The Allseer Trilogy

by Kaitlyn Rouhier

  Samira gave a satisfied nod. “That solves that problem. You have our thanks. Are the Seekers maintaining the barrier?”

  “Yes, but I’m concerned with how long they’ll be able to do so. They are skilled, but they are also human. They’ll need relief soon.”

  “You’ll have more help as soon as we’re done here. A small group will be staying behind to help keep the corruption at bay and keep the city at peace. In all the chaos, you’ve yet to meet my student, Garild. He is quite the scholar and I believe his knowledge and insight could be of great help in handling the various threats being faced here.”

  “I’ll take that into consideration,” she said, looking over Garild with a critical eye. “I’ll be in need of advisors while we make this transition. Where will you go, Samira?” Lillana asked, though Garild suspected she already knew the answer.

  “We head for Korinth,” Samira replied.

  “You mean to follow my brother.”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t know what happened to him in that room. I don’t know what torture he faced or what torment he was made to live through. Whatever has happened has wrecked his mind, I know this. He tried to kill me. Despite that, he is still my brother. If there is even a chance that he can be saved, that you can cure this madness that holds him so tightly, promise me you will do so. He was a good person once.”

  “We will do what we can, but I can make no promises,” Samira said gently. “He is a threat, not just to us, but to the entire world.”

  Lillana straightened, bowing her head slightly. “I… understand. If you are heading to Korinth, I advise that under no circumstances you claim any ties to us. I do not want them thinking we sent a hostile force onto their shores. I will not have the threat of war waved in my face by those arrogant bastards. I’ve met their diplomats. I know how they can be.”

  Samira smiled. “Oh, you only know the half of it. Let’s wrap this up, shall we? I do believe we have some very pompous feathers to ruffle.”

  CHAPTER 15

  Trista stepped into the bright mid-day sun, the chaos around her momentarily lost in her blindness. The smell of burning wood drifted in the sea breeze, tickling her nose. She blinked rapidly, eyes adjusting, and watched as ship hands darted back and forth, some carrying buckets, others wielding swords. Barog was among them, roaring out commands as he helped his men, his focus absolute.

  Whatever was happening to the ship, it wasn’t good.

  From the other side of the ship, over the noise of the crew, she could hear people shouting, their anger and fear nearly palpable. She crept closer, hoping to get a good look at what was going on, to see the damage they’d managed to cause. An arrow arced over her head, tip aflame. It whistled past, missed the ship entirely, and fell into the sea with a hiss. Too dangerous, she thought, whirling back towards the door. If any of the crew were injured in the squabble, she’d need to be around to patch them up.

  As she wrenched open the door and stumbled back into the dark, she collided with Isa, her ward squeaking as if she’d stepped on a mouse. “Gods, Isa! You startled me!”

  “You startled me,” she corrected, eyes wide and fearful. “Is it worse out there?”

  “I don’t know,” Trista said. “I couldn’t even get close enough to look. What is happening?”

  “The mob from the docks decided to take their frustrations out on us. They are trying to burn down the ship,” she explained. “We’re being forced out, but I already let Samira know. She’ll contact me again when she’s come up with a plan. Trista, what are you even doing out here? You’ve been so sick. How are you even standing?”

  “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she grumbled, waving off her apprentice. “Barog gave me an herb to try. I think it actually helped.”

  Her expression shifted, alarm giving way to amusement. “You thought it safe to try?”

  “Anything was worth the risk it if it meant my stomach would stop trying to heave itself out of my body. And to think, such a remedy would come from the likes of him.”

  Isa giggled, stepping down the last few steps to let Trista pass. They were halfway down the hall when the ship lurched, the sudden motion nearly throwing them off their feet. Out to sea they’d drift, waiting on Samira to come up with something clever. She was glad to be feeling better. Had her stomach remained in its previous state and they’d had to head back into the undulating waves, she’d have thrown herself overboard and let the sea take her.

