12.

  Faelwen

  Zan’kareth.

  A lonely city carved from stone and silence, hidden behind the snowy ridges of the Silverveil Mountains. Somewhere within its crumbling bones, our second runestone awaited. Elora had received word through the sending stone that her father’s search party had already claimed the first stone high in Aelthwyn Peaks. Now they journeyed eastward, toward Islethys, a small island cradled by the sea. According to the dragon who had guarded the runestone, the next runestone lay buried deep beneath the ocean, trapped after a quake long ago. It would take time to recover.

  Still, if all went as planned, we could have four of the five runestones before the month’s end. Perhaps even all five, if fate showed us a rare kindness. And then the real war would begin.

  A knot twisted in my stomach at the thought. The kind of war that would scar not only lands, but souls. It felt impossible that only seven months ago I had walked home from a quiet day in the woods with Artemis, our feet dusty with the forest soil, hearts light and unburdened. Then we saw the smoke. Barnabas was gone. Our home a ruin of ash and memory.

  That search for answers had led us to his journals, to his hidden fight for peace, his dream of a world where mages and humans no longer tore each other apart. And somehow, that same path had tangled me and Artemis into a quest far larger than any of us.

  A quest to save the world itself from the Fiend.

  Even with all the wonder and thrill, I felt it deep in my bones now, a weariness no sleep could mend. Not the kind you could outrun. A longing for stillness. For something soft and ordinary.

  Maybe, when this was over, I’d find a quiet place to live. Grow herbs. Read books. let the world spin without me for a while.

  You’ll make it, Wen. I’m sure of it

  Artemis’ voice curled into my mind like a warm blanket. I smiled. We’ll make it, right Buddy? Because we’re pack, I sent back, our bond a pulse beneath my skin.

  Look what’s in front of you, Wen, he replied instead, sidestepping the question. I think we’ve arrived.

  I leaned to the side to glance past Ash, and my breath caught in my throat.

  Bathed in the dying light of the setting sun, the city of Zan’kareth rose from the desert like a vision from an old dream. Great golden domes gleamed beneath the sun’s kiss, their curved surfaces igniting in hues of amber and gold. High walls encircled the city, their tops carved with broad platforms that jutted outward. Landing terraces, perhaps, for dragons the first inhabitants of this world.

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  The buildings within stood tall and noble despite their decay. Many were towers, some capped with round domes, others with flat roofs large enough to bear the weight of winged beasts. Palm trees sprouted defiantly between the stones, and prickly cacti leaned into the warmth of the last sunlight. But as we drew closer, beauty gave way to abandonment.

  No smoke.

  No voices.

  No signs of any life.

  Sand had swallowed entire streets. Some structures lay half-collapsed, their once proud walls faded and cracked. This city had not been lived in for a long time.

  The phoenixes set us down gently on one of the wall platforms, their talons scraping against the worn stone. We climbed from their backs and offered our thanks. With a few low croons, they spread their wings and vanished into the sky, returning to their kin.

  The silence that followed was deafening. Only the wind, whispering through empty alleys. A breath of heat. The occasional flutter of feathers from the Phoenixes disappearing over the horizon.

  “What now?” Spook’s voice broke the stillness. It echoed louder than intended, and he winced.

  We seek shelter for the night, Artemis said in my mind.

  “We seek shelter,” I echoed aloud.

  Everyone agreed, and we climbed down from the wall, stepping into the city’s hushed heart. Sand danced over the stone paths in last spirals. I pulled my hood up, shielding my face from the dust.

  Shadows stretched long as the sun dipped, swallowing the golden glow and leaving behind a veil of twilight. Eventually, we found refuge in the hollow shell of a building. Its lower floor intact, its windows little more than jagged gaps in the walls. A torn, sun-bleached blanket served as a makeshift door. We shared a cold meal in silence, too tired and to wary to speak. I took the first watch.

  Settling by one of the broken windows, I gazed out onto the street. Everything was still.

  Hollow.

  Most furniture inside the buildings were long gone or lay scattered like forgotten bones. Most windows were black eyes staring back at me. Some were shuttered with rags that swayed in the breeze.

  Who had lived here once? What lives had played out in these halls? Why had they left?

  Desert heat? Starvation? Or something darker?

  A flicker of movement caught the edge of my vision. My body tensed, hand reaching instinctively for the blade at my hip. I scanned the shadows. Nothing.

  Buddy? Are you still awake? I whispered into our bond. A muffled grumble answered, his paw still draped over his nose. I am now.

  Good. I think I saw something. Can you check around the building?

  Probably a rat. And can’t you check it out yourself? he muttered, but he rose anyway, stretched, and slipped into the night like smoke.

  I closed my eyes and reached for him, letting our magic entwine. Senses sharpened. I saw through his eyes, heard through his ears, tasted the dust in his mouth and felt the stone beneath his paws. He circled the building, low to the ground, invisible in the dark.

  Slowly he moved to the corner where I saw movement. There was nothing.

  Then suddenly… movement. He froze.

  A flicker ahead. A small figure crept out from the shadowed alcove of a building, limbs wrapped in cloth, eyes alert. The faint light of the moon illuminated its features. It was a child… a boy, I thought, with pale skin and narrow limbs. Bandages hid his arms and legs. He darted toward a rusted metal grate set into the ground, grunting as he heaved it open. His eyes met ours.

  Golden.

  Slitted.

  Reptilian.

  Then he dropped into the pit and vanished.

  What was that, Buddy? Did you see his eyes? He wasn’t an elf…

  No. he wasn’t. Artemis’ voice was quiet, unreadable. Get some rest. We’ll learn more in the morning.

  I hesitated. Something about his tone made my chest tighten. But I let it go.

  I nudged Elora awake, whispering quickly about what I’d seen. She nodded, brushing sleep from her eyes, and promised to keep watch.

  To look for the boy. Or whatever else might crawl out of the shadows before dawn.