Rise of the Storm

by Carrie Summers

  Father unclasped his arms and rubbed a hand over the stubble furring his jaw. “Maybe not. Regardless, if the decades have taught our rebellion anything, it’s the virtue in covering our footprints and masking our scent.”

  Near my father, a surly-looking man snorted. “Listen to Evrain, speaking of the future while trying so hard to pretend he doesn’t know what happened today.”

  My father’s brow knit in confusion as Joran clapped a hand on the shoulder of the man who’d just spoken.

  Falla’s sigh of disappointment was loud enough to draw my eyes. She stared at the Guralaner Shard leader in disgust. Though the battle had diverted attention from me, Joran wasn’t going to give up so easily.

  “Yes indeed,” Joran said, fixing my father with a glare. “Listen to Evrain fumble. Almost makes me think he believes his own words.”

  My father’s shoulders tensed, visible even through his leather armor. The Sharder holding my arm tightened his grip. A thick rope of despair wrapped my lungs.

  “Sharders.” When Sirez’s voice rose above the din, the Shard leaders immediately fell silent—even though the hierarchy hadn’t been formalized, Stormshard respected Sirez’s authority. The Jalisswoman shouldered men and women aside, widening the circle. Her gaze flitted between my father and Joran.

  Be ready, Lilik said into my thoughts. You may need to act to save yourself.

  Beside me, Falla rolled her shoulders, the motion lifting the sling that supported her broken arm. I got the sense that if she hadn’t been holding the black-iron collar, her wrist resting lightly on my shoulder, she would have reached for the hilt of her long dagger.

  Sirez ran her eyes over the gathering. “We gathered here, a united army, with the clear goal of marching forth, rallying the Provs, and overthrowing Steelhold once and for all.”

  Around the circle, many of the Sharders nodded. Joran, however, glowered. Surrounding the drover, dark expressions and lowered brows marked his allies. They clearly chafed against Sirez’s assumption of authority.

  “I say we move forward with our plans,” Sirez said. “How quickly can we be ready to march?”

  Earlier, I’d wondered if the woman had voted me a traitor. Now I knew she hadn’t. Like my father, she was doing everything she could to distract the conclave from my punishment.

  “I don’t know if that’s the best choice,” a woman said. “Why be hasty? There’s nothing to say we can’t bring recruits here. It would give them time to meld with our forces.”

  Sirez ran her gaze over the others. “Charle has a point. Our location is more defensible than most. We could send emissaries to the Prov settlements in the Icethorns and even as far as Guralan Province. The recruits could make the journey or gather in other strongholds to await our command. Meanwhile, the delay might gain us more information on the new Emperor’s weaknesses.”

  Father planted his feet wide. “And what if we haven’t learned enough before our supplies run low? Better to move now—on our terms. With our experienced forces, we can head over the passes and avoid watching eyes.”

  Beside Joran, a heavy-set man slapped a meaty palm against his thigh. “Are you all fools? How can we have this discussion when there’s an enemy in our midst?” With that, he turned his glare on me. I took an unwitting step back.

  Sirez pressed her lips together while she took a deep breath. “It’s true we found her guilty earlier, Haranold. But that was before her actions during the battle. Without Savra, we might not be standing here.”

  “The votes were cast, and the decision made,” the man, Haranold, spat. “All that waits is her punishment.”

  “How dare you!” my father said, leaping to his feet.

  Arguments erupted, and Sirez was forced to slap the flat of her sword against a leather-clad shield to regain control. “Sharders! Haranold makes a fair point. Savra’s betrayal was grave, even if her motives were understandable. Some say her work today set her on the path to atonement while others disagree. If her earlier actions were truly unforgivable, a second vote will only solidify our choice.”

  My father swept his arm toward the fortress where Sharders cleared the remnants of the battle and—solemnly—dug graves in the rocky soil. “I frankly can’t believe we’d still consider the vote necessary. If not for Savra, the battle would have been lost today. Isn’t that enough proof of her honor?”

