14. Thal
Thal
W e followed the trail for almost an hour before I pulled to a stop. One benefit of being mates was I could let Otto see everything I did. In this case, however, that just frustrated us both.
Our quarry had split into three parts. Did they separate Lysandor and Owen? Were two of the groups decoys? One at least was a dead end. Pick the wrong direction and we’d never find our brothers.
“Which way?” I asked.
“Give me a minute.” Otto hopped down.
He had both his stone and Owen’s in one hand, but only his red one showed any internal light. If Owen’s stone was dead, why was he trying to use it?
“It’s connected to its user,” he said. “I’m hoping it will detect him.”
If I were in human form, I’d be red. It would take time to remember when our link was open, we could read some of the other’s thoughts. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I need your help, and that includes questioning me if you think I’m wrong.”
Otto was one of the smartest, most deliberative beings I’d ever met. I’d embarrass myself if I questioned him. “Did it find anything?”
“No.”
His answer conveyed all the frustration and anger we both felt. We’d failed to protect our brothers. Despite our best efforts to get them to take things seriously, they’d still viewed this as an adventure. Every misgiving we’d had about having them on the mission had come true in forty-eight hours.
“This isn’t their fault or ours, Thal.” He stood and faced me. “Jalen knew what he was doing. Using a tarp to blind me, throwing ropes to slow us, sending dozens of unicorns on suicide attacks, these were to delay us, not kill us. The purpose of everything was to capture Owen and Lysandor alive. If we’d been at the edge of camp, it would have been us being carried away and not them.”
He was right, but that didn’t make it easier to accept. We were the big brothers. It fell to us to keep them safe. “Did you find anything to tell us which way to go?”
“Not yet.”
He walked around me and squatted next to the path. “What are you looking for?”
“I’m not sure if it’ll help, but I’m measuring the depth of our hoof prints. Two of the unicorns were carrying a similar weight. Their tracks ought to be slightly different from the others.”
I’d have pointed out that all unicorns didn’t weight the same, but it was the best chance we had. I studied the tracks in front of me, looking for differences. Otto joined me and expanded our link to include use of his stone.
The show of trust might be misplaced. Unicorns weren’t hunters. We couldn’t track like wolves or see like a dragon. Our skills were in healing, protecting the earth’s creatures, and existing closer to nature than most beings.
Otto wanted me to use his magic to augment my innate skills. I thought for a moment before I understood why he’d deferred to me.
I touched his gem with my mind. It was a reflection of its owner. The zircon wasn’t unique or brilliant, but it was strong, resilient, steady, and capable. Otto’s presence was there, offering to guide and assist but not take control.
Using the enhancements his magic gave me, I connected to the earth magic still fighting against the corruption around us. My vision sharpened and then zoomed in on the ground. The hoofprints I could barely see at first became craters of varying depth. Each had its own distinctive characteristics, and imperfections I could never have seen on my own.
The magic at my command allowed me to discern and isolate the deepest imprints. While I studied them, Otto reminded me he was with me, ready to help. His support encouraged me to follow my intuition.
“The two deepest sets of prints both head north.” I showed him which sets. “The others are all in a close range to each other.”
“Then we head north.”
Otto leaped back onto me, and I didn’t give him much time to settle before I rode off to find our brothers.
“That was good work,” Otto said. “I tried to do that with the prints behind us, but I couldn’t drill down far enough to differentiate enough.”
My mate’s praise felt good, but his trust had meant more. It dispelled any lingering concerns over how completely he’d embraced our union. He didn’t hold anything back. “I couldn’t have done it alone.”
“Neither could I, but together we can do so much more.”
He leaned forward, pressing his torso to my neck. The beat of his heart thrummed against me, reminding me how close we’d become. It filled me with hope that we’d save our brothers.
I ran for hours, hoping we’d see some sign of Jalen’s unicorns, but we didn’t. They must have been running flat out since they abducted the boys. Enhanced by Otto’s magic, I easily moved faster than all but the fastest in our herd, yet they kept far enough ahead we never caught sight of them.
Otto tried to reach his brother, but he didn’t respond. My attempts to call Lysandor were similarly unsuccessful.
“How can they move faster than us?” I asked in frustration when we had a view for nearly a mile with no sight of our elusive prey.
