The Cypher Wheel (25 page)

“Etyran, if you can hear me, we really need your help
right now,” Alyssa pleaded, after her and Todmus's attempts to get
him off the floor were proving fruitless. They had managed to get
him into a sitting position, but it became as plain as the nose on
one's face, that they were not going to be able to lift him any
further.

“Miss, we don't have much time,” Todmus reminded
her.

Alyssa nodded at the little man. “It pains me to do
this, but I don't think I have a choice,” she said to Todmus before
bringing the flat of her palm to Etyran's cheek. It connected with
a resounding slap. “Wake up, Etyran! We need to get you out of
here.”

Etyran's head fell back, his eyelids moved and he
groaned again.

“That's it,” Alyssa said, gently slapping each cheek
in turn. “Wake up, sleepy head; we need to get out of here.”

Etyran brought his hand up to his head and grimaced.
“In the name of Kernunnos,” he groaned.

“Etyran, can you move?” Alyssa asked.

Etyran blinked a few times until his eyes zoned in on
Alyssa. “Hey, sugar. How you doin'?”

Alyssa exchanged glances with Todmus.

“He's going to be just fine,” Todmus said with a
smile.

“Come here often?” Etyran said, a mischievous grin
curving his lips.

“Etyran, focus!” Alyssa snapped. “I don't want to
have to slap you again.” She put her shoulder under Etyran's armpit
while Todmus took hold of Etyran's hands.

“On the count of three,” Alyssa said to Todmus.
“One...two...three.”

Alyssa heaved upwards while Todmus pulled on Etyran's
hands. The motion turned out to be quite successful because after a
little bit of wobbling, they had the burly Lightbender up on his
feet.

Etyran had his arm draped around Alyssa's shoulders,
leaning most of his weight there. He was much heavier than she'd
imagined, but adrenaline must have been giving her the added
strength she needed to keep him on his feet.

She looked at him. “Okay, do you think you can
walk?”

He turned his lolling head and latched onto her
worried gaze. “Did anyone ever tell you, you're gorgeous?” he
said.

Alyssa rolled her eyes.

“You are, you know.”

She ignored his comment and looked at Todmus.
“Todmus, keep hold of his hand to steady him,” Alyssa
instructed.

Todmus gave Etyran's hand a firmer squeeze.

“Etyran, do you have the strength to bend your
light?” Alyssa asked.

“Huh?” Etyran wrinkled his brows at the question.

“Oh, that's just great.” Alyssa sighed. “How are we
supposed to get out of this fortress without being seen? Arawn has
guards everywhere.”

“Not everywhere, miss. You forget, this used to be my
home. It doesn't look like he ever found my secret tunnel because
there were no guards watching it when I came in that way.”

Alyssa's face lit up.

It was by no means an easy task, but somehow Alyssa,
aided by Todmus, managed to get Etyran up the stairs, past the
still immobile Arawn and into the kitchen. They were careful not to
talk on their way there. Todmus explained to her before they left
the dungeon that although Arawn couldn't move he could still hear
everything that was going on around him.

Alyssa dropped Etyran on to one of the kitchen
benches before her legs gave way. He slumped over and laid his head
on the table, releasing another groan with the movement. He had
been in and out of consciousness since she and Todmus had sat him
up on the floor of the cell. She turned around to see where Todmus
was, only to find him counting blocks in the wall beside one of the
open ranges.

“Three up, two over,” he mumbled, as his fingers
whispered over the bister-colored stone. “This should be the one.”
He put his palm flat against the wall and pushed.

Alyssa heard a grating noise first, then part of the
wall moved backwards before sliding to the side to reveal an
opening just big enough for someone the size of Todmus to pass
through. Her astonishment was swiftly quashed when she wondered how
on earth she was going to get herself and Etyran through the
pint-sized opening. What if the tunnel was that small all the way
through? There was no way she would be able to walk alongside him
to hold him up. Maybe Todmus's grand idea wasn't so grand after
all, not for her and Etyran anyway.

Todmus beckoned with his arm. “Come along, miss. We
don't have much time.”

“Todmus, I'm never going to be able to get the both
of us through there,” Alyssa said, a hint of dismay in her
voice.

Todmus smiled and beckoned her again. “Trust me,” he
said.

