Crucible of Fortune: An Epic Fantasy Young Adult Adventure (Heirs of Destiny Book 2)

by Andy Peloquin

  “Read what he’s selling.” Kodyn turned that infuriating, cocky grin on Aisha. Clearly he was pleased with his results and loving the fact that he alone knew a truly important secret.

  “Twelve bushels of olives,” Briana read aloud. “Three hundred ells of linen, fifty ells of silk, and…” Her eyes flew wide. “Grain!”

  Kodyn grinned. “Damned right!”

  Aisha was puzzled by their sudden delight—how did a shipment of grain help them nail Angrak to the wall?

  “There’s no way he’s actually shipping grain, is there?” Briana’s eyebrows knit together. “Not away from Shalandra at least. The farms outside the city don’t produce anywhere near enough to feed the people on the Slave’s Tier, much less the entire population. Which means he’s trying to cover for something else that he’s transporting.”

  Kodyn’s smile widened until it nearly split his face in half. “He’s selling shalanite!” Triumph echoed in his voice and set his eyes sparkling. “And he’s doing it for the Keeper’s Council.”

  Briana sucked in a breath. “No!”

  “Oh, yes!” Kodyn nodded. “I heard it with my own ears as I hid in your father’s office while Angrak got a truly entertaining dressing-down from Councilor Natoris.”

  Aisha tried to remember which one Natoris was—she had a hard time telling the pudgy-faced, greasy Necroseti apart. Aside from the hunchbacked attendant she’d seen in the palace, the only one that had made any impression on her was Madani, though certainly not for his charms or good looks. Councilor Madani had been the most vocal in his taunts of Briana.

  “What did he say?” Briana demanded. “His exact words.”

  Kodyn scrunched up his face. “The Council chose you because of the one value you possess: your ability to siphon off enough ore from the mines to make us a profit.” He spoke in a nasal voice that grated on Aisha’s ears. “This reward is not because you are worthy of a place on the Council or because anyone else in the Keeper’s Priesthood believes you are capable of anything more than doing what you are already doing.”

  Briana sucked in a breath. “So it’s true!”

  “Damn right it’s true.” Kodyn let out a delighted whoop of laughter and thrust a finger at the bill of lading. “And that’s the proof we need to hand his ass over to Lady Callista.”

  “Wait, I think I’m missing something.” Confusion set Aisha’s mind spinning. “I get that stealing is a crime, but we’re talking a stern reprimand or a heavy fine at worst, right?”

  “If he were actually stealing grain, perhaps not.” Briana inclined her head. “But the theft and exportation of shalanite is considered treason.”

  Aisha’s eyebrows shot up. “Treason?”

  Briana nodded. “Shalanite is the city’s chief export—the only export of any real worth, truth be told. It is incredibly rare, found only deep within Alshuruq, and its use in Shalandran steel makes it one of the most prized minerals on Einan. Because of its value, the Pharus and the Keeper’s Council are able to afford the comestibles imported into Shalandra to feed the populace.”

  Aisha had only a basic understanding of business practices from her time working with Master Phoenix to run the pleasure houses of Praamis, but even she could see where this was headed.

  “So,” she said, “if the supply of shalanite suddenly increased, the value would decrease.”

  “Precisely.” Briana shot her an approving grin. “Thus, the mining and sale of shalanite is extremely regulated. Every ounce of shalanite extracted from our mines is accounted for by a team of auditors and bookkeepers under the watchful eye of the Keeper’s Council.”

  “Well, there’s your problem right there!” Kodyn gave a derisive snort. “They’re the ones dipping their hands into the cookie jar.”

  Briana inclined her head. “Yes, but because it is vital to the survival of Shalandra, a system of checks and balances has been set up. One of the duties of the Elders of the Blade is to corroborate all of the mining and exportation records produced by the Necroseti and Reckoners working for the Council. They have their own independent auditors to verify everything. Anyone, from the lowest Kabili working the mines to the highest-ranked Dhukari, found stealing and selling shalanite is summarily executed for the good of the city.”

  Aisha nodded her understanding. If the value of shalanite decreased, Shalandra would no longer be able to afford to feed its people.

  “Which means that Angrak’s up to his nostrils in shite!” Kodyn’s triumphant grin returned. “With this bill of lading, we’ve got the proof we need.”

