The Amazon's Pledge- Ultimate Edition

by Sarah Hawke

  “I can’t tell if he’s trying to conscript an army or start a revolution,” Valuri muttered.

  “Both.”

  We all turned to face a hooded, elderly woman standing behind us. A single lock of silver hair spilled out from the shadowy cowl of her hood.

  “The good constable has lived in the shadow of better men ever since he was offered a seat on the Council,” she went on. “But with the death of Highlord Kastrius, the assassination of Councilor Vaneros, and the prolonged absence of Ranger-General Serrane…well, his voice has grown much louder. And for better or worse, the people of Highwind are desperate to listen to someone—anyone —who promises to keep them safe.”

  I was just about to ask her who she was when the truth belatedly struck me. The Aether swirling around her, and I felt like an idiot for not realizing the truth immediately.

  “Glad to see you’re still finding the time to catch some fresh air once in a while,” Valuri said.

  “A woman in my position can’t afford to hide in the shadows forever.” Solemi—aka “The Black Mistress,” aka “Silhouette”—lifted her chin and flashed us all a warm smile. “Thank the gods you made it back to the city in one piece. With all the rumors floating around about what happened in Icewatch…well, I feared the worst.”

  “We’re alive, and the north lives to fight another day,” I said, smiling back. “Unfortunately, we lost a potential ally along the way.”

  “Derec mentioned that Zalheer gave his life to protect Icewatch,” Solemi replied solemnly. “Such an incredible act of bravery for a man who had been forced to live in exile for so many years…”

  “He sacrificed himself so that I might return to Nol Krovos and save my people from the Inquisitrix,” Kaseya said. “You must help us return to the island as soon as possible.”

  Solemi arched both her silver eyebrows. “Sail to Nol Krovos? That…” She shook her head. “That may not be easy as you think.”

  “I’m sure we’ll figure something out, but we probably shouldn’t do it here,” I said, tossing a furtive glance around the plaza. “Things seem a lot less stable than when we left.”

  “The Senosi have struck at the very heart of the city. The old order is collapsing in on itself more quickly every day.” Solemi paused and glanced about the plaza. “Come—we have much to discuss.”

  ***

  A half an hour later, we had successfully navigated Darkwind’s labyrinthine illusions and arrived in the Black Mistress’s underground palace. I gave her the shortest possible explanation of everything we had learned along the way, from Ayrael’s relationship with the Roskarim to the Inquisitrix’s alleged plan to poison the Aether and collapse the Three Corridors. It all sounded even more preposterous aloud than it did in my head, which was no small feat. Nevertheless, Solemi took everything in stride. I expected nothing less from a powerful sorceress who had built her own shadow empire.

  “It’s almost unbelievable,” Solemi whispered as we strolled past the hot pools and steaming geysers festooned around the edges of the structure. “You are certain that this Fount of Velhari exists?”

  “Zalheer was,” Kaseya said. “He showed it to me in a vision, and he claims that it is one many such nexus points of energy built by the Avetharri elves in the distant past.”

  “You’ll forgive my skepticism, but there are many powerful channelers in the Northern Reaches. Why haven’t they sensed it?”

  “Maybe some of them have and they don’t know it,” I said. “If the Fount has always been there, they may not realize how different the Aether will feel without it. How would any of us know what darkness looked like if we lived in a place where the sun never set?”

  “An interesting point,” Solemi said. “Still, you must admit that it all seems a little…strange.”

  “It does, yes,” I admitted, choosing my words carefully. “But I saw the Fount in the Kaseya’s vision, and I have felt its power for myself. Its presence would also go a long way towards explaining why the amazons have such a strong connection to the Aether.”

  “Even if it’s not real, Ayrael and the Inquisitrix believe it is,” Valuri added. “They’ll attack Nol Krovos one way or another.”

  “She has already inflicted tremendous damage here with just a handful of her agents,” Solemi said. “Knights, rangers, priests, and now a councilor…the Senosi have thrown Highwind’s entire political order into chaos in a matter of weeks. They’ve been so effective that I’ve honestly wondered why the Inquisitrix bothered waiting so long.”

  “I assume she wanted to divert as many of the city’s forces north as possible,” Valuri suggested. “She had to know that a resurgent barbarian threat would draw Kastrius north and probably Serrane, too.”

  “And assuming her real target is Nol Krovos, it means she’s effectively bogged down all her potential enemies in a single stoke,” I added. “No one’s going to lift a finger to stop the Vorsalosian fleet with the Roskarim threatening the north and the Senosi running rampant across Highwind.”

  “Would anyone have offered to help my people regardless?” Kaseya asked pointedly.

  “No offense, Red, but your people haven’t exactly been open to alliances before,” Valuri said. “The amazons never lifted a finger during the War of the Three Cities or Winter War or any other conflict in the last…I don’t know, forever .”

  “I was not defending my people’s mistakes,” Kaseya said. “My only point is that Inquisitrix didn’t need to bother separating those who are already divided.”

  “Maybe not, but if she does poison the Fount and collapse the Three Corridors, the chaos outside right now will only be the beginning,” I said gravely. “Every city in the Northern Reaches will be ripe for conquest. And even if their governments don’t collapse outright, their people will be looking for a strong leader.”

