by A J Gala
Talora could sense Torah’s approach from a mile away. Actually, she corrected herself—she had only seen him atop the plateau. The tree that had once been blocking her view had been trimmed to almost nothing by the elements, and she had watched him head for the antechamber, knowing it meant he would descend into the Convent’s cavern. After that, he was either headed for Davrkton to a tavern or to see her. She took her chances and readied her iron kettle for tea.
Two cups. She watched the hot water turn golden over the dried leaves and yellow flower buds. The soft rainfall and the crackling in her oven were the only sounds around her. Her mind was perfectly still for one refreshing moment. Then, she softened the long, black waves of her hair beneath her veil and left the solace of her treehouse, taking the two teacups outside into the night.
Torah waited for her, sitting in one of her chairs underneath the canopy of her tree. He smiled at her from under the hood of his thick, dark cloak and raised a flickering storm lantern.
“Did you pick a good one?” he asked playfully.
She caught the smile herself, and her deep tan cheeks lit up rosy. “I did! Something special to celebrate your return!” When she reached the bottom of the steps, she handed him a cup and sat beside him in a second chair. “Thanks for sprucing the place up a little. I used to have six chairs. Seems the storm did away with the others.” She scooted in a little closer. “How are you? You and your dear sister? I see she isn’t with you.”
He sighed wearily, then chuckled. “I had to leave Korrena for a bit. She’s driving me insane. She’ll hunt me down eventually, but until then, I will enjoy a little peace.”
Talora held the cup close to feel the steam on her face. “She does seem to be a bit of a downer, doesn’t she? We’re attracting a lot of them these days.”
“Lilu still reigns supreme, I’m sure.”
“Everyone’s favorite lilitu!” Talora tapped her fingers on the cup and chuckled. “Seems like Korrena could give her a run for her money, though. But until that happens, yes, Lilu does reign supreme. Then there’s Aleth and now his sister… but he’s much better since he showed up with her. He’s still a brat, but they’re all young, so I suppose I’ll let it slide.”
Torah looked into his cup. “I haven’t been able to find him since I came back. How is he?”
“He’s okay.” She didn’t know if that was true but didn’t correct herself. “I get the feeling that he has a lot to work through still, but he’s okay. Better than before.” She took a sip, testing the temperature. It was too hot. “I told you he’s been better since he brought his sister back with him. He never told me what happened between the two of you. Or why you left.”
Torah held in a breath and rubbed his knee as he listened to her. Despite the casual tone of her words, each and every single one bore a hole in him.
“If he never told you,” he was careful to avoid her eyes, “he doesn’t want you to know.”
She shrugged. “Well, he took off when you got here.”
“So that’s why I haven’t been able to find him. He’s not even here.”
Talora fought down a sigh. “Everything used to be so different. I miss those days. The days before it started to feel like something awful is about to happen. Now it feels like a race against time to—” She shrugged. “I don’t know, to do something. But I can’t figure out what.”
“Just keep your head low, Tal, and everything will be fine.”
She tried her tea again. “Everything will be fine? Or I will be fine?”
He leaned back in the chair and looked away. The clouds rumbled with the promise of more chaos, and the flame in the storm lantern shied away for a moment.
“I know I’ve been selfish in the past,” he said, “but I’ve changed. I wish I could prove it. It’s not too late for me, right? Maybe I can fix some of the damage I’ve done.”
Talora softened, sinking comfortably in her chair and gazing upon Torah with a glimmer in her eye. “Aleth would be happy to hear a little bit of humanity come out of you.” Her plump lips curled up into a tiny grin. “I remember he would always complain about that.”
Torah took a generous gulp of the tea, and it scalded his throat. In seconds, it had healed. “To tell you the truth, Korrena is a horrible influence on me. I thought I missed her until I saw her again. She could put the vampires and their savagery to shame.”
“But you love her. You wouldn’t have brought her here, otherwise.”
