by Joe Jackson
“But people did think the seterra-rir were demonic in origin,” Grakin said softly.
Kari shook her head. “That’s something I’m going to want to look into. Thanks for telling me, Sonja. I just…this is a lot coming on the heels of finding out what Jason Bosimar did while he was Avatar. But you’d better get going.”
Sonja nodded and hugged Kari and Grakin, then boarded the ship. Before the sun had even crested the horizon, the Sword of the Coast departed with Erik, Aeligos, Sonja, and Serenjols, on its way south to Port Kristofer, Lajere, and then Winter’s Bounty, unless plans changed. Kari and Grakin waved a farewell to their siblings, and Damansha arrived just in time to see Serenjols off on his dangerous mission. She blew him a kiss, and Kari couldn’t help but smile despite everything on her mind.
With her in-laws off, Kari made her way back to the temple of Zalkar on the campus of the Order to meet with the Council. She stopped in at the administrative office first to inquire with Virginia about whether Lord Allerius had informed the families of the two slain hunters – Richard Sil’Sivarra and Ursula Moirez del Rey – and the status of the military funeral. The human secretary said that Lord Allerius had already handled the notifications, and that the funeral arrangements were being finalized with the families. Satisfied that at least one of the issues before her was well-settled, Kari left and crossed the campus courtyard toward the temple.
The grounds were already abuzz with the early-morning routines of the cadets, who were out jogging or doing calisthenics to get in shape for the day’s training. Engrossed as they were in their exercises, still not one of them failed to jump to their feet and salute Kari as the Grand Commander of the Order. She returned their salutes without breaking stride, but her heart did skip a beat when she saw a human hunter named Darius Red Eagle leading the squad of cadets Typhonix normally trained. Kari blew out a calming sigh, satisfied that the cadets were in good hands with Red Eagle to train them, and she kept her feet moving.
The temple was quiet in the early morning, only a handful of acolytes offering prayers to open the day for the Order. Kari crossed the chapel silently and entered the assembly chamber, where the Council was already gathered and waiting for her. Kari walked to stand before the long table the Council sat behind, and she came to attention and saluted. The nine human priests of Zalkar greeted her warmly.
Without any delay, Master Bennet said, “First, Lady Vanador, I wanted to assure you that the gods cannot detect any trace of Seril upon Citaria. If she had survived somehow, some way, they would have been able to find her, and the task of putting her down more permanently would have been undertaken by Kaelariel himself.” Kari nodded but didn’t interrupt. “Now, why don’t you elaborate on your suspicions about this mole in the Order?”
Kari briefly thought about mentioning the attack on the seterra-rir, but decided she had to prioritize things. As much as the Order having a hand in the attempted genocide aggravated her, it was done and past and was not an immediate concern. “Well, as I started to explain yesterday, Masters, it’s just how quickly people like Amastri are finding out about our plans,” Kari began. “The more I think about it, the more it bothers me, because a lot of what she manages to find out are things that only our officers or people very close to me even know about. The worst examples I can think of are the trip we took to the valley near Atrice, and the fact that I’m pregnant. At the time, very few people knew about those things, so for Amastri to know them before I even spoke to her tells me that there has to be someone here selling her information, or at least being very careless with it.”
“It certainly merits investigation, at the least,” Master Bennet agreed. “It is a shame your brother-in-law Aeligos left this morning, else I imagine he would be of great help in finding out if your suspicions are true, and then catching the culprit.”
For a moment, Kari wondered if they thought she was too stupid to do it on her own, but her defensiveness evaporated quickly. Master Bennet was quite right: Aeligos would be much better suited to putting a plan in motion to expose and capture any mole. Kari knew she wasn’t dumb, but there really was no comparison between her and Aeligos. Still, Kari had some ideas, and with only the Council present, she felt secure enough to talk about them openly.
