Silver was silent for some moments, recognising the similarities between herself and Issart’e as she did so. “His life is yours.” She said at last. “But I must have Ellamae begging for her pathetic right to exist. That is non-negotiable.”
Dukran shot her a questioning look.
“She tortured Keenan in front of me when Alda broke into his mind and broke the vow he made never to betray me by discovering my secrets. It wasn’t Keenan’s fault, and I forgave him in front of the entire Council. I swore to make her pay every second I watched her slice into his skin.”
Dukran nodded. “You understand us better than I thought.” He said, disappearing through the portal.
Did she though? Silver wondered as lingered on the threshold of the portal. Dukran was willing to give up his revenge for his brother’s peace of mind, whereas Silver doubted she could allow Keenan to kill Alda even if she knew it would help him sleep better at night. Her need for vengeance was so ingrained that such a possibility was almost painful to consider.
She shook off her thoughts, Keenan had survived Ellamae’s torture without the mental scars that Dukran clearly had. Or at least, she had believed that to be the case, yet her mind contradicted her. Her thoughts pointed out the way he tensed whenever an Ancient was nearby, and the fact that since that day he had never mentioned Ellamae by name.
Concern, new and foreign to her, rushed through her as she realised that she had selfishly forgotten that she was not the only one who was trapped in the Council’s chamber of horrors that day.
Silver stepped through the portal with one last look at the bodies slipping into the shifting sands and a silent vow to make sure she put Keenan’s needs first in this matter.
Chapter Eighteen
PUNISHMENT
When Asha woke it was to the deafening sound of shrieks echoing through the hallway. She quickly grabbed her dagger from her nightstand and clutched it tightly as she crept across the room and towards the door. She turned the handle, wincing when it made a creaking noise, even though she was fairly certain the ruckus would cover it up.
She edged the door open two inches, and peered through the gap. What she saw astonished her. Her aunt and cousins were walking through the living area, a shrieking, dishevelled woman in a bubble of golden light floating in front of them. The lady, whoever she was, had greyish tattooed skin that was covered in piercings and shaggy, pure white hair. But she was gone too quickly for Asha to determine anything else about her. A glance across the hallway revealed that Masozi’s door was still shut firmly, and that concern for her friend was why she didn’t quite duck backwards in time to avoid Silver’s gaze.
“Asha!” Her voice cracked like a whip, halting Asha’s attempt to close the door and retreat quickly. “Come out here.”
Seeing no option but to do as her aunt said, she let her wytch clothes transform from a nightgown into dove grey armour and walked out.
“Masozi! I know you’re listening, so you too.” Silver called, and slowly Masozi’s door opened to reveal her friend looking terror struck.
Asha refused to avert her gaze as she walked along the hallway towards Silver; she could hear Masozi behind her and almost feel her trembling even across the distance between them.
“Since it would appear you are awake, even at this late hour, I believe it is time for you to meet Issart’e and Dukran. Asha if I’m right they are your grandmother’s brother’s children and therefore that makes them,” She paused for a moment. “Your first cousins once removed?” The statement was more of a question. “Cousins, this is Asha and my other mentee, Masozi.”
The glowing golden men, each only wearing a pair of tribal looking shorts, nodded their heads in greeting.
“And which cousin did you have escorted to the dungeons?” Asha dared to ask.
“That would be Maria, also your first cousin once removed.” Silver grimaced. “Our family doesn’t exactly have the best record for sanity it would seem.”
“You missed our lesson.” Asha accused, keenly aware of how both she and Masozi had waited anxiously in their rooms for an hour after dusk before resigning themselves to the fact that Silver wasn’t coming.
“That can be remedied.” Silver replied smoothly, “I believe Dukran won the coin flip for who had the first go at Maria anyway.” She nodded to the man with the scars whose expression turned to a sadistic smile that Asha immediately hoped was never directed at her.
The two golden men disappeared into the dungeon, and if Asha had to guess, she would have said they were trying not to cause tension with Silver by speaking to her. This slight thing reminded her that she was the niece of the dark wytch that other dark wytches feared; no-one would mess with her while her aunt was there.
That feeling stayed with her as she followed her Aunt through a portal and into the office in the Dark Coven’s Temple from before.
“Sit.” Her aunt didn’t waste time in directing them both towards chairs on one side of the desk. Instead of taking the large armchair opposite, Silver sat on the edge of the desk closest to them and let out a heavy sigh. “I haven’t the faintest idea what to do with you two.” She muttered. “You both look like frightened rabbits at the sight of other wytches and yet both of you eavesdrop the moment I bring colleagues home.” She stared both of them in the eyes. “Either you’re frightened rabbits who are too stupid to know when to hide or you’re lion cubs brave enough to occasionally forget that there are hundreds of beings on this world that could kill you with one swipe. So which is it?”
When no answer was forthcoming from either of them Silver kicked off from the desk and strolled over to the bookshelves. “Either way, I suppose it doesn’t really matter. You’re here to train, and for contingency planning’s sake I shall just have to assume you will both do the stupidest thing possible if given the opportunity.”
