20. Nevarn

Chapter 20

Nevarn

T he vine I clung to yanked us toward the underside of the island. While Kerry tightened her grip on my shoulders and her legs around my torso, Molly peeped in distress. She scrambled from Kerry's shoulder and onto mine, digging her claws into my skin and leaning against my neck.

Kerry's eyes grew wider as we flew toward the vegetation-covered underside of the enormous structure.

"Hold on," I called, my heart thumping in a wild rhythm. "I'll never get used to the thrill I get when I approach the island in this manner," I cried out over the roar of the wind.

"We're going to hit the underside," Kerry shouted. "Tuck in your head!"

Unsure of what she meant, I glanced down at her. "We won't hit."

She stopped wiggling and looked up at me. "We won't?"

I shook my head.

As we got closer to the base, the vine's momentum slowed. Before we could hit, it came to a stop.

"We're going to fall," she gasped, peering down. "I love heights. Or I used to. I think I don't like them when I'm clinging to an alien guy with only a vine keeping us from plunging into the sea."

"We'll soon be on the surface. Keep a good hold on me. I can't hold onto you."

She scowled up at me. "You think I'll let go?"

I blinked. "Well, no. It was just a suggestion."

"Get me to the surface now."

I wasn't sure why she sounded stressed, but now wasn't the time for a lengthy conversation.

"Hold on, Molly." I reached out and latched onto a vine to my right and released the first, using the root structure to swing along the base of the island until I reached the tunnel the clan kept clear. "Not long now."

When we dangled on the edge of the tunnel, I stretched out to grab the root that would take us up through the darkness, though sunlight winked far above. One tug, and we shot upward, not stopping until we'd emerged from the channel and hung above the opening. I swung out, leaping toward the grassy surface nearby, landing neatly.

Molly flung herself off me and raced over to a tangle of bushes, disappearing beneath them.

"You can continue to cling to me, if you'd like, mate," I said. "Or you can stand beside me." I could barely hold back my laugh.

Kerry shot me a glare. "I think I'm pissed at you."

Pissed . . . "You need a bathing area?"

She huffed and detached herself from me, sliding to the ground with my help. "Eventually. Pissed means irritated."

"What are you irritated about?"

She poked my belly, though not hard. "Before we left the everlipe, you could've warned me we'd be projected up toward the island at a breakneck pace. That we'd almost smack into it before you played Tarzan to fling us over to a tunnel from hell."

"How else did you think we'd get up here?"

Her sigh rang out, and she appeared to piss out her irritation along with it. "You're right, but still."

I took her hand and squeezed it. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She squinted toward the bushes. "Will Molly be alright here?"

"We'll take her with us." I strode over to the bushes and shifted them until I spotted our pet huddling beneath a cluster of broad leaves. She peeped when I lifted her, and I snuggled her against my chest as I rejoined Kerry. Shooting me a glare much like Kerry's, Molly leaped into my mate's arms.

"It appears she needs to piss away her anger as well," I pointed out.

Kerry snorted, and her eyes sparkled, which was infinitely better than the scowl she'd just sent me. "Yes, I'm sure she does."

I held out my hand. "Let me take you to the village and introduce you. Tomorrow, we'll start investigating."

"Can you ask your clan gods to help?"

Closing my eyes, I hummed, reaching out. No voices replied. Sighing, I opened my eyes. "This is the land of the stone gods. The trees here don't hold Celedar gods like on the mainland. If they did at one time, they're long dormant."

"Can you wake them up?"

"It doesn't work like that."

"Too bad. I can picture a tree army uprooting itself, stomping around with branches lashing, not only revealing who the bad guy is but smacking them off a cliff."

"A wonderful dream."

"Yeah." She held my hand as we started down the narrow trail weaving through the thick, waist-high grass topped with tassels.

"Purple grass is a new thing for me." She brushed her hand across the top. "Grass is green where I come from. The trees are green too, not light purple like those on Zuldrux." She stopped, frowning at the grass. "It's harder than I'd expect it to be, too."

"Stone."

Her eyes widened. "What's stone?"

"The vegetation is stone."

"Vegetation is a living thing."

"So is the stone—here. As I said, you'll only find stone gods at the Dastalon Clan."

She bent closer to study the grass. "You mentioned stone, but I thought that meant your old clan worshiped stone monuments or something like that."

"The clan is closely bound to their stone gods, but they're everywhere around us."

"You said your Celedar Clan is bound to wood, and I've seen you have a bond with trees. Helena is your only clan god."

"Yes."

"I think I'm finally figuring it out." She stared around.

I tried to see it like she might. A broad island that would take a few hours walking to encircle or at least one hour if a male walked through the middle. Lush, stone vegetation wavered in the breeze. Varying shades of purple, as she'd pointed out, though other colors spotted the landscape. A gradual rise to the middle of the island where the village was located, though we couldn't see it from here due to the forest we'd soon walk through—one without Celedar gods. The ocean surrounded us, also made up of varying shades of purple, though the waves were capped with white.

A few ryvars circled overhead. The riders would've seen us approaching the island, and if I knew my older brother's guards, they would've notified him of our pending arrival already. Would he allow me to remain here long enough to prove my innocence? When we met at the clan gathering, he told me I was welcome to visit. My banishment was over, but that didn't mean the clan would want me looking into Weela's murder.

Many times, a banished person died during their time away or they found a new life. I'd thankfully lived long enough to return. If I could prove I hadn't killed my first mate, I would leave here with my head held high and a feeling of satisfaction in my heart.

We entered the spindly forest and strode side by side, Molly bobbing on Kerry's shoulder. The grundar leaned against Kerry's neck, clutching fistfuls of my mate's hair. Her little nose twitched as she peered this way and that.

"There are no grundars on the islands," I said. "I'll tell the clan they're not allowed to eat her."

"Eat her?" Kerry stalled on the path, her hand going to Molly's side. "Why would they want to eat her?"

"Because grundars taste good. We hunt them on the mainland."

Kerry's face fell. "I enjoy meat. I'll admit it. And I'm not opposed to hunting, something I've done a few times myself. But it's different when the creature you're contemplating eating is a friend."

"They'll leave her alone," I said grimly. "I'll make sure of it."

"Thank you." She scooped Molly from her shoulder and continued walking, holding the grundar like a youngling in her arms. "Tell me more about how we'll learn who killed Weela."

"We'll speak with everyone who knew her."

"If they're willing to talk to you. Will her father attack you like Heldwep just did?"

"I hope not." I tapped the hilt of my wooden spear. "Now that my banishment is over, they risk being punished if they try to harm me."

"Your brother may have information," she said. "He believed you, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did, and I hope he's learned something while I was gone."

The forest thinned, and we stopped on the edge, staring toward the village built on the top of the hill in the middle of the island and surrounded by a high stone wall.

A broad field stretched between where we stood and the path winding up the hill speckled with a few scrubby trees.

"How many people live in the village?" Kerry asked.

"The Dastalon Clan has three hundred or so members. Younglings may have been born since I left. While a few live on the smaller islands, the majority reside here in the buildings ahead."

"Where will we stay?" she asked, nibbling on her lower lip.

I was sure someone else lived in the home I'd shared with Wella. I'd built it myself, but I had no interest in asking them to leave. I'd prefer to stay somewhere new with Kerry. "We're about to find out."

We were halfway across the open area when a shriek pierced the very air around us.

I reeled around and watched as Faelest dove toward us with her burnished gold wings tucked tight to her sides.