by Kal Aaron
Beneath the platforms stood living sculptures of wood, flowers, and leaves. They’d been twisted and shaped by sorcery until they resembled animals, people, and small buildings.
The sculptures were evenly spaced in nested hexagons. The eerie precision and detail of the decorations from a distance unnerved Lyssa.
Initially, they looked like nothing more than their subjects frozen in time. It was only up close that the lie was revealed by their textures. There was even a life-sized dragon.
Lyssa stared at the statue. The Society hadn’t allowed anyone to make a dragon for a thousand years. The grand scale of the required sorcery should have made it impossible to pull off without someone noticing, but given what had happened in Cochise County, she wouldn’t be surprised if a new one showed up.
A single tree stood in the Garden of Glories, situated on the topmost platform. The massive tree extended far into the sky, and its glowing roots stretched out to the soil of each platform. Colorful birds perched on its branches or flew to or from them. Many in the Society insisted that world-tree concepts in Shadow mythology had been inspired by the Prime Tree in the Garden of Glories.
Lyssa wasn’t as sure about that. The Shadows had good imaginations. Even though many legends had been inspired by sorcery, she thought the Illuminated tendency to insist that every myth and legend throughout history had a basis in Society activity was arrogant and dismissive. It was a way for the Illuminated to claim more control and influence over the world than they had.
Despite their power, their small numbers had always meant the Illuminated operated from a fundamentally limited position. The occasional well-placed manipulation might have put history on a different course, but the river of causation swamped even the dedicated efforts of Sorcerers.
Beyond that, the Shadows were capable of a kind of wonder curiously lacking among Lyssa’s kind. It was the wonder of the Shadows that took them from huts to the moon and proved they weren’t inferior.
The Illuminated might have the Heart of Remnant and the Garden of Glories, but they hadn’t landed a probe or a construct on any other planet. They didn’t have the market for achievement cornered.
Lyssa looked around for Tristan. He stood next to a sculpture of a small red wyvern. There were many people in regalia and masks in the city and buildings, but seeing the Eclipse standing there inspecting the display as if he did it every day struck Lyssa as odd.
The man was a walking legend who’d flung dangerous and powerful sorcery at her just days ago. One mistake during the fight could have cost her life. He’d admitted to killing Sorcerers without authorization and claimed he was digging into the heart of a decades-old conspiracy. Now he was here, blatantly challenging that conspiracy. They both were.
Lyssa took a deep breath. She couldn’t help her brother now, but she could take down some rogues.
“Jofi,” she said. “I’m going to assume the spirit density is higher here, beyond what you might expect on Last Remnant.”
“That’s correct,” he replied. “Do you wish to take greater precautions?”
“No.” Lyssa smiled. “It makes me feel better because it means he’s ready for trouble.”
“Or he’s ready to kill you,” Jofi replied. “You might have served your purpose.”
“I trust Caroline’s spell. He’s got no reason to kill me yet.”
“He might have told the truth at that time and later changed his mind,” Jofi replied.
“I’ve got enough paranoia without you feeding me those kinds of scenarios.” Lyssa sighed. “Let’s see what he has to say and go from there. I’m not unarmed, and I have showstoppers. Given how the Elders feel, if I end up killing Tristan St. James, I doubt they’re going to be broken up.”
She strolled toward Tristan, unsurprised when the soft whistling of the wind and the ripple of a nearby stream vanished when she got closer. “I’m here like you said.” She shrugged. “So, what’s going on?”
“Did you find what you were looking for in the Vault of Dreams?” Tristan asked with no hint of sympathy in his voice.
She didn’t mind. They weren’t friends. He wasn’t even a frenemy like Aisha. She and Tristan were nothing more than allies of convenience going after the same people at the same time.
“I don’t know.” Lyssa glanced at a platform filled with a rainbow array of sunflowers. “I found something, just not what I wanted. I’m having a hard time doubting the Northern Trickster returned to the Vault of Dreams now, which leads me back to you. Either you already killed the man responsible for killing my brother, or there’s a good chance your investigation will lead to him. I now have to assume my brother is dead, which means I need to get some revenge.”
“Revenge is pointless,” Tristan replied, sounding disappointed.
Lyssa scoffed. “Now you’re worried about me killing people?”
“I don’t mind if you kill people, but I think you should do it for the right reasons. I kill because some of our kind have forgotten their limits and seek to corrupt the Society and the greater world, not for a motive as short-sighted as revenge.”
“If you’re right, the person I want to kill is doing those things, so we don’t have to agree to disagree.” Lyssa patted her jacket over one of her holsters. “We can both want to take someone down for different reasons and leave the world a better place. Win-win, right?”
Tristan nodded. “I don’t have time to coddle you about your brother’s death, so I will get straight to the point. Our plan is already working, so something might happen soon.”
Lyssa asked, “Meaning what? What exactly is ‘something?’” She looked around, but the few people she spotted in the distance were having a picnic and not looking her way. “Someone’s following me? You spotted them, or one of your little pet spirits did?”
“I don’t know if they followed you here or they were already here.” Tristan motioned to the Heart. “Or they came from there.”
