Void Born

by R. J. Metcalf

  The sun had just started to sink behind the highest of the building roofs by the time they reached the house that Geist’s contact had mentioned. According to his “friend,” a fellow vaguely matching Christopher’s description had been seen here.

  It amazed Ben how sprawling Doldra was and the variety of style and structure it had throughout. Close to the City Circle, buildings were fairly a standard size, comfortably spacious-looking without being ostentatious. The closer one got to the wall that stood before the wild lands, the bigger the homes became. Small houses dotted the landscape between the large buildings, giving the appearance of mushrooms that grew in their own random design.

  It was one of these cramped-looking homes that Geist pointed to. Two ramshackle buildings away from the home, they dismounted and tied their horses to one of the trees that lined the street. Ben patted his hip and grimaced. He really needed to find someone who could replace the glass of his steam-pistol. His skill with a sword was slowly increasing thanks to the crew’s efforts to train him, but he was much more comfortable with a gun in his hand. Maybe they’d find Victor and nullify the danger just like that. And then Ben could travel to Aerugo to ask Weston about a replacement tank.

  Ben settled his hand on his sword hilt as they crept closer. Geist’s hand curled into a fist when Brandon glided past him, taking point, the two Monomi flanking the former berserker. Brandon crouched at the door and pointed to Ash, then a window. He turned to Ben, and Ben moved to the second window before Brandon could gesture.

  Geist stood behind Brandon, all but hovering over his shoulder, as Brandon picked the lock. The prince looked back, his eyes narrowed. Ben took a breath and pulled out his sword. Be ready.

  Brandon held up three fingers. Two. One. A fist.

  Geist kicked in the door.

  Ben followed Brandon in, heart pounding, scanning the shadowed room for threats. A beat-up couch lurked against the wall in darkness. A narrow hallway was visible just beyond the dying light that spilled in from the open door. The sparse kitchen area had the faint scent of garlic, proving someone had been here not too long ago. Ben kept his sword out as he tailed Brandon and Geist around a kitchen table, the two Monomi following directly behind, and Ash bringing up the rear, still by the door.

  Something moved in the hallway, and fire flared in the dark, streaking at Brandon. He dodged at the last moment, and the ball of flames hit the wall with a whoomp. He and his Monomi pressed up against the couch.

  The small ball of flames spread, almost like liquid, the faded wallpaper curling in with blackened edges.

  Ash dropped to the floor as Ben jumped to stand between a table and kitchen island that were now visible thanks to the wall burning to his left. Geist flattened himself against the wall nearest their attacker, his eyes wide. Heat from the fire licked at Ben’s face, drying his lips.

  “Show yourself, berserker!” the man in the hall shouted. He edged into sight, the flickers of light from the fire on the wall illuminating dark eyes and a black goatee. A fresh fireball danced on his fingertips. His gaze settled on Ben, and a glimmer of confusion crossed the man’s face even as he pulled his hand back to throw the next flaming missile.

  Ben’s mind raced. He knew this man. Not in this context, but . . .

  “Ezekial?”

  Geist’s jaw dropped slightly, and he peeked around the corner. “Ezekial, is that you?” His hands clenched into fists. “What the blazes is going on?”

  Ezekial’s jaw set, and he stalked forward, as if going straight for Ben.

  Ben backed up toward Geist by the table.

  Ezekial spun around the corner of the hall, turning his back to Ben as he lifted his fireball high to illuminate the small room and where Brandon crouched with his guards. Brandon’s eyes glittered as he focused on the fire. Ezekial raised his hand, sparks flashing off the blazing ball, then his hand lowered as he saw the Monomi. “What is going on?” His voice betrayed his confusion. He gestured at Brandon. “Why the Void are you with them?” He waved his free hand at the Monomi, then back at Ben.

  “He’s with us,” Ben supplied. “Long story, but the Monomi are here to keep him under control.” He glanced at the wall that blazed by the front door. Ash had scooted on his rear closer to Ben’s side of the room. “Don’t suppose you can put out that fire before someone notices?”

  Ezekial narrowed his eyes and used his free hand to gesture from the floor up, the flames dying down as he motioned, as if smothered from lack of oxygen.

