by Adam D Jones
Aquillo had not explained where he was going, but Raine already knew. He crept to the door and slid out.
Raine took his time, letting the sleep leave him as he kicked up sand with his steps. The moonless night gave him no help, but he knew the way to the Bookhouse well enough to soon find himself leaning against the double doors as he stifled a yawn.
“Get in!”
Aquillo opened the doors and Raine nearly fell inside, where a lamp sitting on the floorboards emitted the tiniest amount of light. As he stumbled in, Raine noticed his foot moving toward a large hole in the Bookhouse floor.
“Watch out!” whispered Aquillo.
The books! Raine’s arms spun wildly as he tried not to fall forward.
“Easy.” Aquillo put his arms around Raine to steady him. “You should have guessed I would have this open.”
“Yeah, what was I thinking?” Raine grunted.
Aquillo raised the lantern and opened the hood, releasing a bit more light. The trap door in the floor was gone, Raine saw it propped up against the far wall, and a big, square-shaped hole remained in the ground; the hole was deep enough that if Raine stood inside his shoulders would barely clear the top. Leaning over, Raine could see the old books gathered at the bottom, scattered and forgotten.
“Nilus is going to leave those,” said Aquillo. “All of them.”
“Can’t have that!” Raine smiled. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Of course. I’ll get you a chair.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Trust me.” Aquillo patted him on the shoulder and left up the stairs. “You’ll want to go through them. I don’t believe for a second you’ll just pack them up and go back to sleep.”
He already knows me so well.
Raine knelt, peering into the hole, and examined the topmost book, barely able to make out the title: Of Alchemical Experiments in Sand Mixtures. Raine shook his head. That has to be the most boring secret book I ever heard of.
Aquillo returned, sauntering down the stairs with a chair in both arms and a bag slung over his shoulder.
“What’s in the pack?” asked Raine.
“Got to take as much as we can. Here.”
Raine shook his head. “I can’t very well reach the books when I’m sitting. But thanks all the same.”
“You’ll sit.” He put down the chair. “I mean, I assume you will want to sit.” Aquillo walked around to the other side of the hole and picked up the lantern.
He’s nervous.
Raine couldn’t remember the last time he’d made a friend who hadn’t saved his life somehow. Neither one of them was sure how it worked.
“Careful with the lantern.” Raine scanned for another book cover. “We don’t want people to see that light in the window.” His eyes had adjusted to the dim room now, and Raine could see there were at least fifteen books scattered in the deep hole in the floor. “So, no one reads these?”
Raine stood up and realized Aquillo wasn’t in front of him anymore. But the lantern now sat bright on the sill.
“Aquillo, are you crazy? Someone’ll see that and—”
There was a metallic sound as something hit the back of Raine’s skull. He staggered. Raine had nearly regained his balance when Aquillo grabbed him around the waist with one arm.
“What are you...” Raine struggled, but the blow to his head made him unable to focus. “Stop...”
A cloth was held over Raine’s mouth.
◆◆◆
Raine woke minutes later, smelling the acrid fumes of whatever had put him to sleep. His arms were tied behind him to the chair.
From where he sat, behind the hole in the floor and facing the front door, Raine had a view through one of the windows. Through the yellow glass he could see men in uniforms surrounding the longhouse.
“What have you done?” he hissed, realizing his throat was dry.
Aquillo stood by the window, looking out. “I’ve brought the Republic here.” He turned to Raine with a smile. “They have been waiting for my signal.”
“How long?” Raine pictured the Republic army hiding just out of sight and keeping quiet, not using fires or making noise, all so they could sneak up when they wanted.
“They’ve only been waiting a few days.”
Shots rang out. Raine jumped at the sound, but Aquillo kept smiling.
“The Lodi aren’t escaping?” said Raine.
“Where would they go? Hild got a few runners ready to leave in different directions to the west. They are doomed, even if the Republic fails to find them. Hild is keeping everyone here to distract the Republic and give those few a chance. Noble, Hild, but it won’t do you any good.”
