46. Raya
RAYA
“He’s been trying to find me!”
- RAYA.
The same messenger that announced the arrival of Florence bounded into the council chamber again. We had been holed up in the room for three days, still no concrete plan. Elian had two thousand Circle members, all of them Sorcerers. With the nine of us added on, we didn’t really make an intimidating army.
“What is it now, Cretu?” Elian said sternly, days of worrying shown in the bags under his eyes. The messenger held up his hand, a letter perched between his fingers.
“A messenger from…” Cretu struggled to catch his breath. Again. How far had he run? The entrance was only a tunnel away.
Elian’s gaze sprang up, fire and ice mixed within it. Cretu looked between us all, a red blush creeping onto his face.
“Who?” Elian demanded. Cretu swallowed softly, unease coating his body like morning dew.
“A member of the Sage Guard,” he spluttered.
I stood at his words, unable to stop my body from moving toward Elian.
“We found him scouting the Zlat above us. We have him detained, but he won’t talk to us. He says he’ll only talk to Raya…” the messenger trailed off, avoiding my eye line.
“Me? How is this possible?” I whispered. “The only people that know we’re here… are here.”
We all stared at each other, not daring to speak.
“It was easy to follow you,” Florence whispered. “There are so many of you, and you were clumsy,” her voice turned shy and embarrassed.
“But if someone followed us, why send a messenger? Why not talk to Raya in person?” Khol countered, throwing a hard gaze to his sister.
I took off from the council chamber, down the hall and into the main cavern. The Sage Guard solider sat tied to a chair, bruises and blood covering his face.
“Opal,” I mused softly. “What in Goddess name are you doing here?” Footsteps behind me confirmed that Elian and Khol had followed me from the room.
“Raya,” he smirked. “It’s been too long.” He wriggled in his ropes.
“What are you doing here?” I spoke again.
“Alias sent me,” he stated, and the floor fell out from beneath me. “He scattered six of us around the Continents, the fastest in the Regiment to find you,” he boasted. “I picked up your trail a few miles ago.”
“Why?”
“Haven”t you heard? You’re the talk of the Continents. The girl that escaped Captain Jala,” he mocked slowly. My silence met him, urging him to carry on.
“He needed a message delivered to you.” Opal’s smug smile left his face slowly.
“And? What is that message?” Frustration hummed beneath my skin.
“He needs to see you. In person.”
“And why not come look for me himself?” I countered.
“Captain Jala wouldn’t let him. He’s collateral, remember?” Opal seemed to enjoy the anger that rose within me.
“Why does he need to see me?”
“He didn’t say.” Opal catalogued the people behind me.
“What did he say?”
“He said he needs to speak with you, to tell you something that he couldn’t risk sending in a letter.” Opal leaned close so only I could hear his voice. “Meet him at your favorite place, where you promised to meet when your service was over.” He scoffed at the word service, disinterest plain on his face. I turned from him, walking away so fast I thought the ground might shake beneath me.
“He’ll be there when the moon is half full,” Opal called after me as I entered the council chamber again, sitting with a sigh.
“What did he say, Raya?” Joy’s voice was soft and quiet, as though she was helping a wounded animal.
“It’s Alias,” I breathed, and Khol was instantly beside me. “He wants to see me, he been trying to find me for a while, he’s been sending messengers all over the continents,” I breathed softly, looking up at the group of people that stared at me. “He’s been trying to find me.”
Warmth filled my chest. My oldest friend, my family had been trying to find me. I reached for Khol, grabbing his hand.
“Did he say why?” Elian asked, stepping closer to me. Looking up, I furrowed my brows.
“He needs to see me! To tell me something, too precious to risk sending in a letter.” I grew defensive, flattening my hand to my chest. “Maybe this is the help we’ve been looking for?”
“Raya,” Elian pushed up his sleeves. “Alias is a member of the Sage Guard, he knows you are a Sorcerer. He knows what is happening in Zetka.” Elian approached me as though I was made of porcelain.
I looked up at the faces staring at me. The unease and pity flowing from them began to drown me.
“What are you suggesting? That he means to harm me?” My voice was accusatory as I swung my gaze to the entire group, my eyes at last falling on Khol.
“Khol,” I whispered, tears burning behind my eyes.
“Raya, I know how you feel about him,” he winced at his words. “But we… we cannot trust him, I’m sorry. You must understand why,” he pleaded with me.
I stepped from him slowly.
“You don’t know him.” I struggled to control my quivering voice. “He has protected me my entire life, he wouldn’t…” I tripped over my own feet. “He wouldn’t hurt me.”
Joy walked toward me, our strange bond soothing me. Her hands clasped my shoulders and she smiled.
“Where does he want to meet?” she asked, ignoring Elian’s words of warning.
“The field of wildflowers near Matron’s orphanage, we agreed to return there once our service in the Sage Guard had ended.” I sighed. Would it have ever ended? Would we have been soldiers forever? Murdering Sorcerers until the end of our days?
“Where is this orphanage?” Elian asked.
