“Bandits,” Erynn gasped and his legs thrashed against the ground as Zak shoved his hands onto Erynn’s side with the pad in an attempt to slow the bleeding.
Zak’s eyes hardened, and he exchanged looks with Zaborah and Jade. “Stay with me, Jade. I need an extra set of hands.”
Zaborah ran down the closest hall, yelling for all swords to wake up. Zak helped Erynn to a couch where he could lie down. Zak pointed at Jade. “I need you to get my med-pack, it’s in my room.”
Jade dashed from the window and scooped up Zak’s sword, her fingers grasping the familiar black-and-silver twisted hilt. She ran. A quick search in Zak’s room yielded the location of his black leather bag. She tossed it over her shoulder and stopped to pound on Krista’s door before returning to Zak.
Jade caught a glimpse of Ash as he slammed the door shut behind him. Zak held out a bloody hand for his bag, thought better of it, and pointed instead. “I need gauze.”
She set his sword between them, where they could both reach it, and dove her hands into his bag. Gauze squished under her fingers, and she held it out to him, then shrank back against the couch as someone bellowed and the wall to the outside thudded. “Why does battle always find us?” she moaned as she held out the scissors for when he’d be ready.
Zak grunted as he took the offered tool, leaving bloody streaks across her palm. “That’s another reason why you’re trained with a sword.”
Jade ignored the double meaning of his words and dug out his suture kit before he could ask for it. “Who’s out there now?”
“My sister, Tamon, William, and Ash.” Zak didn’t look up from Erynn’s side.
“Briar,” Krista added as she jogged in and joined them, a sword strapped to her waist. She held out Jade’s inherited sapphire-blue sword and sheath. “You may need this.”
Jade tied it to her belt and looked over at Zak. “I’m going out.”
“Like the bleeding Void you are!” Zak exclaimed, his eyes wide. He glared at her as he grabbed a threaded needle from his kit. “Absolutely not. We don’t know what they want, and you’ll be a target.”
“Argue all you two want; I’m not leaving my boyfriend to do the fighting alone,” Krista shot over her shoulder as she left the room.
Jade shook her head at Zak as she jogged to the door. “And I can’t leave my best friend to face whatever is out there without me at her side.”
“Jade!”
The fear and frustration in Zak’s voice halted her hand before she could twist the knob. She hesitated and looked back.
Erynn groaned as Zak stitched his side. Zak shook his head at her, dark hair falling into his eyes. He cursed and shook the strands out of his face. “Please, wait for me. Don’t go where I can’t follow.”
Jade pressed her lips together. His plea hammered at the walls that she’d built around her heart. She couldn’t let them crack or she’d give in and stay—forever a damsel in distress in his eyes. She had to prove her point. She could hold her own. She was more than the title he thought of her as. “A princess needs a bodyguard. A mechanic doesn’t.” She stepped out into chaos and clicked the door shut behind her, blocking out his shouts and curses.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Ben
Ben’s hands shook with nervous energy, and he gave up on standing still, opting to pace instead. Captain Samantha stood at the railing, her jaw clenched as she looked over the edge. The Doldran brick wall loomed closer as the Phoenix drew near, and Ben had to bite back the urge to ask Samantha how much longer until they docked.
Samantha and her crew had been ready the moment Ben returned to Elinora’s, and he boarded with Ellie, Finn, and Raine within a half-hour of his return. He’d explained all that had occurred in the palace while on the main deck. The members of their party had listened while Samantha steered them out, bent on not wasting a single minute. But the Sapphire had a full two—almost three—days’ head start, and anything could have happened by now.
Though it was dangerous, due to low visibility, Samantha and her sister, Rebecca, took turns flying the ship through the night in an effort to catch up.
“We’re not too late for the keystone.” Relief colored Samantha’s words, and she shot Ben a tired smile as she handed him her monocular. “The barrier is still intact.”
He lifted the spyglass and sighed in relief to see that the shimmering purple in the mountains hadn’t changed or disappeared. He handed the lens back to Samantha and checked his safety line before leaning over the edge of the rail as Rebecca steered them into the airship dock. So close…
The sound of metal jangling distracted Ben from the blessed sight of the wooden dock, and he turned to see Raine and Finn standing amongst several others of Samantha’s crew.
