“I appreciate how highly you value our lives, Dreya,” Ella picked up where Saibra left off. “But you have to accept that yours is even more important.”
That really was the sticking point for me—placing a higher value on myself than those around me. I knew that I played a critical role in Arrika’s future and that I had to survive to see my quest through to its completion, but it was a struggle for me to allow others to sacrifice themselves for my benefit. Then, as I stood there warring with myself, something Tási had said came back to me. ‘The dead heal no wounds,’ she’d told me when I’d almost lost my life trying to resurrect too many of our people who’d fallen in battle. It was an admonition she’d used to make the point that a healer’s first duty was often to see to their own safety, for once they fell, no more lives would be saved.
While Tási’s precaution was not a precise match for the point Ella and Saibra were trying to make, it was close enough. It wouldn’t be easy for me to back away from a fight, but I could see the possibility that I might have to if the odds were stacked too highly against us. My protectors might have to hold off pursuit or sacrifice themselves to allow me to escape to fight another day, and I’d need to have the strength to let them do just that; to allow them to die so that I might live.
“I can’t promise you anything,” I sighed in resignation. “But I’ll try.”
It was the most I could offer without actually lying to them.
I could read the expression on Ella’s face as she glanced in Saibra’s direction—she clearly hadn’t expected to get anything more than the slight concession I’d given them either. Still, they let the matter go at that, and I left the two of them behind as I ventured into my own quarters for the night.
I walked through my bedroom quickly, looking over the new furniture as I passed through. The room looked nothing like it had before; not only had everything been replaced but Talína had also seen that it was rearranged as well. It was almost as if I was in a completely different place; a place where I could start over again. Part of me missed it all, but I knew that the memories that were locked up in my old furnishings would have only prevented me from moving forward.
Bane’s room, on the other hand, was simply incredible. A huge stone fireplace graced the wall opposite where he lay, and although it wasn’t lit, I knew that it would provide ample warmth for the cavernous chamber when the nights grew cold. The polished stone floor was nearly completely covered in the soft cushions that Aiva and my other guards had made for him. I glanced at the massive doors that barred the opening Bane had entered through as I made my way to him. They were no longer the glass barriers that had graced the portal to his old chamber, but thick and heavy wood doors, banded with Dwarven Steel. Obviously, security concerns had taken precedence over aesthetics, but with the windows that had been added, plenty of light would still be able to filter in.
I have missed you, Sintári, Bane’s voice echoed in my head as I nestled into the crook of his arm. He’d been off scouting in preparation for our offensive, and we hadn’t even been able to talk for some time.
‘I missed you too, Bane,’ I replied as I wrapped myself up and leaned against his warm belly—if I was able to get in just the right spot, the fires burning inside him would keep me toasty and warm all through the night.
Considering our long separation, I thought we’d talk more, but as I lay against Bane’s side, he simply coiled around me and purred in satisfaction as he lay down his head to sleep. He was so comfortable to lay beside, and his deep, resonant sound of contentment was so soothing that I quickly fell asleep within his sheltering embrace.
7
The next few weeks were fairly peaceful, if not calm. Bane’s scouting found a path for us to follow when it finally came time for us to launch our assault, so with that accomplished, I diverted him away from that area entirely, lest his presence be noted.
As the fortress that Ridge was building for us neared completion, the troops we sent there, supplemented by additional soldiers Wenflé had provided, began patrolling the surrounding area. But as time went on, those patrols encountered increasing opposition during those outings. Before long, we could only send out very large groups to conduct reconnaissance, as any small parties were too often vastly overmatched by the growing numbers of orcs, goblins, and ogres that roamed the area. Our presence on the border with the Dark Lands was already drawing the attention we had anticipated, and so it seemed that our success would depend on whether or not we could pull off our deception.
As far as that matter went, things were going well. Evans finally had all the troops we were promised, and volunteers continued to trickle in with almost every caravan that passed. In total, eight thousand troops had come in from our allies, along with nearly three thousand volunteers—a tremendous fighting force, yet our numbers were likely pitiful against the horde that the Dark Lands could muster. The First Marshal trained his new soldiers hard, knowing that the coming battles they would fight promised to be fierce; our enemy would show them no mercy, and it seemed that Evans was determined to do the same.
A great deal of my own time was taken up by war councils and other meetings with my advisors. I did manage to have a few private consultations with Chief Minister Venna and Commander Ella, of course, as well as my weekly breakfasts with Líann. My healing of Saibra continued as well, and I would stay with her for a while at the end of every day before retiring to my own quarters, where I slept with Bane.
Nearly every evening ended with me patching Saibra’s core, but the work became almost a formality after a while. The shattered pieces had bonded together quite strongly, and the once-mottled surface was almost a uniform dark green in color. Not only did our healing go well, but Saibra also became much more comfortable with me after our first real night together. She was still a bit hesitant at times, but more often than not, our intimate moments began with Saibra pulling me to her the moment I’d finished my healing.
