Chain of Illusions (Bringer and the Bane)

by Brux, Boone

  Her understanding gave Rell a small amount of consolation. “I suppose you’re right.”

  Juna smiled. “I am. Now, let’s get these weapons upstairs.”

  They finished collecting the pieces and exited. Once outside the small room, Rell stopped. “How do we close the chamber?”

  “It doesn’t matter. There’s nothing left inside.” Juna headed for the door. “Let whoever stole the rest of these know they have been found out.”

  When they exited the Council Chamber Jade’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. Rell shoved a sword and dagger at her. “Here, replace your old sword and shove the smaller blade in your boot.”

  “Is this all there is?” Jade pulled a small dagger from her boot and tossed it aside. “I thought there would be more.”

  “Most of the arsenal is gone.” The disgust in Juna’s voice echoed around the empty hall. “We already know some of the weapons have made it to the Shadow World as well as into the markets. No telling where the others are. This will have to do for now.”

  The four women sprinted up the steps, slowing when they reached the final landing.

  “We still need to talk to somebody about the missing Bringers,” Ravyn said, scanning the bustling area in front of them.

  “Beatrice.” Jade gave a small bark of excitement and held up her hand. “Beatrice,” she called louder.

  A redheaded woman turned, her face breaking into a wide grin when she saw Jade. She rushed forward and the two women hugged. Rell stepped back, wondering where her sister had met her obvious friend. Their relationship seemed far more than just acquaintances. Rell was struck by the realization that she hadn’t really known what Jade did or where she’d gone when they were apart. The memory of the lonely life she’d subjected Jade to while Rell had been a Bane rose up again. She pushed down the guilt and refocused on their mission. There was some comfort in knowing that she was trying to right her past wrongs.

  “I’d heard you arrived.” Beatrice glanced around. “And that my uncle was not happy to see your group.”

  “I bet not,” Ravyn said.

  Beatrice wore the same gray garments as the other women. If she was of noble birth, her station was not defined by her clothing. “Who is your uncle?”

  “Fromme Bagita.” Beatrice looked back at Jade. “Do you have word of Marcus?”

  Taking her by the hand, Jade pulled Beatrice toward the wall. “Yes. We found him.”

  “Where? Is he all right? Why haven’t you brought him to me?” The joy in her expression evaporated. “Is he dead?”

  “No, but the situation is grave.” Jade lowered her voice. “He is being held in the Shadow World by the Demon King.”

  “Who is Marcus?” Rell asked.

  “One of those we found—” Jade pinned her with a pointed stare. “Beyond the room where Luc and I were held.”

  What Jade left unsaid was that Marcus was one of the Bringers frozen in ice. Rell sifted through her memories of the people she’d seen, but there had been too many and she’d been too frightened by Sha-hera’s threats to remember. She nodded and said nothing more.

  Beatrice’s eyes slid shut and she inhaled, as if stilling the urge to cry. The need to comfort the woman surged through Rell and without thought she placed a hand on Beatrice’s arm and sent calming thoughts to her. Instantly the woman relaxed, exhaling and opening her eyes.

  “We’re going to try and rescue him.” Jade glanced around, lowering her voice even more. “But we need your help.”

  “Anything.” Beatrice’s gaze skated over each one of the woman. “I’ll do anything to help.”

  “We need information,” Juna said. “Do you know if more of your people have gone missing?”

  Beatrice nodded vigorously. “Yes, three in the past month, plus the two you rescued today.”

  “Damn.” Jade placed a fist on her hip and rubbed her forehead with her other hand. “And what has your uncle done about it?”

  A sneer curled Beatrice’s full lips. “Nothing. He keeps saying they’ve run away, but nobody believes that. Especially after today.”

  “I think it’s time Illuma Grand stands up to their noble leader,” Rell said.

  “I agree.” Jade took her friend’s hand in hers. “Are you up for a little revolt?”

  A spark of defiance gleamed in Beatrice’s eyes. “I’ve been waiting for the chance.”

