Enemy Known

by Butler, J. M.

  Naatos's jaw tensed. "I do not negotiate for what is already mine."

  "And what if it is not in your possession?" Kepsalon gave a short laugh. The other Machat chuckled as well, shaking their heads.

  How could the Machat be so at ease? Amelia backed farther away. The flames from the tree sparked and cracked, the smoke rising high. But the Machat did not even flinch at these pops. They all stood in position, muscles tensed, weapons at the ready, their expressions relatively relaxed. One third focused on Naatos, another third on AaQar, and the last third on WroOth.

  Kepsalon shrugged. "Come, Naatos, surely even you must admit that this makes sense."

  "No." Naatos set his arms akimbo. "I do not negotiate for what is mine."

  Amelia glared at him. "Do not talk about me as if I am not here. I am not some magical talking vase that will give you everything you want if you rub me the right way. And I'll save you the trouble of asking."

  "No, I won't come back. That is the choice I make, Naatos. And you may not touch me either."

  An uneasy silence settled over the clearing. Naatos stared at Amelia. His pupils remained dilated though his expression was grim. "You do not command me, Amelia."

  "For now I do. And I am telling you I am not going to return with you. I am not saying I’m not your wife. I am saying that I’m not going to go with you. More than that, I'm telling you—you will go away. You will leave me alone." Her voice started to shake. "You do not understand me at all. And you don't care to. I am in danger by my friends, enemies, and strangers. But you are one of the greatest threats I face."

  "Listening to you, one would think I am foretold to destroy you, not the other way around," Naatos said. "Yet I have no desire to destroy you. It amuses me that you believe in your destiny with such fervor, and yet, you are too frightened to fulfill it."

  "It's not as if I haven't tried, but things haven't worked out like I expected. I need time to think. Something is going to break."

  "Yes. You," Naatos said.

  Amelia narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you think talking like that will make me want to come back with you?"

  "Well, Amelia, it's as you said before. It's not what you want; it's what you need. And you need to be with me. More than you know. Whether you want to return with me, you will. The sooner you realize that and surrender, the less humiliating it will be."

  Sharp emotions twisted within Amelia. The fear that Naatos might be right stung her soul and pride. "I probably will return to you. Just not right now." She struggled to maintain eye contact, her temper rising. "The point is the time. You say that you are right. You say that what you are doing is necessary. But do you even know what that means for me? It means I have to reconsider everything. Everything!" She clenched her fists, leaning into the scream. "It's not like changing careers or changing my clothes. This goes to the heart of who I am. What I am. What I believe about myself. And you have seen this! You walked in the corridors of my mind when I asked you not to. You actually know what this means. And if I am to change so much about myself, you had better believe I'll be certain I am changing my own mind for the better and not having it reshaped in some horrible manifestation of Stockholm Syndrome."

  Only the slightest flicker of emotion pulsed in Naatos's eyes when she mentioned what he had seen in her mind.

  AaQar, who had been speaking to WroOth in hushed tones, stepped forward and whispered in Naatos's ear, his expression more concerned than usual. Naatos cast his brother an irritated glare, but his expression and voice softened. "I admit, our marriage has its difficulties, Amelia. Difficulties that the majority of marriages do not share. But—"

  "You want to help our marriage?" Amelia demanded. She darted forward and picked up the fallen letter. Dusting it off, she returned to stand in front of Naatos. "Then start listening to me. Hear what I am saying." She started toward him, then thought better of it and set the letter on a boulder within the firelight's warm glow. Pointing at it, she moved away. "I wrote that for you. It tells you exactly what I need from you and what I need you to understand before I even consider coming back as your wife."

  "Why put in a letter what you could tell me here?" Naatos strode over and picked it up. He raised an eyebrow as he flipped through the pages. "Ah. Apparently we would be here until dawn. Did you write me a letter or a book, viskaro?"

  "It lays out all my concerns." Amelia rubbed her neck. The heat from the fire dried her skin and burned her eyes. "Just don't read it here. Read it when you get back to Polfradon or wherever you're going."

