Niri softly chuckled over a few tears. She leaned her head against his shoulder again, sorrow twanging in her. She was afraid to tell him what she really wanted to say, to tell him to ask Lavinia. He kept himself so closed that the fragile link she now held seemed likely to dissolve at a moments notice.
She looked up, brushing the tears from her face. To her surprise, Ty wrapped an arm around her as he realized what her movements meant. Niri took a deep breath, chasing away the tightness gripping her.
“Laith Lus said he is the most skilled of the Kith. He is very proud of him.”
A few tears lingered on her eyes. Niri wiped them away or let the salt wind dry them on her cheeks as she spoke of Darag’s family, the death of his father, and Darag’s trips south. The words came easier, the worries and sadness fading with the night.
Dawn found Ty standing quietly at the bow of the boat before the mast. Lavinia came on deck as the first fiery edge of the sun rose above the waves. Seeing only Niri in the cockpit, Lavinia glanced anxiously around the boat. As Lavinia’s wide eyes settled on Niri, Niri nodded toward the bow. Lavinia let out a soft sigh, seeing her brother standing with arms folded across his chest, eyes gazing at the breaking waves below the bowsprit.
It had been weeks since Niri had used her power all night. She wasn’t exhausted but there was a tiredness in her veins that only a deep sleep could cure. Niri rose as Lavinia settled onto the bench closest to the tiller post, the power draining from her eyes.
“Good luck today. Call me if there are any problems with waves or storms during the crossing.”
“I will.” Lavinia hesitated, her eyes darting to the front of the boat. “My brother . . . ?”
Niri looked towards Ty as well. They had never talked during the night, not about problems or why either of them were in tears. Instead, Niri had spoken of other things and Ty had listened, neither questioning the other’s soft sobs. When silence had come again before dawn, Ty had risen to correct the sail and had simply not come back.
“I don’t know. We talked some. We will have to see.”
Lavinia nodded, a gentle smile on her face. Niri went below and was asleep before the blankets had settled over her.
A change in the roll of the waves brought Niri out of her sleep. The light was bright through her window. She guessed it was early afternoon near the height of the worst possibility for storms.
When she made it to deck, it was still to bright sunlight and large rolling waves. No land was visible on the horizon in any direction. They were in the middle of the crossing. Dark clouds danced to the west and mare’s tails raked the sky above them. Storms were not far off, but for now the fair weather held sway.
Niri settled next to Lavinia in the rear of the boat. Ty sat near the front, not far from where Niri had last seen him. Though now Ria sat near him. Ty’s barefoot legs dangled over the rail, the spray from the waves hitting his calves. Ria hung well back from the edge, her knees pulled loosely to her chest and arms wrapped around them. Absently, Ria chewed her lower lip, her eyes watching beads of water race along the ship’s rail. Ty’s gaze was toward the east where the sun still sent beams of light across the rippling waves of the ocean. From what Niri could see, neither were speaking. At least they weren’t yelling, Niri thought with a sigh.
“Ty had me keep well east of the regular shipping channel for the crossing. I think we are going to miss the worst of the storms.”
“Has he slept at all?”
Lavinia frowned. “Dozed.” She hesitated, watching the silent figures. “Can you sail alone tonight if he is too tired?”
“I can manage, I think.” Niri blinked, glancing over at Lavinia quickly. “He’s talking to you again?”
“A bit,” Lavinia replied with a smile.
Lightening flashed overhead. Everyone looked up at the roiling clouds that were filling in the milky sky. Lavinia leapt to her feet, reefing the main sail while Ty took down the jib. Ria helped keep the sail from flying overboard, bundling the fabric in her arms as Ty unclipped it. He kept a light hand on Ria’s back as they negotiated their way to the back of the boat, the heavy sail carried securely between them. Niri felt a sense of relief despite the thickening clouds.
“Sis, you are taking in too much sail.” Lavinia opened her mouth to argue, her eyes on the darkening sky. “You don’t know what Niri can do. We can use the wind.”
Niri met Ty’s gaze with a raised eyebrow and competitive half smile. Lavinia had no response. Ty let back out some of the main sail while Lavinia settled next to Ria. As Ty swung the boom in over the hull, the boat’s heel angle deepened. The heavy keel the Kith had shaped rose further to offset the weight of the wind in the sail.
