Rise of the Faire-Amanti (The Ascendant Series Book 3) (28 page)

Ty smiled over the fierce thought as he used the harness attached to the seat to secure her to it. She watched him to make sure she could release herself if needed.

You’ll be fine
, he assured her.

She’d be better if he secured himself, too, but they both knew he and Owyn had to help control the sails. Yori had explained the night before that the ship was manageable with one to two people as long as it remained close to the cove they called home. Once they ventured out into more foreign waters, two wouldn’t be enough. Yori would have to remain at the helm the entire time. Ty would have to listen to Yori’s thoughts to know what he and Owyn had to do with the sails to keep the vessel afloat.

Kyr prayed for all of them.

Kineus and Isa waved from the top of the cliff as Yori steered the ship out of the inlet and into the rough seas. Kyr knew they prayed just as hard as she did.

The voyage was ten times worse than Kyr feared. At first, she couldn’t wait to get away from the threatening face of the cliffs. She just knew that the ship was going to get blown into the rocks. By the time they reached the open sea, however, she would have traded her left arm to be back by the cliffs.

Fog crept in from the unseen horizon, offering low visibility in any direction. Waves rose, towering and seething, looming with the promise of swamping them and dragging them into the abyss. Every time, Yori maneuvered the ship along the waves to evade the worst of the deluge, resulting in sprays of frigid water dousing the deck. Gales of wind whipped the sails, threatening to rip them to shreds. The ship rose up towards the pink sky, only to plummet like a bird diving for prey. Kyr quickly lost the breakfast she had eaten and ended up clutching a bucket in terrified misery.

At one point, Ty reached for a sail just as Yori jerked the ship to avoid another wave. Kyr ‘s scream was lost in the wind as Ty flipped over the side towards the sea.

Before she could unharness herself, Ty spiraled back up and onto the deck. His arm had been safely secured to a rope, as Yori had instructed. The fright had Kyr trembling even more severely than the water that soaked her.

The sun had reached its peak and long since started its plunge back into the sea by the time they reached the jagged cliffs leading up to the Vawn palace. Kyr had struggled to follow the sun’s progress through the continued fog, and had failed to appreciate the blanket of misty cover until just that moment. They were surely invisible to anyone who might be keeping watch from the palace high above.

She released herself from her safety harness as Yori positioned them as close to the cliffs as he could without losing control. Ty lifted a heavy grappling hook attached to a form of bow. Between rolling waves, he took aim at the cliff face and shot the hook. None of them heard the clink of the hook finding purchase, but Ty seemed satisfied by the amount of tension he could put on the rope while it still held.

“Let’s get this done,” he said, holding an arm out for her.

She was so anxious to get off of the hellacious ship that the idea of jumping from it and swinging over the deadly sea to the lethal-looking rocks made her want to bounce with anticipation.

“Thank you, Yori,” she called over the wind as she grabbed onto Ty. “We’ll make sure you and your family are properly rewarded.”

He winked and started to shout something back, but Ty leaped from the ship before she heard anything. If her breath hadn’t been stolen from her by her outrageous fear, she might have scolded him for being rude. As it was, she considered herself lucky she survived.

Owyn soon joined them on a second rope. Kyr wished she had enough upper body strength to climb the rope herself, but had to settle with clinging to Ty’s back with her arms and legs as he pulled them both to safety. She refused to look down, though a very twisted part of herself wanted to. Just the crushing sound of the waves as they smashed into the rocks beneath them was enough for her. She was relieved when she picked up from Owyn’s thoughts that Yori and the ship had made it clear of the rocks and was already fading from sight.

They made their way along the rocks until they reached an opening just large enough for a person to stand in. Owyn climbed into it first, then helped Kyr inside so Ty could pull himself up. Kyr sank to the hard floor a few steps into the tunnel. Her legs wouldn’t hold her up any longer than that.

Owyn removed all of the satchels and the canister holding the Gift that he had carried for Ty, then sank down beside Kyr. Ty joined them, reaching for the canteen and offering it to Kyr.

She sipped slowly, not wanting her stomach to complain again. Fortunately, it behaved. She drank enough to satisfy her and handed it back to Ty. Her teeth wanted to chatter as the cold seeped into her, but she forced them not to.

