Born of Stone

Chapter Ten

It took a few minutes for everyone to share stories, but soon they were on their way back to the north gate. There was no sign of Albain and Orestes had already decided to name him a traitor to the realm.

“Phaidra spied Albain in the House of Iva,” Nel said. “I’d like to know how he plays into this whole mess.”

Orestes spared his brother a glance, noting Nel still held the little Kevan’s hand. He smirked and shook his head at the sight. Seemed he wasn’t the only one to have fallen under a woman’s spell. What was it about these particular females anyway?

“Whatever his part, he will have a lot of explaining to do to the rest of the Twenty and to the King.”

“Indeed.”

They continued in silence until they were a few paces from the gate. Now that they were together, there was no need for subterfuge. Iva wouldn’t dare challenge four Masters from leaving, even with one of her Fifths in tow. They reached the gate and all eyes were on them, but not a single Kevan lifted a sword to stop their exit.

“The gate is closed,” Phaidra said quietly.

Orestes heard the fear in her voice but left reassurances up to Nel. He kept his full concentration on the gate before them and the many women guarding it.

“Master of the Gate,” he called out. “I would speak with you before we take our leave.”

Most of the women remained still and at full attention. Half faced the Masters—the other half faced the barrier and everything beyond. Less than a minute later, a lone figure descended the stairs leading from the top of the wall. Orestes recognized the strawberry-blonde, a woman he had bedded many years ago. She was still beautiful and still deadly. But he knew her to be a levelheaded and fair-minded woman. They were in luck.

“Master Orestes,” she said as she neared. “I’m sorry to see you are leaving our fair realm so soon.”

He offered a slight bow of his head. “Lady Anabella, I wish we were here for leisure only. Unfortunately, I must warn you of a contingent of minotaur and trolls farther into the city. We fought them along with a cyclops or two.”

She laughed and shook her head with disbelief clear on her face. “That is quite impossible. I’ve been guarding this gate for the past three days. I can attest no such creatures passed this way and this is the only gate into Keva.”

“But there are other ways in,” Steinn added. “You know this as well as I.”

She glanced at him and then quickly away, neither admitting nor denying his claim.

“Be that as it may, my lady, we did fight those creatures. The wizard Albain led us right to them and then disappeared. He should be questioned.”

Nel stepped forward then but Orestes noticed he kept Phaidra hidden behind him. Of course, Anabella would surely have already seen her.

“You must also question your Lady Iva,” Nel said. He held up his wrists to reveal the metal cuffs. “She kept me prisoner in her house for the past four days.”

True shock crossed Anabella’s face before she looked over her shoulder and called to one of her guards. Another woman ran from the gate with a large ring of keys dangling from her hip.

“Release him at once and keep those cuffs. We will be able to discern who made them and how,” Anabella said.

The woman yanked the keys from her hip and seemed to pull one at random but it worked on both the wrist and ankle cuffs.

“Please forgive this transgression, Masters,” Anabella said with a low bow. “I assure you, Iva did not act with the will of the Council, and the full Council will be alerted immediately.”

Nel gave a small bow before gently pulling Phaidra from behind his back. She followed his lead but was visibly trembling. Orestes tensed as the young woman stepped in front of Nel to face Anabella. She kept her head lowered and looked ready to run away at the slightest provocation.

“This one from the House of Iva will accompany us to Halstrid. Of her own free will,” Nel said.

He placed his palms on Phaidra’s shoulders and nudged her slightly forward before withdrawing his touch. She lifted her head slowly to look Anabella in the eye for just a fleeting moment before nodding.

“That is truly your wish?” Anabella asked.

“Yes, madam.” Phaidra nodded again.

Anabella looked Nel in the eyes. “Very well. But she is no prisoner of Halstrid. We did not condone your capture so she will not be punished for it.”

Nel frowned and set his hands on Phaidra’s shoulders again. “She is no prisoner,” he agreed. “And will be treated with the utmost care and respect.”

Anabella signaled to the women behind her. “Very well then. Go your way in peace, Masters, and be assured you will have a report by sunrise two days hence.”

Orestes nodded and his brothers followed suit. The gate slowly creaked open and they all headed for it without further delay. The moment they were through, Nel took on his gargoyle form, shocking Phaidra into taking a flailing step away from him.

“You have no need to fear me, pretty one. I told you that.”

The frustration in his brother’s voice was enough to make Orestes smile. He had a feeling Phaidra and Astrid would get along well.

“Come,” he said. “We must make haste to the King. He should be told of all that has befallen this night.”

Without another word, the four leapt into the sky, Nel with Phaidra securely in his arms. They headed north to the castle of King Kadmos, ruler of Halstrid. Orestes’s mind once again strayed to Astrid and he wondered what she was doing at that moment. He sorely wished he could see her face and let her know she was in his thoughts.

Astrid woke with a start and glanced around the darkened library. The candles had all burned low and there was no light from the nearby window. She had fallen asleep while reading the pretty picture book Master Wynn had handed her. She immediately looked down to her lap and breathed a sigh of relief to find the book closed and unharmed.

