“Is that—”
Father slashed one hand through the air, silencing Halvor’s whisper at the same moment I saw it—bobbing lights moving through the trees. Many of them.
Many lights meant it wasn’t Barloc—but there couldn’t be any good reasons for a group of people to be wandering through the woods with torches in the middle of the night.
I noticed Mother reach for Father’s hand, curling her fingers tightly around his.
“Is it a garrison?” Loukas leaned over and murmured to Father.
Inara stiffened at his question, her gaze flying to Halvor’s then mine.
“Most likely,” Father whispered back.
The night was so still and quiet; we strained for sounds of bootfalls on the ground, or voices coming near. At first there was nothing, just the flicker of firelight weaving through the trees. Then, the sound of a man’s voice echoed through the forest, far too close for comfort, followed by a response. The words were indecipherable, but the tone was clear—they were definitely not just a band of travelers making up time at night.
Father lifted his hand, made a circular gesture, and pointed deeper into the forest. The other Paladin rose to their feet. The rest of us hurried to follow, grabbing our blankets and silently slinking through the trees, away from the torches.
Fear as thick as creeping fog spread among us as we all followed his lead, hurrying as quickly as we could without making noise. I was amazed at how quietly the gryphons were able to move through the foliage, tails raised and wings tucked in to avoid dead leaves on the ground or dry grass that would rustle as they marched next to their Riders.
We were far out of sight of the clearing when Father lifted his hand again and we all halted, breath held. No one dared speak. I glanced over at Inara. She had trailed behind Loukas and his gryphon but stayed ahead of Halvor, too, her face drawn and shadowed in the moonlight.
Though we were as far from the clearing as possible in such a short time, we could still hear the men’s voices drawing closer and closer, until their words were audible as well.
“… are we supposed to be able to stop him? He just destroyed an entire village.”
“He’ll burn us all to death too,” another voice responded.
“Using that amount of power should have drained him—that’s why they’re not letting us sleep,” a third man said. “If we find him before he recharges or whatnot, then we have a chance of killing him.”
“Recharges? What are you talking about?”
“You’re clearly too young to remember the last war.”
“You three—enough! Silence is paramount!” a third, commanding voice boomed, deep and oozing authority.
“Yes, sir!” they chanted back in unison.
Naiki dropped her head onto Raidyn’s shoulder, lightly nipping at him. He patted her beak twice, and she exhaled softly. I reached out for his free hand, the warm strength of his grip helping to keep the rising panic within me from cresting.
There was no more talking, only the distant sound of boots marching over dry grass.
We waited until the sounds had all gone, and then waited even longer still.
“An entire village,” Inara finally whispered, breaking the silence.
Raidyn’s hand flexed over mine. Horror flowed between us; it was impossible to separate his from my own.
Mother had gone so pale, the moonlight washed her face alabaster. “We have to find him and stop him.”
“We need to find out what town he attacked and when,” Halvor spoke up. His free hand was clenched into a fist, his eyebrows pulled down. “It will help us know which way to go to find him—and stop him before he can hurt anyone else.”
“What possible reason could he have for attacking an entire town?” Sharmaine asked with a shudder. “He’s by himself. He has no backup. Surely he doesn’t think he’s powerful enough to take on the might of the entire Vamalanian army?”
“He wields the power of three Paladin now.” Father reached out one hand and buried it in the thick feathers on Taavi’s neck. I wasn’t sure if he was comforting his gryphon or steadying himself. “We don’t know what he’s capable of. But this … an entire village … Cinnia is right. We go after him right now. There’s no time to lay a trap.”
“With all due respect, sir,” Raidyn spoke quietly but firmly, “if we act rashly, we will probably end up like that village and the others we buried earlier tonight. We have to follow the plan or we will have no hope of succeeding.”
If it had been anyone besides Raidyn, I was certain my father would have snapped back, but though a muscle in his jaw tightened, Father held his tongue. After a long moment, he nodded, with a defeated exhale.
“You’re right.” He glanced around at us. “There are a few villages and towns nearby. We need to figure out which one he attacked. Inara”—he turned to my sister—“do you remember anything from what you saw—any detail that might help us figure out where he was?”
She shook her head. “No. I only saw the one home … not an entire village.” The words were strained.
