hard enough to crack his knuckles. Looking toward the library, he weighed his options.
Even if Metis somehow managed to get the two females to cooperate with her to recover the third piece of the scroll, she would need the two other pieces to make it work. She’d have to seek him out. He realized she could conceivably kill a being he considered trustworthy and assume his form so she could get close enough to try and get the scroll pieces from him. He would have to be even more on guard.
“I may not know where the laboratory is,” he said at last, “but the moment the Kynzesti awakens, she will connect with her avowed.”
“Her avowed?”
Waving off the question, Eirik continued, “We must fly to the library and take care to avoid detection by the Waresti. When they take flight after the females, we will follow them from a distance.”
Without waiting for a response, he extended his wings and took flight. He cleared the tops of the trees and easily spotted the library to the east. The sun was just starting to rise when he realized that the Estilorians who were trying to rescue the two females had already taken flight. Their luminescent wings glowed like daylight stars a number of miles away.
“We must follow them,” he ordered.
“We will never catch them,” Friedrich responded. “They will acquire the females, who will surely lead them to the item you seek.”
“I will worry about that later.” Frowning, Eirik asked, “Why are there red wings among all of the orange? Did the Waresti take prisoners?”
“No, sir. Did you not know that Derian and his followers fought against us in the battle yesterday?”
Eirik hadn’t known. He had gone into the library with Metis, Deimos and the two females before the battle had really gotten underway. Now that he thought back to his experience in the library, however, he realized there had been more than one pair of red wings heading toward them in the library just before Metis teleported them out.
“Do you know those among Derian’s followers?” he asked Friedrich.
“Not all of them.”
Why had the Marked Ones, as Derian and his tattooed followers were known among the other Mercesti, joined with the Estilorians trying to free the females? Derian wasn’t an ambitious male. He had been content to bow to Kanika’s pathetic leadership. His vendetta to rescue Mercesti with strong or unique abilities who had been forced to convert by Grolkinei’s commanders was just as pathetic. The only time Derian entered into a confrontation was in those rescue efforts. Since Grolkinei and his commanders had been defeated nearly two decades ago, the Marked Ones hadn’t been seen much around the mainland.
He must have teamed up with Zachariah out of a foolish sense of loyalty. They were both former Gloresti, after all.
“Well, at least the tattoos most of them wear will help us identify them,” he said at last. “Just one more challenge for us to overcome to achieve our goal.”
“A challenge that may be less difficult than you expect,” Friedrich replied. When Eirik looked at him, he added, “I happen to know that at least one of Derian’s followers is less committed to his cause than he believes. I am certain if we make the right approach, we will have a way to infiltrate them.”
Clara Kate didn’t allow herself to weep for very long. She had made her bed—quite literally—and now she had to lie in it.
Not offering any explanations to Sophia or Alexius, who appeared shortly after Sophia did, she wiped her face dry, took the supplements that Quincy handed to her and then extended her wings.
“Please let me tell him when the time is right,” she asked Quincy.
“Of course,” he said. He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. “We’ll get through this, C.K.”
She didn’t reply. Lifting into the air, she waited for Alexius to take the lead, following mental instructions from his elder. Then they started flying as quickly as they could to make up
Even if Metis somehow managed to get the two females to cooperate with her to recover the third piece of the scroll, she would need the two other pieces to make it work. She’d have to seek him out. He realized she could conceivably kill a being he considered trustworthy and assume his form so she could get close enough to try and get the scroll pieces from him. He would have to be even more on guard.
“I may not know where the laboratory is,” he said at last, “but the moment the Kynzesti awakens, she will connect with her avowed.”
“Her avowed?”
Waving off the question, Eirik continued, “We must fly to the library and take care to avoid detection by the Waresti. When they take flight after the females, we will follow them from a distance.”
Without waiting for a response, he extended his wings and took flight. He cleared the tops of the trees and easily spotted the library to the east. The sun was just starting to rise when he realized that the Estilorians who were trying to rescue the two females had already taken flight. Their luminescent wings glowed like daylight stars a number of miles away.
“We must follow them,” he ordered.
“We will never catch them,” Friedrich responded. “They will acquire the females, who will surely lead them to the item you seek.”
“I will worry about that later.” Frowning, Eirik asked, “Why are there red wings among all of the orange? Did the Waresti take prisoners?”
“No, sir. Did you not know that Derian and his followers fought against us in the battle yesterday?”
Eirik hadn’t known. He had gone into the library with Metis, Deimos and the two females before the battle had really gotten underway. Now that he thought back to his experience in the library, however, he realized there had been more than one pair of red wings heading toward them in the library just before Metis teleported them out.
“Do you know those among Derian’s followers?” he asked Friedrich.
“Not all of them.”
Why had the Marked Ones, as Derian and his tattooed followers were known among the other Mercesti, joined with the Estilorians trying to free the females? Derian wasn’t an ambitious male. He had been content to bow to Kanika’s pathetic leadership. His vendetta to rescue Mercesti with strong or unique abilities who had been forced to convert by Grolkinei’s commanders was just as pathetic. The only time Derian entered into a confrontation was in those rescue efforts. Since Grolkinei and his commanders had been defeated nearly two decades ago, the Marked Ones hadn’t been seen much around the mainland.
He must have teamed up with Zachariah out of a foolish sense of loyalty. They were both former Gloresti, after all.
“Well, at least the tattoos most of them wear will help us identify them,” he said at last. “Just one more challenge for us to overcome to achieve our goal.”
“A challenge that may be less difficult than you expect,” Friedrich replied. When Eirik looked at him, he added, “I happen to know that at least one of Derian’s followers is less committed to his cause than he believes. I am certain if we make the right approach, we will have a way to infiltrate them.”
Clara Kate didn’t allow herself to weep for very long. She had made her bed—quite literally—and now she had to lie in it.
Not offering any explanations to Sophia or Alexius, who appeared shortly after Sophia did, she wiped her face dry, took the supplements that Quincy handed to her and then extended her wings.
“Please let me tell him when the time is right,” she asked Quincy.
“Of course,” he said. He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. “We’ll get through this, C.K.”
She didn’t reply. Lifting into the air, she waited for Alexius to take the lead, following mental instructions from his elder. Then they started flying as quickly as they could to make up
Similar Books
