Still Ishelle didn’t breathe, didn’t open her eyes. Panic began to set in as Davian took more and more Essence, snatching it from everything living for as far as his senses could reach. There were no people around, of that he was certain. Animals, though, he had no compunction about draining. Not if it meant saving the life of his friend.
He snarled in frustration, tears beginning to form as he began to run out of sources. It was just like Ell. He’d been here before. He’d already lived this, and the two pains began to mingle, to become one.
He was losing again, and nothing that he did mattered. He wasn’t good enough, wasn’t strong enough.
He’d failed.
He sat back, spent, dizzy, blinking tears from his eyes.
With a choking, racking gasp, Ishelle sat up.
Chapter 31
Asha rode in silence, the warmth of the day pleasant as the group made its way steadily east.
They were more than halfway through their journey, and there had been few obstacles to their progress thus far. In fact, aside from an unusual sense of fatigue since they had set out, as well as the occasional bout of light-headedness—worrying signs, but nothing approaching the severity of the episodes in Ilin Illan—Asha’s biggest problem thus far had been boredom. She was accustomed now to rising before dawn, studying, assisting with her duties as Representative throughout the day. Steady though their current pace was, the monotony had begun to wear on her nerves.
It didn’t help that nobody in the group appeared to be terribly interested in talking to her. The three Gifted—Charis, Tyrin, and Lue—who had volunteered for the journey rarely spoke more than two words to her, keeping to themselves and looking at her sideways when they thought she wasn’t watching.
Then there were the other two in the party, the ones who stood out and seemed as isolated as she. Breshada just rode along silently, adjusting her red cloak every few minutes as if its touch against her skin was like acid. The other Gifted didn’t know who she was, but their few attempts at striking up conversation with her—one in particular by Tyrin, who had clearly shown a little too much interest—had ended in consistently sullen glares from the group.
Breshada had been far from friendly toward Asha, too, though her tone at least usually conveyed the slightest edge of respect when they spoke. The former Hunter had endured two short lessons on how to control Essence since their journey had begun, both of which had resulted in her walking away, under the guise of disgust but Asha suspected probably out of frustration. The concepts were not difficult, but Breshada hadn’t grown up with them, either.
Laiman, on the other hand, had been perfectly genial and friendly to everyone—and said absolutely nothing of consequence. Whether it was a result of the many years he’d spent close to the king, or whether it was something else entirely, Asha couldn’t say. The man was wonderful at small talk, but as soon as the conversation began to drift toward anything important, he would deftly steer it away again.
His presence continued to puzzle Asha. Despite what she’d overheard in Elocien’s office after the battle—despite knowing that Taeris and Laiman had some sort of connection that they were keeping from everyone else—it didn’t make sense, him being here. Officially, he was along because the Assembly had wanted someone that could reliably report back to them on the journey, and Laiman had been the easy choice. He was well liked, intelligent, and actually willing to go.
There was more to it than that, though, Asha was certain. She just wished that she could figure out a way to find out more without revealing what she already knew.
It was midday when the group traveling in the opposite direction came into view.
Laiman stiffened immediately when he saw them, and Charis cursed under her breath. There were five blue cloaks that Asha could see, and each one of the oncoming Administrators appeared to be armed.
“Be calm, and say nothing,” Laiman said to his companions in a firm tone. “We have every right to be traveling, and I have the documentation to prove it. It will be fine.”
They had already had some minor trouble with Administrators on the road—at one point they’d been stopped for an entire hour, purely because the Administrator in charge had found it amusing to inconvenience them. But it had always worked out.
Laiman received a few reluctant nods, and they pressed forward.
As they approached, Asha saw the lead Administrator eyeing them suspiciously.
“Halt!” he called as they came within earshot. He dismounted as they followed his command, indicating that they should do the same.
“Who’s in charge here?” he asked, the casual superiority of his tone already setting Asha’s teeth on edge.
“I am.” Laiman pushed forward, producing a slip of paper from his pocket. “Laiman Kardai, adviser to King Kevran Andras. I have his signed permission for this party to be traveling.” It wasn’t technically necessary anymore—the law regarding the restriction of Gifted movement had been removed close to a month ago—but word of such changes sometimes spread slowly to the countryside, and was often accepted at an even lazier pace.
The Administrator waved Laiman forward impatiently, evidently unimpressed by his professed credentials. He glanced over the paper with a sharp eye, then looked up and scanned the rest of the group.
When his gaze fell on Asha, he paused, expression darkening.
“This does not cover your having a Shadow in the group,” he said grimly.
Laiman frowned. “It doesn’t specify,” he observed. “But this is Representative Ashalia Chaedris. She is here on behalf of Tol Athian. The king is completely aware that she is part of this journey.”
“But your note here does not say that,” said the Administrator. There was a sudden tension in the air, and Asha felt her heart drop. The Shadows had left Ilin Illan without permission or warning, and there was a general command to apprehend any rebels if they were spotted. But she’d assumed that Laiman’s note, and the word of those in the party, would have been more than enough to justify her presence.