“They are highly motivated to not ease up their pace,” Otto said. “We, on the other hand, can’t go all out because we risk missing a sign they’ve turned. Plus, they know the way better than you.”
Reciting the facts didn’t help. “If that’s true, why are you still so upbeat?”
“We can run longer and faster than they can. Eventually, exhaustion will slow them. When that happens, we’ll swoop in and free—Stop!”
I pulled up so fast, he’d have flown over my head if we weren’t connected. “What?”
Otto pushed the image into my mind. The path continued through a small village—and by small, I mean tiny. The town was unremarkable, but the absence of any dark blight on the land told me we’d found Elana’s village. Even though I knew this existed, it was astounding seeing it in person. For scores of miles in all directions, the dark magic covered the land.
“I think this is where we’re supposed to meet Elana’s parents and the guardians.”
“Eventually,” Otto said. “First we need to find Owen and Lysandor.”
Of course, he was right. I looked down. “Otto! The trail is gone.”
“Back up and check,” he said. “They must have turned to avoid going through the village.”
Otto’s ability to stay calm soothed my fears. I inhaled deeply and slowly turned around. The initial jolt of relief when I saw the track turn left turned to fear. Half had also gone right. “They split up!”
“They circled the town.” Otto didn’t take his attention off the dirt. “They’ll reconnect on the other side.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“They’re going to the same place.”
I agreed with his logic, but it didn’t ease my fears. Our enemy remained a step ahead of us. Something moved behind us. Before I could warn him, Otto’s fiery red mage stone sheathed us in its protection.
“Be careful,” Otto said. “One of them is a mage.”
A pair of old men stood at the side of the road in front of an old stone house. One was an inch or two taller, with a leaner build, and a pair of round glasses perched on his nose. His hair was pure white and cut short. The other was a burly man with violet eyes and silver hair pulled back into a ponytail. They watched us intently, but their body language was relaxed.
An energy surrounded them. It was simple but strong. “The other is a unicorn. And they’re bonded.”
I felt his surprise through our link. Neither of us said anything, but despite the obvious, Otto didn’t relax.
“Greetings, Otto and Thalion.” The one with the glasses bowed his head. “Pelagios and I have much to discuss with you.”
We’d heard whispers of guardians out in the world, helping the next generation, but to meet the Pelagios left me rooted in place.
“Forgive me if I remain skeptical,” Otto said. “Deceit is everywhere these days.”
“Sadly, you are not wrong,” Pelagios said. “Percy can prove our identity if you’d like.”
We saw their bond, which meant they could only be who they claimed. “Otto. It must be them. There’s only been one mage unicorn bond in twelve centuries.”
“I know we’re supposed to meet them here, but I trust no one until Owen and Lysandor are safe.”
His caution was prudent, but in my heart the old beings were who they claimed to be. “Is there anything they can do to convince you?”
“Yes.” Otto lowered his stone. “Prove it.”
Percival Hollen slowly pulled a hand from his khaki pants. In his hand, a pale-yellow gem glowed faintly. He opened his hand and stared our way. “You may summon my mage stone and ask.”
I expected the offer to satisfy Otto, but he held out his free hand and Percival’s gem floated into his open palm. “Who owns this stone?”
“Percival Hollen,” a voice spoke into my mind.
The stone returned to its owner, and Otto finally release his protections. “I’m sorry, uncle. Too much is at stake to be deceived.”
“I expected no less from you, nephew. Now please come inside.”
“No,” I said, moving closer to the pair. “We need to save our brothers.”
“Thal’s right,” Otto said. “We’ll return once we’ve rescued Owen and Lysandor.
“You won’t catch them,” Pelagios said. “And even if you could, you won’t be able to find them.”
My distant uncle spoke in riddles, and I wasn’t interested in playing games. “We’ll take our chances.”
“Why not?” Otto asked.
I’d expected my mate would’ve supported me. “Otto?”
“I want to hear his answer.”
Arguing with him would waste as much time as listening, so I didn’t push back.
“The lands beyond this village are under their control,” Pelagios said. “They can use it to conceal themselves.”
“Or worse,” Percival added. “They will come at you relentlessly until they wear you down. Please. Come inside and let’s talk. We will help you find your brothers.”
