Defying Destiny

by Andrew Rowe

  “Anything. Please. A nudge in the right direction, without any way of tracing it back to you.”

  Tarren reached up and fiddled with his goatee. “Hmm... I suppose I can give you a bump toward him. But you may not appreciate the method or the results. Are you certain that’s what you wish?”

  “No, absolutely not, I want exact details before I agree to something like that. None of this vagueness.” Lydia folded her arms. “Honestly, who would agree to something like that?”

  “You’d be surprised.” He sounded chagrined. “Fine. When we conclude this discussion, I will offer to teleport you to someone who will help guide you to Sterling’s location. But I will be sending you alone, without any of the reinforcements you have outside.”

  “How—”

  He waved a hand. “Estan may have a hint of theatricality about him, but his foresight is matched by only a handful of others. Your friend Asphodel is among them, as is the Shrouded One.”

  Which all but confirms that Asphodel is not the Shrouded One, if this man can be believed.

  Drawing from that, I can determine that the Shrouded One is female, not Asphodel, and has actual divinatory capabilities. I don’t know anyone who fits that profile perfectly. Morella was specialized in Memory Sorcery, which is related, but the opposite direction... Hm.

  “Why can’t you send me with anyone else?”

  “Too conspicuous. I can’t move too many pieces at once without being noticed. And I would require you to take a message.”

  “What sort of message?”

  “When you see Taelien, give him this address. We have important matters to discuss.”

  “What sort of important matters?”

  He shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s too early in the game to explain all that to you. And, you’re out of questions.”

  Lydia’s frown deepened. “I do not like playing games of this kind, Master Tarren.”

  “Perhaps I would offer you a friendly game of Crowns instead, but alas, I already have one in progress. And I would hate to disrupt the pieces.”

  Lydia sighed, standing up. “This has been quite enlightening, Master Tarren. Thank you.”

  “You’re refusing my deal, then? Even with such a simple price?”

  Lydia peered down at him. “Your ‘deal’ is ludicrous. Why would I consent to be teleported to talk to an unknown person, at an unknown location, trusting only your word that it might somehow be helpful? I would rather trust in my own skills and those of my fellows.”

  Tarren groaned, looking down. After a moment, he let out a sigh. “...You have a great deal of her stubbornness in you, more than I’d realized.”

  An image flickered in her mind. A book given to her by her mother, written by Erik Tarren. She’d never forgotten about it, of course, but it had been a lower priority than business. “Who are you talking about?”

  “My niece. She was quite precious to me. She still is, though we haven’t spoken in quite some time.”

  Lydia blinked. “Your niece?” Stop hesitating, Lydia. Just ask the question. “Is that my mother, by any chance? Or are you perchance my father?”

  Tarren didn’t laugh, or sigh again, or give her any of the responses she’d expected. Nor did he give her the answer she’d so often dreamed of.

  He simply looked up, catching her gaze in his, and said, “Perhaps in another life.” Then he shook his head, suddenly looking very old. “But not in this one. Not in the way you mean.”

  “Then—”

  “We are, in fact, family. The truth of that is complicated and not my place to share. No, your mother is not the niece I referred to, either. But yes, I gave your mother a book a long time ago. I hope you found it of some use.”

  Lydia froze, clenching her hands together. “...Do you know who my father is, then?”

  “Ah. It’s...no, that’s not my place to say, either. I’m sorry. If your mother did not share that with you, it would not be—”

  “Coward.” The word came out without any conscious decision on her part. That was a rarity, and she regretted it almost immediately.

  The response was even more surprising. “Yes. I am, in more ways than you could imagine. I will not ask you to trust me. And I cannot possibly ask you to forgive me. But please, do know that I have tried. That I am trying... That it’s... it’s difficult.”

  He sounded heartbroken in a way that Lydia was entirely unprepared for. Lydia’s mouth opened and closed without any words emerging.

  Erik Tarren steeled himself, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for our meeting to go like this.”

  Lydia sat back down. “You can still help me. If you can’t give me certain answers, fine. But if we’re family, if that’s really true...then please. Please help me solve this. There’s a murderer that is still roaming free, and if he’s working with this Shrouded One, there could be more deaths before he’s caught.”

  “There will be.” Tarren sounded certain. “I do not wish for you to be one of them.”

  “That’s not your choice to make. You’re not in any position to give me orders.”

  Erik shrugged at that. “Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps...no, I’ve said too much already.”

  Lydia tightened her jaw. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “There are many things I’m not telling you. A lack of knowledge is ever the scholar’s frustration, but often also our delight. There is always more to learn. I’ve given you the few pieces I can, at least for now. Perhaps there will come a time when I...”

  Lydia waved a hand. “Don’t worry about platitudes or giving me false hopes. I’ll work this problem out.”

  “You really do remind me of her. For better and for worse.” Tarren stood up. “I believe we’ve taken all the time we can. Now, would you like me to send you a step further on your journey, as we discussed?”

  “No,” Lydia replied. “No teleportation. But I would very much appreciate a map.”

  Tarren rubbed his temples. “You’re going to be the death of me, Lydia Hastings.”

