“You’re most welcome, Princess,” she said.
Something connected between them, and Sarali said, very seiously, “You watch out for me rascally brothers. Niefusu seems to have taken a liking to ye, and the boy be as stubborn as the wind. Watch yerself with him. Trust T’Kato, and take care of him, would ye?” she nearly begged.
Kayla was pretty sure T’Kato was much better at taking care of her than she would ever be at taking care of him, but she couldn’t stand the look of worry in Sarali’s eye, so she nodded and hugged the girl again. “Come back to us soon. It won’t be the same without you.”
“Oh, I imagine ye’ll manage somehow,” Sarali said, moving to stand beside her father.
Kayla took that as the sign to go. She swam to the front chariot, trying to get far away from Jihong, only to discover that Niefusu had already ensconced himself there. She glanced at T’Kato. He beckoned to her, and she swam toward him. He created a small bubble around their heads. “Watch out for Niefusu. He is not all that he seems. I will protect you from Jihong.” That was all he said, but it was enough to put Kayla at ease for the moment. She swam back up to the chariot and took hold of the bar, settling as far from Niefusu as she could. He chuckled, flicked the reins, and the chariots surged into motion, climbing toward the surface at a steep ascent that had Kayla’s ears popping every few minutes.
The water lightened as they neared the surface, the sunshine brightening even the ocean’s depths, and at last they burst through the barrier between water and sky. The chariot skimmed across the top of the water, the horses racing like the wind toward land. Kayla watched them with fascination. They were the same texture and tone as the sea, but in the shape of magnificent stallions, bringing whole new meaning to the term “Sea horse.” Such beauty. She had seen so many things in the last few days that she had never known existed, and she felt as if her mind had grown from the experience.
The wind was exhilarating. It whipped through Kayla’s hair, sending it flying every which way, but the most fascinating aspect of the ride was that the horses went fast enough to keep the chariot on top of the water, much like a boat skimming across the waves. The wind was a roar in her ears, making conversation impossible, but it dried her clothes quickly, even if they were crusted with salt from the sea water. Kayla tried to gather her hair into some semblance of order and tie it back into a bun, not caring who could see her ears.
She leaned into the wind and closed her eyes. The chariots were still quite a distance from land, and even with horses like this, it was going to take a while to get there. The shore was a dark smudge on the horizon and she had no idea where she was—whether the coast was anywhere near Dragonmeer, or the other side of the continent. She only knew she was in the above the sea, and the need to see Brant pressed at her like a weight on her chest.
Niefusu slid to the floor of the chariot and motioned for Kayla to join him. She shrugged, turned, and sat, her head just below the lip of the chariot. It quieted things significantly.
Niefusu handed Kayla a small bag with breakfast in it, then leaned toward her ear. “How do you like your gills?”
Kayla reached up to touch the gills in her neck, then without answering, dug into the food packet and began to eat. She relished the leftovers from the night before, dinner for breakfast or not. “They’re nice,” she answered. “Definitely helpful with swimming underwater, though I wish you’d warned me ahead of time. You about scared me to death when you bit me.”
Sarali’s brother chuckled. “I apologize, me girl. I hadn’t meant to scare ye. I only wished to give ye a special gift.” He took a bite of his own breakfast.
“Why was T’Kato so upset to see them this morning?” she asked.
Niefusu was quiet for a long moment. “Well, like I said, they be a very special gift. Not given to many.” He cleared his throat. “To any but a chosen few.”
“A chosen few?” she asked, getting a nagging suspicion that set her heart to racing and put lead in her stomach. She set her food down in her lap. “And why was I chosen?”
The prince actually reddened. “I was hoping to make ye me mate,” he said without the embarrassment that seemed to be glaring through his skin. Kayla was so taken aback, she wasn’t sure what to say, though it was no more than she’d been expecting to hear.
“I’m already taken.” Kayla tried to brush her hair behind her ears as the air threw it into her eyes. “I’m engaged to be married. I just assumed the gills were the gift your parents said you had for me.”
