The Allseer Trilogy

by Kaitlyn Rouhier

  “Oh… that’s… oh. Let’s think about this,” he said, stumbling over his words. He was starting to talk faster, his mouth blurting out thoughts the second they formed. “What if you had help? That’s how we got you out of that room. I don’t know what would have happened had I tried to just walk in there. I could feel it pressing against my mind. With the Seekers, we were able to keep it at bay and hold it back. Maybe we could use them again? They might have an idea.”

  Kirheen tensed. The last thing she wanted was the Seekers anywhere near her. There was no saying how they’d feel about her powers. It was possible they’d see her as a threat, something to be contained and controlled until they could figure out what lurked beneath her skin. “No Seekers. I don’t trust them.”

  “I…can’t really blame you for that. I don’t particularly trust them either. What about Daris and Tegan? Irena? They went through Sanctuary with us, I think they can handle another shock.”

  Of that she had no doubt. They’d put themselves in danger after the fall of Sanctuary, leaping right into the struggle to free their kind from the cruelty of the royal family. They had saved and protected her, had helped her save Tomias. If there was anyone she could trust with such a secret, it was going to be them. Her stomach felt sour, acid eating away at her belly as she thought about revealing herself to them all. If anything went wrong, if something happened to them, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. But the alternative was just as bad. How long could she stay locked away? How long could she keep trying to protect them all? It was time for her to step down, to let others in and trust that they would be there to catch her. “I’d be willing to try.”

  There was a long pause before Tomias spoke. “I’ll make it happen. I miss you, Kir. It feels like it’s been weeks since I last saw you. There has been so much -”

  “- I know. I miss you too. We’ll get through this. At least this time there isn’t a maniacal mad man to fight.”

  “Don’t speak so soon. There’s a lot more going on out here than you know.”

  “And you’re just going to keep me in the dark about it?”

  Tomias chuckled. “You’re the one that locked yourself in a closet.” His laughter broke, his tone becoming serious. “Just one thing at a time. Let’s just do this step by step. Everything else is background noise. Right now, you are what matters.”

  “Thank you.” She wished there was more she could say, something more she could do to express to him how much his words meant to her. Despite everything they’d been through, he was still being her rock, keeping her grounded to the world when everything else was falling apart.

  “Do you want me to go round up our friends?”

  “I guess the sooner we get this over with, the better.”

  “I’ll be back, Kir. I promise.”

  His footsteps retreated, leaving her alone once more. Panic rose like a great wave, towering over the walls of her calm, threatening to spill over. She gritted her teeth, squeezed her eyes shut, and focused on that empty hollow within herself, a space where the Darkness needed to be. It was just a thought, a nagging sensation that told her she could draw it back in, that she could control it. If she just had help, she could lock it away, at least she hoped.

  Devoid of light in her cage, time ticked by agonizingly slow. She wanted to stand, to pace, but there was no room to do so. She sat in silence, feeling the web of corruption shifting around her, pooled around her feet. Their time is at an end, she thought she heard it whisper. Her breath hitched in her throat and she strained her ears to listen.

  She nearly jumped out of her skin when the door to the room clicked open, a flurry of voices cutting through the silence.

  “Tomias! What is going on?” she heard Tegan ask, his voice edged with irritation. “Where have you two been? We’ve been asking around and nobody knew anything. One minute you were there and then the next you were gone!”

  “I’m with Tegan,” Daris grunted. “What is with all the secrecy? Get to talking.”

  The door clicked shut again and their footsteps stopped just feet from where she hid. With his voice low, Tomias stumbled through an explanation. “I’m sorry. I know. I…okay. Something, uh, happened. Something major and I need your help. We need your help.”

  Daris snorted. “That explanation wasn’t any less secretive.”

  “I know, damn it! All right, I know. Just listen, please. I didn’t want to get you two involved any more than she did, but we need help from people we trust. Sanctuary level of trust.”

  “Yeah, really not making this any better, my man.”

  “Remember how we all thought Sanctuary was probably the worst thing we could ever face in our entire lives, and then we came to Val’shar? Well, I might have discovered something worse. I have very solid evidence that the, uh-”

  “By the gods, Tomias, spit it out!” Daris nearly shouted, his voice echoing through the room.

  “The Darkness is real,” he sputtered in reply, throwing the words out into the world with no hope of drawing them back in. Hearing it out loud made her heart stop, the reality of the situation sinking in with his words.

  An eerie silence settled over the room, no questions offered, and no answers given. It was Tegan that finally spoke, his voice cracking as he asked, “Is this a joke?”

  “There are a lot of things in this world I will joke about, but this isn’t one of them. If you don’t believe me, if you don’t want to be involved, turn around and leave now. Life has been crazy enough and I’m not wanting to make it any crazier for either of you, but right now, we need your help. You may very well be the only ones we can count on.”

  “I need to see it,” Daris said. “We need to see it before we can believe anything you just said. I have to know.”

  “Then help me make a barrier. I’m terrible at it, so I’m relying on you two to keep us safe.”

  “Where is Kirheen?” Tegan asked.

