Rise of the Faire-Amanti (The Ascendant Series Book 3) (6 page)

You’re my equal in every way, TaeDane
, she assured him.

It was a perfect moment…one that he vowed to cling to throughout the inevitable hardships to come.

Chapter 7

Although Kyr wished that she and Ty could hide in this mysterious forest forever, she knew they had to keep moving and remain focused on their goal. It wasn’t the time for selfishness.

Her eyes felt grainy as the faint light of dawn dappled the clearing around them. She struggled to keep her weariness from Ty, who watched her as she stretched and tried to rid herself of the soreness in her muscles caused by their several romantic encounters throughout the night. The grass was soft, but it wasn’t the most comfortable bed she’d ever slept in.

Still, she thought a little resentfully, it wasn’t like Ty was bothered by it.

Come and eat some breakfast before we get going
, he urged, rising from where he had been squatting beside their satchels and helping her to her feet. The thought of the bland food they were carrying didn’t appeal to her in the least, but she nodded and took some of the dried fruit he handed her.

I’ll look for some edible stuff as we hike today
, he added, studying her face in a way that made her think he was evaluating her.
I was focused on covering our tracks yesterday, but I’m sure we’ll find something
.

Hopefully civilization
, she mused grumpily as she munched on the rubbery fruit.

He smiled and brushed his fingers over her cheek, but she felt the concern he couldn’t hide from her. She guessed she looked wrecked, if his reaction was any gauge. It really wasn’t fair, considering she now shared his healing abilities. She should be just as invigorated and ready to go as he was. Was she really that out of shape compared to him?

She supposed so. He’d been training all of his life, so this was nothing to him. There wasn’t much she could do about it. After eating as much of the food as she could stomach, she excused herself to see to her personal needs. She pinched her cheeks to try and give them some color when Ty wasn’t in direct sight of her, hoping they’d look flushed with healthy color instead of bruised. She took the time to scrub her face with the stream water, too, and by the time she was done, she felt more human.

Keep your thoughts open
, Ty told her as he lifted their satchels and the canister of the Gift and tossed everything over his shoulder with careless ease.
That’ll be our first sign that we’re nearing civilization
.

She nodded, accepting his kiss before they started out. From that point, she knew he would be focused on their surroundings and keeping her safe.

The first thoughts began trickling through around the time the sun was highest in the sky. Kyr waffled between disappointment that she was no longer alone in her thoughts with Ty and elation that they were nearing some form of civilization. The possibility of a hot meal, running water, and a serviceable bed helped pick up her pace.

It didn’t take them long to hear enough thoughts to piece together that they were in the Wrym megai. Kyr knew this wasn’t the best news. Ty had hoped to be closer to the palace, but they were about as far as one could get outside of the Dark Lands. It was going to take some luck and planning to get from their location to the palace, and the longer it took, the more time they gave Vycor to enact whatever he had planned.

Ty found some edible cones harvested from a meffal bush, so they stopped long enough to eat them for lunch and wash them down with water. Kyr found them marginally better than the dried fruit. At least they didn’t stick to her teeth.

They took the time to change from their flight gear to the simple clothes they had packed in the satchels. Gren had helped them create plausible backgrounds and cover stories for each of the megais so that they could travel under disguise without raising any alarms. The fact that they could read thoughts would be helpful, too, and hopefully keep them from saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. They had no idea who within the megais might be under Vycor’s influence. One wrong move and the news of their plans would spread to the palace in the span of a single thought.

If they were smart and careful though, they hoped to recruit some Alametrians to their cause. Kyr also wanted to warn as many people as they could about what was happening at the palace. How else could people protect themselves?

It was a very fine line to walk, trying to reason out who they could trust and who might turn them over to the closest Mynder guards. They would have to rely on their instincts and abilities to get them through.

Kyr had thought to pack a head cloth among her things, knowing many Wrym females chose to cover their hair, so she pulled it out and tied it around her head. The only thing she didn’t have were shoes that would blend in. All of the Outcasts wore boots to protect their skin and pant legs from the harsh elements. Shoes were impractical. She’d have to wear her knee-high combat boots under the plain, ankle-length blue dress she wore and hope no one cared about her footwear.

