Shadowglade

by Kay L. Ling

  Lana watched them go. These little acts of kindness came so naturally to him. She would rather have a long-distance relationship with Jules than date men from home.

  Elias asked Morodin, “What else did you glean from the book?”

  “There was no mention of woodspirits with gem powers,” Morodin said.

  “Yes, I noticed that, and it does seem odd. My book said woodspirits typically live over five hundred years. If they had gem powers they could accomplish a great deal of good—or harm—in that length of time, so the writer should have found it relevant.”

  “Are we sure S really is a woodspirit?” Lana asked sarcastically.

  “Yes,” Elias answered without hesitation. “The cyanistone showed me woodspirits that looked like S, only less forbidding. No paper white skin or black eyes like the pit of hell.”

  Lana had used cyanistone a few times, and she wasn’t sure she trusted it for something this important. “How can you be sure that what you saw wasn’t just your imagination?”

  “Experience,” Elias said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started with preconceived notions only to be surprised by what I learned. No, I’m certain the images were accurate. S may be an aberration, but she is a woodspirit.”

  “Perhaps she turned out the way she did because she’s an aberration,” Vegmir observed darkly, folding his arms.

  Elias nodded. “That’s a profound thought, and quite possibly true.”

  Morodin had gone back to reading. Lips moving silently, he looked totally engrossed in the book.

  Arlic said, “My gem powers didn’t test very strong, but I’d like to try the cyanistone.”

  “Of course.” Elias passed him the book and the gemstone.

  After a few minutes, Arlic said, “I can see them. They resemble tall, very pale humans.”

  Elias smiled at Lana, “Since you’re the skeptic, would you like to try?”

  “Sure. For all we know, they could be a separate but similar race.”

  Arlic passed her the book and the gem. “I must admit, it’s disturbing to discover a world full of woodspirits, even though the book says they’re peaceful.”

  It was disturbing. S didn’t have an ounce of kindness or compassion, and it was hard to believe the rest could be so different. “Maybe the book was written by woodspirits. What if it’s all propaganda?”

  Jules walked through the door. “What’s propaganda?”

  “Lana refuses to believe S is a woodspirit,” Elias said, his tone faintly amused. “She insists S belongs to a different race.”

  “Or else the book is lying about woodspirits being peaceful,” Lana said, not backing down.

  “I understand Lana’s skepticism.” Jules sat down next to her and stretched out his legs. “If S came from a warlike race like the Mydorians, you could understand the things she did. But the book says woodspirits are peace loving. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Now this is interesting!” Morodin broke in, looking up from his book. “Finally, something about gem powers. It says here that, unlike gnomes, woodspirits seldom have gem powers.”

  Lana said warily, “How seldom is seldom?” If there were hundreds of thousands—or heaven forbid—millions of woodspirits, even a small percentage with gem powers would be terrifying.

  Morodin skimmed through the text, his brow creasing in concern. “It says woodspirits who do develop gem powers display unnaturally strong abilities.”

  That had certainly been the case with S, and impressive powers combined with ruthless ambition had led to generations of gnomes being oppressed and enslaved. Jules looked unnerved by this passage too.

  Morodin continued, “The odds of a woodspirit being born with gem powers have been calculated at approximately one in seven hundred thousand.”

  Okay, Lana thought, feeling slightly relieved, one in seven hundred thousand was seldom, even by her definition. And there was no reason to believe that a woodspirit with gem powers would automatically turn out like S. Still, the very possibility made her shiver. What if there were multiple Sheamathans right now, all plotting to rule Shadow?

  Worse, what if one of them had succeeded?

  It wasn’t likely, but it made her think. Two hundred forty-three years ago, the Amulet had sealed off the rest of Shadow. A lot could happen in that length of time.

  The other side might not be the paradise the gnomes imagined.

  Chapter 34

  Later that morning, Lana informed the staff that Elias would be holding a meeting after lunch, and they must all attend. Raenihel and the Anen clan had helped overthrow S, and it seemed only right to include them, so Elias sent carts for any who wished to attend.

