Skyborn

by David Dalglish

  Kael felt his entire body shaking at such a thorough dismissal. He had no argument he could make against it, but it didn’t remove the sense of wrongness, the complete unfairness that the theotechs could escape any punishment for their crimes.

  “Kael,” Bree said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  “I’m fine,” Kael said, brushing it off. He glared at Argus as he struggled to control his temper. “So what should we do?”

  Argus gestured to the other waiting Seraph.

  “We fly you back to your apartment, you crawl into bed, and you go to sleep,” he said. “There is a world of mysteries out there, and right now, you should focus on the ones you can control, and that’s yourselves. I don’t know why a theotech wanted you captured, and I don’t want to know. All I care about is that I keep you safe and out of their hands.”

  “But what if they demand us to be handed over since this attempt failed?” Bree asked.

  Argus shook his head, and his look was frightening.

  “I said it before, and I’ll say it again, Bree. We Seraphim don’t hand over our own. If Center demands your lives, they’ll get them only with a full-scale invasion of Weshern, and that’s something no island, regardless of allegiance, would sit idly by and allow. Whatever they want you for, I highly doubt it is worth the rebellion of all five islands. For now, you’re safe, and I’ll establish constant patrols around the academy grounds to ensure you remain safe.”

  He offered her his hands, and beside him, Loramere did the same to Kael.

  “You ready?” Loramere asked.

  Kael exchanged a look with his sister, and they both nodded.

  “We are,” Kael said. “Please, take us home.”

  CHAPTER 28

  After the last battle, their equipment had been relocated from the gear sheds to the armory, and inside its sturdy stone walls Kael finished telling Bree his plan as he strapped on his wings.

  “Are you sure?” she asked, frowning at him.

  Kael bobbed his head.

  “It’s not without risk, but I think there’s a chance we’ll learn something we never could from the library’s books. If you think it’s a bad idea…”

  “No, I trust you,” she said. “Just be careful, all right?”

  Kael winked, then hurried down the road, past the gear sheds, and to the entrance of the academy. Given the incident the night before, Argus ordered Kael and Bree to take the day off, but this sat poorly with both of them. While Bree was fine with practicing on her own, Kael had better ideas. Today was one of his days to accompany an older Seraph to Center to deliver messages, so dressed and wearing his wings, he went to the academy gates. There he found a bored Loramere waiting.

  “How’s my favorite Seraph-in-training?” Loramere asked.

  “Here to go with you to Center,” Kael said.

  The giant man raised his scarred left eyebrow.

  “Uh, no, you’re not,” he said. “Brad’s coming with me today, assuming he can get his ass over here in a timely manner. Argus made it painfully clear you and Bree won’t be accompanying anyone to Center for the next decade or so. Or did you think the wisest course of action after avoiding a clandestine attempt to kidnap you would be to fly right into their arms in broad daylight?”

  Kael gritted his teeth and accepted the gentle berating. He’d figured something like that would happen, but now he’d have to rely on someone else to get across his message.

  “Can you do me a favor then?” he asked.

  Loramere shrugged his broad shoulders.

  “Name it.”

  “Inform the theotechs that I wish to speak with Knight Lieutenant Nickolas Flynn.”

  The older Seraph crossed his arms and frowned down at him.

  “And why might that be?” he asked.

  “Nickolas has been a friend of the family for years,” he said. “Now will you tell them?”

  Loramere hardly looked happy about it, but he relented.

  “Sure, I will. Don’t expect much, though. Center is a big place, and it might be days before Nickolas receives word.”

  “I understand,” Kael said, bowing.

  He left and returned his wings to the armory. Now with an entire day to kill, Kael decided he might as well head back to the library. Even if he thought the library a dead end, that didn’t mean he was ready to give up on the mountains of books just yet. Devi greeted him at her desk, and Kael smiled politely before climbing to the second floor. After retrieving the same book he’d read for the past several days, he found a comfortable chair, settled down, and began reading about the history of the theotechs.