Ty wore a loose white shirt with long sleeves tucked into unadorned black pants, and black boots that looked like larger versions of hers. Despite the unassuming clothes, he looked every bit the forbidding protector of the Ascendant of Alametria.

And you look like the Ascendant of Alametria
, he thought with a wry smile.
There are some things that a person can’t disguise
.

She sure hoped they were more successful at fooling others.

They continued on after lunch, following the thoughts filtering through their minds. The closer they got to other people, the stronger the thoughts became. Kyr was encouraged when she picked up the thoughts of children as the forest thinned. It seemed highly unlikely that Vycor would have influenced a family with young children living on the outskirts of the Wrym megai. She also heard the thoughts of two parents, ranging from delight to worry to exasperation to humor.

She was so absorbed in listening to their thoughts that she didn’t register when the thoughts became actual voices. The sounds of loud thrashing through the bushes to her right caught her attention, though.

Before she could blink, Ty was standing in front of her, braced for battle. She managed to peek around his arm as the bushes parted and a figure flew out of them, colliding with Ty and bouncing straight to the ground, sprawled with arms and legs akimbo.

“Blast it,” the figure groaned from its prone position.

Kyr realized that the figure was a boy, probably about nine or ten. He was dressed in the humble clothes of the Wrym: patched brown pants that were an inch or two too short, a long-sleeved beige shirt with threadbare elbows, and leather shoes that had recently been re-soled. As he slowly eased up and braced himself on his hands, she caught a glimpse of wild, curly dark hair and chocolate brown eyes that grew wide as he tilted his head back and looked up at Ty.

“Who the hell are you?” the boy asked.

Kyr read from his thoughts that he wasn’t supposed to use such language, but he thought it made him sound more manly. Hiding a smile, she stepped beside Ty so it looked less like he was guarding her and more like they were a couple out walking in the woods.

“I’m Kaya and this is Tavin,” she said. “Who are you?”

The boy pushed himself spryly to his feet with an energy she could only envy. “The name’s Ivyn. This here’s my family’s land, don’t ya know?”

“Is that so?” she replied in the same tone and rhythm he’d used. “Well, that’s all fine and good, then. We’ve been wanderin’ this forest for what feels like hours, haven’t we, Tavin?”

Ty glanced down at her with a bland expression, but said, “Sure.”

“Bein’ a male of the species,” she continued, elbowing Ty lightly in the side, “he’s too stubborn to admit when he’s lost.”

“I’m not lost,” Ty grumbled, only half-pretending to sound disgruntled.

“Lost, are ya?” Ivyn crossed his arms over his slim chest and looked them up and down. His thoughts told Kyr he wasn’t so sure about their story, but he didn’t feel he’d be putting his family in any danger by introducing them to his parents. “Come on, then. Ma and Da will be wantin’ to meet ya.”

When Ivyn turned and jogged back through the bushes, Ty gave Kyr another dubious look. She almost laughed.

Just roll with it
, she thought, taking his hand and starting forward with him.

He shook his head at her, but didn’t argue. The boy stayed far enough ahead that he couldn’t be caught, but not so far that he couldn’t be seen. Kyr sensed Ty’s reluctant approval over the wise caution Ivyn showed. They both kept their thoughts open to know what to expect from Ivyn’s parents. That was how Kyr knew that she was about to meet one of Ivyn’s siblings.

The girl crashed through the brush much like her brother had done. She would have plowed right into Kyr if Ty hadn’t anticipated the collision and swept Kyr out of the way. Instead, the girl skidded to a halt and whirled to face them, her hands planted on her hips.

“Well, who’re you and what did ya do with my idiot brother?” she demanded.

Kyr figured the girl was a couple of years younger than Ivyn. She wore her bright red hair in two braids that fell over her shoulders. Her faded green dress was as well-worn as Ivyn’s clothes, and was currently covered in debris that likely came from the forest floor. Her dark blue eyes sparked with temper as she looked between Ty and Kyr without an ounce of fear.

“What’re ya doin’, Fyrn?” Ivyn snapped, running over to her and grabbing her arm to haul her behind him. “Ya don’t go addressin’ strangers like that, don’t ya know?”

“Well you did, ya right git!” she barked, bringing her leg back to give him a kick.

