Daniel sighed. “As I was saying, I would be careful around her. You might think that her beauty means she isn’t dangerous, but she is one of the deadliest people I’ve ever met. Look at how quickly you suffer. Think about how she managed to do that in a heartbeat. And look where she’s standing.”
His father glanced over to where Rayen stood on the far side of the room, leaning casually on the window.
“Have you had enough?”
His father’s head bobbed quickly in a nod.
The shadows disappeared. This time, Daniel could practically feel it as they did. The longer he spent around Rayen, the more he began to wonder if he would somehow gain some insight and control over the shadows as well.
His father took a gasping breath.
“So you see, sometimes things aren’t quite what they appear.” He got to his feet, making his way over to the door.
“You attack me and then you decide to depart? You should’ve had her kill me. You will find that your fate will be—”
Daniel pulled the door open, and Cael Elvraeth stood on the other side. Deep green eyes blazed with anger, and her blonde hair hung in a braid down to the middle of her back. She was dressed in her formal robes, the heavy embroidery signifying her rank as head of the Council. She was here in that regard as much as anything.
There were a dozen others, all of them watching. Lucy stood among them, her eyes blazing a deep green. Many of the people there looked as if they wished they were anywhere but standing outside the door, but with Cael and with Lucy, they probably had no choice in the matter.
“What is this?” His father said, jumping to his feet.
“Why, it appears that you have admitted to your treason.”
“I’ve admitted to nothing.”
Daniel returned and took a seat across from his father. “Rayen has control of shadows. I believe you have felt that most distinctly?” His father pressed his lips together. “Yes. With her control over the shadows, she can modify them so that sound carries.”
His father blinked rapidly, his eyes twitching.
“You understand what I’m getting at.”
Cael made a motion, and five tchalit came marching into the room. Two of them grabbed his father by the arms, lifting him.
“You’re lucky we’ve forbidden the ancient tradition of exiling. Had we not, you would be a candidate for such suffering.”
“Do you think I fear exile?”
“I think you fear losing everything. And with what you have done, you have.”
His father stood defiantly. He didn’t even make an effort to resist. “The Council supported me in my decision.”
“The others have been dealt with. The families have seen that there is a need for a change in leadership, much like your family has now seen the need for a change.” Cael turned to the tchalit. “See that he is secured in the cells.”
“You would throw us in the cells?”
“For now. The Council will meet and decide your fate. You’ll be lucky if it only involves you serving in Ilphaesn.”
The tchalit marched his father out of the room, and the other Elvraeth outside the door quickly dispersed. Lucy entered, closing the door.
Cael sighed. “I wish it hadn’t had to come to this.”
“It’s for the best that we deal with this now.”
“Sometimes I wonder,” she said.
“You wonder if it’s for the best?”
“I wonder if we are weakening Elaeavn through our actions.”
“Considering what he did—”
Cael shook her head. “I’m not debating that. There’s no question that what he did is unacceptable. His attack on the city and the way he allowed Rsiran to be used are inexcusable, but I don’t care for this.”
“What will happen with the Council now?”
“What has already happened. The families have chosen, and a replacement will be selected.”
“How much influence will you have on who replaces them?” Daniel asked. It was strange thinking about it, especially since there had been a time when he had wanted nothing more than to sit upon the Council, to take over after his father and lead their family. It was one thing that his father had spoken truly about. Daniel had been filled with naked ambition, but that desire had been fostered by his father, built up and strengthened until he had desired only to have power.
“Me personally?” Cael shook her head. “None. Which is how it should be. I served on behalf of my family, as each Council member should. I don’t want to choose who sits on the Council. Otherwise, the entire process becomes a farce. We need everyone to serve the way the system is meant to work.”
“Obviously, it didn’t work this time.”
“Didn’t it? I think in some ways, it did work exactly as we intended it. The families chose the representative, and the representative has acted. Unfortunately, in this case, there was a desire for power.”
She glanced to Rayen. “You really are talented.”
Rayen smiled. “I learned from one of the best.”
“Galen thinks highly of you.”
A slight flush worked across her cheeks and Rayen turned away. It amused Daniel to see her disarmed in such a way. Then again, a compliment from Galen was worth more than gold. It surprised him that he should feel that way, though having spent time around him, he recognized the value the man brought. It was one thing his father had been closed-minded about. He had viewed Galen as a threat—which he was, but not for the reason he had always believed. Galen was a threat because he was so proficient.
“I understand you will be leaving again.”
“We need to better understand what the Ai’thol are after,” Daniel said. “And if it’s another of the Elder Stones…”
Cael sighed. “There are times when I wish I could go. With my abilities, I can’t help but think I would be able to offer some assistance.”
Daniel didn’t know how much to believe of the rumors about Cael, but if any of them were even remotely true, then she would be an asset when dealing with the Ai’thol. How much else could she offer if they needed to uncover details about the remaining Elder Stone? With her ability to Read, he could come up with dozens of ways she could help.