Alyssa raised her eyebrows. Well, the little man had
gotten them this far. The fact that he was skillful enough to
disable Arawn gave him instant respect in her book. She had to
admit to wondering what else he may have up his sleeve. She gave
him the benefit of the doubt and lifted Etyran's head off the
table, garnering her another groan from the semi-conscious
Lightbender.

“Oh, my head,” Etyran grunted. “What did I drink last
night?”

Alyssa wrinkled her eyebrows at him and shot a
questioning look at Todmus, who was waiting by the secret
tunnel.

“Sounds like he's getting better,” Todmus
remarked.

Alyssa raised her eyes heavenward before tucking her
shoulder under Etyran's arm and bolstering him up from the bench;
the exertion forcing a grunt from her, too. When she had dragged
Etyran over to the hole in the wall, her heart sank. They were
easily head-and-shoulders taller, and one person-too-many wider
than their escape route. How she managed to keep Etyran upright at
that point amazed her, because suddenly all the wind was knocked
from her sails and she felt very weak and defeated.

Todmus was standing inside the tunnel waiting for
her.

“You go, Todmus,” Alyssa said, leaning over so she
could see him. “I'll find another way out.”

“Nonsense,” Todmus replied, not looking the least bit
fazed that they were much too large for the opening. “Put your hand
in.”

Alyssa looked at the dwarf as if he'd gone mad.

“Trust me,” Todmus repeated.

Alyssa took her free hand and stuck it in the hole in
the wall.

Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she watched
her hand shrink down to half its size. She drew her hand back
sharply and moved it around in front of her face, allowing her to
inspect it from all angles. As soon as it was out from the hole, it
was normal size again.

“The tunnel is enchanted. It will shrink those who
wish to use it down to the size they need to be,” Todmus explained,
then he added when he saw the look of abject terror on her face,
“Don't worry. You will return to your normal size when you get out
the other end. I wouldn't want you ending up like me, now, would
I?” He winked.

“Guards!”

Alyssa spun her head towards the door. Her heart
nearly stopped at hearing the roar of pure fury that traveled down
the corridor and into the kitchen. The spell had worn off. Arawn
was mobile again.

“Now, miss. You have to move now!”

Alyssa shoved Etyran into the hole first, marveling
at the way his body shrunk as he went into the tunnel. The now
miniature Lightbender slumped onto the floor beside Todmus. Alyssa
jumped in next scrunching her eyes closed in anticipation of pain.
Surely, if your body shrinks there must be pain attached to the
transformation. To her surprise there was none. She opened her
eyes, relieved that she was still in one piece; albeit a much
smaller piece, of what she once was.

Todmus pushed a stone that was jutting out of the
wall and the secret door slid across and sealed them in, not a
moment too soon. A second later, Alyssa saw a spark, and a torch
that Todmus had pulled off the wall burst into flame, lighting up
their surroundings.

They heard the muffled anger of Arawn's voice as he
and some guards charged into the kitchen.

Alyssa and Todmus held their breath.

“Search under every pot if you have to!” Arawn
yelled. “I heard them come this way. They couldn't have gone
far.”

The sound of multiple footsteps faded as the guards
went off in different directions. Alyssa was just about to say
something, but Todmus put a finger over his lips, silencing
her.

The sharp sound of clattering metal made Alyssa
recoil. Arawn was still in the kitchen. He must have swiped his arm
along the table and knocked all the saucepans that were stacked
there onto the floor. She didn't dare think what would happen if
she had spoken and he discovered they were standing behind the wall
just a few feet away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The trio inside the tunnel gave themselves several
minutes before they moved, or even dared breathe for that matter,
just to be sure that Arawn was no longer in the kitchen.

“That was close,” Alyssa whispered, leaning up
against the dusty wall and resting her head against the cool stone.
“We owe you our lives, Todmus. How can we ever repay you?”

Todmus smiled. “We are not out of the woods yet,
miss. And I mean that quite literally. Arawn will have his men
scouring the woods, and we have to make our way through them to get
to the cave. I was hoping to make my escape on Aesti but...” he
looked down at the unconscious heap that was Etyran. “That will not
be possible now. So, I guess we have to turn to plan B.”

Alyssa followed Todmus's line of sight to the
crumpled person on the floor and sighed. “What is plan B?” she
asked.

