“We’ll take down the bloody lot of ‘em,” one replied, caressing his axe and polishing its blade until he could see himself in its reflection. “It’ll be our greatest glory.”
Noor shook her head in disgust and continued down the corridor. The Makya had brought some of the Senkahs on board with them, too, and despite how dark they had become, it pained Noor to see them in cages along the hold of the ship. They were wild things, after all.
A large group of them paced in their cells, piercing eyes gazing back at her—at the Lady Noor, not the face of the Makya guard she hid behind.
She’d encountered them on several occasions in her lifetime, none of which had been pleasant, but to Noor these particular Senkahs seemed a shadow of their former selves, tormented and taunted. Could Erebus have reached these poor creatures, too?
Beyond the hold and into the loading bay was the largest of all the creatures Lorn and her brothers had procured for their attack in the south. Its roars could be heard throughout the airship, night and day. Layers of great chains were wrapped around it to prevent it from banging its heavy hooves against the floor.
When they had first captured it, the creature dented panels and buckled the floor of the loading bay, preventing the hatch from closing properly. It took several Makya guards to hold it in place at all times, even with chains. Their flames only enraged it further, and nothing seemed to penetrate its dense, leathery skin.
Noor entered the loading bay, filling it with images of forest, only to be seen by the creature. It slumped, submissive, onto the loading bay floor. A wave of nausea pressed at Noor’s temples as the effort of creating so many illusions began to take its toll.
“I thought it would never rest,” one guard muttered, still struggling with the chains, as the creature lay quiet. Najins were rare. Their great size meant that they had few predators—except for those that wished to keep them captive to demolish buildings and to haul rock from quarries. Noor examined its horned face and great, black eyes as she walked past. Like two black spheres of onyx, even from a distance, she could see her reflection in them—her true reflection. For like the Senkahs, this beast was far more intelligent than the Makya. It was too large an illusion to maintain for long, and as soon as she was out of the loading bay, the wild roars of the beast filled the ship once more, and Noor breathed deeply through her nose to steady herself.
“Hold it down,” a guard cried out behind her.
Noor was familiar with much of the airship, its layout, its inhabitants, its hiding places, but she’d never accessed the control room, and this she sorely needed. She made her way to the great hall to take her place as guard, resisting the urge to run to her hiding place above the loading bay. Instead, she focused on her breathing. It was becoming too difficult to maintain her disguise, but she could not risk revealing herself yet. Not much longer now.
Inside the hall, Lorn and Jerum were locked in a heated debate.
“We are two, three days away at most,” Jerum said. “Can you be certain the girl will still be with them in the south?”
Lorn nodded. “I’m told Alexander is in Mizune, and I know he will not leave her side.”
Noor watched Lorn as she spoke, tightening her fingers around the edge of her throne until her knuckles were white.
“They won’t know what hit them,” Lorn continued.
“It would be naive of us to think they do not know we are coming, sister,” Jerum replied. Raiaan remained silent. Noor had rarely heard him speak in the last few days. A trickle of sweat rolled down from her hairline to the base of her neck. Two, three days away at most. You’re so close.
“They may know of our coming, but they won’t know of our numbers, or that we have the Senkahs and the Najin at our command,” Lorn replied, small sparks cascading from her hands down the side of her throne.
At your command? Noor stifled a laugh. Watching Lorn attempt to control the beasts would be entertaining.
“And what of the mercenaries?” Raiaan asked.
A low, guttural sound emanated from the back of Lorn’s throat.
“They will be our frontline,” Jerum added. “We will use the valley. You there, do you have the maps my sister requested?” He sat on the largest throne, the buckles of his coat reflecting the firelight from the dented urn.
Noor nodded and laid large parchment maps out on the table before them. She stepped back just in time to conceal the shaking of her exhausted arms—it took all her concentration to stand and listen whilst maintaining her disguise. Weak as Noor was, Lorn and her brothers did not seem to notice.
