Facets of the Nether

by William C. Tracy

  The Methiemum was one of the only ones Rey could truly call a friend here in the Nether. He listened when Rey spoke, and was fun to chum around with. If he’d been Sureri, Rey would have thought about making a pair with him, being brother-husbands while looking for a suitable wife. His people weren’t normally too accepting of outsiders, but he’d seen at least one trio here in the Nether where a husband had been a Festuour. Could he do that?

  Zsaana sat forward, then tilted his head to one side, inside his cowl. A Snakey who’d given up the power of the Council itself for this new life. “Your friend, he is a member of the Life Coalition?”

  “No, yer took him!” Rey said. “Yer all are wantin’ to join the Assembly now? I dunno why, and I don’t really care. But yer can’t be kidnapping people and negotiatin’ in good faith. Give him back!”

  “In the Life Coalition, there are many who wish to give up their old life,” the female—Janas—said. “We are accepting of all.”

  “He. Is. Not. There. Willingly.” Rey emphasized every word.

  Majus Kheena cleared his throat. “This, it is a good time to mention that this would be a gesture of goodwill, which I am certain would help your bid to rejoin the Assembly, whatever your true reason is.”

  “All our members, they are able to leave us at any time,” Janas insisted. “They believe in the work we do.”

  “The Aridori, they are not,” Majus Kheena mumbled.

  Rey waggled his head. “A point, but we aren’t talkin’ about the Aridori, now are we?” He wasn’t interested in ancient scare-tales. So they wouldn’t just give Inas back, would they?

  “We also wish to learn more about your positions and the timing of your bid to join the Assembly, especially after the, ah—hostilities.” Kheena waved a hand out the curtain, at the larger Assembly, which was still missing part of its dome. It was the other reason his mentor had suggested sneaking in to see this group—to find out why they’d been willing to negotiate suddenly. Perhaps Rey had come on too strong in the beginning, asking about Inas.

  “Yer’ve got another reason for being here,” he broke in. He faltered when the others stared at him, but swallowed, and continued on. He wanted to understand what drove these Snakeys, if not as much as learning where his friend was.

  “We think yer want peace. We understand yer have some message, along with this talk of power. Why aught would yer come back here? Yer need the force of ten species to help yer out. Why?”

  Zsaana was still watching them, or at least the opening of his cowl pointed at Rey. He seemed to be the principal speaker for the group, probably from his time on the Council. “The Life Coalition, it strives for a new age for the ten species. Our prophesied source of energy will make this possible. You do not follow the traditional ways, do you?” The last was directed at Rey’s mentor, and Kheena reluctantly shook his head. “Ah, but if you did, you would know of what we preach.”

  “Me, I’ve heard plenty of fundamentalist tales,” Majus Kheena said. Rey looked back and forth. His mentor was not overly religious, a rarity for a Sathssn.

  “This, it is no tale,” Zsaana said. “Even you should remember Slithen the Dreamer.”

  Majus Kheena scoffed. “Him, he is an old littermate’s story.”

  “It is true,” Janas broke in. “Me, I am Slithen’s descendant. My brother Essra and I learned his tales from my parents when we were young.”

  “But Slithen’s line, they were already supposed to have access to great influence in the stories,” Kheena protested. “Something so strong, they could have taken over the dioceses. Why does the Life Coalition then grovel at the edges of Sathssn society?”

  “Great influence, like the control of Aridori prisoners?” another of the cloaked figures said. Janas lifted a glove, as if to strike the individual, or take the words back.

  Rey had had enough of all this mystery and skirting around the truth. The Life Coalition obviously wasn’t going to spill their hand.

  “I donna really care if yer think yer are more powerful than the Assembly or not, or if yer want some magical peace ray,” he said, and all the Snakeys turned to look at him. “If yer are so high and mighty, then yer can give Inas back, whether yer think he’s a willing participant or no.”

  “The one you spoke of before, then he is called Inas?” Zsaana hunched forward, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  Rey frowned. “That’s right. He’s a close friend.” He drew his brows down. The other species called Sureriaj ugly, so maybe he could use that to intimidate these Snakeys. “Give him back.”

