CHAPTER 20
Giant waves crashed against the shore, spraying the three figures ambling along the beach. Oblivious to the cold droplets clinging to her hair and clothes, Riley continued talking, raising her voice a little so that she could be heard above the pounding surf. As the sun slipped out of the sea, preparing to begin its daily climb into the heavens, she was voicing her suspicions to Sarri and Max of an evil faction within the Light Bringers. She barely noticed the pink, orange, and red tendrils suffusing the dawn sky.
“Why are you so sure that such a faction exists?” Sarri’s eyes were troubled.
“Call it a gut feeling or intuition. Actually it is more than just a feeling, it’s a knowing, a certainty. I know it is true but I don’t know how I know or where this knowledge comes from. Am I making sense? I sound like a rambling idiot.” Riley pushed wet strands of hair off her face and breathed in a huge lungful of the salty ocean air.
“Such knowledge, a deep inner knowing, must not be discounted. Our inner voices sometimes know things that our conscious minds do not. It is always wise to heed that voice, Daughter.”
Max grunted his agreement, loping along in the choppy surf. “We take the inner voice seriously here in Avalyss. On Earth it is largely ignored and dismissed. But we cannot go to the Higher Echelon and say that your inner voice told you about this faction. We need proof.”
He suddenly stopped and shook himself vigorously, fat droplets flying from his thick black coat, sprinkling Riley and Sarri. Squealing, Riley skipped away from him. Max and the surf were doing an excellent job of soaking her to the bone. She shivered slightly from the chill. She turned towards Sarri. “Do you have any idea who could belong to the faction?”
“None at all.”
“Crane, I think Crane is definitely a member,” Max said.
Riley wrinkled her nose. “Crane is unpleasant. There is something off about him”.
“He may not be what he pretends to be. But is that a good enough reason to suspect him?” Sarri asked.
Max sat on his haunches, his green eyes intense. “This brings us back to finding the proof we need.”
Riley scratched her head, staring at the ocean for inspiration. Garbed in radiant emerald, it was angry today, relentlessly hurling its huge waves at the shoreline. “We could lay a trap for them.”
Max’s eyes narrowed and he gave her a sidelong glance. “What exactly do you have in mind?”
“I propose that we tempt the faction with Shalimar. They would seize any opportunity for Shalimar to fall into their hands. Shalimar’s power will be irresistible to them.”
Max shook his head. “But Shalimar belongs to you. Her power can only be accessed by you. Besides, she will not let anyone take her by force.”
Riley stood still, moved forward, then stood still again as she tried to formulate a coherent plan from her tangled thoughts. “Who said anything about force? What if I offer up Shalimar to the Higher Echelon? Tell them that such power should be shared, should not just belong to me. They will jump at the offer. I am counting that the faction will try to get its hands on Shalimar’s power before I can hand her over.”
“So let us say that the faction takes the bait and approaches you, what is your plan then? With Shalimar’s power they will be unstoppable.” Sarri’s voice trembled a little.
“Shalimar will not siphon her powers to the faction under any circumstances. The purpose of the plan is to unmask the faction members. Even if we are approached by only one, we can get him or her to reveal the identity of the others. Once we know who the faction members are, then we will provide this information to the Higher Echelon.”
“You make it sound so simple. But remember even the simplest plans could get complicated in a heartbeat.” Sarri said.
Riley impulsively hugged her. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. With Max and Shalimar watching my back, what could possibly go wrong?’
In silence Sarri returned the hug, trying to stifle the uneasiness that threatened to overwhelm her.
The moon’s glow turned Riley’s ebony tresses to burnished silver as she sat alone on the desolate beach, lulled by the ocean’s mournful song. Riley felt her body stiffening with tension as time passed and nothing happened. She had come here, alone, as instructed, certain that she had been summoned by the faction. Wiping her clammy hands on her white robe, she blew out a breath and strove to quell her rising anxiety. About a week ago they had put their plan in motion. Although eager to accept, protocol demanded that the Higher Echelon convene an emergency meeting to discuss the ramifications of Riley’s offer. The meeting had been going on for days. Finally, today she had gotten a note, asking her to come here to this desolate beach, to answer some urgent questions. The note purported to be from the Higher Echelon. But if so why all the secrecy? Why did she have to come here all alone and in the dead of night? It was the faction, she knew it. Most of her was elated that her plan appeared to be working but a small part of her chittered in doubt. Despite her reassurances to Sarri, she felt that some vital component of the plan had been overlooked, something that could mean the difference between success and failure. Motionless, she lost herself in thought as the silver glow of the moon staved off the deep blackness of the night.
