The Godling Chronicles (Shadow of the Gods, Book #3) (43 page)

Gewey scurried to his feet and charged in.
The Vrykol slashed hard at Aaliyah, and in a split second he
reached inside his cloak. Just as Gewey was about to be in striking
distance, the creature threw something to the ground at Gewey's
feet. The earth burst into flame, and Gewey slid to a halt. He
heard soldiers approaching from either side. Quickly, he threw the
earth beneath the fire upward and to his left, then leaped over the
gouge in the ground. Aaliyah was being pushed back, as the Vrykol
attacked, furiously. Gewey slashed at its leg, cutting deep, and
sent it stumbling back. Aaliyah slashed at its neck, but it lifted
its sword deflecting the blade. In a flash, it brought its fist
across Aaliyah's jaw, sending her sprawling.

The Vrykol turned to Gewey, and thrust his
blade at his gullet. Gewey twisted and countered, opening the
Vrykol's chest. It fell back stabbing wildly.

Just then the first patrol of soldiers
arrived. Aaliyah recovered her feet and brought her knife across
the first soldier’s neck. She spun around gutting another. A blast
of wind threw the center of the patrol forced them back, as she
attacked the left side, cutting down two men with a single
stroke.

Gewey pressed the Vrykol hard. The flow
swelled inside him made even stronger by his sword. With all his
strength he swung the blade at the beast’s neck. The Vrykol tried
to block the blow but its blade shattered and its head rolled from
its shoulders. Gewey turned to the soldiers, Aaliyah was blasting
them back with bolts of air as she carved her way through their
ranks.

He could hear more soldiers approaching from
the south. The flames from the Vrykol attack were beginning to
spread to the dry leaves and twigs that lined the forest floor. “No
use hiding anymore,” he thought. He created a wall of flame,
splitting the soldiers in two, and pushing them back. Only two men
were on the other side, in front of Aaliyah. Fear struck their
hearts, and they dropped their weapons and fled. Gewey had already
surrounded the others. He tightened the ring of flame, as he had
done to the Soufis. The soldiers began to scream and cry.

“
Kill them or let them go,” yelled
Aaliyah.

Gewey realized he was allowing the wall to
creep in slowly, squeezing the men together. Hatred and anger were
filling his spirit. He wanted them dead. He wanted to watch them
burn. Then, with great effort, he let the flame die. “Run if you
want to live!”

The soldiers dropped their swords and ran
away. The other soldiers had just come into view. Gewey turned to
face them. A column of fire burst to life above his head. Shouts of
terror filled the air as the second patrol fled as well.

“
Your powers are growing,” said
Aaliyah. “You could have easily bested ten times as
many.”

Gewey glanced down at the dead Vrykol. Not
powerful enough, he thought. Not yet. They ran off into the night
at a full run. The flow raged....but it felt different. More
intense. He smiled as he wound his way through the forest. The name
Darshan echoed in his mind.

Chapter 29

King Halmara paced in front of the jeweled
throne of his forefathers, glancing angrily at the door every time
he turned. The throne room was cold and empty, and rarely used. For
generations the well-being of his kingdom was navigated from the
king’s office, and the council chambers. This room was for
receiving honored guests, and nothing more. The walls bore the
banners of the twelve kingdoms, with the eagle and fish symbol of
Skalhalis hanging proudly above the throne. His family had ruled
for more than four hundred years. Now folly could end everything.
Lord Sialo sat in a plush chair to the right side of the throne,
watching the king carefully.

“
You should relax, your highness,” said
Sialo. “Things are going according to plan.”

Halmara stopped and turned on Sialo. “Is that
so? In what way was the poisoning of King Lousis, part of the
plan?”

“
I told you that I had nothing to do
with it,” said Sialo. “It was Yanti that gave the
order.”

“
Then Yanti is a fool,” he roared. “And
when I see him—“

The door flew open. Yanti strode in
confidently. “You will do what?” He laughed. “My good king, nothing
has been done that wasn't according to my design.”

Halmara snarled. “Your idiocy has ensured
that the other kingdoms will surely align against me. They probably
gather as we speak.”

