The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil (25 page)

When Aiva’s free hand finally reached Callum’s shoulders, she clung to him for dear life, nearly choking him under the pressure of her grip. He made no move to shift her weight, only taking the opportunity to release her arm, grabbing onto the rope with both hands to secure his hold.

Their progress was slow. Daunting. It felt like hours before Aiva could see the ledge come into view, Kaemin and Gadiel peering from the top, arms outstretched toward her. It was Kaemin whose hands finally caught hold, guiding her the rest of the way to the top. She cried out in pain as he gripped under her arms, helping her onto the soft soil, far enough away from the ledge to allow Gadiel to assist Callum to his feet. Callum didn’t seem to take notice of Gadiel standing there. In a fluid motion he was at Aiva’s side, checking her for injury. “Aiva, are you alright? Your arm – ”

Kaemin had his hands over Aiva’s right shoulder, forehead creased in concentration. “I don’t think it’s broken,” he murmured. Every movement made her arm hurt. Tears filled her eyes. She wanted it to stop. Why couldn’t he just leave it alone?

“From the looks of things, it’s dislocated,” Gadiel stated, coming to kneel beside Kaemin on the ground. “I can attempt to set it. We shouldn’t leave it for long.”

With a sharp nod of his head, Callum motioned for Kaemin to move out of the way to let Gadiel observe the injury. At her side Aiva could feel Callum helping her to sit up, squeezing her hand tightly in his. “If my hands were steadier, I would do it myself,” he frowned.

Gadiel gave an understanding half-smile. Gently he placed his hands over Aiva’s shoulder, a warmth building around the area where their skin was in contact. Despite the pain, she was mesmerized by what he was doing. A soft green light enveloped his hands, similar to that which she’d seen when he communed with the land to track the pirates. His eyes glowed brighter from the use of his internal energy, directing it into the surface of Aiva’s arm to relax her muscles. After a few moments, she could feel one of his hands move to press just under her arm. Bracing it. “I do not want to watch,” she grimaced, averting her eyes to stare down at Callum’s hand joined tightly with hers. Whatever Gadiel was doing had eased the pain to a degree, though she had never experienced an injury of this nature before. She’d heard stories of the discomfort. Never did she expect to know it firsthand.

“You’re doing great, Aiva. It will only take a moment,” Callum reassured her. She believed him. The concern in his voice told her that he had no reason to lie. He wouldn’t lie to her. If he was wrong, she would never let him hear the end of it, and he knew that.

In a gentle motion Gadiel guided her shoulder, a soft pop sending a new flood of discomfort through Aiva’s body. She didn’t want to scream in front of the watchful eyes of the other soldiers. Callum had spoken so highly of her to them before they reached the ravine. She didn’t want to lessen their opinion over something so foolish as this. As the joint reset, Aiva could taste the blood in her mouth from where she bit into her tongue to avoid crying out. Once Gadiel released his hold, she sank against Callum’s chest, burying her face into his doublet, not wanting to let anyone see the tears which lingered on her lashes.

“Did you see where the pirates went?” Callum asked Gadiel, keeping his voice quiet, lightly running his fingers over Aiva’s long hair, soothing her, holding her to him. He made no move to stand, giving her time to gather her senses.

“Looked to be eastward, but tracking them is going to be a lot harder from this side of the divide.”

“We’ll have to find another way across and try to pick up their trail again,” he nodded. “On the bright side, this will allow us to keep our supply wagon and horses a bit longer. Not only will we need them, it will give Aiva a place to rest until her shoulder has a chance to recuperate. Tomorrow we should check it again to make sure there is no permanent damage.”

Helping Aiva to her feet, Callum gestured for Kaemin to come closer. He did as directed, accepting her from Callum’s arms, being careful not to apply pressure to her shoulder. When Callum released his hold on her hand, Aiva felt something sticky on her skin. Moist. Turning over her palm she drew in a breath to see a crimson coating there, left behind from Callum’s touch. He was bleeding. “Callum,” she whispered.

He shook his head to silence her. “Kaemin, can you see her to the wagon? We need to get moving quickly to cover as much ground as possible. Once the sun sets, we can set camp. Karana will be veiled tonight. Travel is not advisable.”

“Yes, Captain,” Kaemin nodded, giving no hesitation to guide Aiva away. Worried for Callum’s injuries, she started to resist, thinking better of it before pulling completely from Kaemin’s grasp. Callum wouldn’t want the men to be made aware of his wounds. As the Captain, he would likely conceal as much pain as possible. He was supposed to be the strongest one there. She couldn’t do anything which would make him appear weak.

