It was beautiful to look at, and Rhyn always felt a desire to be closer to the stone. Even now his feet were instinctively moving towards the table Kai was sitting at.
‘Any luck with the Oblivion Stone?’ Rhyn asked as he joined his brother at the table. He rested his hands on the back of Kai’s chair, leaning over his shoulder to get a better look at the stone.
Kai hadn’t left his quarters since the battle, although it wasn’t unusual for him to spend days holed up in his room. He looked exhausted though, like he hadn’t slept a wink since he had started studying the stone. The thick book Joran had given Kai, which contained everything the ancient magus knew about rifts and the Oblivion Stone, was open on the table.
Rhyn took a step towards it and ran a finger down the open page as he tried to decipher the words scribbled there. Joran’s handwriting was barely legible, and he had no idea how Kai was able to make any sense of it. He hoped his brother was able to make sense of it, at least.
‘No luck,’ Kai sighed. ‘Not really. I must have read Joran’s book five times now, and I still can’t work out if there is a way to close a rift without affecting the world around us. There are so many damaged pages, and the ones that are still legible appear to be missing pieces of information.’
Kai brushed Rhyn’s hand out of the way and flicked aimlessly through the pages of the vast book. Rhyn could see many of the inscriptions were fading and some pages were torn or ripped away entirely.
‘Even if the book did outline a way to do it safely, I don’t think this fragment of the stone would even be strong enough to close a rift in the first place,’ Kai continued. ‘We would need at least one of the other pieces to be sure. And even that is just a theory. This stone has only ever been used to close a rift once in a thousand years. That’s not a lot of information to go on.’
Kai slowly shook his head, his tired eyes brimming with both physical and emotional fatigue. ‘I know we must find a way to separate our people from the humans forever, but I fear I’m at a dead end.’
‘Perhaps you should rest for a while?’ Rhyn suggested. ‘The solution might come to you if you give your mind some space to breathe.’
Kai looked up at Rhyn, his lips hard and his gaze filled with doubt. ‘We don’t have enough time for my mind to breathe.’
‘We have the humans under control for now,’ Rhyn replied.
‘And the Brakys?’ Kai replied. ‘We—’ He stopped speaking as a knock sounded at the door.
‘Kai?’ a voice called through the thick wood.
Rhyn walked over to the door and pulled it open to reveal Jack standing in the doorway with his hand raised to knock again. A guard stood behind him with a look of slight annoyance on his face. Rhyn’s father had insisted that an Unfaih warrior escorted the humans while they remained in the castellum. Rowe rarely left her room, but Jack was frequently seen wandering the corridors.
‘Jack,’ Rhyn nodded in greeting.
‘Oh, hey Rhyn,’ Jack said, pushing past him as he entered the room. He walked across the space and took a seat at the table across from Kai as though he already knew he was welcome.
‘Anything today?’ Jack asked.
Kai shook his head. ‘More of the same.’
Rhyn frowned as he closed the door and approached the two of them. ‘Is this something that happens often?’ he asked.
Jack shrugged. ‘There’s not much else to do around here.’
‘So you come and study the Oblivion Stone with my brother?’
‘Sure,’ Jack replied.
‘And you’re okay with this?’ Rhyn asked, turning to look at Kai.
Kai nodded with a smile on his lips. ‘Jack actually knows quite a lot about the way energy works. We’ve been researching the rift together, and he’s been quite a help.’
‘See?’ Jack said, with a knowing smirk.
‘Why do I get a bad feeling about this?’ Rhyn replied.
‘Don’t pretend you don’t think this is an awesome idea,’ Jack said. ‘Human and Unfaih working together to save both our people from the evils of this world. There should be a comic book about us.’
‘A comic book?’ Kai asked, confusion swirling in his eyes.
But Jack just shook his head. ‘Never mind.’
‘I guess I should leave you both to it,’ Rhyn said.
The two of them didn’t respond though as they had both refocused on the stone and the book in front of them. Rhyn shrugged and left without a goodbye.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about the two of them working together. He trusted Jack and didn’t believe he would betray them. But how could one human, especially one so young, be of help to someone with the kind of knowledge and experience that Kai had? How much could Jack genuinely hope to understand about the stone and its power?
