Diviner (19 page)

Randall slapped a hand over Orion’s mouth, leaned close, and whispered, “If you don’t shut your mouth, I am going to knock you out cold. Just trust me. I’ll leave a message for Marcelle. She’ll know what to do. Agreed?”

Orion’s eyes darted around for a moment. Finally, he nodded.

“Then you’ll be quiet?”

He nodded again.

Randall slowly released his grip. “Arxad, if you will escort Orion, I will go through last.”

“Very well. You had better hurry. Magnar is not a patient dragon.”

Now standing at the portal site, Cassabrie spread out her arms and closed her eyes. She lifted to tiptoes and began a slow rotation. Her aura returned, enveloping her again in radiant mist. Scales appeared on her forearms and lower legs, as if her skin had lost every drop of moisture. As her spin picked up speed, the scales peeled off and joined in the foggy cyclone. A new layer of scales formed, and it, too, flaked away. The process repeated until her entire body joined the flow. Soon, the mist scattered, and Cassabrie was gone.

Stretching out a wing, Arxad guided Orion toward the spot. Orion glanced once at Randall but said nothing as he and the dragon passed through the portal and disappeared.

Randall jammed the base of the torch into the ground, whipped out the pencil and the map, and smoothed out the parchment’s wrinkles over his thigh. On the blank side, he wrote,
Marcelle! Beware! Magnar stayed behind.

After rolling the map into a tube, he withdrew his sword, dug a hole near the clearing’s boundary with the tip, and planted the map vertically, leaving half the parchment showing. Sighing, he whispered, “That’ll have to do. I hope Magnar doesn’t see it.”

Sword in hand, he marched toward the portal. He forced his eyes wide open. The torch’s flame flickered against the dark trees on the opposite side of the clearing. As he entered the cloud of gritty mist, the trees brightened and transformed into snow-laden evergreens.

“Human! Stop!”

Randall halted and turned. Magnar stormed down from the sky and landed in a run near the edge of the clearing. “It seems that I have arrived at precisely the right moment,” Magnar said. “Where is Cassabrie?”

Randall nodded toward the Northlands forest. “She went in there.” Now standing with one foot on Dracon and the other on his home planet, he glanced back and forth. Arxad and Orion stood at least thirty paces away, both gazing into the distance. Almost within reach, a line of crystalline pegs protruded from the snow-covered ground, but which one should he grab? If Magnar followed, he wouldn’t have time to guess wrong and try again.

“Since the portal is open,” Magnar said, “I assume she has helped us sufficiently. I will go through now.”

The dragon, his head down as if anticipating a low clearance, stalked toward Randall.

Randall held up a hand. “Wait!”

“Wait for what?” Magnar stopped and swung his head from side to side. “Is there danger?”

Randall pointed at the torch several paces behind Magnar. “If that tips over, it could start a fire.”

Magnar turned. “I will extinguish it.”

Sucking in a breath, Randall leaped toward the pegs. He grasped one and pulled. It wouldn’t budge. He slid to his right and grabbed another. It, too, stayed planted. He looked up. Magnar charged toward him, flames spewing from both nostrils.

Randall dove to the left, slid past the first peg, and snatched the next one. It jerked out, but his momentum sent him rolling sideways down a slope. He slammed into a tree, his back striking first. With pain streaking through his limbs, he blinked at the portal site. Clouds veiled the sun, and snow filtered gently through the trees, but no dragon plowed through the portal.

He opened his hand and looked at the peg—the key to returning whenever he wished. But how would he know when to let Marcelle and the troops in?

“Are you all right?”

Randall looked from side to side. There was no mistaking Cassabrie’s voice. “Where are you?”

“I am kneeling in front of you. While on Starlight, I am but a spirit, but I can become visible if I move.”

Randall searched the whiteness, but no ghostly girl appeared. He held out the crystal. “When should we open it for Marcelle?”

“Someone will have to stay here and return to your world from time to time. That’s the only way to check, but I doubt that the army will be ready for quite a while. I think you would be more valuable if you were to travel south with Jason and Elyssa.”

“Jason and Elyssa are here?”

