Page 76 of Swords of Soul and Shadow
Even though Hallie had helped him remember what had happened in the Gate chamber with Skibs, Kase still couldn’t quite believe it. Even when Saldr had revealed Skibs had been the one to bring a dragon through the Gate and destroy Myrrai, he still hadn’t been able to line up the man he’d known with the one Skibs had become.
Skibs had been his best friend, the only person to care about Kase after Ana died—after Eravin abandoned him. The Cerls had killed Skibs’ parents and kidnapped his brother. Only Skibs had survived; he’d made his way to Kyvena on his own. Skibs had spoken callously of his life before, telling tales that made Harlan seem like a saint. Skibs had seen the Cerl attack on his small border village as an escape.
Had that all been a lie? Was Kase simply a terrible judge of character?
He strapped himself into his chair. “We need to find my brother.”
If he was still alive.
If anyone in the government had survived the initial attack or even the ones afterward, they would be holed up in a bunker somewhere. Maybe. The airfields had one underneath the HoverColonel’s complex, but that was probably a ruined heap of burning rubble by now.
He started up the engine to the hover. To the Jayde Center, then. Hopefully he could find something there—anything at all—that could lead him to his family and a way to save whatever survivors they could find.
Part II: Realms
Interlude I
NAVARA
The end never goes quietly, whether for gods or man. It comes in a rushing of fate and a gnashing of teeth.
Chapter 15
A DOOMSDAY NOVEL
Kase
BY THE TIME KASE FOUND a copse of trees to hide the Cerl hover in and made a plan, night had fallen. Kase’s breath puffed out in front of him, and Firstmoon hung in the sky like a lost king of old. Its glow laced the rubble and debris and sank into the shadowed alleyways. Oddly, Kase still hadn’t seen any bodies.
Not that he was complaining, but an attack on this scale would’ve been catastrophic. There should have been casualties. An attack that left the city inhabited by ghosts should’ve left more than just scattered refuse. Instead, it reminded him of Stoneset with its empty lanes and clean, crooked byways.
He turned to Stowe and whispered, “What happened to the bodies of those you lost in the Stoneset attack?”
Stowe took in the scene warily. He scratched his bearded chin. “Burned.”
“You burned them?” That was incredibly risky. If the Cerls had seen the smoke—
Stowe shook his head. “The Cerls did. We just cleaned up the rubble left behind.”
Fury rose within him…mixed with curiosity. Why go out of the way to take care of the enemy bodies? To give them a proper send-off, more or less? He didn’t know if it was a kindness or some kind of additional insult. He suspected the latter.
Stowe hesitated a moment before saying, “A few of our scouts noted that the Cerls in charge of the burnings said rites over the pyres.”
“Interesting.” Kase tugged his jacket collar higher. It was nice to be back in his old leather even if it hung a little strange with the rip in the back. He would figure out how to mend it later. “I can’t imagine how long that would’ve taken here if they did the same.”
He didn’t know if his anger bled into his words, but Hallie’s father didn’t say anything about it. He probably felt the same. Kase couldn’t allow even a little respect to enter his mind where the Cerls were concerned. Besides, the rites could’ve very well been curses.
But at least Kase didn’t have to step over bodies to climb the steps of the Jayde Center.
With only Firstmoon to light their trek, Kase kept the Cerl pistol cocked and ready in his grip. The frostbitten tingle in his fingers was a comfort; even with no electricity, this weapon would work.
The night itself was beautiful without all the electric lights. Kase could see the stars for what they were, sparkling gems sewn into an inky tapestry. It reminded him of the nights spent out on theEudoramission or with Hallie on their way to Stoneset. Both times had been times of trial and stress, but the night sky had been a constant companion through it all.
Tonight, the stars watched with bated breath. They judged him. Each sparkle condemned him, reminded him of his wrongs.
Stowe held his silence as they entered the building proper. The door sat heavy and ominous, no one there to deny or grant them entry. Kase never thought he’d wish someone was there to stand in his way.
Truthfully, Kase wasn’t the biggest fan of the government. Sure, he’d fly a hover into battle against their enemies, but it wasn’t out of blind devotion. At best, he’d been neutral about the buildings in which the government had been housed.
