Torrullin’s expression closed. “Why would you do so?”
Tianoman nodded to himself. “You knew he was alive.”
“I did not, I swear. I thought the soul searching done. I needed to find the path to forgiveness, both for Tymall’s soul and for Elianas’ act of finality, but I did not even hope he was alive.”
Tianoman sighed, beyond relieved. It meant neither Torrullin nor Elianas had lied to him. “It was better when he was dead, Torrullin. I understood that; I understand nothing now.” He stood aside and gestured. “I have permission to accompany you to the dungeons; there is only this one path for both of us.”
“Why, Tian?”
“I gave my word so you can take them home,” Tianoman murmured from his heart.
Expression returned. Feeling returned. “Gods, son, what will this do to you?”
“Aislinn is safe now, Lunik is safe, and soon Tristan will be also, if you take him away from here without a fight. And Teighlar, and Elianas.”
Torrullin did not move to enter. “And Teroux?”
“Teroux swore the same oath.”
“And what does he get?”
Tianoman licked his lips. “Tannil.”
Torrullin reared back. “For fuck’s sake, you must stop that! Leave Tannil in pieces; it is better for … Tian, it is better for Tannil.”
“Teroux will insist, and nothing I say will change his mind.”
“And Tymall will adore the result, I know. Convince Teroux it is better to leave the past alone; use this as an example. Because I played fast and loose with the bloody past, look what has happened.”
“I do not think I have the power. Everything I do now will be at the behest of my father.”
“Break your word.”
Tianoman stared at him. “Our word is our honour.”
“Not in this, Tianoman Valla. This is coercion and blackmail and whatever labels you can think of, and your word is given to a Warlock.”
“Stop. Say no more. Take them home, Torrullin, please, and come back to fight for Teroux and for me another day. In my heart I remain true, but I cannot now break an oath at the expense of Tristan. Please. We will not be harmed while we do as he asks.”
“What will he ask, damn it?” The words were torn from Torrullin.
Tianoman closed his eyes. “I have no idea, but I will do it until something changes.”
Silence, and then Torrullin exhaled. “As I would in your place. Very well.”
Tianoman gestured again, and Torrullin stepped beyond the gate.
It was akin to the castle in the desert. Because it was built from real memory it would be far stronger than an imaginary stronghold. This place would be difficult to breach.
He looked up to see his son’s face in a window, and halted.
Tymall saluted mockingly and withdrew.
Torrullin snarled and launched into the air, and slammed back hard onto his back in the gravel of the courtyard.
“Only one path,” Tianoman whispered. “I am sorry.”
“Because I will want to kill him after finding Elianas,” Torrullin hissed. “At least I know he is afraid of me.”
“He said this is between you, him and Elianas, and he wants you to know how far he will go. He also wants you sane, but unbalanced and …”
“I get it,” Torrullin snapped.
“I do not,” Tianoman sighed.
“Concentrate on staying whole, son, and try keeping Teroux with you. We deal with reasons after.”
“Will you tell Aislinn …?”
“You will tell her yourself, Tian. Do not give in already.”
A beat. A nod. “Fine. But …”
“I will tell her.”
Another nod followed and then Tianoman went on walking. They approached a metal door set below ground level and when they got there it swung wide.
Darkness lay below.
Torrullin’s hand clenched on his sword and he pulled Tianoman back. “You should leave now.”
“No. I want to know what he is capable of.” Tianoman stood his ground. “Whatever it is, Torrullin, know my years of idealism and youth now leave me behind.”
Torrullin stared at him, and then jerked a nod.
He entered first.
Grinwallin
KYLIS FOLLOWED HIS quarry patiently for days and it finally paid off.
He watched the man meet with the ambassador from Beacon, witnessed something change hands, and followed him unobtrusively until the idiot entered an alley between the bake houses and laundry units of the third tier. No one was in the vicinity.
Perfect.
He ran the space between on silent feet and gripped the man around his neck from behind and smashed him into the wall. As the man slumped, he looked around. Still no one. He dragged him into the back door of a laundry room, knowing the place was deserted at this late hour, and threw him down to bind him hand and foot.
Rifling the man’s pockets until he found the item that changed hands- an envelope- he sat back to wait until he came around.
He did not wait long.
Soon the man struggled against his bonds and swore through a bloody nose.
Kylis stood over him waving the envelope. “When I open this I will know you are complicit. Make it easier on yourself and tell me who is in on this with you.”
“Royal lackey,” the man spat.
“Have it your way.” Kylis tore the envelope open and money fluttered to the floor. Lots of money. Beacon currency. “You are selling your people for this?”
“Bugger you, Kylis, you wouldn’t understand.”
“So make me.”
He was about to tear the envelope into tiny pieces when he realised there was something more in there. Carefully he pulled a sheet of paper out and unfolded it.
His eyes widened an instant later. “Traitor!”
It was a deed to the villa on Sanctuary. Teroux Valla’s villa now, but once it belonged to Torrullin.
“What do you have to do to claim this?” Kylis demanded.
A shrug. “None of your business.”
“I have made it my business.”
“Let me go. There will be hell to pay if I go missing. Certain individuals will hasten the plan forward.”
