“What are you talking about?” Jax frowned, then stilled as Caspian moved, showing the back of his right ear. “Oh…”
“What?” I breathed, craning my neck so I could see.
There was a small symbol tattooed there, in black ink. It was different from the red mark seared into the left side of his neck—that symbolized his status as an Exiled Mara, and all the Maras in Azure Heights had it. But the black mark was different, several geometric shapes fused into one.
“What is that?” Jax asked.
“I think it’s a blood oath,” Vesta replied. “I’ve seen it on a couple of Maras who fled from Azure Heights a few weeks back.”
“Fled?” Hansa raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, some manage to get out of there with their dignity and their bodies intact. But they’re rare, believe me,” Vesta explained briefly. “The mark is swamp witch magic, for sure. It’s extremely powerful and deadly. No wonder he couldn’t tell you anything: it would kill him before he even finished the first sentence. He has sworn not to tell specific things, and I imagine everything we’ve told you so far is part of those… specific things.”
“So Lord Kifo hasn’t been able to tell us the truth because of that mark?” Hansa concluded, frowning as she stared at Caspian.
“Exactly.” Vesta nodded. “I think it all makes sense now, even to me, as to why he’s here with you all. He’s been helping you, and he brought you here so you could learn the truth he couldn’t tell you himself.”
I needed a couple of minutes to gather my thoughts. My rage, fully justified until Vesta’s revelation, was beginning to subside. Putting myself in Caspian’s shoes for a second, I even understood why he’d done everything this way. All the warnings, they’d been genuine. He’d probably thought we’d be daemon chow and wanted us out of here before they sealed the planet off with swamp witch magic.
All the help he’d given us. The meranium pendants. His incursion into the daemon city with us. Our encounter with Mose. Even us coming here—these things had all been part of his elaborate plan to tell us the truth without uttering a single word himself. Like some sort of loophole for the blood oath. I covered my mouth with my hands as I realized exactly how true his words had been when he’d said that the lives of many depended on his oath. His was definitely one of them.
“You’re protecting others, too, aren’t you?” I breathed, inching closer to his cage. “Other Maras, Imen… When you said the lives of many depended on you… You’re… You’re really trying to help us, without getting yourself killed.”
“I am sorry, Miss Hellswan,” he replied, his voice faded and hoarse. “Perhaps this will help you understand the nature of my oath. Yes, I know everything. I know that Darius faked his death. He sacrificed some of our own people to make it look real, genuine…”
Blotches of red blossomed on his skin, smoke rising from beneath his collar. My throat closed up as I witnessed the effect of his blood oath.
“It was all meant to break your group apart, and get the dragon underground. As long as you have Blaze running loose, they’re not going to accomplish much. They’re terrified of him… Argh…”
He fell to his knees, third-degree burns eating away at his face.
“Stop! Stop it!” I cried out, gripping the iron bars. “I get it. It’s true. The oath, I can see what it’s doing to you!”
“I’m sorry, Harper,” he groaned, breathing heavily as he regained his composure. His wounds were starting to heal already, thanks to his Mara immune system. “I wish I could’ve told you everything from the moment I first laid eyes on you.”
“It’s… It’s okay, I get it,” I replied softly. “I don’t like it, obviously, but I get it. You did what you had to do.”
“You know, I’m starting to think that Lord Kifo really isn’t the bad guy we thought he was,” Vesta mused, pursing her lips and crossing her arms over her chest. “They only do this to the Maras they can’t fully trust, but don’t want to kill yet. My guess is he pretended to go along with their plans, but, because he probably objected to their plans before, they forced him to take the blood oath and prove his allegiance. It’s what I would do, anyway, if I were him.”
“Something still doesn’t make sense to me,” Hansa replied, leaning against one of the iron bars as she turned to face us.
All around us, Imen moved, going about their business but giving us concerned glances. The guards stationed by Caspian’s cage were quiet, but their eyes were fixed on us. I could only imagine what was going through their heads at this point.
