Rielle winced. “Dahli.”
“Surely you do not object to that.”
She shifted in her chair. “No.”
“And yet?”
She sighed. “Dahli is acting out of grief and loyalty. He truly believes that the worlds need Valhan. It would be easier to kill him if he was motivated by greed and lust for power. I’ve met rebels far worse than he.” I killed a rebel far worse than Dahli, and that still bothers me, she wanted to say, but she closed her mouth and let the confession remain unspoken.
Baluka’s expression softened, then grew hard again.
“And yet he has done terrible things, and would kill people we love.”
“I know.” Rielle grimaced. “I’m not excusing him. I will kill him to protect them, if I have to.”
“But you hesitate to.” Baluka leaned forward. “So you definitely can’t confront him alone. If he senses the slightest reluctance, he’ll exploit it. Let me gather an army and we will enter the base together.”
She bowed her head. “I would appreciate your help. I admit I need it.”
“You will have to become one of my generals.”
She opened a mouth to object, but he continued on. “You are too ambiguous a figure to expect help from the Restorers without question. They know you lived with Valhan for a time. They know you left me in order to serve him. They have only recently learned that you rescued Qall to prevent Valhan returning. They are not sure what to make of you, so you need to make your position clear. You need to tell them Qall’s story, or when we fight through to him they will mistake him for Valhan, and try to kill him.”
Closing her mouth, she nodded. “Very well.”
“You also need to decide what to do about Tyen.”
All her muscles went rigid. She did not want to even think about Tyen.
“Must I?” Her voice sounded like another person’s: it was so cold.
“I met him recently,” Baluka told her. “In fact, we managed to ambush him, and I think we might have been able to eliminate him if we’d tried.”
Rielle’s heart shrank at the thought of Tyen dying. Don’t be a fool, she told it. He betrayed you. “Why didn’t you?”
Baluka smiled faintly. “He admitted to everything, then he hinted that he was doing it all for you. If Dahli could find another way to resurrect Valhan, he might not spend as much energy and time searching for you.”
“But … what if he succeeded?”
“He believes the Restorers could deal with Valhan.”
She let out a bark of laughter. “How nice of him to have such confidence in you that he’d arrange a battle to prove it! How did you react to that?”
Baluka shrugged. “I don’t know whether to be flattered that he thinks we could or terrified that he feels he has no choice but to hope we can.”
“So you believe him?”
Baluka hesitated, then nodded. “I admit my trust is as much instinctive as reasoned. However, this was before Qall joined Dahli. That will have made Tyen’s efforts to find another way to resurrect Valhan redundant.”
“Dahli wouldn’t need him,” Rielle said. Then she shivered as she realised she was wrong. “Oh. Yes, he would. To perform the resurrection.”
“Will he do it?”
“I … I don’t know,” Rielle admitted. If Tyen had been lying to Baluka about his reasons for joining Dahli, then she had no doubt he would. If he hadn’t been, then perhaps he would refuse to. Unless Dahli found a way to blackmail him too. “I think we have to act as if he would. We can’t afford to hope otherwise.”
“I agree.” Baluka paused. “You’re already sounding like a general. So will you help me lead the army?”
Rielle nodded.
Baluka smiled. “Welcome to the ranks of the Restorers, Rielle.”
PART SEVEN
TYEN
CHAPTER 19
The clock in the hall measured Traveller time. Though it was small in comparison, it reminded Tyen of the enormous timepiece that had dominated the hall of Valhan’s palace. The light within the black marble room never changed, and the local days were short compared to most worlds,’ so Dahli used the clock to decide when they would eat and sleep. He had arranged for another bed to be brought in for Tyen. Dahli did not appear to sleep, though it was possible he did during the rare times he was absent. Zeke had taken a room within the palace.