The wagon was emptier than she remembered it from before. Several crates had been discarded in preparation to cross the bridge, leaving more room for Kaemin to help settle Aiva in at the back, out of view. Protected in case of stray arrows

She didn’t like the idea of losing an entire night. It seemed foolish to allow their enemy to gain more ground simply because of some old myth told to their people over the generations. “Kaemin,” she asked, stopping him before he could make his way back out of the wagon.

“Yes?”

“Do you really think it is necessary for us not to keep moving tonight?”

Kaemin smiled at her, his concern still visible in his eyes. “There are many reasons why it would be unwise for us to press onward in the dark,” he nodded. “While I do believe it would be placing us in Diqun’s grasp, if you require a mundane motivation, consider the darkness without Karana’s light and our enemy’s affinity for traps. We won’t be much good to Shae if we are all dead.”

“I suppose.” Leaning back, Aiva relaxed into the cool shade, grateful to be off her feet. Her head spun over the events that had transpired. Shaelyn was alive. That was a relief, despite everything else. And if they intended to demand ransom, it was less likely that they would do anything to harm her, though it did nothing to ease her anger toward Ireni. That despicable woman.
She thinks she has me
, Aiva thought, confused. But why her? Why would Ireni intentionally target her?

Revenge. Ireni had said something about a boat. Callum was responsible for destroying her ship. Even with that, it didn’t answer the questions surrounding the circumstances. The pirates in Siscal were targeting the families of soldiers. If Ireni wanted to take revenge on Callum, why not Calie?

She needed to speak with Gadiel. He had been there. He knew what happened on that ship off the coast of Siscal. If Dacian’s story was flawed, she needed to know how much of it was true. Something in that story would grant her an understanding of their enemy. All she needed now was a chance to get Gadiel alone. Perhaps the night off the road would prove useful after all. The others would have to sleep at some point. It would be the perfect opportunity to seek Gadiel out and demand the truth.

.

Chapter Nine

A heavy rain had started to fall around them by the time night came. It seemed odd to Aiva that they would experience that kind of weather so close to the desert. The pirates had led them away from the eastern roads, though as they recovered lost ground and pushed back eastward, the landscape slowly became more barren. Callum still believed Ireni would choose a path through Palinon. Despite having been unable to find a way across the ravine, their current path seemed the best route in hopes of catching up with their enemy. The tumult of the storm, however, made tracking more difficult.

Thunder rolled loudly overhead, shaking the base of the wagon where Aiva remained, curled up tightly for warmth. Callum had offered her to share his tent. She adamantly declined, for more than the sake of his company. It would be difficult indeed to claim their marriage unconsummated after sharing sleeping quarters. And leaving him in the wagon while she took the tent felt selfish after what Callum had done for her that day. He’d saved her life. Had it not been for him, she wouldn’t be there. It was a frightening thought. One she knew with utter clarity.

“Princess?”

Aiva sat up, surprised by the sound of a familiar voice through the rain. The wagon sank slightly under the weight of someone climbing inside, Gadiel’s face appearing over the crates to gaze into the darkness where Aiva sat. “Gadiel,” she breathed. “What brings you here?” It was convenient. She’d been meaning to seek him out herself, but the storm had made it difficult.

“I wanted to check on your shoulder before I turned in for the night,” he stated calmly, stepping around the crates to crouch a short distance away, water dripping from the matted hair which hung against his face. “That and I am a bit appalled that the Captain allowed you to sit here by yourself with the storm raging as it is.”

“I assure you, it was not the Captain’s desire to leave me here alone. I insisted upon it,” Aiva sighed.

Gadiel looked puzzled, head cocked to one side, inquisitive. “You did not want to stay with your husband?”

“That union is only temporary,” she said calmly. It was better that Gadiel know the truth. If she didn’t tell him, he might get the wrong impression and believe Callum to be somehow neglectful. “The Captain and I agreed that upon returning to Tanispa, we are going to have the marriage annulled.”

Gadiel cleared his throat, suddenly seeming uncomfortable. “You may not want to let that become common knowledge amongst the men. They might start to consider you fair game.”

“Do you consider me fair game?” Aiva asked, amused by the notion. Gadiel simply chuckled, his green eyes sparkling at her through the darkness.

“Of course not,” he smiled. “You are far out of my league. That aside, you remain, currently, the wife of my dear friend and superior officer. And though it is none of my business, I am curious what would cause the two of you to come to such a decision. The Captain has always spoken very highly of you. It seems strange that he would not be pleased with the union.”

“The decision was mine. He merely conceded to it,” she sighed. “I have my reasons. In the end, it will be better for both of us.”

Gadiel wiped the droplets of rain from his face. He continued to look at her with a ponderous expression. Speculative. “You and Kaemin are good friends, I presume?”

Surprised by the question, Aiva nodded with uncertainty. “He and I have known one another for a long time. Lord Kaemin is recently engaged to the Captain’s sister. Why do you ask?”