  Sirez idly spun her dagger across her knuckles as she met my father’s gaze. “Respectfully, that’s an assumption, Evrain. She claims to have aided the battle, yet all we know is that she fainted on the balcony. You must understand… no matter the regard in which I hold you, Stormshard comes first. If your daughter is our enemy, we cannot have her among our ranks—”

  “Sirez!” Falla said, stepping forward. “On my honor, I felt her stop one of those creatures in its tracks. As faint as my talent is, I sensed the agony it caused her.”

  Joran’s friend, Haranold, scowled. “This from a woman who was fooled by the boy who is now Emperor of Atal. The way I see it, neither, you, Evrain, nor Sirez have proved you can tell friend from foe.”

  My pulse thudded in my temples. Should I say something to defend myself and my allies, or would I only damage my case?

  Showing his palms, my father ran his gaze over the conclave. “Friends and Sharders, listen to me. Yes, Savra made a mistake. She cost us a tremendous opportunity. But don’t you think we should consider forgiveness, especially given the advantages we could gain with her abilities? At the very least, I hardly think her bravery during the battle was the act of an enemy.”

  “Sirez,” Haranold growled, “we spoke of this earlier. The conclave must be made aware of my new information.”

  At his words, my spine stiffened. New information? What was this?

  “I’m sorry, Evrain, but I did agree to allow Haranold the chance to speak,” Sirez said. “He proposed a theory about the attack. We must consider all explanations, as distasteful as some may seem. Given your daughter’s talent—”

  “Her talent may be one of our best weapons,” my father said.

  As I was scanning faces for clues about this new revelation, I mistakenly caught Joran’s eyes. The big man bared his teeth in a cruel smile.

  Haranold, meanwhile, stared at my father as he spoke. “As Sirez was saying… Given your daughter’s talent, I’d say it’s just as likely that she called the attack upon us as stopped it.”

  My breath froze in my throat. Shock pegged my feet to the earth. How could anyone believe that? I could never wish such a nightmare on innocent people. I couldn’t even wish it upon the Atal elite.

  “This is absurd,” my father said, hand hovering over his dagger. “Whatever those beasts were, Savra was the only person capable of singlehandedly stopping one.”

  Again, the arguments roared to a boil.

  Clearing his throat, Haranold ran his eyes over the conclave until the others had quieted. “Is it absurd, Evrain? Falla, please tell the others what you mentioned to Givell about Savra’s abilities.” He nodded at another of Joran’s allies.

  Falla shook her head, aghast. “Haranold and Givell clearly got the wrong idea. I mentioned that her training was unconventional, that’s all. Her power may outstrip what we know about spiritism. That doesn’t mean she called a horde of monsters down on us.”

  “But you can’t be sure she didn’t.”

  Falla stared at the beefy man, disbelief plain on her face. “If you’ll recall, my domain is Mind, and my aspect is Sensing. I would know if she meant us harm.”

  “Unless, as you just mentioned, her abilities outstrip our understanding of spiritism. For all you know, she can present any story she wants to a curious mind reader.”

  “This is ridiculous,” Falla said. “Besides, we can contain her abilities if we desire.” She jiggled the black-iron collar.

  Haranold snorted in disdain. “I’ll repeat my argument. If you don’t understand her abilities, how can you even know the collar wor
ks? She was wearing it when Evrain spotted the beasts approaching. Doesn’t mean she didn’t summon them.”

  Sirez shook her head, almost sadly. “In any case, the collar gains us little. If we determine she’s a risk—and I’m not saying it’s a foregone conclusion—there’s no point in half-measures.”

  My lungs fell into my belly. When Sirez’s eyes met mine, I saw the doubt that Joran’s allies had planted. Sirez’s first loyalty lay with Stormshard. If there was a chance that I would harm the movement, she couldn’t take the risk. And given that I’d already betrayed Stormshard once…

  “We’ll vote again,” Sirez said. “Same rules as before. But given the potential danger, I believe we must consider the most serious punishments. If two-thirds of us vote her guilty, I don’t see a point in debating her punishment. A majority that strong means we feel she’s too much a danger to be kept alive. Her death will be merciful, Evrain. I promise you that.”