“That huge expenditure of power would definitely leave cotantem behind … Our only option is to trace any lingering power to figure out which way he went,” Father said. “We track him down, lay our trap, and put an end to this.”
“We have no idea which direction to start looking—and every hour we waste going the wrong direction could cost more lives,” Halvor pointed out.
“What are you suggesting we do instead, then?” Father snapped.
“The main road we took to get to Gateskeep runs parallel to this river. There are plenty of small villages and towns sprinkled all along it. I’ll go into the nearest town and buy some supplies and see what I can find out,” Halvor offered. “Then we’ll at least know which direction to go.”
“By yourself?” The whites of Inara’s eyes flashed in the moonlight.
“There’s no one else,” he replied, looking down at her. “I’m the only one without Paladin eyes.”
“The only male,” she corrected. But she didn’t volunteer to accompany him.
“No,” Father responded before Halvor could. “It’s too much of a risk. What if Barloc is nearby? He knows all of you by sight, with or without Paladin eyes.”
“With garrisons out searching for Paladin? I doubt it. He’s as big of a target now as the rest of you. We need information and we need it fast,” Halvor insisted.
“And if you do run into him?”
“I won’t.”
“I’ll go with you,” I volunteered. Raidyn’s grip on my hand tightened, but I continued. “I can keep a lookout for him while you act like you are merely buying supplies and see what you can find out. If I notice anything suspicious, I can alert you and we can leave. It would make sense for you to buy more food if there are two of us traveling together.”
Halvor nodded but my parents exchanged a look of dismay. My mother was the one who said, “No. It’s too dangerous.”
“So is not knowing which direction Barloc is headed,” I argued. “If we can find out where the attack took place, we will save ourselves a lot of possible wasted time.”
It took some convincing, but finally Halvor and I prevailed, everyone agreeing to let us head to the nearest town with some of the money we’d brought so we could buy supplies as part of our cover. We were to pose as a married couple, traveling to visit family in Mercarum. Mother took off the slim gold band on her ring finger and gave it to me to wear.
“Please be careful.” She closed my fingers around the ring, her hand lingering on mine.
“I will.”
The sky above the treetops had lightened to pewter, softening the ominously dark trees from shadowy monsters into gentler giants, their arms and claws no longer menacing as dawn revealed them to be harmless leaves and branches.
While we waited for the sun to rise, Inara came over to where Halvor and I stood. I thought she was seeking him out, but instead, she came to me. “It should be me,” she said quietly. “But … I was too frightened to volunteer. I-I can’t face him. Not yet … not without everyone else.”
“You’ll be safe here,” I said. “And we’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
I reached out and took her hands in mine. “He won’t be there. And we’ll be back before you know it.”
Inara nodded, but worry swam in her eyes. I still wasn’t used to seeing her without the Paladin glow. Her plain blue irises were even paler than normal in the gray light of predawn. I thought of the lie she had told me, but in that moment, with our future so uncertain, it didn’t matter anymore. She was frightened and dealing with more than I could imagine. One lie was not enough to break what we shared. “Everything is going to be fine,” I said again, forcing certainty into my voice, determined to help ease her fear, even if it was only a little bit.
Her fingers tightened around mine.
“Do you know where to go?” Father walked over to the three of us, and he and Halvor began discussing directions to get to the nearest town and then find our way back to the group where they would be waiting.
I glanced over at Raidyn, where he stood talking to Loukas and Sharmaine. I knew he wasn’t happy about me going, but I didn’t want to send Halvor alone. I didn’t have Paladin eyes to mark me, and surely it would be safer to go together—to watch out for any sign of danger or Barloc. I wished I could take Raidyn aside, to talk to him—to kiss him, and let his touch melt away the fear of what lay ahead of us.
As if he could sense my thoughts, he finally looked over, his blue-fire eyes scorching through me. I had the sudden urge to tell him goodbye—just in case.
No, I told myself. Nothing is going to happen. I would see him again, very soon.
There was no reason for goodbyes.
It took about fifteen minutes to reach the main road Halvor told us about. We moved slowly through the forest, pausing frequently, listening for a sign of the garrison or anyone else—including Barloc—just to be safe.
But there was no sign of anyone.
We passed a second, smaller stream, tendrils of mist skulking along its banks as the earth warmed beneath the rising sun; I couldn’t help but look at the clear water longingly, dreaming of dunking myself in it, and scrubbing the grime of travel from my skin and hair.
