Shadow Heir

I ran to the living room nearly as fast as her. I was just in time to see footage of the haboob, as it rolled over a small city south of Phoenix. Even as someone who had done insane things with the weather, I was a little taken aback. The sandstorm was huge, stretching high in the air and spanning nearly forty miles. The cloud rolled into the city, engulfing it. The storms caused little direct damage but could be lethal for drivers suddenly deprived of visibility. The storm was also an excellent cover for a raid.

“This is live,” I said. “He’s got to be there right now.”

“It’s over an hour away,” she said with dismay. “He’ll be gone before we get there.”

My mind raced. “Yeah, but gone where?”

Fishing through my kitchen drawers, I dug out an old map of Arizona that Roland and I had marked up with gates a long time ago. I had most of them memorized but wanted to double-check. I put my finger on the city Pagiel was in and then looked for the closest gates.

“The nearest is in Phoenix proper,” I said. “Whether they’re on horseback or foot, they probably aren’t going to risk going through the city. There’s another north of Phoenix that goes to the Willow Land, but they’d have to ride around the city. This one, though ...” I tapped my finger on a spot closer to Tucson but off the main roads. “It’s remote and easier for them to get to.”

“You think they’ll jump back to the Otherworld?” she asked.

“I’m positive. They won’t risk being caught by humans, and we know they give away their goods to the gentry.”

“Pagiel’s probably strong enough to jump without a gate,” Jasmine reminded me.

“His followers aren’t,” I said with certainty. “He’ll go to the gate. And we’ll be waiting for him. We can beat him if we leave now.” This was a chance we weren’t going to get again. Any number of places would have too many gates to choose from or else be too far away.

Jasmine followed me as I grabbed my car keys and headed for the door. “Where’s the gate open up?”

“The Thorn Land, actually.”

“Ballsy,” she said.

I laughed. “I suppose so. But I think it’s a pretty remote part of the kingdom. Easy for him to hide out and also close to an Oak Land border.”

I wanted to double the speed limit but knew a ticket would slow me down. Still, we made good time on the interstate. It was once we had to turn off and head into the desert that we slowed. I watched the clock anxiously, constantly running calculations on how long it would take his posse to get there. The odds seemed in our favor, but I’d learned not to assume anything when it came to the Otherworld.

We reached the gate, and I parked the car a little ways from it. Pagiel wouldn’t know it was mine, but I didn’t want him getting spooked if he thought humans were in the area. It was late afternoon, in the middle of desert country, and the heat was in full effect. Jasmine and I had had the sense to bring water bottles, but they didn’t stop the sweat from rolling off of us as the sand radiated back the sun’s merciless rays. We found a spot near some saguaro cactuses. They didn’t offer much shade, but they gave us a sheltered view of the gate. Again, I didn’t want our presence to be obvious to Pagiel.

The afternoon wore on, and I began to doubt myself. Maybe I’d guessed wrong on the gate, especially if Pagiel decided not to risk crossing into one of my kingdoms. Or maybe he’d somehow made better time than I expected and was already gone. Our water was running low, though both Jasmine and I could pull water out of surrounding plants if necessary. I felt bad about that sometimes, but it occasionally had to be done for survival.

“There,” said Jasmine, straightening up. I followed where she was pointing and saw sand being kicked up as a group of horses and riders came into view.

“Unbelievable,” I said. “They rode horses from Phoenix. He really is a modern-day Robin Hood.”

Pagiel was in the lead, easily visible with the way the sun lit up his red hair. There were about a dozen riders with him, which made my heart sink. His initial raids had only contained a handful. A dozen was hardly an army, but it still signified an increase in support. After seeing the passionate reactions back in the Otherworld, I had a feeling he could have recruited more if he wanted. It was a small mercy that the majority of gentry had trouble crossing over to this world.

I waited until he was closer but not close enough to cross through the gate. I jumped up and strode forward, Jasmine right beside me.

“Pagiel!” I yelled.

He flinched in the saddle, and instantly, I felt the wind pick up. It stilled when he saw us, though the wary expression on his face clearly showed he didn’t quite trust us as friends. His riders regarded us with equal caution, and I saw the flash of a few copper blades.

“Your Majesty? Jasmine?” Pagiel glanced between us. “What are you doing here?”

“You already know,” I said, trying to present an air of peace and calm. “We need to talk about these raids you’re on. Pagiel, you know they’re not right.”