  “Well, if you’re going to die, you may as well tell me what you know.”

  Tarren chuckled. “You won’t change my mind quite so easily, I’m afraid. But I’ll do this much, at least.” Tarren snapped his fingers, and a scroll appeared in his other hand. “You shall have a map.” He extended the scroll to her.

  Lydia accepted it, breaking the seal and opening it immediately. She frowned. “This is just a single scribbled arrow with the name ‘Wrynn Jaden’ written on the other side of it.”

  “It’s important to maintain a sense of humor at my age.” Erik Tarren laughed. “And to remember the art of a good distraction.”

  “Distra—”

  Superior Teleportation, her Comprehensive Barrier reported helpfully, sending details of how the spell worked into her mind just before it smashed through the shield.

  Chapter XII – Velas III – Dual Identities

  Velas narrowed her eyes at Captain Nolan. Fortunately, he wouldn’t be able to see her expression through the veils she was wearing. After a moment of deliberation, she moved straight to the issue at hand. “I’m looking for Sterling.”

  “Ah.” The Thornguard captain showed a hint of disappointment in his face. “I was hoping you might have...never mind. Business it is, then.”

  She folded her arms, leaning against the doorway. She didn’t say anything further. It was better to let him fill in the blanks, rather than make a mistake by asking something she should already know or offering information that might contradict what he’d already heard.

  “Last I heard, he was planning to go to some sort of auction. You’d probably know more about it than I do.”

  “Kyestri is having one.” She offered the hint of information as a hook for more.

  “The prime lord? Hm. I suppose that would explain why he’d be interested — Lord Kyestri has a few rare relics that a vae’kes might enjoy getting their hands on.” Nolan frowned. “This isn’t
some internal problem I’m dealing with, is it? I can’t afford to get drawn into another conflict between the children, Sil. I have enough on my plate.”

  Velas shook her head. “It shouldn’t concern you. I’ll handle everything from here.”

  “That’s what you always say.” He sighed. “Do you want to come in for a drink, at least? It’s a cold night, and I wouldn’t mind the company while you’re here...”

  “Can’t.” She tried to sound apologetic, while inwardly suppressing her irritation. “Business to attend to. Night.”

  Nolan let out an exhausted sigh. “Good night, then.”

  Velas slipped out the door, gently shutting it.

  She left the fortress the same way she came in. There were no further encounters with guards. The only frustration came from the questions still running through her mind.

  ***

  Velas ran.

  She was absolutely certain she was being followed.

  She’d noticed it after she’d made her way out of the fort, jumping from the walls to the trees below. Nothing visible, but an aberrant sound a good fifty feet behind her.

  Whoever it was could keep up with her, at least for now.

  Unfortunately, when she glanced back toward the source of the sound, she didn’t see anyone there

  A sight sorcerer, or someone with another form of invisibility. Shadow or deception, maybe.

  As she landed in the trees behind the fortress, she reached into a pouch on her side and threw down a handful of spiked balls — caltrops.

  Vanish.

  Her own practice at sight sorcery with Jonan hadn’t gotten very far. She couldn’t make a convincing illusion of a person in motion, so she couldn’t disguise herself. Making herself invisible was even further from her abilities.

  Making a few tiny stationary objects invisible, however, was something she could just barely manage.

  She didn’t wait to see if her pursuer ran over the trap. She just kept moving, dodging through trees at a steady pace.

  The sounds behind her gradually faded, but she never heard her pursuer grunt or scream. Unfortunate, but caltrops were easily replaced.

  Velas tapped the side of her head.

  See invisibility.

  She scanned the forest again, but she still couldn’t see any sign of a pursuer. That didn’t mean much, though. More powerful sight sorcerers could still easily conceal themselves from her, including Jonan.

  It’s not him, though. He couldn’t have even kept up with me as long as they did.

  Probably.

  She wrinkled her nose and ran back into the city.

  Well, I’m compromised. This is wonderful.

  Once she was back in the city proper, she found an alley and pulled off her veils and wig and stuffed them in her pack.

  Wish I’d practiced sight calling with Jonan just a little more. Changing my appearance further would be extremely useful right about now.

  If it had been earlier in the day, she might have taken a quick detour into a shop for an alternate outfit. She’d stopped carrying extra disguises a long time ago, when her combat skills had gotten to the point where she could generally fight her way out of her problems.

  Invisible enemies made that approach much trickier.

  Can’t go back to Lydia right now. I’m not dragging her into this until I have a better idea of what I’m dealing with.

  Jonan is probably a better option, but I don’t know exactly where he is.

  She made for the city gates, then slipped out into the forest. Once there, she was reasonably confident she was no longer being pursued.

  Velas pulled out her mirror, hastily sketching a note.

  Ran into trouble. Need to talk. Earrings at soonest convenience.

  With that, she pinned on one of her earrings from her bag — the one that corresponded to one Jonan kept in his possession. They’d made a few pairs while working together. Jonan had handed a pair connected to each of them to Aayara, too, but she wasn’t interested in talking to Aayara just yet.

  She headed down the road a bit, stopping outside a roadside inn beyond the city proper. Not Wrynn Jaden’s place — that was considerably further out. Just a nice, ordinary inn.

