They were alone for a moment—and once again Pierre surprised her, this time with a kiss.Quick and soft, just a promise, the light but intimate touch made Sophie want more—as his hug had.
“Come back to us,” he said.“Be safe.”
“I will.”She got out and slammed the door, her cheeks hot.
Feirn emerged from behind the car, holding their duffel bags.Both were the type that converted into backpacks.“Ready?”he asked.
Sophie nodded, not trusting her voice.As she climbed the jet’s stairs, she glanced back at Honolulu spreading up the mountains.On the other side of them, her children played, trusting she’d come home.
* * *
The jet’sinterior was all cream leather and polished wood, but Sophie barely noticed the luxury as she and Feirn took seats across from each other.The weight of what they were doing settled between them like a third passenger.
As the plane lifted off, banking over Pearl Harbor, Feirn finally spoke.“You should rest.It’s fourteen hours to Bangkok, then another eight on horseback to the stronghold.”
“I can’t sleep right now.”Sophie watched the Pacific disappear beneath clouds.“Tell me about the ascendancy rules.What exactly will happen?”
Feirn was quiet for so long she thought he wouldn’t answer.When he spoke, his voice was heavy, rough.“The Yam Khûmk?n way is old.Older than the kingdoms that rose and fell around us.When an anniversary or ascendance day comes around, any warrior can challenge for leadership.It is how the Master is always the strongest among his followers.”
“Do you have any sense how much support Connor has among the men?”Sophie leaned forward, propping her chin on her hand.“I tried to reach him at his private number, but it’s no longer in service or he’s blocked me.”
“I let my contact, Kamon, know that we’re on our way.Word will get to him.And to answer your question, there were many who were doubtful of Connor when he first ascended, though his gifts and strength were obvious.”
“He could do remarkable things for which there was no explanation.”
Feirn smiled.“Such things are not uncommon among the Masters.They are taught to manipulate energy, time and space.”
Sophie shook her head.“He told me he saw energy fields around everyone.”
“That is basic to the disciplines.I was honored he chose me as his personal ...squire, I guess it would be in Western culture.He was beginning to teach me the deeper Ways when he sent me to you.”
“And I’m glad he did,” Sophie said, smiling at the earnest young man before her.“I see why he trusted you.”
Outside the window, dawn was breaking over the Pacific, painting the clouds in shades of rose and gold as they rose above them.“He never stopped loving you,” Feirn said, pulling her back to the present.“But I think that has to end for him to win.”
“I agree,” Sophie said.“It’s a gamble, me coming to support him.I hope I won’t be—in the way.Make him lose focus.”
“You will not,” Feirn said.“I will make sure of it.”
She smiled again, this time at his youth and simple faith.
* * *
Fourteen hours later,they landed in Bangkok as the sun set.The city sprawled beneath them in a maze of lights and shadows.No immigration, no customs—Pierre’s connections had ensured they ghosted through the airport like smoke.A car waited, driven by a Yam Khûmk?n contact.Within an hour they were beyond the city limits, heading north into the darkness.
At a river village that had no name on any map, they transferred to a long-tail boat.The pilot, an ancient woman with teeth stained red from betel nut, guided them up tributaries that grew narrower with each turn.Sophie gripped the wooden sides as the handmade vessel skimmed over rapids.The jungle pressed in on both sides, and the air was thick with moisture and the scent of decay.
“Nearly there,” Feirn shouted over the engine noise.
The boat scraped against a muddy bank where horses waited—small mountain ponies, sure-footed and patient.Sophie’s mount, a bay mare with intelligent eyes, picked her way through the jungle trails with confidence, as if she knew the route by heart.
They moved through the night, heading into foothills and navigating paths that switchbacked through dense forest.Somewhere in the canopy, monkeys called to each other, their cries echoing like shrieking birds.
The air grew cooler as they gained altitude.Sophie pulled her jacket closer, glad of its protection in the dank humidity.
Feirn had been on his satellite phone periodically; Sophie had only used hers twice, both times to briefly check in with Armita and the children, keeping the time under what it would take to trace the call.
“Have you heard anything about my mother?”she asked, as they paused to eat and rest the horses near a gurgling stream.
