"Where are we going?" he asked.
Kae didn't turn. "Brotherhood headquarters. Don't worry. We won't stay long. I know how little time we have left. But we can find more help for you there."
She led them through the streets, past people going about their business. Deril was careful not to use any of his Sunweaving. He had no idea if these people might be using Orange/Yellow weaves, or how they'd react to Sunweavers in their city. Now that he knew some Fireweavers, Deril understood why they might hate Sunweavers.
The world wasn't as simple as the Church taught.
At last, they reached the Brotherhood's headquarters, and Kae led them inside. Here in the Frozen Lands, the building was not as well protected as he'd seen back in Hyrandel. They didn't have to operate in secret here.
Kae directed them to the center of the room, where two people were sitting in cushioned chairs, watching them approach.
"Meet my husband Tharik and my sister Andra," Kae said, gesturing to the people in turn. "They've also agreed to help you."
"Thank you," Deril said as he took a seat in another cushioned chair. Kadin, Faina, and Davin sat down in nearby chairs, glancing around. Kadin looked especially uncomfortable. Deril had tried to help the boy's confidence in the last few days, but nothing ever worked.
"Now that we're all here," Kae said, pacing nearby, "I have some bad news. A few days ago, I lost the ability to contact Rella. That means she's either dead or shielded. Either way, that means there's a good chance Atarin knows about our plans."
"What can we do, then?" Deril asked.
He'd spent so long clinging to the small hope this plan gave him. If they couldn't get into the palace, how could they ever hope to save his father? Yes, he might manage to train Kadin's abilities—though he doubted it more than ever—but he knew they would kill his father once he served his purpose. And even if Kadin did become a Sunlord, he wouldn't be as skilled as Deril's father. Such skill took years to develop. The world would suffer with only Kadin as Sunlord.
"We have another plan," Kae said. "Andra, would you explain?"
Andra cleared her throat. "I was previously involved with a man named Soren, who now resides at Firelord Atarin's palace. In fact, he's the reason Rella is there. He recognized her as a potential Firelord and betrayed her to the Fire Guard. At the time, I didn't agree to come with him. I was upset about what he did. But I can tell him I've changed my mind."
Deril leaned forward, his legs bouncing. "And you think he'll believe you?"
"When he left, he told me he still loved me and that he'd wait for me to change my mind." She shrugged. "It shouldn't be that hard. A part of me still loves him after all."
"But what is this going to accomplish?" Davin asked.
"That means I can get us inside," Andra said. "We can't follow the original plan, but perhaps there's another way in. If I can get into the palace, I can find it."
"There's another possibility," Kae said. "A different man who used to work with us now resides in the palace. I'm not sure where his loyalties lie, though."
Deril felt sick to his stomach. "There are so many ways these plans could go wrong."
Chapter 39: A Secret Revealed
Rella heard footsteps again and prepared for another round of torture. For five days now, she'd held strong—or at least she thought it was five days. Everything had become a blur in her mind. The unchanging darkness felt oppressive, disorienting.
She looked up from the floor, where she had fallen asleep. Both the floor and the bed were made of stone, so it made no difference to her.
Atarin stood on the other side of the bars, Talin beside him. Both their expressions were grim.
"You've proven yourself courageous," Atarin said, "but there's no need to subject yourself to so much pain." He put his hands around the bars. "All you have to do is tell me what I want to know. Where did you put the plans? What was your purpose in looking at them?"
"I only wanted to get to the Sunlord," she said, knowing Atarin wouldn't believe it.
"Stop lying to me! I took you in and gave you a chance at a secure, comfortable life. You had nowhere else to go, no prospects of surviving here in the Frozen Lands. And you've thrown that gift in my face, disobeyed me. I've had enough." Atarin looked at Talin. "I know it might kill her, but do a stronger casting."
"Are you sure that's wise?" Talin asked, looking uncomfortable.
