Eyes of the Sun (Kilenya Series, 5) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One: Rogs

  Chapter Two: Flames and Burns

  Chapter Three: Ramantus Plants a Seed

  Chapter Four: Keitus’s New Potion

  Chapter Five: The Other Key

  Chapter Six: Eachan

  Chapter Seven: Leaving Macaria

  Chapter Eight: Drama

  Chapter Nine: Burned Food

  Chapter Ten: The New Girl

  Chapter Eleven: Relationship Problems

  Chapter Twelve: A Shiengol Quest

  Chapter Thirteen: Messes and Disasters

  Chapter Fourteen: Distractions

  Chapter Fifteen: Eye Wars

  Chapter Sixteen: Eachan’s Own Mission

  Chapter Seventeen: Eye Control

  Chapter Eighteen: Leaving

  Chapter Nineteen: Hole Digging

  Chapter Twenty: Location One

  About the Author:

  Acknowledgements:

  Eyes of the Sun, Kilenya Series Book Five

  Andrea Pearson

  Copyright 2013 Andrea Pearson

  Book design and layout copyright 2013 Andrea Pearson

  Cover design copyright 2013 James E. Curwen

  Books by Andrea Pearson:

  The Kilenya Series:

  The Key of Kilenya

  The Ember Gods, Kilenya Series Book Two

  August Fortress, Kilenya Series Book Three

  Rise of Keitus, Kilenya Series Book Four

  Eyes of the Sun, Kilenya Series Book Five

  The Golden Symbol, Kilenya Series Book Six

  The Key of Kilenya: Special Edition with Illustrations

  Grail Bestiary Volume I: Creatures of Grail and Kilenya

  Kilenya Romances:

  Samara, A Kilenya Romance

  Midian, A Kilenya Romance

  Katon University:

  Discern, Katon University Book One

  The Focus (A Katon University First Year Novella)

  The Manor (A Katon University First Year Novella)

  The Angel (A Katon University First Year Novella)

  Praxis Bundle One: The Focus, The Manor, The Angel

  Perceive, Katon University Book Two (coming early 2015)

  Ranch City Academy:

  Bezza’s Book of Enchantments (coming mid 2015)

  For information on the above books, click here. (http://www.andreapearsonbooks.com/p/my-books.html)

  This book is available in print at most online retailers.

  Kindle Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to Kindle.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction, and the views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author. Likewise, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are represented fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Summary: In this, the fifth installment of the Kilenya Series, Jacob Clark masters his last magical ability to harness energy from the sun, which leads him to the location of the Key of Ayunli. Unfortunately, the Lorkon learn where it is, too, and they race to see who will get to it first. But complications rise as Jacob and his friends are tasked to release Lasia, the Fire Pulser, while Azuriah declares that they must rid the land of Gevkan from Lirone, the sky-dwelling monster.

  With so many important and dangerous tasks, Jacob is forced to increase the boundaries of his Shiengol abilities before the Lorkon army arrives. He feels the possibility of failure mounting, knowing that without him, those he loves will suffer or even die. Can he buy more time, or will he be forced to face Keitus and the other Lorkon before he’s ready?

  Dedication

  TO:

  Tani Lee

  Marie Brock

  Jensen Bean

  For being the best, most enthusiastic readers ever.

  I love you!

  Chapter One: Rogs

  Jacob knew he was supposed to be listening to Azuriah. Not only was the guy his uncle, but he was also a Shiengol and one of the most powerful men Jacob had ever met. Jacob was part Shiengol, but he still had a lot to learn.

  He couldn’t keep his mind from wandering, though. Only a month had passed since he’d been released from the hospital, and his insides still hurt. That was to be expected after getting stuck in the past, having poisonous blood injected into him, and then suffering from internal injuries that had to be corrected by several surgeries.

