Lightning Tracks by A. A. Kinsela

Author:A. A. Kinsela
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: young adult, fantasy, alternative history, ya, ya alternative history, ya fantasy, ya australian fantasy, ya adventure fantasy, young adult fantasy, young adult alternative history, young adult alternative reality, young adult adventure fantasy, young adult australia
Publisher: Plainspeak Publishing
Published: 2018-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19: The Arai oath

Cal cupped his mug of black tea and watched the steam swirl and flicker. A breeze tugged at the kitchen shutters, making them bang against the sandstone wall. A belt of stars swung across the heavens and the new moon hovered near the horizon like a bruised and swollen eyelid.

He hadn’t seen Artemis since they’d ridden through the city gates two days ago, but there were a few extra crusts and bones in the scrap bucket, so she must have come back at some point. He was relieved to know that she’d been here. That meant Julian had kept his word. Artemis was more than capable of defending herself, but Julian was cunning and powerful, qualities that made him a dangerous enemy. And Cal still didn’t know why Julian wanted his compliance.

The front door creaked open. Artemis trudged into the kitchen and slumped onto the bench.

‘Where have you been?’ Cal asked. ‘You disappeared last night.’

She flapped a tired hand. ‘Valerius had me working a double shift.’

‘Straight after the scouting mission? Why?’

‘Because of Nick.’

Cal grunted. Nick was turning out to be more trouble than he was worth.

‘Who is Nick? You still haven’t told me.’

‘I know. Sorry. It wasn’t safe with all the others around.’ She poured herself a cup of tea and gulped it down.

‘Well?’ Cal prompted.

Her fingernails tapped the cup. Cal frowned. It wasn’t like Artemis to get nervous. Nick’s appearance had rattled her quite badly.

‘Okay. Were you ever told a story when you were little about a bush nymph who’d play an enchanted flute that would entice you into the trees and you’d disappear forever?’

Cal stared at her, confused. ‘Er...sort of. I’ve heard rumours about things called song gates. My mum used to warn me not to go into the Northern Highlands because the wind whistled through the trees and the music would carry me away to a land where giant lizards roamed under a sun that never set.’

She blinked then said, ‘Close enough.’

‘What’s this got to do with Nick?’

Her nails continued to click her teacup. ‘When General Alexander visited the mountain training camp after the solstice, I overheard what he told Roan that day and it made me feel...used. Betrayed.’ She stopped tapping. ‘Thanos ordered us to go to that Yándi camp on the summer solstice to stir up the Bandála and flush someone out of hiding.’

Cal straightened. ‘You mean Nick?’

Artemis nodded.

‘Why? What’s so special about him?’

‘The king sees him as a threat.’

With a snort, Cal said, ‘How could Nick possibly be a threat to Thanos? He has the Arai tattoo but he’s untrained. He’s not Bandála, and as far as I can tell, he hasn’t amassed his own army of Yándi warriors. The only way he could be a threat is if...’ His eyes widened. ‘Skata! Are you saying Nick has a claim to the throne?’

In a quiet, anxious voice, Artemis said, ‘He’s Nicholas Kári.’

Cal’s ears buzzed with the name. He leaned forward. ‘Seriously? The Nicholas Kári? Phoebe and Jónatan Kaléysan’s son?’

She nodded.

‘But Nicholas Kári is supposed to be dead! That’s what we’ve always been told, anyway.

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