Human and Unfaih working together—it sounded nice in theory. Rhyn just hoped that Jack and Kai really could find a way to use the Oblivion Stone to save their people.
After Rhyn left Kai’s room, he went in search of Sloane. His discussion with his brother had made him realise that he’d been foolish to push her away. She needed his support right now, even if she didn’t act like it, and he needed to stop being angry with himself because he couldn’t fix her.
He headed straight for his room to look for her. He had placed Sloane in his quarters when she was first injured, as he couldn’t stand the thought of being far from her. He’d slept on the floor every night waiting for her condition to change. It had been a tortuous few days, and he had barely slept the entire time. Now that she was awake, he had insisted she stay in his room, and he had moved to another one across the corridor so he could stay close.
Sloane wasn’t in her room though, and there was no hint of where she might have gone. He returned to the corridor and walked several doors down to the room where Rowe was staying. One of his warriors stood guard out front of it, and Rhyn nodded in greeting before he knocked on the door and entered.
Rowe sat at the desk in the corner of the room writing. She lifted her eyes to look at Rhyn as he walked through the doorway.
‘I’m sorry to disturb you, Rowe,’ he said. ‘I was looking for Sloane and hoped you might know where I could find her.’
‘She went to see Emha this morning, and then I think she was going to train,’ Rowe replied. ‘I don’t think she’ll be back for a while.’
‘Right,’ Rhyn replied, trying to ignore the jealous twinge in his gut as he realised Sloane was training without him. He couldn’t blame her. He had barely seen her since they had argued on the wall. Rhyn knew Sloane believed her days were numbered, and he understood that she wouldn’t want to waste any time waiting around for him.
‘How are you?’ Rowe asked, standing from her desk and walking over to him. ‘You’ve seemed distant since Sloane woke up.’
Rhyn sighed and stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him. He’d become close to Rowe while Sloane had been recovering. The two of them had bonded over their shared fear that she might not wake up. He’d been in a dark place while Sloane slept, and he could only imagine how painful it must have been for Rowe. But she was like a shining light of positivity during the ordeal.
‘I’ve had a lot on my mind,’ Rhyn said carefully. ‘But that’s why I’m looking for Sloane; I think I’m starting to see everything a little clearer.’
Rowe gave him a sad smile and lightly patted his arm. ‘I’m worried about her too,’ she said. ‘But I have faith that everything will turn out okay. Sloane has a strong mind and an even stronger heart. I don’t believe she will become one of those creatures.’
Rhyn nodded, allowing himself to breathe a little easier. He wasn’t sure if someone could stop themselves from becoming a Braky by willpower alone. But Rowe was right; if anyone could do it, it was Sloane.
‘If you see her will you tell her I’m looking for her?’
‘Sure,’ she replied.
Rhyn smiled at Rowe in thanks before he turned and left the room, silently c
licking the door shut behind him.
He started making his way towards the courtyard, knowing that Sloane would end up there eventually. If she was still visiting with Emha, he didn’t want to interrupt the two of them.
Dark clouds were gathering overhead as Rhyn emerged from the castellum. He paused and peered up at the sky as he walked out into the frosty afternoon. An icy wind whipped across the courtyard and ruffled his hair. He could feel the chilling threat of a storm on the breeze and knew it wouldn’t be long before thick snow started to fall.
He walked across the courtyard, his arms wrapped around his chest as he moved. His warriors always trained in the mornings, but he hadn’t been driving them as hard since the battle. They had suffered a lot during the fight against the humans, and so many were still recovering from their injuries. Rhyn couldn’t bring himself to push them as he usually would.
He was surprised when he arrived at the training grounds to find that several of the huge barrels he had set up for Sloane the last time they had trained were stacked on top of each other. They weren’t the only obstacles set up though. Many of the features usually reserved for the Unfaih warriors’ yearly battle games had been laid out in a circle surrounding the training area. There were large wooden structures that were ridden with traps, high walls that were almost impossible to scale and rope obstacles that even the hardiest of his warriors despised.
