TBC: Chapter Fifty-Six

Aderes, gasping for breath, did not stop running until he reached the clearing in Gawl Forest where he was to meet Lesiana. He finally slowed to a stop and leaned against a large tree, his breath appearing in rapid white puffs, his cheeks flushed. He took a deep breath and smiled. His gladaé lit up brightly as he grasped the hilt and unsheathed it.

When he had previously opened his Reserve in the field, endless possibilities and solutions to all his problems appeared in his mind. But at the time, he couldn't focus beyond his emotional pain enough to direct the power of his core. Because of what he saw, however, he also knew how to free his sister, and he had just completed the first step to doing so. Now, he just had to complete the second part before he saw her again.

Aderes held the gladaé at arm's length. His eyes lit up as he took another deep breath. The silver glow of his irises joined the blue-white light of his eyes as he opened his Reserve for the second time that week. The diamond-encrusted spiral appeared on his forehead, and the silver light around his gladaé immediately expanded around the blade.

Aderes released the hilt of the sword and the gladaé floated in the air before him. He extended one arm, his palm facing the sword. "The light that flows forth from my soul and guides me in this realm shall forever protect you, Lesiana." A stream of bright silver light emerged from his palm and moved directly into the sword.

He allowed the gladaé to absorb his energy until he could release no more. He dropped his arm and the spiral marking slowly faded. The glow of his gladaé returned to normal as he grabbed the sword by the hilt and returned it to his sheath. He sat down in sudden exhaustion against the trunk of a large tree.

A short time later, Aderes opened his eyes in alarm as a soft laugh reached his ears. He turned his head sharply as the laughter repeated from a new angle, echoing in all directions in the surrounding trees.

"Did you really think I wouldn't know who entered my own forest, Aderes Bane?" Akila said. Her laugh bounced off the trees again. "Light warrior energy is a higher frequency than that of a normal being. You must learn to mask your energy before you go traveling around on your own if you wish to remain undetected. Opening your Reserve here is like sending me a direct invitation. No one could mistake that amount of light energy for anyone other than a warrior."

Aderes stood quickly, dropped his cloak to the ground, and drew his gladaé. As if on cue, at least a dozen Vaznaun emerged from the trees around him and approached him cautiously, each being sure to avoid his piercing gaze.

Aderes lowered his stance and opened his senses further, searching for Akila's location.

"You're outnumbered this time, warrior," Akila's voice loudly echoed again through the forest.

He searched the tree branches above him.

In a flash, Akila appeared directly behind Aderes. "And I won't let you win," she whispered in his ear.

His eyes widened in surprise as the tip of Akila's staff touched the middle of his back. His back arched as a hot piercing pain surged through him and darkness clouded his mind. He fell unconscious to the ground.

A Vaznaun quickly bent to lock two suppression cuffs around Aderes's wrists.

"Bring him to the cave cells," Akila told the Vaznaun. "Do not delay."

Sometime later, Aderes regained consciousness and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the damp darkness around him. He looked at the red glowing suppression cuffs on his wrists and up to the faint red outline in the cell bars. Due to the surrounding darkness, he couldn't tell how much time had passed since encountering Akila.

He tried to stretch his legs but stopped short and groaned in response to his aching body. It was difficult to move at all. The binds around his wrists made it feel as if heavy stones were hanging from every muscle he possessed.

"What did that freak of a witch do to me?" he mumbled to himself.

A low laugh came from outside Aderes's cave.

His eyes adjusted to see the silhouette of a pot-bellied, Androsan guard walking near his cell.

The guard lit several lamps hanging along the wall with the small torch in his hand. He shot Aderes a malicious smirk. "Oh, don't worry, warrior. She hasn't even gotten started on you."

"Trust me," he replied. "I'm not worried."

The guard smirked. "You should be." He slammed an electrical rod against the cell bars. White sparks scattered out from the tip of the rod. As the light from the rod brightened the cell, Aderes caught a flash of red on the base of a long blade sheathed at the guard's hip.

