A Dagger of the Mind (The Imperial Metals)

by Daniel Antoniazzi

  Adrenaline.

  It coursed through her. The agent of desperation. The drug of defiance. The tonic of going one step further than you can.

  She stretched her arm over her shoulder, yanking the blade out of her body. She pressed her hand against her own chest, closing the wound. Not completely. She wasn’t back to full health. She had to save some of her energy. But she wasn’t about to die, either.

  Luke recovered from Vye’s hit, stalking back at her. He took a haymaker swing at her. Vye wasn’t in the mood to bob and weave. Her legs were still a little stiff, and she wasn’t sure she could move fast enough. So she just blocked his arm, locked it under her shoulder, and headbutted him.

  Luke crumpled to the floor. Out for the count.

  “Sorry, brother,” Vye said. “But you’re not yourself. Cam!”

  Camilla scampered back at the sound of Vye’s shout. She gasped at Luke’s crumpled body.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “He tried to throttle me,” Vye said.

  “You know, if you just showed a little more patience...”

  Vye pulled Luke’s eye open, staring into his vacant pupil. But Luke wasn’t the only one there. The body was unconscious. Luke was out for the count. But somebody else was hiding behind his eyes. Someone dangerous. Someone who had usurped Luke’s will.

  “OK, listen to me,” Vye said, staggering to the bed. “I’m about to pass out for a few minutes. I need you to call the guards and have him locked up.”

  “Listen, I know he’s your brother, and he pisses you off sometimes--”

  “Just do it.”

  Camilla nodded. Vye flopped back into the bed, falling into a deep slumber...

  Book 6

  Storms Weathered

  Chapter 47: The Nightmare of the Turinheld

  The return journey wasn’t very eventful. Duncan, Landora, and Nuria marched south, back to the docks of Aceley. There, Duncan spent what few coins they had brought to arrange passage on a merchant ship heading south. It would enter the Equinox River on the west side of the continent, where they could disembark and hike back to Sayil in the Turinheld.

  They were silent for most of the journey. What was there to say? Four had gone north, three returned. It was nobody’s fault, really, except for a hungry bear, and nobody wanted to argue the point with it. Landora suggested, as they marched back across the tundra, that they could perhaps retrieve some part of Sir Noble’s body for a proper burial. But Duncan told her what she already knew: It was impractical. They would have a memorial for him when he returned to the Kingdom. Noble’s body belonged to the wild now.

  The trio stayed below decks for most of the journey on the merchant ship. But during those few days, Landora and Nuria spent a lot of time together. Nuria had a lot of questions, and Landora had some of the answers. They compared and contrasted Landora’s teachings with Vye’s. Taught each other tricks. Nuria helped Landora learn a few things about the Rone language. And Nuria learned a few helpful phrases in the Turin tongue.

  The ship arrived at the edge of the Turinheld woods in the morning, the trio began their march into the forest immediately. It was close to midday when they heard a commotion coming from along the river.

  They took cover, letting the sound come to them. And then they noticed that it was a Turin army. A very large Turin army. But why were they marching west?

  Landora stepped out of hiding, exchanging a few words with the mounted general of the unit. He would have respected her rank as a member of the Turin-Guarde, but he also seemed very willing to share his thoughts with Landora. She seemed upset when she returned to Duncan and Nuria, still hiding in the woods.

  “What’s going on?” Duncan pressed her.

  “The Kingdom of Rone has declared war on the Turinheld,” she reported.

  “What?!” Duncan exclaimed. “I have to get back to Anuen immediately.”

  “There’s more,” Landora insisted. “Apparently Regent Rajani murdered Queen Sarah. Stabbed her to death during the closing meal of the Festival.”

  “OK, but...” Duncan was processing a million thoughts in his mind, “Why are they marching west? If the Rone are coming, they should go to the River.”

  “They’ve been ordered to march to Mount Pyre,” she reported.

  “What’s there?”

