“This was Nick’s.” Kara turned a black button over and over in her hand. The sky was cloudy, the morning carrying a bitter chill. “It belonged on his leather jacket, remember? The one on the end he kept busting off during sparring? I found it in the training arena, I... never had a chance to give it back to him.”
I set my plate on my lap, my breakfast half-finished. “I wish we could go back to guard duty.”
“You ever think you’d say that?” She smiled faintly.
I shook my head. “Perspective, huh?”
Khadija sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve, blinking as she looked around, and settled her staff on her legs. Her power whispered and Frost curled across the ground beneath her. She had been so still… so quiet.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
She closed her hands tight around her staff at the memory of Ishkur’s blade. “Totally healed.” She touched the spot just below her ribcage.
“Yeah.” I swallowed.
Colton sat down beside Khadija, handing her one of the two steaming mugs of tea he carried.
“What do you want me to say?” Khadija took the mug, looking up at me, her fingers white around the handle. She sucked in a breath, Flames rippling down her fingers, reflecting the tears on her cheeks. “My brother’s been killed by Gisborne, who’s walking around in his body like it’s a fancy suit. He used Nick’s hands to stab me.”
Colton quietly rested his hand on her knee, and she closed her eyes, sinking at the reminder of his presence.
The sweet smell of smoke from the cooking tent hung in the air. A stick snapped in the distance, a small critter rustling through the underbrush, escaping a predator. The dull ache in my chest roared. Your power is broken, Jackson! I’m a merciful man. Walk away and I won’t rip it from you.
Swirling, empty darkness in my best friend’s eyes.
I choked on the short-circuiting power in my chest. “We’re not a thousand years old; what are we supposed to do?”
“About what?” Kara scoffed, the heat of her Fire blazing against my skin. “Nick, who’s dead; Natanian, who’s almostdead; the Titan who wants us dead; Ishkur, the immortal Sorcerer who wants us dead; or the nation of Ealdra, who want us dead?”
“Natanian’s not going to die.” I drove the energy down through my feet, forcing it through the grief, under my control.
“We don’t know where he is; how the hell are we going to find him?” Kara screamed through her teeth, “I can’t lose anyone else!” The fire behind her eyes flickered and died out. “I can’t... I can’t lose anyone else.”
“We’ll figure it out,” I nodded. My fingers felt numb as I tightened my hand on my sword hilt, the woven leather pressing into my palm.
“I’ll help you,” Khadija said suddenly. A cold, distant look had settled on her face. “He was taken by Gebürnone, under my bro—under Ishkur’s orders.”
“You know where they took him?” I leaned forward, my power swirling up cold in my chest.
“Their nest... it’s under my court. They’re kept nearby so the king can control them.”
“How do we get in?”
“Khadija, are you sure this—” Colton started.
“I know what I’m doing.” She brushed his hand away.
“If you get anywhere close, they’re—”
“They’re going to kill me,” she finished his sentence. “I know the penalty for desertion.”
“I won’t let that happen.” Kara’s words dropped like a stone.
“Me either.” I shook my head. “How do we get in?” I looked between Khadija and Colton for answers, who only looked back, lost.
“Jack,” my dad called.
I looked around, letting go of my sword hilt. My mom and dad stopped beside our little group, looking worn and tired, their swords strapped to their sides.
“The king wants to see you, Kara, and Khadija.”
I met my friends’ looks, and slowly nodded. “It was a matter of time, I guess.” Our little group stood up.
My mom caught my hand. “Jack?”
I swallowed. She pulled me into a hug. I buried my face in her elbow, holding her tight. The soft warmth of her shirt, the smell of herbs hanging around her. So much, ripped away. But here they still stood.
“You have so much strength that’s only just beginning to show,” my mom whispered.
I took a shaky breath against the ache in my chest, and stepped back.
“Don’t let the king use you,” my dad insisted, grabbing my hand.
