The Rift War Read online

  Rhyn growled under his breath and drew his sword. Before he could advance on Sloane though, she started to strike. The movement was lightning fast, and it almost got past him, but he raised his sword in defence just in time.

  She grinned as her sword darted away from his. She knew she’d nearly defeated him in one blow. It pleased Rhyn to see how skilled Sloane had become, but at the same time, he also wanted to wipe the overconfident smirk off her face.

  He didn’t give her a chance to try and surprise him again, and he started an endless stream of attacks. She’d been training for hours already, but she showed no signs of exhaustion. If anything, she seemed more energised with every parry and block she executed.

  ‘You’re going to have to do better than that,’ she said between breaths as they started circling one another, looking for an opening. He smiled in response and went for her again. A slight frown creased her forehead as he upped his intensity and started using manoeuvres that he’d never used on her before.

  Rhyn might have beaten Sloane easily when they had first met, but she was too fast and too strong now to be defeated using the basic combinations he had used when they had trained together in the past. Rhyn wasn’t the best Unfaih fighter for no reason though, and he began to attack her with everything he had. He threw in strikes she wouldn’t expect and used all his strength in every blow. His movements were fast and unpredictable, and he could tell by her wide eyes that she was surprised and working hard to keep up with him.

  He saw an opening and stepped towards her suddenly, sliding his sword up to meet hers. They loudly clanged as they crashed together, but before she could withdraw, Rhyn flicked his wrist and her weapon went flying from her hands.

  She moved quickly to defend herself, but before she could get into position, Rhyn dropped his own sword and surged forwards, grabbing her and hurling her to the ground. She scrambled beneath him to try and get him off, but he took hold of her wrists and held them above her head with one hand.

  Their faces were only inches away and he smiled brightly down into her angry eyes. He could almost hear her heart pounding as she stared up at him, every breath releasing roughly from her chest. Her irritation only made his smile bigger. They were so close that he could feel her breath on his face. He could smell the sweet scent of her sweat. Electricity seemed to crackle between them. He wanted to kiss her, but he stopped himself. They were in a courtyard full of warriors, and he could feel their eyes were now watching him closely.

  ‘You better think twice before you call me tubby again,’ he said, with a wink.

  She bristled as she looked up at him, but he climbed to his feet in the blink of an eye. Sloane rose more slowly and begrudgingly took her sword as Rhyn held it out to her.

  ‘Again,’ she growled, but Rhyn shook his head.

  ‘I’m afraid I can’t,’ he said, as he sheathed his sword. He leant down and grabbed his top off the ground, draping it casually over his shoulder. ‘I need to speak with Elyx. You know, another meeting I can use to work on being tubby.’ He patted his taut stomach, knowing perfectly well that he had proven Sloane wrong.

  Sloane shook her head at him, but Rhyn noticed that her eyes were bright and she was fighting a smile.

  ‘I’ll see you later,’ Rhyn said before walking over towards Elyx who was watching the warriors carrying out drills from a spot near the armoury.

  ‘She’s improving rapidly,’ Elyx commented, nodding his head towards Sloane, who had paused to get a drink of water. ‘She’d best most of our warriors in a fight.’

  ‘I know,’ Rhyn agreed, struggling not to reveal any hint of the warm pride he felt. He had helped mould Sloane into the fighter she was today, but the achievement wasn’t his alone and it was mostly thanks to Sloane’s sheer determination that she’d become so capable.

  ‘I need you to do something for me today,’ Rhyn said, pulling his gaze from Sloane to look at his second.

  Elyx’s eyes sharpened as he returned Rhyn’s stare, but he waited silently for his prince to continue.

  ‘I spoke with Captain Denton yesterday about an idea that could help us beat the Brakys. I was unable to convince my father to approve of it, but we do not have time to waste waiting for him to come around. I need you to go to the human settlement today and tell Denton it’s agreed upon and collect what he has waiting for us…’

  His voice trailed off as he noticed movement over by the castellum gates. A warrior came running in through the entrance, and Rhyn recognised him immediately as one of the scouts he’d sent to keep watch on the Brakys’ lair.

