“Not the Elocien you know,” agreed Erran quietly. “He was about to kill me, and something just… snapped. I was inside his mind, somehow. I made him stop, made him take me down. I was just going to get him to let me go, maybe try and make him forget all about me, and then I thought…” He gave a slight shrug. “There were going to be others.”
Kol sat heavily as what Erran was saying sunk in. “You’ve been Controlling Elocien?”
“Not always directly, but… yes. For the past three years.” Erran stared at the floor, unwilling to meet anyone’s gaze. “To start with I just sat in this room most of the day and made sure that he didn’t try to kill anyone. I don’t know why, but after a while the link became… more permanent. Easier to sustain, to control. And then my feelings, my ideas, began replacing his. Bleeding into him, I suppose. He started to think like me. Started doing what I would have done in a situation, but of his own volition.” He grimaced, looking awkward. “After that I just made sure that when I felt the old Elocien starting to take over again, I suppressed him.”
There was silence for a long few moments as they all tried to process what Erran had told them.
“He really murdered the other Augurs he found?” asked Fessi, distress evident in her tone.
Erran gave her a sad nod. “Four of them. One was eight years old.”
The blood drained from Fessi’s face, and she looked away. “Then… you did the right thing, Erran. I wish you’d told us, but… you did the right thing,” she said softly.
Kol hesitated, then put a muscular arm around Fessi, nodding his silent agreement.
“So why tell us now?” the big man asked.
Erran bit his lip, glancing at Asha.
“Elocien was killed, Kol. About an hour or so ago,” said Asha gently.
Kol looked at her, shocked, and he took a moment to respond. “What happened?”
“The Blind fooled us into leaving the Shields, and…” Asha trailed off as she thought about that moment, remembered how Elocien had jumped in front of Wirr. How the duke had pleaded with his son not to save him, so that the Tenets could be changed.
Erran saw her expression, and gazed at the ground. “He was wounded,” he finished. “The details don’t matter.”
Asha stared at Erran, uncertain how to feel. She’d put her trust in Elocien. She’d liked the man.
“You sent Torin to Caladel,” she said suddenly, feeling sick.
Erran nodded. “It was right near the start, before I got full control. Elocien would have killed him, eventually. There was so much rage and fear when he looked at his son… sometimes I could barely manage it. So I had to send him away.”
Asha swallowed. Wirr had been so happy, so proud to discover how much his father had changed. “Torin must never know.”
Erran opened his mouth to reply, but somebody else spoke first.
“Augurs,” murmured a voice from the doorway. “So it’s true, then.”
Asha spun.
Scyner stood at the entrance to the Lockroom, his stance casual as he leaned against the door frame. It was impossible to know how long he’d been there; the door had been broken by Kol’s blow and none of them had thought to try to close off the room anyway, so concerned had they been for Erran’s well-being.
“Scyner,” said Asha, confused. “What are you doing here?”
“Following you. Seeing if Teran’s babbling held any truth,” said the Shadow. He rubbed his forehead. “Honestly, the Shadraehin and I thought he was making it up, trying to find a reason for us to spare his life. I suppose we owe him an apology.”
There was a shocked silence.
“What does the Shadraehin want now?” asked Asha, her voice flat and hard.
Scyner sighed, seating himself on the nearby couch. “So businesslike,” he said sadly. “The Shadraehin was actually very happy with the Vessels, Ashalia. That was always her goal. But I knew there was something more to you. The fact you were left alive in Caladel, and then the way Aelrith reacted to you…” He shrugged. “I thought you might have something more to offer. And, it seems, you do.” He indicated the Augurs with a lazy smile.
In the corner Kol snorted. “You cannot think we are going to help you.”
Scyner raised an eyebrow. “Then you don’t mind if I let the king know what’s been going on with his brother these past few years, then?”
“You’re very confident we’ll give you that opportunity,” said Kol. “Or even let you leave this room.”
Scyner leaned forward. “Try to stop me, and I will kill you.”
