Chapter

18

Jake

“Am I really supposed to believe that you’re the Restorer?” Arland muttered the words to himself. A bitter smile twisted his face. “Another hero to desert us?”

I didn’t try to answer. So far he’d kept my secret, but he wasn’t happy about it. My best plan was to bind his arm and then stay out of his way.

He shrugged out of his leather vest, grimacing as he moved his shoulder.

I helped him peel his tunic away from the clotted wound on his arm. He handed me the small gourd from his belt, and I used the liquid to blot away some of the blood.

A pungent smell of alcohol hit my nose. “This isn’t water.”

“No, it’s better. Save some for where it’ll do more good.” He grabbed it back from me and took a long swallow, then offered it to me.

I shook my head and returned to my examination of his wound. As far as I could tell, the bullet had only grazed him. I wasn’t about to poke around for any sign of it lodged in his flesh, so I wrapped his upper arm with a fresh strip of cloth.

He didn’t flinch as I tied it off, but when I looked up, he was studying me through hooded eyes. “Too bad I can’t use your little trick,” he said. “Must be handy. Instant healing of battle wounds.”

The cold glint in his eyes scared me. I handed him his tunic and backed toward the cave, muttering something about letting me know if he needed help changing the dressing tomorrow. I made it only a few steps.

“Jake”—there was nothing of Wade’s genial manner in the man—“come here and sit down.”

Why had I been confused about the true leader of this group? Wade might act as Tristan’s proxy, but Arland carried the confidence of experience and keen alertness to everything around him. His face was forged into a mask of grim determination that reminded me of Tristan. But instead of Tristan’s staunch faith, Arland lived in a vortex of angry desperation.

“Not experienced at obeying orders yet, are you.” No inflection.

Was he thinking of my attempts to help outside of Blue Knoll? I dragged my feet back toward him and slumped onto a boulder nearby. “I know that Wade told me to stay down when the shooting started.” I braced one foot on the rock and hugged my knee. “But I wanted to help. You know what I am. I wouldn’t have been permanently injured.”

“And Wade doesn’t know that.” Now Arland’s voice was silky. “You said you would tell him. I thought you had by now.”

I swallowed hard. “I . . . I told Lukyan. He’s helping me. But I—”

“A songkeeper? I’m sure that will be a huge help.”

I winced but didn’t argue.

“And in the meantime, if Wade had known the truth, he wouldn’t have ordered you to stay down.” His voice was harsher now. “Maybe you could have saved Denniel.”

“Who?”

Arland pushed to his feet and towered over me. “The boy who was killed. The boy we carried through a half-day’s march and watched die.”

His words impaled me. I sucked in a breath and felt dizzy. Was he right? Was it my fault someone had died today?

He leaned close enough for me to smell the alcohol on his breath and see the hard lines of his face in the deepening twilight. “Did you tell the king’s guard where we were heading?”

My stomach lurched. “No! Wade told you—”

“Wade is only interested in protecting you.”

“Not if he thought I’d betray you. He knows he can trust me.”

Arland’s face twisted in a snarl. “But he doesn’t know everything, does he?” His look lashed me, his voice scathing. “So this is what the One sends us now.”

I leaned back, reeling from his accusations.

He laughed, an ugly sound. “I thought the One had forgotten us, but it seems the truth is worse: He’s mocking us.”

“No. He cares about you—”

“Like your mother cared about us. But where is she now?”

Yes, where was she? Worry distracted me from Arland’s tirade. If Wade was right and Cameron didn’t have her in Lyric, what had happened to her? How would I find her? I’d need help from these men.

“Or Kieran?” Arland demanded. “Deserted us just like the One has.”

My eyes burned, and I blinked fiercely. I could barely choke my words out. “You’re wrong. Mikkel, my mom, Kieran—they were sent to help, and they did. But they’re only human. Mikkel died, my mom had to go home, Kieran was sent to Hazor. They did what the One asked of them.”

Arland pulled back. “So now He sends you?”

I stared at the ground. It was ridiculous. I saw myself in his eyes: a scrawny kid who barely knew any of the history of this world and was too timid to tell anyone about the Restorer signs. “If I tell Wade, he’ll tell the rest of the men.” I hated the weakness in my voice. “They still think the new Records are true and there can’t be any more Restorers. Is this the best time to tell them? Will it help?” I looked up at Arland. “Tell me what you want me to do. I’ll do it.”

He frowned down at me, judging my sincerity, sorting out his anger toward the One and his frustration with me. Finally, he shook his head. “I don’t know.” The tension in his muscles softened a fraction. He turned away, and a long silence stretched between us. “I rode with her, you know.”

My jaw dropped open. “At the battle of Morsal Plains?”

He nodded. “Most of these men followed her against Hazor.” He gazed toward the cave, his voice growing quiet, edged with awe. “The things that happened that day . . .”

I wanted to hear more but didn’t dare break into his thoughts.

