Shadows Within the Flame (The Elder Stones Saga Book 2)

by D. K. Holmberg

  The man’s eyes widened briefly. “A disciple?”

  “Does that surprise you?”

  “It’s just that she is so young. I wouldn’t have expected her to be a disciple.”

  “And she isn’t, but I would have you treat her as if she were.”

  The man guided Ryn along with Olandar Fahr along the hall, and when they reached the stairs again, Olandar Fahr leaned down to her, meeting her gaze. “You will stay here for a little while,” he said.

  “How long?”

  “Until my task is done.”

  “What task do you have?”

  He considered her for a moment, his brow wrinkling as he did, and there was a brief spell where she thought he might tell her, but then it faded.

  “You’re not ready. Not yet. In time, I have faith that you will be, but that means that you need to have faith. Do you think you can?”

  She nodded quickly. How could she have anything but faith?

  Olandar Fahr got to his feet, patting her on the shoulder. “Observe as I have instructed you.”

  “Even here?” She had never been instructed to observe in places of power. It seemed strange that he would choose to have her do so.

  “Even here. I can only be in so many places, whereas those I protect and trust can be in many.”

  She glanced past him, looking to the man standing a dozen steps away. He gave them space, but the tilt of his body suggested that he attempted to listen. He was far enough away, and Olandar Fahr had lowered his voice enough, that it would be difficult for him to hear anything, but the fact that he was willing to try suggested that perhaps Olandar Fahr’s hold on places like this wasn’t as great as he had led her to believe.

  And maybe that was part of the message he wanted her to receive. It was possible that he thought she needed to see that, to know that even though he was powerful, even though Olandar Fahr had the ability to travel, and even though he led dozens upon dozens of other men, there was always the possibility that someone might try to act in a way that wasn’t beneficial to him.

  Not Ryn.

  Were it not for Olandar Fahr, she wouldn’t even be here. She likely would have ended up trampled or frozen outside of the temple, unable to make it any further. Without Olandar Fahr, she would have suffered far more than she had.

  Because of him, she had been given a new life. She would take advantage of that.

  Olandar Fahr took a step back from her, and he smiled. With that, he disappeared in a flash.

  That left her with the other man, who regarded her with suspicion, though he tried to mask it. It was hidden in his eyes, in the way that he looked at her. He wanted to make it seem as if he were doing exactly what Olandar Fahr wanted, but she could tell that he disliked the assignment.

  “Why don’t we see about getting you settled?”

  He headed off down the hallway, and Ryn followed. When they reached a narrow stairway leading up, she hesitated only a moment before taking the stairs after him. At the top of the stairs, he stepped off onto a narrow hallway. A sense of unease began to fill her. If he was giving her a room like this, a place where there would be no comfort, then would he really be doing as Olandar Fahr asked?

  Pausing in front of one door, he reached into his pocket, taking out a ring of keys. After unlocking the door, he stepped off to the side.

  Ryn hesitated before going in. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but certainly not the palatial room inside. There was far more space than she needed. A massive bed occupied the center of the room, four tall posts covered with a silk netting. A window opened to the outside, and a faint fresh breeze fluttered in. A thick carpet covered most of the floor, and an enormous wardrobe occupied one wall.

  “Is it to your liking?”

  Ryn could barely speak. Here she had thought he would give her a small space, and she doubted that Olandar Fahr would even say anything if he did. This was nothing like that. This was enormous, impressive, and a place that she didn’t feel as if she even deserved.

  “It is to my liking,” she said.

  The man nodded. “You will alert me if there’s anything that you need?”

  She nodded. When he closed the door, leaving Ryn inside, she looked around, and a different thought settled into her: what was she to do now?

  When she’d been with Olandar Fahr over the last few months, there had been times when he had left her on her own, but it was rarely for long enough to need a place like this, a room where she would settle in. In this case, it was as if she were going to stay here, but if that were true, what would she do?

  She wasn’t tired, and though the bed was inviting, she didn’t want to lie down. It seemed as if there were other things she needed to be doing rather than that.

  Ryn headed over to the small window, looking out. The day was bright, and she remembered from the travel how warm the wind had been, the way it had caressed her, reminding her of Vuahlu.

  The city spread out below them, though it was not very large, and the tower she found herself in seemed designed to draw the eye, taller than any other place around.

  She stood there for long stretches, watching, looking outward, half expecting there would be some sign of what she was to do and why she was here, but none came.

  After a while, she tested the door, fearful that it would be locked and she would be trapped inside, but the door opened easily. Wandering along the hall, she glanced at the rows of doors, curious who else might be staying here. Were they others who served Olandar Fahr, or was there something else?

  She found the stairs where she had first met the man, taking them cautiously. Every so often, she paused to listen, curious what she might hear, but there wasn’t the sound of any voices, and other than her own breathing and her footsteps along the stone steps, she felt as if she were alone.

  On the main level, she paused, looking to see whether there was anything around her, but there was nothing. With a start, she realized that she hadn’t seen any servants, and there had been no sign of anyone else other than the strange man.

