“I am blessed to have you in my life, my sweet Ellie.” Taryn wrapped her in a powerful hug, her ShantiMari swirling like a vortex.
Ellie’s muffled voice wheezed, “I can’t breathe.”
Taryn reluctantly let her go. She would make it up to Ellie, somehow. “Darius should be here soon with your dinner. Let’s tidy you up before he arrives.”
She helped Ellie to a sofa and brushed out her hair, much to Ellie’s dismay. She was tucking several pillows and a blanket around the girl when Darius entered, followed closely by Lorilee and Saeko. By the time Faelara arrived with the sleeping draught, Ellie looked tired. Only after she dozed off did Taryn allow the other two girls to help with her attire for the evening.
At Sabina’s party, Taryn did her best to appear carefree in the company of her friends. She smiled too much and drank spiced cider to dull the pain. As Hayden predicted, news of the attack spread through the court faster than vorlock venom through veins, but no one wanted to ruin Sabina’s night. Eventually, Taryn’s sisters pulled her aside to ask after her welfare and that of her maid. Eliahnna and Tessa’s concern for Ellie touched Taryn.
Sabina hugged her friend, whispering in her ear, “Thank you. For coming tonight and for my lovely ring. I love you, my friend.”
Taryn held her tightly, trembling. “I love you, too.” Tears stung her eyes and she looked away before Sabina could see them. Every person gathered there that evening was a potential target to her enemies. She couldn’t help but worry the next attack would be against them. The thought filled her heart with dread. With a determined effort, she forced a smile and laughed at Hayden’s ludicrous jokes.
She had to be brave for them. To not show the fear that lingered in her every thought. It was nothing to pretend for the evening, but that night in Taryn’s bed, Rhoane held her close as she cried in his arms. His protective embrace couldn’t shield her from the realities she faced, but for a little while, he soothed her fractured nerves.
The next morning as the sun was cresting over the mountains, Taryn strode silently to the dungeons. She’d barely slept for the nightmares that chased through her mind. She wanted answers that only the assassin could provide. Rhoane walked beside her, his face set in a grim reminder he didn’t agree with her and thought she should stay away from the prisoner.
She stood before the assassin in the cramped cell, following the threads of ShantiMari that held him taut. She recognized most of them, but several were new, probably from the soldiers guarding him. No one wanted anything to happen to the prisoner on their watch.
For a long time, days perhaps or merely a bell—she couldn’t tell in the dim dankness beneath the castle—she studied him. He kept his head lowered, his eyes trained on the floor. Golden strands of hair obscured most of his face, but what she could see might have been handsome on a living soul.
An aquiline nose and strong jaw, dark brows that bent toward each other in a frown. Pale lips stretched to a thin line against even paler skin. Not quite white, but not cream, either. Eggshells. His skin was the color of a fresh egg. She peered closer, beyond his flesh to where his veins, an odd hue of blue-grey, crisscrossed beneath his skin.
Shadow Assassins were born of death. They had no worldly appetites or functions, but this one bled. The tiniest of flutters indicated a heartbeat, but she heard nothing to indicate life inside his corpse.
“Who are you?” she asked in a near whisper, forcing him to strain to hear. A thread of her ShantiMari wrapped around him, probing his skin and bones. Her fingers twitched to touch his flesh, but she instinctively knew Rhoane would never allow it. “I said, who are you?” She tightened her power and he flinched. So. Hecould feel.
The assassin lifted his head, glaring at her with his hollow eyes. “I am you.” Laughter, low and manic, came from his sternum.
A sharp pain cut at her heart and blackness crept along the edge of her vision. Her ShantiMari trembled in her veins, unsettling her. “Who sent you?” Taryn labored to stay calm, in control.
He dipped his head between his shoulders. The laughter stopped. A sneer crossed his face as he glanced at Rhoane, then back to Taryn. “Ceadach lambeth.”
“No!” Rhoane slammed his hand over the assassin’s mouth. “Taryn, get out of here.”
