Architects of Ether

by Ryan Muree

  “Do you remember what was in those crates?”

  He did, he thought. It was still hazy. Everything before going into the mine was stormstone clear, however. “Grimoires?”

  “Grimoires. Our grimoires. They were moving them somewhere else. That woman in the ugly outfit and this moron are part of it. They have their hand in it. I’m taking him to find out who’s getting them through.”

  A memory of Adalai slamming Clove into the wall of the cave came rushing back. “You attacked Clove in the mine.”

  She swallowed but said nothing.

  Why had she done that? Something had spurred her to do it.

  The rainbow colors on the cave walls. The foreman’s green lights, the empty crates, a filled crate, a shipping label. The identification number—

  “What was on the identification number? Where are they getting the grimoires?”

  “I’m going to find out.”

  But that didn’t sound right. Something had set her off about the labels.

  Adalai glared at the Ingini around them. “Look at them. They’re going into this cave, killing themselves for ether.”

  “So did you,” he said.

  She shook her head. “I can’t even process this.”

  A young woman held out a cup for an older man to drink from before hugging him. Another man lifted a woman onto a stretcher to assess her cuts and wounds.

  “What did you expect?” he asked. “Did you really expect them to be savage barbarians?”

  “Didn’t you?” She’d said it confused.

  The history said the Ingini were bad, but this…

  “I had this vision that…” Adalai swallowed. “I thought they were all vicious just waiting to kill us. But those miners didn’t, and this foreman guy only tried to kill us because he thought we were stealing from him and going to kill the other miners. They’re helping each other for spirit’s sake.” She held out her hand.

  “It’s possible they’re not as bad as our history tells us. Clove was confused about some of those answers in the drinking game, and I don’t think she was lying.”

  “But they were lying to her.”

  “Were they?”

  “They were committing genocide, Grier. You think our people would lie about that?”

  There was something about it though that never sat right with him. “Do you remember the first Ingineers?”

  A young Ingini woman gave them each a cup of water and moved on to give some to Emeryss and Sonora.

  “The first Ingineers,” he continued, “had claimed they had a new way of working with the ether. Before the wars, before the genocide, before any of that, they’d claimed that the ether existed everywhere for anyone to take.”

  Adalai huffed. “Yes, and look what they did with it. Mined it up until it polluted everything.”

  “Maybe they were talking about what Emeryss can do.”

  “You mean not need grimoires?”

  He nodded.

  There was a pause before she shook her head. “If they’d figured out how Emeryss does what she does, then they wouldn’t need to mine it.”

  “It’s possible they felt they didn’t have a choice.”

  “And maybe they choose to slaughter tons of undeserving people and enslave their poor.”

  “I’m not saying that part’s not wrong. I’m saying it was a long time ago. These aren’t the same people that did that, and I’m wondering if we know the truth. If anything, look at what cutting off the grimoires did to them.”

  But Adalai had closed herself off, focusing on twigs by her hand or a stray thread in her boot.

  “By restricting their access to ether and limiting how they used it, it meant only the powerful in Ingini could take control.”

  And though he’d never remind Adalai, a strong Revel with a reason to fight gave Orr more control.

  And Stadhold had a part in this beyond just restrictions against Scribe training and grimoires, and he’d figure out how.

  What Ingini had done to Revelians in the past was wrong, but how long was long enough? Those who’d committed those atrocities had been long-since dead. All it was doing now was creating more enemies to fight, more wars to die in. Was there a point where amends could be discussed? Not to be forgotten, but to move forward?

  “We made them slaves to the ether,” he said.

  “No, this isn’t our fault. They attacked first. This is their choice.”

  “I don’t know anymore, Adalai.” Grier shook his head. “Maybe it was at first, but it’s not a choice anymore. Ether is as ingrained in their life as it is for us. And Revel has a lot of demands. How would they defend themselves against Revel if they didn’t have these mines and their ether-tech? You know Revel would take Ingini in a second. It’d be a massacre.”

  “No, they wouldn’t,” Adalai said, finger up. “We might take over their government or something and make them serve the king for taxes, but they wouldn’t just murder tons of people like the Ingini did.”

  Her eyes followed the mining crowd ahead of them.

  “Adalai, whether they deserve it or not, you have to accept the Revelians own some of this. Their lives here are shitty and have been for a really long time. You need to own that, at least.”

  She stood and dusted her backside off.

  “Where are you going?”

  “You want me to own it, or do you want me to fix it?”

  What? She couldn’t just fix it. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to walk this foreman over that hill out of sight, Blink him back to the ship with the others, and I will get my answers. Then, we’ll know who’s bringing grimoires over from Revel.”

  How was she— “Wait. You know they’re coming from Revel?”

  She pulled the foreman behind a tree trunk, refracted light around them, and he assumed, headed to the ship. He’d wanted to go after her, but they couldn’t attract too much attention.

  Emeryss jogged up to him, gold eyes taking him in. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine, but we need to get back to the ship.”

  “Okay, but are you okay? Did you get some water? It’s kind of sad how helpful they are not knowing who we are.”

  “I’m afraid Adalai’s about to do something to change that. Are you okay?”

