“This is getting ridiculous,” Jordana mumbled as she worked to dress Havinnia’s thumb with gauze from a drawer in her desk. “You need to start talking to someone.”
Havinnia closed her eyes.
“You bottle this all up and seal it away and it’s eating you alive. Right now, it’s just a thumb, but it might get worse.”
Havinnia opened her eyes. She watched Jordana face, head tilted so she could see over the rim of her glasses. Her tongue sticking out as she gently cleaned and bandaged. Havinnia’s thoughts lulled into haze and then focused with a single clarity.
“There’s a Book.”
Jordana stopped working, and raised her eyes slowly. “Havinnia…”
“The Book,” Havinnia continued, the words slipping out unbidden, rushing out before she could think and take it back, “It’s a firsthand account of the founding of Liore. The Founders, the start of the Five Nations, everything. And there have been additions as time went on, each new generation adds their own pieces to the book. Important things. No one but the designated leader of a Nation is supposed to know it exists, let alone what’s inside.”
“Okay,” Jordana said, quiet.
Havinnia felt a wall breaking in her chest. She was afraid she just released a torrent and there would be no stopping it now. But this was Jordana. Though she was technically “Queen Regent” she was still a Queen of Vacua. If anyone had a right to know about the Book, it would be a Queen. Regardless of her justifications, Havinnia couldn’t do this alone anymore. She had married a partner and that was what she needed, someone to confide in outside of politics. She didn’t know if she could possibly hold this in any longer without breaking.
“One of the first entries is about the time before Liore. When the world died. Five factions made it here, the only piece of earth left, and started the Nations.”
“The Founders.”
“Yes. But what’s more important is how their world ended the first time,” Havinnia said, her eyes misting. She didn’t realize her hand was shaking until Jordana took it.
“Why would that be important?”
“Because it’s happening again. Right now.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR MY PERSPECTIVE OF REALITY
1
Aldon’s hands moved in a quick, decisive motion, “No. Absolutely not.”
Fel rubbed his eyes as he tossed the can of black paint aside. They needed to do something about Aldon’s hair. Time was running short, since Kade decided to blast the whole damn roof off the place and all the Free Chanters burst onto the streets like uncaged feral cats. Thankfully, in all that excitement Aldon had been forgotten. What with the mass destruction and all, Kade had been too busy to bother about one escaped nobody politician.
Still, it was risky to assume they wouldn’t recognize hair like that, and so it needed to be covered. A hat might work, but pieces would stick out the bottom.
They stood in Fel’s room—which Fel was trying to ignore—and he fished through his clothes for his hooded jacket. Once located, he tossed it at Aldon, who caught it with his face.
“Here, highness,” Fel signed once Aldon’s face was free again, “Now put it on, and let’s move.”
Fel left his room without looking back. He was wearing the only possessions he cared about.
“I’m not royalty,” Aldon hissed in his ear as he caught up to him. He had buttoned the jacket and pulled up the hood so his face was now heavily shadowed, his darker skin falling into sharp contrast. Fel made a tucking motion with his hand and Aldon began to stuff his hair more fully under the hood.
“Wearing clothes like you were, you’re close enough, Majesty,” Fel signed quickly. The little digs were doing a good job of adding a bit of distance to their relationship. He didn’t want to get too close to a politician. Right now, he was saving Aldon because it was the right thing to do, regardless of his privilege he didn’t deserve to die.
Fel kept his normal gait and maintained his quiet aloofness that no one would question. The two of them wove their way through lingering Free Chanters until they reached the street.
Well, what was left of it, anyway.
“Follow my lead. If we’re stopped, you’re my new translator,” Fel did his best to convey that message sideways, but stopping to face each other would draw too much attention. Not that it mattered, Aldon had stopped dead.
Dust lingered in the air, clouding the monstrous piles of rock and wood. Buildings were caved in, various transports tossed into piles, huge, gaping holes in the road. Water lines busted and gushing to mix all the dirt, dust, and carnage. If you looked closely you could make out a leg or an arm poking out amidst the piles. Fel tried not to look too hard. He grabbed Aldon’s arm and forced him to walk.