“What did he say?” She squeezed her power against the assassin and he moaned in pain.
“Taryn, please,” Rhoane insisted, his voice steel, unyielding. “I will explain everything, but you must leave at once.”
She tied off her power, securing it around the man before backing out of the cell. Rhoane spoke rapidly in Eleri, his ShantiMari flooding the room. Her pendant blazed against her skin and she ran up the steps, bursting through the door to the outside world. She bent double, gasping for breath.
“Taryn, is everything all right?” Myrddin’s voice came from beside her.
“I just need some fresh air.” She stood upright, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. The ice pick of pain continued, spreading from her heart outward to her extremities.
“You’ve been visiting the prisoner, I see.” He glanced at the door behind them. “Nasty business, that. Has Rhoane been able to extract any useful information?”
“Not yet. Perhaps you should try.”
Myrddin stroked his beard. “I’m sure the captain can handle it. If you’ve recovered, I’ve been sent to fetch you. It seems your mother is quite keen to see you race today. I’ve been told to make certain you arrive in time for the event.”
She glared at him, confused. “Are you serious? She expects me to race with that…that thing down there?”
“The assassin is well guarded. There is no threat to you, my dear, so why shouldn’t you compete as planned?”
Taryn bit back several choice words. A soothing warmth enveloped her with gentle suggestions of calm. She’d never experienced Myrddin’s power, nor did she expect it to be as comforting as it was. There was a strength to the threads unlike any she’d ever known. Myrddin would never give an exact age, but rumors said he was over four thousand seasons. With his ShantiMari cloaking her with gentle caresses, she guessed he was even older. She wrapped a tendril of her own power through his, tucking a strand of his care away for later.
“You’re right, of course.”
He placed her hand in the crook of his arm and ambled toward the castle proper. “I know this is difficult, Taryn, but you can’t let the assassin or anything else deter you from living a life worth having.” His blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, full of mirth as usual. “You are the Eirielle, yes, but you are also a young woman. You should be enjoying yourself, not constantly under pressure.”
“Easier said than done, my friend.”
His arm slid around her shoulders and he held her close. The scent of his tower filled her nostrils. Musty, like old books, but in a comforting way. “You’ve forgotten how to relax and laugh. The girl I met on the road to Ravenwood laughed easily and often. I’d like to see her again sometime.”
She returned his hug, at once reassured and protected.
“And you shall.” They continued in comfortable silence until Taryn broached a subject she’d often wondered about. “Myrddin, you keep saying your power is too old to help me unlock my Dark Shanti, but I don’t think it is. Are you sure there’s nothing you can do to help?”
“With your powers, no. I’m afraid I speak true. My ShantiMari is of an age very different from now. What I can do is help to instruct and reinforce what the others have already shown you.”
“I suppose that’s better than nothing.” They passed a terrace that overlooked a river far below and Taryn stopped to admire the view. “When we return to Talaith, can we at least resume our studies? Perhaps you can search other libraries and oracles for clues that might help in my path?”
“I would be honored.” He leaned over a sturdy wall, his face hidden in shadow. “I have a confession to make. When you first arrived, I kept myself aloof. Not because of anything you’d done, but from petty
jealousy.” He straightened and faced her, taking her hands in his. “You see, Taryn, I always wished you’d been my daughter with Lliandra.”
At her shocked expression, he continued, “Yes, your mother and I have been lovers for quite some time. Even through Valterys and Zakael, I was by her side. I’ve loved Lliandra since before I can remember. When she conceived you with Valterys, my heart broke a tiny bit. But then, when she sent you away with Brandt, well, I took my anger out on you, I suppose. Can you forgive me?”
Myrddin had been Brandt’s oldest friend, like brothers. Walking beside him under the glow of a Wintertide sun, she shared a little of what they’d had. “There’s nothing to forgive. You’re here now and that’s all that matters.”
