Balestone (17 page)

Tiberius got to his feet, his back burning from the cuts the wolf cat had inflicted. He turned to the wounded animal, who was trying to slink away, but its shuddering body was failing. It howled, a sound oddly between a wolf’s cry and a cat’s mewling. Tiberius mentally clamped down on the fire, snuffing out the flames almost like pinching a candle between wet fingers. The shrine grew dark, unnaturally so. Tiberius thought the old wizard was casting another spell, but when he turned around the old man was gone.

Gunderlyn had slunk out of the shrine and was slowly walking backward toward the stairs. Tiberius didn’t move; he could see what was about to happen and did nothing to stop it. He stood as still as the statues that Gunderlyn could so easily animate and watched the old wizard stagger toward his own doom.

Gunderlyn cast aside the spear shaft and lumbered down the stairs, still clutching his bleeding side. He looked around him as if the deserted city ruins were full of demons. Tiberius didn’t move forward to see what would happen, but he heard the scream. The old man had fallen in his haste to escape. The scream that accompanied his fall was bloodcurdling, but it was cut silent after only a second. Tiberius waited several moments and then felt a tremendous release of pent-up nervousness. His legs felt shaky, and he leaned back onto the altar.

As soon as his hand touched the pitted stone surface, there was a crack that made Tiberius jump backward. He thought he had somehow set off a trap, but the altar merely broke in half. The support stones crumbled, and the massive flat stone on top broke in two, then crashed to the marble floor. Dust puffed up around the debris, and Tiberius coughed as he waved his hand to clear the air. Under the altar was a small wooden chest. The metal hinges were rusted, and the wood was dark and brittle.

Tiberius stepped forward and lifted the small chest from its hiding place. He couldn’t help but wonder how long the chest had been hidden under the altar. He tried to open the lid, but the chest was locked and the hinges rusted so badly they couldn’t turn. Frowning at the obstinate little chest, he slid his fingers under the lip of the lid and pulled. The wood broke apart easily, and to Tiberius’ surprise he found what looked like a stone crystal. He had seen similar stones in Avondale, but those stones had been almost clear like glass, or a smoky white. This stone was jet black with gray stone edges. It was almost as if someone had broken open a rock to discover the black crystal inside, and as Tiberius leaned down over the chest, he thought he could see something moving inside the stone.

He rubbed his eyes and picked up the chest, carrying it out of the pavilion and into the gray light that filtered through the mists high above. The dark stone flickered again, almost as if there were flames trapped inside. Tiberius guessed it was just a trick of the light reflecting off the crystal’s many planes. He sat the chest down and felt magical power suddenly swirling around him. Then it hit him — this was the Balestone, not the stone altar. And he guessed that the stone was the source of the temple’s power, not a god.

He was exhausted and he dropped to his knees on the pyramid’s balcony. His head felt light, and the lacerations across his back and side burned painfully. He knew he needed to cast a healing spell and then go in search of his friends, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the strange stone in the little casket.

He reached down and touched the stone and marveled at the warmth of the small object. It was sightly smaller than his fist, with a small base where crystals sprang out at odd angles and were surrounded by the gray exterior that looked so common. He picked the stone up and felt a surge of power rush through him. His fatigue vanished, and the pain in his back dimmed. He wasn’t sure what the crystal was or what it could do, but he knew it was a powerful magical object.

The spear shaft was close, and Tiberius picked it up and used it like a staff as he got to his feet. He held the wood shaft in one hand and the crystal in the other. The end of the spear shaft where the metal blade had been broken off was a mass of splinters. For a reason Tiberius couldn’t really articulate, he lifted up the staff and cast a spell. The words were familiar, but he used them in a different order than normal.

“
Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Acies Penetralis Deprimo Sano.
”

He knew he was merging two spells, although he wasn’t certain why or if he would accomplish anything. But to his delight the wood began to transform near the broken end. The black crystal pulsed in his hand as he chanted the spell.

“
Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Acies Penetralis Deprimo Sano,
” he said again. “
Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Acies Penetralis Deprimo Sano.
”

The splinters began to grow, forming a solid, thick knob where the spear blade had been. Then, once the wood stopped growing, a pulse of power rushed down the staff and mingled with Tiberius’ own budding magical senses. It was a giddy sensation, and he knew that the staff was now magically bonded to him.