“Would you care to be a little less cryptic?” Lyssa asked. “I don’t mind being bait, but my life is on the line here. Did you see someone or not? I don’t know what’s happened other than I came here and all but confirmed my brother is dead. All I have to cling to is that it might have something to do with a mysterious conspiracy you claim exists and involves spirit magic. I’m not in the mood to be screwed with, even by the world’s most dangerous Eclipse.”
“Someone attempted to smuggle a spying shard into your room,” Tristan said. “Not the servant girl. I only know that because I was tracking her with a spirit at the time. I sensed sorcery from your room and was curious. I gained entry and found the shard with the help of another spirit.”
“Where is the shard now?” Lyssa asked. “We might be able to make someone nervous by asking about it.”
“It’s deep in the water now,” Tristan replied, not sounding apologetic.
Lyssa groaned. “Come on! I know you’re an assassin, not a detective, but we could have used that.”
“The people we’re tracking aren’t going to panic because I found one shard,” Tristan said. “And given where we are, you can’t take the risk of letting any unknown shards be around you. I was only able to determine part of what the shard was doing. It could also have been a bomb.”
“Fine. Someone wants to spy on me. Okay. That makes sense, but that’s not a huge deal yet. Are we worried they now know you’re working with me?”
“I took measures, but you’re right. It’s not impossible they now know. That might make them more cautious, but it also might make them act rashly. I wanted you as an initial distraction, but I have no problem making it clear why I’m here.”
Lyssa inclined her head toward a marble street in the distance. “No one’s tried to kill me yet or even take a poke at me. I figured last night was the best opportunity. I was exhausted from the trip and not at my best. I set up a few defensive spells, but I wouldn’t have put up a good fight if a team of killers with shards ran in and unloaded on me.”
“I
also assumed last night was the best time to attack you,” Tristan replied. “Which is why I monitored your room.” He fell silent, looking her way, his face hidden by his veil.
“And?” Lyssa gestured for him to continue.
“I saw nothing unusual, but there was something strange—a brief perturbation of the spirits, but not one I’m familiar with.”
“Jofi, did you sense anything unusual last night?” Lyssa asked.
“No, I didn’t.”
She regretted asking the question as soon as she realized a possibility. The dream might have been more than a dream. On some level, she might be sensing the weakening seal.
Given what had happened in the other recent incidents, trusting Jofi to perceive his behavior change was a bad idea. The showstoppers used on recent jobs and the emptiness spirits had strained his seal. She did not doubt that.
Sharing that information with Tristan didn’t seem helpful. It was easy to warn the authorities to prepare for Jofi if it came down to it. They knew he was there, and they could call him in if necessary. Having a spirit expert with no qualms about killing nearby cut down on the risk.
Binding Jofi to Lyssa and her regalia had been a product of desperation. If he’d been conjured in Last Remnant, they wouldn’t have had to rely on such a haphazard strategy.
All he needed to do was last until they solved the current problem. Once that was over, they could revisit the issue.
Was that a good idea? Samuel might not be there, but the Tribunal knew about Jofi. Maybe she should go ahead and tell them, but she wasn’t sure their solution wouldn’t end with her death. She wanted a chance to take revenge before she died.
“You’ve fallen quiet,” Tristan said. “Does my revelation worry you?”
“Not really. Just thinking.”
Lyssa was almost relieved that someone had been spying on her. She’d worried she’d have to sit there for days brooding about her brother’s likely death without having anything to do but run around trying to distract herself with pointless sightseeing.
“What does it all mean, then?” Lyssa folded her arms. She needed to focus on whatever she could in the short term that didn’t involve volunteering to die. “I tried the hiding thing. I’m not going to do it again. If they want to come at me, I say let them. If we’re both ready for them, they won’t get the drop on me. They might want to get rid of you, but they probably figure I’m a softer target, which means they’ll likely come for me first.”
Tristan nodded. “I’m not encouraging you to hide, but I see no reason to let them spy on you, either. The more we disrupt their attempts to control the situation, the more desperate they will be, and the more likely they’ll lash out in a way that gives the advantage to us.”
“I’m liking this part, but it’s a little passive for my taste.” Lyssa pointed at him. “What about your list? Have you seen anyone on it since coming here? Someone you’re suspicious of?”
“Of course.” Tristan shrugged. “Including some people I didn’t expect to be here. I spent most of my time watching your room the other night, so I haven’t had the opportunity to investigate further.”
“Who’s here?” Lyssa asked.
“The less you know, the better.”
She couldn’t complain about him holding back information when she was doing the same thing. He might even have sensed that.
“You can’t kill someone on Last Remnant without permission,” Lyssa replied. “Even if you’re Tristan St. James, I don’t think they’ll tolerate it, and if they lock you down, that gives our targets the advantage. You should try to capture and question them.”
“You need to remember that won’t and can’t are two distinct things,” Tristan said. “I’ll do what is necessary, not out of concern for revenge for your brother, but because it’ll protect the Society in the long-term. For now, I’d suggest you avail yourself of the pleasanter parts of Last Remnant. If our enemies are interested enough to spy on you, they’ll make a move when they think you’re not ready for them. Retreating to the least trafficked parts of the city might make them do it earlier.”
