The Balance of Power (Godsland Series: Books Four, Five, and Six) (37 page)

With his breath stuck in his throat, Sinjin searched for her. Leaning out more than he cared to, his entire body trembled with anxiety and fatigue. He could see nothing in the darkness until a brief clearing in the clouds allowed in the light of the moon, stars, and comets. In the pale blue light, he saw Kendra climbing the dragon's neck, the rope looped over her shoulder and Sinjin's coat over her own. Sinjin shivered. The girl was brave—crazy, true, but brave. She climbed with skill that made Sinjin feel as he always felt around Kendra: inadequate. His breath caught when she reached the base of the dragon's skull. Enormous spikes of jet black bristled around Kendra, yet she was able to traverse the bizarre and dangerous landscape.

When she removed Sinjin's coat from her back, Sinjin couldn't imagine what she was planning, but he had a very bad feeling in his gut. As gently as she could, given the fact that the wind was threatening to send the girl hurtling through the open air, she managed to loop the rope around the dragon's snout and cover one of the dragon's hooded eyes with Sinjin's coat. After securing the coat with the rope, she took off her own cloak. Sinjin was really starting to dislike her idea and would've shouted out if not for fear of waking the dragon while Kendra was standing between its eyes. Other dragons were out there in the darkness, and Sinjin could only guess what chaos a blindfolded dragon would cause.

Once Kendra had her cloak secured over the dragon's other eye, she gave the rope a good yank. As she tied the knot, Sinjin felt the dragon's claw constrict around him, making it difficult for him to breathe and impossible for him to move. His gaze was locked on the place where Kendra crouched. Moving away from the dragon's eyes as the lids began to move under the blindfold, she retreated. Kendra was almost beyond Sinjin's field of view. When the feral dragon eased its grip for an instant, he shifted so he could see more clearly.

"Hold on!" Kendra screamed, and Sinjin did what he could to secure himself in the event the dragon released its grip on him. Kendra knelt behind the dragon's eyes, near the top of its skull, and she appeared to be lifting up on the dragon's scales. When the dragon became fully aware, a lot of things happened at once. The last thing Sinjin saw before the world began to spin was Kendra jamming the lodestone beneath the dragon's scales. Almost immediately, the feral changed course and thrashed its head about. This would have been less concerning were it not for Kendra being atop that head with no rope to secure herself. All the rope she'd had was keeping the blindfold in place.

Sinjin saw another dragon through a quick break in the clouds, and he prayed that the beast did not sense their mount's distress. Still they spun and Sinjin's vision grew darker until he thought he might soon pass out. All he could do was pray that Kendra would find a way to hold on. He might not like the girl, but she'd at least attempted to save him twice, and he certainly didn't want her dead. Though he wasn't certain any of them would survive this.

Deeper into the clouds they dropped, and the dragon now changed direction at random, which only increased Sinjin's disorientation. The changes in air pressure made his head feel as if it might explode, and only the sound of Kendra screaming told him that she was still alive and relatively close by. A moment later, they burst from the clouds into the purple light of a new day.

Waves rushed beneath them, closer than he'd been expecting and offering a cold, silent death. The dragon eased its grip once again as it oriented itself, seemingly using some innate senses to gauge its proximity from the water, a sense not affected by Kendra's lodestone. The beast then let out a terrible roar, one that was answered by a chorus of ferals.

Kendra's plan had failed. The other dragons would soon be there to aid their brethren, and Kendra's efforts would all be for naught. The dragon could not maintain a direct course, but they would still be easy to find, especially if the beast continued to howl its haunting call. Sinjin sighed in acceptance of defeat, knowing what an unenviable fate now awaited him, but then he screamed. To know one's death approaches is one thing; to see it rise up before you is another. Like lumbering giants of stone guarding the coast, mighty bluffs emerged directly in their path.

Even with the random changes in their flight path, Sinjin could see the bluffs getting closer and closer. "Take off the blindfold!" Sinjin screamed. For a moment, there was no sound. Then, to Sinjin's relief, came a stream of curses that would have made a soldier proud.

The calls of the other dragons were getting closer, and Sinjin could hear the panic within those calls. They would not get here soon enough to save their brethren from being dashed to bits against a wall of granite. Kendra made no response, and Sinjin held his breath, waiting for some word, some sound, some change in the dragon's behavior. None came.

It was as if the cliffs drew them closer, just as the lodestone under the dragon's scales would draw bits of metal, as if by magic. Sinjin closed his eyes as cold stone rushed toward them, in that same instant, Kendra let out a strangled cry, and then came a sound like sails in the wind. The dragon vibrated as it let out a startled cry and pulled up as suddenly and violently as it could. Sinjin watched the texture of the rock face flash by and was amazed by the details he noticed in the instants before what would certainly be his death. Nests made from finger-thick twigs housed white birds with sweeping wings that looked too graceful to be real.