  My father’s throat worked as words built and died inside it. Pure hatred poured off his body as he stared at Joran and his lackeys. During the discussion, a grim silence had fallen over the remainder of the Shard leaders. I could almost hear their thoughts working. None of them were spiritists. None had any concept of what I could or couldn’t do. They had only the story of my betrayal in Steelhold combined with Falla’s statements about my strange abilities.

  As I mentioned earlier, if you have an idea, now would be a good time to act, Lilik said.

  But I didn’t know how. My thoughts were frozen, mired in shock at what these people seemed to think of me.

  “Falla,” Sirez said, her gaze flicking to the collar. “Please assure that her powers are restrained. We don’t wish to provoke an unwanted reaction.”

  With an apology in her eyes, Falla turned her back on the conclave and slipped the collar around my neck. She began to squeeze the clasp shut and at the last minute, raised her gaze to the man holding my arm. She kept her eyes on him while she clicked her fingernail against the collar, making a snapping sound without completely closing the clasp. Rooting through a pocket, she pulled out the key. It clicked against metal without actually locking anything.

  Falla’s eyes widened in silent communication. She was giving me a chance if I chose to take it.

  A chance to do what, though? I could try to compel Joran’s allies to vote for my innocence, but I couldn’t hold them in thrall forever. The moment my concentration faltered, the binding would shatter. As soon as I released control, they’d explain what I’d done. And after everything that had happened today, I was sure the other Shard leaders would feel obligated to believe the accusation.

  I could try to grab hold of every aura here and force the conclave to remain still while I fled. But how far would my control extend? Could I run fast enough to outdistance pursuit, even with a head start?

  As my thoughts raced, I extended my aura-sense. The collar pushed gently against my efforts, but unlike the weeks it had been shut and locked, I could snake my awareness around its boundaries. The auras of the Sharders sprang to life in my vision, a tumult of indecision, worry, and regret.

  Falla turned back to the conclave but kept her hand on the collar. To the other Sharders, it must have looked as if she kept hold of the device as an added restraint when in truth she simply covered the unfastened clasp.

  “We’ll vote by a show of hands,” Sirez said. “Those who believe Savra Padmi to be guilty, a traitor to Stormshard and our cause, please raise your hand.”

  The Shard leaders shifted uncomfortably, eyes roving to check the votes of peers and allies. Slowly, a man beside Joran started to raise his arm. Nearby, a woman began to mimic his gesture.

  Stop them, Lilik said. Take control.

  But I—

  Any attempt is better than nothing, Raav yelled. Don’t throw your life away for these petty worms.

  In a burst of sudden inspiration, I threw my aura lance at Joran’s spirit, exploding it wide the moment it penetrated his soul. He became mine to command. If I wanted, I could force him to draw a knife across his own throat.

  Distantly, I felt Joran’s terror as he beat against my control. No matter how reprehensible I found him, the sensation still sickened me. No one deserved to lose their free will. Not even Joran. But I was selfish, and I wanted to live.

  “Stop,” I commanded him to say as I forced him to lay a restraining hand on his lackey before the other man’s hand was fully raised.

  All eyes turned to Joran. I swallowed. What now? No one would believe he’d changed his mind so easily.

  “I urged caution, it’s true,” I forced him to continue. “But I saw what she did on the balcony. I don’t think she feigned the blackout, and it came immediately after the beast attacking Evrain was defeated. It disgusts me to admit the mistake, but maybe we should consider the opportunity she presents. Savra made puppets of three imperial protectors. This could be useful when we finally attack Steelhold, even if we must find a way to force her allegiance.”

  Within the crowd, Sharders looked on in shock. Every face showed disbelief in his sudden reversal, his allies most of all. My mind raced as I tried to figure out a way to convince them.

  “I agree,” Falla said. “We can’t discard this opportunity. And we won’t regret giving her a chance. I’m so certain of it that I’ll offer to share her punishment if she betrays us again.”

  I tried not to wince. Why had she said that? If I didn’t convince the conclave that Joran had changed his mind, they’d soon realize I’d taken hold of his will. From there, it would be easy to discover Falla’s trick with the collar. Joran’s next words needed to be utterly believable.