Rhyn stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of Sloane launching herself up one of the high walls and pulling herself to the top with ease. There was a look of surprise in her eyes at the feat she’d just achieved, but she wasn’t given a moment to consider it as a voice called out loudly, urging her on to the next obstacle.
Rhyn couldn’t believe his eyes when he scanned the yard to find the owner of the voice. It was Elyx. His second in command was bellowing orders at Sloane just like she was any other warrior, and she responded immediately to every instruction. Rhyn was shocked to see his second helping Sloane train. He knew she would never have set up the obstacle course herself, so it had to be Elyx who had suggested it.
It usually took many months for young Unfaih who had drunk the Liftsal to grow accustomed to the new strength in their bodies. Most trained in simple tasks for weeks as they adjusted, and would never dream of attempting a course like the one Sloane was taking on. She made it look easy though, like she was born to harness the strength and speed that now thrummed through her veins.
There was no hesitation as she reached a series of hanging ropes and launched herself through the air from one to another. Her movements were fluid, and there was a graceful beauty to the way she moved that enthralled Rhyn as he watched.
‘Well, she’s certainly no longer human,’ a voice sounded behind him.
Rhyn turned to find his father standing there; his eyes narrowed on Sloane as she moved effortlessly from one rope to the next. Vas’ gaze was calculating and hard, and very difficult to interpret.
‘No,’ Rhyn agreed, turning to watch her again.
They had met several times in the aftermath of the battle with the humans, but his father avoided speaking of Sloane’s condition after Rhyn had made it clear how he felt on the subject.
He suspected that Vas wanted her and the other humans gone, but they owed Sloane, Jack and Rowe a great debt for their help in the battle, and even Vas couldn’t deny that.
‘Is there any sign of the darkness?’ Vas asked.
Rhyn swallowed tightly at his question. Rhyn had heard all the elder Unfaih speak of the darkness that inhabited the first humans who drank the Liftsal as they turned into the first Brakys. Rhyn had never seen the change come over a human, but he knew to look for signs of unbridled rage and irrational anger, and he slowly shook his head.
‘There’s no sign,’ he replied. And there wouldn’t be, his thoughts added.
‘I’m not comfortable with her presence here,’ Vas continued. ‘It was one thing while she was unconscious, but she’s growing stronger every day.’
Rhyn turned to look at his father, his chest constricting at his words. ‘I have a guard watching her at all times as you requested. And I am pleased to see she is growing stronger.’
But Vas shook his head. ‘If the darkness takes over, we will all be in danger.’
Rhyn’s chest tightened further. He didn’t respond though. It was a useless fight to enter. The truth was that neither of them knew what would happen to her.
‘She is welcome here as long as she is one of us,’ Rhyn growled.
Vas nodded. ‘Just keep her watched closely. If there is any sign she is changing for the worse, I want her gone.’
Rhyn wasn’t sure if he could ever send Sloane away, no matter what she might become. But he couldn’t say that out loud. He could barely respond at all; the thought of turning her out into their frozen world was too much to bear.
‘We have bigger problems than Sloane,’ Rhyn said, attempting to turn the tide of the conversation.
‘Yes,’ Vas agreed. ‘She is not a problem for now. We still need to deal with the human threat.’
‘You know that everything is quiet at the human settlement,’ Rhyn replied. ‘We have plenty of warriors watching the camp, and I believe it will be some time before they consider attacking us again. If they consider attacking us again.’
‘They are still a threat,’ Vas said.
Rhyn nodded in agreement. ‘But their missing leader, Sloane’s father, is what I’m most concerned with right now.’
Vas’ eyes darkened, their light blue hue turning as shadowy as the murky sky above them. ‘Have your scouts returned with any news yet?’
Rhyn glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the large wooden doors that marked the entrance to the castellum. ‘No. The scout I sent to check in with Allirie at the other rift has also not yet returned.’ Rhyn let out a breath as he turned back to his father. ‘I hope to have some news soon.’