“I have an idea that might work, but it depends on the mole selling information to more than just Amastri,” Kari began. She clearly had the undivided attention of the Council. “I had Aeligos and…well, as you know, the Blood Order trying to find a possible agent of Sekassus in the city while I was gone. I’ve called off that search, but I still think there has to be one here somewhere. What I was thinking of doing, instead of actively searching for them, is drawing them out by passing along false information through our mole.”
Kari could see her idea seemed reasonable to the Council, so she continued. “I have no doubts that Sekassus wants to recapture Se’sasha, so using her as bait seems to be the best way to get this person out in the open,” she said. “My idea shouldn’t really concern King Koursturaux, so if the mole passes the information along to Amastri, I don’t think it will matter. Sekassus and King Koursturaux really do hate each other, so I don’t think there’s any risk that Amastri would pass along information to this agent of Sekassus.”
“Everything we know would seem to point to you being correct in that regard,” Master Goldberg said.
“Well, King Koursturaux’ willingness to help me frustrate Sekassus by freeing Se’sasha in the first place should be all the evidence we need,” Kari said. “Then again, the kings are all devious bastards, so who really knows? Anyway, I want to use Se’sasha as bait, and I asked my friends Eli and Danilynn to stay behind to help me put a plan in motion. What I want to do is discuss this plan in front of a very specific audience: maybe just our senior officers, yourselves, and Lord Allerius. Then, we’ll send Se’sasha south to Gnarr, supposedly to be debriefed and guarded by the Avenger Order, and we’ll send Eli and Danilynn as her bodyguards.”
Master Perez tilted his head curiously. “You suspect the agent or the mole themselves will be directly involved with any attempt to capture Se’sasha?” he asked.
Kari shook her head. “No, this plan actually depends on demon kings acting like demon kings for a change,” she said, which drew a few chuckles from the Council. “I think if and when Eli and Danilynn slaughter any ambushers and it becomes obvious the whole situation was a ruse, either our mysterious agent of Sekassus will kill the mole, suspecting he’s been discovered, or Sekassus will kill them both to keep them from talking.” Several of the Councilors appeared to appreciate her foresight. “It’s not a sure thing, Masters, but considering how hard Aeligos and the Blood Order have been trying to find these people with no success, I don’t think there’s any sure thing right now.”
“No, you’re quite right on that,” Master Arinotte said. “My only concerns are the use of Se’sasha as bait, and the potential for Elias and Danilynn to be overwhelmed by a larger ambush than you’re anticipating.”
Kari had to agree; she didn’t like the prospect of sending Se’sasha into danger at all, but the only other option would be to have one of the other syrinthians pretend to be the priestess. “Maybe we can use Liria or one of the other syrinthian females as a decoy, pretending to be Se’sasha,” Kari ventured, which the Councilors apparently had already considered themselves. “As far as Eli and Danilynn, I think they’re more than capable of handling themselves, but maybe we have a few others stow away with them, too. I’m thinking it should be people from outside the Order, though. Any other hunters knowing about the truth behind this could spoil the whole thing.”
“Perhaps you could ask Tor to go with them,” Master Bennet said. “The three of them used to all work together, and I am certain the Duke would have little issue with lending you one of his officers.”
Kari started to speak but shut her mouth just as quickly. She had very nearly broken her friends’ trust and told the Council about who and what Tor truly was. She realized
there was no simple, reasonable explanation for turning down the Council’s idea without revealing something strange about the gnoll, so she figured she’d let Tor, Eli, and Danilynn make the decision. “I’ll mention that to Eli and Danilynn when I go over this with them,” she said. “It’ll honestly be up to Tor in the end, unless the Duke orders him to help.”
“Very good,” Master Bennet said. “This meeting and information will be kept among ourselves for the time being; take care that you do not alert more than Eli and Danilynn about it. When do you plan to speak to Se’sasha and her syrinthians regarding this plan?”
“Later today or tomorrow,” Kari said. “I was going to head over to Tigron’s temple and see Typhonix. On top of checking in on him, I need his help in figuring out how to get the estate I’ve inherited running properly once I take it from the Duke.”
