The Cypher Wheel (28 page)

“Wow,” Faedra said as she had righted herself on the
erchyll's back. “He's pretty responsive.”

Alyssa gave her an incredulous look.

“Faedra?” The question came from the trees. It was
Faen.

Faedra lifted her leg over the creature's neck and
slid down its scaly skin, landing on the ground beside it. Riding
the erchyll had not been conducive to keeping her knickers in
place, and she tried to do a subtle adjustment of her underwear but
failed miserably. There would be bruising of that, she was
sure.

Alyssa slid off the creature's back. Faedra noticed
she did the same hasty adjustment.

The four friends cautiously stepped out from the
cover of the trees.

Faedra's smile lit up her face as Faen raced towards
her. He scooped her up and twirled her around. “Thank Kernunnos,
you are safe,” Faen said. When he had placed her back on the ground
again, he looked up at the erchyll. “Do I even want to know?”

“Meet Alyssa's new friend,” Faedra replied. “Hey,
Alyssa. I guess you're going to have to name him now. He seems
fairly attached to you.” Faedra chuckled as the erchyll nudged the
young Lightbender under the arm, asking to be petted.

Alyssa obliged and put her hands either side of its
bony head. “Hmm, what are we going to call you?” she whispered to
it. The creature took a step forward and rested its head against
her chest.

“Aw, I think he likes you,” Faedra said with a
giggle.

Etyran walked over to Alyssa, exhibiting only a
slight limp now. His accelerated healing was doing its job. He put
a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to face him. “Todmus told me
what you did for me back at the castle,” he said, pushing a golden
lock of hair back from her face. “Thank you.”

Alyssa smiled.

“We should get under cover,” Faen directed, looking
up at the sky. “What about that thing?” he asked Alyssa. “Do you
think it will follow us into the forest so it cannot be seen?”

Alyssa contemplated the question. “There's only one
way to find out.” She turned to ask the creature, but something
else grabbed her attention, causing her to look down at her
hand.

Etyran had laced his fingers through hers. The feel
of him there sent tingles up her arm. She looked up at the
strapping man and smiled. It felt right, him being beside her. It
felt good. To the other side of her stood the erchyll. She placed
her other hand on its neck. “What about you?” she asked. “Are you
coming with us?”

The group stepped towards the forest. Alyssa's new
‘friend’ stayed by her side, squeezing his hulking body between the
trees.

“I guess that answers your question,” Etyran
said.

The six friends wandered in relative silence along
most of the trail that led back to the cave. Aesti was up at the
front of the group. The erchyll had fallen in at the back behind
Alyssa and Etyran. Every now and then, Aesti would crane his neck
around, flatten his ears back and make evil faces at the
erchyll.

“Doesn't look like those two are going to get along
any time soon,” Faedra commented on the winged horse's
behavior.

Faen smiled at her comment. “Looks like we're getting
close to the cave,” he said. “I hope Todmus can figure out a way to
swap Allora and Vivianna back.”

“Me, too.”

***

Faedra was relieved to see Skylar and Jocelyn playing
on the floor in front of Vivianna when they walked into the cave.
Vivianna looked up as the group entered. Her face a mask of
politeness, until she saw who was walking in behind Faedra and
Faen.

A split second look of surprise superseded the one of
malice that took over in an instant.

“Skylar. Come to Mama,” Vivianna spoke softly to the
child.

Skylar looked up at her mother. “But, Mama, Jocelyn
and I have nearly finished this game,” the little girl
protested.

“Do as I say,” Vivianna's tone was firmer this
time.

“Aw, Mama,” Skylar said, as she pushed herself up
from the floor reluctantly and walked towards her mother's open
arms.

Jocelyn looked up from their game and frowned. She
noticed the other woman's attention was fixed on the entrance to
the cave and turned her gaze to follow. Jocelyn's eyes widened as
she saw her friends. Walking in with them were Todmus, Vivianna,
who was actually Allora, and Alyssa.

Several of the other ovates who were mingling in the
communal area of their hideout also looked up when noticing the new
arrivals to the cave.

Then all hell broke loose.

“Daddy!” Skylar cried out when she noticed her father
among the group entering the cave.

