The Armor of Light Page 4

  “I’ll be going as well. Paeder can care for the farm himself now, and I can use the portals to visit him whenever necessary,” Marda said, giving Ezeker the look that always said arguing with her would be useless.

  Shiona clasped her hands together and tapped at her chin. “I . . .” she started, drawing it out. “I know it is expected that I return with you and go back to my duties as an instructor, but I would prefer to do some field work, if that would fall under your approval, Master Ezeker?”

  His brow quirked skyward and his head tilted to one side. “Oh, what did you have in mind?”

  “I’ve heard rumors of other attacks, one most recently in Peldane at a manor called Dragonmeer. Supposedly another keystone appeared there, The Sapphire Flute, and C’Tan left Dragonmeer in ruins while pursuing it. The holder somehow escaped her clutches and fled, but still, I would consider it an honor to investigate.”

  Ezeker’s eyes lit up at the mention of The Sapphire Flute. He pretended to think about it, but Ember knew what his answer would be even before he gave it. “I would agree. Go, then, and go soon. Use the portals, or the journey will take you a month. The portals will have you there in a day or two.”

  Shiona nodded her head and turned to go, then turned back to ask another question. “But what of the prisoner? What is he saying about the attack?”

  Ezeker’s mouth set into a grim line. “Right now he says nothing. We’ve got him in the academy prison, guarded, spelled, and chained. He’s not going anywhere. We’ll get the answers one way or another.”

  Ember didn’t like the way he said that, and it surprised her. She’d never thought of Ezeker as being a violent man.

  Shiona left the room then and DeMunth stood. “When do we leave, sir?” he asked Ezeker in his mindspeech.

  The mage stroked his mustache before he answered. “Pack everything you need now. We’ll leave within the hour.”

  Chapter Four

  The huge gates leading into the jeweled city of the MerCats were magnificent. Kayla had never imagined that lava rock, magelights, and underwater plant life could combine in such a manner as to be more beautiful than King Rojan’s throne room. Nature in its most resplendent parade had completely outdone all the gold and satins adorning King Rojan’s halls.

  She tried not to ogle as the chariot passed beneath the majestic arches of the underwater city whose name she did not know. The palace itself was faced with coral and sea anemones, a constant shift of color and movement that would have taken her breath if it weren’t already absent with awe and the bubble of air that was mere inches from her nose. Kayla reached over and tapped Niefusu on the shoulder, and when she was sure she’d gotten his attention, she pointed at the bubble surrounding her head. He gave her a toothy smile, then let go of the sled with one hand, scooted closer, and kissed Kayla again, breathing out the air that expanded her bubble and allowed her access to oxygen once more, though his kiss had her head spinning. Why he felt he needed to kiss her to increase the bubble, when Sarali so obviously hadn’t, was beyond her. Though, she hated to admit it, especially with her thoughts so recently on Brant, the man certainly knew how to kiss. He left her dizzy with delight and all those other cliché terms that had made no sense to her until this very moment, though Brant’s kisses had come close.

  Those thoughts brought her full circle back to Brant. She felt guilty for enjoying the kiss and scooted away from Niefusu, which he obviously found humorous, since he grinned at her action.

  Niefusu steered the sled toward a huge coral archway, tall enough for six men to stand head to toe with room to spare. They passed beneath the immense doorway and into what could only be a stable, though it was like no stable Kayla had ever seen. The stalls for the animals didn’t just run along the sides of the structure like in a normal barn or stable. They also ran from floor to ceiling, four levels high. Kayla was beginning to see how living a life underwater could be very convenient, in the design of storage space in particular.

  The sled came to a stop in the center of the building where T’Kato and Sarali hovered in place near the animals’ caretaker. He unhooked the dolphin that had pulled their sled without even a glance in their direction while Niefusu and Kayla released the bar and swam toward the other two. They immediately turned and headed toward a human-sized doorway nearby. Instead of swimming through it, Sarali stopped and took the doorway in her hands, pushing her feet toward the sand so that she nearly stood vertical, then stepped through the doorway and dropped a few inches to stand in the air-filled room.