Kol laughed humorlessly. “You think you can kill three Augurs?”
Scyner smiled at him.
“I killed twelve in one night, once,” he said. “And they were far more accomplished than you.”
There was dead silence as Asha and the others processed Scyner’s words.
Suddenly Kol stiffened. He stared around the room, his eyes widening, face draining of blood as recognition spread across his features.
“Fates,” he murmured to himself, a strangled sound. He turned to the others, gaze lingering on Fessi for a long moment.
“Run,” he said, voice catching.
Asha realized what was happening a split second too late.
“Kol, no! Wait!” she screamed, moving to grab at him.
With a roar Kol leaped at Scyner.
The next few seconds passed in slow motion. Scyner was on his feet before Kol had crossed half the distance between them, a blade in his hand. He stepped forward to meet Kol’s charge, his arms blurring as he stabbed him once, twice, three times in the chest, the blows cold and clinical despite the incredible speed at which they were delivered.
Fessi vanished from beside Asha, only to reappear behind Scyner, evidently intent on subduing him. But Scyner twisted faster than Asha could follow; his hand lashed out and caught the black-haired girl squarely in the face. Her body spun around from the force of the blow, and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Erran struggled forward furiously, but Asha grabbed him, able to restrain him in his weakened state. Then she shifted a little, stretching out her hand and letting what little Essence she had left in her Reserve flow into her ring.
Scyner made a casual gesture in her direction.
Asha slowly lowered her hand again, trying not to let it shake. The energy building up in the ring had just… vanished.
“Disappointing,” growled Scyner as he surveyed the carnage in the room. “It did not have to be this way.” He walked toward the door, then paused.
“Aelrith is dead, Ashalia. He knew that was going to happen as soon as he saw you,” he said quietly. “But I spoke to him that day, before he left. He wanted to kill you, but couldn’t. Do you know why?”
Asha shook her head mutely.
“He said it was because Aarkein Devaed wanted you alive,” said Scyner. “You’ve been marked by him, and none of his creatures can touch you.” He stared at her for a long moment. “I wonder why that is.”
Asha felt the blood drain from her face. It couldn’t be true, and yet… there was something about Scyner’s tone. An arrogance that said he wouldn’t bother telling her a lie.
Scyner glanced down to where Fessi lay as the girl began to stir, then turned to leave. “One more thing. The Shadraehin thinks your King Andras is being Controlled, much like the duke was.” He nodded toward Erran. “I don’t particularly like the idea of the Blind running the city, so please get him to figure out by whom. The last thing we want is for the king to suddenly announce we’re surrendering.” He tapped at his teeth with a fingernail, gazing at Erran thoughtfully. “You’ll hear from me again soon. Hopefully under more civil circumstances, next time.”
He disappeared out the doorway, his footsteps echoing down the hallway as Asha and Erran rushed to Kol’s side. The big man was still breathing, but his breath bubbled whenever he exhaled, and the look of pain on his face told Asha he didn’t have much time.
In the corner Fessi was stirring. She rai
sed her head groggily.
“What…” She saw Kol and gave a cry of dismay. She was kneeling beside him in an instant.
Kol looked up at his friends, eyes tight with pain. “He was an Augur,” he coughed, body spasming. “An El-cursed prewar Augur.”
“Be quiet, Kol. You need to rest,” whispered Fessi. She looked around and Asha knew she was searching for a large-enough source of Essence, but there was none. Fessi pressed her hands desperately against Kol’s chest, but he just shook his head, giving a rasping, hacking laugh. Blood seeped from wounds everywhere, and it began to dribble from the corners of his mouth, too.
“I don’t think you have enough hands, Fess,” he said in amusement.
His eyes glazed over, and his enormous chest became still.
Fessi just knelt there, head bowed over him, her long hair hanging onto his chest. Silent sobs racked her body; dazed, Asha knelt by her side, putting an arm around her shoulder.
Then Asha, too, had tears trickling down her cheeks. It couldn’t be true. Kol was too big, too strong to die. He would wake up, and later they would all laugh at what a scare he had given them.
