“That still sounds like lost to me,” Aisha retorted with a mischievous grin. “And I’m sure Briana would agree with me.”
She and Kodyn turned to Briana. The Shalandran had looked up from her work, her eyes fixed on the two of them. The hint of sadness in her face surprised Aisha. Did she know what had happened between the two of them? It seemed impossible—their impulsive kiss had happened less than half an hour earlier—yet the knowing look in Briana’s eyes spoke volumes. Even if she didn’t know the details, Briana was perceptive enough to surmise that something between Aisha and Kodyn had changed. Women, especially intelligent ones like the Shalandran facing her, tended to have an intuition about these things.
A small grin played on Briana’s lips. “Definitely sounds like lost.” Aisha recognized the sign of someone trying to smile through pain. Yet when Aisha met her gaze, there was no resentment or enmity written there. More like…acceptance.
The memory of her conversation with Briana that first day in Shalandra flashed through Aisha’s mind. Both of them had made their feelings for Kodyn plain, yet they had agreed that their newfound friendship mattered more.
“Get started,” she told Kodyn. “I’ll be back in a second.” She had to make sure that friendship remained intact.
Kodyn shot her a questioning glance but said nothing as Aisha stood. By the time Aisha reached Briana, the Hawk had unrolled the scroll and was busy studying the twisting, turning lines of the Serenii tunnels.
“Aisha, I…” Briana began, a deep flush rising to her golden-skinned cheeks, but trailed off when Aisha took her hand.
“What you said to me that afternoon on your father’s balcony, I feel the same way.” Aisha spoke in a quiet voice, too low for Kodyn or even Hailen to overhear. “I don’t want anything to get in the way of our friendship, no matter what.” Her eyes darted toward Kodyn. “Or who. Say the word and I’ll—”
“No.” Briana’s voice held a somber firmness. “I meant what I said.” She gripped Aisha’s hands hard in her own. “It was always going to be you, Aisha. I think a part of me knew that, but it felt good to have the attention, to feel protected. With everything that happened…”
She swallowed and drew in a deep breath. “When I was young, my father told me the legend of a diamond found deep beneath Alshuruq. It was the largest diamond on Einan, the size of a man’s head and a red so pure it was called the “Dawnbreaker’s Heart”. The Pharus sought to use the stone to form an alliance with the Free Tribes of the Yawmani Mountains. He ordered his jewelers to cut the stone into four pieces, one as a gift for each of the tribal chieftains.”
“But after a week, the jewelers came to him and showed him the stone, whole and unbroken. When he demanded why they hadn’t done as he asked, they insisted that they had. But every time they cut the diamond in half, it simply reformed into one whole. No matter what they did, the diamond refused to be separated from its other half.”
Aisha raised an eyebrow. “You know that’s not how diamonds work, right?”
Briana giggled. “Of course. It’s a child’s tale, and I stopped being a child long ago.”
A shadow flashed in Briana’s eyes and her smile drooped a fraction. She had suffered more in her sixteen years than most people did in a lifetime. In a way, that served as the foundation of their friendship, what drew the two of them to each other. They had both endured so much yet come through it determined to persist, to survive and thrive.
“But the story had special meaning to my father,” Briana continued. “He always told me that for him, my mother was the other half of the diamond.”
Understanding dawned on Aisha. “You mean…”
“Yes.” Briana nodded. “For you, Kodyn is the rest of the diamond. And for him, it’s you.” Her smile returned, beaming with genuine warmth. “My half is out there somewhere. I’m just happy that you’ve found yours.”
A surge of emotions swelled within Aisha’s chest. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
Briana’s arms encircled her neck and pulled her close. “I can only wish the best for you, my best friend.”
Tears of joy, gratitude, and relief brimmed in Aisha’s eyes, but she didn’t hold them back. She had never known such close companionship, even with her fellow apprentices in House Phoenix. Ria had been her mentor, a surrogate mother of sorts, but never an equal. Her friendship with Kodyn meant a great deal, yet Briana’s affection filled a large hole in her heart, one she hadn’t realized existed until now.
