Chapter 14
When Aradella woke, it was still dark but Mekos was up and dressed and staring out the window. She knew by his stance what
he was thinking. If they didn’t find a solution to the problems they’d caused, he’d be letting down his whole family, and
maybe even all the people who were under the rule of the Empyreans.
Yesterday, after the burden of taking care of her cousin was dropped onto her, Aradella had overlooked what Mekos was facing.
She got out of bed and put her arms around him, her face against his back. “We’ll solve this. We’ll find this man Qip and
he’ll tell us what we need to do.”
He lifted her hand and kissed it. “I hope so. Last time we tried to thwart the Empyreans, they destroyed our home and killed
my great-uncle. This time—”
She moved in front of him. “Come on, let’s finish packing. Do you think my cousin can dress herself?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking me to go help her?”
Aradella’s throat closed so tight she nearly choked. No words came out.
“Tell me,” he said, “are you going to be jealous of all women I look at or is it just the beautiful Bree?”
She stepped away from him. “And here I was feeling sorry for you. Did you pack my things too or just your own?”
“I put that big brown coat you wore to dinner in the magic bag. I’m sure you’ll want to wear it when another pretty girl shows
up.”
With an eye roll, Aradella went to the bathroom.
It was barely daylight when they left Zeon’s very comfortable home and went to the big courtyard. Coming slowly down to them
was Perus. He was saddled and looked well-fed.
When he landed, Aradella put her arms around his neck. “Were you treated well? Ian wants one of your scales. If you shed any,
let me know.”
Mekos ran his hand down the dragon’s neck. “I would imagine that you’re glad to get away from Nessa.”
“Aren’t we all?” Aradella said.
“Good morning.”
They turned to see Zeon. He had on a light blue robe embroidered with yellow and pink flowers, and he was holding something
wrapped in cloth.
“More gifts?” Aradella asked.
“Yes, but not from me.” He flipped back an edge of the cloth. “This was under the saddle of your dragon.” It was a small,
plain box.
Mekos took it. “This is from Kaley. It belonged to her witch friend.” He opened the box to see three items inside. One was
a little man made of wood and he was dancing about.
“He’s adorable,” Aradella said.
“I believe he’s meant to be a distraction to anyone who views him,” Zeon said. “I think the little bag is rather interesting.”
“It contains a bottomless supply of gold coins,” Mekos said. “I’m sure we’ll be able to use them.”
“And the key?” Aradella asked. “What does it open?”
“I have no idea,” Zeon said seriously. “I focused on it but I got a blank. It does have the crest of Empyrea so there is a
connection.” He grimaced. “Perhaps Vian knows.”
Mekos gave him a very serious, caring look. “Do you think someone is blocking you from your full powers?”
Zeon laughed. “It appears that I’ve made my point. Please introduce me to your grandmother.”
“I will,” Mekos said, then mumbled, “if she ever speaks to me again.” He shut the box and nodded toward the cloth. “Anything
else?”
Zeon took out an oval case the size of his forearm. It was made of embossed leather and it had several holes in it. He opened
it. Inside, it was lavishly lined with silks in colors of blue and purple. “I could not figure out what this is.”
Mekos and Aradella looked at each other and smiled, then Mekos looked up at the nearest tree. “Where are you?” he asked, and
held out his hand, palm up.
Ian flew down from the tree and landed on his hand.
“Oh, but it’s good to see you,” Aradella said. “How is your leg? Did Arit like the books? What’s going on with everyone?”
Zeon was looking at the little man in astonishment. “They are real,” he whispered.
“Very real,” Mekos said. “Are you going with us?”
“Of course,” Ian said. “I have a lot to atone for.” He looked at Aradella. “Arit is outraged by the silly books and the men
refuse to leave Pithan. They mixed bacon with jams the women made and put it on the beef. Everyone is in ecstasy.” He lowered
his voice. “But Olina is trying to incite them to begin to search for you. So far, no one cares.”