Yanti stopped. His eyes grew dark and
threatening. “Mind your tongue...highness, or you may find your
long reign become a fleeting moment. I have enough soldiers to
crush Althetas. They cannot muster enough of a force in time to
stop us.”

“
I will not be intimidated by you.”
Halmara's voice wavered.

“
I do not try to intimidate,” said
Yanti. “I only want you to know your situation. You are a vassal of
Angrääl, and will bend to the will of the Reborn King. And his
will, is what I tell you it is.” He leveled his eyes. “Are we clear
about this, your highness?”

Halmara felt as if his breath had been taken
away. He fell back onto his throne and slumped down, defeated. “I
still think it was a mistake to poison King Lousis.”

“
I'm truly sorry, but that had to be
done,” Yanti explained. “After poisoning my poor dear Salmitaya, it
was an imperative.”

A messenger burst through the door and bowed
low. “I bring news, your highness.” He handed King Halmara a rolled
up piece of parchment. The boy bowed again and hurried away.

Halmara unrolled the parchment and read it
carefully. “It would seem your attempt on King Lousis' life has
failed.”

Yanti smiled, and waved his hand carelessly.
“It matters not. Once the army is assembled and ready we will
attend to that.” He turned to Sialo. “How go the preparations?”

“
On schedule,” he replied. “Will you be
staying?”

“
Of course,” said Yanti. “I have
learned not to leave these events unattended. Now if you will
pardon me, I desire a wash and a fresh set of clothing. Please tell
me this place is civilized enough to possess a shower.”

The king didn't bother to respond. He rose,
led Yanti to the door and instructed the guard to show him to his
chambers.

“
You should be careful, your highness,”
warned Sialo. “The Reborn King puts a great deal of faith in
Yanti's judgment. You should maintain a pleasant relationship with
him.”

King Halmara returned to his throne. He
rubbed his finger along the cushioned chair arms, and wondered how
long he would be allowed to sit here. King Lousis had been right.
But it was too late now.

Chapter 30

Kaylia had been wandering the halls
anxiously. Since Gewey had told her of the ships bound for
Skalhalis, Valshara had been in a panic. Elf and human soldiers had
been arriving for over a week, but so far there were only fifteen
thousand in total, not nearly as many as they needed. The rest
would not arrive for several more weeks.

Selena had been distraught when she heard of
the attempt on King Lousis' life. She knew it was because of
Salmitaya. That he had survived was the only thing that kept her
from flying into a rage.

Riders and fauna birds came three times per
day bringing news from the elf and human nations. The elf elders
had galvanized their people and they were ready to fight, but many
were far away, and it would take time to assemble them.

Nehrutu had ordered his ship to patrol the
coast, but far out of sight, and to only observe and report. Should
enemy ships attempt to invade the Althetan harbor, they would face
skilled navigators more than capable of running ships aground.

Maybell had been escorted to Valshara two
days prior. She was not the unyielding yet witty woman Kaylia
remembered. And after hearing what had become of Malstisos, she
understood why. The thought of such a noble elf falling prey to
evil made her want to weep. Selena had taken Maybell under her
charge, and kept her close. Kaylia hoped it would help Maybell
become herself again.

Ertik had also arrived. When he told her that
Theopolou left him to speak for the elves, she had burst out
laughing. Only a short time ago, Theopolou had been opposed to
contact with humans, and now he allowed a human to speak for his
people. She wished she could have seen the old elf one last time
before he went north. She feared he may never return.

As she tried to find things to keep herself
occupied she heard cheers coming from the courtyard, and she
hurried to see what it was. Just as she neared the front entrance,
the door flew open, and there stood Gewey, dusty, hair tangled, and
smiling widely. Aaliyah stood just behind him. Gewey dropped his
pack and ran to Kaylia. He lifted her up, crushing her to his
chest. Her heart leaped for joy. She felt as if she never wanted
this moment to end.

Gewey looked into her eyes. “I missed you.”
He kissed her with desperate intensity, as if he were trying to
make up for their time apart in a single moment.

