Deadliest of Bonds: (The Blight 2), page 36
Ariella changed her wings into arms again and replied, “Yes.” Her mother’s voice broke the charm, and Thea was happy for it.
Zéfan handed them their packs with a smile and Thea shifted as well to grab it, nodding her thanks. She hooked it around her shoulders, her palm coming to rest on the pommel of Blessing that was carefully strapped to her waist.
“Then we should go,” Ash said. “No time to waste.” He turned and headed for the mountains, his steps assured and his wings impressive behind him. Thea had rarely seen him keep them out for long, but she imagined it was better to show off his dragon attributes when stepping into wild dragon territory.
Thea rolled her shoulders and fell into step behind him, Zéfan and Ariella in her wake.
Time to face the dragons then. She much preferred facing them to facing the Queen or Rogan again.
They had packed enough food, clothes and supplies to last a week if needed, but Ash had insisted that the shorter their stay the better.
“Remember,” Ash added, half-turning to look at them. “We get in, look for the Cup, find it if possible, and get out. No unnecessary risks, and you let me do the talking in there.” He pointed to his head and that was that.
Thea swallowed thickly and took a bracing breath.
There was no trail or path ahead, as this place was not meant for people to walk into. So Thea kept close to Ash, eyes trained on the rocky ground, focused on not tripping to her death. The terrain was rough, and she often had to climb on small rocks or avoid holes that would have twisted her ankle if not broken it. But she powered through. At least, focusing on walking without tripping kept her thoughts away from everything else.
It was relaxing in a way she hadn’t expected. Or maybe it was just Ash’s confidence before her that comforted her.
But at the same time, Thea knew that death could come suddenly, like it had for Eden and like she’d thought it had fifty years ago when the Blight had supposedly killed her mother. When Rogan had turned all the magic users into credens would be a more accurate choice of words. Even if the Queen had given the order in the first place.
Now was not the time to think about Rogan though, nor about how mad Thea still was at her mother for letting her believe she was dead for fifty years and erasing all the memories of what Egene had done to her.
Maybe the two of them would become allies and hunt them down. With Egene’s magic on their side, the Celestling only knew what they were capable of. She couldn’t shake away the thought that Rogan had probably found him now. And wonder what they’d do.
Dread started building inside her, but she forced herself to swallow it back. Ash had told her that there was little chance Egene would be able to teleport back to Hivern because he wasn’t allowed to cross the veil. But little chance didn’t mean no chance.
Ash half turned around to glance at her, as if he’d sensed the shift in her emotions. She felt him brush against her wall and she let him in.
What’s wrong? he asked.
She shook her head as he set his gaze forward again. Nothing, I’m just anxious about what Egene could be planning.
Ash’s entire body tensed at her response. His shoulders lifted, his spine steeled as if it could make the thought more bearable. Don’t worry about that now. Soon, the Celestling will be there. Hivern is the safest place right now, I doubt he’s powerful enough to find us. And even if he does, there’s little he could do on his own.
Thea carefully hid the thought that he might not be alone now, not if Rogan had found him, and she only said, I know.
Ash half-turned again, his eyes narrowing at her. Did the Inferling try to contact you again? he asked carefully.
No. She wasn’t lying. She hadn’t felt his presence, only slight throbs in the mark on her arm, nothing too intense.
Then let’s hope he can’t find us here either. Then Ash turned back around, and Thea’s mind went quiet.
She had no idea how long they’d been walking in the mountains when Ash finally lifted a hand, commanding them to stop. He turned around and forced a smile before sitting down on a rock that was almost flat. The wince that twisted his features when he did showed just how uncomfortable a seat it was, but Thea bit her lip and did the same.
Her legs were throbbing with warmth. It had been a while since she’d had to walk that long without a break, and her muscles weren’t used to it. She wasn’t even sure she had ever had to do such a thing before. But she wasn’t about to complain.
Besides, she knew from the faces Ariella and Zéfan had that they were all suffering from the exercise. They sat in silence, each of them grabbing their canteens and drinking hungrily. The sun was now high in the sky, and Thea had tied a piece of cloth over her head so she wouldn’t get sunstroke from its heat. The last thing she needed was to puke her guts out in dragon land.
To her surprise, Zéfan started signing to Ash and he replied. It was a good idea. After all, both of them used the language to speak with Zéna, and since they couldn’t really speak out loud if they wanted to remain under the radar of the deadly creatures that dwelled in those mountains, it was a very valid option. Thea cursed herself for not participating in Fyreen and Ruelle’s learning exercises back on the ship. It would have been useful for her too to learn how to communicate with Zéna, but she had been too selfish to deal with it.
Ash’s voice suddenly echoed inside Thea’s head, making her choke on her water. Sorry, he said, before resuming. I think we’re not far from the first caves. I can feel the dragons’ closeness in my blood and my magic is calling to them, he explained. I’ll warn you as soon as I’ve picked up a scent.
