Putting the Pieces Together 14 страница

Kishan knelt next to me and touched his palm lightly to my cheek and neck. “How are you feeling?”

“Like the Kraken chewed me up and spat me out,” I mumbled and tried to rub my aching forehead.

Kishan caught my wrist before I made contact. “Hold on there. You’ve got to be careful with those things. You might put your eye out.”

Confused, I glanced at my hand and groaned softly when I saw that I was still disguised as a Rakshasi queen. My fingers sported deadly black claws dripping with venom. I placed my arm at my side. “Lovely. How long have I been out?”

“A few hours.”

“Where’s Ren?”

“He’s supervising the feast and distracting the warriors while I use my considerable magic to heal you.” Kishan tapped thekamandal at his throat and then readjusted my pillow. “You have no idea how many demons are absolutely enamored with you. He has to keep them at bay, in fact.”

I snorted. “They aren’t interested in me. It’s my power they desire.”

Kishan raised an eyebrow, looked me up and down in my Rakshasa disguise, and then grinned. “I think you may be underestimating your appeal.”

I felt my face go hot at the compliment, and my tattoos flared red. Kishan’s smile widened. He softly traced the outline of the tattoo on my cheek.

“The light flickers under your skin, especially when I touch you.”

Uncomfortable with the attention, I shifted slightly and hissed in pain.

Kishan pulled back to examine my healing shoulder. “Just lie still and let the elixir work until you fully heal. The scratches weren’t mortal wounds. I wonder why they affected you so badly.”

I took the cup of water he offered and sipped while he helped me lift my head. “It was the poison in her claws,” I answered between swallows.

I twitched my dangerous digits and concentrated to retract the claws. Kishan then took my hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss and said, “The most beautiful creatures are often the most deadly. At least the mermaid’s elixir is healing you.”

I closed my eyes and leaned into his broad chest. Kishan massaged the back of my neck to help with my throbbing headache.

A short time later, Ren ducked his head into the tent and frowned. “You are supposed to be healing her, not taking advantage of her weakened state.”

“Her shoulder is healed,” Kishan explained, “but her head still hurts.”

Ren crouched down across from me, and his expression changed to one of concern. The pain was so sharp I had to squint at him though the tent was lit by only firelight.

“What is it?” I asked.

Ren studied me quietly for a moment, and then said, “I won’t be able to hold them back much longer. They want to see the new queen. Apparently, your victory is not complete unless you prove to them that you are alive and well and that Desecration’s venom didn’t kill you.”

I nodded slightly and was grateful that the motion didn’t hurt. “Can you buy me five more minutes?” I asked.

He leaned over and pecked my forehead. “I will. She’s hot, Kishan,” he said as he ducked out of the tent.

“It’s okay,” I explained to Kishan. “Hot is my natural state as a demon.”

He laughed softly and continued massaging my head with his fingertips. “Hot is your natural state all the time,bilauta. Just relax and breathe. Focus on your heartbeat.”

The quiet crackling fire in the tent soothed me. I concentrated on inhaling and exhaling, and little by little the pain diminished. I peacefully drifted in Kishan’s arms until we were disturbed by a clamor outside the tent.

Ren’s voice was raised. “I promise you that she is alive. She has been resting these last few hours.”

“We want to see her!” a demon insisted.

“Let her walk among us,” another shouted.

“You monopolize her. Shut her away from the clan.”

Ren threatened, “She has provided you with a sumptuous feast. She has expended much energy on your behalf. Allow her time to recuperate.”

“Recuperate? What does this word mean?”

The uproar outside drowned out Ren’s reply.

I whispered to Kishan, “They don’t understand him. Their way is to speak spitefully, derisively to one another. They don’t show kindness. They only know weakness and strength. You’d better help me up.”

“Are you sure?”

“I think I can manage.”

I stood on wobbly legs while Kishan took my arm and escorted me outside. A hush fell over the crowd as I made my appearance. Narrowing my eyes at the demons, I hissed, “I trust your feast was satisfactory?”

Several demons murmured, “It was, my queen.”

“Then why have I been disturbed?” I shouted.

Lightning approached and inclined his head. “We are... confused.”

“Perhaps these others with more simple minds are confused, but surely you, Lighting, are not. Please explain this confusion.”

He quirked the side of his mouth in a small smile then explained, “A clan lives for its queen. If the queen is injured, then so are her hunters. They simply wish to reassure themselves that you are well.” As he lustily studied my body, he added, “I can see that you have recovered sufficiently from your wounds.”

Ren and Kishan growled.

“Yes, I have,” I replied.

