Rayna wanted to ask more questions, but Pheros did not give her the chance.
“After conferring with the Priestess, I refused, because she saw no path to victory. Our safest choice is to fortify our borders, both with our military and Amne Vena, but she did say your presence here might change the outcome, or have the chance to, anyway.”
“My presence? Why?”
“I must speak with the Priestess again now that you are here. Perhaps I can then give you the answers you seek.” He bowed and moved toward the exit. “Please make use of our hot springs on the isle of healing. Forgive my candor, ladies, but you could both use a bath. I think you will find a familiar face there, Miss Myana.”
Before they could ask any more questions, Pheros had gone. Jayden reappeared from the house's interior.
“This way, ladies.” Jayden led them toward the city's north side. Rayna caught Channon’s leather and pine scent, heavily laced with frustration, heading in a different direction, but she ignored it. Mina was right. Channon needed time to gather his thoughts, and she was determined to find the familiar face Pheros had promised.
It was dark when they reached the isle of healing. Hundreds of candles floated along the canal surrounding the gated sanctuary, and by their light Rayna saw dozens of whitewood pavilions. Most were vacant from the scents on the currents, but as they walked the central, shell-lined path, another scent reached her.
A wolf. She whipped toward the scent's source, almost knocking Mina over.
“Rayna! What is it?”
“It’s…” Rayna’s human voice trailed off as she took her wolf form. Gar! She barked at the multicolored wolf padding from the nearest pavilion.
Rayna! I can’t believe it! He barreled into her, tail wagging. How are you here?
She nuzzled his shoulder. It’s a long story. I’m so happy to see you!
“Ahem.” Mina stared at them, eyes wide. “Care to explain what’s happening for those of us who don’t speak wolf?”
Rayna shifted human again. “Sorry. This is Gar. He’s the Alpha of the southern True Wolves and my friend.” She turned to Jayden. “My uncle sent him with a message?”
Jayden nodded. “He carried a letter from Alpha Bayne asking for military aid and for any word of you.”
“Word of me?”
“Yes, my lady. The Maenoren Resistance informed your uncle that you had escaped, despite Rhael's claims that he'd executed you. He was hoping the Priestess might have seen you. I suppose she had, because she used Amne Vena to transfer a message into your wolf friend’s mind. Unfortunately, the magic overwhelmed him, and he has slept until this past morning.”
Rayna turned to Gar. He says the Priestess did something to you. You’ve been insensate for days. Are you all right?
Yes, keiri, I am fine. I slept and had the strangest dreams, but was planning to return home tomorrow. Marielana did not harm me, only told me you were alive, for which I am grateful.
An Alvornian woman dressed in periwinkle robes glided from Gar’s pavilion. “Master Wolf, please get some more rest.” She touched his shoulder with her fingertips.
Gar looked up at her and then back at Rayna. She wants me to sleep again, doesn’t she? Either that or feed me more fish. He shook his head in disgust.
She wants you to rest, but Gar there’s much I need to know. How is everyone? How far were Rhael’s forces when you left?
“Please, my lady,” the healer broke in, “he needs to rest. The spell took quite a toll, and he needs all his strength before he returns to Fenear. You have much to discuss, but for his sake, can it not wait until tomorrow?”
There’s so much to tell, said Gar, I don't know where to begin.
Rayna sighed. It’s all right. We will talk tomorrow when we return home. She shifted into her red wolf form again, touching her nose to his neck. I’m just so happy to see you.
And I you, keiri. Now I will return to this den before this human becomes too concerned. Until morning, Rayna. With that, Gar nuzzled her cheek before following the Alvornian back into the pavilion.
“Any word on the rest of your pack?” Mina said as Rayna returned to her human form.
“Not yet. I can’t believe he’s here.” Rayna shook her head.
“Miss Myana, Miss Tsanclar, please follow me.” Jayden gestured down the path. “The hot springs are this way. They should speed the healing of your injuries.”
After a quarter league, Jayden excused himself, leaving them in the natural springs so they could undress in private. Several pools were visible through the steam, but they were the only patrons. When Rayna dipped her body into the warm water, the steam rose around her like a blanket draped over her shoulders. Across the spring, Mina splashed, running her fingers through tangled hair.
