Gathering Darkness (21 page)

“All right.” The excitement in Lucia's eyes had dissipated and was now replaced by steely determination. Cleo was impressed by her willingness to embrace this unexpected turn of events so easily. Then again, it
was
her destiny.

Our destiny
, Cleo corrected herself.

Lucia concentrated and the ring spun around and around. The amethyst cast its own light upon the map, turning it violet and sending a cascade of sparkling light onto their faces and the stone walls.

“Good, princess,” Alexius said. “It's working.”

“What do I do now?” Lucia asked, her voice growing strained.

“Think of the Kindred. Four crystals containing the purest essence of elemental magic. Amber for fire, moonstone for air, aquamarine for water, and obsidian for earth. Picture them in your mind. See them.”

“I can see them,” Lucia whispered.

“Now you should be able to feel where each belongs—the chosen place of power in Mytica where the element is meant to be awakened.”

“I don't understand.”

Cleo watched them both tensely, her gaze moving back and forth between sorceress and tutor.

“Trust your magic, princess. It is ancient, as ancient as the Kindred itself. It knows what to do. Let it guide you.” He hesitated. “And if you can't, then we know it's not yet time. We can wait a day, a week—”

“I can do it,” Lucia insisted. She kept her gaze on the spinning ring. “I can see it. I can see the earth crystal . . . where it will be awakened . . .”

And so could Cleo. The spinning ring moved across the map of Mytica. The light then transformed before Cleo's eyes, giving the image more dimension and depth. She suddenly had the sensation that they were hawks, flying high above the land, looking down at the surface. The spinning ring moved along the line of the Imperial Road until it stopped at a point near its origin in Auranos. Cleo recognized it immediately.

“There,” Lucia whispered. “The Temple of Cleiona . . . it's the chosen place of power for earth.”

The earthquake. Earth magic.

“I awaken the earth Kindred,” Lucia said softly, but with the weight of a command.

Amazed, Cleo watched the display before her, which now showed the outline of the temple itself. Then a symbol appeared, burning, as if it had just been physically branded onto the magical landscape.

A circle within a circle.

Alexius inhaled sharply, his gaze snapping to Lucia. “You did it, princess. You've awakened the earth Kindred.”

Lucia's mouth stretched into a shaky smile. “That felt natural. Hardly any effort at all.”

Cleo could tell she was lying. Whatever she'd just done, it had taken a lot out of her. The sorceress trembled, her forehead damp with perspiration.

Cleo couldn't help but be amazed.

“So all it will take,” Cleo ventured, “is to do what you mentioned—draw the corresponding symbol in blood at the actual site—to claim the crystal.”

“Yes,” Alexius said, but his attention was fully on Lucia. “Can you continue, princess, or do you want to stop?”

“I can go on.” Lucia didn't blink, her attention still fixed on the spinning ring. Cleo realized with sudden shock that Lucia's eyes had turned amethyst—the color of the gemstone, and they were bright with light.

The map shifted to another location along the road, one in central Paelsia. It looked like a small village enclosed by a wall.

“The former compound of Chief Basilius,” Lucia said.

“You know this place?” Cleo asked with surprise. Her own knowledge of geography was not nearly as vast.

“I didn't before.” Lucia smiled shakily. “And yet, now I do. I know it with such clarity . . . Cleo, I can't even explain it.”

“You don't have to. This is amazing, Lucia.”

“Yes . . .” Lucia's brow furrowed and her eyes brightened. “The air crystal shall be awakened here, in the wake of a tornado that swept across this location. Air, hear me. I awaken you.”

The air symbol—a spiral—branded itself upon the location.

Earth and air, Cleo thought. For so long she'd waited, and now everything was happening so quickly.

“Princess,” Alexius said, watching Lucia with concern. “Be careful. You are expending more magic than I thought you would need to, and it could hurt you. Let's stop for today.”

