Fantasy of Fire (The Tainted Accords Book 3) (4 page)

I clear my throat. “Your son is one of the bravest boys I’ve ever known. I want to make sure you grasp what the effects of his actions will be,” I say. “You know the Solati are making their way to Glacium. What you don’t realize is my position close to the king of Glacium.”

Nancy starts, her mouth dropping open.

“Your son, through unsanctioned actions with the best intentions, has just saved hundreds of lives. You see, the king had received a false message from the Tatum accepting his peace proposition. His army isn’t even in the First Sector. Who knows how many would have died if Glacium was caught unawares, as the Tatum intended.”

I haven’t bothered to unstrap myself from my Soar. I wink at the miserable Jimmy, mouthing an “I’m sorry” as I walk to the edge.

* * *

I finally track down Hamish. He’s at the Training Island where we’d spent weeks together as he taught me how to fly. A sheer cliff makes up one side of the rock, while the other side is a series of gradually deepening steps. I still remember the bruises from crash-landing onto them. It turned out the only way to force my body to go against its normal instincts was a life-or-death situation. I’d saved a toddler, Cara, who fell off Nursery Island.

“Miss our flying lessons?” I ask as I sit beside him. He stiffens and remains silent.

“Hamish. Can we talk about this?” I prod.

“It seems everything I want to talk to you about is some kind of secret,” he says with a pout.

I repress a sigh. You’d never know he and Jovan were of a similar age. It’s the difference between being allowed to grow up and being forced to grow up. “Look, I value your friendship and I want things to be easy between us, as they once were.” I peek into his eyes, searching for the friendliness I used to find there. What I find is a stark contrast to that. The distance sits oddly on his face, like he’s unpracticed at maintaining anger.

He sniffs and looks away. “It doesn’t seem you do. You know everything about me, Willow. My family, my job, my ambitions. What about you? You met Crystal when fighting in the Outer Rings. You have a friend who you’d risk capture by the king’s watch for,” he says. He looks back at me with blazing eyes.

Hamish doesn’t know this “friend” was really my brother, Olandon. I’d raced from the Ire to save him from Jovan. Looking back, I wonder if I wasn’t just waiting for an excuse to return to the castle.

“Where were you born? Do you have siblings? What’s your favorite meal?”

He won’t be happy with a few vague answers. I remove my hand from his. I know I’ll just end up hurting him, so it’s better if I go. “I'm sorry things couldn’t be better between us. If my secrets only affected me, I’d tell you everything,” I say.

He watches with a cold expression as I strap myself back into the Soar. So much for spending time with a friend. It would’ve been nice to forget all the problems surrounding me, even for a couple of minutes.

I give a sad smile and drop off the side of the rock into open air.

* * *

I pace around the small, stone-circled fire pit while Isha makes the morning meal the next day. I’ve spent my life hiding this kind of emotion, but if Adox doesn’t agree, I’ve got nothing left to give. Isha and Cris exchange more than one glance at my jerky behavior.

I’ve just sat down, but I shoot to my feet when Adox lands. His face gives nothing away. It’s grim. But whether it’s because he’s planning to deliver bad news, or grim with fear about his decision to help, I can’t tell. I keep my breath shallow as he approaches, remembering to keep my hands loose.

I knew the consequences before, but as he approaches, it hits me how much hangs on his decision. How many people will die unnecessarily—how many of my friends and family will be slaughtered. And how the worlds will be forever changed if my mother gains rule of both Glacium and Osolis. So I’m grateful when Adox gives me his answer straightaway, in his direct manner and with four simple words.

“We are with you,” he says.

I release a shuddering breath. “Thank you.” I nod deeply. “I don’t think you understand how many people you have just saved.”

His lips regain their tightness. “If the Ire is found out, I hope you realize how many people I might have killed.”

Though I would never say the words out aloud, I did think he was incorrect about how his people would be treated afterwards. Maybe the thought was more a wish on how I wanted to be treated if my secret ever got out. I nod again. “I do.”

He gestures with an arm. “Then I imagine we should begin.”

