Fire Study

by Maria V. Snyder

  I stepped in front of Gede before Dax could defend himself. “Not from here. Besides, having these books might prove to be an advantage. Your ancestor Guyan defeated the Efe and perhaps the books contain information about how to counter the Vermin’s blood magic and to defeat the Fire Warper.”

  “All the more reason to give them to me,” Gede said. “The Sandseeds will deduce a way to oppose the Daviians. After all, they are our problem.”

  “Not anymore. They’ve gone beyond your problem,” Bain said. “We will keep the texts here. You’re welcome to study them with us.”

  But Gede wouldn’t back down on his claim and Bain refused to give in. Eventually Gede rose to leave. He paused before me and scanned me with cold calculation in his dark eyes.

  “Did you know Guyan was a Soulfinder?” Gede asked me.

  Surprised, I said, “No. I thought he was the first Story Weaver.”

  “He was both. You know nothing about Soulfinders.” He glared at Moon Man. “Your education is pathetic. I can teach you how to be a true Soulfinder.”

  My heart jumped in my chest. The prospect of learning more about Soulfinders both thrilled and terrified me.

  Gede must have seen the indecision on my face. “You do not need these books to defeat the Fire Warper.”

  Too good to be true, I knew there had to be a catch. “I suppose you’ll guide me with some cryptic nonsense.”

  “Bah!” Again Gede shot Moon Man an annoyed look. “There is no time for that. Interested?”

  Logic warred with emotion. “Yes.” Emotion won.

  “Good. I am staying in the Citadel’s guest quarters. Come at twilight. The moon should be up by then.” Gede swept out of the room, with Moon Man trailing behind him.

  Irys raised one slender eyebrow at me. “I don’t—”

  “Think it’s the best decision.” I finished for her. “Think I should rush into the situation and hope for the best.”

  She smoothed out the sleeves of her tunic, giving me a wry look. “No. I don’t trust him.”

  I lingered outside Roze’s tower, debating. This meeting with her, Bain and Zitora could be a trap. She could either trick me into confessing to conspiring against Sitia, or it could be my chance to redeem myself. Nice to have choices.

  Bain opened the door and said, “Come in, child. It is cold outside.”

  Decision made, I followed Bain into Roze’s home. A huge fire crackled and popped, spitting out sparks, which would have burned the threadbare carpet if Roze hadn’t doused the errant embers with her magic. With the memory of her fire attack seared in my mind, I chose a hard wood chair as far from the hearth and from her as possible.

  Spartan and bare, the room lacked the cozy comfort of Irys’s living area and the scholarly smell of Bain’s study. Zitora, Third Magician, perched on the edge of her seat, another straight-backed chair without cushions. She kept her gaze on her hands. They were laced together in her lap. Bain occupied the only comfortable seat. Overstuffed and worn thin, the chair’s fabric was close to tearing, and by the annoyed frown on Roze’s face whenever she glanced at Bain, I guessed he had taken her favorite spot.

  “Let’s get this over with,” I said into the awkward silence.

  “Nervous?” Roze asked.

  “No. I have a meeting in an hour and I need to wash my hair.”

  Roze drew a breath.

  “Ladies, please. This is difficult enough as it is,” Bain said. “Put your differences aside and let us assess the situation.”

  Roze kept her comment to herself. Impressive. She gave Bain a stiff nod. He smoothed the wrinkles in his robe before continuing. “Yelena, you have shredded Ferde’s soul.”

  “I—”

  “No commenting until I am finished.”

  The stern tone in Bain’s voice raised the hair on my arms. He was the second most powerful magician in the room. “Yes, sir.”

  Satisfied, Bain resumed his lecture. “Your rash actions have set off a ripple of discontent within the Council. First you acted without their permission. Second, your ability to shred a soul alarmed the Councilors, including me. You have lost their trust, and therefore the information you uncovered through Ferde is invalid.”

  I tried to meet Zitora’s gaze, but she averted her face.

