[fan] diviners trilogy - complete series

by Nicolette Andrews

  I pleaded with him. That’s what he wanted from me. My pride was not so great that I could not humble myself if needed. I went down upon my knees and took his hand in mine. He looked down at me, a smile touching the corners of his lips. I averted my gaze lest I spit on his smug face. “I was wrong, a fool for turning you away. I did not understand that you were working to the greater good. I see the errors of my ways. Let me return to your service, let me stand beside you.” I could not bring myself to voice the last, to ask to be his paramour. I knew that was his intent long ago. The very idea now was repulsive to me, but I could not let him see that. I will avoid it as much as possible, and if he pushes me, I will tell him about the child but not before then. I will keep my secrets, as I know he will keep his.

  He stared at me kneeling at his feet. For once his expression was unreadable. “Stand, Maea.”

  I did as I was commanded, but he did not let go of my hand. He was watching me still, his fingers closing around mine in a vice. He’s seen through my deception. I’ve doomed us all, I thought for a panicked minute.

  And then Adair smiled. “You make a tempting offer, but a king does not keep his throne without caution. I would have your word proved true before I make a decision. Once I know you have not played me false, then I will set you free.”

  He dropped my hand, and I let it fall limp at my side. Adair turned and headed for the door. Before he could leave, I called out to him, “Wait. What of my companions?”

  He stopped and turned to face me. “If you should prove false, they will all die while you watch.” He did not smile but inclined his head and left. The door slammed shut after him, and it seemed to echo long after he had gone. I fell onto my pallet and stared up at the stones in the ceiling. The first step is done. Now it remains for Johai to continue the dance.

  The days seemed to drag by at a snail’s pace. I was restless and found I often walked the length of my cell, back and forth, waiting for news. I tried not to think of my previous imprisonment; the fear I had felt then seemed at the edge of my consciousness, waiting to drag me down into depression and madness. This is not where I die. I was born to break the cycle. Johai will draw out Adair’s men, and he will see the truth; then the true hard part begins. After the first few days, I asked for a water dish in which I could scry. The guards brought it to me. I sat down before the water but felt none of the familiar tug of the vision. I stared at my reflection for a long time before realizing that the water would not reveal its mysteries to me. Fear settled deep in my gut, more real and raw than before. My grandmother had told me I was on my own, but I had never felt more adrift at sea before. I found my dreamless nights a torment. I woke many times to see the pale shaft of light from my window falling on the stones of my cell. My grandmother said help would not come for me. Am I to be blind and without the visions until the promised day?

  The next day, I asked for parchment and paper. I had to do something with my hands, anything to keep my idle mind from twisting in circles and tangling upon itself. I wrote a letter to Elenna, explaining to her about my blocked visions and my fears for the future. On impulse, I asked my gaoler to deliver the message. I had folded it in half and handed it to him. He looked at the parchment as if I had handed him something vile but promised to deliver my message. The return note came on the back of my own document. The gaoler delivered it with my supper that evening. I was not hungry but devoured the words written on the page. It was the first contact I had with my friends since we had been imprisoned.

  Only the Sea Chamber holds the answers. The prophecy is moving forward.

  I studied her writing in the dying light of my chamber. Was that what my grandmother meant when I would have no further assistance? I have to go back to the source in order to part the veils? My dreams had stopped, and now even a common water dish would not do. The prophecy was coming to a head, and with it, my powers were weaker. I had to look in the basin within the Sea Chamber to find my way forward, and in order to do that, I had to break free of my prison.

  Three weeks after we had arrived at Keisan, the door swung open again. Adair returned but a shadow of what I had seen upon our last visit. He was wearing none of the fine garments of before. His clothes were simple and serviceable, a brown doublet with brass buttons and black jerkins. His eyes were hung with black bags, and his gait was staggered. He has not been sleeping. He knows the truth.

  I stood and bowed deep when he entered my prison. I had been writing an account of my stint in the Biski lands to pass the time, and my fingers were stained with ink. I wiped them upon my gown.

  “Your Majesty, I can assume you have gotten word back from Golden Crossing?” I said when he did not speak first.

  He looked at me with wide terrified eyes. “I sent word to Lord Kenton, who rules that province. He gathered his banner men, and they met the Biski on the field. A few men were captured; there were Neaux soldiers among them. Lord Kenton pushed their first attack, but more Neaux arrived and…” He rubbed his face with his palm. “Golden Crossing is taken. It is the gateway between Neaux and Danhad; they can march through and east toward Keisan.” He shook his head, and for a moment he seemed much older than he should be. I almost pitied him until I remembered he had brought this upon himself. “The reports say the Neaux number in the thousands, plus another five thousand Biski. This was his plan from the beginning, then?” He looked at me with desperation in his gaze.

  I folded my hands in front of me to keep them from shaking. I must appear confident. “Yes. It was. Do not doubt this is only the beginning. The specter thrives on chaos. They are going to break all those who stand against them, and he, the Biski, and the Neaux army will sweep against the land like a red tide washing everything in blood.”

  Adair shook his head as if doing so could stop it alone. “You saw this in a vision.”

