A hundred windows looked out on to the garden. Thankfully none of them were lit and I figured that being in the middle of the garden as I was, no one would see me anyway. I wondered who could live in such a large house … though I guess the proper term would be ‘manor.’ Besides learning from observation that Concordia was a tourist trap, I didn’t know much about the Prime World of Kinair. I frowned. I could see none of the city’s lights flashing beyond the walls. The tunnel had been long, but I was starting to wonder just how far it had taken me. How far out of the city were we? Moving into the plentiful shadows, I started to look for that key Aunt Sylvie had mentioned.
RYLYNN, A SINGLE PERSON IS COMING THIS WAY, Kylesst informed me. I stepped into the thick leaves around me and sank down into a crouch. The move brought me closer to the rich, loamy smelling earth. I hoped that I wasn’t damaging any of the plants, but that was a mild concern as a soft light stretched into my view. It was very dim as it sheened the edges of waxy leaves in orange-gold.
Soon a young woman, older than me by a few years but still young, came around the bend. She was dressed in a white robe with little white slippers adorning her feet. She was clutching a tiny, gently glowing light sphere. Her hands covered as much of the orb as they could, only letting a little light out into the world. But in that light, with the aid of night vision, I could clearly see the worry and fear in her eyes. The light also teased out glints of gold and silver from her hair that framed her face. The third color was hard to make out, but it was pale. A glittering pale gold choker collar with two pink opals flanking a black opal clung to her throat. My hand went to my own throat. I, personally, would hate to wear something like that. I’d feel like I couldn’t breathe.
The woman got to the pond’s edge and sank to her knees. Her head bowed and her shoulders shook. It didn’t take a genius to know she was crying. I looked down the path she had come and didn’t see anyone else. With her back to me, I could keep going, but — there was something in her sorrow that pulled at me. Though she was sobbing softly, it still sounded as if she felt completely alone and terrified of everything around her. That she had been that way for some time now and this was the one moment she could let it show. It was private and yet I couldn’t turn away. She needed to know she was not alone.
Carefully I stepped out of my hiding spot and paced toward her. Each footstep was slow and easy so as not to make a sound. Perhaps sneaking up on her was a bad idea, but I didn’t want to announce my presence to everyone. As I got closer, I could hear that she was whispering through her strangling sobs. “Please, please, I can’t stay here … I can’t … It was hard before, but now that monster is here. Please, Lord, I can’t have a child here. Please … please, help me …”
My heart felt like it was breaking and I knelt on the ground a little distance from her. In a soft whisper, I said, “Don’t panic, but you sound like you need help.”
She startled, but thankfully she didn’t scream. Instead she turned toward me. One hand buried the orb into the folds of her night robe, which didn’t shield the light much, but it did free her hand to cover the chocker at her neck. “Who are you?” she asked breathlessly.
“My name is Rylynn. Who are you?”
“Cassiana,” she replied, before looking around in puzzlement. “How did you get here?”
I shrugged. “What are you afraid of?”
Her eyes narrowed at my non-answer and question. Then she glanced around again, but this time nervously. “Look, I know you said your name, but I can’t trust anyone here,” Cassiana said, eventually looking down and frowning at her ineffective strategy for covering the orb. She took it out of the folds of her robe and shoved it into a pocket that must have been lined with something of more substance than the rest of the robe. When I had startled her, it must have made her forget about that pocket.
“I’m not from Kinair at all,” I replied. I wasn’t going to tell her yet how I had gotten into the garden. For all I knew, she was just playing me and was really an enemy. I had personal experience with that. “You mentioned a monster earlier. What did you mean?”
Her shoulders sagged again. “I meant a monster. The monster who made this pretty façade over a hell’s mouth,” Cassiana whispered, with anger tinged by fear. She looked at me with an intensity that made me lean away a little. “You said you were not from this world. I’ve seen the way that man looked at me — he wants to use my baby for something …” Cassiana shivered. “Please, you have to get me out of here!”
I bit my lip. The journal and the dreams all pointed to Kinair. I had a feeling I knew who Cassiana was talking about. “Cassiana, do you know who the man is?”