One hell of a rescue team we were… Expertly duped by Exiled Maras.
“You said they plan to bring more Eritopians over here,” Hansa continued. “How do they expect to achieve that? Granted, we cannot leave, nor contact our people. Our people can’t get to us, either; otherwise you would’ve seen many more of us by now. How do they expect this to work?”
Ah, yes, the million-dollar question.
How were they going to get more of our own down here? Hansa was right, something really didn’t click with the daemons’ and Maras’ plan. The logistics of accomplishing such a feat boggled my mind. No matter from which angles I tried to approach the problem, I couldn’t see a solution.
Despite that massive unknown, I felt like I could finally breathe again. At least we had the truth. As terrible and as bloody as it was, we had it.
For the first time since we’d landed on Neraka, we really knew what we were dealing with. And we were horribly outnumbered and ill-equipped for it.
But hey… at least we know what the heck is going on.
Jax
It was going to take some time to fully wrap my head around what we’d just learned. I struggled with my rage toward the Exiled Maras, and what they had done with their chance at a new, better life in this world. They’d gone from bad to worse. Not only were they still killing others for blood, they’d jumped to eating their souls, too.
They were beyond help. They had to be destroyed.
“We’re not sure of the ‘how’ part yet,” Vesta replied, referring to the Maras and the daemons’ plan to get more Eritopians to Neraka. “But it must have something to do with whatever magic the swamp witch is giving them.”
“They’ve gone to great lengths to get you here, in the first place,” Amund said. “It’s an elaborate play they’ve put together, with plenty of theatricals. They’re using swamp witch magic and mind-bending to manipulate everything into this enormous dramatic performance. The Maras are playing the part of the victims, with the Imen by their sides as their faithful companions. Unfortunately for them, however, they have no control over the Free People.”
“Their goal must be to capture and kill us, then reach out to Calliope again and ask for help,” I concluded, my synapses firing. “But I still can’t understand how they expect this to work. Chances are that GASP has already tried to reach out. Maybe they’ve been attempting to travel to Neraka, too. But since we haven’t seen any of them, they clearly weren’t able to get anywhere near the planet.”
“I am sorry, we cannot answer these questions.” Amund sighed. “But there is someone in the daemon city up north who might know more, since Lord Kifo here clearly can’t shed any light without burning up.”
“Our assumption is that the Maras didn’t immediately try to capture you because they wanted to see how much you’d be able to figure out on your own, and how much they could get away with,” Vesta mused. “My guess is that, once they saw the dragon, they realized they were in over their heads and couldn’t immediately cage you because, well, dragon!”
“Oh, damn!” Harper gasped. “That makes so much sense! They were probably going to jump us the moment we landed on Neraka. Then they would’ve called for help. It’s one thing to get an army of Maras and incubi, for example. The daemons and the Exiled Maras could handle them in large numbers, if GASP were to send in a battalion or something. But a dragon, no way. The moment they saw Blaze, the entire game changed. They probably d
idn’t know we had dragons. In all fairness, Calliope didn’t know we had dragons until Blaze and his father first came over for Jovi’s wedding. It’s hard to get them out of The Shade, in general.”
“So they were probably going to act like victims, pretend we went missing, too, then call for more boots on the ground, whom they would immediately capture upon landing.” Hansa nodded.
“Yes, Amund, we will definitely need to speak to whoever you have in that daemon city,” I replied. “We need answers for these questions so we can understand exactly how they’re planning to draw GASP in.”
“The success of this performance will most likely dictate their next steps,” Hansa added, looking at Caspian. “If they were able to fool us, they could very well be able to fool others. But as long as we’re alive and free, they’re in a pinch.”
My terrified gaze met Harper’s, as we both seemed to deal with the same bloodcurdling conclusion.
“The others are in danger,” I muttered, staring at her.