“No. This is my destiny.” Lucia's eyes blazed with light. “I can do this. I
am
doing it. We shall find the Kindred. All four crystals will be returned to the Sanctuary, and my prophecy will be fulfilled. And all of this struggle will be over. I will be free. Please, let me continue.”

She didn't wait for permission. The map shifted again as the spinning ring moved along the bright line of the road, east into Paelsia, near the Forbidden Mountains.

“This,” she began, her voice becoming hoarse, “is where Magnus fought against the rebels. A road camp . . . where there was a massive fire. Fire is the Kindred that can be awakened here . . .” She frowned as she trailed off. “Wait. It's so odd. . . .”

Cleo studied the map, which had closed in on a section of land that looked to be smoldering and smoking. A symbol had already been etched into the map's light. A triangle.

Fire.

“It's different here. I feel that this crystal has already been awakened.” Lucia shook her head. “But that's impossible, isn't it?”

“Of course it's impossible.” Alexius studied the map with a concerned expression. “Princess, this could be a sign that your magic is growing weak—”

“Fire,” Lucia said, ignoring him. “I awaken you. I awaken the fire Kindred here in this chosen place of power.”

Three crystals. Cleo couldn't believe it. But it was true: Three crystals had been awakened, ready to be claimed.

“One more,” Lucia whispered, her voice weaker now, though her eyes were as bright as tiny suns. “I can do this.”

“Lucia.” Alexius reached for her and grasped her wrist. “This is too much for you.”

“You're wrong.” She tried to pull away, but failed. “I'm strong enough!”

“Yes, you're strong. But this is enough for now. I insist.”

Cleo watched as Alexius's hand began to glow. Lucia drew in a ragged breath, finally breaking her concentration. The purple light in her eyes faded as she turned a furious look upon Alexius. But then, the next moment, she collapsed in his arms, unconscious.

The ring stopped spinning and its magical light went out.

The map disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.

“You did that,” Cleo said, her voice hushed. “You stopped her.”

Alexius glanced at her. “She was harming herself, pushing herself too far. I couldn't let that happen.”

Lucia began to rouse. She blinked and looked up at Alexius, who cradled her in his arms. “How long was I asleep?”

“Only moments. And before you ask:
No
, we will not be trying again today.”

“But we were so close! The water crystal—”

“Can wait until I deem it's time to do this spell again,” he said, more sternly than any tutor Cleo had ever had.

Cleo leaned over and picked up her ring. She held it tightly as they all rose to their feet, Alexius assisting Lucia. She wanted to pinch herself, to know for sure that this had really happened, that it hadn't only been a dream.

Earth, air, fire.
She knew where they were and how to claim them.

Three out of four wasn't bad at all.

But she knew she had to do something that couldn't be postponed a moment longer.

“Lucia,” Cleo said, moving toward the princess. “I've seen for myself that what Alexius said is true. I don't know how this ring came into my family, but now that I know what it really is, what it can do . . . I want you to wear it.”

She pressed the ring into Lucia's hand. The other princess looked down at it with amazement.

Lucia could have taken this from Cleo easily, but it was best to give it up of her own free will before the sorceress had the chance.

It was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do.

Lucia looked at her, her blue eyes filled with genuine gratitude. “This ring is proof that we were meant to meet. It was fate that our paths crossed the way they did. You've proven yourself to be a true and loyal friend today. Thank you.”

Oh, it was definitely fate. Of that, Cleo had no doubt. “I ask only one thing in return,” she said.

“What?”

Cleo forced confidence, bravery. She would not show any weakness.

“That when you go to claim the first crystal,” she said, “you'll let me join you.”

Lucia slipped the ring onto the middle finger of her right hand and stared down at it, transfixed.

Then she grasped Cleo's hands in hers before pulling Cleo into a tight hug. “Of course. You'll be with us, I swear it.”