She shook her head. “Not his name. Everyone here only refers to him as Master or Keeper of the Heart of Souls.” She shivered again. “Please say you will get me away from here,” she begged.
I trembled slightly. Cassiana might know about the Heart and where to find it. As close as I might be to it, she was at her wits end and in more danger than I think even she realized. “I’ll help you,” I told her. “I’ll get you out of here. And maybe, you can help me.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. Her face turned heavenward in what I could only guess was a prayer of thanks. Cassiana looked down to me again. “Thank you,” she breathed.
I stood up and offered her my hand. She took it and I pulled her to her feet. “Follow me,” I said. I planned to take the tunnel back and have Lassie transport us back to the Secret.
RYLYNN, SOMETHING IS WRONG, Kylesst warned.
I turned back to see Cassiana looking more terrified than she had a moment ago. Her wide eyes met mine. “He’s coming,” she whispered.
“Who?” I demanded. If Betrayer was coming now — well, I really didn’t want to see him again just yet.
“Alec,” she whispered even softer, as if afraid saying it any louder would lend him speed.
“Not good news, I’m guessing. Let’s go,” I said, taking her hand. She nodded and took a step — and then cried out. Her hand flew to the bejeweled gold choker at her throat. What I could see of the opals, they were sparkling.
I didn’t think. I reached forward to get the thing off. Kylesst called a warning but it was too late. I had my hands on the collar. The metal was ice cold with rage and buzzed like a live current. I barely had time to feel what it was doing to Cassiana before my own gift kicked in. Cassiana’s eyes widened as the pain let up. The metal under my fingers moved, as if to escape my touch. I wouldn’t let it. I was going to get it off.
A soft curse had me letting go of the writhing metal and whirling around. Cassiana fell to her knees, clutching at her throat. A tall man dressed in a dark dress shirt and slacks was clinging to a tree. His dark eyes focused on me with anger and a touch of apprehension. By the expression on Cassiana’s face, this was Alec. My hand went to the hilt of one of my throwing knives.
THIS ONE IS MORE TROUBLE THAN THAT LITTLE KNIFE CAN HANDLE, Kylesst said, before he started pulling the excess energy off of me. I was glad to see it go because it was making me lightheaded. Alec’s gaze fell on Cassiana and I saw determination take command of his expression. He straightened with a hand still braced on the tree. Before he could do anything else, Kylesst coalesced before him. Alec stopped moving.
“Time to go,” I said, pulling Cassiana to her feet. A second later we were racing down the tunnel in the waterfall.
Chapter 28 – Stranglehold
“What was that?!” Cassiana panted behind me.
“I’ll tell you later. My friend didn’t freeze him for long,” I called back. As the light from the entrance faded. Kylesst’s night vision kicked in again and Cassiana had no choice but to follow. I think thoughts of the danger behind us and my confidence and the dark had her following me blindly.
She groaned. “How long do you think?” Since I didn’t know and looking back at her would only slow us down further, I didn’t answer her question. Cassiana groaned again. “Then we need to — aah!” The floor that had been perfe
ctly solid under our feet dropped into a slide. We both fell into darkness, and not too silently, either. The slide wasn’t all that long, but it didn’t come equipped with brakes. At the bottom I tumbled. I saw Cassiana tumbling after and I managed to roll out of the way.
“What the hell?!” I asked incredulously, as I watched the impromptu slide grind back into the ceiling of the tunnel we had been dropped into.
… Be wary,” Cassiana finished what she had been saying softly. I saw her sit up. She looked about her with wide eyes, aware now of the lightlessness of our situation. “I hate the dark now. I can’t see a thing,” she sobbed.
“I can see,” I said, crawling over to her. “I’m touching your hand now,” I said, putting action to words. She jumped slightly before relaxing. “Do you still have your light orb?”
“Oh!” She reached into the pocket of her robe and light burst into the corridor. I shielded my eyes and sat back. “Sorry,” she muttered, dimming the light.
“It’s okay,” I said, standing and helping her up. I looked both ways down the tunnel, still using the night vision to peer farther than her light went. A distant sound had us both freezing in place. “What was that?” I asked. Whatever it had been, it didn’t sound natural.
