Heart of Farellah: Book 3 Read online

  “Lusafael?!” Scardo shuffled this way and that and then threw his head back and readied his bow at the sky. “Lusafael, Lusafael?”

  “What other would there be?!” spat Rend.

  “You mean that trembling?” asked Nyte. “But if he was to come for us, why did he not come sooner?”

  Ardette raised his shoulders. “I’m guessing it wasn’t for lack of trying. The dupe’s probably only now just found us. He’s only an angel, you know. It’s not like he’s omnipresent or something. Of course that characteristic is saved only for the Creator.”

  “No matter,” said Darch, tugging on Ardette’s arm, “we can’t let him hear Aura.”

  Without a clear goal in mind, we all started to run, following Darch’s tugged lead.

  “Yer worried ‘bout him hearin’ ‘er?!” said Grotts. “But he’s an angel, so shouldn’t he be able ta, ya know, see ‘er too?! Aarrgh! Damn elder, why didn’t he prepare us for this?! He made it seem like Lusafael wouldn’t be personally comin’!”

  “Why, pray tell, would you assume that we would have that luxury?!” flared Rend.

  “Because the swine’s blind, didn’t you know?”

  “What?!” We all turned to Ardette with loose jaws of confusion.

  “That’s right!” Darch gave a nod. “His eyes are still filled with mire from the Mud Sea, so he can’t see what’s going on down here!”

  “Is that Magir lore?” asked Nyte.

  “Nope! It’s Magir fact, according to Elder Pietri!”

  “Sure was nice o’ ya ta share that with the rest of us!”

  Okay, great, so he can’t see us- I started a ramble in my head, but Ardette held up his hand before I could get going.

  “A word from our princess, everyone.” Then, to my surprise, he began to voice my thoughts in an obnoxious, unflattering, high-pitched impersonation, “Okay, great, so he can’t see us,” – I rolled my eyes at the role-playing Daem’s puffed out lower lip and fluttering lashes but continued, and he copied – “then how did he suddenly find- Oh.” It was so obvious. “I suppose his ears aren’t filled with mire too, are they? And that means that this whole time he’s been listening for me? Like he was locked onto me or something?”

  “Good job, Aura. You know, you’re really intuitive. But it’s only your song he can hear because it resonates so strongly. Your unsung words are fine, so you really don’t need to speak through Ardetto.”

  “Seriously?!”

  Ardette grinned. “But it was fun, wasn’t it?”

  Nyte looked murderous for but a moment before squinting and shrugging at the air around his neck. The cries of the mist were beginning to get to him again.

  “Bastard.” I was more foul-mouthed than I needed to be, taking out some of my disdain for Nyte’s situation on Ardette.

  Rend scowled at me. “Cease your talking! This is not time for idle speech! He has found us because of you! I say we cap her and be done with it!”

  “CAP!?” cried Scardo. “Preposterous! You can’t! You cannot possibly cap her because only an elder has the power to-”

  “ARGH! Enough!” Rend rebutted with a burst of Elven speed, which brought her to Nyte’s side at the head of the group. “What will we do, Cousin?!”

  But he ignored her, turned back around, and scooped me into his arms.

  “He will not have you,” he said to me quietly. Then he set off in a determined gallop. “Faster, everyone!”

  “Got that right!” shouted Grotts. “Keep runnin’! Darch, ya think the mist might be able ta cover us a bit?”

  “Sure! Sure it will, but there’s a little something Ardette and I’ve been wondering about for a while now.”

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “It’s kind of a big problem actually.”

  “Darch!” pressed Grotts through gritted teeth. “Just spit it out, will ya?!”

  “Right! Well, how will we get into the mist if Aura can’t sing?”

  “Wait,” said Scardo, appalled, “you two knew this would happen, and you didn’t warn us?!”

  “It was only a theory!” But after thinking about it in earnest a moment, Darch raised a matter-of-fact finger. “Well, more of an assumption, really.”

  “Unnnnahhh.” Scardo whimpered loud enough for me to hear even though I was now a few paces ahead of him in Nyte’s arms.

  “Assumption? Theory? Is it really necessary to be making clarifications such as those at this moment?!”

