Legacy of the Blood (The Threshold Trilogy) (45 page)

Adesina,
Ravi, and Kendan were all that was left of the band of travelers. They were
filled with a sense of trepidation as they rushed down the tunnel that led away
from Faryl and Mar’sal.

If
it came down to a fight between the three of them and Basha—along with L’iam as
her obedient pawn—then Adesina and her friends would stand a good chance of
winning.

However,
the Threshold was opening. If Basha managed to convince any demons to fight on
her side…

Adesina
didn’t know what would happen.

From
what she remembered from her Dreams, demons didn’t seem overly fond of humans.
That did not stop demons from using humans for their own purposes, though.

The
narrow tunnel opened up to a larger passageway, and Adesina slowed to a stop.
Ravi and Kendan joined her in studying the room with careful eyes, but nothing
seemed out of the ordinary other than the unusually high ceiling.

“This
must be the fourth barrier, and yet…”

Ravi
narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “And yet, there is nothing here.”

“How
is that possible?”

“Perhaps
it has ceased to function,” said Kendan with a joking smile.

Adesina
gave a small shrug. “Perhaps.”

Her
former instructor frowned. “Can magic simply stop working?”

“That
depends largely on the nature of the magic,” stated Ravi without further
explanation. “We should still proceed carefully.”

They
stepped into the passage and moved forward a few paces.

Nothing
happened.

As
they continued, a strange sensation came over Adesina.

“Wait…”

Kendan
froze in place. “Is there a trap?”

She
couldn’t quite identify what she was feeling. It blossomed from her
vyala
—that
much she knew—and it seemed to push outward as if she was being inflated. It
made her feel uncomfortable and uncertain, but she did not understand why.

What
is happening, Ravi?

His
concern for her was clear through their Joining, and it made her worry.
Whatever was happening to her was something that he had never seen before.

I…I
am not sure, Ma’eve.

The
sensation continued to expand until it saturated her entire body. When it
reached her mind, a rush of intuitive knowledge flooded into her thoughts.

“The
barrier here was an alteration of gravity. Intruders would rush down this
passage and then be thrown towards the ceiling when gravity changed.”

Kendan
stared at her. “How do you know that?”

Adesina
hadn’t seen it in her Dream, nor had it been mentioned in any of the texts she
had studied concerning Daemon Mount.

How
did
she know that?

Another
wave of knowledge came to her.

“This
barrier stopped working a long time ago. It is safe to cross.”

Ravi
kept his voice nonchalant, but Adesina could feel his disquiet. “Very well. Let
us hurry, then.”

I
need to get her away from this place as soon as possible.

The
thought was meant to be a personal one, but Adesina shared it as soon as it
passed through Ravi’s mind.

Why?

The
Rashad looked at her in surprise. Adesina sensed that he had not realized that
he had shared that thought with her.

Your
vyala
has
been acting strangely for a while now, but this land—and especially this
mountain—seems to be amplifying the anomalies. I fear it is dangerous.

Adesina
was also afraid. So little appeared to affect Ravi, and it was unnerving to see
him so anxious.

The
passageway came to an end, and the three companions entered into the cave that
held the fifth barrier. Adesina felt the same wave of intuition, and she told
Kendan and Ravi what she knew.

“This
barrier is also dead. It used to be a maze of illusion that forced intruders to
travel in circles, while appearing to be an endless path forward.”

Questions
flashed in Kendan’s eyes, but he kept them to himself. “Well, I am glad that we
do not have to face that. We are rather pressed for time.”

There
were large amounts of rubble, but this time there was no clear path. They would
have to climb over the boulders and debris, which was not easy given their
current state of weariness.

Ravi
was able to navigate the wreckage with relative ease. He moved small distances
ahead of the other two and turned back to talk them through difficult sections.
Despite the gravity of their situation, Adesina and Kendan found themselves
smiling at each other as memories of Shimat training were brought to their
recollection.

“Just
like old times,” grunted Kendan as he grasped Adesina’s hand and pulled her
onto a ledge.

She
snorted. “You never participated when I was training. You stood to the side and
criticized my technique.”

He
scowled. “Not true. What about your week of survival training?”

Adesina
barked a laugh. “We were not working together then. You spent the whole time
making the situations as difficult as possible.”

Kendan
held up a finger. “Ah, but I participated.”

They
chuckled together.

“That
edge is beginning to crumble,” warned Ravi from ahead.

The
two former Shimat adjusted their course accordingly.

“What
will you do after you rescue your husband?” asked Kendan in a more serious
tone.

Adesina
frowned thoughtfully. “I do not know. I suppose I just thought we would go
home.”

He
could tell that she was holding back.

“And
now?”  he prompted.

She
sighed. “Now it does not seem possible. I have known that a war is coming for a
long time, but it appears to have arrived before I expected.”

“A
war with whom?”

Adesina
was caught off guard by his question. “With the Shimat, of course.”

Kendan
blew out his breath. “I would think that the issue of demons would be a bit
more pressing, Adesina.”

She
shook her head. “The source is the same. The Shimat are the ones trying to
bring demons back into our world. Even if I stop Basha today, they will keep
going until they succeed. They need to be stopped once and for all.”

