Naomh pulled his horse to a halt but did not dismount. “This has gone too far.”
Kien’s smile widened. “I am certain I do not understand. I am doing precisely what you wanted. Hasn’t the surface become too poisoned for your kind to remain here for any length of time?”
“We were supposed to convince the restless among the Sidhe to stick to the underrealms,” Naomh bit out through clenched teeth, “but your poisoned energy is seeping into our homes. Now my own brother is in talks to return to the surface to fix the problem. I like to ride the hills, not live on them.”
“I have had…complications. Perhaps even heightened by your incompetence. My enemies have strengthened, and the portal remains out of my reach.” Kien let some of his anger flash in his eyes, though his voice remained smooth. “Care to explain why the Moranaian diplomat is still alive?”
Naomh’s aura sparked with energy. “A failure that will not be repeated. Keep the poison from spreading below, and I will see to his death myself. I care not who you purge from above so long as I am free to roam the twilight.”
“I will see what I can do,” Kien answered with a sharp, humorless chuckle. If only Naomh understood who was really in control.
Without a word, the pair turned and spurred their horses to a gallop. Just as they reached the outer edges of the camp, Caolte looked over his shoulder, tossing hair that flickered with the hint of true flame. His cold, blue eyes promised certain death as he held Kien’s gaze. Though Caolte never spoke, Kien understood the warning. Hurt Naomh and die.
Chapter 3
With one last wave for Arlyn, Kai stepped through the stone arch and into the mists of the Veil. He kept careful hold of the spell linking the two other sonal to him lest they get lost in the endless gray as he searched for the strand that would lead him to his destination. The task took longer than a trip to Earth, a path he traveled often, but Kai hadn’t visited Neor since his training over three hundred years ago. As soon as he found the pale orange strand, he used it to pull himself and the others to the correct portal. With the energies thankfully calm, it took little time to reach the opposite side.
The group emerged into a sparsely illuminated cave, and Kai shuddered. He wasn’t usually bothered by being underground, but there was something about the sterile, industrial feel of the Neoran settlement that bothered him. They weren’t called the People of Order for nothing. A sick jest that they’d fallen into this level of madness first.
A strip of mage light imbued into engraved metal panels ran up each side of the short tunnel leading out of the cave, the eerie glow fading into black just beyond. As on his previous trip here, the engravings triggered a sick feeling of dread. He’d forgotten the sensation after so long, but now his body tightened with more than just worry for the mission.
With a shake of his head, Kai suppressed his unease. He gripped the hilt of his sword and reinforced the magical shield that protected him from non-physical attacks. Then he gave a quick hand signal, and the three sonal crept to the end of the tunnel that opened onto the main thoroughfare to the city. Light globes, once gilding the road with a cheerful gleam, now dangled dark and lifeless from their metal poles. The only illumination came from the occasional flash of lightning and the false, magical moon shining at the top of the giant, hollow cavern. Would it have been better to arrive when their magic sun rode the sky? A gust of wind shifted one of the light globes, and Kai flinched at the hideous scrape of ruined metal against metal. Probably not.
Their gray-and-black clothing faded into the shadows as they darted away from the entrance to the portal room. Whispers and groans echoed from somewhere in the distance. Flickers of mage energy shot through the sky, punctuated by the occasional scream. Kai’s worry amplified. The Neorans prided themselves on their control. What kind of poison could lead them to such insanity?
Miaran, Kai cursed. He and his scouts were at a disadvantage, unable to pull in extra energy without risking madness themselves. Unhampered by such concerns, the tortured few running rampant through the fractured city could replenish any spells they created until their innate energy stores ran out. By the looks of the lightning splitting the sky, their power was far from drained.
The road was almost certainly a trap for the unwary. The Neorans had arranged their city to mathematical perfection. Their sense of order was habit, so ingrained that it would likely last through madness. If there were magical sensors alerting anyone to an arrival through the portal, the main route would be watched. With a quick mental command, Kai directed the sonal to leave the tunnel and blend into the cliff face to the right of the cavern as he ducked to the left. They crept a few yards before stopping to observe the city in more detail.