Lightning smiled suggestively. “Then it is time for you to choose your consort for the night.”

“My consort? Very well. I choose to remain with my warriors.”

“You may not choose them. Another night, yes, but on the night of your victory celebration, you must select a man from our clan.”

“Why?”

“This man will journey to your new clan with you. He will become yours. It is the way of all Rakshasa. Surely you know this.”

The demons murmured quietly at my strange reactions.

Thinking quickly, I laughed mockingly, approached Lightning, and extended my claws again to run them down his arm. “And were you hoping that you would be my choice, newly made king of the Rakshasa clan?”

He grabbed my arm and squeezed, causing me to utter a cry of pain that I somehow managed to turn into a snicker. Lightning smiled and replied, “Of course you would choose me. Who else here is as worthy?”

I looked up into his eyes and licked my lips. His attention moved to my mouth and he growled appreciatively. He ducked his head to kiss me but, before he made contact, I shoved him roughly away and announced, “Any of you who wish to be my consort will have a fair chance to... capture my attention. Tonight you will hunt.”

Murmurs of excitement spread through the camp.

“You will not hunt for flesh, however. Tonight you will bring me a,” I paused while I racked my brain trying to think of something, “a white fire flower. The first man to do so may be my companion this evening.”

One by one, the men doused the light of their bodies and slunk off into the woods. Lightning remained behind, studying me.

“Well?” I asked. “I thought you were interested in becoming my consort.”

“I am.” He cocked his head. “I was just wondering why your two warriors didn’t leave with the others to seek your trophy. Have they no interest in pleasing their queen?”

Kishan strode forward boldly, shoved Lightning, and spat, “Do not presume you understand the wishes of our queen.”

I intercepted. “Of course they will hunt. I expect nothing less from them. But first they will escort me to the tree where I will watch for the first hunter to return.”

Ren and Kishan each took an arm and walked me over to a stand of fire trees that were darkened in sleep. I handed Ren a handkerchief that I’d had the Scarf make. He read the embroidered message and handed it to Kishan. Both men changed to tigers and trotted out of camp. Lightning gave me a suspicious look and then dimmed his light and left the camp as well.

Dawn would come soon, and I had a lot to do while everyone was gone. Using the Fruit, I filled a goblet with firefruit juice and drank it down. After two more cups I felt much better.

Renewed, I returned to my tent and gathered the weapons, the Phoenix egg, and our other belongings that had been confiscated from our packs. With Fanindra on my arm and a newly made backpack, I dimmed my light and moved through the darkness until I’d found the corral Lightning had shown me the night before.

Closing my eyes, I sent out a message to the animals I sensed resting not far away. A soft whicker and a clop of hooves was my answer as several of the beasts drew near the fence. The lead Qilin approached me. It nudged my hand and blew a hot burst of air from its nostrils.

You have returned, princess. We have waited for you.

Are you ready to be free once again?I asked the animals.

They stomped their hooves excitedly, which created a shower of different-colored sparks over the ground in the otherwise dark night.

Do you know the way through the cave?I asked.

We do, but many of us will be lost on the journey.

Not if you eat these firefruit, I thought and asked the Golden Fruit to create a mound of firefruits in the Qilin’s corral.They will heal you and help you to stay awake.

Firefruit! These have been lost for generations! It is a precious gift you’ve given us, princess.

The Qilin devoured the fruit noisily, biting through the tough outer skin with their dragon teeth. I made more until they’d all eaten their fill.

We are ready now for our journey.

Please be careful. The hunters are out tonight. Move swiftly to the cave. They are unlikely to follow you inside.

I made my way over to the gate, which was secured by a complicated system of braided ropes. Simply untying them was impossible because they were so tightly knotted.

Taking the Scarf, I tried to use it to loosen the ropes. Threads shot out and touched the cords but after a few attempts, the threads recoiled. Alarming patterns and colors flickered over its surface momentarily before stopping.

Once again I tried to wiggle a section loose. My long fingers were awkward to use and, frustrated, I yanked my index finger free of the section I’d dug into and angrily ripped my Rakshasa claw across the surface of the rope. The knot fell to the ground.

Quickly, I used my claws to cut the other ropes. Curious, I picked up a severed piece of the silky rope.

One of the Qilin explained,The cords are made from the manes and tails of our dead brothers. It is very strong, and the demons know we cannot break it.

I’m sorry that I had to cut them then.

Do not be sorry. They would have been happy that we are freed.

The Qilin directly in front of me snorted and whispered a warning in my mind:Someone comes, princess!

