Huntress Lost

by A. A. Chamberlynn

  “Then how?” There was a sneer in her voice. “How was this plan supposed to unfold?”

  “Everyone was just supposed to scatter so I could get Evr alone, and—”

  “And kill her. Murder her.”

  There was silence for several very long moments. “I truly believed I was doing what was necessary. That the Artifex should not be found at any cost. It’s why I turned to the Ravens in the first place. After the war… we were all changed. I mean, how could we not be, after something like that?”

  “Tragedy touches everyone at one point or another,” Sabin said. She sounded sad now, her fire burned out. “It’s how you choose to handle the hard times in life that define you as a person. You chose to turn on your clan. You chose to try and kill one of us.”

  “Now you’re Evr’s best friend, is that it?”

  “Don’t change the subject, Rorie. You know I can’t stand her. But she’s still a Stag. And what you did was wrong.”

  “What was I supposed to do? Follow crazy Titus in his obsession with the Artifex? Help him gain control of it? The Artifex in his hands… the things he would do to the realms…”

  “You could have done a lot of things other than what you did.” Sabin paused, and I wondered if they were looking at each other, or avoiding it. Her voice cracked at her next words. “I can’t ever forgive you. And you know Kellan won’t. Not ever.”

  I heard footsteps and I hastily moved back from the door. A moment later Rorie shoved it open. His eyes widened when he saw us, but he paused for only a second and then stalked off down the hall.

  “Put this on!” I called, and I tossed him one of the necklaces.

  He caught it in one fist and continued down the hall.

  I turned back to the door. “Um, we’re back,” I called awkwardly before stepping into the room.

  Sabin’s face was red and her eyes wet. When she saw us, she angrily swiped at them with one fist. “What did you find out?”

  I pulled out one of the necklaces and looped it around her neck, then strode over to Kellan’s prone body on the bed and carefully lifted his head to put his on. “Don’t take this off, even for a second.”

  “Titus and Casseroux are in the city, and our pictures are all over the public boards,” Xavyr added.

  “My picture?” Sabin squeaked.

  “No, just me and Xavyr,” I said.

  Her shoulders slumped slightly in relief. “So, what now?”

  “Evr can’t leave this room, for one,” Xavyr said.

  “Wait, what?” I whipped my gaze to his. “But we need to find the wizard that can help Kellan.”

  “Which I can do on my own,” Xavyr said calmly. “I can blend in. People don’t notice me unless I allow it.”

  “And I can help,” Sabin added. “It’s not my image they have pasted all over the city.”

  “But—” I stopped and groaned. But nothing. He was right and it sucked.

  Sabin stared toward the door. “Rorie had better not tell everyone where we are.”

  “He won’t,” Xavyr said.

  “How do you know?” I asked.

  “He seeks amends,” Xavyr said. “He isn’t going to jeopardize that by betraying us.”

  “Well, he can seek amends all he wants,” Sabin said. “He’s not going to get it.”

  Silence fell between the three of us for several moments. Then I said, “When do you head out to find the wizard?”

  “First,” Xavyr said, “We rest.”

  I thought of protesting, but he was right. Exhaustion sang in my blood, in every cell. We’d been up and on the run for over twenty-four hours.

  “Fine,” I said.

  Xavyr went over to check Kellan’s vitals, and he pressed a series of points on his neck again to keep him asleep. Sabin and I were both eyeing the bed next to Kellan’s.

  “We can both fit,” I said. It was as big as a king size.

  Sabin curled her lip and for a moment I thought she’d decline, but then she nodded and pulled back the blanket on one side.

  “Will you sleep?” I asked Xavyr.

  He nodded. “I can sleep in the chair.” He went to the door and locked it, then walked back and settled himself into the cushioned chair in the corner of the room.

  At some point I was going to need a shower, but now that sleep had become a real possibility I felt my body growing heavier with every heartbeat, as if my blood slowed in my veins. I pulled back the bed covers opposite of Sabin, kicked off my boots, and climbed underneath. Xavyr flicked off the light and darkness settled over us.

