Furyborn (The Empirium Trilogy Book 1)

“Dearest brothers and sisters, please do not grieve my absence. Know that I was of sound mind when I left for Ventera. As the youngest of five, I have often felt dim in the shadow of your brilliant light. Now, it is my turn to shine. In the belly of the beast, I will serve Red Crown’s cause of justice and freedom and strive to earn your admiration. May the Queen’s light guide us all home.”

—Letter from Princess Navana Amaruk of Astavar to her siblings

December 13, Year 1014 of the Third Age

They moved through the cold forest for hours—all through the night and into the next day.

The ground became rockier the farther north they went, soft earth giving way to pale sand. The trees were strange here, short and spindly, with brittle leaves that hissed spitefully in the wind. Long, misshapen barrows crowned with crumbling stones snaked through the forest like veins.

“These trees reek of death,” Hob whispered as they crouched near one such mound. “I’ll be glad to leave them behind.”

Eliana agreed—but where to go after this? Simon’s contact, their path across the Narrow Sea, was now lost to them.

They stopped at last to rest, huddling beneath a moss-draped overhang on the side of a slight hill. Navi had lost much of her color, her skin slick with sweat. They settled her on the ground, piled leaves atop her shivering body.

She raised one feeble hand. “Eliana?”

Eliana took it, settled beside her. “I’m here. You’re all right. We’re going to be fine now.”

Navi smiled weakly. “Don’t lie to me.”

“Fine. We’re quite likely all doomed.”

“That’s better.”

Remy wedged himself against Eliana’s other side, his arms crossed over his chest. He had spoken not a word since leaving Simon behind.

Eliana glanced at Hob. “Do you know who Simon could have been talking to? The contact he went to meet.”

Hob pulled a few wrapped pieces of food from his pockets—dried meat, hard rolls, all he’d managed to grab before fleeing the fire—and passed them around. “No. According to Simon, I am not high-ranked enough an ally to be privy to such information.”

“There must be smugglers that cross the Narrow Sea.”

“A few. But we haven’t the money for that.” Hob yanked a berry off a nearby bush, chewed it, spat it out. “Rotberries. This forest is useless.”

“Can we go back to Rinthos? Ask Camille for help?”

“I don’t think Navi would survive the trip. If we can get to the port of Skoszia without someone seeing us and killing us on the spot, I can send a message to Camille from a place there, but it will take time.”

“That’s time we don’t have.”

“We left him.” Remy shifted to look up at Eliana. “We left him to die with Rahzavel.”

“Yes, we did,” said Eliana, refusing to meet his eyes. “He would have wanted us to.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“Hey, you know what?” She slid her arm around Remy’s shoulders. “I have something to tell you. I wish I could show you, but I can’t. You too, Hob.”

Hob raised an eyebrow. “Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.”

“I met a friend,” Eliana said, “in the laboratories where they held me and Navi. Her name is Zahra, and…she’s here with us. Right now.”

Some of the sadness left Remy’s face. “Really? How? Where?”

Hob was staring at her. “Have you lost your mind?”

“This is no joke, Hob,” said Zahra.

Hob’s arm shot out to shield both Eliana and Remy. “Who’s there? Who said that?”

“Who are you?” Remy looked around wonderingly. “Can you show me what you look like?”

“My name is Zahra, little one.” Zahra swooped down to Remy’s eye level, her chin in her hands. “What a darling thing you are. Your mind is as wide open as the sky.”

Remy cautiously waved his hand around. “You’re very close, aren’t you?”

“Indeed.”

“Eliana,” Hob muttered, “what is this?”

Remy hugged his knees to his chest. “Are you a wraith?”

Zahra blinked in surprise. “What is this child, who knows so much of the world?” Her expression turned tender. “Oh, sweet one. You are a dreamer, a teller of tales. I see that now. You ache for magic and for all those golden giants of the past.”

Remy flushed with pleasure. “Before the invasion,” he said eagerly, “people stole books from the temples, so they wouldn’t be destroyed. I buy them whenever I can and read them all.”

“Hang on.” Eliana pulled back to frown at him. “You mean you used to sneak around Orline buying books in the underground market?”

