The Dark Ability: Books 1-4

by D. K. Holmberg

  “She is obscured from me. I can’t say that they will work for all, but they work. She should be safe.” She leaned forward and rested her hands on her knees. “If the others learn of this, if they learn of what you are able to create… You are dangerous, Rsiran Lareth.”

  “Dangerous?” he asked.

  “You can do things that they cannot. I do not have to warn you to be careful, but I will, anyway. If they didn’t want to learn from you before, they will if they ever learn of those. Please. Be careful.”

  He nodded. “I will.”

  But as he said it, his mind raced. Was this the reason that the smiths had been taken from Elaeavn? Did the Forgotten think master smiths could forge items like this?

  Della glanced over. “How do you intend to find this man you seek?”

  “He’s from Venass,” Rsiran said. “Heartstone is implanted in him.”

  Della nodded. “Then find him. And find answers to your questions, Rsiran.”

  Chapter 15

  As he so often did when he needed to search for something, Rsiran stood atop Krali Rock and focused on everything around him. Krali stretched high above the city, high enough that he had the sense that he could see anything within the city from where he stood, as if he were apart from it, looking down much like the Great Watcher, observing much like he had when he’d held the crystal in the heart of the palace.

  Jessa remained down below in the city, waiting for him. She promised to find Brusus, but from here, he thought that he could find Brusus without her assistance. Like all of his friends, Brusus carried lorcith-made knives with him that Rsiran could find. There were dozens of his knives still in the city, many in the palace itself from when Brusus had used the knives to barter for information, but there were other forgings of his as well, such as those within the Barth, or in Della’s home.

  Lorcith wasn’t the reason that he came here, even though lorcith was everywhere all around him. From here, he could feel the pull of Ilphaesn, and even recognize that something about the mountain had changed. When he had more time, he needed to stop there. It had been too long since he’d been to the main part of Ilphaesn, and he felt a sense of possession about the mountain, and the lorcith within. Who else cared what happened to the ore as he did?

  Ilphaesn wasn’t the only place where lorcith in that quantity could be found. There were other locations, but Rsiran didn’t know how much of it he could find. Enough that he was drawn to it when he left the Forgotten Palace. How many others knew about those places?

  Not Josun, or he wouldn’t have gone to Ilphaesn to secretly mine lorcith. More questions— questions that must wait.

  Rsiran was here for a different purpose. He might be able to sense Thom’s heartstone implant from inside the city, but there was strength to standing on Krali, and perspective that he valued.

  The wind caught his cloak, making it flutter. Once, he would have feared falling from this height, but now he understood his ability better than before. He could Slide while falling, and could even Slide without stepping. He’d been afraid that he would end up trapped when he Slid, but if he didn’t have to take a step to Slide, that wasn’t even something to fear.

  Heartstone. That was the reason that he’d come here.

  Rsiran closed his eyes and pushed away the sense of lorcith all around him. As he did, he pulled the awareness of heartstone to him. Not the alloy, but pure heartstone.

  Awareness of it came gradually. There was the heartstone within the smithy, and it drew him. There was a small amount of heartstone—pure heartstone and not the alloy—in the palace. He had the distant awareness of heartstone in another location within the city, and suspected that came from the alchemists. They might not work with the alloy any longer—though he wasn’t convinced that they couldn’t—but that wasn’t what he searched for.

  He sensed no heartstone within the city with the same alloy signature that he’d detected within Thom. Rsiran hadn’t expected to find him in the city. Thom would have come for him sooner had he been here. Unable to sense him, he was relieved to confirm that he wasn’t here.

  Beyond the borders of the city, there was the sense of other heartstone. Heartstone had been plentiful within the Forgotten Palace, and he detected it now, far enough away that he would have to strain to reach it. The heartstone pulled on him, demanding his attention. At least Rsiran knew that he could find the Forgotten again when he wanted to.

  Was Alyse there?

  He doubted that she was. That would be too easy. Even if she were there, would he be able to Slide to her and then Slide away? Evaelyn now knew that he was able to reach her, when she’d thought herself safe inside the Forgotten Palace. He doubted that she would make the same mistake again. Sliding to the palace would place him in danger. Still, he considered it. If he could reach the palace and could find out where they had taken Alyse, his search would be over. He’d have no need of Thom, or even his father.

  His attention shifted to Lower Town, to his smithy where Jessa waited for him. He could tell her what he intended, bring her with him… but that risked her almost as much as if they went to Thyr. And before they went to Thyr, didn’t he need to determine whether he even should?

  Taking one of his lorcith knives, he pushed it into the stone, sinking it deeply in case he should need an anchor to return. Then he focused on the sense of lorcith, casting it away before shifting his attention to heartstone. Without thinking about it too much, he Slid to the Forgotten Palace, transporting himself into the heartstone room.

  He emerged surrounded by the pull of heartstone. It was everywhere, filling the room. This had been where he’d first met Evaelyn and where he feared finding her again. He readied his knives, preparing to push them, but the room was empty.

  Rsiran looked around, glancing at the shelves lined with books, the plush carpet splayed onto the floor, even the paintings along the wall. All of it had the look of wealth.

