The Godling Chronicles (Shadow of the Gods, Book #3) (4 page)

As the sun waned, they had come no closer to
catching the Vrykol or Kaylia. Just as desperation returned, Gewey
was flooded with Kaylia's presence. It nearly caused him to lose
his footing. He ground to a sudden halt.

Linis nearly ran into him. “What is it?” he
panted, the evidence of his diminished condition obvious in his
voice.

Gewey held out his hand to silence the elf.
He closed his eyes and concentrated with all his power. “She is
near,” he whispered almost inaudibly. His eyes shot wide. “And
she's in danger.” The sinews of his legs burst to life, propelling
him forward with such speed that Linis had no chance of catching
him.

The forest was a blur as Gewey ran headlong
in Kaylia's direction. She was near but heading away from him. But
there was something else; a Vrykol pursued her. Its velocity was
great and he knew Kaylia would not be able to escape it.

He unsheathed his sword and power exploded
within him. This caught the Vrykol's attention. It was only a few
hundred yards away and standing between himself and Kaylia. The
beast turned to Gewey for an instant, then back around. Gewey could
feel the hatred spewing out of the creature. Hatred for everything.
The creature raised its sword arm.

It was then that Gewey spotted Kaylia. He
knew the Vrykol intended to heave its blade at her, and he knew
that he was still too far away. He let out a scream and with all
his might thrust a burst of power directly at it. He feared the
Vrykol would block him, as before, but it didn't. The strength of
the flow flattened the Vrykol to the ground. But Gewey had not been
fast enough and the blade flew from its hand. With one last burst,
Gewey tried to change the sword’s direction, but instead pushed it
straight forward.

“
No!” His cry shook the ground as the
sword struck its target: Kaylia.

Kaylia flew forward and fell to the ground,
the hilt of the blade nearly crushing her skull. Gewey leaped over
the flattened body of the Vrykol and was at Kaylia's side without
pause. She was face down, blood pouring from the wound on the back
of her head. Immediately, he tore the sleeve from his shirt and
pressed it tightly over the wound, trying desperately to stop the
bleeding.

“
I will not lose you,” he cried. “Not
now.”

Gewey closed his eyes and let the flow rage
through him. Slowly, he allowed it to pass into Kaylia, focusing
his mind on her injury. At first he wasn't sure anything was
happening, then he felt it. The wound was closing and the flow of
blood lessened to a trickle. He could feel that it was draining
him, making him weaker, but he didn't care. When the wound had
closed completely he stopped and gently turned her over. It was
then he heard Linis approach. The elf paused beside the Vrykol, and
beheaded the mangled body.

“
She lives?” asked Linis, out of
breath.

Gewey nodded, cradling Kaylia in his arms.
“She lives.” Tears were streaming down his face as he stroked her
hair tenderly. “Thank the Gods, she lives.”

Linis knelt beside them. He placed his hand
on Gewey's shoulder and squeezed. “You did well, my friend.”

Nearly ten minutes passed before Kaylia
stirred. Her eyes fluttered open as her hands slid up Gewey's chest
and wrapped around his neck. “I knew you would come,” she
whispered. She pulled him close and embraced him, intensely.

Gewey could feel the bond between them grow
stronger and he allowed himself to be engulfed by their connection.
He hadn't realized how much a part of himself the bond had become
until it was weakened, and now that it had returned he bathed in
the sensation.

Linis stood, his legs still a bit unsteady.
“We cannot stay here.” He looked down at Kaylia. “Can you
travel?”

Kaylia reluctantly released her hold on Gewey
and sat up straight. “I am fine.” She noticed the seeker’s
condition and frowned. “But you are clearly not well.”

Linis smiled. “I will be better once I have
had a chance to rest.” He peered into the forest for a moment. “For
now I can sense no pursuit. But I would have us far from this place
come sundown.”

Gewey listened for signs of anyone nearby. “I
can't sense anything, either. But I think you're right. We should
get as far from here as we can.” He looked over at the body of the
beheaded Vrykol and his face darkened. He stood, helping Kaylia to
her feet.