He looked a little chagrined, but he laughed. “Oh, it’s a gift, all right, but not the one Mum and Da had in mind. This gift is given only to the husband or wife of one of the MerCats. Always. It looks like I should have waited until I knew yer status. I’d apologize, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t mean it.”
Kayla felt herself redden and glanced back at the men’s chariot. Jihong stood at the head with T’Kato, staring at her with a resentment she’d rarely seen, as if he had heard every word they’d said. Niefusu made a rude gesture toward him, which just made his brother’s glare deepen all the more.
The gills on Kayla’s neck felt odd—like little fine hairs tickled by the wind, even in her hidden position. She reached up a hand and fingered them. They sat just below and behind her ears and felt like small feathery slits in her skin. She wondered what they looked like and if she’d have to get used to wearing her hair lower on her neck to hide them. Something told her it probably wouldn’t matter. What part she’d played in society was over, and she had a suspicion that the adventures ahead would change her in more ways that would make it hard for her to reclaim her status. It was regrettable, but she didn’t see any way around it.
Niefusu leaned over and yelled in her ear once more. “Ye might as well get a bit of rest while ye can. It’s a trek of many hours before we be reaching land, and who knows how much farther beyond that until we reach Dragonmeer. The time will pass faster if ye sleep.” He pulled open a pocket in the side of the chariot and removed a couple of small pillows and a blanket made of woven water reeds. Not the softest things to rest upon, but they blocked the wind and kept her head from bouncing up and down on the floor of the chariot.
Not caring about propriety, they stretched out, their heads nearest the horses, their feet facing the open back end, and curled up together to sleep.
Kayla awoke when the wheels started turning. She sat up with a start and realized they had reached land and were rolling up the side of a cliff to get to the top. She was surprised to see they were now climbing the same cliffs where she had been dropped by C’Tan’s dragon just four days before. That meant Dragonmeer was nearby—she’d be able to see Brant shortly. Excitement and nerves began to build in her, her stomach flip-flopping with excitement. She scrambled to her feet and hung tightly to the edge of the chariot in anticipation, her knuckles white as she gripped the sides.
Things began to look more familiar the closer they got to Brant’s family home. The sound of hammers hitting stone, wagons rolling across the field, and the hollaring of men made it sound like there were a lot of people out working and Kayla was sure she knew why. When she’d raced back to save Joyson, she’d seen from afar some of the destruction C’Tan’s other dragons had caused.
The chariots burst out of the tree line and Niefusu pulled the water horses to a sharp halt. A young man walked down the middle of the road with a noticable limp, his arm bound in a sling. He led a horse and it, too, seemed to be limping. Kayla glanced around and gasped to see how much damage had truly been done. In the distance, she could see the old cottage that marked the end of the tunnel where she had escaped. It was completely burned to the ground. Bits of the ramparts had been knocked loose from the castle, the field littered with stone. Scorch marks streaked across the walls, and the drawbridge had been thrown off its hinge and was half burned. At the moment, there were boards bridging the gap from road to keep.
Kayla’s heart sank at the sight. All this was her fault. If she had not breath
ed on the flute, C’Tan would not have found her, and none of this would have happened. She held back the tears, but guilt and sorrow ate at her stomach and heart like a ravenous wolf. She felt every scar, every burn, and every displaced stone as if it were one of her bones.
They continued forward at a snail’s pace, the man in front of them seemingly oblivious to the chariots behind him. His limp made it obvious he was injured, which probably accounted for his pace, but he stood tall despite it. Finally, Niefusu called out. “Excuse me, chap. Would you mind stepping over so we can pass ye by?”
The man in front of them startled, then turned to look over his shoulder. He caught Kayla’s gaze and froze, his eyes as round as little saucers. “Kayla?” he asked, his voice a near croak.
