Of Warriors and Wisdom

Chapter 2

2

Dane stepped next to Zander. The wind whipped their hair, slicing like a blade’s edge against their faces and bare arms. The only ones on this section of the wall that surrounded Roanoak Castle, they both stared hard at the northern horizon.

Zander broke the silence. “How’s Raven?”

“Fanatically amazing,” Dane answered.

The corners of Zander’s mouth tipped up in the beginnings of a smile. “Congratulations. Again.”

Dane’s gaze touched on his brother’s profile, then shifted up to the sky. It was clear, two moonrisings since he and Raven gave their vows, and the first time since that he had left their chamber.

“I sense nothing,” Dane said.

“No,” Zander agreed.

“Do you get anything? Or are you trying to shield me from something dire?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Zander shook his head. “They are too far. I feel nothing. It concerns me more now than it has in the past, with all the places Rhys has traveled. I know not if he has reached Baltura’s camp, if he and Kiera have been captured, if they have begun to return. It’s… disconcerting.”

“Why now?” Dane asked, curious. “The Curse has been manifesting for twenty-four years.”

“But this is the first time we’ve pursued him, well, one of his mercenaries. With all the Others found, this is the beginning of the end. So, I’m concerned.”

“I won’t risk sending anyone after him.”

Dane’s voice was so soft, Zander strained to hear it over the wind.

“I know.”

“And if he or Kiera are hurt, or worse, then we’ve already lost the battle.”

Zander tipped his head to the side in thought. “We’ve always believed that if one or more of us were captured or killed, then Baltura will be victorious by default. What if the Curse isn’t broken, but we’re still able to defeat him?”

Dane’s gaze sharpened on his blonde brother. “What do you mean?”

“The Curse states that all of us, and our seven Others, would be needed if we are to break the hex and be prosperous once more.”

“Yes,” Dane agreed, not comfortable with where his brother was headed.

“If we can defeat him, even though we are less than all, the land and those who live on it, win.”

“The Curse won’t be broken.”

“What Curse would there be if Baltura were dead?”

Dane opened, then closed his mouth. After a moment, he swore. Despite all their research for a way to break the hex, they hadn’t considered ending Nyla’s descendant bastard at the cost of one or more Roanoak lives.

“This may be possible. We’re unsure as to whether we, all of us, can defeat him, so less than all would take serious consideration.”

Zander glanced at Dane, having given up, for the moment, his intention of reaching Rhys, and said, “If this is possible, you don’t have to be obsessive about protecting all of us. If one of us falls in our attempt together, there could still be hope with those who remain.”

Dane glanced up at the sky, his brain refusing to contemplate a future without his brothers and their Others, then turned and left Zander alone on the parapet.

Though he guessed there never had been, nor ever would be, complete peace and normalcy in Roanoak, Darius sipped his tankard of mead and stared into the red-gray coals of the hearth fire in the Great Hall. After the early meal, his brothers and the Others had dispersed to complete duties and discover the location of various items regarding battle tactics and items recovered from the fight with Baltura. A few had wandered back for nourishment, talked amongst themselves, or inquired after the whereabouts of people and equipment. All the while, Darius sat in one of the armchairs set back from the table, listening and observing. If he knew where a misplaced item lay, he would retrieve it and set it on the table for the searcher to find. Except for Sofia and Dane, most paid him no heed. That was fine, as it allowed him to gather information without being distracted by someone wanting something from him.

Because he was second eldest, Dane kept him apprised of pertinent events and recent developments. Should anything befall Dane, Darius would lead the Roanoaks. He neither envied Dane nor despised the possibility. It had been a fact of his life, like his ability and his six siblings.

Though he had done nothing to cause hunger to rumble in his belly as the sun reached its zenith, Sofia brought him a plate of bread and smoked fish, then refilled his tankard. She hesitated in leaving, yet there was no place for her to sit. He considered offering her his thigh, but unsure of her reaction, said nothing. Sofia, Gabrielle, and Raven had talked quietly, then left together, still chatting like a group of magpies.

It was now close to last meal, and Zander touched his mind.

Are you still in the Hall?

Yes.

