Storm of Chaos

by Andy Peloquin

  Yet one look in her eyes and his retort died unspoken. Worry and fear glimmered in those choclat-colored depths.

  “You’re right.” Her anger was born not of doubt or concern that he was unskilled, but out of fear for his safety. She railed at him because she had nearly lost him.

  Now it was Aisha’s turn to be surprised. She had braced herself for a sharp response, but his quiet agreement seemed to throw her off-balance.

  Kodyn let out a long breath. “I should have come to you for help. Or Evren, or Issa, or anyone else.” He shook his head. “But I didn’t think it was necessary at the time. I was just going to track Handsome back to his lair and do reconnaissance, just like Master Hawk taught me. I had no intention of taking him on, I swear it. It just kind of happened!”

  The stubborn light in Aisha’s eyes faded, though her anger dimmed more slowly.

  “But I’m not just a Hawk, Aisha…at least, not anymore.” Kodyn threw up his hands. “I don’t know if I ever was, not really. My mother saw to that from the moment she insisted I started training with Errik, studying poisons from Master Scorpion, and learning the skills from every other House in the Night Guild. I may belong to House Hawk, but I’m something else. I can’t just sit on the sidelines, watching and waiting, not when I need to take action. That might make me a crappy third-story thief, but if it means I stop people I care about from getting hurt, then maybe I’m not cut out to be a Hawk.”

  The words came as a shock to Kodyn even as he spoke them. He’d spent the last decade of his life trying to live up to his mother’s legend as the greatest apprentice and Journeyman House Hawk had ever known. So much of his identity had been constructed around trying to step out of his mother’s shadow.

  Yet his words to Aisha had come from somewhere deep within him, a place he’d never realized existed. He couldn’t be just a third-story thief, content to steal from the Praamian nobility. He’d begun to realize that years ago when he began training with the assassin of House Serpent, the trackers of House Hound, and the pickpockets of House Fox. Now, faced with this truth, he could ignore it no longer.

  “Kodyn, I…” Aisha swallowed. “I had no idea you felt this way.”

  “Neither did I, truth be told.” Kodyn shook his head. “And I didn’t really realize it until now. But that’s the truth, Aisha. I guess I’m more like my mother than I thought. Both of them. I got Ria’s fierce protective nature and Ilanna’s stubborn streak.”

  Aisha snorted. “I’ll say!”

  Kodyn shot her a mock scowl. “But since leaving Praamis, this feeling has been growing within me. I don’t know what will happen when my Undertaking is complete and we’ve put an end to this matter with the Gatherers and the Necroseti. All I know is that I can’t just watch and wait. I need to act—if I don’t, I’ll always regret the things I didn’t do. Like with Suroth.”

  “Suroth?” Aisha’s brow furrowed. “The Arch-Guardian’s death wasn’t your fault, you know that, right? The Gatherers—”

  “I know.” Kodyn nodded. “It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud, but in my heart, it still feels like I failed him. Because of this.” Reaching into his cloak, he produced the purse Suroth had given him and fished out the stone.

  Aisha’s eyes narrowed as she studied the small rock nestled in his upturned palm. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know,” Kodyn replied. “But the afternoon before he died, he gave me this and told me to bring it to the Black Widow to secure her help against the Keeper’s Council. I had set up the meeting and was about to give it to her when I spotted the Gatherers. I made the choice to follow them instead of doing what I promised Suroth I would.”

  “Briana and I are alive because of that choice.” Aisha’s voice held no trace of hesitance, only firm conviction. “Had you not followed the Gatherers, you never would have heard of the attack in time to help fight.” She reached for his hand. “You made the right choice, Kodyn.”

  A burden settled onto his shoulders, dragging them down. “That’s what I keep telling myself. But then I remember that Suroth’s dead and I still haven’t given this purse to the Black Widow, and those feelings of failure return all over again.” He let out a long, slow breath. “I think that’s why I keep pushing hard to keep going, to keep fighting the Gatherers, the Necroseti, the Keeper’s Council, everyone else that’s threatening us. Because if I don’t, if I stop even for one minute, someone else could wind up dead. And I can’t let that happen. I don’t know if I could live with myself if Briana or you…”

  A lump rose to his throat, mangling his words. He pressed his lips into a tight line so she wouldn’t notice the way they trembled. Tears pricked in his eyes, and long moments of silence passed as he wrestled with the sudden swell of emotions.

