Phineas paused and glanced at Jasper. “However, he did inform me once the meeting had formally concluded that you and your brother are Sekalis and will be remaining in the Empire.”
“What did you say?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Nothing,” he said. “He didn’t present it as a discussion.”
Jasper stepped to my side.
“I don’t think it has occurred to Chen or the emperor that you might refuse his offer,” he said. “The emperor believes that given time and the chance to observe his empire, it will speak for itself. He truly believes that the ways of the Sekalis are vastly superior, and thus that you would inevitably choose them.”
I knew in an instant Jasper was right. The emperor was as much shaped by the way he had been raised as his own people.
As we all were.
“So we have no choice,” I said slowly.
“No!” Lucas stepped toward me, but Phineas blocked his way.
“The emperor has made it clear that you’re a Sekali now,” Phineas said. “What you do next is between him and you.”
Lucas growled, thrusting Phineas’s arm aside, but I kept my attention on the delegation head.
“But you think I should agree to stay? To ensure he allows the delegation to leave.”
“I think you must do your duty to your prince, to your brothers, and to your people.”
He met my eyes steadily. He might have just claimed I was a Sekali now, but I had no doubt which people he expected me to do my duty toward—and they didn’t live in the Empire.
Chapter 17
Jasper had dragged me from the room while Phineas whispered urgently to Lucas. But to my surprise, my brother made no attempt to discuss the matter with me, merely depositing me at my own suite before hurrying away himself.
I paced my rooms, my mind in turmoil as I tried to accustom myself to the idea of submitting to a life here in the Empire. Eventually I decided that I needed to talk to someone about it, or I would explode.
Since Jasper had disappeared somewhere unknown, I made my way to the suite of my other brother. To my utter surprise, I found Julian deep in consultation with Jasper. Neither seemed particularly surprised to see me.
“Phineas did everything short of order me to stay,” I said, directing my question to Julian. “But what do you think I should do?”
“I think Father would prefer you come home than me, if it came to a choice,” he said, nothing in his tone suggesting the words held any sting.
“I don’t believe that’s true,” I said softly. “I’ve heard him talk about you all. Your father loves you. In his way.”
Julian’s mouth twitched. “In his way. Adroitly put.”
“But in all seriousness,” I said. “What should I do?”
I tried not to look toward Jasper, steeling myself for Julian’s answer.
“I think you should say yes,” he said. “I think it gives the rest of us the best chance. The emperor has no quarrel with Ardann. Chen has said we’re free to leave, so I believe he will let us go—as long as he feels no need to keep us as tools to force your compliance.”
“But what if he has no real intention of letting you go?” I asked. “He may wish to send a strong message to Ardann not to attempt to retrieve me. He knows we are weak, and already beset by Kallorway. We could not open up a second war front, no matter the provocation.”
“Precisely why he will not bother with such a gesture,” Julian said. “Ardann will have no choice but to let you go. I know Phineas fears for Lucas, but he has spent a lifetime imagining threats to the royal family, even where there are none. It is his job.”
“You’re in the Royal Guard too, if that gold robe is anything to go by,” I said, nodding toward his garment.
He smiled broadly. “Ah, but I’m still young and less ingrained in my ways.”
I glanced over at Jasper, surprised by his silence. He nodded at me gravely.
“Julian and I are in agreement. You should say yes.”
An unexpected pain stabbed at my chest.
“You think I should stay? You think the Empire is what’s best for our family?”
“What?” He stared at me in surprise. “No, of course not.”
“We have discussed it at great length,” Julian said.
“You have?” I looked between the two of them in astonishment.
“No need to look so surprised,” he said mildly. “For once our goals are in alignment. He wants to save you, and I want to save myself.” His hooded eyes laughed at me.
Jasper frowned at him before turning to me. “We think you should say yes and play along until the delegation is clear of the border. I will accompany them, ostensibly to retrieve the rest of our family. And then, you should make a run for it. With your strength, and with the element of surprise, they won’t have a hope of stopping you.”
“And, if they do, that’s where I come in.” Julian made an exaggerated bow.
“What?” I looked between them.
“I would come, but I’d be more hindrance than help.” Jasper ground his teeth in frustration. “So Julian will be the one to slip away from the delegation and remain in Sekali. You’ll watch each other’s backs and head for Ardann as fast as you can.”
I looked at Julian. “What happened to saving yourself?”
“You must be forgetting,” he said. “Our father is most fearsome. I dare not return without you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m beginning to think you just enjoy needling people, and you don’t mean at least half the things you say.”
“Perceptive, as always,” he said, a laugh in his voice.
It took a moment for me to realize his implication, and I groaned.
“Naturally your previous comments on my brilliant perceptive skills were part of the truthful half of your pronouncements,” I said.
“Naturally.” He gave me a partial bow.
“Let’s be serious,” Jasper said. “We have a lot of planning to do.”