We convene at the Meeting Island. Adox was busy planning before he came to Isha’s. The tent seems lighter than yesterday when I’d uncovered my face. Perhaps my relief is playing tricks on me. There are nearly thirty of the Ire gathered in the huge tent. Hamish is one of the Ire folk here, sitting and talking to a blonde woman from the Nursery Rock, whose name I forget. Adox also sent a scout the previous night to pinpoint the Solati’s current position.

Everyone fixes their eyes on Adox as we walk to the raised seat opposite the entrance. Adox stands in front of his cushioned chair, but doesn’t sit, while I hover awkwardly at his side, uncertain of Ire protocol.

He raises a hand and people begin to hush. Their words don’t vanish from their lips as they do when Jovan demands silence. Adox clears his throat and I see he’s nervous. I can imagine why. I doubt the information he’s about to impart will be well received.

“The people in this tent have been hand-selected for an important mission. A mission which will save many lives,” he begins. “Each of you were chosen because of your knowledge of the pathway between Osolis and Glacium, for your skill with Soaring and for your bravery.” I hold back a smile as I see his flattery is working on at least half of the audience. I tuck the trick away for future reference. A low murmuring starts after his words. He waits until it dies down to speak again.

“I know you’ve wondered at the tension between Willow and myself of late,” he says. A few people exchange glances. “Willow came to me three days ago and asked for my assistance in stopping the Solati army from reaching Glacium.” He barely gets the last word out before the gathering erupts. I keep my face expressionless as fingers are pointed in my direction. It takes me a moment to realize not everyone is protesting. Some are shouting agreement. A few hover between the two states. I feel eyes on me and look over at Hamish. His stare is fevered and an excited grin covers his face.

This time Adox enlists the help of the two large bodyguards always at his side to bring the assembly under control.

“But why should we help them? Who is she to ask this of us?” someone from the entrance shouts.

Adox glances at me, double-checking on the story we decided upon. “Willow has a position close to the king of Glacium,” he says. “Do not think I agreed to this with ease. Until an assurance of our safety was brokered, I refused. Willow has now been able to provide such a guarantee. If caught, which is a small risk, the Ire is assured of protection in return for their aid. With this oath, I have decided we will give aid. My conscious will not allow the slaughter of defenseless thousands,” he says. The majority of people are silent at his words. His speech was cleverly done.

The person by the doorway is insistent. “How can she guarantee safety from both worlds? She’s Bruma. The Tatum will not hold to an oath,” they yell.

“Do you think this escaped my notice, Esus?” Adox bites out, not thrown off by the question. “Willow has provided her oath on King Jovan’s behalf. Currently, the Tatuma and the Tatum’s first son are staying in King Jovan’s castle. They’ve also sworn their oath regarding the future safety of the Ire.”

“But the Tatuma isn’t the ruler yet,” the same man speaks. I grind my teeth and keep my silence.

“You know how unbalanced Osolis is right now. I do not believe the Tatum will be in power for much longer.”

The man at the entrance, Esus, doesn’t reply and I roll the tension from my shoulders.

Adox looks around the group. “If you do not wish to participate, you must leave now. I give my promise, the mission is low risk, though there is some danger. It does not involve fighting, nor does it involve any communication with the Solati.” He pauses to check if anyone is leaving. I bite my cheek to stop from laughing at Hamish’s affronted expression. No one leaves. Not even Esus, who put up so much resistance.

At Adox’s command, the force take up the various cushions. There’s an even mix of male and females, ranging from teenagers to middle-aged. All are seated in a few moments. Adox gestures to me to take over as planned. I move to the middle of the tent, hands clasped behind my back, shoulders back. I was never taught this. But Aquin was the closest thing I’d had to a father. In absence of another role model, I’d copied all of his movements. He’d been the best of the Elite and the Head of Guards, so I’m glad it was his way of moving I’d decided to mimic.

I survey the crowd, much like Adox just did. But instead of trying to puff them up, I look for signs of fear and distrust; signs of confidence and excitement. I take a couple of minutes to do so, splitting the group in my mind.