  At least he’d figured out how Keitus, the Lorkon king, had become a Lorkon. Jacob shuddered, thinking about that concoction of diseased blood his grandfather, formerly Ramantus, had willingly put inside his body and those of Jacob’s two uncles. And, of course, Jacob’s body too. It was disgusting and very dangerous. No wonder there had been so many casualties from the tests.

  “Jacob!” Azuriah shouted, making him start. “If I catch you gazing into the flowers one more time, I’ll send you home.”

  Jacob tried not to roll his eyes. He’d been gazing at the trees, not the flowers. But he wasn’t about to tell Azuriah that. “I’m having a hard time concentrating.”

  Azuriah leaned his pole—a Shiengol’s best weapon—against a tree. “You wouldn’t if you’d pay attention.”

  “That doesn’t even make sense. Paying attention is difficult right now, but if I did it, I wouldn’t have a hard time concentrating?”

  Azuriah folded his arms and glared at Jacob. “Stop arguing with me.”

  Jacob folded his arms too. “Fine. But I still think you’re joking.”

  “About?”

  Jacob threw his arms down in exasperation. “About what you want me to do!”

  “Would I joke?” Azuriah’s long brown hair caught the late-spring breeze and whirled across his face. The Shiengol whipped it back, his gaze not leaving Jacob’s.

  They’d gone up in the hills behind Azuriah’s fortress where they could practice uninterrupted. Jacob had been annoyed the whole way—he’d protested that he wasn’t ready for that much physical exertion yet, but Azuriah had insisted.

  Jacob snorted. “No.” He put his earlier thoughts away and squinted up at the sun, then quickly away. “Seriously, though. You want me to stare at it for ten seconds?”

  “Yes, that’s the first step. And if you’d been listening, you would know that the next step is to picture in your mind the person or thing you want to follow through time, and they’ll light up like a golden beacon.”

  “You know, they tell us never to look at the sun—it’ll damage our eyes.”

  Azuriah flicked a leaf off his robes. “Jacob, you’re not a normal human. If you were, doing this would be incredibly stupid and dangerous. But since you’re part Shiengol, it is not.”

  Jacob still hesitated. “You’re sure of this?”

  Azuriah narrowed his eyes at Jacob again, his eyebrow raised. “Are you really questioning me?”

  Jacob lowered his gaze for a moment, then remembered that wasn’t how a prince was supposed to act. He met Azuriah’s stare without blinking. “Yes.”

  “Well, don’t. It makes you look stupid.”

  Jacob grunted. “Whatever. If I’m blinded for life, I’m totally taking you to court.”

  Azuriah looked skyward, clearly e
xasperated, then motioned for Jacob to begin.

  Jacob took several deep breaths. His great-great-uncle had been confident and then proven wrong about things before. But Jacob knew he wouldn’t be able to continue with his lessons until he at least tried, regardless of the risks. And Azuriah had been on target more often than not. That counted for something, right?

  Finally, realizing he’d hesitated long enough, Jacob looked up at the sky, slowly bringing his gaze closer and closer to the sun.

  When he locked on the brilliant orb, the familiar tingling in his nose and the burning in his eyes forced him to look away.

  “It hurts. It burns.”

  “It will until your eyes open and accept the light. Do it again. Now.”

  Jacob waited a moment, watching the trees, mentally cheering himself on. He could do this. He really could. It wasn’t anywhere near as difficult as going back in the past to face his most dangerous enemy. He bit his lip, then looked and forced himself not to glance away this time. He wiped a couple of tears off his cheeks, still staring at the sun.

  “Excellent. Two more seconds. Ah, your eyes are starting to glow. Very good. Now look away and picture whom you want to follow. King Ramantus, was it?”

  Jacob nodded, resisting the urge to wipe away more tears that coursed down his cheeks. He Time-Saw to Troosinal.

  Finding King Ramantus didn’t take long, and even though Jacob mostly knew what to expect, he still jumped when the elderly man started glowing a brilliant gold.