The sound of heavy footsteps brought her back to the present moment. A shadow emerged out of the darkness standing just outside the circle of moonlight so she could not see its face. It stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. Then it stepped closer, threw back its hood, and Riley stifled her gasp of surprise. Mylor stood in front of her, his posture ramrod straight, wearing a smile that stopped short of his eyes. Shock coursed through her. Mylor? Her uncle, her mother’s husband? How could he be part of the faction without Sarri’s knowledge? The possibility that a member of the faction was also a member of the Higher Echelon had not crossed her mind. The Higher Echelon’s function was to make sure that everyone followed the rules. The faction played outside the rules. She wondered if Mylor was the only one or if there were others. She tried to smile in an attempt to mask her suspicions.
“Follow me.” His brusque voice cut through her musings. Turning on his heels, he strode into the darkness.
Riley hurried after him, stumbling across the rocky shore. She could barely make out his silhouette ahead. If it were not for the weak moonlight bouncing off his bald head, she was certain that she would not have spotted him at all. Where was he taking her? She could feel the fear rising in her throat but she tamped it down and followed him, determined to get the proof that she needed. Then suddenly he vanished. She could no longer see his bobbing, bald head in the darkness. Whirling, she peered through the dark curtain of the night, trying to spot him. She was still on the deserted beach but near a mound of heavy boulders. Where did he go? He was just there, over by the mound. She crept closer, the hairs on the back of neck standing up, her arms covered with goose bumps. Extending a hand, she reached out to touch one of the boulders and her arm went straight through it. A startled yelp burst from her throat and she jumped back clutching her arm. It appeared unharmed. She flexed it, raised it and twisted it this way and that. Turning back towards the boulder, she took a deep breath, and walked straight through it. Blinded by a brilliant light, she briefly closed her eyes for a moment. Opening her eyes, her mouth fell open at the sight that greeted her.
A dozen mages were grouped in the middle of a natural grotto, hemmed in by walls made of boulder. Some wore white robes, others black. Riley was stunned as she realized that the faction comprised both Light Bringers and Dark Mages. The mages formed a circle around Mylor and Riley. Wearing hoods and masks, they radiated waves of menace. Her pounding heart drowned out the unnerving silence. She shuddered once. Swallowing her fear, nails biting into her palms, her chin came up and she stood straighter.
“Good work, Mylor,” said one of the white robed mages. His deep voice sounded familiar.
/> Assuming a bravado that she did not feel, Riley turned towards Mylor. “What is going on here? My offer was made to the Higher Echelon and this is not it. Who are you? What do you want?”
Mylor gave her a mocking bow. “You know what we want. As for who we are that is none of your concern.”
“Of course, it concerns me. Do you think I will hand over to Shalimar to just anyone?”
An amused smile tugged at his hard mouth. “You speak as if you have a choice. You will give us the crystal sword or else.”
“Or else what? Your threats do not scare me.”
“They should. Give me Shalimar or they die!” He gestured with his arm and the circle of mages parted, revealing Sarri and Max floating inches above the floor, both were motionless, eyes closed. Axes were suspended over their heads, aimed directly at their necks. .
Riley fisted her hands, anger and panic thrumming through her, she spun towards Mylor. “Release them now!”
“You really are in no position to make demands, Princess. One command from me and the axes will fall, beheading them instantly. Now, give me the crystal sword.” He extended his hand for it and frowned as he finally noticed that she was not accompanied by Shalimar. “Where is it?” he asked.
“She will come when called.”
“Call her. Now!” His voice rang with command, eyes boring into hers.
Fear, helplessness and fury all roared through her, drowning out her thoughts. She forced herself to take deep, even breaths as she tried to make sense of the chaotic mass of thoughts that whirled through her mind. In her original plan Sarri and Max were supposed to follow her and help capture the faction members.
“I want the crystal sword. I will not ask again.” In his harsh face, his cold eyes glittered with venom. Both axes went into a vertical free fall for about a foot and stopped.
Riley’s heart plummeted in time with the axes and lurched to a sudden halt when they stopped. “Calm down. Breathe. Be strong.” She heard Max’s voice in her mind.
Gulping in a huge lungful of air, she bowed her head to mask the sudden relief flooding through her. “Max! Are you both okay?” she asked telepathically.
“We are fine. We are under an immobility spell so we cannot move. But they do not suspect that you have telepathy so try not to clue them in.”
She sank to her knees, put her head in her hands, the picture of despair and dejection but she was really stalling for time as she tried to figure a way out of this mess.
“What can I do? I cannot let both of you die and I dare not give them Shalimar. If I do, what is to stop them from killing all of us once Shalimar’s power belongs to them?”
“They cannot let us live. We know too much.”
“I could try teleporting all three of us out of here but I have only practiced teleporting just myself so not sure if I could pull it off.”
“No. That won’t work. Even if you were a master of teleportation, the immobility spell renders us incapable of being teleported Ask Shalimar for help.”
“Shalimar?” Didn’t you just agree that I cannot hand her over?” Riley fought to quell the panic rising within her.
“Who said anything about handing her over? Talk to her using telepathy.”
Closing her eyes, she focused on Shalimar. “We need your help.” She transmitted a mental image of the scene in the grotto.
