Vardaesia

by Lynette Noni

Weaving through the tables to finally reach the edge of the throne room and arrive at Zaylin’s side, Alex said with dry mockery, “You summoned, Your Highness?”

  Raife responded before Zaylin could bite back in response to her sarcasm, his lips twitching with humour as he said, “I wish we’d had longer to get to know you, Alex. I think you would have fit right in with us.”

  It was impossible for Alex not to appreciate the compliment for what it was. Regardless, she said, “No offence, but I’m more than ready to get out of here.”

  “You did look to be crawling in your skin over there,” Aes Orsa observed.

  Looking at her now after having seen the youthful representation of her sister only hours ago, it was remarkable to again note their resemblance. Alex wondered how close they had been before Lady Mystique was sent to Medora. She wondered if her loss was felt, or if whatever she’d done that had led to her being exiled with the Meyarins meant her sister was pleased to be rid of her. But since that was hardly the kind of question she could ask, she knew she’d never know the answer. She also knew it was ultimately none of her business, even if her curiosity left her wishing to know more.

  “Frankly, I’m surprised they haven’t asked us to do a song and dance routine yet,” Alex replied. “You’d think they hadn’t all been watching us for the entirety of the week, the way they’re treating us tonight.”

  “You had it right this morning,” Raife said, “when you spoke of being entertainment. They’re just trying to get as much out of you as they can before you go.”

  He, at least, had the grace to look ashamed. But there was no reason for it, since he had never treated her like the majority of the other immortals. None of those she now stood with had. One, in particular, had considered her the very opposite of entertainment, yet she’d remained oddly quiet for their conversation thus far.

  “Everything okay, Zaylin?” Alex asked. “I presumed you called me over for a reason?”

  Zaylin’s silver eyes travelled to Raife then to Aes Orsa, both of whom nodded in response to whatever silent communication had flowed between them. And then, with a flash of light, Alex was parroned away from the throne room, arriving in her bedroom—which was technically no longer hers—with just her helper in tow.

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Alex said, “Not that I’m ungrateful, but I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to leave the feast.”

  “Raife and Orsie are covering for us,” Zaylin said, which explained the nods they’d given. “But we don’t have much time before Saefii will conclude the feast and send you home.”

  “Finally,” Alex muttered, causing Zaylin’s lips to tilt slightly upwards. But then her face sobered.

  “What you did today was foolish.”

  “You’re welcome,” Alex said with a roll of her eyes.

  “It was also brave,” Zaylin continued. “Braver than anything I would have expected from a mortal.”

  Not entirely comfortable with her praise, Alex shrugged it off by saying, “I’m not a murderer, Zaylin. It was integrity, not bravery, that stayed my hand today, consequences be damned.”

  A shadow passed over Zaylin’s face. In a voice so low that even Alex had trouble hearing her, she said, “You were never going to pass the final test.”

  Just as quietly, Alex said, “I know.”

  And she had known. The moment she’d seen Zaylin’s eyes flash that morning after her declaration that Saefii would have to honour their agreement if they triumphed, Alex had realised the truth.

  The Tia Aurans had never intended to come to Medora’s aid. And what Zaylin said next only confirmed as much.

  “Had you killed any of us today,” the immortal said, “they would have claimed your heart was too full of hatred to pass a test of love. The Gate itself was a trick.”

  Softly, Alex recited, “For troubling are the Gates of old, well known for trickery.”

  Zaylin’s full-body jolt showed that she recognised the words from the prophecy, just as Alex had known she would.

  With renewed fervour, Zaylin leaned forward and said, “No matter what happened today, you have to keep fighting, Alex. You can’t give up—not now. Not after everything you’ve been through to get this far.”

  Alex had no intention of giving up, and not just because she’d promised Niyx she wouldn’t.

  “Thank you for everything, Zaylin,” Alex said, with meaning.

  The Tia Auran slowly closed her eyes, recognising the goodbye for what it was.

