She grimaced as she rolled her shoulder, wondering if anything was broken. Teran had kicked her, hard, when he'd returned this evening from another unsuccessful trip to the White Sword. Asha could see his mistrust mounting each time he came back empty-handed, but she pressed her case, putting everything she had into sounding convincing.
She had to. She knew now that her captors were too thorough, too alert for her to escape on her own. She still kept looking for a way out, but all of her hopes were realistically pinned on Erran.
She wasn't sure how long had passed, but she'd almost fallen into a restless sleep again when she heard the soft voice.
Asha.
She flinched and looked around, peering into the murk. "Who's there?"
Quiet. It's Erran. I'm outside. A pause. I've linked our minds. Just think your responses, don't say them out loud. Another pause. Are you okay?
Asha took a couple of deep, shuddering breaths of pure relief. I've been better. Glad you're here though. She hesitated. You're alone?
Kol and Fessi are here too. Elocien wanted to send men, but I Read the Shadow you sent to the White Sword. Teran. He'll kill you if he gets even a hint of a problem. He's got a plan to kill Pyl, too, if it comes to that. Then blame your death on him and say he was trying to save you.
Of course he does, thought Asha grimly. She'd never heard his name, but Pyl must be Teran's partner. So you'll sneak me out?
Fessi just went through the house; she's figured out which door is your room. Pyl's on guard, and Teran's asleep. She's going to come in, take the keys from Pyl, unlock your door, and get you out before anyone knows what's happening.
Asha hesitated. I'm hurt, haven't had much to eat or drink. Tied up too. Not sure how fast I can be.
Doesn't matter. You'll see. Just get ready.
Asha shook out her muscles as best she could, then as quietly as possible raised herself to a standing position against the wall. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire; when she looked down she could see the black, red and purple of an ugly bruise through the torn and bloodied cloth of her shirt. She staggered a little once she was upright, and her vision swam.
Okay. Here she comes.
"Fates."
Asha blinked. The door was open, the light from a lamp outside spilling in, hurting Asha's eyes. Fessi was standing a couple of feet in front of her; the word had been whispered, but the horror on other girl's face told Asha just how much of a mess she must look.
"I need cleaning up," whispered Asha with a weak smile.
Fessi shook her head, then reached out and grabbed Asha's arm, thankfully not the one attached to her bad shoulder. The Augur closed her eyes for a moment, then quickly released the cords that bound Asha's wrists.
"Okay. Let's move," Fessi said. "Don't let go of me for any reason."
Asha leaned heavily on her friend as they made their way towards the doorway, Asha certain with every step that Pyl or Teran would appear in their path. As they reached the door and gazed out into the room beyond, though, Asha frowned.
Pyl's back was to them as he shuffled cards at the table, but that wasn't what Asha noticed. He was moving... sluggishly. More than sluggishly. She watched, eyes wide, as individual cards inched through the air from one hand to another, slowly enough that as one flew out of Pyl's right hand, she could have walked the ten feet between them and plucked it out of the air before it hit his left.
It wasn't just Pyl, though. The air itself seemed thicker; the candle on the table flickered, but so gradually that in each moment it almost seemed frozen. Asha clutched at the black-haired girl a little tighter as she understood what was happening. Fessi had said just the other night that her best ability, her Augur 'talent', was to slow time. It seemed she hadn't been exaggerating.
Asha made to move towards the back door, but Fessi gave a silent shake of her head. She shut the door behind them. Locked it. Then she guided Asha over to where Pyl sat, the cards still moving between his hands, and calmly placed the keys back on his belt.
Then they were away, out the back door and into the fresh, cool night air. It was late enough that the streets were empty, but Fessi didn't stop slowing time until they were in the shadows of the alley opposite and standing alongside Kol and Erran, who were watching the house pensively.
Both boys blinked as the girls appeared in front of them; Fessi collapsed against Kol, the strain of what she'd done clearly taking a toll. The street was dim, but there was enough light to see by, and both Kol's and Erran's eyes widened as they took in Asha's appearance.
