by Frank Morin
Hamish said, “Gisela inspected the stone. Said it was fine. She had just completed it and sculpted it to higher concentration than most of the sculpted stones we use in mechanicals. Some kind of special new project.”
“We were going to use it to test river defenses in case of elfonnel attack from the Nister,” Jean explained.
For a moment Kilian looked older than usual. Sometimes it was easy to forget he’d lived more than three centuries. “We’re still missing something. He was young to try ascending, but I’ve seen other Petralists fail. Consequences can be severe, but I’ve never seen all affinities sundered.”
He looked to Connor, and Connor got the message. He needed to ascend the final threshold soon. The third threshold was supposed to be the most difficult.
No way Connor would fail. He’d survived too much to get destroyed in the very act of reaching for the power they needed to finally face the queen as equals.
Verena said, “The part that seems the most unusual was that he was trying to use the sculpted stone when it was quickened.”
“We do that all the time, don’t we?” Shona asked.
Jean said, “All of the sculpted stones in recent months have been only partially sculpted, and they’ve all been allocated for Builder use, usually for remotely activating mechanicals.”
Hamish added, “Few Petralists try tapping sculpted stones. It’s too ingrained into everyone that they’re too valuable and should only be tapped by the most powerful Petralists trying to ascend.”
“Wait a minute,” Connor interjected. “Aunt Ailsa partially sculpted some granite for me at the Carraig. It increased my granite strength like three times.”
“But no Builder had touched that,” Verena pointed out.
“Oh, yeah.” He’d thought he had something there. “The only other sculpted stones I’ve used was when I was ascending. So yeah, as crazy as it sounds, I don’t think any Petralist has tried tapping a quickened sculpted stone.”
Kilian was looking thoughtful. “I wish we could test if tapping a quickened sculpted stone would be dangerous for every Petralist.”
“Or if the fact that he had quickened it himself just before switching to soapstone had an effect,” Jean added.
“Or if he’s susceptible because he’s also a Builder,” Verena said.
Connor hated that they only seemed to find more questions, but no answers.
“One way to test it comes to mind, but I don’t like what that would cost us if we proved it true,” Ivor said with a grimace.
Neither did Connor. To test it, someone would need a volunteer to potentially lose all of their affinities forever. No one would agree to that.
“Don’t we have any prisoners from the battle of Merkland?” Verena asked.
“Would you really try tricking someone into destroying their affinities?” Kilian asked with a raised eyebrow.
She sighed. “Probably not, unless they were criminals.”
Kilian shook his head. “No criminals worthy of losing all of their affinities. Minor infractions are handled through regular discipline, but major crimes generally require execution. Justice tends to be carried out quickly in those cases.”
Hamish leaned back in his chair and said, “So we can’t prove one way or the other what happened.”
“I don’t know enough about how our affinities work to prove anything,” Connor admitted. “He can’t activate his affinities right now, although his Builder powers still work.”
“That’s better than nothing. Monitor him closely and inform me if his condition changes,” Kilian ordered.
Hamish added, “We’ve already issued an order to have everyone double check security of other sculpted stones. If there is a danger, we don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”
“If only Nicklaus hadn’t been so rash!” Verena cried, looking close to tears. Some days the boy’s pranks were truly annoying, but he had a good heart, and Verena was related.
“He’s a seven year-old boy with earth-shattering powers. Of course he’s going to do rash things,” Kilian said with the hint of a smile. “I’d be disappointed in him if he didn’t. I like to know the dangers to steer him away from, though.”
Aifric placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Connor wished they could do more for Nicklaus, but couldn’t think of what that might be.
Jean said, “Evander, now would be a great time to discuss those new insights about loaning Petralist powers.”
27
Old Secrets and New Affinities
Connor was eager to learn anything new about loaning powers. It was one of the queen’s unique abilities that they desperately needed to understand.
Kilian leaned forward in his chair. “We need a breakthrough, especially after unleashing those sculpted scones. We made a bold statement with that move. Even though the strike should be timed to hit when she thinks the senior Builders are dead, it could trigger an abrupt response.”
Aifric grinned. “That last spy will share a convincing story.”
Eventually the truth would get out, but Connor hoped the deception would fool the queen for a while.
Kilian said, “If she does buy it, even for a little while, that may give us an advantage when we strike, but it will only embolden her to move against Merkland and Granadure all the sooner.”
Verena asked, “Should we have invited one of our Althing counterparts to this meeting then?”
Kilian shook his head. “We’ll share that we expect an attack soon, but that’s not the main point of today’s discussion. They don’t need to know the specifics of our efforts to loan powers. Nor do I want them involved as we try to figure out my mother’s weakness.”
Evander gestured, his bowl of dessert nearly lost in his massive hand. “Butterflies flit about on the wind, but they migrate thousands of miles every year.”
It was not his most cryptic bit of Sentry speak, so he must’ve been trying to make a clear point. Connor figured maybe he was trying to say that they appeared as weak as butterflies compared to the queen. That part made sense, but he struggled with the rest. Was Evander suggesting they migrate somewhere really far away while they still had the chance? He doubted it, although the idea held a certain appeal. They might live a little longer.
