The Blood Forest (The Tree of Ages Series Book 3) Read online

  Finn nodded, deep in thought, highly doubting either of the twins were even still alive.

  ANDERS STIFLED A GROAN. His feet were absolutely killing him. Niklas, the Traveler with whom he’d taken up company, never seemed to tire. His tall, spindly form, covered with a shapeless gray cloak, seemed to glide over the rocky ground. The land around them was barren and open, though given the season, it should have still boasted wild heather, and the monotonous hum of insects.

  “The nights have been growing unusually cold,” Niklas commented, startling Anders.

  Anders looked around at the softly rolling hills, gently illuminated by moonlight, surrounding the narrow dirt road they walked. It was cold, almost unbearably so, but the temperature was far down on the list of his worries.

  He pushed his dirty red hair out of his face, long since freed of the braids he’d worn during his time with An Fiach, The Hunt. “I take it the cold is somehow significant to you?”

  Niklas nodded, his bald head gleaming in the light of the moon. His oddly reflective eyes flicked to Anders, then back to the road ahead of them. “Faie magic often leaves a chill in the air. It’s as if the very land they tread upon hangs somewhere between reality and the in-between. It’s always cold where the barriers between the worlds are thin. The changes are happening more quickly than we predicted.”

  Anders knew the we he referred to were the Cèardaman, more commonly called the Travelers. The lore had them labeled as craftsmen, but Anders had come to learn their craft was prophecy, and the keeping of history. They had many gifts, most of which Anders was sure he didn’t understand. Sometimes it felt as if Niklas stared into his very soul, yet the Traveler for some reason still required his aid to access his family’s Archives. The Travelers could not be all-knowing if they were in need of books written by humans.

  “And what changes did your people predict?” Anders asked finally.

  Niklas curled his bloodless lips into a grim smile, then restated the prophecy Anders had now heard many times. “The seasons are changing. The lines are faltering, undoing the old and bringing life to the new. Trees will fall, and changed earth will be left in their place. A storm is coming.”

  Anders looked up at the cloud-obscured moon, just as a brilliant streak of lighting cut through the dark sky, illuminating their surroundings for a brief moment. A light drizzle of rain began to fall, but that was the second least of Anders’ worries, right after the cold. The brief flash of lightning had revealed eyes, countless pairs of glowing eyes, watching them from the hills.

  Either Niklas did not notice, or he was not overly concerned. That made one of them.

  They walked on through the night. Anders was constantly aware of the feeling of eyes on him, but nothing ever attacked, likely because of Niklas.

  By morning, Anders’ new primary worries were the painful, grumbling knot of his stomach, and his feet feeling like they might be bleeding within his boots.

  This was the longest they’d traveled with so few breaks, and such little food. In the beginning Niklas seemed at least a little interested in keeping Anders alive, but as time wore on, he became increasingly obsessed with their goal.

  Though Anders was dreading reaching the Archive and attempting to enter with a Traveler at his side, he breathed a sigh of relief as the ornate fortress came into view in the early morning light. The golden hue of the expansive central building, domelike in shape, seemed to shimmer in the thin, cool air. Surrounding it were the lodgings, other communal buildings where many scholars spent their entire lives, and multiple long wings housing countless books and other recordings. In fact, the Archive could be considered a city unto itself, for the people within had all they needed to survive.

  While the spired gates around the complex had at one time brought Anders comfort, making him feel safe, now the sight was daunting. Positioned above and around the gates were numerous Archive Guards, supplied by the Gray City, Sormyr. Anders would only need his parents to verify his identity to pass through the gates. Niklas was another story.

  Unfortunately, Anders could not simply enter and retrieve the tomes Niklas desired. The Traveler claimed he would need to be there to identify each book, and Anders would not be allowed to take them outside of the Archive.

  Suddenly Niklas halted, still far enough from the Archive that the guards would not be overly concerned with their presence. “We will wait here,” he explained. “Make camp and a meal if you must, but be prepared. We await the right moment.”