Moonfire.

"Not so mighty now, are you?" The guard sneered through the bars. "There is a suppression current in the bars. It may not be as strong as the one in the palace, but it's sufficient enough to prevent you from destroying the bars of the cell or communicating to the others with your thoughts like we know you warriors do." He smiled. "So, tell me," he continued with a sneer, "how does it feel to finally be suppressed like the rest of us?"

Aderes sat in silence, staring at the cell floor.

"That's what I thought," the guard said. "At least your arrogance is gone for now."

As the guard turned to leave, a loud crack resounded through the cave as something hard slammed into the guard's skull.

Aderes sat up straighter in alarm.

The guard slumped against the bars and slid to the ground, unconscious.

Lesiana dropped the board she was holding and stepped over the guard's legs. "That guy is vile," she said, drawing up her upper lip.

Aderes laughed loudly, wincing at the same time from the pain that shot through him.

Lesiana searched for a key on the guard, trying her best not to touch him.

"What are you laughing at, Aderes? This is not a funny place."

"Just at how you are. Like I said, this is the happiest day of my life—seeing you. It's all I ever wanted…nothing else matters."

Lesiana flashed him a quick smile. She looked back down at the guard and frowned as she unhooked a small metal tube with a blue tip from the guard's belt. "Aderes, all I found was the key to unlock the binds around your wrist." She stood and touched the stone wall next to the cell bars. There is no keyhole for the bars. I think the cells can only be unlocked by magic."

Aderes stared in silence at his sister, appreciating her voice and the glow of light that reflected from her blonde hair. He was at a loss for words at the peace that spread through him in seeing her.

"Are you listening, Aderes?" Lesiana looked down at him. She gasped as she saw the tears shining on his face. She dropped to her knees and reached her arms through the cell bars. "It's okay. I'll figure out something. We don't have much time though, so give me your wrists."

Aderes held out his wrists, and Lesiana pressed the blue stone to a circular indention on the cuffs. The stone lit up with a blue light and the suppression cuffs unlocked. Aderes immediately felt some of his strength and power return as he tossed the cuffs aside. He breathed in deeply and reached through the bars to touch Lesiana's face. The suppressive power from the current in the bars weighed heavily on his arm.

Lesiana grabbed his hand and closed her eyes.

"You're so beautiful, Lesiana," he said softly. "You look like nán."

A tear leaked from the corner of her eye. She sniffed. "Come on, Aderes. We can do this later. Let's think of a way to break you out of here."

"I'm not sure if there is a way."

"What?" She gave him an incredulous look. "Of course there is."

"I didn't tell the other light warriors of my plan to get you, so they don't know where I am."

"Well." Lesiana raised her eyebrows. "We have to try."

He smiled. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

"That's more like it."

He sniffed and sat up further. "The first thing you have to do is hand me that dagger hanging from the guard's hip. Don't touch the blade."

"Okay," Lesiana said. She grabbed the dagger by its hilt and passed it through the bars to Aderes.

He looked at the dagger for several moments, then put it down. He then moved to the furthest position away from the bars at the back of the cell.

"What are you doing?"

"The suppression current in the cell bars blocks my light energy, so I have to move away to use any of my power." His eyes lit up brightly as he stared at his open palm in front of him. He narrowed his vision in fierce concentration. Streams of light appeared above his palm and weaved, forming an exact replica of the moonfire dagger. The light disappeared and a dull-bladed dagger sat in his palm. He handed the blade back through the bars to Lesiana. "Put this back in the guard's sheath, so it doesn't look like he is missing anything."

She smiled. "That was amazing, Aderes."

"That's what they all say."

Her breath caught in a chuckle. "Okay, what's next?"

"You have to find my sword, Lesi. It's somewhere close by—I can feel it. You will know it when you see it. Hide it under your cloak when you leave here. Do not leave without it."