I’ll be there soon.

Darius sighed, realized his tankard was again empty, and his a*s had gone numb. Rising from the chair, he stretched, then ambled to the table and set down his tankard. At the sound of whispering feminine voices, he moved closer to the stairs, then tipped his head up to peer into the shadows of the second level, as sconces had yet to be lit. Not all the words made it to his ears. Rhys was the only Roanoak with that ability. What he did hear resulted in a confused frown.

“I assure you, it is nothing you have done or not done. Since we’ve arrived, there hasn’t been a day where any type of routine could be established. I’m afraid it will be so until we end Baltura. Do not fret, Sofia. You are Darius’s Other.”

Sofia, wearing a dark green gown, her brown leather boots, and a shawl woven of cream-colored yarn, sighed. “Perhaps you are correct, and I’m being too… female regarding the lack of attention Darius seems to have for me.”

Raven touched Sofia’s arm. “Of all the brothers, Darius is the one with the least experience with women. Or so Dane says. And courting his Other as the Curse approaches its c****x is less than ideal. And yet, were it not for the Curse, you wouldn’t have been abducted, or chose to project yourself here so you could be rescued. It’s far from ideal circumstances for courtship, but maybe that is part of this whole maddening mess. Have faith. He’ll figure it out.”

Sofia nodded and offered Raven a small smile.

Assured the other woman would be all right, Raven descended the stairs to see to the kitchen’s preparation for the late meal.

Darius turned his back to the stairs and was grateful when Zander entered the Hall. Zander nodded once at Raven as she passed, calling out a greeting. A quick glance to the second floor confirmed Sofia wouldn’t be joining them soon, so Darius sighed and shifted his attention to Zander.

It had been two moonrisings since her exchange of vows with Dane, and this was the first time either of them had been out of their bedchamber. If Rhys had been present, Zander imagined the youngest Roanoak speaking a quip, not to Raven, but to one of his brothers that the Princess of Pharloe was moving remarkably well for having been newlywed. The thought brought a brief smile, then increased his concern. Upon reaching the second eldest, Zander studied Darius’s face. The amount of mead consumed hadn’t affected his older brother.

Predicting the question, Zander said, “The answer is no, I’ve not been able to reach Rhys. My connection with Kiera is nearly insubstantial, having touched her mind so briefly. And yes, my worry grows.”

“Your connection to us and the rest who live in the castle has been strengthened over time. Perhaps the Others will grant you access, and you can begin communicating telepathically. Not that any of us plans for it, but we could become separated, and a familiar mental path would be helpful.”

Zander nodded. “I think that is something to consider. So far, the links I’ve established with Raven and Adele differ from the one I share with Soren.”

“She is your Other, so your shared connection is expected to be… more, private, unique.”

One blonde brow rose. Because Darius kept himself in the background, it was easy to forget how intelligent, how much information, how much power he wielded. Darius couldn’t teleport to Rhys’s location, as none of them knew where the youngest was. Even Sofia couldn’t project. The amount of energy needed was immense, so unless there was a town or landform, she could wander the countryside and never find Rhys and Kiera.

“I have an idea,” Zander began.

When he finished his explanation, Darius wore a frown. His large arms crossed over his wide chest, his mind considering the many angles.

“Dane is in his study, buried under petitions from villagers and lists of supplies needed for the castle. If this works, we can send aide in whatever form necessary.”

“He will feel the surge of power,” Darius said.

Zander shrugged. “He needs to understand and accept that we can protect ourselves, and if we don’t utilize our abilities in every way possible, that bastard could still win.”

Darius remained quiet, his thoughts turning and realigning. Finally, he said, “All right.”

Immediately reaching out to Gavin and Anson, Zander asked that they meet him in the library. Through his link with Gavin, rather than connecting with his brother’s Other, Zander requested Adele join them. Since he was the first to enter the darkened room, lit only by a single candle, he gathered more from a nearby shelf and distributed them on the smaller tables next to the chairs arranged to offer comfortable spaces in which to read. After placing the last candle, they began to light. He recognized the familiar energy of Anson.

Turning, Zander said, “Thank you.”

