“I will send someone to get the items from your workbench. No need to make the journey yourself when you undoubtedly have other preparations to make.”
She sensed his reluctance to let her out of his control. His behavior didn’t worry her too much. If her first ritual binding him to the truth went well, she’d have less to worry about afterward. “Fine.”
“Allow me to have you shown to an appropriate cell. I will come to you when the items have arrived. I will, of course, make myself available, but I will not allow witchcraft to be performed in this room.”
Octavia bent her head in agreement. Of course, his demands were ridiculous. The spell she planned to cast would not affect the room, but he would have his way, and she didn’t see a point in arguing. She’d learned over the years of dealing with Talmoran lords that sometimes it was better to let them have their way over the little, irrelevant things. Oddly, her compliance put them off their guard when she made a more substantial demand later.
“Very well,” she continued. “I require seventeen candles to prepare myself in the meantime. I assume you have some here. The color and size do not matter for these purposes.”
Graiphen stood and told a priest outside the room to escort the pair to the cell that had been readied for their stay. “Make sure they have ample lighting,” he said. “The woman is afraid of the dark and has requested a large supply of candles.” His mouth twisted into a smile, and the priest responded with a knowing nod.
“As you wish, Ultim Qardone.” The priest bowed and gestured for Korbin and Octavia to follow him.
An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach, but she did her best to ignore it. The bargain she’d made was a dangerous one, and every instinct and past experience told her to run. Steeling herself, she moved one foot in front of the other, following the man. She’d always been one to trust her intuition, but this time, what must be done was not a good or pleasant task.
The room they were ultimately shown was thankfully bare, no rugs, tapestries, or decorations to distract from her work. She waited until the priest brought the extra candles before beginning her preparation ritual.
She requested that Korbin help her move the plain furnishings to the outside of the room, leaving the center empty, and then asked him to remain at the edge. He complied and stayed silent, for which she was grateful. As she worked, positioning seventeen of the candles in a spiral, she considered how things had changed. She’d been devastated when he left and shocked when he’d returned. But when he’d come back, he’d been different, more centered, more determined. As angry and hurt as she’d been, she saw that his departure and return had been necessary.
Taking a bit of chalk from her bag, she drew symbols on the wooden floor between the candles, creating concentric circles. She stepped carefully and chanted with a slight hum, focusing as she lit the candles. This place had been home to a god for centuries, and carving out a sacred place to draw upon the One would not be easy if her efforts were not welcomed. The trick would be in subtlety. She didn’t place much stock in the existence of the Spirits of Light and Shadow, but their followers were fervent. She’d seen for herself that these disciples could be ruthless and clearly possessed some kind of magical knowledge in an unfamiliar sphere.
Time barely seemed to have passed when a knock sounded on the door, but she was familiar enough with her connection to the One to realize time warped when bound to the infinite. She sensed Korbin moving toward the sound as she continued stepping through the candles and chanting. When he arrived at the door, she said, “Accept the items, but allow no one to enter.”
The air in the circle was now pure, her efforts having pushed back the oppressive presence of Braetin’s followers. She would be reluctant to leave the relative safety and comfort of this place.
Still wrapped up in forging her connection to the One further, she distantly heard Korbin speak. “My father is here,” he said.
Nodding, she signaled for him to be invited in. Making her way carefully through the circle of light, she stepped as though dancing through the runes. When she reached the edge, she saw Graiphen waiting outside her circle. His presence was large and imposing. She didn’t want to invite him in because the circle offered her some protection, but she had to do what her task required.
Bending in front of him, she drew a symbol on the floor, a gateway. “You may pass over,” she said, and briefly wondered if he would have had the fortitude to break her circle uninvited. “Bring the items on the first list with you. The others must stay without.”
He scowled but followed her instructions and stepped into the circle, his red robes glaring at her sensitive eyes. When she closed the circle after him, she caught Korbin’s gaze. He was watching intently. She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring look.
A moment later, she returned her attention to Graiphen, and what she saw made her take a step back. His eyes had turned black, with no color, no white between the lids.
With a gasp, she glanced at Korbin, but he showed no sign he saw what she did. The sight made her reluctant to continue. She’d never before seen someone possessed, but the signs were clear. The man had done a deeply evil deed, and in performing it, given his soul to his goddess.
The danger was clear, and she hesitated. Although she had planned to draw his blood for this truth-binding ritual, now she didn’t dare. What should she do? If she deviated from what she’d told him before, he would be suspicious.
“What’s wrong?” Korbin asked.
Graiphen smiled. He must have known what she saw.
“Your goddess is strong,” Octavia said quietly.
“Yes,” he replied. “Now you understand.”
She hadn’t before, but she was starting to now. He wasn’t mad. He wasn’t cursed. Her plan to bind him to his word was useless. When he’d made the bargain with her, she’d suspected he intended to betray her, and she planned to take countermeasures. Now she knew she couldn’t force him to tell the truth or influence him to stick to his promise. If she touched his blood, she risked invoking the Spirit who now owned him. If he touched hers, he would have power over her. The Talmoran gods were more real than she could have imagined, and more dangerous than she’d feared.
