“Meg, move!” Nick commanded. “What are you doing?”
“Fear,” she said, dropping her sweater. She took in a mouth of smoke and gagged on it. “People.” She pointed into the woods away from the cave. The smoke hung so thick she could not see the trees where she pointed.
Nick's eyes tracked the direction of her finger and he nodded. He dove into the deepening black, and she followed. She could see an arm's length in front of her, but nothing more. She pulled her sweater over her nose again. It did little to help. She held her last breath in her lungs, but the ache came quick. They would not last long in this direction.
Nick pressed his lips to her ear. “Where?” he asked.
She focused her power, found the fear she sensed, and ran toward it. The shape of a man emerged from the smoke. He stumbled and fell to his knees in front of them. Nick slipped his hands under the man's arms, lifting him back to his feet, and Meaghan saw his face. Faillen, she realized with horror. In his arms, Aldin stared at her. The boy clutched a book to his chest, clinging to it like a life raft as tears streaked paths through the smoke blackening his face.
Nick tried to pull Faillen in the direction of the cave, but the Zeiihbuan would not budge.
“Ree,” Faillen choked out. “I need to find her.”
Meaghan stretched her power again, but sensed only Faillen and Aldin. She shook her head at Nick.
“No,” Faillen protested, but did not seem to have the strength to resist again when Nick urged him forward. He fell and Meaghan removed Aldin from his arms. The cave entrance stood only a few yards away. She could see the outline of it, but her feet refused to move toward it. Her head began to spin. Her lungs convulsed, forcing her to draw a breath, and she paid for it with a mouth of smoke. Coughs racked her body. She pitched forward, twisted to avoid landing on Aldin, and then stopped falling when hands caught her—hands too big to be Nick's.
“Cal,” she said, though the word came out as a rasp.
“That's it, lass, just a little farther,” he told her. The smoke parted for him, leaving a path of clean air. She gulped it in and by the time he pushed her into the cave, she felt steady again.
Smoke filled the first room. They found their way to the crystal cave, which had started to haze, and then the world turned to white. The air cleared as the new cave materialized around them. Cal let her go before turning to Nick, who still supported Faillen.
“Ree?” he asked both men. “Caide?”
“They took Caide,” Faillen wheezed. He closed his eyes. “I couldn't stop them. We escaped. Aldin said a spell to make us faster than the fire, but,” tears flooded his cheeks, turning gray as they coursed their way down his skin. “The smoke came too thick. I lost her. I lost Ree.”
Cal teleported as soon as Faillen spoke the words. Faillen collapsed onto a nearby rock. His face sought his hands. Nick stared at Meaghan, his grief matching hers. In a matter of minutes, the world had turned from clear and hopeful to dark and despairing. Even inside a cave flooded with bright light, shadows squeezed around her heart.
Aldin began to weep again, shaking in Meaghan's arms and she sat down on another rock, holding him against her. Only then did she realize the strength of her own fear. It tensed her muscles, instilling an urge to flee. She scanned the walls for escape, but found none. Crystals filled every surface in an endless circle.
She turned to Nick to ask what they should do, but a shimmering on the other side of the room caught her attention. May walked through the wall. The Elder scanned the room and then panic blossomed within her, reminding Meaghan to refocus her power. She turned it inward and everyone else's emotions dissolved.
May bent down to take Faillen's hand. She whispered to him before turning to Nick and doing the same. After crossing the room to Meaghan, she held her hand and spoke the words that made the door appear. “You are welcome here,” she said, then repeated the greeting to Aldin. Neiszhe walked through the door a moment later, followed by the other two Elders, Sam and Miles.
“What happened?” Neiszhe asked. Her eyes fell on Faillen and she frowned. “Where's Cal?”
“There's a fire,” Nick responded. His voice sounded detached, hollow. “The forest is consumed. Cal went to find Ree.”
Sam's eyes widened. He turned and disappeared through the door.
“Who's Ree?” Miles asked. He tugged a hand through his salt and pepper hair and nodded toward Faillen. “And who's he? We can't invite people in here we don't know.”