  “As much as I try to fool myself,” he finally said in a hoarse whisper, “I’m not as strong as you are.”

  Aisha’s jaw dropped. “As strong as me?” Incredulity and surprise furrowed her brow.

  “Look at you.” He gestured to her tall, well-built frame, her strong arms and shoulders. “You’ve got the form of a warrior, but that’s only a fraction of your strength. I don’t think I could endure even half the things you went through, yet somehow you’re still the strongest person I know. Even now, as you’re dealing with…” He hesitated. “…whatever it is that’s been troubling you since Praamis, you’re fighting through it and more than pulling your weight in our battle against the Gatherers and Necroseti. I think I would have crumbled long ago, but you’re—”

  Aisha moved so suddenly he had no time to react. Her hands clasped his face and she pressed a kiss to his lips.

  In that instant, everything in the world disappeared. Kodyn’s mind spun, reeling beneath the sudden rush of sensations coursing through him. Her skin was so warm, her lips soft and sweet on his. Fire and ice warred in the core of his being. His breath froze in his lungs. Lightning crackled through every muscle, setting him alight from the roots of his hair all the way down to his toes. Time stood still and nothing existed but him and Aisha, locked together in a moment of blissful eternity.

  Eternity ended far too soon. Aisha broke off the kiss and pulled back, a hint of color rushing to her face.

  Long seconds passed as Kodyn struggled to find words. Finally, he managed to stammer out. “W-What was that?”

  “A thank you.” Aisha spoke in a quiet, almost subdued voice, her dark eyes locked with his.

  Kodyn’s kiss-benumbed mind struggled to comprehend the meaning of those words. “For what?” Not that he minded—quite the contrary, it had been as wonderful as he’d imagined it for years—but her response confused him.

  “For just being you.” Aisha sat back, but somehow her fingers had found his own, intertwining with his, so strong and warm. “I know I’ve been difficult, and I’ve kept my…thing a secret from you.”

  Her expression grew earnest. “But not because of anything you’ve done or said. On the contrary, you’ve only been supportive, patient, and understanding. Honestly, that’s one of the few things that have kept me going through all of it. I’ve always known that when I was ready to tell you, you’d be there to listen.”

  “I swear it!” Kodyn squeezed her hand, keenly aware of the sensations tingling down his fingers from the touch of her skin. “You’ve always had my back, and you have to know that I’ll always have yours, no matter what.” A small smile split his lips. “You just tell me where to find the body and I’ll make it disappear.”

  Aisha laughed, a cheerful sound, brighter than anything he’d heard from her in weeks. “See? That’s exactly what I mean. You’re the best friend I could have asked for. Not just because you’re there for me, but because you do it without asking anything in return.”

  Warmth flooded Kodyn and rushed to his face. He felt as if he’d burn up, yet not with embarrassment, but joy.

  “I think I’m ready.” Aisha drew in a deep breath, her jaw taking on a stubborn set. “I’m ready to tell you the truth.”

&n
bsp; Kodyn turned to face her and wrapped his fingers tighter around hers. “Whatever it is, Aisha, I’ll do anything you need me to. Anything.”

  Aisha smiled. “I know.” She lifted her free hand to his cheek, hesitance in her movements, so unlike her usual strong, decisive nature. Yet the moment her warm palm touched his flesh, a tingle ran down Kodyn’s spine. “Just like I know that no matter what, you won’t think I’m crazy.”

  Her gaze dropped away, a hint of something dark and unspoken burning in her eyes. The ominous words sent a ripple of worry through Kodyn but he schooled his expression. Whatever Aisha wrestled with had her concerned. He wouldn’t let his fears for her add to the burden that weighed on her.

  Silence stretched on for a long moment, no longer tense but heavy with the seriousness of what was to come. Kodyn waited patiently, offering the only things he could: the reassurance of his presence and the knowledge that he wouldn’t judge her. She would speak when ready.

