The whole cabin was avoiding him. Was this a way that wizards should behave? Meg asked herself. Because if it was, then maybe she had a good excuse for being terrified right now.

  When Falcon had told them who was meeting them in Turva, Meg had raced through two opposing emotions within seconds. First delight that she would see her sister, Suzanne, again soon, and then abject terror knowing that they could be re-encountering the Warrior Monks.

  She barely remembered the first encounter with the Monks. As they all stood together, all the Mages doing all that they could do to cloak the Islands and protect all the inhabitants, she had heard the horrible hum of the Warrior Monks growing louder as they spread out over the Islands.

  All she remembered was growing warm, and then someone had pushed her into the circle of Mages. Later she had found out that it was Karn. He had seen the fire surround her and then knew what to do. How had he known? What if the circle of Mages had not been there? Would she have burned up instead of producing a beam of light? And what did the light mean?

  While Meg wondered what to do about Tarek, Wren and Karn were sitting across from Meg, whispering together. Meg was happy to see the two of them working out whatever had separated them before. If Wren now trusted her husband, then the rest of them could too. At that moment, Karn said something that had turned Wren’s face a bright red. She pushed herself up, gave Karn one of her looks, and then clapped her hands together.

  Avoiding looking at Tarek, Wren said, “It looks like I need to take charge again. Leon, could you and your men go up and help the crew with the ship? I am sure they could use some strong arms to batten things down in case we don’t outrun the storm.”

  Wren waited until they had all filed out, and then huffed. “Seriously, why did I have to tell them to do that? We are all grown-ups here. And we are in trouble if everyone doesn’t pull their own without needing to be asked to do it.”

  Wren looked at each person still in the room. When she reached Tarek, she paused and said, “Tarek, stop it. Get over yourself. So your father chose to stay in prison. So what? There was a reason. He didn’t abandon you, which is probably what you are telling yourself. He chose this path. This plan. And he is going to need all your powers as a wizard to help him.

  “And we need you more than ever, too. We have to get to Turva before the storm, before the Soleis, and before Sawdi and the Warrior Monks. Can you get us there?”

  When Tarek dropped his head and stared at the floor, Wren pointed to Meg and gestured for her to do something. Then Wren stood and led everyone else out of the cabin, leaving the two of them alone. When even Silke left the room, Meg was astonished. How could she do anything?

  But looking at Tarek, who had been so strong and commanding, staring at the floor, softened her heart and strengthened her resolve.

  He had helped her. She could help him. So, she did the only thing she knew to do. She went to him and put her arm around him. At first, he stiffened up, and then he put his head on her shoulder.

  She whispered to him, “It’s going to be all right, Tarek.”

  It surprised Meg to realize that she wasn’t just saying those words. She believed them with all her heart.

  “I should have known,” Tarek mumbled.

  “There was a reason you didn’t, Tarek. I am sure of that. Just as I am sure that there is a reason why I am here on Thamon. But we will only find out that reason if we do everything we know how to do at this moment, and I am sure you know how to get us to Turva faster.”

  Tarek raised his head and looked into Meg’s green eyes. She was no longer the wild-child and self-serving woman he had first met that day on the Islands. He still remembered the meadow, and the joy he felt at being there, despite why he had come.

  His father and his cousin Rose were alive. Maybe they all were. But they were a long way to finding out the answer. First, he needed to get them all safely to Turva.

  Tarek nodded at Meg and then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. She had become his rock and guiding star. The least he could do was save her.

  Meg smiled at him, and for that moment, he was sure she was right. They were here together for a reason.

  Twenty

  The storm that was racing after the ships heading to Turva was also hovering around the Islands. Ibris thought that it felt as if the storm was trying to decide whether to punish the Islands or let them be. The sky had turned black, and lightning flashed out to sea. But the rain and wind had not yet hit the Islands.