Asha breathed deeply through her nose, trying to control the urge to refute her aunt. It didn’t work.
“You don’t tell us anything!” She burst out. “And when you told us to get ready earlier you didn’t even bother to turn up! It’s not our fault if we’re curious as to why you’re returning home in the middle of the night with a banshee of a woman floating along in front of you!”
Silver smiled, and Asha felt a chill creep down her spine.
“For that, you’ll be doing drills for the rest of the night and all through tomorrow.” Silver announced, “I won’t even let you use a real sword, and the work will be done at the fastest speed your Ancient blood affords you.” Her aunt paused. “Masozi will remain here with me and work on controlling her powers. And Asha,” Silver’s eyes took on a gleam that made Asha realise she’d really put her foot in it. “If you let your wings out even for a second, I will know, and I will wait even longer before taking you flying.”
Asha glared furiously at her aunt, feeling anything but contrite. The punishment was unfair and so well thought out it made her feel stupid that she hadn’t seen this coming. Of course Silver would punish Asha on two levels, there was the physical demand of the drills, and the mental anguish she’d feel every second that Masozi was alone with Silver. But she bit her tongue till the pain snapped her out of her thoughts of rebellion.
“Yes, Aunt Silver.” She replied evenly. “I relish the opportunity to learn to become a better warrior.”
Silver’s face didn’t change even as Asha unsubtlety pointed out her aunt was agreeing to teach her swordplay despite her earlier vow. “Get going.” Silver bit out. “There is a training yard outside, I’m sure if you get lost you can ask one of the other wytch queens for directions.”
Asha bit her tongue again, drawing blood this time. Silver could have easily created a portal, but this was another small punishment in itself, forcing Asha to meet the other wytch queens without the reassuring presence of her aunt or her friend. Without commenting, Asha turned on her heel and left.
When she trudged back into the office seventeen hours later, wooden drill sword hanging at her side and wat
er dripping from her hair onto the carpet, it was to find that Silver was sitting at the desk alone. Masozi was nowhere to be seen, and Asha discretely searched the room, hoping to see her fey friend in a corner somewhere, studying.
“You’re done, good.” Silver looked up from the letter she was writing at the desk. “Masozi isn’t here; I sent her to observe a battle between desert dons and attempt to gather power from the conflict.”
Asha was dumbstruck; her aunt had shoved Masozi, the tiny fey, into the midst of a battle with little to no training. She opened her mouth to object, and then closed it, remembering that her outburst had gotten them both in this mess to begin with.
“You’re learning.” Silver commented, waving Asha into the seat opposite her. “You must understand how this coven works before you start speaking against me in public, Asha.” Her aunt began, “Imagine if you had said those things in front of Grandmother Black rather than just Masozi. Do you think I would have gotten away with giving you so light a punishment as a few hours of drills?”
Asha stood opposite the desk, hand clenched on the wooden sword in her grasp.
“But it wasn’t fair! You left Masozi in terror of her first lesson and then forgot all about it without even telling us.”
“You are not entitled to know what I am doing every moment of every day.” Silver replied, “Asha I cannot be seen to answer to you or my place in this coven will be called into question. You occupy a valuable position as an ambassador between covens, but the Dark Coven will always see the Light Coven as soft. If you are seen to be given leniency by me, it will only breed the suspicion that I am soft as well. If that happens, the other dark wytches would probably take me out.” Silver was quiet as Asha flopped down into the chair, letting her wooden sword clatter on the floor.
“I’m your weakness.” She mumbled.
“At last you begin to understand.” Silver let out a humourless chuckle. “I swore to your mother I would never harm you. You must never put me in the position where I would be expected to put you in your place.” Silver instructed. “It would be best if, while you were here, you learned to become the hardest of all the wytches. To obey without question in public and suppress the softer emotions which guide you. If you can manage that, I will allow you to question me in private.” There was an unnamed emotion in Silver’s eyes as she rose and came to stand behind her niece. “Theria had to learn the very same thing when she was younger. Both of you are soft, thinking with your hearts and your morals instead of your heads. Yet both of you must learn to hide that while around the others. Perception is everything.” Silver’s hand rested on Asha’s shoulder and gave a light squeeze.
“I will try, Aunt Silver.” Asha acquiesced with a grimace. “But if I do this, I want you to teach me to fly and to fight.”
Silver snorted. “Blackmail doesn’t work when your opponent holds all the cards, child. You have no choice but to act as I have said, for your own safety’s sake.” She let out a deep breath. “Yet I suppose I should teach you. But first, read this.” She picked up a book and directed Asha towards a reading chair in the corner by the fire. “It will instruct you in mental communication. You may practice the exercises on me while I work and I shall endeavour to fix your errors.” Silver returned to looking at the document in front of her, considering the matter closed.
“Aunt Silver?” Asha broached as she made to get out of the chair.
“Yes?” Her aunt’s attention was back on her in an instant.
“Will you tell me what was going on now? Why were you so late back? And who was the lady in the golden bubble?”