“Unfortunately, duty keeps me here.”
“The people of the city need you,” Daniel said.
“There are times when I wonder if I’m doing everything I can. I tried to integrate our people, to bridge the divide, and yet here we are, years later, and it feels as if we are no better off than we had been before. If I had been doing everything I could, we wouldn’t have the same division.” Cael nodded to Rayen before turning to Daniel. “It was a difficult thing that you did today.”
“It wasn’t that difficult.”
“Anytime you pit yourself against someone you care about, it’s difficult. I had to do something similar once, so I understand.”
“What happened when you did it?”
Cael motion to her robes. “Unfortunately, I got called to serve.”
Daniel laughed. “I have a hard time thinking my family will expect the same from me.”
“If they do, it wouldn’t be a poor choice. Still, I think you will have another way to serve. In many ways, it is even more important than what you would do here. Travel well, Daniel, and know that whatever support you need from the city is yours.”
As she made her way out of the room, she paused at Lucy, leaning close and whispering something to her. It was said so softly that he couldn’t hear any of it, but he realized it didn’t matter. That conversation was only for the two of them.
When Cael was gone, Lucy glanced from Daniel to Rayen. “You can transport her wherever you need to go?”
“What about you?”
“Carth needs something from me.”
Daniel debated how to answer, but there was nothing for him to say. Instead, he nodded. Lucy turned, and in a flash she disappeared.
“I wonder if she can Slide beyond the palace,” Daniel said.
“That was your question?”
He headed over to the window, looking out through the bars of heartstone. “She has become incredibly powerful with her ability to Slide. It makes me wonder.”
“You might be able to Slide here.”
“I’m afraid to try.”
“How will you ever know if you can if you don’t attempt it?”
He took a deep breath, preparing for a Slide. Something Rayen had said came back to him. What if he mingled it with his connection to the shadows? They were separate abilities, and yet they seemed to be complementary. If he could somehow find a way to make them work together, would he be able to find a way past the heartstone?
Taking Rayen’s hand, he focused on the courtyard on the other side of the window. At first, he felt nothing more than resistance. There was the typical barrier he detected when trying to Slide beyond heartstone, but within it was something else, something he hadn’t noticed when he had attempted to do this before.
Could he actually succeed?
He pushed, following a strange contour to the Slide, using that to guide him beyond the barrier.
It felt as if he were twisting and curling, slipping around like shadows slithering through sunlight.
And then he emerged.
He blinked, looking back at the palace, and laughed.
“It worked.”
Rayen nodded. “That was interesting.”
“What did you detect?”
“You pulled us through the shadows.”
“I did what?”
She glanced over at him. “You weren’t aware of it?”
“It felt as if I were following a different path than I normally do when Sliding, but it was still a Slide.”
“It seems to me that you were following the shadows. I could practically see what you were doing.”
That intrigued him, almost as much as it intrigued him that he had managed to Slide beyond heartstone. It would be valuable to have that ability. It was one less way the Ai’thol might be able to trap him.
“Lucy is going off on Carth’s mission. Are you ready for ours?” Daniel asked. He had been willing to take on this assignment, though he wasn’t entirely sure they would even be able to find anything. Still, having Carth trust him with this made him think he could do it.
“I’m not sure why she decided to punish me by making me go with you, but I suppose if there is no other choice…”
Daniel grabbed her hand, squeezing for a moment, and then they Slid.
9
Ryn
The outside of the tower was unusually cold for this time of year, with a bitter chill that swirled around, forcing Ryn to pull her cloak more tightly around her shoulders. She resisted the urge to do so, not wanting to show any signs of weakness, but there wasn’t much choice at this point. If she was to remain comfortable, she was going to need her cloak.
Standing at the edge of the tower, she stared down into the city, looking for signs of movement. As far as she could tell, there were none.
Her eyesight had improved, but then again, much had improved. She still wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, but she had already begun to accept the changes. What choice did she have?
Ryn brought her hand up, tracing her finger along the back of her head, over the implant. It throbbed at times, serving as a reminder for everything she’d gained. It wasn’t a sacrifice. No—her sacrifice had been made long ago. For so long, she had thought the sacrifice had been in coming here, embracing the teachings of the tower, hoping for understanding. But that hadn’t been her sacrifice.
Hers had been what her father had given up for her to survive.
“What do you see?”
Ryn turned toward the voice. She wasn’t surprised he would come. It seemed he always knew when to arrive, though she still wasn’t sure how. He claimed it was his gift, and that he was blessed with knowledge and understanding, and everything she had seen suggested that to be true. How could it be anything else?
“There’s nothing down there,” she said.
The Great One joined her at the edge of the tower. He kept his hands at his sides, and when he looked up at her, it seemed as if he exuded a sort of power—which she suspected he did. That was what she wanted, and the more she worked at it, the more certain she was that eventually she’d have something similar to his power.
