by LJ Andrews
“Then, where were you?” Nova said sternly. “What are you keeping from me?”
Varick’s jaw clenched and he sighed loudly, realizing she’d walked him into a corner. “You are so much like your mother, it’s frightening,” he said. “We were looking for help, Nova, as I said.”
“There’s something you’re keeping from me,” she said, eyeing Briggs, whose face had turned a purplish-red as if holding his breath.
Kale shifted his feet awkwardly and pretended to look at the slew of weapons on the platform. Varick and Nova locked in stubborn stares, both unyielding and refusing to back down. Atlas jogged over, breathless, and switched out his blade for a long, jagged knife. He swiped his hand over his forehead, wiping away a layer of sweat.
“Briggs, welcome back,” he said, nodding at the older man. “Were you able to convince the brothers to help?”
Briggs grumbled deep in his throat, like a beast coughing during a snarl. His eyes narrowed and he shook his head before glancing away. Nova’s eyes widened as Varick glared at Atlas.
“How did you hear about the brothers?” Varick asked, purposefully avoiding Nova’s eyes.
Atlas shrugged, oblivious to the awkward situation he’d created. “Talia was one of those assigned to arrange their quarters. Do they really have it?”
“Father, you went to see the Three Brothers? I’m certain Briggs told you my experience with them. Our last meeting didn’t end well. They are terrible.”
Varick’s eyes softened. “I’m aware of what they are, and I hate that we had to reach out to them. Nova, they are dangerous, but they are powerful. And they have every reason to want to stop Lurlina.”
“What could they have that could possibly be worth bringing them here?” she asked shrilly.
“It’s complicated, Lass,” Briggs said.
“I think Nova deserves to know,” Kale said stepping next to her protectively. Atlas rolled his eyes but didn’t leave the conversation.
Varick seemed agitated at Kale’s input, but he finally relented, leaning against the wall of the cave.
“The Three Brothers are shadows of the great Beholders they once were. They used the power of the Djinn to twist fate in their favor too many times and became the creatures they are today. But at one time, they were honored in the temple, and their power has only increased over the years. The Three Brothers are the only people who have been able to replicate the Djinn power and create their own artifact, like my pistol and your dagger. Their artifact, Nova, is what I’m depending on to break through Lurlina’s defenses and get to your mother. Without them, she may be lost to us forever.”
Chapter 2
The Lost Tribes
The ledge jutted out over the ring giving her a clear view of the entire arena. Nova had discovered the small opening in one of the upper tunnels of the inner island soon after arriving. It had become her safe spot, a place to reflect on how life had changed since that fateful day sky pirates ripped her father away.
She tossed a bit of dry bread off to the side and watched as the morsel was quickly devoured by cave birds. The gangly creatures spread their black-tipped wings and pecked awkwardly for the bread, using their oversized nostrils to smell the air since their milky eyes were completely useless.
She leaned back and watched as Atlas sparred with Maddox for the fifth time that day. Maddox handed him a long, curved sword, gold tassels hanging from the end that gleamed in the bursts of light cutting through the arena. Maddox stepped left and Atlas stepped right, both holding their blades from their chest. In a sudden motion, Maddox kicked off one foot, swinging his body in a complete spiral through the air, landing silently on one side of Atlas, and ending the duel as his steel landed in the crook of Atlas’s neck.
Atlas released a breath of frustration she could hear even in her high post, but Maddox didn’t miss a moment to teach. Kneeling, he clasped one of Atlas’s boots and guided his foot to a strange tilt, then followed through with instructions on how to bend just right. She smiled at Maddox as he wiped his dripping forehead. His ebony hair hung free over his shoulders, and his defined jaw clenched as he lifted Atlas’s boot again for the follow-up step sequence.
Despite living among them, Maddox and Talia were a mystery to Nova. Both serious and fierce. She often caught them watching her with curious looks of either respect or annoyance, she couldn’t be sure, especially when it came to Maddox.