It didn’t take long after reaching the main road before Halvor recognized where we were, having traveled through the area only a few weeks earlier.
“Over that crest is Dimalle. It’s a bit bigger than Gateskeep so I can’t imagine it’s the village Barloc destroyed.” He said it so matter-of-factly, but I didn’t miss the shudder that shook his shoulders. We both carried knapsacks, and walked close together, like we truly were married. Mother’s ring weighed my hand down, far more than such a small piece of jewelry should have, as if the farce of pretending to be Halvor’s wife made it heavier. Though it had only been a few weeks, my hopes of having him want me were almost laughable now—after the feelings I’d discovered myself capable of with Raidyn. If only it could have been him at my side, pretending to be my husband. I would have felt so much safer … and the ring probably would have felt more like a hopeful promise, not an uncomfortable mockery of my former dreams.
“Are you sure you know where we are?” I asked, glancing around at the thick trees and bushes that lined the road.
“Yes,” he said, “we stayed for a night on our journey to the citadel.”
“Do you think they’ll remember you, then? And wonder where your uncle is and how you got a wife so fast?”
“They had quite a few travelers that night. I doubt they would. They might remember my face as being familiar, but I can’t imagine they would recall that much detail. We were a quiet pair; we kept to ourselves.”
I swallowed past a sudden lump in my throat. He hadn’t mentioned that to my father. I wonder if he would have let us go if Halvor had admitted he’d spent a night in this town a month earlier. Though the assumption he wouldn’t be remembered seemed sound, my stomach still contracted at the unexpected potential snag.
The well-trod road was packed down, rutted from wagon wheels and grooved from horses’ hooves. It was also empty this early in the morning. Dirt puffed up into tiny little clouds of protest at our intrusion with each step, cracked and dry after the heat of the previous day. We walked for a few minutes in silence as the road turned into a hill, enough of an incline to make me a little breathless. The trees began to thin as we got close to cresting the rise, and I spotted the first roofs in the unbroken sunlight. It was warm enough that sweat slid between my breasts and down my spine, making my blouse stick to my back and chest. I glanced down and suddenly halted.
“What? What is it?” Halvor glanced over at me in alarm.
I stared at my legs in dismay. “I’m wearing pants,” I said.
“Yes?”
“Women don’t wear pants here.”
Halvor had the audacity to laugh. “Is that what your mother told you?”
I scowled at him. “Is it not true?”
“It’s not common, I’ll give her that. But there are enough women who do, that it won’t be remarked on. I promise. Especially as a woman who is traveling a great distance.”
“You better hope you’re right,” I muttered, storming ahead of him.
“Well, they’re sure to believe we’re married now.” Halvor was still laughing. “Because you are obviously furious with me.”
I wasn’t sure if he was still mocking me or if he meant it. Regardless, I slowed my pace and schooled my face into a pleasantly benign half smile. “Do catch up, dear. I find myself quite famished after the long journey.”
I ignored his snort and looked straight ahead as we reached the top of the incline, the town spreading out before us. It was much larger than I’d expected, building after building spreading far into the distance, the entirety of it surrounded by a large wall. This was “slightly bigger” than Gateskeep to Halvor?
“Is this…”
“Dimalle,” Halvor supplied. “Yes. It is.”
I swallowed. “It’s … big.” Though I’d flown over Soluselis, I’d never gone into the large city. I spent my whole time in Visimperum in the castle, the training ring, and the surrounding grounds.
“This place? It’s bigger than Gateskeep, as I said.” He looked at me sideways, one eyebrow lifted. “But it’s small compared to Mercarum.”
“Is it now?” A strange weakness, made of heat and trembling, stole the strength from my legs. Why hadn’t I thought this through better? I had envisioned a small village, like Gateskeep, not a large town with hundreds of people in the market—if not more.
“Are you all right?” Halvor touched my elbow, his cold fingers jarring me back to myself.
“I’m fine.”
“We better keep going, then, before the guards wonder why we’re just standing here.”
I nodded and forced my shaky legs to carry me forward, down the hill toward the large iron gate where a couple of exhausted-looking men stood together, gazing down at something one of them held—luckily not watching us. Halvor kept his hand on my elbow. Though I would have preferred to have Raidyn be the one beside me, I was grateful for the extra support and reminder that I wasn’t alone.
