Crucible of Fortune: An Epic Fantasy Young Adult Adventure (Heirs of Destiny Book 2)

by Andy Peloquin

  “I get that.” Kodyn gave her a tight smile.

  Aisha knew that expression—she’d seen it on his face a dozen times since they left Praamis, his way of telling her that he knew something was going on with her but was willing to accept her answer. She owed him the truth…soon.

  “Evren and I are headed out to the Gatherers’ hideout,” Kodyn told her in a quiet voice.

  “Good,” Aisha replied. “At first light, I’ll wake Briana and get to the Temple of Whispers. See what sort of help we can drum up from the Secret Keepers that served with her father.”

  “So be it.” Kodyn held her gaze a long moment. “You’ll take the Keeper’s Blade, Hykos, with you?”

  Aisha grimaced. “We’ll stick out like a zabara hiding in a wild indigo patch.”

  Kodyn chuckled. “True, but at least she’ll be safe.” His eyes went to the figure of the sleeping girl, then returned to Aisha. “Both of you. I’m sure the Gatherers know that you’re the reason their attempt to snatch Briana failed the other night. They might come after you in vengeance for their fallen comrades.”

  “Let them.” Aisha shrugged. “There’s not much they can do on the streets in broad daylight. If they’re stupid enough to risk it, I’ve been looking for a way to take out my irritation at Angrak and the rest of the Keeper’s Council.”

  Kodyn said nothing, but again that expression flashed across his face as his eyes fixed on her. She could feel the worry and concern for her radiating off him, a trait that had endeared him to her since they first met years earlier. He never tried to shelter or protect her as if she were some hapless babe, yet he’d always done what he could to be her support when needed.

  “I know I’ve been a bit off since Praamis,” she told him. “I will tell you everything when the time is right, I promise.”

  He took a step closer, until he stood an arm’s length away. “You’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do?” he asked, his tone earnest. His hand fluttered by his side, as if he wanted to reach out toward her. “Whatever it is, you don’t have to deal with it alone.”

  She gave him a sad smile. “That’s where you’re wrong. This is my burden to bear.”

  “I don’t know what it is,” he said, “but I swear that I’ll do everything to help you, whatever’s going on.” He hesitantly reached out and took her hand. “I’m with you, Aisha. Always. No matter what.”

  “Thank you.” She returned the grip, grateful for the simple reassurance of his presence. “That means more than you can know.” Dropping his hand, she gave a little shooing gesture. “Now get out of here. That Gatherer’s hideout isn’t going to scout itself.”

  Kodyn’s smile didn’t drive the worry from his eyes, but he nodded and turned to go. Aisha caught a glimpse of the other young man, Evren, waiting for Kodyn. Together, the two of them slipped down the stairs in silence.

  Aisha blew out a breath and, slipping back into the room, settled onto her bedding on the floor. She couldn’t sleep, not after her encounter with the spirit.

  Thimara, she repeated the name in her mind. What do you want me to do?

  The spirit’s mouth moved, but the effects of the single Whispering Lily petal had already begun to fade. Just in time for the sunrise. As the first rays of dawn light filtered through the papyrus-covered window, Aisha stood and bent over Briana. “Wake up,” she whispered and shook the girl’s shoulder.

  Briana’s eyes popped open and she sat upright, so fast she nearly clipped Aisha’s chin with the top of her head. “Where are they?” she demanded. Her hand scrabbled beneath her pillow, as if in search of a dagger, a wild panic shining in her eyes. “Where are they coming from?”

  “Easy.” Aisha held up empty hands and shook her head. “There is no one coming, no danger. You are safe.”

  The words took a moment to register, and Aisha could see logic fighting against Briana’s instinctive panic. Slowly, the tension faded from the Shalandran girl’s face and shoulders. “Oh.” A flush rose to her cheeks. “I thought…”

  “It’s okay.” Aisha sat on the bed beside Briana, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “If I’d been through half of what you have, I’d be wary, too.”

  Briana shook her head. “But you have, and more besides. What you told me in the garden, about your captivity by the Bloody Hand.” She searched Aisha’s eyes. “How are you not terrified all the time?”