I nodded. “Thank you.” I met my dad’s eyes. “I won’t.”
***
I ducked through the doorway into the king’s tent. Torches cast flickering light across the emerald canvas. Kara leaned against one of the wooden posts, playing with the Flames trailing across her fingers. Khadija sat propped against a pile of rough blankets, her pale fingers closed around her staff as she stared, unfocused, at the ground in front of her. Agent Avidor was pacing back and forth down the length of the tent, his boyish cheeks hollow, shoulders pulled down.
“Thank you for joining us.” King Rehynall nodded at me and I dipped a quick bow to him and the rest of his advisors.
“Can we get to it?” I gestured, settling next to Kara.
“We’re waiting for two more, Jackson,” the king replied coldly.
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
A guard stepped inside, boots clung with mud. King Rehynall nodded to her and rose from his throne. The guard pulled open the tent flap with a gust of chill air.
Arashi strode in, pushing Ishkur ahead of him.
I stiffened. Ice cracked beneath Khadija as she blinked, looking up at Ishkur for a fleeting moment. Avidor had faded into the shadows, standing perfectly still, hand settled over the pistol hidden beneath his jacket.
“Ishkur.” King Rehyanll took a step forward. “That’s what they tell me your name is.”
Ishkur only gazed calmly up at the king.
“He’s secure? He can’t get out of his bonds?” King Rehynall looked nervously around at Arashi.
“For now,” Arashi answered, his black-gloved hands folded behind him. His katana was strapped to his back, and his brilliant blue eyes seemed brighter than usual.
“Was that a threat?”
“That was a warning, Your Majesty. Do not underestimate Gisborne.”
“You fear me?” Ishkur whispered, looking up at the king with curious eyes. “Yet you allow Arashi to waltz through your camp, unchecked?”
Arashi’s eyes flickered to Ishkur for a brief moment. But beyond that, he didn’t react. King Rehynall stood stiffly before Gisborne, his knuckles white on his belt.
“You’re playing with fire,” Ishkur continued. “All sorcerers end up as monsters. Even me. Even him.” He nodded back to Arashi.
“Tell me that’s metaphorical.” Rehynall looked up at Arashi.
“That was not a metaphor.” Arashi’s face creased in concern. “He is talking about his Gebürnone. Sorcery, pushed too far, corrupts you. It consumes your body, your mind, until you end up a faceless, mindless monster, forever hungry for the power that broke you.”
An acidic taste crept up my throat. “Those creepy horned human-things that smell like death?” I muttered. “Cool. How do we stop you from ending up like that?”
“You don’t.” Ishkur shrugged. He looked back and forth between King Rehynall and me. “You pray to your Stars that you stay on the good side of the sorcerer in your midst, so when he turns, he will rip you apart last.” Ishkur’s face twinged in a smile. “You do know who Arashi is, don’t you?”
I have killed, Arashi told me. I attract the most violent villains. I have learned powerful sorcery.
If Arashi is found, this war will get violent. I hadn’t forgotten Crius’s warning.
I swallowed my rising nausea and the twisting Wind settled cold in my stomach. “Maybe that’s what we need,” I spoke up, driving away the images of the Gebürnone and what probably awaited Natanian. My throat was dry. “I mean, I don’t think there’s any doubt in anyone’s mind, we should absolutely be afraid of Arashi. I for sure am terrified of him. But...” I clapped the immortal Narrunceni on the back and stepped past Sorcerer Gisborne to the king. “He’s also known Ishkur for a thousand years. Maybe we need to give this pessimistic brooding kid and his eyes the benefit of the doubt.” A bit of my old self bloomed at the confused look on Arashi’s face.
“I do not think I brood...” Arashi corrected.
“Mysterious lurking is the same thing.” I flashed a small smirk at him.
“So, what do you propose, Jackson?” King Rehynall asked.
I looked up at Ishkur, resting my hands on the warm leather of my sword hilt. “What use can you be to us?”