“
No need to coddle me,” she scolded,
playfully. “From the look of you two, I am by far in the best
condition.” Without another word she strode away north.

“
I take it you will lead,” remarked
Linis.

Kaylia glanced over her shoulder. “I know
these lands very well. Maybe even as well as you, seeker. My
captors wasted their time if they thought to confuse me.”

A wave of anger shot through her bond with
Gewey when she mentioned her captivity. Gewey felt a sudden urge to
hunt them all down and make them pay, but quickly pushed it from
his thoughts. This was not the time.

Kaylia led them skillfully through the forest
until the light of the day waned. By then they had traveled many
miles. Linis had managed to keep pace despite his growing
fatigue.

“
I will scout the area,” said Linis,
when they finally stopped to make camp.

“
No,” said Kaylia, firmly. “You are too
weak. I will see that the area is unwatched.” She turned to Gewey
and took his empty flask from his belt. “There is a stream nearby,
and possibly some herbs. In the meantime we will risk a small fire.
Attend to it, if you please, Gewey.”

Linis tossed her his flask as well. “You may
find jawas roots in these parts, or perhaps yellow silisia
bulbs.”

Kaylia nodded and disappeared into the
brush.

Linis offered to help with the fire, but
Gewey wouldn't allow it.

“
We need you strong again,” said Gewey.
“You must rest. I can build a fire without help.”

Linis smiled and sat down against a nearby
tree. He allowed his eyes to fall shut and his mind to drift.

By the time Kaylia returned, Gewey had a
small fire crackling cheerfully. Linis was still leaning against
the tree, arms folded and eyes closed.

Kaylia handed Gewey his now filled flask and
sat next to him by the fire. “I could not find jawas, but silisia
was plentiful.”

She withdrew a handful of small yellow
flowers from her belt and began tearing them in tiny pieces. The
air filled with a sickly sweet odor that reminded Gewey of plum
brandy, only stronger. Once she was finished she opened Linis'
flask and placed the shredded bulbs inside. Tearing a strip of
cloth from her sleeve she tied the flask to a long twig and held it
over the fire. “It’s not as good as jawas, but it will help.” She
glanced over at Linis. Her expression was grave.

“
What's wrong?” asked Gewey.

“
Nothing,” she replied. “It is just odd
to see someone such as Linis in this state.”

“
He got that way healing me,” explained
Gewey. He recounted the fight with the Vrykol.

“
It is a wonder he was able to make it
this far,” said Kaylia. “Healing of that sort is not easy, and the
cost is great. She touched the back of her head where the sword had
struck, then looked deep into Gewey's eyes. She leaned in and
kissed him gently. “You are powerful to have healed me the way you
did. Such a feat would have incapacitated even the strongest
elf.”

Gewey was flushed and his heart pounded. He
could feel the warmth of her lips even when they were no longer on
his. It took him a minute to speak. “I honestly don't know how I
did it. Since we left the spirit world, it's like I understand the
flow in my heart...but I still can't understand it in my mind.” His
thoughts turned to how the Vrykol was able to block his abilities.
“There's too much I don't understand.” He waved it off and smiled.
“I wasn't able to reach out to you when the elves held you. I think
somehow the Vrykol was responsible, but....” he shook his head and
took Kaylia's hands. “Tell me what happened.”

Kaylia told him about her time in captivity.
When she was done, she dropped the flask next to the fire and
kissed Gewey again, this time long and deep.

“
What was that for?” he
stammered.

Kaylia smiled. “Because I feared I would
never again have the chance. And...” She grabbed Gewey's collar
roughly, and met his eyes. Her smile had vanished. “As we are
bonded, it is my right.”

There was a long pause, then they both burst
out in laughter. Gewey felt as if a weight had been lifted from his
heart. They spent the next hour huddled together in silence,
staring into the fire. Their bond made words unnecessary. Kaylia
finished the tea and left it to cool.

“
It will be ready by daybreak.” said
Kaylia. “Linis should drink most of it, but be certain you have at
least a mouthful.” She lay down on the forest floor. “Strong as you
are, I can tell that healing me took its toll on you.”

