by Amanda Fleet
“Enough? Put the original one back on? Or leave that one on? It’s exhausting having Aegyir swamp my brain. He’s too strong for me to see into his head. I don’t know where he is.”
Faran’s lips thinned, his face screaming, “I told you so!”
“At least you know all of those stones work as protection against possession,” I said.
Hesta’s head snapped up. “Indeed. We do not know if they protect against attack by a demon.”
A cold pit formed in my stomach. Was she suggesting she put the necklaces on innocent people, expose them to the demons we brought back and see if they survived? Who was she thinking of using as test subjects? Had there been arrests of rioters? Deep down, I knew the answers. If I raised it, Lord Eredan would ask me what alternative I could offer, and regrettably, I had none.
Faran put the original talisman back on me and unfastened the cuffs. “Are you okay?”
“Bad headache, but I’ll be fine.”
“Hesta, you have my full authority to continue tests on the stones.” Lord Eredan held my gaze for a moment. “I want all Guardians to be protected before they go outside the city, but I also want to know if grinding these stones to dust and using it on the demons will destroy them.”
She gathered up her bag. “And what about the other stones?”
“Talismans first. And be frugal. We’re limited to the stones you have. It isn’t possible to get more.”
There might be more of these stones Outside, but I’d chipped out all of the seam I’d found.
Hesta shot a glance towards the neighbouring cell, saying nothing. I wondered what experiments were being done on Orian and if he would be given a talisman. Maybe now they’d tested all of these stones, he could get one.
What if he did and his leathers still failed?
I shook the thought from my head. I knew the answer. Lord Eredan would protect The Realm, even at the cost of the life of one of his sons.
***
“I think they’re experimenting on your brother,” I said.
Faran’s hand paused as he passed me a glass of a special drink to soothe my head. After my ordeal in the cells, we’d come back to our rooms and I sat on the bed, cross-legged, looking up at him.
“What do you think they’re doing?” he said.
“I don’t know, but they could have tested all those stones on him, but waited to test them on me.”
“But no one would believe he’s not still traitorous, even with the talisman on.”
I finished the drink and handed the empty cup back to him. “You don’t need to. You just need to try to cut his leathers. Like you just did with me.”
Faran sat next to me, making the bed dip sharply. “Assuming it is linked to Aegyir’s blood and that Orian’s not a traitor anyway.”
“Do you think he’ll get a talisman to keep Aegyir out of his head? Or is your father holding off, just in case it doesn’t work?”
Faran mimicked my pose, sitting cross-legged and leaning his elbows on his knees. “Father doesn’t normally shy away from anything. But he’ll also be frugal with limited assets. He needs protected Guardians on the front line. Even if Orian had a talisman, I doubt Father would trust him enough to send him out to fight. And maybe you’re right. If he puts a talisman on Orian and his leathers still fail, he has no options.”
“But Aegyir’s in his head, day and night.”
Faran shrugged. “Orian knows nothing. He sees only his cell all day.”
That hadn’t been what I meant. If Aegyir was in my head all day and night, I’d go insane. I didn’t think Orian was much different.
“What do you think the other stones do?” said Faran, interrupting my thoughts.
“Hesta’s only made one report so far. She’d tested the stones labelled ‘death’ and ‘poison’ on the demons and neither had any effect. They certainly didn’t destroy the demons.”
“Which is the one that the talisman is made of?”
“Death.”
“And that didn’t work on the demons?” His brow furrowed.
“Not while they were mist, no.”
I watched Faran’s eyes widen as he realised what that meant.
“Maybe one of the other stones will work on the mist?” he said. “What were the other labels?”
“‘Warning’ which was a stone that looked like the charm-bracelet. I think Hesta will have had those stones made up into more bracelets for those going out on patrol. With two demons with form in her custody, they should be easy to test. The other type of stone was labelled ‘slaves’. I’m hoping they’ll help us to spot enslaved people. Unless Hesta’s managed to kill them all, there should be some left with the technicians for them to test that.” I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice.