The dragon's ascent slowed, the startled feral having only so much momentum, and the beast flapped its wings furiously to clear the tops of the cliffs. There, a wooded plain gave way to rocky and barren inland stretches before a mighty fortress rose from the plains, backed by a range of foreboding mountains. This was an unfriendly place, indeed.

Forced to land, the dragon released its grip on Sinjin, and he went tumbling to the narrow strip of grassland that divided the cliffs from the forest. The impact was jarring, but he felt no pain. The shock of it took his breath, and for a moment, he lay gawking at the dragon and those fast approaching. Instincts screamed for him to run, but he could not leave, not without Kendra. It took a moment for him to locate her. She stood atop the feral's head, holding on to a spiny protuberance that jutted from the leviathan. The dragon shook its head violently, and Kendra could hold on no more. Spinning like a windmill, she flew through the air and struck the ground with force. The grunt that escaped her brought physical pain to Sinjin.

She lay there, amid grasses strewn with stones and gravel, and didn't move. Sinjin knew he should run, knew he should try to get away from the dragons and hide, but he simply could not. He couldn't leave Kendra behind. Still she did not move. The feral dragon spared her not another glance; its eyes were on Sinjin alone, and he could see the surprise in them when he ran toward Kendra and away from the tree line. The other dragons were only moments away, and there would be no place for Sinjin to hide. In that moment, he did not want to take cover. Despite the fear in his belly, he needed to be the kind of man who lived by his convictions, he needed to be the kind of man who could hold his head high and know that his actions had been beyond reproach. He did not necessarily feel the need to be a hero as much as he felt the need to help his friend. It had taken him a while to admit it, but when he finally reached the crux of his decision, he had done it because Kendra
was
his friend. There had been a time when he'd never have thought it possible, but war and dragons and demons had changed his perspective. And if he was honest, he'd admit that there was something else as well, but he was definitely not ready to deal with those feelings yet. When he reached her, she'd already started to come around.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, rubbing her head.

"I came back for you."

"You're a fool!" Kendra said, looking up at the dragon now looming over them both with livid eyes. "Now everything I did was for nothing."

Sinjin felt the sting of her words. He also saw something else in her eyes, and he knew he'd done the right thing, even as waves of fear washed over him in the face of an enraged feral dragon.

Chapter 13

Without communication, we are forever divided.

--Prios

* * *

Cold, gray stone of the northern shores and bluffs came into view, and Catrin felt the full weight of her troubles. She could sense Sinjin, and he was frightened. This, alone, was enough to make her want to leap from her own skin, but she also sensed the Staff of Life and Koe. She couldn't decide if it was better or worse that her staff and Koe were still moving inland and growing more distant whereas Sinjin's movements had slowed. Prios stirred behind her, and she could feel the energy pulsing within him. He was nearly afire with it. Despite their combined rage and desperate need to get to Sinjin, or perhaps it was because of that shared need, she wanted to kiss him.

Ohmahold jutted from the plains, barring access to the mountain passes beyond, an impenetrable fortress that had never been taken. Memories of her time within Ohmahold were vivid and painful, and she could not think of this place without thinking of Mother Gwendolin's death. The fortress now dominated her view, and she could think about little else. She doubted those within the hold had forgotten either. Many of the Cathuran order blamed her for Mother Gwendolin's death since the assassins had been there to kill Catrin. Those within the order who supported Catrin had all fled from Ohmahold in fear of their lives.

There would be no kindness within Ohmahold this time, and enter the hold she would, even if she had to tear down the mountains to get there. Her worsening mood was contagious, and Prios bristled with so much power, it felt as if knives were pressed against her back.

This day will not be forgotten.

It was the first thing Prios had said in quite some time, and Catrin couldn't help but recognize the truth of his words. Kyrien expressed his agreement wordlessly. The keep appeared deserted, but all of them knew it was a ruse. Kyrien sent Catrin and Prios a mental image of demons, dragons, soldiers, ballistae, and catapults.

It wasn't until they were soaring across the plain that Catrin was able to see them. Covered in tarps painted to match the surrounding landscape, an army waited. Thorakis, too, knew this day would be historic, yet he wasn't even present. He cowered within Riverhold, if Catrin was right, and part of her wanted to go attend to him first. By her guess, he would attack Ravenhold and Wolfhold as soon as Catrin attacked Ohmahold. Her cousin, her friends, and her people would die.

No matter what Lissa said, the people of the Greatland were her people, and the people of Mundleboro were especially dear to her. Memories of her grandmother brought tears, and Catrin was conflicted, torn by choices no one should have to make. Tactically, they would be best served by flying to Riverhold and disassembling it and Thorakis along with it. He was the root cause of this war, and he, alone, deserved to pay for it.