The time I spent with my Tári seemed to become more important for me as the strain of planning our invasion of the Dark Lands increased. I would have expected the stress to bring out my shadows, but surprisingly, it was Venna who I found myself drawn to most strongly as the pressure mounted. At first, I thought it was odd that her gentle V’Ríel beckoned to me in such trying times until I realized that it wasn’t Venna’s V’Ríel that I was after—it was Venna herself that I needed so badly. Her calm reassurance and the peace that being with Venna brought to me soothed away my worries more than anything else could.
During one of those occasions, as Venna and I were simply lying on the couch in her office, a knock came at her door. Venna rose to answer, and then quickly returned to me with the news that the messenger had brought.
“Another Deathless has been captured,” Venna excitedly relayed what she’d been told. “She was apparently trying to sneak back into the Dark Lands when a caravan came across her, and they managed to take her captive. They’re on their way to us now and should be here in just a week or two.”
After both of the Deathless we’d captured died their final deaths before I’d been able to learn anything about our unseen enemy, I fully intended to make sure that this one yielded her secrets to me before I’d let her escape so easily. I’d ensure that she’d experience true suffering and tell me everything she knew before I’d let her spend the rest of her days rotting in the cells far below the Palace.
“We’re going to send some troops to escort them the rest of the way,” I replied as I stood up and began heading for the door. “I don’t want to give this Deathless any chance to escape me.”
Venna followed closely on my heels as I marched straight for the Garrison. Word of the capture of this Deathless had already reached some of my other advisors, and I found the First Marshal as he was making his way to meet me at the Palace.
“Evans, I want you to send a detachment to meet the caravan that is holding this Deathless,” I greeted him with my orders. “Have them bring one of the sets of restr
aints that Hilgreth made. I want this Deathless here as quickly as possible. We need to find out what she knows.”
“I was on my way to you to suggest the very same thing, Empress,” Evans replied. “In fact, I’ve already got a group waiting to depart.”
With a wave of his hand, the First Marshal signaled to a large group of mounted soldiers, obviously chosen for their speed, and they galloped away immediately, kicking up a cloud of dust as they disappeared into the tunnel that led outside the Garrison gates. It was good to have competent people beside me, even more so when they could anticipate what was required, as Evans so often did.
Once the soldiers were dispatched, I had only to wait for this Deathless to be dragged back to me. With my anticipation running high, I felt my nerves begin to fray and decided to vent some of my energy with a little more training. Hopefully, a few Fireballs or something would serve to calm me down. If not, I had one other idea I might try.
Venna came along with me to my hidden training spot. The cliffside was scorched black after enduring so many impacts, and most of the vegetation had been burnt away, but the place still served its purpose. As I took up my position, I summoned my Shadow Armor and launched a Fireball at the stone walls. Although it slammed into the rock face with a resounding explosion of flames, the effect did little to calm me. So, instead of casting another, I summoned a pair of black orbs and stared into their inky darkness for a moment.
The last time I’d used them was during the battle at Kiva, after Tási had fallen. Those tremendous balls of shadow made the tiny orbs in the palms of my hands seem almost insignificant in comparison. But my rage had been all-consuming when I’d summoned those terrible spheres, and I wasn’t sure I could bring forth so much of my darkness without that fury coursing through my veins.
Still, I tried. The black orbs had slain hundreds, if not thousands of my enemies in the frozen north and might very well do the same in the Dark Lands, saving the lives of my own soldiers as they slaughtered the enemy. So, I focused on growing the power of the two smaller orbs I held in my hands to see if I could increase their deadly power—to no avail.
No matter what I did, I couldn’t make the orbs grow any larger or more powerful. I understood and even expected that I wouldn’t be able to recreate the massive sphere’s I’d made before, but the fact that I could do absolutely nothing with the tiny orbs was extremely frustrating. I had to be missing something, but I had no idea what that might be.
Instead of dwelling on my failure and becoming even more frustrated, I started slinging my dark orbs at the cliffside, one after another. The effort took no Aura or Endurance since it only consumed my own inner reserve of shadows, so I was able to throw quite a few of them before I finally decided to stop. I could feel my darkness ebbing when the last orb struck the hard stone; spending my shadows had provided me with enough of a diversion so that I felt calmer than I had before. Things may not have gone as I’d intended, but at least I’d achieved my goal.
Venna had been sparring with Saibra while I was busy, a challenge that few seemed able to resist, and none had managed to overcome. She was simply too good with her blades for anyone other than perhaps a Deathless to defeat her, and with her new swords, even a Deathless would have to be very, very good to stand a chance. Still, Venna was no easy mark, and she’d managed to at least put up a good fight before Saibra completely dismantled her.
“You were just toying with me, weren’t you?” Venna uttered in exasperation as she picked herself up off the ground—not for the first time that afternoon.
“If I didn’t, you’d never get to swing that fancy club of yours more than once,” Saibra replied with a smirk I swore she’d stolen from Stel.
