Defy Page 12

  So she once again drew on the skills she’d learned in the course of her childhood. This time, the skills had been imparted by her Aunt Amber and Uncle Gabriel, both of whom used to camp in the woods during their time on the human plane.

  A few times a year, Tate and the rest of her extensive family all had a campout away from their homes but within the protected area. There were tents, s’mores, scary stories and, of course, campfires. Having been forced to start more than one fire as a lesson by her aunt and uncle, Tate collected what she needed from the woods with confidence and care.

  Sticking to the drier ground, she set out her kindling, topping it with some dried birch and moss to more easily catch the spark. Another piece of slayer grass allowed her to create a makeshift blade that she wrapped with fabric for a handle. She then started striking it against the quartzite chunk she’d selected. It took a few minutes of persistent striking for the sparks to finally get the tinder nest smoldering, but smolder it did. She gingerly folded the moss and birch as she blew on it to stir the burgeoning flames, and once they were stronger, she set it within the kindling.

  As soon as the fire burned steadily, she cleaned the fish with the slayer grass knife. It was just as disgusting as she remembered from her childhood, but thank goodness she at least knew what to do. Working with determined efficiency, she soon had the edible flesh free of the bones and skewered on a damp stick.

  The fire sizzled as the fish cooked and dripped. Tate seriously wondered if any being had ever been more hungry than she was just then. Having to wait until the fish was thoroughly cooked and then cool enough to eat was utter torture.

  Eventually, the time came for her to eat her hard-earned meal. Rather than stuff the hot fish in her mouth, she deliberately took her time, picking it apart with her fingers and savoring each bite. Although fish had never been her favorite type of food, she decided it was about the best meal she’d ever had.

  It wasn’t a ton of sustenance, but in light of the severity of her hunger, it was enough to calm the worst of it.

  After she ate, she got more kindling to help the fire last. She gave herself a sniff-test to see if she could get by without bathing, but the exertion she’d put herself through earlier had left its eye-watering mark, as had the fish guts now coating her skin. There was no getting around the need to wash up to avoid inadvertently luring predators.

  She used an ill-conceived but functional length of smooth, moist bark to hold the crushed soap nuts from her pockets and some water over the fire to get the soap nuts hot enough to steep. She removed her hair decorations while she waited. When the soap nuts were ready, she went to work making her lemon-scented cleanser so she could bathe.

  The water was freezing. Unlike the almost luxurious bath she’d enjoyed the night before, this one had her rushing through it as quickly as possible. By the time she hurried out of the water to crouch naked next to the fire, her teeth were chattering and her fingers and toes were numb.

  She could have kissed her aunt and uncle’s feet for teaching her how to build a fire as feeling slowly returned to her extremities and she got dry enough to get dressed.

  Then she banked the fire and settled herself nearby with her skirt as a pillow. Staring at the night sky and bringing her thoughts into focus, she tried connecting with Tiege. For some reason, she felt him at the edge of her awareness, but she couldn’t actually exchange thoughts with him like she had the first time.

  She found it odd that she could somehow connect with the dream male but not her twin brother. Who was he? Had she somehow conjured him with her mind during this time of insane stress and anxiety? If so, why was he seemingly so puzzled about it all, too?

  In any case, she decided that right then was as good a time as any other to eat crow. So she closed her eyes and thought of him…the male she now thought of as Sparky.

  Chapter 19

  Ariana stood at the center of camp as the Mercesti ate their latest meal. Watching them devour the food was always a disgusting experience. Their manners were beyond deplorable and the sounds they made turned her stomach.

  She was only allowed food once every three days, rather than once every other day as an Estilorian typically needed. The one time she veered from this rule out of desperation had resulted in her being beaten beside the campfire amid a great deal of jeering and spectacle. Her left eye was still partially swollen shut from that lesson.

  So now, although her stomach pained her and her mouth flooded with saliva as the scent of the shepherd’s pie she had created filled her nostrils, she forced the hunger back.