“The valley?” Lorn asked. “Why not Mizune, and take them whilst they sleep?”
“Because the Mizunese defences are tenfold that of what we witnessed in Ikothea—we would be too great a target. Better to draw them out, away from the town, and to a location big enough for us to land the ships,” Jerum said. “We will come in low, flanked by the three smaller ships,” he continued, pointing to various positions on the map. “The mercenaries and the Aurelli can take the pods down first before we touch down.”
“And how do you intend on getting the Aurelli to fight?” Raiaan asked. He was leaning over the table, inspecting the maps.
“They will fight, or I will destroy what remains of their forest. It’s that simple,” Lorn replied.
“But—” Raiaan began to protest, but Jerum interrupted him with further plans. Lorn and Jerum bickered, and various revisions were made before they came upon a final agreement.
“We must inform the council of our progress,” Raiaan added before they departed for the night.
Noor caught the look in his eyes and the tilt of his head as Lorn replied too quickly.
“I’ll do it,” she said.
“Really, sister, you do too much. It will be of no hindrance to me.”
“No, no, I insist, dear brother.” Lorn smiled, leaving the hall before he could object.
“Goodnight, brother,” Jerum said. “Soon, we will have our victory, and the council will celebrate our success.”
Raiaan was left alone to look over the maps.
“You,” he murmured to Noor.
Noor looked to the door, calculating how far she could run before his flames would reach her.
“To whom are you loyal?” Raiaan asked her.
“Sir?” Noor replied, examining the expression on Raiaan’s face. Where was this going? She had to be absolutely right about his character. If she had him wrong, it was all over.
“I said, to whom are you loyal?”
Noor swallowed hard. “To the council, sir.”
Raiaan’s expression changed, his shoulders relaxing. “Good, then I can trust you?”
Noor nodded.
“I need you to send a message to the council, to Par. Update them on our plans and find out if this matches up with their instructions for Lorn. Tell no one I asked you to do this. If you get caught, you are alone, understand?”
Noor nodded again. She’d been right about him, and trembled ever so slightly, relief and exhaustion weighing down on her.
“Do not be afraid, the council will come.” Raiaan placed a hand on her shoulder, and for the first time, Noor could see how different he was to his twin. His eyes were the shade of autumn leaves, and the lines around them moved as he spoke, softening his expressions.
Without another word, he left the hall, leaving Noor alone. She slumped to the floor, dropping her façade. Not much longer now. She allowed herself a moment’s rest before she was back on her feet and out the door as a Makya guard once more.
She used her Aurelli friends to send a message to the Makya council and doubted that Lorn had sent out any messages of her own via the other guards. When Noor could finally rest for the day, she dropped, exhausted and unshielded by her illusions into one of the rooms used only by the Aurelli, too tired to climb up to her usual spot.
Before she’d even taken off her boots, the distant roars of the Najin echoed throughout the airship. The scurrying fo
otsteps of the Aurelli rallied around the doorway, a quiet warning. Noor came to her senses, slipping into the guise of one of the little feline creatures just as Lorn entered the room.
“Hush your gibberish,” she demanded, sending handfuls of flames up the walls either side of her and outwards across the ceiling. The Aurelli ceased their scurrying, frozen in fear. Noor eyed Lorn carefully, whilst trying to mimic the movements of the Aurelli.
“Stupid, pathetic little creatures.” Lorn looked down to where Noor sat slumped against a wall. “Pretend all you like, but I know you understand me well enough.” Lorn sent sparks cascading around the room. “In a few days, we will land and when we do, you will fight whatever attacks us, or I will destroy what remains of your precious forest leaf by leaf. Understood?”
Lorn’s retort was met with blank stares from the Aurelli. Her eyes blazed as she set fire to the nearest one. It shrieked and rolled to the ground, desperate to extinguish the flames engulfing its arms and legs. Noor rushed forwards with the others to help their friend.