“I know him,” May said, then held up her hand when Miles moved to speak again. “There's no time to explain. These people need care. Neiszhe, heal the boy's lungs, please. I'll manage his father's.”
Neiszhe nodded and took May's place in front of Meaghan as May studied Faillen. She placed a hand on his chest and then knelt in front of him.
“This won't hurt much,” she told him. “It's one of the few things I'm capable of doing that doesn't. Breathe out when I tell you to, all right?”
Faillen nodded.
“Breathe,” she said. He exhaled and a cloud of smoke puffed out with the effort. “Again,” she said, and the same happened. Neiszhe mimicked the procedure with Aldin and soon, the young boy stopped wheezing.
May stood and turned to Miles, but did no more than open her mouth before Cal appeared in front of her, a woman cradled in his arms. His eyes connected with May's. A look passed between them Meaghan could not read, and then he laid the woman down on the ground.
Both May and Neiszhe flew to her. Meaghan realized the woman had to be Ree, but she did not recognize her. Ree's red hair had been singed black. Her beautiful, pale skin had ugly welts and blisters where the fire had licked it, and soot caked her clothes so dark they looked like tar.
“Mata!” Aldin cried. He dropped his book, and tried to push out of Meaghan's arms. She held tight.
May and Neiszhe laid their hands on their patient. Within minutes, sweat soaked their clothes and their faces turned red from the energy they forced into Ree's body. They closed their eyes. They muttered quiet commands to each other. They pressed their hands harder against Ree's body. Then finally, they let go.
“I'm sorry,” May said and turned to Faillen. “The fire took too much. She's gone.”
Meaghan went limp from shock. With a wail, Aldin broke from her grasp and flew into his mother's lifeless arms.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
ALDIN'S SOBBING swelled, bouncing off the crystals and enveloping those who grieved in a blanket of sound. Though Faillen had wept at first, his eyes now remained dry. He stared at the floor while everyone else stared at the walls, at each other—anything to avoid looking at the woman who lay in death before them.
The boy continued to cry, begging for his mother's attention, and when no one else tried to comfort him, Meaghan went to him. She laid a hand on his back and Faillen sprang to his feet.
“Don't you dare!” he yelled.
Miles stepped in between them. He extended a hand, throwing up a magical force field to block Faillen's advance. Faillen narrowed his eyes. He toed the force field and Miles extended his hand, pushing him back a foot.
“It's you,” Faillen said, slamming a fist into the shield. “You're the one who took my son. Where is he?”
Cal moved toward Faillen, stopping when the man pulled a knife from his belt. Cal raised his hands. “It wasn't him,” he said. “Many people have his power.”
Faillen swung the knife toward Miles. “You're all the same. You only want my family for what my sons can do. You don't care about us.”
“We care,” Meaghan told him. She moved around Miles, but refrained from exiting his protection when he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I saved Aldin, remember? Even before I realized what he could do.”
“You lie. You knew. You've always known. This is your fault!” He stabbed his knife through the air, gesturing toward Ree's body. “If you hadn't come, if you hadn't made your request, I wouldn't have doubted what needed to be done. I would have gone to Garon
and she would still be alive.”
Miles punched his hand forward, casting his shield with enough force to throw Faillen backwards. Faillen stumbled, but caught his balance in time to swing his knife toward Cal who had reached out to catch him.
“Get back,” Faillen commanded.
Cal remained rooted to his spot. “I'm trying to help you.”
“You aim to take me out. You protect her.”
“I do, and I protect you, too, in case you forgot. This isn't Meaghan's fault.”
“It is. If she hadn't come to my hut, we wouldn't be here. If she'd never returned to this world—”
“Aldin would be dead,” Cal reminded him, and took a step forward. “Garon sought your sons long before Meaghan came along. She's always had your best interests in mind. Always.”
“Because of my sons.”
“Because she cares. Because she values your help. What she asked of you has nothing to do with them. She isn't Garon. She knows your boys are children. She doesn't want them to fight in this war.”
