by M. D. Laird
Samuel was an easy going and friendly thorian, though he was often a little vacant and Maol often wondered whether he knew what day of the week it was. His clothes were dishevelled as you might expect from someone who works in strenuous physical labour, but, even outside of work, nothing seemed to fit him. He struck Maol as being eccentric but very likeable, and he was very passionate about his trade.
“It would be,” Samuel replied. “But there is nothing as satisfying as doing something challenging for yourself.” Maol nodded. He had felt a sense of accomplishment when he had finished the cabin. “And there is no greater pleasure than making one’s own sword. You could make your own if you like? You’re here for two weeks, if you work hard, you should finish it, and I will guide you through the process.”
Making the sword was a lot of work and Maol had to work his sword alongside the other things the blacksmiths had to produce. He was exhausted at the end of every day, but he was thrilled to finish it and felt immense pride when he was finally able to add the finishing touches to his sword. Samuel was a skilled artisan and had helped Maol to make a beautiful pommel, hilt and cross guard.
“Well done, Maol,” said Samuel, clapping Maol on the shoulder. “You have made a fine bladesmith. All it needs now is a name.”
Maol smiled as he lifted the sword in front of him. He unsheathed it from the decorative scabbard.
I know exactly what to call it.
“Rodor,” he said. “It is called Rodor.”
“Did you sense me that time?” Eve asked Kyriel and Raum as she dropped her Cloak.
“No,” replied Raum. “I think you have it.”
Eve and her guards had found a secluded spot after leaving the king’s guild for Eve to practice her Cloaking. She had always accomplished shields intuitively and thought it might not take much more effort to add layers to the Cloak so they could not be detected. Still, she was thoroughly surprised to achieve such a result after just a couple of tries and expected to be working on it for weeks if she ever got it at all.
She breathed a sigh. “I need to learn how long I can stay in it for. It’s no good if it drops before I want it to.”
“Can you Cloak us as well, so we know you are safe while you’re in it?” asked Kyriel.
“You and Raum come in with me,” she said to Kyriel before turning to her other guards. “Cassiell and Turel, you stay close by to see if you can sense us.” Eve took another glucose tablet and tucked into a ham and cheese roll. Maintaining the Cloak was exhausting. She did not want to know what the Alchitch had used for equivalent exchange to retain their Cloak for as long as they did. Part of her wished she had gone ahead with the energy project.
It would be nice not to have to spend my life eating.
She had layered her clothing, and they had lit a fire at their makeshift camp so she could sacrifice her body heat while she practised.
“I just need to know how much I need to exchange to keep it up,” Eve said.
She needed to practice. As she became more proficient at alchemy, she found she did not need to sacrifice as much energy or heat. But that meant hours and hours of gruelling practice and she didn’t have the time. She wanted to know what was in the king’s desk.
“We are ready when you are,” replied Cassiell.
She raised her Cloak again, and this time, she surrounded Kyriel and Raum. Her guards gave a puzzled grin.
“It’s strange,” said Kyriel. “I can see the outside, but I can’t sense it.”
“I think there are probably different levels,” replied Eve. “When I was captured by the Alchitch, I could not see anyone else at all—it was as though the plain was empty apart from the Alchitch and me. They could pass through people as though they weren’t there—probably walls as well, I imagine. And when they captured Calab, they must have been able to see him, though he could not sense them. It would be better if you could sense the outside, but I don’t know how long it will take to master that level of control.”
“We can sense from the midspace,” said Raum.
“Yes, but anyone who can midspace can detect you.”
“Very few thorian can midspace.”
“How long do you need to hold it for, Your Majesty? You’re not planning to leave us and go on your own, are you?” asked Kyriel.
“No,” she said. “I have promised you I wouldn’t push you away again after the Alchitch. We need another plan. There must be a way around the rules.”
Perhaps I should just contact Calab. He can midspace without breaking his decree. No. He is busy with his own plans. I need actual information to give him before I distract him with this.
“Perhaps I can make another excuse to visit the guild. If the king knows we’re there, then we wouldn’t breach decree. I could…get lost…on my return from the bathroom.”
“It is spying, Your Majesty. That breaches our decree.”
“Could I not get you to agree for me to go alone if I can prove to you that I can hold my Cloak, then you can be certain that you’re not putting me at risk?”
“You would need to ask Captain Leliel when he returns from decree, Your Majesty, but it is unlikely.”
Her training went better than expected. All the practice she had put into maintaining her regular shield had paid off, and though she had to eat enough food for three men, she managed to hold her Cloak for two hours before she fell asleep and it dropped.
She was excited when she woke and realised that she had held the Cloak and Cassiell had confirmed that neither she nor her guards could be sensed from the outside for the entire time. She was ready. Ready to learn what the king was hiding. She just had to get into the guild.
Thomas dragged Eleanor from her sleep an hour before supper. She groaned as she stretched her arms.
“I could still sleep for another day,” she said, sitting up and taking the tea he offered her. “Thank you. What have you been doing today?”