“Come to the center,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Graiphen followed, watching her closely with those dead, black eyes. Octavia felt Braetin’s attention through his gaze. Drawing on the One, she clothed herself in its infinite web of protection. Without it, she feared she might fall under Braetin’s influence.
Who or what were these Spirits? She didn’t dare ponder long. Her training and protection of the One would hold her for a little while, but she felt like a child trying to hold back the tide with a bucket. If Braetin moved, she would be helpless.
“Place the items on the ground,” Octavia said. “Take out the silver blade and the parchment.” When he’d done as instructed, she said, “Prick your finger. Let the blood fall onto the paper. Eight drops. No more, no less.”
“Afraid to touch me?” he whispered.
“This will lead me to our enemy,” she replied just as quietly. Keeping her voice barely audible, she said, “I know of your betrayal, your lies. My sisters of the Sennestelle are already dead, aren’t they?”
Graiphen’s face barely twitched, but it was enough for her to know the truth. I could not allow any follower of Eurmus to survive. The voice that spoke was not Graiphen’s. It echoed in her thoughts. Eurmus? She didn’t know this name.
Octavia’s mouth felt dry. She licked her lips. “I will help you, use my knowledge and training to find this dark conduit as I said I would. I ask only that you fulfill what your servant Graiphen promised. Allow us to live and clear our names.”
The haunting voice returned. I cannot allow any follower—
“Then I will not aid you,” Octavia interrupted.
Graiphen opened his mouth and a bellow exploded from within. The Spirit screeched and wailed in anger.
It requ
ired all of Octavia’s training and fortitude to stay standing. Without the cloak of protection from the One, she could not have withstood it. She felt Braetin’s presence like a thousand stinging ants crawling over her flesh, and they were rendered weaponless only because of her connection to the One.
“Do we have a bargain, Spirit?” Octavia asked.
A clacking of mandibles sounded and a strange chittering filled her thoughts. Yes, servant of Eurmus. I will meet your terms if you destroy the one you call the dark conduit. He has grown too powerful. He works against my servant even still, and this one is useful to me.
“Very well,” Octavia said.
If you fail, your soul belongs to me.
A chill spread over Octavia’s skin, and she shivered. She had no choice. If she didn’t enter the bargain, both she and Korbin would die in this place, and Braetin would have them anyway.
“I will not fail.”
Chapter 22
Korbin watched his father and Octavia staring at each other within the circle. Strange sounds echoed, but he couldn’t make out words, only murmurs and cries. He wasn’t sure what was real. He felt helpless, and all he could do was sit and wait. Although it looked on the surface like nothing was happening, even he, who had never been a big believer in spiritual things, sensed the thrum of power in the room. He didn’t dare look away.
Graiphen lifted a hand subtly, and the candles went out one by one, starting in the center. Octavia stood still, looking pale and strained. When only one candle remained lit, Graiphen smiled unpleasantly at Octavia and walked toward the door. He met Korbin’s gaze as he left, but said nothing.
When the door closed behind his father, Korbin approached the edge of the circle, uncertain if he should enter. Octavia raced past him, rushing to grab a chamber pot from under the bed. Her stomach heaved and emptied.
Korbin knelt beside her, pulling her hair back. Worry twisted his gut, but he waited until it seemed she could vomit no more. “Are you all right?” He touched her face. It was cold and damp.
She nodded, sitting back. “You didn’t hear?”
“No. What happened?”
Octavia gave a bitter laugh. “I got too cocky.” When he didn’t respond immediately, she explained. “I sensed your father was going to betray us, so I formulated a plan to hold him to his word. There are several incantations that will influence someone’s will if done correctly.”
Korbin frowned. He could have told her that Graiphen’s will would not be easily bent but was curious how she was so certain about his father’s plotting. “I take it they didn’t work.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t even try.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I saw what possesses him. She is not to be trifled with.”
“She?”
“His goddess.”
“You saw her?” Dread filled Korbin and he couldn’t bring himself to say the name.
Octavia shuddered. “We struck a bargain. If I succeed in destroying the dark conduit, she will allow us to live.”
Korbin didn’t have to ask what would happen if they failed. And he’d thought his father was the worst thing they’d have to deal with. He stood and put the cover on the chamber pot and placed it outside the door. He’d half expected to find the doorway guarded, but the corridor was empty and silent.
For a fleeting second, he considered leaving. He knew he couldn’t do it, but he wanted to get away from this place, away from Graiphen, away from all of it. With a sigh, he returned to Octavia. “There was no one to ask for water for you to wash.”
“There’s no time for that,” she said. “Fetch me the linen and the bay laurel.” While he did that, she returned to the circle, still looking unsteady but determined after her encounter.
She picked up the parchment containing Graiphen’s blood and folded it into an intricate pattern until the paper had taken the shape of a strange, spikey flower. She put it on one of the empty shelves, handling it as though the flower were both delicate and poisonous.
