Legacy of the Blood (The Threshold Trilogy) (43 page)

“Yes,
but if you had not been wary of this obstacle, we would not have been tied to
each other. I would have fallen without anyone to catch me.”

The
older woman gave a shaky laugh. “Well, I am glad that my fear of heights served
a useful purpose.”

Adesina
looked at her former teacher and gave him a warm smile of appreciation. “Thank
you, Kendan, for keeping me safe.”

A
flush of color touched his cheeks, and he simply nodded.

Mar’sal
moved forward and gently touched Adesina’s injured knee. “You cannot walk like
this. Let me heal you.”

She
put a restraining hand on his arm. “No, Mar’sal. You do not have the
vyala
to spare right now.”

He
raised an eyebrow. “I certainly do. Besides, it must be done and it is more
important for you to conserve your energy for fighting Basha.”

“You
are more tired that you admit,” she insisted.

“You
look rather worn out as well,” Mar’sal stated drily.

It
was true that Adesina was feeling tired—more tired than she should be.

Why
was that?

She
had been using her
vyala
as sparingly as possible, and she had been
getting as much rest as she could. Granted, she did not sleep well under such
conditions, but she had been through worse before.

Her
eyes took in the faces of each of her companions.

They
all looked weary and pale. Even Ravi was lower on energy than what she was
accustomed to sensing.

Adesina’s
brow furrowed.

Something
was wrong.

She
searched her mind, trying to find what it was that she couldn’t quite remember.

Her
mind turned to Ravi’s, and his presence was a clarifying force that snapped
everything into focus.

The
third barrier.

The
Henka elders had told of a shadow that drained away the life of those who
passed through it. Adesina had surmised that the third barrier of the Threshold
was one that siphoned away the lifeforce of those within its perimeters.

“We
have to hurry,” said Adesina suddenly.

Faryl
looked alarmed. “Why?”

“The
elders warned us about this section of the mountain. They told us that there
was a magical spell that could kill us.”

Understanding
sparked in Kendan’s eyes. “A spell that would drain our lives away.”

“No
wonder we are so tired,” remarked Mar’sal.

“How
many more of these obstacles will we be forced to face?” asked Faryl, not
expecting to be answered.

“I
do not know,” responded Adesina, “but we must move as quickly as we can.”

Mar’sal
leaned forward and touched Adesina’s knee with his healing
vyala
before
she could protest. He repaired the torn tissue and strengthened the bone,
making her feel better than she had before the fall.

“Mar’sal!”

He
folded his arms across his chest. “You said we had to move quickly, so do not
waste time reprimanding me. It is done.”

Adesina
didn’t know whether to laugh or to rap him sharply on the head with her
knuckles. She settled with shaking her head and climbing to her feet.

The
five companions walked a short distance through an archway that led to the next
section of the barrier. Adesina noticed that Mar’sal was not very steady on his
feet, and she gave him a sharp look. He immediately straightened his back and attempted
to look stronger.

The
archway led to a ledge, and there was a short drop down to the main floor from
there. This section of the barrier almost appeared to be some sort of maze. The
path from the base of the ledge wound around to a narrow entrance in a stone
wall approximately the same height as Kendan. Adesina could see multiple paths
diverging from the entrance, but it was not clear where they all led.

The
ground was an upward incline, which limited Adesina’s view—even though she
stood on a ledge two meters from the floor.

“A
maze?” asked Kendan scornfully. “Is that all they could devise?”

He
jumped down from where they stood and walked towards the entrance.

“Kendan,
wait.”

As
he slowed to a stop, his boot landed on a section of the floor that glowed
orange on contact. Adesina didn’t get a clear look, but she sensed a surge of
magic.

Acting
on instinct, she connected to her
vyala
and pushed him out of the way. A
bolt of fire burst from a circle on the ceiling and scorched the ground where
Kendan had been standing only moments before.

“What
was that?” gasped Faryl.

Kendan
got to his feet, looking shocked and relieved. “I should have been more
cautious. Thank you, Adesina.”

He
crept back to where he had been standing and studied the ground carefully.
After a moment, he shook his head.

“I
do not see anything. No marks, no pressure points, no switches…”

“There
was a symbol,” said Ravi, “but I did not get a good look at it.”

Adesina
jumped down from the ledge and joined Kendan. He was right—the ground appeared
to be empty—but something glimmered just beyond her sight.

She
used her
vyala
to enhance her vision, and a rune suddenly appeared. Ravi
was able to see it as well through her eyes, and he made a thoughtful noise.