  “Nothing. It’s just a volcano. Nobody lives there. No enemy would march past it to get to us. The General implied that the Regent had lost her mind. She’s sending every able-bodied soldier to that location.”

  “We better find out what she has in mind,” Duncan said.

  ---

  Landora disturbed the General once again to ask for horses. When a member of the Turin-Guarde asks for something, it isn’t technically an order. But someone would eventually ask you why you said no, and it was much easier to just oblige. The trio tired their horses out, racing back to Sayil. They approached the Regent’s Stronghold as the sun set over the treelined hills.

  “Who goes there?” a Guard challenged them at the entrance.

  “Landora, of the Turin-Guarde. We have urgent business with the Regent.”

  “The Regent is not taking audience with anyone,” the Guard retorted, “You should leave. You and the girl should clear our borders as fast as you can.”

  “The girl’s name is Nuria,” Nuria sighed.

  “I don’t care if your name is Rone the Great,” the Guard retorted. “The Regent will not take kindly to the presence of foreigners at the Stronghold.”

  “Come,” Landora said to her companions, “We’ll head to the Lunapera. Master Eric will be able to advise us.”

  “You won’t find him at the Lunapera,” the Guard said. “He’s been at the Stronghold since our return from Anuen.”

  “The Council?” Landora pressed.

  “Also inside,” he said. “All of them have been sequestered at the highest level of the Stronghold since the Festival.”

  “Something’s gone wrong,” Landora said aloud, feeling stupid for even having to give her thoughts voice.

  “What’s wrong with the girl?” the Guard said.

  “Don’t call her ‘the girl,’” Landora corrected him. “She doesn’t like that.”

  But then she turned to see Nuria slipping off her saddle. Duncan caught her just before she plunged to the ground. Landora eased her to the ground. She had passed out. From the long ride? Maybe. But a moment later, her eyes fluttered open.

  “Nuria, what happened?” Duncan asked.

  “Vye...”

  ---

  Nuria couldn’t remember exactly how it had happened.

  She had been on her horse, next to Duncan, while Landora and the Guard spoke in hushed tones. She had heard a rustling sound, a breeze sifting through the branches behind her. Fearing some approaching danger, she had turned to look...

  But only found herself alone. She was still in the Turinheld. Still in Sayil, at the entrance to the Regent’s Stronghold. But the others were gone. Her horse was gone. The forest was silent.

  And then a figure stalked in through the trees. Nuria held her hands at the ready, hoping she wasn’t too tired to put up some kind of defense. But it was unnecessary. The figure was Countess Vye.

  “Nuria,” she said. “Sorry to barge in on your mind.”

  “On my what?”

  “Sorry,” Vye said, “This is going to be a little confusing for you. You dozed off for a second. You’re dreaming right now. Don’t worry, I’ll put you back when I’m done. But I needed to tell you what I’ve learned. And I need to know what you’ve learned.”

  The two strolled through the woods, exchanging everything either could remember. Nuria found it disorienting that no matter how far they seemed to walk, when she looked up, they were always in front of the Stronghold. But she reported what she could. About the temples. Their quest. The being of fire.

  “Grimsor,” Vye said. “That’s the being of fire. A demon from The Abyss. He can invade our dreams and take control o
f us if we’re not careful.”

  “That might explain our current problem. The Regent has ordered all the Turin troops to stand around an active volcano.”

  “Grimsor is behind this. He must have taken command of the Regent.”

  “And the Council. And Master Eric of the Turin-Guarde.”

  “He took my brother as well. I’ve had to lock him up for safekeeping.”

  “Can you come up here and help us out?”

  “Not yet. I need more rest. I basically just woke up. Oh, thanks for the heartbeat, by the way.”

  “I had plenty to spare.”

  “Don’t try that shit again.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “OK, here’s what we’re going to have to do: Tonight, when you go to sleep, I need you to concentrate on Eric. He’s the key. With his help, we can free the others. You’re going to have to confront him in your dream, the same way I’m talking to you in yours. You’re going to have to undo the control Grimsor has over him.”

