Heirs of Destiny Box Set

by Andy Peloquin

  Issa marched down an adjoining corridor, and Evren found himself face to face with a cluster of angry-looking Indomitables milling around a solid wooden door. Two Keeper’s Blades barred their way, much to the infuriation of the soldiers. Two more black-armored figures farther down the hall stood guard over a bound, kneeling Secret Keeper—one Evren didn’t recognize.

  What in the fiery hell happened?

  He got his answer a moment later. The Keeper’s Blades seemed to recognize Issa, for they made way for her to enter—earning a chorus of angry protests from the Indomitables clustered around the doorway.

  Evren followed Issa into what had to be Lady Callista’s office. He drank in the scroll and book-laden shelves, the heavy wooden desk with its plush armchair, and the Lady of Blades herself. Lady Callista leaned against the table, arms folded, a frown twisting her face. Kodyn and Aisha stood before her—what brings them here?—with a third figure in gold-and-black robes slumped unconscious at their feet.

  Lady Callista’s eyes brightened at the sight of Issa, but her frown deepened at the sight of the bound, gagged man on Etai’s shoulders.

  Evren stepped forward and swept an expansive gesture toward the man. “Lady Callista Vinaus, might I present the one and only Blackfinger? Leader of the Syndicate, half-brother to our dearly departed Councilor Angrak, and...” He paused for dramatic effect. “…co-conspirator and ally of the Keeper’s Council in their treasonous theft and export of shalanite.”

  Etai dropped the man in front of Lady Callista, and Blackfinger’s face went pale as he met the Lady of Blades’ blazing eyes.

  A hard, cold smile broadened Lady Callista’s face. “Yes,” she growled, “this will do nicely.” She gripped Blackfinger’s chin in her strong hand. “The Keeper’s Council can’t save you now.”

  One look at the Syndicate leader’s terrified expression told Evren everything. Blackfinger would sing like a nightingale, and his tune would give the Lady of Blades what she needed to put an end to the Necroseti’s plans to rule Shalandra.

  Chapter Forty

  “Well done.” Lady Callista rubbed her hands together as two pairs of heavy-armored Keeper’s Blades hauled the two prisoners from her office. “You’ve just given us the weapon of the Council’s destruction.”

  Aisha grinned. “I’ll say!” After hearing of Evren and Issa’s encounters on the Cultivator’s Tier and sharing their own discoveries, they’d just found two connections to the Necroseti and the Keeper’s Council. “There’s no way they’re wiggling off the hook this time.”

  “And what of the Earaqi?” Worry lined Issa’s face. “If the Ybrazhe and Hallar’s Warriors are behind it—”

  Lady Callista raised a hand. “I will send orders to the Elders of the Blade and the Indomitable Executors in charge of the situation to ensure that they know the full scope of the matter.” She shook her head. “I do not desire the deaths of the Earaqi any more than you do. The Blades and Indomitables will root out the true culprits.”

  Issa straightened, the tension draining from her shoulders. “Thank you, Lady Callista.”

  “As for the three of you,” the Lady of Blades turned to face Evren, Aisha, and Kodyn, “once again, you’ve proven yourselves of immense value to Shalandra. We might never have known the truth about the Azure Rot or Aterallis’ innocence without you.”

  Kodyn, Aisha, and Evren exchanged grins.

  “The Secret Keepers are already hard at work crafting an antidote to spread to the Mahjuri and Kabili,” Aisha said.

  Kodyn nodded. “With the help of the Ministrants from the Sanctuary and the Bloody Minstrel’s Trouveres, they should have the situation under control soon.”

  The faces of the Kish’aa flashed through Aisha’s mind. Too late for some. Countless innocents had died at the hands of those responsible for crafting the poison. Yet she could at least take comfort in the knowledge that she had helped to lay some of the spirits of the murdered to rest. She had given them the vengeance and justice they craved—in return, they had saved Kodyn’s life.

  She still couldn’t believe what had happened. The urgency of their situation had tamped down the emotions that surged through her, but she still shuddered at the memory of his cold, clammy hands and pale skin. He’d lain so still and silent—she had come too close to losing him.

