A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy) (12 page)

He was picking Arden back up to carry her to the barn when Kell stopped him. “What are you doing?”

“We’re leaving.”

“You’re taking her out in that storm?” Kell’s brows drew together, creating a wrinkle of anger above the bridge of his nose. “Are you trying to kill her?”

Ire revived his aching muscles, and he snapped her up into his arms. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s far more dangerous in here than it is out there. Now, you can either come with us or stay behind, but as her protector, I’m going to do what I think is best for her.”

When he reached the barn, Fane was already saddling up their horses. “It’s a good thing that whirlwind didn’t hit here. Otherwise, I might be forced to borrow whatever beast I managed to find.”

Despite the night’s events, Dev found himself grinning at the idea of the law-abiding knight stealing. “Wouldn’t that be against the law?”

“Not when I have every intention of returning the horses eventually.” He finished tightening the saddle on his horse and went to work on Dev’s. “I assume you’ll want her to ride with you.”

“Correct.” Arden was in no condition to ride on her own, and he’d be damned if he let her ride with Kell.

Fane nodded toward the prince and said quietly, “He’s not taking this very well.”

Dev watched Kell pace back and forth along the stalls, raking his hand through his hair over and over again. “I tried to warn him.”

“Do I need to intervene?” Fane was gifted at entering people’s minds, using his gift to both extract information and make people forget what they saw.

Dev shook his head, despite the twinge of pity tugging at his heart. “It’s better if he remembers what he’s messing with.”

He buckled a stirrup and paused. “Was this like the other attacks?”

“You felt it, too?”

Fane nodded, his face grim. “Only a strong elementalist could summon a storm like that. What’s worse, there was a taint to the magic.”

“What kind of taint?”

Fane resumed readying the horses. “I need to speak to Mage Primus about this. And soon.”

“Let’s make it to the safe house first.” Dev handed Arden to his friend while he mounted his horse, placing her in the saddle in front of him once he got settled in. “Then we can discuss this further.”

The rain had stopped by the time they reached the non-descript hut down the road. Fane exchanged a few words with the operator, apologizing for the late arrival, before ushering them inside. His friend followed him into a room for Arden, but Kell lingered in the main room.

Dev tucked her under the covers, thanking Lady Luck that Loku had decided to take control of her when he did. Normally, he loathed his conversation with the chaos god, but tonight, they’d worked together to save her life. Scaring Kell away was an added benefit.

Fane adjusted his riding gloves. “Do you know where the other safe houses are between here and Queembra?”

“Yes.”

“I’m trusting that you’ll follow the Empress’s orders and bring the Soulbearer there before taking her to Conclave.”

The muscles along his spine bunched up, but he nodded. “Aren’t you supposed to be escorting us there?”

“I think the Empress will forgive me this once. I need to speak to the Mage Primus before you arrive and let him know everything that happened tonight.”

Dev rubbed his upper arms to drive the chill out of them. “This taint you mentioned—”

“I’m not going to talk about it until I have a chance to discuss it with the Mage Primus first.” He drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry, Dev, but I can’t say anything more other than she might be in more danger than we first realized.”

“All the more reason why we should get her behind the walls of the Conclave as soon as possible.”

“We’ll get her there soon enough. In the meantime, stick to the safe houses.” He left the room with determined steps pounding on the floor toward the front door.

Dev peered outside into the main room. Kell sat hunched over the table, chugging a glass of wine and refilling it from the bottle in front of him. The Ranellian was taking the truth harder than he realized, and a touch of pity stirred inside him. He remembered his own reaction the first time Loku appeared to him, how he almost stabbed the Soulbearer in his initial moment of panic.

It’s for the best. Now he won’t pursue her, and I can finally be rid of him.

But instead of feeling happy at the prospect, emptiness filled him. This was not the way he wanted to win Arden back. 

He closed the door behind him and pulled a chair up to her bed, watching her sleep. “What is your plan, Loku?”