“Do you think I learned everything I know just from rolling dough at the bakery?”

“Well, I—” She shook her head, astonished.

“Oh, I do like you.” Zahra draped an arm across Remy’s shoulders with a smile. “A curious mind and a pure heart both in one.”

Hob flung his gloves to the ground. “Can someone tell me what a wraith is?”

“Don’t move,” a male voice warned from the shadows before them. “Or I’ll tell my archers to let their arrows fly.”

Eliana froze as shapes shifted in the undergrowth—five soldiers, ten, gathering close with bows raised and arrows nocked.

Zahra shot up to her full height, dark eyes flashing. “Eliana, forgive me. I was distracted; I didn’t hear them!”

One of the archers jerked their arrow to the side, seeking Zahra—and of course finding nothing.

“You’ve a fifth in your party?” asked the first man. He approached Eliana, no bow in his hand but a long curved sword at his hip. His hood hid his face from view.

“Do you see five people here?” Eliana glared up at him. “Your eyes fail you, I’m afraid.”

“But my ears do not.” The man stopped, considering Navi’s shorn head. “You escaped from Fidelia.”

Eliana tensed. “Perhaps.”

“Malik?” Navi moaned, struggling to push herself up. “Is that you?”

“Navi?” The man flung off his hood and fell to his knees at her feet. “Sweet saints.” He gathered Navi against his chest before Eliana could stop him, pressed a tender kiss to her head. “Simon said you were alive, but I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t let myself.”

Navi clung to him, her gaunt face free of pain for the first time since they’d escaped the laboratories. “Eliana,” she murmured, “please don’t be afraid. We’re safe now.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Eliana moved in front of Remy and reached under her singed jacket for Arabeth. “Who are you?”

Malik turned, his brown cheeks wet with tears, his eyes large and dark, his jaw strong. The resemblance, now that Eliana knew to look for it, was obvious.

“I am Malik Amaruk,” he said, wiping his face. “I am Navi’s brother—and a prince of Astavar.”

• • •

Later that afternoon, after Malik and his scouts had shared a proper meal with them, Eliana stood with Malik on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Narrow Sea. Across the black channel lay a line of white cliffs: Astavar—and freedom.

Eliana made herself look at it and imagine the fresh green country beyond the border, even though doing so opened old wounds in her heart.

Harkan, she thought, you should be here.

“So there are monsters on those boats,” Malik murmured. On the far horizon, black specks moved steadily west against the darkening sky. The Empire fleet.

“They’re called crawlers,” Eliana told him.

Down the coast, a small flotilla of Empire warships waited at the port of Skoszia. The faint shapes of adatrox bustled back and forth along the docks, moving supplies and weapons. Hanging high on the warships’ masts, the Emperor’s colors of black, red, and gold snapped in the wind.

The Emperor. Corien, Zahra had called him.

Eliana’s mouth thinned. That was not something she would allow herself to think about just yet. “So we have to make it across the sea without anyone on those ships seeing us.”

“Yes.” Malik pointed behind them, farther west along the coast. “There’s a small smuggler’s ship two miles away, in a small cove abandoned by the Empire. The ship crosses at nightfall, and its crew will take us with them. Simon and I arranged it before…” Again Malik glanced at her. “Well.”

“Before I abandoned him to save my own ass?”

“I wasn’t going to say it quite like that.”

“No need to hold your tongue around me, prince.” Eliana stared out at the water, trying not to remember Simon’s cries of pain. “I know what I’ve done.”

“I would’ve done the same, you know.”

“No need to comfort me either.”

Malik inclined his head. “Once we’re across, you’ll be taken to the capital. There are tunnels below the palace. My fathers will hide all of you there, and I’ll join the army at the beach.”

“To fight?” Eliana couldn’t hide the scorn in her voice.

Malik said mildly, “You think we can’t win.”

“I know you can’t.”

“And what should we do? Sit on the shores of our country and let the Empire slaughter us without raising a single sword?”

“Your people excel at sitting and not raising a single sword.”

Malik regarded Eliana calmly. “All of Astavar grieved with you the day Ventera fell.”

“Your grief means nothing to me.”

