Dusan took a step back as Sariel floated forward. When the pharim drew his sword, thunder filled the room. The sword itself seemed to be made of a crystal that glowed with its own inner light. Dusan recoiled at the sight of it, but with visible effort, he refrained from taking another step back.
“I know you, pharim,” he said. “You cannot interfere in mortal matters.”
“True.” The voice echoed through the room. “The one at your feet, however, is not a mortal. He is one of mine, and you will not touch him.”
“I have bound him,” Dusan cried out. “I have claimed him. He is mine.”
Sariel’s laughter set the room shaking. Even the runes flickered. “Little man, you may be powerful for one of your kind, but you cannot claim pharim, and Luntayary is a pharim no matter the skin he wears.”
“The other is mine then,” Dusan said. “You have no claim on him.”
“You appear to think this is a negotiation. I do not negotiate with your kind. I will take these two, and I will go. Try to stop me at your peril.” Sariel’s massive form loomed over Jez. “Release him, or I will.”
Panic painted the baron’s features. He waved a hand and Jez could move again. He scrambled to his feet. The pharim prince glanced at Osmund and then at Dusan. Dusan waved a hand and the green energy surrounding Osmund disappeared. Sariel took Jez in one hand and Osmund in another. There was a flash of light, and the room vanished.
CHAPTER 25
The place they appeared wasn’t really a place. Jez had been there before, but he couldn’t quite remember. Their feet vanished into a layer of fog. The ground was soft, like they were standing on grass. The sky was a white so pure Jez doubted it had ever existed in the mortal world. Sariel stood in front of him, but he’d shrunk to human size, or maybe Jez and Osmund had grown. He shook his head. No, that wasn’t right. Size didn’t exist, not in this place.
“Where are we?” Osmund asked.
“We are Between.” Sariel said.
“Between what?”
“Between here and there. Between then and now and waking and sleeping. We are between moments, between possibilities. Few mortals, even those descended from us, have ever seen this place.”
“Thank you,” Osmund said.
“I am glad I was able to get you out.”
“What do you mean?” Jez asked. “He was afraid of you. You could’ve destroyed him.”
Sariel shook his head. “Dusan was right about one thing. We may not interfere in mortal matters unless they interfere in ours.”
“But you said if he didn’t release Osmund, you would.”
“No, I said if he didn’t release you, I would. That was in my power to do. I said nothing about your friend.”
Jez thought back to the confrontation. “You were bluffing.”
“I permitted him to come to his own conclusion.”
“Aren’t pharim supposed to be honest?”
“I spoke no untrue words, but I’m no Lightgiver. My order guards, and you had set in your mind to guard your friend. I only did what I could.”
“You’re really Sariel then,” Jez said.
The pharim nodded and Osmund yelped. He bowed deeply. Instantly, Sariel was at his side, helping him to stand.
“Rise, Osmund Jecklson. I am neither king nor Creator. I do not desire your subservience.”
“Forgive me, Lord Sariel.”
“Nor do I grant forgiveness.”
“Why did you save us?” Jez asked.
“I’ve been looking for you for fourteen years, Luntayary. Impossible though it may be to believe, I was beginning to think you’d been destroyed. It was only a few weeks ago that I realized you still existed.”
“A few weeks ago?”
“You used your powers.”
“I bound the phobos. I didn’t know how I’d done it.”
“You are Shadowguard, Luntayary. You’re purpose is to bind and to watch over those who are bound, and that cannot be taken from you, not even in your current form.”
“Why do you keep calling me Luntayary?”
“Did you think your mortal name was the same one the Creator gave you?”
Jez staggered back a step. He thought he was going to fall, but the fog solidified and kept him up. “What did Dusan do to me?”
“I didn’t know until I’d seen you, but now the binding is open to me. When he found he couldn’t destroy you, he forced your spirit into the body of a stillborn child. The child passed to what lies beyond mortal life, and you became the body’s soul, giving it life.”
“But why?”
“He wants to free the demon Marrowit, the demon you are charged to guard. Mortal flesh cannot channel the full powers of a pharim, and you would be much easier to defeat as a mortal.”
“But he provided for me.”
“He couldn’t destroy you.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Flesh can contain your powers, but it is a poor vessel. Once it is destroyed, you will once again be Luntayary and can stand against him in the fullness of who you are.”
“Once the vessel is destroyed?”
“Once you die.”
Jez gaped at him. “You want me to die?”
“It’s why I rescued you. He would not have killed you.”
“Well, I’m not going to kill myself.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why?”
“You are not a human. This life is a single breath, one heartbeat next to the eons you have existed. What is mortal existence next to that?”
What was mortal existence? Jez had experienced so much since being born. He thought about the sea breeze in his face. He remembered looking down at Tarcai from the top floor of the tower and the taste of his father’s fish soup. He’d never eat it again, but that just made the memory that much more priceless. Even his grief made him hesitate. His father had raised him with love. He deserved Jez’s tears, tears that he would no longer be able to shed if he died. He’d been through so much that a being like Sariel would never be able to comprehend, and he still had a life to live. He shook his head.