Faillen's knife wavered. Tears escaped the corners of his eyes. “Ree,” he whispered. “She—”
“Never wanted you to accept Garon's offer. That's the real reason you didn't go sooner.”
Faillen trembled. He shook his head. “I didn't do this to her. I didn't.”
“No, you didn't.” Cal took another step forward. His hand closed over Faillen's wrist and the knife fell to the ground. “I've been where you are. Garon took my first wife from me. I know your anger. I know your pain and the depth of your sorrow. And I know your guilt. It makes you want to blame the world, but you can't, Faillen. And you can't turn against the people who care about you. We can help you.”
“No,” Faillen said. “You can't help me anymore.”
He glanced at Meaghan one last time, the anger in his eyes slicing through her better than any weapon could, and then he turned and left the cave.
“Dat,” Aldin screeched and raced after his father. Nick caught him, lifting the boy up before he could exit the cave.
“Should we go after him?” May asked Cal.
Cal shook his head. “Give him time. He needs to grieve in peace.”
“He needs to be confined,” Miles argued. He lowered his hand, dropping the force field. “If he's aligned with Garon, he's a danger to all of us.”
“He's not dangerous,” Meaghan said.
“He tried to attack you. I'd consider that dangerous.”
“He wouldn't have done her any harm,” Cal said. “He's not aligned with Garon. Garon has threatened to kill everyone in Zeiihbu if Faillen doesn't return.”
“So Faillen turned against us?” Miles frowned. “I recognize him by his name, and I understand the position he's in, but choosing to align with Garon is unacceptable under any circumstance. Especially since Zeiihbu has never been Garon's target. It's an empty threat wrought for the purpose of increasing Garon's ranks.”
“It's not an empty threat,” Nick told him. “Faillen's sons are Spellmasters. Garon isn't aware of Aldin's power, but he knows Caide's. And now he has him.”
“Spellmasters,” he echoed. His eyes widened. “That's not possible. They're from Zeiihbu. They couldn't—”
“They could and they are,” Cal said. “Faillen didn't feel he had a choice. His delay in returning to Zeiihbu has already cost dozens of lives.”
“And you've been protecting his family,” Miles said, his voice bitter with anger. “You protected them without a ruling from the Elders, which is against the law. On top of that, you kept it from us even after we promoted you.”
“I gave him permission,” May said, then crossed her arms when Miles turned his anger on her. She scowled. “Don't be so egotistical to believe the Elders are impenetrable. Cal has been protecting them for well over a year. If he'd informed the Elder council, Angus would have divulged their location to Garon. These things are best kept between as few people as possible.”
“I should have been one of those people,” Miles responded. He held her gaze a moment longer before turning his attention toward the boy in Nick's arms. “You're certain he's a Spellmaster? He's young.”
“We watched him turn two Mardróch to stone,” Nick told him. “Though Cal's seen more than we have. He's been training both of Faillen's boys.”
Miles nodded. He turned to address Cal. “How long will it take for Garon to convert the older boy?”
“Caide will stand his ground,” Cal said. “But we all know what Garon can do. Once he realizes Caide can't be swayed, he'll do whatever he can to force him. Caide's power isn't strong enough to do mass damage yet, but he can make the war more difficult.”
“Then we need to put together a plan,” Miles decided. “After Nick and Meaghan are settled, we'll convene again tonight.”
“In the meantime, we have a more pressing problem to manage,” a voice said from the doorway. Sam stepped into the cave and then swept his arm in a gesture of invitation. The move puzzled Meaghan until a group of people filed into the room behind him. Three women and five men stood at attention, their eyes fixed on Cal.
Cal scanned the line before nodding. “This will do nicely. You all know the danger?”
“We do,” said a young woman with short blonde hair. She looked to be no older than Nick. “We can manage it.”
“A spell created this fire,” Cal warned them. “It will fight against your powers.”
“We'll fight back,” said a man with spiky blue hair. He grinned at Cal. “It beats hanging around in the cave all day.”
