Birth Stone

by Kate Kelley

  “My magic is pulled directly from the earth. The real one. And since Gaia started the destruction, I can feel my aura like a flickering candle within me. It’s the weakest it’s ever been. Another disadvantage to being a royal.”

  “How do I heal you?” she asked quietly. Terrin didn’t reply.

  “Terrin..” she started.

  “I’ll wait for Oriel.” Terrin said curtly.

  Lyra shook her head. “I’m more powerful.”

  Finally he turned, a hard glint in his eye.

  “You could kiss me. Many heal more quickly with tactile contact.” He grinned, his eyes predatory as his gaze trailed her body. Lyra crossed her arms and shivered. He was undressing her with his eyes. Her nipples pebbled against her wet shirt. She looked at his wide, sensual mouth, remembering his kiss. He was an expert kisser. He lit her on fire with that mouth. Terrin stalked closer until he was inches away from her. His breath skimmed over her skin, eliciting a warm shiver down her spine. His gray eyes burned brightly. Despite his paler skin, he was still so beautiful. The scruff on his jaw made him look more wild, more sensual, if that was even possible.

  “You want to kiss me,” Terrin said darkly. He was looking at her as if she was all that mattered in the world. As if they didn’t just transport to the Gods’ hidden realm. Her pulse sped up. He leaned in, and Lyra let her head fall back as if by instinct. She wanted so badly to submit to him, to have him take her, all of her, body and soul.

  A splash to their right popped them out of their bubble. Their heads whipped to the sound. Oriel was swimming toward them, Poppi on his back. Terrin swore and backed up a pace.

  “How did you get here?!” Lyra cried. Her jaw hung open as she watched them advance and fall onto the shore.

  “Oriel, are you out of your fucking mind?” Terrin growled.

  “I can handle myself,” Oriel said curtly, standing and wiping water from his eyes. He looked around, his gaze taking in the mountains above them.

  “Why would you bring her? She has no magic, and she’s weak.”

  Oriel leveled him with a challenging stare. “You wanted me to leave her in the cave? I wasn’t going to stay behind. The fire was overtaking everything. Most of the forest was gone when we finally jumped. The cave was cracking. We would have died there. I don’t know how much of earth is left.” Terrin closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face.

  Lyra helped Poppi to her feet. She was still painfully thin, but some of the rosy color was back in her cheeks. Her golden-brown eyes and hair shone brighter.

  “How are you feeling?” Lyra asked her.

  “Better. Still tired. But, I’m not starving anymore. And Oriel heals me periodically.”

  “Did Navi hurt you?” She thought of the bloody, foaming mouth with wolf teeth. Navi’s crazed eyes, the wolf legs.

  “You mean besides starving me and leaving me in a frigidly cold tower to die? No, she didn’t whip me or anything,” Poppi answered, her voice burning with hatred.

  “Poppi, what is she?” Lyra asked quietly, steering her away from the men.

  “You saw her other form.” Poppi stated, her eyes taking on a faraway look.

  “Her other form?”

  Poppi’s eyes slid to her, cautious. “She’s an Adlet.”

  Lyra stared, not understanding.

  “A wolf-woman. Or man. She can change at will now, but it wasn’t always like that. It started off with just wolf bottom and human top. She would change at the full moon, go on rampages, come back bloody with who knows what. But sometimes, now, when under duress, her legs and tail come out. And teeth. Half woman-half wolf.” Poppi’s eyes were haunted.

  “How is that possible? She was convulsing on the floor, bloody at the mouth. I didn’t know what was hurting her. I thought a wolf was biting her under her skirts. But then I saw her teeth.” Lyra breathed out, her stomach in knots.

  “I don’t know how it’s possible. She became this monster about ten years ago. I think it has to do with that man she’s working for.”

  “Ten years ago? Around the time of the devastation?”

  “Yes, around then. And the convulsing. That’s happened before. It’s like she’s being tortured telepathically.”

  “But no one was there except for me. Perhaps it’s epilepsy.”

  “What are you talking about?” Terrin asked as he approached them. Lyra looked at him, then shock ran through her as she looked at his neck wound.

  “You were bitten...” Shyte. This couldn’t be good.