  “I don’t understand half of what you just said.”

  “That’s fine. I’m going to send help. You still need to do it yourself, but he can guide you through it.”

  “Who are you sending?”

  “You’ll know him when you see him.”

  And a rustling wind swept through the trees...

  ---

  Nuria felt her body slipping from her horse. Duncan caught her, and Landora eased her to the ground. She fought off some vertigo, opening her eyes again.

  “Nuria, what happened?” Duncan asked.

  “Vye...” was all she could manage, before she remembered where she was. “I have to... We have to go.”

  “What?” Landora asked.

  “It’s getting dark,” Nuria said. “We have to go somewhere safe.”

  Duncan and Landora exchanged a look. Duncan was willing to listen to anything Nuria had to say, since the first word she had said was “Vye.”

  “The Lunapera...” Landora suggested.

  “I told you, Master Eric isn’t there,” the Guard chimed in.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Landora said. “It’s the safest place I know.”

  “Nuria, can you ride?” Duncan asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll manage.”

  Landora helped Nuria onto her saddle before mounting up herself. The trio rode off down the road, slowly climbing the slope up to the Lunapera.

  Chapter 48: The Council of Jareld

  The Council met at midnight.

  Jareld was changed, refreshed, and energetic. Emily had also changed out of her bloody dress, electing for a drab outfit. She wanted to sleep, but was so shaken up by the events of that morning, that she had wandered the entire Castle, floor by floor, until it was time for the Council to meet again. And just as the blood had come out of their clothes, so, too, had the fire gone out of their words. They were a calmer Council. A steadier Council.

  But also a Council ready to go to War.

  Jareld conceded the need for a Declaration of War. Emily thought it was a little too easy. That he acquiesced too suddenly, considering how reluctant he had been just hours before. But there really was no getting around it. Stories of the Queen’s blood-soaked demise had spread across the Kingdom like an unstoppable wave. There was no stopping the growing rage.

  So Jareld made a series of declarations, each of which the Council ratified unanimously. Mustering the largest army the Kingdom had ever seen? Check. Moving food stores south from Trentford? Check. Reinforcing security measures around the Castle Anuen? No problem.

  “And finally,” Jareld said, holding up a slip of parchment, “A troop movement order.”

  “Where are we moving the troops?” Emily asked through a yawn.

  “Just some simple, strategic adjustments,” Jareld said, passing the paper around. Each Council Member in turn gave it a perfunctory glance before it made its way to Emily.

  She gave it a perfunctory glance as well. If the rest of the Council was OK with it, it couldn’t be that provocative. Everything seemed to be in order. The five largest standing units, along with the two proposed newly mustered units, would all be repositioned...

  “Hang on,” Emily said, sitting up. “This has all the troops being repositioned along the shoreline.”

  “Yes,” Jareld said. “How many vote ‘Yea?’”

  “Wait,” Emily said, “I want to open the floor for discussion.”

  “It’s been a long day,” James Avonshire said. “Can we just get the vote through?”

  “No, we can’t. Not until we consider this order.”

  “Emily,” Jareld said, dropping all formalities in addressing her, “It’s a simple troop movement.”

  “Why are we putting all our troops on the shore? If the Turin invade us, it will be over land or by magic transport. We gain nothing by moving our defenses to the beach. This document has our troops standing ankle deep in the high tide.”

  “I’ve thought through all the angles, and trust me, I know how this is going to play out. The coastline is the best position for our army,” Jareld argued. And Emily could tell something was wrong. Because despite how much she resented Jareld, she knew he would never be this reckless. And he would never pretend to know what the best military move was.

  “I call for a vote,” James said.

  “I object,” Emily said.

  “Anyone second the objection?” Jareld asked. None of the Council Members raised a hand. Emily looked around the room in disbelief...

  And for the first time really saw the Council. She had been sitting through the meeting, thinking about the Queen, about Jareld, about everything else. Now she finally made eye contact with everyone else, one by one. They all had the same vacant stare. The same daydream behind their faces.