“I’ve been on decree,” he replied, taking a seat beside her.
“How are you not tired?”
“I have fantastic stamina.”
She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. “Where are we going first?”
“The Guild of Barachiel is closest. We’ll stay there tonight and head south to visit the Guild of Selaphiel in the morning. We’ll be back in time to visit your rebels in the evening. Did you send them a lolite?”
“Yes,” she said, lifting her stone from her bedside table—it was full of ink. “There’s a reply waiting.”
Eleanor dragged herself from the bed to Thomas’ writing bureau and placed the stone on a clean sheet of paper.
Wonderful. I have just found a new recipe for a blueberry tart that you must try.
“What does that mean?” asked Thomas, puzzled.
“It means the meeting is set,” she said. “We agreed some coded replies. Mine were a private joke between James and me. They were all about cakes, embroidery and flowers—the things noble ladies are supposed to care about.”
She smiled, and she reminisced about the day she and James had worded their replies. James’ responses had all been about farming equipment—another private joke as his father had wanted James to work in politics when James was instead, quite content working on their family farm. James had spent his life hiding in barns and fields from his father who was furious when he found him helping the farm hands. Her educator ran one of her father’s farms because it made him a good income, but he wanted nothing to do with the physical labour.
Eleanor and James had planned to buy their own farm one day when they escaped their fathers and eloped.
Thomas stood awkwardly as Eleanor wiped tears from her eyes. “How do you know where the meeting will be?” he asked, returning to his tea.
“There are seven replies—one for each rebel base. Then other responses to indicate that the meeting must be delayed or cannot take place at all. All the replies are unique to each rebel member so anyone finding thei
r lolite would imagine they were conversing with a friend.”
“You are so careful in this communication, but you put so much in that first letter you sent to James.”
“I thought it would be safer if it were hand delivered by your demons and James would have burned it after he read it.”
The prince nodded. “Are you ready?"
Eleanor had never been to an angel guild before. She expected them to be similar to the Guild of Rexalis and the demon guilds with communal areas and bedrooms and it was; however, there was an overwhelmingly tranquil atmosphere. It was so quiet that she was aware of her own breathing which seemed incredibly loud. The guild had a large sanctuary where the angels spent time meditating, and was simply furnished, rather than luxuriously furnished like the demon guilds.
Eleanor and Thomas were shown to the parlour and were offered the hospitality of a simple meal and room for the night. Eleanor had been surprised at Thomas’ change in attitude when Son Jacob had visited the Sonneillon guild, and he was no different now. Gone were the sarcasm, the arrogance and the sneers. He was a perfect gentleman. He had not even attempted to touch her when they climbed into bed together. Thomas never said so, but Eleanor assumed that he must consider it disrespectful to be intimate with his wife in the angel guild.
Myron, the Son of Barachiel, listened patiently as Thomas explained everything they had discovered and he took no time agreeing to help reinstate the Crown as long as they confirmed that they had found the Crown.
“You are like a different person when you’re around the angels,” said Eleanor when they had boarded the vector to fly to the Guild of Selaphiel the next morning.
“Don’t expect it to last,” he grumbled.
She smirked. “Do you ever miss being an angel?”
He snorted. “Not even a little.”
“But you like the angels?”
“They’re my brothers. Of course, I like them.”
“You never invite them for supper like you do Nathaniel.”
He shrugged. “Demons are more fun to be around.”
“How long was it after the Fall before you were friends with the angels again?”
“We were never not friends with them. They obeyed Heaven’s orders, and we didn’t. It was never personal.”
“But you fought with the angels?”
“Yes. And they fought with us.”
“Did you never have to repent for what you did?”
“Heaven took away our feelings—including our conscience. Trying to make us feel regret or guilt would be somewhat fruitless,” he said, then added dryly, “Besides, Heaven has us leashed with our decree, so we have to behave ourselves…mostly.”
Eleanor laughed. “I’ve never understood why you broke the rules in the past, but you hold firm to your decree now.”
“As an angel, it is easy to break the rules, but you’re not supposed to want to. As a demon, we find it difficult to break the rules even if we want to. But I don’t want to break the rules. We have things better now than we ever did in Heaven and if we break the rules, we’d have to live in Hell. I’d much rather stay here and enjoy food, wine and intimacy.”
“That no doubt helps to keep you leashed.” She grinned.
“Like I said, we’re greedy and selfish. We do what is best for ourselves. The way we’re designed means it works in our favour to obey Heaven.”
“So you’ve never actually been punished?”
“I wouldn’t say that. The flood was quite a harsh punishment, and Hell isn’t particularly pleasant, but when Heaven compromised with us, it stopped punishing us. It made things easier for us so we would serve without revolt. We are useful to Heaven, so this arrangement works for all of us.”
The Son of Selaphiel confirmed he too would join the revolution as long as Thomas could be sure that he had located the Crown and they were willing to take their position as the Crown. Thomas still had his scouts on the suspected Crown. He was watching them for now, but Hallward had contacted the princess on her vox and had given an interesting report of their findings.
