Free Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta by Shannon Duffy Page A

of Shataundra. I have circled the places you will stop for rest. There, you will find kindred spirits who will offer you food, shelter, and advice. Stay on the path I have marked, and it will take you two nights to reach Malgor’s castle. You must go there in daylight.” She waved a pointer finger in the air. “Avoid dusk at all costs. The gruocks come then, and they will show you no mercy.”
    “Eek! Gruock!” Finley squealed. “Me no like gruock!” He snuggled against Piper. “Finley want go home. Rakur tell Finley come back home. Me be in big trouble if don’t come home … ”
    “Gruocks are filthy creatures, aren’t they, Fin-Fin,” Empress Malina said. “No, my dear Finley, you have fulfilled your duty and more by aiding these children and bringing them to me. I will send you home with a seeker. He has just enough power left to transport you in safety.” The empress closed her eyes, and within moments, a seeker arrived. Its floating eyes circled its head in mesmerizing waves.
    “Say goodbye to Finley, children. It is time for him to return to his Fegan family.”
    Gabriel sighed. He didn’t want Finley to leave them, but he understood. All the friends ran to hug the monkey, thanking him for all he’d done.
    “Me want be with you again,” Finley said with a frown.
    “Me too, Finley,” Gabriel said. “I’ll miss you.”
    Just before he disappeared with the seeker, he warned them: “Be on watch!” Then he vanished.
    “You need to be getting on your way, as well,” the empress said. “We’ve packed you food and water for your journey.”
    Each one of the friends thanked her and took a bag of supplies. Princess Evangeline hugged them tightly. Then the empress went to each of them, the sound of her shoes clicking against the cobblestone. She grinned at Brent.
    “Brent, I give you the gift of fire.” She took his hands and rubbed them briskly between hers. A wind stirred, and the tree branches swayed wildly. She rubbed his hands until the wind almost picked them up off their feet, then she let go. The wind died down as quickly as it had come.
    “Whoa.” Brent stared at his palms, which now glowed in a brilliant red.
    “Are you okay?” Gabriel asked. “Does it hurt?”
    “Not a bit.” Brent stared at his hands, turning them back and forth. “They just feel warm and tingly.”
    “That is a powerful gift, Brent,” the empress warned. “Use it wisely.” She turned to Piper. “Piper, to you I give the gift of the merfish.” She bent over and gently touched Piper’s cheeks. “Open your mouth.” Piper did as instructed. Empress Malina blew into her mouth a steady stream of air she’d somehow conjured within her. It lifted Piper several feet off the ground. Piper’s eyes widened as her feet dangled. After a few moments, she landed back on the ground.
    “There,” Empress Malina said. “Now you have the gift of air. You can swim among the fish with ease, and create a great wind with your breath.” She smiled at Piper and patted her head, looking satisfied. Piper looked stunned, but she managed to smile back, tucking stray ribbons of dark hair behind her ears.
    As Empress Malina turned her attention to Gabriel, his stomach lurched with anticipation. She tugged gently at his cheek. “To you, my sweet, I give the gift of sensory enhancement. Close your eyes.” He did as he was told, and she placed her hands over his closed eyes. Her palms felt warm—almost hot—against his eyelids.
    When she pulled her hands away, Gabriel stared at her in amazement. “You mean I’ll be able to see at night, just like I do in the daytime?” He blinked his wide eyes.
    “Yes, Gabriel. It is a gift for a leader. It is only the first half of your gift. Quiet now.” She placed her hands on his ears, and pressed gently.
    Then she let go.
    “Well, that was easy enough,” Gabriel said.
    “Do you feel any different?” Brent asked.
    “A little dizzy, and my ears are humming—oh—it’s cool now.”