With a quick smile, the lady hooked her arm through mine. I tucked the box into the pocket of Raan’s trousers and we took the pebbly path between the trees. The grove thickened and closed in. The nearby bushes were healthy and sweet-smelling. Behind them, taller branches stretched over us, low and heavy. Their boughs, a bluish green dotted with red fruit, formed an arched roof over our heads. We walked beneath the darkened tunnel it created.
With each step my patience dwindled.
Nearing the end of the path, the shadows lightened. They vanished altogether as we stepped out at the edge of a sweeping, sun-drenched vineyard. Enclosed by tall trees on all sides—and buried smack in the heart of the city—the field was shocking and impressive. The rows of grapes extended back for at least a mile. Like the yard, the distant bustle of the city broke through. Staggered rooftops were visible above the trees. Something had set off a group of dogs in the neighborhood. Yet, there was a deep sense of serenity here. It was in the smell of the soil; rich and damp from recent watering. It was in the way the unobstructed sun blazed down to make the skin tingle. Even the Langorian slaves seemed relatively content as they walked the rows, silently picking plump grapes and dropping them in the shoulder bags cradled against their chests.
A dirt path bordered the outside rows. We started down it at a slow pace. Without the cover of branches overhead, the heat grew swiftly uncomfortable. Sun glare forced my eyes down. Raan’s throat was parched, his stomach empty. My moment of tranquility threatened, it waned completely as I thought of Sienn, wandering the city alone.
I wasn’t worried for her safety. I wanted to be with her.
Thinking I knew a good deal of what I was about to hear from Raan’s mother, I decided to save us both time. “I know of the First Ones.”
My confession put a hitch in her step. Lady Brielle’atroy glanced at me. By her open mouth and wide stare, I assumed I’d taken a gamble. Her wary tone confirmed it. “How?”
“Emperor Tam.”
Seeming to accept that, her features softened. “You have spent more time with him than I realized. Few have done so and lived to tell of it. He must like you.”
“I doubt that.”
“What exactly did he say?”
“He told me the bloodlines were not always separate. All Shinree were once like us, all erudite. After the nine families in power—the First Ones—split the lines, everything changed.”
“He is correct. Their decisions altered our entire race.”
“More like their greed.”
“Power is a hard thing to relinquish, Raan. Oh, it seems easy enough until you have it,” she added, dabbing at the sweat on her forehead. “But when it is in you, and the time comes to let it go, to sacrifice for another…most hold on tighter. That is what the First Ones did. Fear was behind the creation of the great crown and, years later, the birth of the soldier-beasts. The tablets our family has been tasked to guard, tell the story of that fear.”
Soldier-beasts… Raan’s pulse was skipping. I wanted to know more, but I couldn’t afford to let my questions make her suspicious. “Do you agree with their actions?”
“The past exists for our observance, Son, not our judgment.”
“We can learn from it.”
“Learn, yes. But Fate does not allow the altering of it to any great degree, which makes my opinion irrelevant.”
“Not to me.”
She smiled at my flattery. “If you must know, I believe we would not be suffering Emperor Tam’s self-made reign if they had gelded his family with the others.”
“What do you mean?”
“Drawing out the root of the line, tapping their hostility and violence and funneling it into the creatures, may have weakened the soldiers’ resolve as a whole. It most definitely prevented an imminent military coup. But leaving one lone family with the full range of their aggression and magic…it did far more than render the Reths potent guardians for the crown. I fear that long ago decision will bring about our downfall.”
Finally, I had my answer. I knew exactly what was done to my line to create the beasts. Parts of the soldier’s magic, their souls, their very makeup, were drained off and streamed through the spell into the eldring. It was why the creature’s bloodlust was so strong. It was why the Reth line was known for being so vicious. It was why I was different. Why my father was so driven to lead and command, so consumed by the negative emotions that feed our magic. Both of us carried the blood of the last true soldiers in Shinree history. Only Jem had nothing to temper his. Mine was held somewhat in check by my mother’s side. It was likely what gave me the strength to manage my addiction and stop casting in the first place. Without my erudite blood, I might have been as cruel and ruthless as Jem.
I pulled out of my thoughts. “Tam Reth frightens you, doesn’t he?”
“As he would you if you were not such a cocky young man.”
“Maybe,” I laughed.
“There was a time, after your father died, when I was attracted to Mara’tam Reth. I found him most fascinating, charming even. But something was in him.”
Yes, it was, I thought. “Something like what?”
“I expected darkness. He is a Reth, after all. But this change would come over him. A kind of madness, I suppose. Still, I never imagined him capable of such outright brutality as to murder the entire Ruling House. If I had not resigned my position the year before…my blood would have run with theirs.”
We were only halfway around the vineyard. Already my shirt was stuck to my back. Rivulets of sweat lined Lady Brielle’atroy’s flushed face. When she stopped and took my hand, I thought she was ill. Concern laced my voice. “What is it?”
“Open the box.”
“It has a shield spell on it.”
“It will react to your blood. As the Reths were bonded to the stone crown, we were linked to the tablets and their accompaniments.” She let go of my hand and gestured at the box. “Go on.”