  While there were volumes and volumes of it, the actual meat was frustratingly thin. The theotechs were founded shortly after the Ascension, meant to serve as the Speaker’s hands and eyes. His holiness would divine God’s desires through speaking with his angels, and the theotechs would then carry out those desires, enforcing them as necessary. Over the past five hundred years, they’d had little reform, and few interesting details were written about them. Kael felt a maddening certainty that whatever errors they’d made had been scrubbed out of history. All he could find were enacted policies, plus various deeds of charity and sacrifice made by more memorable theotechs. What he couldn’t find, at least not yet, was a reason why they would have any interest in him and his sister.

  Minute after minute he turned the pages, his eyes starting to skim instead of reading. The writing was so dry and dull, and remained so even when discussing minor rebellions that had risen up against the theotechs, or how in 317 A.A. several hundred split away in a desire for more direct control over Center and the five outer islands. Dry and dull, just the bare facts…

  Devi shook him awake gently by the shoulder, earning a startled gasp.

  “I’m sorry,” Devi said, backing away. “But a man is here to see you. A knight from Center, actually.”

  “Thank you,” Kael said, wiping at his eyes and face. His hand came back wet, and in sudden horror he looked down to see he’d drooled on the leather cover of the priceless old book. His body froze, and when he looked up to Devi, he must have had the guiltiest of expressions on his face.

  “Don’t worry,” Devi said, winking as she took the book from him. “Leather cleans just fine, and I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.”

  Kael blushed as he hopped out of his chair. Thanking her again, Kael hurried down the stairs, wiping at his eyes and trying to force himself awake. Taking the steps two at a time, he reached the bottom, then paused.

  Patience, he told himself. Talking to Nickolas was a risk, and he needed to be measured, not rushing out embarrassed because he’d drooled a little in front of the librarian. Fixing the collar of his jacket, he calmly walked out the door, to where the knight lieutenant waited on the steps. His white tunic was as brilliant and clean as ever, his head still smoothly shaven, his brown eyes calm and dispassionate despite his pleasant smile.

  “My little Kael,” the man said, embracing him. “You’ve matured so much since I last saw you.”

  “A year at the academy will do that,” he said as he hugged back.

  “I wish you’d contacted me sooner,” he said after releasing him. “Though I’m sure you’ve had more than enough distractions to worry about.”

  “We’ve all had our fair share of distractions,” he said, leading Nickolas down the steps toward the street. “Last night, for example.”

  He purposefully kept his wording vague, his tone light. If Nickolas knew nothing, he’d be mildly confused at worst. But if he did…

  “Kael,” the knight said, halting. “Here is not the place to discuss such things.”

  I knew it.

  “Then where?” he asked.

  In answer, he led him around to the back of the library. Nearby was the apothecary, and behind it a garden with rosebushes carefully planted and surrounded with bricks. Nickolas took him to one of several wooden benches and gestured for him to have a seat.

  “I’d rather stand,” he s
aid.

  “Fair enough.” Nickolas stepped back and crossed his arms as he looked around. The wall surrounding the academy marked the end of the garden, and in all other directions there wasn’t a man or woman in sight. They seemed alone, but Nickolas still didn’t appear happy.

  “Last night’s incident was… unfortunate,” the man said. “A decision by a theotech who acted alone and without approval from Center.”

  “What did they want us for?” he asked.

  “I can’t tell you that,” Nickolas said, shaking his head. “Even acknowledging last night is incredibly dangerous. All I can assure you is that no harm was ever meant to befall you or your sister.”

  Kael clenched his jaw and tried to work out his next line of questioning. That Nickolas was being so open about things was a surprise, but that didn’t matter if he kept all useful information to himself. Bending down, he yanked one of the roses from a bush so he could twirl it in his fingers while he paced before the knight. The thorns pricked his skin, and he used the pain to focus, to hide how desperate he was for information.

