Rise of the Storm

by Carrie Summers

  Shh, I said into its mind. I felt the dagger enter the beast’s skull, its agony echoed in me. With a cry, I fell to my knees. My vision tunneled down.

  As I toppled forward, I glimpsed the edge of the trail.

  “Savra!” I felt Falla’s hand on my shoulder as blackness descended.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Kostan

  Office of the Protectors, Steelhold

  “WE HAVEN’T SPOKEN about the assassination attempts in nearly a tenday,” the Prime said. She stood at attention behind her desk, clearly unwilling to sit without being invited to do so.

  “Please,” I said, gesturing to her chair. My own seat was still warm from my time upon it during my conversation with Parveld. After sitting, the Prime unbuckled a sheathed dagger and set it atop a stack of papers.

  As far as I was concerned, the attempts on my life scarcely mattered, not given what I’d just learned about the Hunger. But the Prime was just doing her job. She worked hard for me and was one of my most stalwart supporters. I owed her the respect of hearing her out. Not to mention, I hadn’t yet explained what I’d learned about Stormshard and Savra. Without that information, the woman might as well have been chasing her tail.

  “I’d like to speak first if you don’t mind,” I said. “I’ve been lax in sharing things with you, I’m afraid. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

  “I serve at your pleasure,” she said. “Not the other way around.” Her expression didn’t change. If she was annoyed, she hid it well.

  “Parveld knew about the most recent attempt on my life.”

  At that, she stiffened, hand edging toward her dagger. “And you allow him to remain here? Why?”

  “It’s complicated. He didn’t know until after the fact.”

  “So he’s been investigating the situation independently?”

  “Allow me to back up if I might. He was aware that Stormshard was in contact with Savra after she entered Steelhold as the new palace scribe.”

  She leaned forward, eyes wide. “Then my suspicions were correct.”

  I sighed. “Not precisely. Apparently, she’d been granted probationary membership into the organization—she wished to join in hopes of locating her father. In order to become a full-fledged Sharder, however, they set her what should have been an impossible task: open the Shadow Gate to grant Steelhold entrance into the Hold.”

  The Prime shook her head. “With all our security measures, a simple scribe was our weakness. How did she do it? The protectors are incapable of lying, so when they say they were compelled against their will, I believe them. I just don’t understand how.”

  “Parveld tells me she’s a spiritist.”

  The Prime’s eyes widened. “I should have considered it. When I heard the other rumor…”

  “Rumor?”

  “Pardon me. It relates to the update I have for you. I’ll get to it. Please go on, though.”

  “According to Parveld, Savra only realized what Stormshard intended once it was too late. Savra recognized me when I climbed the dais, and she jumped in front of the assassin to save me.”

  The Prime turned her head and cast me a skeptical eye. “You believe that?”

  “It makes sense. In fact, it’s one of the only explanations that accounts for all the facts we’ve uncovered.”

  “Except nothing you’ve told me leads me to believe Savra is that stupid.”

  I ignored the flare of anger at her words. “Savra’s dead. And she wasn’t stupid. I don’t doubt she knew what Stormshard intended. In Jaliss, she watched the protectors take the head from an innocent Prov boy simply because he had no information regarding the attempt on Tovmeil’s life. She had every reason to hate the Empire. But when she saw…” I had to stop speaking when my throat closed down. “When she realized I’d been crowned the new Emperor, she tried to stop the plan. She thought I’d be different.”

  As I said it, I felt the color in my cheeks. And what would Savra think of me now? I’d never escape my sorrow over her death, but at least I could take selfish comfort knowing she wasn’t witness to my failures.

  The Prime ran a finger over the leather wrapping of her dagger’s hilt as she considered my words. “I suppose it makes sense,” she said. “How did she die, and how did you and Parveld learn of it?”

  “He has solid information that points to her death at Stormshard’s hands. That’s another reason to believe my version of the events.”