He slipped the Balestone into a pouch and held the staff in both hands as he quoted the familiar spell to heal cuts.

“
Sano Grasilis Abscido.
”

He had never healed more than one cut at a time. Normally his mind had to visualize the wound and will it to close, binding the flesh back together. But this time he simply thought of his back healing, and all four deep lacerations mended perfectly in seconds.

He couldn’t help but smile as he walked down the stone steps. He was excited by his newfound power, but it wasn’t just the staff or even the magical stone that made him feel different. Tiberius had worked powerful magic. He had been tried, tested, and found equal to the task. It was the first time in his life that he felt he had truly accomplished something. Everything he had done before had been good and had led him to this moment, but those spells had all been the nervous fumbling of a novice. Now, he felt the satisfying accomplishment of a master.

The sight of Gunderlyn’s broken and bloody body soured Tiberius’ mood. He tried not to look at the old man, but as he drew close he felt the stone pulsing once more. It wanted to strike the dead wizard, to tear apart the gruesome corpse. The Balestone acted almost like the powerful magic he had struggled to control as he cast the more advanced spells of the Fourth Order. But Tiberius held his hand over the pouch at his belt as he passed Gunderlyn’s body and hurried down to the base of the pyramid.

He found his horse right were he had left the animal. The reins were tied to a post, and the knot had been pulled tight. Tiberius guessed the sound of the wolf cat roaring had probably spooked the horse.

“It’s okay,” Tiberius said, softly stroking the horse’s neck. “We’re getting out of this dreadful place.”

Tiberius had to grab a handful of the horse’s mane while he jumped onto the horse’s back and levered himself into position. He felt vulnerable riding bareback but he didn’t have much choice. He felt better and stronger with his new staff, but he still didn’t want to walk the entire length of the city.

The horse moved quickly through the empty streets. Tiberius feared they might run into more of the horrid creatures that had made the city ruins their home, but he saw nothing until Rafe came riding into view.

They waved as the horses hurried toward each other. Tiberius knew he could never fully describe the battle he’d just fought, and the truth was he didn’t really want to. He was glad it was over and glad he’d been victorious, but he was ready to leave the city and never look back.

“You’re all right,” Rafe said, relief evident in his voice.

“Yes, did you get Lexi out of the city?”

“She’s with Olyva. They’re both shaken up, but okay.”

“Where’s my saddle?” Tiberius asked.

“I was coming to help you. I didn’t stop to pick up your saddle,” Rafe said with a frown. “What happened up there anyway?”

“About what I expected,” Tiberius lied. “Gunderlyn was waiting for me.”

Tiberius pointed back toward the temple, which seemed smaller somehow from a distance, less menacing and more like a crumbling ruin than a place of ancient power.

“And now?” Rafe asked.

“Now, he’s dead,” Tiberius said, but there was no joy in his voice. He didn’t relish the fact that he had defeated the old wizard or that his enemy was dead. It felt more like a loathsome task that had to be completed. He was just relieved that it was over and done with.

“Take a look at this,” Tiberius said as he held the staff out for Rafe to examine.

“It looks like our spear shaft,” Rafe said.

“It is. The spear head broke off, and I was able to grow the wood into that knob on the end.”

“It looks like you could really bust some heads with that. I’m glad my father didn’t have a club like that when we were kids.”

Tiberius laughed at the memory. Grentz the Swordmaster had always been kind to Tiberius, taking his time whenever he taught the earl’s sons swordcraft. He had not been as patient or kind with Rafe, Tiberius knew. But Rafe’s father had molded him into a warrior to be reckoned with and a virtual master of the blade, as well. Tiberius considered telling Rafe about the Balestone, but for some reason he couldn’t really articulate, he didn’t think it was a good idea. He decided to keep the stone’s presence a secret, but he desperately wanted to know more about it, and he had a good idea where he could find that information.

“Before we leave the city, I want to gather some books from Gunderlyn’s library,” Tiberius explained.

Rafe looked downcast.

“What is it?” Tiberius asked.

“The tower,” Rafe said. “It collapsed. I’m sorry.”

Tiberius felt a huge sense of disappointment. His one hope had been retrieving some of the old wizard’s books on magic.

“No wonder I couldn’t find it,” he said.

“The heat must have weakened it,” Rafe said. “I heard it fall when we were leaving the city. I followed the plume of dust and saw the rubble. It would take days to uncover the trap door again.”