“It
is the symbol for connection. That circle on the ceiling must be a conduit of
some sort.”

Adesina
remembered a detail from her Dreams of the final battle that took place on this
mountain. There had been a conduit on the top of the peak that allowed the
Serraf Bren to transfer her energy to the Threshold from afar.

“This
conduit must connect to the fire barrier outside. The runes activate the
connection, and the fire flows to wherever it is directed.”

Kendan’s
expression was somber. “It will take some fast reflexes to navigate this maze.”

He
looked back and Mar’sal and Faryl, both of whom were pale and drawn. Adesina
followed his gaze and immediately understood.

They
would not be able to make it through this section, even with someone to guide
them.

We
cannot leave them here. The draining barrier would kill them.

Ravi
studied their surroundings for several moments before nodding his head towards
the ceiling. “Look up there, Ma’eve.”

About
halfway between where they stood and the end of the maze, there was a small
stone protuberance that was shaped like a hook.

“If
you could secure your rope through that, then Faryl and Mar’sal could swing
across.”

“Where
would it be safe to land?”

Ravi
concentrated his energy and shifted to the opposite side of the maze. After a
minute or two, he spoke to Adesina’s mind.

There
is another ledge on this end, and it appears to be safe. There are no runes in
this space.

Adesina
measured the distance with her eyes doubtfully.

I
do not think our ropes are long enough.

There
was a brief pause.

Fuse
the two ropes together. That should make it long enough.

As
Adesina undertook the task, she motioned to Kendan.

“We
could use that stone projection and have them swing across to the other side.”

He
pursed his lips together. “Not with the ground at an incline. Ravi’s position
is above ours, and standing on the entrance ledge would not be high enough.
Someone would need to be at the other side with another rope to pull them up.”

Adesina
sighed in frustration. “Well, that will be our task, then.”

She
used her power to meld the two ropes together as if they had always been a
single line, and then she re-coiled it and slung it over her shoulder. Then she
called up to Faryl and Mar’sal, who were waiting for instructions.

“You
two wait here while we meet up with Ravi. We will find a way to help you both
across without having to navigate that maze.”

Adesina
took the lead, and together she and Kendan entered the obstacle.

The
walls were lower on the inside, and Adesina could see over the top of them. She
was not able to see the path she needed to take, but she would be able to spot
Kendan if they were to be separated.

“It
would not be difficult to climb on top of these walls,” mused Kendan.

Adesina
nodded. “Which leads me to believe that there are runes to prevent that from
happening.”

“Would
you care to test that theory?”

She
considered it for a moment. “Yes, we might as well. Perhaps we will get lucky
and discover a shortcut.”

He
offered his hand, and she stepped into it to climb up. As soon as her hand
touched the top of the wall, she sensed another surge of magic. Adesina
immediately dropped down and backed away from the wall, pulling Kendan with
her.

Flames
flowed along the top of the wall like a river, and the heat was intense enough
that Adesina automatically shielded her face.

“Well,”
said Kendan slowly, “I suppose that means we shall have to do this the hard
way.”

The
two of them began making their way through the maze of stone. They moved
quickly and efficiently, reasoning together the best way to reach the opposite
end. The runes that activated the bolts of flame almost seemed to glimmer just
beyond Adesina’s range of sight, and she learned to watch for them and step
carefully around.

Her
focus was on the ground, where she assumed all of the runes were located.
However, about halfway through the maze, Adesina brushed against a wall and a
rune glowed orange from the touch. Kendan rushed forward to push her out of the
way, but he could not dodge the fiery dart himself.

His
sleeve caught fire, and he immediately dropped to the ground to put it out.

“Kendan!”

Adesina
rushed to his side and inspected his arm. The skin was shiny and red, with
large blisters forming quickly. “You are hurt,” she said unnecessarily.

His
jaw was clenched, but he shook his head. “Only the skin is damaged, not the
muscle underneath. I will be fine.”

She
could tell that he was in pain, but she pretended to believe that he wasn’t.
Adesina tore off his other sleeve and ripped it into strips to bind his wound.
She was glad that he had not been more severely wounded, but she also felt a
sense of helpless frustration. Kendan would be limited by the injury, and that
left Adesina with even less help in rescuing L’iam.

“Ma’eve,”
called Ravi from above, “I can see the exit from where I stand. You are almost
there.”

She
closed her eyes and focused on what her guardian was seeing. She mapped out the
route in her mind and then got to her feet.