“Did you speak to Amastri after you left yesterday, regarding the letter you received?” Master Arinotte asked.
“I did,” Kari said. “King Koursturaux is rather unhappy with me, but Amastri said that’s not the reason I’ve been invited to the demon king’s palace. I’ve been assured I’ll be completely safe while there, but frankly, Masters, I have no intention of visiting Mehr’Durillia again while I’m pregnant, and not for some time after. So King Koursturaux will just have to wait. I figure she’s already over twelve thousand years old, so another year or two shouldn’t matter to her.”
The Council chuckled at that. “Well, go see to Typhonix and pass along our prayers and well-wishes,” Master Bennet said. “Do take care not to mention this plan of yours to anyone on the campus or outside of your closest circle of friends and family. Secrecy will be the lifeblood of this scheme of yours.”
“Of course, Masters. By your leave,” Kari said with a salute, and once dismissed, she made her way out of the temple.
The day was getting warm, and the sun was strong on Kari’s back as she made her way west, deeper into the city, toward the temple of Tigron. Summer was almost upon them in full, but though DarkWind was fairly far north and received a south-bound current that brought warm water, the coastal winds tended to keep it cool. Summers were hot and humid but fairly pleasant with the constant fresh air – aside from the more southern portions, where that same wind blew the smells of tanneries and fishing wharves over the city.
The streets were alive as the day grew older, with children headed to temple schools or private tutors, carts and wagons delivering and transporting goods all over the city, and people busily hustling to and fro with their day’s work. Armed, armored, and with her dog tags out for all to see, Kari was able to pass among even the more crowded areas without trouble. Smiles and salutes greeted her from most, though she did receive the occasional scowl, likely from those who took a dim view of law enforcement in general. Despite how loosely she had to keep her paluric armor strapped with her ever-growing belly, she still felt pretty safe on these streets.
Tigron’s temple, a sterile white building that looked more like a hospital than a church, came into sight before long and Kari strode inside. Numerous people were seated on benches before the altar, and Kari saw that there was actually a human priest of the healer god holding a service. Kari skirted the area before the altar to try to avoid distracting the worshippers, and she found a nurse who directed her to Ty’s room. Since he required long-term care, he was on one of the upper floors in a private room. Kari negotiated the stairs with only a little trouble, and her mind flashed briefly back to walking up and down the hills and ravines of Mehr’Durillia in the early months of her pregnancy.
Ty was in a little dormitory with a single square window, a chair, a wardrobe, and a large bed. It felt as sterile as the outside of the building to Kari’s eyes. Ty was lying propped up against a mound of pillows between him and the wall, staring absently out the window. His blonde hair was unkempt and his wings lay to his sides on the bed. Only the occasional rise and fall of his chest gave any indication that he was a living being and not a statue. He only moved once Kari entered the room, and he gave her a minimal smile, still lost in melancholy.
“How are you?” Kari asked. She crossed to the bed and took one of his hands in hers.
“Not good,” he said matter-of-factly with a sigh. “They told me last night that they’ve done everything they can, and…well, they’ve ordered a wheelchair made for me. So I guess that means I’m never going to walk again. My days as a hunter are over.”
Kari wasn’t sure if what she felt in her belly was an actual kick or just the weight of the news hitting her. She had hoped and prayed that the more experienced physicians of Tigron’s temple would be able to fix even what Grakin couldn’t, and that Ty would be up and about again eventually. She was pointedly reminded of her own words to her family about the possibility of being killed in her dangerous line of work, and their seeming obliviousness when it came to that personal danger struck her more squarely now. This had always been a possible outcome, but given Ty’s youth, it seemed he had still felt invincible or immortal, and had never foreseen anything like this coming to pass.
“Is it something that maybe will heal over time?” she asked, trying to give him some bit of hope. “Half-guardians heal fast, maybe it’s something your body can fix given time?”
Ty shook his head. “They don’t think so.”
“Ty,” Kari practically pleaded, gripping his forearm. “You can’t give up. Don’t lose hope. Keep your faith in Zalkar, and maybe they can fix this.”
