Riddle of Fate

by Tania Johansson

  “That’s unlike him.”

  “Carleen said that she’d heard another man’s voice in there, but she didn’t see him. And no one saw him come or go.”

  “How strange,” the girl said, her eyes alight. “You’ve always said there’s been some strange people around his house. The mystery deepens.”

  “Or Phalio’s going crazy and Carleen is being fanciful,” Roi said with a careless shrug and she chuckled.

  They chattered over a cup of tea like old friends. Roi then handed her the slip of paper without a word of explanation. He bowed and took his leave. He mounted the gelding and tipped an imaginary hat, making the girl giggle. She watched him go with a fond smile.

  She walked back into the house. A man appeared in front of her as if out of thin air. He wore a long, black coat and his back was stooped. His thin nose seemed too long for his narrow face and his parted lips revealed a few rotten teeth. The smile slipped from her lips. “I thought the little rat was never going to leave,” he said. “Did you have to make him a cup of tea?”

  “Yes,” she said, her face hard. She pulled out the note from her pocket, but hid it behind her back and held out her other hand, palm up.

  The man slapped down a silver coin onto her hand and she relinquished the note. He snatched it from her and left through the back door. Behind an outbuilding, he collected his horse, mounted up and set off. This time, he travelled at a more sedate pace and Derrin followed easily.

  He eventually emerged onto a gravel road broad enough to accommodate a carriage. A short time later, a town appeared up ahead. He rode up to a mansion. Sandstone pillars supported a slate roof above a decked terrace at the front of the house. The arched wooden front door swung open when the man knocked.

  A woman stood in the doorway. Her grey hair was up in a tight bun and her eyebrows were painted on. Her bright red lips pulled down at the corners at the sight of the hunched man. “Darci, you always look so pleased to see me,” he said, a humourless smile spreading his lips.

  Darci recoiled, her nose wrinkling. She put a gold coin in his palm and held out her hand for the note. The man cocked his head to one side. “What? Not a please, thank you, or a kiss?”

  With a flick of her wrist, Darci produced a knife. The other hand, she still held out for the message, her fingers curling and extending, waiting impatiently.

  The man’s pink tongue darted out and wetted his lips, but he handed her the missive. She closed the door in his face and he turned away with a grunt, muttering under his breath.

  Derrin Leapt inside where Darci was making her way up a sweeping marble staircase. At the end of a long hallway, decorated with paintings of stately-looking figures, she knocked twice on the door before pushing it open.

  Derrin started to follow, but sprang back when he saw who was sitting behind the oak desk. It was unmistakeably a Collector, although the brief glimpse he got didn't allow Derrin to recognise him. He shook his head, pursing his lips. What did this mean? How were the Collectors involved with the Company? Their strict ‘no interference’ law would not allow them to meddle with humans – Derrin had intimate knowledge of the consequences of breaking this law – not to mention direct an entire organisation!

  And how was it that this maid could see the Collector? It shouldn’t be possible! Derrin leaned in closer to the door, trying to hear what they were saying. Most of it was muffled by the heavy door, but he caught a mention of Khaya’s name and something about Phalio as well.

  Footsteps approached. Not knowing if it was the maid or the Collector, Derrin ducked into the closest room, standing behind the door and flattening himself against the wall. The maid walked away, the door closing behind her.

  Derrin needed time to think. The first dawn rays were filtering in through the window of what he now noticed was a bedroom, and dust motes danced in the beams. Khaya would just be waking up.

  From his hiding place, he Leapt back to the spot where he’d left her in the forest.

  She was gone.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Brier kept his distance from Khaya. After the disaster of the previous attempt, he was going to take his time and make sure to do it right this time. Her last performance only convinced him all the more that she needed to die.

  His window seat at the tavern afforded him a clear view of the market square and the alley beside the library. It was almost comical that Khaya chose to hide there. She might be hidden from those who enter and leave the library, but she was in plain view of anyone within the square.

  She kept rubbing her head. Was that voices that she heard? Or perhaps her headaches were worse now that she had two abilities. Maybe that’s what was driving her insane. Brier didn’t care. Even if she wasn’t going mad, she was living a life that was never intended. What Derrin had done shouldn’t have been possible at all. Surely there should have been some system in place that wouldn’t afford a Collector that much power.

  He itched to ambush her. Each time he got to the point of getting up, he reminded himself what it felt like when his body was out of his control. It had been like being locked in a cage inside his own skin. He’d felt her unseen touch spreading closer to his heart, like ice creeping ever nearer, threatening to seize his very soul.

  He shivered.

  He’d never thought her evil. In some ways, she was innocent in all of this. After all, what happened that day wasn’t her choice. Now, he was no longer sure. No one person should be endowed with that much power. To be able to snuff out a life with as little effort as it would take to blow out a candle. It wasn’t right.

  That was probably why she was never meant to have this life. It was the natural order of things to prevent her from getting into this position.

  The day was wearing on and Khaya sat on the ground, her hair dishevelled. She was unravelling.

