Riven (The Arinthian Line Book 2) Page 10

  Magua suddenly stepped forward. “That is blasphemy and treason of the highest kind! Cease speaking immediately!” She turned to the crowd and raised her arms. “I call on the emergency execution of the traitor and seditionist Krakatos! Step forward with me now and protect the sacred Vow of Isolation!”

  A great many stepped forward, including, to Augum’s shock, Oba Sassone. Once the stragglers realized they were outnumbered, they too stepped forward, leaving behind only a few dissenters, including Thomas Stone.

  Magua turned to Krakatos, pointing an accusing finger. “Ancient father—you have hereby been sentenced to die for sedition!”

  Krakatos merely turned to face her. Whatever look he gave made her pause a moment. Then he vanished without a sound.

  Magua’s lips thinned as gasps came from the circle.

  “Impossible,” someone whispered nearby.

  “What of Thomas Stone and the childlings?” asked a voice in the crowd.

  Heads turned to Augum and the others.

  “Let us discuss,” Magua replied, and Leyans stepped back, reforming the circle. Augum and his group stirred uneasily as the remaining elders conferred with nothing but looks.

  Augum caught Oba Sassone watching him, metallic face impassive. He wondered what made the Leyan switch sides.

  Finally, one by one, the elders gave a nod.

  The woman wearing antlers and animal skins stepped forward. “The accusations have been deliberated upon. The decision is … conviction on all counts.”

  Augum felt his whole body tighten.

  The crowd was silent as the old woman with avocado skin replaced the antlered woman. “Oba Sassone, for aiding the training of the childling mortals, you are to meditate in silence without speaking to, being seen, or hearing from another for sixty nights.”

  Oba bowed. “Oba accepts.”

  “Thomas Stone,” said the old woman wearing the ancient servant’s outfit, “for passing sacred knowledge, training, and harboring uninvited mortals, you are to meditate in silence without speaking to, being seen, or hearing from another for three hundred nights.”

  The girls, the prince, and Augum gasped. They were alone now, stuck among these ancient lunatics.

  “So be it,” Thomas said in even tones, bowing.

  Augum wanted to protest, or at least hear his great-grandfather say something, anything else against—

  “Childlings—” Magua’s milky-eyes fell upon them. “For inhabiting the land of the Ley without invitation, and for learning some of its secrets without earning them, you will hereby be expelled, your mind wiped clean of your time here, upon first light of morning.”

  “You can’t—!” Mya cried.

  “It is done, so be it.”

  “So be it,” echoed every Leyan voice around the circle, but Augum barely heard them past the rushing of blood in his ears.

  Blind

  Augum could not remember the trip back to the house. When the door closed, he slumped on the black marble steps. “What just happened …?”

  “This is all Mrs. Stone’s fault,” the prince said, plopping down at the table. “If she had only taken us with her …”

  Augum was too shocked to argue.

  Leera leaned back against the wall by the door, hands rubbing her freckled face. “Ugh … we’re about to have our brains cooked by an old hag.”

  Bridget began pacing again. “I think we just witnessed some kind of historic overthrow. Magua seems to be in charge now.”

  “They are not nearly as wise as the legends make them out to be,” Mya said, sitting down at the table beside the prince.

  Augum shot up and went to the door. “It doesn’t matter, we have to get out of here—” He tried the door. “It’s locked.” He leaned against it, expelling a long breath.

  “No windows … we’re trapped,” Leera said.

  Bridget stopped pacing. “Centarro—”

  “Wait, m’lady,” Mya said. “We have to be careful—they have powers we do not understand, perhaps it is best—”

  “Well we’ve got to try something—!” Augum interrupted, sounding harsher than he meant to.

  Mya dropped her emerald eyes. “Ideas come few for a humble servant such as myself.”

  “You’re not a servant—” Augum said, cheeks burning. “You’re a traditional healer.”

  Sydo cleared his throat rather loudly. “Let us not forget that you are my servant. Need I remind you that you swore an oath to my father?”

  Mya nodded. “I remember, Your Highness.”

