She nodded, and the words for an apology sprang to mind, and an assurance that she did not mind him returning the braid. But maybe it was better that he didn’t know why she had given it to him. “Tell him I’m …” she began, then sighed. “Just tell him to be careful. And that we’re all alive and well.”
Tyen smiled. “I will.”
“And thank you for bringing it to me.”
He nodded. Satisfied that he’d completed his task, Tyen pushed out of the world and headed back towards Dahli’s world.
PART EIGHT
RIELLE
CHAPTER 18
The two sorcerers paused at the doorway.
“I don’t want to leave your worlds vulnerable to attack,” Baluka said.
“Risks must be taken,” the other replied. “Better that than a return to the old days.” He bowed his head, then turned to walk down the hallway, the gold stitching on his long robes glimmering in the lamplight. Rielle had already forgotten which world he ruled. There had been so many leaders. So many sorcerers. All of them promising to support the Restorers when they attacked Dahli. All of them willing to die to stop the Raen returning.
Baluka closed the door and smiled at Rielle as he walked back and sat beside her again. “So far it’s all going well,” he said.
“Yes,” she replied. “He is worried that the neighbouring worlds will take advantage of the absence of his forces though.”
“I’ll have to make sure someone keeps an eye on things—and that the neighbours know we are.”
“Will that deter them?”
Baluka nodded, a glint of rare satisfaction in his eyes. “We do have a powerful reputation now,” he said. Then he grimaced. “Which is one advantage to balance the few mistakes we’ve made, supporting the wrong side in a dispute, or trusting another force to mete out punishment.”
“At least you admitted when you’re wrong and made reparations.”
He felt a flash of annoyance that she had read his mind, but it was fleeting. After all these years, I still react as if I’m a Traveller. I’m not. If I was strong enough, I would read everyone’s minds without hesitation—even the Travellers’. Understanding what people are thinking helps us do our job. Especially now, when the fate of all the worlds was at stake. What would I not give to read Dahli’s mind right now?
Rielle would have given a small fortune to be able to read Tyen’s. Is he really doing this for me? A part of her wanted it to be, but another screamed a warning. Don’t be a fool! it said. Tyen was trying to save his skin. He would have said anything to convince Baluka to let him go.
Baluka’s willingness to trust Tyen surprised her. Though “trust” was not the best description. He feels he understands Tyen’s decisions and motives in the same way I do Dahli’s. That doesn’t mean we approve of them. What Baluka had told her had disrupted the anger she had felt towards Tyen, and that made her feel weaker—and made her feel annoyed at herself that she might be resisting the possibility Tyen hadn’t betrayed her only because her anger made her feel stronger.
She shook her head. No more thinking about Tyen. Qall is more important.
“What next?” she asked.
Baluka leaned forward to flip over a sheet of paper and read the schedule written on it.
“Strategic discussions with our generals.”
“As a whole group for the first time. That’s going to be interesting.”
He chuckled at her wry tone as he got to his feet. “Yes. Let’s see who got here early.”
Rising, she followed him out of the room and up to the next level. The sound of two voices in heated discussion led them to the room the meeting would be held in. As Baluka stepped inside, they instantly ceased. Three men and one woman stood within. She had not met them before.
“Thank you for coming,” Baluka said. “This is Rielle Lazuli.”
Eyebrows rose and gazes sharpened as the four inspected Rielle. Their thoughts revealed that they knew more about her than she expected, though they had dismissed some of the rumours.
They knew that she had been betrothed to Baluka, but left him to join Valhan in his palace. They knew that she had rescued the boy intended to become Valhan’s new body. They had heard speculation that she was almost as powerful as Valhan had been, and had been seduced by Tyen.
Seduced! As if I’m some naïve girl who couldn’t possibly have had any choice in the matter? Wait … where did they even get the idea we were lovers?
Unfortunately, none of them were thinking about the source of the speculation, and she wanted their first impression of her to be of someone calm and determined, not distracted and offended by rumours. Frustrated, she nodded politely to each as they were introduced.
