I sat with that disappointing information. Ultimately, defeating Irrikus and fixing the tear trumped our love. Once again, our relationship would take a back seat, because it needed to. This time, I squeezed Dorian’s knee under the table. There might be other options available. Surely, after they saw what we had accomplished together with the Immortal Council, the arbiters would change their minds… Could Ruk help us?
“We understand.”
“But the other couples,” Sen mused. Her dreamy tone sounded softer than usual. My stomach clenched with dread. “It can’t be allowed.” She shook her head.
Xiu sighed. “I’m afraid that my comrades are right. We will have to separate any human-vampires couples in the end, after this big reckoning. It’s not just you and Dorian, clearly. Anyone else you know who has formed such a union must be stopped, if we want to fix our system.” Her eyes softened slightly as she looked back to us. There was something like sadness in her eyes; as close, perhaps, as an arbiter could get. “We can remove your memories of one another entirely once this is all over. You don’t have to remember each other, since it would likely be painful to recall your past once the universe is back in working order.”
Her words struck my chest like an arrow straight to the heart.
2
Lyra
“Our memories,” Dorian echoed. “You must be joking.”
Shock washed over me as Xiu’s words sank in. “Arbiters don’t joke. They’re being completely serious. We… we just got engaged,” I sputtered. Could they even comprehend that concept? I leaned back in my chair, instinctively trying to get away from the potential future they’d just described.
Xiu raised a barely visible brow. “Engaged? I’m afraid I don’t know what that means.” I scrambled for words but couldn’t find them. It was a horrible notion. Dorian and I might save the world… only to have to lose one another?
“It means we intend to spend the rest of our lives together,” Dorian said, a growl slipping in at the end. “You want us to save the world as a team, and then repay us with amnesia? I don’t think so.”
The gears of my mind churned as I processed their horrifying suggestion. The arbiters had offered support for our mission, but they were offering amnesia as our reward for helping them with their own mess? Un looked down at the tabletop. At least he wasn't being as obnoxious as he was before we won the Games.
I stared at the other arbiters at the table. Some bowed their heads, while others eyed me quizzically, as if they couldn't understand the issue. Surely, they’d seen how we fought together in the Games. We worked well together. Hell, we belonged together. If we fought together to save the universe, it seemed highly illogical to reward us with the worst emotional pain in the world.
Pik averted her gaze to her webbed hands. "It's what logic requires…"
Screw your logic. I hadn’t spent months half-starved and fighting with every fiber of my being just to be lectured by a bunch of demigods who’d decided one day that they were too good to fulfill their duties.
"I've got a proposition," Dorian said suddenly, before I lost my temper fully. His gaze slid to me, glacial eyes coursing with an idea. I knew that look, and I loved it. "We offered to solve your problem in the lower planes." I sat up straighter. We had leverage. We could negotiate.
"That’s an awful lot of work," I added. "It doesn't seem fair that you guys will punish us after we save the world. In a way, we are cleaning up your mess."
"An offer you made yourself," Un said sharply. I glared at him.
"That was before we realized the extent of what needed to be done." Boldness took over, spurred on by the memory of hauling Dorian's unconscious form across that finish line. "We proved ourselves in the Games. We showed you that you were wrong by taking you to the vortex. Last trial, Xiu made a point that you arbiters must always consider the new evidence."
I spotted Dorian's proud smile from the corner of my eye, but his body was tense. "Lyra is right. If we handle the Immortal Council, which was ultimately created because of your actions, then I ask you to consider releasing us from the curse as our payment."
"Impossible," Xiu said. "We already negotiated payment by offering our support in your task. You want to save your friends, a task I can see the logic in, and we understand this noble mission to crush the war in the lower planes. The necklaces are your payment for the moment. We're offering you a mutually beneficial solution."
“Necklaces we don’t get to keep,” I pointed out. My filter was gone for the moment.
“Necklaces that will help you save your friends,” Sen said, and hummed. "Xiu is right. Continued existence is your reward for this work. Everyone you know won't die horribly, if everything goes well."
