by Lyn Lowe
“The plan is the same it was this morning. You’re going to work with Judah and keep an eye on people, and I’m going to make sure everything is in place for when we declare ourselves against the empire. And find a way to protect people from the Namers, will you?”
Kaie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and finger. “This is what I meant earlier. You won’t let shit go. There isn’t a way. At least not one I’ll ever know. You can throw me at every mage we come across, and I’ll never be able to give you anything better than that.”
“You’re sure of that?”
Kaie noticed the tone, realized that it was more a challenge than a question, but barreled on. “I am. Just like I’m absolutely certain that there’s no way to be sure everything is in place. You can’t afford to plan much longer. At some point you actually have to do something.”
“And what should I do, Kale? Shout my intentions from the rooftops?”
“You shouldn’t give this Autumnsong the chance to get her fingers into Hudukul politics,” he snapped back. “You’re the one who told me how good Urazin is at convincing people it’s easier to accept their rule than fight it. We both know she’ll have the merchant and the religious caste in her hands the second she meets Losen and Sosa. Callo might hold out for a time, but when all the rest of the city has accepted the empire, he’ll be no different. Whatever you’re planning on doing to start this revolt of yours, you’re running out of time to do it.”
Gregor was silent for a time. When he looked up again, the mask was gone. Instead, the man looked tired. Tired, and far older. It was disconcerting. “I thought you said Tou is an honorable man?”
“He is,” Kaie answered lowly. “Honorable and loyal. But not to you, and his honor isn’t the same as yours. It doesn’t have the same rules. If he is ever convinced that the best chance for his people is to switch sides, he won’t even consider it a betrayal. Hudukul is his motivation.”
The Rit set down his charcoal and rubbed absently at his eyes. “Someday, I will sort out how it is you can be so certain of the hearts and minds of everyone around you, yet all you can think to do with it is irritate people. If half the shit you say is true, you could be among the greatest leaders in history.”
Kaie rolled his eyes. “Yeah. And, if I tried, I’d be just as dead as all the rest of them. Maybe more dead, if the Namers can sort out how to manage that. Look, you want insight? Here it is: You have one, maybe two days to declare your revolt or give it up for lost. And I have to leave. Tonight. Before I get the both of us hung from the Traitor’s Gate.”
Gregor was quiet for a long time. “I’ll consider your advice. But I’m not going to let you wander the desert alone.”
Kaie sighed. Sometimes it was easier to get his way with a wall than the Ninth Rit. “So she really offered you a horse?”
His friend’s face split in a grin. “Right? What in the Abyss would I do with two horses?”
Sixteen
He dreamed of freedom.
He was climbing a hill. The grass beneath his feet was soft, impossibly soft. There was a sweetness clinging to his lips, and his stomach was comfortably full. When he looked up ahead of him, the sun nearly blinded him. But he could just see two shadowy figures holding hands and waving to him. He grinned, knowing he was safe. One of them was the brother of his heart, and they were waiting for him.
Something warm tickled against his calf. He looked down. He could see his footsteps clearly in the earth. Each one was marked with dark red blood, leaking down his legs and covering his path. Startled, he searched himself for the source.
It was all coming from the dagger he held in his hand. It didn’t make any sense. The weapon was beautiful, the handle covered in an intricate design made to look like a ribbon braided around the hilt, and all of it such a bright silver that almost hurt his eyes to look at. The blade was covered in more of the blood, so much that it ran down his leg in rivers. It was so much that the weapon itself must be bleeding. But he didn’t know where the dagger came from.
Gregor was standing in front of him, staring at the blade.
“So now you’re a traitor.” The voice was Gregor’s, but the Rit’s mouth never moved.
“I want to thank you,” he sneered, surprised at the fury he felt as much as the words spilling from his mouth. “I’ve learned so many things in my time with you, but I think the one that means the most is just how easy betrayal is.”
“You’ll never be free now.”
