Shard Knight (Echoes Across Time Book 1) (34 page)

Ronan eased onto a flat tree stump across from Rika. He stared into her face, but she ignored him finding deep interest with something burning inside the fire. “Hi,” he said.

“Hello.” Icy disdain dripped from her tone. She didn’t bother to look at him.

If not for the fire’s heat, he’d swear on Elan’s Word the temperature dropped twenty degrees. “I’m not sure what you think you saw, but -”

She whirled on Ronan eyes blazing with fury. “I pour my heart out to you, and the second you see a pretty girl I’m yesterday’s news? Is that it?” She wagged her finger at him not waiting for a response. “If you think you can treat me with such blatant disregard, you don’t know me very well. I saw the way you looked at her.”

Ronan stared at Rika jaw agape. “Rika, if you’ll give me a chance to explain, I -”

“What?” Her dark wavy hair cut a crisp shadow across her full pink lips, and she glared. “Explain what?”

Danielle came into the firelight and sat facing Rika. “He’s my twin brother Rika. I came to Meranthia to find him. When we went for the horses, I told him. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you back at the camp. I had no idea you and Ronan were a couple.”

Rika’s mouth hung open as she sat stunned unable to speak.

“It’s true Rika,” Ronan said.

A flush crept across Rika’s cheeks, neck, and ears. She let go a deep breath, and her shoulders eased. Rika glanced sideways at Ronan and smiled. “I guess I look pretty silly right now.”

Danielle’s eyes sparkled. “I don’t know. When you started wagging your finger at Ronan, I’ve got to admit, I found that pretty funny.”

Rika’s face split into a grin, and she chuckled. “Yeah. That felt good.”

Ronan looked between Rika and Danielle straight faced. “I didn’t think that part was funny at all.”

Danielle looked at Rika and burst into laughter.

Rika erupted with laughter and rolled backward falling off the log.

Danielle laughed harder, and she clutched her stomach as her body shook with soundless laughter.

Rika’s legs stuck straight up as her body disappeared behind the log.

A smile split Ronan’s face, and rich laughter rolled up from his belly. “Now that’s funny.” He pointed at Rika who writhed in laughter struggling to her hands and knees.

Ronan shook with laughter, and he slapped his knee. A twinge of pain rippled from the wound in his rib cage, and he flashed his hand to his side inhaling a quick sharp breath. “I forgot about this wound.”

Danielle stared at the dark red stain spread across Ronan’s armor. “It’s time we take a look at this. Rika, can you help me with his armor?”

“I can manage my -” Ronan said.

“Stop Ronan. I’ll do it.” Rika knelt before Ronan and unfastened the hooks holding his leather vest closed.

“Rika, you don’t need to do this,” he said. “I can manage.”

Danielle nudged Ronan with her foot.

He glanced at Danielle and furrowed his brow.

She shook her head and mouthed the words, “let her do it.”

He decided to take her advice. “Thanks Rika.”

Rika smiled with satisfaction and twisted free the last hook of Ronan’s leather vest. She slid around behind him.

“When did you turn into a guardian Rika?” Ronan said.

Rika eased the armor over his shoulder keeping it clear of Ronan’s wound. “Just this morning. Danielle had a shard hidden in her staff, and she insisted I use it.”

Pain flared in his side as the armor came free. He winced. “I’m glad you listened. You saved us today. Thank you.”

She nodded, and a slight smile tugged her lips. “You’re welcome. Besides, I’ve got to keep up with you somehow don’t I?”

He chuckled. “I think it’s the other way around.”

She eased the vest clear of his body leaving a grimy white cotton tunic covering his torso.

Danielle gasped. “Ronan, look at your shirt.”

A quick burst of adrenaline shot through Ronan. He’d used magic to keep him up and running, but, he never expected a wound this bad.

Blood soaked a large swath of the cotton shirt. Wet stains started under Ronan’s armpit and extended halfway around his body.

“Keely, bring me my belt pouch. It’s in Betty’s saddlebag. Hurry.” Danielle shouted across the clearing.