  The library door opened and Phalio strode out as a carriage pulled up in the street. Khaya sprang to her feet and said something which made Phalio turn around. For a moment, he looked bewildered before nodding and waving a hand for Khaya to follow him. He opened the carriage door and waved her in before getting in behind her.

  Brier sat in shocked silence. Was Phalio involved somehow in Khaya’s escape? He’d been certain that Phalio was complying with the Echelon.

  Heran needed to know about this. Brier would need to find Heran and then get to Phalio’s home. If they were quick about it, they would be able to catch Khaya tonight!

  He smiled, excitement making him feel lighter. By tomorrow, he thought, it could all be over.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Heran Leapt ahead to Phalio’s home. Brier couldn’t wait until he too was able to travel so quickly. He gritted his teeth as he spurred his mount on. His horse’s hooves beat steadily and finally, he could see Phalio’s palatial home at the end of the road.

  The carriage was nowhere to be seen, but then the groom would have led the horses round to the stable.

  Brier launched himself from the saddle before Loper had even come to a halt. He sprinted to the door and was reaching for the handle when it opened. A portly maid, hair pulled into a tight bun, stood inside. “Yes?”

  “I need to speak with Phalio,” Brier said, craning his neck to look inside.

  “He is not here.”

  “Are you certain? You might want to go tell him that someone from the Echelon is here to speak with him.”

  “I would, if he were here,” the maid said with exaggerated patience. “But as he is not, you will have to return later. I will be happy to tell him you stopped by –”

  Brier shoved her aside, sending her sprawling to the ground. He stormed from room to room. Heran came down the stone staircase, followed by the other Collector who was always present, but never spoke. “He’s not here,” Heran said.

  “What?” Brier said.

  “I’ve checked the entire house and I’ve stayed here hoping they would arrive. Are you certain of what you saw?”

  “Of course I am!” Brier swung round at a
scurrying sound behind him.

  The maid looked at him with wild eyes. Brier laughed. How ironic. She must think him mad; talking to himself. He shook his head and she scrambled from the room. “What do we do now? How do we find them?”

  “You should have followed the carriage,” Heran said. “Why assume they’d come here? Where were they heading?”

  “North. Out of town. In this direction. That’s why I assumed.”

  “What else lies north of Arroe?”

  Brier shrugged. “Not much. Woods and a lake and if you continue up the northern road, you’d eventually come to Trambell.”

  “Go to the woods. Search for them. That carriage is large and won’t be able to travel off the main road. Find it and then you will find them.”

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  “I will see if I can gain access to the aura files. That could show me exactly where Phalio is.”

  Before Brier could say any more, the two Collectors winked out from view.

  Chapter Twenty One

  On the Brink

  Khaya tried to use her Insight to make Phalio say what she wanted him to. It didn’t work well. The use of his vocal cords were complex and she’d need to practice. After a few garbled words, Khaya told him to tell his driver to take the carriage out along the northern road.

  Phalio shook his head, his eyes wide. Khaya pursed her lips. “It will go easier for you if you do as I request while I’m still asking nicely,” she said while stopping his lungs from drawing in another breath.

  Phalio, unable to move a single muscle, paled. Khaya released his lungs and he gulped in air. “Go ahead,” she said, “the northern road.” She released his body, ready to grab hold of him again should he do anything stupid.

  He leaned forward, slid the hatch open, and instructed the coachman. The carriage swung to the left. “What do you want with me? The Company can still help you, Khaya.”

  She gave a mirthless laugh. “The Company was never interested in helping me. Apart, of course, from helping me to the grave. No, I want you to tell me where I can find the people who give you orders.”

  “I’ve told that man you sent all I know. I sent the messenger as he asked. I can do no more.”

  She stared out of the window. The trees were becoming denser. So Derrin had found him. And made him send a messenger. To Phalio’s employers? Would he have asked for a meeting? “When we stop, tell your coachman to wait for my return. You’ll be finding your own way home.”

  Phalio looked relieved for a moment. He would be returning home. He peered out of the window. “Where are we going? Trambell? That’s half a day’s journey from here.”

  “We’re not going to Trambell.”

  “But, there’s no other town before it. How am I to get home?”

  “You’ll figure something out.” She glanced out of the window again. “Call a halt. We’ll be stopping here.”

  Phalio did as she bade and told the coachman to await her return. She caught a glimpse of herself in the carriage window. Her hair was wild and dirt smeared her cheeks. Her dress was stained and torn in several places. She was a mess. And she didn’t care.

  They climbed from the carriage and with some encouragement, Phalio stomped into the forest. The foliage became sparse underfoot as they progressed further under the trees. Tall yellowwood trees reached to the heavens above, their yellow fruit lay rotting on the ground. It filled the air with an overripe scent. Khaya was hungry and even this made her stomach grumble.

  “Where are you taking me?” Phalio asked for the fourth time, his voice becoming whiny.

  She clamped his jaws shut using her Insight. She was trying to figure out what she was going to do with him. Her plan had consisted of getting him to a safe and secluded place to question. She hadn’t known Derrin had been successful in reaching him. What message could he have sent?

  They trekked for the best part of an hour, the serene sounds of the forest calming Khaya’s nerves. Birds chirped high above in the thick tree canopy and leaves rustled in the wind.

