Heirs of Destiny Box Set

by Andy Peloquin

  Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the door swung open on silent hinges and a Secret Keeper in muted brown robes stepped out. Without a word, he beckoned for her to enter.

  Issa had never stepped foot within the Temple of Whispers; few did, for the Secret Keepers lived up to their names and protected their knowledge with single-minded dedication. Yet, a part of her felt somewhat disappointed to find herself in a bare stone room without so much as a single bench, chair, or table. She’d been expecting…more.

  Those thoughts faded from her mind as her eyes fell on the six figures seated on the ground, slumped against the wall, or, in Etai’s case, standing silent guard.

  “Issa!” Briana’s eyes brightened.

  Relief washed over her—far more than she’d expected—like a cool bath on a hot summer day. They were unharmed, alive. She hadn’t failed them or Lady Callista.

  “The Gatherer attack, I thought…” She trailed off, uncertain how to put into words the emotions roiling within her. Finally, she managed to blurt out. “I’m glad to see you’re safe.” Her eyes went to Aisha, Kodyn, Evren, Hailen, and Etai. “All of you.”

  “Almost weren’t.” Tension lined Etai’s face and she held her sword in a white-knuckled grip. “Was a close thing back there.”

  “What happened?” Issa demanded. “I thought we beat back the Gatherer attack.”

  Kodyn spoke up from his seat at Briana’s side. “We did, but they came back. They’re after this.” He hefted a cloth sack, and Issa heard the clacking of stones from within. “Suroth’s secrets.”

  Issa’s eyes narrowed and she turned to Briana. “I thought they wanted to kidnap you to use as leverage against your father.”

  “That’s what we thought.” Briana nodded. “And that might have been the plan initially. But we believe that after my father’s death, they wanted to get his journal and…” She shot a wary glance at the plain stone walls around her. “…other things. All so they can access something within the Vault of Ancients that will help them bring on the Final Destruction.”

  Issa’s eyes flew wide. She’d heard that term “Final Destruction” mentioned once—in connection to Aterallis, the former Dhukari that had forsaken his wealth and power to preach in the Slave’s Tier. Nysin had said people had begun spreading rumors about the man, saying that he would “bring about Hallar’s Final Destruction”.

  Could he be a Gatherer? The thought flashed through her mind, yet she dismissed it after a moment. From what she’d heard of the man’s preaching, he had nothing in common with the bloodthirsty cultists. And yet, if he is preaching about the Final Destruction, he could be.

  If there was any link between the “Child of Gold, Child of Secrets, Child of Spirits”, as the people called him, Lady Callista would find it. The Gatherer Issa had captured near the Crucible of Fortune would break under the Lady of Blades’ questioning.

  Thoughts of the Lady of Blades sent a jolt of nervous anxiety tingling through Issa. She whirled on Kodyn. “Did you get it?” she demanded.

  Confusion shone in Kodyn’s eyes. “Get what?”

  “The proof!” Issa fairly shouted. “The proof we need to deal with…” She shot a glance at Etai. After only a moment of hesitation, she took the gamble. “…to deal with Councilor Angrak and the rest of the Keeper’s Council.” The Mahjuri-born Blade had proven herself trustworthy in every way Issa could think of—short of outright denying she was a Necroseti spy.

  Etai sucked in a breath, her face going pale. Issa knew she’d have a lot of explaining to do, but not right now. It was enough for Etai to know the purpose of their mission to realize its importance.

  “Oh, that.” A confident grin broadened Kodyn’s face. “I think Lady Callista’s going to be more than pleased with what we’ve found.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Kodyn climbed to his feet and drew out a piece of parchment from an inner pocket. “This,” he said in that teasing, tantalizing tone he adopted when he had a particularly juicy piece of information to share, “is the sworn statement of Reckoner Dyon attesting that he was threatened by parties unknown and coerced into signing his name to this bill of lading.”

  He handed the cloth sack to Aisha and drew out a second piece of parchment. “Given his position as Head Auditor of Shalandra’s exports, particularly shalanite, his testimony carries a great deal of weight. Add that to the fact that I…uncovered it in Councilor Angrak’s mansion, I believe we’ve got enough evidence to prove his wrongdoing.”