As her father passed, Atlas and Maddox straightened, Maddox’s face notably lifting as Varick acknowledged them. He greatly respected her father, reacting to his presence in such regard each time they were near one another. But as much as Maddox fought to be close to Varick, he avoided her with the same effort.
Her father’s eyes drifted up to the ledge, and though she thought she was concealed from view of the people in the ring, she saw him wink and flash his smile up toward the top of the arena. Nova wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them tight against her chest. The Three Brothers were somewhere on the island, but she’d avoided their meeting for two days. She’d tried to show her disdain for the idea of their help by being curt and direct with her father, but he knew how to break through the wall of temper tantrums, no matter how she wished she could just be angry.
“Atlas hasn’t stopped training since Phoenix attacked.”
Her curls whipped over her face as she jumped at the sudden voice. Kale laughed and sat down next to her. “Did I startle you again?” Nova shoved him gently, but quickly wrapped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder.
“I was thinking the same thing. What do you suppose drives him so?” she asked watching Atlas stumble and fall on his shoulder after trying to mimic Maddox’s spin.
Kale shrugged. “He’s Atlas, I never know what makes him tick. I don’t know what made Phoenix attacking so motivating. It could have something to do with Raine, I suppose.”
Nova eyed Kale from the corner of her eye. “You don’t think…do you think he…”
“What?” Kale chuckled, showing his perfect teeth through the handsome stubble growing on his face.
Nova felt heat rise in her cheeks thinking about what she wanted to say. “You know, do you think he…fancies Raine?”
Kale laughed harder. “Do I think Atlas is interested in Raine?” He paused as he turned his attention to Maddox and Atlas slicing their blades at one another in furious, intricate footwork. “I guess it would explain why he is so determined to find Phoenix and the temple. Can’t say I’d be upset to see him move on with his life.”
Nova scoffed. “I don’t think you have to worry about Atlas moving on,” she said, hinting to the brief conversations they’d had since Kale had told her his true feelings.
Kale scooped Nova up onto his lap with one swift movement. Her heart leapt to her throat feeling his strong arm wrapped around her waist. Her forehead leaned against his, and as if on instinct, her eyes closed so she could breathe every intoxicating scent. Her heart pounded as they stayed close to one another, neither moving away. Slowly, Kale’s lips found hers and kissed her briefly, hovering nearby as he spoke gently. “You are not someone easy to forget.”
Nova smiled and tried to push back, but Kale pulled her tighter, his strong hands wrapping behind her neck, wrapping her curls around his fingers. “If it was you Phoenix had taken, I know I would never stop fighting to get you back.”
Nova felt flames surge through her body, as the dark power clashed with her own emotions. She kissed Kale with desperate passion as if it was the last kiss they’d share. Finally, Kale pulled away, lying flat on his back and smiling wide. “You know your father is going to walk in on you kissing me like that one of these times.”
She nuzzled against his neck playfully, before pulling him to his feet. “Oh, what do you think he would do?” she said laughing.
Kale’s eyes widened as he followed her back into the tunnels. “Nova, he is the only man alive who defeated the Captain Phoenix, stealing his entire ship. I don’t think I want to kno
w what he would do.”
“There you are,” a high-pitched voice shouted as they stepped into the arena. Mary, a young woman with short, spikey hair, plowed toward them, her mousey face painted in the same anxious expression she always had, as if someone was ready to pounce from behind. “Ash and Nicholas have returned with some who have risen to our cause.”
Mary clasped Nova’s wrist, giving Kale a shy smile, before dragging her toward the cave opening. Mary had taken to Nova quickly. She was a fierce fighter who had watched her duel with Hadwin when Nova had been taken prisoner. She’d sensed something was different with Nova since Hadwin easily dispatched those he went up against. Nova was the only one who had made it difficult for Hadwin. Mary’s family remained in the Below, and she was determined to save them and bring them away from Lurlina’s rule.
A stout man, with a bald head and long stringy moustache, stepped out of the ship once it docked at the mouth of the cave. Ash was one of the band’s elders, he was wise and a had a way of speaking to others. In one conversation, Ash could convince nearly anyone to do what he asked.
