The Darkest Revenge

by D. K. Holmberg

  “What are you doing here?” Carth asked him.

  “I followed her.”

  “How is it that you even knew to follow her?”

  “I…”

  He looked over at the woman. She studied Daniel, saying nothing, and he could see from her expression that she wanted the same answers as Carth. Why was he here? What had brought him to this part of the city? And Daniel wasn’t certain he could answer in a way that would satisfy either of them.

  “She has someone held captive,” he said.

  The auburn-haired woman stiffened.

  “How do you know that?” Carth asked.

  “I overheard it.”

  “Where?”

  Daniel let out a slight sigh. “The university.”

  “You went to the university?”

  “I saw shadows. I thought it was you.”

  “It could have been Rayen.”

  “I realize that. I didn’t know who it was at the time and thought that I needed to determine who it might be.”

  “Were you there when I was?”

  Daniel nodded.

  “I detected someone Sliding toward the university but didn’t know who it was.”

  “Who did you think it was?”

  “There are many with that ability, especially these days. The people you call the Forgers have seen to that. You should not have gone into that place.”

  “I didn’t realize the university was dangerous.”

  “The university is not. The people who play at scholarship are.”

  “And who are they?”

  “They call themselves the C’than. They have attempted to intervene in ways they should not.”

  “You were once a part of the C’than,” the woman said.

  “I was, until I knew better,” Carth said.

  “Do you think they have Lareth?”

  The auburn-haired woman watched him, saying nothing, but at the mention of Lareth’s name, she started to turn away.

  Carth chuckled. “I would have said no, but considering her response, I wonder if perhaps they have more to do with his disappearance than even I realized.”

  “Why would they have been responsible for it at all?”

  “They should not have been,” Carth said.

  The woman continued to back away. Carth slipped forward, carried on her shadows. She watched the other woman.

  “Where is he?” Carth said.

  “You don’t know what you’re asking about.”

  “I know exactly what I’m asking about, Alera. Where is he?”

  The woman hesitated, then took off running for the building.

  “What are you going to do?” he asked Carth.

  “If she knows anything about where Lareth has gone, I need to go after her.”

  “By yourself?”

  “I would rather it not be only me, but I’m not sure I have much choice.”

  “I can go with you.”

  Carth shot him a pointed look. “You are untrained.”

  “Just because I’m untrained doesn’t mean that I can’t be of any use. I can Slide.”

  “Even in there?” Carth asked.

  Daniel stood at the entrance to the small courtyard leading up to the building. Beyond this wall, his ability to Slide was limited. He shook his head. “Not in there I can’t.”

  “The C’than have ways of limiting Sliding. They use it as a trap.”

  “That’s why I couldn’t get out once I got to the university?”

  “That would be the reason. It’s the same reason you would have struggled leaving this place.”

  Daniel swallowed. “What can I do?”

  Carth continued to prowl forward. Shadows swirled around her like a cloak. “Nothing.” She paused, cocking her head to the side. “That’s not quite true. Find Galen and bring him here.”

  Daniel could only nod. He wasn’t able to fight the way Carth could, and without his ability to Slide, what could he do?

  He Slid, emerging where he had last seen Haern, but the rooftop was empty. He considered the room where they held the Forgers and Slid there, emerging within it. He looked around the room and saw one of the Forgers—but not the other.

  Great Watcher!

  The Forger lay motionless, and blood pooled by the side of his head.

  Had Galen returned and killed the man? There had been no reason for him to attack in such a way, but what if he had? Where was the other one?

  It was possible they had moved him.

  If they had, it wouldn’t be safe for him to remain here.

  How would he find Haern? How would he find Galen?

  Daniel Slid, appearing in the street outside of the tavern, and ducked inside. It was well lit at this time of day, and there were boisterous voices carrying through it. A singer and a lute player added to the vibrancy. Servers moved in and out, weaving through the tavern. All of them had to be Binders, and all working on behalf of Rayen. He scanned the tavern quickly, searching for anything that might suggest where he could find Galen, but there was nothing.

  Daniel’s heart hammered more quickly. The longer he waited, the harder it would be for Galen to help.

  He grabbed for one of the serving girls, smiling at her broadly. She had dark skin and black hair, and a wide smile that hid her concern.

  “I’m looking for the two men renting a room above.”

  Her eyes tightened. “I haven’t seen them.”

  “If you do, please, let them know that I need them.”

  She flashed a wider smile. “And why would I have any interest in doing that? Perhaps you should just have a mug of ale, relax, and—”

  “Because Carth and Rayen are in danger,” he blurted out.

  It didn’t matter which of the two was more important to the women. All that mattered to him was that they respond. He didn’t need to get in the middle of some Binder battle, just ensure that someone helped.

  Her entire demeanor changed. “What do you know?”

  “I don’t know what’s taking place within your network,” he started. “Honestly, I’m not sure that I care. All I know is that Rayen helped me, and she and Carth have had some sort of falling out. Either way, I’m not sure it really matters.”