  “Hmm. A dangerous request,” Janas said. “Any friend of an Aridori, we must regard them as suspect as well.”

  Rey blinked, taking a moment to process Janas’ words. They couldn’t mean they thought—

  “What? What do yer mean by that?” He just wanted his friend back. “I’m speakin’ of a Methiemum man. Good buddy o’ mine. I’m fine yer all into peace, but takin’ hostages crosses the line. The Assembly won’t treat with yer if that gets out.” It would only take a word to Majus Ayama to spread it everywhere.

  “Not so much of a friend, is he, if he did not trust you with his true species?” Zsaana asked.

  A pit of ice was growing in Rey’s belly, but he refused to be drawn in by the Snakey’s lies. “What are yer talking of? Yer saying Inas is Aridori?” He looked to his mentor, but Majus Kheena had his head cocked, staring at Rey.

  “Us, we are saying just this,” said Janas. “We have sequestered him with the others of the ancient enemy.”

  “But he’s…” Rey paused, trying to take in what they were saying. It couldn’t be true. Inas was a friend. He wasn’t one of the murderous Aridori. He couldn’t be. They were all dead.

  Except the Life Coalition had one—or more than one. “The one in the box—” he began, but Zsaana was shaking his cowl.

  “That, it was not him. The Aridori you knew as Inas, he has not yet been trained.”

  “Trained?” Rey was adrift, as if floating in a sea of sand. What were they doing to Inas? But if he really was an Aridori… No. That was stupid. “Where are yer keepin’ him? Give him back to me!” He realized he was standing, breath coming hot from his nose. When had he done that?

  “Peace, apprentice,” Zsaana said. “Inas, he will not be released. We will not let another Aridori War begin.”

  “But he’s not…Inas isn’t…” Rey couldn’t concentrate. None of this made sense. Inas was his friend—he’d even had thoughts of making an offer of brother-husbands to him.

  “Perhaps, our arrival here, it was not the best of times,” Majus Kheena said, rising to his feet. “The Speakers, they will surely be on their way.”

  “Indeed,” Zsaana replied. “But you, now you have some idea of the capacity and power we offer to the Assembly, in our search for true peace. Tell them that.”

  Never trust an Aridori.

  The air in Rey’s lungs was lead. Could he trust the words of the Coalitioners over his friends? But what reason did they have to lie? They hadn’t told him Inas was Aridori until he named his friend. Before that, they’d seemed willing to let him go. It was impossible. Could it be true?

  His friends. Hah. So he thought. She lied. Both of them had. This whole time. Of course Enos had to be one too. Which meant Sam had to know. Those two were inseparable. Rey’s hands clenched into fists. What other secrets did they hide?

  “Come Rey, let us leave,” Majus Kheena said. He sounded shaken. Rey followed him without a backward glance at the Snakeys.

  * * *

  Enos forced down the spike of anger.

  “Try it again,” Majus Ayama said.

  She’d been trying, for most of a lightening. Just because that Kirian couldn’t get the information from her, didn’t mean—

  “Be thinking of the sounds and sights again. Any description of the interior will place more markers,” Majus Cyrysi said. His long fingers, each tipped with a wicked-looking hooked nail, stretched toward her forehead. Th
is hadn’t worked any of the other times they tried it.

  Now Enos’ anger was once more replaced with fear. Fear of discovery, though these two already knew she was Aridori. What was she scared of? She swallowed, and wished Sam was here, but Majus Cyrysi had given him practice work on the theory of the Symphony. He was stuck in the majus’ apartment, which was perfect for Sam.

  She let Majus Cyrysi’s cool fingertips touch her brow, and suppressed a shiver. Be calm. He’s helping to save Inas.

  “We are needing more markers to make the portal. Anything will be helping,” the majus repeated, “but especially sounds—no! No, concentrate!”

  Enos felt herself slipping away. It had been such a tentative connection to Inas each time. It hadn’t happened again, and now she only felt nauseous.

  She ducked away from the Kirian’s hand, closing her eyes to force the feelings away. They had to find Inas. The vision of the sleek form rising from that little box haunted her dreams. Was Inas in one of those right now? How much did the Life Coalition know of him? Of their family? She should know more about her own species, but the Life Coalition had stolen that knowledge from its prisoners.

