Diviner (6 page)

After finding her way back to the entry room, Koren stopped and looked outside. Taushin stood there, still waiting, his eyes alive with blue sparkling light. Was she really his slave, hopelessly bound in chains forever? Would her chosen path lead to catastrophe? Somehow she had to prevent it, halt the progress of events she had set in motion.

She studied Taushin’s expression—puzzled, impatient, perhaps wondering why she stood there staring for so long. Maybe it would be best to pry for more information, make a pretense of obedience. If he really believed chains would bring about love, perhaps a display of love would get him to reveal his ultimate plans.

She straightened her black dress and marched down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she offered a curtsy and smiled. “I found Exodus.”

four

 

J
ason lay on his stomach, his head raised just enough to watch the dragon village. About a hundred paces ahead and to the left, the Zodiac’s spires towered into the black sky, glowing with an eerie silver radiance. A spear’s throw to the right, the Basilica sat in shadows, nearly invisible except for its telltale bell tower jutting upward into the Zodiac’s glow.

As he stared at the eerie sight, chills crawled along his skin. Up to this point, his journey with Elyssa to the village had been peaceful. With no dragons in sight, it was more like a casual stroll, giving him a chance to tell her about some of his adventures, including rescuing Koren from the cooking stake and carrying the stardrop that healed his father. Elyssa related a tale about unchaining Arxad from the same stake and another about her and Wallace rescuing the cattle children from the camp.

Sharing thoughts and feelings with her was peaceful and joyous. Now, the peace seemed to melt away. Reality returned. The casual stroll had become a foreboding surveillance of deadly abodes.

Elyssa scooted up to Jason’s side and copied his pose. Pariah’s dim light drew an outline of her profile against the dark backdrop, just enough to discern the tightness in her jaw, yet the night shadows couldn’t hide the intensity of her gaze as she probed the blackness with her Diviner’s vision.

About halfway between them and the buildings, a single dragon flew along what appeared to be a village boundary, a hedge of stones that rose to the height of a human’s chest, apparently a way to funnel slave foot traffic to a gate not far to the left.

Flapping his wings furiously, the dragon zoomed from right to left, low enough to snatch a human from the top of the wall if any dared to attempt the climb. After every few wing beats, he blew a blast of fire at the ground, lighting up the search area. On Jason’s side of the wall, grass ignited, creating a new obstacle, a knee-high line of fire.

As the flames crackled, Elyssa whispered, “He’s completely focused on what’s ahead of him. He has a one-track mind.”

When the dragon neared a cliff face far to the left, he reversed course and returned, this time closer to Jason and Elyssa, again blowing fire in rhythmic bursts.

“One track could be right,” Jason said, also whispering, “but that track is shifting this way. If we stay here, we’ll be caught.”

Elyssa nodded. “Or cooked.”

“Any ideas?”

“Follow me.” She jumped to her feet, but Jason grabbed her and pulled her back down.

“Don’t start skipping steps again. What’s your plan?”

She pointed toward the cliff face, a hint of impatience in her tone. “Some of the caves are on this side of the dragon’s path. We can make a run for it. Then, if that dragon finishes his search without spotting us, we can go to the gate and see if it’s unlocked.”

“And if it’s locked?”

She shrugged. “We climb.”

“Maybe.” Jason eyed the dragon as he swept again from right to left, his path now thirty paces in front of them. “We’ll go on his next pass.”

“But when we get to the caves, let me probe inside first.” Elyssa lifted both hands. “The fingers on my left hand will tell you how many dragons I think are inside, and the other hand will be for the count of humans.”

Jason nodded.

After another turn at the left-hand extremity of his path, the dragon flew by again, this time so close, the heat from his fire blasts warmed Jason’s skin. When the swinging tail whipped past, Jason waved for Elyssa to follow and dashed toward the cliff, running as silently as possible while holding his scabbard against his hip.

When they reached the cliff, Jason stooped at the edge of a cave entrance and peered inside. Elyssa knelt behind him and peeked over his shoulder, taking deep breaths as she slowed her respiration. Then, crawling on hands and knees, she inched toward the dark opening.

Jason looked back. The dragon approached from a distance, still pumping fireballs at the ground. Apparently he hadn’t seen them, but when he came within range, those flames would light them up like a campfire.

Elyssa straightened her torso and twisted toward him, raising two fingers on her left hand and one on her right — two dragons and one human. She then dropped to all fours again and crawled in.

