The Ring Keeper, page 2
Ana drew in a sharp breath, her eyes wide. Even before the rumors she’d heard today, the village boys used to tell stories about Shekkar just to frighten her. Everyone knew demons would rip you apart if they caught you. They had destroyed an entire kingdom, and their poison had killed thousands. Now, it wasn’t just an old story.
“And you think they’re following me?”
He stared at her for a moment before he nodded.
If the Shekkar were hunting her, they would kill her. She had no way to run fast enough or far enough to escape them. Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked them back. Ana was too old to be crying like a baby. She didn’t want Zarek to notice.
“They’re coming soon. We need to go!”
He was right. His words startled her into motion, and she began climbing down.
“Hurry,” Dane said from the ground. “It will be dark soon. We have to get everyone indoors. The whole town is in danger!”
“We have to tell Fergen.” Ana pointed down the hill toward the inn.
“Is that where you live?” Dane asked.
“Yes.”
Dane looked at Zarek. “The Shekkar will follow her trail there. But the rest of the people should barricade themselves in their houses. I’ll meet you at the inn. Get her inside. Tell them to bar the doors.”
Zarek removed his sword from its place on his pack and belted it around his waist.
Ana led him to the back door, and she ran into the kitchen. “Tari, where’s Fergen?” she asked the gray-haired cook.
“What’s going on? Who is that?” Tari eyed Zarek in confusion.
Fergen appeared in the kitchen door. “Hurry, Ana! Almost every table is already full.” His eyes tightened in suspicion as he looked at Zarek. “Who are you?”
“He says that we’re in danger, and he came to help,” Ana explained.
Fergen folded his arms across his chest, waiting for Zarek to answer.
“My name is Zarek. I serve the Emperor of Sarine. I came to warn you that the inn is going to be attacked.”
The blood drained from Fergen’s face, and he took a step backward. “When? Who? Not the—”
“Shekkar. Demons of dark magic,” Zarek said. “My friend has gone to warn the rest of the village. The demons will be here soon. We need to bar the doors and windows. Get everyone out of here. Tell them to stay hidden indoors. Go now!”
Fergen ran back to the common room, and he only had to utter one strangled word, “Shekkar.” His customers scattered at his warning.
Ana helped Fergen pull the heavy shutters closed, and he dropped the latches into place. They barred the front door.
“The demons are coming. You should go too,” Zarek said, putting his hand on Fergen’s shoulder, gesturing toward the kitchen door.
Fergen glanced down at Ana. “What about Ana? If she’s not safe here—”
Zarek met Ana’s eyes, then looked back at the innkeeper. “They’re following her.”
Ana’s stomach clenched.
Fergen stood beside her and put his arm protectively around her shoulders. “If she’s in danger, I’m not leaving her.”
Ana turned to hug him tightly. He had always treated her with kindness, even though she was only an orphan.
“There’s no way you can fight them,” Zarek said. “They’ll only kill you if you stay. Take the cook and run. Get somewhere secure. Find a place to hide!”
Fergen didn’t want to go, but Ana couldn’t let him get hurt because of her. She threw her arms around him. “You’ve done so much for me. You always took good care of me. Please don’t let them kill you! I couldn’t bear it.”
He held her close. “I’ve been grateful every day to have you in my life. I love you Ana, please be safe!” He kissed the top of her head and released her. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He took Tari by the arm, and they disappeared into the gathering darkness.
Ana helped Zarek check the doors and windows again. Then he pushed chairs and tables against the front door.
Outside, night covered the village. Dane came running in through the back door. “I told them to get indoors and stay there,” he said, breathing hard. “They didn’t all listen.” As if to punctuate his words, a scream rang out from somewhere in the darkness. Dane slammed the door and slid the heavy bar across it.
Fergen was gone, along with everyone else she knew. No one was left except these two strangers. Zarek stood beside Ana.