Zach, Gina, Bryce, Bravi… countless faces passed through my mind, but it didn't seem fair that Dorian and I had to suffer due to the arbiters’ “logic,” especially when we were cleaning up the mess they’d made. We got nothing.
"You’re offering us very little in return for our help," I said. “You must be able to see the imbalance. We’re going to risk our lives, spend every waking moment trying to fix this problem for the foreseeable future. This isn’t our fault—our love, or our allies being in peril. Your job was to watch. Your job was to prevent the exact kind of megalomaniac that we’re trying to take down.”
Xiu shook her head. "You've come to us in a time of utter chaos. We are breaking many rules now, rules that were created longer ago than you can conceive of, for the sake of basic survival. The universe lies in precarious balance. We cannot simply overhaul our entire system at this moment." Her tone contained subtle notes of honesty and respect as she sized Dorian and me up. "We appreciate your dedication to the greater good, but my fellow arbiters and I cannot grant you an exception."
A tense silence fell over the entire table.
I was fuming. I should have been used to the arbiters and their selfish, twisted logic by this point, but they never ceased to surprise me in their quest for rock bottom. I bit my lip to avoid saying something I would regret.
"We're at war with Irrikus and the Immortal Council," Ruk piped up. "Why does this table feel like a parley between enemies, when the real enemy is out there happily moving forward with his end-of-the-world plans? Can't you see what these two have been through?" Pride flickered over his red face.
I gripped the table, overwhelmed with frustration and the sheer powerlessness of our situation. When I turned to Dorian, I saw a fight brewing in his face. A sinking, cold logic seeped into my bones as Xiu tensed, prepared for an oncoming argument. I didn’t want to let this go. But what choice did we have? The arbiters held the powers we needed to save the planes. And the arbiters had already had several shocks to their system today; one look at their faces told me they couldn’t handle another.
This isn't going to work right now. We're wasting precious time. Our responsibilities took precedence over our emotions, even though it killed me. We needed to eat this loss now… for the greater good. This entire deal could blow up in our faces if we pushed too hard, knowing the arbiters. Sure, we had majority support for the moment, but the tides could change quickly.
I swallowed my questions and arguments, giving Dorian a sharp look from the corner of my eye. “Our priority is the Immortal Council,” I muttered. He raised a brow, as if to ask, Are you sure? Another beat of silence passed within our group.
"Fine. This isn't the time to have this debate," I admitted. "I'll agree to your terms for the moment, and we can drop it for now in light of the battle. After the fight… Dorian and I will figure it out, but only after everything is fully settled." I added the last bit for my own conscience. I needed to convince them that we would drop it, for now. Yet, hope danced inside me, promising that this wasn’t our final option. There were potentially more people than just Dorian and me to think about in terms of vampire-and-human romance, but we’d have to save the world first before anything. They could think what they wanted. I’d agree… for the moment, but the tides
would change. I only hoped that meant Dorian and I would be together, in the end.
Dorian’s scowl remained etched on his face. "I also accept these terms." I heard the same resignation in his voice. We both knew this wasn't settled, but we had a war to win. It would be suicide and inevitable doom to lose their support. I let out the tiniest sigh.
"We appreciate your understanding." Xiu sent a pointed look at Ruk. "Any further questions, before we move on to other points of business?"
Every eye and orb turned their attention to Ruk.
"I'm sure everyone knows I have my own conditions to trot out," Ruk said. He sent a pointed look at Un, who looked a shade nervous. It was time for another uncomfortable conversation. I bounced my knee anxiously underneath the table. Perhaps Ruk would choose tact, to soften the blow of admitting that he’d broken even more laws in the Higher Plane? His profile beside me looked elegant and refined. A weight had lifted from his shoulders after his debt was paid. "As much as it pains me to admit, Un was right. I did break another rule. As did he." He gave a sharp-toothed grin.
And there goes tact.
