“Do you see the trail?” Uriel asked Ariana as she settled herself on the grass.
“Yes.” She lifted a hand and pointed. “It’s that way, just as my senses told me in the air. The energy is getting stronger, but we’re still a fair distance from it.”
When the Waresti elder nodded and walked over to talk with his warriors, Sophia sat on the grass beside Ariana. She noticed Tiege standing nearby and wondered if he’d join them, but he was listening to whatever Uriel said.
“How are you doing?” Sophia asked.
The Lekwuesti gave her a small smile. “I’m terrified. I just want to get this over with so we can return to the homeland.”
Understanding, Sophia nodded. “I’m in complete agreement. We’ll get through this together, okay?”
“Thank you, Sophia. I don’t know what I’d do without you and Tiege.”
Smiling, Sophia said, “Yeah...about that. What’s up with the two of you?”
The Lekwuesti blushed and glanced around to see if anyone was near. Seeing they were alone, she turned back and grinned.
“He kissed me,” she whispered, her face all but glowing. “It was the best experience of my entire existence.”
Sophia’s heart wrenched. This was the kind of hushed, exciting conversation that she had always envisioned having with her sisters or Tate and Clara Kate. She’d taken a big step into womanhood, one they always giggled about when they were growing up. Now that she’d actually had her first kiss, though, she didn’t think she’d ever share it with them. How could she possibly explain that Quincy had kissed her after lying to her for so many years...and that in that single moment, his deceit hadn’t mattered at all?
What kind of hypocrite was she?
“I’m thrilled for you, Ariana,” she said, plastering a smile on her face. “You and Tiege make a perfect pair.”
“I appreciate you saying so.” Her blush intensified. “I’m actually planning on asking archigos Sebastian if he will allow me to formally pair with Tiege as his Lekwuesti.”
That made Sophia blink. “Oh. His paired Lekwuesti?”
“Yes.” Ariana frowned. “Is that odd?”
“Um...” Sophia considered her words. A pairing where Ariana saw to Tiege’s hospitality needs seemed terribly unromantic. But then, who was she to judge? “I think it’s great. Since we’ll all be paired to Lekwuesti soon, anyway, you may as well put the idea out there.”
Ariana nibbled on her lower lip. “Do you think Tiege will accept my offer?”
“He’d be a fool to refuse.”
When Ariana flashed a bright smile, Sophia couldn’t help but be happy for her. At least she could help navigate the matter of someone else’s heart, she reasoned, since she was failing so miserably with her own.
“They went into that forest,” Tycho said.
He and Bertram had flown separately, remaining as close to the ground as possible and as far in either direction as they could from the group containing the two females while still keeping them in sight. This had allowed them to evade detection, though Bertram had barely escaped the diamond gaze of the black kragen when she conducted a wide sweep. He had no idea why or how a kragen was in league with this group, but he didn’t intend to fall prey to it.
“Yes,” he said, scanning the trees. “We should drop back. This is too close to be able to see where they end up emerging. The last thing we want is for them to take flight without us seeing where they are going.”
Not arguing, Tycho joined Bertram in traveling back the way he had come, stopping when they crested a rise in the landscape. When they turned back, more of the forest was visible.
“Were you able to get close enough to get any clues about their destination?” Bertram asked.
“Not yet. They have a host of Waresti guarding the perimeter of the forest. They aren’t communicating by hand signals, either.”
“Damn.”
Bertram had hoped they could get ahead of the group to somehow lay in wait. Even better than capturing the two females and forcing them to find the scroll that Eirik sought would be having them find it and then simply taking it from them. Exactly how they would do that with them being so well-guarded was a concern, but Bertram had been certain they could figure something out.
Now, it seemed he would have to devise another plan.
“Very well. What were you able to observe?”
“There are fifty Waresti, three Kynzesti, two Lekwuesti, one Wymzesti and Zachariah. And the kragen, of course. The female Lekwuesti took the lead while in flight. It appears Uriel consults with her frequently, just as Eirik did when she was leading him to his goal.”
“You spotted the Kynzesti female who shattered the illusion?”
“Yes. She no longer wears any decorations in her hair, but the unique coloring is distinctive enough to identify her. Not to mention that spectacular form of hers.”
Bertram knew well enough what Tycho wanted to do when he finally got his hands on the Kynzesti who had escaped them. Keeping him in control was going to be a challenge...but one he didn’t need to consider just then.
“Okay. I can understand why they would have at least one other Lekwuesti with them to see to their hospitality needs. Outside of that, however, their group is oddly compiled.”
“I thought the same thing. But then, we do not really know what kind of scroll they are searching for. Perhaps the various skills of these individuals are needed to acquire it.”
Frowning, Bertram said, “Well, we will have to make this work to our advantage. Our biggest obstacles are the Waresti and the kragen.”
“And Zachariah.”
That was one more element, Bertram supposed. It once again made him wonder about the Mercesti’s involvement. “True,” he acknowledged.
They pondered their options in silence. As far as Bertram saw it, their only chance was to somehow get the females away from the others. It seemed an insurmountable task. Regardless of the odds, though, he knew they could be no worse off for trying.