Niri felt the power thrum through her, intensified by the approaching storm and water filled air. She smoothed the worst of the building waves, easing the course of the boat so that it was no longer slammed. She added water over the keel, reducing the boat’s angle slightly. The beginning rain slanted around them, missing the boat seemingly by a strange accident.
Lavinia shook her head and glanced at Ria. Ria was pale, her green eyes wide as she gripped the bench seat with her hands.
“I think they’ve got it under control. Let’s take a break.”
Both girls made a dash across the slanted deck, racing down into the safety of the cabin. Ty adjusted the sail another degree, offsetting the fitful gusts of the storm’s front. The boat sliced through the waves, sleek and fast.
Niri’s hair blew about her in dark streams. She pushed it aside, grinning even while she lodged a foot against the edge of the bench to keep her seat. Ty’s sailing challenged her to keep the boat riding the waves just so, using them to push the ship forward while weighting the keel with water to balance the full sail. It was exhilarating.
Ty knew it too. He looked over at her, grinning. He tossed back his head and laughed when he saw the glee in her expression. Ty stood by the tiller post, keeping the rudder angled to offset the push of the wind toward the east. Together, they skirted the edge of the storm. The sky to their west was black and laced with lightening. As the sun dropped towards the horizon and below the clouds, it set the sky afire.
As the waves softened without Niri’s intervention, Lavinia came back on deck alone.
“Ria isn’t feeling well. She’s fine. Asleep now,” she said to Niri’s concerned look.
“It’s okay, sis. We’ve got it for tonight. You’ll probably be bringing us into Rah Hahsessah tomorrow night.”
Lavinia paused as she turned to go back below. She pivoted on the ball of her foot and gave her brother a quick hug. Whispering something in his ear, she let him go with a kiss on his cheek. Alone again, Ty met Niri’s eyes. He blushed at her expression.
“I only have one sister.”
“Yes, probably a good thing. She is quite the handful as it is.”
Ty barked a laugh. “Yes, I could imagine the plotting if there were another.”
Chuckling, Niri watched the sun set. Absently, she bit the inside of her check. Her hands curled tightly around the lip of the seat. She jumped when Ty touched her arm.
“I couldn’t get you to shut up last night, now you won’t tell me what is bothering you.”
Niri blushed, glancing away. “You seem to be doing a little better is all.”
“You were wondering why?”
Niri looked to the boards on the deck. Faintly she replied, “I was wondering for how long.”
That sobered Ty. He was quiet a moment, sitting straight with a faint frown on his face. Finally, he said, “I’m trying. Ria said something today that . . . helped.” He let out a slow breath. “The rest I’ll just have to figure out.”
“Do you think you’ll figure it out?”
A smile grew across his face, a light returning to his eyes. “Well my sister can manage. I’ll certainly try.”
Niri returned his wry smile. As the clouds cleared above them to reveal a sky full of stars, Niri told Ty what she had learned of the Tem
ple of Dust. Quietly, she spoke of Laith Lus’ journal and the war between the orders of the Church.
“Your friend, Sinika, he is a Fire Elemental, isn’t he?” Ty asked her just before dawn. Niri’s lips tightened.
“Yes.”
“You said before you trusted him.”
“I did . . . before.”
“You don’t now?”
Niri shook her head, a small cold lump weighing on her lungs. A few tears came to her eyes at the effort to speak around it.
“What you’ve thought about the Church is not so very wrong. I used to believe it was good, but I was blind and foolish. I didn’t see.” Niri paused as her stomach clenched. Ty took her hand.
“I am sorry if I did something to hurt you, Ty.”
“No, not you. You never . . . I’m embarrassed for what I said after . . . after Tiero and the Curse. You did try to warn us. I can’t blame you for everything, for Arkira.” Ty swallowed hard. “It is so easy to be angry at everyone else.”
When he paused, Niri squeezed his hand. Her throat was too tight to speak. After a moment, Ty looked up, his eyes widening at the fear she knew was on her face.
“What is it?”