“Hapre, Pather, Fornt and Scith,” Baluka said. The four were all Restorers, he explained, two having participated in the rebel attack on Valhan. The woman, Hapre, had been a general at that battle. The men ranged from Baluka’s age to old enough to be her grandfather.
“Let’s sit down,” Baluka suggested, gesturing to a set of large chairs, all identical and arranged in a circle. He chose the furthest so that he would have a clear view of the room’s main entrance. In the corners of the far wall were two smaller closed doors, and Rielle would have assumed they allowed access from servants, if not for Baluka’s brief thought, as she noticed them, that they both led to escape routes from the building.
Rielle took the chair to his left; Hapre to the right. The others occupied seats beside Hapre, reasoning that the place next to Rielle ought to be left free in case an ally or friend of hers was going to join them. Though they admitted to themselves that they didn’t want to sit next to someone looking so tense, when she was as powerful as the Raen had been.
So much for me giving an impression of calm and determination, she mused.
“I heard you talking as we arrived,” Baluka said. “What were you discussing?”
Looks were exchanged, then Hapre drew a deep breath. “Dahli’s defences.”
“How many sorcerers have been identified,” the younger man named Scith elaborated. “And their known strength. In particular Tyen.”
A chill ran over Rielle’s skin. She controlled her expression, even more determined to keep her reactions hidden now that she’d seen what they’d picked up from her.
“The Spy,” the old man, Pather, growled. He was thinking that Baluka was a fool. They should have killed Tyen when they had the chance. How many would die thanks to Baluka’s moment of weakness?
“Tyen will not be a threat,” Baluka assured them.
The four did not look convinced. “How can you know?” Hapre asked. “He is a master of deceit.”
The third man, Fornt nodded. “And the inventor of insectoids, which—”
“Tyen never intended for them to be turned into war machines. He abhors violence,” Baluka told them. “After Rielle told me the truth about his role in the war of rebellion—” He paused to nod at her. “—I gathered all the information I could about him. I considered everything he did while among the rebels.” Now he looked at Hapre, but no smile crinkled his eyes. “I realised that he behaved very oddly for someone who was supposed to be our enemy. When he first joined the rebellion, when it was disorganised and vulnerable, he pushed for changes that only made members and their families safer. When Yira was leader, he held the rebels back, advising caution and taking time to train recruits. When he was leader, he was criticised for being too protective and holding us back. Then he handed control to me. He could have had us destroyed so many times, but he didn’t.”
“Because Valhan planned for us to grow strong enough to wipe out the allies he didn’t like,” Scith replied.
Baluka turned to him. “I don’t believe Tyen knew about that. If he had, he would have tried to urge us towards sending as many of our fighters to the battle so more would be killed, not giving strength to just a hundred.”
“What do you think, Rielle?” Hapre asked.
Rielle regarded the woman, consider
ing how she should reply. She did not want to contradict Baluka, but on the other hand she did not trust Tyen, and feared he would be a danger to them all.
“I don’t believe we can risk that Baluka is right,” she said. “Tyen is too powerful to underestimate. We must plan as if we believe Tyen will side with Dahli.”
The others—even Baluka—nodded. She is right, though I wish it were not so, Baluka thought.
“Tyen is as powerful as Rielle,” Pather said. “They neutralise the threat of the other.”
“Their equal ability is irrelevant because what will matter in the end is how much magic they are able to gather,” Hapre reminded him. “There is only so much magic in the worlds around Dahli’s base. If we surround Dahli’s fighters we’ll restrict how much they have access to.”
“Tyen can break through,” Rielle warned. “Between worlds, he can overcome attempts to control his movements and travel so fast you won’t have time to gather support and intercept him.”
“Then you must go after him,” Fornt said. “If you keep him occupied we will be free to deal with Dahli and the rest of his fighters.”