“I have fought many battles,” he’d once told her as he showed her his sword he kept hanging on a wall, never to be used again. “I have spilled blood, and I have discovered much can be avoided if one simply knows how to appeal to the desires of an enemy,” he’d said, tapping the side of his head.
“So, mental games,” she’d replied. Ash had only shrugged and told her to call it what she wanted.
Nova smiled watching the old man saunter slowly through the gathering crowd, with the younger Nicholas following close behind. Nicholas was tall, much like Maddox. His face was long and his chin seemed to curve up slightly. He was serious and a fighter. Where Ash talked, Nicholas fought, but the band demanded Nicholas accompany Ash on his journey since the older man refused to take any weapon for protection.
“There they are,” Mary whispered, standing on her toes trying to get a glimpse of the travelers. Nova saw her father and Hadwin step next to the gangplank as three people stepped from the main deck. They were taller than even her father, with skin the color of roasted nuts, smooth and beautiful. There were two men and one woman whose hair hung in brown waves down to her slender waist. Their clothes were minimal; instead, they covered themselves in what appeared to be fur pelts with leather cords holding long jagged swords and hatchets.
Hadwin and one of the men clasped one another’s elbows in a fierce greeting. As they made their way into the cave, the crowd spread apart making a wide path for them to pass by.
“The Dacian never leave the quarries,” Mary said, her worried brows furrowing closer together.
Kale’s eyes widened. “You mean the tribes of Lacin? I thought they had dispelled long ago and joined mainstream society.”
Mary nodded. Nova saw a brief pink flush in her cheeks; her throat constricted as she tried to keep the humor stuffed inside.
“Most of the tribes disbanded, but a few have maintained their former ways of living. My cousin told me when I was younger, they were placed in Launi from another land outside of Launi by the Djinn. I don’t know if that is true, though. How can there be other lands outside of Launi?
“They are said to be the most skilled with crystals for healing and strength. It makes sense since they live near the Lacin quarries,” Mary said in one breath. Lowering her voice, she leaned in closer. “I’ve also been told they are masters at poisons.”
“Let’s hope they stay on our side,” Nova said, chuckling as Mary’s brown eyes widened in sudden anxiety.
She watched the tall, beautiful Dacian people move through the crowd, their low voices whispered back and forth with Hadwin. Varick was speaking with the woman but stopped when he saw her in the crowd.
“Sabryn, this is my daughter, Nova,” he said, leading the woman through the crowd.
She stood a head taller than Nova, and her eyes were dark, with an underlying wisdom that shone through as she seemed to study every feature on Nova’s face. Embedded in her skin across her forehead and along her temples were small, blue crystals that sparkled like a deep mountain spring, and all along her chest were small knives with wooden handles tied in her leather cord. Hanging from another cord around her waist were a bunch of vials. The small bottles were crudely shaped, with bubbles dotting the glass surfaces as if the glass blower had hardly given any thought to the craft. Slowly, Sabryn held out her hand and dragged a finger along Nova’s cheek. Nova stiffened, keeping a firm watch on the stranger.
“You did not mention your child had such gifts,” Sabryn said. Her voice was deep and calming with a strange accent that seemed to enunciate each word longer than necessary.
Nova backed away, suddenly embarrassed by Sabryn’s studious gaze, but Varick smiled widely. “Last we spoke, they had not presented yet, at least I didn’t know they had,” he finished sadly. Varick met Nova’s eyes, and her heart twisted like a knotted rope when the guilt and bitterness of missing years of her life overtook his features.
Sabryn’s eyes narrowed. “She is strong but naïve in her power. She does not yet grasp what she goes against.”
“Not many of us do, which is why we’ve sought help from those such as you, who are schooled in such things,” Varick said, urging Sabryn further into the cave. As Nova’s countenance dimmed, her chest tightened from the dark power spewing its defenses against the tall woman. “Meet me later,” he said quickly. “We have to talk.”