  “It doesn’t matter!” Bridget said. “Don’t you understand—” she made a sweeping gesture at everything. “None of this matters! It doesn’t matter because tomorrow morning we’ll be vegetables in the middle of nowhere, lost and confused, and sure to be captured by the Legion!”

  Silence hung in the air.

  Augum wondered why his great-grandfather hadn’t done anything after their penance was announced. Suddenly he saw movement. Something small and white scurried underneath the front door.

  “Look,” he said, “a mouse.”

  Sydo jumped back with a girlish shriek. “Kill it!”

  Bridget whirled on him. “Don’t you dare—”

  ”That’s not a mouse,” Augum said, watching as the little creature skittered toward him. ”It’s made of parchment!” It scampered up to his foot, rose on hind legs, and made the tiniest squeak. He scooped up the little bundle of crinkles, wondering what to do with it, when he saw writing underneath a flap—and then he understood.

  “Sorry, little one,” he whispered, unwrapping the message. The mouse gave a contented squeak. They gathered around and read.

  Secure all possessions that make noise. Tonight you shall receive a single, quiet knock. Open the door without a word. Take each other’s hands in a line, for I shall cast invisibility on all. I shall then lead you away and up the steps. Do not speak. Do not let go. Walk as quiet as mice.

  Burn this message once memorized.

  TS

  A big smile spread across Leera’s face as she suddenly embraced him. “You’re going to stay with us, right?”

  “Guess I have no choice for now …” and he forced a smile.

  Bridget placed her hands on his shoulders, looked him square in the eye. “I lost all of my brothers, but now I have you. You are my brother.”

  He felt his heart warm. “I’ll … I’ll try to live up to that.”

  They memorized the message and put it to the torch. They then secured their possessions as instructed, Augum wrapping Burden’s Edge in cloth to muffle the noise, Bridget doing the same with Blackbite. They kept as busy as they could to pass the time, everyone careful to talk about anything but tonight’s escape. For a while, he, Bridget and Leera even practiced the spells they knew—Shine, Telekinesis, Repair, Unconceal, Shield, and Centarro, a spell they were almost completely hopeless with.

  Meanwhile, the prince napped or sat by himself, looking sullen and bored, occasionally complaining about his burnt doublet and how Mya needed to fix it as soon as they reached civilization. Mya, when not answering Sydo, sorted through her woven bag of herbs, mumbling recipes to herself.

  At one point, Bridget whispered something to Leera and Leera turned to look at Augum with a sorrowful look. Later, when he and Leera were sorting the food and the last of the basket items on the table together, he noticed she was being a little aggressive as she threw things into Bridget’s rucksack.

  He stopped what he was doing, wondering if he should ask if she was okay.

  Leera looked up to make sure Bridget, Mya and Sydo were busy before turning to him. “Promise me you’ll not search out your father. Promise me you won’t leave us—”

  His heart twisted into knots. What could he say? How could he promise knowing he might not be able to keep his word? “Leera, I—”

  “Promise. Me,” she said through gritted teeth.

  Staring into those glassy dark eyes, he knew one thing for sure—he didn’t want to hur
t her any further, even if he had to lie. “I …” but he couldn’t say it, surrendering a nod instead.

  Her lip trembled a moment and she looked like she was going to give him a hug. Instead she turned away, hiding her face behind a curtain of raven hair. “Ugh, I’m so pathetic.”

  He wanted to tell her she wasn’t, that she was an amazing and caring friend and he really appreciated her, but instead he kept sorting.

  Time flew by and they started getting tired. Everything was packed and ready to go. Now they just had to make it out of there without anyone noticing.

  Eventually, Leera faked a yawn and stretched. “Getting late, isn’t it?”

  “It is, m’lady,” Mya replied with an over-dramatized sigh. “Let us sleep.”

  “Goodnight,” Bridget said with a wink, sitting by the door. She had volunteered to take the first watch. They lay on the cold floor, waiting for that all-important knock.