As we approached the closed gate, the guards glanced up at us.
“Good morning,” Halvor said.
“What brings you to Dimalle?” one asked, pocketing the dice he’d been holding.
“We’re stopping for supplies. My wife and I are traveling to Mercarum.”
The guard looked us over, then jerked his thumb to the man beside him. “Let ’em in.”
“Thank you.” Halvor tipped his head as we passed through the gate.
“See?” Halvor murmured to me as we entered Dimalle. “Nothing to worry about.”
“Yet,” I replied under my breath.
It was still early, but the town was already awake, men and women bustling here and there; some bent over gardens enclosed by whitewashed fences, some talking in small groups, some meandering from house to house on the side paths, and some pulling carts and wagons down the large, main road we walked on. The air was a maelstrom of scents—fresh bread that made my stomach growl, some sort of roasted meat, a waft of spice, a hint of floral perfume, a putrid undertone of waste. A few people looked at us as we walked by, but quickly moved on with their day, hardly taking notice of the dirty, travel-weary couple following the trail of goods and food converging on the town’s market.
Regardless, I inched closer to Halvor, my heartbeat skittish. There were so many people.
“Are you all right?” Halvor glanced down at his forearm where I clutched him so tightly, my knuckles were as white as his shirt.
“Fine,” I said, forcing myself to release him. There were little crescent marks in the fabric from my nails. “Sorry.”
“I didn’t think this would be overwhelming for you after your adventures in Visimperum.”
The square was visible up ahead now. Brightly colored flags snapped in the breeze. Large groups of men and woman flowed around the carts and wagons, like a river made of bodies. The din of voices grew louder and louder as we approached. “That was a different kind of adventure.”
“Follow my lead, then,” he advised quietly, holding out his elbow for me to thread my hand through.
I nodded, all too happy to do just that.
We entered the market, Halvor guiding me through the crowds, our gait unhurried, perusing the wares for sale, but not drawing close to any cart or wagon yet. As we meandered, we caught snippets of conversations, very little of it useful—mostly neighbors and acquaintances chatting about crops, the weather, their children, and other everyday life happenings. I’d begun to lose hope, until we crossed near a trio of men, huddled together, their voices barely audible over the din in the square.
“… completely destroyed, burned to the ground,” one was saying, and Halvor immediately slowed his pace.
“They say there was nothing left,” another man added. “Other than some charred bones. What Paladin can do that?”
I stiffened, causing Halvor to stumble, neatly covering it up by acting like there had been a stone on the ground. Instead of moving past the men, Halvor turned toward them, sending my already-beleaguered heart hammering into my ribcage.
“Pardon the interruption, but did I hear you say there was a Paladin attack somewhere?”
The trio spun to face us, and I shrank back from the force of their combined scrutiny.
When they didn’t respond right away, Halvor continued, “My wife and I are traveling to Mercarum, and I don’t want to risk her safety if those … those monsters are back in Vamala again.”
The initial distrust on the townsmen’s faces transformed into eagerness at Halvor’s words. “You haven’t heard?”
“No—we’ve been on the road. Is it true? Are they … back?” His voice lowered to a shocked—and terrified—hush.
“Yes,” one of them affirmed. “The only survivor of the attack came through here yesterday and told us all about it.”
I shuddered, thinking of so many dead—killed because Barloc had escaped. What was his purpose in killing them? What possible reason could there be to slaughter innocent people?
“What did he say? Where was the attack?”
“He was from Ivra. He said the Paladin came during the night on their gryphons. The attack was unlike anything he’d ever seen before—they incinerated the entire village in a matter of minutes. No one escaped. Barloc only survived because they thought they’d killed him; he had to lay underneath his brother-in-law’s body to protect himself from the fire.” The man sounded equal parts horrified and fascinated.
At the sound of that name, my knees nearly gave out. Halvor jerked as if he’d been slapped.
“Barloc?” he managed to force out. Could they hear the way his voice shook?
“Yes, that was the survivor’s name. Did you know him?”
“I … I don’t think so. It sounded like someone I know, but I’ve never been to Ivra.” Halvor managed to salvage his reaction.