“The Exiled Maras will know they screwed the pooch the moment they see Blaze and Caia,” Harper breathed, and then her brow furrowed as something else dawned on her. “Hold on, they took Blaze down with that yellow powder back in daemon city. If he’s really the one the Maras were afraid of, and given their alliance with the daemons, why didn’t they use the yellow powder on Blaze when we were still in Azure Heights?”
Vesta and the other Imen thought about it for a couple of seconds. The fae’s face lit up as she found the answer. “The powders are new,” she said. “A few days, at most, and it’s probably the latest charm that the daemons were able to pull out of the swamp witch. Chances are the Maras have yet to get their filthy claws on the stuff. And, frankly, I don’t see the daemons giving it away so quickly. You see, they may be allies, but they certainly don’t trust each other. I’m guessing that the daemons wouldn’t give anything to the Maras that they could later use against them.”
“How certain are you that the daemons won’t pass it along to the Maras nonetheless?” I asked.
“It’s just a speculation at this point. The one thing I know for sure is that all the stunning powders they’re using are brand new. It’s something we’ll have to study and be prepared for. I’m not sure masks will prevent them from affecting us, if that stuff gets thrown into our faces.”
A knot formed in my throat. I knew the team stood a better chance with Blaze there, but I also knew that they had been able to capture him once with yellow dust. Nothing would stop them from trying again, if the daemons decided to share their powder secrets with the Maras.
Harper
(Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)
“Okay, what next?” I asked, looking at Hansa and Jax. My friends were out there in Azure Heights, surrounded by monsters. “We need to tell Caia and the others. Like, now.”
“I think you should stay here, and not risk capture,” Vesta said. “I will send two of my best scouts to Azure Heights. They know every secret passage, every trail in the woods, every single access point into the city. Where will your friends be?”
“In the infirmary, most likely, on the second level,” I replied.
“I’ll have them go there right now, to warn your friends and get them out of the city.” Vesta nodded, then snapped her fingers at two young Imen boys who had settled by the campfire. Their heads turned, their eyes wide as they stood and joined us. They couldn’t be older than sixteen, but seemed spry and quick enough to do the job.
“Are you sure? Maybe one of us should go with them.” Jax frowned.
“No need.” Vesta gave him a confident wink. “My boys are fast and light on their feet. The Maras won’t even know they’re there. This isn’t even their first time in Azure Heights. Besides, we only just got you here; I can’t risk you getting captured while trying to get your friends out, when you don’t even know that mountain as well as these two.”
She put her hands on the boys’ shoulders, and spoke in a somber, bossy voice.
“You two go to Azure Heights. You’ve seen the dragon, right?” she asked them, and they nodded. “Get him and his friends out of the infirmary on the second level. Take the eastern route in, the one with the red walls. You’ll have to push some stones out of the way, but it will take you straight to that level, just fifty yards from the place. Be quiet, be fast, be smart. We’ll wait for you here.”
The Imen boys didn’t wait a second longer. They immediately packed some water in leathery flasks, and dried bread for the road. They geared up with knives and covered themselves with dark green cloaks, and ran off into the dark night settling over the woods.
My heart thumped, but Vesta was right. The team was relatively better off with Blaze, and they’d already been warned to be wary of the Exiled Maras. All we could do was keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
We’d just escaped one daemon city—there was no way we were going to let some ghoulish Maras capture us instead. I stole a glance at Caspian, then shifted my focus back to Vesta.
“Have you been to that daemon city up north before?” I asked.
“A couple of times,” she replied with a brief nod. “We have friends there. It might come as a shock, but they’re daemons. They’re pacifists, to be precise. Not on the king’s good side.”
“Hah, I knew it,” I muttered, mostly to myself. “We were wondering if we could consider them potential allies.”
“They are, though they’re not easy to come across. They keep a low profile,” Ledda said. “They’re the ones who taught us about the ashes.”