  Why would Olandar Fahr bring her to a place like this that was so empty?

  Perhaps it was not. It was possible that it only appeared empty because the man she had encountered had wanted it to seem that way. What if, rather than an emptiness, it was more about others hiding?

  Ryn made her way down the hallway, and every so often, she paused, listening.

  There was nothing here.

  Olandar Fahr had asked them to treat her like a disciple, whatever that was. The other man had been offended by the idea, but because the request had come from Olandar Fahr, he had agreed. She needed to find out what it meant for her to be treated like a disciple, and more than that, she needed to understand why that would offend the man. If nothing else, it would give her a greater understanding of Olandar Fahr.

  When she was convinced there was nothing else inside, she headed out of the building. A massive garden stretched around, and Ryn found herself wandering among the flowers, leaning down to inhale their fragrances before moving on to the next. There was something peaceful about this place, and it was far more relaxing than any she had experienced in quite some time.

  She could stay here. She could remain. A place like this felt welcoming, other than the person who had greeted her. There would be no danger to her. There would be nothing. And because of that, she would never learn what she needed in order to understand why Lareth had attacked her family.

  That had been the message that Olandar Fahr wanted to send her. It wasn’t so much about observing; it was a test. He wanted to know if she truly wanted what she claimed. If it was a test, then she was determined to pass.

  Taking a deep breath, she went back into the building and up to her room, taking a seat on the bed. From here, she would wait. Eventually, Olandar Fahr would return. When he did, she would be ready. He would not question her trustworthiness. And he would not question her dedication to him.

  18

  Haern

  Ha
ern ducked, and the dart whizzed over his head. He rolled off to the side, the dart barely missing him, burrowing into the trunk of the tree. He sprung to his feet and pushed on the small sliver of lorcith within the dart. It flew true, and he pushed on another, sending it streaking from a different angle.

  Galen spun, slapping one dart out of the air with the flat of his knife, but the other caught in his cloak.

  Galen twisted, and the dart came free, dropping to the ground.

  He flicked his wrist, and another of the small darts went streaking toward Haern.

  Haern didn’t even try to knock the dart back. He simply jumped off to the side, using his strength and speed to avoid the weapon.

  Pulling on the lorcith within the two darts he had thrown, he drew them to Galen.

  One of them sank into the man’s shoulder. The other missed, but only because Galen twisted again at the last moment.

  “Good,” Galen said.

  “Good? You haven’t given me any positive feedback before.”

  “You make it sound as if you have been a complete disappointment to me.”

  “Not a complete disappointment, but I have tried to do what you ask and haven’t been sure that I have managed.”

  “If you are convinced these darts will not be caught by the Forgers, then this is an effective strategy.”

  “I think the lorcith within them is so slight that they aren’t able to detect it.”

  “For now,” Galen said.

  “For now,” he agreed. If the Forgers managed to discover some way of getting around it, then his advantage might disappear. And he had to prepare for the possibility that they would. Wasn’t that what Galen and his father wanted him to know? They wanted him to be prepared for the possibility that things could change at a moment’s notice, and from everything he had seen from the Forgers, it seemed as if that were true. The Forgers were able to modify their approach, to switch up their attack, and without being able to change up what he could do, he needed to be ready.

  “I’m going to keep working with my knives,” he said.

  “Your knives, or a different metal?”

  “A different metal. I’m not planning on trying to throw them.”

  “I don’t know that you would be able to push on them.”

  “Maybe not. Which is why I’m wanting to master these darts, but at the same time, I’m trying to better utilize the knives.”

  “There are ways of making the knives deadlier.”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as dipping them in various toxins. It’s what your father did when he thought to fight me.”

  “Did it work?”

  “It works if you aren’t expecting it. And it works on someone who doesn’t have any experience in countering their exposure to toxins.”

  “If that’s the case, then you need to work with me. You need to teach me that.” He had thought that Galen would, but they had stopped short of his lessons on poisons. “Let me know what it’s like.”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  “You can, you just don’t think you want to.”

  Galen frowned. “It puts you at risk.”

  “Then do it with Darren or another healer. Do it with someone around who can ensure that it’s safe. But don’t just tell me that you can’t teach me these things.”

  Galen sighed. “Perhaps I do need to bring you along a little faster. We simply don’t have the time I would like to take.”

  “Can I develop an immunity to poisons quickly?”

  “You can, but it’s going to be painful, and I promise that you will hate me.”

  “I’m the one who’s asked you to do this.”

  “You might’ve asked, but…”

  A dart that Haern hadn’t seen coming punctured his shoulder.

  He gasped and suddenly couldn’t breathe. It was as if his lungs didn’t work. Every attempt to breathe was met with failure. His eyes began to bulge, and his heart raced. His muscles failed, and he collapsed.

  Galen was there, shoving something into the corner of his mouth. “That is called terad. It’s a dangerous poison, especially if you don’t have the antidote.”

  Haern took a gasping breath.