I tensed and crouched in the dark shadows. The dragon-horses were so still, I couldn’t even hear their breathing, though I could feel the presence of the herd behind me. My Rakshasa eyes could just make out the shape of a man carefully walking toward me.

As he neared, I heard his quiet whisper, “Kells?”

“Kishan? Over here,” I whispered back.

He skirted some trees and edged behind some undergrowth until he could grasp my hand. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Took you long enough to find me,” I said with a smile. “Where’s Ren?”

“We were followed. We had to split up and circle back around.”

Kishan lifted the locking mechanism and pulled the gate open far enough to accommodate the animals shifting excitedly in the dark. As he moved back to me, he said, “I’ve never smelled anything like them in my life. What are they?”

One of the beasts blew out a breath.We’ve never smelled anything like you before either.

I laughed softly. “They are Qilin, and they can communicate with me. I think you’ve slightly offended them.”

“I apologize,” Kishan told the animals. “I only meant that I’d never met a creature such as you.”

“They accept,” I translated, “and we need to move the broken ropes on the ground. They are all that remains of the Qilin that the Rakshasas killed, and the Qilin herd does not want to accidentally trample them.”

Together, Kishan and I crouched down and collected the silky cords. Startled by a touch on my shoulder, I dropped the bunch of ropes I had picked up. Standing abruptly, I jumped back and raised my deadly claws.

“It’s okay. It’s just me, Ren.”

I lowered my arms to retrieve the ropes and let out a shaky breath. “Ren! We’ve been waiting for you. There’s just one more thing to do.”

Wrapping the Scarf around my body, I whispered the words that would return my form to its natural state. When I pulled the Scarf away and tied it around my waist, I ran my hands through my hair and quickly secured it with a ribbon. “Now that feels much better,” I mumbled.

Out of the corner of my eye, fire erupted in the darkness.

“Betrayer! You are no Rakshasa queen!”

Lightning strode toward us, his tattoos and hair ablaze with anger.

I put my arm on Kishan’s, knowing he was ready to turn this into a brawl. Directing my comments to Lightning, I said firmly, “I am the same woman you have admired, with the same heart and courage. I just choose to take a different form right now.”

“And do you also choose to free the animals we have rightly captured? You break the Rakshasa law! What have you done?”

I stretched out my arms and rubbed my hands slowly. “Rakshasa law says that whatever you are strong enough to capture is yours. I have taken these creatures from you. It’s true that in this form, it appears as if I am powerless, as if I am prey,” I narrowed my eyes, “but make no mistake, Lightning, I still have the ability to bring harm to you and your clan. I have no desire to do so... presently, but if a challenge is presented, then—” I shrugged.

He studied me in my new form as Ren and Kishan tensed next to me. Seeming to come to a decision, Lightning smiled evilly, and said, “This is a test. A test that will cement my claim as leader of the Rakshasa clan forever, and I will not fail.”

He sprung at me, claws extended, and Ren and Kishan switched to tigers and met him in mid-air. While they rolled around on the ground, claws ripping, I encouraged the Qilin to make their escape while they could. I stood out of the way as one by one the large beasts moved silently through the dark trees toward the distant cave, and then I turned to help Ren and Kishan.

Murmuring a few words and touching the Pearl Necklace at my throat, I cause a wet fog to surround the men. Lightning gasped and panted as if he was breathing poison. With a mighty cry, Lightning threw both tigers off of him, doused his light, and escaped into the trees. Ren and Kishan were about to chase after him when I called softly, “Ren, Kishan, let him go. We need to get out of here before he brings the whole clan down on our heads.”

The two tigers trotted back to me, and I felt a nudge on my back, which was accompanied by a soft whicker. Three Qilin remained.

We will take you far from here, princess.

But how can you?I asked the leader.You must stay with your herd.

You have done us a great service, and we will return the favor. Come. Climb onto our backs, and we will speed you away from this place.

I crouched down near the tigers and stroked their heads. The black tiger licked my arm. “They want us to ride them to safety,” I explained. “They said they are fast and they want to repay their debt.”

Kishan changed into a man and smiled. “Then what are we waiting for?”

The Qilin turned on their lights and stomped the ground eagerly. Kishan lifted me onto the back of the herd leader, and as I grabbed a hold of his flickering blue mane, Kishan leapt onto the back of a beast with green coloring. Ren changed into a man and bent to pick something up, then approached a glimmering purple beast dancing nearby. He leapt onto the back of the animal and deftly maneuvered it closer to me.

Leaning down to pat my blue Qilin, he spoke quietly, “Be careful with her. She hasn’t ridden before.”

After a pause, I smiled. “The Qilin will take care of me.”

