Maylin's Gate (Book 3) Read online

  The voices outside the crate spoke. Their words sounded slurred and unrecognizable.

  Jo’s warm fingertips touched her arm sending a shock through her body.

  She released the magic. How long could she ignore the urges?

  The sound of heavy footfalls moved away and the voices faded.

  Jo spun and faced her. “Sit up. I have to get this off you.”

  She sat up and leaned against the crate’s wall before raising her hips.

  Jo slipped free the frozen nightgown and tossed it in an empty corner.

  She trembled lying naked before the human girl and buried her head between her legs.

  Jo gathered a blanket from the corner and wrapped it around her shoulders. “That’s better.”

  Warmth wrapped around her body and tears flowed unbidden. She met Jo’s comforting gaze and nodded. “Thank you.”

  Jo’s gaze drifted downward and a blush crept across the girl’s cheeks and neck. “Lean into me. My body will warm you.”

  She pressed her body into Jo’s and warmth spread through her frozen flesh. “How old are you?”

  “Sixteen seasons,” Jo said. “I think I turn seventeen next month.”

  An answer that sparked a thousand questions, but she wouldn’t pry. “How were you planning to escape?” She said. “You won’t get far aboard their ship.”

  “They are moving inland,” Jo said. “When they leave Ripool, I’ll sneak past the rest.”

  Could this slip of a girl sneak past the baerinese militia? She had no reason to doubt Jo’s survival skills. “You can’t. The road leaving Ripool is buried.”

  Jo stiffened. “How?”

  “The king,” she said.

  “King Ronan?” A spark of excitement filled the girl’s voice. “Is he here?”

  She shook her head. “He’s wounded. I think I saw a guardian pull him free of the wreckage.”

  Jo’s body sagged. “Then we’re trapped here with them?”

  “They’re leaving,” she said. “Hours from now they’ll fill this ship and every other ship in the harbor.”

  Jo’s eyes widened. “How do you know?”

  Her shoulders tensed. “I overheard a few of them talking.”

  “Where are they going?”

  “Half are going north and the other half are going south,” she said. “I don’t know where this ship is going.” She thought this one of Andreas’s ships. They would head south along the coast, but she kept that information hidden.

  “Then we’ll wait and try to sneak off at the next port,” Jo said.

  She pursed her lips and held Jo’s hopeful gaze. Would she let the girl live? Could she stop herself from taking Jo’s life? “Elan willing.” Without thought, the expression tripped from her lips, and she bristled.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Visited

  Ronan's eyes fluttered open. Mounds of clean-smelling blankets covered his body. Soft, downy pillows beneath his neck reminded him of home.

  He jerked upright and blinked.

  A fire blazed in the hearth across the room and his desk lay undisturbed near the doorway. Light poured through the bay windows reflecting the weave of gold thread in the blue carpet.

  His room inside the royal palace. He rubbed his eyes and perked his ears.

  Silence. Unsettling silence. The palace always creaked and groaned, but not now.

  He inhaled expecting the rich aromas from Mistress Pell's next meal. Nothing registered. The room smelled sterile. How had he managed to travel back to Freehold? Was he dreaming? He discounted the idea. The bed under him felt solid unlike any dream.

  He pushed away the covers and swung his legs over the feathered mattress. "Rika." No answer.

  "She's not here," a lilting voice said from behind.

  He whirled and reached for Elan's magic. It didn't come. Panic swelled in his chest.

  A figure clad in a hooded robe peered out the bay window overlooking the arena. The woman's back faced him.

  "Who are you?" He couldn't hide the panic in his voice.

  "Don't you recognize my voice Elduin?"

  Elduin? Had he lost his mind? "I'm sorry miss, do I know you?"

  The robe-clad figure turned and faced him. Shadows hid the woman's face. Slender hands pulled away the hood. An unfamiliar, copper-toned face appeared. A golden braid curled over the woman's shoulder and a pair of ocean blue eyes left him spellbound.

  He licked the dryness from his lips and his breathing quickened.

  A slight smile crept across the woman's face. "No. I suppose you wouldn't."

