The Darkest Revenge

by D. K. Holmberg

  “Have you seen them? What else could it be?”

  “I just don’t understand why they would do that.”

  “Because the crystals are within the trees.”

  “What?”

  “You didn’t know?”

  “When I was brought to try and hold one of the crystals, it wasn’t within the trees. It was in a chamber—”

  “A chamber beneath the trees,” she said.

  “How do you know?”

  Lucy laughed, grabbing a fallen branch and dipping it into the water. “Because I pay attention.”

  “I don’t know. You’re going to have to ask somebody who is responsible for the crystals.”

  “The only person I know who might be responsible for them is out of the city.”

  “Rsiran isn’t the only one who’s responsible for them,” Daniel said. “All of the guilds have a duty to protect the crystals.”

  “Maybe, but I think even the guild members would acknowledge that Rsiran is the one who is most responsible.”

  As much as he hated it, considering Rsiran’s abilities, Daniel had a hard time disbelieving that. Daniel hadn’t even been able to hold one of the crystals, let alone all of them as Rsiran reportedly had. It didn’t make him any less worthy within Elaeavn, though. Daniel had plenty of gifts from the Great Watcher, enough that maybe he didn’t need to handle one of the crystals to have those gifts enhanced.

  “So what happens now?” he asked, looking away from Lucy.

  “I don’t know. If the trees are damaged, it’s possible that the protections placed by the trees are eased.”

  “The Elvraeth offer protections for the city, too.”

  Lucy turned toward him, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him. “The Elvraeth haven’t done nearly as much as you claim. Don’t you forget that I live in the palace, Daniel Elvraeth.”

  He grinned. “I like seeing you get worked up like this.”

  “I’m not getting worked up. It’s just… everything changed,” she said. “I know that it was bound to change, and it’s the reason Haern’s father has been working so hard over the years.”

  “It’s been so long since there’s been an attack. Whatever happened will be contained.” If nothing else, Daniel was certain that the tchalit would contain any threat facing the city. Whether they would do so outside of the city was another matter. Their people might once have lived within the trees, but why would anyone want to do so now, with the city so close?

  Lucy took his hand. “You really have no idea, do you?”

  “No idea about what?”

  “Cael has always said the city isn’t entirely safe. They have done what they can to try to protect us, but there are limitations to what the tchalit can do. She recognizes the role Rsiran plays.”

  “Fine. There are limitations to what we can do. Is that what you want me to say?”

  Lucy turned away from him. “I just wish the Elvraeth had committed more to protecting the Elder Trees.”

  “They left it to the guilds. Wasn’t that the agreement?”

  They reached a bend in the river. Lucy Slid, crossing it, and waited for Daniel to join her. Daniel didn’t have the same Sight as some and didn’t see the Slide as others had described it, with a shimmering sort of quality. He was aware of the change and little more than that. For a moment, she watched him from the other side of the river. Dressed in her deep green cloak, she looked lovely against the outline of the forest.

  “Where are you going?” he asked after Sliding over to her.

  “I just wanted to wander. This was where we found the body, and I thought…”

  “I don’t know that we should go wandering out where you came across a body.”

  “I thought you said we were safe?”

  “We are safe, but seeing as how the tchalit haven’t come out here…”

  “You know they care more about guarding the palace than anything else. They probably won’t even spend much time in the city on patrol, let alone take the time to get all the way out here.”

  “Fine. If you’re going to do this, I’ll help you look.”

  She Slid, emerging farther down the river. Daniel followed her, wondering what he would do if she decided to Slide beyond where he could see her. She was more talented with that particular ability, but then, he hadn’t ever really cared much to use it. It only mattered at times like these, when he didn’t want to walk.

  “You can head back to the palace. You don’t need to follow me out here.”

  “I don’t need to.”

  She turned toward him, the hint of a smile on her face making her lovelier. “You just want to, is that right? What do you hope will happen out here, Daniel Elvraeth? That I’ll let you toss me into the forest and have your way with me?”

  “That’s not—”

  She Slid again, and he cursed to himself before Sliding after her. This time she emerged near a stream. They had to be getting close to the edge of the forest, didn’t they? That was the edge of the Elaeavn lands—and farther than he wanted to go.

  “What are you looking for?” Daniel asked, keeping close to her.

  “She would have left some mark of her passing, I’m sure of it.”

  “The body you found?” Lucy nodded. “Unless she could Slide. Can the Forgers do that?” His knowledge of Forgers was limited to what he’d learned from stories, but most of that couldn’t really be true.

  “If you’d paid attention, you’d know that they can. The protections Rsiran placed around both the city and the forest are designed to prevent Sliding.”

  Daniel hadn’t made that connection before, but he should have. It was true. He didn’t often think about it, but partly that was because he had rarely ever Slid outside of the borders of Elaeavn. Even now, within the forest, they still were technically within the borders, and it wasn’t until they reached the edge of the trees that they would be prevented from Sliding.

  It was a boundary Lareth had placed long ago, along with others of the guilds. Supposedly it was for their protection, but just the same, it also held people within the city. Not that he normally minded.