“The others are gone, but that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking you what do you see?”
Ryn stared off into the darkness. An occasional gust of wind whipped around, but she refused to grab for her cloak. She wouldn’t do that with him here. It wouldn’t do for him to see any weakness in her. He appreciated strength, and she would embrace it. He had earned that much from her. More than anyone else, the Great One had proven himself.
“The city slumbers,” Ryn said.
“Slumbers?”
She nodded. “There’s silence throughout. I see no movement. I hear nothing. And the air has none of the typical stench of others out within it.”
“Good.”
Ryn smiled to herself. Praise from the Great One was always welcomed, and while not necessarily rare, it was certainly something she knew others didn’t receive with the same frequency she’d managed. Then again, she wanted nothing more than to serve.
“What else do you detect?”
Since accepting her blessing, Ryn had been asked that question time and again. What did she detect? It seemed to be the answer the Great One wanted from her most of all. Was it a matter of him trying to better understand how the blessing had changed her? He seemed to have expected she would be changed and had known something would happen to her, though he hadn’t indicated what exactly that might be. What gifts might her blessing bring compared to others of his followers?
Ryn had been through more than most of them. Few had lived through the loss of their village, at least in the way that Ryn had, having seen Lareth himself attacking, moving through the village, destroying everything. Fewer still had seen lava swallow the remains, leaving nothing but the charred husk of the city.
She pushed away those memories. They did her no good. It only brought up sadness, and this was a happy time. She had been given a great blessing.
“Nothing yet.”
“Give it time, my child.”
She smiled again. She would take the kind words. Very few were given the opportunity to spend as much time with the Great One as she was, and she was blessed on a regular basis. She knew she needed to be thankful for that, and she was, but more than that, she needed to continue to work. The Great One deserved that from her.
She refused to let him down.
“How much longer should I stay here?”
The Great One touched her arm. Where he did, her skin tingled, leaving her with a thrill of anticipation. She suspected that was tied to some gift he had, but then, the Great One was the most powerful of them all. Eventually, he would come to control all abilities. If everything went well, Ryn would be there with him. She might be young and inexperienced, but she was motivated. The Great One had shown her that motivation counted for much.
“A little while longer, I think. Soon enough I will give you another assignment.”
Ryn stood silently, staring into the darkness. Every so often, a pressure seemed to pulse against her senses, and she wasn’t quite aware of what that was. Yet. In time, she suspected she would begin to better understand, but for now, it was nothing more than a strange sense.
She had some experience with strange senses suddenly appearing. It had been that way when her enhanced eyesight had first emerged. The suddenness of it had startled her, an ability to make out shapes in the darkness, and then that had quickly faded, receding so that even the darkness was no longer quite as dark as it once had been. Now the daylight and the night weren’t all that different. Night consisted of more gradations of gray, but day was merely more shimmerings of brightness.
“You are silent,” the Great One said. “Do you disapprove?”
“Not at all.”
“Good.”
He started to turn from her. “When will I see you again?”
“Soon enough,” he said.
“Where are you going this time?”
“There is something I must do.”
She hoped that he would share more, but that simply wasn’t the way of the Great One. If he wanted to share, he would, and it was rare enough for him to say anything, though he was often more forthright with her than he was with many of the others. She figured that came from the fact that he had found her, rescuing her, bringing her to safety. The others had come to him, seeking out his power.
When she looked back, he was gone.
She hadn’t needed her eyesight to know he had left. She felt it when he departed.
Perhaps that was the strange pressure she was growing accustomed to feeling. If that was it, there was value in it. The next time he returned, she would have to tell the Great One about that sensation. Perhaps there would be something he could help her learn and understand. She didn’t have his skill with traveling, but in time, she hoped she could gain that ability.
Ryn wrapped her cloak back around her shoulders, making her way toward the main part of the tower. It was time to return to her assignment.
Once inside, she paused. The destruction here was impressive. One man had caused considerable devastation. He had been powerful, but to hear the Great One talk about it, he shouldn’t have been. It was a surprising setback, one that was unusual for them to sustain. Ryn wanted to understand what had happened. The disciple who had been responsible for it was gone, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t find answers.
Heading down a flight of stairs, she reached a small landing and stepped into the room.
A chair lay in shambles, hunks of the sacred metal left as if they were nothing more than scraps on the floor. A body lay broken, twisted, blood splattered all around it. The attacker had done this, had destroyed this Ai’thol in no more time than it would take her to walk down a flight of stairs.
That was not the mark of a weak person.
Given the nature of the attack, she could almost believe it was Lareth himself, but to hear the Great One talk about it, that wouldn’t have been possible. Of course, it wouldn’t. Ryn suspected the Great One had protections in place that would prevent it, though so far, she didn’t have any idea what those protections were.
The Coming Chaos Page 9