He drew a slow deep breath. “We haven’t forgotten. But so much has gone wrong since then.” He adjusted the bandage on his arm and turned back to me. “Tomorrow I want to hear everything you can tell me about Cameron’s new weapons.” His tone was brisk, and I felt as though a shadow had passed by. “Go get some rest.”

Relieved to have survived the conversation, I scrambled to my feet and started past him to the cave entrance. His hand snaked out and grabbed my arm. “Oh, and Jake . . .” His fingers dug into my bicep as he jerked me to face him. “If I find out you betrayed us, I’ll cut you into so many pieces that no Restorer power will be able to put you back together.”

A haunting melody woke me the next day. I rubbed sand-crusted eyes and looked around the cave. I was alone. No one had bothered to rouse me from where I had huddled under my blanket against the far wall of the cavern. So much for winning the trust of this group. A plaintive tenor voice warbled from outside. The minor key and the flickering phrase endings reminded me of an Appalachian folk song we learned in chorus my senior year.

I rolled to my feet, dusted grit from my clothes, and cautiously ducked out into the morning light. More voices had joined the first. I followed the sound to an open area around the side of the cave.

Most of the men focused inward, gathered in an uneven circle. Only a few stood apart, alert and on guard. But even they joined the singing. I eased my way toward the circle. The men on watch tracked me with their eyes but didn’t wave me back.

Was it their custom to have a morning worship time? If so, it was a somber start to the day. I could follow the words of the song now.

In the grey of our despair,

The One will bring a light,

When our battle ends,

And we face our longest night.

Sweet life or bitter death,

He yet remains our Tower,

Facing our last journey

Held by His love and power.

I stepped into a gap between two of the guardians and caught my breath.

Denniel’s body was on the ground, still garbed in a blood-soaked tunic, skin white and empty of life. His hands had been crossed over his heart. During my childhood battle with cancer, I’d shared a hospital room with boys who had looked almost this pale. Yet even then, the breath of struggle and fire of life animated their bodies.

This was like seeing a crumpled wrapper tossed aside, useless. I wanted to turn away. Arland’s accusation replayed in my mind. Was this man dead because of me? Was there anything I could have done differently? I forced myself to stay, letting the melancholy tune twist pain deep into my heart.

As the song finished, heavy, uneven voices joined in a creed I recognized from the Verses.

Awesome in majesty

Is the One eternal.

Perfect in His might and power,

The only truth and only source,

He made all that is and loves all He made;

His works are beyond our understanding.

Arland stepped forward with a small cloth-wrapped bundle and handed it to one of the younger men. “Safe journey to the Grey Hills. Let his family know we honored him in life and death.” Arland’s jaw shifted, and I thought he was going to say more, but he gave a terse nod, and the boy left immediately. Another of the men handed something to Arland. It was a small white block, similar to the light cubes some of the men from Rendor used. Arland crouched down and placed it under Denniel’s hands.

I shuddered as I watched him touching the lifeless shell of a man who had been sharpening his dagger, joking with friends, and tramping confidently through the ferns just yesterday.

Arland slid a lever on the side of the cube. “Go with the One,” he said. He pushed himself heavily to his feet and stepped back into the circle. A low hum rose from the object.

The buzzing reminded me of the portal, and panic flashed through me. I glanced around the circle of men.

They waited with somber faces, gazes fixed on Denniel. Light grew in the cube, from a soft glow to a blaze that seared my retinas. The humming built to a sharp crack.

I threw my arm over my face and turned my head away. When I squinted back to the clearing, all that was left was a small oval of ashes. No one else showed any surprise. One by one, men slipped away from the circle.

I stood frozen, staring at the grey dust, empty and shaken.

The sounds of morning chores and murmuring voices drifted from behind me.

Verses from my own world spun in my head. “To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Brave words that I thought I’d always believed. After all, few of my friends had come as close to death as I had as a child. Cancer had forced me to do a lot of thinking about life and death, and I’d quoted those words many times, believing I understood them better than most. Now I tasted my own dread.

I wanted to beg one of the men to lead me to Lyric so I could find the portal and go home. Dad and I would formulate a new plan to find Mom, and the One could send someone else to fight Cameron and save Rendor.

Do You really want me here, God?

The clearing was silent and the morning air chill.

I took a shuddering breath and tore my eyes away from the bed of ashes.

Arland stood across the clearing from me, waiting. Everyone else had gone, but he watched me, arms crossed, expression shuttered. “Ready?”

I wanted to snarl at him, No, I’m not ready. I’m not ready to face the things that are happening. I’m not ready to fulfill this role. Instead, I nodded and turned to leave the clearing.

“Come with me.” Arland’s expression gave nothing away. “Keep quiet and pay attention.” I blinked at him, confused.

He stepped closer, impatience twitching his face. “Can you do that?” He studied my face. “Have you eaten?”