She broke off the embrace after a long moment and scrubbed the moisture from her cheeks. Briana gave her a knowing smile, squeezed her hand once, and turned back to her work.
Aisha wiped away the last of her tears before returning to the bed. Kodyn shot her a questioning glance as she sat, but if he noticed she’d been crying, he said nothing. Aisha felt grateful for his understanding and acceptance. Without him and Briana, I might not have survived the previous few weeks.
She settled into a comfortable position beside Kodyn, her eyes fixed on the map. Yet as the silent minutes ticked on, she found it strangely hard to concentrate on the squiggly lines and strange annotations on the parchment. Memories of her kiss with Kodyn consumed her mind and sapped her concentration. She was keenly aware of his presence next to her, the breadth of his strong shoulders, the warmth emanating from his lean body. A part of her wanted to shove aside the parchment and wrap her arms around him. She’d like nothing more than to see what happened when they could kiss without being interrupted by stern Secret Keepers.
Yet the presence of the others in the room held her back. She didn’t want to rub her happiness in Briana’s face, and Hailen was too young to be exposed to such things.
Thus, she forced herself to stay focused on the map. As the hours ticked by, the lines began to coalesce into pathways she could actually understand. The annotations made sense, and Aisha could actually see how the tunnels honeycombed the entire city, connecting all five tiers and the Palace of Golden Eternity. By the time a Secret Keeper arrived bearing a tray filled with flatbread, goat cheese, olives, dates, and boiled lamb, Aisha almost had a sense of which passage led where.
She stood with a groan, her neck aching from sitting hunched for nearly four hours. Kodyn paced as he ate, rolling his neck and shoulders, rubbing his red eyes. Even Hailen and Briana took a break from their studies to join them for the meal.
Aisha ate in silence, her head spinning from trying to memorize the intricate passages on the map. Hailen and Briana seemed equally subdued and concentrated on their respective studies. Aisha wanted to ask Briana if she’d discovered anything about the Shadow Root, but the frown on the Shalandran’s face told her it wasn’t going well.
“Huh…”
The sound came from behind her. Aisha glanced back toward Kodyn, curious at the wondering tone in his voice. He had moved toward the door and now stared curiously at the glowing blue gemstone set into the wall.
“Kodyn?” Aisha asked. “What is it?”
For an answer, Kodyn withdrew from his pocket the velvet purse Suroth had given him before his death. “I don’t know.” He opened the purse and pulled out the object within.
Aisha frowned at the smooth, round gemstone. It resembled a sapphire yet seemed far too dull to be of any real value. “Is that…?”
“Serenii-made?” Kodyn nodded. “I think so. But what I’m not sure about is…”
Hesitant, he reached out and touched the stone to the gemstone locking mechanism the Secret Keepers had used to enter and exit the room. Aisha tensed, expectant, but nothing happened. After a moment, Kodyn let out his breath. “Oh, well. For a minute, I saw the stones were the same color so they could do the same thing. But I guess it’s not—”
“A resonator stone?”
Aisha was surprised to hear Hailen’s voice. She and Kodyn turned toward the boy. “A what stone?”
“Resonator stone.” Hailen smiled up at them. “The Serenii used them in place of locks.”
“A stone…instead of a lock?” Kodyn frowned. “Sounds ineffective.”
“Well, maybe I should have said instead of a key.” Hailen scrunched up his face. “Remember that explanation I gave about the stones that vibrate and activate at a specific sound?”
Aisha nodded. It was the same with the Dy’nashia set into the pendant around her neck.
“The stone triggers whatever locking mechanism is built into the door,” Hailen gestured toward the red gemstone set into the wall. “But it has to be the right vibration or sound, else it won’t work.”
Kodyn frowned and tried the blue stone once more. “So that means this isn’t a resonator stone?”
“Not for that door, at least.” Hailen shrugged. “But it might be for another door. Or a whole lot of doors.” He chewed on his lip. “Soulhunger’s gemstone was able to open the doors of all the Keeps in Enarium. You just need to find the right ones.”
“Then answer me this,” Aisha said. “How do the Secret Keepers open these doors, then? I’ve never seen any of them with gemstones.”