  “Did they make it into the city okay?” Trista asked her student. She feared the answer just as much as she desired it, a brief flash of Garild lying bloody in the streets of Val’shar flitting through her mind, there and gone again.

  “She was brief, but all seems well, at least as far as their wellbeing is concerned.”

  “Let’s hope they get some answers and some way to stop the Darkness. The thought of it all makes me feel sicker than the sea.”

  Isa grimaced. “It feels wrong, like I’ve slipped into one of my own nightmares. I don’t want this to be our reality.”

  Trista could only agree. They’d lived their lives preparing for such a moment, preparing to defend their little sliver of the world from something too terrible to fully comprehend. When they’d been freed of that place, she’d realized just how small that little sliver had been. It felt like Sanctuary had become their reality once more, only there was so much more at stake than the glimmering forests where she’d spent her youth. “Neither do I. As much as I don’t like her, I can only trust in Samira and hope she finds something useful, otherwise we came here for nothing.”

  “You really don’t like her, do you? She’s not as bad as you think,” Isa said, grinning over her shoulder.

  “I don’t think she’s a terrible person, she’s just a little too bold for my taste. And did I mention stubborn?”

  “Like you?” Isa replied coyly.

  “I-I am not!” Trista exclaimed, feeling heat rush to her cheeks. “I’m not.”

  A deep rumbling laugh shook her from behind. “I think you’d be foolish to deny that, at times, your temper is as hot and fiery as your hair. I’ve been scorched by it a time or two, so I think I’m qualified to speak on the matter.”

  Trista groaned and rolled her eyes, spinning on her heels to face Barog. He was much closer than she’d expected, and she nearly bowled over Isa as she stepped back away from him. He was soaked through with sweat, his white shirt clinging to his muscular chest. His dark ringlets were held back away from his face, and his eyes shone with mischief. If her cheeks had been red before, they were certainly redder now. “Don’t startle me like that! And I am not…fiery!”

  “Ah, she sees fit to provide us a demonstration. You are like the untamed jungle cats that inhabit Sharmir, what with all the hissing, and clawing, and baring your teeth.”

  “There are times when I’d very much like to punch you.”

  “And the threats of physical violence.”

  Trista glared. “Your life may be forfeit, but how is the rest of the crew faring?”

  “We’re fine,” Barog chuckled. “We got the fire out before it did much damage. We’re already far enough out to not be in any immediate danger. Isa, have you heard from Samira?”

  “Nothing more. She said they were making some sort of decision and that she’d reach out again soo—oh! Ah! Speaking of…” Trista peered over her shoulder, watched as Isa’s eyes unfocused, peering into some hidden world she’d never know. She felt a twinge of jealousy and wondered how different her life might have been had she possessed such power.

  Isa refocused. “We… we’re splitting up.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s a lot, she’ll have to explain in person, but some of us will be going to Korinth while the others stay in Val’shar. There is corruption in the city and it’s spreading. They need as many of us with powers to stay as possible.”

  Barog shook his head. “So, she wants me to take her across the sea to the bloody sands of Korinth? Is
that what she said? Oh, that vexing witch of a woman. We’ll have words, her and I.”

  Isa chewed her bottom lip, mulling over what she’d heard. “I don’t know what to do, but we’ll need to decide soon. Beneath the castle, tucked into the base of the cliffs, is a dock. It’s hidden out of sight, built to allow the royal family an escape in the event their lives were threatened. Barog, she needs you to get the ship there, and by the time we arrive, we need to decide who stays and who goes. She said to be careful. It won’t be easy to maneuver the ship where we need to be.”

  “Bah!” Barog barked. “What kind of captain does she think me? I’m heading back up to get this ‘ol girl turned around. Telling me to be careful,” he grumbled, his complaints dying away as he trudged back up the stairs.

  “Trista, what will you do? I…I’m supposed to go where you go. I’m your apprentice, but…” Isa lost her words, her gaze sinking towards the floor.