  “Before you go, I have something for you,” the immortal woman said, touching the Myrox necklace at her throat as if to remind herself of the gift Alex had given her.

  “That’s really not necess—”

  Before Alex could finish, there was a bright flash and a pearlescent bag arrived in Zaylin’s hands. Inside were three packages, each wrapped in gold and tied with shiny strands of twine.

  Handing the bag over, Zaylin said, “Go on.”

  Unable to curb her curiosity, Alex laid the packages on her bed, reaching for the first to untie the twine and peel back the gold. Her brow furrowed at what she found and she turned questioning eyes to Zaylin, but the immortal gestured for her to continue, so Alex opened the second and third packages. Once she was done, she stood back and looked down at the offering.

  It was an outfit, of all things. But it wasn’t just any outfit— it was armour. Impossibly light and unfathomably smooth, it was the finest armour Alex had ever seen in her life; finer, even, than what the Meyarin Zeltora wore—by far.

  The first package contained boots—knee-high boots of the blackest black, the colour seeming to ripple in the light. The second package held pants similar to the leathery ones Alex was currently wearing, but while the dark material before her appeared just as supple, it too rippled in the light, shining with a subtle yet distinct shimmer. The third package revealed the top part of the armour; a long-sleeved, high-collared work of art that was made of the same rippling black substance, but with golden swirls curling subtly around the bodice and up over one shoulder.

  Just by looking at it, Alex knew the ensemble was made to fit tight against her flesh, allowing her full flexibility and comfort as well as complete protection from neck to toe.

  “It’s much less than you deserve,” Zaylin said quietly, “but it will help protect you against Vae’varka, inasmuch as anything can.” Running her fingers along the textured dips and curves of the bodice, she explained, “We call the material vaeronis. The rippling effect you see is because it is fortified by stardust.”

  Alex jerked. “Stardust?”

  “You already know that Vae’varka has the power to kill anyone from the slightest of wounds,” Zaylin said. “That’s because of how it was forged; made of darkness but for that single drop of liquid starlight. As I told you yesterday, the combination created the sentience behind the blade, but such extremes of dark and light cannot live together in unity, thus the volatile nature of the weapon. This armour,”—she touched the bodice again—“is the last of its kind. If Vae’varka should graze you while you wear it, the vaeronis will absorb the darkness of the blade. You will still be injured, but the effect will be just like that of any normal weapon.” She held Alex’s eyes as she finished, “Which means, unless from a lethal impalement, the Harbinger of Death will not be able to kill you. Not from its nature alone, at least.”

  Alex hadn’t allowed herself to think ahead to a physical confrontation with Aven. She’d fought him before, if only once against Vae’varka. That time, she’d somehow managed to evade his blade, but that was because Niyx had jumped in to take over. Despite having survived every encounter with him so far, in the back of her mind, she’d known the day was coming when she would have to face him and his blade of darkness, just as she’d known the likelihood of avoiding at least some kind of shallow cut was almost non-existent.

  Which is why she hadn’t allowed herself to think about it— because a single scratch from the blade would have led to her death.

&
nbsp; Until now.

  “Zaylin,” Alex whispered, staring at the rippling dark material. “I don’t know what to say.”

  The Tia Auran looked uncomfortable by the clear emotion in Alex’s voice. “You did spare my life. I figure it’s the least I could do.”

  Alex just shook her head, not allowing the helper to shrug aside the value of her gift. “If this is the last of its kind, am I even allowed to have it? Does the empress know about this?”

  “She knows,” Zaylin said, beginning to refold the armour. “And she wants you to have it.”

  Alex managed to suppress a snort, but she wasn’t able to keep from raising her eyebrows. “Are we talking about the same Saefii here?”

  “You’d be surprised just how highly the empress regards you,” Zaylin said, bundling everything back together. “Despite the outcome today, she wants you to have the best chance possible in the battle for your world.”

  “Could have fooled me,” Alex couldn’t help muttering.