  The woman stared at him. “It matters.”

  “Fine. It matters, but what matters more is that Carth is in danger. I suspect the Binders still care about her. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have reacted that way. And I need to find the older of the two men who are staying in that room. When I do, we can get help.”

  “I will send word,” she said.

  Daniel breathed out a quick word of thanks, but she was already gone.

  He couldn’t stay here, and without knowing how to find Galen, he didn’t want to stay.

  That meant returning to Carth.

  Daniel stepped back onto the street and Slid back to the building where he had left Carth. There was no sign of any activity, and the squat building was darkened.

  He unsheathed his sword and strode into the courtyard.

  It was a mistake, but now that he was here, he knew he would be able to Slide. There was no restriction on that once he was on the other side of the wall. But that wasn’t all that he wanted to do.

  He needed to help Carth.

  He reached the door and threw it open.

  The inside of the building was completely dark. He had hoped for some of the small glowing orbs like the ones he’d found within the university, but there was only darkness. Without his enhanced eyesight, he might have been completely unable to see; as it was, he could just make out stairs in the distance.

  Was he willing to head down there without knowing where he was going?

  There was nothing in here other than that emptiness. In order to find out what had happened to Carth, he was going to have to head down the stairs.

  Daniel Slid forward. When he emerged, he hesitated a moment, looking into the darkness and seeing a landing far below, before deciding to Slide down the stairs.

&n
bsp; The walls were rough and damp, seemingly carved out of stone. The air had a moist quality to it, and there was a strange odor here. He Slid toward the light in the distance.

  When he emerged, he found more stairs leading farther down below. He hurried down them.

  Could Carth and Alera have come this way?

  If they had Lareth down here, he would find him.

  He continued down the stairs, taking them two at a time. There was no light, no way to know where he was going, and he wouldn’t Slide until he could See more clearly.

  He went by feel, running his hands along the wall, the stone slippery and smooth. Eventually, the stairs grew steeper.

  How deep would this go?

  The darkness was overwhelming. He felt as if he was descending into the depths of the earth itself and worried he wouldn’t be able to get back out. Was there anything in the wall that would prevent him from Sliding?

  The stairs ended.

  Daniel hesitated. There was nothing visible, just more of the same overwhelming darkness. Even his enhanced eyesight didn’t give him any advantage here, and as he looked around, searching for answers, none came to him.

  The darkness might be nothing more than Carth. Perhaps she used her connection to the shadows to make it so that this Alera couldn’t harm her.

  He nearly stumbled.

  More stairs.

  Had he not been gliding his foot slowly across the ground, he might have missed it. Thankfully, he’d realized that the drop-off was there, and he paused, looking into the darkness.

  Faint flickers of light caught his attention far below.

  He turned behind him. Could he Slide out if it were necessary? Now that he’d been here, he knew how to find this place again, and he decided to attempt to Slide back to the top of the stairs.

  He emerged back in the main part of the building.

  And he wasn’t alone.

  Two men stood guard on either side of the door.

  They noticed his sudden appearance and turned toward him, both holding long, slender rods.

  Forgers.

  Daniel panicked.

  He Slid back to the staircase, back to the drop-off into the depths of darkness, and felt a strange stirring behind him. It might be nothing more than wind, but the air was still, and he shouldn’t detect anything within the darkened tunnels like this.

  Not wanting to wait too long, he Slid, emerging near the light.

  And again, he wasn’t alone.

  In the distance, he could see Carth, surrounded by five others. They all held long, slender rods, and they pointed them at Carth.

  Shadows pushed against them. Carth used the shadows like a physical thing and was able to hold back the weapons—but for how long? She was strong, but he knew her strength was waning.

  Where was Alera?

  “You shouldn’t have come,” a voice said to his left.

  Daniel spun and saw Alera with two metallic objects in her hands. She pointed them at him, and he Slid, emerging behind her. She spun around, and he Slid again, emerging once again behind her.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Stability,” she said.

  “Caving to the Forgers and the Ai’thol isn’t stability.”

  He Slid, emerging near the stairs. Movement behind him caught his attention, and he Slid again, appearing behind Alera.

  “You know so little. The C’than have long supported stability in the world. That has been our mission.”

  “Mission? How so?”

  “We seek to ensure that power is evenly distributed. When Lareth emerged, he disrupted that. And now they use him to destroy. Removing him restores stability.”

  Daniel Slid again, not wanting to stay in one place for too long. The two Forgers who had been up in the building had found their way down, probably Sliding.

  Every Slide took energy from him, whereas the Forgers’ abilities didn’t seem to have much in the way of limitations.

  “Where is he?”

  “Lareth is in a place no one can reach.”

  “Held by the C’than and not the Forgers?”