“It might have been smashed in,” Tiberius agreed ruefully. “If the stone filled the stairwell, we might never get them out.”

“I’ll help you if you want, but the girls both want to leave. If I’m being honest, so do I.”

“No,” Tiberius said, trying to hide the bitterness he felt. “We should go. Those books are lost. And we still have to find Hamill Keep.”

“You sure?”

“Yes,” Tiberius said. “Let’s get out of here.”

Chapter 24

The night was dark. Only a small fire gave the camp any illumination, but the inky blackness seemed to encroach on the tiny flames. Lexi couldn’t sleep. She lay beside Tiberius on a blanket, her back propped against her saddle. She knew it was guilt that kept her awake. When the monster had swallowed Lexi, she had fought hard to survive. The foul smell and terrible ooze had nearly choked her, and although she had no concept of how long the creature held her in its fleshy jowls, she knew she had come within a hair’s breadth of dying.

She had felt a surge of joy when she fought her way out of the stinking jowl, and although it took her a few moments to regain her senses, she had been relieved to find that Tiberius and Rafe had fought to rescue her. And Dancer, the faithful little wind glider, had sent her reassuring emotions all during her ordeal. Lexi knew she owed them all so much. Yet as Rafe had escorted her out of the city, they had come within sight of the round tower that had been Gunderlyn’s home. It had been Lexi’s idea to tear the structure down. She kept reliving the conversation she had with Rafe over and over again in her mind. It was what kept her awake and slowly gnawed at her conscience.

“That’s the tower,” Lexi said, pointing.

She had been busy trying to wipe as much of the monster’s slimy saliva from her body as possible, but when she saw the tower, she knew she had to do something.

“Yes, you should have seen Tiberius destroying the statues. It was amazing,” Rafe said.

“I want to see it,” Lexi said, although in truth she didn’t care about the statues.

“Okay,” Rafe said.

He led the way through the winding streets. When they reached the tower, the strange array of melted bronze statues surrounded it. The cobblestones were still bare of the powdery dirt, and the molten metal was still extremely hot in places, but the entire scene was cooling down.

“Rafe, I need to tell you something,” Lexi said.

“Are you okay?” Rafe asked.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. But I’m worried about Tiberius.”

“Ti? What’s wrong with him?”

“There’s nothing wrong with him, but I’m afraid of what might happen if he gets the books the old man was hoarding down there.”

“Why would Ti want some old books?”

“Because they’re from before the purge,” Lexi said with emphasis. “You know he’s obsessed with learning more about magic.”

“And you think that’s a bad thing?” Rafe asked, stopping his horse beside Lexi’s as they both stared at the tower.

“I want Tiberius to have everything he wants,” Lexi said, as tears filled her eyes. “But Gunderlyn was insane. He was evil. He took control of my body, and I couldn’t stop him.”

“That bastard,” Rafe said angrily.

“He didn’t rape me, but he would have. I just don’t think there is anything good down in that dungeon.”

“Did you see the torture rack?” Rafe asked.

“No, not really,” Lexi said. “But he said things … horrible things. Ti is so innocent, so good. I can’t stand the thought of that foulness changing him.”

“Maybe it won’t,” Rafe said.

“Do you really believe that?” Lexi asked.

Rafe thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“He’s going to kill the old wizard,” Lexi went on. “And when he’s through, he’ll come back here for the books. Unless we stop him.”

“How?”

“We could knock the tower over,” Lexi said. “If the only way into the tower is by spending hours moving the blocks, perhaps even days, he won’t do it. He won’t make us stay here. But if making a quick stop could get him the books, he will.”

“You think we could knock that building down?”

“I think we should try,” Lexi said. “Its for his own good, I know it.”

“Well, I guess,” Rafe said, shrugging his shoulders.

They had ridden around the tower, which looked sturdy, but the tall building just to the north of the tower wasn’t. Dancer showed them the tall wall of smooth material that seemed like stone but wasn’t. There was a thick timber beam in the ruins of the structure, and all it took were a few blows of the beam and the wall collapsed. The strange building had cracked, exposing aged wood beneath the stone-like veneer. And when the wall fell against the tower, the round structure fell in on itself, burying the trap door under a heaping pile of rubble.