  “But you think Garild is going to stay.” Trista figured Garild would stay stuck to Kirheen like glue. He didn’t seem to have lost his feelings for the girl, but she also wasn’t blind to the looks him and Isa threw at each other when they thought the other wasn’t looking.

  “That’s what it sounded like.”

  Trista sighed, grabbing her apprentice by the shoulder and guiding her down the hall. She almost turned her to her room and then thought better of it. She still hadn’t had a chance to clean it and after spending what felt like months barfing, she didn’t think Isa would appreciate the cramped confines. Or the smell. Oh, gods. The smell. Instead, she led her to the common room, devoid of people thanks to the chaos that had transpired up above. “Sit,” she demanded, and Isa obeyed. “Isa, I hope you know I’m not blind.”

  Isa looked up, her black curls bouncing with the bob of her head. Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t play coy with me. I know better than that. You have feelings for Garild, and perhaps he even has feelings for you. Your torn between being my apprentice and pursuing whatever it is blooming between you.”

  Isa swallowed hard, looking down at her fidgeting hands.

  How long have we been running from our past? How long have we been hiding?

  Trista knelt down before her, taking her apprentices hands in her own. “Isa, it’s okay. There is only room for one healer on this ship, and despite the way the sea torments me, perhaps this is where I’m meant to be. And you… maybe you’re supposed to be by his side.”

  Isa shuddered, a small sniffle turning into a bigger sob. “Then why do I feel so guilty?”

  Trista’s heart turned into a knot within her chest. She’d felt it herself, that aching, festering guilt keeping her chained to the past. Her thoughts were tormented by it. If she’d done something different, would Fenir still be alive? If she’d been stronger, could she have stopped what happened? Could she have stopped the pain? It couldn’t have been any different for Isa. She’d lost Ian in the most brutal and painful way possible. No wonder the poor girl feared her choices, feared her feelings.

  “Isa, our future is at stake and we’re here clinging to a past that we can no longer change. You are my apprentice and in the time I’ve known you, I’ve discovered just how wonderful, and courageous, and beautiful you are, all the way through to your soul. Don’t let the memory of Sanctuary take that from you. We are more than this pain, more than this stupid aching hole in our hearts. We… we deserve more and we need to fight for it. We need to fight for this future. If Garild is what you desire, if that is where your heart is, then stay by his side and don’t let him go.”

  Isa nodded, making futile attempts to halt her tears. She hugged Trista tightly, and she hugged her back, stroking her hand over soft ringlets. “You’ll be stuck here with Barog,” Isa sniffled and Trista laughed, pulling away from her.

  “You know, I hate that I’m even saying this, but maybe he isn’t as bad as I once thought. He’s still a pig, but maybe more of a nice, handsome pig.”

  Isa’s tears turned to laughter, her giggles filling the room with warmth. “When you complain about him next time we meet, I’ll be sure to remind you that you said that.”

  “I’ll be counting on it,” Trista said, unable to stop herself from smiling.

  “Do you think we can really do this? Do you think we can stop The Darkness?”

  “I think we have to try, and if we stand with our friends, I think we might just have a shot. It’s what we were all trained for after all.” Trista said, rising to her feet. “Have you made a decision, Isa, one that you can be happy with? One that you’re willing to fight for?”

  Isa, eyes bright and blue, nodded. “I have. I’ll stay with Garild, no matter where it leads.”

  Trista smiled, her heart filled with such sadness and joy that the two conflicting emotions seemed fit to break it. She held out her hand. “Then let’s go protect this future – our future.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Kirheen winced, an arc of pain shooting across her forehead. With it followed a voice, that same ethereal voice that had spoken to her when Elfrind had tried to steal her power. He was a fool, turned prophecy into a distorted truth.

  The voice was loud, yet soft, like two people speaking at once, their voices harmonized. Only it was more than that, it was hundreds of voices, layers and layers of feminine tones all laced together into a solitary being. And in it, she could hear her own voice. It was beautiful, tranquil, and absolutely the last thing she needed to be hearing.

