Heiress: Birthstone Series Book Two (16 page)

“I’ll find her,” I finally said. “I can feel it, deep inside
of me. I know I’m meant to help her and I know I’ll be led to her. My life is
connected to hers so completely, there’s nothing in this world that could keep
me from finding her.”

Haji met my eyes with a sad smile. I wondered if she doubted
me but it didn’t matter. I’d spoken the truth.

She lifted the leaves again and this time let out an
exultant whoop at what she saw. “It worked!”

She was right. The sap had bound my skin back together and
the redness around the wound had faded. My heart rate steadied as some of the
pain ebbed away.

“Great,” I said. “Let’s find some food.”

Haji didn’t argue. We tromped further into the cool, mossy
forest, in search of something edible. The terrain was unusual and I couldn’t
help but comment on the strange holes I found all over the ground. Haji and I
did our best to avoid them even though there were so many. If they housed some
sort of animal, I didn’t want to disturb them.

Eventually, we tracked a couple of large birds and each of
us took one out with our arrows. Haji recognized some edible berries and picked
enough to fill the cloth bag she always carried with her. I tried not to think
of how the taste of ocean would sink into them by the time we ate. The flavor
of salt seemed to seep into all of our food lately.

By the time we returned, Lirig had managed to build a small
fire. Faema was back in the ocean with the map holding it just under the
surface in order to study it. Nethran maps were designed to only be read under
water, something Aylen and I had discovered long ago.

“Find anything?” I called out to her as I plucked feathers
off the birds.

She turned and made her way back toward us, the map rolled
in her hand. After she returned it to Lirig’s bag, she flopped on the ground
near the fire and sighed.

“I think so,” she said, “but I don’t expect anyone to
listen.”

“Try me.”

Faema looked my way, her eyes betraying distrust. We’d never
exactly been on good terms and I knew this trip was a lot less comfort than she
was used to, but I’d been trying to be nice. Or at least tolerant.

“Look,” I said, as I tied the birds to a stick and straddled
it between the two other sticks Lirig had prepared for me on each side of the
fire pit. “If you understand that map better than us, then I’d love any
information you want to toss our way. I trust you.”

She didn’t answer at first so I kept myself busy with the
spit.

Finally, she asked, “You do?”

When I looked at her and nodded, she smiled a little. “I
don’t think anyone has ever trusted me.”

“Well, you’ve earned it.”

Faema gazed into the blaze with an absent smile and poked at
it with a leftover stick. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking
about. Eventually, she dropped the stick to the ground and wrapped her arms
around her knees.

“I think we’re still about forty or more days off.”

“That long? I could’ve sworn we were faster than that. We’ve
traveled so far.”

“True, but I’m almost positive the last island we visited
was listed on the map and if it’s the one I believe it is, we’re not even half
way.”

Haji strolled toward us and plopped onto the ground next to
Faema. “What are you two discussing?” she asked.

“The possibility that we’re not even close to the mainland
and I think we’ll die in the ocean long before we get there,” Faema said.

“We won’t die.” Haji rolled her eyes. “We’re closer than you
realize.”

“No, we’re not.” Faema insisted. “It would take a mainland
ship several moon cycles to reach Vairda. Yes, we’re faster but it’ll still
take us a long time. I don’t think our supplies will survive the ocean much
longer. I doubt our Sea Gems will last too.”

“You worry too much,” Haji told her.

“She’s got a point,” I argued. “I think we underestimated
how far away Vairda really is from Miranasch.” I inhaled the scent of roasted
fowl and rotated the spit again.

“Maybe you did.” Haji muttered.

“And you didn’t?”

She stood and brushed herself off. We watched as she
strolled to her bag, opened it up, and began to rifle through it. Lirig had
been listening to our conversation and he made his way toward Faema and me, a
question in his eyes.

“Don’t ask me,” I muttered.

Finally, she pulled her closed fist from the depths of her
bag, walked back to our group, and sat down again.

We stared at her, waiting for an explanation. When she
remained silent, Faema nudged her with her foot. “So?” she asked.

Haji tossed her hair behind her shoulders. “This could get
us all in big trouble,” she said, her eyes on Lirig. “In fact, there will be a
lot of angry Nethrans looking for us once they figure it out.”

