by J F Rogers
“Thank you.” I sipped the buttery brew I’d grown to crave each morning. The hot liquid warming my insides, I held the mug in both hands to heat them.
Another servant came by and set a plate before each of us.
King Abracham rose. “King Aleksander has bestowed me with the honor of thanking God for our meal.” He bowed his head. “Heavenly Father, thank You for this meal and, again, for returning King Aleksander’s kingdom. May peace and prosperity reign throughout these lands as You bless Your servants. I pray the selkie would arrive safely and soon so we may resume our quest You’ve set before us, amen.”
A chorus of amen rang throughout the hall. Abracham returned to his seat and adjusted his Merlin beard in his lap. Shuffling and clinking filled the hall as people donned their napkin and dug into their meal.
“What is this again?” I asked, cutting into the long roll dusted in cinnamon.
“Breacag.” My mother leaned in from my left. “It’s like a rolled pancake. This one is stuffed with a baked apple mixture.”
The slice fell on its side, spilling dark juices. I cut a smaller piece, speared the doughy goodness and a fragment of apple, dragged it through the sauce, and plopped it in my mouth. Oh. My. Deliciousness. A cross between cinnamon rolls and apple pie sent my taste buds into instant ecstasy. Colleen hadn’t been exaggerating.
“Delicious, isn’t it?” my mother asked.
I nodded, hiding my mouth behind a hand as I chewed. So good.
Yet again, I’d found a refuge. I closed my eyes in silent thanks to God for giving us times of reprieve between the trials. I wanted to help the Ain Dìleas and everyone else get their lands back. But to a lesser degree than when I was in Kai’s little paradise. I recalled the serene blue waters lapping against the submerged balconies and sighed. It was the closest I’d ever experienced to a true home. Perhaps I’d return someday.
Although Bandia didn’t compare to Kai’s sanctuary, it was nice, especially now that our faith was not only tolerated but also shared and welcomed. Though Pepin was probably the only pech in our ranks who believed in God. And many of the selkie probably weren’t believers either. But they didn’t complain. Hopefully, they’d become believers. I snuck a peek at Kai. He’d never professed any kind of belief either. Should I talk to him about that?
Kai chewed a mouthful. He must’ve felt my eyes on him. He viewed me askance and smiled.
This probably wasn’t the best place for such a conversation. Instead, I stuffed my mouth with more breacag.
How much time did we have left? The selkie could arrive any day. As soon as they did, we’d resume our mission. The minute we set foot on another ship, I’d lose my comforts, and life itself will become a battlefield once more with my constant companions—fear and uncertainty—threatening to devour me. My gut clenched just with me imagining it. Life on board a ship was horrible—rations of indigestible could-survive-the-apocalypse food, including biscuits that broke teeth and salted meats that caused instant dehydration. My mouth suddenly dry, I reached for my water glass and gulped it down, then almost snickered over what so much liquid would lead to. And shipboard, the facilities left much to be desired.
Then, once on land, we’d be in fasgadair territory. We’d have an army, including many redeemed and the triplet fire. But we’d also have limited food. And the journey alone, constant walking—sometimes through muck and rain, steep inclines, thorny bushes. My back ached as I thought of sleeping on the ground again.
Bandia may not be Kai’s paradise or home, but I really didn’t want to leave.
Chapter Fifteen
◊◊◊
“YOU SURE YOU DON’T want to come for a swim with me?” Kai wiped his mouth, threw his napkin on his plate, stood, and pushed in his chair.
“I wish I could,” I half-whined. Swimming with him in dolphin form was tempting. “But I—”
“I know. I know. You need to build your wings’ strength in case you have to fly.” He spoke in a mocking tone. “You’re so predictable.” He quirked his lips. “I assume we’re still on for a hike?”
“Of course. Every day.” I nudged his arm. “See you in an hour.” I trekked outside the castle, uphill to the field just right of the fortress and ducked into a shielding mass of shrubs. My changing spot.
After removing my clothes, I transformed into a falcon and hopped free of the shelter. The sunlight warmed my little body. I stretched and shook my feathers, then preened to rid those that had molted and align them for flight. It was nice to have the opportunity to keep myself in prime shape. Once the battle began, I might not have the chance.