“Maybe I should take a turn,” I broke in as I stood between the two of them. Venna had obviously taken the worst of their exchanges, as the dirt that smeared her usually impeccably clean armor clearly showed. She obviously needed a break, and I hadn’t sparred with Saibra since I’d increased my own talents with the Skill Boost Ability. While I had no delusions that I’d defeat her, I hoped to at least surprise Saibra with my ability.
Saibra stared at me with a predatory gaze as she took up my challenge. She might show some restraint from time to time, but Saibra never truly held back, and she was clearly looking forward to giving me a lesson that day. As she slowly circled towards my left, I spun the practice sword in my right hand, taunting her just a little. It wasn’t a very smart move, but I was trying to bait Saibra into attacking me, hoping to gain some advantage by forcing her to move first.
My ploy didn’t work, and Saibra continued silently stalking me as we danced slow circles around each other. I toyed with the idea of casting Entangle on her, trapping Saibra in its grasping tendrils while I scored hit after hit on her, but that would have defeated the purpose of our combat—this was only a test of our talent with blades, not a true battle.
I swear she read my mind, however, because Saibra’s brow arched in amusement as the thought went through my head. My damn Tári were getting a little too good at reading me—I’d clearly have to learn to hide things a little bit better if I wanted to keep any secrets from them.
Just as that thought distracted me for a second, Saibra launched herself at me. In a whirl of flashing steel, she was suddenly on me, and even though we were only using practice swords, I fought desperately to keep her from running me through.
Saibra’s blows rained down in an almost endless series of strikes that seemed to come from every conceivable angle. I was forced backwards as I struggled to defend against her attacks until I finally rolled away in a desperate gamble for space. Fortunately, I didn’t telegraph my move, and I had a quick moment to take a deep breath before Saibra began stalking me once more.
“You are far better than you were the last time we fought, Empress,” Saibra’s eyes tracked my movements as she spoke.
“That’s funny,” I taunted her. “You seem about the same as I remember.”
That was a stupid, stupid move.
Saibra squinted as she stopped her circling and merely bore down on me instead. This time when she closed in, there were no flashing blades, only relentless slashes, each aimed at piercing my defenses and landing a telling blow. I held her off for only a few scant seconds before Saibra landed three quick strikes when those defenses finally collapsed. Although my Armor of Melía prevented the blows from causing any real damage, Saibra had struck me fairly hard, letting me know just what she’d thought of my feeble jab.
“You’re nearly as good as her,” Venna whispered to me while Saibra was packing up her gear.
“Not even close,” I laughed. “All I was able to do was hold Saibra off for a time. I didn’t even have a chance to make a single attack.”
“She got past my defenses within seconds every time, Dreya,” Venna replied. “Holding off someone with Saibra’s skill for as long as you did is rather remarkable.”
Yeah, I did a great job of not dying too quickly, I thought before remembering Mother’s words. She’d told me that Insleí had been one of the deadliest assassins on the continent and that I was lucky to have Saibra on my side. Considering her immense skill, perhaps my meager success was more meaningful than I’d first believed.
Over dinner, I discussed the impending arrival of our soon-to-be prisoner with my advisors, and we all hoped to meet with much more success interrogating her than we had with our last two ‘guests.’ The Deathless was a potential gold mine of information if we could get past the links around her neck. Aaden was supposedly working on the issue, but until he found some solution, I’d work on finding out whatever I could. At the very least, I should learn all about the Deathless and her crimes since the links didn’t seem to shield the Deathless themselves; they only protected their unseen master.
One troubling fact was revealed, however—something that hadn’t been included in the initial report Venna had received. This Deathless was an Evoker, a rather powerful spellcaster, and questioning her on any matter w
ould be extremely dangerous.
In order to get any answers out of the Deathless, she’d need to be able to speak, but the ability to speak would also allow her the opportunity to cast her magic, giving the Deathless a chance to strike back at us. Apparently, just like dealing with soul bound items, this was not an entirely new issue, and there were some techniques that could be used. Most commonly, at least in major settlements, there were magical restraints that could be employed, but we didn’t have access to them. They were rare, costly, and usually kept secret, for obvious reasons, and no one was likely to give them up to us anyway, lest they not have the restraints available for their own use.
The other option was a counterspell, one that would trigger the instant someone attempted to cast any magic. Invoking the complex Spell was a bit of a process, so it had no real combat utility but was a true boon in situations such as this. One of the Curates had agreed to teach the magic to Venna so that she might cast it on the Deathless before I began my questioning. In an effort to isolate our prisoner, few others would be allowed access to the Deathless besides the two of us.
It was a decent enough plan, provided Venna could learn the magic in time, and I felt confident that we just might get the information we needed. After settling a few other matters, our meeting adjourned, and I headed off to my rooms. When we finally reached Saibra’s suite, I walked her inside as I always did at the end of the day, and she quickly stripped off her armor and lay down so that I could delve inside her.
There was very little for me to do once I was inside her, the seams between the shattered sections of her core were slowly healing on their own, and the deep green color nearly covered every bit of her core. Still, I poured some of my energy into reinforcing the healing I’d already done before withdrawing my presence from within her.
Second Skin Omnibus Page 202