  “Ariana,” she heard, and her body instinctively tensed. Every time Eirik said her name, she flinched. “Come here.”

  Although she knew this couldn’t be good, as he only ever called her to him if she had done something to displease him, she found her legs cooperating with the command. Evidently her body knew better than her mind what would happen if she didn’t.

  She crossed the camp to Eirik’s tent, where he stood with the flap in his hand to allow her to pass. The thought of going into the tent with him terrified her. And when she spotted Deimos hovering in a corner of the tent, her fear escalated. His red, manic eyes darted to her as she stood indecisively in the entrance.

  “Get in,” Eirik said. He gave her a strong shove from behind, sending her sprawling.

  She didn’t get up quickly enough to avoid a kick from Eirik, but unlike his usual punishments, the blow seemed to lack any genuine enthusiasm. Since she took most of the kick to her upper arm, she was able to get up without much trouble.

  “Yes, my lord?” she asked, just as she had been trained. It felt blasphemous every time she said it.

  “We should arrive at the sword’s location in a day or two,” Eirik said, moving to sit in the luxurious padded chair that she had created for him.

  When he didn’t speak beyond that, she just stared at him. Then, realizing he seemed to be waiting for a response from her, she nodded. “That is…excellent news, my lord.”

  “Indeed it is.” His deadly gaze remained focused on her face. “Once we have the sword, you will then lead me to the scroll.”

  Swallowing, she repeated, “Yes, my lord.”

  His eyes flashed. “I thought, since we were successful in our hunt today and we are getting so close to our goal, that I would give you a little reminder of what you have in store should you fail to find the scroll.”

  Her heart, already at a steady trot, launched right into a gallop. The last time he had done this, she had been forced to watch a Mercesti soldier dismember another one who had gotten into Eirik’s bad graces. Her nightmares would always be haunted by those images.

  “I need no such reminder, my lord,” she said, her voice unavoidably tremulous.

  Her gaze shifted to Deimos when he moved closer to her. He remained in the same predatory crouch he always assumed when she was near. His unnatural, gleaming eyes were just visible through the fall of dark hair that covered most of his pale, contorted face. She remembered how that hair had clung to his face in bloody clumps as he slaughtered Tisha.

  Now, he issued awful noises, moving in a way that had her averting her eyes. Her throat went dry with fright. As she wondered what she would do to protect herself, a noise outside the tent had her jumping and looking to the tent opening. The flap was thrown aside and several Mercesti entered.

  They pulled a female behind them. She was a Mercesti female that Ariana didn’t recognize. She could only assume the female had been caught somewhere during their travels that day and likely rendered unconscious to keep her quiet.

  Now, however, the female fought for her release. A gag had been tied in her mouth. Her rather ragged gown was torn at the shoulder and carried a number of blood stains. When the female spotted Deimos in the corner, her eyes wheeled crazily in her head.

  “I understand, my lord,” Ariana said quickly as her entire body trembled. She looked at Eirik and clutched her shaking hands together. “I don’t require any demonstrati
ons. I assure you, my every effort will be put toward finding the scroll.”

  He stared at her. Deimos’ noises and movements grew in urgency. “Very well then,” Eirik said, and Ariana felt faint with relief. “We will merely kill her for entertainment purposes.”

  Ariana shouted a protest even as the males holding the thrashing female thrust her at Deimos. The henchman attacked his victim with the speed of a viper. Even through her gag, the female’s agonized scream filled the tent as her throat was rent.

  In spite of her towering fear and revulsion, Ariana felt herself surging forward. She couldn’t allow another being to be harmed in such hideous, violent ways. But the Mercesti who had dragged the female into the tent now grabbed Ariana and held her back. Although she twisted and kicked, she was unable to gain her release or escape the horrors in front of her.

  From his chair, Eirik watched it all without a flicker of reaction on his face. Only when the atrocity was over and Deimos curled into a content ball on the ground did he speak.

