by Rin Chupeco
The citizens of the city, at least, were staying inside; the streets were devoid of light, save for a few flickering orbs from inside windows. It was obvious that no one here had ever experienced the nighttime before, and they’d been woefully unprepared when it came.
We huddled at the back of Latona’s tower as rumbling sounds emanated from the sky. Charley took out an oddly shaped lever from the knapsack she wore and slid it into a small hole on the door. She fiddled with it for several seconds. There was a tiny, precise click, and the door swung open.
“That didn’t seem like a lot of fuss,” Lisette remarked.
“It’s tied to an alarm system we invented. If you don’t have the right key and you force the door, it’ll alert all the guards within distance.” The girl peered cautiously inside. “Stick close, Your Holinesses. If anyone approaches, please let me do the talking.”
It was larger inside than it looked on the outside. Lights flickered overhead—giant balls of Fire interlaced with Air patterns, larger than the ones at the mechanika’s tower. There were far more rooms here than at the Spire, and almost everything appeared to be made from what Haidee admitted was gold, much to my shock. Mother didn’t have as much of a taste for opulence as Latona seemed to.
“We had to use every bit of iron and steel alloy we could find for fortification,” Haidee said, somewhat defensively. “We control the gold mines to the north, but the metal on its own is too soft to stand up to stress, which doesn’t make it as good for forging weapons or constructing towers.”
“Weapons and towers to fight against the desert clans, right?” Lisette asked coolly.
Haidee faltered, but it was Arjun who responded, in a voice too even to be truly neutral. “She has as much right to defend her home as we do. She doesn’t view us as the enemy. She never did. Took me a while to figure that out.”
Lisette looked at him, slightly disapproving, but let it drop.
We bypassed the throne room and edged along the shadows toward Latona’s private study. I worried that the goddess herself might be there, but Haidee was confident she wasn’t. “I know her habits,” she said. “She won’t be there at this hour.”
As it turned out, she was right. Lisette and Lan posted themselves behind the door to keep lookout, while Haidee all but ran to her mother’s desk. “She hid all her books and tomes in here the last time I got nosy,” she said eagerly as she opened drawers and compartments. I wandered toward the bookshelves. There were not as many volumes as I expected—perhaps two dozen at best; books were harder to come by here in the desert than they were in Aranth.
“What should we be looking for, specifically?” I asked as Noelle followed my lead.
“Anything that talks about the ritual, or about Inanna or any of the other goddesses.” She paused. “And anything to do with the sacrifice,” she added, quieter. “Any documentation about goddesses who’d been sacrificed, in particular.”
I paused. In Haidee’s expression I saw the reason for her nervous tittering, her unusual spastic energy. She was terrified about what she might find, just like I was. She was the one prophesied to die, and we might discover there was no way out of it.
“Sacrifice?” I heard Lisette ask Lan. “What’s that about?”
“Long story,” my Catseye replied, “and best told after we return to the neutral grounds.”
For the better part of an hour we searched; I was slower at it than Haidee, but Noelle was skimming faster than even my twin could. Just as we finished going through all the books in the study and I’d worried we’d found nothing, it was she who let out a soft cry of victory, rising to her feet with an open book in her hands. “You both need to read this,” she said, sounding hoarse.
Haidee and I crowded around her, looking down at the page:
At the first gate, sacrifice your clarity for prudence.
At the second gate, sacrifice your courage for caution.
At the third gate, sacrifice your harvest for healing.
At the fourth gate, sacrifice your regrets for mercy.
At the fifth gate, sacrifice your arrogance for modesty.
At the sixth gate, sacrifice your dominion for self-control.
At the seventh gate, sacrifice all for happiness.
The similarities to the rituals I had gone through were too much of a coincidence to ignore.
“I almost didn’t read this,” Noelle confessed, flipping the book over to show us Meditations for a Proper Life lettered on its cover. “But I remember my mother having several of these—required reading for a lady’s maid like her—and it made me curious.”
“I never did bother to open it,” Haidee said, wincing. “Self-improvement books were never my preference. Bless your mother for knowing better, Noelle.”
“Why are the galla rites in a self-improvement book?” I asked, my heart pounding.
“It’s not even good guidance,” Lisette said with a frown, reading through the text. “Sacrifice all for happiness? Who would do that?”
It was my turn to wince.
“The author states that her advice was inspired by a passage from another book, called The Ages of Aeon,” Noelle said, scanning the page. “I am sorry, Your Holinesses. It doesn’t explain much beyond this.”
But a look of agony was stamped across Haidee’s features. “The Ages of Aeon,” she echoed. “The Ages of Aeon. I know I’ve heard it somewhere, but I don’t quite remember the—”
She straightened up, her hands falling back to her sides. “Vanya!” she exclaimed. “He owns a copy of that book!”
“What makes you think he’ll be of any use?” Arjun growled.
“It’s a start. It’s something, at least!” But then her face fell. “Infiltrating the Arrenley residence might be harder than sneaking into the Citadel. I don’t know much about where they’re—”
“Lord Vanya Arrenley?” Charley interrupted. “Lord Torven Arrenley’s youngest son?”