  Valuri nodded. “The Inquisitrix is just repeating the same tactics that won her control of Vorsalos years ago. Beating back the Roskarim was a huge victory, but it’s not enough.”

  Solemi sighed softly when we entered her quasi throne room at the center of the spire. “Unfortunately, I’m not sure there’s anything we can do about that right now,” she said, sitting down and crossing her legs. “Hiring a ship to sail to Nol Krovos is a difficult prospect at the best of times. I’m afraid your people are not overly hospitable towards outsiders.”

  “I am not an outsider,” Kaseya said.

  “No, but whoever owns the ship you hire will be.” Solemi pursed her lips in thought. “I do have an old friend in Greygale who owes me a favor, but it will take time to contact him and make arrangements.”

  “How much time?” I asked.

  “Several days at best. A few weeks is more likely.”

  “We cannot afford to wait that long,” Kaseya said. “Perhaps we should travel to Ostvara ourselves and try to convince one of the local captains to help.”

  “We don’t have the coin for that, and even if we did there’s no guarantee we’d find anyone,” I said soberly. “What about a message? Considering you’re the one who told the amazons about Ayrael in the first place, you must have a way to speak with them.”

  “I don’t have a calling crystal linked to Nol Krovos, if that’s what you’re asking,” Solemi said. “But I do know a merchant who can send a messenger hawk. If you write a short letter, I should be able to get it delivered by the end of the week.”

  “I suppose that’s better than nothing,” I murmured. “Though I doubt you’ll be able to convince the Matriarch to take any drastic actions without meeting her in person.”

  Kaseya shook her head. “There must be another way. If my sister reaches the island before us…”

  “We’ll figure something out,” I promised. “We always do.”

  “I apologize that I can’t do more,” Solemi said. She sounded sincere, but that didn’t mean much considering she always sounded sincere.

  “Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky,” Valuri put in. “The Inquisitrix could always dis
patch her fleet to Highwind instead.”

  “I know you’re being sarcastic, but a naval attack through the river would be costly and pointless,” I said. “The ships would be bottlenecked. The Guild wizards could torch them before they ever got close. A water conquest of Highwind has never really been feasible.”

  “Yeah, well, before a few days ago a land invasion of the north during winter didn’t seem particularly feasible either,” she countered. “The Roskarim thought otherwise.”

  I grunted softly. I could hear the subtext behind her words: Val, like me, desperately wanted to believe that Zalheer had just been a crazy old man spouting nonsense. Sooner or later we were going to have to come to terms with the truth.

  “I’ll reach out to my contacts now and see what I can do,” Solemi said, “but in the meantime, Highwind could still use your help.”

  Valuri snorted and crossed her arms. “Highwind…or you ?”

  “Of late, they are one and the same,” the half-elf replied with a wry grin. “The Senosi threaten everything, and you know them better than anyone.”

  “Knowing about them and stopping them are two very different things,” Valuri countered.

  “She’s right, though,” Kaseya said. “Jorem and I have discovered a way to exploit their weaknesses. We may be the only ones capable of defeating them before it’s too late.”

  “Uh, let’s not get ourselves,” I said, raising my hands defensively. The last thing I wanted to do right now was volunteer to wage another war on behalf of a city I still didn’t really consider home.

  “The knights and wizards are powerless, Jorem,” Kaseya said gravely. “We need to do something.”

  “Like what? Wander around the city and hope the Senosi are stupid enough to attack us?”

  “I can track them through the Aether. Together we might be able to find and stop them before they can do any more harm.”

  I opened and closed my mouth several times before anything came out. She wasn’t wrong about her capabilities—it was entirely conceivable that the three of us could, in fact, hunt down and expose any Senosi hiding in the city. The problem was that doing so was about the last thing in the universe I wanted right now. After all the shit we went through at Icewatch, I really, really didn’t want her to start volunteering us for more mercenary work.

  “Red does make a good point,” Valuri conceded after a moment. “Even if we can’t root them all out, at the very least we could put them on the defensive. I know how they think—we’re used to being huntresses, not prey.”

  Kaseya eyed me for a long moment, and I was painfully aware of her ability to sense my mood. “You don’t agree.”

  “Let’s just say I’m not thrilled about the idea of wandering about the city like vigilantes,” I murmured. “Besides, leaving Darkwind is dangerous. The Archmage and his wife still hate us, you know. If their people spot us—”

  “There may be a way to solve both problems at once, actually,” Solemi interjected. “Archmage Beloran’s position on the Council is increasingly tenuous. Unlike his wife, he has never been a particularly shrewd politician, and the death of his closest ally has left him isolated and vulnerable. Until the nobles can agree on replacements for Highlord Kastrius and Councilor Vaneros, Beloran and Constable Mannick effectively rule the city.”

  “And I’m guessing they hate each other,” Valuri reasoned.

  “You guess correctly. The city is divided, but Beloran’s status as a hero of the Winter War has shielded him from his own missteps…so far, at least. But if something scandalous were to come to light—say, a secret plot by the Archmage and his wife to acquire and hoard all the vatari crystals in the region—then much of Beloran’s support would evaporate.”

