“No, we’ll all go together.” Garnet lightly pushed against Jade to get her moving again. “You and I can walk ahead of them, to avoid any more bedroom conversations. If she stayed on schedule, she’ll have been here for only a day ahead of us. Maybe she’ll have some news of interest for us all.” Garnet nodded to Slate as she passed him. “Victor is handling land rotation and will be taking a crew out to haggle prices on our loose merch.”
“Excellent. Thank you.” Slate looped his arm through Samantha’s and moseyed down the smooth road behind his sister and Jade. He frowned at the bandage wrapped around Jade’s left arm and what light-heartedness he’d felt dissipated, leaving sorrowful frustration to weigh his shoulders down. “She shouldn’t have been anywhere near the terrors.”
Samantha squeezed his arm, and he felt her sigh against him. “In a perfect world, no. But this is what her reality is.” Her brown eyes searched his, understanding and love shining in their dark depths. “All we can do is prepare her for what’s to come.”
Slate dipped his head in a short nod. If not for him, Jade would have grown up with the constant love of both parents, privileged beyond compare, and safe from renegade skyfarers, lecherous princes, and dragons.
Samantha had often argued that Jade now had freedom to make her own choices, a well-diversified upbringing, and still had the love of a family.
But guilt weighed heavy on Slate’s shoulders in the dark of night. The blood of the dead cried out in the silence, and not even his wife or a bottle of mead could quiet their anguish and hatred. Would he ever be able to atone? Could he fix what was broken?
What if he’d thought through his actions more?
What if he’d listened to the counsel of others? What if that day had turned out differently? How many lives could have been saved? How many families whole, unbroken, unshattered? What if she’d been raised where she belonged?
“Sweetheart.”
Slate shook his head to clear it of his musings and blinked as he looked up. Smooth gray plaster covered the two-story building, the edges lined with brickwork in mimicry of pillars. Two small boxes filled with purple and pink flowers on either side of the wooden door offered the only reprieve from the bland colors that blanketed Aerugo. Garnet and Jade waited on the small front step. A breeze blew, and Slate sneezed.
“I’m glad that between the two of us, you’re the only one with allergies.” Garnet teased over her shoulder.
“I love you, too,” Slate muttered with a sniff.
The door opened, revealing Ellie. She stood back and smiled warmly. “Good to see all of you. Come in.”
Ellie waved a hand to where they could hang their jackets and swords, then led them to her parlor. She turned a lever on the wall, causing the gaslight sconces to brighten and showcase the plush amber couches and dark wood furniture. Settling regally in a chair that the other couches turned toward, Ellie lifted a hand and gestured. “Come. Sit. Tell me of your latest adventures.”
A small laugh escaped Slate as he plopped down on the nearest couch. Mother and her theatrics. Samantha settled next to him. He leaned his head back with a sigh before straightening and inhaling deeply. The familiar fragrance of lavender, cedar wood, and ink soothed his nerves. It didn’t matter if it was Ellie’s home in Doldra or Aerugo—they always smelled the same.
“How did your last few stops go since I saw you?” Ellie asked, posture perfect as she lifted a delicate cup of tea from the end table next to her.
Garnet smoothed her skirt with downcast eyes. “We had a terror attack.”
“And Sam lost a crew member. So not the greatest.” Slate shrugged and slumped into the couch cushion. “And, of course, no new leads.”
Ellie leaned forward and tapped her index finger on the rim of her teacup. “I take it you haven’t heard the newest rumors?” She raised a thin eyebrow at Samantha. “Before I share, have you found anything of interest?”
Samantha leaned back against Slate as she shook her head and yawned. “Not at all. Unless you count the curious coincidence of several groups describing a pirate band asking similar questions about the keystone as we did.”
Ellie cocked her head and set her teacup down on her saucer with a tiny plink. “That is odd. But nothing like the news we’ve just heard.” The fine lines around her eyes deepened as she frowned. “The keystone on the Isle of Heather was attacked.”
Slate straightened so abruptly that Samantha had to fling out a hand to catch herself from sliding off the couch. He gaped at Ellie. “But the barrier is still up?”