"I'm not leaving without you!"

"You have to. You'll have to try and get help—" he turned his head sharply. "Someone is coming. Hide in the shadows."

"Your shift is over, Bosta," a guard's voice called. "You can go. I'll watch Akila's new slave."

Aderes placed the unlocked cuffs over his wrists and leaned back against the cell wall near the bars. He closed his eyes to a slit and tilted his head as the guard appeared from around the corner.

"Bosta?" The guard's eyes fell to the ground where Bosta lay. "Bosta!" He rushed over and knelt beside him. The guard stared at Aderes through the bars then stood and grabbed the electrical rod hanging from his hip, his eyes still on Aderes. After several moments, convinced Aderes was asleep, he looked further into the tunnels.

Lesiana drew in a sharp breath as her foot kicked a loose stone in the passageway.

The guard stepped in the direction of the sound but was immediately yanked backward. Aderes grabbed the guard's throat from behind and held on as tight as he could, He pressed his body fully against the cell bars, ignoring the fatigue caused by the suppression current. The guard sucked in a sharp breath and slammed the electrical rod into the bars.

A stabbing pain soared through Aderes's body. His grasp loosened from around the guard's neck and he dropped his arm.

The guard grabbed his throat and doubled over, coughing hard.

The pain pulsing through Aderes's body magnified and his knees buckled. He stumbled away from the bars and immediately felt his light energy alleviate some of the pain.

The guard, regaining his composure, started to stand again. Aderes took a deep breath and focused his thoughts on protecting his sister. He grabbed the man's shirt from behind and jerked him back into the bars. He slid his arm through the bars and locked it around the guard's throat.

"I'm no one's slave," he hissed into the guard's ear.

The guard slammed his rod against the bars repeatedly as he fought for air. The current pierced Aderes's body again. He cried out loudly and gripped the man tighter—his knees weakened, and his vision darkened. With every ounce of energy he had left, he shouted and rammed the moonfire dagger into the guard's ribs. The dagger dropped to the ground nearby at the same moment Aderes fell to the floor, unconscious again for the second time that day.

The guard gasped for breath as he staggered away from the cell. His skin took on an orange-red hue as the moonfire poison within the blade took its toll. He slid to the floor. His body shook violently for several seconds and his eyes flashed a blue and orange glow before his stare fell flat.

Lesiana stepped out from her hiding place in caution. "Ad—Aderes?" Seeing that the path was safe, she ran to Aderes's cell. "Aderes!" She reached as far as she could through the cell bars.

Aderes stirred and groaned.

Tears of relief formed in Lesiana's eyes. "Aderes."

Aderes opened his eyes. His body felt swollen and numb. He looked through the bars at his sister and willed himself to move. He managed to roll close enough to the bars to take her hand.

Lesiana grabbed his hand tight. "I don't know what to do." Her voice caught in a sob.

Aderes looked at his sister with a calm tenderness. "Listen, Lesiana. I might not make it out of here."

"Don't say that, Aderes. I'll get the other warriors and return with the right magic."

"You're all the magic I needed," he whispered. "My heart—my purpose from the first day I began training—was to free you from Mordán's spell, and I have fulfilled it. I am complete."

Lesiana clasped Aderes's hand tightly. Her deep cries echoed off the tunnel walls.

"Lesiana, you don't have much time until more of them come to check on the missing guards, so I want you to listen carefully. Don't forget to find my sword. It has a silver and blue hilt. As I said, it is hanging somewhere nearby."

She sniffed loudly. "There is a secret room on the right side of the second cave entrance to the cells where the guards keep their personal belongings," she said. "It may be there."

Aderes raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

She smiled slyly. "I have my ways of getting around unnoticed. Can't cage someone for long who doesn't wanna be."

Aderes's hearty laugh quickly turned to a groan. "I agree. Now, if they haven't found out that Akila's spell on you is broken, then you still have to pretend.