Raine couldn’t hear anything clearly, but several men were shouting threats and firing their weapons in the air to frighten the Lodi.
“Watch,” said Aquillo.
Amidst the soldiers, Raine saw a familiar shape walk out with his hands in the air.
Marshal!
Marshal was shouting something Raine couldn’t hear. The Republic held still, not advancing or firing. Don’t they have a leader to tell them what to do? Marshal kept yelling, growing frustrated when they did not respond.
“You led them here?” gasped Raine.
“I let them know. I sent coded messages through Nilus’s people. They never knew they were couriering for me. I led the Republic here with promises of the forbidden books, but then I saw you, Raine, and I knew I had something that would really make my superior happy.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will.” Aquillo jumped a little in excitement and rubbed his hands together. “Hear those footsteps? I knew he could come. I knew it! The books are too alluring.” Aquillo ran around behind Raine and leaned on him, putting his hands on Raine’s shoulders. He placed his mouth directly next to Raine’s ear. “He can’t resist coming himself!”
“Who? What are you talking about?”
Outside, voices and footsteps drew near.
“Raine, smile—it’s not polite to be so downcast in front of the Sovereign!”
29
A grey-haired man, broad-shouldered and barrel-chested, threw open the door and strolled inside, flanked by a pair of soldiers. His body moved with a boldness that matched the intensity of his eyes, a hideous, sinister strength that defied his apparent age. His skin showed scars, cracks in a grey, hard surface that made him resemble a creature of stone underneath his uniform.
“Books burn so easily.” He cast his greedy glance up and down at the rising shelves. “The pages nearly reach for the flames—have you ever watched paper smolder away into nothing? Red lines spread from the corners and cross out the old words before each page shudders into ash.” His eyes settled on Raine, and recognition lit up his widening smile. “But you don’t burn so easily, do you, young Lodi? No. Your body resists, it wants to survive but only drags you through pain. You could learn a lesson from your books and stop resisting, but you’re too stubborn for that. Be comforted—you’ll make a fine centerpiece for my bonfire.” the Sovereign’s eyes held a cruel gleam, like a thin blade catching a flash of moonlight.
I really hate that guy. Raine struggled with the ropes.
“I hoped it would please you to see him.” Aquillo strolled around the pit. “There is more. That man out there trying to bargain with your men...his name is Marshal.”
the Sovereign raised an eyebrow.
Aquillo continued. “He’s one of the survivor’s from Whitesand. I don’t know if word reached—”
“I most certainly know of this man.” the Sovereign snarled and looked out the window. “Him, too, I must kill.”
Aquillo took another step closer to the Sovereign. Too close. The soldiers stepped forward, but the Sovereign shook his head at them.
“I am grateful.” the Sovereign turned to face Aquillo. “How shall I reward you?”
Aquillo put his hands behind his back, and Raine saw a flash of metal as a knife fell from inside his sleeve and dro
pped into his hand.
Raine tried to control his reaction. The Sovereign and his pair of soldiers hadn’t noticed Aquillo’s weapon. You could have told me this was a setup, Aquillo. I would have helped you!
Aquillo’s face hardened. “I can think of a fine reward.”
Wait, Aquillo—he’s strong!
Aquillo took a long stride and lunged.
the Sovereign stood stoically as the blade ripped into his vest, pushed through his uniform, and entered his chest. Aquillo managed to shove the blade in until most of it disappeared into the Sovereign’s flesh, but the old man only smiled.
Aquillo’s mouth fell open.
This isn’t possible. Raine had never heard of anyone, the Gifted or even the Outsiders, who could shrug off a wound like that.
With one thick hand, the Sovereign gripped Aquillo by the neck. Aquillo’s face reddened and his breathing stopped. He stared down at the Sovereign with pleading eyes. The Sovereign hurled Aquillo down into the book pit where he landed in a cloud of dust.
Say something, Aquillo! Move or talk or complain or something so I know you’re alive.
