The Tears of Elios (12 page)

Kira gulped the air to ease the pounding of her heart. She was so consumed by her own escape from death that it took her a moment to remember Galen. Still clinching the golden rope, she peered over the edge. “Galen?” she asked, her voice shaking. She held her breath until she heard a grunt from below.

He dangled like a pendulum from the golden rope wrapped around his chest. His boots hovered only a few feet from the stalagmite spears that lined the floor of the cavern below. She thought he was unconscious until his head rolled to the side and he groaned.

Kira shimmied away from the edge and tried to stand up. She pulled the rope closer to her chest but cried out as it slipped past her raw hands. She dived to catch it. Only a few inches had escaped. When it snapped tight, another grunt echoed from below. “Don't worry, Galen, I have you.” Her words sounded hollow, meant more for her than him.

“And who has you?” At least he was well enough to be sarcastic. “It seems my life is in your hands.”

“Maybe now you'll learn to trust me,” she muttered while she crawled away from the edge, sending down a shower of pebbles in the process.

“It seems I have no other option at the moment.”

She froze, embarrassed that he’d overheard her. She didn’t think she had been speaking that loudly. The pause gave her a few seconds to think about how she could get him out of the cavern since she lacked the strength to pull him up. She searched through her spells before settling on a basic levitation spell. “Ready? On the count of three—”

“What?”

“One.” She tugged at the rope. “Two.” She gave a second tug, and a shimmer of blue coiled along the golden rope. “Three.”

She pulled with as much strength as she could muster while the spell burst from her hands. A dark form collided with her and knocked the air from her lungs. Her back hit the ground, followed by Galen's body landing on top of her.

His face came into focus above hers. She blinked a few more times, trying to clear the silver haze that lingered on the periphery of her vision. His eyes were glazed, and he made no effort to move away from her. On the contrary, his face inched closer to hers, his breath brushing against her lips. She lifted her mouth to meet his.

Unfortunately, her lungs burned for air, and she gasped as her more primal need to breathe overtook her actions. The first few breaths rattled her whole body. The fire in her lungs spread to her face as she remembered what she had just been thinking. She turned away and attempted to slow her breathing. “You can get off me now, please.”

Galen raised himself to a sitting position and rubbed his face. “What was that?” he asked, his voice dazed.

Kira rolled over, wincing at the new soreness in her ribs that she discovered with each movement. “I think that was me saving your life.”

His brows pinched together. “No, that's not what I—” The sound of debris scattering on the ground behind them diverted his attention. He stood and helped her to her feet. “Those goblins are more resourceful than I thought. We need to keep moving before they get through those rocks.”

The blue light flashed on something buried in the wall of the cavern as it whizzed ahead. She took a few steps toward it, still aware of the digging and scratching on the other side of the rocks to her left. The ball of light intensified to illuminate a small crystal orb embedded in a rocky ledge just above her head. “Galen, look.”

“No!” Galen blocked her from grabbing it. “You can't touch it.”

“Why not?” Kira tried to reach around him, inflaming the pain in her ribs.

“Because you're not of elvan blood.”

“But I found it!”

“That still doesn't change the fact you can't touch it.” A large boulder lurched forward, and the guttural voices of the goblins became louder. “Give me your cloak.”

She barely had time to untie it before he yanked it off her shoulders. With his other hand, he pried the orb loose from the ledge. Once it was free and in his hand, a white light as bright as the sun filled the cavern. He peered into the center of the orb, his lips moving silently. The light was doused, and the cavern plunged into darkness once again. He wrapped the orb in her cloak. “I'm glad we were able to find it.”

Another boulder tumbled to the ground, followed by the hiss of an arrow. He grabbed her by the jerkin. “Time to go.”

A shock pulsed through her body, followed by a blinding blue light. Kira’s limbs became weightless as her body dissipated before her own eyes. Panic filled her as she tried to reach for Galen and felt only an updraft as the blue light flashed and faded. A sudden surge downward followed as her body resubstantiated. The ground became solid under her feet, and she stumbled, colliding with Galen. His heart sounded so calm compared to hers.

