Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy (The Lightbound Saga Book 1) (30 page)

Utterly bewildered, Maia turned toward Ren, finding him looking puzzled, his eyes wide with confusion.

The chancellor continued his merciless rant. “To you and your friends I will say this—you are safe as long as you are a part of the Alliance Initiative. I cannot disrupt that effort. But I will warn you, be wary of every step you take from this moment on, for you have made very powerful enemies who will watch your every move.”

“But, sir—” Ren launched into a weak dissent that he could not finish.

A commotion that had been growing steadily outside burst through the open door. Master Kehorkjin walked in accompanied by a healer of the Conservatory, arguing loudly.

“Ah, Master Kehorkjin is here,” the chancellor’s voice softened abruptly at the master’s entry. “After all you have been through, I do not think it is advisable that you exert yourselves further. So I asked the academy to provide you with utmost protection and comfort, to ensure that you heal completely before you venture into the next phase of the Initiative. I will personally see to it that your medals are presented to you before you leave our planet.”

The chancellor turned toward the master with a smile; from his friendly countenance it was hard to imagine his harshness of moments before. “Now, Master Kehorkjin will escort you back to the academy.”

“I most certainly will, sir,” Master Kehorkjin said with a curt bow.

The chancellor left the room without another word or another look at Maia and Ren who stood in stunned silence.

47: Back at the XDA

Master Kehorkjin led Maia and Ren out to the lobby of the Conservatory where Dani and Kusha sat quietly, while Nafi paced back and forth. Before anyone could ask any questions, they were herded out of the building and almost hurled into a waiting private transporter. The inside of the vehicle was plush and comfortable, and Kehorkjin directed them to the long seat along one side. He sat down facing them, taking time to wrap his arms over the luxurious armrests.

“Just to inform those of you who are still in the dark about our situation, we are headed back to the academy.” Master Kehorkjin sounded so perky, he could as well be singing. “Your trip to Armezai is over.”

“What?” Kusha howled.

“But the Grand Gala is tonight.” Dani’s face drooped.

“If we’re going back, where’s Yoome? And where is Miir?” Nafi demanded.

The master rubbed his chin thoughtfully before replying.

“You are a very bright and industrious bunch, no question about that. And I have to admit that I am quite impressed by your bravado. But there is one basic lesson that you need so desperately—the art of knowing when not to speak.” His smile changed into an angry glare. If a glare could kill, this one would have fried them alive.

“But—” Kusha stopped midway.

“There you go . . . again,” Master Kehorkjin sneered. Kusha flushed the deepest crimson and fell silent.

“Now, no more questions,” the master continued, raising an ominous finger over his head, a sarcastic smile adorning his face, “or chatter. I do not want to hear a word. Not even a sound until we reach the academy. Do we understand each other?”

Nafi nodded first, the rest followed, though not with any eagerness. For the remainder of the journey, they fidgeted, scratched, yawned, blinked, yawned, and fidgeted some more. When the transporter came to a stop at the XDA, everyone had grown somewhat comfortable with the silence. They were shooed into the Infirmary where a band of healers, led by none other than the puffy-faced Vi, converged on them. After a long session of prodding and poking, they were finally declared fit and released in time for a light lunch.

It was not until they gathered in the privacy of their study that Maia and Ren recounted the incident while the others listened with curiosity.

“So . . . they suspect that Yoome was R’armimon?” Dani asked after the whole tale was told.

“But why did she attack you guys?” Kusha asked.

“They think she was there to attack the chancellor,” Maia said. “We just happened to be in her way.”

“That’s weird,” Nafi blurted.

“Told you she was crazy,” Ren commented in his wisest voice.

“I don’t understand why Miir asked us to lie?” Maia said, sullen at the thought. “Now the chancellor thinks that the Resistance is out to kill him.”

“From the way that man harassed you, he sounds totally insane,” Nafi remarked, shaking an indignant head.

“How can he make such allegations without any proof?” Dani sat bundled up like a cocoon on the settee, a grimace etched deep on her face.

“Well, he guessed that we were not telling the truth, so obviously he grew suspicious.” Maia hung her head, the chancellor’s threats buzzing painfully in her mind. “They’re going to crack down on the Resistance for things they haven’t done, all for my lies, and I don’t even know what I lied for.”

