The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil (32 page)

“Aiva!”

Pain prevented her from responding. Desperately she flailed about in the murky substance, unable to think of anything but the heat scorching her body as if she were on fire. She could still hear Callum’s voice calling her name, a vague outline of what looked to be a person reaching for her, just out of her grasp. The shadowy figure was on the ground, stretching its arm toward her, but to no avail. If it came any closer, it would be submerged in the liquid fire she now suffered.

Another shriek sounded, similar to that which had been heard when their enemy first revealed their presence. Closer this time. Not that it mattered. Captivity sounded better than the torture she endured presently.

Something was being thrown toward her. The shadowy figure called to her, pleading with her to grab onto the object it held in its hand. She heard none of it. Through her clouded thoughts, she couldn’t focus on words, only the fact that there was something in front of her which might make the pain go away. Wild in her attempts to be free, she clutched the thick rope-like object, feeling it, slow and steady, drawing her closer to the safety of solid ground. The figure’s hands were on her now, pulling her upward, paying no heed to the scalding substance she splashed over it in her desperation.

Free of the hellish liquid, Aiva’s vision began to return, recognizing the figure’s face as that of Callum, his lips moving, speaking, the sound nothing but incoherent noises. She couldn’t bring herself to pay attention to him. All she could see were the creatures surrounding them, their spider-like legs and arms inching closer. From their proximity, she could make out a fine layer of what looked to be hair, creating a coating along their skin like the fur of an animal; an exotic animal with bulging blue eyes, staring at her and Callum now as if they were the main course at a buffet.

“We’re trapped,” she whimpered, her muddied hands slipping from Callum’s protective hold. He couldn’t save her now. There were too many of the strange beasts to hope for an escape.

To her surprise, they seemed to be talking, though their words were nothing more than gibberish. The language was intricate. Well beyond the scope of Aiva’s lessons. Several of the creatures lifted themselves onto two of their spidery limbs, increasing their height only slightly. Their chatter quickened, the upper arm-like extremities gesturing toward something in the distance.

Beside her, Callum heaved a defeated sigh, his shoulders drooping miserably at the sight of what looked to be a wagon making its way through the swarm. The beasts parted to allow it passage, drawn by an animal even more disturbing than their enemy. It seemed an odd mix between a calynx and a horse, the body larger than any big cat Aiva had ever seen, its barrel chest puffed out proudly. The legs were longer and thinner than those of a wildcat, each displaying three digits with claw-like talons extended. Its head was covered by a strangely designed bridle, fitting over the elongated skull. The nose reminded Aiva of an oversized mouse, coming to a small point at the center of its face. Its reddish brown coat glistened in the sunlight, like the brilliant color of the desert sky at dusk. It was majestic. And large. She feared what it might do if they came too close.

As their enemy came closer, Callum extended his arms in front of Aiva, protective of her, creating a barrier between her and the creatures. Under different circumstances, he might have had a chance at defending them. Unfortunately, their enemy was too plentiful. In an instant the creatures descended upon them, tearing Aiva from Callum, her body pinned to ground, held firm by numerous short, thick-skinned fingers. She tried to break free, her foot connecting solidly with one of the beasts. Immediately she felt more weight applied to subdue her. Face buried in the sand, she couldn’t see the shackles being placed around her wrists and ankles, though she knew they were there from the sudden weight of a heavy metal encompassing them, limiting her movements.

They wasted no time getting her away from Callum, dragging her roughly along the ground with incredible strength for something so small. In perfect synchronization they hoisted her into the air, tossing her unceremoniously into the wagon and shutting the door behind her. Dazed, Aiva looked around at her surroundings, surprised to find the wagon to be some type of cell. Bars lined the sides, thick and heavy, impervious to attempts at breaking free. Anxious to know of Callum’s well-being, she scrambled over to the bars, finding the motion difficult under the weight of her restraints. Grasping the cool metal of her cage, she shouted Callum’s name into the chaos. He was out there somewhere. Held captive by the vicious beasts.

Amongst the swarm, Aiva could barely make out Callum’s form buried under the unnatural bodies of their enemy. One of the creatures lifted Callum gruffly by the collar of his jacket to stare into his eyes, nodding to the others as if in agreement. At his direction, Callum was pulled along the sand toward the wagon where Aiva was kept. The door opened only long enough to toss Callum inside, his body landing with a thud on the hard surface of the floor as the wagon was secured, a loud cheer erupting from the creatures at their conquest.

If Callum was afraid, he showed no sign of it. Instead he lay there, gazing down at the shackles binding him with a faraway look in his eyes. Turning away, Aiva stared through the bars again, searching for the others somewhere in the crowd. They were nowhere to be found, lost in the celebratory commotion of their enemy.

As the wagon shifted into motion, the strange creatures took up pace beside the bars, peering menacingly in at Aiva and Callum. Their faces were funny to Aiva. Elongated. Tiny teeth visible from under their sneering lips. At her watchful stare, one of the beasts leapt onto the bars, striking at it in a show of power in attempts to intimidate her. She couldn’t help but flinch, scooting backward to get away.

“Callum,” she whispered. Part of her feared he would ignore her entirely. To her relief he turned his eyes upon her, expectant of her to speak again. “Do you still not know what these things are?”

Sitting up, he brought his knees into his chest, resting his elbows overtop of them. He was quiet at first, idly pulling his wrists apart to test the shackles before giving a sigh of defeat. “I fear it is the Feh Noq,” he frowned. “And judging by what I have seen, they have been looking for us. It seems no coincidence that you and I were separated from the others. If they are even still alive.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, feeling foolish for her lack of knowledge. Callum continued, ignoring her ignorance.