When Mekos stepped aside with Ian, Zeon went to Aradella and held out a small leather bag. “I believe this is yours.”
She reached for it, but he held it back.
“I put an enchantment of protection over this as its contents are toxic. Does Mekos know of this?”
“No. He wouldn’t like that I had it.” She took it when he handed it to her. “Will I need it?”
“Maybe,” he said. “I could not see clearly, but Bree and you—”
Aradella was not interested in hearing about her cousin. She turned away.
Zeon nodded in understanding, then went to Mekos. He withdrew a thin, narrow box from inside his robe. “I had this case made
for you,” he said softly. “It is made of magnar wood and it will offer some protection.”
Mekos spoke in the same low tone. “I take it that’s the knife that—”
Zeon held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear the details. What I saw when I touched it was more than enough. This knife has
seen centuries of violence. Do not clean it as you may need all of its power.” Zeon stepped back, then turned to the side
and smiled. “My son is here. Come and meet him.”
Ian flew to land on Perus’s saddle, out of sight. At his size, he knew to be wary of strangers.
Coming out a side door was a handsome young man. He was the same height as Mekos, but while Mekos was lithe, this man was
thickly muscled.
Aradella was smiling at the man, but then Bree stepped out from behind him. Like her cousin, she had on wide-legged trousers,
a shirt and a jacket. Her hair was in a big braid that hung down her back.
“She’s so—” Aradella began.
Mekos gave her a look to stop and stepped forward to greet the man. They exchanged names, then, like all men seemed able to
do, they began talking like they’d known each other forever.
“You know this man, Qip?”
“Yes. Smart man. Very interesting. Worked in Empyrea for years. Short guy.”
“Think he’ll be willing to help us?”
“Sure. You get anything to eat?”
“Not much, what about you?”
Aradella thought they might go on like that forever. “Are we all riding on Perus?” she asked loudly.
“Reena sent something,” Tam said.
“And here it is.” Zeon was looking up at the sky. The beautiful creature, half bird, half four-legged animal, quietly landed
near Perus. The dragon looked startled, as though he’d never seen such a being.
Mekos’s face softened to love. For all that he was a Lely, his order dealt with birds. “I know you,” he said to the eagle
head.
It bowed to him. Mekos rubbed his face on the feathers, then spoke to it in the deep-throated language only his order knew.
Through all this, Aradella and Bree stood apart, on opposite sides of the circle of men and beasts. They were enemies sizing
each other up.
It was the first time Bree had openly seen Aradella in clothes that fit her. When Bree looked her up and down, Aradella stood
straighter. She was feeling every moment of Hale’s training. When Bree got back up to Aradella’s face, she gave a nod of acknowledgment,
as though to say, Well done!
Aradella returned the nod.
The men had trained for battle, so they recognized the women’s rigid stance and their face-off nods.
Mekos looked at Tam. “It won’t be easy. I fear that Aradella might harm her.”
Tam gave a snort. “She can try.”
Mekos looked at him in question, but Tam wasn’t betraying secrets. “You’ve met her father?”
Mekos smiled. “Sojee. Oh yes. A great man.”
“She is his daughter,” Tam said pointedly, as though he was sending a message. Turning away, he went to check the saddle on
the eagle-beast.
“Again, with her being Sojee’s daughter,” Mekos mumbled, then he also checked the harness. A good soldier never trusted anyone
else to do his job.
Zeon went to Aradella. “The death I foresaw?” he asked quietly.
She gave him her full attention.
“It’s a wrongful death and it has to do with you and Princess Bree. Both of you. Together.”
Aradella’s face showed her skepticism. “I can’t imagine that she and I will do anything with each other.”
“That’s what I thought, but in this you need to be together. You two—” They saw Mekos glance in their direction and they knew
he was listening. “Remember this, that’s all I ask. It will take both of you to stop the death.”