  ‘Is it a good idea to go against Vas?’ Elyx asked. ‘What exactly have we agreed upon? And what will I be collecting?’

  ‘Denton will know,’ Rhyn replied, his words spilling out in a hurry as he watched the scout make his way across the courtyard. ‘And leave Vas to me. I have to go. Just reassure Denton that our plan will work and that everything he gives us will be returned. Oh, and you’ll need a few extra pairs of arms, so take some men with you.’

  Elyx tried to ask another question, but Rhyn had already started jogging away from his second and towards the scout. Sloane must have seen him take off because he could sense her following him closely.

  The scout nodded his head in greeting as Rhyn approached. ‘I’ve just returned from the ravine,’ the Unfaih man said.

  ‘Any signs of activity from the Brakys?’ Rhyn asked.

  ‘There has been some movement,’ the man replied.

  Rhyn’s mouth tightened into a straight line as he looked at the man. ‘They are leaving the lair?’

  ‘No,’ the man shook his head. ‘Most of them have been keeping to their cave. But there have been noises; growls and howling coming from within like I’ve never heard before.’

  ‘What do you mean most of them have kept to the lair?’ Rhyn asked.

  ‘Last night one of the originals trekked to the rift near their cave. It was the one that wears the stone around its neck.’

  ‘The Original Braky. Did you follow it?’ Rhyn asked. ‘Was it alone?’

  ‘Yes, I watched the creature all the way, and it was alone. It didn’t go through the rift though. The beast simply paced around the area in front of it, before returning to the lair.’

  ‘Did it try to do anything to the rift?’ Sloane asked.

  The man shook his head. ‘I wasn’t close enough to see. It appeared as though the Braky was simply looking at it.’

  Rhyn’s eyes were distant and he stared at the large icy wall of the castellum as he listened. When the scout had finished, Rhyn turned to him.

  ‘Find Elyx and tell him what you told me,’ he said. ‘Tell him to stay alert.’

  The scout nodded and proceeded past Sloane and Rhyn towards where the Unfaih warriors were all training.

  ‘What do you think this means?’ Sloane asked.

  ‘There’s only one thing it can mean,’ Rhyn replied. ‘The Brakys are planning something, and it’s only a matter of time before we find out what it is.’

  Chapter Fifteen

  After the scout’s report about the Original Braky, Rhyn rushed inside to speak to his father. Sloane tried to remain calm as she returned to her training, but the thought of the Original acting suspiciously around the rift worried her.

  It was a terrifying creature; bigger and stronger than any Braky she had ever seen. But it was the green stone hanging around its neck that scared Sloane the most. She didn’t know if the fragment had much power, or if the Brakys knew how to use it. But now that Kai had shown her what the Oblivion Stone was capable of, Sloane prayed the Original wouldn’t discover how to wield similar power.

  As Sloane finished her workout for the morning, she saw another Unfaih scout hurrying through the front gates of the castellum. She quickly recognised him as one of the warriors who guarded the human camp.

  He marched directly towards the castellum with an urgency that prompted Sloane to stop her stretches and quickly follow after him. He had the look of someone w
ho carried important information, and she didn’t want to miss anything—especially when it came to the human camp.

  The warrior moved quickly through the corridors, heading straight for the throne room. He disappeared inside without hesitation, but Sloane paused when she saw two guards standing in front of the doors. It wasn’t her place to go storming into the throne room and demand explanations, especially when she wasn’t even certain what information the warrior was relaying.

  She chewed on her lower lip as she eyed the guards. The two Unfaih warriors were huge, and she knew they would probably tell her to turn around and leave. She wasn’t about to start a fight with either one of them, but she felt a tightness in her gut that told her she needed to be in the room to hear what the scout had to say. Her sister was in the camp, and if there was any chance of another attack from the Brakys, then Sloane needed to be aware.

  She wrung her hands as she tried to decide what to do, but spun on her heel as someone’s fingers brushed against her arm. She gasped with surprise as she found Rhyn standing just inches from her.

