Chapter 16
Even though the days grew shorter, the time spent combing the mountains for the stone starbridge grew longer.
Aeliana tried to go out with the others as much as possible, but there were just as many hiding spots left to explore within the fortress along with all the research they’d found tucked away with Mayvus’ blood stores.
Now that Sylmar was on board, she found several more stockpiles, including one with some of Emeris’ blood, giving them hope Mayvus wouldn’t be able to brand Emeris again.
They even found a map marking out every brand Mayvus had had on the Wheel of Magic, including each point of the spokes she’d managed to control.
The number was horrifying, but Sylmar was more distraught over the names on the list. He’d known almost all of them, and while they’d buried at least a dozen, there were still almost fifty more unaccounted for.
Perhaps they were dead, perhaps they were with Mayvus, or perhaps Mayvus had already found the starbridge and they were with her on the other side of the barrier.
That was the option Aeliana feared the most—that they were searching for two things impossibly out of their reach—which was why she focused more of her energy on finding the source of the possible curse.
But whenever it all seemed impossible, Sylmar insisted she head back out to hunt for the starbridge to at least burn off her nervous energy.
After two more weeks with no sign of Mayvus, the onyx stone, or a clue about the curse, he sent her out more often than he let her stay in. But today she sat in the chancery, poring over more of Mayvus’ notes.
“Find anything new today?” Sylmar hobbled into the room and bent over her papers.
“Not really.” Aeliana rubbed her palms over her eyes as all the words blended together. “Just more experiments. This time on someone named Anara.”
“Can you show me?” He settled heavily into the chair next to her, laying his staff on the table.
His lips moved silently as he read through the papers she’d passed him, and his face grew pale.
“Did you know her?”
“I knew of her. She was young when I left. No results?” He flipped the papers around, frowning at their blank backs.
“No. I can’t decide if that’s a good or bad thing. Same for this man. Ermen?” She passed him another set of papers.
Sylmar clucked his tongue. “He was older than me. I can’t imagine he survived the experiments.”
“Both took tonics from the stores of winex fluid once a week for nearly a month, so they survived longer than any of the others she experimented on. Maybe they’re both still alive?”
He hummed noncommittally and continued studying the papers, his brow furrowed.
“I don’t suppose anyone’s returned from the mountains yet for the day?” For a moment she let hope build within her. If Sylmar sought her out now, maybe someone had returned early because they’d found something.
“No sign of the stone.” He set the papers down. “Or Mayvus. We did find another secret stash of blood near the eastern garden. We destroyed them and cross-checked them with her map of the Wheel of Magic. I’d like to add the names to your master list, too. It’s time we made the list more public.”
“Why?”
“If you were on that list, wouldn’t you want to know?” Sylmar asked.
Aeliana winced. “Honestly, I’m not sure I would.”
Sylmar shrugged. “At the very least, we should let the people decide if they want to know. They could come and ask if their name was on the list if they’d like. If she has their blood here, she probably has it somewhere else too.”
Aeliana grimaced. “Hopefully not.” She passed over the map of Mayvus’ brands, but Sylmar hardly glanced at it.
“You can hope all you want, but Brogdon’s blood was in this room, and it was also in one of the first stores you found. She’s ruthless and bordering on insanity, but she’s also cautious and calculating. The blood we’ve found is evidence of her meticulous preparation.”
Aeliana frowned. She hadn’t reached out to Durriken since she’d last seen him playing with the little boy. She hadn’t felt right bothering him since he’d clearly disliked her meddling in the past. But maybe he would want this information.
Or…maybe he would return with vengeance and destroy the entire fortress to ensure no more of his blood was available, especially now that Mayvus was alive.
She supposed she should tell him that bit of news too. Her frown deepened as she ran her finger along the groove at the table’s edge.
Sylmar held Aeliana’s list up to Mayvus’ diagram for comparison. “Have you found anything about a connection between her and your mother? Or maybe her research on immortality?”
Aeliana shook her head. “I shouldn’t be surprised. I don’t know why I thought we’d suddenly come across something. Why would she lay out her weaknesses for someone to find? Knowing she had some sort of secret she guarded doesn’t make it magically appear.”