  If it had been only one of them, or if they had each looked tired in his or her own way, Emily wouldn’t have noticed. But the fact that they all looked exactly the same made it eerie.

  “No objections,” Jareld concluded. “Let’s vote.”

  The motion passed seven to one. It was ludicrous, but the Council had moved the entire army onto the sand. As though that was a normal place to keep an army. As though a vacant stare was the normal expression to have.

  Chapter 49: Counteroffensive

  The stars were already shining when Duncan, Landora, and Nuria arrived at the Lunapera. They set up a campfire while Nuria described her encounter with Vye, and what she had to do.

  “I should be the one to enter the dream,” Landora said. “Especially if we are trying to get to Master Eric.”

  “Countess Vye indicated I should go,” Nuria pointed out.

  “I thought the Countess was dead,” Landora protested.

  “We lied,” Duncan explained. “We didn’t want anybody to know she had survived.”

  “And you didn’t think to tell me the truth?”

  “I thought about it,” Duncan answered, piling firewood over the growing blaze. “But it didn’t seem important.”

  “We have been through many dangers together,” Landora said. “I would have trusted you with my secrets.”

  “And I would have trusted you with ours,” Duncan said. “It just never came up.”

  “We spoke of the Countess. In the cave in Aceley. You continued to speak as though she were dead.”

  “Yes, because we were in the heart of the enemy’s territory. I didn’t think it was the best time to reveal our secrets.”

  “But in the days traveling home?”

  “Both of you, shut up,” Nuria broke into the debate. “Great Halinor, it’s like listening to a nest of baby parrots. Duncan, we should have told her. For my part, I’m sorry I kept it a secret. Landora, Duncan doesn’t have a dishonest bone in his body. He didn’t tell you because he thought that was the best thing to do. Now, can you tell me what all those lanterns are off in the distance?”

  Landora and Duncan turned, facing down the mountain. Indeed, the path leading up the slope was littered with torchlight.
A procession was coming to the sacred place.

  “Soldiers,” Landora reported.

  “I thought they sent all the soldiers to the volcano.”

  “These are the Regent’s personal guards,” Landora said, scanning their uniforms, “Forty in total. Probably here to capture us. Maybe kill us.”

  “OK, I have to start this dream now!” Nuria announced.

  “We’ll watch over you as you sleep,” Duncan said. “We’ll make sure you have time to finish your...dream.”

  “Those soldiers are only minutes away. I can’t fall asleep under these circumstances.”

  “Do you trust me?” Landora asked.

  “Yes,” Nuria said.

  “Close your eyes,” Landora said. Nuria did so. Landora pressed her hand over Nuria’s eyes, and concentrated. A quick, silent burst of energy shocked Nuria’s mind, sending her reeling to the ground...

  ---

  ...Nuria glanced over the Lunapera. The precipice jutted out above the forest below, like the crest of a wave over a sea of green. The full moon beamed down at the world, a white lantern hovering in the night sky.

  Nuria turned away from the cliffside, facing down the gentler slope of the mountain. A man stood there. Not a very interesting man. Nuria wouldn’t have been able to describe him to anyone. He was just, you know, a guy. The only thing Nuria could see was that he was standing beside a crumpled suit of armor. The same one Nuria had used to rescue Vye from under the collapsing tower.

  “Hello Nuria,” the man said, “My name is Johann Frost.”

  “You’re the one Vye sent to help me?”

  “Yes. How did you know?”

  “Vye left a clue,” she said, pointing to the armor. “Can you explain what’s going on, or are you going to be all mysterious and vague like she was?”

  “I will tell you what I can, but we don’t have much time. Not nearly as much as Vye had to deal with this.”

  Frost delved into his explanation of the Dreamscape, of the demon Grimsor, and of what it meant that the leaders of the Turin were under his domain. But before he was done with every aspect of this explanation, Nuria realized they were surrounded.