She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight and saw the horses in front of them. “What just happened?”

“You've never experienced teleportation before?” he asked as he stowed in the orb in his saddlebag and returned her cloak to her. She shook her head, and he smiled. “And I didn't think your eyes could get any larger. I suppose I'll have to teach you that spell one day.” He lifted her onto the horse and mounted it in front of her.

She liked the prospect of Galen teaching her new spells. Although he would never be as jovial as Master Tyrrus, he at least seemed to be more at ease with her now than he was before.

Her pleasure was short lived as soon as the horse sped into a gallop. The pain in her ribs became unbearable, and she cried out. Galen pulled the horse to a stop, causing the black splotches that filled her vision to dance in front of her eyes. She slumped forward and tried to resist her growing nausea.

“Kira, are you hurt?” His hands moved over her arms and legs before reproducing her cry of pain when they came to her chest. “Ah, a few broken ribs. Easily enough fixed.”

A soft, gentle warmth from the white glow of his hands replaced the burning pain as they brushed over the injured ribs. She leaned forward and sighed with relief.

“Why didn't you mention them earlier?” His breath created a light breeze against her hair.

“There wasn't time.”

“Are there any other injuries I should know about?”

She shook her head. Yes, her palms were raw, and she was sure there would be some fresh bruises in the morning, but nothing that needed immediate care. A note of urgency filled his voice, and she didn’t want to cause any more delays. She desired to stay in his good graces as long as she could.

“Good. I want to be as far away from here as I can get before nightfall.”

They rode until the moon rose high overhead. Dozens of questions occupied Kira's mind, but she dared not voice them. They stopped at a grove of trees in the center of the Cove, a place Galen considered far enough away from the cave and its goblins. She felt a slight degree of accomplishment as she dismounted without getting tangled in the stirrups or stumbling, which he appeared to notice as well.

He carved a circle into the dirt around them as he did the night before. “You're unusually quiet.”

“Why should I ask questions you're unwilling to answer?” She started a fire and began to unfasten the jerkin. As soon as she shrugged it off her shoulders, it returned to its original size. She held it out to him.

He exchanged the jerkin for a few pieces of dried meat and journey bread and inspected it. His fingers poked through several holes in the top layer of the leather down to the thin metal plates under it. “Perhaps you should continue to wear this in case you decide to designate yourself as a pincushion for goblin arrows again.”

She nearly dropped the food in her hands. At least a dozen holes punctured the back of the jerkin.
If I hadn’t been wearing it
… She pushed those thoughts from her mind with a shudder.

“For someone with your abilities, you have quite a knack for nearly getting yourself killed.” He folded the jerkin at his feet and stared into the fire. “I never thanked you for saving my life.”

Kira drew her knees tighter to her chest, unsure how to respond. Her thoughts dwelt not on the rescue but on the moments after. She scolded herself for almost kissing him. If she wanted to be of any use to the Resistance, she needed to push those thoughts from her mind. “Consider it repayment for all the times you've saved me from my clumsiness.”

He turned to her, and she became aware of his visual dissection. “How is it that you can summon complicated spells like that golden rope, yet you cannot use any basic defensive spells?”

She remained silent. She had no explanation to give him and grew more uncomfortable under his inspection. She stayed focused on the fire, fearful he would peer into her soul again if he could see her eyes.

He finally turned away. “There seem to be some serious gaps in your education. I will have to speak with Master Tyrrus about this when we return.”

“Please don't be too harsh on him. He was willing to take me on as his apprentice, even though I was a girl. Maybe these gaps you speak of are due to the fact he had to teach me in secret.”

“Perhaps, but there's more to it than that, I think. Tyrrus may be a Master, but he has his faults and limitations.” His gaze flickered over her once again. “I have several concerns about you that I need to discuss with him.”

She pulled her legs tighter, trying to form an impenetrable ball where she could be safe from his criticism. “Such as?”

