Page 53 of Family Found

Nokim followed him, and as if to himself, I heard him say, “You were very pretty in white.”

Lissir looked like he’d caught that, the way he narrowed his eyes at the two of them.

There was no time for this though, because Kinnek called everyone into the circle—us and the other protectors who wore black with their own weapons. All the weight I’d forgotten thanks to my guys was right back there when Inkiri took my wrist and led me into the ko circle. I put my earplugs in, hoping they’d be superfluous.

“Rory!” Sonyo pushed the damn bagful of pigeons at me. He took a step back once I had them and waved, giving me a big smile. “Happy luck, Rory!”

Yup, happy luck was exactly what we needed.

Chapter 17

The bagua assembling in the circle around me quickly became a blur or dark fabric, horns, and weapons. Inkiri held me, then licked my neck one more time.

“My light in darkness. I will protect you, sadir, with all my skill. I’m right behind you.”

I looked into his indigo eyes, the slitted pupils small in the construction lights so that the color of them stood out all the brighter. I opened my mouth to tell him that I would protect him too, with all my skill, with all my magic, but I wasn’t sure whether that would upset him.

Instead, I blinked and said, “Thank you. I trust you. I always trust you.”

He clicked and cupped my cheek. “I’ll not disappoint you, my Rory.”

The land sighed happily as if this were the most romantic thing ever. It seemed not to care that we were going out armed to the teeth.

Honestly, the land was weird, but okay. I liked having weird people around me.

The commotion around us suddenly quieted as everyone found their place. Inkiri stepped back.

Kinnek took my right hand, the one in which I also held the pigeon bag. Vergis took my left, and then the two of them clasped hands so that we stood there, a circle in a circle, almost like children playing Ring a Ring o’ Roses.

But what we were doing was not a game. If I hadn’t already known that for a fact, it would have been clear when the magic flowed through me, and seconds later, we hopped veils. The pigeons in my bag stilled, and the weight of them vanished as they turned to sacrificial ash, leaving only silence behind. I dropped the bag on the ground.

The darkness that welcomed us was perfect. I reached out to the land, which easily pulled me apart, my attention spreading far like an arrow taking flight.

I had to concentrate to keep my body moving, to keep watching my guys and the rest of the Raikengana and make sure they were all safe. Making my feet move like they should took extra effort still.

Everything went like we’d planned it. Vergis joined Charles, who had his night vision goggles on already, both of them moving in deadly synchronicity and perfect silence, and Kinnek and I went next.

The Raikengana fanned out behind us. I didn’t hear them at all, even though my magical sense let me watch them. Inkiri and my guys stayed close to me.

I knew I would set the pace. I also knew it would exhaust me, walking this long and keeping my magic going at the same time.

Could you⁠—

The land was already on it, powering me up while at the same time grumbling that it would’ve been easier if I’d been barefoot. With my out-of-body senses, I checked everyone in the group, and my pace now seemed to be just right.

With the darkness and the magic, I quickly lost my sense of time. The land was very focused, but I caught glimpses of its unease, literally. They showed as ghostly shadows. The girl running past a certain rock we were passing, or one of the older anointed that I only recognized because they wore white lying flat on the ground with blood on their robe.

When we got to the Hill, the land said, There are many tonight. Them gathering here has been happening more. They are in the church where the bones are. They rarely come out, but when they do, it’s in pairs to walk a circle around the Stone. None from your knights’ home are there.

Can I speak without the humans hearing?

Yes.

“The land says there are several humans in the church. No Koa Esher. No beasts near. I think they patrol the Hill every once in a while in pairs.”

In my outside sensing mode, I saw Hove and a few of the other Raikengana nod while Luëris translated.

We jogged on for…well, I had no idea. We jogged on for a bit longer, then Kinnek leaned over.