Varick glanced at Kale and nodded as if recruiting him to make certain Nova obeyed his request. Ash, Nicholas, and Hadwin followed Sabryn with the two men in between them. Ash was chatting incessantly about the structure of the cave they’d tunneled through the island, but none of the men seemed to be paying attention. Sabryn’s companions stood even taller above the people and scanned the sea of onlookers as if waiting for the crowd to turn against them in battle. Their knives were longer than Sabryn’s and both had two cords instead of one hanging across their bare chests.
“Whatcha think, Lass?” Briggs said behind her, causing Mary to jump in surprise.
Nova glanced over her shoulder at her uncle. “What should I think? I had no idea such people lived in Launi. What exactly are they here to do for us?”
Briggs released a growl-like sound from his throat as he took a long swig from his leather canteen. Nova wondered if it was even water inside the way Briggs gulped. “Aye, the Dacian have lived mostly on Lacin for hundreds of years. Some tried to travel to different islands, but it never seemed to work much. I be guessin’ they’re here to help with some type of poisonous weapon, or healin’ powders. ‘Least that’s what I’d do if it be up to me.”
Nova smiled as Briggs wobbled slightly, turning on his heel. Her adopted uncle seemed slightly affronted by being left behind from the meeting with the Dacians, but he’d notably found solace with his canteen and a jumbled tune he sang as he walked away through the dissipating crowd.
***
Laughter echoed along the tunnels from the galley. Kale had been dragged away by Mary after promising to show her how to shoot a musket. Nova kicked loose stones down the tunnel, growing more anxious about the new arrivals. Her father and Hadwin had stayed behind closed doors in the medicinal room with Sabryn and her two companions for several hours. It sent a wave of chilly anticipation through her veins imagining what they could be concocting. She didn’t enjoy being left out.
Shuffling steps came up ahead, and her senses pricked to attention. Habitually reaching for her dagger, she enjoyed the warmth the powerful blade offered as it responded like a living thing at her touch.
Nova’s shoulders slumped, but her eyes widened as Maddox came around the corner, his feet clomping along, making noise for the first time since Nova had arrived at the island. He kept his gaze down, focusing on a loose leather strap on the hilt of his blade. Nova pressed her back against the wall as Maddox barreled toward her, completely unaware he wasn’t alone.
“Excuse me,” she said, when his knee knocked agains
t her own as he walked by.
Maddox pounced into a fighter’s stance, his blade ready to kill. His brown eyes were wide and peered down his slender nose furiously. Releasing a long breath, he returned his sword to its sheath and his shoulders relaxed once he saw who was with him.
Nova smiled, chuckling softly. “That’s the first time I’ve snuck up on you.”
Maddox’s face remained stoic and unmoving, but something in his eyes shifted hinting to discomfort in her presence. “I don’t think it works if you weren’t trying to sneak up on me. I had a lapse of focus. That’s all.”
Nova’s brow furrowed as her diamond eyes rolled dramatically. She twirled her dagger in one hand, feeling the sudden urge to prove her strength to his arrogant demeanor. “If that’s what you must tell yourself, be my guest. I wouldn’t lose any more focus if I were you, though. You never know who might be lurking in the shadows.”
She jumped toward him, hoping to take him off guard, but Maddox stood still. He watched her with a look of annoyance, yet she still detected a notable feeling of uneasiness. Nova’s chest tightened in agitation. Maddox was friendly, in his own way, with others on the island. He practically drooled over her father, but she seemed to leave a bad taste in his mouth.
“What is it with you?” she spouted off before she could stop herself.
“I do not know what you mean,” he responded, his baritone voice calm and unabashed.
“Did I do something to offend you? Or do you not train females?” she added, intentionally trying to jab at him.
Maddox’s dark eyes shaded over. “I have nothing against female warriors. I should think my interaction with my own sister should be proof of that.”
“Then what is it? We’re on the same side you know.”
His jaw clenched and he shuffled his feet, adding to the tension in the cramped tunnel. “I do not give out trust easily. Others have proven their loyalty, diligence, and abilities to me. You have not, and until then I will focus my attentions on those who fight for a purpose.”