They sat side by side, watching the sun sink behind the earth, the moon beginning to brighten in the sky. The temperature dropped, but Iyana wasn’t ready to head back to the others yet, knowing they’d have questions. Shit,shestill had questions. Instead, she formed a small ball of fire and set it on the ground at her feet. It sparked yellow and orange against the white backdrop, creating a cozy atmosphere.
“Can I beat him?” she asked, her voice small.
“Of course you can, astalle.”
“Even though he has the astmina?” Iyana rested her head on her knees to see Altair next to her. He frowned, which didn’t exactly instill confidence in herself.
“I have no idea how he managed to activate or link himself to the relic. I don’t know how it was even forged, or which star it may have come from. There must be something within it calling to him.”
“The shadows…” Iyana shivered. Altair raised an eyebrow. “When I stopped him from killing Emmeric, I saw shadows pulsing out of the astmina and into his sword. And when I—” She stopped, the words sticking. Altair lay his hand on her knee to tell her he was there for support. “When I was in Azazel’s room, he gave me drugs one day. Uther was there too, and he…grew. The clasp enlarged also, and then the shadows pulsed out of it before they speared their way into my chest. I thought it was a hallucination until I saw them again.”
Altair’s hand had tightened on her knee, almost to the point of pain, as she recounted one of her days in Azazel’s chambers. Iyana hadn’t told anyone about most of her time there. It was too hard, and she honestly didn’t want to think about any of it.
“I wish I could bring that bastard back so I can kill him myself,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. A different type of shiver raced down her spine, settling low in her stomach.
Altair relaxed his grip on Iyana’s knee and put his arm around her shoulder, tucking her into his side. He placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. Her eyes fluttered closed until she heard him speaking to her, the rumble in his chest a warm sound in her ear. “Hmm?” she asked, sleepily.
“You’re stronger than he is. Even with the astmina. Once you get the amulet, you’ll be even stronger. I have full faith in you, my love.”
Fortunately, the sun continued to shine as Team Save Arinem traveled east toward the Aptua Ocean. When Iyana and Altair returned to the camp, she had informed them all that in no uncertain terms she trusted Altair, and he would still be part of the group. He had valuable information, and a skill set none of them possessed. Iyana chose to believe he did not want to bring any other stars back to the earth. Altair had done his best to convince them he was all in with them, but the star was not used to talking to humans and Iyana thought he might have put more effort in. Probably could have said something better thanbelieve me or don’t, I don’t care. Emmeric was anything but appeased.
Over the next few days, Emmeric and Iyana reluctantly trained together. The brief battle with Uther showed there was still plenty of room for improvement, and they needed to ensure they wouldn’t tire during a longer fight. They extended their sessions, pushing themselves harder than before. Iyana pulled more and more magic from Emmeric as he spared with Talon. The training was good for Tal also—it was a great outlet for his anger and frustration.
Iyana had attempted to talk with her friend multiple times, and he’d eventually joined the conversations again. But it wasn’t the same as before, and any time someone mentioned Zane he shut down again. She’d known something was happening between the two of them but hadn’t realized it was already so serious. She finally cornered Talon one day while the others were busy.
“We’ll get him back,” Iyana said, squeezing his hand. Tears and worry limned Talon’s normally bright blue eyes.
“You don’t know that,” he whispered.
“I promise I will do everything in my power to bring him to you.”
“Thank you, Smalls,” he said with a sad smile. “I just hope he comes back the same.” Then he had walked off and refused to speak of Zane again.
It took them six days after leaving the library to reach the ocean. The cries of gulls was the first clue they were getting close. Not long after, the air smelled of salt, andthey heard the distant roaring of waves. Despite being travel-weary, Iyana perked up; she’d never seen the ocean before. The largest bodies of water near her were the oases. She was expecting something similar, only on a larger scale—trees surrounding the water, greenery everywhere you looked, and animals wandering throughout, living in peace with the humans. The oasis was a neutral zone, and hunting there was forbidden. So when they finally reached the water’s edge, she was filled with awe. There were no trees and no plants, and snow covered the beach in scattered patches. Colossal waves crested with white crashed into the sand, droplets flying into Iyana’s face even though they were far from the tide line, as Altair explained it. The water here was gray, volatile, and never-ending. Beyond the waves, the ocean seemed to last forever, blending with the sky on the horizon. Dark depths promised a swift death either from the anger of the ocean or from what lurked beneath. It was the opposite of the water at the oasis, which was so clear the small fish swimming at the bottom could be seen from the shore.