He didn’t reply. Perhaps he knew he had said enough or sensed that his words were upsetting her, but she appreciated his silence. Instead, he pressed another piece of dried meat into her palm. “Eat.”

When she swallowed the last bit, she lay down, and he covered her with his thick cloak and tucked it around her. He ran his fingers through her short hair, sending a shiver of delight down her spine. By the Goddess, did he have any idea what kind of effect his touch had on her?

His gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds, and she glimpsed some kind of internal conflict warring inside him. Then he turned away and crawled back to his bedroll. “Hopefully, you won’t have visions of the Azekborn tonight.”

CHAPTER 10

From the safety of the bushes, Ranealya watched the occupants of the camp. It had grown since the last time she was here—tripled in size, by her estimates. At least the password remained the same.

Before Anilayus ordered the Clearances, she rarely saw elves living among dwarves and humans, yet they all clustered together here in this tent city. She wondered how much of this was due to Galen's influence. He’d always insisted the different races needed to work together if they wanted to achieve anything.

She willed herself into a smaller, more acceptable form. As her body shrank, her ears became longer, and she hopped out from the bushes once her transformation was complete.

“Bunny!” a small child cried out, and he began to run after her. She darted side to side through the maze of tents, but other children soon joined in the chase. She allowed it to continue until she spotted an older child loading an arrow into his bow and taking aim at her. Then she turned and opened her mouth with a roar, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

The children all screamed in unison. “Demon bunny!” one cried as they ran away.

Her nose twitched as she mentally snickered.
Stupid humans
. Perhaps people would take less notice of a dog. She hopped behind the nearest tent and emerged on the other side loping along on four legs with her tongue hanging out of side of her mouth.

She moved through the camp with ease. If she attracted any attention, it was only when people threw scraps of meat or bread in her direction, which she devoured. Food had been scarce between Gregor’s home and here. All the while, she kept looking for the man she came here for.

Near the center of the camp, her ears picked up the sound of his voice. She moved in that direction and spied Galen in the middle of a conversation with a fat human.

“I don't care what you say, Tyrrus. This is for the safety of the camp.” Galen didn’t need to raise his voice to express his anger. The low, even tone left little doubt to his emotions.

“Galen, she is not a threat to anyone,” the fat man protested.

“She has poor control over her powers. She lacks discipline.”

“Nonsense! She’d never hurt a fly. It's not in her nature. I brought her up better than that.”

Galen opened his mouth to speak, but a dark-haired elf interrupted by whispering something in his ear. Her eyes narrowed. So, Jaius was still alive and still playing the part of best friend. Perhaps that was all he was good for.

“I will not argue with you anymore. From now on, you are relieved of your apprentice, as you have taught her all that you seem capable of teaching her. Either I or one of the other Elders will be responsible for her education. Please see that she gets the package I left for her and that she reports to my tent in the morning to begin her lessons.”

Galen turned and walked away with Jaius at his side. Ranealya followed. They paid little attention to the dog behind them as she listened to their conversation.

“You’re letting this human occupy too much of your thoughts,” Jaius said in Elvish. “We need to be more focused on what to do against Anilayus.”

“I am focused on what to do against Anilayus,” Galen replied in the same language. “You know the old stories about how a single feather can tip the scales in your favor. I think she is our feather.”

“And are you willing to gamble our lives on that?”

Galen grabbed Jaius by the shoulder. “I have a plan that will work.”

“If you don't anger the gods. You know what happened to the last person who attempted this.”

Galen quickened his pace, causing Jaius to jog a few steps to catch up with him. “There is a difference. My intentions are not selfish.”

Jaius said no more and followed Galen into the large tent. She could tell by the expression on his face that he would approach this topic with Galen at a later time. The flap snapped shut behind them.

Ranealya wanted to learn more about his plan, but the two elves standing sentry at the tent discouraged her from strutting through the main entrance, even in the unassuming form of a dog. She went around to the back of the tent and found an opening large enough for her to peek under the canvas when she crouched low on her belly.