JONAS

AURANOS

T
arus's parents, still in mourning for their younger son who had died after being forced to fight in the battle for the Auranian palace, received him with tears in their eyes and words of gratitude toward Jonas and his friends.

After a full week of travel to and from Paelsia, Jonas, Felix, and Lysandra returned to the village of Viridy, and they went immediately to the Silver Toad. After several nights of sleeping outside under the stars and braving the elements, Jonas decided they'd stay at the inn for the night.

“This is because of me, isn't it?” Lysandra said outside her room. “I don't need a soft bed and a roof over my head. I don't need to be pampered.”

Jonas disagreed. Although she'd been making a valiant effort, he knew it would take her much more time to move past her ordeal in the dungeon.

“Speak for yourself,” he said. “You might not feel like a little pampering, but I do. So we're staying, no more argument. Just try to get some sleep. I'll check on you later.”

He closed the door and descended the staircase to the tavern, which was currently deserted. The owner, a man named Galyn, wasn't here tonight, but his white-haired father, Bruno, was behind the bar, rubbing it vigorously with a cloth.

Felix sat at the same table they'd occupied back on the Day of Flames, when they'd recruited Petros to their cause. Jonas wasn't sure what had become of the boy after the attack, but he hoped never to cross paths with him again. Irresponsible fool.

“Sleeping beauty's doing well?” Felix asked, his hand curled around a tankard of ale.

Jonas nodded. “As well as can be expected.”

“Good. Sit down, we need to talk.”

Jonas sat down in a hard chair facing his traveling companion and braced himself for the conversation he had been dreading for some time. “What is it?”

“You know what it is. Her. She's a liability.”

And there it was. What had remained unspoken between them for their week with Tarus had finally risen like the stench of a rotten potato. “You're wrong.”

Felix took on a grim expression. “Look, I know she's important to you. But she's broken, Jonas. Whatever happened to her in those dungeons . . . she's no good to us.”

Jonas's insides tightened. “The king forced her to watch as her older brother's head was hacked off. Do you know anyone who could recover immediately from something so horrific? She's grieving, even if she refuses to admit it. She needs more time to heal and recover.”

“And just how long do you plan to give her?”

Jonas knew Felix was impatient, but he had to understand that Lysandra wasn't just any rebel. She was his friend. And she was an asset, she just hadn't been given a chance to show it yet. “As long as it takes.”

Bruno approached their table, gripping tankards in both hands. “Brought these over for you, boys. On the house! My son admires everything you've done for the rebels, and that's worth some free ale in my opinion. Anyone who's devoted his life to killing the king is aces in my book!”

Jonas looked up at him, slightly alarmed. “Thanks?”

The smiling barkeep set the tankards on the table and slapped Jonas's back. “Any time, son. Any time!”

He retreated to the bar without another word.

“Do you think he would have said all that if we weren't the only ones in here?” Felix asked.

“I would hope not.”

“That makes two of us. But back to the subject at hand.” His paused. “The night we met. Remember it?”

Jonas nodded. “Vividly.”

“I never told you, but I made a major decision in my life that night. A major shift in my goals. I thought to myself,
I have the chance to help the infamous Jonas Agallon kick arse and change the world.
Change the
world
, Jonas. But so far, what have we done other than rescue a couple of rebels and walk a great deal?”

“We've done much more than that.” Jonas took a gulp from his glass, trying to swallow down his annoyance along with the strong, bitter ale. What was Felix getting at, bringing up his past for the first time since they'd met?

“And now it seems that your big plan is to wait around for the king to stroll out of his palace and offer you his neck. Genius.”

Jonas's eyes narrowed. “Thanks so much for reminding me of my shortcomings. You don't think I already feel like a failure after everything that's happened?”

“I don't know what you're thinking.”

“I have eyes and ears at the palace—three willing spies in place, all happy to tell me anything I need to know to ensure victory over that Limerian bastard and free my people from a future at the mercy of that monster. I will get to him, don't ever doubt it. My plan to abduct Prince Magnus could still be a sound one—or perhaps Princess Lucia. The king would venture out of his safe little kingdom to save her neck if he thought it was at risk, don't you think?”

