17. Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
Dynalya
D yna trudged through the woods, muttering to herself, furious. When she found a small clearing, she leaned against a tree and closed her eyes. Her tired legs trembled, drawing her to sit and rest among the roots. She only attempted to kill Galen because he reminded her of everything and everyone she’d been up against.
She looked down at her shaking hands stained with blood.
This was what it took to survive in this world.
Well, it didn’t matter what it made her. Dyna had already decided what she would become to get what she needed.
Reaching into her satchel, she called upon the water mirror, and its cool weight landed in her hand. She pulled it out and brought it onto her lap. Rain pattered into the bowl, creating soft music as it slowly filled.
With a sprinkle of salt, Dyna focused on the one she wanted to see. The swirling water fogged until an image appeared. Tarn sat at a chair by the fireplace, nursing a cup of wine.
“How close are you now?” he asked in greeting without looking up.
“I should reach the border of Dwarf Shoe in two days and arrive in Little Step.”
Tarn picked up a book. “Then it will take you perhaps another day to reach the Port of Kelpway.”
“Has your search been fruitful?” she asked with a hint of mockery.
Tarn’s cool eyes narrowed on the book he was reading. “It is only a matter of time before I find the Druid. He may have already moved on. Whether you arrive here by the fourth day or not, we will continue. So make haste.”
Dyna forced a smile to disguise her bout of nerves that he would disappear before she could catch up with him. “A gentleman would be patient and wait.”
His mouth curled. “Maiden, we both know I am anything but a gentleman.”
Something foul stirred in her stomach, lodging anger in her throat. It sent a rush up her nose.
“Would it really trouble you to wait?” Dyna demanded. “I am right here. You wanted me to join you, and I am finally on my way to you, yet you cannot be bothered to stay.” Her voice shook. She scoffed to mask it, rolling her burning eyes up to the trees. “Well, I won’t beg you. Leave then. See how well you do without me.”
An awkward quiet stretched between them, and Dyna inwardly cringed at how pathetic she sounded. So much for not begging him. After a minute, she reluctantly looked at him again and found Tarn staring at her.
“I am not sure whether I should be more perplexed by the blood on your face or the tears in your eyes.” He canted his head. “What happened?”
She wiped her cheek. “Nothing.”
“I very well doubt that. Where is your prince?”
Dyna scowled. “None of your concern. Nothing happened.”
He smirked and closed his book. “Now, Maiden, if you expect me to believe you, then you must become a better liar. Since we have spoken, not once have you mentioned your … what did you once call him? Oh, yes. Your mate .” Her withered heart sank. “Nor have I seen him or any of your other Guardians, for that matter. I take it that means they do not know about us, and I doubt you could keep me a secret this long unless you were alone. I can only assume he is no longer with you.”
Her pulse pounded loudly in her ears.
“That spark of fire that I once saw in you was a candle flame. Now it burns like a bonfire but not with love. Where is your Celestial?”
“Gone,” she said tightly. “And I will say no more about that. Speaking of those absent, where is Von? I have not seen him either.”
Tarn’s attention returned to his book. “He’s preoccupied.”
She narrowed her eyes. The constant deflecting was making her suspicious. “I want to see him, Tarn.”
“Then I suppose you better arrive within four days, Maiden,” he said dismissively. “Time holds for no one, and neither do I.”
“Wait,” she blurted. “I’ll come. What is the name of your boat?”
“The Somnio .”
Then the water mirror cleared, leaving Dyna to stare at her reflection…along with the shocked faces of her Guardians standing over her shoulder. Including Klyde.
She spun around.
“Oh, you little liar,” Lucenna hissed. “I knew you weren’t simply speaking to yourself at night. You were communicating with that man this whole time!”
“Is that true?” Zev asked, staring at her wide-eyed. “You plan to join Tarn in Dwarf Shoe?”
Dyna quickly stood. “It’s not what it looks like.”
Electricity crackled around Lucenna. “It looks like you’re consorting with the enemy. Why else keep it from us?”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t like it.”
“With good reason,” Zev said gruffly. “What is the meaning of this? I don’t understand.”
Rawn lifted his hands placatingly. “All right, we can address this in a calm manner. Let’s allow Lady Dyna to explain her motives.” He turned to her with a worried frown. “I am sure there is a valid reason for her actions.”
They fell quiet as they waited.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “…I plan to steal Tarn’s ship.”
They stared at her as if she were out of her mind.
Dyna groaned. “I did not share this with you for the very thoughts I can see spinning in your heads right now. You weren’t meant to know until we arrived in Dwarf Shoe. My plan is to arrive in Port Kelpway under the guise of joining him. Then the rest of you and Klyde will sneak onto the ship to help me take Tarn down.”