My fingers dug into his arm to try to keep from collapsing. How was he still able to speak clearly—to not turn and sprint for the gate? “Is … is he still here? The survivor?” Halvor asked faintly, his arm beneath my hand trembling.
“No, he left last night. Said he was heading to Retrarum, to warn other towns along the way and try to reach the High Judges before those monsters do.”
If only they’d known the true monster had been in their midst, had announced his plans directly to their faces. But … why?
“How he thinks he’ll beat a horde of Paladin on their gryphons is beyond me,” one of the other men piped up. “Crazy old man.”
“Well, he did lose his whole family and village,” the third one pointed out. “I’d probably be out of my mind too, if I’d just been through that.”
The first man who had done most of the speaking rolled his eyes. His compassion was astounding. “Anyway, if what he said is true, the Paladin are headed for the capital, so you should be safe going to Mercarum.”
Halvor put his hand over mine, covering the whiteness of my knuckles where I gripped him too tightly again. “Crazy or not, I hope the warning reaches the judges in time.”
The second man shrugged. “The garrison stationed here sent out emissaries to warn surrounding towns and runners on horseback to the capital. Perhaps they will have a chance of beating the gryphons—especially if a garrison succeeds in capturing and stopping them first. Soon all of Vamala will be on alert for their presence.”
“Good,” Halvor said, even though his skin flashed cold beneath his shirt. “Well, we won’t take up any more of your morning.”
“Good luck out there.” The third man tipped his head at us as the trio turned away and moved on into market.
Halvor and I stood there, watching them merge into the flow of people, frozen with shock.
“We need to get the food and get back,” he finally said, tugging me forward to the nearest cart. I hardly noticed what he purchased, my mind whirling over what they’d told us. None of it made sense. Why would Barloc murder an entire village, then come to the next town and announce his plans to travel to the capital? We were supposed to be trying to figure out how to set up a trap for him—but I had the sinking feeling he was doing the same thing for us. Now we not only had to track him down before he killed again and somehow make sure he found out I was an enhancer—we also had to avoid the garrisons that would all be looking for a supposedly murderous group of Paladin on their gryphons.
A fist of ice clenched my lungs, threatening to pull me under, drowning me in the rising tide of panic. We had to get back to my family—to warn them. I needed to get out of here … I needed to get back to Raidyn.
Halvor glanced over at me, a clear warning on his face. I was breathing too quickly, struggling to get enough air. How was he so calm? After what we had just learned—what we now faced?
“Is she—”
“She’s fine; crowds make her nervous,” Halvor answered for me, gathering up the rest of the food he’d purchased, shoving it in his knapsack and quickly guiding me away from the concerned merchant.
We weaved through the surging mass of men and women and children; most of the conversations we passed turned to the rumor of the Paladin returning to Vamala, and the village they’d destroyed. Crossing that square full of strangers was almost more than I could handle. But finally, we broke free of the current of people onto the less crowded main road we’d initially walked down, heading back to the gate.
It was already growing hot, and yet I still shivered, panic’s cold grip growing stronger and stronger. By the time we reached the gateway and the guards who had nodded us through earlier, I was so light-headed I had to hold on to Halvor to keep forcing my legs to move forward.
“Going so soon?” one of them asked as we walked past, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
“We just needed supplies,” Halvor said. “After hearing about the attack, we decided we’d better hurry on our way to warn our families.”
The guard’s knuckles whitened on the hilt of his sword, his eyes moving over our heads to the forest and sky—mercifully empty of gryphons—beyond. “Good luck out there. Hope you make it home.”
“Thanks.” Halvor pulled me forward as quickly as he could without breaking into a run. It was difficult to know if my lungs burned from the quick pace or from the fist of terror squeezing my oxygen away.
The moment we crested the hill and were out of sight of the guards on the other side, Halvor veered off the road, plunging us into the leaf-dappled shade of the forest. I gasped for air, my blood a rush of heat and fear in my veins, as he dragged me deeper and deeper into the woods, away from the road and Dimalle. Minutes, a lifetime, or seconds passed before he finally slowed and then stopped.
“Zuhra. Look at me. Zuhra!”
Instead, I stumbled to the nearest tree. The bark bit into the tender skin of my palms; strangely the pricks of pain forced the panic back enough for the roar in my ears to abate and my panting to slow.