“If it weren’t, we’d be having a very different conversation right now.” Ellie tucked a silvery curl behind her ear and reached into a polished wooden basket next to her seat. She pulled out a paper and handed it to Garnet. “The attack failed to damage the keystone there, but it definitely shook up the other citadels.”
“No kidding.” Slate rubbed at the goosebumps on his arms. Nearly twenty years later, and another attack. Would it happen again? If so, where? “Was anyone killed? Did they catch who did it?”
“They lost five guards from the isle. And unfortunately, no. They couldn’t find who did it.” Ellie hunched her shoulders and tilted her head down, swiping a hand by her eyes. “As a result, much of the Void Born animosity has been stirred up again.”
“Lovely,” Garnet said flatly. Her knuckles whitened around her teacup as she drew her shoulders back. “Because there aren’t enough problems going on, now we have to deal with the crazies.” She shot Slate a look.
He sighed. Though it wasn’t the same, it felt similar. This time people were stirred up against imaginary bogeymen, whereas last time the population was stirred up against a hot-headed ruler-to-be. Last time, the riots preceded the attack on the Doldran citadel and keystone. This time, it was the assault on the keystone that brought about the madness.
“But enough of that for the moment.” Ellie pursed her lips before turning to Jade. “I’ve waited long enough. What happened to your arm?”
Jade described the terror attack and Ben’s heroic efforts to protect her and Krista—despite him not knowing what to do—complete with gestures and sound effects, to Ellie’s clear amusement.
“I miss such adventures.” Ellie’s eyes sparkled with memory. “I’m glad you have this opportunity to see the world while you can.” She sighed dramatically and fluttered a hand in the general direction of the palace. “As if the new panic isn’t enough to worry about, Lord Everett has raised taxes recently for some pet project of his, and it’s bleeding me dry. I may need to downsize the company if he keeps it up.”
“What project, dare I ask?” Garnet glanced sideways at Jade, who had sunk back against the couch with tightly pressed lips at the mention of Everett Windsor.
“He wants to claim some of the Arid Plains for Aerugo, and that requires an obscene amount of money to pipe in water and persuade Aerugans to move that direction. I’m sorry to say that I won’t have as much funding for you to pay your crew when not on an active job.” She paused, her eyes settling on Jade and softening. “Jade, could you do me a favor while you’re here?”
Jade straightened, and she flipped her braid behind her back. “What do you need?”
“There’s a clock in my bedroom that I haven’t had time to take in to a repair shop. I know it’s not the same as an airship engine room, but—”
“I can fix it,” Jade interrupted with a small laugh. “Shall I take care of it now, before we forget?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Jade excused herself and left the room, her hand trailing along the textured wallpaper.
Ellie waited until they heard the quiet click of the door upstairs before she continued, “As you know, Lord Everett has only grown more corrupt over these years.” Her brow wrinkled in sorrow as she looked at Slate. “Tell me, how is Zak doing, now that he’s back here? Has he fully recovered yet?” Her eyes flicked to the ceiling where they could hear the floorboards creak as Jade walked into the room. “And how is sh
e faring, since you talked to him?”
Slate and Garnet exchanged glances, and Samantha intertwined her fingers with his. “He’s doing better,” Slate said finally. “He’s back on for dragon hunting, and he hasn’t commented much on the whole ordeal. Jade’s been more vocal, of course. She hates coming to Lucrum now, and I know she’s dreading our visit to the palace.”
“And it’s a bit more difficult to be here this time around, with things so awkward between her and Zak,” Garnet added with a sigh.
Ellie nodded slowly before taking a small sip of her tea. “Andre comes by occasionally. Rumor has it that the prince isn’t quite the man-whore that he had been.”
Slate loosed a cynical laugh at the same time as Garnet coughed. Garnet fanned herself with a hand. “Sorry, but that’s a bit hard to believe.”
Ellie shrugged. “Rumors, Garn, they’re just rumors.” She paused again, taking her time to look at the three of them. Ellie tapped her fingers against her leg. “I know you’ve talked with Zak, but I also know you haven’t talked to Jade yet. When are you going to?”
