The Guardian: Lost Empire, #3

By E.B. Dawson

WHAT WOULD YOU RISK TO SAVE YOUR WORLD?

 

Winter has crippled the nation of Riyen and Hawthorne has made moves to take over the city for his own mysterious purposes. When Rodge and Janelle arrive in Angapo they find that war has broken out. With Anissa missing and no way to contact her, they will have to formulate their own plan to get back to Riyen and stop Hawthorne.

Meanwhile, Anissa and Carson find themselves the leaders of a new rebellion against an enemy much greater than Hawthorne. Battling their own brokenness and conflicting desires, their search for answers seems to uncover more obstacles. As events unravel, each of them will have to decide how much they are willing to sacrifice to save the Empire. 

 

"Thematically, this book ratchets up tensions that have been growing throughout the series and weaves a beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful tale of healing worlds that have generations of animosity toward each other. It gives me hope for our world and challenges me to likewise be an agent of reconciliation."

-Beth Wangler, author of Child of the Kaites

• Language: English
• Publisher: E.B. Dawson
• Release date: Oct 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393633365

E.B. Dawson

E.B. Dawson was born out of time. Raised in the remote regions of a developing nation, traveling to America was as good as traveling thirty years into the future. So, it’s really no wonder that she writes science fiction and fantasy. Her stories acknowledge darkness, but empower and encourage people to keep on fighting, no matter how difficult their circumstances may be. And as an avid philosopher, she infuses her work with Socratic questions. When not writing, she tries to make a difference in the world by showing love and compassion to those most broken.

Book preview

Out of the Past

From her tub of warm water, Anissa watched the rain fall. Its gentle fingers thrummed against the small paned skylight in the ceiling, spreading a hush over the room and allowing her to sift through her chaotic thoughts.

They had struck a mighty blow against Ashaya, stealing Carson out from under her nose. Then the people of the settlement had risen up against her guards. She would be furious. She was sure to retaliate, and Anissa was far from certain that they'd be able to stop her.

She lifted her hands out of the water and studied them. In the last twenty-four hours she had stretched her powers beyond what any of them believed she was capable of. She had gone head to head with a Dark Guardian and defended herself, but more than that, she had learned how to travel within a world, even catching Travis and Zanora midair and transporting them safely to the ground. In the moment all she could think about was saving Carson and helping her friends, but now it struck her as more than a little frightening.

The new abilities came with their share of setbacks. After rescuing Travis and Zanora she had been incapacitated for hours. Even now her bones and muscles ached with fatigue. She had felt it in little doses back when she had first begun to travel, but nothing like this. Of course, it didn't help that they'd spent the night slinking through the settlement and faced a barricade of guards in the morning.

Her skin still burned and chafed from where it'd come in contact with that Guardian weapon. It was the reason she had asked that cold water be mixed with the hot water in her tub. She didn't think her skin could handle anything more at the moment. Even thought it irritated the new fractal scar across her stomach and up her neck, it felt heavenly on her aching muscles.

The diminishing rhythm of the rain on the skylight overhead reminded her that she shouldn't linger. This wasn't exactly a luxury bath, and the physician was waiting to see her. Anissa set to work getting the tangles out of her hair, working it through with an oil Lady Evina had given her. It felt good to be clean again and she dressed with renewed energy. Carson was determined to find a way to reunite the worlds and he needed her help.

The bath was removed from her quarters and Evina's physician was ushered in to examine her. She sat on the edge of her pallet as the old man took her pulse and listened to her breathing. He dutifully prescribed her rest, but when she explained how that wouldn't be possible, he settled for having her drink a thick, soupy potion. Then he set about examining the scars from the Guardian weapon.

I have only seen marks like these on the dead, the old man said bluntly.

I assure you, I'm very much alive, Anissa answered.

The old man grunted as if he didn't quite believe it. Are they painful?

It feels a bit like a sunburn, she replied.

Well, I can do something about that, but there is little way to tell if there was any internal damage. I suppose we'll know if your heart stops beating, or if your skin turns yellow and clammy.

That's a lovely way to put it.

The physician gave her a wry smile, then turned and retrieved something from his bag. This ointment should reduce the burning and help your skin to heal. The scars should fade from pink to white over time. But you will never be rid of them completely.