  I could hear Sabin breathing next to me, and a little further off, Kellan. Xavyr I couldn’t hear at all, though I saw his eyes glitter in the darkness for a moment before I shut my own. Sleep swooped in on black wings and claimed me.

  I dreamed of the stag.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It was the same dream at first. The stag, the battle, the Timekeeper. Then Kellan, and the woods. The voice and those same words, over and over.

  Deep magic

  Deep magic

  But this time, when Kellan faded and I was alone, something happened. In the darkness and the solitude, my body began to hum. A glow emitted from my skin, pale gold. It was brightest around the center of my body, and then a seam of light appeared from my heart to my belly button. The seam slowly widened and then my chest opened, without sound, cleanly and simply as if there were a door inside of me. As the crack widened more light spilled out, and inside I was hollow and smooth, like a robot instead of a creature of flesh and blood.

  Seated at the center of this hollow space in my ribcage was a small brown bird. The bird flew out into the dark of the forest, and as it went the forest turned to gold, and the night to day.

  I woke up.

  Xavyr was still sitting in the chair, exactly as I’d left him. A beam of light was coming from the bathroom at the far end of the room. Sabin was in there taking a shower from the sounds of it.

  “How long was I asleep?”

  “Twelve hours.”

  “Twelve hours?!”

  Xavyr shrugged. “You needed the rest. You exerted yourself heavily.” He pointed to a tray on the small table next to him. “I got some food.”

  Food. When was the last time I’d eaten anything? My stomach told me not nearly recently enough. I got up and grabbed a piece of cheese from the tray, as well as something that looked like a lemon. The cheese went rapidly into my mouth, followed shortly by the lemon, which I discovered after peeling was dark purple on the inside. It tasted like grapes and honey.

  “Did Rorie come back?” I asked when I was satiated.

  “Yes, not too long after you feel asleep.”

  “Did you get any sleep at all?”

  “Enough.”

  The sounds of running water in the bathroom ceased, and a couple of minutes later Sabin came out, toweling her hair dry. “I got you something,” she said, nodding her head toward a small paper bag on the floor next to the bed. I hadn’t noticed it in my rush to get food.

  I shot her a puzzled look as I grabbed the bag. Inside was a small glass bottle with a dark, viscous liquid inside. I flipped it end over end, watching the thick goo slide back and forth. “What is it?”

  “Hair dye. For a disguise.”

  I darted a glance over to Xavyr. “Are you going to argue?”

  “After thinking on it, I realized you wouldn’t do well being cooped up, not to mention I can’t keep an eye on you if you stay behind. Sabin had the idea for the dye.”

  “Good one,” I said, glancing up at her.

  She tossed her head as if to dismiss my thanks.

  “Okay, well I’ll go put this in,” I said.

  Thirty minutes later I dried my hair off and looked in the mirror. My red was gone, replaced by a dark brown. It was a shade suspiciously close to Sabin’s own hair. When I stepped out of the bathroom, she gave a nod of approval. “That should throw people off the trail a bit. And no magic.”

  “It wil
l do,” Xavyr said. “We can head out whenever you’re ready.”

  “I want to check in with my parents,” I said. “They’ll be wanting to know we’re alive and have Kellan.” I looked around. “I don’t suppose this room has an Aon?”

  Sabin opened one of the drawers in the bedside table and pulled out a small orb of glass and tossed it to me. I eyed the drawer, half expecting to see a bible inside as well. I gripped the Aon in both hands and focused on my mother. After nearly two minutes with no response I gave up and tried my father. He answered quickly, his face coming into view in a holographic display above the orb.

  “Evryn! Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine. We got Kellan back from the Timekeeper. His mind is… damaged. We’re trying to find someone that can help. We’re in—”

  The holographic image of my father threw up his hand. “Don’t tell me where you are!”

  My heart came to a painful, skidding stop. “What’s going on?”

  “Our transmission could be being monitored. I’m on house arrest in Grayfeather Tower in the capital.” His green eyes were clouded with worry, his lips drawn into a grim slash across his face. “Casseroux has taken over the Hunters. He called them all to Solara and said that they had to either work for him in hunting you down, or get thrown in prison. Your mother—”

  He didn’t need to continue. I closed my eyes as the horror of it moved over me.