Vivianna tightened her grip on the squirming child as
she tried to run to her father.

Skylar looked up at her mother's strained expression
and wrinkled her brows. “Mama, it's Daddy! Look!” She squirmed even
more, trying to get out from Vivianna's grip so she could run to
greet her long lost father.

“I'm well aware of who it is, you little brat,”
Vivianna spat. Her demeanor changing by the second.

“Let Skylar go, Vivianna,” Faedra demanded. “The
game’s up. We know all about your little plan with Arawn.

Vivianna replied with a sleek raise of an
eyebrow.

“Mama?” Skylar whimpered. “You're hurting me.”

“Allora broke from the group, her hand to her mouth.
“Please. Don't hurt my baby,” she implored.

“Don't come any closer,” Vivianna said, standing up
and drawing Skylar nearer to her.

Everyone in the group stopped in their tracks.

“You, too,” Vivianna gestured with her head to
Jocelyn. “You go and join them. Slowly now. Don't make any sudden
moves. I wouldn't want my hand to accidentally tighten around such
a fragile neck.”

Jocelyn eased herself up off the floor and looked at
the now terrified Skylar caught in a vice like grip around the
throat. She stepped backwards towards her group of friends, keeping
her eyes on the little girl all the time. “It will be all right
Skylar. We will not let anyone hurt you.”

“It's no use, Vivianna,” Faedra said. “You've got
nowhere to go. There's only one way in and out of this place, and
we have that covered.”

“You really think Arawn would send me in here without
an escape route?” Vivianna's voice was silky smooth as she reached
into her pocket and pulled out a vial.

“I said, let the girl go,” Faedra repeated, summoning
two purple sparking orbs.

Vivianna sneered. “You really think you have enough
control to use those without hurting the kid?”

Faedra chewed on her bottom lip. No, she wasn't sure
she did have the control. She wasn't sure of anything anymore, and
she couldn't risk hurting Skylar just to get to her half-sister.
She knew full well there would be no point in Vivianna hurting the
girl. At the moment, she was her only bargaining chip and she
wasn't about to ruin her only bargaining chip. Faedra could sense
it without a doubt. As much as she hated the thought, Skylar would
be safe enough until Vivianna and Arawn no longer needed her, and
they'd need her to get to Todmus. She let her orbs fizzle out.

“Didn't think so,” Vivianna sneered. “Arawn just
wants the dwarf. You know where to find us.” She smashed the vial
on the floor and disappeared behind a cloud of white smoke.

CHAPTER THIRTY

The group surged forward to the spot that Vivianna
and Skylar had just occupied. Faedra ran her hands through the
smoky air then slumped onto the seat that Vivianna had been using,
letting her head hang with disappointment.

Jocelyn was trying to comfort a distraught Allora on
the opposite bench, even though Faedra could sense the young
fairy's emotions were confused. Once again, it was a battle between
knowing it wasn't Vivianna but seeing Vivianna's body.

Faen sat down next to his charge on the bench. He put
his arm around her shoulders “She did it again, Faen. She's always
one step ahead of us.”

Todmus walked over and stood in front of his two
friends, his hands fisted and resting on his hips. Faen and Faedra
looked up at him.

“I'm sorry, Todmus,” Faedra said. “I couldn't risk
it, I may have hurt Skylar. I'd never forgive myself if I did.”

Todmus gave her a doleful smile. “This is not your
battle, miss. This day has been coming for a long time.”

“Got any plans?” Faedra asked.

Todmus sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“My plan was to enter the castle, paralyze Arawn long enough for me
to free my wife and child, and escape back to Azran. We all know
how that worked out.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Carina asked.
The ovate had joined them after hearing the commotion going on in
the cave.

Faedra shrugged her shoulders, feeling totally
helpless.

“What are we going to do?” Allora sobbed in Jocelyn's
arms. “If Todmus goes to the castle, Arawn will surely kill him. If
he doesn't go, I dread to think what he will do to Skylar.” She put
her head in her hands, overwrought with emotion. So much so, Faedra
was having a hard time breathing around it.