Vas nodded, but Rhyn wasn’t sure how intently he had been listening as his attention was fixed on Sloane. She was now crawling through a large net. She hadn’t looked in their direction once, and it seemed as though her mind was focused entirely on the tasks before her.
Rhyn wanted her to know that he was there. He wanted to talk to her and explain why he’d been acting so distant over the last few days. But he knew better than to interrupt her when she was training, and he certainly didn’t want to have the discussion in front of his father and Elyx.
He glanced over his shoulder as he heard the creak of the large wooden entrance to the castellum opening. He caught sight of his mother walking through the gates, her arms heaving under the burden of the material that was draped in her arms. Rhyn rushed to her side with Vas not far behind him.
The two of them relieved Orelle of her load, and she smiled up at them with warmth. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘How are the preparations coming for the Starfall celebration?’ Rhyn asked, as the three of them headed towards the castellum. Tomorrow was the Unfaih’s annual celebration of the day the star that fell from the sky created the Liftsal. It was an event that Rhyn usually enjoyed, but it didn’t seem right to celebrate when there had been so much recent pain and death.
‘Well enough,’ Orelle replied. Though from the slight crease in her brow Rhyn could tell she was feeling slightly overwhelmed. ‘It’s disappointing that many of the other local clans will not be attending.’
Rhyn didn’t blame them. The castellum was far too close to the battle that had just been fought against the humans. The danger from the humans and the Brakys still loomed over them like a stormy sky.
‘Are you sure we should go ahead with it this year considering all that’s happened?’ Rhyn asked.
Orelle sighed sadly as she turned to her son. ‘Everything that has happened recently is exactly the reason we should go ahead with it. It’s been ten days since the battle, and we need to try and get back to normal. ’
Vas nodded along with her. ‘We can’t let these humans destroy our way
of life.’
‘Maybe,’ Rhyn replied, without much conviction. He didn’t feel that missing one celebration while they were at war meant destroying their culture. He just didn’t want anyone to be in danger, and the unofficial ceasefire they’d been experiencing since the fight didn’t sit well with him. He could almost feel it in the air around him. The battle was over, but the war was not won.
He turned to face the training yard one more time as he went to enter the castellum, and caught sight of Sloane’s white blonde hair just before she disappeared from view. He’d missed a chance to talk with her, but he knew another one would come.
Chapter Six
‘Your son is avoiding me,’ Sloane grumbled, as Orelle raised a piece of rope and tied it around her hips to check her measurements. The rope had barely settled before Orelle lifted it again to check the measurements around her waist and then further up to her bust. Sloane scowled as the Unfaih woman worked, uncertain why she needed a new dress and severely disliking the process of having her body measured. Orelle did not seem to notice the scowl, and if she did Sloane knew she wouldn’t have cared.
‘I’m sure Rhyn isn’t avoiding you,’ Orelle replied, dropping the piece of rope to her side. ‘That’s all I need,’ she continued, nodding that Sloane could relax.
Sloane let out a long breath and crossed her arms over her chest, unconvinced by Orelle’s explanation for her son’s behaviour. ‘Every time he sees me he walks in a different direction. He no longer wants to train me, and I think he’s said about two words to me in the last couple of days. I even saw him watching me in the training yard with Elyx earlier today, but he left without saying anything.’
‘He’s very busy at the moment. I’m sure you can understand that,’ Orelle said, turning to look at Rowe, who was sitting on a chair behind her. ‘Your turn,’ she ordered, causing Rowe to stand and carefully approach.
Sloane walked over and took Rowe’s seat, falling into it with another sigh. She stared up at the icy ceiling overhead, which was dimmer than usual. A storm had been brewing all afternoon and had finally hit now that evening was approaching. When she closed her eyes and concentrated, Sloane could hear the whistle of wind howling outside the castellum. She almost swore she could hear the soft patter of snow hitting the ground, but quickly dismissed the thought. They were in for a rough night and, for once, she felt glad to be confined to the castellum.
The Rift War Page 6