Alora: The Wander-Jewel (Alora 1)

“They wouldn’t recognize Wesley and me,” Charles reasoned. “They’ve never seen us before, and our eyes are blue.”

“What if we were wearing some of their clothes? It’s kind of creepy, but there are a few dead guys down there,” said Wesley.

“Even if you weren’t immediately recognizable, their numbers are small enough they would notice extras,” Morvaen said.

“Not if I took a few out,” suggested Alora. “I’m pretty sure I could repeat that snatch and throw thing I did before. I’m just not good with the landing. But in this case it wouldn’t matter.”

“I could be a distraction,” said Beth. “They don’t know what Alora looks like. If I showed up, they would all think I was Alora.”

“I could do that, too,” declared Arista, coming out of her sulking.

“Vindrake has seen me,” argued Alora.

“But obviously, his men haven’t,” reasoned Beth. “They kidnapped Arista by mistake, and she looks nothing like you.”

“If we want confusion on our side, we need to move quickly,” said Nordamen. “Some of the men seemed to be masked somehow, while the others had clearly detectable bondmarks. It may well be we have a short window where some of Vindrake’s men still have no bondmarks.”

“How will you get Kaevin out?” asked Morvaen. “They must have him in irons, lest Alora transport him.”

“We just need some bolt cutters,” said Charles.

“I can open the lock,” said Arista, bouncing on her toes. “It’s one of my minor gifts.”

“I was unaware you had the gift of gresses, Arista. I’ve given you no training.” Nordamen pursed his lips.

“Yes, but I’ve practiced on a great many locks. I promise, I can open any lock.” She flashed a smug grin. “I’ve seen the inside of your supply chest. What was that thing that looks like a wendt skull?”

Nordamen paled and his eyebrows drew together. “It’s... never mind about that—I believe you can open the lock.”

“We need a plan,” said Morvaen. “And we need to move quickly and quietly. Can Alora transport us a few at a time?”

“No, she mustn’t,” said Raelene. “If she does that, she’ll draw too much from the soulmate bond. We need to save her gift to take both of them to safety when he’s freed of the iron.”

“Can’t you just make us invisible or something?” Wesley asked Nordamen. “Don’t you have a spell or a cloak? Or can’t you just mumble something that will confuse them, and they won’t notice us?”

“Wesley, this isn’t a movie,” said Beth. “Although I have to admit, it’s even more bizarre.”

“Perhaps there is something I could do to help. I have everything I need... except for the skull of a wendt.” Nordamen shot a meaningful look at Arista, whose face split into a grin.

“I’ll be right back.” She grabbed a sword and scrambled down the canyon wall toward the dead wendt.

“In case it’s helpful, I have some non-metal knives.” Charles reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved six ceramic knives in leather sheaths. “I stuffed these in my coat, hoping they would make the trip over here, and it worked. I wanted to bring my guns, but Raelene nixed the idea because of the metal.”

Morvaen examined them with fascination. “Amazing! Yes, we can find a way to use these.” He turned to Raelene. “What can Alora do that will cause the least amount of draw from her bond?”

“Short distances. Less weight.” Raelene caught Alora’s eyes. “You must be careful not to exhaust yourself before you get Kaevin away from Vindrake. How is your head?”

“It only hurts a little. Nothing like it hurt before I passed out.” Alora was sure her heart hurt more than her head. A pain shot through her a

nd she screamed in agony. “Kaevin!” she cried. “Please! We’ve got to hurry!”

“At this rate, Vindrake may soon learn her true name, if he hasn’t already.” Nordamen’s face was grave.

“Don’t fret, Sweetie. We’ll save him.” Uncle Charles wrapped her in his arms, and she clung to him and cried. She almost wished she could go back to the time before she’d met Kaevin. When her biggest worry was whether to go to the school dance, and a hug from her uncle took care of all her problems.

“Aren’t you mad at me?” she murmured into his chest.

“All I care about is keeping you safe, Alora. This would be a poor time to hang onto my anger. I love you, and I’ll do anything I can to protect you. And right now, that means we’ve got to rescue Kaevin.” He tightened his arms around her.