“Do you really need to ask?” Loku’s voice replied. Arden’s eyes eased open, their bright yellowish-green glow filling the room. “I’ll never forget the look on Kell’s face when I took over her body. It was priceless.”

“I appreciate you telling me about her injury.”

“Be honest, Dev. You also appreciate the fact that I scared him off. Now she’s all yours.”

Dev’s breath hitched, and he chose his next words carefully so he wouldn’t reveal any of his true emotions to the chaos god. “You know I can never have her.”

“Bullshit. I know how much you want her, how you’ve craved her since the moment you first saw her. I even thought convincing her to sleep with Kell would awaken some primal element of jealousy in you so you’d finally get off your high moral horse and drag her to your own bed.”

He tightened his jaw and sucked in a breath through his teeth. It was one thing for Loku to try and manipulate him, but when he used Arden like that, it made him wish the god had a body he could pummel. “Stop playing with her, Loku.”

“And miss out on all the fun? Never!” The god’s laughter mocked him as it came out of Arden’s mouth. “Face it Dev—Kell may own her body, you may have her heart, but I possess her soul.”

Her eyes shut, and she trembled in her sleep as though she was caught in the thralls of a nightmare.

Dev’s stomach flopped, Loku’s words echoing in his mind. He needed to save Arden from falling further under Loku’s power, or be forced to watch the madness consume her.

Chapter 12

Deep within the temple of Nelos, the high priest knocked the golden candelabra to the ground with a wail of frustration. He fell to his knees, his muscles so weak that even taking a deep breath required focused effort. The whirlwind he’d created to destroy the Soulbearer had taken more energy to cast than he’d realized.

He wanted to destroy this Soulbearer, to have Loku inhabit the body of someone less powerful among the simple people inside the inn. Someone who would be less of a threat and easier to kill once he or she reached Queembra. He’d acted without his god’s permission, hoping that his act would please Nelos.

But he’d failed.

A shudder formed inside him, working its way to the surface in violent heaves. “Forgive me, my lord,” he whispered.

He pressed his cheek against the cold, damp stone floor and waited for his punishment.

Hours passed before he heard the voice of Nelos inside his mind. “
Perhaps I need to find a more suitable vessel to carry out my will—one who does not act unless I tell him to.
”

The high priest clasped his hands together. “No, please, my lord, I will do better. Please do not abandon your faithful servant. She will be here soon, and I will strike at her once again.”

“
You fool!
” The walls of the temple shook from the thunder of the god’s voice. “
If you attack her here in Queembra, Loku will have his choice of bodies to invade.
”

His eyes burned. “I was not thinking of that. Please, there must be another way I can serve you to rid this world of chaos once and for all.”

“
Perhaps there is.
”

An image of a flower flashed through his mind, its five petals snow white on the edges before turning blood red at the center. A circlet of blue, thorn-like stamens crowned the center. “
Have you ever seen this flower before?
”

“No, my lord.”

“
This is the Flower of Lireal. It is found in the center of the mountains of the north, in the realm of the Ornathians. They fiercely guard it, for it is used to make a serum that can destroy souls.
”

His hands trembled as much as his voice did. No one entered the realm of the birdlike Ornathians without permission and lived to tell about it. They viciously guarded the Flower of Lireal, allowing its precious serum to be used only once in all of known history. But he’d vowed upon entering the priesthood that he would carry out Nelos’s bidding. “I can fetch it for you, my lord.”

“
In return for your service, I will shield you from their detection. Once you have found it, I will teach you how to make the serum that will kill the soul of chaos.
”

Chapter 13

A rough hand shook Arden from her dreams. Although she’d normally be perturbed by it, this time, she was thankful to be torn from a world where she was constantly running from hand-shaped waves and flying oak beams. Fatigued laced her muscles, making her body feel heavier than normal, but the pain and soreness from last night had vanished. She blinked her eyes, wondering if the bright sunlight was playing tricks on her. Instead of seeing Kell’s usual face at her bed, she focused on the angular jaw and pointed ears of her protector.

