Her lover had a gift for deduction, an uncanny ability to analyze almost any situation and understand it better than most. Whatever he was up to would probably turn out to be the right move.
“Listen to me, Darm,” Vaaler continued. “Listen closely. I am a wizard, too. Remember? I understand Keegan’s power. I know how to break the curse. I can free you if you let me.”
“I want to be free,” Darm said with a soft sob. “Please help me.”
“Close your eyes,” Vaaler told him. “Open your mind to mine and I will reach in and break the bonds that tie you to Keegan.”
Darm did as he was told and closed his eyes. Then he dropped to his knees in front of Vaaler, his bound hands clasped tightly together as if he was praying.
Vaaler glanced over at her and shrugged, then he reached out to place his hands atop the kneeling man’s head.
“Take a deep breath, Darm. Good. Now another. Nice and slow. Stay calm as I search your mind.”
Vaaler’s fingers began to gently massage the man’s scalp through his matted hair.
“I can feel the chains Keegan used to bind you,” Vaaler continued. “I see where he has tied your will to his.”
Darm let out a soft sob, but his eyes remained shut.
“I’m going to count backward from five, Darm,” Vaaler said. “And when I’m done, I’m going to break the bonds and free you from the curse. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Darm whimpered. “Please help me.”
“I will, Darm. Take a deep breath. Good. Don’t be afraid; this won’t hurt. Five…four…Take another deep breath.”
Vaaler’s voice was getting softer and softer, like a parent trying to lull a child to sleep.
“Three…Breathe, Darm. Stay calm. Two…don’t worry, this won’t hurt. Just relax. One…BE FREE!”
He shouted the last words so loudly that Shalana actually jumped. Darm let out a cry and his head snapped back as if he’d been struck though Vaaler’s hand on his head had never moved.
The soldier’s eyes snapped open, and a broad grin spread across his face.
“I’m free!” he called out. “I’m free!”
“You’re free,” Vaaler agreed. “Now…sleep.”
Darm’s eyes snapped shut and his body went limp. Vaaler caught him before he fell, then gently lowered him to the stable floor.
“What was all that?” Shalana asked.
“The power of suggestion,” he replied. “I don’t think Keegan actually cursed him. They just made him think he was cursed, and his own mind did the rest.”
“Why would they do that? Did they really think he’d be able to convince the Free Cities to help them against the Order?”
“I think sending him on that mission was just a way to keep him busy. They wanted to make sure he didn’t do something to betray them if they let him go.”
“It might have been kinder just to kill him,” she noted.
“Darm might disagree with you,” Vaaler noted. “Especially if his sanity returns.”
“So you think you cured him of his madness? Just like that?”
“I don’t know. He’s suffering from dehydration and malnutrition; he’s probably been having hallucinations for days. And he was emotionally traumatized by his meeting with Keegan. If he gets food and water and no longer believes he’s under some wizard’s curse, then hopefully his mind will start to see the world more rationally again.”
“You know if that happens, your new followers are going to start proclaiming you have mystical healing powers,” Shalana warned.
From the way his eyebrows arched up she realized he hadn’t actually considered that.
It’s good to know you’re not always two steps ahead of me.
“So what happens now?” she asked.
“I don’t think running into him like this was an accident,” Vaaler said.
“I was thinking the same thing. It looks like you’re still part of Keegan’s destiny after all. And that means so am I. So what do we do next?”
“We know the Order is laying siege to Callastan,” Vaaler said, speaking slowly as he tried to work it all out. “If Cassandra’s in the city, Keegan and the others might need help to break through their lines to find her.”
“You haven’t got that many followers yet,” Shalana warned. “Unless you plan to hit every town between here and Callastan.”
“That would take far too lo—” he cut himself off when he realized she’d been making a joke. “I was thinking we should march to the Free Cities.”
For a moment, Shalana thought he was now joking with her. Then she realized he was completely serious.
“Why would we do that?”
“Like you said, one soldier isn’t going to convince the Free Cities to march against the Order. But an army of refugees showing up at their gates telling tales of the horrors they’ve suffered because of the Order’s Purge might have more luck.”
“Not everyone has as soft a heart as you do,” she reminded him.
“It’s worth a try,” Vaaler said. “And don’t forget—I can be very convincing when I have to.”
SCYTHE AND JERROD took turns watching over Keegan through the night, though neither one slept at all. By the time morning broke, though, nothing had changed; he hadn’t even moved from the position they’d left him in.
“We have to do something,” Scythe said, picking up Daemron’s Sword and pacing angrily back and forth. “Instead of just sitting here wasting our time!”
“There’s nothing we can do,” Jerrod insisted. “It is up to him to find his way back to us.”
“No, I don’t believe that,” Scythe replied. “How did he find his way back the last time?”
“He felt the Ring calling to him. After he woke, we took it from the Danaan Queen.”
“So why can’t he sense the Ring now?”
“The ways of Chaos are unpredictable,” Jerrod answered.
Scythe still wasn’t satisfied. She had accepted that she and Keegan were both touched by Chaos. She could accept that they shared a bond that also connected them to the prophecy Jerrod followed. But she couldn’t accept the idea that they were all just being swept along by events beyond their control.