  She’d never been away from him this long. Her parents had told tales of Aridori separated from their other instance so long they could no longer form a connection. Alone. Adrift. Without another half.

  “Are you sure there’s enough information to collect from her, Ori?” Majus Ayama asked. “We know little about how Ari—”

  “I can be doing it.” Majus Cyrysi cut her off. “We have a resource, if you are but to be letting me use it.” He ran a hand down Majus Ayama’s arm, but she only frowned at him.

  “It’s been over a month and we still haven’t chased down the Life Coalition. I feel like I’m running into a wall, repeatedly, headfirst, while trying to create this portal.”

  Enos let the fear of losing her other instance climb up into her throat, focusing her on the task. “Try it again. I have to help my brother and I’ll try as many times as it takes. Just let me get into the right frame of mind—”

  Someone pounded at the door to Majus Ayama’s apartment.

  “Oh, what now?” her mentor said, and stomped to the door.

  “Rey—what’s wrong?” Enos asked, as soon as the Sureri pushed the door open. He looked like he might be sick. Or throw something.

  “Yer didn’t tell me. Yer and Sam. When did he find out? After they took Inas away? When was it, eyah?” He’d crossed the floor before she had time to react, and Enos saw the aura of brown around him only belatedly—the House of Potential. He put a hand to the front of her vest and she found herself flying across the room, until she smacked into Majus Ayama’s couch, falling over it in a heap.

  The Symphony flooded her, white rings coming to life around her hands and cadenzas tumbling through her mind. What had gotten into Rey? Enos struggled to get up, but her mentor and Majus Cyrysi were in front of her, one ringed in olive and white, the other in orange and yellow. Both held hands out in front of them.

  “What is going on?” Majus Ayama yelled at Rey.

  “Is Kheena knowing where you are?” Majus Cyrysi asked.

  Rey ignored them both, his eyes fixed on Enos. “Yer didn’t tell me yer are Aridori!”

  The maji’s hands drooped, and Enos felt the fight go out of her, like water poured from a bucket.

  He knows. How does he know?

  Sam. Was he still studying in Majus Cyrysi’s apartment? He wouldn’t have gone out by himself, would he? No, Rey said Sam didn’t tell him.

  She was right to be scared. This is exactly what would happen if the Assembly found out about her and Inas. They’d be dead before the day was out.

  There was a soft click and Enos looked over Rey’s head. Majus Ayama was locking the door.

  “We should talk,” her mentor said, her voice quiet and dangerous. Majus Cyrysi stood with his arms crossed, crest as spiky as if lightning had struck it. His face was calm, but Enos thought he was anything but.

  Just like me.

  “Rey—we didn’t…I didn’t tell you because—” She was babbling.

  “Because yerrer an Aridori!” Rey yelled. “And so is Inas. An’ now the Life Coalition is goin’ ter ‘train’ him, or torture him, or sommat else horrible.” He clenched his eyes and teeth together, groaning. “Eyah, I donna even know if I’m supposed to like him any longer. He’s an Aridori. Yer can’t trust ‘em, eyah.” He looked up, his face a mask of pain. “How can I ever trust either of yer again?”

  “The Coalition is doing what to him?” Enos asked, ignoring Rey’s pained expression. Was that what she’d felt? Did her seizures come because her other instance was being tortured while she connected to him? She hadn’t even known she could feel him, from halfway across the universe. If Majus Ayama was correct, he was trapped inside a moon of Sath Home.

  “And more importantly, where?” Majus Ayama said. The white of the House of Healing still glowed around her, as if she would force the information from Rey if he didn’t volunteer it.

  “Them Snakeys—the Life Coalition. Me and Majus Kheena sneaked in to sit a bit with ‘em, on account o’ he’s a Snakey too, yer know.”

  “I am aware Majus Kheena is a Sathssn,” Majus Ayama said. She could have frozen water with her voice. Rey’s eyes widened.

  “Er, Sathssn, eyah. In any case, they started blabberin’ on about their secret weapon, like they’ve been hidin’ Aridori away all these long cycles, but only this special sect, or whatnot.” Rey seemed to be losing steam. “Save they sound like they really do want to join forces again for this peace they’re bringin’.”