Raine heard a slight cough, barely more than the sound of choking. It would have to do.
“Did you send him here?” asked Raine.
the Sovereign turned and faced Raine, surprised, and Raine realized this powerful man wasn’t accustomed to answering questions.
“No.” the Sovereign strolled back and forth, looking up at the books. “He ran away on his own. Surprised everyone when he sent us a message asking to re-join the Chastened. Of course, he had some sins to atone for, so he led us here. He knew I wanted to see this place for myself.”
Raine wanted to know this one last thing before he died. “Why is killing us so important to you?”
“Killing you?” the Sovereign’s voice raised, like he felt insulted. “I’ve given you a chance to live! Put aside your foolish old legends and there will be peace—this has always been my promise, but there’s always someone like you to make sure we can’t have peace, isn’t there?” the Sovereign reached the stairs and climbed with loud steps.
In front of him, Aquillo writhed in the pit. I’ll get you out of here, Aquillo. Just hold on.
“You know what I mean.” Raine turned his head to the side. He could hear the Sovereign walking around the stairs behind him. “Why can’t we explore our gift? None of us have ever hurt you.”
But we could. Is that your problem? One Lodi might hurt you some day, so we’re all gonna have to die?
the Sovereign did not answer. By now he had walked around the spiraling staircase and stood in front of Raine, one floor up. He browsed a bookshelf, his back to Raine.
“It’s our history,” said Raine. “I don’t see how it bothers you. Can’t we live on our own? Explore our past? Why can’t you let us do that?”
the Sovereign spun around, gripping the rail. “Why can’t you stop?”
“What?”
“I’ve killed you, torn you apart, and taken everything away—and you people just won’t stop!” His eyes widened with each tense word. “Tell me, child, what will it take to make you give up!”
In his mad eyes Raine saw someone who shared his passion, someone else whose life was driven by the Lodi’s tantalizing legends. It was a shuddering thought. The Sovereign was driven, completely obsessed with the Gift in a way that had twisted up his mind.
Raine had read that corrupted passion was the worst kind, a good idea in the wrong hands. I’ve got to keep him talking. Maybe the runners who went into the desert will have more time that way. Maybe Marshal will think of something. Maybe I’ll get in a good joke before I’m burned alive.
“I should thank you,” said Raine, still struggling with the ropes.
“For putting you out of your misery?” the Sovereign called from above.
“For proving I’m right.”
the Sovereign tightened his grip on the railing, hard enough that Raine thought he heard the wood crack.
Raine managed to laugh. “When the Sovereign runs all over Telarine trying to stamp out a rumor, well, everyone and their brother’s gonna know you were afraid of something. Come tomorrow, they’ll all know that some Lodi are gifted. Gifted still. All you’ve done is tell everyone I was right!”
the Sovereign’s snarled face provided all the reward Raine would ever need, and Raine knew, even though he didn’t have long to live, that he could at least laugh all the way to his grave.
“It doesn’t matter.” the Sovereign loosened his grip. “I’ll kill all of you, all but the Chastened.”
“But it’s our gift!” Raine kept working at the ropes, but they only got tighter. “It’s all we have!”
“Your gift?” the Sovereign reached into his vest and removed a vial. “You’ve kept it from us long enough.”
I have a special diet, Raine remembered him saying, back in his office in Gamon. What’s he got in there?
the Sovereign drank the vial. After flashing a wicked smile, he opened his mouth and Raine saw the impossible.
A bright flash of orange light fled the Sovereign’s mouth, erupting in a gout of flame that billowed at Raine.
What?
Raine tried to back away from the impossible flames that reached nearly to him.
“You think it’s YOUR GIFT?” the Sovereign looked up at the books above him, on the next level, and his mouth let out another blast. The old tomes lit quickly when the fire touched them, and the new blaze set the room aglow. “The Lodi won’t hoard this power any longer!”
He turned around and breathed fire on more books around him. The old, dry pages caught readily, and the flames spread upward through the shelves. Bits of glowing ash began to drift down.