Thea nodded and her eyes slid to her mother who was sitting beside her. She didn’t have any way of knowing what the three of them were talking about and yet, she didn’t seem bothered. Her face was calm, and the ghost of a smile played on her lips, making Thea’s heart clench. Ariella had always been like this. When most people just looked bored or even sad when they were lost in their thoughts, she had always had that small smile that made her that much more beautiful. And that made people want to approach her. The contrary of Thea, really, whose smiles were very rare and reserved for very special people.
How long had it been since she’d smiled at her mother? She wasn’t sure she had since she’d learned that she was alive, even when she’d seen her upon waking up all those weeks ago. She had been too sad, too broken, too lost in her grief to focus on anything positive. And then she’d been too mad at Ariella and then too focused on the rest, on the quest, the Inferling, the Cup, the Celestling…
There had been so many things on her mind that she hadn’t even let herself think about her mother. Wonder if she was really still mad at her or if a part of her wanted to forgive her.
But now, lost in dangerous mountains, not allowed to speak a word… It wasn’t the time to think about this either.
Feeling the intensity of Thea’s eyes on her, Ariella slowly turned her head to look at her daughter, her smile widening tentatively. Thea swallowed when those deep, intense, violet eyes met hers and she was a child again, asking herself too many questions that only her mother had answers to. An inexplicable emotion tightened around her throat, and she forced herself to look away.
She fished inside her pack for an apple, but before she could bite into it, a deep rumble made the ground shake.
Thea’s eyes widened as her apple dropped to the ground and rolled among the shivering debris. She looked at Ash who nodded in confirmation, his jaw tense.
It wasn’t an earthquake. It was a growl.
Chapter 47
Fyreen was tired. She was hot, sweat clinging to every part of her body, and yet her skin was dry as sandpaper, bruised by the relentless winds. Sil was doing her best to slow it down, shielding them from the worst of it and guiding them through the endless desert. And yet, Fyreen had never felt so discouraged in her entire life.
What could they ever possibly find in a place like this? Where they couldn’t see two feet in front of themselves?
Every part of her body hurt, her skin burned, and even if she had done everything to try and protect herself against the sand’s violent caress, she knew she wouldn’t last long. She wasn’t made for this. She hadn’t trained for this.
But every time she felt like sinking to her knees on the sand and stay there until someone came to save her, she looked at her friends. She looked at Ruelle, her silver hair shimmering under her clothes as she pushed forward, her body bent against the wind. She looked at Zéna, her braid whipping her back with each step, her strong, muscled legs propelling her forward. And she looked at Sil, guiding them all forward, her teeth gritted hard as she used her magic, her strength, to make it easier for them all.
Fyreen found courage in them. In the determination of their every movement, in the fight fueling their every breath. She reminded herself what they had to gain and what they had to lose. And then she put one foot in front of the other, trying not to snap her ankle as her boot sank into the sand, and pushed herself forward.
It was her people she needed to save. Her mother who was currently endangering every Estivian. Her mistakes that had led them here. She had to make everything right. She owed it to everyone. It would be her legacy.
So Fyreen gritted her teeth harder and kept on walking.
They stopped regularly to drink from their canteens. And each time they did, Fyreen’s legs shook and her heart tightened with worry as she saw their water supplies decline.
Her lips were cracked and dry as she lifted the bottle to her mouth and drank a few mouthfuls of lukewarm water. She swallowed it thickly and closed her eyes to better enjoy the feeling of the liquid easing the dryness in her throat. Putting the almost empty canteen back inside her bag, she glanced at Sil who offered a smile.
“Just how wide is this desert?” Ruelle asked, her voice hoarse.
“Too wide,” Sil replied, and Fyreen suppressed a groan at the words. “We are not going to cover it entirely. We just need to reach the oasis.”
“Couldn’t have Feulé just dropped us there?” Ruelle asked, frowning. “Why did we have to suffer through this storm?” She gestured around them, to the sand flying all around, to the steady sound that plagued their ears endlessly.
Fyreen was even afraid that she would still hear the deafening song of the wind when they finally got out of this mess. That her hearing would be permanently damaged by it.
“We can not see the oasis from the sky because of the sandstorm,” Sil explained. “The only way to find it is by walking toward it.”
Fyreen pursed her lips and winced when she felt how ruined they were. It stung, but it was maybe the least painful thing in her entire body. Why had she agreed to go to the desert again? Facing dragons didn’t seem as scary now that she was in this deadly oven of a place.
“How long until we reach it?” Fyreen forced herself to ask.
“A few hours I imagine,” Sil replied, glancing at the map that was spread before her. “I hope so at least, because I will not be able to smother the wind for eternity. My powers are not that potent.”
The reminder that Sil’s magic was easing some of the tempest that raged around them made Fyreen’s heart leap in her chest. They would have probably been dead hours ago if it hadn’t been for that.
“I swear if the Cup isn’t here…” Ruelle began, but she never spoke the rest of the words. Because there was nothing more to say. If the Cup wasn’t there… then they just had to pray that the other team had been luckier and that the dragons hadn’t eaten them alive.
Otherwise, it would have all been for nothing.
“Let us get moving again,” Sil said.
Zéna was the first to stand and she helped Ruelle to her feet. Once they were all ready to go, Sil started walking, the three of them following obediently.
