A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy) (27 page)

A wave of magic rippled through the air around Raggia, and the winds died down. She smoothed her hair back into place. “Has Dev ever told you how he came to be the Soulbearer’s Protector?”

“I heard it was some sort punishment.”

“It was.” Raggia leaned closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “For murder.”

Arden’s breath froze. It had to be a lie, some tale Raggia was spinning so she could dig her claws into Dev.

But as her gaze drifted toward her protector, Arden’s thoughts turned to his hidden arsenal of weapons, his quiet anger. Dev could be deadly if crossed. Very deadly. But murder? “I find that hard to believe.”

Raggia shrugged off her disbelief. “It happened over a century ago, but it’s still common knowledge. Ask around.”

She began picking apart the holes in the story, her heart racing. “If he murdered someone, wouldn’t he have been executed?”

“The son of the Mage Primus?” Raggia laughed. “Obviously, you don’t know how things work here.”

“And I suppose you want to enlighten me on what really happened?”

“When Dev was younger, he was a sporting man. Very competitive. Never wanted to lose a bet. You know how men can be.”

Yes, she’d heard enough about Dev’s gambling past and seen the lingering traces of it. “You’re suggesting he killed someone to win a bet?”

“He and his best friend, Minius, made a bet to see who could make it to the top of Mt. Kyros over there.” She pointed to one of the snow-capped peaks. “Dev returned carrying Minius’s body. When he was asked what happened, Dev claimed responsibility for his friend’s death and said he would accept the punishment for it. A hundred years later, and he’s still the Soulbearer’s Protector.”

Her thoughts raced in a dizzying circle of denial. Dev couldn’t have murdered his friend. And yet, why did he claim responsibility for Minius’s death? Why did he accept the punishment?

She scrambled down the rock, the warmth of the spring day vanishing with this revelation. Was this why Dev kept his past shrouded in secrets, why he withheld information from her? Loku had told her Dev became the Soulbearer’s Protector as a punishment, but was it for something as serious as murder? And if it was, could she still trust him?

She needed time alone to sort this out, to learn how much of what Raggia told her was actually the truth. If Sazi had been there, she would have asked her, but the Ornathian was gone. She’d either have to find Sazi or face the one option that she dreaded—confronting Dev.

***

The priest of Nelos watched from the shadows as the Soulbearer ran back into the Conclave. “You were wise, my lord and master, to suggest this.”

“Trust in me, my servant, and soon we will rid the world of Loku.”

Raggia slid down the rock and came toward him, a smirk marring the remaining traces of beauty on her face. “She’ll be heading to her room now.”

“And I shall counsel her on the light of the law.” He bowed to her and followed the Soulbearer. It had been all too easy to convince the Mage Sextus to tell the girl about Sir Devarius’s past, to drive a wedge between her and her protector. One more barrier removed from completing the will of Nelos.

He reached inside his robe, wrapping his hand around the vial of precious serum he’d extracted from the Flower of Lireal. All he had to do was coat his dagger with it and drive the blade into the heart of the Soulbearer. Loku’s soul would be destroyed, and chaos would be vanquished.

“Arden,” a man called behind him. “Wait up.”

The priest lowered his hood and pressed his body against the wall of the corridor as Sir Devarius chased after his charge. His blood boiled. No! He needed to catch her alone. He couldn’t let her Protector come to her aid again.

“Patience, my servant,” Nelos ordered. “There is another way to remove him.”

The priest released the vial and took a deep breath, calming his anger. “Tell me how, and I will do it.”

***

Dev cursed under his breath. He didn’t know what Raggia said to Arden, but he didn’t like the look on her face when she took off. Even now, she walked as quickly as she could without appearing to be running, her face tight and pale.

He called after her again, but she ignored him like before, her pace quickening. At least Cinder had the good sense to stick close to her. The girl needed constant supervision, even if it was from a wolf.

He finally caught up with her in her room. Her half-packed bag lay on her bed. “Where are you planning on going?”

She stuffed a dress into the bag, not looking up. “I want to talk to Sazi.”

