Chapter 46
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
DRYSTAN
We need your help. The Realm of Vael must unite if we are to defeat the Ehp’uch.
– Correspondence from White Hawk to New Dragon.
Drystan – Borva, Votruvia
Isla’s brows furrowed as she bent over the cauldron, and I wiped the little beads of sweat dripping from my nose. The heat of Votruvia’s massive forge kissed my skin. My nose crinkled against the metallic burn of hot steel, and I ran a hand through my hair.
I’d shrugged out of my robes as soon as we’d arrived with the leaves from the Living Library. Raek stood across the room in deep discussion with the blacksmiths used to working on more refined materials like jewelry.
The rest of them continued their work on the weapons, tools, and horseshoes needed to supply an army preparing for war. My eyes cut to the corner room, where the last of the Larimer stone was shaped into rubelline cuffs, arrowheads, and air cannonballs.
Isla stood, her small hands moving to her lower back as she stretched and twisted.
“We should be ready,” she signed.
I waved Raek over. He joined us with a large, burly man with a sheared head and a long, red beard.
Ezrich followed quickly behind. Bear’s son had a keen interest in the work taking place.
Isla explained what needed to be done, and the man’s bristly brows furrowed as he leaned over the cauldron, eyeing the shimmering white mixture.
Tiny rainbows reflected off his dark leather apron as he straightened, nodding once to Raek before barking directions at his crew. Isla wiped the sweat from her brow, and I lifted my hands to suggest she take a break when a foreign sense of urgency washed over me.
Isla’s hand gripped my arm a moment later, her wide amber eyes pinned on mine beneath narrowed, ebony brows.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as she scanned me.
A push of concern followed, and the bizarre sensation of feeling another’s emotions rolled inside of me. I rushed from the forge.
A wet, gray fog floated in from the Crimson Sea, and I blinked against the bright land cloud as I searched for whichever Bellator arrived. A blast of wind blew my loose hair around my face, and I turned, reaching for Isla’s arm as massive, white and red wings stretched open before us.
Crimson smears soaked the snow hawk’s wings, and it landed in the soft grass, her talons ripping deep lines into the mud as she caught her footing. A blood-soaked female elf hopped off the back of the hawk. Her torn blue traveling dress swished as she strode toward us.
Wisps of her white-blonde hair flitted out of the disheveled, ornate braid on top of her head, and her face sagged in exhaustion as her crystal blue eyes found mine.
“Drystan,” she signed my name as she strode forward. “I am Selvina.”
She nodded to Isla in greeting, and her thin lips pursed.
“What are you doing here?” Isla asked, her eyes wide.
“We’ve surrendered the gate on Kayj. Creatures are pouring into the realm. I need to speak with Lyvia. Ganmira and Renova are coming for her.”
“We know,” Isla responded. “We just came from Lotrennia.”
Selvina clamped her lips shut as her shoulders sagged, and she looked to Nishanth.
“So, you know Carina is dead.”
She swallowed as she spoke the last word, and a dry lump formed in my throat at the stab of fresh grief.
Carina had been a fellow scholar, had lent her knowledge to me, had stood against warriors, and, like myself, had become one herself in her aid of the Rising.
Emotions rushed forward upon hearing the news a second time.
“Yes,” Isla confirmed, scanning the blood covering the elf. “I’m sorry you came all this way. Are you all right?”
Selvina nodded grimly. “Yes,” she replied, continuing to sign, “Not ours. We flew over a handful of Lord Pavel’s ships being attacked by several skydrakes.”
I blinked.
“How do you know Lord Pavel?” I cut in, my brows narrowed.
“I’ve been in communication with the Sultiran lord for years,” she replied, her hand movements swift and practiced. “The Sea Spear took over for the Black Horse when he died at the Crystal Castle.”
My mind spun. Lyvia’s father had been close with Jon Pavel, and the lord of Khasimir apparently knew more than he ever let on.
“The skydrakes?” Isla cut in.