  “You can develop an immunity to it, but it will take repeated exposures. Even then, it’s dangerous.”

  Haern took a few gasping breaths, trying to gather himself. He had wanted Galen to show him the effects of the poisons, needing to know what it felt like, but now that he did, he wondered if perhaps that was a mistake. How had Galen mastered all these various poisons—and survived?

  Galen watched him. “When you’re ready, we can go again.”

  “You don’t think I need a break?”

  “The longer you wait, the worse it will be.”

  “I…” Haern got to his feet, and he steadied himself, looking around the forest. If he wanted to confront the Forgers, he needed to be prepared, which meant that he needed to have every possible advantage. This was one of them. If they confronted him with some toxin and if he was unprepared, then he would end up getting hurt, and he would fail at his task.

  Haern nodded.

  Galen flicked a dart, nearly faster than Haern could follow. The dart struck his shoulder, and he winced, but the pain was fleeting. It lasted barely more than a moment, and then his breath escaped him, the same as it had before. He tried to take a deep breath, but his muscles didn’t work. He collapsed to the ground, eyes bulging, pain coursing through him.

  Galen leaned over him, and Haern stared up. A moment passed, and then another, and then another. With each passing moment, Haern expected Galen to administer the antidote, but he didn’t.

  “When I learned, I had to find the antidote myself. Now, I don’t know that I can be quite so brutal with you, but there is some advantage in being forced to understand just how dangerous these poisons can be.” He crouched next to Haern, his hands clasped over his thighs, staring at him. “How does it feel?”

  Haern wanted to speak, but he couldn’t. His head felt heavy, and his vision began to blur.

  “Depending on how well you can withstand the effect of the poison, I imagine that you are finding yourself fading. Most men can last a few minutes, and some can last even longer. As far as I know, poisons don’t affect Carth at all, and when confronting others like her, you have to be prepared for the possibility that they have a similar talent to hers.”

  Galen reached into his pouch, then jammed a finger covered in the antidote into Haern’s cheek.

  At first, there was no change, and Haern wondered whether the antidote was even effective. Had Galen waited too long? He was risking too much by experiencing this poison, and doing so without a healer like Darren around could be fatal.

  Slowly—far too slowly for his liking—he began to take a breath. Then another. And then another.

  He gasped.

  “Why?” It was all he could get out; even though he wanted to say more, he couldn’t.

  “Why did I let you linger with it?”

  Haern nodded. His head felt weak.

  “You need to get accustomed to what it feels like when you nearly die.”

  “Why?”

  “Poison is a tricky thing. There are various amounts you can use, and the more you administer, the more effective the poison will be, but sometimes your goal isn’t necessarily to kill someone. Sometimes it’s to let them linger, to think that they will die, and the longer you do that, the more you allow them to believe you have the ability and the capacity to torment them in such a way, the more effective your attempt at poisoning can be.”

  Slowly, Haern began to breathe more easily. His head pounded, throbbing with pain from the attack. “Is that what you did with the Forgers?”

  “Something like that. They needed to have the threat of my attack. They needed to know that I was capable of it, and if they believed that I would attack them, that I would leave them to die, they would hopefully provide more information.”

  “What do you mean abou
t Carth?”

  Galen watched him for a moment and then flicked another dart.

  This one jabbed into Haern’s other shoulder. The effect was just as quick as the last time, and he found himself unable to breathe.

  The panic was less this time. Maybe that was Galen’s point. He wanted Haern to experience what it was like to nearly die, only to come back. Galen watched him, studying him with the same clinical eye he’d had when tormenting the Forgers. It was intimidating and terrifying, and had Haern not believed that Galen wouldn’t let him die, he might feel differently, but he believed Galen would bring him back. He had to believe that. There was no reason for Galen to let him die.

  “Carth is unique,” he said casually while Haern suffered. “I’ve never really understood exactly how she does it. It’s possible that Carth has done the same as I have, training herself to ignore the effects of poisons, but knowing there are some that are effective against her tells me that is probably not the entire method she uses. Seeing as how she has that ability, it’s possible that others like her could do it as well.”

  Haern’s head sagged, and everything around him went black. It seemed as if Galen were talking from a great distance. Panic did begin to set in now. The longer he went, the less likely it seemed he would find recovery.

  Galen shoved the antidote into his mouth and forced him to swallow. After a few moments, he was able to breathe, and he snapped back awake. He lay there, breathing in and out, the pounding in his head making focusing on anything else difficult. He wasn’t sure whether Galen had been talking the entire time or not.

  When he was finally able to speak, he rolled his head over to look at Galen. “Shadows?”

  Galen blinked a moment before frowning. “Shadows? Ah, you’re referring to Carth. I don’t know if it’s shadows or her other magic.”

  “How?”

  “As I told you, I don’t know. There are others like her, though there is only one Carth. When I’ve come across others like her, I’ve always been prepared. I tended to use more than one poison in that case. I felt it was safest if I could remove them as a threat before they had a chance to identify me.”