Third Earth, page 24
If you admit you lied, I’ll let you leave without telling anyone you came back. If you don’t, I’ll feed you to this dinosaur.
If I left, who would tell Odric and Maudine about Thayn changing appearances? Who would save Lumi and Grimmal? Dad told me my greatest strength was how I kept trying, and I wasn’t going to stop trying now. Time to take charge of myself. The risk of a mistake was worth it.
I braced myself and shouted, “Then just shove me in its disgusting mouth because I’m not leaving here without my friends!”
My glow of truth shone on the wet tongue of the tyrannosaur. An instant before it chomped me, Bandlash jerked me out of its mouth and bathed the jungle with a torrent of fire. The giant dinosaur flinched in the heat and backed away.
Ambassador Thayn has no reason to lie, but if you are telling the truth, it means the regent is in danger. I’ll take you to the Hall of Ri Dauch. Kyprios will figure this all out.
Bandlash set me on his back, hooked a metal basket full of natsa fruit on his tail, and pattered his rear four feet around to face in the other direction.
I burned up your scent. The tyrannosaur will stop following your trail. Lay your head down on my back and hang on tight or you’ll get hurt.
He intended to fly. I didn’t want to fall again; bruises from the tree already ached. I strapped on my gas mask and helmet, took off my belt, swung it around his sinewy body, and then wrapped both ends around my fists.
“Ready,” I said, laying my head on his back.
Here I go.
And boy, did he go, but not up. Those six feet shot forward, running so fast they faded into a blur. If I hadn’t put my head on his back, I’d have gotten whiplash. My feet flew out behind me and my body flapped like a flag in the wind. I clenched my abs, pulled on the belt, and wrapped my legs around him, digging into his scales with the toes of my boots.
The jungle whizzed by, and bits of shredded greenery stuck to the clear plastic face shield of the gas mask. Behind us, a green, liquified mist of pulverized jungle left a trail. Bandlash’s body supplely snaked with the hills and valleys. His scaled back pounded my chest. Thank goodness the riot gear came with a Kevlar vest or I’d have been battered into mush.
Through my green-smeared mask I saw the edge of the jungle. I felt his body expand, heat, and contract as he sent a blast of fire into the barrier protecting the jungle from the hostile nature of Third Earth. An opening appeared and then melted shut after we passed.
I might have been stuck in that jungle forever, unable to open the barrier. Choosing to share the truth with Bandlash partly paid off.
Now that we are out of the jungle, his telepathic voice was smooth despite the running, I can see what’s ahead, so I don’t have to go so slow.
That was slow?
An intense magical energy built up around his feet, flaring with a yellow-green glow. I clung to his back with all my might, and he streaked across the landscape like a bolt of lightning. My cheeks shook and I struggled to draw a breath. Vibrations from his running feet hammered my legs, and the belt wrapped around my hands squeezed until my fingers went numb.
Somewhere in my bouncing field of vision, a wide, slow-moving river of lava cut across the jagged earth. I dragged some light out of my battered chest and formed a shield to protect myself against the molten rock, but Bandlash jumped. Floating on his magic, his momentum carried him to the other side.
On his landing, I noticed my light shield softened the buffeting. I extended two shafts of light from the shield down my arms and around the belt and willed them to harden. Instantly, the strain on my arms eased and blood flowed back into my fingers. Boy, was I glad I did my illusionist homework.
Bandlash bolted across the cracked earth, covering miles of terrain in seconds. Soon, a fiery burst exploded as Dauthaz hurled lava into the sky and drops of pyroclast splattered briefly against my light shield. Bandlash streaked up Dauthaz’s mountainous cone, following the parade route we had taken earlier. Halfway up, he pounded around the steep sides, unaffected by gravity. His magic held him securely to the rocky slopes and down the slippery decline on the other side.
On the far side of the volcano, a vast, sturdy building extended from the cone—the Hall of Ri Dauch. Bandlash dashed past the guards and slowed to the speed he used in the jungle, merely the speed of hummingbird wings, to avoid the many dragons inside.