  Kayla didn’t know why she was surprised after spending so much time in the waterways, but she was. Evidently the castle was underwater, but had no water in it. Kayla followed T’Kato, grabbing the doorway as Sarali had done and stepping through the doorway, rather than swimming. It was a strange sensation. Her breathing bubble popped as soon as her face was through the skim of water, and she dropped to the sand without stumbling. She was grateful for that, at least. She didn’t want to look a fool in front of the royal family of this water kingdom.

  That thought stopped her for a second. She distinctly remembered Sarali telling her that she’d lost her father, just like Kayla. She glanced at the MerCat woman and the question popped out of her mouth before she could stop it. “I thought you said your father abandoned you as a babe.” Sarali glanced at her, then at her brother who was just stepping through the doorway, and leaned in close. “I lied,” she said, her voice low. “Ye needed the moment to know ye weren’t alone, so I lied. I’m sorry.” Kayla wasn’t sure what to feel at that. She’d believed her, wholeheartedly.

  Jihong walked toward them, and Sarali’s face darkened. She pulled her head up and growled at her brother, but he paid her no mind. He turned when he saw he had their attention and without a word led them through the hallways of the castle. Sarali was fuming. She held herself rigid. If she’d been in her cat form, Kayla imagined her hair would be standing on end and her tail straight in the air. Kayla had never seen Sarali like this, every bit the annoyed and inconvenienced royal Kayla had faced daily throughout her life. It was hard to believe she was the same girl whose darling lilt and ever-helpful attitude had made Kayla admire her so few days before.

  Niefusu passed them and went to Jihong’s side, angling toward a doorway. They stopped, Jihong opening the door with a low, sweeping bow and letting Sarali in before him. It seemed to annoy her even more, as she seemed to purposely step on his foot as she stormed past, though he acted as if nothing happened. Niefusu glared at the shorter brother as he passed by, but Jihong grinned his hard smile and came in behind them. T’Kato gestured with a hand for Kayla to fall in before him, and he brought up the rear.

  The halls were lined with mother of pearl. Several MerCats stood along the hallway, at the end of which was an obsidian double door, taller than the trees Kayla had raced through three days before. Two dark guards hovered before the doors, which they pushed open as Sarali approached.

  The room they entered was more grand than anything Kayla could have ever imagined. The pillars were sand, hard as stone, the walls more of the mother of pearl, and the décor was natural seaweed. Even the pictures seemed to move, and in the middle of the back wall sat a man and woman, with crowns of starfish and pearl upon their heads. They both stood at the group’s entrance and nearly raced with open arms to Sarali.

  The girl stopped them with an upraised hand.

  “That’s close enough, ye two. What in the world would ye be thinking, dragging us all the way down here when ye knows we’ve got work to do up top?”

  The queen answered. “We wouldn’t have brought ye here if it wasn’t for dire need, me daughter. The airways be collapsing all across the kingdom. The passageways. In cities. In homes. Even in our castle here, half the rooms be filled with water that won’t leave. We need help and didn’t know who else to ask. None of the magi can clear the places once they fill with water and, we don’t know why.”

  Sarali seemed concerned, though still upset. “It’s bec
ause the net of magic around Rasann be collapsing, Mum. I cannot do a thing about it.”

  The king spoke up. “How goes the search for the Amethyst keystone? We thought that perhaps if ye’d found the stone, ye might be able to help clear the water once again. And it’s more than the water. The hot pots are roasting people in their homes.”

  At that, Sarali seemed truly upset. Her eyes got big and she stilled completely. “What do ye mean?”

  “Just what I said,” the king answered. “The pots have gone super hot, for no understandable reason. They be fine one day, and the next we find everyone in the home boiled alive. Many a time, the pots go back to normal after they super heat, but not always. Sometimes there be survivors, and other times not, but the world is falling apart, daughter, and we’d hoped with ye being the heir, ye might help us find a solution.”

  Sarali shook her head. “I’d heard rumors, but hadn’t believed them.” She tapped her lips for a second, then glanced at Kayla. Her eyes lit up and she turned back to her parents. “I cannot fix everything, Mum, Da,” she said, nodding to them. “But the keystones are manifesting, showing up here and there, and once they come together, the chosen one should fix the unraveling. I may not have The Amethyst Eye as of yet, but T’Kato found the bearer of The Sapphire Flute. Maybe she can fill some of the waterways here with air once again.”

