by E. L. Todd
She studied the side of his face for a while. “Callon?”
After a pause, he turned his face toward her.
“You said you’ve considered the Spirit Ceremony…”
He held her gaze, his eyes hard.
“I could never lose you…just so you know.”
His eyes softened before he turned away. He grabbed his lunch and returned it to his pack before he stood up. “Let’s get back to work.”
She watched him go for a moment before she followed him.
He grabbed one of the branches and tossed it at her.
The second the branch was in her hands, he came at her hard, as if it were first thing in the morning and they were both rested.
She barely had time to react, to block his blow.
“Never drop your guard. Ever.” He hit her again and again, the branch spinning around and hitting her on the shoulder and the arm.
She hit his branch with hers and managed to strike him in the side.
But every time she was successful, he ramped up his skills, overriding her victory with more failures.
She was quickly overwhelmed but kept trying, kept scooting back as he came at her, digging her boots in the ground when she was at the tree line.
CORA!
She gasped and instantly fell to her knees, her fingers releasing the wood of the branch.
Callon brought his branch to her throat, like the blade was right against her neck. “Get up.”
Her world became blurry, the voice echoing in her mind over and over. The ground shook beneath her knees. She fell forward, and her hands caught her before she hit the ground.
Callon tossed his branch aside and dropped to her level. “Cora? Are you okay?” His hand went to her shoulder, and he examined her face, his eyes frantic with concern.
But his face was a blur, his words muted.
CORA, CAN YOU HEAR ME?
Yes…I’m here.
His voice was the same as she remembered, but it was different now, full of panic and tears. We need your help.
She grabbed her pack from the edge of the stream and shouldered it before she headed to the trail.
Callon followed her. “Cora, what’s going on?”
Like he wasn’t even there, she blocked him out. What’s going on?
Rush and I have been captured. We’re at Rock Island.
I…I don’t even know what Rock Island is.
It’s an island off the west coast of Anastille. It’s where the king mines for minerals and ores.
Okay. What do you need me to do?
Get here and save us. Please.
She descended the hill, moving quickly even though she had no plan whatsoever.
“Cora?” Callon grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her toward him.
She held up a hand. “Please…just give me a second.” How do I do that?
Figure it out. Because Rush…he really needs help. Tears came through, sobbing tears.
She didn’t ask for specifics because his tears were enough. It caused her tears too. I’ll get there as fast as I can.
I have to go. He needs me. He left her mind.
Once his presence was gone, she felt weak.
Panic. Terror. Guilt. It all swept through her at once.
Callon came back into focus, his image blurry because of her tears. “I have to leave Eden Star.”
His hand dropped from her shoulder as he absorbed the situation, his eyes shifting back and forth. A deep breath entered his lungs, and then he slowly let it out to brace for whatever came next. “You were talking to someone.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Someone I love. He’s been captured at Rock Island…and I have to save them.”
“Wait, he or them?”
“Them.”
“You need to be more specific here—”
“Callon, I don’t have time. They’re being tortured. I have to get going.” She continued on her way down the hill, moving into a run.
Callon kept up with her. “Cora, talk to me.”
She ran faster, knowing she couldn’t waste her breath talking, not when she had to invest all her energy in moving as quickly as she could.
She ran up the vines to her tree house with perfect balance and grabbed her sword from the corner. It was wrapped in cloth, so she unraveled it and attached it to her hips. She opened the top of her pack and took whatever was useful, like a change of clothes and extra food.
Callon emerged seconds later, blocking the door. “Tell me what’s going on.”
She put her pack back on and faced him. “I have to save my friends. Please get out of my way.”
He held his ground. “Who are these friends?”
“What does it matter?”
“It matters because you’re going to risk your life and lose it. A friend isn’t worth that.”
“They’re more than friends…they’re family.” Her heart continued to race even though she’d stopped running minutes ago. There was so much anxiety, so much stress, it was about to consume her. “I’m sorry, Callon. I have to go.” She moved to the door.
He stepped in her way. “I can’t let you.”
She stepped back, her eyes narrowed.
“Do you know where Rock Island is?” he asked incredulously. “How are you going to get there? It’s a month’s journey—at least. By the time you get there, they’ll be dead and gone, and you’ll put your life at risk for no reason. This is where you belong.”
“I’ll figure out a quicker way.”
“How?” he pressed.
“I…I just will.”
“Even if you do, you literally stand no chance against King Lux’s men. None.”
“I know that.”
Disappointment burned in his eyes. “Then stay.”
“I can’t… I have to go.”
“For what reason? So, you can be captured and slaughtered?” He stepped forward, backing her up into the tree house. “I can’t let you do this. I…I can’t lose you.” His eyes softened momentarily, the emotion consuming him.