Prepped for flight, my pinions lifted me off the ground with less effort than when I’d begun training. People and all my cares shrunk beneath me as I rose. My enhanced eyesight noted the slightest movement with crystal clarity. I inhaled the sweet air, allowing a westerly wind to carry me toward the fields between the castle and the mountains.
For the next forty-five minutes, I practiced evasive maneuvers—flips, spirals, and dips—anything to help me avoid arrows or fasgadair in bird form. And the most important maneuver with which I had an advantage over every other type of bird—the dive.
I climbed higher and higher until the air thinned. The few clouds in the sky floated below me. I ducked back below the clouds and spotted the kids on the “mountain” and chuckled in my mind. As I suspected, they were bringing the kids on a walk on the hills before the mountains. I swooped low. Colleen spotted me and waved like crazy. Corwin, Nialla, and Beagan saw what caught her attention and waved too. I circled around for another pass. Every kid on the hike jumped and waved. I squawked at them as I soared past.
Then I ascended back through a cloud, banked toward the water, and tucked into a dive, hoping Kai might see me show off my speed. I gained momentum as I plummeted and sensed I was approaching a new personal record. I wished someone could clock my speed. Pepin might be able to with his internal clock. But he wasn’t here. It had to be upward of two hundred miles per hour. The air whizzed through my feathers as the sea rushed toward me. Just as I feared I might crash into the water, I spread my wings. My feet skimmed the water, and my tiny heart pulsed like a strobe light.
Kai leapt from the ocean. And, for a moment, it was as if we were flying side-by-side. Then he fell back into the sea. I banked back around, and he reemerged before me, undulating to stay above water, cackling as he went, before flopping sideways with a splash. I returned to the heights and flew into the headwinds to strengthen my wings.
When my time was up, I circled my changing spot to ensure nothing lurked about, then dropped to my clothes hidden in the shrubs. I changed back to my more familiar human form and gravity settled in, weighing me down along with ever-looming heaviness of what was to come.
Trying to shake it off, I dressed and headed to the fortress to meet Kai for our hike.
A guard poked his head from the open window on the upper level as I walked past. “I could set my clock by you.”
I laughed. My bird-self had a keen sense of time that required no thought. It was instinct.
But what I still couldn’t understand was—how did I have no fear when flying? In human form, I was still afraid of heights… among many other things.
Kai jogged up the hill, shaking water from his hair. This was my favorite time to watch him. Swimming invigorated him. He looked so alive, like he could conquer the world. “Ready?”
I nodded, and we fell in step with each other, passing the fortress to the trail into the Cnatan Mountains. The first few times we ventured this trail, I wanted to turn back. Between the unseasonable heat and difficult terrain, I wasn’t up to the challenge. But two weeks had done wonders. I breezed down the hill and up the rocky path. I still wished I had thought to pack hiking boots. But they would’ve added too much weight and bulk to my already overstuffed pack.
It was probably just as well. I’d lost much of what I had at the stronghold and in the shipwreck. It would b
e easier to travel without so much stuff. I managed just fine last year when I was dragged through the megalith with nothing but the clothes I wore and Drochaid. And I never considered how much of a burden it would be on my friends. An image of Pepin sandwiched between my pack and his own sitting on Wolf’s laden back sprang to mind. I cringed at the thought. Yup. Better to have less.
Still, I was happy to have recovered some of my things from my first visit to Bandia. Extra jeans, T-shirts, and my selkie dress were most important.
But my journal. Losing that hurt. I could only hope I’d find it in the stronghold.
We reached the ridge and started back the way we’d come.
“Are you going to practice archery with me today?” I followed Kai down a steep slope. Unable to stop my momentum, I ran into him.
He turned just in time to catch me.
My face warmed as my forearms braced against his chest. “Sorry.” I stepped back.
“My pleasure.” His dimples made another spectacular appearance. “I’m happy to catch you.”