“We saved our own asses. Isn’t that how you said it? How are we so different, then?”

“Simon is a murderer. A soldier. He knew what he was getting into when he joined Red Crown. A country, though, is full of innocents.” Eliana glared at the sea. “Don’t try to compare yourself to me or your country to mine. You’ll come up short.”

“My lord!” A scout hurried up the cliffside path to whisper something in Malik’s ear.

Malik turned to Eliana, eyebrows raised. “It seems Simon is alive.”

The world beneath her feet floated away. “What? But Rahzavel—”

“Has taken him captive, apparently. They are on one of the warships bound for Astavar.”

“Which one?” When the scout hesitated, Eliana grabbed her arm. “Which one?”

“I can’t say,” the scout replied. “Our contact on the smuggler’s ship saw them board, but couldn’t recall which ship. They all look the same, he said.”

Eliana snorted. “And these are the people we’re entrusting our lives to?”

“Not many smugglers remain who dare to cross the Narrow Sea,” Malik pointed out. “We’re lucky we could find anyone at all.”

“What are you thinking, my queen?” Zahra murmured at Eliana’s ear.

Eliana stared hard at the ships down the coast.

“I’m thinking,” she said slowly, “that we won’t be going with the others when they leave.”

Zahra nodded. “You’re thinking we must save Simon.”

A warm wave of relief swept through Eliana’s body. “Yes.”

“Because you feel guilty for leaving him?”

Yes. Because not even he deserves death at Rahzavel’s hands. Because he gave his life to allow us escape.

Because I couldn’t save Harkan. But I can, perhaps, save Simon.

“Because he has answers I want,” she replied.

Zahra gave her a pointed look and tapped her own ghostly temple. “Remember…angel.”

“Not anymore, you aren’t.” Eliana turned to face Malik. “You’ll get my brother to Astavar—and Hob as well.” She glanced at Hob. “Unless you wish to return to Patrik?”

“I won’t leave Navi or the boy,” Hob said quietly, his eyes bright but his jaw set. “I’ll find Patrik later. Sometimes our work for the rebellion requires us to live apart. He will understand.”

An ache swelled beneath Eliana’s ribs.

Sometimes, Rozen Ferracora had told her, when their training had first begun, your work will take you away from home for days at a time. Remember this: I will always love you when you return. No matter what you have done.

She clutched her necklace so hard that the corroded rim bit into her palm. “Well, Malik?”

“For the girl who saved my sister and showed her such kindness?” Malik bowed his head. “I would do anything.”

“Remy won’t forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye.”

“Yes, I will.”

Eliana turned to find Remy standing behind her, his face pinched and grave. “If you can save him, El,” he said quietly, “you should do it.”

A horn blasted from down the coast; across the gathered warships, torches flared to life.

“Night comes,” Zahra murmured. “We must go.”

“And so must we.” Malik turned, whistled softly. His scouts gathered, breaking camp in efficient silence.

Eliana pulled Remy to her, and together they found Hob helping Navi to her feet at the trees’ edge. “You’ll watch over him?”

“He won’t leave my sight,” Hob said. “Neither of them will.”

“Eliana,” whispered Navi, reaching for her. “You’ll save him. I know it.”

Eliana moved toward her, Remy still at her side, and kissed her brow. “I will try.”

“I know what you are. The wraith thought it would comfort me to know.”

“What?” Eliana glared at Zahra.

“Don’t be angry with her. It was a kindness.” Navi kissed Eliana’s hand, pressed it to her cheek. “If anyone can save him, you can.”

Remy stared. “What is she talking about?”

“Navi,” Eliana said quickly, “all of that is childish nonsense—lies that people craving comfort tell themselves.”

“You don’t believe that,” Navi murmured.

Eliana’s necklace felt suddenly too heavy around her neck. “I don’t know what to believe.”

Zahra smiled. “Then you are on the right path.”

Eliana ducked to kiss Remy’s cheek, whispered, “I love you,” and cupped his face in her hands, memorizing every line and curve.

“Save him,” he told her, his voice wobbly, and before Eliana could change her mind, she turned and ran down the cliff toward the darkening sea.