Elder (16 page)

After more than two hours of walking hallways and accessing transportation tubes that used some kind of mystifying energy to move a being from one location to another, she finally had her plan mapped out. She spent another hour finding supplies, holding onto a few and stashing the rest along her anticipated route. Then she returned to Clara Kate’s room, barely avoiding detection by a Waresti male patrolling the hallways. When he had finished his surveillance of the corridor she needed and then moved on, she moved silently to Clara Kate’s door.

She had already determined that she couldn’t infiltrate the minds of the elders when they were at their fullest strength. But she had learned during her recent time with
archigos
Malukali that if an elder was debilitated, her mind was more malleable. Using this knowledge, Metis stood outside Clara Kate’s door and waited until the Kynzesti elder fell asleep.

Fortunately, it happened before the Waresti returned. Her mind suddenly connected with Clara Kate’s. She knew from the unusual tenor of the Kynzesti’s thoughts that she had accessed her subconscious.

Not wanting Clara Kate to awaken and reinstate the thought barrier, Metis carefully implanted thoughts in the Kynzesti’s mind. This was going to be the most difficult part of her plan. She had to convince Clara Kate to leave her room on her own two feet. After that, the Kynzesti was all hers.

Chapter 24

“Clara Kate, we must hurry.”

Blinking to try and clear the fog from her brain, Clara Kate sat up in bed and looked to the door leading out to the hallway. Ini-herit stood there watching her. She didn’t understand why he hadn’t come through the adjoining door.

“I was out in the hallway conversing with Zachariah,” he said, making her think she had spoken out loud. “There is no time to waste. Come with me.”

Although she still didn’t understand what was going on, she reacted to the apparent importance of what he conveyed. Climbing out of bed, she walked to the door. She moved much slower than usual. It felt as though it took her an eternity to cross the room. Once she did, she realized that the door was closed.

“What…?” She shook her head in confusion. Where had Ini-herit gone?

“Join me in the hallway, Clara Kate.”

Ini-herit spoke from outside her door. He must have pulled the door closed, though for what reason, she couldn’t fathom. When she grasped the handle, she realized it was locked. Why had he turned the lock when he closed it?

“Hurry.”

How could he not have any sense of urgency in his tone even now? she asked herself, turning the lock with an irritated frown. It took her three tries to accomplish it. Her hand didn’t seem to want to cooperate any more than her legs did. Finally, the door opened.

Ini-herit stood in the hallway. His expression didn’t change when she emerged, but why would it? He did reach for her arm and began pulling her down the hallway, an action that surprised her.

“Where are we going?” she asked. The words felt thick as they left her mouth. They were barely audible.

“We must get you to safety.”

Ini-herit’s lips hadn’t moved, she realized then. Had he been speaking to her through her thoughts this entire time? How was that possible?

Once again, she shook her head. It felt like someone had wrapped her brain in gauze and packed it back inside her skull. Her vision blurred in and out of focus. For a moment, it almost looked like Ini-herit lost a foot of height, but she guessed it had been a trick of her eye since he was his old self once she blinked.

“Why aren’t we getting the others to safety, too?” she thought to ask. She started to turn to look behind her, but the path they were on tilted with the movement. “Whoa.”

Grabbing her arm in a painful grip to stabilize her, Ini-herit said, “The others have already been brought to safety. You were the most difficult to rouse.”

They had? Her cousins wouldn’t leave her behind. Something must be terribly wrong for them to have done so. Her gaze moved along the passages as they walked. Every shadow now seemed ominous and threatening.

“What’s wrong, Harry? Why—?”

“No more talking.”

She blinked again. That hadn’t been a tone Ini-herit had ever used before. He sounded impatient.

“Talking puts us in danger of discovery,” he said in a low voice, once again reading her thoughts. “I do not want you to come to harm.”

An unexpected feeling of hope stirred in her chest as they entered a transport tube. Ini-herit was concerned for her safety and didn’t want her to come to harm. Could that mean that he was beginning to remember emotions?

No. He was probably concerned for her because she was now a fellow elder and the elders all looked out for each other.

“My intentions toward you are more than just that of an elder,” he said.

Her breath caught. Did he really mean that? Then another thought right on top of that one: this wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be able to read her thoughts.

Her head throbbed like someone stuck it with a hot poker. She gasped and brought her hand up in an attempt to ward the feeling off. What in the world?