  “You are hereby ordered to stay out of Sitian affairs while we deal with this new Daviian threat. Roze has agreed to let you work with Gede to discover the extent of your powers and we will reassess how you can aid our efforts in the future.” Bain gestured for me to comment.

  Protests pushed in my throat, but I swallowed them down as I wrestled my thoughts into a logical response. This meeting was an ambush. They didn’t want to question me, just dictate to me.

  “What about Cahil? You can’t believe him?” I appealed to Bain.

  “There is no proof he lied. First Magician supports him.”

  “He’s always been selfish,” Roze said. “He wants only one thing. To aid the Daviians against Sitia runs counter to his desire. He needs our help to launch his campaign to claim Ixia. A country in the midst of a civil war wouldn’t be able to aid him at all.”

  Roze’s reasonable logic worried me more than her anger. “How about the Fire Warper?”

  A bright fireball erupted from the fire, and hovered above us. I squinted into the harsh light. The heat of the flames fanned my face. Roze curled her fingers into a fist and the fire ball disappeared. Opening her hand, she gestured and snuffed out the hearth fire, casting us into cold semi-darkness.

  “I’m First Magician for a reason, Yelena. My command of fire is my best ability. You need not fear the Fire Warper. I’ll deal with him.” Flames ignited. Once again heat and light emanated from the hearth.

  I couldn’t suppress my skepticism.

  “Do you really think I would let the Daviians and this Fire Warper take control of Sitia? They wouldn’t take proper care of my country. No. I will do all I can to keep them from power, including protecting you from the Fire Warper.”

  Now she was outright scaring me. “You want me dead.”

  “True. You’re a threat to Sitia, but there is no proof. I can’t obtain the Council’s support to have you executed. But once I have evidence, you’re mine.”

  This was more like the Roze I knew and hated. We glared at each other.

  Bain cleared his throat. “Child, by listening to the Council and working with Gede Sandseed you will regain the Council’s trust.”

  Learning about my powers was what I had desired all along. Ferde was no longer a threat and the Council knew about the Daviians. If they wished to believe Cahil, why should I care? The Commander’s army would prevail against Cahil. I had sought to avoid a war, but I held no sway within the Council. Why couldn’t I be selfish for once and stay out of politics while I explored my powers?

  I agreed. But the slight rush of relief failed to ease the pang of doubt. Moon Man’s comment about becoming a slave to another echoed in my mind.

  I returned to my rooms in Irys’s Keep tower. She had given me three of the ten floors to use. I trudged up the steps, anxious, worried and frustrated. Roze’s boast she could handle the Fire Warper had better be true. Bain’s Efe books described power symbols and blood rituals, but he had discovered nothing to counter them. And there was no mention of a Fire Warper.

  Dax had translated the bulk of the books, but a few chapters remained. He planned to spend the afternoon working on them. My worry also stemmed from a comment Dax had made about Gelsi. Bain’s other apprentice, Gelsi, had been Ferde’s last victim, but I stopped him in time and revived her body and returned Gelsi’s soul.

  When I had inquired about her, Dax’s vague response caused me to question him further.

  “To tell the truth,” Dax had replied, “she’s different than before.”

  “Different how?” I had asked.

  “She’s harsher. Unhappy.” He moved his arms in a gesture of futility. “She no longer enjoys life. She’s more preoccupied with death. It’s
hard to explain. Master Bloodgood is working with her. We hope it’s a condition she can work through and not—” Dax shrugged “—permanent. Maybe you can talk to her?”

  I promised to visit her. Thinking back, I had returned two people’s souls to bodies that had been dead. Gelsi and Stono. And both came back changed. Were their altered personalities due to something I did when I held their souls? My anxiety grew over what I might discover about my Soulfinder abilities with Gede.

  Uneasiness soured my stomach, and I remembered the attack Roze had sent me where Flame Me made a soulless army. While it didn’t apply to Gelsi and Stono, I recalled Stono’s offer to kill for me.