Rafe was thrilled with the result. To him it was just another job completed, but Lexi knew the truth. She knew she had dashed Ti’s hopes. They saw the brilliant, almost blinding light from the top of the temple and knew Tiberius was fighting for their lives.

“Come on,” Rafe had said, suddenly gruff, almost angry. “Let’s get you out of here.”

Lexi knew Rafe was worried about Tiberius. She was, too, but she knew that Rafe was suffering under the knowledge that his best friend was fighting and Rafe wasn’t there to help him. Rafe had been through the city enough times to know his way around by that point. He had kicked his horse into a cantor, and Lexi had followed. She rode the horse easily enough. When she had first stolen the horses from Avondale, she had ridden around the city’s massive walls and felt as if she were about to topple off at any moment. But over time she’d become accustomed to riding, and if anything, riding had become as natural to Lexi as walking.

They spoke very little on their trek through the city. Even Dancer remained quiet, hugging onto Lexi’s grimy neck tightly, as if the little glider was afraid of losing her again. When they were close enough to see the broad plain beyond the city, they swapped horses, and Rafe turned back. Lexi wanted to reassure him, but she felt as if she had betrayed Tiberius, so she remained quiet.

By the time Tiberius and Rafe returned from the city, Lexi had retrieved the last two saddles and had food prepared for everyone. They ate in the saddle, all except for Olyva, who seemed barely able to stay on her horse’s back. They made good time, riding north away from the city but staying close to the mountains.

Just before dark they came to a swiftly flowing river and made camp. Lexi had bathed, scrubbing the vile monster’s odorous slime from her hair and clothes while Rafe and Tiberius gathered scrub brush for a fire. The terrain had changed once again, and while the mountains were still rugged, there were small clumps of vegetation, and the plains beyond were covered in brown grass. The sky was still gray but no longer dark like a thundercloud, and Olyva seemed to improve a little as the afternoon progressed.

Then they had built a small fire, eaten their meager rations, and finally bedded down for the night. Unfortunately, Lexi couldn’t sleep. She sat beside Tiberius, who seemed different somehow. He had told them his story while they rode, and Lexi could tell he was downplaying everything. He was humble, and she admired that, but he was a poor liar. Whenever she asked him a direct question, he gave her generic answers. Lexi was certain the fight with the animals Gunderlyn called on was much more vicious that Tiberius described it, but he downplayed the danger.

He and Rafe had fallen asleep quickly; both men were tired from their efforts to escape the old wizard. Lexi was, too, but she was also guilt-stricken. Tiberius had said nothing about the books or even about the tower’s collapse. He didn’t seem angry or resentful, but Lexi guessed that was because he didn’t know she had foiled his plans.

Eventually she dozed off, and when the sun rose she woke up feeling even worse than the night before. Olyva was usually the first of them to wake up, but that morning she didn’t wake up at all. At first Lexi attributed Olyva’s oversleeping to exhaustion, but when Rafe eventually tried to rouse her, they discovered that something was wrong.

“Lay her out, and let’s make sure she didn’t get hurt,” Tiberius suggested.

Olyva wore a pair of Rafe’s old trousers that some of the Hoskali women had sized down for her. She kept the pant legs rolled up to just below her knees, and her feet were bare. She wore a thin, wool shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the lace-up collar left open. There was no sign that she’d been hurt, no cuts or bruises, but the patches of soft, brown stems that had sprung up in various places over her body seemed brittle. When Rafe touched one patch, the tiny stems snapped, even though he was being gentle.

“Maybe she needs water,” Lexi suggested.

Rafe swallowed his pride and poured water over Lexi’s feet.

“I think she’s sick,” he said. “There’s something wrong with her.”

“Maybe it’s the lack of daylight,” Tiberius suggested. “I know you’re worried about her changing, but she was thriving before the sky turned gray.”

“It’s possible,” Rafe said. “Oh God, we have to do something.”

“We need to get her to someplace sunny,” Tiberius said.

“It would take days to get back to the Hoskali,” Rafe said.

“We should take her up,” Lexi suggested. “We need to try and find Hamill Keep, don’t we? And you said at some point we should go up and look on the top of one of the mountains.”

“No,” Tiberius said. “I said the mountains don’t rise above the mist except in a few rare cases, mostly just the mountaintops of the nine cities.”

“So we look for a mountain whose summit is in the mist and climb,” Lexi said.