Anissa took the ointment and began rubbing it on her chest and neck liberally. Did you already examine my companions?

His gruff, sarcastic manner felt familiar and comforting somehow. She wondered what he would think if she told him that he reminded her of her old house.

Zanora and the woman might as well be the main course at dinner, they've been so tenderized by contusions and scrapes. But they have no broken bones. His royal highness is a different matter. His body is under great shock, not unlike yours, though I can't quite determine the cause.

Will he be all right?

He ought to rest. The old man stood and raised an eyebrow accusingly at her.

If I could tell that man what to do, I would have done it a long time ago and saved a lot of people trouble.

The physician grunted as if he wasn't really surprised. Well, keep an eye on him. And when he collapses from fatigue, maybe you can strap him down. He left the room and closed the door behind him.

Anissa went to push herself off her pallet and found that her hands were trembling. She clenched them together and closed her eyes as images from the last few days kindled into flame in her mind. After a few deep breaths she reduced them forcefully back to embers and scrambled to her feet.

Out in the common rooms, the long low table had been spread with a great variety of food. Zanora's men were already eating along with Carson. He looked tired, but determined. He met Anissa's eyes, but said nothing. Anissa took a seat beside him, forcing herself to eat although she really had no appetite. It was a rushed meal, one of necessity rather than leisure.

The man named Lord Tavier was leading all the resistance forces to the Painted Canyons while Carson and Anissa returned to the deserted palace in search of anything that might help them in their fight against Ashaya. 

No one spoke during the meal and when it was over, Anissa and Carson made ready to ride. Zanora and Travis were assisting Lord Tavier in taking stock of their forces and making preparations to depart for the Painted Canyons, but Zanora's men would be going with Carson and Anissa as their guard.

They passed out into the courtyard of the great house where five horses waited for them. Anissa and Carson had never ridden before, so they mounted behind two of Zanora's men and the party set out.

It was close to midday now. The rain had finally let up, but a blanket of clouds hung low over the city and the streets were still saturated with water. It pooled on the rocky terrain, a foot deep in some places. But where the ground was softer, great bogs of mud had formed. Anissa held tight to her rider as he navigated the streets expertly. Just when she thought she was getting used to the movement of the horse it would lunge over a puddle or stop suddenly to let a cart pass, making her gasp. Fortunately they reached their destination without mishap. Anissa's companion slid to the ground, then turned to help her down, suppressing a smirk.

What are you looking at? she asked.

Nothing. You sure do make a man feel important, that's all. He winked at her.

Don't get saucy with me, Anissa shot back good-naturedly.

Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Guardian!

Anissa straightened the cloak on her shoulders and looked about her. A shaft of uncertainty pierced her. Only yesterday this place had been crawling with guards and Dark Guardians. It seemed an age ago and yet Anissa almost feared that if she blinked they would appear again. A knot settled in her stomach. How had she ever had the courage to face them?

One of the horses whinnied, grounding her back to the present moment. The courtyard was full of people coming and going, and most of those going had their hands full of tapestries, candlesticks, and small furniture. Now that Ashaya had abandoned her palace, the people seemed to think everything was up for grabs.

Carson had got the attention of a group of servants who used to work there and he was waving her over. She forced herself forward.

Benara will show you the armory and the Guardians' quarters. I'm going to see what I can find in Ashaya's quarters.

Anissa nodded and turned to follow the woman named Benara. They passed through the kitchen as they had before. The place was mostly abandoned now, except for a straggler here and there looking for what they could scrounge. The rooms were dark with baskets and bins tipped over. Bits of lettuce, grain, and other pieces of food littered the ground, trampled by muddy feet.

The rest of the palace was just as disheveled. What hadn't been stolen was trashed or broken. Here and there marks on the wall bore witness to the desperate struggle of the day before. And muddy footprints tracked everywhere.

Benara led Anissa to the armory first. It was a cold, windowless vault. Empty hooks hung on the walls above equally empty wooden racks. Anissa really hadn't expected to find anything there so she wasn't surprised that it had been completely stripped bare. Still, she made sure to search every corner. They could only hope the new owners of these weapons would sign up to fight. She nodded for Benara to take her to the Guardians' quarters.

