Earth Roars Page 2

  “Geldyn seems to think there’s something important about her,” I say.

  Sol lifts an eyebrow. “Does he?” he says. “Interesting. I’ll have to ask him about it.”

  “Why do you hate vampires so much?” It is an innocent question, or so I thought, but I regret it instantly.

  Sol’s eyes flash, and his nostrils flare. “Because of what they are.” His words are a hiss. “They murder without thought. They care for nothing except their lust. They are monstrous beasts who will pillage and destroy until there is nothing left. If vampires were to roam unchecked, Lyra, trust me, they would drink until nothing remained in this world. They would kill until nothing was left. That is why I hate them.”

  I can’t argue with that.

  “Well, I’m glad to see you’re okay,” I say.

  Sol’s expression turns calculating, and some of his humor returns. “How glad?” He winks.

  I roll my eyes and turn away. “I gotta go. See ya.”

  I reach the end of the hall before I realize Sol is still following me. I frown over my shoulder. “What are you doing?”

  “Following you, of course.”

  “Why?”

  “To ensure your safety.”

  “Why?”

  Sol’s tone turns puzzled. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re a young maiden going off into the wilds of Liberty. Anything could happen out there. Yesterday proved that.”

  “I’m twenty. That’s not young.”

  “I’m two hundred and twenty-five. So, yes, twenty is young, even for a human.”

  “You weren’t concerned for my safety a few weeks ago.”

  “Well, I am now. Where would you like to go?”

  This won’t work. I need to meet with some Colonial contacts, and I can’t do that if Sol is hovering over me like a mother hen.

  “I don’t want or need your help. Stay.”

  “I’m not a dog to command.” Sol sounds amused, and he keeps pace as I head to the entrance.

  “I’m not a fragile glass figurine that needs constant watching,” I retort.

  “You’re a human,” Sol counters. “Of course, you’re fragile.”

  “Whatever.” I stomp outside, Sol still in tow. I need to hit the docks and maybe talk to Jonah. I’m not sure how I’m going to do that with hot-guy on my tail, but I’ll figure something out.

  I need to keep my connection to the Colonials a secret. I’m still loyal, but if I don’t get a satisfactory answer as to why Stella is being targeted, heads will roll.

  Stella is one of the few people in my life who doesn’t judge me for my Drifter title, and despite our frequent bickering, is one of my best friends. I’ll do what I have to in order to keep her safe.

  3

  Stella

  Once outside, Eldaren summons three guards, including Geldyn.

  “I shall return shortly,” the prince says to me. “Geldyn and the others shall keep you safe.”

  I refrain from mentioning that less than twenty-four hours ago, Eldaren had been going on about how he was the only one who could ‘guarantee my safety,’ but he clearly has something planned. He strides away, in the direction of the docking—landing?—bay. I don’t really know what the elves call it.

  I wait just outside the entrance of the fortress with the elven guards. I look at Geldyn. He stares back.

  “Thanks for saving me last night.” I smile tentatively.

  He doesn’t respond with more than a nod of the head. He’s still Geldyn.

  Falling silent, I wait for Eldaren.

  I don’t have to wait long.

  The prince arrives with a deafening squeal of tires on pavement as he grinds to a halt in front of me.

  The prince is driving a car.

  I stare. “That’s a human vehicle,” I say.

  “I am well aware of that.” Eldaren is wearing a denim jacket, his hair just windswept enough to show he’d been speeding a moment ago. “Get in.”

  I haul my suitcase into the back and then get in on the passenger side next to the prince. “You’re supposed to open the door for me,” I grumble. “It’s what polite men do.”

  “Duly noted,” is the response. “Do you have everything?”

  “Yup.” I nod. “Let’s do this.”

  Eldaren puts his foot to the pedal, and with a screech, we’re off. I hastily buckle myself in as we careen down the street. “You’re going too fast!” I yelp.

  Eldaren brings his hand down on the horn, and the car blares, causing anyone in the streets to scramble out of the way.