The next morning, at my requested audience with the emperor, he evinced no surprise at my willingness to remain in the Empire. Just as Jasper had predicted. And at the same time, the Ardannian delegation departed Yanshin, with no attempt made to prevent their withdrawal. I had two highly intelligent older brothers, and together they had accurately deduced the emperor’s mind.
Three days later, my confidence had dipped—a predictable consequence of three days of near solitude. I had insisted on remaining in the guest suite so Julian would be able to more easily find me, and I had barely left it other than to attend a daily instruction in the sealing composition.
I worked slowly, pretending confusion I didn’t feel. They made no effort to rush me. I had insisted that I would not work the composition until my family arrived and could be sealed by it, but the Sekalis gave no indication that this precaution had been necessary. They seemed content to conduct a great deal of preparation and research first, discussing modifications and adjustments that might be possible for me alone and might perhaps prevent me from also being sealed.
This part of the training I followed with great interest, learning everything they could teach me about how the composition worked. In return, however, I gave them almost no information about how my ability operated, meaning they had little hope of arriving at any correct conclusions on their own.
But the problem occupied me day and night back in my suite as I attempted to solve it on my own. If I could work the sealing composition without sealing myself…
Given my difficulty in falling asleep, I had plenty of time to think. Even so, eventually, and with great regret, I put the idea aside. My powers had let me circumvent some things, but this consequence could not be avoided.
By the end of the third day, I had pictured the delegation’s boat speeding downriver across the border so many times it appeared behind my eyelids even when I didn’t call for it. Alone in my suite, I made no pretense of preparing for bed, packing the few belongings I had kept wit
h me instead.
Every sound made me start, and every footstep sent me scurrying to the door. But the hours passed and darkness fell, and still there was no sign of Julian.
Until, at last, my door creaked open of its own accord, with no one in sight. I felt the arrival of power, however, Julian’s shielding and invisibility compositions betraying his presence as clearly as did the ball of energy at his center. Thank goodness the Sekalis poured so much power into their palace and its decorations. No one would notice another clump of it, unless they had some particular reason to pay attention.
I worked my own composition, muttering the words as fast as I could, and watched my body fade before my eyes. As soon as it completely disappeared, Julian began to move, me trailing behind.
Lanterns shone throughout the gardens, despite the lateness of the hour, aiding the moon in revealing our path. I had traced the route several times on my way to and from my training, moving as casually and inconspicuously as possible, but Julian led us unerringly forward, without need of my guidance.
We met no one, and no one appeared to hinder us, despite the rapid staccato of my heart which sounded as if it could be heard throughout the palace. As agreed on previously, we made for a small side gate that would let us out into the eastern half of the city.
Three guards stood before it, their backs straight, and their eyes alert despite the lateness of the hour. I heard the faint rustle of parchment and risked a quiet whisper.
“No, don’t. I have a better way.”
Julian didn’t know this part of the plan because he still didn’t know about my extra ability, but Jasper had insisted I try it on him at least once despite my protests. With a single whispered word, I sent my power snaking out, tapping into each of the guards.
Their energy poured back into me, slamming into my body with such force that it might have overwhelmed me if I wasn’t expending so much power on my own compositions as well as the one to drain their energy. My lost reserves filled to overflowing, and still their energy continued to fill me.
They stirred, swaying and glancing at each other in confusion. But I was pulling their energy too fast—they didn’t have time to process what could be happening and react. Almost simultaneously they swayed and all toppled.
“Stop,” I gasped instantly, cutting off the drain. With ragged breaths, I checked the lingering glow inside each of them. They were exhausted and would sleep for hours, but they would live.
A rattle sounded as the keys at one of their waists lifted into the air, carried by invisible fingers. Almost stepping on Julian’s heels, I hurried to the gate, slipping through as soon as he opened it.
We had no sooner stepped through than the moon reflected off a strange flickering before me. Once, twice, and then a human form appeared in full sight. The power in his invisibility composition had worn off.
I had been waiting for it to happen, prepared to extend my own working to cover us both as soon as he appeared. But the words died on my lips, shock making me gasp and stutter instead.
“Lucas! What are you doing here?” My invisible hand reached forward to grasp his arm. “Where’s Julian?”
“Never mind that right now.” He was already thrusting his arm into his robe, diving for a fresh composition no doubt.
“No, never mind that. I’ll do it. I have plenty of energy,” I said. Hurrying to make up for my delay, I rushed out the words. But even as I said, “End binding”, a shout rang out from further down the wall. Whirling, I saw a hand pointed in our direction by a guard standing at the top of the wall. Lucas had disappeared again, but I had taken too long.
“Time to run,” said Lucas grimly.
He grabbed my hand and dragged me through the sleeping streets of Yanshin. We were still in hearing range when a shout went up at the gate behind us. They had discovered the sleeping guards.
Lucas ducked off the main road, pulling me through a maze of streets. I didn’t know how he was finding his way, but I could sense power fanning out around him and could only assume he was using some sort of composition to guide him. I didn’t waste breath asking.