A few scattered Free Chanters lingered, holding the area. Fel was easily recognized, which would either help or hurt their endeavor. Fel was a primary on most missions, his talent for enchanting without touch somewhat revered, even if his ‘special’ way of communicating was barely tolerated by anyone other than Kade, though people developed shortcuts for him. A written note or over-exaggerated charades. In fact, if he hadn’t been such a powerful Chanter he might have been overlooked completely, shoved to the side or left for fodder like others with less than better talents. They certainly wouldn’t have made even half-assed attempts to communicate. He’d never really considered it that way, and it softened the guilt on changing allegiances.
Fel glanced at the politician and decided ‘allegiances’ wasn’t quite accurate. He wasn’t on Aldon’s side. But in helping him, he had betrayed his only allies since leaving the lab. He was a rogue now, taking no sides except his own.
They followed the path of devastation in search of a way out of the city, but Fel suspected that chance had passed. By now, the entire perimeter would be on watch and enchantments would be going up all over the city to fortify it against attacks. Nothing would get in or out without Kade’s approval.
The clamor of voices began to stir in the silence and they carefully followed it to the source. A large courtyard opened between the buildings and held a host of Free Chanters as well as several thousand civilian survivors. Corralled like sheep and caged. Fel looked away. This was the part that never sat well with him, the innocent victims. He knew Free Chanters were combing through the last of the city to find stranglers, those who hadn’t fled or died.
Kade stood above everyone, a stage erected from the scrap remains of Mertaon. His voice was amplified as he spoke to the troops. Amaria was beside him, unsurprising, and that other politician, Kura. He didn’t look pleased, but he didn’t look forced either.
“That slimy traitor,” Aldon’s voice seethed in Fel’s ear, not loud enough for anyone to hear, but Fel glanced around to make sure.
He pushed Aldon back, further distanced from the gathered Free Chanters. “It’s not just him,” Fel signed, “This goes way higher. So calm down, he’s nothing special.”
Aldon breathed heavily, his gaze finally pulling away from Kura as genuine shock took hold. “How high?”
He was too naive. Fel wouldn’t put this mess past anyone. “All of them,” Fel signed, “All Five are in on it. The Queen herself organized the fake search for you and your friend up there.”
“Fake search?” Aldon shook his head, then let it fall back against the wall. “I feel sick.”
Fel rolled his eyes and released him, certain he wouldn’t try anything drastic. “No fainting, Your Grace, they’ll know you’re no Free Chanter.”
Aldon’s livid stare snapped to him and Fel recoiled a bit, guy was truly pissed off. “I’m not ‘your grace.’” he said with a biting tone, “I’m barely even a politician. I was an abandoned infant that got lucky and adopted by the right person. So enough with the condescending titles.”
They lapsed into a tense silence. Somehow the two of them needed to leave the city. Fel was determined to see this sort-of-a-rescue through and Aldon was not even remotely safe here
. The problem was how they would do it, though there was one solution that might just be too easy to work. It was possible that no one knew who rescued Aldon. If Fel waltzed up like nothing was wrong, Kade just might give him a mission outside the city. And if he wanted to bring back-up, no one would question it.
He relayed this plan to Aldon, who was still seething, but agreed that it was the easiest way.
“If I go, that means leaving you,” Fel added, “Alone. With all these Chanters waiting to pounce on anyone who isn’t.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll just…” Aldon leaned back and crossed his arms, “I’ll wait broodingly against this wall. No one will approach a guy in a hood brooding against a wall. I’m off limits.”
Fel cocked his head, trying to find Aldon intimidating. It didn’t work, but he supposed with the hood pulled down it disguised enough of him that he appeared to be sleeping. He didn’t have much choice.