  She nodded as they walked toward Sonora. “You guys were insane. It was ridiculous. You have no idea how difficult that was.”

  “What did I say? I have the weirdest blips of memories, but that’s it.”

  Emeryss scoffed and shook her head. “Basically, you were claiming everyone needed to be brought to justice for breaking the rules.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut. “Don’t tell me that—”

  “It’s true. I had to keep stopping you from pulling out weapons and—”

  He groaned and smacked his lips. “I think I’m going to have this taste in my mouth forever. You were okay the whole time in there, though? You didn’t have any issues?”

  “I was fine.” She grinned, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  It had probably been terrifying. Having to worry about all of them losing their minds, trying to sneak around an Ingini mine with them making it worse.

  “I guess,” she continued, “being a Scribe at one point with several hours traversing the ethereal realm has its advantages.”

  “Where’s Adalai?” Sonora asked as they approached.

  “She’s taking the foreman to the ship—”

  “What?” Sonora blurted. “How did I miss that?” She stuck a finger in her ear and moved it around like trying to unblock her hearing. “Ugh, I’m still not right. My nose won’t stop running, my eyes feel sore. Is she already there?”

  “Probably,” Grier said.

  Sonora headed in the direction of the airship.

  “I’m afraid she’s going to do something worse,” Grier said. “We were talking about the Ingini, and she hurried off saying she’s going to fix it.”

  Sonora marched faster. “There’s no
being afraid. We need to get back, or she will do something stupid.”

  Adalai cleared the hill and Blinked toward the entrance of the mine with the foreman at her arm.

  She’d fix this. She’d find out just how terrible the Ingini were and stop whatever traitor was selling them out right under their noses.

  She wiped the corner of her eyes.

  Why was she upset? This is what they came for. There was a chance the REV or maybe even that pompous tart-hole Nendrik was doing something behind their backs, but to ship grimoires from Aurelis. That was too low. Even for him.

  Every time she came out of a Blink, the foreman gasped for air like she’d dunked him in water. He was grunting more often and attempting to make complete sentences.

  The Illusionary Room was wearing off.

  She Blinked the final stretch back to the front of the mine, and that gaudy Kimpert woman in that sky-colored pantsuit still had her airship parked there. Both she and her bodyguards were stepping up the ramp to board. They apparently had no issues escaping the mine.

  Adalai Blinked behind her.

  Both bodyguards jumped and spun, pulling ether-weapons from their belts.

  “Sorry, she’s coming with me.” Adalai grabbed Kimpert by the arm and Blinked the three of them away.

  Kimpert was screaming and flailing but was too disoriented to break free. Dirt flew up around them as pulses of ether-guns thumped into the ground near her feet.

  Blink.

  Blink.

  Spirits, they were heavy. Blinking two at a time was never easy, and she’d burn through all her ether uses if she didn’t hurry.

  “Put me down!” Kimpert screamed.

  Blink.

  “You’re on the ground, you moron.”

  “Let me go—”

  Blink.

  “Jahree, start the airship!” The airship should have been right over the ridge, next to a rock. “Jahree!”

  Why wasn’t he answering her?

  “What is wrong with him?” Kimpert squealed, pointing at the drooling foreman.

  Shit. Sonora wasn’t onboard. She was back with Emeryss and Grier. Shit. Shit. “Jahree!” she shouted.

  A machine turned on behind her, and the door, made to look like a rock, dropped down, revealing Mykel and Vaughn waving her into the cargo hold.

  “What is going on?” screamed Kimpert. “What is this? An invasion? What is this?”

  Adalai Blinked them on before the cargo hold door closed behind her. “Make me two cages, Mykel. Now! Jahree!” She shouted. “Get us behind the mine to pick the others up but stay just below the ridge so the miners don’t see you. Sonora will tell you where when you’re in range.”

  The ship lifted with a jolt.

  “There’s one,” Mykel said.

  A metal cage had been built into the wall, complete with a door and a locking mechanism.

  She shoved Kimpert inside of it.

  The woman’s heels got caught in part of the ships grating, and she fell into the cage bars and cried.

  “What in spirit’s name is going on?” Urla stepped into the cargo hold. “Who is that woman, Adalai? Where are the others?”

  Adalai struggled to hold the foreman upright. The Illusionary Room was fading, and so was his energy. It usually knocked them out, but his dead weight was killing her. “Vaughn! Help!”

  Vaughn propped the man’s other half up, but his head lolled forward.

  “Finished!” Mykel opened the gate to the second cage, and Adalai and Vaughn tossed the foreman inside.

  “Who is this woman, Adalai?” Urla pointed to Kimpert curling away from them in the corner with a busted kneecap.

  “That woman is stealing our grimoires.”

  Chapter 12

  Gruskul Mines — Ingini

  Clove choked on clean air.

  She’d pulled away from Emeryss and Sonora to spit up black ore by a small tree. They’d allowed her space as they all had their own coughing fits to fight through.

  It was the mines. All that running and being that deep. They’d inhaled enormous amounts of ether, been caved in on, and nearly killed.