“Good,” Ren answered before tucking something between my fingers.

Kishan called out, “Follow me,” and kneed his mount forward.

With a burst of speed, Ren’s Qilin followed and mine raced along behind. Green and purple fire trailed behind Ren’s and Kishan’s Qilin, and I marveled at the beauty of the creatures once again. The Qilin I rode moved so smoothly and so gracefully, through the darkened forest that I could relax and turn my attention to the gift Ren twined through my fingers: a white fire flower. I lifted the soft petals to my nose and allowed my thoughts to fly away as fast as the Qilin’s hooves would take me.

bodha—city of light

Atop a rise, we caught our first glimpse of a beautiful, sprawling city. The City of Light stretched from one end of the valley to the other, bisected by a lava river that flowed from a black mountaintop, ran underneath the city’s center, and disappeared between the hills at the other end. All of the buildings twinkled brightly despite being surrounded by fire trees, and at the heart of the community was a glowing, dazzling temple that sparkled like a diamond. The view was breathtaking.

Ren, Kishan, and I let out a sigh, partly at the splendor before us and partly from relief at having finally made it to our destination. It certainly wasn’t home, but it was one step closer.

Somewhere down there is the Rope of Fire, I thought.

With renewed determination, I dismounted from the Qilin leader, brushed the hair from its eyes, and thanked it for taking us to safety. With a whinny, the three animals trotted through the trees and soon disappeared.

We slept all afternoon and into the early evening. At nightfall, the fire trees slept, dark as usual, but the city was alive with light and activity. Carefully we made our way into the valley toward the outskirts of town. Everyone seemed to be headed to the temple for some kind of holiday celebration or ceremonial gathering.

Spying through darkened trees, we learned that the citizens were called Bodha. They glowed like the Rakshasa, but the skin of the Bodha twinkled with a golden light, and the tattoos they wore seemed to be just decoration. The Bodha didn’t appear aggressive, though they had the muscled physiques of warriors.

As we studied the golden city, Ren whispered the words of a poem.

ELDORADO

By Edgar Allan Poe

Gaily bedight,

A gallant knight,

In sunshine and in shadow,

Had journeyed long,

Singing a song,

In search of Eldorado.

But he grew old—

This knight so bold—

And o’er his heart a shadow

Fell as he found

No spot of ground

That looked like Eldorado.

And, as his strength

Failed him at length,

He met a pilgrim shadow—

“Shadow,” said he,

“Where can it be—

This land of Eldorado?”

“Over the Mountains

Of the Moon,

Down the Valley of the Shadow,

Ride, boldly ride,”

The shade replied—

“If you seek for Eldorado!”

“Do you think this is where the legend of Eldorado came from?” I asked Ren.

He replied, “I don’t know, but it certainly looks like a city of gold.”

Kishan turned to me and asked for the Divine Scarf. Wrapping it around his body, he whispered a few words and emerged from the Scarf dressed as a citizen of Bodha. I stretched out my fingers to touch his arm. His skin was textured and iridescent, almost like the scales of the Qilin. A sarong hung from his waist, and though he wore glimmering arm and wristbands with red jewels, the rest of his upper body was bare. His golden skin was heavily tattooed with crimson and black patterns and his thick black hair had become a pearly white. Even his eyebrows and lashes gleamed with a pearly luster, and the scales around his eyes were pronounced, making it look as if his golden eyes were lined with clusters of gemstone.

Ren took the Scarf and changed as well, only his color scheme was blue, green, and purple. He handed me the Scarf, but I just stood and stared at the two golden gods standing before me until Ren gave me a nudge and Kishan snickered.

After I’d changed into a Bodha woman and removed the Scarf, Ren and Kishan circled me, admiring my costume.

“Not bad,” Kishan said after giving me the once over.

“Good,” I mumbled. I studied my arm, which was covered with emerald butterflies and twisting black vines, and tried unsuccessfully to dim the light emanating from my skin. Reaching up to touch my hair, I pulled some over my shoulder. It was long, ivory, and coarse, very different from my natural hair, which was thick, brown, and had a natural wave. I wore golden jewelry crusted with what looked like emeralds but were actually Scarf-made fabrications and a dress seemingly spun from strands of starlight.

“What does my face look like?” I asked.

“It’s pretty,” Kishan replied.

Ren had crouched down to pack our bags and responded without even looking at me.

“Your eyelids are covered with tiny emeralds that radiate out and down your cheekbones. Topaz stones dot your forehead from your eyebrows to your hairline. The skin of your cheeks and forehead are tinged a greenish hue that spills down your neck and shoulders and then fades to gold.”