  As the Preacher, Ibris had once been the only one that had to make sure that the Arrow was clear and people safe in their homes before the storms hit. Now that the few Mages that had survived were back out among the people again, they took back their responsibilities. Ibris was sure that was one reason that the storm hovered offshore. The Mages were doing what they once did, calming the storm as much as possible. They would let just enough rainfall on the Islands to keep them lush and productive.

  Gratitude for what had happened on the Islands to make it free again filled Ibris’ heart. Yes, they had work to do to bring the Islands back to what they once were. They also had to find a new path that included those who wanted to continue to worship Aaron-Lem.

  Oiseon, the elected leader of the Mages, Ruth, Roar, and Samis, were meeting with Ibris. Dax no longer came to meetings. He gave many reasons for staying away, but Ibris knew it was because the people didn’t believe in him and were still angry at what he had done. Dax didn’t think that he had a place where violence was not needed or wanted. The more Dax and Ibris talked about it, the more sure Dax was that he didn’t belong on the Islands. He needed to do something.

  “I should have left on the ship with Stryker,” Dax often said.

  Ibris would argue that Stryker would have killed him, and Dax would argue back that he wouldn’t have. And even if Stryker did try to kill him, Dax would have made sure that he took Stryker with him.

  “At least it would have given me something to do,” Dax would say.

  It was because of Dax that the five of them were meeting. As they watched the storm move out to sea, only dropping enough rain to feed the Islands, Oiseon turned to Ibris and asked, “Are we going to say yes to Dax? And if we do, does that mean that we trust him?”

  “I don’t see that we have a choice,” Ibris said. “He is going to do it with or without us. As far as trusting him, no, we can’t. I say that loving Dax. But something is broken inside of him, and I am not sure that what he says he wants to do is what he will end up doing.”

  “Could you tell us again what he wants to do?” Ruth asked. “And what exactly does he want from us?”

  “He wants to go to the Palace and kill Aaron. He says he can do it. I think he probably can. But why? Because he wants to take Aaron’s place?” Ibris asked.

  “I know that for years he has planned to be more powerful. I suspect he has wanted to take power away from Aaron, Stryker, and Sawdi. Although I have no idea how he thought he was going to do that without help. But still. I do believe he could kill Aaron.

  “I’ve heard that Aaron has become soft and cares too much about wealth and riches. However, if we endorse this and help Dax, then we also are responsible for killing Aaron, which I no longer want to be part of on any level. Besides, some people will take his death and turn him into something bigger than he already is. His teachings will remain powerful if people see him as a martyr. It doesn’t seem wise.”

  “But as you said,” Roar interjected, “How can we stop him? And is it possible to make Thamon free without killing, or at least imprisoning the ones that have enslaved it?”

  Oiseon cleared his throat, and everyone turned to listen to what he had to say. After all, he represented the Mages. And Dax had been responsible for imprisoning and killing many of their families and friends.

  “I have spoken with the Mages. We know that harboring hate and resentment towards anyone, including Dax, will only weaken us. The enemy that we take revenge on will defeat us, even if we kill them. So we will have no part of revenge.

  “But of course we believe in protection. We can protect Dax and help him get to Edes, but we will not support the killing of Aaron. Would Dax agree to only stopping him, and not killing him?”

  “I agree,” Dax said from the doorway.

  “You aren’t supposed to be here, Dax,” Ibris said.

  “And yet, you are discussing me as if I am a specimen. I have a say in this too. Yes, I heard your discussion. You forget that I was, maybe still am, the head of the most influential Kai-Via in Thamon. My six men were not personal friends to me, but Sawdi killed them just because he felt like it.

  “Do you want a man like that coming after you? I know Tarek and the others think they can stop him. Perhaps they can. Maybe they can prevent Stryker from recovering the pendant.

  “But even if they do all that, what power does Aaron still have? He will never want to be anything less than a god. Someone has to do something about him. Let it be me. I will imprison him if I can. I won’t go to kill him.