  Aisha blew out a long breath and silence hung between them for a long moment. Finally, she said, “For months afterward, I was scared even of my own shadow.” The fear still existed deep within her—more than just a memory, a living thing that she still battled to control. The battle had grown easier with time, but she knew it would always be there. “Down in the tunnels of the Night Guild where it’s always dark, I was always reminded of the lightless places where I was held captive.”

  “So what did you do?” Briana asked. “I look at you now and all I see is a warrior, unafraid of anything or anyone. You took down more than a dozen Gatherers by yourself. How did you go from this—” She held out a hand to show Aisha the tremor that shook it. “—to the fearless warrior you are today?”

  Again, silence stretched on as Aisha thought. “I think, in the end, it all comes down to time. It took me months just to feel safe around my own people, girls that I’d spent weeks locked up with. I couldn’t help feeling that at any moment I was going to wake up from a Bonedust dream and I’d be back in those filthy warehouse brothels, chained to my bed. It took me more than a year before I felt safe walking the Night Guild tunnels alone.” Her expression grew musing. “But do you know what made the most difference?”

  “What?” Eager curiosity sparkled in Briana’s eyes.

  “When I learned to fight.” Aisha gave her a fierce grin.

  “Because you knew you could kill anyone who tried to lay a hand on you?” Briana asked.

  “That,” Aisha said, inclining her head, “but also the knowledge that I was worth something. That I could be good at something.”

  Briana’s expression grew confused.

  “Back home in Ghandia, my mother was nassor, a warrior chieftainess. She was the bravest and fiercest of our tribe, as fearless as a stampeding zabara and strong as a mountain ape.” The memories of her mother brought back a mixture of warm happiness and homesickness. “When I was taken by the slavers, I felt like it was my fault, like I wasn’t strong enough or enough of a warrior to stop myself from being captured.”

  Briana’s hand flashed to her throat. “How horrible!”

  Aisha nodded. “Yes. All through my captivity and for months after the Night Guild freed me, I felt weak and incapable. That is why I did not want to return to my people. I could not look my mother in the eyes knowing that I would never be a nassor like her.”

  “But that’s not true!” Briana protested. “You’re the most capable warrior I’ve ever seen.” Her eyes darted toward the door and she dropped her voice to a whisper. “Just don’t tell Kodyn I said that.”

  Aisha laughed. It felt good, like someone had opened a floodgate within her to let all the worry, fear, and tension of the last few weeks come spilling out. “That’s what I came to learn as I trained with my House Master, Ria, and Errik, Master of the assassins of House Serpent. The weakness was all in my mind. Once I stopped telling myself that I was weak and incapable, I stopped feeling that way. Eventually, I came to see the truth, that I was far stronger and more capable than I gave myself credit for. That was the day that I stopped living in fear.” She smiled. “The chains never truly came off until that day.”

  Briana seemed to ponder her words. “So will you teach me to fight like you?”

  The question caught Aisha by surprise. “You want to fight?”

  “What, you think I can’t?” Briana’s face fell.

  “No, no!” Aisha said quickly, a little chuckle. “It’s just that you never struck me as the fighting type. You’ve the temperament for it, that’s for sure.”

  Briana cocked an eyebrow. �
��But because I wear fancy dresses and am cultured and refined, I’m not a warrior like you?”

  After a moment, Aisha nodded. “Yes.” She turned up Briana’s right palm and placed her own next to it. “See the difference?” Briana’s hands were free of blemishes, her skin soft. By comparison, Aisha’s rough, callused palms appeared as if they belonged to a day laborer.

  “If you want to fight, I will teach you,” Aisha told her. “Anyone can learn to swing a sword, but not everyone has the knowledge that you have. I believe that will be your greatest weapon.”

  Briana’s eyes narrowed. “You think?”

  “I do.” Aisha met the girl’s gaze without wavering. “Thanks to your father, you probably know more about the Serenii and those artifacts—” She gestured to the cloth sack at the head of Briana’s bed. “—than anyone else in Shalandra. If they can be turned into weapons, you could give us a huge advantage in our battle against the Gatherers and the Necroseti. After all, if Evren is to be believed, there is immense power in the handiwork of the Serenii.”

