The Wielder and the Source

Chapter 25

Invocation.

If Aldeheid hadn't come to Kon, he wouldn't have known such magic existed. A mountain of tomes as high as he was tall had been delivered to his room from the archive, and he'd spent more time scouring through them than doing anything else.

And he hadn't made a dent in the pile. Several lay on the table before him, their pages lit by the morning sun streaming through his window. He wished there was an easier way to assimilate all the information within the texts. Perhaps he could take one or two on his trip, read them when he couldn't sleep.

Aldeheid picked up one of the thicker tomes and crossed to his bed, scratching the bandages that encircled his head. He'd spent the better part of the morning learning of the beyond – where the spirits lived.

It was created and ruled by death, which made him want to throw up. That woman was like his shadow at this point.

Aldeheid laid back and his head connected with something hard, sending a shock of pain through his skull. He swore under his breath before blindly fishing for the offending object. His hand closed around a small leather bag holding something hard and round.

He brought it in front of his face and dropped it like it was on fire. The bag Nylarah had given him the previous day. He'd left it outside the temple, hoping to put those bizarre events behind him. Yet here it was.

A knock sounded on his bedroom door, and he scrambled out of bed, jumping and tripping over the debris cluttering his floor in a mad dash to get to the door. He jerked it open and met Kitaya standing on the other side.

"Good morning, angel eyes," she said. "Eriani has called for a breakfast meeting. Are you done packing?" She leaned over, trying to peek into his room and he blocked her view with his body.

"Not... quite." He looked back at the clutter in the room. "I'm almost there. But we shouldn't keep the Queen waiting. I'll be right out." He all but slammed the door in her face and tiptoed over the mess to grab his shoes and a shirt. His travelling bag sat at the foot of the bed, empty and none of the things he planned to carry were folded or organized.

Aldeheid resolved to slip out after breakfast and pack. They wouldn't be leaving Kon until after noon. He slipped on his shirt and jumped into his shoes, meeting Kitaya in the hall.

She leaned against the wall opposite his door, eyes downcast and lips pouting as she toyed with the gold ring encircling her thumb. Patches of peeling skin marred her hands – the aftermath of her fight with the masked woman.

"Kitten?"

Her head popped up, eyes unfocused. "Apologies. I don't have all my wits about me this morning. How are you feeling?"

"Better." He scratched at the bandages again. The medics always gave him the itchiest of poultices.

"Good. Let's not dally then." Kitaya led him downstairs to the main dining hall where a breakfast spread fit for a king was laid out. It seemed they were the last to arrive, as all but two seats were occupied. The first people he spotted were Leandyr and Lady Hiroh, sitting with a few people he recognized from the ground unit. Eriani sat at the table's head, her eyes tracking them as they took their seats.

"Good morning, your Majesty," Aldeheid said.

She pinned him down with a piercing glare. "Why are you two not halfway to the Backlands yet?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Thankfully, Kitaya was there to speak for him.

"We're leaving this afternoon Eriani." She piled a plate up with bread, cheese and cured meat before passing it toAldeheid. "At least give us a moment to rest. Last night was a brutal rush."