“Then come with me.”
A deep breath escaped his nostrils, making them flare out. “I can’t do that. I can’t leave Eden Star without Queen Delwyn’s permission—and she will never grant it.”
She swallowed the disappointment and hid it as much as possible. “I understand. But whether you come with me or not, I have to go. Even if that means facing death, I still need to do it. They saved me—now it’s my turn to save them.”
His eyes fell, agony visible all over his face. “Sor-lei. Please don’t.”
“Sor-lei…?”
“Niece.”
A film formed over her eyes, reflecting the sunlight that came through the door behind him. The look in his eyes was too much, so she dropped her chin to the floor. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me…” She moved into his chest and embraced him for the first time, her arms moving around his impressive size and holding tight, holding on to the only family she had left.
He was unresponsive, his arms remaining by his sides.
She waited for him to hold her back, but the affection never came. Careful to avoid his gaze, she stepped around him. “Goodbye, Callon.”
Twenty-Three
The Test of Loyalty
“Take a seat.” A crown of white flowers sat about her head, matching the sleeved white gown she wore. At the head of the table, she sat with her hands together on the surface, her green eyes still brilliant despite the fading sunlight. She dropped her gaze and looked at the armchair to her left.
Callon remained standing, his arms by his sides, his battle armor covering his skin, his bow slung across his back, a new set of vambraces over his arms. “No need. This will only take a moment.”
Intrigued, she narrowed her eyes.
“I request permission to leave Eden Star.”
Her eyes remained narrowed, and she slowly leaned forward, coming closer to him. “What would warrant such a
request? A request that hasn’t been made in hundreds of years.”
He stared at her, his eyes hard as steel.
“Can you honestly expect me to grant this endeavor without explanation?”
“Cora needs my aid.”
The second the name was spoken into the air, her beautiful face turned livid but unsurprised. “I don’t care if that human needs your aid. You serve me—not her. If she wishes to depart this forest, then good riddance. Hoped it would happen sooner.”
“Your Majesty, I understand your coldness toward her because of the situation, but you must remember that my circumstance regarding her is much different from yours.”
She pursed her lips tightly together, the anger becoming physical as the breeze picked up and moved through her hair. “Our circumstances are the same. Just because my husband decided to sow his seeds in some human whore doesn’t make her and me family—nor does it with you. My answer is no. She can depart Eden Star if she wishes, but she will not take my general with her.”
General Callon remained, his body so still that it seemed as if he forgot to draw breath.
“You’re dismissed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He gave a bow before he turned to depart.
He made it to the edge of the platform, walking under the trees, and approached the wooden stairway.
But then he halted.
He could feel her gaze boring into his back, feel her anger rise as the breeze picked up.
“I said you’re dismissed.”
He turned back around and approached her, his hands clenching at his sides. “I’ve given my life for the elves of Eden Star—as has my family. I’ve lost everything dear to me in your service, a duty that I take honorably. I’m asking this as repayment for my devotion.”
Her hands came apart, her fingers starting to drum against the table. “Don’t misunderstand me, General. Your service has been appreciated for thousands of years, and you’re a symbol of strength to all the people you serve. There’s no wish I wouldn’t grant. But this is different. My answer will not change.”
Callon stared her down, his chest rising and falling with breaths that quickened, with frustration he couldn’t voice.
“You’re dismissed—”
“I will go anyway, Your Majesty.”
Queen Delwyn’s fingers stilled at his announcement, and her piercing gaze punctured his armor. Her hands flattened against the surface of the table as she slowly rose to her feet, her dress billowing in the wind. “You turn your back on me—for her?”
“My back will never turn, Your Majesty. My loyalty to you is unbreakable. But this is something I must do.”
“Why—”
“Because she’s all that I have.” His nostrils flared as his breathing accelerated and the anger got the best of him. “I lost Weila in your service. I lost Turnion in your service. I lost Tiberius in your service. She’s all I have left.”
There was only rage in her eyes, no hint of compassion. “When you leave Eden Star, don’t return. Because I will execute you myself. Think clearly here, Callon. Because she’s not worth your life.”
“I’d chosen to pass in the Spirit Ceremony. The loss of my family hadn’t gotten easier in time, only worse. My grief had overcome my duty to Eden Star. But all that changed when she stepped foot in these woods. She’s given me something to live for—and I will die for her. When I return to these woods, do what you must. If she perishes, you’d be doing what I would do myself.”
Twenty-Four
Tor-Lei
Cora recognized the moment she departed Eden Star.
The birds turned quiet. The gentle hum of the heart of the forest disappeared. That peace that washed over her like gentle waves vanished. It was like a beautiful dream had lifted—and now she was back to harsh reality.
