The Hidden Relic (The Evermen Saga, Book Two) (45 page)

Killian retreated to the hut's far wall, as far as he could get from the door. He tucked his head into his shoulder, and with the clumsy gait his manacled ankles gave him, he ran at the door.

Killian knew how to move so that all of the power in his body was directed to his hands, or his feet, and this time he put all of his power into his shoulder.

The poorly-built frame splintered instantly. Killian's momentum took him forwards, so that he tumbled out of the door and onto the ground, rolling and then picking himself up as best he could.

Killian looked around him. He knew what he was doing was suicide, but if he could take one or two of the sadistic guards with him, it would be worth it.

Strangely, the guards hadn't come at the noise of Killian bursting through the doorway. Where were they?

Killian ducked his head as the sound of a thunderous boom came from everywhere at once.

Killian saw thousands of huddled prisoners come to their feet uncertainly, wondering what was going on.

Killian saw a guard looking around with sword bared. His back was turned away, so it was a simple matter for Killian to come forward and wrap his chain around the guard's neck. He pulled and counted; the guard kicked once, twice. Killian let the guard's body slide to the ground.

There was another explosion, and this time Killian saw an accompanying flash of light. Guards were battling someone, and with each blast an armoured man went down.

The prisoners called out to one another, adding to the commotion. Killian looked down and found the strangled guard's sword. He didn't know much about sword fighting, but its presence felt comforting in his hand.

Some prisoners had formed a group and were battling a guard, swamping him with sheer numbers. Killian saw the guard go down and a tall man in rags grabbed the sword, waving it in the air.

Killian wanted to help them but he couldn't seem to run fast enough. He hobbled forward, in the direction of the gates, and it seemed everyone else had the same idea.

"This way!" Killian called to those who still stood by uncertainly. "It's either now or never, come on!"

Guards formed a line between the prisoners and the closed gates. Killian looked on in awe as a wavering figure suddenly appeared and a beam of light tore a hole in a guard's side, sending a gush of blood spurting out before the guard crumpled to the ground. The shimmering form appeared at another place, and still another guard went down as a bolt of energy opened a wound in his throat.

A soldier ran up to Killian, swinging his sword. Killian ducked and felt it whistle over his head, before swinging his own sword in a clumsy arc at the guard's chest. The guard blocked and the jar that went through Killian's wrist was so great he dropped his blade. Killian swung the stake on the end of its chain, catching the guard under his left eye and tearing open his cheek. When the guard screamed in pain and placed his hand on the left side of his face, Killian swung again, smashing the heavy piece of wood into his opponent's temple. The guard went down.

The shadow appeared again. This time a bolt of pure energy came out of its middle, tearing a fist-sized hole in a guard's stomach. Another guard swung at the figure with his sword but some kind of electrical discharge sparked across the blade, turning the soldier's sword hand into a blackened mess. As the guard screamed in pain and dropped his blade the ragged prisoner with the sword ran forward and slashed twice at the guard's neck and chest.

The hairs rose on Killian's neck as he heard the sound of chanting, and a blinding light suddenly appeared a dozen paces from where the guards stood. Another bolt came from the shining figure to take another soldier through the forehead.

The guards broke. One of them hurried to the gates to activate the release mechanism while his fellows urged him on. As the gates started to part, the guards poured through the widening gap as they fled. The prisoners stormed forward, screaming and shouting and pummelling the guards with anything they could lay their hands on.

Killian tried to run with them but he took two steps and then fell down as his legs tripped on his chains. He raised himself onto his hands and knees and looked up.

The shining figure stood in front of him. It reminded Killian of nothing so much as Saryah, the evil creature he had faced in Stonewater. Whatever it was, it filled him with terror.

The shape's hand held a wand that sparked and flickered as waves of energy sizzled from its base to its tip.

Killian heard some words of magic spoken by a surprisingly female voice, and out of the shimmer a person slowly materialised; a young woman in a green dress.

"It's you," Ella said with surprise.

Killian gaped, for a moment unable to speak. How could she be here?