The thought of food made my stomach lurch. “No, thank you,” I managed.

I stuck close to Arland as he wound his way among the men.

“Any sign we’re being tracked?” he asked one of the guardians who had lagged behind to scout yesterday. At the negative reply, he sent the man back out to watch for any approaching trouble. “How are supplies?” he asked another.

“Low, as always,” came the curt answer.

Arland nodded. “Take three of the men with you to hunt, but don’t go near any villages.”

The man jumped up.

One by one, Arland interacted with each of the men, collecting information, issuing orders, even dispensing a quiet word of encouragement to some.

I shadowed him, flinching under curious stares and trying to absorb all I could.

“Wade, Ian,” he called at last. “With me.” Arland led us up the rocky ridgeline to a point where we could watch the campsite.

Wade’s genial energy was subdued this morning, but he gave me a smile and asked how I’d slept.

Ian scowled at me. “Do you think it’s wise discussing anything in front of the boy? He’s the one who knew where we were. A convenient ambush if you ask me.”

“I told you; he was with me.” Wade adjusted his bulk on a rock ledge and glared at Ian. “He means you no harm. You could just as well accuse me of telling Cameron where you were.”

Arland watched the argument, then shot a knowing look in my direction. “Ian, I understand your concerns. But right now”—he paused on the word—“he’s useful. The weapons the king’s guard used came from his home.”

“Do they work like syncbeams?” Wade jumped in. He looked at Ian. “We could build a disrupter like Skyler did at Morsal Plains.”

Three faces turned to me: one eager, one speculative, and one suspicious.

I cleared my throat. “I don’t think you can build a field like that. They aren’t like syncbeams. They work with a different kind of energy.” I floundered, doing my best to describe guns and how they worked. The three men were surprisingly patient with me. “What I don’t understand is how they have so many of them,” I said when they ran out of questions I could answer. “Cameron brought only a few bags of gear through the—that is . . .” I kicked at a pebble. “He couldn’t have that many. And he’ll run out of ammunition soon.”

“Unless that’s part of what he has all the transtechs doing,” Ian said. “I say we attack Cameron in Lyric now, before he can create more weapons.”

Wade shook his head. “We need to gather more men and wait for orders.”

Arland turned to me. “And what do you think, Jake?”

To Ian and Wade it sounded like an innocuous question. They didn’t recognize the challenge underneath his words. I wasn’t going to let Arland twist me in knots any longer. I sat up tall. “Wade, Tristan is going to meet us soon, right?”

Ian’s brows drew together, but Wade nodded. “We should get word by tomorrow.”

I faced Arland squarely. “So let’s wait for Tristan.” Tristan would help me find my mom. He’d tell me how and when to declare myself as the Restorer. He wouldn’t let Arland blame me for things that weren’t my fault.

The rugged guardian tipped his head in acknowledgement, but his eyes were hard. “A sound plan.”

“Unless he’s trying to keep us here so Cameron’s men can find us again,” Ian said.

Wade stiffened, ready to take up that argument.

“Ian,” Arland interrupted. “I’ve heard Jake has some transtech skills. I’m assigning him to assist you. You can keep an eye on him, and he can help you with repairs you’re making. And later today you can do some more sword training with him.”

My eyes widened. What was he thinking? Bad idea.

“I can work with the boy.” Wade rose.

I sighed with relief. Having a house protector came in handy sometimes.

“No, I need your help with something else. Ian will take care of him.” Arland’s voice was bland, but satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. He nudged his chin in the direction of the path. “Head back to camp.”

Ian nodded at Arland, and then his eyes raked me. “Come on.”

Wade’s voice faded into grumbling noise as I followed Ian back down the ridge. He ignored the few guardians still busy around the clearing, led me into the cave, and overturned a large pack at my feet. A confusing array of gadgets and parts littered the hard ground. He sank to his knees and rummaged in a pouch for tools. “Get busy, Jake.”

I looked at the cave entrance, wondering how long a walk it was to Lyric.

“You aren’t going anywhere.” Ian’s tight voice did little to mask the seething anger he felt toward me.

All I could do for now was make myself useful. I sank to the cave floor and picked up a smooth white cylinder with a clip like a carabiner on one end. “What’s this?”

“It’s a signaler,” Ian said just as my finger found a recessed lever.

Instantly, a blaring shriek filled the cavern. Ian launched himself at me, knocking me to the ground.

The shock of the noise and the collision of my skull against rock left me stunned.

Ian pried the gadget from my hand and turned it off. He hauled me up by the front of my tunic as several men charged into the cave, swords drawn.

I squinted against the throbbing in my head.

Arland shouldered his way through the men. “What’s going on?”

Ian gave me a shake and turned to Arland. “He couldn’t get away to tell Cameron where we are, so he found another way to reveal our location.” Disgust dripped from his words, but the look he turned on the men was triumphant. “I told you we couldn’t trust him.”