  She gripped a tree, scratching her fingertips on the bark, and fell against it to catch her breath.

  It’d been her worst nightmare.

  Usually, Cayn had helped comfort her through visions and sleepless nights of being trapped inside those tunnels. Now, she was alone, facing the panic in her chest and ache in her head. Years of fear, and even when she worked in the caves before getting her first shipping job, she hadn’t delved that deep.

  Her head spun over and under as she adjusted to the absence of ether. Closing her eyes, she shut out the other miners all gasping and spitting up their own black wads of ore from their lungs. Hearing them made her want to vomit even more.

  These Revelian idiots almost killed her. Again. They’d be the death of her, and then she’d haunt them the rest of their shitty-ass lives.

  They’d found what they were looking for. They’d had their crates and their culprits. Whatever was on that shipping label to set Adalai off…

  Clove still had the gun. She tapped it at her side, making sure it was still there inside her miner suit.

  Wiping the sweat from her face, she’d made huge black streaks of soot across her hand. And the smell, and the feel, and the grit. She hated every part of it.

  One member of the rescue team placed a cup in her hand. She blinked her eyes open.

  He was middle-aged with scars on his chin and pale blue eyes. A former miner who’d gotten out before it took him completely. “Medics are over there to check your lungs. When you finish that cup, get the clearing from them, okay?”

  They thought she was another worker. She looked around to find the others.

  Grier was huddled with Emeryss, rubbing his eyes and face. His hands were splattered with his own black ore. Sonora was vomiting off to the side, and Adalai and the mining foreman were missing. She was probably already headed back to the airship.

  Evil was what she was. To do that to that man.

  Sure, they were stealing from Adalai’s country or her country was selling them out. But whatever the reason, this foreman was just doing his job. He wanted to make money like she needed to make money, like Cayn, like Mack and Lark, like all the other Ingini.

  Miners littered the ground, consoling one another and handing off water.

  “Clove?”

  She jerked her head in disbelief. “Mack!”

  He was in regular work pants and a dirtied gray shirt. His eyes were a paler green, and his face had a few marks of soot on it, but mostly he was clean. Something about hearing his voice, seeing his face—

  She wrapped her arms around his waist, tears falling down her cheeks.

  “Whoa.”

  She hadn’t expected her reaction either. It had overcome her. But having him there was like coming home. Like Revel had never happened. Like she’d never lost Pigyll or taken that job with Trent. Like Cayn was right beside her and their biggest problem was the cold water in the hose of their shower.

  Mack embraced her, wrapping miner-strong arms around her. “Are you okay? Were you in the mine?” He pulled back, sliding some of her hair away from her face.

  She sniffled and wiped under her eyes, quickly remembering how stupid she looked crying. “I’m fine. I’m fine. Sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

  He stopped her hand. “Don’t apologize. Why were you in the mine? I had no idea you were here. If I knew—I thought you were shipping stuff for the UA. Where’s Cayn?” He surveyed the crowd, probably expecting Cayn’s lanky form and smoothed back hair to emerge from the cave like a god. “He’s not still in the cave, is he?” He moved to go back in.

  “No, no.” She held him back to stay with her.

  She wanted to tell him everything, which she never had before. She wanted it to tumble out of her mouth and trust he’d make everything better. But that was ridiculous. He was just human like she was. They were both struggling to surviv
e. Relying on others, even good friends with great memories, didn’t fix problems. They certainly wouldn’t fix hers.

  But the tears wouldn’t stop. None of it would stop. She choked back a sob and shook her head. “There’s too much to tell you, and I don’t have much time, but—”

  “What is going on, Clove?” He held her chin, but she pulled away slightly. “I’ve never seen you like this. Did the ether get to you? Where’s Cayn?”

  “I’m here to do something real quick. Cayn is… Cayn is somewhere else. Actually, I don’t know where he is…”

  “You don’t know where Cayn is?” His eyebrows narrowed as his demeanor grew more concerned. “You two are never apart. Clove, what is wrong?”

  She shook her head again. She couldn’t tell him anything, or he’d lose his mind over it. It would jeopardize everything. “I can’t… there’s not enough time.”

  “Were you working in the mine?”

  “No, I wasn’t supposed to be here, but then I had to, and…” How would she describe the Revelians? He’d try to kill them if she told him the truth, and that wouldn’t save Cayn. More tears fell over her cheeks. “These people I’m helping needed to go in, and the cave-in started…”

  He pulled her in against him, and the strength of him holding her up broke her.

  Maybe it was the ether or facing her fear of the mines. Maybe it was the whole damn thing with ether, mines, Adalai, and Cayn. But she didn’t want to be anywhere else. She didn’t want any other problems. She wanted…

  He cradled her head against the side of his. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  She wanted… something different than what Mack wanted. As thoughtful and caring as he was, she couldn’t give him what he wanted, and he’d take her vulnerability at this moment as a sign of something more.

  It’d only been a few weeks since she’d left, a normal shipping trip out and in. She’d gone longer without seeing him before, and she was being silly letting him hold her like this, falling apart with him. Those days were over.

  She pulled back and wiped her cheeks dry. “I’m sorry. Were you in the mines today?”