Shadow Fire (34 page)

"Is that really the best you can do?" Delistaire mocks. "I was more powerful when I was still in my crib."

He sends another lightning attack at Taranis, and Freya barely manages to avoid this one. Zane continues circling his father, his face contorted in rage.

"Fire tempest!" Zane shouts, slicing his arm through the air toward his father.

"Tornado!" Taranis yells from atop Freya.

A vicious storm of fire and wind surrounds the sorcerer. His shield is battered over and over by the ferocity of the combined attacks. Before my view is obscured, I watch the evil sorcerer collapse to one knee.

Realizing Delistaire is weakened, I lower my shield and gather my energy. My magic continues to build as I stalk toward the injured sorcerer. Chambering my right hand against my side, I focus every ounce of light energy I have into my arm.

"Prism spear!" I shout, thrusting my arm toward Delistaire.

A rainbow of light gathers into an enormous spear, racing straight at the startled sorcerer. The clearing explodes in a blinding flash of light. When my vision returns, Delistaire is gone. Only the scorched ground where he stood offers testament that the sorcerer was ever there at all.

"Where'd he go?" I shout, searching the surrounding clearing for a trace of the fallen sorcerer.

"He teleported away," Zane says with a loud groan. "Once he realized we didn't have the Goddess Statue, he was as good as gone."

Taranis lands beside us and jumps down from Freya's back.

"I couldn't catch any sign of him from the air," Taranis says, stroking Freya's neck.

"No! We were so close to destroying that dastard," Zane says, his eyes downcast.

"It'll be okay, Zane," I whisper, running my hands up and down his arms to soothe him. "We'll find the Goddess Statue, and your father will come to us again. He won't know what hit him when I'm through with him. He'll beg for mercy, but he won't find any from me or from the Goddess."

"You can be quite vindictive, my little valkyrie," Zane says, hope lighting his eyes. "I rather like it."

"I think Freya's feeling better enough to ferry us over the jungle," Taranis comments after he removes the griffin's bandage. "You're just about healed, my exquisite queen," he says, running his hand along her flank before climbing up on her back. "Zane, boost Shadow up to me." When Shadow races to Freya's side, Zane picks him up and lifts him up to Taranis. "I'll send Freya back for you," Taranis says before Freya takes off into the air. We watch them disappear into the distance, soaring high over the jungle.

"Well, it looks like we have some alone time," Zane purrs in my ear.

Grabbing my arm, he yanks me against his chest before capturing my lips with his. He removes the tie from my hair, loosening the braid with his fingers so it pools around me in a fiery mass. With a tiny moan, I part my lips under his, and he thrusts his tongue into my mouth. I lick at his tongue until he pulls it back, allowing me to control the kiss. He shudders in my arms as I explore his mouth with my tongue, my hands entwined in his hair to hold him to me.

I pull away from him, taking his lower lip between my teeth in a gentle nip, earning a deep moan from the auburn-haired male. His arms tighten around me crushing my body to his. He bends me backward and captures my lips yet again, cradling my head in his hand. This time I'm the one whimpering under his careful ministrations. His lips move down my neck alternating between kisses and gentle nips. My body floods with warmth and something tightens deep within my stomach. He holds me against his body with one hand while running the other down my side as I moan deep in my throat. Just when I think I'll pass out from the pleasure, a shriek pierces the air, and Freya lands beside us.

"Looks like our brief interlude is over," Zane murmurs, his voice catching on the words.

He clears his throat a few times, and boosts me up onto Freya's back. Climbing up behind me, he takes my pack so I can lean back into his arms.

"Take it easy, Freya, so I can snuggle with my little valkyrie."

Freya snorts at his words before leaping into the air. Soaring high over the dense jungle is preferable to our hike through it yesterday. The view is amazing, the canopy of trees so dense it's impossible to see past it. I shudder a bit when I spy a swarm of mantids nearby, but they seem eager to avoid the griffin, flying off in the opposite direction.

Zane starts nuzzling and kissing my neck making me squirm in his embrace. All thoughts of the jungle below vanish as I lean my head back against his shoulder, baring my neck to his eager lips. He continues to run light kisses up and down my neck before he nips the skin right below my jaw. Freya begins a slow descent to the plains below. Zane pulls back a bit, and I stare up at him with glazed eyes. When we land, Taranis steps up to help me down. My knees buckle and I end up hanging from his shoulders. The rogue helps me regain my balance while Zane jumps down from Freya.

