Shadow Fire (19 page)

"The benefits are starting to outweigh the dangers. Now that Delistaire is involved, we need to mix things up. Becoming predictable will get us killed. We'll stick to the merchant trail for now," he says as he walks to the window, parting the curtains to peer outside. I nod my agreement. Thinking of the sorcerer reminds me of the strange pendant.

"What're we gonna do with the pendant?" I ask, fearing the answer. "I'm afraid of it. It was calling to me earlier after you left to help Oscar find the tracking crystal. I think it caused my headache."

"Is it still bothering you?" he asks, crossing the room to my side. "Have you noticed it at all in the last few hours?"

"No. Now that you mention it, I haven't felt its siren song at all," I murmur confused.

"Good. I put a sealing spell on the pouch to contain the magic within," he says, pulling me into his embrace. "We have no choice but to keep the blasted thing. It has strong magical properties so it's best not to trifle with it." He pauses and meets my eyes. "Promise me you won't remove it from the pouch unless I give the okay."

I nod my agreement. I'll have to press him for more details on the road.

"So are you up to leaving tonight?"

"If you think that's best, then sure." I'm anxious to continue the journey. "Should we go say goodbye to Oscar and Emma?"

"No. I told them earlier we're leaving in the morning. If they pass any information to Delistaire, it'll be incorrect, giving us an edge," he says as he buckles his shoulder armor in place. Following suit, I pull on my gauntlet and finish attaching the bow and quiver to my pack. He helps me position the heavy pack between my shoulder blades then leads me to the patio door.

"Sneaking out the back?" I can't help but chuckle a bit.

"Something like that," he replies smirking.

Shadow is waiting outside by the door. Sometimes his behavior is uncanny. How did he know we were leaving? The full moon lights up the sky, guiding our way along the merchant trail. A cool breeze rustles through my unbound hair bringing with it the pungent aroma of prairie grass. It's so quiet out here, so peaceful; it's difficult to believe we're on the run from a psychotic sorcerer. Shadow bounds down the road, disappearing from view. He races back, circling behind us before taking off again.

"You'd think he would've burned up his energy earlier in our search for Ronan," I say, watching Shadow run and leap through the swaying grass like a pup.

"I caught him napping on top of Oscar's wagon this afternoon," Zane says chuckling. "I'm pretty sure he slept all afternoon just like his mistress." His laughter is musical, and I find myself joining in.

"Cut me some slack," I say with mock indignation. "I never get to nap in the afternoon. The last time I remember napping was sometime last year. Celeste and Brinda kept me up all night whispering about boys. I was so exhausted the next day I fell asleep on a tree branch while out hunting. It would've been funny had I not fallen out of the tree and broken my arm. I was unable to hunt for an entire month, not to mention being stuck in the house with two very annoying sisters." The memory makes me laugh. "I was so furious, and I did everything in my power to torment those two until the doctor removed my cast."

"Celeste is scary," Zane comments with a small shudder. "Brinda though, she seems like a shy, sweet girl. And your little sister, Molly, is adorable."

"Brinda is wonderful, so is Molly," I agree. "However, both are easily influenced by Celeste, and Brinda tends to turn into a monster when the two of them are together for long. I love Celeste dearly, but her wild streak concerns me. She's dated just about every boy in Verdane. She's gorgeous and that tends to be all the boys see. They're unable to handle her wild side, and they run for the hills after a couple dates. Somewhere out there is a man who'll love Celeste for everything she is, not just her beauty."

Zane drapes his arm over my shoulder as my mind drifts, lost in memories.

"Goddess help Celeste when she finds him," Zane says with a snicker. "The man able to tame her will be special indeed." His comment makes me laugh when I consider just how special he'd have to be to tame my fiery sister.

****

Our trek continues for several hours with no monster encounters of any kind. Perhaps Shadow's exuberant frolicking is scaring them away. We've reached the rolling foothills marking the entrance to the mountain range. There's a chill in the air making me shiver a bit even wrapped in my thick, velvet cloak.

