Kilenya Series Books One, Two, and Three (62 page)

He stood, his limbs protesting from being cramped for so long.

“I’m really, really sorry, Eachan.”

He whirled. He’d forgotten Aloren. His face lit up when an idea hit him—gave him hope that maybe things weren’t too late. There was one last thing he could do for Duana. Something which he knew would make her happy.

“They’ll be here to get you soon,” he said.

Excitement crossed her face. “Jacob?”

Eachan shook his head. “No. The Lorkon.” He spoke rapidly when she started panicking. “Aloren, I had to do it. There was no other choice. There are consequences to disobeying them. They don’t look lightly upon betrayal. They would’ve killed Duana . . .” His voice cracked and he looked down at his daughter. “If I hadn’t done it. If I hadn’t turned you in.”

“How much longer?”

“Any minute now.”

Aloren visibly shook. “I’ll do anything, Eachan. Please—”

“We have to act fast,” he said. “They don’t have to get you . . . You must hide!” Aloren jumped at the urgency in his voice. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the kitchen, then pushed her into a large cabinet, shutting the door.

“Eachan!” Her voice was muffled through the thin wood. “How will this work?”

He paused. “I don’t know.” He turned his head, listening to noises outside. Things had stilled. He ran to the front room and looked through the curtain. Two Lorkon were only a block away. Eachan raced back to the kitchen. “Quiet! They’re almost here.”

He returned to the main room, making sure to leave the door to the kitchen wide open so as to avoid suspicion. He left Duana on the floor, refusing to look at her.

The noise outside the town hall changed. The villagers moaned, pleaded, begged. Eachan parted the curtain. The tall figures were nearly at his door. They were surrounded by men and women who’d prostrated themselves on the ground, grabbing the feet and ankles of their masters. Eachan let the curtain fall shut when one of the Lorkon kicked a man away. He felt sick to his stomach just watching it.

He stood in front of the body of his daughter, facing the door when it swung open.

“Where is she?” the first Lorkon said.

“You can’t keep the villagers in this condition. They’re dangerous. They want their freedom and the lives of those who are strong and healthy. You have to allow them to—”

“Shut your mouth!” The Lorkon stepped forward. “We don’t care what they want—only what His Majesty desires. Where
is
she?”

“They killed her.” He stepped away from Duana’s body. “When she went out to get the dishes, the villagers attacked her. It was a trap. They saw her once, a couple of months ago, and—and killed her.”

The Lorkon glared down at Eachan. “Why didn’t you send a message?”

Eachan faltered and looked at the girl on the floor, thinking fast. “I thought maybe you’d want to retrieve her body either way. She only died a little bit ago, after you were already on your way here.”

“What would we do with a dead body?”

“I—I don’t know. Use it to get the boy?”

“He’ll come. He can’t possibly know she’s dead.” The Lorkon looked at Duana again. “Dispose of it properly,” he said to Eachan.

Eachan nodded. “Yes, yes. I’ll do that.” He frowned. “You have to give the villagers more light. They can’t live this way much longer.”

The Lorkon who’d been speaking sneered. “I’ll be sure to bring your petition up with Keitus.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Anything to make your life more . . . enjoyable.” The Lorkon stepped closer to Eachan. “If we learn you are lying, fool, we’ll kill everyone here. You included.”

Eachan maintained eye contact, not wavering this time. “I understand.” He couldn’t believe the Lorkon had accepted his lie about Aloren. It
had
been several years since he’d received a visit from any of them, aside from Keitus. They wouldn’t have recognized Duana anyway.

“Good. Let us know if anything more happens. You’ve been an excellent servant.”

The Lorkon stormed out of the town hall, slamming the door behind them. Eachan rushed to the curtain, making sure the disgusting beings were actually leaving. He watched in satisfaction as villagers swarmed all over the Lorkon, forcing them to take a smaller street to avoid the majority of the people.

They might not live in Maivoryl City, but they weren’t completely free of its inhabitants.

Chapter 18. Choices

When Jacob and his group arrived at the Fat Lady’s cabin, they held a quick council regarding what to do.

Gallus, Sweet Pea, and Matt all wanted to Key into the city, but Ebony still didn’t like the idea.

“What if we hiked over the mountains behind the cabin?” she asked.