Jean smiled. “Beautifully put. We may seem fragile, but together we can accomplish great things. If only we can learn her weakness.”
Verena said, “Builders, of course.”
Hamish nodded, but Connor said, “We suspect that because of Kirstin’s story, but that still doesn’t get us any closer to the truth.” He looked at Kilian and asked, “Can you tell us any more about what happened with your sister back then?”
Kilian’s expression turned thoughtful. Connor was surprised to see Aifric reach out and pat Kilian’s hand in a comforting way. He flashed his normal, roguish grin and said, “I’ve reviewed the memory many times this winter. I still don’t know what else I could add.”
“It’s got to be some kind of mechanical,” Hamish insisted.
Kilian shook his head. “My sister would never have designed anything with the intent of hurting my father. As distant as my mother could be, my father doted on Kirstin. He was one of the greatest champions of her work, encouraging her to unlock that brand-new aspect of power. He was the first sculptor, and together with my mother they had pioneered affinity powers. He was a firm believer that other aspects of stone-filtered power had yet to manifest itself.”
“You said they were testing something new she’d designed, right?” Connor pressed.
“Indeed. I don’t know what it was. I wasn’t there until after my father lost control and in a fit of madness raised an elfonnel and tried to lay waste to the city.”
Connor shivered to think of an elfonnel in the middle of a city. Even with Kilian and his mother nearby to stop it, the destruction must have been horrible.
Kilian continued. “Whatever triggered his madness, my mother seemed to understand. She didn’t explain
, but it absolutely terrified her. She was not as close to my sister as my father, but until the Great Purge, I would’ve sworn that her love for my sister was enough to prevent her from committing violence on her for any reason. Unfortunately, she lost part of her humanity returning from elfonnel form. She executed poor Kirstin, who was so distraught by what happened, I never got a chance to ask her about it.”
Connor was struck by a thought. “Your mother tried removing all evidence of Builders, so why didn’t she remove the speedcaravan, or Merkland’s walls? Wasn’t Merkland your sister’s summer place?”
Kilian nodded, and Evander said, “Tallan asked her not to.”
“I thought he rebelled?” Connor asked.
“Not at first,” Kilian said. “She loved him more than anyone. He alone had ascended the third threshold like she and my father. Sometimes she treated him more like her son than she did me. His revolt infuriated her in some ways even more than my sister’s accidental destruction of my father.” He blew out a breath and added softly, “Those were crazy days.”
Aifric patted his hand again, and seemed all too willing to comfort him as much as he wanted. Connor wondered if Cacilia had taken control again.
Verena tapped her spoon on her empty bowl, frowning in frustration. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. Your sister made so many new discoveries, some of which we’re just now starting to figure out. She was brilliant, and she learned things that we haven’t even imagined yet. We wouldn’t have figured out keystones or several of the other inventions that have proved critical in advancing our mechanicals without those glimpses into her ancient mechanicals.”
Hamish snapped his fingers. “Then we need to find that defensive mechanical buried in Merkland. It might give us hints into another of those higher-level aspects of building that we haven’t figured out yet.”
Verena grinned. “Give me another bowl of that dessert, Hamish. Clearly it’s inspired you, and we need more of that.”
She and Hamish looked ready to fly to Merkland that very night, but Jean said, “I think that’s a great idea, but we’re missing the other point. Evander, you said you had gained additional insights into how we can possibly loan Petralist powers. That could prove as critical as anything else we’re trying to do.”
Evander nodded. “There was one reference. It suggested that ascension was required to loan an affinity.”
If he kept speaking clearly so often, he was going to damage his reputation.
Jean said, “We suspected that much since all of our tests have failed. I wish we knew the next step.”
Ivor said, “Maybe we need to think outside of the affinity.”
“What do you mean?” General Wolfram asked. He too was looking thoughtful, and the crafty general had proven his brilliance many times. Connor was glad he was there.
“Ascension can only be done by the most powerful Petralists,” Ivor said, speaking slowly, brows furrowed in thought. “Usually that means Dawnus, at least. Harley was one of the most powerful ever, but was she somehow combining her powers? We’ve already shown that combining affinities can produce remarkable effects.”
That was a good point, and Connor exclaimed, “Hey, Harley was also the most powerful healer I’ve ever heard about besides Dreokt the Dreadful herself. Healing helps connect with a target person. Loaning an affinity is a form of connecting, right?”
“That might be the piece we’ve been missing,” Shona said eagerly. “How did you come up with that?”
Connor shrugged and gestured with his bowl. “Brain freeze, maybe? Slow the thoughts so that only the most important ones make it to the surface?”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Verena laughed.
“It worked, though, didn’t it?”
“Let’s hope,” Kilian said.
They needed that hope so badly.
Evander spoke slowly, looking pained like he often did when speaking clearly. “Lady Shona, if you will assist, I will attempt again to loan quartzite to you while also connecting with sandstone.”
She bowed her head in acknowledgment of the special effort he was making. “I’d be delighted.”