There are rules that control Chaos, even if we don’t understand them.
She wished that Vaaler were here; the Danaan understood these things better than she did. He’d studied the ways of Chaos.
But he has never used one of the Talismans, Norr’s voice chimed in. That is something you and Keegan have in common.
Scythe realized she was casually twirling Daemron’s blade in her hand as she thought. The Sword was so light, and it felt so natural in her grip that she sometimes forgot she was holding it.
“That’s it!” she cried out as inspiration struck.
Jerrod turned his head toward her, his expression confused.
“The Sword is a counter to the Ring,” she said, speaking quickly as the idea took shape in her head. “It absorbs Chaos. Blunts its power. Remember when Keegan tried to use magic against the Guardian?”
“That is why the Frozen East has no wizards or prophets,” Jerrod agreed.
“That’s why Keegan can’t sense the Ring this time. It’s hidden by the power of the Sword.”
“Even if you are right,” Jerrod said. “Where does that leave us?”
Scythe chewed on her lower lip, looking for an answer.
“He can’t sense the Ring hanging on the chain around his neck, but what if we placed it on his finger?”
“No,” Jerrod said. “He can barely control the Ring’s power when he’s conscious. In his current state the rush of Chaos would destroy him, and the backlash would be devastating.”
“What if I use the Sword to help him?” Scythe pressed. “Its power would balance out the Ring, allowing Keegan to control the Chaos and the backlash!”
“You are not a mage,” Jerrod reminded her. “You don’t understand how Chaos works. This plan is madness.”
“
You’re no wizard, either,” Scythe shot back. “And you keep saying how Keegan and I share a bond. If that’s true, then maybe this will work.”
“Or maybe it will kill you both!” Jerrod snapped. “Keegan foolishly put himself in danger. I won’t allow you to do the same.”
“Allow me?” Scythe snarled. “You can’t stop me!”
Jerrod stiffened, then relaxed and bowed his head. “You speak the truth. With Daemron’s Sword you are far stronger than I.
“But I’m asking you not to do this. Remember what you told me. You said Keegan’s feelings for you might compromise his ability to fulfill his destiny. Maybe you were right.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“I’m worried your feelings for Keegan are the reason behind your insistence on doing this.”
“I don’t have any feelings for Keegan,” Scythe snapped.
“Is that true? You said Keegan might not be willing to sacrifice you for our cause,” Jerrod continued. “But now you are the one who cannot let him go.”
“That has nothing to do with my feelings for him,” Scythe insisted. “I told you I’d do whatever it takes to make your prophecy come true. How can that happen if Keegan’s stuck like this?”
“Maybe Keegan will find his way back on his own,” Jerrod whispered.
“I don’t think you believe that,” she said. “I think you’ve given up on him.”
When Jerrod didn’t reply, she knew she was onto something.
“You believed he was some kind of savior,” she continued, “but you’ve seen too many of his flaws and failings. You’re starting to wonder if he can ever be the hero you need him to be.”
“He has so much power,” Jerrod said. “So much potential. And yet he seems so frail and weak.
“If his mind cannot even find its way back from the Burning Sea, maybe he was not meant to save us.”
“Or maybe he’s not meant to save us alone,” Scythe argued. “Maybe he needs me to help him.”
Jerrod was silent, his brow furrowed as he thought about what she was saying.
“You’re right,” he finally admitted. “My faith in the prophecy has wavered, but that is my failing, not Keegan’s. You must try to help him.”
Scythe nodded, then went over and crouched beside Keegan’s nonresponsive body. She gently rolled him over onto his back, then lay down beside him. In her right hand she clutched Daemron’s Sword, her left she wrapped around Keegan’s own.
She’d managed to convince Jerrod that they had to try something but she still really had no idea what she was doing. All she was doing was acting on instinct, trusting her gut.
It’s what you’re best at, Norr’s voice told her.
“I’m ready,” she said, closing her eyes and trying to ready her mind for whatever was about to happen.
She heard Jerrod fumbling with the chain, then she felt the monk’s hands as he slid the Talisman onto Keegan’s finger, being careful not to disentangle their grip.
As he stepped away, Scythe clenched Keegan’s hand tightly with her own. For a few seconds she felt nothing, then she heard something: a low rumble coming from a great distance. A sudden heat sprang up around her, and her eyes snapped open.
She was no longer lying on the ground beside Keegan. She was alone, floating in an ocean of blue fire, with Daemron’s Sword still clutched in her hand.
The Burning Sea!
The roar of the heaving ocean waves was so loud she could barely think, and she began to panic. The flames seemed to respond to her fear, wrapping themselves around her body and limbs like serpents coiling around their prey. She cried out as she felt them tighten, and they began to drag her down deep below the surface.
Her panic disappeared, replaced by the familiar rage and fury. She slashed at the flames with the Sword, hacking and chopping until the tendrils finally fell away. Then she thrust the Sword straight up above her, kicked her feet once, and shot back toward the surface.