  The two Forgers lunged toward him, and Daniel Slid, reaching the staircase, putting the darkness behind him. It was a terrible location. He wouldn’t be able to stay there for long.

  “Handing Lareth over to the Forgers is a bargaining chip,” she said. “Your people understood that. They understood that he is the reason so many suffer. The Ai’thol have used his reputation, twisting it, and we have to end it. Your people only needed the proper motivation.”

  “My people…”

  Daniel thought he understood. This was who the tchalit had met with—who his father had sent them to meet with. Which meant that his father was complicit in what had happened to Lareth.

  Anger flashed within him. His own people—the Elvraeth—had been a part of everything that had happened.

  “You should not have gotten involved.”

  Daniel spun and barely avoided an attack off to his right. He Slid, and this time he emerged near Carth.

  She glanced over at him. “You shouldn’t have returned.”

  “I wasn’t going to leave you.”

  “I told you to find Galen.”

  “I couldn’t find him. I don’t have any way of detecting him.”

  “Then we will fall here.”

  “Can’t you overwhelm them?”

  “There are too many, and they know my weaknesses.”

  “What weaknesses are those?”

  “They are few, but—”

  Carth pushed out in a circle of shadows, thickening them and trying to squeeze down. The Forgers surrounding her resisted, standing strong and tall despite her attack.

  What powers did they have?

  “I can Slide us out of here.”

  “And then what?” Carth asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Lareth is here. I can feel him. You need to reach him.”

  “But—”

  “If you can get to him, he might be able to get us out of here. I will hold them back, but you need to keep moving.”

  “Where?”

  “Down.”

  “Down?”

  Carth nodded, clenching her jaw. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she held her hands off to each side of herself, power swirling away from her. “I’ve tried to figure out how they could hold Lareth without my discovery, and it came to me too late. They had to bury him.”

  “But Lareth has experience in the lorcith mines.”

  “Beneath enough power, anyone can be lost. Lareth himself should have known that.”

  “Where do I go?”

  “There should be an opening behind here.”

  “What about you?”

  “I will continue to hold. I’m doing the best I can, but there are limits.”

  “Don’t reach the end of your limits before I return.”

  She nodded, her jaw still clenched tightly.

  Daniel glanced back, seeing that Alera stood with the other two Forgers. They tried to approach, but something Carth did seemed to hold them at bay.

  With the strain on her face, he doubted she would be able to hold on for much longer.

  He had to hurry.

  He Slid to the doorway off to the side.

  The door was locked, which meant that he would have to Slide beyond it. If there was only stone there, as some way of trying to confound a Slider, he would end up buried within it. If there was a staircase, or any other drop-off, he could end up falling to his death.

  “Go!” Carth urged.

  Daniel Slid.

  He emerged on a narrow ledge. Stairs led down, and he was thankful that he had only Slid a short distance. Any further and he would have fallen, tumbling into the darkness below.

  There was no light. He traced his hand along the wall as he ran down the stairs. His breath was heavy in his lungs with each step, but he didn’t dare slow.

  How far would he have to go?

  Down. Th
at was what Carth had said.

  But where?

  He kept running, taking the stairs two and three at a time.

  The longer he was here, the more he recognized a slight change in the lighting. He didn’t know if it was real or if he only imagined it.

  He slammed into a wall.

  How had he not seen it?

  He turned, following an angle in the stairs. They were carved into stone, and the further he went, the more he had to duck. The walls began to squeeze in on either side of him, and eventually he had to angle his shoulders so that he was walking sideways. He kept his head down, occasionally raising it too high and banging it on the stone.

  This was ridiculous. Every moment he spent down here was a moment that Carth struggled up above. Could he really risk this much time?

  If this was a chance to find Lareth, and a chance to save the Elder Trees and Lucy, then he needed to take it.

  More than that, if his family had been responsible for what happened…

  Perhaps he would find nothing, would waste his time racing into the darkness only to come up short. If so, would Carth sacrifice herself in vain?

  He slammed into another wall and turned again.

  It became increasingly difficult to find his way down. Whatever lights he saw had to be imagined. They could be nothing more than spots in his vision. His ears popped as he descended, and he felt lightheaded. His breath grew heavy, and as he went, he heard a soft hammering.

  That couldn’t be his imagination, could it?

  It echoed up the stairs.

  Daniel paused long enough to listen. A faint breeze blew across his face, coming up from the depths of the tunnel. It carried a strange odor with it, a mixture of a metallic scent with wetness.

  As he hurried down the stairs, the strange hammering got louder. He slammed into another wall and turned again.

  And then he reached a doorway.

  What was this?

  If someone was captive anywhere down here, it would have to be here, wouldn’t it?

  And yet, if this was where he was detecting the hammering, how was he feeling the breeze against his face?

  Unless this wasn’t where he needed to go.

  He felt along the door, but there was only a small hole, barely large enough for his fist.

  That was what he was feeling. Air moved through there. It was a ventilation channel, nothing more.