  With those morbid thoughts, I reached my rooms. Even though I had three levels, I only possessed enough furniture to occupy one. An armoire, a desk, a single bed and night table looked lonely in the round room. I would need to do some shopping when I had the time. Right now finding souls took priority over finding curtains. Then I could be Yelena, the all-powerful Curtainfinder. Able to decorate a room in one hour.

  I laughed out loud.

  “What’s so funny?” a heart-melting voice asked from behind me.

  Valek leaned in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as if he visited me every day. Dressed as one of the Keep’s servants, he wore a gray tunic and pants.

  “I was thinking about curtains.” I moved toward him.

  “Curtains are funny?”

  “In comparison to all my other thoughts, yes, curtains can be amusing. But you, sir, are the best thing that’s happened to me all day, all week and, now that I think about it, all season.” Two steps and I was wrapped in his arms.

  “That’s the best welcome I’ve had all day.”

  I could only imagine what he had been up to. His ability to get into any building undetected made him the most feared man in Sitia. And his immunity to magic terrified the Master Magicians. He was Commander Ambrose’s best weapon against them.

  “Do I want to know why you’re here?” I asked.

  “No.”

  I sighed. “Should I know why you’re here?”

  “Yes. But not now.” He leaned over and his lips met mine, and it no longer mattered why.

  The late-afternoon sun woke me and reminded me about my meeting with Gede. I nudged Valek awake. We huddled under the blankets against the icy air.

  Valek moved to get up. “I’ll make a fire—”

  “No!” I grabbed his arm, stopping him.

  He peered at me with concern. I marveled at the rich sapphire color of his eyes and how they contrasted with his pale skin.

  “You’ll need to reapply your skin-darkening makeup,” I said, brushing a black strand of hair away from his face.

  He held my hand. “Nice try, but you are going to tell me why you don’t want a fire.”

  “Only if you tell me why you’re here.” I countered.

  “Agreed.”

  I filled him in on the series of events with Cahil, Ferde and the Fire Warper.

  “It’s ridiculous to think the Commander is working with these Vermin.” Valek looked thoughtful. “So the Wannabe King has chosen to ignore the truth about his birth. You got to admit his ability to dupe the entire Council is impressive.”

  “Not the entire Council. Irys doesn’t believe Cahil and I’m sure there are others.” I waved my hand in a shooing motion. “Doesn’t matter. It’s not my concern. I’ve been told to be a good little student and mind my own business.”

  Valek snorted. “Like you would listen to them.”

  “I agreed.”

  He laughed long and hard. “You. Not. Get involved.” Valek paused to catch his breath. “You’ve been in the midst of trouble ever since you became the Commander’s food taster, love. You would never walk away.”

  I waited until he wiped the tears from his cheeks. “This is different. Then I didn’t have a choice.”

  “Oh? And you have a choice now?”

  “Yes. I’ll let the Council deal with these Vermin and I’ll stay out of trouble.”

  “But you know they can’t counter them.”

  “They don’t want my help.”

  Valek sobered and a hard edge glinted in his gaze. “What happens when the Vermin win?”

  “I’ll stay with you in Ixia.”

  “What about your parents? Leif? Moon Man? Irys? Do they come with you? And what happens when these Warpers with their incredible blood magic decide to follow you to Ixia? What choice will you have then?” He studied my face. “You can’t let your fear of the Fire Warper stop you from—”

  Annoyed, I snapped. “The Council has stopped me. They’re the ones who are against me.” Besides, I didn’t want to think about my family—they were all grown people able to look after themselves. Then why did guilt tug at my heart and doubt squeeze my chest?

  “You just said there’re a few Councilors on your side. Once the Council hears Marrok’s evidence tonight, they’ll believe you about the Wannabe King.”

  “How did you know about Marrok?” Irys had just told me this morning. I had insisted on attending Marrok’s questioning, but she said the session was closed, for Councilors only.

  Amusement returned to Valek’s face. “Servants. Their information network is far superior to a corps of trained spies.” In an offhand way, he added, “I’ll tell you about the session later tonight.”

  “You rat! It’s a closed meeting. Only you would try to pull it off.”

  “You know me, love.”

  “I know. You crave a challenge and you’re cocky.”