Samantha and Garnet turned to look at Slate, and he dropped his eyes from his mother’s scrutiny. He ran his thumbnail along the piped edge of the couch. “I don’t know when,” he admitted after a long pause. “But not anytime soon. I don’t expect her reaction to be good, and I feel that we need more distance from last summer.”
“The longer you wait to tell her, the harder it will be when the truth comes out,” Samantha pointed out in a gentle voice. She twisted in his arms to look at him apologetically. She pressed a tender kiss on his jaw to soften her words. “Sooner would be better.”
Slate offered her a wan smile that he knew didn’t reach his eyes.
“Agreed.” Garnet scooted to the edge of her couch and gripped the cushion under the folds of her golden yellow skirt. “We’re already at the point that whenever she knows, it will be difficult and painful. That’s inevitable.” She skewered him with a stare. “And now there’s possibly a new interest for her? Slate,” she lowered her voice and glanced at the doorway before meeting his eyes, “Jade has to know she’s the Princess of Doldra, and soon.”
“It would be better for her heart, son,” Ellie stated with a stern, practical tone. “Spare her and the young Guardian further heartache.” She arched a brow in Garnet’s direction. “And the feelings of any other possible beaus for her. We can’t let her heart get entangled with others. Not when she’s going to need to marry another crown to appease the other rulers.”
Slate closed his eyes against the onslaught of their words and shook his head. Memories of crimson hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a life-loving laugh assaulted him. “We wait.” He cracked his eyes open and put what firmness he could in his voice. “Soon, probably this summer. But not now.”
Chapter Nineteen
Ben
Doctor Jaxton pressed the two wires against Ben’s upper arm, above his burns, and dabbed a cold gel on them to adhere them to his skin. Ben twisted his arm to get a better look at them as Jaxton tightened the straps that held down Ben’s legs, arms, and torso.
“And what will these do, exactly?”
Jaxton walked around the table that Ben reclined on and patted a hand on the contraption he’d pulled out and set on the counter. The wires ran from Ben’s arm to a squat cylinder, filled with metal coils that attached to a board with several dials, switches, and gauges. Jaxton shot Ben a grin, his eyes bright with excitement.
“It’s called electroshock therapy.” Jaxton turned a knob, glanced at Ben, then moved the dial a bit more. “I’m going to pump a very precise amount of lightning into your body in hopes that it will restore your memory.”
Ben twitched his burned fingers. “And that won’t make this worse?”
Jaxton paused, as if only just remembering that Ben was injured. “Oh, yes. That.” His lips twitched. “I suppose we should take care of that first.” He pulled a black stone from a drawer and stood in front of Ben. “This will feel odd, as I’m going to accelerate the healing. Just hold still.”
Ben could make out the tiny glimmering flecks of blue and purple in the rock now that it was closer. He tensed as Jaxton blew out a breath and touched the healing stone to his burns. Jaxton closed his eyes, brows drawing together. He frowned. His eyes opened, and he held up the rock to the light, then tapped it against Ben’s arm again.
“Is something wrong?” Ben asked as Jaxton stepped back, still examining the stone.
“Not exactly.” Jaxton drew the words out, his mind clearly in another place. His black eyes flicked up to Ben, narrowed. “And you can’t remember anything about where you’re from, still? What about things here? Are there still things that you don’t remember?”
Ben eyed the stone that Jaxton set on the counter, mentally debating how honest he wanted to be. He’s a doctor. If he’s going to help me, I need to be honest. “I don’t remember my past. And I’m still not sure what the keystone or barrier is about. Or how they work.”
Jaxton leaned against the counter and ran his fingers up and down the crease in his white doctor’s coat. “The keystones link together Void, time, and death magic. They’re all reaching out for each other. If we want to use Lasim terms, we’d say they’re connecting a circuit.” He cocked his head, eyes speculative. “Do you remember what the Void is?”
“Something bad?” Ben shrugged. “I’m sure it’ll all come back soon.” He nodded to the wires on his arm. “Maybe we should try that, see if I remember everything then?”