No. It couldn’t be. But it was. Crying out, Kayla leaped over the side of the chariot, femininity be damned, and ran to him. As she threw herself against him, his arms were open and a giant smile had split his face. “It is you!” He put his arms around her and caressed her hair. “Oh, Kayla, I’ve looked everywhere for you. Where have you been?”
She pulled back to stare into his eyes, her smile nearly as big as his. “Oh, Brant, I have so much to tell you!”
Chapter Ten
C’Tan threw open her door to find Kardon, with head bowed and breakfast on a tray. His way of making amends, she’d found.
She growled at him, “What do you want?” She took the tray from him and set it on the bed.
“The flute, Mistress—” he started, but she cut him off.
“The flute is gone for now, Kardon. I no longer wish to hear of it. Have any of the other keystones manifested?”
“None but The Armor of Light,” he said, still examining the floor as if it held something of great interest.
“Also not available at the moment. I am not fighting that Sha’iim priest to get it. Not again.” C’Tan took the silver lid off her breakfast platter and threw it against the wall, where it rebounded and skidded across the floor. “If we can’t get the keystones, we have to find someone to get them for us.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to focus on the chosen one for now, Mistress? The keystones will come to her, as I’ve said before. Why don’t we wait for them to gather around her, and strike then?” he asked.
C’Tan kicked the silver dome lid toward him. “Because that is when they will be strongest, you idiot! We can’t even take them when they are apart. We need to come up with a better plan. In the meantime, contact our agents at the mage academy and update me on their progress.”
Kardon began to bow from the room, and she added, “And don’t talk to me about the keystones again unless you have a better plan, understand? I can’t waste time on this fruitless search, repeating the same mistakes over and again. Fix this, Kardon, do you understand? Fix this!”
“Yes, Mistress,” he said, exiting.
She slammed the door in his face.
Chapter Eleven
Lily was quiet as she escorted Ember down the hall without touching her, avoiding even the barest brush of their sleeves. At first Ember thought she was angry, but as they continued to walk, it seemed more as if she were afraid to touch her, though why that would be, Ember couldn’t say.
Instead of leading Ember to her training session with Shad, she was surprised to find the brown-haired girl had led Ember to the baths. They both quickly checked in and stripped, then dove into the water and washed their hair free of the dust and rock chips. When they got out of the water, there were warm towels waiting for them, and new mage robes and underthings. Ember didn’t know where they came from and wasn’t going to worry about it. She was clean, her hair was washed and combed, and she was going to see Uncle Shad. The bath made it easy to forget the debacle of her classes.
Once they were dressed and had their matching slippers on their feet, Lily led the way deep into the caverns—so deep, in fact, that they had to take one of the portals to reach the study rooms. Shad stood outside a circular room waiting for her. She ran into his arms and squeezed him tight for a second before letting go. “I know you’re my teacher and all now, but I’ve missed you. I had to do that.”
Shad grinned his usual mischievous smile and gave her another hug. “Ah, I’m always open to that kind of thing from my favorite niece.” He gestured with his chin toward Lily. “Who’s your friend?”
Ember wanted to say, “She’s not my friend,” but she restrained herself. Walking to Lily, she pulled her over by the elbow, just like Lily had done for her earlier. “This is Lily. She saved me last night after check-in and is my new roommate. She helped me through a lot of messes today and even taught me a thing or two.”
“Really?” Shad asked, looking the tall girl over from head to toe. Lily actually blushed under his gaze and glanced at Ember questioningly. Ember could feel the girl’s walls coming down bit by bit, which surprised her. If anything, Lily’s walls should be sky high with all the misadventures of the morning, but it seemed the more Ember messed up, and the more she tried to reach out to the girl, the more Lily responded. It was as if she didn’t want to like Ember, but couldn’t help herself.
“Well, I’ve got my own training to do, so I’ll come back for you after class, or Master White Shadow can show you to the dining hall and the library,” Lily said, backing toward the portal.
Shad nodded. “I’ll get her where she needs to be, don’t you worry. Enjoy your classes, Lily. It was nice to meet you. Thanks for taking care of our girl.”