“What are you going to do?” Lyssa asked, not angry at the suggestion since she’d thought of it herself. “Do you just plan to follow me around and let them try to take me down, or are you going to check off more people on your list?”
Tristan smiled. “I think it’s best you don’t know. I won’t bias your decisions that way. Don’t assume I’m guarding you when you go out. Be prepared for anything.”
Lyssa gave him a defiant glare. “I might not be one of the greatest Eclipses of the last century, but I am still Hecate, the Night Goddess. I can take care of myself.”
“We’ll see if that’s true.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The next afternoon, following tedious attempts to kill time wandering the city, Lyssa returned to her room to find a male servant standing rigidly inside like a statue. She reflexively went for her gun but stopped when the servant bowed his head.
“Don’t wait inside my room for me,” Lyssa snapped, keeping her hand near the gun. On an island filled with masks, it was hard to read people. “Understood? And who are you? You’re not Sumira. No one told me anything about another servant.”
“I apologize, Miss Corti,” he said. “I wouldn’t normally do this, but I received specific instructions to come here and deliver a message. I was told to do it right away and not to leave your room until I delivered it.”
“Who told you to deliver the message?” Lyssa asked, heading over to a chair and finally lowering her hand.
“Elder Nektarios,” he replied. “More accurately, I was given a message by a servant of Elder Nektarios.”
Lyssa froze in place. Nektarios Galanis wasn’t just another Elder. He was a member of the Tribunal. She’d never spoken to the man in her life, but that didn’t mean his influence hadn’t helped guide her every waking moment as a Sorceress.
The Tribunal might not be dictators, but their control of the laws and policies of the Illuminated Society meant every Sorcerer and Sorceress over the world felt their reach at some point. Wandering onto Last Remnant around the same time as Tristan St. James might have gotten her attention from the Tribunal rather than her enemies.
“What’s his message?” Lyssa asked, sighing. It didn’t have to be a problem. The Elder might want to help her, if only to solve the threat of the assassins.
The servant cleared his throat. “Lyssa Corti, bearer of the Night Goddess, is to immediately report to the Tribunal Chamber in the Heart of Remnant,” he recited. “You are to leave your pistols.”
Lyssa flicked her wrist at the door. “Okay, message received. I’ll be leaving in a few minutes. For now, please leave me alone.”
The man bowed his head and departed. With his mask on, she couldn’t tell him from countless other male servants in the area, but there was something familiar about his voice—more the cadence. That was odd given he was speaking Lemurian, and she rarely spoke the language outside of ceremonies or visits to Last Remnant.
“It is inadvisable to visit the Elder without me,” Jofi said. “The enemy might seize upon the opportunity to attack you on your way.”
“They’d have to know I’m unarmed. It’s not like my holsters are super-obvious.”
“The enemy was able to corrupt an Eclipse,” Jofi replied. “Again, I think it’s best not to leave me.”
Lyssa didn’t want to leave him behind, but she also couldn’t explain to Jofi that the Elder was probably calling her to ask her about him. She’d hoped she’d be able to avoid a meeting like this, but she couldn’t say she was surprised, even if it’d come sooner than she wanted.
“It’s not on my list of favorite things to do, but unless I’m ready to accuse a Tribunal member of being corrupt, I can’t refuse unless I’m ready to go full rogue.” Lyssa looked around. “I’m going to have to stow you in a shard vault to be safe.” She surveyed the room before spotting the Lemurian script and sorcery sigils that
made the vault sealable. “That works.”
Breaking into a shard vault would take a lot of effort and time. She also intended to give everyone a peek at her holsters on her way to the lifts to give the impression she was still carrying Jofi.
After a moment of thought, she grabbed her suitcase from an alcove and pulled out the normal 9mm inside.
“You think the Elder won’t be angry you came armed?” Jofi asked. “When he asked you not to do that?”
“I think this is more about not trusting me with gun-spirit-enhanced superguns,” Lyssa replied. That careful eliding of the problem bordered on being true. “And this way, anyone following me will think I still have you.”
“And if this is a trap?” Jofi asked. “You’ve expressed distrust of Elders before. Is there anything inherent in Tribunal members that makes them beyond reproach?”
“The three fossils do a good job of watching each other,” Lyssa replied. “And I think it’d make more sense to kill me when I first got here rather than leave a trail of evidence and let Tristan get too cozy here.” She laughed. “Besides, it’s hard to think it’d be one guy, so that means it’d be the Tribunal or least two out of three of them.”
“That’s impossible?”
Lyssa shook her head. “Not impossible, but if that’s the case, it already goes so high I’m screwed. Another Eclipse would kill me before I left Last Remnant.”
“It might take effort, but breaking into a shard vault isn’t impossible,” Jofi said.
“I’m also banking on Tristan keeping an eye on my room while I’m gone.”
“You’re perhaps trusting Mr. St. James too much,” Jofi replied. “He advised you not to do so.”