He laughed and tossed the dagger at Gregor’s feet. “Watch me, asshole.”
He turned around and tugged open the bedroom door, only now realizing he was on the wrong side. He wasn’t allowed in the bedroom.
The sitting room wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Instead of the white stone, it was grey and covered with moss. Like a cave. And there was no desk, no seats, not even his bedroll. Just more moss. And chains. They were bolted into the ground and the shackles were discolored. He knew it was from blood. His blood. But he wasn’t going to put them on. Not this time.
“Dezi, my love, do you realize how important our guest is?”
He couldn’t see who was talking now, but the voice drained all the warmth from his body. This was a bad place, and the man speaking was even worse. He needed to get out of this room, before the man’s love came in. She would kill him, this time. She might not mean to, but he was so weak. He couldn’t survive another one of her visits. Not anymore. But there wasn’t any getting out. Not of this place. Not ever. He was going to die here.
“He’s the Catalyst.”
“No!” He screamed. And then, because nothing happened, he did it again. “No!”
The cave exploded into a storm of huge black feathers. They swirled around him, obscuring his vision, blinding him. He felt a sharp sting in his hand, and blood welled out. It mixed with the blood from the dagger and spilled all over the ground, where it was immediately absorbed.
“Blood binds you.”
He spun, searching the voice, but could see no one.
“You gave it willingly, but did you understand? You’re tied to this place now. It is in her blood, and now it is in yours. You’ll never truly be free, my friend.”
Another voice. He was so damn sick of voices. This one, though, he remembered. It was on his mind so much these days.
“Vaughan?” he called out into the storm. No answer came.
A hand dropped on his shoulder. He stared at it, and the red-haired kid attached to it. “Get the hell out of here!”
The broad-shouldered young man shook his head, cold gray eyes glaring back at him. “There will always be a part of her that’s mine, you know.”
He blinked. As he watched, the boy shifted, grew, became a man. One older, but never older than him. Gray appeared at the man’s temples, lighter than the eyes, and deep lines formed around the man’s mouth. The grip on his shoulder shifted. Now the man was holding his wrist, keeping him from going anywhere. Whenever one of the feathers touched the man, it fell to the ground crushed and broken.
“She’ll mourn you for a while. I know that. But she’ll come to understand that she’s always loved me best. You’ll be nothing but the scum who lied his way into her bed. In the end, even your children will forget your name.”
He jerked his arm, trying to break free. But the man held tight. “I’m sorry it’s come to this. Truly, I am. But it’s time for you to go back where you belong.”
He tugged again, this time breaking free. He stumbled backward, landing hard. His hand hit against the shackles. He tried to scramble away, but one of them snapped closed around his wrist, just as tight as when the man held it.
The feathers swallowed him again, obscuring the man and every bit of the cave. But he knew it was still there, knew they were still there. The man with the gray at his temples, the bad man who spoke before and the woman. All of them were waiting. He couldn’t survive them another time.
He closed his eyes and turned his head to the
hidden sky, letting loose a great scream of anger and fear. When he was done, and opened his eyes again, the fire and feathers both were gone. He was standing on a hill of the softest grass, something sweet clinging to his lips. His hill. He looked around eagerly for the two he saw before. They weren’t there. He wasn’t alone, though. An old man stood behind him, watching with a kind smile.
The man’s hair was long and white, and it billowed gently in a wind Kaie didn’t feel. His eyes were reptilian, but they weren’t frightening. Kaie couldn’t figure out what color they were, though. One instant, he was certain it was a tarnished gold, the next a deep purple that was nearly the same shade as the vertical slits of the irises. Then they’d be a bright, piecing green. No matter how intently he stared at them, he never saw the transition.
The man stepped closer and put a warm, comforting hand on his shoulder. “This is the fifth. Do you understand?”
“No,” he answered honestly. This was the sort of man you were honest with. “Fifth what?”