  “Why do the theotechs care about us?” he asked. “Why are Bree and I so important to them?”

  Nickolas pulled back his shoulders, and his golden armor rattled from the movement. The way he looked at him, as if he were but a child, made his talk about how mature he seemed just that, talk.

  “Center is a whole different world compared to Weshern,” he said. “And Heavenstone is another world within that one. Politics and favors run rampant, and in there, the left hand barely knows the right hand exists. A hundred reasons could exist for you to have caught a theotech’s eye, and your sister’s stunt with her swords in yesterday’s battle might well be one of them.”

  Kael had wondered if Nickolas would bring that up. His sister’s fame had spread throughout Weshern like the fire on her blades, but had word of it also traveled to Center? It seemed the answer was yes.

  “I know it’s not because of that,” he said, tossing the rose to the dirt. “At least, not just because of that. Nickolas, can I… can I trust you?”

  He felt like such a child asking it, but he had to. Ever since their parents’ death, Nickolas had checked in on them, ensuring they were no burden on Aunt Bethy. Revealing their investigation was a risk, but a risk he was willing to take. Nickolas stepped closer, putting gauntleted hands on his shoulders as he leaned close. Kael stared right into his brown eyes, searching for the slightest lie when the knight answered.

  “I’ve already told you things that could get me executed. Of course you can trust me.”

  At least that Kael knew to be true. If there was anything Center protected most, it was her secrets. He debated just how much to tell. So far, all he’d be revealing were some simple observations, and his curiosity about them. Nothing too terrible if it did get back to whoever was responsible in Center.

  “The theotechs interfered with my affinity tests,” he said, plopping down on the bench. It creaked as he leaned against its back. “And they bore witness to both our six-month evaluations. We can’t seem to find any reason why they would carry an interest in us except for one thing.”

  “And what is that?” Nickolas asked carefully.

  Kael swallowed down his doubt, and he looked up at the towering knight. Here it was. The first true gamble.

  “What do you know about the ghost plague?”

  It seemed a bit of color drained from Nickolas’s dark skin.

  “Kael, I’m only going to say this once: let this go. Some doors should stay shut, some parts of history forever buried. Digging into this will only put you and your sister in danger, do you understand me?”

  “We’re already in danger,” Kael said. “Or did you forget how I was dragged out of my bed last night at knifepoint?”

  The man shook his head as he crossed his arms and swayed a bit, as if struggling to control himself.

  “I am aware of how it looks to you,” he said. “And I know you’re young, and used to breaking the rules, but I am asking you to trust me. Stop asking questions. Go back to your lives, and put all this other nonsense behind you. That is what’s best for everyone involved, I promise. This course you’re on right now? It’s going to get you in trouble, Kael, the kind of trouble no one ever wants, and I will certainly take no part in your reckless suicide.”

  His stern voice had steadily risen in volume, until by the very end even he seemed to realize how close to shouting he was. The quiet of the garden only made it worse, and he glanced around in search of anyone who might have overheard. Kael bit his lip as he did, wishing he could take his advice. It made sense. Things were far beyond his control. If Center wanted him and his sister, for any reason, what could he do to stop it? To change it?

  “Perhaps you’re right,” he said, slumping.

  “Of course I’m right,” Nickolas said, and he sounded very much relieved. “I want nothing but the best for you and your sister. Since the day you two were born, that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

  Kael’s entire body stiffened, and he fought to look natural despite the sudden terror that pounded through his veins.

  Since the day you two were born…

  Kael had assumed the theotechs’ interest began during their affinity tests, or perhaps after their parents’ deaths. But as he stared up at the smiling knight, he realized how wrong he’d been. Their watchful eye had been upon him and Bree earlier than that. Much, much earlier.

  “I should go,” he said, sliding off the bench.

  “Not yet,” Nickolas said. Fear spiked through Kael’s chest, but it appeared unfounded. Nickolas glanced around once more before speaking in a low tone.

