“You’ve got the Guardians, and it appears the Seekers aren’t quite the threat they seemed.”
“Oh, they’re still a threat, but we were lucky enough to turn several to our cause. Ruin and Wend were recently married in one of the strangest weddings I’ve ever seen.” Kara laughed.
“And that leaves, what? Four Seekers against you?”
“Three. Megrim is still MIA, but he doesn’t seem active against us. My guess is he’s laying low until this whole mess is over.”
“Three demons against seven magical Guardians and six Vartik Kings. Doesn’t seem like a fair fight at all. Why are you worried?”
He could sense Kara’s grimace in his head. “It’s not that easy. You’re forgetting the Crown Prince of Hell. He’s no slouch. And the Seekers aren’t the only minions he’s got on his side. Jazmine is insisting we launch a strike against the prince on his home turf, all in the hopes of getting her brother back.”
Lyk could sense that Kara had all sorts of feelings around the mission. “Do you agree with her plans?”
A sigh echoed around the inside of his mind. “I’m conflicted. Walking into Hell isn’t going to be easy. And I’m afraid if we fail, they’ll hurt him worse.”
Him?She’s talking about Jazmine’s brother.
“This guy you’re trying to rescue. Tell me about him.”
Her tone softened. “His name is Caleb, and he’s under tremendous strain. They torture him, starve him, beat him. He’s close to breaking.”
“How do you know all this, little sister?”
“I… I just know.”
Lyk could tell she was hiding something. Something momentous. He sometimes thought that some of her empathic powers leaked over to him through their bond because right then he could read her clearly. “You’re in love with him.”
She hesitated before she responded, long enough for him to think the connection might have been broken. “Yes.”
Lyk let out a long breath. “Does he know?”
“No. He doesn’t know me at all. He’s always out of his mind with pain and fear and despair. I can sense it all and it drives me crazy!”
Her voice, amplified by emotion, caused his head to start pounding. “Okay, little sis, I understand.”
“I wish you were here,” she said suddenly, her voice sounding young like when they were children. “I wish you were by my side when we land on Dazimin.”
Guilt hit him like a gut punch. “You’d be the only one who was happy about that.”
Kara scoffed. “It’s not like you think, Lyk. You could come home.”
“That part of my life is over, little sister.” His tone said it was final, and it seemed to do the trick as his sister changed the subject.
“I have to let you know about something Mayra said, something important.”
“Mayra?”
Kara laughed. “Nojan’s wife.”
“Oh yeah.” Lyk chuckled. “I still can’t believe that nerd managed to get himself hitched.” And to an oracle nonetheless.
“She went into one of her trances, and she mentioned a raven. It has to be you.”
“Tell me.”
Kara took a deep breath, before repeating the rhyme she’d heard from Mayra:
“The Raven chases the piece that shines
