Backing against the wall, the stone’s warmth touched his body. He willed it to be cool and it was cool. The brightness of the room was too much and Will sought darkness. Darkness came and the light was pushed far away. With every act, the key at his neck sang.
He moved around the space, drawing his Shade close and practicing quick movements and bursts of energy forward. Caught up in the moment, he overextended and gasped. He collapsed to the rafters, curling into a ball and gasping for air. After what seemed like an eternity, the pain subsided and he rose to unsteady feet. Choosing a more concentrated path, he focused on slow, controlled movements and controlling his breath. His Shade as a cloud, with each motion he moved it through the space, the cool darkness of it flowing naturally with the forms.
After an hour or so, Will descended to the main level. Madigan had left the library and was practicing with his noctori in the common area. Breakfast had been cleared from the table and replaced with lunch, meaning that Ynarra had come at some point while Will was high above. He whispered a silent thanks that his space was hidden away from sight, lest he risk discovery on his first successful day.
“Learn anything useful up there today?” Madigan said as the blade swept through the air. His movements were strong and controlled, the noctori a natural extension of his body.
Will grinned. “There was a bit of progress.”
His brother stopped and turned to him. “A bit? That’s a good sign. You’ll get there, I know it.”
Still smiling, Will winked. The room faded into darkness. His brother’s eyes grew wide as around him swirled a dark cloud. The air cooled and he could see Mad’s skin, slick with perspiration, rise in goosebumps. Madigan spun in a circle and stared at Will slack-jawed. “Will, is this…? Did you…?
“Alright,” Will said with a casual shrug. “Maybe there was more than just a bit of progress.”
He released the darkness and light again flooded into the room, which suddenly seemed overly harsh and blinding. Mad squinted and crossed the distance between them and grabbed his brother in an embrace.
“That was incredible! I’ve never seen you do that before—how long have you been able to do that? The room, how did it get so dark? How did you manage to… just… Will! What changed?”
Will couldn’t help but feel proud of himself. It was rare to see Madigan so excited. “I can’t really explain why, but once I put on Grandda’s key, things just clicked. I don’t what this thing is or why it helps me do what I can do but I’m never taking it off again.”
“The key?” Madigan raised an eyebrow. “Really? Wow. But, the darkness? The cold? That was all you too?”
Will nodded and relayed to him what he had tried and where he had both succeeded and failed. Madigan’s excitement visibly dimmed and Will saw the face of a tactician overcome the brotherly glee. By the time he ended his recount, Mad was nodding, already back in his own mind.
“This is great, Will, we can use this. I don’t know how yet but this is a game changer.”
“Hey, man, you said you wanted an ace in the hole, so here I am!”
Mad nodded again. “Definitely. This is just today, however. Your control has come and gone in the past. We need to make sure this isn’t a fluke. We need you to train harder.”
Will’s smile fell away. “I know, Mad.”
Madigan went on as if not even hearing him. “I’ve been going over the histories and it’s going to be harder than we expected. Grandda wanted us to get involved but it seems the only way to make a name for yourself here is by being some kind of warlord. Whether we want to or not, we either need to build an army or end up in someone else’s. There’s no way to do this without fighting. Plus, everything I’ve found says we’d have better luck going back home and convincing everyone there to come fight rather than help this place unify. Every city here seems to be warring with each other.”
“I know, Mad.”
“I have no idea how to unify anyone or even get us to a position where we could be heard by anyone who might take us seriously. The Crow’s been a great start but he definitely has his own agenda. I know Grandda talked about getting you to the Halls of Shadow to train and I still think that’s a good idea. But, unfortunately, it looks like if we tell anyone you’re Shadowborne, well, it could go badly for us.”
“I know, Mad.”
“So that’s why we need to keep you secret, to keep you safe. But at the same time we need you to train harder, to be more prepared. I need you to be at the top of your game, Will.”
“Dammit, Mad, I said I know!” Will couldn’t understand why Madigan was patronizing him. Figuring this out had been such a massive step forward, and Mad was acting like it wasn’t enough.
Why is it never enough?
Madigan crossed his arms at Will’s outburst and was silent, waiting. Will, temper still flaring, finally spoke, forcing himself to keep his voice level.
“I understand the stakes as well as you do,” he said. “I don’t need a lecture on how I’m letting you down by not being capable of more yet.”
“Seriously?” Madigan said in a flat voice. “You’re going to go there with this? I’m not lecturing. I am legitimately trying to keep us alive. Do you get that? Do you even know what they do to Shadowborne who can’t protect themselves?”
Will groaned and rolled his eyes. “I can protect myself.”
“They flay them alive. Do you get that, Will? They skin them while they scream. They try to cut out whatever it is that makes you you and then they sew it into their clothes.”
Whatever Will had been about to say, he lost. Something lurched inside him. “They…What?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, did you not get to that book yet?” Madigan said. His tone was flippant and he gestured to the surrounding room. “We’re not home, Will. Our rules don’t work here. This is a world of superstition and fear and the people who claim to protect us could very well be the same who will turn on you the first chance they get.”
