Secrets Bound By Sand

by T. A. White

  The cube came to rest in Tate's hands. She stared down at it, torn with the desire to throw it. She resisted. She might not want it, but he was right that one day she might need the information it possessed.

  Ryu reached for it, sliding it from her hands and taking the burden from her—if only temporarily.

  "Nathan thought this was a weapon," she said, still numb. "Do I have to worry about taking this out into the world?"

  He pressed his lips together. "The cube can cause no harm."

  Good enough for Tate. She headed for the black gate.

  "I will wait here until you're ready," he said. "Listen to Jax's message. It's more important than you know."

  Tate didn't bother showing she'd heard as she passed through the void, feeling the world slide sideways around her. She stepped into a scene very different than what she'd left.

  Dewdrop spotted her first, throwing himself at her and wrapping his arms around her. "He brought you back. He said he would. Thank the Saviors."

  Tate flinched at those words. She didn't think she'd ever be able to hear them again without feeling this stab of pain. She stuffed those feelings down. This wasn't the time or place. They'd waited in the darkness for thousands of years, they could wait a little longer to process this betrayal of epic proportions.

  She looked over Dewdrop's head, noting how things had changed since stepping through the gate. Many more people filled the amphitheater, some familiar, most not.

  "What happened?" she asked, drawing back from Dewdrop.

  He shrugged. "The usual. Shit hit the fan as soon as you tackled Nathan and disappeared. Those statues kicked ass." He nodded toward where some of the statues had frozen in place. Some were broken and in pieces on the floor. Others had simply stopped when the battle stopped.

  "If not for them, we would have been in a little trouble," he said.

  "What about the Harridan?" As the question left her, Tate spotted Tala kneeling next to a fallen body, her form blocking her view of the person's head. The long skirt and glimpse of white hair was confirmation enough.

  Dewdrop's shoulders slumped, his cockiness fading. "I'm not sure whether to be glad she's dead or sorry. She was lost inside her own head, but she saved Night and the rest of us."

  The Harridan's sacrifice had given them a considerable edge. Several of them might have died, even with Tate taking Nathan out of the equation.

  "I'd say it's safe to feel both emotions," Gabriella said, joining them.

  Sadness filled Gabriella's expression as she took in the sight of her doyenne's grief, Tala’s spine curved as her hair slid forward to hide her face. A mask sat on the ground beside Tala.

  "Her death is both a blessing and a curse. It means Tala won't have to challenge her for her position, but that doesn't stop the grief over a once great woman," Gabriella said. Her eyes were slightly red, making it clear Tala wasn't the only one upset by the Harridan's death.

  "She came back to herself in the end," Tate found herself saying. "She died as the person you knew."

  Tate wasn't sure if that was any comfort or not, but it was all she had. She thought briefly of telling Gabriella what the avatar had told her, but held silent. Now wasn’t the time. Perhaps later, when the grief wasn't so raw.

  Tate moved to where Ryu peered into the column, Gabriella trailing behind her. "Can you get him out?"

  He shook his head. "I don't know."

  Ryu hesitated, his face creased in concentration. The dragon stretched from where it had been perched across his shoulders like a shawl. It still hadn't gone back to tattoo form, content in its small form.

  Dewdrop gasped in amazement, only now noticing the physical dragon clinging to Ryu like a piece of oversized jewelry.

  The dragon waddled down Ryu's arm to where his hand rested on the clear stone of the column. He stood on his hind legs and pressed his hands against the stone, his wings slightly flared as he warbled at the stone.

  He balled up his paw in a small fist and knocked on the surface. A deep tone rolled through the column. The stone dissolved and Jacob slumped forward.

  "Saviors above and below," Vale said. "I've never seen anything like it."

  "Strange things always happen around Tate," Dewdrop said, propping his hands on his hips. "You get used to it."

  Vale didn't respond, crouching at Jacob's side and searching for his pulse. "He's alive."

