Shadows of Lela

by Tessonja Odette

  “Our instructions were clear. We are to have as little contact with outsiders as possible.” The second voice was unfamiliar to me.

  “Well, I know that, but I don’t think the others care.”

  “You were responsible. You were on watch and you let them into our camp. Get rid of them, now!”

  “Kill them?” Gringe sounded excited.

  “Do whatever you need to do. Just get rid of them and hope Morkai never finds out.”

  I froze, losing contact with the voices. I could not believe the name I’d heard. Morkai. Morkai. Morkai. It rang through my head like a bell that marked the hour.

  I must not have heard him right. It’s not possible. I shook the name from my mind; there were more important things to worry about. If I had heard everything correctly, then Gringe was coming for me and my friends. I took a step away from the cave to quietly creep away.

  “You,” growled Gringe from behind me.

  I looked back at his towering silhouette, black against the faint light from within the cave. I tore into a run. It wasn’t long before I felt his crushing grasp.

  7

  An Unwanted Ally

  Teryn

  I stared at the words on the page in front of me, but none of them made sense considering how they swam before my tired eyes. I reread the same paragraph four times in a row and then gave up, realizing the words weren’t going to hold my attention any better with repetition. Instead, I flipped through the thin, yellowed pages and admired the illustrations.

  Here, a young unicorn is drawn to the virgin princess, read the caption beneath an ink drawing of a small unicorn laying its horned head in the lap of a smiling, young girl. I looked up from the drawing and my mind began drawing its own picture.

  Perhaps I can disguise Lex as a girl. I’m sure he’s a virgin…

  “What?” snapped Lex from across the table. “Why are you looking at me like that? You look insane.”

  I sighed. “I am nearly there. This is mind-numbing, all this reading! It’s well past eighth bell and we aren’t any closer to figuring out how to find one of these damned horned horses.”

  I slammed the book shut and pushed it away. I leaned back in my chair and stared up at the endlessly high ceiling of Dermaine’s library. We had been thumbing through page after page of historical and mythological textbooks, trying to find some clue as to how to find and catch a unicorn. Half of what we read was useless myth, and the other half was merely descriptions of brief encounters. It appeared my library lacked the useful information we needed.

  “Don’t get fussy with me,” Lex said. “I’m only here to help you, remember? It’s not my fault Helios has made this whole process so difficult.”

  “Yes, that man is a nuisance,” I said through clenched teeth.

  Lex thumped his finger on a page. “It says here that unicorns were once common in Le’Lana five-hundred years ago.”

  “Le’Lana?” I echoed. “Where is that?”

  Lex scratched his head and flipped the book from cover to cover. I caught a glimpse of the title, The Once and Former Magic of Ancient Le’Lana. “I don’t know. Was Lela once called Le’Lana? I don’t think this looks right. Here’s a map.”

  I glanced at the map he pointed to. The image showed a vast land mass divided into several large kingdoms marked by rivers, forests, mountains, lakes, and streams. It did not resemble my homeland in the slightest; Lela was a modest land divided by three small kingdoms, with only a handful of notable landmarks. “That isn’t Lela at all, Lex! What kind of books are you reading?”

  “The wrong kind, apparently.” Lex pushed the book away.

  “I don’t think we’re going to learn any accurate information from these books, anyway. Most of them were written too long ago to be judged as fact, and the current writings are nothing but reflections on the past.”

  “Then what do we do? We’ve been up here all day and all night. I missed lunch…and dinner too! And we’ve only got four more days until we leave.”

  I dropped my head into my hands and rubbed my temples. “All we can do is follow the information we do have. Lex, write this down.”

  Lex grumbled, but took out a quill and paper. “Fine. What do we know?”

  “We know there have been unicorn sightings somewhere in Lela. That means they do exist in this land, perhaps even in my own kingdom. Obviously, we start with the more remote forests of Lela. We can begin our hunt in the eastern forests of Mena, and then move our way north toward Kero. We’ll question the nearby villagers as we travel, and see if they have any helpful information. If we hunt all day, every day, we’re bound to find what we’re looking for.”

