“I’ll go and check on Handel, shall I?” Roberto asked aloud, tucking a blanket over Pa. It was going to take some getting used to him hearing what she was thinking. He passed the remedy to Ezaara and headed to the ledge outside.
Pa’s fingers tightened convulsively on Ezaara’s, then loosened. His feet twitched, then relaxed.
Relief rushed through Ezaara. “It’s working.”
“Keep giving him the remedy until the vial is gone or he’ll slip backward,” Adelina said. She bustled around the infirmary, starting to clean up the mess they’d made last night when she, Lars and Kierion had been searching for the remedy for dragon’s bane to heal Zaarusha. “Let me know if you need anything.”
Lovina’s clear blue eyes met Ezaara’s. “Do you know your mother and Tomaaz are in Death Valley? I think that’s where your father was hurt.”
Ezaara gasped. Death Valley? Things were much worse than she’d thought. “Are they still alive?”
Eyes sad, Lovina just shrugged.
§
Hans woke—if you could call it waking. Everything swam before his eyes and he was as groggy as a hatchling. His leg had a tingling sensation—that’s what had yanked him from deep slumber. He ran his hand down his leg. It ached; well, everything did. His limbs, his chest … that’s right, he’d been on Handel heading for Dragons’ Hold.
He turned his head against the pillow. Sprawled on a bed next to his was Ezaara, sleeping.
His daughter, at last. So, he’d made it to Dragons’ Hold.
“Of course you did,” Handel harrumphed from somewhere nearby. “Did you think after all these years, I’d let you down?”
“No, but I let you down when we fled.”
“At first, I was angry, but that faded after a few years. I missed you. Liesar never told me where you were until we had to rescue Lush Valley from tharuks. Welcome home.”
They were in a cavern similar to the old cavern he and Marlies had lived in, next to the infirmary, at Dragons’ Hold. The walls blurred. He closed his eyes for a moment, fighting the urge to drift back to sleep. Something made his leg tingle again. Oh! Thrusting his sore clumsy fingers into his pocket, he pulled out his calling stone, fumbling as he held it up. That’s what had woken him.
Tomaaz’s face lit up the surface of the stone, his voice echoing in Hans’ mind. “Pa, I’ve found Ma.”
He had, all right. Images of Marlies flitted through Hans’ head, the way Tomaaz had seen her. Pale, blue-tinged lips and lying deathly still. Hans’ throat choked up. Another image followed: Marlies’ eyelids fluttering as she gazed up, then drifted back to sleep. So Tomaaz had saved her. He’d got there in time.
“Thank the Egg, she’s safe with you.”
“When can you meet us, Pa?” Tomaaz looked gaunt, worn out.
Hans tried to smile, but he was so exhausted, he wasn’t sure if he’d managed. Tomorrow? No, that was too soon. He didn’t even know if he could walk yet. “Two days? Can you hold on that long?”
“I’ll meet you at sunset on the hill north of the watchtower, as we arranged.” Tomaaz hesitated, then blurted out, “You still look sick, Pa. You sure you can come?”
“Need rest,” was all Hans could croak out. His fingers were aching from holding the small stone.
“I’ll take care of Ma. Don’t you worry,” Tomaaz said. “Gods, I’m glad you’re alive. Have you seen Lovina?”
“Not yet, but they say she’s recovered.”
“Good. Ezaara?”
“Yes,” Hans mumbled, losing his grip on the stone as his eyelids closed.
Revelation
The sun would soon go down. Tomaaz could hardly restrain his excitement. Two days and he and Ma would be out of there. He left the beast’s branch of the valley, making his way south to get her rucksack. Tomaaz tucked his shovel behind a boulder and broke into a run. The cliffs were pockmarked with caves.
Shards, he wasn’t used to running. Tomaaz slowed to a walk.
Two guttural voices drifted toward him. Hiding in a short tunnel in the hillside, Tomaaz wished his pounding heart would quieten.
“Her rucksack is not there. Where’s it gone?”
“316 was with her. Maybe he took it.”
“Slimy runty worm. Good that 316 is dead.” A tharuk chortled.
Tomaaz pressed his back flat against the tunnel wall as two lumbering tharuks passed. He held his breath, poised to run in case one was a tracker.
Their voices faded as the beasts went into the main valley.
Phew! That was close. Heading up the ravine, Tomaaz took the branch to the right, counting the caves in the northern wall. There was the one Ma said she’d stayed in, slimy and damp. The tharuks had probably searched there. Three caves further … there, that was it. In the cave, behind a rocky outcrop, was Ma’s rucksack. Tomaaz slung the straps over his shoulders and made his way back to the main valley.
But when he got to the boulder, his shovel was gone.
Shards! Those tharuks had found it. They’d have a tracker here in no time. Unless they thought a slave had left the shovel on the way to the latrines. Should he go back and hide the pack, in case he was seen? Tomaaz eased his head around the corner, surveying the valley. No one was in sight. It was only a short run back to the branch that led to Ma and the beast. Should he chance it? If he didn’t take the pack to Ma now, he may not get another chance. Especially if a tracker was set loose.
Keeping to the shadows cast by the hills, Tomaaz shot up the valley. His legs were weak and