Clearly expecting it, Ivyn easily dodged the blow. “I’m bringin’ ‘em to Ma and Da,” he explained in a calmer voice, pulling her further away from Ty and Kyr. “I’ll race ya to see who gets to ‘em first.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before Fyrn turned and bolted. Ivyn grinned, displaying mischievous dimples, and turned to give Kyr a wink that reminded her of Gren.

“Works every time,” he said.

She couldn’t help but smile back at him as he took off after his sister. He was obviously protective of his sibling, something that warmed her heart. Ty took her hand and once again started in the direction the children had gone.

It wasn’t long before they found Ivyn and Fyrn’s home in the center of a large clearing. Smoke rose from the cozy cottage’s chimney. The structure looked homey and well-kept. The thatched roof was in good shape and the stone walls had been white-washed until they gleamed. Pretty plants and flowers grew along the front walk, welcoming visitors with punches of vibrant color and fragrant scent.

To the left of the cottage was a modest-sized wooden stable. Ivyn and Fyrn had run over to it and now stood talking to a tall, dark-haired male who looked up and spotted Ty and Kyr. The male’s thoughts were curious more than suspicious. Kyr easily read that he had a good heart. Since his thoughts weren’t blocked from them, they knew he wasn’t under Vycor’s influence. He touched Ivyn’s shoulder and ran a hand over Fyrn’s head in an easy and familiar way before he started out of the stable to greet her and Ty.

“Hello,” he called with a lift of his hand as he approached. “Ivyn here tells me you’re lost. You must be if ya stumbled upon our land.” He stopped a few feet from them and held a hand out to Ty. “The name’s XanderWyrm.”

“Tavin,” Ty replied, accepting the firm handshake. “This here’s my amanti, Kaya.”

Kyr almost blinked at how easily Ty’s speech pattern changed, but she stopped herself in time and instead gave Xander a shy smile from just behind Ty’s elbow.

“Nice to meet ya,” Xander said with a smile that brought cheerful creases to the corners of his eyes. “Can I help point ya in the right direction?”

Kyr sensed the moment Ty decided that he didn’t want to deceive the family any more than they had to. He exchanged a quick look with her and received her nod. They couldn’t reveal their identities, but they could be more honest with Xander than they had been with the children.

“Well now,” Ty said, giving Xander a meaningful look, “‘Tis the truth we could use your help, sir.”

Xander’s brow furrowed as he caught the subtle hint indicating that Ty and Kyr were more than just lost. “Is that right?”

“What’s goin’ on, Da?” Ivyn called from the stable. Kyr knew he and Fyrn had been told to stay there until their father assessed the situation, and the boy wasn’t too thrilled about it.

“We don’t mean your family any harm,” Kyr told Xander, using her abilities to reassure him. “But we’ve traveled far and long, and we have news to share that isn’t necessarily fit for young ears, if ya understand my meanin’.”

“Sup’s on!” called a female’s voice from inside the cottage.

Xander continued to study Ty and Kyr as he calmly called out, “Ivyn, Fyrn, get washed up and inside for supper.” He waited until they had grumbled and complied, then he nodded. “Well, Kaya and Tavin, ya’ve intrigued me right enough, and my wife would have my hide if I didn’t extend ya some hospitality. If ya think ya can stomach gumfort stew, you’re welcome to join us. Then ya can tell us this news ya bring.”

Kyr’s stomach rumbled at the thought of a hot meal, even if it was a simple vegetable stew. “Thanks, Xander,” she said. “We’d appreciate that more than we can say.”

Chapter 8

Xander led them to the cottage’s front door, which opened before he reached it. A woman who Kyr inferred was his amanti filled the doorway, wiping her hands on a cloth and looking curiously at her and Ty. Her curly red hair was pinned on top of her head in a loose knot, revealing a slender neck. Her blue eyes mirrored those of her daughter, reflecting strength and confidence. Judging by the swell of her belly beneath her apron, she and Xander would be adding to their family soon.

“My darlin’ Lore,” Xander said, stepping up to her and taking her hands before pressing his lips to hers in an adoring kiss. “Meet Kaya and Tavin. They’ve a story to share with the two of us once the children are abed, so I’ve invited them to dinner.”