A wave picked her up and tossed her, sending her spinning out of control. Scythe let out a scream and stabbed at the waves with her blade, using it like an anchor to slow and stop her momentum.
Another massive wave rose to tower above her, then came crashing down with enough force to crush her. She brought the Sword up and held it above her head with both hands like a shield. The blade struck the wall of Chaos fire, carving through it and slicing the wave perfectly in half, leaving her unharmed.
Around her, the ocean suddenly grew calm, and she bobbed gently on the surface. She cast her head from side to side, but all she could see in every direction was the blue fire stretching out to infinity.
The Sword could protect her from the fury of the Burning Sea, she realized, but it couldn’t help her find her way back to the mortal world. To do that, she’d need Keegan’s help.
“Keegan!” she called out. “Keegan, can you hear me?”
—
In the far depths of the Burning Sea, the heat of the Chaos fire was relentless. Keegan’s mind had retreated into a tiny cocoon, drawing itself in tighter and tighter as he struggled to keep the flames from turning him into ash. Yet though he was alive, he still felt the searing pain as it crawled over his skin—a never-ending torment.
Why am I still fighting? Why suffer like this? Just let go and it will be over in an instant.
Before he could surrender himself to the flames, he felt a sudden rush of power. In the alternate reality of the Burning Sea, Daemron’s Ring suddenly appeared on his finger.
All thoughts of giving up were swept away as he began to draw on the Talisman. He still felt the heat of the Chaos fire, but it was no longer unbearable torture. Instead, he welcomed the heat—drawing it in and shaping it to his will.
The flames around him began to swirl quickly, creating a vortex that propelled Keegan back to the surface of the Burning Sea. As he breached, he heard someone calling his name—the voice barely audible above the roar of the waves, but one he recognized immediately.
Scythe!
Gazing out across the boundless ocean of blue fire, he saw a flickering point of silver light. Focusing his will, he summoned a wave of Chaos to carry him in that direction.
As he drew closer, he saw Scythe floating in a tiny pocket of calm tranquility.
The Sword is holding the Chaos at bay, he realized.
At the same time, he felt the wave beneath him surge, growing to gargantuan size and accelerating out of control.
“Scythe!” he screamed, hoping she could hear him above the deafening thunder. “Look out!”
—
Scythe heard Keegan’s voice, and her head snapped around to see the titanic swell bearing down on her—twice the size of the one she’d beaten back earlier. Riding the crest was Keegan, though he was clearly not in control.
She brought the Sword up again, hoping to blunt the force of its impact. This time, however, the Chaos overwhelmed her and she was buried beneath a wall of scorching blue fire.
The wave swallowed her up and dragged her down far below the surface. The fire flooded her nose and throat, making her choke and cough. She flailed about with the Sword, beating the wave back until she could breathe again.
Then she saw Keegan floating beside her, his eyes closed. She screamed his name, but her voice was smothered by the flames that enveloped them both. She reached out with her free hand and seized his ankle, pulling him in close enough for her to grab his hand.
“Keegan!” she screamed again, and this time his eyes fluttered open in response though they were glazed and unfocused.
“You have to get us out of here!” she shouted. “You have to bring us back!”
The young wizard didn’t respond; he still seemed disoriented and confused. From far below Scythe could feel another enormous wave building, rising to swallow them both.
“Keegan—you have to do it now! You have to save us!”
His eyes suddenly snapped into focus and his jaw clenched. He pulled Scythe in close and wrapped
both his arms around her just as the massive wave hit them. There was a sound Scythe could only describe as reality itself being ripped apart, then suddenly everything went dark.
—
Jerrod sat on the ground, his legs crossed and his hands resting lightly on his thighs. He was taking slow, deep breaths; his eyes were closed but his Sight focused intently on the motionless forms of Keegan and Scythe.
Despite his efforts to induce a state of meditative calm, he felt a painful knot in his stomach and his neck and shoulders were so tense the muscles were starting to ache.
What if they don’t come back? Then only Cassandra is left to fulfill the prophecy…assuming I can even find her.
Several hours had passed since Scythe’s desperate ploy to save Keegan. In that time, neither one had shown any movement or any kind of sign that their bodies were anything but empty shells.
Even if this doesn’t work, Scythe was right to make the attempt.
The young Islander truly believed in Keegan, a belief he had momentarily lost. The strength of her conviction made him ashamed when he thought back on how he had let his personal doubts undermine his faith.
The path of the Burning Savior has never been an easy one to walk. The way will only become more difficult now that we are near the end.
Keegan and Scythe needed his help; they needed his support.
I will not doubt either of you again, he vowed. Just please come back to me.
As if in response to his wish, their bodies began to twitch and shiver.
Jerrod leapt to his feet, then stopped himself before he touched them. He did not know what was happening, but he feared his interference would only make things worse.
Keegan cried out, his back arching so severely Jerrod feared his spine would snap. Then Scythe moaned softly and began to convulse.
They’re on the threshold of the mortal world! Now they just need to burst through!
At the same instant, both their eyes popped open and consciousness violently slammed back into their bodies.
“Keegan! Scythe! Are you okay?”