  Kayla tensed as Sarali told the king and queen about her and the flute. Would they hurt her? Would they try to take the flute for themselves? Why would Sarali tell them, when she and T’Kato had warned Kayla about this exact thing? She couldn’t help the wave of fear that washed over her and had her stomach in knots. T’Kato had pounded the idea of not playing the flute into her head. But she had successfully used the flute to save Joyson and Brant, to defeat C’Tan. So long as she held the flute, nothing could harm her. If C’Tan could not take the flute from her, then neither could a simple MerCat.

  The king and queen seemed full of hope and Kayla couldn’t dash that. Niefusu already knew she had the flute, though she worried about Jihong and his antagonism toward Sarali. That was a story she was going to have to get from the princess. Kayla glanced his way and caught him eyeballing her, and it was not with admiration. Chills raced up her spine. Evidently he’d already figured out who had the flute, but even if he hadn’t, Sarali’s introduction and her playing of her other flute earlier would have given it away.

  “Mum and Da, this is Kayla Kalandra Felandian, Duchess of Driane of the kingdom of Peldane. She is the bearer and current guardian of The Sapphire Flute.” The king and queen nodded their heads toward Kayla with what seemed to be respect, then raised their eyes to hers. The queen spoke for them both.

  “If ye wouldn’t mind, Duchess Kayla, would ye help us fill the rooms in our home once again? I know ye don’t have time to fix the kingdom,” she rushed on, “But if ye could just fix a few of the spots that are most important, we’d be most grateful.”

  Kayla glanced at Sarali, trying to keep the anger out of her eyes, then glanced back at Sarali’s parents. “I’d be honored to help, Your Majesties. I’d fix them all if I could, but time is pressing.”

  “Then why don’t ye just leave the flute here and let us do it for ye?” Jihong said, stepping forward. “Surely it will work for any player. We can fix our kingdom and ye can be on yer way, and when we’re done, ye can return and retrieve yer flute.”

  Kayla’s stomach burned at that, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. Jihong was turning out to be exactly the kind of man she’d expected. Still, there was no point in antagonizing him further. “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” she answered. “I’ve been sent on a mission with this flute, and I can’t be delayed any longer than I have already.” She scooted closer to the door.

  Jihong strode toward her, meeting her near the door. “I’m afraid I must insist,” he said, reaching for the flute. Kayla scampered away from him, at which point he spat out a few choice words and turned into his MerCat self. T’Kato raced toward him, but the beast sent a bolt of purple light toward the tattooed man that sent him flying across the room.

  The king shouted. “Jihong! That’d be enough!” The guards charged toward him, but he drew a shield in the air that shoved them back against the wall, then he put his focus on Kayla.

  She hadn’t expected him to try to take it by force, but she would not let him have the flute, any more than she’d let C’Tan take it. If this boy wanted a battle, he’d get one.

  Kayla put the flute to her lips and sent out a freezing sweep of sound that instantly created a shield of ice before her. Jihong sent out his purple spear of light. It reflected off the ice and hit the wall of the throne room, leaving faint streaks of black with amethyst undertones. He sent another spear, and she turned to deflect it. This time it hit one of the clams on the wall and shattered it into a million pieces.

  That scared Kayla. If the light was that strong, she was in trouble. Taking the shield of ice in front of her, she played the flute again and bent the ice up and around her so that she stood in a bubble. That angered Jihong and he sent wave after wave of light at her, all of which glanced off the ice or stuck in it like a spear. By this time, everyone had either left the room or were hiding behind the furniture and pillars. Sarali looked ready to chew stone, she was so angry, and the king and queen were not far behind her. The king continued to yell at his son, but the boy didn’t appear to be listening.

  Tired of his game, Kayla decided to take the offensive. She sent out a crystal of ice to encase Jihong’s hand. The pulse of electricity in his fist grew as he struggled to blast open the ice, but nothing would happen. His angry face turned to his left hand and a ball of lightning grew there too, so Kayla encased that hand in a ball of ice as well. The furious Jihong raced toward her then and pounded on her ice shields with his icy hands, but nothing happened, not to her shields, and not to the rapidly growing icy fists.