“Come on, Wolfie, relax. Channon will be back once he's calmed.”
“I know.” Rayna trailed her hand across the water’s surface. “But he's right. I shouldn’t be relaxing while my country is at war. It’s not right. Bayne would never–”
“Rayna, when are you going to learn that you are not your uncle?”
“It doesn't mean I should make worse decisions than he would in my place.”
“No offense to Alpha Bayne, Wolfie, but from what I've heard, he doesn't always make the right choice.”
Rayna did not respond. After a moment of strained silence, a sound came from the pool's edge. Both girls squinted through the steam.
“Channon?” Rayna called.
“It better not be.” Mina sank lower into the water.
“No,” came a soft voice.
A lilac scent greeted Rayna before a beautiful woman appeared. She was dressed in a thin robe, wading toward them. “I am Lurenia, Verges ev Aqui.”
“A Maiden of the Waters,” Rayna translated for Mina.
“Maiden of the Waters. Is that a religious order?”
“Yes, my good lady. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am happy to help you in anyway I can, my lady. You need only–”
“Are you serious? Even the women treat us like royalty?” Mina interrupted.
“No, they don't,” Rayna said. “It is Alvornian custom for men to be especially cordial toward women, but only the men.”
“Yes, I’m sorry. It is just…” Lurenia seemed confused too. Her hands caressed the water, as if it held answers. Perhaps it did. “The waters see you as special,” Lurenia said after a moment of consideration.
Mina looked down at the water. “This place is too odd for my taste.” She splashed the water, breaking up her reflection in the spring.
“Is there a reason you’re here?” Rayna asked.
“Oh, it is just…” Lurenia trailed off and seemed unable to look either Rayna or Mina in the eye.
“What? Spit it out, girl!” Mina swam closer.
“Mina!” Rayna cautioned, watching Lurenia’s eyes widen in shock. “You're scaring her. I’m sure there is a good reason—”
“Pheros sent me to spy on you,” Lurenia squeaked, covering her mouth.
“Or that,” Rayna crossed her arms beneath the water’s steamy surface.
“How very polite of General Manners,” Mina said with a withering look at Lurenia.
“After your friend’s violent outburst–”
“Violent outburst?” Rayna interrupted. “He was upset, and he has reason to be. If you knew–”
“I know about the Sionic Hex, Rayna, having studied the forces behind it. It’s fascinating, because it utilizes pure demonic magic. It would take a Covenant mage of great power to cast it.”
“You studied it, did you? Is it fascinating?” Rayna could not stop the anger from coursing through her vocal cords. “In your studies, did it ever mention how the victim wouldn't recognize his best friend? That he'd try to kill her? Or that beneath those cursed waves, there are only fear, despair, and loneliness? I was there for mere moments, and it changed me forever. No one knows what Channon feels right now. Least of all, some little Alvornian maid!”
<
br /> “Wolfie!” Mina grabbed Rayna’s arms as her claws grew. “Breathe!” Rayna’s head thrashed; her eyes thinned. Lurenia cowered like a trapped rabbit, too terrified to move.
“Rayna! Relax!” Mina pulled her away from the girl. Rayna tore from Mina’s hold, but wrapped one hand around her other wrist as Kellan had taught her to calm herself after a nightmare. She willed her pounding heart to slow. The hair along her neck softened, and her claws retracted into her fingers. Her chest lightened, and she pulled warm air into her lungs.
“I-I’m sorry,” Rayna whispered, “I don’t know what came over me.”
“I do,” Lurenia said. “I was insensitive to your friend’s pain. I’m sorry.”
“I am, too.” She sighed, tugging her hair behind her ears.
“Rayna?” Mina touched her shoulder.
“I can't understand Channon anymore. I get irritated or let him run off to Wolnor knows where while I take a bath. I have to find him.”
“Rayna, wait a little while longer. Give him time to himself. He deserves that.”
With a sigh, Rayna allowed Mina’s words to soothe her. She grabbed a nearby sponge and scrubbed the stubborn dirt staining her skin. She had many new scars to get used to, but hers were nothing compared to Channon’s.