Klyde scratched his cheek, “Well, lass, I am no stranger to reckless plans, but this one may be out of the question…”
“What do you mean by take him down ?” Zev asked, flabbergasted.
Dyna straightened her shoulders, clenching her jaw. “I intend to finish him.” Long drag of silence followed and their skepticism only angered her. “We could have been on our way to Mount Ida by now if I had done the right thing and let him die from the start!”
He rubbed his face. “How long have you been planning this?”
“Probably for as long as she has been speaking to him in secret,” Lucenna said.
“How long?” he pressed.
Dyna sighed. “Since the winter.”
Zev shook his head. “I thought we agreed to no longer keep things from each other.”
A twinge of guilt sank in her stomach. “It will work, Zev. He is waiting for me to arrive.”
“Because he wants your map. Once he knows where Mount Ida is, he will kill you, Dyna.”
“No, he won’t. When I was in Tarn’s camp, he had me trained and tried to convince me to join his side.” Dyna crossed her arms. “He collects those with abilities he wants. In this case, my magic.”
“Which you don’t have anymore,” Lucenna said, and Dyna tried not to show how much that stung.
“Yes, well, he doesn’t know that yet,” she said sharply. “I only need him to trust me enough to allow me onto his ship. I have friends among the Raiders who will help us fight him. Those who weren’t as fortunate as me to escape.” She still needed to go back to set them free too.
“You mean like the Minotaur,” Zev said.
Klyde’s brows shot up. “He has a minotaur?”
Dyna nodded. “Sorren would be more than ready to take down some of Tarn’s men to gain his freedom. As well as Geon, Yavi, and Von. They will join us; I know they will. Once Tarn is dealt with, we will take his ship and sail with no threats of warrants or check points at any ports.”
“Well … I understand how that would be of merit,” Rawn said, clearing his throat. “However, if we somehow achieve this plan, none of us have experience in navigating a ship.”
“Von does.” At their silence, Dyna groaned frustratingly. “Regardless of how you feel about him, Von is a Guardian . We need him.”
Klyde’s brow furrowed, and Dyna reminded herself to be careful.
“You speak as if this will be easy,” the sorceress snapped. “We don’t know how many men Tarn has on board or what we are walking into. And you are assuming Von will simply turn on his master after fifteen years of servitude. Your plan is foolish and reckless, and if you had told us about it from the beginning, I would have told you as much.”
The very statement was a slap to her face.
“Remind me when I needed your permission to make plans,” Dyna hissed.
Lucenna’s eyes flashed purple in response, and thunder rumbled overhead. The static of her power charged the air, crawling like ants on her skin.
“Easy,” Zev growled. “Come with me. Let’s take a breather.” He took Lucenna’s arm, leading her back to camp with Klyde.
Dyna turned away with a sharp exhale. She scowled at the trees, angry that they had to question her decisions over everything. She also didn’t want to look at her Guidelander yet. Somehow his responses always weighed more on her.
“My lady,” Rawn called gently.
“What is it, Lord Norrlen?” she sighed, shaking her head. “What more could you have to say that they have not?”
“Are you all right?”
A knot immediately formed in her throat at the question. No judgement. Only concern for her wellbeing. This wasn’t about the last three months or even about her plan. She knew why he was asking that now.
Dyna clenched her shaking fists, feeling the dry blood crease in her palms. “We fought … and we won.”
“That is not an answer.” Rawn came around to face her, and he looked down at her with those kind eyes that she couldn’t stand. “The feeling you are trying to ignore right now, is your soul speaking to you. The way we fight, why we fight, and how we win all matters. If we chose to sacrifice our morals in order to win, then we have already lost.”
Her vision stung as it blurred. “Why should I be kind and merciful? It’s gotten me nowhere,” she said sharply. “The world is violent, and if I want to survive, I need to be ruthless. I need to tear into them before they do, because no one , not even the ones I love…” her voice cracked. “…will show me mercy…”
It came to him.
It always came down to him .
There was no starlight in the sky. Not anymore. Yet why did Cassiel’s faint scent strike her whenever she was reminded of him? Why did her withered heart always stir at the flutter of bird wings? No matter how much she burrowed into herself, his absence still haunted her. Had she not suffered enough?
Why couldn’t she rip him out the way he had done with her?
“I feel as though I am hitting a wall,” she said.
“Sometimes walls are there for us to lean on and rest.”
Her tears spilled and she dropped her head. Why did she feel so weak? After all the training she had done, she couldn’t turn her heart into steel.
Rawn brought her to sit on a fallen log and sat with her beneath the rain as she silently cried. “I lament for your pain, my lady. And for the loss of who you used to be.”
“He ruined me…”
“No,” he said softly. “You are hurting, and rightfully so.”
They looked out at the forest, listening to the drizzle patter on the leaves.
“I am stumbling in the dark…” she admitted. “It makes me feel so lost.”
