Crown of Crystal Flame (34 page)

She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was still here. Someone had not left with the others.

«Sheyl, we must go.»

«A few more chimes. I’m almost done.»
She raced across a vine bridge leading to the last cluster of tree homes in the village, the ones that hugged the farthest perimeter of the compound. These were the houses the sensitives occupied… the homes of Murialisa’s parents and other couples like them.

The pounding in her veins grew stronger, the weight pressing on her chest heavier so that her breath came in shallow gasps. She opened the door of Muri’s house and ran room to room. The bedrooms were filled with signs of frantic packing: clothes strewn in haphazard piles across the bed, drawers and wardrobes open, their contents in disarray. But there were no people, nothing that couldn’t be lost to the Eld. The true treasures of the house, Muri and her parents, were gone.

Sheyl ran out the back door and checked three more homes on the same level of the cluster before bounding down the hanging stair, making the treads rock wildly. She leapt to the platform beneath and opened the first door she came to. That house was empty, as were the second and third after that.

The fourth house, however…

She burst through the front door, shouting, “Is anyone here?” Before the echoes of her call died out, she heard the choked cry, and then she knew.

She headed straight for the bedroom and flung open the door. Carina, whose man had been among those who had not returned last night from rescuing the Feyreisa, lay in a muddled pile of sheets that were soaked with sweat, maternal waters, and blood. Her jaw was clenched, her hands gripped around the tight, rippling mound of her unborn child. The child was coming… and it was early by three months.

Sheyl drew a deep breath and let it out. The urgency and the crushing weight of fate fell away, replaced with imperturbable calm and a detached, faintly melancholy sense of acceptance.

So this was how her death was to be written.

More warriors were on the way. From every corner of the Verlaine, all blades not manning a scout post were racing to hold off the Eld invaders and buy time for the villagers to escape. But they would not come in time to save Sheyl.

She crossed the room to the bedside and took the frightened, laboring woman’s hand in hers. “Carina.” With a smile, she caressed the woman’s flushed brow. “Don’t worry, dearling. I’m here. I won’t leave you.”

Throughout the morning and well into afternoon, the
dahl’reisen
kept up a punishing pace. Light, lithe, they sped across the densely wooded terrain the creatures of the forest they had become, their feet barely touching the ground as they skimmed over mossy rock and tree and burbling stream, each step finding the perfect purchase. Most Fey warriors—even at their fastest pace—rested fifteen chimes out of each bell. The
dahl’reisen
only rested ten.

When at last Farel called a half bell rest, Rain and Ellysetta collapsed onto the ground, out of breath and energy. Around them, some
dahl’reisen
found a mossy stump or fallen tree to sit on. Others simply folded their legs and sat where they stood.

Rain and Ellysetta took a seat at the base of a large oak tree. Farel unclipped a flask from his hip belt and tossed it to them.

“Water from the Heras,” he told them. “It’s the closest thing to pure
faerilas
in Celieria. It should help you both.”

Rain thanked him and uncapped the flask, taking the first, experimental sip before handing the flask to Ellysetta to drink her fill.

As Rain leaned back against the oak and let his gaze wander, he noted the
dahl’reisen
nearby pouring a stream of the
faerilas
-infused water on their hands before drinking.

“What are they doing?” he asked, nodding a chin in their direction.

Farel glanced over his shoulder. “Testing themselves. The waters of the Heras burn like acid on the skin of any creature of the Dark. We require all warriors in the Brotherhood to pour the water on their hands before witnesses at least once a day and after every battle. It’s how we know who has fallen too far into Shadow.”

“What do you do if they have?” Ellysetta asked.

Farel eyed her steadily. “We let the forest have them.”

The scream of a
lyrant
broke the quiet. Ellysetta swallowed and looked away.

Farel stood. “It’s time to go.”

Eyes closed, Azurel checked the position of the Feyreisa’s Light. “We’re losing them,” he said. “I knew you’d slow us down. They’ll be free of the forest before we can reach them.” Once they were out of the Verlaine, Rain Tairen Soul could Change, and all hope of capturing him and his mate would be lost. “What can we do?” Dur asked.

