Etchings of Power (Aegis of the Gods) (38 page)

Irmina fought the apprehension knotting her stomach. “No. Your name,” she said, trying to sound braver than she felt as she studied the woman. Whenever their gazes met, Irmina glanced away.
Stop it. Look her in the eye.

“Names are of no importance, but if you must, you can call me Tae.” She flung Irmina’s sword and pins to her with a strength beyond her apparent fragility.

They landed next to Irmina. She eased her hand over until it rested on the comfort of sword’s pommel. Her gaze still locked on the woman, she picked up the weapon and the insignias. Savoring the feel of the hilt against her palm, she stood, belted on the scabbard and stuck the pins to the leather patch woven into the pliant chainmail pauldrons at her shoulder. As she did so, visions from her dreams assaulted her. Each appeared more real than the next. From her office, to the shadelings’ attack, the fight with Jaecar, her Forgings and her flight from Ranoda. Recognition of each grew. They were no mere visions, she realized, they were real. Her head throbbed.

“Where am I?” Irmina massaged her temple through the mass of her dark hair.

“You’re somewhere safe.”

“How long have I been here? And where are my men?”

“Long enough,” Tae said. “As for your men…” Her smile was a dark slit. “They’re dead. They gave their lives for you.”

Irmina stiffened, ice freezing her veins with Tae’s words. “What do you mean?”

“Think about it,” Tae said. “I know you remember. You were dying. So were they. You needed to live. They didn’t. So I did as needed. I fed them to you.”

Irmina’s stomach lurched, and bile rushed up into her mouth in a bitter torrent. Retching, she bent over. No. This woman had to mean something different. Right hand tight around her sword’s hilt, Irmina wiped the acrid taste from her mouth with her left.

When she managed to speak, Irmina’s voice was hoarse and cracked. “Speak so I can understand, woman. How do you mean, you fed them to me?” She opened her Matersense. A tingle of anticipation tugged at her as she prepared to Forge.

Around the room, the essences beckoned. She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her mouth as her sight passed over Tae. A staggering mass of essences gathered about the woman. More than she’d ever seen even around Jerem when he touched the elements.

Tae gave a knowing smirk. “You nor your men didn’t escape. You were allowed to go. A test of sorts to see how well the shade’s weapons worked. You were all poisoned by the shade’s taint. You were either going to die and be used as fodder, or you yourself were going to be transformed into shadelings.”

“Impossible,” Irmina managed to whisper, her voice a disembodied shell of itself. The news of shadeling creation caused the essences she saw around the old woman to shatter into a million pieces as she lost her grip on her Matersense.

“Who’s to say what’s possible? Be that as it may. That’s where you were headed, or into the belly of the beast.”

Somehow, Irmina found a breath despite the lump caught in her throat. “I-If this is true, then h-how did you save me? Why couldn’t you save them?”

“Aha. There lies the question. You needed an infusion of sela essence to drive the taint from your body. It didn’t matter where it came from, as long as you received it. I couldn’t save you all, so I did the most prudent thing. I fed their sela to you.”

“You’re—” Irmina wheezed, before she sitting down flat on the furs, any semblance of reason or coherence fleeing her mind. She clawed for a sense of calm to grasp the elements again, but her dread had a steel grip on her senses.

“A daemon? A Skadwaz? Fear not my dear, I’m neither.”

Irmina could only sit and stare. Finally, she found words. “Then how…?”

“It’s an ancient art.” Tae chuckled. “I would say lost, but that wouldn’t be true would it? Well, as you see, I’m very old.” Tae’s eyes changed colors rapidly from gold to green to white to blue.

Irmina fought against the urge to crawl away, but she couldn’t help cringing as the memory of Sakari’s eyes came to life. Something inside her made her believe Tae. Why would the woman save her only to kill her now? At last, when she found a sense of calm, she asked, “Why has no one used such a skill before?”

Tae arched an eyebrow at her. “You’re presumptuous, aren’t you? Who says no one has? If you could do it, you could live for a thousand years.”