Kendan
reached out a foot to test the stability of a platform. “What if Basha succeeds
in her objective today?”

Adesina’s
expression became steely. “Then the Shimat will be the ones wielding demonic
power, and it will be up to the L’avan to stop them. My enemy has not
changed—only the weapons being used.”

They
were standing high above the ground on a series of stone pillars that were the
remains of some sort of bridge. Ravi had climbed a different route and was
directing them from the side.

Adesina’s
mind was beginning to become hazy in her weariness, and she was so absorbed in
her resolve to stop the Shimat that she neglected to check with Ravi before
jumping onto the next pillar in line.

“Ma’eve,
wait!”

It
was too late for her to change direction.

Through
Ravi’s eyes she could see that the midsection of the pillar had crumbled away
on the far side, and her sudden addition of weight caused the remaining support
to crack and begin to fall forward.

Kendan
leapt onto the moving rock and grabbed her arm, spurring her into motion. The
two of them sprinted ahead, gaining enough momentum to jump onto the next
pillar.

The
falling rock crashed into the midsection of their current platform, which
caused it to begin to fall. This time, however, the motion took them away from
the next column they needed to reach.

Kendan
pulled out his meteor hammer and spun it expertly. He cast it towards one of
the jagged edges of a nearby platform, and the metal head caught between two
jutting stones.

Adesina
wrapped her arms around Kendan’s neck, and the two of them swung out of danger.

They
grunted when they hit against the rock that supported them, but Adesina wasted
no time in finding a secure handhold. She climbed to the top of the platform
and reached down to give Kendan a hand.

He
retrieved his meteor hammer and took a deep breath before grabbing her hand.
His eyes were tired from the effects of the draining barrier and the exertion
of their journey. It was clear that his natural strength was depleted and it
took some effort for him to pull himself up to safety next to Adesina.

Ravi
appeared at their side, and the queen could feel his anxiety.

“Are
you injured?”

She
placed a reassuring hand on her guardian’s back. “No, I am not hurt. Kendan?”

His
burned arm was bleeding again, but he answered, “I am fine.”

“I
can see the exit from here,” Ravi said. “We will have to climb down to reach
it.”

Adesina
evaluated Kendan’s injury from the corner of her eyes and asked casually, “Is
there any way to get back to that bridge? Not all of the structure has fallen
away, and it would be easier than climbing straight down from here.”

Ravi
studied their surroundings. “I do not think that is possible,” he responded.
“There is a lot of damage to this area, and most of the stone looks unstable.”

Adesina
glanced downward. “Well, at least the ground has become passable. There are no
more stalagmites to hinder our movement.”

She
pulled out the length of rope and began tying it around her waist.

“It
would be safest if we are bound together.”

Kendan
snorted. “Not really. If I fall, I would only take you with me.”

“You
will not fall,” Adesina replied lightly.

He
stopped her hand when she tried to tie him to the other end of the rope. “It is
too dangerous, Adesina.”

“So
is letting you climb down without any support,” she retorted.

For
a moment it seemed that he was going to continue to argue, but he finally sat
back with a rueful sigh. “Just keep that magic of yours at the ready. We may
need you to catch us from falling.”

Ravi
transported himself to the ground and gave Adesina a view from below. Kendan
started out strong, but it wasn’t too long before his arms began to tremble and
his hands began to slip. His jaw clenched in pain when he had to support his
weight with his injured arm, but he kept moving at a steady pace.

Adesina
climbed downward whenever Kendan was at rest, and she braced herself in
position when he moved. She sighed in relief as he reached the ground.

The
three remaining travelers wound through the last of the rubble and out of the
enormous cave.

As
before, a narrow tunnel connected the rooms. The trail was at a steep incline,
and Adesina estimated that they were getting close to the peak of the mountain.

Unlike
the other tunnels, this one ended with an ancient door. It was wrought from
gold, and an intricate pattern was inlaid with silver. Adesina had never seen
the design before, but she somehow felt that she knew it well.

It
depicted a sunburst encircled by two feathered wings, and a pair of feline eyes
set above as if watching over.

“It
is the sign of the Serraf,” said Ravi with reverence. “They are the Keepers of
the Thresholds, and each entrance is marked with their symbol.”

The
young queen hesitated before the door, uncertain if she should open it.

What
would be found on the other side? Basha had succeeded in opening the
Threshold—even if just partially—and there was no telling if a swarm of demons
awaited Adesina beyond the door.

What
if she was confronted with the dead body of her husband?

No,
Ma’eve. Do not give in to such fears.

Adesina
knew that Ravi was right. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

It
swung on its hinges smoothly, as if they received daily care. Not a sound was
made by the door or by those who passed through.

Adesina
was the first to walk into the room, and she was overwhelmed by the flow of the
vyala
in the cave.

The
Threshold was very near.

Ravi
was also affected by the thrumming power that stood just beyond the doors on
the far side of the room.

“This
must be the antechamber to the Threshold.”

Kendan
started to walk forward, but Adesina reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Wait.”

He
frowned in confusion. “Why?”

The
strange otherworldly sense came over Adesina’s mind once more, just as it had
when she had approached the failed barriers and knew that they were safe.