  Depending on Jonan’s answers, she knew she might be spending the night there. As much as she wanted to get further from town, she hadn’t brought any gear for camping.

  It took about an hour before she heard anything.

  “...Hello? Testing?” Jonan’s voice sounded in her ear.

  “I’m here.” Velas replied. “Can you hear me?”

  “Yeah. You in a secure position?”

  Velas scanned from side-to-side again. Her vision was oddly blurry.

  Oh, resh.

  She tapped the side of her head, disabling the invisibility detection spell. She used them so infrequently that she’d forgotten to turn it off.

  Velas sighed. “I think I’m good. You?”

  “About as good as I’m going to be in this city.”

  “Fair.” She grunted, looking around again. “We need to talk.”

  “We’re talking. We are literally talking right now.”

  “Not a good time for teasing, Scribe. I’m in a bit of a bind.”

  There was a pause. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

  “Thanks for saying so.” Velas took a breath, collecting her thoughts. “Fair warning that this chat might get both of us killed.”

  “Lovely. Now that sounds more like you.”

  “Okay. Let me fill you in. You know how Silk is a hereditary title for Aayara’s apprentices?”

  “Of course. When one of them dies, she replaces them with a new one.”

  Velas nodded, then felt a little silly, since he couldn’t actually see her.

  Probably.

  She wouldn’t have been surprised if Jonan did have a way of seeing her. He was creepy like that.

  “Yeah. Well, there’s a new Silk in town.”

  Jonan paused. “And you didn’t even invite me to your funeral?”

  Velas snorted. “Okay, that was a good one. But seriously, help me out. What do you think the odds are that Auntie Ess is responsible for this new one, versus them being a pawn for another vae’kes trying to tweak her nose?”

  “Difficult to say. Could also be some amateur trying to exploit your reputation.”

  “If we were in a small town, sure. In Selyr, I’d think most people would know better.”

  “Never underestimate the depths of human stupidity.”

  Velas leaned against the side of the inn, rubbing her temples. “Fair. But let’s assume the more likely cases here. Either Auntie is prepping a replacement — meaning I’m on the way out — or someone else is making a serious move. This other Silk has been interacting with Thornguard in high places.”

  “In what way?”

  Velas sighed. “Sleeping with at least some of them, from what I can gather. Or at least leading them on.”

  “Ooh. You’ve had an awkward day, haven’t you?”

  “Yeah, no kidding. But you’re still not giving me any answers, here.”

  “I’m thinking.” Jonan paused. “Okay, done thinking. Either of your scenarios is eminently plausible. But.”

  “But?”

  “But it’s also possible this is a test.”

  Velas wanted to scream. “You’re reshing right. This could be one of her tests. I thought I was done with that garbage years ago.”

  “Welcome to being employed by a psychopathic demigod.”

  Velas lowered her head. “Okay. Where does that put us?”

  “Well, we’re obviously going to need to figure out who this other Silk is.”

  “Obviously.”

  “I can probably help with that.”

  “Yes, that’s why we’re talking.”

  “A ‘thank you’ would be nice.”

  Velas snorted again. “You’ll get your pat on the back when you find me some answers. Not before.”

  “Fine, fin
e. Such high standards for praise. I can see who you take after.” She heard Jonan sigh. “Okay. Is there anything else I need to be worry about?”

  “Oh, right. I’m outside the city. Someone was chasing me. Invisible, fast. Not good at concealing their sounds, though. Basically like you, but better.”

  “As always, your compliments are the highlight of my day.”

  Velas smirked. “Any ideas?”

  “Well, if they weren’t concealing sounds, Aayara is out of the question. Unless she was allowing you to hear her deliberately.”

  “You think it was just her trying to scare me?”

  “Not impossible, if she’s testing you. But I should stop focusing on my favorite hypothesis. Other options: Sterling if he absorbed any sight sorcery, which he easily could have. Any random ‘ess’ or Thornguard with invisibility sorcery. Oh, or Rialla.”

  “You’re supposed to call her Shiver when we’re using code names.”

  “Oops. So, it could be Rialla.”

  Velas sighed. “She uses deception, but I don’t think she’s that good. And wouldn’t she have just talked to me?”

  “That’s presuming she isn’t the new Silk candidate.”

  Velas fell silent. “...Resh. That’s...not impossible, I guess.”

  “It’s really not. She’s an ess with a broad skill set similar to the type that Aayara would be looking for. But I don’t think it’s likely.”

  “Then don’t scare me like that!”

  “Sorry, sorry.” Jonan didn’t sound very apologetic. “Just considering all of the options. Do you need a place to lie low for a while?”

  “Yes.”

  “Give me an hour to change locations. If there’s a good chance that Aayara might be the one sending someone after you — for a test or otherwise — we can’t use the usual spots.”

  “We?”

  “Obviously. If you have a sight sorcerer after you, someone is going to need to watch out for you for a while.”

  Velas paused. “...You’d do that for me?”

  “We’re having this conversation, aren’t we?”

  “...Thanks.” Velas paused. “You’re not the one that’s supposed to be replacing me, are you?”