  “If you fail me, Ariana, this will be your fate.”

  “What is the Elder Scroll?”

  Caleb asked the question. He sat with Skye at a meeting table in Gabriel’s home, alongside their siblings, the elders and most of the class commanders. Knorbis had just announced what he believed the rogue Mercesti sought on the mainland.

  “The Elder Scroll is an artifact that has been in existence since before the creation of this plane,” Jabari responded.

  Knorbis explained, “When we lived on the human plane millennia ago, many humans worshipped Estilorians as gods and goddesses. Our judgment during this period was what you could call ‘colored.’ Having been put into positions of great importance, we discussed what would happen should an elder ever be killed. Back then, this seemed a crucial matter. Humans had come to rely on us for many things. Losing an elder would have been detrimental to our way of life. There were things that could only be accomplished with the power of all the elders.”

  Caleb nodded. Even now, the elders generated the most power when they worked together.

  “We decided that we should take precautions in an effort to preserve that way of life,” Knorbis continued. “We knew age alone was not enough to promote an Estilorian to elder status. This remains true even today. The original nine class elders evolved into our roles due to our innate connection with each other as well as our individual abilities. It was a natural process that we can’t really explain.”

  When he paused, Malukali spoke. “We learned once Grolkinei killed Volarius that a being doesn’t become an elder by default. Grolkinei was old and powerful, yes…but he was not a true elder. Even if his ways had not been so misguided, he would not have been able to join his abilities with ours. Similarly, although Kanika assumed leadership of the Mercesti after Grolkinei’s death and is many centuries in age, she isn’t a class elder.”

  “But before the creation of this plane,” Gabriel said, drawing Caleb’s attention, “we were thinking only of what needed to be done to keep civilization progressing as it was. We decided that, should something happen and an elder died, we had to find a way to pass on that lost elder’s power to a new elder to ensure the balance of power was maintained. We never anticipated humans growing discontent and bitter and warring against us.”

  “I blame myself for not foreseeing what happened,” Knorbis said. “At the time, I found myself immersed in the everyday. Society was rapidly advancing, pulling our attention to the events occurring right then. I should have spent more time looking ahead.”

  Malukali reached over and covered his hand with hers. The two elders were married, though they hadn’t ever exchanged the powerful vows required of an avowed pairing. Because they both already shared thoughts and were the most highly mentally-attuned elders, there wasn’t a need to exchange the vows. Indeed, such an act could prove detrimental to them.

  “In the end,” Zayna said, “we joined our powers to create a scroll. The scroll, when used under the right circumstances, would allow an Estilorian to assume the power of an elder.”

  Caleb blinked at that. Amber, Olivia and Skye gave Gabriel incredulous looks.

  Having the grace to look sheepish, he shifted his gaze between them and said, “Hearing it now, we know it sounds crazy. But we weren’t complete idiots.”

  “We crafted the scroll very carefully,” Sebastian explained. “There had to be extremely specific circumstances in place for it to work.”

  “To our thinking, it was imperative that anyone who assumed the new elder role be compatible with the rest of us to ensure the continuance of our joined power,” Jabari said. “Thus, there had to be a coming together of elements specific to each of our classes in order for the scroll to work. In my class’s case, wisdom for the Elphresti. There must also be loyalty for the Gloresti, strength for the Waresti, creativity for the Scultresti, caring for others for the Lekwuesti, faith for the Corgloresti, internal centeredness for the Orculesti, intuition for the Wymzesti and, in the case of Volarius, strategizing and innovation for the Mercesti.”

  Gabriel said, “Knorbis applied his foresight to this task. He ultimately had nine visions, all of which became part of unlocking the scroll’s power.”

  The Wymzesti elder nodded. “Crafting the scroll took decades, but we had nothing but time.”

  “We created the scroll in secret,” Uriel said. “Should anyone outside of the elders know of its existence, each one of us would be at risk. The temptation of that kind of power laid at anyone’s feet could turn any being murderous.”