  Naatos snapped the letter open. "You reveal that much of yourself?"

  Amelia folded her arms tightly over her chest. "No. It will make you angry. I've seen enough of your anger."

  "Then come back with me!" Naatos sighed with annoyance and returned his attention to the letter. "Your refusals infuriate me."

  Amelia glanced around the clearing. At this moment, she did not doubt the Machat as much as she feared Naatos. They had not moved. Sweat did not bead their foreheads or necks. AaQar and WroOth watched the Machat, both silent. Her own muscles ached from tension.

  Naatos's neck tightened as he read the letter. His gaze slid up from the page to her. "Uncertain whether I am a psychopath or a megalomaniac or somewhere in between?"

  Amelia looked back at him and tightened her grip on her arms. "Yes…I'm a little uncertain on that particular point. You could be both."

  Grim faced, Naatos stared at her, then returned to reading. His eyebrows arched a few moments later. "I owe you no explanation, woman." Tearing the letter in half, he cast it over his shoulder. "Nor are you owed any details of my plans or my reasons for my actions. It should be enough for you that I say it is necessary."

  "It isn't," Amelia said sternly. "I need answers to my questions, but right now the only question you seem willing to answer is whether you want me on my back or on my knees. You've got eight weeks to figure out what you want to say, and I will be right back here when the time comes. If you want me, you will respect me, and you will respect my questions and answer them."

  A muscle jumped in Naatos's jaw. He started toward her, but a chorus of sparking whips warned him back. Naatos drew away, his hands falling to his sides. "Well," he said. "That's certainly one option." The shadows and the firelight made him seem all the larger and intense, his eyes hard. "The other is that my brothers and I develop an immunity to these electrical currents and descend upon this new Machat haven, rip out its strongholds, and destroy its people before the Tue-Rah's restoration. Then, after the blood fills the rivers and gullies, I’ll drag you back to the temple by your hair. Or you can come with me right now and avoid all this."

  Kepsalon crossed to Amelia and placed his hand on her shoulder. Though she started, surprised at his closeness, he spoke calmly. "It is their plan to destroy the Machat anyway. That has been in their hearts since the day Mara and the children were murdered. Your returning with them does nothing to check this destruction, Amelia. It is not on your head."

  "Silence, Machat!" Naatos bellowed. He uttered a stream of Vawtrian curses so swiftly the words blurred together.

  One of the Machat women flicked her sling at Naatos, sending a warning spark his way.

  Kepsalon continued to speak, his voice as calm as if he spoke of the weather or a historical event that impacted no one. "And as for what Naatos said about the electrical currents, he's right. See, you must remember this about Vawtrians, Amelia. Particularly ones such as this. They become stronger and stronger with age. With time, they can develop immunities to things such as electrical charges. It will take perhaps three, maybe four weeks at most to gain that skill. But do not be troubled. We have other precautions in place. That is how we work. But listen well to me, Naatos, and mark well the warning you were given. You have been warned what is to come. What will be. You need not fear for Amelia's safety. She will be safe with us or on her own, whichever she chooses so long as you don't interfere. Her life is as precious to us as it is to you. If you let her leave a
nd do not pursue her, you strengthen the likelihood that you will obtain that which you desire."

  As Kepsalon spoke, AaQar picked up the torn letter. He put the pieces together and began to read it. Though he occasionally looked slightly surprised, he went through the entire letter before Kepsalon was done speaking. He folded it and said, "We accept."

  "What?" Naatos turned on AaQar, eyes blazing.

  AaQar held up his hand, giving Naatos an icy glare. "Handling negotiations was never your strong suit, Naatos. Amelia is at least attempting to be reasonable. Unlike you."

  "We do not have time for this," Naatos growled.

  "And this is precisely why I warned you against locking with her. I knew this would be an issue. But you locked with her anyway. Now we all must pay the price."

  Amelia watched as Naatos and AaQar squared off against one another. The muscles in Naatos's jaw and neck worked, and AaQar remained motionless. Were they going to fight?

  Then, all at once, Naatos turned his head and stepped back. Amelia held her breath, digging her fingers into her arms.