Rika pulled Ronan’s blade free from his belt and sliced open his bloody shirt. She ripped the tunic from his body revealing his tanned muscled torso.

Dozens of jagged wounds scattered the side of Ronan’s body where rock spray had cut through his armor. Two deep cuts near his hip extended for several inches. Blood glowing with yellow shard magic oozed from the sticky wounds.

“See. It’s not bad,” he said.

“Not bad?” Rika glared at him ashen faced. “Those cuts worry me Ronan.” She pointed to the wounds near his hip. “Those wounds look deep, and infection may have already spread. Your magic won’t help you against an infection.”

“Sir Alcott can fix it,” he said.

Keely appeared with the belt pouch and glanced at Ronan’s wound. “What’s the fuss? That’s not so bad.” She tossed the belt pouch to Danielle and sat by the crackling fire.

Ronan glanced at Rika raising an eyebrow.

She glared at Ronan as if daring him to speak.

Kelwin appeared a moment later carrying an envelope and sat next to Keely.

Danielle opened her pouch and pulled free a large yellow seed. “We don’t need Sir Alcott. Plants in the Heartwood are miracle workers. You just have to ask their help.” She nestled the seed under the pine needles blanketing the forest floor, and channeled nature magic.

From the ground a green plant emerged sprouting a rosette of large, thick, fleshy leaves. Small sharp spines covered each leaf warding off potential threats.

“Danielle, I’m not sure that plant can help with these cuts,” Ronan said.

“Rika, can I borrow that knife please?” Danielle said ignoring Ronan’s remarks.

Rika handed Danielle the knife and sat next to Ronan.

Danielle sliced through the plant’s meaty leaf and placed it in her palm. A thick clear gel oozed from the leaf. She channeled a tiny amount of nature magic into the leaf, and it came alive.

The gelatinous material glowed with translucent green light as it seeped from the severed leaf.

Ronan’s mouth hung open as he looked on awestruck. “What did you do?” Ronan said.

“Used alone, the plant’s gel produces an excellent healing agent. I sort of supercharged it.”

Ronan raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s good news for me then isn’t it?”

Danielle smiled. She scooped the medicine from her palm, and knelt next to Ronan. She moved to place the medicine on his wounds and froze.

The hair on Ronan’s neck stood on end, and he held his breath. “What’s wrong Danielle?”

Danielle gazed past Ronan’s wounds staring at the ring dangling on his gold necklace. “Nothing’s wrong. I just noticed your ring.”

Ronan exhaled as relief flooded through him. “Oh that. You had me worried.”

Danielle blushed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She eased her hand toward the worse of Ronan’s two cuts and dabbed medicine around the wound’s edges.

“It’s okay.” He held the ring staring at it while Danielle worked on his cut. “My mother gave me this ring on my eighth birthday. It’s been in our family for generations. Why did it surprise you?”

Danielle finished with the first cut and scooped more ointment from her palm. “My father gave me a ring nearly identical to yours. He told me you had one too, but it caught me off guard.”

“A ring for each twin,” he said. “Can I see yours?”

“It was stolen,” Danielle said.

Ronan sighed. “Pride?”

Danielle nodded. “I’m afraid so. He knew about it somehow.” She moved her hand to the red welt raised on her cheek. “He’s looking for your ring, but I told him I didn’t know where it was. I think he believed me.”

Rika shifted on the log next to Ronan. “My father told Pride about your ring Danielle.”

Ronan’s head jerked toward Rika. “Rika! You found your father. That’s wonderful!”

Rika’s expression soured. “He’s not well Ronan. Pride sent him to the southern camp,” her voice quivered. “I don’t know how he could survive.”

“Rika, why did your father tell Pride about my ring?” Danielle said

“Pride was torturing me, and my father told him about your ring to save my life. I’m sorry Danielle,” Rika said.

Danielle held up a hand. “Please Rika. There’s no need to apologize. If you weren’t alive to use that shard this morning, those knights would’ve killed us.”

Ronan slid his arm around Rika and drew her close. “I can’t imagine a life without you. Nothing more needs said.”