Raine buckled her sword over her tunic and fixed Ben with a stare. “I’ll help you rescue your princess.”
“She’s not my princess.” Ben snorted. “If she’s anyone’s, she’s Zak’s. Just don’t let either of them hear you say that.”
Raine shrugged and started braiding her black hair. “Nonetheless. We’ll assess the situation, and I’ll help with her if needed. Papa will help with the keystone.”
Finn settled his hand on her shoulder, his eyes drooping with an ancient quality of concern and sorrow. “I may need your help, dearest. Time will tell.”
The Phoenix came to a smooth stop, and Samantha kicked down the gangplank while Rebecca called out orders to the remaining crewmembers. Ben followed Jade’s adoptive mother as she led the group to the Stohner Shipping Yards. He cocked his head, listening. Shouts and the clanging of metal echoed in the air of the quiet morning. His chest tightened, and he burst forward, the crew hot on his heels.
They were too late. Jade!
They skidded around a brick pillar, and Ben gaped. Beyond the fence that surrounded Ellie’s house—among other buildings—a battle raged. At least twenty shabbily dressed men fought against Slate’s crew and a mix of people that Ben could only assume were Ellie’s men. A flash of red hair back by the lodging drew his eye. Ben pointed with a shout, fear lodging in his throat. Splashes of crimson wavered around the edges of his vision.
Blood. So much blood.
Ben could barely see Jade through the hazy memory that threatened to pull him under. She kicked at the knee of the man towering over her. Her opponent stumbled back and lifted his blade.
Raine squeezed Ben’s arm, and his attention snapped back. He pulled out his steam-pistol, aimed, and fired. Steam puffed out the side of the gun and rolled over his gloved hands. Jade’s opponent dropped in a spray of red. She collapsed against the wall, chest heaving.
Someone rushed past Ben on the right. A man dropped, blood spouting from his neck. One of Samantha’s crewmembers, Serena, stood over his body, dagger in hand. She pointed to Jade. He couldn’t hear her over the din, but he could read her lips: Hurry.
The arrival of the Phoenix crew bolstered the beleaguered defendants of Ellie’s yard. Ben and Raine worked their way through the yard with a grim resolve. Raine covered him with her sword while he pumped and reloaded his gun. A bandit with a well-trimmed moustache veered their way. Raine glided forward from Ben’s side to meet the challenger. Confident in her skill, Ben left her. He had to get Jade to safety.
Sweat was rolling down Ben’s forehead by the time he joined Jade. “What the blazes are you doing out here?” He exclaimed, his eyes roving over the sprawling fight. “What was Zak thinking? Where is Zak?”
Jade glared at him with watering eyes, gripping her sword with trembling arms. “I came out on my own. I’m not going to hide behind my friends and do nothing.”
Ben groaned. “You can hold your own, and you know how to fight, but it isn’t for this purpose.” He lifted his gun and tracked a bandit with shiny boots that stalked behind Finn. The man paused, and Ben shot him. The man collapsed. Ben yanked ammo from his belt and reloaded. “Who are these guys?”
She shook her head, her eyes following Krista and William as they te
amed up against a man hovering over a crumpled form that looked like Briar.
Ben grit his teeth. His purpose here was to get Jade to safety first. He couldn’t leave her side to go defend his other friend.
A stray tear rolled down Jade’s cheek. “No idea. Zak will likely have an idea.”
“Where is he?”
Jade stared down with dull eyes, and Ben noticed then the blood that covered her hands and sword. She pressed her thumb and forefinger together absently, pulling them apart with a sticking sound. “He’s inside.”
Ben scanned the crowd until he found Samantha. She kicked at her opponent’s knee, and Ben immediately knew where Jade had learned that trick. Samantha met Ben’s eyes as Serena finished off the bandit. Even across the yard, Ben could see the tell-tale glimmer of tears in Samantha’s eyes when she saw Jade. The soft look disappeared quickly, and Samantha pointed to Jade, then to the nearby house, her meaning clear enough.
