"Tarful, then," she rectified. "It's to do with, Cyric. You said that I could ask about him, didn't you?"
Tarful nodded. I wondered why she hadn't heard him say that's what he meant to speak with her about. It was probably the nearness of one of her most precious prizes that was debilitating her senses. Either that, or it was my fault for... or wait, it was my fault either way.
"I don't," she started to say, but then her cheeks turned red. I sighed, still vigilant of our surroundings.
"She wants to know everything he told you," I translated. "He gave you reasons for saving you, didn't he? Just tell her what they were."
Tarful's brows went up, the way they had... right, when I'd first approached him in the mines. But he didn't even look all the way back towards me now. Ellia didn't either; probably she was too grateful to me to give me the glare she would have thought she should. Why should my mind be working so well and so swiftly in this sort of situation, I didn't know, but I was starting to relax a little. The truth was, it didn't have to mean anything. Just because I was here; it didn't have to mean anything. It would be fine.
Tarful cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I expected this, so I thought I'd say, I knew first, that he meant to free me because of the situation with Karatel and the treaty. I think that Nain—"
"Don't talk about that," I interrupted. "Tell her why he tried to save the dragon."
"But, you just said," Tarful began skeptically.
Ellia interrupted him, narrowing back at me. "Cole, will you quit it, please. I can speak for myself."
"I just thought you already knew about that," I said shrugging up my shoulders. "I mean, isn't it obvious? He saved Tarful because it was his fault Tarful was down there. Should we waste time going over it? Don't you want to know why he tried to save Kraehe?"
"Like that isn't obvious as well," Ellia retorted. "Look, you were the one who said he should tell the reasons Cyric gave for freeing him, and that's what I want to hear too. Why should you be so changeful?"
"Hey, how do you know what ended up happening to Cyric, anyways?" I asked Tarful, shifting my gaze away from Ellia. "I thought you didn't get news in Genbu."
The old man swallowed. I stayed looking off from Ellia, because I knew she was still glaring me. I watched around us. We'd entered a new hall; it was more populated with Vishnuites, but still with golden walls, and pillars, only now there were rooms going off it.
"The truth is...," Tarful admitted; his voice was so croaked that I looked back at him, even though I'd only said it to change the subject. "I returned to Akadia," he said.
"What!?" I exclaimed.
Both Ellia and Tarful jumped with a start. The nearby robed people raised brows at me, then shuffled along that much quicker. Ellia and Tarful, especially Ellia, looked back at me with question.
I cleared my throat. "I mean, he saved you didn't he? So why would you go back?" I tried to make this sound normal.
Ellia frowned at me. She tugged at her lip with her teeth, so that I was sure she was thinking of our kiss; probably thinking that it was the thing making me act like a lunatic. But hey, I remembered when my kisses used to do that to her. Everything else had switched; why not that too? Only that wasn't the only reason I was acting crazy.
Still, I must have made enough sense, because she didn't adjust my question, and Tarful answered it, walking on.
"You're right, it probably was a foolish thing." He chuckled. "The truth was, I almost went back as soon as I left it. I wanted to, only I promised, he made me promise, that I would see Nain and the Behemoths clear if he didn't come back from the dragon."
Right. My own words; knew that. What did that have to do with going back to Akadia?
"Once he didn't come, I had to see them safe. Only then did I go back. I went back to try and help him."
My eyes widened. But more of a, brows high, dipping head in, skeptical, sort of widening. Then as I could only have expected, Ellia's link to his arm, turned to a vice-grip; she even put her hand over his. "Oh, truly, Tarful, you did? You did that?"
"I failed of course," he deferred.
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. That was just wonderful. Oh, I wish he'd known that you'd come. It would have meant so much to him. And then he wouldn't have felt so alone."
I rolled my eyes to the back of my head, hardly resisting covering up my face with my hand. Not because it was corny, or because this was a much too vulnerable, mushy sort of thing to be said of me to Tarful, but because this girl had me down so well, that it killed me like a strike through the chest. A spear or something, clean through. We started ascending stairs and I had to put my hand on the wall to keep walking on right.
