An Echo of Things to Come

by James Islington

  He needed to sleep.

  Reluctantly, he stood and crossed to his safe, tucking the book inside next to the Oathstone. He didn’t imagine that anyone would be so desperate for his father’s journal that they would break in—but Scyner, not to mention his mother and thus probably half of Administration by now, knew of its existence. There was no reason to take chances.

  He lay back, fully intending to at least ponder the implications of what he’d just read for a few minutes before preparing for bed.

  He was asleep within moments.

  Wirr came awake with a start as someone coughed loudly in his ear.

  He flinched up into a sitting position, only relaxing slightly when he realized that it was Dezia who was standing by the side of his bed, arms crossed. He stared at her sleepily, trying to think why she might look so angry. Then his gaze transferred to Aelric, who was over by the door with an inscrutable expression.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked in bleary confusion.

  Dezia’s frown deepened. “I just thought you’d like to know about the rumor going around the palace this morning.” She watched Wirr’s face without smiling. “The one about you having been spotted last night with a girl. Being more than just a little friendly,” she added quietly.

  “What?” Wirr frowned, then snorted as he registered what she was saying. “Oh. Fates no. It wasn’t like that.”

  “So you weren’t kissing her?”

  “Uh.” Wirr rubbed his eyes, trying to force his brain into motion. “Well … yes, but it wasn’t …” He shook his head, then gestured at Aelric. “Easier if you tell her.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was in bed all night,” said Aelric. Behind Dezia’s back, he gave a nonchalant, slightly smug shrug.

  “What?” Wirr growled. He rubbed his forehead dazedly, a mild panic entering his tone. “He’s joking. You have to believe me. It was …”

  It was only then that he saw Aelric’s expression begin to crack into a smile. Eyes narrowing, he turned back to Dezia, finally seeing her barely restrained amusement.

  “Urgh.” He groaned and collapsed back onto the bed as Dezia burst out laughing. “You are both horrible people,” he said to the ceiling, shaking his head.

  “Probably,” said Dezia cheerfully. She took a seat on the side of the bed, her smile fading to a sympathetic expression. “Aelric told me everything. It sounds like you got more than you expected on your trip.”

  Wirr grunted. “Breshada was certainly something of a surprise.” He sighed. “And my mother … wasn’t exactly pleased to see me, either. She tried to keep me from seeing Deldri—locked her in her room to avoid it.”

  Dezia nodded, all amusement gone now. “I saw Deldri earlier with some of her friends, and Aelric mentioned that she was in the carriage with you last night. I assumed that things must not have gone well, but still …” She laid a hand on Wirr’s arm. “I’m sorry.”

  Wirr gave her an appreciative smile. “It is what it is.” They locked gazes for a few seconds.

  Aelric coughed loudly from the doorway. “I’m not sure this is what the king meant when he said that you should look in on his nephew,” he said drily.

  Wirr started, then looked questioningly at Dezia. “My uncle knows you’re here?”

  “He suggested that I come, actually,” said Dezia with a small smile. “He wanted me to tell you about how, now that Aelric’s of age, he was considering putting him forward for a position in the Assembly.”

  “Wanted us. Wanted us to tell him,” said Aelric from the corner, but Wirr was barely listening. He stared at Dezia for a long moment, trying to process the implications.

  If Aelric joined the Assembly, then he would need a title. House Shainwiere had been well regarded prior to Dezia’s father’s death, with a proud history, but lacking the land and wealth that would encourage one of the Great Houses to sponsor their application for entry into the Assembly.

  As the king’s wards, Aelric and Dezia had the upbringing to manage the responsibilities and pressures that came along with a title, so that wouldn’t be a problem. And Wirr’s uncle owned plenty of land—them being granted some would be unusual, but not unheard of.

  There were obstacles, but none that couldn’t be overcome. In a year, maybe two, there was no reason that Dezia couldn’t be Dezia si’Shainwiere.

  Dezia’s grin widened farther as she saw him follow through the logic.