“We have to get to Sem and Caelys,” she said. Her voice sounded leaden in the compact tunnel.

“We don’t exactly have a plan from this point,” Owyn said. “We can’t just rush into the palace without expecting to raise an alarm.”

Knowing he was right, Kyr took a chance and opened her mind, seeking either of the two people she sought. When she was unsuccessful, she slumped in disappointment. Caelys must be under the influence of the V’larian drug, too.

“I can’t reach Sem or Caelys,” she said for Owyn’s benefit. “Ty, let’s scan for thoughts about them. Maybe one of their guards will let something slip.”

He nodded. They tried until Kyr felt a headache starting at the base of her skull. Eventually, they had to admit defeat.

“It seems Vycor has wisely sealed the minds of their guards, and we’re too far from them to possibly break those seals,” she said at last. Seeing Owyn’s expression fall, she leaned over and touched his arm. “Don’t worry. I’ve thought of someone who will know where Sem and Caelys are. Someone who isn’t under Vycor’s influence.

“I just have to follow the right thoughts and ask for help.”

Chapter 34

Kyr was talking about ZashaWrym. Ty picked it up in her thoughts. Of all of the people in the palace, he couldn’t say that Kyr’s Wrym caregiver would have ever entered his mind as the person to approach for help.

That’s just the point
, Kyr thought.
Vycor and Shaya think of the Wrym as inconsequential. They’d never expect us to turn to them for help
.

Ty shook his head at himself. Hadn’t he had the same thought while they were in the Wrym megai? He’d known that Vycor would overlook the more “common” Alametrians as insignificant because he considered them powerless. But Ty also knew power was relative. And there was power in the numbers of commoners.

Absolutely
, he agreed, helping her to her feet and reaching for their satchels. “These tunnels lead out to the edge of the palace courtyard,” he said to Owyn. “When we reach the courtyard, Kyr and I will use our abilities to influence everyone we pass so they don’t see us.”

“But if we pass people under Vycor’s influence, your influence won’t work,” Owyn pointed out.

“Yes, it will,” Ty and Kyr said at the same time.

He met Kyr’s gaze. She smiled and took his hand, clearly pleased that he was as confident in their growing abilities as she was. They knew if they were close enough to people and pushed with their combined efforts, they could counteract Vycor’s influence.

Owyn didn’t bother arguing any further.

They didn’t have a light to ease their passage. Fortunately, Ty and Kyr both had excellent night vision. Ty took the lead with Kyr and Owyn close on his heels. All of them were soaked and cold, but none of them felt it as their determination to get to Sem and Caelys propelled their steps.

At long last, they reached the end of the tunnel. It opened up into an old passage that no one used because it had been declared dangerously unstable. Ty, of course, knew otherwise.

He had been the one to declare it.

The truth was, the passage had been made off-limits because Ty had discovered the tunnel entrance and he had wanted to secure the palace. He didn’t tell anyone of his discovery, not wanting to plant ideas into anyone’s head. But he had sealed the tunnel entrance and kept a guard outside the door leading into the unused passage just in case. He knew most guards questioned him for making them protect an abandoned passage. He hoped that Vycor had decided to put the guards to use in places he considered more productive.

“Here’s the exit,” Ty said as they approached a narrow expanse of stacked stones. “We’ve got to break through this seal. Uncle Owyn, I’ll have to hand these stones to you to set them aside.”

“Great,” Owyn grumbled, rolling his shoulders. “Sure would be nice if I could see.”

“We’ll make it work. Kyr, why don’t you seek out Zasha’s mental signature while we do this,” Ty suggested. “We’re close enough to the palace now that it shouldn’t be too hard.”

She nodded. He turned and concentrated on removing the heavy stones and carefully passing them off to his uncle. They were both relieved when the opening widened enough for them to get through. His muscles burned in protest.

“Did you find her?” he asked Kyr in a low voice as Owyn started through the opening.

“Yes.”

Owyn helped her through. “You know, if you share her signature with me, I can focus on her while you two focus on keeping our asses invisible.”