Servants brought food at regular intervals, topped up the lamp oil and emptied the portable cabinet that served as a toilet—a local invention that Tyen thought was crude and ridiculous, but both Dahli and Qall did not appear to mind. Sorcerers stood guard beside the doors and in each corner of the room, watching Qall.
The torch flames were reflected in both the glossy floor and low ceiling, and those reflections replicated in turn, which made the space seem larger. Yet it felt claustrophobic. Perhaps only because Tyen knew it was a prison.
Whenever Tyen read minds beyond the room, he saw images of a sprawling, neglected palace bathed in the unvarying glow of a purple sky. He had learned that the civilisation here was a shadow of one that had once thrived for centuries. It was in decline now, mirroring the fading of the sky’s light. Crops no longer grew well. Animals sickened easily. The Diminishing had been predicted hundreds of years before, when scholars venturing offworld had stumbled upon tales about their world which described the long, relentless cycles that took it from prosperity to poverty. Some had left; some hoped their descendants would survive the Diminishing; some stayed because they refused to believe in it.
Dahli had chosen this world because it was still a rich source of magic. Once the people’s fortunes had begun to fail, otherworld traders had stopped coming. Along with the general population’s caution with resources, local sorcerers became frugal in their use of magic, predicting that it too would decline.
“I’ve created a noise-distorting shield again,” Qall said, then sighed. “It is a relief when Dahli leaves, as it gives us a chance to talk, but I worry what he’s up to.”
Tyen nodded. “It gives him a chance to unblock his memories and progress with his plans.”
Qall had taken advantage of all Dahli’s absences to talk openly with Tyen. In the first conversation, he’d assured Tyen that Dahli couldn’t blackmail him by threatening to send Inekera to kill Rielle. “I left her in the same world,” a glint of dark humour lighting his eyes. “But on the other side so she can’t cause Rielle any trouble.”
Then he’d asked Tyen to teach him about fighting with magic. Tyen had pointed out that the guards would report if they began sparring, so he could only tell Qall what he knew.
In the first few sessions, he’d described battles he’d seen and heard about. Qall listened to all with rapt attention. Soon Qall began asking questions, and now their time together was mainly filled with discussion of battle strategy.
“Rielle was teaching me ways to fight a large group of weaker sorcerers,” Qall began, “but she didn’t think I’d need to know how to deal with one strong one.”
“That makes sense,” Tyen replied. “The conflict you are most likely to face will be a battle against many.”
“But I could end up fighting a single, strong sorcerer.”
“There are only two who come close to you in strength. I don’t think Rielle will want to fight you, and I certainly don’t.”
“What about the Raen?”
“But that would mean that you … oh, do you mean if Dahli decided I should go back to my experiments?”
Qall nodded.
“If the Raen returns exactly how he was before, I’d advise you get as far away from him as you can. He has a thousand cycles of experience and—unlike Rielle and me—will kill without hesitation or regret.”
The young man considered that for a moment, then his head tilted sideways a little.
“What a strange coincidence it is that you and Rielle are the same strength, and you ran into each other.”
Tyen shrugged. “It is not strange that the strongest
of sorcerers should meet when the worlds are in upheaval—and it could be that our powers aren’t exactly the same, just close enough to prevent mind reading.”
“I suppose it is not strange that the strongest of sorcerers should meet when the dominance of the worlds is challenged,” Qall agreed. “Which is why I need to know how to deal with a single powerful sorcerer. What if there are more of you?”
Tyen nodded. “It is possible there are more. The Raen, and probably the Predecessors before him, killed off anyone who could become a threat. For all we know, sorcerers of my and Rielle’s strength are normally more common.”
“If they killed them off before they could become a threat, then they rarely faced an adversary who could truly challenge them. Perhaps the only reason they were defeated is because they got lazy or forgot how to fight anyone close to them in strength.”
It was Tyen’s turn to sit in silent contemplation. Just how strange is it that Rielle and I exist at the same time? Are there more sorcerers of our strength out there?
“I—” he began.