"I don't care if it's wise," Atarin said. "Just do it." He turned back to Rella, his eyes burning with anger. "This is your last chance. Give me answers. Now."
Rella wanted to stay strong, wanted to die without uttering a word, but she couldn't bear the thought of more pain. Trembling, she said, "I burned the plans."
"You burned them?" Atarin said. "Why?"
Rella looked him in the eyes. "I'm not stupid. I knew that those plans would reveal what I was trying to do. I couldn't risk that."
Atarin smiled. A disturbing smile. "So now you've admitted you do have a plan. Do you actually think you can stop us from freeing Halarik? I've been planning this for years. I'm not going to let anyone stand in my way. You can't outsmart me. Don't try."
"You can't get your answers if you kill me," she said. "And that's what will happen here."
"I'm willing to take that risk," Atarin said. "When you inflict such high levels of pain on a person, it becomes so much that they lose all control. Believe me, if you survive, you'll tell me what I want to know. You'll think of nothing but ending the pain."
Rella met his gaze defiantly. "I'm stronger than that."
"We'll see." Atarin turned to Talin. "Do it."
Talin nodded, then moved toward the cell as Atarin retreated a few steps. Rella closed her eyes, waiting for the pain, fearing that she'd give in. She'd been close a few times already.
"Don't make me do this," Talin said.
Rella took a deep breath. "Do it. I'm not telling you anything."
She wished she could feel as confident as her words. When the pain came, it felt worse than any torture she'd experienced before. So hot she thought her body would burst into flames. So sharp she thought she'd be nothing but a bloody mess. It pounded through her, coming and going in bursts of fire. She wanted to die.
Her heart felt like it was going to explode. Every breath was excruciating. She screamed and writhed, the world becoming blurry and dark around her.
She lost all sense of her surroundings.
When she became aware again, she was cold and trembling, and pain burned all over her body. She looked up, through blurry surroundings, to see Atarin standing outside the cell, staring at her with a gloating smile.
"I knew it would work," he said. "You were so delirious you revealed everything. That warehouse will be guarded. They will be caught."
Rella tried to speak, but her throat hurt so much she could only whimper.
"And I think you're going to spend the rest of your life in my dungeon," Atarin said. "If you'd told me everything back when this started, I might have let you out. But not now."
He turned and strode away. Rella lay there without moving, her body aching so much she wanted to pass out. Even though she'd had no control, she hated the fact that she'd broken, that she hadn't been strong enough.
Now Deril was going to fail.
Chapter 40: The Gates of Haladel
Deril was so cold he could barely feel anything. The road south had been long and brutal. Summer was turning to autumn, but it was colder than anything back home on the equator. No matter how much he cast heat or wove a shield, he couldn't get warm.
They weren't in danger of freezing to death, but it was still uncomfortable. Deril could understand the resentment Fireweavers felt at being forced to live in a place like this.
Along the way, they'd faced a few curious Fireweavers, as well as some Fire Guards, but Kae and Tharik had talked them out of those situations. Without them, Deril would have ended up in a prison somewhere. So Sondir had been right. Deril needed Fireweavers to get through the Froze
n Lands. He only wished he could have more of them.
But Arna's actions had changed everything.
"We should arrive in Haladel tomorrow morning," Kae said as they trudged through the snow. More snow was falling, driven hard into their faces by a fierce gale.
"That leaves us one day," Deril said. They'd gone as fast as they could, pushing through exhaustion, sleeping as little as possible. Tempers had been running high, Kadin's especially. He had managed to weave four colors consistently, but not yet five.
He needed to weave all six to become a Sunlord.
Deril tried not to fall into a state of hopelessness—a task that became harder every day. Kae had still not heard from Rella, and Deril believed they were walking into a trap. If Rella revealed everything, then they'd have no chance of getting into the palace.
Was Kadin their only hope?
Deril burned with anger every time he thought of the boy's lack of confidence. They didn't have time for that.
