Shattered Souls (Guardians of the Maiden Book 3)

That evening, Dyna slipped into the mage’s tent. It was quiet inside, muffling the ruckus of voices and wagons being loaded. Dalton jumped up from his seat at the table and rushed forward, nearly tripping over his feet. His dark brown hair stood on end as if he’d been raking his fingers through it for hours.

He looked pale. “Do you have it?”

She nodded. “Are you all right?”

“No. I think I m-might vomit.” He chuckled weakly, his fingers drumming against his staff. “This could end very badly.”

Dyna laughed too, even if her heart was pounding in her chest. “Have faith.”

She wiped her clammy palms on her leg before reaching inside her cloak and pulling out a large, bronze ring holding a set of three matching keys. Each one had a red crystal at the top and sharp ridges. She had already taken hers off the ring.

Dalton’s eyes lit up, and he reached for them. “If someone other than Tarn uses the slaver’s keys, the Crystal Core will alert him. We need to be at the border before removing them.”

She stepped out of his reach and tucked the keys away. “I know.”

He glowered. “We had a deal.”

“We agreed to use our advantages to escape, but I’m not that oblivious, Dal. Where is your father and brother?”

They should be here to discuss any remaining details. But then again they hadn’t been part of the conversation when a plan was formed. Still, she didn’t trust them.

“They are waiting for us at the veil,” Dalton exasperated. “It wouldn’t be discreet if all four of us went at the same time.”

Dyna searched Dalton’s face for any sign of treachery, but he genuinely looked nervous and excited to be free. “I will hold onto the keys to your freedom until you give me mine. I also want my journal back.”

His glower turned into a sly smirk. “You’re becoming more demanding. I like it.”

Dyna rolled her eyes and followed him to his father’s cluttered desk. He plucked the journal off the top of a stack of books and handed it to her.

“We wouldn’t have any use for it anyway.”

Since they couldn’t open it without her. Dyna tucked Azeran’s journal safely into her enchanted satchel. She had recovered that from Yavi’s tent earlier. Thanks to the stardust, she filled with food, water, medicine, and as many essentials as she needed for travel, but their tent showed no signs of packing up.

“What of your other things? Will you not pack?”

“It would only weigh us down.” He looked around and his brow tightened. “There is nothing we want from this place. Besides, it would be best if it didn’t look like we were planning an escape if we fail.”

Dyna sent a prayer to the God of Urn that they wouldn’t.

She glanced back at the desk. “Then if you don’t want them, can I have the book you mentioned to me last night? The one on cognition magic.”

He shrugged. “Sure, take it. I don’t need it anymore. I’ve long since memorized its pages. Planning on meddling with someone’s mind?” he asked as she sorted through the tomes.

Only her own. She wanted to learn more magic but she was curious about the barrier placed on her. If she learned cognition magic, she may figure out how to remove it.

“Thought it might be an interesting subject to study.” Dyna spotted a small leather bound book with the title Cognitive Arts. She threw a quick glance at the other trinkets and found what she was truly looking for. The arrowhead with the hindrance rune carved on it. “Ah, here it is.”

Snatching up the book, she feigned accidently knocking over the stack. They bumped into the glass bottles full of powders and potions, sending them crashing to the floor.

“Oh, I’m sorry about that.” Dyna rushed to clean up the glass but Dalton waved her away.

“No worries, I got it.”

While he was distracted, she tucked the arrowhead in her pocket. That morning, she had searched Tarn’s tent for the dissipation arrowhead that broke spells but never found it. He probably kept it on his person, so this was her back up plan.

Once Dalton had dissolved what remained of the bottles to sand, he stood. “There.”

“Ready?” she asked him.

He rubbed the back of his neck and his throat bobbed. “I believe so. Everyone else knows what to do?”

“Yes. They will use their keys and run as soon as the veil is down.”

“Gods, we’re truly doing this.”

She patted his arm. “You’re going home, Dal.”