  “But the fact that it spread so much is symptomatic of just how insidious the Council’s plan truly is.” Lady Callista’s face darkened. “They managed to pull it all off beneath our attention, all the while strolling free in the palace and around the Keeper’s Tier as if their hands were clean of so much death and treachery. The hunt for the Gatherers has consumed our attention so fully—likely one more plot by Madani and his toadies to keep us looking one way while they manipulate things behind the scenes elsewhere.” She clenched a fist, anger flaring bright in her kohl-rimmed eyes. “Keeper curse them!”

  “Why?” Puzzlement twisted Issa’s face into a frown. “I can understand why they’d use the Ybrazhe to rile up the people against the Pharus, but why poison the very Wellsprings they drink from? They’d end up just as dead as everyone else in Shalandra.”

  “No, they wouldn’t.” Lady Callista shook her head. “They’ve been stockpiling water for months.”

  Aisha exchanged shocked glances with Kodyn and Evren.

  “What?” Issa’s eyebrows shot up.

  “Reports from the Indomitables guarding the Upper Wellspring have included mention of increased water consumption among the Necroseti.” Lady Callista scowled. “I thought nothing of it, but it seems the Keeper’s Priests were preparing for just this eventuality. They have at least a week’s worth of potable drinking water stored in the Hall of the Beyond—likely more than enough to keep them supplied until long after this foul poison is cleansed from the Wellsprings.”

  Shadows flashed in the eyes of all in the room. Kodyn, in particular, seemed most affected by the statement. He glanced down at his simple tunic and leather armor, still damp with the clear-colored poison. When his eyes fixed on Aisha, there was a hint of awestruck wonder written there. Almost as if his mind refused to believe the unassailable truth of what she’d done to save him.

  No, not what I did. What the Kish’aa did through me. Thimara had cleansed the poison—Aisha had just been the vessel to harness the spirits’ power. Thanks to the strange Serenii Dy’nashia, he had been spared an agonizing death.

  The sound of her name snapped Aisha from her thoughts.

  Lady Callista’s eyes fixed on her. “Kodyn and Aisha, while I can understand the urgency of your situation, in the future, I’d appreciate it if you refrained from attacking my Indomitables.”

  Kodyn ducked his head, a blush rising to his cheeks.

  “Your Secret Keeper companion has already been…escorted back to the Temple of Whispers.” A small smile touched her lips. “Unharmed, of course.”

  “Thank you, Lady Callista,” Aisha said, relieved. “Without the help of Desenne and the rest of the Secret Keepers, we never would have stopped the poison from contaminating the Heartspring.”

  Lady Callista nodded. “Suroth always insisted that his people were skilled and trustworthy. He will be missed, but I’m glad to hear that his successor is equally capable.”

  “Speaking of successor, will Ennolar take Suroth’s place on the Council?” Curiosity burned in Kodyn’s eyes. “And will Madani and his toadies allow it? After what they tried to do with Angrak—”

  “It’s precisely because of Angrak that I can be certain Ennolar’s appointment will be met without protest.” Lady Callista’s voice was hard, determined, and her fists clenched tight by her side. “The Keeper’s Council’s plan to elect Angrak fell apart the moment he was arrested on suspicion of treason. They’ve had a busy last few days scrambling to cover their arses and make certain there was nothing that could tie them to Angrak’s thefts.” The frown returned, deepening the tired lines around her mouth. “All that evidence against Angrak means nothing—they simply disavowed i
t as the actions of a rogue priest, even going so far as to provide their own proof to indicate that Angrak might have been in league with foreign powers, the Gatherers, hells, even Kharna himself.”

  Aisha saw the knowing looks Evren and Kodyn exchanged. I very much doubt that. She, too, knew the truth of the Serenii that the world mistakenly called the Great Destroyer.

  “But the mess with Angrak has put them in a delicate position,” Lady Callista continued, “so they have been treading carefully.”

  Issa’s lip curled into a snarl. “Convicting an innocent man to death based on falsified evidence isn’t exactly careful.”

  The Blade’s vehement reaction surprised Aisha. What’s that about? She’d heard Aterallis speak—he’d preached peace and the hope of a better afterlife. Yet the way Issa’s eyes flashed indicated a deep-rooted anger at the man’s death.