  Lex slammed the quill on the table. “That sounds crazy! What if Helios has already learned exactly where to find the unicorns?”

  “What other choice do we have?”

  We were interrupted by a heavy knock at the library door. The young doorguard entered, eyes wide and shoulders tense. “Ahem…I apologize for the interruption, Your Royal Highnesses, but you have a guest.”

  “No one is welcome here while I am at my private studies. You are to guard the door from all visitors while I have my current guest over. Was I not clear?”

  The doorguard’s eyes darted between Lex and me. “You see, this new guest is quite persuasive, and he knows about your, um, current guest as well.”

  My mouth hung open. Who could possibly have known about our secret meeting besides a handful of palace staff?

  “Who is this mystery guest?” Despite my irritation, I was curious. The last time this happened I was gifted with Lex, for better or for worse. Perhaps it was another person willing to help us.

  “Prince Helios of Norun, Your Highness.”

  “No. Absolutely not.”

  Lex looked like he was about to fall out of his chair. “What does he want?”

  “He won’t leave until you see him, Your Highness,” the doorguard said.

  I let out an agitated moan. “Fine, send him in.”

  A moment later, Prince Helios was before us, striding into the library with quick, deliberate steps. He gave us a quick bow, which I was loath to return. Lex’s bow was even slighter than my own.

  “Prince Helios of Norun, what a pleasure to make your acquaintance again,” I said without joy.

  “In other words, what do you want?” Lex narrowed his eyes at Helios. I bit back my laughter.

  Helios returned Lex’s glare beneath thick, bushy eyebrows. Turning a neutral gaze to me, he said, “I’m here to join your alliance.”

  His deep, toneless voice grated on my ears as much as his overconfidence grated on my nerves. I fought back the numerous retorts that threatened to spew from my lips. “What alliance do you speak of?”

  “The two of you are working together to complete the Quest, that I know. Why you have chosen to ally yourselves together is beyond me, but I want in.” As he spoke, his expression remained a stony mask with only his mouth fluctuating. I hated to imagine that mouth anywhere near Mareleau, and had to question her taste in men. Did she really choose this brute?

  I kept my composure. “Why should we work with you? Two against one clearly has an advantage.”

  I saw a flicker of something cross Helios’ face. Was it annoyance? His jaw shifted as if he were grinding his teeth. “I need your help.”

  Lex and I laughed. “You need our help?” I asked. “Aren’t you the one bribing information from my kingdom’s scholars and paying them not to tell us?”

  Helios gave a quick nod, but revealed no shame. “This is true. I have much information that you do not, which is why it would be wise for you to join me.”

  “I thought you said you needed our help. Why do you need it, and why should we help you?”

  Helios made a grumbling sound in his throat, although his face remained impassive. “After completing my initial investigation, I decided the best course of action would be hiring a hunting party.”

  “Wait,” Lex said. “Isn’t that against th
e rules of the Quest?”

  Helios again glared at Lex. “She said no guards. She didn’t say anything about a hunting party.”

  I tried to keep from blushing. How did I not think of that?

  Helios continued. “I then researched the most reputable hunting parties within reasonable distance, narrowed it down to the parties skilled and qualified for our specific task, and offered them generous compensation. Yet, for every messenger I dispatched, I received a refusal, if any answer at all. It appears they are all currently employed.”

  I couldn’t believe my ears. “You’ve literally queried all the hunting parties for hire?”

  “All the reputable, skilled, and qualified ones,” Helios corrected. “Unicorn hunting is not common sport. It is a very specific interest. Not any hunter will do.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Is unicorn hunting really so different from any other kind of hunt?”

  Helios’ mouth twitched with a hint of a smirk. “I take it the two of you don’t know the first thing about catching, killing, or de-horning a unicorn?”