  I grimaced. “Leaving that demagoguing idiot in charge of the city.”

  “Precisely,” Solemi said. “I have my problems with Beloran, but despite his many faults he is obviously preferable to Mannick. If the Constable has his way, the city will remain in total lockdown. The farmers in the plains will be left to fend for themselves, and his guardsmen will become little more than thugs.”

  “Until the other guilds inevitably fight back. I doubt the knights or rangers will just go along with a man they don’t like.”

  “Precisely. If we want to keep Highwind from descending into civil war, we need the Archmage’s reputation to remain intact.”

  “How can we possibly help him?” Valuri asked.

  “While you were gone, one of my people discovered the location of his vatari crystal stash,” Solemi said. “He and Telanya weren’t able to recover the stolen cargo from the caravan you escorted, but they still have a surprisingly large cache here in the city. With the Senosi growing bolder by the day, I fear that they may attempt to steal it. If my people were able to find it….”

  “Then the Senosi will eventually, too,” Valuri reasoned. She swore under her breath. “I don’t particularly care about that old letch’s reputation, but we need to prevent the Inquisitrix from getting her hands on any more crystals.”

  “Surely the Headmistress and the Archmage are aware of this vulnerability,” Kaseya said.

  “They’re not stupid, obviously, but their options are limited,” Solemi said. “The Highwind Guard is on full alert these days, and moving the crystals runs the risk of being discovered by the Council. If that happens, who knows how Constable Mannick will respond? He’s always been an ambitious man, and fate has culled most of his rivals for him.”

  “Even if he found the crystals, do you really think the people would turn against Beloran?” Valuri asked. “He’s the Archmage—he’s a hero of the Winter War!”

  “Anything is possible when people are this afraid. And like I said, Beloran has never been a particularly competent politician. Even many of his own wizards dislike him. His power base could collapse at a moment’s notice.”

  “What about Telanya?” I asked.

  “She’s smarter than her husband, obviously, but she’s also a foreigner who married into political power,” Solemi said. “Many of the nobles already distrust her. She will share her husband’s fate.”

  Valuri groaned and rubbed at her temples. “What a bloody mess…”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  I sighed and paced back and forth in thought for a moment. “You have connections all over the city, and I know for a fact you have smugglers who can move illegal magical items in and out of the city. Maybe this is an opportunity to forge a little alliance. If we can help sweep Beloran and Telanya’s problem under the rug, maybe they won’t hate us quite as much for betraying them.”

  Solemi smiled. “Your cleverness never fails to impress me, Jorem.”

  Val rolled her eyes and scoffed in disgust. “He just wants to impress that blonde bitch so he can fuck her again. There’s nothing clever about it.”

  “One of these days you could at least consider giving me credit for something,” I grumbled.

  “Unlikely.”

  I sighed and glanced back to Kaseya. I could see the concern in her eyes—not about the nuances of Highwind politics, but about her imperiled homeland. If we had a ship I would have gladly hopped aboard and left all this nonsense behind, but that simply wasn’t an option. Not yet, and possibly not ever.

  “I suppose we might as well see what we can do,” I murmured. “Do you have any ideas?”

  “As you said, I do have people who are capable of moving the crystals more or less discreetly,” Solemi said. “It will take time to assemble a team, though. For now, perhaps we should just keep watch on the warehouse. If the Senosi attempt to steal the crystals, you can intervene. If not…well, if not hopefully I’ll be able to fetch a ship for you before too long.”

  “I’ve heard worse ideas,” Valuri said. “By our usual standards, at least. Which isn’t really saying much…”

  I snorted “Well, we still have a few hours before nightfall. We might as well make the most of it.”

  ***

  “Why the hell did we e
ver leave this place?” Valuri asked as she sank down into the steaming hot spring. “We could have spent the last two weeks bathing, swimming, and fucking all day every day. What were we thinking?”

  “That’s a good question,” I murmured, closing my eyes and basking in the warmth of the water. We had only been gone a few weeks, but it felt like years. Everything was changing so quickly…

  “Well, if we only have a few hours I plan to make the most of it,” Valuri said. She dunked her head beneath the water, then popped up and pointed to one of the nearby servants. “You’re the one who gave Red a massage last time, right? The one whose arm she almost broke?”

  The young, muscle-bound man nodded and stepped forward anxiously. “Y-yes, mistress,” he blubbered.

  “Don’t worry: you can touch me wherever you want as long as you know what you’re doing.” Val popped up out of the pool and slapped the man on the arm. “How’s your cock?”

  Before he could respond, she pulled off his towel and shrugged at his semi-rigid member.

  “Good enough, I suppose,” she said. “At least he’s already awake. I’m not a patient girl.”

  She beckoned him over to one of the stone slabs near the wall and laid face down so he could begin his massage. I snorted and shook my head.

  “I’ve never met another woman quite like her,” Kaseya said, pressing up against me.

  “And I doubt you ever will,” I murmured.

  The amazon gently touched my chin and pulled my head back to face her. “It feels like it’s been forever since we had a moment alone together.”