  Tate released the breath she was holding. "Nice job today, Vale," she said. "I think your Saviors would have been proud of the way you acquitted yourself."

  A flush of pleasure filled his cheeks.

  "Question—what's going to happen when the dragon wakes up, furious that he was encased in stone?" Dewdrop asked.

  Ryu sighed. "That's a problem for later."

  Night prowled toward them, his gait that of a very self-satisfied bearcat. I left you a gift.

  Tate glanced in the direction he'd come from. Dewdrop let out a low whistle at the sight of a prone Christopher, Mia's claws at his throat.

  "That's some gift," Dewdrop said.

  He tried to escape during the confusion. Night's smile held a feline edge. I didn't let him.

  "What do you want to do with him, Ryu?" Tate asked. It was his choice. He had dealt with the empire and its laws for a lot longer than she had.

  "We'll take him back with us. Thora and the Lord Provost will likely have many questions for him," he said.

  Tate would too, but not right now. There were other matters to attend to.

  "You know you could have died," Tate told Night.

  But I didn't.

  Dewdrop snorted. "That sounds like the kind of argument Tate would make."

  Night's lip curled, the statement offending him. Tate fought to stuff down the inappropriate giggle that wanted to escape, something about the expression or situation striking her as hilarious.

  Sometimes there's no talking to either of you, Night grunted as he stalked off.

  "Night, is your lady love alright?" Tate called after him.

  A snarl was her only answer as he leaped onto a tall set of columns and was gone.

  "Rude," she muttered.

  She surveyed those still living and those wounded in the fight. Her eyes on caught on Blade where he stood near Mia.

  He shifted his head, his gaze meeting Tate’s. He winked at her as she sucked in a shocked breath.

  “What’s he doing here?” she asked as Blade sauntered toward them. He was supposed to be have parted ways with them in Auburn.

  Tate didn’t get a chance to ask any further questions as his hand flashed up and an item sailed toward her. She caught it automatically, looking down at it with curiosity.

  The object was heavy. Expensive, in a way that made her nervous to hold it. Gold and silver strands of metal twined together into a diadem. In the middle, two clawed paws held a pink gem in the shape of a large tear drop.

  “Where did you get that?” Gabriella gasped in fury.

  Tate looked up, startled out of her fascination with the object. “What is it?”

  “It’s the Harridan’s symbol of power, passed down to each successor upon the Harridan’s death. It should be locked up in Clan Home, guarded by the most trusted among the Harridan’s followers,” Gabriella said, not taking her eyes from Blade. “He could only have come to possess it through less than honest means.”

  Meaning he’d stolen it. Not really surprising when you considered who Blade served.

  Blade’s lips tilted up in a faint smirk.

  “That will come in handy,” Ryu said, not seeming surprised. “Well done.”

  Tate started. “You knew about this?”

  Ryu lifted one shoulder in a negligent shrug. “I figured it’d be something. Blade had orders to act independently if things were to take a turn for the worse on our end. I didn’t know the direction he’d choose, but this is a creative one and will solve many problems.”

  Gabriella regarded the dragon through narrow eyes. “What betrayal is this?”
>
  Ryu gave the Silva his full attention, his expression cold and unyielding. “It means the Silva are currently leaderless in a situation that could have ramifications for the entire empire for generations to come. We don’t have time to wait for the call to go out to those who wish to fight for the position of Harridan. You need a leader, and you need one now. The diadem will enable Tala to assume the Harridan’s mantle without waiting the typical length of the challenge period.”

  The anger on Gabriella’s face faded as she considered Ryu’s very valid points.

  A commotion at the stairs behind them cut off any further discussion on the matter as James and Ward pressed forward.

  “I will pass along your reasoning to my doyenne.” Gabriella moved with a predator’s speed, snatching the diadem out of Tate’s hands before striding toward Tala.

  A loud groan escaped Tate. There was no way she was going to get out of dealing with all of the fall out now. For half a second, she thought about turning her back and stalking off—much like Night had. One look at Ryu's all too amused face told her that wasn't an option.

