Embers at Galdrilene (55 page)

Maleena’s eyes fluttered open. Light flickered in the passageway outside the cell. A tremble ran through her body. Had it been a day already? The cell felt strangely warm and cold at the same time. She shivered. Nydara remained fully merged with her, refusing to leave, willing to bear the burden of pain with her.

Maleena blinked back the tears stinging her eyes. Never had any creature loved her so fully. Even Mckale, as much as he loved her, would put Tellnox first, as he should. Maleena knew from Nydara there were preparations underway for her rescue. She wished they wouldn’t come, that they wouldn’t put themselves and their dragons in danger for her. If any of them were killed the weight of their loss would be on her shoulders.

The one thing she was unwilling to do was allow Nydara to suffer in any way. Sadira thought she could control Nydara through her, thought she could use Nydara to make her talk, but she was sorely mistaken. Maleena would never allow such suffering to be placed upon her dragon. She would take herself to Maiadar, the realm of the dead. Without an anchor, Nydara would quickly follow her there and Sadira would be left empty handed. She cared deeply for her companions. Her bond with Mckale ran almost as deep as the bond she had with her dragon. But in the end, it was Nydara who Maleena would die for.

The light stopped outside her cell. She squinted as her eyes worked to adjust to the flicker of the torch. The smell of food wafted toward her, making her stomach clench and twist. Slowly, painfully, she pushed herself up into a seated position. A young woman stood outside the cell with a tray in her hands. She was taller than Maleena by several inches, with black hair that hung down her back and tilted, dark blue eyes full of sorrow. She looked familiar, but Maleena couldn’t place why.

“I brought you some food,” the woman whispered.

“Paki says it is Taela,”
Nydara sent.

Maleena let out the breath she hadn’t realized she held. “Taela?” Yes, this was the woman she had seen in the bowl.

Taela stepped closer to the bars “I am so sorry. It’s because of me you are here. Paki said you wanted to help us. When I saw them carry you in…at first I thought you were dead. Then I heard what they planned. I wish I could control my magic better. Then I wouldn’t have accidentally connected with you and this would never have happened.”

Maleena pushed herself to her feet. She couldn’t help hunching over her ribs or the way she flinched from the pain inflicted by Sadira’s shadows. She wished she could. Taela didn’t need to feel any worse than she already did. “I could have shut you out if I wanted. I didn’t want to then and I still don’t regret it now. The reason I am here is my own fault. I shouldn’t have flown alone and I should have paid more attention. I’m sure the list of ‘should haves’, could go on for a long time. Done is done, you owe me no apology.”

Taela hung her head. “Paki says they are coming for you. You are here because of me. They are coming because of you. It may have been accidental, but it still remains that not for me, none of you would be in danger.”

Maleena moved to the front of the cell and eased herself down to sit on the floor. “All of this self-accusation helps no one. We can’t change what is, we can only deal with it.” She sent the other woman a small smile of reassurance, careful not to open the scab that had formed over her split lip. “So did you bring the food just for me to smell, or do I get to eat it, too?”

Taela raised her eyes to Maleena’s. “You are unlike anyone I have ever met. Alone, injured, locked in a cell and used as bait, yet you still find humor.”

“I may be locked in this cell, but I’m never alone. My dragon, Nydara, she is always with me.” Maleena held back saying anything about Mckale and Tellnox in case someone listened to the conversation somehow. No need to give them any more leverage. “The food smells delicious.”

“Forgive me for talking and not giving it to you. And for not bringing it sooner.” She slid the tray through the space at the base of the bars. “If I could have brought it days ago, I would have. But I’m not fully trusted here. Paki struggles to maintain the insipid personality of a Shadow Dragon. If it were not for your Nydara maintaining a connection with her throughout most of this, I think we would’ve been caught already. I’m not sure how we are going to make it until the time she can fly or how we will get away if we do.”

Maleena took the tray. She pulled away the bit of cloth covering it and found a piece of bread and a small bowl filled with a thick stew of unrecognizable meat and vegetables. She didn’t care what the stew was made of. Using the bread, she eagerly scooped it into her mouth. The scab on her lip broke open a little and the stew stung, but she didn’t care. There was a cup of tea on the tray and she gulped it down.

When she had scraped the last of the stew into her mouth and eaten the last crumb, she slid the tray back to Taela who remained quiet while she ate. It hadn’t been much and she still felt desperately hungry, but she was grateful for it.

“Do you think there is a future for Paki and me?” Taela asked.

“If there is a way to get you out, yes. But there are no guarantees. Once Sadira and the others know for sure you and Paki are not one of them, you will both be in as much danger as the rest of us.”

Taela nodded her head. “I know, but there will be no way we can pretend to be one of them once your friends arrive. I will not raise my hand against any of you.” She bent and picked up the tray. “I have to go. If I linger much longer, someone will come looking for me. I wish I could leave my torch, but Sadira has said you are to remain in the dark for now. No one really argues much with her. Most of them, as evil as they are, are afraid of her.”