  “Then gather all those willing to fight the Bane, but do it quietly. We don’t want Fromme to catch wind of what’s transpiring under his nose,” Juna said. “Wait for word from one of us before you act. No sense in putting yourself in harm’s way before we know what we’re dealing with exactly.”

  “Whatever you do, don’t underestimate your uncle,” Ravyn said. “And if at any time you feel unsafe, go to Jacob Le Daun’s manor. Do you know where it is?”

  “Yes. I’ve been there before.” Beatrice looked at Rell. “And Marcus?”

  “Saint’s willing, he’ll be home soon.” Rell lowered her hand. “And a few more Bane will be suffering in the Abyss.”

  “Cheery thought, sister.” Jade placed a hand on Rell’s shoulder and squeezed. “You’ve got a bit of a mean streak in you.”

  “Yes I do, but I had that before I was turned Bane.”

  Beatrice’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “Nothing surprises me with you lot anymore.” She pointed to Rell’s chin. “I want that.”

  Rell touched the skin just below her lip. “What?”

  “To be brought to full power.” The woman looked at Juna, as if sensing her rank. “I’m ready to take my place in the fight.”

  A smile curled Juna’s lip and Rell could almost sense the Tell’s desire to call the troops to arms. “Successfully muster an army and I will personally guarantee that you’re brought to full power.”

  Beatrice’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The doors to Fromme Bagita’s office opened and the Bringer party filed out. Rell and the three women stopped at the end of the hall and waited for the group to join them.

  “What’s going on?” Ravyn asked.

  “Fromme is being his usual charming self.” Rhys scowled down at her. “Uncooperative.”

  Gregory halted in front of the women and the other Bringers moved in, enclosing them in a circle no person would dare breach. “Did you find anything?”

  “This is all that’s left.” Juna took the weapons from Rell and held them out to Gregory. “We’ve hidden a few daggers in our boots as well.”

  He took the swords from her grasp and passed them around the group. His expression turned dark. “Were they in the Council Chamber?”

  Juna nodded. “As was a Splinter.”

  His hand froze, his gaze sliding back to her. “Explain.”

  “It seems Vile and Sha-hera have coerced at least one Splinter into helping them search the Council Chamber.” Juna gripped the hilt of her sword. The way her thumb rubbed against the ornate handle belied her nervousness. “She said she entered Illuma Grand under the guise of dancing for Lord Bagita—at his invitation, of course.”

  “Of course.” Gregory rubbed a hand over his chin and exhaled. “More and more he becomes a liability. Now he’s being manipulated like a puppet and doesn’t even realize that Vile controls the strings.”

  “What should we do?” Luc asked.

  “Beatrice is gathering those who are willing to stand against Fromme and fight the Bane,” Jade said. “Her fiancé is one of the men being held in the Shadow World.”

  “We don’t have time to deal with Fromme right now.” Gregory sighed. “Hopefully, while we are gone, Bagita can’t do more harm than he’s already done. I say we finish this mission first and deal with him upon our return.”

  The group nodded, bowing to his leadership.

  “Let’s go.” Gregory pushed through the group. “We’ve got Bringers to rescue.”

  The party fell into step, two wide, Siban taking his place next to Re
ll. She glanced at him. His face was expressionless, but she could feel his relief at being safely rejoined with her. She said nothing and focused forward. As they marched from the building, Rell couldn’t help but feel proud that she was part of this group—thankful she had a mission to complete—proud that she’d found her place amongst her kind.

  …

  Though he didn’t know exactly what had happened in the Council Chamber, Siban could see that Rell was happy about what the four women had accomplished. No doubt she had played a hand in finding the weapons. Now that Rell was armed with an immortal sword, he relaxed a bit. At least she’d have some protection against the Bane—and Icarus if need be, though he doubted Rell would use it against that demon. Now if he could get through her thick, stubborn skull that she needed to be more cautious, he’d be able to sleep at night.