Drat it all. Bandlash ruined my chance to sneak in and find the Odonatas. Even if Kyprios was loyal to the regent, he swore to uphold the law. I came here illegally, so he was certain to take my Aether Stones and lock the prison door this time. Thayn would be notified and probably send another thug to murder me.
I was trapped—again.
Bandlash dug his claws into the stone and skidded to a long, slow stop into an expansive room. A smaller building stood in its middle, and the smell of roasted anky fell from its top. Nope. Not a building, a table. We interrupted someone’s meal.
Vice Regent Kyprios, Bandlash panted, I found an intruder.
Intruder? The deep, steady voice of the vice regent sounded in my head.
I unwound the belt, and my boots hit the floor with a loud clunk. There was nothing in the bare room to hide behind. Dang it, now what? I survived the jungle of death just to be tossed into jail. I wished I could disappear, like Chiri did.
But then again, why couldn’t I? Mistress Glaydn explained how she did it. Reaching out to my light shield, I grasped the waves of energy and nudged them.
“Bend,” I whispered. “Show the truth behind me.”
They complied. Great Fulcrum above, they did what I asked. A big, twinkling Christmas ornament of natural light imbued with magic surrounded me just as the vice regent’s massive, spiked face peered over the table at Bandlash, his dark eyes unblinking.
Where is the intruder?
Bandlash turned to me. My magic showed him nothing but the floor and walls behind me.
She was right here, he insisted, checking under each of his six feet. I found her running from a tyrannosaur.
Planetary security spells are linked to the dinosaur habitat. Kyprios’s spikes stirred the air as he scanned for criminals. Who tried to sneak in?
Arch Mage Agnes. From Second Earth.
Kyprios blasted an irritated puff of smoke over the table. Nonsense. Why return here after being proven a liar and humiliated?
Maybe for revenge? Bandlash scratched his furry ruff with the tip of his tail. She told me she found a spy in the court. She had to reveal him to the regent and save the sciftans.
With a stomp and a crunch of stone, the edge of the table crumbled under Kyprios’s weight as he climbed over it to pin Bandlash to the ground. I shuffled back a few steps, my heavy boots scuffing the stone tiles. The copper dragon stared right through me for a moment, then growled in quiet dragon speech to Bandlash, smoke curling in his soft ruff.
Did Kyprios hear me? I wished I understood what he said. The little dragon squirmed, his claws scraping the floor for a moment or so, then he stilled. Were they plotting against—or protecting—the regent?
Bandlash’s blue eyes widened even rounder, and his ruff flowed with a subtle nod. Finished, Kyprios let him scramble to his feet.
I can’t arrest someone who isn’t here, Kyprios said, but King Odric should know what you’ve seen. He waits with the others in the annex at the back of the hall. I’m due in court to allow Phar Sekmet to plea for her kin, so you must inform him yourself. And no running, Bandlash, you might hurt someone.
The little dragon walked out of the dining hall while the vice regent vanished in a flash of blue light.
Odric was probably with Temnon and Claude, which meant I could follow Bandlash right to them. Did Maudine deliver the news about Thayn? I’d find out soon enough. I wrapped the belt around my pants and shoved my clunking boots under the table. Dragons had excellent hearing. I hurried after the little dragon in my nearly silent stocking feet.
It wasn’t easy to keep up with him. Willing my invisibility to constantly adjust and bend the light from every direction took a lot of concentration. He went very slowly, sticking to the left wall to avoid larger dragons, but my arms and legs shook like jelly from the insane sprint across the planet. I rested every few minutes. Eventually, I took off my helmet and gas mask and hung them from my belt to breathe easier.
Come on, legs. I patted my shaking thighs. You can do this. It’s just walking.
We passed several dragon-sized dens lined up like examination rooms in a doctor’s office. They were probably for the noblesse to rest and eat between sessions or something. Beyond the large rooms, Bandlash rounded a corner and entered a human-sized waiting room.
The first person I recognized was Thayn and his shadow concealing umbrella. Bulging with power and authority, he debated dragon law with six or seven people in blue coats—the legal team from First Earth. Odric was there too, head close to Thayn, intently listening with total trust.
