Heiress: Birthstone Series Book Two (33 page)

With a grim smile, I slammed the door shut and left the lock
open.  After tonight, regardless of the outcome, it wouldn’t need to be locked
again.

Haji grabbed my arm and moved to block my path. She hadn’t
been thrilled to hear of my next challenge. Now that it was upon me, I realized
she meant to intervene. “This isn’t a fair fight! You’re injured,” she
insisted.

I gently removed her hand. “And that should ensure Baen’s
humiliation when I defeat him.”

“But if he wins, it won’t get you any closer to Aylen. Have
you forgotten your entire purpose in coming here?”

“Of course not, but I wouldn’t have made it this far without
you, Lirig, and Faema.” I sighed. “Right now, it’s not within my power to help
Aylen. But it is within my power to help my friends.”

She took a step back and shook her head. With a reassuring
smile, I turned and strode toward the ring where Baen was trying his best to
look bored. A long cord formed a wide circle on the ground, meeting end to end.
I stepped over it and walked to the center of the ring. The underground chamber
felt dank and muggy. Groups of anxious people clustered close in the tight
space and murmurs of irritation filled the air as spectators stepped on each
other’s toes and stretched their necks to see over the heads in front of them.
The pain in my shoulder pulsated in rhythm with my heartbeat but the wound had
stopped bleeding. My hand wasn’t so lucky. The blood soaked cloth had grown
sticky and wet and left red smears on whatever it touched.

Baen approached me with his sword. We stared at one another
for several long seconds as the crowd hushed and waited. My ears throbbed in
the silence but the sound of my own breathing calmed me. I made the first move.

I shifted my feet and twisted my spear so the blunt end
faced Baen. For a split second, his features registered confusion. Then he
lunged.

I knocked his blade away and twisted my weapon upward. As
his sword fell on empty air, I thrust the blunt end into his shoulder. He stumbled
backwards with a grunt.

Baen caught himself before he hit the ground, his eyes
feverish with rage.

Good
, I thought.
Anger will aid error.

His steps were cautious when he advanced again and began to
circle me. This time, using both hands, I pointed the tip of the spear his way.
His eyes flitted between my face and the heavy, sharp tip as he contemplated
his next move. I didn’t give him time.

After a couple of steps, I slid toward him on the dirt
ground. He sliced his sword toward the pole in between my hands but I flipped
the point up and knocked his sword to the side. He spun and kicked out toward
my injured hand, nicking it with his heel as I twisted away.

He smiled as I yowled in pain.

I rolled to my feet and crouched in a ready position. In the
same moment, I felt the stab wound in my shoulder reopen. I gasped at the
sensation of newly healed flesh ripping. Hot, sticky blood trickled down my
back.

I had to end this quickly.

When I usually fought with my spear, where I placed my feet
and how I moved was as important as how I used the weapon. This time, I knew my
broken body would be a severe hindrance.

Baen’s teeth glinted in the yellow torchlight. I ignored his
sneer and studied the way his fingers curled around the grip of his sword.

My aim would have to be perfect, but I’d had more difficult
targets in Vairda.

I moved forward, my spear pointed toward him. He hit my
weapon with his sword, attempting to engage it and knock it from my hands. I
pulled back and waited for him to come to me this time.

I didn’t wait long. He advanced again, more bold in his
steps as he realized I was limited in what I could do. This time, I slid
forward and thrust the point of my spear into his fingers. He jerked backwards
as the point split into his skin. I twisted my spear once more so the blunt end
faced him and jammed it into his jaw. His head flew backward with the hit and
the crack of his jaw bone vibrated through my spear staff. His sword fell from
his hands as he stumbled forward and, writhing in pain, dropped to the ground.
I snatched his weapon up and held it into the air so everyone could see who was
victor.

“We need healers,” I yelled. A sea of silent, awe-filled
stares answered my request. “Now!” I barked.

I limped back to the display, swung the door open, and
returned my spear. I placed Baen’s sword next to it.