Xiu sighed. "Kindly spare us the rhetorical devices and proceed with your point. We need to discuss how you intend to fix the tear, and then you can address your other confession."
Ruk deflated slightly. "First, I need to be in the Immortal Plane, where I built the barriers in the first place. I want to go with Lyra and Dorian on the mission, but there is the issue of my confession… I did bring another lower-plane being into the Higher Plane, long ago. Due to unfortunate circumstances, she was dangerously injured. I brought her here simply to heal her, and I fully intended to return her to the Immortal Plane. Un discovered her during my next absence and took her from my estate." His tone transitioned to humility, and he even lowered his head. "I am sorry for my lies, but it was for concern over Aurora. You may not understand that, but you understand the importance of logic. Since she's been in stasis this whole time, she's learned nothing about this plane, and I always intended that to be the case. Please take the lack of harm to the Mandate, and my honest admission, into consideration. When this is all over, I will accept the debt of my punishment."
Eyes shot toward Un. What he'd done had finally come out.
"Is this true?" Xiu asked, but something in her eye told me she already knew. A storm was brewing there.
"Yes," Un begrudgingly admitted, crossing his arms. This was the forfeit of his bet on the Games.
Xiu's face hardened. "This is a serious crime." Arbiters shifted at the end of the table, a muttering of whispers quickly silenced by Xiu's icy stare. If they wanted to talk, they'd have to do it in their heads. She leaned back and closed her eyes. "You won't be surprised to find that the majority support a large debt for the both of you. We can settle that after we find a solution for the tear."
"My thoughts exactly." Ruk gave a nod of appreciation. "I'll right the wrong that I did, but I must heal her first, and I can only do that in the Higher Plane. You have to understand, she is still a living creature and must be returned home. She’s not a risk to the Mandate. You have my promise on that."
Un gave a resentful nod. "I never took her out of stasis, either. I merely copied Ruk's chamber design and transferred her to my own." The thought of Aurora floating above us in the castle made my skin crawl.
"Where is she?" I asked, dragging my eyes up to the ceiling. A painted mural of orbs in an amphitheater greeted my eye. Juneau would've liked this estate.
"Still there," Un promised. At least she's safe.
“I’m willing to pay whatever you want for it, but let me heal her,” Ruk said, angling toward Xiu. She stared down the length of the table.
“Just when I thought we were past your surprises,” Xiu muttered. “Given the circumstances, we can allow this crime to go unpunished for the moment, but we have another matter to address with you, Ruk. We took away your energy as punishment for staying in the lower planes after the Separation, as well as assigning your debt. Now, it is with some dark humor that we realize sending you back to the lower planes without your power would be unwise. We need to stop this nonsense in the lower planes at all costs, and so we are willing to suspend your punishment—temporarily. Therefore, your old energy will be restored to you when you go back to the Immortal Plane. This is only short-term, as we’ll still have to deal with the hiding of Aurora—for you and Un—in a separate trial after all this. Of course, if you save the universe, I’m sure that will garner you virtual blanket forgiveness for that transgression.”
Hope rushed through me. Even if it was temporary, Ruk at full strength was exactly what we needed in a crisis like this. Although, it was sad to think he might never get his powers back permanently. Dorian’s silent presence reminded me of our own difficult compromises.
“Aurora’s healing is another transaction entirely, though,” Xiu said. “You have no estate left to offer. Are we to take your word that you’ll come back to hand over the eventual universal energy that you collect for the next thousand mortal years?”
“I give you my word.” Ruk shrugged with a somewhat sheepish smile. “Though I know my honor is somewhat controversial, in this crowd.”
That was one way to put it. I studied the faces of those in humanoid form. Pik and Sen looked open to the idea, but the others appeared more guarded. And then, an unexpected person cleared his throat.
“I think we can trust him. I mean, any arbiter with good sense would stay behind to suck up as much universal energy as possible after destroying their estate,” Un said with a little scoff. “And Ruk has always been stubborn with his convictions. We can send someone to supervise him if we must.”