Something outside clawed at the door, and Ana’s stomach clenched. It scratched at the walls, hunting for a way inside. A blow struck the door. It held. From the other side came a shriek of frustration. Ana cringed away from the sound.
Zarek gripped the hilt of his dagger and took a deep breath. His jaw clenched. Dane came into the dining room, drew his sword, and stood watching the door, tense and ready, the weapon in his hand.
From outside in the dark, they heard terrified voices and running feet. Someone was outside. They called out, and Ana wanted to help them. How many were there? A man screamed first, then a woman.
Zarek drew his sword and held the weapon ready, his eyes on the door.
Outside, it grew silent. Whoever had been out there, they made no other sound. Ana took a deep breath, then another. The quiet didn’t last. More blows came at the front door, and more shrieking. The door creaked and groaned and shook on its hinges. Would it keep them out? Or would the thing outside find more of her friends and neighbors and kill them? Would it find Fergen and Tari?
She couldn’t stand that. “They’re looking for me! If I go out there, will they take me and leave the others alone?”
“You can’t do that, Ana,” Zarek said firmly. “They can’t get the ring. If they do, many more people will die.”
“People are dying now! Why don’t you just take the ring and go!” She grasped the ring and held it out to him.
“It’s too late for that. They’re already following you,” Zarek said.
“They’re breaking in. You’re going to have to take Ana and run,” Dane said. “Get ready to slip out the back door.”
Zarek took Ana’s hand and headed for the kitchen.
The attack against the door redoubled. Ana heard blows from all around the building now. From the front of the inn, they heard the sounds of breaking wood and shattering glass. Abruptly, the assault on the back door ceased.
Zarek met her eyes. The muscles of his jaw clenched. “Get ready to run.”
“It’s time.” Dane’s voice sounded hard as he looked at Zarek. “You’re faster than I am. Take her and go. I’ll hold them off and then follow you.”
Ana’s breath came fast and shallow, and her heart pounded in her throat. Zarek raised his sword.
“Go. Now!” Dane ordered, standing in the kitchen doorway, his blade in his hand. Several black shapes burst through the front door, shrieking. Dane held his sword ready.
Zarek pulled Ana through the back door. She screamed as a black shape towered above them, blocking their path. Shoving her back, he attacked the black thing.
The demon screeched and tried to claw at them, but Zarek’s sword deflected the blow. Ana heard its razor-sharp claws scrape against the metal. While his sword held the creature back, he drew his dagger. The blade glowed faintly green in the darkness. He struck at the demon, driving the blade home until it fell, unmoving.
“Run!” Zarek ordered, tucking the dagger back into its sheath.
They dashed away from the village, following the edge of a stream, stumbling over the uneven ground in the moonlight. Ana ran as fast as she could, but it didn’t feel fast enough. Zarek pulled her along, urging her to greater speed.
The night was quiet around them, except for their rapid breathing and the sound of their feet pounding against the ground. Ana looked back over her shoulder and saw Dane behind them, running hard. Beyond him, black shapes followed. But Zarek was heading the wrong way.
“Don’t go—” she gasped, pointing ahead of them. “There’s—cliff—”
Zarek didn’t listen. For a few moments, they widened the gap between them and their pursuers. But the demons would soon cut off their escape. The small stream beside the town drained into a larger river that had carved a deep cleft in the land, and Zarek was coming to the brink of the cliff. He stopped and looked over the edge. Ana glimpsed a black chasm with a silver ribbon of water at the bottom.
Dane caught up with them. “That way!” He pointed along the edge of the canyon. They followed the cliff downstream.
The Shekkar cut across the distance, heading straight for the trio, and they were gaining fast. Their quarry couldn’t outrun them.
Ana could hear the demons clearly now, and their horrible voices sounded triumphant. They were about to claim their prize. She stopped on the brink of the cliff, frozen. Zarek had placed himself between Ana and the Shekkar, his sword in one hand and his dagger in the other. But there were too many enemies to fight, and they were charging toward him, black claws outstretched.