Jason did the same. Elyssa likely had gauged how far within the cave the dragons were and judged it safe to enter—at least safer than risking a blast of flames. Once inside, darkness shrouded his vision. A hand gripped his wrist, and a whisper tickled his ear.

“I think one of the dragons is awake.”

A rumbling growl permeated the air, but it seemed more tortured than menacing, like a wail of lament. Jason began withdrawing his sword, but Elyssa’s grip tightened and pushed it back in place. “There is no danger.”

A woman’s voice drifted their way, calm and reassuring. “He will return. He always has before. The length of this absence is nothing compared to other times he has gone on a journey.”

“How little you know,” a female dragon said, her voice trembling. “How little all you humans know. We are reaching a prophetic climax, and death stalks in shadows, death for all of us if we sit on our haunches and do nothing. Evil holds sway over too many of my people. We must act.”

“What do you propose to do?” the woman asked.

In the silence of a pause, Jason reached for Elyssa. “Sounds safe. Let’s follow the voices.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” she said as she shifted her grip to his hand. “Lead the way, warrior.”

Extending an arm to feel for obstacles, he walked toward the sounds of draconic breathing. Elyssa kept a grip on his hand, looser now. A dim light appeared in the distance, revealing their surroundings—a high, wide tunnel, encompassed by rocky walls and ceiling. Ahead and to the right, a flickering glow emerged from a gaping hole at one side, casting a shaft of light against the opposite wall.

“I will …” The dragon’s voice choked for a moment before continuing. “I will appeal to my people, try to break through to their sense of reason. We will rise up against this dark pretender, this scourge from the black egg. He cannot withstand a united front.”

Jason halted at the opening and sneaked a look around the edge. A dragon sat in the center of a relatively small room, her head low at the end of her drooping neck. A woman dressed in a long skirt and apron held a lantern while stroking the dragon’s flank. “How can you rise up?” the woman asked. “Will they listen to a female without the affirmation of Arxad or Magnar?”

“I will appeal to Tamminy. He has long voiced his concern. He will affirm my plan. Magnar ignores him, but many dragons still respect his views.”

The woman’s voice lowered, barely audible. “Mistress Fellina, Tamminy is missing as well.”

“Missing?” Fellina’s head tilted to the side. “Explain.”

“Only an hour ago his cave keeper told me of his absence. No one has heard from him in quite some time.”

As Fellina’s neck sagged lower, her chin touched the floor. “The night gets ever darker, Madam Orley. In this world of cowards, it seems that every courageous male has abdicated his protective station. Where can we find someone who is bold enough to rally our cause, a masculine voice who can break through the callused ears of those too foolish to heed the words of a wise female?”

Elyssa gave Jason a nudge. “If you want a better cue, you will have to come up with it yourself.”

“Right. But that doesn’t make it any easier.” After swallowing through his tightened throat, Jason strode in, steeling his body to keep from trembling. With a hand on the hilt of his sword, he planted his feet in front of Fellina. “I’ll be that voice.”

Fellina lifted her neck and drew her head back, blinking. “Who are you?”

“Jason Masters.” He gave her a quick bow. “I am from Darksphere. I have come to liberate the slaves. You said you needed a masculine voice to break through, so I thought —”

“You thought?” Fellina glanced at Madam Orley before returning her gaze to Jason. “Are you suggesting that my stubborn dragon friends will respect you, a human, more than they would respect me, one of their own kind?”

“Well …” Jason shifted his weight from foot to foot. “When you put it that way …”

“And if you think you can free your people with that primitive weapon, you are as foolish as you are bold. Before you could bare the blade, any dragon could roast you where you stand.”

“There are more of us,” Jason said, bowing again. “And I don’t expect that we could do it with only humans. Like you said, with a united front, humans and dragons who are friendly to our cause, we can do whatever needs to be done. But first, I need to find my —”

“Our
cause?” Fellina repeated. “And what exactly would our cause be?”

Jason spread out his arms. “To free the slaves, of course.”

She snorted. “You are as ignorant as the rest. You think freeing the slaves is the ultimate purpose, but you are too shortsighted to see the larger picture.”

“I’ll be glad to hear about the picture, but first, I need to find my father. A dragon captured him. Do you know where they might have taken him?”

Fellina looked again at Madam Orley. “The mill?”

She nodded. “Since we are in lockdown, most likely.”