"My legs are about to fall off," Davin said. "Let's rest for a while."
"All right," Deril said, though he wanted to push through his own exhaustion. He put a hand on Kadin's shoulder. "It's time for another try at the Sunlord's weave."
Kadin didn't meet Deril's eyes. "It's not going to work. I'm useless."
Deril, much to his surprise, backhanded Kadin across the face. "I'm tired of this attitude. You're holding yourself back. Say that again and I'll hit you again."
Kadin's eyes were wide. Deril felt guilty, but he had to change something. Kadin hadn't responded to the gentle treatment. After his life growing up, maybe this way was all he understood, however much Deril hated it.
Deril softened his tone. "I'm sorry I hit you. I lost my temper. But you do have to stop saying those things about yourself. Confidence is everything."
"He's right," Faina said, putting a hand on Kadin's shoulder. "I know you can do it, Kadin. You have great talent, and no matter what you've done, you're not a bad person."
"I wish I could believe that," Kadin said. "But how can I be a good person when I've killed two people? I didn't need to kill them. I wanted to. When I killed my father, I enjoyed it. It felt like justice after so many years of abuse. I'm sorry, but I'm not a good person."
He started to walk away, but Deril grabbed his arm and yanked him back to face him, perhaps a little too forcefully. "I don't care what you think about yourself. You're going to put those feelings aside, and you're going to learn this weave." He struggled to rein in his temper. "Do you know what really makes someone a bad person? Being so self-centered, dwelling so much on their own misery, that they fail in their duty to the world. Is that what you want, Kadin?"
Kadin looked away. "No, but it's not that easy. You don't understand. You've spent your whole life with a father who loves you, living in luxury. You don't know what suffering is."
"Well, I do now," Deril said. "I lost my closest friend. I might lose my father. No, I can't understand everything you've been through, but that doesn't matter. You have a duty now. Stop being a child. We don't have time for that."
Kadin had tears in his eyes. "I'm trying. I know what's at stake."
"Then focus," Deril said, gripping both of Kadin's shoulders in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "I know it isn't easy. I know you've suffered more than you deserve. But don't let your past destroy everyone's future."
"You're right," Kadin said, wiping away tears. "I-I need to be stronger."
"You're getting so close," Deril said. "Only two more colors to weave." Of course, Deril had no idea how to get Kadin to weave the final color. Deril had woven five colors himself. He understood now that he never could have been a Sunlord, but it still bothered him.
"I'm ready," Kadin said. "I think I can do it."
"Good," Deril said. "Now start with the four colors you already can weave. Think about adding a fifth to the weave. Focus on it like you would any other weave."
Kadin closed his eyes in concentration, his face lined with worry. Deril tried to project calm himself, but he knew he was failing. He found himself pacing through the snow on weary legs, watching Kadin without expecting anything.
Deril wove Orange and Yellow so he could detect the minute difference in Kadin's heat field. For the first thirty seconds or so, Kadin's weave looked as it had every time he did four colors, but then the heat field became subtly brighter. Deril's heart leapt.
"You just managed a fifth color!" he said, feeling more hopeful than he had in a long time. Perhaps he could teach Kadin to add the final color.
Kadin's face brightened. "I can't believe it! I'm so close."
Deril knew he shouldn't rush this, but he had no choice. "All right, Kadin. Try to add the sixth color. If you can do it, we won't have to worry so much about the Sunlord."
Of course, Deril would do everything in his power to rescue his father.
Kadin concentrated again. Deril watched the boy's heat field with excitement, but Kadin could only weave five colors. They worked until Kadin depleted his light reserves. Deril knew he shouldn't have expected a miracle, but his hopelessness had returned.
How could they hope to infiltrate Atarin's palace?
"You'll get it tomorrow," Faina said, wrapping an arm around Kadin. "You're so close."