“Wait …” Qall looked towards the door. “A servant is coming.”
Sure enough, a door opened and a servant entered into the room. He hurried towards them, resisting the temptation to glance around the room. He knew it was dangerous in here, and had heard how his great-grandfather had once assisted in cleaning it of hundreds of mutilated bodies back when neighbouring worlds had looked upon this one with envy. Everyone had supposed that, now the Diminishing had started, having no riches for outsiders to covet meant they were in no danger of invasion. Then these otherworlders had arrived, demanding occupation of it and part of the palace. At least they bring food in, the man thought, and are generous about sharing it.
Ten paces away, the servant paused to bow, then scurried forward to place the tray on a table. It was covered in several small bowls filled with different kinds of food and liquids. Bowing again, he waited to see if they would give him further orders. When they didn’t, he bowed a third time and retreated from the room.
“What is it exactly that is so dangerous about this room?” Tyen asked.
“Only Dahli knows, and he has blocked his memory of it. If we’re attacked, he’ll access the memory so that he can trigger the trap.”
“Another blocked memory, eh?” Tyen shook his head. “His mind must be full of them.”
Qall selected one of the bowls of liquid and sipped. “This is good. Sweet, but not too much so,” he murmured. Tyen moved another bowl closer, but he was more hungry than thirsty and helped himself to the food.
“What do you think would happen if I accessed the memories in Valhan’s hand,” Qall asked.
Surprised by the question, Tyen swallowed a little too soon. He coughed, reached for the bowl and considered his answer as he rinsed away the food lodged in his throat.
“If you merely read them, then nothing.”
“That would take a long time, wouldn’t it? He lived a thousand years. What do you think would happen if I imprinted them on my own mind?”
“I don’t know,” Tyen admitted.
Qall snorted softly. “I didn’t ask what would happen, but what you think might happen. What did your experiments tell you?”
Wiping his mouth, Tyen considered Qall carefully. A glint of something in the young man’s eyes reminded Tyen of Valhan when they’d discussed his efforts to find a way to give Vella a human form. It had been a colder kind of eagerness than what was in Qall’s eyes, however.
Tyen puffed out his cheeks, then deflated them. “In my experiments, I attempted to place someone’s memories in the blank mind of a revived corpse. While I am sure I erased all previous memories, and that the new ones were imprinted as best as I could manage, the subject, once awakened, was always confused and disorientated. At best, they became distressed; at worst, the result brought about physical convulsions.” He looked at Qall. “I did not try imprinting the memories on a mind that had not been mostly wiped clean.”
“What do you think would have happened if you had?”
“More conflict,” Tyen replied.
“Is it possible, though, that the original mind would remain in charge, and the memories would simply be like a book they could read when they wanted to?”
“It’s possible. I can’t tell you how likely though.”
Qall’s mouth twitched and he turned his attention to the food again. A chill ran over Tyen’s skin. Why would he want to take that risk? The answer came a moment later. He wants to know who he was before his memories were blocked. Who his parents were, and if he has siblings. Valhan’s hand might not hold all that information, but it could tell Qall where he had come from.
This might be a way to get hold of the hand. If Qall agreed to sacrifice himself in exchange for knowing who he had been before … No, Dahli would never fall for that.
“It would be very dangerous,” Tyen warned. “You could lose your new identity. Rielle didn’t save you at great risk to herself only for your memories to be wiped again.”
“Rielle didn’t save anyone,” Qall corrected. He looked up and met Tyen’s eyes. “My original self was already gone.”
Tyen had to look away. Has he said as much to Rielle? Or has it occurred to her already?
Qall looked down at Tyen’s chest. “The same is true for Vella.”
The statement sent a shock through Tyen. “Vella? That’s not … Her memories weren’t wiped,” he protested. “They were retained and stored.”
“Yet she isn’t whole.” Qall shrugged. “Whether or not to risk my life is my decision, isn’t it?”