Un sticking up for Ruk? I suspected he had ulterior motives. Perhaps without Ruk around, Un would try to win sympathy from anyone who would listen to his story of how he had stolen Aurora for the good of the arbiters overall. He wanted Ruk gone for a reason.
Xiu raised one of her barely visible brows with dry intrigue. “Imagine that. One thief vouching for another. Fine. We’ll make a concession, as long as we receive a proportionate payment. I propose, based on the collective voices I’m hearing from our group, that an arbiter travels to the Immortal Plane with the lower beings and Ruk. This arbiter will serve as a companion, while ensuring that this group does not break the Mandate. And if Ruk is going to make his grand journey to the Immortal Plane yet again, I insist that we send someone powerful and impartial enough that he can’t slip away.” So, they wanted to send a babysitter with us, essentially? I watched a few bodies perk up at the chance to visit the lower planes, mainly Pik and Sen. Maybe the Mandate was less popular than I thought, or maybe its appeal had worn off over the centuries.
“I could go,” Un offered immediately. “It could count toward my payment for my crime.” He’s always the sharp, enterprising being who wants to capitalize on every opportunity. Dorian gave me a wary look, and I stifled an incredulous laugh. With Un following us around, I doubted we would get any work done.
“You’re far from impartial,” Xiu countered. “And, no offense, but I need someone who has bested Ruk before. We don’t want to break the Mandate of Secrecy. Our secrets must be safeguarded by someone who is both open to lower beings but ultimately far too protective of the Higher Plane to allow their judgment to be clouded. I don’t want this companion getting involved in any battles that could sway the natural order more than we’re allowing with the necklaces and Ruk’s powers.”
I frowned, not following her logic. “It would make the job a lot easier, though.”
“The restriction is ideological and practical,” she assured me. “We don’t want to spend energy that we might need to fix the tear. We risk throwing ourselves out of balance by getting involved. Un is ineligible, and I must recuse myself, since I have clearly grown emotionally invested in this subject. I support the group’s decision to keep me at a distance. It is a wise one.”
This is her idea of emotionally invested?
Relief flooded me that
Un was off the list, but I was disappointed that Xiu couldn’t accompany us. She was clearly a natural leader with an open mind, even with that arbiter logic holding her back. Who would they send? I glanced at a few arbiter humanoids I didn’t recognize, and their blank stares said that they weren’t about to volunteer. After Xiu said she wasn’t good enough to go, it seemed like a few minds had changed. So, nobody wants to head into the dangerous place that they purposefully cut themselves off from thousands of years ago. Fair enough.
“I can go,” Sen offered brightly. “I have a purely scholarly interest in the quest, the tear, and the lower planes. I can bring back further information for like-minded researchers, like Pik. Who knows what we’ll make with all this new information?” The corner of her mouth turned up, and her eyes sparkled. “And I will remind everyone that I have bested Ruk before.”
A muttering of positive agreements erupted.
“Really?” I asked Ruk, with an amused smirk. “You failed to mention that.”
“Of course he did.” Sen squared her shoulders. Her sea-green skin looked garish against Un’s color scheme, but she was striking in her own right. “Do you remember the tournaments we had before the Games? The Inventions?”
Ruk rolled his eyes in the most human gesture I’d ever seen him make, leaning back in his chair with a huff. Dorian and I shot each other surprised looks.
“I would argue that our dear Debt Keeper’s judgment was fallible, during that particular event.” He caught my eye. “Look, we used to make proxies and all sorts of things for research purposes and then submit them for judgment, before we eventually thought to put them in the Games to fight one another.”
I dropped my voice into a whisper of disbelief. “She beat you… in like, a science fair?” And everyone remembered this, thousands of years later? I felt a brief pang of sympathy for Ruk and his desire to escape the Higher Plane. Living here must have been like living in the worst kind of small town, but for eternity.
Darklight 7: Darkfall Page 2