“We could ask Miir,” Kusha suggested.

“But how will we find him?” Nafi scratched her head. “The students have left for two weeks and most of the teachers as well. We’ll be gone by the time they return.”

The group fell silent for a while. There were just too many questions, and they were too tired to think clearly.

When Maia retired to her room that night, a deep and numbing sadness invaded her heart. The events of the day scrolled in her mind in a never-ending parade as she lay in bed; the more she thought about the precarious position they were in, the more helpless she felt. It was a long wait until sleep finally brought some respite, washing away the overwhelming worries.

***

The following morning all the anxiety was buried deep under a pile of not-so-enjoyable work. The team thought, fought, struggled, and labored over their final essay in praise of the Initiative, trying hard to remember the good experiences, and trying even harder to push away the bad ones. By the end of the day, it was compiled and ready.

That evening, as Dani the perfectionist hovered over their paper, making last-minute corrections and improvements, a tired Ren snatched the sheaf out of her hands and deposited it unceremoniously in the submissions bin. After the initial shock and disbelief, Dani stomped away toward her room. Kusha ran after her, dragging a reluctant Ren with him in hopes of making them reconcile. Nafi followed, hopping and skipping behind the duo, obviously ecstatic about finding yet another excuse to lecture someone.

Maia watched them leave, and then ambled toward the Sakoro trees in the backyard. Karhann’s gang passed her by, their faces droopy and sad. Maia did not know what they had been told about Yoome’s disappearance, but whatever it was, Karhann and his posse had not asked Maia or anyone else about it. No one had heard if their team had been disqualified, there was no announcement of the twentieth group to move on to the second leg of the contest either. Clearly, the Academy Board took a long time to deliberate on such matters.

The beauty of the Sakoro trees in full bloom made Maia smile. But as breathtaking as it was, all she could think of now was the little painted house nestled in the green hills of Appian, the mist rising from the fields at sunrise, and the coolness of the moonlight sweeping the valley. While the impeccable white buildings that surrounded her now had become a part of her memories, she was not going to miss them for too long.

48: Shadow of the R’armimon

The medals for the Seliban Challenge arrived the next morning via a Chancery courier. The bronze talismans gleamed in their beautiful black velvet cases. Embossed at their center was the Xifarian crest, a pair of brilliant red stones that formed the dragon’s eyes matched the blood-red ribbon. The group spent a long time admiring their dazzling prizes and chatting about their adventures before they reluctantly walked toward the dining bay for their last meal together on Xif.

Ren and Dani had made peace, and it was fun to have laughter and good-natured ribbing back in their conversation. After they had finished eating, Nafi slipped away from the table. Ren, Kusha, and Dani continued to chat about their plans for the two-week break that had just been announced. Everyone was excited to be able to visit their families, even if it was only for a brief time, before their journey to the city under the seas. Maia walked back to her room, lay on her bed, and stared at the ceiling. Memories came rushing in, of her stay on Xif, the challenges they had overcome, and the eventful final week, all jostling for space in her mind.

She had not been alone long when she heard a muffled din outside followed by a series of loud, impatient knocks on her door. Maia had barely reached the door when Nafi stormed in cradling a huge bound book and deposited herself on Maia’s bed, the rest of the group at her heels. Nafi looked gloomy, and the cheerfulness of moments ago had vanished from everyone’s face.

“Found it,” Nafi declared.

“Found what?” Maia sat down at the edge of her bed.

“It’s all in this book,” Nafi nodded at the book on her lap. “It’s true. She was indeed an assassin of the R’armimon.”

“Yoome?” Maia asked, a chill enveloping her heart at the not-so-unexpected but definitely unwelcome affirmation. “Really?”

“Yes, and she hails from a legendary school of assassins called the ‘Roohe-Lenkkei’ which means ‘Chained Spirits’ in R’armimon,” Nafi said, glancing over the curious faces around her.

“Details . . . please,” Kusha sounded impatient.

“I asked Lady Dae about assassins, and she wouldn’t tell me much at all,” Nafi informed. “But at least she gave enough hints to find this book.”

“Wait! How did you get hold of Lady Dae?” Maia interrupted. “I thought the instructors had left for two weeks as well.”