Todmus turned to stand in front of his wife. He took
her tear-soaked face in his hands. “I will get our daughter back,
my love. Of that, you have my promise.”

Faedra studied the face across from her. Her cheeks
were tear-stained and her nose was bright red, but it was her
red-rimmed eyes full of anguish that were the saddest things to
see. In that moment, Faedra no longer saw Vivianna, but the gentle
soul that lay within her half-sister's body. A beautiful, generous
and kindhearted spirit. She sensed that's what Todmus saw now, too.
The love and concern for his wife flowed with every beat of his
heart. He leaned forward and kissed her. A soft, loving kiss.

Faedra leaned her head on Faen's shoulder and
released a pent up breath as Allora's anguish evaporated into her
husband's kiss.

With love, all things are possible, she thought. It's
just that right now, some things seemed more possible than others.
“How on earth are we going to get into the castle and get Skylar
out?” Faedra mused, not realizing she was speaking her thoughts out
loud. “Arawn will be waiting for us, so we've lost the element of
surprise there.”

Everyone turned to look at her.

“Maybe not,” Alyssa piped up. Her energy changing to
excitement. “We could use Todmus's secret passageway.”

“You have a secret passageway?” Faedra asked,
straightening up. “Why didn't you say so?”

“
Had
a secret passageway. It's not my castle
anymore,” Todmus replied.

“Well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?”
Faedra quipped.

“No,” Todmus said, looking at the group with a grave
expression. “I will not have any of you risk your life for me.”

Faedra raised her eyebrows and shot him an
incredulous look. Faen coughed; not very subtly either. Alyssa,
Etyran, and Jocelyn all crossed their arms over their chests in one
smooth, synchronized motion, nailing him with a gaze full of
attitude.

“I think that gives you an answer to that statement,”
Faedra said. “So, does Arawn know about this secret
passageway?”

“No, he doesn't,” Alyssa butted in just as Todmus
took a breath to answer. “That's how we escaped earlier on. He was
just on the other side of the wall and didn't even know we were
right there just a few feet from him. It was so cool.”

Faedra smiled at the young Lightbender's
enthusiasm.

“So, Todmus. Tell us more about this secret
passageway,” Faedra said.

***

“Do we have much further to go, Todmus?” Faedra
asked, trying to sound as unruffled as possible. She didn't want
the others to know she was holding onto her poise by the skin of
her teeth. Even with all the powers she possessed, not one of them
was able to dispel her fear of the dark. She was having a hard job
believing that at this point, but right now, being cramped in a
tiny dark tunnel with six other people, her insides felt like a
powder keg waiting to blow.

“It is just up ahead, miss. Not much further,” Todmus
answered.

All around her were intense feelings of anxiety,
fear, excitement and maybe even a little hope. Then from nowhere
came a sensation that did not ring true to their situation. One of
self-satisfied cockiness. Faedra looked around at her friends,
their faces illuminated by the flickering glow of the torches
carried by Todmus up front, and Etyran at the back. Everyone's
expression matched the emotions swirling in the stifling air within
the tunnel.

“Here we are,” Todmus said as he came to a halt.

Faedra felt the sensation of arrogant self-importance
grow with every heartbeat.

“Something's wrong,” she mumbled, trying to make
sense of the energy pummeling at her.

Todmus rested his hand on the brick that would open
the secret entrance to the kitchen. Faedra grabbed it, which earned
her a questioning look from her little friend and anxious glances
from the rest of the group.

“Miss?” Todmus said.

Faedra raised a finger to her lips, silencing
everyone. “Something is very wrong,” she whispered, her eyes
darting about the tunnel as if she could see something no one else
could. She turned to Etyran who was standing at the back of the
group. “Etyran, back up. We need to get out of here.”

Everyone turned. Etyran did an about-face to lead the
group back out of the tunnel. He only got a few paces.

“Err, Faedra, we have a bit of a problem back
here.”

Light spilled into the tunnel as the wall behind them
opened, its grating noise sent shivers down Faedra's spine. The
group turned back towards the light.

“Leaving so soon?” a malevolent voice asked. “But the
party's only just getting started. You must stay. I insist.” Arawn
bent down in front of the opening, looking like a giant in his
full-size stature.