I rolled my neck, exhausted. Faran offered me his arms, and I unknotted my legs and leaned into him.
“At least we know the stones will protect the Guardians,” he said.
“By tomorrow, we’ll probably know if grinding them up and putting them on the demons destroys them.”
“Were you able to see into Aegyir’s mind at all?”
I rubbed my cheek on his shoulder. “No. So I guess we’ll be following your plan of looking for the trail of bodies.”
“Mm. I suspect, given our record, Sondan will be sending us out to hunt down demons.”
I closed my eyes, my spine sagging. “I’m beginning to feel less like a person and more like an asset to be deployed.”
He kissed the nape of my neck. “You are an asset to be deployed. One that’s brought back four of the seven captured demons and retrieved stones from Outside that could help to destroy them.”
“At what cost? I’m not a machine.”
“I know.” He kissed my neck again. “But soon, we might have removed all the demons from The Realm.”
“And then? What will be left of The Realm by the time that happens? How many will be dead? What will the provinces think of the Guardians?”
“I don’t know. We deal with that when it happens.” He squeezed me. “Come to bed.”
In bed, I soaked up his warmth, my fingers teasing through the hairs below his navel. He stared at the glass ceiling above us, his muscles tight.
“What’s wrong?” I touched a kiss to his shoulder. “Are you still pissed off about me volunteering to take the talisman off?”
“No. Not now.”
“So what’s up?”
There was a long silence before he answered. “You’ve never been so angry with me you’ve hit me outside of the training rooms. Never.”
Guilt bowled through me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
He let his breath go with a soft chuffing sound. “Aeron, I don’t care that you hit me. I know why you were so angry. But we’ve never gone to sleep without making up.” He turned his head to face me. “You and I both have hot tempers and we lose them. We burn them off in the training room. We’ve always argued passionately and fought passionately…”
“But we always make up passionately, too.” My insides fizzed as I remembered just how physical we got between the sheets after a blazing row.
“Mm. But tonight, you’re curled with me as if you’re just going to go to sleep. I…” He tailed off and closed his eyes, his face pained.
I rubbed his chest. “Faran. Say what you need to say.”
He breathed steadily for a few minutes. “Today, we lost Lord Cerewen. You didn’t get Aegyir. You were livid with me. Understandably. We both lost our tempers… and you’re barely touching me. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong tonight.” He scraped a hand through his hair, his face contorted. “And it’s not that I want sex… well, actually that’s not true, I do, but…” He gave me a rueful smile. “I know you said you need to take things slowly, but I feel like you don’t want me like that any longer. If you were still angry with me, at least I could hope you’d cool off eventually.”
“I’m not still angry with you.”
His ga
ze locked on the stars above us. “Is it really that you just need time? Or is it me? Tonight, after everything that’s happened… You’re still in night-clothes and I’m still in shorts and you seem ready to just sleep. Is it Finn? Did you go to his grave again?”
Finn was part of the problem, but not the way Faran thought. Little by little, my memories of Finn were fading. The closer I got to Faran, the further I was from Finn, and I was scared that eventually, I’d forget Finn entirely.
“No, I didn’t go to his grave,” I said, my voice wobbly.
He hauled in a deep breath, letting it go slowly. “Then what? You say you need me, and that you remember what our marriage was like, and yet tonight, after some of the most awful days I can remember, you’re not even kissing me!”
I stroked his skin, wishing I could soothe him. “You’re not doing anything wrong.”
He snorted. “I clearly am!” He screwed his face up, pulling me close to him. “Aeron, I ache for you. It’s like half of me is gone. You’re here, but you’re not with me.” He threw his head back. “Fuck, I want you tonight.”
I wasn’t ready for that. Well, my head wasn’t. My body? That was a different matter entirely. The lightest touch from Faran turned me on and made me crave more.
His eyes slid to me. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to be patient.”
