her promise to Thera about her dreams, especially since she had already told Mina. Lonian did not seem offended by the silence.

  “It must be important for you to risk your lives like you are. But Mina, there is no way you could make it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The Ice Wolves might be convinced to let Rayna through, but you? They will not let a Kyrean pass alive.”

  “I would have to go alone?” Rayna asked.

  “Yes. They will not let Sylrians through, either.”

  “Why do they guard the mountain?”

  Lonian sank onto a hide-wrapped, three-legged stool, holding his palms to the fire that puffed smoke through the tent's top opening. “The Eye of Heaven is where the Four Wanderers, Lumae, Alvo, Igar, and Camila would meet while they were on our plane. They could still communicate with the Father there, because the veil between the worlds is thinnest at the mountain's peak.”

  “So the stories go, but why would the Ice Wolves guard it?” Rayna pressed.

  Lonian ran his hand through his mess of ginger hair. “The Ice Wolves are creatures with a culture and history all their own, so I cannot be certain. If I were to guess, though, I’d say it is to keep the mountain and Osterna safe. Imagine, if the stories are true, then one could pass from this world into another, to the halls of Sira, or as you would call him, Wolnor, or to Razorn's realm. Who wouldn’t want to see their loved ones again?” Lonian paused, turning his dark eyes on Mina and Rayna. “But the dead are meant to be dead, and the living must accept that. All that awaits anyone who climbs that mountain is death. Surely you know the myth of the first wolves, Rayna?”

  Thera had told the story only days before Rhael had arrived in Fenear and everything had changed. “Wolnor created wolves to bring balance to the forest.”

  “Aye,” said Lonian, “balance in the shape of death.” He sighed and took Rayna’s hand in his own. “Is that what you want to do, keiri? Raise someone from the dead? Because, while I understand, you must not do such a thing.”

  Rayna's face drained of blood. “No, Lonian. I know the dead are gone forever. The person I’m trying to help isn’t dead.”

  “Then I don’t understand why you must go to the Eye of Heaven. Unless…” Abruptly, Lonian searched Rayna's face. “The Sionic Hex?”

  Rayna did not answer, but she could not hide her surprise. How did he know what Rhael had done to Channon?

  “Oh, Sira.” Lonian rubbed his beard. “You’re the seer.”

  Rayna stumbled back and Mina caught her wrist, steadying her. “How do you know that?” Rayna demanded. “How can you know any of this?”

  “Many years ago, I helped free a Maenoren mage from the clutches of the Kyreans. Two months ago, he sent me a message, explaining that an evil spell, something no dark mage has cast for thousands of years, had been used. The spell tore a rift through the veil when it sent a living soul into Razorn’s realm. He warned me that dark times were ahead, that a seer may pass through our lands on her way to break the hex, and here you are.”

  A Maenoren mage had warned Lonian? Coer had mentioned a mage who had discovered how she could rescue Channon. “What was the mage's name?”

  “Davin Dantes. Do you know him?”

  Rayna shook her head. “No, but my friend in the Maenoren Resistance mentioned they had a mage helping them.”

  Lonian cracked a smile. “Resistance, eh? Sounds like old Davin.”

  Rayna took Lonian’s hands, pulling him to his feet. “Listen, Lonian. I don’t know much about seers or mages or hexes, but you saved my life and my friend’s. I am glad I met you and will always be grateful to you.”

  “Think nothing of it.” He squeezed her hands.

  “So you will take me as far as the mountain?”

  “As far as the Wolf Path. And I will wait for your return.”

  That night, Rayna and Mina, both wrapped in warm furs, rested in their shared tent.

  “Rayna.” Mina's fingers traced her yew bow where it lay beside her cot. “I've been thinking about what Lonian said earlier. What if the Ice Wolves don't let you pass?”

  Rayna sighed. “Then I fight my way through, or die trying.”

  “But–”

  “Mina, you of all people know I won't be talked out of this.”

  “I'm not trying to. I'm saying–if you do have to fight–wouldn't it be better if you had help?”

  “Mina.” Tears welled in Rayna's eyes. “You've risked your life for me too many times already. I could never ask that of you.”

  “You aren't asking.” Mina smiled. “I'm offering.”

  “I wish I could say yes.” Rayna swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “But I promised you adventure, not death. This is something I have to do alone.”

  “I thought you might say that.” Mina turned her gaze to the tent's ceiling. “I suppose that's it, then. Our bond is fulfilled.”

  “What do you mean?” Rayna could not hide the tremor in his voice.

  “You made it to the Sylrian Provinces—with a few minor detours along the way—and I saw more of this world than I'd ever imagined.”

  “Oh.” Rayna's heart sank. It was foolish of her to think her time with Mina would last forever, but the Kyrean had become something far more than a guide. She was her friend, confidante, ally—her packmate.

  “Which is why I propose a new bargain.”

  “What's that?”

  “Finish this quest of yours. Climb your mountain. Save Channon. But you have to promise to come back.” Mina's usually airy voice was thick with held-back tears. “Swear you'll do everything you can to get back to us, and I might be convinced to let you go alone.”