  “You’re right.” Lady Callista’s expression held a fraction of Issa’s anger, tempered with a measure of remorseful resignation. “Aterallis didn’t deserve his fate. And I wish I had known the truth before I ordered you to carry out the Council’s command.”

  “Damned Necroseti!” Issa growled. “Sentencing him to death, knowing it would pour fuel on the fire so the Ybrazhe and Hallar’s Warriors can whip them into a frenzy.”

  Lady Callista nodded. “But thanks to the four of you, we know the truth of the situation. The Elders of the Blade and the Indomitables have already begun attempting to restore order with minimal violence.” Exhaustion darkened the circles beneath her eyes. “Yet we have a long way to go before peace will be reestablished.”

  Aisha recognized that look—the burden of authority weighed heavy on her, threatening to overwhelm her.

  Long seconds passed before the Lady of Blades shrugged it off. “But, in the meantime, I suggest you three return to your companions in the Temple of Whispers. A storm of chaos looms on the horizon. The instability may very well worsen before it gets better. The safety of the Secret Keepers’ protection may be your best choice to weather the tempest.” She turned to Issa. “As for you, Prototopoi, your training is not yet complete. Archateros Hykos awaits you in the Citadel of Stone to continue your lessons. The Anointing of the Blades is just ten days off. I expect you to be fully prepared when the time comes to receive the Long Keeper’s blessing.”

  Issa stiffened, her expression growing tense. “Yes, Lady Callista.”

  “Before we go,” Kodyn said, “I’d like to ask a favor.”

  Aisha shot a curious glance at the Hawk. What’s that about? He hadn’t mentioned any request to her.

  Lady Callista arched an eyebrow. “You may ask.” Her voice held a wary edge.

  Kodyn shot Evren a meaningful glance. “Suroth spoke a great deal about the Vault of Ancients. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to see it.” A wry smile tugged at his lips. “After all, we’re already here. And given what’s going on in the city, I’m not sure when we’ll get another chance to visit.”

  Aisha hid a surprised smile. Always the plotter, just like his mother. He had changed a great deal in the last few weeks. Upon his shoulders weighed the burden of guilt over Suroth’s death. He had developed a fierce desire to protect Briana and the rest of them, along with a sense of duty to the people of Shalandra. He had grown into a mature, responsible young man over the course of their journey.

  Yet it felt good to know that some things never changed. Despite the dangers that surrounded them, the urgency of the threats they faced, he hadn’t lost sight of the Undertaking that had brought him to Shalandra in the first place.

  “The Vault of Ancients?” Lady Callista’s brow furrowed. “I fear you will be sorely disappointed. The vault door will open for no one save the Arch-Guardian. And with Suroth gone…” She shrugged. “There is little to see.”

  It seemed Suroth hadn’t told even Lady Callista the truth of the Vault of Ancients. The Arch-Guardian had no control over the vault—the Serenii that designed it had ensured it only opened four times a year.

  “Oh, I didn’t know that.” Kodyn’s eyes went wide. “But if it’s all the same, I’d at least like to see it.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Is it true that it was made by the Serenii?”

  Aisha stifled a grin. Kodyn played the innocent with consummate skill. Lady Callista needn’t know how much they had uncovered about the Vault of Ancients.

  The Lady of Blades smiled. “It is.” She hesitated a moment, then gave a dismissive wave. “Very well. After all you’ve done for me and Shalandra, this is one favor that will cost me nothing to grant.”

  If only you knew the half of it, Aisha thought, but didn’t say. Kodyn had come to Shalandra to steal the Crown of the Pharus—not remove it from the vault, simply to prove that he could steal it. Evren, however, intended to haul away the Blade of Hallar, the weapon said to have belonged to Shalandra’s founder. It turned out the blade could very well be an ancient Serenii-forged weapon that could sustain Kharna in his fight against the Devourer of Worlds. Aisha and Kodyn had promised to help him. After that, she very much doubted Lady Callista would be so gracious and obliging.

  That thought filled Aisha with sorrow. She’d spent the last few years living in the darkness of the Night Guild—not only the shadows of the underground tunnels, but the gloom of her life of crime and violence. She had told herself it was for the betterment of Praamis, primarily the prostitutes and fancy-ticklers she and her fellow apprentices of House Phoenix protected. Yet, at the end of the day, it was simply lawlessness by another name.