  My eyes went wide, making my answer obvious.

  “Without a trained hunting party, you two are hopeless, which is why you need me. I, at least, know the basics of unicorn hunting.”

  “You still haven’t explained why you need us.” Lex crossed his arms over his chest.

  Helios made another grumble. “I don’t know what sport these hunting parties are currently after, but let’s suppose they are also hunting unicorns. That creates a lot of competition. Without a skilled leader, you two will die in the forests before you even catch wind of a unicorn. And I will be more successful with assistance, even if it comes from the two of you. Our only choice is to work together.”

  “And how do you suppose we do that?” I asked.

  “The three of us combine our strengths to find the three gifts. Once we have the three, we will each take one and deliver them to her together, showing our equal effort and worth.”

  I threw my hands in the air. “That’s ridiculous! Isn’t the whole point of the Quest to show which one of us is most worthy? If we return as equals, we are no better off than where we are today.”

  “Exactly. We can end this ridiculous Quest with a tie. Mareleau will then be forced to choose a suitor herself, or give us a more reasonable mission.”

  “Or choose none of us and send us all home.”

  Helios shrugged. “The choice is yours. This is my offer.”

  I turned and paced a few steps, rubbing my chin with my thumb. Was the risk worth it? Were things as dire as he said? How would Mareleau respond to a tie? I looked over at Lex, wondering how he was felt about the idea. He met my eyes with a look of uncertainty, followed by the slightest shrug of his shoulders.

  That’s when it dawned on me; Helios had no idea Lex had already forfeited to me. We could complete the Quest together, but Lex and I could somehow conspire for me to come away with two gifts, while Helios would have only one. It wasn’t a perfect plan and the deception made me uneasy, but it was probably the best plan we could have.

  I looked back at Helios, wondering if he had a similar plot secretly in mind. “How do we know we can trust you? How do we know you won’t betray us?”

  “You don’t, but what choice do you have? I have the information you need. I know how and where to find the unicorns. I know how to catch one, kill one, and remove its horn. Without me, you have nothing.”

  It made my stomach churn to admit he was right.

  Helios took a step toward me. “I have no desire to betray you. I just want this stupid Quest to be over. So, do we do this or not? Are we in alliance, or do I walk out that door with all the information you so desperately need?”

  I swallowed back the sick feeling rising in my throat. “Fine. We accept your assistance and welcome you into alliance.”

  Helios stuck out his hand, meeting mine with a bone-crushing grasp. Lex shook his hand as well, although by the look on his face you would think he was handling a snake. I tried my best to smile, but I couldn’t help feeling like I had just sold my soul to the devil himself.

  8

  The Cave

  Cora

  Don’t panic. Just breathe.

  It was easier said than done, considering I was bound by wrist and ankle, and gagged with cloth. I could see nothing beyond the dark nook near the mouth of the cave where Gringe had left me. Gringe had gone to find my friends, yet the nameless man remained inside. Besides him, the cave seemed empty.

  But was it?

  I extended my power, almost certain I felt other minds nearby, yet I heard no voices to prove it. I sensed a hint of distress, but its source was unfamiliar. With my outer senses, I heard an occasional scratching sound, like metal grinding against stone.

  “The other two are gone, Jarod,” came the voice of Gringe as he stormed through the mouth of the cave. I craned my neck to watch him pass in front of my nook. Just before he disappeared from sight, I caught glimpse of a dark-haired girl hanging limp over his shoulder. Maiya.

  “I sent the men to hunt them down,” I heard Gringe say from within the cave. “They’ve been ordered to kill the two other girls and whomever else they come across. I put my sword through that young fool, James, of course.”

  “Why aren’t you with the men, tracking the girls?” asked the man named Jarod.

  “Because I had to return this.”

  “Why is she still breathing?”

  “I figured we can use these two girls as bait in case the other two can’t be found. Perhaps their people will come looking for them. If not, we can do whatever we like with them…and then kill them.” The laughter in Gringe’s voice made my teeth grind.

