Volcrian's Hunt (The Cat's Eye Chronicles) (36 page)

“Would you like to see my wings?” he asked quietly.

Sora paused, glancing around nervously, wondering if this was some sort of trap. Just what were they doing out here, all alone? Why had he brought her to this place? Had the Matriarch ordered it? Was it some elaborate ploy so she would reveal her Cat's Eye?

Yet she had the feeling that this was a rare opportunity. That he didn't offer the sight of his wings to just anyone....

“Yes,” she finally replied.

“I can't show you their full intensity,” he explained. “The light would blind you.”

Sora nodded.

Caprion closed his eyes, raising one hand before his chest in a half-prayer. Immediately, the air shimmered behind him.

A mantle of light appeared across his shoulders. She saw the shape of giant wings unfurl from his back. She clenched her fists, amazed at their size. The wings took up the entire width of the road, similar to the Matriarch's.

Then another set of wings began to unfurl, and Sora took a step back, pressing a hand to her mouth. They were shorter, smaller and translucent, more like the impression of wings. After a minute, she counted as many as six protruding from his back. Then she had to turn her face slightly away, raising her hand to shield her eyes. It was too bright. She felt heat against her skin, similar to a sunburn.

By the North Wind!
How many were there? Six? Eight?

Her Cat's Eye finally responded. It jingled fiercely, tightening in her chest, prepared to defend against a magical attack. Sora put her hand on the gem unconsciously, pressing the stone through her shirt, trying to calm herself. Caprion's wings were beautiful, yes, like staring into the depths of a star, yet they also terrified her.

“A...seraphim....” she murmured.

“We are born purely for war,” Caprion explained.

Sora continued to avert her eyes.
This
was a seraphim? She suddenly imagined the floating island of Aerobourne from so many centuries ago, the intense magic that had lifted the island from the ground, and the flying warriors, like shards of starlight come to life, that had guarded this city. How had anyone ever fought against this race? How had the humans ever won? It seemed absurd. An entire army...with
this
power....

Slowly the light faded and the wings became a vague shimmer on his back, then silhouettes, then they were gone. His voice returned to normal as well, no longer striking her like a bell. “Do not be afraid,” he said quietly. “I did not bring you here to harm you.”

“Then...then why?” Sora asked. “Why did you bring me here?”

“I wanted you to see the ruins of our city,” Caprion replied. “I wanted you to understand what has happened to our race.”

Sora stared at him suspiciously. “Why?” she asked again.

“Believe it or not,” he said, “you are the first human I have ever met. You also strike me as someone who might understand what I have shown you.”

Sora was surprised by his words. She had been so caught in the foreign majesty of this place, that she hadn't realized how out-of-place she must seem. Humans were so common...how could she possibly be the first he had met?

She considered his words and glanced over her shoulder, back to the ruined spires of the city. “And what have you shown me? An abandoned marketplace?” she asked.

“A ruined people,” he corrected.

“You don't seem all that ruined to me,” she said skeptically, thinking back on the Matriarch.

“The Harpy race is proud...but we are dying,” Caprion said. “Every generation is smaller than the last. Our numbers are dwindling on this island. That is why we do not rebuild our city. There is already too much space for us.”

Sora nodded at this. It made sense, but she still didn't understand what he wanted from her. Perhaps the reaction showed on her face, because he glanced away, as though self-conscious. A cloud suddenly shifted across the moon, casting his face in half-shadow. “I want to leave this island,” he said simply.

She stared.

He clasped his hands behind his back. “I am either the last of the seraphims...or the first of a new generation. Either way, I have a duty to my people, and I can't fulfill it here.”

She frowned. “But why leave...?”

“There are many Harpies scattered across the mainland. I want to find them. Unite them. Bring them home....” he paused. “And I want to know what else lies beyond the ocean. We have watched the mainland for centuries, and yet we do not truly know what has changed, what the humans have done.” He nodded to her. “I don't think the races are meant to perish...but I don't think they will survive, either. Not without help.”