  “You’re breaking the law,” I yell.

  “I make the laws,” Eldaren says tersely. “And the law says I am above them when needed.” With the windows rolled down, his hair whips about, making him look positively feral. “This is an emergency, and I hate driving cars. They are far too slow.”

  I look at the speedometer, whimpering when I see we’re going over seventy miles per hour. I cover my eyes with one hand and slouch in my seat. “Just tell me when we’re there.”

  “For a girl who’s so brave, you are rather cowardly.”

  “That doesn’t even make sense.”

  “You attacked Geldyn when he caught you rummaging around on elven property, and yet here you are, trembling over my impeccable driving skills. I don’t understand you.”

  He turns a corner sharply, and my fingers dig into the passenger seat.

  “You’re driving like a maniac,” I snap. “You’re going to hit an old lady or something and kill her.”

  At that moment, a woman literally steps into the street in front of us. I don’t even have time to scream before Eldaren hits the brakes, bringing us to a jerking halt.

  “I didn’t kill her.”

  “I hate you.”

  Eldaren chuckles. “I doubt that. I can still feel the connection of the—”

  “Just shut up.” I push my palms into my eyes. “You literally could have run that woman over.”

  “It’s her,” Eldaren says, his eyes narrowed. He pulls the comm off his belt and pushes a button.

  “My prince?” Geldyn’s voice is on the other end.

  “I just saw that woman. The Colonial rebel leader. On First Avenue. Track her down and arrest her.”

  “Understood, sir.”

  “Huh?” I watch the woman as she finishes crossing the street and merges into the crowd. With her stringy brown hair and hunched shoulders, she looks to be in her thirties.

  “She’s the woman who was protesting in the market that day you were dishonest and ran away from me,” Eldaren says. “She’s also a Colonial.”

  “I wasn’t dishonest,” I growl, “not completely, anyway.”

  “I’d hunt her down myself,” Eldaren says, his tone telling me he’s only paying half-attention to my words, “but we have a boat to catch.” He continues his mad drive. “She’s part of the human rebellion. The Colonials. We caught her on camera ransacking one of our storehouses.”

  “Last night,” he says after a moment, “Geldyn went back to retrieve Lyra. He’d left Thandin’s body, so I ordered him to retrieve it.”

  “Okay.” I remember with some alarm that while Geldyn had shot an arrow through the other elf’s throat, Wilder had very much sucked Thandin of his blood. An arrow wouldn’t be enough to rid the evidence of a vampire-kill.

  “Yes.” Eldaren grimaces. “A vampire got to the corpse before we did. It was a very lucky thing he brought you and Lyra home when he did.”

  “I . . . see.” I bite my lip and fall silent.

  I’m not sure what to think of Geldyn. I certainly didn’t trust him before all of this. I’m not sure I trust him now, but the fact remains that he covered up Wilder’s presence at potential risk to himself. What would Eldaren do if he knew Geldyn allowed a vampire to walk free, Wilder, specifically?

  In minutes, we’re cruising down the freeway. I look at the wide expanse of water, dull in the cloudy afternoon light before it’s lost to sight by abandoned buildings and other free
ways. They are in terrible disrepair, but some are still usable, such as the one we’re on.

  “How long to get there?” I ask.

  “Not long,” Eldaren replies. “Maybe fifteen minutes.”

  I glance around nervously. We go through a tunnel, and the only lights are those from the car. Fortunately, it’s only about thirty seconds before we’re out and in the open again.

  Time stretches, and I suddenly realize why I’m so anxious. “I’ve never been this far,” I say.

  “What do you mean?” the prince asks.

  “I’ve never been this far from home,” I say. “I’ve always lived in Liberty. I can’t remember ever being outside the city further than a few miles.”

  “I see. Well, this will be good for you, then. Expand your horizons and all of that.”

  “Is Quinn going to be okay?” I ask. I’m unable to hide the worry in my voice.

