Although he had dressed reasonably well for a chilly climate, his two layers wouldn’t be enough for the conditions Cassabrie had described along the way—thick layers of snow and ice-covered streams.
He gave the raft a final shove. Whether or not his wardrobe was enough, whatever it took to save the Lost Ones, he would do it, no matter how cold the path.
“Well done,” Cassabrie said from the raft. “Are you ready to walk? You and Uriel seemed to sleep pretty well while we traveled.”
Jason strode out of the river and retrieved his boots from the raft. “I think so. If the wolves don’t track us, we should be fine.”
“I don’t see why they would,” Uriel said. “They got what they wanted, and tracking us at this point would be nearly impossible.”
After putting his boots on, Jason looked back at the river, now flowing gently southward again. Cassabrie warned that the water to the north had surely piled up, and she couldn’t push the river upstream any longer. Soon, the flow would burst into rollicking rapids and possibly flood past the banks. They would have to move well away and walk north from this point on.
After Jason and Uriel hid the raft in a patch of high grass, Jason surveyed the landscape. High ridges covered with lush trees and amber stone spilled blue waters into a valley of verdant grass. Flowers of gold, crimson, and sapphire decorated the greenery as if brushed out in curving swaths by a carefree painter. The path to the Northlands was everything Cassabrie had promised.
He checked his sword belt and nodded at Uriel. “Me in front and you in back?”
“A good plan. And what of Cassabrie? How will she travel?”
“I can walk,” she said, “but not as swiftly as you can.”
Jason spread out his arms. “Is it possible for me to carry you?”
“In a manner of speaking.” As Cassabrie walked toward Jason, her body reappeared. When she stopped, only her arm remained visible as she reached for his shirt. “I can dwell inside you.”
His top buttons began unfastening, apparently on their own, though a wispy outline of fingers flashed in front of them every few seconds.
Jason backed away. “What are you doing?”
The upper half of his chest now exposed, a blue light pulsed over his left pectoral muscle. “I need your permission of course, but—” Cassabrie gasped. “My finger!”
Jason looked down at his chest. “Your finger?”
A pair of hands appeared. As Cassabrie wiggled her fingers, a gap became evident where each ring finger should have been. “Two are missing. I never found out what happened to them, but I recognize the energy coming from your skin. It has to be my finger.”
Jason touched the glowing patch. “I suppose it can’t do you any good now.”
“No, but it makes me wonder if it can do you some good.”
“What do you mean?”
Her hand brushed against his chest. “It could make my presence within you easier to bear. Allow me in, and I can guide you silently. No one will know about your secret helper. After I have settled within, you will feel no pain. In fact, you will feel peace and comfort, and you won’t have to slow your progress to wait for a plodding disembodied girl.”
“Begging your pardon,” Uriel said. “How do you know this to be true?”
Cassabrie’s hand vanished. For a moment, she said nothing. Only a hint of a sparkle gave away her presence. Finally, her voice returned in a whisper. “Adrian told me.”
“Adrian!” Jason reached for her hand but swiped only air. “Were you with him? Where is he now?”
Her voice chirped like a songbird’s. “Fear not, Jason. I rescued him from death, and he is now searching for your brother Frederick. You have another purpose to fulfill, but I’m sure your paths will cross soon enough.”
Making a fist, Jason glared at her vaporous lips. Anger scorched his brain. This girl was hiding something, but it wouldn’t do any good to fly into a rage.
After taking a deep breath, he uncurled his fingers and spoke slowly. “Where did Adrian go?”
Cassabrie laughed merrily. “I cannot see anything beyond what you and Uriel see, so I have no way of knowing. I can only urge you to continue on your journey and do your part. If you allow me to reside within you, I can smooth the path, and I promise to do all I can to help you find Adrian when the king’s purpose for us is fulfilled.”
Jason searched for any hint of deception in the invisible girl’s voice. When he looked at Koren, her eyes communicated so much more than mere words, but without a view of this Starlighter’s eyes, detecting insincerity seemed impossible. During the raft ride, Cassabrie had mentioned the king, a white dragon in the Northlands who would help them, but she had said little else about him, only that he was good, yet mysterious.