  Issa stifled a snort at his use of the word “uncovered”—a polite way to stay “stole”. Hopefully Councilor Angrak would be too busy trying to evade a very public execution in Murder Square to bother complaining about how they got their hands on it.

  “Grand Reckoner Quodaro himself has signed the statement and Reckoner Dyon is willing to present himself before the Pharus if it’s necessary,” Kodyn continued. “With these two documents, we have to have enough to get Lady Callista to at least arrest him, right? On suspicion of treason, if nothing else.”

  “Were it anyone else, perhaps.” Briana’s expression grew dour, a shadow flashing in her eyes. “Yet Angrak is now a member of the Council. With the full force of the Necroseti against her—the same Necroseti that are evidently benefitting from his graft—Lady Callista will be in a dicey situation.”

  “He’s not a Councilor just yet.” Hope echoed in Issa’s voice. “If we can get all of this to Lady Callista before noon, we will have a chance to arrest him on suspicion of treason. He will certainly crack under the pressure of the questioning.”

  Briana shook her head. “I’m not certain it will be enough.”

  “It will be once I drive the final nail in his coffin.” To Aisha’s surprise, it was Evren that spoke. “A certain…acquaintance of ours uncovered something that will give Lady Callista everything she needs.”

  All eyes turned to Evren.

  “This friend,” Evren explained with a sly smile, “found two pieces of useful evidence. First, a sample of shalanite dust scraped from one of his wagons—perhaps even the same wagon that delivered the goods mentioned in that bill.” He thrust a finger at the parchment in Kodyn’s hand.

  “And the other?” Briana’s expression had gone from gloomy to pensive, yet a hint of a spark shone in her eyes.

  Evren grinned. “Proof that Angrak is working with the Ybrazhe. He owns the house that they used for their hideout on the Cultivator’s Tier.”

  Briana’s eyes widened. “Yes!” A smile twisted her lips and she rounded on Kodyn. “Your testimony of seeing the Ybrazhe thug entering his house plus proof of ownership of a building used by the Syndicate gives Lady Callista everything she needs to haul him in for questioning. Once she shows him the bill of lading, the shalanite sample, and the Reckoner’s sworn testimony, he’ll have no choice but to crack or else face charges of treason.”

  The six of them exchanged glances, triumph in their eyes.

  “Now,” Issa growled, “we just need to get it to her.”

  Evren hesitated a moment, then nodded. “I can take you to my friend. He’ll get the shalanite scrapings and the ownership documents.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Kodyn put in.

  Aisha shot him a questioning glance.

  “I’d like to deliver these to Lady Callista in person,” he said aloud, holding up the two documents. The fingers of his left hand, down by his side, flashed in the silent hand language. “I also want to scout the palace, see what I can learn about getting close to the vault.”

  Aisha forced her face to calm. “So be it,” she said in a resigned tone. Her fingers replied, Be careful! The last thing we need is to raise suspicion about what we’re really doing here in Shalandra.

  Kodyn nodded understanding and turned to Issa. “We’ll go with Evren, then get everything to Lady Callista as quickly as we can. If we hurry, we can make it before the deadline.”

  Issa’s brow furrowed. “It’s almost the eighth hour of the morning. That’s barely
enough time—”

  “Then let’s go!” Kodyn gestured toward the door.

  Issa, Evren, and Kodyn hurried out of the temple.

  Etai paused a moment and turned to Briana. “My lady.” She gave a little bow then strode out after the others. The two Secret Keepers swung the huge vault door closed behind them.

  The moment the door was sealed, the wall to Aisha’s right slid open without a sound. The eight brown-robed Guardians stood framed in the opening, their faces solemn.

  Thimara’s spark within Aisha flared to life at Uryan’s proximity. Aisha felt a sudden surge of love within her chest—whoever these two had been to each other, there was no mistaking the way Thimara felt about the stern-faced Secret Keeper. The force of Thimara’s insistence set her head pounding, growing in intensity until Aisha had to grit her teeth to hold back a grunt of pain.

