The only one who didn't join them was L'iam, who continued his watch until well past midnight. Adesina was still awake when she heard him being replaced by Sa'jan.

She stared up at the stars, reaching up to them with her vyala. They sang strange and beautiful songs when one was connected to their vyala, and she understood why Ravi loved them so much. Sadly, the comfort and inspiration she sought in them could not be found that night. Her mind remained a blank darkness, and she found a feeling of desperation welling up from deep within herself.

She needed help.

Admitting this to herself did nothing to help her discover what she should do. The only person she could think of to help her was Kendan. That was why they were looking for him. He had the answers she needed to finish planning the mission. Without him, she was at a loss. There were too many variables, too much unknown.

They had to find Kendan.

Repeating this to herself, Adesina finally fell asleep.

The next morning dawned brightly, filtering through the trees and gently waking the L'avan. They glanced at each other warily, none of them saying what was on all of their minds. Today was the day they would arrive at the High City. Or, at least, what remained of the High City.

Aleron was the most affected by this knowledge. He finally began singing softly to himself to help cope with the overwhelming emotions he felt. Adesina listened to the words of his sad song, once again caught up in the spell of his music.

Fly upon the wings of night Lose yourself in the abounding darkness To hide your scars, your wounds from the world Is to be free from the past that haunts you Find solace in the arms of night There your tears are seen by no one Hope is swallowed by black despair But at least the facade is kept intact Wander through the maze of night Wish for light, but shy from the reality It's easier to let go of broken dreams Instead of clutching the shards to your heart Lose yourself in the mask of night Anonymous faces surround you Doubt of your existence may flood your mind But perhaps it is better that way Adesina sighed to herself, contemplating how she herself was a creature of the night. In the darkness she felt most free, most powerful, and most invulnerable. In the light of day, and more importantly, in the light of her vyala, she was stripped completely bare. All of her faults, all of her weaknesses, every small truth lay exposed. She preferred staying safely hidden in the darkness, even if it also brought solitude.

This train of thought was interrupted as they mounted their horses and once again began their journey. Adesina noticed Ravi walking alongside Aleron, speaking in his deep, calming voice.

"You sing very well."

He laughed nervously, still not at ease with Adesina's guardian. "Thank you."

"Music is a very important part of my culture. It is a way of connecting with the soul and allowing it to express itself in ways beyond words alone."

For a moment, the clouds lifted and Aleron's sunny smile could be seen again. "I feel the same way."

As simply as that, Ravi had eased the burden on the young man's mind. They chatted about their favorite songs, the ones they had grown up witha"talking about how they had learned the many verses of this song, or how they had attempted to woo with that song. When they discovered songs they had in common, they sang them together. Their rich voices blended together in perfect harmony, creating beautiful sounds that cheered up everyone's spirits.

Unfortunately, the hours of pleasant forgetfulness didn't last.

By late afternoon, the High City could be seen in the distance. At first Adesina didn't even recognize it. Where high white walls had stood surrounding the city, only blackened rubble remained. The meticulous streets were literally torn apart, and there were corpses strewn everywhere.

L'era paled at the sight. "Why has no one cared for the dead?"

Aleron shook his head. "All of the survivors left as quickly as possible, before we were attacked again."

"What about the surrounding villages?" she demanded indignantly.

L'iam looked at his sister sadly. "I suppose no one wanted to interfere, lest they become the next target of attack. Besides, it is an insurmountable task caring for this many bodies."

He was right. Thousands of people had been ma.s.sacred in that city. It would take just as many living people to care for the dead.

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Aleron with a trembling voice.

"Not if you want them buried," answered Adesina. "We could cremate the remains using another ma.s.sive fire, but that is just about all that we can do."

His head hung low as he accepted her words, tears running freely down his boyish face.

"We could pray for them," suggested L'iam gently.

Aleron nodded eagerly, glad to be able to do something. They all dismounted their horses and bowed their heads as L'iam offered a prayer in the ancient language of the L'avan. Adesina didn't understand the words he spoke, but his voice was earnest and full of pity. She could see her friend from the High City taking comfort in the loss of his loved ones.