  "I thought he would fade back to the tattoo, once we returned." Tate held her hand up to the dragon, letting him sniff it before he pressed his head against it, happy sounds warbling from his throat. He seemed much more adorable this way, nothing like the vicious menace of his large form, or how he'd been in the between space.

  Ryu's expression was speculative as he reached up and stroked the dragon's back, who stretched and pressed against his hand much like a feline would. "He will likely return to the tattoo once he’s exhausted his energy, but now that we know how, we will always be able to take this form. I suspect others could learn to do as we have."

  Tate felt her interest pique, the idea of being able to give Ilith more than the half-life she currently had was an appealing one. It would bear further investigation. Just not now, as she heard the strident voice of Ward demanding to see the Silva's leader.

  She let out a heavy sigh and faced the Black Order's representatives. "Why is it that every time I'm called in for a mediation, there is very little actual mediation happening and a surplus of running around just trying to stay alive?"

  Ryu's lips flattened, his eyes dancing before he turned his attention to the little dragon. "I think this is a problem unique to you."

  Tate's expression was grim and irritated as she started toward the Order's representatives, Blade pacing beside her.

  “A free tip—the Order has a force pressing through the desert as we speak,” Blade said before strolling away before Tate could ask any questions.

  Blade’s tidbit was a helpful reminder of her purpose. She'd forgotten for a brief moment after her return from the pocket realm, her original purpose in Silvain. As much as she wanted to walk away without taking care of this last matter, she couldn't.

  Not with the Morain glaring daggers at the two men, their bodies tensed to attack. Tala straightened from the former Harridan's body, her eyes cold and furious, her posture protective despite the fact the Harridan was long past such concerns.

  Tate couldn’t help but notice the diadem on her head. Gabriella nodded slightly behind her doyenne. Tate let out a relieved sigh. At least that was one problem taken care of.

  "What is going on here?" Tate asked in a loud voice, cutting through the rising tension.

  She leveled her harshest, crankiest glare on all those assembled.

  "This isn't the time or place for such actions," Vale chided, joining them.

  Ward scoffed. "I think this is exactly the time and place. We're tired of waiting."

  "Gentlemen, the Silva have lost their Harridan. I'm sure this can wait until they've had time to grieve and allow the new one to settle into her position," Tate cautioned.

  Ward ignored the hint, pressing forward, his face flushed. "We were held prisoner. The Silva's actions violate the tenet of mediation and the good faith we demonstrated by traveling here. We were promised safe passage to and from the mediation. I declare their word broken and challenge their right to be recognized as full citizens of the empire."

  "Really? You're doing this now?" Tate glanced at James.

  When he didn't pull his companion aside, she sighed. She guessed they really were doing this now.

  As much as Tate wanted to give the Silva a pass on this matter, she couldn't. As the mediator, she was the neutral party. While the Harridan had been responsible for their captivity, it did not absolve the Silva of blame. She was their leader. Her wrongs were their wrongs. That's what it meant when you lead. Your actions reflected on your people.

  No matter how much pain or trouble it might bring, Tate couldn't sweep this under the rug. Eventually it would come back, bigger and more difficult.

  "Can you speak for all Silva?" Tate asked Tala.

  Although Ryu seemed to think the diadem ensured Tala the position, Tate wasn’t so sure. This mediation was going to be very short if Tala’s authority wasn’t recognized by the rest of the Silva. War might still threaten if Tate couldn't find a way out of this quagmire that was acceptable for everyone.

  "I can." Tala inclined her head. "I was her heir and have assumed the mantle of her position until another clan leader challenges and unseats me."

  Not an ideal answer—especially since Tala was assuming the role of Harridan without undergoing the typical process. If she lost, her challenger could overturn any decision Tala made. Tate could already see the upset that would cause the Order. They'd claim the Silva's word was worthless and they’d all be in a worse situation than they'd started in.