  “How long are you going to keep bringing this up? Yes, I was.” Terrin replied, exasperated. Navi’s eyes widened. She covered her mouth with her hand.

  “What?” Lyra asked, dread lacing her core.

  Poppi pointed a shaking finger at the bite.

  “That’s why it won’t heal. It’s an Adlet bite. It needs to be drained of the dark magic.”

  “Adlet?” Terrin asked, his eyes shifting as if he was sifting through information on all he knew about Adlets in his brain.

  “What will happen if we don’t drain the magic?” Lyra asked.

  Poppi swallowed, her face returning pale. “Then he either dies, or..”

  “Or turns into one of them,” Terrin said grimly.

  “Wait, Wolf Navi shredded my back in the forest, remember? Why didn’t I get sick?”

  “A scratch from a magical creature is usually less tainted than a bite,” Terrin said, “But you remember how you couldn’t heal it on your own like you should have been able to do? A bite is much worse.”

  “Oriel!” Lyra barked, calling him to her. He stood from drinking gulps of the river water, and walked to her, eyes full of concern.

  “How do I suck dark magic from the wound?” she asked. Oriel’s eyes widened as he wiped water off of his mouth with the back of his hand.

  “Adlet.” Poppi whispered, explaining the situation. Oriel’s jaw worked. He ripped the bandage off of Terrin’s neck. The ugly green-blue bruise was there, viscous blood pooled at the puncture wounds and veiny streaks of bright red spread from the wound like spider webs, making their way up his neck. Lyra pulled his shirt down, revealing more red streaks reaching toward his heart.

  “I don’t have enough magic for this. I’m spent, the transport sucked my remaining strength,” Oriel said dismally, his voice cracking. Poppi hung her head. Guilt flashed in her eyes. He’d been healing her too much, using too much magic. Probably just to keep her alive. She was happy Poppi was alive, but Terrin needed help and right now, the people who were supposed to be helping were failing him.

  Lyra growled.

  “Just tell me how to do it,” she shouted. Her nerves were on fire. Birds chirped merrily above them, mocking their dire situation. Oriel stared at her, his eyes bloodshot, dark bags making him look ten years older.

  “You will need to extract the dark magic into yourself. That part will be easy. The hard part will be expelling it. You need to find something living to give it to or it will kill you.”

  Well, that’s a predicament.

  “Can’t I just destroy the magic?” she asked.

  “No. We don’t have enough magic for that. Terrin would, but obviously he is spent as well. Plus, he draws magic from the earth, and, well, the earth doesn’t have much to give right now. Extracting it is higher-level mage work. Expelling it is expert level,” he said.

  “Hasn’t stopped me before.”

  Oriel nodded and eyed the birds above them. “I need a rock. I’ll need it alive.”

  Lyra searched the ground until she found a smooth, dark stone the size of her palm. Oriel took it and aimed, then threw. He missed. He tried a few more times. The birds were too fast, scattering easily away from the stone.

  A thud and a distinct keening sound ripped their gazes from the sky. Poppi held a pheasant-sized bird, clutching it’s scrambling body to her chest, a fist around its beak. The bird was gorgeous. The body’s plumage was onyx, with long, curving tail feathers of burnt orange and electric blue. Bea
dy black eyes shifted in panic. Muffled Lamenting sounds escaped from its voice box. They all stared at Poppi in shock.

  “What?” she asked. “It’s a Lyrebird. I’ve caught a few in the past. Dressmakers and hat-makers alike pay a good penny for these feathers.” Lyra looked at Poppi, measuring her anew.

  “Don’t look at me like that, Lyra. You’re wearing dead cow skin.”

  Lyra flinched. “Yes, dead cow skin you made into a vest,” Lyra retorted.

  Poppi shrugged.

  “Do we have to kill it after?” Lyra asked mournfully. It really was a beautiful bird.

  Oriel shook his head. “No. In fact we don’t want to kill it, even after imbuing it with the dark magic. But you better start now. Those streaks were dangerously close to Terrin’s heart.”

  The bird wiggled, clawing Poppi’s arm and drawing blood. She winced but held still. Lyra turned to Terrin.

  “Kneel,” she said to him.