The foremost of the creatures struck at him. He blocked the blow with his sword, but poisonous claws seized the weapon and twisted it out of his grip. A flash of moonlight lit the sword blade as it spun away, landing behind the demon.
Zarek sheathed his knife and darted straight toward Ana. As his shoulder slammed into her, his arm seized her waist, and his momentum propelled them out into the black abyss. Ana screamed as they fell.
CHAPTER TWO
Year of Warding 38, Kethel’s Countryside
Ana
ANA WAS FALLING. Cold air rushed by her, and the black rock of the canyon flashed past. They struck the water, and from that height, it felt like a solid wall. Her face and arms exploded in pain. Their momentum sent them deep under the surface. The impact tore her away from Zarek and knocked the breath from her lungs.
She flailed, frantically trying to find her way back to the surface of the dark water. There was nothing to hold on to, and the current tossed her in all directions. Something seized her leg, pulling her. Confused and disoriented, she felt like she was being dragged deeper into the water.
Ana felt them break the surface, and dimly, she realized Zarek had brought her back from the depths. He towed her toward the bank and hauled her out of the water onto the gravel shore, where he struck her back. A little water ran from her mouth. Additional blows brought up more, and she coughed violently. She sucked air into her lungs and felt the stones of the bank beneath her as she lay, coughing and gasping.
Dane slogged through the shallows toward them. “Is she hurt?” He knelt down beside them.
“We hit hard. She has water in her lungs.” Zarek ran his hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. I wouldn’t have jumped—I didn’t know what else to do!”
“You did what you had to do,” Dane said. “Carry her and watch her. We’ll check on her again when it gets light. Come on, we need to go.”
Ana’s skin stung, her lungs burned, and she still wasn’t sure which way was up. Zarek slid one arm under her shoulders and the other beneath her knees and picked her up. He must be very strong because he easily got to his feet holding her. She hadn’t been held like this since she was a small child. She wanted to tell him to put her down, except she couldn’t gather the breath to speak and she wasn’t sure she could walk.
The dark canyon walls towered above them, with the moonlight gleaming on smooth rock.
Ana hid her face in the front of Zarek’s shirt. Her ribs throbbed where his shoulder had struck her, her skin felt raw where she’d hit the water, and her head spun. Her soaking wet clothes were chill in the night air. Unsuccessfully, she tried to hold back the tears that escaped from the corners of her eyes. Now she was crying like a baby and being carried like one. How embarrassing.
They kept going. Ana had several more bouts of violent coughing, but when they passed, she could breathe more easily.
Zarek set her down to walk, but exhaustion slowed her steps. She struggled along until, eventually, the rose pink of dawn lit the east.
Dane had stopped in a sheltered place beside some rocks and taken off his pack and sword. Ana collapsed to the ground. Zarek dropped his own gear, then sat near her. It felt good to be still, and she rested her back against the stone.
“How badly are you hurt?” Zarek asked. Putting one finger under her chin, he gently turned her face to the morning light to examine where she’d struck the water. He seemed sad.
“I’m sorry.” He released her chin and shook his head.
But Ana knew he’d done the best he could. If he hadn’t jumped with her, the demons would have caught them. “I…” She swallowed and tried again. “You didn’t let them catch us.” She spoke with difficulty, and her throat felt raw from coughing up river water.
Zarek stared back at her, his eyes widening in surprise at her answer.
“Where are we?” She scanned their surroundings. This was already farther from home than she’d ever been before.
“We’re at the bottom of the canyon below the village. This river flows down into Lake Bethor.”
Everyone she had known, the only home she remembered, had been left behind last night. She looked at Zarek. Another fit of coughing passed before she could speak again. “Did they kill everyone in the village?”
His mouth pulled down into a frown, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t think so. Most of them are safe.”
“What about Fergen and Tari? What if the demons killed them?”
“They didn’t,” Dane said from where he sat on a rock nearby.