  AaQar passed the letter to WroOth. "The requests are reasonable. She wants more than a pat on the head, a mind transplant, and a roll through the sheets. Read it, WroOth. See if you agree." He stepped back to Naatos and spoke in a sharper but quieter tone that Amelia still heard. "You have lost what little reason you had left, brother, and you are on the verge of destroying what is most precious to us. That will not happen. Not so long as I am the head of this family. I understand what is causing this, and I have some idea of what you are going through. But I will not let you be our downfall. So you will not antagonize your wife any further." AaQar turned on Amelia, his expression solemn. "And as for you, I will see to it myself that you receive your answers. However, the time is too long."

  "It must be eight weeks," Kepsalon said. "No less."

  "I will have your silence as well, prophet," AaQar said sharply. "This no longer requires your involvement. Amelia will not return with us tonight, but you are not her mouthpiece."

  The tension in Amelia's chest loosened. Was it possible that this was going to end without a fight? It might be a trick.

  AaQar looked back to her as Naatos seethed. "So far as the time goes, Amelia, the eight weeks is too long, but if that is what you insist that you need, then very well. Take it if you can. But you will swear right now that you will return to this place at the end of the eight weeks, and you will hear everything we have to say. Now, the time I can guarantee is one week. We will not search for you for seven whole days. After that, well, we will do all we can to find you. If you are caught before the end of the eight weeks, you must swear you will listen to the answers."

  "Of course I will," Amelia said. She was surprised at the concern in AaQar's eyes. It was strange. Though he had been her pseudo ally before, it had been clear his loyalty was to his brothers. Yet something had changed. Something deeper. The way he looked at her, it was almost as if he cared. "I want to hear what you have to say."

  AaQar nodded. He glanced back at his brothers. Naatos had calmed significantly. His posture was more relaxed though he continued to watch her, and his annoyance remained apparent.

  WroOth looked up from the letter. He gave Amelia an odd glance before turning back to AaQar. His expression was almost disappointed. "I'm concerned about the final section. I didn't expect that from you, Amelia."

  Amelia braced herself, surprised that their concern would sting. She knew exactly what they referred to. The disappointment in WroOth's eyes startled her most. "Desperate times."

  "That does bring me to one other point," AaQar said. "I would ask you to swear you will take no action on that point. But I also know how meaningless such promises are when one is in such despair. So…I would ask for another compromise. While the Machat may seek to poison your mind against us, they will support and protect you. And I suspect that with your resilience and tenacity, you will be a match for even their darkest arts."

  Amelia frowned, tilting her head. "You want me to go with the Machat?"

  "Because you should not be wholly alone. And because you will need to make the most of the time you have to learn the skills of the Neyeb. They can teach you a great deal. Now Naatos could certainly teach you more, but…given what has transpired between you both, it might be best to save that until you are better. Yes. It would be best if you return with the Machat. We will see you again. You will have your answers. And the Machat will die."

  "Three of your four statements will come true." Kepsalon slanted his head down. "But not the fourth, former Para."

  AaQar shook his head as if shooing off a fly. "Are we agreed, sister?"

  Amelia flinched slightly at the term, but she nodded. The deal wasn't going to get better. "I will not act on that until I know that there is no other option."

  "Good." AaQar turned to his brothers. "Then we leave. Though the least you can do is say goodbye to your husband." He motioned toward Naatos.

  "Oh." Naatos gave AaQar a dark look, then glanced around the circle of the Machat. "Has everyone concluded that it is acceptable for me to touch my wife?"

  "If she chooses to allow it," Kepsalon said. "Even if we all agreed, what difference does it make if she says 'no'? Why is that concept so hard for you to grasp?"

  Naatos's eyes narrowed. "I look forward to the day my brother kills you."

  WroOth chuckled darkly. "And I swear it will not be swift."

  "Alas, you will find no satisfaction there," Kepsalon said. "But, Naatos, a lack of satisfaction is something you will soon be well acquainted with, I should imagine. You might be better served to sweet-talk your viskaro instead of me." Kepsalon continued to smile as he stepped back. "Or better still…ask her if you can touch her."