The harsh, perfect angles of the buildings were not softened by the light of the imitation moon. From a small pocket in the stone, Kai scanned the metal structures. No sign of movement, but...
He caught his breath as the hair on his arms lifted and his shields shrilled an internal warning. An orb of condensed lightning crashed into the rock wall a few body lengths away, and his throat convulsed around the cry he held back. Close. Too close. A sudden yelp of pain sounded nearby, followed by shrill laughter, the sound just as much a weapon as the orb. Both were near enough to knot Kai’s body with tension before the thud of running feet signaled the Neorans’ departure.
“Have you been attacked, Taysonal Kaienan?”
Focused on scanning the area with his senses, Kai sent the other scout a feeling of reassurance. He expanded his magic in slow stages, like a toddler testing uneven ground. After several moments, he was satisfied that no one wandered between his current position and the portal. Although Kai could shield himself and perform some combat magic, he was no mage and wouldn’t last long in a battle with several maddened ones. Of the other two sonal with him, only Belere was more proficient, but her skill wouldn’t be enough to make a difference, especially since none of them could pull in energy.
Kai sent the other two a quick mental nudge. “We need to return to Moranaia. I was not attacked, but that fight came perilously close. We dare not go farther without mages.”
They slipped back to the portal with as much speed as possible and rushed through. Kai could tell at once that something had changed, as the energies of the Veil were no longer calm. The mists roiled like clouds before a storm, and the strands of magic he needed to follow tumbled and snarled. Nevertheless, he led them in, searching for the strand that would return them to Moranaia. Time meant little here, but experience told him that half the day passed before he finally found it. Sweat rolling down his back and limbs heavy, Kai pulled them through. He could hardly wait to repeat the process with an entire troop.
Meli stood before the giant stone arch of Alfheim’s portal and fought to control her agitated stomach. The breakfast her worried mother had forced on her threatened to return, risking further humiliation. Most of the elves gathered around her small party thought the king was mad to rely on one so young and low in rank; in truth, she agreed. The ambassador, a severe female over a thousand years old, would hardly deign to speak to her. Surely the seer was wrong. And yet…
Something pulled at her. Meli had always had a feeling of business undone, images of places she had never been. As a child, her parents had worried over her strange dreams, though they were mostly a blur to Meli. Except the eyes, emerald green and filled with pain—those she saw clearly. She had long felt that if she just stepped through the portal, she could find them. Perhaps she could at least solve that mystery with this insane trip, provided she didn’t get the whole group of them killed.
Vionafer, High Mage of Alfheim herself, strode forward and held out the crystal that Meli would need to bind her group together in the mists. Taking a deep breath, she accepted the offered stone. Her hands trembled around the smooth piece of crystal, and she struggled not to drop it as a tingle of energy washed over her. As far as she knew, she had no gift for traveling through the land between worlds. She had no gifts at all, ma
gical or otherwise. Her power was minimal at best, barely enough to attune to the stone. If she were to lose or break the crystal, the entire group would be lost. Acid rose into her throat until she thought she might choke.
“Relax, Ameliar.” Vionafer smiled, one of the few friendly expressions Meli had seen that day. The mage brushed aside her golden brown hair to lift a chain from around her own neck. From the end, she unhooked a net of fine silver mesh. “Place the crystal in here and wear it on your journey. You needn’t hold it the whole time.”
Meli exhaled in relief. “Thank you, Lady Mage.”
“The chain and net are spelled against breakage, and once you slip it on, it will not fall off unless you pull it off with intent. I have added a spell connecting the magic of the crystal to the enchantment holding your supply cart aloft.”