"Fates," breathed Erran, with almost the same horrified intonation Fessi had used. "Are you okay?"
"It looks worse than it is," said Asha weakly, her voice hoarse. It was probably true; her clothing was torn and bloodied, her hair matted with the dried blood that was also caked across her face. "I could use something to drink though."
Erran scrambled around in a bag he'd obviously brought for the occasion, passing her a flask. Asha drank, sighing as the cool liquid slid down her throat.
She handed the flask back, then noticed Kol's expression for the first time. He was still silent but his eyes were hard, cold with fury.
"It's okay, Kol," she said gently. "I'm fine."
"It's not okay. If the men who took you treated you like that, they're not going to back off just because you escaped. We need to send a message." Kol spoke through gritted teeth, then turned to the other two. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
Fessi shook her head in alarm. "You don't want them to see your face, Kol."
"Then I'll just have to make sure they don't want to remember it," he said.
He stalked towards the door they'd exited through, little more than a massive shadow in the darkened street, his stride determined.
"Pyl's big," said Asha, concerned. "I know Kol is too, but two against one -"
Kol reached the door and drew back his fist.
There was a ripple in the air around his arm; it wasn't quite Essence, but the energy was palpable. When his fist connected, the door didn't just break or swing open. It splintered, sending shards of wood flying into the room beyond. There was a cry of surprised pain as Pyl was evidently struck by at least one of the pieces.
"We'd better make sure he doesn't kill anyone," muttered Fessi.
The three of them made their way to the doorway, Asha peering in nervously.
Kol already had Pyl pinned to the ground, face-down; the big man was struggling, but it made no difference against Kol. The Augur grabbed Pyl's arm and gave it one strong jerk backward; Asha winced as there was a cracking, popping sound, ligaments and bones snapping. Pyl began to scream, but Kol silenced him by grabbing a handful of hair at the base of his skull and smashing his face into the ground.
The door to the bedroom opened and a dishevelled Teran emerged, a knife in his hand. He took in the scene with a surprisingly calm expression.
"I'll kill you if you come any closer," he told Kol.
As if he hadn't heard, Kol walked towards him with ground-eating strides; Teran's eyes widened as he realised his threat had had no effect. He swiped at Kol with the knife, but Kol came in under the swing, grabbing Teran's wrist and twisting. There was a sharp snap, and Teran shrieked in pain as the blade fell to the ground.
Kol spun the portly Shadow around as if he were a rag-doll, shoving him against the wall so that the entire building shook. Asha gave a nervous glance around the street, but the racket didn't seem to have raised any alarms. They were in the Lower District, not a wealthy neighbourhood from the looks of it. There wouldn't be many of the Watch down here to call upon anyway.
Kol leaned forward against the struggling Teran. "If you touch her again. If I see you again. If anything untoward happens to her again, regardless of who's responsible. I. Will. Kill. You," said Kol, the fury in his voice unmistakable. "I would kill you right now if I didn't have to worry about the body."
Teran's face twisted into a sneer. "The Shadraehin -"
"I'm not afraid
of the Shadraehin." Kol grabbed the man's arm and pulled backward; again, there was a popping sound as ligaments snapped. Teran's face went white. "Do you understand?"
There was silence; Kol snarled, giving Teran's arm another tug. "Do you understand?"
"Yes," gasped Teran.
Kol drew back Teran's head and smashed it against the wall; Asha flinched, wondering how many teeth Teran had lost to the impact.
Her would-be captor slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Kol stared at the man in disgust, motionless for several seconds. Finally Fessi stepped over to him, putting a hand on his arm.
"We need to go, Kol," she said softly.
Kol nodded, and the four of them left the dingy building. Fessi gave Kol and Erran a meaningful glance as they began to walk, and the two boys hurriedly moved so that Asha would be able to lean on them if she needed to.