When L'iam finished praying, they remounted and rode on. They skirted the ruined city as well as they could, but it was not enough to escape the overwhelming stench that a.s.saulted their noses.

The harsh smell of charred plant life, the greasy remains of burnt animals, the sickening scent of decay. All of this mixed with the savage smell of fire, even though the attack had taken place weeks ago.

The travelers escaped into the shelter of the trees, hoping to shield themselves from both stench and sight of the slaughter.

Chapter Thirty-eight: Cut Off.

Adesina led them to the cave where she had often met Kendan to report on her status. At first they looked around in confusion, uncertain why she had brought her horse to a stop. When she dismounted, they all did the same.

She walked over to the small, hidden opening and got down on her knees.

"Wait a moment, Adesina."

She turned as saw L'iam advancing toward her. "You cannot go in there by yourself. What if it is a trap?"

Adesina sighed at his protective nature and brought her vyala to bear. She scanned the cave and then turned back to him. "No one is inside."

He shook his head sternly. "Even so, I do not want you going in by yourself."

She looked at him oddly for a moment before beckoning to Ravi. Her guardian came forward readily. One after another the two of them entered through the small opening of the cave.

Adesina stood up and brushed herself off, reprimanding herself for not thinking to bring a torch. She started to feel around in the dark, looking for something to light the room.

Ravi's voice was amused. "Use your vyala, Ma'eve."

She felt slightly foolish for not thinking of that herself. Her vyala flared up and pooled in the palm of her hand, glowing in a ball of pure energy. Light spread through the cave, chasing the shadows into the far corners.

It was empty.

She searched the area, looking for a note or something with instructions of how she was to contact Kendan.

Nothing.

A worried frown creased her features. "I do not understand, Ravi. Something should be herea"a note, a clue, or even a packet of survival supplies. Where is it?"

Ravi sat down, slowly surveying the cavern around him. "Are there any reasons why it would not be here?"

"Yes," she replied, after some thought. "If a Shimat is dead, or if their mission dictates a complete loss of contact. If the latter were the case, though, the Shimat in question would have been orally informed of how to make contact if necessary."

"Yes?" he urged.

Another thought came to her. "Basha could have known about this cave and taken what was left by Kendan."

"Anything else?" Ravi asked.

Adesina knew of one last possibility, but was reluctant to say it. "If a Shimat has gone rogue, their supplies would be cut off."

He nodded solemnly and got to his feet. "I think we need to hurry on to find your father, before it is too late."

She agreed, but still cast her eyes around the cave one last time, hoping to find something she had overlooked.

Ravi's voice was gentle. "Come, Ma'eve."

Adesina extinguished the ball of light resting in her hand, and then they exited through the small opening. The L'avan were anxiously awaiting her return.

"Well?" asked L'iam in a strangely detached voice.

She shook her head in disappointment. "Nothing. It must have been taken before our arrival."

Adesina was about to explain to them what she had told Ravi when an alarm sounded in her head. She instinctively let her vyala flash out, taking in the surrounding area. As she did so, several Shimat stepped out of their hiding places. There were probably two dozen shadowy figures surrounding them, and another six hiding in the trees.

The L'avan gasped in shock, and both E'nes and L'iam took a step closer to Adesina. All of them seemed to be waiting for some sort of cue from her, whether to run or fight.

She stood perfectly still, her face void of any emotion. Her mind was racing over possibilities, trying to come up with the best way to survival.

One of the Shimat directly in front of Adesina removed their hood and scarf, revealing the triumphant countenance of Basha.

"Well, well! Shimat Falcon! The report said that you had been taken captive, but I must say you do not look like a prisoner."

Adesina wanted dearly to punch her right in her smug face, but knew it would accomplish nothing. Instead, her mind began working even harder on a way to escape, relishing in the thought of the humiliation Basha would encounter if they got away.

Basha's venomous voice continued. "Are these a gift for the Sharifal?" she asked sarcastically, glancing over Adesina's companions.