My legs soon burned from the awkward run necessitated by our clasped hands, but I didn’t let go. With both of us invisible, I didn’t dare run the risk of lost seconds if we somehow got separated.
“They’ll have sent riders ahead to the city gates,” he said between panted breaths. “We’ll have to fight our way out.”
“Leave it to me,” I said, and this time he made no speeches about sharing the burden of energy loss.
My blood thrummed, and my breath rasped through my throat, but I felt more relaxed than I had in those days of waiting, without word of my friends or family. Finally I could take action. Finally my power could do some good.
The warm hand clasping mine had something to do with the sense of surety as well. I didn’t know why or how he was here, but he was. With Lucas everything felt right. We were a team again, and I believed we could do anything.
We slowed as we approached the gate, taking our time to scope out the situation. But before we could discuss a strategy, a loud gong-like sound rang out, and many heads turned in our direction. I looked down, but we were still invisible.
“We must have set off some sort of alarm composition,” Lucas growled. “We need to move.”
“Can you get us over that wall?” I asked, not waiting for him to respond. “I’ll do the rest.” I turned my attention inward, calling up the words I needed.
“Shield.” I cast a bigger and wider net of security around us both. As soon as it settled into place, I whispered, “Incapacitate.”
These guards were merely following orders. They probably didn’t even know who they were chasing, merely that a concealed person had eliminated some of their guards. No one needed to die tonight.
My power punched toward the gathered group, immediately encountering a blockage. I poured more power into my assault, pushing harder and harder against their shields. I brimmed with energy, far more than any individual could usually carry, and I was willing to use every drop to smash through their defenses.
Even with my prestigious reserves, I began to feel tired as I pushed through layer after layer of shielding. Attacks rained down on our own shield, and my energy rushed from me even more quickly. The world spun, and Lucas gripped my arm.
“Don’t take it too far,” he said, his voice rough and worried.
I shook my head, forgetting he couldn’t see me, and pressed on. I could feel the shields buckling, I was so close. My head whirled.
They broke, and my power rushed to each person, felling them in an instant, cutting off the strands of power that linked them like a web to the city.
“Drain,” I whispered immediately, and a rush filled me as their energy poured back in my direction, clearing my head and strengthening my limbs.
“Stop,” I said calmly, cutting it off well before draining anyone. With so many to draw from, and all of them already incapacitated, I had no need to cut it too close.
I glanced around and nearly screamed, clutching at Lucas where I could feel the sturdy strength of his hand on my arm. Nothing but empty air lay beneath my feet. In my dogged focus, I hadn’t even noticed the smooth movement of my own body.
Lucas had used a composition to send us floating up over the city wall. I didn’t know what approach he had taken, but it must have used an outrageous amount of power. I locked myself into position, afraid to move my feet, despite knowing I had been moving before without affecting the working.
I didn’t release my breath until our feet touched solid ground. And then we were off again, running across the empty ground between the city and the Abneris River.
We didn’t clutch at each other this time, letting our legs fly freely across the rough dirt. Out here, in the open space, it was easy to keep track of each other from the glow of power that pulsed around each of us.
Lucas angled us south, so we would hit the river downstream from the ford. Julian and I had intended
to use the ford to cross the river, but I didn’t try to argue. Several attack compositions of unknown intent bounced off my shield as we ran, but still the ground flew by beneath my feet, my energy levels almost too high. I felt as if a too-long stride might send me soaring up into the air.
“Here,” Lucas said, swerving in to approach the water at last.
A rough piece of brown material whisked into the air and then fell to the ground, discarded by invisible hands. A small but sturdy boat lay exposed, and when it began to push itself across the earth toward the river, I rushed forward and added my shoulder to the effort. Within moments it hit the water.
“Get in,” Lucas instructed, and I didn’t argue, jumping in as he pushed it the last small distance to float fully. The current tugged at the wood, trying to pull the boat out into the swiftly flowing river, but he held it steady. The side creaked and dipped lower into the water as I felt Lucas scramble into the boat beside me.
We shot off, riding the current, and I dropped the invisibility composition around us. Lucas sat at the stern, adjusting something I couldn’t quite see in the darkness. I thought for a moment and then cut off all of my compositions, whispering a few words to extinguish Lucas’s as well. I left behind only a warning trace, a lesser working than even a shield. Just something to let me know if any power approached us.
Lucas looked up, a question in his eyes.
“We need a different type of invisibility now,” I said.
He hesitated for a moment and then nodded his agreement. My heart swelled. He trusted me.
Within moments he had the boat organized to his liking and faced himself forward, surveying the water ahead of us.
“Taking the river is a good plan,” I said. “We can get off just before the forest starts and follow the edge of the trees all the way to the Overon. The forest will provide good cover, too, if we need it.”
“We’re taking the Abneris through the forest,” he said, still not looking at me.
I frowned. “But we’ll end up in the middle of the war. After the trees end, the Wall will prevent us from crossing into Ardann anywhere before Bronton.”
Voice of Life (The Spoken Mage Book 4) Page 21