Rielle opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. It was a reasonable expectation. It made sense. But it filled her with dread. And who will make sure Qall is safe while I’m keeping Tyen occupied?
A discussion began about the sorcerers known to be in Dahli’s forces. Before they had delved far into the known facts and rumours, a movement in the doorway drew Rielle’s attention away. Two women were entering, one dressed in a long padded shift of an undyed woven fabric, the other dressed in a fine robe heavy with colourful beading. Even as Rielle read their identities and intentions from their minds, the four generals sprang to their feet, exclaiming and protesting.
“What are they doing here?” Scith spat.
“I invited them,” Baluka replied.
“No, Baluka.” Hapre turned to him and shook her head. “You risk losing more support than you gain.”
He ignored her and turned to Rielle. “This is Ambaru and Tamtee, formerly allies of Valhan, now eager to stop the Raen returning.” As he introduced Rielle, the pair straightened in interest and looked at her closely.
“How can you be sure they won’t turn on us at the worst moment?” Scith demanded.
Looking at the women, Rielle saw that Ambaru, the humbly dressed one, had never liked working with Valhan, but to refuse would have meant death. Guilt at the terrible deeds she had done for him lay heavily, and she hoped that helping the Restorers would encourage the gods to forgive her.
The other, Tamtee, had not been able to get to the battle with the rebels in time, so she had sent her brother, who had died. She wanted revenge. Ruining Valhan’s plans to return was as good as killing him, in her opinion—an opportunity she hadn’t thought she’d get.
Both women did not want Valhan back. Each, in their own way, had found life without him was better.
Redemption and revenge, Rielle thought. Both aims that will see them loyal to this cause. She spoke over the voices arguing around her.
“They can be trusted.”
Silence fell. Looking around at the generals, she was surprised and pleased to read that they believed her. Sullenly, reluctantly, but with no doubts in their mind that she spoke the truth. Despite what they thought they knew about her—because of what they knew about her—they respected her. That, more than anything, was unexpected.
But when she turned her attention back to the former allies, she saw that they did not trust her. Both were powerful, ageless sorcerers. They could read the minds of all these youthful, inexperienced mortals—picking up the remnant wistful admiration for Rielle in the magically weak leader of the Restorers—but not Rielle’s. That alone would have made them fear and distrust her. What they did know made them wary.
They knew Rielle had been the last new sorcerer that Valhan had taken under his wing, and that Dahli had taught her. Valhan’s newest recruits tended to be the most devoted.
They did not know that Rielle had stopped the resurrection and saved Qall.
Give them time, Rielle thought. They’ll soon learn this from the minds of the generals.
Hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor behind them. A young man rushed into the room.
“Baluka,” he panted. “You have … visitors. They … won’t wait … They’re … here.” He turned to the door and backed away as several footsteps heralded the newcomers’ arrival. Rielle sought minds, then drew in a sharp breath of surprise and delight. She turned to Baluka and found him now surrounded by the four generals.
“It’s all right,” she told them. “They’re on our side. They’ve come to join us.”
“It’s true,” Baluka confirmed. He had read the messenger’s mind. His eyes were bright with delight. Smiling in anticipation, Rielle turned back to the doorway as the first of the Travellers arrived.
“I hear you need some help,” Ulma said. “A small problem with a Predecessor that won’t stay dead.”
The woman’s gaze flickered around the room and settled on Rielle. She smiled, then opened her arms and came forward to envelop Rielle in a hug.
“Ulma,” Rielle said, hugging her back. “Thank you for coming.”
“Father,” Baluka said.
Pushing Ulma away gently, Rielle watched as Baluka came forward to meet the Travellers now filing into the room. Lejihk looked worn and old, his brow creased with ever more worry lines.
“Son,” Lejihk replied. “We heard you’re planning for war. We figured you might need a few extra sorcerers.”
“How did you get away from Dahli’s watchers?”
