Chapter Nine
TALON ARRIVED AT the masquerade separately from the Arbiters. Before departing, Rhys and Beatrix decided it would be better if they did not arrive together. The elaborate costumes they wore were meant to conceal their identities, but Talon knew where to look for the Arbiters. Before going their separate ways, they each revealed what their costume would be to avoid any confusion at the masquerade.
Rhys wore a great horned mask that resembled the head of a bull, along with full plate armor to match. Beatrix, saying that there was no need to even attempt to hide her identity, wore an elegant evening dress along with a mask that only covered her eyes. At a glance, it looked as though Beatrix had the best costume at the party, a woman with a regal bearing and the hide of a cat dressed for a night of socializing in high society. It was ironic that Beatrix’s costume was not a costume at all.
Talon wanted to attend the masquerade dressed as a phoenix, but Jan talked her out of it, stating that doing so would only draw further attention to Talon, for everyone would expect the Astraeyu Nouvin to honor Astraeyu. So instead, Talon donned a suit of Kalvat formal attire, including a red double-breasted coat over a pair of black trousers and knee-high black boots. To hide her darker complexion and fiery eyes, she wore a mask with a curved beak and brightly colored feathers, a remnant of the phoenix costume she refused to give up. Talon noticed the fire theme prevalent around the Rotunda Arcana and thought her original idea for a costume would have been more appropriate, and it would not have caused her to stand out as a foreigner. She counted at least seven different depictions of the Phoenix as she made a slow circuit around the room. Surely one more Phoenix would not have been so noticeable. She shrugged it off and scanned the faces of those gathered in search of her allies. Rhys and Beatrix moved to different locations throughout the room, remaining always in sight of Jan.
Jan, of course, was the most easily recognized of the Arbiters.
Even if the gold mask she wore covered her entire face instead of the upper half, everyone knew where to look for the guest of honor. As Morgsten’s guest, Jan was to be found by his side. Talon imagined it was difficult for Jan to hang on the arm of the enemy the entire evening. She didn’t envy Jan her position one bit. Jan explained that it was necessary to play along with Morgsten’s ruse, but that did not make it any easier to stand idly by while the enemy was right in front of them.
Talon respected Jan’s wishes and did her best not to draw attention to herself or the Arbiters. While Kalvatin might be on peaceful terms with the other three kingdoms, there was always room for improvement, and the Kalvat elite would expect the Grand Arbiter to try to make a good impression while in Orsela. The Kalvats knew this, and so did the Coruscalli. If any cultists were present, and Talon felt sure that there were, they would use this as an opportunity to cause the Kalvats to scrutinize the behavior of their foreign visitors.
Jan expected her people to be on their best behavior to avoid a scandal. Talon was not an Arbiter, but she was at the masquerade as a guest of the Grand Arbiter and so was expected to behave appropriately. It wasn’t easy, especially when she felt the eyes of the Coruscalli were upon her.
Talon jumped when the band suddenly began playing music. Instinctively, her hands went to where her two swords should be. When she realized there was no threat, and that she also had no swords, she brought her hands to rest on her hips, adopting an elegant pose as she turned toward the sound of the music. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves as she watched as some of the people around her began to dance. Talon moved back, giving the dancers more room. Talon never was very fond of dancing. In truth, she was more comfortable on a battlefield than in a crowded ballroom. As much as she would have liked to disappear among the throngs of spectators, Talon could not tear herself away from the ebb and flow of the dancers. The rotunda swelled and roiled like a tidal wave, engulfing anything that got in its way.
At the very heart of the dance, Talon saw Jan, moving with more grace and elegance than she would have thought possible as she glided across the floor in Morgsten’s arms. Jan seemed as light as a leaf on a breeze as Morgsten spun her around. It was almost as though Jan’s feet were not even touching the ground. In Jan’s movements Talon saw power, and also beauty, that she had not noticed before.
