38. Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Cahira
Cahira stormed through the dark alleys, furious with having to babysit. She could be scaling the rooftops and slipping through windows if she was by herself. Instead, she was forced to stick to the ground, which was more work than needed.
“Keep up,” she called behind her.
Aradia’s breathing became labored within the third hour of scourging through Randale. The bell tolled nine times as the citadel came into view. There would be no creeping in their walls with Aradia’s racket behind her.
Cahira quickened her pace.
If something were to happen, she would need to know minutes before Aradia’s loud footsteps and wheezes became known. The quiet drifting through the city was unnerving. There was nothing but the grind of machinery from within the mountain and squeaky wheels of the caravans leaving the city.
“Wait up,” Aradia said. “I think I’m stuck on something.”
Cahira rolled her eyes and sighed. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she mumbled under her breath.
She could strangle something, anything, but took a breath. God forbid she actually hurt Aradia. She didn’t want to think of what Kaiden would do. She reached Aradia, laying on the ground. She had only tripped over a broken merchant’s cart.
Cahira held out her hand, grasped Aradia under her, pulling her up.
Hundreds of feet in the air the council tower stood rooted in time.
Brick by brick it had been built by the infamous dwarves from the mountains beyond.
Its stones had long lost their luster from years of smoke and explosions.
The filthy air threatening to choke them had darkened the gray rock into a black which only completed the dingy city built around it.
Rough windows were scattered thinly within the round tower.
At the top was a large crenellation for archers and artillery.
They would have to scale the rooftops to reach the first window of the tower.
Cahira looked back toward where Aradia was catching her breath for the hundredth time.
“Gods, I hope this works,” she muttered.
There were empty homes bordering the citadel walls. Hopefully the families moved away from the dreadful place, but in this city people hardly ever got out. She headed toward the side where long gutters full of soot connected the house to the ground.
“We’ll have to scale the pipe to get to the roof,” she said.
“Right.” Aradia’s voice was tight and Cahira had to bite back her smile at the obvious exhaustion.
Even with the small amount of training they had all given her, she was wildly out of shape for their line of work.
“Watch me.” Cahira showed her the foot placements and the weight distribution needed to push off the wall and climb the drainpipe. She hauled herself up and looked down to where Aradia gaped from the ground. “It’s all in the arms but use your legs as a stabilizer.”
Aradia nodded slowly.
This time Cahira didn’t hide her smile. This would be amusing.
She could hear Aradia mumbling to herself and knew it certainly wasn’t positive motivation making her clench the pole for dear life.
The first try she slid down, not using enough traction.
The second time she landed on her butt as she shoved off the side of the house too hard.
By the third time, Cahira could reach her in time before her shaking arms gave out.
“Can’t believe you do this all the time,” Aradia wheezed as she sat on the roof.
Cahira chuckled. “You never snuck out of your house before?”
Aradia drew in a deep breath, fanning her face. “Not to climb a roof. That’s what a door is for.”
“You have a lot to learn,” she drawled.
Cahira stretched on her toes, pulling on a glass window from the tower. It opened with surprising ease and she peeked in, glancing up and down a winding stairwell. She motioned for Aradia to follow her.
“We have to do this quickly. This isn’t friendly territory. Follow my every step and be as quiet as possible. Hopefully, the council doesn’t know we’re here and we’re going to keep it that way.”
Aradia nodded. She drew her finger across her lips and pretended to throw away an invisible key.
Cahira rolled her eyes. The girl was too excited for her own good. She counted the steps they had taken as they climbed higher. By the three hundred twenty-fourth step they reached a landing with closed stone doors. She waved her finger to the left and then to her lips.
Aradia nodded and carefully began to open and close the doors lining the left wall, peeking her head in.
Cahira opened the second door on her right. Her heart beat a steady pulse and her magic swirled in preparation for any danger. The room was dark and shelves lined the walls with small desks in a circle. The elders’ study.
She smiled, waving Aradia over. She took a step in and quietly closed the door with a soundless click. Not wanting to risk the fireplace, she snapped her finger, sending an orb of fire to light a small lantern.