  Kirheen forced words up and out of her throat. “In here,” she called. “I’m sorry to involve you two. If there was any other way…”

  Daris grunted. “Just shut it, both of you. We’ll help and afterwards you can explain what all this is actually about.”

  “I’m sure after you see this, no explanation will ever suffice.”

  “Lovely.”

  Kirheen’s skin tingled as their powers flared, a barrier pulled into existence and tightly woven. It spread, left and right, forming a semi-circle around where she hid. Blue light pulsated, shining through the small cracks around the door.

  “You really are bad at this, Tomias,” Tegan noted.

  “I did warn you. Are we good? It feels solid, but I’m not the best judge when it comes to this.”

  “It’ll hold,” Daris said. “Open the door, Kirheen.”

  Tense muscles groaned in agony as she stood, bones creaking from hours of stillness. Corruption squelched beneath her feet, the sound making her stomach lurch. She raised her right hand to her chest, fingers trailing over cold, jagged crystals.

  Once she opened the door, there would be no going back. If the Darkness was anything like they’d been told about when they were children, the minute it spilled outside her walls of safety, everyone would be in danger. What choice do you have?

  She reached for the door and turned the handle. The corruption squirmed and shifted, retreating as blue light spilled into the tiny closet. One good push and the door opened the rest of the way. She blinked through tears, her eyes adjusting to the light. Her friends were a blur but she could feel their startled silence, their shock.

  “Allseer, help us,” Daris whispered. “It’s real.”

  The Darkness pooled around her feet, moving in lazy circles, still sluggish and weak. What would it be like when her strength returned? She looked to her friends, saw the fear in their eyes. Their worst nightmare had become a reality and she carried it with her, was tethered to it, bound by it. Do they think I’m a monster?

  “Kirheen, are you okay?” Tegan asked. His expres
sion shifted, his shock melting away to be replaced by sadness. “What can we do to help you? Just tell us.”

  “I’m okay, Tegan. Thank you both for coming here. I know you didn’t get much explanation and I honestly don’t know much more than you do.” She reached towards that emptiness, that space where the Darkness belonged. “I think I can draw this back into myself, but I’ll need your help. I need you to promise you’ll keep the barrier strong, that no matter what you won’t let the Darkness go beyond this room. I refuse to put more lives in danger.”

  “Anything. Just say the word,” Daris said. “We’ve got you covered.”

  She looked away from her friends, her eyes locking onto Tomias. He said nothing, but his brown eyes shone with worry, with fear. He looked older, stress having taken its toll. Underneath his right eye, a large bruise had formed, purple and blue clashing with his pale skin. She made note to ask him about it, if they even survived the next few moments.

  He did not look away, did not break eye contact. He gave her a single nod and it was all the reassurance she needed. Whatever it took, whatever had to happen, she was prepared for it. Lowering herself to the ground, she sat in the center of a blighted circle. With eyes closed, she reached inside her mind, opening the prison where she’d lock away the Darkness no matter what it cost her.

  CHAPTER 8

  “So, we’ve got a prince that’s miraculously back from the dead, an unknown threat festering in a room beneath our feet, and the populace beyond these walls ready to take up arms. Anything else? This is not exactly how I expected things to turn out,” Sampson sighed, wincing as he stretched his injured leg out in front of him.

  Mirin felt a twinge of guilt. Had she known how things would play out, she could have stepped in sooner and saved him the pain he was feeling. They couldn’t have been prepared for what they currently faced, a host of threats on all fronts and no solutions for any of it. Her eyes darted to Lillana, looking battered but otherwise determined.

  It came as a surprise. The princess had always hidden behind a façade of feigned stupidity and pompous arrogance. That shell had shattered, the events she’d faced forging her into something new. Her whole world had changed, everything she’d known burned to ash and scattered to the winds.

  Had the same thing not happened to herself? Had it not forged her anew, crafting her into sharp edges and spite? She’d turned herself into a blade used against her own kind, and she’d let herself be wielded carelessly. Now, things were changing once again, forcing her to reevaluate all she knew and believed. There was much to think about, too much. Sanctuary, Kirheen, her time spent in the accursed city of Val’shar, spilling the blood of both innocent and guilty alike.

  “Your soul is too stained to redeem yourself now, old woman,” her inner voice cooed. “What would your daughter think of you? You failed your people and you failed yourself. What would she want from a murderer?”

  No. That was a dark path to wander, bleak thoughts reserved for another time. She shoved them away, let them fester in the back of her mind, hidden until they inevitably crept back into the light. They’d come for her in the wee hours of morning, vicious and brutal as they gnawed through her resolve. I’m so tired.

  But she was still needed. The city was rapidly falling apart, and if they didn’t figure something out, their problems would only grow. “This is exactly what we should have expected, at least as far as the citizens. They were fervently loyal to their beliefs, no matter how radical. We knew her downfall would cause an uproar and at least this we can prepare for. I’ve got scouts out there now. Once they return, we’ll know more about the situation outside. As for what is happening in here, I’m not even sure where to begin.”

  Sampson ran a hand over his face, his eyes drifting to Lillana. “You’re absolutely sure it’s him?”