  The slight upward tilt of the woman's eyes threw him. Was she Ayralen? No, not Ayralen, but not Meranthian either.

  The woman's gaze flickered to his bare chest before returning to meet his gaze.

  His eyes drifted to the stranger's ears. Sloped at an odd angle tapering into a soft pointed tip. "I'm sorry," he said. "I must be dreaming." He stepped forward and ran the back of his hand across her flawless cheeks.

  The woman shivered, but made no effort to pull away. "This is no dream, Elduin. I thought this place might be easier for you."

  "Why do you keep calling me Elduin? My name is Ronan."

  A blush spread across the woman's cheeks. "I shouldn't call you by that name. I'm sorry."

  "Did you take away my magic?"

  Confusion touched the woman's expression. "Why would I do that?" The stranger glanced over her shoulder as if expectant. "My time here is short. I've taken a great risk contacting you. It's important that you remember my words."

  His eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

  The woman's eyes searched his for a long moment.

  He waited for an answer afraid to move.

  The woman's fingers intertwined with his and heat spread across his cheeks.

  "Those living in both our worlds need you," the woman said. "We can no longer wait. The barrier grows too thin and agents are already among us."

  Barrier? Was he losing his mind? He remembered the river basin and Moira. Had he hit his head? "Listen, I —"

  "You must find the Seeker in our world," she said cutting him off. "The Seeker has information that will help you against the agents of Ruin."

  "I'm sorry. I don't know what that means."

  The woman's gaze again darted to the bay window and back again. When the beauty's scorching blue eyes turned and met his, fear consumed them.

  "I can no longer stay." The woman squeezed his hands. "You must open Maylin's Gate and find the Seeker."

  "What? Where do I start? How do I reach your world?"

  "Find the Tree of Life. Zeke can help you."

  "I don't understand. Please —"

  The woman reached around his neck and drew him close. Supple fingers intertwined the hair at the nape of his neck. The woman's warm breath and intoxicating scent left his head spinning.

  The stranger's lips brushed his cheeks. "Please Keeper. Don't abandon me," the woman said whispering in his ear.

  Sweet warm breath sent goose bumps racing across his flesh and curling his toes.

  The beauty took a step backward and glanced toward the window. Raw fear washed over the woman's face. "Find the Seeker in the Tower of Souls. Hurry."

  The woman dissolved and panic raced through his mind.

  He gasped and his eyes shot open. Sweat streaked his hair and soaked his tunic. He reached for Elan's magic. Nothing, but an empty void greeted his effort.

  A gentle touch and a comforting voice came from above. "You're okay Ronan," Moira said. "You're among friends. Be calm. You were dreaming."

  Was it a dream? His breaths came in short quick bursts. He blinked and rubbed the perspiration from his eyes.

  Overhead a field of stars shone above a cloudless moonlit sky. The crackle and pop of a nearby campfire accompanied the sharp clean scent of burning pine.

  He turned his head and found Moira's comforting eyes staring back. Moira stroked his hair.

  He lay stretched out across a bed of soft gra
ss with his head propped in Moira's lap.

  "You're okay?" His throat burned, and the words came out dry and raspy.

  Moira offered him a flask. "I'm fine child. Don't worry about me."

  He eased upward and rubbed his temples willing away the pounding in his head. Warmth from a nearby campfire chased away the chill from his sweat-soaked shirt.

  Moira's soft hand pressed against his cheek and a smile spread across the old woman's face. "Your fever has broken."

  "Fever? How long have I been asleep?" He took the flask and tipped it back.

  Cool water slid down his parched aching throat.

  "Two days dear." Moira's gaze drifted across the fire. "I told you he would be sound of mind."

  General Demos leaned against a granite boulder biting down on a wooden pipe. Sweet tobacco smoke curled into the thin air. The general studied him without speaking for a long moment. "That remains to be seen."

  He shot the general a sideways glance and grimaced. Pain throbbed behind his eyes. "I see you haven't lost your sense of humor."

  Beyond the campfire, moonlight glistened off scales of red and gold. Abzu and Tiamat.