“I don’t know yet, but I'm sure I'll think of
something.” Todmus reached up and rubbed Alyssa on the arm when he
saw the dismay on her face. “Come now, miss. Everything will turn
out just fine, you'll see. Now, we really must be going.”

“Who is Aesti?” Alyssa asked.

“All in good time, miss,” Todmus replied.

Alyssa pulled Etyran into a sitting position, his
back leaning up against the wall. She crouched in front of him and
took a moment to look upon his features. They looked peaceful in
sleep. She knew what she was about to do would bring him pain
again. His face would twist when the agony of his sore head bore
down on him. She leaned forward slightly. “Forgive me,” she
whispered before slapping him across his cheeks with her open
palm.

“Wake up, Etyran!” Alyssa barked. “We have to keep
going. I can't do this without your help.” When the only response
she got was a barely discernible moan, she slapped him a bit
harder. “Come on, Etyran, we're nearly there,” she lied. “Then you
can sleep as long as you need to.”

Etyran opened his eyelids slowly. His bloodshot eyes
were unfocused until they landed on Alyssa's worried expression. He
pulled his head away from where it was resting against the wall. It
lolled back and forth a couple of times, but all the while, he
tried to keep his gaze fixed on Alyssa.

“Where are we?” he mumbled, after he was able to
successfully balance his head on his shoulders.

“No time to explain. Can you get up?” Alyssa
asked.

Etyran looked around, saw Todmus standing to one side
lighting their way with his torch, and frowned. He looked back at
Alyssa. “Is that Todmus?” he asked.

Alyssa looked at Todmus then back again. “Yes.”

“Huh,” he said, closing his eyes again.

“Oh, no, you don't,” Alyssa said, tapping his cheeks
lightly to stop him from slipping under again. She put one of his
big arms over her shoulder. “Come on you big lump. I need some help
here.”

Thankfully, as she pushed herself up off the floor,
Etyran managed to take most of his own weight himself. When he was
standing, he used Alyssa to steady himself but tried to walk as
best he could under his own steam.

Todmus started down the tunnel in front of them. The
warm glow of his torch dancing off the walls, highlighting the odd
cobweb that hung from the ceiling.

“I know I've taken quite a crack to the noggin, but,
is it me, or are we the same size as Todmus?” Etyran asked after a
few minutes of following the dwarf down the tunnel.

Alyssa chuckled. She had to admit it was a little odd
being the same size as Todmus, and she'd only known him for a short
while. It must seem even odder to Etyran who had known him a lot
longer and towered above everyone who was of normal stature, let
alone those who weren't.

“It should be just up ahead,” Todmus said as they
rounded a corner in the tunnel.

“See, I told you we were nearly there,” Alyssa said
to Etyran, the bright smile she shot in his direction looking just
a little too bright.

The look he gave her was scrutinizing. “Nice try,
Blondie. I may not have my wits about me at the moment, but even
firing on half cylinders I know it's a long way back to the
cave.”

Alyssa lowered her gaze. She watched each labored
footstep Etyran made as he scuffed through the red dirt that made
up the floor of the tunnel. The heavy weight of him on her shoulder
reminded her just how vulnerable he still was.

“Do you think you'll be able to make it?” she
asked.

“Well, I've got two choices.”

Alyssa brought her eyes up to meet his, creasing her
eyebrows and tilting her head in question.

“Either I will or I won't,” he replied to her
unspoken question.

“We'll think of something. Can you bend the light
yet?”

Etyran looked ahead, concentrating on the glow of
Todmus's torch. His body flickered like a dysfunctional television
set. He looked down at himself and sighed.

“Doesn't look like it,” he said.

Alyssa didn't say anything, but her heart felt heavy.
What if that knock to the head had destroyed his gift? What if he
could no longer bend the light? She pushed those thoughts to the
back of her head and tried to think of a way they could get back to
the cave without being discovered by Arawn or any of his guards, or
even worse, the erchyll. Although most of the way back to the cave
took them under the cover of the forest, there was a short distance
in which they would have to travel across a meadow to get to the
forest where the ovate's cave was hidden. Alyssa had no doubt that
Arawn would dispatch the creatures to cover the open areas.
Although Arawn didn't know where the hideout was she was sure he
would cover all bases around the castle.