  Not now! She tried to push back against the spirit’s wishes, the burning need to speak to Uryan. Thimara was strong, and the Whispering Lily’s effects had begun to wear off. It took all of Aisha’s control to keep her mouth closed against the words that threatened to burst from her lips.

  “Briana.” Ennolar’s fingers moved in the silent Secret Keeper hand language, but his face was a stony, expressionless mask. “You have endured much, these last few days. Events in Shalandra seem to swirl around you, placing you in grave danger.”

  “Which is why I have come,” Briana replied. She lifted her head, her spine straightening, and her fingers flashed in confident gestures. “As the daughter of Arch-Guardian Suroth, I formally request sanctuary in the Temple of Whispers for myself and my companions.”

  “Your father shared a great many of our secrets with you. Some say too much.” He hesitated, a hint of scowl cracking his stony façade. “Yet that does not make you a Secret Keeper. You do not serve our Mistress, nor have you sworn to guard her mysteries with your life. You are an outsider, and as such, we cannot offer you the sanctuary you desire.”

  “So you would condemn me to death?” Briana’s eyes flashed and she bared her teeth. “You saw the Gatherers outside! They have come for my father’s work. If you plan to send me back out onto the streets, you may well drive a dagger into my heart now. The Gatherers will not stop until they have what they desire. My blood will be on your hands!”

  Ennolar exchanged a glance with Uryan. Aisha could almost imagine the war of emotions playing through his mind. He’d seemed genuinely sorrowful at Suroth’s death; perhaps he’d even been friends with the Arch-Guardian. Yet his duty to his goddess trumped even personal desire or earthly friendships. He had sworn his life to serving the Mistress, and everything else—even the daughter of his friend—came second.

  “What if I can offer you something found nowhere else on Einan?”

  Briana’s words caught Aisha by surprise. She narrowed her eyes, wary. What is she thinking?

  Briana strode over to Hailen and placed a hand on his shoulder. “The secrets of the Serenii, through him.”

  A guarded expression flashed across Hailen’s face. Aisha felt her gut clench. Briana was desperate, afraid for her life, but could she really betray Hailen’s secret to the Secret Keepers? That didn’t seem like the Briana that Aisha had come to know over the last few weeks. Had the fight for survival driven her to take desperate measures that could very well risk someone else’s life?

  “Allow me and my companions sanctuary,” Briana continued, “and I will turn over everything my father uncovered about the Serenii. Plus, everything that he and I have discovered since my father’s death.”

  Confusion twisted Hailen’s face. He shot a questioning glance at Aisha. It took all of Aisha’s self-control not to betray the emotions within her.

  “Briana,” Aisha said aloud, “perhaps—”

  Briana turned to her, her expression beseeching. The look in her eyes pled with Aisha to trust her.

  After a moment, Aisha nodded.

  When Briana returned her attention to the Secret Keepers, Uryan’s fingers moved. “Your father’s journals and the Serenii artifacts he was studying already belong to the Temple of Whispers. His position as Arch-Guardian and his knowledge of the Serenii are the only things that stayed our hands from punishing him for breaking his oath of secrecy.” She held out a hand. “Those relics are not yours to bargain with.”

  “But his knowledge is!” Briana’s hands flashed in short, sharp gestured. “Everything he learned is written in a cipher that only I understand.” As if to emphasize her point, she reached for the sack in Aisha’s hand.

  “Briana—” Hailen began.

  “This is the only way,” Briana told the boy. “The only way you and I both get what we need.”

  Aisha bit down on a sudden surge of worry as she watched Briana and Hailen staring at each other. It felt like watching a man hearing the sentence of his execution—but Hailen wasn’t a man. He was a boy, barely older than Aisha’s little sister, yet Briana was one sentence away from betraying him.

  Hailen’s fingers slowly unclenched, releasing the sack. Briana tore it open and fished out her father’s journal. “Look,” she said aloud as she held out the book. “Read it, if you can.”

  Ennolar stepped forward and took it. His scowl deepened as he flipped through a few pages. “A cipher, indeed.” He held it up for Uryan and the others to see, and their faces darkened as well. When he turned back to Briana, his face with tight, anger etched into the lines around his eyes and mouth. “What do you propose?”