Jan was obviously uncomfortable at having Morgsten for a dance partner. The way she held herself spoke volumes to someone as adept at reading body language as Talon. Jan was tense, ready to act on a second’s notice, but Talon did not think that Jan’s unease was entirely due to the complex dance moves. Jan was wary. Talon knew there was danger lurking somewhere within the rotunda. She only wished she knew where to look for the enemy before they had the chance to strike.
Mesmerized by the dancing, Talon continued to make a slow circuit of the room, keeping her eyes on Jan as she moved. It was while Talon’s attention was fastened on Jan and Morgsten that she bumped into a woman who was standing at the edge of the crowd. The woman staggered forward, a little exaggeratedly, Talon thought. As slow as she’d been moving, Talon could not have jostled the woman so roughly.
“I say,” the woman began, making a show of righting herself. “Were you raised in a barn?”
“My apologies,” Talon said. She dipped her head in a slight bow and began moving away when the sound of the woman’s voice made her pause.
“Do you expect me to believe that sorry excuse for an apology? You made me spill my drink all over my costume.” She gestured to the front of the shiny gold dress, which now had a splash of wine dying it scarlet. It reminded Talon eerily of a bloodstain. “Do you know how much this costume cost me?”
“As I said before, you have my sincerest apologies.” Talon tried to sound humble. It was not easy for her. Her accent made the words of the common language sound clipped and curt, even to her own ears. To the woman, Talon’s words must have sounded more like a mockery than an apology, for she seemed to be more outraged than before.
“I refuse to stand here and be insulted by an Outlander witch with a smart mouth.”
By now, some of the people dancing at the outer edge of the floor paused in their merriment to gaze curiously at the commotion caused by the offended woman. The woman realized she had an audience and jumped on the chance to further insult Talon’s clumsiness.
“Can you believe the audacity of this Outlander?” she said to the people around her. “Ruined my costume and she stands here laughing about it.”
Some of the spectators shook their heads in disbelief at Talon’s alleged rudeness. Talon could not believe what she was hearing. She had never laughed at the woman. When she tried to apologize, the woman had launched into a verbal attack. Talon remained quiet, however. It was unlikely the Kalvats would side with her, especially now that the woman had revealed her foreign heritage. Unsure what she should do in such a situation, Talon remained silent, which only further infuriated the disgraced woman.
“Look at her! She’s quiet now, but I know she is still smirking behind that feathery mask.”
Talon was tempted to remove her mask and show everyone that she was not laughing, but she had promised Jan she would do her best to remain as inconspicuous as possible. That seemed irrelevant at the moment, but a promise was a promise.
Talon noticed something odd in the woman’s demeanor. Her insulting behavior and refusal to accept Talon’s apology was suspicious enough now that Talon thought about it, but there was something else, something Talon could not quite put a name to. The woman seemed distracted, like her ruined costume was no longer of importance. Her eyes kept darting back and forth, as if she was searching for something. Talon realized that the woman was searching for something, or more importantly, someone, and cursed herself for taking so long to see the truth. This woman was an agent of the Coruscalli, deployed by Morgsten to cause trouble with the Arbiters. Jan warned all of them of this possibility before the masquerade, but Talon never expected she would be made the center of attention in such a
way.
Talon stared around the Rotunda Arcana in horror. The dancing had stopped and all eyes were focused on her and the ranting woman. Talon paid no heed to the woman’s threats and insults. Instead, her eyes found Jan in the crowd.
Something was not right. Morgsten was no longer at Jan’s side. In all the confusion, he had disappeared among the crowd. Talon searched the faces of the people near Jan to make sure Morgsten was not among them. As she scanned the area, her eyes caught a flash of light, the unmistakable glint of light on metal. In another second, Talon was on the move, bypassing the still-complaining woman, a clever diversion from the true malice lurking within the rotunda.
Talon crossed the dance floor in a few scant heartbeats, weaving in and out between the scattered spectators. Another flash of light on metal, drawing ever closer to the unsuspecting Jan. Talon was almost there. She did not have her swords, but a long, curved dagger rested at her thigh, hidden beneath her costume.