  “That …” Wirr mirrored her expression dazedly, heart leaping. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.” It wasn’t just an exciting prospect, either. After everything that he’d just been through with his mother, the reminder that his uncle was still supportive of him meant more than he could say.

  “It does mean that Aelric would have a say in the running of the country,” observed Dezia.

  Wirr laughed, a little giddily. “Still worth it.”

  “I’m right here, you know,” Aelric grumbled. Despite his tone, he had a slight smile on his face, too. He shook his head. “We can talk about all of that later. Right now, I’m more interested in whether you found whatever Scyner sent you after?”

  Dezia shrugged at Wirr’s glance. “I assumed that you wouldn’t mind him knowing.”

  “I don’t.” Wirr stretched, still grinning at the potential of Dezia’s news. “There was a safe, exactly where Scyner said it would be—and it had a notebook in it. I started reading it last night, and …” He shook his head, smile fading. “It was strange. My father seemed to be writing it to himself, sometime before the war. He was saying that his memories of the rebellion were about to be removed, because he was due to be Read by the Augurs—and that the notebook was his way of remembering everything afterward. But there was some kind of seal on it. It didn’t look like he ever got around to reading it again.”

  Aelric and Dezia stared at him in silence for a few moments. “What do you think that means?” asked Dezia eventually.

  “I’m not sure yet. But … I think Scyner may have been telling me the truth. That notebook probably has at least some of the answers we’re looking for. I’m intending to read the rest of it as soon as I can.” Wirr sighed as he considered his schedule for the next few days. “There’s a lot in it to get through, though.”

  Dezia nodded. “I’m glad the trip wasn’t a complete disaster, at least,” she said softly.

  Wirr grunted in agreement, then glanced over at Aelric. “Speaking of disasters. Did our guest settle in all right last night?”

  Aelric snorted. “Settled in is probably the wrong word. That woman is jumpy,” he said drily. “But yes. She’s safe.”

  They spoke for a little longer, but too soon Andyn arrived and Wirr had to shoo Dezia and Aelric away so that he could prepare for the day ahead. Even after only a couple of days out of the city, he had too much to catch up on to be able to idly chat.

  The morning passed in a dull blur of meetings, beginning with an obsequious but thoroughly unhelpful Dras Lothlar, and capped by a trip to Administration’s main building in the Middle District and yet another long, argumentative session with Pria as they went over Administration’s official position on a variety of subjects. When Wirr finally returned to the palace to find Taeris waiting for him outside his study, he almost turned around. Despite the good news earlier in the morning, he was frustrated, hungry, and in no mood for further conversation—even with someone with whom he actually needed to speak.

  Forcing himself to breathe, he instead offered the Athian Representative a polite greeting, and they entered Wirr’s study.

  Wirr collapsed into his chair as Taeris shut the door. “No news on the assassination attempt, I assume?” He knew Taeris well enough that he couldn’t summon the energy to open with small talk or pleasantries right now.

  Taeris blinked. “Not really, Sire. We’re doing our best to find out more, looking at all the people who might be behind it, but …”

  “It’s a long list,” finished Wirr heavily.

  Taeris nodded. “
Sorry. The man we captured isn’t talking, either, I’m afraid.” He rubbed his neck, watching Wirr with a mildly concerned frown. “How are you, Sire?”

  Wirr gave him an awkward shrug, still unaccustomed to Taeris addressing him so formally. The scarred man had insisted on following proprieties after his position as Representative had been made official, though. “Tired,” he admitted. “My trip out of the city didn’t exactly go as planned.”

  He told Taeris the entire story, from his encounter with Scyner through to finding the safe and his clash with his mother.

  “It sounds as though the book was Notarized,” said Taeris thoughtfully after Wirr described to him what had happened with the seal.

  Wirr looked at him blankly.