“Princess.” Shalimar’s voice dropped into her mind like pebbles in a pond. “I could come there, stun them all, and get the three of you out. But timing is everything. It would have to be quick so Mylor does not have a chance to drop the axes.”
“Even a little risk is too much. I will not put their lives in peril. It could take less than a second for the axes to drop.” Riley’s voice held an edge of panic.
“How about a diversion?” Max interjected.
“That’s an excellent idea”, Shalimar agreed. “Leave it with me, Princess. Meanwhile, try to stall.”
Still in a kneeling position, Riley’s face was buried in her hands, still projecting an attitude of despair. The entire conversation with Max and Shalimar had taken only seconds, mind to mind communication was much faster than verbal communication. She had no idea what Shalimar was planning but she had been instructed to stall and she intended to try. She blew out a breath, and looked up at Mylor. He was standing over her, scowling, hands akimbo, signaling his impatience by the insistent tapping of his left foot.
Carefully keeping her face devoid of expression, eyes blank, not wanting even a glimmer of hope to show through, she pulled herself to her feet and hunched her shoulders. “If I call Shalimar, what guarantee do I have that you will let us all go?”
Mylor’s smile was a travesty. “No guarantees, Princess. I am, no, we are calling the shots here. Whether you live or die will depend on whether you want to join us or not. But that is for later. For now, I am done talking. The crystal sword.” He extended his arm, his eyes eager.
“If you are going to kill us anyway, why should I give you Shalimar? Go ahead, kill us all!” Inside she was trembling but outside she was the picture of defiance, head thrown back, eyes blazing, chin jutting forward. She was still trying to stall.
Mylor took a step back, his face going slack with surprise. Two bright red spots of anger appeared on his cheekbones. “Dammit, girl. You are as stubborn as your father. His stubbornness led to his death and it will lead to yours as well.”
Dizzy, Riley leant against the wall of the grotto to steady herself, her eyes huge pools of color in her suddenly pallid face. Swallowing the big lump that had lodged itself in her throat, she stammered, “What are you talking about? My father killed himself.”
He laughed. The chilling sound echoed off the walls of the grotto. “No. I killed him. He found out about the faction. He was going to ruin everything. He had to be stopped.”
A white robed mage stepped forward. “Stop, Mylor. This is neither the time nor the place. What is the point of raking up the past now?”
With a wave of his hand, Mylor dismissed him. He was bursting to tell of his greatest triumph. The words spewed out of him. He told of how he had killed his perfect brother, claimed his wife, succeeded in banishing his brother’s child by urging his wife that it was necessary for the child’s protection, and assumed his brother’s position in the Higher Echelon. He was proud of what he had done. He had kept it a secret all these years. Now he wanted everyone to know what he was capable of.
Riley wanted to rip Mylor’s smirking face off his body. Anger vibrated within her until she was ready to explode. A jolt of pure power surged through her and a lightning bolt appeared in her palm.
Mylor stepped back, his face a study in shock and disbelief. “Stop! Before you could even hurl that thing, I will sever the heads of those you love!”
Trembling, full of power and anger that could not be released, she collapsed into a heap. The lightning bolt vanished. She was stunned. She had not known that she could summon lightning bolts. She remembered seeing a picture on the temple walls of a woman shooting lightning bolts from her hands, a woman who looked like her. But she had summoned them unconsciously in a wave of blind rage. Could she learn to summon them consciously? She closed her eyes, feeling weak and nauseous. Summoning lightning bolts obviously consumed huge amounts of energy.
The white robed mage, who had tried to stop Mylor, stood in front of Riley and stared at her through the eye holes of his mask. His eyes glittered with hatred. Removing his mask, his honey hair tied in a ponytail, he attempted a reassuring smile but it ended up being a mere stretch of the lips. Her stomach lurched again as for a split second she thought it was Cole but it was Crane. “Make no mistake, Princess. We will kill you all if we have to. But that is not our objective. We only want the crystal sword. Hand it over and I will convince the others to let you go. You have my word.”
Riley threw him a mocking
smile. “Only a man of honor will abide by his word, and as we both know, you are without honor.”
He took a step towards her, his hand raised to strike but he went flying across the grotto instead, slamming into the wall, he slid to the floor, eyes glassy. Cole had flashed into the grotto, another fireball already forming in his hand. He stood in front of Riley, shielding her body with his. Face twisting in fury, he glared at his brother. “Don’t you ever raise your hand to her again. The next time I promise you the fire ball will not be set on stun.”
It had happened so fast, Cole’s appearance, and Crane’s astonishing flight across the grotto. In that shocking instant when everyone was distracted, the two crystal swords, Sultan and Shalimar appeared. Wasting no time, they blasted the axes into smithereens. The noise of the blast shook everyone out of their frozen immobility. Before the faction could comprehend what was going on, the two swords crossed in the air and shot arrows of yellow light at the faction members who dropped to the floor unconscious. But Mylor was quick. He sized up the situation in an instant, rushed to Crane’s side, grabbed his arm, and they both vanished.