  A corner of Terrin’s mouth lifted. “Always knew you were power hungry but this is a new low for you.” he said, his voice straining. The color was all but drained from his face. He looked like he was laboring for each breath. Lyra blanched. She kneeled alongside him and placed her hand over his wound. She closed her eyes, drawing on the power of her pendant.

  Please give me power. Let me ignite my aura.

  Last time she was just trying to heal the wound. This time, she needed to source the dark magic from it. She sought the magic in it, probing it with her own aura. She poured her magic into it. It felt thin, but it released into the wound.

  Thank you.

  She felt the sudden slap of something cold and sticky. It felt coarse, like grainy, magnetic liquid. She grabbed that magic and pulled on that power, despite the ice it left in her veins as she drew it up her arm and into her center. Terrin was on his hands and knees now, looking like he might vomit. Sweat dripped down his waxy skin. Blood dripped down his neck, onto his shoulder. Nausea hit her hard as the magic filled her to capacity. She severed the contact when she couldn’t find another drop of the black goo.

  “I have it,” she said, swallowing the rising bile in her throat. She felt slick, greasy. Like she wanted to sweat but it wouldn’t come out of her pores. Oriel clutched her arms.

  “Focus on that sickness, Lyra. Don’t let it go or it will spread to your body. Keep it tight within your center, ignite and then blast the lyrebird with it.” Lyra clutched tightly to the dark magic. Another roll of nausea.

  Need to get rid of this shyte.

  She focused on the lyrebird struggling in Poppi’s arms. The magic needed to hit the bird and not Poppi. Breathing in through her nose, she ignited her center around the dark magic, squeezing it. For a moment, she imagined the magic spreading through her body, like armor. Instinctively, she knew It would make her stronger. Her eyes glazed over, something dark lurking there, peering out. Inviting her in.

  “Focus, Lyra.” Terrin growled. He was doubled over on his hands and knees, his elbows shaking as if it took all of his effort to keep from collapsing onto the ground. The magic was out of him but he still needed to heal. Blood dripped freely into the sand below him. She clutched at the dark magic, keeping it within her aura. When her aura rose, she brought it along as it moved through her arms and into her palms. It was slow moving, rolling like sludge, and stopping with her pulses. Finally it settled heavily in her palms. Her arms burned as if she lifted heavy weights. She aimed shaky palms at the widest part of the wiggling Lyrebird.

  And struck with all of her effort.

  Black goo spewed from her palms into the lyrebird, which absorbed it instantly. Poppi flung the bird away from herself, which fell pitifully onto the sand of the bank. The bird lay still, on its side, it’s rapid breathing the only sign of it’s life. She turned back to Terrin and pulled down his shirt, breathing a sigh of relief. The streaks were gone. She placed her palm on his wound, feeling the thick cords of his neck muscle under her hand. She imagined the wounds closing one by one, and when she removed her hand, she smiled at the smooth skin.

  “You won’t be a wolf today,” she said, “Unless Navi likes to bite in bed.”

  Terrin watched her, his eyes soft. “You didn’t kiss me.” His voice rumbled in his chest.

  She couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or not. She bit her lip to keep from laughing and scowled at him. “Kissing and us don’t mix.”

  He stood and reached for her before she could protest, pulling her into a brief hug. She clung onto his rippling muscled before stepping away, pushing away the girlish giddiness rising in her heart. They weren't done with today’s task. Not even close.

  “Now that that’s out of the way,” she said, “let’s find Alec and Iris, shall we?”

  ✽✽✽

  The night came quickly as they moved swiftly through the valley on foot. Lyra had healed Oriel for good measure, making him less weak. It worked well on Oriel. He was right as rain.

  Terrin still didn’t have his magic back, and mentioning it made him particularly ragey, closing off all discussion on that. Lyra and Oriel took turns running through thick forests to check for houses or auras. They found none, only woodland creatures. Poppi alternated from walking with them to riding on Oriel’s back. Terrin had offered to carry her as well but Oriel refused, raising eyebrows from Lyra and Terrin. She wondered what kind of relationship they’d formed in the past couple days. She noticed how comfortable they were with each other for strangers.

  But Lyra knew Oriel was kind, and good to his core. He could just be trying to help. He would do the same for her, she had no doubt. Although a relationship between them wouldn’t be outrageous. Poppi was just about ten years his minor was all. That didn’t stop most people.