Cal laughed. “That it does, Zell’d. Nice color choice this week.”
Zell’d ran a hand across the top of his head, his grin broadening. “I thought so.”
Cal's eyes fell on the youngest in the group, a thin waif, near-starved to bone, with long, mousy hair and a nervous shake to her hands. She clutched them in front of her, swallowing hard when Cal approached. “What's your name?” he asked. “Where are you from?”
“Kadel,” she squeaked out, then swallowed and tried again. “From the village at Vallem Valley.”
“That was destroyed months ago,” he said. “I thought no one survived.”
“A group of survivors showed up last week,” Sam told him and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. “She's thin because none of them were good at hunting, but she's strong. They survived in the wilderness because of her.”
“Did they?” Cal raised an eyebrow at the girl. “You're not a Firestarter or a Waterhelm like the rest of this lot, are you?”
She shook her head. “I'm a Guide.”
“Fantastic.” Cal lifted the girl's chin with his fingers and she met his eyes for the first time since they began talking. Her nervous swallowing doubled. “To keep your people alive for that long in the wilderness is no small task, even for a Guide. Have confidence in yourself.” He drew his hand to her arm and squeezed. “Stay by my side today. After we put out this fire, you'll train under me going forward.”
The girl's eyes turned to saucers, and then a grin jumped over her face. “You'd do that?” she asked. “But you're Cal.”
“Ah, so you've heard of me,” he said, and chuckled. “If I'm special, then so are you. Don't forget that.”
He turned to address the group. “The forest is burning at a rate unnatural for a fire, even with the dry winter. Our best bet is to contain it, and then weaken it with water. Which of you are Firestarters?”
Four of them raised their hands.
“Stand there.” He pointed to the center of the cave. “I'll teleport you to a separate area from everyone else. Push the fire east. We'll be waiting for it. Once we start dousing it with water, follow its trail and help us contain it.”
As the four volunteers moved to the area Cal indicated, Meaghan turned to Nick. “How can they contain the fire if they're only Firestarters?”
“They can control fires,” he answered. “Just like Cal can. The difference between his power over fire and theirs is why they have the name. The
y can start one from nothing. Cal needs some sort of ember or spark to make a fire blaze. That's why he never extinguishes a torch fully and why he has to strike a flint to start a fire.”
“That makes sense. What's a Waterhelm?”
“Someone who controls water. Their power does everything Cal's does.”
“Not exactly,” Cal corrected. “Neither power can use its element to see. Only a Guide has that ability. And for a Waterhelm, a more important difference is he or she is almost always a Rainmaker, too. Although the powers are considered separate, it's rare that someone isn't born with both. The only time I've ever heard of it happening is with identical twins. In those cases, each twin has one of the powers.”
“I see,” Meaghan said. “So should I assume a Rainmaker's power does as it sounds?”
In answer, a small raincloud formed in front of Meaghan and poured water on her feet. A short man with a pointed beard flicked his hand and the cloud dissolved as fast as it had arrived.
“Nice first impression, Dillon,” Cal muttered. “You've just soaked our Queen's feet.”
Dillon shrugged. “She asked.”
“Come on,” Cal said, and waved to the remainder of the group. “You're with me. Are you ready?”
The response came unanimously, their nervous energy contagious. Cal disappeared with one group, and then reappeared. A moment later, he left again.
Only then did the reality of Cal's task hit Meaghan. Neiszhe reached down to close Ree's eyes with a shaking hand, and Meaghan prayed Faillen's wife would be the only person they had to grieve today.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
“WE'VE DONE the best we can under these circumstances,” Sam said as he led Meaghan and Nick through the maze of underground caves housing the temporary camp. May had left to speak with Miles, no doubt continuing the argument they had curbed in the crystal cave. Neiszhe had taken Aldin to her tent for a nap. And Sam had offered to guide Meaghan and Nick on a tour of their new home.
Aerenden: The Gildonae Alliance (Ærenden Book 2) Page 24