“I know. And I do need you.” I swallowed, torn. Finn was dead. Whether my future was in The Realm or Outside, I wanted it to be with Faran, but I wasn’t ready to let go of Finn yet. Not completely. “I don’t want to just curl up and sleep, but take it slowly?” I touched his jaw, drawing his face round until he looked at me. “Kiss me.”
His eyes were dark with longing, and he didn’t need a second invitation. His teeth grazed my lips, and he kissed me hungrily.
“Damn, you’re good,” I gasped, my body burning for him.
A light laugh caught between us. “So are you.”
He leaned in to kiss me again, turning my insides liquid. I traced my fingertips over his skin, following the lines of his muscles, yearning for his touch. Gentle fingers drew patterns on my skin making it spring up into goose bumps, his hands exploring under my top. It wasn’t long before he’d stripped it from me, and my shorts slipped over my hips.
“Can I take these off you?”
“Sure,” I cheeped, making him laugh.
“Too fast?”
“Um. No. You’re okay.” My voice was still at least an octave higher than normal.
My shorts followed my top on to the floor, and his hand drifted between my legs. I snatched a ragged breath as his fingers slipped inside me.
“Good?” He kissed my neck, his teeth nipping gently.
“Mm,” I squeaked, and his chuckle brushed my skin.
After a couple of minutes, he paused, searching my face. “What am I doing wrong?”
His words surprised me. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. I was turning into a melted puddle.
“Nothing. Why?”
He hesitated. “Because normally, your hands are all over me by this point, and you’re barely touching me.”
“Oh. You’re not doing anything wrong. I’d have thought you’d be able to tell!”
He grinned cheekily. “Mm. Any chance I’m going to lose my shorts?”
Belatedly, I helped him out of them. He kissed down my abdomen.
“Oi. Where are you going?” I said as his lips brushed my hip bone.
“Where do you think I’m going?” I squirmed and he peered up the bed at me. “Does this not turn you on any more?”
It did. Far too much.
“Yes. Just slow down. Come back up here?”
He crawled up the bed and lay on his side, his hand resting lightly on my stomach. “Too fast?” His brow puckered. “Or…? Because that always made both of us feel better.”
“I know. I remember. Let me explore you for a bit?” I pushed him on to his back and kissed his collarbone, tracing my fingers over his muscles. “Have I ever told you that you have an amazing body?”
“Mm.” He wriggled as I kissed down his torso. “When you drew me.”
I giggled. “You are so ticklish!” I reached his navel and blew a raspberry on him.
His knee came up sharply, clattering into my head. “Sorry! I wasn’t expecting that!”
I laughed, rolling away. “Have I never done that to you before?”
“No. Did I hurt you?”
“No.” I tickled him, making him squirm.
“I’ll retaliate,” he warned, grabbing my hands.
I leaned in and blew another raspberry on his neck, making him yelp. “Yeah, but you’re far more ticklish than me.”
“If you think us fighting in bed is in any way going to make me want to slow down, you’ve forgotten a lot about me!” He pinned my arms behind me, challenge in his face.
“Okay. Fair point.” I eased my hands free and cuddled against him. “Let’s save that for another night.”
He raised a brow. “Promise?”
“Mm. I promise.” I stretched languidly next to him. “Maybe we should go to sleep.”
“Sleep? Seriously?”
I kissed his shoulder. “Okay. Maybe not. There’s still quite a lot of you to explore. Just try not to kick me in the head again!”
21
Breakfast had been even more frugal than the day before, and I wondered how much food was making it into the city. I wasn’t still hungry after the meal, but I suspected I’d be ravenous by lunch. Faran had been sent off on patrol as soon as breakfast was over. I’d be going out in a group led by Lord Sondan once this Council meeting had finished.
I glanced around the Great Hall. Hesta lurked in the wings. What experiments had she been doing that she would be reporting on? Lord Eredan, sitting in his ornately carved chair, looked serious, but that wasn’t especially new. Lord Sondan, seated next to me, seemed more worried than usual.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered to him, but he shook his head.