"I'm back in the hut, aren't I?" Killian said. "I'm dreaming. You're the last person I ever expected to see here. But please, don't wake me up."

Ella looked just as surprised as he was. She stood staring at him in shock until Killian wondered if she was going to speak at all.

"Well?" Killian said.

"Well what?"

"Are you going to get me out of these chains?"

"Soon." Ella smiled. "It's nice to finally have you as my prisoner, rather than the other way around."

50

E
LLA
tended Killian's wounds as they rested within the trees, under the flickering glow of firelight. She could have activated a nightlamp but it was a cool night, and the warmth would be good for him. Perhaps it would be good for her too.

The freed prisoners had fled into the forest, knowing better than to stay anywhere near Seranthia. Now there was just one more facility Ella needed to destroy.

"You look like you're thinking," Killian said as Ella touched a damp cloth to the sores on his wrists.

"I was thinking about that place," Ella said. "How long were you there?"

"Not long at all. Weeks. Some people were there a lot longer than that."

Ella moved on to Killian's ankles, making a sound when she saw the bloodied mess he'd made of them. "How could you do this to yourself?"

"Fear of dying does that to a man," Killian said. "For some reason you become a little desperate. Aren't there others out there who might need your help more?"

"To be honest I don't know what I'm doing," Ella said. "But I've been in a few battles now, and I'm pretty sure you're supposed to clean wounds. At least with you if I get something wrong, it isn't much of a loss to the world."

"I'm glad to know you feel like that," Killian said wryly. "I've thought about you. Thought about you a lot. Yet the girl I've been thinking about doesn't care about me."

Ella's breath caught at Killian's words. She'd slotted back so easily into the familiar feeling of companionship that she hadn't taken note of the way he was looking at her. Was he toying with her? It wouldn't be the first time.

She pushed in a little too hard at one of the wounds on Killian's ankles, making him gasp. "Let me see. We were in Petrya, if I recall correctly. You looked out the window, and then you told me you were going out for a short while. I never saw you again."

"Might that be because High Enchantress Evora Guinestor would have carved me into little pieces?"

"You could have told me."

"What would I have said? Ella, I'm going to Stonewater to recover the Halrana Lexicon I stole. Don't let your boss see me on the way out."

"Something like that."

"I did what I had to do," Killian said. "I had to go back. Something told me the answers I was looking for were in Stonewater. You have a brother, Ella, and a people. You have a last name, and a home. Maybe I have family out there, somewhere. Or maybe I'm just some orphan thief. I have to know."

"You're more than that," Ella said softly, "and blood doesn't make anyone who they are."

"You don't know what it's like. And, Ella, I was right. When I got to Stonewater, I met someone who knew about me. He knew about how some lore doesn't harm me, and how essence doesn't kill me. He asked me to help him destroy the Primate's relics, and in return he would tell me who I was. What I am."

"Did he tell you?" Ella asked, fascinated despite her belief that people make their own destiny, family or not. Maybe he was right. Maybe she didn't know what it felt like to have no home, no relatives, and to be different.

She looked at Killian again. The red hair, the piercing blue eyes; Ella had never seen anyone with his features. His strong jaw and athletic build made him handsome, but there was some other quality to him as well. There was something almost fey about the way Killian looked.

"I destroyed the relics," Killian said. "I did my part to end the Primate's evil. In return Evrin Evenstar promised to tell me what I wanted to know. But he never made it to our meeting. I waited, but he never came."

"Evrin Evenstar?" Ella started. "Did you say Evrin Evenstar?" She took a breath. "At the beginning of the Alturan Lexicon there's some writing. I've seen the same writing in the Hazaran Lexicon."

"I've seen it," Killian nodded. "'
To the common people of Merralya, one and all, I give you this, the third volume in my Tomes of Lore. Evrin Evenstar
. ' I read that in the Halrana Lexicon."

"I once met someone who said his name was Evrin Alistair," Ella said. "He taught me animator's runes. He was clever, and strange, and funny, all at once."

"Did he have a white beard, flecked with ginger?" Killian asked.

