Legacy of the Blood (The Threshold Trilogy) (41 page)

Adesina
and her companions were less than a day away from Daemon Mount.

They
had been pressing their pace as hard as they could in hopes of catching Basha
before arriving at the mountain, but it had all been in vain. Basha had pressed
just as hard, as if she could sense she was being chased.

Dusk
was approaching, and Adesina welcomed the cooling air with a sigh of relief.

“How
much farther, Savir?”

The
young man twitched when his name was spoken, and he rubbed his hands together
nervously. “I am not certain, Adesina. I have never been so close to the
mountain.”

Her
eyes narrowed. “Is it dangerous?”

His
expression became apologetic. “I do not know. We stay away from it out of
respect for the great magic.”

“And
due to tribal superstition as well,” assumed Kendan.

Savir
made no excuses. “Perhaps you are right.”

His
hawk was circling in the air above them, and it gave a high-pitched cry. Savir
glance upward with a frown, and then he dismounted and hurried to the south.

“She
sees something over here.”

Adesina
also dismounted and gestured for Kendan and Ravi to follow.

“The
rest of you stay here.”

The
travelers had been in low land for several days now—almost like a sandy valley.
Savir started up a slope, leading the others along the easiest path. Adesina
spotted a dark object half-buried in the golden sand and she pointed it out to
Kendan.

“Yes,
I see.” His voice was grim.

It
took Adesina only a moment longer to recognize it.

It
was a human hand.

Savir
jerked to a stop when he realized what he was seeing. “Oh,” he said in
surprise.

The
heavy weight of dread settled in Adesina’s chest as Kendan moved forward and
began uncovering the body. Adesina struggled to breathe as he worked, unable to
force herself to help him.

It
cannot be…

No,
Ma’eve, I do not believe so.

Adesina
wasn’t comforted until she saw the face of the corpse.

It
was not L’iam.

The
face belonged to a Zonnese man, but Adesina did not recognize him. He had been
dead for about a day, judging by the stage of decomposition. The stench of
death filled Adesina’s nostrils, and she placed a hand over her nose and mouth
in distaste. The dead man’s throat had been slashed, and he had bled to death.
Most likely, while Basha watched.

“This
must be Basha’s guide,” said Kendan stonily. “He outlived his usefulness.”

The
young queen felt a deepening disgust for her lifelong rival. Basha had never
been one to value something unless it served her purpose.

That
means we are close enough to the mountain that a guide is no longer necessary.

Adesina
and Ravi looked at each other, and then continued up the slope. The ground
became more firm as they reached the top, and they found that they were
standing on a rocky ridge.

A
gust of wind caught Adesina’s breath, and she paused to take in the sight
before her.

Daemon
Mount rose like a jagged tooth out of the relatively flat desert terrain. The
rock was reddish in color, and in the fading light it took on a bloody
appearance. The base was encircled by a wall of fire—easily a hundred feet
tall—which seemed even wilder and more ominous as the sun descended.

An
image came to Adesina’s mind of a gory specter rising from the depths of the
underworld.

She
shuddered.

The
only time she had seen this mountain in its entirety was in her Dreams, and it
had been vastly different then. She felt as though she was looking at the
rotten carcass of the battle that had taken place centuries ago.

Adesina
suddenly felt suffocated, and she turned her back on the terrible mountain.

She
could feel the death of that place, as if it were crushing her soul.

Kendan
walked up to join them, and his expression twisted at the sight of the lonely
peak.

“It
almost makes me believe in the powers of Darkness,” he said in a strained
voice.

In
Adesina’s mind, however, it removed any traces of doubt.

She
was about to walk back down the slope when a surge of energy stopped her in her
tracks. The young queen whipped around and stared at the mountain in horror.

Nothing
was visibly changed, but the aura of the peak had transformed beyond
recognition. Only moments before it had been a vacuum of life and light,
exuding a bleak sense of desolation. Now, it was a beacon of
vyala
.

Kendan
could sense that something had changed, even without magical ability. “What has
happened?” he asked.

Adesina
struggled to form her words as a wave of terror washed over her.

“The
ritual has begun…”

***

Adesina’s
heart was pounding and her thoughts were racing. If the ritual had already
begun, how much time did they have before it was completed?

A
flutter of knowledge from an unknown source entered her mind.

At
least a day. Perhaps two, if the
vyala
is sufficiently weak.

The
travelers were still a day behind Basha, which meant they might not catch up in
time to stop the ritual from being finished.

She
nudged her horse to go faster, wishing to gallop through the night in order to
reach her destination. Her desperation to reach the mountain flooded every
corner of her being.

“We
are traveling as quickly as we can, dear one,” reminded Ravi. “We cannot be
reckless with our strength if we are to succeed in rescuing L’iam.”

She
could understand his logic, but her heart still rebelled against any delay.

The
oppressive sense of foreboding grew stronger as they drew nearer to Daemon
Mount. The added heat of the fiery barrier made the journey seem almost
unbearable, even though it was still early in the day. Even Savir seemed
uncomfortable with the growing temperature.

“We
cannot take the horses with us when we enter the mountain,” pointed out Ravi,
“and they would not do well waiting in so much heat.”

Adesina
agreed. She had shared the thought with Ravi before he spoke it.

