Page 110 of Vardaesia
“How many people can fit on theValispathat once?” Kaiden asked the Meyarins in the room, which was something Alex hadn’t thought to consider.
“TheValispathisn’t built to size, it’s dependent on the summoner’s concentration,” Kyia said. Her eyes flittered to Alex, to Fletcher, to the curtain, then back to Kaiden as she finished, “As long as whoever is commanding it is able to remain focused on those travelling for the journey, there’s nolimit. However, I’ve never known anyone who can transport more than a dozen people at once. Even that’s a stretch.”
Quietly, Hunter ticked them off. “The three of us, Jordan, Bear, Delucia, Grimm and your parents. That’s nine, Alex. Think you can handle it?”
“Ten,” she responded, unwilling to admit that she’d only ever summoned the path to carry up to two other people at a time. “There’s someone else who has to come with us as well.”
Alex hadn’t forgotten Astophe’s leverage idea. And while the rescue took priority, this might be the only chance she would have to get her hands on Niida. However, when she shared her explanation with the others, they were almost as disbelieving as when she’d announced that they needed to kill Roka.
“You’re abducting thequeen?” Kyia said, and Alex realised belatedly that Niida was Kyia’s impending mother-in-law. “I think your time in Tia Auras has damaged you in the head.”
Kyia couldn’t have been more right. But that didn’t mean Alex was changing her mind.
“She won’t come willingly,” Alex said, “but until I decide if I’m going to do what Astophe told me to, I need a way to retrieve her without a struggle.” She looked around the tent, focusing on the small area set up with various medicinal items. “The night Gaiel abducted me and took me toTaevarg, he blew some black powder into my face and it knocked me out instantly. Any chance you know what that was?”
Zain’s brows rose, but he walked over to the table and searched through the mess there before returning and handing her a small glass container with an inch of powder left in it.
“It’s calledseros,” he said. “It’s rarer thanmyraes, which is all but gone now.” He gestured to the powder and added,“That’s the last of our stock, and since I personally pilfered it from Meya upon our escape, I can confirm that’s the last ofanyone’sstock.”
Alex squinted into the glass. “How much is in here?”
“Enough for two doses.” He then instructed, “Sift half of what’s there onto your hand and then blow it into your victim’s face, just as Gaiel did to you.”
“Perfect,” Alex said, pocketing the glass and making a mental note not to accidentally inhale the powder. That would be embarrassing.
With two doses at hand, they could take out Grimm as well as Niida—hopefully knocking the Claimed man out before Aven caught on to their actions through his bond. The easier solution was for Alex to Release Grimm while still in the city and have him leave freely with them, but it was smarter for them to retreat as swiftly as possible. After safely arriving back in Draekora,thenAlex could force her way into Grimm’s mind, battle Aven’s will, and break their bond, thus enabling the gifted man to then willingly reawaken Roka.
Simple, right?she couldn’t help thinking sarcastically.
Allowing her thoughts to drift over everything they were about to face, with the barest snippets of the torture vision flooding through her mind before she swiftly blocked it out again, she gestured to the supply table and asked, “Do you guys have anylaendraleft?”
Kyia retrieved some of the silvery flowers, handing small bunches to Hunter, Kaiden and Alex.
Mayra plucked a stem from Alex’s collection and quietly said, “I’ll make sure this gets back to Soraya while you’re gone. I have a feeling you’re going to want her functioning at full health as quickly as possible.”
Alex didn’t care that her wolf couldn’t pass through Meya’s wards and come to their aid, she just wanted Soraya healedfast, so she nodded to Mayra with gratitude and whispered, “Thank you.”
Turning back to Kyia and Zain who were still visibly on edge, Alex forced herself to meet their gazes, silently pleading with them not to stand in her way.
In response, Zain crossed his arms and said, “You’re really doing this, then?”
“Zain—it’s my parents. It’s my friends,” Alex responded softly. “I wouldn’t suggest this unless it was the only way, unless I didn’t think it would work. You know I would never risk Roka otherwise, just as you know he’d be the first to nominate himself for this if he could.” She looked at Kyia then back to Zain again, talking to them both when she begged, “Please don’t try to stop me.”
With a sigh that could have blown the floating islands off course, Zain turned to Fletcher and said, “You’re certain you can keep Roka alive?”
Alex knew that the male Meyarin would trust Fletcher at his word, given that the doctor had once saved his own life. So she waited with bated breath to hear Fletcher’s answer, her tension only growing when he flicked his gaze to her, his face unreadable, before he turned back to Zain.
Finally, he nodded.
“If all goes to plan, then yes.” He looked at Kyia. “I’ll need your help, though.” Strangely, his lips twitched as he turned back to Zain and said, “Unless, of course, you’d rather be my assistant.”
The reason for the lip twitch became known when the doctor explained the mouth-to-mouth part of CPR to the Meyarins and shared that someone would need to breathe air into Roka’s lungs while Fletcher focused on pumping his heart. If not for the anxiety twisting Alex’s insides, she would have burst out laughing at the look on Zain’s face as he hastily surrendered the task to Kyia.
“Remember, Alex,” Fletcher told her as they all moved closer to the bed, pushing the curtain aside to reveal Roka’s comatose form. “The faster you return, the better.”
Alex resisted the urge to tell him that she didn’t plan on staying for dinner and a show. Instead, she made a sound of agreement, then turned to Kyia and Zain, both of whom were staring down at Roka with pinched, worried expressions.
Reaching out until she was holding one of each of their hands, she caught their eyes and asked, “Do you trust me?”
