by D. E. Morris
“Ashlynn.” She fought against his hands as well, but Cavalon was stronger than Jessiah. He took both of her wrists in one hand and pulled her arms from her face, her eyes squeezed shut. She'd been severely injured, as though some feral beast had taken claws to her face and neck as a cat sharpening his claws. Cavalon tried to speak, to calm her with words of reassurance, but nothing would come. He wanted to break something, to hit someone, to do something, anything to rid him of the terrible rage that was building inside him. Instead, he took her from Jessiah and held her against him as she cried. He wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he dared, feeling her relax at the security of his embrace.
Jessiah sat on the wet ground and wiped ash from his brow, managing only to smear more of the sodden stuff on his face. “Who would have done this?” Still unable to speak, Cavalon simply shook his head. In his arms, Ashlynn shifted and opened her eyes to look about with fear. It was that moment that Jessiah gasped. “Cavalon...”
“What?”
“It's not her.”
The Badarian scowled. “What?”
“It's not her!” Jessiah scrambled forward and pulled one of Cavalon's arms away. He took the woman's face gently between his hands and peered into terrified green eyes with distinctive gold flecks. “Oh, dear Giver. It's Mairead.”
For the third time Cavalon could only say, “What?” He unwound his arms and looked down into her face. Now that he knew, he could see the subtle differences: the curve of her nose, the slightly fuller lower lip. He would have felt terrible admitting it out loud, but relief washed over him knowing it was not Ashlynn he held, but the relief lasted only momentarily. If Mariread was here, where was Ashlynn?
“We have to get her back to the castle.” Cavalon's thoughts were going a mile a minute. “Can you hold her?” Before Jessiah could answer Cavalon looked down at Mairead. “We're going to take you home. Just hold on, all right?” He let go of Mairead and let Jessiah take his place so he could get distance between them and shift. Getting on top of the massive dragon proved to be a feat. An uninjured person could simply climb up using spinal ridges and scales, but Mairead was so traumatized she couldn't even walk on her own. Jessiah had to help her each step of the way, eventually having to climb up himself and pull her up like a rag doll. The entire process took much too long for Cavalon's patience to endure, and by the time both were situated on his back, he nearly sprang into the air in his haste to return to Altaine.
Jessiah held on firmly to Mairead with one arm and gripped tightly to the pointed spinal ridge in front of them, his back firmly pressed up against the one behind him. The wind at their tail and Cavalon's speed made the return flight home quicker than the one down had been. With great urgency Cavalon trumpeted into the distance, knowing his call would be heard.
It was that very call that alerted Badru. He was walking alone in the garden, lost in silent prayer, when the desperate cry reached his ears. Not a moment’s hesitation was spared. He turned and ran on sandled feet, demanding someone find Jaryn. The nomad rushed out into the bailey to see Cavalon circle overhead. “Something is wrong.” Badru heard Jaryn come up beside him but did not remove his gaze from Cavalon. “Something is very wrong.”
The dragon ducked his head and pulled his wings in tight, his form falling at an alarming speed. Only at the last minute did he pull up and beat against the current of the rushing wind that allowed him as gentle a landing as he could in such a hurry.
“Help!”Jessiah cried.
There was not a single man, be they guard or courtier, that did not rush forward with Badru and Jaryn at the plea. All of them could see the limp woman in his arms and for all it appeared, it was their high queen he held. The tallest of the men moved to the front of the group and raised arms to carefully lower her and it became something of an assembly line until she was in Jaryn's arms.
“My love...” But he drew up short, instantly recognizing through the subtle differences that it was not Ashlynn he held, even with her eyes closed. “Mairead?”
“The caravan was attacked,” said Jessiah as he jumped down. “Everyone was turned to ash but Mairead.”
“Give her to me.” Badru gently took the young woman in his arms and rushed her inside.
Still confused, Jaryn turned to Cavalon as the man shifted back into his human form. “I don't understand.”
“If Mairead was the one we saw off to Faerston, where would Ashlynn be?”
There was no answer given to the Badarian directly. Instead, Jaryn turned to the guards still gathered around him and began barking out orders, giving them specific hidden places to look while several of the guards pushed the courtiers back for fear of the secret places Jaryn was revealing becoming more publicly known. The men hurried inside as soon as they were told where to go and Jaryn, knowing there were still several more places to check, rushed into the castle to join the search himself. It was not entirely uncommon for Ashlynn to send Mairead out in her stead, especially if she was testing the waters against potential dangers, and when she did she always sequestered herself so as to keep up the appearance of being gone.
“What happened to Mairead?” Zarra asked as Jaryn rushed past her, but she received no answer. He was too determined to find his wife. Her private library was searched first, then her rooms, and private garden. Then came the lesser used rooms she used for private meetings. The last place he took great care to conceal in his hunt was the secret room Ashlynn and Kenayde loved so dearly. Two of his most trusted men kept everyone away while he unlocked the hidden door and sprinted down long curving steps that led him into the heart of the castle and the mountain Altaine was built into. Jaryn was almost certain he would find his wife there and panicked when the small, magical little garden that defied all laws of nature was empty. He looked at the stone dais with morning glories snaked all around its base and the names of Ashlynn's parents carved into the stone, then lifted his eyes to the stone roof above him. “Help me,” he pleaded helplessly.