I'm captivated by the full moon. The giant orange orb casts a soft light onto the plains, making it easy to see the path beneath my feet. Zane says we will follow this merchant trail through the mountains to the Zodiac Inn at the top. The grass becomes sparser giving way to the rocky landscape of the mountains. When we reach a point where the path begins a sharp incline, I pause. Releasing Zane's hand, I turn around to gaze at the prairie below. The sight of the plains bathed in the light of the moon is ethereal. So many beautiful sights I've missed living a sheltered life in my village. Zane's arms encircle my waist. With a deep sigh, I lean back into his chest and gaze at the wonder before me.

"It's beautiful, Zane," I say, purring in contentment. "In spite of everything, I'm so happy right now." His arms tighten around me, and I melt into his embrace.

"Do you ever just lie on the ground and gaze at the stars?" Zane asks in a whisper. My eyes move from the prairie to admire the glittering sky.

"When I was a little girl, my father and I would frequently stargaze together. He taught me all of the constellations," I reply, lost in the memory. "We used to camp out on the plains surrounding Verdane during the summer. It was always my father, brothers, and me. My sisters thought I was crazy wanting to sleep outside."

"I used to escape from my father by running to the meadow and gazing at the sky," he says in a voice tinted with melancholy. "Stargazing put my life into perspective. It helped me realize that what I was experiencing was small and fleeting when compared to the vastness of the sky."

"You never got to be a child," I say, a dull ache filling my heart for a poor lost little boy.

"No. My life was filled with unrealistic expectations and cruel punishments. Failure was never an option in my father's mind."

He lowers himself to the ground, pulling me onto his lap. Turning in his embrace, I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my fingers in his unruly hair.

"I was learning magic from a young age. Though adept, I was never quite good enough to satisfy him."

I can't stop the unbidden image of a small boy trying desperately to win his father's approval, only to never attain it.

"Was magic use outlawed back then?" I ask, wondering why he would be taught magic if it was illegal.

"Yes. It's not that magic itself is illegal. Using magic without the express approval of Delistaire is illegal." He releases a great sigh. "It's my father's way of keeping all mages under his iron fist. He can ensure no mage will ever rival him in power. It's remarkably easy for him to keep track of us all. Mages have an aura distinctly different from ordinary people."

"Aura? What's that?" I ask.

"An aura is the energy surrounding every living thing. It gives off colors depending on natural affinity to the elements. Most mages can be trained to sense the auras around them. The magic within a mage causes their aura to pulsate." He stops and stares at me, his eyes pensive, like he's lost in thought. "Your aura is red, green and white. You have an affinity with fire, wind and light."

"What color is your aura?"

"Red, blue and purple mainly. My main affinities are fire, water and darkness; though I'm able to cast wind and earth spells as well. It drains too much of my energy so I seldom use them. Father was insistent we descended from ancient wizards who controlled all elements including light. He tried in vain for years to cast light magic. A complete waste of time; that man is so dark there isn't a gram of light anywhere in his entire essence." He pauses as if trying to figure out how to phrase something. "As soon as you touched the crystal pendant yesterday, your aura started to pulsate. I think it awakened a latent magical ability."

"The pendant called out to me. I was compelled to put it on as soon as I saw it. The power frightens me." I'm a bit afraid to ask my next question, but I need to know the answer. "What would have happened had I put it on?"

My question is met with an uncomfortable silence. When Zane breaks the long silence, his strong voice in the quiet night startles me.

"The pendant belonged to my mother. I think my father used it to subjugate her to his will." He pauses at my loud gasp of surprise. "I saw her try to remove it many times. She would always collapse in gut-wrenching sobs when she failed. It would explain why she put up with so much from him."

There is such intense anger and pain in his shaking voice. I begin caressing his face, trying to soothe away the emotional turmoil.

"Do you think he's trying to subjugate me?" I ask.

"Yes. We have to assume his intentions are nefarious at the very least. I don't know what his role in this is, but I think we'll find out soon enough." His words send icy waves of trepidation through my body.

"Am I a mage? You said my aura pulsated when I held the crystal. Does it still pulsate?" I ask, shaking in my excitement. Using magic would be helpful on this journey, and it appears we'll need all the help we can get.

