lips caressed hers, and for a moment she forgot what she was supposed to do. His mouth pulled away, and she blinked her eyes open wide.
“Alora? Are you taking us to my father?”
“Right.” She felt the blood rush to her face. “I was just… uhmm… okay, I’m ready.” As she formed an image of Kaevin’s father, Graely, in her mind, she felt a hand grasping her arm.
~ 2 ~
“Kaevin! Why are you here?” Though his voice was gruff, Graely clamped his arms around his son in a feverish embrace. Alora was surprised when he released Kaevin to pull her into a zealous hug, and warmed at his unexpected demonstration of affection. Maybe he’s starting to think of me as family… as a daughter.
“Something is wrong with Jireo—I feel it. What’s happening? Do I hear a battle?” As always, Kaevin sounded more confident here in Laegenshire, calm and self-assured, even in the midst of a crisis. The familiar change in his personality was already evident, though they’d just arrived.
“Yes, we’ve been attacked by Water Clansmen, a thousand or more in number. Yet that doesn’t answer my question. Why are you here, and why have you brought Beth and Wesley to this perilous place? You’re playing into Vindrake’s hands.”
Beth and Wesley? Alora looked over her shoulder to find Beth with her face buried in her hands and Wesley, standing with an open mouth, his arm still around her shoulder.
“I’m sorry Alora, but I had to come. I couldn’t stand not knowing what was happening. Especially when you said something was wrong with Jireo.” Beth peeked between her fingers. “I promise I’ll wait in the healing house with Laethan, and I’ll totally stay out of trouble.”
Alora was about to retort when Arista wormed her way between them. “Did you say something about Jireo? What’s wrong with him?”
“Your brother’s in some kind of danger,” said Kaevin. “I have a pain, a compulsion, that drives me to him.”
“I’d like to go with you to find Jireo,” Arista said. “Can you wait until I finish my task? I’m opening the secret gate in this back wall to let the other Stone Clan warriors inside. They need me because I’m gifted in gresses.” Never having heard the term, gresses, Alora wanted to ask about her gift, but she didn’t want to disturb Arista’s concentration as the girl probed her way along the shadowed stone wall.
“Arista, you don’t need to accompany Kaevin and Alora.” Graely spoke in severe tones to the petite girl with long blond hair hanging in unruly tangles down her back. “The moment the gate is opened, you must take your bow and arrows home and protect your mother. I won’t have you in the battle with your limited years.”
“I’m older than Alora,” Arista spoke without pausing in her undertaking. “Also, I have a long bow, so I can shoot from a safe distance—I’ve done it in the past.”
“I won’t argue with you, Arista. You’ll go home because I’m ordering you to do so. That’s my final word.”
Arista continued to move, sliding her hands along the stone until something caught her attention. She pushed with her fingers and the stone appeared to slide away, widening until the opening was six feet wide. Out of the darkness, men and women poured through the gate, carrying swords, knives, and shields. Graely shouted instructions as the warriors dissipated with obvious purpose.
“Leave it open, Arista. More will be coming from the distant farms.”
Alora felt a strong surge of pain wash through her head, and she knew Kaevin felt it as well.
“We can’t wait any longer; we must go to Jireo.” Kaevin spoke in a strangled voice.
“Wait!” Graely put his hand on Kaevin’s shoulder. “He could be anywhere, even up on the wall. There may not be room for you beside him… You could knock him from his post.”
“What if we bring him to us?” asked Alora.
“If someone is touching him, he won’t come alone.” Graely drew his sword from its scabbard and nodded at Kaevin who pulled a ceramic knife from his pocket, removing the sheath. Wesley quickly followed suit, motioning Beth and an irritated Arista behind him.
With her arm still locked around Kaevin’s elbow, Alora imaged Jireo. She blinked, staring at the empty space before them.
“What are you waiting for?” asked Kaevin.
“I’m not waiting. I tried, but nothing happened. Does that mean…” Alora choked on her words. “Does that mean he’s dead?”
With a shake of his head, Graely set his mouth in a grim line. “Dead or alive, it means he’s in iron or touching someone in iron. Of course, I should have realized Vindrake’s men would be belted in iron to protect themselves from your power.”
“Then we must go to him,” said Kaevin. “Alora, if we land unsupported, could you transport back here?”
“I can do that. And even if Vindrake has captured him, I can just bounce us back. Ready?”
Kaevin nodded, tucking her hand in the crook of his arm and lowering his body in a slight crouch. Following his lead, Alora bent her knees in preparation for whatever precarious landing they might have. Pushing down a pang of fear, she made the transport.
*****