  “Yes, I wanted to be all-powerful. But I have watched what that looks like, and it no longer appeals to me. However, I cannot turn into something I am not. I am a warrior. You haven’t asked Ibris to stop being a preacher. Perhaps I am a better man now than I was before, but I still need to fight.

  “I chose the winning side. And the fact that I am choosing your side should give you hope. I think you will be on the winning side. Let me fight for it.

  “Help me get to Edes and Aaron’s Palace. I can’t promise you many things, but I can promise you that you’d rather have me there than here.”

  Ibris stood and walked to Dax and put his arms around him. Dax stood stiffly for a moment and then reluctantly hugged Ibris back. Ibris whispered in his ear, “I love you, brother.”

  Dax didn’t respond. But it was those words that would drive him forward into his destiny. It was the only way he could tell Ibris that he loved him too. Dax thought Ibris would understand.

  Twenty-One

  The Warrior Monk was back in the corner of Aaron’s room and followed him wherever he went. Who knew if it was the same one? They all looked alike. If Sawdi’s plan was to drive Aaron crazy, it was working.

  Besides the Monk that followed him everywhere, Sawdi had his army of Warrior Monks camped outside the doors of the Palace. Although they were quiet at the moment, their presence was still terrifying, which Aaron figured was the point that Sawdi was making. He was angry, and he wasn’t going to let Aaron forget it.

  Aaron had thought that Sawdi would leave immediately to chase after Udore, but Sawdi was still there, or at least Aaron assumed that he was since the Monks were, and Sawdi was the only one who controlled them.

  But Aaron hadn’t seen Sawdi since the day before when he had stormed out of the throne room. Aaron shuddered at the memory. That morning, as Aaron dressed, he saw the bruises that ran down the side of his body where he had bounced and then slid across the floor.

  The floor still had gouges and scratches in it. The Blessed Ones couldn’t fix it, and the men who had initially laid the floor were nowhere to be found, so he had no idea how long it would be before the floor would look perfect again.

  If Falcon were around, he would send him out to find the man. But getting past the Monks might be tricky, even for Falcon.

  Aaron hated to admit it, but the truth was, he was a prisoner in his own Palace. Falcon was missing. His women were gone. Things were not as they should be. And he felt powerless to do anything about it.

  Aaron sat on his throne, thinking about what he could do. Although he would miss the women, they weren’t what he was the most upset about. It was the children. They were his. They, and their future, belonged to him.

  His children would be the new Thamon. He was training them to be the new Preachers and Kai-Via to replace Stryker’s imperfect ones. Because no matter how good the current Preachers and Kai-via were, the world they grew up in had influenced them.

  His children would be pure, not sullied by being human or by other people, especially mothers and fathers. He was God. They were the children of God. All they knew was Aaron-Lem. They would control the world long after he was gone. It was his legacy.

  Yes, he could always get more women, but he couldn’t replace his children. He had to find them. But locked inside the Palace with the humming, swirling mass of white wraiths surrounding him, he had no way to search for them.

  Aaron knew that he had to find the children before Sawdi did. Because if Sawdi found the children first, he would eliminate them, and then it would take him years to get back to where he was now.

  Aaron called the Blessed One standing by the door to come closer. The Blessed One shuffled forward until he stood directly in front of Aaron’s throne.

  As often as Aaron had seen them do that, it still impressed him. Their training had been impeccable. Perhaps it would be wise to reward their teachers, Aaron thought, and then changed his mind. No, that would only encourage them to want more. It was best to let things remain the same, at least the ones that he still controlled.

  Although Aaron assumed that the Warrior Monk could hear him anyway, Aaron leaned forward and whispered in the Blessed One’s ear, “Bring me Baywolf once the Warrior Monks and Sawdi leave.”

  The Blessed One nodded and shuffled out of the room. Aaron leaned back into his chair, carved from a massive tree. Among the glitter of the room, it felt out of place. But Aaron had wanted people to know that he ruled all of Thamon, not just the people, but everything that grew.