  Eldaren nods once. “Of course. Quinn receives attentive care at our base, Stella. You already know this.”

  “I know,” I sigh. “I’m just feeling on edge.”

  Eldaren is silent for a moment, and I think he’s mentally moved on, but then he says, “if it will ease your mind, you can talk to Quinn tonight through my comm.”

  Warmth floods through me at his words. “You’d do that?”

  “Yes.”

  “That would be awesome. Thanks, Eldaren.”

  He nods again, his face impassive, but I see the red that flushes the tips of his ears.

  We drive in silence for several minutes, and I focus on Eldaren’s side profile, his features sharp and angular. I don’t want to think about how far I am from Quinn, from Liberty, from my past . . .

  Wilder.

  I huff into the quiet and draw my knees up, wrapping my arms around them.

  “Something is bothering you, my heart.”

  “I’m all right.”

  “Now I am convinced something is bothering you.”

  “Do you think the gaia is out there?” I say, deflecting the topic. “I mean, you said yourself that it’s been ages since anyone has seen one.”

  “I am not sure what to think,” Eldaren says. “But that book you found is the best lead we have. I intend to follow it until we find the gaia, or at least confirm that the information will take us nowhere.”

  “Have you been to Vashon, before?” I ask.

  “I haven’t, myself,” the prince says, “but I’ve had some of my men scan it from overhead, five years ago, and Geldyn, more recently. According to the earlier reports, it was mostly overgrown forest, which we didn’t want to disturb. The people we found seem to take care of themselves fairly well. Nothing like the madness of Liberty.” He pauses for a moment before continuing. “Geldyn detected magic out in the forested tangle, but it eluded him. He’s the first elf to step foot on the island. The other elves studied it from the air above.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask. “How can magic elude your kind?”

  “I am not sure I know how to answer that in your language.” He pauses, searching for the right words. “I would venture to say that there is a force of nature somewhere out there that doesn’t want to be discovered. It’s . . . masked.”

  “And you can’t find it?” The thought makes me shiver.

  “Do not be afraid. If it were a malevolent force, Geldyn would have been able to sense it. Probably. I am not worried.”

  Easy for you to say. I don’t have to be concerned while I am with Eldaren, though. If bullets aren’t enough to stop him, I’m not sure much can.

  “Excellent. Right on schedule.”

  “What is?” I look around and realize I can see the water of the Puget Sound again. We are driving downhill, and I notice with some relief that Eldaren has slowed down considerably. He takes a right, and we’re driving onto a dock. I only have time to blink at the strip of sandy beach before I notice a huge ship looming before us.

  “It’s called a ‘ferry boat,’” Eldaren says. “It’s terrifically ugly, isn’t it?”

  I laugh. I suppose it is. I prefer the grand ships of the Victorian era, myself, but this boat is impressive in its own right.

  Wait.

  Eldaren doesn’t slow, driving the car right up onto the ferry. “You’re going to drive the thing?” I squeak. Suddenly the ferry looks more like a rusted-out bucket than an inspiring piece of history.

  “Of course not. Some of my men repaired it, and they shall steer. We have our own ships, naturally, but with a bit of tweaking, this one is just as environmentally friendly. Plus, I know how much you appreciate history.” Eldaren looks at me anxiously. “Do you hate it?”

  He did this for me.

  I swallow my apprehension and pat him on the shoulder. “I love it. Good choice.”

  Eldaren smiles, relieved, and getting out of the car, walks around and opens the door for me. He remembered. “Let’s go upstairs.”

  I follow him. The boat’s engine is a gentle hum. I wonder if it was always this quiet or if the engine is what Eldaren meant by being environmentally friendly. “How is it powered?” I ask.

  “Crystals,” is the prompt reply. He takes me up a flight of stairs and onto the upper level.

  “Wow,” I whisper.

  The seating is old. Faded, worn-out booths line the hall. The cold light of the outside shines through large windows, giving us a fantastic view.