  “It was a way of authenticating important documents,” Taeris elaborated. “Not commonly used, though. Expensive. Two Augurs needed to be present in the room either while the document was being written, or while it was read by the person who had written it. The Augurs would check for signs of deception while that was happening, without Reading anything specific. It was a way of certifying the author’s intent—that what they had put to paper was genuinely what they meant. The document was then specially sealed, so that whomever broke the seal could know that it hadn’t been tampered with since the Notarization.” He shrugged. “It was used mostly for treaties, trade agreements, large business deals, that sort of thing.”

  Wirr frowned. “So … my father never read it after it was sealed, then?”

  Taeris shook his head. “It doesn’t sound like it.” He stared at Wirr for a few seconds. “Thank you for letting me know about this,” he added. “If you have no objection—after you have read it, of course—I would be very interested to take a look at this notebook myself.”

  Wirr inclined his head, somewhat surprised that Taeris had asked so respectfully. “Of course.” He sighed. “Something else happened while I was away that you should most definitely know about, too.”

  He proceeded to tell Taeris about Breshada. Taeris listened in silence, looking grim.

  “Fates,” he muttered once Wirr had finished. “I can’t say whether I think it was wise or foolish to help her. But if what you say is true, and she really has become Gifted somehow …” He rubbed his chin. “I don’t believe we’ve ever had access to someone so deep within the Gil’shar before. There has always been an assumption that they have weapons hidden away—two thousand years of hating the Gifted, they’ve certainly had plenty of time to collect them—but we’ve never had an idea of how many. Or where they’re stored. Or under what circumstances the Gil’shar would actually decide to use them.” He nodded thoughtfully. “She could be an asset.”

  “I’m not sure that she’s quite at the betray-everything-she-knows stage just yet,” observed Wirr.

  Taeris grunted. “If she wants our help controlling Essence, she may have to get there.”

  Wirr hesitated, then shook his head.

  “I’m not suggesting that we don’t try and get the information, but I made a deal with her. Perhaps I could have pressed for more—but I gave her my word that we would help,” he said quietly. “I don’t know Breshada well, but I’m fairly certain that if we try holding out for more, we’ll never get anything out of her. Except for maybe our throats cut.”

  Taeris looked unconvinced, but eventually sighed. “It’s going to be awfully hard to convince anyone at the Tol to teach her in exchange for ‘not dying,’” he observed wryly, “but there are some people I know who can be trusted, and who may be willing to assist. I’ll see what I can do.” He massaged his forehead. “I have to say, though—I’m not sure that your bringing your sister back here was the wisest choice.”

  Wirr frowned. “Deldri? Why?”

  “Because while she was away from the city, most people had forgotten about her,” said Taeris. “Now she’s back? She’s next in line to be able to change the Tenets. Possibly the only one who could be convinced to, too.”

  “Only if I’m dead,” observed Wirr.

  Taeris just looked at him.

  “Oh.” Wirr grimaced. “You really think it increases the danger to me?”

  “I think it’s a reminder that the new Tenets don’t have to stay this way,” said Taeris. “Anyone serious about removing you would already have remembered it, but I can’t imagine that her presence will help.”

  Wirr ran his hands through his hair. He’d been caught up in everything else, but Deldri getting sucked into the politics and dangers of the city should have been something that had occurred to him already. “I’ll speak to her. And to my uncle, too,” he said ruefully.

  The discussion moved on to other matters for a while. To Wirr’s irritation there had, apparently, been new reports from the north—ones that Pria had again failed to mention to him—describing new sightings of dar’gaithin. Three men on patrol had been found dead near one of the outposts, too, their bodies ripped apart to the extent that they were barely identifiable. Yet according to Taeris, the Athian Council continued to side with most of the Assembly; they remained skeptical of the sightings, suggesting that they were unreliable and that the reported attack had likely been wild animals. Combined with Tol Shen’s ongoing rhetoric surrounding the Augurs’ ability to seal the Boundary, it continued to create a general sense throughout Ilin Illan that the situation was well in hand.

