The Echolone Mine (35 page)

“Because
Tymall sought to hurt his father. Torrullin has much to atone
for.”

“Atone,
Teroux? Why should a man atone for loving his son? Good god, don’t
blame Torrullin for his son’s twisted ways!”

“Say that in
front of Tian.”

“Tian knows
what his father is, he wouldn’t be insulted. And, by the way, I
know what Torrullin is, and what happened because of him and by his
hand. It will be a microsecond only, perhaps not long enough to
cause damage, and I am going to do it, whatever you say. He would
for me - he would for you, Teroux.”

“I know.”

“Where is your
problem, then?”

Teroux sighed.
“Did you see how he was over Kalgaia? Do you know he refuses to
speak of the Valleur deaths in Torrke even now? Would he thank you
for saving Saska at the expense of others? I have no doubt Saska’s
death will hit him hard, but how much guilt will we pile on him
anew?”

“It is about
Torrullin’s well-being,” Tristan said. “No matter how you look at
it.”

Teroux gave a
smile. “Touché, cousin.”

Rose said,
“You are welcome to use our home for the meeting, Tristan.” She
glanced at Teroux. “His mind is set; we may as well help.”

“And thus
share the blame. Fine.” Teroux scraped his chair back and left the
kitchen.

“Thank you,
Rose.”

She shrugged.
“It’s for Teroux. He’ll be worse off if he does nothing.”

She followed
Teroux from the warm space.

The Path of
Shades

Torrullin
wandered over to Saska and Declan.

Both slept
soundly - Saska had her head on the Siric’s thigh - and both were
stronger than earlier. Whatever he and Elianas revealed in the
sharing of energy was worth this.

He moved away,
glancing at the sleeping Elianas, and faced the water.

It was no
longer water; it was a grey mirror. Solid. Any idiot could walk
across it now. The terrible contrariness of this place made no
sense whatsoever.

The answer
beyond the veil, and in the answer the labyrinth where shadows were
in the corners of curves. What the fuck did that really mean?

He understood
they had to join balance and unbalance using the shadows, and he
even understood the joining would come to pass when they left this
place. They would drag the chaos factor into stasis simply because
they were of the shadowy realms - those of the heart, soul and
mind, and place. Yes, and doable … eventually. Yet, before
eventually could come to pass, there was an answer to find, and a
goddamn labyrinth.

Elianas was
right. The answer was not an understanding of where they were or
how to create the mixture anew, and it was not the revelation of
his power either. Bridges were bridges, not goals. Not the
answer.

Gods, what
power, though. If he combined that to Elixir …

… it did not
bear thinking about.

He viewed the
island, checked on the others - asleep - and lifted his gaze to the
forbidding presence of a dark forest. A dark island, yes, but in
more than influence. Here dark reigned, of all kinds. The light
they experienced thus far lingered on this sliver of beach only,
and it faded. He looked around. No wood, therefore no fire, no
light. Soon they would be blind.

Unless they
ignored the dark forest. Unless they went around it.

He shifted
swiftly over the sand and fell to his knees beside Elianas, put a
hand on the man’s shoulder and shook him. Dark eyes opened, found
him. About to share what he reasoned out, he was arrested by what
was in those eyes. Elianas had been dreaming about him. He tore his
gaze away and sat.

“Elianas, the
light fades and complete darkness comes. Sit up, hear me.”

Elianas
stretched and did so. “Gods, I need to brush my teeth.”

“Look at the
light here, then look at those trees.”

Frowning,
Elianas looked. He noticed the ‘water’. “How unfair.”

“I know, but
forget that now. What happens if we walk around the island in this
fading light, with darkness threatening from one side?”

Elianas sat in
silence for a time. “Ah, I see,” he whispered eventually. “We walk
in a shadow realm and as long as we stay in it we get to see. I
would use it like a bridge.”

“So it’s
possible.”

“Yes, but we
would go exactly nowhere. We walk in circles.”

“Until
something changes.”

“Torrullin,
that’s cowardly.”

“Don’t I know
it, but I cannot lose Saska in there.” He glanced at the
forest.

Elianas looked
away. “No.”

“You
understand, right?”

“Of course I
fucking understand,” Elianas said.