“I don’t want to know, but I think we are in the maze from hell,” my companion muttered.
I didn’t like the sound of that. Kylesst, is there a way out? I asked silently.
YES. FOLLOW ME. And he slithered down the hall. “Come on,” I said, pulling Cassiana with me. She stumbled after me, terror making her bold. “Kylesst has found a way out of this,” I confided in her.
“Kylesst? That giant snake?” she asked.
I nodded. “He is a Spectral.” I expected the awed shock that appeared in her expression. But I hadn’t thought to ever see terror overwhelm it. She clutched my shirt and pulled me closer to whisper urgently, “Tell him to leave! He is in the most danger down here!”
“He can lead us out of here.”
Cassiana glanced behind us. “Listen. If we are back where I think we are, than there is a creature called the Collector. It collects ability and energy.”
YOU ARE NOT MUCH SAFER, Kylesst said, turning around and Cassiana startled.
“I can hear you!”
BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO HEAR ME. Kylesst nodded, AND WHILE I APPRICIATE YOUR CONCERN, BOTH OF YOU NEED TO FOLLOW ME NOW, BEFORE THIS COLLECTOR OR ANYTHING ELSE FINDS US.
“Agreed,” I said, and plucked Cassiana’s fingers from my shirt. Taking her hand, I followed after Kylesst. She clutched her light orb tightly. Her eyes were on the floor. Kylesst led us through several intersections.
“How is he so confident?” she asked, after Kylesst had gone straight at the first one and then left at the second. Then right at the third.
I shrugged and she made to ask the Spectral. I stopped her with a sharp shake of my head. At her frown I explained, “don’t ask unless you want some cryptic answer. Kylesst is the leader in that art form.”
“Oh.” She subsided.
I felt Kylesst’s amusement at my warning. I THOUGHT YOU LIKED PUZZLES.
Ones that can be solved, sure, I thought back with a smile.
THE COULD BE. YOU ARE JUST NOT PATIENT ENOUGH.
Well, yeah, I’m usually in a hurry, I replied dryly.
We cut through an empty chamber, then turned right into a very narrow corridor. There was a thud, followed by a grinding sound reminiscent of stone sliding over stone. It sounded like it was coming closer. Cassiana and I traded wide looks before running. Even before Kylesst told us to. He lost his serpent form and became a swirling streak of light. He lit our way better than either my night vision or Cassiana’s light. We stopped focusing on either and bolted after the Spectral. The thud grinding behind us picked up rhythm. I didn’t look back. And judging from Cassiana’s horrified expression when she did so, I didn’t want to. I paused long enough to steady her before tugging her along after Kylesst.
“Don’t look back! Just run,” I told her. Determination replaced some of her fear. I don’t know how long we ran, only that it was enough for my lungs to burn and my legs to protest. Cassiana didn’t look much better. We were too afraid to stop. “Shi–,” I hissed, jerking to a stop. Cassiana stumbled but managed to halt herself on the edge of the deep ravine slicing through the corridor. Kylesst swirled over it, sparking with worry. I stared at the wide expanse. Kylesst’s light glinted off microscopic crystals in the rocks around us. I could see other tunnels open around us and on the other side. The cut in the world curved like it was hugging us.
Cassiana shuddered. “Lord in Heaven, how will we get across that?” I had no idea how to answer her. And I knew we were too deep for the Secret to transport us to safety. The grinding sound echoed in the ravine and I turned to watch the way we came.
***
Cassiana stared at the ravine. She knew now why Alec had told her that first time to stick to the blue path. But she hadn’t seen it once during their crazy flight. Not that it mattered because the way out would have been closed. It had to be with the Collector stalking them. She could hear it coming even now.
“Maybe we can find another passageway,” Rylynn suggested, looking back.
“I don’t remember seeing a fork anytime recently, do you?” she asked.
Rylynn’s shoulders slumped. “Well, I suppose we could try climbing to one of those other tunnels.”
“For what reason?” Cassiana spat. “We’ll probably keep running into this ravine or some other obstacle. The Maze is a trap, after all. With only one way out and that would be closed now, anyway.”