  The group strode through Illuma Grand as if they owned it. People skittered out of their way and once outside, Gregory called for their horses. Within minutes the party was on their way and Siban was once again refocused on the quest to rescue the Bringers from the Shadow World.

  When they reached the property boundaries, Gregory slowed their pace. They thinned their line to ride single file again. Nobody spoke. There would be time for talk once they stopped for the midday meal.

  Siban’s gaze rested on Rell’s back, the rhythmic step of his horse rocking away the pent up anxiety he’d been holding onto since the encounter with the Bane. The miles passed and by noon his stomach was protesting loudly.

  At a stream, Gregory stopped them. “Go to the river two at a time and stay alert.” He dismounted. “We’ll be here just long enough to refresh ourselves.”

  Rell slid from her horse and straightened, giving a little groan. Siban dismounted and walked to her. “Sore?”

  She turned to face him, grimacing unconvincingly. “Not at all.”

  Her sister on the other hand did not suffer her pains in silence. She hobbled past them. “I think I’d rather ride that bloody dragon again.”

  “That bloody dragon would be me.” Luc stopped beside them. “The woman complains more than a fishwife.”

  “But you love her just the same.” Rell leveled her glare at him. “Don’t you?”

  Luc rounded his eyes and gave her a sickeningly sweet smile. “More than life itself.”

  Siban smiled and took the reins from her. “Come on, let’s water the horses.”

  They made their way toward the bank and stopped, waiting for Meran and Trace to finish at the river. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Rell appeared unwilling to be the first to broach the subject of their conflict but Siban didn’t want to continue their trek with the bad feelings between them.

  “You scared me this morning when you confronted the Bane. You can’t continue to be so reckless.” He kept his eyes on the water and struggled for the right words. “Other lives depend on your actions.”

  She bit her lower lip, her eyes trained on the two people at the river. “I know.”

  He wasn’t sure she understood the danger she’d put them in, but her admission of guilt was a start to breaking down the tension between them. “And I won’t say anything to the rest of the group about you freeing Icarus.”

  She was quiet for a few seconds. “But you still don’t believe we can convert him to our side?”

  “No.” He sighed. “You can’t see it because you—” He searched for words that wouldn’t antagonize the situation further. “Have a history with Icarus and want to believe the best.”

  “I don’t just want to believe it, Siban. I feel it.” Her hold tightened on the reins. “I don’t understand why you can’t feel it as well.”

  “Two years being tortured by the Bane. A lifetime of fighting the demons.” He bit the inside of his cheek. The Bane had taken much more than his life. “Watching my family being slaughtered by the demons.”

  Rell’s head snapped around. “The Bane killed your family?”

  It was difficult to keep the memory buried. He nodded. “Killed everybody but my sister.” He looked at her. “Would have been better if they had.”

  “Where is she?”

  “An abbey near Itta.” It had been nearly a year since he’d gone to see her. Seeing the once vivacious girl who now sat silently staring was more difficult than his own nightmares. “She doesn’t speak. Just stares out the window.” He swallowed hard. “The Sisters take good care of her and I send money to provide for her.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Though Rell didn’t touch him, her compassion wrapped around him, soothing the bitter memories. “I didn’t know.”

  “Nobody knows. You’re the first I’ve told.”

  “Why did you tell me?”

  “So you’ll stop jumping into the fray and trying to save the world.” He looked at her. “So you’ll understand everything I’ve already lost.” He reached across the space between them and caressed her cheek. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Rell.” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “I’ll do anything to keep you safe.”

  She blinked several times but didn’t look away. “I’m not your sister, Siban. I’ve experienced the worst. Watched my father be killed, turned to a Bane. You can’t compare me to anybody else.”

  If sharing his darkest memory hadn’t changed her mind, he didn’t know what would. “You’re right, you’re not my sister. There’s still hope for you.” He paused. “For us. I care about you and want to keep you safe.”