“Very well,” Ini-herit said. “We will do this the hard way.”

Something’s wrong
.

Malukali’s thought brought Ini-herit out of a dream-filled sleep. The images in the dream had been dark and violent, making her interruption welcome.

A Lekwuesti named Dara came to me a short while ago
, Malukali explained.
She said that Jocelyn, a talented Orculesti, was brought to Central earlier today after experiencing some trauma on the mainland. Dara intended to wait until morning to ask me to meet with Jocelyn and assess her mental condition, but when she went to check on Jocelyn after the ball, she was gone from her room
.

Ini-herit got to his feet. He sensed that what Malukali was about to impart was important. Clara Kate needed to be kept informed.

He knocked on her door even as Malukali continued,
When I tried to connect with Jocelyn’s thoughts, I picked up an unusual thought pattern. I think Metis has gotten into Central
.

The news had Ini-herit reaching for Clara Kate’s door handle. Propriety had no place in the face of something so urgent. As he pushed the door open, he cast a ball of light and looked over at her bed. Finding it empty, he strode over to the bathroom. The room was dark until the ball of light bounced in behind him.

Realizing Clara Kate wasn’t there, he hurried to the door that adjoined her room to Quincy’s. Once again, he ignored manners and simply opened the door.

Quincy sat up in bed, squinting as the ball of light followed Ini-herit into the room. As sleep left Quincy’s gaze, he looked to the open door between his room and Sophia’s. The expression on his face told Ini-herit that he had alarmed him.

Can you identify where Metis is?
Uriel asked. The thought was directed to Malukali, though he sent it out to all of the elders.

“Clara Kate is not in her room,” Ini-herit said to Quincy. “We must see if she went to someone else’s room for the night.”

Not so far
, Malukali replied.
I’m trying, but whatever she does to assume a new form makes her mind blend with that of the being she kills. Rather like with the Kynzesti, my abilities aren’t properly attuned to her.

“What’s going on?” Sophia asked, walking over from her room. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced at Quincy as he got out of his bed. Her eyes widened in concern as she received the thought he projected. “Where would she go?”

Ini-herit walked past her to the door leading to Tiege’s room and said, “Malukali has discovered an unusual thought signature that she believes belongs to Metis. She is here.”

“At Central?” Quincy asked. He and Sophia followed Ini-herit. “Holy light!”

Clara Kate is not in her room
, Ini-herit broadcasted. When he walked into Tiege’s room and saw only the male sleeping in his bed, he continued on to Ariana’s door and left the explanations to Quincy and Sophia.
I am checking in the rooms of her family in case she moved for some reason. If she is not in one of these rooms, we can assume Metis succeeded in abducting her
.

A series of projected emotions rushed through him as the others processed this. He might have been imagining it, but the feelings seemed more intense than usual. It was almost as though the fear and worry they conveyed belonged to him.

We will ensure all platforms are secured
, Uriel replied.
The Waresti patrolling the hallways near your rooms didn’t see anything unusual, but we’ll investigate
.

By the time Ini-herit walked through Ariana’s door, Zachariah stood in the doorway on the other side of the room. The Mercesti was fully clothed and held his tomahawk. He appeared to know something was wrong.

Coming to a stop in the middle of the room, Ini-herit closed his eyes. It was surprisingly difficult to send out the thought.

Clara Kate is gone
.

The responses ranged from Uriel’s immediate focus on locking down Central to Gabriel’s well-founded fear for his daughter. When Ini-herit again opened his eyes, he spotted Clara Kate’s family standing around him. They exchanged looks as Quincy explained what was happening.

“We have to find her,” Sophia said. Her cousins nodded. “Follow me.”

With a flash of light, she shifted into a bloodhound. Then she took off at a run, leaving her clothing behind. Quincy grabbed the garments off the floor and followed her through the adjoining doors as Tate ran to get her blessed nunchucks. Ini-herit jogged after Sophia, watching Tiege grab his blessed kamas and toss a sheathed dagger to Ariana.

Once they were in Clara Kate’s room, Sophia approached the pillow on the ground and spent a few seconds breathing in her cousin’s scent. Then she let out a sharp bark and headed for the door. Zachariah opened it for her. They spilled out into the hallway in pursuit.