Maleena’s eyelids felt heavy. Her stomach, shrunken from the days without food, finally decided it was happy with what she’d given it. Now her body wanted sleep. She waved away the other woman’s concern. “Do not worry yourself. My light will come soon enough. Go in peace, Taela.”

Maleena watched Taela go, the light diminishing until she sat in total darkness once more. A shiver ran through her as she crawled toward the sound of the trickling water. She shivered again, despite feeling too warm. More tired than she could ever remember, she curled up on the floor next to the little pool and fell asleep.

K
ellinar sat in his saddle on Shryden’s back with Loki strapped in front of him. The other riders, their dragons, and the mages of the six towers ranged around the crater floor. A thin layer of cold fog clung to everything. He looked down at Bardeck and Mckale. “Shryden will Slide me there, land, let Loki and I off, then Slide back. If the chosen Weather mage is intrepid enough, she can ride Shryden alone through the Slide when I call.”

Mckale reached up and clasped arms with him. “Fly safe, my friend, and return.”

The pain in the man’s eyes weighed on Kellinar. “Be ready when I call. Something tells me they are going to be rather burnt when they realize we’ve lifted not only the Ka’ti, but their prisoner as well.”

Mckale nodded and backed away. “We will be ready.”

Nydara reached her wedge-shaped head out. Kellinar laid his hand on her snout. “I will bring her back to you.” The silver pulled her head back and the trust he saw in her violet eyes brought a lump to his throat.

Serena handed up a small bag. “You aren’t a healer and I don’t know what you are going to find when you get there, but this might help. You can always contact me through our dragons if you need to.”

Kellinar slipped the strap over one shoulder so the bag hung on the opposite hip. “Thank you.” She nodded, worry clear in her dark blue eyes as she backed away.

Kellinar glanced at Anevay. She stood several paces away, her hands clasped tight together. A mixture of fear and concern filled her large, dark eyes. He flashed her a reassuring smile as Shryden launched himself into the air. The dragon climbed only far enough to ensure the opening ripple didn’t harm anyone before Kellinar saw the detailed picture form in the blue’s mind. It was the image supplied by Mernoth, who had seen the Kormai from a distance. The ripple spun open in the air in front of them and he felt the now familiar tug as they were pulled in.

The world around them swirled into a blur of indistinct colors. One moment the cold air above Galdrilene was turning his face slightly numb and the next suffocating heat slapped him. Sweat beaded on his skin and dried immediately. Dark clouds boiled overhead, shutting out the rising sun.

Ahead in the distance, the Kormai reared out of the desert floor. Narrow, jagged rocks punched up through the sand like broken fingers reaching for the sky. Shryden lowered himself to the ground on the opposite side of the mountain from the canyon. Kellinar undid the straps on Loki and himself and they slid to the ground.

“Go back quickly. I will call as soon as we need you,”
he sent.

The dragon paused.
“I do not like leaving you here alone.”

“I will be fine. Now go before they realize you are here.”

He and Loki backed out of the way and Shryden lifted himself into the air once more. As soon as he was a few paces off the ground the ripple formed and the dragon Slid.

The wind whipped over the desert, peppering them with sand. Kellinar led Loki past the tall, black, rock formations. The ground rose and fell in small plateaus and canyons. It provided good cover for them as they slipped like shadows toward the Kormai.

By mid-day, they were high on the side of the mountain. Piles of large, sharp rocks littered the sides and they stayed as close to them as possible to avoid the stinging wind that clawed at them. Lightning continued to flicker around the edges of the sky although Kellinar sensed no hint of rain in the wind.

He stopped near a pile of rocks and took a long drink from the leather water bag. He handed it to Loki and stared across the barren landscape. In the murky light, his bond enhanced eyes picked out what he’d been looking for.

A faint trail wound its way past where they rested. It ran up the side of the mountain, ending abruptly several paces away at another pile of rocks. If it wasn’t for his improved vision he would never have seen the path.

Loki handed the water bag back. “What do you see?” he asked in a quiet voice.

“I see what we’ve been searching for.”

He started along the trail with Loki close behind. When he reached the rocks, he found a dark, narrow opening between them and the side of the mountain. He sensed no wards set around it. It was just as he thought. So convinced the back way in was secret, the inhabitants of the Kormai didn’t bother guarding it. He remembered a lord in Trilene, who had done this very thing. Kellinar and two of his associates walked off with his wife and daughter. The lord had paid handsomely to get them back and then paid more to buy a revenge kidnapping.

The narrow opening led into a small, rough-walled space with a heavy door on one wall. Kellinar put his hand on the handle and looked at Loki. “Let’s see if the hinges creak, shall we?”

The latch lifted and the door swung open without a sound. Beyond, a long corridor led into the mountain. It was unlit save for a dim orb glowing far down its length. Even for Kellinar’s eyes it was dim, but he could still see well enough. Loki pulled the door shut behind them and they moved on silent feet down the long, dark hall. Kellinar kept a careful watch for any recesses in the wall or rooms that would provide a hiding place if they should need one. There were none.

The hall ended at the light where it intersected with another running crossway to the first. This hall was better lit in both directions although the orbs were spaced far apart. Kellinar held very still and allowed his mind to quiet.