What about the box? I’ve seen you with it whenever you have a second away from the others.
Anders felt the constant presence of Ivan’s mind near him as he kept the box in Zahara’s saddlebags when he wasn’t holding it himself. Nothing yet. I might try taking it to the location where we burned Ivan’s body.
How would that make a difference? she asked.
Anders shrugged, I don’t know. It might help me more than anything else.
Zahara’s attention withdrew and he could sense her speaking privately to Raffa.
When she’d finished, Anders said, Things seem to be going well between you two.
He sensed embarrassment in her at his comment and she replied, He wants me to be his mate.
Oh, Anders said, not fully surprised by the idea. And that’s something you want?
It is, but when I am of age.
When is that? Anders asked, feeling ashamed he didn’t know the rituals of dragon culture.
It will happen when it happens, she said defensively.
Okay, I didn’t mean to pry. I was just wondering if I should be expecting you to be laying eggs anytime soon? Anders felt Zahara flush with embarrassment.
That’s not going to happen anytime soon, she said assuredly. He is simply courting me is all.
Good, Anders said, relieved he wouldn’t have to worry about her becoming a mother in the midst of a war.
I will go to him now. Call if I’m needed, Zahara said and pushed herself onto all fours.
Anders was nudged away from her as she stood. He quickly grabbed the box from her saddle bag and said, Okay, be careful, as she took flight. She exited through the opening in the trees she’d created during her repeated takeoffs and landings. I feel like I’m Theodor telling Kirsten to be careful on her way to town, he thought to himself. A glance at his younger cousin using Lazuran’s power to create a shield around her, Max and Sanka made him think, And now I’d warn others to be careful of her if she went off by herself.
Walking over to where two soldiers were attempting to set a tree on fire with the sapphire taken from Rankstine, Anders joined in. By the end of the day, he’d managed to teach the two soldiers to accurately fire a sphere of energy from the crystal at will. Thomas, however, had not made progress; he was the exception to the group. With the eight of them gathered around Anders for their end-of-the-day wrap-up, Anders finished his speech, “With a few more days of training, we should be in good shape when our forces make their move.” The group nodded in unison, Thomas still looking hopeful. “We’ll meet back here again in the morning,” Anders said.
One of the soldiers raised his hand and stated, “Bryant and I will be late tomorrow. It’s our squad’s turn to watch the east side of the city tonight.”
Anders nodded, “Then you two should take these.” Anders found the two blue sapphires laced around necklace chains and handed them to the soldiers.
They looked at him wide-eyed and said, “Are you sure?”
Anders nodded, “If Merglan’s monsters come for us first, you’ll be the first to see them and you’ll be better protected now that you can use these.”
“Thank you,” the two soldiers said together as they jogged off through the forest back toward town.
“As for the rest of you,” Anders said. “Same time tomorrow.”
They nodded and broke off into their individual groups. Max and Sanka handed Anders back his sword then headed back to the docks where Britt had been overseeing the send-off of Westlanders over the last several days. With Helga’s help, the crew managed to launch at least three ships a day filled with people who wouldn’t be able to fight. Kirsten threw her arm around Thomas as they walked behind Max and Sanka back to the home they shared with Bo. Evans made his way back separately from their group to avoid suspicion that he might be part of this new group of special students who were learning to wield the crystals’ powers.
Anders joined Maija as they slowly made their way back into the tightly knit cluster of homes that made up Brookside. Watching the sun sink beyond the horizon while outside Rune’s practice, Anders said to Maija, “This all feels strange, doesn’t it?”
“What do you mean?” Maija asked.
“Just how easy the last few days have been, I guess,” he said. “I actually feel well rested.”
“It’s not going to last,” Maija said.
“I know, but that’s the thing, why has it lasted this long?”
“Just take each day as it comes. That’s what you said you were going to do when you told me the others didn’t want to march out right after the demon attacked.”
“I know, but I thought we’d at least see some kind of action since then. I thought for sure the war was just outside our front door that night. But even with our patrols of the area, it seems clear that the demon was only a one-spy operation.”
“And Merglan was either just observing, which I have a hard time believing, or that wasn’t him you saw.”
Anders sighed, “I know what I saw, but what’s happened since then goes against what I thought would happen if it was him or one of the riders from the prison.”
Just then a tingle at the back of his neck sent a chill down his spine. He turned to Maija, “Did you feel that?”
Maija narrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, “What’s wrong?”
“I thought I...” he trailed off. He looked down at the wooden box he’d taken from Zahara’s saddle and thought, No. That couldn’t have been.
It came again, a distant voice in his mind calling his name. He shot his eyes up to Maija. Maija stared at him, worry crossing her face. “I heard it again,” he said. “I think he’s calling my name?” He lifted the box and held it between them. He listened again, and this time saw Maija react in surprise.
“I heard him say my name, too,” she said.
Then Anders thought he heard Zahara’s voice calling his name. That doesn’t sound like Ivan, he thought to himself.
“Wait, Raffa is calling us,” Maija said.