He rose and walked toward me. “Your lips,” his eyes lingered on them for the briefest of moments, “are gold too. The only thing missing... is this.” He took the still glowing white fire flower from my fingers and placed it in my hair, twisting the stem into the tresses just over my ear. My pulse jumped at his touch. “She’s not merely pretty, Kishan. She’s perfect.”

Before I could react, Ren scooped up the bag and headed into the city. Kishan growled unhappily at Ren’s retreating back, mumbling something I didn’t catch, and then offered me his hand. Without a word, we joined the parade of people walking toward the pyramid-shaped temple in the City of Light.

“They seem to be very excited about something. Whatever’s going on hasn’t happened in a long time. This must be a special occasion,” Ren whispered after using his tiger hearing to eavesdrop on a pair of old men nearby.

A group of people had formed a circle and were clapping and singing along with musicians who played drums and instruments similar to flutes or pipes. As the music rose in tempo, some of the Bodha began dancing. The energy in the crowd was palpable. Flowers were thrown onto the lava pool where they floated without burning. The scent they gave off was heady and thick.

We wandered closer to the massive temple, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it. It not only reflected the light of everyone surrounding it, but also it glowed with its own internal fire. The surface was multi-faceted like a brilliant cut jewel, and its light danced around us as if we were standing beneath a twirling disco ball. I couldn’t see the top from where I stood but I’d estimate the building was around twenty stories tall. It looked similar to pictures I’d seen of Mayan temples.

The temple was a giant crystal carved in a tetrahedron shape and had a steep, terraced staircase leading to the top. Guards armed with spears stood on each step from the base of the temple up. Though they were impressive in appearance, they smiled breezily along with the crowd and didn’t seem to expect any trouble.

Suddenly, two young, handsome men appeared through an entry-way halfway up the staircase. Together the pair descended several steps until they were just above the crowd. Their bodies were dusted in gold, and they wore sarongs similar to Ren’s and Kishan’s but much more detailed. Bands of gold circled their upper arms, forearms, and lower legs, and plumes of firebirds were woven through the white hair that hung down their backs.

“The Lords!” the crowd cheered. One of the men lifted his hand, and the shouts and hoots stilled.

“My people, it has been many, many years since we’ve added to our clan. Some have even wondered if the time for gathering new ones had passed forever. Now we know it has not. This liquid energy that runs beneath our city and sustains us has not lost its fire after all. It still speaks to the world above and brings us new life.”

“And new hope for our Lords!” the Bodha crowd hollered in response.

The man who spoke smiled and clapped his companion on the shoulder. “Yes. New hope, brother.”

“To hope!” he replied and raised a golden goblet.

With the toast still hanging in the festive air, drinks were passed out to the crowd.

The Lords once again raised golden goblets. “To hope. May this new addition be the lost lady we seek!”

“To hope!” the crowd shouted, and then everyone sipped the golden drink.

Kishan took a glass and tasted it. “It’s good,” he assured us quietly. “Kind of like a cross between firefruit and apples.”

“Do you feel it, brother? She is coming,” one of the Lords said as the pair descended into the crowd.

Guards flanked the men as they walked among the Bodha along the black sand beach. Approaching the fiery lava lake, they stepped to the edge and watched the surface intently.

I winced seeing how close their toes came to burning off and had a flashback of my own body burning and the agony I felt. I grasped Ren’s arm. He looked at me with concern but I took a deep breath and whispered, “Come on. Let’s move closer.”

We found an unobstructed view. It wasn’t long before I noticed some bubbles rising to the surface and then a ripple. The ripple grew larger, and the crowd pointed excitedly as a young girl emerged from the lava. I gasped. She was shivering and clearly afraid. As she strode toward the shore, she wiped the lava from her arms, and I saw that her skin was bright red.

The Lords strode into the lava river to greet her, totally unaffected by the heat and flame. One wrapped a beautiful robe around the girl and the other placed a circlet of fire flowers onto her hair. Gently, they guided her to the black sand.

One of the brothers spoke: “Welcome to the City of Light, little one. Here we will take care of you. Your every need will be attended to. Come with us.”

As the two men led her to the temple, the Bodha cheered and threw flowers at her feet. When she reached the edifice, she flashed a tiny smile before disappearing inside with the brothers. The guards moved back to their original positions on the staircase.

As soon as the ceremony was over, the celebration began in earnest. Music started up again, food was brought out, and the crowd reveled near the temple. We mingled as best we could and discovered the food to be delicious but spicy. I happily learned that the drink they passed around diminished the fire on my tongue.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-04