  “Yes and no,” Briana’s face fell. “That can be used as proof that Angrak is stealing, but that doesn’t conclusively link him to shalanite.”

  Kodyn’s shoulders slumped, his momentary triumph deflated.

  “But I think there’s a way we can make it work anyway,” Briana said, and hope sparkled in her eyes. “Look.”

  Aisha bent closer to see the name inked at the bottom of the parchment. “Reckoner Dyon,” she read aloud. Reckoners were priests of the Apprentice, god of ventures, and served in the Coin Counter’s Temple as a sort of a hybrid of moneylender, banker, and records-keeper. Their vaults were said to be as secure as King Ohilmos’ private bedroom—though Ilanna had proven that both of those locations were vulnerable to clever thieves with plenty of planning.

  Yet, the Reckoners were renowned for their meticulous records and impeccable calculations. They scoured every corner of Einan for only the most intelligent, mathematics-minded youths to train in service to the Apprentice.

  “If a Reckoner signed his name to this bill of lading, he’s either complicit with Angrak or a dupe.” A sly smile split Briana’s face. “Either way, all we need to do is find the right leverage to apply pressure and he’ll give us what we need.”

  “I don’t understand,” Kodyn said. “Aren’t these Reckoners insanely precise? They wouldn’t have made a mistake like this.”

  “Exactly!” Grinning, Briana held up the bill. “Either he knew what Angrak was doing and is guilty of treason, or he took a bribe to sign off on the shipment without actually inspecting the cargo. Either way, he messed up, and he’s going to be willing to do anything to keep the Keeper’s Blades off his back.” Her grin broadened. “And it just so happens that we have a particularly fierce-looking Keeper’s Blade standing downstairs. What do you think Reckoner Dyon will do when we show up at the Coin Counter’s Temple at first light with this in hand and the Archateros in tow?”

  Hope surged within Aisha’s chest as understanding dawned. “He’ll fold like a snapped twig!”

  “Then, with the Reckoner either admitting to fraud or treason, we’ll have a witness to back up the legitimacy of this bill of lading.” Briana waved the parchment. “Add that to your testimony—” She address her words to Kodyn. “—of Councilor Natoris’ words, and Lady Callista will have everything she needs to open a full investigation into Councilor Angrak. During which time, of course, he’ll enjoy the hospitality of the Pharus’ dungeons.”

  “Far better than he deserves!” Kodyn growled.

  “I know you wanted to find a way to connect Angrak to the Ybrazhe or the Gatherers, but I believe this is the better route.” Briana’s face twisted into the same sly expression that Aisha had seen on Arch-Guardian Suroth. “One visit to the Coin Counter’s Temple is all it’ll take to get the information we need.”

  Aisha shot a glance out the window. “The sun won’t be up for a few hours, but we can be there at first light, ready when the doors open.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Briana gave her a smile. “When they hear what I have to tell you, the Grand Reckoner himself will be eager to open the doors for you.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Issa looked up as a shadow fell across her half-eaten bowl of watery barley soup. Ivita, Lady Callista’s personal attendant, stood on the other side of the common room table.

  “You are summoned.” A simple statement with no added explanation, yet Issa understood at
once.

  Issa shoved her bowl toward Etai and hurried to follow Ivita from the common room. Her muscles—exhausted after her run from the Artisan’s Tier and the Blade’s Two Hundred—protested with every step, yet the excitement humming in her chest pushed back against the fatigue.

  Lady Callista had summoned her in response to her message about Councilor Angrak. She couldn’t help hurrying through the Citadel and the palace corridors toward Lady Callista’s office.

  The two Blades outside the door let Issa and Ivita enter without a word. Lady Callista leaned against her desk, arms folded across her broad chest. She wore no armor—a strange sight for Issa—yet she somehow managed to look imposing in the ankle-length dress. The two leather straps revealed strong shoulders, rounded arms, and heavy torso muscles, with solid legs to match. Every inch of Callista Vinaus screamed power and command.

  Issa’s gut clenched at the sight of Invictus Tannard standing behind the Lady of Blades. He loomed like a solid black cloud that filled the office with a cold, all-pervading gloom. He wore full armor and carried his sword on his back, though he had removed his mailed gauntlets—giving Issa a full view of the seven black dots tattooed into the back of his rough hands. A true believer in the Long Keeper, like so many Shalandrans. As always, Tannard’s expression revealed nothing.