  “Is something going to happen?” Anders gasped, wondering if Niklas’ people had interpreted a portion of the future involving his family’s Archive.

  Niklas nodded. “Yes, and you will be needed. Prepare to be important, for once in your life.”

  Anders sighed, surprised that the insult didn’t even sting. He’d let enough people down, and had been let down in return, that his pride was a thing of the past. While he wouldn’t mind regaining a measure of importance, he did not trust the grim cast to Niklas’ features. Important men could be either heroes, or villains.

  Anders wondered which one he was about to be.

  CHAPTER THREE

  F inn sat up with a yawn. She stretched her arms over her head, reluctantly letting the cool air hit her upper body. She wanted nothing more than to retreat back into her bedroll, but after the events of the night, she knew they should not linger away from the road.

  She yawned again. She and Iseult had taken first watch, while Kai, Anna, and Sativola had taken the second. Maarav and Ealasaid hadn’t been allowed to participate in standing guard, since they seemed unable to pull free of the Faie spell. Sitting up fully, she searched around for the pair. She didn’t see Maarav, but her eyes eventually found Ealasaid, sitting near the fire with a morose expression. Ah, it seemed the spell had broken.

  Finn wiggled the rest of the way out of her bedding and stood, plucking her cloak from the pile to wrap around her shoulders. She walked toward the fire, then took a seat beside Ealasaid on a portion of tree trunk.

  “I’m such a fool,” Ealasaid muttered, leaning forward to bury her head in her hands.

  Finn glanced around again for Maarav, but saw only Iseult and Anna tending to the horses and fixing a cold meal, respectively. Naoki circled Iseult’s feet, chirping up at him, and he’d occasionally toss something down to her, likely a small scrap of meat judging by how quickly she gobbled each morsel.

  Finn turned back to Ealasaid. “Where are the others?”

  Meeting her questioning gaze, Ealasaid explained, “He went off with Kai and Sativola to search for the other men.”

  She smiled softly. “He being Maarav, I assume?”

  Ealasaid nodded, then reburied her face. “He wasn’t even embarrassed,” she groaned. “We woke up this morning in each other’s arms, and he gave me a kiss on the cheek and thanked me for the entertaining evening.”

  “You didn’t-” Finn cut herself off, searching her mind for a tactful way of asking what she was thinking. “You didn’t entertain him too much, did you?”

  Ealasaid snorted and lifted her head. “No, thank the gods. Just kissing. Lots, and lots of kissing.” Down her head went back into her palms.

  Finn patted her back. “Try not to worry too much about it. You are not the only one in our party who’s been affected by Faie tricks. Once I ran off into the woods on my own, putting all of my companions in danger, and while we were sailing, Kai nearly flung himself into the ocean to reach the Sirens.”

  Ealasaid groaned, but finally revealed her face and smiled. “You’re right. It was a spell and not really me. I just wish Maarav had shared in my embarrassment, at least a little.”

  Finn returned her smile. “Come now, he’s probably just feeling down that you no longer wanted to rest in his arms come morning.”

  Ealasaid smiled a little wider, then Anna approached and handed them each a slice of bread topped with white cheese. She looked like she wanted to say something, then Sativola came crashing out of the trees, follo
wed by Kai, Maarav, Tavish, and Rae, the latter two with their eyes downcast and a bit of blood on their clothing.

  Iseult approached the men with Naoki in tow. “Where are the others?”

  Tavish and Rae both kept their eyes downcast.

  Suddenly feeling wary, Finn remained on her seat next to Ealasaid, several paces away from the men. She took a bite of her bread and cheese, chewing slowly.

  “They were all swept up in a Faie spell,” Maarav explained for his men. “The others did not survive. We buried them as best we could.”

  “What?” Anna growled, charging up to the remorseful men like an angry wolf. “You killed my crew?”

  Rae was the first to meet her eyes. “They would have killed us otherwise.”

  “And how do we know that,” she snapped.