The
two former Shimat wove in and out of the passages, keeping a careful distance
from the walls. The exit opened to a wide area, and Ravi’s position was just to
the left and up a steep incline.

Adesina
breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that they had reached the end of the
obstacle. She hurried to Ravi’s side and proceeded with the next stage of their
plan to bring Mar’sal and Faryl across the maze.

Adesina
tied a loop into the rope she carried and she took careful aim. She hurled the
line towards the rocky protuberance near the ceiling, and she hooked it on her
first try.

“Good,”
said Kendan with approval.

He
was still treating Adesina like a student, and she smiled.

“I
will swing across to test it, and then I will help Faryl and Mar’sal to cross.”

Ravi
looked uncomfortable with her declared plan, but he said nothing. Kendan nodded
in agreement and pulled out his Blood Weapon—twenty feet of steel braid with a
dagger on one end and a lemon-sized metal ball on the other.

“I
will reel them in,” he stated with confidence.

Adesina
wrapped the rope around her arm to increase the strength of her hold, and then
she took a running leap over the deadly maze. The rope slipped slightly as it
tightened its hold on the outcropping on the ceiling, and Adesina’s heart
rushed with anxiety at the motion.

The
rope was barely long enough for Adesina to reach her destination, and Faryl
reached out to grab the young queen and steady her landing.

A
quick glance at the two waiting companions told Adesina that they were running
out of time. Mar’sal was very pale, and he was beginning to tremble with the
mere exertion of standing.

“You
first, Mar’sal.”

He
took a step backward. “Absolutely not, Adesina. I will go last.”

“You
are being a fool,” she snapped impatiently. “Do as I say.”

His
expression clearly showed that he was surprised and hurt by her words, but he
offered no other argument. Adesina tied the end of the rope around his wrist
and used her
vyala
to boost him into the air.

Mar’sal
held onto the rope with all his might, but Adesina was afraid that he was going
to fall. Her heart leapt to her throat as she watched him, and she only took a breath
when Kendan’s meteor hammer swung outward and hooked around Mar’sal’s waist.

Holding
both ends of the steel braid, Kendan pulled the L’avan soldier to safety.

Faryl’s
face was filled with fear when it was her turn. “Adrie, I…”

Adesina
stopped her from saying anything else. “It must be done, Faryl, and quickly. We
do not have time to hesitate.”

The
apothecary did as she was told, but Adesina could see her lips moving in
recital of a silent prayer.

Faryl
crossed over the obstacle without incident, and Adesina followed. As Kendan
drew her in, she could see the strained expression on his face that indicated
he was focusing intensely on not revealing what he was feeling. In spite of
that determination, his features were pale and a sheen of sweat covered his
forehead.

He
reached out his hand to grasp her own, and he flinched as he pulled her to
solid ground. Adesina’s eyes instantly locked on his burned arm, and she could
see that he was bleeding.

“Faryl,”
she beckoned to the apothecary.

Kendan
looked as though he was about to protest, but Adesina silenced him with a
glare.

Faryl
immediately assessed the situation and opened the medical pack. She muttered
under her breath about reckless youth as she mixed a poultice and applied it to
a bandage. Faryl carefully removed the makeshift dressing that was wrapped
around his arm and grimaced at the sight of the burned flesh.

“You
will not have full use of your arm until this heals, young man.”

“I
will keep it completely stationary,” he said drily.

Faryl
shot him a disapproving glare and applied the new bandage.

As
that was attended to, Adesina used her power to release the rope from the
ceiling and returned it to her pack.

The
group then turned to face the next challenge of the barrier, and confused
frowns creased each of their faces.

“What
is it?” asked Faryl.

Kendan
shook his head. “I do not know.”

It
was an open area that was strewn with boulders and rubble. Here and there were
pools of a black bubbling substance, and Adesina could make out the shapes of
skeletons scattered on the ground.

The
five companions walked into the arena with great caution, studying their
surroundings with mistrust.

Ravi
stopped to inspect a pile of rocks, and Adesina felt his surprised realization.

“An
elemental.”

The
only person who seemed to understand was Mar’sal.

“A
what?” asked Faryl.

Ravi
circled the rubble, getting a closer look. “A creature made from a certain
element through magic—in this case, earth. It seems that this section of the
barrier was guarded by monsters made from stone.”

Kendan’s
dark eyes swept over the open area with new appreciation. “This was a battle
arena?”