  She sucked her teeth. “Fair enough. I was inclined to believe the assassination attempts were related—it just makes sense. But your explanation holds up. It’s a relief, I suppose. Gives us an enemy we understand.”

  “We really should have spoken sooner,” I said. “I neglected to tell you about the other steps I’ve taken.”

  She cocked an ear but didn’t speak.

  “Given the attempt on my life and the continued unrest, I believe Stormshard is behind the riots. Someone with combat experience organized the ambush in the Splits. Among the Prov population, Stormshard best fits that description.”

  “Agreed,” she said.

  “I’ve instructed the Snitchlord to search out information on their whereabouts and plans.”

  “A wise step. I have sent word to the protector garrisons, especially those closest to Jaliss. Your soldiers are keeping a wary eye out for suspicious activity; I’ll add a directive instructing them to be especially aware of Stormshard involvement.”

  “Good.”

  “As I mentioned, I did have other information to share,” she said.

  “Please.” I gestured for her to continue.

  “It involves the first attempt on your life and the slaying of the Scions.”

  I nodded. “Go on.” Though we’d already subdued or executed the masterminds of the plot against Tovmeil and the Ascension, it would improve our security to understand how they’d managed the assassinations.

  “I was particularly surprised when you mentioned Savra’s spiritism. As you probably know, the Empire instituted measures as part of the Decree. They were intended to eradicate the trait.”

  No, I hadn’t been aware. I hadn’t even known about the ability until Parveld had introduced me to it. But while honesty was a virtue, drawing attention to my ignorance wouldn’t do me many favors.

  “Was the ability somehow involved in the first attack?” I asked.

  “It was indeed, which gives credence to the policy of eliminating spiritists as a scourge. We understand far too little about their capabilities.”

  “Perhaps we could discuss the policy later,” I said, keeping a rein on my temper. “How were spiritists implicated?”

  “Their abilities may explain how the assassins gained entrance to the Scions’ bedchambers. The rumor I heard was that the Ministry hired the services of a geognost named Havialo.”

  “But I thought you said spiritism was involved, not geognosty.”

  She shook her head. “You’re right. I did. Yes, Havialo is an earth mage, but his magic is unrelated to the attacks. He’s disgruntled, unhappy with the lack of political power geognosts hold in the Empire. I recently learned that he has spent the last few years seeking out Prov spiritists and shepherding them to a sanctuary in the Icethorns.”

  “So it wasn’t the earth mage’s services that were hired, but rather the spiritists he’d rescued?”

  She nodded. “As far as I can tell, yes. He was something of an intermediary, but a willing one.”

  “Are he and his spiritists a threat now?”

  The Prime picked up her dagger and pressed its point into the wood of her desk, rotating it back and forth as she spoke. “I’m not certain. To tell the truth, I’ve been more occupied with the pressing threats than an old investigation. As you mentioned some time ago, the ministers involved in the plot have already been punished.”

  I raised my eyebrows, surprised to hear that she agreed with me in this regard.

  Her mouth twitched, the
closest thing to a smirk I’d seen. “I assure you, despite my apparent bullheadedness, I do listen to everything you suggest, not just the direct orders.”

  “I won’t make the mistake of thinking otherwise again,” I said, inclining my head. “So what do you recommend? Should we alert the garrisons to keep watch for this rogue geognost?”

  The Prime’s brow knit as she twisted the dagger again. “I think that’s probably the best course, though I suspect we have little to fear in him without the Ministry’s influence.”

  “Agreed. Is that it, then?”

  “There are a couple stray rumors we should consider. First, I’ve heard strange stories of trouble at the geognosts’ monastery. A trader who was passing through believes that the monastery buildings may have toppled.”

  “May have?”

  “He only glimpsed the area from the nearby crossroads so he couldn’t be certain. He’d suffered delays in his journey and didn’t have time for a detour. If he wasn’t mistaken, however, it’s a terrible blow to their order. No doubt an earthquake struck hard in the area.”