“We need to get going if we’re going to make the next safe house by nightfall.”

She gazed past him at the simple but intact walls of her room. The last thing she remembered was the shattered remains of the inn. “Where am I?”

Dev thrust a pile of clothes at her, not answering her question. “These will probably be too large for you, but they’ll do until we get to Queembra.”

He turned to leave, but she caught his arm. “What happened last night?” When his expression hardened, she added, “Tell me everything.”

“A whirlwind destroyed the inn.”

“I remember that.” Even though she’d been pinned under the ceiling beam, she never lost consciousness during the storm. “Then what happened.”

“You passed out.” He was staring at the foot of her bed rather that her, and her blood turned to ice. Something else happened—something he wanted to keep hidden from her.

“
Ask Dev how I helped to save your life
,” Loku said.

She licked her lips, wondering where all her spit had disappeared to. “What did Loku do?”

Dev’s chest rose and fell with a heavy breath. “He took over your body and informed me of a potentially fatal injury you had so I could heal you.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

Everything about Dev’s posture, from his slumped shoulders to the way he shifted his weight on his feet, told her it was. “He did it in front of Kell.”

And just like that, the consequences of Loku’s act hit her like a slap in the face. She’d tried to downplay the idea that she was a Soulbearer to him, to keep the monster inside her hidden from the prince’s view. But now he’d seen it. “Did he misbehave at all?”

“He threatened to take over Kell’s body just for spite if I let you die.”

She closed her eyes to keep the burning in them from spilling over. “
Why did you do that? Why did you try to destroy what I have with Kell?”

“Why can’t you tell him you love him?
” When she didn’t answer, he continued. “
Because you don’t, so don’t pretend to be all distraught over this. I just saved you months of heartache.
”

Loku’s words stung, but she refused to believe them. “How did he take it?”

Dev made another visual sweep of the floor before coming back to the foot of her bed. “Not well.”

Her throat tightened. Perhaps, if she had a chance to explain things to Kell, to reassure him that Loku didn’t mean any harm… “Please, let me get dressed so we can leave.”

“I think that’s a good idea.” Dev left, his footsteps swift and silent.

“
I think he’s relieved you handled this as well as you did.”

“Shut up, Loku.”
She got out of bed, letting the first hot tears roll down her cheek. Her stomach twisted, and she doubled over to ease the pain. “
My life was so normal before I met you. All you’ve done is cause me trouble.”

“I’ve made your life more exciting. I’ve taken you from your pitiful existence as a barmaid everyone in town avoided and turned you into a prince’s lover. I’ve raised you up and showed you what you are capable of becoming. But remember—I can also take it all away from you.”

“And is that what you hoped to prove with your little demonstration last night? That you could take Kell away from me and turn me into the town freak again if I don’t do what you say?”

Loku snickered. “Oh, no, my little Soulbearer. I saved your life because I want to keep you.”

She didn’t need to ask him what he meant by that. The chill that rippled down her back told her enough. As long as his soul resided inside her, she was his slave. But things would change soon. If Dev spoke the truth, she’d learn to contain him once she reached the Mage’s Conclave.

And then she wouldn’t have to worry about Loku taking control of her again.

***

Arden watched Kell from under the cover of her hood. Dev was being kind when he said that the prince hadn’t taken his brush with Loku well. It was Wallus all over again.

Kell kept glancing back at her, his eyes wide, his body twitching every time she met his gaze. It was as though he expected Loku to seize control of her once again and carry out his threat. Each stolen look of fear, each tremble that passed through him, tore at her heart until she wondered if he ever truly loved her.

When they arrived at the next safe house, Kell lingered on his horse, entering well behind her and Dev. Instead of joining them at their table, he reached for a glass of wine and sat by the fire, nursing it alone. He focused on the flames, not even acknowledging them.

Arden picked at her meal. There was so much she wanted to say to him. Part of her wanted to apologize for Loku’s behavior. Another part of her wanted to shake him out of his stupor and ask him what his problem was.