Rika’s eyes glistened, and she nodded managing a weak smile. She rubbed away the teardrops and squeezed Ronan’s hand. “My father believes the rings can control Elan’s Heart.” Her eyes shifted to Danielle. “And Lora’s Heart.”

“That’s a legend Rika. Lora’s Heart was lost or destroyed,” Danielle said. “Crackpot treasure hunters have chased it for centuries. It’s a myth.”

Rika stiffened. “My father believes Lora’s Heart is real Danielle. He said Ayralen magic couldn’t exist without it.”

Danielle finished applying medicine to Ronan’s second cut. She scooped ointment from the leaf and smeared the spray of jagged wounds littering Ronan’s side. “What you’re saying makes sense. I’ve heard Ayralen scholars defend that same idea. But, in two-thousand years, they’ve found nothing in the Heartwood to suggest it’s real.”

“My father doesn’t think it’s in the Heartwood,” Rika said.

Danielle’s hand froze, and her eyes narrowed. “Where does he think he’ll find it?”

“The prime guardian sent my father to Meranthia five years ago. He believes Lora’s Heart is here.”

“I may have evidence to support his claim. I need to show you something.” Danielle finished treating Ronan’s wounds and wiped the remains on her dress. “Our team uncovered this inside Salem’s Peak.” She unstrapped the book from her belt pouch. “A company of shard knights captured us in an ancient ruin. They looted this book, but we managed to recover it from a thin weaselly man in the camp dining hall.”

“Lord Niles Randal. That’s his name,” Rika said. “He’s Pride’s lackey.”

Danielle handed the book to Ronan. “The book’s cursed. When I lifted the cover, a group of skeletons came alive and killed two of our crew members.”

Ronan’s eyes widened. “Skeletons? Are you sure?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it. They used a strange black magic I’ve never seen.” Danielle shivered. “Randal must’ve opened it dozens of times. He’s not dead…yet.”

Ronan shrugged. “I’ll take your word for it.” He opened the cover, and his mouth fell open. “That’s Elan and Lora? This picture undermines the foundation of Meranthian religion. The church would never recover. Is this book real Danielle?”

Rika looked over his shoulder and gasped covering her mouth. “Kelwin, come look at this.”

Kelwin moved behind Ronan and shook his head. “I don’t recognize the language.”

“Judging by the location and the protection surrounding the book, I’d say it’s real,” Danielle said. “I’ve never seen the language either. Ronan, can you read it?”

Ronan studied the words recalling Sir Alcott’s linguistic lessons. “It looks vaguely Meranthian. An ancient dialect maybe? I’m sure Sir Alcott could read it.” He leafed through the remaining pages of the handwritten book and couldn’t find any more illustrations.

“That book might tell us where to find Lora’s Heart,” Danielle said.

“Ronan, I’ve been waiting for the right time to share this with you,” Kelwin said. “I found this in Master Tyrell’s saddlebag.” He handed an envelope to Ronan.

Red wax imprinted with House Tyrell’s growling bear sealed the envelope closed. The word
‘Ronan’
scrawled in Tyrell’s handwriting graced the front.

Heavy silence descended as all eyes lingered on Tyrell’s envelope.

Rika rubbed Ronan’s back. “You don’t need to open it.” She spoke the words with compassion filling her voice.

He handed the book to Rika and broke the wax seal. “It’s okay Rika. He wanted me to read this.”

Inside, a thin piece of white paper contained a short handwritten note.

With trembling hands, Ronan removed the paper, unfolded it, and scanned the contents. He looked around the campfire. “It reads…”

Dear Ronan, if you’re reading this note, it means I didn’t make it out of North Camp. But, it warms my heart knowing you did. There are a few pieces of information you need as you proceed with your journey.

First, seek out the Prime Guardian of Ayralen, Connal Deveaux, at your earliest convenience. He has information for you that’s personal in nature. I’d not revealed this information to you directly as I didn’t feel it my place.

Second, I’ve thought a great deal about your ability with shard magic. I believe it’s influenced by your lineage. I dare not say more, and I’ll leave it in your capable hands to decipher my meaning.