“Kidnapping. Right. You've tried that before, haven't you? Snagged Princess Cleo herself. How'd that work out?” Before Jonas could respond to his snide comment, possibly with a fist to his jaw, Felix's gaze shifted away from him. “Well, well. The sleeping beauty awakens. Welcome, sweetheart.”

Jonas turned to see Lysandra standing behind him. He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand to stop him.

“I couldn't sleep,” she said.

“I don't think you were trying very hard,” Jonas replied.

“Perhaps I thought it would be smarter to stay awake so I could come down here and listen in on what you two say behind my back.”

“The more the merrier, I say. Come join us.” Felix patted his knee. “Why don't you sit right here?”

She regarded him with a bored look on her face. “Why don't you kiss my arse?”

“Bring it over here and I'd be happy to consider it.”

“Over my dead body.”

“That can be arranged, too, if you ask real nice.” Luckily for Felix, he said this with a jovial grin rather than an edge of menace.

Jonas groaned inwardly. These two had been squabbling all week, and it was nearly impossible to be around them once they got going. He thought he knew the real reason Felix didn't want Lysandra around; it had very little to do with the speed at which she was recovering from being the king's prisoner, and a lot to do with him disliking being challenged by a girl.

Lysandra pulled up a chair and glared at Jonas. “Why do you put up with him?”

Yet again, he had to be the intermediary, a job he'd never asked for. “Felix is an arse, but, like you, he's an asset and a friend.”

“I agree with you on the arse part.” She regarded Felix, scrutinizing him from head to toe. “But do you really know anything about him?”

“I know enough,” Jonas replied, although silently he had to be more honest. He knew next to nothing about the boy sitting across the table.

“What can I say? I'm a private guy. But if you have concerns, Lys,” Felix said, “I'm happy to answer any questions you have. Or you can continue to talk about me like I'm not even here.”

Lysandra pursed her lips, giving him a sour look. “Fine. To start, where do you come from?”

Felix smirked. “Everywhere and nowhere, sweetheart.”

“See?” She shot a glance at Jonas. “He's cagey and dodgy. Smarmy, too.”

Felix's smirk vanished. “Smarmy?”

“He saved my life,” Jonas countered. “And yours as well.”

“Fine. But we have no idea where he came from or what really motivated him to join you.”

“Hey,” Felix said. “Still sitting right here.”

“Well, what's your story, Felix?” Even though Felix had proven himself trustworthy to Jonas time and again, he had to admit he was curious to know more about him. “Seriously. Share a little of it tonight.”

“My story? Extremely handsome. Renowned troublemaker. Entertaining and delightful to be around. Apparently, a bit smarmy. What more do you need to know?”

Just then Bruno appeared with a drink for Lysandra. “Here you go, honey. Some nice wine for a nice young girl.”

Lysandra stared into her glass with distaste. “You two boys get ale and I get wine. I don't even like wine.”

Jonas was still looking at Felix, who studied him back just as intently. The subject had been raised, and Felix had given vague answers to direct questions. Now he wanted more than ever to know everything

“I need to know your story, Felix,” Jonas said. “Tell me something real. You're not much older than I am. How did you get into this kind of life? Where is your family? Friends?”

“Honestly? You want to know where my friends are?” The last glimmer of humor had faded from Felix's eyes. “They're at this very table right now. Every last one of them.” He swallowed a mouthful of ale before continuing. “Pathetic, I know. But I've never had friends. Wasn't raised that way.”

Lysandra frowned. “And what about your family?”

“Dead,” he said, not looking at her. “My parents and brothers were killed by a pack of thieves and assassins employed by a very important, very dangerous man. They broke into our villa when I was six. On a whim, they spared my life. Raised me as one of their own. Taught me how to steal, fight, kill, and how to use those skills to make money for the man in charge.” He paused and gave Jonas a tense look. “And they taught me how to collect reward money for capturing Paelsian rebel leaders and alleged murderers.”