Torrullin said
no more.

Elianas rose.
“I shall wander around this island only as long as it takes to beat
an answer out of this fiasco. Then I either sit and wait until
doomsday or I walk into that forest, do you get me?”

Torrullin
laughed.

Elianas swore
again and wandered off to relieve himself.

Torrullin
jerked when a hand descended onto his shoulder. Saska. She sat
beside him and rested her head wearily. “The light’s going.”

He nodded. “We
must walk again or lose it entirely.”

“Leave me
here, please. Leave Declan here. You can come back for us. I can’t
face another walk. Torrullin, I didn’t know my stamina depended on
my power, but it is so, and I know it now. I am done, just go.”

“I am
not
leaving you here. I am not coming back, Saska. Once I am out,
that’s it.”

She turned his
face to her. “Look at me. What do I have left? How far can I walk?
Declan is worse off. Having lost more power, he is weaker.”

“Elianas and I
will give what we have until we all get out.”

She smiled up
at him. “That is like being caught in a hurricane, my love, and
like to it, the energy is short-lived, for me, not for you. In the
end it will do greater damage.”

“I love you
and I am not leaving you here.”

“Then we go
into the forest. That will bring change, I think.”

“We will be
blind and I could lose you.”

“Stop making
excuses. I understand your reluctance, but don’t use me to stretch
this hell out more than you need to. I will hold onto you, I
promise, and Elianas can help Declan, but we won’t walk in circles,
hear?” She kissed his cheek. “I love you, too, and I know parts of
you. This indecision isn’t part of that.”

“I agree with
Saska,” Declan called out from behind them. “No more pointless
walking.”

Elianas was
back. He stood arms akimbo watching everyone and then, “The forest
it is. And let us go now while we have light for the outer
reaches.”

Saska pushed
herself up. “Agreed.” She held her hand out to Torrullin, while
Elianas, expressionless, lifted the Siric and put him on his
back.

He set off
immediately, and Torrullin and Saska followed.

Chapter 27

The bigger
something is, the more unwieldy. Careful planning is able to
circumvent.

General Hamon,
on campaign

Sanctuary

T
he universe chart lay spread on the
huge oval table Torrullin found in a Xenian ruin.

Cassy bent
over it, and with her Belun who knew his way around the present
universe better than she did.

Lowen watched
with Tristan, while the other Kaval members milled. Rose and Teroux
walked among them, talking, discussing, and frowning.

Caballa came
with Tianoman.

The entire
Kaval bowed to the Vallorin of the Valleur, and he thanked them,
and joined Tristan. “Well?”

“Cassy’s
plotting now.”

Tianoman
rounded the table to her side, smiling a greeting at Rose and
Teroux, and halted beside her. “Cassy, you need the central point
first; one you know has the strength to hold a signal of this
magnitude.”

“You are
right, Lord Vallorin. What do you suggest?”

Everyone
crowded closer as Tianoman leaned far over the chart. “Where is the
highest concentration of sites?”

Cassy moved to
her left. She waved a hand over a huge area. “Here.”

He moved with
her, studied it and then pointed.

She leaned in
to look and then drew back. “Here? Sanctuary?”

“Averis Lake’s
peculiar island, to be precise.”

Lowen
groaned.

Teroux
exploded. “How dare you come waltzing in here to enforce your
will?”

Tianoman sent
him a glance. “Sanctuary sits smack in the middle of the highest
concentration of sites, and yet hasn’t one herself. That island
spooked me every time I came here; it’s perfect.”

“Maybe, but
you should ask first.”

Kaval started
to melt away, until only Cassy, Tristan, Lowen and Caballa
remained, along with Teroux, Tianoman and Rose.

Tianoman was
cold. “Cousin, watch your mouth.”

“Bugger you,
Tian. This is my home now. You ask first.”

Tianoman was
expressionless and then, “Of course. Forgive my presumption. May we
use the island to the purpose stated?”

Teroux crossed
his arms. “No.”

“Ah, so it’s
like that.” Tianoman moved away from the table and crossed the
intervening space. Tristan made to interfere, but Caballa caught
his arm and shook her head. Rose retreated. Lowen and Cassy
watched.