"That's kind to say, dear," Tarful replied, "But really, it wasn't much a choice for me. He was only a boy, and I never blamed him for my imprisonment. It was Lox, the same as everything."
Ellia took a swallow that strained her throat—so that I could tell she was frightened. I wished Tarful would let go of her, so I could have her back. But now we were reaching the top of the steps and I had a whole new chamber to look over. It was one of the first, Ellia and I had passed, heading to the sacred halls. I remembered walking through now, up the hill, and into the mountain, fighting over the map and right to lead. I remembered waking up and seeing her hair a long beautiful mess. Watching the crown where she left it beside her bed, then sleeping long and peacefully for the first time I could think of in a long time; by the stars, maybe my whole life.
Now we were going to the rulers, and I probably wasn't going to get one of those nights again—or at least I didn't have much control over it.
"I feel that if anyone should have risked himself, it was me. But he wasn't much for going with another plan but his. He was very brave, your friend, wasn't he?"
I held back a scoff, while Tarful gestured to a man, letting us pass into a hall of turquoise walls, and turquoise lights. At the end of it was a spiraling staircase.
"Yes," Ellia replied. "He was the bravest."
I really did sigh now, and it earned me a look from her. She did the thing, where she said with her eyes, all that she wanted. I wasn't sure I'd received it in such full force since I'd been Cyric. It said that I was hurting her; that she didn't understand how I was being. Even a thousand other things. You helped me to start talking about him, why should you be angry at me for doing so now? You defended him in the woods, now you're acting as if he didn't do something great. I told you how much Nain and the behemoths mattered to me, why don't you understand what Tarful means to me.
I scarcely kept my hand back from running over my head, then I just pushed myself to ignoring the two—just so I wouldn't say anything. I worked instead to study what I could of our surroundings, even seeing to the safety of them. As we ascending the stairs—with them speaking of me, Cyric, me (now Ellia had asked what I'd looked like when he'd seen me last, like she wanted it in detail)—we passed torches of all shades of blue, and walls of pure grey stone. The stairs had begun to circle so widely, and the decorations had been so removed—resembling more the outpost where we'd left Luffie—that I had little doubt we were in the "rulers" building: The tall, circular tower I'd watched from outside once already. When the tone of the air changed suddenly, from something airily silent, to a dense sort of barricaded hum, I decided that the weather outside had turned to blizzard, meaning it was close to dark. I liked this; it meant that everyone was stuck where they already were.
As the door to the next hall—what must have been the top—came into view, Tarful stepped through first, then guided Ellia on. I rushed and stepped in just behind her, so close that I was craning around her to look at the following space. It was a hall, long and turquoise like the last. There were mirrors on the wall, but only one woman dressed in clean white cloth, in the whole of the space, and then two men who were speaking with Tarful, dressed in armor. As they spoke on, and I was trying to listen, I felt Ellia's body, at my nearness (even though she was angry, even though she was still held b
y Tarful) lean back towards me—so that her back was touching my shoulder. I switched my gaze to her, only in time to see her turquoise eyes shift back to mine. It said a lot of things, but the largest might have been that she was still scared about meeting the rulers, reminding me of the things she'd said when she'd returned from them before.
You'll be perfect, I tried to tell her back. They'll adore you. Don't be scared. Shouldn't she already know this; Tarful obviously adored her, as had Tongon. She was a princess; it was what her presence called for.
She turned her head further to me, and looked as if she were about to say something when Tarful spoke to move them on, introducing her to his two fellow Genbuans, who walked then, ahead of us. Her lips broke with a sigh when she was moved away from me. So I then, worked my best to stay near as I could. I looked in rooms and doorways that we passed, and my mind, for once, was too armed to pick up much of the conversation—only when Ellia spoke.