  There had to be some way to explain why he’d changed his mind, something buried inside him that would convince the others. Taking a deep breath, I opened my awareness to Joran’s aura, pressing through the terror and frustration in search of an authentic emotion I might use to make the change believable.

  When I discovered the answer, I knew immediately that it was my best chance. But my heart broke even as I considered it.

  How could I? Better to die than hurt someone so deeply.

  Yet could I live with myself if I didn’t take this chance? I looked at my father’s weathered face, his hands hardened by years as a rebel. Years ago, he’d left Cosmal Province to save me. Given the choice, would he leave again to spare my life?

  My throat closed down, and my vision narrowed. I had to choose.

  And the answer was yes. Father would do anything to save me. I just had to hope he’d also forgive me.

  With a deep breath, I forced more words from Joran’s mouth.

  “I agree to give the girl a chance,” he said, “but only if Evrain agrees to step down as a member of the conclave—no, that’s not enough. He must agree to leave Stormshard entirely. His Shard is dead, buried beneath a collapsed mountain. He failed them, and it’s nothing but arrogance to call himself a Shard leader when only Falla remains. Nonetheless, he had the gall to change a century of Stormshard’s philosophy with scarcely half of the conclave available to vote. Face it, Sharders, Evrain has proved he no longer puts Stormshard first. He cares more for the daughter he abandoned years ago than he does for any of you. It’s time to lance the boil and send him away.”

  Shouts erupted from the group. The pain on my father’s face was almost too much for me to bear. I knew he felt responsible for the cavern’s collapse though there was nothing he could have done. I knew he’d only called for the attack on Steelhold because he believed it was the best way to help the Provs. Yet in Joran’s heart, those things were betrayals. And the conclave would believe Joran spoke truly when he spat the accusations.

  Holding back tears, I forced myself to look away from my father, building a shield around my heart as I did.

  “Evrain would give anything for Stormshard,” another leader said, a reedy man with patchy stubble. “This is nonsense.”

  I shrugged Joran’s shoulders. “A matter of
opinion. And irrelevant. I’ve given my terms. If we allow the girl to live, Evrain must leave Stormshard. Alone. I won’t have him taking his daughter with him. We’d only risk her return as a tool of Evrain’s revenge.”

  The color was high in Sirez’s cheeks as she glared across the circle. “This is not how Sharders make decisions. Savra’s fate is entirely separate from her father’s status as a valued Shard leader.”

  “Sirez,” my father said quietly. His shoulders were slumped, but he raised his chin and spoke in a clear voice. “I agree to Joran’s request. He is right to suggest I cannot see clearly, at least when it comes to my daughter. If we allow her to remain in our midst, we must have leaders who can respond to her actions with Stormshard’s best interests in mind. I resign my seat on the conclave. Moreover, I resign my role as a fighter for Stormshard. I’ll leave by morning.”

  With that, he stood up and rolled his shoulders before stepping from the circle and descending toward the fortress. My chest ached so badly I wasn’t sure I could keep my feet. But I couldn’t let his sacrifice—no, not his sacrifice… my betrayal of my own father—be for nothing. Instead, I gritted my teeth and bore down harder on my control link with Joran. I forced him to nod his head at each of his lackeys before turning his gaze to Sirez.

  “The vote?” he asked.

  Sirez’s gaze could have sliced steel as she glared around the table. “Again, please raise your hand if you believe Savra Padmi to be a traitor who deserves to die for her actions in Steelhold.”

  No one moved.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kostan

  Emperor's bedchambers, Steelhold

  DAWN CAME, AND with it the heavy weight of regret. I stepped from the window where I’d watched the sun crest the grasslands. It now rose near the crook of land where the plateau met the Icethorn foothills. Soon, the astrologers would measure the location of its rising on their massive wheel and declare Chilltide’s arrival. For more than twelve months, we would live on the melancholy border between growth and death, Highsummer warmth and frigid, Deepwinter chill that would lock the northern reaches of the continent in impenetrable ice. Some winters, the ice traveled as far south as the Gray Gorge, cutting off a few Prov settlements entirely.