I didn’t want to give up the search, but I trusted the guardians to be truthful. “What say you?”
“The dark magic has been getting stronger for hours. If whoever is controlling Jalen has extended their reach this far, the guardians are probably correct. We’ll never find our brothers.”
Otto had answered my question, but his concern still bled through our link. He didn’t like standing down, either. “If we lose their trail, we may never find them.”
“Something tells me they know more about the situation than they are telling us.” Otto swung his leg over and hopped off. “If it’s a choice between a small delay or never finding them, we go with the first option.”
The older pair gestured toward the stone house. They were so serene and unassuming it was hard to see the fierce fighters the pair had been during the Demon War. They even dressed like an elderly couple.
Paired with his khaki pants, Percival wore a white, cotton, button-up shirt, brown belt, and comfortable-looking shoes. Pelagios had darker slacks, a green, polo-style shirt, and loafers. Loafers!
Otto pulled the bags off and took out my clothes as I shifted.
We followed the pair into the small house, but Otto never put his stone away. The tidy interior was filled with antique furniture, old rugs, and what was probably a priceless collection of ancient items scattered about the room.
It was also much bigger than it appeared from the outside. “What . . .?” I was too stunned to find the words.
“Your eyes do not deceive you,” Pelagios said. “Percival has spent centuries on spells that increase the room inside a defined space.”
“Who’s house is this?” Otto asked. “And where are Elana’s parents?”
“This is our house,” Pelagios said. “And we are Elana’s adoptive parents.”
“I’ve tea prepared in the kitchen,” Percival said. “Please join us.”
My mind couldn’t keep up with all the crazy things happening at once. Otto took a breath and his calming energy settled my chaotic thoughts. There was one emotion he couldn’t soothe.
“Elana gave her word,” I said.
“She didn’t lie,” he said. “Her parents do live here, and we did meet the guardians. She never said they weren’t the same people.”
“If you’d prefer coffee, I can brew some,” Pelagios said. “We don’t drink caffeine after lunch. It keeps Percy awake.”
“You knew we were coming?” Otto asked.
“No,” Percival said. “It was teatime for me and Gio. Your arrival was coincidental.”
I doubted anything about our being here at this moment in time was by chance. Otto’s thoughts were skeptical as well. If Percy hadn’t proven himself to Otto, I’d never believe these were the Southern Guardians.
“Tea would be wonderful,” Otto glance at me and when I nodded, he added, “for both of us.”
We followed them into the kitchen. Teatime even came with shortbread cookies that had to be homemade.
Percy directed us to seats on the far side of the round table. “Gio, can you get out the leftover manicotti? The boys probably haven’t eaten all day.”
Without asking, Percy took some plates from a cupboard and brought them to his mate. They busied themselves leaving me and Otto to watch in amusement.
“That will be us in a thousand years,” Otto said.
It was an alluring future. “Only if you can cook. I’m hopeless.”
“I’m not as good as my brother, Bart, but you won’t starve.”
Being safe enough to be able to watch him make us dinner would be a future I’d fight for with everything I had. To get there, however, we had to rescue our brothers. Failing to save them would poison our future.
Gio placed a heaping plate of steaming food in front of me. The pasta was filled with cheese, black beans, and broccoli. A savory sauce of mushrooms, green onions, and spices covered the top, and the aroma made my stomach rumble.
A napkin and fork were set next to our dishes. “Thank you.”
Scanning the simple kitchen, I didn’t see a microwave or other appliance that could have warmed our food so quickly.
“Magic,” Otto said before taking a bite.
It was comforting and unsettling for him to understand my every emotion. The thought of eventually being able to control this ability gave me hope but also scared me. I wanted to embrace our connection, but I didn’t want to lose my own sense of self. The current crisis made it impossible to spend the time needed to find the right balance.
The food was even better than it looked. Hearty and savory, it warmed me from the inside. We had excellent cooks at the ranch, and Elana’s might be better, but this was better than anything I’d had before.
Or maybe I was hungrier than I realized. Either way, one of these two was a five-star chef.
Watching the guardians sip their tea and nibble on cookies, I got the impression they made this together. They were more connected than any two beings I’d ever met. Closer than Otto and me and certainly more than Lysandor and Owen.