Lily bobbed her head and waved as she ducked through the portal, and then it was just Ember and Uncle Shad. He gestured for her to enter the practice room, then came in right behind her. The door closed so tightly, she couldn’t see where it had been. It was like they were sealed in a cave. Ember’s first instinct was to panic, being closed in like that. She put her back to the wall and tried to slow her breathing.
Ember took a moment to look around. The domed ceiling had sparkles of different-colored gemstones embedded in its height, so it almost looked like stars shone down on her. Other than that, the room was plain black-and-white granite, with occasional veins of quartz. She turned back to Uncle Shad, who leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.
“So, I hear you’re making quite an impact already.” He shoved off from the wall and walked toward her.
Ember wanted to cry, but didn’t give herself the release. She just nodded and continued to look around, turning her back on him to further examine the walls, though there was nothing really to see. Shad came up behind her, took her shoulders in his big hands, and turned her around to meet his eyes. “How do you feel about that?”
Ember shrugged, not wanting to talk about it. She knew if she talked, she’d start to cry, and once she started she wasn’t sure she could stop.
Somehow Shad knew and held her for a moment, then pushed her to arms’ length and searched her eyes. He nodded once, then backed away. “Okay, then. Let’s get to work. Shapeshifting today. I’ve heard it’s been a bit of a struggle for you lately. What’s wrong, do you think?”
Ember’s frustration with her inabilities rose and she tugged at her hair. “I don’t know. I try to turn into a wolf and get nothing. Then, when I’m threatened or scared, it happens all of a sudden, without my thinking about it. I don’t know if I’m trying too hard or if it’s something else.”
Shad nodded slowly and sat down cross-legged in the middle of the floor. “Let’s try the quiet and easy way first. Sit with me.” Ember knelt, then sat and stretched her legs out in front of her. Shad rolled his eyes. “Not like that. Imitate me.” Ember examined his posture and adjusted, crossing her legs beneath her, and sat up straight. She put her hands on her knees, palms up. When she had settled herself properly, he spoke. “Now, breathe deeply. In through the nose, then release it slowly through your mouth. In through the nose. Out through the mouth.”
Ember did as she was told, but had no idea how breathing was going to help her manage her magic, even the shapeshifting kind—though she did enjoy
the relaxation. Her mind started to drift and she felt the tug of the heart rope again.
Unafraid, she followed it and found herself outside of her body, looking down once more. She continued to breathe in and out like Uncle Shad told her, but her consciousness was gone. It was out there, with her spirit self or energy self, or whatever she was supposed to call it. She floated around the two of them, enjoying the vibrancy of light and energy, seeing the shields guarding outsiders from harmful magic inside, and realized what this room was for. It was like the game Aldarin played when he was young that required him to wear padding to keep from being hurt. This was magical padding for those inside and out.
Ember looked at the heart rope from her body to Uncle Shad, which was still white, but with a tinge of green, then saw the yellow-white heart rope that led out the wall and, she was sure, down the hallway to DeMunth, wherever he was. There was something connecting them, something more than just a mutual interest in each other. It was something magical.
That thought snapped Ember back into herself, but Shad never seemed to realize she’d been gone. She was going to have to ask someone about this strange ability to step outside of her body—but this was not that day. Today, she had to focus on breathing, and seeing if she could get her shifting abilities back under control.
“Now, Ember, I want you to change your robes, just like you did your dress back home. I want you to change it from white to yellow. Can you do that?” Shad asked in a slow, melodious voice.
“I think so,” she answered, still floating a bit in her head. She laid her hand on her knee and wished for the robe to change.
Nothing happened.
She tried again, and again, and again, until the frustration built to the breaking point and she grabbed it tightly and shouted at the material, “Change, you cursed thing!” Something pulled out of her and Ember sagged, her eyes closing automatically, but when she opened them again and looked, the robe had changed to a vibrant lemon yellow.
The Armor of Light Page 9