“My lady, I—” Meli stumbled over her words, stunned by the wealth being given to her so casually. She wouldn’t have been able to afford such elaborate spell work for centuries. Custom work by the High Mage herself cost a fortune. “I am honored beyond telling to be entrusted with this. I only hope I prove worthy.”
Vionafer leaned close, her expression solemn, though her voice was light when she spoke. “I also added a beacon. If you find yourself lost beyond hope, it will activate and alert me. It wasn’t part of the king’s orders, but I refuse to send you out without some kind of safeguard. And do not worry—the king paid quite handsomely.”
The twinkle in the mage’s gray eyes surprised Meli. They’d never spoken a word before this day, and yet it seemed she had an ally. She found her mouth curling up in her first smile since the king’s decree. Hopefully the High Mage had charged the king triple. “Words can hardly express my thanks, Lady Mage.”
“Reward me with your safe arrival.” Vionafer held open the net for the crystal and then sealed it closed with a few muttered words. As Meli lifted the chain over her neck, the energy of the completed spell pulsed around them. She had enough of her own magic to sense the threads binding the other four and their supply cart to her. With one last smile, the High Mage left Meli to face the portal once more.
Bolstered by the mage’s words, Meli took her first tentative steps towards the giant stone arch. Just before passing through, she glanced back over her shoulder. At the edge of the crowd, her parents struggled to maintain their calm façade. Nearer, the ambassador and her three attendants—Berris, Pol, and Orena—followed, their faces carefully blank. But it didn’t take much to imagine their consternation and fear at someone as worthless and young as Meli leading them into the unknown. She had her own share of those feelings herself.
“In short, we’re going to need more mages,” Kai said, concluding his formal report.
Lyr shoved down the urge to drop his head into his hands. Though Lyr was a general over a contingent of their army, the Callian side boasted those most skilled in physical combat. Their true mages worked under the generals of the Taian branch. If Ralan insisted that they aid Neor, then Lyr would have to negotiate with the Taians for a small troop of mages. To think he’d almost been caught up on paperwork.
Usually, his role as Myern, third duke of the Callian branch, fulfilled him, but Arlyn’s arrival had upset the balance of his life and his work. Dealing with attacks on their House and finding a teacher for Arlyn’s unexpected magical abilities had been disruptive enough. But Lyr’s injury had sapped most of his energy. He could only sigh at this newest development.
“Miaran,” Lyr muttered, though the expletive hardly satisfied his frustration. “How many and what type do you think we’ll need?”
“At least five, possibly ten,” Kai answered. “We need mages capable of shielding a large group and containing the Neorans we apprehend. They must also carry energy crystals since the energy there is too poisoned to draw on if they run out of reserves.”
“Wait a second.” Arlyn turned from where she stood at the window. “What are you going to do with the Neorans you capture?”
Kai shook his head. “That’s not my call.”
Lyr tapped his fingers on his desk as he considered the question. What would be safest for all? He thought back over Kai’s report. “We’ll contain them as best we can until we find the source of the poison. Then hope we won’t be forced to kill them.”.
Arlyn’s mouth fell open. “Kill them? You’re joking, right? You can’t just murder these people, insane or not.”
“If we cannot properly contain them or get them to cease attacking, we’ll have no choice. They’ve already turned on each other. I will not allow my own people to be in danger.”
“Of course not, but…” Her brows scrunched. “Can’t they be cured?”
Lyr glanced at Kai in surprise. Hadn’t he given Arlyn more details about the missions he’d been on before her arrival? “According to what they told your bonded when he visited the Seelie court, the Sidhe have been unable to cure the madness caused by the energy poisoning. I don’t believe the Neorans know how to do so, either, or they wouldn’t be seeking our aid.”
“Maybe you should talk to Lial. Just because the Sidhe haven’t found a way doesn’t mean we can’t,” Arlyn said.
Despite the serious discussion, Lyr couldn’t hold back a smile at hearing her say “we.” Besides, she had an excellent point. “I will do so. Until we can find the source of the poison, removing and curing those affected would certainly be the best solution.”