Returning to Korbin, she accepted the laurel leaves from him. “Rip the cloth into strips, please.” While he did that, she twisted the stems together, forming a chain which she joined at the ends. Then she took the strips of linen and gently wrapped them around the circlet until the leaves were covered and she had a crown of cloth. Sharp spikes on the leaves poked through the thin material, but she didn’t flinch when she placed the crown on her head.
She stared into space, as though contemplating a decision.
“Now what?” he asked.
“Now I sleep.”
It wasn’t the answer Korbin expected, but nothing she was doing was familiar to him. “How long?”
A fleeting smile came to her lips. “Until I wake.” She went to the bed. “Help me drag this into the circle.” As he pulled, she removed the candles in the way, then replaced them after he got the small, narrow cot in place. She began to unbutton her dress.
He looked away. “I can wait outside.”
“No.” She took his hand. “Please stay. I need you to watch over me.” She glanced around the room. “I am not safe in this place, even with the protection of the One.”
“Of course,” he said and squeezed her fingers.
She sighed with obvious relief and released his hand, then continued undressing until she was naked. Korbin didn’t know quite where to look, so he maintained eye contact as much as possible.
She laid her clothes outside the circle and returned with a silver blade he’d seen her use before. He worried he was going to have to watch her cut herself again, but instead she tied it on a golden string around her neck and let it hang between her small, round breasts. He glanced up and met her eyes and felt his face warm. She was beautiful.
She relit the candles while muttering an incantation he didn’t understand. With slow, fluid movements, she returned to the center and lay on the cot, making sure the blade was resting squarely on her chest.
Closing her eyes, she said, “Do not speak to me or touch me unless it’s absolutely necessary. Watch over me.”
“What do I watch for?” Korbin whispered.
Her eyelids fluttered open. “You’ll know,” she told him. She shut her eyes again and started to breathe more slowly.
He marveled at how quickly she drifted toward sleep.
In a dreamy voice, she added, “Don’t break the circle.”
He sat beside the low cot and watched her sleep, amazed by the trust she was placing in him. He took that trust very seriously, suddenly feeling this may be the most important task of their journey so far. He had no idea what she was afraid might happen, so he remained vigilant and waited, watching, hoping that if anything did happen, he would be equal to the faith she’d placed in him.
∞
Octavia hovered in nothingness in the cloudless sky, looking down on the city of Vol. The breeze was light and cool, the soft sound relaxing her. She knew she was there to do something important, but the gentle wind lulled her away for a moment. Glancing around the bright, winter sky, she sighed happily. Her connection to the One was strong, to the earth below and the sky above.
Stars sparkled and she felt the energy of every pinprick of light filtering toward her. The ground was cold and hard, but only on the surface. Deep in the earth, a warmth bubbled and her awareness delved toward it. A sense of peace settled over her, and she felt intense relief. Why, she wasn’t sure. Something terrible lurked far away, but she didn’t allow herself to focus on it.
After a few luxurious moments, a heavy feeling caught her attention and she looked down. Hanging between her breasts was the silver blade Rhikar had given her. It pulled toward the ground. When she moved, she felt a prick from her head. Reaching up, she touched the spiny laurel leaves in her hair.
Her memory cleared. She had work to do, and it was not work she was looking forward to. She could be wrong, she thought. With a heavy sigh, she let herself float downward. She wasn’t wrong.
“Where are you?” she whispered.
“Show me the way,” she told it.
In her dream-state, she couldn’t smell the dirty streets with gutters full of waste and rot, but she wrinkled her nose at the sights, her imagination unhelpfully filling in the odors she knew she would encounter there.
She had no difficulty determining the right place once she got close enough. One small, unassuming hovel was bound and covered with the most intricate spellwork fortifications she’d ever seen. Not a single conduit she’d encountered would be able to unwind that knot of protection.
Still, curiosity pulled at her. If she was going to attempt it, where would she start? At first, she didn’t recognize the beckoning, but then she froze in mid-air. It was drawing her into a trap.
“Clever,” she thought. Casting her attention outward, she sought Korbin’s protective presence and found it nearby. He had no idea how vital this small act had been. Glancing toward the part of the city where he sat next to her sleeping body, she used his essence and anchored herself.
Once again, the safe, cool feeling enveloped her. The One coursed through her. She longed to stay here, but she had a promise to keep, and Korbin was waiting.
She floated high in the sky, moving toward him. Then, letting go of the safety of the dream realm, she began to fall. She rushed toward the ground, faster and faster, hurtling at bone-crushing speed.
Sitting up suddenly, she woke with a start, her consciousness having merged with her body once again. Her skin was cold, and she started to tremble.
Korbin hesitated only a moment before taking her into his arms. He was so warm, and his embrace brought her fully to the physical world, although it took her a few moments before her mind and body connected enough for her to speak.
Finally, she pulled back from him. Swinging her legs off the cot, she took his hand and he helped her to stand. A wobble sent her into his arms again.
“Take it slow,” he said. “What happened? You shouted when you woke.”
Spirits of Light and Shadow (The Gods of Talmor) Page 22