"It still pulsates," he confirms with a tight smile. "Since we share an affinity with fire I can try to teach you to summon fire."

He stands up with me still cradled in his arms like I weigh next to nothing, taking several steps before releasing the arm under my knees, allowing my feet to meet the earth. Taking my hand, he leads me toward the mountain trail.

"Your affinity to light is puzzling but fortuitous. Delistaire is highly aligned with darkness. Light spells are his major weakness. Other than my mother, I've never seen a light mage in all of my travels."

"Is that why he sent the pendant? To control my abilities with light magic?" My stomach is roiling from the terrible truth. "That means he knows what color my aura is. He was spying on me?"

My whole body shivers when I think about such a despicable man stalking me. Zane stops again and pulls me into his arms. My head rests against his shoulder while I try to banish the images of the sorcerer lurking in the shadows throughout my childhood.

"I think it goes way beyond that. My theory is he chose you for this quest, not the elders. I think he manipulated the whole process from the beginning."

My limbs stiffen as his words sink in.

"But why?"

"I don't know yet. But I think we'll find out soon enough. My guess is it has something to do with your rare affinity to light."

He squeezes me against his body for a moment before stepping back. Placing his arm around my shoulders, he leads me up the path. The sky is becoming lighter behind the mountain; it will be dawn soon. My feet obey my subconscious commands to follow Zane up the mountain trail, but my head is miles away lost in unpleasant thoughts.

Chapter Sixteen

Yazard Mountains

The climb up the mountain is much more exhausting than I'd anticipated. My chest is burning from exertion and it's not yet midday. The merchant trail meanders in a snake-like pattern up the mountainside. Instead of following the trail, Zane opts to climb the rocky ridges the trail avoids. While it does cut the travel distance quite a bit, following the trail would be much easier. When we arrive at a steep incline, he decides to take a break. Sitting with my back against the mountain wall, I close my eyes and try to steady my breathing, to stop the painful burning in my lungs. Zane doesn't seem to be winded at all, raising my ire, which in turn makes my lungs burn even more. He sits down next to me and hands me a flask of water. I drink conservatively not knowing how easy it'll be to find water later. When I hand it back to him, he only takes a few sips before putting it away.

"I'm already exhausted," I mutter, leaning into his shoulder. He places his arm around me, and I collapse sideways onto his lap.

"We'll rest here for a while," he says, stroking my back. "I set a grueling pace and you're doing quite well."

I realize he means it as a compliment and not a veiled insult, so I hold my tongue. Exhaustion has affected my mood in a negative way.

"The view from up here is amazing."

"All I can see is the inside of my eyelids," I mumble into his leg.

His deep chuckle brings a smile to my face in spite of the fatigue. However, I'm unable to fight my drowsiness any longer, and I start to drift off to sleep.

****

The strangest sensation awakens me. My body is cradled in Zane's arms, and I realize he's carrying me. Forcing my eyes open, I glance around to get my bearings. My arms are loosely wrapped around his neck, with my head nestled against his shoulder. When he notices I'm awake, he stops walking and grins at me.

"Finally awake I see," he says with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"How long have you been carrying me?" I ask, more irritation creeping into my voice with each word. "For that matter, why are you carrying me?"

When I start to struggle, he lowers my legs to the ground. I remove my arms from around his neck, cross them over my chest, and glower at him.

"I haven't been carrying you long, maybe an hour or two."

His sparkling eyes meet my glaring ones.
Two hours?
I can barely drag myself up the mountain, and he's been carrying me up the merchant trail for two hours? I don't know whether to be awed by his strength or his audacity. I settle on both.

"As to why, you fell asleep and I simply didn't wish to wake you."

"Well, thanks, I guess." What he did was sweet but for some strange reason I feel harassed. "Where's my pack?"

"Shadow's carrying it."

Following his eyes, I notice Shadow with my brown pack in his mouth. He trots over and drops the bag at my feet. When I pick it up I notice it's lighter than before. "Zane, why's the pack so light?"