  Geist sighed behind Ezekial, and Ezekial turned to regard the dragon hunter. “And why are you lot breaking into this house?”

  Geist pushed away from the wall by the hallway, his hands up and open. “We’re here to hunt a traitor.”

  Brandon stepped forward, his hand clenched on his sword. “Why are you here?”

  Ezekial didn’t move, his hand still held out as if he would manipulate fire again at a pin drop. He wasn’t as impeccably dressed as Ben remembered, wearing rough traveling clothes that made him difficult to see in the flickering light of his fireball. “I’m hunting a group of Void Born.”

  Ben’s blood ran cold at Ezekial’s words, and he forced himself to keep breathing naturally, not allowing himself the luxury of panic. “Void Born?”

  Ezekial nodded, his eyes not leaving Brandon. “I was following someone I’ve been suspecting of having a hand in recent Void-related deaths. A former sage, Lucio. Trailing him led me here.”

  “Did you say Lucio?” Ash interrupted.

  “How about you come back to the palace with us?” Ben suggested, trying to avoid setting off Brandon with Ezekial—the literal matchhead. “Queen Violet is here, and she’d be happy to hear anything you can tell us.”

  “You’d take him to where she is?” Ezekial’s head whipped around to Ben. “Look, I trust the Monomi and all, but I’m not leading this murderer anywhere near Her Majesty.”

  Ben’s scowl mirrored Brandon’s. “She knows he’s here. If you don’t like it, you can talk to her.”

  Ezekial thought that over long enough that Ben feared he was going to say no. Then the tall Perennian extinguished the fireball from his fingertips, leaving them all in the sudden dim light of the full moon that spilled in from beyond the fire-warped door. “Fine. But he walks ahead of me.”

  Brandon met Ben’s eyes long enough to nod, then he spun on his heel and walked out the door. Ben forced a smile. “Great. Shall we go?”

  ***

  Ben paced the length of the table in the meeting room Brandon had picked as Ezekial left them to find Queen Violet. The bandit prince claimed a chair for himself, but Ben stayed standing. Geist’s stomach rumbled audibly, and Ben smothered a grin. Ash had parted ways from them to check the kitchens for anything they could eat before bed.

  Ben turned to the open door, listening to the heavy footsteps that echoed in the quiet hall. Ezekial strode in, his stern countenance darkening at the sight of Brandon. He nodded to Geist and Ben, and glanced around. “Where’d the other go?”

  “Food.” Geist cracked an eye open and glared. “Some of us mortals require sustenance to keep going.”

  “Is she coming?” Ben asked before Ezekial could say something that would really set off Geist. Ben had witnessed a hungry and tired Geist before. He didn’t want that to happen right before a debriefing with the queen.

  Ezekial dipped his head. “She’ll be here in just a few minutes.”

  Ash bustled into the room and dropped a small platter of breads, fruits, and vegetables on the meeting table. “Best I could do, sorry,” he apologized as Geist looked it over. “Couldn’t find any meat.”

  Geist sighed and plucked a roll from the mound, then pulled out two radishes. “Better than nothing.”

  Brandon rolled his eyes, but reached for a carrot stick. He snapped off the tip and tossed it in his mouth, eyeing Ezekial. “I know you hate me, but ...have we met?”

  Ben crossed over to stand by Geist and grab a cold slice of bread. He sank into the c
ushion of the chair and suppressed a groan as something in his back twanged from the movement. Not only was he going to be dead-tired when leaving in the morning, he was probably going to be limping. I need to build up endurance for horseback riding. Fast.

  Ezekial’s nostrils flared, and he sat in the chair furthest from Brandon, his back to the door. “Not to my knowledge, no.”

  “Then why the reaction?”

  “Because I know who you are.”

  Brandon stiffened, and Ben watched him out of the corner of his eye. Brandon breathed deeply, and his tone remained neutral. “Oh?”

  “You’re the berserker bandit,” Ezekial ground out. “The one who worked with Kadar’s crew, and the one who wiped out a village in Vodan.” He gestured toward Brandon. “I recognized your sword.”

