“Over there, the left end of the house.”
Ludo looked past him. “I see it.”
“We’ll move there. It’s dark enough that we can hide. Maybe we can hear something.”
Ludo nodded, and together they stepped out of the bush.
Another scream filled the village, and two doors opened. Mothers came out. Reeve quickly pulled Ludo back behind the bush. They had their backs to the village, but Reeve didn’t dare turn around. No rustling could come from their direction.
He counted to ten, and slowly turned around. The square was empty again. He heard faint sobbing from one of the houses the Mothers had come from.
Reeve signalled Ludo to move out, and they rushed over to the house Reeve had indicated. One of the Mothers had gone in. With a bit of luck, the demons wouldn’t sense them and move on once they’d done whatever it was they were doing. They crouched to remain out of sight, and Reeve slid into the shadow.
The window was low but shut. Reeve heard someone pleading behind it. Thin glass. Old walls. They’d only disguise sounds so much.
Ludo tensed again. Reeve took his hand, warm and rough from sparring with his sword. Ludo looked at him, and Reeve shook his head.
“If Rachael is here, in this house, she won’t go quietly.”
Ludo nodded to show he understood, but Reeve knew by Ludo’s grimace that he hated it. So did Reeve, but it wasn’t his choice. Cale hadn’t sent them to liberate all prisoners, just the one.
The pleading stopped, and the village quieted again.
“What are they doing, exactly?” Ludo asked.
“It’s either proof that Rachael has somehow escaped, or this is a routine count.”
“Where would she run, Reeve? There’s ocean on all sides.”
“Action, no matter how futile, is sometimes better than inaction.” He himself lived by those words.
They stayed low to the ground. Reeve counted to ten once more and stood. “We should move to another house. Maybe—”
A Mother turned around their corner. It saw them and screeched. Reeve drew his dagger and shoved it into its head. The enchantment raced through the demon and burnt it before it screeched again.
“We have to go,” Ludo said. “The others—”
“Over there.” Reeve pointed to the house to their left. There was a door in the back wall, and a Mother had left from it earlier. “We’ll hide there.”
They ran across, and Reeve spoke a quiet prayer of thanks when the door was open. He supposed there was no need to lock them; the Mothers could slide through any crack, and the villagers were on each other’s side. There was no point stealing from people who had as little as you.
If they were lucky, they’d find Rachael and slip out before the other Mothers figured out where they were hiding.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Neither Rachael nor Kiana dared speak another word after their fight with the Mothers. Ever since her first encounter in her palace’s chambers, Rachael held a new respect for the shadows. Now they were surrounded, and all she saw was movement where there wasn’t any.
Rachael had no idea where she was leading them, but as long as they got farther away from the temple they were walking in the right direction. Sooner or later, they’d find the sea. They could make new plans once they were out of the woods.
But the woods seemed endless, the shadows reached closer with every step they took, and Rachael’s legs were regretting their climb. Her arms hurt, too, and blisters covered her hands, but her legs had to work so much harder. She didn’t know how much longer she could walk before she collapsed.
Behind her, Kiana didn’t complain, but she had to be feeling the same pain. The demons had hurt her worse. Rachael dreaded to think what would happen if they didn’t find a healer soon. The chances of that happening were slim to none out here, but maybe, if they reached the water, they could build a small boat or a raft, and then they’d escape, and then—
Rachael tripped over a rock jutting out of the grass and fell to her knees.
Kiana helped her back up. “Are you all right?”
“Fine.” Her ankle hurt where she’d scraped the rock, but it would do no good to complain. They had to keep moving. “Just tired.”
“Do you need a break?”
“No. I’ll rest when we’re off this island.”
“Can you walk?”
Rachael took three tentative steps. It hurt, but she’d bear it.
“If you put too much pressure on your foot, you’ll make it worse. Let me help.” Kiana put an arm around her. Rachael leaned into it. “Just until we find a place to rest.”