  He’d been to the Forgotten Palace before and had barely escaped. Now that he’d returned, he wondered what he had been thinking. He should not have come here, not without Jessa or Brusus or Haern. Worse, no one even knew that he’d come. What would happen were he captured?

  Rsiran almost traveled back to Elaeavn, but hesitated. Now that he was here, what more could he learn? Would he find evidence of Valn or Sarah? Or his sister… he had been around her enough that he thought he could detect the lorcith chain that their father had forged for her, if only he could get close enough. Unless too much lorcith surrounded it, much like how Josun had hidden Jessa within the mine.

  Sliding carried him outside the heartstone room and into the main halls of the Forgotten Palace. With each Slide, he ensured his mental barriers were in place, not wanting to risk someone Reading or Compelling him. He should have made bracelets for himself, but thought the barriers he could erect kept him safe. Still, he wondered if that were strong enough. When he Slid, there was a moment when he lost the barrier, and had to reassert it.

  The hall was empty. Rsiran Slid, moving to the end of the hall, wishing that he’d brought someone with him who could Read, some way to keep himself safe.

  He paused, looking around. The next hall was darker than the last. Nothing moved.

  He focused on lorcith and detected large quantities of it distantly. But nothing nearby.

  Another Slide, this one to the stairs. He went up, pausing to focus on lorcith, searching for signs of his sister, but found none.

  If she still had her necklace—and why would the Forgotten have reason to remove it from her?—he would find her.

  Rsiran made his way back down through the palace, relieved that it remained empty. Until he reached the lowest level of the palace. Voices drifted to him, and he froze, jamming the barriers that he created into place, holding them tightly, this time afraid to Slide.

  “Where is she?” This came from a male voice, and harsh.

  “Not yet returned, but she was to be right behind me. We have asked for a meet, but they have refused
.”

  “They can’t refuse for too long. One of us will find him.”

  Was it Valn? Rsiran couldn’t be certain. He’d heard him only that one time, not enough to recognize the man’s voice.

  “What of the others?”

  “We’ll have most of the sm—”

  “Why are you standing here?” This was a third voice, and one Rsiran recognized: Inna.

  “Easy. We were waiting on you.”

  “Waiting. Get back to the mines. Check their progress.”

  “They refuse. They claim they can’t hear it.”

  “They’re smiths,” Inna said. “They hear it. They choose not to help.”

  “We had one who was willing, but he’s gone.”

  “Then convince them they need to help. Give them no choice, much like you have with the others.”

  “How?”

  “Get creative. We need to prove how far we’ll go. If they won’t work for their own safety, maybe they will for another’s.”

  Rsiran Slid forward a step, trying to better hear.

  When he emerged, the voices had gone silent.

  He waited, fearful that Inna and the other two might have heard him. Expecting one of them to appear at any moment, he finally began to relax when no one came.

  Then he saw a faint sparkle of light.

  Rsiran Slid back a few steps, afraid to remain where he was. Inna hadn’t said anything more. Did they know that he was here? Had they discovered him somehow? He didn’t know how they would, but he didn’t want to risk it, either.

  But her comment… that hadn’t seemed the kind of statement she’d make if they’d already taken his sister. It sounded more like they planned to do something similar.

  Did that mean it had been Venass?

  A figure appeared in front of him.

  Rsiran tensed, readying his knives.

  Inna. She smiled darkly when she saw him, unsheathing a sword.

  Rsiran didn’t hesitated, and anchored to the knife atop Krali, and Slid away.

  Chapter 16

  Rsiran trembled atop Krali Rock, the wind pulling at him once more, a sudden change from the stifling sense within the Forgotten Palace, almost as if the wind blowing off the sea wanted to tear away the fear he felt after being in the palace.

  He’d seen Inna. Worse, she had seen him. Would she send others after him now?

  But it didn’t sound like they had come for Alyse. Not yet.

  That left him with needing to reach Venass. After foolishly Sliding to the Forgotten Palace—something he might keep from Jessa for now—he needed to find Thom.

  Rsiran steadied his breathing, letting the sense of the wind help him relax. He focused on lorcith, then pushed it away, seeking instead the heartstone. Sources of heartstone pulled on him, some nearly as plentiful as within the Forgotten Palace. From the time that he’d held the crystal and seemed to float above the world with nothing but darkness below him, he had suspected that there would be other sources of heartstone, but detecting it made it more real.

  A realization came to him, one that helped him forget about the Forgotten Palace: he might never run out of heartstone if he could mine it. Heartstone wasn’t always as useful to him as lorcith, but when combined with lorcith, it created a way for him to avoid the Forgotten Sliders, and possibly even those of Venass. Rsiran could envision using enough heartstone and lorcith to create a place where he would be safe from both, not having to worry about his Slides being influenced, and not needing to worry about them attacking.

  Thoughts of safety were premature. First he had to find a way to reach Thom, then his father, and then find his sister. Only after he did that would he consider the possibility that he might be able to find safety for himself. His friends. And maybe even his family.