When I returned to the circle, Baen was surrounded by
several healers with gems. One of them approached me and timidly motioned me to
sit. With thanks, I obeyed her and closed my eyes. Almost immediately, I felt
the skin in my shoulder begin to knit back together. I closed my eyes and fell
asleep sitting up before she could focus on my hand.

When I awoke, I found myself in the most comfortable place
I’d slept since arriving in Miranasch. In spite of being stiff and covered with
only two thin blankets, I considered the little cot much better than bedrolls
and forest floor. I sighed and rolled onto my side, relishing the lack of pain
as I moved.  With little effort, I managed to sit up and stretch my tight
muscles. As I rubbed the back of my neck with my newly healed hand, I noticed
Baen sleeping in the cot on the other side of the room.

I strode toward him and peered down into his face.

“You’re not asleep,” I said.

He groaned.

“How’s your face?”

Baen opened one eye and managed to glare at me. “Better
looking than yours.”

“You had it coming,” I said.

“So did you. You were the one who bragged about knowing the
king’s son and the Gem Heiress the moment you walked in.”

I gaped at him in disbelief. “I wasn’t bragging. I was
pleading for help.”

“Bragging,” He shot back. He opened the other eye, swung his
legs over the side of the cot, and sat up. “When people come here, they’re
desperate. They’ve seen the worst of mankind and they’re as humble as it gets.
When you got here, you acted like we all owed you something. Just like one of
the king’s soldiers.”

“You tortured me because you thought I was arrogant?”

“No, I did it because I wanted to see if your requests for
help were real or if you would break.” He stood and straightened his shoulders.
“The most arrogant always break.”

I shook my head. “There’s a difference between arrogance and
confidence.” I narrowed my eyes and took a step back. “I know why I’m here and
nothing is going to distract me from it.”

I turned my back to him and stormed out the door. I found
myself at the end of a narrow, dim hallway leading only one direction. I
followed it until it dumped me out into the main chamber. I scanned the faces
of those nearby in search of Haji or Lirig but noticed it was unusually
crowded. Swarms of people were clustered in one large group and they seemed to
be surrounding the stairs leading to the outside world.

I heard Baen come up behind me and halt as he saw the crowd.
“What is this?” he asked.

“You’re in charge here. Don’t you know?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he shoved past me and began to
weave through the enormous throng of people. “Silence!” I heard him yell amidst
the crowd. “Disperse,” was his next command.

 And he thought I was arrogant.

The crowd began to part, allowing him through. As he pushed
his way to where the majority seemed to have congregated, I caught a glimpse of
Haji. A moment later, my eyes fell on the person she was with.

My lips formed his name before I could stop myself. “Tereg!”
I heard my voice ring across the room. Hundreds of eyes turn toward me but I
hardly noticed them. Baen had stopped walking. He glanced between me and Tereg,
his eyes wide.

I began to run. Tereg gently stepped past Haji and made his
way through the crowd toward me. I pushed past Baen and flew past the throng of
people until I was standing in front of Aylen’s father.

Eye to eye, we grinned at each other. “Son,” he whispered as
he reached toward me and clapped his hands around my back. I winced at the
slight pain in my still-sore shoulder, but laughed in spite of it. Then I
allowed myself to fall into his arms as though he were my own father. And he
practically was.

When he pulled away he kept his hands on my shoulders and
studied me, his eyes piercing with their intensity. “How did you come to be
here?”

My lips curled into another smile as I said, “I swam.”

Tereg chuckled and shook his head. “I should have known
you’d follow. And it looks like you’re here in one piece so far?”

I was tempted to mention Baen’s attempts to rough me up but
thought better of it. Instead I simply nodded.

I noticed the crowds of people nearby, some still gawking at
us. I motioned toward them and asked, “What are you doing here? No one here
seemed to know where you were.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” he said. He took a few steps forward
and clapped his hands together once.