“You, you and you,” I point. “Sit together.” They’re bewildered, but they do as I say. I go through the group of thirty, splitting them into twos and threes until there’s only one person left, other than myself and Adox. Adox needs to stay at the Meeting Island and coordinate the attack. The other person will be my pair.

“Remember your group,” I say. “This will be your company for the mission.”

“But what are we actually doing?” asks Hamish—the only person without a group.

I raise an eyebrow. “We’re going to destroy the pathway,” I say.

Gasps meet my words. A handful are unsurprised, either smart enough to work it out on their own, or filled in by Adox earlier.

Osolis and Glacium sat at the same level, with the floating islands connecting them. Logically, it would seem you could just walk in a straight line, hopping island to island to get from one planet to the next. The reality was different. The islands were all shapes, sizes, and heights. When our ancestors created the pathway, they spent years finding the easiest route. They then built the supports between those of the floating islands you couldn’t simply jump between, and made two maps. Before navigating the Oscala myself, I would’ve thought the journey would be easy. Surely you would see the next support, or the next part of the trail would be clear. I know better now. The pathway is twisting, doubling, and clawing. Needless to say, the only people to traverse the pathway were peace delegations, those with a death wish, or, in this case, several hundred soldiers. Of course, with my discovery of the Ire and their flying contraptions, the pathway is no longer the only means of traversing the distance between the worlds. In fact, it takes a baffling three days to go from Osolis to Glacium using a Soar—if you time it right with the smoke layer around my home world. Three days on a Soar, or a month on foot with a high risk of dying? I know which way I’d choose to navigate the Oscala.

“Each group will destroy two to three of the supports on the pathway,” I say while they’re still grasping what I’ve told them. “Hamish and I will deal with those closest to the Solati army.” Hamish’s green eyes meet mine, and he grins again. I return his smile.

“Each group will help to destroy the obstacles in front of the Solati army,” I continue. “The teams starting here,” I gesture to those beside Hamish, who seem the most confident, “will deal with the obstacles next to Hamish and myself. The group next to them deals with the next lot after, and so on.” I point to the Ire folk furthest from Hamish, made up of two young males and a timid-looking girl. “Your team will deal with the pathway supports closest to Glacium.”

Assured that everyone understands this, I move on. “Adox will discuss the exact locations you’re expected to tackle with each group, so there’s no confusion. As to how each obstacle is destroyed, that’s up to you. You’ll carry a few tools; axes, knives, saws. However you do it, keep the noise to a minimum.” I turn in a slow circle.

“I shouldn’t need to say this, but I will anyway. Your top priority is not to be seen. If the people closest to the army deem action unsafe, you are ordered to wait, or to move on to the next part of the pathway. We want to save lives, but not at the loss of your own. Is this understood?” I ask. Thirty serious faces nod back at me.

“In the unlikely event you’re seen, hide as quickly as possible. Remember, this army has been travelling for weeks now, and slowly. They’re tired and have no reason to suspect an attack from above. They may pass the sighting off as a trick of the light. Report any sightings to Adox.” On my crossing, I’d mistaken cracks in the rocks for Tellio lizards, and thought I was going crazy when I saw flashes of red. Later I learned the flashes of red were from Jimmy, who had been tailing us through the Oscala.

I look over my shoulder at Adox with a quirked eyebrow. He thinks for a moment and moves forward.

Hi voice is strong. “Keep this among yourselves for now. I will call a gathering once you’re gone to explain the happenings to the rest of the Ire,” he says. “You leave once the light dims. Take a small amount of food, wear dark clothing and select the right Soar for your location on the pathway.” I make a quiet noise as he gestures the timid group forward to discuss their targets. His last suggestion was smart. The color in the Oscala depended on whether you were closer to Glacium or Osolis. The very center was black, the surrounding islands blocking all of Osolis’s firelight. The tinge of the sky either side of the dark middle was a gradient of yellows, reds, purples, and blues. Red tinges meant you were closer to Osolis, Blue tinges meant you were closer to Glacium.