  A grimace pulled across her mouth. “None of us are really safe anymore, are we?”

  “No, but you don’t need to court danger.”

  Her spine stiffened slightly. “I promised to be more careful.” She placed her hand on his arm. “I know you want to protect me. But like you said, I’m part of this group. Others are depending on us. You won’t be much help if you’re only focused on my safety.”

  He shook his head. “You can’t ask me to stop worrying about you, Rell.”

  “And you can’t ask me to ignore what I know to be true.” She nodded. “But I also promise not to take unnecessary risks.”

  His hand slid to her waist and he pulled her to him. “If only I could believe that.”

  She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Trust me.”

  “I am trying.” He sighed. “You are as maddening as a woman as you were a demon.”

  “But I’m prettier now, don’t you think?”

  He knew she was trying to tease him out of his dark mood and with her body pressed against his it was working. “I don’t know. I liked your horns quite a lot.” His hand drifted downward and cupped her bottom. “Really did something for me.”

  She scowled. “I don’t know if I should feel complimented or disturbed by that admission.”

  His grip tightened on her rear end and he pulled her closer, capturing her lips with his. She wound her arm around his waist and opened to his assault. Their tongues met, sliding along each other.

  “Your turn,” Meran said. “If you two can tear yourself away from each other.”

  Rell broke the kiss and stepped away, blushing. “Right.”

  They led their horses to the stream where they drank their fill. After a quick meal of jerky and hard cheese, the group remounted to continue their trek. Their conversation had alleviated some of Siban’s worries. If Rell did as she promised and tempered her propensity to dive into danger, perhaps they’d be able to work through their differences about Icarus. At least he hoped they could.

  The day turned warm, making the normally cool and shaded forest an agreeable temperature. If the knowledge of where they were going hadn’t been looming over Siban, the trip would have felt like nothing more than a pleasant journey with friends.

  The hours passed with no further excitement. By nightfall they’d reached the hot pool, where Luc and Jade had camped before entering the Shadow World. Though the entrance lay only a short ways ahead, Rell and Jade had both assured the group that the Bane rarely ventured
to that side of the mountain.

  They quickly assembled camp within the trees, keeping the horses and their gear hidden. Sleeping by the hot pool would make them an open target for anything approaching from above. No fire was set and dinner consisted of another cold meal from their provision packs, which was filling but not particularly satisfying after the delicious meals Willa and Delphina had spoiled them with.

  “I’ll take first patrol,” Siban said, looking pointedly at Rell.

  She stood. “Me too.”

  “Okee and Odette, you take the south entrance. Rell and Siban patrol the north toward the entrance of the Shadow World,” Gregory said. “Go no further than fifty yards beyond camp. There’s no need to safeguard a larger area and that should be far enough out to give us time to rally should the need arise.” He turned to the group. “After your shift wake two who have not yet patrolled. The rest of you try to get some sleep.” He returned his attention to Siban and Rell. “Sound an alarm if you encounter any trouble. Stick together and stay alert.”

  The four nodded. Rell and Siban headed into the forest while Okee and Odette walked in the opposite direction. With the mountain rising to the left of camp, only the east side remained unguarded.

  “Let’s patrol in an arc to catch the eastern side.” Siban wove his way through the trees.

  “Good idea.” Rell hopped over a fallen trunk. “There’s never been much Bane activity here, but with the increase of demon attacks, we can’t be too careful.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  They stopped approximately fifty yards from camp and walked a wide arc. Neither spoke, both sending their awareness out among the trees, using only their Tell for communication. Quickly they fell into a pattern of scanning and sending information to each other. After a while, the continuous psychic touch became more effective than speaking. Words only conveyed the message and the perceived feeling of the person, but by reading Rell’s Tell, Siban picked up on not only her mood, but her intent, the vibrations of the area around them, and how she appraised what she was sensing. Though they ventured no farther than ten yards apart, he became more comfortable increasing the distance between them due to their solid connection.