  “They do have more than one of my species,” Enos said to her mentor. Majus Ayama nodded, as did Majus Cyrysi.

  “They are potentially to be having many more, if they are to be possessing the remnants of what the Sathssn squads captured at the end of the Aridori War,” the Kirian said. His crest rippled and his eyes roved somewhere far away, lost in thought. “It is recorded that the prisoners were destroyed, but I am wondering at the life spans of Aridori. With no fixed biological structure to age—”

  Enos cleared her throat, trying to get the conversation back on track. She wasn’t that old, and her parents had never shared their age.

  “But they confirmed they have Inas, and they…they know what he is?” She asked Rey, who sneered.

  “Aye, they know he’s a filthy Aridori, just like yer are. To think, back when we were runnin’ from mobs in the Imperium, when people were suspectin’ Sureriaj of bein’ Aridori in hidin’. Yer were there beside me the whole time. Liar.” His face was no longer comically ugly. It was twisted into anger.

  Enos stepped back, as if struck. “We couldn’t tell you, or anyone. They would have—”

  “They’d have chased yer two, rather than us,” Rey finished for her.

  “But…you still want to get Inas back?” she asked the Sureri.

  Rey’s face cleared, now confused more than angry. As if he had just realized what he was saying. “I do. More’n anythin’. Granddames save me from myself, I donna know why, but I do.”

  “Then no matter what you are to be feeling about Enos,” Majus Cyrysi said, “our objectives align. We must find a way to meet again with the Life Coalition leaders.”

  “I…could probably talk with ‘em again,” Rey said. He looked between the three of them, his face screwing up in one of his rubbery Sureriaj expressions. “But Majus Kheena would have to agree to sneak us in.”

  Enos stared at him. He had a way to contact those who held her other instance prisoner.

  I’m worth as much to them as Inas.

  Before the maji could say anything else, she stepped in front of them, close to Rey. “Take me. Tell them I can heal Inas, if they bring him to meet me.” The old Aridori in Gloomlight prison had messed with his mind. She had no idea how to help him, but they must have seen his hand, melted into a rigid claw. Perhaps that was why he was in a box. They were getting rid of that infecti
on.

  “Shiv’s knobbly knees! Not a chance,” Majus Ayama said, though Majus Cyrysi stroked his moustaches in thought.

  Enos spun to her mentor. “It is the only way to get him back. They will not willingly let him go.”

  “No,” Majus Ayama said again. “We will force our way into their headquarters,”

  “With what?” Enos retorted. “You said yourself, you’ve been building the portal for a month. It’s not working.” She gestured to Rey, who was watching wide-eyed. “He has another way.”

  “And you are thinking you will simply dance away from the Life Coalition with your brother?” Majus Cyrysi asked. “I am certain they will be suspecting a trick of this nature.”

  “Then think of what I could find out about the Life Coalition, if they captured me!” Enos would say anything to convince the maji. She had to have Inas back. “I could even talk with the other Ari—”

  “No!” Majus Ayama said. She swiped both hands in front of her, as if pushing away the suggestion. “I will not lose you to the Life Coalition again. That is final.”

  “But—” Enos didn’t finish the sentence, as she saw the storm in her mentor’s face.

  “I am to be agreeing with Rilan on this point,” Majus Cyrysi said. “Yes, there is a chance of rescuing your brother, and as much information as you could gather, the risk to your well-being is not to be worth it. You are knowing what the Life Coalition did to the Aridori we saw in Gloomlight. No, we must be developing this portal. It is to be the only way.”

  Despite herself, Enos shivered, thinking of the mass of senseless Aridori mashed into one body. Its gibbering ran through her mind: free us to slash, to tear, to bite and squeeze and pull and rip and taste and—

  She made herself exhale, releasing tension with the breath. The maji were right. It was a stupid idea to risk herself, and Inas. Without her, Sam would… Well, she didn’t know what he would do, but it likely wasn’t healthy.

  “I…you’re right. I wasn’t thinking,” she told her mentor. Majus Ayama gave her a sharp nod in response. Enos turned back to Rey. “But if you talk with them again…” Something else struck her. “Was Zsaana there?”