"We'll have to walk for a while and let Freya rest," Taranis says, smirking when I grab his arms to steady myself. "We should be able to make it back to the bridge by nightfall."

Zane hands my bag back to me, and I pull it on over my arms, following my companions while staring at the dusty ground. Depression begins to set in, my mind acknowledging the hopelessness of the situation. After everything we went through, the statue was a fake.
Oh, how I wish a monster would appear and swallow me whole!
My chest burns, the uncomfortable heat running up my neck to my face. I clench my fists, digging my nails into my palm in a desperate attempt to control the overwhelming grief.

We were so close… so close to nothing. And yet, I made it farther than any Chosen ever has before. When I glance up at the two stalwart males on either side of me, I feel guilty. Four other Chosen were sent with priests to retrieve something they had no chance of finding. At least I have Zane and Taranis helping m… wait a minute! With a cry, I stop and fall to my knees, rummaging through my pack. When I find the map wadded at the bottom, I pull it out to examine it.

"This map is a copy of the original map supplied to our elders by an itinerant monk twenty years ago," I say, shaking the offending object. "It's supposed to be a map of the Breven Ruins, but it looks nothing like what we saw there. I should know, I studied it before leaving Verdane." Zane takes the map from my hand and studies it while I stuff everything back in my bag.

"This isn't a map of the Breven Ruins," Zane says as he continues to stare at the map.

"I know," I snap back, "I just said that!"

"These runes in the corner are the ancient symbol of Azzard," Zane says, his voice filled with reverence. "Azzard was an ancient city of powerful wizards. My father believes we're descended from them. The Azzard Ruins are located somewhere in the desert in southern Meliar."

"This is a map of the Azzard Ruins?" I ask in a state of angry confusion. "Why would that horrible monk give the elders a map of Azzard after saying the statue was in the Breven Ruins?"

"I don't know, Love," Zane says, pulling my seething form into his embrace. "But at least we know where to head next. Though, we'll need Loki or Hosea to help navigate the desert. I've heard there's only one true path to the ruins, and it's guarded by four powerful sentinels."

Folding the map back up, he places it inside his bag. He takes my hand in his, half dragging me along the meandering trail. My mind is racing, wishing I could get my hands around the throat of that vagabond. He has a lot to answer for. Though, I doubt I'll ever find him after twenty years.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Unexpected Circumstance

When the bridge leading to the boggy marsh comes into view, the sun is already beginning its descent over the distant ocean. For several hours of our journey I had more adrenaline-fueled fury than I knew what to do with. My mind raged at the futility of the quest. How could our elders send innocent girls off on a quest without verifying the information? Perhaps I'm the idiot for being surprised by this. When my mind calmed, my energy began to wane. Now that the bridge is in sight, I pick our campsite by sitting on the ground and refusing to move.

"Ashlyn, we'll save time if we locate our previous campsite," Zane says, kneeling on the ground next to me. "The grass is already cleared, and I left the stones we used for the fire pit in a circle."

"Fine, Zane, let me know when you find it."

He rises and walks off to join Taranis in the search for our prior campsite. Shadow pads over, curling up next to me.

"Shadow, I'm devastated," I murmur to the wolf. He cocks his head, staring at me with sad blue eyes. "I feel like this whole quest is futile. We made it so far and yet we're right back at the beginning, traveling to some distant ruin hoping the statue will be there." Pausing, I lie down on top of the ebony wolf and bury my face in his fur. "What if it isn't in the Azzard Ruins either? Will I spend the rest of my life looking for the blasted thing?"

"You're being a bit melodramatic, don't you think?" a male voice says, followed by a deep chuckle. Leaping from Shadow's back, I turn to face the source of the voice, dagger in my hand.

"Good reflexes, little huntress," Loki says laughing. With a relieved sigh, I sheathe my dagger and glare at him.

"How did you manage to sneak up on us?" I ask, angry with myself for failing to notice his approach. "I don't think Shadow heard you either."