Jason sighed deeply. What else could he do but press northward? Maybe the white dragon would be able to help them find Adrian and Frederick. No one else seemed to know where they were. And Cassabrie had been helpful so far. She seemed to have no reason to lie about residing within his body.
“Okay. You may enter. We do need to hurry.”
A sparkling arm stretched toward his chest. The end pressed against the glowing patch and drilled through, raising a tingling sensation. As more and more sparkling light streamed into the patch, the glow brightened, and warmth crawled along his skin, then penetrated deeply.
Soon it seemed that his insides had caught fire. Sweat dampened his skin. He grasped his shirt and flapped the material, allowing cooler air in. As he fanned himself, Elyssa’s pendant bounced at his chest.
Uriel squinted at him. “It seems that Cassabrie packs quite a punch.”
“She does.” Jason continued flapping his shirt. “I guess I don’t have to worry about cold weather.”
A soft laugh drifted through his mind, like a tinkling bell calling from within. No need to worry, Jason. After I am settled, I will be able to regulate the warmth.
Jason titled his head. The voice wasn’t audible, though it seemed as real as any external sound. “Did you hear something, Uriel?”
The old man shrugged. “Only you jerking your clothes like your chest hairs are on fire.” He peered at Jason’s open tunic. “Hmmm…. Your skin’s as red as a pomegranate, except for the blue light flashing and that pretty necklace.”
“It’s Elyssa’s.” Jason quickly refastened his shirt, hiding the pendant. “I think it worked. Cassabrie can talk to me without anyone else hearing her. That might come in handy.”
But you will have to speak to me audibly, Cassabrie said. I am unable to read your thoughts.
Jason nodded. “That could be a problem.”
“What could be a problem?” Uriel asked.
“That. I’ll have to let you know when I’m talking to Cassabrie. Otherwise you’ll think I’m crazy.”
Uriel mumbled, “Maybe I already do,” and marched northward, angling away from the river.
Jumping into a quick stride, Jason followed. As he closed the gap between himself and Uriel, the blazing heat eased, but soothing warmth remained. It seemed so strange. He was carrying another person inside. How could that be? Yet it didn’t feel cumbersome at all. It was comfortable, even cozy, just as she’d promised.
As the soothing effects deepened, he gazed at his surroundings. Flowers of pink and purple dotted a carpet of lush green, a far cry from the tufts of thick grass and stunted trees they had left behind. Why would the dragons live in a desertlike region when this verdant beauty spread out like a sea of fertility for miles and miles? Of course, Koren’s tale explained why their own region had become desolate, but why hadn’t they simply moved here?
The details especially drew his attention. The flower petals seemed alive, some so long they looked like purple banana peels while others resembled tufts of blue cotton bunched in sets of five. A cool wind combed over the living rainbow and pushed the hues into a dance. As the flowers swayed, he longed to spread out his arms and sway with them, enjoying their splendor.
Jason sh
ook his head hard. Dance with flowers? What was he thinking? It was time to march with his face set to the north, not fritter away time by ogling vacuously at the scenery. Surely exhaustion was setting in.
Now walking stride for stride with Uriel, Jason spoke up. “Any idea how far it is from here?”
Uriel let out a low humph. “Are you talking to me or that little sprite?”
“You, but either one of you can answer if you know.”
“My guess is about five hours,” Uriel said, “depending on how fast we travel.”
Cassabrie’s lilting voice returned. That is a good guess, Jason. I pushed us pretty quickly up the river, so we might be even closer than that, perhaps three hours.
“Three hours. That’s not too bad.”
“Are you hard of hearing?” Uriel asked. “I said five.”
“Cassabrie said three. I was answering her.”
Uriel wagged his head. “Well, excuse me for butting in.”
Jason pulled Uriel’s arm, stopping him. “Why are you so grumpy all of a sudden?”
“Look, young fella,” Uriel said, jerking away. “I stayed locked up in that white dragon’s castle for decades, and now this elfin spirit who claims to be Cassabrie comes along telling us to sashay right back into his clutches. She’s twirling around in your head, putting you all in a tizzy. That doesn’t make a lick of sense.”