"Thank-you," she said quietly, her gaze including all three of her rescuers. Kol and Erran gave solemn nods in response, and Fessi just smiled, giving Asha's good arm a light squeeze of reassurance.
They navigated the sleeping city, all the way back to the palace, in silence.
***
It was late morning, three days after the Augurs had rescued her, when Kol knocked on her open door.
"Kol!" She smiled at him, rising from her desk. "Come in."
Kol entered hesitantly. "How are you feeling?"
"Michal healed me the morning after we got back, so... much better." Asha rotated her shoulder to prove the point.
Kol smiled. "That's good." Asha gestured to a chair and the big man sat, looking awkward. "I wanted to come and check on you earlier, but Elocien said it was best to let you rest."
Asha nodded. "I needed it," she admitted. Though her body had been healed, today was the first day she'd felt ready to face other people again. Even after all she had already been through over the past few months, this last week had been hard.
"Representative Alac didn't mind?"
Asha shook her head. "He says I should take as much time as I need." She gave a slight smile, gesturing to a thick tome sitting on her bedside table. "That isn't to say he didn't leave me anything to do if I felt so inclined, though."
Kol snorted. "Sounds about right." He glanced around the room, noting several arrangements of flowers. "Seems you're suddenly rather popular."
Asha rolled her eyes. "You could call it that, I suppose." The Houses hated to be outdone by each other, even when it came to false sympathy. Bouquets and gifts had been arriving in a steady stream almost since she had returned.
She sighed. It had been impossible to get her back into the palace without her battered state being noticed, and though Elocien had tried to be discreet about ordering the arrest of two other Shadows straight after her arrival, someone had still made the connection. The rumours had been everywhere within a day - the Shadraehin had attacked one of his own, kidnapped the only Shadow in the city who held a position of relative power. Proof positive that he had no intention of ever trying diplomatic means to help the Shadows.
To make matters worse, Elocien's men had arrived at the house in the Lower District to find it empty. Teran and Pyl were still out there, somewhere.
"Even si'Bandin sent me something," she eventually continued in a wry tone, shaking off the unpleasant train of thought. "And that man looks at me like I'm a diseased dog that's in need of putting down."
Kol grinned. "Don't be such a cynic, Ashalia. I'm sure every one of the Houses' gifts came from a place of love and concern." Then his smile faded and he took a deep breath, suddenly awkward again as he stared at the ground. "Look, before we go any further... I wanted to apologise. Apologise for my behaviour towards you since you got here. You've been through so much these past few months, and I've been acting like...." He trailed off.
Asha studied him. "I understand why, though. I don't blame you," she said quietly. She gave him a friendly smile. "And anyway, I suspect I can find it in my heart to forgive you. You helped rescue me, probably saved my life - and you certainly made sure Teran and Pyl won't come after me again. You didn't have to do any of that."
"Still." Kol clenched his fists. "What I've Seen... that's not your fault. It doesn't justify the way I've been treating you." He took another deep breath, finally looking her in the eye. "I'm just... I'm scared, Ashalia. I'm scared that it's going to happen soon, and there isn't anybody I can talk to about it. I find it hard enough to deal with the everyday things I See, but knowing that is coming...." He sighed. "I've wanted so many times to tell Fessi and Erran, but even if I could, it would just be a burden on them as well."
Asha nodded slowly; Fessi had said much the same thing last week. "I may not be your first choice, but if you need someone to talk to...."
Kol gave her a small smile. "Thank-you." He rubbed his face, looking relieved. "That's not the only reason I'm here though. I've come to collect you, on Elocien's instructions. Apparently there's something you need to see."
Asha hesitated. "We may as well go now, then," she said reluctantly, forcing down a sudden pang of nervousness. She hadn't been outside of her rooms since the night she got back.