  He grinned. “I wouldn’t call it cocky. A certain amount of self-confidence is needed, especially for my line of work.” He turned serious. “And for yours.”

  I ignored the implication. “Speaking of work, we made a deal. Why are you here?”

  He stretched his arms over his head and yawned, pretending to consider my question.

  “Valek,” I warned, poking him in the ribs. “Tell me.”

  “The Commander sent me.”

  “Why?”

  “To assassinate the Sitian Council.”

  17

  I GAPED AT VALEK. Assassinating the Council would help the Vermin and support Cahil’s claims. “You’re not—”

  “No. It’s the wrong thing to do right now. The Commander based his decision on the state of Sitian affairs before these Vermin showed up. He allowed me a degree of flexibility on this mission. We need to find out what’s going on. The Council meeting tonight might reveal crucial information.”

  “We?”

  “Yes. We.”

  I sighed. I was disobeying direct orders from the Master Magicians and the Council again, getting involved with Sitian affairs. Would I ever agree with their decisions or was I deep down an Ixian just pretending to be impartial? Perhaps my session with Gede would be useful. I needed guidance as well as information.

  Valek and I agreed to meet back in my room later tonight. He left.

  Apprehension swirled around me like a thick fog as I dressed and walked to the Citadel’s guest quarters. The small clouds in the sky darkened as the light faded. The streets hummed with people finishing up their tasks for the day. Lamplighters began lighting the vast network of street lanterns. The main thoroughfares would be lit, but the back alleys would remain dark.

  My concern grew as I passed a number of Vermin sauntering along the streets as if they owned the place. I avoided their gazes and wondered how the Council could be so swayed by Cahil’s words. Perhaps a Warper had influenced them with magic, making them more agreeable.

  The Citadel’s guest quarters were located in a building behind the Council Hall and next to the stables. The two-story structure housed many apartments and I peered through the gloom, trying to determine which one Gede occupied. A shadow moved next to an entrance. Moon Man stepped from a pool of darkness.

  “This way,” he said.

  No emotion showed on his face. Gone was his sense of mischievousness and the spark of amusement in his eyes. I mi
ssed them.

  “Moon Man, I—”

  “You must not keep Gede waiting,” he said in a flat voice. “Your Story Weaver is ready for you.”

  He ushered me inside, closing and locking the door behind us. Heat pressed against my skin as if I stood in an oven. A roaring fire blazed in the hearth, illuminating the living area. All the furniture had been pushed against the walls. Gede sat cross-legged on a mat in front of the fire. A few Sandseeds sat in the cleared space in the center of the room.

  “Come. Sit.” Gede pointed to a mat in front of him.

  I hesitated.

  “You are the Soulfinder. You should not be afraid of fire. Sit or learn nothing.”

  Removing my cloak and pack, I placed them by the entrance. I longed to pull my bow from its holder but ignored the desire. Instead, I joined Gede on the floor. Sweat ran down his round face. His skin appeared black in the firelight. A trick of the light revealed an intricate tattoo design connecting the scars on his bare arms. But when I blinked, the design was gone.

  “As a Soulfinder you can examine a soul, twist it, hold it and return it. You can send your soul to others. And you can project your soul to the other worlds, and return without any harm being done to your body,” Gede instructed.

  “The other worlds?”

  “The fire world, the sky and the shadow world. You know about the shadow world from Moon Man. Moonlight is the gateway to the shadow world. The sky is the final resting place of our essence. The fire world is what some call the underworld. What it is supposed to be under, I have no idea. But that is where the Fire Warper lives. And where you must go.”

  “Why? Why must it be me?”

  Gede’s disappointment was evident by the sagging of his shoulders. “You are the Soulfinder. The Fire Warper’s soul is there.”

  The heat from the room baked into my body. My shirt clung to my back. “How do I get there?”

  “Through the fire.”

  When I didn’t say anything, Gede continued. “Only you can go in and leave without being harmed. The Warpers have been feeding this creature with souls from the Kirakawa ritual. His strength grows.”