The
horses meant that they could travel faster, but it was equally important that
the animals be fit for the return journey.

They
were about a quarter of a league away from the edge of the barrier when the
horses began to shy nervously. Adesina did her best to restrain her impatience
as she brought Torith to a halt and patted his neck in reassurance.

“We
will walk the rest of the way,” she announced to her comrades. “Bring enough
food and water for three days, but leave everything else.”

“What
about the medical supplies?” asked Faryl.

Adesina
knew it would be foolish to leave those behind. “Assemble a standard pack.”

She
turned to their Henka guide. “Savir, I want you to take the horses back to our
last campsite and wait. We will send a signal when we need you to return for
us.”

He
was clearly relieved that he would not be asked to go any nearer to the
mountain, but he also looked concerned for their safety. “Are you certain I can
be of no more assistance?”

The
L’avan queen smiled. “You have already done much for us, and we are forever in
your debt.”

Savir
waved his hand. “It is nothing, Adesina. I wish I could do more. What is the
signal you will send?”

Adesina
held up her hand and summoned a trickle of
vyala
to shoot off a few blue
sparks from her fingertips. “I will send an explosion of blue light into the
sky.”

The
Henka warrior nodded and gathered the reins of all the horses. He tied them to
one another in a long line and climbed onto the lead horse. “I will wait for
your return for as long as I have life,” he vowed fervently.

Adesina
immediately shook her head. “Wait for us until there are only enough supplies
to get you back home. Promise!”

Savir
pursed his lips together is displeasure. “It would be cowardly to abandon my
task.”

“You
must promise, Savir,” insisted Adesina. “If we have not returned by then, our
lives are most likely lost.”

He
sighed in resignation and gave a short nod. “Very well. I promise.”

Adesina
smiled at him with affection and raised a hand in farewell. Then she turned
back to her companions, who were all waiting for her command.

“Let
us go.”

The
march to the edge of the barrier was slow and arduous. The heat sapped them of
energy and made their bodies ache. Their joint anxiety at reaching Daemon Mount
only added to the sense of agonizing lethargy in their movements.

“How
much time do we have?” gasped Faryl as she battled through the heavy sand.

Kendan
answered. “The Henka elders said that we needed to stand before the entrance at
midday in order to see the bridge that crosses the flames.”

“We
are almost there,” encouraged Mar’sal. “Do not give up.”

Even
though they only had to walk a quarter of a league, it seemed like much more.
All of the travelers were struggling to continue near the end of the march.

The
scent of sulfur filled the air, and it made drawing breath seem even more of a
battle. The entrance into the caves of Daemon Mount sat on the west face, and
was a black maw on the base of the mountain. It seemed to absorb the light
around it, even with the added illumination of the flaming barrier. The seven
companions stood directly in front of it, on the other side of the furnace, and
gauged the position of the sun.

“The
sun is not directly above us, but we should still be able to locate the
bridge,” said Than’os. “What were the instructions from the elders?”

“They
said to look for a shadow that does not seem to have a source.”

Seven
pairs of eyes studied to surroundings, searching each shadow carefully.

“There,”
pointed Mar’sal to the north. “Look at that thin shadow between the ones cast
by those boulders.”

It
was difficult to see, but Adesina eventually found the shadow. She nodded, “I
believe you are right.”

They
walked over to where the two large boulders sat and gazed between them.

Faryl
stared at the empty space in confusion. “I do not see anything.”

I
can sense… something…

Maizah
bent over to pick up a handful of sand and then hurled it into the air before
them. The golden grains scattered in a graceful arc, settling before they
touched the ground.

The
outline of steps came into sight.

“It
is invisible,” exclaimed Mar’sal.

“No,”
said Kendan slowly, “it is disguised.”

Adesina
could see that he was correct. The bridge was built to exactly mimic the
appearance of what stood behind it. The two boulders obstructed the view from
any other angle, forcing them to look at it in a manner that would disguise its
existence.

“I
can see why this is so dangerous,” muttered Adesina. “We will have to walk
across the barrier with very little between us and the fire.”

The
flames in this area were somewhat lower, but the bridge was also low to
minimize visibility from the sides. The heat along the overpass would be
intense.

“I
will go first,” volunteered Kendan.

Adesina
snorted. “Do not be stupid. I will go first.”

The
former teacher’s angry retort was interrupted by Ravi’s deep voice. “You are
both being foolish. The leader across this bridge needs enhanced senses and a
body that is steady and low to the ground. It would be best for me to go first,
since I am not easily unbalanced.”

Adesina
felt her cheeks flush. “Of course. That is the wisest choice.”

Now
is not the time for pride, dear one.

She
nodded.

You
are right.

The
young woman addressed the others. “Ravi will go first, and I will bring up the
rear. Kendan, I would like you to be in the middle to keep us on course.”

The
former Shimat was appeased and he nodded graciously.

Ravi
started up the almost invisible stone steps, and Faryl followed with much
trepidation. Than’os preceded Kendan and Maizah followed, leaving Mar’sal as
the second to last.

Ravi
moved slowly, crouching slightly and giving his full attention to the task at
hand. Adesina had learned how to shield herself from Ravi’s thoughts, if she
wished to do so, but his focus at the moment was too intense to ignore. She
could see through his eyes and she felt what he felt.