  Rayna took a deep breath. “I swear, Mina. I swear on my mother that I'll do everything I can to come back.”

  “All right. I'll hold you to that.” Mina cleared her throat, turning on her side. “Good night, Wolfie.”

  “Good night, Mina.”

  After some time, Mina drifted into sleep while Rayna stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, unable to ease her mind, even temporarily. Besides the Ice Wolves and the mountain itself, she had no idea what obstacles she would face on her path to rescue Channon. How long would Mina and the others wait before they gave her up for dead? Would their proximity to the Wolf Path—Ice Wolf territory—put them at risk as well? Perhaps it would be better if she simply slipped away. But her friends would only follow her, and besides, Rayna could not stand to betray their trust.

  After a long time, the tent flap opened, and a tall figure stepped inside. He came silen
tly toward her, a curved knife drawn in his right hand, a candle burning in his left.

  “I thought you might want this back,” Kellan whispered, holding up Coer’s knife to the candlelight.

  “Thank you!” Rayna sat up. She had thought Coer’s gift had been lost forever. Kellan may have been a cad, but he had his moments.

  “Someone found it in the snow in Garrison’s camp. I saw it among the spoils. At first, I thought it had been Garrison’s, until today when I saw the inscription.”

  “Inscription?” Her sensitive eyes took in the strange markings where the blade fused with the handle. She had always taken the sharp, crude scratches as mere decoration, not words. “This is a language?”

  “Heitich. It's the language of the Delian Dynasty, the line of Sinclairic kings and queens who ruled before the Kyreans. There is no way a Council-fearing soldier would carry this blade. I thought it might be yours or Mina’s. Where did you get it?”

  “From a friend of mine, but he was Maenoren.”

  Kellan shrugged. “He probably bought it off some trader.” He flipped the blade so that the hilt faced her. She took it and placed it beneath her cot. Kellan blew out the candle and sat beside her.

  Rayna stiffened. “What are you doing?”

  “I thought we were having a moment,” Kellan said in a tone of mock innocence. When she did not respond beyond shoving him off the cot, he continued. “I drew the short straw and have to bunk with Yurlen tonight. He snores like a congested walrus.”

  Rayna could not help but chuckle. “All right. If you want to sleep here, you can take the floor. But be warned, Mina occasionally does a fair walrus impression herself.”

  “Cold-hearted woman.” But Kellan smiled as he accepted a blanket and pillow from her. “Good night, Red.”

  Her body gave into exhaustion as she listened to Mina's light snoring and Kellan’s breathing. For a moment, in the half-aware state between dreaming and waking, Rayna thought she was in Fenear. She rested next to the fire pit, dozing off beside Channon after a long day. Part of her knew it was not true, but she was too tired and missed Channon too much to break out of the illusion. Instead, she passed into sleep.

  Rayna fell. She reached out for something, anything to stop her descent into the dark. It was no use. She hit the ground, and though she felt no pain, she cried out nonetheless. Ahead, a figure lay crumpled and bloody. Channon’s hollow blue gaze stared into her as his cracked lips formed the words, “This is your fault.”

  “Red? It’s all right. It was just a dream.” Kellan held her. As Rayna readjusted to her surroundings, she pulled away. He did not stop her. Mina knelt on the cot's other side, her river-water eyes concerned. Rayna's heart thudded as if she had been running, and her breath refused to slow. Everything felt off-center. Two months had gone by since Channon had been cursed, and she still had not saved him. He was suffering, and it was her fault.

  “Rayna, you’ll be okay. You need to relax.” Kellan used her real name. That was different. “Here.” He positioned one of her hands around her other wrist. “Feel your pulse. Don’t pay attention to anything else. Feel how fast it is. Focus on it. You can slow it down. You’re in control.” The blood rushed beneath her skin, but Kellan was right. She focused on the pulse beat, willing it to slow. It obeyed. Her breath evened, and her balance returned.

  “Back with us, Wolfie?” Mina asked, tucking a red strand behind Rayna's ear.

  “I think so.” She smiled at Mina. “Sorry for waking you.”

  “You should be.” Mina grinned. “Walruses need their rest, you know.”

  Rayna laughed. Feeling even more herself, she looked to Kellan. “How did you know what to do?”

  He handed Rayna a waterskin. “My uncle taught me. Not Lonian, but Lonian’s husband that died, my uncle Tristren.”

  After a long drink, Rayna said, “I’m sorry he’s dead.”

  Mina took Kellan's hand and he covered it with his other. “So am I. He was a good man. After the raid on our tribe where my parents died, I used to get these episodes. Like I was back in that camp, even though it had been months. Tristren taught me that trick, and it helped. I thought it might help you, too.”

  “Thank you.” Rayna settled into her cot as Mina returned to hers and Kellan retook to his spot on the floor. “When you’re not acting like an idiot, Kellan,” Rayna whispered, “you’re not so bad.”

  He laughed quietly. “How do you know this isn’t the act? That the real me isn’t the lowlife you met in the tavern?”

  Rayna considered that. “Instinct.”

  “Instinct?” He looked up at her. “Not my disarmingly good looks?”

