Island Shifters: Book 02 - An Oath of the Mage (24 page)

Melania tried her best to explain who Avalon Ravener was and how they were on her trail to stop this from ever happening again, but it was pointless. As far as the man was concerned, it was already too late for him. He cared nothing for justice at that moment. He just wanted his daughter back.

Despite Melania’s passionate words, the townsfolk asked the two of them to spend the evening away from the settlement to give the family an opportunity to grieve without the presence of a bodyshifter nearby.

He understood. And, for the first time since this journey across Deepstone began, he was grateful that Melania was with him. The rebuke had him feeling unexpectedly despondent, and her presence at his side was soothing.

On foot now, Airron and Melania walked through the searing heat of the day. He was told that they would encounter no other people west of the tributaries of the Koda. The inhospitable barren landscape of exposed rolling plains of sandstone punctuated by occasional buttes and badlands spread out before him. With the exception of lichen and moss, the plant life that was sparse east of the Koda, was nonexistent here. He looked over at Melania. For a high society, spoiled Elven, she was enduring the conditions better than he expected.

When they were far enough from the Koda, Airron decided to try to pick up a scent. It was doubtful that Avalon would be careless now, but he had to try something.

Shifting into the Gangi, he was taken by surprise when he found the trail instantly. Where it had completely disappeared a few days ago, it was now stronger than ever. It was almost as if Avalon was enhancing rather than hiding her passage. The implication was glaring.

He told Melania about the trail when they made camp that night and shared a cold dinner of dried beef and cheese purchased at the miner’s camp. A hot meal was out of the question since the wood he brought was long gone, but it would not have mattered anyway since the only living creatures he was able to spot from the air were a few snakes and lizards, and Melania absolutely refused to eat either.

For the light alone, he wished he was able to build a fire, but it was a beautiful warm night and a blanket of stars winked down at them. The pinpricks of radiance reminded him of the glow worms in Aquataine.

“You know it is a trap, do you not?” Melania suddenly asked into the silence.

He nodded. “I suspect as much.”

“Yet, still you go.”

He looked at her profile in the starlight. She had tied a leather thong around her temples to keep her hair away from her face. Again, he could not help but notice how beautiful she was. “I must. He is my friend.”

“And, his life means more to you than your own?” she asked incredulously.

“It is the nature of a shifter, Melania. For a woman who knows so much about me, you must see that.”

She lowered her eyes. “I do. I guess I was making one last attempt to see if you would choose me. To see if you would decide that a life with me was more important than your death.”

She did not attempt to disguise the pain in her voice.

Airron wondered what was wrong with him. Why could he not speak the words his wife needed to hear? Was Melania right when she accused him of being afraid of commitment? Was he really that much of a monster, unable to love? The thought disturbed him, just not enough to act on it. “Now, how can I die with the best medicinal herbalist on the island with me?” he asked, hoping a little levity would lighten her mood.

“I have decided to go home,” she announced abruptly.

“I see.”

“I will take a ferry up the Koda to Deeport and then another boat directly to Havenport. From there I will travel on foot to Sarphia.”

“I am not sure I like the idea of you traveling alone.”

“Do not pretend a care for my welfare now, Airron Falewir. Besides, I am well traveled and have done so by myself many times before.”

“But, I do care about your well being. Very much.”

“I realize now that I was wrong.”

“Wrong about what?” he asked, genuinely curious. Despite his apparent flaw, he suddenly wanted to know more, much more, about this lovely creature sitting next to him.

She shrugged her slim shoulders. “I thought that I loved you enough for the both of us, but I have since realized that one side is not enough. You cannot force someone to love you simply because you wish it were so. I was wrong to marry someone who did not love me back. I want more than that for my life.”

“Melania…,” he began, unsure what to say.

She stood to unroll her bedroll and then laid down on top of it. “It is going to be all right. I will go with you to free your friend and then you will be free as well. Good night, Airron Falewir.”

C
HAPTER
15

The Hunt

For what must have been the tenth time, Kiernan checked the scabbard at her back and drew the sword a few inches to convince herself that it was seated correctly and free from obstructions. That she would need to put it to use within the next hour was almost assured. This was the eighth day of the siege of Nysa and she meant it to be the last.

The wait inside her room at the Draca Den for Kirby Nash seemed interminable. The herbs were doing their job in numbing her pain, and she wanted to be doing something—anything. She just wanted out of this room she had been holed up in since the evening before.

The door opened at last and Kirby slipped inside. “It’s time,” was all he said.

She nodded and swept her cloak around her shoulders and raised the hood. She would soon be walking among the people— her people—and she had to take extreme care not to be recognized.

Kirby led the way down the stairs to the common room of the inn. She noticed Jase behind the bar wiping down glasses, but he did not so much as glance in her direction. Exiting the inn, they pushed their way into the usually large crowd of people. Siege or no, the promise of a wedding, it seemed, had brought out every citizen in Nysa.

There were other Sabers in the throng, but she did not look for them or try to make eye contact with any of the people on the street. Too many knew her. Too many knew the distinct color of her eyes.