  “You do not,” Rae replied, standing his ground. “Which is why Tavish and I will take our leave of you.”

  “No, you will not,” Maarav interrupted, his tone not welcoming arguments.

  Anna turned her glare to Maarav, while Rae’s expression remained impassive.

  “You swore to accompany me until my mission is complete, or until I release you from service,” Maarav explained, his gaze firmly on Rae and Tavish, “and you know full well what it would mean if you were to go back on that oath.”

  Naoki trotted over to Finn and buried her beak against the leg of her breeches, as if unsettled by the sudden tension. Finn stroked the dragon’s head with her free hand, her gaze remaining on the arguing men. She had a feeling there was more meaning to Maarav’s words than she was able to divine. Perhaps some secretive law pertaining to the hidden city up North?

  Casting a final glare at Anna, Rae met Maarav’s gaze. “I will abide by the rules.”

  Finn glanced at Iseult to see if he understood any more of this conversation than she did. Though his expression gave away little, he was watching his brother like a hawk. Perhaps he trusted Maarav as much as she, which was little.

  “Get cleaned up,” Maarav ordered the two men, then turned toward his bedroll and supplies, effectively ending the argument.

  Anna gave Rae and Tavish another hard look, and neither seemed to miss how her hands hovered near her daggers. They all stared at each other a moment more, then Anna turned away with a huff.

  Finn took another bite of her hard bread and cheese, then turned to Ealasaid, silently asking her what she thought. Ealasaid shrugged, then stuffed the rest of her bread in her mouth, stood, and walked away, decidedly keeping her distance from Maarav.

  Finn’s small meal settled like a hard lump in her stomach. After what they’d seen in Migris, she knew the risk of death for her party was high, but she hadn’t expected the first two men to go like that.

  She lifted her gaze as Kai approached and took Ealasaid’s vacated seat. “At least none of us killed each other in the Blood Forest,” he muttered.

  She nodded, then gave him a thoughtful look.

  He raised his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t about to tease you about running off that day, I swear.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not that, I’m simply wondering why you were affected by the Sirens, but not the Faie of the Blood Forest, or the ones last night. And I’m wondering why Iseult is never affected at all.”

  Kai frowned. “Well Iseult, I suspect, has a heart made of black iron, warding the Faie away. And perhaps I was only entranced by the Siren’s because. . . ” he trailed off, pondering his answer.

  “Because you’re desperate for female attention?” Anna asked, walking up behind him. She handed him a piece of bread and cheese, just like she’d given Finn, then gazed toward where Maarav, Tavish, and Rae had moved to converse, out of hearing range. Sativola walked up beside Anna.

  “I think it would be wise for us to look after each other’s well being,” Anna advised, her voice low. “I’ll watch your backs, if you’ll watch mine.”

  “Deal,” Finn and Kai said in unison, while Sativola said, “Aye.”

  Finn met Iseult’s gaze from where he stood by the horses. He gave her a subtle nod. They would all need to look out for each other.

  Soon everyone gathered together to depart, a pall of heavy silence surrounding them. Rae and Tavish watched everyone but Maarav warily, as if realizing they were no longer entirely welcome.

  Finn could only hope they would choose to leave on their own, along with Maarav, lest anyone else end up in a shallow grave in the woods.

  ISEULT FELT little relief at being back on the Sand Road. Finn walked beside him, completely unharmed by the previous night’s events, yet he couldn’t help but think how easily she could have been the one on the wrong side of a Faie enchantment. If Rae and Tavish had harmed her instead of the other men . . . well, Rae and Tavish would not longer be in existence.

  Maarav walked ahead with the two men in question, while Anna, Kai, Sativola, and Ealasaid walked a few paces behind, leading the two horses. Iseult was glad Ealasaid had come to her senses, and seemed to want to be as far from Maarav as possible. At least she was fazed by the events of the night. Maarav couldn’t seem to care less about any of it, including the deaths.