“The ashes,” I mumbled, then remembered Mose’s nifty little trick. “That’s right, to stop daemons from picking up your scent.”
“This whole village is surrounded by twenty feet of ashes, sprinkled into the grass.” Ledda smiled. “We’re safe here, and we’ve gone to great lengths to conceal our presence. We have scouts keeping watch on a two-mile radius, and traps set throughout the woods. You can all stay here while we wait for your friends.”
“What about the daemon city up north? When can we go there?” I replied.
“As soon as your dragon gets here,” Vesta sighed. “If I am to leave my village, I want to make sure there’s a dragon protecting my people. The last time I left, they wound up in cages, and you helped me save them. Granted, we’ve moved camp here now, and we’ve taken additional measures to keep daemons at bay, but, still, I’m not comfortable with leaving them just yet.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not feeling too comfortable with us just staying here, while the kids are back there, with those monsters!” Hansa snapped, chewing the inside of her cheek.
“Trust me, my boys will get the job done, and fast,” Vesta tried to assure her. “They keep indigo horses on the edge of the forest, and know the best and fastest routes through the Valley of Screams. We’ve stocked up on tricks over the past few centuries. We can handle a simple extraction.”
“Besides, I doubt the Maras will get too aggressive. They only have the Imen in the city to feed on; they won’t risk any more of their lives with a dragon on the loose,” Jax added.
“The Lords don’t like loose ends, but they’ve already stumbled across an unexpected hurdle with Blaze,” Vesta said. “If anything, all my boys need to do is find the dragon and warn him. He’ll get everyone on his back and fly out.”
A minute passed as Hansa tried to accept the idea that she wasn’t out there with the scouts. I understood her frustration well enough, but even she had to admit that we were better off here, hashing out the next stages of our plan.
“We can focus on finding the swamp witch and ending everything,” I offered. “Once we get her to help us disrupt whatever spells these bastards are using, we can reach out to Calliope and bring in all our dragons.”
“You’re right.” She exhaled sharply, then gave me a weak smile.
I looked at Caspian again, and noticed his satisfied expression, a faint smirk stretching his lips. His burns were almost fully healed, and my heart
started to break a little, as I tried to imagine how tormented he must’ve been about all of this.
He’d been playing a dual role, trying to keep the Lords from suspecting him of treason, while helping us stay free and alive. He was one of the good guys, and the relief I felt upon thinking that took me by surprise. I wasn’t just pleased that he wasn’t a traitor; I was happy that I hadn’t fallen for an evil creature.
“Will you let him out?” I looked at Amund. “He’s already proven himself to you, to us.”
“We’re not comfortable with doing that just yet.” Amund shook his head slowly.
“Why the hell not? He’s just bound by a blood oath! He won’t hurt anyone!”
“We will discuss it among ourselves soon, and we will decide in the morning.” Amund raised his voice enough to remind me that he and his female companions were still in charge. “Vesta will see to your dinner and accommodation, and Lord Kifo will stay here, for the time being.”
“Can you at least untie him? Take the blindfold off?” I wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
“What if he tries to mind-bend the guards?” Ledda frowned.
“He won’t,” I said. “I’ll stand guard. Jax will take turns with me, if needed.”
“Agreed.” Jax nodded firmly. “Please. I’m sure Lord Kifo won’t put his life at risk like this. He knows how fast I can separate his head from his body. And so can Harper.”
The Imen glanced at each other for a brief moment. Amund then looked at one of the guards. “Remove his restraints.”
The guard came closer to the cage and asked Caspian to turn around and take a couple of steps back. Once he was within reach, the guard untied his hands and removed his blindfold. As soon as he could see again, Caspian looked at me, his jade eyes soft and… sad.
“Thank you,” he murmured, rubbing his wrists.
“Just don’t do anything stupid,” Amund shot back, then motioned for Eristhena and Ledda to follow him back into the main tent, while we were left there with Vesta and two guards by Caspian’s cage.