“I don’t trust anyone in the Church, Ty. I’m afraid Sinika may have used me as much as Arkira wanted to use you. Only I never had the foresight to realize it.”
Ty’s face paled. He looked away towards the south.
“What do you think is waiting for us in Karakastad?”
Niri could feel her pulse pounding in her wrists. When she looked up, Ty was watching her. “Laith Lus says the library is real. Besides that, I’m afraid to guess.”
CHAPTER 27
THE SOUTHERN SHORE
The coast of the southern shore emerged out of the sea to their starboard side in late morning. Ty dozed fitfully in the shade of the sail, unwilling to go below while they still sailed in reach of the crossing with its strong tides and sudden storms. He eyed the distant shoreline. The midsummer grasses of the Steppes of Umbrel tinted the gently rolling land a dark ochre green. Satisfied that they were beyond the worst of the current, he headed below for true sleep.
When he woke, it was to twilight and without the memory of having reached his cabin. Ty rubbed his eyes, blinking up at the dusky light. The crossing and everything before felt like a dream, as if he were waking up in his father’s boat before he was to leave for his apprenticeship. The feeling made him queasy. Ty swung his feet out of bed, double checking the room to be sure he was on the Grey Dawn. It was a sense of relief to know the last few weeks were real, even his apprenticeship. He didn’t want to have to go through it again.
Lavinia still guided the ship, her eyes bright as she watched the shoreline, closer now, slip by. A sense of pride for his sister’s skill at navigating and sailing fluttered in him before it was buffeted by the memory of Drufforth and Darag. The pinch of pain was the first real connection he felt to the days passed. A weight settled on him, but it wasn’t overwhelming. Not like it had been. Ty sighed.
“Do you want to take over?”
“No, you’ve done well. If you are up to it, why don’t you take us in.”
Ty settled on a seat next to Niri. Their conversation that morning, despite the worries she had shared, stirred something lighter in him. He felt like he could laugh or at least manage a smile when he was near her. Ria sat opposite, her eyes on the shore.
The dying sun set behind bleached grassland, gilding the sandy tops of small dunes. They heralded the beginning of the Great Desert. Before the dim light of evening faded completely, the swaying palms above Rah Hahsessah came into view. Lavinia turned the bow of their boat to head towards the wide canal entrance.
The city had been constructed where there was no natural harbor. Instead, the sand between buildings had been excavated and the edges shored with stone blocks. The deep canals were filled with sea water and now ships could navigate nearly to the city center on roads of water. At dusk, lights along the edges of the canal were lit to aid navigation. Rah Hahsessah plied commerce night and day, though it was at night when the city streets awoke as Ty had found on his first visit. During Ty’s short time at his apprenticeship, the Gypsy Empress had made the crossing to the southern shore six times. The largest city along the southern shore, Rah Hahsessah had always been the first stop.
Lavinia coasted the ship into the city, the wind off the water pushing them directly along the canal. Figures moved beyond the lamplight, barely seen between the cargo on the canal’s edge and docked boats. Ty strained his eyes for an empty section where they could tie up the Grey Dawn. Even though the sun had set, the evening was early. It was still the transition time as the stones and desert let off the heat from the day. The air was humid and sticky, people moved slowly, wearing long loose robes and head scarfs to protect from the sun and wind blown sand. The town would not really awaken for a couple of hours.
“Stall the boat here,” Ty said to his sister. There was a space between ships only a few feet longer than the Grey Dawn.
Lavinia did as she was told, spilling the wind from the boat’s sails. She glanced from the stone edge and across the watery gap to their ship.
“How . . . ?”
Ty smiled. “Just hold her steady.”
It was dark so Lavinia could not see the small floating balls just off the other two ships. Ty grabbed a pole, fishing the mooring ball out of the water. Attached was a line that ran back to the stones of the canal’s edge. Lavinia understood instantly. She held the wet line at the stern after a quick glance at Niri. Ty saw Niri’s eyes glow faintly. Even with a bit of a breeze, the boat was not going to move. He had no doubt. Ty walked to the bowsprit and pulled up the other line.
“Ready? We have to pull together.”
“Waiting for you!”