  “We didn’t come here to play with witches or their rat following. If our men are as drunk as you say they are, then what good will they do tracking the girls? Go after them and clean up this mess you’ve made!”

  I heard a growling curse and saw Gringe stomp past as fast as he’d come in.

  Now think, think! I tried my best to ease my terror and steady my mind, allowing me to access my power. I had to do something; I had to at least try.

  Let the dark feelings go, I imagined Salinda saying in her calming voice. There was no better time to use all the wisdom she had instilled within me. She’d trained me to be stronger than this, to be stronger than fear.

  I emptied my mind, breathed deep, and summoned my inner power. I filled my consciousness with nothing but the rope wrapped tightly around my wrists and ankles. I focused on the harsh feeling against my skin. I thought about every strand woven together, and every fiber that made up each strand. I thought back through its very composition to the beginning, until it was indistinguishable from the skin it touched.

  It was no different from me. Therefore, it was under my control.

  I saw the fibers moving, transforming. I saw them change the formation of the strands. I saw the strands loosen from their tight coil within the rope.

  The sound of slow footsteps from the inner cave threatened to shatter my concentration, but the rope was loosening.

  The footsteps neared.

  My heart quickened but my focus held steady. Finally, I felt the rope fall from my wrists. Suppressing my surprise that I had accomplished such a feat, I continued to free myself, removing my gag and untying the ropes at my ankles. I pushed myself deeper into the nook, pressing myself against the cold, hard stone. I felt nothing but stone all around me. I became the stone.

  I held my breath as Jarod crept slowly in front of the nook. “Now, where is that other little beast?” He was half obscured by shadow, but I could see that he was tall and muscular with wiry, shoulder-length hair, and an angular, bearded face. The way he walked, slinking step by step, reminded me of a wolf stalking his prey. It was obvious why he was the authority amongst the pack of hunters.

  He looked into the nook and saw my discarded ropes and gag. He strode forward to retrieve them, his fierce gaze scanning the walls within. At one point, he l
ooked directly at me, and I feared the glamour I had conjured had failed, but I kept my focus on the stone around me until his gaze moved elsewhere.

  He cursed under his breath and took his search to the mouth of the cave. “Where are you?” I heard him shuffle from one side to the other. I extended my power and opened myself to sense his distress; he wanted to go after me, but also wanted to guard the cave.

  I moved my focus to one of the trees outside the cave. I thought about the bark, the branches, the leaves. I thought about the snap of a twig from one of its boughs.

  A moment later, I heard the loud snap coming from outside, followed by a curse from Jarod and his pounding footsteps as he left the cave.

  I slipped out from the nook and crept into the inner cave. It was a wide space, lit with a modest fire burning in the center. The high cave walls were lined with massive wooden cages. Next to the nearest cage laid Maiya.

  I ran to her and put my hand on her cheek. It was still warm. I braced myself to lift her when movement from within one of the cages caught my eye. I paused and stared between the filthy bars, suppressing a shout when I saw what was behind them.

  A unicorn. The cage held a unicorn.

  Never had I seen such a creature, but the Forest People revered them in their tales. I loved hearing about the majestic unicorn and their gentle yet powerful magic. However, the unicorn before me was anything but majestic. It was a mud-splattered white, and wobbled back and forth on its thin, bony legs. It blinked slowly at me, as if every subtle move was strained.

  I looked down the row of cages. Each one appeared to be occupied by the massive form of a unicorn. Yet, of the dozen cages, all but two held corpses. The only other living unicorn was in the next cage over from the white. It was a deep chestnut brown, even thinner than the white, and had thick clumps of dark-red blood surrounding the base of its long, ivory horn. One of its eyes locked on mine and I felt as if I had been struck in the chest—pain, hunger, distress, and insanity flooded my awareness. I felt like I would retch from the agony.