They passed up several flights of stairs this time. Voices echoed strangely against the marble walls and the wind, filtering through a myriad of broken windows, added an eerie undertone.

They came out in a long room, well lit by the windows situated down its length. Comfortable beds were spaced about the room and though it was difficult to tell what this chamber had looked like before the looting, signs of things being ripped off walls and broken shards indicated the removal of valuables. Anissa wasn't sure what she had expected, but it hadn't been this. She could almost see the Guardians lounging in their personal areas, playing cards and reading letters from home. It unnerved her. She didn't want to think about these men as having families. They knew what they were doing. You couldn't kill that many people and claim ignorance. But the seed of doubt was planted in her mind.

*****

Carson followed his own guide through the palace halls to the empress's quarters. He clenched his jaw as they passed through the long hall where he had first met her. He didn't wish to relive those memories. It wasn't much farther to her private chamber. But as he had feared, everything had been stripped bare. Still he lingered for a moment, searching the empty walls for some sort of explanation. He crossed to her private balcony and peered out. But if he was hoping for some supernatural insight, none came. Perhaps he understood her as well as he ever would. Hurried as her retreat had been, she was probably too smart to leave anything behind that would help him.

He stepped onto the balcony wondering if standing where she had stood, he might understand her better, but he lingered for another reason. The city sprawled out beneath him, bogged down with mud, yet buoyed with new hope. Even from here shouts and laughter reached his ears. It made him nervous because he knew it would not last long. Even if they prevailed in the end, it would only be after an impossible fight. Ashaya wasn't going to give up easily.

Carson retraced his steps to the ground floor, shoving down frustrated disappointment. He really shouldn't have expected to find anything here. It had been foolish to get his hopes up. Why should he expect any help? Nothing about this journey had been easy so far—in fact, it only seemed to get harder. The one thing he could count on was that Anissa wouldn't give up when the going got tough. She'd proven that over and over again. She was probably tougher than he was when it came down to it.

It was different having someone he could rely on. He had grown in his relationship with his uncle John. They respected each other. But for some reason Carson always felt like he had to put on a front with his uncle—to prove that he wasn't a fifteen-year-old boy anymore. He didn't have to pretend with Anissa. She saw right through him anyway.

He was so deep in thought he nearly tumbled over a small, huddled figure as he rounded a corner. This corridor had been empty when he passed through it earlier. But now in the dim light he could see men and women lined up along the left wall. They were filthy, their clothes ragged and moldy, and most of them looked half starved. A couple of women were moving up and down the line, passing out bread. A physician had been called and he was slowly making his way down the line.

Carson had a gut feeling who these people were, but when he spotted the chafing around the wrists of one elderly man, his suspicions were confirmed. They were prisoners from Ashaya's dungeons, so accustomed to darkness that now they were being held in this dim corridor so they wouldn't have to face broad daylight. Carson's stomach churned and he moved to pass them by when someone unexpectedly called his name.

Carson! It was a gentle voice, unmistakably coming from one of the former prisoners. It wasn't unthinkable that they may have heard his name—it had been spreading throughout the city. But something about the way this man said it made Carson's heart leap. He paused and backed up a few steps. The man reached out an arm.

You look like your father! the man gasped. He sat up against the wall, like many of the others, though he appeared to have fared better than most of them. His hair was long and unkempt, falling to his shoulders. His scraggly beard was peppered with gray, but his eyes still held a fierce fire. Though he was thin, his tall frame had not completely lost all of its muscle.

Carson knelt in front of him. How could you know my father?

The man placed a hand on Carson's arm. I once lived in Riyen, as you did.

Carson frowned. How did you get here?

The man's grip tightened. My family? Are they all right?

I'm sorry, but I don't know your family—

But if you are here, Anissa must have brought you! The man's chest began to heave as he waited for an answer.

Carson's breath caught in his lungs. Anissa? You're not—

Andrew Robson, the man confirmed. Is Anissa all right?

Carson's mouth hung open for a moment as his mind tried to process this information. How would Anissa handle it?

She came around the corner just then and immediately spotted Carson. The armory's been picked clean, the frustration was evident in her voice, and there was nothing in the Guardian wing. I wonder if I could make Guardian weapons myself if someone showed me how.