Channon ran without looking back. He thrashed through creeks, cut his face on branches, and fell more than once. Nothing stopped him. His anger bubbled like a fever, and his limbs ignited in motion without slowing. He had no idea where he was going, but his legs had set a definite course. He wavered between wolf and human, his teeth long, his eyes almond-shaped, his claws digging into his skin. Without warning, Channon stopped. His fire was doused, and he stood exhausted, drenched in sweat. He could not say how long he had run nor where he was. He assembled his thoughts, considering his surroundings. He stood on a sandy path. Small, leafless beech trees pressed all around him. His lupine senses caught up as he whipped around to face the source of an unusual, but comforting, scent.
“Who are you?” Channon growled, approaching the veiled figure.
“I am Marielana, the one who led you here.” She smelled of water lilies, sage, and something smoky Channon did not recognize.
“Why?” He circled her. The Alvornian woman was pale with silver-blonde hair piled atop her head. The only feature he could see through her translucent veil were a pair of light blue eyes. Her age was impossible to determine. She could have been an old woman or younger than he was. “There is something you need to see, Channon Lyallt.”
“How do you know my name?”
“Come.” She walked deeper into the woods.
Unsure, Channon glanced around before following Marielana into the shadowy forest. “What is this place?” he grunted, ignoring the silver rays of moonlight that turned a plain forest into something magical. Not that he would admit that to this odd woman.
“Caelist Silv, the forest of our God.”
“Alvo, right?” Channon glanced around him.
“Indeed.” Marielana took Channon's hand. He started to pull away, but stopped when the Priestess gazed upon him.
“So it is true.” She covered his hand with her other one. “No child of Wolnor has crossed into Razorn's realm of shadows for almost two thousand years. Until now.”
“Are you a sorceress?” Channon growled as she led him toward a clearing.
“All of us who dwell within the Peninsula carry some kind of magic.”
“Some magic is darker than others.” Channon freed his hand.
“Wisely put. What was done to you was an ancient evil, Channon Lyallt. I fear even Rhael did not understand the true consequences of what he did.”
They stopped at the center of a clearing before an overflowing, ivory water jug. As Channon's boots sank into the soft mud, a sudden realization came over him. He could not comprehend how it could work, but the jug bubbled endlessly with the purest water he had ever seen or smelled.
“That's impossible,” he said, kneeling beside it.
“Yet here it is on our plane, existing quite content, I would say.”
Channon looked up, but did not respond. He turned back to the overflowing jug.
“How?” he asked as he backed away from the jug.
“When our ancestors were forced from our homeland in the west by the Kyreans, the founder sent us this gift, a pitcher filled with the water of the purest spring of our homeland. It is enchanted, so no matter how much water it gives, it will never run dry. No Alvornian will ever thirst, or, for that matter, be homesick.
“All the canals and rivers in Sinthahelm stem from this gift. This water seeps into the ground every day, making this land into a beautiful, wooded, and watery home for us.” Marielana paused before placing her hand on the water's surface. As tenderly as a caress, she cradled a small amount of the crystalline liquid in her palm; not a drop escaped her fingers. Her other hand swept over the water while her eyes glowed silver-blue beneath the veil. “Would you care to drink?” she asked the kneeling Channon.
He backed away. His teeth extended, but as Marielana placed her hand beneath his mouth, he became aware of his parched throat. In fact, it burned as if he had not had a drink in days. Without conscious thought, Channon opened his lips, draining the liquid from Marielana's palm.
Channon’s eyes opened. He had not realized they had been closed. The scents registered first. Wildflowers, magnolia trees, honey, something sweeter: lilacs and strawberries combined with the smell of the first spring rain. Rayna. Rayna without the stain of blood or exhaustion, pure, perfect, safe Rayna. Her fire-red hair glistened in a long braid. She wore fine, newly made clothes, and she cradled something precious in her arms, something with matching red hair and wide blue eyes. He reached to touch the softness of the babe’s cheek, but stopped short. A force pulled his spine. He was yanked backwards, away from the beauty, into a forest with no trace of Rayna in its currents.
Channon looked at Marielana. He had not moved, and neither had she. In the same moment, water trickled down his throat, and her hand slipped away from his mouth.