They lingered only for a moment. The wind on the beach was faster and more intense, with no hills or trees to break it apart. Retracing their steps, they headed away from the unrelenting gale until the wind calmed, but they could still hear the sounds of the ocean. Then they turned south to find a port city. They needed to find someone willing to cross the Aptua and deliver them to the Dead Lands. Iyana hoped the promise of coin would be enough to tempt someone, but she had heard the legends of those wastes on the other end of the ocean, and it might be a taller task than they had time for. Worry gnawed at her. Uther was on their trail, and it would only be a matter of time before he caught them.
Chapter 45
Emmeric
It took them another two days to reach a port city, the snow steadily melting the further south they ventured. There was still a cold bite to the air, reminding them all that winter was approaching. Emmeric, especially, was happy to leave the snow behind. Tempers were flaring between them all as the cold had settled into their bones, and their food supply was diminishing. A town promised an inn, with a warm bed and hot food. Emmeric would’ve given his left arm for a bath. Even the unflappable Kaz was uncharacteristically moody.
The city of Curth was large compared to other towns and villages throughout Athusa, but this was home to the empire’s entire source of fish. There were plenty of jobs as fisherman, couriers, cooks, and innkeepers to house all the merchants that would come and go. Small children were used as messengers, running between the stalls and legs of adults. There was a hustle to Curth which reminded Emmeric of Athusia, only with a strong odor of fish, and it made him long for home. While his life in the capital wasn’t ideal, it was where he'd grown up, where he’d met Talon, and where his parents had died. He hoped he would return home before winter solstice. Emmeric, Talon, and his parents always ventured into the city for the festival, then exchanged gifts quietly at home while drinking mulled wine and eating pumpkin pie. It was Emmeric’s favorite time of year.
Exactly thirteen shipping companies were propositioned to ferry them to the Dead Lands and they were emphatically denied by twelve—doors slammed in their faces or laughed out of the establishment—before one captain said he would. For the right price, of course. Altair handed over the coin, and the group was told to beready in an hour. Emmeric reluctantly admitted it was handy having someone who could simply conjure money.
The ship sat in the bay, dusty white sails blowing in the wind. She was namedThe Rusty Maiden, which didn’t exactly instill confidence. It appeared to be old, but sea-worthy, and large enough to house them all without the risk of getting sick of each other. The likeness of a siren decorated the bow—long, flowing hair covered bared breasts, the tail of a fish instead of legs, and a terrifying visage full of teeth. The man who captained her was old and gnarled with a stooped back. He was balding, with gray hair fringing his ears, and whiskers instead of a full beard on his wrinkled face. A life at sea had tanned his skin into leather, and his hands appeared arthritic, with enlarged knuckles and crooked fingers. But most notably, the man only had one bright hazel eye, the other simply an empty socket a shade of pink Emmeric would love to never see again in his life. Emmeric didn’t want to ask how he’d lost the other one. Kaz had no such compunction and asked while brazenly staring.
The captain, who introduced himself as Roq (like rock, he’d grunted), smiled widely at the shifter. Many of his teeth were missing, and those that remained wouldn’t be there for long. “I was reelin’ in a marlin as big as a house,” he said, his voice barely a rasp. “I fell overboard, and the fucker poked me right in me eye. But I held on, I did, and slit its throat with the knife I always keep in me boot. Then I swam it back to theMaidenand hauled it on board. All with me bare hands.”
Kaz’s brown eyes were wide. A portly woman with similarly tanned skin to Roq, who could only be his wife, joined them on the dock, handing her husband a full satchel. “That story changes every time you tell it, you old coot.” She looked over at Kaz with a wink. “Truth is, the fool got a little too in his cups at the tavern one night and tripped on his way home. He poked out his eye with the damned knife he keeps in his boot. Not even sure why you was carryin’ it.”
“I told you I was bein’ robbed, woman!”
She rolled her eyes. “All fuckin’ lies, if you ask me.”
“Well, nobody asked you, you old witch.” As the married couple continued bickering, the team brought their meager belongings onto the ship. They’d found a stable willing to house the horses for an indefinite amount of time, but the price they asked for sounded insane to Emmeric. Again, at least the arrogant star was useful forsomething.
