Alora: The Wander-Jewel (Alora 1)

“I believe she will come, but only to save the life of the boy.”

Kaevin prayed she wouldn’t be foolish enough to come. Does she still believe he’s not too evil to change?

“I have the binding ready, Sire. It’s imbibed in this stone.” He removed a palm-sized smooth white stone from his cape. “You need only touch the stone to her skin and speak her name, and her gift will be bound.”

“There is no danger to me in handling the stone?”

“As long as you touch the stone to her skin, and speak only her name, there is no risk. And your iron belt protects you from unwanted transport.”

“But the iron reduces the range of my gifts. I would much prefer to remove the belt.”

“You only need to wear the belt until you have used the stone on Lena, rendering her giftless. And I believe your own gifts are so strong that even circled in iron you have significant range.”

As Vindrake’s venomous gaze fixed on Kaevin, he felt his skin crawl.

“Hmmm, perhaps your theory is correct.” He stretched his arm toward Kaevin, scrunching his hand into a fist. Kaevin screamed as yet another finger snapped in his hand. And his world went black.

*****

“How’s your head?” Uncles Charles asked when Alora connected with him.

“It’s fine,” she answered wearily. “Did you reach the camp yet?”

“Not yet. We have two scouts riding a league ahead to locate it. Then Nordamen is going to place some kind of silence cloud around us, so we can approach without being heard.”

“Should we come now or wait?”

“Let me ask Nordamen.” Alora saw him turn his head and speak to the side. “Alora is asking whether they should come now. Yes. You want her to do what? No, stop. Don’t bother explaining it to me. I’ll just tell her what you said.” He turned back to Alora. “Nordamen says he wants you to come and use your dispersement—” He stopped abruptly, turning to the side, agitatedly. “What? Oh, whatever...” He spoke to Alora again. “Discernment—he wants you to use your discernment, whatever that is. So somehow you’re supposed to tell us how far away the camp is.”

“Okay. Can you give us some space?”

When Charles was ready, Alora transported to him with Morvaen and Raelene. He shook his head. “I’m sorry. But that still makes me feel creepy. It’s almost weirder to see you appear and disappear than it was to move from one place to another. I keep feeling like I’m in some sort of bad dream.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Raelene smiled and patted him on the arm.

“Can you sense them?” Nordamen asked Alora. “Are we close?”

“I feel them, but it’s not very strong yet.”

“We can go faster if we have you to guide us. The scouts won’t be able to find them unless they’re right by the road. I’ve called them back to join us. You and I will go ahead, and I can shroud us in silence. Did you convince him you would go to him?”

“I told him I had to ask my uncle, just like you suggested, and I think he believed I’d come. But he pretty much threatened to kill Kaevin if I didn’t come to him.” Alora swallowed, as a bad taste arose in her throat.

“I’m sorry to say he’ll most likely do that even if you do go to him.”

“Do we even have a chance of getting him out of there? It might be better if only Kaevin and I die, rather than getting all of us killed.”

“If we let him do this without repercussion, he’ll eventually kill everyone who protects the innocents. Stone Clan council and warriors are all that stands between Vindrake and total annihilation. No one else has the power to withstand him. The lesser clans would soon fall.”

“But does everybody know how dangerous this is? Are they all willing to risk their lives? Or are they just obeying orders?”

“Every warrior is proud to risk their lives to fight against Vindrake’s evil.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, holding her breath. When she opened them, she was resolved. “I’ve just gotta believe it’s gonna work. After all, ‘It’s not over ’til the fat lady sings.’” She noticed Nordamen’s puzzled face. “Never mind. Let’s just go.”

*****

A splash of cold water on his face startled Kaevin awake.