Ride the Wave

7

Doran ran a hand over his beard. “Many people will be traveling to the city for the festival, especially merchants and performers. If you look convincing enough, they'll let you in without a problem. Trust me, no one will be looking for you. They'll be celebrating life in every way they can.” Doran smirked. “Let's just say a lot of babies are born in Soulspire nine months from now.”

We hammered out the rest of the details as we ate. None of us liked that Doran would be getting Kira out alone, but we couldn't think of a good way to get into the palace ourselves.

Sneaking into the capital proved to be easy though. It had been my idea to buy the cart and pretend to be farmers selling our wares, and as the gates opened and the guards gestured for us to enter, our disguise seemed to be working. Slade snapped the reins and our horses pulled us forward into the city.

I'd been to Soulspire twice before. Once as a young child, which I barely remembered, and a second time when I was older, perhaps about twelve. My father had taken me and my brother Garet with him while he attended to some business with Isen. All I remembered was the gleaming black palace looming over me and the claustrophobic feel of being surrounded by Onyx Army soldiers watching our every move.

Both of those things still existed today, except the city had been transformed from the somber, imposing one of my memories to a chaotic, festive, and colorful splendor. Banners and flags hung from every building, splashing the black architecture with a rainbow of colors. Every street was crowded with people in their finest clothes, wearing intricate masks that covered much of their faces, except their lips—which many used quite generously on each other. Most of the masks resembled animals, while others were decorated with flowers and leaves, all to honor the Spirit Goddess.

As we continued through the city, the crowd made it difficult to maneuver the cart toward the location of the sewer entrance. Alcohol and food flowed freely, music burst out of packed taverns and cafes, and people danced and threw confetti in the streets. Others were sharing kisses or locked in intimate embraces, their hands wandering under skirts and inside trousers, and I could see what Doran meant by it getting a little wild today.

A longing for Kira tugged at my soul, but when I reached for her through our bond, I still found nothing. I hadn't realized how vital feeling her in the back of my mind had become, but now it was as if a piece of myself was missing. I couldn’t sense Jasin or Slade either, not without Kira acting as the bridge between us, but at least they were here beside me.

“I think this is it.” Slade stopped the cart outside some stone steps that led down to an arched metal door. A guard stood in front of the sewer entrance, wearing the scaled black armor and winged helmet of the Onyx Army.

I nodded. “It matches the description Doran gave us.”

Jasin quickly knocked out the guard and dragged him through the door, which Slade opened with his magic. Once the guard was tied up, we left him there and continued forward. Jasin created a ball of flame to illuminate the dark tunnel that surrounded us, made of black stone with low domed ceilings that our heads nearly reached. A terrible smell lingered in the air, and we walked through ankle-deep water and Gods only knew what else. The tunnels were old and in some sections the water was deeper, leaving us no choice but to wade through it. I cringed to think of what my clothes would smell like when we got out of the place.

“Where’s Reven when we need him?” Jasin muttered, as we dipped into a waist-high patch of murky water.

Slade pressed his hand against a slimy wall and closed his eyes, using his magic to spread his senses through the earth. “This tunnel leads up to the palace. How far are we supposed to go to meet them?”

“I’m not sure,” I said. “I suppose we should keep walking until we see them.”

Jasin snorted. “If they’re even coming.”

I opened my mouth to reply when I spotted something up ahead. Tiny pinpricks of dim light that looked a lot like a pair of eyes. I immediately reached for my two long knives, which had been a gift from my father.

Jasin made his fire flare brighter, casting light across the tunnel and illuminating six shadowy figures with long claws. They seemed to be made of darkness itself, their bodies disappearing into the gloom where their feet should be, except for those sickly yellow glowing eyes.

“Shades!” I called out, as I reached for my magic and sheathed my blades. Shades were once thought to be myth, but we’d fought them before at the Air Temple and now knew they worked for the Black Dragon. Shades could drain the life of anyone they touched and were immune to most weapons, but magic could hurt them. The Black Dragon must have left them here to stop anyone from entering the palace this way, though it seemed dangerous to have so many in the middle of the capital. Maybe she kept them here in case she ever needed to unleash them across Soulspire.

We all stepped forward and prepared to attack, gathering our magic around us. I tapped into the unseen currents of air that floated around us at all times and sensed the quick breathing of my companions. The air here was damp and polluted with foul smells and toxins, but it still served me.

I slammed the shades with a huge blast of wind, knocking them all into the wall of the tunnel. Slade caused the stone there to grab hold of the shades, imprisoning them while they let out spine-tingling shrieks, and then Jasin incinerated them one by one.

“That was a lot easier than I remember it being at the Air Temple,” Jasin said, as the shades turned to smoke.

I grinned. “We’ve had a lot more practice using our magic and working as a team.”

“Wait,” Slade said, holding out his arm to stop us from moving forward.