He didn’t know. Thayn must have waylaid Maudine, which meant he knew about the paladin army she gathered. If he posed as Odric, he could use the army any way he wanted to. Or maybe he sent them home. Could I count on Maudine to help or not? Dang it, I hated this guy.
Holding my breath, I tiptoed past Bandlash. Between the streaking light of my invisibility spell, I saw comfortable couches, chairs, and a settee surrounding a low table that held several glasses of water. The lighting was bright, and tapestries of Third Earth landscapes hung on the walls. This room was much more hospitable than the one they stuck me in.
Phar Sekmet, in cougar form, lay on the padded settee to my right, front claws mindlessly shredding the upholstery, tail switching with stress. On the couch opposite her, Claude, Jenz, and a lawyer in a blue coat sat with Temnon.
Um, excuse me.
I hardly heard Bandlash; my soul clenched in agony for Temnon.
Tem’s shoulders slouched in dejected hopelessness, his face drawn and gray. He was about to watch Grimmal and Lumi be sentenced to horrible fates, all while his fake grandpa insisted the future of Third Earth was his to bear. Or maybe he dwelled on the lie that slipped out when we parted. Maybe he didn’t see the truth in my tears. Maybe he forgot all the times I said I loved him. Either way, he lost his usual presence and slumped, fragile and haunted, like he might crack any second.
“What?” Thayn demanded, glowering at the little dragon.
Bandlash hesitated—his back paws crossed in embarrassment. I have a message from the vice regent.
“Don’t just stand there fidgeting. Deliver it.”
Kyprios instructed Bandlash to inform the Odonatas of my presence. That included Thayn. There goes my advantage. I crossed my fingers on both hands. I told Bandlash the truth in the jungle, but did he believe it?
“Speak up, runt,” Thayn said.
Odric glared at his rudeness. Bandlash lifted his head high and his round eyes narrowed with anger.
Court is about to begin.
Good job, Bandlash. I’d have to thank him later.
“We know that.” Thayn pulled his umbrella staff from the stone floor. “We are not imbeciles.”
“Thank you,” Odric said politely to Bandlash.
The king set down his water and went around the couch to open a tall, wide door set in the wall to my left. A swell of hundreds of murmuring dragons flooded in, and flashes of blue light reflected on the door as the arena filled. Odric stepped aside to allow Phar Sekmet to enter first, but Thayn cut her off.
“Come, Temnon, m’boy,” he called over his shoulder, striding into the arena. “It’s time to clean up that girl’s mess.”
Claude and Odric shared an irritated look before following Thayn and Phar Sekmet into the arena. The whole legal team and Jenz left before Temnon dragged himself up from the couch, spilling some water. Surprised, he looked at the glass like he’d forgotten he held it. He let it slip from his fingers to the floor and started after the others. Running on my toes, I ducked into the arena ahead of him.
Grimmal and Lumi huddled in a cell near the witness stand. Grimmal appeared to have shrunk. Instead of defiance and courage on his black features, he showed only defeat. He must have thought the same thing Temnon did, that I betrayed them and left them to die.
A puff of smoke in the box on the regent’s left billowed into the air. A flash of rare white scales and silvery magic shone next to the emerald green coils of the regent. Dominath’s long neck rose high, and his deep, dark eyes studied my sciftan friends with concern.
I don’t think Arch Mage Agnes is evil.
It was Bandlash. He spoke to Temnon just inside the door to the annex.
“What?” Temnon muttered.
Evil was forced onto Agnes. Iloress chose it. I think maybe you can’t tell the difference anymore.
Temnon stared at the floor. Bandlash waited for a second, then walked into the arena and tucked himself into a corner below the west wing of boxes to watch the trial.
Why the change of heart? Did it have something to do with his conversation with Kyprios? It did seem odd that Kyprios told Bandlash to slowly walk to the exact people I needed to see.
Temnon shook his head vigorously and pulled himself upright. As soon as he crossed the threshold, I reached out, grabbed his arm, and yanked him into my spell. He let out a shocked yelp, and I covered his mouth with my hand.
“Shh!”
His blue eyes scrunched in anger, and he slapped my hand away. “Agnes!” He hissed my name like a cuss word. “You aren’t supposed to be here. You’re breaking the law. Doesn’t your truth prevent you from trespassing?”