  It was true he felt defeated at the moment, but he did have some secrets that Sawdi hadn’t learned about yet, or if he did, they wouldn’t look dangerous to him.

  It was good that he had kept Stryker’s replacement close by and a secret, Aaron mused. Baywolf had been at Stryker’s training camp, and Aaron had met him on one of his visits. Stryker was in the process of discarding the boy. He didn’t like the way he looked. Stryker thought the boy had an ugly face. But it wasn’t only his looks that had turned Stryker away. It was the boy’s inability to follow directions.

  But Aaron had seen something that Stryker had not. The boy, who then was called Bay, couldn’t hear, and that’s why he didn’t obey orders. It also made him a good servant for Aaron, so he had asked to be given Bay, and Stryker had agreed. It was an easy way to get rid of him.

  Bay had earned the second half of his name after Aaron caught him attacking a member of his staff who had hit him and knocked him to the floor. Bay attacked the man with such ferocity that it reminded Aaron of a wolf. When Aaron stood by and let him beat the man, Bay had turned to Aaron, bowed, and said, “I serve only you, my God.”

  Aaron had nodded and then brought the newly named Baywolf to the Palace and began to train him. With that kind of loyalty and fighting ability, he would be good to have around.

  Over time, Aaron discovered that Baywolf could hear, just chose not to unless it was Aaron. His ability to hear remained their secret, along with how well trained he was, and how big he had gotten.

  Only the blind Blessed Ones were ever allowed in Baywolf’s presence, so no one knew what Baywolf had become.

  Once Sawdi was gone, the two of them would work out a way to take Thamon back from both Stryker and Sawdi. He and Baywolf had been waiting many years for that day, and it was almost here.

  Twenty-Two

  What Aaron didn’t know was that Sawdi was not in the Palace. First, Sawdi had taken Bolong to the cavern and released the Warrior Monks and left them to guard the Palace. Then Sawdi had headed to his cabin in the mountains.

  He needed time to think through what had happened and what he wanted to do next. Yes, he needed to follow Udore, but he knew where Udore was going. He could follow him later.

  Yes, he was surprised that Udore had escaped, and he had been furious. But the more he thought about it, the more Sawdi decided that perhaps this was a better way for all this to happen. He could stay out of the fray until they were all on Turva. Maybe the rebels could stop Stryker and his plans with the pendant. If the rebels failed, he could come in and save the day and get rid of all the Mages and Stryker at the same time.

  In the meantime, he had Aaron trapped in the Palace. He could decide what to do with him later. Sawdi’s plan all along was to let Aaron continue to be the figurehead for Aaron-Lem, but the ring kept urging him to kill him instead.

  It was another reason Sawdi had left the Palace. The anger he had felt towards Aaron had surprised him. The ring had taken over. He felt the white rage rise, and before he knew it, the person he believed himself to be vanished and a deep dark presence rose within him.

  Yes, Sawdi knew he was not a good man. He did love to harm people and do bad things. He did enjoy torturing and controlling people. But the dark presence that took over his actions and his thinking was much more than just bad. It was pure evil, and Sawdi had to use all his strength to keep it from destroying not only Aaron but the Palace and everyone in it.

  The dark presence and the anger that came with it had no reason or logic. It just wanted to destroy. Sawdi knew it was the ring.

  Not for the first time since he had placed it on his finger, Sawdi wished that he had never found it. Before the ring, what he had valued the most was his ability to be the master of his thinking and his emotions. Not only his but all of those around him. But the ring was taking over all of it.

  What he wanted to do was take the ring off. But every time that thought occurred to him, a blinding flash of pain swept through his entire body, making him incapable of moving. So Sawdi had returned to the cabin to seek some silence, and to keep that evil from having a reason to lash out. Sawdi was aware that his ability to make that kind of choice might also be fading. Would who he was be swallowed up by the dark being that lived within him now?