She sat up and placed the book on the seat beside her. A delectable scent had her looking to a nearby table where a silver tray laden with dishes sat waiting. Master Wynn must have brought her dinner after all. She smiled at the thought and hurried to the tray with her stomach grumbling. The dishes were filled with meats and fruits, pastries and steaming vegetables. There was so much food she almost didn’t know where to start. A small empty plate was also present so she took it and began with a little bit of everything.

She had just finished the last bite from her plate and was licking her fingers when the library door slowly opened. Thinking it would be Master Wynn, she had a smile ready to greet him and thanks on her tongue. The words died in her mouth as soon as her visitor stepped inside.

“Hello again, lovely duster, how are you this evening?”

She wanted to jump up and run from the room when Albain closed the distance, but feared offending such a powerful man. Though Wynn’s words of warning echoed in her head, she remained in her seat.

“Fine, thank you. How are you?”

He grinned and stopped beside the table still laden with food. He waved a hand over it. “Have you had your fill already? I wasn’t certain what you liked, so I ordered the kitchen staff to prepare a bit of everything.”

And just like that, what had been so delicious moments ago sat like stone in her belly. He had ordered her food, not Master Wynn? She fought the urge to be sick and forced a smile to her lips.

“Thank you, sir. I was quite hungry when I woke.”

That made her realize he had seen her sleeping and her skin crawled. Nothing for it now. She just had to get through some polite conversation and hopefully he would leave.

“Yes, I imagine you were. Dusting is hungry work after all.”

He chuckled but it wasn’t a happy sound. She rose slowly with the small empty plate in hand meaning to use it as an excuse to leave the library. But before she could get a word out he closed the distance and took it.

“All done, eh? Don’t want any more?”

He was studying her so fiercely it caused goose bumps to rise on her skin. She shook her head and took a step away. Suddenly a wave of dizziness assailed her. She stumbled and would have fallen if he hadn’t caught her arms.

“Ah,” he said. “There it is. I feared you hadn’t eaten enough for the potion to take effect.”

“Potion?”

“Yes, my dear. I’ve given you a potion to keep you asleep a bit longer and completely pliant. Can’t have you waking until after we reach my destination. You will be the tool I use to gain what I seek from these damnable gargoyles. Master Orestes will see to that personally, I’m sure.”

“Orestes? Where…”

But she couldn’t get the rest of her question out. Her eyes rolled back and her consciousness faded.

The four Masters and one small Kevan woman had just landed in the courtyard of King Kadmos when Orestes released a growl of pain and anger. He went down to one knee and bowed his head low while his brothers rushed to his side.

“What is it, brother?” Nel asked.

Orestes lifted his pounding head and looked at his brothers through moistened eyes.

“Astrid…in pain…”

How he could possibly know that didn’t matter. What mattered was getting to her and stopping the pain shooting through her small, fragile body. He slowly rose to his full height, clutching the sides of his head.

“She’s in great pain…and no longer in our castle. I must find her.”

Before anyone could respond, a noise from above alerted them to newcomers. Orestes looked up to see Wynn and Haldor flying in. Dawn was breaking and every muscle in Orestes ached with fatigue from flying most of the night. But he’d be damned if he would rest until he had Astrid safely in his arms again.

“Orestes, Astrid has been taken,” Wynn said the moment his feet touched the ground.

“We left our other brothers at the castle to guard it,” Haldor said.

“What the fuck happened?” Orestes growled. Anger and pain raged through him until he almost couldn’t concentrate on their answers.

“Albain. He was there earlier in the day and I thought he had left. The bastard must have hidden in the castle and taken her when I wasn’t looking,” Wynn said. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “Forgive me, brother.”

“Albain?” Orestes asked, almost unable to even think past his pain. “But why?”

“He’s after the Wizard’s Stone,” Haldor said. “He made it quite clear he expects us to turn it over in exchange for our human staff. He didn’t take Astrid alone, but almost all of them.”

“The entire castle staff?” Steinn asked.

“That’s over one hundred humans,” Goran said.

“How could he best both of you within the castle itself?” Nell demanded.

Both Haldor and Wynn wore grave expressions.

“He left one behind to relay his message. We’re not certain what wizardry he used to empty the castle. We both were in the dungeons when he did it,” Haldor said. “And it happened quickly.”

Wynn hadn’t moved and Orestes finally stepped forward to grab his brother’s shoulder. “Rise, Wynn. I don’t blame you for Albain’s treachery. Most likely this has been in the planning for some time.”

“I wonder how capturing me played into it,” Nel said.

“He was probably going to use you to bargain but now has to use the humans instead,” Phaidra said quietly.

All eyes turned to her and she quickly stepped behind Nel. The move brought an unexpected smile to Orestes’s face. Though he didn’t feel like smiling.

“That is a very intelligent and most likely correct assumption, little one,” he said. “Nel, we must tell the King every moment of your capture as well as all else.”

King Kadmos had already been alerted to their presence, so he was eagerly awaiting them once they finally made it into the throne room. Each brother with something to say relayed his story until the past few hours were completely revealed to all. Most of the Twenty were also present and a few cries of outrage echoed within the room, but none argued for Albain’s innocence.