  “Don’t worry. I am well-armed against your good looks.”

  “Ah. But you have noticed them. That’s a start.”

  She grabbed her pillow and threw it at his face. “Go back to sleep.”

  Rayna woke early the next morning, well-rested despite her nightmare. She stood, stumbling over Kellan. He grunted as her foot accidentally collided with his chest and she fell beside him.

  “I knew you'd warm up to me, Red.” He helped her up, rubbing his ribs.

  She tossed the blankets over his head. Bleary-eyed, she staggered over to Mina and woke her as well.

  When they emerged from the tent, they saw Lonian and Laera sitting together in the snow. The spotted dog bounded over, and Lonian followed.

  He frowned at his nephew. “Don't tell me you slept in our guests' tent, Kellan.”

  “I won't tell you,” Kellan said as he tried to slip past his uncle. Instead, Lonian grabbed him by the ear.

  “Now listen here, boy–”

  “Lonian!” Rayna called over Kellan's cursing and Mina's laughter. “It's all right. We made sure he behaved.”

  Lonian released Kellan. “Apologies, ladies. Wanted to make sure Kellan is acting as he should.” He clasped his hands together, ignoring Kellan's scowl. “Now, I talked to the others last night. Kellan and I will take you to the Wolf Path. I'm sending everyone else back to their respective clans. We'll bring supplies in my sled. Laera can pull it on her own if we walk most of the way ourselves.”

  After readying Lonian's sled, they parted ways with the convoy and traveled half the day without stopping. As they traversed the tundra, Rayna never saw one permanent settlement, exemplifying the Sylrians' nomadic lifestyle. At noon, a huge quadruped emerged from the snow. The animal was ivory with claws as big as Rayna’s head. Lonian chuckled as Mina reached for her bow.

  “You will not need that. She won’t be attacking. A bear heavy as that is about to settle down for the winter.”

  The girls eyed each other nervously. The bear in the Pass had been half the size of this one. Yet neither Lonian nor Kellan gave it a second glance as it disappeared into the tundra.

  Before the frosty sun had set, Mount Keleapath stretched ahead, cresting among the thin clouds. The sun’s cool rays radiated at its zenith, giving the illusion that the mountain was glowing.

  “It's beautiful.” Mina's breath swirled, crystalline.

  “You should see it when the Norheller reflects off of it at night. Any colors you can imagine, and some you can't, fill the sky,” Lonian said.

  The idea that Rayna was to scale the peak distracted and worried her too much to enjoy the beauty. The highest obstacle she had ever climbed had been a giant boulder in the Fields of Geraun, near the Southeastern Densite. Bayne had taken her there. She flinched at the happy memories with her uncle. It seemed a lifetime ago. The hunting, the stories, and the long nights she and Bayne would spend talking. She felt a sudden rush of gratitude for all her uncle and aunt had done. In that moment, she didn't regret making the decision to leave with Rhael, not when she had done it for Bayne and the pack.

  Fear grabbed her as the happy memories fled. She had left Fenear two months ago. While captured, the scraps of news she heard did not bode well for her nation. For all she knew, her uncle was dead. Tears threatened to spill, but a small voice whispered inside her. Bay
ne was stronger than anyone she had ever known. The idea that he could die was almost laughable. No, Bayne would face Rhael with Silver at his side and make him pay. It did not matter if Rhael wielded the dark arts or had more men, because her family would prevail, no matter the cost. They might die, as her parents had–as she might–but nothing could destroy what they stood for. Rayna swelled with pride, remembering Bayne speaking to her as they neared the foot of the mountain.

  I would tell you to be strong and brave. But you’re already too much of that, aren’t you? Remember that you’re allowed to be weak sometimes, too. You’re allowed to be scared. There’s no shame in that. But whenever you are, remember that you are not alone. The pack is with you always. I am with you always.

  Lonian halted Laera at the edge of a forest of bare trees. A path carved by the paws of Ice Wolves parted the woods—a path Rayna would have to walk alone. In spite of herself, she smiled. She was not really facing this alone. Not when so many had helped her get this far. She was never alone, because, as her uncle had promised, he and everyone she loved would always be with her.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Nero smeared his bloody palms across his breeches. The old hag had slashed him below his eye, but the tonic she'd given him served to numb the pain. Leaving her crumpled remains for Roxen, Silver, and Bayne to find, Nero left Thera's den with a smirk. But as the rush of killing flowed from him, despair crept into his bones. He had taken Roxen's only family from him, and Bayne and Silver would blame themselves, but his situation had not changed. He was still alone, losing everything he had ever known.

  He hurried through the woods toward the wilds between the Densite and the Maenoren encampments. But an unexpected scent stopped him. He slipped behind a large cedar trunk.

  Six Maenorens stalked through the trees. Perhaps they were spies, attempting to find a more direct way to destroy the last remaining stronghold of Fenear. Nero smiled. He would not be the only one to lose everything.

  A raven darted to a branch above his head, startling Nero. The bird stared at him with clouded black eyes. Nero stared back. There was something odd about the bird. It smelled rotten. It cawed, flapping its wings.