“They want to turn me into a coat?” Will said, a slight tremor in his voice.
Madigan stared at his brother flatly. “It’d be a pretty ugly coat.”
“I didn’t know, Mad.”
Madigan broke his stare and ran his hands through his hair. “I’m not trying to be an ass here, Will. Really, I’m not. But this place is even more different than either of us were expecting, I think. I’m trying to find out what I can to keep us alive. To keep you alive.” An awkward pause ensued. Madigan crossed the room and picked up a piece of bread from the platter of food and mindlessly took a bite out of it.
“I don’t know, Mad. I disagree.”
Madigan looked up as Will took a deep breath and met his brother’s eye.
“I think I’d be a pretty good-looking coat.”
He ducked just in time to avoid the bread.
17
Unplanned Plans
With the aid of the key, Will continued to work on mastering control of his Shade. He discovered that he could fade into darkness where there was none, expanding the Shade to the edges of his surrounding space and plunging it into darkness. He could shut out the light completely while still somehow maintaining his own ability to see with ease. It even seemed like he could pull light toward him and absorb it into the Shade.
He learned that he could control and condense the Shade into tendrils that, with difficulty, could move small objects short distances or completely enwrap someone, rendering them immobile for a brief time, like he had done to the commander. He could disperse the Shade in the air to a point where it was nearly invisible, spreading it so he could control the visibility in a room without anyone knowing the source. At first, every manipulation took his full concentration to maintain, but with each passing day he became more capable.
Madigan, too, benefited from Will’s progress. The pair would wait until Ynarra had come and gone and, knowing they were safe, would train together with the Shade. It started simple enough, like playing hide and seek, only Will had a remar
kably unfair advantage. Soon, though, they began to incorporate Will’s ability into their sparring. During an engagement, whenever Will thought that his brother would be least expecting it, he would vanish from sight or flood the room in utter darkness, attempting to catch Madigan off guard.
At first it was easy and Will’s success rate was so great he grew overconfident. Before long, however, Madigan began to notice nigh-imperceptible changes in the air and the darkness. As Will faded, slinking into the black and moving as silently as he could manage, Madigan would tense and drop into a low stance, his head cocked to the side.
Will learned quickly that his grandfather had been correct; what he had mistaken for invisibility in his youth was actually something completely different—it was as if the Shade caused one’s eyes to just overlook the darkness. This meant that, with enough concentration, a determined mind could pierce through his illusion. Madigan told him of this as he helped Will rise from the ground after being re-engaged so quickly following a disappearance that he had been sent tumbling.
Will was thrilled at finally, after so many years, learning to control his Shade. But by the end of the third week of their stay at the Nordoth, he had had enough of the tower. The Crow had been entirely absent, no word sent, no communication of any sort. The only person he had spoken to other than Madigan was Ynarra, and she quite apparently had no skill in the art of conversation. While he learned much from the library and learning to control his Shade had proven invaluable, he was going stir crazy.
“I just don’t understand,” he groaned to his brother. Ynarra had just departed and the pair had not yet begun to spar. “What are they playing at? And how are you not going insane right now? I am. Gods, I am.”
Madigan sat for a moment and gave his brother an odd look. He closed the book he had been reading and leaned forward in his seat. “So, why don’t you get out for a bit?”
“Because it’s pretty damn apparent the Crow wants us stuck up here.”
“I seem to remember a young kid who had no problem sneaking out at night when he thought Grandda was asleep.”
Will flopped back in his chair and shook his head in exasperation. “That was totally different. That was home. I knew what I was doing and where I was and where I was going!”
Madigan cocked his head to the side. “And you don’t think that could be valuable information to gather here?” He gestured at the table of books before him. “We’ve at least got some semblance of an idea of what the world is like outside this fortress. But when it comes to these walls themselves? We’ve got nothing.”
“Exactly!” Will threw up his hands. “It would be great information to have but we’ve got nothing to go off of.”
Madigan sighed and put his head in his hands. “So, go get the information, Will.”
Will blinked. “What?”
“Go. Get. Information. You’ve figured out the Shade well enough to do some recon. Use it to hide and go gather intel, collect data, spy, whatever you want to call it. But get the hell out of here and go learn something we can use.”
“Yeah,” Will said as he furrowed his brow. “I mean, I could but…” He poked idly at the book on the table before him. “But what if I get caught? I mean, you’ve figured out how to find me when I’m hiding, what if everyone else can do that as well?”
“Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to do that, even with your predictable behavior?” Madigan said as he ran his hands through his hair. Will started and began to protest but Mad held up a hand. “You’re my brother, Will. I know you. Your patterns don’t change too often. They don’t have that. Plus, if I’m being honest, half the time I find you it’s just luck.”
Will was starting to feel a bit more confident. I could finally feel useful. But at the same time, there were so many unknowns that he didn’t feel as confident as he’d like. “And if I’m seen…?”
“Don’t be,” Madigan said with a shrug and leaned back in his seat, resuming his book.
Will thought for a moment. Technically, they weren’t prisoners; the Crow had made that clear by calling them his guests. Even if he did get caught, he supposed he could just plead ignorance, as awkward as that thought was. Then again, the last time they had been caught somewhere they weren’t supposed to be, ignorance hadn’t worked out for them too well.