“Here.” She handed it to Aradia to hold as they scavenged the shelves.
A map was laid out between two desks, drawing Cahira’s gaze. All of Peraynia was inked on paper. The borders, realms, kingdoms, and those who ruled within. The black drawing of the Veil loomed behind Randale like a cloud of hunger.
“Look,” Cahira pointed to a scroll mentioning Eslanda Damali. “Your mother’s magic was powerful.”
Aradia frowned. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen her use it to this length.
This must have been before I was born.” Aradia raised the lantern, looking at the book on the Priestesses of Qualan.
Eslanda’s name was written more than once.
“She worked closely with the magi in the cities and focused more on healing and helping those around her. These stories make her seem like she was a warrior, who single-handedly kept an entire belief alive.”
Cahira frowned. “Why is it so hard to believe?”
Aradia huffed a sad laugh. “If you’d have met her, you’d understand.”
“Fair enough,” Cahira sighed. “Here take this,” she handed her a scroll.
“We know out of the high elders three are still devoted to my father. We need to find Master Thames. He’s the only one who openly opposed the joining of realms. There’s many on the council who still despise my father.
Although it’s beneficial, we still can’t trust them.
They hate the Valencia name all together and those who pledge to us. ”
Aradia nodded.
“Hold these too,” Cahira said before crossing the room.
Aradia held out her arms for Cahira to pile more scrolls onto. Her fingers twitched and she scratched at her neck.
“Oh no,” Aradia mumbled. “Cahira.”
“Hm?” Cahira said from across the room. She scanned the bookshelves for Master Thames’s writings.
Crash!
Cahira whirled behind her at Aradia dropping the scrolls and tumbling into the table, knocking it down. Radiating light pulsed from her body, making her glow brighter than the sun. A beacon to all, which proved disastrous since they were incognito.
“What is wrong with you?” Cahira shouted.
She turned on her heels, opening the door to the exit. Footsteps and distant shouts were heard by the guards from below.
“Are you kidding me?” She growled. “You had one job!” Cahira gripped her hair in her hands.
“Cahira,” Aradia’s voice was weak and she swayed on her feet.
She stepped forward hesitantly. She threw her hand up, shading her eyes from the bright light shining from Aradia’s skin.
Aradia shook and jerked, her legs gave out from under her. The light winked out, absorbed into her ring.
“Whoah, whoah, whoah!” Cahira ran to close the distance in time to catch her before she face-planted.
Aradia twitched in her arms, eyes closing and reopening with a jerk, fighting something. Panic coated Cahira in a sheet of ice as Aradia’s skin cooled.
“Don’t,” Aradia whispered, “leave me.”
“I’m right here.”
Steady footsteps amplified through the hallways. There were at least eight guards. She could take them easily. She tried to lay Aradia on the ground, but she held her with a grip not even the dead could wiggle out of.
Aradia shook her head weakly.
Cahira nodded, remaining on the ground.
She blew fire into her hand. “Flyrindia.” With a soft whisper her magic came to life. The fire molded into a tiny phoenix which flitted in front of her face. “Find him.”
The phoenix flew through the window and into the darkness below.
Cahira blinked back her frustration. Kaiden was going to kill her.
“Surrender!” The guards billowed through the door, spears raised.
Cahira glanced down at Aradia who had stilled into a dead-like sleep. Her unconscious body was even more frightening to look at. Her skin held a coldness which bit through her own leather.
“Well, boys, looks like today is your lucky day.” Cahira glared down at the men even from her crouched position. She was Cahira Valencia and she would get them out of this.
“The Princess of Arkan.” An elder in a brown robe entered the room, his arms crossed behind his back. A smug smile crept across his face. “An honor, truly.”
“Master Crane.” Cahira ground her teeth at the elder stepping into the light.
He was a wisp of a man. Tall and thin with bony hands he constantly ran through a scraggly white beard.
His gray eyes were whip sharp and stone-cold like his greedy heart.
He held no warmth or sympathy for others.