  An eager light shone in Briana’s eyes. “You’re right!” She sat straighter, her shoulders a little higher. “But that’s not all I can do. My father has connections in the Temple of Whispers and all over the city. Connections that we can exploit.”

  “See?” Aisha grinned. “Already, you’ve proven yourself far better with your brain than I am with a sword.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” Briana leapt to her feet. “Let’s get to the Temple of Whispers and talk to my father’s people.” Grim determination hardened her face. “We’re going to war with the Necroseti, so it’s time we recruit some allies to fight beside us.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The sun was just peeking over Alshuruq’s eastern cliff face by the time Kodyn spotted the building where he’d seen the Gatherers meeting two days earlier.

  “There,” he indicated it with a finger. “That’s the one.”

  Evren’s eyes narrowed as he studied the building. “Looks like the sort of place suspicious shite would go down.”

  “Aye.” Despite his innate suspicion of Evren, Kodyn had to agree. The single-story building adjoined the cliff face, a simple structure that did little to attract the attention of any passersby. It was the most innocuous-looking place on the Artisan’s Tier—which made it the perfect place for clandestine meetings.

  “What say we sit for a spell and keep an eye on it?” he suggested.

  Evren seemed to mull it over for a moment, then nodded. “Might not be as abandoned as it looks.” He glanced around. “You camp here. I’ll keep watch from the next corner.”

  Kodyn wanted to argue; he’d rather keep an eye on Evren, make sure he didn’t get up to any tricks. Yet that would be a waste of time. They would be better off splitting up. “Nothing happens in half an hour, we go in.”

  “So be it.” Without another word, Evren slipped down the street. He passed the house without a glance and continued up the debris-covered alley at a casual pace. He slipped into an intersecting lane so smoothly Kodyn almost didn’t see it.

  Damn, Kodyn thought. He’s as good as any Fox or Hound. Hells, I’d almost say he’s on the level of a Serpent. If he really does train with the Hunter, that would explain it.

  He’d spent a while the previous night wrestling with the thought—the Hunter of Voramis, not just a ruthless assassin, but a savior of the world and the leader of a small crew of his own. Every one of the Hunter’s legends had painted him as a fiend, a demon, an unstoppable force of nature. Yet, as Kodyn had glimpsed during their encounters in Praamis, there clearly was another side to the man.

  A wry grin split his face. Both Evren and Hailen kind of worship him. Then again, he is the Watcher-damned Hunter of Voramis.

  Now, he’d gotten himself wrapped up in the Hunter’s quest, at least partially. Evren and Hailen had mainly agreed to help them so they could get their hands on the Blade of Hallar.

  As long as they hold up their side of the deal, I’ve got no problems with a bit of self-interest. Keeper knows that we’ve all got our own reasons for doing what we’re doing.

  He’d come to Shalandra out of a genuine concern for Briana, but he be lying if he denied that his desire to eclipse, or at least equal, his mother’s exploits had also been a motivating factor. As he’d told her before he left, it was hard to live in her shadow.

  Their two new allies seemed like decent sorts. Hailen, for certain. The boy has the all guile of a newborn foal. Everything about him screamed friendly, kind-hearted, and trusting.

  Evren was a different sort—he had the same hard-eyed wariness that Kodyn had seen in the eyes of every apprentice and Journeyman in the Night Guild. Years of difficult living had that effect on people. He and Evren had a lot in common—they were suspicious of everything because anything could come back to bite them in the arse.

  Kodyn shrugged. Life among scheming, cunning criminals had instilled an innate wariness in him. And yet, he had hated that about Bryden, his House Master. Master Hawk always sought an angle, a trick, a way to stab his enemies in the back while robbing them to their face. Kodyn had wanted to find a way to distance himself from that suspicious, duplicitous attitude. No easy task, especially given the enemies they faced in the Gatherers and the Keeper’s Council. But Evren and Hailen might be a different matter.

  I could give them a chance. If they’re telling the truth, they need our help more than we need theirs.