He saw the tea leaves settling into a shape before he took another drink. “I love her dearly. I just wish she loved me enough to want to change. Unfortunately, she’s Louvita’s new favorite person, so that’s not about to happen.”
Talora giggled. “Louvita wanted Tizzy to be a certain way so badly. But Tizzy’s a petulant little thing, who is determined to fight her every step of the way, and now Louvita can’t stand her. I’m not surprised she’s taken to Korrena after the disappointment.”
“I can’t believe Korrena even likes Louvita. She doesn’t respect authority very much, though the Mire Elf is quite good at flattery. I’ll bet that’s how she reeled my sister in.” Torah finished the tea and gave the cup back. “Every time we talk about her, it makes me nervous. I should go find her before she causes trouble. It’s good to see you again, Tal.”
“What will you do now?”
He picked the storm lantern up and held it out, looking into the deep woods, staring through it. The seconds of silence between them felt like days.
“I don’t know.” The lantern swayed with a breeze. “I suppose now I wait.”
“Well, it’s nice to have you back, Torah.”
He disappeared into the Wistwilds, taking the storm lantern with him. When she stared down into the leaves at the bottom of his cup, she saw the shape of a bird in flight with sharp talons like a falcon.
Once, things had been different. They had been better. She could almost say that Aleth had a family with them. Torah, Ilisha, and herself. And sometimes even Lilu.
“Woman!”
She gasped. The daemon’s voice came from high up in the tree.
Talora craned her neck back and stared up into the branches. “Lilu! What is wrong with you? You scared the hell out of me!” She breathed in deep to catch her breath. “How long have you been up there?”
“Long enough to know I now have to fight Torah’s sister to prove I am and always will be the reigning ‘downer’ around here. Whatever that means.” She leapt down and landed perfectly on her feet. The rain had soaked her pale blonde hair. The bob stuck to the sides of her glaring face as her eyes shone yellow with venom.
“What do you want?” Talora asked. “And why are you spying on me?”
“Where are they, Tal?”
“All I know is that they left.” She sipped from her cup, ignoring Lilu’s advance. “Aleth had to have gone before she did, because when she left, it was only her and the bloodslave.”
“It’s only a matter of time before Louvita and Ziaul start asking questions.” Lilu extended her claws and looked them over, brushing away something that was dirt or dried blood. “And they’re going to ask me. They’re going to ask us. And then I’ll probably get sent out to retrieve her again, so what are we going to do?”
“I don’t know.” Talora could only shrug. “Maybe we just wait.”
“That’s a stupid idea.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have a better one!” Talora snapped, rising to her feet. “Besides, aren’t you worried about what’s going on around here? Something isn’t right, and that’s what we should really be paying attention to. Something just doesn’t feel right, especially now that everyone’s back. So let Aleth and Tizzy get into whatever trouble they find. I’m not going to be made to look after them all the time.”
Lilu scoffed. “I’ll watch Canis and the faerie.”
Talora’s shoulders eased down just a little. She sipped her tea, and a smirk worked its way onto her features. “So then you agree with me.”
“That’s exactly what ‘agree’ means—forget it.” Talora shook her head and started over. “Let’s just see what we can find out. Louvita doesn’t like me much, so I doubt she’d tell me anything she hasn’t already told you. But somebody around here knows what’s going on. And I’ll bet it’s Torah!”
“Such suspicious timing for him to come back.” Lilu used her index claw to scrape at something behind her teeth.
“Exactly!” Talora took another sip of her tea, her stomach full of uncomfortable excitement. “Lilu, you know what happened between Aleth and Torah. Don’t you?”
The daemon narrowed her eyes. “I wouldn’t tell Tizzy, and I’m not telling you, so don’t waste your breath.” She folded her arms, continuing to stare Talora down like she was a threat. To what, Lilu couldn’t imagine. “But I will tell you that when he came to me after it happened, I asked to taste his blood. I wanted to know what he felt, why he looked the way he did, what it all meant… I just wanted to understand. And that was the day I learned how to regret.” She had never understood such a ridiculous concept before. “Then I backed off. I stopped letting him come to me for his problems.”