"Mordán is starting a war with the other kingdoms, so you need to keep my sword with you at all times. In the meantime, I want you to look for one warrior in particular. He is a master warrior with dark skin that has the ability to disguise his appearance. He goes to the market once a week to receive information from our spies. Their day to trade information is tomorrow morning. His name is Master Jabari."

"Master Jabari." Lesiana nodded her head. "Got it."

"He looks like an old drunk and sits by the furthest vendor on the west end. Walk up and tell him you remember everything. Tell him that some of the weapons that the soldiers now carry have been sealed in moonfire. He will know what that means. Go with him to Order headquarters. You will be safe there."

Aderes took a deep breath. Some of the feeling was returning to his body, but the pulsing pain coursing through him was still enough to slow his movements. He looked at the necklace dangling around Lesiana's throat. "Remember when I gave you that necklace?"

She smiled. "You told me it had magic powers."

He grinned at the memory. "My heart melted when I saw you in the marketplace with it."

"Some things they can't take away," Lesiana whispered.

Aderes nodded. His expression turned serious. "Warriors usually have a unique gift called a charisma and mine is the ability to control another's thought. I wish I could give you better memories of the past, Lesi. If these bars were gone, I could change—"

"I don't want to change any of my memories, Aderes. I have lived without them for so long that I would never wish that. They will be the ones I treasure—the ones to remind me of who I am."

He nodded. "Understood."

Lesiana turned sharply toward the cave entrance as she heard more guards approaching.

"Go now," Aderes said.

"I love you, Aderes."

"Always."

Her eyes locked onto his. "I will return for you."

Aderes smiled as he watched his sister round the corner into the shadows. He pushed himself up with great effort and rolled to the corner of the cell. His fingers closed around the hilt of the moonfire dagger next to him. He sat up slowly and rested against the back wall.

"You lose, Mordán. She is free," he said into the darkness around him.

"Who's free, Aderes?"

Aderes looked up into Mordán's stern face through the cell bars as two more Androsan guards ran to check the guards lying on the floor.

Aderes remained silent. He stared hard at Mordán with all the hate he could muster, wishing he could conjure enough energy to get into the ruler's head.

"One is dead and the other is unconscious, Sire," one guard reported.

Mordán studied Aderes's face, clearly unthreatened. "I'll ask you again, who's fr—?" He looked sharply at the fallen guards, then back to Aderes's face. "Lesiana was here," he told the guards. "Find her."

***

Lesiana ran as fast as she could through the cave tunnel. The guard's voices echoed across the walls.

"See if she went this way!" one shouted.

After everything that had happened, Lesiana knew she couldn't go back to the palace. Mordán would never gain her affection like he had been trying so hard to do the past several years now. His gifts and royal treatment had always made her uneasy. It had isolated her from every friend she had tried to make except for Shalsy.

For years, Mordán had told her that the chaperones were necessary because of his feelings for her, but now Lesiana knew that it was because he was afraid she would learn of the star witch's spell. He knew she would leave if it was broken.

She smiled to herself. She had wanted to leave the palace for years now, always haunted by a longing for a different life that felt like a distant dream. Her eyes narrowed in determination. Now, nothing was going to stop her from getting away.

As the footsteps of the guards became louder, Lesiana squeezed into a dark crevice embedded in the side of the cave wall.

I can't go to the market now. I'll have to escape through the forest tonight.

The day stars of Elsaria had already set, so she wouldn't have to wait long. Lesiana shivered at the thought of the gawls but knew there was no other way if she was going to avoid Mordán's imprisonment.

She waited until the tunnels quietened before she slid from her hiding place. The room for the guards' belongings had been left ajar because of their hurried leave. Lesiana slipped inside and immediately saw Aderes's gladaé and sheath hanging along the wall next to some of the guards' coats. Her eyes widened as soft silver light shone from beneath the sheath when she neared it. She removed her cloak and strapped it to her back like Aderes had instructed, then slipped out into the cold forest night.

***