  “Sit there,” she said, pointing to a thick tree. She took a seat on a large flat stone, facing Phalio.

  He sat with his back resting against the trunk. Khaya released her hold on his mouth. He opened and closed it, wiggling his jaw from side to side. His shirt clung to his chest, a small crimson stain appearing. “I told the man you sent of the Echelon. But I don’t know where to find them.”

  “The Echelon?”

  He laughed and then grimaced, putting a hand to his chest, it came away bloody. “Don’t tell me you have had a falling out? Or maybe he betrayed you?”

  She gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to hurt him. Could he be right? Had Derrin betrayed her? Why had he drugged her? When she woke up and realised what he’d done she was torn between anger and fear that he’d left her. What would he think when he found her gone? She pushed the thought aside. That didn’t matter at the moment.

  “You'd best watch the way you speak to me,” Khaya said, voice low. “Did Derrin give you that little scratch?” she asked, pointing to the blooming red patch on his chest.

  Phalio glanced down at it, his face tight.

  “Who is the Echelon?” she asked again.

  “Why don’t you ask Derrin?”

  She curled his fingers into a claw. She put his hand on his chest, forcing him to scratch himself, getting closer to his wound. “Stop!” he howled.

  Khaya allowed him to stop from going further, but kept his hand where it was. “Who is the Echelon?”

  “They are in charge of the Company. They oversee our activities. When you gained your second ability, they were advising us on how to proceed.”

  She let him lift his hand from his chest and he blew out a pent-up breath. “Why do they want me dead?” she asked.

  “Isn’t that self-evident?”

  She brought his hand back to his chest. “Wait! What I mean, is that no person should have two abilities. It is too much for one person to cope with. The mind cannot handle it.”

  “I am not mad.”

  “No? Look at what you are doing. You are torturing an innocent man to get answers. Only a month ago, would you have ever thought yourself capable of doing such a thing?”

  “I am doing what I must. I’m surviving.”

  “At what cost? How far are you willing to go? Are you willing to kill? Just what was your plan with bringing me here?”

  “I… I need answers. As long as you tell me what I need to know, I won’t need to hurt you. I might not want to kill you, but there is much that a man can survive.” Am I willing to kill him? she wondered. She didn’t think she had it in her. She did get close with Brier, but that was because of his betrayal. That was personal. And she hadn’t. She stopped herself. “If I prove myself sane, will the Company leave me be?”

  He looked at her, face unreadable. A breeze picked up, blowing Khaya’s long ebony hair out behind her. “Answer me!” Steeling herself, she sped his heart up. Making it race as though he’d been running a mile. Slowly, she increased the rate and he started panting.

  She watched him bend over, hands on the ground. She forced her emotions to still. Forced an icy calm over herself. She was doing what she had to.

  “No,” he wheezed, looking up at her. His face was red, a vein pulsing in his forehead.

  She let his heart slow naturally. It was the answer that she’d expected, but it was still a blow. A small part of her had hoped that it would be a matter of proving her sanity. Anger seethed in her stomach. “Then they must have a different reason for wanting me dead. Why do they want me dead?”

  “I don’t know. Please, I’ve told – Derrin, was it? – all that I know. I was sure he was going to try to follow my messenger. I don’t know if he managed it, but speak to him! Leave me be.”

  Without another word, she turned and strode away. She walked back to the carriage. She would have to find Derrin.

  When the carriage came into view, she couldn’t see the coachman. Fr
owning, she hurried on. Something struck her on the head.

  She fell. The world swam in front of her eyes and then everything went black.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Brier looked down at her unconscious form. She looked so innocent like that. But she isn’t. Remember that. He heaved her up and into the carriage. The cowering coachman appeared from behind the carriage. “Are you going to find Master Tarr?” he asked, voice quivering.

  “No. Phalio will have to find his own way home.” When the coachman still hesitated, Brier glared at him until, cowed, he pulled himself onto the seat.

  Brier slid into the carriage and it rumbled as it turned around. Khaya hadn’t moved yet. He bound her hands behind her back and tied a cloth over her eyes. Whether that would stop her from using her abilities, he didn’t know.

  Heran suddenly appeared beside Brier followed by the other Collector. “You’ve done well,” Heran said.

  “Now what? Should we kill her before she wakes?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?” Brier asked. “That is by far the safer option. I’m not convinced a blindfold will stop her from using her abilities.”

  “Likely not, but I have something – or should I say someone – who will.”

  “Who?”

  “A new recruit of the Company. Want to take a guess what her ability is?”

  A cold smile spread across Brier’s face. “What is to be Khaya’s fate?”

  “She must die, of course. But first she must meet the Echelon.”

  “What! We must kill her. We can end it here. Now.”

  Heran’s face hardened. “That was never your decision. Do not forget your place. Your position is not yet set in stone.”

  Brier clamped his mouth shut. They wouldn’t deny him his reward. His redemption! He’s worked too hard for it. “What do you need me to do?” he asked, failing to keep his frustration from his voice.

  “You will help secure her until we reach the mansion.”