When their lips parted, she was unable to
speak. She grabbed his head roughly, and pulled him to her, and
kissed him again. Only the sounds of applause brought her back to
rights. She smiled up at Gewey. “I have a surprise for you.” She
held out her palm. A tiny ball of flame came to life. It hovered
for a second, then she closed her hand, snuffing it out.

“
Nehrutu has been a good teacher,” said
Gewey, unable to take his eyes off her. “Speaking of Nehrutu, where
is he?”

“
I am here, Shivis Mol.” Nehrutu was
standing in the doorway behind Aaliyah.

Aaliyah spun around. “It is...good to see
you.”

Nehrutu smiled. “It is good to see you as
well.” He stepped closer. “We have much to teach these people,
Aaliyah. But there are also things I have learned from them.” He
grabbed Aaliyah and pulled her close. For a moment he gazed into
her eyes, then kissed her with tender intimacy.

Gewey smiled, suppressing the urge to
laugh.

Aaliyah looked to Gewey and Kaylia, then back
to Nehrutu. “Then we shall face the world as they do. Together as
one.” She pulled away from Nehrutu and walked up to Kaylia. “Please
forgive me. I only acted out of a sense of duty. But Darshan has
shown me that I was mistaken. You are his true mate, and I will
never doubt that again.”

Kaylia took her hands. “There is nothing to
forgive. You were trying to protect your people. I might have done
the same.” She cocked her head to the side as a realization struck
her. “Darshan?”

“
I will tell you all about it,” said
Gewey. “There is much we need to talk about. But right now, I need
to bathe and change.”

Selena approached from the far end of the
hall. “It is good to see the two of you safe. And not a moment too
soon.” She hugged Gewey, then turned to Nehrutu. “Please have Ertik
gather everyone together in the receiving hall in two hours.” She
glanced at Gewey and Kaylia, then smiled. “Make that four hours.
You will forgive me, but I have things to attend to. I am excited
to hear your tale.” She bounded off.

“
That is as happy as I have seen her in
some time,” remarked Kaylia. “But all this for later. For now,
come...” She led Gewey to her chambers.

The room was simple, yet comfortable. A large
oak bed was pushed against the wall in the far left corner, with a
small desk opposite that. Just beside the door stood a polished
maple wardrobe, and a small round dressing table and mirror. One
unique thing Gewey noticed was that the lanterns had been replaced
by elf orbs that hung from the ceiling in each corner.

Gewey set his gear next the wardrobe, with
the exception of the bow given to him by Gerath, and took a seat on
the bed, laying the bow beside him.

“
The wash water will take some time,”
she said. “You can tell me more about your journey until it
comes.”

Gewey grinned happily. The moment Aaliyah had
lifted the block on their bond, he had been so elated that he had
scarcely told her a thing of their journey during their contacts.
He picked up the bow and handed to her.

At once, she looked shocked and stood up,
staring at the weapon in awe. “This is what was in the desert.”

“
Yes,” he replied. “Along with other
things. Now that I've given this to you, only you can use
it.”

“
I know,” she whispered. “I can feel
it.”

“
I wanted to give the staff to
Theopolou,” said Gewey. “Where is he?”

“
Perhaps you can save your tale for
when the others have gathered,” she suggested. “Much has happened
since you have been away.” She recounted the events of the past
several weeks. She had just told him of the poisoning of King
Lousis, when two servants arrived carrying a brass basin filled
with hot water.

The servants left smiling and giggling
impishly at the two. Kaylia stood and offered Gewey her hand. He
took it and allowed her to help him to his feet.

“
Enough talk for now.” Her voice was
soft and seductive. “I have missed my husband.”

Gewey’s heart raced as Kaylia dimmed the
lights. No one would disturb them for some time. Gewey felt as he
did their first night together. He stripped off his travel worn
clothes and tossed them into the corner. Dust flew as they struck
the flagstone floor.

Gewey smiled. “I'm filthy.”

Kaylia retrieved a washrag from the wardrobe.
“Not for long, my love.”

Chapter 31

As they lay in bed, Gewey felt utterly
content. His mind was far from the troubles he was to face, and
obstacles he had overcome. Kaylia smiled sweetly as she lay with
her arm draped over his chest.