AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Useful ability,” Rainoe commented like she spoke to no one in particular before shifting to Sai. “Do you know how many elves have that skill?”
“How many?” Sai asked but his gaze had returned to the dark gulch where the cave opened in the mountain. Elisa had signed her note strangely, and it left him agitated and ready to disregard everything else she’d written.Everyone knows Neia’s pet name for her, but no one else has ever used it. Something isn’t right,he’d said.
“Elves are difficult to study—too secretive of a race,” Rainoe said. “But from what we’ve gathered, perception magic is inherent to maybe one in ten thousand.”
Sai gave his head a shake. “If Orman was here, you’d be stroking his ego.”
“If Orman was here,” she said, “he’d stroke his own ego.”
Sai laughed. “True. All right.” He crouched in front of us then grimaced before pressing a knee into the sand. The injury had wrecked his body too much for this, and magic sailed through me, ready to pour out and protect him. I’d almost killed him with my magic earlier, though. I needed to learn my powers better and get a zevar to help me channel them.
I kneeled beside Sai as Rainoe dropped. Looking at the siren, strands of her hair dancing with the wind, sadness rushed through me for what my life might have been. If Mother had not defected from the sirens—which I assumed she’d done—I might have grown up here in Prasanna lands, learning to heal, and be a part of a community. Instead of seeing my magic as dark or evil, I’d have understood the highest use of it, and I’d have mastery over my powers by now. Maybe I’d have even learned my elemental powers and known how to channel them well. A part of me wondered if, in that scenario, I would have turned Sai’s head when he visited. Sai shifted towards me and grazed his knuckles over my arm. He would have noticed me even amongst thousands of sirens. We had something unnamable between us and I wasn’t sure I understood what it was yet, but that was the reason we couldn’t mess up this rescue mission.
Sai flattened the sand between us, grabbed a stick, and drew a curved shape, looking back over his shoulder a few times at the mountain. “We don’t know how big the cave is.” He looked up at Rainoe who shook her head. “But we know not to enter the north side, since that’s where Elisa’s note directed us to, and I’m assuming she did so under duress.” He marked out a long line. “We follow the path from the beach to the south side. The Rakshasa are creatures of the dark. I think if we startle them enough, we can scare them off and deal with Jessamine alone.”
His words came hard at the mention of her name, and fire crawled down my spine. I hadn’t liked her from the moment we met, but I’d thought it was because of jealousy. I didn’t have to worry about that anymore. Sai looked ready to murder her. He gripped my arm. “How is your magic feeling? Do you need to compel me before we go?”
Heat burned my cheeks, and Rainoe arched a brow. I shook my head. “After the other sirens healed me, I feel fine.”
“They gave you some of their energy,” Rainoe said. “That’s part of how our healing works.”
Sai stood and looked over the rocks towards the cave. “All right.” I rose beside him, and he grabbed my hand in a motion so smooth it felt automatic. “We don’t engage the Rakshasa. We’ll stay at the front of the cave and confuse them, that’s our only goal.” His eyes remained locked on me for a moment before he shifted them to Rainoe. “Stay behind us. I can use my memory magic if the creatures get too close, but it’s more draining to use it on wild fae and I don’t want to risk either of your safety.” His eyes darted back to me at the end of his sentence, filling with concern and uncertainty. If something happened to me, he wouldn’t forgive himself. I felt the same about him and my heart hammered as I remembered him falling from the bridge, my magic frozen and useless.
I swallowed my nerves down. Sai’s team needed us and if he could pick up how uncertainty skittered through me like sand that the sea wind whipped up, he’d probably try to do something stupid like go in the cave alone. He claimed he felt fine, but I knew better.
Rainoe rose to her full height, dark hair flying out around her. She seemed the most confident of the three of us which was both encouraging and not. She lived near the Rakshasa and understood them more than we did, but dangerous missions were Sai’s territory. I wondered how much of his fear was for his team and how much had to do with me.
Fate had led me here, though, to this man and his team and court. I had no control over the past, but I could help now. My magic suddenly felt like a volcano of potential, capable of protecting those I cared about. I’d always hated myself and my powers, but it was Mother’s fault for teaching me we’d been born wicked and selfish. It wasn’t true.
Sai swallowed and, with one last squeeze of my hand, led us down a path where our feet pressed swirling shells into sand along the side of the cave. When we reached the entrance a clanging sound rang out.
Bump, bum, bump, bump, bum.
The rhythm repeated. Bump, bum, bump, bump, bum.
Sai crouched closer to both of us and whispered, his eyes flashing. “It’s as we thought. That’s the Prasanna drum call for danger to the royal family.”
I pulled my lip between my teeth and fear grew like a song pressing against my ribs and clawing up my throat. I couldn’t show it, though, or Sai would want me to back out. We needed to help his team. This was the kind of thing the divine had crafted me for—to help others.
The clanging sound cut off abruptly, and Sai jerked his face towards the entrance of the cave. He hesitated likely because of me and Rainoe, but we’d both chosen to help.
“Let’s go,” I whispered and started moving towards the entrance. Sai groaned but followed, and Rainoe’s footsteps crunched gravel behind him.
We reached the turn towards the cave, and Sai raised an open hand then dropped his fingers one at a time. When he lowered the last one, we all ran into the cave. My heartbeat matched the pounding of our feet against the stone as we entered the pitch dark of the cavern. Gray light reached the first few steps within then everything shifted to black.
Dispelling that was my job. I parted my lips and sang so that fire rushed along the roof of the cave, lighting the entire space up. The Rakshasa roared, and a dozen massive, furry creatures turned in our direction and plowed towards us. I continued to sing and directed flames to create boundaries between us and the monsters, making the Rakshasa stop short.
“We need to push them out of the cave,” Sai said.
“Got it,” I said breathlessly.
I sang again, sending more flames that curled around them and funneled them towards the mouth of the cave, with a wall of fire to separate them from us. In the distance, a massive cage like a jail cell gleamed orange with the reflection of the flames and I could just make out Orman, Neia, and Elisa in it. No Luz. Fear caused my voice to cut off, and the Rakshasa took the advantage, leaping over the burnt floor of the cave and landing with thuds as they prowled towards us.
Sai’s eyes glowed as plum and magenta crystals whirled into the surrounding air. The creatures froze mid-stride, and Sai lifted the crystals then blew on them so that they turned into dust that whispered away with the breeze. The creatures shifted into shadows that reversed until they moved a distance from us again. Rainoe watched with the first look of surprise I’d seen on her, her face shimmering purple in the light of the crystals.
Sweat had broken out over Sai’s forehead, and he trembled. He was weakened by the injury and struggled to channel deep magic. I snatched his hand, and he curled his fingers around mine. My magic rushed through me, brighter than ever, at his touch. He released the Rakshasa from his magic, and we worked together to disorient them. Sai unwound memories of any creature that got too close. I sang ice under their feet to slip them up and fire to startle and separate them from us. Sai sent shadows to swallow them, the places they’d stood becoming pits of darkness. In the distance, Orman, I assumed, clanged the bars of the cage violently so that the noise clattered off the walls. The creatures began rushing from the cave, plowing down the lane I’d crafted for them with fire.
Their yowls and screams echoed around as they left. I doubted we’d have much time to get the team out, and we still hadn’t seen Jessamine. When the last creature left, Sai released my hand and lightheadedness caused me to stumble a step. I hadn’t realized how much his touch boosted my powers, but without it, I struggled to stay on my feet. Rainoe came up behind me, placing a hand on my elbow, and she sang a hauntingly low song that reverberated off the sharp rocks. Energy rushed through me, making my vision clear again.