It was hours later when the big animals finally slowed down and began their descent. They were approaching an island. It didn’t
look very big and like the islands they knew, it had been formed by a volcano. In the distance, they could see a steep-sided
mountain with a thin line of steam coming out of the top.
“Like the Lair,” Aradella said to Mekos and he nodded. For the whole long trip, she’d had her arms around him, her head against
his back.
Tam and Bree, on their eagle creature, had stayed close by, but they didn’t ride with Bree’s arms around him.
At times, the flight had seemed to be never-ending. At one point, the men broke the monotony by playing catch with the food
Zeon had sent with them.
Mekos was better at catching what was thrown toward him, but Tam was better at chasing what he didn’t catch.
The first time he sent the eagle straight down toward the water, Aradella gasped. “She’ll fall off!”
But Bree held on to the saddle—not to Tam—and stayed on. When a seagull decided to see if they were something to eat, Tam
encircled its neck with his hand before it hit them with its beak. The bird tried to attack his face, but Mekos called out
to it and the bird settled. When Tam released it, the bird stood on the eagle’s head and squawked at Tam.
“You are being told off,” Mekos called to him. “He says he’s just trying to feed his family.”
“But not with my nose!” However, Tam put his hand on his heart and apologized, then tossed him a large chunk of bread. With its chin up, the bird flew away.
All four of them laughed, but when the two women looked at each other, they abruptly stopped.
By the time the animals landed, their riders were glad to be on the ground, and they looked around at where they were. It
was a wide, deep ledge made of volcanic rock. Based on the overgrown plant life, it didn’t seem to have been used recently.
At the end was what they knew was a volcanic bubble. Centuries before, the erupting volcano had formed a bubble of gas, then
surrounded it with molten rock. It had left a deep, round circle that would be good protection from the elements. But the
entrance was blocked by three huge boulders.
“We’ll get Perus to move those rocks,” Mekos said, but as soon as the saddles were removed, the big animals took off into
the sky.
“No!” Aradella cried out in panic. “Don’t leave us here alone. We need you!” But they were already out of sight.
The four people looked at each other, wondering what to do next.
Mekos said, “I’ll get the firewood,” then opened Ian’s case and he flew out.
Aradella said, “I’ll go with you and see what plants I can find.”
Tam picked up the old tapestry bag. “I’ll see what Papá has sent us for dinner.”
Bree said nothing.
Mekos and Aradella found a path that led up the steep hill.
“Sheep’s wool,” she said as she plucked a fuzzy bit from a bush. “Ian will like this. Oh! That’s pellan. And there’s oonic.
This may be a botanist’s dream garden.”
After their tasks were completed, they started down the path back to the ledge and felt raindrops.
“I hope there’s a cover in that bag,” Mekos said. “The fox part of me will melt.”
Aradella blinked against the drops. “We’ll have a complaining princess on our hands. She’s too used to luxury.”
He turned to look at her. “You are a princess too.”
“Yes, but I’ve been indoctrinated by fox—and wolf.”
Mekos gave a one-sided grin. “So now your lust has shifted from my father to a wolf?”
She walked past him. “I’m woman enough for all of them.”
“Are you?” He shifted the load of firewood to a free arm and his feet left the ground. As he soared past her, he swooped her
up with him.
They sailed down onto the ledge like two birds, then halted at the sight before them. At the end of the ledge was the round,
cave-like enclosure, the bubble. The boulders had been rolled away. Inside was a cheerful fire, with food and wine laid out.
Tam sat on one side, Bree on the other.
“Come in out of the rain,” Tam called, motioning with his arm.
At a crack of thunder, Mekos and Aradella ran into the dry space. He dropped the wood he’d collected, and Aradella spread
out the many plant sprigs she’d gathered. She looked at Tam. “How did you move those rocks?”
He glanced at Bree, then mumbled, “Oh, you know, muscle.”