Nafi hesitated before answering her. “I . . . have been requesting special audiences with her. She’s a living encyclopedia of all things related to Xifarian history and—”

“Hold on a moment,” Dani cut her off. “You’ve been taking extra lessons from her?”

“You could say that.” Nafi shrugged. She continued, seeing the deepening frown on Dani’s face. “You have a problem with that? Is it wrong for me to like history?”

“No, of course not.” Dani shook her head. “But why didn’t you tell us about it?”

“Don’t know.” Nafi flashed a sheepish smile. “Guess I wasn’t in a mood to share all that with you in the beginning. And, when I got around to trusting you guys, it was too late and . . . rather embarrassing.”

“Okay, that’s good enough. Now let’s hear what you discovered,” Kusha jutted in. “So, what about this assassin?”

“I was able to find a few lines on the Roohe-Lenkkei in this frumpy book,” Nafi said, her face glum as she started to read aloud.

“Legendary for the viciousness of their attacks and their brutality on subjects, the Roohe-Lenkkei are the finest weapons in the arsenal of the R’armimon, the élite of their Xienotaph System. Named so because they are simply spirits who choose personas as needed—they can be relentless during the hunt and merciless during the kill. They are particularly useful for their self-destructing nature when captured. Their face disappears and spirit dissipates at the will of the assassin, leaving no opportunity of tracing them back to their dispatcher.”

Nafi thrust the book at Maia. “Look at this illustration.”

A picture of a man was spread across the center of the page. The unnerving blankness of his face made Maia shiver. He clutched a glass vial in his right hand, which looked exactly like the one Yoome had pressed against Maia’s temple.

“Isn’t that the vial you were talking about?” Nafi asked.

Maia and Ren nodded in unison.

“And what is that thing?” Maia asked.

“It’s an extractore,” Nafi explained. “This book says that it’s used to extract souls.”

“Extract souls?” Maia almost screamed the question. Her teammates sat gaping in horror. “What for?”

Nafi shrugged; the book obviously had no answers to that question. Maia sat dumbfounded. Thoughts circled in her head. Countless questions all jumbled up in a giant knotted ball of disbelief.
Or is it just fear? It does not make any sense. Why would anyone attack two insignificant kids from the XDA, unless they stood in the way of something bigger, more important, like the chancellor?

“It’s true then. She was planning to eliminate us and then attack the chancellor,” a whisper escaped her parched throat.

After a long, anguished silence that fell like a suffocating weight on the small group, Kusha spoke. “That seems likely.”

“Makes sense,” Nafi added. “Since they are shape shifters, Yoome could have eliminated Maia and assumed her form. Then it was just a matter of waiting for the chancellor to visit.”

“Of course she didn’t expect to find me there,” Ren remarked.

Silence swooped in once more, as the group sat immersed in thought.

“The R’armimon must have some kind of vendetta against Xifarians,” Maia finally broke the stillness.

“It’s a blood feud,” Nafi whispered. She shot a quick glance at the door and whispered again. “That’s all Lady Dae would tell me.”

“And now, thanks to Miir, we have become part of that,” Maia murmured, barely managing to find her voice.

They sat huddled in silence for a very long time. Then they bade each other farewell. Ren left first in a shuttle transporter to his hometown of Ixiil, while the rest took the Fahrbot back to Arpasgula. From the spaceport, Kusha took the holding pod for the Third Continent along with Nafi, since the Solianese Circus was now camped there. Maia and Dani traveled back together to the Second Continent.

***

The sun had almost set when Maia got off the pod at the Troughs near Shiloh. She spied a rather large figure looming in the distance, waving wildly at her.

“Herc,” she grinned and ran across the mossy ground to embrace him.

“You look so grown up, miss,” he beamed, wiping tears of joy from his eyes as Maia laughed. “Sure missed yeh ’round here.”

Maia settled down next to Herc and they pulled away toward Appian. As the wagon trudged along the dusty roads, Maia could not help but feel a little distant. Safe, of course, and happy to be with family, but something had changed forever. She closed her eyes and thought of the past months at the XDA—friends, thrilling discoveries, joyful times, and dangers surmounted—they did it as a team, her team. Maia’s heart swelled with pride; they had accomplished a lot together. And in an avalanche of sighs that made her heart throb, Maia realized that she longed to see her friends. As much as she would have liked to say otherwise, she already missed her days at the XDA.