Rachael sighed. “All right. But if we’re attacked again, I’m still—”
A bush close to them rustled. They froze. Rachael took back what she’d almost said; they were in no position to fight again.
Her hand darted to her sword. Kiana tensed and reached for her daggers. Her arms fell away when she found none.
“Stay behind me,” Rachael said. “We’ll be fine as long as it’s—Lon?”
The Sparrow stepped out of the underbrush. He looked just as surprised to see her as she was to see him.
“Rachael? Kiana? I didn’t—Thank the Maker, you’re both safe!”
She threw herself into his arms, closely followed by Kiana.
Rachael grinned into his shoulder. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“Cale will be so relieved you’re safe! Are you hurt?”
“Kiana is injured worse than I.” Rachael couldn’t stop grinning. Lon was here. Cale was here. Her stomach flipped—everything would be all right. “Where are the others?”
“Looking for you,” Lon said. “It’s a long story. Let’s get back to our camp, I need to look at those wounds. We couldn’t bring many bandages, but what we have is enough.”
“How did you get here?” Kiana asked.
Lon grimaced. “As I said, long story.”
“Start somewhere,” Kiana said.
“Would you believe me if I said we flew here on a dragon?”
“Kaida is here?” Rachael asked. But why use bandages if Kaida was with them?
“Wait, you’re doing it again.” Kiana crossed her arms. “What does Kaida have to do with dragons?”
Rachael and Lon looked at each other. “He’s right, it is a long story,” Rachael said.
Kiana frowned. “I get that a lot lately.”
Rachael smiled. “Let’s get to camp and I’ll explain. I really want to sit.”
“This camp of yours.” Kiana hooked her arm in with Lon’s. “Does it have food?”
He laughed. “Not much, but you need it more than I do. It won’t be a feast, I’m afraid.”
“Lead the way then, I’m starving.”
With Lon leading the way and the promise of Cale and her other Sparrows nearby, the shadows didn’t seem as deep. A few rays of moonlight stole through the thick branches and left a pale play of light on the thick forest moss.
The camp wasn’t far away. It wasn’t large, but backpacks and small stashes of equipment lay scattered around. Desma sat in the middle like a proud, if bored, queen.
When Rachael stepped out of the bushes, Desma jumped to her feet. “You found them!”
Lon rolled his eyes. “You doubt my ability?”
“It’s called caution, birdie.”
“Never mind that,” Kiana said. “Where’s the food?”
They sat down in the centre of their small clearing. Lon handed out rations. It wasn’t much, but right now a tiny bit of dried fruit and salted beef was the most delicious thing Rachael could have asked for. Lon disinfected and bandaged Kiana’s wounds as they ate.
“Elyn will be glad you’re alive,” Desma said.
Kiana didn’t look up from her beef strip. “Hm?”
“Elyn was worried about you. I promised her I’d bring both of you back, but she seemed especially worried about you.”
Lon looked up from his work to frown at Desma. “Oh, so now it’
s you who found them in the forest?”
Desma waved him off. “Doesn’t matter who found them. The point is, they’re alive and not too scratched up.”
“How are you all here?” Rachael asked. “Where are the others?”
Lon tied a knot into Kiana’s bandage and sat back. “You want the long version or the short one?”
Rachael wanted sleep more than anything. “The short version, please.”
Lon nodded. “Kaida and Cale returned from some library in the Red Wastes and told us you’d been kidnapped. He called us together, decided who’d come with him, and here we are.”
“Hang on,” Kiana said between bites. “The Red Wastes are months away. They couldn’t have returned that fast and get here. We weren’t missing long enough.” She frowned. “How long were we missing?”
“That’s what I’ve been meaning to tell you.” Rachael hoped Kiana would take it well. “Kaida is a dragon. She rescued us from the palace and flew us to the library.”
Kiana put down her beef and sighed. “I leave you alone for two seconds and all the good stuff happens.” Rachael smiled. “So, Kaida really is a dragon? I figured magic was involved somehow, but that’s more than I imagined.”