  “Aren’t earth mages supposed to have mastery over such phenomena? Of all the places in the Empire, I would expect their monastery to be the most impervious to quake damage.”

  She chewed her lip. “That’s a good point. More likely, the trader was confused. In any case, the other rumor is even more difficult to believe. A caravan came from the western reaches of the Icethorns a few days ago. Or rather, a battered wagon and the single survivor of the group exited the mountains. The man was nearly raving when he reached the nearest village and the nearby garrison. He claimed to have been attacked by strange beasts. Wolves with the legs of mules. Human eyes in the face of a hunting cat. He said his companions were torn apart as he watched, and only the luck of a landslide spared him. It came down upon attackers and victims both, and he was the only one to dig himself free.”

  “Do you believe it?” I asked.

  “I’m not certain,” she said. “The man’s family was in one of the crushed wagons. I have no kin of my own, but I understand such losses can drive a person quite mad.”

  It had been weeks since I felt the isolation of my own family situation. Like the Prime, I had no family to come home to. I’d been taken from my mother and father before I could walk, based only on the astrologers’ pronouncement that the circumstances of my birth made me a Scion. All my life, I’d yearned for someone to care about while forcing myself to hide that emotion lest I be deemed unsuited for my station. Even friendship had been largely forbidden, though Vaness and I had managed a fumbling sort of affection with one another.

  It wasn’t until I’d met Evrain and the members of his Shard that I’d glimpsed what it might be like to have people I truly cared about. And then, after I betrayed my first friends and fled to Jaliss, I’d met Fishel and Savra.

  Now one of them was dead. Given the violence in the Splits, Fishel might well be gone, too.

  I shook my head, a subtle motion. No, family and friends, love and affection were not something I was meant to receive. My destiny lay in my duty to the Atal Empire.

  Tightening my jaw, I turned my gaze back to the Prime. “I appreciate your diligence,” I said. “The rumors are intriguing, but I don’t think we should spend any more effort on investigations until our more pressing issues are addressed.”

  “I’m inclined to agree, your eminence,” she said.

  “Anything else?” I asked.

  She stood. “That’s the last of it.”

  “Then we focus our immediate efforts on Stormshard. As soon as the Snitchlord or the protectors turn up reliable information regarding their plans and movements, we should prepare to strike. As we did with the unfortunate situation in the Splits, I want to bring as much force to bear as we can muster.”

  “As you command, my liege.”

  With that, I left her office, eager for the fresh outside air. Unfortunately, evening had settled into the Hold, and with it, the smoke from cookfires and hearths. I sighed. Perhaps tomorrow I’d catch a breath of clear air.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Savra

  Draped over a horse, Icethorn Mountains

  I WOKE STRAPPED over the back of a horse, neck aching and thighs raw from being slung over the saddle. Apparently, the Sharders hadn’t wanted to leave me behind. I could be grateful for that, I supposed.

  Storms, but my head hurt.

  “Falla?” I asked. I couldn’t see anything but the belly of the horse and my feet hanging over the other side. Beyond my dangling shoes, dense trees hemmed the trail. I tried to arch my back to get a better look around, but the horse’s hoof caught on a rock, and the jolt made me flop back down.

  “Falla, your so-called prodigy woke up!” a man yelled. Moments later, the horse I’d been unceremoniously draped across stopped walking in response to the man’s quiet command.

  “Well, get her off there! Or do I have to do everything?” I’d rarely heard Falla so gruff.

  “I just—I didn’t want to cause problems.”

  Falla sighed audibly. “I know, Megeald. I’m sorry. These last days have been stressful.” The crunch of her boots stopped beside me. I turned my head, granting a view of the throwing knife strapped to her thigh while she fussed with the straps keeping me in place. Once the buckles were free, she and the man, Megeald, circled the horse and grabbed me by the hips to pull me off its back. My head swam when I stood.