Briana’s eyebrows shot up. “Their rings!”
The three of them spun to face the Shalandran girl, still sitting at her desk.
“My father always wore a black ring on his middle finger.” Excitement at the realization shone brilliant in Briana’s almond eyes. “He never took it off, even when I told him it was too ugly to match with his Councilor’s robes.”
Aisha frowned in thought. She tried to call up an image of Ennolar, Uryan, and the other Guardians. They might have been wearing rings—she simply hadn’t paid much attention to what appeared worthless pieces of jewelry.
“Damn, that’s genius!” Kodyn breathed. “They don’t need to worry about anyone picking their locks—”
“Because there are no locks to pick.” Aisha finished. “I guess the Secret Keepers really do live up to their names.”
At that moment, as if summoned by their names, the wall slid open and Ennolar, Uryan, and three more of the brown-robed Guardians strode into the chamber. Aisha’s eyes dropped to their hands where, sure enough, rings of black stone sat on their middle fingers.
Yet the look on Ennolar’s face drew her gaze once more. The Secret Keeper’s expression was solemn, stern, worry darkening his eyes. He fixed the four of them with a frown as his fingers moved in the silent hand language.
“I fear we bring dire news.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Shite!
Evren’s heart hammered a frantic beat as he ducked down an alley just ahead of a raging patrol of Indomitables. Despite the warmth of the noonday sun, a chill ran down his spine. That was too damned close!
He’d spent the last three hours hiding or running through the debris-clogged back lanes of the Slave’s Tier. In his desperation to shake his Ybrazhe pursuers, he’d stepped into a far worse nightmare. The Indomitables’ presence meant the Syndicate couldn’t flood the streets to hunt him down, but he’d almost prefer the Ybrazhe thugs to the black-armored Alqati that rampaged through the streets. Though order had been mostly restored, some narrow alleys and back lanes were still clogged with soldiers taking advantage of the chaos to take out their anger and hostility against the defenseless Mahjuri.
He slipped down the back lane, clinging to one crumbling sandstone wall in a desperate effort to avoid attention of the passing guards. Yet a moment later, a shout of “There’s one!” echoed behind him. He didn’t bother glancing over his shoulder—flee first, find out if the Indomitables were coming for him later.
Evren sprinted down the narrow alley, ducked around a corner, then raced across the street toward another side lane. Crumbled stone and shattered pottery crunched beneath his boots, and it took all of his agility to maintain his speed and footing. He couldn’t afford to slow; if the Indomitables spotted him, they’d treat him with the same brutality they’d treated everyone else in the Slave’s Tier.
Ice flooded his veins as he caught sight of black-armored soldiers ahead of him. A ten-man patrol marched down the alley. A section of crumbling wall hid him from view, but they’d spot him in mere seconds.
Damn, damn, damn! Evren’s mind raced and he cast around for a hiding place. All the doors were locked, the windows barred. He had only one way out: up.
Without hesitation, he raced back the way he’d come. There! A sturdy-looking windowsill supported his weight long enough for him to leap upward. What he lacked in height, he more than made up for in sheer grit and desperation. His fingers closed around the stone top of the wall. With a grunt, he hauled himself up onto the roof and threw himself flat against the thatching.
Just in time to avoid being spotted.
The tromp, tromp of the marching Indomitables grew louder with every thumping beat of his heart. Evren’s gut clenched as the soldiers passed just below his hiding place. To his relief, they kept on moving. He waited until the sound of their passage faded before letting out a gasping breath.
Keeper’s teeth, that was too close! Adrenaline set his arms and legs trembling as he pulled himself up to the ridge of the roof. His heart sank as he scanned the streets surrounding his rooftop perch. Scores of black-armored Indomitables crawled like ants through every back street and alley.
How the bloody hell am I going to get out of here?
He couldn’t go through the streets—one look at his red Earaqi headband and the Indomitables would demand a reason for his presence in the Slave’s Tier. He could lie as convincingly as the next thief, but from what he’d seen, the soldiers might simply skip the questions and go straight to the beating.