“Are you certain?” Sariel asked. “Be warned, I won’t be able to help you again. Before, you didn’t know what you were, but now you’re making a choice as a mortal, and that is the one thing all pharim must respect. I will have no power to protect you from what comes after.”
“I understand. Will you set another pharim to guard over Marrowit?”
Sariel shook his head. “I could if you had been destroyed. So long as you exist, Marrowit is your charge. If he is to be stopped, it must be by you.”
“But you saw what Dusan just did to me. I don’t stand a chance.”
Sariel looked down at him. For moment, Jez felt an odd kinship with this being. The thought was almost laughable. The pharim lord nodded and extended his wings, showering Jez and Osmund in light.
“You don’t always fight evil because you think you can defeat it,” he said. “You fight it because evil needs to be fought. That is what it means to be one of us.”
“You’ll let us go, then?”
“The choice is yours. Where would you like to go?”
Jez thought for a second. “Tarcai.”
Jez thought he saw a hint of a smile on the pharim’s face. “As you wish.”
The wings brightened until Jez could see no more.
CHAPTER 26
The central spire seemed to split the setting sun in two. Sariel had deposited them just inside the city. No one seemed to have noticed their mysterious appearance, and they made their way toward the Academy grounds. With examinations so close, the students were scrambling. They ran in and out of the various libraries, many carrying armloads of books. A few people glanced at Jez and Osmund as they made their way through Tarcai, but no one said anything. Jez kept expecting guards to come arrest them, but they passed through the Academy gates without incident. They circled the outer edge of the grounds until they reached the healin
g district. Earthen smells permeated the air, and most buildings had plants hanging from the windows. They made their way to a large building that served at chancellor Balud’s house. Vines covered one wall and a tree seemed to be growing out of the building. Jez lifted his hand to knock but glanced at Osmund.
“Are you sure you want to do this? You’re still banished.”
“If we’re going to stop Dusan, we need more information. There’s no better place in the world to get that from than here. If that annoys the chancellor, then so be it.”
Jez nodded and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, it creaked open. An adjutant poked his head out and his eyes went wide when he saw the pair.
“Who is it, Jakar?” The chancellor drew up behind Jakar. He met the gaze of each of the two boys and nodded. “See to your studies, Jakar. I’ll handle this. Mister Bartinson, Mister Jecklson, please follow me.”
Jakar ran out of the house and ducked into one of the healing district’s libraries. Balud motioned for them to come in. The house was practically a garden. Plants of every shape and size filled every open space. The tree that Jez had noticed from outside dominated the center of the room and was at least three feet wide. It had a face on its trunk, though Jez couldn’t tell if it had been carved or grown. Balud led them to a room in the back. There were no plants in the room. Instead, a human skeleton hung in one corner and a drawing of what seemed to be a person lacking any skin had been affixed to the wall behind the chancellor’s desk. Balud waved at a couple of chairs in front of his desk and he sat opposite to them.
“You are no longer a student of the Carceri Academy, Jezreel. Osmund, you have been banished entirely. How did you get past the detection spells around the city anyway?”
“I’m not sure,” Osmund admitted.
“Hmm.” The chancellor glanced at Jez. “I have to say I’ll regret losing you. We haven’t had such a promising student in a long time.”
“I only left for the term, Chancellor. I intend to come back.”
“I’m afraid not. I spoke to Baron Dusan less than an hour ago. He has withdrawn you permanently in spite of my objections. Strictly speaking, I should’ve sent word to him as soon as I saw you.” Jez looked around, but Balud raised a hand. “Calm yourself. I have no intention of doing so.”
Jez and Osmund exchanged glances. “We’re grateful for that, Chancellor.” Jez spoke slowly. “Why not?”
Balud closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at Jez again. “Have you learned anything about this sleeping sickness?”
Jez nodded. “It’s Baron Dusan. He started it. He did it fourteen years ago too.” Jez hesitated, unsure of how much to tell Balud. “He was stopped, but he’s trying again. He’s using it to draw power from those who are sleeping.”
Balud sat up straight in his chair. “What? How?”
Briefly, Jez and Osmund related what they knew about the disease, which wasn’t much. They left out the part about Jez being pharim and how Sariel had saved them. Instead, they made it seem like they had gotten away on their own, but Balud didn’t seem to care about the omission. The chancellor asked them a few questions, none of which they could answer. Finally, he drew back and let out a sigh.
“That’s a lot you’re asking me to believe,” he said.
“It’s the truth.”
“You word against one of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom,” he said, “and you can’t even tell me how to cure the disease. No, I’m sorry. If it were up to me, I’d allow you into the Academy, even if it was only as one of the lower tier, but the baron has forbidden it. I’m afraid that without proof of your accusations, I can’t readmit you.”