The physical turmoil of separation was painful, like her soul was being ripped from her body in a brutal way.
But that wasn’t enough to make her turn back.
Something stronger pulled her forward.
She ran through the grass, through the trees, and continued on her way, knowing she had to come up with a plan to get to Rock Island quickly. If she took too long, Callon would be right.
They would be dead by the time she got there.
She had to fly.
But how did you fly without a dragon?
She reached the edge of the forest at nightfall, and instead of running in the darkness without the protection of the trees, she camped for the night. With just her bedroll, she lay under the stars, unable to sleep because all she could think about was the torture Rush and Flare both faced.
Her heart hurt so much.
The stars were brighter here than they were at home and easily visible without the canopy of trees blocking them from her view in her tree house. She could actually see them twinkle, and it instantly reminded her of her journey with Rush.
All the conversations. All the banter. The closeness.
A shadow passed overhead, blocking the starlight for just an instant.
She blinked, unsure what she saw.
But then it dawned on her.
The Shamans.
At first light, she made a fire.
More like a bonfire.
She harvested all the dead wood she could find and tossed it on top, causing the fire to grow bigger, making it reach feet into the air, the sky still dark enough to capture the attention of anyone looking for something.
She cupped her mouth and yelled to the sky. “I’m right here! Come and find me!” She waved her arms in the air and spun in a circle. “This is such a bad idea, but whatever.” She put her hands on her hips and stood there, watching the skies.
Then she spotted it.
The dark spot on the horizon.
It was flying right toward her.
She drew her bow and prepared an arrow, keeping her aim on the moving dot. Closer it came, becoming bigger and bigger, the indistinct features becoming clearer. In a black cloak with its face hidden, the Shaman rode his steed right toward her, beginning his dive.
She inhaled a breath then held it in her lungs, her arrow following him until the perfect moment.
She let the arrow fly. “Come on…”
It flew through the air, arcing along the perfect trajectory, and hit its target.
The Shaman fell from the sky and landed somewhere over the next hill.
“Yes.” She sheathed her bow then took a seat, adopting the position Callon had taught her. “Okay…clear your mind. Chill out…quickly.” She took a few deep breaths and cleared her mind the best she could.
Then she reached out.
It took a moment for her to feel it, but when she did, she knew she’d found her target.
The steed felt her penetrate his mind, and his response was hostile, pushing back as much as possible.
She kept her mind trained on him and evoked feelings of friendship, of calmness, shared images of her relationship with the red cardinal.
He continued to resist.
But she kept trying. “Come on…”
They didn’t have the same language or the same beliefs, so communicating with a servant to something dark and foul was nearly impossible.
But she had to make this work.
If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have a ride to Rock Island.
And the Shaman would reach her and hold her captive again.
The steed started to come closer and closer, opening his mind further, whether for curiosity or comfort, she wasn’t sure.
Then she felt it.
Felt his presence right in front of her.
She opened her eyes, and there it stood, solid black with matching eyes, looking like a moose with wings, its sharp teeth sticking out of his mouth even when it was closed. Its black wings were folded against his body, and he made quiet snarling sounds as he regarded her, still hesitant. “Good boy.” She got to her feet and reached out her hand.
He immediately backed away, lowering his head i
n a defensive stance.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” She pushed her mind out again, showing him the peace she felt in the forest, giving him serenity he’d probably never felt in his existence.
He raised his head and stopped backing away.
“I need a favor. You think you can help me?” She showed him an image of her riding him, taking a long journey across Anastille to the island off the coast. “I need to be somewhere—fast.”
He bowed his head again.
“Please.”
More threatening snarls came out, his razor-sharp teeth rubbing against one another.
She reached into her pack and pulled out the fruit she’d brought with her, an assortment of berries. “I’m not sure if you eat this, but…” She put it on the ground between them.
He came over, sniffed it, and then snarled more.
“Okay…you don’t like fruit.” She reached into her pack again and withdrew a bundle of flowers she’d brought, a piece of Eden Star that could provide her comfort in her travels.
He straightened at the sight of it and came a little closer.
“You like flowers?” She put them on the ground next to the berries.
He sniffed them again before he munched them down.
She pulled out another one then showed him an image of sliding it into his hair behind his ear.
His mind turned warm, as if he liked the idea.
“Would never think someone like you would have any vanity…” She came closer, inching gently, a little wary of those sharp teeth. His dark eyes watched her the entire way, but he didn’t make any sudden movements.
Then she slipped it into his hair. “There…beautiful.”
Without words, he asked for a picture.
She showed him what she saw.
He felt warm once again.
She smiled, realizing that everything Callon said was right, that all life was beautiful. “Great. We need to get going.” She shouldered her pack and approached the steed, ready to climb aboard and hold on for dear life.