  Lucy Slid forward, staying where he could see her.

  “How far out do you intend to go?” Daniel asked when he emerged from another Slide to follow her.

  The trees were beginning to thin, no longer as tall as they were deeper within the forest. Daniel glanced up, noticing the shifting position of the sun, thinking that perhaps they were spending too much time. Their absence would raise questions, especially after the attack, and he didn’t want to be gone so long that people worried about him.

  “Just to the edge of the forest. Not really any farther than this.”

  “What do you expect to find?” he asked.

  “I don’t really expect to find anything. I just…”

  There was movement in the distance.

  Daniel raised his hand, trying to motion Lucy to silence, and reached for his sword. It was lorcith, and the fact that Lareth had forged it gave it a certain status. Regardless of what he thought of the man, his work was unrivaled.

  She leaned close to him. “What did you see?”

  Her voice came in a whisper, drifting to his ears, and he almost shuddered. Under different circumstances, he would have thrilled at the closeness between them.

  “Some sort of movement, though I don’t really know what it was.”

  “Movement?” She leaned away from him and started to take a step when the flash of movement in the distance caught his attention again. “We should get the guild. If it’s the Forgers…”

  This time it was clearer.

  “It’s not the Forgers. It’s probably just some animal. Besides, I don’t See anything, if that helps.”

  She frowned and turned to look behind her. “I’m going to get the guild anyway. After that attack—”

  Lucy’s eyes widened, and she fell forward.

  Daniel grabbed her, trying to catch her before she fell to the ground. Blo
od stained her hair. Her eyes twitched.

  He looked back. Someone had attacked.

  Who?

  How had he not seen the attacker?

  Another shifting occurred, a sense of movement, and Daniel didn’t wait. He grabbed Lucy, and he Slid.

  As much as he hated it, he emerged in the heart of the Aisl. Lucy needed Healing, and finding it in Elaeavn would be harder than here. The Healer here was much more skilled than any he could quickly find in Elaeavn.

  He hurried for the Healer’s home, knocking on the door before stepping inside. The Healer came out from the back room, stirring a cup, glancing over at him. “What is this? Why have the Elvraeth—”

  “Look!” Daniel snapped. “It’s Lucy. I don’t know what happened. We were out at the edge of the forest and…” He brought her over to a cot near the fireplace, setting her down.

  The healer went to work, his hands working over her. He rolled her from side to side before pausing.

  “Where did you say you were?”

  “Out at the edge of the forest.”

  “Great Watcher, I thought they were defeated.”

  “Who? What happened?”

  Darren nodded to him. “Hold her by the shoulders. This is going to be difficult.”

  Darren grabbed Lucy. Since the attack, she hadn’t spoken, but every so often she would shake, a tremor working through her.

  Darren gripped the side of Lucy’s head and pulled.

  “Great Watcher,” the healer whispered.

  “What is it?”

  “Go and get Jessa.”

  “Who?”

  “Lareth’s wife. See if you can find her in the large home overhead.”

  Daniel nodded and raced out into the clearing. He’d seen Jessa Lareth only a few times, but he thought he could recognize her. He Slid to the home in the trees as the healer had suggested, but there was no one.

  He Slid back to the healer’s home. “I don’t know where to find her. What happened? Why do you need her?”

  Darren pointed to the back of Lucy’s head. A metallic object protruded from it.

  “What is that?”

  “It’s the same type of item the Forgers used to attack the forest.”

  “Then take it out.”

  “They can easily be removed when they hit soft tissue, but not when they hit something like this. It’s a delicate procedure.”

  “Can you Heal her?” He knew a little about his ability, enough to know that he had some special Healing talent.

  Darren sighed. “I can try.” He closed his eyes, holding his hands on either side of her shoulders. Whatever he did with his Healing caused Lucy to moan and shake, but then the shaking stopped. Her breathing started to ease, and she took a gasping breath. For a moment, Daniel feared she might not take another, but then she did.

  “I did everything I could,” he said. “I couldn’t remove the—Great Watcher!”

  “What is it?”

  “The object that struck her. Look at it.”

  The metal that had hit her in the back of the head remained, but now it was smooth, flush with her skull. “Did you push it into her head?”

  Darren shot him a hard look. “I would not have done that. It would only cause more damage. No, it’s as if the metal has begun to merge with her.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t either. Haern believed that the metal was at least partially lorcith.” The healer glanced up at him. “Do you think you can find Neran?”

  “I don’t know who that is.”

  Maybe it had been a mistake bringing Lucy here. Had he gone to the palace, he wouldn’t have had to go chasing after people he didn’t even know.

  “The smithy at the center of the clearing. He’ll be there.”

  Focusing on the smith, Daniel Slid.

  He emerged inside, light blazing around him. Flames leaped within the forge, the coals glowing a hot orange and red.

  “Are you Neran?” he asked the muscular man standing in front of the forge and grasping tongs that held a piece of metal over the coals.

  The man turned and glanced at Daniel. “I’m Luca. Neran is in the back. Why?”

  “Something happened. We need his help with metal.”