“Yes.” A hand appeared, its palm open. “For now, you can give the crystal to me. I have need of it, and my need is urgent. Arxad has told me what I must do with it. Trust me. You will not be lacking a crystal when you need it.”

Randall searched the sea of white again. This time, a pair of green eyes shone, like two emeralds floating on a blank canvas. Her hand drew closer until it touched his cheek. Warmth flowed into his skin and coursed through his body, drawing new sweat from his pores.

“You can trust me, Randall. I am a Starlighter. What reasons could you possibly have for doubting the words I speak?”

A sense of dizziness flowed with the warmth. How could someone so gentle, so loving, so overflowing with peace possibly be untrustworthy? As her green eyes filled his vision, he whispered, “I can trust you.”

“Lower the crystal into my hand.” A shimmer appeared just above his waist, an appendage with four wispy fingers.

He set the peg gently on her palm. It sank for a moment, but with a spark-filled snap, she grasped it and slid it into an invisible pocket. “Wait here a moment.”

In a stream of flashing moves, she vanished behind a tree, then reappeared in front of him. “Now, follow me.” As she turned and floated away above the snow, her entire body became visible.

Grimacing, Randall climbed to his feet and watched her glowing outline glide across the ground. Lifting his legs high with each step, he tromped through the calf-deep snow. Cassabrie stopped behind Arxad and Orion and slowly faded, and Randall joined them at the edge of a slope that led into a valley. Far away, a range of mountains bordered the valley on the other side, their peaks reaching into the clouds. A castle lay nestled at the base of the tallest mountain. Mostly white except for three red turrets that almost reached the clouds, it appeared to be much larger than the governor’s palace back home, but at this distance it seemed impossible to tell for certain.

“Jason is there,” Cassabrie said. “A frozen river winds through the valley, making it treacherous to cross, and the castle has a hidden moat that swallows anyone traveling on foot, so Arxad will have to fly you there.”

Randall glanced at Orion. It was good that Cassabrie hadn’t mentioned Elyssa. Orion hadn’t yet proven his claim that he had stopped his murderous hunt for Diviners. Calling Cassabrie a sorceress wasn’t exactly a sign that his obsessions had changed.

“Okay,” Randall said as he fastened his cloak’s clasp. “I’m ready for a ride.”

Arxad turned toward Cassabrie. “What are you going to do?”

“If I may, I would like to ride with you. After you drop these men off at the castle, could you transport me to the Southlands?”

“I trust that this is another command from on high.” “It is. From this point on, I cannot delay at any step. All of humanity depends on my haste.”

Xenith sat atop the hideaway stone, her head just below the treetops as she scanned the forest floor. Ever since Mother dropped off the two boys she had rescued from the mill and left again to take injured humans to the Northlands, all had been quiet through the night. Now dawn approached. Still, quiet or not, this wilderness was known to be home to many beasts that could harm humans, so this perch seemed to be a good place to watch for them.

Solace, Basil, and Oliver huddled at the base of the stone immediately below her. A cool wind had descended from the mountains, so they found warmth in closeness. Xenith smiled. Sometimes humans were so humorous. Even those who fought during the hottest days would forget their quarrels and sit close together during the coldest nights. It seemed that a desire for survival brought together the bitterest of enemies. Fortunately, these children were accustomed to enduring long periods of time without food, and exposure had also been a way of life. Yet, if Mother did not return soon, she would have to search for sustenance or at least hide them in the shelter so she could leave and learn what was delaying Mother.

A whistle sounded. Xenith jerked toward it. Could it have been the wind? Not likely. It was too sharp, too perfect.

A light shone in the midst of the trees, perhaps fifty human paces away from the stone. With a flap of her wings, Xenith descended and landed on the ground, facing the light. She kept her wings spread, shielding the younglings. If whatever lurked saw her first, it might decide a meal of human flesh was not worth the trouble of battling a dragon.

The light grew stronger. Soon a human shape emerged into the clearing, a female who seemed to be wrapped in a glow. As she walked, the trees she passed in front of stayed visible, as if she had no substance, and a cloak fanned out from her dress as if blown by an imperceptible wind. Completely white except for a sparkle of green in her eyes, she had to be one of the phantoms Father had talked about, the spirits of the dead who roamed the Northlands castle.