We turned into a room of silver stone, it was small and squarish. Its ceilings were low like those of the outpost. It was set with couches and tables on either side of the room, and then at its head, double-doors to another space that looked as if it gave a view to the outside. The room was by no means empty, but I was over-encompassingly grateful, when Tarful released Ellia—even though it was to introduce her to more Genbuans. I listened now, as she met one after another, scanning the room, sticking as near to her as Tarful had been, but not taking any other part of her, because I knew she wouldn't have appreciated it in such committees. She met someone named Kurma, then Mali, then Sheeta. They were as friendly as the rest of their people. Finally I'd studied all round everywhere, but that's just when I heard Tarful say the meeting would be held in the next room.
I looked there and saw more inside. So I took a step for it, rested my hand to Ellia's waist for just a moment, to tell her I'd be back. Then I walked—the strange Kanthian, all hidden—towards the next room. There was no one at the door, and as soon as I entered it, it was quieter. That sensation of being barricaded from the outside, an almost audible denseness, had increased; snow flurried wildly against the blackness outside; I could see it since there were blue-shaded torches lining the windows, which went around like a semi-circle. I knew it was part to the same ring of lights I'd stared at up from the ground, the widest bit of the spiraling tower. The room was almost empty but for a few desks and a large, long stone table, stretched lengthwise across it. Chairs were pushed up against it, but only a few of them were occupied, then even less men were standing.
I walked into the room, ignoring the few looks I was receiving; most of them only smiled anyways—welcoming Genbuans that they were. I looked across the table both ways, then moved right up to it, so I could watch those facing the windows. I looked left and saw the woman known as Sheeta sitting against the table, talking to a man my age. Then I turned to the right. There was a knot in my gut by now. I heard Ellia's voice, and that seemed to signify something daunting to me, if only because of how happy it made me, then I saw one man, two men, sitting beside each other, looking none too excited to be there. They were both wearing Genbuan armor of blue, and their tanned, sun-worn sort of skin had faded to something greyish, especially in the blue and white light. One of them was tapping his thumb on the table. But none of these changes were enough to disguise these faces I would never forget.
This was one, Lieutenant Let Jaxom of Akadia, two Lieutenant Marcus Raand of Akadia.
Two men I'd never expected that I would see again.
Chapter Twenty-One
CYRIC:
It was so cold that it seemed my arms had gone numb, even though I'd just been climbing. The mist was so thick it made my skin wet, and its greyness drifted in from the window, turning the stone room even danker. But everything was silence, even Raand breathing below me.
I told myself all I had to do was raise my sword and strike. It was that simple. I'd told Lox I would. I had to. Raand was a traitor. He deserved to die. Soldiers killed all the time, that was their job—this was the same thing.
I thought of Lox telling me he would make me his Lieutenant after Karatel was destroyed. I thought of him telling me not to come to the battle unless Raand and Jaxom were dead. I thought of Scanth being promoted to Commander. I thought of King Savras condemning criminals to die.
I put my sword to Raand's neck.
I thought in my mind that there was only one choice left to me.
Then a sound came from outside the window, like a falling stone. Raand's eyes popped open. Automatically I shoved my blade forward, even drawing blood—until I saw the color of his eyes. Grey, empty, like nothing. I was looking at my father.
His expression contorted in recognition, then he rasped. "Dracla?"
My eyes went wide. My grip on the sword hilt went loose, then I heard the blade clatter against the floor.
Raand didn't take another second to react. He reached for the sword he'd left beneath his pillow; but that was the one that I'd dropped. When it wasn't there, he jerked back against the bedframe. But by then, past shaking, I'd drawn my own sword. Just as he opened his mouth to call out, I stuck it to his chest.
"If you speak, I'll kill you," I threatened. My own voice sounded strained at best, like a child at worst.
I heard Tosch whinny outside the window, and gripped my jaw all that much tighter.
"I don't understand," Raand demanded. "Dracla, what's going on?"
"I told you not to speak!" I hissed back. I stabbed my sword closer against his chest, which was craning up and down, and covered only by cloth. My hand was shaking over the metal, and sweat was falling into my eyes as I tried to sort out what to do. I needed to fix what I'd done.
"You're a traitor," I shouted at him.
He narrowed. Looked between me and the sword, then looked to the door, like he might be measuring his escape. I almost shouted another threat at him, but then suddenly his eyes turned even darker, then he looked to me, "You're here for Lox," he said with clarity.
