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I was feeling much more at ease about the match up below without the third wild card to worry about. Revel picked up his axe, and Kelto flashed a mouthful of sparkling white teeth before a quick show of his talents with his sword. It whirred through the air in a figure eight pattern. The blade moved so fast you could see the air around it crackle with friction. My shoulders sank. I’d been too confident.

Revel slipped easily out of the way of the blade with Kelto’s first lunge. It was a half-hearted lunge as if he was just warming up. Revel leapt toward Kelto with his axe, but he vanished before Revel could deliver a blow. The axe hit the ground. Revel turned around holding the axe up in defense. There was no way to tell where Kelto was, then he reappeared on the left. His sword swung through the air. I covered my face as the weapon sliced a cut down Revel’s arm. Blood trickled from it, slow at first, then faster.

Revel ignored the wound and readied his axe again. Kelto vanished again. The Solamites were having a good laugh. Revel spun back and forth, with his axe ready to deliver a blow. He turned left, but Kelto appeared on the right this time. He sliced Revel’s other arm. The blood from the first wound became heavier. It ran down his hands and knuckles and dripped on the ground. Unexpectedly, Revel turned his face up and found me. His gaze was trying to tell me something, something that took me only a few seconds to understand. But I had no idea if I could help. I hadn’t learned how to control my mind travel power yet.

I closed my eyes and focused hard. “Fudge and Twinkies,” I whispered to myself. My eyes popped open, and I discreetly moved my face to the right. Revel moved right and Kelto appeared in front of him. The axe swung out and clipped Kelto on the arm just as he vanished again. I closed my eyes and concentrated until I jumped five seconds in time. Fudge and Twinkies … left. I turned my face discreetly to the left, and Revel moved left. Kelto appeared and was stunned when he received the wooden end of the axe in his gut. He bent over coughing, then swung his sword wildly in anger. Revel brought up his axe, and the blade struck the thick wooden handle and became jammed in it. Kelto panicked and yanked so hard to free it, he fell back on his bottom. Even some of the Solamites snickered. He vanished into thin air again. Sword and all.

I was already on to the next assignment. I closed my eyes and leapt five seconds ahead. “Fudge and Twinkies … right,” I whispered and turned my face slightly to the right. Revel was ready again. Kelto had recuperated from his fall. As he appeared, his sword plunged toward Revel. Revel dropped his axe, and once against the sword blade hit only the wooden handle on the axe. Revel swung his axe up at lightning speed and brought it down toward Kelto. He’d barely clipped him before the man disappeared. It seemed the fight could go on like this forever or until Kelto ran out of power or energy.

The next appearance was to Revel’s left. He was ready, and instead of taking time to swing the axe, his massive fist plowed right into Kelto’s face before he could disappear. Blood spurted from his nose. His eyes rounded in fear, and he stepped back out of Revel’s reach before once again disappearing. I sensed that Revel was getting frustrated. One could hardly blame him. Kelto was too chicken to stick around for a proper fight, instead counting on his magic to win.

I closed my eyes. “Fudge and Twinkies … right again.” As I opened my eyes, someone called my name sharply, angrily. Reflexively, I turned toward the voice … I turned left. My gaze crashed into Princess Jonier’s evil face. A collective gasp sucked the oxygen from the air and a loud groan of pain followed. Jonier smiled wickedly, and instantly, I knew what had happened. I’d turned left. Jonier mind travels, too. She knew what I was up to and sabotaged our scheme.

I shot to my feet like most of the crowd. I couldn’t see and had to climb onto the chair. The sorcerers were busy trying to see down to the fight circle as well. I stretched up, looked over heads and then screamed out. “No!”

Revel had collapsed to his knees. Kelto’s sword had gone straight through him. The bloody blade stuck out behind him. The color was draining from Revel’s face as he turned weakly up toward the stands. Even in his state of agony, he managed to find me.

“Revel.” His name was stuck in my throat. And then, with wicked glee, Kelto yanked the blade free. Revel yelled out in pain. Blood poured from both sides of the wound. I collapsed down to the ground in agony, as if I’d felt every bit of his pain.

“It seems the Solamites have won,” Fren said. “Someone from Norvale, please see what you can do for Greyhart. He is a brave warrior and fought to the end. Be sure he gets a burial befitting a hero.”

“A burial!” I screamed. “He’s not going to die.”

All three sorcerers managed to produce a slightly sympathetic expression from beneath their stony brows.

“I’m afraid there will not be time to get him back to Norvale, and even then, I doubt any of your trained healers have the means or knowledge to save him from a mortal wound,” Orl said.

“I’m not listening to you. You’re all wrong about this.” I was sure I’d given myself the fast track to the Tribunal Vault, but I didn’t care. Living in the castle as Granier’s wife with Jonier there, would be just as torturous. I deserved to spend the rest of my days in that dungeon. It was my fault. I’d turned left when my name was called. I’d as good as killed the man I loved … as if I’d plunged the sword through him myself.

Thirty-Eight

My despair was overwhelming at first, then, deep inside, a voice reminded me, “This is the man you were meant to be with. You can’t lose him. Do something.”

I raced through the crowd down to the fight circle. Austri and Madigan were with him. Both friends were sobbing. Lyric ran to hug me, but I pushed her back.

“No, he won’t die,” I said. “He can’t die.” I dropped to the ground next to him. Revel squinted up at me.

“Hey, Whisper, I tried. I really tried.”

“Yes, and now it’s my turn.” I’d taken control of my mind travel just by concentrating. It was time to use my other power. I closed my eyes and searched through my mind to find the connection, the connection that had always been there. “Kya, Revel needs you. He needs you now,” I said under my breath. Our secret would be out, and only problems would follow, but it was the only way to get Revel to the help he needed.

I leaned down closer to Revel and pressed my face against his. It was getting cold, and his blood was pooling beneath my knees. “You hang on, do you hear me? We’re going to get you help.”

Revel lifted a weak arm and touched my face. I reached up and held his hand there. “You were always meant for me,” Revel said quietly. “You were not meant for anyone but me.” His arm went limp as he floated out of consciousness.

A reverberation rolled through the gray sky overhead. It was enough to pull everyone’s attention skyward. The swooshing sound of wings slid over the forest, and tree branches ruffled in the disturbance of air. A bright blue and gold jewel appeared in the distance. People pointed and muttered in confusion and then in shock as Kya’s beautiful head and wings came into view.

I leaned over Revel, even knowing he was unconscious. “Kya is here. You have to hang on for him. You have to hang on for me.”

I glanced up at the stands. Both sides of the seats were filled with angry glares and fingers pointing toward the sky. Our secret was out. Now both regions knew we had the dragons back in fighting shape. I dreaded to think the problems this would cause, but at the moment, there was only one thing that mattered.

Kya came in hot but landed with the grace of a swan. His amber eyes found me in the chaos, and we exchanged nods. I couldn’t explain the connection I felt with the creature. It was not tangible and, at the same time, it was indestructible, as though nothing could break that connection. I sensed the animal’s worry when he spotted his rider, his partner, on the ground in a limp heap.

“Hurry up, hurry up!” Austri shouted at some of the men. “We must get him on Kya’s back. Who will fly the dragon back to Norvale? Who is the best rider?”

“I’m going with him.” I had to speak up loudly over the general clamor. “I’m taking him.” I shot Austri a look that I was sure he read easily.

“You heard her. Let’s get Revel on the dragon now!” Austri commanded.