“Yes,” Haidee confirmed, surprised. “Have you met him before?”
“No. But I do know that you won’t have to break into his home to steal anything.”
“And why’s that?” I asked.
“Because the Arrenleys have been living right here in the Citadel ever since you left.” The mechanika beamed at us. “The elder lord and his youngest son, anyway. Whatever book you think they have, you can probably filch it from them tonight.”
Chapter Eight
Haidee in the Citadel
CHARLEY DIDN’T KNOW WHERE IN the Citadel Vanya had been housed, but I thought it likely we’d find him in one of the guest chambers a couple of floors above us. Getting in would be the problem; the Arrenleys were the most prominent noble family in the Golden City, and they brought their own armed guards everywhere they went.
“Why are they staying here?” Arjun asked as we crept up another flight of stairs, as if finding the Arrenleys within reach was a personal affront.
I was busy mapping out the Citadel in my mind, trying to figure out the safest route, but I wasn’t distracted enough to miss his undisguised jealousy. It made me feel exasperated and strangely exhilarated, an unusual, giddy combination. “It’s not uncommon for Mother to invite some of the lords to stay at the Citadel, but I’ve never heard of anyone staying for this long.” I turned to Charley. “Are you sure about this?”
The girl nodded. “Yeong-ho said that Lord Torven frequently complained about the lukewarm water piped in for his baths. He demanded that he make them cooler.”
“He’s living in the hottest part of Aeon, but lukewarm water is still beneath him?” Lan murmured.
“Piped in?” I echoed, not sure what she meant. “They want you to go through all that trouble to pipe in water for a washbasin?”
“No, Your Holiness. He had a new porcelain bathtub installed. I think he built wider pipes to funnel into that.”
“What?”
“We didn’t put it in for him. His lordship brought his own mechanika. Yeong-ho was the only one he’d ta
lked to, and the boss was practically seething when he returned. Said it was unnecessary, but they overrode his protests.”
“He added in his own bathtub?! Changed the pipes?”
“Haidee, hush,” Arjun hissed.
“I don’t even have a bathtub of my own.” I was seething. “We had to conserve resources, especially with the Salt Sea receding so far. And Lord Arrenley has been wasting water on baths?”
“Save your anger for his son, Your Holiness.” Lisette peered out of the doorway, and frowned. “If we’re able to get to any of your Arrenleys. This floor is crawling with soldiers.”
“I’m not sure we can search every room here and not sound the alarm,” Lan said.
“Where are the pipes located?” Noelle asked. “Do you build them inside the walls, or run them through each floor?”
I thought about that. “Through the floors.”
“This isn’t the time to be admiring the tower’s plumbing, Noe,” Lan growled.
“I’m not. If the Citadel is structured the same way as the Spire in Aranth, then that can work in our favor. Lady Charley, did Yeong-ho know where they added the new pipes?”
“On this floor, actually. Lord Arrenly summoned him because Yeong-ho had designed a small container that could collect water to help with the aquifers. Lord Arrenley wanted one—so when his lordship turns on the pipes he doesn’t have to wait long for the tub to fill, I guess.”
“There you go,” Noelle said. “Follow the path of the pipes, locate this container, and you’ll find out where they’re staying.”
“I’m not sure we’ve got time to break down the walls to see where the pipes lead to,” Lisette objected.
“We don’t have to,” Odessa said, a small smile on her face. “I can locate the water’s path. I can detect where the highest concentration of it is collected, and go from there.” She laid a hand against the floor and closed her eyes, but not before her irises sparked a bright blue. “Let me try.”
There was silence for a few minutes. Lan watched the soldiers’ movements carefully. “Their rounds are too random,” she muttered. “I can’t track their schedule, like the guards outside the dome.”
I watched Odessa, felt what few water patterns were in the air shift and pour into the wall beside us. “There are two rooms,” she finally said, her eyes opening. “The first room is at the center of this floor, and the second beside it.”
“Now that we know where we’re supposed to sneak,” Arjun said, “how do we get past all these guards?”
“I have an idea. None of you make a sound when I do it.” I looked at Odessa. “I’ll need your help again. Does the sky outside always cloud over like this when it’s about to rain?”
Odessa nodded. “Once enough clouds gather, it never takes long. Do you want me to—”
“Yes. I’ll take care of the lights, but we have to—”
“Concentrate it around the tower so the focus will be on—”
“—the lightning. Oh, that’s a good idea.”
“That’s amazing,” Lisette marveled to Arjun in a loud whisper. “How long have they been able to do that?”
“As long as we’ve known them. Which is a few days. What are you two going to do?”
But my sister and I had shut our eyes, focusing on the patterns around us.
It was . . . strange. To know what she intended to do, for her to know what I intended to do, all without words. And every time we strengthened this odd link between us I always felt . . . at peace. More assured than I had ever been. And I knew she felt the same way.
A sudden streak of lightning illuminated a window, the flash dangerously close. There was a loud crash of thunder before the whole floor plummeted into darkness.