“Of course,” Jaxton pushed away from the counter and pulled his goggles up from around his neck, looking over his shoulder. “You ready?”
Ben set his head back against the cushion of the table. “I think so—” Before the words were even out of his mouth, pain arced through his arm and raced along his nerves, setting everything on fire. He jerked, straining against the leather straps. Stars sparked in his vision.
The current stopped, leaving Ben gasping for air. He blinked away the spots in his eyes and focused blearily on Jaxton.
The doctor raised his eyebrows. “Anything?”
Ben closed his eyes, mentally reaching for anything new. Shadowy recesses in his mind offered nothing. Whatever secrets his memory held were still inaccessible. He sagged against the table, refusing to give in to the frustration and depression that whispered at him. “Nothing.”
“Hmm.” Jaxton pulled a pad of paper from a drawer and scrawled something on it. “Do you remember who I am?”
“Doctor Jaxton.” Ben frowned. “Was there a chance that this would take away my memory?”
“I never said that.” Jaxton’s reply was a bit too quick for Ben’s liking. The doctor tapped his pencil against the counter. “Let’s try a different question, something a bit harder. Do you remember Kerlee’s story from last night?”
Ben sucked in a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling. “About his hometown being wiped out?”
Jaxton wrote on his pad again. “Good. Any details beyond that?”
“It was after the attack on the Doldra keystone.” Ben frowned at the memory. “Dragons moved into the area, when they had been staying away before. Most of the city was wiped out; his family fled before it was too late.” He lifted his head to look at Jaxton. “Why?”
“Checking your memory—immediate, short, and long.” Jaxton pulled the wires off Ben’s arm and wiped the gunk away, then lifted the seat and started tugging at the leather straps. “Your short term and immediate memory seem unaffected, though your long term is still problematic. But you knew that already.”
Ben stretched his arms once they were freed from the restraints. “So we’re no closer to a solution?”
Jaxton tossed a rag into the basin. “Yes and no. You’ve given me some ideas to work on. It’ll be a few weeks though. I need to make sure I think through it all before I try it on you.”
“Oh. Okay.” Ben sat up on the bed and swung his feet over the edge. “Is there anything else for today,
then?”
The door opened, and Geist poked his head in. He nodded at Ben and turned his attention to Jaxton. “Do you have a minute, Doc?”
“Doctor,” Jaxton emphasized. He pointed his pencil at Geist, eyes narrowed. “Bad enough that Briar doesn’t show proper respect. Don’t you start too.”
Geist smirked and pushed the door all the way open. He strolled in. “You know I live life on the edge.”
“And one of these days you’re going to come in from a fight, and I’m not going to fix you up.” Jaxton crossed his arms. “What do you want?”
Geist propped his hands on his waist. “Looking for a favor.” He shot a quick grin at Jaxton, and then at Ben. “Would either of you be good for a small loan?”
“Captain’s not going to like it when he finds out what you’re up to,” Jaxton warned. Geist chuckled, and Jaxton rolled his eyes as he handed over two crimson lut. “And you’d better pay me back, or not even your lucky stars will save you.”
Geist tossed a quick salute at Jaxton. “You know I will. I always pay my debts.” He slapped the back of his hand against Ben’s shoulder. “Come on, we’re heading into town, we’ve got some errands to run.”
Chapter Twenty
Jade
Jade followed Geist and Briar and tried to not think anything of Ben’s shoulder rubbing against hers as the crowd moved around them. This was a simple trip to the marketplace. Not a date or anything to be nervous about. Even if Zak’s glower at Ben as they left made her wonder if there was more to the day than she thought.
The scent of roasted meats, sweet fruits, and fresh bread rolled over Jade, but instead of being tempted, her stomach roiled. This was a bad idea. Maybe after Briar picked up the food supplies he needed, she could volunteer to carry it all back. They didn’t really need her help, did they? Ben’s hands were still burned, but they had been healing well these last two weeks, so her help wasn’t as necessary as they made it out to be. She could make it back to the Sapphire and have plenty of time to get psyched up for the tri-discus game tonight. And then she wouldn’t have to stress right here and now.
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