“You are the Princess. I am the Captain. We would be considered the leaders of the unit. To take away those in charge is a common practice in military tactics. It leaves the others unorganized. Unable to escape.”

“But how would they know who I was? I wear no symbol of rank.”

“Good question,” Callum nodded. “I’m puzzled by that as well.”

Without thinking Aiva reached out for Callum’s hand, the chains of her bindings rattling under the movement. “At least we are not alone.”

Quickly Callum withdrew his hand, leaving her to stare at him in utter shock. A faint grimace passed over his features to see her, averting his eyes. “Now is not the time to start this again,” he grumbled. “I have too many things on my mind.”

Hurt by his dismissal, Aiva refused to let him know that he’d struck a nerve. She slid back to the bars, letting her fingers wrap around them. They were solid. Unbendable. Even if she managed to find a way through them, it wouldn’t change the fact that her ankles were bound, a short length of chain tightly fastening her legs and arms together. She was amazed at the outward appearance of calm she maintained. Inside she screamed in fear of what would become of them, but on the exterior she gave the impression of perfect peace. There was nothing to be done while inside this cage. Wherever the creatures were taking them, they would be taken there, without question. There was no avoiding it. A plan of action would be impossible until she and Callum knew more about the situation and the intended destination. All they could do now was wait.

Aiva opened her eyes, surprised to discover that she had somehow drifted off to sleep. The sky outside was darkened. Night had come, easing the heat, while doing nothing to calm the rekindled fear at where the creatures were taking them. Peering through the bars she could see light coming from up ahead in the distance. Flickering orange. Torches. Could it be a city in the middle of the desert?

The scrape of her chains along the wooden floor disturbed Callum from his own slumber, blinking to focus on everything around them. Reminded of their captivity, he cursed under his breath, sitting up to stare down at his restraints. “Do you see anything?” he asked quietly, taking notice of Aiva’s vigilant watch. To hear him speak came as a shock after his earlier slight. Still wounded by the insult, she chose not to look at him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her face.

“I think there is a city up ahead. There are lights. Possibly gates.” She strained her eyes in the darkness to try and make out details of the area. It was impossible to see anything else.

Outside one of the creatures laughed. It was staring at her, seeming to find humor in her attempts to decipher the surroundings. Aiva thought to scold it, though the effort would be futile. There was no way to know if it would even understand the words she spoke. If the Feh Noq were at all reasonable, then they would have to listen to their pleas to explain why entrance into Palinon had been necessary. Perhaps they would even be willing to help in tracking the pirates.

The closer they came to the dancing lights; it became more obvious that they approached some form of civilization. A massive wall was built around the outer border, heavy gates barring access to anyone other than the citizens which dwelled there. Guards were positioned on either side of the doors, pulling them open to grant the creatures entrance with their prisoners. Commands were called out between them, the dialogue meaning nothing to Aiva’s ears. She no longer doubted what these beasts were. Only the Feh Noq would have designed something of this nature in the middle of the barren desert. With the sun now having set, it was prime time for their people to be awake, making an escape less likely if removed from the restraints.

Several of the creatures climbed the sides of the cage, releasing a curtain from overhead to drape over the bars, blocking Aiva from seeing more. A protective measure, no doubt. If the Feh Noq recognized their prisoners to be Vor’shai, they would have knowledge of the energy wielded by their people. It would be hazardous to allow them inside the gates with clear aim of other citizens.

Left in the darkness, Aiva longed to know how the others fared. Questions built in her head that she didn’t dare unleash upon Callum, knowing that he would be disinclined to answer. Their predicament was strained enough without adding more tension if Callum continued to behave in his current manner. It was one thing to be angry with her, but there would be time to fight about their problems when they weren’t locked in a strange cage surrounded by a race of people they knew nothing about.

Beside her, she could hear Callum attempt to stand, struggling with the limited motion granted by the shackles. In reaching his feet, the box they were confined in came to a sudden halt, his body unbalanced, falling hard to the ground with an uncomfortable thud. Aiva considered checking on his safety, realizing it was pointless. He wouldn’t be injured enough by a simple fall to merit speaking to him.

In a burst of torchlight, the back of the cage opened to reveal the creatures standing outside. Two of them held what looked to be long, metal hooks, reaching in to wrap around the chains of the fetters clasped at Aiva’s ankles, pulling her harshly along the floor onto the ground. Unable to use her hands to break the fall, her breath was forced from her body upon impact, a grunt of pain the only sound she dared make. They were dragging her along the sand. Away from the cage. She couldn’t be sure if she wanted to know where they were taking her. It frightened her to think of being locked up somewhere, alone, left with no one at all in this strange place.

It took the strength of both creatures to drag Aiva, paying no heed to whether or not she was injured along the way. They continued through an open doorway, her body connecting hard against the stone steps leading into the structure. From what Aiva could see, it appeared a prison, lined on all sides of a long hall with heavy, steel bars. Inside one of the cells she heard a voice calling out to her. Kaemin. He was alive. It was a relief, although minimal. There was no telling what their condition would be soon enough. His voice disappeared quickly, the creatures hastening their pace to get Aiva away from him. She was being taken somewhere else. Deeper into the compound; coming to pause at a large iron door at the end of the hall.

Hinges creaked as the door opened; Aiva’s body being gripped by several oddly shaped hands, the palms and fingertips blackened like absorbent pads along the surface. She was being taken inside. A sudden flash of light erupted in Aiva’s vision, an excruciating pain shooting through her head. All at once everything went dark, her body falling limp as the sounds around her faded into nothingness.