  Lana hated the throne room, but it was the best place for the meeting. S’s hideous throne in the background would remind everyone of her brutal reign, and there was plenty of room for gnome and breghlin staff, Raenihel’s clan, and the thirty breghlin from the dungeon. The fight had gone out of the prisoners by now, and Elias planned to release them soon. What they would hear today should convince them that S didn’t deserve their allegiance.

  S was no longer in the castle. Anticipating the gnomes’ reaction to the Amulet news, Elias and the clan leaders had put her inside a tree near Shadowglade. If Raenihel agreed to take charge of her, she would be moved again, this time to a tree near the Anen clan.

  As Lana followed Elias and Jules to the throne room, she couldn’t help thinking that today would be a historic day for gnomes and breghlin alike, and maybe their shared anger would strengthen the tenuous bond between them.

  “What if they question your story about the Amulet?” Jules asked Elias.

  “Bazzik went to get the spell book from S’s suite, and after the meeting, I plan to show everyone the maps. I don’t expect any problems, though. Why would I invent such a tale?”

  Jules took Lana’s hand as they entered the throne room. It was the first time they’d been here since Elias discovered the spell book. Somehow, the room seemed less ominous now.

  “Raenihel’s clan is here,” Lana said, pointing to the first rows of chairs. A few youngones sat on rugs and pillows. Tyla and her family were there, too, talking among themselves. Breghlin staff filled the rows behind them.

  “Wish me well,” Elias said as he headed toward the dais. The gnome clan leaders were due any minute.

  “Let’s stand over there,” Jules said, pointing to a group of guards who had stationed themselves along a wall where they had a good view.

  A few minutes later, the clan leaders walked in. Bazzik led, carrying the spell book. They paused to survey the assembly, and then climbed the dais steps and joined Elias.

  Guards entered next, herding shackled prisoners into the remaining chairs in the back rows.

  Finally, when everyone present, Elias lifted a hand to signal he was ready to begin. The buzz of conversation died to a solemn hush.

  “What I must say concerns gnomes and breghlin alike,” Elias began. “After my speech, I’ll meet with you in smaller groups to answer your questions.”

  Everyone was silent and respectful, even the prisoners.

  “These beside me are clan leaders, and they are part of a small percentage of gnomes who have gem powers. Long ago, Sheamathan erased gnomes’ memories so they wouldn’t know that some gnomes had this gift. This was one of Sheamathan’s many crimes, but as you are about to learn, far from the worst.”

  Several gnomes began to whisper among themselves, but fell silent when Elias cleared his throat.

  “Some of you gnomes oversee the portal to the Fair Lands Amulet, and many of you breghlin have scouted the Amulet while serving Sheamathan.” His eyes passed over the assembly. “We have recently learned that, like the Fair Lands, Shadow has an Amulet.”

  The breghlin showed little reaction, but the gnomes burst into hushed but agitated conversation. Elias waited for the commotion to die down before continuing.

  “As most of you know, before S was defeated, she expanded the Fair Lands Am
ulet so she could gain greater access to the Fair Lands. Long ago, she did the same thing here. Hoping to take over your world, she brought allies—a warrior race called the Mydorians—through a portal into your Amulet. Then she expanded Shadow’s Amulet so they could seize more and more land. Gnome militias fought with weapons and gem powers, but they soon realized they couldn’t win. At that point, they devised a plan to destroy the portal.”

  The room was completely silent.

  “Using a rare and powerful gem, the gnome Gem Masters combined their powers to create an energy beam that they focused on the portal. When the beam intersected the portal’s energy field, it created an explosive blast that destroyed the portal. The Amulet absorbed a great deal of that blast, protecting the land within, and as a result, the Amulet became immensely stronger. Before, it hadn’t allowed beings or objects from other worlds to pass through; now it allowed nothing through in either direction.”

  Once again Elias paused, letting the audience absorb this information. “The world we see around us, the world you call home, is the Amulet. The rest of your world lies on the other side. And there is no way to reach it.”