  No. But I cannot tell you that. You need to trust me so I can gain access to the chamber. “Yes.”

  He got down on one knee in front of me. That surprised me. For a moment I was too shocked to speak. “They’ve marched right into our kingdom with hardly a fight because we thought them allies. Now he has us surrounded.” He paused, considering his own error, I presumed. “What must I do to stop him?” It was the closest to humble I had seen Adair, and it set me aback.

  “There is a place within the palace, a secret chamber that I need to have access to. Let me out of this prison and help me find this place. Only there will my visions be clear enough for me to guide you through this war.”

  He looked up at me; his blue eyes were dark. His pupils were huge, but I saw trust there. He was desperate. He needed me. I felt guilty for what I knew must be done to him in that chamber. Remember he would have had you killed because you scorned him. He does not deserve your pity.

  He stood up and went to the door. He rapped upon it twice. The gaoler poked his head around the door.

  “Lady Diranel is to be freed,” Adair said in a sharp commanding tone. “Send word to my master of chambers and have him prepare a place for her.”

  “What of my companions?” I asked.

  Adair thought for a moment. “Duke Wodell has already been released and remains in the palace. You may keep the wild woman as a lady’s maid, but Beau will remain in the tower.”

  I thought to protest, but I had little ground to stand upon as it were. “May I ask why?”

  He narrowed his eyes at me. “That man tried to take my life. He shall stand trial for his crimes and be judged accordingly.”

  No! He is a good man who did what he thought he had to. He should have killed you. If he had succeeded, then none of this would have happened and King Dallin would still be upon the throne. I said none of these things. Instead I bowed my head. “As Your Majesty commands.”

  “Before I free the wild woman, I will have you bring me to this chamber. I expect you know how to find it?”

  Traps within traps, and lies spiced with more lies, I thought. “Yes,” I said, though I doubted how well I could find it.r />
  The orders were given for my release, and Adair led me out of the prison, himself. Palace guards were waiting outside my prison cell. There were four in all. There armor was polished to a gleam with the encircled oak tree upon their breasts. Each one wore a cloak of midnight blue, which was clasped at the throat with the same encircled oak. They wore blades at their hips, and when we exited the prison, two went before us and two fell in behind us. The gaoler unlocked the door to our landing, which opened up onto a long descending staircase. I had flashes of my would-be execution. I took deep breaths to stave off the panic. I have won a measure of his trust. Don’t waste it by losing control.

  The steps were endless, it seemed. At the bottom, the guard knocked on a wooden door, and another prison guard opened to let us through. Outside the tower the light was blinding. I blinked into the sunlight, glad to have the sun upon my skin once more after my imprisonment. If the Goddess is good, that will be the last time I see the inside of a cell.

  “Where to, my lady?” Adair asked.

  In my dreams I had been walking along a long hall, one that faced the ocean; that is where I met my mother. I looked across the yard that was at the base of the tower. I could smell the sea and hear the crash of the ocean in the distance. To my right, gulls were reeling overhead, crying out to one another.

  “It should be in the east wing of the palace,” I said.

  “Then there we shall start our search.” Adair extended his arm for me to lead. The guards surrounded us but did not keep the eyes of the courtiers off us. We passed by groups of them chatting and laughing. The laughter and chatter died when I passed. I heard a few hiss curses at me and shout vile things as I walked by with the king. To them I am a traitor. They do not know I am walking with the real king-slayer.

  “Ignore them,” Adair said. “They are as empty-headed as they are greedy. When they learn what you plan to do for Danhad, they will love you once more.”

  I smiled but did not respond. Anything I would have said to him would have been venomous and would land me back in my tower cell. The east wing of the palace loomed before us. It faced the sea and boasted the greatest views of the ocean. It was also the oldest part of the palace and hosted the origins of the palace made by the first of our people who landed upon these shores thousands of years ago. The Biski claim they and the Neaux were one people and it was the Danhadines who drove them from the land and created the war that raged between Neaux and Danhad on and off for generations. Mayhap it is true.

  We wandered the halls as I looked for the place from my dreams. The guards evacuated the area so I could work in peace. Adair took a step back as well. I walked down the halls, letting my hands run against the frescoes and paintings that decorated the walls. The tapestries here depicted the story of the Sea Maiden, the one who it was said our first king plucked from the sea and married.

  I turned a corner and felt a prickling sensation along my scalp. This is the place, the hall I have dreamed of. It was long and narrow and ended with a window that looked out onto the sea. I stood there for a moment, reliving the dream over in my mind. I have been searching for this place for a long time.

  Adair came to stand beside me. “Is something the matter?”

  I shook my head. I took a step down the hall, and I felt a bolt of electricity roll through me. My feet moved without my provocation. They led me to the portrait of the king of old. I stopped to look at him for a moment. He was young when the portrait was done. Long brown hair curled around his ears where it escaped the tail he wore it in. He had the blue eyes of House Raleban and a square jaw and full lips. The painting was old, the colors fading but for his eyes, which seemed to pierce me to the core. I felt around the edge of the painting, looking for a catch in the wall. Then I found it, a chink in the stone. I have been here before, I realized.