“Laws aren’t the same as truth,” I whispered back. “Besides, I’m willing to accept the consequences if it will make things better.”
“Good.” He inhaled to shout for the guards, but I covered his mouth again.
“Don’t. I know who the traitor is, Tem, and I can prove it.”
He glared at me with doubt but stayed quiet. I lowered my hand.
“Who is it?” he dared me to tell.
His face cemented into hostile obstinance. He had fallen too hard for his fake grandfather’s flattery to believe the truth. I had to show him—like Nemantia showed me—but it wouldn’t be nearly as pleasant as a visit to the afterlife.
“You’ll see,” I whispered, pointing to the floor. “The proof is down there.”
“No way,” he said, arms crossed. “The tombs are sacred and untouchable. Only the regent can give permission to enter, and he’s a tad busy overseeing Lumi’s death sentence.”
“Which is why we don’t have time for red tape and permits, Tem.”
“We’ll be caught.” Suddenly realizing I stood in front of hundreds of dragons with no blaring alarms, he said, “Wait. Why haven’t you been caught?”
I waved both hands at Bandlash, who stood ten meters away.
“He can’t see us?” Temnon asked.
“I copied Chiri’s invisibility spell.”
“Not quite. Chiri’s spell only hides from one direction.” He almost looked impressed, like the old Temnon, but then his face hardened, and he held up a rigid finger. “One chance, Agnes,” he spat at me. “If you fail to prove it, I’ll turn you over to Grandpa Thayn myself.”
I nodded. Temnon was scary when he was mad.
Golden light spilled from Temnon’s hand and around the edges of the stone tile we stood on. It separated and lowered into the floor. Held aloft by matter shaping magic, we sunk into the cavern below, then Temnon shifted the thick roof to spread across the hole we left, the invisibility spell stopping anyone from seeing us disappear beneath the courtroom.
The tombs were enormous. Giant columned archways and thick buttresses held up the weight of the courtroom and the hundreds of dragons above. There were no windows to vent the smell of death, and the lava spewing from the carved dragon head at the crown of the arena joined an underground river flowing down the center of the tombs. Lava glow lit alcoves carved in the cavern walls where brittle dragon skeletons, weighed down by gaudy jewelry, lay rotting for the rest of time.
I covered my nose, but still gagged a couple of times. Real Thayn only said he died in the tombs; he didn’t say specifically where his body lay.
“Now what?”
Good question. We didn’t have time to search this gigantic place for a tiny, human body. Phar Sekmet wasn’t the talking type. She’d probably just burst into helcat form, threaten the regent, and try to set the place on fire.
“We are looking for a human body.”
“Down here?” Temnon scoffed and threw up his hands. “Impossible.”
“Maybe not,” I said, my hope dying. “Where do you think we should go?”
Huffing in anger, he turned in a circle and took in the vastness of the cavern. “I don’t know,” he snarled, but then his face relaxed into peace. “That way, I guess.”
He maneuvered the circle of stone off toward the rear of the cavern. Drifting over the lava river, the riot gear grew heavy and hot. I sat down to take the weight off my legs and let my feet dangle over the edge of the stone.
“See anything?” I asked.
“A lot of dead dragons and a lying ex-girlfriend.”
My temper rose and my face heated, but I held back my snark. I had to see things from his point of view, and it wasn’t pretty.
“I didn’t lie,” I said. “I tried to tell the truth. Someone hijacked my words and turned them into a lie.”
“And did this imaginary enemy hijack Iloress too?”
“Most likely. Dominath said Nemantia had full control over Iloress. It’s the only explanation.” Dang, he made it hard to control my sarcasm. I changed the topic. “Where do you want to go now?”
“This is your delusion. You tell me.”
Biting my tongue, I leaned over and scanned dirt ground. For a while, nothing stood out to me, but then I noticed a little trail weaving between boulders on one side of the lava river. Whether Temnon did it consciously or not, our stone tile followed the trail to its end.
“There!” Temnon lowered the stone to the ground and hopped off, running to a human skeleton.