  “This is incredible,” I whisper as I walk past the seats, my gaze riveted on the view outside. “What a lovely scene.”

  “You can see Mt. Rainier, there.” Eldaren points.

  I stare. I’d heard about it, but I have never seen it through the smog of Liberty. “It’s beautiful.”

  “One of the few places that remained relatively untouched by humans,” the prince says. “Maybe I will take you there, one day.”

  “I’d like that.”

  He arches an eyebrow. “Then, I will definitely take you there, one day.”

  I study the pictures that line the walls on the other side of the ferry. “How long was this boat in use?”

  “I’m not sure,” Eldaren says. “Quite a long time, though, especially for humans. I have had repairs made where needed but tried to keep it historically authentic. I know you like that sort of thing. I find that peculiar about you, but it’s also endearing.”

  With a shuddering jolt, the ferry begins to move. I rush to a booth and sit close to the window, looking out. The boat makes waves, and I watch the white foam dance away as the ferry picks up speed. Never in a thousand years would I have guessed I would one day be riding a piece of history, and I’m glad that Eldaren took me on this, rather than an elven ship.

  The seat creaks, and Eldaren is sitting beside me, settling his chin on the top of my head as he gazes out at the Sound.

  He smells like books and cinnamon, and a shiver passes through me at the contact. I swallow, trying to work moisture into my suddenly dry mouth. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” My voice cracks and I try again. “The water. The ocean.”

  Eldaren shifts, lifting his head, but still seated beside me. “Yes, it is. Unfortunately, it also houses a disgusting amount of trash and pollution. Some of you humans tried to clean it, long ago, but it proved to be too vast an undertaking.”

  “You could have just stopped at ‘yes, it is,’” I joke.

  Eldaren shakes his head. “It’s nothing to make light of, Stella. This world is crippled by the amount of garbage you humans have generated. It’s horrific.”

  “I’m well aware,” I say dryly. “I live here, remember?”

  “I know.” His voice softens. “And it’s not your fault, not really. It’s just that humans no longer have the capability to care for this planet, so you need help.”

  He falls silent and tilts his head, eyeing me sideways. “Did I just miss a romantic moment?”

  I laugh and turn away, looking out the window again. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Fyit.” The word is a mutter, and it makes me laugh harder.

/>   “It’s not funny,” he says with a scowl. “I’m still learning human customs.”

  I nudge him. “Move,” I say. “Let’s walk around.”

  “Fine,” he grumbles. He obliges, and I slip out of the booth and walk down the wide corridor. I see double doors at the far end, and a gasp escapes me. “Can we go outside?” I ask.

  “Yes.” Eldaren strides ahead, and I follow him.

  The wind is fierce and whips about in a howling gale. “It’s cold.” I shout to be heard over the shriek.

  Eldaren shakes his head. “Only for humans,” he shouts back. He grasps my hand and tugs me over to the rail.

  Here, we get an excellent view of the water churning below us as the ferry speeds ahead. Looking further, my eyes widen. “Is that Vashon?” I point.

  Eldaren nods.

  Vashon.

  It’s an island of thick, dark trees, as far as I can see. “Where are the houses?”

  “There aren’t any on the waterfront,” Eldaren says. “Not anymore.”

  “But there used to be?”

  “Yes. Vashon was said to boast a population of several thousand. I’d be surprised to learn there were more than two thousand, now.”

  That makes me sad. It looks so peaceful, like the War never touched these shores. “Where did everybody go?” I lean my arms on the rail, my hair whipping about my face.

  “From reports, many people fled the island during the War,” Eldaren says. He’s standing straight, his balance sure even on the rolling waves. “Most didn’t want to risk getting stranded on an island if things got bad. Things did get bad, but in hindsight, staying on the island would have been safer if still miserable.”

  “Some still live there?”

  “Yes, though, I suspect they’ll lie low if they find out I’m here. Humans don’t trust us.” He frowns briefly. “You’re poor, foolish creatures.”