“Like your Dracon’s Bane?” he barked, and Kari recoiled. He sucked in his lower lip and blew out a long sigh, apologizing with his eyes if not his tongue. He quieted down and added, “They’ve done everything they can, Kari. I’m done. I’m going to spend the rest of my life as a gimp, and all those cadets I used to intimidate are going to laugh at what’s left of me wheeling around in some stupid chair.”
“They’d better not,” Kari returned, “or they’ll be looking for new jobs.”
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Ty said, looking away out the window again. “I mean, if I was an ordinary man, it’d be one thing, but to live like this for a few thousand years? I’m not sure I want to look forward to that.”
Kari grabbed his chin and turned his head to face her. “Don’t talk like that,” she said. “Live your life one day at a time, Ty. Right now I need you, and there’s still plenty you can do for the Order, even if you can’t walk. The gods didn’t put that brain in your head just to tell wise-cracks and rude jokes. I’ve got an estate I have no idea how to run, and there’s always plenty of administrative work on the campus that we’re better off having an experienced hunter take care of instead of a townsperson.”
Ty snorted. “You trying to make me feel better?”
“Is it working?” Kari returned just as quickly.
The blonde sighed. “I suppose, a little bit,” he admitted. “It’s just easy to sit here and feel sorry for myself when I’m on my own, and everyone can’t spend all their time around here trying to make me feel better.”
“Well, the wheelchair will at least give you back a bit of freedom once you’re used to using it,” Kari said. She thought of the rare times she’d seen people in them before, and how quickly some could speed along. It wasn’t always easy on the unpaved streets, but they made do. She imagined with the size of Ty’s arms, he’d probably be able to give the average draft horse a run for its money, if the roads were smooth enough for him to pass easily.
“Mom’s already talking to some carpenters about putting a ramp up to the house to make it easier for me to get in and out,” he said. “I guess I’m going to have to swap rooms with Eli and Danilynn.”
“You’re always welcome to live on the estate once the house is fixed up,” Kari said. “If you end up working for me, you can just live in the house and then you won’t really have to go anywhere for work, at least. And I’ll make sure to bring you in on the Order’s cases that need more brains than I’ve got.”
Ty patted her h
and. “You’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for,” he said. “Thanks, Kari. I suppose work will be something to look forward to, and that’ll keep my mind off being in this condition. If you want to get started on things, go find a stationery shop and ask for an accounting ledger, some ink, and some quills, and bring them back here when you have the time.”
“Stationary shop? You mean one that doesn’t move around?” Kari teased, trying to keep a straight face.
Ty chuckled and shoved her shoulder lightly. “Get out of here,” he said. “No fair using my own sense of humor against me.”
Kari kissed him on the side of his snout and promised to return around lunchtime. She descended the stairs with a little more spring in her step, glad she was able to lighten Ty’s mood a bit. It occurred to her that as a demonhunter and a student of history, Ty might know the most about any connection between the Order and the War of Purity. He would certainly be one of the least conspicuous sources of information; Kari resolved to ask him if he knew anything about it the next time she went to see him.
When she reached the street, Kari turned back north toward home, hoping Danilynn and Eli would be there. If not, she was pretty sure she’d know where to find Danilynn. Where Eli was occupying most of his time since taking up residence in DarkWind was a complete mystery to Kari. The house was empty when Kari got home, so she headed toward the temples. Garra Ktarra’s temple wasn’t too far from Kaelariel’s, but Kari didn’t find Danilynn there, either.
Kari stopped in a little shop across from the temple, where she was able to buy a ledger and some writing supplies as Ty had requested. She tried to think where she might find Eli and Danilynn, and wondered if they might be on the campus of the Order. She returned there, and after inquiring with a couple of the hunters on the courtyard, she was directed to the conference room at the rear of the administrative building. When she passed through on the way to the back conference room, she was informed that the funeral proceedings for the two slain hunters would be held in three days, to give the families time to arrive in the city.