That drew a bright smile on his face. They left the tent and went in opposite directions. Couldn’t risk being seen leaving together. Her pulse drummed in her head with anticipation.

Dyna counted down as she crossed off each phase of her plan.

One…

She walked past the cook’s tent where a wagon was pushed into the entrance. Sorren was busy loading it with familiar barrels. A distinct floral scent floated on the evening wind as she passed by him. They shared a long look and she nodded.

“Hungry?” Sorren asked. He tossed her a small sack without waiting for a reply.

Dyna caught it and kept going. More tents dropped around her as the men continued working. She spotted Geon helping the younger Raiders gather the horses. She handed him a scarf from her satchel as she passed by.

Von came into view where he worked on rolling up the tarp of his tent. Yavi stood behind him, holding onto the reins of a gray horse already packed with bags.

“The Master is waiting for you, lass,” Von said, his gaze meeting hers fleetingly.

She caught his unease. Tarn expected the map. If Von was worried for her, he didn’t need to be. He had no idea what was about to happen.

“I’m headed to him now. Here, I brought you something to eat.” Dyna reached into the sack and handed Yavi a roll of bread.

Yavi’s shaking fingers curled around the roll, cupping it close to her chest. “Thank you.” Her hazel eyes misted and she gave Dyna’s hand a gentle squeeze. Be safe, it said.

“Of course. And take this. It’s cold.” Dyna handed her another scarf and carefully wrapped the thick wool around Yavi’s neck, making sure to cover her nose. She squeezed her hand back. And you.

After sharing a look, they parted ways.

Two…

Dyna waited for a group of passing Raiders to block her from Von’s view, then she pivoted and went east, putting Tarn’s tent behind her. Tremors crawled all over her back as she picked up the pace. Checking that no one was watching her, she dashed into the growing shadows of the sparse forest.

No one gave chase.

A hum of power in the air led her to the three mages waiting by the rippling veil. Her heart pounded as she looked beyond them to the faded realm almost within reach. The distant camp could somewhat be seen through the barren trees

“Did anyone see you come here?” Benton asked. “Were you followed?”

“I wasn’t seen.” She moved so the veil was at her back, putting the mages in front of her.

“Good.” He watched her intently as Clayton moved to his flank. Tension lined their shoulders. “Hand over the keys.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Drop the veil first, and I will toss them to you.”

He scowled, and the crystal in his staff began to glow. Clayton’s followed.

Dalton stared back and forth between his family and her. “What are you doing?”

“What mages always do,” she told him. “They never planned on letting me go.”

“Is that true?”

“She’s paranoid, Dal.” Clayton’s glowing eyes stayed on her as his fingers drummed against his staff. He looked like a cat waiting to spring the moment she blinked. “Dyna thinks everyone is after her.”

“There is no time,” Benton snapped. “Keys, Maiden.”

“Not yet.”

“Not yet? What are you waiting for?”

Dyna smiled.

There was a shout in the distance, and they looked up at the dark smoke swirling above the camp. It had the Raiders coughing and shouting. There was another commotion as a stampede of their horses swarmed the camp. The chaos had all of the men panicking.

Three.

“Catch.” She threw the keys at Dalton.

Snatching the hindrance arrow from her pocket, Dyna slashed it down the veil. The cut glowed silver as it split like a tear. She leaped through and tumbled to the ground. The veil instantly repaired itself—as she hoped. The arrow wasn’t enough to break the powerful spell, but hindered it long enough to give her a chance. Whether it would work had been a gamble and it paid off.

Now everything inside of the veil was dull and faded. She was free. But her chest still ached with the missing bond. The spell placed on her body was still there.

Dalton stared at her in dismay. “Dyna? I thought we were doing this together.”

She looked away from him, and quickly gathered stones. “I’m sorry, Dal. I never said we would leave here together.”

Maybe it was selfish of her, but she had to think of herself now. She had to find Cassiel.

“You treacherous little wench,” Benton coughed, his eyes watering from the toxic smoke. “What is this?”