Charley gasped loudly, but her cry was lost over the sounds of panic as the soldiers crashed into each other in the sudden darkness. I could hear someone shouting orders over the din, though the continuing noises indicated no one paid him any attention. The men had never encountered total night before. They’d spent their lives learning to cope with the constant sun, and now they were deprived of even that.
A second bolt of lightning raked through the sky, even closer than the first and, though I was expecting it, the following roar nearly ruptured my eardrums.
“Hell and sandrock,” Arjun swore, jumping.
We opened our eyes at the same time; mine, I knew, glowed red from my fire-gate, while Odessa’s burned water-gate blue. “I can lead everyone to the room,” I said, “but we might have to take down a couple of those soldiers along the way. The darkness should help disguise our presence.”
“Leave them to me,” Lan said grimly.
It was even easier than I’d hoped. Whoever was in charge had reined in most of his subordinates, yelling at them to keep to their posts. Nobody paid any attention to us as we stole through the corridor. Every time a soldier drew too close, the Catseye simply reached out and grabbed them by the arm. It was over quickly; the men remained standing when she took her hand away, muscles locked and eyes wide with fright, unable to cry out. Lan’s eyes were bright giveaways in the gloom, though, and she kept her head lowered, cloak pulled tightly about her.
Finally, we stopped before the two rooms and I paused. Which would be Vanya’s? Mother usually put the younger guests closer to the middle, but the older Arrenley was an arrogant, selfish ass who considered proximity to Mother an indication of his higher status.
“Well?” Lisette demanded nervously.
I came to a decision. “This one,” I said, and laid my hand on the door farther away.
I was right; the figure on the bed lay unmoving, blissfully unaware of our presence, and slimmer than Lord Arrenley’s imposing bulk. I slid the door shut quietly behind me and gestured at the others for silence, though I could see that it was unnecessary. The loud snores coming from the sleeping boy were testament to that.
I manifested my own orb made of light and approached the bed, but Lisette was already there, drawing a knife. She ripped off the blankets and had the blade pressed against the poor boy’s neck before he had come fully awake.
“Wait!” I gasped.
“Wh-what’s going—?” The boy’s eyes grew large as he took us all in, was smart enough to shut his mouth at the telltale prick of sharp steel against his skin.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Lisette whispered, sounding cheerful despite the situation. “I don’t want to hurt you. I’m going to remove my weapon, but if you scream I have no qualms about slicing you from ear to ear, then gutting you besides. Do you understand?”
The dimple at the boy’s throat moved as he swallowed, then nodded.
“Vanya,” I said, holding back a twinge of guilt. Of all the suitors Mother had foisted on me, he had been the most respectful, the only one I actually enjoyed talking to. “I’m sorry to have to come to you like this.”
“Your Holiness?” The boy stared. “Where have you been? Your mother’s about ready to tear the dunes apart—”
“And I don’t intend to face her just yet,” I interrupted. “Not until I’ve got what I’m looking for. You told me once that you had a book called The Ages of Aeon. Do you still have it?”
“Well—er, yes. But it’s not with me at the moment. It would have been more prudent to find me in the morning instead of seeking me out in the middle of the night with . . .” He eyeballed the rest of my companions, remained at a loss to describe his dismay, and forged on. “I understand that our engagement relaxes certain protocols, but I don’t think Her Holiness would appreciate—”
“Our what?” I burst out, just as Arjun butted in with a more aggressive, “You better not have just said engagement.”
“Your mother planned to make it public soon,” Vanya said, obviously taken aback by the poor reactions to his announcement. “I . . . I thought you were willing to—”
I was furious now. I could find no evidence that Mother had fretted over my absence beyond feeling humiliated that I’d escaped her. It felt like she�
��d only used it to further her own goals, taking advantage of my inability to protest her schemes. She knew where I was now. She’d helped us fight off the galla, but then she’d taken her leave without a word, when I had wanted nothing more than to have her stay. It only told me she wasn’t ready to listen, was only going to save me as long as she could continue to gain something from it. She still thought I was going to crawl back and beg her forgiveness. “I will not be honoring any engagement that Mother made on my behalf,” I snapped. “All we need is that book, and we’ll be out of your hair. Please tell us where it is.”
“Father has it in his possession. I can ask him—”
“No. He can’t know we’re here.”
Vanya looked even more at a loss. “Your Holiness, I can’t go against my own father. He’s in charge of the safety of the Golden City now. That’s why we’re here at the Citadel.”
“Do you remember anything about the book? You mentioned a few details to me the first time we talked. You said it had some information about rituals and the Cruel Kingdom in it.”
Vanya gazed up at the ceiling, frowning. “Yes, but only generalities. When a young goddess comes of age, she takes part in a ritual where she renews her vows to sacrifice herself for Aeon should it be necessary. But when twin goddesses—Her Holiness Latona and her sister, Asteria—were born, a schism grew between them. Asteria brought about the Breaking as a result, and turned mad in the aftermath. Her Holiness had to kill her to save what was left of Aeon, though that also resulted in the death of one of her own twin daughters.” He looked puzzled. “But surely you knew that already.”