  I pulled, and the stone shuddered and eased away from the wall. It creaked and groaned. Adair rushed forward to help me push back the door to the hidden passageway. Inside, darkness yawned. A breeze came up from the depths below, and a shiver ran up my spine. I could feel the call of the water. Down somewhere in the darkness, the Sea Chamber awaited me.

  “Is this it?” Adair peered into the depths of the tunnel.

  “Further down there awaits the chamber.” I rubbed my arms to keep the chill off, but already I could hear the drums and feel the tug. If I wanted, I could let the vision pull me down without light. I suspect the draw would guide my feet where they must go. I remained with my feet planted as Adair ordered torches.

  Two guards remained at the top of the landing while Adair, two guards and I descended the steps. As they had been in my vision, they were worn smooth from use and winding and twisting. The walls were covered in slime, and I soon learned to avoid touching them unless necessary. The sea crashed somewhere nearby, and the echo went through the stone to make a mournful keening sound. Down and down and down we went. The steps going on forever, it seemed, until at last we reached the bottom floor. I saw the door, a decaying bit of wood that looked prepared to crumble beneath the slightest touch. The guard with the torch went first, and he stepped into a small room and filled it with light. He came out a few moments later, nodding to signal that it was safe to enter.

  The room was small. It was circular all around with places to put torches along the walls. In the center was a stone basin upon a pedestal. Water dripped into it from above. The rhythmic sound echoed across the chamber like the pounding of drums. The wind howled down the tunnel that led to it and filled the chamber with a bone-chilling breeze.

  My feet led me to the basin. I looked upon the water. It was dark and seemed to devour all the light that touched it. This is the source, where all the powers come from. I touched the edge of the basin. It was smoothed, and it seemed at one time it might have been polished. It was made of the same dark stone that my grandmother’s basin had been made of. This place has not been touched for a century, not since my kind was chased from Danhad.

  Images were flickering on the water’s surface. I saw Johai and could not resist the pull to look into the water. I slowed my breathing and focused on one image. Johai, I chanted in my mind. And then the water showed him to me. Johai leaned back, his feet crossed in front of him. Aland paced back and forth the length of his tent. His hands were folded behind his back. Aland’s daughter came in with a pitcher of mead. Aland snatched it from her, spilling half the contents on the floor as he poured the amber liquid into a pewter cup. While he drank, his daughter shot a hopeful glance in Johai’s direction.

  He ignored her and spoke to Aland. “You seem troubled, my friend.”

  Aland’s daughter placed a pewter cup before Johai. He took a deep drink from it, watching Aland all the while.

  “You promised us spoils and land. You said the crossing was to be mine, but the Red Queen took it for her own. My men are grumbling that the Neaux are using my men for sword fodder.”

  “So is the nature of war,” Johai said with a shrug.

  “I think your dreau has betrayed us. They were waiting for us. They were prepared for an attack. You said they would not be ready. We never should have given her to the enemy. What man gives his greatest asset away?”

  “A man who wants to win a war.” Johai set the tankard down on the table with a thud. “Besides, we won in the end with minimal casualties. I call it a success.”

  “This is not what I agreed to. I think you and the dreau are playing me false. I think you want to be king, and you would use me to that end.” Aland jabbed a finger at Johai.

  Johai watched him with his arms crossed over his chest. “Oh? Then kill me and lead the men to victory yourself.”

  Aland’s gaze slid to his axe propped by the door. He looked back to Johai, who had not once taken his gaze away from him. He will not risk it. He knows how powerful Johai is.

  “No? Oh well.” Johai shrugged. “Shall we return to more important matters?” He motioned towards the maps unrolled on the table in front of him. “By now Adair will know
I have played him false, and he will be looking for enemies in every shadow. Maea will help. She will tell him where we are, and we let him win a few battles, let him think he is winning to give him confidence. We will need to spread out our force so they do not know how many we are or where we are coming from. We will attack from everywhere at once and disappear into the shadows until it is too late and we have a choke hold upon Adair and Keisan.”

  Aland shook his head. “You would use my men’s lives to play your games. This is an affront to the teachings of the Mother. Where is the honor in this sort of fight?”

  “This is war. You want to be king and bring your people from exile? Well, this is how you do it. No king is without blood upon his hands.”

  Aland looked at his own calloused hands. He opened and closed them before balling them into fists. “Then send the duke’s men to die next time. My own cousin was among those killed at Golden Crossing and one of my wives’ brothers.”

  Johai steepled his fingers and stared at Aland. “War has casualties. If you have no stomach for it, then return to the wild like the barbarian you are.”

  Aland’s face grew red. “I am no savage.”

  “Good, then do as I say.”

  Aland looked once more to his axe. After a few moments he tore his gaze away. “Very well, I will inform the elders.” He walked stiff backed from the tent.

  The vision faded, and I returned to the chamber. Adair was watching me intently. The light from the torches made his face half a mask. How much dare I tell him? Reveal too much and Johai will never reach Keisan or the Sea Chamber. Reveal too little and he will suspect me of being the traitor I am.