  Afraid he would hurt himself, Kayla completely surrounded Jihong with ice, leaving his head and neck free so he could still breathe. She only hoped this duel would end before the boy was damaged with frostbite.

  As if the king could hear her thoughts, he stepped out from behind his throne and stormed over to his son. “Are ye insane, boy? Ye’d be so desperate to make a name for yerself that ye’d go against one of the chosen?” The king smacked Jihong on the back of the head, the boy’s chin ricocheting off the ice on his chest. The boy glared at him in sullen defeat. “I’ll ask the girl to thaw ye if ye promise to behave, but I’ll not have ye seeing her again while she be here, understand? Yer to be sent to yer rooms.” At that, he turned to Kayla. “I apologize, Duchess. Me son has no patience nor tact. Ye’ll be safe now.” He gestured the guards forward, then nodded to Kayla.

  Still guarded and in her bubble of ice, Kayla thawed Jihong all at once so he fell to the sand, shivering. The guards picked him up by the arms and carried him from the room, apparently to be locked away for the remainder of the evening.

  Once the adrenaline began to subside and Kayla felt safe, she melted her ice bubble and walked over to enter the conversation with Sarali and a now-awake T’Kato. He looked none the worse for wear, though anger rolled off him in waves. It was a good thing Jihong was gone or Kayla was afraid T’Kato would have killed him—though at the moment, it wasn’t as repulsive an idea as she would have thought. She was angry at the boy as well.

  “Could ye at least stay for dinner and a night, me girl?” the queen asked, her lilt very much like Sarali’s.

  The princess who had been Kayla’s servant tipped her head and grinned. “I think that can be arranged, Mum. Thanks for the invite. And could ye arrange a small gift of thanks for Kayla’s work in clearing the water from the castle?” Her mother, the queen, nodded. “But of course. It be only expected for her kindness.” Sarali winked at Kayla, then turned and walked for the obsidian door. Kayla followed after, hoping she wouldn’t have to spend much time in water-filled rooms while helping to clear things. She wasn’t about to be kisse
d by Niefusu again.

  Chapter Five

  C’Tan pulled the bronze mirror out of thin air, opened her satin robe, and let it drop to pool about her feet, then let the illusion of beauty fall from her features. It was her daily routine, begun after her servants had dragged her from the fire after she and Jarin battled and he had died. It reminded her of what she lost, of what she’d given up in her decision to serve S’Kotos. Hair the color of golden apples and her beautiful features faded away and she stared at the fiery scar snaking its way across her bald head and down her face. The usual anger burned inside her, rising up in a volcano of hate. Usually the hate was for Jarin, her half-brother and the man who had scarred her this way. It was Jarin’s lasso of fire that had sparked the flame in her clothing and hair, though S’Kotos had used it to mark her as his—her master’s way of claiming and torturing her both.

  Things were different now. The volcano of anger, disgust, and hate rose, but it was not for Jarin this time. It was for herself. Her weakness had led to Kayla’s success. She should have known better than to trust Ian to find Ember Shandae. She should have done it herself. The disgust rose to such a heat that C’Tan lashed out at the bronze mirror.

  It shattered into a million tiny pieces.

  The cloud of slivered glass hovered before her, splitting her image and reflecting back the same horror, the same weak and imperfect woman she had become. For one brief second, she remembered what she’d been once, long ago when she was young and carefree, before she’d been burned with the hate of S’Kotos toward her murderous bastard of a father and Kardon had come to turn her to the Guardian of Fire.

  Fractured. That’s what she was. A fractured soul, bits and scraps of what could have been and what was, illusion and reality, all mixed into one jumbled mess, just like the fragments of glass that hung in the air before her. The first crack had come when she’d murdered her father as he lay in his own vomit in the street, bellowing his drink-sodden song. The truth about him had broken her, and she had taken his life with anger so huge it had stolen her innocence and turned her into the scarred wreck she had become. She was sickened by the memory and sent it back into the halls of history from which it had emerged. The man deserved what he got, no matter the price she’d paid.