Kyr shrugged in agreement as Ty eased himself out of the tunnel. She took Owyn’s hand and closed her eyes, sharing Zasha’s thought signature with him. After a moment, Owyn nodded to let them know he had it.

The passage was nearly as dark as the tunnel had been. The single door at the end of it admitted faint light under its bottom edge. They all instinctively headed towards it.

Ty didn’t detect any noise or thoughts from the other side of the door. Still, he exercised caution when he opened it. Much as he had suspected, Vycor had pulled the guard from this location.

There wasn’t time to celebrate the small victory. They were standing within the narrowest of alcoves. Not more than ten feet away, people milled around the palace courtyard. The soft sound of wet drops on the cobblestones alerted them that it was raining. Between that and the fact that night was falling, Ty realized that he and Kyr might not have to extend their abilities, after all.

Put your cloak on
, he thought to Owyn.

He followed his own order, pulling the cloak his mother had given him out of one of their satchels. They all pulled the hoods of their cloaks over their heads before leaving the shadows of the alcove. Nearly everyone around them wore similarly protective clothing, allowing them to blend in. Ty hunched his shoulders and walked with a slightly different gait, hoping it further disguised them.

At first, Ty thought their plan was working. Then a few females stopped what they were doing and glanced in their direction. As soon as Ty saw them shield their eyes, he realized his serious error.

Owyn yanked him and Kyr behind a wide pillar. “Put your guards up,” he hissed.

They did. Ty and Kyr sent out the thought that anyone who looked in their direction didn’t see them. Ty silently cursed the oversight, especially because he knew the thoughts from the curious female Mynders would have been picked up by the Mynder guards who were trained to listen for such anomalies. Those guards would now be on alert and hunting for trouble.

“Move,” Owyn said.

They hurried away from the pillar just as a couple of the females walked around seeking them out. Fortunately, the females looked around in confusion when they no longer saw them, so Ty knew the mental shield was working.

It didn’t take long to reach the palace proper. Owyn led them towards Zasha, weaving through other foot traffic and taking care not to touch anyone. Their wet footprints blended in with those of the people walking around them until they reached the more restricted part of the palace. At that point, Ty just had to hope no one spotted their footprints and decided to investigate.

They found Zasha as she emerged from a bedchamber carrying a tray of empty dishes. Ty noticed that she was still dressed in red, the color of mourning. Her thoughts were depressed and fearful. He knew that Kyr was touched by the Wrym’s continued respect.

Seeing no one else in the hallway, Ty and Kyr eased up on the illusion. Zasha gasped sharply, backing up a full step when she saw them. Owyn was wise enough to anticipate her shock and reached her before the tray of dishes clattered to the floor and drew the attention of the bedchamber’s occupant.

Ty and Kyr removed their hoods, sending out reassuring thoughts as they did. Zasha’s complexion drained of color. She stumbled against the closest wall, her eyes wide.

“Is it—is it really you?” she asked.

Ty was grateful that her voice was barely audible.
Yes
, he thought towards her.
And we don’t have much time
.

Zasha finally seemed to sense their urgency. Although her color had yet to return, she pushed herself away from the wall and nodded. With a wave of her hand to direct them after her, she headed back the way they had come, detouring down a side passage devoid of any people. She opened a door and hurried inside. Ty followed her, scanning the room for potential danger as he entered. It was another bedchamber, he realized. An empty one, he was happy to discover.

We have to communicate by thought
, Ty sent out to all of them as he finished his search.
This bedchamber might be monitored for sound
.

Zasha threw her arms around Kyr in a move that surprised Ty. None of the Wrym had ever touched Kyr out of a sense of affection. He hadn’t realized how close the two females had gotten since Kyr’s return to Alametria.

I knew it wasn’t a dream when I saw you in the viewing chamber
, Zasha thought as tears seeped from her dark blue eyes.

A flash of the memory in Zasha’s mind struck Ty like a hammer. He saw her standing beside Kyr’s open coffin and then Kyr emerging from behind a column. She looked like a pale specter.

Don’t think of it
, Kyr pleaded with Zasha, knowing how it was impacting Ty. She returned Zasha’s hug and continued,
I’m sorry I had to influence you that way. I promise to make it up to you. But right now, we need your help.