Sylmar grunted, but he squinted at the two papers, leaving Aeliana unsure if he’d even heard her.
“Do you think she created some sort of connection after you left her? Could she have branded my mother twice? Or bonded her on top of branding her?”
Sylmar’s eyes never left the lists. “I suppose anything is possible. She always wanted more magic. No matter the cost.” Regret passed over his features before his face settled back into his customary grim scowl.
“But that still doesn’t explain the connection they had when they were younger.
” He set her papers on the desk before tucking his own back in his tunic pocket.
Aeliana’s eyes narrowed. Had he just taken some of the papers detailing the experiments on Anara and Ermen? “I think you took the wrong—”
“I didn’t just come here for an update,” he interrupted. “A ship’s been spotted.”
Aeliana sat up straighter, her gaze flicking to the open window showing blue skies beyond. “Gaeren? Why didn’t you lead with that?”
Sylmar studied her too closely. “We’re not sure if it’s him. None of us have seen his ship, but this one is black as night. It doesn’t seem like something he would sail. And Gullet hasn’t shown up.”
His pessimism didn’t deter her hope. “They planned to disguise his ship, so I don’t think its color should indicate anything.”
“Which is why I came to tell you. I figured you would want to go check for yourself.” He scratched his beard, and the lines and scars on his face seemed less harsh as he angled his head toward the doorway. “Go on. I’ll clean up this mess.”
It was an uncharacteristic offer. Too often, he was her mentor, her teacher, her judge.
He seemed determined to train her to be just like him one moment, then determined for her to rise above his failings the next.
Sometimes she saw it as overbearing, but in moments like this, she suspected deep down he cared a little too much, except he didn’t know how to show it.
“Thank you, Sylmar.” She stood, then on a whim she bent and kissed the thinning hair on the crown of his head. She ignored his grumbling as she ran from the room.
The windows on this side of the fortress wouldn’t give her a view of the water, so she didn’t bother stopping to look for the ship. Instead, she ran for the east wing, calling out for Felk.
It was the last two days of his cycle, so he was slow to respond. “Mama?” The silver gleam of his hairless head poked out from the doorway of his quarters.
“Gaeren’s back,” she said breathlessly, tugging on his elbow as she ran past.
He let out a whoop that echoed through the hall and loped after her, not as quick to overtake her as he’d been in his younger days.
She laughed as he passed by, knowing he would bring back word if he saw any confirmation of the ship.
Soldiers parted for her as she ran to the stables, and no one questioned when she saddled an extra horse.
She would bring twenty if she could, knowing the sailors would be exhausted from their travels, but at least this way she could get Gaeren back quickly to give a report to Sylmar.
At least, that was the reason she gave herself for readying a second horse.
Felk ran beside her, still not interested in riding horses when he was so much faster on his own. With the Sun high in the sky, they would reach the beach and return long before the Sun’s sleep. Hopefully Sylmar would think to tell Iris to prepare more food.
She rode her horse hard even though the wind chilled her to the bone.
Summer this far north was short, and the leaves were already starting to change colors.
She wrapped her cloak tighter around her, fastening it high at her neck.
For a moment, she let herself hope that her father would be with Gaeren, that he would be the one needing the extra horse.
After so long without him—after Arvid and Vera had claimed they’d killed him—it was unlikely.
As they rounded a bend, the Sun glinted off the water, giving her an initial peek at the black ship anchored in the bay.
Her heart soared at its polished beauty, the gleaming onyx more like obsidian glass.
The sails had been lowered to keep it moored, and small figures could be seen milling at the base of the mast. She squinted, but it was impossible to make out any individuals.
“Come on, let’s get closer,” she said.
Felk didn’t need to be told twice. He took off, eager to meet the man she’d told him about.
They hadn’t always been friends in Felk’s past lives, but Gaeren was the only one who could restore Felk’s past memories, and Aeliana wanted that for him.
Selfishly, she wanted it for herself. She wanted Felk to remember the ways he’d protected her like she now protected him.
Still, as they reached the forest’s edge, she called him back. “Not all of those men had good experiences with winex on Summer Solstice. Let me go out first and tell them you’re with me.”