"I'm a demigod, Ashlyn," he replies, tossing his long white hair. "I can teleport." Once my shock at his sudden appearance wears off, I fall into his arms in despair.

"The statue wasn't in the Breven Ruins," I tell him as my gut wrenches from my bitter frustration. "Then Delistaire disappeared right before I could kill him, the pathetic coward teleported away."

Loki sits on the ground and pulls me onto his lap, cradling me in his arms.

"Everything will be okay, little huntress," Loki coos, holding me against his chest while stroking my hair. "I know where the Goddess Statue is. I'll tell you all about my adventures these last few weeks since we parted. It looks like Zane and Taranis are coming back this way." Loki pauses and eyes me with a raised eyebrow. "I can't wait to hear how you managed to hook up with that pirate."

"You know Taranis?" I ask.

"Just in passing. I checked him out when I heard he was filling positions on his pirate ship with innocent orphan boys," Loki says with a snort of laughter. "I go to Palma all ready to tear the man to shreds, only to find out he's the most pathetic excuse for a pirate I've ever met."

"What do you mean?" I ask, my ire rising. I feel the need to defend my friend.

"You misunderstand me, little one. I meant he's no more a criminal than you or Zane," Loki replies, watching said pirate approach. "He takes those boys in and teaches them a pliable trade as sea hands, fishermen and mercenaries. The only thing shady about him is his social life. And even there, I think the rumors eclipse the truth."

"Loki, it's good to see you again," Zane says. "I hope you have good news for us since we're sorely in need of it."

"Hey, I remember you, dog!" Taranis says in a low growl, shaking his finger at Loki. "You came to my ship disguised as a cute, innocent doggie, hung around for weeks eating my food and distracting my crew. Then you loped into my room, turned into this humanoid thing and had the gall to call me a pathetic excuse for a pirate!"

"It was a compliment, Taranis," I say, trying to keep my laughter under control. "Loki had assumed you were corrupting the innocent orphans you take on as crew. He was originally there to gut you and hang your intestines from the crow's nest."

"As it turns out you're merely a humanitarian playing at pirate," Loki says, flashing his fangs at Taranis. "Those boys were in good hands so I left."

"Yes, well, I have a reputation to uphold," Taranis says, tossing his long cherry hair. "So keep the altruistic stuff to yourself."

"Let's move to the campsite and settle down there, shall we?" Zane asks, holding his hand out to me.

When I place my hand in his, he hauls me to my feet and up against his firm chest. His arms wrap around my body. I snuggle up against him, burying my face in his neck.

"Come, Love, it isn't far," he murmurs in my ear before he pulls away, taking my hand to lead me down the worn path.

"If that was for my benefit, Zane, it was completely unnecessary," Loki says, eyeing us with an amused smirk. "Your scent is all over her. Did you forget I have lupine senses?"

Zane grunts in response and continues to lead me down the trail. The old campsite is less than a quarter mile away, and I collapse to the ground again once we reach it. As the men settle down around me, Shadow returns from his hunt. He races right up to Loki, dropping the largest harrier I've ever seen in the shocked demigod's lap.

"Thank you, Shadow," Loki says, holding the harrier up by the ears to examine it. "Truly a magnificent specimen isn't it."

"If you say so," I comment, a bit reviled at the monster.

"My dear fenrir, it appears you took marvelous care of the little huntress in my absence. I'd like you to have this harrier as a gift," Loki says, tossing the monster back to Shadow. The ebony wolf snatches the harrier in his jaws and settles down to tear into his gift.

"Well, Shadow has his dinner, and I'm ready for mine," I say, glancing over at Zane. "I'm not in a good mood right now, so when I ask what's for dinner, jerky better not be the answer." Two men stare at me with a mixture of shock and fear, while the demigod chuckles. "And not harrier either!" I add, afraid I'll be forced to ingest the hideous bunny.

"Well, fresh harrier tastes much better than the dried harrier jerky," Zane says in what appears to be an attempt to mollify me, a failed attempt.

"No harrier and no jerky." I insist. "There must be something else out here I can hunt." My voice has become whiny, and a dark flush creeps up my neck when I realize I sound like a petulant child. "Sorry," I whisper. "I guess the last two days have just fried my nerves, but that's no reason to take it out on you."