“For your venom.”
“I suppose I could have just bit him all the same without taking any of his blood in return, but I wanted him as far away from me as possible.” It had been the hardest recovery from her bloodborne empathy yet.
But Talora huffed. “And then you got over it and started antagonizing him again.”
“Yes.”
With both teacups empty, Talora headed toward the steps to her treehouse. “Alright, Lilu, let’s see what we can figure out.”
The daemon grinned. “We can’t have it seem like we’re working at this together, though. Why don’t we have some ugly fights when everyone’s looking?”
Talora tilted her head back and laughed. “I may never say this again, Lilu, but you’re brilliant.”
It had been so easy. Too easy. Nothing so important came as simply.
Lazarus stared down at his hand, into the Maw. Meeka’s blood stained its sharp, needle-like teeth.
“What have I done?” The hard wood and iron of the interrogation chamber’s door was stiff against his back. Meeka was just on the other side, slumped over the table, unconscious. The Maw had sapped ten years of her future and countless memories.
No, he corrected himself. It wasn’t the Maw. “I did this.”
But it felt so good. The power and life coursing within him made him feel new. To feel free of pain and filled with vigor was such an intoxicating feeling, he couldn’t tell if it was the Maw that hungered for more life, or if it was him.
He knew he was on the slope. If he wasn’t careful, just one small step could send him sliding down the wrong side.
“I can’t let myself do this again,” he whispered.
But he wouldn’t be the only one to benefit from everything he’d taken from Meeka. Allanis and her Council would have all the information from the young Hunter’s memories at their disposal. It would give them an advantage they desperately needed.
He tried to steady his breathing. Everything would be fine. Until Allanis found out the truth. Knowing his baby sister, he would be better off coming clean as soon as they were alone.
“Maybe that’s what I’ll do.” He let out a breath, knowing full well that wasn’t what he was going to do.
He’d spent enough time on his task. It was time to return to the Council and report. He rolled his shoulders, shaking the nerves off himself, then ran a hand through his auburn hair. With the parasite satisfied, he would grow a few less grays. He wondered if anyone would notice.
He locked the interrogation chambers and headed to the Council room.
Since Meeka, Centa, and Phio had arrived, Allanis’s world had been a whirlwind. She remembered a time when things were slow, when it would be months before a real issue popped up that she’d need to throw her queenly weight around for.
At the moment, it seemed her Council was mostly competent. She’d been able to entrust Meeka’s interrogation to them and catch a bit of a break for herself. Straight to the kitchen she went.
At the kitchen’s hearth, she found Lora warming spice tea. When the dark-haired woman spied her queen, she took her into her arms and rubbed her back. She felt Allanis tremble with a sob and tucked her blonde curls behind her ear.
“There, there, Little Bird.”
“I’m sorry, Lora. There’s just so much… I thought I could handle it.” She sniffled, and Lora gazed down with warm eyes to wipe her tears. “But everywhere I go, someone’s got awful news. Adeska’s not healing after Centa stabbed her, Alor ran off and no one can find him—what if we don’t find him?—and I can’t forget Centa! I can’t forget my brother-in-law is being kept in my dungeon for attempted murder! Gods, and where the hell are Tizzy and Al—”
“It’s alright, my queen.” Lora lifted her chin and kissed her cheek. “It’s all going to be alright. Let everything go for just a moment. If everything were taken care of, if there were no problems for a queen to fix, what would you want?”
Allanis couldn’t even think. Words spilled out of her with no filter. “A chicken coop. I want a chicken coop. Oh, Lora, let’s get some chickens when this is all over! Or, or maybe another dog!”
Lora’s smile as she pulled away was both shy and wickedly sweet. “Or perhaps a baby?”
“Oh, Lora.” Allanis wiped her tears and a laugh escaped her. “Perhaps a baby!”
She didn’t want the moment with Lora to end, but the Council room was waiting for them. It was time to face the results of the interrogation. They made their way down the hall with cups of tea, giggling and staying close, brushing arms, touching, tying their auras together.