“You want me to beg for my life, but you’re standing on the last plank of a burning ship.” Ishkur smiled. “My curse will fall. And it will strike down everything you think you still have.”
“We remove the Sorcerer from the equation,” an advisor spoke up in answer to the king.
Ishkur’s eyes dropped to his knees, a faint smile passing over his face.
King Rehynall sat back down on his throne. “You think we should kill him?” He looked around at his advisor.
Khadija was staring at Ishkur, her pale face carrying a strange expression.
“He has incredibly strong ties to the Ealdra,” the advisor continued. “Getting rid of the Sorcerer would cripple them. We could have a chance to break them down.”
“Jackson?” King Rehynall looked around at me.
I met the gaze of the Darkness behind my best friend’s face. “Nick is gone.” My throat was dry. “We kill the Sorcerer.”
Ishkur’s smile spread across Nick’s face.
“No,” Arashi spoke up. “Killing the body will only drive him to a new vessel. You have to find a way to tear the sorcery out.”
“How do we do that?” King Rehynall demanded.
Arashi shook his head. “Sorcery of this strength... only the source can take back what it gave.”
“So, Crius.” My eyes met Arashi’s. He nodded.
“Jack?” Khadija’s voice was small.
I stepped out from under Ishkur’s intense gaze and sat down beside her, swallowing the tightness in my throat. Her eyes were shot with red, her lips cracked.
She cleared her throat. “I heard my court talking about ‘the curse.’ I thought it was Gisborne’s Golden Arrow.”
An awful sinking sensation settled in my stomach. “What do you mean?”
“What’s our next move?” the king asked Arashi.
Arashi straightened. “We are in your kingdom. Ishkur is secure. I am going to leave him under your watch. Crius’s reach has poisoned my home. I need to fix it.”
My head shot around.
“You’re... leaving us?” Fear flashed across the king’s face. “You’re going back to Narruncen?”
“There is nothing more I can do for the safety of your people,” Arashi said. “Now I need to save my own from the Red Queen.”
“Jack.” Khadija rested her hand on mine, clammy and hot. “He said ‘My curse will fall.’ Future tense. He’s not talking about the Arrow.”
I bent closer, my fear growing. “There’s something else.”
Khadija nodded.
I couldn’t breathe. “Do you think... the Ealdra’s ‘weapon’ we’ve been hearing whispers about... it wasn’t Crius?”
“I think Crius was only the first step.”
I looked up to find Ishkur’s eyes focused on us. He smiled.
“Ishkur was telling the truth about his spies,” Arashi was saying.
King Rehynall sighed. “I understand. We owe you a deep dept for all you’ve done.”
Arashi bowed his head.
I slowly stood up, locked on Ishkur’s gaze, my mind spinning. Did he hear Khadija and I? Are we really right? Crius was never the Ealdra’s real weapon?
I became vaguely aware of King Rehynall calling my name. I looked around, calming the rising chaotic energy in my chest.
“Get him out of here,” I said. “We’re done with him.”
Ishkur chuckled under his breath at my orders. Arashi put his hand on Ishkur’s shoulder and roughly turned him back out of the tent.
I waited a heart-pounding few moments for their footsteps to recede, squelching on the damp forest earth. My breath puffed as Khadija’s Frost spread. Finally, I stood up.
“What’s going on?” Kara had pushed herself off her post, her forehead creased in worry. Agent Avidor stepped out of the shadows, glancing nervously out the tent flaps Ishkur left through.
I gestured to Khadija.
“Ishkur’s plans aren’t complete,” she said hoarsely, “He, my court, they talked about a ‘curse,’ a secret weapon in the castle. But what he said... It’s not the Arrow. It’s not Crius. This ‘weapon’ is still out there.”
“Where?” Kara’s power fell instantly under her control.
“In my court,” Khadija replied.