A collective gasp resounded around the rotunda as the dagger was drawn. Jan’s eyes were wide with shock as Talon advanced toward her, dagger in hand. Talon lunged, parrying the knife away from Jan at the last second. In another heartbeat she had the would-be assassin in a headlock, his arm pinned behind his back.
Silence, followed by the slow smattering of applause as everyone realized what had just happened ensued. Next to Talon, Jan was saying something, but her words were drowned out by the thunderous clapping of the masquerade attendees. Although Talon could not hear what Jan said, she saw plainly the gratitude in her eyes. That was when the truth of the situation hit Talon. She had just saved the life of the Grand Arbiter. She was a hero, both in the eyes of the Arbiters and the Kalvats gathered at the masquerade. It was a shocking realization for Talon, for she was more accustomed to being employed to take a life instead of saving one. She tried not to dwell too long on the possible repercussions of her heroic deed, and instead focused all of her attention on holding the struggling assassin until the Arbiters arrived and took him off her hands.
TALON CAUGHT MOVEMENT out of the corner of her eye and clutched tightly to the dagger still in her hand. Would the Coruscalli dare to make another assassination attempt so soon after the first one? The movement Talon saw was no assassin, but she held the dagger cautiously, nonetheless.
Now that the danger had passed, Morgsten apparently decided to reappear. Talon watched him warily as he approached Jan.
“Arbiter Sterling, you could never imagine how relieved I am that you are unhurt.” Morgsten placed a hand on Jan’s shoulder. “To think that a common assassin could infiltrate the Institute of Thaumaturgy gives me chills.”
Morgsten went on about how glad he was that Jan survived the incident unscathed, but Talon knew it was only for show. With the eyes of every attendant of the masquerade on him, he had to play the part of an innocent bystander. As Talon scanned the faces of those watching, she noticed the woman from before was strangely absent. It was likely the woman faded into the background once she realized her diversion had failed.
“I think that you have had enough excitement for one night, Grand Arbiter,” Morgsten said. “Perhaps it would be best if you retired to a more secure location for the evening. In light of recent events, the masquerade is as good as over anyway.”
“That would be wise,” Jan agreed. She motioned for Rhys and Beatrix to join them as Morgsten escorted her from the Rotunda Arcana. Talon followed close behind Rhys and Beatrix. One attempt had already been made at Jan’s life that night. None of them were willing to take any chances.
“Lord Morgsten,” Jan continued once they were on the move, “do you have any ideas who could have sent the assassin?”
“The Institute has enemies,” Morgsten replied evasively. “Any one of them could have chosen the night of the masquerade to infiltrate our defenses. When everyone is wearing a disguise, it is difficult to know precisely who is in attendance.”
“It seems to me that this attack was not aimed at the Institute,” Jan said. “I think whoever employed the assassin was an enemy of the Arbiters.”
“Oh, my,” Morgsten said. “Do the Arbiters have many enemies? The Arbitrary Order of Lyth is one of the oldest, most respected institutions in Lythril. What is this world coming to?”
Talon held her tongue, but it was not easy. Morgsten’s feigned innocence in all this was grating on her nerves. She would be glad when this night was over and they were away from Morgsten.
Talon did not know how much longer she could keep her rising temper in check. Her promise to Jan that she would not cause a scene was the only thing keeping her from exacting justice on behalf of Astraeyu’s Will right then and there.
She had to remind herself that at least a few hundred Kalvats were aware that she was there. If Morgsten suddenly turned up dead, there was no doubt the Coruscalli would try to direct the Kalvats’ anger toward Astraeyu Nouvi. That was exactly what Talon wanted to avoid. So, with some effort she managed to hold back the words she wanted to say. In fact, Talon was glad no one had spoken to her. The silence helped her concentration as she remained vigilant, scanning every shadow as they made their way back to the guest quarters.
“Grand Arbiter! Arbiter Sterling!”
The voice made Talon pause and turn to find its source. A woman was running toward them, waving her hand to get Jan’s attention. Talon’s hand rested near the dagger strapped to her thigh. During the confusion following the assassination attempt, she managed to replace it in its sheath without having to answer any questions. As the woman drew nearer, Talon noticed she was wearing the crest of the Arbiters, although her uniform reflected the Kalvat style of dress.