Azurel considered the options quickly and gauged the distance to the two targets. “How many
chemar
do you have?” The Primage’s brows drew together in a suspicious frown.

“Why?”

“How many?” A low rattle, like a
porgil’s
warning before it struck, vibrated in the Mharog’s throat.

Dur’s composure slipped, revealing a flash of fear before he caught himself. “Three dozen.”

One pale, imperious hand extended from the cuff of the black robe. “Give ten of them to me.”

The Primage hesitated… then, with obvious reluctance, surrendered his pouch of
chemar
stones. Azurel spilled a dozen of the stones on the ground, near a pile of fallen leaves and twigs. He closed his eyes, drawing an image in his mind. Green Earth gathered at his call. The leaves fluttered, then began to spin.

“What are you doing?” Dur demanded.

Twigs rose up in the air. Their thin ends split, and the frayed ends curled around the spilled
chemar
like tiny claws. Brown, dead leaves knit together, fluttering like feathers in the weave’s swirling breeze.

“Shortening our trip.”

Farel pushed them hard until sunset. He called a few bell’s rest for evening meal, which consisted of cold journey cakes,
faerilas,
and a few chimes of sleep. As their brothers rested,
dahl’reisen
quintets scouted several miles in every direction.

“Listen.” One of the warriors in the quintet scouting the rear flank lifted his head. “Do you hear that?”

His brothers cocked their heads and listened for half a chime before shaking their heads. “Hear what?” the
dahl’reisen
asked.

Then the breeze shifted, blowing towards them, and the currents of air carried with them a tiny, almost imperceptible sound. Little pops of sound in a continuous series. Pop. Pop. Pop.

“That.”

The sound grew louder, coming closer.

“I hear it now,” one of the
dahl’reisen
said. “Almost like the sound of an elf’s fingerbow firing, only hundreds of them together. But what is—” His voice broke off. His eyes widened. He turned to the
dahl’reisen
sitting next to him, an Air master. “Lirn, get up there.” He pointed towards the treetops overhead. “Hurry. Tell us what you see.”

Silvery white Air gathered in a powerful burst and launched the
dahl’reisen
skyward. Lirn landed on a thick branch high in a nearby tree, then leapt again, moving with effortless speed until he reached the topmost branches.

The popping sound was much more noticeable up there, and Lirn turned his head towards the sound… and by the light of the setting sun saw the dark smudges of a distant flock of dark birds winging towards him, no more than a tairen length above the forest canopy.

Shock froze him in place for a stunned few moments. They couldn’t be birds. Nothing flew over the Verlaine and lived—and he knew the forest defenses were working. That’s what the popping sounds were… the constant streams of poison darts firing at the flock of birds.

Yet the birds continued to fly.

He narrowed his eyes, bringing the distant creatures into closer focus, and saw the dead leaves flapping like wings, prickled with so many darts the thing looked more like a flying quillspine than a bird. No wonder the darts had no effect. Poison couldn’t kill a thing already dead.

Lirn’s focus moved lower. Tiny stick legs dangled beneath the pumping wings of the birdlike creatures… and clutched in each twiglike claw was a gleaming white stone.

“We’ve got to go. The Eld have found a way to send
chemar
into the forest.” Farel’s grim pronouncement brought Rain and Ellysetta to their feet. He explained quickly about the birdlike creatures. “They’re still twenty miles out, but closing fast. The scouts are going to try to destroy them.”

“Can we outrun them?” Rain asked.

“Nei.
Even in an open field at our top speed, we’d still run slower than these creatures fly. They’ll be upon us within the bell. I’ve already asked for thirty-six volunteers to build a Wall of Steel. That should buy us at least some time.”

“Even thirty-six won’t be enough against five Mharog and scores of Mages.”

“I know, but when the first Wall falls, we build another, and another. As many as it takes until you’re clear of the Verlaine and able to Change.”

“What’s a Wall of Steel?” Ellysetta asked.

Rain supplied the answer. “It is a line of warriors who will stand and fight to the death before allowing a single enemy to pass. Once they make their Wall, the only way they’ll leave it is through victory or death.”

“What?” Ellie couldn’t believe she’d heard right. “But that’s suicide!”