“So we understand each other.” Lorn laughed and made her way out of the room.
When Noor was sure it was safe, she slipped down the corridor disguised as the guard, following Lorn to her chambers.
“Why do you whisper to me from the shadows. Show yourself!” Lorn cried, followed by the familiar roar of the flames she projected from her fingertips.
Erebus. Noor shuddered as she thought of all the witches who could easily be coerced to follow a darker path.
The door to Lorn’s chambers creaked open. “Oh, it’s you again,” Lorn said, her gaze rolling from Noor’s face to somewhere lower. Her expression hardened. “You are to remain here until morning, unless another guard dismisses you.”
Before Noor could utter a reply, the door was slammed shut in her face. An entire night of this. She considered her options. She’d have to steal whatever moments she could to drop her façade. Fortunately, the corridor was long and empty, and footsteps could be hard far before anyone would be able to see her. Noor stood tall, letting her illusion fade away whilst she remained alone, and settled in for a night of guard duty.
…
Footsteps echoed down the corridor, and for a sleepy moment Noor considered an illusion to make it seem as if she wasn’t there. But that wouldn’t do. She slipped back into her illusion of the guard.
“You are relieved,” the Makya said as he approached.
“What time is it?” Noor asked. “I shouldn’t leave my shift early,” she added.
The guard smiled. “It’s morning. Your shift is over.”
Noor hesitated, listening for any sounds of Lorn moving around in her chambers. There were none. Good, perhaps she was still sleeping.
“Very well,” Noor replied. She made her way back towards the loading bay, eager for the safety of her seedpod. Exhaustion coursed through her. Not much longer now.
Her route took her past the dining hall, where she hoped to pass by unnoticed.
“You there,” one of the mercenaries called to her.
Noor clicked her tongue in disgust.
“Why don’t you come and sit on my lap for a little bit?” the brute said.
Noor calculated the efficiency of throwing a dagger into his heart, and how many of them might fight her if she did. “I’m on duty,” she replied through clenched teeth.
“I said, why don’t you come and sit on my lap.” He banged a fist to the table.
“Guard! Back to work.” It was Raiaan. Noor was disappointed. She would have enjoyed a fight, even though she knew she would not have been able to risk it. Instead, she walked away, and Raiaan caught up with her a few moments later.
“Have you done as I instructed?” he asked, glancing left and right.
Noor gave the smallest incline of her head. “I will find you as soon as I hear from them.” Her words were strained, but she’d hoped he would mistake it for intimidation.
Raiaan nodded and departed as quickly as he had arrived. Another guard walked past in the opposite direction, holding long sheets of metal. Aside from Lorn and her brothers, the other Makya on board seemed to have lost all sense of rank. None of them knew what they should be doing, or where they should be, except to wait for Lorn and her brothers to command them. It was why it had been so easy for her to follow Lorn around.
“Where are you going with those?” Noor asked with as much authority as she could muster.
“T-to the control room, er, ma’am,” the Makya replied, confusion spreading across his face.
“I’ll take those from here. You’re needed in the loading bay with the Najin.”
The guard hesitated.
“Now,” Noor demanded, snatching the metal from the guard’s arms, and then she walked off in the direction of the control room.
This had been the opportunity she was waiting for. A single guard stood watch at the control room door. She held her head high and walked straight towards him, waiting for the guard to open it without saying a word. If she looked like she knew what she was doing, no one would question her. It worked.
Inside the control room, a handful of engineers operated the airship. Beyond the bridge, Noor could see out the windows to the sky beyond—white cotton clouds broke every now and then to reveal a pink and lilac sky. She surveyed as much of the room as she could, its layout, its instruments, and where the engineers were positioned.
“Place them over there,” one of them said to her without looking up. Noor rested the metal on a workbench. “Well, don’t just stand there, guard, that will be all.”