Ini-herit sent out a stream of thoughts to keep the other elders informed of their progress. As they darted down another hallway, he spotted Alexius and a team of Waresti racing through an adjoining corridor. Ini-herit might not have particularly cared for the sight of Clara Kate on the second commander’s arm earlier, but he was glad to see the other male searching for her now.

It didn’t matter who found Clara Kate. All that mattered was saving her life.

Chapter 25

Metis had hoped that her mental abilities would allow her to lead the Kynzesti to the exit platform that she had found without any issues. When she succeeded in implanting her own thoughts into Clara Kate’s mind through her dreams, she believed she would get her wish. Unfortunately, while the female Orculesti, Jocelyn, had clearly been powerful, Metis hadn’t been able to maintain her control over the Kynzesti.

It was a good thing she had secured a leaded bud vase during her travels through the Estilorian main base. Knocking Clara Kate unconscious became her only option. She waited as long as she dared so that she was close to one of the places where she left supplies.

Leaving the female where she fell, Metis hurried to the small nook she had used for storage. Propped against the wall was a lightweight plank with two lavender energy rails on the bottom and a thin rope at one end. She discovered it outside the main hall where the Waresti had brought her earlier and used it to transport her supplies.

Now, she lifted it and ran back to Clara Kate. It didn’t take her long to haul the female’s limp form onto the plank. The rails allowed her to move silently across any surface, so she didn’t worry about being too cautious as she tugged the plank by the rope and continued along the route she had established. She had to stop twice to avoid stepping into sight of Waresti patrols. The second time, she was nearly seen and had to use her mental abilities to turn the guard’s attention.

Outside of that incident, she focused on keeping her thoughts contained, knowing that there was a possibility the Orculesti elder might seek her out. One of the Waresti who had escorted her to Central might mention Jocelyn to the elder, or someone could check on the Kynzesti female and find her missing. Any number of things could lead to her discovery. She would do what she could to minimize that risk.

Sweat dripped from her temples by the time she succeeded in hauling Clara Kate to the room housing the platform she intended to use. As it had been when she first found it, the room was empty and the platform unattended.

She stopped next to a large crate filled with a couple of other items she found during her earlier explorations. Bringing the plank alongside the crate, she reached in and pulled out a long length of milky-colored rope. Then she used the rope to strap Clara Kate’s body to the plank, working quickly in the darkness. In the event the Kynzesti woke up, she wouldn’t be able to fly or use her elemental ability. A rag worked well enough as a gag.

Voices had Metis tensing and ducking down. She made sure Clara Kate wasn’t visible and peered over the edge of the crate.

A small group of Waresti entered the far side of the room, their swords drawn. Several balls of light followed them. Metis scanned their minds and realized that she hadn’t managed to avoid detection by the Orculesti elder, after all. The warriors had been sent to secure the platform so no one could leave.

Knowing it would be foolish to linger, Metis took advantage of the noise the Waresti made as they issued and fulfilled orders. She made sure the dagger she had stolen was still secured around her waist, then grasped the plank’s rope and hurried away from the crate. Escaping the room from the direction she had come, she used the dark shadows to conceal them from view. She didn’t detect any suspicion from the Waresti as she rose to her full height and hurried with the Kynzesti down a narrow tunnel.

That had been close, she mused. She supposed it wasn’t much of a surprise, though, in light of the many protections in place around the Kynzesti. It was a good thing she had developed a secondary plan. There was more than one way out of this air fortress.

Ini-herit hadn’t ever experienced the strange sensation that now clung like a band around his chest. The longer it took them to find Clara Kate, the tighter the band got. It was similar to a physical pain.

“What’s that?” Tate asked.

They gathered around Sophia when she stopped to investigate a spot on the rug lining the hallway that apparently led to Clara Kate. She issued a soft whine and then moved on to an object a few feet away. Ini-herit identified the small, dark red patch as blood. The feeling in his chest intensified.

“There is blood on this object,” Zachariah said, lifting the cylindrical vase Sophia sniffed. His gaze moved to Ini-herit. “This isn’t a lethal weapon unless applied to the right spot on the skull. Judging from the amount of blood on the ground, Clara Kate is merely unconscious.”

Ini-herit nodded. It was safe to assume Clara Kate was the one who had been incapacitated. If she had escaped Metis, she would have returned to them. They also knew if Metis killed Clara Kate that she would attempt to assume her form, which would leave evidence behind. He couldn’t help but wonder why Metis hadn’t already done so.