  "Where's Thoth?" He gazed around the campfire searching for the ebony dragon. A gentle nudge pressed into his ribcage from behind.

  He glanced over his shoulder and Thoth's blue eyes met his. He placed his hand on the dragon's snout and smiled. "I knew you'd make it to Moira in time."

  Thoth blinked and the dragon's massive head settled on the grass beside him.

  He faced Moira. "Can you please explain what's happening? It looked like an army trampled the forest near Dragon's Peak, and now you're here thousands of miles away. Thoth wouldn't tell me anything."

  "It started soon after we arrived home."

  "You mean after you left Freehold?"

  "Yes dear."

  "Abzu noticed a...creature." Moira fumbled over the word, and a pained expression crossed the old woman's face. "I don't exactly know how to describe it. A hideous creature larger than any dragon in the herd."

  "The creature could fly?" He said.

  Moira nodded. "Oh yes. And it carried a rider."

  "A man?"

  "I don't think so, but I can't answer with certainty."

  "What do you mean?"

  "The rider wore black," Moira said. "Abzu said the man had no soul."

  "No soul?"

  "No soul aura I mean. No color at all. The same with the creature it commanded."

  "Isn't that unusual?"

  "Yes. It's never happened. Well...almost never."

  "Moira. Please."

  "The dead, Ronan. The dead don't have souls."

  A chill ran along his spine. "The dead don't fly through the air or command dragons."

  Beyond the campfire, Abzu's head appeared. Golden eyes reflected the firelight.

  Moira bristled. "These creatures weren't dragons."

  "What do they look like?"

  "They are all bones and sinew. Muscle and organ," Moira said.

  "It sounds like the creatures are —"

  "Skinless," General Demos said tapping the pipe on the boulder.

  His gaze shifted to the general. "Have you ever heard of them?"

  "Never," General Demos said.

  He returned his gaze to Moira. "Do they come from beyond the basin to the south?"

  "Thankfully no."

  "Didn't they attack you here in the river basin?"

  "They did and they have for weeks," Moira said.

  "Where are they coming from?"

  Moira held his gaze for a moment while the rhythmic chirp of crickets filled the silence.

  "We live in a strange and wonderful world," Moira said.

  "I'm not going to like this am I?"

  A tight smile locked on Moira's face. "Something about this place...." The old woman's gaze drifted across the basin. "The world here is thin."

  "Thin? What do you mean?"

  "I mean portals are opening here. Nowhere else. Just here."

  In his stomach, a raw ache settled like a lump of day-old bread. The visitor had mentioned thin barriers. "Go on."

  "Windows to another world or another time perhaps." Moira shrugged. "To be honest, we're not sure. When the portals open we fight."

  "What do they want?"

  "They want to fly north"

  "For what?" General Demos said.

  "Another mystery," Moira said.

  "So you're guarding this place?" He said.

  Moira nodded. "We have no choice."

  "Why didn't you send for me?" He said.

  "You've had your hands full." Moira glanced toward General Demos whose gaze shifted to the fire.

  He found a stick near the fire, picked it up, and jabbed at the glowing coals. "Moira, something is happening with my power."

  "It's slipping?"

  His head snapped up. "How did you know?"

  "I told you, Elan's magic is a crutch," Moira said. "Your body is rejecting power never intended for you. You are a magical being coming into your power. It's no different than a human child losing a tooth or learning to speak."

  "I need you to teach me," he said. "In Ripool I had...an accident."

  "An accident that cost thousands of lives," General Demos said.

  He glared across the fire. "Whose fault is that? You invaded our country. What should I do? Allow you to rape and pillage your way across the realm?"

  "Humans have slaughtered millions of baerinese." General Demos held his gaze without retreat. "Spare me your rage and indignation."

  "Me?" He stood and thrust an accusing finger at the general. "You harbor a witch among your ranks who feeds on the souls of women and children." Rage flared inside him and his headache throbbed.

  "Against my wishes," General Demos said. "She's done the same to our people for centuries."