  Taeris’s frustration at that showed through more and more as he spoke. Many of his strongest allies within Tol Athian had left for the north weeks ago, and though he had at least thought to send one of his Travel Stones with them—so that they now had a way to quickly transport soldiers and supplies to the Boundary, if need be—it had only seemed to make his strangely combative relationship with the Council worse.

  There was clearly a bitter history there, though neither side had been willing to speak of it to Wirr. In other circumstances, he would have seriously considered replacing Taeris as Representative; half the time Taeris spoke in the Assembly, Wirr knew that he was saying the exact opposite of what the Council would want him to.

  But he was also one of the only people in power pushing to send more soldiers north. Right now, that was far more important than the Tol’s antagonistic attitude toward him.

  After talking for a while and ascertaining that there was no other important news, Wirr eventually made his excuses; there was a break until his next meeting and he was eager to get back to his rooms and read more of his father’s notebook. When he opened the door to Taeris’s study, however, he was surprised to find Aelric waiting outside.

  “Can I have a word?” asked the young man quietly.

  Wirr frowned but nodded, and they began walking. “Is everything all right with our guest?” he asked nervously.

  Aelric inclined his head. “As far as I know.”

  “Good.” Wirr breathed out. “So what did you want to talk about?” He noted Aelric’s limping gait with a sidelong glance. “What did happen to your leg?”

  Aelric grunted, looking vaguely embarrassed. “Training accident—nothing too bad. It’s just stiff.” He licked his lips. “I wanted to let you know that I will be heading out of the city to Variden for a few days.”

  Wirr looked at him in surprise. Aelric had no family, no connections outside of Ilin Illan that he knew of. “Why?”

  “Just visiting a friend.”

  Wirr frowned. “And you’re telling me this because …”

  Aelric hesitated. “I … wanted to ask you a favor. If she mentions it, tell Dezia that you asked me to go and do something there. Sent me on an errand.”

  “So you don’t want her to know why you’re really going? She doesn’t approve of this … friend?” Wirr felt his frown deepen. “Aelric, what’s really going on?”

  Aelric scowled, though the expression didn’t hold much heat. “It’s a personal matter. Just one I’d really prefer that Dezia didn’t get involved in. It might be dangerous, and …” He gave a short laugh. “You know her, Torin. If I told her that I was staying anywh
ere except Ilin Illan, she’d press and press until she found out what was going on. And then she’d get herself involved.”

  “Dezia’s rather capable of protecting herself,” observed Wirr.

  Aelric smiled. “I know.” The expression faded. “But this is my problem to deal with. And I couldn’t forgive myself if she got hurt because of it.”

  Wirr thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I’m not going to lie to her for you,” he said quietly, “but I do need to send a letter to the Administrator in charge in Miorette. That’s about halfway there. If you’re happy to deliver it …” He shrugged.

  Aelric nodded with alacrity. “Of course.”

  Wirr sighed. He still didn’t like the idea of keeping something from Dezia, but Aelric was right—she’d get herself involved, no matter how dangerous whatever it was Aelric was up to. “I’ll expect a full explanation for all of this as soon as you can give me one. And I’ll be mentioning this to Dezia the moment that you’re back.” He came to a stop, grabbing Aelric gently by the arm until the other man was facing him. “But, Aelric? If you’re in trouble, you can ask for help. You know that, don’t you?”

  Aelric inclined his head wryly, but Wirr thought he saw a flash of appreciation in his eyes, too. “I know,” he said. “But there’s nothing to worry about. I can, and need to, deal with this on my own.”

  Wirr nodded, not entirely satisfied but acceding that Aelric wasn’t going to tell him anything more. “Just remember that the offer’s always there.”

  Aelric nodded a grateful acknowledgment, then made his excuses and hurried off. Wirr looked after him worriedly for a few moments, but eventually started moving in the direction of his own rooms. He didn’t like what had just happened, but ultimately, Aelric was a grown man. All Wirr could do was offer his help, and hope that Aelric was smart enough to know when to accept it.