“You can’t go into the Ornathian lands alone.”

“Just watch me.”

A wave of magic shoved him back three steps, but he regained his footing and charged forward, grabbing her bag. “You haven’t finished your training.”

She snatched it back and pushed past him into the main room of her chambers. “I can’t stay here any longer, not when you keep hiding things from me.”

He channeled his magic, slamming the door shut and sealing it before she could escape. “No, you are going to sit down and tell me what set you off.”

“Or you’ll do what? Put me in those mithral chains?” She kept her back to him, her shoulders set in a rigid line of defiance.

Arden could get under his skin and have him wanting to punch something faster than any person he’d ever known. He forced his arms to stay locked at his sides. “I’m your protector, and I have to follow you wherever you go, so if I’m going into Ornathian territory, I bloody well want to know why.”

“I have my reasons, and Sazi’s the one only I can trust to tell me the truth.”

By Jussip, he was tired of this game. He grabbed her shoulder and whirled her around, ready to lecture her on her petulant behavior.

The words died in his mouth when he saw the doubt glistening in her eyes.

“I need to know the truth, Dev. Did you murder Minius?”

His heart skipped a beat, and his lungs refused to work. “Where did you hear that?”

“The Mage Sextus told this wild story of how you made a bet with your best friend. How you murdered him so you wouldn’t lose it. How your father’s sway saved you from execution.”

The blood rushed from his head. He steeled his legs to keep standing in front of her when all he wanted to do was retreat. Scenes from that day, forever burned into his memory, flashed by. The icy determination on Minius’s face. The moment when everything changed. The look of panic as his best friend met his death.

He struggled to form words between his quickened breaths. “It’s not what you think.”

“And what should I think? I know I shouldn’t believe a word she says, but I can’t quiet that nagging voice in my mind that says there might be some truth to her words when you keep hiding things from me.” Her voice cracked. “I’m so tired of the secrets, the lies. I want to trust you, but I’m finding it harder and harder to do so the longer I’m here.”

His world seemed to slip from his grasp, just as Minius had. “Please, just listen to me.”

“Are you going to tell me the truth?”

The air warped around them, and the flames in the fireplace doubled in size. She was testing him, trying to intimidate him with her power. “I’ll tell you what you need to know when the time is right.”

“And when will that be?”

“When you’re calm and being rational.”

She sucked in a breath through her teeth. “I’m trying to remain calm, but the way you keep dancing around my question makes me wonder if what I heard was true.”

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, his emotions barely held in check. A cyclone of pain, anger, and fear swirled inside him. The doubt in her face tore at his heart. He refused to let go of her like this, but telling her about the events of that day would revive old wounds that still hadn’t healed. And even then, would her doubt turn to disgust? “I’m sworn to protect you to the point of giving up my own life.”

The fire rose higher behind her, leaving her face bathed in shadows. She stared at him, never wavering as she asked quietly, “But who’s going to protect me from you?”

His skin tingled, the sensation growing more intense with each second. He had no answer.

She blinked several times and turned away. “I can’t be with someone who can’t be honest with me.”

His face burned. All he’d ever wanted to do was spare her the pain he knew. But now his plan had backfired, and she seemed more distant than ever. He pressed her hand against his chest, hoping she could feel the desperate beat of his heart. “Please, give me one more chance to set things right.”

Her fingers splayed out across his jerkin, the muscles in her arm loosening. “I’m listening.”

The air rippled and swayed around them. At first, he thought he dreamed it up, a by-product of his twisted emotions. Then a shock raced down his spine, knotting his stomach. His body tensed. He’d felt this before. “Arden—”

He’d barely said her name before a ball of flames exploded from the fireplace.

Chapter 24

Arden’s breath whooshed out of her lungs as Dev knocked her to the floor. Fire burned the world around her, consuming it in the inferno. The smell of singed hair rose into her nostrils. Sweat dripped down her face from the rush of hot air.

“Shields,” Loku urged.

She clung to Dev and wrapped her protective magic around both of them. The heat lessened, but she still choked on the smoke filling the room.