“But chancellor, we don’t know anything about this Marrowit. If we’re going to have any chance of stopping him, we need access to the information in the libraries.”
“And we’re in the middle of examinations. Do you think I can just allow you trounce around without Baron Dusan finding out?”
“I thought you were chancellor of this Academy,” Osmund said.
“A chancellor who is subject to the rules of the kingdom, and I cannot just ignore a baron’s command.”
“We’re not asking you to take me on as a student. Just let us look at the libraries.”
“I’m sorry. It’s out of the question. I don’t know what you did to him, but I thought he would order me to seize you if you came here again. I won’t openly ally myself with you.”
“But...”
“I will investigate your claims. For now, you may stay in the city. Try to stay out of sight. If I find any truth to what you say, I’ll send for you.”
Jez almost argued, but thought better of it. It was the most he could reasonably expect, so he nodded.
CHAPTER 27
They spent the day at the Quarter Horse. The innkeeper constantly stopped by their table to thank Jez for saving his son, which wouldn’t have been so bad if the place wasn’t so crowded. The common room was full of students pouring over books, and Lufka’s attentions made Jez’s presence obvious. A few people glanced uncomfortably at Jez and Osmund, but no one actually said anything. As the sun had set, they each retired to the rooms Lufka had provided. Jez’s room was small and the bed was hard. His pillow felt only slightly softer than a rock, and he was tossing and turning trying to find a comfortable spot when someone knocked. He rolled out of bed and opened the door to find Osmund, fully dressed and carrying a lantern.
“Aren’t you ready?”
“Ready for what?”
“To sneak into the libraries.”
Jez searched his friend’s face looking for any hint of a joke, but there was none. “I didn’t know we were doing that.”
“Chancellor Balud told us to.”
“No, he didn’t. He said he would speak to us in a few days.”
Osmund rolled his eyes. “He said he couldn’t help us openly. He didn’t say anything about helping us in secret.”
“And you think that means he wants us to break in?”
“What else could it mean?”
“Maybe he meant he wants us to wait in town for a few days while he confirmed our story,” Jez suggested. “Just like he said.”
“You were never in the lower tier,” Osmund said.
“I’m a fisherman’s son,” Jez pointed out.
“Yes, but you were always among fishermen or other people of your standing. Then the baron took you in, and you instantly became associated with one of the most powerful men in the kingdom. You were never a commoner among nobles. Men like the baron can do almost anything without consequence. Without proof, Balud won’t move against him, but he’s giving us the opportunity to get it.”
“But we already have proof.”
“Where?”
Jez thought for a second. “In the baron’s counting room.”
“Do you expect him to just let us in there?”
“What about the sleeping sickness? It’s magical.”
“And they might be able to prove that, but they’ll never link it to the baron. We have no way to prove he’s the cause, at least nothing Balud will accept, but he’s seen you remember things you have no way of knowing. If he thinks there’s even a chance you can help, he won’t stand in your way, at least he won’t if you don’t make it obvious what you’re doing. That leaves breaking in.”
“I guess this is another one of those shades of gray, isn’t it?”
“So are you coming?”
Jez sighed and nodded. He went back into the room and changed. Then, he stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him. The floorboards creaked underfoot, but no one awakened. The door was locked, but Lufka had left a key hanging by the door, and the slipped out of the inn.
“Do we start in the district of knowledge?”
Osmund shook his head. “Secrets. Knowledge about demons was never meant to be widely distributed.”
The streets of Tarcai were quiet at night. Osmund held his lantern low to avoid drawing attention, but there
was no need. They reached the gates of the Academy which seemed closed at first glance, but they swung open at Osmund’s touch. The larger boy glanced at Jez and smiled.
The Academy was as quiet as the rest of the city. All but the most basic magics were forbidden to students outside of the practice houses. There was too great a chance of something going wrong, so activity on the Academy grounds was reduced to almost nothing. They circled the library of secrets two times trying to find a way in before settling on a window on the second floor near the back of the house. Osmund lifted Jez up, and he reached forward to push the window open when a voice came out of the shadows.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Osmund jumped and lost his grip on Jez who slammed into the ground, knocking the lantern out of Osmund’s hand. It shattered and the oil spilled on the ground. Jez tasted blood and reached up to find his lip bleeding. A fire appeared in Osmund’s hand, illuminating the area. He took in a sharp breath and looked around. Besis laughed as he came out of a shaded corner. The protection master wore all black, and only his face was showing. Jez scowled when he saw the grin.
“Forgive me.” He was obviously trying to hold in a laugh. “I should’ve made myself known when you first arrived.”
“You were here all along?”
“Just because I’m the protection master doesn’t mean I’m completely useless at illusions. I can hide in shadows, provided it’s dark, and I don’t move. Balud sent me to help you.”
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