Just in time to hear the sound of wings flapping overhead and a surge of terror that was separate from mine—one that I immediately recognized.
“No. What is he doing?” Halvor stared at the trees above us.
I followed his gaze and my legs nearly gave out. A familiar gryphon hovered low over the treetops, Raidyn scanning the area intently, the terror I felt—his terror—nearly choking me. Something was horribly wrong. The trees we stood beneath had branches heavy with thick, dark leaves, so that his gaze ran right over where we stood. Naiki continued on without stopping.
“Raidyn!” I shouted, heedless of the guards close enough to possibly hear. “Raidyn!”
Whether it was the flapping of Naiki’s wings or the wind in his ears, he didn’t pull back on the reins, didn’t turn her toward us—flying straight for the road and the town beyond that would think he’d come to murder them all. The horror of the war stories I’d been told churned through my mind like flashes normally contained to nightmares—images of Paladin and their gryphons being killed by the humans, despite the Paladin’s superior power, because of their sheer numbers.
There was only one of Raidyn and an entire town full of hundreds if not thousands of angry, upset, frightened humans.
“Raidyn!” I raced back through the trees. I had to stop him.
Halvor grabbed my arm, yanking me to a halt. “Zuhra, what do you think—”
I ripped free of his grip without a word and bolted, leaping over fallen tree trunks, crashing through undergrowth and bushes that tore at my pants and exposed skin with sharp thorns and tangled branches, my gaze on the sky above the entire time—tracking the progress of the gryphon that was easily outdistancing me even at such a slow speed for her.
I burst out onto the empty road, just in time to see Naiki swooping over the crest of the hill, toward Dimalle and the guards who had no doubt spotted them by now.
“No! Raidyn!”
The hard earth hurt the soles of my feet, even through the supple leather of the boots I wore, as I sprinted up that hill, desperation burning like acid in my lungs—his and mine. A low shout was followed by more yells and a shriek that had to come from Naiki. I pushed myself harder, but it wasn’t enough—I wasn’t fast enough and I knew it. Horror blossomed in my chest, spreading through my body like blood pouring from a wound—the exact scene I was terrified I would find when I finally made it to that wall where Raidyn had probably flown straight into his doom.
Why? Why had he done it?
I’d almost reached the top of the hill when I heard wingbeats—from behind me. I spun, praying it was somehow, miraculously, Raidyn and Naiki, but knowing it couldn’t be when the ground trembled beneath my feet at the same moment the boom of an explosion detonated through the air on the other side of the hill.
“Zuhra! Where is he?” my father yelled from the back of Taavi, but his gryphon suddenly keened, pulling at his reins, his dark eyes wide and his beak lifted to the air.
I pointed at the hill, and he urged Taavi forward even faster. The gryphon needed no encouragement; he lowered his head and put on a burst of speed that lifted dirt from the packed earth as they passed me, driving it into my face. I followed as quickly as possible, but every painful step felt like I was moving backward not forward—the top of that cursed hill somehow getting farther and farther away.
Suddenly, Halvor was at my side. He grabbed my arm again, but before I could try to pull free, I realized he was dragging me up this time, not to a stop. He was trying to help me.
Finally, we reached the crest, only to stumble to a halt, my hands going to my mouth. My trembling legs collapsed, forcing me to my knees at the scene below us.
“Raidyn!” My throat was so raw, his name cracked halfway through my scream.
Taavi and my father were flying straight up into the air, out of range of the archers—archers that had shot Naiki down. She lay on her side, an arrow protruding from her left wing, blood pooling around her beautiful golden feathers, staining them garish red. Raidyn stood in front of her, but he faced at least twenty men wielding swords and spears. Every vein in his body glowed with his power—power that he had already expended to blast the gateway apart. It lay in a pile of melted iron and rubble, with more armed men clambering over it.
“I don’t want to hurt you—but I will if you don’t tell me where she is!” His words carried on the wind that blew my hair back from my wet cheeks.
Was he looking for me?
I scrambled back to my feet.
“Zuhra—what are you doing?” Halvor turned to me, his face pale and hazel eyes wide.
“We have to stop them!”
Halvor shook his head, his eyes widening further. “There’s nothing we can do!”
There was no time to convince him. Instead, I sent a desperate prayer to the Great God and ran for the carnage below.