“It is the only option.” Farel didn’t meet Ellysetta’s horrified gaze but instead kept his eyes fixed steadily on Rain’s. “I’ve called more
dahl’reisen
from the borders, but the closest are still three bells out.”

“We’ve got to go. The Eld have found a way to send
chemar
into the forest.” Farel’s grim pronouncement brought Rain and Ellysetta to their feet. He explained quickly about the birdlike creatures. “They’re still twenty miles out, but closing fast. The scouts are going to try to destroy them.”

“Can we outrun them?” Rain asked.

“Nei.
Even in an open field at our top speed, we’d still run slower than these creatures fly. They’ll be upon us within the bell. I’ve already asked for thirty-six volunteers to build a Wall of Steel. That should buy us at least some time.”

“Even thirty-six won’t be enough against five Mharog and scores of Mages.”

“I know, but when the first Wall falls, we build another, and another. As many as it takes until you’re clear of the Verlaine and able to Change.”

“What’s a Wall of Steel?” Ellysetta asked.

Rain supplied the answer. “It is a line of warriors who will stand and fight to the death before allowing a single enemy to pass. Once they make their Wall, the only way they’ll leave it is through victory or death.”

“What?” Ellie couldn’t believe she’d heard right. “But that’s suicide!”

“It is the only option.” Farel didn’t meet Ellysetta’s horrified gaze but instead kept his eyes fixed steadily on Rain’s. “I’ve called more
dahl’reisen
from the borders, but the closest are still three bells out.”

“No!” Ellysetta stepped directly in front of Farel, forcing him to look at her. “I will not allow it. Do you hear me? We all go, or we all stay. But none of you will be left behind to die. I will not permit it.” Her furious voice rang out, bringing scores of
dahl’reisen
heads around in surprise.

Farel bowed. “Your concern is appreciated,
kem’falla,
but we who are the Brotherhood of Shadows no longer live within the glory of the Fading Lands nor answer to her laws. Though we serve her still, we rule ourselves.”

“Rain…”

“Nei, shei’tani.
He is correct. No duty or oath binds him to your command, nor even mine. Besides, this is an honorable death.” He met Farel’s gaze. “Choose your men.”

“This is senseless!” she protested. “Let’s at least try to outrun the Mharog before condemning thirty-six men to death!”

But Farel was already walking away, calling his warriors together to ask for volunteers.

Ellysetta spun to confront her mate. “The Fey cannot afford to keep losing its warriors, Rain.”

“These men are already lost,
shei’tani,
but this is a chance for some of them to regain their honor.”

“Scorch honor! Rain, they can bear children—Fey children. They can bring life back to the Fading Lands.”

“Aiyah,
they can bear children, and that is blessing from the gods. But it is you,
shei’tani
—not these
dahl’reisen—
who are the true hope of the Fading Lands.” When she made a face and started to turn away, he caught her shoulders in a firm grip and gave her a small shake. “Listen to me.
You
are the one the Eye of Truth sent me to find.
You
saved the tairen and brought fertility back to the Fey. Gaelen was right to tell them to protect your life even if it cost the lives of every man, woman, and child in their village. And they are right to abide by his command.”

Ellysetta scowled and pulled free to stalk away. All her life she’d read about the glorious history of the Fey, and she’d wept over histories that detailed the courageous deaths of noble Fey heroes who’d given their lives to hold back the Dark. But it didn’t feel the same when it was her they were dying for.

She knew she couldn’t stop them. When Fey warriors were honor-bound on a course of action, they let nothing stand in their way. Noble, rock-headed idiots. If she didn’t love them so much for their valor, she’d be tempted to kill them herself for their stubbornness.

She spun back to glower at Rain, jaw set, arms crossed.
«So be it. But if they can die for me, then I can bless them before they go.»

Rain couldn’t have looked more surprised if she’d slammed a fist in his face.
«Ellysetta, nei. You know you cannot touch them.»

Her lips tightened.
«They live with their pain day in and day out, for centuries. Surely I can bear it for a few moments.»

«You have no concept of how terrible their true pain is. They’ve been shielding you all this time. You’ve only sensed a fraction of it.»