"And blue eyes," Ella said. "Blue, like yours."

"It was him." Killian nodded.

"How?" Ella asked. "How could Evrin Evenstar have created the Lexicons, yet be alive today?"

"I don't know," Killian said. "It's somehow tied in with who I am. What I am."

"Please, go on," Ella said. "Evrin: what happened to him?"

"I've only learned this since, but while I tried to destroy the relics the Primate used to create essence, Evrin went to a different part of Stonewater, the Pinnacle, to destroy something he considered at least as important."

"I knew something had happened to disrupt the Primate's supply of essence. You saved countless lives. What could be more important?"

"I don't know exactly," Killian said. "There's a templar named Zavros. He's the templar who perfected the Primate's elixir, and is probably the one who built these vats. He's an evil man. I questioned him, back in Stonewater, and he let slip something about a book. Evrin tried to destroy it, but he wasn't successful, and now the Primate has it. But I don't think it's the book itself that's the danger. It's the knowledge contained in its pages."

"What happened to Evrin?"

"The Primate had him locked up in Salvation for a time, but he escaped. Since I couldn't find Evrin, I decided to look for the Primate and try to find the book, so I headed to Seranthia. On the way, I saw Evrin with some prisoners. I tried to free him, but I was captured while Evrin escaped. And here we are."

Ella was silent for a moment while she digested Killian's words.

She realised she was still holding the damp cloth, now stained red with Killian's blood, and she threw it into the fire.

Obviously the book that was in the Primate's hands was of the utmost importance.

"You said Evrin escaped the Primate in Salvation?" Ella asked.

"Yes," Killian nodded, "the Primate wasn't happy. He had all the guards killed."

"Yet you found him with some prisoners near Seranthia. What was he doing in Seranthia?"

"I don't know," Killian said. "All I know is that Evrin needs my help, and he's the only one who can tell me who I am."

"Whatever it is Evrin's worried about, it has something to do with Seranthia," Ella said, "and it sounds dangerous."

"Will you help me?" Killian asked.

"I have my own task to complete first," Ella said. "There's one more facility like the one you were in. The essence coming out of there is being used to fight my people, and the prisoners deserve to be freed."

"I could help you," Killian said. "They say it's a bigger facility than this one, which means it will be more heavily defended."

Ella nodded. "If you help me destroy this last facility, I'll help you find Evrin."

"Agreed," Killian said.

Ella held out her hand, and she and Killian clasped hands, the act strangely formal. His strong hand easily held her delicate fingers within it.

"You never told me what happened to you?" Killian said, releasing Ella's palm.

Ella told Killian about High Enchantress Evora's sacrifice to save Ella and the Alturan Lexicon. She skimmed over her capture by Prince Ilathor and his men, telling Killian simply that she'd helped the Hazarans rediscover their forgotten lore, and in the process she herself learned about the power of illusion.

Ella explained how she'd blocked the Wondhip Pass using the animator's runes Evrin had taught her, and built the ethereal runebridge when the Bridge of Sutanesta was destroyed, saving the refugees and enabling the Alturans to fight another day.

Finally, Ella told him about the battle against the Akari in the lands between Petrya and Tingara, and how she had come here to see what she could learn, and hopefully do.

"You've learned a lot," Killian said. "You've changed."

"Not too much, I hope?" Ella said, smiling up at him.

"You're more beautiful than ever," Killian said, and Ella blushed. "But that's not what I meant. You've grown."

"War will do that."

"You've learned something of illusionist's runes, elementalist's runes and animator's runes, as well as being a trained enchantress. I don't know if anyone has done that before."

"There's still so much I don't know," Ella said.

"You should see what Evrin can do," Killian said, shaking his head. "I know nothing about lore, but when he drew the runes on my skin… I can't describe it."

"Where did he draw them?" Ella asked.

Killian touched his chest with both hands, gesturing then to his arms and his neck, his legs and his face. "Everywhere."

Ella moved a little closer to him.

"I have essence," she said. "When we take the base tomorrow night, we'll need to hit them with everything we can."