Malacross nodded mournfully. “Your mind is slowly failing.”
“Failing? You mean I’m dying?”
“Yes.”
“Oh,” he grunted. “Well, isn’t that just fantastic?” He sighed and clenched his teeth. “Can you do anything to help me?”
“I have been attempting to soothe your mind, but it continues to resist. You are…unstable.”
“Everything is changing too quickly,” Jason said. “I look at these people I’ve known for years, and everything is suddenly different. Their thoughts are so…”
“Your species is one of contradiction,” Malacross said. “You speak one thing and think another. It becomes impossible to sort truth from fiction.”
“That’s probably part of it,” he conceded. “But I think my problem runs deeper. It feels like I’m always standing in the center of a coliseum. The noise becomes so loud I can’t even hear myself.” He sighed and pulled his jacket more tightly around his arms. “There has to be a way to block it.”
“I do not understand.”
“There has to be a way to control this telepathy, to limit what I feel.”
“Can you choose what you smell?” Malacross asked. “Or what you see?”
“Not really,” Jason conceded. “But this isn’t the same thing, is it? Other channelers learnt to deal with it.”
“You are not a channeler,” she reminded him. “You are neither Bound nor Unbound. You share my spirit and my senses. You must adapt.”
“I’m not an Immortal,” he insisted, standing. “You just told me that my mind can’t take this. There has to be a way to control it somehow.”
She remained silent for a long moment, and Jason started to wonder if there was something wrong with her. But eventually she pivoted about to face him again. “Perhaps you should consult one of these channelers you speak of. Perhaps they can help you.”
“You don’t sound very convinced of that.”
“I am not.”
“Great,” Jason muttered. “That’s just great. I have a goddess inside my head, and she can’t stop me from going crazy. Why are you even here if you can’t help me?”
Malacross turned back towards the battlements. “I thought perhaps you would understand this future more than I.”
“War is coming—that much is obvious. But I have no idea why we’re alone here. That makes no sense.”
“Regardless, you must be prepared for whatever comes.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m going insane,” Jason said. “And we can’t fight off a whole army by ourselves.”
“You must find a way,” Malacross told him. “Or we are both doomed.”
The vision slowly faded, and his eyes fluttered open as the warmth of the nearby fireplace returned to his body. The throbbing in his skull, unfortunately, returned in full force.
***
Elade had nearly drifted off when a brisk knock sounded at the door. She instantly bounced to her feet, her hand instinctively dropping to the pommel of her sword. The others, notably, didn’t even twitch. They had purchased the largest single room at the Willow Vale, a luxurious two bed suite, and had decided to catch a few hours of sleep while they waited for Darius to arrive in the city. Jason and Tam had passed out on the beds nearly immediately, and even Sarina was unconscious on the couch, having finally taken a break from staring out the window and fretting about the room. Selvhara was awake if not particularly lucid, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of some sweet-smelling incense. Gor had curled himself up in a corner and could have been mistaken for an enormous pet if not for his large horns.
Elade briefly considered waking them up but decided against it. The odds that anyone would attempt to harm them inside Garos were incalculably low, after all, and most likely Colonel Ectar had simply dispatched a messenger to fetch them. She stepped over to the door and opened the handle—
And was greeted by the warm smile of Darius Iouna and two burly Alliance soldiers.
“Hello, Dame Devarath,” he said with a half-bow. “It’s good to see you again.”
Elade released her grip on her weapon and leaned in to give him a quick hug. She didn’t particularly care whether it was “appropriate” or not; right now she was just happy to see a friendly face.
“Sorry,” she said, pushing away after a moment. “I’m just glad you’re here. We’ve had some…complications.”
“So I’ve heard,” he replied, squeezing her hand and signaling for his bodyguards to wait in the hall. “May I come in?”
Elade gestured inside. “Please.”
“Lively crowd,” he commented once the door closed behind him.
“We had a long night on the road, and several other long days before that.”
“No doubt. I’ve only heard bits and pieces about what happened, but from the sound of it almost nothing went like Highlord Dracian expected.”
“Or anyone else,” Elade murmured. “The situation in Lyebel is much more complicated than we first thought.”
The others finally stirred at the sounds of their voices. Selvhara was the first to blink out of her trance. “General,” she said, smiling. “It has been a long time.”
He smiled back. “Too long, Captain. It’s good to see you again.”
“Captain?” Tam asked groggily, still half slung over the bed. “Were you a pirate at some point and forgot to mention it?”
“She was commissioned on the battlefield by King Whitestone himself, I’m told,” Darius said. “But I and many other Solarians owe her our lives.”
“That is less surprising,” Tam murmured.
The group briefly exchanged pleasantries and caught up, though Jason was the slowest to recover. He was visibly deteriorating ever since they left Lyebel; after only a day on the road, his skin was pale and his eyes were surrounded by dark circles.
“I can’t believe you climbed all the way through the ranks in just a few years,” Jason commented after a brief exchange. “That has to be some kind of record.”
“I’m not sure, but I owe all of it to you,” Darius replied. “I’m sure you’ve told your friends about your heroics at Isen.”