“He was the only one of us to argue against using the Wizard’s Stone in your creation,” King Kadmos said after a few minutes of contemplation. “I was wrong to ignore him and his ire. Now it seems we must deal with it.”

“And the Kevan?” Corbin asked. A few other wizards nodded their heads in agreement that the Kevan must also answer to their charge.

“It seems to me only one House must explain their actions,” the King said. “Is that not true, Master Nel?”

“Yes, sire. I was held by the House of Iva and only ever saw her Second as an accomplice. I’m not even sure any others of her House knew of my confinement.”

“Other than the little one hiding behind you,” Corbin said with amusement.

Nel bowed his head slightly but didn’t move away to reveal Phaidra, though everyone knew she was there.

“She is a Fifth and therefore quite powerless. Yet she did help me escape,” Nel said.

The King waved that away with one ring-covered hand. “She is in no danger from this kingdom, and is now considered under your protection. However, we will need to read through the treaties carefully before we proceed. A formal complaint must be filed with the Council of Firsts against the House of Iva.”

Orestes turned his attention to Corbin. “I can feel her pain. Astrid. The woman I had been with before leaving the castle. Why can I feel her pain?”

Corbin’s brow furrowed and a few of the other wizards leaned forward in their chairs to study Orestes.

“And how do you know it’s her pain you’re suffering rather than something within your own body?” Corbin asked.

Orestes took a moment to consider the pain flowing through him. It was uncomfortable as hell and even frightening, but it wasn’t like anything he had ever experienced. He closed his eyes and Astrid’s face immediately filled his mind. She was writhing on the ground, clutching her belly with tears pouring from her eyes. He opened his to find the wizards still studying him.

”I don’t know how to explain it. It is pain but not like anything I’ve ever felt. It almost seems like an echo, somewhat dampened even though it hurts terribly. And I can see her so clearly in my mind it’s as if I’m looking through a window straight to where she is suffering. I can…sense her within me.” He shook his head and huffed out a breath in frustration. “I know that makes little sense.”

“No, no, it makes perfect sense,” Bastien said. He rose from his chair to gain everyone’s full attention. “When the Masters were created, we used the Wizard’s Stone to harness the full power of their essence. But, of course, that isn’t all we put in there. We had to give them attributes of many different species to create the perfect beings. A bit of human, a bit of Kevan, some Sidhe, and a touch of Pastelle. All of these we combined without fully knowing how it would affect the end product of our imaginations. The Gargoyles were formed with very few weaknesses. However, they are but men, and universally males of any species have a weakness. Females.”

“Are you trying to tell me I’ve somehow become so attached to this woman that I can sense her emotions even from an unknown distance?” Orestes asked.

He was aware of those with empathic abilities. It was one thing the Pastelle were known for. However, none of his brothers had exhibited the ability yet. Though he and Nel did seem to know what the other was feeling in extreme circumstances.

“Perhaps,” Bastien said. “What I’m saying is we simply don’t know. Each of you took in the traits of all the species we combined. However, each of you also seems to be exhibiting more of a particular species in temperament and preferences as time goes on. Perhaps this human woman is the key to your humanity, Master Orestes. It would require further study to know for certain.”

He didn’t like the sound of that but it was something to think about later. For now all he wanted was Astrid back in his arms where she would be safe and no longer in pain.

“Be that as it may,” the King said, “we will consider it further at a later date. For now, any ideas where Albain has taken your human staff? Can you sense your woman enough to track her?”

Orestes closed his eyes again and concentrated on the image of Astrid that automatically formed in his mind. He pushed aside all the sounds around him, the concern for her well-being, and everything else that might detract from his quest. After only a couple of minutes, he felt a tug in his gut telling him he should immediately fly southwest.

“I have a direction,” he said, opening his eyes to face his King.

“Good. I would suggest all of you go so long as the Wizard’s Stone is well guarded. Perhaps you should also take a few of the Twenty. No one knows what protections Albain will have around him.”

“Yes, sire,” the Masters said almost in unison.

Orestes faced his brothers who had all fallen into a circle around him. “Southwest for certain, but I couldn’t say how far.”

“I’ll be with you,” Steinn said.

“And I,” Goran added.

“If I can leave Phaidra here—” Nel began.

“No! Please…” She looked at him with huge eyes full of fear and Orestes knew a look like that from Astrid would have torn out his heart.

“Take her to the castle,” he said. “One more to protect the Wizard’s Stone would probably be best anyway. For all we know this is a trap meant to distract us.”

Nel looked at him a moment with indecision clear in his gaze. Then finally he nodded and took a step back. “I will do as you say.”

Phaidra’s shoulders sagged in relief and Orestes nodded. “Yes, brother. I think it would be best.”

Wynn and Haldor added their voices to those who would go while four of the Twenty came forward. In the end the wizards chose to ride on the backs of their creations. It wasn’t ideal. The Masters had to be wary of hurting any rider with their stone wings. But Orestes knew the wizards would have to expend magic and energy to fly that might be needed once they found Albain.

“We follow you, Orestes,” Corbin said.

Orestes nodded and once everyone was ready, he leapt into the sky with Bastien on his back. He headed in the direction his gut and his heart told him he would find the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about.