  Brandon’s hand fell off the table to touch the crimson hilt. His nostrils flared. “I no longer walk that path.”

  “Why are you here? What is your goal?” Ezekial pressed his hands against the table, as if to refrain himself from using them for some nefarious means. His fingers clawed against the wood. “Ben says she knows you’re here, but does the queen know you’re in the palace?”

  “I do, in fact, know that he is here,” Queen Violet replied from behind Ezekial. Ben’s eyes widened. Apparently she could walk without sound when she wanted to. That, or he was more tired than he’d originally thought.

  Ezekial whipped his head around, standing hastily before bowing. “My queen, my apologies for my tardiness.” His head turned infinitesimally toward Brandon. “And for my tone against one of your men.”

  Violet chuckled. “Oh, he’s not one of my men.” She walked past Ezekial to stand near the center of the table, utterly regal, despite the blue velvet dressing gown. Her hand grazed the back of a scarlet chair, and she traced the gold piping with a finger as she smiled at Brandon. “But he is an old friend.”

  Ezekial coughed and pounded on his chest. “I beg your pardon?”

  Violet lifted her chin at Brandon, giving him a questioning look. He held Violet’s gaze and twitched his head in a nod. She raised a hand toward him. “Ezekial, meet Prince Brandon of Doldra. He’s been ...out of sorts the last two decades.” Violet clasped her hands in front of the silver sash on her robe. “His survival is currently a secret; see that it remains so.” She raised both eyebrows. “Have you introduced yourself to this team?”

  “No, Your Majesty.” Ezekial straightened and inclined his head gravely. “I am Ezekial Thorne, a sage in the service of Her Majesty.”

  She smiled at him and looked around the table. “Now that that matter is settled, report, please.”

  Brandon pushed his hand through his hair and sighed. “We missed Victor.”

  Brandon and Ezekial took turns sharing all that had happened. Ezekial rapped on the table with his knuckles. “I talked to a beggar outside the house earlier today. He said there were multiple people living there.” He lifted his gaze to meet Violet’s, his thick lips pressed into a firm line. “Possibly as many as six Void Born.”

  Violet’s complexion paled, and she pulled a chair out and sank into it, her hands shaking. “What does he have planned, that he would need so many Void Born?” she whispered. Her tone sharpened. “What have you found? What theories do you have from this news?

  Ezekial spread his hands and shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine, Your Majesty. But I have a few possible ideas. You know I was tracking Lucio. At first, because of the rumors surrounding him.” His knuckles cracked as he fisted his hands. “And when he killed—” He cut himself off and shook his head. “Now that I’ve heard their story about Victor, adding that to what I know of Lucio and what I’d been tracking, I imagine they’re all working together. And I shudder to imagine what those two have cooked up.” He released a heavy breath, his face darkening as he rubbed his arms. “Especially with proof of the Void Born rumors being true.”

  Violet sat up straighter. “Whatever they’re planning, we’re going to do our best to counteract them.” She drummed her fingers against the table. “Ezekial, I’m sending you with them.”

  “I—say what now?” Ezekial blinked. “Where are they going? When?”

  “We leave later this morning,” Ben replied, gesturing to Geist and Brandon. “We’re going on an airship, along with Finn—the man who fixed the Doldra keystone. We’ll be searching for Victor, as well as trying to warn as many kingdoms as we visit that they need to up their defenses of the keystones.”

  “Indeed.” Violet fixed Ezekial with a stern glare. “I want you to work alongside them. Don’t be a hindrance because of what you’ve heard over the years.” She nodded sideways to Brandon. “He’s a good man, and you need to remember that.”

  Brandon’s gaze dropped to the table, and his lips pressed together.

  Ezekial looked like he was going to argue, but he nodded stiffly instead. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  Violet looked at Ben. “Ezekial is a sage of considerable skill, and he can be a help wherever your journey takes you.” She tapped the table with a manicured finger. “And I’ll send extra funds along with your team, should you need them. This mission has become even more urgent than expected, and we must do everything within our power to ensure success.”

  “What will you be doing?” The words slipped out of his mouth before Ben could stop them. Geist kicked him under the table, and Ben grimaced. “Your Majesty,” he tacked on.