  Lillana stiffened. “Yes. I wish more than anything that it wasn’t, but it’s him. He knew who I was the second he saw me.”

  “How is that even possible?”

  “Sampson, I watched my brother die. I want the answer to that question more than anyone.”

  Mirin had an idea that whatever power he possessed, whatever those crystals were in his chest, they were the key to figuring it all out. And perhaps they were linked with the darkness she’d encountered where he’d been found. Damn it, Nyson. To be right all along. “We need to find out what happened to him, but that requires getting him to talk. So far he’s been rather uncooperative. And he is…changing. I can feel him getting stronger. Each hour that passes he looks more and more like the prince he is and less like the skeleton we pulled from below.”

  “Could Lillana get him to talk?” Sampson asked. “We need answers.”

  Mirin grimaced. “Absolutely not. In his own warped way, he seems to think she is responsible for what happened to him. I will not put her in harm’s way. My Seekers will keep wearing him down. If he asks for her, we’ll go from there, but it is out of the question otherwise.” She turned her head towards Lillana. “I hope you understand.”

  Some hope in her hazel eyes flickered and died. “I do. If anything changes though, if he says anything at all, please let me know. I want to help as much as I can. I owe him that much.”

  “You have my word. As for the corruption where he was found, we’re keeping a close eye on it. It’s possible it has some connection to Elfrind, but we don’t know enough to be sure. What we do know it’s a threat and if it moves beyond that room, the situation here will quickly become unstable. We need to be prepared for the worst, whatever that may be.”

  “The more we know the more we can prepare,” Sampson sighed. “I’ll see what I can find out about the situation outside.”

  Mirin smirked, and though it was hidden behind her mask, she could not keep her amusement from her voice. Sampson still looked miserable, his skin pale and his hands visibly shaking. He needed relief from the pain and far more rest than he’d gotten. “You will stay in the castle and rest. Need I remind you just how many stiches are holding your leg together right now? Let me handle things. I’ve got enough bodies to bury without adding yours to the pile.”

  Sampson glared, but she could see his shoulders sag with relief. As much as he wanted to help, he was smart enough to know when he was pushing his limits. “Straight to the point as always. I’ll try to keep myself from becoming a corpse. I trust you can handle things?”

  “I always do,” Mirin said. And she would. She had to. If threats remained left unchecked, they’d grow into something that might very well end them all.

  Lillana cleared her throat. Whatever pain she’d felt at the mention of her brother had been locked away. Now stood a queen, her eyes alight with determination. “I’ll do everything in my power to help.”

  “You’ll need to. Keep the people loyal to you and to your cause. If we can’t find unity, this city burns.”

  “I understand.”

  Too restless to remain a part of their discussion, she made for the door. She needed answers and some notion of a plan before it all came crashing down around her. Her most valuable source of information was remarkably tight-lipped. Elfrind spoke little and what he did give was nothing they hadn’t already heard from him. At first, she’d thought his silence was due to his years of confinement. After so long of being alone, what use were words? But there was something deeper in his gaze, his hazel eyes watchful and calculating. So far, they’d managed to keep him restrained, but how long would that last? His power was growing, that much she could feel, could see. She thought back to the strange shimmer that had spread across his skin, how he’d recovered more and more each time it happened.

  You’re afraid of him, old woman.

  Such fear was unsettling. She was used to being the threat. How strange to feel the roles reversed.

  Her restless legs brought her before a thick wooden door. Beyond was a room devoid of anything but a table and some chairs. It certainly wasn’t fit for a prince, but he seemed to care little for his former title and privilege.<
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  The door creaked loudly, alerting all inside to her presence. A Seeker stood in every corner, their posture rigid. Seconds before they’d probably been leaning on walls and stifling yawns, but at least they had the decency to hide it. Elfrind raised his head and Mirin almost stopped in her tracks.

  The gauntness gifted to him by years of starvation had disappeared, the only trace found in the sharpness of his jaw line and the slightly sunken planes of his cheeks. Hair, dark as raven feathers, had sprung to life like grass nurtured by spring rains. He squared his shoulders, his gaze rising to meet hers. His hazel eyes burned like fire, radiant and cruel as the king that had killed him. The crystals protruding from his chest caught the light, consumed it. Dead, dull, dark. Emptiness manifested in reality.

  “You ready to speak now, princeling?” she said, but the words sounded hollow, uneasy. Where before there had been a mere pond, there was now a vast ocean of power, swirling and chaotic and entirely under his control. No, her Seekers hadn’t been slacking off. They’d been terrified. Had she really thought they could contain him? She’d been a fool. “You’re dismissed,” she said to her Seekers and they exchanged uneasy glances before leaving the room. The creaking of the door marked their departure and she was left alone with Elfrind.

  “Did you leave them here as a courtesy to me?” Elfrind asked.

  “A precaution.”

  “How foolish. I expect you realize that now.”

  Mirin ground her teeth, glad for the mask hiding her expression. She didn’t need him to know how uneasy he made her. “Obviously nothing is keeping you here. Nothing could keep you here. So why stay?”