He rushed back upstairs in hopes that there would be word that someone had located her. When she still wasn't found, Jaryn rounded up all of his men to demand an update. No one could find even a trace of her anywhere. With this report, Jaryn rounded on Cavalon with a rage that he had never shown before.
“My wife has been gone for three days. Three days! You were supposed to protect her! You were supposed to keep her safe!”
“And how did you expect me to do that?” Cavalon asked, his voice just as loud. “You know how determined she is. What was I supposed to do, lock her in a tower like you did?”
“She put herself in there to protect me!”
“You should be the one protecting her!”
“Stop it!” cried Lilia, pushing herself in between the men. “Arguing won't help us find her.”
Jaryn finally turned away and ran his hands through his hair. “She could have been taken. She could be held somewhere like Nealie was. She could be-”
“She's not.” Cavalon glowered. “If she was dead we would know it. Lochlainn would have received her powers.”
The two men looked at each other, then all at once ran toward the nursery. There they found Lochlainn in the arms of one of his nannies, giggling and playing with her hands. With no preamble Jaryn took him from the woman and looked him over with worry. “Has anything happened to him?”
Confused by the question, the woman shook her head. “No, Your Majesty. He was a bit fussy, but I fed him and he's been jolly ever since.”
“Fussy,” Cavalon repeated. “That's it? What about since he's been home? Have you seen him shake or roll his eyes?”
“No.”
Cavalon turned his questioning gaze on Jaryn, but the younger man vehemently shook his head. “No. He's been the same as ever.”
“That's good news then.” The Badarian rested a heavy hand on Jaryn's shoulder, nodding in encouragement. “That's good news, Jaryn. That means she's alive.” He ran a hand over Lochlainn's thin hair, exhaling. “She's alive.”
“Nothing to forgive.” Cavalon shook his head. “When we searched her room I couldn't find the pages with the runes on them.”
“What does that mean?”
“It could mean any number of things. I have a few theories of where she could have disappeared to. Badru and I will go look.”
“I want to help.”
They turned at the sound of the voice, unaware that Jessiah had followed them into the nursery. He looked shaken. “Please let me help. I am a tracker by trade. It is what I do best.”
Slowly, Jaryn gave a nod of acquiesce. “Yes, I think that would be good. Leave as soon as you can and send word of anything you might find. Anything.”
“Of course.” Cavalon turned to go but paused and glanced out the window. “Keep an eye out for Misuzu. If Ashlynn has shifted and is in trouble, she'll know and she'll come.”
A plan quickly formulated between the three that would go the furthest in their searches. Badru would go to Ibays and Caedia while Jessiah took a company of men with him to scour Siness. Cavalon would check Braemar and then take the lower half of Siness so as not to stretch Jessiah too thin. Mairead was given a sleeping potion and cleaned up, but her injuries would have to be addressed by the castle physician. Ashlynn was their number one priority. Within minutes of coming to agreement, all three men went their separate ways.
Usually when Cavalon traveled through fyre he made sure to appear somewhere that would frighten as few people as possible. Nothing set swords to his throat like suddenly popping up in the middle of a crowd. This time, however, there was no time for courtesy. He needed to speak with Nuala as quickly as possible and for that reason alone he appeared right in the nursery.
Lyra screamed and dropped the armful of linens she'd been carrying. Lucien's eyes lit up at the flash of color and he giggled, awkwardly pulling himself to his feet by the toy chest to walk to Cavalon.
“Where's Nuala?” Cavalon didn't want to spare even a moment for apology. He scooped Lucien up with one arm and began looking for a rucksack. “I need to talk to her now.”
The young woman scrambled to pick up everything she had dropped, eyes wide with confusion and alarm. “I don't...um...she might be on the grand balcony. That's where she was headed last time I saw her.”
Having found what he was looking for, Cavalon tossed the bag to Lyra which made her drop the linens again so as to catch it. “Put enough provisions in there for a few days.”
“What's going on?”
But Cavalon was already out of the room. “Nuala!” If she was on the grand balcony she was definitely entertaining. It was a time Cavalon rarely interrupted and he would never be so rude as to just shout for Nuala, even under normal circumstances. As his heavy feet thundered over the high wooden boardwalks, propriety was the last thing on his mind. “Nuala, I need you!”
Unlike at Altaine and most other high kingdoms there was no guard outside the rooms which the reigning ruler was, at least none that any could see. They were always hidden in the trees, blending in with the shade and light and ready to fly down to block passage if need be. Cavalon glanced upward at the places he knew they hid, practically daring them to stop him. As he rounded the corner he could see Nuala's head poking around the archway to the balcony, the concerned faces of five other women just behind her.
“Cavalon?”
He said nothing but cast a meaningful glance at the women and inclined his head.
“Ladies, please excuse me.” The winged woman hurried after Cavalon and stopped only when he rounded on her. The seriousness of his expression was enough to make her ask, “What has happened?”