“To be lost does not mean one is lost forever. It merely means we need to find our way back. The most worthwhile path is seldom the easiest, but I have faith you will find your way again. For after darkness falls, the dawn will arise.” As if the fates had to agree with him, the clouds parted at that moment, spilling the first rays of morning light through the trees, and he smiled. “If you need help with that, I will be right here to guide you.”
He was kind to her and always a warm guide to turn to, but Dyna couldn’t take any comfort right now. It only made her feel worse.
Dyna wiped her cheek. “Thank you, Lord Norrlen.”
“Of course, my lady.” Rawn took out a handkerchief from beneath his cloak and handed it to her. “Now, shall we discuss the other matter at hand?”
She sighed. “Regarding Tarn, I take it. You don’t agree.”
“I have given you an oath that wheresoever you go on this quest, I will guard your steps and shield your life, to the end of the world and back. I am doing so now.”
“You’re saying I should be careful.”
“I am saying we must be wise,” Rawn clarified. “I fear the true reason you are doing this is rooted in your pain.”
Dyna looked away. Pain was merely a sign of weakness. She couldn’t be weak. She would move on without Cassiel. She didn’t need him. She didn’t need anyone. “This has nothing to do with him if that’s what you think. It’s a solid plan. It makes sense.”
Or was she fighting hard to convince herself of that?
“You have learned to defend yourself and how to wield weapons. Now you must learn strategy for when to attack and when to retreat. Regardless of how perfect a plan may be, they never go as planned, for they are carried out by imperfect people.”
She made a face at him.
“I do not question your prudence. I merely worry for the state of your heart, for I know the pain you feel.”
She looked back at Rawn in surprise, not expecting that.
“I was also left behind by a dear one close to me, and I too became lost. Anger wrought me into something I never wish to be again.” Rawn looked down at his sword. On the pommel was the crest of a blooming dynalya. “My actions had grievous consequences I could not amend.”
Dyna searched Rawn’s kind face, finding it hard to believe he could ever harm another out of anger. But his eyes were sad and remorseful.
She inhaled the crispness of the fresh air as they continued to sit in silence, simply watching the light make the forest glitter.
Cassiel was her True Bonded. The other half of her soul.
His absence left her with a wound she may never heal, and she hated that. She hated the helplessness of it. Hated that she could not forget what he did. He had planted a seed of fury in her in so deep it may never fade, and if so, then there was no hope of ever finding her way back.
Perhaps she should thank him.
Rawn’s advice had always helped her in the past, but she would never win against bloodthirsty demons, scheming fae, and men like Tarn by being the girl she once was. It was time to find a new path.
“Who left you behind?” Dyna asked, needing to take her mind off herself. “If you care to share…”
Rawn’s teal eyes drifted down to the signet ring on his forefinger. It bore his family’s crest: a rearing horse atop a shield, framed in laurel. There were other symbols she could not quite make out.
Lord Norrlen opened his mouth to answer, but then Fair trotted through the trees. He nickered at them, giving Dyna’s cheek a nuzzle.
“He sensed we needed comfort,” Rawn said.
She smiled and petted his mane. “Fair, the noble steed, a great horse with the equal measure of his master. Kind, calming, and wise.”
“He has seen me through everything since he chose me when I was a boy.”
“Fair chose you?” Dyna asked curiously.
“He did. Elvish horses are special creatures. Very intelligent and magical in the sense that they bond with their rider for life. A deep connection forms between a horse and his master that allows us to move as one when riding into battle.” Rawn brow furrowed with that far away sadness as he stroked Fair’s muzzle. “The loss of one is a loss of the other,” he murmured.
“The one who left you … was it a previous horse?” Dyna was almost afraid to ask.
“No, not mine.” He sighed and rested his head on Fair’s neck. “My sister … her horse was killed during a mission, and she could not...”
Withstand the loss.
Fair stood between them like a wall that hid him away, but Dyna didn’t need to see Rawn’s face or to hear the words aloud to know that his sister was no longer alive. And she sensed it led to the dark period when he had lost himself.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Such is the life of a soldier, my lady.” Rawn came around Fair, taking the reins. His gaze drifted south, as it always did when he was missing his home. Missing his family.
“We are close to Greenwood, Lord Norrlen. Once we have the ship, why don’t we…”
He shook his head. “I cannot return home until I have completed my mission. I made a vow to my king … I am not permitted to break it. It is great risk to be in this part of the country.”
“Because of Red Highland?”
“Not only them. There are elves who move through the shadows. They sever lives for the right price, and there is a substantial one for mine.”
Dyna stilled at that, but he didn’t seem to want to discuss it further. They made their way back with many things circling in her mind. It was unfair that Rawn couldn’t return home because of a promise he made. And at the same time, it made her hate for the one who willingly broke all his promises to her grow more.