“Then why are you staying with me?”
He tapped a finger on Jason’s chest. “You’re my last hope. Someone has to make sure you don’t fall into a trap.”
“Do you have a plan?”
Uriel stared at him for a moment before answering. “Since that talking fairy dust can hear me, I’ll keep my own counsel. Just make sure you ask me my opinion before you make any quick decisions.”
“I can live with that.”
Uriel shrugged to straighten his shirt. “Very well, then. Let’s get back on track.”
As they hurried onward, still angling away from the river, their legs brushed through the flowers. Lovely scents filled Jason’s nostrils, again drawing his mind into a rapturous mood. If only he could stay and drink it all in.
He bit his lip hard. He had to stop this nonsense! What had gotten into him?
Jason, Cassabrie said softly. What’s wrong?
He ignored the question. Answering her would just get Uriel riled up again. Maybe she was influencing his thinking process, causing him to take notice of details and the beauty in the world he normally took for granted, the details Elyssa always noticed. As children, even when they were as young as six, she often urged him to absorb, as she put it, the Creator’s bounty.
He reached under his shirt and pulled the pendant into his palm. The symbol of a bird flying from open hands seemed so eloquent. Release. Escape. Liberty. That’s what he and Elyssa had come for. That’s what Uriel strived to keep. That’s what Cassabrie died to bring to others.
Shaking his head, he dropped the pendant back to its place. Although Uriel was probably wrong about Cassabrie, who could blame him for being suspicious of the white dragon? It made sense to let him be skeptical. Freedom was too important to lose now.
Jason, Cassabrie said. I understand your silence. You are very much like your brother. I will be patient and speak with you only when you wish.
Jason nodded. She could probably detect that gesture. Questions about Adrian burned in his mind, but they would have to wait.
He kicked one of the cotton-like blossoms, scattering hundreds of floating seeds. Just three more hours.
Koren dropped from the wolf’s jaws and fell heavily to the tile floor. When she rolled to her back, the wolf leaped and straddled her. As he panted, hot saliva poured in a long string from his dangling tongue to her chin.
Glaring at him, she wiped her chin with her cloak and scooted back. “Keep your spit out of my face!”
As the wolf’s yellow eyes focused on her, he licked his chops and continued panting.
“Be kind to Hoya, my dear, or he might leave some teeth marks on that pretty face.”
Koren grimaced. Zena. More trouble, but she expected as much. Angling her head, she caught sight of the sweeping black sheet Zena called a dress as she glided across the Basilica’s theater-room floor.
“Hoya!” Zena said, clapping her hands. “Return to your kennel.”
The wolf backed away and loped toward the room’s exit.
Koren sat up and wiped her chin again. Furrowing her brow, she gave Zena the fiercest stare she could muster. “Okay, I’m here. What do you want with me?”
“Merely what you were born to do, to fill the position you have been prophesied to take.” Zena reached out a hand and helped Koren get up. Her fingers were cold and moist. “You will be Taushin’s eyes.”
Koren took a step back. “And what exactly does that mean?”
“You will soon see. I will summon him in a few moments.”
“What about Jason? Did you let him go?”
Zena laughed softly. “I have no way to harm Jason. I have no idea where he is. It is you I can track, because Taushin made a partial connection with you. Yet, if Jason returns, we will kill him.”
Koren looked into Zena’s black eyes. Her comment was a setup. The wicked sorceress wanted her to ask why it was partial, but the reality of it was all too plain. The prince had spoken to her mind from far away. Although it already seemed impossible to escape his call, that wasn’t enough. He wanted complete control.
“Since you can’t find Jason,” Koren said, “your sorcery is as blind as you are. That’s rather a bitter potion after all you’ve sacrificed to be a dragon’s puppet.”
Zena slapped her across the face. “I can see well enough to deal with the likes of you.”
Refusing to flinch, Koren tightened her hands into fists and maintained her glare. Tears welled, but she dared not wipe them. “I hope that made you feel better.”