Inside, the others were waiting, but Allanis’s eyes locked onto the empty chair.
“Where’s Lazarus?”
Ravina scooted her chair closer to the table, then eyed her with suspicion. The silence was heavy until she cleared her throat to speak. “Conducting the interrogation with Meeka, Your Grace.”
“Alone?” Her heart quickened.
“Should we not have left him alone?”
There was a hint of accusation in Ravina’s voice. The glare on her dark-skinned features was sharp. Allanis knew what she was doing. She knew the woman—her Master of Dusk—wanted to know Lazarus’s secret. She wanted a reason to say he was unfit for the Council.
“No, it’s fine,” Allanis said. She could trust him, right? “I just… he’s never done this. He was so sure of himself, it worried me a little. That’s all. I’m not sure he really knows what he’s doing, but I’m sure it’s fine. I’m sure he knows I don’t want any harm to come to Meeka. He knows that. He knows how I feel. He knows.”
Lora squeezed the woman’s shoulder. “My queen, you are making us nervous.”
“I am. I’m sorry.”
The eyes around her were no longer curious and dutiful. They were worried. She could see Athen’s jaw tense and young Prince Ashbel’s gaze wandering the room for an answer he might have missed. Even the normally casual Jurdeir was on edge, with his hands balled up in his lap and his heel bouncing rapidly against the stone floor.
But Ravina was the one who concerned Allanis the most. The Master of Dusk did not seem to trust the queen’s judgment at all anymore.
Gavin cleared his throat. “Should I go check on him?”
Allanis waved her hands around at her Master Battlemage. “No!” She didn’t dare say yes and throw everyone into a panic. “He’s fine. He’s probably doing just fine. He’s a natural at this, you know.”
Ashbel frowned. “A natural at what?” His dark, narrow eyes froze on her. “At getting information out of people?”
Allanis tried to ignore what he was implying but couldn’t. A gruesome image hung in her mind. Tor
ture.
“At talking! To people! He’s a natural at talking to people, and he’s probably giving Meeka all sorts of sagely advice on life right now, and in return, I’m sure she’s telling him all about… I don’t know. Everything!”
“She has.”
Lazarus came into the room, tall and solemn, and took his seat. “And I did.” Though his “sagely advice” was some of the grimmest he’d ever given. He would never forget the horror in her eyes as he proved to her that there was a fate worse than death.
Allanis couldn’t help but adopt some of Ravina’s suspicion herself when she looked him up and down. He was different. Better, well-rested, nothing like he had been since showing up for her party. And certainly not as he’d been just a short while ago. But she said nothing of it.
“That was fast,” was her only response.
He stared into the wood grain of the table. “We hit it off.”
Ashbel slumped over the table in excitement, turning his whole body toward the necromancer. “Well, what did she say? What does she know? Will it help us?”
Lazarus was quiet as he rifled through the memories that weren’t his. Meeka had been so full of hope before arriving at Barton Hovel.
“Vandroya is overrun with Hunters,” he told them. “It’s hard to say which is the bigger threat between the king’s army and the Lord-Hunter’s Lions.”
“Lions?” Allanis echoed.
“That’s what the real Hunters are called—the dangerous ones with training and Time Magic. The ones we’re more likely to encounter at this stage are just scouts.”
Goosebumps crawled along Allanis’s skin. “When you say this stage, what do you mean?”
Lazarus didn’t realize he had been picking at something on the table. At nothing. “They’re looking for someone, someone called the Protégé. Right now, Lord-Hunter Cyrus has over seventy Hunter scouts sent out to find them, plus a few Lions for good measure. That’s where Meeka came in. She’s a Hunter, has been for a couple of years. One of Cyrus’s youngest. She was told this mission would bring her closer to becoming a Lion, and the money and status were things her family needed. Cyrus posted her at Barton Hovel in the northern Bogwood, and that’s where Centa and Phio found her. They had a scuffle and decided to bring her here for questioning.”
