Not giving him time to reply, she leaped into the air. He didn’t follow, only watched her glide away until he too faded into the darkness.
Chapter Sixteen
The corridor stretched before them in an endless maze of twists and turns. Brita and Juna used their Tell powers to guide them in what Rell hoped was the right direction, whatever that might mean.
It had taken all her fortitude to continue with the quest. Being so deep inside the Shadow World made her skin crawl. Foreboding seemed to be her constant companion. Though she wouldn’t admit it to anyone, especially Siban, she’d wished Gregory would have ordered her and Siban to take the tome back to the manor.
Having made the decision to continue, however, she doubled her determination to not fail the Bringers—even if their cause seemed hopeless. They had given her so much.
The group traveled in silence for more than an hour. The corridor changed from a polished sheen to the natural rough walls like those in the caverns. The trail narrowed, the stones once again littering the path and becoming slick with moisture.
At regular intervals, Rell switched her sword from hand to hand, trying to bring back feeling in her fingers. The temperature had dropped again and the air felt thicker, more difficult to breathe. She was tempted to remove the small pack from her back to drape the rolled up blanket around her, but freedom of movement outweighed her comfort. She needed to have full range when she swung her sword.
They turned a sharp bend. Before them the passage opened onto a wide tiled area. Far beyond that, another arch soared fifty feet high, though no walls supported the monolith. It merely framed the path.
Gregory slowed, stopping a foot from where the tiles began. There was enough area along the overlaid surface for all the Bringers to examine the path before them. Rell stood next to Meran and Siban, looking down at the perfectly symmetrical stones.
Symbols like those she’d seen at Illuma Grand were etched into the tiles. Since the ancient language was not familiar to her, Rell didn’t know what, if any, significance the markings had.
Gregory knelt and gently brushed the silt from the tile directly in front of him. He examined it and then reached to brush clean the stone to the right as well. “Bringer markings.” He slowly rose, his gaze fanning forward. “It’s a puzzle.”
“Perhaps it’s a riddle of how to safely cross to the other side,” Rhys said.
“Perhaps.” Gregory pointed to the first line of tiles. “Clear off the first stones in the path, but be careful not to push too hard.”
Each Bringer knelt and swept the silt-like dust from the squares. From what Rell could see, each symbol was different. Gregory paced along the edge, examining the markings. Brita inched in the opposite direction, her attention fixed on the floor. An intense sensation of awareness swirled around Rell. The ancient Bringer was using her Tell and from the feel of it, Brita was putting everything she had into deciphering the script.
Not having the history or experience as a Tell frustrated Rell. She glanced down the line, noticing that the others were also waiting for either Gregory or Brita to come to a conclusion.
Siban shifted next to her, squatting to trace the symbol and then standing again. He looked at her and shrugged. Obviously he was as in the dark as she was about the puzzle. That made her feel slightly better, though it didn’t improve their predicament.
“The right path must be chosen or all will be lost,” Brita said, stopping at the far right of the tiles.
“But what is the right path?” Juna asked. “Where do we even begin?”
Brita pointed to the last tile on the right. “That is the symbol of the first Bringer King—the beginning. Follow the path of the kings.”
“Our royal lineage?” Gregory strode to where Brita stood. He peered down at the symbol and then sighed. “I hope I can remember them all.”
“I know them.” Juna stepped forward. “Besides, you should not be risking your life. The Bringers need you to lead this battle.”
It didn’t surprise Rell that Juna knew all of the Bringer kings. That seemed like something the Tell would do, learn everything she could about her people. Savvy and smart, Juna no doubt took every opportunity to give herself an edge.
“I will not let you risk death, Juna.” Gregory stepped in front of the first tile, blocking her path.
Juna took a deep breath, her posture stiffening. “This is my task as second-in-command. I assume the risks, Gregory.”
“No.” His answer brooked no argument.
“Then who would you risk? Are any of us less valuable?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Or do you enjoy playing the martyr?”
Gregory’s jaw clenched and unclenched. For a second Rell thought he would yell at Juna, but instead he nodded. “All right, but you will follow behind me, giving me the order of kings.”
“That makes no sense.” Jade said. Gregory and Juna turned to look at her, startled by her comment. “So if you make a wrong step, we lose both of you? That’s an idiotic plan.”
“She has a point,” Ravyn agreed. “Juna, we can’t risk losing one of the Trilation.”
All of the Bringers were valuable. The ancients had the knowledge, the sisters were the Trilation, and there was no way Rell would put Jade in harm’s way again. The answer was obvious. She would traverse the treacherous path. She straightened and walked to Gregory. “I will go.” She looked at Juna. “You will guide me through the course.”
“Rell, what are you doing?” Siban closed the distance between them and gripped her arm tightly, trying to pull her away from the stone. “You can’t even read the symbols.”
“I can help, Siban.” She looked at his hand on her arm and then back to his face.
“I will cross first,” Siban protested.
She shook her head. “I can do this.”
He lowered his hand. She could see the emotions warring within him. He’d said he’d trust her, but this would be the ultimate test. After a second he nodded and stepped back, but his gaze stayed trained on her. “All right.”
A small dose of relief washed through her, but not much. She still had to navigate the path without dying. The Saints only knew what would happen to her if she made a wrong move.
“Step on the first stone,” Brita said.
Rell glanced at Siban. The sensation of his Tell swept around her, swirling like a windstorm and feeding her strength. Her thoughts became sharper. Taking a deep breath, she stepped onto the first stone. The instant her feet settled, doubt filled her mind. Why had she thought she could successfully navigate this course?
“There is something here,” Siban said. “Something dark.”
Brita brow furrowed. “I do not feel it.”
“It’s here.” Rell swallowed. “You don’t sense it because you have no darkness inside of you.” She looked over her shoulder, giving Siban a humorless smile. “This evil is a familiar companion—to both of us.”
“Then it will be up to you to guide us in helping her,” Brita said to Siban. She held out her hand. “Join with me so that we can learn of the dark presence.”
Siban took Brita’s hand. Meran clutched his other hand. Though Juna’s powers as a Tell would have been helpful, she chose to stand on the edge of the tiles and call out the next symbol that Rell should look for.
“The symbol of the second king is a branch.” Juna pointed to the tile at Rell’s left. “There.”
She looked down. “Which one? There are two tiles with branches.”
“It has leaves at the tip.”
Inhaling, Rell gently pressed on the stone with her toe. When nothing happened, she added more weight until she stood fully on the tile. The breath she’d been holding whooshed from her. She scanned the next stones. “An owl, flame, crown, scepter, and a goblet.”