  ***

  It was very late when Augum awoke suddenly to a gentle shaking. Almond-shaped emerald eyes swam into view, a finger held over soft lips. He sat up as Mya moved on to gently shake the prince. Augum immediately spotted Thomas, standing by Bridget, his muscled bronze chest glistening in the flicker of a single Leyan torch near the door.

  Thomas glanced at the closed door before gesturing for them to form a line. They did so without a word, Leera at the front followed by Bridget, Sydo, Augum and Mya. Augum worried about his sweaty palm as Mya gripped his hand. A familiar fluttering began in his stomach, though it could just as easily have been nerves.

  When they were ready, Thomas made sure he had their attention and pressed the Helix on the wall torch, snuffing it out. A moment later, his arm erupted in rings of fire as he whispered a complex string of unknown arcane words, touching each of them on the head as he went along. Those he touched instantly disappeared with a quick sucking sound.

  When Augum’s turn came, he felt a strange tingling, like when he slept in a funny position and his arm or leg went numb. He glanced down at his body but it was gone! The sensation was so peculiar it actually made him dizzy. He had to focus his gaze on his great-grandfather to keep from stumbling. At last, Thomas put a finger to his lips before turning himself invisible. The light from his arm immediately extinguished, plunging them into pitch darkness.

  The front door squeaked. Sydo’s hand gave a light tug and the line began moving forward. Augum took small, measured steps so as not to step on the prince’s heel. It was a challenge to walk in total darkness, the kind where there was no difference between opening one’s eyes and closing them. He wished they had practiced walking like this beforehand.

  They wound this way and that. Augum heard nothing other than the quiet padding of their feet, their rapid breathing, and the thunder of his own heart. Sometimes he sensed they were near an object, perhaps the wall of a house. At other times, he sensed great spaces. The group eventually slowed down and Augum felt a squeeze from the prince’s hand, which he instinctively passed on to Mya, figuring it had to be a warning of some kind.

  The sound of people’s feet in front changed. He was trying to figure out why when his foot suddenly stepped into nothing. He stumbled, letting go of Sydo’s hand but managing to hold on to Mya’s.

  The stairs—of course. He tried to get his bearing, but the group’s shuffling quickly faded and he was unsure as to which direction they had gone. He stood there, disbelieving they had not waited for them. Why hadn’t Sydo informed the others?

  Mya squeezed his hand, probably wondering what was happening. He could only squeeze back. It was so quiet even whispering was too dangerous. He slowly descended the rest of the steps. When he reached the bottom he figured the only thing to do was try to walk as straight as possible. With nothing to see, however, that proved difficult, and he walked painfully slow, his free hand groping in the dark.

  The pair walked for what felt like far too long a time when Augum suddenly slammed right into a stone pillar. He grunted involuntarily and immediately froze. Somewhere behind them, a red fiery light lit up. It was someone’s palm, waving about, coming closer.

  Maybe Great-grandfather had finally realized they were missing and was coming for them … but no, the Leyan certainly wouldn’t give himself away like that.

  Mya gave an urgent tug at his arm as the mysterious figure approached, hand sweeping in wide arcs. Augum nudged Mya to stand behind the pillar, which was just wide enough to conceal them both—as long as one stood behind the other.

  The figure was now no more than thirty paces away, advancing quietly. Augum held his breath, not daring to make the slightest movement or noise. He held Mya’s hand tightly, a grip she returned, their hands trembling together. As the figure drew even nearer, with the way his arm swept about, Augum had the sudden realization that they were going to be seen.

  His mind raced. There was only one chance, and he had to take it. He calmed his breathing and concentrated unlike ever before, knowing he had to get it right the first time.

  “Centeratoraye xao xen,” he whispered as quietly as possible.

  He knew immediately that he had invoked the spell correctly because he felt every nuance of the moment—the location of each of his limbs in space, exactly where Mya was, and the position of the pillar in relation to them and the stranger. He even felt the pulse of Mya’s heart through her palm, a rhythm that matched the frantic beating of his own.