They left, and Asha's churning stomach eased a little as they made their way along the palace hallways. She still tensed up whenever she saw another Shadow, but she knew that might be her reaction for a while to come, now. Even so, it became easier the longer they walked, and Kol's hulking presence alongside her lent a certain physical reassurance, too.
Soon they were at the duke's office, and Kol bade her farewell. Once she was inside and the door was shut, Elocien gestured to a closed wooden box that sat on the floor in the middle of the room.
"This arrived about an hour ago. The guards at the gate were asked to deliver it to me, but I have no doubt that it was meant for you as well." He walked over to the box, then hesitated. "You should probably sit."
Frowning, Asha took Elocien's advice.
Elocien carefully levered up the lid, and Asha shuddered as she realised what was inside.
Teran and Pyl's severed heads stared up at her, their bloodied expressions taut with fear. Sitting atop the heads, flecked with dark red, was a note. Asha stared in horror for a moment, then leaned forward, a chill running through her as she read it. It was inked in the same neat, precise handwriting she'd seen in Elocien's memory, from the night Administration had been attacked.
There were only two words on the slip of paper.
I apologise.
"It seems you were right about the Shadraehin not ordering the kidnapping," Elocien observed softly. "He's making sure I know, so that Administration doesn't retaliate - and making sure you know he didn't betray you at the same time."
Asha shuddered. She'd despised these men for what they'd done, had even taken satisfaction in watching Kol's treatment of them. But this... she hadn't wanted this. She turned away, feeling sick.
"At least he doesn't think I'm holding out on him, then," was all she said.
She spoke with Elocien a little longer, but soon enough she headed back to her rooms, suddenly too tired to be afraid. She'd seen so much violence over the past few months, more than she'd thought was possible. What had happened to Teran and Pyl... it almost didn't surprise her, now.
Even so, as she lay back on her bed and closed her eyes, she knew she wouldn't be able to get their final expressions from her mind for a long, long time.
- Chapter 32 -
Davian glanced up from his reading at the sound of footsteps echoing around the stone corridors.
His muscles tensed as he stood, facing the doorway into the library. Despite Malshash’s assurances, he remained cautious at all times in Deilannis. There was something too… wrong about the city to be able to relax.
It had been four days since the shapeshifter’s abrupt departure. Davian had broken from reading during that time to eat and sleep, but nothing else. Partly it was due to the enormity of the task; every time he thought he’d exhausted a topic, the Adviser directe
d him to books with fresh information on the same subject. Partly it was an escape.
Mostly, though, he’d discovered a fierce determination within himself, a hunger to be able to do what these books described. He’d never realised it before, but he’d watched his peers use Essence for so long – effortlessly, it had seemed – and been deeply envious.
Now, perhaps, it was finally his turn.
A man not much older than himself entered the room, smiling boyishly when his eyes alighted on Davian. He had bright red hair, a strong jaw line and a crooked nose. He waved in a familiar fashion.
“Malshash?” Davian asked, his tone hesitant.
The man gave a cheerful nod. “In the flesh.” He seemed in a particularly good mood; he sauntered up to Davian, glancing at the array of tomes spread out across the table. “How have you progressed?”
Davian shrugged. “I’ve done plenty of reading. Kan doesn’t strike me as the sort of power to rush into, though, so I’ve been waiting for you to return before going further.” Though he tried to sound casual about the last, in truth he was itching to see whether the theory he’d been devouring would actually work.
“Good lad.” Malshash gave him an approving nod. “You think you’ve grasped the basic concepts?”
Davian nodded. “The mental techniques sound simple enough. I’ve actually come across a few of them before, when I was trying to use Essence. They shouldn’t be too much trouble.” He was being modest. Every mental technique he’d ever tried – quite a few, in his years at the school – he had perfected. They had just never resulted in him being able to use Essence.
Malshash smiled. “But you understand that the two – Essence and kan – are very different?” He watched Davian closely, and Davian’s breath shortened a little. He got the distinct feeling he was being tested.
The Shadow Of What Was Lost (Book 1) Page 39