The Fat Lady shook her head. “Can’t. The wall prohibits any entrance from this side of the hills.”

“That’s stupid,” Matt said.

“We could use your tunnel and head back to the castle,” Jacob said. “Though, I wouldn’t know how to get out once we’ve gotten in.”

“Plus, there’d be Lorkon.” Matt said.

“Using the Key of Kilenya is the only thing that will work,” Gallus said to Ebony.

The Fat Lady rubbed potion on her bottom teeth. She did that a lot, and Jacob figured it was what made them sparkly and nice. “No other option.”

Ebony sighed. “I . . . I guess so,” she said. “We’ll need to hurry. It’s already much later than we’d planned.”

Jacob agreed. But at least they were all on the same page.

The Fat Lady said she’d inform Brojan and Kenji of everything that had happened, and she and Ebony hugged again, this time laughing about another goodbye.

Jacob put the Key in the lock. “Maivoryl City, vacant house.” He stepped through, crouching. The floor had a layer of dust nearly an inch thick. It hadn’t been disturbed in some time—perhaps years.

After they made sure the house really was vacant, they tried to figure out where they were. Jacob didn’t recognize the street and wasn’t sure he’d be able to find his way to the town hall.

Gallus stared out the window. “It’s been years since I was here, but I believe I remember the way.” He opened the door. “Follow me,” he whispered.

They filed out onto the street, everyone wary. Jacob was extra alert, especially after the last time he’d been here, but there wasn’t anything around. The place was like a ghost town. They walked several blocks and didn’t see anyone.

After five minutes, Gallus breathed a sigh of relief. “No one’s here. I wonder where they’ve all gone.”

“Does it matter?” Sweet Pea asked. “Just so long as they’re not bothering us.”

Ebony scowled at him. “Of course it does. Did I neglect that part of your studies? Never trust a false promise.”

“A what?”

She shook her head and strode forward to walk next to Gallus. Sweet Pea caught up with her, and Jacob and Matt glanced at each other. Jacob didn’t want to walk in the back, and it looked like Matt felt the same. They caught up to the others.

Jacob felt a sense of security being so close to Gallus, Sweet Pea, and Ebony, though he knew it would most likely be short-lived. If only these people had been with him and Matt the last time they’d come to Maivoryl City. Perhaps they would’ve escaped with Aloren, and not just a burned back and a broken leg.

After passing several more streets, Gallus paused. “I really don’t know where we are,” he said. “This part of town has changed.”

“It all has,” said a voice from a building to the right. An Ember God stood in the doorway. The colors swirling around him alternated between light blue, light pink, and light purple—calm, bored, and distracted. “You didn’t expect it to stay the same, did you? Cities change when the people inhabiting them change.” He stepped off the porch and peered at them. “Can I help you?”

“Yes,” Ebony said. “You can take us to the human girl.”

“That can be arranged,” the man said. He pulled two swords from his back, where they’d been strapped. “As long as you are dead first.” He pointed a blade at Jacob. “Except the boy, of course.”

Ebony, Gallus, and Sweet Pea formed a barrier in front of Matt and Jacob.

“Oh, come now. Don’t play games with me. I might even allow the other boy to live.”

Gallus pulled out his sword. It wasn’t nearly as long as Jacob would have liked, but then Gallus flicked his wrist, and the single blade separated into three, attached to the same handle. Definitely cool, but Jacob wasn’t sure how much good it would do against the Ember God.

He just laughed. “Two can play that game.” Flames burst from his hands and trailed down his swords, dropping into the dust of the street. He swung his swords around his head a few times. The blades became blazes of red and orange, fire flying off and all around.

A second Ember God stepped from the shadows, lighting up his twin blades, his feet flaming. Jacob felt a cold sweat pass over his body.

Ebony pulled out two daggers, and Sweet Pea his mace. Gallus pushed Jacob and Matt against a wall.

“Stay here.” He then faced the first Ember God.

And the fighting began.

Jacob’s jaw dropped as he watched. Gallus actually
knew
how to fight. There was no doubt about it. His three-bladed sword flashed in the dim sunlight, becoming an instrument of death against anyone less formidable than the Ember God. The leather-clad man was quick, darting around Gallus’s sword, jabbing and swiping expertly. Gallus whipped around, blocking the attacks and making his own. They parried like this—neither gaining advantage over the other—while everyone watched. Then they started fighting so fast that Jacob got dizzy and had to look away.