General Wolfram said, “I would like to assist too. I have a unique insight into how affinities feel, and might be able to help see connections that the rest of you might miss.”
Hamish frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Wolfram glanced to Kilian, who gave him a slight nod. Whatever he was going to share was a closely kept secret. Connor appreciated that they were finally giving a mystery reveal its due dignity. Everyone was leaning forward, eager to learn the secret. So much better than dropping a centuries-kept truth on the floor like a spilled sweetbread.
“I’m actually Agor in my primary affinity. My other affinity is with andesite,” Wolfram stated.
Shona chuckled. “I might have known.”
Connor shared a surprised look with Verena. “Andesite? I had no that idea that was a power stone.”
“It’s a closely guarded secret in both Obrion and Granadure,” Wolfram explained, tugging on one of his famous mustaches. “Generally only children of some of the highest houses are even tested with it. Andesite is a unique stone, and those who establish affinity with it are known as Seers.”
“Seers?” Jean asked, pulling her ever-present notebook out of a pocket.
Verena nodded slowly. “I’ve heard only a little about Seers.”
Shona said, “I guess you weren’t considered important enough to know.”
She spoke with no hint of malice, but didn’t need it for that jab to strike home. Verena did a remarkable job ignoring it. “My other work trumped any secondary distractions.”
The rebuttal wasn’t as strong as Verena usually managed. Shona seemed pleased as she licked her spoon. “My father used to have a Seer, but I’m not sure if any of the high houses have one at the moment.”
Wolfram said, “I have a very minor affinity, barely more than a glimmer, but it’s still helpful. Seers have the ability to sense the active affinities and the affinity potential in other people.”
Hamish exclaimed, “Wow. That’s amazing.”
A memory popped into Connor’s mind and he said, “That’s why the first time we shook hands, your expression changed.”
Wolfram nodded. “We had heard rumors that there might be someone with an exceptionally powerful affinity in that region. In addition to spiriting the captured Lady Shona away to barter for Nicklaus, Ilse was also on the lookout for the powerfully gifted, but as-yet unaffiliated person. That’s why she showed such restraint in the initial confrontations. Did you never question why she did not tap slate more often? Why she did not simply bury Captain Rory and his forces under the earth?”
“I always wondered about that,” Shona said. She looked like she couldn’t decide if she was more intrigued by the revelation or insulted that she wasn’t the only reason Ilse and her company had risked invading Obrion.
Connor gaped, adjusting his memory of those events to this new truth. At the time, he had not even understood that Ilse had a secondary or tertiary affinity. Now that he thought about it, a number of the Grandurians’ actions made much better sense. Ilse and Kilian both had exhibited unusual restraint. It amazed him to think they would take such risks on the simple rumor that maybe there was someone with a gift that they needed to find.
Hamish and Jean were looking equally thunderstruck. Jean said, “You must have heard more than a rumor. Your source must have been extremely credible.”
“Ailsa,” Connor stated as realization struck. It had to be Ailsa, but he still felt astonished that his aunt Ailsa’s spy network had extended into Granadure and beyond even before the first battle of Alasdair.
Kilian nodded. “We met her in Merkland, and she was the one who initially sent us up the wrong branch of the river, suggesting it was vitally important that we discover the Guardian who had not yet won patronage.”
“Ailsa has been a central player far longer than I suspected,�
� Shona said, her expression awed. “Every time I think I understand the scope of her influence, I realize I’m still underestimating her.”
“Why didn’t she just tell you my name? That would’ve saved us so much trouble,” Connor said.
Kilian spread his hands. “I’m not entirely sure, although I have my suspicions. It doesn’t matter at the moment. If we all survive to speak with her again, we can talk about all of our secrets and motivations ad nausea.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Connor grinned. Pulling secrets from Kilian sometimes seemed harder than pulling bacon from Hamish’s clenched jaws.
28
Time to Set the Board
When they consumed every last scrap of creamy dessert fairy kisses, Hamish produced a huge basket of assorted pastries and sweetbreads, all surrounding a fantastic bienenstich cake. The entire outer layer was coated in a honey-almond mixture of gooey, crunchy sweetness that exploded across Connor’s tongue before he even tapped quartzite. The interior was made up of two layers of heaven. A light yellow cake, moist and soft, with a rich creamy filler between layers.
Connor nearly swooned as he ate. The taste was like a golden river pouring down his tongue. For a moment he could only lean back, stare at the ceiling, and savor the moment. He had to keep reminding himself to breathe.
When Jean saw the horde of sweets she exclaimed, “Where did you get all this?”
Hamish spread his hands and grinned. “You’re not the only one who’s been preparing for difficult times. I have stashes all across New Schwinkendorf. If we’re going to suffer a siege, we need to make sure we have enough thinking food.”
Connor saluted Hamish with his fork and mumbled, “I concur.”
Verena regarded the new pile of sweets in wide-eyed dismay. “I can’t eat another bite or I’ll explode.”
Hamish grinned and grabbed a jelly-filled tart for her, but Connor waved him back. “If you’re going to push Verena to the stomach revolt point, we need to do it in a place where we’re better prepared to measure the distance.”