He escorted her to her apartments, chatting all the while about his and Brandt’s escapades. She listened to the stories with a newfound fondness for the mage. He would never replace Brandt, but it was nice to have someone who knew her grandfather. No matter what Lliandra or anyone said, to Taryn, Brandt would always be her grandfather. He gave up his mortal life to protect her; he deserved much more than the honorific.
Rhoane entered her rooms just as she was gathering her skates and cloak. “Will you still race, then?”
“I’ve been given a royal command, so yes.”
“Then I will accompany you.”
“You can tell me what the assassin said on the way.”
“We are lucky. The assassin attempted to place an ancient curse on you, but his power is weak.”
“What kind of curse?” She ducked around several courtiers dressed in their winter finery, chittering excitedly about the assassin. When they saw Taryn, their faces froze in a moment of horror before they recovered themselves. “That’s not obvious or anything.” Taryn indicated the horde.
“Ignore them. They will make up stories to entertain their half-witted minds.” Anger laced every syllable, giving his words a bite.
Taryn reached for his hand, taking it in her own and squeezing. “Thank you. For protecting me, for believing in me, and for loving me even though I’m a super freak.”
He pressed her fingers to his lips and winked. Once they passed through the gates, Rhoane said low enough only she could hear, “The assassin used a curse favored by the Black Brotherhood. It is meant to stun your powers long enough for another to take control.”
The night she saw Marissa with the phantom, she’d been compelled to do whatever her sister asked. “Can someone do that? I mean, I know Rykoto blocked my powers, but can someone else, not a god, take control of another?”
“It is possible, but unlikely. The person being controlled needs to be extremely susceptible to suggestion. We are lucky you are not such a person.”
Taryn wasn’t as sure as her beloved. Something had weakened her in Marissa’s rooms and made her believe she was stabbed.
“I am most vexed by the archaic language he used. It has not been in fashion for many millennia.”
“The person controlling him must have access to ancient wisdom and curses. Which means we need to know what he knows. Oh joy, more studying.”
Rhoane squinted at her from the corner of his eye. “I do not know if this makes you happy or not. I thought you enjoyed your time in the library.”
“I do. When I’m reading for pleasure and not for survival.”
The midday bells began their lengthy melody just as they approached the skating rink. Taryn’s stomach pinched when she saw the gathered crowd. She slipped on the bone blades and then made a few laps to loosen her tense muscles.
Tessa skated gracefully to them. “I was afraid you’d back out. Are you well, my sister? You look pale.”
“I’m well enough to beat you.” Taryn forced a smile.
“Nice try, but I can see through you. The assassin is locked in a cell. You are safe now.” Her words echoed Myrddin’s in a chilling way.
“I know, but his presence unnerves me. Let’s not dwell on that. I have a surprise for you after the race.”
“But I haven’t won yet,” Tessa argued.
“It isn’t a prize for winning, dear sister. Besides, who’s to say you will win? I’ve been practicing all week with Rhoane.”
“She is quite good, Princess. You have some competition this year,” Rhoane teased.
The announcer called the skaters to their post and Taryn gave Rhoane a quick kiss before she skated off to take her mark. When the race started, she lunged, skating as fast as she could. The transition from steel blades back to bone was awful. She fought against the ice for speed. Thoughts of the assassin and Ellie were replaced with staying upright. Not making an ass of herself became her new focus. Tessa passed on her left and Taryn dug deep to catch up to the spry little thing.
As they rounded the first corner, one skater passed Taryn and then another. Soon she found herself competing for last place. Eventually, she managed to catch up to the lead pack, but Tessa was too fast. When she skated past the royal box for the last time, Tessa waved to her family, blowing kisses. The race was complete. Taryn neither won nor lost.
“Well done, sister. I had money placed you wouldn’t even finish. You lost me two silver crowns,” Tessa confessed after the race.
“You bet against me? How could you?” Taryn wanted to be hurt, but found it delightful in a sardonic way.
“I’ve seen you skate, and you aren’t that good,” Tessa said matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, well, let this be a lesson to never bet against me.”