And Fyreen started praying for the Celestling to guide them to the Cup. To protect them from the wrath of the Inferling’s creations.
At least there weren’t any credens to attack them here.
It felt like days when Sil finally exclaimed, “Look!”
Fyreen lifted her head, protecting her eyes with her hand. There, mere feet away, she saw it. There was a tree, one like she had never seen before. And under it, a shimmer. Water.
They had made it. The oasis was here. Just a few more steps and they would be safe.
Fyreen smiled, her lips cracking as they stretched. But she didn’t care. She wanted to run to that paradise. And she did just that.
A laugh of joy bubbled in her throat as the four of them started running, occasionally tripping in the unsteady sand but getting back up instantly. It was as if exhaustion had vanished from their bodies as hope bloomed in its stead.
Suddenly, the sand stopped scratching her face, and although the air was still heavy and hot and the sun still burned her skull, there was no raging wind, no storm.
Fyreen stopped dead in her tracks, surprised, and turned around at the same time the others did.
Before them, just a foot away, the sandstorm still raged. But the wind bounced against some sort of invisible barrier surrounding the entire oasis, preventing it from touching them.
“It’s beautiful,” Ruelle breathed behind Fyreen.
Fyreen could only mirror the sentiment. It truly was beautiful, in a deadly way. The waves of sand seemed to dance all around them, caressing the invisible wall like a lover’s touch. She was mesmerized by it for a while, her body suddenly exhausted and her lungs trying to catch their breath. So Fyreen just stood there, her arms slack at her sides as she admired the ballet of the sand and wind.
She took a step closer and reached with her fingers to try and touch the invisible protection, but her hand met no resistance. It passed right through it and was immediately assaulted by the sand again, harder than before without Sil’s powers to soften it. “What is this?” she asked.
“I have no idea,” Sil replied, walking to her. She did the same thing, slipping her hand back into the sand and then inspecting it carefully as if she couldn’t quite believe her own eyes. “I did not know there was magic protecting the oasis.”
“Magic…” Fyreen breathed.
Some part of her was still surprised whenever it was mentioned. In Hivern, it was everywhere, in the air, the ground and the sun even. So present that even its people didn’t know just how deep its roots went.
“That is a good sign,” Sil commented. “If there is magic to protect this place, it must mean that something important is here.”
“Let’s look for it then,” Ruelle suggested.
She was right, there was no point lingering. Fyreen would rather sleep in a bed in the palace tonight than here. Besides, there was no guarantee that the magical protection would last forever.
“Any indications as to its exact location here?” Ruelle asked Sil.
Sil turned around, Fyreen with her, and shook her head. “Not really. The song led here, and the texts and legends confirmed that some magical artefact—possibly the Cup—had been hidden here. But not much more details, unfortunately.”
“We better start then,” Fyreen mumbled, exhaustion catching up on her faster than she would have hoped. She glanced up, shielding her eyes from the light, and noticed that the sun was still high in the sky. But she imagined it would start its descent soon.
She tore the cloth protecting the lower half of her face off and breathed in deep. It wasn’t remotely close to breathing in fresh morning air, but it was still better than the sand-leaden wind she’d had to deal with all day.
Then, she finally took a good look at the oasis. It was small, but everything about it cried “hope”. There was a small pond of water in the center, surrounded by tall blades of grass and sand. A tree with a dark trunk and spiky, long leaves at the top towered above it, bent forward as if it wanted to taste the water. Three big rocks stood a bit further away, one of them half in the water, and smaller ones peppered the sand here and there. Fyreen had no idea how such big stones could have landed here, but then again, the water and tree didn’t make much more sense.
Zéna was already near the water and Fyreen eagerly joined her as she dug her hands into the pool.
It wasn’t cool at all, like Fyreen had expected. It was warm, lukewarm at best. Besides, there was no way to know if the water was even drinkable. She wouldn’t drink this, but she used it to wash her hands, massaging the tiny cuts that marked her skin.
“Is it possible that the Cup is buried under the water?” Fyreen asked. She couldn’t estimate the depth of the pond from here but she didn’t see the bottom. It looked deep enough to hide a special object in it.
“I’m not eager to start digging into quicksand for nothing,” Ruelle contemplated, her mouth frowned in disapproval.
“There should be clues, right?” Fyreen jumped to her feet, excitement replacing her tiredness. “There are always clues to help people find old and hidden relics.”
Fyreen turned to Zéna when she started signing. “Always? When? Where?” she asked, a brow arched.
Fyreen pouted. Books. Fiction. That was her reference. But it was also all she’d ever known for years and years. She only shrugged and looked away, even if she knew that Zéna hadn’t asked that to make her feel bad.
“What are we supposed to do now?” Ruelle asked, her curious eyes roving over her surroundings.
Zéna stood suddenly. “Stop wasting time and get to work,” she signed.
A half-smile curved Sil’s lips. “We should split up but keep inside the protection circle and look for clues or possible hidden places.”
Fyreen carefully approached a tree and said, “The sooner we get back to the palace, the better.”
Chapter 48
The ground was still shaking, and Thea was now standing, holding onto Ash to keep her balance.