  ‘Rhyn,’ she said, letting out a breath. ‘I didn’t hear you there.’

  His lips stayed firm, but his eyes were dancing with delight at her comment. After beating her thoroughly that morning, Sloane wasn’t sure she was ready for any more of his smugness.

  The thought of him standing topless in the training yard reminded her of how convincingly he had proven her wrong when she had joked about him being out of shape. She’d never seen someone with muscles like Rhyn’s before, and even after all these months together it still struck Sloane breathless every time he flashed his abs.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked.

  Sloane’s eyes refocused, and she glanced towards the guards who were standing by the throne room doors.

  ‘One of the warriors who was stationed at the human settlement just returned, and I thought he might have news. He’s gone into the throne room.’

  Rhyn followed her gaze towards the doors. He placed a hand on her lower back and started to guide her towards the room. ‘Well, you aren’t going to hear what he’s got to say from out here, are you?’

  Sloane smiled gratefully up at him as he walked her towards the room. He could have easily shrugged off her worry and filled her in on the news later, but it meant so much to her that he didn’t once question why she didn’t want to wait.

  The two guards gave Sloane strange looks as she passed them. They clearly knew she didn’t belong in the throne room, but were unlikely to say anything when Rhyn was at her side. She could feel the warmth of his hand through her top, and she quite liked the feel of it pressed against her back.

  The room was far brighter than it had been on the night Sloane snuck in to look at the tapestries, and her gaze naturally drifted upwards. Blinding white sunlight hit the pinnacle of the icy ceiling high above and the bright light filtered down through the vast space, highlighting the spectacular throne in the centre of the room. The frozen chair glowed as the light hit the top of the elaborate design that swirled around the back of it.

  As she lowered her eyes to the throne, Sloane found herself staring at Rhyn’s father, Vas, who was seated on the impressive chair.

  A dozen other Unfaih were surrounding him, all of them looking intently at the warrior who had just arrived in the throne room. Vas wasn’t watching the scout though. His eyes were narrowed on Sloane and the hand that Rhyn still had pressed against her back.

  ‘I did not realise we were inviting humans into my throne room,’ Vas said, his voice carrying across the distance between them. His tone was calm enough, but it held an edge of aggression to it that worried Sloane. She glanced up at Rhyn, but his face was the picture of ease as he looked back at his father.

  ‘Sloane’s here at my request,’ Rhyn replied. ‘I see no problem with her presence.’

  Vas frowned at Rhyn’s words, and Sloane didn’t dare to add anything herself. Instead, she looked away from Vas to the other Unfaih in the room who were watching them. She caught sight of Lorian towards the back of the group. The old man winked at her, and Sloane had to stop herself from smiling. He clearly hadn’t said anything to Vas about her being in the throne room the other night.

  ‘Oh let her stay,’ Lorian said, waving a dismissive hand. ‘She’s more than proven where her allegiance lies.’

  Vas shot Lorian a hard look, but the elder shrugged it off. Sloane wanted to grin at Lorian’s confidence. Even the king couldn’t ruffle the Unfaih elder.

  ‘Fine,’ Vas said, turning to look Rhyn in the eyes. The king’s expression held a promise that Rhyn would pay for his defiance, though he didn’t say a word more on the matter.

  Rhyn gave a small nod before he guided Sloane further into the room.

  ‘Another ship has arrived,’ the scout said when Vas indicated for him to continue. ‘And there were just as many humans on this one as the last.’

  ‘It’s slightly earlier than we expected,’ Rhyn added, glancing at his father. ‘There will be another two at the end of the month.’

  Vas looked Rhyn’s way for a brief second before he focused back on the warrior before him. ‘Were there many human soldiers on this ship?’

  The warrior nodded. ‘Yes, many more,’ he replied. ‘Most of the humans that arrived were equipped with weapons.’

  Sloane felt Rhyn tense beside her. It was only a slight movement, but she could sense it on her back where his hand still rested.