A shout rang out and a swell of murmurs rippled through the air. Kiernan craned her head to look in the direction of the others. A white, open carriage came into view, making its way around a bend in the road. Davad Etin and Ava Conry sat together on the red leather bench seat of the carriage and waved to the cheering onlookers.

Kiernan noticed with enormous satisfaction that the applause came from the legionnaires only. The citizenry of Nysa remained coolly aloof.

The carriage rattled by and looking into Davad Etin’s smug face, Kiernan wished more than anything that she could mindshift a thought into that big head of his. The audacity of this man to seize the royal city and then conduct a wedding ceremony right in the middle of the coup before the outcome was even decided.

The carriage turned the corner and headed toward Dannery Row and the public central square where the ceremony was to take place.

Kiernan turned away in disgust and pressed against the tide of spectators to walk in the opposite direction toward the royal palace. Realizing time was short, she moved faster. The Sabers would be in position now to create their diversions—minor explosives, fireworks, and a staged fight near the Calvary that would spook the horses—all designed to create confusion and disorder. If the plan worked, it would take some time to sort through the chaos and give Kiernan the time she needed to free her father and the Sabers time to free the allied soldiers.

The crowd was thinning now, and the palace came into view. As she suspected, it was impossible to enter through the front doors. There were at least a dozen guards standing on the wide palace steps, pointing and laughing. She traced her eyes to the subject of their taunts. In the palace courtyard, four men and a woman were bent over with their heads and arms locked in wooden stockades. Yellow yolk dripped down their faces and the remains of eggshells littered the ground in front of them.

“Keep moving, Your Grace,” whispered a voice behind her and only then did she realize that she had stopped to stare, her anger bubbling to the surface once again.

With difficulty, she turned from the scene and walked south, following the cobblestone road for several minutes before ducking into an alleyway. The narrow corridor was dark, but she did notice several figures standing on second story balconies above. A few men yelled out to her, but she ignored them and hurried along until she reached the end of the alleyway and a chain link fence eight spans high. Kirby laced his fingers together to give her a boost up, and she managed to get her bulk over to the other side. Despite the nerves and exertion, she was still pain free.

Thank you, Helenite.

They were at the periphery of the royal gardens now, and she scaled the waist-high wall that encircled the grounds. Quickly scanning the area, she ran at a crouch to the southern side entrance that led to the lower level servant rooms of the castle. Normally, several Sabers would be guarding this entrance, but now it was deserted.

She went through the door cautiously, and Kirby materialized at her side and slipped in behind her. They ran along the hallway lined with closed doors on both sides. One opened and a servant put her head out, but when she saw them, she let out a squeal of fright and slammed the door closed again.

Kiernan turned into a shadowed recess that contained the back staircase to the upper levels of the palace, and she started up. Despite the herbs, she had to stop once between the second and third floor to catch her breath before continuing. The baby pressing on her diaphragm made the physical exertion difficult. A few seconds later, she nodded at Kirby’s questioning look and they made their way to the top.

At the door, Kirby held up a hand to indicate that he wanted her to wait, but they did not have to wait long. The timing of the Sabers was impeccable. Before Kirby had a chance to withdraw his hand, a loud explosion ruptured into the night.

Kiernan heard voices raised on the other side of the door and then the sound of running boots sprinting off in the opposite direction down the hallway.

Kirby gave a nod, and they pushed through the door.

Four soldiers whipped around in surprise. She doubted that they even knew the door existed. Immediately throwing off her cloak, she unsheathed her sword. One soldier closed with her immediately, and two engaged Kirby mistakenly thinking him the bigger threat. The fourth hung back and waited to see where he would be needed.

She lifted her sword with both hands gripping the hilt to parry the first strike. The soldier’s eyes traced to her belly and they grew wide in shock, causing him to hesitate. She did not waste the opening. She slammed the flat end of her sword against the side of his head and he dropped like a stone.

The soldier waiting in the wings, not so concerned with fighting a woman with child, rushed her. Sparks flew when their swords met. In an obvious attempt at a feint, the man stepped close with a quick flick of his blade. Kiernan leaned toward it instead of away as the man intended, and he lost his footing. She swung her leg around and kicked him behind the knees sending him to the floor. She used the hilt of her sword this time and delivered a vicious blow to the man’s neck and he also crumpled to the ground.

She spun back to Kirby. One of the aggressors was down, but he was still occupied with the second. Wanting to end this quickly, she shouted and the man turned with a swing of his blade meant to take her head off. She ducked and then came up under the momentum of his arm and pierced him in the stomach. While he looked at her in surprise, she leapt into the air and lifted her sandaled foot to land a kick in the chest that sent him flying on his back. He did not move again.

Kirby looked at her sheepishly. “I thought I was supposed to be protecting you?”

She looked around at the four men on the ground and shrugged. “You are. You got one, didn’t you?”

He shook his head, but she did not notice, turning to the door of her father’s suite. High-pitched whistles from the fireworks sounded outside of the palace, and the shouts in the streets were becoming louder and more frantic.

She banged on the door. “Father! Open up! It’s me, Kiernan!” She put her ear to the door and thought she heard a scuffle.