Light Chasers (The World of Lasniniar Book 0)

by Jacquelyn Smith

— Chapter Twenty-Six —

  Cruel Kindness

  “Where is Valanandir?” Lodariel’s voice was sharp.

  Iadrawyn silently berated herself for not seeing this coming. She had known Valanandir still carried guilt for Numril’s death, just as she did. Now hindsight revealed signs of a growing need for vengeance as well.

  He had been strange ever since they had entered the dark lands, and oddly disappointed to learn the Quenya was not being held by the drakhalu. Iadrawyn had little doubt as to where he had gone. She swallowed her frustration. As much as she wanted him by her side when they regained the Quenya, she could not afford to waste any time hunting him down. He would know this. The rest of them would have to do what they came here to do and worry about finding him later.

  “He is doing something he needs to do,” Iadrawyn said.

  “I should go after him. None of us should be wandering off alone.” Lodariel started to walk back to inspect their trail to see where Valanandir had wandered off. Iadrawyn gripped her arm, pulling her up short.

  “I need you. We came here to retrieve the Quenya. You must help me. When we have it back, we can go after Valanandir. He knew once we realized he was missing this was the only decision we could make.”

  Lodariel considered with a frown. “I don’t like it, but I cannot argue. Once we have the Quenya, we will be able to protect ourselves.” She sighed and gestured for Iadrawyn to lead the way.

  “We must find a way inside the mountain,” Iadrawyn said. “Will we have to climb?” She looked up the steep slope with trepidation.

  “If these dragons are at all like the ones who make their home in the Hamad Sinta, they will have an entrance at ground level for fledglings and those who are injured,” Daroandir said.

  “If I lived here, I would put it on the eastern side,” Lodariel said. “It is the best protected, and close enough to the pass to be convenient.”

  Now Iadrawyn indicated for Lodariel to take the lead. Lodariel hugged the side of the mountain, bent over the dry ground, looking for clues. This was her element. Time wore on as they made progress one small step at a time, searching for any trace of dragon activity. Iadrawyn chafed at the delay. The Quenya was so close! Still, she knew better than to try to rush Lodariel. All her nerves were strained for any sound of wingbeats, but the area remained silent.

  “Here!” Lodariel beckoned them in a harsh whisper. She pointed at the ground. Faint traces of small dragon feet marked the dust.

  Lodariel bent low to the ground, following what remained of the trail toward the mountainside. The tracks led to what appeared to be a solid wall of rock. Only when they hugged the mountainside did they see the large opening, hidden behind an outcropping. Even from outside, where the air was already warm, they could feel the heat radiating from within. There was still no sign of any dragons or drakhalu nearby. Lodariel held her spear ready and slipped through the opening.

  Iadrawyn went next. As the bearer of the Levniquenya, and the only one who could lead them to the Quenya’s location, she held the sheltered middle position, with Daroandir as rearguard. No position should be safer. This knowledge didn’t stop her from drawing her knife from its sheath.

  They were in the heart of the dark lands. The only place that might have been worse would have been if the Quenya were being held in the drakhal caverns. Iadrawyn shuddered. She had no desire to go there. She only hoped Valanandir would manage to keep himself safe. She took one last look behind her, hoping to see him returning, but there was only Daroandir giving her an encouraging smile. Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the opening after Lodariel.

  Inside, an enormous tunnel led deeper into the mountain. Iadrawyn tried not to gag on the musky odor coming from within. Although she had noticed Malarin’s scent in the past, it was light and spicy, and nothing compared to this. Even Daroandir seemed repulsed by it, and he was familiar with the lairs of Malarin and her kin. Iadrawyn did not think they all nested in the same location like Nargaz and his followers did though. Perhaps that was the difference.

  Large torches crackled high overhead from brackets in the rock wall. Iadrawyn moved up to walk beside Lodariel, since she was the only one who could sense where they needed to go. It took a few moments for her to become acclimated to the warm confines of the mountain, but the pull of the Quenya was stronger than ever. With a nod to the others, she started walking. In a matter of moments, the opening behind them was out of sight.

  It was nerve-racking walking the halls of their enemy, waiting to cross paths with one of the dark dragons. Time slowed to a humid crawl. At first there was only one path to follow, but it soon branched into several directions. Iadrawyn paused at every fork to close her eyes and concentrate on the hidden presence of the Quenya. It was just beyond her reach, tantalizing her with its call. After countless twists and turns, the tunnel narrowed to the width of a single dragon.

  They were close. She could feel it. Impatient to reunite with her lost power and purpose, she rushed ahead of the others, responding to the Quenya’s silent call like a moth to a flame. Behind her she heard Lodariel curse and start running to catch up. Iadrawyn was past caring. Her world had narrowed to finding and reclaiming the Quenya.

  The tunnel ended abruptly and she stumbled into an open chamber, filled with an eerie, violet glow. The throbbing light seemed to come from something within a bowl atop a stone pedestal. The sense of wrongness was almost overpowering, but still Iadrawyn’s feet moved her forward, almost of their own accord. She rubbed her eyes against the strange light and opened them to find a strange elf standing before her.

