Starseeker

by S A McClure

  She shot him an agitated glance, but motioned for him to continue.

  He picked up the blade. “This dagger strips any who are killed by it of their eternal essence.”

  Emma’s jaw dropped and she took a step back. “I don’t want to do that to anyone,” she said. “You can keep it.”

  He shook his head. “The Light intended for us to rid the world of evil using it. We trust you to know the difference between those who do dark things and those who have dark souls.”

  She stared at him, perplexed. He shoved the dagger towards her.

  She shook her head. “I still don’t want it.”

  “If you don’t take it, then I will,” Chiara said, reaching out for it.

  Sighing, Emma snatched it before Chiara could. She didn’t know what made her change her mind. It wasn’t exactly that she didn’t want Chiara to have it, but something about the dagger called to her. She stared down at the onyx blade. It glittered like the stars in the first rays of sunshine.

  Eldridge placed both hands on her shoulders and smiled. “I know one day we will meet again,” he said. “I pray that day is soon.”

  He kissed her on her brow and turned away.

  Chiara and Emma shared a look and laughed when they thought he was out of earshot.

  “He really is the most pretentious person—sorry, elf—I think I’ve ever met,” Emma said.

  “Yes, but he seems to have a soft spot for you.”

  Emma sobered and shook her head. “It’s not like that.”

  “I’m sorry,” Chiara said quickly. “I didn’t mean it.”

  Emma shrugged. “It’s fine.”

  The elves loaded their packs onto horses. Emma knew they would leave soon. Her chest tightened and she wrapped her arms around Chiara again.

  “I hope to see you again,” Chiara murmured.

  Her tears soaked the top of Emma’s blouse. Other than her sister, Chiara had been her first true female friend. Sure, she’d gotten along with the animals-turned-human Iris had saved from Balkeen, but Chiara had been the first person Emma had related to on a different level. She felt comfortable around her. She could be herself.

  “I’ll miss you,” Emma whispered.

  “And I, you.”

  They held each for another moment. Emma breathed in her scent. She smelled like woodsmoke and cherries.

  A smile spread across her face as she pulled back and said, “The next time we see each other, I expect you to create a raging purple fire for me. We can roast a pig or something over it.”

  Chiara laughed. “That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

  They hugged one more time and then Eldridge and the rest of the elves began riding away.

  “Go,” Emma whispered, extracting herself from Chiara’s grasp.

  Chiara ducked her head and mounted her horse. With a glance back at Emma, she nudged the horse forward.

  Emma clutched the three items from Eldridge to her chest as she watched Chiara ride away, joining with the elves headed into battle. She wished she could be among them. Maybe one day she would be. That is, if she survived another encounter with Grandmother Rel.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Iris

  Iris jolted awake. Her head pounded and she leaned over the edge of her bedroll and threw up. She wiped the bile from her lips with the back of her hand and stood. Her entire body quivered.

  She knew where Liam was.

  She coughed as more bile filled her mouth and her stomach clenched.

  She knew everything Grandmother Rel had done to him.

  Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply. Her stomach ached and fluttered with anxiety. They had no time to lose.

  Grandmother Rel hadn’t been kidding when she’d given Iris the threat: come get him or else. Well, the ‘or else’ was happening and Iris couldn’t stand by and let it continue.

  She stumbled out of her small tent and wandered over to Emma’s. Peeping her head in, she realized her sister wasn’t there. She straightened, the movement sending her stomach into a frenzied clenching sequence again. She swayed and nearly vomited all over the entrance to Emma’s tent.

  “Are you alright?” Emma asked from behind her, laying a cool hand on her back. Although it was early morning, it was already sweltering.

  Iris fanned herself with her hands as she turned and met Emma’s gaze. Her legs wobbled.

  “There’s no time to waste,” she said as she collapsed into Emma’s arms.

  Emma stroked her back as she held her. “You smell like the rotting side of a fish.”