Carson rose to his feet and Mr. Robson rose with him, using the wall for support. Anissa's eyes had been solely on Carson but now they flickered to his companion in curiosity. She stopped about five feet away from them. Mr. Robson's hands were trembling and his breathing was ragged. Anissa stared at him, recognition beginning to flicker in her eyes. Then suddenly she went pale as a ghost and Carson thought she might faint.

Anissa? Mr. Robson gasped and tears slipped down his cheeks freely. It's me. He held out a shaking hand. 

Anissa stepped back in shock.

You must've thought I was dead, he stammered.

She rushed forward and threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him over. Tears streamed down Mr. Robson's face and Carson could hear Anissa's choked sobs as she wept openly. He had never heard her cry like that.

She pulled back and studied her father's face. Have you been here this whole time?

He didn't answer. Your mother? he asked.

She shook her head and he closed his eyes in bitter disappointment. Anissa wrapped her arms around him again and laid her head on his shoulder as new tears broke forth.

Anissa, Carson spoke after a few moments, I'm going to arrange for a wagon. Let's get your father somewhere he can rest. 

Winter

Natasha Answorth chewed on her lip as she stared out the window into the gloomy daylight. A storm had settled over Riyen.

She had not told her husband Garrett about her conversation with Hawthorne. They weren't accustomed to keeping secrets from each other. But Garrett wasn't exactly in a healthy frame of mind and she honestly didn't think he could handle it. Then Rodge and Janelle had gone missing.

Natasha couldn't help suspecting that Hawthorne had something to do with his disappearance. But what if it was another enemy? What if it was just someone looking for a little more leverage? Rodge McGuinness had become a celebrity. The cops had come and examined the apartment, but what if Hawthorne was paying them off? Anissa, Carson, and Travis were all in Angapo. Garrett was tied up in red tape. If Brett were here, he would get Rodge and Janelle back. But he wasn't here. The only people left were Natasha and Wynn.

Natasha bundled up baby Thomas and caught a cab just as a fine rain began to fall and a gloomy umbrella of clouds settled over the city. She found herself studying the faces of the people on the street as her taxi splashed through the accumulating puddles. There was absolutely nothing extraordinary about them. Pedestrians ebbed and flowed on the sidewalk, talking, laughing, or busy about their errands. Just a matter of weeks ago the streets had been somber and subdued and the only subject on people's lips was the government corruption scandal and the foreign colony across the Gap. But maybe Hawthorne had been right. Change needed to come slowly.

These people had never seen Angapo. It took a great deal of effort for them to imagine a world so separated from their own. They had been stirred up into a frenzy when the truth came out. A course of action had been chosen, but only a fraction of the population could actually be involved in the committees. The rest of them had to go on with their lives: feeding their families, raising their children, and making sure the city kept functioning. The everyday concerns of life had once again usurped the problems of a world far away.

It made Natasha sad, but she couldn't blame them for it. When she was getting up multiple times a night with a colicky baby, she found it was incredibly easy to forget about anything but diapers, baby food, her husband's laundry, and the cool silk sheets of her bed. When she remembered everything that was going on outside her little home, she felt guilty. And yet how could she feel guilty for nourishing and caring for this precious little life?

The cab pulled to a stop in front of a residence complex and Natasha's next concern was to get the precious little life to the overhang without getting wet. She climbed up two sets of stairs and then rapped gently on a faded yellow door. The city noises were muted by the gentle sound of falling rain and Natasha's thoughts turned to a hot cup of tea and Wynn's pleasant company. When there was no reply, Natasha knocked again.

The door jerked open suddenly and a tall man with narrow eyes and a missing ear lobe stalked out without even a glance in Natasha's direction. Wynn appeared in the doorway behind him, her puffy red eyes following his figure until he disappeared in the stairwell.

Is everything all right, Wynn? Natasha asked.

My brother. Wynn's voice sounded defeated. I don't know if we've agreed on anything our entire lives.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come at a bad time.

Wynn's eyes turned to Natasha for the first time and the wrinkles on her forehead straightened out. Please come in. I could use the company.

Natasha stepped into the apartment expecting a few signs of disorder. Wynn was a meticulous housekeeper. The strain she'd been under the last few weeks was more than anyone would be able to bear without it spilling over into their personal life, but Natasha was wholly unprepared