“Very well,” he said at last. “We will observe and see if one or both of the females we seek step away from the group so we can grab them. If that never comes to pass, we should try and take one of the other two Kynzesti. Trust me...the females will come to us one way or another.”
Chapter 20
Sophia felt a little refreshed following their afternoon rest, but by the time they flew another few hours, she was exhausted.
When the sun began to set, they found another forested area that would offer them respectable shelter and protection for the night. If it hadn’t been for the fact that their glowing wings stood out in stark contrast to the night sky, making them much easier targets for Mercesti scouts, Sophia thought they might have continued on even longer. Thank goodness for luminescent wings, she decided.
Because it cooled off, the Waresti started a small campfire. Sebastian created a few tents and a number of blankets for them to use when they were ready to sleep. He and Ariana began preparing some food for supper.
Sitting on a log away from the chaos near the fire, Sophia tried to keep her mind off Quincy. It was rather difficult, especially considering the niggling feeling of guilt that sat at the back of her mind. She couldn’t help but picture his face when she issued her response to his declaration of love.
But she’d been right, hadn’t she? Here she was, dwelling on that when she should have been over with Ariana making sure her friend was okay.
Sadly, Ariana looked steady and determined. It was Sophia who felt off-balance and scared.
“Hey, Soph,” Tate said, gesturing to the log next to her. “Care for some company?”
She really didn’t, but couldn’t see why she should say so. She shrugged to avoid getting pegged with a lie.
“Cool.” Tate sat down and stretched out her long legs. “What a day.”
“Yeah,” Sophia agreed. She spotted Zachariah standing in the gathering shadows of the trees a few feet away and knew he was maintaining a watch over
her cousin. “We’ve never flown this long before.”
“I know. I feel ready to drop. Hopefully some food will help.”
Glancing at the center of the campsite where lavender light flashed, Sophia nodded. Whatever the Lekwuesti had conjured up smelled wonderful.
“Are you all right, Sophia?”
Blinking with surprise, she automatically replied, “Sure.”
Tate raised an eyebrow. Sophia knew the lie had probably blasted from her and felt herself flush. “Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Is it something you want to talk about?”
“Not really.”
“Soph?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re lying to yourself.”
Sophia sighed. She didn’t need Tate’s second power to tell her that. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “I suppose I should talk about it with someone.”
Tate gave her an understanding look. “I’m not trying to pry. Just offering a shoulder.”
“Thanks, Tate.” She took a breath and then blurted, “Quincy kissed me.”
“He did?” Tate’s smile beamed from her face. “Well, geez—it’s about time!”
Sophia’s lips parted in shock. “You knew?”
“Of course I did,” Tate said cheerfully with a wave of her hand. “He’s been over the moon about you for years.”
Getting slowly to her feet, Sophia stared at her cousin and considered how carelessly she had just dismissed what Sophia could only think of as a betrayal. “You knew and you didn’t tell me?”
Tate’s expression fell. “I’m sorry, Soph. I just thought it would be best—”
“Why is it everyone else gets to decide what’s best when it comes to my feelings?” Sophia interrupted, not caring that her voice rose and she drew the attention of the others. “Didn’t you ever consider how I would react, finding out about this after so much time? After all these years of thinking much worse about Quincy’s opinion of me?”
“It is not for Tate to share someone else’s feelings,” Zachariah said from behind her.
Furious with her cousin, furious with Quincy, and especially furious with herself for feeling so out of control, Sophia whirled on the Mercesti.
“As if I should listen to anything you have to say on the subject,” she snapped.
If she expected a reaction from him, she was in for a disappointment. He merely stared back at her.
“Soph—” Tate began, reaching for her.
“Leave me alone, Tate. I’ve had enough of being deceived by everyone I trusted. I need some time by myself.”
“Do not go far,” Zachariah warned.
Lifting her lip in a snarl, Sophia turned and ran. She shifted into her panther form and bounded into the forest, knowing that she wasn’t truly escaping anything.
“I see you are beginning to regain consciousness.”
Malukali gazed up at Kanika with eyes that felt like they had been scraped with glass. She was once again in a state of numbness. And still, the Mercesti leader spoke to her.
“Do not worry. This time you will not be harmed. I wanted to let you know that your husband has agreed to aid me in my plans. Apparently your screams were enough to obtain his cooperation.”
Malukali tried to blink. Where was she? Why couldn’t she form any real thoughts?
An image of a teacup flashed through her mind, but it faded as quickly as it entered.
“You may be wondering why I am doing this. As there is no one else I can tell, I will share it with you. Mind you, if I get any sense that you are getting closer to full consciousness, I will have to take action. It would not be a good thing to have the Orculesti elder inside my head, I have been told.”
Her words made little sense. Malukali attempted to turn her head so that she wasn’t staring into Kanika’s face, but movement was impossible.
“Before I begin, you should also know that we have broken a number of your bones in our bid to encourage your husband to cooperate. You should not fight too hard to free your mind unless you wish to feel the pain that will accompany it.”