I thought I might have to loosen the reins on Raan’s consciousness, but as I opened the hinged lid, the spell melted away. Inside was a small rolled sheet of parchment and a key on a silver chain. Lying sideways in the box to accommodate its elongated shape, the key was solid magnetite. A double row of teeth were carved into the end.
I looked at her. “What does it open?”
“The key will open the path you must take.”
“To the tablets?”
She nodded and I asked what had been bugging me. “Why did you give him one?”
“Ah. I see the emperor truly has taken you into his confidence.”
“Enough to know you entrusted him with something he should have never had access to. I would like to know why.”
Her chin lifted. “Must I explain what a lady will do when she is taken with a man?”
I lowered my eyes as Raan would. “No, Mother.”
“For a soldier, Mara’tam has quite the inquisitive mind. I believed he would return the tablet when his curiosity was sated.” A frown creased her brow. “I was wrong. However,” she cleared her throat. “I am not a complete fool. No matter how good a lover may be, a woman must always hold something back.”
“You claimed ignorance to the location of the others.”
“I did. Which, I fear, is why he has tolerated you. His granting of your petition to marry Karis may seem like goodwill, but, believe me, it is nothing of the kind.”
I steeled Raan’s jaw to keep my shame off his face. Raan wasn’t a wicked man. He’d made the deal with the emperor behind his mother’s back because he was desperately in love. But Raan’s memories were full of his mother’s kindness and trust. Her arms had been his haven since childhood. How he could betray such affection for any reason confounded me.
Her hand cupped Raan’s cheek. “Promise me, dear. You must be careful with him.”
“I will.”
&nb
sp; “He has a way of knowing things he should not. Avoid the emperor until you are ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“To kill him.”
I blurted out a dark laugh. Fate was being a little heavy-handed on the signs lately. “You want me to kill Emperor Reth?”
“Yes. Then you must destroy the crown and reverse the spell it was created for. It is too late for the soldier-beasts. The originals are long dead and the race is established. But for us…” She paused, frowning. Raan’s heart pounded with my anticipation as she dropped her voice to a whisper. “This is a lot to take in. But to truly understand, you must know. Our people’s compulsion to cast is not a true addiction.”
“What does that mean?”
“Our craving for magic is not caused by a physical dependence. Over the centuries that has become a devastating component, but our compulsion originated from an instinctive need to repair ourselves. We are constantly craving what the First Ones removed when they split the lines. Being magic-blind brings us as close to the sensation of wholeness as we can manage. That is why our bodies long for it.”
“Our need for magic isn’t natural? It’s a by-product of a damn spell?” Her forehead wrinkled. I’d slipped up in Raan’s speech. But the shock was too great. “We did this to ourselves.”
“We did. And with far less noble intentions than most believe.”
“But an erudite already possesses all nine lines. An erudite is whole.”
“Which is why those claiming even a quarter of erudite blood appear to have more control over their urges. They simply do not feel them as acutely. It is also why the soldiers feel it more. Their line was subjected to a culling twice.”
“Then, by your reasoning, a pure erudite, one who comes directly from the First Ones, wouldn’t feel cravings at all? Someone like you…and me,” I added, remembering Raan’s lineage.
“Yes. But the addiction the bulk of our race suffers can be broken. By fracturing the vessel and releasing the power it holds.”
And just like that, my notion of destroying the crown became something more. It was no longer a way to keep its magic out of my father’s hands. It wasn’t about whether or not I had a right to interfere with his plan to return what was stolen from our people. Making them all erudite wasn’t about making them more powerful anymore. It was about curing them.
“Forgive me,” I said, attempting to excuse my informalities. “If you knew it was possible to break the addiction, why haven’t you done it?”
“The Reth line was entrusted with shielding and protecting the Crown of Stones. Their duty was performed so well, the circlet was not seen for hundreds of years. Not until Tam wielded its magic to overthrow the House.”
“The crown is out of hiding. You can get to it.”
“Precisely. Tam has given us an opportunity we cannot ignore.” Wistful sincerity weighted her words. “Our addiction worsens with each generation. Many still refuse to publically acknowledge its existence, including our Emperor. But his new laws, the restrictions he puts on casting for the lesser lines… An illness is spreading. Each year the blood thins and less of us carry the mantle of the First Ones. Each year, more spells are cast out of great desperation and lives are taken that were not meant to be. The price for our magic has become more than we ever intended to pay.”
“I understand.” Far better than you realize.
“Our situation declines daily. The treaty with our slave suppliers has been in place for centuries. Now, Tam is preparing to invade their realm. He wants to expand his casting laws to include all citizens. A ‘rationing of power’ he calls it. In reality, our Emperor is crippling us. If Tam Reth is allowed to continue in this vein, the addiction will worsen. Panic will spread. He will bring our empire to its knees.”
My mind was spiraling. The dogs were going at it again. I tried to shut them out. “What do you want of me?”