  His silver braids were matted and his dusky skin was pale and grimy. His face was gaunt, his cheekbones pulling at the skin. And his eyes… They were almost entirely pupil with a slender ring of violet. There was no trace of sanity in them.

  Iadrawyn’s gaze immediately settled on the elf’s neck, but there were no drakhal marks. Since he was clearly a Shadow Elf, there was no way he could have fought the compulsion of a drakhal master once bitten like Numril had done. But Vlaz and Nargaz were more clever than that. They needed an elf with no drakhal taint in order to control the Quenya. This wretched creature was clearly their tool, either coerced or broken to harness.

  “Do you not recognize me?” the elf asked in a mocking tone. His voice was ragged, yet familiar. Iadrawyn frowned, trying to place it.

  “I knew you would come,” he continued. “I knew the Quenya would draw you, as it lured you away from me before, along with that Sea Elf bastard, Valanandir.” The elf spat the name.

  Iadrawyn felt as though she had been doused with a bucket of ice water. “Eruvalion?”

  “So you do remember!” A flicker of joy crossed Eruvalion’s features. “I knew you would. We belong together. You are mine.”

  “Eru, what have you done with the Quenya?” Iadrawyn kept her voice gentle and even, realizing the underlying danger. Obsessed as he was, she had been able to reason with the Eruvalion she knew. This elf was completely mad.

  “I am the master of the Quenya now. I blocked out the sky! Now I will use it to kill Valanandir, and bind you to me.” He closed the gap between them and gripped her arm.

  Lodariel and Daroandir stumbled into the chamber, weapons drawn. Iadrawyn didn’t know how she had managed to get so far ahead of them. They blinked in the strange light.

  “Iadrawyn,” Lodariel asked in an even tone, “who is this stranger?” Both she and Daroandir moved closer. Eruvalion’s grip on Iadrawyn’s arm tightened.

  “This is Eruvalion. Eru, these are my friends, Lodariel and Daroandir.” Iadrawyn placed her hand against Eruvalion’s chest.

  Eruvalion’s wild eyes darted between the two elves and the entrance. “Where is Valanandir? He must be here. I need him to be here!”

  “Valanandir left me.” Iadrawyn allowed some of her pain to creep into her voice, hanging her head.

  Eruvalion’s entire demeanor changed as he turned toward her. “My love, I am sorry. I always knew he would
hurt you. You have always belonged with me.” He stroked her cheek.

  His eyes flashed once more and the moment was gone. “He must pay for this, for all he has done! He took you away from me and kept us apart. We will find him and I will use the Quenya to make him burn for this while we watch. Would you like that, my love? But first, I must deal with his lackeys. Once I have disposed of them, we can find my mother and leave this place.”

  “Eru, these elves are my friends. They mean us no harm.” Iadrawyn gave Lodariel and Daroandir a significant look. Both of them nodded and lowered their weapons.

  “They have deceived you, my love. They want the Quenya for themselves. I see it in their eyes!” Eruvalion’s grip tightened once more, causing Iadrawyn to gasp. Lodariel and Daroandir raised their weapons once more and took a step forward.

  “You cannot hope to defeat the master of the Quenya!” Eruvalion made a sweeping gesture with his arm and a ring of purple flame sprouted from the stone floor to surround him and Iadrawyn, cutting them off from the others. Beads of sweat broke out on his face from the effort, and he let out a whimper. The Quenya did not serve him willingly.

  Daroandir and Lodariel continued their advance. Eruvalion uttered a high-pitched cackle and made lobbing motions with his hand. Balls of flame flew toward Iadrawyn’s companions, who were forced to dodge their path.

  Iadrawyn had never imagined the power of the Quenya could be used in such a destructive fashion. To use the Quenya to try to kill was sacrilege. A gasp of pain from Eruvalion let her know it did not come without a price. He managed to throw one more missile before doubling over. His hands clutched at his head and his features twisted in agony. Lodariel and Daroandir were scorched, but alive. Iadrawyn was uncertain whether that would continue to be the case if Eruvalion’s madness enabled him to overcome his pain. She laid a comforting hand on his back.

  “Eru, I cannot bear to see you in such pain. Please, let me help you.”

  “I’ve controlled it before. I can do it again.”

  “But at what cost? We have only just been reunited. Will you let it kill you in your stubbornness? Then I will be all alone.”

  “Do you doubt my strength?”

  “Of course not. But there is a better way. My connection with the Quenya is strong. I can help you. Please. Please don’t leave me like Valanandir.” Iadrawyn held his gaze with pleading eyes.

  Valanandir’s name triggered a flicker of rage. Then Eruvalion smiled. “I will never leave you, my love. We belong together. You are mine. Valanandir will pay for what he has done to you.” His expression turned dark.