This was my ticket in. I could save Natanian. And when I met Kara’s eyes, I knew she was thinking the exact same thing.
“We’ll go,” I told the king.
“Whoa, whoa.” Agent Avidor stepped forward. “You want to waltz right into Ishkur’s house? You know what he’s capable of.”
“But he’s not there right now, is he?” A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. My power swelled in response.
“I’ll go too.” Khadija stood up, leaning on her staff. “It’s my court. I can lead you through.”
Avidor sighed. “You all are idiots. I guess I'’m going too.”
“Send us,” I challenged the king. “We’ll grab this weapon while Ishkur’s not at home. This is our way out. This is the way we beat him.”
“As tempting as that offer is…” King Rehynall stood up. “…you don’t know what you’re looking for. We should send in some spies, figure out what it is and where it is before I send True Borns into the Ealdra’s hands.”
“We don’t have time for that!” I snapped. “You heard Arashi. Ishkur won’t stay under our hold for long. This is our chance.”
“We need every Rangerian here,” an advisor protested. “If the Ealdra know where our camp is, we need to prepare. We need to call any remaining forces—”
The king raised his hand, silencing his advisor. “Okay,” he finally said. “If what you say is true, I see no other way this ends well.”
I placed my hand on my chest and bowed to the king.
“Pray to the Stars, ladies and gentlemen. We’re at the end of the line.”
***
Perry was waiting just inside the trees, rustling his antlers through the brush to get to something yummy underneath. The camp torchlight pulled out golden red tones in his brown coat. I straightened the leather breastplate I wore over my long-sleeve shirt and jeans, and tightened my sword belt. I pattered Perry’s side and strode past him down the slope towards Ishkur and Arashi. My boots cut through Arashi’s sorcery fog hanging on the ground.
“Let me talk to him,” I told Arashi.
Arashi stepped aside. “Be careful,” he whispered.
Ishkur raised his head.
“Tell me about your monsters,” I demanded. “The ones that took Natanian.”
Ishkur laughed. “Is that really what you want to know? You don’t want to ask me about Nicolas? About all the thoughts and memories in this body of his?”
“Shut up.” I took a step forward, my Wind roaring in response to my rage.
“Oh, I hit a nerve? He remembers you, you know.”
“Nick’s dead,” I snapped. “You, monster, killed him. Now tell me about your Gebürnone.”
“You can’t stop it,” Ishkur told me. “If he goes too far,” he jerked his head at Arashi, “You won’t be able to save him.”
“Stop dancing around and answer me!” I drew my sword and lunged, my hand closing around Ishkur’s throat. Arashi started forward, then stopped.
“Oh, this isn’t about Arashi.” Ishkur purred a laugh. “You want to save Natanian when you’ve already failed to save so many.”
“Jack,” Arashi warned.
I ignored him. My power was roaring in my chest, a gale ripping through the trees like a train towards me.
“My Sheriff almost killed your Master Kane. I took Nicolas. Karalie nearly died... how many times?”
“Shut up,” I gasped. My North Wind felt like it was ripping at my insides.
“Khadija is falling apart, Fort Calmier turned to ash, your magical Lake Cloudia burned, and my Gebürnone took Natanian.”
“I told you to shut up!” I screamed.
Arashi grabbed my arm. I jerked free, turning away from Ishkur’s laughing face.
I closed my eyes, pressing my hand to my chest, and breathed out, trying to calm the power that had felt so fragmentedsince the Golden Arrow’s magic hit me in Sherwood.
I sheathed my sword. “Fine,” I told Ishkur. “I’ll get him anyway.” I turned to Arashi. “Just, come back,” I told Arashi. “You got it? Don’t let his words come true. I’ve had enough of Gebürnone.”
“Of course,” Arashi promised.
Perry snuffed at me, pawing the ground impatiently from where he waited in the tree line.
“Good luck,” Arashi added.
I smiled slightly. “I’ll see you around.”