Still, his Shade gave him an advantage. When Ynarra led them to their quarters there had not been another living soul in sight, only her and she was…
“What about Ynarra? She’ll notice if we’re gone.”
Madigan shook his head from behind his book. “We? We won’t be gone. You’ll be gone. I’ll be right here.”
“What? Why?” Will felt like he knew the answer before his brother said anything but the idea of venturing around the Nordoth alone gave him the creeps. “You know I can keep both of us from being seen. You should come.”
“She’s never suspicious anymore if she comes around and you’re not here,” Madigan said. Will raised his eyebrows in surprise. Madigan waved a hand dismissively. “Oh yes, she used to be, but I explained your preference for the rafters and she accepted it quickly. But if she arrives without being able to find either one of us? That’d create some problems, I imagine.”
“Yeah,” Will said as he looked to the floor. “I suppose.”
Mad eyed him quizzically. “Why the sudden hesitation? Five minutes ago you were bursting at the seams to get out of here.”
Will shrugged. “I dunno. I just don’t like the idea of separating is all.”
His brother’s face softened. “Getting all sappy, kid?” Will flushed at Mad’s words. “We’re fine. You’re gonna be fine. Just go check the place out a bit. Go stretch your legs for both of us. See if you can manage to map this place out a bit without getting lost.”
After a moment, Will nodded.
A few hours later, after Ynarra had come and gone once more, Will stood by the door and did a few quick stretches. At a thumbs-up from Madigan, he unlocked the door and slipped out into the hall without a sound. With the key vibrating against his chest, he cloaked himself in darkness and quietly shut the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, he hugged the walls and set off down the corridors.
In his mind, he returned to the nighttime dreams of his childhood, escaping into the depths of his imagination. Each step was precarious with traps and pitfalls as the mighty William Davis snuck his way through the fortress of the enemy. Barely avoiding detection, he was living a story fraught with danger and suspense as he narrowly avoided patrol after patrol of guards and servants and whomever else he came upon, his Shade acting as his magical shield against evil.
In truth, however, Will was disappointed. The novelty of the venture wore off as he explored the dusty corridors one by one, circling back constantly to make sure he knew the way. For the two hours that he risked mapping out the Nordoth, he never saw another soul. He tried a few of the massive doors he passed but most either led to vacant rooms or were locked. He kicked himself for not bringing along his picking supplies. Once, he heard footsteps in the distance and his heart leapt—but no one appeared and the sounds soon faded. Against his better judgment, he attempted to follow but, by the time he rounded the corner, they were long gone.
All in all, it was a dull excursion.
When he returned to the room and told Madigan, his brother grabbed a nearby ream of blank paper and something to write with.
“Go over it again,” Mad said. “Tell me everything you remember.”
Will did. As he spoke, his brother began to sketch out a map of the area. Periodically, he stopped Will and had him backtrack, jotting notes in the margins. Whenever Will mentioned going up or down a staircase, Madigan made a notation and then moved to a new sheet of paper. When they had finished, Will was surprised to see that his brother had drawn a relatively intricate map.
“Actually, yeah,” he said as he looked at it. “That all looks about right. Since when did you have any cartography skills?”
Madigan s
hrugged. “You had your dorky pirate hobby, I had my own.”
Will laughed. “You should’ve told me,” he said as he looked over his brother’s drawings. “I would’ve bugged you to make me all kinds of elaborate treasure maps.”
“I’m definitely sure that’s exactly why I never told you,” Madigan said, maintaining an air of severity that sent them both into peals of laughter. He made a few more notations on each of the sheets and then climbed to their loft and hid the map within his pack.
“Tomorrow,” he called down to Will, “do you think you’ll be able to go farther?”
Will grinned. He had cut his exploration short because of jitters and uncertainty about exactly how long Ynarra would spend away—and boredom, if he was being honest with himself—but she had yet to return. She was prone to being gone for upwards of five hours at a stretch. Could he do more?
“Absolutely,” he hollered up to his brother.
Madigan trotted down the stairs and jumped onto the chair next to his brother. “Good,” he said. “I’ve got a goal for you.”
“Yeah?” Will said, suddenly feeling remarkably important. “What’s that?”
“Find that room with the large 3D map in it,” he said. “Do you remember it?” Will nodded. “Good. If you can get there and give me as accurate a description of that as you just gave me about the halls and stairs, I think I’ll be able to piece together some more about both Aeril and the Nordoth.”
“You think it’s a war room, don’t you?”
Madigan nodded. “I do. And if it contains the surrounding territories, it’ll have troop estimates on it as well as points of power. Fortresses. Populated towns. Unpopulated towns.” He spoke the last with emphasis and Will picked up on it immediately.
“In other words, places to avoid and others where we can lie low,” Will said. “If the Crow doesn’t live up to his end of the bargain.”
“I’m still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Madigan said, “but I refuse to let us be played for fools. Like Grandda said, always have an exit strategy.”
Shadowborne Page 18