Adesina clenched her jaw, controlling the rage she felt. Hatred clouded her thinking, hindering her ability to plan quickly. Her vyala began swelling in power, whispering visions of how many ways she could lash out at her lifelong enemy.

Basha saw something in Adesina's face that she had never seen before. There was an intensity and confidence that ran deeper than the arrogance of her youth. Adesina stood more upright, her limbs seemed at ease but were ready to spring into action and there was a strange glow in her eyes. The enemy standing before her was no longer an overly proud Shi, but a L'avan warrior.

Whatever it was that Basha saw in Adesina, coupled with the clear hatred in her eyes, made the Shimat uncomfortable. She tried to overcompensate by puffing out her chest and giving a haughty smile. "If you will not answer to me, perhaps you will answer to your former Shar."

She gestured to the Shimat standing next to her, who slowly reached up to remove the hood and scarf covering his face.

"Kendan!"

His dark eyes captured Adesina's shimmering ones. Almost involuntarily, she took a step toward him. E'nes and L'iam both started to reach out a hand to touch her arms, but stopped themselves. Adesina also stopped herself from moving forward.

Kendan spoke in a quiet voice, using the language of the Shimat. "Where have you been, Adesina?"

Her eyes flickered to Basha and the other Shimat surrounding them and she gave him a faint smile. "Away."

His expression hardened. "That is hardly an answer."

"I told you!" interrupted Basha, who was still speaking in the common tongue, "She has betrayed us!"

Kendan waited for Adesina to dispute this accusation, but she remained silent. His voice became even more quiet. "What have you to say to this, Shimat Falcon?"

Adesina felt her chest constrict when he used her Shimat name. This was not how she had planned this conversation going. How was she supposed to convince him of the truth with all these other Shimat present?

"Kendan," she began uncertainly, "this is not what it seems."

Basha snorted in derision, but Kendan appeared willing to listen. "Go on."

She glanced around once more. "May I speak to you alone?"

"No," protested Basha, this time in the Shimat language. "She will use her witchcraft on you! Let her intentions be declared here before our brothers and sisters of the Shimat order."

After a pause, Kendan looked at Adesina expectantly. She lowered her voice, silently cursing Basha for listening so intently. "They have lied to you, Kendan. They have lied to all of us. The Shimat order is not what we believed it to be."

A look of wry amus.e.m.e.nt pa.s.sed over his face. "What are they, then?"

She struggled to find the right words. "They are a.s.sa.s.sins, corruptersa"

Adesina trailed off when she saw the small, knowing smile appear on his lips. She struggled to breathe as the awful truth washed over her.

He already knew.

He had always known. He was one of them.

Kendan spoke in a calm, almost loving voice. "Adesina, have you ever stopped to think that perhaps you are the one who has been deceived? By those people standing behind you."

She shook her head fiercely, her thoughts whirling out of control.

Basha laughed mockingly. "So the high and mighty Adesina has finally been brought to our level. How does it feel to stand in the mud?"

There was a hint of a glare when Kendan's eyes flickered to Basha, but it disappeared when he turned his attention back to Adesina. He held out his hand to her. "It is not too late. All can be forgiven, andawe can be together."

She shook her head again, refusing to listen to his lies. The back of her throat ached as she fought against the tears that stung in her eyes. She had thought that he loved her, and she had grown to love him in return. Her heart throbbed sharply as she realized that he had just been manipulating her just as Signe had.

The pain and wrath was taken up by her vyala, whipping it into a frenzy. She did not try to control it or restrain it in any way, and it flared around her into waves of palpable energy. Those standing closest to her were forced to take a couple of steps back, driven away by the sheer power of her being.

Oblivious to all of this, Adesina kept her eyes fixed on the man before her. She raised her chin, defying him as she had the first day she met him.

"Never."

Kendan's eyes were filled with disbelief. He had felt certain of her answer, and he was shocked to find he had been wrong. There was something else in his eyes that Adesina had never seen before: fear.

His seemingly unshakable confidence was nowhere to be found as he stared at his former student in her unearthly radiance. He felt as if he were staring at a complete stranger, and perhaps he was.