  “I hear a lot of things given my position. Your victory over Galen was significant, but it isn’t enough. If anything, it’s only made matters worse. Sothren and Candren have already been pulled into your mess. Elern will soon follow, and I fear her strength won’t be enough to prevent the coming war. All five islands, warring against one another? This will be the worst conflict we’ve seen in decades, and it won’t remain in the skies. Soldiers from all islands are mustering their numbers. Invasions will soon follow. Please, Kael, be careful. These are dangerous times.”

  “I have my duties as a member of the Seraphim,” Kael said, standing up straight. “I will not dishonor them. Should war come, I will fight.”

  “I asked for care, not cowardice.” Nickolas said. “Leave it to youth to confuse the two as one and the same.”

  The knight embraced him again, and Kael tried to smile and pretend that all was well. When Nickolas pulled back, he activated his wings, and they came to life with a deep, pleasant hum.

  “Speaking of dangerous times,” he said. “Have you met with any disciples of Johan attempting to take root here in Weshern?”

  Kael shook his head, keeping silent about his meeting with Thane Ackels prior to joining the academy.

  “The only disciple of Johan’s I’ve seen was at his own execution,” he said.

  “Good,” Nickolas said, looking relieved. “Try your best to keep it that way. Johan is a dangerous man, and I assure you, Center has her eye fixed upon him. Do not listen to the lies his disciples spread, nor let them gain a foothold in Weshern for even a moment. It will only bring suffering to your people.”

  “I’ll do my best,” he said as the knight rose into the air. He waved, smiling calmly, but that smile faded as he stared at Nickolas’s shrinking outline.

  Johan and his lies, he thought. Perhaps it is time I hear what these “lies” might be…

  Because one thing was certain: he no longer trusted whatever supposed truth came from the mouths of Center, her knights, and her theotechs.

  Bree watched Kael head west toward the academy entrance, still frowning. Making any contact with Center, or one of her angelic knights, felt like too great a risk for her tastes, but given the kidnapping attempt, perhaps it was time to push things harder than some light reading at a library. Checking the sun, she wondered what to do with he
r own day off. She’d planned to do some training, if only to alleviate her boredom, but her entire body felt sore from the battle. Any sort of flying sounded unpleasant, but she did have her swords. Ever since Argus promoted her to training with the combat squads, she’d neglected her practice with them. Deciding to remedy that, she began to softly jog back toward her apartment and then head south. A bit of stretching and putting herself through some moves might do her good.

  Bree retrieved her swords from inside the armory, leaving her wings behind. A quick jog took her to the little clearing just off the road where they practiced swordplay, but only an empty field awaited her. As she stood in the silence she let the losses hit her. Dean, killed during his duel. Sasha, dying right before her. After the battle, Bree had learned of another member of their group lost as part of the completely annihilated Scorpion Squad.

  “Of course you’re all gone,” Bree whispered as she drew her swords. “After losing so many, why wouldn’t you be?”

  Bree felt tears starting to build, but she shook her head and forced them down with a flash of anger. She was not some young, stupid girl. Her swords had taken the lives of seven men, eight if she counted Eric Drae. Time to be stronger. Time to be a warrior. Hardships were just a way of life.

  Twirling her swords in her hands, she began moving from stance to stance, doing all she could to forget how it had been Dean who first taught them to her. The stretching of her muscles felt pleasant, loosening up her body as she turned and twisted in ways she never could while wearing her wings. Her mind settled into a form of trance, the world falling away as her swords looped and cut through the air, so that when a voice called her name she felt her heart jump.

  “Yes?” she asked, spinning. Her entire body tensed the moment she saw who was before her, standing at the edge of the road: Argus Summers.

  “I see you’re not at the obstacle course,” Argus said.

  Bree tried to shake off the surprise and pull the ire out from her voice. She only partly succeeded.