Kylis squatted beside him and tore the deed into small pieces. “Then you had better tell me the truth, so I may decide to let you go.”
“You are not a killer, Kylis.”
“I am a soldier in the employ of my Emperor. To safeguard him and the Senlu way of life, I will kill whoever stands in the way of that.”
“Ha!” But there was uncertainty in faded blue eyes. “You do not know what you are doing.”
“Enlighten me. Did it start with a smear campaign on the Emperor’s reputation - murder and jealousy, I believe?”
Blink. “Maybe.”
“Who killed Alik’s mother?”
“He is dead. It was a Beaconite hired to do the job. No finger pointing after, you understand.”
“Ah.” A feeling of relief washed over Kylis. At least now he had an answer for Alik. “Why?”
“Smear campaign, as you said.”
“Who wants to usurp Teighlar?”
Those eyes shifted away. “It is not like that.”
“So, it’s all innocent. It does not make sense.”
“We simply need him to understand we cannot always rely on the Valleur.”
“The Valleur are the targets, then.”
“I am not saying more.
Kylis rocked back on his heels. “Gods, it is Torrullin you are after.”
Silence.
“How does smearing Teighlar lead to Torrullin?”
“The Valleur are guilty, Kylis. They committed crimes against our ancient forefathers.”
“Ancient history, man! And you are being led by your greed!”
“I get the villa, another gets the Keep, another takes Avaelyn, and soon nothing is left for Torrullin. We take Menllik out on Valaris, and place Luvanor as a whol
e under siege and Teighlar, already regarded as suspect, having murdered in jealous rage, is forced to acknowledge the future lies not with the Valleur, but with …”
“Beacon?” Kylis snapped.
“Yes! They are short-lived. The Senlu will outlive them!”
“They are also so bloody numerous you can never hope to control them.”
“But Teighlar can.”
The light went on. “Ah. As long as you can control our powerful enchanter Emperor.”
Blink. “Along those lines, yes.”
Kylis gave a grim smile. “It will not work. Teighlar is no fool.”
“He has a daughter.”
A moment of silence ensued, and then Kylis dragged the man upright by the bonds at his wrists and threw him against the wall. “Who gave the command to kill Alik?”
“She was not meant to die!”
“Someone tried!”
“We wanted to scare her only.”
“You can thank your lucky stars she is alive still.”
The man shoved at Kylis. “Get away from me; you do not understand the dynamics. Let me go, or the plan goes into action.”
“What plan exactly? And who is behind it?” Kylis pushed him back, a hand at his throat and tightening. “Do not play me, idiot. I want answers.”
His name was Donan and he was a junior Elder. In the hierarchy of Senlu society he commanded more influence than Kylis could hope for in many years of trying.
He croaked through the stranglehold, “Kylis, I do not know the answers. I am promised a reward - the villa - for information. And I have put the numbers together and figure this is about negating Torrullin and forcing Teighlar into alliances beyond the current relationship with the Valleur. His daughter is a tool to that end, but it will only work if he acknowledges her. Beacon is dying and will do anything to survive.”
Kylis released the hold at his throat and shoved him aside in disgust. “You make me sick, traitor.”
“Am I? A traitor? Really? Isn’t it time to change our ways? Hasn’t Teighlar been ruler long enough?”
Kylis swung around. “So you do seek to usurp him also. And who would rule in his stead?”
“The girl.”
Silence. “And how will you force Teighlar to abdicate?”
A shrug.
Horrified understanding crossed the soldier’s face. “Assassination?”
Donan had the grace to look ashamed. “I think so.”
Kylis hit him only once to lay him out cold, and then did not care who saw what.
He carried the traitor up to the Great Hall and shouted for Dechend.
Grinwallin’s Dungeons
THE CELLS IN THE mountain were numerous and harked back to a time when Luvan tribe fought Luvan tribe in pursuit of power and riches.
Unlike those centuries of horror, however, they were now empty and hardly put to use. The occasional drunk, the periodic disruptive personality and infrequently a thief or two. The Senlu were peace-loving, but certainly not perfect.
The cells were cleaner than in past congestion. Then murderers and rapists and worse threw excrement against the walls and pissed challenge in streams through the bars until the place stank like a sewerage tank.
Thank all gods Teighlar was an emperor who understood it would never be permitted to come to pass again.
Dechend and Kylis tossed their unconscious burden into a random cell and slammed the door shut.
“Now I am going to have to ask some unfortunate to take care of his needs,” Dechend said.
As they carried Donan, Kylis had informed him of what he learned. Dechend was shocked, and then livid. He nearly strangled their prisoner on the way down.
“Will there be a trial?”
“The Emperor must decide.” Dechend clenched the bars and glared into the cell. “For god’s sake, he is in a position of power; has anyone else been swayed, I wonder?”
“I followed him carefully. It does not appear that way; I did not see him in conversation with anyone inside the Hall.”
Dechend swore and pushed away. “I wonder if he understands it would take someone able to get close to the Emperor to be in a position to assassinate him. Him.”
Kylis stared at Dechend and shifted his head to look down on the unconscious man. “Him? I don’t think he has the guts.”