“How can you be sure?”
He took a deep breath and met her eyes. “Because the demons are following us.”
Ana felt a twist of fear in her belly, and she shivered. This was it. They were all going to die. As soon as night fell, the Shekkar would hunt them. And this time there would be no shelter, no cliff to help them escape. Zarek’s jaw tightened. Ana’s chest constricted until she couldn’t breathe. Her voice sounded strangled. “They’re going to kill us. We’re going to die.”
Dane came over to her and bent to one knee, gripping her shoulders. His brown eyes appeared stern. “We are not going to die. We are going to run, but we can escape them.”
Ana looked back at him. “How is that possible? I’ve heard the stories. If they don’t tear us apart, they’re going to poison us, and there’s no cure.”
“There is one cure,” Zarek said. “The ring. You do have it, don’t you? It’s the reason they’re following you.”
Ana hadn’t trusted them with her secret before, but what choice did she have now? They had both saved her life last night, at great risk to themselves. If they wanted to harm her, why would they do that?
She clutched the ring where it hung under her shirt. Pulling it out, she drew the cord over her head and made a fist around the ring. “This is why they’re following me? Then let’s get rid of it!” She stood up, faced the churning white water of the river, and drew her arm back to throw.
Both men launched into motion so quickly, she barely saw them moving before they were each gripping her wrist.
“Don’t!” Dane pleaded. “You can’t. If we lose that ring, the empire of Sarine will fall and no place in the world will be safe from the demons. Many more people will die. Besides, it’s too late. The Shekkar are already hunting us.”
That was too much pressure. Ana didn’t want the lives of thousands of people to be in her hands. She scrunched her eyes closed, but that didn’t stop the tears from running down her cheeks. Closing her hand tightly around the ring, she sank to the ground, and they released her arm.
None of this made any sense. The only thing Ana was sure of was that everyone she’d cared about was back in Bright Springs, maybe even dead. She had lost the only life she remembered. How many more people would die before this was finished? How could she possibly escape the Shekkar?
Ana shook her head. “It’s only a matter of time before they kill me.”
“We won’t let that happen,” Dane promised.
Beside him, Zarek nodded in agreement. He rose and took a deep breath, as if to shake off the worry, and grabbed his sodden pack. From inside, he retrieved his flint and started gathering sticks.
Still clutching the ring, Ana got up and stretched her stiff, sore muscles. She hung the cord back around her neck and began gathering wood. Dane helped too, and in a little while, they had a good fire going. Ana sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, as close to the flames as she could.
They spread wet clothes and blankets from their packs to dry on the bushes. Zarek peeled off his wet jacket and shirt and hung them up. He lay back on the sandy riverbank with his eyes closed.
Ana blinked and looked back at Dane. “You promised you wouldn’t let them kill me. What if they kill you?”
Dane rubbed his face and met her gaze. “If something happens to one of us, you could use the ring.”
“What do you mean… use it?” Ana stared at them in confusion.
“You don’t know what it does?” Zarek sat up, looking at her with a surprised expression.
Ana shook her head. It was a ring. Was it supposed to… do something?
“That ring can heal any injury,” Zarek said.
Ana stared back at him in shock. “What? How?” Then her eyes widened. “Do you mean that back there, I could have saved the lives of those who were injured?”
Dane shook his head. “No. The demons would have caught us too. We would have to escape them before you’d have a chance to use it. And you could only heal one person at a time. The ring uses your strength and will to heal, but the process is painful. It would be several days before you could do it again.”
“But if one of you were injured, then I could heal you?”
“Yes.”
“How? What if I can’t do it?”
“We’re hoping that you can,” Dane said. “We serve the Emperor of Sarine, and he wields a magical power called the Warding that keeps the demons out of Sarine. All we have to do is get over the border before they catch us. The emperor is ill, and we’re hoping you can heal him. If he dies, the Warding will be gone, and the demons will destroy Sarine.”