“Two slipped our grasp, but we killed the rest and healed the sailors who weren’t already dead. Pavel sails for Votruvia.”
I nodded as Isla turned toward me.
“You need to bring Lyvia and Kellan back,” she murmured, and with that, I disappeared into time and space.
The sitting room at Eghan House had become crowded with people and emotion.
The velvet chairs lining the small table in the center had filled with people, their mouths moving quickly.
Mother Eghan handed me a mug, and I took a long sip of peppermint tea, its soothing scent filling my lungs.
This was one of the few moments I saw my deafness as a gift, the endless chatter across the room clearly putting others on edge.
Lyvia paced before the ornate fireplace, its onyx stone carved into the large claws of some beast, the flames flickering softly.
Her pointed ears poked out from beneath her loose hair, and I caught her touching them more than once, as if the noise in the room were too much for her heightened sense to handle.
Kellan stood at the opposite end of the room in deep discussion with Raek and Ezrich, presumably regarding the múritinne rings, as I caught Raek mouthing the word, but the pirate lord’s eyes were on Lyvia.
Bayne’s dark brows furrowed as he spoke softly with Selvina, the Nivis elf now donning a fashionable day dress with her clean hair wrapped in a bun.
The king of Lotrennia stood with his arms crossed, and I thought if I looked close enough, I might glimpse the white flame in his eyes.
Power emanated from the king. My brows furrowed as I realized the only Bellator missing in this room was Nerissa.
The room stilled as the wide doors swung open, and a familiar face filled the space.
Lord Pavel strode into the grand sitting room.
His clothes were disheveled and bloody. He paused, and his eyes landed on Lyvia and Selvina before darting to me.
A flood of memories at Cantor Manor rushed forward, and I shared a quick look with Lyvia.
The aged soldier heaved a breath. A raw sort of emotion tightened the features of his weathered face, and he bent down to one knee.
I stood as Lyvia rushed forward, her hands reaching for his. Lyvia pulled him upright, and he straightened as I reached him.
“We have a war to prepare for, Bellators.”
The atmosphere in the room tightened as everyone directed focused attention at the aged soldier. After brief introductions, the conversation quickly turned to strategy… To rubellines and múritinne rings.
“How many and how quickly can you make them?” Lord Pavel asked, turning toward Isla.
“Assuming we have the correct solution,” Isla began, her brows pinching as she turned toward Ezrich. “Probably one per day, once we get the solution right.”
Ezrich’s brown brows narrowed, but he nodded, glancing at Raek, who seemed to agree.
“You’ve mentioned the Vael Lacrima,” Pavel continued. “We’ve reason to believe there is more than one gate. The high steward found a number of scrolls in Saros’s private library that indicate multiple entry points into this realm.”
My chest tightened, and the room stilled. Mouths parted as the information sank in. Pavel ignored the shock and pressed forward.
“Ronan is growing his army. We’ll have a Sultiran cavalry ready in a few weeks.
The Nivisian elves are training the bears in the Albyrn Mountains.
Lotrennian forces are gathering, the War Slayers expanding.
And the Marisarma fleet is prepared to sail?
” Pavel turned to Lord Astraeus, his thick, salt and pepper brow rising.
“The Votruvian fleet,” Astraeus corrected, meeting the weathered soldier’s stare, “is ready. Though we’ve yet to track down Lord Haro of Marisarma.”
Pavel’s nose crinkled in disgust at the name. “Hopefully, the sirens sink their claws into his ships.”
Astraeus’s brows furrowed, and his lips pursed as if he made a grunting sound but seemed unconvinced.
“What of the Rhashtai?” Pavel asked at last, turning to Selvina.
Lyvia’s head cocked, and she exchanged a look with Astraeus.
“My contact is dead,” Selvina replied, her hands moving swiftly for me. “And I’m uncertain where the allegiance of Xenelpha’s nephew lies.”
Lyvia’s lips fell open as she stared at Selvina.