My fork froze on the plate as guilt stole my appetite. Our brothers were probably still trussed up like bags of feed. If they were lucky, they were still unconscious, but more likely they were awake and scared.
Otto stopped eating a half second after me. He did a better job of blocking me, but I’m sure my emotions had influenced him.
“Eat, boys,” Gio said. “You’re going to need your strength to save your brothers.”
He was right, but I had no appetite for the delicious food they’d given us. Staring at my plate, Otto’s discomfort equaled mine. I couldn’t unsee the images of Lysandor and Owen being carried away like saddle bags.
Percy set down his teacup and exhaled. “Do as Gio says. We have a plan to free your brothers, but you need to be at full strength.”
He waved his fingers toward our plates, sat back, and took another bite of his cookie. From his actions, they weren’t going to expound on their plan until we started eating again.
The food lost most of its appeal. It wasn’t quite like eating the wood shavings we placed at the bottom of the stalls, but it was close.
“While you eat, I’ll share some information.” Percy sounded like my mother when she reminded us she was in charge. “Jalen and his force can’t make it back to the mountains without stopping. They’ve been riding since well before dawn with almost no break.”
“How can you be certain they’ll stop?” Otto asked before quickly taking a bite. Eating might have hidden his skepticism from our hosts, but he was unsettled by the pair.
“He already has,” Percy said. “His party rode around our village about an hour before we greeted you and stopped to set up camp right after you arrived.”
The words hit me like a blacksmith’s hammer. “How could they have gotten so far ahead of us?” I asked.
“They were highly motivated and knew their paths well,” Otto said. “But if they already stopped, we aren’t that far away. We need to leave at once.”
“Stop,” Percy said in a tone that didn’t welcome disobedience. “You need to trust us. We’ve been dealing with Jalen and this blight for many years. It is too dangerous for you to attempt a rescue on your own.”
“How is it you know so much about him and his herd?” Otto asked. “The Mage Council had hardly any information about his whereabouts or how to find them.”
“We detected them approaching the village hours before they reached us,” Gio said. “Considering how long they’ve been running, they are too tired to make it to the mountains tonight.”
The non-answer irked me and through our bond, I felt Otto was equally annoyed. “Stop it!” I said. “Our brother’s lives are at stake, and you’re giving us useless details that don’t answer our questions.”
“My apologies,” Percy said. “It was not our intention to be evasive. Let me tell you what we know and then I’ll explain how we know it.”
He shifted his gaze between us and when we nodded, he continued.
“After a failed attempt to take the village, Jalen asked to meet with us. Gio and I spoke with him from behind the protection the mage council provided for our village.” He took a sip of tea, and gently put his cup back in the saucer. “Jalen told us to surrender or be destroyed. We rejected his offer, called his bluff, and told him he was welcome to try. Twice he returned. Outwardly, it was to see if we’d changed our minds, but his true purpose was to test our defenses.
“Each time he came, unbeknownst to him, I tagged him and his party with a tracking spell. The magic was faint and designed to dissipate as he rode away. That way there’d be no trace of my spell when he reached his camp. The purpose was to have Jalen and his unicorns unwittingly spread my detection spell farther from the village with each visit.”
“This was how Percy and I knew when Jalen approached,” Gio said. “And how we know where he went. Luckily for us, they stopped within the boundaries of Percy’s tracking spell.”
“I have no way to be sure, but I think Jalen has someone watching the village,” Percy said. “They stopped very soon after we greeted you. Too much of a coincidence to be by chance.”
I agreed there had to be a connection, but not for the reason Percy suggested. “I suspect they had someone following us.”
“That’s also possible,” Gio said. “Whatever the reason, they stopped not more than an hour’s ride from here.”
I wanted to get Otto’s opinion, but his focus was on our hosts. “Aren’t guardians supposed to hide their existence from the outside world?” he asked. “Two old males who are a couple. One is a mage, the other a unicorn, holding back the darkness. You’re not being very secretive.
I hadn’t thought of that, but now that Otto pointed it out, it was obvious. It was also a major source of Otto’s unease. The answer would decide if we stayed for a bit longer or if we left alone to hunt down Jalen.