“But why wait? Why not go there yourself?” she asked, still uncertain.

He looked her over from head to toe. “I need a guide.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why me?”

A wan smile came over his face. “You don't trust me,” he said.

“No.”

Her abrupt answer took him off-guard, she could tell. He hesitated, glancing at the ground; he wasn't used to being refused. His voice probably held the same power over other Harpies as it did over Burn and Laina. A small, grim smile was on her lips. He would not be able to manipulate her that way.

“What if...I could guarantee the life of the assassin?” he finally asked.

Sora's eyes dropped to the dagger at his belt. He read her reaction immediately, resting a hand on it, giving her a knowing look. “The Matriarch speaks fiercely of the evil of the Unnamed,” he said. “She is good at that. Yet the age of the First Race is long gone, and our Matriarch is full of bravado. She won't admit that times have changed. She remembers those days of glory, and she is proud.” He seemed wistful about it, almost sad. “But she speaks in fear. It has been centuries since we went toe-to-toe with the Unnamed. She is afraid of them, of what is happening on the mainland. We are too out of touch; we know nothing of the human world anymore. My people would rather live in isolation than face what they don't know.” He shook his head slowly.

“Oh?” Sora asked. “And you are so very different?” He acted better off than his own race—but it felt like more arrogance. “You're not afraid of the Unnamed?” she pressed.

His smile broadened. “No,” he said. “I do not fear them. My light outshines their darkness.”

Sora couldn't help but bristle. It was a bold claim to make. She thought of Crash's dexterity, his unmatched skill. She had seen him in countless battles, the best and the worst. To an assassin, killing was easier than fighting. Perhaps she hadn't met any others of the Sixth Race, yet she knew that they were formidable opponents.
You haven't seen them yet,
she wanted to say to him.
You don't know what they're truly like.

Oh, and you do?
her inner voice spoke up, interrupting her thoughts. She bit her lip. Only a few days ago, Crash had been a simple man—not a demon, not some unknown offspring of the Dark God. The truth of his identity suddenly bothered her, sticking in her throat, the gravity of it. He was not human, but something else. Something she didn't understand.

“Come,” Caprion said, and held out his hand. “There is one last thing I wish you to see.”

Sora eyed his hand warily, uncertain of what to do—yet she couldn't back down. There was nowhere for her to go.

The white glow surrounded her. They immediately lifted up into the air, rising above the trees, gliding smoothly across the forest. They sped through the night, passing over countless acres of woodland. Most of the ground below was obscured in deep shadows.

Finally, an open space in the trees revealed a small building cradled in the foliage. The structure must have been important, for there were guards stationed all around. They looked up as she and Caprion approached. A half-minute later, she found herself standing lightly in the grass, in front of an open archway that led into a dark building. The soldiers glanced at her, then turned away when Caprion approached, lowering their eyes respectfully.

The building was domed, similar to the one she was staying in. Yet it was far plainer, with no fancy mosaics or molding. It appeared to be built of thick gray granite sunk into the ground, impenetrable.

“Where are we?” Sora asked as Caprion passed her, heading toward the open archway. He motioned for her to follow, and she fell into step behind him.

As he approached the entrance, a large Harpy moved to stand in his way. This Harpy was Caprion's height but far wider, packed with muscle, his armor making him appear twice the size. He had a thick jaw and a broad neck that sloped into powerful shoulders. His eyes were similar to Caprion's, perhaps a slightly darker shade of purple.

“Sumas,” Caprion said shortly.

The large guard nodded to them. “I can't let the human enter,” he said.

Caprion raised an eyebrow. “She is my guest,” he said. “Stand aside.”

Sumas stared stoically at the Harpy General. Sora frowned up at him, but the guard intentionally ignored her, his expression like stone. He was the first soldier she had seen who stared Caprion in the face. “The Matriarch forbid anyone to enter,” he growled.