“It was you,” she began, her eyes wide. “You warned Xenelpha of Nivis’s attack on the Death Dunes last summer. You are the reason Xenelpha allowed us to stay… She knew she’d need the warriors, need the powers to save her people…”
Selvina swallowed before giving a firm, matter-of-fact nod.
“I’m not sure we’re welcome back in the Death Dunes any time soon,” Lyvia said, her eyes cutting to mine.
“Why is that?” Pavel asked, his brows furrowing as if her answer was unacceptable.
“Lyvia stole their Bellator Bone,” I replied, making my hand movements larger to capture the attention of the room. “And I took its power.”
Days and two shipments of leaves later, I strode toward the small shipyard tavern in Borva. A brisk, end-of-summer breeze floated in from the Crimson Sea as I passed the docks, and the unruly waves sprayed a mist of seawater against my face.
My stomach rumbled as I swung the pub door open. Saliva filled my mouth as a waft of salted pork, cheese, and potatoes shoved up my nose. Aeriden waved an arm from the corner, where he sat with Lyvia and the grisly Jon Pavel.
“Here you all are,” Pavel said with a wry grin.
He shook his head, mouth quirking to the side.
“Three of you mongrels, running amok on the streets of Aedrialis, sneaking into the Sun Dance tent and nearly getting lashed in the process…” He huffed a laugh as he paused and took a quick swig of ale.
“The fate of the world now resting on your shoulders.”
Aeriden laughed, but Lyvia looked like she might vomit. Her eyes cut to mine, and I offered her an understanding smile. She didn’t want the fate of the world on her shoulders.
“Missing one, though, aren’t we?” Pavel murmured. “I saw Vander briefly in Aedrialis. He’s doing well, I think.”
Aeriden perked up and leaned forward, asking more questions as Lyvia turned toward me.
“How is it coming?” she asked, turning her body to the side and moving her hands quickly.
“Nearly there,” I replied. “Isla and I tried a different spell today, and the colors looked brighter. The problem is we don’t have a way to test the effectiveness without inviting Sintarrak.”
Lyvia frowned, but she reached a hand to mine. “You’ll figure it out. I know you will.”
I blew a sigh through my nose and ran my hand through my hair as I shook my head.
“I’m not getting much right lately,” I replied.
Lyvia’s caramel eyes dipped, and she shook her head. “I’m the one not getting it right,” she signed as she looked up at me. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t transform Tempest. I clearly fucked something up—”
“Stop,” I cut her off. “I was wrong.”
The bright yellow drapery hanging from the corner of the stage swayed as someone passed, and I took a deep inhale of the ale-and-smoke scent of the tavern.
I replayed Tempest’s transformation in my mind.
My gut knotted at my failed interpretation of our connection.
Why was I constantly failing? Why was I the only Bellator without a caeluma?
As if reading my thoughts, Lyvia gently gripped my shoulder, forcing my attention back to her.
“We will find your caeluma. You move fast, Drystan,” she signed.
“You always have. And I don’t mean you move fast because of the Advetis…
Everything you do, for as long as I’ve known you, you’ve mastered quickly.
From school to the field work at the excavations.
To wind and water whispering, spell work…
It took longer to master the Advetis power.
Don’t rush this. Your caeluma will find you. ”
I crossed my arms, irritated with the truth in her words.
I’d grown up with a need to master new skills quickly.
It was survival for me…in the streets of Krestwood and again, in my studies.
I had to be the best, to learn quickly, for the world around me to make room for a man without working ears.
I unclenched my jaw as Aeriden stood. His finger swept between his sister and me, presumably asking if we wanted another.
Jon Pavel answered for him, and Aeriden left the three of us alone.
“Aeriden tells me you’ve successfully transformed a non-caeluma horse,” he began, turning to Lyvia.
Heat rushed up my neck, and Lyvia darted her eyes away as she nodded.
“Then you have work to do. There may not be agrippa on the Islands of Votruvia, but there are plenty of horses. And we’ll need a winged cavalry.”