“Many times,” Tam grumbled. “In the last telling, he drove back the entire Crell force while personally slaying three dragons.”
Jason shot his friend a glare. “Feel free to ignore him, by the way.”
“We have much to discuss, General,” Selvhara said gravely. “And there are many things you need to know.”
Darius nodded. “Then please, tell me. I’ll see what I can do to help.”
Jason glanced to each of the others in the room and took a seat next to Sarina on the couch. “You might as well sit down. This is going to take awhile.”
Jason laid it all out, from their discovery of the cube to their flight from Lyebel. He only laid out the basics of the spark, however, which was probably for the best. Darius took it all in, asking questions only when absolutely necessary. As always, Elade was impressed with how quickly he always managed to get a hold on the situation.
“You’ve had a hell of a few weeks,” he commented. “It’s amazing you all survived.”
“Miraculous is more like it,” Jason agreed.
“I only wish we knew more about what the Crell were up to specifically. This new channeling technique is worrisome, and I haven’t been able to figure out exactly what they intend to do with their forces along the border.”
“We can’t help you with that, but we did learn a great deal about the infestation in Lyebel. I think we know who is responsible.” Jason glanced to the others and then visibly braced himself. “My father.”
Darius cocked an eyebrow. “Your father? But he died at Tibel years ago.”
“No, he didn’t,” Elade said, crossing her arms. “He’s been secretly running the Galvian Resistance the entire time. Adar is just a front man.”
“You met with him? He told you this?”
“Not exactly,” Jason muttered, leaning backwards. “T
his…joining I’ve had has granted me some telepathic abilities. I unwittingly plucked the truth from Adar’s mind.”
“I see,” Darius murmured, though he obviously didn’t understand. “I thought you said it wasn’t a divine spark?”
“It wasn’t—it isn’t.” Jason sighed in frustration. “Look, it’s hard to explain, but suffice to say I can hear thoughts sometimes. I picked this up from Adar, and when we confronted him about it he told us the rest. My father is alive, and he’s the real rebel leader. He’s also on his way to Celenest.”
The general’s brow furrowed. “Why would he fake his death? If he was alive, the Council might have been willing to send help much sooner.”
Jason eyes flickered to Selvhara for a second. “We believe he’s also the one controlling the demons. Before Tibel, he had apparently started dabbling in demonology, and if he is a warlock then it explains a great deal.”
“Yes, it does,” Darius said as his eyes narrowed in thought. “So you want to follow him to Celenest in order to flush him out.”
“I should be able to sense his demons,” Elade explained. “I haven’t informed anyone about the specifics because we don’t want him to go underground. We know he has informants in the Council, and probably in the Dawn, too.”
“Probably a good idea,” Darius said approvingly. “But there’s a problem: Lord Alric is searching for you.”
“I know. The other knights will try to apprehend me if they find me. I had to confront Lavonde just to leave Lyebel.”
“Every priest in the Alliance is on notice to apprehend you on sight,” Darius said, his lips twisted in disgust. “I can keep you relatively safe here, but you won’t find many allies in Celenest.”
Elade pursed her lips. “I assume Alric told you why he wishes me captured.”
“He isn’t keeping it a secret, no. He and the king share a similar view of Unbound, as backwards as it may be.”
“You don’t agree with them?” she asked.
Darius snorted. “No. The concept of birthright should have died out along with an unchecked monarch, and willingly throwing away some of our most powerful is just…well, stupid.”
“I’m glad you feel that way,” Elade replied, smiling despite herself. His attitude probably shouldn’t have surprised her; he had always been more accepting of her than the other Alliance soldiers. Still, it was good to know that he would continue to support her.
“This does present us with an interesting opportunity,” he mused. “There is one person in Celenest who I know would be willing to help you.”
“Krystia,” Jason replied cheerfully. “I’m honestly a little surprised she hasn’t been locked away by now.”
“As far as I know, she’s the only exception the king has ever made—at the Highlord’s request, of course. In any case, I can have her meet up with you shortly after you arrive.”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” Tam said, grinning. “There’s something about a priestess with a dirty secret…”
Darius favored him with a look that wasn’t quite a glare but definitely wasn’t friendly. “I wouldn’t count on getting too close.”
Tam shrugged. “Hey, you never know.”
“Maybe she can help me,” Jason said, ignoring his friend with practiced ease. “She’s a telepath, right?”
Darius nodded. “A powerful one. She’s also a renowned healer.”
“Good. I need to learn to control my new abilities before they drive me crazy.”
The general favored him with a concerned expression, and Selvhara reached over to his arm and squeezed it tightly.
“We appreciate the help, General,” she told him warmly. “Tevek always said you had a good heart.”
He smiled, though the sadness behind it was obvious. “I hope he’s all right.”
“We all do.”
Elade felt her jaw tighten. Right now her friend and mentor was likely supplicating himself before the Conclave, begging their forgiveness for what he had done. Actually, he probably wasn’t—he believed in the choices he’d made, and he wouldn’t apologize for them. He would regret the lies but not the actions themselves. He would stand up in front of the knight-lords and tell them why they were wrong, and they would almost assuredly damn him for it. She only hoped the more sensible members of the Conclave would be willing to show him mercy.