  From where he stood, he detected other sources of heartstone, but each was so small that it was difficult to know where exactly to find them. Rsiran began to fear that he wouldn’t be able to find Thom, that his connection to heartstone wasn’t strong enough. What options would he have then? He could return to the Forgotten Palace, but if he did that, he wouldn’t take Jessa. Risking her for something that would be nearly certain danger wasn’t something he was willing to do. He wasn’t even certain that he would be able to take her with him to wherever he found Thom, especially if he found him somewhere that Haern or Brusus considered too dangerous. Better to take Haern.

  And he could craft similar bracelets for Haern, protect him from Thom’s influence, keep him from being used against them. Haern was skilled with knives and had the experience to be able to withstand an attack from Thom if he could prevent him from being Compelled. But Haern wasn’t Jessa. There was a certain comfort that came from knowing that she would be the one watching over him, protecting him from whatever attack might come. And her Sight was valuable.

  He had to focus. Standing here, he’d allowed himself to get distracted by thoughts of what he needed to do once he found Thom, but first he had to find Thom.

  Knowing that he’d sensed Thom’s heartstone before gave him a degree of confidence. He should be able to find him.

  Reaching out, Rsiran ignored the larger collections of heartstone, pushing away what he sensed of the palace and the unmined heartstone. As he did, he felt a steady pulsing, a faint, dark draw, but one that he recognized.

  Thom.

  It was distant, but not so distant that he didn’t know where he’d gone.

  Rsiran should not have been surprised to learn that he’d returned to Thyr. Possibly even to Venass.

  Finding him there would be dangerous. Within Venass were others with the ability to pull him to them, to influence his Sliding. He hoped that the heartstone he carried would protect him, but he’d never had the chance to test it as well as he would have liked.

  Could he really take Jessa to Thyr?

  She wouldn’t let him leave her; he knew that with certainty. Which meant that he would take her. And she would want to help him, even if it meant trying to help his sister. He knew that she didn’t agree with what he felt he needed to do, that she didn’t agree with him that he should even help, but she wouldn’t let him leave her behind.

  Rsiran focused on the smithy. It was time to return, to make preparations for reaching Thom, and for leaving.

  Then he Slid.

  As soon as he did, he recognized that something was wrong.

  He felt the pull of his Slide, as if another force tried pressing on him, drawing him from his intended target. Normally, Sliding to the smithy would be easy, something that he could manage without fear.

  He should have been more careful. He’d seen the couple trailing him through Elaeavn, and knew that the woman Sarah at least had the ability to follow Sliding. It didn’t take much to guess that she could influence it as well.

  Yet, when Della influenced his Sliding, there was never the sense of a battle, not like he felt now.

  This was a distinct awareness of what opposed him. Not the person, but the fact that there was someone wanting to pull him away from where he intended.

  Rsiran reached for the sense of lorcith, searching for an anchor. He should have done that before. Knowing that Sarah was after him should have kept him more on edge.

  The colors oozed past him. Lorcith burned in his nostrils as if he’d left it on the coals too long. He pushed back, terror filling him, trying to remain on Krali Rock.

  An anchor. He needed an anchor that he could use. There were dozens around Elaeavn, but where could he go that would protect him? He needed to reach someplace where he didn’t have to fear exposing others, especially if she followed him.

  Not the smithy. He might be protected by the bars of alloy, but he didn’t want to risk them finding the smithy. Not Della or the Barth or so many other places. All of the places that he considered, he had to ignore, fearing their exposure.

  Where could he go?

  As much as he fought, straining in the place between Slides, spending more time here than he ever had before, h
e felt himself drawn steadily forward. Eventually, without an anchor, he would be pulled away.

  Then he found a piece of lorcith he’d forged, left unintentionally but not in a place that would expose him or anyone with him.

  Anchoring to it, he pulled himself to the lorcith, and emerged near the docks. The remains of a broken knife rested between rocks. Rsiran left it, thinking that he might need it again, and then Slid, this time anchoring as he did, emerging in the warehouse, then the smithy. Hopefully, the additional stops kept him safe, but he wasn’t sure. Maybe he no longer could be sure when it came to Sliding.

  Jessa looked up as he emerged, and then ran to the door, sinking the bars of alloy into the ground and up over the frame.

  “What happened?”

  He trembled. After being discovered in the Forgotten Palace, and now this… Had Inna followed him? “I was nearly pulled out of my Slide.”

  “Like when Della does it?”

  “This was different. Rougher.”

  She leaned against the door. “Do you really think it’s safe for us to go then? Until you know, do you really think that we can rely on you Sliding us safely?”

  “If I have an anchor, I’m safe.” Inna wouldn’t have followed him, would she? Not to Elaeavn. He was safe within the city. Outside the city, he didn’t have the same number of anchors as he did within Elaeavn. “Besides, I still think when I have heartstone with me, I am protected.”

  Why had he left the sword behind? Why had he gone to the Forgotten Palace? What had he been thinking?

  If he’d had it with him, he might have been able to avoid battling with whoever attempted to pull him from his Slide. He needed to take it with him when they went after Thom, but what if it didn’t work? What if it didn’t prevent someone from drawing him along out of his Slide?

  “Did you find him?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I think so, but you’re not going to like it.”

  Jessa tipped her head, waiting.