Lejihk’s smile was humourless but full of satisfaction. “They think we’re investigating a trade deal. Half of us remained at the Gathering. Another quarter are actually negotiating a deal, which allowed those I’ve brought to slip away.”
“But … you don’t take sides,” Baluka told him.
“We do now.” This came from Ankari, who stepped around her husband to hug her son. “We can’t have all your work and sacrifice go to waste.”
“The agreements we made with the Raen ended with his death. We intend for things to stay that way. And, of course, we want to help Qall,” Lejihk added. As he turned to Rielle, her stomach clenched with guilt. “Though I hear he joined Dahli of his own volition.”
Rielle nodded. “You did warn me that he had a mind of his own.”
He took her hands. “He wouldn’t have done so without good reason.”
She grimaced. “I’m afraid your safety may be that reason.” She looked from Lejihk to Ankari to Ulma. The ageless Traveller gave Rielle a very direct look that suggested she wanted to say something, but not here and now.
“But now that you are here, Dahli can’t blackmail him,” Tamtee pointed out.
Lejihk shook his head. “Other Travellers are being watched. Messages between groups have been intercepted and some families have been prevented from reaching the Gathering. We think Dahli has threatened to kill all Travellers if Qall doesn’t obey him.”
“It is true,” Baluka said. “I would have warned you—I tried to—but I dared not risk Dahli’s watchers would know I’d contacted you and deter further communication by killing Travellers.”
“It does not matter, since knowing or not didn’t substantially alter the danger we were in.” Lejihk glanced around. “However, what we are doing now is a great risk. If Dahli finds out we have joined the Restorer army, he will retaliate.”
“But we cannot sit and do nothing,” Ankari added.
Several other Travellers had entered the room now, and it had become quite crowded. Some of them Rielle recognised from the Gathering so many cycles ago. Most she did not.
Baluka began introducing them. The two former allies were staring at Ulma, eyes bright with curiosity, as they had picked up that the woman was an ageless Traveller and very old. The messenger still stood by the door, paralysed but for his eyes roaming around the room, slowing coming to
the conclusion that everything was fine and he could slip away. As another group of visitors arrived he joined their guide and left.
Rielle reached out and plucked at Hapre’s sleeve. The woman turned to regard her.
“So how many more generals were you expecting?”
Hapre shrugged. “Not this many …” She peered around the room, noting the newcomers. “I think everyone we invited is here.”
Rielle headed for the corridor and caught up with the guide.
“Could you bring more chairs?” she asked him. “And quickly?”
He nodded, then raced off in another direction.
That taken care of, Rielle caught Ulma’s arm and led her over to the chairs she and Baluka had vacated. She glanced around, pleased this time to see that nobody appeared to want to approach her. Creating a wall of stilled air around her and Ulma to muffle the sound of their voices, she leaned closer to the woman.
“Tell me,” she said, “before we all start making war plans, what exactly do you think Qall is up to?”
CHAPTER 19
“Dahli’s world has five neighbours,” Baluka told the gathered generals and fighters. “Each one is devoid of magic. They’re all safe to arrive in, though a few are too barren to support populations. My scouts found Dahli’s followers in four of them. The fifth we are assuming is also well guarded, as the scouts didn’t return and there are no local threats that could detain two reasonably powerful sorcerers. Those who did return reported that several of Dahli’s followers are patrolling the place between around at least two of the neighbouring worlds and I suspect they are doing so around all of them.
“It is likely Dahli is expecting an attack.” Baluka grimaced. “When I heard Dahli had established a base, I knew we would have to act quickly, and it’s not possible to secretly send a call for assistance through the worlds at short notice.
“We’ve estimated that Dahli has more than a hundred sorcerers working for him. This is based on the traffic our watchers noted was headed towards the base these last few days. Restorers have reported that more than forty sorcerers we suspected were secretly working on Dahli’s behalf have disappeared from their homes. We have some idea of these sorcerers’ strength, at least. For the rest we have only scant information.”
Successor's Promise Page 44