I let out an unattractive snort as I pushed past him down the hill. Why did he always say things like that? Why did it make me react in unpredictable, repelling ways? Was I trying to push him away? Better get a grip before I succeeded.
We walked the rest of the way in silence. I didn’t have much breath, anyway. We’d chosen the most aggressive trail I was willing to take. There were worse trails in the Cnatan Mountains. Much worse. People usually returned battered and bruised from those hikes. No thanks.
We arrived in the archery practice field where Maili assisted others with their aim. Kai had never answered my question. But he stuck around, so he must be planning to practice.
Maili waved as we approached. She never smiled. She’d lost Shimri not too long ago. Zakur’s father. Judging from the goodbye she gave Zakur when we left for Bandia, they had feelings for each other. Was she still mourning Shimri’s loss? Or missing Zakur? Probably both.
And she had none of her own people here. I mean, we’re all gachen and she’s among our family of believers, but she had no other tree folk from Kylemore. She must feel like an outsider. As the only half-human from America… or anywhere in the human realm, I could understand. But it was different for me. I wasn’t among the last of my clan. If anything happened to Zakur, would she be the last of hers?
Ryann sprang to mind, and I kicked myself for doing the same thing with Maili. She didn’t make it easy, but I should at least try to get to know her better.
Kai and I headed to the rack of bows. I picked the same one I always chose with the grip wound in a leather strip adorned in aqua beading. The tension was perfect and offered me more success than the other bows I’d tried.
I nocked my bow, anchored it against my mouth, and channeled my anger as I focused on the bull’s-eye. Morrigan. The reason everything went wrong in my life. The reason my family split. The reason my father died. The reason my nasty grandmother raised me. Hate and fury rose within me, through my eyes and arms as I focused on my mark. I released the string, and the arrow shot forward, straight into the target’s center. And the string didn’t smack me in the arm.
“Woohoo!” I raised my arms in the air and jumped.
Kai lowered his weapon. “This is why I don’t like shooting with you.” But his grin belied his words. He shook his head, waited for me to simmer down, and set up his shot.
“Pfft.” The arrow whizzed through the air and shot the target dead-on.
A smug smirk curved his full lips. “I believe that’s closer to center than yours.”
I scoffed. “It’s in the target.” I left my mouth hanging open, feigning hurt, as I motioned toward the arrow sticking out of the center circle. “It’s a perfect shot.”
“It’s not as in the center as mine is.” He waited for the other trainees to take their shots, then stepped toward the targets.
“And this is why I don’t like shooting with you.” I chased after him.
Upon closer inspection, he was right. But I couldn’t give him the satisfaction. “See? It’s in the center.” I yanked my arrow from the target.
It was his turn to pretend to be upset. “Uh—You just—” He pointed at me. “You did that on purpose. You know it wasn’t as centered as mine.”
“I know no such thing.” With an air of superiority, I spun and returned to the practice line.
“Are you two finished?” Maili approached us.
Kai and I grinned at each other and laughed.
She crossed her arms, her scowl reminding me of Ryann once more though they looked nothing alike. Maili resembled the selkie with her dark eyes and hair that shone like obsidian. But her skin wasn’t as dark. And her deep-set eyes, arched eyebrows, and high cheekbones looked like no other selkie I’d seen. Ryann was the polar-opposite in features with dazzling green eyes that, had she lived in my realm, I would’ve believed were colored contacts and wavy, reddish blonde hair. But their motherly, no-nonsense personalities were similar.
It had taken a while to warm up to Ryann. And I’d wished I’d done so sooner, particularly after she was killed. One thing Ariboslia taught me—you never knew when your time was over.
Chapter Sixteen
◊◊◊
MAILI HUNG AROUND AS Kai and I practiced. What did she want? Perhaps I should take this opportunity to get to know her. As Kai set up his next shot, I edged closer to her. “What’s up?”
She squinted into the sky.
“No, not up.” I changed tactics. “You look like you want to say something.”
“You’re doing well with the bow. You should practice your hand-to-hand combat.”