Thomas and the princess collected Nathaniel from the Guild of Verrine before heading north to Rexalis for their meeting with the rebels.
“Your duty is that you can’t allow me to put myself in danger,” said Eve to Captain Leliel. “But if I’m in and out within two hours, there is no risk. I can hold my Cloak for two hours, and I can maintain vox contact with you throughout.”
“It sounds risky, Your Majesty,” Leliel replied. “We would not be able to enter the guild’s grounds. You’d be far from us, and you’d be alone.”
“Captain, I have my magic, my shields and my blade. I can take care of myself. What danger do you foresee?”
Eve felt guilty when Leliel appeared deflated.
“Son Jacob and Mr Hallward won’t like this plan. I fear we would be going against our orders to agree.”
“Your orders are to protect me, Captain, but I will be safe.”
“You are backing us into a corner, Your Majesty. If I say no, then you will go on your own if you can’t think of a way around the rules. You’re giving me no choice but to agree. You know I can’t stop you if you enter the Cloak. We can’t force our protection upon you as we have done in the past. You have to agree for us to protect you.”
“I do, Captain. I’m not trying to bully you into agreeing, I just want you to see that I can keep myself safe for a short time.”
Leliel sighed. “I would feel better about this if you would speak to the generals.”
“I don’t want to trouble anyone until I know what we’re dealing with. If I tell them, then I’m implicating them in this decision.”
“You’re implicating us.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to. I would have gone alone without telling you if I had not promised not to refuse my guard, I am trying to be honest and reason with you.”
“So you will forget this if I say no?”
Eve dropped her eyes to the floor. “I rather hope you won’t. I can keep myself safe, and I will maintain vox contact.
“Your Majesty, will you go anyway if I say no?”
Her shoulders sagged, and she bit her lip. She didn’t know. She could not say for certain. She needed to get into the king’s office.
“You’re giving me no choice but to say yes, Your Majesty. We can only keep you safe if we know where you are.”
Eve dropped her head. She had manipulated her guards, and she felt thoroughly ashamed of herself.
Eleanor was nervous about the meeting with the rebels. She was always nervous about meeting them anyway. She was always concerned that they may think her an imposter because of her noble blood. Today she was especially worried. Today she was attending the meeting with three demons and an angel—though the rebels did not know that. Eleanor was going to attend the session as normal and announce that Thomas, Nathaniel, Mr Hallward and Son Myron were waiting in the midspace.
Eleanor knew her announcement would not go down well. The rebels were secretive and did not like surprises being forced upon them. They would not be happy that Eleanor had given away their location, and if they did not listen to what they were told, they would never accept her in their group again.
“I hope this is important, Elea,” said Jack. “You’ve missed the regular meetings lately so I hope this just isn’t something that should have been discussed there.”
“It is important.” She took a deep breath. “It’s about the Crown.”
Jack groaned. “We’ve been through this, Elea.”
“This is different,” she said. “If you agree to reinstate the Crown then you will have the support of all the angels and demons of Axandria.”
“What are you talking about?”
“They are not usually allowed to take part in revolutions, but they can remove a hollow crown from the throne—which my father is—as long as they allow the natural rule—the Crown—to reign.”
Jack shook his head. “Do you even know who the Crown is?”
“We have found them.”
He ran his fingers through his hair and gave an exasperated sigh. “Just because they could support us doesn’t mean they will. They don’t get involved in politics. Even if you ask them, they will say no.”
“They have already said yes.”
“What?”
Eleanor raised her hand, and the angel and the demons appeared from the midspace. The rebels gasped.
“Damn it, Elea.” Jack snarled. “You can’t just invite people along without clearing it with us first.”
“Please, Jack. Just listen to what they have to say.”
Jack listened, but his expression remained as tense and angry. “Why should we do this?” he snapped, upon hearing the details. “This isn’t what we’ve worked hard to achieve.”
“Surely the goal is to remove a tyrant from the throne?” asked Mr Hallward.
“Yes, but we don’t want to be ruled anymore—we’re tired of it. We want to rule ourselves.”
“We cannot help you to achieve self-rule,” said Son Myron, “but if you agree to reinstate the Crown, then we will help you. Together we can improve the lives of people in Axandria.”
Jack placed his head in his hands. “We need to discuss this.” He sighed. “Alone. That includes you, Elea. And don’t spy on us either. I’ll lolite you when we have an answer.”
Eleanor left reluctantly. She tried to apologise to the group and Jack reiterated that he wanted her to leave. Eleanor felt upset.
Would James be angry with me?
The rebel group had never welcomed her as one of them, but it was her final link to James. She hated the thought that he might be ashamed of what she had done.
I’ve betrayed them. I’ve betrayed James. I’ve betrayed everything we’ve worked for.
Thomas carried Eleanor back through the sewer. He had complained about going in there at all, but he insisted on not letting her walk as he did not want her to smell any worse than she already did. The group piled into the vector and took to the air to return to the Guild of Sonneillon.