Sophia took off again, distracting him from his thoughts. They sprinted until they reached a narrow corridor. Though the tunnel itself was dark, he saw light flickering at the end of it. It would be a tight fit, but none of them stopped for a second to worry about that.

Because he was armed and could see in the dark, Zachariah entered the tunnel behind Sophia. Ini-herit went in after him. As they emerged, they were greeted by the Waresti guarding the platform.

“Have you seen anyone come through here?” Zachariah asked.

“No, sir,” one of them replied. “No one passed this way.”

Since Sophia investigated a wooden box near the tunnel, Ini-herit approached it. He noticed more smears of blood on the ground as Sophia gave another whine. When she turned and ran back into the passageway, they all followed her. They were trying to maintain some stealth, so Ini-herit fought the urge to cast a light as they ran. The darkness made him feel unexplainably powerless.

After another few minutes, Sophia’s pace slowed. Ini-herit had never been in this part of Central, so deep in its bowels. It looked uninhabited. Sophia growled low in her throat as she approached a rock wall. Everyone with weapons raised them.

“Sophia thinks they’re on the other side of this rock,” Quincy said.

“That’s not a rock,” Tate replied. “It’s an illusion. They’re on the other side.”

Where does this opening lead, Sebastian?
Ini-herit thought.

Outside
, Sebastian said.
It’s one of the holes crafted as part of Central’s natural cooling system. If Metis wanted to leave without accessing the platforms, she found the right place.

Metis wasn’t sure why there was a disguised room leading directly outside and she really didn’t care. All that mattered was that it was about to serve her great purpose.

She had discovered the small chamber a couple of hours earlier when she watched a Waresti emerge from it. He must have been conducting a patrol, as his weapon was drawn and his gaze alert. If she hadn’t been walking in complete darkness and taking care to remain among the shadows as she explored, she would likely have been caught. As it was, the Waresti paused and stared intently in her direction, so she used her abilities to make him believe he was seeing nothing but shadows.

Now, she retied the unusual rope she had used to secure the Kynzesti. It took precious time to unwind the rope from the unconscious female, but Metis knew the extra weight of the plank would hinder her ability to fly. It would have been easier to cut the Kynzesti free of the plank, but Metis needed to reuse the entire length of rope to properly secure her.

Although she worked quickly, she cursed the extra time it took to wrap the rope back around the Kynzesti’s wrists and upper body. Considering Clara Kate’s formidable abilities, though, Metis knew this was the wisest course. She had just finished tying the last knot when Clara Kate shifted and moaned.

“Good,” Metis said. “It would be best for you to be conscious for this part.” She pressed the tip of her dagger against the Kynzesti’s neck, making her draw in a sharp breath. “Get to your feet. Now.”

Clara Kate must have decided that it wasn’t worth arguing, as she slowly rocked until she got to her knees. Impatient, Metis grabbed a handful of the other female’s hair and urged her up with a hard tug. The Kynzesti’s cry of pain was muffled by the gag. Metis ignored her.

“I have fastened the ropes around you so that you cannot use your abilities or extend your wings,” Metis said. “There are loops for me to carry you. As long as you cooperate—”

The Kynzesti interrupted her with a hard lurch to the left. The dagger sliced her throat, but she didn’t seem to notice. Metis followed her, her lips curling on a snarl.

“I will kill you, Kynzesti,” she hissed, grabbing one of the loops she had made. “Come with me now.”

Although she knew her abilities weren’t powerful enough to affect an elder despite that elder’s young age, Metis sent a direct wave of thought to the Kynzesti’s mind. When the female sagged and the fight seemed to leave her, Metis wasn’t sure if it was because of her powerful suggestion or the steady flow of blood pouring from her neck wound.

“Stay up,” she snapped, using her greater height to aid her in keeping the Kynzesti upright. She put her dagger back in its sheath and took two more steps toward the edge of the stone floor leading to the pinkening sky beyond.

Then growling filled the room. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the Kynzesti’s family standing at the small opening to the chamber.

“It’s over, Metis,” Zachariah said.

Clara Kate jerked in Metis’ grasp. Her head turned in the direction of her would-be rescuers and her body once again coiled as though regaining the strength to fight. Metis knew she had to act.

Turning, she yanked the rope around Clara Kate, sending them both falling from Central with nothing to break their fall but the roiling ocean many feet below.