  “Then let me show you. You will need to fully commune with the Quenya if you truly wish to make Valanandir suffer.”

  “Show me.”

  Iadrawyn took his hand and led him toward the pedestal. Daroandir and Lodariel looked on, helpless to do anything from beyond the wall of flame. Although Iadrawyn knew she was doing what she must to save the Quenya and her friends, she dreaded what was about to happen. Would the Quenya still behave the way she expected in its current, tainted state? She had no way of knowing. Even if it did, she was not looking forward to it.

  Once they reached the Quenya, Iadrawyn paused, steeling herself. Eruvalion looked at her in perfect trust with those empty eyes.

  “I always knew someday you would finally understand that you are mine. We belong together.” He smiled at her like a happy child.

  Iadrawyn felt a tear roll down her cheek. “I know.”

  She plunged her hand and Eruvalion’s into the swirling mass of violet light. A wave of madness washed over her. Her mind reeled and her stomach roiled. Focusing her will, Iadrawyn forced her way past the taint to the core that lay within, taking Eru with her. The reunion was pure joy and relief. It felt as if a broken joint had been snapped back into place. The raw power filled her, stronger than it had before. Her mind was filled with new possibilities and revelations. Several moments passed before she realized Eruvalion was screaming.

  Iadrawyn’s joy was now tempered by grim sorrow. Before the Quenya could be free, she had one task to perform. Holding Eruvalion’s hand firm, she brought him into full rapport with the Quenya. The violet light flickered before exploding into its familiar, shimmering hue. Eruvalion’s face was a rictus of horror. He struggled in her grip, but Iadrawyn held firm, the Quenya feeding her strength. Although he had not managed to harm Iadrawyn or her companions, his intent had been clear. For one elf to kill another was pure blasphemy. The elves were the chosen caretakers of the Quenya, and life itself.

  The Quenya burned through Eruvalion’s mind, purging the madness and revealing the destructive motives behind his actions with brutal candor. It was more than any mortal could bear. He screamed and screamed, his voice raw with terror and anguish. His screams were only broken by hoarse sobs and whispered pleas for mercy. Tears streaming down her face, Iadrawyn held fast.

  Finally, when she thought she could bear it no longer, he threw his head back and the light filled him, streaming from his eyes and mouth.

  “Mother!”

  Suddenly, the light was gone. Eruvalion’s limp body dropped to the stone floor. Iadrawyn crouched at his side, sobbing. Although she knew it was necessary, she was devastated by what she had done.

  “I’m sorry, Eru. I’m so sorry.” She gently closed his empty eyes.

  “Iadrawyn, we must take the Quenya and leave.” Daroandir’s gentle voice penetrated her grief. The ring of flame was gone and he and Lodariel were at her side.

  “We need to find Valanandir,” Lodariel said.

  “Valanandir!” Iadrawyn sat up straight, her eyes unfocusing as her inner vision took over.

  Valanandir was somewhere dark, surrounded by drakhalu. Vlaz was there. The creatures were closing in on him…

  “What do you see, Iadrawyn?” Daroandir asked in a low voice. “Where is Valanandir?”

  “In the heart of the drakhal nest. He is going to be discovered!”

  A part of her mind noticed Daroandir exchanging glances with Lodariel, who nodded before pelting for the cavern entrance. Reassured, Iadrawyn’s thoughts returned to poor Eruvalion.

  “They had taken his mother. They told him he must do what they asked, or they would kill her, but she was already dead. This is all my fault. If I had been kinder to him, more patient…”

  “He was obsessed and unhinged.” Daroandir’s low voice was firm. “There would have been no reasoning with him. He would have kept you with him, and you would have never found the Quenya, and Valanandir would most likely be dead. This is the work of the dark creatures. Place the blame where it belongs.”

  “But—”

  “Will you sit here and mourn the loss of this lost soul while Valanandir is in danger and our people are being slaughtered? Every moment we lose here, more die on the battlefield.”

  Iadrawyn recoiled as if he had slapped her. His harsh words penetrated her fog of guilt. It would take time for her to come to peace with the part she had played in Eruvalion’s death. In the meantime, Valanandir and her people were in grave danger because of the insatiable dark creatures, who had stolen the very thing they would have been able to commune with and experience openly if they would only set aside their destructive ways. A righteous fury grew within her at the lives that had been lost for blind greed. The power of the Quenya flowed through her, fueling the fire. Daroandir stepped back as she rose to her feet, her hair stirred by an unnatural wind. Rising, she turned toward the pedestal that held the Quenya.

  Pulling the Levniquenya from her pack, Iadrawyn held it over the sphere of light. It flowed into the vessel in a blinding flash. Once it was safely inside, the runes ringing the outside sprang to life, giving off a golden glimmer. Iadrawyn gently placed the Levniquenya back into her pack and shouldered it, turning toward Daroandir.

  “You are right. We must leave now.” Iadrawyn’s gaze narrowed, turning hard. “They will pay for what they have wrought.”