“It was never yours to begin with!” the Sovereign clutched the banister as he spoke, unafraid of the fire. “And only the Chastened will remain alive to understand what they’ve done. They will watch us—me—wield this gift you’ve kept to yourselves.” His gaze fell toward the pile of books in the pit where Aquillo stirred.
“No!” Raine screamed.
the Sovereign breathed a column of bright fire into the pit, and Aquillo emitted a whimpering cry. The old books, the last to tell the story of the Gift, embraced the flames and erupted in smoke, choking Aquillo. His final breaths, shallow gasps, were barely audible over the growing roar of flame.
The inferno built around them. Fire jumped from shelf to shelf, raining embers, coiling up the round walls like a glowing serpent.
But Raine heard something else.
A loud bang from outside made the Sovereign and his two men flinch. Sounds of screaming followed by a battery of gunshots.
“They’re fighting back!” laughed the Sovereign. “That fool, Marshal, has read too many stories.”
More gunfire erupted while a window shattered above them.
the Sovereign looked over the railing, down below at his guards. “Join them. We’ve been in here long enough.”
The two men turned to the door, moving quickly to leave the burning room.
“Stop.”
Raine turned around, looking up for the voice, but a shape moved past him. From somewhere above them fell the silhouette of a tall woman, drenched in water. She landed in front of Raine in a low crouch. As she rose, she lifted a pair of dry pistols.
the Sovereign’s men spread out and reached for their sidearms, but Amelia squeezed her triggers and both men fell.
“Fool woman.” the Sovereign gripped the rail and leaped over, down to her level.
“He’s strong, Amelia!” Raine shouted. “He’s stronger than you think!”
As soon as the Sovereign landed, Amelia’s boot swung into his face and knocked him back.
the Sovereign found his feet and reached for Amelia. His big hands grabbed her arms. He pushed Amelia toward the floor, leaning over her.
She stared up at him, her eyes trembling. Raine had seen husks perform acts of violence before, and the most disturbing part was always
the calm looks on their faces while they did the unthinkable. But Amelia was not calm. Her eyes burned with a hatred for the Sovereign that Raine wasn’t sure even he could match.
And she was screaming. Raine didn’t have the time to think about the words, but her mouth was flinging accusations so loudly they rose over the din of the battle outside.
Amelia quit struggling and let herself fall. The Sovereign, surprised by the sudden movement, fell forward, and Amelia rolled away from him. She swept her leg out and made him stumble to the ground. A knife appeared in her hands.
A creaking noise from above drew her attention. Leaping over the Sovereign, she ran around behind Raine and began inspecting the ropes that held him to the chair.
Another ceiling beam groaned. The Sovereign got to his feet and surveyed the burning room. He snarled at Amelia before fleeing outside.
So, he’s not invincible.
“Let’s go,” said Amelia. “Marshal told me to save you.”
“Much obliged.”
Raine waited, but he couldn’t feel her doing anything. The ropes remained tight.
“Amelia?”
“Yes?”
“You do realize...this room is on fire?”
“Apologies. Is it alright if I save you? You told me before I have to ask.”
“What? No, I want you want to read me something first—yes, you can save me!”
She cut his ropes and Raine stood, shaking off the bindings.
“Let’s get out there,” said Raine. He took a step toward the door.
“No.” Amelia grabbed his collar and pulled him toward the stairs.
He followed her up, wary of each plank. “These stairs are going to break!”
“Too many soldiers wait outside. We’ll use the roof and wait it out up there.”
“Wait it out!” Raine felt a board buckle under his feet. He stepped off just as it split in two and the pieces tumbled into darkness. “But the Sovereign’s men are opening fire out there.”
“The Republic has no cannons. Those are the sounds of the Corsairs.”
At the top, in the small room where Nilus normally slept, they stepped outside through a broken window and clung to the conical rooftop. Raine looked out and saw three sandships approaching while firing cannons at the Republic’s camp.