  Nyte was right.

  “Okay, Ardette, so what will we do?” I asked.

  “Expect me to know, do you?”

  “Well, you two obviously had to have some sort of plan if you ‘assumed’ this would happen, right?”

  “Hmm, I don’t think ‘assumed’ is quite the right word. We more so suspected it, didn’t we, Dar-”

  “THAT’S BESIDES THE POINT!” growled Grotts. He let out a heavy breath through his nostrils before directing the rest of his statement away from Ardette, “Somethin’ else we’ve got to consider is, there’re Feirgh on the prowl, and how’re we gonna fight ‘em without Aura’s power? Last time, ‘ers was the only thing that hurt the monster!”

  To this, everyone was silent, probably all, like me, trying to come up with some sort of solution to what seemed an unsolvable dilemma. Meanwhile, the sky was still trembling . . . but that wasn’t the only unnatural occurrence overhead. The heavens had also started to shift a bit, resulting in an uneven horizon. Yes, while we’d bickered, the entirety of cloud-cover had tilted slightly – like it were a door drifting ajar. That couldn’t be a good thing.

  Nyte noticed and agreed.

  “Let us just get as covered as possible for now!” he said, gripping me tighter. “Aura, throw your voice as far away from us as you can. Maybe we can distract him long enough to hide!”

  “Right!”

  “Carry one of them, Rend! Whichever is slowest!”

  Rend must’ve recognized the direness of the situation because not even the faintest ‘ugh’ passed her sulking lips. She pivoted to retrieve the ‘slowest’ of our number.

  That title unquestionably would have fallen to Kantú, seeing as she usually waddled behind the rest of us with dawdling steps or distracted pounces, but that’s when I realized . . .

  “WHERE’S KANTÚ?!”

  At my outburst, Nyte halted, sending me nearly jolting out of his arms.

  “Ah! We have left her beh-”

  “My, my, spastic much?” cooed Ardette despite the seriousness of a very absent Squirrelean.

  “Where is she?!” I wiggled from Nyte’s grasp and fell onto the ground with a thunk. Nyte helped me to my feet, but I immediately grabbed his arm and started tugging at him to return. “We’ve got to go back!”

  “Come on, ya two!” Grotts had now passed us.

  “No, we can’t-” Wait, why isn’t he worried? Of all people, he should be the most-

  “She is fine, Miss Heart!” Scardo snatched my wrist and began to pull me along, but Nyte stayed rooted, pulling me out of the hunched man’s clutch.

  “Fine? How is she fine?! She’s not even here!”

  Ardette responded, “Your squirrel was borrowed while you two love-birds quarreled.”

  “What do you mean borrowed?!” I demanded.

  “Miss Heart, we can explain while we flee! Now come!”

  But borrowed? Wasn’t that like ‘captured’?!

  “Don’t just stand there, Elf. Hoist her up, will you? Unless you’d like me to come and carry her away myself? No? Didn’t think so.”

  But Nyte wasn’t quick to follow Ardette’s order. Instead he asked,

  “Rend, is there nothing that can be done now?”

  “No! Now come, you foolish-”

  “Uh!” I let out a protest because Nyte had done as she’d commanded. “W-wait, Nyte! Put me down!”

  But his cousin’s word was all he’d needed. He quickly bolted back into a sprint. “I am sorry, but they say she is fine, and I will not let you into d
anger’s way even if you will be angry with me!”

  But I continued to squirm. “Ardette, EXPLAIN, damn it!”

  “I told you. She was borrowed.”

  “Borrowed?”

  “By that annoying bird.”

  Again Nyte turned on heel. “The Spirit of In between?”

  “You actually let him ‘borrow’ her?!” I cried. “Grotts?! How are you okay with this?! How could you let him take her?!”

  “Because we didn’t have a choice! We had ta!”

  “What do you mean?” I pressed. “It kidnapped her?!”

  “Trust me, will ya?! I know she’s yer best friend, but I care ‘bout her more than anythin’, and if I say ta move, then we’ve gotta move! Nosrac promised ta keep ‘er safe! And quite frankly, she’s probably more safe than any ‘o us at the moment! Now, ya’ve gotta sing if we hope ta make it out of this ta see ‘er again!”