“So what? You just want us to give up?” Rylynn hissed angrily. Her gray eyes were stormy with her displeasure.
“No,” Cassiana replied.
“I want you both to,” a gravelly voice replied. Both women whirled sharply to see Collector pause in his grinding to smile at them. It was the most horrifying thing to see. Its dead, white eyes flicked between the two with smug victory. Then its gaze slid up to Kylesst and its eyes brightened with eager anticipation.
“Don’t come down here, Kylesst! One of us has to live,” Rylynn said, glaring at the Collector. She drew out two throwing knives that began lighting up and changing color. Cassiana could feel the energy pulsing through the weapons.
“Are you crazy?” she demanded, grabbing Rylynn’s arm.
“I’m not going down without a fight,” The young woman hissed.
“You’ll only make it stronger. It collects energy,” Cassiana pointed out. Rylynn growled in frustration and Cassiana couldn’t blame her.
“The light shows you all you need to know. You are mine,” the Collector said, thumping toward them.
Light, Cassiana thought, looking up at Kylesst, who couldn’t leave his friends, but couldn’t help either without being absorbed. Light, what had Alec said about light? She wondered wracking her brain. Before dinner with the Master today, he had taught her how to light the orb. While she worked on it, he had discussed it at some length. “Light is a fascinating thing. It is energy and the language of the universe. Life is dependent upon in it some form. But there is a balance that must be maintained. Too little and life perishes. Too much and life is cooked away.” He had paused and watched Cassiana succeed in lighting her little orb. “Well done,” Alec had praised, and she couldn’t help but feel warmed by it.
“We also use light to see. To reveal what the darkness hides,” she had added to his narrative.
“Yes, but in the same way that too much or too little is disastrous to life, it can also be used to deceive. People, these days especially, take what they see at face value and truth. But if one were to bend light in a certain way, something obvious can be made invisible. Sight is typically the most relied-upon sense. Unfortunately, it is also the easiest to trick.”
With Alec’s words echoing in her head, Cassiana crawled to the edge of the ravine and put out her hand. And smiled. The path was solid beneath her fingertips. “Let’s
go, Rylynn,” she said getting to her feet.
“Where?” Rylynn snapped, turning to look at her.
“Forward, of course,” Cassiana replied, stepping out over the abyss.
***
I cried out, but Cassiana didn’t plummet to her death. Instead, she turned to grin at me standing on what appeared to be nothing. “It’s a trick of color and light,” she told me before a grinding sound made her look over my shoulder.
I didn’t need to look to know that the ‘Collector,’ as she called it, was lurching after us. “Move!” I said, sheathing my knives and stepping onto the deceptive bridge. We made to run, but ran into a problem a couple steps off the edge. Cassiana almost fell. I caught hold of her. “Is the path broken?!” I asked, before glancing at the Collector, who glared at us. It didn’t come onto the path. I was hoping it had a leash keeping it on that side of the ravine.
“I hope not, because if it is, we’ll be stuck here,” my companion said.
I frowned at our feet (not an easy thing to do because it looked like nothing was there). “’trick of light and color’… her words made sense. This path would have been missed by anyone who had a traditional source of light. Light from above would make the path vanish, but if the light was below it…I grinned and looked up to where Kylesst was floating. He had drifted down to be near us. “Kylesst, can you go under us? I want to see if your light casts the path into shadow,” I explained for both him and Cassiana.
Without a word, Kylesst did as I asked. The world seemed to tilt slightly at the change. No longer were Cassiana and I standing on nothing. Instead, we stood on a shadow bridge that was as wide as the corridor to where we stood. Before us, it formed a maze of foot-wide paths for six or so feet before solidifying into a wide path again. The builders really didn’t need to make the maze that wide, considering most would have died where Cassiana had almost fallen. The survivors would have believed that their good luck had ended. Maybe a few had found the beginning of the maze but could never find their way across due to becoming lost on the invisible path. Even without the light to fool them into believing they stood on solid air, they may have lost heart.
Defender of the Empire: Chaos Page 23