  Violet’s lips twitched. “I will be leaving in the morning as well. I’ve already sent messages via falcon to my brother in Perennia and to the other southern kingdoms. I will take the news to Aerugo personally, and once there, I’ll send word to the eastern kingdoms. We all have a role to play in protecting these lands.”

  She rose, and Ben scrambled to follow the men as they stood and bowed. Violet turned to the door and offered a wry smile. “I recommend we all get what rest we can, not knowing what the day will bring.”

  Chapter Five

  Jade

  “I want to go.” Jade nudged a white tile from her hand on the large board, matching the four of rubies and leaving the fourteen of onyx open-ended. She grabbed a facedown tile from the pile and added it to her hand to pull from. “I don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to.”

  “I know.” Zak narrowed his eyes and settled a double-sided eleven of moonstones next to an open eleven of moonstones tile on his side of the board. He slid a new tile to himself and shook his head when he flipped it over. His sigh was barely audible. A flash of green betrayed his glance up at her. “And you know why you can’t.”

  Jade knuckled her forehead, trying not to give in to the frustration eating away at her gut. Zak’s idea to play a game of Compatibility had been welcomed by her with open arms. She’d rested enough to be mobile again, and she hadn’t yet been in the palace’s music room, where they apparently kept a board of the game out for anyone who wanted to play. But after two hours, the novelty of distraction had worn off, and now she played simply because she couldn’t stand to return to her borrowed room and pretend to sleep in a bed that wasn’t hers.

  Her nightmares tonight had become too much.

  She’d already dreamt of Slate’s death—what her imagination envisioned it to be like, except instead of having her father’s body for burial, it was completely gone, even his skeleton eaten away by the barrier. That had been bad enough.

  But last night, for whatever reason, her imagination had taken over every worst-case scenario possible: Krista, arrested by Everett and given to the guards as their plaything. Ben, gone as suddenly as he’d appeared. Zak and his family, executed for rebellion against the treaty. Jade, forced to become queen and begging her mother and Garnet to flee before the Reformers came for them.

  Zak had found her, wandering the halls long after everyone else had gone to bed, too scared to try to go back to sleep. He’d ended up convincing her to try to rest, and she’d napped on a couch in one of the delegates’ sitting rooms, with Zak in a nearby chair, keep
ing watch.

  He must’ve sensed her apprehension rising today after talking with Violet, and he’d suggested they play a game like they had back when passing time on the Sapphire.

  She tilted one of the tiles, catching the light on the seven gleaming diamonds embedded in the white stone. Of course, the Compatibility game they’d had on the Sapphire didn’t have the real gems in the tiles. That was something for those of great wealth. Like the Doldran palace. Her palace.

  Jade glanced around the velvet-walled room for what had to be the tenth time. Musical instruments of all shapes and sizes rested on their elegant stands. A desk sat in one corner, and several plush couches were scattered throughout the chamber. Everything in the room felt like overkill. Not quite gaudy, but too opulent. Even in her skirt and blouse, she felt under-dressed—a fraud who deserved to be kicked out. She craved simplicity like a drowning woman craved air.

  Simple wood, no gilding. A simple cushion, no gold embroidery. Simple walls, no crimson velvet.

  Zak’s subtle shift in his chair drew her back to the game, and she hastily slid a new tile into place, this time leaving two glittering emeralds to match. Guilt pricked her conscience. “You should’ve gone with them. You want to catch Victor.” She shivered. “And the Void Born.” Her voice dropped without her consciously doing so. “A real Void Born. I thought they didn’t exist.”

  “You and me, both.” Zak brushed a strand of hair back from his face. “I always thought they were a myth. To know that they’re real . . .” His grip tightened on his tile. “And that they’re a threat? We’ll have to be on our guard against the veebs.”

  Jade bit her lip and hugged herself with one arm. “Knowing that they’re real, I don’t think I can call them that.”

  Zak’s lips twitched. “In case there are good Void Born?”

  “You never know.” Jade rubbed a finger against the table. “A Void Born kid wouldn’t be inherently evil, you know.”