“He approached me with an interesting question a few nights ago. It has had me thinking. Hearing the news of your relationship with the Captain, I feel obligated to ask you a very forward question.”

“By all means.”

Scooting closer, Gadiel looked Aiva over carefully. She flinched somewhat at his approach, relaxing only when he came to a stop about a foot away. “What is your relationship with the man, Dacian Ellis? I am to believe that he told you something.”

“He did. But that is hardly your concern.”

“Oh, but it might be,” Gadiel nodded. “Information from him is not always the most trustworthy. I hope that which he provided you was not responsible for your requested separation from the Captain.”

Aiva hugged her knees tighter to her body. She hated being put on the spot. On trial for something she had no desire to discuss with a man she hardly knew. “I assure you it was not the only reason. Even if it was proven false, I cannot say my mind would change. And why do you so eagerly inquire? Do you think you can prove Lord Dacian a liar?” She hoped her curiosity wasn’t too obvious. Aloofness gave her a feeling of control over the situation. Nonchalant at the possibility of hearing what contradiction Gadiel might provide. But she wanted to know. It was all she could do not to grab him and shake the answers out of him.

“That depends on what he told you,” Gadiel mused. “Maybe not a liar, but he’s very skilled at misleading. Especially if he felt he might stand to gain from it. The information I believe he passed to you was of a sensitive nature. We were all sworn to silence. It is unfortunate Dacian has proven untrustworthy.”

“If you swore not to speak, then what are you doing now?” It bothered her that even Gadiel could not give her comfort with a direct denial of Dacian’s claims. If it was something harmless, why would those involved have vowed secrecy?

“Because if this information is already known, I should at least set the record straight.” Gadiel’s expression hardened somewhat, almost ominous in the flash of lightning which illuminated the wagon. “Can you tell me what Dacian relayed?”

Aiva stared down at the floor, rubbing her temples in frustration, nervous to speak. In her mind this had been so much easier. He’d caught her off guard by approaching her in this fashion. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, lacking cohesion, making sentences almost impossible to piece together to speak the questions she wanted to ask. Heaving a sigh, she let the words flow from her lips, doing her best not to think on them. “He told me how Callum was romantically involved with the pirate, Ireni. That he shared a bed with her. That they were found in each other’s arms. He even suggested Callum knew of her allegiance and offered vital information regarding the military.”

Gadiel was quiet for a moment. Taking in what Aiva was saying. The sound of his laughter was the first indication that he’d heard any of it, his head shaking in amusement. “My gods,” he chuckled, gazing at Aiva sympathetically. “I think I may be able to help. If you will grant me permission to explain?”

“Please do,” Aiva frowned, leaning forward, intrigued to hear what Gadiel had to say.

“The Captain was found with Ireni, yes. But Dacian seems to have neglected a few details. A very important one being that – we knew he would be with her that night. It was our idea to have him go to her.” Gadiel laughed quietly to himself, taking a moment to pause before continuing. “What their relationship was prior to this, I cannot offer assistance on. Only he could answer that for you. As for the night in question, we had received intelligence that Ireni was a spy. We were all shocked, including the Captain. It was necessary to take her into custody, but Ireni is an incredible fighter and we suspected her to have allies on the ship that would come to her aid if she learned anything of our suspicions. It was no secret that Ireni was obsessed with Captain Zerne. To be honest, it regrettably was my idea to have him act as bait. To draw her out and away from the others who might assist her.”

Aiva’s mouth hung open in awe of what she was hearing. “You intentionally had the Captain seduce her? That does not sound like an approved military tactic.”

“No… Which is why it was not to be spoken of outside our circle,” Gadiel nodded. “The Captain protested but in the end he had very little choice. We knew she would come to him if he called. He played his part for the sake of our people. Distracted her. When we crept from our hiding places to apprehend her, she had no chance at escape.”

“So this is why she hates Callum? Because he tricked her and had her imprisoned?”

“Essentially. Though we didn’t anticipate her getting free of confinement in Siscal. If we had known, this all might have been avoided. I suppose we underestimated her skill and value to her allies in Luquarr.”

“But you spoke as if there may have been more to his relationship with Ireni. Can you elaborate on that? Even a little?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Gadiel clasped his hands together on his lap. “Whatever may have been between them, it had ended by the time our plan was devised. All I can say is that the Captain never discussed his personal life. Nor did we expect him to. He was our commander. There was always required to be a separation due to status.”

She let her head fall back against the heavy fabric of the canopy, feeling the rain soak through to dampen her hair. It wasn’t enough. She needed to know more. While it explained what the men witnessed, it did nothing to ease her mind about the intimacy shared between Callum and Ireni. “I appreciate your honesty, Gadiel,” she replied softly. “This certainly does change things. I simply am not sure it changes enough.”