Ben nodded and tried to not let his frustration at Jade be apparent in his grip as he pulled on her arm. “Come on. We gotta get you out of here.”
She followed without protest while he led her into the crew quarters. Ben’s short tirade against her foolishness died behind his lips when his eyes adjusted to the darker room. Zak knelt by a blood-smeared couch, his hands on a man’s crimson-stained man’s side. Relief flared in his eyes when he saw Jade and he turned back, snipping off the end of a row of stitches.
“Zak, I—” Jade started and Ben held out his hand, stopping her.
“Before we discuss what’s going on out there, or what you did,” Ben shot her a reproving look, and Jade’s gaze dropped to the ground, “you two need to know what happened in Aerugo.” Ben crossed his arms and nodded to Zak.
Zak raised a dark brow as he wiped blood away from the long stretch of stitches. “Tell us.”
Ben looked at Jade, sympathy overriding his vexation and softening his tone despite his concern over the battle raging out the front door. “Your uncle Andre is in prison for treason.” She paled, and he continued, “Lord Everett knows who you are, and he wants you dead.”
A strangled sound emitted from Zak, and Ben whipped his head around to the Monomi. “Ellie told me everything. I’m no threat. You know that.”
Zak’s grip on his sword hilt eased, but the tension remained in his shoulders as he studied Ben like he’d never seen him before. “I need you to tell me everything for me to judge that.”
“I will. Later. But know that Everett said Adeline Doldras has been assumed dead for this long, and he sees no reason for that to change. That’s as solid a threat as I’ve heard.” Ben turned back to Jade. “Where is the captain?”
Color had returned to her cheeks, and Jade bit her lip. “He left for the citadel about two hours ago.”
Ben’s adrenaline surged and he knocked into a chair in his haste. He swore and flung open the door. “Finn! Raine!”
“What’s going on?” Zak demanded, his powerful fingers digging into Ben’s shoulder. “Why is this a problem?”
Ben didn’t look back, focused on flagging down Finn and Raine. “Who went with him?” Zak and Jade glanced at each other, and Ben drew his shoulders back. “Tell me! Did anyone from the crew go with him?”
“Geist, Victor, and Kerlee,” Zak answered. His eyes narrowed. “Ben. What’s going on?”
Ben dropped his arm when Raine veered toward him. Blood pounded through his veins, thundering in his ears. He clenched his jaw. “There was a traitor on board the Sapphire. And you were all lied to.” Ben forced himself to look into Jade’s wide eyes.
“That bloodstone won’t do what you think it will. Slate’s about to take down the entire barrier.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
Slate
Ghosts of the past tugged on Slate’s memory as he followed Bentley and his honor guard from the palace. With each clop of his horse’s hooves, another image presented itself to Slate.
When at the palace waiting for Bentley, it had been Clara, guarding the huge double doors. Sapphire, nowhere in sight, but her presence haunted the back of his mind like an unreachable itch. As they passed the overgrown practice discus field, a broken image of his friend, the traitor, flickered behind Geist. Kerlee and Geist talked in hushed voices as they neared the citadel, and Slate shook his head to dispel the memories of himself walking with his brother-in-law on the same road.
At this rate, Slate feared and wanted nothing more than to get to the citadel. He knew exactly what memory his mind would haunt him with. It was the same that he’d seen in his dreams every night immediately after the fall of the royal family. They had faded in intensity with time, but for the last week, they’d returned with increased ferocity and vividness. But he was here to face their accusations. To keep his promise. To fix his wrongs. Slate tightened his grip on the stone in his pocket. It would all be over soon.
He watched Victor as he rode alongside Nevin in the dappled sunshine up ahead. Since when did they become so buddy-buddy? Slate shook his head with a slight snort. And what were they thinking, both of them wearing suit jackets? The keystone affected time—not temperature.
Slate took a deep breath and tugged a finger under his collar. Despite the cool of the predawn morning, the lack of a breeze made the humidity even more stifling than he remembered. Everyone else in their group wore their typical attire: button-up long-sleeve shirts with vests, or, in Geist’s case, a sleeveless shirt and vest.
