Zain, thankfully, had recently spent quite some time with Alex’s human self, so he knew to reach out and fiddle with the settings of the Eternal Path—settings that were invisible to human eyes. He pressed a patterned sequence into the transparent wall, causing the wind chill to disappear instantly. Even though they were soaring over the white buildings of Mardenia at a stomach-churning speed, their ride was smooth and silent. In fact, if Alex closed her eyes, she wouldn’t know she was moving at all.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” D.C. whispered, staring pale faced at the blurring scenery as the Valispath picked up more speed.
Alex had forgotten that only she had experienced the Path at full velocity before. Her friends had been on it with her twice, but only between Meya and Raelia, and at a much more sedate pace.
“Here,” Zain said, pulling a crumpled white flower from his cloak and handing it to D.C. “Chew this, it will make you feel better.”
Ill as she was, D.C. didn’t question him. She put the flower in her mouth, closing her eyes and taking deliberately controlled breaths. Within moments the colour returned to her face and she opened her eyes again, looking stunned. “Wow,” she said, still chewing. “This is good stuff.”
“Fraedonweed,” Zain said. “Cures most superficial stomach illnesses.” His eyes lit up with mischief and he added, “When ground into a paste, it’s a remarkably effective boot polish as well.”
D.C.’s rapidly improving face blanched again and she turned to Alex. “Am I eating boot polish?”
Alex hesitated. “Does it taste like boot polish?”
When D.C.’s colour continued draining away, Alex realised that she could have chosen her words more carefully.
“What I meant was, who cares if it’s boot polish if it tastes all right?” Alex tried again.
“I suggest we change the topic unless you want Dix to puke all over our feet,” Bear said pointedly.
Taking his advice, Alex turned back to Zain. “How did you know we needed rescuing? And where to find us?”
Zain answered with only one word, but it was explanation enough. “Hunter.”
Alex closed her eyes slowly. It figured that her Stealth and Subterfuge teacher would know what they’d been up to—and that they’d needed help. Somehow the mysterious man seemed to know everything, and not just because he had a supernatural gift of awareness and perception.
“Hunter was following us?” Bear asked, and Alex reopened her eyes to see his surprise.
“He thought it wise,” Zain responded. He didn’t get a chance to say anything else before the Valispath shot them straight into a snow-covered mountain, and for a few seconds, all light disappeared until they broke through to the other side and rejoined the open sky.
Bear let out a quiet groan. “Now I think I’m going to be sick.”
Zain shook his head and muttered, “Humans.”
Alex pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. He’d been with them for less than five minutes and already appeared eager to dump them in the forest below.
“You’re sure looking better than the last time I saw you,” Alex said, hoping to keep him from acting on his urge to abandon them. “Are you completely healed?”
It had been less than a fortnight, but when she’d last laid eyes on Zain he’d been suffering from a wound poisoned by Hyroa blood—the Meyarin equivalent of kryptonite—and he’d nearly died. Now, however, he appeared healthy and strong, much to Alex’s relief.
Noticing Alex’s clinical perusal, Zain sent her a warm smile. “As you can see, I’m fully recovered. And ready to assist in your training.”
Alex unconsciously scrunched up her face and resolutely decided to ignore his words, choosing instead to visit a happy place in her mind; a place where she never had to consider the worrisome idea of training with the hulk of a Meyarin. Or any others of his kind.
“It won’t be so bad,” Zain said, nudging her with his elbow. “I’ll go easy on you.”
Alex very much doubted he would. The reason she had to learn how to fight with the Meyarins was so she could hold her own against Aven. Therefore, she needed to know what she was up against. Being babied, as much as she liked the idea, wouldn’t help her—or anyone else.
“You said you’re taking us to Meya,” D.C. said to Zain. “Is there a reason we’re not going straight back to Woodhaven?”
“Prince Roka planned on collecting Alex tomorrow for us to begin working with her,” Zain answered, causing Alex’s eyebrows to shoot up, “but then Hunter contacted us and said you could use… some assistance…”—his lips twitched at that, but he continued—“so I was sent to retrieve you all today instead. Now Alex will simply be able to begin her training earlier than anticipated.”
Oh, goodie, Alex thought. And I thought this day couldn’t get any better.
Four
Before Alex could ask Zain exactly what her training would entail, the Valispath began to slow. She hadn’t even noticed them gliding through the Silverwood. The snow-dusted forest was now darkening into hues of bright gold as they moved towards their destination. And sure enough, within seconds, they breached the tree line and soared over the Golden Cliffs, with the Eternal Path spiralling them down through the spray of waterfalls and into the valley below.
The silvery spires of the palace at the centre of the city lit up like a beacon, shining with the light of the setting sun that bounced off the snowy surrounds with an iridescent radiance. Alex could hear Bear and D.C.’s outspoken awe, and she knew that whether seventeen or seventy, there was nothing any of them would see in the rest of their lives that would rival the beauty of the Lost City.
It took hardly any time at all before the Path led them directly into the palace, stopping only when they reached a long corridor intricately decorated with swirls of Myrox and gold. Ordinarily it would have seemed gaudy and ostentatious, but given the rest of the opulence surrounding them, the décor was almost bland in comparison to the city.
“Prince Roka is expecting us,” Zain said, moving off the invisible transportation and towards the nearest door. Bear and D.C. followed directly behind him, both somewhat wobbly from their experience on the Valispath.
Trailing after them, Alex wondered why Zain kept referring to Roka as ‘Prince’ when she knew the Meyarin royal preferred to be casual with his title, but then she realised it must be because of D.C. and Bear. The Meyarins trusted Alex, but she knew they didn’t have the same confidence in her friends. In fact, not so long ago Roka had pleaded with Alex to remain quiet about the Meyarin qualities she’d inherited from Aven’s attempted Claiming, making her promise to keep it a secret from her friends—and anyone else—to lessen the risk of Aven finding out. But after her recent experience with the banished prince, Aven had to now realise something was different about Alex, and since her friends had been caught up in that mess with her, she’d decided they deserved to know the truth. True to form, they’d been nothing but encouraging, with D.C. offering compassion and Bear thinking it was the coolest thing ever. They were also firmly in favour of Alex training with the Meyarins, despite knowing her reluctance. But the fact was, they all knew she would likely come face to face with Aven again, and when that time came, Alex would need to embrace her Meyarin abilities should she have any hope to survive the confrontation.