“What—” Channon was too confused to form the question.
“What you saw, Channon, is your greatest desire.”
“My greatest desire,” he repeated, rising to his feet, knees wobbling.
“Yes, but you cannot obtain it.”
“What?”
“Whatever you saw—I do not know what it was, for you and you alone were privy to that vision—will not happen ... unless—”
”Why wouldn't it happen?” Channon yelled, glaring at her.
“When Rhael used the Sionic Hex, he tore a hole through the veil that separates our realm from the shores of darkness. Black magic, not possible for thousands of years, awakened. I fear what this means. If Osterna is to survive, we must unite the four nations to defeat the rising darkness. I had thought this to be an impossible task.”
Channon could not speak. His logic called the woman insane, but something deep within him told him she was not lying or crazy. After the horrors he had seen, the pain he had felt, her words rang true. “The rising darkness?”
Marielana inclined her head. “Some call it the Scalthe, the shadow in the old tongue of the Delian Dynasty. Something, or someone, is coming, and Osterna must be ready and united. I had thought there was no hope of changing this future, but when Rhael banished you, he set Rayna on a path that none of our kind had dared walk in a very long time. With her here, there is a chance Rhael can be defeated and the four nations united. Tonight, we prepare.”
“How do we do that?”
“Alvorn must fight beside Fenear. Water will run with wolf once more.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Bayne rolled as a sword speared a spot where a moment before his head had been. His Maenoren opponent struggled to free his blade from the icy muck. Bayne formed wolf, leaping onto the Maenoren’s neck, teeth first. With a garbled scream and a spray of blood, another body joined the hordes piling up in the valley. Bayne for
med human, unsheathing his Alvornian steel dagger, and slammed it into the corpse’s chest. This one, at least, would stay dead. Tail-lengths away, Silver brought down a Corsair, and Bayne stabbed this enemy’s heart as well. With all Maenorens in their immediate vicinity defeated, they took advantage of the momentary lapse to catch their breath.
Bayne squeezed Silver’s hand, wiping what blood he could from her mouth. He wanted to speak to her, to hear her voice, but he had no words. They were losing, and they both knew it. He saw it in her eyes as she scanned the battlefield. The smoke from their burning forests hindered visibility, but Bayne counted dozens of packmates lying dead around them. All the planning, the traps and ambushes, had worked. They had killed thousands of Rhael’s men, but they kept coming in an endless deluge. To make matters worse, deceased Maenorens whose heads and hearts remained intact rose under the control of the Da’ Gammorn. Rhael had set the forest ablaze, and retreat was not an option.
These thoughts passed through Bayne’s mind in the space of a heavy heartbeat, and as the second thud echoed the first, a single truth, as suffocating as the smoke he breathed, settled over him.
They could not win. They could not save their country. Not while Rhael still lived. He was at the center of it all; his dark sorcery controlled the Da’ Gammorn and their army of the dead. Killing him was the only chance he had left. It might not save his people, but at least the man whose treachery had led to this Hell would be no more.
Bayne glanced at Silver as she prepared for the next wave. Her short blonde hair was matted with blood and mud, her leather jerkin was torn, her seafoam gaze was fierce and unyielding as an eagle’s, and nothing on Osterna or any other plane was as beautiful as she was.
“We have to get to Rhael!” Bayne shouted to be heard over the tumult of battle.
“Then what are we waiting for?” With a flash of her pointed smile, Silver transformed, charging into the smog. Bayne shifted, racing after her toward the northern end of the valley. They ran through the insanity, dodging crossbow bolts, scimitars, broadswords, claws, and teeth. They passed allies, dead and alive, all the while searching for any trace of Rhael’s noxious, metallic scent. It was impossible to sort through the blood, smoke, and terror, but still he tried. Instead of finding Rhael, Bayne caught Roxen’s cherry wood scent. He veered toward it with Silver matching his every step. When Roxen’s kneeling form came clear from the smoke, horror seized Bayne’s heart. A Corsair swung his scimitar at Roxen’s neck, and Bayne was too far away to stop it.
Hex Breaker (The Fenearen Chronicles Book 1) Page 43