“Summon Xenith and ask her to meet me at the cave entrance. I will speak to these humans in private.”

“As you wish.” Madam Orley gave a shallow bow and scurried from the room.

As Fellina extended her neck, her head glided to within inches of Jason’s face. “I am sympathetic. Losing a father is a tragic event. Yet this is also a lesson as to how easily your numbers will be trimmed. You would need a thousand seasoned warriors if you hope to liberate the slaves.”

Jason firmed his jaw. Breathing deeply, he tried to keep his voice calm. “If you will just tell me how to get to this mill you’re talking about, when I return with my father, we can talk about the larger picture. He is a brilliant soldier and a cunning strategist. If we work together, we can find a solution.”

“Perhaps,” Fellina said, “but you make it sound as if rescuing your father from the mill is as easy as lighting a torch. The pair of dragons who operate the mill are the wickedest sisters you will ever meet. They enjoy grinding the flesh and bones of humans, and they have firepower equal to most of the male warriors. It will require much more than cunning to rescue your father.”

“Ahem.” Elyssa stepped out of the shadows and slid her hand around Jason’s arm. She pulled him close to her side and spoke with passion. “Against all odds, this warrior rescued me from a dungeon. He traveled to the Northlands, marched into the bowels of Starlight, and scooped a handful of fire from Exodus in order to heal his father. He even rescued Koren the Starlighter from the cooking stake while Magnar himself stood guard. He has cunning, to be sure, but his real weapons are his courage, his resolve, and his love.”

Fellina glanced between them, her eyes wide and searching. After a few seconds, she drew her head back and nodded. “We will take you to the mill.”

Koren stood still, in spite of the biting cold. As Taushin’s blue beams penetrated her eyes, her legs felt stiff, immobile. It seemed that his control over her had strengthened, at least whenever he came close.

“Did you see the hole in Exodus?” he asked.

“Yes.” She stopped herself before saying more. For now, simply answering his question seemed to be the best strategy. It didn’t make sense to offer more information than he demanded.

“Were you able to enter?”

She nodded. “The hole stretched quite well.” She kept her voice flat. No need to mention Brinella and the pain she felt. Maybe Taushin didn’t think a Starlighter still lived within. After so many years, he probably assumed she had died.

His head swayed from side to side, his eyebeams staying locked on her. “Did you try to seal the breach?”

“Yes, but it didn’t work. The stardrop’s particles just dripped down the surface.”

“Interesting.” Taushin’s beams intensified. “I perceive that you are telling the truth, but you are concealing something.”

Shivering, Koren didn’t bother hiding a nervous swallow, though she kept her voice level. “I see no reason to deceive you. I came back, didn’t I? I could have hidden in the castle.”

“As if the white dragon would let you stay.”

While Taushin closed his eyes, apparently thinking, Koren breathed deeply, trying not to let the truth of his words scratch a new wound in her soul. It did seem that the lord of the castle didn’t want her around.

Taushin touched her shoulder with a wing. “I will be more honest with you than you have been with me. While you were in the castle beyond the entry room, I could no longer see through your eyes, so I am unable to verify your story. Your return to me is, indeed, a sign of obedience, for which I applaud you.” The claw at the end of his wing slowly dug into her skin. “You see, even that relatively minor act of acquiescence has further bonded us. More than ever before, I am able to detect your trail. Every place you enter, I am able to follow. Even now I could track the steps you took inside that castle, feel what you felt, hear what you heard, smell what you smelled. If you ever try to free yourself from me, I will be able to learn what you have done and eventually find you. Do you understand?”

Koren nodded once again, cringing at the sting in her shoulder. Any sudden movement, any sign of rebellion, could result in a cruel slash down her back.

“Now,” Taushin continued, withdrawing the wing, “look up at the sky. Show me the land’s profile again.”

Koren scanned the castle. The wide entrance lay open, as if inviting her to come in and warm her frozen fingers and toes, but the impression was a lie. She was an unwelcome intruder. She then shifted her gaze to the mountains behind the castle, guessing at the location of the hole out of which Exodus would have to rise.

“At least now your decision is an easy one,” Taushin said. “If you cannot seal the wound, you will resurrect Exodus then exit after the slaves are liberated.”

She continued sweeping her gaze across the mountaintops, stopping briefly at a snow-covered, truncated cone with a flat top. “How long do you think I’ll be in there?”