Lirig’s eyes grew wide. “What did you do?” he asked. I
caught a slight tremor in his voice.

Haji uncurled her fingers. From her palm rose a single,
white gem. It continued to soar upward until it was eye level with Lirig.

We stared, speechless for several moments before Lirig
sputtered and turned on Haji.

“You stole this? From the vault? Do you have any idea how
valuable this is?”

“Of course. Which is why I had to steal it. You would have
never given it to me.”

“What makes you think you had the right? Do you even know
what it’s for?”

Haji laughed and glanced up at the gem. “Let’s just calm
down.” She looked to me for support and I gave her a nod of encouragement.
“First of all, that gem wasn’t doing anybody any good stuck in that stupid
vault.” When Lirig sputtered again, she held up her hand to quiet him. “I would
think the Nethrans would be willing to make a small sacrifice if it could help
Aylen and all of Miranasch.”

“Haj,” Lirig said, raking a trembling hand through his hair,
“that gem is no small sacrifice. It’s extremely rare and someone probably died
to obtain that. It looks like the heart has already been exposed so it was
obviously important. And you’ve already claimed it so it’s been wasted. It’s
not a Sea Gem!”

“I wasn’t after a Sea Gem. And really, the Nethrans
sacrifice doesn’t seem so huge when you think of the lives that have been lost
on the mainland and will continue to be lost if Aylen doesn’t achieve her
purpose.”

“Haj,” I broke in, “I don’t see how claiming a gem you can’t
use is much of a help.”

She glared at me and shot to her feet so fast I didn’t see
her legs move. She snatched the gem from the air, took a step closer to Lirig,
and with her eyes still on his, disappeared with a thunderous crack.

Lirig’s jaw dropped as he stared stupidly at Haji’s leftover
footprints. I glanced around, knowing she wouldn’t have gone far. It was Faema
who pointed toward the trees. Sure enough, Haji walked toward us, her mouth set
in a satisfied line.

“You’re a Traveler?” Lirig asked when she sat down next to
Faema again.

“My great-great grandfather was. That was how he got to
Vairda. Aluce knew him and told me all about him. And she also told me about
the Travel Gems in the Nethran vault.”

“Wait,” I said with a shake of my head, “why would Aluce
tell you about the Travel Gems?”

Haji’s expression grew serious. “She mentioned helping you
reach Miranasch when the time was right.”

I stared at her in shock. “Aluce planned for me to go all
along?”

“I’m not sure what she planned. Who knows with that woman?”
Haji shrugged. “She told Perin you had to stay so he wouldn’t help us, didn’t
she?”

I shook my head and turned the spit one more time.

“If Perin had just given you the Sea Gems,” Lirig said, “you
never would have had a reason to get into the vault.”

“And I wouldn’t have been able to get the Travel Gem,” Haji
finished for him.

I whipped my head up and glanced at all three of them. “Do
you think Aylen knows I’m on my way?”

“I doubt it,” Faema said. “Aluce wouldn’t want to get her hopes
up only to have them destroyed if you don’t make it. It would be better if
Aylen believes you’re safe in Vairda, kissing on some other girl.” She tossed
one of Haji’s berries into the fire where it popped against the coals.

I ignored her comment. Instead, I looked at Haji. “When do
we use it and how far will it get us?”

“I would guess it might take us within another day’s travel.
It’s a strong stone but it’ll be carrying four people,” Lirig jumped in.

“You know how to use it to transport everyone?” I asked
Haji.

She nodded. “I think so. Aluce went through it with me a few
times. We’ll look at the map after we eat and figure out the area we want to
land and when we want to go. I’ve been holding off because I wanted us to make
sure it would take us close enough.”

I sank from my haunches onto the ground and put my head in
my hands. The others took over the rest of the meal preparations as I thought
back on the latest events in the past few weeks. We were exhausted and grubby
and we reeked of battle, hunger, and fatigue. Now that I knew we would make it
to the mainland, I realized how many doubts I’d tried to bury throughout our
journey.

My fingers shook with anticipation. I would find Aylen.
Aluce wouldn’t have encouraged Haji if she’d known there would be a bad
outcome. Everything was going to be fine.