Erran carefully knelt opposite the girls, expression stunned, eyes glistening. Gently he lifted Fessi’s hands from Kol’s bloodied chest, then drew the large man’s eyelids closed.
All three of them knelt there for several minutes in silence, in shock, grieving the loss of their friend.
Eventually Fessi looked up, and when her eyes met Asha’s, they were cold.
“You knew. You tried to stop him,” she said. “You knew, and you let him come here.”
“Fessi!” It was Erran. “This wasn’t Asha’s fault, and you know it.” He took a deep breath. “I’d read his vision, too, you know. There was no way of knowing this was…”
He trailed off, overcome with emotion. Fessi didn’t respond, just bent her head over Kol’s body again, not moving.
Asha finally sat back, her mind reeling. It had all happened so fast. And as little as she wanted to face the fact, there was still a battle going on—there was no time to grieve, no time to take stock. Especially not if what Scyner had told them was true.
“Erran,” she said quietly. “What Scyner said…”
Erran took a deep breath, then straightened. “It’s possible, I suppose,” he admitted. “I’ve considered it before—a few times—but the physical symptoms just don’t make sense. I tried to check a couple of times anyway, but…” He grimaced, giving a reluctant nod. “Being connected to Elocien all the time did make sensing kan harder. I might have missed something.”
Asha bit her lip. “Then we need to speak to someone about this. Even if we do discover the king is being Controlled, we can’t exactly march in there and tell people to stop listening to him. We need someone who will know how best to handle a situation like that.” She looked at Erran. “Can Master Kardai be trusted?”
Erran inclined his head. “Yes.”
“Then let’s find him.” Asha gave Erran a doubtful glance as she registered just how unsteady he was on his feet. “Are you going to be able to do this?”
“Not much of a choice,” observed Erran, his tone grim.
Asha nodded. She brushed a loose strand of hair from her face and looked across at Fessi, who was still on her knees beside Kol. The other girl hadn’t reacted to anything that had just been said.
Erran followed her gaze. He hesitated, then reached over to Fessi, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Fess,” he said gently, voice catching. “I know this is hard, but we might need you. We will come back for Kol. I promise.”
Fessi didn’t respond at first. Then she shook her head, her eyes lingering on Kol’s motionless features.
“If you need me, I’ll be here,” she said.
After a few moments, Erran nodded. He got gingerly to his feet, accepting Asha’s arm for support. They paused in the doorway as they left, watching as Fessi stroked the hair back from Kol’s face.
“We need to go, Asha,” said Erran quietly.
Asha nodded, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat.
She made sure Erran had a firm grip on her arm, and they began slowly limping toward the Great Hall.
* * *
The doors to the Great Hall were open, much to Asha’s surprise.
One of the guards outside recognized her and, after a moment’s hesitation, waved her and Erran straight through. Asha frowned uneasily as she entered. The enormous room was nearly empty, its only occupants a small group of people talking in hushed tones off to one side. The throne up on the dais was, disconcertingly, vacant.
She exchanged worried glances with Erran, then headed toward the circle of people. The group looked to be mostly made up of men from the Great Houses, but she breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized Laiman in among them. The king’s adviser spotted her a moment later, smiling and murmuring a quick apology to his companions before walking over.
“Ashalia!” Laiman had dark circles beneath his eyes, but his demeanor was almost cheerful. “What can I do for you?”
Asha indicated the empty throne. “What’s happened? Where’s the king?” she asked, unable to keep the anxiety from her tone.
“Sleeping.” Laiman lowered his voice. “Whatever was afflicting him seems to have just… stopped. It was only a few minutes ago. One moment he was ranting about the Gifted again, and the next…” He shook his head. “It was like something just snapped. He almost collapsed, didn’t know what was going on. But when I told him about the Blind, he immediately put Karaliene in charge until he was well enough to resume his duties.”
Asha glanced at Erran, who gave a small, nonplussed shrug. She turned back to Laiman. “Do you know what changed?”
