“They did listen to me,” Anders said under his breath.  

“Some, I guess,” Maija said. “And Natalia managed to convince the Lumbapi people to come with her. They’re headed here.”  

Anders’ eyes widened, “That’s,” he started and Maija finished his sentence. 

“An army big enough to fight Merglan’s.”  

“If we can hold out here that long,” Anders added. 

“Why?” Maija asked. 

“Yesterday, I saw him outside the city.” 

“What?” Maija asked, looking around as if they were no longer safe there.  

“Thomas was with me. We saw a dragon and rider just before last light. Shortly after that, a demon attacked and killed one of the leaders of the Revolution,” Anders explained. “Zahara and I were able to chase it down and kill it, but before it died, it said that more were coming.” 

“That was yesterday?” Maija asked.  

Anders nodded.  

“And he hasn’t attacked?” Maija asked.  

Anders shook his head, “Not yet.” 

Maija seemed to be pondering these events, then asked, “How do you know that it was Merglan you saw?” 

Anders chuckled, “It wasn’t me or you, so who else could it have been?” He noticed her worried frown and knew that she still hadn’t told him everything. “It couldn’t be anyone else,” he said.  

She cringed and said, “It could’ve been one of Merglan’s other dragonriders.”  

“But he doesn’t have any,” Anders said. 

“Unless they were in the prison and he has them under his control now that they’re free,” Maija said.  

“But the elves don’t lock up bonded riders with their dragons in that facility,” Anders said and Maija nodded her head. “I read about it in the library there, they don’t do it for that exact reason,” he said.  

Maija shrugged, “And that’s what Natalia told me when I mentioned how three dragonriders passed over Raffa and me when we reached the peninsula.”  

 Anders looked down at the box in his hands again and thought for several long moments. “They were going to retrieve the crystals,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “And in a few more days when they return with them, he’ll have the power to crush us again. That’s why he’s not attacking yet and sending demons to do his dirty work.”  

Maija shook her head. 

“What?” Anders asked. “You don’t think he’ll be able to alter them back to his mad magic?” 

“Not if he doesn’t have them,” she said.  

Anders furrowed his brow. 

“He couldn't have them if Natalia took them with her,” she said. 

Anders leaned back in surprise, “No,” he gasped. “She took them with her?”  

Maija nodded.  

“That means we’ll have enough to arm others,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “A lot of others, not to mention ourselves. With Natalia and Nadir, we’ll have some serious power.”  

“It didn’t come cheap, though,” Maija said. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”  

Anders waited for Maija to break it to him, wondering if this was why she had blood on her clothes.  

“Solomon’s dead,” she said.  

Anders got slightly light-headed again and blinked, “What? Dead? How?” Maija recounted the story Natalia had told her. When she finished, he said, “I met another family member without even knowing it.”  

“It sounded like he didn’t know either.” 

“Ivan was there, too,” Anders said. 

“I don’t think they knew either. After Solomon left the throne he didn’t come back to Southland until after Ivan, or William, had left the capital.” 

“And now he’s gone, too,” Anders said, looking at the box.  

“His body might be, but his mind still lives in there,” Maija said.  

“I suppose that’s what Natalia told you,” Anders said flatly. 

“I thought this would make you happy, give you hope,” Maija said, putting her arms around him.  

Anders nodded, “It does, but if it’s anything like the way Tarron is trapped in Lazuran’s sapphire, then it will take another bonding to bring him to life again and we might not get that opportunity before this is through.”  

“That’s not a sapphire, though,” Maija said, pointing to the box. 

“What’s inside could be,” Anders shrugged again.  

“Which is why you need to crack it open.”  

Anders shifted, looking up at Zahara and Raffa playing as if there weren’t a care in the world. “We should be getting back,” he said with a sigh.  

“Let them enjoy this moment a little longer,” Maija said. “I still haven’t told you about my dealings with the kurr and people of Aquina.”  

Anders turned and looked at her astonished, “How long were you gone again? I thought it was only three days.”  

Maija nodded, “A lot can happen in three days.”  

*** 

“Focus,” Anders said. Thomas held the dimly lit crystal in his hand. Anders tried to sooth his nerves with his mind. “You can do this, if you just focus,” he said in a calm tone.