Rayna's Sacrifice (The Katori Chronicles Book 3) by A. Lombardo (intellectual books to read .TXT) 📗

The small town boomed with travelers. Men and women and families all huddled around campsites, laughing and telling stories. Kai searched the travelers, hoping to find Yulia and Liam. They were nowhere to be found.

Beyond the squat trees used by the tradesmen, a long line of Bodhima trees dotted the ridge. Each tree held nearly eight pods, many already set aglow by the Cosmos vine flowers. Set off to the far end were two older looking oak trees. They seemed abandoned.

After they made a fire, Kai and Rayna set to explore the mature trees behind their campfire. A set of staggered stone slabs curved around in a semicircle in front of the old trees. There were posts for tying off horses, a few abandoned wagon wheels, and a few cracked wooden barrels.

Growing into the rocks were two massive oaks, each with two separate, upside-down basket-like pods. Curious, Kai climbed up inside. It was clean but well used. No decorative bedding like at Haygan and Simone’s home. At the center was a flat woven shelf large enough for two.

With one arm, he heaved Rayna up onto a round ledge. “Seems nice. Better than sleeping outside. Safer too. Your bedroll should help with comfort and warmth.” He laid his back down onto the vine bedframe. “At least I hope your bedroll is enough.” He wiggled his body on the thatched surface.

Rayna sat beside him. “I wish we could share a pod.”

“Someday soon,” Kai responded.

She nodded. “How is it Julia and Shane were married so young? We are the same age.”

Kai cleared his throat. “Consent. Both of their parents had to give consent. Even if your parents agreed, my father never would. He believes eighteen is the youngest anyone should be married. He was twenty-four when he married my mother. Claims he was too young, though it was the best day of his life.”

“Hmmm, I am not so sure my parents would consent. My dad’s conservative, too. If we want to be married, we must wait until it is our choice, not theirs.”

“We should get outside. They will be serving dinner, and we don’t want to be missed. I still have your honor to protect.” Kai smiled, kissed her on the cheek, and jumped through the hole in the floor.

From the ground, he offered Rayna help as she dangled her legs over the edge. In a simple hop, she was back on the ground and joined the others around the fire.

After changing into dry clothes, the group enjoyed a warm meal. It had been a long day, and even with his Katori endurance, Kai felt the effects of his rigorous afternoon on the river. Basil poked at the fire.

Kai soaked a piece of bread in his vegetable stew. “You are friends with Lucca, right?”

“I am very close to our chief.” Basil sipped his steaming hot tea. “What do you want to know about him?”

“Why is he so angry with me? He doesn’t know me, yet I get the feeling he only sees Keegan when he looks at me.”

Kai noticed Basil was not good at hiding his emotions. For a brute of a man, he wore his heart on his sleeve. “You do favor your father, but it is what Keegan almost made him do.” Basil let out a heavy sigh.

Rayna twisted to listen, her back pressed into Kai. Basil’s expression turned remorseful, and he leaned into the fire. “You want to know why Lucca is upset? We all know there is no love between him and Keegan. But Lucca’s story goes back much farther. It is about a girl he killed experimenting with his powers—another Lumen. Many believe that to advance your abilities, you must bend the limits of the past. By pushing your mind to see the edges of our magic, new paths can be developed.”

The truth behind advancing your magic resonated with Kai. He’d seen as much with Rayna and her manipulation of Senina’s face, turning her skin to moss, and with Benmar’s ability to turn invisible. And hearing about Keegan’s ability to steal souls and become another. These were new and unique abilities.

Basil sipped his tea and continued. “There are so few Lumens ever born. Understanding their magic often comes with a price. Usually, the cost was a burned home or scorched garden. Now and then, some were brave enough to test each other. Lucca and Natali were very advanced. They pushed the limits of their powers. Lucca learned to create a shield of light, and Natali created a blast beam. Teaching each other, they tested their new magic. From there, one can surmise that Lucca was simply too powerful for her. The elders tried to heal her, but it was too late. She was gone.”

Kai knit his brow together. “So, what does that have to do with Keegan or me?”

“Keegan and his followers marched around the Agora in protest. But it was not enough. As words and emotions escalated, Keegan challenged Lucca. He and his rebels attacked the Agora. Lucca fought back and Mariana was hurt, caught in the crossfire between Lucca and Keegan. While it took all the other chiefs and the unie to stop the protest, Lucca refused to use his magic ever again. The mere mention of Keegan reminds him of that day.”

The news shocked Kai. Hurting your own child must have destroyed Lucca. “I had no idea.” Kai was beginning to learn he knew very little about his mother and his grandfather. Their past and their choices remained a mystery. “So why are you helping us?”

Basil chuckled. “What makes you think I am helping you? Lucca needs to come to terms with you, and running off won’t help either of you mend the past. You two need to try at least to find common ground.”

Kai noticed that Ryker remained silent the entire time. Knowing how the man felt about his mother, Mariana, it had to be difficult to relive the past. “Well, whatever your reason, thank you, Basil.”

Basil stood and