Teroux paced
boldly forward. “That island is too close to this house. Rose could
get hurt.”

“Then Rose can
move away for a time.” Tianoman came to a halt. “Don’t use her like
that. What is the real problem?”

“You. You are
the youngest, yet you come in here throwing your weight around. I
don’t like it.”

“I don’t like
that you assume youth must make me humble.”

“Caballa, we
don’t have time for this,” Tristan muttered.

“Make time, or
those two won’t work together.”

Teroux gripped
Tianoman’s arm and frogmarched him back to the table. “Look! Sites
everywhere and you choose this place? Why?”

Tianoman
shrugged him off, barely holding onto his temper. “To have impact,
idiot.”

Teroux
laughed. “The youngling thinks he knows so much!”

Tianoman drew
himself up and his eyes flashed. “Do not push me anymore.”

Teroux smacked
a hand on the table. “I’ll push!”

“Because
Tristan has followers and you do not? Because I have three Elder
councils and you do not? Do you feel left out?”

Tristan
sighed. That was not the best move, gods.

Teroux snarled
and pounced, but Tianoman raised a hand and sent him flying before
he could come close. He bent over his fallen cousin. “Stop it,
Teroux. This isn’t necessary.”

Teroux sat up.
“I was happy until you two came with your big life-shattering
project. You’re right, I do feel left out and it really peeves
me!”

He was on his
feet and attacking again. He went sprawling once more and Caballa
snatched at Rose. At this point Rose’s involvement would only stoke
the fires.

“Teroux, for
pity’s sake,” Tianoman frowned, standing over him. He knelt.
“Listen to me. You are lord of Sanctuary and that is an awesome
…”

“Don’t
patronise me.”

“Gods, I’m
not.”

“I’ll beat you
…”

Tianoman put a
hand on his cousin’s chest and pressed down. “I didn’t want to say
this, but you can’t. Beat me. The Throne is uncloaked; it won’t let
you.” He took his hand away and rose. “Stop this. We are family,
and we are also friends. I would rather work with you than against
you.”

Teroux stared
up.

Tianoman
returned again to the table. He gestured Cassy nearer.

“The Lord
Vallorin,” Teroux said.

Tianoman’s
hand froze in mid-air. “Yes, that is right. I am Vallorin and you
swore an oath of loyalty. That makes you my subject, Teroux Valla,
before it makes you my cousin. I am commandeering that island and
if you do not like it, I suggest you present yourself for judgement
to the Elders.”

Teroux was on
his feet. Stiffly, he said, “My Lord refuses to judge me
himself?”

“Yes, he does,
for he would be too harsh.” Tianoman looked at Caballa.

She bowed and
took Teroux’s arm and led him out. Rose followed.

Tristan
clucked his tongue. “Shit, man, have you any idea how long it’s
going to take to fix that?”

Tianoman
sighed. “I know. What’s biting him?”

“Fear. He
fears we regard him as less.”

Tianoman
stared at the table. “We don’t.”

“We do. We
always seek to protect him.” Tristan paced closer to stand beside
his younger cousin. “When you were younger, right up until the Time
realm, Teroux and I thought we needed to protect you, largely from
yourself.” Tristan smiled at him. “Only you soon proved pretty
tough, right?” The smile vanished. “Teroux feels needed when he
does the protecting. He will soon realise he can’t make everything
right, and then he will be fine. We have to leave him to it.”

“Tannil?”
Tianoman murmured.

“His father,
yes. What happened to Tannil left deep scars.”

“I will go
talk to him.”

“Leave him.
Time is his real ally now.” Tristan paused there, and then, “I
never swore a formal oath of loyalty to you as Vallorin.”

Tianoman
sighed. “You were in the Void when the ceremony was held.”

“I regard you
as my Vallorin.”

“I know.”

A beat. “I am
prepared to swear, Tian.”

A longer beat
from the younger man. “You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“You are Kaval
leader. There will be times when my ideals and yours will not be
the same, and then an oath will stand between us. It is better for
both of us if we keep it simple.”

Tristan
glanced at Cassy, the only other person in the room now. Lowen had
followed Caballa and Rose out. He glanced at her because he wanted
her to leave to say his piece, but she stared back at him, and
nodded slightly.