Catrin didn't understand what had created the demons and giants, but it seemed obvious to her that they were perversions of nature. The horde below them remained concealed, but Catrin could feel the twisted energy they exuded; the place reeked of foulness. Someone must pay for these crimes against the natural order.

Often Catrin had wondered where the demons and giants had come from along with the soldiers who doused themselves in ash. At times she'd thought they must be coming out of the Westland Wastes, the places now fouled by the Statue of Terhilian that had exploded there. Gholgi were not native to the Westland; they were indigenous to the Firstland, but Catrin had seen no evidence that the twisted and perverted demons and giants had originated from there during the fight for the regent queen. Not knowing gnawed at her, and as the smell of demons grew stronger the closer they came to Ohmahold, it became more difficult for her not to lash out. It was to her advantage, though, to get as close as possible before initiating any attack. So far they were not accosting her, and she could feel Sinjin's presence growing nearer, even if she could sense that he was moving deeper into the hold.

As they crossed the last stretch of land leading up to the rock face, gongs rang out their discordant calls. The clamor arose from the narrow ravine that served as the main entrance to Ohmahold. Catrin didn't have to worry about navigating the gates that guarded the hold. As famously defensible as Ohmahold was, Catrin remembered nothing of the keep that would defend it from above. Kyrien could simply land in the gardens surrounding the inner sanctuary, and Catrin and Prios could take the keep. There would be feral dragons, of course, but Catrin's own determination was bolstered, knowing Prios and Kyrien were equally driven. There would be consequences, and none of them cared.

When the ferals appeared atop the fortifications and nearby mountains, the fighting began. The air rang with the sound of taut ropes releasing their energy, accompanied by thunderous booms and the roars of dragons. Arrows, bolts, and ballista bolts darkened the skies around them. Balls of liquid fire streamed sooty black smoke that clung to the air and soon formed a crisscrossing pattern in the skies above Ohmahold.

It took only an instant for Catrin and Prios to respond even as Kyrien took evasive action. Catrin had fought on Kyrien's back before, but never before had he been forced to evade so many projectiles. He did what he could to warn Catrin and Prios of his sudden moves, afraid one or both of the humans would be thrown off balance or caught by surprise and accidentally unleash one of their potent attacks on him or each other. The thoughts came and went in a flash, and Catrin had no more time to consider the dangers of two powerful people attacking from the back of dragon that was dodging attacks.

Feral dragons leaped from the man-made fortifications and mountain peaks, filling the air above Kyrien. The intent was instantly clear: force them lower and into ballista range. Two black dragons bore dark riders who cast fire from above. Catrin was glad for the time she'd spent atop Kyrien's back before this moment because even with the saddle holding her and Prios in place, Kyrien's movements threatened to unseat them. Catrin's guts churned as Kyrien dipped, dived, and spun. What Catrin liked the least were the times he tucked his wings and shot straight toward the ground. Though it gave them great speed and the ability to evade ferals, it drove Catrin's heart into her throat. Prios gripped her from behind, and neither could launch any attacks while Kyrien dived. When he reached the bottom of his arch, though, Catrin felt herself pressed down into the saddle, her body feeling as if it were made of stone. At times her vision darkened, and she thought she might pass out. When the pressure eased, though, they skimmed along the ground, too low for ballista fire and catapults to target, but low enough to be hit with spears, pikes, and balls of lightning and fire that erupted from the hands of dark-robed men. Catrin targeted these men first.

Bursts of blue fire, filled with geometric patterns, streamed from Catrin's outthrust hands, and Prios sent spheres of twisted lightning into a formation of soldiers with pole arms. The metal-tipped weapons danced with energy, and arcs of power leaped out to grip the armored men and make them dance a pulsing, hypnotic jig before crumpling to the ground.

More attacks came from above, and Catrin craned her neck to see. Attacks of power still came from in front of them, but Catrin knew she could not allow the ferals to come at them from overhead. The dark men on dragonback must have sensed the coming attack, as they all launched attacks at once, showering Kyrien, Catrin, and Prios with fire. Pain erupted along Kyrien's wings, and Catrin could feel his agony as it scorched the skin and threatened to burn through his thick outer hide. Quickly gathering air, Catrin used it to snuff the flames. Prios did what he could to deflect incoming attacks, but Catrin had left their flank exposed, and fire erupted across the saddle. Now it was Catrin and Prios who were afire. A wordless scream rose up from behind Catrin, and Prios's voice was filled with agony.

Trying desperately to get free of the fire, Catrin panicked and lashed out with random bursts of air. She exercised no control over the power, letting it go where it wished. Prios's scream became a strangled cry as her energy doused the flames but nearly launched him out of the saddle. The straps only loosely held him in place, and he had to grab on to Catrin when Kyrien suddenly climbed, thrusting Prios back into the saddle.