  “I’m sorry,” Iris wailed.

  Emma guided her to the ground and sat, crossed-legged in front of her. For the first time, Iris noticed that Emma was carrying a small dagger, a jar of sparkling dust, and a miniature bow in her hands.

  “Gifts from the elves?” she asked, gesturing towards the items.

  Emma nodded. “They rode out this morning. Chiara with them.”

  Iris formed a small ‘o’ with her lips and stared down at her hands. She was sad she didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to Chiara. It was strange that she would slip away without telling her. They had been friends, hadn’t they? She chewed on her bottom lip. Or did Chiara share the others’ opinions that she was too dangerous? A freak? An abomination?

  She sighed heavily and met Emma’s gaze again. Tears caught on her eyelashes, making it difficult to see.

  Emma grasped her hand.

  “I’m sorry she didn’t say goodbye,” she whispered.

  Iris shrugged and forced herself to look at the items the elves had given her sister.

  “What do they all do?” she asked, genuinely curious.

  A small smile tugged at Emma’s lips. “Well, this one,” she said, touching the jar of dust, “glows when you blow on it.”

  Iris laughed. “Is that all?”

  Emma shrugged. “That’s all Eldridge told me.”

  “Alright,” she replied dubiously, “what about the rest of the items?”

  “The dagger strips the other person of their essence.”

  Iris gasped. “You can’t use that! That’s not what the Light intends for us to do, Emma. Not ever.”

  “I know,” she replied, a tad on the defensive side. “I didn’t want to accept it, but Chiara and Eldridge made me.” She sheathed the dagger and slipped it into her boot. “I promise I’ll never use it.”

  “You better not.” Iris ran her tongue along her upper teeth, wishing for a glass of water.

  Emma nodded once and then continued. “The bow is my favorite one. Watch this.”

  As she pulled back on the string, it grew to be the proper size.

  “Okay. I’ll give it to Eldridge. That one is pretty amazing,” Iris said.

  A wave of lightheadedness caught her. She keeled forward, her hands barely catching her head before she face-planted into the ground.

  “Iris!” Emma wrapped her arms around her and pulled in tight. “What’s wrong?”

  The sun was too bright on her eyes. It made her head feel like it could explode at any moment.

  Closing her eyes, she snuggled against her sister and whispered, “I know where Liam is.”

  “What! How?”

  “Grandmother Rel met me in the dreamworld. I don’t know how she got there. She told me she’d be willing to make a bargain with me for Liam’s life. And then she gave me directions.”

  “Uh, Iris, I know how much you want to rescue Liam, but do you really think that’s a good idea? This sounds like a trap, if you ask me.”

  “I don’t care!” Iris snapped. She immediately wished she hadn’t. “I’m sorry, Emma.”

  Emma squeezed her tightly and said, “Tell me more about what happened.”

  “I didn’t intend to go to the dreamworld this time. It keeps getting more and more difficult to avoid when I fall asleep. I can’t escape it, even when I want to.” She brushed away hot tears as they trailed down her cheeks. “I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d say it was a
trap.”

  They stared at each other for a moment.

  “Alright, yes. I know,” Emma said. “That’s exactly how I reacted, but you have to understand. Doesn’t it seem a little strange to you that you suddenly discover Grandmother Rel in the dreamworld without even trying and then she mysteriously tells you exactly where to find her?”

  Iris bobbed her head at Emma’s words. Part of her knew her sister was right. It was the reason she’d hesitated in saying anything at all.

  “It does seem a bit strange,” she conceded.

  “A bit?” Emma replied incredulously. “Come on, Iris. You are smarter than this!”

  Iris leaned back, creating enough space between them that she could peer into Emma’s eyes. “I know you think I’m being irrational—”

  “Because you are!”

  “But I think you need to consider the fact that I love him, Emma.” It was the first time she’d said it so straightforwardly and she immediately felt awkward. How could she be in love with someone she barely knew? They’d met in the dreamworld several times, but he was still a mystery to her. Almost a stranger.