  That statement broke the gnomes’ silence. They all began talking at once, including the guards near Lana and Jules.

  “Sealed inside?”

  “There’s no way to get through?”

  “S brought an army here?”

  “From another world?”

  “It’s unthinkable! Even for her!”

  “She should die for her treachery.”

  “She will, I promise you.”

  Lana glanced at Jules. Good thing S was already gone. A few guards had seen Elias and the clan leaders carry S out, but they hadn’t dared question him.

  Elias held up both hands to get the crowd’s attention. “My next comments are directed specifically to the breghlin.” The crowd quieted enough for him to continue, though many gnomes still leaned close, whispering among themselves. “What I am about to say may sound harsh, but it must be said.”

  The breghlin looked at one another apprehensively. An expectant hush fell over the room.

  “When S plotted against Shadow, she had other allies besides the Mydorians. She had gnome allies, the breghlin’s ancestors. We don’t know why they helped her. She probably promised them riches or powerful positions. When her plans to seize all of Shadow failed, and all she had was the Amulet, she didn’t need their help anymore. She killed the Mydorians, and then used her gem powers against your ancestors.” He gestured toward the rows of breghlin. “You are not S’s chosen people, as she claims. You are the descendants of the gnomes she betrayed. And she has treated you as poorly as she did them.”

  The breghlin turned to one another, angry and confused, and bitter exclamations erupted from the group. After a moment one of them stood and shouted, “Quiet! Let him finish!” and the room fell silent.

  “When gnomes allow themselves to do evil things, they change,” Elias said. “Evil affects your bodies like an infection. Apparently the same happens to humans who live here. As you can see, I’m in no position to judge you.” A ripple of nervous laughter ran through the audience. “Given time, your ancestors might have turned from evil, and their lumpy skin and deformed features would have returned to normal. But S used dark gem powers to increase their deformities and then made the mutations permanent, so future generations would look as you do today.”

  That was a lot of big words, and Lana wondered how much the breghlin understood, but a rising chorus of angry voices indicated they must have gotten most of it. A few breghlin tried to wave the rest to silence, but it did no good.

  It was terrible to think that S had purposely disfigured generations of gnomes to create her servant race. And since the gnomes grew to hate and fear the breghlin, the breghlin had no one to turn to but each other and S.

  Elias didn’t need the spell book to verify his claims. No one questioned him. He made a few closing remarks, repeating his offer to stay and answer questions. After the meeting, the crowd gathered into small groups to talk. The only ones who left were the prisoners, looking depressed and in no mood to escape.

  A group of breghlin stood near the dais, engaged in an animated conversation. Jules drew Lana toward them. “Let’s see what’s going on.”

  Tina Ann was pointing at the throne. “Weird insects, birds with two heads, an’ giant flyin’ snakes,” she said, trembling with emotion. “They’s like the real thing, only uglier. Same with us, we’s gnomes only uglier.” She let out an anguished sob and ran up the dais steps.

  Lana grabbed Jules’s hand as they followed her.

  Sobbing as if her heart would break, Tina Ann stood in front of the throne, her face buried in her hands. Lana laid a hand on her shoulder, at a loss for words. Maybe it was enough just to show that someone cared.

  Through gasping sobs Tina Ann said, “S made us ugly, an’ there ern’t no way to undo it.”

  If Tina Ann were a human or gnome, Lana could transfer infused gem powers to comfort her, but Fair Lands gems and breghlin didn’t mix. Tina Ann wiped her eyes, but her breath was still coming in shaky gasps, and her whole body trembled.

  “True beauty is on the inside,” Lana said gently. “S seemed beautiful on the outside, but she was ugly—even before Elias turned her into a beetle.” That made Tina Ann smile, and Lana rubbed her arm, trying to comfort her.

  “Here I is, worried ‘bout bein’ ugly, when we has bigger problems. Like bein’ stuck in the Amulet. But it makes me mad.”

  “I’d feel the same way if I were you.”

  Jules said quietly, “We have S’s spell book. If there’s a solution, we’ll find it.”