  “Jaffe refused to hunt as well, so he’s with Rhione in the prison here. They are awaiting trial for their crimes and then will be moved to the long-term prison facility in Gardujaal.”

  Next to me, Sabin and Xavyr both cringed. I didn’t know what Gardujaal was, but it clearly wasn’t good.

  “What about Titus and Waylan?” Sabin asked.

  “Titus is Casseroux’s second in command. I’m not sure about Waylan. I think he avoided scrutiny since he can’t Hunt. I only avoided prison because of my status. I’ve been given the courtesy of house arrest rather than a prison cell.” He paused and looked down, shame on his face. “I would have stayed with your mother, but I couldn’t leave Myrinne and Talyn…”

  “I understand,” I said, though my voice sounded hollow even in my own ears.

  “The Dragons are the only clan not to submit to Casseroux’s demands,” Veron went on. “He’s placed a lock on their Rais, but I have a feeling they accounted for that.”

  I lifted my own wrist. “It’s not that hard if you have a lot of money and don’t mind being an outlaw.”

  “The rumor is that Soo Kai is gathering her own army to confront Casseroux,” my father continued.

  “For once, I might agree with Soo Kai on something,” I said. “Someone has got to stop him.”

  Veron’s expression in the hologram grew serious. “But that person is not you, Evr. Lay low. Do not engage him.” He must have seen my stubborn expression, because his tone grew pleading. “Promise me. I can’t bear it if anything happens to you.”

  I sighed, feeling as if part of my spirit flew away on my exhalation. “I promise. For now at least.”

  He looked somewhat mollified. “Stay safe, daughter. I—” he broke off. “Someone’s coming. I’ve got to go.” And the connection severed.

  I tossed the Aon away from me and slumped back on the bed.

  “This fucking blows,” Sabin said, voicing almost precisely the words running through my head.

  “How can Casseroux do this?” I growled, running my hands through my new dark hair. “I mean, it’s so clearly wrong. And the Hunters all just folded and did what he said?”

  “Except for Soo Kai,” Xavyr said, a thoughtful look on his face.

  I shook my head. “I never thought I’d look at Soo Kai as the good guy, but in this situation…”

  “She’s not much better,” Sabin said. “Crazy and power hungry like Casseroux.”

  “And Titus,” I added.

  I thought she would give me flack, but she just nodded, a barely perceptible motion of her head.

  “How did Casseroux even come into power?” I asked. “I just don’t understand how something like that happens. Why did no one stop him a long time ago?”

  “Before Casseroux came into power there was a council of representatives that ran the capital and oversaw the realms,” Sabin said. “Many Hunters sat on the council, but none of them survived the war. Most of the remaining councilmembers either died or disappeared, and so Casseroux just declared himself lord of all the realms.”

  “So he basically murdered his way to the top? Including having a hand in the Hunter’s War?” I asked.

  Sabin shook her head. “I’ve never heard that he was part of the war.”

  “Seems fairly suspicious, though,” Xavyr said.

  “Definitely,” I added. “I still just can’t believe no one has done anything about it.”

  “Most people don’t know what he’s like. Or even know he exists,” Sabin said. “Remember, many of the realms, like Earth, don’t know about the existence of other realms. They have no idea he’s pulling the puppet strings.”

  A knock came on the door and we all jumped. Xavyr strode, lithe as a panther, to answer it. It was Rorie. He let him inside and when Rorie saw the looks on everyone’s faces he said, “What did I miss? Is Kellan okay?”

  We filled him in on the gory details. When we were finished, all he said at first was, “Wow.”

  “So, it seems the alliance of the Ravens and Dragons is over,” I said. “My father said the Dragons were the only ones to defy Casseroux. That means the Ravens are working with him.”

  Rorie’s face bore a complexity of emotions as he processed this. “So, what now?” he said at last.

  “We need to get off this realm,” Xavyr said. “Go somewhere remote and wait it out.”