  Finally, Aisha drew in a deep breath and lifted her eyes to meet his. “I am a Spirit Whisperer. I can speak to the spirits of the dead.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Aisha searched Kodyn’s face for a reaction. He had remained silent for the last fifteen minutes as she recounted everything—from the discovery of her Umoyahlebe powers in Praamis to seeing the Kish’aa in Rosecliff to her interactions with Radiana, Eldesse, Osirath, and Thimara. He’d stared at the blue-white stone in the pendant with that same blank expression.

  Please, say something! She had never felt so vulnerable in her life—not even when chained to a bed in a filthy warehouse. Then, she’d fought to protect her mind even if her body was exposed. Here, she had bared her heart and soul to the one person in the world that could hurt her more than anyone. If he rejected her, mocked her, called her insane, she didn’t know if she could bear it.

  “Wow!” Kodyn breathed. “That’s…”

  Aisha’s gut clenched. He thinks it’s madness. She tried to retreat, to build up the defensive walls she’d just pulled down for him. It was the only way to protect herself from being hurt by his response.

  “Amazing!” Kodyn’s eyebrows shot upward.

  Aisha nearly wept in relief. Her worst fears hadn’t come true—one look at the wonder sparkling in his honey-colored eyes made her want to kiss him again.

  Excitement shone on his face. “So you’re not only talking to the spirits of the dead—these Kish’aa—but you can actually use their energy. Like shoot fire from your hands?”

  “Not fire.” She shook her head. “The closest I can compare it to is lightning, but—”

  “Even better!” Kodyn leapt to his feet. “Forget fighting the Gatherers with swords or trying to take down the Necroseti through Lady Callista.” He grinned so wide Aisha thought his head would explode. “Anyone messes with us, we can just send you in to burn all their asses with a bolt of power!”

  “It doesn’t quite work like that,” Aisha said, rolling her eyes. “It’s not calling down lightning from the sky, like in those legends your mother used to read you.”

  Kodyn’s excitement diminished a fraction and color rose to his cheeks.

  Aisha grinned. “Yes, Ria told me about those. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” Her wry grin faded. “The truth is that I don’t really understand how it all works yet. My father couldn’t really explain it clearly.”

  “Because of the…” He scrunched up his face, trying to remember the word. “…the Unshackling, right?”

  “The Inkuleko, yes.” Aisha winced at the painful memory of her father’s dull, vacant stare and slack features. “And Imbuka told me that I must travel alone on my journey with the Kish’aa.”

  “Damn that!” Kodyn growled. He threw himself onto the bench beside her and fixed her with a piercing, intense stare. “There’s no way we’re letting you deal with this alone, Aisha. You’ve already had to carry the weight on your own for so long. Whatever we can do to help you figure…” He waved his hand in a vague gesture. “…all this out, we’re going to do it. I swear!”

  Aisha was keenly aware of Kodyn’s face a finger’s breadth from hers, and her eyes went to his lips—the lips she’d just kissed a few minutes earlier. She didn’t know what had made her do it; an impulse, driven by her relief at his escaping death, gratitude for his staunch friendship and loyalty, and something more, something deep down in the core of her being that had grown steadily over the past three years. She didn’t regret her instinctive action, but it hadn’t been something she’d planned. Now, hearing his response and seeing the earnest look on his face, the fierce desire to support her burning in his eyes, it just cemented those feelings.

  “Thank you.” She spoke in a quiet voice, a surge of emotions welling up within her. Relief mingled with joy, accompanied by a sense of remorse that she hadn’t opened up to him sooner. She had borne the burden for so long, but in the span of a single day, she had begun to share it with the people that mattered most to her. The weight lifted from her shoulders and it felt as if she could draw breath for the first time in what seemed an eternity.

  “So that pendant,” Kodyn said, his eyes going to the blue-white stone necklace, “that’s a Serenii artifact, right? You think Suroth’s journal has something to say about it?”

  “That’s what Briana said.” Aisha nodded. “She hadn’t yet found anything, but she was going to start looking. Now that she’s no longer trying to solve the matter of the Whispering Lily, she’ll have time to focus on it.”