  Shaking free the dizziness, I looked around. We seemed to have descended quite some distance out of the mountains while I’d been unaware. In fact, the warm swirls of air carried hints of grass ripe with seeds.

  “How long has it been?” I asked, confused.

  I glanced down the trail. The Stormshard forces marched on a road cut between shadowed trunks of pines and the occasional birch, and the ranks had swelled by at least double or perhaps three times. I licked my lips and only then noticed how dry and cracked they’d become.

  “Whatever fool thing you did back by the bridge, it knocked you cold for three days.” I started at Sirez’s voice. The woman had approached while I’d been watching the retreating backs of our forces. “When you have a chance, thank Falla for keeping you alive in the meantime.”

  I puffed my cheeks and exhaled, overwhelmed. “Could I have some water, please?”

  Nodding, Falla laid a hand on my shoulder while she gestured to a fallen log beside the trail. “You can move on, Megeald,” she said to the man who’d attended me. “Savra should be able to walk from here.”

  With my head both spinning and pounding, I wasn’t so sure about that, but I didn’t argue. The log, silvered and long since stripped of its bark, sat in dappled shade that looked appealing. On shaky legs, I stepped over and took a seat.

  “What do you remember?” Falla asked as she sat beside me.

  “I took control of the horse’s spirit… I was afraid it would kick a Sharder off the trail. When they killed it, I…” I shrugged. “I passed out again, I guess.”

  She sucked her teeth. “Well, I suppose we’ve identified a limitation of your magic if nothing else. Your heartbeat was terribly slow for some time. I did what I could to keep it beating—cost me a bit of rapport with the healers.”

  “Is that what Sirez meant when she said I should thank you?”

  Falla smirked. “Well, Joran kept saying we should leave you behind. I argued against it. But yes, I assume she was talking about how I browbeat the healers into doing their jobs. I suppose Body is a worthwhile domain, but it takes two of them to fix the slightest ailment. One to Sense what’s wrong and the other to Control the patient’s body and force a cure. If you ask me, Body magic is more useful for combat where a sledgehammer will do as well as a needle prick. But anyway… Healing is a situation where multiple aspects in a single spiritist would really help. Unfortunately, you’re the only one I know with that particular quirk.”

  “You make me feel so important.”
r />   Falla snorted. “At the very least, you stand out like a mule in a herd of sheep.”

  I smiled as she handed over the water skin. “Thanks.”

  Almost as quickly as her good humor had come, Falla’s face sobered. She watched the column of fighters marching past. There were so many now.

  “Where did all these people come from?” I asked.

  Falla sighed. “It’s unfortunate news even if it did help the recruitment efforts. Tendal’s village wasn’t the only settlement with people taken. The conclave had hoped to gain enough fighters to grow our ranks by half our original size. We’ve added four or five times that.”

  “Did we catch up with the captives we were chasing?”

  Falla’s hands curled on her knees. “We arrived in time to give comfort to the survivors.”

  Storms. “Sorry to hear it. What happened?”

  “Their abductors met up with an argent mage the Snitchlord sent from Jaliss. The Provs lined up for interrogation; poor lot thought it would be a good thing to have the argent peer inside their heads and see they weren’t Stormshard.”

  “And?”

  “Since they weren’t rebels, they were just slowing the protectors and snitch masters down. Some escaped when they realized their mistake. Unfortunately, not all.” She pinched a fold of her trousers, knuckles going white with the force. “We came upon the others just a few hours ago. Sent them home with a detachment of soldiers.”

  I stared past the marching soldiers, eyes unfocused. How could Kostan allow this? When we reached the grasslands, I wanted a chance to confront the new Emperor directly. I wanted him to know what I thought of him before Stormshard took his Empire.

  The rear of the column was finally approaching, a group of five horsemen scanning the surroundings with alert eyes. “No more problems with the Riftspawn?” I asked.

  Falla shook her head. “Thank the clear skies. We’ve been keeping the wardstones outside their pouches, held high when we can.”