  Lady Callista waited until the door closed behind Ivita before speaking. “My Invictus tells me you wanted to speak to me about Angrak.” A hint of a scowl cracked the Lady of Blades’ stern mask. “What do you have to say about our newest Councilor?”

  Issa shot a glance at Tannard, hesitating. Lady Callista had instructed her to relay information to her alone, yet she seemed in no hurry to dismiss the Invictus.

  “See?” Tannard growled, a hint of triumph on his face. “Another prototopoi using whatever excuse they can to escape their training.”

  Anger flared in Issa’s chest. “This is no excuse!” Her cheeks burned, but she turned a furious gaze on Lady Callista. “You told me to bring you anything I found. I have done just that, yet he refused to allow me to—”

  “Ware your tone,” Lady Callista said, her voice quiet yet her tone sharp as a dagger. “The Invictus is your commanding officer, and you will treat him with the respect he is due.”

  Issa snapped her mouth shut, biting down hard on the anger simmering deep within her.

  “Tannard has simply followed my instructions.” Lady Callista’s eyes drilled into Issa. “I wanted to be certain I could trust you not to reveal the wrong information to the wrong person. I ordered Tannard to impede you to see what you would do.”

  Issa’s jaw dropped. It was a bloody test? To Briana and her comrades, this was life and death, no game or examination. They counted on her to get the information about Councilor Angrak to Lady Callista.

  “The moment the Invictus delivered your message, I set my people to work digging into Angrak.” She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. “So speak, Issa. What news do you have about the Councilor?”

  Issa drew in a deep breath, eyes locked with Tannard’s. His expression revealed nothing; she couldn’t know if she’d passed or failed Lady Callista’s test. Her only recourse would be to share what she knew and hope that she’d done the right thing by giving Tannard Angrak’s name.

  “One of Lady Briana’s bodyguards, Kodyn—”

  “The Praamian,” Lady Callista said, a statement rather than a question.

  Issa nodded. “He followed a man he believed belonged to the Ybrazhe Syndicate to Angrak’s mansion. He saw the man enter through the trademan’s gate.”

  Lady Callista’s sharp features deepened into a frown. “He believed was Ybrazhe? You mean he does not know for certain?”

  “No, Lady Callista.” Issa shook her head. “The man in question waylaid him and his companion, the servant Evren, as they met with the Black Widow.”

  She’d expected a surprised reaction, but Lady Callista just nodded. “I was aware that the Praamian was acquainted with the Black Widow, though I have not yet ascertained the nature of their relationship. But that is not the matter at hand here.” She narrowed her eyes. “You say that this Kodyn was waylaid by the Ybrazhe? Or those he believed were members of the Syndicate?”

  “Yes, Lady Callista,” Issa said. “There was an assassination attempt on the Black Widow, though both Kodyn and Evren escaped unharmed.”

  Callista Vinaus shot a glance up at Tannard. “They prove themselves as resourceful as I believed. Few could turn a desperate flight for their life into such an opportunity.”

  Tannard simply nodded but said nothing.

  “So I take it that the Praamian followed their assassins back to the Keeper’s Tier and Angrak’s mansion?”

  “Yes, Lady Callista.” Issa hesitated.

  The Proxenos noticed. “Speak,” she commanded.

  “Lady Briana understood that the simple eyewitness account of a foreigner might not suffice as evidence to convict a member of the Keeper’s Council.” Issa drew in a breath. “The Praamian planned to break into Angrak’s mansion tonight to find something that would definitively prove that the new Councilor is guilty of colluding with the Ybrazhe. And, possibly, even the Gatherers.”

  Surprise flashed across Lady Callista’s face for the briefest of moments. “The cultists and the Syndicate?”

  Issa nodded. “There was a theory that the Ybrazhe might be working with the Gatherers to destabilize the city, with the goal of expanding their territory to the Artisan’s Tier.”

  “Which would definitely fit with the attack on the palace.” Lady Callista seemed to be following the same train of thought Briana and the others had earlier. “A sound theory, though one we’ve found little evidence to back it up. Everything we’ve discovered about the Gatherers and the Ybrazhe thus far has pointed to two disparate forces.”