Tessa glided to the royal box to receive her prize from Lliandra while Taryn held back to clap for the winners. She was removing the blades from her boots when a shadow fell across the snow.
Lliandra stood in front of her, a vision in a deep-green velvet cape and hat. “Do you think me terrible for making you race today?”
“I did earlier, but you did the right thing. I feel better now—lighter, I guess.”
They walked arm-in-arm toward the castle. “I do not like to think of you anywhere near Valterys or Zakael, but with the events of the past few days, we have no other choice. Promise me you will be safe.”
“Now that the assassin is no longer a threat, we can travel in safety.”
Lliandra bent her head toward Taryn’s. “My darling daughter, never think you are out of danger. You must live each moment as if the assassin were hunting you still. That is what will keep you alive.”
Her mother confirmed what Taryn already knew. Even with the assassin locked up, other threats waited in the shadows. Her anxiety spiked another notch.
Lliandra lifted her face to the sun, inhaling the crisp air. “I do so love this city. It’s unfortunate what happened, but you must not let your heart derail you from your tasks. People will die—it’s that simple. The less concerned you are for their well-being, the less painful it will be for you.”
“How can you say such a thing?”
Lliandra’s eyes filled with sadness and a longing that almost broke Taryn’s heart. “Darling, I am nearly three hundred seasons. Those without ShantiMari live to be half that. I have seen my share of death. It never gets easy and it never ends. It is a fact of life. One you must accept.” Lliandra looked away but not before Taryn saw a tear slide down her face under the mask of Mari.
Kaida nudged the empress’s hand until Lliandra stroked her head. “Kaida seems rather fond of you, and I think the feeling is reciprocated,” Taryn teased.
“Your grierbas is quite remarkable, as are you. You have a pure heart, my daughter. Never lose that. Never let anyone take that love and goodness from you. I see in you a greatness that defies the gods and an immense sorrow.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done had that been you the other day.” She held Taryn tightly against her. “My time draws close, but there is much we must do before then. You must learn to control all three powers and quickly.” She let go of Taryn, shaking her head. “I never should have let Brandt take you so far away. There is too much to carry out and not enough time. I fear you will not be
ready when the day arrives.”
“What’s going to happen? Do you know?” Her gut lurched at imagined scenarios.
“I don’t know the future, I’m afraid. Just bits and pieces of images that flash into my thoughts.”
“I’ll learn, Mother. I’ll go to Zakael and get stronger in all my powers.”
“Go to your half-brother. Take from him all you can. He is nearly as powerful as your father. When you’ve finished with him, return to Talaith.” Lliandra touched her cheek. “Together, we will make Aelinae balanced once more.”
Chapter 23
A LIGHT snow fell as Taryn and Baehlon walked through the square toward the temple. A few townsfolk rushed past, but no one paid her any mind. They were too busy with their final preparations for the end of the Light Celebrations. Taryn skipped up the few steps to the temple and entered into the darkness. Baehlon lit several sconces while Taryn wandered to the center of the space. Kaida circled the room, sniffing the air before returning to sit beside Baehlon near the door.
She wasn’t sure why she’d come. For a long time, she simply stood, staring at the marble pillars that ringed the temple’s interior. A few benches were tucked into alcoves along the wall, but otherwise it was an empty space. Taryn walked in a slow circle, touching each column. Her pendant buzzed with contentment as she moved from one to the next. Baehlon kept to the shadows, but she knew he was there.
A set of colored tiles on the floor caught her attention and she followed the stones in a labyrinthine path until the tiles ended abruptly. Taryn stared at the floor and then at the wall a few steps away. Nothing indicated why the colored tiles ceased and she shrugged.
A bright light descended from the ceiling, coalescing into a beautiful woman surrounded by hair as black as onyx, her skin the color of melted chocolate. She held out her hands to Taryn. “Welcome, my daughter.”
Taryn curtseyed low to the ground. “Are you Daknys?”
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