“Whoever is after the Elementals attacked Mairead. They thought she was Ashlynn and killed her entire retinue. My guess is when they realized it wasn't Ashlynn they decided to leave the girl alive as a message.” He didn't need to tell her how she would likely be scarred for life, both physically and emotionally. Her panic-stricken face was still in the forefront of his thoughts every time he had even a moment to think. Continuing, he glanced around and lowered his voice. “Ashlynn is missing. We tore Altaine apart and she is nowhere to be found. She could have been taken or she could very well just be hiding somewhere. Either way we need to take precautions. You and I both know she wouldn't willingly go into hiding without telling anyone unless she had a reason to.”
Where she would have wilted in fear just months ago, Nuala squared her shoulders and drew her brows together. “What about Lochlainn?”
“He's fine which means she's fine. So far. But there is no doubt in my mind now that we're being targeted. Which is why I'm here. I've never hidden what I am from anyone so the target on my back is the largest after Ashlynn. The only thing that may protect me is the fact that Luella's own fame is spreading fairly quickly and there is no mystery surrounding her location. She is easier to find than I am and Badru went to warn her and Tasarin as soon as I came here.”
“How do we prepare for what is coming?” Nuala asked.
Cavalon frowned. “You saw what happened in Bás. If those demons think I'm here, they will destroy this village without a second thought. Which is why I want you to take Lucien and get out of here.”
Nuala shook her head. “I won't leave my people.”
“Which is a fine and noble thing to say, but I am telling you that you have no choice. Take Lyra with you and get out of here. Your abilities may not save either you or Lucien. I can see the wheels turning, Nuala. You can't send him away with his nursemaids. He needs his mother. He's already lost his father. Don't make him face losing you, too.” Cavalon stood close to her and touched the back of his hand to her cheek. “Please. I have to get back and help look for Ashlynn, but I won't leave until I know you'll be safe, that you'll leave here.”
Lucien shoved his fist in his mouth and drooled around his fingers, oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. His watery gurgles drew Nuala's attention and she sighed, clear regret in her eyes. “I will take Lyra and go to the Isle of Contest.” Cavalon began to protest, but she shook her head, her mind already made up. “It is my compromise. I will leave the main island, but I will not be so far away that I may not help should my help be needed.”
“Promise me you won't do anything stupid.”
She grimaced. “Can you promise me the same?”
In answer he simply pulled her close and kissed her, holding her close as long as he dared. “I will come back to you,” he vowed.
“I accept no other alternative.” With a sad smile she took her son into her arms. “Be safe, my love.”
Cavalon kissed Lucien's head, then took a step back to let the flames consume him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The day stretched on with no sight or sound of Ashlynn. Badru had returned from his own trip of warning to Caedia, and together he and Cavalon scoured the entirety of Siness. Neither of them bothered to stay with Jessiah, knowing they could cover more ground on their own while he stayed closer to the capital and searched in his own way. The two Elementals often went their separate ways but sometimes came together, always to report that none had seen Ashlynn or heard anything of her appearance or disappearance. They were each careful in who they spoke to knowing that one gossip could spread the news quicker than they could stop it and a panic would ensue.
By the time the sun was sinking behind the mountains both Cavalon and Badru were left with no place else to look and a deep mantle of exhaustion from having shifted back and forth from dragon to human so many times. Lilia was the first to greet them in the bailey, worry in her w
ide brown eyes as she peppered the men with questions, but they had no answers. It was as if Ashlynn had disappeared from the country altogether. That very thought made the two men look at each other. What if she had done just that? Jaryn insisted before that she wouldn't leave Siness, but he also believed she would have been tucked away somewhere within Altaine.
Though they were both weary, Cavalon decided to go to Mirasean and ask around, as well as the more grounded villages of Braemar. Badru offered to return to Caedia and Lilia herself said she would go to Ibays since both of them, along with Jessiah, were banned from the country and Badru spent all of his time earlier searching Caedia.
Badru and Cavalon returned as the sun was rising the next morning, both of them completely spent. It was not an easy task for either of them to tell Jaryn that there was still no news. He looked drawn himself, as though he hadn't slept all night. Lochlainn had been with him nearly every moment since his arrival back in Siness and there had still been no sign of change in him. Once more Cavalon assured him it was a good thing, then he and Badru found their own quarters to get some much needed sleep.
When Lilia returned several hours later to tell Jaryn no one had seen Ashlynn, she burst into tears.
“She's still alive,” Jaryn assured the young woman, though his voice was even and detached, as though he'd said it so many times to himself it was now becoming an automatic response. “She's still alive.”
“What if she's hurt?” Lilia asked. “What if she has tried to shift or to call out for help and simply can't?”
“She's still alive,” Jaryn repeated, trying to tune Lilia out. Those very same thoughts plagued him as well and boiled in his stomach. Cavalon was right. He should have been protecting her, not the other way around. His promise to her had always been that he was never going to go anywhere. But he had gone and now she was nowhere to be found. It was his fault.