  “The scroll was kept safe, and no one outside of the nine original elders was made aware of its existence,” Jabari explained. “But once we created this plane and Grolkinei killed Volarius, we faced a difficult decision.”

  “We hadn’t anticipated an elder being struck down by one of our own out of hatred and rage,” Malukali said. “Our original agreement had been to use the scroll to promote the elder who would assume Volarius’ role. But in this case, the Mercesti class quickly changed into something dark and evil after their elder was killed.”

  Knorbis added, “Upon learning that the only way a being could now become a Mercesti was by modeling Grolkinei’s murderous behavior, the idea of giving a Mercesti the power of an elder was summarily dismissed. Although we knew that our combined power would be forever diminished, we all saw this as an acceptable compromise.”

  “We no longer had to consider what needed to be done to maintain our way of life,” Zayna pointed out, “because that way of life no longer existed. And, since we lost touch with human emotions after creating this plane, the decision was much easier to make…more logical.”

  Gabriel said, “We decided then that the risk of keeping the scroll, possibly to have it discovered in the future, was too great. So we took action to destroy it.”

  “Unfortunately,” Jabari said, “the only way we could completely destroy it would have been with the combined powers of all nine elders, and Volarius was dead. So we had to improvise.”

  “We broke the scroll into three parts,” Knorbis explained. “That was the most we could manage without Volarius. We didn’t want the pieces kept within the boundaries of the home base, where there was too high a likelihood they could be discovered. So Gabriel, Uriel and Ini-herit each took one part of the scroll and hid it somewhere on the mainland. Upon their return, Malukali and I suppressed their memories of the scroll’s hiding places so that none of us would ever be tempted to reassemble it and use it. The danger to all Estilorians was just too great.”

  Caleb processed this. He looked over when Amber said, “It sounds like it’s well hidden, then. How would some random Mercesti know about it?”

  Malukali answered her. “When you are surrounded by beings with mental abilities, nothing is ever truly a secret.”

  Caleb understood. The Wymzesti and the Orculesti classes could read thoughts. Although Knorbis and Malukali were capable of guarding their thoughts, there was no saying one of the other elders
’ minds hadn’t been scanned and the knowledge of the scroll identified. And if that being then converted to Mercesti, they might have possibly retained that knowledge.

  “What makes you so sure that the Elder Scroll is what these Mercesti seek?” Olivia asked.

  Knorbis exchanged a look with Malukali. “That’s why we called this meeting. We just intercepted a thought about this artifact. We can’t identify where it originated, but it came through as though someone shouted it with their mind. We confirmed that the thought didn’t come from one of us, so we must assume it came from someone else on the mainland.”

  “We applied our powers of intuition to recent events,” commander Meda added. “This is very likely an accurate deduction.”

  Jabari said, “We have come to the conclusion that, in light of the destructive actions being taken by the Mercesti on the mainland, it would be wise to find the pieces of the scroll ourselves before the Mercesti do. It is highly unlikely that anyone will know what to do to activate the scroll even if all three pieces are found. But we shouldn’t take any chances.”

  There were nods around the table. Caleb exchanged looks with Skye and their siblings.

  “Okay,” Amber said at last. “What’s the plan?”

  Malukali said, “Knorbis and I will have to retrieve the memories from the minds of Gabriel, Uriel and Ini-herit—once he returns. Then we will figure out the best plan to get the scroll pieces.” Since she sat next to Uriel, she turned to him. “We can start with you.”

  He nodded. As Malukali and Knorbis both stood and placed their hands close to Uriel’s head, Caleb thought of Tiege. His normally rule-abiding son had so believed that his sister was still alive that he had inadvertently placed himself in grave danger. If he somehow stumbled upon these rogue Mercesti and got in their way…

  His thoughts were distracted as he noticed that Malukali and Knorbis both looked troubled. Before much longer, the dark green and dark purple glow of their combined powers faded. They looked at each other with deep concern etched on their features.