The man’s smile grew a little sad, he thought. “I thought you would understand this time. Fifth promise. Or warning, if you see it that way. I like them better as promises, though.”
“Me too,” He agreed. This was the sort of man you agreed with. He squinted. “I think I know you. Do I know you?”
The old man laughed and patted his arm. “Oh yes. You know me. Better than most, though not as well as some.”
“When did we meet? Why don’t I remember?”
“When is irrelevant. It’s never the right question. Do make sure you remember that, at least.” The old man tilted his head and looked at the sky. It was night now, and the moon cast interesting shadows. For a second, the man’s face looked almost like a dragon.
“It’s always five with you. I never really understood why. Some things are even beyond us, when it comes to you mortals. So this is the fifth. And the fifth always pays for all.”
“What am I buying?”
The man let go of his shoulder and cupped the right side of his face in a wrinkled hand with a look of such affection that it made his heart ache. “Freedom, son. Freedom.”
He frowned. “I don’t get to be free. Not really. I can run or hide or die. But they’ll always be after me. That’s not freedom.”
The old man squeezed his shoulder with that same sad smile. “This, all this, it will pass. Nothing is forever. Not even me. You are too young to give up. Too stubborn. Hold on, son. Cling to life like a dog with a bone between its teeth. That’s who you are. Don’t ever give them the satisfaction of taking that away.” The man smiled. “You’re better than that. And all the parts that make the rest worth it are still to come. You have my word on that.”
He smiled. This was the sort of man you believed.
The old man nodded, looking most satisfied. Then he pulled Kaie forward, just a bit, and kissed his forehead. “No need for that now. You’ve got much to do. Thank you for saving my grandson. The two of you were always my favorites.”
Seventeen
Kaie felt the presence hovering over him before he even opened his eyes. It couldn’t be Gregor. The Rit enjoyed tormenting him, but they both maintained a long-held understanding that mornings were not an appropriate time for anything but breakfast. Gregor’s duties meant both of them rose early, but that didn’t include any talking or fighting or leaning over one another while they slept.
So. Not Gregor. That didn’t bode well for the next few minutes. There was nothing in reach he could use as a weapon, and none he could get to before someone could do a great deal of damage. There weren’t a whole lot of options.
Kaie decided on the violent one.
He swung his right arm with all the force he could manage as he opened his eyes. He didn’t have anything more than the sounds of breathing and the vague sense of the intruder to aim with, but he felt his forearm make contact. Kaie didn’t investigate. He scrambled to his feet and headed toward the door leading into the rest of the manse.
Gregor was standing there, arms crossed over his chest, blocking the way. He smirked as Kaie skidded to a halt and turned his gaze further into the room. “I warned you.”
“Kosa’s balls! That was like getting hit by a gods damned tree!”
Kaie frowned, struggling to make sense of things. He more than half expected to find a the man from his dream waiting to drag him away when he turned around, but it was only Judah sitting on the ground rubbing his chest.
“What?” It was far from succinct, but it about summed up all his questions nicely.
Gregor shook his head and stepped away from the door. “Sorry, Kale. Judah was convinced it would be funny. He wasn’t wrong.”
“Oh shove it,” Judah exclaimed as he got to his feet. “I learned my lesson. No need to rub it in.”
“What’s going on?” Kaie was still trying to catch up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “The boat?”
“Arrived hours ago,” Gregor answered as he crossed the room to help Judah up. “The Lady Katrina Autumnsong and her son Peter are currently settling in at Councilor Losen’s home, where they will stay as guests for the time being.”
Kaie’s heart tripped over itself and he needed to force the next breath out of his lungs. “Peter Autumnsong?”
“Yes, that’s right.” There was a warning in Gregor’s voice. Kaie swallowed the next string of questions on his tongue, remembering just in time their audience and the game they were playing.
Kaie nodded his understanding. Gregor proceeded like nothing passed between them. Judah didn’t seem to notice. “I’m expected by the Lady. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but you’re going to work on that Namer solution while I’m gone.”