  “Does she know about the Shadow Root?” Kodyn’s forehead scrunched up. “Did you tell her what Imbuka told you?”

  Aisha frowned. “No,” she said. “It’s odd that it slipped my mind. We got to talking about the Whispering Lily when she told me what Evren found about the poison in the Hall of Bounty.”

  Kodyn’s face hardened. “Let’s hope he gets back with the Secret Keepers soon, then. It’s not just about stopping the effects—though that’s definitely a priority, given what Evren said about it killing people quickly. But Master Scorpion once told me that poisons were like paintings. He said ‘Any idiot alchemist can brew up a crude poison, but a well-made toxin is a work of art, the handiwork of a master.’ Basically, finding out what the poison is might be able to help us find out who made it. If we can do that, we’ll be able to unmask the culprits—Necroseti, Gatherers, Ybrazhe, or whoever is doing it.”

  “Damn right.” Aisha nodded. The spark of Thimara’s life filled her with burning heat; the Secret Keeper demanded vengeance for her death.

  “But that actually kind of reinforces my point about the Shadow Root,” Kodyn continued.

  Aisha’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

  Kodyn drew in a deep breath and leaned back against the wall, his expression contemplative. “During the months I spent with the Scorpions, I learned a few things about making poisons, but also potions and remedies. Many toxins and acids are just a distillation of potent substances, breaking it down into its various alchemical components. However, healing remedies tend to combine various substances with different effects. For example, the mixture of lavender oil and aloe vera to soothe a serious burn.”

  Aisha’s eyebrows shot up. “You think combining Shadow Root and Whispering Lily could work?”

  “I honestly don’t know.” Kodyn shrugged. “But if, as Imbuka said, Shadow Root somehow mutes the voices of the spirits, there has to be something in it that affects your Spirit Whisperer abilities.” He threw up his hands. “Mixing the two ingredients might do something. I’m not an alchemist or a Secret Keeper, but—”

  Aisha threw her arms around his neck and kissed him a second time. Again, it was an impulse, but it felt as right as it had last time. He had just given her something she hadn’t truly had in a long time: hope.

  She broke off this kiss faster. “Thank you!” A warm glow suffused her to the core.

  Imbuka had warned her against the Whispering Lily, but if she could somehow find a way to balance its effects with S
hadow Root, it could offer hope. Not just for her and her burgeoning Umoyahlebe powers, but for anyone touched by the power of the Kish’aa.

  Kodyn colored to the roots of his dark hair. “Remind me to offer half-formed ideas more often.” He touched an absent-minded hand to his lips and a stupefied smile broadened his face.

  Her retort about “all his ideas-being half-formed” died unspoken as the stone wall of the chamber slid open and Ennolar and the sour-faced Uryan entered.

  Aisha threw herself to her feet, blushing furiously. She wasn’t embarrassed about being caught kissing Kodyn—Ghandians had none of the Praamian prudishness—but at her vulnerable emotional state. She still felt raw from baring her soul to Kodyn. His reaction had proven it worth the effort, yet now the Secret Keepers found her with her guard down.

  “Twice in the span of a day, we have been summoned like novices to the Arch-Guardian’s office,” Ennolar’s pudgy fingers said, but a hint of humor sparkled in his eyes. “Perhaps you should wear Suroth’s mantle instead of me.”

  “Thank you for agreeing to speak with us,” Kodyn said aloud. The color hadn’t left his face—her kiss had thrown him off-balance as well. Yet, as always, he recovered with aplomb, his mind once more focused on the mission. “We need your help figuring out what in the bloody hell this is.” From within his robes, he produced the glass vial.

  Ennolar and Uryan’s kohl-rimmed eyes widened at sight of the dark-grey liquid within the vial.

  “How did you come by this?” Ennolar’s gestures were short, sharp, his face purpling with anger.

  Confusion twisted Aisha’s face into a frown.

  Kodyn’s expression mirrored hers. “I found it on the body of the assassin that killed Councilor Angrak.”

  The two Secret Keepers exchanged glances. “That should not exist!” Ennolar said in the silent hand language. “Or, it should not exist outside of our halls. That vial in your hand contains black alchemy of the darkest sort.”