How he ever climbed his way to the top of the council, Cahira could never figure it out.
No doubt ill intentions and deadly actions were taken behind closed doors and dark hallways.
Out of all the elders, he despised the Valencias the most.
How wonderful.
The elder’s eyes scanned the room like a hawk, assessing what was missing. His eyes landed on Aradia in her arms and squinted.
“And who is this?” A bushy brow perked up with interest.
Cahira’s heart pounded against her chest. “Someone who is sick.”
His eyes grew into slits as he walked forward.
Unease crept through her, tensing her shoulders up to her ears.
Aradia flinched ever so slightly.
Cahira gripped her shoulders, holding her tightly. “Send for a medic.”
Master Crane frowned.
“Please.” Cahira added after a moment of realizing her disrespect toward an elder.
A snap of his fingers and one of the soldiers quickly left the room. His armor clanked down the hallway. Master Crane stepped around Cahira until he faced Aradia fully, as well as the scrolls she had dropped. A dark frown flashed across his face.
“Your family stole our lands, our people, our rights.” He swiped up the scrolls with a huff, shaking them with anger in front of her face. “Now you have come to steal our knowledge?”
Cahira shook her head. “No.”
She bit her tongue to stop the confession from coming out. How was she supposed to explain to an ardent enemy they had rebelled against Arkan? Words could be easily twisted toward the benefit of their enemy.
It was a dangerous game of politics and court rules which Kaiden was much more versed in. Unfortunately, he wasn’t here. She hoped her flying message found him quickly.
“NO!” Aradia’s scream shattered the silence as she jerked upward.
She clung to her stomach as if a blade had impaled her.
Whatever nightmare she had crawled out from had taken its toll.
Her eyes were as wide as saucers and bloodshot as if she had been sobbing for hours, but no tears streamed down her flawless skin.
She closed her eyes again. She shook and jerked in her arms like a mad woman as she came to.
“Aradia.” Cahira shook her. What stupor was this?
Master Crane stepped back, disgust drawn across his face. “Retain her,” he commanded the guards.
“Don’t touch her,” Cahira snarled at the guards in warning as they tried to draw near. Her magic rumbled and the fireplace roared to life, heating the room in a flash.
Master Crane jerked away from the fire, fear replacing his disgust as he remembered who he had captured. He raised his hand in an order to halt.
“Aradia.” Cahira shouted her name.
Aradia’s skin was like holding an icicle. Cahira forced her own body to warm against her magic. It only resulted in adding beads of sweat across Aradia’s temple and upper lip. Her skin became slick with the heat mixing with Cahira’s magic.
What the hell was she supposed to do? What was happening? If this was one of her stupid visions, Cahira never wanted to see another one.
“Please, please, please,” Cahira whispered in the air between them. “Snap out of it.”
Aradia stilled and slowly opened her eyes. This time tears flooded over and she curled into Cahira’s arms with a silent sob.
“I don’t want to die.”
Cahira frowned. What?
“Aradia?” Master Crane’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Aradia Damali? The last child of the old religion? The priestess sent to doom us all?”
Doom?
Cahira gave the elder her best death stare. “Stay back. That’s an order.”
Master Crane cast a snake’s grin down at her. “Your orders are lost to us so far from Arkan, Princess.” He snapped his fingers and guards advanced.
Cahira pushed a deadweight Aradia from her arms as gently as possible. She spun on her heels, casting a stream of fire toward the soldiers.
Their shields raised, blocking her magic. A dagger flung through the air slicing her right arm.
She whirled to the assailant, blasting him with fire, and burning him to a crisp.
“Cahira,” a weak voice said from the floor.
She turned at the sound. The move cost her as she felt the butt of a sword crack into the side of her temple. She crumpled beside Aradia, her vision blurring.
A hazy Aradia attempted to crawl toward her but her feet lifted and a scream burst from her lips as she was dragged backward by the elder.
“No.” Cahira raised up on her forearm, head spinning in pain.
Randale’s raven sigma ingrained down the front of a shield appeared in her peripheral vision before the metal slammed into her forehead and everything went black.