Ty chuckled as he and Lavinia pulled the Grey Dawn sideways to nestle between the other two boats. It moved without resistance and when in, did not scrap the edge of the canal. He suspected Niri was the cause of that, but when he glanced at her she was looking away.
Ria rubbed her hands together as Ty and Lavinia finished cleating the boat to the iron rungs along the canal. “Now what do we do?”
Lavinia looked from Ria to her brother. Ty swallowed and met Niri’s gaze.
“There was an old road that led from Rah Hahsessah to Karakastad back when the Temple of Dust was the Temple of Stone,” Niri said.
“All roads north and south lead to and from Rah Hahsessah. We will ask in the market to see if anyone is going that way.”
After Sardinia, Ria was shy walking through the shadows of this strange city. It was a world very different from the cities along the northern shore of the Sea of Sarketh. The wind off the desert held a mineral smell. It pushed the sea air before it, leaving behind only the scent of the desert mixed with food cooking in the market. The buildings were tall blocks in the night, nondescript and with darker alleys between. Thick walled and light colored to withstand the desert sun, the houses in the city were not elegant like those in the archipelago.
Compared to Dion and Kyrron, the sounds of the nighttime market were muted. Burbles of laughter mixed with the low murmur of merchant voices. There were no shouts or chants to hock wares. A bass flute vibrated in the night air, weaving above and below the chattering hush.
By the time they made the streets of the main market deep within the city, the night had cooled to a moderate warmth. Faint breezes drifted across exposed skin with a frosty kiss that awakened senses. Rah Hahsessah could be intoxicating as Ryic had happily shown Ty on his first visit. He only had dim memories of that initial night in the city.
The citizens of Rah Hahsessah were spilling from the houses that had been the only refuge during the baking day. Now they shopped, visited, gambled, and ate in the cooling breeze. Head scarves were unwound to reveal smiling faces, black or well tanned. Women walked through the market in brightly patterned jewel toned dressed. Simple music escorted their dancing steps from jangling jewelry a
nd bells sewn on the long trailing hems and tunics.
Ria cast glances into every shadow and avoided the mouths of alleyways. Lavinia walked by her side with nary a care in the world from her look. Her sword was worn openly at her side, not an unusual sight in Rah Hahsessah. It made Ty look twice though. He could not picture his sister wielding such a thing. Niri was on alert, he could tell. She floated more than walked, her concentration internal. Ty assessed his companions.
“It may be quickest if I make a few inquiries alone.” Lavinia raised an eyebrow. “I know where the traders are. Stay here and rest, you sailed all day. Order some food, I’ll be back within an hour.”
Alone, Ty found himself walking on the balls of his feet, fingering the three throwing knives he kept on his belt. In the city, learned habits were hard to break it seemed. It made him smile. He slipped into the darkness.
Ty found Niri, Ria, and Lavinia sitting at a table littered with dishes of rice, spiced meat, and vegetables a little less than an hour later. His stomach growled. Ty picked up a plate before he updated them on his search.
“Well?” Lavinia’s look was poised between impatient and amusement at Ty’s obvious hunger.
Ty shook his head, a frown flickering across his face. “The merchant trains who don’t think I’m crazy said the roads to Karakastad from Rah Hahsessah do not exist anymore. If we want to reach Karakastad, we’ll have to hire camels in Tabook.”
Ria sighed, her shoulders slumping. Lavinia squeezed her hand. “Not to worry. We can make Tabook tomorrow.”
Ria gave Lavinia a nod and half a smile. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin.
“I can do tomorrow. We’ve made it to the Southern Shore finally, after all!”
Lavinia grinned and a smile flashed across Niri’s face as well. Ty’s eyes slipped off Niri as she turned towards him. He found his gaze on three teenage girls across the wide street. A girl with dark skin that shaded to soft brown around the curve of her cheeks and bare shoulders glanced under her lashes at Ty. Her friend, who had a golden chain arching from eyebrow to nose ring which flashed in the lantern light, nudged the third girl. The last two girls smiled at Ty, glancing towards their friend. Ty’s checks flooded with warmth. He looked away. All three girls giggled. They disappeared around the corner of a stall in a flash of violet and scarlet silk. The scent of jasmine and sage wafted across to their table.
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