  Luca motioned toward the back of the smithy, and Daniel hurried over to it, his gaze lingering on a table laden with various items that had been forged. Their intricacy was astounding, but then again, these smiths were connected to lorcith, and they were able to use that connection to manipulate how they shaped it. Seeing the detail here gave him hope that the man might be able to help Lucy.

  At the door leading to a back office, Daniel paused before knocking. “Master Neran?” he asked, poking his head in the doorway.

  The man inside frowned. He was old, though he still showed evidence of the strength he once would have possessed. He was dressed in a finely woven jacket of blue-dyed yarn and sat with a book resting on his lap, staring at the pages when Daniel entered.

  “What is it?” he asked, eyeing Daniel with suspicion.

  “We need your help.”

  “Mine?”

  He nodded. “There’s been an attack.”

  “I heard about the attack. I’ve already looked to see if I can do anything, but it’s beyond my skill. We need Rsiran. He would be the one to fix this.”

  “I don’t know anything about what you’ve tried, but this is different. Can I show you?”

  Neran got to his feet and breathed out. “I never did care for Sliding.”

  That was an odd comment from someone whose son could Slide. Ignoring it, Daniel Slid, bringing them back to the healer’s home.

  Neran blinked, looking around. “Why here?”

  Darren sat near the hearth, a mug clutched in his hands, and got to his feet when they emerged from the Slide.

  “Master Neran. Good. I have something I might need your help with.”

  “So I’ve heard, but what is it?”

  In answer, the healer rolled Lucy over and pointed to the back of her skull. “Is there anything you can detect from this?”

  Neran’s eyes narrowed as he approached, focusing on the metal. Running his hands along the surface of Lucy’s skull, he shook his head. “It’s a lorcith alloy. I can’t determine anything more than that. And if you’re asking me to help remove it, I can’t do that, either. Perhaps my grandson could.”

  “He couldn’t, either,” the healer said. “He tried on the trees but wasn’t able to do anything.”

  “Then we’ll have to wait for Rsiran’s return for this, too,” Neran said.

  “I’m not sure Rsiran is going to return,” the healer said. “Haern and Jessa believe he was captured by the Forgers. They think that’s the reason the Forgers were willing to attack.”

  Neran’s jaw clenched. “And what’s being done about it?”

  “I’m not really privy to the details of the plan,” the healer said.

  Neran grunted. “No? No one’s going after him?”

  “There’s a plan in place, but like I said—”

  “You are not privy to the details,” Neran finished. He glanced down at Lucy and traced his finger around the metal. “There’s nothing I can do. If she lives through this, and if Rsiran does return, then I imagine he will be able to remove it.”

  Neran turned and headed out of the building.

  “She can stay here,” the healer said.

  “Has she come around?”

  “Not yet, but she’s breathing regularly. It appears almost as if she’s sleeping.”

  “Can she live through something like this?”

  “If it were going to kill her, I would imagine it would’ve done so by now. I’m not entirely certain what the Forgers had in mind with this, but…”

  Daniel could only nod. He sat next to Lucy for a little while, but when she didn’t awaken, eventually he headed out and started to make a circle of the clearing. He paused at one of the Elder Trees, staring at it. He’d only been to the forest a f
ew times but had always marveled at the trees. They were massive, towering over everything else, and he couldn’t shake the sense of power that radiated from them. Now, spikes protruded from their surface, the edges blunted. It was the same as what had happened to Lucy.

  His breath caught. “Great Watcher,” he said in a whisper.

  “What is it?”

  He spun around. Jessa Lareth was there, leaning on a cane. Her eyes were drawn, and worry lines wrinkled her brow. The last time he’d seen her had been in the palace, and she had appeared strong. Powerful. What he would expect for the leader of the people of the Aisl. “I went looking for you.”

  “So I’ve heard. That’s why I came to find you.”

  “The healer—”

  “Darren.”

  Daniel nodded. “Darren sent me after you.” He quickly told her about the attack on Lucy and how Darren had sent him to get Neran. “And now it looks as if these spikes are doing the same thing they did to Lucy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Has there been any effort to heal the trees?”

  “Of course there has. We can’t leave these spikes embedded in them.”

  “After what happened to Lucy, I think you have to, at least until we can figure out how to remove them.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I think any attempt to do otherwise would only be serving the Forgers’ goals.” He stared at the tree, running his hand along the spikes. What would happen to one of the Elder Trees once the spikes were fully embedded?

  What had happened to Lucy?

  “Great Watcher,” Jessa whispered.

  “Neran believes Rsiran is the only one who might be able to stop what’s happening here.”

  “I’m not even sure Rsiran could stop this. He didn’t know what was taking place with the alloy.”

  And if Lareth didn’t know, was there any way for them to figure it out? He was the most capable with lorcith.

  And if that were true, the Elder Trees would die.

  No. It was probably worse than that. With the spikes protruding from them, the Elder Trees would be turned over to the control of the Forgers.

  Did that matter?

  Looking at the way Jessa Lareth stared at the trees, he had to think it did.

  “Lucy needs his help.”

  Jessa clasped her hands in front of her before looking over at him. “Then we had better hope Haern succeeds in finding his father.”