  ‘Captain Denton came and spoke to us once they arrived,’ the warrior continued. ‘He seems to be complying with the open communication he promised us.’

  A little of Rhyn’s tenseness seemed to disappear, but Sloane could still sense his concern in his rigid stance.

  ‘Have there been any further sightings of Brakys at the camp?’ Vas asked.

  The warrior shook his head. ‘No. We have secured a large perimeter around the camp, but there have still been no sightings.’

  ‘There has been some movement at the Brakys’ lair though,’ Rhyn said. ‘A scout returned this morning from the ravine and reported the Original Braky had been seen at the rift.’

  Vas sat back in his chair, his eyes flashing with a hint of concern. He was silent for at least a minute as he considered the news he had just been told.

  ‘There’s more,’ the guard continued when Vas made no move to ask any further questions.

  The Unfaih king nodded his head for the man to continue.

  ‘A human woman arrived on the ship and is insisting that she be granted passage to the castellum. She wants to speak with Sloane,’ he said, glancing in her direction.

  Sloane jumped at the sound of her name, and her heart began to beat faster. She already felt tense and uncomfortable in the throne room, but her body turned rigid as the scout spoke. She had no idea who the woman could be, or why anyone arriving on the ship would know where she was or need to talk with her.

  ‘The woman is on her way here now,’ the Unfaih scout said. ‘I ran ahead, but several other guards are escorting her to the castellum, along with Sloane’s sister and the red-haired human man.’

  Silence fell over everyone in the room. Sloane couldn’t imagine who the woman was, but if Rowe and Jack were with her, then it had to be important.

  ‘Did the woman say what she wanted?’ the king asked.

  ‘No,’ the scout responded. ‘She just said she has urgent information that could help us. I can go and turn them back if you wish?’

  The king frowned and was silent for several moments as he considered the situation. ‘No, that won’t be necessary,’ he said before he turned to look at Sloane with a suspicious stare. ‘While I do not desire to welcome any more humans into my throne room, I wish to hear this urgent news.’

  ‘Who do you think it could be?’ Rhyn asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper as he spoke to Sloane.

  Sloane shook her head as she faced him. ‘I have no idea,’ she replied. ‘I don’t exactly have many friends back on Earth.�
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  ‘No?’ Rhyn’s eyes sparkled as he attempted to smother a smile. ‘I find that hard to believe.’

  Sloane pushed her shoulder against him and scowled at his quip. He wasn’t nearly as funny as he thought he was. She barely gave his comment a second thought though. She couldn’t stop wondering who was headed to the castellum to speak to her and what news they would arrive with.

  The room fell silent apart from a few hushed whispers as the elders leaned in to speak to Vas. Soon, even their soft voices fell quiet as everyone started to notice the echoing sound of footsteps out in the corridor beyond the throne room.

  Sloane stilled as she turned and focused her attention on the large open doors at the other end of the room. Given the number of steps she could hear, Sloane could tell there were several people in the corridor. She was curious about who could be so eager to speak with her, but her heart leapt at the thought of seeing Rowe again.

  The footsteps in the corridor suddenly stopped, and a warrior entered the room and bowed to the king. ‘Three humans are here to see you, my king,’ the warrior said.

  ‘Send them in,’ Vas replied.

  The Unfaih warrior bowed again, before turning and signalling to someone outside the door. A moment later an entourage of guards entered the throne room, surrounding the group of humans.

  Sloane could easily see Rowe and Jack in the huddle, and she instinctively stepped forwards when she spotted her sister.

  As they walked further into the throne room, Sloane caught sight of the woman who had come to see her behind Rowe and Jack. She was slightly shorter than Rowe, with dark brown hair that reminded Sloane of her mother’s. When the woman’s face finally came into view through the crowd Sloane’s body froze, but her heart leapt as she realised who it was.

  ‘Do you know her?’ Rhyn asked, coming to stand at her side.

  Sloane slowly nodded, still too shocked to believe what she was seeing. It was her aunt, Esther. The timid woman who had cared for Rowe as a child, who barely left her house and had no idea that their father had brought them on a mission to Aeris.