  Tina Ann sniffed loudly and glared at the throne. “This thing be as evil as S herself. I feels the evil comin’ off it, an’ it gives me the shivers.” She took a couple steps back.

  Lana blinked. Feel evil? She couldn’t mean that literally, could she?

  “Really?” Jules said, echoing Lana’s thoughts. “You actually feel something?”

  Tina Ann nodded emphatically.

  “It’s just that you hate Sheamathan,” Lana told her, “and the throne makes you think of her.”

  “No, the throne, it be evil. Standin’ here, I goes all cold inside, an’ I feel . . .” she paused and shrugged helplessly. “Can’t explain it.” She took another step back.

  Jules looked at Lana. “Are you thinking what I am?”

  “I think so, but it doesn’t make sense. Could it be a gem power?”

  “I don’t know. That’s the first thing that comes to mind, but I don’t think it’s possible. With gnomes, it takes an activator gem, and activator gems burn breghlin.”

  Tina Ann looked confused, and Lana couldn’t blame her since she was confused herself. Jules unsheathed his knife, and when the blade began to glow he held it out, hilt first, to Tina Ann. “This is asking a lot, but I’d like you to touch my knife. It will probably burn you. I’m sorry, but it’s an important test and there’s no other way.”

  Tina Ann hesitated, and then reached apprehensively toward the knife. As soon as her fingers touched the hilt she cried out and snatched her hand away.

  Lana looked at Jules, considering. “Elias can’t touch your knife, even though he gave up dark powers and he’s a better man now.”

  “Right. So, her inability to touch the knife doesn’t mean she’s evil,” Jules agreed.

  “She’s a breghlin. It’s just a genetic response.”

  “Let’s try something else.” He took a happy stone from his pocket. “Shadow gems can’t hurt her.” He held out the gem to Tina Ann. “Hold this and tell me if you feel anything.”

  After holding it for a moment, she shook her head.

  “If she has gem powers she should feel something when she touches phorish, but she doesn’t feel a thing, so where does that leave us?” Lana asked.

  Jules shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it ties in with Elias’s comment about mutations. Breghlin gem powers, if t
here is such a thing, could have taken a different form.”

  “Like an ability to sense evil? That’s an interesting idea. Do you think it could happen on its own, without an activator gem?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Tina Ann listened with a dazed expression.

  “Assuming she’s not imagining the whole thing,” Jules said, giving Tina Ann an apologetic look, “maybe some of the other breghlin have the same ability.” Jules called down to the group below, “Ben, Oliver, Xenon—come here a minute.”

  As they climbed the dais steps, Jules said to Tina Ann quietly, “Don’t say anything. Just watch.” She nodded. “Do any of you feel anything unusual when you stand near S’s throne?”

  The three males looked at one another, clearly puzzled by this question. Finally, Xenon said, “No, but it reminds me of bein’ sent to the dungeon.”

  Oliver looked up at the leering gargoyles and said, “Used to stand guard here. Never liked it.”

  “None of you feel cold, or a presence of evil, or anything like that coming from the throne?” Lana prompted.

  Ben shook his head. “We supposed to?”

  “No, but Tina Ann does,” Lana explained, and Tina Ann stared at her feet, fidgeting and looking embarrassed.

  “Must be a female thing,” Xenon said. He gave Tina Ann a mocking smile, showing his yellowed teeth.

  Tina Ann said hotly, “You’s just too stupid to feel it.”

  Oliver turned to the group below. “Maggie Ann, come here.”

  Maggie Ann broke away from the others and came to join him.

  Jules asked her the same question and got the same blank look. She shook her head. “Don’t feel nuthin.’”

  “Okay, thanks for your help,” Lana said. “You can all go now.”

  The breghlin trooped down the steps, joined the others near the dais, and headed out of the throne room together.

  “Apparently, Tina Ann is the only one who senses anything,” Jules concluded. “We’ll see what Elias thinks about it.”

  The crowd had thinned. Elias was still speaking with the clan leaders and members of the Anen clan, and it looked like he might be busy for a while.