Evren wasn’t Mahjuri; he had no qualms about fighting back if it meant he survived another day. Yet at that moment, fighting the already-enraged Indomitables would make the situation worse. Add to that the threat of the Ybrazhe thugs hunting him, and he needed to find a way out of the Slave’s Tier before the situation got worse.
“By order of the Pharus!” A roar echoed from a nearby street.
Evren frowned. That voice sounds so familiar. Curiosity burning, he slid down the far side of the roof, leapt over a narrow gap, and scrambled up the sloped thatching of the next house.
Evren’s eyes widened at the sight of a familiar towering figure marching at the head of a troop of twenty Indomitables. Issa?
His vantage point gave him a clear view of Issa’s face as she stopped before the wall of unmoving Mahjuri. She stood tall, spine ramrod straight, her black armor with its long shoulder and elbow spikes giving her an imposing appearance, even surrounded as she was by Indomitables. Beside her, a bare-headed man in simple clothing waited in silence, thick ropes binding his wrists.
What in the bloody hell is she doing? And who’s that man she’s arresting?
Tension emanated from the crowd, so thick Evren could almost taste it. The anger in their eyes, clenched fists, and aggressive postures sent a shiver of fear rippling through him.
Whoever he is, the crowd’s pissed. This could get ugly fast.
Relief surged within him as the wall of people parted to make way for Issa and her prisoner. The Keeper’s Blade strode forward at a quick march, her Indomitables keeping pace. People swirled around behind them, muttering amongst each other and casting dark glances at the retreating soldiers.
A sudden inspiration struck him. Issa’s presence in the Slave’s Tier might actually be good—for him, if not for the poor sod she’d just arrested.
If I can get close enough to get her attention, maybe she’ll let me go with her and her patrol. The Ybrazhe would never be stupid enough to attack me then.
More than that, he could actually use Issa’s help to take down the Syndicate. He’d just been led to the Ybrazhe’s base of operations—a mistake Blackfinger would soon regret. One conversation with Lady Callista and he could get Blades and Indomitables flooding the western side of the Slave’s Tier, rounding up the brutes and criminals that served Blackfinger.
Hells, if we move fast enough, we might even be able to scoop up the man himse
lf.
But it would never happen if he didn’t get out of the Slave’s Tier in one piece first. He’d need every shred of skill to evade the potentially-hostile crowds, the angry Indomitables, and the Ybrazhe hunting him.
He scrambled back over the far side of the roof and slid down the thatch, pausing only long enough to check for signs of Indomitables before dropping the five paces to the alley below. His knees protested at the impact but he ignored the twinge of pain. He had to catch up to the marching patrol.
The moment he raced out of the alleyway, a dense wall of Mahjuri forced him to grind to a halt. He stopped just short of plowing into a ragged-looking man wearing a blanket around his emaciated shoulders in place of a tunic. Scanning to his right and left, he raced toward a small gap in the crowd and squirmed between two white-haired men too short to see over the heads of the people in front of them.
Evren was shorter than the average Shalandran—shorter than most Vothmoti, too—but that worked in his favor most of the time. He could slither through all but the densest-packed crowds with only minimal jostling of those around him.
Yet this throng stood packed too densely for him to get through. It took him fully ten minutes to squirm, squeeze, and elbow his way between the people lining the Way of Chains. Worse, as he reached the front of the wall of Mahjuri, he found himself face to face with an unbroken line of Indomitables. The light of the noon sun glinted off their flat-topped spike-rimmed helms, and hard, wary eyes roved the crowd for any sign of threat. They gripped man-height shields and drawn khopeshes, tense, ready for attack.
No way I’m getting through them, Evren realized. His hand went to his forehead, where his still-fading bruise served as a warning of what awaited him if he made a move toward that wall of steel and nervous vigilance.
He could only watch, helpless, as Issa and her patrol disappeared to the west.
Damn it! He clenched his fists, frustration coursing through him. What now?
Swallowing the dread that formed jitters in his stomach, he contemplated his next move. He couldn’t get past the soldiers and people lining the Way of Chains to the east. With the Ybrazhe to the west—likely blocking off Trader’s Way by now—he was in serious trouble.
Heirs of Destiny Box Set Page 106