  “Kir, you’re doing that wincing thing again. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?” Tomias asked, stepping closer, his brow furrowed with worry. The others had left them alone to discuss their decision, a decision that was very hard to make considering the dozens of thoughts smashing together inside her head. Everything was happening so fast. Her powers. Being attacked by Elfrind. Meeting Samira. Seeing Garild again. She hadn’t even had time to recover and now they’d be rushing off to Korinth to stop a man that she could still feel pinning her to the ground, draining away her power drop by drop.

  And now she was hearing voices in her head. Is it my voice? My thoughts? It felt like hers and yet it felt foreign, invasive. Is it the crystals? “I’m starting to wish I had. I could wake up and pretend that none of this was happening.”

  Tomias frowned. He knew better than anyone when she was holding back, when she was giving him half-truths and deflecting with humor. He was, after all, the master of doing just that. He crossed his arms and waited for her to break.

  “I hate it when you do this,” she groaned. “I can’t keep anything a secret from you.”

  His frown broke into a grin and he stepped forward, dragging her into his embrace. He kissed her forehead tenderly. “Do you really hate it?”

  “A little,” Kirheen said, sighing as she relaxed against his chest. “It’s like your invading my mind and you don’t even have to. It’s annoying.”

  “I can try to stop,” he offered.

  “Ha, like that’s even possible! I think you do it just to torment me.”

  “Oh, I do. So, you want to tell me what’s on your mind or do I have to actually do this the hard way?”

  “I’m feeling overwhelmed,” she admitted, slipping the muzzle off her thoughts. “My friend, who just weeks ago said he hated me, showed up in my room knowing everything that is happening and came with another like me in tow. There is another like me – two, in fact! Possibly three! And now I have to go to Korinth and help her stop a man that recently tried to kill me. There was Sanctuary, and now there is this, and I’m really starting to wonder which is worse.”

  “I’m overwhelmed by your choice of words. You said ‘I’ not ‘we’. You meant to say ‘we’ right? As in, ‘we’re’ going to Korinth.’”

  Kirheen snorted. “You don’t want a break? I dragged you here after all, didn’t I?”

  “I will have you know, I came of my own free will,” he said smugly. “Support, and love, and all that.”

  She needed more, needed s
omething beyond the humor and the sarcasm. She pulled back from him, eyes tracing the lines of his face. “And it’s true, isn’t it? You really would go to Korinth with me, even knowing we might fail, that we might lose everything.”

  The humor faded from his eyes and his gaze locked with hers. His hands slid up her arms, past her shoulders and along her neck, tracing fire as they went. Gently, he cupped her cheeks and leaned closer, his nose nearly touching hers. “I would follow you anywhere. To Korinth, to Sharmir, to the far, far frozen north. Not because it is expected of me, not because I have to, but because I want to. I want you and I will fight for a future with you in it, no matter where it takes me. You understand that, right? You, Kirheen, you are my future and I won’t let some skeletal prince or a bunch of pompous desert dwellers take that from me.”

  Kirheen swallowed hard, her eyes stinging as she fought back tears. She didn’t deserve him, and yet she couldn’t imagine not having him at her side. With everything happening, he was the glue holding her together, a solid reality she could tether herself to. She leaned forward, closing the gap between them. His lips were warm, the hands holding her face even more so, and she lost herself in that safety, let it fill her with peace.

  “So,” he mumbled against her lips. “Does this mean I get to go?”

  She rolled her eyes and shoved him away. “Yes. You get to go.”

  “Good,” he said, standing triumphantly. “You’ll need me to protect you.”

  Kirheen shook her head, hand rising to brush against the crystals protruding from her chest. They were cold to the touch, and beneath them, she could feel her power lurking, waiting, begging to be unleashed. Since she’d awakened, she’d not dared to dip too deeply into her power. It was frightening, an untamed beast that could devour and destroy so, so easily.