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

his boat. His hand reached into the water. Kai craned to observe his friend’s hand movements beneath the surface. Eyes closed, Liam tensed his hand, his fingers angled downward. Below the surface, through the crystal-clear water, Kai saw ripples in the sand. The water appeared to tremor. When he heard thunder rumble below the surface, he looked to Rayna. She peered over the boat’s edge beside him.

The sandy ocean floor glistened in the sunshine; it appeared to be only a few feet deep. That is until Yulia stopped her movements, and the eerie fog settled back around them.

Liam leaned into the mast. “Everyone, hold onto something.”

Everyone grabbed on tight. Liam strained, and his arm muscles flexed under the exertion. His fingers curled inwards. The ground rumbled as it rose and displaced the water. There was a thud as the sandy soil pressed against the bottom of the boat. The two hulls settled into the wet sand and Liam raised his clenched fist. They began to rise. Higher and higher.

Through the fog they were lifted, the blue sky returned. Etched black stone towered beside them with various ledges covered green foliage. Below them, the fog closed in around the water. The wind pressed down on them as they rose, Liam took them higher still. Above them, Kai saw a green edge protruding out from the black rock. As they came level with the extensive outcropping, four men waited at the entrance to a stone archway.

Liam brought the ship even with them and stopped. The men performed a series of movements extending a platform to Liam’s column. Together they tugged at the ground beneath the vessel, sliding it sideways onto the landing. Two men approached Liam’s column and shoved downward with one foot each. The tall column collapsed back into the sea.

The Gemidi village was very similar to the mainland. The one thing that became evident, however, was nearly everyone they saw here was a Beastmaster. The Beastmasters switch forms fluidly from human to beast and back again—eagles, wolves, and black leopards. Blue was the predominant crystal color.

Weathervanes were the second most frequent. They worked with the Stonekings on windmills and structural repairs, while the few Kodama tended gardens. Kai and his group kept a quick pace behind Liam, who led the way to his family home. “We will need to resupply and ask around. Someone had to see Lucca. Since we have no idea where he is going, we need to ask questions. We can spend the night with my family before we head out at first light.”

Kai hated the delay, but he had to listen to his friend. While he wanted to continue his search for Lucca, they needed information and more food. Not to mention, there was no use trying to glean his grandfather’s location—they were chasing a Lumen. Each time Kai tried he saw nothing. The man hid his light very well. On land, Kai hoped they could make better progress. With Ryker’s ability to transform into a shuk, they could catch their scent and chase them down.

Liam’s family were very welcoming, although Kai got a distinct impression, they were disappointed their youngest was not a Beastmaster. Sonja, Liam’s mother, quietly inquired about his progress, “How are your lessons going, my son?”

“Fine, Mother.” Liam tucked his hands in his pockets and curved his shoulders inward.

Darden, Liam’s father, patted his son on the back. “Don’t worry, boy, there is plenty for you to do around here besides protect our lands. Besides, I have your brothers.”

All three brothers teased Liam’s gift. “Well, he always did enjoy playing in the dirt as a boy,” one brother joked.

“Right, I remember that. He’d come back home covered in mud,” the second brother mocked.

“Wait, didn’t he used to eat dirt too?” the third one questioned.

The boys laughed. Each one bumped into Liam as they ran ahead on the path. Their swift change into beast form surprised Kai. Rayna squeezed his hand; her expression portrayed her concern.

“Don’t worry,” Kai assured her, “they’re just having a little fun. Ignore them, Liam. They will get bored eventually.”

Three giant pure white wolves trotted ahead of them. Their thick fur bounced as they walked. They were not as large as a shuk, but they were larger than an average wolf. Kai wondered if they were as large as Smoke. He missed his companion.

The boys circled around the small group and came up behind them. Ryker nudged one off the path with his shoulder. The others charged, ramming Liam. They knocked him to the ground. Liam dusted himself off and stood up. Sonja led Kai, Rayna, Yulia, and Ryker up the spiral staircase into their home. When they reached the main pod, Kai noticed a large window overlooking everything. The narrow terrace wrapped around the entire home and connected to the next home over.

Liam stood below, talking with his father. His three brothers stood together in a tight huddle. Their devious expressions made Kai worry about what they were planning. Darden waved his hands as if dismissing Liam. Kai tried not to stare. “Beautiful view,” Rayna whispered. “When we have our own home, I want a large window like this. The ones in Matoku are way too small.”

Kai smiled at her comment. “As you wish, my dear.” Her talk of the future lightened his mood.

Growls from below drew his attention back down to the boisterous nature of the three older brothers. He could tell Liam tried to ignore them until he could take their torments no longer. They had knocked him down one too many times. His brothers roamed around the family tree. Each wolf stood tall blocking the entrance to the home.

Kai watched from the balcony. Rayna gasped as two circled again and charged. Liam dodged the first but was struck by the second. “Stop them, they are going to hurt Liam!” she begged.

“He must stand up for himself or they will never respect him,” Ryker interjected.

“Ryker is right, there is nothing I can do,” Kai said, watching from