  Placing the folded items back in the bag, Zaylin straightened and said, “The empress did what she felt she had to for the sake of our people, but that doesn’t mean she feels no remorse for her actions.”

  “You make it sound like she’s the injured party in all this,” Alex said. “When really, she’s the one who could snap her fingers at any time and change her mind.”

  “My people are nothing if not political,” Zaylin said. “There are powers in play that you can’t possibly begin to imagine, and consequences which no explanation would help you understand.” Her voice quietened. “Sometimes what looks like the easy choice is really the hardest one of all. So as difficult as it is, I urge you not to cast judgement—not without knowing the reasons driving her decision.”

  Alex sighed deeply, but nodded. “It’s not like it matters now, anyway.”

  Holding her gaze for a long moment, Zaylin finally nodded as well. And when she spoke again, it wasn’t about the armour or about Saefii. Instead, it was to say her own goodbye—one that was much better than Alex’s short offering had been.

  “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve you, Alexandra Jennings,” Zaylin whispered. She bent her arm at the elbow and fisted her hand diagonally over her chest to meet her heart in the Tia Auran equivalent of a salute, bowing slightly to Alex as she whispered to finish, “May the light shine upon you always, my friend, and may you never wander from your path.”

  And then with a bright flash, Alex was delivered back to the throne room with the gift bag at her feet, but no Zaylin in sight.

  The celebrations were still in full swing, but they appeared to be dying down, for which Alex was grateful since it meant they might finally be allowed to leave soon.

  Picking her way across the room, Alex zigzagged through the tables until she returned to her awaiting friends.

  Acting like she really had just gone to stretch her legs— despite the mysterious bag she now held—Alex took her seat in between Kaiden and D.C. and turned to ask the whole group, “Time to go home, yet?”

  “Soon,” Declan said. “Another few minutes, by the sounds of things.”

  “You just missed a cracker of a speech,” Bear told her. “You would have loved it.”

  His tone was enough that Alex knew ‘love’ would have been the least of her sentiments, so she was now extra glad Zaylin had swept her away.

  “I’ll bet,” she mumbled, before looking at Kaiden hopefully. “Did you—”

  She didn’t need to finish before he relieved her of her bag— raising an eyebrow when he saw what was inside but refraining from comment—and passed over a piece of decadent cake topped with metallic gold icing.

  “Mmm,” she said. “My hero.”

  He chuckled lightly. “Doesn’t take much with you, does it?”

  Recalling how Niyx had warned Kaiden that she would make him work for it, but the effort would be worth it, Alex’s eyes softened as she looked at him and quietly responded, “Not anymore.”

  Since she’d used their unending dinner hours to fill him in on what she’d experienced inside the Gate of Lost Souls, he understood her meaning for what it was and reached out to squeeze her leg gently, unable to do more firstly because she now had a face full of cake, but mostly because Saefii stood and the room silenced.

  Quickly scarfing down the rest of her dessert, Alex rose with her friends when the empress called out for them to join her at the head of the room.

  Barely eyeing the bag now held by Kaiden, Saefii didn’t comment on the one-of-a-kind armour, so Alex presumed she didn’t want the assembled masses to know about the offering. Alex had already shared her gratitude with Zaylin—if the empress truly was fine with the gift being given to a mortal, then Alex was sure her helper would know to pass on her appreciation.

  “It was a pleasure for us to host you for your short stay this week,” Saefii said, her voice carrying for the audience to hear. “We’re grateful for the company you offered and the adventures you shared with us. And though we will likely never meet again, we wish you the warmest of blessings, mortals of Medora. May your futures be bright and your lives full of light.”

  As one, the Tia Aurans repeated her final line, each of them offering the same salute Zaylin had just given Alex—the only exception being Saefii, of course, since the empress bowed to no one.

  Once the immortals rose again, at a gesture from Saefii, a man with a shaved head stepped forward until he was directly in front of Alex and her friends.