  Just then, a dark shadow passed over the top of the clouds. Something big was lurking just beyond. We were on the verge of being found out.

  “Aura!” yelled Darch. “He’s here!”

  “Okay, FINE!” I wasn’t happy about it, but I knew he was right, so I started a decoy.

  “Twisted winds from havoc’s cry,

  Heaven’s cradle wrought to die!

  Clouding nimbus drained its due,

  Heavenly cradle’s wrath ensue!”

  I finished it up, and the sky trembled more violently than ever before, but I pushed the song spell with all of my might – not only the effect of it, but the words too – away. Far away from us.

  Come on, Lusafael! Take the bait!

  “What does it do?” asked Nyte.

  “A twister,” I panted.

  “Aura! You are struggling!”

  “No! I’m fine!”

  I pushed the song hard, and it obeyed, but there was something I wouldn’t admit to Nyte. I couldn’t admit it to him. The spell was strong, but it would’ve been much stronger and easier to wield with an Elf’s aid. But I’d been cut off from his emulator power, and that was for the best. I’d just have to do it on my own.

  Around me there were voices, but I couldn’t tune into them. I was concentrating too hard.

  And then something happened. Something wonderfully sinful. Something unexpected and delicious. There was warmth. For the fist time in days, I could feel Nyte’s spirit. Nyte’s addictive, powerful spirit, and it felt good and right, and without waiting for an explanation, I drew it in and helped the song further.

  I pushed the ariando far, far into the southern sky. I couldn’t tell if it reached the coast for sure, but that was my goal, and for a moment, when I was just on the brink of consciousness, I heard the salty waves crashing against the darkest rocks of Farrowel even though we were several days from the great ocean.

  ~

  “Did you put the pendant on?! Don’t lie to me, Nyte Attirb! You did, didn’t you?!”

  “Ahh . . .”

  We were in a tent. My hair was a mess, and I’d just shot up from my blankets, angry and suspicious. I didn’t know how much time had passed. All I knew was that I had to figure out what had happened, and if it was as I thought – that Nyte had been stupid enough to use the pendant – then I had to make certain it didn’t happen again. I wouldn’t allow him to take the role of emulator ever again.

  “Heh, yer on yer own.”

  Nyte had looked to Grotts, who was fiddling with a small spinning top, for assistance, but the massive man wouldn’t give him any. That was good at least. It was fine if the others didn’t pick sides, so long as they didn’t pick his side.

  “Nyte?”

  He threw up his hands in defeat. “What would you have me do? Hand you over to Lusafael? I would do anything to keep that from happening! As I said, I will not let you into danger’s hand, even if it means you will be angry with me for it!”

  He bore his eyes into mine, and I couldn’t help it; I reached for his hand.

  But then something was wrong. He was warm. Too warm. And that meant –

  “You’re still wearing it?! Take it off right nah ah haa . . .”

  It felt way, way too good for me to continue.

  His eyes were fixed on me. “See, you are too hungry. I cannot stand to see you that way. And so,” – before I could realize what was happening, he flipped his hand over and grabbed my wrist tightly, pulling it beneath his cloak and against his warm chest – “I will not let you starve, even if it means draining me again.”

  Immediately upon fleshy contact, the room dimmed and my skin prickled. I was experiencing it again. What I thought we’d overcome, or maybe run away from, it was here and it was gripping. Temptation seeped into me.

  Ahhh . . . A . . . Ardette. I need you. Help.

  But Ardette’s aid didn’t come.

  Help.

  “Want me to rescue you, do you?” he answered, almost meanly. “No. I won’t. No matter how disgusting it is to watch, I’ll let you two carry on with your little ecstasy.” His voice moved closer to me, at my ear, in a bitter whisper. “And here’s why, my pit. If he’s your emulator, you won’t die. Simple as that. You see, well, I couldn’t give a damn about him, but what I won’t allow is for you to die during the Song of Salvation’s release. Understood? And that means that I’ll come to your sinful little rescue no long-”

  “And how do you think she’d feel if he died?!” came another voice, vindictive and clear. It was Darch, and it seemed he’d just shoved Ardette away from Nyte’s and my pathetic forms. “Do you want her leftover shell?! You aren’t that heartless, Ardette! No . . . actually, you’re much too selfish to be satisfied with that!”