  Amelia's breaths sharpened. She bit the inside of her lip, panic rising within her. If he asked, could she say no? Of course she could technically say no. But some part of her felt as if she couldn't. Not really. Naatos looked back at her, and she met his gaze though her neck tightened. She turned her palms inward, covering her elmis in the hopes that would be calming.

  Naatos continued to stare. Whether through her elmis or because of the necklace, Amelia felt what he wanted. The desire pressed hard against her, urging her to satisfy him. She shifted her weight back and folded her arms, tilting her head so that she did not have to look at him straight on.

  "I do not ask for what is already mine," Naatos said. "And surely Amelia knows the consequences will be far more dire if she denies me what is mine."

  Amelia scoffed. That flame of courage reasserted itself. "You don't negotiate. You don't ask. Is this what my life looks with you then? If I offered to kiss you goodbye, would you be more willing to grant my requests, or would you see it as a victory over me? How can things be more dire than they already are?" She pressed her hands against her sides. "I'm tired, Naatos. I'll see you in eight weeks. You definitely won't be seeing me any sooner."

  Turning her back on him, Amelia strode farther into the circle of the Machat, letting the darkness envelop her.

  AaQar shook his head, sighing through his teeth.

  "I don't think that could have gone much worse if we intended it," WroOth muttered.

  Naatos remained silent, his gaze following her.

  Kepsalon bowed his head. "Very well then, former Paras. The answer has been given. We will see you in eight weeks. Or sooner."

  5

  Into the Levthro

  Shon drew a deep breath to steady his nerves and placed his foot on the curved stone step.

  Chialao shook her head as she lifted the clay lamp up. "The only way to save her and live with happiness is to go now, Shon," she said again. She motioned toward the other end of the cavern. "You have time. If you insist upon seeing this for yourself, then you will lose the opportunity."

  "Why did you bring him here then?" Matthu demanded. "If you know that the only way he'll find happiness is in going somewhere other than this chamber, why did you bring him here?"
r />   Chialao straightened. "Because I am honoring his choice. Do you not trust me?" Her stern gaze flowed from Matthu to Shon. "If you don't trust me, you may leave. I am not keeping you here."

  Shon gave Matthu what he hoped was a calming look. "It's all right." He gripped his brother's arm, then peered back into the cavern below.

  "Perhaps I can make it simpler." Chialao smiled without showing her teeth. Lifting her skirts ever so slightly, she started down the staircase. "I will enter with you. You should come too, Matthu, but you shouldn't stay at the entrance. If someone passes, they'll see you and know what you're doing."

  Matthu looked around, an expression of concern flashing through his eyes. He shifted his weight.

  "Matthu." Shon motioned for him to follow. "We'll all go down."

  Matthu hesitated. "If we see everything—"

  "If you don't want to see it, then close your eyes. You won't be able to hear what the Levthro shows if you can’t see it. Your other option is to leave. It doesn't matter." Shon shook his head, annoyed. They needed to get down there. How long would it really be before they got caught?

  "I'm not going to let you go in there alone," Matthu mumbled. He ducked his head, cast one more glance over his shoulder, and followed Shon down.

  Ordinarily, Shon would have insisted Matthu leave. But this sense of urgency required he get through the Levthro as soon as possible. A tight choking sensation warned him that someone might intervene, and if they did, they'd stop him. And then how could he find the right path?

  Chialao continued downward. The gold light moved around her, broadening so that the halo encompassed her. When she reached the bottom, she cast three shadows, the middle one the darkest of all.

  Shon followed with Matthu behind him. By the time they reached the bottom, both of their shadows had split in the same way.

  The Levthro Chamber was large and open, the walls curving up into the ceiling. They were polished and seamed, but no engravings marred their smoothness. The floor itself was the same; it too curved up into the wall with a gentle slope. The only items in the room were the rounded staircase that cut down slightly to the right and then a small mahogany box fastened to a simple carved pole. The box itself had flared wings etched into its sides, and a long, thin slit cut into the center of the top.