Gewey hadn't noticed until that moment how
much his body ached. He lay next to Kaylia and allowed his mind to
drift into hers. He felt closer to her than ever before. A
satisfied smile washed over his face as sleep finally took him.

Chapter 3

As Millet and Dina neared Sharpstone,
Millet's spirits had noticeably lifted. When they were only a mile
from town they spurred their horses to a quick trot. Millet looked
to and fro, taking in familiar sights, grinning happily. Martha
Tredall, one of the village mothers and the wife of Hallis Tredall,
the cooper, was the first person they encountered. Martha was a
short, sturdy woman, with shoulder-length, mouse-brown hair and a
cheerful demeanor. Millet had many past dealings with her and had
built a good rapport with both Martha and her husband, but as soon
as she saw the two riding up, her typical good-natured smile turned
to a sour stare. He took a quick glance at his dusty, stained shirt
and trousers. Once tan, they were blotched with mud, making him
look more like a farmer than a lord. Dina fared a bit better. She
had chosen a dark brown blouse and matching pants, which hid the
dirt from the long road far better.

“
And just where have you been, Master
Millet?” she asked when they were by her side. “Off making trouble
with that Starfinder fellow, I imagine.” She looked back down the
road where they had come. “I see he's not with you. So much the
better. We have enough troubles without the likes of him
around.”

“
Mind what you say, Martha Tredall,”
said Millet. “Lee Starfinder has never given you reason to speak
ill of him. He's given your husband more than his share of
business.”

Martha lowered her eyes. “That he has, true
enough. But that doesn't excuse him for bringing trouble to our
town, now does it?”

“
What trouble?” asked Millet, steadying
his horse.

Martha looked up at Millet. Her eyes were
filled with anger. “Those bloody faithful. They arrived just after
you and Lee made off with young Gewey Stedding.” She lowered her
voice to a whisper. “Gewey's not coming back, is he?”

“
Why do you ask?”

She stepped close. “Because they keep askin'
about him...those faithful, I mean. They've asked everyone in town
if they know where he is.”

“
And what do you tell them?” asked
Millet, suddenly feeling very exposed on the road.

Martha stood up straight and held her head
high. “I don't tell them nothin'. I don't care how much gold they
throw around. Besides, I don't know nothin' anyway. Last I heard he
went north with Lee. Not that I believed a word of it, but that's
what we heard from Lee's servants. From what I heard about those
faithful, they're from up north. I figure if he went that way for
real, they wouldn't be lookin’ for him here.”

Millet thought for a moment. “How many of
these faithful are there?”

Martha shrugged. “Not many. Ten or so. But
they got lots of gold. They make your master look like a beggar.
And they use it, too.

They've practically bought the town. There's
not a shop or farm in Sharpstone that isn't caught up with them
somehow or other.”

“
Where do they stay?” asked
Millet.

“
They built themselves a big house just
north of town. Not far from your master’s place.” She took a step
back and glanced at Dina. “You and your friend might want to stay
away. They ain't hurt no one yet, but they look like they
could.”

Millet's eyes narrowed. “No, my dear. I will
not be staying away.” He looked down the road toward town. “And Lee
Starfinder is no longer master. I am.” He spurred his horse. Dina
followed closely behind.

The way to the manor took them just to the
outskirts of town. The few people they passed on the way stopped
and stared. Some dashed away. When they arrived at the entrance to
one of the many roads that led to the house, Millet slowed his
horse to a walk.

“
I take it this is not the homecoming
you were expecting,” said Dina.

Millet dropped his head and took a deep
breath. “I wasn't certain what to expect. I thought Angrääl might
be watching Sharpstone being that it was Gewey's hometown, but I
didn't expect them to set up a base here.”

“
What are you going to do?”

Millet looked up. Anger burned in his eyes.
“I'm going to kick them out of my town.”

As they approached the house, Millet caught
sight of two servants busy tending the garden. He recognized them
as Barty Inglewood and his son, Randson. Lee had hired them on,
five years ago. Originally from Gath, they were as stout and
dedicated workers as a person could hope to find. Their faces lit
up when they saw Millet.