“Niercel?” Jan asked. As she took a step closer, she studied the woman more closely. Her face lit up and she exclaimed, “It is you! By Lyth’s arrow, how long has it been?”
“Too long, old friend.” Niercel grasped Jan’s arm, a form of greeting more often seen in the northern and western kingdoms. Talon noticed, also, that Niercel did not speak with a Kalvat accent.
“I heard that you were named Grand Arbiter,” Niercel continued. “It’s embarrassing for me to admit, but when I first heard I thought for sure that it must be some kind of a joke. Yet, here you are.”
“It was hard for me to believe, too,” Jan said. “It still seems like a dream. I keep wondering when I will wake up and everything will be back to normal. I’ll be back in the archives and none of the events at Sonastra will ever have happened.”
“What happened at Sonastra is no dream,” Niercel said. “It’s a nightmare. What bothers me the most is that the Arbiters could have such a bold enemy.”
“That is what I was just discussing with the Grand Arbiter,” Morgsten said. “When the Arbitrary Order of Lyth loses respect in the eyes of the people, there is no hope left.”
“This isn’t over,” Jan said. The determination in her dark eyes made Talon believe that she could singlehandedly stop the Coruscalli. “People all over Lythril still respect the Arbiters. Only a few wish to see us fall.”
“Arbiter Sterling is right, your lordship,” Niercel said. “Sonastra was a disaster, but as long as people continue to believe in the Arbiters, justice will prevail.”
“Ah, yes,” Morgsten stammered, clearing his throat. “I look forward to the day when the Arbiters are rewarded the justice they have sought for so long. Well, if you will excuse me, it is getting rather late. I hope you will not hold what happened at the masquerade against the Institute, Grand Arbiter.”
“Of course not, Lord Morgsten. I understand perfectly that the ideals of a few individuals do not reflect the whole.” Jan’s smile seemed genuine. Talon guessed that it probably was, but that did not mean that Jan had let her guard down.
“Well then, I shall retire for the evening with one less worry on my mind.” Morgsten bowed stiffly at the waist. “Until tomorrow, Grand Arbiter.”
“Until tomorrow, Lord Morgsten.”
Talon wondered how Jan
could be so polite to this man. Jan was certainly better at keeping a kind façade than Talon, but Talon’s line of work did not usually call for kindness.
“Morgsten,” Niercel began as she watched Morgsten walk away, “the man who is not on the Board of Thaumaturgists, but holds tremendous influence over them, nonetheless. What do you make of him?”
“I think Morgsten is more than he seems,” Jan replied. “He is clearly a man of incredible power and ambition, which he hides behind his role as dean of the Institute. Morgsten is dangerous. He shouldn’t be underestimated.”
“I agree,” Niercel said. “It’s surprising to hear you make such a bold and accurate declaration. You’ve only been in Kalvatin a few days. I’ve been stationed at the Vermillion Temple for ten years.”
“Ten whole years of studying the ways of the Kalvats,” Jan mused.
“Sometimes I wonder how I’ve managed to keep my sanity all this time. Performing the duties of an Arbiter is not always easy in Kalvatin, a kingdom that protects and values its sorcery over everything else.” For a moment, Niercel had the look of one who had been fighting on the frontlines for years, and then the look passed and was promptly replaced by a warm smile. “It’s been so long since the last time I’ve seen you, Jan. You’ve changed. You seem more certain, more confidant in yourself. I suppose being named Grand Arbiter with no warning will do that to a woman.”
“You have no idea,” Jan said with a laugh. “So, you’ve been in Kalvatin all this time? I wondered where you went after graduation.”
“As soon as I completed the course at the Academy of Arcane Justice, I volunteered to ship out to Kalvatin, where I could study the uses and abuses of magic more closely.” Niercel shook her head. “You wouldn’t believe some of the things I have witnessed in Kalvatin, and most of the time the Arbiters are powerless to stop them.”
Tears of the Sun Page 14