Irmina covered her open mouth with her hand. “You’re speaking about the Tribunal aren’t you? An-And the Eldanhill Council leaders.”

Both of Tae’s eyebrows rose. “Am I?”

“Are you?”

“Infusions of Mater could accomplish the same thing. If you knew how to make people ingest enough. Even those who couldn’t possibly touch the elements.” Tae smiled wickedly, her brown gums failing to come together, leaving a dark hole in her mouth.

Irmina frowned. What could she be hinting at? She’d discovered just how old the members of Eldanhill’s Council and members of the Tribunal were. Some could be traced back at least a millennia according to the records she’d smuggled from among the Pathfinders. How they’d accomplished such a feat was unclear. “Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because one day soon, my dear Shin, you will need to use this knowledge to save many lives.”

“When? What can I do against Matii who are practically immortal.”

Tae chortled, a carefree rasp of a sound of someone trying to hide amusement but failing. “Dear, dear one.” She shook her head, her mouth split again in a morbid grin. “No one is immortal. Hard to kill? Yes. Immortal? No.” She chortled again. “Relieve a person of their head or their heart. No one can survive that. Destroying their brain works just as well too.” She subsided to a low chuckle before she cut off.

Irmina’s expression soured. “If it’s so simple why don’t you do it? Why tell me?”

“Because my part in this is done for now. As for you, you’re special as you well know. As your parents and much of your lineage were before you. It’s why the shade sought them out.”

Irmina trembled with the mention of her parents in the same breath as the shade. Her anger lent her strength. “What do you know of them?” she spat. “They walked in the Ilumni’s light and were murdered to hide the Tribunal’s secrets.”

Tae shrugged. “I know much. However, I’m not allowed to involve myself further than the message I need you to deliver.”

“What message?”

Tae’s eyes and voice became grim. “You must repeat my message exactly as I will tell you.”

Taken aback by the intense expression on the old woman’s face, Irmina offered a nod.

“Tell Jerem one among Amuni’s Children not only can use, but has perfected the Bloodline Affinity. Tell him they’ve taken Kahkon.”

“Gods be good,” Irmina whispered. For the second time, she found her mouth agape. Not just because this woman knew her master, but because the Bloodline Affinity was a powerful Forging used by Pathfinders to track those they sought. Once triggered, they could retrace not only a person’s entire lineage but also any living kin.

But no one had ever mastered it.

Just to use such a skill, the person would need to be at least as strong as a High Ashishin. To master the ability would require someone stronger. The thought of one so powerful among Amuni’s Children chilled her to her core.

“I see you understand what this means.”

Dumbfounded, Irmina nodded.

“Good. I would expect nothing less from one of Jerem’s students.” Tae tilted her head to one side. Her eyes slipped through their many changes before focusing on something Irmina couldn’t see. Tae cleared her throat in annoyance. “They’ve brought one who can sense me. It’s time you leave.”

In desperation, Irmina pleaded, “Please, no. Not yet. Tell me what you know of my family.”

“That is not for me to tell.”

“Then why mention them?” Irmina’s voice was shrill. “Why tell me this now? Why not inform the Tribunal or some High Ashishin? If they’re those among Amuni’s Children as strong as you say, who know the secrets of the Bloodline, who can transform people into shadelings, why did they wait until now?”

“Harmony, my dear. There hasn’t been enough power, enough Mater, in Denestia, or in any of the realms to begin such an undertaking. Not since the gods were sealed in the Nether thousands of years ago.”

“And now there is?”

“See? You’re catching on.”

“How come?”

“Ah, my dear. That’s where I have to draw the line without breaking the rules. It’s time to go. Don’t worry, the shade won’t find you. I’ll scatter your scent to the thirty-two winds. Ride for the Vallum of Light. And avoid the Bastions. You wouldn’t want to draw the attention of the Pathfinders while you’re on this side of the wall. Oh, one more thing. Tell Jerem we’re even.”

