“You’re injured. How?”
“The non-magic user has an arc-bow, Your Majesty.”
Matias laughed. “Not quite as useless as I suspected, then. Hold still.” He examined the officer’s arm.
I felt the magic again, as unbelievably powerful as before. A chain around Matias’ neck slipped down his chest a little, and a long, thin blue shard dangled on the end of the chain, exposed. It seemed to glow with its own light and power emanated from it. Before the words finished formulating in my mind I knew what it was.
A sky jewel.
I looked at King Matias again. A magic user, wielding a sky jewel, and using brigands as soldiers, to collect pillaged goods from merchants, and taxes from the commoners.
“Fyrsil.”
The name was out before I could call it back, and Matias’ blue eyes lifted to meet mine, widening with shock. “Adaryn?”
I catapulted myself away from that gaze and threw myself into a dead run, fleeing as if the jaws of the abyss had opened up to seize me. I heard Matias call out to me again, and I pushed myself even faster.
My mind was brought to another memory, of me running from Kingsley. He was one of the most powerful men in Ruis and I had had to run from him, too. I might have laughed if I hadn’t been running for my life.
28
Adaryn
I burst into Bran and Aaric’s room, gasping for air.
“Adaryn!” Bran stood up, his dark eyes smoldering with anger. “Where in blazes did you run off to? You do that again and I will paddle your backside so hard you—”
He cut off as I collapsed on the floor, my energy spent.
“What’s wrong?” The anger evaporated as he scooped me off the floor, laying me on the bed. He pushed me down when I tried to sit up.
“Where’s Aaric?” I breathed.
“We went looking for you, but when we couldn’t find you, he went to the Scholar’s Guild, in the event you showed up there. I came back here.”
“We must go. Now.” I pushed Bran aside and, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, tried to stand. My legs felt wobbly and Bran held me steady as he pushed me to the door.
“Don’t let any of the king’s guards see us,” I warned as we walked down the stairs. Bran didn’t remark on it, only steered me toward the inn’s back door. From there he led me through the stable yard and down a back alley. We didn’t have time to grab our belongings or horses.
After a few minutes I was able to walk without Bran’s assistance and before long, I could move fairly briskly, but he didn’t want to risk running and capture anyone’s attention.
I breathed a sigh of relief once we were inside the Guild.
“Adaryn!” Aaric rushed forward, taking me by the arms. “Heavens, don’t ever do that to me again. If anything had—”
“Aaric,” I said, ignoring Luna who had stepped up behind him. “King Matias is Fyrsil, and he has the sky jewel.” Luna gasped in shock behind me, and Aaric’s grip tightened so it became almost painful. “Are you absolutely sure?”
“Completely. I saw it. His soldiers are masquerading as brigands. He gets to plunder and raise taxes.”
The room became so quiet that a mouse could have been heard had one scampered across the floor.
“Well,” Luna said so suddenly that the rest of us jumped. “That changes things. If you three will come with me, please.”
She turned and walked deeper into the Guild. We followed. Bran looked questioningly at Aaric, who shrugged. He obviously didn’t know what this was for, either.
Luna led us to a couple of wide doors guarded by two men holding arc-bows.
“These three need to speak with the president immediately,” Luna said to them briskly.
They looked at each other for only a moment before nodding and stepping aside, pushing the doors wide for them. We stepped through, Luna still leading us.
An old, gray haired man was seated at a large table, going through an immense stack of papers. He looked up as we entered.
“Good morning, Sirius,” Luna said brightly. “I think
“The non-magic user has an arc-bow, Your Majesty.”
Matias laughed. “Not quite as useless as I suspected, then. Hold still.” He examined the officer’s arm.
I felt the magic again, as unbelievably powerful as before. A chain around Matias’ neck slipped down his chest a little, and a long, thin blue shard dangled on the end of the chain, exposed. It seemed to glow with its own light and power emanated from it. Before the words finished formulating in my mind I knew what it was.
A sky jewel.
I looked at King Matias again. A magic user, wielding a sky jewel, and using brigands as soldiers, to collect pillaged goods from merchants, and taxes from the commoners.
“Fyrsil.”
The name was out before I could call it back, and Matias’ blue eyes lifted to meet mine, widening with shock. “Adaryn?”
I catapulted myself away from that gaze and threw myself into a dead run, fleeing as if the jaws of the abyss had opened up to seize me. I heard Matias call out to me again, and I pushed myself even faster.
My mind was brought to another memory, of me running from Kingsley. He was one of the most powerful men in Ruis and I had had to run from him, too. I might have laughed if I hadn’t been running for my life.
28
Adaryn
I burst into Bran and Aaric’s room, gasping for air.
“Adaryn!” Bran stood up, his dark eyes smoldering with anger. “Where in blazes did you run off to? You do that again and I will paddle your backside so hard you—”
He cut off as I collapsed on the floor, my energy spent.
“What’s wrong?” The anger evaporated as he scooped me off the floor, laying me on the bed. He pushed me down when I tried to sit up.
“Where’s Aaric?” I breathed.
“We went looking for you, but when we couldn’t find you, he went to the Scholar’s Guild, in the event you showed up there. I came back here.”
“We must go. Now.” I pushed Bran aside and, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, tried to stand. My legs felt wobbly and Bran held me steady as he pushed me to the door.
“Don’t let any of the king’s guards see us,” I warned as we walked down the stairs. Bran didn’t remark on it, only steered me toward the inn’s back door. From there he led me through the stable yard and down a back alley. We didn’t have time to grab our belongings or horses.
After a few minutes I was able to walk without Bran’s assistance and before long, I could move fairly briskly, but he didn’t want to risk running and capture anyone’s attention.
I breathed a sigh of relief once we were inside the Guild.
“Adaryn!” Aaric rushed forward, taking me by the arms. “Heavens, don’t ever do that to me again. If anything had—”
“Aaric,” I said, ignoring Luna who had stepped up behind him. “King Matias is Fyrsil, and he has the sky jewel.” Luna gasped in shock behind me, and Aaric’s grip tightened so it became almost painful. “Are you absolutely sure?”
“Completely. I saw it. His soldiers are masquerading as brigands. He gets to plunder and raise taxes.”
The room became so quiet that a mouse could have been heard had one scampered across the floor.
“Well,” Luna said so suddenly that the rest of us jumped. “That changes things. If you three will come with me, please.”
She turned and walked deeper into the Guild. We followed. Bran looked questioningly at Aaric, who shrugged. He obviously didn’t know what this was for, either.
Luna led us to a couple of wide doors guarded by two men holding arc-bows.
“These three need to speak with the president immediately,” Luna said to them briskly.
They looked at each other for only a moment before nodding and stepping aside, pushing the doors wide for them. We stepped through, Luna still leading us.
An old, gray haired man was seated at a large table, going through an immense stack of papers. He looked up as we entered.
“Good morning, Sirius,” Luna said brightly. “I think
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