Now more than ever, she longed to be able to speak with him, if only so he wouldn’t feel so hopelessly alone. For a moment she almost wished Lavonde had dragged her back. At least she would be there to help Tevek, to let them cast all the blame they wanted on her. But she knew he would want her here, right at the heart of this conflict. Perhaps they could find out what Ethan Moore was up to and stop him before it was too late. If they weren’t careful, they could have another Serogar on their hands.
“I’ll have everything ready with the portal by morning,” Darius said after a moment of silence. “I’ll clear out the guards so only a few people will even see you use it.”
“What about the priests maintaining it?” Jason asked.
“Maintaining a portal requires immense concentration,” he explained. “They’re barely aware of their surroundings during their shifts. I wouldn’t worry about them.”
“I think we’ll get some more sleep, then,” Elade said wearily.
He nodded and stood, making a polite nod to each of them. She escorted him to the door and squeezed his arm as he started to leave.
“I appreciate your help, Darius,” she told him. “We all do.”
“Sooner or later, things will have to change here,” he whispered. “They’ll have to change everywhere. But Solaria will welcome you again even if I have to beg King Areekan myself.”
Elade smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “We’ll talk to you again soon, I’m sure. Thank you.”
She closed the door and returned to the couch she’d claimed earlier. She was still tired—more tired than she’d been in as long as she could remember—and she had a sneaking suspicion this might be the best chance any of them were going to get to catch a full night’s sleep for a while.
“You know, Jace, I’m sorry I doubted you on this one,” Tam commented into the silence. He was still sprawled haphazardly across the bed, and his unkempt shock of blond hair looked even more frazzled than normal. “This trip was a great idea.”
Jason sighed. “Don’t get your hopes up with Krystia.”
Tam blinked. “You’re not in my head, are you?”
“No, that doesn’t mean I don’t know what you’re thinking,” Jason told him. “Krystia and Darius are a couple, you idiot.”
The other man’s face soured. “Then I take it all back. This was absolutely a terrible idea.”
“I hate you,” Sarina said, playfully throwing a pillow at him. Or at least Elade assumed it was playful—it was hard to tell with an Asgardian. “Just shut up and get some sleep.”
Elade smiled and closed her eyes.
***
Tevek took a deep breath as he stepped into Knight’s Rest, the large, secluded chamber situated directly in the center of the Dawn Citadel. In nearly four decades of service, he had only entered this room a few dozen times. Like the rest of the Citadel, the walls inside were burnished obsidian, but here they constantly shimmered with the reflection of the glowing crystal at the heart of the chamber. The massive “Godstone” dappled the entire room in a soft blue radiance not so different from the moon, and Tevek had always come here to find peace and serenity in times of great burden.
But not today.
Now the very air inside the Citadel burned in his lungs. He had achieved so much in Maeleon’s name, but now everything was coming apart at the seams. He had broken the Code. He had lied to the Conclave. He had lied to his friends. But the worst part was that he would have done it all again if given the chance.
It was a lesson he had taught his squires for decades, and one he still whole-heartedly embraced: the Code was an excellent guideline, but it was a poor substitut
e for a conscience. Throughout the history of the Last Dawn, the Code had been absolute. Other customs and protocols had changed and adapted with the times, but the word of Maeleon was literally set in stone.
He had petitioned the Conclave to amend the Code nineteen years ago, shortly after first being promoted into its ranks. The restriction on Unbound, he had argued, was as morally dubious as preventing service due to race or gender. The knight-lords had not been persuaded then, and little had changed since. Such an amendment required six votes, and he had never been able to muster more than three. Most of his fellow knights had probably forgotten about those old debates but Gabriel hadn’t. His old friend hadn’t been a member of the Conclave at the time, but he had warned Tevek against pressing the issue. At the time, Tevek had thought his friend was just trying to protect him. Now he wasn’t so certain.
Tevek’s gaze drifted to the shimmering Godstone, and for a brief instant he could see the past as clearly as if he were reliving it. He wondered if he should have been harder on Gabriel. Tevek had always been a tolerant man, willing to at least hear out opposing perspectives, and perhaps that was part of the reason this was all coming to a head now. Gabriel adamantly disagreed with many of his decisions as Highlord, and he had smelled the political blood in the water. He placed duty above even friendship, which was an admirable enough quality at times, but right now Tevek couldn’t see past the man’s bigotry. Gabriel had hated Elade the moment she and her gray skin had first come to the Citadel. The fact she was Unbound had only galvanized a long-festering hatred.
Whatever happened here today, Tevek vowed that he wouldn’t allow the Conclave to simply sweep her under the rug. If he couldn’t prevent her dismissal, he could at least fight to keep her free. She wouldn’t be welcome in the Alliance, of course—Areekan was just as bigoted against Unbound as the Conclave—but perhaps she could take up arms with the Galvian rebels. They weren’t perfect, but perhaps with her guidance they could become moral and military guides for their people.
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