  Briana gestured to Hailen. “My companion and I will continue my father’s work. All of the information we’ve uncovered will be turned over to you, and anything we find subsequently.” She held up a warning finger. “However, we will be allowed to continue our research free of interference. And the Secret Keepers will provide us with additional resources and information to aid us. After all, we are doing the Mistress’ work.”

  Irritation furrowed Ennolar’s brow. “Allow us a moment to confer.” He hesitated, his lips pressed into a line. For a moment, Aisha thought he’d say something else, but he simply turned and strode out of the bare stone chamber, the other Guardians on his heels.

  The moment the wall slid shut, Briana seemed to deflate. She let out a shuddering breath and passed a hand over her eyes.

  “Now will someone explain what’s happening?” Hailen demanded. “Why did it look like those Secret Keepers were ready to kill us?”

  “Because they were.” Briana’s face hardened. “You know how zealously the Mistress’ priests guard the information they gather. They knew that my father had Serenii artifacts, and they would do whatever it took to get them back. The only way I could get them to let us stay here was to give them what they wanted.”

  “The artifacts.” Aisha spoke in a flat tone, struggling to mask her anger. “And Hailen with them.”

  “What?” Hailen’s eyebrows shot up. He whirled to Briana, hand dropping to his dagger. “You told them about me?”

  “Not exactly.” Briana’s face fell. “I told them that you were working with me to unlock the Serenii secrets, but that is all I told them.”

  That wasn’t quite a lie. Aisha had followed the silent conversation; Briana had stopped just before revealing the truth about Hailen, but the Secret Keepers weren’t stupid. They’d know something was different about Hailen the moment they looked in his violet eyes.

  “Telling them that you could help me unlock the Serenii secrets was the only thing I could think of that would get them to agree to let us stay, and continue to study my father’s journals.” Briana’s tone sounded pleading. “It’s the only way you get to keep learning more about the Serenii,” she told Hailen, then turned to Aisha, “and it’s the only way Kodyn and Evren get into the Vault of Ancients.”

  With those words, the true reasoning behind Briana’s actions became clear. The girl had been afraid for her life, but she’d done what she could to help all of them. It hadn’t been purely selfish.

  “I’m so sorry, Hailen.” Tears sparkle
d in her eyes. “I didn’t want to do it, but I couldn’t think of anything else.” Her shoulders sagged and her legs seemed to wobble. She looked a heartbeat from collapse. “I’m just so tired. So tired of running, of being afraid, of watching for people trying to kill or hurt me. I just…I’m sorry.” She buried her face in her hands.

  Aisha placed a soothing hand on Briana’s shoulders and squeezed, lending her support and comfort. She knew exactly how Briana felt—she’d lived in fear for two months, captive to the Bloody Hand.

  She was surprised to find Hailen did the same. “I understand.” The boy’s expression was tight, worry sparkling in those exotic violet eyes of his, yet his anger had gone. “I know what it’s like to be afraid all the time. If knowing about me is the way to get the Secret Keepers to help you, I can be okay with it.”

  Briana threw her arms around Hailen and hugged him tight. Though Hailen was years her junior, he stood the same height as the petite Shalandran. The young man emanated a quiet maturity that belied his tender years.

  The flow of Briana’s tears slowed and stopped. She broke off the embrace and fixed Hailen with a solemn gaze. “I promise I won’t tell them your real secret. They’ll never know.”

  “The moment they see me activate one of those relics, they’ll know.” Hailen’s voice sounded resigned—almost world-weary, a strange tone for one so young. “Or, at least they’ll suspect.”

  “So we’ll be careful.” Briana spoke in a low voice. “And we’ll only do it when we’re sure no one’s watching.”

  Hailen’s answer was cut off by the wall sliding open. The eight Guardians strode into the room and formed a solemn line facing Briana.

  “We have considered your request,” Ennolar said in the silent hand language. “To say it is unusual would be an understatement. Never in the history of our temple has an outsider been permitted access to the Mistress’ secrets.”

  He hesitated, a quizzical look on his rotund face. “And yet, given who your father was—and your mother—you could be the one person in Shalandra who could be granted entrance.”