Lord Cerewen’s seat remained empty. Was there no one else in his family to take it? Perhaps there was more than one and there would need to be a vote.
The low murmur of voices quieted as Lord Eredan walked to the centre of the hall, holding a sheet of paper in his hand. “Good morning. A lot of business to cover. Hesta. Come and give your report and then you can go. I don’t want to waste your time leaving you waiting while we discuss other matters.”
Lord Eredan wouldn’t care who he left waiting. I presumed he just didn’t want her to hear whatever the other business was.
Hesta stepped forwards to stand next to him. “Thank you, Lord Eredan. Last night, we tested all of the stones labelled ‘death’ that Lady Aeron brought from Outside to see if they would block the influence of a demon. We’ve also done other tests and, unfortunately, the stones don’t protect non-Guardians from being able to be killed by a demon.”
What? I almost missed the next part in my shock.
“Nor do they protect non-Guardians from being enslaved if they take a demon’s blood.”
I tried to raise my hand, but Lord Sondan grabbed my wrist and pulled it down. “Sh. Later. I know what you want to ask.”
I glared but held my tongue. We’d only brought back people who were already enslaved.
Hesta’s gaze rested on us for a moment before she carried on. “We don’t have any Guardians to test. Our recommendation is to test the stones in the field. We’ve made a number of necklaces with the stones. Some of them have been retained to grind to dust.”
“Have you tested the dust on the demons that were brought back?” asked Lord Eredan.
Hesta nodded. “We tested the dust on those demons returned in vessels, and it had no effect. However, we had three Guardians make a triad around weak demons and stab them, before scattering the dust over their bodies. This destroyed three demons with form, as far as we can tell.”
Three? Lord Sondan held my wrist in a vice-like grip while my blood boiled. Only two demons with form h
ad been brought back, so another one had been ‘fed’ someone before being destroyed.
“What happens to the demons?” Lord Eredan turned to stare at me and Lord Sondan, his gaze resting on Lord Sondan still pinning my hand down.
“They don’t change to mist, nor do they return to a wraith-like form. They shrivel and die. They look like long-dead people left out to dry. I’ve asked the librarians to scour the archives to see what should be done with the remains, to ensure they can’t be returned to wraiths or demons.”
Lord Eredan rotated to face her again, his hands behind his back. “Good. How much stone dust was needed to destroy each demon?”
“Approximately the equivalent of the final part of a thumb. Though each of the demons was weak by the time we tested the dust.”
I tried to work out how many weak demons could be killed by the amount of stone I’d brought back. All of them?
“Any other results?” said Lord Eredan, flexing his foot.
“Once one of the demons was treated with the stone dust, the person it had enslaved became free again. We’d like some Guardian volunteers to help with further tests. Initial results indicate that the stones labelled ‘warning’ and ‘slaves’ might give Guardians warning of nearby demons or enslaved people. We’re not sure this is true for all Guardians as we’ve only been able to test this with a Guardian who’s already enslaved. This might affect the results. They do not give non-Guardians any warning.”
She must have tested the ‘slaves’ stone on Orian.
Hesta hadn’t finished. “Ground up, the stone labelled ‘slaves’ caused permanent blistering on the skin of enslaved people. It had no effect on the skin of an enslaved Guardian. However, it glowed and grew hot when worn by an enslaved Guardian in the vicinity of an enslaved non-Guardian.” She paused before looking straight at Lord Sondan. “I wondered if Cenan might volunteer to help with the tests.”
I gulped audibly. Lord Sondan shushed me again.
“The Council will consider your request,” said Lord Eredan. “Thank you.”
Hesta stepped back, and Lord Eredan waved her away.
He waited until she was clear of the Great Hall before turning to face the Council. “Last night, there was a serious breach of the city gates. Several people stormed the city. They were all apprehended. Some of them were enslaved, though not all. By storming the city, they forfeited their right to protection by the Guardians.”