  During her time in Shalandra, she had seen the other side. They had fostered trust with Suroth through honesty, earned the respect and gratitude of both Lady Callista and the Pharus. She and Kodyn had fought alongside Issa, one of Shalandra’s elite protectors—in training, granted. All that would come crumbling down eventually. Allies would become enemies and they would once again be alone.

  A lump rose to Aisha’s throat. That will be a sad day for us, indeed.

  Lady Callista straightened. “Perhaps I will accompany you.” She rolled her shoulders, as if to loosen a kink from her muscles. “I could use a walk to clear my head. Issa, maybe you’d join us?”

  Aisha raised an eyebrow. That wasn’t an order, but a request. Odd to hear that coming from a commanding officer.

  Issa seemed nearly as surprised. It took her two full heartbeats to recover enough to stammer. “O-Of course, Lady Callista,” she said.

  A strangely bright, broad smile stretched Lady Callista’s lips. “Good.” Genuine delight sparkled in her dark eyes, for a moment pushing back the cloud of worry at the dire situation they faced. “Then let me show you one of Shalandra’s greatest treasures.”

  Lady Callista led them out of the office. The hall beyond had been cleared, the enraged Indomitables pacified by the explanation Lady Callista offered. Even Etai and the rest of Issa’s companions had gone, sent back to the Citadel of Stone and the Fortress. Only the two Keeper’s Blades on guard stood outside the door. They stiffened and saluted as Lady Callista emerged, but when they made to follow, the Lady of Blades held up a hand.

  “Stay.” She gave a curt nod. “Make certain no one enters while I am gone.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, the two Blades saluted. The warriors remained silent as statues, their huge two-handed swords grounded between their feet, as Lady Callista led Aisha, Kodyn, Evren, and Issa away from the office.

  The halls they passed through were narrow, free of adornment or ornamentation. Bare golden sandstone floors, walls, and ceilings served as the only source of color and life in the passages. Yet there was something beautiful in its simplicity. Aisha’s eyes roamed the swirls of dark brown, black, and grey threading through the carved walls. In a way, the simplicity of nature itself held a deeper beauty than all the gold and silver that bedecked the eastern wing of the palace.

  Lady Callista strode at the front of their company, Issa a step behind and to her right. Evren, Kodyn, and Aisha brought up the rear. Ai
sha saw the thoughtful look in Kodyn’s eyes—the same one that had furrowed his brow as he pored over the map of the Serenii tunnels or the road from Praamis to Shalandra. He was studying the layout of the palace interior to find the quickest route to the Vault of Ancients.

  The journey lasted just five minutes, far shorter than Aisha had expected. Evidently, the Blades’ quarters had been chosen for their proximity to Shalandra’s most sacred sites, doubtless to ensure that they remained guarded at all times.

  Lady Callista stopped in front of an enormous blank wall. “Welcome to the Vault of Ancients,” she said with a little smile. “I trust you’ll find it as fascinating as I warned you.”

  The wall was made of the same golden sandstone as the rest of the palace. Yet the shape and size—a perfect square, five paces wide and tall—and the way it stood at the intersection of three corridors. Indecipherable symbols and runes etched its entire surface. The same as the Serenii symbols in Suroth’s book.

  “Arch-Guardian Ennolar will be present to open it for the Anointing of the Blades,” Lady Callista explained. “Until then, it is nothing but a blank wall, impassable and sturdy enough to guard Shalandra’s greatest treasures.”

  Issa seemed awe-inspired by the sight, but Evren and Kodyn’s faces had grown pensive. Aisha could see the wheels of their minds turning as they tried to figure out their next move. Both needed objects that resided in the vault—the question they faced was how to get it. Ennolar might not be as understanding or tractable as Suroth. If the new Arch-Guardian didn’t agree to help, they would find themselves with an impossibility that no thieves’ skill could surmount.

  “Come,” Lady Callista said. “We have seen the vault.” Her eyes went to Issa. “Allow me to accompany you back to the Citadel. I want to have a word with your Archateros.”