My eyes went fiercely wide. I was back finding the letters out of Tarful's desk, reading nothing of Scanth's name, then giving them to Lox, then watching Lox suggest Scanth for Commander, hearing them talk of the wars at the banquet where Amalia had shouted at Molec.
"I'm here for Akadia," I argued.
"Cyric," Raand said, eyeing me carefully. "You don't have to do this. Don't listen to Lox; these are lies. Tarful isn't a traitor, and neither are Jaxom or I."
"Stop talking!" I told him. But in my head I was hearing Tobias's voice. You don't have to do this, Cyric. Then Ellia, How could you tell him Cyric? What's wrong with you? Lox is evil! He's the one who attacked Uldin Keep. "I don't want to listen to you!" I shouted.
Raand shook his head sharp, and put his hand up. "This isn't the way to deal out punishment, even if I were guilty. At least give me a chance to explain it."
"I don't want you to explain. I don't care. You don't get it."
"Please," Raand entreated. "I have a family. Lox will kill them."
My eyes stayed wide. My grip stayed tight. But he didn't have to say this. Here, Raand, who'd punished me just weeks ago with a beating, begging before me. He didn't have to do any of it! I was weak enough on my own. I was the traitor. I'd failed Lox.
I heard Tosch whinny once again, outside the window. I barely kept from running to it and throwing my sword down at him. But instead I moved my sword away, off of Raand, then went straightaway to his trunk at the end of the bed. I shoved the armor off the top, to the floor, opening it and digging inside. Once I found a plain tunic, I tossed it up at Raand.
"What are you doing?" he said.
"What's it look like I'm doing!?!" I shouted back. "You need to leave. You'll disappear. If you don't, I'm going to kill you." I tossed a cloak at him, then stood upright. He was standing now, beside the bed, but holding the clothes, and wide-eyed.
"Do you think I'm playing around?" I demanded. "I will kill you. You think I can't?"
He looked between me an
d my sword. I knew he'd seen me train, which meant he knew I was better than him; since I was better than everyone. Plus he was twice my age. But I wasn't sure that was what he was thinking of now.
I marched up to him, shoving his shoulder. "If you ever return to Akadia, Lox will kill you. I'll kill you for him. Don't do it. Forget you were ever there."
"But my family—"
I took a sharp breath, then was about to lecture him about how he'd need to forget them, when I heard footsteps coming from the stairway outside the door. They grew louder and louder. I turned, drawing my sword, just in time to see Jaxom emerge, a sword in his hand, but dressed as Raand.
I raised my weapon up, before Raand's call stopped me. "Jaxom, don't. Put your weapon away," he said. He sounded, once more, like the Lieutenant he'd been in training, not so much a terrified aging man.
Jaxom froze, but didn't lower his sword.
"I said, drop it," Raand repeated.
Jaxom glared me over again, then lowered the sword. I marched forward and took it then threw it across the room. I turned on them. "You'll take your councilman with you," I continued to explain. "Who else is here? Servants? They can't stay."
"There's no one," Raand explained. "We came here to hide. No one's been told."
"As far as anyone's concerned, you're dead. If you try to—"
"We won't return," Raand promised. "Only our families. Jaxom, Cyric means to help us," he explained quickly. "Lox sent him to kill us."
"I'm not helping you!" I argued. "I should kill you! You're never to speak of this! Never."
Raand shook his head quick.
Jaxom just stared, wide-eyed.
"I can't do anything for your families," I said. "You should have thought of that before you defied Lox. Now, go. Find your councilman. Get dressed. Leave your armor. Go!"
They both stayed with their eyes narrowed on me.
Finally Raand gripped his jaw, then nodded to Jaxom. "Go wake Palum. Tell him we're to leave, now."
Jaxom looked between the two of us, then he disappeared back down the steps. I started pacing, my sword in my hand. Raand moved to the door after Jaxom, but he hesitated. I sensed him watching me.
Fallen Warrior (Fallen Trilogy book 3) Page 41