  Thanks to Briana, he had access to the Palace of Golden Eternity. He still needed to find a way into the Vault of Ancients, but that would only happen if Briana could decipher her father’s journal. But right now, they had the threat of the Gatherers looming over their heads. That had to be his main focus. As long as he kept Briana out of harm’s way, she’d be able to get him the information he needed. Three weeks wasn’t a lot of time, but it ought to be enough.

  Speaking of time. He glanced up at the sun. It has to have been half an hour by now.

  He slipped from his perch and strode toward the front door of the building. At the same time, Evren appeared from his own hiding place.

  Kodyn was about to use the Secret Keeper hand signals Briana had taught him, but remembered that Evren didn’t know them. Instead, he closed the distance to the young man and said in a low voice, “I’ll take the front. Back door’s around the eastern side of the building.”

  Evren nodded and slipped into the narrow alleyway, disappearing from view. Kodyn strode straight toward the front door and reached for the doorknob. He didn’t even need his lockpicks; the knob turned easily and the wooden door swung inward on silent hinges—a telltale sign that someone wanted to avoid attention, given how much rot had seeped into the wood.

  The interior of the house was all but empty, save for an overturned chair on the far side of the main room. A door opened onto the house’s only other room—kitchen, pantry, washroom, and bathroom all rolled into one.

  Kodyn took in the small room at a glance. Save for the thick coating of dust covering the overturned tables and the footprints that led up and down the stairs, there was no sign anyone had been here in weeks.

  A moment later, Evren slipped in through the second room.

  “Anything?” Kodyn asked in a low mutter.

  Evren shook his head. “Not so much as a sandalprint.”

  With a grimace, Kodyn turned to climb the steps to the attic. As the stairs creaked beneath his boots, a memory flashed through his mind: flames of a sickly green color consumed the straw mattress and ragged blankets of an upstairs attic. His throat was raw from screaming and the choking smoke. Ria’s strong arms encircled him, lifted him from the floor, and together they dashed down the burning stairs a moment before they crumbled. Cool darkness greeted them. A second later, a thunderous crash signaled the collapse of his home—his life.

  Kodyn’s gut twisted at the memory of the night he and Ria had nearly died in the fire that consumed Old Town Market. The Bloody Hand had set the flames in an attem
pt to kill Ilanna—he would have died had Ria not gotten them out in time.

  Focus, Kodyn! He shoved down the painful memory before it set his hands trembling as it always did and gritted his teeth.

  “This is where I heard them talking about kidnapping Briana.” Kodyn tried to speak in a normal tone, though his voice sounded tight, strained to his own ears. “I heard at least five men, though there could have been more.”

  He scanned the footprints visible in the thick layer of dust on the floor and found that closer to ten people had been in the room. Yet the room was bare, without even chairs or wooden crates to sit on.

  “We’ll search every bit of the place and hope they were careless enough to leave something.” Evren thrust a finger to the right. “You go that way, I’ll go this way, and we’ll meet in the middle.”

  Kodyn began searching the room by the faint light that streamed through a hole in the roof thatching. Thanks to his mother, he’d spent time studying with every House in the Night Guild. He was a Hawk apprentice, but Ilanna had insisted that he develop at least the basic skills that kept the other apprentices alive: the stealth and martial abilities of the Serpents, the street savvy of the Foxes, the strength of the Bloodbears, a basic understanding of herbology and potions from the Scorpions, even the natural camouflage abilities developed by the Grubbers, who moved among the people of Praamis with an invisibility achieved by beggars and those considered “undesirable”. House Phoenix—the house to which Aisha and Ria, his other mother, had belonged—was the only one he hadn’t spent time with.

  The Journeymen of House Hound had taught him a few basic essentials of tracking. He had the skills of a second-year Hound apprentice, which meant he could at least discern which way a footprint was leading, tell the mark of a boot apart from one left by a sandal, and even get a general sense of his prey.

  Aside from the marks of the sandals in the middle of the room, there were few things of interest in the upper-floor room. The occasional crack in the stone walls, rusted floor nails, or glimmering spider’s web was all he could find as he searched the southern wall, then turned to search along the west side of the house. By the time he reached the northwestern corner of the house, he was about ready to write the search off as fruitless.