Kai cleared his throat. “But what about the mages? Ralan can petition his father, but that will take time.”
His daughter’s concerned expression reminded Lyr of at least one set of paperwork he was working on, and his smile broadened. Though Arlyn’s mother had been from Earth, they had discovered that Arlyn’s grandfather had been the abandoned half-blood offspring of a mage on the Taian branch—Selia’s father, Loren, in fact. Lyr was in the process of negotiating the connection between their two families. Considering Loren’s guilt at neglecting his son and losing track of his bloodline, Lyr might just be able to finesse a few mages from him. Especially since Selia was on Lyr’s side.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“You could ask—” Arlyn spun to the window, her gaze darting to the trees beyond. “Did you feel that?”
“Feel what?”
“I’m still getting used to being keyed to the estate shields, but I thought I detected a breach.” She turned back to them with a confused frown. “There and then gone. But if you didn’t feel it…”
Kai exchanged a look with Lyr. “Mialn, I sensed nothing but your unease. But after the attacks last month, I don’t think we should ignore what you felt. With Lyr’s permission, I’ll go scout the area and see if I find anything off.”
After nodding his consent, Lyr watched his friend depart. He also had sensed nothing, but Arlyn was part human and had magical abilities that he did not. If his daughter had indeed detected a breach, danger might have found them once again. After all, Lyr still hadn’t tracked down the mastermind behind Allafon’s betrayal. Perhaps their relative peace was at an end.
“I love you, Laial.”
Ralan squeezed his daughter tight, his soul complete at the feel of her arms around his neck. At six, Eri would no doubt outgrow such hugs before long. He wouldn’t use his gift of foresight to verify, though he could. Heartbreak, he well knew, didn’t need a preview. He tightened his hold for one more moment before settling her back on her feet. “I love you, too, Eri. Always.”
“I know.” She giggled before running to the door, intent on finding her new friend, Iren, the son of Arlyn’s magic teacher. And since Eri shared Ralan’s gift of foresight, she probably did know.
Ralan turned to the mirror but hesitated to activate the communication spell that would connect him to the palace. Though he’d searched through the countless strands of possibility, he could find no good future where he remained at odds with his father. He had no real reason to delay. Ralan rarely looked at possible futures relating to himself—that way led to madness—so i
t wasn’t because he knew the meeting would go badly. Perhaps it was a matter of pride. For over three hundred years, he’d avoided all thoughts of his father. He’d sworn to never return to Moranaia, but when Eri had grown ill, unable to pull in energy on Earth, he’d broken that vow. To reconcile with his father seemed almost like a betrayal of his resolve.
Just as his fingers were about to touch the edge of the mirror, Ralan felt Lyr’s presence at the edge of his shields. His hand dropped to his side as he opened the line of mental communication. “Yes?”
“I need you to come to my study. Teyark is here.”
“Teyark?” His confusion was reflected in the pane before him. “My brother? Did you send for him?”
“You know I wouldn’t do so without talking to you. Besides, I have enough to deal with without another prince in the mix.”
Both eagerness and nerves twisted through him. Though Teyark was the only warrior of all Ralan’s siblings, he was also the kindest. Growing up, his brother had often taken the time to listen to Ralan’s woes, though Teyark was almost five hundred years older. Ralan’s greatest regret was not confiding in his brother after the argument with their father. Would his brother be resentful about that? He worried over the question for the entire walk to Lyr’s study.
It shouldn’t have been a surprise, but Ralan still stopped short when he saw the number of people in the room. In addition to Lyr and Teyark, there were five guards in full armor and another male dressed in a simple but well-made tunic and pants. The usually airy room felt stuffy, and Ralan wondered how Teyark’s guards could stand to keep their helmets on. He hoped Lyr had a mage nearby who could renew the cooling spell on the room.
With no sign of anger, Teyark strode forward to greet him. “Brother, I am pleased beyond telling to see you.”
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