“Who else? Soon now someone would have played with his mind.”
“Gods,” Kylis muttered. “Does he realise we probably saved his soul?”
Dechend spat through the bars. “He does not have one. Come, let him stew awhile. We will get more out of him later.”
Chapter 38
When you hurt the one I love, you hurt me also.
~ Lovers truth ~
Nowhere
Fort Dungeon
IN A PLACE FAR removed from Grinwallin, two men tread on a set of worn steps that led to another kind of dungeon. Here there was filth and smell and rats and cloying atmosphere, and Tianoman gagged.
Torrullin ignored him; walking on slowly, hand clenched on his sword. He did not expect Tymall to put in an appearance, but it paid to be prepared. His son could have arranged a few surprises.
Then nothing mattered. Not Tianoman behind him. And not the spectre of Tymall.
Teighlar was first.
Dirty, hair matted, scratches and bites on exposed skin, and cracked lips.
Torrullin stopped at the bars to stare at him, heart and soul filling with every dread.
“What do you want now?” Teighlar demanded and rushed at the bars. He froze. “You are here. I thought you were …” Then he was silent and his head and eyes turned to the right. In the direction Elianas was.
Torrullin touched the giant lock and the cell door creaked open a crack. “Can you walk?”
“I will walk out of here, worry not. Will we be stopped?”
“Not this time.”
“No, you must know pain first, mustn’t you?” Teighlar muttered. “Tristan is two down.”
Tristan waited at the bars, his expression tightly controlled. When Torrullin touched the lock, Tristan said, “Nothing will prepare you.”
Torrullin inhaled sharply.
Tristan’s gaze moved to Tianoman. “You are safe. Thank the gods.”
Tianoman licked his lips and said nothing.
Torrullin took a step, two, three, and then he was running, head jerking left and right. Soon he halted, and froze. Colour fled skin and every coherent thought flew away. What remained was horror and cold, hard, savage fury.
Tristan moved, and Teighlar held him back. “Not yet.”
Tianoman was stricken.
Torrullin’s hand jerked up like an automaton to touch the lock. The instant the metal device crashed to the filthy floor, he reanimated.
He strode through drawing his sword, and called, “I need help.” He vanished into the cell, and Teighlar, Tristan and Tianoman ran closer.
Elianas hung limp and at a strange angle from dislocated shoulders. His knees were swollen and protruded in an odd curve. Not much of his clothes remained; every inch of skin was covered in cuts, bruises, bites and scratches. Slash wounds in his side, thigh and shoulder, and dark pools on the floor revealed how much blood was lost. He smelled of piss and vomit.
Tianoman drew a horrified breath, and then clamped his mouth shut.
Teighlar and Tristan glanced at each other, both silently vowing to aid Torrullin in whatever justice or revenge he chose to mete out. They would not stop him in any excess now. They had heard every word, every flesh wound, every taunt and every punch and kick. Tymall deserved the worst.
Elianas’ face accused most.
His hair was knotted and filthy, his lips caked with mucus and dry blood. Blood had congealed in his nostrils.
A slash to each cheek. Blood in thick ropes down his neck, over his collarbones, a map of lines down his chest.
He was barely breathing.
Torrullin’s face was a mask.
Inhaling, Teighlar stepped forward
and took the sword from him. “Let us leave this place of horror, my friend. Hold him while I cut him loose.”
How to bear the weight of a man hurt in every conceivable place? Torrullin’s face twisted, but he nodded as he relinquished the blade. Let it be his hands then to cause more harm. He stepped forward to wedge his shoulder under Elianas’ armpit and closed his arms around the man’s waist.
“Do it quickly.”
Teighlar lifted the sword and executed a quick turn that twirled the blade in a swift motion. Metal sliced through metal with barely a sound - this was a sword of legend, after all.
Elianas slumped, Torrullin grunted and bore his weight, and Tristan was behind him, propping the wounded man from there.
Teighlar grit his teeth and sliced through the leg chains in swift succession. Elianas dragged as dead weight in Torrullin’s arms. Again he grunted; he shifted that heaviness over his shoulder and prayed to all gods he was not causing more agony.
He faced the bars.
Tianoman stared at them with eyes wild with suffering.
Torrullin said, “I shall be back.”
Tianoman drew the kind of breath that said he would never again be the same man, and nodded. “Go.”
Torrullin hefted Elianas once more and stumbled from the cell. Teighlar gripped the sword Trezond and followed. His free hand waved about uncertainly, ready to help if Torrullin needed him.
Tristan faced Tianoman. “Are you not coming?”
“No. You must go and go without a fight.”
“What must you do for this?” Tristan whispered from his heart.
Tianoman briefly closed his eyes. “I will do whatever it takes, Tristan. Go. He will close the path soon.”
Tristan sighed and clasped his cousin’s shoulder, and hastened after the others.
By the time Tianoman found the will to move again and left the dungeons, they were passing through the gates with Tristan and Teighlar supporting Torrullin as he struggled along.
He wanted to kill his father.
Chapter 39
Every day is now the next day.
Lore of Sanctum Omnibus Page 162