“What’s your name, Administrator?” asked Laiman quietly.
The man focused back on Laiman, looking caught between surprise and anger at being talked down to. “Kolis.”
“Well, Administrator Kolis,” said Laiman, “I am telling you that Representative Chaedris is allowed to travel with us. I am also telling you that our journey is time-sensitive; we cannot afford to be delayed, and we will not move forward without everyone. We have been stopped by several Administrators already during our journey, and none of the others have taken issue with the Representative’s presence.”
Asha slipped off her horse, making sure to keep her head high and her gaze straight as she approached the two. As often as not, appearance mattered in these situations as much as legality. The more it looked as if she didn’t believe that she would be arrested, the more likely it was that she wouldn’t be.
Kolis watched her with a sneer on his lips as he replied. “It is irrelevant. We have been charged with detaining any Shadows that we come across, and returning them to Ilin Illan for questioning.” His eyes got a dangerous glint. “And in the event that they resist, we have full authority to use force. Deadly force, if necessary, rather than let them get away.”
“That isn’t true, actually,” said Asha. She did her best to appear calm, composed despite the obvious threat that these men were posing. “The Assembly granted you the right to question Shadows, and to bring them to Ilin Illan in the event of violent noncooperation. There was no mention of killing.”
“She would know. She was there,” added Laiman.
Kolis shrugged. “I can only tell you what my superiors told me,” he said softly. “And they say that Geladra Andras herself sent down the order. So I will not be dissuaded, Master Kardai. Are you going to tell her to come quietly, or do we need to exercise force?”
Asha’s breath suddenly shortened as a wave of dizziness hit her; she gritted her teeth as her vision swam and she stumbled a litt
le, using every ounce of control not to go to her knees. She cursed inwardly. This was the worst possible time for one of these attacks.
Kolis and Laiman were both staring at her, but before either of them could say anything, another voice came from behind her.
“There’s no need for this. I’m sure that we can come to some sort of arrangement.”
Breshada pushed forward, a cheerful smile on her lips. She was accustomed to dealing with Administrators, Asha realized through her dizziness with no small amount of trepidation. She was accustomed to them liking her.
Kolis glanced at her in surprise for a moment, though it was clear that he took in her red cloak more than her confident posture or the long sword hanging by her side. “Involve yourself in this, bleeder, and we’ll be taking you in, too,” he said dismissively, turning back to Asha.
The astonishingly powerful blast of Essence struck Kolis in the chest, lifting him from his saddle and slamming him with sickening force into the trunk of a nearby tree, accompanied by the meaty snap of at least one bone breaking.
There was a horrified silence, broken only by Kolis’s moans as he writhed in pain.
Then there was shouting as the Administrators all scrambled for their weapons, screaming at the Gifted to back away even as one of them activated a Trap. Asha turned to see Breshada shaking with anger but wide-eyed, looking shocked at what had just happened.
“It was an accident!” Asha shouted, trying to make her voice heard above the others. Her light-headedness, thankfully, seemed to have passed again. She exchanged a desperate glance with Laiman, who had his hands stretched outward in a calming motion.
“She is under arrest,” snarled one of the men as the shouts finally quieted again, producing a Shackle and brandishing it at them. He glanced across at Kolis, who was slowly getting to his feet with the assistance of another Administrator. The man’s arm was jutting at an unnatural angle. “Release her to us immediately.”
“It was an accident,” repeated Asha in frustration. “She has the Mark, so the Third Tenet would have stopped her if she’d actually been trying to harm anyone. It couldn’t have been deliberate!”
“Or it’s another reason to wonder whether we’ve been told the whole story about these new Tenets,” gasped Kolis bitterly, finally regaining his breath. The words were strained, spat out between gritted teeth as he dealt with the pain of his arm.
Laiman stepped forward. “We can heal that for you—”
“Do you think I’m a fool?” choked Kolis at the king’s adviser. “None of you are touching Essence while we are here.”
Both sides stared at each other, silent for several tension-filled moments. Then motion to Asha’s left made her turn.
Breshada was glaring at Kolis venomously, but to Asha’s surprise was also raising her hands.
“I surrender,” she said loudly. “Under the condition that the rest of this group is allowed to proceed unhindered.”
Kolis’s lip curled. “Very well. Toss your weapon aside.”
“Only once they have departed.” Breshada stared at Kolis boldly.
Kolis thought for a moment, then gestured with his good arm in disgust. “So be it.” He glared around at the others in Asha’s party. “Go. Leave before I change my mind and have you all arrested.”
Charis, Tyrin, and Lue needed no further invitation, turning and heading down the road without even looking to see whether Asha and Laiman were following. Perhaps they were too accustomed to obeying Administrators, but Asha couldn’t help but cast an appalled glance after them.
“No.” She wasn’t sure why Breshada was sacrificing herself, but she wasn’t about to let it happen. “It was an accident, and I will vouch for her.”
“An accident? If she does not have control over her abilities, then she should look like you. Your vouching for her means nothing,” sneered Kolis.