“At this moment, nothing. Tonight you will marry. You and Karis will bond with the same Nor-Taali that united your father and I, and his father and mother before him.” She paused. “Make the most of tonight. Leave on holiday with your bride tomorrow. On your return trip, you must take a detour.”
“What kind of detour?”
She glanced at the box. “One whose ending I am afraid Karis will not understand. It is a great burden, that which I ask of you. A sacrifice. If another were capable… But it must be one of us. Only one who is whole can…” the lady’s eyes fluttered. She swayed, unsteady on her feet.
I put a hand on her arm. “Are you all right?”
She nodded hastily. “With your father gone, it falls to you. I am sorry, Raan. There is only one outcome to being magic-borne in such a way.”
“Magic what?”
Flustered, the heat clearly getting to her, she overlooked my question. “We need the Crown of Stones, Raan. Nothing can be done as long as Tam remains in possession of it. But he has shown interest in renewing our relationship. I believe I can distract him long enough for us to obtain it. We will be ready when you return.”
“Us? We? Are you plotting an uprising?”
“There is a group of us that believe we are at a perilous junction. As a descendant of the First Ones, I cannot stand by and watch decades of history crumble and fall to ruin.” Lady Brielle’atroy’s back straightened. “I will not.”
She was an impressive woman. I wanted to tell her: no matter what she did, it was going to fall anyway.
I shoved the guilt aside and took the scroll out of the box. It was old. Without magic it would have crumbled at my first touch. As it was, the parchment unrolled like new. On it, near the top, was a small map. It showed a path running between scribbled wooded mountains and across a clearing. It ended at a high peak with a great castle-like building protruding from its slope. Runes were printed beneath the map. I translated them aloud. “The serpent’s mouth opens. It swallows all magic. Her black heart crushes it. To this abandoned cage, I inter the pieces of our broken past.” Frustration hardened Raan’s stare as I demanded, “What the hell is this?”
The lady bristled at my tone. “A riddle. You know your father was fond of them.”
“Yeah, well I’m not.”
I studied the map again. It was a poor drawing with no real definitive landmarks. Possibly, it was Kael. In Raan’s time, the forested peaks of the east were not divided from the rest of Mirra’kelan. And our people clearly ventured there. It was where the eldring were born and the obsidian pillars in Guidon’s castle were discovered. But the Shinree originated from the western mountains. There, a miner named Nam’arelle first discovered our ability to channel magic. Those mountains were closer, too. Their beginnings elevated parts of the city. Their higher summits went on for miles, towering up into the northern sky. In my time, though, the woods were scarce. Most of the range had been mined to bare rock. Langorian settlements were sprinkled up and down the coast and throughout the peaks and valleys. But as far as I knew, only one structure of significance had ever been built into the side of the mountains—built and abandoned.
Abandoned cage….
Serpent….
I examined the map again. It could have been anywhere. But it wasn’t.
And the clearing wasn’t a clearing. It was a plateau.
There was only one place.
Darkhorne.
Darkhorne that’s crawling with Langorians.
Darkhorne that’s on the verge of falling to my father.
I hissed a curse. “The tablets are in the keep? All this fucking time? Why? Why there?”
The lady’s posture tensed. She seemed unsure how to respond to an outburst that was clearly unlike her son.
I scrambled to explain myself. “I mean no disrespect. My concern is only for completing the task you have given me. Retrieving them from such a place will not be easy.”
“Ah,” she nodded. “Th
e purpose behind their location will become clear. Fate will make it so, and many other things as well.”
Her words were irritatingly ominous. I tried to pry out more. “You could tell me. You were there.”
“I ventured no farther than the courtyard. My most trusted slaves were charged with retrieving the tablet. Not all returned. Those that did claimed all manner of stories; skin bears were roaming wild in the hallways, traps had been set. Such obstacles stand no chance against magic, but casting is far too dangerous. You, Raan, must fetch what you seek by wits alone.”
“Great,” I grumbled. “And the serpent’s mouth?”
“As I said… Fate will make all things clear.”
That wasn’t even close to good enough. I was trying to think how to get her to open up, when a flock of chattering birds broke from the trees behind us. They took flight, soaring inches above our heads. They seemed confused, dipping and twirling, not knowing which direction to travel. Their erratic movement rustled our hair. Raan’s mother ducked with a gasp. I put a protective arm around her as another wave of birds fled their branches, then another. Even the Langorian slaves took notice as, all around the vineyard, the ring of trees emptied. As if some invisible force were drawing the helpless creatures from their nests, the exodus continued, until the air was filled with the shrieks of their protest and the blue had darkened with so many flapping wings overhead.
Dogs were barking incessantly outside the wall. Horse noise joined the chorus. Something was definitely going on.
I thought about the man outside Raan’s balcony, about the merciless heat and the complaints about frogs. I remembered how few pages were left after the last entry I read in Tam’s journal.
It was posted seven days ago.
No…it can’t be.
It has to be.
Without a word I ushered Raan’s mother toward the house.
“What is it?” she asked, struggling to keep up. “Raan…please, is something wrong?”
The Crown of Stones: Magic-Borne Page 16