  Of course, Oriel was probably centuries old like Terrin, meaning he was much older than Poppi and herself. It was hard to comprehend.

  The terrain was familiar, if not more wild. While there should have been the scholar’s town Dair, speckled with libraries, houses, and inns, there lay only rock and trees and hot springs. Gaia’s Eye was there, identical to the one on Earth. Lyra didn’t detect a glamour on it.

  They had ended the day at the end of the valley, lying on beds of leaves under a canopy of stars. At least it wasn’t cold. A modest fire died slowly in the center of their camp. Lyra drifted to sleep.

  “Lyra. Lyra. We’re home. Iris and I. We’re--”

  Lyra bolted upright. The night was still. Terrin, Oriel and Poppi slept peacefully.

  “Lyra. Lyra. We’re home. Iris and I. We’re--” A sharp, childlike voice made her jump from her skin. She turned toward the voice. Black night greeted her.

  “Who's there?” she asked, standing and lighting her aura. Her voice trembled. Terrin snapped up across from her, jumping to his feet. He pulled a wicked-looking curved blade from the sheath on his belt.

  A warbled melody from a flute floated on the wind. Terrin leapt toward the sound, his bladeless hand holding her back. The thick, distinctive sound of ruffling feathers sounded.

  Feathers?

  Terrin lunged with a grunt, then stood, something clutched in his left hand.

  “That thing followed us?” Lyra asked, incredulous.

  The lyrebird opened its beak, despite Terrin’s tight hold on it’s scrawny, wriggling neck.

  “You can’t find meeeeeee but I know where you arrrree..” The voice was changed, deeper, more human. It chanted in a twisted sing-song voice.

  Terrin dropped it. It fell in a ruffled heap, then popped back up, and walked jerkily toward Lyra. It twisted its neck so its eye was trained on her. She backed up, threatening it with her aura.

  “That was Techni’s voice. He will be sorry when I find him,” Terrin snarled. Death was on his mind.

  “You can’t kill Techni; you’re royal mages. And he’s your brother,” she pointed out. Terrin only grunted in acknowledgement.

  “I also heard him repeat something in Alec’s voice. A vision I just had of Alec, in my own mind. In my dream.
That bird is frightening.”

  “Lyrebirds can mimic many sounds. Even human voices. He can only mimic what he hears.” Oriel said. He was sitting up, watching the bird thoughtfully. Poppi rose and rubbed her eyes.

  “And with the dark magic now, he’s able to delve into your mind.” Terrin said darkly.

  “It was Techni’s voice the second time. How was Techni’s voice connected? I thought it was Navi’s dark magic in the wound.”

  Oriel stroked his chin. The fire crackled and spit, sending fresh embers up into the fresh, cool air.

  “Someone had to have turned Navi into an Adlet. I would guess Techni was that someone," Poppi said quietly, her voice small.

  Terrin growled again, low and barely audible.

  “I’m beginning to think you turned into a wolf after all, Terrin, with all the growling.” Lyra said dryly.

  Terrin was silent. Suddenly a thought struck her.

  “There were two of those gigantic wolves in the forest when they first attacked me. But Techni has been trapped in Eclipsa, so it couldn’t have been him.”

  Terrin nodded somberly, his face snapping into one of barely-contained wrath. “He’s an Adlet. And Techni’s dark magic comes from Ganymede,” he said.

  So the other wolf in the forest was Ganymede? It makes sense.

  “So can we communicate with Techni through the bird?” Lyra asked, eyeing the odd creature. It was pecking at the ground, it’s beak closing around a large white moth.

  “Maybe. But I’m more interested in hearing from Iris and Alec,” Oriel said. “You said the bird repeated what they said through the vision. Perhaps it can reach them without accessing your mind and without you having to summon a connection with Alec.”

  “What did he say, in the vision?” Terrin asked.

  “He said ‘we’re home. Iris and I.’ Then it cut off. The bird woke me.” She frowned at the lyrebird.

  “Home?” Poppi asked, her eyebrows scrunched together.

  “Not on earth. He would have found us if he were there. No. He means in Terra’s Mainland, your village, Lyra. Here in Eclipsa,” Terrin said.

  “There wouldn’t be a village,” she said, “but maybe he built a house right where our old house used to be.”