Before he left, Fel worked a quick enchantment into the jacket that would make it glow, but only to Fel. That way when he panned the crowd, he’d be able to spot Aldon easily. Next he grabbed a broken pipe and worked it into a dagger that would block any incoming attacks. It could only block one attack at a time, but it was the best he could manage on short notice. He went ahead and threw a few protective enchantments on the rest of his clothes. The materials were strong enough to hold deflecting enchantments for most physical blows and small projectiles.
Then he set off. Kade had finished his speeches and had taken over one of the row buildings as a base. It must have been a bakery because the smell of yeast and flour lingered. Inside they’d already begun making changes. Rearranging the layout, moving furniture. Fel strode with the same laid-back confidence as always, even nodding at those he recognized as he walked. He ran into Amaria, which for once, he was thankful for. Amaria would be easier to handle than Kade.
She spotted him and narrowed her eyes. Oh shit.
He braced himself as she sauntered over, keeping his hands in his cardigan, but calculating what he could use as a weapon.
“Haven’t seen you in a bit,” She sneered, looking him up and down, hand falling on her full hip, “Which is especially weird, considering we just took over an entire town. But you? Nowhere to be seen.”
Fel shrugged, hiding his racing pulse rather expertly. He’d learned early to disguise his emotions and especially his fear. The less he responded the better, an explanation would be out of character and she would notice. So instead he removed his hands to ask, “What does he want us to do next?”
Amaria rolled her eyes, “He wants us to do nothing. For now, anyway. We’re waiting on word from our other bases and we’re to just sit and wait. Fucking lame.” Her agitation over not being able to cause violence was distracting her from her suspicion. At least she was a predictable psychopath.
Fel nodded, then moved past her. If they were waiting on their other bases that meant there would be uprisings in Ceol, Asteria, and Trellis. And worse, still, Amaria had confirmed that Kade wasn’t sending anyone out. Which meant he would have to get creative. Damn. Fel started back to Aldon, avoiding as many people as possible as he searched for a glowing jacket hood.
2
He could do this. He could do this. Deep breath in. Out through the nose.
Aldon repeated the mantra as each passing minute turned into days in his mind. He was aware how out of his depth he was here, amidst a terrorist group that he didn’t belong to and that possessed abilities he didn’t. Every nerve was strung out, stretched to breaking and on top of that he realized shortly after Fel had left that he hadn’t eaten in a very long time. Denying the food in his cell out of protest had been a very privileged mistake. Maybe Fel had a point with his ‘majesty’ jibes, but they still rankled.
Fel did return, which loosened a bit of that tightness in Aldon’s chest. He started to breathe easier.
“We’ll have to sneak out,” Fel signed, “They’re not letting anyone in or out, even me.”
That wasn’t good, but they were no worse off than before. Aldon suspected simply asking would be too easy. “Any ideas?”
“It’ll have to be tonight,” Fel answered, “We can’t linger.”
“Can’t you just enchant whatever you want? Just make us invisible or something.”
Fel stared at him for several minutes, jaw firm. When he did Sign, there was an obvious edge in his motions. “Just enchant whatever I want?”
“Isn’t that how it works? Chanters just enchant whatever, whenever. That’s what makes you so powerful and…” Aldon paused, rethinking his words to be more tactful. “That’s what the public always feared about Chanters in the first place. That there was no limitations or boundaries for you...is that not how it works?”
Fel’s eyes narrowed before he spun on his heel and started to leave. A wave of his hand was the only indication that Aldon should follow.
They strolled through the ruins of Meraton until Fel picked a place for them to stop. He hadn’t turned or looked in Aldon’s direction the entire walk. The building he picked looked like it had been abandoned long before the attack. Chipped paint and broken windows outside, inside splintered furniture and cobwebs. The place was dark and ominous. Aldon thought he noticed the shuffle of something...probably rats. He was hesitant to touch anything and he suspected the place might be haunted.
Fel signed, “Get comfortable, Highness, top floor is yours.”