  Emma’s nostrils flared. Iris had never seen her sister with such consternation on her face before. Not even when she’d argued with Grandmother Rel. A small vein in her neck twitched as she glared at Iris.

  “I know you care about him, Iris,” she said through gritted teeth, “but he is not the one for you. What do you even know about him? Really?”

  “I’m not having this conversation with you.”

  Emma’s eyebrows rose.

  Iris inhaled deeply before forcing herself to stand. She swayed, her head still pounding.

  “I get it. You want to go save the world. So, do it. I don’t need you,” she said. “I know where to go now.” Tears sprang to her eyes as she spoke, but she continued anyway. “I want you to go.” She didn’t. But, she also didn’t want to be the reason Emma stayed.

  Silence hung between them.

  “You don’t mean that,” Emma said.

  “I do.”

  Iris turned away as the tears began to flow down her cheeks. She stormed back into her tent and began throwing items into her pack. She wanted Emma to come after her. To tell her that she was sorry. To allow her to apologize, too.

  But she knew it wasn’t going to happen. They rarely argued, and never like what had just occurred.

  She chewed on her bottom lip, contemplating whether she should be the first to say something. Part of her wanted to, but another, stronger part wanted to wait for Emma to be the one to breakdown first.

  The sun rose higher in the sky. If she didn’t leave soon, she’d lose too much of the day. She sighed. She didn’t want to argue with Emma.

  She ducked out of her tent, intending to find Emma and hash it out. They were both under a lot of stress. In the end, they needed to stick together.

  She halted. Her sister’s tent was gone. As was the horse the elves had given her.

  She was alone.

  “No,” she whispered. “Emma!” she called as she stumbled towards the tree line. She called her sister’s name over and over again as she searched for her.

  No response.

  “Emma!” she screamed.

  Still nothing.

  She’d really done it. She’d left. She was gone.

  Iris sank to the ground and sobbed.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Iris

  Iris took the rest of the day to rest. After the time she’d spent searching for Emma and sobbing, alone in the forest, she didn’t have the inclination to start the final leg of her quest to find Liam.

  She felt numb.

  Micah had gone as well. They’d abandoned her when they had been so close to their destination. She was less than a day’s ride from where Grandmother Rel was holding Liam.

  If they had just stayed—she stopped herself from going down that path. It was no use. They’d made their decision and she had made hers. She’d committed herself to rescuing Liam. And that was exactly what she was going to do.

  She half-expected to wake up the following morning to find that Emma had thought better of leaving her. To see her sitting at a fire cooking breakfast or carrying in a rabbit to smoke for a bit before continuing their journey.

  But what she got instead was an empty, cold camp. No one had come back for her.

  Iris packed quickly and rode hard towards the location Grandmother Rel had indicated on the map she’d shown her in the dreamworld. She barely stopped to eat or to pee. After several hours in oppressive late summer heat, her horse began foaming at the mouth. She knew she needed to give her a rest, but everything within her was coiled and ready to spring to action.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, patting the horse’s neck. “I’ll give you a sugar cube when we’re on the other side.”

  Storm clouds rumbled overhead as the path sloped upwards. The ground underfoot became rockier and more unstable. Eventually, her steed was unable to keep its footing appropriately and she had to dismount. She hugged her and whispered sweet words to her as she took off the saddle.

  “Just in case I don’t make it back,” she whispered. She struck the horse on her rump and watched as she galloped away.

  The path up the mountain was winding and steep. The ground crumbled beneath her feet as she began the upward trek. She quickly decided to leave her pack behind. It was too heavy and left her off-balance too much. She took only what she needed: her weapons and her small satchel of herbs and potions. She prayed the Light would provide anything else she needed.