Laiman hesitated, then nodded. “The Tenets,” he said softly. “We don’t know what the new ones are yet, but Dras felt it happen. It couldn’t have been more than a minute later that the king came to himself.” He shook his head at her bemused expression. “I don’t know the significance of it, either, but for now I’m just grateful. Karaliene knows what she’s doing, and if the Tenets are different, I’m hoping it means the Gifted can fight.”
Asha shook her head, a little dazed, relieved to hear that Wirr had been successful but unsure how it could possibly have affected events here. “So what happens now?”
“Now? There’s little else left but to get everyone we can to the Shields,” said Laiman grimly. He glanced back over toward the gathered lords. “Speaking of which…”
Asha nodded her understanding. “Thank you, Master Kardai,” she said. “Fates be with you out there.”
“And with you, Ashalia. Erran.” Laiman nodded to them both, then hurried back toward the gathered noblemen.
Asha and Erran left the Great Hall again and began heading back toward Fessi and the Lockroom, silent for a time as they walked.
“What do you think it means?” asked Asha eventually.
Erran shook his head. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “The Tenets shouldn’t affect kan. I’m glad the king is free of whatever was wrong with him, but… it makes no sense.”
Asha just gave a frustrated nod, having reached much the same conclusion.
They arrived at the Lockroom to find Fessi sitting on the couch, still staring listlessly at Kol’s prone form. She didn’t look up as they entered.
Asha gave Erran a hesitant glance, then crouched down in front of Fessi. “Fessi. The king has recovered,” she said. “The Blind are still attacking, though. It’s time we went to the Shields to see how we can help.”
Fessi looked up, but at Erran rather than Asha. There was a second of silence as the two gazed at each other, and then Fessi gave a small nod.
Erran coughed, suddenly awkward.
“We’ve… decided to leave, Asha,” he said in an apologetic tone, looking uncomfortable as he said the words. “You’re certainly welcome to come with us, though.”
“What?” Asha looked between the two of them, stunned
. They must have been communicating using Erran’s ability; Asha felt a stab of anger at having been so bluntly excluded. “You can’t leave now! And besides, there’s no way out.”
“There are still some smaller ships in the harbor—the Houses left them there as a way to retreat, should the Shields fall,” explained Erran. “They won’t be guarded now, and there are more than enough for us to take one without putting anyone in danger.”
Asha gave him an incredulous stare. “Do either of you even know how to sail?”
“Elocien did.” Erran looked her in the eye. “We can’t stay, Asha. Surely you must see that. With Scyner out there, knowing what he knows… he’s either going to try and use us, or turn us in. Until we can figure out a way to deal with him, it’s not safe for us here. Or you, for that matter.” His tone was earnest. “Please. Come with us.”
Asha hesitated for the briefest of moments, then shook her head.
“I can’t. I suppose I understand, but… I just can’t.” She paused, then laid a hand on Fessi’s shoulder. “I will take care of Kol’s burial, though. I promise.”
Fessi looked up at her for the first time since Asha had entered the room.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
Erran watched for a moment, his expression sad, then took two quick steps and embraced her. “Fates be with you, Asha.”
“You, too, Erran.” Asha looked down at Fessi. “And you, Fess. I’ll be thinking of you. Be safe.”
Fessi gave her a tight, tearful smile. “We’ll see you again, Asha.” Her voice shook a little, but there was hardness behind her eyes, too. “We’ll be back to deal with Scyner soon enough.”
She stood, reaching over and taking Erran’s hand in her own.
They vanished.
Asha didn’t move for a long moment, twisting the ring on her finger nervously. The Augurs’ abrupt departure had suddenly given her pause, made her wonder whether it was really worth her going back to Fedris Idri. Her Reserve was close to drained; she wasn’t sure how much more she could do in battle anyway. And it felt wrong to leave Kol like this, alone on the floor…
But she knew straight away that those were just excuses. She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. Even if she was able to summon only one final blast with her Vessel, returning to help at the Shields was the right thing to do.
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