  Another . . . way. I’ll find another . . .

  “There is no other way!” yelled Ardette. “It’s either you or him, and if you think I’ll stand by and watch you die in his place, then the mist has really gotten to you!”

  “Fine!” huffed Darch. “If you won’t do it, then-” – there was a shuffle – “REND, come quickly!”

  . . . Help . . .

  Thudding footsteps preluded a bitter call:

  “COUSIN?!”

  And at the brink of darkness, a strong hand pushed me to the ground, and the warmth was gone in an instant.

  “Cousin!? Again you have chosen this path?! ARGH! What insanity has become you?! Hear me now, Nyte Attirb: As your kin, elder, and teacher, I will not permit you to outrun your duty as chosen emulator! However, neither will I let you squander your power without reason! That is why . . . I will hold onto this artifact in your place until the appointed time . . . until it is time for you to perish!”

  The last of the warmth slithered into me, and dizzy and shaking, I curled into someone’s lap.

  “You’re all right now, Aura. I’ve got you.” The person’s hand patted my head, and then its pinky was circling . . . circling . . . circling . . .

  Magir power turned my lids heavy, but I was fighting to remain awake. My cheeks were wet. I hadn’t realized I’d been crying.

  Why, Ardette? How could you?

  I lost the fight before I could hear his answer.

  Chapter 2: The Whistle

  I awoke. It was dark, and I was still in Darch’s lap.

  “Where’s Nyte?” I asked.

  Darch answered by kissing my forehead. That was weird.

  “Darch? What are you-”

  “Shh. I am here, Miss Havoc.”

  Oh. That explained the oddity of it. I was no longer in Darch’s lap, and it hadn’t been Darch’s kiss.

  Good. Nyte’s conscious. And he’s here. But what about . . . “Kantú?”

  But there was no response to that one.

  “Nyte, has Kantú returned?”

  “She is fine.”

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  But he said nothing more.

  Head foggy, I pushed myself to my elbows and let my eyes adjust to the darkness. The tent was small and fraying, patched by light-colored, flower-patterned fabric. It was one of the on
es we’d borrowed from Ms. Selrak, and to be honest, it looked like it was about to fall apart or blow away under even the most delicate of breezes, but its shoddy seams and trailing, runaway threads had been enchanted by Elder Pietri before he’d left us, so it was probably even safer than the two we’d formerly been given.

  I scanned the blanketed ground for the covered masses of sleeping guardians. But as far as I could tell, Nyte and I were alone.

  “Where are the others?” I asked.

  “They are slumbering in the tent next door.”

  “Next door? Ehhh?! So we’re . . .”

  Nyte nodded. “They have allowed us our own tent, in consideration that our remaining time is-”

  “If you say ‘limited’, I’ll kill you.”

  He chuckled softly, but I didn’t find my statement funny at all.

  “Is it all right?” asked Nyte. “If it is too indecent, I will leave.”

  “Indecent . . . ?” It took me a moment to connect everything. “Wait! They’re letting us sleep in here? Alone? Together?!”

  There was no moonlight within the tent, but Nyte’s eyes seemed to gleam from some nonexistent light source.

  “But how are you okay with this?! And Rend and Ardette and . . .”

  “I know.” He chuckled again. “It is improper. I might as well give up Elfdom.”

  “Entirely,” I breathed.

  He grinned delightedly, but then his face fell into a wince. “But . . .” The wince deepened. “When this is all over . . . it will matter not.”

  “Don’t talk like that.” And then the beguilingness of the dark loosened a little, and I remembered what had transpired. “And anyway, how could you use the pendant again, after everything?”

  I was instantly angry, but my heart was racing, and my skin felt cold and jittery. One side of me was consumed with our duty, our fate to be separated by sacrificial death. The other was nervous and wholeheartedly allowing in that goodness of feeling nervous – together and alone in the dark and silence.

  “I do not fear death,” he continued. “I have faced its threat before, and I have accepted what must be done. The only pain caused to me is when I think of how much I will miss yo-”