“You’ll see for yourself soon enough,” Lon said. “She’s our only way back home.”
“Where is she now?” Rachael asked.
“Cale and Kaida went to the temple to look for you. Reeve and— Maker, I completely forgot!” Lon pulled a small orb out of his pocket and whispered into it. It glowed orange in acknowledgement. He left it lying in his lap, a smug grin on his face. “We should have made a bet.”
Rachael recognised the magic. They’d used the same orbs when they’d travelled to the Halls of Reflection. Its magic amazed her as much now as it had then.
“Cale told us to inform the others as soon as we found you,” Lon said. “I was so excited I forgot to alert them.”
“It’s fine,” Rachael said. She wanted answers and they were getting side-tracked again. “So, Cale and Kaida went to the temple…”
“Yes. Reeve and Ludo went to the village in case Cephy held you there, and Desma and I scouted the forest in case you escaped and came this far.” Lon frowned. “How did you escape? They can’t have kept you in the temple if you managed to sneak out. Unless they held you in the basement and you tunnelled your way out?”
Rachael held up her hands so Lon could see the blisters. “We climbed down. The walls are rough and at an angle, and demons guarded all other exits. It was the only way out that wasn’t watched.”
Lon paled. “That’s because you could have fallen to your deaths.” He glared at Kiana. “Why did you let her do that?”
Kiana shrugged and tore another strip of dried beef in half. “It was my idea. As Rach said, it was the— Hey!”
Lon snatched the beef out of her hand. “No more food for you. I need to punish you somehow.”
Rachael smiled. She had missed them so much it hurt.
“It’s fine,” she said. “It worked, and we’re here now. But, Lon.” She didn’t like the thought of Cale and Kaida walking straight into Cephy’s arms. “Cephy and Lis are in the temple. They have an army of Mothers.”
“They knew that going in. In fact, that’s why Kaida went with him. Cale’s not too fond of her since she lied to you about being a dragon, but he knows it’s their best option.”
“They can’t defeat all of them.” Rachael’s stomach churned. “Cephy’s not the girl I remember. The Dark One controls her and lends her power. The demons alone outnumber them, but this is too much.”
“That’s why Kaida cloaked us with a spell,” Lon said. “They might not have reached the temple yet anyway. They know you’re with us now, they’ll be on their way back.”
Rachael nodded. She hoped it was enough. Cale was an excellent swordsman, and Kaida was unrivalled with her magic, but there were too many enemies.
She had a bad feeling about what lay ahead.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cale felt no safer for wearing the cloak Kaida had drawn up around them. Kaida had led him through the main entrance right past two demons flanking the door, and neither Mother had paid him any attention. He was invisible to them, but he wasn’t comfortable walking past them. Kaida strode in with confidence, but Cale kept his hand on his sword. Just in case they smelled him or felt a breeze they couldn’t explain.
No matter his personal feelings, Kaida was Rachael’s best chance. Cale didn’t underestimate Cephy, and if something went wrong then no sword would reach Cephy before her flames reached his heart.
“Where do we go?” he asked.
Kaida pointed left and shook her head. Cale got the hint—no talking while enemies were nearby. She’d told him before they went up the many steps that sound should be masked as well, but the demons were everywhere here. Neither of them was willing to risk it.
The walls and floor were roughly chiselled from a dark material. It sucked up whatever light sneaked in. Cale’s eyes needed to adjust. It wasn’t too dark to see, but all the black surrounding him was hard to accept.
“… want them found!”
Cale froze. He remembered Cephy’s voice, but this... There was something else, too. An evil darker than this temple’s architecture.
Cale slowly drew his sword, inch by inch, worried she’d hear the ringing of steel as the blade left its scabbard.
Kaida put a hand on his and eased the sword down.
“We are not here for Cephy. Rachael is our priority, or have you forgotten?”
He gritted his teeth. “She’s right there.”