“Who are you?” Xenith asked. “Why are you here?”

The human stopped. “I am Cassabrie, a Starlighter from years gone by. It’s good to see you, Xenith.”

“How do you know me?”

“I know Arxad and Fellina very well. Surely your parents have spoken of me.”

“They have spoken of phantoms from the Northlands such as yourself, but I do not remember them mentioning your name.”

Cassabrie made a tsking sound. “Pity. Your father and I have discussed you a number of times. He has spoken with pride about your intelligence and your flight speed. He said you completed the hunter’s regimen in less than an hour, a record for a dragon your age.”

“This is true. I set a new standard.” Xenith flattened her ears. “You did not answer my second question. Why are you here?”

Cassabrie glided a few steps closer. “To ask for your help in this time of great danger. Your parents are too busy with other vital matters, and my task is urgent. If I don’t accomplish it, all of Starlight will likely fall under the dark wing of Taushin.”

Xenith softened her tone. “What do you want me to do?”

“I need fast transport to the Northlands and then to your village.”

“To the Northlands?” Xenith asked. “Have you not come from the Northlands?”

“I have, but my transport from there required haste, and now I must return to collect something I left behind. Since I cannot carry an object that far, I want to pick up a human rider who can carry it for me. She is a young female who should not be a burden to you.” Cassabrie nodded toward the children behind Xenith. “She is not much bigger than that girl.”

Xenith looked back at the younglings, who watched with wide eyes. “I suffered a bruised wing yesterday, but it is healing well, so I am sure I would be able to carry her. Yet I must stay here to protect these three until my mother returns.”

“What if they could be placed under the care of another human? Would that allow you to go?”

Xenith shook her head. “Mother was quite clear. I must stay until she returns.”

Cassabrie glided closer again. Her glow spread over Xenith’s face. “Oh, but Xenith, her intent was to ensure the safety of these humans, not to keep you here. If you find an alternative way to protect them, you would be obeying the spirit of her command, and you would be free to help me save our world. Don’t you think your mother would commend an act of sacrificial heroism? Just think what she would say if she learned that you turned down an opportunity to save Starlight simply because you had to strictly adhere to the letter of her command. Of course, she would never punish you for your rigid discipline, but she would also secretly realize that you lacked the maturity to make such an adult decision. Suppose something happened to her that prevented her from ever returning? Would you stay here like a mindless drone until you all perished?”

A sudden sense of dizziness swam in Xenith’s brain. “These thoughts had crossed my mind, and finding an alternative refuge is an option worth considering, but only if you are telling the truth. I learned long ago that humans will lie to obtain what they desire.”

“I can prove that there is a refuge for these young humans as well as a vital reason for my journey.”

“Without leaving this place?”

Cassabrie nodded. “Without leaving this place.”

“Then bring forth your proof. This should be interesting.”

Still no more than a shining spirit, Cassabrie raised a glowing hood over her head, spread out her arms, and gave her cloak a spin. “Not many days ago, a brave young warrior released the cattle children from the horrific cattle camp and took them into the wilderness.”

“Yes, Elyssa told me about her adventure with Wallace. She has been worried—”

“Shhh.” Cassabrie held a finger to her lips. “It is vital that you allow me to tell the tale without interruption, or it will not have the desired effect.”

Xenith nodded. “Very well. I apologize.”

“As you mentioned, Wallace and Elyssa worked together to guide the cattle children across the open mesa region, where they might easily be seen by patrolling dragons, and into the wilderness forest.”

While Cassabrie spoke, Elyssa and Wallace appeared, pushing aside foliage as they entered the clearing. Yet, they, like Cassabrie, were phantoms. A host of semitransparent children trailed them, most half naked and bone thin. When the humans had all gathered, they began constructing several objects out of hewn branches and vines. As they worked, they faded in and out, and the objects grew rapidly, as if time sped beyond the normal rate.

“Elyssa trusted Wallace so much,” Cassabrie continued, “she left the forty-one children in his care. She understood that a great journey lay in wait for her, and Wallace could handle this task. Not long after Elyssa departed, Wallace began searching for a different helper, an adult human by the name of Frederick who was also caring for young escapees from the cattle camp.”