“But-“
Gregor held up a hand and frowned. “I don’t care, Kale. You’ll work on it until I am satisfied that it’s pointless. Your breakfast is on the table. See to whatever Judah needs while he’s here.” Kaie scowled, but Gregor didn’t stay long enough to notice. The moment he was done speaking, the Rit left the room at a clipped pace.
“I’m going to make a guess and say you two have had that particular argument before.”
Kaie sighed and turned to Judah. He couldn’t think of a damn thing to say to the man, though, so after a moment he just shrugged and headed out to get his food. He was way more concerned about eating than dealing with Judah and Gregor’s expectations. It sounded like a lot more fun, and he was damn hungry.
Judah followed on his heels, talking at him in a sort of mindless buzz of words. Kaie didn’t even try to listen. He swallowed down the rice cakes and fruit laid out for him, missing – not for the first time – the taste of salted pork. He was sick to death of rice and chicken.
“He asked you to watch me, didn’t he?”
Kaie didn’t realize he was asking the question out loud until Judah’s endless stream of speech stopped and the giant gave him an appraising look.
“Why would you think that?” It wasn’t an acknowledgement, but Kaie didn’t expect it to be that easy.
“He could’ve woken me up and sent me to you, like yesterday. Or just have you get here at the usual time. But he didn’t do either. He went and got you before I was even awake, and left you here with a task that he knows we can’t finish. Do you have any other orders today, Judah? Or will you stay here until just after he comes back this evening?”
“Gregor got me himself because he was out at the docks before dawn this morning, greeting the Lady Autumnsong as she arrived, and the barracks are close by. You’re jumping at shadows.”
“So this pointless rambling of yours, the joke you tried, it’s not all designed to assure me you like my company, then? Because that would be really surprising.”
Judah’s eyes narrowed for a second, then the man laughed and held up his hands in surrender. “Alright. You’ve caught me. I guess now I owe Gregor two coppers. I thought I’d have at least half a day before you started suspecting anything. That’s damn uncanny.”
Kaie scowled and shove
his bowl away. “He thinks I’m going to run.”
Judah shrugged. “Aren’t you? He says you’ve got it in your head that Lord Peter is going to snatch you away and keep you for himself. Which, aside from being the most absurd notion I’ve heard in recent memory, seems to be making you twitchy. As my bruised ribs can prove.”
“That wasn’t because I’m twitchy,” Kaie insisted. “I don’t like mornings.”
He was impressed with Gregor’s story. The Rit wasn’t great at coming up with lies, but this one was perfect.
“I guess not,” Judah agreed pleasantly. “So if I asked why you think a noble’s son would have any interest in a used military whore, I don’t suppose there’s a chance you’d answer me honestly?”
“There’s a chance,” Kaie said.
The sound of boots clicking against the manse’s stone floor interrupted their conversation. Kaie leapt from his seat, ready to flee though he didn’t have any idea where he could go. Judah was slower to react, but he still managed to have the short sword all the soldiers wore outside of the barracks draw by the time the source of the noise entered the dining hall.
It took Kaie several seconds to place the dark-haired man that slid into the room. He was covered in a thick layer of sand and sweat, and his threadbare clothes weren’t of the soft cloth worn by the people in Hudukul. His head was uncovered, which was even more unusual. If it weren’t for the sharp look in his eyes, he might pass for a madman.
“Where’s the Ninth Rit?”
At the sound of the voice, recognition hit Kaie like a wall. “Tovan?”
The soldier blinked several times. “Sir Kale? What are you doing here?”
Judah’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “Sir Kale?”
Kaie ignored the question, well aware that he would have to come up with an answer at some point. Thanking the gods that the Aulis was tucked out of sight beneath his shirt, Kaie stepped forward and drew the man to a seat at the table. Tovan followed without much resistance. “I’ve been helping the Rit. You’re looking for him?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve been ordered to deliver a message.”