The words barely registered in Malukali’s hazy mind.
“My name is Metis. I killed the Mercesti female whose form you now see. Well, in fairness to my dear Deimos, he did most of the work. He does so enjoy his time with females.”
Kanika...she wasn’t Kanika?
“But in order for me to assume her form, I had to be the one to finish the task. She has been dead for some time.”
Kanika was dead.
The thought brought with it a brief flash of insight, but Malukali was unable to hold onto it.
“Eirik was near when Deimos and I made the kill. He had been hunting the Mercesti leader himself. He gave me quite the education about how things work on the Estilorian plane. I have only been free to roam it for a short while, you see.”
No, Malukali didn’t see. Where was Knorbis?
“I was kept from you...from all of you. My creator wanted to keep me all to herself. If I had allowed her to live, I am sure she would regret that decision.”
Murderer. She was in the care of a murderer.
That realization brought with it a stinging pain in her eyes. Her vision blurred.
“I see you have enough of your awareness to express sympathy for me. Do not expect the same in return. Although I was schooled in human emotions by my creator, I do not experience them myself. If I see any further signs of your recovery, I will dose you again.”
Teacup. Falling.
“Where was I? Oh, yes. My creator, Tethys. Before the creation of this plane, she had the lack of sense to fall in love with a human male. When she could not conceive, as no Estilorian female can, the male abandoned her for another. As a result of her experience, Tethys wanted to find a way to create a female Estilorian with the ability to reproduce. I am the result of her efforts.”
Females who can reproduce...
“Tethys was a failure. I cannot reproduce. What I can do, I discovered after I killed Tethys, is assume the forms of those I kill. Changing forms is a painful process, however, so you will just have to trust me on this.”
Kanika...no, not Kanika...lifted an eyebrow.
“I am still debating whether I should attempt to kill you and assume your form. Tethys advised against such an act, believing I was not strong enough to go against an elder. Only because I had such difficulty assuming this aged and powerful Mercesti female form did I decide to consider my creator’s warnings. Tethys was centuries old, after all, and I bested her. But my creator was not very powerful.”
Malukali’s captor paused for a moment, her eyes unfocused. Then she continued, “Deimos was my own attempt at creation. Unlike Tethys, I allow him a certain amount of freedom. His appetites do require me to keep him largely within my control. If the Waresti discover him, I doubt they will let him live.”
Waresti...Uriel.
A twinge of pain in Malukali’s leg made her draw in a sharp breath.
“And that, I believe, concludes our session for today.”
A small prick in the arm.
“Next time, I will explain how your husband is going to make me the next elder.”
Chapter 21
Despite her irritation over Zachariah’s unwelcome advice to stick close to camp, Sophia wasn’t stupid enough to ignore it. She wanted to be alone, not get herself captured or harmed by any Mercesti who might be in the area.
She ended up shifting into an orangutan and climbing a tree located a far enough distance from the camp that she couldn’t easily hear anyone. Once up in the tree, she shifted into her harpy eagle form to make use of the bird’s heightened eyesight. She realized as she scanned the immediate vicinity that the Waresti had established a perimeter. There were a number of them about a hundred yards in any direction.
She considered the idea of shifting back into her Estilorian form, since maintaining a shift—even while just sitting—took a toll on her energy. The idea of sitting naked in a tree, however, didn??
?t seem like a ton of fun. On top of that, she could more easily control her emotions while in the form of an animal.
Maybe that’s why she enjoyed it so much.
Now that she’d had some time to get over the initial astonishment of Tate knowing about Quincy’s feelings for her, she could acknowledge that she had been wrong to lash out at her cousin. She had even been wrong to lash out at Zachariah, as he had spoken nothing but the truth. How many times had she issued a lie in Tate’s vicinity throughout their lifetime? Too often to count. Yet from the time she was old enough to understand her second power, Tate hadn’t ever revealed Sophia’s secrets.
Sophia shouldn’t have expected any less of Tate regarding Quincy’s feelings. She might feel as though her cousin owed her a greater loyalty, but that wasn’t fair. Tate and Quincy were good friends. And Zachariah was right. It wasn’t Tate’s place to tell her how Quincy felt.
It was Quincy’s place…and so far, he had failed miserably at it.
Even as that thought flashed through her head, Sophia wondered whether she was still being hypocritical. Tate said she was lying to herself. Just how far did that lie extend?
She had been trying to convince herself that the kiss in the forest had occurred only because she was under the influence of the plant she had eaten. That was definitely a lie. There had been many times over the years that she had daydreamed about kissing Quincy. The plant had merely given her the courage to act upon something she wanted to do.
She had also waged an argument with herself that the only reason she found Quincy so attractive was because he was one of the few males she knew to whom she wasn’t related. Yet another lie.
Her attraction to him extended to before the age of thirteen, if she was being truly honest with herself. The Kynzesti matured more rapidly than humans, after all, and she had spent a great deal of time with him. She had always loved the curve of his mouth and the line of his brow, especially when he was concentrating. There was also the fact that he worked hard at maintaining a physical form that devastated her senses.