“Thank you for the warm welcome, my fellow revolutionaries,”
Tereg shouted above the din. When most everyone had quieted, he continued. “I’m
honored to be in your camp this day and even more pleased to have found some of
my most valued friends waiting for me in your care.” He cleared his throat and
glanced at me once before continuing. “As many of you already know, I am Tereg,
the surviving, fugitive son to our murderous king. My daughter is the Gem
Heiress who is now in Miranasch, currently being trained to use her inherited
powers so that she may change the course of this kingdom. I’ve come with
important news and wish to share this information with you in this location in
an hour’s time after your citizens have all been gathered.”

With a quick bow, he turned his back on the crowd and smiled
at me again. “Now that I’ve taken care of that, let’s find your friends.”

A very short time later, we sat before a large meal in the
private room Tereg had requested. Those who served us had been much more
generous with the food than the usual scant portions of weak fare. Tonight, we
sat in front of a large, roasted bird, bowls of some kind of sweet, purple compote,
thick slabs of crusty bread dripping with butter, and giant mugs of tangy
cider.

I stared at it all, ravenous in body, but unable to pay
attention to anything I tasted. My thoughts were entirely focused on Aylen.
With Tereg here, the opportunity to see her seemed indefinite, and I was eager
to find out how long it would be before he took me to her.

“So, how did you find us?” Haji asked.

Tereg stirred his bowl of fruit absently. The moment the
doors had closed, separating us from the rest of the rebel camp, his shoulders
had sagged with exhaustion. While he stared at his food, his eyebrows pressed
together in a somber frown.

“We heard throughout several camps that sentries were
looking for rumored foreigners. At first we thought they were talking about my
family. Then we learned of an odd group in a rebel camp who were searching for
the Gem Heiress and claiming to know her. Once I began to question more, I was
led here.” He smiled wearily and took a bite of his bread.

“Did you only come here to find us?” Lirig asked.

Tereg shook his head. “I’m on a mission to visit as many
camps as quickly as possible. We’ve received word that the king is threatening
to attack one of Miranasch’s most protected cities. We need people to help
defend it.” Tereg sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “We were planning to
strike the city of Galaetha, where the king lived, but it seems he’s trying to
direct our attention elsewhere.”

From Tereg’s grim expression, I knew there was more to the
king’s decision than he was telling us.

“What city is in danger?” I asked.

“It would seem Et Loedin is the target, although it’s likely
Indikae and Benduin will be attacked first.” When he saw our blank stares, he
said, “Et Loedin is high in the mountains and extremely difficult to get to.
Usually only flyers– the bloodline of the Sky Gem – can reach it. Indikae and
Benduin are further down the mountain and more vulnerable.”

“How much damage can he do? If Et Loedin is so protected, it
doesn’t sound like it’ll be easy for him to reach.” Haji said.

Tereg glanced at me, his mouth set in a pained frown. I
raised an eyebrow, willing him to confirm what I’d already guessed.

“Aylen is in Et Loedin. So, he’s either trying to lure her
out and force a confrontation or he’s there to simply do as much damage as
possible and scare her and the rest of us into submission.”

Faema sighed with impatience. “But if he can’t reach the
city, what does it matter?”

Tereg shook his head. “Those who would use Travel Gems to
reach it are stopped by special protections the city has in place so it’s most
likely he’ll march his troops into the smaller cities below. He’ll do as much
damage there knowing the flyers and Aylen will respond.”

“And you’re here to gather those willing to fight,” I
stated.

“Yes.”

“How far is it?”

“It’s several days journey at best. The battle may have
already begun by the time much of our army arrives.”

“And what about you?” I asked. “Are you going to fight?”

Tereg nodded and took a swig of his drink. “My family is at
the center of this battle. Of course I fight.”

“Then so do I,” I said.

Tereg immediately placed a hand on my arm and shook his
head. “Sai, you need to remain safe. If anything happened to you, it would
destroy Aylen.”

“She may be destroyed if I don’t help. It’s why I came.”

“Her connection to you is what keeps her grounded. The only
reason she’s able to handle so many gems is because she looks to you as an
anchor amidst the conflicting emotions and impulses the gems force upon her. If
you were killed, her sanity would snap. She’d be no better than the king. Most
likely worse.”