  “Gatekeeper I may be, but I have never set foot in your world, so all I can do is summon an eiden path to open a bridge between Tia Auras and Medora,” he said. “You will have to guide the path to take you where you wish to arrive.”

  Alex nodded, having had plenty of experience with providing such directions before.

  When the man called forth the doorway, Alex felt the gravity of the moment—the weight of all they’d been through over the past week, and the uncertainty of all they were about to return to.

  Turning to Saefii, she quietly said the only thing she felt she could, given her still crippling disappointment. “Thank you for your hospitality, Empress. We’re grateful that—that—”

  She stumbled over her words, unsure how to finish, since she didn’t feel very grateful at all.

  Seeing that Alex was floundering, D.C. stepped in, her diplomatic training saving the day, even if her eyes were still blazing with that inner fire. “What Alex is trying to say is that we’re grateful for the opportunity to have been considered as ambassadors for Medora, and we’d like to make you aware that the invitation will always be open for you to visit our world, should you ever wish to do so.”

  Like that was going to happen. But Alex was thankful for her friend’s quick thinking.

  Other than a regal nod of her head, Saefii didn’t respond, and it quickly became clear that she had said all that she intended to say.

  Turning to her friends, Alex asked, “Ready to go?”

  At their barely restrained confirmation, she cast her gaze around the throne room one final time, catching the smiling eyes of Raife and the tranquil face of Aes Orsa. She then took in Saefii, Tayros and Calivere’s emotionless expressions, before finally focusing on Zaylin’s figure, shadowed in the back corner of the room. Silver eyes held hers for a long moment before Zaylin gave a single nod of farewell.

  That was all Alex needed to remind her that her time in Tia Auras was done, so with a single step, she walked through the doorway, crossing worlds and finally—finally—returning home.

  Twenty-Eight

  Figuring it was the best place for them to arrive, Alex directed the doorway to deliver them straight to the Library; specifically, into the caverned space she and Kaiden had first departed from.

  It was a bumpy trip—travelling between worlds always seemed to require more effort than shorter distances—but once she and her friends were out the other side, the relief that flowed between them was palpable. But there was also a feeling of uncertainty. />
  Especially when they saw that Athora was waiting for them.

  The hooded Tia Auran said nothing as they stood before him, just as they said nothing in return, allowing him to come to his own conclusions about what had transpired during their time away—and what the outcome was.

  It didn’t take him long to realise the truth.

  In a familiar monotone that echoed throughout the cave, he simply said, “You have failed, then.”

  And without another word, he vanished, his disappearance so sudden, so final.

  Staring at the place where he’d just been standing, Alex pressed her hand against her stomach to ward off the stabbing pain of desertion, managing to guard her expression just in time to look up at her friends.

  “What are we supposed to do now?” D.C. asked.

  Kaiden gently drew Alex’s hand from her abdomen to hold it in his own, understanding her hurt and giving a comforting squeeze. “The first thing we need to do is find out what’s happened while we’ve been gone,” he answered. “It’s been a week since we left, so we need to check in before we do anything else.”

  Alex pushed aside her sense of abandonment to agree with him. “I say we head straight to the Tower and hit up Darrius for information. We’ll know more after that, and hopefully be able to…” What they’d be able to do, she wasn’t sure, so she finished, if somewhat lamely, “… come up with a plan.”

  “You don’t want to see your parents while we’re here?” Bear asked.

  She did. Desperately. Especially having missed them so much during her time in Tia Auras. That feeling hadn’t abated as the days had progressed, and she still longed to be held by them. Nevertheless, she said, “I’ll come back later. They’re safe where they are—our priority is to make sure everyone else is, as well.”

  It was a sacrifice, delaying a visit to her parents and the consolation they would provide, but Alex had spoken true— while she knew Aven could access the Library, even if he had somehow discovered that her mother and father were in Medora, he still would have had a challenging time finding them hidden away inside the Ancient Egyptian habitat. Despite Alex’s vision of the future, they weren’t his target—they weren’t even on his radar yet. And she was determined to keep it that way.