  Iseult knew Maarav had been trained from a very young age to be a killer, and Rae and Tavish were likely the same. He also suspected there was some sort of hierarchy within their secret city that caused them to defer to Maarav’s wishes, as the two men clearly would have branched off on their own otherwise.

  Iseult would gladly encourage their departure, along with Maarav. The others, well, Finn had made Anna a promise, allowing her to accompany them on their journey, and that apparently meant Kai as well, and he knew Ealasaid had nowhere else to go, but the other crewman . . . he felt they would be better off without them, now that they were no longer in need of a ship and crew. Still, it seemed ignoble to force them off on their own after what they’d seen in Migris. There was safety in numbers, as long as you weren’t betrayed by your own.

  Finn sighed beside him. Iseult thought for a moment she was sharing his thoughts, until she asked, “Where do you think Àed is? Do you think he could have been in Migris when . . . ” she trailed off, then bit her lip. Her eyes suddenly welled with tears.

  “The old man is far too clever to have gotten caught up in that,” he comforted, believing his words. “I’m sure he’s tracking us as we speak.”

  She looked to him hopefully. “Do you think he’ll be able to find us, even if we make it all the way back to Garenoch?”

  He nodded. “He was able to track you across great distances before. I would not worry.”

  She smiled, and seemed to relax. Naoki, trotted by her side, free of her cloak for now, though Finn kept it ready in her arms should they happen upon another caravan.

  “About what happened in Migris-” she hesitated.

  “You seemed to remember something at the Grogoch’s mention of elementals,” he observed.

  She nodded. “Not a memory exactly, but a feeling. Something to do with them in my . . . previous life.”

  “That memory wouldn’t have anything to do with how to fight them?” he asked hopefully.

  She shook her head. “They cannot be fought. They are pure embodiments of elements, fire, water, wind, fueled by earth magic. I think perhaps the Dair can control them to an extent, since they control nature.”

  He went silent, pondering her words. He wondered if perhaps her roots were a form of elemental magic, or if the roots were elementals themselves, animate all on their own. Perhaps they chose to come to her call. He decided against speaking his speculations, not wanting to add to her list of memories to search for.

  Gazing at the men walking ahead of them far out of earshot, she whispered suddenly, “Do you think we can trust them?”

  “No,” he replied simply.

  “But he’s your brother,” she argued quietly. “Do you believe he will betray us?”

  “I cannot say,” he sighed. “We had not seen each other since we were small children. I have no way of knowing what sort
of man he’s become, and I do not trust the place he and his men came from. I do not trust how he happened upon you in Migris, nor his reasons for standing idly by when Anna kidnapped you.”

  “I’m glad you said that,” Finn muttered. “I feared I was the only one to feel that way.”

  Iseult glanced over his shoulder at those walking behind them. He supposed they might be close enough to catch a few words of their conversation, but found he was not entirely opposed to the idea. Though it would be difficult for him, it would be best for he and Finn to foster trust with Kai and Anna. He disliked Kai, but the knave would undoubtedly protect Finn. He’d proven that much, at least, but Anna was another story. Yet, while her motivations revolved entirely around herself, and hence she could not be fully trusted, if she believed she was trusted, then managing her would be easier.

  Still, he preferred the pair, and even their remaining crewman, to Maarav and the others.

  “You are not the only one,” Iseult assured, turning his gaze back to her. “I would never have taken up company with him to begin with, except I needed a ship to reach you, and he offered his.”

  “And why does he travel with us still?” she questioned softly. “Surely he has better things to do.”

  Iseult smiled softly at her. “You must remember, he is of my blood, so he is just as cursed as I. He does not seem motivated by vengeance, but there is no way to tell for sure. He recognized you when he first saw you, and could have harmed you then, but did not. He either follows out of curiosity, or his hopes are the same as mine.”

  “To remove the curse from your bloodline,” she muttered.

  “Yes,” he answered, “but the place he comes from may have altered his perceptions. Perhaps he has darker motivations unbeknownst to me.”

  Finn sighed. “I’m just glad this will all be over soon. All we need to do is reach my meadow.”