“The royalrods…” Dalton covered his nose with his sleeve. “She had them set it on fire—”

They started wheezing. Benton cast a dome shield over them and they sucked in clean air.

“It was my contingency plan in case the one we agreed on didn’t follow through. And clearly I needed it.” She looked at Dalton. “Did you know?”

He blinked at her. “N-no, of course not.”

“But you suspected they would try something, didn’t you?” At the lowering of his gaze, she scoffed. “I thought you were different, Dal.”

Shame crossed his face. Dyna quickly formed a circle on the ground with the stones, and laid down the open sack inside, revealing a cut of ham. She whispered to it under her breath.

“We had one chance to escape unawares with as much of a head start as possible,” Benton shouted at her. “Now the whole camp is alert!”

“They are momentarily hindered, so you won’t get a better opportunity. You might want to drop the veil, and soon, before you go blind from the fumes, Grand Magus. I did my part in getting you the slaver’s keys. This is where our alliance ends.”

A slithery grin crossed his face. “Did you think you were the only alliance I made?”

The neigh of horses had Dyna whipping around to see armored men riding in from the southeast. The sunset gleamed on their dark blue armor, and on their chest shone the sigil of an interwoven seven pointed star.

Azure Knights.

The veil dropped, and smoke wafted into the open sky. A gust blew it into Dyna’s face, making her cough. The ground thundered beneath the beat of hooves as the knights swarmed the camp.

“You called them here?” she gasped.

“Many want Tarn dead. Including the King of Azure. I made sure they would be waiting,” the old mage said. “You’re right, Dyna. This is the perfect opportunity to wipe out his army. Thank you for inhibiting them.”

The sounds of clashing swords and startled cries rang in the air. Because of her they would be slaughtered!

“You’re coming with us.” Clayton lunged for her.

“Clay!” Dalton yanked him back before a blast of magic hit him.

They all scrambled out of the way as Azulo appeared from the trees with orbs of glowing aqua-blue magic hovering around him, to her utter relief.

“Azulo!” Dyna ran to him but Benton hit her with a blast of his Essence and hauled her back.

“Make your ask, Dyna,” Azulo said urgently. “I can’t take you and stop them at the same time!”

Her heart sank and she shut her eyes. Even if they ran, that would set three mages on her tail and she had no power to fight. “Stop them.”

Azulo’s orbs shifted into massive drakes and they attacked the mages. One landed on Benton and he let her go. Dyna dove out of the way from the boulder Clayton threw. She landed heavily on her stomach.

Dyna gasped at the warmth spark of bond forming in her soul, and she looked down at her bloodied hand. The hindrance rune. It had impaled her palm when she fell. Tears sprang to her eyes as the bond shook with Cassiel’s presence only for it to vanish a second later as the veil on her body reformed itself. The arrowhead couldn’t break the spell.

Azulo crouched defensively in front of her, his shoulders and arms lighting up with spiraling blue symbols. He made a motion with his fingers, and his apparitions turned into roaring dragons that spat fire at them.

Benton countered with three roots that tore out of the ground and beat back the dragons. “Reform the veil!”

His sons clasped his shoulders and the colors of their Essence shot into the sky. A new rippling dome began to form over the camp again with them inside.

Benton sneered. “Run along, little girl. While you still can.”

The veil reached the ground, and they vanished. There was no sign of the camp, nothing but the quiet plains in the late evening. No sounds of battle, no smells of the smoke, no sign whatsoever of the Raiders or knights. To the point, her mind couldn’t accept it existed, or that she had escaped such a prison. But she felt Benton’s invisible gaze burning into her skull.

“Thank you,” she told Azulo. “I suppose we’re even now.”

He nodded, glaring where she imagined he could still see the mages. “Yes, but my magic is tied to the sun, Dyna. I can only hold them back until it sets.”

The sun was already sinking into the horizon. They were minutes from nightfall.

“Go. Now!”

Dyna fled.