“It did indeed.” Zena turned toward the open doorway. “Wait here. I will return with your new master.”
When Zena disappeared, Koren glowered at the theater’s perpetual fire. “Your new master,” she said, exaggerating Zena’s condescending tone.
She stared at the flames as they consumed a knee-high pile of logs. The crackling fire radiated luxurious heat over her body. After being dragged across a river by a huge wolf, then over a bumpy meadow, into a watery gateway at the barrier wall, and through the village on its rough streets, the hot air massaging her chilled, bruised skin felt wonderful. Now her cloak and hair would have a chance to dry, and her arms and legs could bask in warmth until her shivers calmed.
“And calm your nerves,” she said in a whisper. The only way to battle Taushin’s influence would be to stay strong and confident, and resting here for a while and gathering her strength in mind and body would help. Yet her heart longed to be back on the river with Jason, braving the elements for the sake of her fellow slaves.
She took a step forward, used her toe to nudge a metal ring embedded in the floor, then shifted her toe to touch an altar. The wood felt dry and rough. How many of those slaves had knelt here, drugged into a stupor, to receive a new Assignment from the Separators? How many had felt the lash of a whip when they responded too slowly to dragon demands to kneel, rise, or march?
The crack of a whip sounded. A human cry echoed. Koren cringed. Her gift created nightmares from which she could not awaken, tales of woe that would not be silent. What could she do but use every moment to end the cruelties that generated the haunting images?
Turning toward the stage, she looked at the empty pedestal to the right of the altar, where the Separators’ book should be. Zena hadn’t mentioned its absence, though she must have noticed.
Koren shivered. Maybe the job of the Separators was finished. With the rise of the new king of the dragons and the prophesied killing of all humans, they wouldn’t have need of the Separators’ book. And with the dark secrets contained on the book’s pages, its keepers likely hid it away somewhere. Koren lowered h
erself to her knees and folded her hands on top of the altar. Dragons considered this a position of humiliation and defeat. That was perfect, exactly how she felt.
She looked toward the dark ceiling, too far away to be seen, and spoke softly into the rising warm air. “Creator of All, ever since the image of the white dragon appeared in the forest, I’ve been thinking about what he said. He couldn’t help me much, because I know so little about him. I couldn’t put words of wisdom in his mouth beyond what I already knew. He was just a phantom who responded with my malnourished understanding. And that made me wonder. I have most of your Code memorized, and I suppose that’s good, but do I really know you? I follow what it says the best that I can, but is there more?”
She sighed deeply, glancing at the open doorway before continuing. “Maybe you let me get dragged across the countryside by a wolf to get my attention. Well, it worked. I’m talking to you now, and I’m willing to listen. Please give me guidance. I’m about to do something that’s scarier than anything I’ve ever done. I’m going to submit myself to chains, to a dragon who will use me to oppress and maybe kill my own people. But if I don’t, he and Zena will murder Jason and Uriel and spoil any chance they have to gather the slaves and escape to the other world. So what am I supposed to do?
“How can I serve Taushin and still be true to the Code? I can’t fake allegiance. He probes my mind, but I don’t know what he can see or hear inside my head. Can I deceive him? It might be dangerous to try, and the thought of acting as his puppet is nauseating. If the prophecy is true, then his purpose is to kill every human. How can I possibly submit to such a wicked end, even in pretense?”
Tears welled in her eyes, and her voice cracked. “Creator, please tell me what to do. The Code has taught me many valuable principles, but no matter how much I search my memory, I can’t find anything that applies to this situation. If you can’t speak to my mind, then send the white dragon and let him tell me. You know I’ll do whatever you say. Just don’t let me …” She swallowed. The words entering her mind seemed foreign, as if erupting from somewhere she had never explored. “Just don’t let me suffer and die for no reason like Cassabrie did. If I must die, let my blood fall to the soil of a planet that has sent every slave safely home. Knowing that my efforts have contributed to that cause, I will die without hesitation, without regret. Even though the chains on my wrists will be pulled by a wicked being, the chains on my heart will always be in your hands.”