“She’s right,” Rafe said. “Maybe some of the healers in Hamill Keep can help her.”

They mounted their horses and rode hard. Rafe kept Olyva with him. She sat facing him, resting on his thighs, her head propped on his shoulder. The day stretched on and on, the mountains seemed never ending, and the temperature grew cooler as the day went on.

“Look!” Tiberius said late in the afternoon. He was pointing to a broad mountain in the distance. “That mountain looks promising.”

Promising was not the word Lexi would have used. The mountain was big and its summit disappeared into the mist, but the mountain was rugged. There were stretches where the mountain seemed to rise straight up. Lexi felt frightened just at at the prospect of scaling such a rugged and treacherous looking mountain.

“You think that’s Hamill Keep?” Rafe asked.

“I know a little about the city,” Tiberius said. “It’s not a very fertile place, and they trade mainly for food.”

“Olyva said it was rugged,” Rafe said.

“It doesn’t get much more rugged than that, does it?” Lexi said.

“It’s probably another day’s ride away,” Tiberius said.

“Then we’ll ride through the night,” Rafe said.

“We’ll need torches.”

They collected anything large enough to be used as a torch until the sun set. Darkness fell suddenly, but Tiberius lit the first of their makeshift firebrands, and they kept moving. Lexi was exhausted, and Dancer slept on her shoulder. Tiberius and Lexi led the horses, while Rafe carried Olyva. He was so determined to help her, and Lexi marveled at his strength. He carried her for hours, and it was well after midnight when they finally stopped.

The torches didn’t burn for very long, and they were down to their last one when they came to a small stream. The terrain around them was rough and dry, but the space on either side of the small stream was lush. The ground was covered in grass, and there were even a few small trees. Rafe laid Olyva down carefully and then immediately fell asleep beside her.

“You’ve seemed preoccupied since we left Devonyr,” Tiberius said softly. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Lexi lied. “I’m just a little shook up, I suppose.”

“That’s understandable,” Tiberius said. “You endured a horrible ordeal, and it’s my fault.”

“How is it your fault? You saved me.”

“No,” Tiberius said bitterly. “None of you wanted to stay there, but I pressed the issue because I was hoping we might find more books on magic. It’s my fault we’re in this mess.”

“If not for you, none of us would have survived even one night away from Avondale,” Lexi argued. “You’re being too hard on yourself.”

“I’m not the man I thought I was,” Tiberius said. “I always criticized my father and brothers for their greed. They only seemed to care about themselves and they demolished anyone who got in the way of something they wanted. Yet I’m just the same.”

“No, you’re not. You have a good heart, Ti. You care about people.”

“I put you all in danger because I was so determined to get what I wanted.”

“You were excited by the prospect of getting something you want — we all are in those circumstances.”

“But I can’t be,” Tiberius said. “Not when other people’s lives are at stake.”

“You didn’t know going into those ruins would be dangerous.”

“Of course I did, I just didn’t care. I had a bad feeling about that place, just the same as the rest of you. Yet I insisted on going.”

“But in the end we all survived,” Lexi said. “So don’t beat yourself up about it. Just be glad we’re all together.”

“How can you say that?” Tiberius asked. “You had it worse than anyone.”

“And more than anyone I appreciate that we escaped. That old man was wicked, and everything he touched was vile.”

“I still wish I could have gotten some of the books from his library,” Tiberius said.

Lexi turned away, hoping Tiberius wouldn’t see the look of misery on her face. She busied herself hobbling the horses, who were busy munching the grass along the stream bed.

“Maybe I could have learned something that would help Olyva,” Tiberius went on, oblivious to Lexi’s distress. “I feel awful that I can’t do more for her.”

“She’s going to be okay, and there will be other opportunities for you to learn more about magic. You didn’t need anything that came from that horrible place.”

Lexi almost jumped when Tiberius put his hand on her shoulder. He turned her around, and she placed her head on his chest as he held her.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he whispered.

She was so tired, and being held in his arms felt so good that for a long moment she just let herself enjoy his love and affection.

“We better get some rest, too,” Tiberius said.

Lexi nodded, and they spread a blanket on the grass. It was a chilly night, and they huddled together for warmth. It seemed to Lexi as if she had just closed her eyes when the sun rose and the gray mist filled the little valley they were camped in with light.