“It was the least I could do. Though I should not linger much longer. Propriety, and all that,” he chortled. “Will you permit me to examine your shoulder?”

“Oh, of course,” Aiva replied, distracted by her thoughts. Gadiel knelt beside her, though she couldn’t focus on anything he did to her arm. His explanation hadn’t eased her mind as much as she’d hoped. She couldn’t rid herself of the image of Callum, lips pressed against those of an Esai, locked in a passionate embrace. One believable enough that Ireni herself would fall for it. Allowing him to take her to the ground. His strong arms pinning her there. Aiva blushed to envision it. There had to be more. Some deeper emotion which had Ireni convinced it was real. She didn’t appear vacuous enough to fall for something like that.

Another thud at the front of the wagon drew Aiva from her thoughts, aware of Gadiel’s tensed form at her side, hand on his sword in readiness to fight. He relaxed to see their visitor to be none other than Callum, drenched head-to-toe from the rain. A loud clap of thunder rumbled overhead, preventing Aiva from hearing his greeting.

“I thought I should check on the Princess before I retired for the night,” Gadiel explained, beckoning Callum to come closer. He had no reason to be concerned at being found with Aiva. His intentions had been pure, though Aiva doubted Callum would be pleased to know what they had been discussing prior to his arrival. “I can come back later if you would prefer privacy, however.”

“No, that will not be necessary,” Callum shook his head, coming to sit at Aiva’s side, opposite Gadiel. “Diqun seems to have worked himself into quite a stir tonight. The storm is getting worse.”

Aiva glanced at him, curious. It seemed strange to hear Callum speak of Diqun. He had never been a religious man while growing up. Military life had changed him in more ways than she had realized.

“And yet still not quite as frightening as when Irisus is raging on the seas,” Gadiel grinned.

Irisus. Aiva recalled the name from her lessons. The Goddess of the Sea. It made sense for men of a naval unit to be familiar with her. They would be required to appease Irisus in order to avoid being thrashed about in the endless expanse of waves. Much of Myatheira remained unexplored beyond the mainland. It was unnerving to think what fate would befall an unlucky ship in Irisus’s waters.

An unexpected discomfort in her shoulder caused Aiva to twitch slightly, almost elbowing Callum in the stomach. “Ouch,” she breathed. Callum held her steady, glancing at Gadiel with concern where he maintained his hold on Aiva’s arm.

“Is there something wrong with it?” Callum asked hesitantly.

“It will be sore for a few days, I’m sure. But if this were lasting damage, movement would pain her more than this.” Settling back on his heels, Gadiel smiled at Aiva. “She took that injury better than any woman I’ve seen. Or man, for that matter.”

“If I had not been so foolish, I would not have had to endure it at all,” Aiva frowned. It was true. She knew it was her fault. If she hadn’t been so overzealous in getting to Shaelyn. Callum had tried to stop her. This was why he was captain and she was just along for the ride. Soldiering had tactics. It required patience. Her excitement in seeing Shaelyn had left her unfocused and reckless, and it had nearly killed her and Callum both.

“Aiva is a special woman, that is certain,” Callum agreed. “Whether that is good or bad, I have not figured out yet.”

“Special, yes. I haven’t seen her wield a sword yet but I must say, I’m very curious.” Gadiel leaned back against the crates, yawning loudly. “Would you prefer I remain here for the night to keep watch?”

Callum was thoughtful at the question. Shifting his eyes down to Aiva, he listened to the rush of the wind outside, settling himself into the corner a few inches from where Aiva sat. “That will not be necessary,” he nodded, his appreciation for the offer evident in his lightened tone. “You look far too fatigued for guard duty. I will watch over the Princess for now.”

“Are you certain?” Gadiel wiped at his eyes, fighting back another yawn. “I can stay for a short while so you can rest.”

“I think you need sleep more than I do at the moment,” Callum chuckled. “Go find your bed and enjoy a moment of peace. When I tire, I will wake you to take over my post.”

Aiva glanced between the two men, nervous at the thought of being alone with Callum. This was exactly what they were supposed to avoid. They couldn’t be left alone together. It would raise far too many questions in the minds of the other men. “Are you certain, Callum? Don’t you think it wise for Gadiel to remain here?”

Pondering her request, Callum fell silent, lost in thought. Gadiel watched him, eyes heavy. He looked exhausted. Miserable. Aiva felt terrible keeping him there due to her own discomfort, but she didn’t want to risk the consequences in allowing him to leave. After a moment, Callum nodded in agreement, motioning Gadiel to stay. “I suppose you are right,” he exhaled. “Make yourself comfortable here. I will wake you when I leave.”