Apparently Ebony, Sweet Pea, and the other Ember God felt the same. They turned to face each other. The man grinned.

“Let’s see what you little ones can do,” he said.

Sweet Pea growled and jumped for the Ember God, who met him, his swords clanging against the mace.

Ebony joined Sweet Pea, and they fought together as if they were one—blocking attacks, striking, their daggers and mace whipping in and out. Jacob had thought Gallus was quick, but he was nothing compared to Ebony. She followed a complex pattern of footwork—almost like dancing—taking her close to the Ember God, then out of reach, than close again. Sweet Pea followed a similar pattern, but he wasn’t nearly as graceful.

The first blast of flame actually directed at someone showed why leaves had been such an important part of everyone’s armor. The fire engulfed Ebony and Sweet Pea.

Jacob jumped forward, but Matt stopped him.

“Hold on a minute.”

A sudden
whoosh
came from where the Makalos stood, and Jacob’s mouth popped open when the fire dissipated—blowing straight away from them. The leaves glowed bright blue, and light shone on his friends’ faces, hands, and everywhere the leaves didn’t actually cover. They were unburned.

“Wow,” Matt whispered.

The fighting continued, more fiercely than before, if possible. Jacob’s amazement grew as he watched Gallus’s ability with his sword. It seemed to know exactly what he wanted and needed, right when he needed it. Three blades became one as he knocked a particularly deadly blow away, then became three again as Gallus spun, the blades barely missing the Ember God’s face.

Jacob’s heart nearly stopped when Ebony’s opponent broke through her defense, his sword aimed straight for her stomach. The sword just bounced away from her, though, rebounded by the leaves protecting her.

It became evident this fight wasn’t going to end any time soon.

Ebony and Sweet Pea seemed to be powered by their Rezend, and didn’t tire. The Ember Gods drew upon their fire for energy. Jacob couldn’t figure out where Gallus’s came from. He simply did not stop fighting. Any time one of the Ember Gods came close to the boys, they were stopped in their path by one of Jacob’s friends.

Finally Ebony broke away from the main group of fighters and ran to Jacob and Matt. “Go—find Aloren now. We’ll hold these two off for as long as we can.”

Jacob didn’t need any more convincing than that. He and Matt dashed around the corner of the wall they’d been leaning against.

The sounds of battle grew fainter as the brothers scurried through the city, crossing small canals and ducking under bridges. Jacob didn’t have a clue as to where they were going, only that they seemed to be headed farther into town—where the hall was.

Jacob ran in front with Matt close behind, but he stopped abruptly, his arm pushing Matt back. Hundreds of turkeys strutted the area before them.

“Bald Henries,” Jacob said. “Everywhere.”

“What do we do?”

“Not go this way.”

Jacob backed up, then ran the opposite direction when he was sure the turkeys weren’t following. He and his brother turned a few corners, winding in between buildings. He was shocked there were no people. Where were the villagers?

They ran down an alley, but Jacob again had them back up when they came across more turkeys. Just how many of these things were there?

He finally saw the town hall and discovered where the villagers had gone. They were attacking the walls and doors of the building with axes and clubs. Bald Henries and Dusts wandered the courtyard between the brothers and the hall.

Jacob and Matt backed up into a small stairwell to plan.

“What were those ugly things?”

Jacob frowned. “The turkeys? You saw them?”

“No. The short creatures with gross hands.”

“Those are Dusts.”

“Oh. Okay, let’s figure out what to do.”

Jacob rubbed his face, thinking. He looked around the corner to the town hall. The villagers hadn’t made any progress on getting in, but they hadn’t given up, either, and the Bald Henries followed the Dusts around the courtyard. Jacob backed up to sit next to Matt.

“What if I attacked the Dusts and you went after the Bald Henries?” Matt asked.

Jacob shook his head. “No. The turkeys would destroy everything before I could get to them all.”

Matt frowned in concentration and Jacob waited—his older brother had always been good at these sorts of things.

“Why not just Key in?”

Jacob hesitated, considering Matt’s question. “No—Ebony was right. We need to make sure we don’t head into a trap.”