"Yeah, maybe," Kadin said, avoiding her gaze. Deril didn't think he could say anything to improve the situation, so he joined Davin, Kae, Tharik, and Andra at the other side of their makeshift campsite. They had started a small fire that dulled the bitter chill.
"I don't think our plan is going to work," Deril said as he took a seat by the fire, in a spot where they'd cleared the snow.
"I have the same feeling," Kae said. "Rella might have told them everything. And if that's the case, they'll be waiting for us."
"And what will they do?" Deril asked, fearing the answer.
"Atarin might be a brutal man," Tharik said, "but he still tries to operate according to our laws. That won't save us in the end, but it means he probably won't kill us immediately. We'll face trial first."
"But that's only if he catches us," Andra said. "I still think I can make this work."
Deril wished he could believe that. "It might, but we have to prepare for the worst."
Tharik chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Well, if the worst happens, there's little we can do about it."
They reached the walled city of Haladel the next morning. The stone walls stood at least fifty feet high, manned by Fire Guards. The Fire Guards at the gate watched the party approach, and Deril didn't like the way their hands rested on the hilts of their swords.
"Is there another way into the city?" he asked Kae.
"No."
Deril's chest tightened as they approached the gate and the guards drew their swords. There was no doubt about it. Those guards were ready to arrest them. Four stood at the large stone gate, but more were surely stationed nearby.
"Don't come any closer," said one of the guards.
"I don't understand," Deril said, feigning innocence. "Is there some reason we can't enter the city?"
The guards conferred in low voices. Soon another dozen guards appeared at the gate. Deril glanced at the rest of his party, whose faces had become very pale.
A captain stepped forward. "You're going to have to come with us."
"I don't understand," Deril said, heart pounding. "Did we do something wrong?"
The captain approached, holding his sword ready. He stopped a few feet from Deril and stared at his face, as though examining him. "You look exactly like your brother, Deril Anduri. Well, the hair's different, but that's it."
Deril's heart sank into his stomach. He'd tried to prepare himself for this possibility, but now that it was happening, panic seized him. How could they hope to escape this?
"Don't even think of fighting," the captain said, as though sensing where Deril's thoughts were going. "We've already shielded your entire party. Put your weapons down and come with us. Resisting will do you no favors."<
br />
Deril looked to the others, hoping they had solutions, but they were all shaking their heads. With a deep sigh, Deril placed his sword on the ground. The others did the same in tense silence.
The captain turned to the other guards. "Detain them."
The Fire Guards grabbed everyone in the party, their grips strong and unyielding, but not too rough. These men and women were trained professionals, much like the Sun Guard back home. They marched the party through the clean cobblestone streets of Haladel, past countless Sunlamps that bathed everything in a golden glow, past immaculate stone buildings.
The warmth of the city felt welcoming after so long on the road. But that was the only thing about the city that brought Deril comfort.
Every step took him closer to failure. He fought against tears, fought to keep his mind searching for solutions. Not that he could think of any.
A few city residents watched the group march past, but most avoided them. At last, the palace came into view. Off to the right was the warehouse they would have entered had everything gone according to plan.
Their guards marched them past the warehouse, along a well-kept stone walkway, then up the vast stone steps in front of the palace—a great stone structure that looked more like a fortress than anything, with no windows and enormous towers.
A man with a dark beard stood outside the palace's entrance, watching them approach. Deril glanced at Andra, whose eyes flickered with hope.
"Soren," she said, "this is all a grave mistake."
"No, I don't think so. You are welcome here, but the rest of them aren't." He gestured Andra toward him, then looked at the Fire Guards. "Let her go. I don't truly believe she's with them." He narrowed his eyes at Andra. "I pray that this is true."
"Of course it is," Andra said, and Deril couldn't discern if she was lying. Soren wrapped an arm around Andra and directed her into the palace.
The rest of the group stepped through the large stone doors and into a grand entrance chamber with wooden floors and lavish red carpets. By contrast, the inside of the palace looked out of place in such a bleak place as the Frozen Lands.
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