Aldon looked at the stairs. A few steps were missing, the rest warped. It didn’t look like it could support itself, let alone his weight. He had pissed Fel off somehow, though he wasn’t sure exactly what did it. But, as Fel was his only ally, it was best to try and mend that fence instead of letting it fester.
“I apologize if anything I said offended you,” Aldon started and judging by the deadpan stare, that apology was not accepted. “Listen, I owe you. I know what it cost you to help me and I don’t take that lightly.” Fel looked away, but Aldon wasn’t signing anymore. “I don’t know why you’re still here, but thank you.”
Fel laughed, though he made no audible sound save the flow of air. Aldon knew Fel could hear, so he didn’t Sign due to hearing loss, it must have been his voice. He just now noted that he hadn’t heard a sound from Fel that wasn’t breathing. Finally, Fel signed, “We don’t enchant whatever, whenever.”
Aldon blinked. He didn’t expect that to be the reason Fel was pissed. Mostly, because he had not thought the information could be wrong.
“Enchanting, even for us, requires knowledge of the enchantment. The process is quicker, but only if we understand how the equations work and the objects we’re enchanting,” he finished, the agitation lingered, but he hadn’t been pissed when he signed the words. His motions were controlled and even, like it meant something to him that Aldon understand how his enchanting worked.
“That’s...not how it was explained to us. We were lead to believe Chanters could do as they pleased with no regard for the rules. Invisibility. Invulnerability. Things out of our reach would be simple for you. That’s why people are terrified.”
“Invisibility is just as complex for us as it is for your enchanters. It would take an incredibly strong object, plus, no one has figured out the formula so one of us would have to do that in order to use it. We have to study to do what we do. At least a little. It varies from person to person.”
“What about you? You enchant without touch. I’ve seen it.”
“I’m very good at memorizing,” Fel signed, this time with the hint of a real grin. “Memorizing is the key with our sort of enchanting. The more knowledge you can store in your mind, the more you can do. I was shown countless formulas at the lab and once I see it, it’s up there.”
Aldon halted on one single word. “Lab?”
Fel’s eyes shifted, a twitch in his posture implied he hadn’t meant to reveal that information. “They picked up a few Chanter kids from group homes, so no one would miss them. We weren’t in cages, exactly, but our rooms were not much better.
Not to a kid locked inside for most of the day. We only came out for the tests. Test and result. Test and result. It got old fast. Maddening to a kid with a lot of energy. Then I had my little speech problem on top of it. So there was no choice but to teach me to communicate. Not easy to grow up unable to speak, read, or write. Wouldn’t recommend.”
Aldon shook his head, his face twisted in a kind of horror that he never thought he’d feel again after seeing Kura standing alongside the Free Chanters. “How is such a lab possible? Who would sanction it? I certainly never read any proposals or votes on the subject and I studied. Very intensively.”
Fel shrugged.
And just like that, Aldon’s world shattered. Everything he knew tossed into a cocktail shaker, thoroughly mixed, and dumped out as an incomprehensible mess. He dimly saw his surroundings, a decrepit room in the middle of a city overrun by terrorists. His only ally was a stranger, who was a member of that terrorist organization less than a day ago. He felt his grip slackening, threatening to fall apart and unleash the torrent of emotions still being tumbled in that shaker.
What do you do when reality is wrong?
Aldon fell backward, ass thudding on a broken beam. His hair caught cobwebs, his landing sent out a puff of dust that would have choked him if he were breathing. He was in the midst of a crisis and this was not the ideal place to have one. But he couldn’t change any of it.
He was only barely holding back bitter tears when he noted that Fel was watching him closely. Fel’s face was impassive and his hands in the pockets of that ridiculous green cardigan. It looked hand-knit. The guy covered in tattoos with half his head shaved wore a hand-knit cardigan.
And, Aldon realized, if either of them had cause to break down it was Fel. Yet it was Aldon sitting there about to throw up.
Catalyst (The Second Cycle Book 1) Page 21
