Seeds of Rebellion (27 page)

“You’re a displacer! Your people have sworn fealty to Maldor. You have personally vowed to defend and uphold his rule. Your presence here makes you a traitor to your kind and an oath breaker to your liege. A tarnished word is of little value.”

Ferrin had grown rigid. “Your honor is renowned, and you’re right that mine is blemished. Perhaps the truest pledge I can offer is that I understand how the emperor functions.”

“Do you?”

“Maldor never forgives treachery. Especially from a steward of my rank. Regardless of how substantially I might aid him in the future by subverting your efforts, I know I can never regain his confidence. He would gladly reap the reward of any betrayal I enacted, but regardless of any good I do for him, death and worse await if ever I come within his reach.”

“You speak the truth. But do you realize it?”

“Maldor is my eternal enemy, because no matter what I do, I am his.”

Galloran leaned forward. “But what if Maldor already forgave your indiscretion? Or even planned it? What if you are not a fugitive as you claim? What if this is an elaborate scheme?”

All eyes regarded Ferrin.

“Has the emperor orchestrated more subtle and complicated intrigues than you are describing? Absolutely. But if I were a spy, I would not know my trade had I waited until now to act. An hour ago, while exploring Fortaim, I had enough distance between myself and my comrades to easily slip away and lead an army to your doorstep.”

“The emperor is patient,” Galloran replied. “The emperor treasures information. The emperor might want to investigate how far our budding conspiracy reaches. He might want to root out everyone involved, not just snatch Jason or me. I have some well-placed sources, and I have heard nothing about a manhunt for you, Ferrin. Not a word about your defection.”

Ferrin shook his head. “If it could be avoided, Maldor would never announce that a high-ranking displacer had betrayed his
cause. He has kept the search for me quiet. But keep your ears open. After my treasonous activities early this morning, in front of imperial witnesses, my defection will become common knowledge. I’ll be nearly as wanted as Jason.”

“What about the betrayal of your people?” Galloran wondered. “The displacers are well acquainted with the price of failure in wartime. If Maldor falls, the displacers fall with him. You can live with that?”

“I detest the idea of hindering my kind,” Ferrin admitted. “We’ve dealt with more than our rightful share of persecution. But displacers are already doomed. Fearful of natural humans losing dominance, all of the wizards who founded races included safeguards to limit breeding. As you’re aware, when displacers were first created, the odds of having a male child were five times greater than a female. That disparity has increased over time. Today not even one in thirty displacers born is female. Yes, our race lives longer than regular humans, but our ultimate fate is sealed. We were condemned by our founder. We’ll cease to exist within three or four generations.”

“So why not rise up against the apprentice of your founder?” Galloran summarized skeptically. “Punish him for the sins of his master?”

“It wouldn’t have been my first choice,” Ferrin said frankly. “However deranged Zokar may have been, or how oppressive Maldor could prove, at least they were on our side. They didn’t hunt us. They never openly despised us. Not as a people. My personal story is different. I’m being hunted by Maldor. I’ve earned his enmity. In return, he has earned mine. I wouldn’t be here if not for extenuating circumstances. But I’m at peace with my decision. I am wholeheartedly committed. I would be happy to do whatever you’d like to prove myself.”

Galloran let a pregnant silence draw out. All eyes watched him intently. “Two requirements. First, you will take credit for all the harm we do as we make our way across Lyrian. ‘Ferrin, son of Baldor, was here.’ You get the idea.”

“Make my betrayal public knowledge. Defy Maldor openly to ensure that he could never take me back.”

Galloran nodded. “And I will need you to detach a small segment from your neck. The divot must include part of your carotid artery. Dorsio will keep it safe.”

Ferrin grinned darkly. “You could use the piece of my neck to poison me at will. If I choose to let go of the connection, I bleed to death.”

“I harbor hope that you are sincere,” Galloran said. “If I didn’t, I would execute you. Tonight we stand at the outset of the last serious rebellion against the emperor. At present it is desperately fragile, little more than an idea. Without great care and effort, it will amount to nothing. I would welcome your help, Ferrin, but I will not risk treachery. Accept my conditions, and I will extend my trust.”

Ferrin pulled a chunk from his neck and handed it to Dorsio, who studied it and snapped three times.

“I’ll spread word of my involvement at every opportunity,” Ferrin said. “I pledge my abilities, my knowledge, my resources, and my life to the cause of deposing Maldor. My allegiance is to rebellion.”

“Welcome,” Galloran said. “We can use your expertise. If you prove faithful, you will have my everlasting support and protection when this conflict ends. I need information. How closely were you followed?”

“We seem to have distanced ourselves from our pursuers,” Ferrin said. “The majority of those chasing us came from north of the river, and we sabotaged both ferries at Potsug.”

“Good news,” Galloran said.

“What about the lurker?” Jason asked.

“Tark mentioned that a torivor might be involved,” Galloran said grimly. “You’ve had contact?”

“Yes,” Ferrin said. “We saw the torivor last night. It has been trailing Jason since he parted from Tark.”