  He pulled away from the vision somewhat, allowing himself to See the entire city. He made his vision slowly reverse, testing Azuriah’s theory. His eyes didn’t lose their target, so he sped backward by several years. A smile spread across his face as everything around the king became a blur, while that golden beacon that represented the king was still very easy to find.

  Jacob returned to Azuriah. “It worked!”

  “Did you think it wouldn’t?”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  Azuriah shook his head. “Will you never trust me?”

  Jacob shrugged and was about to respond, but Azuriah held up his hand.

  “No more words. Do it again.”

  Jacob hesitated when he heard a faint roar from farther up the mountain. “What was that?” The hairs on the back of his neck prickled.

  “Ignore it.”

  Jacob tilted his head. “You’re sure?”

  “Of course. And while you’re practicing, figure out where Keitus came from.”

  Jacob nodded, looked at the sun again, then Time-Saw. Once more, finding Ramantus wasn’t difficult, and as soon as the king lit up like gold, Jacob put his ability on the fastest speed he could handle. Time flew by. After sixty uneventful years, he realized the king hadn’t lived a very exciting life. Ramantus didn’t even physically change during that time. He was forever a ninety-year-old man.

  Jacob continued speeding backward through time, watching Ramantus live his life in reverse. Apparently, he hadn’t always been royalty. Before moving to Troosinal, he’d been employed for several years as a city dignitary in some small village. Because of this, Jacob was positive the man had done something immoral to get into the position of king.

  Finally, about a hundred years before becoming a dignitary, the man changed drastically in appearance—becoming younger and younger abnormally fast until he was in his mid-thirties, and then a boy.

  Jacob paused to think over what he’d just learned. Was Ramantus even fully human? How was it possible that he aged to ninety in a very short period, and then stayed at ninety for over one hundred years?

  Jacob tilted his head. Did someone just call his name? Did Ramantus know he was watching? No—that couldn’t be it. Who, then? Maybe Azuriah? Was the Shiengol trying to get his attention?

  He returned to the present in time to see Azuriah dancing around him, pole in hands, hair flipping. Jacob ducked, barely missed getting hit, and nearly flopped to the ground. But then he saw what had been roaring earlier.

  Bears. And he and Azuriah were surrounded by at least twenty.

  He yelped. Where had the creatures come from? While Azuriah spun around a second time, Jacob noticed the human hands the animals sported. They were Rogs, not bears. It had been a long time since Jacob had seen or heard about any of them.

  “What can I do to help?” he shouted at Azuriah.

  “Run.”

  “And leave you here?”

  “No—I’ll be running too.”

  Azuriah took off then, sprinting through the trees, jumping over logs and dead bushes.

  Whoa. He was serious. Suddenly aware of the danger he was in, Jacob scrambled to catch up with the Shiengol. Rogs might not have claws, but they weighed several hundred pounds and had massive shoulders. They’d be able to inflict plenty of damage simply by hitting or knocking someone over.

  Jacob heard the Rogs chase after him. His heart started beating like crazy—pounding rhythmically—and he clutched his side, hoping none of his healing injuries would open up again. Would he be able to outrun the beasts? Fear made his legs go faster than he thought possible, but still, he didn’t catch up with Azuriah. Soon, he couldn’t even see the Shiengol.

  For their practice session, they’d gone really far up into the mountains. Could Jacob even find his way back without Azuriah’s help?

  The one thing he knew was to run downhill. That had to lead to somewhere he’d recognize—near the graveyard or Azuriah’s fortress.

  He looked back. The Rogs were gaining on him.

  Then alarm bells began pealing through the forest. Those were Taga Village’s alarms! Jacob veered right, toward the sound. He dashed around a large oak tree, then under a tall evergreen. The fortress and village gardens popped into view, and he nearly stumbled with relief.

  He ran to the back door of the fortress and, without knocking, threw it open and slammed it closed behind him.