“And she is too powerful for you to take on. It is too dangerous while Rachael is still here. The amount of magic I would need to use could cause—”
He cursed Cephy under his breath and shoved his sword into its scabbard. “Fine. Lead the way.”
Kaida led him farther down the left corridor.
She stopped before a door on their left. “I sense a unique magical energy from in here.” The door looked like any other to Cale—black and unassuming. No special sign or marks to indicate anything important happened behind it. “I believe it might be Rachael’s armour calling out.”
He glared at her. “I thought we’re here for Rachael?”
“Rachael will need her armour, will she not? Her amulet and her sword?”
He hated when Kaida was right. They’d gone to great lengths to reawaken the magic flowing through the armour, and the amulet enhanced Rachael’s visions. Her sword had been a gift from Cale, before Rachael had taken the throne. All three were relics from the old empire, which had understood magic in ways today’s gifted couldn’t hope to achieve. If they could get the items, they’d be stupid to leave them behind.
It wasn’t just that, either. Rachael needed protection. If her armour really was behind this door, what did she have now? Shackles? Rags? They wouldn’t save her from the Mothers, let alone from Cephy and the Dark One.
He eyed the door. “In here?”
Kaida nodded. Cale nudged the door. It didn’t open.
“Allow me.” Kaida placed her hand on the door and frowned. “It is locked with dark magic, but I can get past it. Be careful, Cale. It is possible that the Dark One will pick up on my gift when I use it.”
He swallowed but nodded. Perhaps they should find Rachael first and come back, but there was no guarantee breaking her out wouldn’t raise an alarm, and then Rachael would still lack protection. Cale would do what he could, but he wasn’t a fool. He couldn’t be there every time she needed him. Rachael was too independent, too proud, to let herself be protected when she could do it herself.
Kaida whispered in an old language. The lock glowed cold blue and clicked open.
No sign of any demons. Just boxes and wardrobes arranged at random.
“Search that side.” Cale was happier now he was in charge again. “I’ll search over here.”
Many of the boxes were covered in dust. Most of the items were junk.
He found old clothes the demons had likely taken from the villagers before sacrificing them, and a few personal items like dolls and hair combs. His stomach roiled; the doll looked used with its frayed fabrics and scruffy hair. A child had loved it once, before the demons…
He couldn’t bring himself to finish that thought. That the doll was here said enough—the demons didn’t sacrifice only adults. He shouldn’t have thought of the items as junk before. If only they had more time, he’d go through every box and acknowledge every single item. Their owners had died in fear and he couldn’t change that, but he could see that they had lived, see that they had been here. It wasn’t much, their memories deserved more, but he didn’t have the time.
He touched two fingers to the doll, whispered an apology because somebody had to, and let his eyes wander over the room, seeing as many once-cherished objects as he could in that glance. A stuffed bear. A badly bound book. A handmade dress. A small wooden box. They all looked home-made. He didn’t imagine the people here had much; they’d taken their comforts with them when the demons had come, only for them to be discarded before their owners’ blood had cooled.
Cale balled his hands into fists. Let the demons come for him. He bloody dared them.
He spotted Rachael’s armour through a gap in a wardrobe. It seemed to reach out to him, guiding his eyes where they needed to look. He was grateful it was lightweight—a full set of heavy steel wouldn’t have been easy or inconspicuous to carry back. Cale flung it over his shoulder and continued to look for the necklace. He feared the much smaller artefact had disappeared among the other smaller items, forever lost in this room.
Something else caught his eye. Sticking out of one of the boxes was the familiar hilt of a dagger, bound with cloth and worn from heavy use.
Kiana’s dagger.
He hurried to the box and took it out. Its twin waited underneath. If the daggers were here, then...
“Kaida.”
“Yes, Cale?”
He turned the daggers in his hands, inspected every scratch, but there was no mistaking them. He’d know them anywhere.
“Kiana is here. We need to find her.”
Blood of the Dragon Page 11