Nevin reined his horse back to draw even with Slate. “When we get there, we’ll know right away if the time is fluctuating or not.” He held himself aloof as he peered down his nose at Slate—despite Slate sitting taller on horseback.
“Oh?” Slate forced himself to focus on the conversation and not the foreboding that lurked in the back of his mind. He cleared his throat of the emotion that thickened his voice. “How’s that?”
“We’ll toss in a pebble and watch if it floats or falls. It’s the safest way.”
Slate nodded. “Sounds like a good plan.” He glanced at the guards that rode ahead and behind them. “Is everyone going in?”
Nevin sniffed. “Of course not.” He splayed his fat fingers across his chest and raised his brow at Slate. “I will escort you in. There’s no reason for the illustrious Governor Bentley to get close to the keystone.”
“No?” Slate frowned. “Then why’d he come?”
“To be seen, of course.” Nevin shook his head at Slate and tsked. “Leadership is clearly not your strong suit. He will remain outside with the guards.”
Slate bit back a sarcastic reply and dipped his head silently. Nevin rode forward again, and Geist nudged his horse closer to Slate.
“Annoying little prick, isn’t he?” Geist flicked a hand at Nevin. “I’d give you a hundred-to-one odds that he’s never even set foot in the keystone chamber.”
Slate snorted through his nose. “No need to mince your thoughts. I won’t tell on you.” Geist’s choice of words suddenly registered, and Slate adjusted the reins in his hands as he narrowed his eyes at Geist. “After this is over, we need to talk about your gambling, man. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
Geist coughed and looked away, scratching at his cheek. “I’d wondered.”
“Kind of hard not to, with you disappearing left and right.” Slate raised an eyebrow. “And your last request for an advance on your pay was the final clue.”
A grimace crossed Geist’s face and he nodded to himself, but Slate wasn’t going to let him out of the dragon trap just yet. Slate sighed. “Geist, I’m not upset at your gambling.”
“Sir?” Geist looked up from his horse.
“I mean, the gambling is a problem, yes, but that’s your problem.” Slate bounced his fist against his thigh. Like he was one to talk about personal problems. His adrenaline-loving crew member watched him with a quizzical expression. “The problem is when you leave without saying anything,” Slate elaborated. “If I can’t trust you to be where you say you are, how can I count on you
for important missions?” He nodded to the citadel in the distance. “Missions like this one.”
Geist’s cheek twitched as he dropped his gaze. “Sorry, sir.” He swallowed hard. “I’ll work on it.” He glanced sideways at Slate. “Think this will go smoothly?”
“Who knows?” Slate sighed, then took a deep breath, and tried not to choke on the pollen in the air. “But it would probably be best to have you guys stay out here with Mister Tight Gears. Victor has already volunteered to go in with me.”
Geist grimaced. “Sounds like fun.”
Tall evergreens broke away from the path to reveal the sturdy stone of the citadel, and Slate swallowed hard at the sight. Almost there. The keystone would be stronger, his family and southern Terrene protected, and he could finally lay his ghosts to rest. He dipped his head back to enjoy the last bit of sunlight he’d get for the next few hours. After this, he’d take a break. Ride with Sam for a bit on the Phoenix. Let Victor captain the Sapphire for a while.
Slate pressed his lips together when they reached the gate of the citadel. Two guards opened the heavy wooden door. It creaked open and Bentley cantered through, immediately pulling up short and leading his horse to the side furthest from the keystone tower. Slate glanced over at Geist, breakfast leaden in his gut. “The sooner this is over, the better.”
Gravel crunched as Kerlee approached. Slate dismounted and handed his reins to a nearby guard, then turned to his crewman. “I’m sorry, but I do need you to stay out here.” Slate lowered his voice and nodded meaningfully toward Bentley’s back. “Keep an eye on the pompous one, will you?”
Disappointment flashed across Kerlee’s face, but he nodded and struck his fist across his heart. Pride shone in his eyes. “Thank you, sir, for letting me come along this far.” Kerlee shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up at the tall building. “It’s strange, knowing that a crystal in there is the reason my town got wiped out.” He sighed before sticking a hand out to Slate. “For the sake of our people.”
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