I didn’t notice Haji settle down next to me with a hot,
greasy piece of meat in her fingers until she nudged my shoulder.

“What would I do without you?” I asked her, too embarrassed
that I’d almost refused her company to look her in the eyes.

“You’d die of an infection from a battle wound.” She took a
bite of her food and sighed contentedly. “This is really good. You should have
some.”

She didn’t need to tell me twice.

Later that night, our bellies full and the sky the color of
lava and ash, we stood knee deep in the water, huddled around the map. We
picked out a few of the islands where we had made stops and tried to guess
where some others were that hadn’t been recorded. Faema had been accurate in
her assessment of where we were.

Once that was established, we turned our attention to
Miranasch. We read the names of cities along the coast and tried to guess how
large each place was.

“I think we need to arrive as close to the biggest city as
possible,” I said, “but we want to be secretive when we go ashore.”

“So, maybe here?” Lirig pointed to an area shaded with what
looked like trees along the coastline. Not far from there was a large star with
the word “Rynmalla” written underneath.

“Is that where Aylen’s grandfather lives?” Faema asked.

“I don’t think so but I remember being taught that it’s one
of the larger cities,” Lirig confirmed.

“Then that’s where we want to go.” I let the map roll back
up and lifted it out of the water. “So, when do we use the Travel Gem?”

“I was thinking tomorrow night,” Haji said. “We’ll have time
to rest and maybe gather a few supplies and check our weapons.”

“Do we really want it dark when we get there?” Lirig asked.
“It’ll be more difficult to find our way around a foreign place.”

“But it’s less likely we’ll be seen or detained,” I told
him. “We’ll get a chance to decide our next move while we observe the area.”

Lirig didn’t argue and we set to work, preparing camp for
the night. Haji made a list of things we could gather in the morning that might
come in handy and Faema stoked the fire so we’d go to sleep warm.

Exhausted as usual, it didn’t take long for me to plummet
into a heavy sleep. Sometime in my dreams, I began to battle a sea serpent,
knowing somehow that Aylen had been swallowed whole and was waiting for me
inside its stomach. But when I killed it and sliced it open, a thousand smaller
serpents burst out, their mouths open, dripping venom.

When I heard the hissing, I realized it wasn’t a dream.

I bolted upright and looked around. The fire was now only a
gentle golden glow. Lirig, Haji, and Faema were all asleep, their faces
peaceful. Oblivious.

And stealthily slithering toward us, their flesh a chorus of
whispers as they slid along the ground, were hundreds of black snakes.

“Wake up!” I screamed. I rolled over and lunged for my
weapons. I strapped on as many as possible but kept the sword in my hand.

Lirig shot up, saw the snakes, and grabbed his spear from
the ground. Haji and Faema sat up at the same time.

“The holes in the ground. They must sleep during the day,”
Haji said as she reached for her bag.

“We can’t fight them all!” Faema yelled. She hurled a rock
at a cluster of serpents that had edged too close.

Lirig took a couple steps backward toward the water but
stopped when the hissing grew louder. “Think they can swim?”

I swiped at several that had advanced, slicing off their
heads with my sword. “We may have to make a run for it and hope they don’t.” I
swung my blade down on another cluster just as they came within a hands length
of sinking their teeth into my foot.

Faema grabbed for any supplies she could reach. When her
arms were full she began to back up toward the water.  Lirig and I stayed with
her, cutting down every serpent within striking distance.

“Stop!” Haji screamed. “They’re in the water behind you!”

“Get into your sea skin,” I said. I cursed as several more
snakes lunged at my legs. “Their bites might not be able to penetrate.”

Pink light glimmered in the dark when our Sea Gems embedded
in our palms. In unison, our flesh was covered with our sturdy sea skin. When I
glanced at Haji, I realized she hadn’t changed.

I ran toward her, slicing at serpents along the way. When I
reached her, I grabbed her around the waist and hauled her backwards toward
Lirig and Faema.

 “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” I growled.

“I can’t use both stones at the same time. I don’t know how
yet. Cover me and I’ll get us out of here.” She gripped the Travel Gem tightly
in one hand and closed her eyes. “We all need to be touching. We can’t leave
anyone behind.”