Jonas's mouth went dry. “So that's how you found me.”

He nodded. “I'm a great tracker. I could find anybody, anywhere. But no, I never planned to collect that reward. If I had, you'd be dead by now.”

It clearly caused Felix great pain to relate all this. These were the kinds of memories most people chose to repress.

“So where are the people who raised you now?” Jonas asked. “And this employer of yours?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. I ran away last year. Been on my own ever since, looking for work. Looking for trouble.” Finally his smile returned, curling up the edge of his mouth. “I have a talent for finding it without searching too hard.”

“I don't doubt it for a moment,” Lysandra said, her careful eyes still on him.

“Was that enough information for one night?” Felix asked. “Did you enjoy that walk down my own personal memory lane?”

Lysandra was quiet a moment. “It's enough for now.”

“Good.”

“I still don't like you.”

“Alas, the feeling's not
entirely
mutual.” Felix's grin widened. “You're a bit too cute to earn my total dislike, despite you being a pain in my arse. But don't worry, I won't try anything. I know Jonas wants you all for himself.”

Jonas choked and sputtered halfway through a sip of his drink. “What?”

Felix shrugged. “You're in love with her.”

In love with Lys? He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “No, I'm not.”

“We nearly killed ourselves busting her out of that palace square. You were just upstairs tucking her into bed and singing her lullabies. And you've defended her to your last breath to keep her in this trio. Please. I'm not blind, friend.”

Lysandra laughed, a low chuckle in the back of her throat. “Sorry to break it to you, Felix, but Jonas isn't in love with me. He's too busy being in love with Princess Cleo.”

Felix blinked. “As in, her royal
highness
, Princess Cleo, wife of Prince Magnus? She whom you met in that temple cloaked by shadows and mystery? The princess you kidnapped—what was it,
three
times?”

“Twice.”
Jonas glared at Lysandra for even bringing up the subject.

She looked at him innocently. “Problem?”

“I'm not in love with the princess.”

“Why not?” Felix laughed, then drained the rest of his ale. “Half of Auranos is. Why wouldn't you want to kneel before the golden princess's skirts and beg for her attention like the rest of us?”

“I'm not sure I can picture Jonas
kneeling
,” Lysandra said, raising an eyebrow.

Jonas couldn't keep the grin off his face at this sudden, and rather unwelcome, change of subject. “For the right girl I just might. However, there's nothing to discuss when it comes to Princess Cleo. She's a princess, and I'm a . . . whatever I am.”

Lysandra scrunched up her nose. “She's a royal. That'll never change.”

“And she's married,” Felix added.

“Thanks for the reminder.” Jonas thought back to the note he'd received from the princess. He felt it was time to share its contents.

“Do either of you believe in legends?” Jonas asked after a silence had fallen between them.

“What kinds of legends?” Felix signaled to the barkeep for another round of drinks. Lysandra peered into her wine glass, finally taking a tentative sip.

“Of magic—the magic that is said to have history here in Mytica,” Jonas said. “And . . . of Watchers. And the Kindred.”

Lysandra drew in a shaky breath. “What about Watchers?”

“That they really exist.” Lysandra trembled at his response and, alarmed, Jonas reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “What is it? What's wrong?”

She took a long sip of wine. “I didn't say anything to you about this before, because I've tried to block it all out. But Gregor claimed that a Watcher used to visit him in his dreams—it's why the king kept him alive so long. So he could question him. The king believed his story; I saw it in his eyes. He believes in magic, and he's greedy for it. When Gregor couldn't give him the answers he wanted to hear, the king had him killed.”

Jonas stared at her, shocked. The king
was
after magic—just as Cleo had informed him.

Felix watched them both in silence.