  Azuriah waited there, still gasping. Even though Jacob was exhausted, he felt a smidgen of satisfaction, knowing the Shiengol was out of breath too.

  “What happened?” Jacob asked, gasping.

  Azuriah moved a curtain to look out. “I defended us from two or three of them, but forgot that they hibernate in packs of twenty or more. We were quickly surrounded.”

  “Great. Now what?”

  “We wait for them to leave.”

  Jacob slumped to the floor and leaned back, eyes closed. But then the doorknob jiggled. He looked over—Azuriah’s face had paled.

  “They can’t turn knobs, can they?” the Shiengol asked.

  Jacob jumped to his feet, pushing his shoulder into the door. “Yeah, they can. You didn’t know that?”

  Azuriah didn’t respond, but the moment the doorknob started turning, he grabbed it with both hands. Jacob could sense the Rogs on the other side—their urgency—searching for a way to enter. The doorknob kept turning and Azuriah slitted his eyes, his hands going white from exertion.

  “Can’t keep this up. Wish I’d finished installing my locks.” Azuriah gritted his teeth. “Go get Kenji. These things aren’t leaving anytime soon. We have to find out what the Makalos do when this happens.”

  Jacob ran down the hall to the kitchen and Keyed to Kenji’s place, calling for help as soon as the door was open. Ebony rushed into the room, eyes wide.

  “What’s going on?”she asked.

  Kenji looked up from his books in panic.

  Jacob skidded to a stop at the table, motioning back the way he’d come. “Rogs.”

  Akeno glanced at Jacob from where he sat next to his father. “We heard the bells. Everything is fine.”

  “Here, yes, but they’re trying to get into Azuriah’s fortress. He doesn’t have a way to keep them out.”

  Kenji’s face paled. “I wish Brojan were still here. I’d forgotten about that part of the village.” He jumped to his feet and put on the light jacket Ebony handed to him. “Take us there.”

  As soon as the four were through the link, Akeno and Ebony rushed
to help Azuriah keep the door closed.

  “We’re fine up in the village, but those living around the gardens aren’t safe,” Kenji said. He turned to Azuriah. “The people could stay in your fortress until the Rogs leave.”

  Azuriah stared at Kenji. “Apart from having no way to keep Rogs out, what makes you think I’ll agree to that?”

  Kenji cleared his throat. “We’ll have to wait them out either way.”

  “How long will that take?” Jacob asked.

  “A couple of hours, usually. But with there being so much available food?” Kenji passed a hand over his eyes. “It could be days. They’re hungry—they’ve been hibernating.”

  Jacob rubbed his chin, thinking. “Why don’t you just tell the trees to get rid of them?”

  Kenji shook his head. “Can’t. The forest won’t remove, trap, or control an animal that is native. The Rogs have been here for many years—they’re part of the wildlife.”

  “They’ve stopped,” Azuriah said, releasing the doorknob slowly. He watched it—it didn’t wiggle. The Shiengol turned, arms folded, and glared at the group. “Okay, enough chatting. Solve the problem.”

  “Well . . . Sweet Pea and Jaegar are out hunting with a group of Makalos,” Ebony said. “When they return, we’ll use a few of the animals from their catch to lure the Rogs away.”

  Akeno looked at his mother. “Jacob and I will go—”

  “No, you won’t,” she said.

  “I’ve done it before,” Akeno said. “And when we get them far enough outside the village, I’ll enlarge a door, and Jacob and I will escape through it and come back here.”

  Azuriah nodded. “Yes, that’ll work.” He looked at Ebony. “When will the hunting party return?”

  Ebony looked annoyed that Azuriah had given Akeno permission to follow through with his plan, but she didn’t argue. “Soon, I’m hoping. They’ve been gone since before dawn.”

  Jacob could tell this wasn’t what Azuriah wanted to hear—the Shiengol wasn’t going to wait patiently.