“Lurkers have not ventured abroad in years,” Galloran said.

“Not since you were captured,” Ferrin agreed. “The creature may have returned to Felrook. After spotting us, it prepared a trap that should have resulted in our capture. Once we dodged the trap, the chase became sloppy, making me wonder whether the lurker remained involved. It taxes Maldor greatly to keep them abroad.”

“There is no lurker currently in the vicinity,” Galloran said with confidence. “My family has a history of Edomic aptitude and other unusual mental faculties. I am no wizard, but as much as torivors can sense our minds, I can sense theirs.”

“Fascinating,” Ferrin said. “Can you hear their thoughts?”

“It depends. I can discern certain types of thoughts more clearly than others. But I can always sense their presence. For now, we have no lurkers in the area.”

“That’s a comfort,” Aram said. “But we do have a large force of more conventional enemies in pursuit.”

“All the more reason we must depart in the morning,” Galloran said. “Rest while you may. Tark, you told me you had sworn fealty to Lord Jason.”

“I am his man,” the musician replied solemnly.

“Then I have acquired four unexpected allies of diverse talents. There is little I can bring to our venture at the moment save knowledge and connections. Hopefully, in time, I will regain my kingdom and bring its resources to bear. We must first journey north, to the Sunken Lands, on our way to the Seven Vales. At the Sunken
Lands, we will try to rescue my daughter and supply ourselves from a lost stockpile of orantium. At the Seven Vales, we will strive to enlist the Amar Kabal in our rebellion, the most powerful fighting force yet untouched by the emperor. Without their participation, our insurrection will lack any real promise.”

“You think you can rouse the People of the Seed?” Ferrin asked.

“We shall see,” Galloran replied. “Our first obstacle will be crossing the river. I recommend we make for the bridge a day east of Potsug. The troops pursuing Jason from the north will probably cross that bridge tonight and head west. If we move in stealth, we should miss one another.”

“The bridge will be heavily guarded,” Ferrin warned.

“We have a capable team,” Galloran said. “And some orantium remains. Do you recommend an alternate route?”

Ferrin considered the question before answering. “The bridge will be quickest. No crossing will stand unguarded.”

“The bridge it is,” Galloran said. “Eat your fill tonight. We have far more food stored here than we can carry. Sleep all you can. We depart at dawn.”

CHAPTER
12

R
achel awoke in the chill of night, bundled in her blankets, the stars blazing more brilliantly than she had ever witnessed. The moon had set, the night was clear, and no overhanging trees impeded her view. In the gaps between the brighter stars, where darkness should have provided background, lesser stars glimmered, faint and plentiful, twinkling specks of dust. She lay on her back, high atop a tall ridge, gazing at the magnificent heavens.

Could any of those pinpricks of light be Earth’s sun? If not, were any of those endless stars at least visible from Earth? Maybe with a powerful telescope? Or was this an entirely different universe altogether, inhabiting some alternate dimension? She didn’t recognize any constellations.

Rachel looked over at the charm woman. They hadn’t built a fire tonight, but the stars shed enough light for her to see that Elaine was gone, her blankets rumpled and empty.

Rachel sat up, scared and alert. Why had Elaine snuck away? They had just arrived at the ridge this evening after many consecutive days in the saddle. Elaine’s donkey was not swift, but it was
tireless. They had started at the first hint of dawn every morning and plodded onward until twilight dwindled.

Low, mumbling voices reached Rachel’s ears, a single hushed conversation. Listening intently, she could distinguish between a man and a woman speaking. “Elaine?” Rachel called.

“Here, child. We’re coming. Drake has found us.”

“Elaine?” Drake asked, his voice scarcely audible. “Is that your name?”

“At present,” she answered softly. Two starlit figures walked into view. Elaine raised her voice again. “My charms detected an intruder approaching. I knew it wasn’t a lurker. I hoped it was Drake.”

“You made good time,” Drake remarked. “I expected to beat you here. I had to cover much more ground, but of course Mandibar is extraordinary.”

“We only arrived earlier tonight,” Rachel said.

“I’m glad we found you awake,” Elaine said. “It means my inner ring of charms is working.”

“I don’t get it,” Rachel said.

“The outer ring was rigged to awaken me,” Elaine said. “When Drake crossed the inner boundary, you woke up.”

Upon quick reflection, Rachel realized that usually when she awoke in the night, she rolled over and went on sleeping. Tonight she had awakened alert, her mind active and inquisitive.

“I didn’t set up any violent or distractive enchantments, because I wanted him to find us,” Elaine explained.

“I have news,” Drake said.

“Tell us,” Rachel urged.

“Jason is free.”

At first she felt stunned. It took a moment to really process the words. Then such a surge of joy and relief overcame her that
Rachel abruptly realized how much of her had never expected to see Jason again. She had faithfully wished for his safety. She had dreamed of an eventual rescue. But deep down, some realistic part of her had known the odds were against it. “Where is he?”

“Our enemies aren’t sure,” Drake said. “Which bodes well for him, but may make him difficult for us to locate.”