Noor nodded and left almost as quickly as she had come. But it was enough. She had exactly what she needed.
On her way back to the loading bay, a group of Aurelli adeptly slipped her a message on fine paper with a dark, black seal. It was from the Makya council. She tucked it into her clothing before making her way to the great hall to find Raiaan.
He was speaking with his brother when she arrived, so she relieved another guard and took his place, waiting for the brothers to finish. It was time for her to find out where Raiaan’s allegiances sat. Once he was alone, she waited patiently for him to address her.
“You have news?” he murmured.
She nodded, handing him the sealed letter.
“You haven’t read it?” Raiaan asked.
Noor shook her head. She didn’t need to.
Raiaan read the letter, his eyes flickering across the page. “She lied.” He crumpled up the paper, and with a gentle rush of heat, it smouldered into ashes. “She lied,” he said again, and Noor saw his eyes darken for the first time.
She resisted the urge to step back. If he thought she was Makya, it would not be a problem for him to have outbursts like his sister often did, but Noor would not be safe from such a display of anger.
Raiaan, however, clearly had more control than Lorn. “Do not speak of this to anyone, do you understand?”
Noor nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“We will wait for further news from the council before we act. Thank you,” he said, without looking at Noor, and left the hall.
Noor breathed a little sigh of relief. She gave herself only a moment’s respite from her illusion before making her way to the loading bay. It was time to call upon the coven.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Fia
Fia was lost. She knew she’d travelled south with Ilawu, but the landscape had changed so much she’d lost her bearings.
The sun was high, obscured by great trees with glowing, tendril-like vines. She tried climbing the one closest to her to breach the canopy, but the vines were slippery, and she couldn’t get a strong enough grip.
She picked through everything Kharsee had told her. A child of Ohinyan. Was that why she could hear Erebus?
Anxiety twisted in her stomach but Fia ignored it. “Not far,” she said to the empty forest. “Easy for you to say.” She looked up once more to try and catch a glimpse of the sun through the dense canopy. It was strange how th
e forest still felt so light and bright despite the sun’s absence. Little orbs of light drifted in the air like miniature stars, glittering and glistening with a warm yellow glow. But then they weren’t just drifting like dust motes anymore; they were flying around her in a delicate swirl, whispering in excitement.
“This way,” the little fireflies said. “This way!”
Fia didn’t need to be told a third time. The glittering swarm circled around her once more before darting off and away through the forest, and she followed them just as swiftly as they had departed. She ran, stumbling after them, but the little specs of light wouldn’t slow down. Fia ducked under branches and jumped over tree trunks, struggling to keep up with them.
Gasping for breath, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could pursue them. And then, they stopped, just inches from her face. The forest dropped away before them, and the familiar cool air of Mizune hit Fia’s lungs—only it wasn’t Mizune in the valley below them.
The fireflies had brought Fia to a precipice. Behind her, the forest beckoned with a lush array of flora and warmth. Below, far below, was a glacial valley home to creatures the likes of which Fia had only read about in fairy tales. The largest travelled in herds, moving slowly and steadily like weary elephants. Their top half was like a giraffe’s; long, elongated necks stretched skywards from a muscular body propped up by thick legs, and their dark fur was ragged and matted. They wandered along in large groups dotted around the valley, moving slowly as they munched their way through the foliage.
“Herbivores,” Fia said to the fireflies, with a little air of relief.
“This way,” they chirped, and Fia wondered if that was all they could say.
She thought of the phoenix, flying alone through the aether, and wondered what had become of it. She surveyed the rest of the valley. A glacial river ran down the mountain range to her right, but as the river travelled deeper, the snow gave way to gleaming blue pools of water and dark foliage amongst the alpine landscape. There were ruins, too. Huge stone structures stood with their insides exposed, clean and shiny like hollowed out bones, dotting throughout the valley in odd shapes and formations.
The Third Sun (Daughter of the Phoenix Book One) Page 22