  I shook my head. “Not before finding the one who can help Kellan.”

  “Not to mention Rorie and I can’t really go anywhere with these.” Sabin lifted her wrist and showed her dangling Rai.

  “You can go to the locksmith that took mine off.”

  “And be outlaws forever?” Sabin snapped.

  “There are only two choices for the foreseeable future: outlaw or slave.” I met her eyes and made her hold my gaze.

  “Unless you turn yourself in soon to Casseroux, he’ll consider you an outlaw anyway, Rai or no Rai,” Xavyr said.

  “I made my decision when I came with you to rescue Kellan,” Rorie said. “I no longer have a clan.” He looked over to Sabin. “Come with me to the locksmith.”

  “I need to think on it,” she said after a moment.

  “Fair enough,” Xavyr said, though I wasn’t sure I shared his assessment.

  “Alright. Xavyr and I are going out to find this wizard. Rorie’s headed to the locksmith. Sabin, you’ll stay with Kellan?”

  She nodded and looked over at Kellan’s sleeping form. I followed her gaze. It was so odd to have him right here, but not here at all. The world was crumbling down around us and he was oblivious to it all. I could almost envy him. Almost.

  “There’s a pub next to the inn where those that know things hang out,” Xavyr said. “It’s one of the reasons I always stay here when I’m in Ellsmer. We’ll go there and inquire after my contact.”

  I nodded. “Let’s go.”

  We got up and moved out into the hall, back toward the entrance of the underground hotel. Rorie followed us, but when we reached ground level we split up.

  The pub was situated directly next to the entrance of the inn. It looked like an old cottage from the outside. Inside it was one sprawling room filled with colored smoke and lit with a sea of floating orbs that glowed overhead. The floor and bar were polished wood and the bar had brass fittings. Tables and chairs were scattered across the room, but they floated without legs like the beds in our suite (apparently that was a popular concept here). In the corners, I saw patrons playing board games with pieces that seemed alive, tiny pixies and serpents and stags, or playing with decks of cards from which images shot up in
a spray of sparks or swirls of color.

  Xavyr led us to an empty table. I watched as he positioned the disc of a seat where he wanted it, and once his hands left it it seemed to lock into place. I did the same with mine and took a seat. Before too long, a waiter came over. I tried not to stare at the hooves protruding from his pant legs or the small tail that twitched behind him. Xavyr ordered something called Xaylian rainwater and I followed suit.

  “Never seen a satyr before?” Xavyr asked after the wait staff trotted off.

  “Um, no. You forget that I was living on Earth until just a few weeks ago.”

  He tilted his head to the side for a moment. “I do forget. Because most people in your position would be curled up in a ball on the floor, with everything you’ve been through.”

  “Uh, thanks?”

  “You’re remarkable, that’s what I’m trying to say.”

  “Oh.” I looked down at the table for a moment. “So it’s not insane that I’m taking this all in stride.”

  “Maybe a little,” he said with a small smile.

  The satyr waiter (a combination of words which made me giggle) came back shortly with our drinks, a silver liquid which came in tall, narrow glasses. Xavyr tossed back about half of his in one swig, whereas I took an experimental sip first. It tasted like herbs and tree sap and something slightly sweet.

  “So, what exactly is this I’m drinking?”

  “It’s literally rainwater,” Xavyr said. “Nearly the whole realm is densely forested, and they collect the rain in buckets attached to the trees. Because the trees have magical qualities, the water dripping down them picks up some of it.”

  “Am I going to start hallucinating?”

  “Not likely. They test the batches to make sure one isn’t too strong. Different trees produce variations in flavor.” He spun his glass around, watching the liquid swish around. “I’m guessing this bottle came from the oaks in the southern hemisphere.”

  “So, what’s the plan after getting tipsy?”

  “I’m looking for people I know, or people that look like they might have knowledge of the man I seek.” He nodded toward a group in the corner opposite us, not a one of which looked human. Some had reptilian features, others had horns of varying sizes and shapes, and one looked akin to a bat that walked upright without the wings. “We might have luck there.”