  "Gentlemen, please," Moira said. "This arguing won't solve anything. Your people should work together now more than ever. We face a greater threat. A mutual threat."

  He glared into the fire poking at the burning logs with the stick. "Unless I learn how to channel this magic, I can't help."

  A dragon's prodding nudged his mind. Abzu. "What do you want?" He said through the link.

  "Tell him Moira," Abzu said through the link. "We both heard him."

  "Heard what?" He said without bothering to speak through the link.

  "While you slept, you spoke in half-phrases and jumbled words," Moira said. "Abzu believes he's found a connection."

  "Tell me," he said.

  "You spoke of thin barriers and portals."

  His dream. What else had he said? "What of it?"

  "There's a man south of here," Moira said. "He lives in the swamp."

  Tiamat's mind entered the conversation. "He's a lunatic. You can't send him there."

  "The man also spoke of portals and falling barriers," Abzu said.

  "The man speaks in riddles," Moira said. "Some of his strange phrases match the words that came from your mouth while you slept."

  "He's mad," Tiamat said. "Ronan doesn't have time to make sense of a madman's words."

  "Do you remember anything from your dreams?" Moira said.

  How could he forget? "I was in my room at the palace. I had a visitor...." His thoughts tripped over the figure who had visited him. The memory laid just out of reach.

  "Who?" Moira said.

  He shook his head. "I don't remember any details about the visitor, but I recall the conversation."

  "What happened?"

  "The visitor called me Elduin and said the barriers were too thin and agents were among us."

  "The creatures coming through the portal," Abzu said.

  Moira glared across the campfire. "You don't know that."

  "The visitor said I should find the Seeker in the next world," he said.

  Moira's eyebrows raised. "The Seeker?"

  He nodded. "The Seeker can teach me about my power. I can find him in the Tower of Souls. The visito
r said 'both our worlds depend on it'."

  "Who is the Seeker and where is the Tower of Souls?" Tiamat said.

  "The visitor said I should open Maylin's Gate. He told me to find the Tree of Life. Zeke could help me." He poked the stick into the embers sending a shower of sparks skyward. "As if I could just snap my fingers and make that happen."

  "Zeke must be the man in the swamp," Abzu said.

  "I don't doubt the man holds important information," Tiamat said. "But, it's nonsensical. Which of his words can you trust?"

  "His soul thread was different than other humans," Abzu said. "That must mean something."

  "Different? How?" He said.

  "The man's soul thread is purple," Moira said. "What's most odd is that the man seemed neither surprised nor frightened when we found him in the swamp."

  "What does a purple soul thread mean?" He said.

  "It could be his mental state," Moira said.

  "Ramblings," Tiamat said. "He spoke of doorways, shrines, portals, and some nonsense about the Keeper."

  Ronan's flesh crawled and he jerked his head in Tiamat's direction. "What did you say?"

  "The Keeper?" Tiamat said.

  His mouth hung open. "Yes. What about the Keeper?"

  "He said something about waiting until time forgot the Keeper," Tiamat said.

  "Is something wrong dear?" Moira's gaze softened.

  "The last words the visitor spoke to me." His words came out low and rough. "The visitor said, 'Please Keeper. Don't abandon me."

  Silence hung heavy over the campsite for a long minute.

  "Moira, can you teach me how to build a portal?"

  "I would if I could," Moira said.

  He nodded his gaze drifting to the fire. "I need to find this man. Can you take me to him?"

  "I'll take him," Thoth said without hesitation.

  He rested his palm on the dragon's snout. "Thank you."

  Smoke curled from the dragon's nostrils and a deep purr came from Thoth's chest.

  He turned his gaze on General Demos across the campfire. "You've been awfully quiet. What do you think?"

  General Demos sighed and let loose a puff of tobacco smoke. "I think this world a far more complicated place than I'd ever imagined."

  He smiled. "You kept your end of the bargain and I won't ask you to travel into the swamp. You're free to stay here with Moira and the dragons."

  "This place calls me." The general glanced south over the river basin. "My part here isn't done. I'll see it through. If what Moira says is true, our people will need to work together."