With those words, Irmina’s world swirled and went black. Before she could react, a sensation came as if a great wind snatched her and threw her from a mountaintop. Heart racing, an unreleased scream stuck in her throat, her stomach attempting to spew its contents, she fell.

And lurched to a head-snapping stop. Black became light. Light slowly evolved into the world once more. When she came to her senses, she was unsure of her location.

Far off, a speck in the distance, a bright line sparkled and followed the land along the horizon. She knew that line. The Vallum. Attached to the wall and rising into the air another hundred feet was one of the Bastions of Light.

CHAPTER 30

Ancel kicked at a rat crawling across his filthy boots. Boots he’d taken from a dead soldier. The rodent’s squeal joined the multitude of squeaks around him. He didn’t need to look hard to see the numerous rats, some almost as big as man’s thigh, that scurried along the sewer tunnel. Covering his nose and mouth against the overwhelming stench of shit, sludge, mud, and only the Pits of Hydae knew what else, that clung to his boots and pants almost to his waist was futile. The air stank worse than a week old corpse. Breathing served to have the odor become a foul taste.

They had made good their escape through the canals and into the extensive drainage system under Randane. Dodged patrols, loud footsteps, shushed breaths, shadowy hiding places, and incessant bell tolls filled their flight. When they couldn’t escape a patrol’s path, Kachien commanded them to stand still wherever they hid, often around the corner in some alley and against a building. Tense moments edged on achingly as the soldiers would run by, passing them as if they were not standing in plain sight.

Mirza and Danvir huddled nearby, their forms silhouetted against the light provided by the tunnel’s opening. Outside, the rain fell in glinting sheets, and lightning crackled across the dark quilt of clouds covering the heavens and blotting out any signs of the morning sun. Separating the three of them from Kachien was a knee-deep flow of filth. At all times, Charra kept himself between Ancel and her.

There had been no chance to speak during their escape, and in fact, this was their first respite. Still, Ancel refused to talk to the woman. Not that he didn’t want to, but whereas his Kachien had been a tender, breathtaking, seductive flower with more than a touch of flame, this woman, this killer, was as hard as silversteel and colder than the Kelvore Mountains’ highest peak.

Six times on their way here, she’d slunk off to kill a patrolling regimental guard. Each time, she returned impassive and wordless. Not once did she shy away from Ancel’s accusatory gaze. He found it was he who broke contact whenever their eyes made four.
How can you possibly be the same woman who shared your fears and tears with me?

“What’ve we done? What’ve we done? Gods be good, what’ve we done?” Danvir muttered.

“Survived,” Mirza answered, his voice thick.

“No.” Danvir trembled. “We killed men. Merchant’s guards. Do you know what that means? We murdered them.”

“It means you saved my life and probably Ancel’s too. The guard was going to run me through if you and Charra hadn’t interfered.” Mirza’s gaze shifted to Kachien for a brief moment. He sounded steadier by a hair than Ancel felt until his voice cracked. “A-And without her, the rest of them would’ve finished us. I-I thought I was dead for sure.” His eyes shone with wetness in the dim light. He scrubbed at his face.

“What happened up there?” Ancel gestured outside with a nod, rubbing at his folded arms as he thought about what he heard and saw. “All I remember is them hitting me, then Charra’s growls and the sound of fighting.”

“You resisted and they beat you.” Mirza’s voice regained some of its normal smoothness. “Then one sliced at me just as Danvir and Charra leaped on him. Your woman showed up then. And well, you saw the results.”

“Why’d it have to come to that?” Danvir’s words were a hoarse whine. “What did you two do?”

“Us?” Ancel gave him an incredulous stare. “We did nothing. We heard the screaming and ran outside. When we got there we saw someone huddled over the merchant.” He glanced at Kachien. “The guards found us in the alley and thought we did it. Although Master Callan told them different, they wouldn’t listen. They tried to arrest us.”

“Why’d you have to fight?” Danvir moaned. “Look what you made me do.” He looked down at his hands, horror written across his face. “The King’s regiment could’ve easily settled the matter when they arrived. They would’ve known you had nothing to do with the killings.”