Silver sighed, “Read your book, when you can ask me those questions using just your mind, I will tell you.”
Asha stared at the book with new determination. There was always a condition to everything with her aunt, but at least this one wasn’t impossible.
And that determination was the reason why Silver sat on the edge of her bed, hours later, explaining to a little girl about a secret war between all-powerful beings and their children. A war Asha could barely comprehend the scale of, yet she knew she would be expected to fight in none-the-less.
Chapter Nineteen
GET STRONG OR DIE
Silver watched as a sand-covered Masozi trudged through the portal, her desert clothes had protected her from the worst of the sun, but her eyelids and the bridge of her nose which her mask hadn’t covered, were sunburnt and flaking.
“How did it go?” Silver asked casually from behind her desk at the training centre.
“I did it.” Masozi replied, and her clothes transformed quickly from the plain cotton desert clothes into her armour. “I drew power from those fighting one another, and like you said the more I drew power from it the more frenzied the battle seemed to become.”
“We will work on that next time.” Silver said dismissively. “Something has been bothering me since you arrived here.” She eyed the girl studiously. “You are an ice-fey, and no amount of wytch powers should be able to change that.”
She was at Masozi’s side in an instant, and the girl let out a shocked little squeak.
“I am going to go into your mind, if I am right, your fey powers should still be there, but kept dormant by your stronger wytch powers.” Silver didn’t wait for the girl’s permission; instead she dove into the unshielded mind of the child in front of her.
What she saw astonished her.
Masozi’s power was so fixated on feeding itself through conflict that it had turned on her ice powers. The two battled inside her mind, and there was no way that the fey powers would ever win, due to the fact that every move it made fed the wytch power. Silver studied the situation for several moments before pulling back.
“Your power over war triggers and feeds off of conflict, as you know.” Silver explained to the still frozen with shock Masozi. “You have fey powers – and a significant amount of them too – the only problem is that your wytch powers have started to feed themselves by creating a conflict between them and your fey powers. Every time the ice magic tries to fight back, it feeds the wytch magic, letting it grow.” Silver watched as the girl’s eyes widened. “I can teach you to shield your fey magic from your wytch powers. This would let you learn to use them.”
“But there’s no-one to teach me,” Masozi stuttered. “I’d still not be able to use them.”
“I have a companion, a halfling fey with the same blood as you in his veins.” Silver explained, “He would easily be able to instruct you in these powers.”
“Why would you do this?” Masozi asked.
“Because you would owe me an open-ended favour to be named later in exchange,” Silver replied coolly.
Masozi seemed to think about it for a moment, and Silver noticed that her agitation made her wings flutter against her back, casting shifting rainbows around the room.
“I won’t like what it is you’re going to use that favour for, will I?” Masozi said at last.
“Probably not,” Silver replied, inwardly willing the girl to say yes.
The fact that she had a full blooded ice-fey to use for the task she had in mind was a gift of fate. But it was still a long way off until she would use that favour.
“I accept the terms, and concede an open ended favour to be named later in exchange for you teaching me to use my fey powers.” Masozi said at last, and though Silver found herself curious as to what had driven the girl to accept the bargain, she didn’t question her.
Instead, she dove back into Masozi’s mind and proceeded to teach the girl to create a shield to separate her two powers. When that was done, she created a portal directly to Keenan and watched as he stepped through.
“Masozi, this is Keenan Iceblood. He’s your half-brother, and the one I was talking to you about.” Silver turned to Keenan, “The girl has fey powers, as I suspected, but they’re untrained. Can you do something about that?”
Keenan gave her a sharp glance, and Silver wondered for a second if she had overstepped a boundary b
y introducing the two of them before Keenan had had time to prepare to meet Masozi officially. A moment later, he nodded his head.
“I can teach her what I know.” He informed Silver, “Though most of what I know is how to use ice in battle.”
“Good.” Silver replied. “That’s always the most useful application for the power of a dark wytch. If you’re not busy, I believe beginning as soon as possible would be the best option.”
She knew she’d surprised him by asking nicely, yet Keenan didn’t show it. “I’ll be ready in an hour or so. There is a contract within the guild that requires my attention.” He informed her, reminding her that technically Keenan was the enforcer of the thieves’ guild.
“More trouble?” Silver asked, genuinely curious. She had believed that Keenan had taken care of the threat to the thieves long ago, but if another had risen up even in spite of his efforts it spoke of something bigger moving through the city again.
“Not as bad as you’re thinking, I’m sure.” Keenan replied. “There have been a number of members not paying their dues recently, that’s all.”
Silver wanted to kill the thieves for wasting Keenan’s time on things like this, but yet again, she knew he had been a thief before he had been her companion, and so she said nothing as he disappeared back through the portal with little more than a parting wave to her.
“Now that that is settled,” Silver turned back to Masozi, “I believe Asha is in the courtyard attempting to use her magic. Seeing that you survived your task may motivate her to work harder.” She watched as Masozi did a little bow before practically running from the room. When she was alone again she sighed.
Asha's Power (Soul Merge Saga Book 4) Page 13