  With perfect clarity, he focused on the burning palm and the swing of its light. Time seemed to stretch and sharpen, but not enough to plan for the side effects of Centarro, a risk he was painfully aware of. His free hand gripped the stone pillar, feeling its rough, cool texture. So attuned was Augum to every sound that each of the man’s steps sounded like a thunderous crash, each breath a windstorm. He had to act very soon. Suddenly, the solution presented itself in the shadow of the pillar, as it moved opposite to the light. There was a slow cadence to it.

  He snagged Mya’s other hand, squeezing with reassurance. He then started rocking back and forth, guiding her along to the gentle swaying of the shadow, in an almost musical way, so that whenever the person’s lit palm swung to the far right, he and Mya danced left, and vice versa, always in the shadow of the pillar, always just in time. Somehow, she understood and followed his lead in this deadly dance. Only a few times did a piece of their clothing snag the light, but he knew they had to keep going, he had to keep concentrating …

  And then, as if a fog had descended on his thoughts, things started to get fuzzy. Knowing what was coming, he drew Mya close, freezing in the shadow of the pillar opposite the burning palm. Miraculously, the stranger walked right by, the pair having danced in the pillar’s shadow undiscovered.

  As the sound of the stranger’s steps faded, Augum drifted away. He knew he had to find some people … he let go of Mya and was about to start walking in search of them when she grabbed him and drew him close. The hypnotic distant light, her soft embrace, and the delicate aroma of her scented oil all served to calm him. He rested like this in her arms, lost in the simplest thoughts, the pair waiting …

  It felt like a long time before he was able to put things back together in his mind again. Mya still held him in a soothing yet firm embrace, like a favorite blanket on a cold night. His heart raced, sure he’d remember that embrace for the rest of his life. Yet he realized there were pressing concerns. They were lost and the spell had left him arcanely fatigued. Reluctantly, he tapped her side and she loosened her grip, keeping hold of his hand.

  He peered around the pillar. The stranger was combing towering rock walls. Suddenly, although very briefly, the Leyan’s light passed over the entranceway. Augum placed one leg forward in its direction and held it there as a marker, waiting for the person with the light to have gone a distance further before continuing forward. They watched the light sway back and forth in wide arcs, a lonely lantern in absolute darkness. At last, he judged the person to be far enough away for them to go on.

  The walk was agonizingly slow, the
silence magnifying every sound. When at last his hand felt the cool wall of rock, he felt a wave of relief and gave Mya’s hand an encouraging squeeze. They walked along the wall until finally finding the stone archway. The pair quietly passed through and began the long ascent up the narrow steps, stopping now and then to listen. He hoped the others had gone up ahead, and tried not to think of them getting caught down below while waiting for him and Mya.

  After a long time ascending the worn stone steps, a “Psst—” came from somewhere up ahead. He made the same noise in return, squeezing Mya’s hand in delight. At last he managed to find an outstretched hand, which he could only assume was Sydo’s. The line promptly continued moving as if nothing at all had happened, still without a word spoken or a light shone.

  As they finally neared the exit, a muted low roar increased. At first, Augum thought it was some kind of monster screaming, until the exit door disappeared, revealing a sandstorm and flooding the corridor with light. Thomas stepped outside, everyone following.

  Augum flashed Mya a relieved smile and gave one last squeeze of her hand before letting go to draw his hood. He wished he could hold her hand forever.

  The challenge to avoid getting lost in the storm was immense—visibility was only a few feet, yet they had to keep an eye out for the person in front while protecting their faces against whipping sand.

  They walked until a figure appeared. As they drew close, Augum identified a wine-colored shirt flapping in the wind. A pair of curved blades clanked at the Leyan’s hips.

  “Oba Sassone,” Thomas said, stopping paces away. “The song of the wastes calls. We have little time.”

  “Prepared is Thomas Stone?”

  “I am.”

  “You—you betrayed us!” Leera yelled. “You betrayed Mrs. Stone!”

  The metallic-skinned Leyan’s black eyes narrowed. “Pretend Oba must, so back he can go.”

  “There’s no time,” Thomas said. “I will explain later. Oba, if you please—”

  “Prepared Thomas be for consequences?”