“Two hours north of The Foothills.” I finally met his gaze, my brows lifted.
“You want to go through Zetka? The Foothills?” Erin stammered. “We’ve heard stories of that place all the way in the Southern Continent.” She stepped closer to her sister. “We’d never survive the journey.”
“How far from here?” I asked Elian as he paced the room.
“Raya pl—” Khol started.
“How. Far?” I countered, my gaze burning into Elian’s.
He huffed a sigh, dragging his hands through his hair.
“Two days ride, Northeast.” He sat heavily into the chair, defeated. I nodded, staring at Khol. Turning over the options in my mind.
I recalled Opal’s parting words.
When the moon is half full.
“When is the next half-moon?” I asked urgently.
“Three days’ time,” Elian whispered.
“Then we need to go. Now.” My words were sharp and cold.
Elian nodded.
“Will you go with me?” I asked Khol, ignoring everyone but him.
“Do you think this is wise?” he asked softly, and I nodded.
“Yes,” he nodded too. “I will go with you.”
Warmth spread around me, filling every pore, every limb with sunlight.
“As will I,” Elian spoke without looking up. “I can take you to The Foothills on the safest path I know.” He heaved a breath before standing. “Less of a chance of you being brutally murdered.” He shrugged.
“I’ll come too.” Joy squeezed my arm. “It’s probably best if we stay together, right?” she asked and I nodded. “I knew we’d receive some life changing news today,” she whispered.
“Or find out someone new trying to kill us,” Jodie said softly.
“The rest of you need to stay put,” Elian claimed, before anyone else could volunteer. “We still need a plan, work with my people here, Lucile will be in charge in my absence. She knows what to do.” He started putting a plan into action, collecting maps and candles from the room, and piling them onto the table. We all stared.
“If we go, we go tonight. We can’t afford to waste any more time.” He heaved the objects and left the room. “There are horses in a nearby barn up top we can use.” He did not look up from packing. “The farmer trusts me.”
“I’ve never seen him so serious,” Jameson whispered from the corner of the room.
“Pack and be in the cavern before the sun sets.” Elian’s voice was bland for the first time ever as he walked away.
The messenger took Raf, Jameson, Erin, and Jodie to Lucile. Rafael and Khol embraced before he left.
Florence lingered behind, following Joy to her room to pack.
“Are you angry?” I whispered when Khol and I were alone.
“No,” he whispered back. “I’m terrified.”
He left the room swiftly.
The main cavern was packed as we readied to leave. Eager faces trying to a get a glimpse of us.
“What are they all doing here?” I asked Elian in a tense whisper. Some Circle members had hopeful expressions, others with furrowed brows filled with distrust. A voice called out before he could answer.
“They should not be leaving! Not both of them!” a broad woman shouted sternly, followed by various nods and hums of agreement.
“We cannot lose the Celestial Queens!” another voice shouted; this time a man with a long beard.
“Calm down,” Elian raised his hands. “Please, everyone, calm down!” His voice rung out, and a quiet fell across the room.
“We are not going to lose anyone!” His voice was strong, like a leader.
Joy leaded toward me.
“Oh, don’t worry about us,” she whispered for my ears only. “Go ahead and talk about our impending death.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at her words.
Before another protest could take place, Elian whisked us out of the cavern into the endless, inky corridor from which we arrived almost a week ago. Only leaving a few seconds for somber goodbyes.
The walk seemed longer than before, no light to walk toward, no anticipation for what was to come. We had been underground for long enough that time began to ebb and flow around us. But it was enough time for Khol’s mother and The Temple to know we were all missing, enough time for Ezra to alert the humans and the Sorcerers. We were being hunted, and there was no doubt about it.
It hung heavily and unspoken in the air around us.
“If Florence and Alias found us so easily, what makes you think that someone isn’t waiting to kill us as soon as we step into the daylight?” Khol asked into the pitch-black tunnel around us. The sound of clothes shifting made we wonder if Elian was shrugging.
“I don’t,” Elian stated, leaving the space eerily quiet for a moment too long. “Maybe they’re waiting to kill us, maybe they’re not. There is only one way to find out.” His was voice chipper and positive despite the content.
“In an odd way, you remind me of Captain Harlow,” Joy said from behind me, and I narrowed my eyes.
“Who’s Captain Harlow?” Khol and I asked at the same time.
“A ship captain that ruined my boat and tried to kill me. Several times. Very odd man. Funny.” Her words came out in blocks as though she couldn’t quite figure out how to describe the man.
“Oh well.” I imagined Elian’s brows furrowing. “What a compliment,” he said through gritted teeth. “Harlow seems like a ray of sunshine.” His footfalls became louder. Was he stomping around like a child?
“I said he was funny, did I not?” Joy said defensively. I smiled to myself.
The rest of the journey passed in rarely interrupted silence, our breaths becoming labored as the path inclined steeply.
Light broke into the tunnel a few hours later, sweat clinging to Elian’s back from the exertion.
“Let’s do this,” Khol announced with a newfound energy.