Dev coughed and lifted his head from her chest. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. The few bumps and bruises she’d gained would mean nothing if they burned to death.

Another fireball flew toward them. Arden dug her fingers into his jerkin and rolled back, their bodies slamming into the wall. More than twenty feet across the room, the sealed door mocked them. No one could come to their aid until the spell was removed.

“Drop the ward, Dev.”

He nodded, and a flash of blue outlined the frame.

One problem down. Next—dealing with the widening wall of fire that blocked their path to the door. “Any bright ideas?”

Dev coughed again and shook his head. He winced as he crawled off of her, revealing the scorch marks along his back and the burning embers along the tips of his hair.

Her throat closed up. Moments ago, she’d wavered on believing the worst of him, of accusing him of murder. Now she wished she could take back every cruel word she’d thrown at him. It didn’t matter what he’d done to deserve his punishment. When she needed him, he was willing to throw himself between her and the flames.

“Let me heal you.”

She reached for his back, but he caught her hands and pushed them away. “Save your magic. If we can’t get past the fire, we’re dead.”

The flames licked at the tapestries along the wall, edging closer to where they sat huddled in the corner. Shouts came from the other side of the door. Help was coming.

Dev’s face was pinched with pain, his chest heaving with each breath. She turned to the only other person she could count on. “Loku?”

“I’m thinking,” he snapped back. “I’m limited to what I can do by your mortal body. You’re no use to me as a pile of ashes.”

“Then think quickly.”

The door opened with a gust of wind like a bellow, fanning the flames inside and moving the wall of fire toward them. Arden reinforced her shields. She had toyed with the idea of making a run for the door and hoping her shields would protect them, but they were already weakening under the intense heat. They’d only manage a few feet at the most before the fire would overwhelm her abilities.

“Do you remember how you were able to extract water from a plant when they tested you?” Loku asked.

She nodded, remembering how difficult it was to squeeze each drop and collect it.

“Then take their water and surround yourself with it.”

Figures appeared in the doorway, tossing buckets of water on the fire in a futile effort to contain it. She waited until she saw the water leave the bucket, timing her spell to catch the water before it hit the flames. She pulled it toward her and gathered it in a swirling funnel at her feet.

Dev lifted his head. “What are you doing?”

She ignored him and focused on catching the contents of the next bucket. The funnel doubled in size, constantly moving. A fine mist bathed their parched skin. One more bucketful, then another. Soon, she had enough to form a spinning column that stood a few inches taller than Dev.

Her gaze never left it as she said, “Take my hand and step into the water.”

No questions. No hesitations. He simply took her hand and stepped forward.

It had been difficult enough to keep the water together in the tight funnel, but widening the column to surround them required three times the effort. Her hair danced in the wind, damp from the spray and sticking to her face. The flames disappeared behind a blue veil of water. They were safe inside the wet cocoon she spun around them, but they needed to move forward.

“Stay as close to me as you can.” She offered a quick prayer to the Lady Moon and took the first step. Dev remained glued to her side, inching along with her. The funnel held together, keeping them unharmed as they plunged into the heart of the fire.

“Who’s doing this? You or Loku?”

“Shut up and let me concentrate.” She almost had them out of the room, and he was worried about her yielding to the chaos god.

He wrapped his hands around her waist. A surge of magic augmented her own, whipping the water around them at a faster rate. The doorway grew closer and closer. They were almost free. Just a few more feet.

Then another bolt of magic shocked through her, stealing her breath away and disrupting her spell. The water fell with a hiss. Her feet rose off the ground, and she flew toward the door, crashing into the people standing there. Another body landed on top of her. Black stars danced in front of her eyes.

“Clear the way,” the Mage Primus shouted. “Let me through.”

The people under her squirmed, rolling her off of them. Her exhausted limbs hung useless at her sides. The only movement she cared about was drawing in each cleansing, smoke-free breath she could.

A hand wrapped around her own. She turned her head to the side, and Dev offered her a weak smile. “Good job,” he said, his voice hoarse.