Asha closed her eyes for a moment. Took a deep breath.
She drew her sword.
“Then we have a problem,” she said quietly, ignoring Laiman’s panicked look. “Because you’re either going to leave, or you’re going to have to fight a member of the Assembly. And I don’t care what your orders are—that won’t go over well with your superiors.”
Laiman hesitated, then gave Asha a frustrated look before stepping over to join her, reluctantly drawing his own blade. “You can add King Andras’s adviser to that,” he said heavily. A little way down the road, Asha saw the retreating Gifted turn as they heard the exchange. Breshada was watching Asha with surprise, but she made no move to draw Whisper, much to Asha’s relief.
There was a long, tense silence as Kolis stared at them, wide-eyed and clearly furious, even through the evident pain of his cradled arm.
“Do not think that this will be ignored,” he said eventually, cold certainty in the threat, gesturing curtly to another Administrator for assistance as he awkwardly mounted his horse again. “I will report this through the proper channels, and there will be consequences.”
Before they could respond he jerked his head toward the road, and the Administrators were riding away.
Asha breathed out, then turned and winced at Laiman’s glare.
“It wasn’t her fault,” she said grimly, ignoring the three Gifted as they sheepishly began making their way back toward them. She turned to Breshada, who was watching her intently. “Why did you surrender?”
Breshada shrugged. “Men like that are careless. They think that once a Gifted is Shackled, they are no longer a threat.” There was a dangerous glint in her eye, and suddenly Asha understood.
“You were going to kill them?” she asked in horror.
“I was going to escape. Whether they died would have been up to them,” said Breshada calmly.
“How? They had a Trap and a Shackle and they would have taken Whisper from you.”
“It doesn’t matter now.” Slowly, reluctantly, Breshada dipped her head toward Asha. It wasn’t much—an acknowledgment, a small sign of respect. From the Hunter, though, it was as good as an embrace.
Asha returned the gesture. Breshada had stuck up for her, when she’d had no particular reason to. If Asha’s actions had helped gain some traction with Breshada, then perhaps this incident hadn’t been entirely bad after all.
She turned to find the entire rest of the group staring at her. Flushing, she waved them away with a mildly irritated gesture. “Let’s keep moving,” she said brusquely. “I don’t know why they acted that way, but there’s no good reason to hang around and see if they come back.” She stared after the Administrators worriedly, then turned to Laiman. “Do you think he was telling the truth? About Prince Torin’s mother?”
Laiman frowned. “I hope not. It spells trouble if he was,” he admitted. “But regardless of what Duchess Andras has or has not done—the Administrators are angry. They feel betrayed, vulnerable. In a few short weeks they have gone from being in complete control of the Gifted, to having one of the Gifted giving them orders. Not to mention the discovery that the Shadows—the one group of people in the world who might hate Administrators more than the Gifted—are now armed and completely unaffected by the Tenets.”
He rubbed his forehead. “They’re probably traveling in packs like that for safety, as much as for convenience. They’re scared, and that makes them dangerous. We’ve been lucky so far. We’ll need to keep an eye out for any others we encounter along the way. Try to avoid them if we can.” He paused, then focused on Asha, leaning in and lowering his voice so that only they could hear. “Are you … all right? You looked like you were going to pass out for a moment back there.”
“I’m fine,” Asha assured him quickly, not elaborating.
Laiman frowned, but eventually just nodded; Asha busied herself by holding Laiman’s horse as he got back on, as much to keep her mind off her frustration as to be helpful. There was still a long way to go to Deilannis.
She just hoped that things would be a little smoother from here.
The group was qui
et as they made camp for the evening.
The Gifted had all worn mildly ashamed looks since the confrontation with the Administrators; though Asha knew that their willingness to give Breshada up was mostly an ingrained reaction from many years under the old Tenets, she didn’t try to assuage their guilt. Laiman was off by himself for once, staring worriedly at the road ahead, the incident still clearly concerning him.
She couldn’t blame him for that, really. There would doubtless be some unpleasantness stemming from it when they returned to Ilin Illan.
After a while she found herself alongside Breshada, who had appeared introspective over the past few hours. Asha looked across at her, wondering about starting a conversation.
“Why?” asked Breshada suddenly, not looking up from where she was erecting a tent.
Asha paused, then glanced around to ensure that the question was actually directed at her. There was no one else nearby.
“Why what?” she asked.
“I know you surely consider me … a burden,” said Breshada slowly. “You have no love for me and you owe me nothing. So why speak up, why save me?”
Asha squinted at her for a moment, seriously considering the answer.
“Because they had no right to take you. What you did was an accident,” she said slowly. “And …” She sighed. “You probably don’t want to hear this. But like it or not, you’re one of us now.”
Breshada didn’t say anything to that for several seconds, continuing to work at her task. Asha was just beginning to wonder whether that was the end of the conversation when the other woman finally spoke again.
“You need to learn how to hold that sword of yours,” she said abruptly. “The way you wave it around like some sort of a toy is an embarrassment.”
Asha blinked, not responding for a moment.
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