  “As you say, Proxenos.” Issa replied. “But, whatever Angrak’s crime, Kodyn will do his utmost to get his hands on evidence that you can use to arrest the Councilor. If he is in league with either the Ybrazhe or the Gatherers—”

  “It will give me leverage to use against not only him, but the Keeper’s Council as well!” Lady Callista’s eyes sparkled and she rubbed her hands together.

  “Go,” she told Tannard, “relay this news to the Pharus.”

  The Invictus gave Lady Callista a curt bow and, ignoring Issa completely, strode from the room.

  When the door shut behind the departing Blade, Lady Callista turned her gaze on Issa. “Very well done, Prototopoi.” Her smile held surprising warmth, not just the acknowledgement from a superior to an underling, but a genuine, deep-seated approval. “This may not be enough to execute Angrak, but it will come in handy when we make our move.”

  “We?” Issa’s brow furrowed. “You and the Pharus…are in league against the Keeper’s Council?” It was the only reason Lady Callista would have sent Tannard to the Pharus. “Forgive me for questioning, Proxenos, but I thought you and the Pharus loathed each other?”

  A scowl deepened the Lady of Blades’ face. “Amhoset Nephelcheres and I have a great deal of history, and everyone in the palace has seen our enmity.” Her expression softened, growing stoic. “But for the sake of Shalandra, we must put aside our feelings for each other and work together.”

  She took a seat in one of the two chairs facing her desk and motioned for Issa to sit in the other.

  “It’s no secret that the Keeper’s Council wields far too much power in the city,” Lady Callista said in a quiet, wary tone. “Mordus Khemnu Nephelcheres was a timid man and a ruler all too willing to let the Council run the city as they saw fit. When Amhoset ascended to his father’s throne, the Council hoped that he would be as pliable as Mordus Khemnu. Yet, over the last few years, he has proven that he is no mere figurehead.” She shot a wary glance around. “He voices his opinion during the Council meetings and argues with the Councilors to ensure that his will is carried out as much as they permit him. He has the people’s affection and the loyalty of those wh
o serve him, something his father never commanded. That makes him a threat to the Necroseti.”

  Issa nodded. Much of what Lady Callista had just said was common knowledge even as far down as the Cultivator’s Tier. Her own grandfather had been staunch, albeit quiet, in his support of the Pharus, and Saba had insisted many more of the Earaqi shared his views.

  “This is why the Pharus and I both suspect the Keeper’s Council as being complicit in the attack at the palace two nights ago.” Lady Callista’s face hardened. “The perceived threat on their lives was likely a ruse to conceal their complicity. Were it not for Arch-Guardian Suroth, the attack might very well have succeeded. It was only by the Keeper’s grace that I was nearby at the time, and your quick thinking and courageous actions stymied the assassination attempt. Had they succeeded in killing the Pharus, the Keeper’s Council would have used all of their power to install a ruler as compliant and docile as Pharus Mordus Khemnu, and Shalandra would have once more fallen to their control.”

  “But we stopped them,” Issa said.

  “This time, yes.” Lady Callista nodded. “But with the elevation of Angrak—an appointment that neither I nor the Pharus were aware of, yet somehow became official within mere hours of Suroth’s death—the Necroseti now control the entire Council. The Pharus lacks the power to stop them from doing whatever they desire, and even I can only stymie their political efforts to a limited extent.” She clenched a fist. “Until Lady Briana gives us this proof that we can use to arrest Angrak and turn him against the rest of the Keeper’s Council.”

  Issa nodded. “By first light, you should have what you need.”

  “Good.” Lady Calista smiled. “And it is your job to ensure that information arrives safely into my hands. Before noon.”

  “Noon?” Issa cocked an eyebrow.

  “As is the Shalandran custom, Angrak must undergo certain rituals in the Hall of the Beyond to be truly elevated to the role of Councilor.” The Lady of Blades’ face darkened. “There is a grand procession tomorrow, and every member of the Dhukari will turn out to watch the Necroseti and their guards escort Angrak to the Long Keeper’s temple for the ceremony at noon. If we can arrest him before he arrives at the Hall of the Beyond, he will be nothing more than a high-ranked Necroseti priest—one the Keeper’s Council can disavow if it suits their purposes. But the moment he steps foot over the threshold, he will be safely within the temple stronghold, and it would take an army of Blades and Indomitables to get him out.”