  "Any decision Tala makes in the first forty-eight hours of her rule will be upheld regardless of if she's unseated during the challenges," Roslyn said.

  Tala nodded. "Yes, otherwise we would always be at war with each other."

  Good enough for Tate.

  "My people demand a voice in this as well. We would like to make amends and have the wrongs done us addressed," Evan said, stepping into the circle with a sharp smile.

  "You have no place in these proceedings," Ward argued.

  "Wrong," Tate corrected. "This is to address the wrongs done to the children. The Avertine enjoy the unique perspective of being both victim and holding some responsibility for events. Their children were taken and their people harmed to compel the Avertine’s compliance. To exclude them would be a miscarriage of justice. As the Emperor's subjects, they deserve to have their pain heard and their guilt addressed as much as the Silva do."

  "They're inhuman," Ward argued.

  "Nowhere in the Empire’s codex of law does it say justice is only for the humans among us," Tate said calmly.

  She'd checked. There were enough loopholes in the laws for the cunning to take advantage of. She wasn't going to let Ward or James hide behind outdated laws, playing games with the wording versus the spirit. If they wanted to do that, Tate would happily oblige them, but she didn't think they'd like the way her dragon twisted words to suit herself.

  "The laws were written with vague language for exactly this purpose. More importantly, you have nothing to prove that Evan or his people are anything but human.”

  "The guardians have no objection to the Avertine's inclusion. I support their presence," Vale said, inclining his head.

  Tala hesitated before saying, "The Silva do as well."

  Ward started to argue again.

  James interrupted. "Enough Ward. As the ranking member, I have the authority to accept the Avertine's inclusion, and I do."

  "Then we begin," Tate said simply.

  It wasn't the most orthodox of methods and lacked the fanfare Roslyn had drilled into Tate's head on the journey here, but considering the circumstances, it was all they were going to get.

  "First we will address the Black Order's grievances," Tate said. "Speak. How have the Silva broken faith? You appear unharmed and well taken care of. Is that wrong? Did they hurt you?"

  The Silva around them settled back, seemingly content now that Tate was in the mix. She
sensed the threat of violence fading.

  Ward’s eyes were wild. He was losing his leverage and he knew it. "They imprisoned us."

  "In a room with windows and light," Tala said lifting her chin.

  "Were they fed?" Tate asked.

  Tala jerked her chin down. "Of course, they were given whatever they asked for."

  "An assertion of broken faith is a serious matter," Tate observed.

  Ward straightened, his skin flushing with anger.

  "They wouldn't let us leave," he hissed.

  Tate nodded. She could see how that might have upset him. She glanced at Tala in question.

  The other woman seemed undisturbed. "We asked them to remain in their rooms for their safety, but they were allowed access to anywhere in the city they wished."

  Tate lifted an eyebrow, seeing the careful web Tala had spun. While those Ryu had sent had been prisoners for all intents and purpose, Tala had been very careful to make it so in name only. It might give her enough wiggle room to preserve the Silva's standing in all this.

  Tate glanced at Roslyn. "Were you prisoners?"

  Roslyn back was straight and her gaze confident. "I'd hardly call the pampering we received over the last few days cruelty. The Silva made it clear they expected us to remain until you were present, but that was their right, given they'd called the mediation."

  She'd just offered Tate a lovely excuse for everything the advance party had gone through.

  Judging by Tala's expression, this was something unexpected. Tala eyed Roslyn with wary gratitude before meeting Tate's eyes.

  "Your accusation is a serious one. Does the Order wish something as recompense to this perceived slight?" Tate asked.

  James stirred, finally inserting his presence into the situation. "We want an equal claim on the gate. The Silva will give us the method with which they used to access it."

  Ah, so that was what this was really about.

  "That is an acceptable request," Tate said glancing at Tala.

  The new Harridan hesitated before agreeing reluctantly. She probably didn’t like the thought of losing control of this new find.

  Tate didn't bother informing either party the chances of the key working again were small.