  By the time she reached the first plateau on the path, her calves were cramped and aching. She massaged them as she sat and drank deeply from her water skin. Her muscles quivered when she stood once more. She desperately wanted to sit down again, but she couldn’t. She wanted to finish this. Even if it meant pushing herself to the breaking point. Besides, focusing on moving forward helped her not to think too long about Emma.

  She was in the middle of a steep incline when her feet slipped on the rubble. She slid down the side of the mountain, gaining speed as she went Frantically, she tried to catch ahold of something—anything—to stop herself from going over the edge. Rocks sliced her hands, coating her fingers in blood, making them even slicker.

  She grappled with her belt, trying to draw her dagger. Her feet skated over the edge of the mountain, nothing but a straight drop to the bottom to stop her. She screamed as she finally drew her blade and slammed it into the ground. It dragged in the soil for several seconds before coming to a stop. Iris hung from her dagger. Her arms shook as she tried to draw herself up.

  She barely budged.

  Screaming, she attempted to swing her legs to the side. If she could just get enough leverage, she was certain she could climb back onto the mountainside. Dust fell in her eyes, causing them to sting and water as her dagger loosened more of the soil.

  She stopped swinging, afraid the movement would break off the bit of ground holding her dagger in place. She did not want to die here. Not when she was so close to finding Liam.

  She breathed in deeply. Her muscles strained. A rush of adrenaline coursed through her as she lifted herself high enough to let go of the dagger with her right arm. She gripped the ledge and pulled herself the rest of the way up. She shook as she scooted away from the edge and pressed her back against the cool stone of the mountain.

  She rested for a moment, needing to feel like she was secure, at least for a moment, before standing and continuing her trek up the mountain.

  Soon, she was on her way again. Her body ached, but she refused to give in.

  By the time she reached the cave mouth Grandmother Rel had indicated on the map she’d shown her in the dreamworld, Iris could barely move and collapsed onto the ground in a heap.

  The sun was setting. Shadows stretched and writhed over the ground. Iris crawled to a small, withered tree and curled up beneath it. It wouldn’t do her any good to confront Grandmother Rel if she couldn’t even stand s
traight.

  “I’m here, Liam,” she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

  An intense burning woke her. She turned over, swatting her hands over her body as she attempted to make the sensation stop. Giant red ants crawled over her skin, leaving welts in their wake.

  Iris rolled away, trying to squash them. They didn’t die easily. She noticed that she’d been laying atop one of their mounds and groaned. Standing, she brushed off the ants. They bit her hands, making them ache and swell within seconds of their poison entering her system.

  Her fingers shook as she fumbled with her potions satchel. She knew she had something in there would help with the burning and itching. She just needed to find it.

  Her flesh was so swollen, she couldn’t bend her fingers. Frustration mounted within her as she attempted to undo the satchel’s clasp. With a growl, she dropped the satchel and kicked it.

  Yelling at no one in particular, she slammed her hand into the mountain side. More pain flared up through her arms. She shook her hand trying to dull the agony.

  It didn’t help. If anything, it made it worse.

  She dropped to the ground and pulled the satchel into her lap. Wedging it between her knees, she used her teeth to pull the drawstring clasp out until it was loose enough that she could open the top. She dumped the contents onto the ground as carefully as she could, praying none of the bottles broke as they landed on the hard surface.

  Angry tears streamed down her cheeks as she sifted through the various bottles and jars. Finally, she found the one she was looking for. It was relatively small and indistinct compared to the others. A silver liquid filled it and swirled as she swished the bottle. Biting the cork stoppering it, she pulled it open, then drank the entire contents.

  The relief it caused was instantaneous. She almost laughed. It had been Grandmother Rel who’d taught her that particular potion. She’d made Iris make it over and over again until she’d memorized the ingredients and gotten the brewing perfect.

  Thank the Creators she had.

  The swelling in Iris’s hands decreased rapidly. She flexed her fingers. They were still stiff and ached whenever she tried to bend them past a certain point, but at least she could move them again.