Tyen resisted the urge to press his fingers against Vella, resting against his chest, as he considered what Qall had implied. It should be her choice whether to be given a body, but she can’t feel emotion so she can’t desire to be transformed or not. I can’t know if she will be happy to have a body again until I give her one. What if it made her unhappy? What if he made her situation worse? It was a risk for her too.
“There is a great deal I could gain if I have Valhan’s memories,” Qall continued. He picked up the bowl of liquid again. “Perhaps I could even learn how to right some of the wrongs the Raen has done. Or at least stop the chaos.”
“There may not be as much chaos as Dahli wants you to believe,” Tyen warned.
“Dahli can’t lie to me.”
“No, but he can block all evidence in his mind contrary to what he wants you to see. He can be wrong. Others believe that the worlds are starting to settle down. People who can’t block memories.
“Baluka.”
“Yes. Dahli has never known a time when the worlds weren’t under the Raen’s rule. He can’t predict what it will lead to.”
“He has the last five cycles to judge them by.”
“Not long enough to know anything for sure.”
Qall frowned. “I suppose it seems like a long time because it’s all of my life,” he said quietly. He lifted the bowl to his mouth.
Tyen watched the young man drink. “Be careful, Qall. Dahli may be weaker than you and his mind may be readable, but he is clever. He may be able to force you to submit to being Valhan’s vessel, but if he can persuade you to submit willingly instead his task will be easier.”
“He’s not suggesting I absorb Valhan’s memories.”
“No? Then why are you thinking about it?”
Qall put down the bowl. “I’m exploring all ideas. If Dahli would prefer me to submit willingly, then perhaps I can make a deal in which he lets me seek my true identity in the hand before I die.”
Tyen poured more of the drink. “He won’t produce the hand unless he has guarantees we will not destroy it. He is no fool, Qall.”
They sat in silence for a while; then the sound of a door opening drew their attention. Zeke strolled into the room and across to their table.
“My, you two are quiet.” Zeke’s mind was aglow with satisfaction. Something to do with winning over Dahli, and Tyen retreated a little from the youn
g inventor’s mind as he realised the details were more intimate than he wanted to see.
“I have news for you.” Zeke opened his mouth to say more, but froze and let out a low cry of delight. “Ah! Those spicy little berries! I love those!” He leaned over the table, selecting the small round fruit that Tyen had found unpalatably salty. Taking a bite, he closed his eyes as he chewed, savouring the sharpness that had repelled Tyen, Then he glanced down at Tyen and realised he had become distracted. “Oh, Dahli sent me ahead to let you know: Baluka is raising an army. Rielle has joined him.”
“Rielle?” Qall and Tyen repeated in unison, both straightening in their chairs. “Someone must have found her,” Qall murmured.
“Something like that.” Zeke spat pips out into his hand. “They mean to attack us.”
“Here?” Qall asked.
Zeke nodded. “Dahli thinks so anyway. I don’t know how they found out where this place is.”
“He knew they’d find out,” Qall told him.
“You read that from him?” Tyen asked. He’d seen no such expectation.
Qall shook his head. “You don’t have to be hundreds of years old to see that when a sorcerer strips the magic from worlds around a central location, people are going to pay attention. It won’t have been long before the Restorers learned of it and investigated.”
Tyen frowned. Why would Dahli allow the Restorers to know where he was hiding? Was he that confident that he could defend this place? Or was he hoping that a confrontation would force Qall into doing something foolish? Qall glanced at Tyen and his chin dropped slightly, then rose again.
“What is Dahli doing now?” Qall asked Zeke.
“Rounding up his followers.” Zeke went to take another berry, hesitated, then shrugged and grabbed three. “He says you’re safe here. They won’t attack for several days. We’ve got plenty of time. Ah! Here he is.”
The same door opened, admitting Dahli to the hall. The man strode over to the chairs, then settled in the one next to Qall.
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