“And you suggest that I am disobeying the Matriarch?” Caprion said pointedly.

They stared at each other intently for a moment, then Sumas' gaze wavered. His eyes shifted downward and he grimaced.

“Stand aside,” Caprion repeated, his tone ringing in the dead air. The Cat's Eye shivered. Sora felt the voice's power tingle across her skin.

Sumas stepped to one side, allowing them to pass. She could feel his eyes upon her, hard and unwelcoming. It made the hair stand up on the back of her neck.

Inside, the building was less than accommodating. Everything was dark, thick stone. There were no chairs, no windows, no items of comfort. Only a solid, round floor and at its center, a stairwell leading downward.

“Where are we?” Sora asked again, slightly alarmed. She didn't like the idea of going underground alone with this man. She didn't trust him. Not yet.

“The holding cells,” Caprion said. “We have a larger prison, but we have no use for it anymore.”

The holding cells.
Crash!
Sora felt her heart leap, thudding erratically in her chest. She wiped her sweaty palms and stared at the darkened staircase. It was swallowed by deep shadows, as though leading into an infinite abyss.

Caprion paused halfway down the stairs and nodded toward the bottom. “I assume you want some privacy. Go ahead.”

Sora stared at him, suspicion rising again. It seemed like far too grand a gesture. Here she was, fully armed, not bound. She could easily walk down there and break Crash out of the holding cell.

Then she glanced behind her at the series of guards. There were at least eight of them, and maybe more out of sight. Too many for her to fight alone.

“Right,” she murmured to him in passing, then climbed down the stairwell. The air grew colder as she descended, chilled by the earth.

He nodded, but, true to his word, he didn't follow her.

Sora reached the bottom floor. She found herself in a pitch-black underground chamber. She stood there for a moment, waiting for her eyes to adjust, but there was no source of light.

On instinct, she touched her Cat's Eye.
I need light,
she thought, directing her intentions toward the necklace. She hoped it would obey her this time.

The necklace stuttered. Then there was a dull hum in her ears. The stone began to glow through her shirt. After a slight hesitation, she pulled it into the open, and a soft green light fell upon the dark room.

Immediately her eyes found the far wall. Directly in front of her, perhaps twenty paces away, was a granite wall. Thick metal shackles were clamped on it, rusted by moisture.

Sitting on the floor, his hands bound behind him by shackles, was a familiar figure.

Sora's heart leapt to her throat. She quickly stepped toward him.

Smack!

She bumped head-first into an invisible wall and almost yelped in surprise. Wincing, she rubbed her nose, her eyes tearing up.
What was that?
She raised her hands and extended them outward, feeling along the hidden barrier. Her hands tingled with magic. The guards must have resurrected some sort of shield to keep him imprisoned. Otherwise, he could easily break through the rusty shackles and make an escape.

Except...he wasn't moving.

Her brow furrowed with worry. She quickly touched her necklace, sending a silent command. With a soft chime, the Cat's Eye stirred and she felt a familiar sense of inhalation. The magic was slowly absorbed by the stone. It took much longer than usual.

The barrier dissolved and she rushed to Crash's side. But as she neared, she felt a strange density in the air, as though the shadows were growing gradually darker. The room became increasingly colder. She could actually see small puffs of frost rising from her breath. She paused a few feet away from him, staring down at his body.

The assassin's shoulders were slumped forward and his head was bent down. She couldn't tell if he was unconscious or not. Sora forced herself to cross the remaining distance. She felt like she had to climb through the air, swim through it like a dense fluid. The shadows grew deeper, and to her keen eye, she noticed that they were moving...which was strange, as there was no light to displace them.
What is this?
It didn't feel like Harpy magic...or magic of any kind, really. She tried to suppress the fear that rose in her throat.
It's just Crash,
she reassured herself.
He won't hurt you.