I hated nothing more than practicing with Maili. I rested the bottom of the bow by my foot, careful not to put weight on it. The thing was solid, but I didn’t want to risk snapping it in half. “If I end up in a face-off with Morrigan, with or without weapons, trust me, nothing you teach me will save my life.”
“Trust me, Fallon. Repeated practice is necessary to instill the movements into your muscles, making your responses automatic. You may find yourself in an altercation with another fasgadair.”
“The only things that will save me against a fasgadair are the triplet fire, a blood-dipped arrow, or letting the thing bite me.”
Face scrunching, she threw me an unimpressed look. “There’s a good chance Morrigan is aware of the power of redeemed blood. If she hasn’t figured it out yet, she will soon. When we arrive on my homeland, the fasgadair will likely be too smart to risk biting anyone. And what if you’re separated from your brothers, lose your bow, or run out of arrows? I thought you wanted to be prepared for anything? That’s what you keep saying, isn’t it?”
“I do. That’s why I’ve been practicing.” Why was I arguing with her? It was a waste of time, and I was supposed to be bonding. “You’re right. Sorry. I’ll try to quit being so negative.”
Kai waved. “I’m off to help with swords.” He sauntered away.
“Fallon, I need you to take this seriously. Ridding Ariboslia of Morrigan depends on you.” A flash of doubt broke through her stony expression. She set her jaw and rested her hands on her hips.
Yeah. Get rid of Morrigan. No pressure.
“If you don’t… ” Her eyebrows twitched, threatening to break her façade. She took the bow from my hand.
Was this the opportunity I was waiting for? I had to reach her before she shut down again. “What’s really bothering you?”
She stared at me, and an uncomfortable silence reigned between us. “Shim—” Her voice broke, and her hand flew to her mouth. She clenched her jaw.
I’d never seen her falter. I squeezed her shoulder, wishing I could say something—anything.
She backed away from my grip and steeled herself, forcing the words out. “I pray Zakur is still alive.” She blew out air as if attempting to release her emotions as her fingers played with her tunic hem. “I’ll be all right. God is with me.”
She regained control. “But I fear I may be the last of my clan.”
I sucked in my breath. “But the kid—the cheetah. We sent him to Notirr and Kylemore.” The Cael made it out. Why not the Arlen? “Didn’t you get the warning in time?”
“The boy you sent fulfilled his quest. But we received the news a day behind the Cael. They’d borrowed our only ship for trade with Bandia. Our only chance to escape was to meet them.”
The trainees lined up their shots, and several arrows flew in succession, filling the air with the sound of rubbing corduroy.
“But the boy never returned, and we were running out of time. We couldn’t leave on foot and live as refugees on the land without splitting up into smaller groups. So, the elders opted to stay and fight, trusting our abilities among the trees and our hidden homes to protect us.” Maili rubbed the gooseflesh on her arms. “We didn’t know there’d be so many fasgadair or that they would burn our village.” She worked to keep her voice steady.
“As you saw. A portion of our forest village survived along with three elephants. I pray Zakur and the elephants are still okay, so I can return and we can rebuild our clan.” Her shoulders slumped. “And I still have to tell him his father is dead.”
“But what about the watchmen, surely you and Zakur aren’t the only two Arlen left.”
“There are two, both elderly. I can only hope they—” Maili’s voice cracked. She blew out a breath and clenched her jaw. “I just hope they’re all still alive. Many of the children were taken prisoner.” She straightened to her full height and squared her shoulders. “I must find them. And I need your help.”
And I thought I had problems. It sounded like she planned to marry Zakur, not Declan. I was curious how she felt going against her parents’ wishes but couldn’t bring myself to ask. Given the extreme change of circumstances, wouldn’t they approve? What little I understood of Ariboslia had flipped upside down since my first visit last year.
I scanned Maili. Her set jaw. Her hardened charcoal eyes that, when scrutinized, betrayed her uncertainty. Her firm grip on the sword by her hip. She was preparing for battle, and I was goofing off. How would I feel if my hopes to rescue my people—kids—came down to a twerp like me? Humbled, I nodded. “Okay. I’m sorry I haven’t been taking the combat portion of this mission as seriously as I should. Train me.”