Standing next to Anson, Lila, his Other and a healer, offered a small smile. “I hope to be just an observer. But if I’m needed, it will save time in sending for me.”

Gavin and Adele arrived next. Between his palms, Gavin carried a wide, shallow bowl half-filled with water. His Other, Adele, paused in the doorway, her usual quiver and bow absent. A short sword hung from her left hip.

Anson had moved the chairs into a semicircle, a small table in front of one. Gavin sat and rested his scrying bowl on the table. From his pocket, he withdrew Rhys’s ring.

Zander silently approved of Adele’s protective stance behind Gavin.

“How do you foresee your idea?” Gavin asked Zander.

“I want you to scry specifically for Rhys. Once you have begun, I’ll add my power to yours.”

Gavin nodded.

“Should you see him, Anson will cast a location spell.”

“But if they’re several moonrisings to the north, what good is their location unless they are in Baltura’s camp? Even then, to reach them would take more time than they might have,” Anson said.

Zander glanced over his shoulder at Darius and Sofia as they entered the library. “We won’t need to go, but Darius or Sofia can.”

All eyes turned to the couple.

“Sit,” Zander suggested.

“Dane?” Darius raised a brow as his gaze touched on his brothers and Adele and Lila.

“It’s why I asked Gavin to bring Adele. She’s armed and will keep Dane from interfering,” Zander explained.

Sofia withdrew the dagger at her waist and crossed to stand with Adele. She looked at Zander and said, “If Darius cannot teleport, I can project. I won’t use any of my power until then.”

“Does geographical distance matter with your ability?” Zander asked, studying Sofia but noticing Darius’s alert reaction.

She nodded. “Yes. Like your talent, the further away my projection is from my physical form the less substantial it is, and the more strength it takes for me to sustain it.”

“You can’t be injured in that projection, can you?” Anson asked with concern.

Sofia glanced at Darius, then to Anson she said, “Not with a sword or net. The right spell could, perhaps, trap me on the astral plane. And, of course, my physical body is vulnerable.”

Darius’s nostrils flared in worry, but he kept silent.

Adele and Sofia remained standing while Darius, Zander, and Anson sat in the chairs. Moving to the doorway, Sofia glanced in both directions down the hall, then closed the door. Remaining there, she heard a click and caught Anson’s wry smile.

“It won’t keep Dane out, but it will slow him down. Please,” Anson’s words and gaze included Adele, “don’t hurt the old brute. He really does want us all safe, despite knowing that to break the Curse there will be danger and unpredictable circumstances.”

Adele and Sofia shared a look, agreeing with Anson, but also deciding to do what was necessary to protect those in the room while they engaged in this unprecedented attempt to locate Rhys.

With his brothers’ eyes on him, Gavin took a breath, then dropped the ring into the bowl of water. He whispered words, passed his palm over the surface, and waited. The water clouded, then a black fracture appeared, spreading out from the ring.

Zander didn’t hesitate. He drew up his power and linked with Gavin, then felt Darius and Anson’s energy rise. Watching inside Gavin’s mind as the black line formed something like the pattern of a spider’s web, he recognized Gavin’s concern. Their combined power began to vibrate in the air. Through Gavin’s link with Kaden, he heard the other twin’s questions sent along the familial mental path. In that same instant, he felt Dane’s curiosity rise, and the probing thought sent directly to him.

Cursing softly, Zander said aloud, “Dane is alerted.”

Anson recited the words of a location spell, leaving off Rhys’s name, holding his hand at the ready to cast.

Though Gavin peered into the bowl, his body posture telling Zander he saw a scene, all Zander observed was a still bowl of water.

Sofia stiffened when someone on the other side of the door began banging after finding the knob locked.

“Now,” Gavin said.

Anson released his power, sending the spell to lock on whatever scene played out in the scrying bowl.

Turning to face the door, Sofia shifted the dagger in her hand. The banging had temporarily stopped as Dane’s angry voice was answered by a calm female one. Raven, Sofia thought. She glanced over her shoulder, saw that Darius was barely sitting on the edge of the chair, his gaze on her, while the other three brothers stared at the bowl.