Catrin wanted to ask him if he was all right, but she could not catch her breath, and the pain made thought almost impossible. Prios remained silent behind her, only his firm grip on her gave evidence that he was still alive. Catrin could sense him, though; she could feel his energy, just as she could feel Sinjin's energy below them. That was the only thing that kept her going. Kyrien's pain became her pain, and Prios's pain burned into her consciousness, even if he did try to hide it from her, but then she also felt Sinjin's pain. A mother's cry escaped her lips as pain exploded through his body. Over and over, it felt as if his body were being torn apart; then came the sensation of being choked. If Catrin could have breathed, she would have screamed again.

* * *

The spiraling steps seemed to go on forever, winding down the walls of a massive cylinder that dropped away to what might be the very heart of Godsland. Kendra walked behind, chained and shackled, just as he was, but alive nonetheless. Every now and then, she would push him forward and curse him under her breath, as if just to remind him that she was angry with him. Sinjin tried not to care since he'd done what he thought was right, but her persistent anger wore on him, and if she pushed him one more time, he was certain he'd snap.

Two burly men walked in front of him, and he would not want to stumble into either of them. They didn't appear in any way friendly, and they were already struggling under the weight of something Sinjin couldn't quite make out. By the sounds of their grunts and whining, it was heavy. The men who came behind were even more frightening. They spoke in low, deep tones that seemed almost like growls to Sinjin.

One of the men was among the tallest Sinjin had ever seen and lanky as a rail. The other was shorter, stockier, and had a face made for scaring children. It was this man who directed the others, and it was this man Sinjin knew he'd have to watch. Kendra pushed him from behind, and he would've said something, except this time he knew he had slowed down and was in her way. Still, he didn't appreciate some of the things said under her breath.

"Once the deception is cast," the ugly man grunted, "we'll need to move quickly if we're to catch the full moon."

"Shouldn't we just go there now?" the tall man asked.

"No," the ugly man said. "We can go down, but we cannot move beyond the outwardly visible extents of Ohmahold until the deception is complete. And since I don't know exactly where that line is, we're going to stay close to the heart of the hold."

Sinjin did not know what deception they spoke of, but he certainly didn't like the sound of it. From his position, he caught only bits and pieces of the conversation, and he hoped that Kendra was able to catch more of the important details, if she could hear anything over her own curses. Though impressed with her vocabulary, Sinjin hoped she would run out of hurtful things to say about him sometime soon.

After what felt like ages, they reached the bottom of the winding stair, and new torches were lit before they continued into the waiting darkness. Sinjin had heard stories about the tunnels and mines beneath Ohmahold, and the ugly man's comment about the full moon sparked a memory from the tale of his mother's escape from this very place by swimming through daggerfish-infested waters. Sinjin didn't even want to think about it.

"This place will do," the ugly man said, and the two men in front of Sinjin seemed greatly relieved. Immediately they lowered their burden to the floor. It made a muffled clinking sound like a coat of mail, only it appeared to be covered in thick fabric.

Kendra bumped into Sinjin, and he nearly snapped at her, but she spoke under her breath, "Get ready to run." She spoke the words as if they were a curse, and none of the men reacted, seeming engrossed in their own thoughts.

Sinjin had no chance to respond since Kendra did her best to whirl and attacked the men behind her. Limited by the shackles, she was able only to stomp on one man's toes, though she did manage to smash her chains into the other's face.

For a brief instant, Sinjin stood, stunned. He knew he really should run this time. These men would not kill Kendra; he was certain of it. This might be his last chance to escape. Again his mind flashed to the story of his mother and the daggerfish. Pushing back his fear, Sinjin lunged for the guards in front of him, even as they were turning around. Grunts and cries echoed in the tight halls, and Sinjin feared Kendra might convince these men to kill her after all. Sinjin borrowed Kendra's move and stomped on the toes of the guards. One went down in agony, but the other just grinned and looked down at his reinforced boots.

"My mother made me these," the man said just before he wrapped his arms around Sinjin in a bear hug and squeezed.

There was nothing Sinjin could do, he was trapped and could barely move. Kendra still struggled behind him, shaming him, taking on two men when a single man had incapacitated him. It was as humiliating as it was terrifying.

"Can you do nothing right?" she growled at him when she could struggle no more.

Sinjin never got the chance to respond.

"If your mother doesn't kill you, I might," the ugly man said.

Kendra spit at him, but then the sound of gongs filled the hold and filtered down even to the dark tunnel in which they stood. Then there came thunderous booms and the cries of dragons. It sounded as if an army had descended upon Ohmahold--an army or his parents, Sinjin realized. The thought made him feel physically ill. No matter how powerful his parents were, he did not want them to be in danger, especially not because of him. Guilt began to eat at him. If he hadn't allowed himself to be captured, none of this would be happening. His thoughts were cut short when the tall man turned to him with an almost apologetic look in his eyes.